The Imperial Son-in-Law has apparently discovered grain and oil that the current dynasty does not possess. This is truly a novel event, and it seems to be a very significant one. If handled well, it would demonstrate that the Emperor is destined to be the Son of Heaven!

This is no joke; in this day and age, countless people believe in such things.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many auspicious events. This freshly produced grain and oil is itself an auspicious sign!

Even if it wasn't a proper grain, who dares to deny the importance of grain and oil? Whether the Ming Dynasty was short of oil or not is something many people know. The vast and resource-rich Ming Dynasty was indeed short of oil, and the people lacked oil and meat.

The palm oil presented by Feng Cheng was finally handed over. At first glance, it looked no different from ordinary rapeseed oil, except that it lacked the aroma of rapeseed oil.

Palm fruits were also served, and many people found it eye-opening. They thought the fruit looked familiar, but they had never heard of it being used in this way before.

How should I put it?

These clusters of what appear to be root-like structures produce a bunch of fruits about the size of apricots, somewhat resembling peanuts.

Zhu Yunying knew very well that these palm fruits did not grow underground, but on the tree.

He was well aware that although many people thought palm oil was harmful, the market for it was huge, especially for shops that made fried foods, which liked to use palm oil to fry food because it was cheap!

Moreover, there are countless blended oils made from palm oil on the market, naturally due to their price advantage.

Wait a minute, Zhu Yunying felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing this thing, but he was a little unsure.

These oval-shaped seeds are orange-red.

Looking at the fruits in his hand, Zhu Yunying felt a little strange. Normally, palm fruits should have some red color, right? Yes, the palm fruits used to make palm oil are from oil palms, not the fruits of ordinary palm trees.

Palm oil actually originated in Africa!

Although oil palms are now found all over the world, and Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil, there are no large areas of oil palm forests there now, and it is impossible for them to regard palm oil as one of their pillar industries.

While Zhu Yunying remained silent, many ministers listened attentively or whispered amongst themselves.

Boiling, crushing, and pressing—this is the process of making palm oil, which Feng Cheng had heard about. He had made some preparations, because to perfectly take credit for these tasks, he would need to put in more effort.

While Feng Cheng continued to accept the money with great enthusiasm, some ministers finally made up their minds, realizing that the emperor might have been tricked.

This is a palm tree. It can be said that, apart from the area north of the Yellow River, there were such trees in the Ming Dynasty.

It can be planted in courtyards, roadsides, and flower beds. With its upright growth and lush foliage, it is suitable for viewing in all seasons. The wood can be used to make utensils. The palm leaf sheath is fan-shaped and contains palm fiber; the leaves can be used to make fans, hats, and other handicrafts, and the roots can be used medicinally.

Although the fruits that the Imperial Son-in-Law took out looked different from ordinary palm fruits, they were largely the same, with only slight differences in color and size.

That doesn't make sense. Palm fruits from Southeast Asia can be pressed for oil, while the palm fruits from our Ming Dynasty are practically useless.

A minister stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I also have this fruit in my courtyard, but I have never heard of it being used to extract oil.”

This is naturally a more tactful way of putting it; everyone here is knowledgeable, so there's no need for pretense. Let this farce pass by to avoid losing face. The most important thing is to prevent the emperor from making a fool of himself, which would be detrimental to everyone.

Feng Cheng became anxious. He wanted a hereditary title, which was exactly what he relied on. He could only let these people brush him off with a few words. Moreover, he had prepared for this matter for a long time and had conducted a thorough investigation. He believed that he had a certain right to speak on it.

"Your Majesty, this substance does resemble palm oil in some ways, but it is also different," Feng Cheng said solemnly. "I was afraid of overlooking something, so I specifically asked the foreigners. This substance was presented by the Persians, and many foreigners consume this oil."

This is where things get interesting. Some civil and military officials in the court feel that the Imperial Son-in-Law is deceiving his superiors. The deception has already been exposed, yet he still dares to speak so shamelessly and with such eloquence?

This is just the fruit of an ordinary palm tree. It's fine to use palm trees to make some crafts, and many ministers even had palm-based beds in their homes.

But if you were to say that this stuff could be used to extract cooking oil, no one would believe you. This wasn't just a matter of people's knowledge; it concerned the oil and meat supply for the people of the Ming Dynasty, and it was a matter of the crucial question of whether the emperor would be deceived!

However, some people firmly believe that oil can be extracted from palm fruit!

Look at what the Imperial Son-in-Law is holding. The oil is readily available, and the fruit is different from ordinary palm fruit. So why do you assume that it is just ordinary palm fruit? Why do you dare to arbitrarily conclude that the Imperial Son-in-Law is deceiving the Emperor?

This is a complete mess! Everyone has their own stance and their own understanding.

Although those who could stand in the imperial court were the elites of the Ming Dynasty, many of them were knowledgeable or learned, it's not just now; even in this age of information explosion, many people are still unfamiliar with certain things or only have a superficial understanding of them.

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