Among the news brought by Zhu Cixiang, what surprised Zhang Mingwei the most was the news about potatoes.
On the first day of his time travel, he had a long talk with Emperor Chongzhen and Prince Zhu Cixiang, and when he was giving instructions on the country, he mentioned potatoes and even drew the appearance of potatoes with a brush, asking Zhu Cixiang to go to the south to look for whether potatoes had been introduced at this time. Ming dynasty.
This time, Zhu Cixiang brought potatoes and told Zhang Mingwei that this potato had been introduced to the Ming Dynasty long ago. However, the name of this potato was not common, and he had never heard of any potato name.
After searching hard for a long time with the portrait of Zhang Mingwei, Chen Zilong, a student of Xu Guangqi, said that this crop has been recorded in Xu Guangqi's "Agricultural Policy Complete Book": potato, potato, and yellow potato. . The creeping leaves are like beans, the roots are as round as chicken eggs, the inside is white and the skin is yellow... It can be cooked or steamed. He also boiled taro juice and washed his greasy clothes, making them as white as jade.
But even Xu Guangqi didn't realize the value of potatoes. Therefore, at the beginning, Xu Guangqi specially wrote memorials for sweet potatoes, but not for potatoes.
In fact, potatoes are very suitable for growing in alpine areas where grain yields are extremely low and only oats (naked oats) can grow. Therefore, Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, northern Shaanxi, and Liaodong are actually very suitable for planting.
However, Xu Guangqi is from Shanghai. It is understandable that he did not realize this.
Zhang Mingwei is different. Of course he knows how important potatoes are. Even "polar bears" basically eat potatoes as their main food.
Zhu Cixiang mentioned this matter to Zhang Mingwei when they were chatting in the middle of the night.
After hearing the news from him, Zhang Mingwei, who was still able to sleep, immediately pulled Zhu Cixiang up and asked someone to bring potato samples. After seeing them with his own eyes, he felt relieved.
It’s really a potato!
What is lacking most in the late Ming Dynasty?
Just food!
As long as it’s food, it doesn’t matter what it is.
During the great famine, not only Guanyin Tu said, but Yi Zi also had cannibalism.
In order for these tragedies not to happen again, we must rely on sweet potatoes and potatoes to supplement today's main crops.
By the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, the population had dropped a lot. With one addition and one subtraction, it is estimated that after these two years, there will be no need to worry about food.
Thinking of this, Zhang Mingwei couldn't help but want to laugh three times and then kiss Zhu Cihong.
But fortunately, my sense is still there, otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous!
If we really want to talk about it, this world belongs to Zhu Cihong from now on. If we really want to kiss him, it is Zhu Cihong who should kiss Zhang Mingwei!
Zhang Mingwei shivered all over when he thought about this, and immediately threw all similar thoughts out of his mind. It was so terrifying!
Afterwards, Zhang Mingwei immediately wrote a memorial and rushed the potato matter to the capital eight hundred miles away. It was suggested to Emperor Chongzhen to plant potatoes on a large scale in the barren mountains and fields of the north. As for potato seeds and planting related matters, of course Zhu Cixiang is responsible for them.
Zhu Cixi was also very excited and immediately planned how to handle this matter.
The result was good. After dawn, Zhu Yuluo and the generals came to see the ceremony, and found two "giant pandas"!
Of course, Zhang Mingwei didn't mind the good news spreading widely, so he immediately explained the situation and even asked Zhu Yuluo to have his literary and artistic troops create some songs, sketches and other works specifically to promote potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Judging from the incident in Yangzhou, a notice is far less effective than this easy-to-understand communication method in letting the people know what is going on.
As long as the people know that planting this will reduce the chance of starvation, this will be their biggest motivation to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes.
In addition, the imperial court strictly required local governments to promote potatoes and sweet potatoes. With such a two-pronged approach, Zhang Mingwei had enough reasons to believe that potatoes and sweet potatoes would be planted as quickly as possible in Ming Dynasty.
For this purpose, Zhang Mingwei even immediately thought of many ways to cook potatoes in later generations, so he immediately wrote them down. When he got interested, he immediately announced: "Today I will personally cook and make an all-potato feast for everyone!"
"..." Upon hearing what he said, everyone was stunned.
The dignified Duke Xingguo actually wants to cook for everyone?
This...isn't this too shocking?
But when I came back to my senses, everyone who heard it was looking forward to what the dishes cooked by Duke Xingguo would taste like.
However, they never dare to reveal this expectation.
Otherwise, if Duke Xingguo wants to cook, who would dare to say yes or no?
It can be said that it is really difficult for them to understand that Duke Xingguo wants to cook!
However, Zhu Yuluo and Zhu Cixiang knew Zhang Mingwei's origins and knew that Zhang Mingwei should not be treated according to the requirements of this era. Therefore, the two of them were the quickest to accept it.
Just as she was happy, Zhu Ainao also joined in and said, "Sir, I'm going to cook, so I'll help you!"
"..." Zhou Yuji and others were dumbfounded again after hearing this.
However, what they never expected was that after Zhu Cixiang hesitated for a moment, he still couldn't resist his eager childishness and actually said: "There is also me, I will also come to help sir!"
"..." At this moment, everyone's jaws dropped to the ground. Even Zhang Mingwei was a little surprised.
You know, Zhu Cixiang is the prince of the Ming Dynasty, and he has been training him in the palace. There is absolutely no concept of cooking in his concept. Zhu Yu'ao is a woman, which is reasonable, but Zhu Cixiang also wants to help. This is really beyond Zhang Mingwei's expectation.
But if you really want to talk about it, Zhang Mingwei can actually understand it.
If this cook was just an ordinary person, Zhu Cixiang would never get involved.
However, he was the one cooking, and then Zhu Yuyao asked to help first, and he also asked to help. In fact, it was not the cooking itself, but the interaction with him that was just getting along with him!
Thinking this way, Zhang Mingwei felt a little funny.
However, he actually welcomed this matter very much. Because he believed that once the news spread, because it was related to him, Duke Xingguo, Princess Kunxing, and even the prince, the speed of the spread would be absolutely astonishing.
In this way, potatoes, as the main object of this cooking, will immediately become famous.
It can be said that cooking this time is the best advertisement for potatoes!
With this in mind, Zhang Mingwei of course agreed, and then immediately led the people to the military cook camp.
Zhou Yuji, Sun Yingyuan and other generals only came to their senses after a long time and followed behind with a look of horror on their faces.
The personal guards, royal guards and other soldiers present were even further behind.
Without the big boss present, they immediately started talking in surprise.
"The Duke actually wants to cook the food himself. If we tell this, no one will believe it!"
"That's not true, it's not just that! Don't the princes and princesses of our Ming Dynasty also have to cook! If someone had said this before, I would definitely beat him up. Even if I want to lie to people, I won't find a good excuse!"
"Actually, when I think about it, I'm not particularly surprised. Think about it, didn't the late emperor like to do carpentry?"
"How can this be the same!"
"What's the difference?"
"..."
As they discussed, the news spread as quickly as possible.
As for the cook camp, when the generals in charge and the cooks heard that the Duke, the Crown Prince and the Princess were going to cook for themselves and make an all-potato feast, they were immediately dumbfounded.
Zhang Mingwei was satisfied when he saw the huge sensation, and immediately started working in the cook camp.
Of course, he didn't really have to do it himself, washing, cutting, frying, etc. with Zhu Yuluo and Zhu Cixiang. Instead, he directed the cooks to do what he said.
So, we made mashed potatoes, braised potatoes, shredded potatoes in vinegar, stir-fried potato chips, French fries and even sweet and sour potatoes.
Then, there are mixtures of potatoes and other vegetables, such as green pepper and potato shreds, ground three delicacies, potato stewed pork ribs, etc., which are all made by the cook.
However, because the potatoes brought by Zhu Cihong were limited after all, only the generals in the army who were guerrilla or above were eligible to eat this potato feast.
And this kind of eating is not about eating freely.
Instead, those who have a portion to eat have to line up, each holding chopsticks, to take a bite of each dish.
Of course, priority must be given based on status.
Zhu Cixiang tasted it first, and then Zhu Yuluo. As for Zhang Mingwei himself, he hadn't eaten it for a long time, so he naturally wanted to eat it.
"Sir, this potato turns out to be so delicious. I like the vinegary potato shreds the best!" Zhu Cixiang said to Zhang Mingwei with emotion while eating.
"Sir, I like this sweet and sour potato dish. It tastes sweet and sour, delicate, crispy and fragrant!" When Zhu Yulao commented, she was even more delicate and her description was very accurate.
In response, Zhang Mingwei smiled and nodded.
As for other people who had a share of the meal, of course they were all full of praise. This is not flattering, after all, they have never tasted potatoes before, and the way they ate so many potatoes at once must be suitable for their appetite, so of course they should be praised.
As for those who didn't eat, their mouths watered when they heard them praising the food.
Needless to say, this matter immediately spread in Nanjing as Zhu Cihong led Sun Yingyuan, Li Ruolian and others back to Nanjing.
Suddenly, there were dignitaries everywhere looking to buy potatoes, and then there were the wealthy businessmen.
There is such a delicacy in the world that can attract the powerful Duke Xingguo to cook it himself, and the prince and princess will help him. This is really incredible!
If you don't take a bite and taste it, you won't be willing to die!
So, amidst this potato turmoil, Zhang Mingwei led the army to set off and continued to march westward to suppress the bandits.
