Chapter 88:


    Li Er was not an upstart after all. Because of his extreme excitement, it was understandable that he blurted out something thoughtless.


    After hearing Su Lis words, Li Er finally managed to calm down. He could tell that the shorings of the new grains that Su Li had mentioned earlier werent meant to discourage him but to make him more aware.


    Thinking it over, Li Er sighed softly. <em>Regardless, its still something that yields a thousand catties per acre. With that advantage, its as if Heaven has bestowed a benevolent virtue upon us.</em>


    In this moment, Li Ers face suddenly revealed a touch of nostalgia.


    You might not know, being young. During the earlier Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang Guang pursued grand projects and waged campaigns, causing taxes andbor levies to soar annually, burdening themon people beyond words.


    At that time, the Crown Prince was stationed in Taiyuan. The once prosperous Fen River Valley was abandoned due to excessive taxation,bor, and natural disasters. The people had neither enough clothing nor food, leading to widespread starvation. These are things Ive personally witnessed. Theres no need to borate on the details recorded in history.


    The impact of these two new crops on Li Er was profound. He rarely reminisced about the past in front of his juniors, let alone showed a hint of emotion.


    Empress Zhangsun walked over and gently held Li Ers hand.


    Li Er smiled at her and then turned to Su Li.


    I said I want to introduce these two new crops to the realm, not for immediate gains. I just feel that the people are suffering greatly. For the past four years, whenever I think about people toiling day and night yet still unable to have a meal, Im troubled and unable to sleep. When you presented these two new grains, it filled me with joy. Because it signifies that from now on, the people of the Great Tang wont suffer as they used to. Even in times of great disaster, there will be hundreds of thousands, if not millions, fewer deaths from starvation!


    Li Ers genuine emotions caught Su Li off guard. He didnt bring out the potatoes and sweet potatoes just to amuse Li Er. The intention was to shift Li Ers focus, hoping he wouldnt bother him.


    The peoples lives in this era were tough, and Su Li could empathize with them. After all, he had spent six years as a peasant before this, facing the soil daily, relying on thends yield for sustenance.


    However, he didnt realize thatpared to themon people of history, the hardships he had experienced were rtively good. No matter how you look, the early Zhenguan years of the Great Tang Dynasty were rtively stable without major natural disasters.


    It wasnt until now that Su Li realized he lived in a feudal era with low productivity. Due to this low productivity, themon people had no means to resist natural disasters or cmities.


    Drought would lead to starvation.


    Floods would lead to starvation.


    And if war broke out, it would be even worse.


    The line from Cao Caos poem, A thousand miles without a rooster crowing, white bones exposed in the wild, was not an exaggeration.


    History books were filled with countless records of disasters, both natural and man-made. The reality was far from being encapsted by a cold statement like a year of great famine, people resort to cannibalism.


    Behind each recorded eventy the loss of millions of lives.


    With these thoughts in mind, Su Lis mood became heavy. Su Li finally realized that this was indeed the true nature of ancient life.


    Cold, unforgiving, and harsh.


    And he felt that it was time for him to do something for this era. Even if it was for the 20 million people of the Tang Dynasty, he was willing to bring out these two things.


    Promoting the new crops would be time-consuming and require effort. It must be done through official channels to spread quickly.


    Li Er would undoubtedly gain significant achievements from this endeavor. But these matters didnt concern Su Li much.


    If it could ensure that no one in the realm would suffer from hunger again, what would Li Ers reputation matter? Realizing this, Su Lis expression turned serious.


    At this point, Li Er asked, You made valid points earlier. So, ording to you, how should these new crops be cultivated?


    Su Li thought for a moment, speaking earnestly, Sweet potatoes and potatoes are not particrly picky about soil. Take potatoes, for example. They can grow in even poor, saline-alkali soils, although the yield might be slightly lower. They yield remarkably well in sandy areas. Using good farnd to cultivate these would be wasteful. These two crops are best suited as supplementary crops in agriculture.


    nting some in the less fertile corners of farnd can meet the yearly needs. Both sweet potatoes and potatoes are rtively drought-tolerant but not flood-resistant. nting them on slightly elevated terrain ensures a good yield. Even in the face of natural disasters, the people wont be without sustenance.


    Li Er nodded, evidently taking Su Lis words to heart. After all, Su Li was the one who knew these two crops throughout the entirety of the Tang Dynasty and thus had the most expertise in this area.


    Li Ers mood visibly improved. He washed his hands, then contentedly sat by the stove, unabashedly picking up a roasted sweet potato and a handful of fries.


    Ah, such good crops, yet theyre eaten like this. What a waste!


    Su Li couldnt help but roll his eyes.


    Out of the five of us, you eat the most. Youre the least qualified toin about wasting things. Seriously!


    How could you, out of the five of us who are the most, be the least qualified toin about wasting things?


    The emperor, speaking nonsense with open eyes, didnt even mind losing face?


    Well, if we had used all the food were eating today for nting, the promotion across the realm could be elerated by a bit Li Er muttered.


    Li Er wanted benefits, but he wasnt straightforward about it. Instead, he sighed and seemed fishing for something from Su Li.


    On this matter, Su Li didnt want to speak. He even felt tempted to throw a sweet potato at him.


    Never mind, there are still five catties in the kitchen, Su Li said. He wasnt ignorant, after all. The scale of the promotion of new crops was crucial. With just over a hundred catties of sweet potatoes and potatoes, even if you were in a rush, you couldnt promote them all quickly. Each extra catty would make a significant difference.


    Besides, sweet potatoes and potatoes in Su Lis hands were food, while they could be used well in Li Ers hands. Simply put, food promotion couldnt be achieved by merely saying a thousand catties per acre without any actions.


    If the people were so easily epting of the new food, sweet potatoes, and potatoes wouldnt have spread across thend over a hundred years, allowing mites to take advantage of it. Li Er was naturally extremely pleased with this oue.


    After being satisfied with a full meal, the attendants from the Princess Mansion brought in the kitchens inventory, totaling five catties of sweet potatoes and potatoes.


    Li Er was even more delighted, directing the eunuchs to load the sweet potatoes and potatoes onto the carriage himself, leaving in high spirits.


    In front of the Princess Mansion, as he watched the carriage grow smaller in the distance, Su Li let out a sigh of relief.


    He had finally managed to get rid of Li Er!


    Su Li was sure that in the days toe, Li Er would be less active.


    Discovering an invincible general was important, of course


    But priorities matter, and no matter how impressive a great general might be, they must take a backseat to the new crops.


    After all, for an emperor, eliminating the threat of starvation to the people was just as significant as expanding territory, or perhaps even more so.