Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 391 Tanchun's Skills

“Since we are holding a banquet, we will need a large number of servants to serve.

"This is the royal palace after all. How can we allow servants from outside to move around easily? We must use the palace maids and eunuchs of Taiji Palace.

"Private rewards are not included. For the monthly salary of each person who comes to serve, the host of the banquet will be the one to reward them.

“In this way, Taiji Palace can save this expense.

“This is the second one.”

The Grand Master looked at Tanchun with a smile, but turned his head and said to Emperor Zhaoming:

"The Imperial Farm is managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. When Yimin gets married, you can give her a few.

"She will definitely be able to run the business better than the Ministry of Internal Affairs!"

Tanchun's face turned even redder, but at the emperor's suggestion, she continued, "The most important thing at a banquet is eating and drinking.

"The regulations of the imperial kitchen in Taiji Palace are now the same as those in Daming Palace, with only one-third fewer people in each position.

“Most of these people will probably be incorporated into the imperial kitchen of Daming Palace in the future. In fact, there are quite a lot of them.

"When people are idle, they are causing trouble. It would be better to let them develop new dishes here.

“When there is a banquet, they will be responsible for providing the food.

"They are all chefs in the imperial kitchen. The host gets face, the guests enjoy themselves, and they can brag about it when they go back.

“The expenses won’t be much, just one month’s salary for the imperial chefs will be enough.

“This is the third expense.”

The Emperor looked at Tanchun and felt that there seemed to be something more to come. He couldn't help but become interested. He smiled and nodded, asking her to continue.

Tanchun also raised her hand, pointing to the plum forest on this side of the river and the camellia forest in the distance, and said, "These flowering trees actually need to be pruned and thinned out every year.

“If someone is hosting a banquet, you can take the opportunity to prune the flowers, and give the extra branches and flowers to the host.

"This is for gift, so of course not too many. Just give twelve branches at a time - otherwise if there are too many people at the banquet, no matter how many flowers and trees there are, they won't be enough for them to waste.

"This is actually to clean up for us. But whether the host takes it back home or gives it to relatives and friends, it is very respectful."

Daiyu listened and felt deeply moved.

In that life, Tanchun made full use of the Grand View Garden and could save four hundred taels of silver a year.

I originally thought that her shrewdness would only be put to good use after she got married in the Feng family.

Who would have thought that a casual remark from the Supreme would give her a good opportunity to perform!

As she thought about it, she exclaimed, "Great, great! The flowers and trees are in their proper places, the palace ladies are getting benefits, and the guests are getting respect. Thanks to Yimin for thinking of this."

The Queen Mother laughed, and holding Tanchun with her left hand and Daiyu with her right hand, she said, "It's just a wild idea."

"How can it be called a fantasy?" The Supreme Lord raised his eyebrows, "After I leave, the Emperor will definitely take you back to Daming Palace.

"The concubines either moved to other palaces to retire, or left the palace and returned to their parents' homes.

"It's a waste of money and manpower to leave such a huge Taiji Palace lying around like this?"

The Queen Mother was immediately displeased and said with a stern face: "That's all nonsense! Don't say that anymore!"

Everyone suddenly fell silent.

Isn't it?

For such a thing to happen, it must be after the great deed of the Supreme Being.

The Queen Mother and the Supreme Lord were a loving couple, but now she had to listen to everyone openly thinking about what would happen after the Supreme Lord's death. She didn't get angry at the beginning, which was already a good temper!

Everyone stopped and subconsciously held their breath.

Tanchun understood instantly, her face turned pale, she took the empress dowager's arm and apologized in a low voice: "Don't be angry, mother, I am just..."

"She is just poor! She looks at everything and tries to figure out how to make money from it!"

Daiyu interrupted the Queen Mother in a coquettish tone, pulling her aside and saying "little words" loudly:

"Look at me, I can't think of that! It's not because I'm not smart, but because I'm rich!"

The Queen Mother also realized that her sudden emotion made everyone cautious. She smiled as Daiyu handed her the ladder:

"As expected! Very stingy!"

Tanchun quickly denied: "I didn't! I have no place to spend the rewards from His Majesty, Mother and Your Majesty!"

The Queen Mother patted her hand soothingly: “Zhaoqing was joking with you.

"It's just that the royal gardens and villas were originally for people to enter and enjoy, and they didn't cost money. That's the generosity of the emperor and the royal demeanor.

"Of course I know you are capable. But you are my adopted daughter and the princess of the imperial court, so you can't really think about these business matters.

"It's time for those idle people with rotten tongues to gossip about you behind your back."

Tanchun blushed and nodded in agreement.

The Supreme Lord and Emperor Zhaoming looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly.

They chatted and laughed here.

However, Feng Ziying was informed by Cao Yu in the afternoon that there were unidentified people lurking near the camellia forest.

At this moment, he followed Chu Kui and quietly ordered his guards and Chu Kui's eunuchs who had just been transferred from the Palace Administration Department to secretly surround the masters.

He and Chu Qian became even more alert, searching their surroundings with sharp eyes.

On the other side, Daiyu felt the night wind was very cold, so she covered her nose with a handkerchief and sneezed lightly.

The Queen Mother hugged her and said, "It's winter, it's so cold, let's go back."

Everyone said it was a good idea.

Tai Shang turned around and saw that Feng Ziying and Chu Kai both looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and his heart trembled slightly.

Dai Quan stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "It's dark and the roads are slippery at night. Do you think I should call for a sedan chair to come over, or should you just stay in the Yanjia Palace tonight?"

"That's right." Emperor Zhaoming then advised, "Son, send your father and mother back to Yanjia Palace, right?

"Yimin has a lot of ideas in his mind. It's a good opportunity for you to ask more questions and test your son.

"If she is really as capable as Zhaoqing praises her to be, my son can safely hand over the royal farm to her. Isn't that better than having an outsider take care of it?"

Tai Shang nodded after hearing this and said, "That's exactly what you said."

The group walked back slowly.

But this time, Chu Qian exchanged glances with Feng Ziying, and the team changed its formation:

Chu Qian led two young eunuchs and walked in front.

The masters such as the Grand Master and the eunuchs and palace maids who served them walked in the middle.

Feng Ziying, along with his own guards and other eunuchs, followed behind.

After only ten steps, Chu Qian suddenly stopped, his face showing nervousness, and he listened with his ears tilted.

When Emperor Zhaoming saw his figure, he subconsciously stretched out his arm to block the emperor behind him!

The Queen Mother took a step forward without hesitation and stood on the left hand side of the Supreme Lord. The right hand side of the Supreme Lord was firmly protected by Dai Quan.

Everyone's heart tightened and they stood there frozen!

The Supreme frowned at this time and shouted: "This is my Taiji Palace! All of you retreat!"

While speaking loudly, he pulled Emperor Zhaoming to Tao Xingjian's side and strode forward!

The Queen Mother reached out and grabbed his sleeve, then walked forward, muttering in a low voice in frustration:

"Can you stop making trouble?"