86th Anniversary Gift

  Yang Lan entered the palace with her maid, and Li Mama was already standing at the gate of Cining Palace. As soon as she saw them coming, she immediately came over with a smile, "This old slave greets the young master! It's been a long time since I've seen the young master, the young master has grown taller, ah! Your little face is thinner, did you suffer outside?"

  Yang Lan didn't wait for Li to bow down before she quickly pulled her into a hug, wrapping her arms around her waist like a child and burying her face in her chest. With a mischievous grin, she tilted her head back and giggled, "Nanny, I've missed you too! Look at me, I've grown taller! Last year's dress is now too short for me, so they had to remake it this year. The needlework room was in an uproar, and now I get an extra bowl of food at meals! I'm afraid I'll get fat!" She tilted her head back and pinched the flesh under her chin, showing off her rounded face with a worried expression.

  The old lady smiled and took away her hand, looking at her with a comfortable expression, patting her hand with a kind smile: "Girls are growing up now, absolutely no need to think about losing weight, don't ruin your body, it's irreparable. Drink the medicinal soup I made for you, and you'll be healthy, with rosy and fair skin, very beautiful! This was a secret recipe from her family when she was in the palace, they used to run a medical clinic! Don't lose weight, listen to me!"

  "How dare I lose weight? If I eat one less bite, my grandma will chase after me and force me to finish it. When I get back, she'll say I've lost weight and stuff me with food! Look at my belly now, it's all rounded out!" She proudly patted her own little belly as she spoke.

  It made Li Niang laugh loudly, and the Empress Dowager inside was anxious, stretching her neck to look around constantly, wondering why she hadn't come yet!

  The empress finally breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the two people's laughter, and with eager eyes, she watched as Yang Lan accompanied Li Niangniang walking in. Immediately, she hastily and slightly discontentedly complained: "Why are you so slow! You made me wait for a long time!" In her anxiety, she even forgot to say the proper words of greeting.

  Yang Lan didn't even have time to greet her, and hastily rushed over, embracing the Empress Dowager tightly, laughing intimately as she said: "Grandmother, I've missed you so much! Have you missed me? I brought gifts for you! Guaranteed that you've never seen them before! When I wasn't here, did you eat well and practice your boxing diligently? You must listen to the imperial physician's words and not sneak in too many sweets!" She was like a chatterbox, once opened, couldn't be stopped, and the atmosphere of the grand Cining Palace seemed to have been infected with her joyful mood, more lively than before.

  The empress dowager's eyebrows and eyes were filled with a warm and comforting smile as she held Yang Lan's small face, gazing at her carefully before nodding in satisfaction. "Ah! My little darling is back, I'm doing great, don't worry about me, you Li Ayi has been taking care of me every day, I haven't sneaked any sweets! Good child, let me take a look, hmm, your complexion isn't bad, just a bit thinner and taller, and more spirited, but a bit darker. Let Yue Ayi and Lin Ayi help you with your appearance, it's not good for girls to be too dark!"

  Yang Lan stood in front of the empress, stretching out her arms and spinning around happily like a joyful skylark. Her red lips were slightly raised, and a bright smile emerged from her shining apricot eyes, as if it was the morning sunlight, her whole body radiating a lively and carefree energy.

  "Grandma, am I that dark?! I brought you a gift, do you want to see it?" Yang Lan snuggled into the empress dowager's arms like a spoiled child, provoking a hearty and loud laugh from her.

  Everyone in the palace would smile secretly when they saw this scene, and quietly go to prepare some of the county lord's favorite snacks to offer up. Every time the county lord came, she could make the empress dowager happy and delighted, and they could also gain many benefits. When the master is happy, it is the good fortune of the slaves; those who can make the master smile every day are worthy of their respect!

  "Alright! Let me see! I'll take a look at what interesting things you've brought for me, if they're not precious, I won't want them!" The empress dowager deliberately spoke with a stern face, but the affection and amusement in her eyes couldn't be hidden from people.

  Last time Yang Lan sent back a six-leaf screen, embroidered with some interesting things in rural life and the bustling scenes of peasants rushing to the market. Although it was not an exquisite pattern, it received unanimous praise from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Since his accession to the throne, the Emperor has been diligent and conscientious, putting the people at heart, and agriculture is especially the most important thing for emperors of all generations. Yang Lan's screen naturally entered the emperor's eyes.

  Seeing the people living in peace and prosperity, a truly harmonious scene, the emperor was overjoyed. The empress dowager liked it, so why wouldn't the emperor? Moreover, it was a birthday gift from her beloved granddaughter, so he was naturally delighted. He immediately had someone find golden silk and nanmu wood to frame it, and placed it in his own Cining Palace, treasuring it dearly.

  Yang Lan shook her head, "How can there be treasures every day? This time I painted some landscapes of Huangshan and brought back some interesting things from the Western world! I also bought some seeds of foods that I've never seen before, but this time I couldn't bring them out. I had someone send them to my mother's estate to try planting them. The master said that Westerners love to eat those things, and she was also rescued by a Westerner once. She made some dishes with the food and tasted it, it was very good. Most importantly, it's said that the yield is also very good."

  She poured out all the events of the past two years to the empress dowager.

  "What's that thing?" The empress dowager was very interested in this.

  Yang Lan asked Bi Yun to bring over the box, and took out some golden corn from it. However, these were cooked. "You see, this is what they call 'Golden Corn' in the Western world. Like red beans, they are also foreign seeds. I heard that their yield is very high too! It seems like around 400-500 catties? I think this is a good thing too, it's delicious to eat, fragrant and all. Grandma, you try some too!"

  Next to Nian Rong, Zhang opened her mouth wanting to stop her, but was pulled back by Li. The two quietly retreated and went to the side hall. Nian Rong asked somewhat puzzled: "Niang Niang, what if that thing is eaten and it's not good? How can this unknown origin thing be given to the Empress Dowager?! If something happens, you and I will both be unable to bear the responsibility!"

  Mrs. Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, anything that can be presented to the empress dowager has been carefully screened. Master Minghui has already discussed this with the emperor, and now it's being cultivated in Princess Chang's estate and her charitable farm. They're preparing to test its yield per mu. The emperor even had someone bring some up to taste a few days ago."

  Niú Yī listened and suddenly patted her chest, "You scared me! You should have said so earlier, I almost made a fool of myself!"

  On the other side, Yang Lan was coaxing the Empress Dowager to taste the corn. Indeed, she got the Empress Dowager's praise, "Hmm, delicious, with a hint of sweet and fragrant flavor, but not too strong, with a hint of freshness, the flavor is pretty good! Is this thing high-yielding?"

  Yang Lan tilted her head, recalling for a moment before revealing a confused expression and saying: "I'm not very clear about the specifics either. Master was very particular about this thing, saying that if it could be cultivated successfully, ordinary people would have fewer empty stomachs. I let him plant it in my mother's field because he said so. I don't understand farming, but I think this thing is really delicious." She lifted her head and smiled foolishly, continuing to gnaw on the corn, puffing out her cheeks like a greedy little squirrel.

  It was actually Yang Lan who first bought this seed from a Westerner, and at the beginning, Master Ming Hui didn't think about it either. He just ate it at the banquet where the Westerners expressed their gratitude and thought it was good. It was Yang Lan who recognized it and made a fuss about wanting to plant some, asking people how to plant it, and leaving a piece of land to plant it himself. When he came back, he often gave his parents fresh food to eat.

  The people below naturally went to investigate the matter, and Yang Lan became a catalyst for the situation. The rest of the matters were completely left unattended, and after hearing that the yield was very high, Ming Hui Dashi, as the former emperor's most beloved daughter, would not be less politically sensitive than Yang Lan by half a point. The good things that benefit the country and the people naturally had to be reported to the Emperor.

  Master Minghui was very honest and reported the discovery of the seed by Yang Lan to the emperor, without hiding a single detail. The emperor was very satisfied after hearing this and naturally rewarded both of them for their merit.

  However, it's not easy to plant on a large scale. First, you have to try planting in the current village, then let people accept this thing, and persuade the group of ministers to accept it. Then select a few small places to plant first and see how the common people react. Only when everyone is relatively satisfied can it be planted nationwide. This process will take at least several years to complete.

  These things are not something Yang Lan can control, she just discovered this thing, but the credit is definitely not going to run away. Nowadays, the emperor does not make a big deal out of it, and she is not in a hurry, which makes her feel relieved. After all, she is still a girl, and it's not easy to be too proud, instead, she thinks that this achievement is better recorded on her father and brother's account, making the Emperor trust them more than anything else.

  The empress dowager smiled with satisfaction after hearing this. This is still a child! All he knows is how to eat, and his eyes also had an additional hint of ease, "How else can you eat this thing?"

  Yang Lan noticed that the Empress Dowager's expression had relaxed a lot, and she couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. "This can be ground into powder to make cakes or porridge, and in some small counties in Anhui, there are farmers who grow it, although not many. I heard that in some places in Fujian, people grow it too, probably brought back by businessmen. This thing can be eaten as a staple food or as a dish, and I've learned several dishes with it, the taste is really good!" When it came to eating, she was unstoppable.

  She focused her attention on the delicious food, and only mentioned the yield per mu in passing, without bringing it up again. This seemed to show that she didn't care about that, which pleased the empress dowager even more, thinking that her granddaughter was a sensible and considerate child.

  An old man and a young boy chatted happily, Yang Lan took out his own paintings to show the Empress Dowager, and even played a tune for her, making the Empress Dowager laugh repeatedly. The two laughed together, having a great time playing with each other.

  At noon, accompanied the Empress Dowager to have a meal. The Emperor was busy with government affairs and had no time to come over, so he sent someone to add a dish. After finishing the meal, Yang Lan returned to the mansion.

  As soon as they returned to the mansion, the emperor and empress dowager's rewards arrived like flowing water, followed by those from the empress and other consorts. This time, the commotion was greater than before, but not out of bounds, just a show of favoritism towards the younger generation, without any other implications, which made Yang Lan feel much more at ease.