Hearing this, Qi Kuan quickly took the opportunity to say: "Master, you heard that Concubine Shen uses more than one jar of water every day. She is a real waste." Seeing that Xianyue was silent, he said again: "If Master really
Unable to bear it, we changed the water that was originally changed every day to every two days... no, changed it every three days. This will save a lot of water. It saves water and is pleasing to the eye. Isn't it the best of both worlds?
"
Zheng Jiu followed his words and persuaded: "Yes, Master, I have seen those koi carps. Every one of them is very beautiful. They are all placed under the eaves now. Master, why don't you go and take a look? I'm sure you will like them."
Xianyue waved her hands and said, "No need, put them all in the pool."
"But..." Qi Kuan was about to say more, but Xianyue already said: "Even if you change it every three days, it will still waste a lot of water. There is no need. If I really want to see it, I will let you help me."
I'll go to Linyuan Pond, and wait until the water is no longer tight, then it won't be too late to raise her. As for Concubine Shen, I will tell her, in short, you do as I want."
Seeing Xianyue's words, Qi Kuan had no choice but to obey and led Zheng Jiu to take the koi to Linyuan Pond. After the two of them left, Xianyue signaled Jinping to take the lotus seed soup down, and then
He said: "Go and tell Concubine Shen to see me."
After receiving the message from Jinping, Ning did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly came over in a carriage. Although she was covered by an umbrella all the way, she was still extremely hot and covered with sweat. After bowing and sitting down, she
Wipe the sweat from your face with a handkerchief
, shouted: "It's really terribly hot today. It's supposed to be July now, and the Beginning of Autumn has passed, so it's time to cool down, but I don't feel the slightest chill, but it's getting hotter.
It’s really torture.”
Xianyue smiled and said: "Autumn Tiger, Autumn Tiger, isn't it hotter than summer?" While talking, the palace servants served tea.
It’s very hot, and if you can still drink hot tea, go get some iced sour plum soup, it’s the best way to relieve the heat.”
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Mrs. Ning bowed with a smile on her face, and then said, "I wonder if your Majesty is in a hurry to summon me, what are your orders?"
Xianyue gently shook the six-edged palace fan in her hand and said with a half-smile, "Concubine Shen, do you remember how long it has been since it rained in this capital?"
"This..." Ms. Ning thought carefully for a while and said: "It has been at least two months. I remember that it has not rained since the beginning of summer. They say that every autumn rain and cold weather will cause partial illness."
The autumn rain just won't fall, and the heat makes people feel uncomfortable. A few days ago, two people in my concubine's palace suffered from heat stroke. Fortunately, they were not serious."
Xianyue lightly raised her eyebrows and said, "Yes, it's a good thing that we are the masters. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will send ice here on time every day. We don't have to endure the scorching heat. The palace people will not be able to survive. They have to do things no matter it's hot or cold."
Ning wrinkled her nose and said: "Having said that, the ice sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs has a limit. I can't even ask for a few more pieces. You said that in such a big palace, one or two pieces of ice can't cool it down at all.
, at most it can only slightly relieve the heat.
." At this point, she glanced enviously at the four copper basins placed in the corner, "It's better to stay here, the Imperial Household Office sends four pieces of ice as a gift, which makes the main hall very cool. Sitting here,
My whole body feels so comfortable.”
Xianyue chuckled lightly and said: "Actually, I don't need that much ice. If Concubine Shen really feels that she can't relieve the heat, she will ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to allocate a piece of ice every day and send it to Jingyang Palace."
There was a hint of joy in Ning's eyes. She didn't expect that after complaining for a few times, she got the benefits for nothing. Although she was happy in her heart, she still pretended to refuse on her face and said: "How can this be done? Besides, you are pregnant with Liujia and can't bear the heat. How can I do this?"
…”
Xianyue interrupted her and said: "It's just a piece of ice, there's nothing you can do for it." After that, she said to Qi Kuan: "I'll go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs later and let me know. From now on, I will only send three pieces here each time.
Just use ice, and the remaining piece will be sent directly to Jingyang Palace."
After Qi Kuan agreed, Mrs. Ning happily stood up and saluted, "Thank you, Madam!"
After signaling her to sit down again, Xianyue said: "By the way, when Jinping passed by Jingyang Palace once, he saw Shen's concubine pouring water on the ground. Why is this?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Ning suddenly became energetic and said with great joy: "I don't know something, my Majesty. After this stone ground has been exposed to the sun, even at dusk, when the sun sets, there will still be a thick heat, which is uncomfortable.
, but if it is splashed with water, it will be cool and pleasant without any heat."
Xianyue smiled and said: "That's good, but in this case, I'm afraid it will cost a lot of water, right?"
Ning said disapprovingly: "It's a membership fee, but water isn't worth much. Sprinkling some every day doesn't matter. If you think it's good, you might as well give it a try." Seeing Xia Yue's silence, she thought it would be better in the future.
The reporter agreed with his words and said: "The most important thing about sprinkling water is to sprinkle it more and evenly. Also, don't go out immediately after sprinkling. At that time, the heat will rise, so be sure to avoid it, otherwise it will be extremely serious.
It's easy to get sick, so you have to wait at least half an hour before going out."
Xianyue stroked the gold armor inlaid with jewels on her fingers, "Shen Bin's method is excellent, but... there is one sentence she said wrong."
"Wrong?" Ning thought about what she just said and said blankly: "I wonder what I said wrong?"
Xianyue stared at her and said slowly: "Shenbi said that water is not valuable. In fact, for the people who are suffering from drought, water is more expensive than oil. Have you ever thought about it, Shenbin, you just drink it every day?"
How many people's thirst can be quenched by the squandered water, and how many lives can even be saved?"
Ning Shi never expected that Xianyue would say this. Her face turned green and white for a while, and she was extremely embarrassed. After a while, she whispered: "They belong to them, and the palace belongs to the palace. The two have nothing to do with each other."
"The people are the foundation of the country. If there were no people, how would the Qing Dynasty come to be, and how would you and I come to be?" Xianyue said solemnly: "Furthermore, there has been no rain for a long time, and the water you use is all the water that the people have worked hard to carry from outside.
How come it has nothing to do with being sent to the palace?"
Ning was speechless for a moment when she asked. After thinking for a while, she said unconvincedly: "Since this water was brought to the palace, it is for the concubines. If it is not used, wouldn't it be more wasteful?"
"If you can save some, they can carry less water, and the remaining water can alleviate the drought. Even if it is not much, it is a good thing." At this point, Xianyue said in a more serious tone: "As the emperor's concubine,
, you should try your best to relieve the emperor's worries, don't you think?"
"Yes." Ning said this word reluctantly, and said in a stiff voice: "Then from tomorrow on, I will ask them not to sprinkle water on the floor."
Xianyue stared into her eyes, raised her eyebrows and said, "Tomorrow?"