The Xiliangdusi Mansion presented local specialties such as saffron, Tianshan snow lotus, and wolfberry, but most importantly, ten Pegasus horses from the Western Regions.
The Western Regions' celestial horses are majestic and brave, also known as the legendary Ferghana horses, and are extremely valuable.
This made the emperor very happy. "Well, Commander Du is thoughtful. I will reward you with 100 pieces of silk and satin, 100 bags of tribute rice, 10 cans of tribute tea, and a bushel of pearls."
Jiang Tongzhi, who came from Xiliang to present gifts, is General Du's son-in-law and has a suitable status. He came back with the imperial envoy to present gifts.
He knelt down to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
However, he did not retreat, but took out the gift list again. "The head of Qingping Township presents two sets of cotton clothes, two dragon and phoenix quilts, two pairs of cotton shoes, two pieces of cotton cloth, two cotton hats, and two pairs of cotton gloves. I wish the emperor a long life, a stable country, and a long and prosperous future."
As soon as the words fell, someone laughed, "Pfft."
It was a few princes, their expressions were extremely disdainful, "Is she so poor? Why did she send me shoes and clothes? And only two pieces, it's ridiculous."
The fifth prince laughed, "What a joke! If I had known she was so poor, I would have given her a few taels of silver. After all, she is a village lord appointed by the court. How can she be so generous? It is simply a disgrace to the court."
"No, that's not right. I heard that she opened a snack street in Liangcheng. It's very famous and is said to be very profitable."
The court officials were also whispering and discussing, "Why is she so stingy? She is obviously rich, but she gave such a birthday gift. This is disrespectful to the king. Where does she put the dignity of the emperor and the court?"
It is said to be simple and that gifts only require some local specialties. But that being said, who dares to give a simple birthday gift?
Especially the officials and princes in the capital, the gifts they sent were particularly elaborate and valuable.
At this time of year, the prices of rare and precious antiques skyrocketed, and they were all sold out. For example, the white jade Buddha presented by the fifth prince cost tens of thousands of taels of silver, but the emperor didn't even look at it.
Mu Wanqing's birthday gift was too simple, and most wealthy families would dislike it.
An official from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I propose that such a disloyal and unrighteous person be severely punished, stripped of his title as a village chief, and demoted to a commoner."
Other officials expressed their agreement, "I second the motion. She is not worthy of the position of township leader."
"It is better not to have a village chief who will only bring shame to the court."
For a while, everyone was condemning Mu Wanqing, and countless charges were pinned on her.
The Fifth Prince's eyes flickered slightly, and a look of pride flashed across his face. Since Mu Wanqing dared to trick him like that, then don't blame him for being rude.
The emperor, sitting on the high throne, looked at these people indifferently without making any comment.
The prince stood up and bowed, "Father, may I first take a look at the birthday gift presented by the Qingping Township Lord?"
Although he had never met Mu Wanqing, her image as a clever and clever woman was deeply engraved in his mind, and he didn't believe that she would fall into such a thing.
"Can."
Tongzhi Jiang went out for a while and came back carrying two large bags.
He first took out the cotton coat and presented it with both hands. The eunuch took it and checked it before handing it to the emperor.
The cotton coats were plain, made of solid-colored fabric without any patterns, blue for men and red for women.
Everyone was disgusted. How could they have the nerve to present such a thing to the king?
"Your Majesty, this is extremely disrespectful. I request that the Lord of Qingping Township be punished..."
The emperor took two glances, reached out and touched it, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he lifted the clothes and looked at them over and over again.
This is... a little magical.
"Bring me a pair of scissors."
The court officials looked at this scene in astonishment. What was going on? Was he so angry that he lost his temper? This shouldn't be the case.
The emperor picked up a pair of scissors and cut open the outer fabric. He reached in and pulled out a handful of soft, fluffy cotton. "What is this?"
Jiang Tongzhi replied nervously, "Cotton wool is warmer and lighter than reeds."
The emperor looked at him steadily, a trace of excitement rising in his heart, "Bring the quilt over."
Tongzhi Jiang opened another package, revealing a quilt. The emperor touched it and found it soft and warm.
He still did it himself, carefully unravelling the threads, revealing the smooth and flat cotton felt inside. His heart trembled, and then he was filled with ecstasy.
There was silence in the hall, and everyone stared at his actions in a daze.
Before, no matter how expensive the birthday gifts were, he would never even look at them, let alone touch them.
But at this moment, he was touching and rubbing, and seemed very excited.
The prince bravely stepped forward, picked up a cotton glove, and put it on his hand, but the emperor glared at him and said, "Don't touch it, be gentle."
The corners of the prince's mouth twitched. This was not made of paper. "These gloves are so soft and warm. What material is this? How come I have never seen this before?"
The father and son looked at Jiang Tongzhi at the same time. Jiang Tongzhi knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, these are all made of cotton extracted from kapok by the head of Qingping Township. The cotton cloth is soft, breathable and comfortable. Quilts and cotton clothes are a great way to keep out the cold. The key is that they are cheap and easy to use. The people can afford them. With these things, the people of the world will no longer suffer from the cold, and no one will freeze to death."
There was an uproar and buzzing at the scene.
Kapok? You're right? Isn't that an ornamental plant?
The emperor stood up suddenly, his expression extremely excited, "Say it again, I didn't hear you clearly."
Jiang Tongzhi repeated it again and said, "This is the result of repeated research by Qingping Township Lady, who spent countless efforts and energy and conducted countless experiments. She searched all over Xiliang and only got 20 kilograms of cotton, which she made into these things. She did not keep any for herself. Qingping Township Lady's loyalty is evident to all. She is dedicated to the country and the people, and she has lived up to the emperor's high expectations."
These high-ranking dignitaries are unproductive and have no skills. They can only gang up on a girl.
Isn't it because Mu Wanqing is too outstanding and too popular, which makes these officials look incompetent?
They can't even match Mu Wanqing by a single finger.
"Good, good, good." The emperor was very happy and kept praising her. Mu Wanqing was indeed a talented person and did not disappoint him.
It hasn't been that long and he has another huge surprise.
Cotton, cotton, the more he looked at it, the more he liked it. With his keen eyesight, he could naturally tell at a glance that it was unusual.
The value behind this made him even more excited, as it would benefit the country and the people and would last for generations.
Jiang Tongzhi clasped his hands and said, "The head of Qingping Township said, 'We can make cotton without silkworms, and cloth without hemp. The benefits will spread to the whole world. The benefits are great.'" Note (1)
The whole audience was shocked; this thing sounded more useful and more widespread than silk.
Mu Wanqing's birthday gift was a huge success and stole everyone's attention.
No matter how valuable the gifts were before, they pale in comparison to this birthday gift.
I also hit those people in the face, making their faces swollen. Do you think Mu Wanqing's gift is too light? Haha, you are blind!
You want to punish her? You're mentally ill.
Jiang Tongzhi's face was full of admiration. "The head of Qingping Township wants to plant cotton on a large scale in Xiliang, to create a huge cotton textile industry for Xiliang, Qi, and the emperor, to benefit the world. Please grant your approval, Your Majesty."
He thought the cement truck was the limit, but who knew she could also make cotton.
This is not just luck, this is real stuff.
The person he admires most in his life is Mu Wanqing. She has made many people see that a woman’s talent can be so brilliant.
"Okay." The emperor agreed without hesitation.
The Fifth Prince's eyes flickered, and he winked at several officials. An official from the Ministry of Rites stepped out and knelt down, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed."
The emperor's face darkened. "What did you say?"
The official from the Ministry of Rites bowed his head to the ground and said, "It is okay to grow cotton, but you cannot occupy large areas of arable land. People are the foundation, and food is the primary need of the people. Your Majesty, please think twice."
Jiang Tongzhi sneered, these officials who were just sitting in their positions and doing nothing only knew how to fight for power and profit.
"Xiliang is not a traditional farming area, so how can it be said that it is occupying farmland? If you are worried, I can guarantee that I will only plant in the Xiliang area."
The official from the Ministry of Rites shouted, "What do you know as a warrior? Many things are closely related to each other..."
Jiang Tongzhi laughed, "I don't understand. I only know that the people just want to have enough food and clothes. We, the soldiers and civilians of Xiliang, are committed to this, but you don't seem to care about the lives of the people."
The official from the Ministry of Rites was furious. "You are talking nonsense. I just want them to eat first. It's useless to say anything on an empty stomach."
In fact, this topic has gone astray and the logic is also problematic.
Jiang Tongzhi bluntly said, "Isn't this something you court officials should consider? I haven't seen you trying to solve it before, so why are you suddenly worried about the country and the people now?"
This was too ironic. The official flew into a rage. "How can you, a deputy governor of a municipal government, be led by a woman? This is absolutely absurd.
To put it bluntly, he just looked down on women. Even if Mu Wanqing made achievements, he still felt that she was a show-off and restless woman.
Jiang Tongzhi said, "In our Xiliang region, the strong are respected, and the strong are not divided into men, women, young or old. Unlike some people, who are not as capable as women, but have smaller minds than women."
"You... Your Majesty, you must not listen to one family's words." The official from the Ministry of Rites said loudly, "This is a serious matter, and we need to send someone to investigate this matter."
The inspection is fake, but the trouble-making is real.
"Father, I am willing to go."
"Father, I am willing to go."
The third and fifth princes spoke at the same time, their eyes eager to try. They had already figured out how to maximize their benefits.
This benefit must be firmly grasped in one's own hands and used as one's money bag to seize the throne.
Jiang Tongzhi's eyes flashed with a hint of sarcasm, "Your Majesty, the head of Qingping Township said that if anyone objects or makes comments, then she will grow cotton on her own farm. She will do it herself and bear her own profits and losses, and it will have nothing to do with others. Anyway, Your Majesty already knows her loyalty, and she is satisfied."
In fact, Mu Wanqing had already anticipated all this.
She didn't plan to grow a lot of cotton because she didn't have enough seeds. However, she had to say good words to express her loyalty first, to show that good things should not be kept to herself.
Other things are fine, but cotton is of extraordinary significance, so it needs to be reported to the emperor.
Lest anyone use this to attack her.
If she takes a step back when she encounters obstacles, it's not that she is unfaithful, but there is no other way. She is wronged and sad, and it's all because of you.
Everyone: ...
No, no, that won't work!
Jiang Tongzhi still had a trump card in his hand, "Your Majesty, this is a handwritten letter from the Lord of Qingping Township."
All I can say is that Mu Wanqing is extremely cunning and most people can't beat her.
"Present it quickly." The emperor ordered hurriedly.
As soon as the letter was delivered to him, he opened it quickly and read ten lines at a glance.
As he looked at him, his expression became more and more strange, seeming to be smiling but not smiling, seeming to be annoyed but not annoyed, seeming to be mocking but not mocking.
Everyone watched eagerly, their curiosity completely aroused.
What did you write? Tell me, it's urgent!
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Note (1) Li Shizhen recorded this in Compendium of Materia Medica.
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