How to Cultivate a Ten-Thousand-Mile Empire for the Young Emperor Qin?

Chapter 15: Spicy braised pig offal

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Zhu Xiang was not disappointed with the king of the world because of King Zhao.

He is a modern man, so even the wise and powerful rulers in history cannot meet his expectations.

Even his beloved nephew Zheng'er, whom he dotes on now, is the same.

Of course, if possible, Zhu Xiang still wanted to follow a wise king who clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments. At least in this way, he knew that as long as he followed the rules, he would not have to worry about his life.

Soon after Zhu Xiang started growing potatoes, farmers came to him one after another, expressing their willingness to grow potatoes with him and even to use good farmland to grow them.

Zhu Xiang quickly stopped them, explained in detail the disadvantages of potatoes, and persuaded these people to go back.

Later, as so many people came to ask questions, Zhu Xiang simply built a platform, asked Xianghe to make a useless wooden loudspeaker, and put up a blackboard. He explained to the farmers the advantages and disadvantages of potato planting by shouting and drawing, and told everyone not to worry, and to wait until they had finished their own experiments before planting next year.

After several days of unremitting efforts, he finally persuaded the farmers in Lin Xiangru's fiefdom who had trusted him too much to go back.

In fact, compared with promoting potatoes, Zhu Xiang was more eager to promote the wheat seeds he had extracted.

The two wheat seeds he extracted were both winter wheat. Although you can't tell what kind of seeds they are from the outside, modern wheat varieties all focus on the ability to resist lodging. People who have farmed know that, as the saying goes, "a handful of grass will cause wheat to fall", and many times a gust of wind will cause a total crop failure. As long as they have this function, these wheat varieties will be much better than the current winter wheat.

Unfortunately, farmers' fields are either left fallow to recover their fertility or have already been planted, so Zhu Xiang is unable to promote new winter wheat this year.

It would be nice if there was more land. Zhu Xiang buried this wish deep in his heart and only complained about it when he was bathing Ying Xiaozheng.

Ying Xiaozheng, who had been to the dream world once again, felt that his brain had become much smarter. In order to relieve his uncle's worries, he quietly found Lian Po, who came to his house again to eat and take things, and took off the jade ring from his neck.

Lian Po put down the roasted chicken leg in his hand and asked in confusion: "Why did you give me this?"

Ying Xiaozheng held up the jade ring and said seriously, "Mr. Lin said that General Lian has a lot of land. My uncle wants to plant new seeds and has no more land. I want to buy land from General Lian."

Lian Po was puzzled: "Ah?! Lin Xiangru is so poor that he doesn't even have land?!"

Ying Xiaozheng explained earnestly: "Mr. Lin has land that has already been planted. General Lian has land for raising horses that can be planted."

Lian Po was silent for a while, wiped his oily hands on his clothes, and pulled Ying Xiaozheng to sit on his knees: "Did your uncle teach you this?"

Ying Xiaozheng shook his head: "No. Uncle doesn't know."

He pressed the jade ring into Lian Po's hand and said, "Here you go, in exchange for the land."

Lian Po smiled and said, "I don't want your jade ring. If your uncle wants the land, let him come and talk to me himself. Zhu Xiang is as timid as a mouse, he should practice his courage."

Ying Xiaozheng: "...Don't say bad things about your uncle!"

Lian Po teased the little Qin hostage: "He is just as cowardly as a mouse. He doesn't even dare to go to the battlefield."

Ying Xiaozheng put the jade ring back around his neck, climbed up from Lian Po's knees, turned around and left.

Lian Po grabbed Ying Xiaozheng and asked, "Why, do you still want to complain?"

Ying Xiaozheng turned around and glanced at Lian Po with domineering eyes, without saying anything.

He carved the name of the man who scolded his uncle on a bamboo slip in his heart. He hoped that old man Lian would live longer in this life, until the day when he grew up and wiped out the six kingdoms.

Lian Po looked at the child's angry eyes and was happy to bring Ying Xiaozheng back. He pinched Ying Xiaozheng's skinny face very rudely and said, "If you go and complain, what can he do to me? He is just a coward!"

Ying Xiaozheng was so angry that he clenched his fists.

"General Lian, it's okay if you bully me, but I will be really angry if you bully Zheng'er." Zhu Xiang came out carrying a basin of braised pig offal, and saw that Lian Po was being disrespectful to his elders again and even bullied a young child.

Lian Po sneered: "So what if you are angry?"

Zhu Xiang said: "Close the door and refuse visitors."

Lian Po sneered: "You close the door, can't I just break it open?"

Zhu Xiang: "... General Lian, you are the prime minister of Zhao State, and you come from a noble family. You should pay attention to your image."

"If he dares to break down your door, I will break down his door as well." Lin Xiangru had just come to Zhu Xiang's house to look at potatoes when he saw Lian Po, the old man with damaged eyes.

"What can you chop with that little strength? Ouch, how can this guy bite me!" Lian Po was shocked and let go.

"Uncle!" Ying Xiaozheng rushed towards Zhu Xiang.

Zhu Xiang, who had already put the basin on the table, immediately caught Ying Xiaozheng and picked him up: "Come, let your uncle check your teeth. Don't bite dirty things, be careful of toothache."

"Humph, you are just like Lin Xiangru, only good at talking." Lian Po touched the teeth marks on his arm and said, "Do you know that your nephew used the jade ring you gave him to buy land from me?"

Zhu Xiang looked down at Ying Xiaozheng, who was full of anger, and rubbed Ying Xiaozheng's head with a smile: "Zheng'er, I'm sorry that your uncle's complaints worried you."

Ying Xiaozheng shook his head vigorously and said angrily: "If he doesn't want to sell it, then don't sell it. Why is he insulting my uncle? Uncle, don't let him in the door anymore!"

Zhu Xiang spoke well of Lian Po: "General Lian is harsh in words, but he actually helped me a lot. The construction of the canals, water wheels and millstones were all done by General Lian's men."

Ying Xiaozheng frowned: "Really?"

Zhu Xiang nodded: "Why else would I get up so early to make stewed food for him? My uncle is not the kind of person who repays evil with kindness."

Ying Xiaozheng frowned even more. He couldn't understand this behavior of insulting people verbally and helping them privately. Isn't this a thankless task

Lin Xiangru could not help it, he cursed: "Can you change your mouth?! You are so foul-mouthed even to a child! You even insulted his elders in front of the child, do you want Zheng'er to grow up and come after you with a sword to avenge his parents!"

Lian Po said, "How can telling the truth be considered an insult? Look, Zhu Xiang himself doesn't mind."

Zhu Xiang complained in his heart. If I cared about your mouth, I would have been pissed off to death by you.

"Speaking of which, if you are short of land, why don't you just tell me directly? Why do you need your nephew to beg me?" Lian Po asked.

Ying Xiaozheng shouted: "I didn't ask you for help! I just came to buy land!"

Lian Po teased, "How can you buy good farmland with your jade ring, which is of such low quality? Aren't you begging me?"

Ying Xiaozheng was so angry that his face turned red: "It's not inferior!" How could the Lantian water blue jade worn by the descendants of the royal family of my Great Qin be of inferior quality!

Lin Xiangru clenched his fist and hit Lian Po on the top of his head, almost knocking Lian Po's hair loose: "I told you to stop teasing Zheng'er!"

"Alright, alright, no more teasing." Lian Po sighed, "How boring! You didn't even cry."

Ying Xiaozheng: “…” He wanted to cry now, and wanted to pounce on him and bite the old man again!

Zhu Xiang held Ying Xiaozheng and sat in front of Lian Po.

Lian Po: "Why? Are you really going to drive me away for your nephew?"

Zhu Xiang: "Zheng'er, kick him in the stomach!"

Ying Xiaozheng immediately raised his leg and kicked Lian Po hard in the stomach.

Lian Po: "Ouch!"

Zhu Xiang immediately retreated to hide behind Lin Xiangru while holding Ying Xiaozheng. Lin Xiangru spread his arms and glared at Lian Po like a hen protecting her chicks.

Lian Po rubbed his belly and said, "Okay, okay, okay, you protect me well, I won't bother with him."

Lin Xiangru scolded, "You teased the child on purpose, and he kicked you lightly. What else do you want to do?!"

Gently? Lian Po felt that Lin Xiangru was becoming more and more unreasonable as he got older.

"Okay, okay, I won't mind." Lian Po continued to rub his belly with a distorted expression, "Zhu Xiang, I'm asking you, why don't you just tell me directly?"

Zhu Xiang sighed and said, "General Lian doesn't have much land for horse breeding. If I ask General Lian for the land, what will happen to General Lian's horses? Experimenting with improved breeds won't be urgent in the next one or two years."

"I told you that you overthink things. I can handle this little thing myself." Lian Po finally relieved the pain in his stomach and stopped grinning. "Just tell me how much land you need."

Zhu Xiang knew that if he told Lian Po, he would get only this answer. If he refused, the foul-mouthed old general Lian would scold him.

He had no choice but to report a figure of two acres of land, thinking that he would plant one acre of each type of wheat seeds first, and after the harvest next year he would get the specific information of the two types of winter wheat seeds, and it would not be too late to promote them then.

"Only two acres of land? Who are you looking down on?" Lian Po muttered, "I'll give you ten acres. If you plant them well, I'll see what you can grow this time."

Zhu Xiang thanked Lian Po and carried Ying Xiaozheng, who was still glaring at Lian Po, to the kitchen to get dishes and chopsticks.

After Zhu Xiang left, Lin Xiangru asked, "Did you come to Zhu Xiang's house just to get a bite to eat?"

Lian Po asked, "What else?"

Lin Xiangru asked, "Do you know Zheng'er's identity? Did His Majesty ask you to come?"

Lian Po sniffed the rich aroma of the stewed food, knotted his beard and said, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Although I came to see the situation of the Qin hostage, it was not the request of the King of Zhao, but the request of Pingyang Jun. What he wants to know most is whether your retainers took in the Qin hostage because you are loyal to Qin. You also know that the King of Qin thinks highly of you."

Lin Xiangru said coldly: "The journey to Qin is long. At my age, I am afraid I will not be able to endure halfway. Thank you, Lord Pingyang, for your concern."

Lian Po said, "I will tell him the truth. But you don't have to be too angry. Pingyang Jun asked me to come, which proves that he doesn't want to conflict with you."

"I am just an old man who has lost the trust of the monarch. I don't deserve such courtesy from Lord Pingyang." Although Lin Xiangru said this, his expression softened a lot. "But it was Lord Pingyang who asked you to come, not Lord Pingyuan."

Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng is the uncle and prime minister of the current King of Zhao. He likes to keep retainers and is one of the four famous princes along with Mengchang Jun, Chunshen Jun and Xinling Jun. The King of Zhao trusts and relies on Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng very much.

Although Pingyang Jun Zhao Bao was also the uncle of King Zhao, he was younger than Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng and did not like to support scholars, so he was not well-known and had a much lower presence than Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng.

Lin Xiangru was a little surprised when Lian Po suddenly mentioned Zhao Bao.

Lian Po asked, "How should I know? Have you offended Lord Pingyang in some way?"

Lin Xiangru was speechless: "Do you think I am a reckless fool like you who likes to offend people everywhere?"

Lian Po didn't care about Lin Xiangru's disparagement at all. He had gotten used to it over the years. "It's good that I didn't offend him. Although he doesn't seem to have much ability, he is still the uncle of the king after all."

Lin Xiangru said: "He asked you to test me, this is not a sign of incompetence."

"It's better if they have ability." Lian Po said nonchalantly, "More capable people will help you, so you don't have to worry every day."

Lin Xiangru frowned and said, "My Lord is also your Lord. You should also be worried."

Lian Po smiled and said, "I am only responsible for fighting for you, Your Majesty. I am not good at other things, so I don't care."

Lin Xiangru advised: "You should pay more attention to it. If you don't understand, learn it. The general is outside and the king is inside. If you don't understand anything, it's easy for someone to harm you from behind."

Lian Po still smiled nonchalantly: "Don't I have you behind me? Can't you just speak for me beside the king? Although you always complain that the king doesn't trust you, except for the matter of Zhu Xiang, the king has never distrusted you. But don't blame the king for Zhu Xiang. Zhu Xiang is just a commoner. If the King of Zhao wants to use him, this little credit is definitely not enough."

Lin Xiangru did not want to argue with Lian Po over this matter, so he changed the subject: "How does Lord Pingyang want to deal with Zheng'er?"

"Is there anything more cruel than a Qin royal family member abandoned by his family and ending up in a commoner's home?" Lian Po said slowly, "There is nothing more reassuring for the king than this. In their eyes, this hostage must be useless."

Lin Xiangru said calmly: "They do think so."

Lian Po asked, "I don't think so. But he is just a smart child. I am not worried about a child yet. When he grows up to be old enough to worry about, I am afraid I will not be here in this world, and you will certainly not be here in this world. So what is the point of worrying about what happens after death?"

Lin Xiangru gave Lian Po a cold look and was actually persuaded by Lian Po.

While Lian Po and Lin Xiangru were chatting, Zhu Xiang took Ying Xiaozheng to the kitchen, secretly ate a small piece of braised pork belly from the pot, and then went out with his bowl and chopsticks.

Spices were not very important things, and the amount drawn was large, so Zhu Xiang decided to satisfy his family's appetite first.

When talking about delicacies made with a variety of spices, Zhu Xiang first thinks of braised dishes, not barbecue.

Although there are no refrigerators now, the brine can be stored for a long time by putting it in a thick clay pot that has been sterilized with boiling water and sealing it, and boiling it once every morning and evening. Zhu Xiang only needs to use the spice bag once and can eat it many times, which is more cost-effective than barbecue.

Brine can suppress the strong taste of ingredients, so Zhu Xiang can finally turn pig offal, especially pig intestines, into delicious food.

When washing the pig intestines, Zhu Xiang almost vomited even though he was used to the smell of farm manure. The intestines were really delicious, but the process of preparing the ingredients was really too brutal.

In addition to the cooked offal, the marinade also contains unleavened baked buns and a large piece of pork belly.

Today, Lian Po tried to make Ying Xiaozheng cry. Zhu Xiang held a grudge and deliberately did not take out the pork belly, but only cut a pot of braised offal.

"Don't tell General Lian. Wait for your aunt to come back from visiting, and then we will eat quietly at home." Zhu Xiang whispered.

Ying Xiaozheng licked his lips and nodded vigorously.

The uncle and nephew exchanged a secret smile, and then Zhu Xiang held the bowl and Ying Xiaozheng held the chopsticks, and they walked slowly to the front hall, one in front and one behind.

"How slow!" Lian Po didn't wait for Zhu Xiang to put down his bowl and chopsticks. He grabbed a bowl and a pair of chopsticks and started eating. "You said these are pig organs? How come there is no fishy smell at all? It smells good, really good!"

“How can smelly internal organs be made into delicious food?” Lin Xiangru did not care that the food in the basin was cheap and dirty, and tasted it slowly.

Zhu Xiang said: "As long as you wash it clean and use enough seasoning, the internal organs will have a mellow taste and taste better than ordinary meat. This is called stewed fire cake. There are cut noodles in the soup. The noodles absorb enough soup and taste delicious."

Lian Po held up a piece of tofu and asked: "Is this a flatbread?"

Zhu Xiang said, "This is tofu. Grind the beans into paste and add brine to make it. It is easier to digest than eating boiled beans directly."

Lian Po took a bite of tofu and said, "It tastes good. Please give me a copy of the recipe. I like to eat beans, but my family doctor always tells me to eat less, saying that it is easy to get indigestion. I will not treat you badly. I will exchange it with a steed."

Zhu Xiang knew that Lian Po liked to eat beans, but the doctor he kept at home did not allow him to eat too much because it would cause bloating. So when he made tofu this time, he originally planned to give the recipe to Lian Po.

But when Lian Po offered him a fine horse, he did not refuse. If he did, the bad-tempered old general would start cursing.

"Okay. But I will tell the common people how to make tofu. General Lian can't enjoy it all by himself." Zhu Xiang said, "The common people mostly eat beans. If you teach them how to make tofu, they can also enjoy this delicious dish when the weather is good and there is no shortage of food."

"It's up to you." Lian Po said, "How can I make this tofu delicious?"

Zhu Xiang said, "You can cook it any way you want. If you want something lighter, boil the tofu in salt water. If you want something stronger, the tofu can absorb the flavors of other ingredients. Whatever delicacies General Lian likes, just add the tofu and cook them together."

Lian Po nodded: "I see, just like bread."

Lin Xiangru ate a piece of tofu and asked in surprise, "Is it really made of beans?"

Zhu Xiang said: "Of course, can I still lie to you?"

Lin Xiangru smiled and said, "Common people can replace bean rice with this."

Zhu Xiang smiled bitterly: "This common people can't eat it as a meal. To make tofu, you first need to grind the beans into bean paste, boil the bean paste, filter it, and then use brine or gypsum water to solidify it. Tofu is the essence of beans. Although it is delicious, it is much weaker than eating beans directly."

Lian Po said in dissatisfaction: "What's wrong with you two? Can you please stop talking about unhappy things while eating? If you want to worry, go to the study after you have eaten your fill. Don't sigh here and make the tofu in my bowl taste bad."

Zhu Xiang agreed, "That's right, Elder Lin, let's eat first."

Lin Xiangru sighed again and glanced at Lian Po.

Lian Po rolled his eyes at Lin Xiangru and continued to eat and drink.

Lian Po had a big appetite, and he finished most of the whole pot of braised pork and steamed buns by himself.

Even so, he said he still had some food left in his stomach and wanted to eat another roast chicken.

Zhu Xiang had no choice but to take out the roast chicken that he had reserved for Xun Kuang who was away visiting a friend and use it to fill Lian Po's stomach.

Every time Lian Po came to Zhu Xiang's house for a meal, Zhu Xiang would think of an emoticon of a man holding a spoon bigger than his head.

Can I come to your house for a meal? I'll just eat with a spoon, a spoon as big as my head.jpg.

Lian Po's appetite is much more terrifying than a spoon as big as his head.

After Lian Po had eaten and drunk his fill, he did not leave immediately this time, saying that he wanted to teach Zhu Xiang martial arts.

Zhu Xiang was trained by Lian Po with a bitter face, until he lay on the ground and could not get up no matter how Lian Po poked him with a stick. Only then did Lian Po ride away with satisfaction.

Zhu Xiang turned over and said weakly to Ying Xiaozheng, who was squatting beside him with an angry face, "Zheng'er, don't be angry. General Lian also means well... Ahem, huh."

Lin Xiangru helped Zhu Xiang up and said, "How could he be kind? He just had nothing to do and was bored, so he deliberately bullied you."

Zhu Xiang smiled bitterly.

How could he not know that Lian Po was bullying people on purpose? It was just that Lian Po was arrogant and usually looked at people by their heads. Now he would come to Zhu Xiang's place to "make trouble" at least once a month. Zhu Xiang knew that this was Lian Po's way of taking care of him, so he would not get angry.

Lian Po was very stubborn about his principles. For example, when Zhu Xiang refused to go to the battlefield, even after Lin Xiangru persuaded him to do so, Lian Po still refused to recommend Zhu Xiang with Lin Xiangru, and he often scolded Zhu Xiang for being a coward.

But whether he sent his troops to help Zhu Xiang build water conservancy projects, or came to Zhu Xiang to eat in a swaggering manner to show that Zhu Xiang had someone to protect him besides Lin Xiangru, it showed that Lian Po also treated Zhu Xiang as his nephew.

"General Lian does have good intentions, but..." Zhu Xiang held his waist, "But why is it that the older General Lian gets, the more he behaves like an old naughty boy?"

Lin Xiangru thought to himself that this was indeed the case. Lian Po was becoming less and less of a good-for-nothing as he aged.

"Okay, let's not talk about him anymore. Come with me to look at the potatoes." Lin Xiangru said, "The potatoes should be blooming today, right?"

Zhu Xiang was speechless: "It's only been half a month, no. Elder Lin, you asked yesterday."

Lin Xiangru ignored the normal growth process of plants and dragged Zhu Xiang, who was aching all over, to see the potatoes.

Ying Xiaozheng stopped being indignant and followed Lin Xiangru and his uncle to see the potato seedlings, which he had planted himself.

When Lin Xiangru was stroking his beard and showing a mysterious smile at the potato seedlings, Ying Xiaozheng was squatting beside the potato seedlings and muttering, "Grow up quickly and bloom quickly."

Zhu Xiang sat slumped on a stone in the courtyard, staring at Lin Xiangru and Ying Xiaozheng in a daze, pretending to be a paralyzed person.

"Uncle, uncle, has Miaomiao grown taller again?"

"Um… "

"Uncle, uncle, the seedling I planted has an extra leaf!"

"Um… "

"Uncle, uncle, will the seedlings bloom tomorrow?"

"cannot… "

“When will it bloom?”

"It will take about half a month. But the potato flowers will be picked when they are still buds, so that the potatoes can grow better. So we can't see the potatoes blooming."

Ying Xiaozheng looked up in disbelief: "Huh? Can't I see the flowers bloom?!"

Zhu Xiang said, "Since you like potato flowers, you can leave a few plants without picking the flowers. When you harvest them later, you can compare them with the potatoes with the flowers picked."

Ying Xiaozheng nodded gently: "Okay, I will save a few potato flowers for my aunt."

Zhu Xiang said happily: "Zheng'er knows how to send flowers at such a young age? What about uncle? He only sends flowers to aunt?"

Ying Xiaozheng said: "I'll give them all."

"Good boy!" Zhu Xiang wanted to stand up and hug Ying Xiaozheng, but as soon as he stood up, he sat back down in pain, "Ouch."

"Just sit still and don't get up." Lin Xiangru laughed, "I didn't expect that some crops need to be picked from flowers to grow well."

"We eat the roots of potatoes, so we can't let them bloom and bear fruit to take away the nutrients from the roots." Zhu Xiang explained, "Mr. Lin, the potato seedlings haven't changed much, so we don't need to check them, right? The weather is cold, shall we go back to the house?"

"I'll watch for a while, you go back to your room." Lin Xiangru refused to leave.

Ying Xiaozheng refused to leave. He continued to talk to the potato seedlings, commanding them to grow delicious potatoes in a very domineering manner.

Zhu Xiang sighed inwardly and could only sit on the rock to accompany the old man and the child in the cold wind.

Another half month passed, and the potatoes finally grew buds.

Zhu Xiang put a small basket on Ying Xiaozheng's little arm and said, "Go, Xiaozheng'er, pick potato flowers!"

Ying Xiaozheng rushed into the small potato field and picked flowers happily.

Ying Xiaozheng is short, which is just right for the job of picking potato flowers.

Picking flowers is also a physical job. Ying Xiaozheng carefully turned out the flower buds on each potato plant, carefully plucked them off and threw them into the basket. He worked very carefully, which consumed more physical strength. He was sweating after picking only five potato flowers.

Zhu Xiang stopped Ying Xiaozheng from working and pulled Lin Zhi, who was watching the fun with his hands folded, to go down to the field to pick flowers.

"It's your uncle's and your uncle Lin's turn to work now. Zheng'er can take a rest first." Zhu Xiang said, "When your uncle and your uncle Lin are tired, it will be Zheng'er's turn to continue working."

Ying Xiaozheng nodded: "Okay."

Xue wiped the sweat off Ying Xiaozheng and changed the sweat-isolating cloth on his back: "Zheng'er, you've worked hard."

Ying Xiaozheng held up the basket: "Aunt, these are flowers for you."

Xue lowered her head and sniffed the basket. Potato flowers don't have much fragrance, and this one is still a bud, so it has even less fragrance. But Xue smiled and said, "It's a very nice flower, Xie Zheng'er, my aunt likes it very much. My aunt dried it and made it into a bracelet."

Ying Xiaozheng smiled happily, his eyes and eyebrows forming crescents: "When the potatoes bloom, Zheng'er will pick more beautiful flowers for my aunt."

Xue touched Ying Xiaozheng's head with the tiger hat on: "Okay."

Zhu Xiang and Lin Zhi were much faster at picking the flowers than Ying Xiaozheng. In just a few swipes, they had almost finished picking all the potato flowers in the field.

However, in addition to keeping a few flowering plants, Zhu Xiang also specially left two potato flowers for Ying Xiaozheng to pick.

The finishing work was the most rewarding. As Zhu Xiang expected, Ying Xiaozheng was very happy that the elders had left him two potato flowers and asked him to "take over" and finish the work.

Ying Xiaozheng puffed out his chest and his cheeks flushed. Zhu Xiang once again regretted why he didn't know how to make a camera.

Lin Zhi's expression was also very gentle when he looked at Ying Xiaozheng.

After so many days of getting along, Lin Zhi, who hated the Qin State and therefore always had a subtle attitude towards Ying Xiaozheng, the Qin hostage, finally abandoned his prejudice and accepted Ying Xiaozheng, a good child who was much more well-behaved and sensible than ordinary children.

Everyone praised Ying Xiaozheng for being well-behaved and sensible. However, Zhu Xiang, who loved to praise Ying Xiaozheng the most, was a little worried.

If he really raised the First Emperor to be a good child, would the First Emperor still appear? Zhu Xiang could not imagine what a well-behaved First Emperor would look like.

However, when the old King of Qin passes away, the First Emperor's son will be sent back to Qin by the King of Zhao. At that time, he will be taught by his father himself, so maybe he doesn't need to worry about it

No matter how worried he was, Zhu Xiang had no idea how to train a domineering Qin Shi Huang cub, so he might as well just give up and trust in the inertia of history.

The potato flowers bloomed in a few days.

Ying Xiaozheng carefully cut the branches, and with the help of Zhu Xiang, put them into a small vase, arranged them in a beautiful shape and gave them to Xue.

Potato flowers come in several colors, including white, pink, and purple. There can be five or six small flowers on one main stem, which is very beautiful.

Xue took the potato flower out of the vase, used a thin thread to wrap the main stem and the wooden hairpin together, and made a potato flower hairpin.

In autumn, women are in fashion to wear chrysanthemums in their hair. When Xue went out to chat with neighbors, others wore large chrysanthemums on their heads, but Xue wore a cluster of potato flowers that looked like stars. This unique hairpin immediately attracted many people to ask about it.

Xue held the hairpin on her head and smiled, "This is the potato flower that my housekeeper planted by herself. It's not something rare. Next year, my husband will teach people how to plant potatoes. If you like, you can keep a few hairpins for fun."

The women immediately said that they must plant some potatoes at home next year so that they can enjoy the flowers and eat them.

Seeing that Xue liked potato flowers very much, Zhu Xiang paid a craftsman to make a silk hairpin that looked similar to potato flowers and asked Ying Xiaozheng to give it to Xue.

Xue was very happy and wore a silk hairpin every day.

After seeing this, Lin Zhi asked Zhu Xiang for the name of the craftsman and also made potato silk flowers for his wives and concubines.

Before potatoes spread out, potato silk flowers became the new fashion in Handan City, and even women in the palace wore potato silk flowers.

King Zhao was very curious about this new flower.

Lin Xiangru dug a potato, put it in a beautiful golden basin and gave it to King Zhao.

King Zhao was very fond of potted potatoes. When he learned that they were cultivated by Zhu Xiang, he wanted Zhu Xiang to come to the palace to take care of the flowers and plants for him.

Lin Xiangru asked, "How can Zhu Xiang, a commoner, enter the palace?"

King Zhao waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "A person who can cultivate rare flowers in the world deserves to be given the position of a temple attendant by me."

Lin Xiangru advised, "Your Majesty, the Qin State is eyeing us covetously, and the other five states are not good people either. It is time for you to work hard to govern the country. If you make an exception and allow commoners to enter the palace for the sake of flowers and plants, the scholars of the world will definitely be dissatisfied when they hear about this. Please think twice!"

King Zhao was puzzled: "Lin Shangqing, didn't you always persuade me to use Zhu Xiang? Why are you unwilling now?"

Lin Xiangru said solemnly: "I recommended Zhu Xiang because I wanted him to start as a minor official, not to let him enter the palace and rise to the top overnight."

King Zhao was convinced by Lin Xiangru. He sighed and said, "Indeed, for the sake of the scholars' loyalty, I really cannot employ common people for a pot of flowers and plants."

Lin Xiangru bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise and wise."

The King of Zhao laughed and said, "Then I will give him more gold, silver, and silk, and ask him to send potato flowers to my palace next year... Why is it called potato? This name is not elegant."

Lin Xiangru explained: "When the common people are short of food, they will dig up tree roots and grass roots to eat. In times of famine, the common people will look for the roots of this grass as food. Beans are beans, and potatoes are beans buried underground."

At that time, some people called beans "dou", although it was not popular yet, King Zhao had heard of it. He understood and said, "So that's why it's called potatoes. But after entering the palace, the name should be changed."

Lin Xiangru said respectfully: "Your Majesty, you can wait until the next time you enjoy the flowers and call all the ministers together to give the potato flower an elegant name, so that we can share the joy with the people."

King Zhao accepted Lin Xiangru's proposal and temporarily put aside the idea of changing the name of potatoes.

Lin Xiangru left the palace with a large amount of rewards.

On the way out, he let out a long sigh.

Zhu Xiang increased the productivity of the common people's fields, but King Zhao did not think that Zhu Xiang was a great talent.

Zhu Xiang contributed papermaking and sugar-making techniques, but King Zhao did not think he was a great talent.

He presented the potatoes cultivated by Zhu Xiang as a rare and exotic flower to the King of Zhao. The King of Zhao then thought that Zhu Xiang was a very talented person. He was not only willing to appoint Zhu Xiang to an official position, but also wanted to let Zhu Xiang enter the palace.

"If Your Majesty was talking about palace maids instead of temple servants, I would agree on behalf of Zhu Xiang." Lin Xiangru laughed at himself.

Both eunuchs and palace maids were officials in the palace. The difference between the two was that eunuchs were eunuchs and could go to the harem. The king of Zhao said that Zhu Xiang should be an eunuch, probably because the women in the harem liked potato silk flowers very much.

Although the eunuchs were humble, they served the king of Zhao and had a higher status than ordinary officials. Lin Xiangru was originally a retainer of the eunuchs, and was recommended to the former king of Zhao.

But Lin Xiangru would never agree to let Zhu Xiang enter the palace as a eunuch.

Lin Xiangru pressed his temple and coughed violently a few times.

After finally catching his breath, Lin Xiangru said to himself, "Maybe I caught a cold recently."

He felt that his body, which had been well-nurturing by Zhu Xiang, seemed to be beginning to decline again.

Lin Xiangru only told Zhu Xiang about King Zhao's reward and the preparation of potato flowers for the palace next year, but did not tell him that King Zhao wanted Zhu Xiang to enter the palace.

Zhu Xiang suddenly had an idea: "Mr. Lin! I have thought of a way to promote potato planting without making others afraid!"

Lin Xiangru said unhappily, "Why not give potatoes to the nobles as precious flowers and plants first, and let them wear and appreciate potato flowers. Then people will grow potatoes and sell them to the nobles. You just need to spread the word that the rhizomes of potatoes are edible, and when there is a need to save the famine, people will eat them."

Zhu Xiang said awkwardly, "So when Mr. Lin gave the King of Zhao a potato flower pot, he had already thought of this."

Lin Xiangru snorted coldly and said, "Of course. Grow more flowering potatoes next year. The King of Zhao will hold a flower viewing banquet. Then you can make potato planting popular throughout Handan City."

Zhu Xiang nodded vigorously: "Okay! I will grow the most beautiful potato flowers!"

Although the flowering of potatoes will affect the development of tubers, we should promote them first before talking about other things. Besides, for ordinary people, selling flowers is also a source of income.

Lin Xiangru looked at Zhu Xiang's energetic expression and felt a little stuffy in his chest again.

He held back his cough and said goodbye to Zhu Xiang.

It was not until he got on the carriage that he coughed for a long time, even coughing up blood.

(End of this chapter)