The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

Chapter 59 Zhu Zhanjun: Just eat shit.

Zhu Di: "???"

Zhu Gaoxu: "???"

The two looked completely bewildered.

The smell of urine?

Hold the grass!

What does this have to do with urine?

Zhu Di's mind raced, and as if he had guessed something, he said tremblingly.

"Zhanjun, what do you mean...?"

Zhu Zhanjun stared with his innocent-looking big eyes.

"Grandpa, this thing is called a toilet."

"I use it to pee."

"It's normal for the water to be a little alkaline."

[Ding! You have obtained a golden treasure chest!]

Zhu Di nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Nima.

No wonder he thought the taste was off.

He used to pretend to be crazy and even ate pig excrement.

This water tastes strange; there's definitely something wrong with it.

That idiot Gao Xu, he drank it himself, but he also made him drink it.

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and slapped Zhu Gaoxu, who was equally bewildered, on the head.

"A self-righteous fool."

Zhu Gaoxu: "???"

No, it's your grandson's pee, and you're hitting me?

Zhu Di slapped him, and immediately felt much better.

Ignoring Zhu Gaoxu's aggrieved expression, he praised Zhu Zhanjun.

"Zhanjun, this toilet design is quite ingenious."

"I'll get one for Grandpa Emperor's palace later."

Zhu Zhanjun patted his chest.

"Grandpa, leave it all to me."

Zhu Di stroked his beard.

"Zhanjun, where have you been all this time?"

Zhu Zhanjun blinked.

"Grandpa, your grandson is in the vegetable garden."

"A vegetable garden?" Zhu Di's eyes nearly bulged out. "Zhanjun, you're growing vegetables?"

Zhu Zhanjun shook his head and said.

"I just got some fruits and vegetables, Grandpa, would you like to try some?"

Zhu Di nodded.

"OK."

..................

After a while.

In the vegetable garden in the backyard of the Bowen Museum.

The garden was neatly divided into plots, lush and green, and full of life under the scorching summer sun, a stark contrast to the heat outside.

There were also some large vats filled with ice in the four corners of the garden, and a cool breeze was blowing through it, which explains why the temperature here is so pleasant.

"Grandpa Emperor, look over here." Zhu Zhanjun led the two to the first plot of land, squatted down, and pointed to a patch of climbing plants on the ground.

The plant has thick leaves, and its vines bear fist-sized, bright red fruits that resemble lanterns and have smooth skin.

"This is called a 'tomato,' also known as a red tomato. It originated overseas. It's sweet and sour and appetizing when eaten raw, and can be cooked in soups or scrambled eggs. It's very nutritious."

Zhu Di bent down to examine it closely, gently touching the bright red fruit. He exclaimed in surprise, "This thing is so vividly colored, it looks like a jewel. Is it really edible?"

"Of course it's edible." Zhu Zhanjun picked a ripe tomato, washed it with water from the wooden bucket next to him, and handed it to Zhu Di. "Grandfather, try it. Be careful, there are seeds inside."

Zhu Di took it; it felt slightly cool to the touch. He brought it close to his nose and smelled it; it had a refreshing, fruity scent.

He took a bite, and immediately a burst of sweet and sour juice filled his mouth. The flesh was soft and the seeds were crisp and tender, with a rather novel taste.

"Mmm! It's sweet and sour, juicy, and definitely a great treat for cooling off in the summer."

He finished his meal in a few bites and handed the rest to Zhu Gaoxu, saying, "You should try some too."

Zhu Gaoxu had been craving it for a while, so he took it and took a big bite, immediately scrunching up in a grimace.

"Pooh."

"Zhanjun, why does this thing smell so bad?"

臭？

Zhu Di and Zhu Zhan looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhu Zhanjun peeked out and immediately understood.

"Dad, there's manure on this food."

"I just watered the vegetable garden yesterday, I forgot to mention."

[Ding! You have obtained a silver treasure chest!]

Zhu Gaoxu: "..."

That little rascal!

Zhu Di's eyelids twitched wildly.

Damn, he almost got to eat it too.

Zhu Di coughed lightly.

"Zhanjun, is this thing easy to grow?"

"If taken care of properly, the yield per acre is not low," Zhu Zhanjun said with a smile. "Moreover, it is heat- and drought-resistant, and can be planted in both summer and autumn."

Zhu Di nodded.

"This is good stuff."

Zhu Zhanjun raised an eyebrow, then walked to a patch of land next to him and pointed to several plants about half a person's height, laden with slender purple fruits, saying, "Grandpa, Father, look at this one. This is called eggplant. Its skin is purplish-black and glossy, and its flesh is tender. It can be steamed, roasted, or stewed. It absorbs flavors very well, and it is especially delicious when cooked with lard."

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu leaned closer to take a closer look and saw that the eggplant was long and slender, with a deep purple color that stood out against the green leaves.

Zhu Di reached out and squeezed the fruit; its texture was firm yet elastic. He nodded, "This fruit has a peculiar color; I've never seen anything like it before. Zhanjun, is this also from overseas?"

"Exactly." Zhu Zhanjun picked an eggplant, cut it open with his small knife, revealing the white flesh with a few seeds inside. "You see, the inside is snow-white, and it becomes soft when cooked. Eggplants are not picky about where they grow, they are easy to cultivate, and they have a high yield. They can be harvested continuously in summer and autumn."

Zhu Gaoxu picked up the half-eaten eggplant and smelled it. It had a faint grassy scent. He grinned and said, "It looks rather handsome. I'll have the cook make a plate of it for me to try later!"

Zhu Zhanjun smiled and agreed, then led the two to another piece of land.

The crop grown here is a short, sturdy crop with large leaves, thick petioles, and grows in clusters like fans.

"This plant is called 'celery'," Zhu Zhanjun said, pulling up a stalk, shaking off the soil to reveal its clean, crisp roots. "Both the stems and leaves are edible, with a refreshing and pleasant aroma. It can be eaten raw, stir-fried, or used as filling. Regular consumption can clear heat and promote urination, which is beneficial to health."

Zhu Di took the celery, carefully examining its slender yet upright stalks. He then brought it closer to his nose, and a unique, spicy aroma wafted up. He couldn't help but praise, "The aroma is crisp and refreshing; it's truly an extraordinary plant. It seems to thrive in damp, cool conditions?"

"Your Majesty is wise," Zhu Zhanjun nodded. "Celery likes moist soil and needs frequent watering in the summer. It's even better if it's shaded. It can grow back after each harvest, and you can get several harvests in a row."

Zhu Di marveled at this, and then Zhu Zhanjun introduced several kinds of melons and fruits.

His eyes lit up when he heard that.

He couldn't help but shake his head and say.

"Zhanjun, if these fruits and vegetables you mentioned could be widely distributed, the people would have more crops to grow."

Zhu Gaoxu took a bite of the freshly picked cucumber and nodded repeatedly.

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"Grandpa, I was just about to discuss this with you."

"If we were to spread all these fruits and vegetables, relying solely on the imperial court for promotion would be rather slow."

"My grandson has been working on a gadget that can be quickly promoted and widely publicized these past two days, and can spread the news very quickly."

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhu Di pondered for a moment.

"Zhanjun, what are you saying?"

Zhu Zhanjun said solemnly.

"My grandson said this thing is called a newspaper."

"In our Great Ming Dynasty, there was an official gazette."

"However, the official gazette was not open to the public."

"My grandson was thinking, if there were a kind of manuscript that could record the latest news, so that people could read it."

"Then the news will spread quickly."

"At that time, I will put all kinds of information about fruits and vegetables in the newspapers, and the people will know about it and pass it around. Wouldn't that be more convenient and faster?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di's eyes lit up, and he almost slapped his thigh in excitement.

That's right.

Why didn't he think of that?

Zhu Di stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought.

"Zhanjun, this newspaper you mentioned, it probably won't be easy to start."

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"Grandfather is absolutely right. This item is complicated, and to cover costs, it must be sold to the people. But to sell it to the people, it must be written with some valuable information; otherwise, why would the people pay to buy it?"

"But Grandfather, rest assured, if I already have a foolproof plan in mind, all I need is your full support."

Zhu Di seemed to be deep in thought.

"You little monkey, you seem to have a plan all figured out."

"Grandpa Emperor will naturally support you."

About half an hour later.

Zhu Di returned to the palace with a large quantity of fruits and vegetables.

Every time he came to Zhu Zhanjun's place, he would find a lot of strange and unusual things, which gave him a real sense of accomplishment.

Zhu Zhanjun then summoned Wu Yubi, Kuang Zhong, and Xue Xuan, who had recently been admitted to the Bowen Pavilion.

Although the three are historically famous, one is currently a minor official in a remote area, one is a candidate for the imperial examination, and the other is a rural scholar.

Given his current position, recruiting him wouldn't be too difficult for him.

All three were young and promising, so getting them to write newspaper articles wouldn't be a difficult task.

................

About two or three days later.

Inside the Qianyuan Palace.

Zhu Di clutched his stomach, his expression subtly changing.

motherfucker.

My grandson's fruits are delicious, but he's been eating too many cold and chilled things these past few days, which has given him an upset stomach.

Just then, footsteps sounded, and a small figure ran in.

"Grandpa Emperor..."

When Zhu Di saw the person who came, he was taken aback for a moment, then forced a smile.

"It's Zhanjun."