After several busy months, the minister sent to Mongolia to handle the wool trade has finalized all the terms and conditions.
The hundreds of craftsmen in the Imperial Workshops were top talents selected from across the country.
After receiving the imperial decree, they worked day and night and finally managed to build a hot air balloon that could be used as a means of transportation.
The only drawback is that it is affected by the weather; it cannot take off in strong winds and heavy rain, otherwise it may be blown to other places.
Big Fat Orange, accompanied by his entire court of officials, found an open space and witnessed firsthand how a person controlled the hot air balloon's ascent and descent, and then stacked twenty bags of rice.
The ropes hanging down were tied to the saddle, and a royal guard rode a fast horse to Jeju Island to exchange the twenty bags of rice for cloth and then transport them back.
A round trip is about 1,600 li (approximately 700 kilometers), and at the speed of a caravan, it would take at least a month. But if it's just one person on horseback, including the time for loading, it wouldn't take more than three days.
Ten people set off and returned fully loaded on the third day, without any accidents along the way.
Everyone can see the immense value hidden within. With this, ordinary people can also, like in the legends, travel to the North Sea in the morning and visit Cangwu in the evening.
Five hundred acres of land on the outskirts of Beijing were leveled and a wool textile factory was built. The people who originally farmed the land became factory workers and moved into the staff housing built for them.
Everything is ready; all that's left is for the weather to warm up so that the wool can be sheared and transported over from Mongolia.
Overjoyed, the fat orange tree immediately promoted Consort He from Khorchin to the rank of Imperial Concubine, and incidentally, An Lingrong also became Consort Yu.
Because "quiet" and "respect" are homophones, they are easily confused. When the titles were initially chosen, no one thought there was anything wrong with them, but as time went on, they became increasingly troublesome.
To distinguish them, the palace maids and eunuchs would add a palace name before their names, and some concubines did the same.
So when An Lingrong was promoted this time, she mentioned it to Da Pang Ju.
With a new master seat, Yanxi Palace was already bustling, and now it was even more crowded with guests.
Zhen Huan came with Liu Zhu and Cui Jinxi, along with a very generous gift.
"This red coral bonsai isn't very big, but it's entirely blood red, with harmonious branches and vines. Looking at it every day on the shelf helps to lift my spirits."
An Lingrong couldn't resist reaching out to touch the red coral bead; she also had several coral jewelry pieces on her dressing table.
But even the most perfectly polished coral bead strands cannot compare to such natural treasures.
"How could I possibly accept such a generous gift from Sister Huan?"
Shen Meizhuang said, "If it's sent over, it's yours. Why can't you accept it? Now that you've become Consort Yu, our positions will be more secure."
An Lingrong said, "Sister Mei is right. I feel like I'm on cloud nine right now. I never thought I would be made a concubine."
"Consort Cheng has arrived."
The three turned around and saw Sun Miaoqing wearing a light blue qipao embroidered with forsythia patterns.
Her hair was often adorned with velvet flowers, and she wore a pair of white jade earrings. Compared to other concubines, she was known for her simplicity.
If you ignored the filigree pearl bracelet peeking out from her wrist...
"Our Imperial Concubine has arrived."
Shen Meizhuang stepped forward and took Sun Miaoqing's arm, teasingly saying, "You're the only one in the whole palace who's truly comfortable. You can wear whatever you want and do whatever makes you comfortable."
The concubines' clothing, food, housing, and transportation were all governed by regulations according to their rank. They could dress however they wanted in their own rooms, as long as they did not violate the rules.
However, once outside the palace gates, one must follow the rules. One may dress simply or elaborately, but one must not overstep one's bounds.
Getting up early every day to do your makeup, and then wearing a head full of jewels is really tiring. Even the most enthusiastic person will eventually want to take a break.
But do they dare? No, they don't!
Sun Miaoqing said, "If you like, you can do the same as me."
"Now that the Empress is not involved in affairs, as long as Consort Hua does not overstep her bounds, she will not cause any trouble."
"As for the Emperor, as long as the person is good-looking, he will have no objections."
He didn't mind if you had a shoehorn-shaped hair sticking out of your head before, so he certainly won't mind anything else.
Shen Meizhuang was helpless. She had put away that headdress for a long time and hadn't worn it for a long time. Why couldn't she get over it?
Who has feet that big!
Shen Meizhuang said, "I can't argue with your mouth."
Sun Miaoqing slightly raised her right hand, and Linglan, holding the congratulatory gift in her hand, took two steps forward.
"This box contains thirty-six black pearls, each one perfectly round and flawless. Their dark green luster is comparable to that of cat's-eye stones."
"It can be made into a hairpin, a necklace, or earrings."
"Ambergris, with it, many fragrance recipes can be tried." (A secretion from sperm whales.)
Zhen Huan said, "Ambergris of this quality and size is priceless. Only Ling Rong can obtain it, so that this precious gem will not be wasted."
"It won't be long before Hengzhiju gets another batch of rare spices."
An Lingrong said, "Then it must be sent to the palaces of the older sisters first. The rest will have to wait until we sisters are tired of using them."
Shen Meizhuang said with a smile, "What about the Emperor? Is he waiting for us to get tired of him too?"
An Lingrong said in a serious tone, "Of course, how could the Emperor use such good things?"
Although Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang found it strange that An Lingrong would say it so bluntly, they were not shocked.
After spending so much time together, if we still can't see through it, then everyone is fooling the emperor into thinking he's an official.
Nobody's a fool. The emperor treats them like playthings, showing them no genuine affection. Why should they be grateful for mere scraps?
Although they may not be equal in status, everyone should be equal in matters of the heart.
Sun Miaoqing asked, "Did you hear what those eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Household Department were saying?"
An Lingrong nodded, "It's not a secret, we're just keeping it from those few above us."
Although Zhen Huan was favored by the emperor, she did not touch the power of the palace and did not know much about the affairs of the people below her.
Although sometimes Shen Meizhuang was unsure of what to do, she would consult with Zhen Huan.
But the affairs of the Imperial Garden were few and far between, and not very complicated.
Although Shen Meizhuang had heard many stories about the intricacies of the Imperial Household Department, she had never seen them with her own eyes.
"What do you mean you kept it from the higher-ups? How come I had no idea?"
Shen Meizhuang explained, "Those servants said in private that the best things should not be served to the Emperor."
“Otherwise, if they are used to the finest food, and one year the offerings are not as good as before, wouldn’t that be the death of the servants?”
"Some say that the emperor shouldn't be fed anything too fresh. Otherwise, he might want to eat summer vegetables in winter, and then want winter fruits in summer—who can conjure them up?"
Zhen Huan said, "Everyone says that once you become emperor, the whole world will serve you. But once you enter the palace, you realize that even the best emperors never touched; they were all used to feed the servants in the Imperial Household Department!"
"I'm not surprised that you can tolerate this, but how could Consort Hua, who is in charge of the six palaces, also swallow this insult?"
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