Chapter 110 The success of this banquet...
Even Fusu hadn't expected his father, the emperor, to be so generous. He had at most thought that a few hundred catties of grain would fall from the sky.
He crouched down and touched the potato leaves with his small hands, his fingertips immediately becoming damp. Looking closer, one could occasionally see insects crawling between the stems.
That's a bit too novel.
It's as if it was transplanted from some other land.
Fusu suddenly felt guilty and shifted his gaze: Oh no, could it really have been transplanted from somewhere else on Earth? That's very much in line with his father's style.
But now was not the time to think about that. Everyone, including the Emperor, was watching him intently, waiting for his explanation. Under their watchful eyes, Fusu forcefully pulled up a clump of potatoes, revealing a dark patch of roots. He brushed away the sticky soil, exposing the potatoes to the air.
“It’s him,” Fusu said.
The official's voice trembled slightly: "Could this be... an auspicious omen from heaven?"
Fusu nodded with absolute certainty: "Yes. That's it."
How can a new staple food besides the five grains not be considered an auspicious omen?
He spoke with absolute certainty, but the assembled officials were already stunned: "Your Majesty, Young Master Zhao, what, what exactly is going on?"
This statement represents the sentiments of everyone present. What exactly is going on? Wasn't it said that the Emperor received a divine gift in his dream? Why does he seem so unfamiliar with auspicious omens? Zhao Xiaolang, on the other hand, seems completely at ease, even able to name the auspicious omens. Could it be…?
The emperor glanced back at the officials and said casually, "Naturally, it was what Zhao Xiaosanyuan saw in his dream."
"What?"
In other words, the emperor heard that Zhao Xiaosan had auspicious omens in his dream, so he immediately announced the imperial tour in the court and lied that it was something he had seen in his dream.
Wasn't he afraid that Zhao Xiaosanyuan was just trying to trick him into saying nice things, and that his reputation as a ruler and emperor would be ruined?
Even though it was a consensus throughout the court and among the public that "the Emperor greatly favored Zhao Xiaosanyuan," this incident still refreshed everyone's impression once again.
If Zhao Xiaolang's words were false, they could even publicly rebuke him, ensuring he would never set foot in the capital again. But as the village elders said, this celestial phenomenon was real... then it was necessary to find out exactly what this descended crop was.
Fusu could naturally feel the scrutinizing, unfriendly gazes fixed on him. But holding the potato, he spoke with unwavering confidence: "This is a crop never seen before in the Song Dynasty."
New crops?
Nobody took it seriously; it was just...
"It can replace millet as a staple food."
"What!?"
The Emperor immediately stepped forward and took the unfamiliar fruit from Fusu's hand. He first sniffed it, finding no particular smell. To show his support for his son, he wiped the skin clean with a handkerchief and even considered taking a bite.
Upon seeing this, Fusu quickly slapped the official's wrist, causing the potatoes to roll into the ground with a rustling sound: "Don't eat them, they're poisonous!"
Immediately, someone shouted, "How dare you! How can you be so disrespectful to the Emperor?"
Others, like flies that have caught the scent of rotting flesh, exclaimed: "Poisonous? But Zhao Xiaolang, you clearly said it's grain! How can grain be poisonous? Are you trying to deceive the emperor and then murder him?"
Deceiving the emperor, murdering the emperor?
Fusu twitched the corner of his mouth.
Even though he was usually good-tempered, he was angered by the repeated, almost fabricated accusations, and his shiny black hair stood on end: "If you keep talking nonsense, I won't tell you the antidote; I'll poison you instead."
"You—you dare—"
The person who had spoken provocatively immediately looked at the Emperor, hoping he would uphold justice. However, he found that the Emperor and his ministers had strange expressions, their brows and lips twitching incessantly.
"puff."
"Cough cough cough cough cough."
They couldn't hold back their laughter any longer. Everyone had seen Su'er/Zhao Xiaolang's silver tongue, arguing until people were speechless, more than once. But when had they ever seen him utter childlike words, saying cute, petulant things? Only now did he seem like a four-year-old child, didn't he?
The Emperor, with his remarkable composure, did not lose his composure excessively. However, he made no attempt to conceal his strong support for Zhao Xiaolang. He even patted Fusu's slightly agitated head: "What's this about poisoning? How can we detoxify him so he can eat it?"
It was as if they were certain that Zhao Xiaosanyuan had a way to make it non-toxic.
Fusu's ears burned bright red. He clearly realized he had been too naive, truly regressing as he grew older.
"You can boil it in water and eat it as a staple food. It's easy to eat and very filling. You can also stir-fry it as a vegetable, or cut it into pieces and fry it in oil. You can also grind it up, sieve it, and make it into noodles to cook in soup..."
As he spoke, Fusu swallowed hard.
Stir-fried shredded potatoes, French fries, and hot and sour potato noodles. These dishes, commonplace in later generations, wouldn't even be considered among Fusu's favorites. He never imagined that one day, when he thought of them, he would drool with craving and feel as if it were a lifetime ago.
Taking advantage of the lull in the officials' silence as they fell into deep thought, Fusu...
He then plucked a handful of potato seedlings. Hmm, this acre was planted densely; it should yield at least several hundred pounds of potatoes, enough for seed. The rest could be used to make a potato feast to shut up the ministers.
Fusu, of course, would not admit that it was actually his own craving that caused the problem.
He pulled the official aside, and the two began to whisper among themselves in front of everyone. The official nodded and immediately named the commander of the Imperial Guards, ordering him to surround the auspicious site. He then instructed the county magistrate and local villagers to take good care of the site and harvest the potatoes according to the method provided by Fusu. Of course, this was extra corvée labor, and of course, there would be wages.
The rest was as Fusu had arranged: "After the harvest, I will hold a banquet to reward you all, so that you may taste what this auspicious omen from heaven is all about."
The courtiers arrived full of suspicion and left with expressions of shock.
Upon returning to Bianjing, the officials who knew each other couldn't wait to gather together and discuss what they had seen and heard that day. Their main topics of discussion were "whether the potatoes were edible" and "whether the auspicious omens were divine intervention or deliberate arrangements." But regardless of the outcome of their discussions, the conclusion always came down to one sentence.
"The Emperor truly dotes on Zhao Xiaosanyuan."
If you ask them to look for a precedent in history books, they probably won't find a second one. Sigh, comparisons are odious.
But the attitude was completely different among Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, and Ouyang Xiu. Unlike others who either lamented Fusu's good fortune or were filled with resentment and anger, they saw it as a father's doting on his son—a matter of course, a matter of human nature. Who were they, as outsiders, to object?
The main topic of their discussion was the origin of potatoes.
Regarding the preparation and uses of potatoes, everyone believed Fusu wasn't lying. They had witnessed the strangeness of this future crown prince far too many times. The only intriguing question was why the Emperor would present Fusu in front of everyone.
"Indeed, it's about that matter," Fan Zhongyan said.
Fu Bi and Ouyang Xiu nodded in agreement.
—The Emperor is going to reveal the identity of Zhao Xiaolang, oh no, His Highness Prince Cheng, to the public. He's currently paving the way and building up his favor with all the officials and civil servants.
If His Highness's identity is revealed directly without sufficient goodwill, while the court officials may understand the Emperor's previous preferential treatment, they will inevitably project their resentment towards Prince Cheng onto him. This would be very detrimental to his future endeavors.
"so……"
The three exchanged a quick glance: "Since the Emperor informed us in advance, it's so we can be prepared. We can then adapt to the situation."
Fan Zhongyan pondered for a long time, stroking his beard: "Moreover, I have a premonition that the turning point may be at the potato feast."
-
Was the potato feast the turning point in revealing his identity? Fusu didn't know; all he knew was that the potato feast would be delicious.
The last time he went to the kitchen was over a year ago, to make syrup for sugar painting. Back then, he was very restrained, pretending not to know anything, and just used his childlike imagination to come up with a few ideas, and then "accidentally" got what he wanted.
This time, he didn't even bother with acting. He rolled up his sleeves, stood on a bench, and directly instructed the chef on how to cook. When asked, "How did Your Highness know?" he simply replied with a mysterious expression, "I saw it all in my dreams."
The others would nod knowingly. As for what they were imagining, Fusu couldn't be bothered to think about it. It would definitely violate his materialistic warrior values. But then again, his father sending him an acre of potatoes out of nowhere was inherently unmaterialistic!
"Yes, fill a big pot with oil and fry the potatoes. Make sure the oil is completely filling the pot! At least enough to submerge the potatoes!"
"Sprinkle the seasonings generously. It's okay, loosen your grip and sprinkle as much as you like. The essence of this dish is when the ingredients are fully coated with seasonings."
"Add more dogwood and vinegar to the soup; potato noodles are only delicious when they are sour and spicy enough."
The head chefs of the imperial kitchen, who had seen countless delicacies, were still taken aback by Fusu's demands. A single dish required ten times the usual amount of oil, and priceless seasonings were being poured in as if they were free… Even the imperial chefs couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. How many dishes could that be made with?
But the moment the finished product came out of the pan, the savory aroma mixed with oil filled their nostrils, and the regret in the chefs' eyes instantly turned into a deep sense of surprise. Taking a bite, the golden-brown surface, the soft and powdery inside, coated with savory seasoning powder, and the delicious taste that rolled on their tongues left them speechless.
"Truly the most delicious taste in the world..."
"No wonder it was a recipe given to me by an immortal in my dream; the food is unlike anything found in the human world."
Fusu, on the contrary, became modest: "With so much oil and salt, everything will taste delicious when fried."
The popularity of tempura among Japanese daimyo stems from a similar principle. In times of scarcity, a dish filled with deep-fried ingredients was a luxury reserved for the aristocracy.
"No, you're too modest. It's not that simple," the cook who had just exclaimed said. "It's these potatoes that are excellent vegetables."
After the salty and savory flavor of the wolf-tooth potatoes faded, he could actually taste a hint of sweetness, just like the finest white rice. But in this world, only a small minority of people can afford to eat white rice.
If a landlord's family had a son who loved to eat white rice, he could easily squander the family fortune. But it's said that these newly descended auspicious potatoes have extremely high yields and are easy to raise?
The cook, a man deeply concerned for his country, showered Fusu with praise, making the latter blush with embarrassment. Suddenly, an idea struck him: "Why don't we steam the potatoes, mix them into the rice, and make it a staple food?"
Fusu remembered that this way of eating potatoes existed in Yunnan in later generations. He had never tried it, but potatoes couldn't be too bad. Later, during a casual chat with the chef, he recalled some other recipes containing potatoes. Relying on the excellent memory and abundant resources of the palace kitchen chefs, he made them all at once.
Stir-fried shredded potatoes, stewed chicken with potatoes, wolf-tooth potatoes, French fries, stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, green peppers, and potatoes, hot and sour potato noodles... The aroma wafted from the kitchen straight to the main hall, touching the noses of the courtiers, making them twitch their noses.
No, wasn't it supposed to be potatoes that could be used as a staple food? They thought it would be bland and tasteless like grains, maybe even with bran scraping their throats, and that this was a meal with more symbolic than practical significance, like an emperor or empress personally attending spring plowing.
Dishes made of potatoes were carried out one after another by palace maids and placed before the officials' seats. Those with restless minds, having already eaten, could still resist the urge to look at the dishes with irrepressible curiosity. But the honest officials were in trouble; their stomachs rumbled, drawing sidelong glances from the officials around them, making them so embarrassed they wanted to hide in their sleeves.
Fusu, of course, heard it too.
A slight smile played on his lips—not a mockery, but a clear indication that he had already secured the success of the banquet.
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Author's Note: I apologize for the recent inconsistent update schedule, which has made the experience of following the story very difficult. Indeed, this story has been serialized for four months, and I've entered a period of burnout. However, aside from one major plot point that still needs consideration, the length, ending date, and epilogues are mostly in place. But this has also led to a lack of motivation to update at times. I will try my best to adjust. Starting in September, I will strive to achieve perfect attendance, and updates may become more regular then. [Let me see...]
By the way, here's the synopsis for my new two-word novel. After I finish this one, I'll be adding it to my current one, which I expect to start writing later this year. (Those who aren't into two-word novels can skip this! [droopy-eared bunny head])
After starting a relationship with Hagiwara and then abandoning her,
Yuan Yuyue has traveled through time, but she has no idea where she has traveled to.
After accidentally meeting two handsome guys who looked like key characters in the plot, becoming friends with them, and even starting a relationship with one of them, Yuzuki still had no clues about this world.
...Is it really scientific that someone so handsome turns out to be just an ordinary person?
It wasn't until a silver-haired man pointed a gun at her and forced her to become a tutor for an elementary school student named "Shirley" that she finally understood what was going on.
Oh, so I'm dressed as a Ke Xue (a character from a popular Chinese novel)!
I know this very well; I watched hundreds of episodes when I was a kid.
The main quest is quite obvious: defect with Sherry, get along well with the perpetual elementary school student, and you can survive until the finale.
Jieyue and her random boyfriend met at lightning speed and headed to America to begin their companionship.
At the distillery's annual meeting a few years later, Yuzuki ran into her ex-boyfriend, whom she had met by chance.
Her ex-boyfriend was dressed entirely in black, looking languid. His amethyst eyes gleamed with indifference as he held a glass of Chardonnay, giving her a cryptic smile.
...Hey buddy, you're not a main character either, are you?
-
Hagiwara has an ex-girlfriend he finds difficult to talk about.
She cruelly abandoned him, yet she is omnipresent in his world.
As the wise say, one cannot step into the same river twice.
But that night, as Yuan Jieyue gripped her wine glass, her gaze drifted unconsciously, both bewildered and alluring through the floating crystal chandelier.
Hagiwara knew that.
He fell for the same woman twice.
The story revolves around a woman who goes undercover for love, Hagi, and a female protagonist who is truly fond of alcohol. She's so craving Hagi from the alcohol factory that she angrily cooks a meal for herself.
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