"Don't you live in the palace?"
Even Shen Qinghe felt confused.
Ning Que shook his head.
"It's not as simple as you think. The Emperor's food, clothing, housing, and transportation are all forbidden matters in the palace. Anyone who dares to inquire will be punished, let alone knowing. Furthermore, the Chang'an Imperial Palace has over 200 palaces. Excluding the few dozen he won't live in, he could potentially live in any of the other 200. His whereabouts are top secret, and no one knows. Only a handful of close associates, like Steward Hu, know where he lives."
"Even if we were lucky enough to get some information, it would be meaningless. Not to mention the Emperor's own martial arts skills, there must be guards secretly guarding outside the palace where he is. Moreover, the palace is always under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Guards. The possibility of us getting close to the palace is almost zero."
"Besides, Emperor Feng's martial arts are also at the pinnacle. And Steward Hu, who is beside him, is also a top-notch expert. In terms of martial arts, he's probably even better than the two of you. I won't say anything else, just think about your chances of winning."
"Oh My God……"
Ximen Jie was dumbfounded when he heard this.
He had carried out assassination missions frequently over the years and had seen many cautious targets, but compared to Emperor Feng, they were nothing but nobodies.
"You underestimated Emperor Feng."
Ning Que looked helpless.
Being the master of Dafeng, is it that simple?
Furthermore, Emperor Feng was known for his cautious nature, never revealing any flaws in his actions. Over the years, there had been attempts to assassinate Emperor Feng, but Ning Que had only witnessed him do so once. That incident completely changed Ning Que's perception of Emperor Feng.
At the time, Emperor Feng was on his way to inspect the prefectures and counties when he was ambushed by a group of assassins. One assassin was so powerful that he even approached the emperor's carriage. However, Emperor Feng broke his neck with his bare hands, then single-handedly lifted the nearly 200-pound man and flung him several feet away.
Even Ning Que was shocked by such force. After all, Emperor Feng usually never took action, leaving it to General Hu to handle the situation. And while General Hu might be a eunuch, he possessed exceptional martial arts skills, often leaning towards the more feminine. He remembered rumors circulating in Chang'an that General Hu had helped establish and train the Ghost Guard.
The old Prince Ning had once told him that General Hu was a loyal and devoted man. He had followed the old general ever since entering the palace. He had mastered a very feminine martial art that seemed innocuous, but in reality, each move was aimed directly at the vital points, potentially killing the opponent.
"So... there really is no chance of assassination?"
"Um."
Ning Que nodded and said softly, "I know what you're worried about. With the Empress Dowager in the hands of Emperor Feng, I'm bound to do whatever I want. But I can't just live for myself. There are also people like you. If Emperor Feng really threatens me with the Empress Dowager someday, I'll have no choice but to harden my heart. After all, the Empress Dowager has done many wrong things over the years, and I believe this will be a relief for her."
"Then we can rest assured."
Ximen Jie and Yi Suiyun looked at each other.
This is actually a very realistic thing.
Even though the Queen Mother was Ning Que's biological mother, she had treated him with undeniable kindness when he was a child. But if one wanted to achieve great things, one couldn't sacrifice public affairs for personal feelings. Ning Que could still distinguish between the important and the unimportant.
"Then let's not talk about it."
"Just keep it in mind."
"By the way, where are you going now?"
"I'm going to check on the potatoes." Ning Que forced a smile and explained, "I asked Senior Brother Wan to keep an eye out for the potatoes earlier, and he successfully brought them back from the Western Regions. I asked the two Senior Brothers Hai to plant them in Lingnan ahead of time, and it's almost time to harvest them now."
"Potato?!"
Yi Suiyun was stunned for a moment.
Ximen Jie's face was full of questions, he didn't understand what was going on.
"What are potatoes?"
"You left Kunlun long ago, so you don't know. Junior Brother is a natural intellectual, and since he comes from Prince Ning's Mansion, he's read a lot of books we haven't. He said there's an ancient book in the palace that mentions a crop called potatoes overseas, or in the Western Regions. It has a very high yield per mu and is suitable for both vegetable and grain production. Over the years, Senior Brother Wan has been leveraging the connections of the Eight Treasures Trading Company to send merchant groups to the Western Regions."
“How high is the productivity per acre?”
"About twenty stones."
"Twenty stones?!"
Ximen Jie’s eyes almost popped out of his head.
The yield of staple food these days was not high. Even with intensive rice cultivation, the maximum yield was only three dan. But now potatoes could yield up to twenty dan?
Ning Que smiled and pointed ahead, saying, "Don't worry, we've already reached the farmland. The farmers have also arrived, so we can now take a look at the potato yield."
“Haha, okay!”
Everyone nodded.
Blockhouses were also built near the farmland. These things were synonymous with invincibility during this period. They were made of cement and were extremely strong, even withstanding a giant stone cannon.
“Is this a turret?”
"Well, I named it a bunker." Ning Que nodded and explained, "Some time ago, the Japanese pirates took advantage of the opportunity to attack here, and Song Ci and his men suffered many casualties. I thought of building a bunker to protect against the Japanese pirates. There are three bunkers here, and each can accommodate twenty people. Do you see the small hole? It can be used for shooting arrows, or even using firearms."
"The bunker is filled with food and water, as well as ballistae, crossbows, and various arrows. Even in a protracted battle, the bunker can hold out for several days. Furthermore, the gate is made of pure iron, making it incredibly sturdy. Once closed, a huge rock can be lowered inside. This rock weighs a thousand pounds, making entry nearly impossible. With the bunker, we can potentially defeat ten enemies with one."
"sharp."
Ximen Jie nodded thoughtfully.
Touched the rough wall of the bunker.
Looking up at the three-foot-tall bunker, he was filled with emotion. This bunker must be very strong. It would take a lot of people to storm it. With such a strong fortification, even if the Japanese pirates sent hundreds of people, it would be useless.
“This is the experimental field.”
Ning Que stood on the edge of a field, gazing out over the fields. The potato vines had already withered and yellowed, and many farmers were still waiting in the fields. The edge of the field was filled with people, and many of his personal guards, weapons in hand, stood ready.
"Prince Ning, are the potatoes ripe now?"
"Well, we can start digging."
Ning Que smiled.
He raised his hand and said seriously, "These potatoes are hard-earned. You can use a wooden shovel to dig them out. Remember to use cleverness, not brute force. When you've dug enough, you can just lift the potatoes out."
"yes!"
"Okay, let's start digging now!"
Ning Que clapped his hands.
The farmer immediately began to work.
Using wooden shovels, they dug down along the vines. Although their movements were clumsy, they were careful enough. Tie Niu personally went to the field and pulled hard, pulling out seven or eight potatoes.
"Haha, look at this!"
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