Xia Ruqing: "..."
Zhao Junyao hurriedly comforted her again.
"Qingqing, be good and stay put! I’ll read for a bit more!"
In fact, he didn’t want her to worry as well.
Matters of the court, what do they have to do with a young woman like her?
It’s something he should shoulder!
But Xia Ruqing was not resigned.
Pouting, she obediently sat aside and put on a good face.
In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, she peeked behind Zhao Junyao, reading along with him.
However...
You never know until you see it, and upon seeing it, you’re startled.
"Eh? Emperor, isn’t this a potato?"
Zhao Junyao was startled and quickly turned around.
He saw a pair of wide, surprised apricot eyes, with excitement shining in them.
"Emperor, you’re looking at illustrations!"
Zhao Junyao’s forehead furrowed with lines.
"These aren’t illustrations, these are the crop drawings sent by the Ministry of Revenue!"
Xia Ruqing gradually understood.
"So this difficult-to-grow crop you mentioned is actually this!"
Simply unbelievable!
Zhao Junyao nodded.
Xia Ruqing was completely shocked.
She covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief and delight!
"Really?!"
She then recalled.
After entering the palace for so long, it seemed she really hadn’t eaten potatoes.
Turns out... they don’t have them here!
Is it discovered now?
Zhao Junyao looked at Xia Ruqing’s ever-changing expressions, his mouth twitching a little.
"What is it? You’ve... seen it?"
"Mmm, mmm, mmm!" Xia Ruqing nodded vigorously.
But she regretted it a bit the moment she admitted.
She saw it in the 21st century, now how does she concoct a perfect excuse?!
"I..."
"When I was young, I once saw it at my grandmother’s place in the wild, and it looked quite similar..."
"During famines, poor people would dig them up in the mountains to fill their stomachs!"
"I only saw it once or twice!"
"No taste really, but once cooked it could fill you up!"
Looking at her cautious expression.
Zhao Junyao recalled her terribly miserable childhood.
His mood was heavy.
His beloved Qingqing, reduced to fighting with the starving for food?
Looks like transferring Xia Yu to Anzhou was too lenient.
Should’ve sent him to the Northwest, to endure famine for a lifetime!
Xia Ruqing had no idea what he was thinking behind his stoic face.
But seeing his increasingly unpleasant expression.
She had a foreboding feeling.
So... clinging to life, she quickly caved in.
"Emperor, it’s my fault!"
Zhao Junyao: "..."
"Hmm?"
His thoughts were interrupted, yet his expression hadn’t softened.
Cold and gloomy, compounded by a sinister "Hmm?"
Xia Ruqing was almost scared senseless!
She hurriedly stood up and curtsied.
"Emperor, I shouldn’t have spoken out of turn, disturbing your administration!"
"I’ll take my leave then!"
Just as she spoke, she prepared to slip away.
Only to be gently pulled back by Zhao Junyao.
Unsteady on her feet, she fell into his arms.
"Qingqing, you’ve suffered!"
Xia Ruqing looked confused, forced a smile.
"Ah?! Emperor, not suffering, not suffering at all!"
If you’d let me go immediately, it wouldn’t be suffering at all!
Zhao Junyao firmly held her in his arms.
Looked at her deeply.
"Rest assured, I will stand up for you and vent your grievances!"
Xia Ruqing: "..."
Excuse me, what is this all about?
Does she and her emperor husband have another blackout?
Unable to leave, she could only stay with resolve.
Back to the main topic after that.
Zhao Junyao asked her.
"Since you’ve seen and eaten it, tell me all about it!"
Xia Ruqing was dumbfounded.
"About what?"
"Its growing conditions? What season does it mature? Are there other plants around it?"
These questions he asked.
Xia Ruqing just knelt.
"Too scary, such meticulous thinking!"
"Not a bit of useful information was overlooked!"
Thinking about how the Empress, Empress Dowager, and Noble Concubine Shih, played their tricks with the Emperor.
She thought: they were courting death!
Snapping back to now.
Xia Ruqing recalled what she knew about potatoes from her past life.
Then sorted it out, and explained everything in detail.
In her impression.
It seems the barren mountains of the Northwest and Southwest couldn’t grow other crops, so they grew these.
Grandmother once said too.
Potatoes are easy to grow, just bury a few seeds, they’ll cover the land next year.
Dig them up, steam, boil, fry, or stew, enough to last for a while.
Xia Ruqing spoke proudly and at length.