Chapter 89 Arriving in the Capital
Because potatoes were rare, most of them were shipped to the residences of nobles after they were grown. After all, at that time, officials could only taste a little at the palace banquets. With this as a gimmick, the nobles would of course try it first.
From the very beginning when potatoes were planted in the capital, Yan Xuanyu knew that someone was looking for ways to monopolize the potatoes. Not only did he not stop them, he also added fuel to the fire, making the value of potatoes higher and higher.
The poor potatoes were divided clearly while still in the field.
However, the taste of potatoes is indeed good. After the first season of potatoes, the nobles learned the cooking methods passed down by the imperial chefs in the palace. Stews include potato stew with meat, stir-fried potato slices and shredded potatoes. If you are a little more extravagant, you can make mashed potatoes with cheese that is not easy to get in the capital. In those days, the measure of wealth and status was to see who had a "potato banquet" at home.
At the beginning, there were two options before Yan Xuanyu. One was to collect the potatoes and let him distribute them to show his favor, and the other was to allow direct purchase.
He thought about it. If the first option still required him to pay, and he had always been pragmatic, honors and favors were just a way to curry favor with dignitaries. Yan Xuanyu no longer needed them. The military power was in his hands, and he had the final say in the court. Except for sometimes deliberately letting the court officials argue to reach a result, he would no longer be influenced by the court officials. So Yan Xuanyu decisively chose the second option!
He allowed the price of potatoes to rise higher and higher, allowing the common people to make a fortune.
Wouldn’t it be nice to use this money to buy other food?
After the hype subsided, Yan Xuanyu lowered the price. He wouldn't allow it to go up any further.
Later, even without Yan Xuanyu's control behind the scenes, the price of potatoes gradually fell into a dynamic range that was in line with the current situation, just like other grain crops.
The potato production is extremely high, and from the capital city outwards, more and more potatoes are planted in the fields.
Take the healthy potatoes, wash them, cut them into pieces and plant them. After a few seasons, the quantity will be quite considerable.
If we continue to move forward at this rate, there will be more and more space to grow potatoes.
The nobles also understood that the emperor had never intended to make potatoes a special supply for the upper class, but wanted it to be something that everyone in the Great Zhou could eat.
Originally, other grain crops, which even the people of the Great Zhou could eat, were divided into different grades. For example, rich families ate fragrant rice with plump grains and soft texture, while ordinary families could only eat the lowest quality rice - no, most families could not afford rice at all, and at most they could eat some mixed grain rice.
But things were different when potatoes arrived in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Once potatoes adapted to the environment, they would survive better than other crops. In addition, they had a huge yield and the taste was not much different.
If there is a difference, it is the cooking method, right?
Later, when ordinary families could eat potatoes, the most common and convenient way to cook them was to cook them over the fire. They were still soft and delicious, and could be made by making a fire while working outside.
You can also cut it into strips and make potato soup, which is filling and warming to the stomach, and has the same soft texture.
However, just as the potato craze is about to pass, a new shop has opened in the mall. They cut potatoes into very thin slices and fry them in oil until they are slightly curled and crispy, then roll them in prepared fine flour. Many people can't stop eating them once they have tasted them!
Fine powder has different flavors, and you can choose according to your personal taste.
However, people in Beijing rarely put this novelty on the table to entertain guests. Not only does it make a crunching sound that is not very elegant when eaten, it is also easily addictive. Once you start eating it, you don’t even bother to talk.
But not long after, the Beijing Chinese Medicine Shop made a huge profit again - the fire-removing teas such as honeysuckle were almost sold out.
Yan Xuanyu just laughed when he heard this. When potato chips and French fries were first put on sale in the mall, they didn't seem to be very popular on the surface, but privately, people from various mansions were sent to buy them, and the daily sales were very impressive. The potatoes harvested this season were almost gone from the farm.
As the yield of potatoes increases and more and more are grown, the weather will gradually get colder.
...
It wasn't often that something big happened in the capital, and people were no longer talking about potatoes, but about the imperial examination that would be held soon.
People chatting in restaurants, teahouses, and on the streets all talked about the changes in the capital during this period.
"I heard it's a gathering of the best scholars in the world. I'll have to come and see it on that day!"
"Would you like to take this opportunity to choose a good son-in-law?"
"If I win the bet... and choose someone with a clean family background, it would be a good thing for my son-in-law to stay in the capital and become an official."
A few days later, several inns in the capital suddenly began to expand. Someone went to test the innkeeper's intentions, and he did not hide anything. He said openly that the government had invested money and took over the inn as a "designated residence for students."
When they checked the price again, everyone was shocked!
“It’s so low?”
The innkeeper smiled bitterly: "This is not something that we ordinary people can decide!"
The world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit. If there is a way to make money, how could he not seize the opportunity to make a fortune?
Anyone who can open an inn in the capital must have a strong status, at least be respectable and have someone to protect him. Even he calls himself a "commoner", so it makes people wonder who is the one who lowered the price.
Regardless of speculation in the capital, the inn's several rounds of expansion are proceeding steadily.
I heard that the inn has been divided into many temporary compartments. Although the space is smaller, the facilities inside have increased significantly, including bathtubs, tables and chairs, paper and pens, and sealed windows, which allow for more light and are more windproof. Meals will be delivered directly from the restaurant at regular times...
Just hearing this is enough to make people stunned. Are all these prepared for students coming to Beijing?
What no one expected was that soon the Beijing shopping malls also had news that students coming to Beijing could enjoy some discounts by buying famous brands.
The mall's discounts weren't some kind of post-apocalyptic scheme to make money, but genuine discounts. So even those who heard the news were envious, even if they didn't know what the discounts were. The mall now offered a wide variety of goods, and the occasional discounts on weekdays were very tempting...
For example, those who are used to the existence of shopping malls now can’t resist the urge to spend money from time to time...
This was the first time since the founding of the Great Zhou that these students from all over the country gathered in the capital. It was hard to imagine what a grand scene it was.
...
Tang Xing came to Beijing with Fan Chuntai, whom he met during the exam.
Since the day they announced the results of the exam, the two began to prepare nervously for the examination. After they passed the inspection and were allowed to enter Beijing, the first thing they did was to find a place to stay.
Tang Xing met Ming Chengyu and the other two whom he had met in Hanyun City. They were very happy when they knew he had passed the exam, and they found a time when everyone was free to get together in a restaurant.
Of course, they were happy to see each other again after such a long separation. An Yuliang immediately said, "Why don't you and this brother stay at my house for a while? I'm rarely home these days, and it's quiet there, and it's convenient for preparing for the exam."
"No need." Kong Yan said with a smile, "Brother Tang, when you go to that inn later, just let them know. You can stay there for a short period of time at a very low price. Most of the people there are students taking the imperial examination this time."
After meeting again after a long separation, Tang Xing found that the three of them had changed a lot. They did not shy away from talking and said frankly that they were now working for His Majesty.
"I recommend you go to the Fulai Inn," Kong Yan whispered, "but I wonder if there's any room left. I heard that the top scorer in the Great Zhou imperial examination lives there."
"Top scorer in the imperial examination?" Fan Chuntai exclaimed, "How impressive that must be!"
At first, when Fan Chuntai and Tang Xing came together, he was a little reserved. After hearing that the three of them were from important backgrounds, he was even more afraid to speak. Later, after they gradually became familiar with each other, he started to speak as well.
"Yes." Ming Chengyu said with a smile. He wanted to compete with the top student to see if he was inferior to that person in knowledge, but he had no chance in the end.
These first batch of people who graduated from the military academy in the capital are already working for His Majesty in various places, and now they can almost be considered capable of taking charge.
"Then let's go to Fulai Inn, maybe we can share in the joy of the first place winner!" said Fan Chuntai.
Tang Xing didn't have any thoughts, as long as he could concentrate on reviewing.
The three of them took turns encouraging them, and they were all nervous about the imperial examination that was about to begin.
Tang Xing was very open-minded. He had traveled across mountains and rivers to come to the capital just to broaden his horizons and gain experience. All the talented people in the world gathered here. He was already ranked dozens of times higher in Hanyun City, let alone coming to the capital of the Great Zhou to make a name for himself.
He is now very content. With the status of a juren, his family's life has changed dramatically. The basic living security is now in place, and his mother has a smile on her face every day.
Therefore, Tang Xing was very calm about the imperial examination in the capital.
Ming Chengyu and the other two still had a mission to complete, so they chatted for a while, had a meal together, and then had to say goodbye to Tang Xing and the other two.
Tang Xing and his companion took their luggage and went to the Fulai Inn that Kong Yan mentioned. They happened to arrive at the right time and there were not many rooms left.
As soon as they entered the lobby of Fulai Inn, they saw that almost everyone here was dressed as scholars. Things were unexpectedly simple. They walked to the waiter and said something. The waiter took out something that looked like an account book, wrote down their names, hometowns, ages, and imperial examination rankings, and then gave them the keys to two rooms.
This inn has nice decoration and a good environment, but the price is unexpectedly low.
"Please go upstairs and walk east. There are two empty rooms." The waiter said with a smile.
Tang Xing and Fan Chuntai nodded and went to their respective rooms to put their things.
As soon as they put down their luggage and came back, the two of them gathered together to talk.
"There's even a lot of lamp oil in the room." Tang Xing was surprised.
This means they can review their lessons at night too!
"And paper and pen..." Paper and pen are no longer rare items for Fan Chuntai, but he was really shocked to see them in the inn.
The two were talking in the small hall on the second floor. There were few people here. Tang Xing suddenly noticed that there was a student with outstanding temperament at the next table. Tang Xing saw that he was dressed like an ordinary scholar and did not look like a son of a rich family, but there was a... servant beside him?
The servant looked quite kind, but he looked a little old and a little fat. At that time, no one looked down on fat people - being fat meant having no worries about food and drink, which was only seen in rich families, except for the rare special diseases.
But it was really strange to see two people like this together, and they couldn't help but look at each other a few more times.
Their gazes were not hidden, and soon the young man looked towards them, smiled and nodded in greeting.
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