The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 15 This sweet potato is even more amazing than the road-climbing technique!!

Liu Bowen reached out and took the sweet potato. It was heavy and rough to the touch. Looking at this fruit he had never seen before, his eyes were full of bewilderment and doubt: "This...this sweet potato? Can it really be eaten?"

"Not only is it edible, but it tastes delicious, and it has an extremely high yield, plus it has many benefits."

Zhu Yao smiled and nodded, then slowly began to introduce Liu Bowen.

"This sweet potato is extremely adaptable, drought-resistant and flood-resistant. It can grow in both barren and fertile soil. It doesn't require much care. Once planted, you can almost just sit back and wait for the harvest."

"Most importantly, it yields over a thousand catties per mu (unit of land area). If properly cared for, it can even yield more than 1,500 catties, which is several times higher than the yield of rice and wheat that we are currently growing."

"Moreover, there are many ways to eat it. It can be steamed, boiled, roasted, or ground into powder to make sweet potato chips or sweet potato noodles. It is very filling, and one bite can be half a meal."

"In addition, it can be used as feed for chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep, which can make the livestock grow faster and stronger; if there is a disaster year and the harvest is poor, this sweet potato can save lives and solve the problem of food and clothing for the people."

"I went to great lengths to get this back."

As Zhu Yao spoke, he dug up a few more sweet potatoes and handed them to Liu Bowen, asking him to examine them carefully.

Holding the sweet potato in his hands, Liu Bowen listened to Zhu Yao's detailed explanation and was completely stunned. His eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, and his face was full of disbelief.

Over a thousand catties per mu? Or even more than 1,500 catties?

As a high-ranking official in the imperial court, he had seen all things in the world and countless grain crops, but he had never heard of a crop with such a high yield, which far exceeded all grain crops at present!

If this sweet potato could be promoted throughout the country, people would no longer have to worry about not having enough to eat, and the scenes of displacement and starvation would be reduced in years of disaster. The Ming Dynasty would also be more stable!

Liu Bowen's hands trembled slightly, and his fingers gripped the sweet potato tightly. His heart was filled with astonishment and shock.

He subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction Zhu Yuanzhang had left, secretly regretting that His Majesty had left too soon.

His Majesty was overjoyed when he saw the road construction technique yesterday. If he were to see this sweet potato and learn about its yield and benefits, he would probably be even more excited and attentive than when he saw the road construction technique!

It is a great pity that Your Majesty was unable to see such a treasure that could benefit all people and stabilize the country.

Zhu Yao looked at Liu Bowen's shocked expression and smiled knowingly. He had long expected that Liu Bowen would react this way after learning about the benefits of sweet potatoes.

Otherwise, it would be abnormal.

.....

Zhu Yuanzhang and his entourage sped along the official road on their return journey, their horses' hooves clattering and dust billowing.

Suddenly, Zhu Yuanzhang stiffened, then sneezed three loud sneezes in quick succession. His brows furrowed instantly, and his tone was tinged with doubt and displeasure: "Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Who's talking about us behind our backs?"

Hearing the commotion, Erhu, standing beside Zhu Yuanzhang, quickly reined in his horse and bowed to him, asking, "My lord, are you alright? Also, I have a question. We originally planned to inspect Fengyang; should we continue on our way?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened, and his tone became somewhat impatient. He waved his hand and said, "Why go to Fengyang! Go straight back to the capital!"

Erhu was taken aback, but dared not ask any further questions, and quickly replied, "Yes, Your subordinate obeys!"

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang's incognito tour, ostensibly to inspect Fengyang, was just a pretext.

His only goal from beginning to end was to go to Chenzhou.

Although his former lover had passed away, he not only met Zhu Yao, but also unexpectedly gained the complete set of road construction techniques, which was a great gain that far exceeded his expectations.

This road-building technique is an unparalleled method for the prosperity of the country and the benefit of the people. He couldn't wait to return to the capital to carefully consider how to promote this technology throughout the country so that all people could benefit from it.

Along the way, Zhu Yuanzhang was eager to return home and frequently urged his subordinates to speed up, wishing he could return to Nanjing immediately to begin arranging this matter.

A few days later, the group finally arrived in Jinling City. When the guards at the city gate saw that it was Zhu Yuanzhang's carriage, they immediately bowed and paid their respects, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang returned to the palace, disregarding his travel fatigue, he immediately issued an edict summoning all ministers of the Ministry of Works to the Imperial Study for a meeting.

Before long, the Minister of Works, accompanied by a group of ministers, hurriedly arrived at the Imperial Study, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor!"

"Rise," Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said urgently, "Erhu, bring up that set of books on road construction so that the officials can take a look."

Erhu quickly stepped forward and handed a thick stack of books to each of the Ministers of Works.

The ministers took the books and began to examine them. At first, they looked puzzled, but the more they looked, the more surprised they became, and they occasionally let out soft exclamations of admiration.

"My goodness! This method of road construction is absolutely unprecedented!"

"Yes! With high-quality materials and meticulous construction processes, the resulting road will undoubtedly be sturdy, durable, and convenient for passage!"

"Your Majesty, if such a miraculous technique could be implemented throughout the country, it would surely benefit all people and bring lasting merit!"

The ministers all praised him, their faces full of amazement and admiration. They bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, praising His Majesty for his discerning eye in acquiring such a peerless skill.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the astonished expressions of his ministers and smiled smugly, his tone tinged with pride: "My dear ministers are right. This is a road-building technique that I discovered by chance, created by a genius."

"The reason we called you here today is to study this technology with you and promote it as soon as possible so that all the prefectures and cities in the world can build such wide roads."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "The book mentions that the most crucial element in building roads is 'cement.' With cement, roads can be sturdy, durable, and not easily damaged."

"We're asking you, following the methods described in the book, can you quickly develop cement and begin building roads?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the imperial study instantly became heavy. The smiles on the faces of the ministers gradually faded, and they all lowered their heads, looking troubled.

The Minister of Works hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, we are guilty. According to the records in the book, the production of cement is probably very difficult and cannot be completed in a short time."

Zhu Yuanzhang's smug expression vanished instantly, his brows furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a hint of displeasure: "Oh? Why is it difficult? The steps in the book are detailed; surely you can't figure it out?"