That's settled then.
Jiang Jiuniang continued to busy herself with business matters. Sometimes Gou'er would follow her, and sometimes he would train or read in the military camp by himself. Although he did not go to the academy, he learned more during this period than he would have learned in the academy.
Peng Yuan followed Jiang Jiuniang every day, learning both medicine and business with great interest.
The longer you spend time with her, the more you discover Jiang Jiuniang's personal charm. This woman is like a piece of shining gold, radiating light wherever she is, making people irresistibly want to get closer.
A free clinic is held every few days. Now Peng Yuan is taking pulses herself, while Jiang Jiuniang warms herself by the fire and eats nearby. If she doesn't understand something, she can just ask her.
Meanwhile, Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian led their men out every day to scout the terrain and annoy the Dongting people. Since they didn't take any action, their lives were relatively peaceful.
At this time, Jiang Jiuniang's letter to the Empress also arrived in the capital.
Although the Empress had long since finished her postpartum confinement, there was nowhere good to go in the dead of winter. The Emperor, being considerate, didn't let her do anything. Apart from taking a walk after meals, she spent most of her time resting in bed.
Before, Jiang Jiuniang and Peng Yuan would come to the palace every few days to keep her company and talk, but now that the two of them have gone to the border, she has no one to talk to and is so bored she's practically turning into mold.
Just then, someone came in to report: "Your Majesty, the Old Madam and the First Madam of the Lu family have come to visit you."
The Empress was very curious. Under normal circumstances, officials' wives had to apply to enter the palace and obtain the consent of the nobles in the palace before they could enter.
Although the Lu family held high positions and wielded great power, apart from Jiang Jiuniang, other family members would not enter the palace without reason and without proper etiquette. Now that Lu Baichuan and his wife were not present, the Lu family's matriarch and eldest sister-in-law suddenly arrived, and the Empress immediately felt that the Lu family might have encountered some trouble and had come to her for help.
She sat up straight and said, "Quickly invite them in. I'll tidy myself up and then head out."
"Your Highness need not worry. Old Madam Lu specifically instructed me to tell Your Highness that they will be leaving soon. They just want to bring you some things, so there is no need for them to make a fuss."
The palace maid relayed Sun's words, and the Empress finally relaxed, realizing it wasn't a big deal.
"Then let's just invite them in."
It was cold outside, so the Empress wore only her undergarments and was too lazy to bother with anything else. She simply held the hot water bottle against the headboard and waited for Madam Sun and Madam Yu to come in.
The two women entered respectfully and bowed. The Empress smiled and said, "There are no outsiders here, so please don't stand on ceremony, aunt and sister-in-law. Please sit down and talk."
The Empress smiled broadly, treating Madam Sun and Madam Yu as if they were her own relatives.
She had met Madam Sun a few times before and liked this wise elder very much. As for Madam Yu, the eldest sister-in-law of the Lu family, although she had never met her before, she had often heard Jiang Jiuniang mention her. Someone who could make Jiang Jiuniang think so much about her must be extraordinary, so she liked her too.
After the two thanked her, Madam Yu stopped talking. She was just accompanying her mother-in-law and wanted to avoid disturbing the distinguished guests.
Sun said with a smile, "Your Majesty has been in very good health these days. My third son's wife, who is at the border, is also concerned about Your Majesty's health. She specially wrote a few medicinal diet recipes for my eldest son's wife, asking her to make some nourishing food for Your Majesty and send it in to help her recover."
As she spoke, Madam Sun looked at Madam Yu, who hurriedly handed the food box she was carrying to the palace maid and said somewhat reservedly, "This humble woman has made a fool of herself, but I hope Your Majesty will like it."
Since Boss Lu has not yet been officially appointed, she can only refer to herself as a commoner.
The Empress was delighted to hear there was food and beckoned to a palace maid to bring it to her.
The palace maids brought out all the food according to procedure. First, they used silver needles to test for poison, then the palace maids tasted the food before it was served to the Empress.
The Empress took a sip of the soup and her eyes crinkled with laughter: "You two are so thoughtful. It's so cold, and it's still warm when it's brought to the palace. That's truly rare."
"I've long heard that my sister-in-law is a great cook, and it's true!"
The Empress had eaten the food brought by Jiang Jiuniang before, and some of the pickled vegetables were made by Yu Shi. She had praised them, but none of them were as good as the Empress praising them to her face.
Yu was delighted that her skills had been recognized by the Empress, and said with a smile, "It's all thanks to my third sister-in-law. Without that recipe, I wouldn't have been able to make it."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, and once the Empress had finished her bowl of soup, Madam Sun began to discuss the important matter.
"There is another matter that led me to the palace today. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
As she spoke, she took out the letter written by Jiang Jiuniang and presented it to her, explaining, "We received the letter this morning. The third son's wife said that something urgent had happened, so we prepared a medicinal meal and sent it over."
The Empress smiled and said it was alright, then took the letter and opened it.
This letter was written specifically for her by Jiang Jiuniang; no one else had seen it, and it remained sealed.
The Empress grew increasingly pleased with the Lu family, and then focused intently on reading the letter.
In the letter, Jiang Jiuniang mentioned that the people on the border were living in hardship, so she decided to help. There were a lot of cattle and sheep in those border areas, which were very suitable for doing dairy products and wool business. She was already preparing to do it, and Peng Yuan was also involved. She wanted to ask if the Empress was interested in joining in.
In addition, the business she is currently preparing to start is the wool business. Wool is very effective at keeping warm and is cheaper than other coats. If it could be used in the army, it would be a good choice. She hopes that the Empress will consider it.
Everyone here is intelligent. Although Jiang Jiuniang didn't say it explicitly, the Empress already understood what she meant.
"Jiu Niang is such a clever girl; she can always find a way, no matter where she is!"
She laughed and joked, then added, "Thank you for making this special trip, Aunt and Sister-in-law. I already know what Jiu Niang means, but I can't make a decision yet. I still need to ask the Emperor's opinion. I will tell her the result myself, so you don't need to worry."
The two women smiled and said it was no trouble at all. The Empress then said, "I really like your cooking skills, sister-in-law. If it's convenient, please send some to the palace every three days."
As she spoke, she beckoned, and her trusted maidservant immediately brought over a small box. When opened, it contained at least twenty gold ingots.
Madam Yu hurriedly replied, "No, no! Your Highness is too kind. It is my honor that Your Highness likes it. It's not worth much money. I will do my best and will not disappoint Your Highness. There's no need for this."
Yu spoke sincerely, genuinely believing it was just a bowl of medicinal food, and there was no need to exaggerate it so much.
The Empress insisted, "Please accept this. It is my token of appreciation. I will be grateful for your help from now on."
Unable to refuse, Ms. Yu had no choice but to accept. After exchanging a few more words, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law left.
As soon as the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law left, the trusted palace maid asked, "Your Highness, Madam Lu brought the medicinal cuisine recipes, and the cooks in our small kitchen can make them. Why did Your Highness insist on having Madam Lu make them?"
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