Chapter 117: I Never Blamed You
“Turnip?” Liu Xiaowei asked, confused. He had never heard of this vegetable name!
“It’s what the peasant families call ‘dog-head mustard,’ big-headed mustard greens. In Chang’an, they call it turnip.”
Gu Changxiao: … Chang’an also calls it big-headed cabbage.
Liu Xiaowei once again marveled at the Prince’s familiarity with agriculture. Some young masters couldn’t even distinguish between grains, yet our Prince was thoroughly knowledgeable about farming.
He pointed to a patch of land a bit further away:
“Those are common vegetables. To store winter vegetables, our Tuntian Camp has also planted quite a bit, and there are radishes too, over in that area. Would the Prince like to take a look?”
Jinsui said happily, “No need to look. This King has a new task for you. Have someone plant turnips and Chinese cabbage together in one plot, specifically to collect seeds.”
“After collecting the seeds, continue to mix and plant them, then collect seeds again. After several rounds of planting, select the mutated seeds, meaning those that are different from both types of vegetable seeds, and plant them in the experimental field.”
Liu Xiaowei asked, confused, “Why is that?”
“Hybridization, understand? It’s mixing two similar types of vegetables to produce different seeds.
Like fruit trees, some fruit trees don’t bear fruit, but if you graft a branch from a fruit-bearing tree, it will produce fruit.”
Having been in the Tuntian Camp for so long, how could Liu Xiaowei not understand? He slapped his thigh, “The Prince means that Chinese cabbage and turnips can grow into something else?”
Jinsui nodded, “Plant them together for a few more rounds, and something new will definitely grow. But what exactly it will become, this King cannot guarantee.
It’s not just vegetables; our wheat and rice can also use this method to breed high-yield seeds.”
She knew exactly what Chinese cabbage and turnips could hybridize into: the highest-yielding, most common vegetable of later generations, Chinese cabbage!
If Chinese cabbage were truly hybridized, along with salt, sugar, and chili peppers, our Border City could gain a new special product: pickled Chinese cabbage.
Seeing Gu Changxiao looking at her intently, she asked in a low voice:
“It’s okay if you don’t understand farming. Liu Xiaowei is very capable. When our identities are switched back, if you have any farming questions, ask him.”
Gu Changxiao asked softly, “How does Daoist Ji know so much about farming?”
Jinsui chuckled, “I learned from my Grandpa. My Grandpa knows everything!”
“He always said that having many skills is never a burden; one should understand a little bit of everything.”
Gu Changxiao recalled Daoist Ji’s actions throughout their journey; he was indeed a jack-of-all-trades in the Jianghu.
He seized the opportunity to say, “When Daoist Ji arrives, the Ji Clan can establish a business in the Border City.”
Jinsui didn’t respond. This person was always trying to persuade her to stay in the Border City whenever he had the chance!
When they reached the area with the cacti, they saw that the Yan family had built new thatched huts nearby, and some workers were collecting cochineal.
The steward, seeing the Li King’s entourage from afar, respectfully waited by the roadside and prepared tea for everyone to rest.
He said with a fawning smile, “The demand for cochineal is very high. Even collecting day and night, we can’t keep up. Could the Prince send people to the Borderlands to search? Our Rouge Shop will buy them at a high price.”
They were already using “our,” implying it was for her to make money. How could Jinsui refuse?
With the recent battles of Han Xing clearing out bandits and the Border City fighting Tartars, she believed the Borderlands would be peaceful for the next few months.
She instructed the Yan family steward to send workers along, and the Black Feather Camp to send a team to protect and guide them to the Borderlands to collect cochineal.
Seeing people digging a cellar nearby, she asked in confusion, “What is this for?”
The steward quickly replied, “These are underground tunnels being built for winter. We are afraid someone might damage this area of cacti, and the Yan family will also send people to guard it in winter.”
Jinsui nodded and pointed to the Gobi Desert in the distance, “The Yan family operates in this area. Do not go near the spices planted by the Tuntian Camp.”
The Yan family steward quickly assured them that their people would only guard the cactus area and would not wander off without the Prince’s order.
As they left, Jinsui explained to Gu Changxiao again that fennel, cumin, and other spices were planted in the Gobi Desert, and they would become special products of our Border City once they matured.
And the business with the Yan family was a collaboration with Miss Yan.
Upon hearing it was a business involving rouge and powder, Gu Changxiao was puzzled, “Daoist Ji knows even this?”
“Just a little bit. Don’t look down on the rouge and powder business; it’s very profitable when done on a large scale!
The Border City is poor and blank, with too few businesses that can be done. This rouge business, in cooperation with the Yan family, must be taken seriously.”
She then said with some hesitation, “Um, the formula for this rouge is a family heirloom. My Grandpa said it should be a family treasure. But this business is a collaboration under the Li King’s name. So, you see…”
“When our identities are switched back, I will clarify with the Yan family that this business belongs to the Ji Clan,” Gu Changxiao said, suppressing a smile.
Jinsui was overjoyed. Communicating with intelligent people was so simple!
She quickly said with a smile, “We’ll split the dividends fifty-fifty. I won’t take advantage of you.”
Seeing Jinsui smile more genuinely, Gu Changxiao felt reassured. Our little Daoist Ji loves money! Thus, money could be used to keep him here later.
Thinking it was a collaboration with Miss Yan, Gu Changxiao tentatively asked, “Does Daoist Ji have any personal feelings for Miss Yan?”
Jinsui was stunned for a moment. Personal feelings? Did he think they were going to be a lesbian couple?
Could this guy be trying to use Miss Yan to keep me, a talent, here?
She quickly shook her head, “Absolutely no personal feelings! I am very clear; I have no fate with romantic love in this life.”
Gu Changxiao, however, did not think so. “Many eunuchs in Chang’an have wives.”
Jinsui was startled. She absolutely must not let Miss Yan know! She didn’t want to harm the young lady.
Recalling what Wei Assistant Secretary had advised her earlier, she smiled and advised Gu Changxiao, “Speaking of Miss Yan, she is a truly rare and good girl. Your Highness could meet her. If you are mutually in love, marrying her would be much better than marrying a noble lady from Chang’an!”
Gu Changxiao glanced at her and said nonchalantly, “The Li King’s reputation for being impotent is known throughout the land. He cannot marry.”
Jinsui was speechless. Don’t be so petty!
“This can be proven. Just find a few physicians to certify it.”
Gu Changxiao shook his head, “Forget it. I don’t have the heart to think about this matter right now.”
Jinsui thought of Miss Lin, whom Miss Yan had questioned the Li King about before, and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Have you forgotten Miss Lin?”
Gu Changxiao looked into the distance, his eyes filled with loneliness and a chilling hatred. He said in a very soft and cold tone, “Indeed, I cannot forget.”
It wasn’t the tone of someone missing a lover, but of someone speaking of an enemy.
Jinsui instinctively felt that this topic should not be continued. Knowing too much about the boss’s private affairs was not beneficial.
What if one day they parted ways with Gu Changxiao, and he said, “You know too much”?
She quickly changed the subject, “Li Heng still owes our Border City a road. We must hurry and urge him to arrange for people to repair it. Once the road to Yanzhou is repaired, we will repair the road to the East Sea and build a base there.”
Gu Changxiao quickly changed his mood and chuckled, “Little Daoist Ji has made many plans for the future of the Border City! In just two months, others might not even have toured the Border City, let alone accomplished so much.”
Jinsui said half-seriously, half-jokingly, “My situation is different. I was afraid Your Highness would blame me, so I thought I’d do more to make amends.”
Gu Changxiao looked at her and said sincerely, “I only feel gratitude towards Little Daoist Ji and have never blamed you.”
