Food starts with Mapo Tofu

Hearing what Chen Nian said, Li Xu felt relieved. After all, Chen Nian had been here for a while, so he naturally understood the rules of the court and the court.

Since he dared to say that, he must have his own self-confidence. Otherwise, if the military order is issued and he can't say anything at that time, then Chen Nian will really be beheaded.

"Your Majesty, I found several things when I went to the warehouse. One of them is called potatoes. It can be planted on relatively dry and barren land. If it is planted normally, the yield per mu will be at least several hundred catties. If it is planted properly, it can be grown. There are several thousand catties, and there are many ways to eat it. It can be eaten as a staple food.

In addition, there is another thing called sweet potato, which can be grown at least several hundred catties in ordinary cultivation. If we can carefully cultivate poison-free sweet potatoes, the yield per mu can reach at least one thousand catties. If we can master the more suitable cultivation method, I am afraid that More than five thousand catties are possible. "

As Chen Nian spoke, he looked at Li Xu's shocked expression.

Although the major of Chen Nian is not history, the teacher also mentioned it when he took the professional class, and since Chen Nian entered the ancient copy, he also read a lot of related books.

As early as the Warring States period, the grain yield per mu was only 200 catties, and it increased to more than 380 catties in the Han Dynasty. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, rice cultivation in the south was relatively extensive, so the level of grain yield per mu was not high. It is comparable to the Han Dynasty, and the yield per mu of dry land in the north has basically maintained the same level. The yield per mu in the Tang Dynasty has increased a lot, and it has already broken through the [-] mark, but it has only increased on this basis until the Song Dynasty. I lost about fifty catties, reaching about [-] catties.

So on the whole, the farming technology of the Great Xia Dynasty is estimated to be similar to that of the Ming Dynasty, and it will break through the [-]-jin mark at most.

So Li Xu was naturally shocked when Chen Nian said that potatoes and sweet potatoes can produce at least several hundred catties, and under good conditions, several thousand catties.

Li Xu thought in his heart, if this is the case, wouldn't it take a few years for the people of the Great Xia Dynasty to live a life where everyone can have enough to eat?

The benefits of people being able to eat enough for everyone are too great. After eating enough, they will have more energy to work, and other industries can also develop.

This represents the improvement of national strength, the improvement of the domestic economy, and the overall strength of the army will also increase a lot.

"Chen Nian, let me ask you again, is what you said true?"

"Exactly!"

"Okay, okay! Then I will call the people from the household department to communicate with you now, and you will contact them about how to operate."

"The minister obeys the order."

Not long after, Hubu Shangshu came to the imperial study in a hurry.

The name of the current Household Minister is Hai Shaowen, and he is Hai Mingxian's father. Now Hai Mingxian is engaged to his elder sister Lu Ke, and the two will soon become in-laws.

"His Majesty!"

It didn't take long for Hai Shaowen to arrive at the main hall.

But he also had some doubts in his heart. Originally, he was still looking up the expenditure of the imperial court this year in the household department, but the great eunuch Wang Jin beside His Majesty came over in a hurry and said that His Majesty had urgent matters with him.

"Master Hai, let Chen Nian tell you."

Then Hai Shaowen looked at Chen Nian curiously.

Chen Nian recounted what he found yesterday, and Hai Shaowen was shocked when he heard it.

He knows better than anyone in the court what it means that the land yields thousands of catties per mu!
And these two crops can also be used as staple food.

So, like Li Xu after hearing this for the first time, he asked Chen Nian whether it was true or not.

After Chen Nian explained it carefully, Hai Shaowen wanted to see what the crop looked like.

So Wang Jin made another trip and brought potatoes, sweet potatoes and several other crops.

"Lord Hai, here are potatoes. If they can be planted properly, he can produce three to five thousand catties per mu, but it is not enough now and needs to be carefully cultivated.

There is also this sweet potato, which is a bit bigger, and can reach seven to eight thousand catties if it is cultivated well. "

"Then do you know how to cultivate?"

Chen Nian shook his head: "I only know about it, but I haven't tried it yet."

"You haven't experimented yet, why dare you make such an assertion?"

"That's what the Warlock said."

"Warlock?" Hai Shaowen didn't know the excuses that Chen Nian had said before.

So Chen Nian talked about the warlock again.

Hearing that Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Minister of Honglu Temple were also involved, Hai Shaowen immediately expressed his desire to meet the two of them.

So Li Xu sent Wang Jin over again, and called Meng Tie and Fu Xin over.

After the two arrived, they learned the whole story. Meng Tie also gave a general account of how he learned physics from Chen Nian, and also took some technical projects recently improved by the Ministry of Industry as evidence.

"That Warlock, is he really that powerful?"

"It's really amazing, but it's a pity that I can't find anyone now, otherwise I have to invite him over."

"It's a pity." Hai Shaowen sighed.

"Chen Nian, if what you said is true, how should we start?"

Chen Nian thought for a while: "Because I also heard from that warlock, and I haven't done any specific experiments, but we can choose a few experimental fields first, and cultivate them according to different planting distances, different fertility of the land, and different irrigation conditions.

See which one is the most suitable environment for growing potatoes, but you have to remove some of the toxicity of the potatoes themselves before doing it. "

"Is this thing poisonous?"

"Well, some of them are toxic, but this toxicity can be removed."

"Then do you know how to remove it?"

"I know, but I need to prepare a lot of things."

Li Xu nodded: "As long as you can grow this potato, you can tell me what you need. This is an important matter related to the people's livelihood in Daxia."

"Your Majesty, I will do my best."

Seeing Chen Nian's confident appearance, Li Xu felt relieved.

But at this moment, she thought of something else, if Chen Nian was allowed to cultivate potatoes and sweet potatoes, then who would make her own snacks?
Although she also knows that her preference is definitely more important than the people's livelihood of Daxia, but she is used to eating these old-fashioned things every day...

"I also ask Your Majesty to issue an order to transfer Chen Nian to the household department."

Li Xu was even more embarrassed when he heard this.

"Chen Nian, can you complete the experiment of cultivating potatoes in the palace?"

"Your Majesty, as long as there is a laboratory, anywhere will do."

Hai Shaowen also understood that His Majesty wanted to keep Chen Nian in the palace.

It is true that His Majesty likes old-fashioned snacks.

"Your Majesty, there are many professional agricultural craftsmen in the Ministry of Housing... If they can come to the Ministry of Housing, the experiment can progress faster." Hai Shaowen still wants to fight for it.

When Hai Shaoyan spoke just now, Chen Nian also secretly thought that it was not good. He patronized Da Xia Chao to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes, but he didn't expect this crop.

If he really went to the household department, how could he learn how to cook with Master Song?

Now they can't tie themselves to the Ministry of Households?

If I had studied agronomy before, that would be fine, if I had the right major, but now that I am a chef, turning around and going into agriculture would be equivalent to entering this dream for nothing?

"Your Majesty, I also feel that it is better to be in the palace. If it can be successfully cultivated, it will not be too late to hand over this technology to the household department."

Chen Nian has to fight for himself again.

"Your Majesty!" Hai Shaowen became anxious when he heard this.

But Li Xu is the emperor after all.

"Let Chen Nian stay in the palace, I will arrange a laboratory for him."

The emperor made a decree, and the others had nothing to do.

And it's still in the PPT stage, so Hai Shaowen can only recognize it with his nose.

After going back to the old age, I will make a list.

What things are needed for the experiment, how many rooms are needed in the palace, with the list, Li Xu can make arrangements for Chen Nian.

At night, Chen Nian desperately thought about what he had learned before.

The process of detoxifying potatoes is still very cumbersome, but fortunately, the basic skills were very solid when he was in school before Chen Nian, so he made a large list in one night.

Due to the limitations of the times, many things can only be aged with substitutes.

In addition to experimental equipment, there are many materials for preparing chemical reagents and corresponding equipment for controlling environmental variables.

The aging is very efficient. The list is submitted on the second day, and the place is found for the aging on the third day.

This is a large yard with one entrance. There are five rooms in the yard, and a large vegetable field in the middle.

Moreover, Hai Shaowen arranged for three people to help Chen Nian.

Looking at the three people who greeted him, Chen Nian felt a little emotional, and finally he also lived the life of a former professor, with someone working under him.

And these people had heard before that Chen Nian was just a cook, so before they came, they all still looked down upon him.

I thought to myself that Chen Nian probably let them come here because of his relationship with Mr. Hai.

Otherwise, they are all Jinshi who passed the examination in previous years, and they have achieved fame.

Even if the government and the public had heard that Chen Nian was Master Fu's teacher, they didn't actually take it seriously, because in their thinking, since Chen Nian was so capable, why didn't he take the imperial examination?
But Chen Nian can't control these things, since they were arranged by the Minister of the Household Department, they have to listen to their own words.

So Chen Nian first told everyone about the rules in the laboratory in the future.

For example, before conducting an experiment, it must be clean, and it is best to wear special clothes in the laboratory.

And the chemical reagents that he will prepare next must be kept and taken according to strict regulations, and every use must be recorded and so on.

At first they were a little taken aback when they heard this.

But when Chen Nian started to tell them the basic knowledge of biology and chemistry, their expressions gradually became serious.

Even though Chen Nian has tried his best to make this knowledge easy to understand, it is still very difficult for them to listen.

Until Chen Nian basically finished explaining it to them, let them go back and digest it well.

"Think about it first, I have to go back to the imperial dining room to do some work. When all the things are delivered later, we will set up the laboratory together."

The three nodded.

For the next three days, Chen Nian would tell them a lot about the experiment every day.

Although agronomy and food science belong to two directions, many experiments have commonalities.

In addition, I have learned about it before the old age, so this experiment itself is not difficult. The only thing that makes the old age a little uncertain is that the environment here is too simple and rough, so it can only be done under the existing conditions. .

I don't know how much aging can be completed, but at least there will be no progress.

After all the things that Chen Nian wanted were delivered, Chen Nian also started planning to go to the laboratory.

However, setting up the laboratory still requires remodeling some of the structures inside, and old craftsmen from the court were found again.

Let them design the drawings according to their own requirements and start to rebuild.

The reconstruction here takes time, but Chen Nian also needs to start preparing for the Luming Banquet in the imperial dining room on the other side.

But thanks to the renovation there, Chen Nian had the time to come here and continue to learn about Luming Banquet.

Song Qingzhou knew about Chen Nian being entrusted with important tasks by His Majesty the next day.

He was in a very complicated mood, but since Chen Nian was still willing to stay here to study, he could only do his best to hand over all the things he would learn to Chen Nian as soon as possible.

Otherwise, who knows if Chen Nian will be so busy with the affairs over there that he won't be able to study with himself?

Chen Nian had learned from Song Qingzhou earlier that the Luming Banquet was held on a huge scale, so the preparation of the ingredients had already started three days in advance.

Due to the ice room built before Aging, many of their ingredients can be put into the ice room in advance, refrigerated and marinated.

Until the day before the Luming Banquet.

All the people in the imperial dining room started to get busy, no one was idle from top to bottom.

There are hundreds of people up and down here, and everyone who is busy is about to fly.

Eating and going to the bathroom can only take time.

The sound of water, the sound of cutting vegetables and meat, the sound of shouting, shouting and cursing can be heard endlessly.

Chen Nian still tried his best to write down the steps of each dish Song Qingzhou prepared in his mind. Even if there were some omissions, he still had to write down the general process so that he could ask about it later.

"Chen Nian, go and see if the duck has been blanched..."

"Chen Nian, go and deal with the pork belly..."

"Chen Nian changed the flower knife for this fish..."

"Old years..."

"Old years..."

Song Qingzhou kept arranging tasks for Chen Nian, and Chen Nian also completed every task satisfactorily.

In this way, they kept busy until the afternoon of the Luming Banquet.

At this time, the imperial dining room also ushered in the peak of its work.

"Aging, take out the duck meat inside, add some seasoning to the remaining soup, thicken it and pour it over."

"Chen Nian, I will leave this pot to you. Simmer the eel on a low fire until it is crispy, then add some monosodium glutamate and add some wet powder. After the pot is ready, put it on a plate and sprinkle some pepper..."

"Chen Nian, you make a sweet and sour sauce, about [-] taels, remember to make it six parts sweet and four parts sour, I will use it later."

"Chen Nian to make a sauce, I told you to put those things..."

Now that the finishing touches have come, the time outside has set out for dried fruit preserves and preserves and a variety of tapas.

After the emperor had finished speaking, they were about to serve the food.