What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 306 Your Majesty, would you like some roasted sweet potato?

"master!"

"This is a get-out-of-jail-free card!"

Jiang Laoshi stared intently at the sweet potato in Su Mo's hand, his body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes bloodshot, and tears welling up in his eyes.

What I've been looking at all along is grain!
Such high yields of grain!
In a space that's barely the size of a bamboo basket, a full seven or eight pounds of sweet potatoes grew!
If you planted the whole acre, wouldn't it grow several thousand kilograms?
How could there be such a high yield of grain in the world?

Could this be the celestial food that the master brought back from the Jade Capital in heaven?

Jiang Laoshi felt like he couldn't breathe!
When he was a child, he and his younger sister fled to the capital. For a half-grown boy, that was incredibly difficult!
It has eaten rats, wild vegetables, grass roots, and even a lot of tree bark!
Jiang Laoshi almost couldn't resist eating the corpses by the roadside!

Only those who have truly experienced hunger know the value of food!
Su Mo looked at Jiang Laoshi with some surprise: "What do you mean by that?"

Jiang Laoshi gasped for breath several times.

I finally snapped out of my shock and the traumatic memories.

He swallowed hard, looking at his master with immense excitement: "This is definitely a get-out-of-jail-free card!"

"With such high-yield immortal grains brought to the Great Wu by the master, the people of the world will no longer have to worry about famine!"

"Your Excellency's actions are truly a blessing to all. Countless people want to erect a longevity tablet for you. Tell me, who in the world dares to touch a single hair on your head!"

"Wouldn't the common people tear him to pieces?"

Su Mo was even more astonished.

I never expected Jiang Laoshi to say something like that!

However, what Mr. Jiang said actually makes a lot of sense.

Once the sweet potato becomes known, even if the Empress wanted to discard it after she had served her purpose, she probably wouldn't dare to take her own life so easily.

Take Ip Man Mountain for example.

He committed the greatest taboo. Because of his founding merits and his status as a veteran of three reigns, even the Empress dared not kill him at will and could only imprison him.

His contribution in bringing sweet potatoes to Da Wu was definitely greater and more significant than that of Ip Man-shan.

Once you kill yourself.

It's not impossible that the Great Wu Dynasty could lose the hearts of the people overnight!

Especially in this era, reputation is basically a talisman.

Why do powerful families constantly try to increase their reputation?
The Empress possessed absolute military power, yet she always harbored a degree of apprehension towards prestigious and powerful families.

That's all there is to it!

Not only was Jiang Laoshi shocked.

The same applies to Lin Moyin and others.

All the women gaped, staring at Su Mo in utter shock!

Lin Moyin had heard Su Mo say that the sweet potato yield was as high as tens of bushels, but to be honest, she didn't believe it.

I think it must be an exaggeration by Su Mo.

It's like when a writer puts down a poem, they often use phrases like "High mountains are ten thousand feet high, long rivers flow through the nine provinces."

It's impossible that there are mountains thousands of feet high or rivers that can span the entire country!

In Lin Moyin's view, as long as the sweet potato yield is five or six shi, or even ten shi, it is acceptable.

That's enough to shock the world!

For crops like rice and sorghum, a yield of 1.5 shi per mu is considered quite good, with the highest yield being no more than 2 shi!
Now that she has actually seen the yield of sweet potatoes, Lin Moyin realized that Su Mo's estimate of 20 to 30 shi per mu was actually an extremely conservative estimate!
That's more than twenty or thirty shi!
It's almost fifty or sixty shi (a unit of dry measure)!
Jiang Laoshi said this was a get-out-of-jail-free card, and Lin Moyin also felt that it was no exaggeration at all!
Unless an emperor is so incompetent that he incurs the wrath of both heaven and man, how could he dare to defy the world and take Su Mo's life!

Su Mo actually knew that sweet potatoes would bring great shock to the people of this world.

However, Lin Moyin and the others' performance still exceeded his expectations.

Although he was just an ordinary commoner in his previous life, Su Mo never went hungry; at least he never had to worry about food and clothing.

He naturally found it difficult to understand how others felt.

Su Mo smiled and said, "What do you mean by 'exempt from death'? It's as if the master is going to court death!"

"Come!"

"Try eating the sweet potato raw, everyone!"

Everyone's expression changed again!
Lin Moyin hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "My lord, why don't we keep this sweet potato for seed?"

"This celestial grain...this grain is precious. It's enough for my husband to taste it himself. We should not waste the seeds!"

Su Mo waved her hand: "I don't even know how much I've eaten!"

Seeing that everyone was still hesitant to step forward, Su Mo was speechless and could only say again: "Sweet potatoes grow very slowly. They started with just one or two roots and three or four vines, but now they grow into a large patch. Even if you eat as much as you want, you won't waste much!"

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and, without saying a word, picked up a sweet potato from the ground and accurately placed it in everyone's hands!

"Hurry up, everyone come and have a taste!"

"Steward Jiang, go and fetch the bronze cauldron and brown sugar!"

"I will personally prepare a pot of sweet potato soup for you all to try!"

Jiang Laoshi stared blankly at the sweet potato in his hand for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and ran away!
The women looked at each other.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, wiped the dirt off the sweet potato, opened his mouth, and carefully took a small bite.

Instantly, everyone's eyes lit up.

Lin Moyin exclaimed in surprise, "Sweet potatoes are so sweet?"

They had never eaten food like this before!
Where can you find grain like this!
It looks more like a fruit.

Su Mo laughed and said, "Sweet potatoes taste like this, almost like fruit. Although the yield is large, most of it is water."

"In addition, eating too many sweet potatoes can cause acid reflux and heartburn, and they are not suitable as a staple food for long-term consumption."

Lin Moyin said with a serious expression, "It's better than going hungry!"

The other women quickly nodded in agreement!

Liu Siyun and the others felt that Su Mo's words were a bit exaggerated.

Such sweet grains, who would bear to eat too much of them!

Did you eat too much?

We're lucky to have anything to eat!
Lin Moyin looked at the sweet potato in her hand and suddenly thought of a question: "My lord, can this sweet potato be stored for a long time?"

Sweet potatoes look like fruit.

Fruits typically cannot be stored for long periods of time.

Su Mo smiled and said, "If you put it in a cool, dark place in the cellar, it should keep for at least six months without any problem."

Lin Moyin was stunned for a moment.

The preservation time is far too short.

Su Mo then added, "In addition, it can also be made into dried sweet potatoes, which can be stored for a longer time."

"It can also be made into sweet potato starch, and it can reduce the problems of acid reflux and heartburn."

Lin Moyin nodded emphatically: "Indeed, this can be stored as grain."

Most people didn't have much food. Let alone storing it for half a year, having a month's worth of food at home was already quite good.

Everyone took small bites of the sweet potato and were amazed.

I never imagined there could be such sweet and delicious grains in the world!

Su Mo simply opened two more blind boxes.

The two bamboo baskets yielded roughly the same amount of sweet potatoes, with the latter yielding slightly more than the first basket.

There is charcoal and a stove in the greenhouse.

After Jiang Laoshi brought the bronze cauldron, Su Mo set up the stove while calling to the women to take the sweet potatoes to the water tank to wash them clean.

Su Mo then summoned the semi-magical sword embryo.

Amidst the flashing swords, the sweet potatoes were peeled, cut into chunks, and then placed into the cauldron.

Then, under the pitying gazes of the women, Su Mo threw several sweet potatoes into the charcoal fire.

Once the sweet potato syrup is cooked, the roasted sweet potatoes should be ready to eat.

Just thinking about the taste of roasted sweet potatoes made Su Mo's mouth water...

……

In the Hanyuan Hall of the Great Wu Imperial Palace!
A banquet was held in the palace at night, and officials attended with their families.

For most officials, this was a rare and lavish feast, so they ate to their hearts' content and took the opportunity to connect and strengthen relationships with other officials.

For example, Lady Zhong Li and many other court ladies gathered together and whispered among themselves.

They subtly inquired about the younger generations in the families of other ministers.

Finally, the emperor's distribution of the winter solstice gifts greatly excited the officials.

Cured meat, dried fruit, charcoal, cloth and silk, etc., in considerable quantities, are all very practical hard currencies that can be converted into cash at any time!
In addition, the Empress also distributed half a ream of paper to each person, which was of very high quality.

It is enough for all civil and military officials for half a month.

Many officials couldn't help but inquire about the type of paper, its excellent quality, and its price.

The palace banquet ended, and the officials dispersed.

The opera troupe, singers, dancers, swordswomen, and others naturally left as well.

The once bustling palace suddenly became deserted.

Empress Dowager Zhang, who rarely makes public appearances, attended the palace banquet. However, as soon as the officials dispersed, Empress Dowager Zhang's expression immediately turned cold. She even refused the Empress's offer to escort her back to the inner palace and instead led a group of palace maids and eunuchs back to Xingqing Palace.

The Empress watched Empress Dowager Zhang leave with a complicated expression.

She naturally knew the reason for Empress Dowager Zhang's coldness.

His own daughter killed his two brothers with her own hands, forcing the late emperor to abdicate and causing him to die in despair.

How should Empress Dowager Zhang treat her?

The deserted Hanyuan Hall stands in stark contrast to its previous bustling scene.

Although the Empress has other siblings, they are all adults, and even if their relationship is not cold, it is impossible for them to live in the harem.

Looking at the vast palace and the departing figure of Empress Dowager Zhang.

Leng Liuxi suddenly felt incredibly lonely.

But soon, the Empress took a deep breath and looked away.

His eyes revealed an unwavering determination.

Then, his gaze fell on An Wu, who was serving him, and Nangong Sheyue, who was in charge of guarding the palace.

After a slight hesitation, he said calmly, "You may all come with me for a walk!"

He paused, chuckled softly, and then added, as if mocking himself, "I wonder what the current situation is like in the Su family mansion."

"But it must be much more lively than the palace."

An Wu hurriedly ordered a carriage to be prepared, and then personally drove the carriage out of the imperial city through Xuanwu Gate.

Without the Empress's instructions, An Wu drove the carriage onto Zhuque Street and headed straight for the Su residence—the Empress's words about going out for a walk basically meant going to Su Mo's residence!
He dared not tell the Empress that it was already the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), and not the proper time to visit someone's residence!
The carriage arrived outside the Su residence.

An Wu was surprised to hear a lively commotion coming from the courtyard.

The walls still faintly reflected the light of fire.

Immediately, a look of astonishment appeared in An Wu's eyes.

An extremely strong fragrance wafted into my nostrils!

It smells like roasted food, but it doesn't quite smell like roasted meat.

Even the well-informed An Wu couldn't immediately identify what kind of food was emitting this aroma.

The Empress also lifted the curtain, peeking out half of her head. Her pretty face showed suspicion as she looked at An Wu and Nangong Sheyue, who was riding a horse on her back.

What kind of fragrance is this?

An Wu quickly shook his head: "This old servant cannot tell either."

"However, Lord Su's culinary skills are extremely superb. Jiang Lan's cooking skills in Baiyujing were also taught by Lord Su. He must have come up with new dishes."

At the palace banquet, the Empress did not eat much, but now, smelling the rich aroma of roasting, her appetite was uncontrollably aroused.

He couldn't help but laugh and scold, "I knew this guy wouldn't go to bed early! Let's see how he handles the morning court sessions later!"

"Come!"

"Come with me and see what new food he has come up with!"

"I sent him a royal banquet; he has to eat his fill to get his money's worth!"

An Wu was about to stop the carriage when he went up to knock on the door.

Unexpectedly, the Empress leaped over the wall and entered.

An Wu and Nangong Sheyue looked at each other in bewilderment.

In the end, he could only follow the example of the Empress and fly into the Su family's courtyard.

When An Wu and Nangong Sheyue entered the courtyard, they were instantly dumbfounded.

To their astonishment, they discovered that the Empress was staring wide-eyed at Su Mo, who was half-squatting on the ground.

Of course, Su Mo wasn't the only one squatting on the ground.

Along with Lin Moyin, the commander of the Imperial Guard, as well as Liu Siyun, Xue Yishu, and others, they were all in a rather undignified posture, half-squatting on the ground!

In their hands, each of them held a dark, murky object.

In the center of the crowd, there was a bronze cauldron, with charcoal fire burning underneath. The contents of the cauldron were boiling and emitted an extremely sweet aroma!

Su Mo had just finished roasting sweet potatoes and was distributing them to everyone.

But before they could even start eating, the Empress descended from the sky.

Isn't Leng Liuxi hosting a banquet in the palace tonight to entertain all the officials?

He was dumbfounded and it took him a while to react.

"Lord Leng?"

"How did you come?"

"Um……"

Su Mo quickly stood up and subconsciously handed the sweet potato in her hand to the Empress: "Want some roasted sweet potato?"

The Empress never expected to see such a scene upon entering!
Looking at the dark, charred-looking thing Su Mo handed her, the Empress frowned instinctively: "Is this a sweet potato?"

Su Mo quickly replied, "It's sweet potato!"

"I just baked some, but I haven't had a chance to eat them yet."

The Empress sensed something was wrong and quickly turned to look at the greenhouse.

Sure enough, the greenhouse doors were wide open, there was a lot of sand on the ground, and three empty bamboo baskets!

"You...you actually roasted the sweet potatoes?" The Empress looked at Su Mo in disbelief.

Su Mo nodded: "That's right!"

"It's freshly baked and still warm. We hadn't even had a chance to eat before you arrived!"

As he spoke, he shook the sweet potato in his hand and handed it to the Empress.

The Empress puffed out her cheeks, her pretty face showing a huffy expression, and reluctantly took the sweet potato!

I'm so angry at Su Mo!

He said that this yields tens of bushels of grain per mu!
We've only planted so much; we'll definitely save seeds for the next crop and expand the planting scale as soon as possible!

He actually baked it!
This is infuriating!
Su Mo ignored the Empress's thoughts, picked up a branch, rummaged through the charcoal ash, and found two charred sweet potatoes, which he handed to Nangong Sheyue and An Wu.

"Lord Nangong! Uncle An!"

"You guys should try some! These sweet potatoes are really delicious!"

Nangong Sheyue and An Wu took the sweet potato with suspicion and curiously looked it over.

They only knew that this thing was grown by Su Mo, but they never imagined it was for eating.

But he knew nothing else, nor did he understand why the Empress was making that expression.

Lin Moyin and the other women also hurriedly greeted the Empress and others.

Seeing the Empress's sullen face, Su Mo knew what she was thinking and quickly explained, "My lady, this is the first time I've grown sweet potatoes, so naturally I have to try them before I feel at ease."

The Empress snorted: "Do we need to sample so many things?"

Then, puffing out her cheeks, she pointed at the bronze cauldron again: "My lord, don't tell me that what's being cooked in this cauldron is also sweet potato!"

Su Mo raised an eyebrow: "Your Excellency is wise!"

"Guessed it right!"

The Empress looked at Su Mo's irritating appearance and couldn't help but grit her teeth in hatred.

She glared at Su Mo through gritted teeth, then smelled the strong, pungent aroma wafting towards her, and the words she was about to say suddenly changed...

How should we eat this sweet potato?

Su Mo quickly said, "Just remove the burnt outer skin!"

After pausing, he habitually added, "My sweet potato roasting skills have become rusty, and they're a bit burnt."

"I used to bake them perfectly!"

The Empress's heart stirred.

Does this imply that he used to roast sweet potatoes frequently?

However, the Empress was not too surprised.

If Su Mo hadn't eaten this sweet potato before, how would she have known that sweet potatoes were edible!

These sweet potatoes were indeed brought from Su Mo's hometown!

That hometown, it's almost certainly real!

With a flick of her finger, the charred outer skin peeled away, revealing the bright red potato flesh inside, as if sugar crystals were crystallized within, with sweet juice dripping down!
An even richer, sweeter roasted aroma instantly wafted toward the Empress's delicate nose!
The empress's pretty face showed a look of shock.

This grain called sweet potato smells so sweet?

It looks ten times more precious than ordinary grains!
Even a hundred times!
Such precious grain, how could it yield dozens of bushels? And how could it be coarser than ordinary grain?
There are still such food crops in the world!

This is completely illogical!
unless……

The Empress suddenly had the same thought as Jiang Laoshi!
This is a celestial seed that came from the Jade Capital in the heavens!
Leng Liuxi observed the sweet potato for a long time, and finally opened her small mouth, brought the round sweet potato to her mouth, and gently took a bite of the tip of the bright red sweet potato flesh!
In an instant, a sweet taste she had never experienced before blossomed on the Empress's tongue!
The Empress's expression changed instantly!

She not only tasted a sweet flavor she had never experienced before!

You can taste it even more!

The fate of the nation!

　If I told you that I couldn't update yesterday because of traffic, would the godfathers believe me?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)