Time flies, and it's already mid-May. The fish on the back mountain have been growing for over a month now. The rice seedlings planted in mid-March have grown quite a bit, from tiny little fish to the size of a child's palm.
Guan Zhiyue led Bilian to the ridges of the back mountain fields. As far as the eye could see, everything was lush and green. It was simply too wonderful.
"Phew~~"
"Every breath I take smells like freedom! Fresh air, and all I can see is greenery. It's just so refreshing!"
"Your Majesty, please be a little more discreet!" Bilian said, watching her mistress's exaggerated movements, which seemed to envelop the entire earth.
"Oh dear, you don't understand, you don't understand, this is the aroma of grain, this is the smell of money!"
Guan Zhiyue looked at the lush greenery covering her mountains and fields, feeling incredibly comfortable.
"Bilian, let me tell you, our rice field can yield about 1,200 catties of rice per mu. If it is well managed and there are no pests or anything, it can yield about 1,500 to 1,600 catties."
Guan Zhiyue's words startled Bilian so much that she coughed repeatedly. So much! This was unprecedented! What kind of precious rice was this?!
"Your Majesty, please don't deceive me. Although I have never farmed, I know that no one in our country has ever grown a plot of land that can produce more than a thousand catties of grain."
"Not to mention our country, even some of our neighboring countries don't have that. What you're saying is too exaggerated."
Guan Zhiyue knew immediately that the girl didn't believe her, so she didn't bother to explain. She would just wait until the harvest in July and let her prove her wrong online.
"Alright, if you say no, then no. We'll see when the rice harvest comes," Guan Zhiyue said with a smile.
She then walked over to the fruit trees to take a look, and also checked the growth of the corn seedlings, as well as some green and white vegetables that she had eaten. Seeing that they were growing very well, she was very satisfied.
"Let's go back! Let's find a place to dig a pond and plant some lotus roots. Then we can make lotus root and pork rib soup."
Bilian looked at her mistress, who was so unpredictable, that she was speechless. Were the empresses of other countries like this?
——
Guan Zhiyue led Bilian back to the courtyard. They wandered around the courtyard, turning left and right, but still couldn't find a suitable place. Where would be a good place to dig a pond?
"Your Majesty, what are you doing wandering around?" Shiliu returned from outside and saw her mistress pacing back and forth in the courtyard.
Guan Zhiyue looked at Shiliu, then glanced up and said, "Shiliu, I'm thinking of digging a pond somewhere and transplanting some lotus roots over there. We can enjoy lotus roots in the fall!"
Pomegranate~~
Suddenly, Shiliu had an idea and said, "Your Majesty, this servant knows a place that is absolutely perfect."
Guan Zhiyue perked up immediately upon hearing this, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Shiliu and exclaimed, "Ah, where is this place!"
Shi Liu led Guan Zhiyue to the main gate and pointed to the abandoned wall on the right side of the Cold Palace gate, saying, "Your Majesty, what do you think of this place?"
Guan Zhiyue stood at the entrance of the Cold Palace, looking at the place in front of the gate, and nodded with great satisfaction.
“This used to be a flower bed, but the Cold Palace was abandoned later, and the flower bed at the entrance has become ruins. If Your Majesty wants to build a pond here, then this flower bed will be just right.”
"In addition, both sides can be used, which is just right for the left and right sides. When the lotus flowers bloom, it will be a beautiful sight."
Shi Liu looked at the flower beds on both sides of the Cold Palace and said.
Guan Zhiyue nodded in agreement. This place was indeed nice. There was a lotus pond not far from the Cold Palace, but dead people often soaked in it, so she decided against it.
"This place is great. It not only beautifies the Cold Palace but also enriches the taste buds. Not bad, not bad. Shiliu, go and tell Liu Debao to bring people over to tidy it up."
"Yes, this servant will go and do it right away." Shi Liu said and ran off happily.
Guan Zhiyue crossed her arms and looked at the entrance to the Cold Palace. She was extremely satisfied with the view; it was simply too satisfying.
"Ah, this cold palace is really a wonderful place; it's full of treasures!"
"In this palace where every inch of land is precious, I, Guan Zhiyue, actually have such a large place to stay. It's simply too wonderful! I've reached the pinnacle of my life!"
Guan Zhiyue was passionately sharing her thoughts at the door when Liu Debao and the others came out with hoes, shovels, baskets, and other tools.
"Oh dear, Your Majesty, what are you doing now?" Liu Debao asked with a fawning expression, flicking his whisk.
Guan Zhiyue pointed to the left and right sides of the Cold Palace and said, "Look, you see? I want to turn these two flower beds into ponds and plant lotus roots."
"Your Majesty, don't we have a lotus pond?"
Guan Zhiyue shook her head and said, "No, no, no, those are lotus flowers, not lotus roots. I want to grow lotus roots, specifically for eating."
"Ah, what kind of lotus root is this? This servant has never heard of it before!" Liu Debao said.
Guan Zhiyue shook her head and said, "Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore. I need to go find lotus roots. You guys get these two flower beds ready for me as soon as possible."
"Yes, yes, yes, this servant guarantees to handle everything perfectly for Your Majesty," Liu Debao said.
Guan Zhiyue nodded and walked into the Cold Palace with her hands behind her back. She was overjoyed because she wanted to get some food.
****
The Imperial Study.
"Is the Empress tidying up the flower beds?" Li Qiji asked after hearing Ji Shang's report.
"Yes."
"Did they say what kind of flowers they need? If so, let the landscape gardener come over," Li Qiji said.
Ji Shang shook his head and said, "The Empress said she wanted to grow vegetables, not flowers."
"Growing vegetables? Doesn't she have some on the back hill?"
"It's not growing vegetables, it's cultivating lotus roots."
"Lotus root? Or is it lotus root?"
Ji Shang nodded, then replied, "Your Majesty, what do you think of this?"
"Alright, let her do whatever she wants. We probably don't have lotus root or anything like that in the palace. Hua Quan, have someone go outside the palace to find some for Her Majesty."
Hua Quan bowed and said, "Yes, this servant will take care of it immediately."
"Yes, go ahead and make a lot, so the Empress won't need too much." Li Qiji thought about it and agreed.
While Guan Zhiyue was still in the Cold Palace thinking about where to get lotus roots, Li Qiji was already sending someone to procure them for her.
Since Li Qiji was injured last time, he has become more and more concerned about Guan Zhiyue, and has secretly sent two guards to protect the empress in the Cold Palace.
Of course, Guan Zhiyue knew nothing about these things.
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