Chapter 73 (Liangpi)
This night was another sleepless night for many people.
We had just obtained this magical thing called potatoes, and everyone was racking their brains to figure out how to make them delicious and tasty. Suddenly, we heard the news that these potatoes were poisonous. It was such a devastating blow!
Fortunately, only sprouted potatoes are poisonous, which reassures everyone.
But while feeling relieved, these people discovered that many of them actually suffered from diarrhea after eating sprouted potatoes!
I thought they had upset their stomachs from eating something else. After all, most people were fine, only a few had problems, and they didn't eat much. If you split it up, each person only had two bites, and it was just a stomachache.
Not everyone can get so many potatoes like King Chang and treat guests, and he is so unlucky that most of the potatoes he made are defective, and the potatoes left for seeds are good?
So the potato, which was originally an almost perfect thing, now became something with flaws.
This situation also made King Huai kneel in the Golden Palace early in the morning to admit his mistake to the old emperor.
He said he didn't expect that the potatoes would sprout due to the long delay on the road, and he didn't expect that sprouted potatoes would be poisonous.
He was quick to admit his mistake, and since he hadn't done it on purpose, no one blamed him. They just said, "Your Highness Prince Huai truly cares about his people, but this thing has only been around for a short time, so it's normal that they don't understand many things. If he knew, Your Highness Prince Huai would definitely remind you."
"Your Highness Prince Chang discovered it just in time this time. I have to thank you very much. Otherwise, my youngest son would love it so much that he would probably eat it all."
"His Majesty……"
No one blamed anyone, and some even pleaded for mercy on King Huai's behalf and asked for rewards on behalf of King Chang.
The old emperor laughed when he heard this: "Well, in your minds, I am just this kind of person who can't distinguish right from wrong? I don't even know what's good and what's bad?"
"Of course not. My father is wise and brave, and his decision is definitely the best." The fifth prince, Prince Shun, said with a sweet smile.
The old emperor's eyes softened, and his voice became even gentler. "You're the only one who knows how to flatter. My dear ministers, don't worry. I don't blame the Fourth Prince. He brought back so many potatoes from far away because he wanted to feed the people of my Great Zhou. It's a good thing. Even if something really happened, it has nothing to do with him. After all, he was in a hurry to come back and offer potatoes, so how could he have worried so much?"
He looked at Prince Chang and said, "You are very good. You are much more cautious in dealing with things. It is also a good thing that you can test that potatoes are poisonous after sprouting."
Prince Chang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I didn't know this. A guest told me about it when she was visiting me. She had seen this plant in a book, but she had only heard about it before. She only saw it yesterday and told me that sprouted potatoes are poisonous."
The old emperor raised his eyebrows and leaned forward with great interest: "What else does she know?"
"There is not much record in the book. It only says that although this magical object is good, it also has a fatal flaw. Once it encounters a disease, it will affect the entire land, resulting in a complete failure in the end. So even if this thing is excellent, it cannot be easily planted on a large scale. You must be extremely cautious!" King Chang emphasized.
The old emperor's face fell, and King Huai's expression also changed slightly. He looked deeply at his brother beside him and remembered the guest in his heart.
The ministers who heard this answer were all disappointed: "This can't be planted on a large scale! Otherwise it's too dangerous!"
"I thought it was a holy object, but I didn't expect it to have flaws. After all, how can it be truly perfect?"
"Fortunately, we found out about it early. Thank you so much to that guest!"
"It actually has such a weakness?! Doesn't that mean it is..."
Hearing that some ministers were already worried, Prince Chang quickly comforted them, "Although once the soil is infected, it is extremely dangerous to grow plants like potatoes, but normal cultivation will not cause disease. As long as we are cautious and don't plant them in the best farmland, we can still significantly increase crop yields and increase income for the people by planting potatoes while ensuring the normal growth of other crops."
The ministers felt a little comforted when they heard this.
"That's right. After all, we haven't actually grown this thing before, so we still have to be cautious."
"It's good to be able to improve it. We just need to vigorously develop agriculture. We have a lot of land in the Great Zhou, so we can always find suitable places to plant crops without harming the farmland!"
"That's right!"
During the discussion, everyone had already come to some conclusions, and the old emperor's complexion also looked much better. To be able to obtain such a magical object that benefits the country and the people in his later years, no matter how absurd he was, he would be praised by future generations. Even if he did not need it, it would be good to have a better reputation.
Even his Zhou family can be passed down for several more generations.
The old emperor was delighted and said cheerfully, "Who is that guest? He knows such a good thing, and he also knows that sprouted potatoes are poisonous. He has saved many of your lives, so he deserves a reward!"
Prince Chang said, "That woman's name is Yan Shu. She's a distant relative of the Xiao family. She came here to seek refuge because she had no other relatives. This time, we are all grateful to her."
The old emperor's smile faded. It was the Xiao family again.
Could it be that the Xiao family really has some kind of feng shui that produces so many talented people?
The idea of lavishly rewarding him disappeared, and the old emperor said lightly: "Then let's confer the title of Xiangjun..."
Along with this court dismissal.
An imperial edict was also transmitted from the Golden Palace to the Secretariat, and then to the Xiao Mansion.
There was also a notice that was spread throughout the streets and alleys of Kyoto with the beating of gongs and drums by servants of the government office, telling people what potatoes were, their advantages and disadvantages.
So that when there are enough seeds in the future, they can be distributed so that the people can treat them with caution.
However, the notice did not mention any other names at all. It only said that De'an Xiangjun discovered the matter, King Chang conducted experiments, many mice died, and so on.
The people's celebration had not lasted three days when they heard such tragic news and were deeply distressed.
How could such a powerful divine object have such a weakness?! Yesterday, they were still dreaming of being able to make a living from this divine object and not having to tighten their belts anymore!
As a result, few people could eat dinner.
But some people suffer more than them.
That was King Huai.
In his plan, there was no need to report the fact that Potato was sick, because if he really got sick, there would be chaos in the world, and then his father's throne would certainly be unstable.
If his father had died early and the throne had fallen into the hands of someone else, as long as it wasn't one of his brothers, he could have told the story so that there would have been some prevention.
Who would have thought that before all plans even started, it would go in another direction.
Someone actually knew about the potato's weakness so early on, even understanding its toxicity so clearly, catching him off guard and causing all his plans to fail. It also added such a significant chapter to the dog emperor's political achievements in his later years. It's really... too unbearable~
The boy's pair of gloomy eyes were as black as ink, like an abyss with no bottom, which made people inexplicably scared.
Especially at night.
Zhou Zejing came to discuss with him the follow-up of the failed attempt to poison Prince Chang.
The two of them had just discussed this topic when the man before them revealed such an expression. Even Zhou Zejing, who had worked with him for many years, couldn't help but tremble in his heart. He tightened his grip on the armrest of the chair and said gently, "Calm down. A temporary failure doesn't mean anything."
King Huai said coldly, "I am just angry."
Zhou Zejing was silent. He was also angry. If he had known this would happen, he would have gotten it out exactly as it was. Otherwise, it would have benefited both Prince Chang and the Xiao family.
Who would have thought that this crop, which had never appeared in the territory of the Great Zhou, had already been recorded?
Or was it said by a relative of the Xiao family who came to seek refuge?
As a result of this incident, not only did the plan to poison Prince Chang fail, but the defenses of Prince Chang's palace would definitely be strengthened in the future. If he wanted to take action again, the possibility of success would be zero.
If King Chang doesn't die, their plan will be difficult.
King Huai whispered, "Since that's the case, let me fight for the world. Even if potatoes have weaknesses, the benefits they bring are great enough. I already have enough reputation among the people. What I lack now is military strength..."
Zhou Zejing's throat moved slightly, and after a few pauses, he finally said, "I already have a rough grasp of the Imperial Guards, but it's not enough. If I could win over the Xiao family, that would be the best option."
King Huai frowned and said, "There's no way I can get in touch with her. Besides, Xiao Huaiya won't marry. If that were the case, she would probably just become a nun."
The Xiao family is not one to be manipulated, and Xiao Huaiya is even less so. If the plan of meeting in the rain had gone smoothly, this trick would be acceptable, but it obviously did not go smoothly, so the Xiao family could not do it.
Zhou Zejing said, "Then it can only be the daughter of the Minister of War, the Hong family. Although she is four years younger than you, she is still okay."
After the two of them had discussed it, Zhou Zejing left quickly. Of course, he did not take the right path, but climbed over the courtyard wall and finally disappeared on the side of the wall. King Huai stared at his back and suddenly smiled with a mocking look.
Do you really think everyone likes the throne?
If it weren't for revenge for his mother, he would never return to Kyoto in his life.
The palace is so dirty!
His only memory of the palace was his mother's last moments. She was less than twenty years old when she died, and she and Concubine Lu were pregnant at the same time. If it wasn't for that coincidence, he and the sixth brother would not have survived.
Concubine Lu was favored as soon as she entered the palace. Although her status was not high at that time, she was almost the only one favored, which caused dissatisfaction among many high-ranking concubines. After a few years, she firmly sat on the position of the most favored concubine in the harem, and no other children came out of the harem.
King Huai himself and the sixth prince were the last surviving princes.
Fortunately, the fifth child born to Concubine Lu at that time was weak and sickly, and Concubine Lu did not have the energy to bother others. She let them live well until they were old enough to be sensible, and then she had time to deal with them.
He and the sixth brother survived under the protection of the empress dowager, but their mother was not so lucky. He saw his mother being punished by Concubine Lu to kneel many times, and her knees were rotten. It was obvious that the food she ate was poisonous, but none of the imperial doctors dared to tell the truth.
He ran to ask his father to make a decision, but his father just found him annoying and told him to stop making trouble.
The evidence was right before his eyes, but the old man turned a blind eye and allowed her to act tyrannically in the harem. Later, even the empress dowager was killed by her.
She was still not satisfied and wanted the fifth brother to become the emperor.
In this case, he will never get what he wants.
However, King Huai hated the palace. Once he returned to Kyoto, he dreamed every night of his mother and the queen mother when they died. He was often frightened awake. Only by embracing Buddhism and reciting scriptures every day could he sleep peacefully.
So he would not want the throne. He just wanted to muddy the waters. He couldn't let that old thing have an easy life, and he couldn't let Concubine Lu live!
In this great Zhou Dynasty, the old man’s son has no chance of getting involved at all!
King Huai thought his plan was perfect, but who could have imagined such a roadblock would arise? Could it be that the Xiao family really had someone protecting them?
"A-choo!" Yan Qiushu sneezed.
Dongdong, who was concentrating on eating delicious food, didn't even raise her head. Wan'er was frightened and trembled. She put down her chopsticks and looked at her worriedly: "Sister Shu, are you sick? You sneezed several times tonight!"
Yan Qiushu rubbed her nose, sniffed, and said with a guilty conscience: "Probably not."
But it seems a bit congested?
Wan'er looked at her with disapproval, and instructed the servants skillfully, "Take the ice away. It's not very cold tonight, so don't use any more ice."
Yan Qiushu's eyes suddenly filled with tears: "Wan'er, there's no need..."
"Yes!" Wan'er said firmly.
Yan Qiushu sighed, holding the bowl of ice-cold cold noodles, and took a sip. The sour and spicy cold noodles were put into her mouth. The coldness was accompanied by the taste of sour and spicy peppers, which was very delicious.
It is already May. In ancient times, it was the fifth month of the lunar calendar. If calculated according to the solar calendar, it would be June or July, which is exactly the hottest time of the year.
She was afraid of heat, so she started using ice to cool down whenever conditions allowed.
But it happened that the weather was not very hot these two days, and she was still using ice cubes. She also forgot to cover herself with a blanket at night, so she started sneezing a little.
Wan'er is becoming more and more sensible, and everyone knows how to take care of her.
Yan Qiushu didn't feel happy, she just felt sorry for her ice cubes. She wanted to eat smoothies and ice cream, but she was too lazy to do it. As a result, she even had less ice cubes!
Seeing her like this, Wan'er was helpless: "Sister Shu, you are an adult now. Adults should be more restrained. Besides, you are the county lord now!"
Yes, just this morning, the imperial edict arrived, along with the emperor's reward.
Although it is not much, for Yan Qiushu, it is already a step towards heaven.
I don’t know how many people envy me.
With the identity of a lady of the country, her status and position were different, and the servants in the mansion were more respectful to her. Originally, many maids had some ulterior motives, thinking that Yan Qiushu was at most a concubine of Xiao Huaiting in the future, and she was very friendly to the servants, which made everyone even more speculative.
Now that my identity has changed, no one dares to offend me.
But Wan'er muttered in her heart, the woman in front of her doesn't look like a country girl at all! She looks about the same age as her!
Yan Qiushu was a little surprised. Xiangjun was a title in ancient times.
Not only did she settle down in this era, she also became a local lady. If she was lucky, maybe there would be a mention of her in history books?
Thinking of this, she smiled, and seeing the expression on Wan'er's face, she deliberately said in a narrow-minded tone, "Xiangjun is a title, and it can't change my personality."
Wan'er: "..."
Xiao Pingsong grinned and said, "Yes, Aunt Yan, this is good."
I can play with them and there is no sense of distance.
Yan Qiushu winked at him and continued eating with the bowl in hand.
The cold skin in the bowl is translucent, and it looks much redder because of the chili oil. Vinegar is added, and the overall color is reddish-brown. There are also steamed gluten that has absorbed juice, crisp and refreshing cucumber shreds, crispy and sweet carrot shreds, and a little black fungus shreds.
With this bite, all kinds of flavors seem to gather in the mouth.
"It's delicious!" Yan Qiushu finished the last bite with satisfaction and licked her lips: "The chefs in the food court are getting better and better!"
Dongdong had just finished eating, with some food still left in his mouth. His cheeks were puffy and he couldn't speak, so he could only nod in agreement.
It’s really delicious!
It’s sour and spicy, appetizing, slippery in the mouth, and with the other ingredients, it’s icy cold. Eating this on such a hot and humid night is such a treat!
It was so late and Yan Qiushu couldn't sleep today, so she called the children together to have a midnight snack with her. As for the midnight snack, she asked someone to buy it at the food court.
The food street has become more and more prosperous in the past few months. Many food stalls have taken the initiative to move in, and the prices of the shops that were originally quite quiet and remote have also been rising.
Because nowadays, whenever people want to eat something, their subconscious reaction is to go to the food court.
Of course, there is also cold noodles there.
Last time, in order to make vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, Yan Qiushu made gluten and then made cold noodles. Then she handed it over to Xiao Huaiqi, and soon a cold noodles shop was opened there.
Because there are too many people and Kyoto has a late curfew, the food streets are still brightly lit after dark and are open for business. You can go and buy food if you want to eat. However, communication was not well developed in that era, so it was a bit difficult to do takeout.
Currently, you can only order takeout. If you want to place an order directly, it is impossible. However, there are special errand runners who go door to door. However, those who have servants at home cannot use them. Those who don’t have servants would rather walk a few more steps themselves, so there are rarely opportunities to use errand runners. This business has not really taken off yet.
Unlike Yan Qiushu who only cooks for a few people on a daily basis, the chefs at the food festival have to cook for many people, and they are proficient in one thing. As they become more and more skilled, the taste of the food they make will naturally become more and more in line with the public's preferences.
For example, the cold noodles. Kyoto people don’t have a heavy appetite, so the chili oil, vinegar, salt, etc. in the cold noodles are not too heavy. But now it’s summer, and if you pay, you can eat chilled cold noodles, and the taste is just right, it’s really delicious!
After eating and drinking their fill, the children were satisfied and returned to their respective courtyards one by one under the guidance of their wet nurse.
Yan Qiushu stretched and prepared to go to bed.
She just walked to the bed and looked at the visiting card on the bedside table. She hesitated for a moment, sat on the bed, picked up the card and opened it again.
That's why she couldn't sleep.
The post was sent by Yan Qiuyuan.
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