The hometown of Judge Tang is in the heartland of the Central Plains, where many locals can only scrape by to survive. Itās impossible for them to eat their fill every meal.
Looking at these two food items, he was genuinely excited, beseeching Magistrate Gu: "My Lord, please report to the Capital as soon as possible, so that the citizens of Great Chu may go into the mountains to find these two items to fill their stomachs and avoid the suffering of hunger."
Magistrate Gu nodded: "Rest assured, Lord Tang, these good things, I will certainly report to the court, so that the court may issue notices to all county offices, going into the mountains to find them for food."
Lord Lai, seeing their heated discussion, felt rather uncomfortable. He picked up chopsticks, tasted the pigeon leaf tofu of two flavors, and his eyes brightened... The taste was indeed not bad.
But why did Gu Jināan come up with this, and not Gu Chengxian?
If Chengxian had come up with this, how great it would be!
"My Lord, Doctor Xiao and Doctor Liu have arrived." Squad Leader Zhang of the government office personally brought Doctor Xiao and Doctor Liu over.
Doctor Liu, upon seeing Doctor Xiao, snorted continuously, expressing his dissatisfaction.
Doctor Xiao glanced at him and asked, "Have you turned into a pig, snorting constantly?"
If it werenāt for the people from the government office asking, would he go on a house call with him?
Doctor Liu, choked by the retort, couldnāt find words to rebut, only sulked in silence, cursing Doctor Xiaoās ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart.
Their attendants also glared at each other, neither backing down.
Magistrate Gu, seeing them arrive, looked at Lord Lai and smiled: "Lord Lai, weāve invited two famous doctors from the Prefecture to examine these two foods to see if they are poisonous."
Lord Laiās face turned beet red, as he had been claiming that both the konjac tofu and pigeon leaf tofu were poisonous, and now left himself open to reproach, he had to grit his teeth and bear it.
County Magistrate Zheng, seeing Lord Laiās predicament, felt satisfied, saying to Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao, "Esteemed doctors, weāve made two types of fresh food, please check if these items are harmful."
Doctor Liu and Doctor Xiao, upon hearing this, began testing for toxins with their attendants.
The poison testing was a lengthy process, and by the time they finished, it was already dark.
Doctor Liu was the first to speak, "They are edible, not poisonous."
Pointing at the pigeon leaves in the basket, he added, "Not only are they non-toxic, but pigeon leaf is also a medicinal ingredient that can strengthen the body."
Itās just that konjac looks too ugly, so no one dared to eat it since ancient times, but once made into konjac tofu, it is indeed not poisonous and edible.
Lord Lai, hearing this, became anxious and asked, "Did you check thoroughly? Can it truly be eaten?"
Doctor Liu rolled his eyes internally at Lord Lai, thinking, if you donāt trust me, then why spend a lot to invite me to treat those from the Old Gu Family for venereal diseases?
Doctor Liu ignored Lord Lai while Doctor Xiao, fearing offense, nodded: "Upon my examination, they are indeed non-toxic. Itās just that konjac must not be eaten raw; it must be cooked, or else the sap will make peopleās hands and feet itchy."
This isnāt considered poisonous, as the sap of some commonly eaten melons can also make hands and feet itchy.
Lord Lai anxiously asked, "Is it truly only like this?"
Doctor Xiao said, "Indeed, itās only like this, both items are edible."
Upon hearing this, Lord Lai seemed to lose all his energy, feeling a moment of fatigue, but quickly gathered himself to say to Magistrate Gu: "Congratulations, my lord, on acquiring two crops that save the people."
Magistrate Gu laughed heartily: "These two items originated from our Heāan Prefecture, and everyone present shares the credit."
Then he looked at County Magistrate Zheng: "Lord Zheng, that Tianfu County has such a talented young man, Iām very pleased. I canāt wait to see his excellent exam work."
Lord Lai, upon hearing this, turned pale. Magistrate Gu had set his sights on Gu Jināan and intended to ensure the smooth sailing of his Prefecture Exam.
Indeed, someone capable of writing such excellent essays could not only pass the Prefecture Exam but also stand a chance of topping the college examination.
And if Gu Jināan could top the college examination, Magistrate Gu, as the chief official of the prefecture where Gu Jināan resides, would earn great merits and naturally ensure his protection.
Lord Lai felt incredibly bitter. Why did Gu Jināan become the county top scorer, while Chengxian missed his chance at the exam?
County Magistrate Zheng, ignoring Lord Laiās pale face, said to Magistrate Gu: "Lord Magistrate, as the chief of the prefecture, you are also like a parental figure to Gu Jināan, his success is partly due to you."
He pointed at the pigeon leaf tofu and konjac tofu: "Without Magistrate Gu, even with Gu Jināanās capabilities, he wouldnāt have been able to present these foods to the court."
Magistrate Gu felt utterly comfortable hearing this, the smile never leaving his face, already envisioning himself being credited, transferred to the Capital as a Capital Official, or appointed as a magistrate in Jinling, living in splendor.
Doctor Xiao, knowing Gu Jināan, heard this and knew that the young man was becoming successful, feeling truly happy for Gu Jināan.
However...
He looked at the pigeon leaf tofu and konjac tofu, realizing that the person who made these should not be Gu Jināan, but that girl Xiao Yu.
But Xiao Yu is a young lady, and itās not good for her reputation to be too well known, so he didnāt voice this.
Magistrate Gu also looked at the pigeon leaf tofu and konjac tofu, saying, "These dish names donāt sound good, why donāt we change them?"
Judge Tang agreed greatly: "My Lord is right, these names must be changed. The word āmagicā in konjac sounds inauspicious and cannot be used."
Magistrate Gu nodded, knowing these items for the Capital couldnāt have such ominous names. He thought a moment and said, "This konjac grows extremely large, letās call it Dashan Yam. The konjac tofu will be called sweet potato tofu. The pigeon leaf tofu is jade green, so letās call it Jade Tofu."
The name āImmortal Tofuā is too grand, and after presenting it to the Capital, the seniors there might call him arrogant, so Jade Tofu is better.
Then he looked at County Magistrate Zheng: "What do you think, Lord Zheng?"
County Magistrate Zheng laughed: "My Lord, worthy of being the second place scholar, the names you chose are excellent."
And so, the new names for konjac tofu and pigeon leaf tofu were set.
...
Lord Lai was muddle-headed, not knowing how he returned to his residence. Once home, he collapsed into his Taishi Chair.
Gu Jināan, the grandson of that useless Sixth Son Gu, had turned out incredibly successful.
How could Sixth Son Gu have such a remarkable grandson?!
Not only was Lord Lai envious, but also filled with murderous intent. He wished Gu Jināan would disappear from this world, letting Sixth Son Gu remain a useless person, never having a day of prominence.
Unfortunately, while at the government office, County Magistrate Zheng must have noticed his dislike for Gu Jināan and deliberately told a story.
The young man in that story was killed out of jealousy for his talents by others.
After hearing the story, Magistrate Gu smashed the bowl of Jade Tofu and angrily declared, "If anyone dares to harm a talented person under my jurisdiction, Iāll make them pay with their life!"
Heās not a fool; hearing what County Magistrate Zheng and Magistrate Gu said, he knew that even if he desperately wanted to kill Gu Jināan, he couldnāt act now.
He had to wait until Magistrate Gu and others used Gu Jināan to establish merit, then he could take Gu Jināan down.