One million shi of cotton piled up like a mountain, and a total of 200,000 shi were collected as tenant rent. These cottons were as white as snow and as soft as clouds. They were the fruits of the hard work of the people of the Song Dynasty. However, there was a lot of controversy in the court over the disposal of these 200,000 stone cotton, and various voices emerged one after another. "Your Royal Highness, in my opinion, these cottons should be sold to merchants to increase the revenue of the national treasury." A financial official stood up, bowed his hands, and said respectfully. "No!" Another official immediately retorted, "Businessmen are only interested in profit. If they are allowed to control cotton, prices will be driven up and the people will be miserable. I believe that these cottons should be made into clothes and given to officials and the royal family. , to show the emperor’s great kindness.” Zhao Yingluo listened quietly to the arguments of the officials, but her heart was calm. She knew that although these suggestions all made sense, they did not truly consider the issue from a national perspective. At this moment, Privy Councilor Zhu Shengfei stood up and said solemnly: "Your Highness, I have something I don't know whether to say or not." "Master Zhu, it's okay to say it." Zhao Yingluo smiled slightly and motioned for him to continue. "I believe that these cottons should be made into cold-proof clothing and distributed to Yue Fei's army stationed in Xingzhou." Zhu Shengfei said in a deep voice, "Winter is coming, and the Kingdom of Jin in the north is eyeing it. If the army does not have cold-proof clothing, how can it resist their invasion? I I think this is the most important thing right now.” Hearing this, Zhao Yingluo's heart moved. She knew that Zhu Shengfei was right. Now that the Song Dynasty was confronting the Jin Kingdom, the troops on the border were the country's barrier, and their life and death was directly related to the country's safety. And these cottons are exactly what they need most. Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao also stood up and expressed his agreement: "What Mr. Zhu said is absolutely true. Your Royal Highness, I believe that these cottons should be transported to Xingzhou immediately and made into cotton clothes for the army." Zhao Yingluo nodded: "Okay! Just as the two adults said. Ship the cotton to Xingzhou immediately, and make sure to make cotton clothes into the hands of the soldiers in the shortest possible time."
Following Zhao Yingluo's order, the entire court became busy. Officials took action to organize manpower and material resources to transport cotton to Xingzhou; craftsmen worked day and night to make cotton clothes; businessmen also organized spontaneously to donate materials to support the front line... A battle concerning the fate of the country began quietly. The temperature dropped sharply in November, but the army camp outside Xingzhou City was bustling with activity. Yue Fei stood outside the camp and looked at the rising sun on the distant skyline, but he was filled with worries. He knew that winter was coming but the soldiers' cold-proof clothing was still very thin. How could he not worry? How should they resist once the Jin Kingdom's army from the north moves south? Just as he was worrying, there was suddenly a sound of horse hooves in the distance, and he saw a group of people galloping towards him, and they were already approaching in the flying dust. The leader was none other than Wen Boyuan, who was ordered to escort the cold-proof supplies. He jumped off his horse and walked quickly to Yue Fei. He raised his hands and saluted: "General Yue, I have been ordered to bring the cold-proof clothes." When Yue Fei heard this, he hurriedly walked to the pile of supplies and saw brand-new cotton-padded jackets neatly stacked together. These cotton-padded jackets are made of cotton, as white as snow and as soft as clouds. Yue Fei stretched out his rough hands and gently stroked the surface of the cotton-padded jacket. The soft touch made him startled slightly. It was completely different from the rough linen clothes he had worn before. He couldn't help but put his nose close to the cotton-padded jacket and took a deep breath. A faint fragrance comes to your nose, which is the unique fresh smell of cotton. This breath made Yue Fei feel an inexplicable sense of peace and warmth, as if the cold wind of winter had been driven away by this fragrance. "Good! Good! Good!" Yue Fei praised repeatedly, "This cotton-padded jacket is light and warm. It is exactly what we need most right now. Your Highness the Princess is really a timely help!" He turned around and said loudly to the soldiers around him: "Brothers, come and see! These are the cotton-padded jackets that Her Royal Highness the Princess sent specially for us. With them, we no longer have to worry about the cold winter!" The soldiers gathered around, touching the cotton-padded jacket curiously and smelling the faint fragrance. Everyone’s face was filled with smiles of excitement and gratitude. They know that this winter will no longer be difficult. After a year, Wanyan Zonghan finally cleared away all the forces that opposed him within the Jin Kingdom and secured the throne. However, this winter was not easy for him. It snowed heavily in Yanjing in November, and the whole city was covered with thick snow and covered in silver, making it especially enchanting. However, for ordinary people, this heavy snow means a harsher winter and greater survival challenges. Since most of the high-yielding seeds were taken away by bureaucrats and the royal family, there was not much food left for them. Severe cold and hunger make this winter extremely difficult for ordinary people. Wanyan Zonghan was sitting in the room. Although there was a charcoal oven and mink fur, he still felt that his body was not warm. He frowned and looked at the falling snow outside the window, feeling a chill in his heart. At this time, Queen Pei Man came in holding a yellow cotton jacket. "Your Majesty, this is the cotton coat that I specially prepared for you. You will definitely feel much warmer when you wear it." Pei Manshi said and handed the cotton coat to Wanyan Zonghan. Wanyan Zonghan took the cotton jacket and felt that it felt soft and light. After he put it on, he immediately felt a warmth flowing through his body. It was much warmer than the leather jacket, and it was so light that he could hardly feel the weight.
"Where did this come from?" Wanyan Zonghan asked in surprise. "I bought it from outside the palace at a high price." Pei Manshi replied, "I heard that such warm clothes have been popular in the Song Dynasty recently, so I thought of preparing one for Your Majesty." Wanyan Zonghan was overjoyed after hearing this. He stroked the cotton clothes on his body and marveled. He has never seen this kind of clothing material. It is so light and warm, which is indeed rare. He turned around and said to Pei Man: "The queen is interested. I like this cotton coat very much. Come and reward the queen with gold, silver and jewelry!" Following Wanyan Zonghan's order, the maids brought up the gold and silver jewelry that had been prepared. Pei Manshi looked at the jewels in her eyes and was secretly happy in her heart. She knew that this cotton coat not only satisfied His Majesty, but also added another layer of security to her status in the harem. During the court meeting the next day, Wanyan Zonghan specially put on this yellow cotton coat. The ministers praised him one after another, and Wanyan Zonghan became more and more proud. He asked about the source and production of this kind of clothing material, thinking that if he could purchase it in large quantities and ration it to the army, it would definitely enhance the soldiers' combat effectiveness. However, Wanyan Loushi told him: "Your Majesty, this kind of clothing material is not easy to find. I sent someone to inquire about it. There are only a few hundred pieces in the entire Yanjing City, and the price is extremely high." Wanyan Zonghan couldn't help but frowned after hearing this. He knew that this kind of clothing material was precious and rare, but if he could not purchase it in large quantities, he would not be able to meet the needs of the army. He thought for a while and said to Wanyan Loushi: "No matter what, you must find a way to find the source of this kind of clothing material and purchase as much as possible. This is a major event related to the future of our country, and it must not be done. Anything went wrong!" Wanyan Loushi accepted the order and left, but her heart was filled with helplessness.