Chapter 319 Cotton-padded Clothes
Chu Ci didn't have the ability to read minds, but being stared at by so many people, those gazes seemed to be able to penetrate her body, making her feel uncomfortable all over.
"There shouldn't be any left. The ones I had before were just things I picked up when I went to inspect the printing factory."
Chu Ci frowned, a look of helplessness on his face, and spoke slowly.
Printing house, this is another new thing that has never been heard of.
Everyone present, except Chu Ci and his wife, was attracted by the printing factory she mentioned, and their eyes were full of curiosity and eagerness to explore.
Only Lieutenant General Luo had a look of disappointment, as if he had lost the most precious treasure in the world, and he looked completely distraught.
He still didn't give up and continued to ask, "Is it really gone? Why don't you look for it again, just in case there is still some?"
As he said this, Lieutenant General Luo looked at Chu Ci eagerly, his eyes full of eager anticipation.
That look really made Chu Ci feel sorry and unable to refuse.
"Okay, I'll look for it again." Chu Ci agreed helplessly.
This time Chu Ci spent quite a long time searching, and when he finally took out the book, there was an obvious ink stain on the cover.
However, Lieutenant General Ke Luo regarded it as a treasure and was so excited that he could hardly contain himself.
He ran up to Ye Lin in a frivolous manner, shaking the book in his hand non-stop, his face beaming with joy, showing off proudly for a long time.
However, at this moment, a burst of crying suddenly sounded in his ears. Chu Ci also vaguely heard words such as "accept... small, but able to work."
Chu Ci didn't ask rashly, but the prince still turned his gaze to her. "Princess Yixin, may I discuss business with you again?"
"What? It's not food, is it? That's my limit!" Chu Ci was horrified and waved his hands repeatedly to refuse.
Fan Jingrui sighed and said softly, "My lady, please listen to what the prince has to say."
Chu Ci glanced at Fan Jingrui with dissatisfaction upon hearing this, and quickly calculated in his mind: 300,000 high-quality grain and fodder. Supplemented with the grain and fodder that the court has been collecting, it will definitely support the Zhenbei Army to win this battle.
So why did the prince make a deal with me?
With this guess in mind, Chu Ci didn't say much, but just waited quietly.
As expected, following the prince's suggestion, General Ye spoke up, "Princess, Lord Fan, do you know who is crying outside?"
General Ye asked this question just to create some atmosphere.
But Lieutenant General Luo, who was a straightforward man, also learned to play tricks at this time.
"She's the wife of your personal guard, Li Tiezhu. Li Tiezhu died in the last battle, leaving behind only the woman and her two children. The older one is ten years old, and the younger one is only three."
Deputy General Luo said in a low voice with a solemn expression.
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present became gloomy.
But Lieutenant General Luo did not stop, but continued: "That woman is crying outside, she must be trying to force the Major General to bring her son into the General's Mansion."
"But our General's Mansion is in such a state now, how can we just take someone in casually?"
Chu Ci blinked and asked in confusion, "Li Tiezhu died. Didn't the army give him any compensation?"
Lieutenant General Luo paused when he heard this, his face filled with helplessness as he sighed, "What good can that little bit of compensation do?"
"This is a border town, and we need to buy food, furs, and everything else. The little money we have is only enough to buy the two children a set of second-hand winter clothes."
When Chu Ci heard Lieutenant General Luo mention using fur to make winter clothes, he suddenly remembered that he had discovered cotton in Lingnan before and had just planted it for a year.
It's just that there's no time to report it yet.
So she quickly turned to look at the prince and asked solemnly, "Your Highness, have you ever heard of cotton?"
The prince knew Chu Ci well enough to know that Chu Ci would never say anything useless at this time. So he asked directly, "What's the use?"
Chu Ci didn't keep the secret and said bluntly: "Cotton has many uses."
"Not only can it be made into delicate and soft cotton cloth, but more importantly, it can be stuffed into clothes or quilts to make warm and comfortable cotton-padded clothes or quilts, providing excellent warmth for people in winter."
"And the advantage of cotton is that it can be obtained in large quantities through artificial cultivation. Compared with fur that relies on hunting, its acquisition is easier and the processing process is simpler."
The more Chu Ci spoke, the brighter the eyes of the people present became. The light in their eyes was like a burning flame, hot and eager.
After hearing the last part, even the usually calm prince couldn't help asking, "Where is the cotton?"
Hearing the prince's question, Chu Ci and Fan Jingrui looked at each other.
Fan Jingrui nodded slightly and said, "After my wife obtained the seeds, she entrusted some to Grandpa in order to find a suitable method. The other part was given to the 'Women's College' in Lianzhou for research purposes."
When they heard the words "for research purposes", a hint of loneliness flashed across the eyes of General Ye and the other two, like a shooting star.
Such a rare and precious item, even if the Crown Prince showed favoritism and gave priority to the Zhenbei Army, it would probably be far from enough to meet the huge needs of the Zhenbei Army's 100,000 soldiers.
The prince naturally understood what General Ye was thinking. Even though he knew the difficulty, he asked with a trembling voice, "How much cotton can be made into cotton clothes?"
Chu Ci did not answer, but looked at Fan Jingrui beside him.
Fan Jingrui made a rough estimate in his mind, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Ten thousand sets."
As soon as Fan Jingrui finished speaking, Chu Ci immediately said, "That's not the point."
"The key is that I can pass on cotton seeds and cotton weaving techniques to the people in northern Xinjiang who have suffered because of the war."
"They can grow their own cotton, make cotton clothes and quilts, improve their living conditions and protect themselves from the severe cold."
When General Ye received the military book, he did not lose his composure.
When Fan Jingrui said there were only 10,000 sets of cotton-padded clothes, General Ye did not lose his composure.
However, when he heard Chu Ci say that he wanted to teach cotton planting and textile technology to the people in the northern border.
General Ye could no longer sit still. "Are you serious?"
Even the Crown Prince's gaze towards Chu Ci changed again and again, his eyes filled with doubt, surprise, and deep thought. He thought to himself: So, this is why my father repeatedly indulges Chu Ci?
Chu Ci had no idea what the prince was thinking, so he patted his chest proudly and said, "Don't worry, this matter concerns the people's livelihood. This princess always keeps her word and will never go back on her word. However..."
Having said this, she paused briefly, then turned her gaze towards the Crown Prince and said solemnly, "But we will be leaving soon. All subsequent matters here will be entirely up to you to take care of."
"We also hope that you can do your utmost to ensure the safety of our technicians, so that they can teach planting and textile techniques with peace of mind, and not let them suffer any threats or harm."
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