Chapter 100: Rare

Qin Bi smiled at the small Rong Yang: "Dig up the vegetables first; we'll talk after we've dug them."

Rong Yang nodded; Rong Juan let them take the lead, showing no intention to interfere.

Seeing this, Lin Yao, Yan the Guard, and others immediately scattered like a flock to dig up vegetables again. From then on, they dug much more carefully. Previously, they had been very attentive after seeing some carrots split open like flowers upon being dropped; now, they were extremely cautious.

Such sweet vegetables must not be bruised.

The soil was not dry nor compacted, so those that wouldn't come up easily were dug around the sides. Once unearthed, they were carefully placed in baskets. The captain of the guards, seeing the green leaves tinged with purple, even plucked a bit and chewed it.

Qin Bi followed the vegetable-digging group carefully, watching the captain's actions, wanting to know how the vegetable leaves tasted.

She saw the captain's smile suddenly bloom as he exclaimed, "Sweet."

The sword-browed, star-eyed captain of the guards held the vegetable leaf, his face full of surprise as if he had discovered something extraordinary. Qin Bi found his expression amusing and was just about to laugh when Lin Yao, the First Strategist, plucked a vegetable leaf to taste.

"Mother," Lin Yao said, his eyes shining: "It really is sweet."

"Let me try." Rong Yang plucked a vegetable leaf, put a piece in his mouth, and chewed. The child's eyes immediately lit up: "The vegetable leaves are delicious, sweet like fruit."

Qin Bi was speechless. She looked around, trying to find someone to deceive.

Rong Juan drew her into his embrace and asked, "Looking for what?"

Qin Bi could not speak the truth. Such suspicion on her part would be detrimental to her status as the Heir's Wife. A Heir's Wife should be dignified and generous, possessing an eye for talent among the household members, and showing trust.

But she was merely a concubine-born daughter, with limited knowledge and bearing. Everyone was saying the vegetable leaves were delicious; who was she trying to fool? If it weren't for Rong Yang being among them, Qin Bi would have been even more suspicious, thinking she had just time-traveled and never eaten vegetable leaves before or something.

Had she never eaten vegetable leaves? In Great Yan, where the land was arid, even the radish leaves were not discarded when harvesting crops on the estates; they were collected to serve as a vegetable, and that was all. They certainly weren't that delicious.

And sweet? Qin Bi would only believe that if she were a fool.

Although Qin Bi didn't believe it, Lin Yao and the advisors were busy. After tasting the vegetable leaves, they called the guards and the captain of the guards to pick up even the broken leaf fragments, filling baskets with the vegetable leaves. They were just short of collecting the soil still clinging to the radishes.

"Brother Rong Yang," the young prince Yan Xun arrived, running while holding up his robe.

"Brother Young Prince, why have you come?" Rong Yang, holding a crisp and sweet radish and standing beside his parents, asked in confusion: "Didn't your sister Fu Bao come to the palace?"

Qin Bi's eyes flickered, while Rong Juan's expression remained unchanged.

"When I came, she wasn't there," the young prince said, running up to Rong Yang: "What are you eating? Is it delicious?"

Rong Yang exerted some strength, broke off a piece of the crisp and sweet radish for the young prince. The young prince didn't stand on ceremony, took a bite, and then his face lit up with surprise at the sweetness. He began negotiating a purchase with Rong Yang.

Rong Yang shook his head: "Not for sale."

The young prince Yan Xun tilted his head, looked at Rong Yang's small face, and pleaded: "Just giving me a few would work too. How can it be so delicious!"

"Your family's spirit-plant chickens didn't give me any to eat either," Rong Yang remembered with his little brain, adding: "My mother is pregnant and needs to eat well. Emperor Uncle gave spirit-plant chickens to Fu Bao's family, but didn't give a single one to my family."

"I can't make the decision!" The young prince was so anxious he stamped his foot.

What an incompetent father emperor!

Rong Yang fell silent. The guards accompanying the young prince in the palace stood aside. Lin Yao and the others did not let them dig vegetables, nor did they allow them to touch the harvested produce, treating it as a treasure.

Sigh, the captain of the young prince's guards crossed his arms. Radishes? Who hasn't eaten them? What's so special?

"It's very, very sweet," the young prince whispered, leaning in.

The captain of the guards was puzzled, half-believing and half-doubting.

The young prince forced himself to break off a tiny piece from the small remaining fragment of the crisp and sweet radish. The captain of the guards took it, tasted it, and then his expression brightened. He stared at the crisp and sweet radishes scattered all over the ground, his eyes gleaming.

"Buy some!" the captain of the guards urged the young prince.

"They won't sell," the young prince replied; he wanted to buy some too!

The captain of the guards sighed, his eyes flashing: "Later, ask Fu Bao's family for some. Their family is so blessed. If the Rong Prince's fiefdom can grow such delicious radishes, the Xue Prince's fiefdom shouldn't lack them either."

The young prince thought for a moment and gave the captain of the guards a look that said, "Are you stupid?" Fu Bao was always the one asking the palace for things; when had the palace ever gotten anything from Fu Bao?

The captain of the guards was helpless. He turned back to ask Rong Yang, but Rong Yang refused to sell.

After spending most of the day harvesting the crisp and sweet radishes, the young prince had only been running around. Rong Yang gave him one to eat, but no more. By the time the entire field was cleared, there was almost nothing left in the ground.

They loaded them onto carts and transported them back to the Prince's Mansion cart by cart, including the radish leaves, even collecting those that had fallen on the ground.

"Hey, I say, Guard Yan," the young prince's captain of the guards was displeased: "What do you mean? We'd eat one of your crisp and sweet radishes, but you're so precious about the vegetable leaves? Do you think I could eat your vegetable leaves?"

Guard Yan said nothing, giving the captain of the guards a meaningful look.

The captain of the guards hissed, rubbing his chin. What did that mean?

Only then did the young prince remember to pluck a vegetable leaf to taste. "Oh my," the young prince nearly jumped up: "How can these vegetable leaves be so delicious? They're as fragrant and sweet as fruit."

The captain of the guards also plucked a vegetable leaf to taste, and then fell silent.

Rong Juan looked at the sky and took Qin Bi back first.

After Lin Yao and the advisors had searched the vegetable field thoroughly and found nothing left, they carried Rong Yang, called the young prince who had been running everywhere, and everyone left Rong Heir's fiefdom together.

The young prince returned to the palace. In the main courtyard of the Rong Prince's Mansion, everyone was in a lively mood.

Qin Bi ate a little in the main hall, then took a hand warmer and went to the front courtyard. The guards were carrying the sweet and crisp radishes to the storage room trip after trip. Rong Yang's small face was excited, while Rong Juan watched closely.

Qin Bi did not go inside; she discussed with Rong Juan in the courtyard: "The crisp and sweet radishes that have split open like flowers should be distributed to the advisors and guards in the mansion. If they are not sold, the ones that have split open won't last."

The guards and advisors perked up their ears.

Rong Juan pondered for a moment: "Very well."

Lin Yao, Guard Yan, and others beamed with joy. Even the ones that had split open were fine; these were rewards for them, requiring no silver to purchase. They were all overjoyed and went to a side area to distribute the crisp and sweet radishes.

Although their Heir was somewhat stingy, it was still alright.

The crisp and sweet radishes that had split open were divided into several grades: some were shattered, others had many cracks. These wouldn't last long. Each person received a share according to their ability. They took their portions immediately, worried someone might pluck off the vegetable leaves.

By the end of the day, the entire Rong Prince's Mansion was bustling with activity.

Qin Bi was truly impressed by Heir Rong. He said he wouldn't go to the palace, and for two days straight, he didn't even attend court. When the Great Yan Emperor sent someone to summon him, Rong Yang still didn't go.