I, Am a Living Yama, Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm-Chapter 227

Chapter 227

In the imperial palace of Great Zhou, Wu Zhao and Shangguan Wan’er stared in disbelief at the steaming platter before them.

“Is this… the same crayfish from earlier?” Wu Zhao asked, her wide eyes fixed on the small, red-shelled creatures.

Yang Yi grinned, his voice calm and confident. “After acquiring this species, I had people raise them. They’ve now multiplied, and with the right seasonings and a strong fire, they’re ready to eat.”

Wu Zhao inhaled sharply, her gaze lingering on the little armored beasts. “You’re saying… we can eat these things?”

“Of course,” Yang Yi replied earnestly. “Not only are they edible, they’re incredibly tasty.”

He picked one up and expertly demonstrated how to peel it. Soon, a piece of tender, white meat lay in the empress’s bowl. “Your Majesty, please try it,” he said, smiling gently.

Wu Zhao looked down at the shrimp meat and hesitated. This had clearly been peeled by Yang Yi himself. Would eating it directly seem too intimate? Meanwhile, Yang Yi simply watched her, a bit puzzled.

Could it be… the empress is afraid to try it?

“Your Majesty,” he offered reassuringly, “despite their fierce appearance, crayfish meat is delicate and flavorful. You need not worry about poison.”

Wu Zhao’s eyelids twitched. She gave him a glance of amused annoyance. Poison? Is that what he thinks I’m worried about?

Still, after a brief pause, she picked up the shrimp with her chopsticks and tasted it. After a few thoughtful chews, her eyes suddenly lit up.

“It’s actually quite delicious!”

Yang Yi chuckled. “Why not have a few more? I’ll teach you how to peel them properly.”

With her curiosity piqued and her initial caution forgotten, Wu Zhao eagerly nodded. Forgetting the formalities between men and women for the moment, she leaned in with a crayfish in hand, closely watching Yang Yi demonstrate the technique.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, the empress leaned back in her chair, visibly relaxed, her lips curved in satisfaction. “That was surprisingly good.”

Beside her, Shangguan Wan’er nodded rapidly. She had nearly sucked her own fingers in disregard for all ladylike restraint.

Yang Yi’s tone turned playfully curious. “Your Majesty, if I hadn’t told you this crayfish was edible, would you have dared to eat it?”

The empress shook her head. “Certainly not. It looks far too savage, covered in that hard shell. Who in their right mind would think of eating such a thing?”

“Precisely,” Yang Yi agreed. “And even if someone were bold enough to try, without the proper recipe, they’d never make it taste right.”

He gestured at the remaining crayfish, his gaze sharpening slightly as strategy took over his voice.

“So imagine what happens when this creature is introduced to Ming. They’ll have no idea it’s edible. They’ll see it only as a menace, wreaking havoc on their lakes and rice paddies. But in Great Zhou, it’s a different story…”

His voice dropped conspiratorially. “I could publish recipes for crayfish in The Great Zhou Gazette. Once the people have a taste and see how delicious it is, they’ll eat it to near extinction. Overpopulation? That won’t be a problem.

“Someone might even begin farming them,” he added, “creating an entirely new industry and boosting our economy.”

Wu Zhao stared at him, dumbfounded. Of all the strategies she had expected, turning a foreign pest into a national delicacy was not one of them. Then again, she mused, in a country like Zhou, anything that could be eaten and tasted good rarely survived long in the wild.

Shangguan Wan’er pressed her lips together, awe plain on her face. This was exactly the kind of scheme only Prime Minister Yang could devise.

What we call a delicacy will become their scourge.

When the already-struggling people of Ming discover these creatures are not only edible but a delicacy, they might just spit blood from regret. No wonder he was known as the Living King of Hell—his methods tormented without drawing a blade.

Wu Zhao drew in a deep breath, eyes flicking thoughtfully toward the empty shell of a crayfish.

“Minister Yang, your reasoning is sound. This truly is a delicacy. If the people knew how good it tasted, the reaction would be immense. The food our commoners eat cannot compare.”

Shangguan Wan’er nodded in agreement. The wealthier families could afford a few better dishes, but the poor often lived on porridge and pickled vegetables. Crayfish had meat—real, satisfying meat. If word got out, the masses might consume every last one, just as Yang Yi predicted.

Wu Zhao considered the matter in silence for a moment.

“Then we’ll proceed with your plan against Ming. However, transporting these creatures into their territory quietly could be difficult. The city guards will likely inspect such strange animals and prevent them from entering.”

Yang Yi smiled knowingly. “In this age, inspections aren’t as strict as they will be in the future, but there are still checkpoints.”

He offered a solution without hesitation. “Simple—deliver them as gifts, in the name of an official envoy, to the emperor of Ming. Once inside the city, release them into lakes, rivers, and rice fields. Leave a few for Zhu Yuanzhang, and distribute the rest near embankments and farmlands.”

Wu Zhao’s eyes gleamed. That… was a brilliant idea.

…

Half a month later, in the heart of the Ming capital, the Fengtian Hall was alight with tension. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upon the throne, scowling. “Fourth Brother, who gave you permission to do this?”

Zhu Di stood before him, looking wounded. “Father, I only wanted to help you vent your frustration. Great Zhou keeps playing tricks on us. I couldn’t just stand by.”

Zhu Yuanzhang nearly choked on his rage. He glared at his son.

“So we’ve been humiliated by them—does that mean we should stoop to their level? If outsiders see this kind of underhanded behavior, do you know how much disgrace that would bring?

“You’re a prince of this nation, and yet you resort to such despicable tactics? Slandering a foreign ruler with a trick like this? Where is your dignity? Your sense of honor?”

Speechless, Zhu Di muttered, “Didn’t Yang Yi do the same thing to Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty?”

Zhu Yuanzhang nearly choked in fury. He shot Zhu Di a withering glare.

“How is that even comparable? The Qing and the Great Zhou were at war back then. Right now, our Ming is—at least on the surface—allied with the Great Zhou. What you’ve done has disgraced the dignity of our dynasty!”

Zhu Di was berated so harshly he felt like a dog caught in a storm, completely unable to talk back.

A short while later, when Zhu Yuanzhang had exhausted his anger, he paused and gave Zhu Di one last glare.

“Get out of here and reflect on your actions.”

The moment his voice fell, Zhu Biao stepped into the room.

“Father, an envoy from the Zhou Dynasty has arrived… They say they’ve brought a rare and unusual gift for our Ming.”