Mu Wanqing first flattered him in the letter, praising him as a sage king rarely seen in a thousand years, praising him to the point that he was the best in the world.

The emotion was so sincere that people could not help but be moved. The emperor's mouth twitched. Although this girl was young, she had mastered the essence of flattery. She could make people happy, but people did not feel disgusted. Instead, they felt that she had good vision.

This was not a rigid memorial, it was completely plain writing, full of freedom of expression, she dared to say anything.

Then, she expressed her loyalty, saying that after discovering that kapok could be made into cotton products, her first reaction was that it was the emperor's blessing, and that the emperor was wise and God had bestowed such a treasure upon her. She was just luckier than ordinary people, so she had such an opportunity.

The importance of cotton was also explained. Cotton is a treasure trove. Not only can it be made into warm clothing, it is also an important strategic material that can be used for winter clothing for military soldiers so that they will not be afraid of the cold winter.

Compared to sericulture, it does not require the labor of collecting and raising silkworms, but it has the benefit of guaranteed harvests; similar to ramie, it does not require the labor of weaving and sewing, but it has the benefit of keeping out the cold, so it is recommended to plant it on a large scale. Note (1)

It is warmer than silk, but not as expensive as silk. It is simpler and warmer than mulberry and linen, and more suitable for ordinary people to wear.

Of course, she modestly said that she was still exploring, and for the sake of exploration, she planned to plant it on her own farm. If there is any success, it will be a great blessing for the country and the people.

She knows that it is difficult to promote fresh crops, but for the sake of the country and the people, she is willing to be a pioneer and work hard to find a way out.

But he hoped to do this with a legitimate reason and a legitimate reason, so that he could better educate the people, lead them to live a happy life with enough food and clothing, and create wealth for the Great Qi Dynasty.

If a Kapok Promotion Office is established in Xiliang, 100,000 pieces of kapok can be supplied to the court every year. Seeing this, the emperor raised his eyebrows. This girl has great ambitions.

Finally, she said, "Your Majesty, I think I am far more talented than those incompetent officials and fully worthy of the position of Kapok Supervisor. You are the common ruler of the world, rich in all the land, and all men, women, old and young are your subjects. You should be able to accommodate a talented young woman."

This made the emperor both angry and amused. She had said all the good and bad things about him, so what else could others say?

It is rare to see someone asking for an official position speak so casually and confidently.

But she was right about one thing: many officials did not have her talent, but held high positions.

He took a long time to read the letter, turning it over and over again twice.

Everyone just feels that the waiting time is extremely long and their curiosity is piqued. What is this going to say? Please reveal some information.

After an unknown amount of time, the emperor solemnly put the letter away, placed it in an envelope, and then put it in his arms.

Everyone looked at each other. Was this to prevent others from seeing it? Was there some secret inside?

The more this happens, the more people want to know.

The imperial concubine sitting on the right side calmly probed, "Your Majesty, what did the Qingping Township Lady say in the letter? Was there any offensive words? She was born in a low family and her vision is low. A poor woman who suddenly became rich is a little arrogant..."

A cold light swept over her, and she was suddenly stuck. In the past six months, she was no longer as favored as before, and the emperor was lukewarm towards her, which made her particularly worried.

The emperor looked at the queen on his left, "Queen, the head of Qingping Township said that these cotton products are in pairs, and one of them is yours."

"She is so thoughtful." The queen smiled happily. Although the gift was small, the care and respect shown in it made her feel particularly happy.

Dragon and Phoenix Quilt, a dragon and a phoenix are a pair.

She touched the cotton cloth, then picked up a cotton glove and put it on her right hand, moving it casually.

"You know what, these cotton gloves are really warm, and the cotton fabric is also exceptionally soft and comfortable. They are really nice. The Qingping Township Lady is intelligent and kind-hearted, and she deserves a reward."

"Pass the message down, and reward the head of Qingping Township with two sets of palace jewelry, two buckets of pearls, two boxes of gems, two sets of palace clothing, two brocade feather satin capes, and two brocade satin fox-patterned pleated cloaks."

Just because Mu Wanqing gave her face, she was exceptionally generous.

"Yes." The eunuch responded.

The emperor nodded slightly, "One more thing, she likes to eat it, give her a few palace snack recipes. It is inconvenient to seek medical treatment at the border, so let Dr. Song be stationed at the Qingping Township Lord's Mansion, and prepare all the medicinal materials. Jiang Tongzhi, take Dr. Song with you when you go back."

The whole audience was shocked and exclamations were heard frequently.

It was common to make jeweled clothes for the first time, but it was the first time to reward subjects with palace snack recipes. Usually this was a privilege of the royal family.

What is even more shocking is that they ordered the highly skilled imperial physician Song to serve the Lady of Qingping Township. How honorable this was, unprecedented honor.

Anyway, the princes and princesses don’t have such grace.

Civil and military officials were shocked, stunned, and couldn't believe it, and there was also a hint of envy and jealousy.

The expressions of several princes and princesses showed that their father was too partial to them.

The fifth prince in particular had a dark face and was extremely angry.

Is the emperor getting senile and confused?

Jiang Tongzhi thanked him happily. It was rare to have an imperial physician, so they should all get one. "I thank the emperor for his grace on behalf of the Qingping Township Lord."

The emperor played with his wine glass with a calm expression, "How did the Qingping Township Lord discover kapok? And how did he know that kapok could be made into cotton cloth?"

Jiang Tong was informed of this issue and he was present at the scene at that time.

"There is a kapok forest in the Du Mansion Garden, which is specially used for viewing. When the head of Qingping Township came to the banquet for the first time, he looked at the kapok forest twice more and was mocked by an official's daughter for being unworldly..."

He cleared his throat and did not elaborate. "The village head was a stubborn person. She decided to take Kapok away. I don't know what she was thinking. After a while, she went around looking for cloth shop owners and built a Kapok workshop on the farm to study these things every day. God rewarded those who worked hard, and she finally reaped the rewards."

The emperor nodded slightly, "One cement and one water truck have shown the world the intelligence of the Qingping Township Lady. She is so thoughtful and talented. Today, she has presented cotton as a gift. From now on, she will be named the Qingping County Lady, and her parents will be named the third-rank Tongyi Doctor and Shu Ren."

It only took half a year for her to rise from a village chief to a county chief. This speed of advancement was astonishing.

Jiang Tongzhi was overjoyed. Hey, he knew that Mu Wanqing was an extraordinary person. She was very capable. The county princess was a third-rank official, and she had leapt up to surpass countless people.

In Xiliang, only General Du and the Young Master were of higher rank than her.

Both her parents were awarded titles because of her, bringing honor to the family.

Everyone's mood became even more complicated. This was too much praise and too high a level.

She spoke as if no one was as good as Mu Wanqing, leaving them with no chance of putting their faces to shame.

Then, the official from the Ministry of Rites stood up again and said, "Your Majesty, this is too fast. There has never been such a rule since ancient times."

The Imperial Censor also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, this is not in accordance with etiquette. The cotton matter has not been verified by the court. What if it is an exaggeration or a trick..."

The emperor looked indifferently at the officials who came out of the line. They were not good at getting things done, but they were good at being jealous of others' achievements.

"If everyone here can make contributions to the country like Princess Qingping, I will not be stingy with titles, and the titles of dukes and marquises will definitely not be ambiguous."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent.

After this incident, the subsequent part of presenting birthday gifts was not very interesting.

With pearls and jade in front of you, no matter how expensive the gift is, it will pale in comparison.

The palace banquet ended, and the emperor stood up and said, "Everyone, disperse. The crown prince and the prime minister, follow me."

The imperial concubine could not help but get anxious, and winked at the Third Prince, who eagerly called out, "Father, I also want to share your worries."

"Stop making trouble." The emperor left with his men without looking back.

The third prince was so angry that he punched the chopping board and gasped in pain. His father was too partial and only had eyes for the crown prince.

They are all his sons, how can he treat them differently? This is unfair, he doesn't accept it!

The Fifth Prince had a terribly gloomy expression on his face, and Mu Wanqing allowed her to steal the limelight and take all the benefits.

A voice sounded in my ears, "Fifth Prince, the Fifth Princess is waiting for you to return home."

It was the Prince of Jin. He had a dull expression on his face and had no sense of presence the entire evening. He did not say a word and was surprisingly silent.

The Fifth Prince then put away his sour look, and the two of them looked at each other, then turned away, looking as if their relationship was not very good.

The Third Prince walked slowly to the front of the Prince of Jin and said, "My brother has a really bad temper. You kindly reminded him, but he didn't even say thank you."

The Prince of Jin looked a little embarrassed and annoyed, "You have been more tolerant than him since you were a child."

The Third Prince was secretly proud of himself and put his hand on his shoulder, "That's right, you have good vision. Let's go and have a drink."

The officials are in a state of unrest and tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

Imperial Study

The palace lanterns are bright, illuminating like daylight.

The emperor leaned lazily in his chair, "What do you think?"

"Qingping Township..." The Prime Minister had already read Mu Wanqing's letter and frowned slightly. "She has been rewarded for her contribution of cotton cloth and has been made a county lady. She wants to be a female official... It's a wild idea."

How is it possible for a woman to break thousands of years of convention and compete with men in the court?

The emperor did not comment, tapping his right hand on the table, "Prince."

The prince took another look at the letter and found that Mu Wanqing was really strong.

"If her farm can really be successfully planted, as she said, with low cost and high yield, then why not agree to her?"

The Prime Minister was horrified, "Prince, this is absolutely not allowed, this must not be done..."

He was not only the Prime Minister, but also the Prince's teacher, so he didn't have to be so cautious with his words.

The prince waved his hand and interrupted him, "To me, talent is not divided by gender. As long as they can contribute to the country and the people, I will use them."

The butt determines the head, and the position where he stands determines the scope and angle of his thinking.

He is the crown prince, and his position is high enough to see things from the perspective of the overall interests of the empire.

The Prime Minister disagreed with his words. He was a subject, so naturally he spoke from a subject's perspective.

"Prince, you can't say that. It's not worth it to go against thousands of scholars and officials for a woman."

"Yes, Princess Qingping is very talented. She can be awarded a title, but not an official position."

The prince raised his eyebrows. "Then, Princess Qingping's talent is unique and irreplaceable? It would be a great loss to the country if she were not used."

The Prime Minister admitted that Mu Wanqing had some talent in agriculture, but it was not enough to shake the foundation of the court for her. "Not really. There are many outstanding officials in the court. Who in this world can be irreplaceable?"

The prince immediately became interested. "Teacher, tell me, which official can make cement water trucks and cotton cloth? Who? I beg the emperor to use him."

"This..." The Prime Minister was stuck. Even the Minister of Agriculture didn't have such ability.

However, he immediately thought of an excuse, "Let's take a look at it. Even if Princess Qingping is really talented, as the Princess of Daqi, it is natural for her to work for the court. I think Princess Qingping is a good girl who understands the greater good and will not care about those false reputations."

That is to say, let Mu Wanqing do the work, but don't give her a title.

The prince couldn't help but laugh. "How can you tell that she is so righteous? She is obviously a person who never suffers any loss, never forgets her grudges, and knows how to weigh the pros and cons. She is very smart and won't fall for your tricks."

This is what Du Shaoxuan called moral kidnapping.

Moral blackmail is of no use to someone who can overthrow her uncle, father, and grandmother.

The Prime Minister disagreed. She was just a girl. What kind of waves could she cause?

At this time, he didn't know that one day, his position would be replaced by the woman he despised the most.

Late at night, the back door of the Fifth Prince's Mansion opened gently, and a tightly covered black shadow came in quietly and walked towards the outer study room as if he was familiar with the place.

In the study, the fifth prince was getting impatient, "Why did you come just now? I've been waiting for a long time."

The black figure took off his mask, revealing a handsome face. It was none other than the Prince of Jin. "The Third Prince held me tightly and I finally managed to get away."

The Fifth Prince then motioned for him to sit down and poured him a cup of hot tea. "Did you find out any useful information?"

The two have formed an alliance in private, but they still do not appear to be in opposition in public, in order to hide their tracks.

The eyes of the Prince of Jin flickered slightly. "He is extremely dissatisfied with the generous reward given to Mu Wanqing. We can take advantage of this and make them both lose."

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Note (1) From Wang Zhen’s Agricultural Book