Guanglu Temple was in charge of the supply of palace food, not only the emperor and members of the royal family, but also the eunuchs and palace ladies in the palace. In addition, the people who work in the Forbidden City are also budgeted.

Therefore, the number of eunuchs and palace maids is related to the cost of palace meals.

Emperor Yongming still remembered the budget proposed by Wu Yan in his heart, but what concept did he have as an emperor? So he called Huzi, the big boss of the Qianqing Palace, to come and inquire.

Huzi, who was promoted to the head of the Qianqing Palace, is the real housekeeper of the Qianqing Palace, the head of the practical affairs, and the previous head was punished by Emperor Yongming to Nanhaizi.

Wu Yan naturally knew this, but she felt that this person was more gloomy than Li Dongyan, so she didn't like to deal with him. In fact, except for Zheng Jue, who was the master of ceremonies, she rarely interacted with other eunuchs.

Eunuchs because of ...... They all have a glass heart and will be as gentle as a woman, but Huzi and Li Dongyan are extreme, and there is no trace of softness on their bodies.

"Ah Hu, tell me how many eunuchs and palace maids are there in the palace? How are the meals arranged? Emperor Yongming asked.

Huzi didn't answer immediately, the head of the Qianqing Palace couldn't control the personnel in the palace, and this was generally supervised by the celebrity. He pondered in his heart for a while before he slowly opened his mouth: "Back to the emperor, in the sixth year of Yongming, about 3,000 people were selected to purify the inner mansion, 2,000 people were sent to all the palaces in the world to use, and 2,000 people were collected to fill the forest garden and sea households. and in seven years two thousand were elected; This year, 2,500 people will be selected from the Haido and Pure Army to serve in the Inner Prefecture, and it is likely that an additional 1,700 will be needed by the end of the year...... At present, in the palace, if you don't count his death, there are about 9,000 people in total. ”

Emperor Yongming was stunned, there seemed to be a lot of people? He continued to ask, "What about the palace maids and female officials?" ”

"Since last year, there have been no draft girls...... If it is an internal official and a palace maid, the total number is about 12,000. ”

He didn't really know how many palace maids there were, but he remembered that he had read a meal list, which recorded that there were 600 eunuchs and palace maids recorded by 'position and points', and 361 tables recorded by 'table', according to eight people per table, excluding eunuchs, a total of about 3,000 people.

"How do the palaces arrange the meals for these 12,000 people?"

"Back to the emperor, each has its own rules. For example, the Qianqing palace has a total of 70429 coins of silver per month, the imperial diet has a total of 468 27 coins of silver per month, the Cining Palace has a total of 7732 coins of silver per month, the Kunning Palace has a total of 3352 coins of silver per month, Yikun Palace and Jingyang Palace have a total of 64827 coins of silver per month, and Yonghe Palace, Chuxiu Palace, and Yongning Palace have a total of 260 coins of silver in three months......

"The concubine has a total of 51 taels of silver per month, the princess and the prince have a total of 44 taels of silver per month, 16 palace maids and other 16 women, a total of silver and nine pieces of land per month, the Yangxin Palace, Jingren Palace, the Sage Palace, the Yishen Temple, etc., Long Dezhai, Le Zhi Zhai, Yu Fangxuan and other servants, promised a total of 140 tables, and a total of 129 coins of silver per month...... Two tables of royal supervisors and craftsmen, a total of 227 coins of silver per month, the head of the Wenhua Palace, etc., a total of 25 taels of silver per month, a total of 57 taels of silver for cabinet meals, a total of 124 coins of silver per month for the palm seal of the Hanlin Academy, and 35 people including the officials of the Hanlin Academy paid 3 coins and 6 cents of silver per month......"

It is rare for him to remember it so clearly, it can be seen that he has put in a lot of effort, and it is no wonder that he was promoted by the emperor to the head of the Qianqing Palace.

"So, the palace provides silver for monthly meals?"

"Counting only these 12,000 people and the relevant people in the Forbidden City, a total of 13,222 taels of silver per month," Huzi quickly replied, in fact, not only these, but also the cost of each palace is the majority.

The meals of the people of Guanggong cost more than 100,000 taels a year, accounting for one-third of the annual expenses of Guanglu Temple, and Emperor Yongming felt that he was a little worried about the money of Guanglu Temple.

He thought for a moment, and then decided: "That being the case, Yan Sizhen's suggestion, I think it is still possible to give it a try, and the Qianqing Palace will set an example first, and then the queen mother's palace and the queen will ......."

"Emperor, how do you make that budget?"

"Uh...... According to the expenses of the palace in previous years, first list a list, and then see if there is any increase or decrease under these items next year...... That's it. ”

Huzi weighed it in his heart, and said, "Yes, the emperor, the little one understands." ”

In fact, it is not only the people in the Forbidden City who need the food provided by Guanglu Temple, but also the town inspectors and other officials of the royal palaces, the kings who come to the court, the personnel who see the speech, the officials of the feudal domains, the Yan Shenggong, Zhang Zhenren, the palace examination papers and deacons, the lectures on the feast and the East Palace, the selection of officials and soldiers, the national teachers, Zen masters, monks, doctors, and the supervisors of the internal and external yamen, military and civilian craftsmen, and so on.

The emperor's palace took the lead in making a budget, and this matter quickly spread in the harem, and the queen's Kunning Palace, as a model for the harem, naturally could not 'drag its feet'. The queen is not from a big family like Concubine Wu and Concubine Qian Zhao of Chuxiu Palace, but an ordinary Xiucai family from Daxing County, who has been accustomed to careful budgeting since she was a child.

It is very rare to say that the queen has such qualities, and Wu Yan also respects the queen very much at this point. It's just that in the harem, it is not that you have excellent qualities to get the favor of the emperor.

Queen Wang called her personal steward Mama to her and asked, "Mama Li, can the daily meals in Kunning Palace be reduced a little more?" Hongu feels like it's ...... on weekdays."

"!" Mama Li frowned when she heard this, and hurriedly stopped her. This palace meal is not a question of whether to reduce or not, Niangniang, you think too simply! Even if the Kunning Palace is reduced, the other palaces will naturally increase, so what's the point of decreasing?

Mama sighed in her heart, but she still had to persuade again: "Niangniang atoned for her sins, and the slave maid made a mistake, but the meal in Kunning Palace really can't be reduced." ”

Queen Wang groaned and asked, "You read it to the palace, what are you doing in this palace meal on weekdays?" ”

Mama was helpless, so she had to say: "There are 55 catties of pork and 8 taels of pork, 22 catties of pork for mutton, tripe, liver, etc., 5 geese, 10 chickens, 2 pork belly, 10 chickens, 150 catties of noodles, 13 catties of sesame oil and 6 taels, 5 catties of sugar, 9 catties of brown sugar, 20 catties of mazea, 15 taels of gluten, two tofu, eight taels of fragrant wattles, eight taels of mushrooms, one pound of green bamboo shoots, two taels of pepper, two taels of pepper, 15 catties of walnuts, 10 catties of red dates, one pound of hazelnuts, 10 taels of pine nuts, 1 bucket of sesame seeds, 6 liters of red beans, 2 catties of beans and vegetables...... 11 taels of silver and 5 cents of silver are counted every day. ”

"This palace doesn't like to eat women, let's cross this one, and the goose and chicken are halved, and the pork is reduced by another twenty catties...... For the rest, you can weigh it again. ”

Mama Li almost cried: "Mother! ”

"You don't have to persuade anymore, this palace knows it, but ...... If the main palace decides, it will not change. Queen Wang insisted.

————

Wu Yan was surprised that the first budget she received in the palace was actually from the queen's palace. Looking at this 'shrinking' budget, she thought about it again and again, and felt that she still had to go to Kunning Palace to explain to the queen......

"Niangniang," Wu Yan said respectfully, "The minister has a few words I want to say to you." ”

Queen Wang said gently: "Yan Sizhen, please speak." ”

"Niangniang, Your Majesty asked each palace to make a budget, not to reduce the amount of money in the palace, how the rules should come is still the same."

"Hehe, of course I don't know about this palace, but I just think that Kunning Palace can't use so much on weekdays, and it can't be saved, it's really too wasteful."

Wu Yan didn't know that the queen was in the habit of frugality, in fact, sometimes she would feel that the palace was wasting too much on ingredients and fruits, to the extent that she couldn't stand it. In the era of material excess, she did not advocate extravagance and waste, especially since she was a chef herself, and she would not waste any food that could be eaten.

She pondered for a while, and then said: "Niangniang, the minister suggests that you can make some adjustments in the type, for example, if you don't like the child, then change it to yogurt, and if you don't like meat, then increase the supply of fish, shellfish, eggs, or more fresh vegetables and fruits...... In short, there is no need to reduce the total amount. ”

Queen Wang couldn't help but wonder: "What is yogurt?" ”

"Fermented by the mother, the flavor is unique and delicious, Wu Guifei and Niangniang you also don't like the mother, and later the minister suggested that she make yogurt, and now it has become her favorite. For the sake of your health, it's good to eat more dairy products. Also, if the mother thinks that the pork, beef and mutton are too fishy and greasy, you can replace it with chicken, rabbit, fish, etc., which is also beneficial to the body. ”

"Hehe......" Queen Wang couldn't help laughing: "The first time I heard Yan Sizhen say this: it's out of good health...... Hongu kind of likes this statement. ”

"Niangniang, the old saying of the people in the market often says, seven things to open the door, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea. Except for the first firewood, the rest are related to eating, and the people take food as the sky, so don't underestimate eating, it is a major event related to the national economy and people's livelihood. Also, the minister often heard the old lady doctor of the Tai Hospital advise His Majesty to say: eat less and eat more to be full, and eat meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits and milk often......"

"Haha......" The queen couldn't help but cover her mouth and laughed: "Yan Sizhen, is this what the old lady said?" Why hasn't Hongu heard of it? I'm afraid you didn't make it up, right? ”

Wu Yan said disapprerovingly: "Hey, the minister dares to say it to him in person, he will definitely not object!" In fact, Niangniang, you can just look at the old lady doctor, she is still walking like a fly when she is old, with a childish face, a ruddy face, and a voice like a bell...... That's what makes a good body out of it. Once, he heard from somewhere that the minister knew the eighteen ways to eat crabs, and the minister was blocked at the Donghua Gate every day, so he wanted to get eighteen ways to eat from the minister, and then the minister was really annoyed with him, so he had to tell him the seventeen ......"

Queen Wang laughed again, and after laughing, she couldn't help but sigh: "Hey~ Okay, your suggestion is accepted by this palace......"

Mama Li personally sent Wu Yan out of Kunning Palace, and she was very grateful: "Thank you, Yan Sizhen." ”

Wu Yan smiled and didn't say anything.

Since the Qing Palace, the palace has launched a vigorous budget-making campaign, anyway, the six palaces in the east and west are each with their own strange tricks, full of tricks. made Wu Yan a little crying and laughing, how rigorous it is to make a budget, and now it seems that it is as lively as the concubines' daily trips?