Peeping (down)

  Tonight, for a rare change, Cui Long didn't come to her house, so she had to plant the various seeds that Chun Hua and others had collected last spring in the medicinal field.

  The space had nearly three mu of land, one mu extended to the edge of the pond and the surrounding land, which was not visible if you didn't look carefully; another mu was a real planting area, Yunzhu planted all kinds of ginseng on this mu, from wild mountain ginseng, pearl ginseng to later purple ball ginseng, Korean ginseng... As for the original medicinal field, she divided a small piece out to plant safflower, and the rest were still planting lingzhi, Tianma, Tiandong, silver flower, Angelica, Jinbuli and other medicinal materials.

  The original two acres of vegetable land still grew various melons, fruits and vegetables, but added many more to the existing varieties. The space's magical function made them grow batch after batch, as long as the roots were intact, they didn't have to worry about withering. In addition to these, she also opened up a few plots of land along the edge of the pond to plant rice, which was to optimize the use of rice varieties, and she had many more farms under her name, so increasing production was good too. She also opened up small blocks of land at the edge of the space and planted various spices such as pagoda flower, perilla, mint, fennel, pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, etc.

  Another mu of land behind the magnolia tree is an orchard, which has been expanded to about three mu. Yunzhu did not divide the original fruit trees, and the space was small. In addition to the original apples, emperors' oranges, mangoes, grapes, cherries, and peaches, the silver pomegranates, lychees, longans, and olives that were planted before the wedding have all borne fruit. Even the watermelons under the grape trellis have yielded a lot. On the vacant land, she planted the seeds of many tribute fruits that Fu Heng had found for her after entering the palace, including peaches, pomegranates, snow pears, cantaloupes, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine trees, and peanuts... It's not that she has a collecting habit, but even as a top-ranking person in the Qing dynasty, the tribute fruits allocated to her each year are not many. After distributing some to relatives, some to Hongli's concubines, leaving some for other princesses, princes, and princes to snatch, there is still not enough left for her to eat for several days, let alone reward the slaves.

  Mao Taizu of later generations said: Self-reliance and hard work, abundant clothing and sufficient food.

  When spring arrived, Yunzhu led Suwen and others to clear a large area of land in the Qianxi Second Institute, planting peaches, pomegranates, watermelons, strawberries, cherries... The more than ten pots of orchids she brought into the palace were still planted in pots, placed in her courtyard, without being transplanted. Anyway, with the pool water in the space, they didn't worry about not being able to keep them alive or bear fruit.

  Of course, she has a large number of melons, fruits and vegetables on her own farm. In the doomsday scenario of food crisis, various greenhouse vegetables and soilless cultivation methods have been proposed. She has learned a lot about them and now that she has a farm, it would be a waste not to use these methods. Having more grain is always better, and with many shops and storefronts under her name, she doesn't have to worry about having nowhere to sell them.

  ……

  "Master, it's time to get up." Ling Xiu called out softly.

  "Come in," Yúnzhū said.

  Ling Xuan led several second-grade palace maids carrying water basins, towels, green salt and other things in a line, quietly and silently cleaned her face, washed her hands, and waited for her to rinse her mouth. Only then did Si Gui come forward to help her put on the light yellow soft satin cheongsam that had been prepared long ago. Afraid of the cold spring air, she added a black embroidered large light red shallow yellow gold and silver peony back heart outside.

  "Let's do a single-character braid today." After taking a look at her outfit, Yunzhu picked out a five-inch long white jade phoenix hairpin carved from sheep fat and handed it to Linghui.

  "Yes." Among all the people serving Yunzhu, Linghui's hands were the most dexterous. She neatly parted Yunzhu's hair in the middle, then quickly combed and coiled it into a flower-shaped bun with a small tail at the back. The rest of her hair was wrapped around a white jade long pin, secured firmly, leaving only the tip of the pin pointing upwards and a phoenix head that held two bright pearls.

  "The master's hair is thick and shiny, and any hairstyle suits him well." Ling Xiu picked a yellow flower with tender green in the middle and wore it on top of his head, a single character knot on the left side was pinned with a red agate beetle, cutely crawling towards the flower. On the right side of the phoenix hairpin, two small orange pearl flowers were pinned, and a butterfly pin with fluttering wings was also worn at the back of the bun.

  Xie smiled on one side, "Others dare not say it, but if Fu Chai Gege and Gao Gege want to braid a word head or a Ruyi head, they must use fake hair."

  "Don't ever say that again." Yúnzhū put on a pair of earrings herself. "Although it's momentarily satisfying to speak your mind, if others catch wind of it, I won't be able to let you off scot-free either."

  "Yes." Xi Gui bowed solemnly and replied. At this time, Guo Mama walked in and whispered a few words to Yun Zhu's ear. Yun Zhu nodded slightly, her expression unchanged. "I know. Is the early meal ready? Bring it to the next room, I'll eat there." Shang Mama was indeed someone who knew how to protect herself... Yun Zhu shook her head inwardly, she couldn't expect every palace servant to be loyal and devoted to their master, besides, nominally, she was sent by Empress Xi to serve her, so it was understandable that they would be loyal to someone else.

  Hongli was not present for breakfast, Yunzhu usually had a simple meal, a cup of milk, a piece of fruit, and a plate of milk skin cake or golden silk fried noodles or soup-filled buns.

  After finishing her breakfast and rinsing her mouth, she went to the study to practice calligraphy for a while. Half an hour later, Shi Mo reminded her that it was time for the concubines to pay their respects to her.

  "The mistress has arrived." After the announcement, Yunzhu supported Gu Yurou as they walked into the main hall.

  "The concubine gives a courtesy to the mistress, wishing her good fortune." Fucha Fulinga, with a big belly, and Gao Lüwei, Zhang Shi, Liu Shi walked to the middle to pay respects to Yunzhu.

  "Ah, rise." Yunzhu sat on top, her elegant posture exuding a sense of leisure, the gold-inlaid amber armor with yellow gemstones gently swaying, bringing out an extraordinary nobility from her refined and elegant demeanor.

  "Thank you, Fu Jin." Gao Lu thought that the fourth brother had rested in her house last night, and this morning's courtesy must show off her own coquetry to tease Fu Jin and Fu Ling Ah. Unexpectedly, the one who attracted everyone's attention was still the legitimate Fu Jin. Her dressing and attire always made people's eyes shine, leading the fashion trend among the palace and Beijing's eight banner noblewomen.

  No matter if it was Fulin or Fulinga, their gaze towards themselves had not changed. They didn't take themselves seriously and treated themselves as opponents. A surge of indescribable anger rose in Gao Lüwei's heart. She wanted to say something, but Yunzhu had already spoken up: "Fuca Gege will be giving birth in two months, isn't that an excuse for you to skip paying respects?"

  "The mistress exempted the maidservants from the rules, that's the mistress being lenient. But since the maidservants can still move around, how could they not come to pay their respects?" After moving into Qian Xi Er So, paying respects was changed to once every three days. She was pregnant and couldn't attend to the Fourth Prince, if she didn't come to pay her respects again, just showing her face, the Fourth Prince might throw her out of his mind.

  "Mind yourself, that's all." Yunzhu didn't bother with her, anyway she had done what she was supposed to do as a virtuous and obedient wife. If there were any unexpected consequences, it would be her own doing. Looking at Gao Lüwei who seemed to want to say something but stopped herself, Yunzhu sneered inwardly and said: "These past few days I haven't been feeling well, so Highness please take care of yourself more, next month when Kelüye's wife enters the household everyone can relax a bit."

  So it turns out that the favor I've been enjoying these past few days is just picking up someone else's leftovers?! Gao Lüwei heard this and felt both angry and stifled, yet still had to bow her head and respond with "Yes."

  Korriyette? Fucha. Hua Ling's heart skipped a beat, hearing that she got along well with Empress Xi... seeing even Consort Liang was wary of her, it seemed like she wasn't someone to be trifled with, and she needed to be careful herself.

  It must be said that apart from her family background, she also has some power. Gao Lü Wei is not considered by Fulinga in terms of birth and cunning. After being tricked once in the Yuqing Palace, Fulinga never suffered a loss at Gao Lü Wei's hands again. However, Ke'er Yuetelai was different, with her Manchu bloodline and proper upbringing as a legitimate princess, her status is not much lower than hers. If she were to receive favor or become pregnant, she would be a formidable opponent.

  "The princess consort has arrived, and also the Beile master." The palace maid outside the door reported.

  Yunzhu got up and went forward to meet him. Ignoring the eager eyes of the people in the hall, he asked Hongli, who was entering the door, "How did you come?" For more than ten days, he had almost eaten and lived in the Qianqing Palace.

  This is the most relaxing day since her big wedding.

  "Accompany you to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the Queen." After being busy for a while, he also had to fulfill his filial duties and accompany his beloved wife. Hongli smiled as he gazed at Yunzhu, whose attire today was vastly different from her usual elegant simplicity. Her noble and luxurious appearance did not lose its dignified and charming demeanor, making her skin look like snow and jade, with a unique charm and beauty.

  "Please greet Grandfather." Fulinga and the others hurriedly greeted him. However, Hongli didn't even glance at them, merely waving his hand and saying, "You may rise, you can leave if nothing's wrong."

  With a gloomy expression, Fuling and others bowed to the two of them: "The servants bid farewell." After leaving the door, they still heard his voice, "Are you feeling better today?" The tone that clearly showed concern and thoughtfulness made them even more jealous.

  "It's much better." Yun Zhu's face turned red as she glanced at him sideways and then looked towards the door.

  Hongli raised the corner of his lips and smiled slightly. His Fu Jin always appeared shy when there were outsiders, and she would get annoyed if he said something intimate, with a hint of thin anger in her eyes. But when they were alone together, she was as bold as she was when they were deeply in love, with a unique charm.

  "Let's go, it's getting late."

  "Uh-huh."

  In March, the vaccination of cowpox came to an end. Guangdong General Su Liangpeng submitted a memorial to Yongzheng, explaining the harm of opium and linking it with crime, and proposed a way to eradicate opium: blocking the import channels and strictly prohibiting foreign merchants.

  Yongzheng was a meticulous and prudent person, he did not ignore the small Guangdong general's memorial, but instead handed over the harm of opium to the Imperial Hospital and others for experimentation. During this time, many princes and ministers went to observe. Those prisoners who were experimented on changed from being physically strong to thin and frail, their spirits dazed, and if they didn't have a big smoke for one day, they would appear as if possessed by evil spirits... It made people's hearts feel sick. One couldn't help but wonder, if the officials or civilians of the Qing dynasty all became like this, what would be the future of the Qing dynasty?

  Those foreigners who sold opium to the Qing Dynasty, were they really just seeking wealth? Or did they have a long-term plot with ulterior motives?

  These high-ranking courtiers were not short-sighted and unanimously requested that the emperor issue an edict to close the ports of trade and strictly prohibit foreign merchants.

  Yongzheng was also thinking about this issue and asked Hongli's opinion. Hongli personally replied: "I think that blocking cannot solve the problem. Firstly, how long has it been since the emperor ordered the opening of the sea ban? Changing orders frequently will make the people have no direction to follow and doubts will arise. Secondly, several ports that trade with us every year bring a lot of tax revenue to our Qing dynasty. If we close these ports, there will be insufficient funds, how can our Qing dynasty support the army, provide for the families of dead soldiers and officials, store more supplies to care for the widowed and orphaned, and provide disaster relief? Our Qing dynasty is preparing for war, isn't it? Money and grain are crucial, and with the current state of our treasury, there's not enough, let alone too much."

  Moreover, how many countries outside the Qing are developing, can our great Qing shut its doors and be unaware of external information? Although self-imposed isolation may have blocked temporary storms from abroad, it cannot allow us to participate in external competition. Not only can we not make progress ourselves, but also we cannot stop others from progressing... I suggest that the imperial court establish a Maritime Customs Office, set up customs offices at various ports along the coast, specifically to collect tariffs on overseas trade and inspect imported and exported goods. From now on, if opium is found within our great Qing, all personnel of the customs office will be held responsible... In addition, local governments must vigorously publicize the harm caused by opium and prevent people from being deceived. As for those who knowingly commit offenses, relevant punishment clauses should also be established...

  Since he knew that the young masters of the Fuca family were going to sea, he was thinking that the Fuca family was not a profiteer, and there must be other ideas inside. Moreover, he also sensed the emperor's attention to this matter, so he not only asked Fu Heng about it, but also went to the Fuca Mansion without hiding or covering up, and openly asked Li Rongbao for advice.

  Li Rongbao and others will certainly not conceal it.

  This matter made Hongli's eyes light up, as before his vision and focus were all on the throne of the Qing Dynasty, but now he had a feeling of seeing another vast world beyond the country. Knowing more naturally makes one consider more, as a young and vigorous prince, hiding and not going out was really not in line with his personality... Therefore, his attitude was actually quite consistent with Yunzhu's ideas.

  However, Yunzhu looked at his troubles but did not express his own opinion intelligently, and the one who guided his thinking was Fu Heng.

  Of course, Fu Heng did not make it obvious. Hong Li himself was a person with high political sensitivity, and he was intelligent and capable. In the past year or so, under the guidance of Yongzheng, he had become even more stable, not only willing to ask for advice from old ministers but also liked to discuss with his attendants, and when considering problems, he became more thorough and practical.

  "What do you think?" Yongzheng looked at the various ministers below.

  "The fourth prince's words are endorsed by us." The crowd bowed and replied, with the grand wedding of the emperor's fourth son, the emperor let him participate in more and more political views, and the performance of the fourth son did not disappoint the emperor's high expectations, which surprised many ministers.

  Yongzheng nodded, "The various aspects of the establishment of the Maritime Customs Service still need to be discussed in detail. You may withdraw for now, I will think about it some more." He had already thought about reforming the tax system when he was implementing policies such as changing the native chieftains to regular officials and enriching the people. Perhaps this is an opportunity.

  "We (your humble servants) take our leave."

  After dispersing the morning court, Yongzheng summoned several people including Prince Yi, Prince Zhuang, and Prince Rui to the Nurturing Heart Palace to discuss a series of issues related to customs, commercial ports, business taxes, and border defense for several days.

  Soon, Prince Zheng of the First Rank Yunyi was promoted to Prince Cheng of the First Rank for his handling of the cowpox affair; Prince Rong of the Second Rank Yunli managed the affairs of the Imperial Clan Court with utmost loyalty and dedication, and was promoted to Prince Rong of the First Rank. Prince Cheng of the First Rank was put in charge of the overall management of the Three Treasuries of the Ministry of Revenue, while Prince Rong of the First Rank was placed in charge of planning the establishment of the Imperial Customs Service, with the Fourth Prince Hongli and the Fifth Prince Hongxu assisting him.