Shu Xiaohan's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement, for she saw large, fluffy white flowers in front of her.
Cotton, it must be cotton!
Cotton was truly a great discovery for the country!
Shu Xiaohan stared ahead without blinking until Xue Ye led Gu Yuzhi to the patch of white flowers. At that moment, Shu Xiaohan finally couldn't hold back her tears of joy.
"The young prince is cotton, he really is cotton!"
She has been here for over a year, and every time Gu Yuzhi takes a break, she searches carefully, hoping to find cotton or wheat, but each time she returns empty-handed.
Who knew that cotton would be discovered during the rescue operation following the iron mine collapse?
She said cotton and wheat should be grown further north.
Shu Xiaohan's mind raced as she tried to find out if there was any trace of wheat nearby.
This was the first time Gu Yuzhi had seen Shu Xiaohan so excited. He jumped off Xue Ye's back, plucked a cotton ball, and squeezed it. It was soft and fluffy, quite comfortable.
He took a sniff and could only detect a dusty smell. Disgusted, he moved the cotton a little further away and asked, "Teacher Shu, what is this cotton used for?"
"Cotton can be used to make cotton clothes and quilts. Its warmth retention is many times better than that of reeds, linen and other similar materials."
"Young Prince, you can look at this over there. This is called seed cotton, and it contains cotton seeds. Young Prince, quickly send people to harvest all of these things. Use the cotton for spinning and the cotton seeds for seed production."
She asked Gu Yuzhi to squat down a little: "No wonder there is so much cotton here. The land here is indeed very suitable for growing cotton."
"Young Prince, after the crops in Xinliang are all harvested this year, let the people cultivate this large area of land first, and plant cotton here next year."
Shu Xiaohan finished explaining everything in one breath, and when she looked up, she saw Wen Xiuzhu staring at her in shock: "You mean, this cotton is for keeping warm?"
She nodded and said, "Of course. You see, it's also a fluffy substance, just like silk. It needs to be separated and spun to make more absorbent and soft clothing. You can also make cotton and reed fluff into soft fluff to fill clothes and quilts for warmth."
What a business opportunity!
This is a huge business opportunity!
If what Shu Xiaohan said is true, then Wen's Trading Company is going to make a fortune!
Just now, Shu Xiaohan was about to burst into laughter with her hands on her hips, but now it's Wen Xiuzhu's turn.
He waved his fan vigorously: "Tell me, does cotton cultivation have any requirements regarding the land?"
Cotton has been grown in the south for so many years, but no one has discovered it. Is it only possible to grow it in the northern desert?
If that's the case, he has absolute confidence that he can make Wen's Trading Company the largest trading company in the Northern Desert!
Shu Xiaohan, unaware of Wen Xiuzhu's inner thoughts, nodded and said, "There are requirements. Sandy soil is preferred, and the amount of sunlight is also very important, so the planting location needs to be carefully selected."
Gu Yuzhi had already climbed onto Xueye's back, exchanged a few words with Qi Chenglang, and then ran quickly toward the temporary outpost.
He had previously wondered if Xie Changshi and the others were being insincere in their kindness towards him, but now he couldn't care less about that anymore.
This little thing in his hand can keep him warm. With this, he no longer has to worry about his mother being cold in winter or the people of Xinliang not being able to get through the winter.
By the time they arrived at the temporary post, it was already late at night. Gu Yuzhi had someone wake up Chen Dianyi and handed him a handful of cotton: "Chen Dianyi, look, I found this!"
Before Chen Dianyi could ask any questions, Gu Yuzhi quickly explained how he discovered the thing: "This thing looks denser than reed fluff, and it's all fluffy like this. Maybe it can keep you warm."
Chen Dianyi's drowsiness completely dissipated when he heard Gu Yuzhi say that it could keep warm. He took the cotton and carefully squeezed it. It did feel very good, but could it really keep warm?
Chen Dianyi naturally couldn't believe it so easily, but seeing how excited the young prince was, he thought it was worth a try, just in case it worked.
Gu Yuzhi excitedly took out cotton seeds: "Look at these, I just picked them out from here, they should be seeds. Chen Dianyi, when the harvest is good here, send someone to search near the iron mine and collect all these white seeds. When Minister Su's spinning machine arrives, we can test whether these can be used to weave cloth."
He shook his head, a hint of smugness in his eyes.
If Teacher Shu says this can be used for weaving, then it absolutely can be used for weaving; he completely trusts Teacher Shu.
Gu Yuzhi's smugness didn't last long before Chen Dianyi said leisurely, "Your Highness, if this white flower is indeed something that can keep you warm, then it is indeed a very good thing. But the key is that we don't have any craftsmen who know how to weave."
None of them doubted that Minister Su could obtain the spinning machine, but they shared Minister Su's opinion that good craftsmen would not come to Xinliang.
Gu Yuzhi's smug expression froze instantly. She pouted, took the cotton back, squeezed it hard, and said dejectedly, "I just thought this stuff could keep me warm! If we could plant more, what if the people of the northern desert didn't have to suffer from the cold next year?"
Chen Dianyi's eyes flickered slightly, clearly indicating that he was thinking further ahead.
"Why is it so hard to find a textile worker?!"
Gu Yuzhi snorted twice and stormed back to his post.
Tomorrow he will ride back to Changzhou through the snowy night and ask Prefect Qi to find a craftsman.
However, it seems that the artisans of Changzhou textiles are from the Li family...
Gu Yuzhi's little mind was working very fast. He wished he could just find someone to knock all those craftsmen unconscious and bring them directly to Xinliang!
If Li Ji dares to cause trouble, he will reveal his identity as a prince and see if they still dare to cause him trouble!
Gu Yuzhi had a whole bunch of random thoughts, and the next day, while he was still asleep, he heard Qi Chenglang had already returned with the survivors of the iron mine and was checking the list with Chen Dianyi: "Those who can be released during the amnesty can settle down in Xinliang, and those who cannot be released must find a way to stay here."
Qi Chenglang and the others knew that Marshal Huo Qiyuan had spared their lives, which meant that these people were definitely trustworthy.
As for the bodies that were dug up, after their identities were confirmed, they were put back into the iron mine.
To ensure there were no hidden passages or anything like that beneath the iron ore, Qi Chenglang even had some stones placed on the small hill, intending to use it as a mass burial ground.
After the two checked their identities, Chen Dianyi suddenly pointed to several names and asked, "These people used to work at the cloth shop?"
Qi Chenglang glanced at it casually and nodded, saying, "It says 'cloth shop' on the back, so it should be it. I asked around, and apart from the Huo family, almost everyone at the iron mine was implicated."
Chen Dianyi nodded: "Call the people over and ask them if they know how to weave cloth..."
Gu Yuzhi suddenly sat up. Weaving?
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