"Your Majesty, Duke of Wu came to report that this afternoon, Zhao Chen and others went to Wannian County and were intercepted and killed by Turkic spies on the way."
Li Shimin was talking to Empress Changsun at the Zheng Palace.
Suddenly, when he heard Cheng Yaojin say such news, his heart suddenly stumbled.
"What's wrong with Zhao Chen?" Before the emperor could speak, Empress Changsun asked immediately.
The anxious expression made Cheng Yaojin stunned.
"Speak." Li Shimin said in a deep voice.
"Zhao Chen intimidated the Turkic spies. The four of them were fine. They were just the auspicious seeds given to Zhao Chen by His Majesty were snatched away by the Turks." Cheng Yaojin said again.
"Hu——" Queen Changsun's heart fell down and a hint of glory flashed across her face.
"Where are the Turks, have they been caught?" Li Shimin also quietly breathed a sigh of relief and then asked.
The rice seeds with a yield of 3,000 kilograms per mu were a killer weapon of the Tang Dynasty.
As long as I planted it for a few years, I would never finish eating the food from the Tang Dynasty.
By then, the national strength of the Tang Dynasty will be extremely strong.
This way, you can easily deal with other countries.
But now that the seeds have been stolen, the advantages of the Tang Dynasty will soon be lost.
"All the Turks were killed, and the seeds were gone." Cheng Yaojin said.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, and the oriole is behind." Li Shimin's face changed and he said, "How about any clues?"
Cheng Yaojin shook his head.
"Your Majesty, those Turks and those who killed them must know each other, otherwise there would be no such coincidence."
"They were probably following Zhao Chen in secret long ago. Your Majesty, please send some people to protect Zhao Chen." Queen Changsun said.
Empress Changsun's words made Cheng Yaojin very curious.
Thinking of the emperor's furious look when he asked about the relationship between the emperor and Zhao Chen before.
Cheng Yaojin was very sure that the emperor and the empress must have a special relationship with Zhao Chen.
But if it was just the emperor's illegitimate son, the queen would not have to worry so much.
Could it be that it is the son of the emperor and the queen?
When Cheng Yaojin thought of this, he quickly shook his head.
Everyone knows that sixteen years ago, the queen gave birth to the crown prince Li Chengqian, where did another child come from?
"On Zhao Chen's side, I will ask Jingde to send someone to protect him. Lao Cheng ordered to continue to investigate Chang'an City strictly and find the seeds." Li Shimin ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Cheng Yaojin stepped down.
"Your Majesty, it's too dangerous outside. Let Zhao Chen enter the court earlier." Cheng Yaojin retreated, and Empress Changsun said to the emperor.
When I went to Wannian County, I was targeted by Turkic spies, and Empress Changsun was already full of worry.
"Let's go in a few days. I haven't figured out how to meet him yet." Li Shimin was silent for a moment before saying to Empress Changsun.
...
The next morning, Zhao Chen and others came out of the old house and saw the village chief waiting outside.
They did not live in the camp of the Northern Ya Imperial Army yesterday, but went back to Zhao Chen's old house in the village to rest.
"Brother Zhao, you are awake. Take your friends and go to me for some breakfast first." The village chief invited several people with a smile.
"We just ate some, so we won't go. The village chief takes us to see the peppers first." Zhao Chen smiled and refused the village chief's kindness.
The village is not very rich.
They just need some dry food.
What Zhao Chen is most concerned about now is the peppers grown in the village.
It is almost October now, and if you don’t get any harvest, you will be rotten in the field.
"Okay, Brother Zhao, please come with me, everyone." The village chief said with a smile, walking in front and guiding the people.
"Brother Zhao!"
"Brother Zhao, you didn't tell us when you came back. Have you eaten? You came to my uncle's house for lunch. Uncle asked your aunt to kill a few chickens for you."
"Brother Zhao, tell me if this beautiful girl is your fiancée."
Walking on the small road in the village, people greeted Zhao Chen along the way.
The simple and gossiping eyes of the villagers made Li Ruoshuang lower his head throughout the whole process.
Not long after the few people left, they saw a green chili tree in front of them.
There is a chili tree every three steps, with huge chili peppers hanging from different red and green on them.
"Brother Zhao, as you told me, I planted a total of twenty acres of peppers, all of which are here. In the past few days, many peppers have begun to fall."
"I guess in a few days, I guess I'll lose more." The village chief and Zhao Chen introduced the situation of the pepper field.
Zhao Chen squatted on the ground and picked a pepper in his hand.
When you break open the peppers, you will see the pepper seeds inside, which are round, white, plump and stylish.
"It's time to pick it." Zhao Chen nodded.
"Missar, please help the villagers pick these chili peppers and send them to the warehouse in Chang'an City."
"As per previous agreement, each person's daily wage is fifty cents, and the income from peppers in five acres is distributed to the villagers in the village, regardless of gender, age, everyone has it."
"By the way, leave acre of peppers for leftover, and you will have to leave some seeds for pepper planting next year." Zhao Chen and the village chief said.
After hearing this, the village chief didn't react for a while.
When he realized it, he had already knelt down at Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen was also shocked. Why did he kneel down?
"What are you doing in village chief? Get up quickly." Zhao Chen pulled the village chief, but the village chief couldn't hold it up.
"Brother Zhao, it's not easy for you to make money. You have helped the villagers enough. We can't be so greedy..."
"Village Chief, you are so disgusting to say this. Zhao Chen has no friends, and his relatives are only Uncle Fu. The villagers are my relatives. Zhao Chen has no great ability, so he can only do his best to help." Zhao Chen interrupted the village chief and said with a smile.
"Hey, Brother Zhao, you treat us like this, and I, the old man, don't know what to say." The village chief sighed and shook his head, looking at Zhao Chen with gratitude.
"What are you doing when you say this? You and the villagers are Zhao Chen's relatives. It's so strange to say this." Zhao Chen helped the village chief up and said with a smile.
"Village Chief, please tell the villagers that it is best to pick the peppers in just two days." Before the village chief could say something grateful, Zhao Chen took the initiative to speak.
"Okay, Brother Zhao, I'll go and tell the villagers now that I can pick all the 20 acres of peppers within three days." After the village chief said that, he hurried away excitedly.
"Brother, I did not misunderstand you. It was the first time I saw someone like nostalgic, like you." Cheng Chumo patted Zhao Chen's shoulder and said with a smile.
But his eyes were full of admiration.
Peppers are more expensive than gold, and these can replace peppers.
Even if the price is too bad, it will not be much worse.
All the five acres of pepper income were given to the villagers in the village. Cheng Chumo was wondering if he had been to himself, would he be able to bear so many things?
"Zhao Chen, how much is your pound of pepper to sell?" Qin Huaiyu picked a pepper and put it in his mouth to chew it.
The spicy taste made him burst into tears and snot in an instant.
Chapter completed!