Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 68, Section 67: The Wonderful Uses of Soybeans
Qin Shi smiled, and sure enough, Zhou Ju's expression suddenly became deep and thoughtful. He spoke in a low voice, his words carrying a hidden meaning:

"Qin Qing, the King's favor and threat are only intermittent."

"If there is an opportunity for a closer relationship, you should seize it firmly."

Otherwise, if the King were to unleash his fury again, Qin Qing would be utterly helpless, without even a single familiar high-ranking official, no matter how great his achievements...

There was no room for anyone to plead for leniency or change the situation.

The king can kill him now, what good will it do to regret it later?

Qin Shi didn't sense any danger, taking it as Zhou Ju's reminder that a ruler's heart is unpredictable.

So he nodded solemnly: "I've got it."

Zhou Ju's face then revealed an even clearer joy.

He didn't say anything more. Some words, if spoken too deliberately, are not beautiful; such natural enthusiasm was enough to please the king.

If any of the ladies in the harem could be so open and honest, why would they worry about having so few offspring? Unfortunately, their fear outweighs their affection, leading to this situation…

He bowed slightly and stepped aside to let her pass, saying, "Qin Qing, please."

Qin Shi was completely unaware of Zhou Ju's thoughts and intentions, and at this moment remained meticulous and considerate:
"I heard that the Prefect of the Zhou Palace always waits until His Majesty has finished eating before he can rest, so I also instructed the servants of Lanchi Palace to prepare food in the side hall."

"If the prefect has any requests, just give them the instructions."

Zhou Ju said meaningfully, "I still remember that the ladies of the harem also prepared meals for me to enjoy, but Your Majesty only had the affairs of state on your mind, and I was really powerless to do so."

There are multiple meanings in these words, and if Qin Shi ponders them carefully, he will naturally be able to understand them.

But she hadn't expected this at all.

Therefore, he smiled and said, "As the ruler of a country, Your Majesty should naturally keep state affairs in mind. I ordered someone to provide food for Prefect Zhou, as I find that good food can make people happy. Prefect Zhou is accompanying Your Majesty, so he deserves such enjoyment and does not need to do anything else for me."

Zhou Ju nodded with a smile, silently noting down her words and tone.

Qin Shi thought to himself: It seems I was nervous for nothing. The mood at Zhangtai Palace is actually quite good today.

As expected of a king, even seeing that his own children are unable to secure the throne, he can still remain calm and cheerful...

They have such a strong sense of tolerance and self-consistency!

She remembered what she needed to petition, and at that moment she was full of confidence.

Ji Heng, who was standing on the high steps of Zhangtai Palace, put down his brush and looked up, only to see Qin Shi's face full of joy.

A quick glance at his head and body reveals a rather simple appearance.

Her emotions were quite contagious; even though Ji Heng was already on high alert, he couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Then he asked, "I heard you have important news to report?"

Qin Shi thought of the six-hour drive and couldn't help but want to put on a mask of pain, but since she was already there, she nodded.

"Your Majesty, I would like to visit the Ironworks."

Zhou Ju's heart skipped a beat—the Ironworks was where their Great Qin forged powerful weapons!

Ji Heng raised his eyebrows and said, "Yes."

Qin Shi had already happily agreed, completely unaware that this was an extraordinary act of trust.

Zhou Ju lowered his brows again, thinking that his plan might actually have great potential.

For Ji Heng, allowing her to go to the Ironworks was simply a matter of course.

After all, Qin Qing was very talented. Even though she considered food a minor matter, she managed to figure out several items after just one visit to the palace kitchen, including Zhuzhe sugar, which could fetch a high price in the Western Regions.

Although I didn't see any remarkable achievements when I went to the Imperial Household Department, the tables and chairs were comfortable enough, and I also heard that they were already experimenting with papermaking.

It is truly my fault that I have not entrusted such a talented person with important responsibilities.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind like lightning, a level of thinking beyond the reach of ordinary people.

However, Qin Shi didn't necessarily have to be on time. After receiving a definite answer, she smiled happily. In her eyes, the King of Qin was truly a highly efficient emperor; she liked him!

Now that we've finished discussing the important matters, it's time to have some more food together:

"Your Majesty hasn't had much soy milk or tofu pudding at lunchtime. I wonder if it suits your taste?"

Ji Heng nodded: "Very good. I heard it's made from ground beans?"

Now that the war has just ended, the total population of the Qin Dynasty is only over 25 million.

Although the food supply can be barely met, a large population and food are still needed for rapid development. However, the hybrid rice that Qin Qing mentioned will likely take more than ten years, or even longer.

A distant source of water cannot quench an immediate thirst; if there were something new to fill his stomach right now, he would naturally be happy.

Qin Shi nodded: "Soybeans are truly a remarkable commodity. They can be made into tofu, which fills the stomach. Tofu can also be preserved for a long time after being processed in various ways. And oil can be extracted from it..."

She listed them one by one, her heart filled with anticipation.

Ji Heng also asked with interest, "Extracting oil?"

"Yes." Qin Shi also jumped for joy.

Nowadays, the oils supplied to the wealthy are mostly animal fats. Poor families who cannot afford animal fats either abstain from all oils or use sesame seed oil and turnip seed oil.

Hemp seeds are the seeds of hemp used by poor people or slaves to make linen. Because the fibers of this type of hemp are short and soft, the garment making process requires multiple stitches, resulting in inconsistent and rough workmanship. The woven cloth is also particularly rough, and the wealthy would not even touch it.

The fine linen cloth that Qin Shi selected from the Qin King's treasury a few days ago was actually ramie that had been carefully selected and screened through multiple layers of screening.

Not only are their seed yields low, but their oil extraction rate is also pitiful.

As for turnips... they are now commonly found in people's homes. They look similar to radishes, but the root is slightly whiter, plumper, shorter, and softer, and they also produce very few seeds.

As for the taste...

While the Qin Dynasty is difficult to describe, one only needs to consider the fact that it was not widely practiced to get a general idea.

There's a reason why our ancestors were so selective in their selection process.

Soybeans are different.

Soybean oil is so widely available that even though it had a slightly unpleasant smell when it first appeared due to the primitive pressing methods, it was still a remarkable supplement for poor families.

She emphasized, "One pound of beans can yield two or three ounces of oil."

"Soybean residue can be used to feed cattle, sheep, pigs and dogs. When planting soybeans, the roots of soybeans will also fertilize the soil. If used properly, the time spent on soil conditioning can be reduced by more than half."

Ji Heng had already sat up straight, his gaze intense.

The fields today are not much different from what they were hundreds of years later; they are strictly divided into "upper fields," "middle fields," and "lower fields."

The combination of soil fertility and irrigation difficulties resulted in a yield of about 120 jin per mu for the best fields, but only 50 to 60 jin per mu for the worst fields.

People today do heavy physical labor, but a farmer might never have a full meal from birth to death.

This is related to the system.

But the most fundamental factors are productivity and species limitations.

Ji Heng gently stroked the hilt of the short sword with his fingers, the cool temperature bringing a sense of peace to his heart.

He secretly rejoiced when no one was around:
Fortunately, I still have the will to restrain myself.

Otherwise, if Qin were to lose such talent, wouldn't that be Qin bringing disaster upon itself?

　[The cannabis used in ancient times was strictly distinguished from ramie. Cannabis was cannabis, and ramie was ramie. However, that cannabis was not the addictive cannabis we know today; it had very low toxicity, and the clothing made from it was very crude. The wealthy wouldn't use it; only the poor would wear such clothing.]

　　For safety reasons, we will refer to all instances of "ma" in this article. Please understand.

　　There are so many things I haven't had time to do. I might not be able to finish writing in the next seven or eight days and will have to take leave. Please forgive me.

　　(End of this chapter)