strictlysupreme Chapter 316 Planting
Chapter 316 Planting
Shen Muchun received a large pile of plants, including taro, kudzu root, yam, radish and other plant roots, as well as various melons and beans, but the only thing he didn't recognize was the pile of cassava that looked like a small mountain.
Hearing that this thing was poisonous, he tested it and then hurried to find Xie Changan and the others.
After the dog used in the experiment ate it, it soon started foaming at the mouth and fell to the ground, deader than dead.
Shen Muchun gasped. This thing was not only poisonous, but also quite toxic!
Why did they dig so much back?
“Cassava is indeed poisonous, how can it be eaten?”
Xie Changan said: "It cannot be eaten raw. After peeling and cooking, the poison will be removed."
Jiang Li also said: "Yes, we both ate it."
Shen Muchun was speechless. Are you two ordinary people?
"We also went into the village and saw that every household there eats cassava."
Jiang Li chuckled and recounted in detail how they sneaked into Pagan to steal cassava, and after being discovered, they simply ran into the village to spy on how people handled the cassava.
Shen Muchun's mouth twitched when he heard this.
The great commander-in-chief of the Chu Southern Expedition Army and the distinguished Prince of Jing'an actually carried his three-month-old baby on his back and ran to a neighboring village to steal cassava. This is truly unprecedented!
However, when the two were newlyweds, they were not idle. They either climbed over the wall of Prince Wei's palace or dug up corpses in the mass grave. Is there anything they couldn't do?
"Brother Shen, why don't you try this cassava?" Xie Changan suggested.
"it is good."
So, Xie Changan did it himself, peeled the skin, put it in the pot, and after it was cooked, he took it out and handed one to Shen Muchun, and ate one himself.
Shen Muchun stared at him for a long while, and seeing that there was nothing unusual about him, he tested the poison with a silver needle. Then he put the cassava into his mouth, took a bite, and slowly swallowed it.
After being cooked, cassava looks similar to yam, but its texture is rougher than yam.
After a while, he took his own pulse and found that there was no sign of poisoning. Only then did he become convinced that the peeled and cooked cassava was indeed non-toxic and could be eaten!
Shen Muchun was also very happy. This plant was so productive and had a strong sense of fullness. If it was planted in large quantities, there would be no worries in this year of famine!
But we can’t always go to Bagan to steal cassava seedlings, right?
Jiang Li smiled and said, "Of course not. I plan to write to His Majesty and request peace talks with Pagan and the conclusion of a friendly alliance."
Shen Muchun wondered, His Majesty had never thought of attacking Pagan, right?
The Kingdom of Pagan was different from the Six Zhaos of Southern Xinjiang. The Six Zhaos of Southern Xinjiang were originally one. After they established their own kingdoms, the people still had close contacts and intermarried with each other. Most of the royal nobles of the six kingdoms were also relatives.
Therefore, it is necessary to unify southern Xinjiang in order to eliminate future troubles forever.
Although Pagan Kingdom and the Six Zhao of Southern Xinjiang are close neighbors, it has always been an independent country and has nothing to do with the Six Zhao of Southern Xinjiang, and it has nothing to do with the Great Chu. Nangong Qinghe has no intention of starting a war against it again.
Since you don't plan to touch it, is there any need to negotiate peace?
Jiang Li said cunningly: "That being said, Pagan doesn't know!"
King Anawrahta of Pagan was frightened to death, fearing that the Chu Kingdom would take advantage of the victory to pursue and destroy him. If the Chu Kingdom proposed peace talks at this time, he would probably agree to any conditions.
Shen Muchun couldn't help but admire her. No matter how smart others were, they only had a "seven-hole mind". But Sixteenth Sister had more than seven holes. Her mind was probably smarter than a fishing net!
Xie Changan also breathed a sigh of relief. It would be good if the two countries could be on good terms. Please don't order him to steal cassava again!
Jiang Li's secret report was quickly delivered to Nangong Qinghe.
After he opened and read it, he was so happy that he couldn't sleep all night.
The next morning, Nangong Qinghe summoned all the ministers to discuss matters.
"Prince Jing'an found a crop in Pagan called 'cassava'. It has a very high yield, and one mu of land can produce several thousand kilograms!"
He announced the good news to his ministers with joy.
Unlike the "red potato" that is not yet available, cassava is within reach and within easy reach!
"Prince Jing'an suggested that we conclude a friendly alliance with Pagan, and not to invade each other, in exchange for Pagan's cassava."
Food is related to the country's destiny and people's livelihood, so the ministers would naturally not object, but veteran ministers such as Prime Minister Liang still had doubts.
“Why hasn’t this cassava been spread out if it’s so productive?”
Crops that can produce thousands of kilograms per mu cannot be owned only by the state in Bagan, right? The people are not fools. If there is such a good thing, they would have rushed to plant it long ago.
"There is a reason for this." Nangong Qinghe said slowly, "If this substance is not handled properly, it will be extremely toxic."
"Ah?" The ministers were shocked. Pagan was so poor that people actually risked their lives to eat this kind of thing?
Prime Minister Liang’s brows were furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a mosquito to death.
"It's extremely toxic, so it's useless no matter how high the yield per mu is!"
Nangong Qinghe smiled: "Prince Jing'an and Duke Dingguo sneaked into Pagan and have figured out how to process cassava. Earl Duan'an has also tested it and found that the processed cassava is edible."
He couldn't help laughing when he thought about what A'li described in the letter.
It is really funny that the Prince of Jing'an and the commander-in-chief of the Southern Expedition Army actually sneaked into a neighboring country to steal cassava.
"How to deal with it?" The ministers were also very curious.
"It's very simple. Just peel it and cook it, and you can eat it."
There had always been discord between the Kingdom of Pagan and the Six Zhao in southern Xinjiang. There were many frictions on the border and the people did not speak the same language. There was never a shortage of food in southern Xinjiang. They occasionally saw cassava, but heard that it was poisonous, so they naturally discarded it like a worn-out shoe.
At that moment, all the ministers had no more objections and praised in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"
"Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune, so this thing was sent down from heaven to save the people of Da Chu!"
Nangong Qinghe was very pleased and immediately ordered the Secretary of the Central Secretariat to draft an imperial decree and send Feng Wuhu as an envoy to deliver a letter to the Kingdom of Pagan.
Da Chu was willing to conclude a friendly alliance with them, to non-aggression and for the people to trade and intermarry, in exchange for Pagan's cassava and cultivation methods.
The drought has not yet affected the south. For example, in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangdong and Guangxi, cassava cultivation is being vigorously promoted. When winter comes, the cassava with a yield of several thousand kilograms per mu will be life-saving food!
King Anawrahta of Pagan was living in fear all day and went to the temple to pray every day.
Unexpectedly, a pleasant surprise came from the sky. The Great Chu sent a letter expressing its willingness to negotiate and conclude a friendly alliance. The conditions were very simple: they only wanted Pagan's cassava and cultivation methods.
King Anawrahta was so grateful that he shed tears. It was indeed the Buddha’s blessing!
In this friendly atmosphere of mutual cooperation, the two countries soon concluded a peace treaty, opened their borders, and encouraged their people to trade and marry.
Large quantities of cassava seedlings were also transported from Bagan. With the strong cooperation of Yue Zhengjie and Li Yingnan, large-scale planting soon began in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other places.
People were pleasantly surprised to find that this crop has a strong adaptability to soil and can be grown in both mountainous and sandy areas. It is drought-resistant and high-yielding. Its disadvantage is that it is not cold-resistant, so it cannot be promoted in northern regions.
The entire Dali Prefecture began a general mobilization to vigorously develop the planting and breeding industries.
The Southern Expedition Army also threw itself into the vigorous "Great Production Movement", especially the officers and soldiers of the Yuanpingxi Army and the Zhenbei Army. Most of their families were in the north, which was an area suffering from severe drought.
What they grow now will become the "life-saving food" that their families depend on for survival in the future!
Thinking of this, the soldiers became more motivated.