My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Ying Zheng was furious.

The thought that Xu Fu might be using the guise of seeking immortality to carry out a rebellion and establish his own state, while still using the resources of his Qin Dynasty, is terrifying.

Ying Zheng's anger instantly transformed into a chilling killing intent; his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was standing nearby, also understood and clicked his tongue twice before interjecting.

"If this happened during our Hongwu era, we would have dragged out his entire family... no, even his descendants who were all boys and girls, and had them all executed!"

"Japan certainly deserves to die, but that so-called Penglai and Yingzhou may not necessarily exist."

Chen Mo slowly moved his finger from Japan further east, finally landing back on the American continent.

"Here lies a new continent, more real and vast than any so-called sacred mountain, brimming with almost limitless vitality and wealth!"

"This place is practically a godsend; the geography and location are absolutely perfect!"

"Excellent? How excellent can it be? Our Great Ming Dynasty is rich in resources, what else do we lack?"

"Besides its large territory, what else does it have?"

Chen Mo looked at Old Zhu, who had a disdainful expression, and smiled.

"What is it?"

Chen Mo smiled and began to recount the details as if they were his own treasures.

"First and foremost, there's food! A miraculous crop called corn, which is drought-resistant, can thrive in poor soil, and has extremely high yields!"

"There's another treasure called the potato, which can grow simply by being buried in the soil, doesn't discriminate based on location, and has an astonishing yield per acre!"

"There's also a type called sweet potato, which can be grown in the corners of fields and along roadsides."

"If these three things could be introduced to the Central Plains, I dare say that the entire world would be free from the scourge of hunger!"

"No more hunger?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ying Zheng were moved almost simultaneously.

But Zhu Yuanzhang clearly didn't believe it, frowning and expressing his doubt.

"Young Chen, don't try to fool us! There's no such thing as a magical object in this world! How many can it be produced? Give us a real number!"

Chen Mo looked at Lao Zhu's serious expression, pondered for a moment, and then held up one finger.

"Old Zhu, I'll just give you a general idea, so you can get a feel for it."

"First, let's convert the units. One shi in your area is roughly equivalent to about 120 jin in our area."

"Let's talk about corn first. If the weather is favorable and the crops are well-tended, it is not difficult to achieve a yield of 500 catties or more per mu in the Central Plains."

Zhu Yuanzhang's pupils contracted slightly.

Five hundred catties?

Four stones!

This already far exceeds the average yield of the crops he mainly grows, such as millet!

As for Ying Zheng standing to the side, he was completely dumbfounded.

"How much did you say?"

Before they could process what he was saying, Chen Mo extended another finger and continued:

"Speaking of sweet potatoes, this crop is not picky about the type of land; it can grow on slopes and dry land."

"With intensive farming practices, the yield per mu can easily reach over 1,300 jin!"

"Under extremely favorable conditions, exceeding 2,600 jin is not impossible!"

"How much...how much?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice suddenly rose, becoming incredibly sharp.

More than a thousand kilograms?

Approximately ten shi (a unit of dry measure)?

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly grabbed Chen Mo's arm, his fingers turning white from the force.

"Say that again?! Ten shi?! This... how is this possible! Where in the world can ten shi of grain be produced?!"

"Don't rush! There are still potatoes!"

Chen Mo continued.

"Similar to sweet potatoes, it is high-yielding and can be stored for a long time."

Chen Mo paused.

"It can produce about forty shi per mu."

"How many???"

Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth dropped open.

"Forty shi?"

As for Ying Zheng standing to the side, he was completely dumbfounded.

Their grain production was not as high as in the Ming Dynasty, only about one or two shi per mu, but now you are telling them that they have a grain yield of forty shi.

They multiplied it twentyfold!

What else could this be but a divine object?

If he had been given it a little earlier, unifying the six kingdoms would have been a piece of cake.

Never underestimate the Chinese people's obsession with food.

Often, it's all about having a full meal.

"However, this thing also has its downsides."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ying Zheng raised their heads, their hearts tightening.

If there are downsides, it might not be possible to stop it on a large scale.

"What are the downsides?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked somewhat nervously.

"Eating too much will cause indigestion."

Zhu Yuanzhang: ...

Ying Zheng:  …

Fusu: ...

Zhu Biao: ...

That's it?

That's it? ? ?

Is this what you call a disadvantage?

Do you not understand how painful it is to not have enough to eat?

Compared to not having enough to eat and having to gnaw on tree bark or eat dirt, having this to eat makes me infinitely happier!

However, the group still breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, it's not poisonous or anything.

However, even if it is poisonous, as long as the toxicity is not too high, then there is no problem!

After all, having food is the most important thing during a famine.

Who cares if you have indigestion!

You haven't even eaten anything, so you have no way to digest anything!

Zhu Yuanzhang completely loosened his grip and staggered back half a step.

He looked at Chen Mo, then at the distant American continent on the map, and his breathing became extremely heavy.

His mind raced, calculating what if...

If his Ming Dynasty could widely cultivate these crops, even if it only achieved half the yield Chen Mo mentioned...

No, even if it's only 30%! What a sight that would be!

The warehouses will be overflowing with grain!

There will be no more large-scale famine!

The population can grow! National strength will be unprecedented!

"Gulp."

Zhu Yuanzhang swallowed hard, his doubts replaced by boundless shock and burning desire.

He stared intently at the Americas on the map, as if it were not land, but mountains of golden grain!

It is the solid foundation of his Ming Dynasty's eternal rule!

"A treasure land...a truly blessed land bestowed by heaven!"

Zhu Yuanzhang muttered to himself, then suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with unprecedented determination and urgency.

"This America! Our Great Ming Dynasty! We absolutely must have it!"

"Old Zhu, you're surprised? What I just mentioned was only the yield that these crops could achieve in your time with the farming techniques available then."

"As for the type of grain, that's not important right now. You can order it now if you want."

Chen Mo pondered for a moment.

"Our modern crops have undergone targeted genetic selection and breeding, and are basically superior varieties that are resistant to diseases and disasters, and their yields are also higher than what you have now!"

"In our time, we benefit from better seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and machinery."

"For ordinary rice, a yield of 1,000 jin per mu is common! In excellent rice paddies, yields of 1,200 or 1,500 jin per mu are not uncommon!"

"How many?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang felt something was wrong with his ears; his fingers were trembling.

Although he was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he was Zhu Chongba, who rose from beggar to emperor.

But here, he felt like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

The steel was one thing, but this food...

Such high yields of grain?!

Zhu Yuanzhang looked on incredulously.

"In our... in our Great Ming Dynasty, if the rice yield per mu can exceed three shi, that's considered an exceptionally bumper year! But what did you just say? 1,500 jin?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Chen Mo again.

"Kid! Do you even know what you mean by that?"

"Of course I know."

Chen Mo nodded.

Ying Zheng, who was standing to the side, fell silent after hearing this.

They'd never heard of the corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, or anything like that.

But they all know about rice.

So, how the hell did this weigh over a thousand pounds?!

Looking at their expressions, Chen Mo couldn't help but think of someone, and a deep sense of remembrance and admiration appeared on his face.

"Speaking of which, I must mention one of China's contemporary sages—Yuan Longping, Elder Yuan!"

"He devoted his entire life to cultivating hybrid rice, which is hailed as the 'Oriental Magic Rice'!"

Chen Mo's voice was filled with utmost respect.

"It was these miraculous seeds he cultivated that enabled our country's grain production to achieve an unprecedented leap."

"The super hybrid rice he cultivated even achieved a miracle of yielding over 2,000 jin per mu in the experimental fields!"

"Two thousand... catties...twenty shi..."

Zhu Yuanzhang murmured the astronomical figure repeatedly, feeling a surge of heat rush to his head and his whole body go numb.

He fought throughout his life and governed the country for many years, and he deeply understood the principle that "food is the first necessity of the people."

And yet, some people are able to hold up the "sky" to such a high level!

Chen Mo's voice continued, filled with emotion.

"Yuan Lao once had two dreams. One was the dream of 'enjoying the cool shade under the rice plants,' hoping that the rice ears could be as tall as sorghum and the grains as big as peanuts."

Chen Mo paused.

"The other is the dream of 'hybrid rice covering the whole world,' so that people all over the world can be free from hunger."

"It is because of him, and countless agronomists and laborers like him, that we, the descendants, have been able to basically say goodbye to the threat of hunger that has plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years, and that we can sit here with peace of mind, discussing world maps and talking about the stars and the sea."

After these words were spoken, the entire courtyard fell into a long silence.

Ying Zheng's eyes also revealed an unprecedented shock.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood there dumbfounded.

He looked at the map, then at Chen Mo, his mind racing.

He went from being a cowherd and a beggar to founding the Ming Dynasty, which he considered to be an extraordinary achievement.

But at this moment, he heard a kind of greatness he had never imagined, rooted in the soil and benefiting hundreds of millions of people.

If such a person were in his Ming Dynasty, what difference would it make if he were to bestow upon him the title of "Sage of Agriculture"?

That person deserves that title!

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time, his shock and excitement eventually transforming into a complex expression filled with deep admiration.

He solemnly cupped his hands towards the sky, or rather, towards the later sage whom Chen Mo had described whom he had never had the chance to meet, and said in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"Lord Yuan... truly... a meritorious official who saved countless lives! We... admire him!"

Ying Zheng nodded repeatedly and also cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the air.

"I admire you too!"

Zhu Biao and Fusu exchanged a glance and also cupped their hands in front of the air.

"Me too!"

Chen Mo looked at them and sighed.

"But even so, some idiots are still cursing!"

"What?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang and Ying Zheng heard this, they were dumbfounded.

"People are actually criticizing this? Criticizing the cook while eating???"

"If this were in my Great Qin Dynasty, I'd tear him apart with five horses no matter what!"

Ying Zheng snorted with dissatisfaction.

"Only torn apart by five horses?"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, his face showing cruelty.

"If this happened in our Great Ming Dynasty, wouldn't we exterminate his entire family?"

"Skin them alive, stuff them with straw, and hang them on the city gate so everyone can see!"

"What will become of someone who does such a beastly thing!"

"Your subject seconds this!"

Zhu Biao rarely supports Old Zhu, and said with a serious expression.

"Such an ungrateful person deserves this punishment! Your subject suggests that his entire family be executed!"

"???"

Ying Zheng and Fusu, who were standing to the side, listened with blank expressions as they looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

Did later generations play this ruthlessly?

Chen Mo looked at them and continued speaking.

"As for how to increase crop yields, that's related to agronomic research, which I'm not particularly knowledgeable about. I'll find some books for you later."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together.

"Thank you very much, Manager Chen!"

As he spoke, he chuckled at Chen Moqian again.

"Um... and what about sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and that guy's rice too? Could you get us some as well?"

Seemingly afraid that Chen Mo would refuse, Old Zhu hurriedly spoke up.

"We don't need too much! Just a little will be enough! We'll grow our own when we get back!"

Old Zhu muttered to himself.

"The vegetables in the backyard are almost ripe; we can plant them right after harvesting!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng immediately became anxious.

"I want some too! Don't just give it to him! I want some too!!!"

Ying Zheng waved his hand, looking very magnanimous.

"I want as much as you have!"

"Manager Chen, just go ahead and buy, money is no problem!"

Chen Mo looked at the two of them, who were as anxious as children, and couldn't help but smile.

"Of course, I'll buy some more later, and I'll also give some to Old Li, Old Liu, and Zhu Di."

"Just give us the fourth one!"

Zhu Yuanzhang muttered to himself.

"It's the same whether we plant it or they plant it!"

Chen Mo was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.

I wonder if Zhu Di would be so anxious if he knew that he would turn against Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chen Mo looked at the two of them, coughed lightly, and continued speaking.

"Of course, the Americas aren't just about food."

Chen Mo pointed to Peru, Mexico, and other places.

"The mountains here hold far more gold and silver than you can imagine."

"Gold! Silver!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up instantly, and his breathing became heavier.

Fighting wars, governing a country, maintaining officials—which of these doesn't require money?

If there were a continuous supply of gold and silver...

Although Ying Zheng's desire for wealth was not as direct as Zhu Yuanzhang's, a fierce fire still burned in his eyes.

"besides,"

Chen Mo then pointed to the North American Great Plains.

"This land is so fertile it's practically dripping with oil; the black soil layer is several feet deep, and even a stick stuck in the ground will sprout! More importantly..."

Chen Mo paused for a moment, then smiled slightly.

"In the southern part of this continent, there is a magical plant called the rubber tree. Its sap, after being refined, can produce a material with extremely elastic and sealing properties called rubber."

Chen Mo paused.

"The wheels on the car we rode in before were covered with rubber."

"car?"

Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow, his face showing curiosity again.

"What is that?"

"It's a tool that can run on its own without being pulled by oxen or horses."

"It can run by itself without being pulled by oxen or horses?"

Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow, his face showing great interest.

"I want to see!"

"I need to see what it is!"

"I'll look at this later!"

Old Zhu asked impatiently.

"Hey Chen! Tell me, how do I get to that place you mentioned?!"