Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Perhaps, it starts with us

At this moment, the emperor's comfort was like a sweet rain, which made Zhao Changning feel grateful.

Regardless of whether this was an exploitation, intentional act, or passive helplessness, Zhao Changning felt deeply grateful. Not all emperors would do this, and not all emperors would allow a woman to gain a foothold in the court. The late emperor must have really considered passing the throne to him.

She kowtowed solemnly, her voice resounding, "Changning, I will not refuse even if death is the cost."

The emperor personally helped her up, and their eyes met, both smiling firmly.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, autumn rains came one after another, and the wild flowers on the roadside began to wither, and the scene became bleak.

After the court was dismissed, the queen called Zhao Changning to Kunning Palace.

"I heard that the female chieftain is eight feet tall, has an extraordinary appearance, and is extremely strong. Is that true?"

Zhao Changning recalled, "I'd met some chieftains before with the late emperor. They were all normal people, nothing special except their attire. But this was the first time I'd seen a female chieftain. I heard she married a chieftain, but after her husband died, she took on the chieftainship to support her young son. Later, the people under her rule all respected her and began to call her 'Master Chieftain.'"

The Queen was very impressed by what she heard and said, "You have also met my cousin. Can you arrange for her to meet the female chieftain?"

She was somewhat helpless. "I really can't stand being pestered by this girl. She sends letter after letter to the palace. She used to grow up in a small place like me. After coming to Yujing, she became too lively. Now she regards you as her role model and even ignores me."

Zhao Changning couldn't help laughing when he thought of Zhou Miao.

"How difficult is that? Doesn't Her Majesty want all the selected female officials to come out and gain some experience? I think this is the opportunity. I can just let her blend in."

The palace etiquette and order need to be maintained. Only six female officials have been selected so far, and they have all been well integrated into the palace. They should be used when necessary.

Because the arrival of the female chieftain may directly affect his own affairs, Zhao Changning is particularly serious. He wants to show the power of the female chieftain and let the men see how graceful a woman who can fight is.

It was not until the end of September that the female chieftain and her entourage finally arrived in Yujing.

Zhao Changning, as the imperial secretary, came to greet the emperor on his behalf. The emperor was greeted with the etiquette of a prince, which shows how important he was.

There was actually a debate about this matter in the court, and in the end it was the emperor who made the final decision. Since she was a female chieftain, it should be the female secretary who came to greet her, giving Zhao Changning enough face.

The autumn wind blows, and there are faint cool raindrops hitting my face.

She stretched her neck and looked for a long time before she finally saw a figure on the bridge. She only saw a thin and shriveled woman, wearing a dark blue dress, with long black hair braided to the top of her head, riding on the leading horse.

Zhou Miao was immediately disappointed. "The female chieftain looks just like us, nothing like the rumors."

Zhao Changning wasn't disappointed at all; instead, he felt even more shocked. Naturally, however, he wouldn't argue with this, simply asking, "Where have you been these days? Where's Song Huan? Where's my booklet?"

Zhou Miao stared at the procession without blinking, and said casually, "Sister Huan is still in Jiangxi, and I just came back from Nanjing."

"What?" Zhao Changning was a little surprised. "Why did she go to Jiangxi?"

Zhou Miao said as if it was a matter of course, "If you want to understand something, you have to investigate it in person. My uncles and aunts all did that. They went there themselves before they understood it. Aunt, if we want to do it well this time, we have to do it ourselves. Otherwise, if we just rely on talking, this business will fail."

Zhao Changning remained silent upon hearing this, feeling deeply inspired.

She has been surprised again and again recently, and suddenly realized that it seems that she is not the only one in the world who wants to climb up. Many women also have ambitions, but they just have no way to achieve them. Some of them are even more willing to endure hardships than her, and more clever and intelligent. You know, Song Huan and Zhou Miao have been pampered since childhood.

"Thank you for your hard work this time." Zhao Changning pursed his lips. "If this is successful, I will definitely report your contribution to the Emperor."

Zhou Miao chuckled and was about to speak when the chieftain dismounted.

Zhao Changning hurriedly went to greet him, showing a gentle smile, "Imperial Secretary Zhao Changning, greetings to Chieftain Wubu."

"Who are you? An official?" The chieftain of Ubu spoke the official language very unstandardly. She looked around vigilantly and found that people were standing around Zhao Changning.

She said seriously, "I heard from my late husband that the officials in Yujing are all men, oh, and there are eunuchs."

To show his respect, Zhao Changning raised his eyes to look at the legendary female chieftain. She had slightly dark skin, thin cheeks, and was half a finger shorter than himself, but her eyes were firm and bright, and she was serious. She had a strong aura all over her body, and the silver scimitar on her waist was particularly eye-catching. She was indeed a woman who grew up on the battlefield.

"Chief Wumu, that was in the past. Now the new emperor is benevolent and cares for the people. He values ​​talent, and the court has undergone a complete transformation, just like you. After all, there has never been a female chieftain who won a war and was summoned by the emperor to come to Yujing to receive a title."

Ebony Toastie couldn't help but smile when he heard that, showing his white teeth, "You're very interesting and your words are nice. What's your name?"

Zhao Changning didn't mind, but repeated, "Imperial Female Secretary, Zhao Changning, Wumu Tusi can call me Changning."

Wu Mu Tusi nodded. Perhaps it was the special feeling between women that made her sense Zhao Changning's kindness and a hint of admiration for him. Finally, a trace of fatigue from the long journey appeared on her face.

"It's been a long journey to see the Emperor as soon as possible. Could you please allow me to wash first?"

Zhao Changning smiled and gestured for invitation, "Ebony Chief, everything is ready for you. Please follow me."

Zhou Miao finally found an opportunity to speak. "She seems to be very reserved, but unexpectedly, she has such a powerful aura. Could this be the pressure from having killed someone?"

Zhao Changning was also willing to explain on Wumu Tusi's behalf, "Hearing that the rebels were occupying the mountains, Wumu Tusi disregarded the danger and led over 70 of her warriors, scaling the cliffs and charging into the bandits' lair. With the help of both insiders and outsiders, they bravely killed the enemy and beheaded them in one fell swoop. This goes like saying, 'You can't judge a person by their appearance. Wumu Tusi is no ordinary woman.'"

Before, it was just some words on paper, and she imagined him in her mind. Now the real person is in front of her. Although he is a little different from the hero she imagined, he makes her admire him even more.

Zhou Miao nodded vigorously, his eyes bright, and said happily: "When Sister Huan comes back, I will tell her about Wu Mu Tu Si. She will definitely regret not meeting him."

After Wumu Tusi had packed up and the clansmen who accompanied him were properly arranged in the inn, Zhao Changning took her to the palace to meet the emperor.

The emperor deliberately chose the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony to show his importance.

Before entering the palace, Zhao Changning had explained to Wumu Tusi many etiquettes for entering the palace to meet the emperor. The first thing to do was to kneel down and worship.

But the ebony chieftain did not kneel.

She was not tall, but she stood straight, her back as straight as a pine tree. She crossed her hands in front of her chest and bowed respectfully. "Wumu Ezi greets the emperor. The Yi people, like me, are praying for your health and longevity."

Zhao Changning looked at the emperor and nodded slightly. She was a little afraid that the emperor would blame her.

The emperor was also stunned for a moment, but when he saw Zhao Changning nod, he understood and just waved his hand.

"Please take a seat, Chief Wu Mu. You must have been very tired after traveling all the way..."

Zhao Changning saw that Wumu Tusi was very wary at first, but the emperor was young and handsome, and his words were just about asking about local customs and practices, without any intimidation or difficulty. Therefore, Wumu Tusi was obviously relieved, and sat down with his body slightly bent.

The emperor laughed and said, "Tusi Wumu is truly a heroine. In all these years, I have only seen you as a female Tusi."

Wumu Tusi lowered his head and said, "I am only holding the position of Tusi in place of him. My son will be the successor."

The emperor naturally knew this and said with a smile: "Changning, order the cabinet to draft an edict. From today on, Wumu Tusi will no longer be a proxy. She deserves this title."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhao Changning was truly happy for Wumu Tusi. "Wumu Tusi, Changning congratulates you."

Wu Mu Tusi bowed again and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded to Zhao Changning.

After receiving the message, Zhao Changning guided Wumu Tusi, "Wumu Tusi, I will take you downstairs to rest. There will be a banquet to celebrate your success in the evening."

Wu Mu Tusi followed her out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. She looked up at the majestic and huge palace, and the surprise in her eyes did not seem to be disguised.

"My husband always told me how wonderful and beautiful Yujing was, but I never believed him. But now that I've seen it, it's truly extraordinary."

Zhao Changning smiled and said, "I heard that the bamboo houses in the south are also very exquisite and comfortable. I have never had the chance to see them."

"I didn't kneel just now. Does that bother you?" Wumu Tusi explained, "In our place, we only kneel to our parents and the gods of heaven and earth. We don't kneel to anyone else. It's their business if others kneel, but I won't kneel."

Zhao Changning truly felt the courage and determination of this female chieftain, and said sincerely, "Headmaster Wumu, the new emperor is kind and compassionate, and treats people with sincerity. He won't mind such trivial matters. Don't worry, I will explain everything to him later."

Wu Mu Tusi smiled and said, "That's good, Emperor. Oh, and you, it seems that what my husband said is very different."

Seeing that she was much more relaxed, Zhao Changning also relaxed his tone a little, "Oh? Wu Mu Tusi, can you tell me what's different?"

"There are many differences," Wumu Tusi said. "My husband said that the emperor of Dayong is very majestic and people dare not look directly at him. The officials of Dayong are also very unfriendly and always treat the southerners in the mountains with contempt."

Zhao Changning laughed. From the late emperor to the eunuchs and then to the officials, it was indeed as Wumu Tusi's husband had seen.

"Headmaster Wumu, now that the new emperor is in power, with new people and a new atmosphere, everything will be different. Perhaps it will start with us."

She began to understand why the emperor chose to announce her affairs after Wumu Tusi. After all, her vision and experience were not as good as those of the emperor who had been knowledgeable since childhood.

You still need to learn more, read more and think more.

There was something obviously strange in the way Ebony Tusi looked at her.

After the celebration banquet, the emperor kept Wumu Tusi for a few days and ordered Zhao Changning to bring people to accompany him.

Zhao Changning would occasionally accompany him, and would sometimes have female officials and officials from the Ministry of Rites follow him. Yujing was a prosperous city, and it was always nice to take a stroll.

She had other things to do.

As the weather grew colder, Song Huan finally returned from Jiangxi. After discussing with Zhou Miao, she came to find Zhao Changning.

Song Huan looked a little thinner. When he saw Zhao Changning, he bowed gracefully and said, "Aunt, we gained a lot from this trip."

Zhao Changning was also looking forward to it, but as he listened, he felt something was wrong.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, you just said, how many can a kiln produce? Three hundred pieces? And how much can each piece be sold overseas? I forgot again..."

Song Huan's mouth seemed to have been blessed, opening and closing without stopping.

"Aunt, a kiln opens once a month, producing 300 pieces, all small items, such as teacups, tea bowls, teapots, tea trays, etc. There are also some large utensils, such as the lotus pot in front of the Qinzheng Hall. Only a few pieces can be produced at a time, and they are not easy to transport. Ordinary porcelain shipped abroad, the cheapest one that does not take up space and is used for storage costs three to four strings of cash, not to mention those expensive ones. And the cost, even if the firing fails again and again, is only about two strings of cash. Of course, the quality of 300 pieces shipped out at once is definitely different. Without considering other factors, just talking about money, I have calculated the average price of those ordinary merchants. Let's assume eight strings of cash for one piece. If there are 300 pieces in a kiln, that's 2,400 strings of cash. If there are ten kilns, that's 24,000 strings of cash. Excluding labor, firewood, soil, etc., there are still four strings of cash for one piece. But this is just one kiln, and it's just near the sea. The cost of offshore production is definitely higher, but the profit is also higher. I haven't calculated this yet..."

She took a sip of tea and continued, "If all the porcelain makers in Dayong could come together and form a chamber of commerce, shipping 10,000 pieces at a time, of course, the failure rate would definitely increase, and the cost would increase by 10%, which would still be 3 million guan. Even if 20% of the profit was taken, it would still be 2.4 million. However, in order to reassure the merchants, the court would have to bear the initial costs. The manpower and material resources would need to be at least 500,000 guan. Zhou Miao went to the Maritime Customs Office to find out, and there would inevitably be layers of exploitation, so we'd have to add another 100,000..."

Zhao Changning was shocked by her extremely fast speaking speed, as if she didn't need to think at all, and those numbers were just growing in her head.

She is not very good at numerology and has been dizzy from all these numbers.

"Okay, okay, just tell me, can you do this?"

Zhou Miao chuckled, "Aunt, of course it can be done, and it's a very profitable business. If we join forces, I'm afraid it will be a huge profit. But the court is interfering, and those merchants are probably not happy."

Not everyone wants to do business with the imperial court. The risks are too great. Besides, businessmen should not compete with officials.

Zhao Changning was not too worried. The imperial court's warships were different from civilian ships. First of all, the carrying capacity was different, and secondly, the safety level was also different. Even she had heard of merchant ships sinking, which showed the danger.

Besides, with the imperial court's protection, a lot of secret expenses can be saved. This deal is a win-win situation, and there will always be someone who is the first to try it.

Song Huan also thought so, but she was not an official, so she started to instigate.

"Aunt, if you go there in person, you will definitely be tempted, but this is not an easy thing to do and it is easy to offend people. It also depends on the emperor's determination."

Zhao Changning nodded and said that she would report this matter to the emperor.

The emperor was also shocked by the profit of this thing, but he was also a little angry. How much had those bastards in the Maritime Customs Office embezzled over the years?

"Is that all? And it's only near the coast?"

Zhao Changning nodded. "Your Majesty, the countries near the sea have always respected Dayong and admired its culture and customs. They are particularly fond of Dayong's porcelain and silk. The cost of sailing to the distant seas is simply too high. Not to mention the cost of building warships, the manpower alone is beyond our means. We will not consider it for the time being."

"I understand. We can't be too ambitious." The emperor nodded and said without hesitation, "Then we must accomplish this."

There's nothing I can do. I'm really too poor.

As expected, there was a huge uproar in the court the next day.

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