PDLP Chapter 403 Watermelon in Winter
Chapter 403 Watermelon in Winter
Half an hour after the meal, Luo Yu felt uncomfortable eating for the first time. Although the palace maids would use silver needles to test for poison after each dish was served, unfortunately she was frightened by the glass of wine just now and had some sequelae. She had to taste every bite carefully to see if there was any strange taste. If she died and had to do it again, she would know which dish was problematic.
The last thing served was the after-meal fruit, a plate of watermelon.
When Luo Yu saw the watermelon, she was stunned for a moment, then she looked up and saw the Fifth Prince opposite her waving at her. It turned out that this was the surprise the kid was talking about.
Not only was Luo Yu surprised, but even the Empress Dowager was surprised. Concubine Mo, standing by, explained to the Empress Dowager the story of the Fifth Prince growing watermelons. The Empress Dowager was delighted and immediately summoned the Fifth Prince. When Concubine Mo was favored, the Fifth Prince was already very much in the Emperor's good graces, so the Empress Dowager naturally took more care of him and showed some affection for him.
"Sheng'er, come here, tell the Empress Dowager how you grew this watermelon in the winter."
The Fifth Prince walked up briskly and sat down next to the Empress Dowager. He pointed at Luo Hong and said with a grin, "It was Miss Luo Hong, no, it was Sister Luo Hong who gave me the watermelon seeds. She taught me how to grow watermelons. A batch was supposed to mature in October. But in September, I saw the weather was getting cold, so I built a greenhouse for the watermelons using the method Sister Luo Hong taught me. Later, I thought I still had some watermelon seeds. If I planted them in a greenhouse, would I be able to eat watermelons in winter? So I found a piece of land and planted another batch of watermelons. When it was cold, I asked many eunuchs and palace maids to help light a charcoal fire to heat the greenhouse. Unexpectedly, some of the watermelons survived."
He paused and continued, "But these watermelons aren't as good as the ones we planted in the summer. Those are big, round, thin-skinned, juicy, and really delicious."
The Queen Mother also tasted some of that batch of watermelons, but she didn't ask much at the time, thinking that they were just different varieties.
Unexpectedly, it was grown by himself, the prince who had never done farm work.
Luo Yu was even more surprised after hearing this. This kid could actually use greenhouse technology to grow watermelons in winter. It was a waste of talent not to engage in agricultural production. It seemed that the royal family's manpower and material resources could still achieve many skills. It was just that the cost of growing watermelons in a greenhouse was too high, not suitable for ordinary farmers.
Zhu Jinyou was not surprised to hear that it was Luo Yu who taught him, but everyone present, including the Queen and Concubine Mo, were surprised.
The Empress Dowager summoned Zhang Shao'an, the Minister of Revenue, to her presence. She asked him if this watermelon variety was newly introduced. After several exclamations of surprise, he replied, "I only know that the variety currently imported from the Western Regions has a rind two inches thick, a yellowish-white flesh with a hint of red, and exceptionally large seeds. It's very different from the variety currently being grown by the Fifth Prince."
After hearing this, the Queen Mother uttered a meaningful "oh" and turned to Luo Yu and asked, "Where did Miss Luo Yu get the watermelon seeds?"
Luo Yu was secretly surprised. She was just eating a melon, but it ended up on her head.
She had no choice but to stand up, bow, and say, "These watermelon seeds were given to me by the tribesmen in the southwest forest when I went to look for my master."
Zhu Jinyou frowned slightly. How could he not know about this? Could it be that Miss Luo Yu had hidden something from him again? But then again, she must have exchanged watermelon seeds with the locals when they privately discussed how to cultivate mushrooms.
The Queen Mother, however, had no intention of letting her off the hook. She asked, whether intentionally or unintentionally, "Why is your master in the mountains of the southwest? I've heard that Miss Luo's hometown is on the grasslands of the northwest."
Luo Er was shocked. Could it be that the Queen Mother had already sent people to inquire about the true identity of her body? It made sense. Wouldn't it be easy for the Queen Mother's subordinates to find out these things? She must have known that Qin Luo Er was the fallen princess of Qi Yue Kingdom. Why would she agree to let Zhu Jinyou marry a princess of an enemy kingdom? Luo Er's heart trembled slightly, and he felt even more uneasy. This old lady would definitely not accept her so easily in order to ensure Zhu Jinyou's future throne. If the ministers knew that Zhu Jinyou had married a woman from the grassland tribe, they would surely object. Why did she agree so easily?
"My Master has traveled extensively throughout the world and has no fixed abode."
"Oh, so you admit that you are a descendant of the nomadic people of the grasslands?"
He almost said the words "enemy of our Rong country".
Zhu Jinyou quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Queen Dowager, please allow me to explain. Miss Luo Yu has completely lost her memories. Whether she is a descendant of a nomadic people is unimportant. What matters is that she has brought prosperity to the people of Rong. These watermelon seeds were brought by her, and there is also a strain of fungus that can be grown indoors year-round, which Miss Luo Yu also brought and promoted. Her abilities far exceed these."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shao'an, the Minister of Revenue, exclaimed, "A while ago, I heard that some southern cities can grow mushrooms in winter, and I even sent people to inquire about the cultivation method, hoping to promote it in northern cities. I didn't find it, but it turned out that it was Miss Luo Yu who brought it here. I apologize for your rudeness."
Luo Yu quickly bowed in return.
Though the Empress Dowager remained calm, she secretly grew increasingly suspicious of Concubine Ying's identity. Concubine Ying had concealed her identity all along, giving her child to the Empress. She was determined to tie Prince Ning, Zhu Jinyou, down to her. If he ascended to the throne, she would surely ascend to the position of Empress. Who knew what drastic actions she might take? If she could dissuade Zhu Jinyou from the throne, her son might also inherit it, and ultimately the Empress would be nothing more than a pawn in her hands.
Thinking of this, the Queen Mother couldn't help but feel apprehensive. This woman's every move was so meticulously calculated; perhaps she was the one truly intent on controlling the country. Could she, a princess of a fallen nation, have secretly allied herself with foreigners, using herself as bait, all for revenge?
Luo Yu secretly glanced at the Queen Mother, and the uneasiness in his heart was relieved a lot. Forget it, no matter how much he argued and struggled, he could not change the Queen Mother's mind.
After the banquet, Luo Yu dragged her exhausted body back to lie down for a while. Zhu Jinyou, however, was not so relaxed. He had too many things to deal with. After personally escorting Luo Yu back to Funing Palace, he whispered in her ear: "Have a good sleep this afternoon. I'll pick you up in the evening. The palace has to stay up all night on New Year's Eve."
Luo Yu's eyes widened: "Are we going to wait until dawn?"
"The Emperor has not yet awakened, so I am the only one left to watch over this New Year on his behalf and pray for the people of the world."
"Okay, I'll go rest first. Don't work too hard."
After letting go of Zhu Jinyou's hand, Luo Yu felt dazed for the first time, as if something was not quite real.
When Xia Liang saw Luo Yu coming back, she grabbed her and talked about the interesting things that happened at the banquet. Luo Yu told her what happened and asked, "Where do you think the Queen Mother asked Concubine Wan to poison me?"
Xia Liang took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and said, "Last time, I heard the imperial physician say that there is a poison that is harmless when taken alone, but if mixed with other poisons, it will kill you."
"Then, doesn't that mean even if I die and go back to the previous day, I can't avoid it?"
"Sis, since Zhu Jinyou and you have eaten the same food, you can just eat whatever he eats from now on."
"..."