The dark damask is like a green sandalwood in one's arms.

Qingtan was someone she met by chance when she went to the temple to pray for blessings. She was covered in wounds, and Shen Danru felt pity for her and took her back to the Marquis's mansion.

After taking her back, Shen Danru simply asked a doctor to treat her injuries.

After Qingtan's injuries healed, Shen Danru gave her some travel money and let her leave.

However, Qingtan did not accept the money. Instead, she knelt before Shen Danru and expressed her willingness to stay and serve her.

At that time, Shen Danru did not trust Qingtan, but only felt sorry for her, so he made her a lowly maid in the Marquis's mansion.

Nevertheless, after Qingtan stayed, she worked diligently and conscientiously.

Now this girl is treating her with her life on the line. She once said, "Since my life was saved by Miss, then this life belongs to Miss."

There was no contract of servitude between them, and the girl still treated her as her master.

They went through life and death together, eating and living together. They were closer than blood sisters.

If there were anyone in this world who would never abandon her, she would think of Qingtan without hesitation.

She never treated Qingtan as a maid; even when dining in the dining hall, Qingtan would sit at the table with her.

After returning to the Duke's mansion, she will suggest to her grandfather and father that Qingtan become the third young lady, so that she can marry with dignity as the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion.

"Miss, what's wrong?"

Seeing that Shen Danru's eyes were red, Qingtan felt a pang of heartache. She wondered if she had upset her mistress by saying those things earlier.

She immediately assured them, "Miss, what I said just now was just said in anger. Please don't be angry. I will never say it again."

Seeing that her actions had caused Qingtan to misunderstand, Shen Danru covered her mouth and laughed, "I'm fine."

"Miss, you dare to tease me."

As she spoke, she began to tickle Shen Danru, and the two of them began to playfully wrestle.

After returning to the mansion, Song Yuqing first went to the courtyard of Song Xun and his wife.

She handed a few potatoes to Mr. and Mrs. Song and explained to them in detail the planting method that Zhou had described.

At the same time, she embellished the story of the Shen family to Song Xun and his wife.

Upon hearing this, Song Xun was overjoyed: "Yue'er has made such a great contribution, I must report it to the court immediately."

He knew very well that Yue'er was his bloodline, while Shen Danru, whom he had raised for fifteen years, had never considered anything for the Marquis's mansion.

As expected, it's not my own bloodline; raising it is a waste of time. What an ingrate!

The next day, when Shen Cheng reported to the Ministry of Revenue, he was told that Song Xun had already reported the potato planting method to the court the day before, taking all the credit for himself and his daughter Song Yuqing.

The Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this, and bestowed many precious items upon the Marquis's residence, and conferred upon Song Yuqing the title of Princess Xuanwen.

This has always been the rule in the Great Shun Dynasty. No matter how great the merits of a commoner's daughter, she would only be rewarded with some money or the like. But it was a different story for the daughters of powerful and wealthy families.

Now that Song Yuqing has been granted the title of County Princess and a formal honorific, it is a great favor from the royal family.

This story quickly became a popular tale in Shengjing, with the people praising Princess Xuanwen. Fortunately, the Marquis of Xuanping's family found their biological daughter; otherwise, such a talented person would surely have been buried in the countryside.

The powerful and wealthy families in the capital were all speculating: Wasn't that potato planted by Shen Danru? Why did it become Song Yuqing's?

When Shen Cheng returned to the manor, Shen Danru saw her looking worried and couldn't help but ask, "Father, what's wrong?"

Shen Cheng sighed and said, "Ru'er, I'm sorry, the credit for that potato matter has already been stolen by Marquis Xuanping."

Shen Danru smiled and said, "Let them be. This is a crime of deceiving the emperor. Since they dared to do it, they should bear the consequences of deceiving the emperor."

Zhou had never been to the fields and had not participated in potato planting; her knowledge was only superficial.

Although potatoes are easy to grow, they are not undemanding in terms of soil requirements, and the process must be flawless.

They can steal credit, but they can't take away the knowledge in your head.

Song Yuqing, since you like to take credit, I'll grant your wish, but whether you can actually seize the opportunity is up to you.

Shen Yu'an was in a hot pot restaurant when he overheard the customers talking about how Song Shiyue, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Xuanping, had been granted the title of Princess of Xuanwen County for her research on a new crop.

He was puzzled for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on. He said a few words to the shopkeeper and then hurriedly went home.

Upon arriving at Shen Danru's courtyard, Shen Yulan and Shen Yuyan were also there.

"You all knew?"

He said, panting.

Seeing that Shen Yu'an was drenched in sweat from running, Shen Danru wrung out a handkerchief and handed it to Shen Yu'an.

She asked with a smile, "Brother, is someone chasing you? Why are you running so fast?"

Shen Yu'an took the handkerchief, looked at Shen Danru for a moment, and seeing that she seemed to be alright, he then wiped his face with peace of mind.

"Second sister, you're not angry?"

"Why be angry? Brother underestimates me."

"My second sister is indeed extraordinary. I will go to the Duke of Xingguo's mansion immediately and have my uncle report her."

Shen Yu'an thought to himself, if it were him, he would have been furious.

"Brother, please calm down. How are the preparations for the grain and oil shop we mentioned before going?"

Shen Yu'an said in a low voice, "The shop has already been found. Second Sister, what do you want?"

Shen Danru nodded: "That's right. I plan to name the shop 'Shenji Grain Store,' mainly selling potatoes, with staple grains as a secondary product. We'll spread the word that the thousand acres of potatoes we grow in Ningzhou have gradually ripened and the supply is plentiful."

“I contacted Qinglong Escort Agency a few days ago and asked them to bring back 100,000 catties of potatoes on their return trip. The escorts will then park their wagons at the entrance of the grain store to sell them.”

Shen Yu'an seemed to be deep in thought.

Shen Yuyan said, "Second sister, this is a brilliant move. If we directly have Uncle impeach the Marquis of Xuanping, the Emperor will definitely try to suppress this matter. After all, it was the Marquis of Xuanping's residence that he personally bestowed. How could he possibly contradict himself? I heard that the Emperor's health is already at its limit. Given his current senility, he will definitely make us suffer this loss for nothing."

“If we stir things up, everyone in Shengjing will know that the potatoes come from our grain and oil shop, which grows them in Ningzhou. Marquis Xuanping has not set foot in Ningzhou for many years, which is clearly deceiving the emperor. Even if the emperor and the crown prince want to suppress this matter, it will probably be difficult to continue, because the people have their own standards. Moreover, Qinglong Escort Agency has an excellent reputation. With them around, our words will be more convincing to the people.”

Shen Danru gave Shen Yuyan an approving look, not expecting the boy to be so clever. Then she made a "shh" gesture.

"Yu Yan, do not speak ill of the Emperor. Be careful, for walls may have ears."

Shen Yuyan rolled her eyes at her: "Second sister always scare me."

Shen Danru warned him sternly: "I'm not trying to scare you. From now on, you are only allowed to say these things at home. You can't say them to anyone except your older brother and sister."

Shen Yuyan immediately sat up straight and obediently replied, "I understand, Second Sister."

Seeing that Shen Yuyan understood the seriousness of the matter, Shen Danru stopped scolding him.

"Qingtan, take this potato recipe to Liu Yishou and ask him to prepare a potato feast on the day the grain store opens. Anyone who buys potatoes at the grain store can taste them before purchasing."