Shen Gui, you really didn’t lie to me.
By this time, it was already evening.
The two Fire Umbrella Pearls that Xiao Biao had brought over had naturally been stripped of all their fruit.
The bright red fruits filled two large baskets.
Xiao Ban stared blankly.
At this moment, she felt that if this thing was confirmed edible, a big pile of bright red fruits harvested in a commoner’s wooden trough seemed several times more festive than when they were carefully displayed in a grand palace during the New Year or festivals.
If these tomatoes could be widely cultivated, what a huge gap in vegetables and fruits they could fill?
This thing tasted delicious, and according to Shen Yu, its nutritional value was extremely high.
Having previously treated it as an ornamental plant was simply a terrible waste.
No wonder Shen He was so excited when she saw it.
After learning the value of the tomato, Xiao Ban was even more excited than Shen Quan.
You have to know, this batch of tomatoes was cultivated in the Imperial Palace’s fire room.
The fire room was a complex affair, filled with all sorts of rare flowers and grasses from various places.
But this Fire Umbrella Pearl was the easiest to grow.
It was to the point where just a little bit of care would let it flourish, bloom, and bear fruit.
Even selecting a few strong specimens and carefully cultivating them for a few generations under the care of the imperial farmers could transform them from small plants reluctant to bear fruit into the heavily laden ones they saw now.
If the season was right, you could plant the Fire Umbrella Pearl almost anywhere, and you only needed to water it occasionally during dry spells to keep it alive.
Her Majesty the Empress had also bestowed these Fire Umbrella Pearls to some venerable court officials and ministers.
They planted them in their gardens, and they didn’t need much tending.
Just give them a corner, and they would grow vigorously.
If they specially selected superior seeds and distributed them across the country…
Xiao Biao couldn’t even dare to think!
Looking at these piles of fiery red fruits, Xiao Biao felt as if she was seeing the empire’s bright and prosperous future.
“When have I ever lied to you? Here it comes, scrambled eggs with tomatoes.”
“And this, tomato and egg soup, tomato egg-drop noodles, and tomato-braised beef brisket.”
Shen Yu brought out all her signature dishes, a whole table full of tomato-based dishes, perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
The aroma alone made both Xiao Biao and Yun Wei drool.
Even the two of them, connoisseurs of the finest delicacies, had no resistance to this table of food Shen Yu had prepared.
“Beef brisket? Shen Yu, you’re not being good. The Imperial Court has rules; you can’t just slaughter a plow ox.”
Xiao Ban looked at the bright red tomato-braised beef brisket.
Although she said that, she still honestly picked up a perfectly braised piece of brisket, brought it to her lips, and gently blew on it.
“It was brought by Yun Wei from Marquis Wuding’s residence.”
“Yes, Father said… it was a sick ox. It was going to die anyway, so he might as well have it butchered for the meat.”
Yun Wei’s gaze flickered.
To be honest, eating beef in front of the Grand Princess was indeed a bit of a disrespect to the Imperial Court’s laws.
But she had no choice.
The way Shen He described the tomato-braised beef brisket was just too tempting.
Yun Wei simply couldn’t resist.
She had asked Marquis Wuding’s residence to prepare it.
From top to bottom in the Wuding Marquis Residence, except for her elder sister Yun Xiang, everyone was actually quite interested in beef.
After all, they were military nobles.
Under high-intensity training, their need for high protein was naturally greater than most people’s.
“Oh, a sick ox? I see.”
Xiao Ban nodded, then put the piece of brisket into her mouth.
It was piping hot, savory, tender, and soft, carrying a bit of the tomato’s characteristic sweet and sour taste that complemented the beef brisket’s savory flavor perfectly.
Delicious!
Even better than what the imperial physicians in the palace make!
“Is it that good?”
Yun Wei also showed a surprised expression after taking a bite.
“Shen He, I never knew you could cook so well!”
At this moment, Xiao Ban’s gaze towards Shen La was practically smoldering.
She was liking Shen Jian more and more.
Was there anything in this world Shen Yu couldn’t do?
“Can I come over to eat often?”
Xiao Ban’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Shen Yu.
After speaking, she proposed a condition that Shen He couldn’t refuse.
“As an exchange, I have spices from the Western Regions at home. As much as you want, I’ve got it!”
“Deal!”
Shen Yu hadn’t brought anything to the Capital City.
She had gotten used to a comfortable life in Qingfeng Village, and coming out to the wider world was full of discomforts.
Even in the Capital City, cooking was nothing more than using oil and salt.
Better places might have vinegar and soy sauce, or some specialty sauces from certain shops, but it was completely different from the delicious, umami-packed seasonings Shen He had eaten in her past life.
It always felt like something was missing.
But in Qingfeng Village, it was different.
Qingfeng Village had Shen He’s secret soy sauce, Shanxi-style aged vinegar, chicken essence, MSG, oyster sauce, cooking wine, and even butter and cream.
Using those things with tomatoes to cook a few dishes would be truly delicious.
Still, the spices from the Western Regions were indeed rare for Shen Fu.
“Shen Yi, based on what you’re saying, the high-yield crops you mentioned—sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn—do they really exist? We just haven’t found them yet?”
Xiao Ban stuffed a mouthful of scrambled eggs with tomatoes into her mouth.
She really wanted to slam the table hard and give Shen Yu a big thumbs up.
The first person to put tomatoes and eggs together and scramble them was a genius.
They complemented each other perfectly.
It was just like her and Shen Yu!
“Yes.”
This was the point that made Shen Yu happy.
The existence of the tomato proved that the path she was on was correct.
If this world had such a high-yield tomato, then there must be even higher-yield sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn.
Shen He didn’t dare to think about it.
If the tomato’s yield was this high, then wouldn’t sweet potatoes yield several thousand jin per mu?
With that much quantity, how many commoners could it save?
How many scenes of famine could it prevent?
How many families would be spared from having to eat their children?
Famine was the most serious disease afflicting the empire.
Only by eradicating it could the empire have a true future.
Otherwise, no matter how prosperous the Capital City was, how tall and large the grain-transport ships were, how wealthy the noble families were, or how strong the border defenses were, it would all be just a hollow shell.
“What is a sweet potato?”
Yun Wei put down her bowl.
By now, she had already eaten three large bowls of tomato egg-drop noodles, but she still felt she couldn’t get enough.
She was a bit afraid to keep eating, worried that Shen Yi would think she wasn’t ladylike and dislike her.
“A sweet potato is…”
Xiao Ban cut in before Shen Fu could speak and enthusiastically began explaining this crop that could be a staple food.
After listening to Xiao Ban’s description, Yun Wei also found it hard to believe.
But when Xiao Ban told her that she had heard all this from Shen Yu, Yun Wei immediately and naturally accepted it.
“Oh, oh, so it was the wife who said it? Then it must be right.”
There was no doubt in her eyes about the yield of a thousand jin per mu, only an unwavering trust in her wife.
“Speaking of crops that grow underground, have high yields, and have edible roots, I think I’ve heard of something like that. When I went south with my father to quell the Southern Barbarian uprising, I remember people mentioning something like that.”
“There were merchants who had crossed the ocean. Their fleet had this kind of food. But the locals found it to be oddly shaped and caked with dirt, ugly as fat grubs, and they turned their noses up at it.”
Yun Wei’s words made Shen Yu and Xiao Ban both instinctively put down their chopsticks.
Their four beautiful eyes locked onto her.
It made Yun Wei a little scared.
When she met Xiao Ban’s gaze, she would fearfully lower her head.
When she met Shen He’s gaze, she would subconsciously and shyly squeeze her thighs together.
At that moment, she was fidgeting, even wondering if she had said something wrong.
“That must be the sweet potato, right?”
Xiao Ban subconsciously met Shen Yu’s eyes.
There was a clear increase of excitement and agitation in both their gazes.
“It’s very likely.”
“Those Southern Barbarians! They don’t know a good thing! What a waste! To let such a precious sweet potato slip away like that?”
Xiao Ban was so angry she kept slapping the table.
The very key to solving the commoners’ famine problem had just slipped right under their noses, and Xiao Ban didn’t even know where to direct her anger.
“It’s not entirely the Southern Barbarians’ fault. The Southern Pass settlement outside the border is one of the empire’s main granaries. Their rice can yield three crops a year.”
“The taste of refined, delicious rice is far better than that coarse sweet potato. It’s no wonder they looked down on it.”
“In fact, the Imperial Court has always been keeping those barbarians outside the Southern Pass. Ever since the Founding Emperor and Taizong, successive Emperors have never stopped shearing this fat sheep.”
The Southern Pass area was humid, and while the soil was fertile, it was difficult to develop.
Developing it would require a lot of resources.
But keeping those barbarians was different.
They farmed the land for the empire.
The empire could buy the rice they grew for a bit of money.
The other side went through the whole process—plowing, transplanting, tending the fields, harvesting, threshing—to produce the gleaming white rice.
By the time it reached the Imperial Court, it was barely a hundred copper coins per shi.
The price was even lower than the cost of a black slave… and even those copper coins were minted by the Imperial Court.
If the Southern Barbarians wanted to spend them, they had to do it within the empire.
The Imperial Court didn’t need to maintain stability among those barbarians.
Moreover, with their farmlands, they became a natural barrier for the empire in the south, used to fend off the more distant Jie Tribe.
And these barbarians had to sell their grain to the Imperial Court.
They appeared to be just vassals of the empire, but in reality, their internal affairs had long been thoroughly infiltrated by the Imperial Court.
They had no say whatsoever.
Even if they stubbornly refused to sell, refusing to sell to anyone but the Imperial Court, that was even more interesting.
All the Imperial Court had to do was find some pretext, cook up an excuse.
The several garrisons stationed near the Southern Pass had long been itching for a fight, eyeing them hungrily.
When that time came, it wouldn’t be about whether you sold your grain cheaply or not.
The empire would give you a beating, and you wouldn’t just have to take it lying down.
Your Southern Pass Barbarian King would have to quickly kneel and beg for mercy, offering up the grain for free, and pay reparations to boot.
“Yun Wei, you will take people there right now. Contact the Prince of Liang in Liangzhou. Have him cooperate with you and use all your resources to find the whereabouts of the sweet potatoes.”
“Yes, I’ll set out tomorrow. I will not fail…”
The two of them suddenly lowered their voices after their passionate exchange.
Their conversation left Shen Yu, who was holding her rice bowl, stunned on the spot.
It was then that both of them realized they had gotten a little too excited and almost let their personas slip.
Fortunately, Shen Yu’s obliviousness was superb, and Xiao Ban’s identity wasn’t in immediate danger of being exposed.
“What I meant was, go back and ask your father, Marquis Wuding, to petition His Majesty to investigate the whereabouts of the sweet potatoes in the Southern Pass. I will also ask my father to submit a memorial to His Majesty through an intermediary, so these tomatoes can be promoted throughout the country.”
“Yes, yes, of course, Young Lady Xiao Yue. I understand. This is a good deed for the country and the people. I will naturally go back and discuss it with my father.”
Their stilted dialogue, as if they were reading from a script, made Shen Yu furrow her brow slightly.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and slapped her thigh hard.
This startled them both.
They hurriedly picked up their bowls and started shoveling food into their mouths.
Yun Wei’s bowl was empty, Xiao Ban’s chopsticks were held backward, yet neither of them seemed to notice.
“Now that you two mention it, I almost forgot. There’s still tomato salad with sugar in the kitchen.”
Shen Yu quickly walked into the kitchen, allowing the two of them to breathe a sigh of relief.
“We’ll need to be more careful from now on.”
Yun Wei put down her empty bowl.
Even though it was late autumn, her forehead was covered in sweat.
Both declared it was the most satisfying meal they had ever had.
After they had eaten their fill, the three of them chatted together, talking about many, many things.
It was only then that Shen Yu learned that the Empress truly was consolidating the resources of small newspapers and pamphlets from all over, and the official newspaper funded and published by the inner court in the Capital City would soon be released.
The first step for the newspaper’s release was to promote the Mu’en Hall, the Medical Recruitment Exam, and Shen Yu’s method for preventing smallpox.
Last night, after Shen Yu left, the Empress had stayed up all night, mobilizing countless Fenglin Guards to quickly finalize the plan for printing the newspaper.
The speed was incredibly fast.
Not only did it surprise Shen Yu, but the noble families were completely caught off guard.
With the support of the Fenglin Guards, even if some people refused to buy the Imperial Court’s newspaper, the Fenglin Guards could still place the newspapers—which served as the Imperial Court’s propaganda tool—right on their tables at home.
Furthermore, the refugees outside the city who were afflicted with the great plague had all been arranged into nearby Imperial Manors.
Following the methods Shen Yu had given them, those needing quarantine were quarantined, and those needing treatment were treated.
The difficult problems the noble families had presented to the Imperial Court were also smoothly resolved with Shen Yu’s help.
The common people of the Capital City saw it all.
Unconsciously, this added to the prestige of the Empress’s Medical Recruitment Exam.
It changed many people’s perception that the Empress’s Medical Recruitment Exam was just to fill her own daughter’s medicine cabinet.
As for the promotion of the tomato, Yun Wei and Xiao Ban both pounded their chests and assured Shen Yu that it would be promoted nationwide as quickly as possible.
Around June or July of next year, they estimated that everyone would be able to eat empire-grown tomatoes.
“Everyone will eat them. Everyone can eat them. Shen Yu, you can see me off here. I’ll be going now.”
The night was deep.
Yun Wei had gone back early to prepare for her trip to the Southern Pass, while Xiao Ban insisted on staying with Shen Fu for a long time before reluctantly saying goodbye.
During this time, Xiao Ban and Shen Fu talked about many, many things.
She found that the more she understood Shen Yu, the more she felt Shen Yu was full of charm.
That charm wasn’t just in her appearance.
Her way of speaking, her personality, her knowledge—all of it made Xiao Ban unable to resist her.
How could there be such a perfect woman in the world?
“Yes, okay. Take care on the way back.”
“Um… Shen He! Wait a moment. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Xiao Ban hesitated.
She looked at the basket of bright red tomatoes Xiao Tao was carrying.
She felt that her face must be as red and hot as those tomatoes.
“What’s wrong?”
The moment Shen Yu turned around, Xiao Ban had already thrown herself into Shen Yu’s arms, hugging her directly.
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