Shadow guard, as the name suggests, is like a shadow. Previously, Yun Yi did not expect that the emperor would value Yun Tai to the extent of sending a shadow guard. It was only yesterday that he found out that this shadow guard was actually someone he knew in the past, someone who had disappeared since the death of Sang Shui Na. This couldn't help but make his emotions complicated, whether it was their past connection or the little girl gradually growing up. In Yun Yi's opinion, this person is not suitable to be Yun Tai's shadow guard. But female shadow guards, let alone nowadays, even in the history of Yulan, there were only a handful. However, if he refuses the protection of the shadow guard, not only will he not pass the emperor's test, but also his father's. The shadow guard is not only for protection, but also a kind of honor.
Yunyi had a paralyzed face, and he was troubled there. Lan Hao was also excitedly pacing in the study. He didn't expect Yuntai to give him such a big surprise again.
“你的意思是，你掌握了可以让粮食亩产增加的技术？”平复了一下兴奋的心情，澜昊再次确认，没办法这个技术实在是太重要了。
Yuntai shook her head quickly and said, "It's not me, it's my grandmother."
Yuntai, being a family member, knows the family affairs. In her previous life, she once divined her destiny and the result showed that she was not good with grains and domestic animals. At that time, she didn't take it seriously. However, in her school, there was a semester-long project in a botany class, which involved cultivating a potted plant. The teacher provided five types of plant seeds or cuttings. Unfortunately, all her plants died. Later, she reluctantly tried other plants and strangely enough, a potted pea plant that she neglected and discarded in a corner for two years, actually bloomed and yielded two big peas! But the plants she took care of did not survive. Due to the lingering trauma in her mind, Yuntai still hesitates to touch the family vegetable garden. She can keep the water tank in the house always filled, help pull out weeds, assist in harvesting, and provide suggestions for fertilization. Besides these, there is nothing else she can do. It is worth noting that the small vegetable garden was the main source of food and income for the family of three.
Huh? This is quite an unexpected answer. If someone were to ask who is the most inconspicuous among the three members of the Sang family, all ten people would definitely answer that it is Grandma Sang, Yun Tai's grandmother. I've briefly looked into her background, she is the daughter of a merchant, with below-average cultivation talent. She went through a period of hardship while trying to avoid the Yun family, and now, due to Yun Tai's rise, she has become a wealthy lady again. She doesn't have any remarkable traits, at most, people can only envy her for her past ability to choose the right person to marry, having a good husband, and a pretty granddaughter. It's surprising to know that she is also someone who keeps her true self hidden, no wonder she could raise such an outstanding granddaughter!
Mrs. Sang, the old lady, immediately gained more stature among the three people present.
Yun Tai is not the type of person who is very good at reading people's expressions, but when faced with the biggest master of the Yulan Kingdom, she felt that it was necessary to be cautious no matter how careful she was. Therefore, she quickly prepared herself, so as not to raise the other party's expectations too high.
"In fact, this technique is not difficult. As long as we find a few botanist magicians to experiment for a while, we can easily obtain results. However, there are various types of crops, and different plants have different fertilizer needs. Grandma has a basic understanding in this area and can help us save a lot of time."
听云苔这么一说，澜昊就是一省。的确是他想岔了。这普通的植物培育会比魔植更困难吗？这显然是不可能的。至于植物系魔法师为什么不去研究粮食的增产，只要想一想，澜昊就能明白其中的道理。不过他还是有些好奇云苔会怎么做？
“丫头你打算让植物系的魔法师来研究粮食增产问题？恐怕不会有多少人愿意吧。”哪怕真的有植物系魔法师对这感兴趣，恐怕也会因为面子问题而踌躇不前。
"Your Majesty, we don't really need to find a high-level plant mage. We could just post a reward in each academy. Those students would not hesitate to showcase their magic skills for a monetary reward. What do you think, Your Majesty?" Yun Tai doesn't consider this to be a big issue. What she cares about is whether she can bring this person onto her side. If they become a part of the imperial business, there will be no need to worry about the raw materials for fertilizers anymore!"
“什么？”澜昊故意笑眯眯地问了一句。
“趁机赚点零花钱。虽然我们都知道天下之大莫非王土，天下之民莫非王臣。不过怎么也及不上自己赚的钱想怎么花就怎么花来得爽快，皇上您说是不是？”
Lan Hao stared at Yun Tai for a while, which made Yun Tai feel a bit anxious, not knowing if she had said something wrong.
"Little girl has grown up, who knows which boy will be lucky in the future?" Lan Hao sighed. Although he also felt it was a bit early, many people have already come to him for inquiries. Translated:
Yun Yi's heart tightened, and she quickly expressed her attitude: "Your Majesty, the little girl is still young, and I would like to keep her for a few more years."
"Little girl, what do you say?" Lan Hao looked at Yun Tai. Translated content:
It is expected that Yun Tai's marriage will be designated by the emperor. Being chosen as a bride for the prince is not qualified enough for someone like Yun Tai. However, based on what Yun Tai has shown, Lan Hao is reluctant to let her go. No one cares about Yun Tai's opinion. However, after dealing with this young girl for so long, both Lan Hao and Yun Dingcheng can tell that she has her own set of rules. As long as her bottom line is not crossed, they can say and do anything to please her. But once that line is crossed, she will not show any mercy in her actions, even more decisive than her father. It can be said that Yun Tai has inherited her mother's craziness. These old foxes naturally know what methods to use to achieve a win-win effect.
After thinking for a while, Yuntai innocently replied, "From a businessman's perspective, the highest depreciation rate is seen in brides. In less than a day's time, they go from being new brides to becoming wives within a few months. They don't even have a transition from 'old' to 'new' and directly jump from 'new' to 'old'..."
“噗……咳咳，咳咳……”澜昊才端起茶碗喝了一口，直接呛着了。
云翊眼角扫了一下左前方，有些钦佩，这定力果然不一般，想来没少被云苔‘训练’吧。
云苔立刻闭紧了嘴巴。如果害得皇上呛出什么问题来，那罪名可就大发了。
缓过劲，挥手让帮他整理的侍女退下，澜昊对着通讯器上那张紧张的小脸催促道：“继续，继续说啊。”
"Um, from a medical perspective, being fifteen or sixteen years old isn't considered adulthood. The body's various functions are still not fully developed and are still growing. If we use a plant analogy, Your Majesty must surely understand that the medicinal effectiveness of a hundred-year-old magical plant ripened by time cannot be compared to that of a wild one, whose fruits and seeds are limited and inadequate. Humans are similar in this regard. Of course, I don't deny that there can be the production of excellent seeds. What I'm referring to here is a probability issue. One tree can provide seeds every year, and most of them belong to superior quality, while another tree might only produce one or two seeds throughout the year. Perhaps you could obtain an exceptionally outstanding seed, but the probability is as low as winning a lottery. I believe, for you, this is not even a choice, as you have no need or reason to risk everything on a single throw."
“那你觉得几岁才是适合的年龄？”澜昊问得颇有深意。
可惜云苔一点都没有察觉出来。她回答得非常干脆：“二十五岁。”
Lan Hao did not make any response to Yun Tai's words.
"These are not random nonsense I made up to avoid certain things. They all have scientific basis. If Your Majesty doesn't believe, a related research project can be established for verification," Yun Tai emphasized.
After saying "We'll talk about it later. Have fun," Lan Hao hung up the communicator.
So, does he actually want to invest or not? Yun Tai stared at the communicator for a while. Oh well, she doesn't care anymore. Let him do whatever he wants. After all, she doesn't lack this money. It's just that there's a slight discomfort in her heart. But at the same time, Yun Tai was somewhat puzzled. Based on her dealings with the Emperor so far, he doesn't seem to be a shortsighted person, huh?
"You should understand that the Emperor cannot give you ten years." Yun Yi spoke up.
"So what?" Yun Tai looked at Yun Yi.
Sensing the tension emanating from Yun Tai, Yun Yi held back and finally said, "Indeed, you are still just a child." Only a child would say such stubborn words.
"No, it's just a difference in ideology. Perhaps you think I am overestimating myself. But in my opinion, it's better to strive for something rather than waiting for others to give it to you. Who knows what will happen in ten years? As long as the Emperor believes that letting things be can bring him greater benefits, then the so-called ten years can become one ten years, two ten years, or even countless ten years. Isn't that right?" Yun Tai stared directly at Yun Yi.
"Greater interests? Should I praise you for being overly confident, or should I say you're overly arrogant?" Yunyi feels more mentally exhausted than ever before. Even Yunyi, who has always followed rules as the eldest son, or Yunhao, who misbehaves, have never been so obstinate. If Yuncai wasn't a girl, he might have already taken action."
“你认为赤脚的还会怕穿鞋的吗？”
“什么意思？”云翊的感觉不太好，他感觉似乎被自己的女儿鄙视了！
“我知道自己的能力有限。”云苔一摊手，“现在的生活同样不是我想要的。如果能回到小镇，回到原点我会非常高兴。可你我都知道这不可能。既然如此我还有什么可在意的？你所看重的从来都不是我所在意的。”
Yun Yi felt a surge of anger rising within him. Never had he met someone as ungrateful as Yun Tai! He forcefully shook his sleeves and turned around to leave.

At this moment, a string of piercing 'chirping' sounds resounded one after another, followed by thunderous roars shaking the ground. In the distance, blossoms of splendid smoke clouds burst forth...
"War has begun!"