Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

The next day, many people came from the neighboring Xinhe Village and Qujiangchi Village.

In order to learn tomato planting techniques, they also helped with the tomato harvesting.

There are even more people than yesterday.

It’s even more lively.

The villagers of Kaolao Village didn't ask for exorbitant prices for the seeds; the price was within the normal range, as Zhang Mingde and Xiao Ran had discussed.

We should ensure that the people of Kaolao Village can benefit from the training and that they teach with genuine sincerity, while also preventing other villages from bearing too heavy a burden.

When the tomatoes were sent to Chang'an, the price broke through again, selling for 280 wen per jin.

Many people in Chang'an City knew about tomatoes.

This price naturally reached the imperial court, and Li Shimin and his officials knew about it.

After finishing his work, Li Shimin, along with Fang Xuanling, Cheng Yaojin, Wei Zheng, Li Jing, and others, strolled to Kaolao Village.

I wanted to see what was going on here.

When Li Shimin brought Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Cheng Yaojin, and others to Kaolao Village, it was never simply to "see something rare."

He had eaten the tomatoes Xiao Ran had sent before and knew how they tasted.

The purpose of bringing civil and military officials here is to let everyone see for themselves "how a red fruit brings real benefits to the people".

This laid a solid foundation for subsequent court deliberations and the formulation of relevant regulations.

Firstly, it allows officials to witness firsthand the "tangible results of increasing people's income and livelihoods."

Although reports were heard in the imperial court that tomato prices were high and the people of Kaolao Village had made money, "hearing" was far less effective than "seeing".

Li Shimin wanted Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and other ministers in charge of people's livelihood and policy-making to see firsthand the dedication the villagers put into caring for the tomatoes in the fields.

I overheard the villagers talking happily about how selling the fruit would allow them to buy new clothes and more millet.

They realized that these red fruits were not "playthings for rich kids," but rather a "path to increased income" that could truly help ordinary farmers make money.

Only after seeing the true results can the ministers make a more realistic judgment about whether to guide other places to learn the planting method.

Secondly, it is to explore the foundation for promoting neighborhood mutual assistance.

Previously, when other villages came to ask for seeds and learn techniques, Kaolao Village did not hold back and even set a fair price for the seeds.

Li Shimin wanted his ministers to see this situation of "not monopolizing the benefits and helping each other make money".

After all, if tomatoes are to be promoted in the future, it is inevitable that some villages will hoard them and cause disputes. The current approach of Kaolao Village is a ready-made "example".

Let the minister in charge of local affairs see "how to get the villages to share their technology and avoid conflicts over interests."

In the future, if similar situations arise, the court will have a reference point to avoid giving wrong orders.

Thirdly, the investigation will focus on "the situation where livelihood and order are both taken into account".

He had heard that the coal mines and workshops had temporarily closed because the villagers were interested in tomatoes. Although Li Shimin understood, he was also worried that "greed for profit would interfere with the proper business."

The purpose of this visit is to show the ministers whether Kaolao Village has not neglected the planting of staple grains such as millet while growing tomatoes.

Are there any reliable ways to deal with the fear of fruit theft?

After all, when the imperial court promotes crops, it is most important to avoid "focusing on one thing while neglecting another".

If farmers abandon their staple crops and grow high-priced fruits, it will disrupt the food supply chain.

By having the ministers personally confirm that "Kaolao Village has not neglected its staple food," they can more confidently formulate rules that "stabilize grain production and increase income" when discussing and promoting its implementation in the future.

So when the emperor and his ministers arrived at the village, they didn't first look at the red fruit on the branches, but instead pulled the villagers aside and asked:
Will planting tomatoes interfere with planting millet?

"If we teach other villages to grow it, will we lose money ourselves?"

Fang Xuanling also made a special note of "seed price and yield per mu", while Wei Zheng asked "if pests and diseases are encountered, is there a way to deal with them?"

What they are looking at is not "how valuable tomatoes are", but the real issues behind this red fruit: "whether the people can make a steady profit, whether the local area can be stable, and whether it can be promoted in the future".

This is so that the decisions made by the imperial court can truly be aligned with the people's livelihood.

This time, instead of going directly to Xiao Ran's house, they went directly to the village and the fields.

Li Shimin had visited many times before, and many people in the village knew him and Zhang Anan.

The villagers were very welcoming when they saw Li Shimin arrive.

After looking around for a while, the group headed towards Xiao Ran's house.

There were many people in the village, and when Li Shimin and his group arrived, Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi did not notice them.

"How do you feel?" Li Shimin asked, looking at Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and the others.

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling bowed and replied, his tone steady yet unable to conceal his approval: "Your Majesty, what I have seen on this trip far surpasses what has been reported in court."

"The most valuable thing about this tomato is that it is easy to grow."

“I just asked three farmers, some old and some young, and they all said that it is easier than growing melons. You can learn to water and fertilize them by following along. Even the old man in the village who is the most inept at farming has grown red fruit in his field.”

He paused, lightly tapping his palm with his fingertips, as if sorting out his thoughts. "Let's look at the yield per mu. Just now, Village Chief Zhang said that each household has half a mu of land. There are no specific statistics, but the yield is much higher than that of millet."

"Even if the price drops later, it will still be more profitable than growing millet."

"What's even more remarkable is the seed price set by Kaolao Village—neither too high nor too low, allowing villagers to benefit while not placing a heavy burden on outsiders."

"With such 'openness and fairness,' when this is promoted in the future, villages will compete less and help each other more, saving the imperial court a lot of trouble in mediating."

"This is the true foundation for the benefit of the people."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Wei Zheng chimed in, "I value two places more."

"Firstly, there is the issue of 'order'—I had previously heard that coal mines and workshops were temporarily closed, and I was worried that the villagers would 'forget their roots for the sake of profit'."

"Only after seeing it today did I realize that although the farmers are focused on tomatoes, they haven't neglected their staple crops."

"I just passed by the east of the village and saw that half an acre of millet was growing well. The farmer said, 'Let's make sure we have enough to eat first, then we can earn some extra money.' This clear-headedness is a good sign of the good atmosphere in Kaolao Village."

"Secondly, it is about 'long-term' – I asked the oldest farmer who has been taking care of tomatoes the longest."

He said, "If there are few insects, it can still bear fruit even if you water it twice during a drought." He also said that Xiao Xiaolang had taught him the method of "removing old leaves to improve ventilation," and that he even had a way to deal with pests and diseases.

“It’s not a ‘flash in the pan’ crop; it’s a crop that can be planted and harvested for a long time.”

"What's even more remarkable is that when people from all the villages come to learn, the people of Kaolao Village are willing to teach us step by step without holding anything back. This spirit of 'mutual benefit' is more valuable than the tomatoes themselves."

"If this model is adopted and widely adopted in the future, how can we worry about local unrest or poor livelihoods?"

As the two finished speaking, even Li Jing nodded in agreement.
“I observe that the farmers take meticulous care of the crops, yet they show no signs of being eager for quick profits. This shows that the crops are not ‘profits hanging in the air,’ but rather income that can be firmly held in their hands.”

"It is easy to grow and drought-resistant, so it should be feasible to promote it in drier areas in the north."

Li Shimin listened, his smile deepening: "Excellent, just what I wanted."

"The benefit of these tomatoes is not how expensive they are right now, but that 'ordinary people can grow them, earn money from them, and still live a decent life.' This is what truly supports people's livelihoods."

As they were talking, the group strolled over to the front of Xiao Ran's courtyard.

Li Ke was eating a tomato as he walked out when he saw Li Shimin and the others and paused for a moment.

He quickly bowed, "Grandpa, Uncle."

"Yes, Xiao Ran is here!" Li Shimin nodded.

"Grandpa, I'm here, I'm here."

On another occasion, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and others saw other people in the courtyard, including Li Yuan, Empress Xiao, Empress Zhangsun, and Consort Yang, all of whom were acquaintances.

With the arrival of Li Shimin and his companions, almost everyone except Li Yuan stood up.

“Father!” Li Lizhi walked up to Li Shimin.

Li Lizhi gave Xiao Ran a brief introduction, speaking very subtly.

Upon hearing the names of Uncle Fang and Uncle Wei, Xiao Ran knew what was going on.

This is also a remarkable person.

Xiao Yu and Zhang Erya served each of them a cup of tea.

"Uncle, what brings you here?" Xiao Ran said with a smile.

"Look, tomatoes! I'll pick some to take back later; they're too expensive, and I can't even buy them!" Li Shimin joked. He was joking, but he really meant it; he really wanted to pick Xiao Ran's tomatoes.

Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng also asked Xiao Ran a lot about tomatoes.

You can sense that Xiao Ran is the one who understands best.

Since I'm here, I'll definitely get a free meal.

After finishing their meal, the group took baskets and prepared to pick tomatoes.

Empress Xiao, Empress Zhangsun, Consort Zhang, and Consort Yang also followed.

These things aren't tiring, and they're actually quite interesting.

Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng wiped it clean, wanting to try eating raw tomatoes.

Li Shimin pointed to the chili peppers and said, "Pharmacist, the chili peppers I mentioned before are these. They are very useful for long journeys in winter. Try them."

Li Jing took it off and wiped it on his sleeve.

"It's a bit spicy, don't eat too much," Li Shimin reminded him.

Li Jing looked at the food in his hand and said, "This will definitely make you feel hot after eating it. It's a bit hard to handle in the summer, but it's a good thing in the winter."

"Boil it, sprinkle some salt, or stir-fry it, it's delicious," Li Shimin said as he picked the fruit.

Take it back and have the Imperial Kitchen prepare it.

Even now, there are stir-fried dishes in the palace.

Li Shimin also took chili seeds back to plant, but they couldn't be eaten yet.

We can only pick the ones from Xiao Ran's place.

"By the way, Uncle, do you have cotton at home?" Xiao Ran thought that the Tang Dynasty did have cotton, but it was not cultivated on a large scale.

It would be a terrible waste to just grow them at home for ornamental purposes.

"Yes, I'll bring you some another day if you like."

"Harvest all those seeds in the fall; they're a treasure trove, much more valuable than tomatoes."

Although cotton existed in the Tang Dynasty, it was not widely cultivated as a mainstream textile raw material for making cotton clothing and quilts. Instead, it became popular as late as the Song Dynasty.

The "cotton" of the Tang Dynasty was not the "annual herbaceous cotton" that became widespread in later generations.

There are actually two main types.

One type is the "Jibei" introduced from the Western Regions, which mostly grows in warm southern regions.

It is a perennial woody plant with poor cold resistance, making it impossible to cultivate in the core ruling area of ​​the Tang Dynasty.

Another type is the native southern "kapok tree," which is also only suitable for hot and humid climates. Moreover, the plant is tall and inconvenient to harvest, making it difficult to promote in large areas like grain crops.

At that time, "grass cotton," which was suitable for the arid and cold climate of the north, had not yet been introduced on a large scale from India and Central Asia.

Cotton cultivation was strictly limited to the southern outskirts, rarely seen even in the Central Plains, let alone spread throughout the country.

Secondly, there is a lack of processing technology.

To make cotton into clothing and bedding, the core steps are "seed removal", "fiber loosening", and "spinning".

Although the Tang Dynasty had textile technology, specialized tools for cotton had not yet appeared.

Without a cotton gin, seed removal was entirely done by hand, which was extremely inefficient.

Without a "cotton slingshot," it's impossible to loosen clumps of cotton fibers, resulting in yarn that is uneven in thickness, prone to breakage, and far less smooth than silk or durable linen.

Even the looms suitable for spinning cotton yarn have not been improved.

As a result, cotton processing costs are extremely high, and the woven fabric is coarse and stiff.

Since it is neither as comfortable and luxurious as silk, nor as cheap and durable as linen, farmers are naturally unwilling to invest manpower and resources in planting and processing it.

More importantly, there is the "monopolistic advantage" of silk and linen textiles.

The Tang Dynasty was the golden age of the silk industry, and the Central Plains were covered with mulberry and hemp fields.

The silkworm breeding technology is mature, and the silk production is extremely high.

Linen is a necessity for everyone. Hemp is grown in the north and kudzu in the south. The processing techniques have been passed down from generation to generation. From spinning to weaving, these are all the farmers' skilled "core competencies".

For people in the Tang Dynasty, "clothing made of silk and hemp, and blankets made of silk floss and hemp cloth" was a lifestyle that had been formed over a thousand years.

Cotton was both rare and difficult to use, and was more like a "tribute from the south" or an "ornamental plant," and was not even considered a "mainstream textile raw material."

Just as no one would grow ornamental flowers as food, people in the Tang Dynasty did not regard cotton as a "clothing material that could replace silk and hemp".

Xiao Ran still wanted to give it a try and see if he could make it work.

Although I'm not an expert, I do understand some theoretical knowledge.

Li Shimin would certainly not refuse Xiao Ran's request; in fact, he would take it very seriously.

This kind of thing couldn't have been done by Li Xiaoran alone; it must be of great use to the Tang Dynasty.

"Alright, alright, I'll arrange it when we get back." Li Shimin looked at Zhang Anan beside him, "Anan, make a note of this."

Li Shimin was afraid he would forget.

The group took a lot of tomatoes back with them.

The tomato yield is indeed high, with harvests occurring in batches.

Xiao Ran planted quite a lot, but he didn't sell any of it.

There are many people in my family, and this is only enough to eat.

Before returning, Li Shimin and his companions went to the school to check on the teaching situation and also to see the two little princesses.

Empress Zhangsun did not go back with them.

Consort Yang didn't actually want to go back, but staying there for too long wouldn't be good.

She had originally planned to go back, but Li Shimin told her to stay and keep Empress Xiao company.

That's why they stayed.

In the afternoon, Xiao Ran took Li Lizhi to see potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn.

Others know about corn and can probably guess its yield.

You can tell this by looking at the corn cob.

There are two on one corn stalk, and Li Lizhi and the others all know how many there are.

After realizing the high yield of corn, Li Lizhi, Princess Yuzhang, and the others clearly paid more attention to corn.

"Young master, isn't this almost ripe?" Li Lizhi pointed to the corn.

The stick is very big now.

"It's very tender now, and it will be ready to eat in a few days. It's very sweet when it's tender, as Wu Niang knows from the previous ones."

"These corns can't be eaten yet; we need to wait until they're a bit older to save them for seed later."

"Keep all of these as seeds; we can plant a lot next year."

"If we plant more corn like this for a few years, we can eat corn later."

Li Lizhi knew what corn tasted like; it was very sweet and fragrant.

I've boiled it before, and I've also stir-fried it.

Unfortunately, there are too few.

"Aren't the potatoes and sweet potatoes almost ready too?" Li Lizhi asked. "The potato flowers have already withered."

There were also a few green fruits on top.

"We'll have to wait."

"Young master, we can use this seed from now on, right? We don't need potatoes anymore?" Li Lizhi pointed to the potato seeds. (End of Chapter)