Butler Ling's lips twitched as he listened from the side. Was their master about to reveal his true nature?
Back when he was in the capital, he always referred to himself as "Young Master".
Once, he even dared to act arrogantly in front of the Emperor. When he got home, he was severely beaten by Old Master Ling before he calmed down considerably.
After arriving in Chengyang County, Ling Ziyuan was determined to be a good magistrate, to do something practical for the people, and to let his father see that he also had lofty ambitions.
But somehow, after meeting Yan Qingqing, his true nature began to gradually resurface.
Seeing that Ling Ziyuan didn't seem to have anything important to say, Yan Qingqing started chatting with him casually.
Finally, Ling Ziyuan explained his purpose, had Steward Ling hand the gifts he brought to Yan Qingqing, and said, "I heard that Miss Li is getting married. We are old acquaintances, so I should at least give her a token of my appreciation."
Yan Qingqing opened the box and saw that it contained a top-quality large pearl.
Yan Qingqing glanced at it, then closed the box again and returned it to Butler Ling, saying, "I appreciate Magistrate Ling's kindness, but this pearl is too precious for me to accept."
Upon hearing this, Ling Ziyuan's face immediately fell, and he said, "What does Mingzhao mean by this? You can accept gifts from others, but you can't accept gifts from me?"
Li Xiangping, who was standing to the side, quickly stood up and explained, "Your Excellency, the main problem is that this pearl is too precious. Even if you want to add it to my sister's dowry, we absolutely cannot accept it."
Magistrate Ling chuckled and replied, "It's just one pearl. You can accept it without worry. I have several more in my warehouse."
Miss Li married into the capital, a city of dazzling beauty and abundant resources.
But these Eastern pearls are different; aside from those bestowed by the emperor, even wealthy merchants might not possess them.
Ling Ziyuan was telling the truth. Although Dongzhu was not exclusively for the royal family, it was a tribute item.
When emperors bestowed lavish rewards upon their court officials, they would typically reward them with pearls as a sign of favor.
When Yan Qingqing was granted the title of Mingzhao Ren, the emperor rewarded her with one, but it was kept in the storeroom by Ruyi.
Li Xiangping was about to decline when Yan Qingqing said, "In that case, thank you very much, Magistrate Ling. I will accept this pearl on behalf of Xinniang."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Ling smiled and said, "That's right. There's no reason to take back a gift that's already been given away."
Although I have never raised children, I know that children are a debt to their parents, and that debts must always be repaid.
Since some things are their own choices, whether they turn out well or badly, it won't be your fault in the future.
Yan Qingqing was even more surprised. Had Magistrate Ling gone through all this trouble just to comfort her?
Thinking that Magistrate Ling was probably the kind of troublesome child, he chuckled and replied meaningfully, "Magistrate Ling is right."
Magistrate Ling sensed something was amiss; there was something off about Yan Qingqing's words. However, she didn't dwell on it too much.
Magistrate Ling chatted with Yan Qingqing for a few more minutes, mostly about the governance of Canghe County.
Yan Qingqing offered his unique perspective, which gave Magistrate Ling a sudden sense of enlightenment.
Finally, Yan Qingqing also told Yan Qingqing about her discovery of cotton.
Magistrate Ling was greatly shocked upon hearing this, and then looked at Yan Qingqing in disbelief and asked, "You mean this cotton can not only keep you warm and be used as a lining for clothes and quilts, but also be made into fabric and then cut into clothes?"
Yan Qingqing smiled and nodded, "Yes, I've already tested it. It's not only lightweight but also warm."
As for turning it into fabric, the process is quite complicated, but the finished product should be available soon.
The cotton can be used to make clothes and quilts simply by removing the seeds and pressing them into cotton wadding, but it takes a lot of work to weave it into cotton cloth.
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Ling excitedly said, "Good, good! Why did you only bring this up now? If you had reported it before the end of the year, His Majesty would have been overjoyed."
"But it's not too late now. Explain the benefits of this to me in more detail, and I'll send it to the capital with an urgent dispatch."
Yan Qingqing was somewhat puzzled by Magistrate Ling's eagerness.
Even when we had successfully cultivated high-yield potatoes and sweet potatoes before, I had never seen him so excited.
Magistrate Ling seemed to see Yan Qingqing's doubts and explained, "My third brother is the General Who Guards the North, and he guards the border between our Great Yan and Northern Liang year-round. Every time he writes back, he mentions the situation at the border."
The winters in Beiliang are extremely cold, with water freezing instantly. Our soldiers, dressed in thin clothes, simply cannot withstand it.
Many soldiers suffered frostbite and were unable to march or fight.
Yan Qingqing felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this. Li Xiangjian was also at the border, and she wondered how he was doing. She hadn't heard from him since receiving a letter from home during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Yan Qingqing then asked, "What about the people of Beiliang? How do they keep warm?"
Magistrate Ling replied, "The Northern Liang region is mostly grassland, with a nomadic lifestyle, and people wear animal furs in winter."
My third brother told me that even if they wore animal fur, they might not be able to withstand the cold, so they usually don't use weapons in winter.
This is a customary rule between the two countries, but in the past two years they have not followed the rules and have launched small-scale conflicts from time to time.
Fortunately, this year has been better. I heard that before winter, the Flying Cloud Cavalry sent men to burn the enemy's supplies, so they've been quite well-behaved this winter.
Yan Qingqing was relieved after hearing this.
When Li Xiangjian wrote to me before the New Year, he mentioned that he became a centurion because he burned the enemy's supplies. It seems that he must have been very popular as a centurion.
Yan Qingqing took a deep breath and said, "I will definitely research cotton cloth as soon as possible and then promote the uses of cotton so that the soldiers on the border will no longer suffer from the cold."
Magistrate Ling stood up, bowed solemnly to Yan, and said, "On behalf of the soldiers and people of Great Yan, I thank you. You have not only solved their food problem, but also their problem of keeping warm."
Yan Qingqing stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen."
Moreover, I have received imperial honors and rewards, and I am entitled to the emperor's bounty; therefore, I should share his burdens.
Ling Ziyuan witnessed Yan Qingqing's magnanimity once again and couldn't help but feel deeply impressed.
He was still somewhat reminiscing after leaving the Li family with Butler Ling.
Steward Ling was also greatly shocked, and then exclaimed, "This is truly the lucky star of Great Yan!"
Ling Ziyuan suddenly turned around and looked at Butler Ling, asking, "What did you just say?"
Butler Ling was startled. Their master rarely got so excited. Had he said something wrong?
But seeing Ling Ziyuan's piercing gaze, he couldn't help but whisper, "I say this is the real lucky star of Great Yan. Mingzhao has solved the problem of food and clothing for Great Yan."
If this doesn't count as a lucky star, then what kind of person does?
Ling Ziyuan was deeply shocked. So the lucky star they had been searching for was right in front of them.
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