Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 678: The Yuan Empire's Response
The translator used gestures and simple language to show the natives that they were friendly envoys from the far east and just wanted to find some crop seeds without any bad intentions. The natives seemed to understand the translator's words, and their expressions gradually eased, but they still remained vigilant.

After some difficult communication, the natives finally agreed to let the fleet land, but asked them not to bring weapons. Zhou Meng considered again and again and decided to agree to the natives' request and only lead a small group of people ashore to communicate and negotiate with the natives.

Zhou Meng led the translator and several soldiers and carefully landed on the shore. The natives immediately surrounded them, still holding their weapons. Zhou Meng remained calm and expressed his friendship to the natives with a smile on his face.

With the help of an interpreter, Zhou Meng talked with the leader of the indigenous people. After some communication, they learned that the indigenous people attacked the fleet because they had never seen such a large fleet and strange people before, and thought it was an enemy invading their territory.

Zhou Meng explained their purpose to the indigenous leader and expressed his willingness to conduct friendly trade and exchanges with them. After listening to Zhou Meng's words, the indigenous leader's doubts gradually disappeared and he expressed his willingness to help Zhou Meng find seeds of sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn and other crops.

Under the guidance of the indigenous people, Zhou Meng and his men went deep into the jungle to look for these precious crop seeds. The jungle was full of thorns and mosquitoes, and every step forward was very difficult. They also encountered various dangerous beasts from time to time, but under the leadership of Zhou Meng, everyone worked together to overcome these difficulties one by one.

After several days of hard work, they finally found the planting sites of sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn and other crops. Zhou Meng and his men excitedly collected a large number of seeds and carefully preserved them.

With these precious seeds, Zhou Meng and his fleet bid farewell to the natives and set off on their return journey. On the way back, they encountered several storms and pirate attacks, but with their tenacious will and superb navigation skills, they managed to escape danger again and again.

Finally, after a long voyage, the fleet returned to the port of the Sui Dynasty. Zhou Meng reported to Jia Changsheng with a full harvest. Jia Changsheng looked at those precious crop seeds with joy and expectation. He knew that these seeds would bring new hope for the development of the Sui Dynasty, and Zhou Meng and his fleet would become heroes in the history of the Sui Dynasty.

The port of the Great Sui Dynasty was filled with a jubilant and solemn atmosphere. The sky was clear, and the sun shone on the sparkling sea, sparkling. The port was already full of eagerly waiting people, whispering to each other, their eyes full of curiosity and expectation. In front of the people was a row of civil and military officials dressed in court robes, neat and solemn. They stood straight, and their expressions showed both concern for the fleet that was about to return and longing for the future. Jia Changsheng, wearing a bright yellow suit embroidered with a golden dragon and a Tongtian crown on his head, stood at the forefront of the crowd with a dignified manner. His eyes were fixed on the sea level, and his deep eyes contained endless expectations and determination to win.

"Your Majesty, the fleet is back!" Someone shouted, instantly breaking the tranquility of the port. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, and saw black spots appearing on the sea surface in the distance. As time passed, the black spots grew larger and larger, and gradually they could be seen to be ships flying the flags of the Great Sui Dynasty.

Jia Changsheng showed a barely perceptible smile on his face, and he raised his hand slightly. The civil and military officials behind him immediately understood and lined up in two teams, forming a wide passage. The people also consciously quieted down, their eyes full of awe and curiosity, watching the slowly approaching fleet.

The fleet was getting closer and closer, and finally docked steadily at the port. Zhou Meng, wearing armor washed by the sea breeze and waves, looked a little tired, but his eyes revealed an excitement and pride that could not be concealed. He quickly got off the boat, came to Jia Changsheng, knelt on one knee, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and successfully brought back seeds of sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn and other crops from the American continent!"

Jia Changsheng stepped forward and personally helped Zhou Meng up, his face full of relief: "My dear Zhou, you and the soldiers have worked hard on this voyage! You have made great contributions to our Great Sui Dynasty, and I will definitely reward you handsomely!"

"This is all thanks to your Majesty's wise leadership. We are just doing our duty." Zhou Meng said respectfully.

Afterwards, the soldiers carefully unloaded the boxes of seeds from the ship and neatly arranged them at the port. Jia Changsheng looked at these boxes and seemed to see the future prosperity of the Sui Dynasty. He turned around and said to the civil and military officials: "My Lords, these seeds are related to the future of the Sui Dynasty. We must handle them properly."

The ministers nodded in agreement. After thinking for a moment, Jia Changsheng said, "It is not appropriate to publicize this matter for the time being. First select some reliable people and conduct a secret planting experiment. If the planting is successful, then promote it to the whole country."

"Your Majesty is wise." All the ministers echoed in unison.

Jia Changsheng immediately ordered the selection of a group of experienced, loyal and reliable eunuchs and maids from the palace, and selected several senior gardeners from the royal gardens to form a team specifically responsible for planting these crops. At the same time, he also arranged several trusted ministers to supervise the entire planting process to ensure that everything went well.

The planting site was chosen to be a remote and quiet garden in the palace. It was originally a wasteland with weeds, but the soil was fertile and the sun was abundant, making it very suitable for planting experiments.

With the efforts of everyone, the abandoned garden was soon cleaned up. Based on their own experience and some information about the cultivation of these crops brought back from America, the gardeners began to plan the land. They divided the land into several small plots for planting sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn.

The day before the planting, Jia Changsheng personally came to the garden and reminded everyone again: "This planting is related to the rise and fall of our Great Sui Dynasty. You must treat it with care. Every step must be carried out strictly in accordance with the requirements. If there is any negligence, I will only hold you accountable."

Everyone knelt down and said in unison: "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will do our best!"

The next morning, as soon as the sun shone on the garden, the planting work officially began. Under the guidance of the gardener, the eunuchs and palace maids carefully sowed the seeds in the soil. Their movements were gentle and focused, as if they were sowing the hope of the entire Sui Dynasty.

After sowing the seeds, the next step is watering and fertilizing. Gardeners personally mix fertilizers to ensure that each crop gets enough nutrients. They also pay close attention to weather changes and adjust the time and amount of watering according to different weather conditions.

As the days passed, the seeds in the garden gradually sprouted and broke through the soil. The tender green seedlings swayed gently in the breeze, as if showing people the tenacity and hope of life. Jia Changsheng was very happy when he heard the news. He came to the garden many times in person to check the growth of the crops.

However, the planting process was not smooth sailing. One day, the eunuch in charge of guarding the garden found that some seedlings had many small holes on their leaves, which looked like they had been bitten by insects. Everyone became nervous, and the gardeners immediately checked the seedlings and found that a pest they had never seen before was causing trouble. "Your Majesty, what should we do?" The minister in charge of supervising the planting anxiously reported to Jia Changsheng.

Jia Changsheng frowned and said, "We must find a way to eliminate these pests immediately. We can't let them destroy our hopes."

So, the gardeners began to look for ways to eliminate pests. They consulted a lot of books and tried various folk methods, but the results were not ideal. Just when everyone was desperate, an old gardener suddenly remembered that there was a herb in his hometown that could drive away pests.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to give it a try," said the old gardener.

Jia Changsheng nodded and said, "Okay, go ahead and do it. As long as it can eliminate pests, you can try any method."

The old gardener found the herb from outside the palace, boiled it into juice, and then sprayed it on the seedlings. A miracle happened, the pests fell off one after another, and the seedlings finally recovered. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was full of admiration for the old gardener.

As time went by, the crops in the garden gradually grew. Sweet potato vines covered the ground, potato plants thrived, and corn grew tall stalks. Looking at these vibrant crops, Jia Changsheng's heart was filled with joy.

When the harvest season came, the garden was a busy place. The eunuchs and palace maids carefully dug the ripe sweet potatoes and potatoes from the soil and broke the corn from the stalks. Looking at the piles of plump fruits, everyone's faces were filled with the joy of the harvest.

Jia Changsheng personally came to the garden and looked at the harvested crops, feeling deeply moved. He knew that the success of this planting experiment was just the beginning. Next, he would promote these crops throughout the country so that the people of the Sui Dynasty could benefit.

"My Lords, this planting experiment has been a great success. This is a blessing for our Great Sui Dynasty and for the people." Jia Changsheng said excitedly to the civil and military ministers, "Next, we will promote these crops throughout the country so that every citizen can eat these high-yield grains."

The ministers all agreed and began to discuss the specific promotion plan. They decided to first select some experienced farmers from all over the country to come to the palace to learn planting techniques, and then let these farmers return to their hometowns to teach other people. At the same time, the court will also provide seeds and farm tools to encourage people to actively plant.

With Jia Changsheng's vigorous promotion, crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn were quickly promoted in the land of the Sui Dynasty. A few years later, the grain output of the Sui Dynasty increased significantly, and the lives of the people became better and better. Jia Changsheng, because of this move, was deeply loved and respected by the people and became a great emperor in the history of the Sui Dynasty.

As the Sui Empire was preparing for development and enjoying the hope brought by the new crops, the news of its rise quickly swept across the Central Plains like a strong storm, shocking the surrounding countries. The Yuan Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, the two countries closest to the Sui Empire, were even more worried. One after another, court meetings concerning the fate of the country were held in the courts of various countries.

The imperial palace of the Yuan Dynasty was magnificent, with carved beams and painted buildings showing the majestic spirit of the grassland people after they entered the Central Plains. Under the huge dome, the glazed lamps emitted a dim light, reflecting the solemn faces of the civil and military officials.

Emperor Yingzong of Yuan, Shuodebala, was wearing a gorgeous dragon robe and a crown on his head, sitting on the high dragon throne. His eyes were as sharp and alert as a grassland eagle. At this time, the atmosphere in the court was depressing, like the calm before the storm.

"My dear ministers, I have heard recently that the Sui Dynasty has risen in Liaodong. It first destroyed Goguryeo and Baekje, and now seems to be expanding outward. I would like to hear what you think about this matter?" The voice of Emperor Yingzong of Yuan was low and majestic, and it slowly echoed in the empty hall.

As soon as he finished speaking, a burly, armored general strode out of the ranks. This man was none other than Temujin Bater, the great general of the Yuan Dynasty. He clasped his fists and saluted, his voice as loud as a bell: "Your Majesty, I think the Sui Dynasty is not here with good intentions. Although the Yuan Dynasty is strong, we should not take it lightly. Since the Sui Dynasty was able to easily destroy Goguryeo and Baekje, it shows that its military strength should not be underestimated. In my opinion, we should immediately strengthen border defenses and send more troops to prevent a sudden attack by the Sui Dynasty."

Temujin Bater's words were agreed by many generals, who nodded and whispered in agreement. However, a middle-aged official dressed in brocade robes and with an elegant face stood up. He was the prime minister of the Yuan Dynasty, Yelu Chucai.

"Although what the general said makes sense, I think war is not the only way to solve the problem." Yelu Chucai bowed slightly and said slowly, "The Great Sui has just been established, and I believe they don't want to easily provoke a large-scale war. We might as well send envoys to the Great Sui to test their strength and understand their intentions. At the same time, we can also strengthen our ties with neighboring countries, form an alliance, and jointly deal with the threat of the Great Sui."

As soon as these words came out, the court immediately started to discuss. Some ministers thought that Yelu Chucai's suggestion was too weak and worried that he would be despised by the Sui Dynasty; some ministers thought that this was a more reliable method, which could not only avoid the risk of war, but also buy time to prepare for the response.

Emperor Yingzong of Yuan frowned slightly and fell into deep thought. He knew that although the Yuan Dynasty was powerful, it had been engaged in wars for many years and the people in the country also longed for peace. If a war was launched easily, it would not only bring a heavy burden to the people, but also affect the stability of the Yuan Dynasty.

"What the Prime Minister said makes sense." Yuan Yingzong said slowly, "However, we cannot relax our border defense. Let's send an envoy to the Sui Dynasty first, and at the same time, order the border guards to strengthen their vigilance and not slack off in the slightest."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" All the ministers obeyed in unison.

(End of this chapter)