The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

71

TN: Unedited. I will put up the edited version once KitKat is done with it.

By the end of August, all the sweet potato fields had been harvested. The yield was two to three buckets more than expected. After allocating a portion to be sowed the following year, the remaining were distributed to each district for local officials to promote the benefits of sweet potatoes, encouraging more farmers to plant and stock up on them.

Although the people of Yanzhou were unfamiliar with this new crop, they have an unshakable faith in the General and Wangfei. When they knew that the General and Wangfei were encouraging the people to stock up on the sweet potatoes, everyone who could afford it took their food reserves or silver to exchange for the sweet potatoes.

As such An Chang Qing was faced with another issue. Although the sweet potato yield was better than they had expected, it was still not enough to supply to every household in Yanzhou. Just as he was trying to figure out a way, Zhou He Lan, who was given an assignment in the south, had returned with several wagons, currently waiting at the gate.

Previously, Zhou He Lan was tasked with establishing a trade route for the jadite within the areas such as Qing Zhou and Yong Zhou. An Chang Qing did not involve himself with this matter. It was Xiao Zhige who had been exchanging letters with Zhou He Lan. Suddenly seeing Zhou He Lan back at the manor, An Chang Qing couldn't help but be surprised. His tone was slightly raised when he asked, "He Lan?"

Zhou He Lan was a bit more tanned than when he left. His height had also increased and his facial features were a lot more pronounced. After the few months of toughening in the south, he had gained an air that An Chang Qing had seen in his previous life.

Zhou He Lan bent and saluted, "Wangfei, He Lan have lived up to your expectation."

An Chang Qing smiled and asked the guards to open the gates and welcomed him in along with the wagons.

After entering, Zhou He Lan counted the goods before presenting to An Chang Qing. Only then did he realize that the whole caravan was transporting sweet potatoes.

Seeing An Chang Qing's pleasantly surprised expression, Zhou He Lan explained, "In a previous letter from Wangye, it stated that Yanzhou had started to cultivate sweet potatoes from Yuze but there is going to be a shortage. And so I had someone find a way and brought back more from Yuze."

Sweet potatoes in Yuze was abundant and worth little. Yuze's commoners only use them as feed for livestock and food reserves. As such Zhou He Lan was able to procure over ten wagons cheaply and brought them back with him to Yanzhou.

An Chang Qing looked at the sweet potatoes and couldn't hide the big smile on his face, "Just as I was getting worried that we will not have enough."

An Chang Qing had the servants line the wagons in the yard while he invited Zhou He Lan for tea in the main hall. Xiao Zhige had already been notified and not long after, he arrived at the manor on horseback.

When Xiao Zhige entered, upon seeing Zhou He Lan, his first words were: "Do you have any news?"

Zhou He Lan nodded then told the guards to withdraw, leaving only a middle-aged woman behind. "Yes but it's not convenient to speak here."

As the four headed for the study, An Chang Qing looked at Xiao Zhige and Zhou He Lan with questioning eyes. Xiao Zhige then explained to him unpromptedly, "I've previously sent a letter to Zhou He Lan, asking him to find information on the mermaid tribe."

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Da Ye's southern counties shared a border with the Yu Ze Empire. It just happened that Zhou He Lan was sent to the south to do business and with his loyalty to An Chang Qing, Xiao Zhige was willing to divulge An Chang Qing's pregnancy to him, prompting him to conduct an investigation on the mermaid tribe in Yu Ze.