ATPnovel Chapter 34 Luxury Goods - Potatoes?
Chapter 34 Luxury Goods - Potatoes?
Inside the courtyard.
The last group of ministers slunk away.
The noise and hypocrisy have finally dissipated.
Ying Zheng ordered that everyone except Fusu and Zhang Fan should temporarily withdraw and not be disturbed.
On the empty field ridge, only the emperor, his ministers, and their children remained, standing facing each other.
Looking at the mountain of potatoes, Zhang Fan felt a surge of pride.
He immediately took out his phone and dialed that familiar number.
"Sir! Reporting to the commander! Potatoes! A bumper harvest!"
Zhang Fan's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"The yield is astonishing! Conservative estimates suggest it will definitely exceed 2,000 jin per mu!"
……
Modern-day, 749 Bureau's highest command center.
When Zhang Fan's words rang clearly throughout the entire hall through the loudspeakers!
"Success!!!"
"Two thousand catties per mu! My goodness! Comrade Zhang Fan really did it!"
"Excellent! The first step of the Abundance Miracle Project has been a perfect success!"
After a brief silence.
The entire command center erupted in thunderous cheers and applause!
All the researchers, historians, and staff jumped up in excitement.
They embraced each other, celebrating their hard-won victory!
The tension and anticipation that had been suppressed for months were finally released at this moment!
Zhu Feng was so excited that he trembled all over.
His voice choked as he spoke into the microphone:
"Good! Good comrade! You've worked hard!"
"You have rendered unparalleled service to the country!"
After the celebration, Zhu Feng quickly regained his composure, and his tone became serious as he spoke to Zhang Fan:
"Comrade Zhang Fan, don't let your guard down!"
"The success of the potato is just the beginning."
"Based on our model's deductions!"
"Next, you will face the most ferocious counterattack from the old aristocratic forces!"
Before Zhang Fan could reply.
Ying Zheng, who was standing to the side, let out a cold snort.
"A counterattack?"
"A bunch of skeletons in a tomb, do you dare to talk about retaliation before me?"
Ying Zheng took the phone and spoke into the receiver.
"I have long wanted to uproot these parasites that have taken hold of the Qin Dynasty!"
"I want to see what tricks they can pull!"
"Emperor Qin Shi Huang, please calm your anger!"
Zhu Feng's voice immediately rang out, carrying a hint of comfort.
"Cutting grass might scare the snakes away!"
"But if we don't wipe out all the snakes in one fell swoop, the consequences will be endless!"
"Our think tank worked through the night to develop a completely new response strategy for you and Comrade Zhang Fan!"
"Code name—Boiling Frog in Warm Water!"
"Oh?"
Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Speak!"
Zhu Feng said in a deep voice:
"Right now, we must not be impatient for quick results, nor should we alert the enemy!"
"The think tank's advice is to do the opposite!"
"Our first step isn't to promote it; instead, we'll position this potato as a luxury item!"
Both Fusu and Ying Zheng were taken aback upon hearing this.
Luxury goods?
Zhu Feng continued to explain:
They publicly claimed that this item was a divine treasure from the celestial realm, and that mortals who consumed it could prolong their lives!
"Only those of royal lineage and nobility can obtain it!"
"In this way, it won't impact existing food prices!"
"This will also greatly increase the value of potatoes, temporarily lulling those old nobles into a false sense of security!"
"The second step: secretly laying the groundwork!"
"Young Master Fusu and Zhang Fan will select several villages around Xianyang as pilot sites!"
"We distributed seed potatoes to these villages and assigned specialists to provide guidance!"
"Tell them that as long as they grow it, the government will buy it at ten times the price of millet!"
"A generous reward will surely attract brave men!"
"The people will definitely rush to plant it like madmen!"
"And those old nobles will only look down on us, and might even be happy to see us fail!"
"In this way, we can quietly accumulate a massive amount of potato seed tubers among the people!"
"In a few years, potato production will be enough to cover the entire Guanzhong Plain, and even the entire Qin Dynasty!"
"By then, prices will plummet!"
"At that time, potatoes will no longer be a luxury!"
"It's a life-saving food that everyone can eat their fill!"
"We can bankrupt the old aristocracy without firing a single shot!"
"They have completely lost the ability to contend with the imperial court!"
"This strategy is called an open conspiracy! Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, it will lead them to their demise while they remain complacent and dismissive!"
boom!!!
After hearing Zhu Feng's entire plan, Ying Zheng felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind!
Shock and amazement erupted from his deep, tiger-like eyes!
"Brilliant...brilliant! That's a brilliant plan!"
Ying Zheng couldn't help but clap his hands in praise.
"First suppress, then elevate; openly repair the plank road while secretly advancing the Chencang!"
"To package a divine object that benefits the country and its people into a luxury item to satisfy my personal desires!"
"Use this to lull others into a false sense of security! Then strike decisively and kill them!"
"This scheme is so intricate, with each step perfectly linked and flawless!"
"The wisdom of later generations is truly terrifying!"
He looked at Zhang Fan, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and trust.
"Okay! We'll do it your way!"
Ying Zheng made the final decision, then turned his gaze to Zhang Fan and Fusu, who was listening nearby.
"This matter will be entirely entrusted to Zhang Fan and Fusu!"
He looked at Fusu, his eyes filled with expectation.
"Fusu, this is both an opportunity and a test for you! Do not disappoint me!"
"Your subject will certainly not fail in his mission!"
A fierce fire ignited in Fusu's eyes.
He solemnly bowed deeply to Ying Zheng and Zhang Fan.
This is more than just a task.
This was given to him by his father and the Grand Tutor!
An opportunity for him to put his ideas into practice and work for the well-being of all people!
……
the next day.
The morning court session at Xianyang Palace.
When the eunuch read out Ying Zheng's decree regarding potatoes in a shrill voice.
The entire Qilin Hall fell into a deathly silence!
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"
"Potatoes are a divine delicacy from the celestial realm, produced in the highest heavens, and are not of this mortal nature. Their nature is extremely yang; mortals who consume them may suffer misfortune and shorten their lifespan. From this day forward, they shall be designated as a royal tribute; no one but royalty and nobility may privately cultivate, sell, or consume them!"
"All produce shall go to the imperial treasury and be used as gifts for the emperor!"
"Anyone who dares to secretly conceal or trade in such items will be subject to one month of mandatory labor!"
"So be it!"
boom!!!!
After the imperial decree was read, the minds of all the civil and military officials were completely blown!
All the ministers looked at each other, completely dumbfounded!
What?
They won't allow planting?
Still serving one month of corvée labor?
What the hell is this?
Wasn't the emperor overjoyed yesterday because of this amazing production volume?
Why the complete 180-degree turn today, directly listing it as a prohibited item?
"Your Majesty... what does this mean?"
"I can't understand it! I absolutely can't understand it!"
"Does His Majesty fear that the widespread adoption of this product will undermine the foundation of the nation?"
The officials were completely bewildered and dumbfounded.
Only Li Si, who stood at the head of all the officials, lowered his head the moment he heard the imperial decree.
No one saw that the corners of his drooping mouth were actually turning up wildly.
high!
That's brilliant!
The schemes of later generations are simply unpredictable!
……
On the way out of the palace.
A group of former noble ministers huddled together, their faces growing increasingly grim.
"He's gone mad! His Majesty must be insane!"
"To leave such a divine resource, capable of feeding the entire world, unused and instead treat it as a reward? What a blatant waste!"
"This must be Zhang Fan's doing! What exactly is he trying to do?"
The crowd discussed it amongst themselves, completely baffled.
suddenly!
The Imperial Censor Feng Yuan, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped in his tracks!
His face turned extremely gloomy in an instant, and a look of horror and realization flashed in his eyes!
"I see……"
Feng Yuan's voice was hoarse and trembling slightly.
"This is an open conspiracy!"
"It's Zhang Fan's blatant conspiracy!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was startled and quickly gathered around: "Master Feng, what do you mean by that?"
Feng Yuan took a deep breath, a vicious glint in his eyes:
"He...he's deliberately inflating the value of potatoes!"
"Let's make this item a rare and highly sought-after commodity!"
"At the same time, it's also a way to lull us into a false sense of security and lower our guard!"
"Although I don't yet know what his real plan is, this is definitely a shocking conspiracy!"
"We must not let him succeed!"
One minister asked anxiously, "What should we do? His Majesty has already issued a decree; we can't just openly disobey, can we?"
"defy?"
Feng Yuan sneered, "Who gave you permission to openly defy me?"
He looked around at everyone and said, word by word:
"Plan, continue!"
"What?!"
The ministers were greatly alarmed!
"Lord Feng! Are we still going to continue? His Majesty has already ordered a month of corvée labor! What if this is discovered..."
"What kind of punishment is one month of forced labor? It's negligible!"
Feng Yuan abruptly flicked his sleeve, his voice icy cold.
"Isn't he looking for a place to conduct a pilot program?"
"Alright! Let's make his pilot program fail!"
"If the pilot project he's in charge of goes wrong, it will be a complete failure! And many more people will die!"
"That means he failed in his duties and angered Heaven!"
"At that time, rumors spread, and Zhang Fan was considered a sorcerer!"
"Public anger is rising! Let's see what he does!"
Upon hearing this, the flames of greed were instantly rekindled in the eyes of all the ministers!
That's right!
We must kill Zhang Fan!
……