The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Emperor Hongzhi held the document in his hand, with a fierce look in his eyes.

Liu Jin knelt on the ground, crying and howling: "I am innocent."

Yan Chengjin was sure in his heart that no matter how he argued, it would be useless.

The document was in the hand of His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, this document is fake. I paid money to ask the Arabs to write it... How could the king of the Arabs... see me?

Your Majesty, you can ask the civil servants in the Hanyuan to take a look. If the term expires, I will not die well."

Emperor Hongzhi frowned and said: "Hanyuan may not know the Arab language. What do you think, Mr. Yan?"

"There are many Arab merchants in the capital, but since this document was made by Liu Jin, he must know what it says. You can ask him to write it down, and we will know it when we compare it." Yan Chengjin said.

Liu Jin wrote on the paper tremblingly.

Half an hour later, the Jinyiwei found a Arab. The Arab looked at the document and wrote a few words.

The Hongzhi Emperor looked strange. Comparing the two people's writings, they were almost the same sentence:

My name is Liu Jin, I am a brave eunuch of the Ming Dynasty. I came from the East Ming Dynasty under the order of the Ming Prince to go to the French Kingdom to find potatoes.

Liu Jin complained bitterly: "Your Majesty, do you believe me now?"

The Hongzhi Emperor said coldly: "Although I didn't cheat the document of the Arab Kingdom, forging the document is also unforgivable. Ask the prince to come to the Huagai Palace."

Yan Chengjin looked at the two books. Liu Jin and the Arab merchant wrote down the time before and after, which should be true.

Liu Jin collapsed. Now only the prince can save his life. Your Majesty is a generous person and will not bother with him, a servant.

Although forging documents is a serious crime, compared with the actions of Wang Zhi in the previous dynasty, this is a good deed that is better than saving a life and building a seven-story pagoda.

At worst, he will be exiled to Xiaoling to grow vegetables.

Let him grow vegetables, it is better than losing his life. When His Highness becomes the emperor one day, he will remember him and can call him back to the palace.

"Your son Houzhao, meet your father!" Zhu Houzhao didn't understand, and cast a questioning look at Yan Chengjin: Lao Gao, did you betray me again?

The person who betrayed His Highness was Liu Jin, and Yan Chengjin cast a look at Liu Jin.

Emperor Hongzhi's face was pale, as angry as he saw Zhu Houzhao in the past, and his voice was cold and creepy: "You asked Liu Jin to go to France to look for potatoes?"

Zhu Houzhao's expression was obviously a little collapsed, and he lowered his head slightly in panic.

Emperor Hongzhi knew at a glance that this fact was confirmed.

The hall was very quiet, and no one dared to respond to Emperor Hongzhi's words.

"It was Lao Gao's idea..." Zhu Houzhao muttered.

This was not the first or second time, Yan Chengjin knew that this guy would betray him: "Your Highness, don't think that I will admit it just because I say it was my idea."

"Father, I want to strangle him to death..."

Liu Jin was ecstatic, strangling him to death would be better, this Yan Chengjin is a disaster!

"Your Majesty, I don't want to go to France either. Serving Your Highness in the palace is a thousand times better than exiling to France.

Your Highness is right, I ran away from the palace because of what Lord Yan said.

You don't know, I was in pain, I was robbed by horse bandits when I left the border, and I was chased by wolves, biting my pants, which scared me to death... If I hadn't thought about serving Your Highness, I would have died in the Western Regions."

Xiao Jing sighed, this Liu Jin is really lucky, he can still come back alive, I heard Liu Jin say before that he castrated himself to enter the palace, I didn't believe it at first, but now I finally believe it.

Mou Bin was fascinated by what he heard. Liu Jin didn't know any martial arts, but he managed to get through the bandits, survived to the Western Regions, and came back alive, but he was imprisoned by the court. Silly boy, it would be better for him to die outside.

The eunuchs and palace maids standing guard in the hall couldn't help but look at Liu Jin curiously.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned and lowered his voice a few degrees: "What is this potato?"

"Your Majesty, it's the rice of the French." Yan Chengjin said forcefully: "It tastes better than corn, can be used as a staple food, and can be planted in the dry land in the north without occupying farmland. One acre of land can produce four stones."

Emperor Hongzhi was so excited that his beard trembled slightly, and he muttered to himself: "It tastes better than corn, four stones per acre? If it is planted in the Ming Dynasty, wouldn't it be another staple food?"

There are few paddy fields in the Ming Dynasty. Once a major flood occurs, thousands of acres of paddy fields will be submerged.

At noon today, he had just reviewed the memorial of Shuntian Prefecture. The 26 states under Shuntian Prefecture and the government offices in Zhili were all flooded.

Exempt from taxes for one year.

The benefits of planting in dry land are obvious. Dry land is high and cannot be flooded by floods.

The Ming Dynasty has more dry land than paddy fields and a vast territory. This French rice is simply a magical artifact!

"Mr. Yan, is there really such a magical thing in the world?"

Yan Chengjin understood the urgent thoughts of Emperor Hongzhi very well.

It was very cold in winter, and there was nothing to eat in the fields. Some people ate a bowl of porridge, which was their daily ration.

All he could do now was to paint a pie for Emperor Hongzhi.

Potatoes and other things were not directly introduced to the Ming Dynasty, but were planted by merchants from west to east, and finally entered the territory of the Ming Dynasty after being planted in many countries.

It would take another 60 years for it to be introduced naturally.

"Liu Jin did not take back the potatoes, but brought back the peppers." Yan Chengjin said truthfully.

"Can it be used as a staple food?" asked Emperor Hongzhi.

Pepper as a staple food?

This way of eating is also seen in later generations, but it can only be seen in the series "The World Is Not Worthy".

"This thing tastes similar to garlic. It can only be used as a condiment and cannot be eaten directly. I have tried to plant some in my house. If it is ripe, I will send it to the palace." Yan Chengjin said.

Emperor Hongzhi was a little surprised that Yan Chengjin had such a deep research on French things.

"How did the Yan family know all this?"

Mou Bin and Xiao Jing also felt strange. There seemed to be nothing in the world that Yan Chengjin didn't know.

From Hainan Island to French peppers.

Yan Chengjin remained calm: "I asked the Arabs who sell corn, so I know a thing or two about peppers and potatoes."

Xiao Jing pleaded for Liu Jin: "Your Majesty, Liu Jin went to France, but he had no choice. Now he brought back peppers. After all, he was a servant picked by me from the inner academy. I hope Your Majesty will spare his life."

Speaking of it, the prince and Yan Chengjin should be blamed. Liu Jin was just forced to go to France. Xiao Jing said it vaguely, so how could Emperor Hongzhi not know?

"Father, I know I was wrong."

Emperor Hongzhi was almost immune to this sentence and ordered: "Bringing back the chili peppers is also a merit, but tolerating the prince's nonsense, not reporting to me, impersonating the identity of the Ming envoy, and stealing the Wendie, this is a serious crime, drag him out, and beat him with fifty sticks!"

Xiao Jing was shocked. Thirty sticks of court beating is the limit of a person. Every more stick above may kill someone. Fifty sticks, bones are visible, and even the imperial doctor may not be able to cure him.

Mou Bin was secretly shocked. This punishment is comparable to three thousand slow slicings. It is a slow execution. Many civil servants survived the court beating, but died a few days later.

The flesh on the thigh was beaten off, and it couldn't be saved.

"Father, you want to kill Liu Banban?" Zhu Houzhao was stunned.

Liu Jin was happy and said quickly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, don't worry, your highness, I won't die."

Yan Chengjin's face twitched slightly. If Liu Jin could survive, he would give him a free name: Xiaoqiang.

Liu Jin was dragged to the courtyard outside the palace, and the Jinyiwei was responsible for the execution.

Jinyiwei often interrogated prisoners, and the boards they gave were heavier than those of the eunuchs in the palace.

Zhu Houzhao looked up slyly and asked honestly: "How will your father punish me?"

Emperor Hongzhi glanced at him with a gloomy look and said: "Just give you five big boards."

"What about Lao Gao?" Zhu Houzhao hurriedly said: "It was Lao Gao who gave me the idea."

Yan Chengjin was stunned. He didn't expect Zhu Houzhao to be so persistent in sharing the hardship.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned and said: "Take the prince down to execute first. I have something to say to Yan Qingjia."

After Zhu Houzhao left, he asked with a stern face: "Yan Qingjia, what else do you know in the West."