This palace banquet still adheres to the principle of "spend less, do more". It not only celebrates the Queen Mother's birthday, but also invites hundreds of officials who came to Beijing to report on their duties to have a meal.

Because the Chinese New Year is approaching, there are no separate seats for men and women, so all the officials and their families sit at the same table.

For Chu Qing, the palace banquet was still lively and lively, and the palace was still full of unknown people.

Bai Hua was not here, and he didn't know anyone very well. Chu Qing sat next to Mrs. Song this time.

Because it is a meal-sharing system, Chu Qing is also one of the hundred officials, and each person has a small table. Xiaobao, as a "family member", sits at the same table with Chu Qing.

I don’t have a good impression of Chu Qing at the palace banquet.

We are not familiar with each other, and I don't like to strike up conversations. We still have to wait for the emperor to speak, for the ministers to celebrate their birthdays, and for the envoys from the Kingdom of Vos to participate in the birthday celebrations, and to wait for the queen mother to speak... Waiting and waiting, there is no food.

It's getting hot.

Finally, when she was free to eat, Chu Qing was busy picking out the ones that were still warm and the ones that she couldn't usually eat and put them on Xiaobao's plate.

If you are not too busy, if you try to be pretentious, it will become a cold dish.

There is a humpback dumpling, which is a dumpling filled with pastry bread. Because it is fried in oil, it is the hottest thing in front of you. The pastry is crispy and crispy. Chu Qing and Xiaobao eat it happily.

.

Suddenly the clicking sound in Xiaobao's mouth stopped, and then he looked at Chu Qing: "Mom, I bet those two people are looking for you."

"Who is it?" Chu Qing looked up and saw two women, slightly hunched over, crossing several desks and heading towards Chu Qing.

"I don't know you...you're not looking for me. Keep eating!" Chu Qing gave Xiaobao another roasted bone and got one for himself.

No one eats this dish very much. Maybe because chewing on the bones looks indecent?

In fact, it's very delicious, roasted bones, lamb ribs grilled like kebabs. Chu Qing and Xiaobao often eat them like this. Look, Xiaobao is digging chili powder and cumin powder from his pocket.

"They are definitely looking for you," Xiaobao said as he sprinkled chili powder on her. "Mrs. Song has been surrounded. These two are watching you come."

"You put less chili powder, kid, don't be too harsh!" Chu Qing grabbed the chili powder and shook it on his own lamb chops, "Don't worry about that, let's eat ours!"

"Mother!" Xiaobao was angry: "You stole my chili powder again!"

"Oh, it's really coming to me. I'm telling you, if you keep arguing, you won't have a chance to eat it!" Chu Qing quickly bit off the meat and chewed it quickly.

If you skip meals, will you starve to death?

Xiaobao immediately buried his head in chewing the bones. He was annoyed that someone came to disturb him while he was eating! He just talked nonsense and delayed eating, and it was all cold after a while!

"Master Chu!" a lady greeted enthusiastically.

"Hmm...Gulu...Hello!" Chu Qing just finished swallowing the mutton.

"Uh... hello, hehehehe." The lady smiled awkwardly.

Yes, we don’t greet you like this here, Chu Qing forgot to eat.

"Master Chu, my husband is Zheng Maocai, the magistrate of Langjiang Prefecture, and this is the wife of Sun Magistrate of Tongshun Prefecture." Mrs. Zheng introduced.

Langjiang Prefecture and Tongshun Prefecture are two state capitals adjacent to Jizhou.

"Hello madams, I am Chu Qing from the Secret Investigation Department, and this is my dog ​​Chu Qing." Chu Qing also introduced.

Xiaobao saluted and said hello. When Chu took a look, he saw that his hands and mouth had already been wiped clean, and he moved very quickly.

There was also a palace maid next to the table who had the foresight to move two brocade piers over. Such professionalism!

"Madams, please take a seat." Chu Qing invited.

Stop standing there. There is an emperor in front of you. Is it really okay for you to run around like this?

"Master Chu," after some polite remarks, it was Mrs. Zheng who spoke first: "I heard that Xinlunzhou's cotton..."

Chu Qing listened to the two of them talking about each other, and glanced at Mrs. Song at the next table from the corner of her eye.

The table is small, but it is full. She and Song Tingshan were surrounded by six or seven people, who were also talking about cotton.

This is because I know that cotton can be grown, and I want to know if I can apply for a test field in my own land.

The two ladies on their side probably saw that their husbands were with Song Tingshan and his wife and there was no room for them, so they simply came to find themselves.

At this time, Song Tingshan was speaking in an official tone: "My lords, Jizhou has not yet divided experimental fields. Song is not sure about this..."

Song Tingshan was trying to keep Chu Qing out of trouble.

When debriefing, the emperor did mention that this year he would set aside experimental fields in Jizhou and let Chu Qing and Song Tingshan organize agricultural experts to inspect the various lands.

Song Tingshan's role is to provide experts to cooperate with Chu Qing, who finally decides the location of the experimental field. So they should actually "besiege" Chu Qing.

But that’s how people are, especially in the officialdom. They trust men more, and they trust men who have passed the imperial examination. This is called official career.

Chu Qing was a woman, and a woman who became an official in a "wild way" had no authority in their eyes.

Chu Qing doesn't think it's unfair at all, because it can save a lot of trouble, hahaha!

"Mr. Chu, why are you smiling?" Mrs. Zheng finished talking and found that Chu Qing was smiling a little inexplicably.

"Uh...I was suddenly intoxicated by the scene you just described of the large cotton clouds!" Chu Qing quickly regained consciousness.

Nothing can be communicated here, after all, this is the emperor's seat.

They just came here to get acquainted with each other first so that they could get things done later.

But it reminded Chu Qing that he was "popular"!

In the past, I did things "alone" and asked for help when I had problems; now I start to be "asked for help" by others.

The experimental field originally designated in Jizhou was used by the Chu and Qing Dynasties to grow peanuts, and it was also the place where the refugees were resettled by Song Tingshan.

So if cotton is planted in Jizhou this year, she and Song Tingshan still need to discuss it carefully.

Wasteland is not the problem, the problem is the number of people. This shows the importance of population.

But no matter what, Xinlun Prefecture Juntun grows cotton, and Jizhou City is a cotton processing base. Song Tingshan has outstanding performance this year, and all officials are eager to see it.

In front of his eyes, he was praising Song Tingshan, but secretly he had the idea of ​​"learning from Buddhist scriptures".

Mrs. Song was surrounded by the wives of these officials. She listened to their compliments, but in her heart, "Haha, the key is not cotton, it's that there is Chuqing in Jizhou. If you have Chuqing there, you will also get rich!"

As a fan of Chu Qing, Mrs. Song was very protective of Chu Qing, so she thought that she would remind her husband later that she would give her full support to whatever Chu Qing wanted to do.

There are many benefits to this kind of support: first, your idol loves you; second, your idol makes more money and can raise your children; third, your husband’s political performance is good!

Chu Qing was also thinking that she should establish closer contact with Song Tingshan and his wife.

This couple has good character, Song Tingshan is open-minded, and Mrs. Song has a similar temperament to him. They take a lot of care of themselves and Xiaobao, both in work and in life.
Chapter completed!