jdhmnovel Chapter 102 The Astonishing Sweet Potato Yield
Chapter 102 The Astonishing Sweet Potato Yield
Xiao Jingchuan frowned slightly, stepped forward with concern, touched Gu Liuli's forehead, and said, "Are you feeling unwell? Should we call a royal physician to take a look?"
Gu Liuli shook her head, about to speak, when the steward's voice came from outside: "Your Highness, the Emperor summons you and the Crown Princess to the palace immediately!"
Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli exchanged a glance, simultaneously recalling the arrival of the envoy from Xijing Kingdom.
Xiao Jingchuan gently held Gu Liuli's hand and said, "Don't think about it too much for now. Let's go to the palace and take a look. When we get back, we'll find the imperial physician to examine you properly."
After Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli arrived at the palace, Lin Yu, the envoy of Xijing Kingdom, was grateful to see their princess. The yield of potatoes was truly astonishing, no wonder Nanzhao Kingdom had developed so rapidly in just one year!
Jingchuan and Gu Liuli entered the palace hall hand in hand. The atmosphere inside was solemn, and Lin Yu, the envoy from Xijing Kingdom, was already waiting there. The moment Lin Yu saw Gu Liuli, a hint of excitement and gratitude flashed in his eyes.
He stepped forward quickly, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your subject Lin Yu, on behalf of the Emperor of Xijing Kingdom and the former Emperor, pays his respects to Princess Gu Liuli."
Gu Liuli nodded slightly, gesturing for him to stand up, with a gentle smile on her face: "Lord Lin, there's no need for such formalities. You must be tired from your journey."
Lin Yu straightened up and said with emotion, "Princess, during this visit, I personally witnessed the prosperity of Xijing Kingdom and the peaceful and happy lives of its people. I have heard that the princess deserves all the credit for this, especially for the potato cultivation, which has yielded an astonishing amount of fruit. It is truly admirable. It is also no wonder that Nanzhao Kingdom has developed so rapidly in just one year."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan's face lit up with pride. He looked at Gu Liuli, his eyes filled with love and admiration: "That's right, it's all thanks to Liuli's intelligence and foresight. She introduced potato cultivation, which solved the problem of food and clothing for the people of Nanzhao, making the foundation of the country more solid."
Gu Liuli smiled somewhat shyly: "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts. It is inseparable from Your Highness's support and the hard work of the people of Nanzhao Kingdom." After saying that, she added, "What is the current situation in Xijing Kingdom? How is the potato planting going on with Father and Brother?"
Lin Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness, the people of Xijing Kingdom all know that it was you who gave us the seeds. They are extremely grateful, and now every household is able to eat their fill!"
Lin Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness, the people of Xijing Kingdom all know that it was you who gave us the seeds, and they are extremely grateful. Now every household is able to eat their fill! Potato cultivation has been very successful in Xijing Kingdom, and even the originally barren land can produce a large amount of grain. The Emperor and the former Emperor have praised the princess's good deeds, and the domestic situation has become more and more stable due to the resolution of the food problem."
Suddenly, he remembered that the sweet potatoes they had planted were probably ripe, so he invited Xiao Han and Lin Yu to the manor. Xiao Han thought that the ministers in the court could also go together.
When the emperor announced that he would lead his ministers and the envoy from Xijing Kingdom to Gu Liuli's manor to check on the sweet potato harvest, the court erupted in uproar. Those ministers who were unaware that Gu Liuli was a princess of Xijing Kingdom vehemently opposed the plan.
An elderly minister frowned and said worriedly, “Your Majesty, the identity of the envoy from Xijing Kingdom is unknown. How can we easily go to the manor with him? What if there is a trap that endangers Your Majesty and the ministers?”
Another young and impetuous minister chimed in, "Yes, Your Majesty. For some reason, Gu Liuli suddenly invited the envoy from Xijing Kingdom to go with us. There must be a hidden reason. We cannot act so hastily."
Looking at the dissenting ministers, Gu Liuli understood their concerns for the country and the emperor, but she also felt somewhat helpless. She stepped forward and said, neither servile nor arrogant, "My lords, Lord Lin has come here with the friendly intentions of the Xijing Kingdom. The matter of sweet potato cultivation concerns the well-being of the people of both countries. Having Lord Lin accompany us is also to help the Xijing Kingdom better understand this technology. If we can help them solve their food problems in the future, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Xiao Jingchuan also stepped forward, his expression resolute, and said, "Liuli is absolutely right. This trip to the manor will be conducted with strict guards to ensure everything goes smoothly. Moreover, this is also a good opportunity to enhance exchanges between the two countries. I hope you gentlemen will consider this carefully."
However, the ministers continued their debate. At this moment, the emperor coughed sternly, and the court immediately fell silent. The emperor slowly said, "My mind is made up. This time, I will lead all the ministers and Minister Lin to the manor. I trust Princess Gu Liuli and the Crown Prince's judgment, and I also believe that we are capable of handling any unforeseen circumstances."
Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, the ministers, though still worried, could only obey.
A few days later, the group headed to the manor in a grand procession.
Along the way, Lin Yu gazed at the beautiful scenery of the Nanzhao Kingdom, filled with anticipation for the sweet potatoes he was about to see. Gu Liuli, meanwhile, gently stroked her belly in the carriage, feeling both excitement for the child and trepidation about the upcoming trip to the manor.
Upon arriving at the manor, the group was greeted by a vast expanse of ripe sweet potato fields, with lush green vines intertwined and swaying gently in the breeze, resembling a green ocean.
Gu Liuli walked gracefully to the edge of the field, rolled up her sleeves without hesitation, and bent her slender and supple waist. Her bright, star-like eyes were fixed on the land before her, as if she could see the treasure hidden deep within the soil.
Then, she stretched out her fair and delicate hands and firmly grasped a thick sweet potato vine. With a soft shout, she exerted her strength and instantly uprooted the vine from the soil. In an instant, bunches of round, plump sweet potatoes were displayed before everyone.
These sweet potatoes resemble adorable chubby babies, their uniform size is astonishing, and their skin is smooth and delicate, like white jade. They are tightly packed together, forming a spectacular sweet potato chain. A rough count reveals that this chain contains as many as fifteen or sixteen sweet potatoes! Moreover, each sweet potato is heavy, feeling like holding a solid block of iron in your hand.
Gu Liuli casually picked up a smaller sweet potato and weighed it in her palm; it felt like it weighed at least a pound. Looking at the larger sweet potatoes, some even approaching three pounds, it was truly a bountiful harvest!
The emperor, utterly astonished by the sight before him, couldn't resist rolling up his sleeves and joining the sweet potato digging team. He gripped a vine with both hands, took a deep breath, and with a mighty effort, a bunch of sweet potatoes burst from the ground. The bunch was astonishingly large, numbering over twenty, each plump, round, and brightly colored.
The emperor exclaimed in amazement, "The yield of these sweet potatoes is so high! With ordinary crops, the output of this size of land would probably not even reach one-fifth of that of these sweet potatoes."
The emperor was utterly astonished by the sight before him. He couldn't resist rolling up his sleeves and joining the sweet potato digging team. He gripped a vine with both hands, took a deep breath, and with a sudden burst of strength, a bunch of sweet potatoes sprouted from the ground—more than a dozen in total, each plump, round, and incredibly heavy.
Seeing this, the ministers followed suit. One usually composed minister, after digging up a large bunch of sweet potatoes, couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief, "This yield is simply beyond imagination! With these sweet potatoes, how can we worry about the people not being prosperous!"