Wan Anran later learned that the Emperor had not come specifically to visit Mao Tao, but rather to ask Consort Xuan many questions about what happened last night.

Consort Xuan sneered: "If you ask me, Prince Gong's wife has really run into a brick wall this time. Today, the Empress summoned her into the palace and gave her a good scolding."

"I think she should be severely reprimanded."

“That’s right.” Wan Anran nodded, echoing Xuan Pin and Nara Guiren’s words: “Look at that arrogant look, she still wants to control the eldest princess. But if Her Majesty the Empress is furious, won’t the Prince Gong’s wife take her anger out on the princess’s birth mother?”

"Where did she get the guts?"

Consort Xuan shook her head: "Her Majesty the Empress is so thoughtful and meticulous, how could she make such a mistake? This morning, she used the excuse that the eldest princess was worried about her birth mother to send two nannies to Prince Gong's residence to serve her. It seems that Prince Gong's wife wants to use the birth mother to control the eldest princess. She should think twice in the future."

Wan Anran nodded thoughtfully.

As for Emperor Kangxi, after the eldest princess pleaded for Prince Gong, he took the crown prince and the eldest princess out of the palace to let them see this Prince Gong who was said to be so preoccupied with state affairs that he forgot to eat and sleep, and ended up getting completely drunk.

The eldest princess was originally quite worried about her father.

Seeing his dazed and confused state, and hearing the stewards and guards around him carefully explain how carefree he had been these past few days, his original worries completely vanished.

It wasn't just Wu Sangui's granddaughter, Wu Shi; it's said there were three or four others being raised outside the family! If it weren't for Wu Shi's background, she might have been raised outside like these other children—thinking about it this way, one has to praise Prince Gong for being so sensible.

Let him dream!

The Empress reprimanded Prince Gong's wife, and Kangxi then gave Prince Gong, Changning, a thorough dressing-down.

Not only was he reprimanded, but Kangxi also sent him directly to the front lines, ordering Prince Yu, Fuquan, and Prince Kang, Jieshu, to discipline him strictly. Not only was he not reinstated, but his princely salary was also cut for three years. Kangxi even decreed that if he didn't learn his lesson, he might as well give up his princely title!

With the Emperor and Empress joining forces, the matter of Prince Gong dissipated without causing much of a stir. After a moment of amazement, everyone quickly forgot about Prince Gong and his wife, intending to take Mao Tao, dressed in his new clothes, to the Empress Dowager—after all, Mao Tao looked absolutely adorable in that outfit!

As expected, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed.

The eleventh prince, who was clearly strong and vigorous and sure to survive, was already more favored by the old lady. In addition, with his current attire, the Empress Dowager held him in her arms and teased him for a long time without letting go.

The Empress Dowager felt a slight sense of regret.

If only they would agree to bring the eleventh prince to Cining Palace, but the thought only lasted for a moment before she saw Consort Wan's proud and smug face, and she immediately dismissed the thought: My child is indeed best off with his mother!

As for raising children, let's talk about it another time when the time is right. Wan Anran had no idea how many thoughts were swirling in the Empress Dowager's mind, but the surrounding concubines were all green with envy.

The concubines in the palace were all determined to have children.

It's just that from Consort Wan to Consort Guo, it's truly... like trying to plant flowers but they don't bloom, while planting willows unintentionally and they thrive. It's really frustrating.

The most composed were the Empress and Consort Yi.

The former was proud, teasing Xiao Maotao with the cloth tiger—Yinzhen had to make a great effort to stop himself from biting the cloth tiger whenever he saw it… Whenever he wasn’t careful, he would find himself biting the cloth tiger again, with saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Wan Anran quickly stepped forward and tied a bib around Mao Tao's neck. Consort Yi, her face full of curiosity, not only watched Wan Anran's actions intently but also asked a series of questions, all about raising children.

Consort Yi was serious.

Not only did she ask questions, she also touched the fabric. She pinched the chubby Eleventh Prince, and then casually touched the unusual clothes he wore. The soft texture made her exclaim, "This material is something I've never seen before!"

As a favored concubine, Consort Yi's rations were among the best in the palace. Her statement that she had never seen them before surprised everyone around her.

The Empress Dowager also looked around carefully.

It does look somewhat different? But there are countless fabrics in the palace, so she didn't take it to heart. She just smiled and said, "Isn't it just some new fabric from outside the palace? Granny Suo has instructed the storeroom to prepare some to send to our Consort Yi, so that Consort Yi won't say that I'm being biased."

Then she turned to Wan Anran and said, "The clothes made from this fabric are soft and lovely. Take a few more bolts and make some for my little grandson."

Wan Anran hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Consort Xuan, however, was even more blunt. She interjected with a smile, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this material might not even be available in the Cining Palace!"

"Oh? There aren't any in the Cining Palace?"

"Yes, this material was designed by Consort Wan at the behest of the Imperial Household Department last year. It has only now been completed by the Imperial Household Department, and a basket of it has been sent to Xianfu Palace."

Consort Xuan was somewhat smug and proud.

She smiled and asked, "Guess what the ingredients are?"

"You're playing riddles now, kid. Tell me quickly!"

"It's wool, this is yarn made from wool." Consort Xuan carefully stated the material.

As a member of the Borjigit clan, Consort Xuan naturally knew the importance of the wool yarn. After seeing the little hats, clothes, and pants that Wan Anran had made for Mao Tao, she made up her mind to simply bring this up in Cining Palace and directly give the credit to Consort Wan.

The Empress Dowager was momentarily stunned.

The Empress Dowager, sitting to the side, was much more perceptive. She suddenly straightened her back and turned her burning gaze to the Eleventh Prince.

Yinzhen smiled at Granny Wukuma.

With the sheep-horn hat accentuating his cuteness, the eleventh prince was undeniably adorable. An ordinary old lady would probably have immediately hugged the little cutie and teased him.

The Empress Dowager was no ordinary old lady.

Therefore, she did not tease Yinzhen, but instead reached out and gently touched the fabric of the clothes. It was soft, warm, and delicately comfortable knitted material... It was hard to imagine that this was wool that was usually used to make woolen garments. The Empress Dowager's eyes showed surprise but also caution: "Noble Lady Wan, is what Consort Xuan said true?"

Wan Anran smiled and nodded.

When she first entered the Qing Palace and asked for wool yarn, she didn't think it was a big deal. She even secretly complained about the Imperial Household Department's sycophancy and their tendency to treat people differently based on their status, dragging out such a small request for wool yarn. It wasn't until later that Wan Anran learned that wool yarn didn't even exist during the Kangxi era!

When exactly did this wool yarn come into existence? Wan Anran didn't know either. Since the Imperial Household Department was able to produce it, it must not have been too difficult industrially, right? Little did she know that if the people in the Imperial Household Department knew what she was thinking, they would be spitting out blood.

The Imperial Household Department, of course, puts all its effort into completing the tasks assigned by its masters—it's just a matter of timing. As for how long it takes to turn wool into yarn? Not long at all :)

At most, they made more than a dozen kinds of spinning machines and more than a dozen kinds of weaving machines, wasting thousands or tens of thousands of wools before finally finding a machine that could comb, process, and weave wool yarn.

Only the palace could do that.

If Wan Anran were to fall into the hands of an ordinary family, he would probably be spat on: "What a spendthrift!"

Who wouldn't shed tears and snot when recounting the hardships? Yet, in Wan Guiren's mouth, it became a light and casual remark.

"Is this really made of wool?"

"Doesn't wool have a muttony smell? How can it be made into clothes?"

The Cining Palace erupted in an uproar.

Not to mention the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, who couldn't hide the excitement in their eyes, even the Empress was shocked and covered her mouth.

Take, for example, the well-known poem, "The sky is vast, the plains are boundless. The wind blows the grass low, revealing cattle and sheep." The Mongolian grasslands were home to countless cattle and sheep, and their cashmere production was unparalleled in the Qing Dynasty. Wool did indeed have many uses, such as being made into cashmere woolen fabrics and carpets. Unfortunately, while these materials were popular in the previous dynasty, they are now almost obsolete.

The demand for wool has decreased significantly, and the purchase price is getting worse every day, even falling below the purchase price. As a result, herders simply discard the wool after shearing it, without even bothering to sort it.

The amount of wool accumulated was enormous, an astronomical figure. And how much would it be worth if it could be made into yarn? The Empress Dowager stroked the fabric covering the Eleventh Prince, her mind racing with thoughts. She smiled and asked, "Is knitting wool difficult?"

Wan Anran answered readily: "Simple."

Even someone as clumsy as her could make it, let alone others. Wan Anran sent someone back to Xianfu Palace to fetch crochet hooks and yarn, and became the first sweater instructor, explaining the knitting method to everyone present in detail.

It sounds easy, and it looks pretty simple, right?

When the palace concubines, all highly skilled in needlework, got to work, it was simply a matter of two words: easy. And since it was winter, who wouldn't want to knit themselves a fluffy scarf, or make a little bag? Knitting became a trend in the palace, and any concubine who didn't make something new would be laughed at by others.

As a result, the demand for wool yarn of various colors suddenly surged. While the Imperial Household Department was in a flurry of activity, it couldn't help but start thinking about the wool yarn.

This thing... seems like it could be very profitable?

The Imperial Household Department was a step too slow in thinking, and Kangxi summoned them as well.

Wool can be made into wool yarn, and then into clothing fabric! When the officials of the Imperial Household Department saw the finished product, they were stunned! Everyone knew with their eyes closed that this was an unprecedented way to make money, and for the court, which was plagued by poverty, it was like a godsend.

The officials of the Imperial Household Department were working with utmost dedication, and while they were busy, someone even discovered another piece of great joy.

While researching wool spinning machines, a craftsman created a machine that could double the speed of ordinary weaving, and even increase it further.

If wool yarn is a nascent business, even knowing its promising future requires time, then what about the latter? Improving a loom is a significant financial investment, causing a sensation not only within the Imperial Household Department but throughout the entire court!

The war against the Three Feudatories was progressing smoothly, and silver was practically flying into their pockets one after another. Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed and, unusually, said a few good words about Consort Wan in the Kunning Palace: "She seems quite dull usually, but she can occasionally come up with some good ideas."

"Be careful, if Consort Wan finds out, she'll cause trouble again."

"Let him make a fuss." Kangxi laughed and changed the subject, talking about the Crown Prince's intelligence, Baoqing's stubbornness (he wondered who she took after), and how the Third Princess was becoming more and more considerate... After talking about the children, he talked about the troubles in the court, and finally changed the subject back to the harem: "The Twelfth Prince doesn't look well. I don't know if he can make it through the New Year."

I originally wanted to change the children's names.

When faced with the situation involving the twelfth prince, Emperor Kangxi sighed and said, "Let's wait a little longer, let's wait a little longer."

Is there no joy or celebration to be added to the entire New Year?

Emperor Kangxi was feeling uneasy. Empress Niohuru, seeing this, smiled and said, "Since Consort Wan has rendered meritorious service, why not promote her to the rank of Consort?"

Promote Wan Guiren?

Kangxi paused slightly, the words of refusal swirling on his tongue but not uttering. Thinking back, he had had the same thought last year when Consort Wan was newly pregnant, originally intending to wait until she gave birth, but now he had completely forgotten about it.

Since Consort Wan had rendered meritorious service, Emperor Kangxi did not object. Instead, he nodded and said, "Let's do it this way. The Empress will select another group of ladies from the Changzai and Daying Palaces to be promoted together, to add to the festive atmosphere."

Empress Niohuru smiled and agreed.

Shortly after the New Year, Wan Anran received an imperial edict.

Consort Wan was promoted to Consort Qi and granted the position of principal wife in Chuxiu Palace.