Chapter 140

Hearing the words "yield."

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately grew wary.

He stared fixedly at Su Qiao and asked

"How do you know the yield is so high?"

Su Qiao struggled twice, signaling Zhu to let him go.

Then he walked into the kitchen and dragged out those several stalks.

"Your Majesty, please look."

"This—each potato plant produced nine tubers, each weighing about one catty, so nine catties per plant. I estimate about five hundred plants can be grown per mu."

"That's over four thousand catties per mu, then?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw the nine clear knife marks on the potato tubers before him.

He immediately confirmed Su Qiao's words.

This thing yields at least three thousand catties per mu!

"The rest are sweet potatoes—similar to potatoes, about three to four thousand catties per mu."

"This corn is worse—only about a thousand catties per mu."

Hearing Su Qiao's words.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood frozen, as if struck by five thunderbolts.

He remained speechless for a long time.

"Only?!"

Do you know Great Ming currently yields only three hundred catties of grain per mu?!

Zhu Yuanzhang felt his blood pressure skyrocketing.

After a long while.

Zhu Yuanzhang finally gritted his teeth and forced calmness, looking at Su Qiao and asking

"You—you ate it all yourself?"

Su Qiao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang as if he were an idiot.

"No…"

Hearing "no," Zhu Yuanzhang finally exhaled in relief.

As long as the seeds were kept.

The rest could be handled.

"... Didn't I already send some to Your Majesty? We ate them together."

Su Qiao's words struck Zhu Yuanzhang like a bolt from the blue.

Four thousand catties per mu!

For Great Ming,

That meant nearly tenfold national strength!

Su Qiao had stewed away Zhu Yuanzhang's chance to be remembered through history!

He had stewed away Great Ming's chance at an unprecedented golden age!

Zhu Yuanzhang's teeth began to tremble slightly.

"You ate it all?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gazed at Su Qiao with near-pleading eyes.

"Not even a single kernel of corn left?"

Even a few corn kernels would do!

As long as it could be grown, there would be endless seeds from then on.

Su Qiao nodded.

"Your Majesty, they're all right here."

Looking at the corn cobs roasted pitch-black beneath the stove.

Zhu Yuanzhang's spirit shattered completely.

Ignoring the heat, Zhu Yuanzhang snatched a corn cob from the stove.

"Quick, send for the Minister of Revenue!"

"Also, summon the physicians from Taiyi Academy!"

Soon after, the Taiyi Academy physicians and a group of Ministry of Revenue officials arrived at Su Qiao's home.

Zhu Yuanzhang excitedly asked the Ministry officials

"Don't bow—do you want to drive me mad? Come look—can this still be grown?!"

Two Ministry officials stared at the charred corn in Zhu Yuanzhang's hand.

Their lips twitched slightly.

Can this thing still be grown?

Do you really need to ask us, Zhu?

Who's ever heard of cooked rice sprouting?!

"Your Majesty… this… this probably can't be grown anymore?"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to the physicians beside him, eyes bloodshot, and demanded sharply

"You—fix it! Cure it until it can be grown again!"

"The fate of the Great Ming rests entirely on these two plants!"

A surge of murderous rage suddenly erupted from Zhu Yuanzhang.

The two imperial physicians before him trembled in fright.

But Old Zhu, isn't this forcing people to do the impossible?

We are doctors who treat people.

Treating grain? Master never taught us this skill!

Zhu Yuanzhang was truly born a tenant farmer.

Su Qiao had obviously underestimated Zhu Yuanzhang's obsession with such high-yield grain.

Looking at the corn in his hand.

Two rows of clear tears involuntarily streamed down Zhu Yuanzhang's face.

"If this had existed earlier, why would my parents have starved to death?!"

"Now that Heaven has bestowed such a divine treasure upon Great Ming, yet it is being wasted like this!"

"You!"

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly recalled the originator of the entire affair.

"Su Qiao! Do you know how many common people of Great Ming your single meal has killed?!"

"Four thousand jin per mu!"

"I wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing!"

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's appearance.

Su Qiao finally realized he had perhaps gone too far.

But there was no way.

Now, no matter how much regret he felt, these things had already been stewed by him.

Perhaps this was the powerful inertia of the wheel of history.

All history.

Would ultimately return to its original state.

No matter what he did, it would be futile.

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang's mind was on the verge of collapse.

Zhu Youjian in the chat group suddenly noticed the object Zhu Yuanzhang was holding.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-Grandfather, can this crop really yield several thousand jin per mu?"

The moment the words were spoken.

The chat group, previously dead silent, instantly exploded.