activa-t Chapter 19 Potatoes are highly poisonous?
Chapter 19 Potatoes are highly poisonous?
The group of conservative ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, their faces turning from red to purple, and then from purple to green, creating a fascinating scene.
They knew that this was Ying Zheng giving them a warning.
But they never expected the method to be so direct!
Li Si, looking at the potatoes in front of him, felt a chill run down his spine, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
He instantly understood; this was His Majesty's stern warning!
He was incredibly grateful that he had chosen the right side that morning; otherwise, he would be in the same predicament as these people, feeling extremely uncomfortable and unable to save face.
Only Zhang Fan was specially arranged by Ying Zheng to be in the closest position to him.
He leisurely sipped his wine and ate the exquisite fruits served by the palace maids.
He watched the ministers' embarrassing state with a smile, secretly pleased with himself.
"My beloved ministers."
On the dragon throne, Ying Zheng's cold voice broke the deathly silence.
"Why aren't you eating?"
His gaze swept over the crowd.
"This is a divine object bestowed by the immortal master, capable of yielding a thousand catties per mu, thus saving the lives of all the people of my Great Qin."
"Today I will share this with you all; this is an immense blessing!"
That's all.
A eunuch carrying a lacquered tray carefully approached.
On the plate is a potato, its skin charred black, yet emitting a peculiar aroma.
Ying Zheng picked up a knife, preparing to cut it open and taste it.
Just then!
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!!!"
A piercing scream suddenly came from outside the hall!
The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in the robes of an imperial physician.
He scrambled in, then collapsed to his knees with a thud!
It was Li Qian, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy.
He banged his head on the ground, shouting through tears:
"Your Majesty! This must not be eaten!"
"This substance is of foreign origin, and its properties are unknown! It is not recorded in historical records or pharmacopoeias!"
"Furthermore...the color and shape of its sprouting point bear a striking resemblance to the highly poisonous 'Gelsemium elegans' of our dynasty!"
"I dare to swear on the lives of my entire family of over a hundred people that this substance... is likely highly poisonous!"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Your health is of utmost importance!!"
boom!!!
The old physician's words were like a thunderclap, exploding loudly in the deathly silent hall!
poisonous?
Is it similar to the highly poisonous Gelsemium elegans?
Are you even willing to risk your entire family's lives to guarantee this?
The ministers, who were already harboring resentment, instantly erupted in anger!
They all jumped up from their seats in a flash.
Staring in horror at the raw potato!
"Good heavens! I knew something was wrong with this thing!"
"A celestial master? I think he's a demon! He's trying to poison His Majesty and the entire court!"
Imperial Censor Feng Yuan was the first to jump out, pointing at Zhang Fan and speaking sternly:
"Zhang Fan! You wicked man, you have bewitched His Majesty! Your intentions deserve to be punished!"
"Now they've even brought out poison, plotting a rebellion! Guards! Seize this scoundrel!!"
In an instant, the crowd was agitated!
Countless angry, terrified, and resentful gazes once again shot towards Zhang Fan like sharp swords!
The entire side hall was in complete chaos!
Only Ying Zheng remained silent, unseen by anyone, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, and his gaze held a deeper meaning.
Still carrying a hint of... doubt?
however.
Faced with everyone's doubts and fears, Zhang Fan simply smiled faintly.
He offered no explanation, no argument, and didn't utter a single extra word.
He simply rose slowly and, under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, calmly walked to Ying Zheng.
then.
Zhang Fan reached out and picked up the roasted potato that smelled wonderfully caramelized.
To everyone's utter astonishment!
He casually broke off a large piece, stuffed it into his mouth, and began to chew it heartily!
"Click..."
The crisp chewing sounds were particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Everyone was stunned!
He...he ate it?
He just ate it like that?!
That was a deadly poison that the old imperial physician had vouched for with the lives of his entire family!
The officials' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as they stared intently at Zhang Fan.
one second...
Two seconds...
ten seconds...
However, nothing happened.
Zhang Fan did not foam at the mouth or bleed from his seven orifices.
Instead, he closed his eyes, a look of utter enjoyment on his face, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Hmm... crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, cooked just right, but it's a bit bland because it didn't have any salt."
boom!!!
The entire hall was completely in an uproar!
All the ministers' minds were buzzing; their worldviews were shattered in that instant!
"N-nothing...is everything alright?"
"He ate it and nothing happened to him at all?!"
"How is this possible! Could it be that this stuff really isn't poisonous?"
"No! Impossible! He must be a celestial master, a demon! He's immune to all poisons!"
The Imperial Censor pointed at Zhang Fan, his voice trembling, his face filled with absurdity and disbelief.
This is completely beyond their comprehension!
On the dragon throne, Ying Zheng looked at Zhang Fan's figure and nodded in satisfaction.
That's some courage!
This sense of responsibility!
This is the courage to remain calm and righteous even when condemned by thousands!
It is absolutely not something that treacherous and wicked people could possess!
This person is trustworthy!
Reusable!
Li Si was even more shocked, and his evaluation of Zhang Fan was raised to a whole new level!
This person not only possesses extraordinary talent, but also unparalleled courage to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before him!
Follow him, you won't go wrong!
After finishing his meal, Zhang Fan clapped his hands, still wanting more.
He broke off a small piece from the remaining half of the potato, walked over to the old doctor who was still kneeling on the ground, and handed it to him with a smile:
"Sir, would you like to try some? Don't worry, it won't kill you."
The old doctor was terrified when he saw the potato.
He scrambled backward, his face ashen, shouting:
"No... I won't eat... this is sorcery... this is sorcery..."
Just then!
Suddenly, someone unexpected stepped forward!
"That's enough!"
A furious roar, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
It was none other than General Wang Jian, who suddenly slammed his fist on the table and stood up!
He strode up to Zhang Fan, snatched the remaining potatoes, and said in a muffled voice:
"Your Majesty! Immortal Master! This humble general has fought on the battlefield for many years; what hasn't he eaten—grass roots, tree bark—!"
"This humble general believes in the Immortal Master! I've come to taste this divine delicacy on behalf of Your Majesty!"
That's all.
He imitated Zhang Fan, stuffing the potato directly into his mouth and swallowing it in large gulps.
When Wang Jian took his first bite, his eyes, which had seen countless life and death, widened instantly!
It was a simple and pure deliciousness that he had never experienced before!
Soft, sweet, and with a hint of smoky flavor, it instantly warmed his stomach!
He finished his meal in no time, then smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction.
Then, disregarding his image, he roared at the group of ministers who were still in a daze:
"You have mistaken such a divine object for poison!"
"What a waste!"
Seeing Wang Jian's reaction, Zhang Fan added with a smile:
"General Wang, while this thing tastes good when roasted, that's only its most insignificant advantage."
"Its most crucial qualities are its excellent storage properties, extreme ability to resist hunger, and the ability to yield thousands of kilograms per mu!"
boom!
When Wang Jian heard the words "yields of several thousand catties per mu", his mouth dropped open!
He fought wars his whole life, and he knew better than anyone what food meant!
He will never forget it!
After the Battle of Changping, although the Qin army won a great victory, it was also short of food supplies!
Unable to capture Handan in one fell swoop, they missed the best opportunity to unify the country ahead of schedule!
He will never forget the time when he fought the Xiongnu in the north.
Those iron-blooded warriors who followed him through life and death were in the icy and snowy land.
Because of the lack of food, they could only gnaw on horsehide that was frozen solid, and even...
Even in despair, he looked at his wounded comrade!
One year, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, and he was ordered to inspect the area.
But they witnessed firsthand the hellish scene of starving people and cannibalism!
A mother knelt before his horse so that her child could live!
She begged him to kill her and use her own flesh to feed the child!
That was his lifelong nightmare!
This is the greatest pain in the heart of this Great Qin War God!
And now!
This young man named Zhang Fan casually told him that there was a miraculous thing that could yield thousands of kilograms per mu!
What does this mean?
He understood better than anyone what those five words meant!
This means that the soldiers of the Qin Dynasty will no longer have to suffer from hunger!
This means that the Qin cavalry can penetrate deep into the northern desert, pursue the fleeing Xiongnu, and completely wipe them out!
This means... an unprecedentedly powerful empire is about to be born!
"thump!"
The veteran general Wang Jian, his eyes brimming with emotion, suddenly knelt down heavily before Ying Zheng.