Chapter 124

Everyone in the Eastern Palace watched Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang standing dazed in the main hall, their faces turning pale with fright.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen asked nervously,

"Grandfather Emperor, are you, are you alright?"

Coming to his senses, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang cast a puzzled glance at Su Qiao.

"I am tired; let us discuss this matter later! I have other business now; you all attend to your own affairs."

"Commander Commander Jiang Huang, follow me."

"Yes!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang strode quickly out of the main hall, leaving the crowd in the Eastern Palace staring at one another in bewilderment.

Outside the Eastern Palace.

Seated on the dragon palanquin, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang, with a gloomy expression, gave a low-order instruction:

"Go immediately throughout the entire city and find a merchant for me."

"This merchant sells seeds called potato, sweet potato, maize, chili peppers, and the like."

"Once found, bring both the person and the seeds directly into the palace without delay."

"Do not allow any postponement; do you understand?"

"This humble officer receives your decree!"

With that, Commander Commander Jiang Huang immediately ran out of the palace grounds.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Su Qiao was walking toward the palace exit in near despair.

The sentence of execution pending review was gone.

That fellow Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen somehow returned possessed by a war god.

Old Zhu acted every day as if struck by madness.

Was he truly destined to meet his end here in this life?

Just as Su Qiao prepared to head home,

he saw a merchant wearing a felt hat sitting on a folding stool by a roadside stall, silently sizing him up without uttering a word.

The merchant neither cried his wares nor solicited customers.

He seemed to belong to a different world entirely from the bustling Qianmen Avenue.

But when Su Qiao clearly saw the goods displayed before the merchant,

he could no longer remain calm.

"Maize?!"

"Potato?!"

"Chili peppers?!"

"..."

Hearing Su Qiao name these items, the corners of the merchant's mouth lifted slightly.

"A fated person?"

Su Qiao lunged forward in a single stride, fixed his gaze intensely on the merchant, and demanded,

"Where did you get these things?"

The merchant looked at Su Qiao and smiled, saying,

"From a foreign trader."

"Where is that foreign trader?!"

"Dead; I buried him with my own hands."

The corners of Su Qiao's mouth twitched slightly.

These were all genuine crops from the Americas.

Everyone knew that Columbus did not discover the New World until 1492.

During the Hongwu reign of the Great Ming, let alone Columbus himself,

even Columbus's grandfather had not yet been born at this time!

Could it be that Columbus was not the first person to discover the Americas?

Thinking this, Su Qiao's previously agitated mood calmed somewhat.

Indeed, in later generations there was controversy over whether Columbus was truly the first to discover the New World.

Many scholars even believed that Zheng He of the Ming dynasty was the first to reach the American continent.

What could not be denied was that long before Columbus, humanity already possessed the ability to discover new continents.

Before that, perhaps someone had quietly traveled to South America and brought back a few things?

Regardless of whether this theory was scientific,

it was sufficient to convince Su Qiao.

Looking at these crops before him,

Su Qiao's eyes grew increasingly bright.

Damn old Zhu.

So you won't kill me, eh?

Then today I shall eat the very things that would immortalize your name in history!

Gazing at these complete and intact plants before him,

Su Qiao asked with keen interest,

"Shopkeeper, how much for these things?"

"Ten taels of silver, no bargaining."

"I'll take it all!"

"Good!"

With that, Su Qiao pulled out a purse, weighed it in his hand, and immediately tossed it to the merchant.

A full two sacks.

Su Qiao hoisted the sacks and headed toward his home.

He had not taken two steps before turning back, about to ask the merchant how much more of this stuff he had, when—

he discovered the merchant had vanished into thin air right there on Qianmen Street.

It was as if he had never appeared at all.

Su Qiao sighed helplessly.

After all, there was no need for him to truly eradicate these things root and branch.

He only needed Old Zhu to believe that he had already eradicated them root and branch.

The sooner these things entered the Great Ming, the better it would be for the common people.

Thinking thus, Su Qiao gave it no further thought.

He immediately quickened his pace toward his home.

Not long after Su Qiao arrived home,

the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard of Jin Ling poured out en masse.

They frantically began searching throughout Jin Ling City.

Not a single merchant on the streets escaped the search by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Commander Commander Jiang Huang, mounted on his horse, spoke with a grave expression, issuing a low command:

"If you cannot find those few items, none of you are to return for dinner today!"

"Yes, sir!"

Just as Commander Commander Jiang Huang was searching the streets for potatoes,

he spotted Su Qiao buying beef at a street stall.

Like other dynasties, the Ming strictly prohibited the slaughter of plow oxen.

However, this did not mean the Ming prohibited eating beef.

Moreover, in stark contrast to other dynasties, because the Northern Northern Yuan people had the habit of eating beef and because the early Ming achieved continuous victories in campaigns against the steppes,

they captured large numbers of Sanhe cattle and Steppe Red cattle.

Since plow oxen required training from calfhood, the early Ming consequently possessed many adult cattle incapable of plowing.

These cattle were naturally sold off by the court, flooding into the populace in great numbers.

According to some records in the Treatise on Food and Money.

During the Hongwu reign, beef in Jiaxing Prefecture cost fourteen wen per jin, while pork prices reached as high as nineteen wen per jin.

This fully shows how much advantage the Great Ming gained from the grasslands at that time.

At this moment, he also noticed Commander Commander Jiang Huang in the distance.

"Director Commander Commander Jiang, would you like to join us for a bite? This beef was just sliced."

Commander Commander Jiang Huang looked at Su Qiao, clasped his fists slightly, and said,

"No thank you, Lord Su. I have an imperial order and must attend to my duties."

Su Qiao did not press the matter with Commander Commander Jiang Huang.

It was merely a polite gesture.

The two parted ways at the street corner.

Su Qiao returned home in high spirits.

Just as Su Qiao was preparing to heat oil in the wok, he glanced at the potatoes and maize in the corner and fell into deep thought.

After a long while, Su Qiao let out a long sigh.

If these truly are the only few potato plants, wouldn't I become an eternal sinner?

Thinking thus, Su Qiao surveyed the courtyard house behind him, his gaze finally settling on the patch of land within the courtyard that received the best sunlight each day.

"Very well, right here it is."

"By the time spring arrives next year, I should have long since returned."

With that thought, Su Qiao casually dug a small hole and buried one potato and a few kernels of maize inside.

Having settled that, Su Qiao skillfully cooked a large pot of braised beef with potatoes, then roasted two sweet potatoes and some maize.

Only after enjoying a hearty meal did Su Qiao suddenly remember.

If I eat at home like this without Old Zhu knowing, wouldn't I have eaten in vain?

Thinking of this,

Su Qiao's gaze immediately shifted to the leftover rice in the pot nearby.

After pondering for a long while,

he promptly packed the remaining leftovers into a food carrier and hurriedly headed to the Eastern Palace.

Meanwhile, within the Eastern Palace, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen was still anxiously contemplating Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's demeanor from earlier that day.

"Mr. Huang, do you think Grandfather Emperor truly intends to partition the land?"

"If the land is truly partitioned, our Zhu family will become eternal sinners."

Huang Huang Zicheng looked at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"Your Highness, I believe His Majesty would absolutely not do such a thing... alas."

Huang Huang Zicheng stopped halfway through his sentence, forcibly swallowing the words "benighted and incompetent."

Just as Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen remained filled with anxiety,

Su Qiao carried a food carrier and quietly entered the Ciqing Hall.

Upon seeing Su Qiao, Huang Huang Zicheng immediately flew into a rage, pointing at Su Qiao's nose and shouting,

"Su Qiao! How do you still have the face to come here?"

"Do you know that the common people of this realm are nearly doomed because of you!"

Before Su Qiao could speak, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen stepped forward to shield him.

"Master Su, Mr. Huang did not mean it that way; please do not take it to heart."

Su Qiao sighed helplessly, stood where he was, and smiled, saying,

"Crown Prince's Heir, never mind that."

"This is some fresh delicacy I prepared."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen sighed helplessly and said,

"Master Su, it is not that Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen is ungrateful, but if this realm falls into disarray and fragmentation, you and I will both be eternal sinners; how can Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen possibly eat anything now!"

Su Qiao looked at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen helplessly and smiled, saying,

"Crown Prince's Heir, what are you thinking about?"

"This is for you to present to His Majesty for his enjoyment; regardless of anything else, it will at least demonstrate your filial devotion."

Hearing Su Qiao's words,

both Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen and Huang Huang Zicheng were momentarily stunned.

Has the sun risen in the west?

How has this Su Qiao started offering strategies to the Crown Prince's Heir?

Curious, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen stepped forward and lifted the lid of the food carrier.

Immediately, a fragrant aroma permeated the entire Eastern Palace.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen looked at Su Qiao in shock and asked incredulously,

"Master Su, this is...?"

"Oh, braised beef with potatoes; I also roasted a few sweet potatoes and some maize."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen quickly said,

"No, Master Su, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen is asking what these items signify."

Su Qiao stood aside and smiled, saying,

"Is His Majesty not in a poor mood? If the Crown Prince's Heir presents these items, it will at least whet His Majesty's appetite."

Observing Su Qiao's demeanor, Huang Huang Zicheng couldn't help but stroke his beard, stand aside, and remark with emotion.

"Lord Su, if you had arrived sooner, why would we have had to make such a scene?"

"You are a man of great talent; having followed the Crown Prince, he will surely not treat you poorly in the future."

Su Qiao could not be bothered to respond to Huang Huang Zicheng and simply looked at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen with a smile, saying,

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, you should hurry to see His Majesty."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen glanced at Huang Huang Zicheng with some confusion.

Huang Huang Zicheng gave a slight nod.

"Your Highness, go."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen, suspecting nothing, took the food box and hurriedly made his way to the Hall of Heavenly Purity.

Along the way, he even ordered someone to fetch a basin of hot water, fearing the dishes might grow cold.

Inside the Hall of Heavenly Purity.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang sat upon the dragon throne, his expression gloomy.

Commander Commander Jiang Huan kept his head bowed, daring not to make a sound.

"You of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are quite capable, aren't you?"

"How is it you cannot even find a single merchant?"

Commander Commander Jiang Huan trembled as he whispered softly,

"Your Majesty, this humble official has sent men to turn every inch of Qianmen Street upside down and has searched several estates outside the city."

"Even old farmers who have tilled the soil their entire lives have never heard of the items Your Majesty mentioned."

"Several foreign monks at the Court of State Ceremonies also claimed they had never heard of them."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his palm onto the table with a loud bang.

"If just anyone could know about this, why would I have sent you to look?!"

"I give the Embroidered Uniform Guard so much silver every year; do I pay you just to eat idle rice?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Commander Jiang Huan shivered involuntarily.

He dropped to his knees with a thud and said,

"This subject deserves ten thousand deaths."

Having spoken, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang slumped heavily back onto the dragon throne.

"Search, and keep searching!"

"Even if you have to turn the entire capital upside down today,"

"you must find this thing called 'potato' for me!"