Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

Chapter 347 Leave some food for the small animals in the mountains

"Your Majesty, some of the grain collected from the various estates has already been sold into the national treasury, while the remainder has been kept in the respective estates. This is the grain ledger," Li Desheng said respectfully as he entered, holding a thick ledger in both hands.

Li Desheng no longer serves Su Nuannuan much, because Su Nuannuan needs a manager who can handle external affairs, and Li Desheng happens to be the right person.

Su Nuannuan leaned lazily against the cushions on the small couch, stretched out her hand slightly, pointed to the small table on the couch, and said softly, "Let's put it there for now!"

"Yes." Li Desheng quickly replied, then strode to the small table and gently placed the account book on it.

After putting away the account books, Li Desheng took a step back, bowed slightly, and asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything else you require?"

Su Nuannuan thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How's the duck down harvesting going?"

Li Desheng quickly replied, "We've already collected some, but not every household has this down, so the quantity may not be as much as we expected."

"After autumn arrives, the weather gradually turns colder, and the chill intensifies with each passing day. The western and northern border towns are probably not far from seeing snow."

Su Nuannuan sat by the window, gazing at the distant mountains, lost in thought. She suddenly remembered a place nearby that specialized in raising chickens, ducks, and geese; perhaps they could find clues about duck down there. So, she turned to Li Desheng beside her and said, "I remember there's a place nearby that specializes in raising chickens, ducks, and geese. You might want to go there and inquire. Also, don't forget about the restaurant. They might not have had any before, but since I posted the notice about buying duck down, we should have some results."

Upon hearing this, Li Desheng suddenly realized as if struck by a thunderbolt, and hurriedly replied, "How could this servant not have thought of that? Your Majesty, this servant will go and do it right away." After saying this, his face was full of joy, as if he was full of confidence in finding the down.

Seeing this, Su Nuannuan smiled slightly and instructed, "Go! This matter cannot be delayed; we must hurry."

Li Desheng quickly bowed to Su Nuannuan, then turned and hurried away, afraid of wasting time.

After Li Desheng left, Su Nuannuan sat up straight, stretched her stiff neck, and then reached for the teapot to pour herself a steaming cup of tea. She took a small sip, enjoying the warmth of the tea, and her mood relaxed.

"Jinse, how is Tingxue doing?" Su Nuannuan put down her teacup, looked at Jinse standing to the side, and asked.

Jinse smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, the inner lining of the down jacket has been completed. It will be filled in once the washed duck down has dried. As for the outer lining, Tingxue is working hard to sew it."

"I never expected Tingxue to be so clever, actually figuring out a detachable down jacket on her own!" Su Nuannuan said slowly with a smile, picking up her teacup, taking a sip.

Upon hearing this, Jinse couldn't help but chuckle and nodded in agreement, "That's right! Although Tingxue may seem a little slow in other matters, she's truly gifted when it comes to needlework! Even if all of us were combined, we probably couldn't compare to her!" As she spoke, Jinse gently shook her head, seemingly full of admiration for Tingxue's needlework skills.

Su Nuannuan smiled slightly, put down her teacup, and said earnestly, "Everyone has their own talents and strengths, just like everything in this world, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. So, we must never compare our weaknesses with others' strengths, as that will only cause us more trouble."

Upon hearing this, Jinse quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. This servant has learned a great deal."

Su Nuannuan nodded slightly, turned her gaze to Jinse, and asked, "Has there been any news from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"

Jinse shook her head and answered truthfully, "Your Majesty, there is still no news. The Duke, his wife, and the two young mistresses have not yet returned."

"This trip back to my hometown was indeed quite long!" Su Nuannuan picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and the aroma of the tea filled her mouth. With her other hand, she rhythmically tapped the small table, making a crisp sound.

"Perhaps it's because there's a junior back in his hometown that the Duke values, which is why he's staying a little longer. This isn't the first time," Jinse said with a smile.

Su Nuannuan nodded slightly, and said thoughtfully, "That's true. Such a large Duke's mansion can hardly be sustained for long by just Father and my three brothers." She put down her teacup and looked out the window. Sunlight streamed through the window and cast dappled shadows on the floor.

"This autumn harvest, the heavens were very kind to us; it didn't rain. Otherwise, half of the people's grain would have been wasted," Su Nuannuan said with emotion.

Jinse chimed in, "Yes, the weather this year is really nice. God is truly looking out for us."

Suddenly, Su Nuannuan had a bright idea. A smile appeared on her lips as she suggested, "How about we go up the mountain for a stroll? The scenery there must be beautiful, and we can breathe some fresh air too."

"Your Majesty, you absolutely mustn't! Your body has only just recovered; you can't withstand such exertion," Jinse urged anxiously.

Su Nuannuan looked at Jinse with a hint of helplessness and said softly, "I just want to go up the mountain for a look, not to do any heavy work. Why are you so nervous?"

Jinse quickly shook her head and earnestly advised, "Your Highness, as you know, the road up the mountain is rugged and uneven. What if you accidentally twist your ankle or bump into something? Besides, we have almost everything in the mountains in our manor, so why make this extra trip?"

As she spoke, Jinse held up two fingers and gestured, saying, "Look, just because you like those things from the mountains, our manor has already been expanded twice!"

Upon hearing Jinse's words, Su Nuannuan couldn't help but chuckle. She understood that Jinse meant well, so she nodded and said, "Alright, in that case, I won't go."

"Let's go check on those fruit trees in the back later—chestnuts, walnuts, apples, hawthorns, pears… we can't count them all. Come on, let's go now," Su Nuannuan urged Jinse as she stood up.

"Your Majesty, are you really not going up the mountain?" Jinse asked, afraid that her mistress might change her mind.

"If we're not going up the mountain, I still need to leave some food for the little animals there to get through the winter, don't I?"