mtl008 Chapter 116 Sugar Extraction
Chapter 116 Sugar Extraction
Worse still, these bandits were not united, and often engaged in internal strife and conflict over territory and resources. In the past two weeks, Fusu had already experienced four fierce battles, large and small. Most of these battles were initiated by other bandit groups, who attempted to seize more territory and resources through force.
However, there was one exception. When Fusu could no longer tolerate the frequent harassment and provocations, he decisively ordered Tu Sui to lead a team of elite soldiers to attack and successfully recapture several nearby mountain strongholds, bringing them into his sphere of influence.
Tu Sui said to Fusu, "My lord, these bandits are numerous. How should we deal with them?"
Tu Sui's words made Fusu fall into deep thought. Fusu began to consider how to deal with these bandits. [What use are these people?] Suddenly, Fusu keenly noticed an important detail—although these bandits were not strong in combat, they were extremely familiar with the terrain. Especially in this inclement weather of continuous rain, their movements were not affected at all.
This discovery gave Fusu a completely new idea: if these mountain bandits could be integrated and specially trained, perhaps an elite Qin army skilled in fighting in the mountains and forests could be created. In this way, conquering the Ouyue region would probably not take too long.
Therefore, Fusu immediately informed Tu Sui of his idea. Upon hearing this, Tu Sui expressed his sincere admiration and support for Prince Fusu's idea, and excitedly replied, "My lord, this plan is brilliant! This approach will not only ensure the successful subjugation of these mountain bandits, but also provide an opportunity to cultivate a group of excellent soldiers adapted to fighting in the mountainous environment."
Fusu nodded slightly and said firmly, "That is exactly what I meant. I entrust these bandits entirely to you. You must train them carefully."
Tu Sui solemnly clasped his hands in salute and loudly replied, "This humble general obeys the order!"
Following this, all affairs in Ouyue proceeded smoothly under Fusu's plan.
The people Ying Wuyou sent to find sugarcane finally returned, bringing back a large quantity. In the Chu region, sugarcane was still considered a wild plant, and no one cultivated it. Ying Wuyou decided to first use the sugarcane brought back by his guards to try making brown sugar.
[I wonder if these wild sugarcane can be extracted into sugar?] Ying Wuyou examined the wild sugarcane in his hand while silently communicating with the system in his mind.
The system yawned lazily and replied: "Why don't we try and see? If it really doesn't work, we can just buy some from Chu. We can even have them planted there. Besides, sugarcane can grow in the Baiyue region. We can have Fusu plant some, and after a few years, the sugarcane might gradually become similar to modern sugarcane!"
Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou's eyes lit up, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He said, "You're absolutely right, System. We can cultivate sugarcane generation after generation, allowing it to evolve. I believe it won't be long before it's almost indistinguishable from modern sugarcane." He then turned his gaze back to the sugarcane in his hand, as if he could already see the sweet and delicious sugarcane of the future.
Ying Wuyou immediately sprang into action. She found several people who weren't busy at the estate and recruited several skilled craftsmen. These craftsmen used their skillful hands to create a tool specifically for juicing.
Next, Ying Wuyou had the group put the sugarcane, cut into small pieces, into the juicing tool. They then pressed down hard, and soon juice began to flow from the tool. This excited everyone, but they quickly discovered that the process wasn't always smooth.
It turned out that because these sugarcanes were all wild, their fibers were relatively coarse, and the juice that could be extracted from one sugarcane was quite limited. Faced with this problem, Ying Wuyou quickly came up with a solution: put in more sugarcane stalks. After many trials and adjustments, it was finally necessary to use seven or eight sugarcane stalks to extract a full bowl of juice. Although the process was somewhat tedious, seeing the juice in the bowl filled Ying Wuyou with joy.
Next, they poured the extracted sugarcane juice into a pot and began to boil it. Everyone watched the juice with anticipation, hoping it would slowly crystallize into sweet and delicious sugar cubes.
As time went by, the sugarcane juice gradually thickened, and a faint sweet aroma filled the air. Finally, when the syrup cooled and solidified, they were surprised to find that they had actually made brown sugar!
Ying Wuyou took a bite, and the sweet taste satisfied her. Although the production was limited this time, it was a good start.
After making the sugar, Ying Wuyou happily went to Zhangtai Palace. When King Qin saw Ying Wuyou, he smiled and said, "Jiayang, look how happy you are. Did you have something good again?" Ying Wuyou smiled and said, "Father, your son has made brown sugar." As he spoke, he handed the box containing the brown sugar to King Qin.
The King of Qin looked at the box in Ying Wuyou's hand, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Brown sugar? What is this?"
Ying Wuyou smiled and explained, "Father, the brown sugar is made by me from sugarcane juice. It tastes sweet and can be eaten directly or used to cook and make various delicious drinks!" After speaking, she gently opened the box, revealing the brightly colored brown sugar blocks inside that emitted an enticing aroma.
The King of Qin picked up a piece of brown sugar and examined it carefully in his palm. The brown sugar was dark brown, with a delicate texture, seemingly containing endless sweetness. He cautiously brought the brown sugar to his nose and gently inhaled, a rich, sweet aroma filling his nostrils. Then, the King of Qin put the brown sugar in his mouth and savored it. The brown sugar slowly melted on his tongue, releasing a sweet taste that lingered endlessly.
The King of Qin looked delighted and couldn't help but exclaim, "Hmm, the taste is excellent!"
Just then, the eunuch who was tasting the brown sugar reached out to take it from the King of Qin, only to find that the King had already put it in his mouth. The eunuch turned pale with fright, knelt down with a thud, and trembled, unable to utter a word.
Seeing this, the King of Qin smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Get up, this is none of your business. I don't need you to taste it; do you think I don't trust my own daughter?"
The young eunuch, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, quickly kowtowed in gratitude, then rose and turned to leave. Watching the eunuch's departing figure, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but smile, saying to the King of Qin, "Father, you should still be careful. After all, I can't guarantee that every dish I make will be completely harmless."
King Qin laughed heartily, patted Ying Wuyou on the shoulder and said, "It's alright, it's alright. How could my Jiayang harm me? Besides, I trust your abilities. In the future, feel free to bring any good food you have for your father to try."