Chapter 864 - 867: Offering
Chapter 864: Chapter 867: Offering
Gu Wenheng had just sent out a letter when an urgent dispatch from his home arrived. Accompanying it was a tightly sealed wooden box.
Gu Wenheng didn’t even need to open the letter to guess its contents.
He had someone move the items to his study. Upon opening the dispatch, the contents were exactly as he had expected. Without even opening the box, he had it carried directly to the palace gates.
Because he had been making quite a stir lately, the Emperor thought he had another urgent memorial and immediately summoned him. To the Emperor’s surprise, Gu Wenheng hadn’t come alone; he had brought along a wooden box.
Hua Zhang took a deep breath, wondering if Gu Wenheng had uncovered more bad accounts. These past few days, whenever he closed his eyes, his head was filled with ledgers. He had finally managed to get a good night’s sleep yesterday, and now this again?
"Gu Aiqing, what is the meaning of this? Have you found something else?" Hua Zhang forced a stiff smile, praying inwardly that it wasn’t another ledger.
"Holy Emperor, this is a gift from this subject to Your Majesty," Gu Wenheng said, respectfully holding up the letter he had just received with both hands.
This letter was personally written by his eldest son—a standard family letter.
Hua Zhang’s heart skipped a beat as he thought, "It is not a holiday or festival. Could Imperial Father and I have misjudged him? Is Gu Wenheng actually a sycophantic official?"
To give him a gift for no reason... Even if it was the first gift he had received since ascending the throne, it was far too blatant.
Gu Wenheng said, "This is a family letter I just received. Not daring to delay for even a moment, I entered the palace immediately. Please review it, Holy Emperor."
Hua Zhang was speechless. He thought, "This is truly bizarre—bringing a family letter into the palace."
Harboring doubts, he had the Chief Eunuch beside him take the letter and hand it over. He cast a perplexed glance at Gu Wenheng before looking down to read it. Suddenly, his hand trembled, and the letter nearly slipped from his grasp.
His eyes fixed fervently on the wooden box. "Men, open the box!"
The guards who had just carried the box in immediately stepped forward and quickly pried it open.
Hua Zhang walked over to inspect it personally. "Is this the corn your esteemed son mentioned?"
Gu Wenheng personally picked one out and peeled back the outer husks to reveal the golden kernels inside. "This is exactly it.
"My son has already tried it with our clansmen. It has been confirmed that it can be eaten to satisfy hunger."
"And this can be grown on barren mountain land?" Hua Zhang weighed one in his hand. "It has some heft to it."
If this item was truly as the letter described, it would be a massive blessing.
Gu Wenheng replied, "Indeed. The crops are still in the fields, so the Holy Emperor can send someone to inspect them."
Hua Zhang paced back and forth, turning the corn over in his hands more than a dozen times. "If the real thing is truly as this letter claims, you have achieved a great merit."
Gu Wenheng said, "This was merely the result of my young son’s mischievous tinkering. I dare not claim any credit."
Amused by his eager tone to distance himself from the achievement, Hua Zhang chuckled. "If every mischievous child could yield such a harvest, then I truly wish for more children like him."
Seeing that the Emperor was in an excellent mood, Gu Wenheng continued, "Holy Emperor, hearing is deceiving. Shall we have the Imperial Kitchen prepare this corn?"
Hua Zhang also wanted to try it to see if it was really as good as the letter described. However, he didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he ordered someone to lift the box. "Let us go to the Supreme Emperor. We will have him celebrate this joyous moment with us."
The appearance of such a crop so soon after his ascension to the throne was a great omen. At this moment, Hua Zhang only wanted to share his joy.
Hua Shunming was left speechless. He thought, "Unfilial son. Had I known, I would have delayed my abdication..."
As soon as Hua Shunming heard their reason for coming, he sat up from the dragon bed and immediately ordered the small kitchen to steam and boil the corn according to the method in the letter.
As a fragrant aroma wafted in, the freshly cooked corn was placed before them.
Neither of the two Emperors reached out first. A little eunuch nearby had already stepped forward to taste it for them.
Gu Wenheng stood silently to the side, waiting. Hua Shunming inhaled the aroma in the air and asked, "It smells quite fragrant. Does it taste good?"
The little eunuch hurriedly covered his mouth to avoid offending the imperial countenance. "It’s delicious!"
Not expecting any elaborate descriptions from the little eunuch anyway, Hua Shunming asked while they waited, "Gu Aiqing, have such crops never been planted before?"
Gu Wenheng shook his head. "To answer the Holy Emperor, this was sent over from the sea trade this year. Because my Madam is quite curious about overseas foods, she left some people there to collect rare items.
"These seeds were sent over by the steward there. My boy found them interesting. Since he happens to be at home observing Ding You, he cleared a patch of land on the mountain to tinker around.
"I had no idea the boy’s luck was this good, actually managing to produce something of note."
"Not bad," Hua Shunming praised aloud, but inwardly, he felt a bit indignant as he thought, "The sea trade is currently in the hands of the Royal Family. What exactly are those subordinate stewards doing? How could they let such an excellent species slip through their fingers?
"It seems I will have to give them a stern warning later. If they collect any new species, they need to remember to send them to the Royal Family for trial planting first."
As for Gu Wenheng’s Madam keeping personnel over in Lu City, Hua Shunming was well aware of it. The goods brought back from overseas were usually sold as soon as they came off the ships. Many people, just like Mrs. Gu, purchased bulk goods to sell across various regions.
If it hadn’t been for Gu Wenheng and his wife, who knew when this kind of grain seed would have been discovered? "I recall that your family has two boys?"
Gu Wenheng replied, "Yes, the Holy Emperor is wise."
"What are they doing at home?"
Gu Wenheng gave a brief introduction of his two children. Hua Shunming was even more satisfied. "Gu Aiqing, you raise your children well. They will surely be pillars of the state in the future.
"Under your guidance, I’m sure both children will be able to do their utmost for the country."
Gu Wenheng said, "Thank you for your praise, Supreme Emperor."
On the same day, in Gaoling Village of Fu County.
Receiving a letter from Shangjing, Jin Qianqian sat in place, stunned for a moment.
Gu Benluo looked worried. "Mother, what did Father say in his letter?"
Jin Qianqian snapped back to reality and smiled, placing the letter in his hands.
Because he was in a rush to report the good news this time, Gu Wenheng had written this family letter in a very proper, standard manner, so Jin Qianqian directly passed it to him to read.
Gu Benluo suddenly stood up. "Mother, isn’t this overstepping?"
This was a Prince Mansion. Even if his father was taking up the post of Minister of Revenue, being rewarded with a Prince Mansion was a bit much.
Jin Qianqian reassured him, "This is compensation from the Royal Family.
"We handed over all our money-making recipes and still haven’t seen any rewards."
Gu Benluo fell silent. Several businesses combined were worth far more than a single Prince Mansion. Even ten or a hundred mansions wouldn’t settle this ledger.
"Do you feel that our family suffered a loss?" Jin Qianqian stared vacantly ahead. "A high profile attracts trouble..."
Although she and her husband came from another world, they were not arrogant enough to dare go against an entire dynasty.
They were already very satisfied to have their current lives. Having reached this point, they only sought stability.
Recipes should be given up when necessary. What truly lasted was one’s own inner strength. Educating future generations well was far more enduring than leaving behind billions in wealth.