The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Min Xi said hurriedly: "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I am ashamed to accept it."

The Prime Minister looked at Min Xi and Yun Ji and asked: "How old are you two brothers? Have you ever been to school?"

Yun Ji bowed and replied, "Your Excellency, I am 26 years old this year, and my brother Min Xi is 24 years old. Both of us brothers have not yet entered school. I am currently studying at Wenchang Academy, and my brother is studying with my grandfather, preparing to take the Tongshi exam next year."

The Prime Minister was a little surprised after hearing this: "Your name is Yunji, right? You are the owner of Yunxiang, right? Your family's financial resources cannot possibly support your studies, so why did you take the exam only now?"

Yun Ji looked ashamed: "I am ashamed that I never thought of pursuing a career in government before."

"Then why did you change your mind?"

"As I've walked a long way and seen a wider range of the world, I've developed ambitions and want a chance to display them." Yun Ji certainly wouldn't say that he wanted to pursue a career in politics because of Min Xi.

The Prime Minister looked at Min Xi and asked, "What about you, my friend?"

Min Xi grinned: "I started studying late, and I only started studying with my brother. I'm afraid I can't become an official, but I just want to give it a try. I heard that people with honors can meet officials without kneeling."

The Prime Minister was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "That's a simple starting point. Read carefully, there is a golden house and a beautiful woman in the book."

"I will keep this in mind."

The Prime Minister picked up the corn cob on the plate on the table, took a bite, and found it was hard and almost impossible to chew, so he put it down and said, "I guess the crops you brought back are not limited to these few ways of eating, right?"

Min Xi smiled and said, "Your Excellency, yes. Sweet potatoes can be roasted or steamed, or ground into powder and filtered out to make vermicelli. When corn is fresh, it can be picked and steamed, stewed, or fried. Old corn like this is usually threshed and ground into powder like wheat to make steamed buns. Potatoes can be steamed or fried, or fried or stewed, or ground into powder and filtered out to make vermicelli, which is similar to sweet potatoes. Peanuts can be boiled or fried. Fried peanuts are the best accompaniment to wine, and they are also a good oil crop. They can be fried and pressed for oil, which is more fragrant than soybean oil."

The Prime Minister suddenly realized: "I see! It seems that what you brought back are all good things."

"The biggest advantage of these crops is that they are drought-resistant and can be planted in both the north and the south. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are both high-yield crops with few diseases," said Min Xi.

"It seems you put your heart into it."

"After we found these crops, we tried to grow them in Europe for two years and got a general idea of ​​their habits."

The Prime Minister thought of another thing: "You also donated a galleon to the navy. Why is that?"

Min Xi stretched out his hand, lifted Yun Ji's clothes, and motioned for him to speak.

Yun Ji understood: "In reply to your Excellency..." He repeated what he had explained to Yu Liang and others before.

The Prime Minister nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "You have a sense of crisis and can put it into action, that's good! If all the scholars in the Ming Dynasty were like you, they would serve the country and the people, why would we worry about the Ming Dynasty not lasting for thousands of years!"

Tao Lizhi was overjoyed after hearing this. Even the Prime Minister approved of them both. As long as they could pass the imperial examination, they would have no reason to worry about their future!

But Min Xi was not optimistic. Although Zhang Juzheng was in power now, he was not very old when he died. He seemed to be less than 60 years old. According to his current age, he probably didn't have many years to live. So if Yun Ji chose to pursue a career in politics, he might not be able to rely on Zhang Juzheng.

Moreover, Zhang Juzheng was only a minister, and there was an emperor above him. If the ministers were too powerful, it would mean that the imperial power would be weakened. When the emperor gained power, the first people he would suppress would be the powerful ministers.

Therefore, once Zhang Juzheng fell, there were no more people in the Ming Dynasty who could really do practical work. The remaining people were all those who sought fame and fortune and enriched themselves. The factional struggles eventually dragged the crumbling Ming Dynasty into an abyss from which there was no recovery.

Min Xi actually didn't have much good feelings towards the Ming Dynasty. There were too many useless emperors. He wouldn't feel sorry if the Ming Dynasty fell, but he had one idea, which was that the Ming Dynasty must not perish at the hands of the Later Jin.

He wanted to change the fate of the Ming Dynasty which fell at the hands of the Later Jin Dynasty. There were two obvious channels: one was to change the fate of Zhang Juzheng, and the other was to change Emperor Wanli. The former seemed possible, but the latter was almost impossible. After all, they had no channel to get to know Wanli.

There is also a hidden channel, which is for him and Yun Ji to find a new path, but given their current identities and situations, they are still starting from scratch, and the difficulty can be imagined.

When a dynasty develops to this stage, it is actually almost doomed. Various social ills have already formed, classes have long been solidified, land annexation is accelerating, the gap between the rich and the poor is huge, and the people have long-standing grievances. If they want to reform, it will mean touching the landlord class's cake, which is difficult to implement. The only correct solution is revolution and a reshuffle.

It was obviously impossible for Min Xi to raise the banner of rebellion and revolution. He believed that he did not have the ability to do so. If he dared to rebel, he would probably be the first to be destroyed. All he could do was to make some repairs and try his best to change the fate of the Ming Dynasty and not give the Later Jin a chance to rise.

After asking about the ship, the Prime Minister asked about the situation in European countries. Min Xi knew more about this than Yun Ji, so he was the one who mainly answered the questions.

"Do you think it is necessary to have dealings with those tiny countries in Europe?" The Prime Minister actually asked about Min Xi and Yun Ji's attitudes.

Min Xi answered honestly: "I think that every country has its own strengths and weaknesses. The small European countries are undergoing great social changes. For a long time, their society has been in a state of ignorance and backwardness. Now they are undergoing changes. From nothing to something, it is easier for them to break away from the old ways and make great progress. So I think it is necessary to have exchanges."

After hearing this, the Prime Minister looked at Min Xi with a scrutinizing gaze: "Do you have any selfish motives in this? After all, the Fulangji people are your saviors."

"I have no selfish motives. I really believe this. We can learn from others' experience. Working in isolation will only limit our own limitations. For example, gunpowder was discovered by our ancestors when they were making elixirs. Europe learned the technology to use gunpowder from us, but they used gunpowder in various firearms and cannons, which are more lethal than our Ming Dynasty's cannons and muskets. If we don't care and don't take it seriously, the lethality of their artillery will only become stronger, and the gap between us and them will become larger and larger. In the future, our enemies will not only come from the surrounding countries on land, but may also come from European countries on the other side of the ocean." Min Xi's tone was very sincere.

The Prime Minister pondered for a moment and nodded: "Your words have benefited me a lot."

Min Xi knew that a politician like Zhang Juzheng had a much longer-term vision than ordinary people. All his plans were at least ten years long, or even a hundred years long. He must have considered what Min Xi said, but it might not be as urgent as other things, so he didn't plan it. Now that Min Xi reminded him, he might have someone to plan it.

"I don't deserve it. Your Excellency is far-sighted and must have thought more thoroughly than I do. But things have their priorities, and Your Excellency has too much to consider. Compared with domestic affairs, contact with foreign countries does not seem so urgent." Min Xi said respectfully, but still couldn't help but remind him, "Your Excellency is the backbone of the Ming Dynasty. Please take care of your health so that the Ming Dynasty can prosper forever."

The Prime Minister stroked his beard and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, young friend. I will take good care of myself and fight for the Ming Dynasty for at least another twenty years."

After coming out of the teahouse, Tao Lizhi looked at Min Xi and said, "Young people are really formidable!"

Min Xi asked him: "Uncle, did I say something I shouldn't have said?"

"It doesn't matter. Those words are appropriate for you to say, but inappropriate for me to say. You are young and sincere, and you truly care about the Lord. Not only will the Prime Minister not mind, but he will have a better impression of you." Tao Lizhi said.

Yun Ji said, "Uncle, it's getting late, let's go to Yunxiang Restaurant to have lunch before returning."

Tao Lizhi thought about it and said, "Okay."

When they got on the carriage and were alone with Min Xi and Yun Ji, Min Xi couldn't help but ask, "Is that Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng?"

"Yes, it's him. Do you know him?" Yun Ji felt that something was wrong with Min Xi today. He actually advised Zhang Juzheng to take care of his health. They had no relatives or friends with Zhang Juzheng, and they were younger generations, so it was not appropriate to bring this up.

Min Xi sighed, "Well, but I can't say much, for fear of revealing the secret. In short, everything I said today was from the bottom of my heart, and it was not to please him or get close to him. I sincerely hope that he takes care of his health and doesn't overwork himself."

As smart as Yunji was, he naturally guessed something, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Zhang Juzheng took time out to meet Min Xi and Yun Ji, but he didn't give them any rewards, he just wanted to meet the two young people. Min Xi and Yun Ji didn't mind, because the things they brought back were presented to the court, and even if they wanted to be rewarded, it should be the court, not Zhang Juzheng. To be honest, Zhang Juzheng was willing to take time out of his busy schedule to meet them, which showed that he attached great importance to them.

Min Xi felt extremely honored. This was Zhang Juzheng. There were so few politicians who could leave their names in history, and he actually saw him with his own eyes!

"I really didn't expect that Lord Zhang would meet with small people like us. He is so busy!" Min Xi sighed.

"I didn't expect it to be him!" Yun Ji nodded in agreement.