Concubine Liu returned from Cining Palace to Donghua Palace, and joined Consort Min for a meal, playing with little Chu Chu.
After they finished checking the homework of the Sixth Prince Cheng Shan and the Crown Prince, they sent the princes back to Qianxi No.5 Residence to sleep. Upon returning, they became busy in Donghua Palace.
Consort Min was stuffing duck down into the winter clothes she was sewing. She was naturally energetic, and had previously secretly made feather shuttlecocks herself. Now, she was stuffing the duck down swiftly and skillfully, while chattering away.
"How ingenious I am to have come up with this idea for you!"
Little Chu Chu, who had just woken up in Concubine Liu's arms, stared wide-eyed.
[This is a down jacket!?]
Chu Chu was astonished by the gradually emerging, increasingly puffy and stuffed down jacket in Consort Min's hands.
[It was thought of by my Aunt Min!?]
Hearing her daughter's thoughts, Concubine Liu lowered her head, stifling a laugh, while continuing to sew the seams of the winter clothes stuffed with duck down by Consort Min.
"If I hadn't dragged you, Channiang, to play shuttlecock and exercise, and you hadn't noticed the feathers falling, and said that ducks don't seem cold in winter either, you wouldn't have thought of these warm down jackets."
Consort Min was excitedly flushed.
"Oh my, I didn't expect that I would also inspire you, Channiang, at times."
Hearing this, Chu Chu finally understood what had happened.
[Awoo, I must have missed this while napping during the day. It was Aunt Min who reminded my mother!]
[My mother has been thinking of making winter clothes to keep warm, and suddenly came up with the idea of down jackets!]
Concubine Liu stroked her daughter's little hand, checking its temperature, and bashfully smiled at her daughter's praise.
She waved for the palace maid outside to enter. "Qiu Li, try on this coat."
Consort Min immediately stood up, excitedly watching Qiu Li put it on.
The winter clothes they had sewn were all black, with two sizes - one for adults and one for children. The adult size was mostly one-size-fits-all.
This way, more people could wear them.
At that moment, Qiu Li put on the winter coat, and the hem reached below her bottom, the coat being a bit loose.
But after running around in it, she was delighted. "My ladies, it's warm, I'm not cold at all!"
Hearing this, both Consort Min and Concubine Liu were overjoyed.
"It really works! Channiang, you're so clever. My casual remark, which I didn't think much of myself, inspired you!"
Consort Min felt a bit embarrassed.
"Don't tell the Ministry of Works that I deserve credit for these down jackets. What did I really do? I just played shuttlecock with you and casually mentioned that duck feathers are thicker than chicken feathers, and ducks don't fear the cold even when swimming in water, so feathers aren't suitable for shuttlecocks."
Concubine Liu took her hand and patted it. "It was your casual remark that gave me the inspiration. How can you say you don't deserve credit?"
Sometimes, even the emperor has to delegate tasks to his ministers, unable to do everything alone.
Concubine Liu now understood this principle.
The techniques her daughter's thoughts revealed could not be fully and perfectly researched in this lifetime by her alone or just the Liu family.
One person's efforts are ultimately limited.
The foolish old man who tried to move mountains relied on generation after generation, working day and night without pause.
The more Concubine Liu's intelligence was boosted by her daughter's influence, and the deeper she delved into charity sales, banking, and the silk industry, the more she realized that these endeavors require the combined efforts of many people, carrying on the work continuously.
It was not something she could sustain alone.
"I'll just tell the Ministry of Works the truth. If you feel guilty about taking credit, just help out more."
Concubine Liu patted Consort Min's hand.
This directly stirred up Consort Min's heroic spirit!
"Alright! Leave it to me then, Channiang. For these down jackets, any difficult, laborious, or dirty work, let me handle it! I'm not afraid of hardship!"
Consort Min was excitedly flushed.
In the past, she could only pretend to be devoutly studying Buddhist scriptures behind closed palace doors, secretly practicing martial arts with swords and spears.
But she had accomplished nothing.
Now, things were different. Since befriending Channiang, she could eat meat freely, act boldly - no, kick wicked old ladies, and work hard to make clothes for refugees!
In these past few months, Consort Min felt truly alive for the first time!
Not a walking corpse, not the demure lady others expected, but living as the chivalrous heroine she aspired to be!
Wherever there was suffering, she would be there!
"Channiang, you stay seated. I'll go check the Imperial Kitchen right now and collect all the chicken and duck feathers to make down jackets for the poor people!"
Consort Min couldn't sit still anymore.
"Oh, and for the duck feather collection, I'll have my idle, bird-keeping younger brother go to the villages to gather duck down!"
"Channiang, don't worry about these little tasks, leave them to me and my good-for-nothing younger brother. At least it's better than him lazing around causing trouble."
As she spoke, Consort Min excitedly sent a messenger to summon her wayward younger brother.
"As for the final product of our winter clothes, don't even mention my brother. This is the least he should be doing instead of idling around carelessly."
Consort Min thumped her chest. "Channiang, rest assured, he wouldn't dare disobey his elder sister."
Concubine Liu was shocked to learn how formidable Consort Min was at home.
No wonder her family made her pretend to study Buddhist scriptures to restrain her temperament.
[Ding, your mother Concubine Liu has gained Consort Min's highest affection level - Devoted Loyalty.]
[If she gains over five Devoted Loyalty followers, your mother Concubine Liu can randomly select one attribute to permanently increase by 20%.]
Chu Chu, in Concubine Liu's arms, was stunned with her mouth agape.
Well, well.
Other people have chicks, but she has a mother hen?
What a household!
What about her father, Xiao Yunzhou?
[Your biological father, Xiao Yunzhou, currently has no Devoted Loyalty followers.]
[Five more are needed to activate the attribute bonus.]
The Emperor Dad could also permanently increase his attributes?
Chu Chu gritted her teeth.
No, the Emperor Dad's skills at gathering followers were lacking.
Right now, the Emperor Dad had zero devoted followers, while her mother was more capable.
As Chu Chu mused, her inner monologue inadvertently flew out and reached the ears of Xiao Yunzhou, who was approaching Donghua Palace with Minister Jiang Li to find Concubine Liu and Consort Min!
Xiao Yunzhou and Minister Jiang Li stopped in front of the gates of Donghua Palace, dumbfounded.
[Emperor Dad, quickly gather five Devoted Loyalty followers.]
[That way, he can increase one of his attributes.]
[Let me see, besides intelligence, what other attributes can the system increase?]
Chu Chu's musings made Xiao Yunzhou stare wide-eyed in shock.
[Ah, intelligence, martial prowess, endurance, charisma...]
"!!!"
Xiao Yunzhou took a deep breath.
The spiritual power of my daughter is so formidable that she could directly enhance the abilities of me, her imperial father?
"Your Majesty, should I summon Minister Wei Zheng to go and announce our arrival? It would not be appropriate for me to directly enter the palace of the Imperial Noble Consort."
Minister of Revenue Jiang Li was tense and did not dare look sideways, only gazing at his own feet.
At this, Xiao Yunzhou awakened from his reverie and gazed at him with resentment.
"Jiang Li...your loyalty to me is still not enough."
"???"
"...!"
Jiang Li almost lost his life.
What?
What was that?
Weren't we just here with the Emperor to inspect the down coats?
How did he become disloyal?
Oh no, yesterday he complained to his wife that the Emperor was sometimes wise and sometimes foolish. Did the Emperor find out?!
"Let's go to the pavilion. Have Wei Zheng go and announce our arrival, and have Concubine Liu and Consort Min prepare. I will bring the ministers to meet with them for discussion."
Jiang Li's knees went weak.
The Emperor was testing him, definitely testing him!
He had become arrogant recently!
The Emperor told him to come to the palace to inspect down coats, and he came.
Oh dear, was it really okay for a minister to enter the inner palace?
Did he want to rebel? To severely disrespect the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort!
In the cold winter months, Jiang Li was drenched in sweat.
The recent matter with the banks had brought much attention to the Ministry of Revenue, inflating his pride!
"Your Majesty, your humble servant dares not...the inner palace is no place for me...I shall withdraw to Zhengyang Gate and await the good news about the down coats!"
[Ding, your imperial father Xiao Yunzhou has gained a thoroughly chastened loyal minister.]
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