Later in the evening, the ninth prince's "recommended dish" was served on the imperial dining table in Qingxi Bookstore.
A dish of sesame sauce and hot and sour flavored dough, and a plate of sesame-flavored sesame biscuits with meat.
Kangxi couldn't help but smile when he saw it.
If you are in the mood to eat meat, this should be good.
Kangxi glanced at Liang Jiugong, and Liang Jiugong said: "Master Jiu came to the garden as an errand in the morning. He also stood by the lake for a while, ordering people to buy some fry and fill the pond..."
Kangxi was slightly satisfied. This was the responsibility of an adult man. It would be inappropriate to just rely on him when things happened.
"Where's the Tuoyuan Bookstore?"
Kangxi asked.
Liang Jiugong thought for a while and said: "I heard that the Crown Princess went to the Fourth Institute in the morning and brought little princess with her. Jiu Fujin personally came out to welcome her in, and when she came out, she also sent him out in person; then the Crown Princess went to the Third Institute, too. Wufujin welcomes him in and sends him out..."
Kangxi felt relieved.
With the Crown Princess coming forward, the matter can be resolved satisfactorily.
That's how it should be.
Yesterday, the prince was reckless and did not do it carefully. No wonder a good-tempered person like Lao Wu was provoked to lose his temper.
Thinking of this, he looked at the "honored dishes" in front of him and said, "How many places did Brother Jiu and Jiu Fujin send?"
Liang Jiugong actually asked, bowed and said: "It's the Imperial Palace and Danbo Weide Palace, but at noon, my brother sent them all..."
Kangxi was confused after hearing this.
If you want to say that Brother Jiu and Jiu Fujin are stingy, they have given away several places; if you want to say that they are generous, they have left behind the Tuoyuan Bookstore.
Kangxi didn't need to think about it to know that this was Jiu Fujin's decision.
From now on, we should stop eating at Zuoyuan Bookstore.
As for when it will happen again, I really can’t say.
He sighed and said nothing else.
Suddenly I remembered an old saying among the people, "If you are not stupid, you are not deaf, and you are not a rich man."
Forget it, let them wear it off...
*
The deserted place is the Palace of Virtue.
The Queen Mother also liked the Roujiamo with minced green peppers, saying: "This one is similar to the previous one, and it's more delicious than that one..."
Jiugege said: "This meat is braised, and there is still gravy in it; the sandwich is bacon, which is drier than this one, and a little choking..."
After finishing the meal, the Queen Mother said: "Go over to Shu Shu's place and ask your fifth brother why he went into the garden yesterday. I heard he seemed angry?"
Jiu Gege said: "Where does Sister-in-law Jiu know what is going on in the garden? Others may have misjudged it. Fifth Brother is not an angry person. There must be something going on. He came in and then went out again..."
The Queen Mother pointed in the direction of Tuoyuan Bookstore and said, "There's nothing going on over there, right? Or is that elder brother being naughty again?"
Jiuge said: "Grandma, you are overthinking it. If we really go to the study to cause trouble, the fourth brother should be the one to step forward. How can the fifth brother care about this..."
The Queen Mother thought about the same truth, and then she felt relieved and said: "It's okay if it's not, don't let others bully you..."
When Wu Fujin came to say hello, Jiu Gege said hello in advance, and then he kept the matter under wraps...
The events of that day were a new chapter. It seemed that nothing was left behind, but something seemed different.
Brother Jiu knew about the Zhuangzi in Haidian and said: "The position I know is that it is next to the Zhuangzi in Prince Jian's Mansion..."
Shu Shu said: "Can we build a garden?"
Brother Jiu was not very satisfied and said, "Let's see if we can move it closer..."
The key is that he doesn't want to have anything to do with the prince.
Especially Zhuangzi, who was previously the prince's supporter of Gege. Brother Jiu was disgusted when he thought of it and said: "According to my opinion, I should ask someone to take over to raise pigs..."
】
He actually thought about raising pigs.
Shu Shu also thought of his pigs in Baiwang Mountain and said, "They will be ready for slaughter by the end of the year..."
Not only this place, but Zhuangzi in Tongzhou and Daxing also asked people to raise some.
Brother Jiu said: "They are all made into sausages or bacon, and will be used as gifts at the end of the year..."
This is so practical.
No matter how good the recipe is, if it tastes better, they can give it away.
Seeing that Brother Jiu was in good spirits, Shu Shu prepared to go out.
Start directly from Haidian and go a hundred miles north to Hongluo Temple.
If you really have to hurry, you can get there in one day, but it's just too hard and unnecessary.
This road is all official road, and there are inns every forty miles.
When I went there, I stayed one night at the inn.
Stay one night in the temple the next day.
Returning on the third day, there is still one more night on the way.
In this way, it is four days and three nights.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is making arrangements for the northern inspection tour and has also released a rough itinerary.
Brother Jiu counted the time and said: "The Northern Patrol will be in the second half of the month, so around the middle of the month Khan Amma will be escorting the Queen Mother back to the palace. If we go, we will leave before the tenth day of the lunar month at the latest..."
The couple met and took the imperial calendar to choose a date.
It was July before, but it is still July now, a leap July.
The sixth and ninth days of the seventh month are suitable for traveling and praying.
The ninth day of the Lunar New Year is too hasty, hurry up early instead of late.
The two discussed the day of the sixth day.
Today is the third day of the Lunar New Year, that will be three days later.
Shu Shu said: "I'll send someone to your Majesty's place tomorrow. It doesn't matter if it's convenient for you to come over and say hello. You have to tell your Majesty..."
This can be considered a "long trip", so it's not easy to be self-sufficient.
Brother Jiu nodded and said: "Let's go then. I also say hello to the guard office and prepare the manpower..."
Having said this, he said: "I forgot to mention this to Lao Shi. Do you want to make an appointment with Lao Shi and his wife?"
Shu Shu naturally had no objection. She also thought of Wu Fujin and said, "It just so happens that Fifth Brother is here these days. Do you want to ask Fifth Brother and the others as well?"
After hearing this, Ninth Brother hesitated and said: "Fifth Brother is different from us. When we talk about asking for a child, it is more to relax. Fifth Brother and the others have been married for three years..."
If you ask for a child and don't get it, you will be laughed at.
Shu Shu was speechless.
She hadn't thought about it that much before.
How old is the fifth brother?
He is four years older than Brother Nine and is twenty-one this year.
Wufujin is younger, nineteen years old this year.
Is this what others see as fertility difficulties? !
According to the current saying, it is true.
There has been no news for three years after getting married. An ordinary family would have divorced their wife.
"But if you call me the tenth brother and the tenth brother and sister, why don't you call me the fifth brother and the fifth sister-in-law?"
Shu Shu hesitated.
Brother Jiu said: "I don't want to go with them anyway, so let's go and beg first and let them go by themselves later."
Shu Shu was fine and didn't feel any restraint in getting along with Wu Fujin.
The ninth elder brother is afraid that the fifth elder brother will nag him.
Then let him be.
The ninth elder brother did not delay, and immediately sent someone to invite the tenth elder brother to come over and talk about the matter.
When Brother Ten was thinking about Xiu Mu, he took Shi Fujin out for a walk. After hearing this, he agreed and said, "Go, let's go together!"
Otherwise, when he arrived in Haidian, he would just stay with his brother, which was not much different from the palace. He was worried that Shi Fujin would be bored.
Brother Jiu said: "It's been four days before and after. Bring enough luggage and manpower..."
The tenth elder brother happily returned to the fifth place to prepare.
Xiaochun and Walnut started making lists to prepare things for Shushu and Brother Jiu to go out.
Shu Shu saw that the two of them had written three lists and had not yet finished, and said: "Okay, try to make it as concise as possible without going to so much trouble..."
There are quilts, mattresses, tents, and pillows. These are all duplicates. In addition to the ones you need, you also need to bring replacements.
Shu Shu hurriedly said: "No need for this, one set is enough. It's only three nights in total. How dirty can it be?"
Seeing several wash basins and foot basins, Shu Shu also said: "Go, go, just keep two, one to wash your face, one to wash your feet..."
There were three orders, but one and a half were reduced by force.
Shu Shu remembered that there were some poor and disabled people begging near the temple, and told Zhou Song: "Take a few pieces of silver and go to the nearby town to exchange for some money back..."
Then he said to Xiao Chun: "Xiao Chun, go with me. If you see a cloth shop, buy a few pieces of coarse cloth. The color should be dirty, dark blue, dark cyan..."
Xiaochun said: "There are two pieces of Songjiang cloth in the warehouse that have not been used yet. What is Fujin going to do?"
Shu Shu shook his head and said: "No Songjiang cloth, just old coarse cloth. When the time comes, it will be cut according to the material of a suit of clothes. If there is anyone who needs alms outside Hongluo Temple, just give alms directly..."
As for the Songjiang cloth, it is all high-quality Songjiang cloth from the Neigong. It is as soft as silk and satin. It is also very expensive. The color is also very light. It is made from a close-fitting material and is too thin.
Only then did Xiaochun realize what was going on. He hurriedly responded and followed Zhou Song out.
Brother Jiu was listening, thoughtfully, and said, "If you don't give me the money, are you afraid that you won't be able to keep it?"
Shu Shu nodded and said: "I'm afraid that I won't be able to part with the flowers, or it's inconvenient to spend them. The really poor people probably won't be able to get any money easily..."
Brother Jiu frowned and said: "Scholars, farmers, industry and merchants, all the people are content with their own jobs. How can someone be so poor that he is begging? Is it because he is lazy and slipping?"
Shu Shu thought for a while and said: "Gyeonggi has suffered from drought nine times out of ten years, and farmers' incomes are limited. If there are natural or man-made disasters and cannot withstand changes, they will become poor..."
Brother Jiu said: "But this is the capital, and under the emperor's feet, he can't even take care of the people here. What do those officials think?"
Shu Shu thought for a while and said: "How can a local official not want to enrich the people? Maybe he can't find a suitable way..."
Brother Jiu looked at Shu Shu and said, "What if we were given a piece of land to enrich the people? Do you have any good ideas?"
Shu Shu was not in a hurry to speak.
What Brother Ninth said is impossible.
The system of the Eight Banners is different from the vassal system of the previous dynasty in that it "does not crack the soil."
She asked, "What idea have you come up with?"
Brother Jiu flexed his fingers and said: "Grow vegetables, raise pigs, plant fruit trees..."
Shu Shu said: "If you grow vegetables, Dongzi vegetables are expensive, the firewood and charcoal invested are valuable, and they also require skills. If the seasonal vegetables cannot be sold at a high price, it is better to grow grain; the same is true for raising pigs, and you must be careful. Swine fever; as for planting fruit trees, it takes three to five years of work. There is only investment but no profit. I am afraid that it is difficult for ordinary people to meet the requirements, and there is not so much land to plant fruit trees on a large scale..."
Brother Jiu frowned and said, "Then there are no other ways to enrich the people?"
Shu Shu remembered a few folk proverbs from later generations, "No farming means no stability, no work means no wealth, no business means no life."
In today's farming society, agriculture is still the foundation of social stability.
She said: "Farmers are the most important among people in agriculture, industry, and commerce. Food is the most important thing for the people, and farming is also the foundation. If you want the people to be rich, you must think about increasing production and income, such as dredging water conservancy and strengthening irrigation; such as introducing grain seeds and resisting drought and cold. ; Such as improving tools, intensive farming, saving manpower, etc..."
Brother Jiu listened carefully with longing.
He whispered: "It would be great if we could break up the soil and seal the vassal state like the previous dynasty. Our family would definitely be the richest and the people's lives would be the best..."
Shu Shu smiled and said: "If I want to try it, I don't have to worry about the title of vassal. Aren't I divided into several imperial estates..."