The dark soil tumbled, and a rake went down and unearthed a clump of round, yellow stuff.
Gu Yuanbai's eyes slowly widened as he looked at these potatoes with disbelief.
Xue Yuan beside him marveled and said to him, "Your Holiness, although the potatoes can't be raised, these sweet potatoes look great."
Gu Yuanbai: "...... Well."
The seedlings that grew out of the ground were not the same for potatoes and sweet potatoes, and Gu Yuanbai had seen both crops before. But he had been in Daheng for fourteen whole years, and his modern memories were just too far away, so far that he could no longer tell the difference between the seedlings of potatoes and sweet potatoes.
He clearly remembered planting potatoes on the south side and sweet potatoes on the north side, so why was it different now? Or did he get the seeds of these two high-yield crops mixed up?
Or are the farmers confused?
Gu Yuanbai looked toward the cornfield, the plump corn was wrapped between the green leaves, emitting a delicious fragrance. The corn was still right, and Gu Yuanbai had a few moments of comfort in his heart. It was just embarrassing that he had been thinking that the potato seeds had died for the past four months, and the people around him had joined him in thinking so. Gu Yuanbai some days ago have been thinking about how to quickly spread the cultivation methods of sweet potatoes and corn throughout the country, and even thought about eating baked sweet potatoes, dried groundnuts, sweet potato cakes, glutinous rice fruit and sesame dumplings....... He also wanted to have the sweet potatoes made into sweet potato flour, but the result came out was not sweet potatoes, it was potatoes that he had long given up hope.
The yield of sweet potatoes is a little better than potatoes, but when it comes to the fancy food you can make, it's still potatoes.
But Gu Yuanbai was unprepared and didn't think of it, so he was caught off guard and could only look at the potatoes on the ground.
Xue Yuan was still talking non-stop, "Your Holiness, look, the chunks of these sweet potatoes are really bigger than one another."
"...... "Gu Yuanbai paused for a moment and said quietly, "Yes."
The farmers hadn't seen potatoes and sweet potatoes before, and just in case these crops didn't look the same as they would in the future, and to keep it a secret, Gu Yuanbai hadn't described to them what they would look like when they grew up, nor had he told them what these were.
It was estimated that all but Gu Yuanbai now thought that these potatoes were sweet potatoes.
Standing behind the Privy Councillor eyes unblinking staring at the ground, voice spit words are no longer coherent, "Your Majesty, the light of this piece of land dug out of the sweet potatoes Mo about the amount of two or three stone ...... This if, if a whole acre of land are this amount of such a head, would not an acre can be as high as dozens of stone? "
The people around them sucked in a breath of cold air.
Noise, a few followed Gu Yuanbai to see the new crop of the ministers talked in twos and threes, eyes staring at the potatoes do not let go, mouth one after another "sweet potato", "this sweet potato also do not know how to eat, capacity is not easy to satiate the stomach", "the outer layer of mud after washing is when the fruit raw". "A layer of mud outside, washed but when the fruit to eat raw?"
Gu Yuanbai rubbed his brow, ordered people to pick up dozens of potatoes, propped up a smile and asked the ministers behind him, "All of you Qing want to know how to eat this ...... sweet potato?"
The courtiers bowed respectfully and pressed their curiosity, "Your Holiness, I am out of line."
"Tian Fusheng, send someone to send sweet potatoes to the Imperial Catering Room," Gu Yuanbai took a deep breath and said gently, "Let the people in the Imperial Catering Room pay attention, remember, if the sweet potatoes are turning green or sprouting, be sure to dig these places out, and can not be eaten into the belly. Sweet potato skin needs to be peeled off, this thing can be used to do roasted vegetables, soup, can also be used instead of wheat to make cakes. I'll tell you a few ways, you let the Imperial Catering Room do it according to this ......"
When he finished, his heart was despondent, and the name of the potato was lost in such a blur, and since then, all the hot and sour potato shreds were going to turn into hot and sour sweet potato shreds.
Tian Fusheng didn't dare to forget a single word, "I'll go prepare this."
Xue Yuan also listened attentively, "Your Holiness, are the sweet potatoes delicious?"
Gu Yuanbai looked back at him and nodded affirmatively, "The flavor is completely ten good, whether it's made into a vegetarian dish or paired with meat, it's a good thing to put on the dinner table." He thought for a moment and said calmly with a thick face, "Not losing potatoes or anything."
"Then the minister will be blessed," Xue Yuan smiled, "and so will the people of the world."
The ground was full of potatoes one next to the other, making it extremely easy to raise the joy of a good harvest. Gu Yuanbai led the crowd past the potato field to the corn field.
The corn had already been broken off and placed on the ground, the layers piled up high, Gu Yuanbai reached up and picked one up from above, personally plucking off the corn's coat, and as soon as the golden corn was exposed in front of the crowd, the crowd was stunned and froze, looking at the fruit that was as beautiful as it was made of jade.
"This thing, I call it corn," Gu Yuanbai gently pulled down the corn whiskers above the corn, the front of the golden slightly white corn head more clearly exposed, "This thing is soft and sweet, whether baked, fried, steamed, boiled are delicious, the rice can be put into the dishes, but also can be used instead of corn! The rice kernels can be used in dishes, and can also be used as a substitute for corn. Come on people, take some to let the imperial kitchen to steam on, also let all the ministers taste on a taste."
All the ministers thanked, Gu Yuanbai smiled, "Compared to the flavor of these two things, what I pay more attention to is how many acres they produce. These seeds from foreign countries are too few, less than an acre of land, but all the ministers have also seen with their own eyes, even if there are less than a hundred seeds, what is planted is decidedly quite a lot."
The crowd looked back and saw a pile of corn and "sweet potatoes" piled up on the left and right sides respectively, like a small mound.
If there are such quantities in an acre of land, it is much more than corn! Even if "sweet potatoes" and corn do not taste good, but as long as they do not kill people, then it is good, but I do not know how satiating, planting and hemp is not troublesome.
The ministers had many thoughts in their minds, but their joy and excitement were still too great for their worries. With the permission of the emperor, they carefully touched the corn and "sweet potato", the look, as if to their own newborn grandchildren, both love, but also afraid of accidentally broken.
After a few moments, Tian Fusheng ran over to ask His Holiness to pass the meal, Gu Yuanbai asked and found that the corn had already been steamed, so he simply let the people present the steamed corn first.
The corn was even fuller and prettier after containing water, and the heat lingered in the silk cracks. The steamed corn was a bit sweeter than the boiled one, and as soon as it was placed in front of him, the sweet flavor drifted to the end of his nose, and Gu Yuanbai couldn't help but stretch his brows as he smelled the unfamiliar yet familiar aroma.
Only after His Holiness moved his mouth did the others tentatively taste the corn. As soon as the refreshingly sweet flavor hit their mouths, they couldn't help but stare in surprise.
The teeth pierced the rice grains, the juice was sweet but not greasy, and it tasted really good. It was unexpected that a crop with such a large yield would taste this good.
The crowd could not help but look forward to the next "sweet potato" flavor.
When the meal was set out, they couldn't help but have their eyes light up when they tasted it.
Some of these ministers have been old, bad teeth can not taste the corn, Gu Yuanbai specially instructed, let people will be used by these old ministers of the potato stew more soft and sticky, the soup is locked in the potato within, than purely eat stew meat can be much more fragrant.
This luncheon eat all the guests and hosts, and when the ministers resigned, there are old ministers to secretly request with the emperor, asking the emperor to ask if he can even some "sweet potato" to them.
Gu Yuanbai smiled and shook his head, "These are to be saved for next year, when you will be able to eat both next year."
After this day, the important ministers of the court made a note of the names corn and sweet potatoes. The two crops were vaguely known before they were even released, and privately they looked forward to next spring, waiting patiently for the court to release the seedlings.
*
After winter, spring comes slowly.
In February of this year, the court's "sweet potato" seeds and corn seeds along the land and water to all parts of the country, this year's seed is not a lot of seeds, the local government are biting the bullet in the hope that they can ask for some more seeds. All the local governments are biting the bullet and hoping to get some more seeds. 80% of the memorials sent to the capital are crying out, but there is nothing they can do about the lack of seeds, the total amount of seeds is just this much.
In September of the same year, yields of "sweet potatoes" and corn reached a level that shocked the people of Daheng.
More and more people regarded it as food given by the gods to the saint, simply because the saint loved the country and the people, was diligent and kind, and governed Daheng in an orderly manner.
The longevity plaque was erected and the people stepped foot in the temple. The incense was offered with sincerity, thinking only of a long life for His Holiness.
The number of people who can eat more and more, the people's hearts are full of emotion, want to be grateful to the saint for letting them have enough to eat, but they do not know anything, they can only go to the Buddha gods and goddesses, want the saint's health and well-being, as long as the saint lasts long, the prosperous world will also last long.
*
On the day of the Shangyuan Festival, Gu Yuanbai went out of the palace with Xue Yuan in a low-profile manner.
Shadows swayed as the two of them walked among them. Time seemed to have left no traces on Gu Yuanbai's face, and Xue Yuan occasionally flashed a few complex colors when he looked at him.
Gu Yuanbai's eyebrows or smiles still seem to be glittering with fine starlight. The lanterns are no more than half a point, and the grass and trees are willing to be a companion.
He was getting more and more clear, but Xue Yuan, who was two years older, had begun to recognize the cruelty of time.
"Why are you looking at me like this?" Gu Yuanbai looked up at him with a smile and teased, "Silly."
Xue Yuan couldn't help but raise his hand to hook over the long hair at his temples, the satin hair running through his hands, Xue Yuan's brows flickered, and he said after a long time, "I had left a copy of something in the Northern Border Rilianna's territory."
Gu Yuanbai was curious, "What?"
Xue Yuan shook his head and went to take his hand, "You'll know the day you find out."
Gu Yuanbai guffawed and walked slowly with him among the shadows of the lamps.
Xue Yuan was dressed in a Xuan robe, making his aura, which had sunk further and further in recent years, even more compelling. When he accompanied Gu Yuanbai's side, he was like a grand master in a bad mood accompanying his treasure that everyone coveted.
Gu Yuanbai couldn't help but smile more deeply at the thought as he looked sideways at Xue Yuan. The world had undoubtedly favored Xue Yuan, and even though there were already harsh creases between his brows brought on by deep frowns, he was still handsome and upright. Time had brought him more than just age, but also a deposited elegance.
Strong tea gives off its aroma, and the sword sheds the splendor of its scabbard. The intrinsic long-lasting flavor is more prevalent, and there is no longer any need for anything else to be a useless green branch or leaf.
Gu Yuanbai looked at the sky and counted the hours.
By the time the two of them reached the bridge, hundreds of Kongming lanterns suddenly rose up all around the capital. These lights were as warm and yellow as stars, and all of a sudden they became a river of scattered stars.
Under the bridge resounded with surprise cheers and exclamations, everyone raised their heads to see the sky dazzling bright Kongming lanterns, stars, a hundred acts of life, this scene from the eyes into the heart, playing a deep memory of the light.
Xue Yuan was also looking up in surprise at the peacock lantern when Gu Yuanbai suddenly coughed. Xue Yuan instantly lowered his head, looking toward him anxiously.
The corners of Gu Yuanbai's lips were tinged with the slightest hint of a joyful smile, and it was only after noticing his line of sight that she turned back with a smile and said, "What a night to see this good man." ①
Xue Yuan paused, with only him in his eyes.
Gu Yuanbai raised her hand and tenderly nodded at his brow, "The north wind its cool, the rain and snow its heavy. Beneficent and good to me, hand in hand." ②
The north wind comes cold, the rain and snow fall heavily. Bless you for placing so much affection on me, I would like to hold hands with you and walk together.
Gu Yuanbai knew that Xue Yuan had been waiting for these words for a long time.
And they've been together for fifteen years.
Time is slow, but when I suddenly look back, I realize that it was fast, so fast that those fifteen years of the past were dominated by happy memories with each other.
If Xue Yuan didn't love him more and more intensely every year, to Gu Yuanbai's suspicious nature, he wouldn't have believed that there would really be such intense and pure love in the world, and such perseverance for several years as one day.
He smiled and prodded, "Talk."
Xue Yuan stiffened a little, the hand-wringing that he hadn't felt in a long time once more descended upon him, and he opened his mouth, but his tongue began to knot.
The eyes of His Holiness were brighter than the peacock lights behind them.
Xue Yuan straightened his tongue with difficulty and stumbled, "I've been holding you."
Gu Yuanbai looked down at the two people's hands, Xue Yuan subconsciously gripped them tightly, and Gu Yuanbai smiled, "Then it's good to hold."
Author's comment: ①From "The Winds of the Kingdom - Tang Style - Silk Muse" of the Book of Songs
The theme of this poem is said to be different, one says that "lovers love each other and would like to go home together in the rain and snow" and the other says that "Wei practiced an abusive government and the people were in trouble, so they left each other", and this article uses the first one.
The ancient chapter will be over soon.