The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0560 Turmoil

Yuxi instructed Mama Bai to boil some potatoes for them to try. It was the first time Mama Bai had ever seen potatoes, and as she looked at them with curiosity, she asked, ”Madam, what are they?”

Yuxi shook her head and replied, ”Iʼm not sure either. Just boil a few, and letʼs try them.” Since Wan Shi and Chen Mian had already eaten them, there should be no problem.

At noon, Yun Qing sat at the dining table and noticed a few unfamiliar fruits on one of the white porcelain dishes. He asked, ”Where did these fruits come from? Iʼve never seen them before.” Yuxi had recently developed a liking for fruits, so Yun Qing assumed these were something she had found elsewhere.

Yuxi had already tested the potatoes with a silver needle to ensure they werenʼt poisonous. Hearing Yun Qingʼs question, she smiled and said, ”Why donʼt you try one and see how it tastes?”

Yun Qing chuckled. ”What is this? Why all the mystery?” As he spoke, he picked up a potato, peeled it, and took a bite.

After just one bite, Yun Qing frowned. However, he wasnʼt one to waste food, so even though it didnʼt taste good, he still ate the whole potato. After eating, he asked, ”What is this?” The texture was powdery, and there was a slight astringent aftertaste. It really didnʼt taste good.

Yuxi smiled, took a potato from the plate, and spoke after a bite, ”This is called a potato. It was a gift from Chen Mianʼs Dasao during the holidays. Madam Chen said they came from overseas and were something new.” There was no need to mention that these potatoes were already being cultivated in Fujian, as Yun Qing wouldnʼt be interested.

Yun Qing remarked, ”She gave them as a gift?”

Yuxi just smiled and didnʼt react. Instead, she quietly finished the potato in her hand. Afterwards, her experience was completely different from Yun Qingʼs. ”This thing—Iʼm already full just by eating three of them.” Potatoes were very filling, and in the Northwest, food to stave off hunger was in short supply. The only question was what the growing conditions for these potatoes were like.

Yun Qing didnʼt catch the meaning behind Yuxiʼs words and said, ”Better not eat these; they donʼt taste good.” After eating one, he didnʼt want to eat another.

Yuxi smiled. ”If you donʼt want to eat them, then donʼt.”

In the afternoon, Yuxi summoned Tian Yang and showed him the potatoes. Then she said, ”Prepare yourself; you will go to Mr Chenʼs hometown in Fujian in a few days. When you get there, first find out about the growing conditions for these potatoes and see if they can be grown in the northwest. What is the yield per acre? If it suits the Northwest conditions and the yield is high, buy more to bring back. Also, invite some people who know how to grow these potatoes to come back with you.”

Tian Yang looked at the dozen potatoes and said, ”Madam, how long can these be stored? Will they spoil on the journey?”

Yuxi didnʼt know how long potatoes could be kept either, so she replied, ”In Mr Chenʼs hometown, theyʼre as common as wheat in the Northwest. Theyʼre easy to find.”

Tian Yang said, ”Madam, just to be safe, I think I should draw a picture of them.” This was also to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. In any case, it was always better to be prepared.

Yuxi smiled. ”All right, Iʼll draw one later. Besides these potatoes, you can also bring back some inexpensive but high-quality seafood.” Fujian was near the sea, so there was plenty of seafood.

That night, Mr Chen returned to his residence. As soon as he arrived, he asked Wan Shi, ”Have the potatoes been sent to Madam?”

Wan Shi nodded. ”I already did. Husband, why did you insist on sending those potatoes to Madam?” She was a little confused.

Mr Chen replied, ”If they are used well, they can play a huge role.” He had tried the potatoes himself and found them very filling. And given his Dasaoʼs stinginess, the fact that she was willing to send potatoes as a gift proved that they were cheap. On a deeper level, the yield must be high if they were this affordable. A food that was both filling and productive could alleviate the food shortage in the Northwest. Once the food problem was solved, the Northwest Army would no longer be at the mercy of the Imperial Court. As Yun Qingʼs confidant, although Yun Qing hadnʼt said much, Mr Chen could sense that Yun Qing wasnʼt satisfied with being confined to Yu City. Mr Chen had no objection. In a time of chaos, as long as one had the ability and ambition, there was nothing wrong with that.

Wan Shi was utterly baffled.

Mr Chen did not explain this to Wan Shi. These things were too complicated to explain, and there was no need to. He continued, ”Madam will understand their significance.” The General wouldnʼt have thought much about it if Mr Chen had given them to him. But Madam was different. After seeing the potatoes they had sent and hearing what his wife had said, Madam would undoubtedly think along the same lines as he did. As for why Mr Chen hadnʼt told Yuxi directly, it was because Mr Chen wasnʼt quite sure about it himself. And since Mr Chen didnʼt know much about the specific characteristics of the potatoes, he didnʼt bring it up. Mr Chen could only remind Yuxi in this subtle way. This was a common trait among scholars. They were reluctant to speak openly until they were absolutely sure.

Two days later, Mr Chen heard that Tian Yang had left Yu City and gone elsewhere. He didnʼt know exactly where he had gone, but thinking back to the incident two days earlier when they had sent the potatoes, he guessed that Tian Yang had gone to Fujian.

Mr Chen said to himself, ”I hope everything goes well.” If his speculation was correct and the potatoes could be planted widely in the northwest, it would be a great boon to the people.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Yun Qing spent most of his time in the military camp. He was now preparing for the Autumn Campaign and a possible rebellion.

At the same time, news reached the capital that Song Guojiu was safe and sound. This was the best possible news for the Emperor: ”Itʼs good that Jiujiu is fine.”

Jing Wang said, ”Jiujiu should return as soon as possible!” During this period, he had been under a lot of pressure, feeling like his hair was about to turn white.

The Emperor shook his head. ”No hurry.” Jiujiu went to Liaodong this time to capture Yan Wushuang. Until Yan Wushuang was captured, Jiujiu wouldnʼt return anytime soon.

Jing Wang wasnʼt foolish. When he heard this, he understood that Song Guojiu had gone to Liaodong on a special mission. However, he wasnʼt curious enough to ask about the mission. Instead, Jing Wang informed the Emperor of something else: ”Your Majesty, Ji Xuan recently submitted a memorial claiming to have eradicated more than 4,000 bandits. But according to my investigation, those 4,000 people werenʼt bandits—they were innocent civilians.” Ji Xuan had falsely claimed credit for killing innocent people, and the consequences were severe. If this news spread, it could cause unrest throughout the Northwest.

The Emperor slammed his hand on the table and asked, ”Is this true?”

Jing Wang didnʼt dare give a definite answer, only saying, ”It would be best to send an Imperial Envoy to investigate.” He had only received the information, but Ji Xuan was a high-ranking regional official and couldnʼt be convicted based on a rumour alone. To hold Ji Xuan accountable, the evidence had to be indisputable to convince the people.

Upon hearing the suggestion of sending an Imperial Envoy for a thorough investigation, the Emperor was uncharacteristically silent. After a long pause, he said, ”Letʼs put this matter aside for now.” The most urgent task was to eliminate Yan Wushuang. The situation in the Northwest could be dealt with later. Dealing with Ji Xuan now would allow Chancellor Yu to expand his influence.

At this time, Han Jianming also received a letter from Yuxi, informing him of Ji Xuanʼs actions in killing civilians and claiming that they were bandits for military merit. Han Jianming couldnʼt help but shake his head - how could Ji Xuan dare to do such a thing without fearing the disaster it might bring?

Looking at the letter again, Han Jianming muttered, ”A disaster is coming soon.” Ji Xuanʼs massacre of civilians and his false claim of defeating bandits had been kept under wraps. Otherwise, he would have heard something about it. The fact that Yuxi had received the news indicated that she was closely monitoring the movements in the northwest and Ji Xuanʼs actions. At this point, Han Jianming was fully convinced of his earlier suspicion—Yuxiʼs goal was the entire Northwest.

Mr Zhao, who didnʼt quite understand, asked, ”My Lord, what disaster is coming?”

Han Jianming didnʼt hide it from him and explained what Yuxi had written in her letter: ”Once this matter spreads, it will definitely cause a major disaster.” There was no way Yuxi would pass up such an excellent opportunity; she would definitely spread the news.

Mr Zhao said, ”Even though the news hasnʼt spread yet, it wonʼt be long before it does. Something like this canʼt stay hidden for long.” Marquis of Tainingʼs Shizi, Chen Yu, was Ji Xuanʼs number one enemy. If he found out about this, he would definitely blow the whole thing up.

Han Jianming smiled. ”Letʼs wait and see!”

Mr Zhao remarked, ”My Lord, Liaodong has been very quiet lately!” Song Guojiuʼs miraculous survival was already quite astonishing. Initially, they thought he would go on a killing spree, but instead, there had been no movement at all.

Han Jianming said, ”Yan Wushuang is not easy to kill.” Like a cunning hare with multiple burrows, Yan Wushuang had been operating in Liaodong for over ten years. He wasnʼt someone that Song Guojiu could simply wipe out. Han Jianming actually hoped that Song Guojiu and Yan Wushuang would weaken each other. Only then would the situation become even more chaotic.

Mr Zhao said, ”I have a feeling that this is just the calm before the storm.” A bigger storm was coming.

Han Jianming smiled and said, ”Let the storm come!” The world was already in turmoil; the peace was just a facade.

Just as Han Jianming and Mr Zhao had predicted, news of Ji Xuan slaughtering civilians and falsely accusing them of being bandits soon spread throughout the Northwest.

At the time, Ji Xuan was enjoying the graceful dancing of female performers, fine wine and delicacies. Suddenly, one of his subordinates rushed in and reported to Ji Xuan: ”Governor-General, itʼs bad news! Thereʼs a rebellion in Nanzhou!” The situation couldnʼt be hidden, so the man shouted without restraint.

His voice was so loud that it shocked everyone present. Ji Xuan immediately stopped drinking and asked, ”What happened?”

The subordinate, looking distressed, replied, ”Rumours are spreading that the 4,000 bandits executed in Nanzhou were not real bandits but over 4,000 innocent civilians. As soon as this rumour started, there was a rebellion.” The subordinate knew full well that the rumour was probably true. But knowing was one thing; saying it out loud was another.

Ji Xuan threw down his wine cup and immediately deployed 30,000 troops to crush the rebellion. In Ji Xuanʼs mind, these rebels were nothing more than a disorganised mob, and 30,000 troops would be more than enough to annihilate them.