Early that morning, Liu Yulian entered the palace with the Marquis of Jingning and his wife. Liu Yanjing and Princess Zhaoyang also entered. After all, Liu Yanjing was the emperor's son-in-law, and the emperor was bound to meet him.
The emperor met Liu Yulian in the palace pavilion, rather than in the imperial study, as he didn't want to make her nervous, but rather to make her feel more at ease. The Marquis of Jingning and his wife had already left, and the emperor told them to leave. He didn't want Liu Yulian to have to see his parents before he could say anything, nor did he want the Marquis of Jingning to signal to her to stop.
"What are you researching lately?" the emperor asked. "Glass?"
The emperor knew some of Liu Yulian's research, but not all of it.
"Not only that, but also the steam engine," Liu Yulian replied. "Actually, I originally wanted to research hybrid rice, but I don't really enjoy working in the fields; I'm afraid of the sun. If I don't enjoy it, I can't concentrate on research, and I won't be able to truly complete it."
Liu Yulian is self-aware. She doesn't like everything, nor can she study everything.
Hybrid rice isn't an easy task, and there are things like sterile rice plants. It's a difficult job, and after hybrid rice is grown, the rice grains it produces can no longer be used as seeds.
These seeds are originally produced by excellent parents. For example, the father is a semi-sterile plant with pollen but not full grains, while the mother has full grains but produces fewer grains, and has good resistance in other aspects.
If hybrid rice seeds are planted, they will have various characteristics and will not be as good as hybrid rice.
Liu Yulian didn't quite understand this. The game system directly sold seeds, but didn't directly explain how to research them. Liu Yulian knew about this content, mainly because she learned some of it later and from the TV series about the difficulties of cultivating hybrid rice by the father of rice.
Sterile plants, Hainan...those people who cultivate hybrid rice have to go to different places.
Hainan's weather is hot, so they can plant one season in a more northern area and then plant another season in Hainan. This way, they can shorten the research time. What would normally take ten years can now be completed in five.
Liu Yulian thought this was a very unusual place, and it would require someone with great endurance to do it. She had never actually worked in the fields, and even though the culture medium was useful, she still hoped someone would develop high-yield rice.
Currently, most people still use conventional rice seeds, the kind whose grains can be used directly as seeds. The yield of conventional rice is not that high, and even though culture medium has nearly doubled its yield, there is still much room for improvement.
"It's hard to research something you don't like," Liu Yulian said. "It's easy to be careless."
"That's fine. Some people like it, and some people are researching it." The emperor thought it wasn't a big problem. Liu Yulian was fine the way she was. She was an ordinary person, a very young girl. "Just tell them what you think. If you've read any books and remember anything, let them research it. The money should still be spent. This is a matter of public welfare."
"Yeah." Liu Yulian nodded. "Actually, there are many more, like mushroom cultivation. Using bamboo scraps to grow bamboo fungus means you can grow it outside in the fields instead of in the bamboo forest. I just don't really understand it, I've only seen a little bit of it."
Some of the things Liu Yulian knew were discovered in later generations. She didn't know the process in between, and she couldn't be sure that she could figure it out herself. She still needed someone specialized to do the research.
Planting in the game basically involves players taking seeds, watering them, weeding them, killing insects, and buying culture medium to speed up the growth of plants and make them produce high yields.
Liu Yulian could only share the little she knew; she wasn't omnipotent. She hadn't thought of hiding anything; a person could study something for a lifetime.
"At least a little bit is fine." The emperor didn't think Liu Yulian should know a lot. Liu Yulian hadn't even reached the age of marriage yet. It was not easy for a girl like her to understand so much knowledge.
"Your Highness... Your Highness thinks so too." Liu Yulian didn't mention "Your Highness" because she held an official position and didn't need to. "The research institute will probably cost a lot of money. If those people were to research hybrid rice, they might not be able to come up with a result in five or ten years. We can't afford to be short of funds in the meantime."
"Indeed." said the emperor.
"We also need people who understand scientific research, who know its difficulties and the time it takes," Liu Yulian said. "We can't deny them funding just because they haven't produced results in a year or two. If that were the case, many things would be difficult to research. When we were researching cement, the cement mill wasn't making any money and was constantly losing money. I kept investing money to reassure those people, so they could focus on their research and their families could make a living."
We can’t let scientific researchers be unable to support their families. That would be bad.
Liu Yulian couldn't do that. She had to let those scientific researchers know how much she valued them.
"They may not pass the entrance exam for Tongsheng, let alone Jinshi or Zhuangyuan, but they are very talented in certain areas," Liu Yulian said. "Although some people may take advantage of the situation, we need to know how to use people wisely. We need to screen them and test them. Not just anyone can enter the research institute."
"Write down your thoughts." The emperor pondered for a moment. "You will understand more."
After all, Liu Yulian had managed a cement workshop before, and had helped those people develop cement quickly. The emperor believed that Liu Yulian should be very talented in this area.
"I don't know much." Liu Yulian shook her head. "Those researchers can have assistants. Assistants don't have to be on the payroll, that is, they don't have official positions. But they can work at the research institute. If they are not capable, they will be eliminated."
"That's it," said the emperor.
"I only know this and don't know how to arrange it." Liu Yulian felt a little embarrassed.
"That's fine. If you don't understand these things, then someone else will do it." The emperor looked at Liu Yulian. Liu Yulian was young, and some people might look down on her, thinking she had no ability. "The Crown Princess will manage these matters for the time being."
The Emperor believed that the Crown Princess and Empress could not always manage the Institute, as it was a very important place. If the Prince were to be in charge, then he would not be involved in the struggle for the throne. However, this was not a matter for the Emperor to consider; the Emperor thought it was enough for the Prince to think about it.
The emperor thought he only had a few years left to live, even though he had been taking care of his health in recent years. The imperial physician had already said that he didn't have many years left.
"When you mature in the future, things will be different," said the emperor.
"Yes." Liu Yulian responded.
Princess Zhaoyang brought Liu Yanjing to see the Imperial Concubine. After seeing Liu Yanjing, the Imperial Concubine was quite satisfied with this son-in-law. It was good that Liu Yanjing divorced the Huo family, but it was the Huo family that had no vision, so it was not Liu Yanjing's fault.
"Just live a good life with your spouse." The imperial concubine said with a smile, "I don't care about that."
"The princess is very good. I will definitely treat her with all my heart." Liu Yan said respectfully.
"That's good." There was no way the imperial concubine would say much about Liu Yanjing. Liu Yanjing was a foreign man. This time, it was because Liu Yanjing entered the palace as a son-in-law for the first time, so he could come to see the imperial concubine.
When the imperial concubine saw the smile on Princess Zhaoyang's face, she knew that Princess Zhaoyang was quite satisfied with Liu Yanjing.
Princess Zhaoyang's previous husband was indeed a bad man. When Princess Zhaoyang married him, the Imperial Concubine had no idea that man was so bad. If the Imperial Concubine had known that man was a bad man, she would definitely not have allowed Princess Zhaoyang to marry him.
"Someday, bring your children into the palace for me to see." The imperial concubine added, "They are your children too."
"Yes, my daughter treats them as her own children." The relationship between Princess Zhaoyang and Xiao Liujia has improved a lot. Xiao Liujia likes Princess Zhaoyang very much, and Xiao Liujia is also attached to Princess Zhaoyang.
Sometimes, Xiao Liujia would not let the maid comb her hair, so she would ask Princess Zhaoyang to comb her hair. The relationship between Princess Zhaoyang and Xiao Liujia was developing rapidly. The good relationship between the two made Liu Yanjing and others very happy.
They all hoped that Princess Zhaoyang could get along well with Xiao Liujia and Liu Qingyun. They did not deliberately say anything more, just letting Princess Zhaoyang, Xiao Liujia and Liu Qingyun slowly get closer.
"They are all very well-behaved." Princess Zhaoyang had a smile on her face. Her stepson and stepdaughter all called her mother, and they never caused her any trouble.
Princess Zhaoyang sometimes wondered how Mrs. Huo could bear to part with such a pair of well-behaved children. If it were her, she would definitely not want to leave them. She would probably follow her husband into exile for the sake of the children, and there was no way she would divorce him.
Even if she divorced her husband, she would take the two children with her.
This is what Princess Zhaoyang thought. Not everyone can endure the suffering of exile, and divorce is not wrong.
"Okay." The imperial concubine saw that Princess Zhaoyang was really happy, and not just forcing a smile like before.
When Concubine Cen learned that Princess Zhaoyang and others had entered the palace, she frowned. In her opinion, Princess Zhaoyang was not a good woman. Princess Zhaoyang had not given birth for many years, and her former husband had a concubine and had a child. Princess Zhaoyang could have driven the concubine away and registered the child under her name, which would have been a happy ending for everyone.
Princess Zhaoyang chose to divorce directly, and Concubine Cen thought that Princess Zhaoyang was wrong and did not understand what the Three Obediences and Four Virtues were.
Many people in the palace knew that the emperor had appointed Liu Yulian as a first-rank official, and the palace maid also told Concubine Cen.
"A hen crows at dawn." When Concubine Cen heard what the palace maid said, she thought that Liu Yulian should not be an official.
Even if the emperor rewarded Liu Yulian and appointed her as an official, she should have refused sternly. If she couldn't refuse, she should have let the men in her family go instead of herself.
The more Concubine Cen thought about it, the more she felt that Princess Rongning shouldn't be like that, and she wanted to go see the emperor.
Liu Yulian can become an official, so it is harmless for her, a concubine, to say something to the emperor.
At this time, Liu Yulian and others met some people, and then they left the palace and returned home.
Concubine Cen ran and knelt outside the imperial study, loudly saying that Princess Rongning should not be an official.
"..." The emperor's mouth twitched slightly. He really didn't expect Concubine Cen to run out at this time.
The emperor couldn't help but feel that he was too gentle towards Concubine Cen. Concubine Cen was not afraid of being confined or demoted.
"Then let her stay in the cold palace." The emperor sneered. "A married woman must obey her husband. If I ask her to go to the cold palace, she should accept it. I didn't ask her to come to the imperial study. If she comes, then it's her fault. How can she obey?"
The emperor really felt that Concubine Cen was a person with double standards. It was really ridiculous for her to say things like "words from the heart" and "honest advice hurts the ears".
"If she wants to bang her head against the wall, then let her do it." The emperor added, "The concubines in the harem are courting death... Ask her if she has considered her family."
If a concubine in the harem commits suicide, it is a great disrespect to the royal family, and the people in her family will also be implicated.
The emperor was obviously dissatisfied with Concubine Cen, and he had not visited her in recent months. Concubine Cen had no awareness of the situation, and even at this time, she was still trying to make her presence felt.
When the imperial concubine learned that the emperor had sent Concubine Cen to the cold palace, she was drinking tea and almost choked on it.
What is Concubine Cen showing off?
The other concubines didn't dare to say that the emperor was wrong, nor did they dare to say that Liu Yulian should not be allowed to be the director of the research institute, but Concubine Cen went to speak. Haha, isn't this also considered meddling in politics? Maybe Concubine Cen doesn't think so.
"It's really lively today." The imperial concubine said, but she didn't know whether Concubine Cen did that because of Concubine Cen's own idea or because of Old Master Cen's idea.
The girls of the Cen family are always so different.
The Imperial Concubine was too lazy to visit Concubine Cen in the cold palace. She had no intention of kicking someone when they were down. There was no need to add insult to injury. Someone like Concubine Cen deserved to be in the cold palace.
That evening, Mr. Cen learned about Concubine Cen’s outrageous actions and was shocked.
Old Master Cen had never asked Concubine Cen to do those things. He had no intention of pulling Liu Yulian down. The research institute had just been established, and even if the people inside had official positions, so what? Those people couldn't go to the court, and they had no real power.
It was foolish of Concubine Cen to persuade the emperor at this time to stop Princess Rongning from continuing to serve as an official.
"This is the good daughter you taught." Old Master Cen looked at Old Madam Cen.
"This..." Madam Cen really didn't know why her daughter did such a thing. She wanted her daughter to find the Third Prince and ask him to release her granddaughter from the manor. But Concubine Cen didn't go to find the Third Prince. Instead, Concubine Cen made a fuss about Princess Rongning.
Old Madam Cen was troubled. Had they gone too far in teaching their daughter and granddaughter so much? If not, why would Concubine Cen foolishly go and say that Liu Yulian couldn't be an official?
The Cen family used to teach their daughters the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, giving them various examples and explaining what they should do in certain situations. Concubine Cen was simply following the teachings of Old Madam Cen, and she didn't think she was doing anything wrong.
"Let me ask you, who do you want to blame?" asked Mr. Cen.
"Who to blame?" Old Madam Cen subconsciously thought of Princess Rongning.
"Princess Rongning has just returned to Beijing, and she hasn't had any contact with any of us. The emperor directly issued an edict to confer the title on her, and your daughter is targeting her. People who don't know the truth might think that it is our Cen family that is targeting Princess Rongning and the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion." Old Master Cen was very unhappy.
Old Master Cen had originally been thinking about whether he could ease relations with the Jingning Marquisate, as there wasn't any deep hatred between the two families. As for Old Master Cen's second son destroying Princess Rongning's books, that was understandable.
But after Concubine Cen made such a fuss, the relationship between the Cen family and the Marquis of Jingning’s Mansion could no longer be good.
Old Master Cen rubbed his eyebrows. He was in a bad mood and felt particularly upset.
How did things turn out like this?
Old Master Cen was wondering what had gone wrong, why Concubine Cen was so excited, and why she spoke up so quickly.
The cold palace. Concubine Cen had never thought that she would be banished to the cold palace. She was clearly doing it for the emperor's sake, not wanting him to be forever infamous. Why did the emperor banish her to the cold palace? She could no longer live in her original palace.
"Your Majesty..." Concubine Cen muttered. The emperor would figure it out sooner or later. Those court officials were all fools. Someone would always tell them.
"Master." The palace maid serving Concubine Cen felt that her life was terrible. She once thought that she followed a good master, but who could have imagined that this master would be demoted and sent to the cold palace.
That maid wanted to find another way out and didn't want to stay with Concubine Cen all the time. She thought that Concubine Cen would have to stay in the cold palace for the rest of her life. Even if she could go out again, she would not be favored much. The emperor was old and Concubine Cen was old.
"Why is it so dirty here?" Concubine Cen frowned. There was a lot of dust in the room and the chairs were broken.
"Please be patient for a moment, I will come and clean it." How could a palace maid show how unhappy she was? When working in the palace, she had to be smart.
At the Ouyang family, after Mrs. Huo learned that the people from the Jingning Marquis' Mansion had returned, she did not go to the Jingning Marquis' Mansion, but sent someone to the Jingning Marquis' Mansion, saying that she wanted to pick up her eldest sister and eldest brother to come over for a chat.
Of course, the people sent by the Da Huo family did not pick up the person, and it was impossible for the Jingning Marquis and his wife to let their grandson and granddaughter come before the Da Huo family.
Mrs. Huo has remarried, so there is no way that Marquis Jingning and his wife would let their grandson and granddaughter live in someone else's home.
"What?" When Mrs. Huo heard the servant's reply, her face looked very unhappy.
"They said they wouldn't come," the servant replied. "They said you were a remarried woman and should just live your life well. There was no need to send those two children over."
When the servant went to the Marquis of Jingning's mansion, he was met with cold stares. He didn't want to go at all. But he had to go. Da Huo asked him to go, so he had to go.
"Damn it." Mrs. Huo's face turned cold. "Oh, they are still the same ungrateful wolves as before."
Mrs. Huo thought that even if the Marquis of Jingning and his wife didn't allow the children to come, the two children should come to see their mother. However, she waited at home for two days, and the two children still didn't come.
If the two children came by themselves, then the Huo family would not have to send anyone over.
"Go down." Mrs. Huo waved her hand. The two children were still the same as in their previous life. Perhaps the two children still thought Princess Zhaoyang was good, and they thought their own mother was not good.
This was truly a headache. Mrs. Huo still wanted her son and daughter to come over, and she still wanted the two children to listen to her more. She didn't want to see Princess Zhaoyang and Liu Yanjing living so well, and she didn't want others to say she was blind.
She is not blind. Liu Yanjing did not live such a good life in his previous life.
Mrs. Huo felt that the heavens were unfair. They had given her a new life, so why did they restore the Liu family's title? If the Liu family hadn't been restored, her life wouldn't have been so miserable. She would have lived peacefully with her husband.
"It's all their fault..." Mrs. Huo gritted her teeth. It was all the Liu family's fault.
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