Ji Yingying greeted Yan Ni before heading back. On the way, seeing that her face was getting more and more swollen, she asked Liu Yuanpan to help her get a prescription.
[What bad luck! I felt dizzy and ended up at someone's house!]
Who knows? They say they were just passing by, but I bet they weren't.
Ji Yingying was a little embarrassed.
Once I'm better, I'm going to keep eating it. I'm determined to eat it until I get used to it.
Xiangxiang fell silent. A woman who refuses to admit defeat might risk her life.
Because of an allergic reaction, Ji Yingying asked the Emperor for two more days off. Two days later, when Ji Yingying went to court, she heard that the corn had been harvested, and the kernels had been removed, dried, and ground into powder, yielding more than 200 catties of powder.
That powder can be used to make steamed buns and noodles, and they taste delicious.
Planting three acres of land and getting two hundred catties of flour is quite good; it's a good harvest.
"Minister Gong, have you really harvested the corn?"
"Yes, we harvested two acres of land. Five days ago, we saw that the corn silks had turned black, so we picked them. We dried them together with the leaves in the sun. After three days of drying, we shelled the kernels. Look, I even went to help. My hands are all red from rubbing them."
Ji Yingying looked at his hands; they were indeed red, so it seemed there really were that many.
"Are the corn kernels white or yellow?"
"Most of them are white."
"Sticky corn, this corn is quite delicious too." Ji Yingying chuckled twice: "Isn't there still an acre of land left to harvest?"
"yes!"
Why did he find Ji Yingying's smile so strange?
Just then, the Emperor arrived. After performing the kneeling ceremony, Ji Yingying immediately stepped forward and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I heard from Minister Gong that the corn is ready for harvest. There is still one mu of land left to harvest. Why don't you send someone to pick a dozen or so, boil them, and let us each try one to see how they taste?"
“It’s too wasteful to eat it all at once. It’s better to grind it into powder. If Your Majesty grinds it into powder, two acres of land can yield two hundred catties of powder. Moreover, I specially had someone bring over steamed buns made from cornmeal today.”
[You're so stingy! Who's kind enough to only give cornmeal and no corn to eat? Besides, who wants cornmeal buns? They're so rough on the throat, they don't taste good. I want corn pancakes, corn porridge, corn cakes, and corn juice.]
Wow... cornmeal can make this much?
Fearing she might try to take the corn, Minister Gong quickly had the freshly steamed corn buns brought out. The freshly steamed corn buns were surprisingly delicious.
However, it can be a bit harsh on the throat, but one is enough to make you feel full.
"My dear minister, save more seeds so that we can promote this nationwide next year and have every household plant corn."
"Yes," Minister Gong was also pleased and was about to look at Ji Yingying when the Emperor immediately said, "Since there is still an acre of corn, let's listen to Minister Ji and cook a pot of it to see how the corn tastes. Let Rong Yi do this."
Rong Yi immediately accepted the order and went to make arrangements.
The farm immediately collected about fifty ears of corn and sent them to the palace. Following Ji Yingying's instructions, the imperial chefs peeled off the husks, washed them, and put them in a pot with water to boil—no oil or salt needed.
The cooked dish was really... good. The head chef tasted a small piece and his eyes lit up. It was sweet, soft, and chewy, with an unforgettable aftertaste.
"Waaah, our Tianyou Dynasty has Lord Ji, it's truly... truly admirable."
Even though he knew that his words would get him beheaded, he was still not satisfied.
While the corn was cooking, Ji Yingying knew that Minister Gong was reluctant to part with the white cornmeal, so she said, "Minister Gong, don't be reluctant. You can have the corn stalks dried and used as firewood. The ash can be saved in bags or baskets and put on the corn when you plant it next year. The corn will grow even better next year, and maybe even three or four ears per stalk."
[Host, is it really true that you had four babies in one pregnancy?]
[Hehe, I'm not sure, but it's not impossible. Who knows, he might actually figure it out.]
That's true. Corn itself has a high yield; three acres would yield more than two hundred catties.
"Hmph, are you right?"
"Of course, otherwise, ask the Emperor if he would vouch for our corn. If it doesn't grow that much, the Emperor will get hemorrhoids."
"Sigh, you..." The Emperor was exasperated. You two are talking all you want, but using his backside as a wager, is that so noble?
"Your Majesty, besides the corn, the watermelons have also borne fruit. Steward Liu had the watermelons moved to a different location, and then cultivated them according to Lord Ji's notes. Yesterday, news came from the Imperial Estate that the watermelons have blossomed and there are even a few small fruits."
[Haha, this Consort Liu is really something, a farming expert! She actually managed to get watermelons to flower and bear fruit.]
"real?"
"Yes, Manager Liu also had people raise bees, and there's still honey now."
Wow, Lady Liu is brilliant! She definitely needs bees. Not only do they get honey, but they also pollinate the flowers—a win-win situation.
"Your Majesty, a batch of muskets manufactured by the Ministry of War has been completed, about three hundred in total. Yesterday, I ordered them to be secretly transported to the south. I believe General Luo will bring good news soon."
"Good, good, good..." The Emperor was overjoyed. One piece of good news after another came in, and he was simply ecstatic.
"All of this is thanks to Minister Ji. Here's what we'll do: Minister Ji is hereby granted the title of Princess Protector of the Nation, the fief of Xinhe County, a reward of ten thousand taels of gold, two chests of silk and satin, and two sets of jewels and jade. Minister Gong and Minister Hong are each rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and appointed as second-rank officials."
The two people who were rewarded immediately knelt down.
While Ji Yingying was still in a daze, she had become the eldest princess? The emperor's adopted daughter?
This... I can't believe it!
Quickly express your gratitude!
"Oh... Thank you for your great favor..." Ji Yingying was overjoyed; she had been promoted again.
Am I getting one step closer to becoming a powerful minister?
Yes, the burden is heavier now. Congratulations, my princess.
[Heh... I'm happy about the promotion and raise, but I'm not happy because I have to work. This position is probably still quite disliked.]
【hehe……】
Just then, the cooked corn was served.
Each ear of corn was plump, large, and beautiful, and the ministers were about to start eating.
"Wait a minute, everyone. We've already eaten steamed buns, so we can't possibly eat this much corn. Please watch out!"
Ji Yingying picked up her own and tried to break it... but she couldn't.
"Rong Er"
He called out to Rong Er, but Rong Er didn't appear yet. However, he appeared very soon, and the Emperor agreed.
"You can break it in half, or chop it into three pieces with a cleaver. Never mind, cook, have someone chop it into three pieces with a cleaver, hurry up."
"yes"
Then he did another thing, cutting the corn into three sections: "Come on, gentlemen, each of you can take a small piece. After you finish eating, you'll feel full."
At first, everyone felt wronged, wondering why such a big thing could only be eaten in such a small piece. But after eating just one small piece, they were actually full.
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