New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

There were a total of 27 Song Dynasty officials who accompanied Li Ye on his mission to Youzhou. After Li Ye surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, he and 19 of his followers and confidants were transferred to Dading Prefecture. The remaining 7 were all imprisoned in the Youzhou prison for more than three months.

Looking at the list in his hand, Tang Qian began to call out names one by one: "Which one is from the Li family of Jinling?"

Li Shu stepped out from the crowd, prompting Tang Qian to reveal a knowing smile: "The Li family of Jinling, could they really be descendants of the Li family of Southern Tang?"

Li Shu's face immediately turned ashen, and he hurriedly waved his hands in denial: "My ancestors were just a collateral branch of the Southern Tang royal family. We were only one family 150 years ago, and we have long since crossed the fifth degree of kinship. At most, we are of the same clan."

"This is Youzhou, not under the Zhao family emperor's feet, Brother Li, there's no need to panic." After offering a few words of comfort, Tang Qian changed the subject, "I wonder if the Li family of Jinling can be considered a prominent family in Jiangnan these days?"

Li Shu hesitated, then looked up at Tang Qian and saw that his expression was calm and that he had no intention of dealing with him. Li Shu was relieved: "We can't say we are a prominent family, but we have accumulated some reputation over the years. Brother Tang, just say what you want me to do. There is no need to beat around the bush."

"Brother Li is a man of few words, so I won't hold back either. In order to be able to cross the ocean, Youzhou plans to build a giant seagoing vessel. However, the north is mostly arid land, and the Jin people are not good at shipbuilding. Could you please write a letter to Brother Li and ask the Li family to send a few skilled craftsmen who are well-versed in this craft?"

"Build ships? To sail across the ocean?" Li Shu looked completely bewildered. "The Jurchens are not good at naval warfare at all, why would they need to build warships? Isn't that just pointless?"

Tang Qian's cold snort immediately silenced Li Shu.

"You all just said that you would do your best to fulfill any request I make. How come you're making excuses after I've only made one request?"

"I was just curious," Li Shu said with an awkward smile. "Since it's a secret of the Jurchens, I won't ask any further. I'll write back now and ask my father to send the best shipbuilding craftsmen from the Li family's shipyard to Youzhou."

"Your family actually has its own shipyard?" Tang Qian was taken aback at first, but then he figured it out himself. "The waterways in Jiangnan are crisscrossed and the canal transport is well-developed, so it is only natural that your Li family has its own ships. Brother Li, don't worry, Youzhou is only borrowing the Li family's craftsmen for a while. Once the ships are completed, they will naturally be sent back."

"Then thank you very much, Brother Tang." Since he could exchange a few craftsmen for his life, he figured his family wouldn't refuse Tang Qian's request.

Tang Qian waved to Li Shu, signaling him to step back for the time being, and then called out another person's name: "Where is Yang Sui from the Yang family of Suicheng, Guangnan East Road?"

Seeing that no one answered, Tang Qian raised his head and asked again. Realizing that he couldn't avoid it any longer, a thin man in his thirties from the crowd shakily raised his hand: "It is indeed your humble servant."

"Since Envoy Yang comes from Guangnan East Circuit, I have a question I would like to ask you to answer." Before the other party could respond, Tang Qian continued, "I wonder if our Great Song Dynasty has popularized a crop called cotton in Lingnan Circuit?"

"Cotton?" Yang Sui's heart skipped a beat. If it were someone else present, they might not know what kind of crop Tang Qian was talking about, but if you asked him, you really asked the right person.

"As far as I know, cotton originated overseas and was first grown in Yazhou before being introduced to Lingnan. To be honest, my Yang family used to grow it. However, it is not edible and can only be used for warmth. Lingnan is hot all year round, so cotton is of little use. The cost of transporting it to other prefectures is too high, and the price is prohibitive for ordinary people. Only wealthy families can afford it, so its usefulness is really limited."

Yang Sui described cotton as a chicken rib that is tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away, leaving Tang Qian speechless for a while. However, now is not the time to popularize the uses of cotton.

"Since you have this in your home, write a letter immediately and have someone send cotton seeds to Youzhou."

"Brother Tang, are you planning to grow cotton in Youzhou?" Yang Sui gave a rather unpleasant bitter smile. "Cotton likes sunlight and needs a long period of sunshine. If we force it to grow in the environment of Youzhou, even if it can be grown, I'm afraid the yield will not be very high."

“It doesn’t matter if the yield per mu is not high. We can cultivate all the surrounding wasteland and plant it. Wouldn’t the output be greater? Cotton is indeed not a necessity for the people of Guangnan East Road, but the winters in Youzhou are too harsh. That’s where cotton can be effective. If Envoy Yang can get the seeds, it will be a great deed to save the people in the city from suffering. The Princess’s Mansion can treat Your Excellency as an honored guest.”

Unfortunately, it's probably too late to plant this year. Even if Yang Sui's letter can be safely delivered to the Yang family in Guangnan East Road, it will take at least two or three months for the round trip. By the time the cotton seeds are safely delivered to Youzhou, it will be at least June.

"By the way, if it's convenient, you can also send some lychees and cane sugar over; I have a great need for them."

Yang Sui's face fell again: "Sugar is easy to deal with, just juice the sugarcane and dry it. But as for fresh lychees... even if Emperor Xuanzong of the previous dynasty wanted to transport them to Chang'an, I'm afraid several horses would die from exhaustion. Brother Tang, aren't you asking the impossible?"

After riding the red dust princess smiled, no one knew it was Litchi.

Looking back at the prosperous Tang Dynasty, when the world was at peace, Emperor Li Longji certainly had the financial and material resources to transport fresh lychees to Chang'an to win the favor of his concubines. But where does Tang Qian now get the confidence to make such a request?

"Fresh lychees are definitely out of the question, but didn't Brother Yang just mention how to make sugar? How about we mix the juice of fresh lychees with the juice of sugarcane and dry them together? Would the resulting sugar have a lychee flavor?"

Yang Sui frowned in thought. Tang Qian's method was indeed feasible, but he couldn't understand the purpose of doing so.

Tang Qian did not want to answer Yang Sui's question. Should he just bluntly tell the other party that he intended to satisfy his own appetite and, incidentally, please the two princesses beside him?

After carefully reviewing the list again, Tang Qian found no more of the talents he urgently needed. He then beckoned to the remaining people and said, "After you leave, take a shower and change into clean clothes. I have already arranged accommodations for you. Do not wander around unless necessary. In any case, stay by my side and be ready to serve me at any time. It is a hundred times better than continuing to live in this dark and gloomy prison."

The group looked at each other, naturally feeling that being alive was much better than dying for no reason. After a moment of silence, they all bowed to Tang Qian and said, "We will follow Brother Tang's orders."