Chapter 826: A Hundred Responses
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
There were four flowers. The flowers were larger than ordinary orchids, and their color was splendid, resembling morning star lilies. They contrasted with the elegant orchid leaves, revealing a gentle and graceful posture.
They were really beautiful.
As soon as she approached the flowers, she felt that the fragrance of the flowers was cold, elegant, and refreshing.
Nanny Xu praised, “The cinnabar orchid is a spring sword orchid. Spring sword orchirds are divided into two kinds, namely ‘soaking rod’ and ‘iron rod’ orchirds. For example, this one is a ‘iron rod’ orchid. It’s a top-grade orchid and is the best among all the orchids. Pure red cinnabar orchirds are very rare. A few years ago, Peng City offered a red cinnabar orchid as a tribute. The Empress Dowager seemed to have obtained a treasure. From then on, the red cinnabar orchird in Peng City was listed as a holy orchid. It was matched with the purple and red cold cinnabar orchid of Yunnan.”
There were many types of orchids, and there were differences. For those who didn’t know about orchirds, it was very difficult to differentiate between orchirds.
The Great Zhou Dynasty valued red, and the cinnabar orchid was also more expensive.
Yu Youyao smiled. “I don’t know much about orchids. I thought that the cinnabar orchid was already a rare famous item. I didn’t expect it to be so famous.”
She did not have many expectations for what Yin Huaixi would give her. What was rare was his sincerity.
Perhaps because she was used to seeing good things since she was young, ordinary things did not catch her eye. Yin Huaixi was also like the Xie Residence and her grandmother. No matter what he gave her, he would choose the best gift.
The better the item, the more effort one would have to spend. It also meant that the more sincere the sender was, the happier the recipient would be.
Nanny Xu also said, “Orchids are of different varieties and quality. There are many differences in the stems and flower colors of the same species. They can’t be generalized.”
The fragrance of the cinnabar orchid was elegant and cold. It smelled really good. Yu Youyao was overjoyed, so she found a travelogue and ordered someone to set up a couch by the window. She leaned against the couch and read.
Chun Xiao brought over some snacks.
Wild roses had a stronger fragrance. Yu Youyao made some flower paste and peeled dry flowers. The flower paste was made into a flower cake, and the outer skin was made of layers of crispy skin, making the cake salty and sweet. The crispy skin was fragrant and golden. With a crack, she bit open the crispy skin on the outside. The flower paste was bright and rich, and the sweet taste filled her mouth.
The dried flowers were grounded into powder. Then, glutinous rice powder was added to make rose cakes. Rose patterns were added to the pink flower cakes that were fragrant. They melted in one’s mouth and did not stick to one’s teeth.
Yu Youyao felt that the cake was delicious, so she instructed Chun Xiao to send some of the prepared flower cakes to Old Madam Xie and Madam Wang’s house for the elders to try.
The picked roses were only made into a small amount of flower paste and dried flowers, which were kept for making snacks. The rest were made into incense medicine.
The flower paste was made with green fruit oil (olive oil) and rose petals. The green fruit oil was refreshing and moisturizing, and it was not greasy. Meanwhile, the flower paste made was extremely effective.
Moreover, the green fruit oil tasted refreshing. It could be matched with any type of cosmetics.
However, rose dew needed the essence from steaming a large number of petals.
Most of the roses that Yu Youyao had picked had been steamed. In the end, she only obtained a palm-sized bottle of flower dew. After using the flower dew to make lipstick and cosmetics, she used half of the flower dew.
However, it was indeed useful.
As there was too little, she couldn’t bear to use it. Every day, after bathing, she would add two drops of rose dew into the green fruit oil to nourish her skin and apply it evenly all over her body.
After using it, not only did she feel refreshed, but she also had a faint rose fragrance. Even the next day, the fragrance lasted for a long time.
… .
The next day, the two stewards in the silkworm manor brought over the name list for her to take a look.
There were seven thick books, and each of them recorded a list of retail investors who were willing to cooperate. The basic situation, such as the size, location, silk production, and species of silkworms under their names, was also recorded.
There were nine types of trees that were suitable for raising silkworms, and there were also more than ten types of silkworms. Each tree produced different silk.
Among them, the most expensive was the Japanese silkworm.
The cocoon of the Japanese silkworm did not need to be dyed. It had a natural sparkling green color and a unique luster. When woven into silk, it would have a beautiful color. It was “tribute silk” that was rarely seen among the commoners.
However, a small number of Japanese silkworms were also in the hands of the nobles, so the retail investors naturally couldn’t raise them.
The gray-clothed Steward Zhang said, “As soon as the news spread, even the retail investors in the city moved when they heard it. They came looking for us themselves. After the Imperial Court issued the national policy, even some retail investors in the surrounding silkworm-raising areas came looking for them.”
Other than Liancheng, these lists also included Dandong, Xiuyan, Anshan, Xiangping, Fengcheng, and other places. These areas were almost the main sources of silkworm production in the three provinces of Liaodong.
From this, it was obvious that the retail investors had had enough of the oppression by the nobles.
Princess Shaoyi also received many responses in the North.
Steward Qian, who was dressed in blue, also said, “Don’t underestimate these retail investors. The nobles control the silk industry. They buy at a low price and sell at a high price. In order to make a living, the retail investors can only spend more effort to think about silk raising techniques and increase the production and quality of silk. High-quality silk can bring high profits to the nobles, and the price is also higher. Therefore, almost all of these retail investors are good at raising silk. They have unknown methods of raising silk. It’s ridiculous. The high-quality silk in Liaodong isn’t from a big family that raises silk, but from these retail investors.”
Yu Youyao nodded. “Those retail investors who can survive the oppression of the nobles naturally have their own strengths.” She flipped through a few lists and roughly read through them. She roughly understood the current situation of the retail investors in the three provinces of Liaodong. “Take my seal and go to the government tomorrow to sign a contract. Just get the retail investors on the list who are willing to cooperate to stamp their fingerprints. With a contract, it can also reassure people. This matter is basically officially settled.”
The contract was only a way to show that everyone was helping one another, and that they had the attitude of advancing and retreating together.
With Yu Youyao taking the lead, she guaranteed that as long as the quality of the silk produced by the retail investors passed the test, no matter how much it was, it would be collected at the market price of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s silk.
The retail investors would also guarantee that they would not harm Yu Youyao and other retail interests.
It had no substantive effect.
However, a contract linked the interests of the retail investors in form.
Steward Zhang and Steward Qian quickly agreed. After Young Miss was conferred the title of princess, she had a seal that represented her status as a princess. It was used on some important contracts, and she usually used her own seal.
It was obvious how much Young Miss valued this matter, so they naturally did not dare to be careless.
Yu Youyao continued, “In my name, go to the Moon Pavilion and book the entire place for a day. You’ll step in and invite the stewards on the list to gather at the Moon Pavilion three days later to get to know each other and build relationships. You’ll integrate the connections and channels of the various retail investors, who will exchange their experience in raising silkworms.”
This kind of exchange meeting, which was conducted in her name, could be considered to have expressed her attitude towards joining forces with the retail investors. There was no need for her to personally step in. If the stewards under her name personally held and presided over it, it would be enough to give those retail investors respect.
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