There is a kind of scholar

Chapter 867: Women’s Beauty Recipe, Difficulty in Spring Plowing

It was February and the plum blossoms were in full bloom.

The harem, the imperial garden.

The imperial garden is full of plum trees.

Looking around, the trees are full of clusters of waxy red plums, and the blossoming petals are gorgeous but not demonic.

A breeze blows through the plum trees in the garden, and the fragrance of flowers blows on your face, refreshing and elegant, making you feel relaxed and happy.

Although there is no white snow to set off these red plums, the moonlight tonight is extremely beautiful and the stars are bright. There is something special about admiring the flowers under the moonlight.

Under a huge plum tree, there are many stone tables and chairs.

The stone chair was cold, so Nangong Wan'er ordered someone to cover it with soft goose-yellow satin, and finally respectfully invited the Queen and Su Xian to take their seats.

After the monarch and his ministers took their seats, sumptuous palace delicacies and palace wines were also served.

In the open space in front of the stone table, there are also a group of palace dancers dancing under the first moon.

That's right, the Queen brought Su Xian here just to admire the moon and flowers, eat and drink, and enhance the relationship between the monarch and his ministers.

By the way, didn’t the Queen’s heart sink just now and her smile completely disappear?
Why do we still have leisure time to enjoy the flowers and the moon, eat, drink and have fun?

It turned out that Su Xian had just entered the dormitory, and the moment he saw the Queen, his eyes suddenly lit up, and his eyes and expressions were far more exaggerated than when he saw Nangong Wan'er.

The Queen happened to notice this scene, and her heart suddenly relaxed, and the smile that disappeared from the corner of her mouth suddenly returned.

It seems that I am not old yet. Although I am not as young as Nangong Wan'er, I am even more charming... the queen thought in her heart.

Immediately afterwards, Su Xian patted the horse again, saying that the empress "is the most beautiful woman in the world", "even if a fairy from the sky descends to earth, she is only worthy to be the empress' servant girl" and so on.

The queen knew in her heart that this was just Su Xian's compliment.

But she is still a woman, and she is already happy and secretly happy.

Remembering that the plum blossoms were in full bloom in the Imperial Garden, it was the time of year to appreciate plum blossoms, and she became interested again, so she took Su Xian to the Imperial Garden...

Under the huge plum tree, the dancers danced, and the sound of silk and bamboo was sweet.

The Queen, Su Xian, and the maids such as Nangong Wan'er who were standing nearby all looked pleased with themselves.

The Queen leaned comfortably on the stone chair, tapping the table with one hand to follow the beat of the music, and holding up the wine glass with the other hand, but did not drink.

Her eyes moved from the exquisite wine glasses to the dancers, then to the plum blossoms and the moon, and finally slid down to look at Su Xian not far away.

Unexpectedly, the moment she saw Su Xian, the Queen's expression changed slightly.

The hand that was tapping the table gently to the beat of the music also stopped, and the body that was leaning comfortably on the stone chair became even more concentrated.

what did she see?
It turned out that she had just discovered that Su Xian was staring at the dancers, his body motionless, his eyes unblinking, watching with gusto.

These court dancers are all carefully selected young girls, each with unparalleled looks and outstanding figures...

Sure enough, am I still old?She couldn't compare to those young girls... The Queen felt sad, and the good mood she had maintained for a long time disappeared instantly.

"Eh!"

She drank the wine in one gulp, sighed, and put the exquisite wine glass back on the table, then sat there in a daze, with a sad look on her face.

"Is there something bothering your Majesty?" Su Xian turned his head and looked over with concern on his face.

"No." The Queen responded casually, but secretly said in her heart: "That's right, you are the cause of my troubles."

"Oh."

Su Xian didn't go into details, but his eyes turned and slid to the dancing girls.

The queen's eyebrows trembled, she gave Nangong Wan'er a sideways look, and ordered her to pour the wine. Then she turned to look at Su Xian and asked expressionlessly:
"When did Su Aiqing return to Beijing?"

Looking back, Su Xian always felt that something was wrong with the queen, but after thinking about it, he couldn't tell, so he thought about it and replied: "Half an hour ago."

"Half an hour ago?"

The Queen spoke in a high tone, as if she was unhappy:
"Why didn't Su Aiqing come to the palace to see me immediately after she returned to the city?"

Su Xian was secretly wary, thinking that the queen had changed her face too quickly. She was so kind and cheerful before, and she brought him here to enjoy the moon and flowers, but in the end, she seemed to be a different person in a moment.

Could it be that what the Queen drank just now was not wine, but gunpowder?

His mind changed, he stood up and worshiped:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it was already late when I returned to the capital. For one thing, I expected that Your Majesty had already gone to bed, so I did not enter the palace to disturb you."

At this time, Nangong Wan'er had filled the Queen's glass with wine. When she put down the wine bottle, she glanced at Su Xian vaguely.

She wanted to remind Su Xian that the Queen had "age and appearance anxiety", but she was unable to speak.

The Queen picked up the wine glass and sipped it while looking at Su Xian's serious and hard-working look, and couldn't help but feel happy.

At this time, it happened that Su Xian said again: "Secondly, the method of returning to the city..."

"Su Aiqing entered the city over the city wall!"

Before Su Xian could finish speaking, the queen interrupted him with a smile, and then pretended to be angry. After all, it was wrong for Su Xian to lead the way over the city wall as a captain.

Su Xian was a little embarrassed. He raised his head and carefully observed the queen's expression. The queen was not really angry, but rather like the laughter and curse between lovers.

However, Su Xian was puzzled. After all, the empress was the Empress of Liang. When did she act like a little girl?

In his impression, the Queen has always been confident, generous, and never childish.

No matter what, we cannot continue to talk about "climbing the city wall". We must find a way to divert the Queen's attention, but what method should we find?
Got it!

Su Xian thought about it and remembered that just now in the Hou Mansion, Tang Shuwan and Liu Huixiang did not hesitate to dance and beat their legs in order to obtain the "female beauty formula" and show their hospitality.

The Queen is also a woman, so she must have a strong need for the "female beauty formula", so why not use this to divert the Queen's attention?
Just do it.

Su Xian straightened his clothes, coughed, bowed to the Queen and said, "Your Majesty, I accidentally smelled something today, which is very magical. I would like to take this opportunity to present it to Your Majesty!"

"Oh?"

The Queen is interested and you want to please her by giving her gifts?
She used to look down on such small means and tricks. After all, she was rich in the world. What gift could touch her heart?

However, this time is different, because she has "age and appearance anxiety", and Su Xian is young, handsome and capable, he can be called the most handsome young man in the world today.

When Su Xian gave her a gift, it couldn't be called a "little trick" or a "little trick", but it was sincere... the Queen thought in her heart.

She leaned comfortably on the stone chair, holding the wine glass gently with one hand and taking a sip from time to time. Her eyes were as charming as silk, and she was radiant, with a different kind of charming style.

"What gift does Su Aiqing want to give me?" the Queen asked lazily. On the surface, she seemed not to care about Su Xian's gift.

"Your Majesty, that is a set of prescriptions that women can take for a long time to beautify their skin and keep their youth forever! The name is called 'Female Beauty Prescriptions'." Su Xian said with a smile.

"What are you talking about? Women's beauty regimen! Beautify your face and keep your youth forever?"

The queen's expression suddenly changed, and the laziness and pretended indifference disappeared in an instant.

As if a spring had been installed underneath her, she jumped up.

The exquisite wine glass in her hand was thrown away in her excitement. Her eyes were fixed on Su Xian, as if she was grasping a life-saving straw.

Su Xian was a little surprised when he saw this.

It is true that women's beauty regimen is very attractive to women, but the Queen's reaction is too exaggerated. She is the Queen of Liang, and she is not an ordinary woman!
What Su Xian didn't notice was that the moment the queen stood up, Nangong Wan'er, who was standing nearby, other female officials, and even the dancer who was dancing, all turned their heads and looked at her with fiery eyes.

"Yes, this 'female beauty formula' does have miraculous effects."

Su Xian confirmed that no matter what, the Queen's attention was finally diverted, and the goal was achieved.

After the empress was happy for a while, the smile on the corner of her mouth gradually disappeared, and the previous excitement and excitement disappeared without a trace, and said lazily:
"I don't know how many beauty and beauty prescriptions and medicinal diets I have taken. Although the effects are there, they are not very satisfactory. Su Aiqing's 'female beauty prescription' is probably not a panacea."

After hearing the Queen's words, Nangong Wan'er and other female officials, dancers, etc., the fire in their eyes gradually disappeared.

Yes, they live in the palace, so they naturally take a lot of beauty supplements, but the effect is not great.

Su Xian looked calm and bowed:
"Your Majesty, this 'Female Beauty Prescription' is not comparable to those ordinary products. It is made by Dr. Li."

"Most of Dr. Li's wives are over 30 years old, but just because they have been taking this prescription for a long time, they look like they are 21 or [-] years old!"

"..."

"Composed by Dr. Li?!"

The queen was taken aback.

She naturally knew that Dr. Li had cured her old illness. In her heart, Dr. Li's medical skills were no worse than the legendary Miracle Doctor of Butterfly Valley.

When Su Xian said this, she believed it immediately.

She was feeling anxious about her appearance, but she didn't expect Su Xian to send such good news. The queen was so excited that she walked out directly:

"Doctor Li lives in Su Aiqing's house, right? I'll go find him right now!"

"His Majesty!"

Su Xian, Nangong Wan'er and others were all confused and hurriedly stopped the queen.

It was getting late now, and she was the queen. Is it really appropriate to leave the palace to find Dr. Li like this?

The Queen was stopped by the crowd and reacted in her heart. She knew she had lost her composure, so she had to endure the expectation and torment in her heart. She slowly sat back on the stone chair with a wry smile, looked at Su Xian and asked:
"Su Aiqing, have you ever carried that 'Female Beauty Prescription' with you? I am rich in the world, so no matter how precious the medicinal materials are, it will not be a problem."

Su Xian heard what she meant, was he going to take medicine overnight?

Are you in such a hurry?
Su Xian pondered for a while, bowed and said:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the 'Female Beauty Prescription' is still in the hands of Dr. Li. I only learned about it after returning to the city tonight, so I don't have it with me."

The queen's expression dropped instantly.

Su Xian hurriedly added:

"But don't worry, Your Majesty, I will go to see Doctor Li early tomorrow morning. Although Doctor Li has a weird temper, I am [-] to [-]% sure of getting this recipe."

The Queen's face turned pale, she couldn't explain, she could only endure the expectation and suffering in her heart until tomorrow...

Under the plum blossom tree, the singing and dancing continued, and the sound of silk and bamboo was sweet.

The Queen and Su Xian frequently exchanged cups and cups, discussed state affairs, talked about romance, and laughed constantly.

However, when Su Xian accidentally mentioned the word "spring plowing", the queen's smile faltered slightly, and her mood quickly dropped. She raised the wine glass in her hand to her lips, but refused to drink. Emei frowned secretly, and her thoughts wandered to nowhere.

"His Majesty?"

Su Xian sensed that something was wrong and called several times. The Queen finally came back to her senses, slowly put down her wine glass, rubbed her brows and asked, "Su Aiqing, what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty seems to have something to worry about?" Su Xian asked.

The Queen regained her depressed mood, her smile bloomed, and she raised her glass and said:

"Let's not talk about this tonight. Su Aiqing has just returned from a long journey from Nanchen. It's time to have a drink and talk about the romance. Come on, come on, have a drink, cheers!"

Su Xian also raised his glass, drank with the Queen in the distance, and then continued: "If your Majesty has any worries, you can tell me. As a minister, I should relieve your Majesty's worries."

Seeing Su Xian's insistence, the Queen's fake smile instantly faded. She sighed, rubbed her brows, and explained feebly:
"Right now, spring plowing is approaching. Last year, we suffered many hardships in Daliang, and both farmland and people lost a lot, so this year's spring plowing is particularly important."

"Whether we, the people of Liang, can fill their bellies this year depends on this spring plowing."

"There are no problems with seeds, farm tools, etc., but there are only two shortcomings. If they cannot be properly resolved, the area for spring plowing will be reduced by at least half!"

"If the cultivated land area is really reduced by half, we in Daliang will inevitably encounter a grain panic this year."

"..."

Su Xian was shocked, this was a big problem.

If not, it will cause huge chaos!

At this time, the people's requirements are very low, as long as they can have a full stomach. If these minimum requirements cannot be met, then there is only one way left -

rebel!

Rebellion will definitely bring chaos.

Su Xian didn't want to see chaos in the world.

Because it makes people feel insecure.

"May I ask Your Majesty, what are our two shortcomings?" Su Xian stood up and asked.

"First, there is a shortage of cattle for farming. Last year, floods and plagues came one after another, and the livestock were not spared. Nearly half of them were killed or injured." The queen looked solemn:
"Secondly, the lack of farming is also due to floods and plagues. The people suffered heavy casualties, and many cultivated lands have even been abandoned for more than half a year."

Su Xian asked: "Is there any solution?"

The Queen shook her head:

"The problem of farmers can be barely solved. Those merchants, craftsmen, and even local garrisons, the central imperial army, etc. can temporarily work in the fields, which should be enough to make up for the lack of farmers."

"However, the problem of cattle is not easy to solve. Some ministers suggested that cattle can be purchased from Shu and Nanchen."

"But their cattle are also in very short supply. Even if they agree to our purchase, the quantity will be small and the price will be sky-high. In the end, the problem will not be solved."

Su Xian thought about it secretly, but couldn't think of a solution for a while.

After all, farm cattle are cattle and need to grow, not grow. It takes a long time for a calf to grow into a big one.

No matter how talented Su Xian was, he couldn't make the calf grow up overnight, let alone let Nanchen and Shu reluctantly part ways. After all, food production was always the foundation of the country, and people had their own considerations.

But Su Xian confidently assured the Queen:

"Your Majesty, don't worry. I will definitely be able to think of a solution to the cattle farming issue. Please don't worry too much, your Majesty. You should put the dragon body first!"

"it is good."

The Queen nodded, her heavy heart really relaxed a lot, and said: "With Su Aiqing's words, I can rest assured."

(End of this chapter)