Feng Changye breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the old man agreed.
He was also worried that the old man was upright and stubborn by nature, and would tell the world about the three kinds of grain as soon as possible so that everyone in the world would be happy.
He smiled and said, "Well, tell me about the corn first. The Queen told me that corn is made up of tiny seeds. The seeds you brought back, plus the seeds the Queen secretly conjured up with magic, should be enough to cover all of Daning's territory in a year!"
Zhu Huaining nodded and said with a smile, "Okay."
He looked meaningfully at his daughter who had traveled through time.
Wow, he can actually secretly perform magic to produce some seeds?
That’s great!
He was worried that what he brought back wasn't enough.
Zhu Wuhuan met his father's meaningful gaze and smiled obediently.
She definitely couldn't hide the fact that she was going to use the system to exchange for corn seeds from her father. After all, he had brought the corn seeds himself, so he knew exactly how much there was.
So it’s better to be honest with Dad.
Anyway, Dad knows that she is a time traveler, and he will help her cover up the matter of the seeds.
The father-in-law and son-in-law had already made their decision. Zhu Huaining then spoke loudly under the gaze of the crowd, "The current emperor is benevolent and loves his people. This time, I, Zhu Huaining, was ordered by the emperor to go out to sea to search for treasure. Heaven has blessed me, Daning, with several rare treasures!"
He glanced at the civilians who were being held outside by the imperial guards not far away. Under their intense gazes, he shouted even louder, "One of them is a grain that has a higher yield per mu than rice!"
“…” The onlookers looked at the old general in surprise.
What? Did they hear that right?
They had just been speculating about what kind of rare treasure the old general was talking about, wondering if they would have the honor of seeing what that treasure looked like today so they could show it off later...
As a result, the baby didn’t see it, but heard the grain seeds?
Did the old general really not lie to them?
Not only did the old general and his team discover grain seeds, but they were also seeds with a yield higher than rice?
Zhu Huaining saw everyone's shocked expressions as he wished, so he signaled Zhu Chunjun to get a bucket of corn seeds so that he could show them to everyone.
Zhu Chunjun was young and could run fast. He soon ran to the front of the wooden boxes carried by the horse team behind him, opened one of the boxes, took out a bucket of ripped corn and a whole corn cob, and ran back to Zhu Huaining.
Zhu Huaining bent down and gently scattered a bucket of corn on the ground so that the onlookers could see it clearly.
He himself held a few corn cobs in his hand and spoke more and more passionately.
"Look, this grain is golden in color, plump and smooth, and its grains are larger than soybeans. The growing conditions are not as demanding as those for rice."
"People who grow crops all know that we in Daning no longer grow dry valley crops. We only grow rice. The reason why rice is called rice is that it must be grown in paddy fields. Land like hillsides cannot grow rice at all."
"We can only grow beans, corn, and sorghum on those mountainous lands. Beans don't taste good, and corn and sorghum have low yields. We can only harvest a small amount throughout the year, so it's not cost-effective at all."
"It's not just that the yield is low, but the millet is also difficult to shell. It takes a lot of effort to pound the rice and eat it. But with this new grain, I don't have that trouble!"
"When we discovered this grain, it was growing on a plant that was about one meter tall, and the plant had two large cobs of grain on it."
He picked up the corn cob again.
He showed it to everyone.
"That's what I call a grain stick."
"Look, it's as long as my palm, and it only has this thin shell on the outside. If we peel it open, there's densely packed grains inside. We can just rub them off, grind them, and cook them!"
"Everyone, do you think this large cob has a higher yield than corn or sorghum? Is it more convenient and less labor-intensive than hulling corn or sorghum?"
"Even rice can't compare to it. Rice also needs to be pounded and hulled, but it doesn't!"
"The only difference between it and rice is that it has a rougher texture and isn't as refreshing. But in terms of satiety and nourishment, it's no worse than rice!"
"Us common people sometimes even eat beans when we're short of food. This stuff tastes much better than beans, and it doesn't make you bloated and uncomfortable like beans do. It's great!"
After showing it to everyone, he bowed to Feng Changye.
He said, "Your Majesty, please send someone to take these grain seeds to the people to see, so that everyone can see clearly that these grain seeds are real. The people of Daning will have another way to survive. I hope Huaining has not deceived everyone!"
Feng Changye nodded.
He signaled the imperial guards to come forward, and each of them grabbed a handful of corn and spread it around, showing it to the onlookers from a distance of two feet.
The people were already in ecstasy when they heard Zhu Huaining introduce this grain. Now, when they saw the imperial guards holding the golden seeds in front of them, their eyes became red and hot.
"If this grain is real, then we ordinary people will have another way to survive!"
"Yes, after all, not everyone has prime paddy fields to grow rice. Some families only have a little mountain land, and they grow a little corn and beans year-round. Eating beans will cause bloating and make you suffer, but you can trade them for rice. Four liters of beans for one liter of corn is not worth it at all!"
"If this new grain is really as General Zhu said, filling without bloating, and nourishing like rice, then what does it matter if it tastes a little worse?"
"Yes, haven't we poor people suffered enough? We are not afraid of any unpalatable food. As long as we can keep our bellies full and survive, we are satisfied!"
Among the people, some expressed their sympathy with red eyes, while others naturally raised questions.
"Who knows if this thing is edible? What if it just looks good, but is actually as poisonous as the wild fruits in the mountains? It looks so bright and golden, maybe it can't be eaten!"
After such doubts were raised, the people who had been moved before also became a little worried.
The imperial guards reported these doubts to Feng Changye.
Feng Changye curled his lips and said, "I happen to have nothing to do today, so why don't you take out a bushel of grain, grind it on the spot, and cook it in a big pot right under everyone's noses for them to see."
He signaled the imperial guards to do it, and then asked someone to bring tables, chairs and benches from the city wall. He and Zhu Wuhuan sat down with their two children.
Zhu Huaining was also invited to sit together.
The old man wanted to refuse, but his grandson and granddaughter each held one of his arms and asked him to sit down, so he had no choice but to sit down with his arms around the two children and a smile on his face.
As for other generals and civil and military officials, they did not receive such treatment. They had to either stand or sit on the ground and do whatever they wanted.
"Third sister, third brother-in-law, dad, I'm going to visit my eldest and second brothers."
Zhu Chunjun had just secretly reminisced about the past with his third sister, so he said goodbye to Zhu Huaining and Feng Changye, and happily ran to meet up with his elder and second brothers.
The three brothers gathered together happily, talking to each other about the past three years since they separated. Their genuine brotherhood was truly enviable.
While the people were eagerly waiting not far away, the imperial guards quickly set up the stove, and another group of people ground a bushel of corn into fine powder using a stone mill used to grind beans.
The water in the pot was boiled over a high fire, and a bucket of cornmeal was put into the pot. In less than a moment, the pot was filled with the rich aroma of corn.
There was a strong wind at the city gate, and the fragrance quickly drifted into the noses of civil and military officials and the people.
The ministers who were sitting on the ground could not help but get agitated. They stood up and walked to the stove to watch the golden corn porridge bubbling inside.
The common people who were stopped by the imperial guards could not gather around and could only stand on tiptoe and try their best to look into the pot.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, the corn porridge was fully cooked. The imperial guards served a bowl of it and brought it to Feng Changye and the others.
After the eunuch tasted the porridge and confirmed that there was no poison in it, the jade bowl was placed on the table in front of Feng Changye.
"Let me taste what this new food tastes like."
He stirred the corn porridge with a spoon and then scooped up a spoonful.
Before feeding it to himself, he looked at Zhu Wuhuan with the idea of sharing good things with his wife, "Would the Queen like to try it?"
Zhu Wuhuan nodded, "Okay, I'll taste it for Your Majesty."
She smiled and tried to take the spoon herself, but he grabbed her wrist. Then, in full view of everyone, he personally fed her a spoonful of porridge.
"..." Zhu Wuhuan tasted the fragrant corn porridge in her mouth, looked up and saw the bright eyes of the civil and military officials and the people around her. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she glared at Feng Changye coquettishly.
Are you showing off your affection here?
Are you sorry?
She swallowed the porridge in her mouth, then nodded to Feng Changye, "It's delicious, Your Majesty, try it, it's much better than the vegetable dumplings at Qingming Festival."
Feng Changye nodded.
He didn't mind at all that the spoon was the one the queen had just used, and he scooped a spoonful of porridge into his mouth.
He slowly tasted the porridge with the tip of his tongue before swallowing it.
He nodded. It tasted good.
He smiled at the civil and military officials and said, "My dear ministers, if you are curious, you can try it. But I must say first that this porridge is naturally not as delicious as white rice porridge, but it is not bad. Please don't waste it."
When the civil and military officials saw that the emperor and empress had tasted it, how could they dare to despise it?
They lined up one after another and took a bite.
They also came to try the taste of the new food brought back by General Zhu.
After tasting it, some people were pleasantly surprised, while others, used to eating refined grains, looked unsatisfied. But without exception, they all swallowed it down, and no one dared to spit it out.
What a joke! Neither the emperor nor the empress vomited. Are they more noble than these two masters?
After all the civil and military officials had tasted a bite, there was still a lot left in the pot. After all, if each person took a bite, how much could they eat?
Feng Changye gave another order, "If anyone among the people wants to taste it, they can raise their hands and the imperial guards will bring it forward for them to taste—"
As soon as he finished speaking, all the onlookers raised their hands!
They would never doubt that the food is inedible!
If it was really poisonous, the emperor and empress would not risk their lives. Since the emperor and empress have eaten it, what else do they have to be afraid of?
They all wanted to try it. If it really tasted better than beans, they would rush to sign up to buy grain seeds. They wanted to grow this grain to feed their whole family!
So, the imperial guards carried bowls of porridge to the poor people to taste. After all, to grow this food, it depends on whether these people can actively sign up to participate.
The imperial guards also selected a small portion for the merchants and scholars caught in the middle to taste.
After all, if the name of this new grain is to be spread throughout the country in a short period of time, it depends on these scholars and literati to write poems and recite them, and it depends on merchants who travel all over the country to exaggerate and publicize it along the way.
After walking around, all the corn porridge was eaten up.
Everyone who tasted it raved about the new grain!
They call it another grain after the five grains!
They praised General Zhu and his team for discovering this new grain, saying that their virtue was comparable to that of Shennong!
They praised the emperor as the wisest ruler since the beginning of the world, who was the one who received the blessing of God and bestowed upon him the life-saving grain of Daning!
Amid their admiration, Feng Changye held Zhu Wuhuan's hand tightly and came to the top of the city wall.
Feng Changye raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.
He raised his voice and asked, "My dear ministers, my fellow citizens, do you know why the Duke of Zhenguo led his generals to the seaside, built ships, and traveled overseas to search for treasure?"
All the civil and military officials remained silent because they were also confused about this matter.
The common people praised him one after another, saying, "It is the Emperor's wisdom and foresight that has ordered the Duke of Zhenguo to go treasure hunting overseas!"
Feng Changye curled his lips and held Zhu Wuhuan's hand, "No, actually this was the Queen's idea."
When he said this, the people and ministers were all shocked.
They looked at the empress standing beside the emperor in disbelief, unable to imagine that this empress was more far-sighted than the emperor!
Feng Changye continued, "Do you all remember four years ago when I wanted to execute the entire Zhu family? At that time, despite so many ministers trying to dissuade me, I was determined to kill the Zhu family. Why did I suddenly change my mind later?"
He glanced at everyone and told his story.
"Thanks to the blessings of our ancestors, God cannot bear to see the Daning Kingdom fall, nor my brutality and incompetence. So when I was on the verge of killing a loyal and honest person, he allowed the fairy to enter the Queen's dream!"
"The Queen, with the advice of the fairy in my dream, wisely resolved the resentment in my heart and constantly reminded me to be a wise ruler. From that moment on, the Queen, who had never been favored by me in the harem for five years, became my wise wife."
"If you all think carefully, you will find that I changed after the Zhu family was nearly executed. My relationship with the Queen also changed from that day on!"
He looked at Zhu Wuhuan tenderly.
He had always wanted to tell everyone openly that the queen he loved was Zhu Wuhuan who appeared four years ago, not the woman at the beginning.
He wanted everyone to know that the queen he loved now was one of a kind.
At this moment, he finally used the fairy's dream as an excuse to tell the world about his queen's uniqueness. Although everyone might not know, his queen was the fairy he was talking about...
Zhu Wuhuan knew his intentions, so he was moved to the point that his eyes turned red.
Her brother Ye has always loved her with all his heart.
Feng Changye pinched her fingers and continued speaking.
"Not only that, three years ago, the Queen even got a treasure map for shipbuilding thanks to the help of a fairy!"
"That fairy also reminded the Queen that there are fairy mountains overseas, and in those mountains there are rare treasures and other foods besides the five grains. As long as we search sincerely, we can find food and bring prosperity to Daning!"
"The Queen couldn't leave the palace, so she had no choice but to give this shipbuilding map to the Duke of Zhenguo, whom both she and I trusted. So, at the Queen's instruction, the Duke of Zhenguo built a ship and sailed according to the map she had drawn for the Immortal Mountain. After three years, he finally found the Immortal Mountain and obtained the grain!"
Feng Changye’s words shocked all the people.
They looked at the Queen in shock, unable to imagine that the Queen was actually someone with a destiny with immortals!
The civil and military officials also looked at the Queen with even greater surprise.
They were people in the court, and they knew more about the emotional changes between the emperor and the empress, and also knew more about the changes in the emperor's temperament.
It was indeed as the emperor said. He and the empress had no feelings for each other for several years after their marriage, but after he almost killed the entire Zhu family four years ago, their relationship changed dramatically.
In just one or two months, the emperor fell in love with the queen so much that he asked her to move to Taiji Palace and dismissed the six palaces for her. As soon as she became pregnant, the emperor said personally that as long as the baby in her belly was a son, he would be his crown prince!
Such grace had always puzzled them.
But now I hear what the Emperor said...
If the Queen really had a destiny with the immortals, then they would suddenly understand...
As for whether the Empress really had a destiny with immortality, they all looked at the magical grain that had not appeared in Daning for thousands of years.
If Her Majesty had not received guidance from the fairies, how could the Duke of Zhenguo have built a large ship to cross the overseas in just half a year, and how could he have found such a magical grain seed in just three years?
Shennong planted grains and was the god they revered. They would worship Shennong during the spring plowing in February every year.
Then why is it impossible that the Queen discovered the Sixth Valley with the guidance of a fairy?
Of course, if they only had this ship and this new kind of food in front of them, they still couldn't sincerely believe that the Queen had a connection with the immortals.
Unless, the Queen takes out some magical treasure, unless the Queen creates some miracle!
On the city wall, Feng Changye continued speaking.
"Whether you are shocked or skeptical, I want to tell you that the fairy's advice to the Queen in her dream goes far beyond this. She also told her that there are other grains overseas. These are grains that can truly yield a thousand kilograms per mu, and they are grains that can truly end famine in Daning!"
The crowd below was in an uproar.
Are there other new grain varieties? Yields of 1,000 kilograms per mu?
They whispered to each other, confused and surprised, and looked up at the emperor and empress on the city wall.
Zhu Wuhuan and Feng Changye on the city wall were very calm and let them look at them.
After they were shocked, Feng Changye released the last bomb -
"I have made a great wish to the fairy in the Queen's dream. If the fairy can guide the Queen to find a few more new grains that can feed the people of Daning, then when those new grains are spread throughout Daning and the people of Daning live and work in peace and contentment, and no one in Daning starves to death anymore, I am willing to join the Queen in governing Daning together, and we will rule together as two saints!"
"At that time, the Queen who has benefited all the people will be equal to the Empress, standing shoulder to shoulder with me! This is the honor she deserves. It is I, and the people of the world who have benefited from her grace, who should give her this honor!"
Feng Changye's words made the crowd below silent in an instant.
Everyone stared at him blankly, dumbfounded.
Is this something a wise emperor would say?
How could he let a woman rule the world with him?
Feng Changye took in everyone's gazes and raised his lip. "Do you all think that the Queen, who led Daning to find several new crops, is not qualified to rule Daning with me? If so, then the Queen should just focus on taking care of her husband and children from now on. There's no need to map out new crops. After all, she's not the Emperor of Daning. Daning's prosperity has nothing to do with her. Why should she bother herself with so much effort?"
He glanced at everyone and finally announced, "Everyone, please consider this. If the Queen wants to go looking for grain seeds again, I must fulfill my promise to the fairy and make the Queen's status equal to mine. If you do not want to honor the Queen as Emperor, then the issue of the new grain seeds must not be mentioned again from now on. If you are not willing to help the Queen, then whether you have enough to eat or not is none of her business."
After saying this, he was ready to hold Zhu Wuhuan's hand and leave the city wall with her.
But after taking two steps, a shout came from below -
"Thank God for the gift of the Sixth Valley, thank the Emperor for his kindness, and thank the Empress for her great virtue. I wish the Emperor a long life, and the Empress a long life—"
The person among the people who was arranged by Feng Changye suddenly took the lead and shouted loudly. The other people were stunned. Then they knelt down excitedly, kowtowed and shouted!
"Thank God for the gift of the Sixth Valley, thank the Emperor for his kindness, and thank the Empress for her great virtue. I wish the Emperor a long life, and the Empress a long life—"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"
The people kowtowed with great joy.
They all had the same idea—
Who cares who sits on the throne? It can't be them anyway, so what does it have to do with them who becomes the emperor?
As long as the person sitting on top can give them a good life, can make them well-fed and well-clothed and live a happy life, then they are willing to respect him as the emperor!
As long as the Queen can really find the grain that can produce a thousand kilograms per mu, all the poor people are willing to respect her as the Queen.
Feng Changye and Zhu Wuhuan heard the earth-shaking shouts from below and looked down at the city wall at the same time.
It wasn't just the common people who were bowing.
Feng Yuxiao and Feng Yuqiong, the two little kids, also found it hilarious. They broke free from their grandfather's hands, ran out, and happily knelt on the ground. They looked up at their father and mother on the city wall and shouted in their baby voices, "Long live the emperor! Long live the empress!"
Looking at these two cute little kids, Feng Changye and Zhu Wuhuan raised their hands to their foreheads and smiled at each other.
Look, millions of people in Daning have surrendered, so what is there to be afraid of if only the scholars and civil and military officials are left opposing them?
From now on, with the pressure from the emperor above and the people making trouble below, the ministers will eventually surrender.
Maybe it will take one, two, or three years, but it doesn’t matter, the couple can afford to wait.
According to their original plan, it would take several years for Zhu Wuhuan to ascend the throne and complete the task.
Therefore, these few years can be used to make the ministers face reality and gradually submit.
Feng Changye glanced at the lovely people and his lovely children, then retracted his gaze to look at the even more lovely queen beside him.
"Queen, I have fulfilled every single thing I promised you. I have never lied to you. I never did, and I never will. You will always be the priceless treasure I cherish in my heart."
He held Zhu Wuhuan's hand, hugged her shoulders, and stared at her with a smile.
She leaned in his arms, looked up at his handsome face, and her eyes couldn't help but redden.
"Your Majesty, I am very fortunate to have come to Daning, and I am very fortunate to have you. In this life, you will always be the priceless treasure in my heart."
No, you are far more important than a priceless treasure in my heart.
Because I have the system, priceless treasures are at my fingertips, but I can’t find anyone as good as you even if I search the whole world.
Only you, Feng Changye, are willing to pamper me and love me without any bottom line, give up the throne, and rule the country with me.
I am so lucky to be able to love you...
(The main story ends here, but the heartwarming and hilarious extra chapter about a family of four is still going on, my dear babies! I’ll try my best to write about the extra chapters that everyone left messages wanting you to see, but the extra chapter about the former queen thriving in modern times is a bit difficult, hahaha, so I may have to give up on this one——)
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