Chapter 446 Extra 2 (End)
Even though she was obsessed with yam pork ribs soup and Dongpo pork when she first tried eating in Leping, it doesn't mean she can't eat spicy food.
Thinking about it, nowadays only ginger, dogwood, mustard and other ingredients can express the spicy taste of food. The real spicy taste has only appeared in front of her at this moment. Thinking about the improvement of recipes that can appear one after another after the emergence of chili peppers, Qiao Yan felt that the food she had eaten before was really bland.
Now that the peppers are within reach, of course I’d rather enjoy them as soon as possible.
How could it not be considered a form of research and testing if the emperor tasted it himself?
When the royal chef received the order from His Majesty, he thought it was just a mutton hotpot. However, he was dumbfounded when he received the next order and the chili peppers that were subsequently served to him.
When he added onions, ginger, garlic and chilies to the melted butter and started stir-frying them as instructed, bursts of earth-shaking coughs suddenly came from outside the imperial kitchen.
For the people of Dayong who have not yet experienced the baptism of chili peppers, this thing is really too stimulating.
The only remaining chef put on a mask in advance and remained calm with his years of cooking experience.
But when the spicy hot pot was taken away from the imperial kitchen, he couldn't help but ask, "If His Majesty gets something bad from eating that kind of food, will it be our responsibility or General Gan's?"
The young disciple who was asked by him opened his eyes which were red from being scorched, and responded with a silent expression.
If Gan Ning knew that the red fruit that was supposed to be sent for research was actually served on the dining table, and might even be held accountable, he might... probably feel helpless.
But in short, Gan Ning felt that he had successfully completed Haihang's mission and was just waiting to go to court tomorrow to receive his reward. However, he could not stand the fatigue of the journey and fell asleep in his official residence in Chang'an. He was completely unaware that the gift he presented had caused some waves.
It was because he was in the palace that Qiao Yan had not even put a few slices of meat in the red pot in front of him when he heard the news that the governors of the three provinces had arrived.
Seeing all the parties coming together after getting approval, Qiao Yan couldn't help but hold his forehead and asked, "I just want to eat something new and novel. There's no need for you to make such a fuss, right?"
But it seems that we can’t blame these people for making such a big fuss.
Although the spicy hot pot in front of him looked like a delicious delicacy to Qiao Yan, it was probably a dark dish to the others, especially since there was a pungent smell in the air. It looked like food explosives sent from a foreign country.
On the temporary barbecue grill outside the hall, the fresh lamb was also coated with a layer of chili powder, and it also exuded this unusual smell.
If it weren't for the fact that Qiao Yan still had a rosy complexion and the imperial physician was on standby in the compartment, these people might have just snatched the things away.
However, this fearful Majesty was completely oblivious to their worries. He pointed to the opposite side of her high-legged table and asked, "Would you like to sit down and try it?"
"His Majesty……"
Qiao Yan raised his hand to interrupt Cheng Yu and said, "Even if Zhongde didn't say it, I can guess what you want to say. It's nothing more than asking me to take care of myself and not do such dangerous things."
After five years on the throne, not only did she not have a lover, the most fatal thing was that she had no offspring.
In addition, the rules for the imperial examinations had changed in the middle of last year, and the official reform had caused uproar in the court and the country. If something went wrong with her, no one could guarantee that the Yong Dynasty would not fall apart overnight.
Perhaps supporting Qiao Lan or Qiao Ting to ascend the throne could temporarily stabilize the situation, but for those ministers who followed Qiao Yan to pacify the world, having other members of the Leping Qiao family inherit the throne and having Qiao Yan's own descendants inherit the position were completely different things.
Their Majesty is at least twenty-seven years old.
Although the disturbance of the three-province and six-department system was suppressed due to the vivid achievements of the expansion of territorial territory in all directions, the concern for Your Majesty's health is indeed increasing day by day.
But the current situation is really...
How does the saying go? The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuchs are.
Of course, those who were here were the heads of the Secretariat, the Ministry of Palace Affairs and the Ministry of State Affairs, and they should not be called eunuchs.
In Qiao Yan's view, it was inevitable that the system of three dukes and nine ministers would be replaced by the system of three provinces and six ministries.
The separation of powers and division of labor under the system of three provinces and six ministries will undoubtedly have irreplaceable advantages for the operation of various departments and institutions and the strengthening of imperial power, if it can avoid procrastination in the selection of personnel and the control of the emperor.
Last year, she adjusted the official positions of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, changing them to the heads of the Three Provinces and Six Departments. She even changed the principle of establishing the new without destroying the old, and did not retain the honorary titles of the Nine Ministers. She only left the position of Zong Zheng, which was used to manage the internal affairs of the imperial family. Qiao Zhen held the position so that future generations could be given positions on this basis.
Among the three ministries, Cheng Yu was appointed as the Minister of the Secretariat.
Because the Protectorate of the Western Regions had been recovered for more than a year at that time, Lu Yuan was transferred back to the court and took over the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Lu Su was transferred to be the Governor of Liangzhou and Fu Gan was the Protector of the Western Regions. Cai Zhaoji was transferred from the Shaofu to the Huangmen Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel as the number one official under Lu Yuan, and at the same time she was ordered to continue to supervise the printing of books and the compilation of monthly reports.
Xi Zhicai was transferred back from Bingzhou to serve as the Minister of the Secretariat, with Xun Yu as his assistant. Later, Pang Tong was transferred from Xuzhou to Bingzhou to serve as the Governor of Bingzhou.
The Secretariat drafted decisions, the Ministry of Personnel reviewed and approved them, and the Ministry of State Affairs supervised the six ministries for implementation.
These are the three provinces.
The heads of the three ministries were all prime ministers, and the political affairs hall was located in the Menxia Province.
In fact, Xi Zhicai was not the best candidate for the position of Chief of the Secretariat, but because the three provinces and six ministries were just established and Sikong Huang Wan had "retired to his hometown", the person sitting in this position must be a confidant of Qiao Yan.
Fortunately, Xun Yu was there to assist him, so he was not entangled in mundane affairs.
Zhuge Liang, who also had the potential to hold this position but was still young, had been transferred from Jizhou Beijia to Jizhou Governor under Qiao Yan's edict, and would be transferred back to the court after several years of experience.
What's more, Xi Zhicai's characteristic of not taking too much power in this position also makes the six departments under his jurisdiction operate in an environment of separation of powers, making them more directly responsible to her, the emperor.
Under the Secretariat, Qiao Ting was the Minister of Justice, with Chen Qun, Xun Yue and Lu Yu as his assistants.
Ma Jun was temporarily appointed as the Minister of Works, and Huang Yueying was assisting him. However, everyone could see that compared to holding an official position, someone like Ma Jun, who was better at inventions, was actually more suitable for doing research behind the scenes rather than coming to the front. From the official position reform to the present day, Huang Yueying has always been the one in charge of the Ministry of Industry's affairs. I'm afraid that the transfer of power will occur within half a year.
It was no surprise that the Minister of War, who was in charge of the selection of military officers and the registration and allocation of military personnel, had it in Zhao Yun's pocket.
The Ministry of Rites, which was responsible for imperial examinations, vassal states and diplomatic relations, was taken over by Qiao Lan.
Matters of land, household registration, taxation and finance were directly taken over by Qin Yu, who was previously the Minister of Agriculture and became the Minister of Revenue.
The last place, the Ministry of Personnel, is also somewhat special.
Chen Ji, who had been the Grand Herald in his early years, was appointed as the Minister of Personnel, who was responsible for the appointment and dismissal of officials, because he had also been in charge of the recruitment of scholars for the Hongwen Academy and the setting of questions and marking of examination papers for the imperial examinations.
But don't forget that although Chen Ji is still in good health under the care of the medical officers of Chiyang Medical College, he is over seventy years old.
In his original plan, seeing that Chen Qun had established a firm foothold in the court of Dayong, he should have lived out his days in peace like Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi, Zhao Qi and others. However, he was suddenly given such an official position by Qiao Yan.
But when Chen Ji looked at his position as deputy, he understood Qiao Yan's decision.
After Zhuge Liang became the governor of Jizhou, Xu Shu was transferred back from Jizhou.
In order to prevent too many people from humble backgrounds from becoming heads of the three provinces and six ministries, which would have caused dissatisfaction among the ministers along with the official system reform, and to prevent sisters from living together and mother and son from each leading one of the six ministries, Chen Ji was brought in to act as a shield.
Just like Ma Jun may retire as the president of the Academy of Sciences and resign as the Minister of Works at any time, Chen Ji will only stay in the position of the Minister of Personnel for two years at most, and then he can retire and hand over the position to Xu Shu. During these two years, he, an elder, will not be forced to worry too much, so there is nothing wrong with that.
The reform storm in the three provinces and six ministries had not been completely quelled until January of the sixth year of Yuanzhao.
It was only because Gan Ning, Lu Meng and others returned from their sea voyage with considerable gains that the discussion on whether the power of the prime minister should be divided shifted to the gains from the sea voyage.
But what Cheng Yu, Lu Yuan and Xi Zhicai had not expected was that they thought that today at most His Majesty would call them before him to inquire about the deployment and promotion of the Haihang species, and speed up the usual review and meeting process. However, the chief eunuch could not withstand the power of the spicy hot pot, and hurriedly reported to the governors of the three provinces, hoping that based on their relationship with His Majesty in their early years, they could make some persuasion to His Majesty.
Throughout the ages, there were actually quite a few emperors and princes who died because of seeking death. Although their Majesty rarely had any minor illness or pain in his daily life, and he had even gathered the first batch of troops to pledge their allegiance with his horse riding and archery skills, but... what if?
Gan Ning and his companions' journey to the sea lasted for five months, a distance long enough to leave people without knowing anything about the species in that new continent.
As they sat down at the other three seats at the square table in compliance with Qiao Yan's invitation, they looked at the hot pot in front of them with a layer of red oil floating on it, with a hint of worry in their eyes.
"You can rest assured that I won't joke about my life." Qiao Yan said as he picked up a piece of mutton and put it into the boiling soup pot in front of him.
Even though she had full strength and physique, it didn't mean she could do whatever she wanted. She knew very well that after more than a decade of eating a diet dominated by local flavors, her stomach would not adapt to the taste of real chili so quickly.
So although the soup pot in front of you seems to be full of red oil, the spiciness is still moderate.
She didn't do anything fatal like using ice water to relieve the spiciness. The drink on the table was just a heat-clearing herbal tea at a moderate temperature.
While the three were still hesitating, Qiao Yan had already placed the mutton and potato chips picked up with the serving chopsticks in the empty bowls in front of them.
"Try?"
I dare not refuse a gift from my elders, let alone a gift from the emperor.
But when he thought of the origin of this thing, Xi Zhicai, the guy who had used food records to lure his friends to Leping, couldn't help but pick it up and put it in his mouth with a fearless expression.
But when this extremely authentic spicy taste rose between his lips and tongue, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Even if this flavor is really poisonous, it's not a problem."
As soon as he said this, Qiao Yan rolled his eyes at him, but it did not stop the gourmet from reaching out his chopsticks to the potato. Compared to the mutton that is taken out of the pot right after it is cooked, the potatoes are more flavorful after being soaked in the spicy soup for a long time.
This time he actually felt his blood boiling from the spiciness.
But it was winter at the time, and the short time he walked in from outside was not even enough to warm his hands. This sip was like a magic elixir that could bring people back to life.
Xi Zhicai couldn't help but praise: "I think this thing has a miraculous effect in curing rheumatism. When your majesty distributes its seeds for planting, I will buy some then."
This kind of hot air is perfect for dispelling the winter chill.
On the way to persuade and admonish, Xi Zhicai had thought of all the arguments that he should put into use.
As a result, now...
Qiao Yan watched with amusement as one of her three prime ministers put the potatoes on the side into the pot, and then placed the meat plate brought by the servant in the middle, with an expression as if to say, Your Majesty has set an example by eating first, so what is there for him to worry about?
She replied: "Compared to the red fruit, I think the potato should be promoted first."
After five months of sailing, the potatoes planted on the ship had just finished growing under the care of Gan Ning and others.
The nutrients that the potatoes on the boat can absorb are limited and cannot be used to prove the high yield per mu of potatoes, but they happen to be the material for planting this year.
Chili peppers can only serve as a seasoning. The emergence of crops such as potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes is almost a miracle for the people for whom food is more important than anything else.
As an emperor who promoted these things, Qiao Yan could gain more than just stability in the country.
And Rubber also returned with Gan Ning, Lu Meng and others, which was a pleasant surprise for her.
Before Gan Ning returned, she was actually a little worried that they might miss something crucial due to their limited vision. Fortunately, the existence of civilization on the other side of the ocean made the selection of local beneficial species clearly presented to Gan Ning and others.
Perhaps the only thing that made Qiao Yan a little regretful that they didn't bring it back was the tomatoes, which now only grew in the mountains and were as sour as wild fruits.
But now that long-distance voyages have begun, these species that have not yet been introduced to Middle-earth will always have the opportunity to come here.
No rush, no rush.
Seeing that the three people present had serious expressions because of her words "potatoes should be promoted first", she changed the subject again, lest this sitting around the stove and eating hot pot turned into a court meeting, "We'll talk about the specific operation in the morning court tomorrow. If you really want to say something today, you say--"
"Since this red fruit is such a good thing, if I were to use this as the pattern for next year's lucky coin..."
When this question was asked, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but cough and almost coughed out the potato he had just swallowed.
This, however, is not necessary.
No one knew when it started, but a shady way of making money emerged among the people. They would forge the lucky money that Qiao Yan had distributed to his subordinates by using a different material and then sell it, as if they were trying to take advantage of the blessing bestowed by the emperor on his subjects in another way.
If the icon next year is really a chili pepper, I guess the lucky money circulating among the people will also follow suit and look like this.
What will Your Majesty look like by then?
You can't say that it's just for the sake of being prosperous, right?
But Xi Zhicai just thought of this, turned around and looked in front of him, and immediately said angrily: "Are you guys too quick to grab the meat? Who took away the meat I just put into the pot!"
This group of people have no moral principles!
——————
The ones who were polite were Gan Ning and Lu Meng, warriors who had just experienced a sea voyage and were tanned black.
After realizing that the court structure seemed to have undergone earth-shaking changes during their absence of a year and a half, in order to avoid getting into any trouble, and feeling that he had to properly receive the commendation today, Gan Ning did not forget to greet Xi Zhicai when he saw him walking lazily to the court.
He had never seen this person before.
But this did not prevent him from seeing the other party's outstanding status from his official uniform and then inferring his identity.
Although people often jokingly call Xi Zhicai a typical example of "my boss gets promoted and I get rich", no one would underestimate him just because he has been in charge of Bingzhou's base for Qiao Yan for several years.
However, Gan Ning didn’t know if it was his illusion, but he felt that when Xi Zhicai passed by him, a familiar spicy smell came from his body.
However, he soon ran out of time to take care of this matter.
The moment he stepped into the court hall, he became the protagonist of this play of rewarding people according to their merits.
No, to be precise, it is all the people who participated in this HNA voyage.
This was because the first words of their emperor, who was becoming more and more majestic, were: "Crossing the ocean is a feat that my people have put their lives at risk. Regardless of whether the overseas species can take root in our Great Yong land, it should be recorded in the history books and their achievements should be remembered. I intend to engrave a sea voyage map on the monument on Xuanyuan Pavilion after the scene of crossing Xuandu Mountain, so that future generations can remember it."
Worth it!
At this moment, these two words were the only ones left in Gan Ning's mind.
Before everyone dispersed yesterday, His Majesty ordered him to prepare a speech to introduce the crops brought back from the open sea and land to all the ministers of the court one by one. He also prepared a round of speeches for this purpose this morning, but at this moment, all these words that he had obviously turned over in his mind countless times were washed aside by this award.
What's more, this was only the first sentence Qiao Yan said.
She went on to say, "Xingba and Ziming have worked hard for this voyage and performed their duties faithfully. Take potatoes as an example. They can grow on the sea voyage ship and can also reproduce on our land of Dayong. With these plants, the wasteland may have a high yield of crops and save the lives of the people. This achievement alone is enough to rank among the top of Xuanyuan Pavilion. Do you have any opinions?"
Faced with this life-threatening military exploit and truly astonishing gains, who could possibly raise any objection?
Moreover, just as the implementation of the three-province and six-department system was beyond dispute for this powerful emperor, the same was true for the rewards for Gan Ning and Lu Meng.
In addition to being listed in the Xuanyuan Pavilion, official positions and titles of nobility are the real rewards for these seafaring heroes.
Gan Ning's original title of General of the Tower Ship could only be regarded as a general of miscellaneous title, but now this position has been promoted to the title of General of the Front, and he has been granted the title of Marquis of Wugong.
Lü Meng's Henghai Captain was promoted to Henghai General and was granted the title of Marquis of Yunyang.
The name of Wugong Hou sounds like it is a commendation of Gan Ning's bravery, but in fact, it is the name of Guannei Hou just like Yunyang Hou.
Yunyang and Wugong respectively belonged to Zuo Fengyi and You Fufeng in Guanzhong, which were the fiefdoms of these two people.
Compared with crops that produce 1,000 kilograms per mu after taking root in the soil, the title of county marquis is not really an extraordinary reward. But for Gan Ning, who has never seen the effects of potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes and other crops in the Central Plains, it is already a great encouragement to them.
For a man like him who loves to show off his power, Marquis of Wugong is the most appropriate title!
He even had some difficulty remembering how he had described his exploration process to the crops in front of him.
He only remembered that when he returned to the team, he heard His Majesty designate the destinations of these crops one by one.
Potatoes, sweet potatoes and other crops are first cultivated in Guanzhong. If they can survive, they are sent to the black soil in Suizhou.
Since the plant named rubber tree by Your Majesty can only survive in hot areas, send it to Jiaozhou for planting. I think Shi Xie of Jiaozhou will not mind having an extra job like this.
The rubber delivered by the fleet was handed directly to the Ministry of Industry for research.
Oil crops such as sunflowers and peanuts must also be treated with caution if they already have sesame.
In today's era of oil shortage, any source cannot be underestimated.
…
"The rest are the foreigners overseas."
Qiao Yan looked towards Gan Ning, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Gan Ning was a bit careless in small matters, but he never seemed to be negligent in his duties when it came to such a big matter.
This voyage to the New World fully demonstrated the demeanor of a great country.
"Please invite them to the palace. I want to hear about their civilization. Perhaps there is something we can learn from them."
When the envoy of the New World appeared in front of everyone, everyone present read a silent signal from Qiao Yan's focused expression:
While they were still obsessed with changes in the official system, their Majesty seemed to have already stepped into the Age of Navigation.
And that is bound to be a more exciting era!
The author has something to say:
(End of Extra 2)
The next chapter will begin talking about future generations, starting with the second generation empress.
[Forum: No one wants to talk about Emperor Taizong of Yong? 】
See you tomorrow morning at 9:30.
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