General Wei Yuan, with not the slightest hesitation, picked up his chopsticks once more and dug in heartily, enjoying the array of delicacies that filled the table with their rich aromas and enticing colors.
Though the other ministers in the hall could not adapt as quickly as he did, they nonetheless steeled themselves and continued eating.
Had they not heard the veiled rebuke hidden within Princess Sheng An's words just now?
"Living in the capital, spoiled by fine clothes and rich foods, looking down on food they deem filthy."
That was one breath away from accusing them directly of being blind to the sufferings of the common people!
And they were the court's highest ministers!
Every day, they deliberated the empire's great affairs with His Majesty. And now, here they were, accused of being completely out of touch. What did that say about their worth before the Emperor?
That simply would not do.
Those who were quick-witted and more open-minded had already grasped why Emperor Xuanwu had arranged for Princess Sheng An to introduce these dishes at the palace banquet.
Immediately, they adjusted their expressions and stood up with bright laughter to offer congratulations:
"Who would have thought that ingredients once discarded as waste could be transformed into such delicious fare!
It pains me to think of all the meat and offal our people have thrown away over the years.
But to know that starting next year, the meat available to the common folk will nearly double—what joy! This is truly a great blessing, Your Majesty!"
"Heaven truly favors our Great Tian Sheng Dynasty!"
The rest of the ministers quickly followed suit. Before long, the once chaotic sounds within the hall merged into a harmonious chorus—
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Felicitations to Your Majesty!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Emperor Xuanwu laughed heartily. He had known—so long as Xiao Wu was here, she would ensure these old foxes accepted the new fare without delay.
Pleased beyond measure, Emperor Xuanwu said a few auspicious words and rewarded Yun Shu with several precious treasures. Regardless of what the ministers might truly feel, at least on the surface, monarch and subjects now appeared in perfect harmony.
The only exception was the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang, whose expression had darkened considerably.
He had been expecting Yun Shu to draw the court's ire and had been awaiting a good show.
And now?
These ministers of Tian Sheng were truly useless! They couldn't even deal with a princess!
It seemed he would have to take matters into his own hands.
Setting down his wine cup with a heavy clink, the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang took a deep breath to suppress his rising frustration. Then he forced a smile and said,
"Emperor of Tian Sheng, after tonight's New Year's Eve festivities, the Bei Xiang diplomatic delegation will prepare to return to our homeland.
Though several unfortunate misunderstandings have arisen between our nations, we are fortunate that Your Majesty has shown great magnanimity.
We are most grateful.
To express our apologies, and to fulfill Princess Sheng An's stated wish to see Zhibei flowers blooming across all of Tian Sheng, we have gathered and delivered five hundred shi of Zhibei flower seeds.
Even as we speak, they are being transported to your kingdom. By next autumn, surely Princess Sheng An's dream of flowers blooming across the realm will be realized."
One shi equaled one hundred twenty jin—
Five hundred shi meant sixty thousand jin of cotton seeds.
What generosity! Who would have guessed the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang had such a kind heart?
Good news followed upon good news. Yun Shu's spirits soared, and her chopsticks moved even faster.
From his seat above, Emperor Xuanwu recalled the results provided earlier by the Simulation Life Selection System. His face, too, bore a beaming smile.
But among the ministers who had no idea what Zhibei truly was—who had only heard the Eldest Prince's words and genuinely believed Yun Shu wanted to plant some beautiful flower across the entire kingdom—discontent began to simmer.
Does she truly think that simply increasing the meat supply a little gives her the right to demand that commoners abandon their grain fields to plant flowers instead?
Has her mind gone soft from palace luxury?
What use is a flower besides a fleeting glance?
Does she fear the people might live too well?
And His Majesty too—this was not how one ought to dote on a child!
The princess's demands were outrageous, and yet he remained silent, even seeming to tacitly approve the planting of all five hundred shi of Zhibei flower seeds!
It was… disgraceful!
Not that anyone dared to say such a thing aloud.
In truth, the entire affair was something of an internal embarrassment. No minister would be foolish enough to criticize their own Emperor and princess in front of the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang.
So all pretended not to hear the prince's words at all.
Even so, the once-lively atmosphere of the Lin De Hall banquet began to cool noticeably.
The Eldest Prince, not receiving the public outcry against Yun Shu he had anticipated, was momentarily stunned.
But he quickly understood the situation. Making use of the excuse of an early departure, he bowed to Emperor Xuanwu and took his leave from Lin De Hall.
And as expected, the moment he left—
The ministers could no longer sit still.
The first to rise was the Right Prime Minister.
"Your Majesty, this subject has a petition!"
"This is Lin De Hall, not the Xuan Zheng Hall.
What petition? There shall be no petitions!"
At the first movement of the Right Prime Minister's lips, Emperor Xuanwu knew exactly what nonsense he was about to speak.
The results of the Simulation Life Selection System could not be openly revealed. That left Emperor Xuanwu unable to explain why he had agreed to Yun Shu's request to plant Zhibei everywhere. Thus, he decided to cut things off at the root.
"We are not holding court today."
"Your Majesty!"
The Right Prime Minister raised his voice, unable to suppress his urgency.
"Surely Your Majesty knows how vital farmland is to the people!
If Princess Sheng An enjoys Zhibei flowers, she may plant them to her heart's content within her palace, or even fill her personal estates with them.
But to plant all five hundred shi of Zhibei seeds—that cannot be allowed!"
"Why can it not be allowed?"
Yun Shu didn't know why her Imperial Father trusted her so implicitly. When she'd declared she wanted Zhibei flowers to bloom throughout Tian Sheng, he hadn't even questioned her, merely nodded and agreed.
He had even gone so far as to send his eunuch to notify the Bei Xiang delegation at the courier station.
But now that the matter was being challenged, she could not remain silent.
What if Imperial Father was swayed by the ministers and changed his mind?
Setting her chopsticks down without hesitation, Yun Shu met the Right Prime Minister's deeply disapproving gaze with a calm and unshaken expression.
"From what I gather, Prime Minister, your concern is that planting Zhibei flowers would occupy precious farmland needed by the people. But—what if it doesn't?"
"Nonsense!"
The Right Prime Minister nearly laughed in disbelief at her ignorance.
"If not on farmland, then where?
Does Your Highness imagine one could simply scatter seeds over any patch of barren earth, and they would grow on their own without care or cultivation?"