I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 135 Yuan Qingcheng Gets on the Pirate Ship
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"The Book of Agriculture" covers all aspects of agriculture, from farmland planning, cultivation, fertilization, and irrigation to crop harvesting and processing. It offers many unique insights into soil improvement, fertilizer use, and traditional pesticides that were not available at the time. It is highly practical and operable, forming a relatively complete agricultural technology system that can discuss agricultural technologies in both the north and south. Furthermore, it describes land use patterns and farmland irrigation in great detail and introduces various agricultural tools (including various advanced agricultural tools developed by Ma Xiaojiao). It is definitely a work that systematically summarizes the entire agricultural system and integrates the best of agricultural science from ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad.

It's clear that Yuan Qingcheng has big ambitions; she wants to create an agricultural bible that combines ancient and modern elements.

Objectively speaking, in terms of content, "The Book of Agriculture" can truly be called the agricultural bible in this era.

Of course, some of the things Yuan Qingcheng proposed can only remain at the theoretical level for now.

For example, the biogas digester proposed by Yuan Qingcheng.

Without a pressure gauge, a biogas digester is an extremely dangerous thing; if you try to force it, people will definitely die.

However, we should not underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. Since someone proposed it and proved that it was feasible, if there is a demand, someone will definitely continue to research and improve it.

Is there a demand for biogas digesters in this era?

There's more than just a demand; there's an overwhelming need for it.

It's important to understand that among the necessities of life—firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—firewood comes first, not just because it sounds good, but because in this era, firewood is not only a necessity but also a luxury, an expensive luxury.

The Book of Han clearly records that in the Han Dynasty, ordinary people spent 60% of their annual income on firewood for cooking. In years of famine, they would sell their children to exchange for firewood.

During this period, Bianliang City had a population of over one million and required the burning of over one million catties of firewood every day.

This is only the amount needed for spring, summer, and autumn; when it comes to heating in winter, the amount needs to be increased.

Left with no other choice, the imperial court had to issue an order that anyone who dared to cut down trees indiscriminately would be imprisoned for life, because all the trees around Kaifeng had already been cut down, and even the army was stealing mulberry trees from the people to use as firewood.

Therefore, in Kaifeng, a load of firewood could sell for the price of half a load of rice.

Forced into a corner, people of this era began digging for coal and burning it.

Coal was too expensive, so much so that only high-ranking officials, noble families, and wealthy households could afford it, while ordinary people had to find other ways to use it.

In other words, northern farmers burn straw, wheat stalks, and bean husks, which turn directly into fertilizer; while southerners collect garbage and withered branches and leaves to burn as firewood; and people in the northwest burn cow dung, dry it, and stack it into dung cake walls, which is quite a sight.

In short, as long as something can be lit, there's no one in this era who wouldn't burn it.

It's worth mentioning that for people in this era, getting through winter is almost like undergoing a tribulation.

When winter comes, people, especially the poor, freeze to death one after another.

It's easy to see that as long as biogas digesters are developed, there will definitely be a market for them.

At most, we just learn from accidents and move forward. Isn't that how humanity has always progressed?
Zhao Yu first had a thousand sets of "The Book of Agriculture for Alluring Cities" printed, and then he summoned Xu Jiang and asked him to promote "The Book of Agriculture for Alluring Cities".

Xu took it back and studied it for seven days. When he returned, he praised the "Qingcheng Nongshu" highly, saying that it far surpassed the "Fan Shengzhi Shu" and the "Qimin Yaoshu". He believed that if the book were promoted, it would surely benefit countless people.

However, Xu Jiang still made a small suggestion: could Yuan Qingcheng be asked to change the name of "Qingcheng Nongshu"?

This is mainly because Xu Jiang is worried that some people will not accept that "The Book of Agriculture" was created by a woman, and will therefore boycott this good book.

Is Xu Jiang's concern justified?

Have.

In this patriarchal era, many men were chauvinistic, looking down on women and unable to accept their achievements in scholarship or skills, especially in fields like agriculture, which were considered "men's ambitions." Some of them inevitably believed that women's world should be confined to their boudoirs and bedrooms, rather than the vast fields and the boundless sea of ​​books.

In this context, Yuan Qingcheng's involvement in agriculture and writing books as a woman was undoubtedly a bold challenge to traditional values, and it was inevitable that some people would feel resistant or even maliciously slander her.

Therefore, Xu Jiangcai was worried that if "The Book of Agriculture" were published under its original name, it would attract a lot of criticism and prejudice, making it difficult for this agricultural treasure to play its due value and benefit the people.

Zhao Yu felt that the five women definitely wanted to leave their mark on this era, just like Ye Shiyun renamed "The Barefoot Doctor's Manual" to "Ye Shiyun's Medical Classic". They did not want to be nameless heroes. Therefore, if he deprived them of the opportunity to make a name for themselves, it might make them slack off.

But what Xu said was also true.

After some thought, Zhao Yu personally wrote a preface for "The Book of Agriculture for Alluring Cities".

Preface to "The Book of Agriculture for All Men":

Agriculture is the foundation of the nation. As the ancients said, "Food is the first necessity of the people." This is because food comes from agriculture, and when agriculture prospers, the people are prosperous, and when the people are prosperous, the nation is secure. Although our Great Song Dynasty has enjoyed peace and tranquility for a long time, we have never forgotten the importance of agriculture.

My Imperial Consort, Lady Yuan, has compiled the best of various schools of thought into the "Qingcheng Agricultural Book," which is highly practical and easy to use. It aims to provide farmers across the land with a complete agricultural guide and can be considered an agricultural bible.

The book records methods for planning, cultivating, fertilizing, irrigating, and using farm tools. It respects ancient methods while incorporating new ideas, striving to adapt to agricultural practices in different regions.

It is hoped that this book will help farmers prosper, making the fields bountiful, the granaries full, and the people living in peace and contentment.

May our Great Song Dynasty's agriculture and sericulture flourish forever, and may our nation's destiny remain prosperous. This serves as the preface.

Zhao Yu.

October of the first year of Jianzhong.

After Zhao Xu assumed power, Zhang Dun and Cai Bian considered destroying the Zizhi Tongjian. However, Chen Guan pointed out that the preface to the Zizhi Tongjian was written by Emperor Shenzong of Song and had an imperial inscription, which saved the Zizhi Tongjian.

Emperor Zhao Yu himself wrote a preface to "The Book of Agriculture for Alluring Cities," and he shared the same idea.

Still not entirely at ease, Zhao Yu summoned all the high-ranking officials from both the old and new factions—Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, Cai Jing, Han Zhongyan, Su Shi, and Su Zhe—to endorse the *Qingcheng Nongshu*. With Zhao Yu's influence, and given that the *Qingcheng Nongshu* was indeed a rare agricultural bible, the officials readily agreed, each taking up their pens to write prefaces, postscripts, or eulogies, all giving the *Qingcheng Nongshu* high praise.

Cai Jing even suggested that "The Book of Agriculture of the City" could be included in the scope of the imperial examinations.

With the endorsement of these high-ranking officials, the promotion of "The Book of Agriculture" will undoubtedly be much smoother.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhao Yu instructed Xu Jiang to vigorously promote the "Book of Agriculture of the City," so that more farmers and scholars could learn the agricultural knowledge contained within and improve agricultural production levels.

When Yuan Qingcheng learned that Zhao Yu had done so much to protect her name, she felt she owed Zhao Yu a great debt of gratitude.

Yuan Qingcheng is someone who doesn't like to owe favors.

Therefore, Yuan Qingcheng prepared "Dongpo Pork", "Song Sao Fish Soup", "Lotus Seed Pod Fish Dumplings", "Wine-Fried Lamb", and "Lamb and Radish Soup" for Zhao Yu and personally delivered them to him to express her gratitude.

Yuan Qingcheng's culinary skills are extremely high. Whether it is frying, stir-frying, cooking, deep-frying, steaming, boiling, stewing, or roasting, she uses them all perfectly.

Crucially, Yuan Qingcheng pays great attention to the selection and preparation of ingredients. All her ingredients are grown or raised by herself. She is also extremely meticulous in preparing the ingredients, washing them thoroughly and skillfully combining them according to their characteristics to highlight their natural freshness and flavor.

Zhao Yu had long known that Yuan Qingcheng's forte was not agriculture, but cooking.

However, Zhao Yu never had the chance to taste Yuan Qingcheng's cooking, so he didn't know just how delicious it was.

Only after tasting it himself today did Zhao Yu realize that Yuan Qingcheng had gained tens of millions of fans in her previous life by filming short videos of food from all four seasons, earning her the title of "Oriental Food Expert." This wasn't just hype; she truly had something to offer.

Dongpo Pork is bright red in color, fatty but not greasy, with clear texture in the lean meat, and melts in your mouth; Song Sao Fish Soup is fragrant, with delicate fish meat and an exceptionally delicious broth; Lotus Seed Fish Dumplings are uniquely shaped, and the combination of fish meat and lotus seeds is just right, preserving the tenderness of the fish meat while adding the fragrance of lotus seeds; Pan-fried Lamb with Wine has a slightly charred skin, and the meat inside is tender and juicy, with the aroma of wine and lamb intertwined, leaving a lingering aftertaste; Lamb and Radish Soup has a clear broth, and the combination of lamb and radish is both warming and nourishing, with every bite being an ultimate temptation for the taste buds.

Zhao Yu really couldn't imagine how Yuan Qingcheng managed to cook such delicious food in an era when seasonings were scarce.

Without exaggeration, this was absolutely the most delicious meal Zhao Yu had ever eaten in his two lifetimes since he transmigrated.

Zhao Yu, who rarely overeats, surprisingly ate all the food Yuan Qingcheng had prepared this time.

Seeing Zhao Yu eating so heartily, Yuan Qingcheng, who appeared calm on the surface, was secretly overjoyed.

To put it simply, at this moment, all Yuan Qingcheng could see was Zhao Yu wolfing down his food.

After finishing his meal, Zhao Yu took the handkerchief from Liu Mingda, wiped his mouth, and asked with a puzzled look, "Why is my beloved concubine's cooking so much better than that of the imperial chefs?"

Zhao Yu then pointed to Dongpo pork and said, "This Dongpo pork was created by Su Shi. Even if you teach him to cook it, he probably wouldn't be as good as my beloved concubine. Why is that?"

Yuan Qingcheng replied, "Your Majesty, I have specially prepared some seasonings, such as soy sauce..."

It was only then that Zhao Yu learned that Yuan Qingcheng not only brewed soy sauce, but also made rose jam, mushroom sauce, beef sauce, broad bean paste, mayonnaise, various jams, and many other condiments, including salt.

In addition, Yuan Qingcheng also had many spices that were already available but were unfamiliar to people of this era.

In addition, Yuan Qingcheng also brewed a lot of fine wine.

Unfortunately, there are no chili peppers or other seasonings available, so Yuan Qingcheng has to modify many of the recipes she already knows.

Yuan Qingcheng took the initiative to tell Zhao Yu that she used dogwood instead of chili peppers, but the taste was still a bit lacking. She also found some sweet potato and honey from Chinese medicine to use as seasonings.

Upon learning this, Zhao Yu sighed to himself, "It's only because I became emperor in this lifetime that a treasure like Yuan Qingcheng could never have fallen into my hands."

Zhao Yu said frankly, "My beloved consort's cooking skills are very pleasing to me. From now on, no matter what kind of food you cook, please send me a portion of it without fail."

Yuan Qingcheng rolled her eyes at Zhao Yu inwardly, 'Ha, you've become addicted to this? What, are you planning to treat me like your personal chef?'

However, thinking of Zhao Yu's unwavering support for her and his recent role in securing her place in history, Yuan Qingcheng's heart softened. 'At most, I'll serve you for a few years until I develop high-yield, resistance-resistant rice, as a way of repaying your kindness. Once I've developed high-yield, resistance-resistant rice and repaid my debt, we'll be even. And then…'

Well, Yuan Qingcheng hadn't thought about what she would do when that day came.
Verbally, Yuan Qingcheng obediently replied, "Your Majesty, I obey."

From then on, Yuan Qingcheng became Zhao Yu's personal cook.

afterwards.

The five women gathered together.

Zhang Chun said with no small amount of envy or even jealousy, "So it turns out that she was just a minor hindrance to me, while Qingcheng was my real threat. I never expected that Qingcheng would win over Zhao Yu's stomach so quietly. What's that saying again?"

Zhang Chun looked at Ye Shiyun.

Ye Shiyun chimed in, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Then, even Ye Shiyun teased Yuan Qingcheng: "Qingcheng, you can do it. I believe in you. The older sisters play the early game, and you play the late game. This harem will definitely be yours in the future. Chunchun is just a stepping stone for you."

Ma Xiaojiao said, "Qingcheng, you're cooking for two people or three people anyway, so why don't you bring my portion too?"

Even Li Lin said, "+1".

Yuan Qingcheng gave a bitter smile. 'What can I say? That I originally just wanted to thank Zhao Yu, but I never expected to get on his pirate ship...'

……

(End of this chapter)