Liang Xiao hosted a dinner, attended by Gu Shaoyan, Zhang Yang, Lin Xiu who was about to head to Jinling to take up his post as Prefect, and other officers accompanying Liang Xiao to the capital, all at a restaurant under Liang Feng's name.
Gu Shaoyan and Lin Xiu quietly savored the stir-fried shredded potatoes, their eyes wide with surprise.
It wasn't the most exquisite dish in the world, but it tasted good and was novel. Such a thing had never existed in the Da Gan Kingdom before.
Liang Xiao's tables were in the northeast corner. The spacious first floor had a total of twelve tables, all fully occupied.
Each table featured at least one dish made from new crops, offered to customers for free tasting.
Besides stir-fried shredded potatoes, potato slices, and fried potatoes, there was also a pot of steamed corn and sweet potatoes, along with various dishes like corn and pork rib soup and stir-fried corn kernels.
"This thing is called a potato? Can it really be eaten?"
Finally, a customer couldn't resist asking.
"Of course! This is something our An Guo Hou worked very hard to find. It is said to have been brought from overseas by the Guo Hou family. An Guo Hou presented it to His Majesty, and His Majesty is promoting it! Soon, all the people in the country will have the opportunity to eat potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn, and be full!"
The restaurant staff, who were well-prepared, explained in detail the origins of these new crops, and everyone marveled.
"By the way! It's best not to eat potatoes raw, and potatoes that have sprouted or have a green peel absolutely cannot be eaten!"
The staff then began to educate people about the three new crops. The crowd's throats bobbed, and they eagerly picked up their chopsticks.
Hearing the staff's explanation, Gu Shaoyan and Lin Xiu couldn't help but take a piece of baked sweet potato from the table and taste it carefully.
"Sweet and fragrant!"
Everyone present praised it without reservation.
Liang Xiao also felt gratified.
He dared not claim all the credit for this achievement.
He Yao, who brought new crops to the Da Gan Kingdom, had his family members killed by Wokou pirates, leaving only He Liuzhu and her granddaughter He Ling.
These three new crops were clearly the result of generations of meticulous cultivation and selection by their family, leading to their high yield and delicious taste!
After the harvest of the new crops, Xiao Qing was overjoyed and rewarded He Liuzhu with ten thousand taels of gold and a large amount of jewelry.
He Liuzhu was already the godmother of Nan Jiyun, and He Ling was Nan Jiyun's goddaughter. Both lived in Yanzhou with Nan Jiyun.
After being promoted to General of the Western Expedition, Nan Jiyun intended to go to the western frontier to assist Lü Yi and planned to move his family from Yanzhou back to the capital.
Gu Shaoyan couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "An Guo Hou, is the yield of potatoes and sweet potatoes truly around two thousand catties per mu?"
Everyone's eyes turned to Liang Xiao with curiosity.
This yield was nearly ten times that of grain from ordinary thin fields!
Liang Xiao replied without hesitation, "The harvest is abundant, and they will be on sale soon!"
Liang Xiao owned a million mu of truly barren land. The yield of potatoes and sweet potatoes was less than fifteen hundred catties per mu, but compared to grain of the past, it was a world of difference!
The so-called "Sweet Potato Prosperity" of the Qing Dynasty was a somewhat one-sided misconception, still inseparable from policy reforms like "Tan Ding Ru Mu" (merging taxes into land) and "Huo Hao Gui Gong" (returning surplus silver). Moreover, population growth did not equate to prosperity; "Sweet Potato Prosperity" seemed more like a satire.
Numerous historical records from various sources confirm that long before the forty-first year of Qianlong's reign, the increasing population pressure had become a consensus in both the court and the public.
It was precisely because of this that the government was compelled to promote and improve American crops like corn and sweet potatoes, which were not suited to the Chinese palate. Regions with high population density and pressure had a greater motivation to introduce corn, not the other way around – that the introduction of corn led to high population density and pressure.
However, regardless of whether the theory of "Sweet Potato Prosperity" was correct, it indirectly indicated the importance of these new crops.
These three new crops could effectively help the country cope with years of disaster and alleviate population pressure!
Two million mu of potatoes, two million mu of sweet potatoes, and one million mu of corn were ripening sequentially. According to Liang Xiao's estimates, the production of potatoes and sweet potatoes this year should be at least twenty-five million shi each, and corn over five million shi, which would be an astonishing number in the Da Gan Kingdom!
However, these new crops did not keep as well as other grains, thus requiring prompt consumption and seed preservation.
Nan Jiyun, Zhang Yang, and Lü Changhe had tasted the new crops last year, so they were not surprised, only expectant.
"Will the national treasury have a lot of stored grain this year?"
Liang Xiao's farmland also had to pay taxes. Xiao Qing had specifically asked Liang Xiao's land to plant new crops first to earn the initial capital.
After this year, various places would surely compete to plant these new crops for sale, but the country did not need an oversupply.
The country would not collect these new crops that were not durable. Farmers had to pay taxes for their land, so they would not dedicate much land to planting new crops, focusing instead on traditional grains.
Potatoes, if not processed properly, could be toxic. In comparison, sweet potatoes were easier to promote.
"The harvest from our An Guo Hou's fields will begin this year, and everyone will be able to buy cheap potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes! Right, remember, do not eat potatoes raw, and absolutely do not eat sprouted or green-skinned potatoes, they are poisonous!!"
The several waiters shouted these reminders repeatedly, to the point where people's ears felt numb, and they all nodded, vowing to remember.
At this time, the customers had not yet realized the changes that the new crops would bring to the country; they were only eager for Liang Xiao to release them for sale quickly.
In Jiangnan, the new crops on Zhuo Zifang's and Liang Xiao's farmlands had also matured.
Zhuo Zifang specially invited everyone to taste them.
During the feast, Gongsun Ye's face was filled with emotion.
He was truly going to donate twenty million taels of silver. Xiao Qing had finally sent a shadow guard to tell him: no need to donate, keep it for backup.
However, Gongsun Ye still privately donated two million taels, as repurchasing land required a large sum of money.
Thinking of Liang Xiao, who had brought about a transformation for the Da Gan Kingdom, Gongsun Ye clutched his chest and sighed, "Actually, old man still hopes that Liang Xiao will not go to Da Liang Kingdom..."
Everyone echoed his sentiment.
Zhuo Zifang also couldn't help but smile wryly and nod.
Liang Xiao's status and importance were unprecedented. If it were in the past, he could have advised Liang Xiao to make the trip. But now, even if Zhuo Xun were in Da Liang, he did not wish for Liang Xiao to go to Da Liang Kingdom, as it was not Da Gan's territory.
What if Liang Xiao fell ill and died due to acclimatization? What if the Emperor of Da Liang suddenly passed away, leading to internal strife in Da Liang? What if someone foolish enough assassinated Liang Xiao...
Unlike the worries of Zhuo Zifang and others, at this moment, Emperor Mu Cheng of Da Liang often looked north, sighing and coughing repeatedly.
Mu Cheng's imperial edict and invitation were finally sent urgently to the capital of the Da Gan Kingdom.
In the Imperial Study, Liang Xiao, Ning Xuejun, and Wang Canghai, looking at these official documents placed on Xiao Qing's desk, fell into deep thought.
"How could this Emperor of Da Liang use the entire territory of his nation as collateral to invite the second son Liang to be an envoy to Da Liang..." Even Wang Canghai was baffled.
Throughout history, it was unprecedented for an emperor to make such a public declaration as collateral; it was utterly unbelievable!
If something were to happen to Liang Xiao, and Mu Cheng did not honor his promise, it would be an extremely heavy blow to the Emperor of Da Liang's prestige, and the hearts of the people would all turn towards the Da Gan Kingdom!
Liang Xiao pouted, "I was born of my mother, definitely not adopted; my family can all confirm this. My mother never went to Da Liang in her life, and the Emperor of Da Liang has never come to Da Gan. First of all, I absolutely cannot be his illegitimate son. Ruling out this possibility, the Emperor of Da Liang's actions are worth pondering..."
Xiao Qing was also full of doubt and worry.
Before Qin Feng came to the Da Gan Kingdom, the Da Gan Kingdom had only promised to guarantee Qin Feng's safety. If Qin Feng had an accident in the Da Gan Kingdom, Da Gan would compensate based on the situation, at most a million taels of silver, but he was not as valuable as Liang Xiao...
Xiao Qing even suspected if the Emperor of Da Liang had gone mad. What exactly did he want to do?