Chapter 584 is entirely composed of invasive species.
In her previous life, Cheng Wanwan had read a lot of news about goldenrod.
Canada goldenrod is an invasive species, and it shares the same origin as this northern goldenrod. I really don't know where these envoys from Laki Kingdom found it.
It is said that each goldenrod seedling has more than 20,000 seeds, and its roots can also reproduce. If one plant is found in an area and is not dealt with in time, it will grow into a large area in a short period of time. It invades violently, competing for space, fertilizer, water, sunlight... Plants in the same space with it rarely survive.
Even in modern times with advanced agricultural technology, goldenrod cannot be eradicated. If this thing were to spread rampantly in the Great Yu Kingdom, it would likely cause a major disaster.
While Cheng Wanwan was lost in thought, the Laki envoy presented the second item: "This is an aquatic ornamental plant that our Laki envoys discovered while traveling to a distant southern country. It's called the Water Lotus. The purple flowers bloom on the water surface and are truly beautiful..."
The system store responded promptly.
[Ding! Brazilian water hyacinth detected, worthless.]
Cheng Wanwan frowned. If many people didn't know about the yellow flower, then water hyacinth was a common invasive species. It grew in rivers, ponds, and rice paddies, proliferating across large areas, squeezing out the living space of other aquatic plants and animals, and causing immeasurable damage to farmland and agriculture.
Immediately afterwards, the envoys from the Kingdom of Laki continued to present treasures, and the system kept issuing notification sounds.
[Ding! Poisonous silver hyacinth detected, worthless.]
[Ding! Golden apple snail found, worthless.]
[Ding! Red swamp crayfish detected...]
[Ding! ...]
Cheng Wanwan's face was very gloomy. These were basically all invasive species.
It would be fine if there were only one or two, but eight or nine out of ten are lethal plants and animals that affect agriculture, so the motives of the Laki Kingdom are very suspicious.
In less than half an hour, the Laji Kingdom presented a total of twelve animal and plant seeds or seedlings. Among them, only the Procambarus clarkii, commonly known as crayfish, made Cheng Wanwan feel that it had some value. The others must not be allowed to spread and become a disaster in the Dayu Kingdom.
She looked at the Emperor and Empress. Because the Great Yu Kingdom was vast and rich in resources, those in power generally viewed these rare species with an inclusive attitude. If nothing unexpected happened, the Emperor would definitely send the Ministry of Revenue to take over the matter and cultivate them on a large scale in the suburbs of the capital. If they were successfully cultivated, they would be considered as another ornamental plant or another edible delicacy... If they were not successfully cultivated, there would be no loss.
As for the other court officials, they were all looking at those species with curiosity and did not feel any danger at all.
"Our king once said that Laqi Kingdom is a vassal state of Dayu Kingdom. Dayu Kingdom will protect Laqi Kingdom from invasion by other countries, and whatever good things Laqi Kingdom has, it must be presented to the emperor of Dayu Kingdom as soon as possible." The envoy of Laqi Kingdom knelt down, his face full of sincerity. "These twelve rare plants and animals represent the sincere wishes of our king of Laqi Kingdom to wish Dayu Kingdom prosperity and longevity for generations to come."
The emperor was overjoyed and waved his hand, preparing to bestow a reward.
Cheng Wanwan immediately walked over and knelt at the foot of the stairs. "Your Majesty, I believe that the Dayu Dynasty could also give the Laji Kingdom twelve crop seeds or seedlings in return."
This emperor is kind and generous; judging from the situation, he will probably bestow many fine things upon the Kingdom of Laki.
Although the emperor's rewards had nothing to do with her, she couldn't stand seeing these hypocritical envoys from Laki Kingdom take away so many good things for nothing.
"Laji Kingdom is not even as big as a province in our Dayu Dynasty, and they rely entirely on the sea for their livelihood. So, why don't we give them some high-yield crops in return?" Cheng Wanwan continued. "As the ancients said, it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
The emperor thought the idea was very good, but in addition, he still had to give out some silk, tea, porcelain and other items as a routine reward.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Cheng Wanwan wink at him.
It can be said that in the years since he became emperor, no one dared to do these little tricks in front of him, and everyone was stunned for a moment.
"I have something else to discuss," Cheng Wanwan changed the subject. "The capital is located in the north, where the weather is cold, and many plants cannot survive there. Perhaps I could take these plants and animals, which were presented as tribute by the Kingdom of Laji, back to Dahe Village in Huzhou to cultivate them..."
Before she could finish speaking, someone immediately voiced their objection.
The Minister of Revenue said, "Although the people of Sui'an understand farming, they only know about rice, wheat, cotton, and other crops. It would be better for these rare crops to stay in the capital and let the Ministry of Revenue study them slowly."
The Grand Minister of Agriculture of the capital nodded. "It took the Laji Kingdom three to five years to find these rare treasures. Not to mention the plant seeds, these aquatic species are all seedlings. What if one of them dies on the way back to Huzhou from the capital?"
“The Sui’an man is now considered a member of the Court of State Ceremonial. It’s not appropriate for a court official who is in charge of receiving foreign guests to take over the duties of the Ministry of Revenue, is it?” He Hanhai, a second-rank court official, said calmly. “The Sui’an man has made numerous contributions in the past two years and has been promoted very quickly. It’s time to let others make some contributions as well.”
Cheng Wanwan looked up and saw a man in his early fifties. The man's features looked familiar and he resembled He Xiao somewhat.
So, this is He Xiao's scumbag father.
As soon as He Hanhai spoke, those who were on good terms with him immediately expressed the same opinion.
"Now, the reading pavilions opened by people from Guangzhou in the capital have won the praise of scholars all over the country. They have even taken over the work that the government should be doing. What does it matter if they take away the credit for cultivating new species?"
"The woman from Sui'an rose from a peasant woman to a sixth-rank Anren, and then to a sixth-rank Sibin of the Court of State Ceremonies. Now she's scrambling for credit everywhere. Could it be that she wants to become a first or second-rank imperial consort?"
Seeing that these people were becoming more and more outrageous, the queen placed the teacup heavily on the table.
A hush fell over the crowd.
The people of Laki Kingdom have all gone bald. They sent twelve new species as gifts. According to past practice, the emperor of the Dayu Dynasty should have reciprocated with many porcelains and fabrics. Why did they suddenly start arguing about other things? The promised rewards have just fallen through.
They wanted to speak, but they had no chance to.
Cheng Wanwan remained calm and cupped her hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I only wish to contribute my meager strength to the country, not to compete for credit. I beg Your Majesty to understand."
The emperor picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea quietly, and no one could tell what he was thinking.
Those who served him closely knew that although the emperor was open-minded and magnanimous, he was actually very suspicious. Once the emperor became suspicious of someone, that person's career would come to an end...
Cheng Wanwan wasn't worried about any of this.
She was a woman with no family background or real power, so even if people questioned her motives, there were no facts to support their claims.
Furthermore, she is an upright person, and she is not afraid of these dirty waters.
In the midst of the silence, Eunuch Ming suddenly came in from the entrance of the Imperial Garden: "Your Majesty, an urgent letter has arrived from Huzhou, traveling eight hundred miles!"
The Empress's tightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed: "It's a letter from Huzhou, so it must be something important. Eunuch Ming, please read it quickly."
Every time a letter arrived from Huzhou, it meant something extraordinary had happened. The Emperor was always delighted after reading the letter, and each time a letter came from Huzhou, it meant that someone from Sui'an would be promoted and that the current situation would be resolved.
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