Chapter 480: Seizing the Young? You Say Seizing the Young?

Chen Yan and Gao Yang tussled and joked for half a day, and Li Lizhi stopped by once in the middle.

She had also heard that Chen Yan sent someone to invite Li Shimin, so she came to see, but she didn't expect to find the two still squabbling as soon as she arrived.

Li Lizhi glanced, then did not step forward to disturb.

Last time, because she tried to mediate, she got hurt herself; this time she says she won't mediate at all.

After a good while, both grew tired, lying quietly on the chair, listening to the wind blow by, which felt rather pleasant.

Seeing them finish their quarrel, Li Lizhi didn't want to just watch, so she carefully moved over and lay down on the other side of Chen Yan.

She clicked her tongue twice, half‑smiling, and said, "Speaking of it, husband, this chair… has indeed been getting larger."

Gao Yang scoffed, "Someone's mind is just too easy to read; I remember at first this chair could only hold one person."

Chen Yan didn't mind what they said; since it was already like this, there was nothing more to discuss.

Amid their chatter and laughter, they didn't notice a small head poking out from a distant corner.

Sizi, seeing the three quietly getting along, felt a bit surprised, but mostly relieved.

"Sister Li Lizhi didn't lie to me; she really has her own rhythm, so I finally don't have to worry."

Muttering softly, Sizi hopped away to play with Princess Chengyang.

After chatting for a while, Chen Yan and the two others were suddenly hit by drowsiness.

Gradually, all three unknowingly fell asleep.

It wasn't until Xiao Shunzi and Qing'er led Li Shimin and Empress Changsun over that the couple, still wondering what surprise Chen Yan would have for them today, arrived.

Upon arrival, they found the three soundly asleep on the lounge chair.

Li Shimin twitched the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

Empress Changsun was surprised, "I always thought these three only knew how to brawl each day; I didn't expect such a peaceful moment together."

Qing'er awkwardly said, "Your Highness, I… I'll go wake the young master right away."

"Hey!" Li Shimin raised his hand to stop her, "You two go out first; I'll go myself."

Xiao Shunzi and Qing'er exchanged glances, worried about Chen Yan yet unwilling to defy Li Shimin, so they respectfully complied and slowly stepped out.

Li Shimin, with Empress Changsun, slowed their pace and came to the side of the lounge chair, then laughed, "Actually, they get along quite well; it's just their manner of interaction that's absurdly amusing."

"That's true," Empress Changsun said with a faint smile, "Otherwise Gao Yang wouldn't have spent all of last year thinking about giving Zi An a child."

Li Lizhi, a light sleeper, heard voices nearby and groggily opened her eyes.

Seeing Li Shimin and Empress Changsun before her, she froze, closed her eyes again, then opened them once more.

"Ah… Mother!"

Li Lizhi scrambled to her feet, moving clumsily, and woke Chen Yan and Gao Yang.

"Yo, you're awake?" Li Shimin said with a grin.

Gao Yang quickly rose, and Chen Yan awkwardly smiled, "Your Majesty, you arrived quite swiftly—pardon me, pardon."

"Is it that I came too fast, or that you slept too soundly?" Li Shimin raised an eyebrow.

"You youngster certainly enjoy yourself here, hugging left and right, while I—once I hear of some heavenly omen, I rush over in a hurry."

"How come I get the feeling you're ordering me around?"

"Illusion, all illusion!" Chen Yan dared not admit it, quickly changing the subject, "By the way, Your Majesty, Your Imperial Highness, speaking of heavenly omens, I've truly prepared a big surprise for you both today; I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

"Come, come, come, follow me and have a look."

Saying that, he beckoned the two to follow him.

For some reason, when Li Shimin and his wife saw Chen Yan like this, their moods instantly brightened.

The kid really is quite entertaining.

"Li Lizhi, go fetch two hoes, and let Your Majesty have some fun today," Chen Yan said, turning his head.

Li Lizhi lightly nodded and left.

Li Shimin asked curiously, "Zi An, what's the purpose of bringing two hoes? What do you mean 'let me have some fun'?"

"Your Majesty, look over here!" Chen Yan pointed.

Li Shimin and Empress Changsun followed Chen Yan's finger and saw a lush carpet of vines covering the entire plot; they had never seen such a crop before.

"What is this…?" Empress Changsun stepped forward a couple of paces, examining curiously, "Zi An, the leaves are broad and the vines prostrate, like some kind of melon?"

"Your Imperial Highness has sharp eyes," Chen Yan laughed, "But it's not a melon; it's a treasure that bears fruit underground."

"Underground?" Li Shimin became interested, "Could it be something like a tuber?"

Chen Yan didn't answer immediately; he waited until Li Lizhi returned with the two hoes, then took one and handed it to Li Shimin: "Words are useless—see for yourself; dig it up and you'll know!"

Li Shimin took the hoe; it felt fairly heavy, forged from fine steel.

Although he is the Son of Heaven, when he was young Li Yuan had once asked him to farm, so he was no stranger to such tools.

Empress Changsun gently reminded beside him, "Your Majesty, be careful."

"No problem." Li Shimin, excited, selected the most vigorous plant and carefully thrust the hoe into the soil.

The first thrust turned over the soft black earth.

Li Shimin moved cautiously, fearing to damage anything underground; when the second turn uncovered, several yellow‑brown tuberous lumps emerged.

"What is this…?" Li Shimin's eyes lit up, and after a few more careful digs, a fist‑sized, rough‑skinned lump was fully exposed.

Chen Yan bent down, picked up the tuber, brushed off the soil with his sleeve to reveal its yellow‑white interior, and presented it to Li Shimin with both hands: "Your Majesty, behold, I call it 'Potato', also known as 'Potato', it is highly cold‑ and drought‑tolerant, able to thrive even in barren lands, and most importantly…"

He paused, grinned, and said, "Yield can reach over seven dan per mu!"

"Seizing the Young? You say Seizing the Young?" Even the well‑read Li Shimin inhaled sharply, "Seven dan?!"

By the market‑pound measure, that's over a thousand jin!

Even in Jingzhou, the occasional rice bumper harvest tops just over four dan.

That's already the highest grain yield Li Shimin has ever heard of.

Compared to seven dan of potatoes, it's almost doubled!

He took that heavy potato, examined it repeatedly; Empress Changsun also leaned in to look closely, reaching out to gently touch the potato's rough skin.

"Zi An, you've really given me another big surprise!" Li Shimin's voice was somewhat tense, and he did not doubt Chen Yan's words.

Because the potato is right in front of us, whether it is or not, we'll know once we dig it all up.

Moreover, how could Chen Yan possibly be foolish enough to deceive him about this?

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, if Zi An's words are true, that truly deserves to be called a heavenly auspicious sign!" Empress Changsun originally just came out to get some fresh air, never expecting to see such a high-yielding grain!

"Your Majesty, go ahead and dig, let you have your fun!" Chen Yan said.

Okay!

Li Shimin's eyes lit up, he raised the hoe and started digging.

Li Lizhi and Gao Yang watched the smiling Chen Yan, then glanced at the working Li Shimin...

What a hassle!

"......"