Chapter 333 The Capital Falls!
When people from Datian Village and several neighboring villages learned that the Xiao family had high-yield crops, they all came to buy sweet potato vines from them.
I also learned that potatoes, like sweet potatoes, have extremely high yields, so I bought some too.
Sweet potatoes and potatoes were sold to the villagers for seven coins per pound, and sweet potato vine seeds for five coins per pound.
Moreover, each person can only buy a maximum of ten catties of sweet potatoes and potatoes, and each household can only buy a maximum of five catties of sweet potato vines.
Yun Zhaoxue made potatoes into snacks such as French fries and potato chips.
The potato chips are sprinkled with chili powder made from dried millet peppers that have been ground into powder.
The fries didn't have ketchup; they were just eaten plain.
There were no tomatoes or tomato sauce in this era. She took them out of her space and planned to plant tomatoes and make tomato sauce next spring.
"Third Aunt, is this made with potatoes? It's so delicious! The taste is so familiar..." Xian'er felt that the taste was familiar, as if she had eaten it before.
"If Xian'er likes it, eat more. If you're not full, I'll make more." Yun Zhaoxue was worried that she might let something slip, so she picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth.
Of course she had eaten. When they first arrived at the place of exile, while everyone else was working in the fields and only the two of them were at home, she would often take out packaged potato chips and eat them with her.
Jun'er and Ming'er tried it for the first time and thought it was delicious, unlike any other snacks they had ever eaten before.
The two little ones accidentally ate too much, and were both spicy and thirsty, so they drank several cups of water.
Xie Wanyun was still in the kitchen frying, using a large strainer to scoop up potato chips from the oil pan and put them into a clean basket, with a basin underneath to catch the dripping oil.
It was cold, and the food wasn't hot anymore after a while. Song Mingyan sprinkled on the seasonings, put on gloves, and mixed it well.
Yun Zhaoxue instructed her nephew, "Jun'er, go and call your grandmother to eat together."
Xiao Mingshu went to the neighboring village to consult a renowned doctor about medicine.
Red dates and green branches are watching over the children inside the house.
The house built at the end of the village had its roof beam raised today, and a village altar ceremony was to be held.
Led by the head carpenter, the head of the household and all the male members of the family kowtow to Lu Ban, the legendary master carpenter, and the local earth god. The carpenter chants a blessing incantation and sprinkles wine on the beams, a ritual signifying "consecration and eye-dotting."
Next came the raising of the beam, the installation of the beam, and the joining of the tenons. After the beam was raised, the homeowner offered the craftsmen a cup of wine to celebrate the raising of the beam.
The Xiao brothers, Xuance and Xiao Xuanze, used to preside over this event.
"Third Aunt, Grandmother said she didn't have an appetite." Jun'er had called her once before eating, but Madam Yang said she didn't have an appetite and told them to eat by themselves.
"Please have Jun'er go and call him again, and tell him that Third Aunt asked you to call him."
"Okay, Third Aunt."
Jun'er ran to the west wing and soon came out with Yang Shi by the hand.
Yun Zhaoxue pushed a small dish of potato chips in front of her, "Mother, have a taste. I added some chili powder to these chips. They'll warm you up a lot."
She understood Yang's perspective. People are inherently selfish. Different times and different ideologies mean that occasional friction and disagreements are normal. It's best to try to understand each other.
"Xue'er, you..."
Last night she reflected on herself. Yun Zhaoxue was thinking of the family, and she shouldn't have indirectly accused her of being unreasonable.
Yun Zhaoxue didn't scold or harass her last night, which was unusual. Frightened, she hid in the room pretending to be sick and didn't dare to come out.
Jun'er went to call her a second time on the orders of her third daughter-in-law. She was afraid that Yun Zhaoxue would rush in and beat her, so she quickly came out.
"Mom, these are potato chips, please try some."
Xian'er picked up a potato chip and handed it to her, saying, "Grandma, these crispy potato chips are delicious."
Yang took it, and after exchanging a glance with Yun Zhaoxue, she saw only a smile in Yun's eyes, and knew that Yun did not hold a grudge about what happened last night. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The third daughter-in-law has changed; she has become more generous, while the third daughter-in-law has become petty.
Xie Wanyun and Song Mingyan then brought out freshly fried potato chips and fries.
"Mother, eat this, it's warm."
Yun Zhaoxue then called out Hongzao and Lvzhi, who were watching the children inside the house.
The baby's crib is surrounded by railings, and since the baby is too young to crawl or roll, adults don't need to watch over them all the time.
Xiao Xuance and his younger siblings returned home almost at the same time. When they saw this scene, they looked at each other with a smile in their eyes.
Xiao Xuanwu rushed into the house upon smelling the aroma. "It smells so good! What is this? It looks delicious!"
As he reached for it, Yang slapped the back of his hand.
"You child, you just came back from outside and haven't washed your hands yet. It's not clean to pick up your hands like that. Go wash your hands."
"Okay, I'll go right away."
...
Before we knew it, it was the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. More than half a month ago, Datian Village went to the city to stock up on goods to welcome the New Year, sweeping away the previous gloom and joyfully welcoming the arrival of the Spring Festival.
at the same time--
The capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty was completely surrounded by the 150,000-strong army of the Great Jing Dynasty.
The soldiers defending the city were terrified when they saw the dark mass of people outside the city gate, and their morale plummeted.
The city fell in less than an hour.
The capital was breached by the Da Jing cavalry, who burned, killed, and looted throughout the city.
The civilians hid in their houses, but were discovered by the fierce enemy troops. They were chased through the streets, and the merciless executioner's blade fell amidst their terrified and helpless screams and pleas for mercy.
"ah!……"
Heads, severed limbs, and broken arms were tossed high into the air and then fell back down. The savage enemy soldiers, hearing the terrified screams and pleas for mercy of the civilians, chased after them, killing them while laughing maniacally, "Hahaha..."
The people of the Great Zhou were as timid as mice.
Only the strong like them deserve to possess this rich land.
The living lay beside their loved ones' bodies, wailing loudly, "My husband, my husband, why did you have to leave us? You couldn't have died..."
"Daddy, wake up, don't sleep, boohoo..."
The streets were littered with the corpses of ordinary people, and the blood flowed like a river, redder than the red lanterns hanging under the eaves of the houses.
Clad in black armor, Wanyan Zonglie brandished his sword, shouting, "All soldiers, listen to my command! Follow me, the Crown Prince, and charge into the palace!"
The soldiers behind him brandished their weapons, shouting deafening battle cries, "Kill!—"
Horse hooves trampled over the corpses on both sides of the street, splashing blood onto them.
The emperor urgently summoned his ministers to the palace to discuss countermeasures. He sat on the dragon throne, restless, standing up and sitting down repeatedly, pacing around the platform like a headless fly. "What should we do next? My dear ministers, please think of a solution quickly!"
The peace faction stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the only way to save the capital is through peace talks."
The panicked emperor seemed to have found his pillar of support and nodded in agreement, "Yes! Peace talks, Prime Minister Qin, you go and negotiate with Wanyan Zonglie immediately, agree to whatever they want."
First, stabilize them, then send troops to relieve the siege of the capital.
He couldn't let the Zhou dynasty fall into ruin under his own hands, becoming a doomed ruler in history books, forever infamous.
The Prime Minister Qin accepted the order and withdrew, but had not yet left the main hall.
Suddenly, a general covered in blood rushed in, shouting, "Your Majesty, it's terrible! The enemy has stormed the palace..."
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