Chapter 53 Sheep Sheep Muxue watched silently for a while. …
Mu Xue stood by and observed silently for a while.
The man counting sheep saw the princess staring at him and became more nervous: "Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred... one hundred and eleven, one hundred and thirteen?"
Oops, another slip of the tongue!
I was so annoyed, but the sheep I had just counted had already mixed into the flock and I couldn't tell which one it was.
"Stop for a moment." Mu Xue said, "Take a break."
Basically, I can count up to a hundred without making any mistakes, but after that number, I will occasionally make mistakes.
The man counting sheep was so anxious that sweat beads appeared on his forehead. Mu Xue could not bear to scold him anymore.
She thought about it and said to Wulan, "I've thought of a new way to count sheep. Count them in groups."
Use a wooden fence to separate the sheep. Two people count. One person is responsible for counting sheep, from one to one hundred. When the number reaches one hundred, the other person counts one more one, which is one hundred. The original person still goes back to "one sheep" to start counting, and drives the sheep that have been counted into the wooden fence, which may reduce the error.
Wulan listened to the explanation and clapped his hands. "This is indeed better."
So he hurried over and told the people counting the sheep to count them separately, and it worked.
Mu Xue smiled slightly and reminded the people around her: "This is the first time for us to transport sheep back to the mainland for sale. We will definitely encounter some problems on the way, such as the sheep becoming thinner on the way. It is normal to have problems, so don't be afraid. Just observe, think and record diligently. You must learn from every trip, so that you can last long in the future."
She specifically called out to Yunqi: "You can read and write, so you need to be careful along the way."
This time, it was not convenient for Mu Xue to personally escort the sheep back to sell. Although the Fan family helped to keep an eye on them, she could not rely on them blindly. Mu Xue personally selected a few people to go with the sheep transport team, and Yun Qi was an important one among them.
Yun Qi agreed and said, "I will remember the princess's teachings."
"I'll collect your homework when you come back." Mu Xue joked.
It’s interesting to think about it. An important part of her business is herding sheep.
After staying in the pasture for a whole day, I returned to the tent at nightfall. After all, I stayed among the sheep for so long that my clothes were inevitably stained with some smell.
The maids came in one line, holding whisks, wash basins, scented soaps, brocade handkerchiefs and other things, and helped Muxue change her clothes and wash her hands.
Nanny Wu folded up the moon-white gauze shirt that the princess had changed out of, and muttered: "Princess, you are such a noble person, it is bound to be wronged for you to go to the sheepfold."
Mu Xue dipped her hands in the silver basin and said, "What does that matter? Khan Ama has to encourage farming every year, which is the foundation of the country. But on this grassland, raising sheep and horses is the foundation. Since I have come here and become their master, I must be careful. If I am in the dark, wouldn't I be giving orders to people at random?"
"Well said."
Looking back, it was Dorji who was walking towards him with big strides. He had just arrived when he heard the princess' words. He was a little worried that the princess didn't like the grassland pasture. In the past, when he was in Beijing, he had heard his younger brother Celeng complain to him, saying that they had just arrived at the inner court to study, and some mean royal relatives joked that they smelled like sheep. Now, hearing the princess's affirmation of grazing on the grassland, he couldn't help but feel happy.
"I knew that the princess was knowledgeable. Sheep are very important to us." Dorji took a white brocade handkerchief from the tray in the maid's hand and wiped the water droplets off Muxue.
"We Mongolians have always lived on nomadic life, and the foundation of animal husbandry is the five domestic animals: cattle, horses, goats, sheep and camels. These are all treasures bestowed on the grassland by the Eternal Heaven."
He took her by the hand and sat her down. "During the New Year here, we also hold the Five Livestock Ceremony. Wait a few months and you will see it. It is very lively."
"Really? When the Five Animals Ceremony is performed, I will also participate in person." Mu Xue smiled as she raised her face.
"Okay, then we'll go together."
While they were talking, the eunuchs brought the dining table, and the maids placed the dishes and chopsticks, waiting for the princess and her husband to eat. In the past few days, except when he was particularly busy, Dorji would come to the princess's tent for all three meals.
Mu Xue saw him holding the bowl and eating with big mouthfuls, and teased him, "You are here every day? I have to pay for the food when I eat here."
"That's easy." Dorji put down his chopsticks and said with a smile, "I'm just afraid you won't accept it. Monk, wait a minute, bring the ranch deed and the whole box over to your mistress."
"That? No need," Mu Xue said quickly, "I was just joking. I don't have the energy to be your accountant."
Even if Dorji really moved all his belongings here, she wouldn't be able to use them.
"I see," Dorji said again, "Monk, then? You can pick some good gems and corals from the library."
He looked at Mu Xue and said, "Put it in your tent. It will be shiny and beautiful. Okay?"
The furnishings in the princess's tent were too plain and elegant. He had long wanted to add some decorations, thinking that if the decorations were more lively, the princess would be in a better mood. However, he was worried that she would politely refuse, so he had not mentioned it. Now that the two of them had understood each other's feelings, he took the opportunity to bring it up.
Mu Xue looked at his pleading expression and could only nod: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
When she heard Dorji say there was a box of land deeds, she became curious and asked, "Do you have a lot of sheep under your name?"
Dorji thought for a moment and told her, "It's OK. We have at least 200,000 sheep. I'm not sure how big the pasture is. Our calculation rules are not like your imperial farm. Every acre of land is calculated clearly. Well, anyway, the land that the horses step on within five days of racing is my pasture."
...Brother, do you call this okay?
Mu Xue was slightly shocked by this. Seeing her expression, Duo Erji was amused and angry, and put down his chopsticks: "You don't think you are marrying a pauper, do you?"
Mu Xue glanced to the side: "Of course not."
She said no, but her expression was clearly the opposite. Dorji moved closer, blew on his hands, and started to tickle her waist: "Okay, you underestimate me."
Mu Xue smiled, put the bowl down, stood up and ran away: "Haha, I just didn't understand it before."
They played around for a while until the food had gotten cold, then they asked people to clear the table.
"Okay, I still have to write a letter to Khan Ama at night. Please go back, my lord." Muxue smiled and pushed Dorji to go back.
"I can help you grind ink. Han people say that red sleeves add fragrance to your life, and I can also add fragrance to your life with blue sleeves."
"no."
"Why?"
Mu Xue scolded, "I can't calm down while you're here."
This answer sounded pleasing to the ear. Dorji reached out and hugged her for a while before reluctantly leaving.
The candle flame burned brightly. Mu Xueping sent the servants away, walked to the desk, and ground ink herself.
After the ink was ground, my heart gradually calmed down.
After thinking for a long time, I decided to write a letter first, and then a memorial, one to express my feelings, and the other to talk about my business.
The letter is a family letter, written by a daughter who married far away to her father, saying that she had seen the excitement of the Damu Festival, went to the ranch to hold a sheep, missed Khan Ama very much, and would go to the Lama Temple every few days to pray for him and wish him good health, etc. This one was written in one go, and it would be more perfect if there was another "Princess Holding a Lamb" picture.
It was difficult to write the memorial. I thought about it for a long time. During this time, the ink condensed and fell. I changed a piece of paper and finally finished writing it after much hesitation.
It was mainly about the sheep business - "Your Highness, the Fourth Princess, requests the opening of sheep and horse trade and the establishment of an official sheep road in Beijing to secure the Mongolian border."
"The way to unite with Mongolia is to calm the people, facilitate trade, and benefit animal husbandry, so that the people's hearts will be firmly established. Today, the sheep herds of the Khalkha tribes are thriving, and hundreds of thousands of lambs are produced every year. However, they dare not transport them to the imperial territory, which is really abandoned. I have also heard that there are private markets in the desert, which are not beneficial to the court, and I am even more worried that good horses will be sold in the territory of Rakshasa. I first request to open an official sheep and horse market in Guihua City, Zhangjiakou, and secondly, I request to open a Beijing Sheep Official Road from Guihua City to the capital. The sheep and horses sold can be taxed and put into the national treasury. This move can not only solve the difficulties of the herdsmen and provide income, but also stabilize the price of meat in the capital. Moreover, the merchants and postmen who travel back and forth are all ears and eyes, and it is advisable to report the situation on the Mongolian border..."
"I beg the emperor to give me instructions."
By the time she had finished writing, it was already late at night. Mu Xue stared at the palace lantern with a half-lit candle, wondering if there was anything she had missed.
By the way, some of these sheep were transported to Beijing. There must be an increase in consumer demand before they can be sold at a high price. Mutton, the old Beijing shabu-shabu mutton, became famous in later generations and is considered a famous Beijing dish. At that time, the dish of shabu-shabu mutton must have existed, but is it popular now?
She thought about it carefully and called Aunt Wu over to confirm: "Have you ever noticed a shabu-shabu restaurant on the streets of Beijing before?"
"A hot pot restaurant?" Nanny Wu thought carefully for a while and shook her head. "I don't think I've seen one in the inner city. Why did the princess suddenly bring this up?"
"It's okay." Mu Xue said, "I just think that it's very cold in autumn and winter, so eating hot pot meat is good."
She wrote another letter. This letter was to Cui Gu, the owner of her pawnshop in Beijing. She asked her to use the interest to quickly open copper pot hot pot restaurants in Beijing, and open three or four at a time. If necessary, she could use the royal banner to create an atmosphere of hot pot eating trend.
After finishing the letter, she felt sleepy, yawned twice, changed into her pajamas and prepared to go to bed.
Late at night, the grassland was shrouded in darkness, and many tents had turned off the lights and were fast asleep.
However, in the Fan family's tent, the candlelight was still burning silently, with a wisp of gray smoke rising occasionally.
Fan Yuqi slammed his hand on the table so hard that even the candlelight shook.
"I don't care what you say, you have to stay on this grassland!"
Mrs. Fan was frightened by the sound of slapping the table. She shrank back and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "But, but my husband has to go back too. If he goes back now, he can still celebrate the New Year at home. I...I haven't seen my baby for a long time."
"What's the point of you meeting him? Will my mother treat him badly?" Fan Yuqi said, "You stay by the princess' side and serve her, and keep an eye out for any opportunities. This is the proper way to earn a good future for the child!"
He pointed at her and said, "Please, for the sake of the baby, be smart, okay? How come Zheng Yunqi and the other women can answer questions fluently and openly in front of the princess, but you are so dead? Cry, what else can you do besides crying!"
Mrs. Fan could no longer bear it, and she suddenly stood up and said in a trembling voice: "Why do you blame me like this!"
She said angrily, "Since I married you, you haven't stayed in my house for a full month, not even a month. But I have been very filial to my mother-in-law. I dare not sit down as long as she picks up the chopsticks. I have been filial to my uncle and aunt, harmonious with my sisters-in-law, and have children. I have done every one of these. As a result, overnight, you asked me to be as knowledgeable and eloquent as Zheng Yunqi and the others. Fan Yuqi, what right do you have to ask me to do this! You married me because I have a reputation for being virtuous, filial to my parents, and a good wife and mother. Did you marry me because I am good at socializing and proficient in business?"
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.
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