I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 278 Sending Snow-Treading Gifts to the Emperor

Ta Xue: "I know those mansions and I can understand his language. I can just take people to find him."

Cang Lingyuan listened to the mouse squeaking and asked, "What did it say?"

Dongfang Jin handed Taxue a corn kernel: "It said it knows it's those people's residence and understands what you're saying. It can take people there."

Ta Xue: "Yes, as long as he gives me food in the future, I will find anything he wants to know."

Dongfang Jin nodded at its head, thinking to himself, "Don't talk big, or you'll lose your life."

Cang Lingyuan glanced at Gu Chenglin, who was still standing motionless beside him: "Xiao Jin, I want to know something... do you think it can help me get it...?"

Dongfang Jin asked, puzzled, "What?"

Cang Lingyuan looked at Anshun, who immediately understood. He ran to the imperial table, picked up a letter, and ran back to hand it to Emperor Shengde with both hands.

Dongfang Jin...

Is this sending Ta Xue to steal the letter?

These things are probably in someone's study, right?

Before Cang Lingyuan could speak, Dongfang Jin pointed at the letter and asked Taxue, "Can this be stolen? No, can it be obtained?"

Ta Xue looked at the envelope, which was twice the size of hers.

He shook his head decisively: "No, there's no food where these things are kept."

Dongfang Jin...

She was wrong!

Mice only steal food!

"Do you know where these things are kept?"

Ta Xue: "I can keep an eye on this later."

Dongfang Jin looked at Cang Lingyuan: "It said we can't take this, but it can have its rat subjects keep an eye on it later."

Cang Lingyuan sighed: "Although Zheng Sihan's faction has been eliminated, there are still some other hidden dangers."

Dongfang Jin was terrified: "Um, Your Majesty, can I listen to this?"

How could a woman like her listen to such things?

Cang Lingyuan looked at her expression and wanted to laugh, but he held back and kept a serious face: "Although those forces in the martial arts world do not participate in the affairs of the imperial court, they have eyes and ears in the courts of several countries."

They had people among the female relatives of some officials, and even among the servants in various mansions.

"They control the commercial lifelines of various countries, and the Lingyun Pavilion you gave me has already attracted their attention."

"I have been trying to find a way to balance this matter, but in the end I am powerless and there are no conditions to achieve a balance."

"For example, salt. Although salt is under the control of the imperial court, the real power to control the salt merchants lies with the Yun family in the south."

However, the salt from the Yun family is not as good as the salt from Cangli Kingdom. The fine salt from Cangli Kingdom is not only not bitter, but also white, and it has no other impurities in it.

Xiao Jin, can the salt-making method you gave Prince Chen be used for well salt?

If not, could I perhaps pass on the sugar-making method to the Yun family? It would be a way of doing them a favor, so that all the people of Donglin Kingdom could buy salt.

Dongfang Jin was speechless. How would she know any of this?

Is it a bit foolish to want to give them the sugar-making method? Is it even possible to do so?

You should know that sugar, like salt, is indispensable in people's daily lives.

But in ancient times...

"You haven't conducted any experiments?"

"No."

"Why not just leave this to Prince Chen? Besides, salt doesn't have to be from wells; you can also make your own sea salt."

Cang Lingyuan sat up straight and said eagerly, "Tell me."

"That's right, isn't seawater salty? When seawater is sprinkled on the ground and exposed to the sun, the crystals formed after the water evaporates are sea salt."

Long Yi and An Ying stood to the side with their notebooks, and after they finished writing, they showed it to Emperor Shengde.

Cang Lingyuan: "Then..." Can you do it?

Dongfang Jin stared at Emperor Shengde: "Don't underestimate anyone, especially yours... Just give them a guiding light, and they can all find their way to success."

You ask her for everything, but she's not an all-powerful person, so she won't do it.

Besides, why keep those people in your maintenance department? They're all still getting paid, yet you're making them work for free.

Giving you directions is already quite an achievement.

"Hahaha, I was wrong," Yes, there are plenty of people in the Ministry of Works, but if they can't get anything done, what use are they?

It seems like it's time to clean up the Six Departments.

It's time to replenish our ranks with new talent and recruit wise men from all over the world.

“Then let Ta Xue stay with me, Anshun. Make a nest for Ta Xue later and let it live with you.”

Anshun: "..." This?

Before Eunuch An could speak, Dongfang Jin waved her hand and took out a bag of corn and a bag of rice, each weighing a hundred jin.

This time, Ruyi packed whole ears of corn for Taxue, without threshing the kernels.

Ruyi said that this was enough food for a day of walking in the snow. If she gave it only one grain, the big rat might not be able to control its appetite.

"Eunuch An, this is Ta Xue's rations."

Upon seeing the corn, Cang Lingyuan stood up in surprise: "This is corn? Why isn't it used as seed?"

This corn is better than the corn in his estate; it's not only bigger, but each kernel is also plump.

Dongfang Jin waved his hand: "This is food for Taxue. It will follow you from now on. This is the reward I promised it."

Gu Chenglin: "..." This is terrible.

Honey, keep a low profile!

This whole corn cob is the first of its kind in this neighboring country, and even in other countries.

You're feeding this to a mouse, isn't that obvious...?

Oh dear, he was so anxious that his face contorted in pain.

Cang Lingyuan: "..." Shocked!

These plump corns and glistening rice are even better than the tribute rice transported from the south.

That rat eats better than him.

I can endure it!

Long Yi...

So arrogant?

Sister Jin, aren't you afraid of getting beaten up?

If you were a man, he would be 100% certain that the lord would be furious and have you beaten.

Anshun looked pained: "Jin'er, give these corn and rice to our family, and we'll feed it separately from now on, okay?"

He was heartbroken. How could he feed this to a rat? He could have given it his own food instead.

Upon hearing Anshun's words, Taxue stood at Dongfang Jin's elbow, its eyes flashing with ferocity as it squeaked incessantly.

"You fatso, this food was given to me by Sister Jin, why should I give it to you?"

"Jin-jie, no, no, this is mine, mine!"

Looking at their ever-changing expressions, Dongfang Jin felt a headache and helplessness. With a wave of her hand, more than a dozen bags of rice appeared at Anshun's feet.

"This rice is enough for you to eat for a while. The rice that Ta Xue and I agreed not to exchange is the rice."

Cang Lingyuan looked at Dongfang Jin with a smile on his face, a smile that carried a hint of cunning: "Little Jin, we need to start farming after the New Year."

On the second day of the second month, I will also lead all the officials to the imperial estate to plow and loosen the soil in the fields for the Farming Festival..."

Dongfang Jin nodded. Was he asking her for seeds?

Ruyi laughed several times in the space.

Now, hearing what the Emperor says, Ruyi, [Spring plowing is the beginning of the year's plan. After the land is plowed, it will be harrowed, sown, hoeed, fertilized, and irrigated. After these are completed, the harvest time will arrive.]

The saying "The year's plan starts in spring" first appeared in the Tang Dynasty agricultural book "The Essentials of the Four Seasons," which speaks of the importance of spring plowing.

In the study of Youran Residence, there are history books about your area, and they contain records of these things.

Dongfang Jin pursed her lips. This time, the conversation had drifted to the Tang Dynasty. She had no idea where she had put all her historical knowledge.

Have you finished reading it?

【almost. 】

Dongfang Jin...

Because she didn't finish reading any of them, this gap... is a bit disheartening.

Why don't you give him those seeds and let him plant them first?

Ruyi stretched and got up. "I'll pack it now, you can give it to him. It'll save you the trouble of bringing it over later."

Dongfang Jin thought about it and agreed that it was feasible; a month would give the emperor a place to store those things.

She'll be busy again in the spring, and having to make another special trip will waste teleportation beads: "Your Majesty, what kind of seeds do you need?"

Cang Lingyuan leaned forward, his face beaming with smiles: "You have it..."

It means that he wants any seeds you have.

……