Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

These sweet potatoes are undoubtedly a divine gift.

The yield is extremely high, and they are drought-resistant. They only need to be planted for two months to reach a usable size, about the size of a thumb.

During famine, they can undoubtedly serve as a staple food. If you get tired of eating them, they can also be made into starch products, and the residue can be processed into feed.

Even the stems and leaves are edible.

Fang Zheng Yi had been longing for sweet potatoes for years, but couldn't get them.

If the grain yield doesn't explode, it will be difficult to free up the national labor force.

No matter how many high-end products Taoyuan County manufactures, they will only be limited to the wealthy circle.

Without involving most laborers, prosperity is out of the question...

It's like the high-end tea, wine, and mirrors of Taoyuan County. If the common people can't even afford food, how can they afford to buy them?

If they are only supplied to wealthy merchants and nobles, Taoyuan County's production capacity will be sufficient, and there will be no way to expand production.

This is the core contradiction. Now that there are sweet potatoes, the problem will be easily solved before long!

Moreover, with sweet potatoes, Fang Zheng Yi's confidence has been greatly boosted, and he has made up his mind to continue searching for potatoes and corn.

However, looking at the thin, soft sweet potato on the ground, Fang Zheng Yi suddenly felt a little hesitant.

He could vaguely smell the fragrance of sweet potatoes, but the one on the ground was a bit too thin and had some roots. No wonder Doctor Hu mistook it for ginseng.

Thinking too much is not as good as tasting it directly. Fang Zheng Yi picked up the sweet potato on the ground without hesitation and put it in his mouth, carefully savoring it....

Seeing this, Li Yuan Zhao grinned, then hesitated and also pinched a piece and put it in his mouth.

Fang Zheng Yi tasted it carefully and found that there was no problem with the taste, but the sweetness was a little weak.

But it was not surprising. Since coming to Da Jing, all the melons, fruits, and vegetables he had eaten were far inferior to modern fruits and vegetables in terms of sweetness and flavor.

Obviously, things that have not been artificially selected and domesticated are not very good. After all, no plant or animal is born to be delicious and alive for people to eat.

Even the watermelons cultivated in the Taoyuan County greenhouse are not very sweet, and there are huge cavities in the watermelon, which is obviously a problem with the variety.

But this is undoubtedly a sweet potato!

Li Yuan Zhao smacked his lips: "It's okay... but what disease does this thing cure?"

"Cure disease? Yes, it can indeed cure disease, specializing in curing poverty and hunger!"

Fang Zheng Yi glanced at Doctor Hu, who was still pretending to be dead, grabbed him again, and pinched his hip when he saw him drooping his head.

Immediately, Doctor Hu screamed as if he had stepped on a live wire, and then said with shame and indignation: "Lord Fang! A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Take me to the Imperial Hospital! Find all this ginseng for me! Also, who is responsible for the procurement, explain everything to this official!"

After speaking, he dragged Doctor Hu out.

Li Yuan Zhao said anxiously from behind: "Lao Fang, what about my sister..."

"Put it aside for now!"

"................."

The three of them hurried along the way. Fang Zheng Yi and Li Yuan Zhao were full of excitement, while Doctor Hu kept shouting, attracting passers-by to look at them.

Soon, the three arrived at the Imperial Hospital. Doctor Hu humiliatingly began to search for medicinal materials.

When a box containing three sweet potatoes was delivered to Fang Zheng Yi, he was completely relieved.

Pointing to the sweet potatoes in the box, he whispered to Li Yuan Zhao: "This thing is called sweet potato, and it can yield more than a thousand catties per mu! If it can be promoted and planted, the world will be peaceful."

"Take it first, I'm afraid this quack doctor will make trouble later and there will be changes..."

Li Yuan Zhao's eyes widened when he heard this, and he looked at the three unremarkable sweet potatoes in the box in shock, obviously realizing their importance.

He took the box and stuffed it inside his clothes, holding it tightly in his arms.

Seeing that Li Yuan Zhao was attentive, Fang Zheng Yi breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to Doctor Hu: "Where is the person who purchased this ginseng?"

Doctor Hu pulled a long face: "I have already sent someone to call him."

After waiting for a while, a young man who looked honest and simple walked over and bowed to the prince.

Fang Zheng Yi directly asked: "Are you the one who bought ginseng from the foreign merchant? What's your name?"

The honest youth said: "Answering to the lord, this humble one is Song You. I did buy that ginseng from a foreign merchant a few days ago."

"Where are those foreign merchants now? Do they have any other things you haven't seen in their hands?"

Song You hesitated: "Those foreign merchants look very rare. They should have accidentally arrived in my Da Jing. We couldn't communicate with each other. In addition to this ginseng, there were also many long radishes that they sold to me, but... many of them were rotten, so I didn't want them. After that, those foreign merchants left."

Long radishes? Fang Zheng Yi was a little puzzled. What is this thing?

"What do those radishes look like?"

"They look a bit like radishes, with grains of bumps on them and whiskers...."

Fang Zheng Yi was stunned. Isn't that corn!? What the hell radish?

The people in the Imperial Hospital are all blind, you dog things! Corn was missed just like that?

After a long silence, Fang Zheng Yi opened his mouth and said: "Where did you find those foreign merchants?" "Jiang Ling Port."

"You are in the palace, why did you go to Jiang Ling Port to purchase medicinal materials?"

"Answering to the lord, many medicinal materials are afraid of spoilage, so it is faster to go by water."

Then Fang Zheng Yi asked some more questions, and Song You answered them one by one.

In short, those foreign merchants should not be able to be chased back.... It is unknown when they will be encountered again, but getting this news is already a huge gain.

If they don't come, I can take the initiative to go out and look for them. At least I can be sure that there is indeed corn in this world.

However, Fang Zheng Yi still felt aggrieved.....

He put his arm around Song You and started walking towards the door, saying: "Xiao Song, you said very well, this official appreciates you very much."

"How much silver did you spend on those red... ginseng?"

Song You was a little scared by his sudden change of attitude and said in a low voice: "Answering to the lord, two thousand taels."

Two thousand taels to buy three catties of sweet potatoes from a stranger, and he doesn't even know what sweet potatoes are. This thing is worthless in the hands of foreign merchants.

So the saying of two thousand taels is purely deceiving fools. He is a buyer for the pharmacy in the palace and is naturally familiar with the price of goods. Fang Zheng Yi doesn't believe he can do such a stupid thing.

So he said阴恻恻: "Really two thousand taels? People who lie will swallow a thousand needles, oh?"

"Rea... really."

Fang Zheng Yi secretly pointed to the prince with one hand: "Look, do you know what the prince is holding in his arms?"

"Just now, a palace maid lied in front of the prince, and the prince cut off her head and is preparing to take it back to plant flowers...."

Song You looked at the prince and saw that he was really holding a bulging ball in his arms, and his whole body began to tremble, his teeth clenched...

Fang Zheng Yi sternly said: "The reason for looking for you today is because the prince has already discovered the clues. This official thinks you are not bad and wants to save your life. Don't be ungrateful. Say! How much money did you spend in the end?!"

"Two... two... taels"

Fang Zheng Yi curled his lips in disdain. Two taels of silver to buy three catties of sweet potatoes, what a sucker!

"This humble one.... This humble one also hid some..." In a panic, Song You blurted everything out.

Damn it, I said this broken thing can't be sold at a high price, this dog thing actually hid some!

Fang Zheng Yi was overjoyed: "How much did you hide! ?"

"A basket... no, two baskets..."

Seeing his unpromising appearance, Fang Zheng Yi said coldly: "No matter how much you hide, bring it all to the East Palace to find me later! If anyone asks on the way, you just say it is something the prince wants, do you understand? Where is the silver you embezzled?"

Song You tremblingly took out two silver notes from his arms and said in a trembling voice: "I understand, lord, this money.... I didn't dare to spend a penny!! Lord... save me...."

Fang Zheng Yi calmly put the two silver notes into his sleeves.

"Okay, don't be afraid, go back!"

"Lord, great kindness and great virtue! This humble one will never forget it!"

Hearing this, Song You was granted amnesty and slipped out of the Imperial Hospital in a trot.

Then Fang Zheng Yi beckoned and called Li Yuan Zhao over, and took out the two thousand taels of silver notes he had just swindled.

He gave Li Yuan Zhao one.

Li Yuan Zhao blinked, looking at the one thousand taels of silver notes in his hand: "Lao Fang, what do you mean by this? You gave me money again?"

Fang Zheng Yi smiled and said: "The palace procurement concealed the expenses. These sweet potatoes only cost two taels! The actual expenditure is two thousand taels. This is the silver that was just recovered."

Hearing this, Li Yuan Zhao immediately gritted his teeth: "These dog days, they dare to cheat the money in the palace! When this palace has time, I will pull them out one by one!"

"Huh? Didn't you say two thousand taels? Why is it only one thousand? Where is the remaining one thousand taels?"

Fang Zheng Yi's face stiffened, and he put the remaining one thousand taels back into his sleeves, and said solemnly: "I'll save it for Your Highness!"

..........