Chapter 542 Never Test Human Nature
Song Yuntang nodded.
"The sweet potatoes were bought back from the caravans by the people in my shop a few years ago. I thought that sweet potatoes were sweet, soft, and filling, so I asked the people on the farm to try to grow them. I didn't expect that the yield of sweet potatoes was only higher than that of rice, and the requirements for soil and environment were lower than those of rice."
"My uncle happened to go to the Western Regions. Thinking that they needed food and grass, I asked someone to send a few carts there at the beginning of the year. I asked him to lead the soldiers to try planting there. If the planting is successful, the Western Region can be self-sufficient in food and grass, and it can also reduce the burden on the court."
Li Junyao looked at her, as if he could see through her.
Although she has a face similar to Qin Xue's, she has not had any other thoughts for such a long time. Instead, she has been using her actions to do what she can.
"Since the sweet potato has low requirements for land and environment, can it be grown in all parts of Daxia?"
Even in places like the Western Regions where the soil is relatively poor and the climate is harsh, there can be a good harvest. If it is placed in other places, the yield will only be higher.
If planting can be promoted, people's food and clothing will be guaranteed.
Only when the people live and work in peace and contentment, tax revenues are stable, the treasury is full, the national strength is strong, and no one dares to invade the borders, can the country be peaceful and the people be safe.
Song Yuntang shook his head.
"I have never planted sweet potatoes in other places, and I don't know if other places can have a good harvest except the Western Territory and Yingshan City. However, if they can be planted in the Western Territory, other places should be no worse. In the past two years, I have stored a lot of sweet potatoes on the farm. If Your Majesty wants to try to promote it in more places, I can provide sweet potato seeds and technology."
Li Junyao smiled.
"Is there anything you would like? I will try my best to satisfy your request."
Song Yuntang is blessed.
"Now that my family is harmonious and I have no worries about food and clothing, I have nothing else to ask for."
As she spoke, she took out a blueprint from her arms.
Li Junyao looked at her.
"What is this?"
Song Yuntang handed the drawing in his hand towards Fan Chihai.
"Your Majesty, the fireworks you saw last time at Wangxu Villa were what I saw in a travelogue. I asked my servants to try to make them. I heard from them that the proportion of this kind of fireworks must be strictly controlled. If the proportion is wrong, the power after it is ignited will be so great that it can even break rocks."
"The war in the western border is tense right now. I suddenly had an idea that this kind of gunpowder might be useful in the war, so I drew the formula and blueprint. If Your Majesty wants to try it, it will also be convenient for the officials in the Ministry of Works to test it. But you must go to an open area with few people to avoid accidental injuries."
Li Junyao's eyes lit up and he quickly took the drawing from Fan Chihai and took a look at it.
After a moment, he slammed the table.
"Princess Le'an is really the lucky star of Daxia! If the gunpowder test is successful, I will definitely reward you handsomely! But since you have given me the formula, you can't reveal it to anyone else."
It's typical of first painting a big picture and then giving a warning.
Song Yuntang is blessed.
"Please be at ease, Your Majesty. Since I have given this recipe to Your Majesty, I will not give it to anyone else. However, if the recipe leaks out from somewhere else, it is not my business."
If it wasn't related to Wencheng, she wouldn't give away the recipe so easily.
Since ancient times, kings have been cautious.
Now that she has presented this recipe to him, he will definitely take notice.
This is also the reason why she did not develop the bomb herself, but handed the method over to the Ministry of Industry for testing.
If what she handed over today was a bomb, it would be hard to say whether she could get out of here.
One of the Xu brothers is a scholar and the other is a warrior. She has explosives, silver and food in her hands, and any king would be afraid of her.
Li Junyao nodded, said a few words to Song Yuntang, and then asked Fan Chihai to send her away.
When Fan Chihai returned to the imperial study, Li Junyao looked at him.
"What do you think, in what position should I place this Princess Le'an?"
Fan Chihai bowed and saluted.
"I don't understand what your majesty means."
Li Junyao tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, a look of contemplation flashing in his eyes.
"If she hadn't married and had no children, I would have been able to settle her down, but now that she's a wife and a mother, it's really difficult for me."
Fan Chihai was startled and looked up at him.
"Your Majesty, Lord Xu and his wife are now your advisors, one is your adviser, and the other is your provider of money and food. If your Majesty can win over these two, won't they also be able to be used by you?"
Li Junyao shook his head.
"Never test human nature. Once people have power, they will become greedy. King Zhenbei and Prime Minister Zhuang are the best examples."
"When I was young, I fought on the battlefield with the King of Zhenbei. At that time, he didn't know my identity. When he risked his life to save me from the enemy's sword, I regarded him as a brother. Now that I have more power, my heart is bigger."
"If even the brothers who fought on the battlefield are like this, what about the ministers in the court?"
Fan Chihai frowned.
"But in the current situation, no matter which one you give up, it will be a great loss for Daxia."
Li Junyao lowered his eyes and looked at the drawings on the table, as if with some kind of determination.
"Don't worry, there will definitely be a better way. If you don't give up both of them, they can still be used by me."
…
After returning home, Song Yuntang continued to make pills, with Jinshu and Xia Ning helping him.
Jiang knew that she was preparing things for her second son, so she and Xu Yongwang took Hao Ting to play with building blocks, trying their best to prevent him from disturbing Song Yuntang.
Most of the toys that Xu Haoting played with were made by Xu Yongwang and the servants in the mansion according to the drawings drawn by Song Yuntang. Each one was polished smooth and flat, for fear that the burrs on the wood would scratch the child's delicate skin.
Three days later, Song Yuntang sent the prepared medicine, two sets of cold-resistant clothes and two pairs of leather boots sewn by Jiang to the western border.
After the Chinese New Year, Xu Qingye started to get busy.
Because he was promoted to the position of Lecturer in the Hanlin Academy and was highly regarded by the emperor, in addition to court affairs, he also had to deal with the flattery of officials.
As they were both in the government, he could not completely refuse people's repeated invitations. After work, he would occasionally go out for social events with his colleagues.
But he also has his own principles and never goes to any brothels or other places.
In order to invite him out, these officials naturally agreed to his request. In addition to brothels and mansions, there were also teahouses, restaurants and pleasure boats in the capital.
During this period, Song Yuntang often waited in the room until midnight. Sometimes Xu Qingye had not returned home yet, and she could not hold on any longer and fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, he had already left to attend the morning court.
Rumors began to spread in the capital that Lord Xu was in cahoots with other ministers in the court and was spending his days in debauchery.
Many people in the capital had heard about how much Lord Xu cared about his family. The ladies in various mansions were very envious of him, and many even compared him with their own husbands.
Now that this matter has spread, many people are adding fuel to the fire and hiding behind the scenes to make fun of Song Yuntang.
When the servants in the mansion heard the rumors and thought about their masters' recent actions, they watched their masters closely and did not dare to say a single wrong word, for fear that Song Yuntang would hear the rumors and go and make trouble with Xu Qingye.
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