Chapter 621 Donation of Military Supplies
Zhao Lizheng is in his fifties and has a short beard. Although he is old, he is very energetic.
On this day, he was dressed in the official robes of a ninth-rank county magistrate, with the black gauze hat exclusive to ninth-rank officials, and stood at the door to greet guests with great style.
Old Zhao was wearing clothes made of fabric that Cheng Wanwan had brought back from the capital. He was holding a pipe that he had bought from Huzhou last year, and he was also wearing new shoes. He had put on his best clothes, but when he walked up to the front of the room, he was still a head shorter.
"Haha, brother, how do I look in this outfit?" The village head deliberately showed off, "More than a month ago, Lord Wei prepared my official robes. Look, they fit perfectly and are comfortable to wear."
In the past, this old man would always boast about having such a capable eldest daughter-in-law. Now, he can finally boast about it too.
Old Zhao exhaled a smoke ring: "These clothes are nice, but they're not as good as my eldest son's wife's fourth-rank official robes. That fabric is really comfortable. Brother, you should work hard to do practical things for the people, work hard to achieve political achievements, and try to become a fourth-rank official yourself, so that I can be quite envious."
This means, "You're only a ninth-rank official? I don't even care about you. If you're so capable, why don't you become a fourth-rank official?"
Zhao Lizheng: "..."
That old man is too arrogant!
However, his status is now extraordinary, and he doesn't bother with ordinary people.
The village headman continued to greet guests at the entrance, and village headsman from nearby villages were also invited.
Cheng, the village head, cupped his hands and said, "Zhao, village head, congratulations."
Zhao, the village head, coughed and said, "You should call me County Magistrate Zhao now. From now on, the village head of Dahe Village is my eldest grandson."
Village leaders: "..."
This old man is really getting cocky.
But since the other party was a higher-ranking official, they had no way to resist and could only obediently change their tune.
"County Magistrate Zhao is dressed in a truly impressive manner; he is the first county magistrate in our Ping'an County."
"When Magistrate Zhao goes to work in the county in the future, he must not forget us village heads who are still living a hard life."
“Our Wang family has been incorporated into Dahe Village, and from now on we will all depend on Magistrate Zhao for protection.”
"..."
Unsurprisingly, Zhao Lizheng got drunk amidst the constant flattery from everyone.
When you reach this age and suddenly reach the pinnacle of life, who can control their excitement?
After getting drunk, Zhao Lizheng... oh no, he should be called Zhao County Magistrate now, officially took office as County Magistrate. His main task at present is to assist Magistrate Wei in gradually transforming Dahe Village into a medium-sized town. There are also some procedures for changing the town, which he needs to personally go to Huzhou, Yunnan Province to handle. This is not something that can be done in a short time.
The feeling of winter is growing stronger.
The cotton in Cheng Wanwan's warehouse was all turned into products. Some of it was made into cotton linings, which were transported by merchants from other places to sell all over the country.
Merchants from the Northwest also brought her news from there.
This year's cotton promotion areas are mainly Huzhou and the Northwest. The Northwest has abundant sunshine and excellent geographical conditions, producing cotton of excellent quality. Some of it is purchased by the local government and presented as tribute to the imperial court, while the rest is kept by the people to make clothes and quilts for warmth.
“In November, the north wind howls and the cold is biting. Many people freeze to death there every year,” a merchant chatted with Cheng Wanwan. “This year, we have cotton, and quite a lot of it. Every household has new clothes and cotton quilts. When the people there heard that it was Sui Gongren who proposed and mandated the planting of cotton, they were initially reluctant. But now, the name Sui Gongren is known to every household, and everyone is grateful.”
Cheng Wanwan laughed: "Then it seems that the cotton promotion will go much more smoothly next year."
This year, it is imperative to promote it nationwide. As the official in charge of cotton production, Da Shan has an exceptionally heavy responsibility. Starting in autumn, he has been collecting cotton seeds from village to village, and he has no time to rest.
"These cotton undergarments worn by Lady Sui are selling exceptionally well." The merchant beamed. "This time, I'm here to order another 20,000."
Cheng Wanwan nodded, leaving the specific details to Manager Yan to discuss.
This year, a total of two to three million catties of cotton were purchased, of which 1.5 million catties were made into cotton lining garments. More than a million garments may sound like a lot, but with so many merchants coming to buy them, the minimum order was 5,000 pieces. Before December, all the cotton lining garments had already been snapped up, and Cheng Wanwan and Cao's Embroidery Workshop made a fortune.
After all the cotton undergarments were completed, the embroidery workshop began processing thick cotton quilts and winter clothes, which were intended to be sent to the capital as military supplies.
Winters in the north are cold. If there is war, the imperial court will distribute winter supplies to the army. However, the troops stationed in the capital rarely participate in the fighting. Most of the soldiers are from poor families and rely on their integrity to get through the winter.
She donated cold-weather supplies for two reasons. First, the emperor had been so generous in bestowing various gifts upon her, so she couldn't be stingy. Second, she wanted to establish her reputation. Having reached the rank of fourth-grade lady-in-waiting, she could no longer keep a low profile. Since she couldn't be low-key, she would strive to climb higher.
Only when you reach a high enough position, only when you have enough value, will you never be brought down by others.
Cheng Wanwan braved the cold wind to go to Huzhou to see Prefect Zhu.
Prefect Zhu was presiding over a case when he saw Cheng Wanwan approaching. He quickened the pace of the trial and immediately went to a side hall after finishing the proceedings.
"Greetings, Lord Zhu." Cheng Wanwan stood up and gave a proper greeting. Although she was also a fourth-rank official, the fourth rank for women was completely different from that for men, so she still had to perform the proper greeting.
She smiled and said, "I hope my sudden visit hasn't disturbed your work."
“It’s fine for Lady Sui to come anytime. Whenever I see Lady Sui, I always feel that something good is coming.” Prefect Zhu laughed. “Please sit down.”
He has been in the position of prefect for several years. Although he has achieved some minor political successes, they are not really relevant to him. Therefore, he has no chance of being promoted. He also wants to be like Sui Gongren and make a big splash anytime and anywhere, but unfortunately, he does not have such ability.
"I purchased a lot of cotton this year, and I plan to make some of it into winter clothes and quilts for the military, which I intend to donate to the imperial court in the name of Huzhou," she said with a smile. "The journey from Huzhou to the capital is too long. Escorting so many supplies would probably take a month, and the risks along the way are too great. I would appreciate it if Lord Zhu could make the necessary arrangements."
Prefect Zhu looked on in disbelief.
He had been secretly keeping an eye on Sui Gongren's situation. He heard that Sui Gongren was helping the court test new species that were being presented as tribute from foreign countries. Apart from that, he spent all his time on business, and all kinds of businesses were thriving. In particular, the cotton undergarments for winter were selling very well, and many merchants wanted to buy them but were not qualified... Sui Gongren could have made more money with cotton, but he wanted to donate it to the court.
So, is the reason he hasn't been able to achieve any political success because his vision is too narrow?
Seeing that he remained silent, Cheng Wanwan couldn't help but ask, "Does Lord Zhu have some concerns?"
"No, no, no, I'm just amazed at how generous Lady Sui is," Prefect Zhu said. "May I ask how much supplies there are in total?"
She replied, "I have inquired and found that there are more than 30,000 soldiers stationed in the capital, so I have prepared 30,000 winter quilts and 30,000 winter clothes."
Prefect Zhu gasped. Judging by this weight, at least 500,000 catties of cotton had been used.
It is said that the cotton purchase price this year is twenty copper coins, which is ten thousand taels of silver. This does not include labor costs and other expenses... I just want to say that Sui Gongren not only has vision, but also money.
Even if he had the will, he didn't have the ability.
Fortunately, the donation was made in the name of Huzhou, so even as the prefect, he could contribute his modest efforts.
"I thank Lady Sui on behalf of the soldiers in the north." Prefect Zhu stood up. "Don't worry, Lady Sui, leave this matter to me. It will be delivered before the end of the year."
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