Chapter 145

There were also some soldiers in the fields weeding the sweet potatoes and potatoes.

The treatment these sweet potatoes and potatoes received was truly—unprecedented!

Even if one were to eat them immediately, it would be enough to be proud of for a lifetime.

"Two Generals, there is no need for so many people to stand guard."

"These are just some crops; it really isn't necessary!"

Ying Ying Zi Ye felt somewhat helpless; it really wasn't necessary to go this far.

"This is a strict order from His Majesty; we can only execute it."

"It is indeed necessary; this is the future of Great Qin."

"If someone with ulterior motives were to intentionally destroy them, it would be a massive loss!"

Wang Ben's tone was serious; he believed this was a very necessary matter.

Ying Ying Zi Ye was speechless, but since they had been guarding them for so long, he couldn't be bothered to care anymore.

Just as he was preparing to leave, a commotion suddenly broke out in the sweet potato field.

Ying Ying Zi Ye turned his head out of curiosity.

Looking from a distance, he saw a soldier in the field holding a piece of 'grass' in his hand.

His eyes were red, and the surrounding soldiers were also staring blankly at this scene.

Then, he saw that soldier draw the machete he carried with him.

That soldier wanted to commit suicide!

This gave Ying Ying Zi Ye quite a fright.

"Stop!"

Ying Ying Zi Ye let out a loud shout, shaking everyone present three times over.

Even the surrounding soldiers subconsciously picked at their ears.

They all looked at Ying Ying Zi Ye with astonishment, their faces full of disbelief.

Wang Ben, Li Xin, and Wang Li all looked at Ying Ying Zi Ye with surprised gazes.

That voice was incredible, full of vigor!

The soldiers in the sweet potato field also collectively looked toward Ying Ying Zi Ye's side.

The soldier holding the 'grass' also looked blankly in this direction.

"General Li, what is going on with that soldier?"

"This... I don't know!"

"Then let's go over and take a look."

Ying Ying Zi Ye led Li Xin and the others over.

They soon reached the sweet potato field.

The soldier knelt down with a thud.

"I have seen the Ninth Prince. This small one is guilty; please punish me!"

The soldier's face was full of pain, his eyes bloodshot.

Ying Ying Zi Ye looked at this soldier, feeling somewhat speechless.

"Get up and speak. What is going on?"

The soldier then stood up and extended his right hand.

Only then did Ying Ying Zi Ye see clearly.

It turned out that what the soldier was holding in his hand was not a piece of grass, but a sweet potato seedling.

"You are..."

Ying Ying Zi Ye was somewhat speechless.

Could this soldier be planning to kill himself just because of this sweet potato seedling?

"I damaged an auspicious omen; this is the future of Great Qin. I should slit my throat to atone for my crime."

"Nonsense!"

Ying Ying Zi Ye scolded.

"It's just a sweet potato seedling; is it worth risking your own life?"

"It wasn't intentional, so what are you afraid of? You are innocent!"

Ying Ying Zi Ye glared at the soldier with annoyance.

To be like this over a single sweet potato seedling—if people of later generations knew, who knows what they would think?

He thought of the extravagance and waste of those in later generations and couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly.

The soldier's eyes were red, and he rubbed them hard.

He knelt down and kowtowed three times to Ying Ying Zi Ye before standing up.

"Thank you, Ninth Prince, for your grace in not killing me!"

Ying Ying Zi Ye nodded and shouted to the people around him:

"These auspicious omens all belong to this Prince; as long as they are not intentionally damaged, you are all innocent!"

"You are the Qin Ruishi of my Great Qin; your lives are far more precious than these sweet potato seedlings!"

"Moreover, these sweet potato seedlings can be replanted later; just stick the stem into the soil and they will continue to grow."

"Don't be so foolish in the future; it's just pulling out one seedling, what does it matter? You are all innocent!"

"Understood!"

The surrounding soldiers all had bloodshot eyes.

It was rumored that the Ninth Prince cared for the common people; it seemed he cared not only for the people but also for the soldiers!

These foods were designated as auspicious omens, the future of Great Qin, and were incomparably precious.

Yet, he hadn't expected that in the Ninth Prince's eyes, their lives were even more precious than these omens.

This made them incomparably excited.

And the soldier, having heard that the sweet potato seedling could be replanted by sticking it into the ground, immediately stuck it back in its original place.

Only then did his heart calm down a little.

"General Li."

"This general is here."

"Sweet potatoes can be replanted if lost; I do not wish to see any more soldiers lose their lives because they accidentally damaged a seedling!"

"Understood!"

Li Xin looked at Ying Ying Zi Ye with great admiration and turned to issue the orders.

"Alright, continue weeding."

"Understood!"

The surrounding soldiers shouted with voices like bells, watching the Ninth Prince and his party leave.

Ying Ying Zi Ye felt some emotion; the military laws of Great Qin were truly strict; it was worthy of a nation ruled by law.

To lose a life over a single sweet potato seedling was truly insane.

There was no need to guess that this was an order from Brother Zheng.

Ying Ying Zi Ye picked some sweet potato leaves in the field.

"These sweet potatoes are treasures from head to toe; the sweet potato can fill the stomach, and the leaves can be eaten as a vegetable."

"When you want to change your palate, you can pick some and take them back to cook."

Wang Ben and the others were dumbfounded; could these sweet potato leaves actually be eaten?

"Can these leaves be eaten?"

Wang Li also curiously picked some leaves and held them in his hand, examining them carefully.

"Of course they can. It's time for lunch anyway; take some back to the Lantian Camp to try, and you'll know. Besides, they taste quite good."

The group helped pick some and then left the area.

Upon returning to the Lantian Camp, Ying Ying Zi Ye told the kitchen staff how to prepare the leaves.

In Great Qin, there were no iron woks; food was cooked using bronze cauldrons, but food made this way didn't taste good.

It wasn't that Great Qin lacked iron, but iron was a rare item and could not be wasted casually.

Ying Ying Zi Ye was not used to food made in bronze cauldrons and had long ago ordered people to make iron woks for stir-frying.

Many people who had visited his residence and eaten his food had praised it, and upon learning it was made with iron woks and refined salt, they all began to imitate him. ===== CHAPTER 147 =====