When General Du returned to Beijing, there was a lot of excitement for several days, with palace banquets and an endless stream of guests visiting.
Du Shuai was in poor health and was too exhausted from entertaining guests. Fortunately, Du Shaoxuan and his sister were there to block the way.
Miss Du has made great progress in the past two years. She has become independent and strong. She has no problem entertaining guests. With the help of the old maids in the palace, she manages the domestic affairs well.
As for Mrs. Du, she claimed to be ill, never showed up, and did not even attend the palace banquet.
Everyone saw this, but they were all confused. However, no one dared to ask more questions.
Not only are these two heroes from the same family, but Du Shuai is also the emperor's uncle and the empress dowager's brother.
Miss Du Er had just finished a busy period and was invited by the Royal Technical School to be the Dean of Academic Affairs, mainly responsible for the daily life of the girls.
Coeducation will cause various problems. Male teachers are more careless and do not understand girls' psychology.
As for female teachers, their thinking is somewhat limited. They dare not interfere too much and are cautious in what they say and do, for fear of making a wrong step.
Mu Wanqing is too busy and focuses most of her energy on official business, so it is impossible for her to be considerate of everything.
Second Miss Du is different. She has relevant experience, is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. She is the Emperor's cousin and has strong connections, so no one dares to offend her.
She is not afraid of offending people, so many problems are easily solved.
The children of the Du family were a little young, but with the emperor's special approval they were able to enter school.
With Miss Du around, she can also be taken care of at close range, killing two birds with one stone.
Miss Du's office is right next to Mu Wanqing. It also has a bright and dark layout. The outside is the office and the inside is the lounge. When the weather is bad, she stays in the office temporarily.
Mu Wanqing would occasionally come over to visit. "Second sister, have you adapted to life in Beijing? How are the children?"
"Everything is fine." Miss Du Er was in high spirits and her face was rosy. "My children and I like school very much."
This is a job she is used to and is very good at. She likes her current life very much. She has a job and her parents, family and children are all by her side.
The children previously attended Mu Family Academy, which has the same pace as a technical school, so they adapted well and were able to keep up with their schoolwork.
They were treated the same as the two princesses, with separate rooms for their own meals. This was the grace bestowed upon Marshal Du's Mansion by the Emperor.
No one dares to complain. If you have the guts, go and seek justice from the Emperor.
In fact, all the children of the Du family had places in the Imperial College. There was nothing wrong with not going to the Imperial College and instead going to the Royal Technical School.
Mu Wanqing was quite curious about Mrs. Du's situation, but it was not convenient for her to ask more.
During the morning court session that day, Mu Wanqing handed in a memorial, and the emperor was very happy after reading it.
"Kapok is being promoted all over the country. Xiliang alone harvested 100,000 bolts of kapok, the other three places harvested around 80,000 bolts, and Jiangnan was the best, harvesting around 120,000 bolts. These four places combined harvested 400,000 bolts. Very good, Princess Qingping, you should take the top spot."
These cotton cloths are cheap and good quality, and ordinary people can afford them.
Of course, by building this industry, countless people were fed, the people's hearts were appeased, and those who suffered from the war saw hope.
Mu Wanqing smiled slightly, "It is the result of the concerted efforts of officials from the Kapok Promotion Offices in various places and the people, the good leadership of the emperor, and the coordination of the Ministry of Revenue."
She praised everyone in the department, which made everyone feel good, except for other departments who were jealous.
This kapok tree is of great significance and is destined to make Mu Wanqing famous in history.
Mu Wanqing hadn't finished yet. She took out a wooden box and took out bottles and jars from it.
"Your Majesty, these are condiments..."
Before she finished her words, the deputy assistant spoke coldly, "Seasoning? Cooking? Princess Qingping, you don't want to show your cooking skills in the court, do you? I have heard that your cooking skills are extraordinary, but I didn't expect to have such a chance to taste the dishes you made."
This guy always makes sarcastic remarks for no reason, but Mu Wanqing doesn't take him seriously.
Mu Wanqing ignored him and didn't even look at him. What was wrong with saying a few sarcastic words to him?
"This is oyster sauce, made from live oysters from the sea. This is fish sauce, made from small fish and shrimps. This is seafood soy sauce. Just add a little of these three to the dish and it will become incredibly delicious."
"This is seafood sauce and shrimp paste. It is salty and delicious. It can be used in cooking, mixing with rice or noodles, or dipping steamed buns. It is a must-have for home and travel."
"This is fish floss, which is processed from fish meat. It is suitable for people of all ages and can provide nutrition for weak children and patients."
She introduced the bottles and jars one by one, and everyone's eyes widened.
They were not stupid and they understood a little after hearing this.
Mu Wanqing has come up with something new. What's wrong with her brain? This is a new political achievement.
Can you share some of the credit this time?
Mu Wanqing didn't care what they were thinking, "These are dried shrimps and seaweed. They are delicious and nutritious. They can improve aging and lower blood lipids."
"This is raw pickled red crab meat, which is delicious when paired with white porridge. It is very delicious."
"These are small snacks, such as squid slices, dried small fish, dried cod fillets, crispy fish, etc. They are delicious and you will want to eat more after you eat them."
"The above are the results of my experiments at the beach. Please review them, Your Majesty."
The emperor smiled and picked up a bottle of shrimp paste to examine it. "Princess Qingping, how do we taste it? You can make a rule and let everyone taste it."
"Okay." Mu Wanqing responded happily.
Mu Wanqing called the people from the imperial kitchen and gave them instructions one by one.
Next, the court officials were somewhat absent-minded and expectant during the discussion.
At noon, the emperor served a meal.
Du Shaoxuan did not attend the morning court, but the emperor did not forget his cousin and called him to have dinner together.
A plate of fish floss, a plate of raw pickled red crab meat, a bowl of white porridge, a white flour steamed bun and two small dishes of sauce, it can be said to be shabby.
The Minister of War didn't like the bland white porridge very much, but he didn't dare to be picky in such occasions.
I drank a mouthful of the porridge reluctantly and picked up the fish floss with chopsticks. Wow, it’s not bad.
I picked up a piece of red-roe drunken crab and was immediately amazed by how delicious it was!
The delicious taste spread in his mouth, but it was a little salty, so he quickly drank a mouthful of white porridge. It perfectly neutralized the saltiness and gave him a taste bud attack.
This is so delicious. I never knew that white porridge could be so delicious with these two things.
Sure enough, it’s not that white porridge is bad, it’s that he doesn’t know how to eat it!
The Minister of Justice on the side loved to eat white flour buns, but he would get sick of it if he ate too much. So he specially dipped the buns in the sauce and was amazed at the first bite. This stuff was good, so good that he wanted to stock up a few bottles.
Well, when it comes to eating, Princess Qingping is the most knowledgeable.
Du Shaoxuan had finished eating and raised his hand and shouted, "Your Majesty, this amount is too little, can I have another portion?"
The food is delicious, but how can this amount be enough to fill you up?
The emperor waved his hand and said, "Continue serving the food."
It was a bowl of steaming hot wontons with fresh meat, seaweed, dried shrimps and pickled mustard tubers, with two drops of sesame oil, and a fragrant aroma.
Looking at the delicious wontons, everyone couldn't help swallowing.
Mu Wanqing really likes eating meat wontons, so she picked up the spoon and started eating.
The Minister of Works took a bite and was a little surprised. "This wonton filling is so delicious. What's in it?"
The person in the imperial kitchen explained softly, "We added oyster sauce and seafood soy sauce."
"This soup is delicious too, is it chicken soup?"
The person in the imperial kitchen apologized with a smile, "No, it's the freshness of the seaweed, shrimps, and pickled mustard tubers that brought out the flavor."
"I can just add some hot water to make a bowl of seaweed soup. It's very convenient and simple."
Everyone was very excited. They could prepare some at home and eat it at any time. "Isn't this expensive?"
Mu Wanqing smiled slightly and said, "A bag of seaweed costs twenty cents, and small shrimps cost forty cents."
The Prime Minister was shocked. "So cheap?"
"Small profits but quick turnover." Mu Wanqing pointed to the bag on the table, "These snacks are expensive. You can try them."
The target audience for snacks is a group of people who are rich and have free time. Ordinary people are lucky enough to have enough to eat, so how can they have spare money to buy snacks?
Everyone tried a little of each, voted on which one they thought was best, and gave their tasting reviews.
The most popular dish is shredded squid, which is loved by almost everyone.
Mu Wanqing was full after eating a bowl of wontons. "Your Majesty, every household on the coast will invest in these things and will soon be able to get rid of poverty. The government should build a workshop on the coast."
The emperor already knew that Mu Wanqing was tinkering with these things, but the dazzling array of varieties still shocked him.
"Everyone, what do you think?"
The Prime Minister thought for a moment and said, "I think it can be directly incorporated into the Salt Bureau, which will reduce personnel expenses."
Mu Wanqing has a different opinion. "I suggest setting up a seafood promotion department to take charge of this matter. If it is done well, this industry will be no worse than official salt. It will not only help coastal villages and towns get rid of poverty, but also benefit related industry personnel."
When everyone has extra money, they will naturally pursue quality of life.
With a little guidance, these condiments and seafood will be hot sellers.
The emperor was so happy to see another money-making line being formed, "You all write a memorial."
"yes."
As soon as the meeting was over, Mu Wan was surrounded by people.
"Princess Qingping, do you still have that fish floss? My eighty-year-old mother will definitely like it." It has no fishy smell and is extremely soft and crispy.
"I want seaweed and shrimp. My child is studying in the Imperial College. Let him have a bowl of hot soup."
Everyone rolled their eyes and spoke as if the child had nothing to eat in the Imperial College.
"Sell some of those snacks to me. The children at home love to try new things."
"I like the marinated red crab meat. I have never eaten anything so delicious."
"Give me one portion of each condiment. It's a deal."
Mu Wanqing didn't expect them to be so anxious, "I don't have much..."
Everyone is anxious because they know the quantity is limited, fearing that they will be sold out.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t get to eat it, but once you do, you’ll be itching to eat it and can’t stop thinking about it.
Du Shaoxuan struggled to push through the crowd, "What are you doing? Don't block the door, Wanqing, let's go."
He pulled Mu Wanqing and ran very fast. The group of old men couldn't catch up and could only watch helplessly.
The two of them ran out of the palace and got into the carriage. Mu Wanqing suddenly found it very funny, "Haha."
Du Shaoxuan also smiled, "Come on, I'll take you to a place."
"Where are you going?"
"You'll know when you get there." Du Shaoxuan kept it a secret.
Du Shaoxuan took her to the Xiliang Palace. He preferred living there because it was quiet and unattended.
He led the people to the garden and pointed to a small plot of land planted with plants. "I brought some plants from Xiliang. I don't even know what they are. I asked people to plant them blindly. I forgot to tell you. Can you see if there are any good ones like kapok?"
Mu Wanqing pursed her lips and asked, "Did you buy it from Hu Shang?"
"Yes." This has become a trend in the upper class circles of Xiliang. "Everyone is planting it, although they don't know what they are planting."
"Pfft." Mu Wanqing was amused. Although she had left Xiliang, her legend was still there in the martial arts world. "Things like Kapok are hard to come by, how can you always come across them..."
Her voice stopped abruptly. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and pointed at a few plants. "This is..."
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