Chapter 357 Harvest
He Ling quickly told the system to stop in her mind.
[Shut up, stop yelling! Can't you see you're disturbing the Empress? If you keep yelling, she might not help you with your quest!]
The system seemed to be intimidated by the threat; the electronic voice stopped abruptly, and it became as quiet as a chicken.
He Ling smiled, pondering how to make Jiang Huan happy.
The system, forced into silence, seemed to be making amends by issuing a very faint and obsequious electronic prompt.
"Ding~ Special offers in the system store: Soothing and calming essential oil (for pregnancy) x1, strengthening and fitness exercises (for pregnant women, soothing version) x1, only 50 points, redeem now?"
He Ling's eyes lit up.
This damn system is incredibly adept at changing its course depending on the situation.
[But essential oils and gymnastics? Sounds like they might be helpful for the Empress?]
Without hesitation, she silently vowed in her heart, "Exchange!"
"Ding! Redemption successful! Points -50, items have been issued."
She immediately took out the essential oil and the booklet made of special material from her system space and presented them to Jiang Huan like a treasure.
"Your Majesty, I just exchanged some great items with the system! This essential oil has an amazing calming effect, and this set of prenatal relaxation exercises is especially good for your health!" She winked. "I saw that it didn't require many points, so I quickly exchanged it for you. Please try it!"
Jiang Huan took the two items. She uncorked the bottle, and a delicate, slightly sweet fragrance wafted out, calming the mind.
The other booklet is filled with illustrations of various relaxing yoga poses, which look refreshing and invigorating.
The system's capabilities are getting bigger and bigger. Could it summon a yoga teacher for her?
Thinking this far-fetched idea, Jiang Huan chuckled and nodded slightly: "Yes, I'll accept it and give it a try later."
He Ling was overjoyed to see Jiang Huan accept the gift. She chatted with her for a while longer, and when she saw that Jiang Huan seemed tired, she took her leave with satisfaction.
In the days that followed, Jiang Huan had her maids massage her waist and abdomen acupoints with the essential oil every day, and she also exercised her muscles and bones according to the illustrations in the booklet.
Whether it was a placebo effect or a genuinely effective one, she felt her morning sickness lessen considerably, her body felt much lighter, and even the gloom between her brows faded a lot.
As for He Ling, she was busy working on that experimental field every day.
More than half a month later, the chili peppers and yams in the field finally reached maturity.
The chili pepper plants are covered with bright red fruits, some slender like horns, others round like lanterns, emitting a unique spicy aroma. Meanwhile, the roots dug out from the soil beneath the yam vines are thick and sturdy, full of starch.
Looking at the bountiful harvest, He Ling was so excited she almost jumped up on the spot.
[System! Quickly scan quality and output!]
"Scanning... The chili peppers are of excellent quality with moderate spiciness, and the yams are of superior quality. The yield per acre of both crops far exceeds that of similar local crops, confirming their suitability for promotion."
He Ling rubbed her hands together, her eyes sparkling.
She excitedly packed a basket of the best-looking chili peppers and yams and headed straight for the imperial study to request an audience.
However, Wang Degui, standing outside the Imperial Study, stopped her with a troubled expression.
"Consort He, His Majesty is currently engaged in state affairs with several officials and has been busy all morning. He has instructed that no outsiders be seen. What do you think..."
He Ling peeked inside and saw Huo Lin sitting behind his desk with a furrowed brow, a mountain of memorials piled up in front of him, and several solemn-looking ministers standing below him, creating a rather serious atmosphere.
She shrank back, looking a little timid.
It seems the Emperor is not in a good mood.
If she goes in now to present the treasure, will she run into trouble?
If the emperor feels that she is interfering with his political discussions, her merits will turn into crimes, and that would be terrible.
She hesitated for a moment, then decided not to risk this misfortune and instead carried the basket to Weiyang Palace.
Inside Weiyang Palace, Jiang Huan leisurely leaned against the soft couch by the window, eating crystal grapes peeled by a palace maid while flipping through the booklet that He Ling had given her, occasionally making gestures.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" He Ling rushed in, her face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.
Jiang Huan looked up and saw the bright red chilies and mud-covered yams in the basket she was carrying. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Wow, what a bumper harvest!"
He Ling presented the basket to Jiang Huan like a treasure: "Your Majesty, look! These chili peppers are excellent for cooking and seasoning. This is yam, which is good for the spleen and stomach, and nourishes the body. It's best for making soup. They were all freshly harvested from the experimental fields and they're growing very well!"
Her eyes sparkled, and her tone was full of pride: "And these all grew from seeds given by the system, so they have high yields and are easy to grow."
Jiang Huan couldn't help but smile as she watched her gesticulating wildly.
She picked up a red chili pepper, smelled it, then touched the thick yam and nodded: "Hmm, it looks good. You've done a great job this time. Why don't you go and report it directly to the Emperor?"
Upon hearing this, He Ling's face immediately fell, and she complained pitifully, "I went, I went, but Eunuch Wang said that the Emperor is busy and does not see outsiders. How could I dare to go in and risk bad luck?"
She looked at Jiang Huan expectantly: "Your Majesty, could you please go and talk to the Emperor for me? This is such a good thing that benefits the country and the people. The sooner the Emperor knows about it, the sooner it can be promoted, so that the people can benefit sooner."
Jiang Huan couldn't help but chuckle at her obsequious manner.
However, Huo Lin has been preoccupied with spring planting and border defense matters lately, so hearing this news should cheer him up.
"Alright, put the things down. I'll speak to the Emperor on his behalf when he comes later."
He Ling immediately beamed with joy and left, thanking him profusely.
As evening fell, Huo Lin arrived at Weiyang Palace, exhausted. He rubbed his throbbing temples, his brow furrowed with weariness and seriousness.
The northern army is facing a significant pay shortfall, and the spring planting seeds have been damaged by pests; truly, misfortunes never come singly.
Those old foxes in the Ministry of Revenue only know how to complain about being poor; they can't come up with a single practical solution.
[Alas, if only there were more grain and the people were more prosperous, I wouldn't be in such dire straits.]
Seeing his appearance, Jiang Huan got up to greet him and took the hot tea from the maid and handed it to him.
"What's wrong? You look terrible."
Huo Lin sighed, sat down beside her, briefly recounted the troubles in the court, and then rubbed his temples.
"These are all long-standing problems that can't be solved in a short time. Let's not talk about this anymore. How are you feeling today? Are you feeling better?"
Jiang Huan felt a pang of heartache upon seeing the dark circles under his eyes and decided to give him a surprise.
She gestured to the palace maid to bring He Ling's basket of treasures over and place it in front of Huo Lin.
"Here, take a look at this. Maybe it can help you solve some of your troubles."
Huo Lin looked at the red peppers and yams in the basket: "They're quite big."
However, I don't think I've ever seen this variety before.
Jiang Huan picked up a chili pepper and waved it in front of him: "This new variety of chili pepper has excellent flavor and a high yield. Look, this is called yam. It strengthens the spleen and replenishes qi. It is both a medicinal herb and a grain, and the yield per mu is not low."
She repeated He Ling's words, and as Huo Lin listened, his eyes gradually brightened, and his fatigue vanished.
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