Li Ying had been waiting for this very sentence. She immediately beamed with joy and praised, "Your Majesty is truly wise! With a wise ruler like you, the people of Jiangcheng will surely overcome this crisis smoothly!"
After delivering this flattering speech, Li Ying said softly, "Your Majesty, this humble woman has also prepared mud crab soy sauce. It has a rich seafood flavor. After full fermentation, as long as it is bottled in glass jars, it won't easily go moldy and is convenient to store."
The people of Jiangcheng were not well - off. Ultimately, besides farming, they could only catch some seafood to barely make ends meet.
After the flood, the rice harvest was poor, and the people had no rice to cook. They had thought about selling the seafood to buy some grain.
However, seafood spoils easily. Most of it would rot and go bad before it could even be sent to the kitchens of the wealthy families.
Jiangcheng was different from the fishing village where Li Ying came from. The people there didn't know how to make canned fish for sale, and there were no well - connected shipping routes. After a few unsuccessful attempts, those who were enterprising gave up in disappointment.
But if this unassuming mud crab soy sauce were sent to the capital...
During the voyage, the sauce would continue to ferment. After a month, its flavor would become even more mellow. By the time it reached the capital, it could be served on the tables of the buyers at its best.
Such a delicious and novel sauce would surely be sold at a high price. In this way, the people of Jiangcheng would finally have an additional source of income.
Li Ying calmly presented a clay pot.
The cooked rice in the pot was glistening. Mixed with the golden - orange crab roe, it was steaming hot and fragrant.
"Your Majesty, please have a taste. This is Li Yun Zi fried rice."
The so - called Li Yun Zi was the roe of the mud crab.
The mud crab only laid eggs during the Tomb - Sweeping Festival each year. It was only delicious during this season.
Before consumption, one had to remove the crab umbilicus one by one, pick out the crab roe, wash it thoroughly, and steam it in the pot. Then it would become the extremely precious "Li Yun Zi".
The production steps of Li Yun Zi were not very complicated, but it was troublesome because the mud crabs were too small and the crab roe was full of impurities.
The dull - looking crab roe would turn bright orange after being steamed. Its taste was more refreshing and long - lasting than ordinary crab roe. It was only paired with the tender scrambled egg whites and mixed with the hot rice. It was simple and appealing.
This Li Yun Zi fried rice had a soft, glutinous, and sweet taste. Since the mud crabs ate rice seedlings, their meat and the Li Yun Zi also had a rice fragrance.
The hot smell of the rice combined with the unique sweet smell of the rice seedlings from the Li Yun Zi. It was fresh and unconventional. The emperor and others were used to delicacies from land and sea. Tasting such a light and delicious flavor, they suddenly felt refreshed.
The "Li Yun Zi" Li Ying used today was made when she was in the fishing village. It was really hard to come by.
At that time, she was really reluctant to eat all the Li Yun Zi. So, with the help of the preservation function of the space, she secretly stored a small bottle.
She didn't expect that it would come in handy today.
With this mud crab soy sauce and Li Yun Zi, why should Jiangcheng worry about not making money!
The cloud that had been hanging over the emperor's face finally began to disperse. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Li Ying, smiling, "You, a woman, have quite a lot of knowledge."
"Tell me, what reward do you want? You've relieved the people of Jiangcheng from such an urgent need. I will surely reward you handsomely."
Presumably, a mere woman like Li Ying would only ask for money or for him to bestow a marriage between her and Lu Xunguang.
The emperor had already made up his mind. Considering that this woman had done some meritorious deeds, he could make an exception and bestow her as a noble concubine to Lu Xunguang.
Li Ying saw the slight change in his expression and guessed what the emperor was thinking.
She calmly said, "It's already a great honor for this humble woman to share your Majesty's and the people of Jiangcheng's worries. This humble woman wouldn't dare to ask for anything else."
"Moreover, all the mud crabs used in today's dishes were caught by the maids and servants beside Princess Yongning together with this humble woman. A princess of the country, as precious as gold and jade, took the lead. This humble woman is really in awe and wouldn't dare to ask for any reward."
By bringing up Princess Yongning on her own initiative and deliberately omitting the fact that the princess had secret guards, she only said that the delicate princess had done it herself. As expected, the emperor's expression gradually softened. When he looked at Princess Yongning, there was even a hint of a smile on his face.
"Yongning has grown up. I'm very pleased! Yongning, you will also be rewarded!"
After Princess Yongning paid her respects, Li Ying quietly observed the emperor's expression and tentatively said, "Your Majesty, if you really want to reward... This humble woman has something to say, but I don't know if I should. If I say something wrong, please don't blame me, Your Majesty."
The emperor was in a good mood at the moment. He waved his hand and said, "Madam Li, just speak your mind!"
Li Ying exchanged a look with Lu Xunguang, then stepped forward and said softly, "Your Majesty, this humble woman may have a way to solve the flood problem in Jiangcheng."
As soon as she said this, the emperor's face immediately darkened.
"Madam Li, do you know that this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly?"
Li Ying quickly knelt on the ground in awe and trepidation, but still replied clearly, "Your Majesty, have you ever heard of 'polder fields'?"
Polder fields?
The emperor repeated it with a look of doubt on his face, looking puzzled.
Li Ying explained confidently, "The so - called polder fields are low embankments built near low - lying water areas to separate the land from the surrounding waters."
"The enclosed land can be developed into farmland for the people to cultivate. By controlling the drainage channels and sluices, the inflow and outflow of the internal and external waters can be adjusted."
Jiangcheng had a large population but few cultivated lands. The water system at the estuary was criss - crossed with many rivers and lakes. If they wanted to engage in farming, they could only reclaim land from the lakes and compete with water for land.
In addition, floods occurred regularly in Jiangcheng. Building polder fields could effectively prevent the river water from overflowing. The canals, inland rivers, and the surrounding rivers and lakes would form a complete water system again. This would not only greatly improve the flood - detention and drainage functions but also be beneficial for the people's irrigation. It was a win - win situation.
Li Ying spoke eloquently. Seeing that the emperor still looked skeptical, she knew that words alone were not enough. She softly said, "Your Majesty, when you first hear about 'polder field agriculture', you may be confused. But the fishpond - based farming that comes with 'polder fields' has been widely promoted in this humble woman's fishing village."
The news from Lu Xunguang said that everything in the village was operating in an orderly manner. The village was rich and the people were well - off, just waiting for Li Ying and the others to go back and see the results.
Calculating the time, this southern inspection could just coincide with the great harvest of the mulberry - fishpond system.
Seeing is believing. If they wanted to widely promote polder fields and fishpond - based agriculture in the southeastern coastal areas, they had to let this emperor see some benefits with his own eyes first.