The heat of July is intense.
Tokyo, however, remained hot, with the blazing sun illuminating everything.
Zhao Huan was cutting watermelon for his daughter, Roujia, by the lake. Roujia was seven years old and her facial features were very similar to Zhao Huan's.
Her eyebrows, like Zhu Lian's, were delicate crescent moons, beneath which were a pair of bright, spring-like eyes. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, fair with a rosy tint, and her hair was as black as jade. With her cherry-like lips, she sat on Zhao Huan's lap, nestled in her father's arms, munching on watermelon, oblivious to whether the watermelon juice had spilled onto Zhao Huan's clothes.
After Tang Ke finished reporting on the progress of the Song Dynasty merchant caravans' entry into Jiaozhi and the plans for this year, Zhao Huan nodded in satisfaction.
"How are the mulberry trees being planted in the south?"
"Your Majesty, everything is proceeding smoothly."
"Tang Ke, I find this long robe rather hot. Don't you think so too?"
Not knowing why the emperor suddenly asked this question, Tang Ke immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I also feel very hot."
Of course, this fat man felt hot. Although he was standing by the lake with a cool breeze carrying moisture, he was still covered in sweat, and his back was completely soaked.
Zhao Huan looked at Tang Ke and suddenly laughed, "Tell me, shouldn't we alter this long gown?"
"Damn it!" Tang Ke cursed inwardly.
His mind simply couldn't keep up with the emperor's train of thought. Weren't they just talking about how much the grain from Jiaozhi cost and when it would be transported to the Song Dynasty? How did he suddenly jump to the topic of long robes?
Zhao Huan thought to himself, "The gorgeous clothes are beautiful and ethereal, but it's too inconvenient to move around in them all the time."
It needs to be changed.
However, it cannot be changed to the kind of ideas that came from Europe in later generations; it must be simplified slightly.
Of course, for court sessions or formal occasions, one should still dress as is now.
As for everyday wear, just keep it simple; people can wear whatever they like.
Zhao Huan believed that fashion trends should be diversified so that the clothing industry could prosper. He also believed that women's money was the easiest to earn and that women were one of the greatest driving forces for economic development.
Tang Ke said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
“Your embroidery workshop can embroider a variety of different garments, so a woman might buy three or even four at the same time. But if you want your embroidery workshop to only have two styles of garments, that woman can only buy two at most.”
Tang Ke immediately realized: the emperor was trying to find new ways to make money off women!
Tang Ke said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
After Tang Ke finished his report, he took his leave.
Roujia blinked her big eyes and said earnestly, "Father, I think that if you want to make money, you should make more clothes for little girls like me."
Zhao Huan almost spat out his tea.
He couldn't help but laugh: "Roujia, who told your father to make more money? Your father is an official, and the whole world belongs to the officials."
"It was Lady Han who told her daughter that her father has been working hard on state affairs and trying to make money for the past year, so she asked her daughter to come and keep her father company more often, hoping that her father would be happy."
Zhao Huan gently stroked his daughter. In his previous life, his fiancée ran away with someone else, and he had no daughter.
In this life, although Roujia was already five years old when he transmigrated, Zhao Huan could still feel his fatherly love overflowing.
When I have worries, seeing Roujia really makes many of them disappear.
I just want to spend quality time with this little one.
Zhao Huan smiled and said, "Roujia is truly my sweet little cotton-padded jacket. With you by my side, I have nothing to worry about."
Roujia put down the watermelon rind, hugged Zhao Huan and said, "Father, you haven't answered your daughter yet. Can you make more clothes and sell them to little girls like me?"
Why is that?
"Think about it, all fathers must be as good as your daughter's father, willing to buy her new clothes, so they can make more money."
Seeing Roujia's precocious and serious expression, Zhao Huan was both amused and exasperated.
What this little girl said seems to make a lot of sense. In the market economy of later generations, children's money is the easiest to earn!
"Yes, yes, Roujia is right."
Zhao Huan sighed inwardly. The common people suffer. In many places, people can't even afford to eat and can only eat grass roots. In many places, little girls may never have a new piece of clothing in their entire lives. Where would they get the money to buy new clothes?
Roujia seemed to notice the worry between Zhao Huan's brows, and she said, "Father, do you think what I said is wrong?"
“Yes, my Roujia is right.” Zhao Huan said gently while stroking Roujia’s hair. “But Roujia, you must know that there are many people in the countryside who cannot afford to cover their bodies with clothes or fill their stomachs. Your father must first solve their problem of food and clothing.”
"Once they have enough to eat and wear, will they all have new clothes to wear like our daughters?"
"Yes! In the future, all little girls in the world will be like Roujia, no longer homeless, and each of them will be their parents' little princess."
"Father, you are so good to me."
...
Just as Zhao Huan and Roujia were enjoying some time together as father and daughter, Wang Kui'an rushed over.
"Your Majesty, Imperial Censor Liu requests an audience."
Zhao Huan put Roujia down: "Roujia, go back to your mother first. Your father will come to find you after he's finished with his work."
Roujia nodded obediently and followed the young eunuch to Empress Zhu's palace.
Liu Yanzong walked over quickly with small steps.
"Your subject kowtows to Your Majesty."
No need for formalities.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"What business do you have with me?"
"Your Majesty, something has happened in the conversion of farmland to mulberry fields in Liangzhe."
Zhao Huan raised his eyelids slightly.
Liu Yanzong continued, "The people of Mingzhou were unwilling to convert their fields into mulberry fields. Tian Jin, the prefect of Mingzhou, mobilized the local militia to force the people of Mingzhou to convert their fields into mulberry fields. When the people refused, the local militia destroyed all the fields."
Zhao Huan's expression immediately darkened.
Destroy all the fields?
I am currently facing a severe food shortage, yet someone dares to destroy the fields!
How did you find out about this?
The Imperial City Guard in Liangzhe Road had only recently arrived, and the Mingzhou area had only just begun to send personnel. If the officials below had really done that, it would have been impossible for the message to have come so quickly.
This layer upon layer of cardholder information is the norm in officialdom.
"Your Majesty, the people of Mingzhou have already come to the capital, the capital, and have stormed right up to my office!"
Zhao Huan stood up abruptly: "This is outrageous! Such an important matter, and no one has reported it to me!"
"Wang Kui'an, summon Tang Ke, Xu Churen, and Zhou Chao to me now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Upon receiving the emperor's order, Wang Kuian immediately went to find someone.
Liu Yanzong said, “Your Majesty, the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry trees should be carried out, but it should not be rushed. We should use the grain from Jiaozhi to alleviate the food crisis in the south and the Central Plains, and also cultivate new fields in the south to increase grain production. Then we can carry out the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry trees. This will naturally make everyone happy.”
Zhao Huan frowned. Liu Yanzong's words made sense, but he also vaguely understood why Tang Ke and Xu Churen had concealed the truth.
The imperial court wanted to promote commerce, so the planting of mulberry trees was naturally a major undertaking.
P.S.: I have something to do today, so only two chapters today. I'll make up for it tomorrow.
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