“Lord Feng, His Excellency has only just disembarked. Your wife is ill, and he hasn’t even had a chance to see her. Why don’t you rest for a while? Once His Excellency has had a moment to catch his breath, we can discuss your matters,” Han Mo said.
Hearing Han Mo’s words, the servants who had accompanied Zhe Yourong south also urged him forward. “Don’t worry, I’ll just say hello and change my clothes, then I’ll be right there!”
“Thank you, Your Excellency, thank you!”
Regardless, Han Mo had finally agreed to listen to his story. Feng Yuanbao continued to speak as he walked with the servants toward a side room.
“The gifts are all in that carriage. You two can pick whatever you like,” Han Mo said, pointing to the carriage following him after watching Feng Yuanbao walk away.
“Take me to see Madam!”
While the two young maids were choosing gifts, Han Mo was led by a servant to the back courtyard.
“Why are you out of bed? Didn’t you say you weren’t feeling well?” Han Mo asked as he pushed open the door, seeing Zhe Yourong sitting on the bed, wrapped in a blanket.
“I’ve been lying down for several days. I finally feel much better today. Mingzhou’s weather is truly too peculiar…” Seeing Han Mo’s return, Zhe Yourong’s pale face took on a touch of color.
“Mingzhou’s weather is always like this. Although it doesn’t snow here, it still gets cold in winter. By the way, I’ve prepared something good for you. Wait here for a moment!” Han Mo reached out and touched Zhe Yourong’s cold hand. He suddenly remembered something and immediately turned to walk outside.
“This is specially prepared for you. Change into this quilt.”
A moment later, Han Mo returned carrying two large bundles. While silk quilts were indeed comfortable in the summer, they were far inferior to cotton quilts in winter, especially in this cold weather. Of course, wealthy families like theirs would have animal pelts, but those were simply heavier than cotton quilts. At other times, one might not feel the difference, but when sick, it would be even more uncomfortable.
“Is this the cotton you were talking about?” Although the exterior didn’t reveal much, once Zhe Yourong was under the quilt, she immediately felt the difference within a short time. Compared to animal pelts or silk quilts, its advantages were too obvious. It was not only lighter but also much warmer. Since arriving in Mingzhou, even with two or three warming pans in bed, her hands and feet always felt cold.
“This is a set of cape, gloves, and boots that I had them prepare for you. With these, you won’t be afraid of the cold this winter!” Although cotton was only planted on a small scale at this time, Han Mo, belonging to the privileged class, could certainly enjoy it in advance.
“Is this plant difficult to grow?” After experiencing its benefits, Zhe Yourong’s interest was immediately piqued. After all, after so much experience, both her judgment and her vision had been honed. As the saying goes, rarity breeds value. After completing several major deals, she had become a firm believer in this principle.
“It might be a bit difficult at first, but once you get used to it, it won’t be any harder than growing celery!”
“What if we try to cultivate it in the northwest?”
“That was indeed the original plan, but right now, I think it’s more suitable to grow grains. Let’s postpone this for a few more years.” The situation was becoming increasingly unpredictable. Han Mo was unsure if the Jingkang Incident would still happen, or when. Based on the current situation, Han Mo felt it was better to maintain the status quo than to forcefully promote the widespread use of cotton. After all, cotton, though good, couldn’t be eaten! A person might not die from cold hands, but a person would certainly die from starvation. Once war broke out, the consumption of grain couldn’t be calculated by ordinary means.
“Why is that?” Zhe Yourong asked, somewhat confused.
“There are some things I can’t explain clearly right now, but it’s better to maintain the status quo. Also, if possible, I think you should write a letter to your father, asking your uncles to select some young men from the clan to establish themselves in the south.” After careful consideration of his words, Han Mo finally spoke.
“You mean…” Hearing Han Mo’s suggestion, Zhe Yourong’s expression immediately turned serious. As a couple, she understood that if not for certain special reasons, Han Mo would definitely not say such a thing. The Zhe family’s roots were in the northwest. How could Han Mo suggest they establish a family business in the southeast without any reason?
“A cunning rabbit has three burrows. The war between Song and Liao has reignited, and Liao’s decline is a foregone conclusion. But what about after Liao’s demise? If Liao were a toothless old tiger, then the Jin state would be a pack of hungry wolves in their prime. Leaving some family fortune for future generations is always a good idea. If anything were to happen, it would be a fallback for the family.” Although Han Mo didn’t say it explicitly, Zhe Yourong roughly understood his meaning.
“I will discuss this with Father. However, don’t you think your worry…”
“Didn’t I just say that? It’s just leaving a fallback. It’s better to be prepared,” Han Mo smiled and didn’t say anything more. Instead, he drew her into his arms.
Inhaling the faint scent of rouge from her, Han Mo’s breathing gradually deepened. Just as he was about to take a further step, Zhe Yourong suddenly pushed him away.
“It’s not convenient today. I, I…” As Zhe Yourong said this, her face turned bright red.
“I…” This left Han Mo feeling somewhat helpless.
“Hehehe…” Seeing Han Mo’s constipated expression, Zhe Yourong suddenly burst into laughter.
“Why don’t you take Chun Tao then?” Zhe Yourong said, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.
“Why are you talking about this? I…”
“Alright, you don’t understand the feelings of that young girl for you? If you agree, I’ll talk to her about it later.” Seeing Han Mo’s embarrassed expression, Zhe Yourong suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled.
“Let’s forget it. This is a bit…” Han Mo said, feeling speechless. The values instilled under the red flag were too strong. Facing a girl of only thirteen or fourteen, he really couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Then you’d better think it over. It’s not that I disagree, or that I’m not allowing you to take a concubine! Oh, by the way, there’s also an invitation for you here. The face of the number one scholar of the Great Song is truly great!” Seeing that Han Mo genuinely had no such intention, Zhe Yourong changed the subject and reached for an invitation by her pillow, handing it to Han Mo.
“Yi’an Jushi? Li Yi’an? Why is she looking for me?” Receiving Li Qingzhao’s invitation so suddenly, Han Mo was actually a little nervous. After all, she was the talented woman of the Great Song Dynasty, known as Li Duìduì in later generations.