Chapter 425: Chapter 425 - 425 Entering The Capital For A Reward (18)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Yes, do you still remember the larceny of military rations three years ago?” The Third Prince asked.

“Of course, I remember. Your eldest brother’s men did it. If you hadn’t found out in time, your Dongyang Navy would have starved that winter.”

“At that time, Zhou Huaiming was the one who escorted the rations. He was on guard but never expected a traitor from the inside. He almost lost his life at that time.

“It was Gu Chengrui who discovered and saved him. Otherwise, the grass on his grave would have been overgrown by now.”

“A scholar like him sure has the guts, huh?”

“At the time, he was also backed into a corner due to unforeseen circumstances.” A wealthy family from the Qiao clan nearby was also among those robbing the grain.

“Their family had grudges against the Gu family, so they had been suppressing the Gu family after they returned to the point where they did not even have the chance to go out and work.

“Later, the elder of the Qiao family fixed his gaze on his wife and the stewed recipe they devised.

“He was powerless to resist and could only think of ways to find the Qiao family’s weakness, so he constantly kept tabs on the Qiao family.

“When he learned they had taken action that night, he followed them. On his way home, he met Zhou Huaiming, who was near death. He also learned some medical skills, which is why Zhou Huaiming lived to tell the tale.

“Zhou Huaiming would not have been able to hide from a large-scale search otherwise.

“Thus, Zhou Huaiming later bought a manor and a restaurant with his own money and gave them to them.

“The couple didn’t take it for granted either. They gave Hongyun Restaurant the recipe for braised pork, which we greatly appreciated.”

“I didn’t expect this kid to have some guts. Oh, right; how are his medical skills?” The Emperor nodded and asked.

“I heard he learned a little from the academy’s doctor and was able to treat some minor illnesses at first.

“He later learned a lot from a local doctor.”

“From the looks of it, he can treat all common illnesses as long as they aren’t rare diseases.”

The Emperor nodded and then looked at the Third Prince.

Ever since the incident with the Zhou family, his son had stopped smiling and become pitifully quiet.

He didn’t expect the Third Prince to be this talkative today. It was obvious that he had a good impression of Gu Chengrui.

“How do you think we should reward the Gu family this time?” the Emperor asked.

“I’m also sure you’re aware that they invented the waterwheel. My eldest and fourth brothers were the only ones who raised a fuss and demanded that we give credit to the Qian family instead.

“They had also given their full support to promote the white sweet potatoes.

“Especially since they were the ones who discovered the technique to cultivate white sweet potatoes, 1 feel they should be exempted from their crimes. As for the reward, that is secondary.”

“Does that mean the white sweet potatoes were already ready when we knew of them?”

“They began planting the sweet potatoes the year before 1 sent you the sweet potatoes, the second year after they returned to the countryside. However, because seeds were scarce then, they only began planting them in large numbers in the village a year later.”

After that, the father and son chatted for a while about court matters before the Third Prince took his leave.

On the other hand, Madam Cui asked for Yang Wanning after she returned home and questioned her, “Where did you go? The people I sent to look for you disappeared at the foot of the hill. Did you do something shameful?”

Yang Wanning clenched her fists after hearing that. She looked up and replied with a firm expression, “Grandmother, this concerns the reputation of the four of us. Don’t listen to those slanderous words.

“We must put an end to it as soon as possible. If word gets out, we will not only be unable to participate in the selection of the Imperial Consort, but we will also offend the Third Prince.”

“What does it have to do with the Third Prince?”

“Because the Third Prince saved me after I fell down..”