Da Ming: The system granted me immortality; I clock in every day.

Two elderly farmers who had been waiting nearby rubbed their hands together.

Pick up the specially made short-handled hoe and carefully dig through the soft soil along the roots of the vines.

The warm pavilion was completely silent, with everyone's eyes fixed on the turned-up earth.

With a few strokes of the hoe, the soil loosened.

The old farmer put down his hoe, grasped the base of the vine with both hands, and pulled upwards with force.

A long string of dark red tubers, covered in damp soil, resembled a nest of enormous, fat rats, uprooted.

Each tuber was round and plump, its skin gleaming with a purplish-red luster under the light of the warm room.

There are five or six sweet potatoes growing under this one plant alone, each as big as an adult man's fist.

"Hiss~~"

The junior official of the Ministry of Agriculture gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

He had tended crops all his life, and he had never seen such a heavy fruit grow from the roots of a plant!

The two old farmers were also dumbfounded, weighing the sweet potato in their hands, and stammering out their report.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, this... this one must weigh four or five pounds!"

Zhu Gaochi was so excited that he trembled all over.

He took two steps forward, ignoring the dirt and grime, and picked a sweet potato from the vine with his own hands, holding it in his palm to examine it carefully.

"Four or five pounds... one plant alone weighs four or five pounds!"

Zhu Gaochi quickly calculated in his mind, then suddenly turned to look at Gu Yannian.

"Longevity! If an entire acre of land were planted with this, wouldn't that be..."

"If taken care of properly, the yield per mu can easily reach thirty or forty shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Gu Yannian calmly took over the conversation.

These words were like a thunderclap in the warm pavilion.

Even the best paddy fields in the Ming Dynasty could only yield two or three bushels of wheat per mu.

This unassuming lump of mud yields more than ten times the output of grains!

Zhu Zhanji also looked horrified. He stepped forward, snatched a sweet potato, and pinched open a bit of the skin with his fingernail.

The flesh inside is pale yellow, with a slightly astringent sweetness.

"Lord Gu, is this thing truly as filling as grains, and harmless to eat?" Zhu Zhanji pressed.

Gu Yannian stood up and patted the dust off his hands.

He looked around and stopped beside a charcoal stove used for warmth.

"If Your Highness has any doubts, you will know once you try it."

Gu Yannian stepped forward, picked out a few medium-sized sweet potatoes from the charcoal basket next to him, and casually wiped the dirt off the skin with his sleeve.

Then, he picked up the fire tongs and pried open a hole in the glowing red charcoal in the stove.

The sweet potatoes were buried inside, and then covered tightly with warm wood ash and charcoal.

The movements were fluid and graceful, exuding an indescribable sense of ease.

The officials of the Ministry of Agriculture looked at each other in bewilderment.

This high-ranking official, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, actually roasted mud lumps in front of the Emperor and the Crown Prince in the royal warm pavilion.

The scene looks rather strange no matter how you look at it.

Zhu Gaochi, however, did not take it to heart; he knew Gu Yannian's temperament all too well.

This person has never put on airs and only seeks practicality in everything he does.

The warm room was filled with the earthy smell of soil.

Gradually, a sweet, caramelized aroma wafted from the charcoal stove, lingering around everyone's noses.

About 15 minutes later, the sweet fragrance became even stronger.

It seemed to be drilling straight into a person's stomach.

Zhu Gaochi had been eating a light diet every day in order to improve his health.

The alluring aroma made me swallow hard.

Gu Yannian estimated that the time was about right, picked up the fire tongs, and pulled out a few sweet potatoes whose outer skin had been roasted black and dried out from the ashes.

He used a clean piece of linen to cushion his hand, picked up a roasted sweet potato, and gently broke it apart.

A soft "click" sounded.

The crispy outer layer cracked open, and a plume of scalding white steam rose into the air.

The golden, soft, and sticky flesh inside was instantly revealed, and the sweet, caramelized aroma filled the entire warm room like an explosion.

Gu Yannian blew on the half of the sweet potato he had broken off to cool it down, and then handed it to Zhu Gaochi.

"Your Majesty, please try it. This food is soft, sweet, and fragrant when roasted, and it is very filling and warming. In times of famine, slicing it and drying it in the sun, or grinding it into powder and storing it, would be enough to save the lives of countless people."

Ignoring the heat, Zhu Gaochi took the half sweet potato and bit into it.

The soft, melt-in-your-mouth flesh releases a rich, sweet aroma that spreads across the tongue.

This simple yet powerful flavor instantly captivated the palate of the Ming emperor.

"Delicious! It's great!"

Zhu Gaochi took two large bites, scalding them and exhaling, but his eyes welled up with tears.

"With this, the people of the Ming Dynasty will no longer have to gnaw on tree bark and eat clay during famine years!"

Zhu Zhanji also picked up half of it and tasted it, his eyes also flashing with an astonishing light.

He knew the significance of this item to the army.

If soldiers on the border could plant this plant in the harsh, cold lands, the pressure on their food supplies would be greatly reduced.

The junior official of the Ministry of Agriculture was now filled with shame and knelt down with a thud.

"Your humble servant was foolish and ignorant, and nearly ruined the nation's grand plan! Minister Gu's wisdom and strategy are truly astounding!"

Gu Yannian remained calm and composed.

He picked up a roasted sweet potato and ate it slowly.

"This is nothing more than an extremely common item from overseas. I have only seen a few words about it in historical records and miscellaneous chapters. I am merely benefiting from the fame of Eunuch Zheng's voyages to the West."

"The officials of the Ministry of Agriculture should simply promote this method throughout the land and test it on a wide range of dry and sandy soils; this is the right way."

After finishing the sweet potato in his hand, Zhu Gaochi wiped his hands with a handkerchief, strode up to Gu Yannian, and looked extremely solemn.

"Yan Nian, your offering of this item is an astonishing act that has saved countless lives. I do not know how to reward you."

"Xia Yuanji will have to step down from the position of Minister of Revenue sooner or later, so I'm making that clear to you right now. As for the position of Grand Secretary, I'll keep it for you!"

Upon hearing this, the officials inside the warm pavilion all gasped in shock.

The position of Grand Secretary is the highest honor a subject can attain!

Gu Yannian simply smiled slightly, slowly swallowed the last bite of sweet potato, and wiped his fingers clean with a coarse cloth.

He raised his head, his gaze passing over the half-open window of the warm chamber, looking at the gradually darkening sky outside.

In the twilight of the distance, the faint sound of drums announcing the time could be heard from the city tower.

"Thump! Thump!"

It is already late afternoon (5-7 PM).

Gu Yannian turned around and casually brushed away a speck of ash from the hem of his official robes.

He then bowed respectfully to Zhu Gaochi.

"Your Majesty's favor is too great for me. However, the position of Grand Secretary is too demanding, and my lazy nature is simply not up to the task. If Your Majesty truly wishes to reward me, please grant me a day off tomorrow so I can sleep in for an extra half hour at home."

He paused, then continued in a calm tone.

"Your Majesty, the evening drum has sounded at dusk. The sweet potatoes have been dug and tasted; it's time for this humble servant to leave the office and go home."

The air inside the warm pavilion seemed to freeze in that instant.

The officials of the Ministry of Agriculture stared at him in disbelief.

The Emperor has just granted you the position of Grand Secretary, and you're already thinking about going home to sleep after get off work?

There are such extraordinary people in the world who regard power and influence as worthless!

Zhu Gaochi was taken aback at first, then pointed at Gu Yannian and burst into laughter.

Laughter echoed in the warm pavilion, making the glazed tiles vibrate and hum.

"You scoundrel! You're as stubborn as a rock that can't be warmed! Fine, fine, a king's word is his bond. I promised you I'd leave the office on time, and I won't stop you. Go, go!"

Zhu Zhanji watched from the side, his eyes filled with admiration.

He asked himself if he could remain so calm and composed if he were in the same situation and faced with such overwhelming power and temptation.

This Vice Minister Gu truly possesses the demeanor of a superior person.