The weavers from Ye State were originally temporarily placed in a posthouse in Bianjing. Recently, Mu Huai gradually lost his patience. After he had the idea of killing, he ordered the officers and soldiers to escort the five weavers of different ages to heaven. in prison.
Although Rong Xi's father was wrongly imprisoned before, today is the first time she has come to Daqi's sky prison. This place of punishment is damp and dark, and there is always an unpleasant musty smell faintly. Rong Xi, Dan Xiang and the palace maid entered the room, always feeling that a squawking mouse would appear everywhere at any moment.
Dali Temple Minister Xue Rui heard that Rong Xi had come to the prison, so he came from Dali Temple specially, and accompanied Rong Xi to the cell where the five Ye Jing weavers were.
This time, Rong Xi did not wear a hat to hide his appearance to avoid suspicion.
Now, no matter men or women in the Qi Realm, no one dared to look directly at her face. The jailer and Xue Rui who accompanied him with the lamp on the way to the cell deliberately avoided their eyes and did not dare to look at Rong Xi at all.
They could only smell the sweet and sweet fragrance from Queen Rong's body, which also diluted the musty smell in the prison a lot.
Sure enough, beauties walk with their own fragrance.
Due to the humidity in the prison, some mottled moss hung on the stone walls on both sides.
When everyone arrived at the cell, behind the slightly rusty iron fence were the five weavers who survived the fire. The hair of these five women is disheveled, perhaps because there are some lice growing on them, and two weavers are constantly scratching the tops of their hair.
A ray of sunlight shone into the cell from the narrow window in the cell, allowing Rong Xi to see the faces of these people clearly.
The weavers also sensed that someone was here, and when they looked at Rong Xi, they couldn't help but look at each other.
It wasn't until they confirmed each other's eyes that they decided that all this was not an illusion.
After all, in this kind of place, how could there be such a beautifully dressed woman.
After Rong Xi ordered the jailer to open the cell door, Dan Xiang and the palace maid carefully followed behind their master, empress, carrying food boxes.
The five weavers guessed Rong Xi's identity, and they all kept their sitting postures without saying a word.
At this time, Xue Rui ordered in a deep voice: "This is the empress, why don't you hurry up and kowtow to her?"
The leading woman with wide cheekbones sneered, and said disdainfully: "This is the queen of your country Qi, not our queen of Ye country, why should we kowtow?"
Xue Rui stood outside the prison cell, scolded coldly, "Ye Kingdom has long since perished, and now the entire territory belongs to Daqi, what are you still daydreaming about?"
Rong Xi listened to the fierce debate between the two, and said softly to Xue Rui: "Xue Siqing, you can leave a few jailers here to protect my palace. The cases in Dali Temple are complicated, and I don't want to occupy too much time with the minister's judgment." case time."
Xue Rui replied respectfully: "I obey the order."
Xue Rui came here because Mu Huai had told him in advance to accompany the queen to prison.
But since the queen has said so, Xue Rui doesn't want to stay here for a long time. He thought about going to the jailer's resting place for a while. If something happened to the empress, she would have time to find him again. .
After Xue Rui surrendered, Rong Xi glanced around at the five Yejing weavers in the cell, and saw that the youngest weaver was only fifteen or sixteen years old.
At this moment, the girl was salivating looking at the roasted chicken, roasted pork, sauced elbow and other meat items that Dan Xiang brought out from the food box.
Rong Xi once heard Mu Huai mention that although the jailer force-fed them porridge, the weavers in Yejing all vomited it out of their stomachs.
Really have a backbone.
For the sake of the old country, he refused to eat half a grain of millet from Qi.
But the girl in front of her was not as stubborn as Mu Huai said.
Sure enough, when Rong Xi saw the woman with wide cheekbones, he immediately gouged out the girl with his eyes.
Although the girl was hungry, she still averted her eyes from the fragrant roast chicken.
Rong Xi has also been hungry before, she knows how painful and unspeakable the taste of hunger is, how many homeless beggars have abandoned all their dignity for a bite of food.
Of course, those who have a strong will will not be threatened by hunger.
But that girl was obviously not such a person.
Even if she wanted to eat the grains of Qi, but under the threat of the other four weavers, she did not dare to eat half a mouthful.
The woman with wide cheekbones looked sullen, and said to Rong Xi again: "Don't waste your efforts in persuading the Queen of Qi, we will not eat these meals, and we will not surrender to you, Qi, to do things for the monarch of Qi, Mu Huai. "
Standing behind Rong Xi, Dan Xiang's expression gradually became ugly, this woman's voice was vicious, no matter whether it was in the palace or outside the palace, no one had ever dared to speak to the empress like this.
Rong Xi didn't pay attention to the woman's words, but tore off a chicken leg with her slender hands. She passed the chicken leg in front of her, and signaled the girl from Yejing to come and eat it.
The girl in Yejing stared at the chicken leg, she just stretched out her hand tremblingly, but after a while, she withdrew it hesitantly.
Rong Xi said softly at this time: "Don't be afraid, you will be fine if you eat it, and within the territory of Qi State, this palace can still protect you."
As soon as the words were finished, the woman with wide cheekbones raised her hand and slapped the girl. She scolded in a cold voice, "How dare you!"
The other three women with sallow complexions also looked contemptuous, and one of them looked at the woman in her thirties and mocked the girl, saying, "What a bitch, a chicken leg can make you treason!"
Rong Xi listened to the cursing of these women, and walked towards them with beautiful eyes, because there was a jailer behind her, so when she wanted to drag the girl from Yejing to her, those women did not Don't dare to act rashly.
Under the gaze of the jailer, the woman with wide cheekbones failed to stop the girl, spat again, and scolded with the rest of the weavers: "I knew this little bastard was not a fuel-efficient lamp, on the way here She should have been strangled first."
After hearing these words, the girl in Yejing finally had a trace of resentment flashing across her face. This time, she finally walked in Rong Xi's direction without hesitation.
After Rong Xi handed the chicken leg to her, the girl began to gobble up the meat on it. Rong Xi was taken aback by the young girl's eating appearance, and saw that although her face was dirty, but after a closer look, she could also feel that her appearance was very delicate.
On her slender arms were still the burn scars left by the fire half a month ago.
Rong Xi's eyes were complicated, and after staring at the girl in silence for a while, he said to the other weavers: "I heard that in your original weaving bureau, there were at least three thousand weaver brocade officials, but the Ye who committed suicide But Jun didn't care about the lives of these three thousand weavers, and he didn't even bat an eye when he ordered people to set fire."
The remaining four Yejing women still had lingering fears when they thought of the fire that day.
The woman with wide cheekbones forced herself to be calm, and said coldly, "So what?"
——"If you are willing to go down to accompany him, if you are willing to die for your former monarch, then go. Neither the Palace nor His Majesty will stop you, because you are not important people in the first place. As far as His Majesty is concerned, claiming your life is like It's as easy as crushing an ant to death. Qinzhou in my Daqi is rich in famous tea, and the annual official tea trade is enough to support the treasury. There is no shortage of weavers like you to teach brocade crafts. Your Majesty brought you to Qi. I want to promise you a good future, because I regard you as my own people, and I want Daqi's silk industry to be the icing on the cake. But you don't want to have a good future, but you want to die for the Lord Ye who regards your life as worthless .In that case, this Palace will fulfill you.”
The complexion of the woman with wide cheekbones changed slightly.
The Queen of Qi's voice was originally soft and sweet, but when she uttered such decisive words, it made people feel that she was not at all disobedient.
On the contrary, it made people feel that every word and every sentence she said was extremely penetrating.
The reason why they threatened each other with death was that they found out that Mu Huai, the emperor of Qi State, wanted them to teach the weavers of Ye State the silk making method of Ye State. Can't miss them.
But now the Queen personally came to the prison and said that their lives were not that important, which suddenly made them panic.
According to the queen's words, even if they died, they would not cause any loss to Qi.
Then what's the use of them dead
Rong Xi didn't want to spend any more time talking with these women, and said: "You don't want to live, and don't stop those who want to live, this girl is taken away by this palace."
In the middle of speaking, Rong Xifu looked down at the food box on the ground again.
"These meals are bought for you from the Royal Street Restaurant by the Palace. Whether you want to survive or seek death, you should eat the food first."
***
After Rong Xi brought the girls from Yejing back to the palace, Mu Huai ordered the jailers to secretly execute those women.
Rong Xi rejoiced in her heart, fortunately, she brought back at least a young weaver after being sent to prison.
She ordered the Shangjian of the Shangyi Bureau to take good care of the girl. The girl's wish was very simple, she just wanted to survive, and she could eat as long as she could.
She knew that Rong Xi was a noble person who could protect her. Although the young girl had not stayed in the Ye State Weaving Bureau for a long time, she was smart and observant, so she reported what she had seen and heard in the weaving bureau during the year. , and his own experience, told Rong Xi.
Rong Xi has been reading the agricultural books compiled by Da Si Nong Tao Chang recently, and after listening to the girl's words, an idea came to his mind.
It was almost midsummer.
In the Qianyuan Hall, several court ladies are turning the seven-wheel fan made of engraved golden silk with their hands, sending cool wind to the young emperor sitting on the Arhat bed.
Rong Xi saw that Mu Huai was in a good mood tonight, so he was going to talk to Mu Huai about the method of making brocade that he came up with recently.
She doesn't talk much on weekdays, and never dares to cross the line to interfere in the affairs of the government.
It was the first time that he wanted to talk to Mu Huai with a serious expression like this night.
Mu Huai put the scroll in his hand behind his side, and seeing the beauty standing in front of him hesitated to speak, he motioned her to sit beside him, and said in a gentle voice, "Speak, I'll listen."
Rong Xi was a little nervous, after all, this was the first time she offered advice to Mu Huai.
She knew that after Mu Huai returned to Qi, she also wanted to imitate the original Ye Kingdom and enclose a special land in Bianjing City as the boundary of the Weaving Bureau.
But among them, there is a big problem.
She heard that the officials of the weaving bureau would still collect wild silkworms from the people, but she didn't know that the process from silkworm farming to harvesting silkworms would take a lot of effort. Silkworms are difficult to raise, and a batch of silkworms are easy to die during transportation.
Rong Xi suggested to Mu Huai that since the construction of the weaving bureau has not started yet, it is better to choose the weaving bureau in a place with dense mulberry trees, so that silkworms can be raised in it and Ruo Niang can weave brocade.
She also made an analogy with Mu Huai's Qiji courtyard in Qinzhou. Mu Huai set up a cavalry courtyard here because Qinzhou's water and soil are suitable for raising war horses.
When Mu Huai heard this, his originally serious expression gradually became gentle.
Although he would listen patiently and seriously to what Rong Xi said to him, just now he didn't believe that Rong Xi would tell her any useful ideas.
Unexpectedly, she found out the shortcomings of Daqi official brocade weaving, and proposed a very insightful solution.
——"I heard from the young weaver in Yejing that the reason why Yejing is able to produce a large amount of brocade is nothing more than clarifying the steps of weaving a piece of brocade first. Then distribute each step to different weavers. These weavers Workers are often very familiar with one of the processes, and in the future, they will only do this kind of brocade-making process. As time goes by, they will complete this process faster and faster. Therefore, every year in Yejing Only so much brocade can be produced."
The beauty's voice was very sweet, she was clearly talking to Mu Huai about something serious, but it made people feel relaxed and happy, and it also made him feel that her words had dissipated a lot of the scorching heat.
After Rong Xi finished speaking, Mu Huai covered her slender hands with his big hands, and praised in a warm voice: "Xi'er is really a good wife who relieves me of my worries."
After hearing this, Rong Xi felt a little embarrassed.
This was the first time that Mu Huai praised her like this, his eyes were a little appreciative, he was definitely not joking about her, but he really felt that her words could help him.
Thinking like this, Rong Xi's voice lowered a bit, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, don't dislike your concubine's words, it's just a humble opinion."
After finishing speaking, she wanted to get up and bid farewell to Mu Huai, going back to her Jiaofang Palace.
However, Mu Huai grabbed her slender arm, and Rong Xi fell into his arms, his face became more and more red.
— "I'm praising you, why are you still blushing?"
The man's light breath sprayed on the side of Rong Xi's ear, she shrunk her snow-white and slender neck, and buried her face in his arms shyly.
Seeing that she didn't reply, Mu Huai thought in his heart that she really couldn't help boasting, and then he whispered praise into her soft ears: "My Xi'er is beautiful, gentle, and can bear anything." Praise."
After hearing this, Rong Xi couldn't help but smile, and giggled in his soft voice in his arms.
The beauty's laughter was like a nightingale's cry. When Mu Huai heard this movement, a faint smile filled the corners of his usually cold eyes and brows.
Although Rong Xi knew that Mu Huai's last words were teasing her, she still felt sweet in her heart.
It feels good to be praised, even if it is fake, it can make people happy.
***
In the fifth year of Taizhang, Qi State can finally produce a large amount of good brocade by itself, and there is no need to buy brocade from Beiyan.
Although Qi State is now rich and powerful, Mu Huai knows that Yan State's strength should not be underestimated.
The State of Yan is also afraid of the State of Qi, but it does not want to have conflicts with the State of Qi. In the second year of Taizhang, there was a severe drought in the State of Qi, but fortunately nothing major happened.
However, the flood that Yan State suffered greatly damaged the national strength. Since Qi State annexed the small country Ye State, Yan Jun Ji Li was also afraid that the Qi State would disturb the territory of Yan State. Neither the Empress Dowager nor the Empress Dowager Xiao wanted to go to war with Qi.
Therefore, Ji Li, Lord of Yan, wanted to marry Qi State, and wanted to let Ji Li, the most beautiful woman of Dayan, marry Qi State far away, and become Mu Huai's noble concubine.
On the day when the envoys from Yan State came, Mu Huai specifically told the palace servants and servant Cheng Song of Qianyuan Hall not to let Rong Xi talk about this matter.
After nightfall, before Mu Huai fell asleep, Rong Xi bit him angrily with her silver teeth.
Ordinarily, this woman is usually docile and docile, and only bites when she gets angry.
Mu Huai knew right away that Rong Xi must have known about Princess Yan's coming to marry her.
—"Why did the emperor keep it from his concubines? If you want to marry the Princess of Yan as a noble concubine...then marry it. Allowing her to be a noble concubine will make the two countries peaceful and peaceful. It is a good deal."
Rong Xi said this almost through gritted teeth, her voice was thin, and the movements she made when she was angry sounded a little joyful.
Mu Huai stared carefully at the bright eyebrows and eyes of the little boy, feeling that she hadn't shown anger for a long time, but now she was a little more lively and funny.
—"When did I say that I want to accept her as a noble concubine?"
Rong Xi's beautiful peach blossom eyes were red, and she replied: "If the emperor doesn't marry her, he will lose Yan Jun's face."
Mu Huai sneered, and said indifferently, "Ji Li, Lord Yan, is not worthy of my fear."
"Can… "
Rong Xi hesitated to speak.
She knew that if Mu Huai did not marry Princess Yan, Ji Li, it would mean that he would not accept Yan's overtures, and the two countries would tear each other apart.
Mu Huai caressed the top of her hair helplessly, and said in a low voice: "I have sent the envoy of Yan Kingdom back to report to Lord Yan, and I don't want him to use the beauty of Yan Kingdom to use the son of Lord Yan as a hostage. There is sincerity. It’s just that Jun Yan’s two sons are both his sons, and they are still young, so if Jun Yan chooses one of them to go to Qi as a hostage, he needs to carefully consider it.”
—"So Xi'er don't worry, I promised Xi'er, I will only want Xi'er as a woman."
After Rong Xi listened, the stone hanging in his heart just fell to the ground.
Using the prince's son as a hostage is more sincere than marrying the former emperor's princess.
Yan Guo is now also afraid that the Qi State will lead troops to rob his territory, so Yan Jun will probably agree to Mu Huai's request.
It's just that Rong Xi heard that when the Yanjun envoy came to Qi, he also brought the portrait of Dayan's number one beauty, Ji Li, to Mu Huai.
She knew that she was being unreasonable, but she still felt sour, and asked Mu Huai: "Who is more beautiful between Princess Ji Li and my concubine?"
Mu Huai replied without hesitation: "Xi'er is more beautiful."
"Xi'er is ten thousand times prettier than her, and Xi'er will always be the most beautiful woman in my heart."