The three of them were looking at the gifts Princess Jinyi had brought back when the Eighth Prince arrived. He bowed to each of the three and then stepped forward to look at the gifts Princess Jinyi had brought back.
There weren't any priceless items, just trinkets and unique ornaments. Most of all, there were various fabrics woven in Jiangning. Empress Jing'an, touching the fabrics, which were of greater variety and finer quality than anything else in the palace, said to Princess Jinyi, "I'm afraid the production of these materials is insufficient, otherwise they wouldn't have been unsupplied."
Princess Jinyi knew her mother was wise, so she nodded repeatedly and said, "The piece of material you hold in your hand would take three embroiderers three months to weave one piece." Zhidi then picked up a piece of material as light as a cicada's wing and said, "This piece of material would take ten embroiderers three months to weave."
Seeing Empress Jing'an nod, Princess Jinyi expressed her thoughts: "If I didn't have a high status, I wouldn't be able to obtain these materials. I heard that half a foot of this material can be exchanged for 200,000 taels of silver, and the buyers are foreign merchants with red hair and green eyes. I wonder if we can ship this cloth overseas and sell it like the previous dynasty did, would it alleviate the treasury's emptiness?"
"Oh?" The emperor standing beside him asked with interest, "When did Jin Yi start disturbing the national treasury?"
Putting down the cloth in her hand, Princess Jinyi bowed and respectfully replied to the emperor, "Your Majesty, during these days of absence, although I often shuttled through bustling cities, I also occasionally passed through some desolate places. It was in those places that I realized that even in the prosperous Jiangnan area, there were people who starved to death. Most of these people suffered because the national treasury had no money to allocate funds after the flood, and they had no grain to farm. This is why they suffered this disaster." "Although I am a woman, I am also served by the people. In the past, I did not see it because I was in the deep palace. Now, I must do my best to show my gratitude for what I have seen with my new eyes."
The Emperor stroked his beard and praised, "Indeed, Jinyi has grown up. This trip has taught you what it means to share the suffering of the people. However, you are still young. If you were to go overseas, your father would be worried, and your mother would be reluctant to let you go."
Seeing her daughter so full of energy, as if she had found her life's dream, Empress Jing'an felt that her previous education had been quite successful. In ancient times, even princesses were often raised to lead a secluded life, caring for their husbands and raising children. Her daughter wanted to fly away, to explore the wider world. Empress Jing'an wanted to support her, but she was concerned about the underdeveloped maritime transport system.
Seeing that Empress Jing'an did not nod in agreement with the Emperor, Princess Jinyi stepped forward, hugged Empress Jing'an's arm, and asked, "Mother, do you support my decision?"
After regaining her composure, Empress Jing'an looked at Princess Jinyi with a serious expression and said, "Your Majesty, of course, supports you, but you are indeed too young right now. How about this, we send people familiar with foreign countries to make a few trips there over the next two years. Once the routes are stable and you are ready to marry, it won't be too late to go then." "The conditions at sea are not like your journeys back and forth to the south. The wind and waves can capsize a large ship at any time. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, understands your thoughts, and I am truly worried about you."
After hearing what Queen Jing'an said, Princess Jinyi nodded and said, "I'm not going out right away, but I just had this idea and wanted to discuss it with you and my father in advance."
The emperor nodded and said, "There is a Fanwai Division in Quanzhou. Tomorrow, your father will summon the director to the capital. You can forget about leaving the palace this year. You can go to Quanzhou for fun next year."
Hearing the emperor's words, Princess Jinyi jumped up and said with a smile, "That's great, father. You are the best father in the world."
The Eighth Prince, who had been sitting nearby, looked to Queen Jing'an for help. Queen Jing'an silently averted her gaze, not giving her son a chance to beg her. As the next heir, the poor Eighth Prince had very few opportunities to leave the palace in his lifetime.
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