TPITWOHEF

Chapter 94

Concubine Liu returned from Cining Palace to Donghua Palace, and joined Consort Min for a meal, playing with little Chu Chu.

After they finished checking the homework of the Sixth Prince Cheng Shan and the Crown Prince, they sent the princes back to Qianxi No.5 Residence to sleep. Upon returning, they became busy in Donghua Palace.

Consort Min was stuffing duck down into the winter clothes she was sewing. She was naturally energetic, and had previously secretly made feather shuttlecocks herself. Now, she was stuffing the duck down swiftly and skillfully, while chattering away.

"How ingenious I am to have come up with this idea for you!"

Little Chu Chu, who had just woken up in Concubine Liu's arms, stared wide-eyed.

[This is a down jacket!?]

Chu Chu was astonished by the gradually emerging, increasingly puffy and stuffed down jacket in Consort Min's hands.

[It was thought of by my Aunt Min!?]

Hearing her daughter's thoughts, Concubine Liu lowered her head, stifling a laugh, while continuing to sew the seams of the winter clothes stuffed with duck down by Consort Min.

"If I hadn't dragged you, Channiang, to play shuttlecock and exercise, and you hadn't noticed the feathers falling, and said that ducks don't seem cold in winter either, you wouldn't have thought of these warm down jackets."

Consort Min was excitedly flushed.

"Oh my, I didn't expect that I would also inspire you, Channiang, at times."

Hearing this, Chu Chu finally understood what had happened.

[Awoo, I must have missed this while napping during the day. It was Aunt Min who reminded my mother!]

[My mother has been thinking of making winter clothes to keep warm, and suddenly came up with the idea of down jackets!]

Concubine Liu stroked her daughter's little hand, checking its temperature, and bashfully smiled at her daughter's praise.

She waved for the palace maid outside to enter. "Qiu Li, try on this coat."

Consort Min immediately stood up, excitedly watching Qiu Li put it on.

The winter clothes they had sewn were all black, with two sizes - one for adults and one for children. The adult size was mostly one-size-fits-all.

This way, more people could wear them.

At that moment, Qiu Li put on the winter coat, and the hem reached below her bottom, the coat being a bit loose.

But after running around in it, she was delighted. "My ladies, it's warm, I'm not cold at all!"

Hearing this, both Consort Min and Concubine Liu were overjoyed.

"It really works! Channiang, you're so clever. My casual remark, which I didn't think much of myself, inspired you!"

Consort Min felt a bit embarrassed.

"Don't tell the Ministry of Works that I deserve credit for these down jackets. What did I really do? I just played shuttlecock with you and casually mentioned that duck feathers are thicker than chicken feathers, and ducks don't fear the cold even when swimming in water, so feathers aren't suitable for shuttlecocks."

Concubine Liu took her hand and patted it. "It was your casual remark that gave me the inspiration. How can you say you don't deserve credit?"

Sometimes, even the emperor has to delegate tasks to his ministers, unable to do everything alone.