Pei Zhujin gestured to Qiao Lian'er, saying, "This is the Princess of Dingxiang, who manages this fiefdom."
He Lizheng bowed to Qiao Lian'er again, while quickly and carefully observing her.
Slightly surprised, the girl had a heroic and wise air about her, and her eyes seemed to see right through people, as if they contained the soul of an adult.
"Mr. He, we're tired. We wonder if we could borrow your pot to cook a meal?" Qiao Lian'er said with a smile.
"We brought rice, vegetables, and meat."
He Li was astonished that these important people would actually come to his home, a humble commoner's house, to cook and eat.
I thought I was going to hear some kind of lecture at the beginning, but I didn't expect to smell the smoke and fire as soon as I arrived.
He immediately replied readily, "I couldn't have asked for more. It would be an honor to have you here. Please come in, esteemed guests."
They thought they could just use the grains and vegetables from their own homes, but then they realized that the ones brought by the wealthy must be of much higher quality, so they decided not to export them.
In the north, most houses are square courtyards, but He Lizheng's house is relatively spacious.
Two cooks accompanied them. As soon as the carriage stopped in front of the door, they took out the rice, vegetables and meat and began to prepare them.
Soon, a rich aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, filling the air with its fragrance.
He Li was talking to his guests about the situation in Shiquan Village when he couldn't help but sniff: "What kind of rice is this? It smells so good."
“This is called Wuchang rice, and it tastes much better than regular rice,” Qiao Lian’er said.
"Wuchang rice? I've never heard of it before. Is it a new variety?"
"Yes, it came from abroad. I have grain seeds that taste even better than the specially supplied imperial grain and can fetch a higher price."
He Lizheng seemed to be deep in thought.
"This is probably not something that ordinary people can afford."
"If we promote its cultivation, select the best quality rice for the imperial grain supply, to be eaten by the palace and noble families. The price will be several times that of ordinary rice, making a great profit. The rest will be sold to ordinary people. As long as the planting area is large, more and more people will be able to taste this rice."
Seeing that Qiao Lian'er explained in such detail, He Lizheng was vaguely certain of his guess.
“Good rice is certainly worth growing, but Princess, I wonder how much the yield per mu of this Wuchang rice is?”
"With the help of some manure-like fertilizers, the yield per mu can reach 300 jin, and in better conditions, it can reach 400 jin."
The fertile plains of the north allow for very good yields per acre.
So many? He Lizheng was very surprised, and the white-haired clan elders also exchanged incredulous glances.
At this time, the rice was cooked and steamed, and a cook ladled out a large bowl of it.
"Everyone, have a taste."
The rice grains in the bowl were plump, white, and incredibly fragrant. He Li and the elders took a bite and found them soft, chewy, and fragrant, making them reluctant to swallow.
For a moment, people exclaimed in amazement.
The villagers gathered at the entrance were wary and whispered among themselves.
“She’s trying to take our land.” Someone said, “Go plant her crops.”
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