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"Your Majesty, we have personally tasted it, and it is non-toxic, quite tasty, and can fill one's stomach," said the Minister of Revenue.
Emperor Li Xuan Zong turned to Guan De Zhu and said, "Have the kitchen prepare two for me to taste."
Guan De Zhu acknowledged and left with the eunuchs.
The Emperor's gaze remained on the Sweet Potato as he asked the Minister of Revenue, "Can this truly yield two thousand jin per mu?"
"The Jingyang County Magistrate should not be lying. However, if Your Majesty is concerned, you can write to General Li Wei Feng to inquire. Isn't General Li from Jingyang County?" replied the Minister of Revenue.
The Emperor recalled, "Right, Wei Feng's hometown seems to be Aoyama Village in Jingyang County. This Aoyama Village is indeed a place of remarkable people and fertile land. Could it truly be the blessing of our ancestors?"
The Minister of Revenue replied, "I... do not know."
He did not speak of strange forces or supernatural beings.
The Emperor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "This Sweet Potato is a food that has never appeared in the Great Zhou or neighboring countries, and its yield is so high. Perhaps it is indeed a gift from the spirits. Waterwheels, hand pump wells, rice, Sweet Potatoes... If General Li's reply confirms everything is true, should I not reward the ancestors of Aoyama Village?"
"Those who contribute should naturally be rewarded," said the Minister of Revenue.
The Emperor asked, "Then what should I reward them with?"
The Minister of Revenue looked troubled. "I... do not know."
The Emperor mused, "If they were living people, I could reward them with money or grant them titles. But since they are all deceased, I truly do not know how to reward them."
Hearing the words "grant titles," the Minister of Revenue hesitated and said, "Perhaps Your Majesty could indeed grant them titles."
Curious, the Emperor asked, "How so?"
The Minister of Revenue explained, "I have heard that land deities and city gods are positions granted by Yama King to those who performed well in life after they have passed away. As Your Majesty is a son of heaven and above all sons, you also have the right to bestow titles upon spirits, right?"
The Emperor slapped the table in delight. "Indeed! I also have the authority to bestow titles upon spirits. Since the ancestors of Aoyama Village have manifested several times for agricultural matters, which falls under land management duties, I shall appoint the ancestors of Aoyama Village as the Land Gods of Jingyang County!"
Minister of Revenue secretly wiped his sweat and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
The two discussed the agricultural plans for next year when Guan De Zhu entered, holding two plates. On the plates were two Sweet Potatoes, one boiled and the other roasted. Even before getting close, the rich, sweet aroma rushed into the Emperor's nose.
"Delicious," the Emperor exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't expect boiled Sweet Potatoes to smell so good that I can't help but want to try them."
Guan De Zhu placed the plates in front of the Emperor and handed him a silver spoon. The Emperor took a scoop of the boiled Sweet Potato and tasted it, nodding in approval. He then took a spoonful of the roasted Sweet Potato, this time looking even more satisfied.
"Not bad. Although it doesn't taste as sweet as it smells, it's still quite tasty," the Emperor remarked. "If this were used as a staple food, it could sustain countless lives."
Minister of Revenue replied, "While this can serve as a staple, eating too much can cause heartburn. Fortunately, the Ancestors of Aoyama Village have provided a solution. It is said that Sweet Potatoes can be sun-dried and ground into powder to make noodles, which can fill one's stomach without causing heartburn."
The Emperor sighed, "The Ancestors of Aoyama Village are truly thoughtful."
The Emperor's inquiry letter soon reached Elder Brother Li, who quickly replied without mentioning any divine intervention from the Ancestors. He confirmed that the yield per mu for rice and Sweet Potatoes was indeed as stated by the Jingyang County Magistrate and mentioned the potatoes, instructing that three thousand jin of potatoes be sent to the capital for the Emperor—keeping two hundred jin for Aoyama Village and distributing the remaining eight hundred jin through the Magistrate. Other villages, hearing about Aoyama Village's divine favor, rushed to the county office to urge the Magistrate to distribute potatoes to everyone. The harvest of Sweet Potatoes had made the people ecstatic; they all saw a bright future without hunger next year. Although each village would only receive a few dozen jin of potatoes—barely enough to plant an acre—it was still hope. By February next year, they could harvest fresh potatoes as seeds and continue planting; in just two or three years, they would be able to include potatoes as one of their staple foods.
Receiving the potatoes sent by Li Wei Feng made the Emperor even happier. With drought-resistant crops yielding such high yields, there would be no need for winter fields to lie fallow… With quality rice, Sweet Potatoes, and potatoes, food issues would be completely resolved; Da Zhou would no longer suffer from famine. In his excitement, the Emperor immediately issued an edict to reward the Ancestors of Aoyama Village.
Upon receiving the edict, the people of Aoyama Village went wild with joy; their Ancestors were honored, and they felt proud and happy to share in this glory. The village shrine was torn down and replaced with a Land Temple, with many people from other villages coming to help for free. Once completed, the Magistrate lit the first incense stick at the Land Temple; thereafter, its incense offerings never ceased. People from various villages came to pay their respects, even those from within the county city came to worship the land deity. Man Cang Uncle was appointed as the temple keeper and strutted around proudly, envied by many.
This left Li Family's three members and Wen Family Brothers feeling quite awkward. What "Ancestors showing divine favor" was something they had concocted themselves! Now it was being taken seriously by others and treated with such reverence; how could they not feel a pang of sourness?
At this point, there was no way they could reveal the truth. Not to mention how villagers would react upon learning it; just one charge of deceiving the emperor would be too much for them to bear. Thus, "Ancestors showing divine favor" became their biggest secret.
Li Zhoule finally finished embroidering that screen after taking over three months due to numerous events during that time. Elder Brother Li sought Uncle Jiang to frame it using high-quality Gold Thread nanmu wood; although it was just wood, its exquisite craftsmanship elevated its status significantly.
When Hanno received the screen, she couldn't bear to part with it and wanted to keep it.
"You can keep it if you like," Elder Brother Li said sympathetically at his girlfriend's reluctant expression.
Hanno shook her head: "The number of people we are helping through Foundation is increasing; we need more funds."
Elder Brother Li stopped persuading and simply said, "I'll have Zhou Le help you stitch another piece."
Hanno replied, "If it's too much trouble, then don't bother."
Elder Brother Li smiled and said, "I know you care for your sister-in-law. Don't worry, I'll remind her to take her time and not rush."
Hanno nodded, "Once you take Porcelain Jar to the capital, does that mean my embroidery business with Chang Miao on Taobao will come to an end?"
Elder Brother Li reassured her, "No need to end it. There are many Embroidery Shops in the capital, and the skills of the embroiderers there are even better than Zhou Le's. I'll contact one of them to supply you regularly."
Hanno was pleased, "That's great! Otherwise, Chang Miao would definitely come to bother me, and I can't stand her. I really don't know how Shen Chuiyang puts up with her."
Elder Brother Li chuckled, "Shen Chuiyang is steady and tolerant; he's a good match for Chang Miao. I wonder when they'll get married. Make sure to send me a gift when that happens."
"Sure!" Hanno replied.
Hanno did not give Li Zhoule's embroidery piece to Chang Miao to sell on Taobao—despite Chang Miao's tantrums, Hanno remained unmoved. Selling it on that platform would lower the piece's prestige; instead, she took the screen to Denglin Pavilion.
"Double-sided embroidery, gold thread, nanmu..." Mr. Zhang looked at Hanno as if she were a deity. What kind of person was she to possess such exquisite items?
"How much do you think this screen is worth?" Hanno asked Mr. Zhang to gauge its value.
Mr. Zhang examined the screen closely and said, "If sold outright, three million. If auctioned, it could very well go for over ten million."
"Then let's auction it," Hanno decided. She wasn't short on time but needed money.
Mr. Zhang happily took the embroidered screen and had Xia assist Hanno with the paperwork. Hanno was already familiar with these Summer Girls; Xia had been her host during her first visit to Denglin Pavilion. Xia's attitude was very warm; she truly treated Hanno like a god of wealth. The last time, the bonuses from two paintings had equaled her income from the entire previous year. This time, with such a significant piece again, she would earn a generous bonus.
After leaving Denglin Pavilion, Hanno didn't rush back to D City. Since Li Wei Feng was attending a wedding banquet and had no time to chat with her, she decided not to hurry home but instead took a stroll around the Foundation. Shen Chuiyang had managed the Foundation very well; its reputation had spread nationwide due to its practical support for military affairs. Many departments had opened doors for the Foundation, which unfortunately led to funding shortages.
"I've already raised the funds; I'll transfer them to your account in half a month," Hanno told Shen Chuiyang. This time at Denglin Pavilion, she wasn't just auctioning one embroidered screen but also two antiques; together they should fetch around fifty million.
Shen Chuiyang smiled trustingly, "I have complete faith in you."
He had seen the embroidered screen picture on his wife's phone, and if it were sold at auction, it would definitely fetch a good price. He wondered where Hanno had gotten it from; it was clear that Hanno had quite the hidden connections.
Chang Miao was still upset that Hanno wouldn't let her sell the embroidery, puffing up her cheeks and ignoring Hanno. Hanno glanced at her but didn’t say anything, only looking pitifully at Shen Chuiyang, "You're not having an easy time either."
Shen Chuiyang chuckled, "I'm more than happy to do this."
Suddenly, Chang Miao jumped up, "Hanno, don’t try to sow discord between me and Chuiyang!"
Hanno responded with a haughty snort and turned to leave.
Chang Miao gritted her teeth and said to her boyfriend, "Did you see her attitude?"
Shen Chuiyang stepped forward and hugged his girlfriend, "Wasn't your attitude just as bad a moment ago?"
Chang Miao bit down on Shen Chuiyang's shoulder and grumbled, "Why are you defending her?"
Shen Chuiyang, tough-skinned and thick-skinned, didn’t feel the pain from her bite and laughed, "What can I do? After all, she is my boss."
Chang Miao huffed, "Just because she has money doesn’t mean she’s special. Once our Taobao store grows bigger, we’ll be rolling in cash too. At that point, I'll earn the money to support the family while you just focus on being handsome."
"Handsome? Do I really look like that?"
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