Chapter 99
Duck feathers!?
The entire court was shocked.
From hatching duck eggs artificially, rapid duck fattening, to plucking feathers for clothing... this duck was used from head to toe.
What cost?
Duck feathers, they're treated as trash, but even trash can be turned into treasure!
"How about it? Duke of Dingguo, do you think Concubine Liu's contribution to these winter clothes can be compared to military expenses?"
Xiao Yunzhou nailed down his point, speaking up.
"Chancellor Fu Cha, do you think these winter clothes are not suitable for large-scale use, unable to be rolled out to the army?"
Chancellor Fu Cha and Duke of Dingguo both held their breaths.
"What about it? Can Concubine Liu be appointed as one of the Ladies-in-Waiting?"
"......"
The entire court was silent, their resentful gazes unanimously landed on Duke of Dingguo and Chancellor Fu Cha.
One of them said, as long as Concubine Liu's winter clothes are useful, the emperor can appoint hundreds of Ladies-in-Waiting without a problem.
Another said, as long as Concubine Liu's winter clothes can be rolled out to the army, they can be rewarded for their merits!
Well then!
Now, there's no way to argue with the emperor.
Otherwise, the words of a Duke and a Chancellor would be contradicted, turning into hot air!
Duke of Dingguo and Chancellor Fu Cha pursed their lips.
"My lord... I have no more objections." In the end, it was Duke of Dingguo who could bend and flex, not even afraid of death, naturally not afraid of losing face.
"I agree with the matter of the Ladies-in-Waiting." As soon as Duke of Dingguo spoke, the other generals in fur coats also nodded.
"I second it."
"I agree!"
"Along with Duke of Dingguo, I have no objections!"
The generals and Ministry of Revenue officials gradually voiced out, their momentum becoming astonishing!
"Today I realized that it's not necessary for a man to kill someone every five steps to be considered meritorious."
"If all the women in the world were like the Empress, even if all my salary goes to the women, it wouldn't matter!"
A junior official from the Ministry of Revenue spoke out resoundingly.
Xiao Yunzhou's eyes sparkled.
The entire court of civil servants opened their mouths, then closed them again.
"Good! Forget about women or men, today even if a child comes up with something beneficial for the soldiers, and doesn't add to the Ministry of Revenue's debts, they should be made an official!" Jiang Li from the Ministry of Revenue summed it up, showing his loyalty.
Xiao Yunzhou lightly cleared his throat.
A child... cough, he felt a bit guilty hearing that.
When his little princess grows up a bit more, he will definitely give her the most honorable title and the largest princess mansion!
If his daughter, who is a celestial reincarnation, is willing, she can also become an official~
Though the idea of down jackets was Concubine Liu's, but the plague and bank, those were all his little princess's ideas!
"Hey there, Duke of Dingguo and Uncle Jiang from the Ministry of Revenue are honest people, even willing to let children become officials~"
The court returned to the hall, continuing the morning court procedures.
Behind the emperor's curtain, Xiao Chuchu, held by Wei Zheng, slowly woke up.
When she woke up, she heard Jiang Li's daring speech about children becoming officials.
Xiao Chuchu was instantly startled awake.
"Uncle Jiang, you're a good person, but let the adults deal with adult matters. If children think about them too much, they won't grow tall~"
"You can keep the high-ranking official position for yourself~"
Xiao Yunzhou wanted to laugh after hearing this.
It seems his little princess is a lazy one.
No problem, his princess's celestial ideas will keep him, the emperor, and the officials busy!
His daughter is only a few months old, there's no need for her to worry about these things.
Even when she turns eighteen, gets married, she'll still be daddy's beloved little treasure!
Xiao Yunzhou was in deep thought. If his precious daughter had to get out of her warm bed every day before dawn to attend court, a tiny person standing not even as tall as Chancellor Fu Cha, he as a father would surely be heartbroken.
"Report if there's business, retreat if there's none."
After discussing the matter of down jackets and the collection of embroidery workshops, Xiao Yunzhou was ready to leave the court.
But unexpectedly, he heard the soft mutterings of his daughter.
"Oops, I almost forgot, I haven't done the lottery these days. I was too focused watching my mother make down jackets~"
Heh.
Xiao Yunzhou almost burst out laughing on his throne.
The court officials: "......"
Was the emperor laughing at them?
Definitely!
Laughing at them for being incapable of coming up with new ideas, not even as good as a woman!
A group of ministers, feeling threatened and aware, decided they couldn't slack off anymore, otherwise they would eventually be scolded by the emperor.
But Xiao Yunzhou didn't have time to care about them, he was all ears listening to his daughter drawing new skill books!
"Heavenly spirits, earth spirits, bless me to draw something helpful for the strength of Jing Country!"
"Oh my goodness——look at what I got!"
"Methods for Making Instant Noodles and Other Fast Foods"
"Water Irrigation Works"
"Oh, my own skills have upgraded too......I can see everyone's combat power now!"
Xiao Yunzhou was wide-eyed.
*
In the prairie, the Khan of Wu Yun Country, received another envoy from Chu State!
"Noble Khan of the Wu Yun Country, if you do not trade with Chu State but choose to trade with Jing Country, you will regret it in the future."
"My Chu State is more powerful than Jing Country, whether it be weapon making or winter food storage, we are superior to Jing Country, and Chu State is not short of silver......"
The Chu State envoy, full of threats and enticements, left a pile of generous gifts before leaving.
The Khan of Wu Yun Country's face gradually darkened, "Did we choose the wrong brother to befriend?"
Jing Country is not as strong as Chu State.
Is the benefit brought by trade to the Khan of Wu Yun Country superior to that of Chu State?
The Khan of Wu Yun Country frowned, "Call Prince Erxi."
Erxi was one of the envoys to Jing Country at that time.
But before the guard could leave, he lifted the tent curtain and came out.
"Khan, Prince Erxi is waiting outside, he said that it is nearing the New Year, and the border city of Jing Country is holding an event. The Tian Tan District, which has opened trade between the two countries, is particularly lively, and he invites you to enjoy it together."
"??"
Khan of Wu Yun Country put down his wine cup, he was not in the mood!
But soon after he went, he was shocked.
"This duck is so plump......Peking Duck, our imperial kitchen, cough, have our servants been to this market to buy it?"
The Khan of Wu Yun Country, disguised as a common man of Wu Yun, was on an incognito outing.
The roasted duck wrapped in a roll, delicious to the extreme, could even be eaten on horseback!
It was just too small, one bite each, he hadn't even gotten over it when it was gone.
Khan of Wu Yun Country, who had just devoured a whole roasted duck, was eager to have it back in his palace.
"Bring a thousand!"
"...... I didn't bring you here to see this." Erxi, the envoy at the time, was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.
He turned around and took the Khan to the chicks and ducklings next door.
"What, how is it so cheap? Jing Country is so kind to my Wu Yun Country!" The Khan was shocked, the price of these chicks and ducklings was half of what Chu State offered.
The envoy from Chu State, so full of bravado, had said in broad daylight that the goods from Chu State were both affordable and of high quality!
Just wait, we should let them see!
"Emperor of Jing Country is sincere, they wouldn't sell us short, would they?" Wu Yun's Khan was somewhat touched. He had never met Xiao Yunzhou, but he didn't expect the Emperor of Jing Country to be so naive and innocent.
He had thought of selling his goods to Jing Country at a high price from the start.
"Heh heh heh, indeed!" The old man at the Jing Country's stall laughed heartily. "In order to establish good relations between the two countries, we in Jing Country have specially raised a batch of chickens and ducks to sell to you at a low price."
These were all hatched in large quantities on clay kang by artificial means, not incubated one by one by mother hens and ducks.
Being mass-produced makes them cheaper, doesn't it?
But this technology, it must not be disclosed.
The old man selling chickens and ducks from Jing Country was very conscious of protecting his country's secrets and resolutely refused to tell the people of Wu Yun Country.
"Our Emperor from Jing Country is a good man."
Khan of Wu Yun was astonished, "By the Eternal Blue Sky... Jing Country does not deceive me."
They even reared a batch of cheap chickens and ducks especially for Wu Yun.
This is because they know that every winter, Wu Yun spends a large sum of money to buy grains. Jing Country is saving them money!
"Indeed," the egg-selling old man continued to coax the seemingly wealthy and naive Wu Yun merchant, "Our Emperor from Jing Country even said, 'Do not waste money.'"
"If you have money, you should make your money work for you. Don't buy expensive items and waste it unnecessarily."
"Making money work for you, you understand, right?"
Khan shook his head in confusion.
"Ah, you are not well-informed, my friend. You don't even know about Jing Country's bank, which opened in our town yesterday. Wow! If you deposit a hundred taels of silver for a year, they give you twenty taels back!"
Khan of Wu Yun's eyes widened.
What? Jing Country has such a good thing!?
Can other countries deposit there too?
*
Imperial Garden of Jing Country.
Xiao Yunzhou, holding Xiao Chuchu, was deep in thought.
Who would have thought that after raising pigs, he, as an emperor, would have to deal with... food?
【Instant noodles are a good thing, let me see how to make the seasoning packet.】
Xiao Yunzhou took a deep breath and looked at Wei Zheng.
"Go, the Empress Dowager's birthday is coming up. Call the head of the Imperial Kitchen to me."
"I want to research the recipes of the Imperial Cuisine."
Wei Zheng's face was filled with confusion.
Huh?
After dealing with clothes, the emperor is dealing with food?
Is he going to keep jumping from one thing to another?
"Oh, also call Concubine Liu and Duke of Dingguo."