Nangong Jingming and Nangong Jingyao, one is the crown prince and the other is the most favored prince in the court. The two fought tooth and nail for the throne.

They dislike each other so much that they'd rather the other be dead.

"Third brother, what delicious food are you making now? Your father wants to try it too."

Of the three princes, the emperor's favorite was probably Nangong Qing. In order to keep him away from the court, he gave him the opportunity to go out and find the lucky star.

The balance of power in the court is maintained by the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. As long as Nangong Qing is not in the capital, he is less in danger.

"Father, this is a new dish, I guarantee everyone will like it."

After saying this, Nangong Qing clapped his hands, and a large group of palace maids came over carrying trays.

Each minister had three plates of dishes made with chili peppers placed in front of him, and even the emperor had the same.

"Before you all eat, let me introduce it to you first."

Nangong Qing picked up a green pepper and stuffed it into the meat.

"This dish is called Jade Heart. The outer layer is as green as jade, and the meat inside is made with a unique recipe. It tastes delicious. Everyone should try it."

Nangong Qing was worried that the ministers wouldn't dare to eat, so he ate one first.

One bite at a time, just right.

There were so many people at the banquet tonight that each person only had three Emerald Hearts on their plate.

The eunuch took a bite first, and his eyes lit up immediately. This was much better than what the imperial kitchen made.

The eunuch beside him had served the emperor for many years, and judging from the eunuch's expression when he tasted the dish, he knew that this dish was extraordinary.

"Your Majesty, please have your meal."

The emperor followed Nangong Qing's example, eating one bite at a time, chewing slowly and carefully, letting the meat juices inside the chili peppers flow out, complementing the chili peppers.

It can only be described as a perfect match. Since he ascended the throne and entered the palace, the imperial kitchen has never cooked a dish that tastes better than this.

"good!"

After the emperor finished speaking, he ate two more. Since one should not eat more than three times, Nangong Qingcai only prepared three jade hearts for each person.

Only after the emperor started eating did the ministers dare to eat.

You won't believe how delicious it is until you try it!

What exactly is that green thing outside?

Spicy and refreshing, with the aroma of meat inside, it's absolutely amazing.

Forget about praising them, everyone at the banquet was wolfing down their food.

"Third Prince, this texture, and this plant... forgive my poor eyesight, but what is this? It has a unique flavor when eaten with eggplant."

The person who stood up to speak was Lin Kaiji, the Grand Minister of Agriculture of this dynasty. He was an expert in crops and plants, but he had no idea what the delicacy in front of him was.

"Hahaha... There's even food that you, Minister Lin, don't know about! Third Prince, quickly tell the ministers what it is."

"Yes, Father."

Nangong Qing stood up and showed everyone a chili pepper that hadn't yet been used in the dish.

"This is the prototype of the food in front of you. It is called chili pepper. As the name suggests, it is spicy."

There are two varieties. The one that you usually eat is not very spicy, and there is another one that is spicier. When it matures into a red pepper, it can be dried and used in dishes, so you can eat it all year round.

This plant had never been found in Nanning or Beiliang before; it was cultivated by a friend of mine. Eating it can dispel cold and is beneficial to our health.

Everyone thought it tasted delicious and praised it, except for Lin Kaiji, who felt ashamed.

Despite being the Grand Minister of Agriculture, he was less capable than a commoner. He had spent half his life studying plants but did not know that they could be cultivated.

It is unknown that the combination of plants can produce new plants.

He was unworthy of the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture.

"Is the Third Prince's friend the same friend as before?"

Besides Su Luo, Lin Kaiji couldn't think of anyone else who had the ability to cultivate new plants.

"yes!"

When the Imperial Advisor ate the chili pepper, his stern face finally showed a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

As the banquet ended, chili peppers left an indelible impression on all the nobles and royalty.

This stuff tastes more than a hundred times better than the final particles.

Inside the Imperial Study!

Besides the emperor, only Nangong Qing and the imperial advisor were present.

"Third Prince, you're still not back at the manor so late. I knew you had something you couldn't say at the banquet. Just say what you want to say. You've suffered these past three years."

The emperor felt sorry for this son; his mother had passed away, leaving behind only this young child.

To maintain balance in the court, he couldn't even show affection to the woman he loved most; all he wanted was for his son to be safe and sound.

Being carefree and living the life of a leisurely prince is quite nice.

To see the magnificent landscapes, eat the finest food in the world, be with the woman he loves most, and have a smooth and successful life would be the best he could ever hope for. This was also what his mother wished for.

“Father, I have not suffered at all in these three years. It is Father who has more gray hair at his temples.”

The emperor touched his ear. He was indeed old. Everyone in the palace flattered him, saying he was in his prime. He had almost forgotten his own age.

Only his Qing'er dared to say such intimate things to him, and he could only feel the affection between father and son when he was with Qing'er.

"I am getting old, my child. If you don't get down to business soon, your father will be going to bed."

Nangong Qing quickly bowed and said, "Father, as I mentioned to you in the letter, Su Luo from Changping Village has grown two seasons of rice, as well as eggplants, and now she also has chili peppers."

This has made a tremendous contribution to our dynasty, so why has the Emperor's reward been delayed?

The emperor's face darkened: "Did she send you to ask me for a reward?"

Nangong Qing was terrified and knelt before the emperor, clasping his hands in greeting.

"No, Father, she doesn't know my identity yet. It was I who acted on my own initiative, feeling that she hadn't received the reward she deserved. This is not like Father's style."

"Third Prince, please rise. His Majesty has kept this matter in mind, but the time is not yet right. Although the reward from Lady Su may be late, it will not be absent."

The Imperial Advisor advised Nangong Qing not to be impatient.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request to inquire when this reward will be granted?"

The emperor helped Nangong Qing up, letting out a long sigh...

"Third Prince, His Majesty has always been fair in rewarding and punishing, but the reward for Lady Su must wait, for the right time, the right place, and the right people."

The Imperial Advisor spoke in a cryptic and incomprehensible manner, which Nangong Qing could not understand.

"It doesn't matter if the Third Prince doesn't understand. You've been away from court for three years, and there are many political matters you haven't had time to learn about. Let me tell you this."

Lady Su planted a second crop of rice last year, and our dynasty obtained the seeds. This year, we planted it on a large scale. Northern Liang must know this news.

Even with scarce food supplies, we were able to fight the Northern Liang to a standstill. This year we have a second rice harvest, so our food supplies are plentiful.

His Majesty had already secretly sent people to inquire about this Lady Su; it turned out she had planted a whole estate of cotton this year.

This cotton can be made into cotton-padded clothing to withstand the frigid weather of the Northern Liang. If our dynasty were to cooperate with her and use her cotton to make cotton-padded clothing and quilts for the army, that would be a huge business opportunity. What do you think, would she agree to it?