Watching the growing excitement among the crowd, Lu Chen smiled faintly. He was confident that after witnessing the astonishing potato harvest, these people had already begun to contemplate growing them themselves.
After all, compared to wheat, the yield of potatoes was simply overwhelming.
At that moment, Lu Chen raised his hand and spoke calmly to the restless crowd, "Silence!"
At his command, the commotion ceased immediately. The people quieted down in an instant, their eyes fixed on Lu Chen with fervent anticipation, like wolves catching the scent of fresh meat.
It was clear that everyone wanted to know—would the King of the North allow them access to this miracle crop?
Seeing the crowd fall into silence, Lu Chen continued, his voice steady and clear, "This food you see before you is called a potato. It can serve as a staple crop, and as for its yield—you've all seen it with your own eyes."
"This king has decided to distribute some potatoes to the common folk for trial cultivation. Anyone who participates in this planting effort shall be exempted from paying agricultural taxes for two years."
The moment his words landed, a wave of excitement surged once more through the people.
None of them had expected that the King of the North would not only share this miraculous crop with the common people, but even offer a full two-year tax exemption for planting it.
Several among them were so moved that they immediately dropped to their knees, bowing their heads to the ground and expressing their gratitude.
Lu Chen observed the scene, knowing in his heart that the promotion of potatoes across Beijun would no longer be a problem. In just a few years, as long as there were no natural disasters or man-made calamities, the severe food crises that had plagued the region might well become a thing of the past.
Just as he was about to say more, a familiar sound rang in his mind—the mechanical chime of the system.
> [Congratulations to the host for having your first offspring. Reward: 5,000 Jinyiwei, two Grandmaster-level commanders, and advanced weapon forging technology.]
[T|N: Google Jinyiwei]
> [Note: The more offspring the host produces, the greater the rewards. Future rewards may include modern technology, factories, and even full industrial production lines.]
Lu Chen was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected that he would already have a child—not long after leaving the palace, no less.
Of course, he didn't need to think too hard to guess—it had to be Mu Zixuan.
As he was preparing to rush back to the palace, a messenger galloped toward him from afar, shouting anxiously, "My lord! My lord! The Princess is in labor! Madam Chu requests your immediate return to the palace!"
Without delay, Lu Chen turned to General Li Feng. "General Li, I'll leave the rest to you. I must return to the palace immediately."
Li Feng, fully aware of the importance of the Northern Prince's bloodline, nodded without hesitation. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will order the soldiers to begin harvesting the potatoes right away."
Lu Chen said no more. He climbed swiftly into a horse and departed without waiting for his carriage.
—
At the same time, in a modest tavern in Yancheng, Beijun...
The tavern owner stood at the front desk, mindlessly clicking away at his abacus.
Suddenly, his hands stopped. His eyes glazed over, and a flood of unfamiliar information surged into his mind.
His body stiffened as realization dawned. Shock twisted across his face.
He turned slowly toward the direction of the Northern Palace and muttered to himself with wide eyes, "So it's really him… No wonder. No wonder."
"It seems things are about to get very busy."
Without another word, he set the abacus aside and began changing clothes.
—
Meanwhile, in the capital city, inside a high-end restaurant favored by the Eighth Prince...
The owner, who was also the proprietor of the establishment, was preparing to greet a distinguished guest when he, too, suddenly froze. His eyes flickered with disbelief as a surge of information filled his mind.
He murmured, "If it's truly that prince... then my orders will likely come soon. I must start preparing."
—
Back in his carriage, Lu Chen opened the system interface and examined the rewards.
"System, where are the 5,000 Jinyiwei now? What's their strength?"
He hadn't expected the reward for fathering a child to be an elite corps of soldiers. Frankly, he had thought it would be modern firearms or something similar.
The system responded promptly:
> [The 5,000 Jinyiwei have been embedded across the counties of the Great Xia Dynasty. Their minimum strength is Fifth Rank. The leaders of the four major branches and the five Qianhu (Thousand-soldiers) commanders are all at Ninth Rank. Their loyalty to the host is absolute. Their identities have been seamlessly implanted into this world.]
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. "Then how do these people know I'm their master?"
> [That is the system's capability. It implanted selective memories into them so that the Jinyiwei organization could operate in the shadows—awaiting the arrival of their true master. While also doing it without raising big suspicion on host. ]
Lu Chen couldn't help but marvel at the system's power.
> [Currently, 300 Jinyiwei are stationed in Beijun. Among them are one Qianhu, one commander, and the chiefs of the Investigation Department, Criminal Justice Department, Outer Department, and Inner Department. They are all located in Yancheng and will arrive shortly to deliver reports to the host.]
> [Does the host wish to recall the Jinyiwei stationed outside of Beijun?]
Lu Chen frowned slightly. "Can I communicate with them remotely?"
> [No. However, the host may issue one full recall command.]
Lu Chen understood. If he activated the recall, the scattered Jinyiwei would receive a directive from the system and return.
But what would be the point of that?
The Jinyiwei existed to monitor officials and collect intelligence. If they were all pulled back, how could they continue operating as intended?
"No need," Lu Chen said calmly. "Let them remain in place."
> [The Jinyiwei outside Beijun have received the host's command. They will remain on standby.]
—
By the time Lu Chen returned to the palace, he headed straight for Mu Zixuan's delivery room.
Inside, Mu Zixuan lay drenched in sweat, her face pale and exhausted from the ordeal.
Seeing Lu Chen, she tried to rise despite her frailty. But Lu Chen rushed to her side and gently pressed her down, saying, "My love, rest. Don't push yourself."
Few moments later, the midwife stepped forward, cradling a small bundle in her arms. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. The princess has given birth to a healthy prince!"
Lu Chen's heart trembled as he stepped forward and carefully took the newborn into his arms.
The baby was tiny, his features still scrunched and wrinkled—but Lu Chen's heart swelled with emotion. He did not feel the slightest disgust. This child... was his own flesh and blood.
From the side, Chu Yuqin's gentle voice reminded him, "Chen'er, you haven't named him yet. You should give him a name."
Lu Chen pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's name him Lu Changfeng."
Changfeng—a name meaning "endless wind"—symbolized strength, vitality, and hope.
He wanted his firstborn to grow up upright and powerful, someone who would accomplish great things.
After staying with Mu Zixuan for a while longer, Lu Chen quietly left the room to prepare for a meeting with the newly arriving commander of the Jinyiwei.
No sooner had he stepped outside than Chu Yuqin approached, asking curiously, "Chen'er, what were you doing just now?"
She had noticed his absence from the palace even as Mu Zixuan was in labor. It had to have been something important.
Lu Chen replied casually, "The potatoes were ready for harvest. I went to see General Li and his soldiers digging them up."
Chu Yuqin's eyes lit up. "You mean the same potato you showed us earlier?"
The women in the inner palace had already seen the potato before, and even tasted it.
Back then, when Lu Chen had explained its significance, Chu Yuqin had realized just how much of a blessing the crop could be for the people of Beijun.
Lu Chen nodded in confirmation.
"How was the yield?" she asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
"Two thousand kilograms per acre," he replied calmly.
Chu Yuqin stood frozen, stunned by the sheer number. Though Lu Chen had told her before that the yield would be high, she hadn't expected this much.
If this crop could truly be promoted, Beijun's people would no longer suffer from hunger—and the King of the North's prestige would skyrocket.
Seeing the look of astonishment on her face, Lu Chen chuckled and said with a trace of mystery, "Surprised, Aunt Chu? There's even more to surprise you in the days to come."
Just as he finished speaking, a guard rushed into the corridor, panic written all over his face. "My lord! Madam Chu! Urgent news—there's a group of warriors in strange attire who've entered the palace grounds!"
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