Jia Lu through the Red Chamber

Jia Jing entered the hall and was about to pay his respects when the emperor hurried down and helped Jia Jing himself up, saying,

"After Mr. Jia is a hero, there is no need to be polite. Come, please sit down!"

Jia Jing knew that the emperor's attention was definitely not for himself and his ancestors who had passed away for many years. This is the power of sweet potatoes, so he never dared to lose the courtesy, and insisted on performing the full salute. Sure enough, the emperor did not stop him .

When he sat down, the emperor looked at Jia Jing one or two. The four kings and eight princes want to be extravagant and extravagant, and they are more likely to cause trouble than the other. Only this Jia family, oh no, this Ningguo Mansion is the most low-key, if not His two grandsons have some skills, but he has not noticed that there is this Ningguo Mansion!

Jia Jing is a thin old man, with a gray beard, gray sideburns, and wrinkles on his face. It seems that he is not young, or he is overworked. An ordinary old man can't see anything special Yes, I don't know where this fetish came from.

Thinking of that fetish, the emperor stopped exchanging greetings and asked directly,

"I don't know what kind of sweet potato you played, Mr. Jia? Is it really as productive as you said?"

Jia Jing motioned to the eunuch behind him, and handed up the bundle he was holding in front of the palace gate, untied the bundle, and saw several potato-shaped things of different sizes, with some soil on them, and said,

"Returning to the emperor, it is this thing. It is not a native product of the Central Plains. Some of the servants in the minister's mansion run maritime merchants and honor some rare and exotic things. This sweet potato is among them. Because of its ugly appearance, the fruit grows underground. So it is still on the Zhuangzi at home.

Later, my daughter discovered that there were a total of six vines, and my daughter brought three back to the mansion to plant them. After several months of planting, the yield was less than one stone, and the remaining three were left on the Zhuangzi. The output of half a stone is about one and a half stones.

I asked the farmer in the family, and I knew that the yield was extraordinary. Generally, an acre of intensively cultivated wheat fields is only two stones, so I didn't dare to be good at it, so I offered it! "

The emperor took a look at a sweet potato and asked, "I don't know how to eat it, but how does it taste?"

"It can be roasted or simmered, or boiled with water, or eaten. The taste is sweet, soft and glutinous, very delicious!"

Then Jia Jing said again, "I ordered someone to plant it again. After observing its habits, I found that this sweet potato is especially resistant to cold and drought. It doesn't have high requirements on the soil. It can be planted even in low-grade fields or even sandy fields. Production is slightly lower."

"Good! Good! Good!" The emperor yelled three times and laughed.

The sound came out of the palace gate, and the guards guarding the gate heard it, secretly thought, I don't know what the Holy Majesty heard, and he was so happy, even when he was enthroned, he had never been so happy!

"Big Companion! I took this sweet potato and gave it to the imperial dining room. According to what Mr. Jia said, I will make two dishes. I want to taste this gift from heaven myself!"

"Yes!" Eunuch An agreed, and went to the imperial dining room with sweet potatoes in his hands.

The emperor was so emotional that he walked back and forth several times, and he kept shouting praises like hao hao hao.

No wonder he is so exaggerated. In this agriculture-based society, it is not in vain to say that food is the most important thing for the people. In times of famine, as long as anyone can feed the people, they will not be afraid to rebel Yes, although the people are ignorant, they still know how to choose!

Before he ascended the throne, he may not have felt much, and even benefited from the drought and hunger. The drought in Shanxi that year can also be said to have indirectly promoted the abdication of the emperor.

But after ascending the throne, he can be said to have truly experienced the pain and suffering of having no food in his hands, and he can truly understand why his father would rather abdicate than accept this mess.

Why?

A single drought can kill tens of thousands of people. This is nothing. Every drought will aggravate land annexation, especially strengthening the power of big landlords, nobles, and merchants. Who are these people? The first two One has more courtiers, which increases the power of the courtiers. The latter is cunning, takes profit as the sky, and disturbs the social order.

Correspondingly, "those who have permanent property have perseverance", the less the middle class owns family property, the less tax they can provide to the court!

Every drought and turmoil is digging the foundation of the imperial court!

With such a large yield of sweet potatoes, there is no need to be afraid. Even a small field, or even a barren field, can grow enough food for a family. If this is the case, why bother to rebel at the risk of beheading?

Another thing is that scarcity is the most expensive thing. The production of sweet potatoes is high, and the grain merchants dare not raise the price of grain at will. This is the case of the refugees who have no land, and they can eat with odd jobs!

So this young emperor, who suffered from drought at the beginning of his ascension to the throne, was so excited, he patted Jia Jing on the shoulder and said,

"Aiqing's offerings are of great merit, if you want any reward, just say so!"

Jia Jing hurriedly stood up and declined,

"Your Majesty, this is not due to the minister, it is all due to His Majesty's kindness!"

"Why do you have to refuse Ai Qing, you just need to come through the channel!" The emperor insisted on giving a reward, and he didn't hide this sweet potato from others.

"My minister is full of children and grandchildren. Not long ago, my second grandson owed her favor to Her Royal Highness the Princess. I had nothing left to ask for, but my minister took the liberty of being favored by the saint."

"Say!"

Jia Jing bowed and said, "I am very old, and my descendants will have income. There is only one daughter who lives in my boudoir. It is this girl who discovered the sweet potato. I take the liberty to ask the emperor to marry my daughter."

"Okay, I don't know Mr. Jia..." The emperor suddenly stopped, his excited and hot head seemed to have been sprayed with cold water, and he calmed down instantly.

Fortunately, he never asked who he had his eyes on, and if he said Xianshan, should he or shouldn't he?

It turned out that Jia Jing was waiting for him here. He was only willing to exchange for a son-in-law. His determination did not lose his ancestors. No wonder he was able to pull up the almost desolate Ningguo Mansion and cultivate two promising sons-in-law Come.

However, it is a pity that what he values ​​is also what he values. Xianshan is destined to become his lone minister, and he is the candidate for the future minister that he values, so he cannot be involved with the forces in the court.

Another one, I just agreed to marry Xianshan's cousin, and if I agreed to his words, how would I save my face?

He couldn’t be allowed to choose, and Xianshan definitely couldn’t do it, so he had to point it out himself, who should he point to?

There are quite a few talented people in the court, but most of them come from the Qingliu family, and many of them are married. If you exclude those who have marriage contracts, there is nothing outstanding, and they are not in tune with the old-fashioned nobles like the Jia family. Even if they are married, Pulled, if Jia's daughter's life is not good in the future, it will damage his reputation.

But if it was Xungui, the emperor shook his head secretly, there were even fewer Xungui who could choose.

Otherwise, just go up by yourself and bring Jia's daughter into the palace?

Immediately thinking of the lady Jia Jieyu in the palace, she shook her head again, this is not right, if Jia Jing's daughter enters the palace, her status cannot be inferior to Jia Yuanchun's, that is, above the imperial concubine status, two seniors of the same clan Being a concubine in the palace will definitely disrupt the balance of power in the harem.

Just when the emperor was in a dilemma, a eunuch suddenly came to report.