Chapter 346: Glazed Pigeon
The more Gu Xixi spoke, the less panicked she felt.
I guess the emperor himself has no interest in being a matchmaker.
The so-called arranged marriage was nothing more than a means to keep her in the capital so that she could work for the court.
Only by making the emperor realize that she can create more benefits if she does not get married.
It works better than anything else.
"As for my coming to the capital this time, it is to plant tea trees and open up a tea mountain in Qingtian County."
"The Northwest doesn't produce tea locally, but it produces the famous Fu tea. However, all tea exported to the Western Regions and the North must pass through the Northwest. I want to make tea for the government in the future and open up several tea trade routes from the Northwest."
"In addition, the millet yield per mu in Huachidu Village where I live has only been 300 to 400 kilograms in previous years. Last autumn, when everyone used my method for the first time, the average yield per mu reached more than 500 kilograms."
When Gu Xixi said this, the young emperor listened very carefully.
In his early years, he kept a low profile and left Beijing for his fiefdom, but in fact, his ambition and talent were no less than his father's.
The late empress dowager and her relatives by marriage brought disaster to the country, eliminating dissidents, exploiting the people, disrupting local order, and leaving too many holes.
The Daye Dynasty first fought a great war with Beili, and then sent troops to attack the foreign relatives.
After several rounds of consumption, the national treasury was already overwhelmed.
Therefore, when the emperor first ascended the throne, he had to issue a series of decrees for recuperation in order to revive people's livelihood.
What Gu Xixi did, such as maintaining stability on the border, increasing grain production, promoting the prosperity of tea trade, and boosting trade routes, were exactly what the emperor wanted.
Gu Xixi bowed vigorously, prostrating herself on the ground, "I have not yet accomplished all this myself."
"Please, Your Majesty, don't be so anxious to get me married!"
The first sentence was said in a serious manner, but the second sentence carried a hint of a little girl's coquettish and pleading tone.
As it turned out, Gu Xixi made the right bet.
The emperor laughed heartily, clearly in a good mood. "Qi Xiu really got it right."
Gu Xixi lay there motionless, glancing to the side, muttering to herself, what is he making up about her again?
The emperor smiled at Mu Nanzhao and said, "You said that we don't need to treat Boss Gu as an ordinary girl, and that she is completely worth a man's use. Now I understand."
Gu Xixi couldn't help but complain in her heart. What the Regent meant was to "use women like men and men like animals". Please, Your Majesty, exploit them as much as you want!
But this is much better than being a useless person in the eyes of the emperor and being thrown away to marry someone.
Mu Nanzhao said, "Your Majesty, after listening to her talk, is there anything else you want to ask?"
At this time, the atmosphere in the hall had returned to being relaxed.
The emperor looked at Gu Xixi with a smile and said, "Fruits, tea, and growing fine grains on the border to help the dependent villages become self-sufficient. I understand that you still need time to advance these."
"But in terms of visible results, the large amount of food and fodder produced by the Northwest Army last year supported two wars and also increased the winter rations for the entire army. I am aware of this contribution."
"But I am more interested in what you just said about the increase in corn production."
"According to my understanding, grain production in the northwest is not easy. The annual corn yield per mu is at most 350 to 400 kilograms. This is for irrigated land with better conditions. If it is dry land or sloping land, 200 kilograms is considered good."
Gu Xixi thought to herself that it seemed that the emperor was also well prepared.
The Northwest was not an important source of land tax during the Daye Dynasty and had never received attention from the court.
If the emperor had not checked her affairs in advance, how could he have known the agricultural information of the northwest so clearly?
Sure enough, the emperor immediately asked, "How did Boss Gu do it?"
The change of the title from "Miss Gu" to "Boss Gu" meant a change in the emperor's consideration of Gu Xixi.
Gu Xixi would naturally not let the emperor down, and she was well prepared when she came.
"I ask Your Majesty to gradually implement the new farming method throughout the country."
She pulled out a folded piece of paper and held it above her head with both hands.
Receiving the emperor's eye signal, the eunuch chief hurried down, took the paper, and returned to present it to the emperor.
The emperor looked through it for a moment, then raised his eyes and asked, "Is this your exclusive secret recipe?"
“Since you are determined to promote this method nationwide, why is it that only one village and a few people around you have learned this method?”
Gu Xixi said, "There is actually no secret recipe. Apart from the pesticides and fertilizers used, the rest are just methods and approaches."
"Your Majesty is in charge of the affairs of the world, which are complicated and intricate. Naturally, you understand it better than me. Many times, you have to act according to the times and circumstances."
The emperor looked thoughtful and glanced at Gu Xixi, "Stand up, sit down and continue talking."
Gu Xixi sat down again. She was no longer nervous and her mind was filled with only what she was talking about at the moment.
“Farming sounds simple, but it’s actually not easy to do well.”
"The soil and water in different places are different, and the sunshine is different. If everyone follows the same method, how can we achieve the greatest benefit?"
The emperor lowered his eyes and looked at the paper. "So what you said about promoting it throughout the country is not a short-term effort, but a long-term plan."
"The imperial court uniformly trained agricultural officials, passed on their experience, and finally the grassroots agricultural officials at the county level went deep into the fields to find the most suitable methods for the local area. At the same time, they spread new farming methods."
“In addition, government-run pesticide and fertilizer workshops can be established in various places, and the benefits can be passed on to the people in the initial stage.”
Gu Xixi said seriously, "Yes."
“But we can see profits in a short period of time. We can only say that it will take several years to promote it nationwide.”
The emperor looked solemn. After a while, he looked at Gu Xixi and said solemnly, "Boss Gu's plan will benefit future generations."
"I will definitely consider carefully how to implement it."
After the emperor finished speaking, he smiled at Gu Xixi and said, "Boss Gu, you must not slack off in the things you need to do. If you encounter any difficulties, just go to the Qingtian County Office. If the county office can't handle it, go to the prefectural office."
His eyes were deep, "From now on, there will be people in every place to help you travel smoothly."
Gu Xixi came to the emperor to gamble today, and the ultimate goal was to get this pass.
She knelt down solemnly and bowed, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I will do my best to live up to your trust!"
After walking out of the first corridor, Gu Xixi looked up at the sky, feeling as if he had just woken up from a dream.
She had just made her speech, and her agitated emotions had not yet completely calmed down.
Mu Nanzhao asked suddenly, "It's noon, what do you want to eat later?"
Gu Xixi glared at him unhappily, "Can you give me some time? I don't have the heart to think about food."
Mu Nanzhao put one hand behind his back and walked slowly with her, apparently in a good mood.
"The glazed pigeon at Juxianlou has a translucent and crispy skin. When you bite it, it feels like a thin layer of sugar shell. The meat inside is tender and juicy. It is seasoned with more than 30 kinds of secret spices and goes through six processes..."
Gu Xixi couldn't help swallowing.
I didn't feel hungry just now.
You can hear Mu Nanzhao describing the glazed pigeon in a melodious and vivid voice.
It’s as if the delicious pigeon is right at your mouth.
Gu Xixi suddenly felt hungry, so hungry that she felt anxious.
"Why don't you go faster!"
“Let’s go eat!”
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