Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

The emperor opened his eyes and asked, "Fuquan, is it already noon?"

The eunuch beside him quickly responded, "Your Majesty, it is indeed noon."

Li Shimin opened his eyes drowsily and asked again, "Is it noon already?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the eunuch said as he stepped forward to support him. "Your Majesty may have drunk a little too much last night. You must be careful now."

Li Shimin stood up with the help of the eunuchs and asked as he adjusted his clothes, "Is the minister in the court?"

The eunuch replied anxiously, "Your Majesty, the ministers have been waiting all morning. Go quickly and don't keep them waiting too long."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "I understand. Go and take the two jars of wine I brought back from Zuixianlou."

Fuquan quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I will go get the two jars of wine. Your Majesty, please wait a moment."

As he spoke, he quickly walked to where the wine jars were placed, bent down, and picked up the two jars of wine steadily with both hands.

Cautiously, he walked to the emperor's side and said softly, "Your Majesty, the wine is ready. Your Majesty, what do you want..."

The emperor walked out of Daming Palace: "Let's go"

Fuquan quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will accompany you to court immediately."

After saying that, Fuquan steadily carried two jars of wine and followed the staggering Emperor Li Shimin towards the court.

Along the way, Fuquan was worried in his heart, wondering what the ministers would say if His Majesty brought wine with him.

But he didn't dare to ask more questions, so he could only follow closely, always paying attention to the emperor's steps, for fear that he would fall down.

When Emperor Li Shimin arrived at the court, he saw the ministers discussing among themselves, and he shouted, "Quiet!"

Cheng Yaojin walked out carelessly, clasped his hands in salute, and then asked blankly, "Your Majesty, where have you been these past few days? I've been so worried. There are so many matters at court that I need your decision."

After saying this, he stared at the emperor with his round eyes and an anxious look on his face.

The emperor frowned and asked again, "What's the matter with the court?"

Cheng Yaojin waved his hand carelessly and said, "It's nothing serious. We've done our best to maintain the situation during the days when Your Majesty was away. It's nothing serious."

But at this time, Lord Zhang stood up and said seriously, "Why is it okay, Your Majesty, the potato and sweet potato issues during this period cannot be vague."

When the emperor heard this, he waved his hand and said, "You are talking about this."

The ministers nodded and said in unison: "Yes, yes, that's right, that's the matter. Your Majesty must give us some rules."

The emperor became impatient and said, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. My dear ministers, please enjoy the wine."

"This wine is good stuff. I brought it back from Zuixianlou. Come and taste the fine wine outside the palace."

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. Although they were still thinking about the potatoes and sweet potatoes, since the emperor had spoken, they could only put it aside for the time being and wait to taste the wine from Zuixianlou.

The ministers all took up their glasses and tasted the wine. Cheng Yaojin grinned and said loudly, "Hey! How's this wine? I think it tastes great!"

Mr. Zhang beside him also nodded in agreement: "Mm, it is indeed delicious. The wine from Zuixianlou really has a unique flavor."

The other ministers also echoed: "Yes, yes, the wine Your Majesty brought back has a mellow taste and a fragrant aroma. It is really good."

Because of the two jars of wine, the serious atmosphere in the court due to the potato and sweet potato issue was slightly eased, and everyone was immersed in the taste of the wine.

Cheng Yaojin burped loudly and said loudly, "Burp, this wine is really good! I was just about to say something, but I forgot it now."

The minister next to him also echoed: "Not really, I can't remember it either, never mind, let's drink, let's drink while we can, let's enjoy this good wine first."

Fuquan stood aside, watching the ministers drinking happily in the court, and was already stunned.

He couldn't help but approach the emperor and said, "Emperor, this...acting like this in the court is probably against the rules."

Emperor Li Shimin waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "It's alright. I'm so happy today. Let's enjoy the fine wine of Zuixianlou with all my beloved ministers. Relax and don't be so formal."

After hearing this, Fuquan still felt something was wrong, but he didn't dare to say anything more. He could only stand aside and watch helplessly.

The ministers were drinking one glass of wine after another, and the whole court was no longer serious.

Cheng Yaojin was a straightforward person to begin with, and after a few drinks, he became even more drunk and spoke without much restraint.

He stood up unsteadily and said with a thick tongue, "Your Majesty, I just didn't finish talking about this in the court. We can't just let this potato and sweet potato thing go."

Mr. Zhang also said, "We've never seen potatoes or sweet potatoes before, and we don't know where they came from. How can we really promote their cultivation like this?"

Cheng Yaojin continued, "We can't just believe it easily. We need to think it over carefully. If it's something bad, it will be a scam for the people."

After saying that, he burped and stood there staggering, waiting for the emperor's response.

Li Shimin looked at the drunk Cheng Yaojin, and although he felt helpless, he still cleared his throat.

He said loudly to the ministers, "My dear ministers, listen to me. These potatoes and sweet potatoes are good things, not as Lord Cheng worries."

"Take potatoes, for example. One acre of land can produce 28 dan. Sweet potatoes are even more impressive, up to 30 dan per acre."

They have a high yield. If their cultivation is promoted, the people will have more food. This will be of great benefit to the people's livelihood in the Tang Dynasty. My dear ministers, please do not doubt it."

After saying this, he swept his eyes across the faces of the ministers one by one, hoping that they could understand the benefits of potatoes and sweet potatoes.

When the ministers heard the emperor's words, their heads, which were originally a little confused due to drinking, instantly became much clearer.

"Your Majesty, can potatoes and sweet potatoes really have such a high yield?" Lord Zhang asked with his eyes wide open.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have never heard of such a high yield before. If this is true, it will be a blessing for the people." Another minister also echoed.

Li Shimin nodded: "Yes, yes, that's right, you all heard it right."

The ministers were now fully awake and nodded in agreement: "That's good. The Tang Dynasty will surely be blessed."

Cheng Yaojin scratched his head and muttered, "I thought it was something else. Since Your Majesty is so sure and the production volume is so high, it must be a good thing."

Other ministers echoed, "Your Majesty is wise. Since this is such a high-yield grain, its cultivation should be promoted as soon as possible so that the people of the Tang Dynasty can benefit sooner and the granaries can be more fully stocked."