"Why don't you thank the Empress Dowager?" Zhu Houzhao had already reacted, and hurriedly pushed Yang Qingling, who was stunned in place, with his hand.

"Little Lady Empress Dowager Xie Thank Your Majesty for your grace!" Yang Qingling hurriedly thanked him.

"Hurry up, we will all be a family in the future, and we don't have to be so formal!" Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu said with a smile.

The morning of the second day.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my crown prince brought a new crop a few days ago. Today, I decided to try to plant some of the seeds first, and the prince and I will plant some of them ourselves. If we cultivate new crops, it will be a great thing for me to do it for a long time. Emperor Hongzhi Zhu Youzhu motioned to the eunuchs around him to take out the crops and let them take a look.

The hundred officials waited for the eunuch to bring the crop, and they took a look.

Soon, each person had a grain of corn, a piece of potato, and a pepper. The distribution was very fast, and the officials looked at the new crops in their hands with curiosity.

"I don't know if any of you Aiqing know these crops? Or do you know where they came from? Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu looked at the hundred officials with a blank face, so he had to wave his hand and said, "Okay, I won't sell Guanzi." ”

"Where is the prince?" Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu called.

"Erchen is here!" Zhu Houzhao stepped forward and said.

"Can you tell you what kind of crops these are?" Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu brushed his beard and signaled that Zhu Houzhao could start.

"Do you really know anything?" Zhu Houzhao looked around and said, "Okay, I'll give you adults a science about what these crops are and where they come from!" ”

"Ladies and gentlemen, do you see the yellow crop in your hands that looks like teeth?" Zhu Houzhao looked at Emperor Hongzhi Zhu Youzhu and said, "Please also ask my father to come up with a big one!" ”

Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu asked and took out a corn cob, and the hundred officials looked at the corn kernels in their hands and the corn cob in the hands of Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youjiao, and most people immediately understood that the yellow particles were broken from this big cob. Therefore, this means that this stick is not edible, only these yellow particles.

"I want to ask His Royal Highness the Prince, can you only eat these yellow particles like teeth, and can't eat the skeleton attached to them?" Li Dongyang was the first to guess.

"Master Li guessed right. This thing is called corn, and the seeds can be planted as tall as one person, and each corn plant can produce one to three corns. Then you can break off the kernels of the corn, which are the teeth that you see, and you can eat them. This corn can be ground into cornmeal, which can be used as a substitute for wheat, but it tastes a little different from wheat. Zhu Houzhao said, "I grinded some cornmeal a few days ago, and I just let the imperial dining room earn some corn tortillas and polenta, so that you adults can experience it for yourself."

"Bring it in!" Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu gave an order, and a group of palace maids each carried a small plate, with a piece of corn tortilla and a small bowl of corn paste.

"Everyone, Aiqing, try it!" After the little palace maids finished distributing everyone, Emperor Hongzhi Zhu Youzhu took a bite of the tortilla and said.

When the civil and military officials saw that the emperor had eaten it, they couldn't hold it anymore and began to taste what this corn tasted like.

Li Dongyang actually naughtily picked up the small bowl of corn paste and made a toast with Liu Jian.

The people ate the tortillas and drank the corn paste, and now it seems that there is no problem, not that there is a problem with the food, but that there is a problem with the people.

"How are you Aiqing?" Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu said.

"Your Majesty, this tortilla is a little sweet, although it is not as delicate as wheat flour and feels a little like millet, but it can indeed satisfy hunger, I don't know what the yield of this corn is?" Liu Jian asked.

"This is a very important point, the prince said that this thing is a high-yield crop, but I don't know how much it can produce per mu, so today I will discuss this matter with you in the court. I have heard that rice crops twice a year in the south, and this corn can be planted in the north for two crops, planted in spring and harvested in early summer, and harvested in late autumn. Even though the yield is not high, it can be planted in the north for two seasons, which can indeed greatly increase the grain reserves of the imperial court. Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu analyzed in an orderly manner.

"In this way, this corn is a great good thing for the good of the country and the people! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can find such crops, it is really a blessing for the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty! Marven ascended.

"But I don't know where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince got this corn crop, why haven't any of the officials in the court heard of it, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knows? Where did this corn come from? Yang Tinghe questioned.

"Yang Aiqing, this is obtained by the prince through the transaction between the city and the Francophone merchant, please explain it to Lord Yang and all the adults who have this doubt!" Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu said.

"It's the city's boss, the Franc man?" Yang Tinghe frowned and said, "Is it the Franc machine man who paid tribute?" ”

"Naturally, it was not the tribute of the Franc machine, it was exchanged between the main palace and the Franc machine. Hongu talks to them, learns what they need, and barters it, and that's it! Before Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Yang Tinghe interrupted him.

"Doesn't that mean that my Daming Heavenly Empire still needs to trade with pirate countries such as the Franc Machine, the sea ban policy has been around for a long time, and the prince is actually unclear with the Franc Machine, and they should pay tribute instead of the prince himself to trade, isn't this damaging the royal face?" Yang Tinghe said.

"Is there any necessary connection between the introduction of new crops and the method used and whether or not the tribute is received in the form of heaven? And what we are discussing now is whether it is possible to produce high-yield seeds, where is the right one! If it is according to what Master Yang said, this palace will be a disaster for the country and the people! This palace colluded with the Franc machine, and also condescended to the dignity of the country of tomorrow to make a deal with the lowly Franc machine, and it was sneaky? ”

"As the crown prince, he actually went to do business, Shinong Industry and Commerce, the prince is damaging the royal reputation!" Yang Tinghe said sharply

"It's hard to use any means for the benefit of the Ming Dynasty, this palace doesn't use any dirty and dirty means, it's just a fair deal with them, what's wrong with this?" Zhu Houzhao said, "Dare to ask Master Yang's talent from the past and the present, through the heavens and latitudes, can you tell this palace where the corn is from the Franco?" Is there a more powerful country in these four seas than the Ming Dynasty? What is the country to the south of this Buddha machine, and what is there to the north, dare to ask Master Yang This has been going west along the sea area of Daming, and finally can he return to Daming from the east? ”