After lunch, Yin led Qingyan to the courtyard, while Kangxi and Consort Tong sat in the main hall, and the two children looked at the two burlap sacks with curiosity.
"Little darling, what did you buy when you went out?" Tulichen mentioned that Yin and Qingyan had gone out and bought a lot of things. After Erlu brought them back, they quickly went out again. Tulichen happened to be at the door arranging the guards' patrol, and was temporarily requisitioned by Erlu.
Qingyan watched as Yikene held fresh white lotus seeds, and even Consort Tong looked on with curiosity.
"You already have lotus seeds?" In late spring, the lotus seeds are too tender to make lotus seed soup.
"It is said that the old farmer took good care of them. Mother, we will have lotus seed soup tonight." Qingyan didn't care. She bought these things to use them up on the way.
Emperor Kangxi felt uneasy. He possessed the entire empire, yet he couldn't frequently enjoy the freshest food. The servants below worried that they wouldn't be able to supply enough and would incur the emperor's wrath, so they had no choice but to supply what was already in the palace year-round.
"My little darling, this is a real talent." When Emperor Kangxi was feeling unwell, he would order the imperial kitchen to serve lotus seed soup and other specialties, as dried lotus seeds and fresh lotus seeds produce different flavors.
If fresh lotus seeds could be offered year-round, that would be quite nice.
"Your Majesty, Qingyan has instructed farmers to send a batch of food to Linglong Pavilion every ten days. If they wish to use it, I will have it delivered to the capital." Yin did not want to learn other people's cooking skills.
Emperor Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. Yinzhi had suffered a good loss, and he was considerate of the farmers.
Once the royal servants learn the skills, the techniques will gradually be leaked.
"Mother, we still have fresh lotus roots. Let's make glutinous rice lotus root, which can be a snack on the way." They left in a hurry and didn't have time to pack many things.
Consort Tong laughed. In the south, there was plenty of osmanthus-flavored lotus root, but Emperor Kangxi required them to avoid eating out as much as possible, so they had to rely on themselves.
“Father, the market here is small, but the people come out every five days.” Yin observed for a while and found that the people were self-sufficient and rarely bought things from others.
Yinzhi disliked self-sufficiency. At one point, Kangxi simply felt that this approach would allow for better governance.
The economy was not competitive and would fall far behind in the competition with imported goods. He did not want the Qing Dynasty to experience the same difficulties as before.
"Father, we need to bring in merchants from outside and try to transport these things out of the country." Farmers are only selling their agricultural products in the surrounding area. If we can transport these fresh products to the whole country, this big economic strategy will become much more effective.
Kangxi pondered for a moment and felt that what Yin said made a lot of sense.
"After you return to the capital, write a secret memorial and send it to me." After deciding to reorganize the Imperial Household Department, Kangxi began preparations to reorganize the economy.
Qingyan inwardly praised Yin, for just one sentence could save the lives of the people in the region.
"Alright, you two, father and son, if you want to discuss state affairs, go to the study." Consort Tong was very proper and never got involved in state affairs.
The Tong family occupies half of the court. With a little influence from Consort Tong, the Tong family should be able to advance even further.
Some time ago, when Lady Tong Guogang had an audience with the emperor, she had a private conversation with Consort Tong for half an hour. She asked Consort Tong not to concern herself with any court affairs from now on, nor to send any news from the palace to her residence.
The Tong family had the opposite attitude, with Tong Guowei's wife repeatedly trying to manipulate Consort Tong.
The attitudes of both sides annoyed her. Finally, she accompanied Kangxi out of the capital, away from the family's infighting, and the smiles on her face returned.
Emperor Kangxi smiled. Consort Tong had changed a lot, and Emperor Kangxi was more satisfied with the current Consort.
"Hehe, Mother, I was just speaking from the heart. Qingyan has made arrangements to make lotus seed soup." Yin said with a smile.
Su Lan and Su Zhu quickly took the two sacks of lotus seeds and lotus roots out to clean them, planning to distribute them to the various courtyards after they were cooked. Although the two sacks of lotus seeds and lotus roots seemed like a lot, in reality, there was not much to cook.
As dinner time approached, Yinzhi and his wife returned, carrying local snacks, intending to let Kangxi try them as well.
"Father, the snacks here are all made by local families. My wife and I have tried some, and we think they are not as good as those made in the Imperial Kitchen, but they have their own unique flavor." Yin personally placed the pastries on the table, and Shu quickly took them to the small kitchen, put them on a plate, and brought them out.
Emperor Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. His two sons would usually bring food home when they went out, but the Crown Prince would likely behave differently.
"Little Darling also took some; we'll eat them together later." Consort Tong looked at the somewhat rough pastries, and she was happy.
Regardless of the quality of the gift, at the very least, it represents the good intentions of the two children.
"Your sister-in-law must have bought good things. I see there are a lot of fresh ingredients. But my sister-in-law is not so good. She buys things but doesn't know how to use them." Yin Genjue Luo Shi said with regret. She decided to learn about cooking from Qing Yan. Songkelierha is growing up and has to live his own life.
Yin Genjueluo believed that to control a man's heart, one must first win over his stomach, and Qingyan was a good example of this.
Qingyan nodded slightly. These were not difficult; they were just some common household skills.
Kangxi watched the conversation between the two sisters-in-law and nodded in satisfaction. These two children were the most favored among the principal wives, and they also had children to rely on. They did not participate in the struggles between the sisters-in-law. As for the others, he had some headaches.
"Father, how long will we be staying?" Yin asked, looking at the Emperor and Empress Dowager Tong. Their schedule had been completely disrupted, and the days were being extended.
The dates that Yin and Fei Yanggu and their father and son had agreed upon before their trip were gradually being overturned, and the servants who had gone ahead of time were extending the rental period.
"Rest for another ten days." Kangxi didn't care about the time anymore. The imperial carriage traveled slowly. The Empress Dowager decided that each time they stopped, they would stop for two or three days before setting off again.
Both Yin and Yin were stunned. According to the travel plan, they would not be able to board the imperial ship before it arrived in Jiangnan.
"The Empress Dowager wishes to stay a few more days." Kangxi had no choice but to protect the Empress Dowager's dignity. Ever since he learned that Kangxi was not on the imperial ship, the Crown Prince had not dared to issue orders directly, and often had Hongxi whisper in the Empress Dowager's ear, making the old lady her spokesperson.
Qingyan sneered. The Empress Dowager was constantly eroding Kangxi's goodwill. If something happened again in Mongolia, the Empress Dowager would probably be unable to plead for him anymore.
Hong Xi......
Qingyan felt a deep sense of regret. He recognized his true identity and knew that Kangxi would probably not abandon him.
"Father, let's slow down and explore the surrounding area." Yin wanted to see more of the lives of ordinary people. Each time he left the palace, the time was too short to truly experience the lives of ordinary people, which was a regret.
Yin nodded in agreement. Kangxi looked at his two sons' earnest wishes, calculated the time, and finally agreed.
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