Qi Xiuwen and Zheng Ankang stepped forward to block them at the same time.
Chenxi shouted, "Get out of the way!"
Then they simultaneously lunged forward and quickly exchanged several blows with Ge Congshan.
Of course, the movements weren't very large; a private room wasn't enough for them to really fight in a big, open way.
Even with just a few moves, Ge Congshan could tell that Shen Xi's martial arts skills were not low, at least higher than his own.
This startled him.
A thirteen-year-old girl who not only manages her subordinates and the county town, but also has considerable martial arts skills.
What an extraordinary person!
He had heard this on the way: the chief of Shenxi in Bian'ai County was a god descended to earth, skilled in both literature and martial arts.
At the time, I thought that this was something that had been pushed out by someone.
Throughout history, those who have been mythologized, especially those in power during times of chaos, have been used to better deceive the common people.
The little girl couldn't possibly have such abilities; she was obviously just a scapegoat pushed out by others.
But now it seems that Shenxi is indeed a man of both literary and martial talents, with remarkable abilities.
This made him feel admiration.
Ge Congshan stopped, and Shen Xi also stopped.
Then, he respectfully bowed again, saying, "Junior Chenxi greets Lord Ge."
Ge Congshan also stepped down from the stage, laughing heartily: "Chief Shen, you truly deserve to be called a heroine among women. I admire you greatly."
Shen Xi cupped his hands in a gesture of invitation: "Lord Ge, please take a seat."
Only then did the guests and hosts begin to enjoy their meal in high spirits.
Ge Congshan took a bite of the shredded pork with garlic sauce and couldn't help but praise, "Not bad, not bad."
After taking another bite of Kung Pao Chicken, he praised it, saying, "I wonder what you were thinking; it's spicy enough."
Shenxi also took a couple of bites, but she wasn't used to it. There were no chili peppers yet; it was stir-fried with other spicy seasonings.
It was only because of Shenxi's treatment that stir-frying was possible.
In this day and age, from high-ranking officials to ordinary people, cooking methods are all about stewing and steaming; there is no stir-frying.
Especially for high-ranking officials and nobles, the longer a dish is cooked, the more delicious the soup becomes, and the more it is considered a superior dish.
In her previous life, Shenxi was used to eating stir-fried dishes, and while she also ate stewed dishes, stir-fried dishes were her main staple.
And he's someone who can't live without spicy food.
In this era, the lack of chili peppers was the most distressing thing for her after she had solved the problem of having enough to eat.
However, seeing that Ge Congshan was enjoying his food, she also ate quite a bit and casually remarked, "If we find chili peppers in the future, using them to cook these ingredients will make them taste even better."
Ge Congshan had almost finished eating, but upon hearing that there was something even more delicious, he put down his chopsticks and asked curiously, "What is chili pepper?"
"It's a bright red, very spicy little thing. If you can handle spicy food, you'll definitely get addicted to it. It's so spicy that it makes you sweat profusely, but you feel very comfortable after eating it."
Ge Congshan shook his head: "I've never heard of anything so spicy."
Shen Xi beckoned Xing Xiuyan over: "Show the album to Lord Ge in a bit."
Xing Xiuyan agreed and told someone to prepare the catalog.
Seeing that everyone had finished eating, Shen Xi invited Ge Congshan, saying, "Lord Ge, this is not the place to talk. How about we go to my office?"
Ge Congshan no longer had any resistance. He had already approved of someone, so naturally he was willing.
When everyone arrived at the conference room in Qiaozhen, Xing Xiuyan had already ordered people to prepare tea and snacks, and used the fine tea that Shenxi had brought to entertain Ge Congshan.
As Ge Congshan sipped his tea, he couldn't help but exclaim, "What kind of tea is this? Although it's a bit light, the color is refreshing and the aroma is delightful."
Shen Xi smiled and said, "Lord Ge is too kind. This tea was carefully prepared by my tea masters."
"Oh?" Ge Congshan took another sip, savoring it carefully. "I wonder if you could send me a few taels later?"
Shen Xi laughed heartily: "Of course, not to mention a few ounces, even a few kilograms is fine."
"Great!" Ge Congshan's smile deepened: "Such fine tea, and Chief Shen is so generous."
At this moment, Shen Xi took the picture book handed over by Xing Xiuyan and handed it to Ge Congshan with a smile: "Lord Ge, take a look, are there any plants you recognize in this picture book?"
Ge Congshan, with a puzzled expression, took the picture book and opened it to look at it.
The page was covered with various plant illustrations. He turned to the page with corn, pointed to it, and said, "This is something that grows in the North. Chief Shen, do you perhaps want to get some for your viewing pleasure?"
Shenxi remained noncommittal, smiling as he watched Ge Congshan flip through the pages.
Ge Congshan then pointed to one of them: "This is a sweet potato."
Chenxi got excited immediately. Sweet potato, that's what sweet potato is!
To truly feel full, you have to start with sweet potatoes.
But she was only excited inside, and didn't show it on the surface.
Instead, he asked, "Lord Ge is truly knowledgeable; I've never seen a sweet potato before."
Ge Congshan thoroughly enjoyed the flattery and said with some pride, "It's normal that you don't recognize it. I've seen it in a travelogue of a wandering knight of this dynasty. This kind of sweet potato was originally introduced from abroad. In the barbarian lands of the south, some people grow it and say that it tastes sweet, but eating too much of it can easily cause bloating, so it's not advisable to eat it often."
Chenxi couldn't help but sigh. For a hungry person, eating too many sweet potatoes at once is very likely to cause bloating and indigestion.
However, if it is eaten by ordinary people who eat two meals a day, mixed with other foods, it is not a staple food and will not cause bloating.
Moreover, sweet potatoes can be made into starch, vermicelli, jelly, and various other foods.
Furthermore, sweet potatoes grow in very rough conditions, are tolerant of poor soil, and have a high yield, making them a rare food during famine years.
Shenxi still praised, "Lord Ge, you are indeed learned and talented. I admire you!"
Ge Congshan found a sense of superiority, and his slight dissatisfaction with Chen Xi had long since vanished.
Despite being forty years old, she has had a very smooth life since childhood, with few worries, and still occasionally displays arrogance.
According to Ge Congshan's description, sweet potatoes had already entered China at this time, but not yet into the inland areas.
By this time, the barbarian lands had long since fallen to the imperial court, but the roads there were difficult to travel, and the Southern Region Prefecture was located further southwest than the Miao region.
People from Miao territory don't want to go there.
However, now that we've entered China, there will inevitably be traveling merchants coming and going. We'll have Zang Huatian search for them properly then.
If it can be found, it would be a very important event that benefits the country and its people.
Ge Congshan was pleased and happy, and patiently continued reading.
Then she turned to the page with chili peppers and said in surprise, "Who is the illustrator of this book? You even know about chili peppers."
Shen Xi was surprised that Ge Congshan actually knew about chili peppers and asked in return, "Does Lord Ge know them?"
Ge Congshan said confidently, "Of course I recognize them. These are tribute flowers and plants, very beautiful and bright red. There is only one patch of them in the Imperial Garden, and His Majesty treasures them very much."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
