At this moment, the hard corn kernels in Zhu Huai'an's mouth were like candied fruits, and the taste was indescribable.
Whether it was raw wheat or raw rice, the unique flavor of grain was always present when chewing, and now Zhu Huai'an tasted that familiar flavor as well.
He couldn't hide his smile and immediately shared the 'golden beans' in his hand with his ministers to taste.
The Minister of Revenue, who was getting on in years, let out an "ouch," as the corn kernel was so hard that it knocked out one of the old minister's teeth!
Holding the tooth in his palm, the old man wasn't angry; instead, he grinned with his missing tooth and laughed out loud:
"Food is the foundation of the people; the people are the foundation of the nation. This grain is harder than my old teeth; it must be the manifest foundation of our great feast, a true auspicious sign!"
This old man...
A colleague glanced at the accompanying historian who was nodding repeatedly and felt inexplicably envious.
If only I knew earlier, I'd have knocked out a tooth too. Exchanging one tooth for an entry in the historian's annals was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. What could be more worthwhile than this?
In front of the porridge stall, Sun Erzhuang, who was accustomed to organizing funeral banquets, was stirring a three-foot-long spoon to cook corn grits porridge in a large pot.
Newly sun-dried corn kernels were ground into grits and poured into the pot, thickened with some flour slurry. Soon, the pot's contents became thick!
Zhu Huai'an hadn't even gotten close yet, but the rich, distinctive aroma of grains was already wafting through his nose.
When the Emperor got closer, Sun Erzhuang skillfully filled a bowl with porridge, and the thick grits porridge formed fine strands as it fell into the bowl, and the enticing aroma of the grains seemed even more intense.
Zhu Huai'an took the bowl of porridge, declined the spoon offered by Sun Mingli, and without worrying about burning his mouth, perfunctorily blew on it twice before eagerly slurping down two mouthfuls from the bowl's edge.
As the hot porridge went down, the Emperor's eyes lit up, and he repeatedly praised, "Good porridge! It's truly good porridge!"
Sun Erzhuang looked up in confusion, thinking, this Emperor probably hasn't seen much of the world; it's just a plain bowl of porridge, how could it be so delicious?
After Zhu Huai'an, all the other ministers who tasted the hot porridge also couldn't stop praising it.
"Where is Xu Aiqing?"
Holding the porridge, Zhu Huai'an looked around. Although Xu Qing was nowhere to be seen, he did spot an old acquaintance.
Upon seeing Lu Xiu, Zhu Huai'an was noticeably surprised and approached with delight, saying, "Lu Qingjia, how do you happen to be here?"
Lu Xiu respectfully greeted and said, "Mr. Xu is the mentor of my junior disciple, so I am here following him, learning farming from Master Gua."
Zhu Huai'an's smile froze, and his previously excited mood quickly subsided.
Why does every extraordinary person seem to be linked to Brother Xu?
Remembering those who are not Xu Qing's disciples, like Wang Liang, the Wu family brothers guided by Xu Qing, and Shang Shaoyang from Huainan, Zhu Huai'an couldn't bear to imagine the talents of those who Xu Qing formally accepts as disciples!
"Lu Qingjia, your knowledge spans celestial persons and history. Since our parting, I have never forgotten you, and now it is truly karmic that we meet again."
"Today, I intend to ask Lu Qingjia to come forth once more, to support the country and assist me..."
Zhu Huai'an couldn't suppress his admiration for talent, but Lu Xiu shook his head and declined, saying, "Your Majesty's kindness is truly touching, but I have already made up my mind to follow the teacher to seek truth and understanding. Please understand, Your Majesty."
Seeing Zhu Huai'an unwilling to give up, Lu Xiu quickly diverted the topic: "Your Majesty is looking for the teacher, isn't it? The teacher is currently selling puffed rice by the main road. If Your Majesty wishes to see the teacher, you can seek him there."
Puffed rice?
Zhu Huai'an's curiosity was piqued, and he asked, "What is that?"
Lu Xiu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you'll know once you go."
...
Beside the main road.
Zhu Huai'an led his entourage to search along the way, and it wasn't long before they saw a group of people gathered around a dark contraption.
The thing looked neither like a furnace nor a cauldron, but rather like an alchemy pot, blackened and emitting smoke and fire.
Who else could it be behind the furnace but Xu Qing?
Xu Qing was wearing a mourning uniform inscribed with the words "Underground Street Funeral House," which was essentially an advertising robe.
Xu Qing confidently held one foot against the leg of the black furnace and leisurely shook a handle.
There was a long cloth bag attached to the furnace's opening, the purpose of which was unknown.
Nearby was a little girl in a black dress, with red lips and white teeth, who was staring unblinkingly at the black furnace. She seemed curious about what the rotating furnace was all about.
Xu Qing glanced at the little girl beside him and reminded her again, "Are you really not going to cover your ears? I'm warning you, it might get a bit loud in a moment..."
The little girl blinked her eyes and not only didn't cover her ears, but also moved closer to the funeral master.
Xu Qing grinned and said no more.
Seeing that the time was right, Xu Qing casually picked up a wrench and pried open the seal on the round lid of the furnace with a click.
No sooner had he done so than the onlookers only heard a muffled "boom—" like thunder, but surprisingly, thunder had struck out of nowhere!
And it struck right at the crowd's feet, sending tingles up their legs and causing their ears to buzz.
The instant the thunderous sound rang out, clouds of white smoke suddenly surged up, obscuring even the black furnace from view!
Meanwhile, the long flat cloth bag beside the furnace instantly swelled like a dragon turning over!
No one had ever seen such a spectacle; each thought it was divine retribution. Some who were timid even plopped down on the ground, nearly losing their wits.
At the same time, a cry of alarm could be heard from not far away—
"Protect the Emperor! Assassins!"
"..."
The faces of the just-now recovering onlookers turned pale again. Oh no! They almost forgot that the Emperor was visiting today. If they were mistaken for assassins, there would be no dinner at home!
Amidst the chaotic shouting, Xu Qing glanced at the Emperor's carriage surrounded by elite guards, guards, and the Forbidden Army, not paying much attention.
He turned his head and saw no sign of the little girl beside him.
Xu Qing raised his gaze and finally saw Xuan Yu, who was already ten steps away.
Xuan Yu widened her eyes, looking suspiciously at the black furnace in front of Xu Qing.
Over here, Xu Qing opened the mouth of the long cloth bag to find it filled with fluffy, enticing popcorn!
Xu Qing grabbed a handful and handed it to the returning Xuan Yu, who sniffed, and the roasted, puffed aroma was particularly alluring.
"How does it taste?" Xu Qing asked.
Xuan Yu took a small bite, finding the fluffy popcorn truly sweet, crispy, and with a unique flavor.
Beside them, the old raven was also seeing this method for the first time.
"This method is really unheard of. Even in the Feather Crown tribes, I have never seen it. The sect leader truly is scholarly and celestial!"
Xu Qing shook his head and chuckled, "A popcorn furnace is hardly celestial."
Not far away, Zhu Huai'an dismissed his overly cautious personal guards. In his view, if there were truly an assassin capable of striking Xu Qing, how could he possibly escape?
Xu Qing looked at Zhu Huai'an, who had come closer and immediately said with a smile, "Would Your Majesty like to try some?"
"Since Brother Xu speaks so highly of it, I must try it!"
In front of everyone, Zhu Huai'an no longer referred to himself as the Emperor. The accompanying ministers each had different expressions but without exception, they all noted this middle-aged man dressed in a Funeral House uniform.
Zhu Huai'an and the ministers tasted the popcorn and couldn't help but exclaim:
"This truly is heaven-sent grain, a treasure for nourishing the people. Brother Xu is deserving of the title 'Saint of Agriculture'!"
Xu Qing laughed and said, "The cultivation of ten thousand acres of grain is not my work alone. If Your Majesty wishes to increase food production, you can also widely recruit the talented from all over the world in the future to continue cultivating high-quality grain and fertilizer. This is the proper path."
Zhu Huai'an agreed wholeheartedly. If he wanted to achieve his aspirations, population and food were indispensable.
And Xu Qing just happened to solve his two most troublesome problems.
"They say a sage ruler is aided by heaven, and my aid is Xu Aiqing..."
On the way back to the Capital City, Zhu Huai'an suddenly mused aloud.
Beside him, the historian responsible for recording the historical facts of the Great Yan Dynasty pulled out his manuscript from his chest and recorded it.
Later in the "Great Yan: Annals of Eternal Peace," it is written—
In the seventh year of Yong'an, Emperor Zhu Yong moved to the warehouse and met the sage Xu Qing who presented a plan to save the world. The Emperor was delighted, clapping and exclaiming: "In ancient times, Fu Yue was raised from rough laboring, and Taigong met by the riverbank. People say a sage ruler is aided by heaven, and my aid is Xu Aiqing!"
Later, the people benefited from his strategy, and the country gradually became stable and prosperous. The historian said: "The Emperor's encounter with Qing is like King Tang meeting Yi Yin, is it not destiny? For a wise ruler seeks the talented, and the talented come on their own."