According to legend, during the Chongzhen period, there was a famine in Hailufeng area, and Haifeng county magistrate called on his boss and asked for relief of money and grain tax and relief.
Emperor Chongzhen read the paper and asked Ye, "Do you know that there is a famine in your family?"
Ye Gaobiao replied: "I love my hometown deeply and I know it."
The emperor asked again, "Is there often famine in your hometown?"
Ye Gaobiao replied: "Famine has been frequent for nearly three years."
The emperor asked, "Since there have been years of famine, why are the counties still there?"
Ye Gaobiao said: "Fortunately, my hometown produces sweet potatoes, and many people rely on them to satisfy their hunger."
Hearing this, the emperor nodded without saying a word, that is, on the memorial, Zhu Pi said, "The Ministry of Housing will send personnel to investigate, reduce or exempt the tax as appropriate, and help the economy in parallel." He also said to Ye, "Can you go back to my hometown with the fact and announce my intention, and bring some sweet potatoes into the palace to taste?"
So Ye and the assistant minister of the Ministry traveled day and night to Haifeng, Guangdong. On the way, he thought, this is not good. If you give the sweet potato to the palace this time, the good variety of sweet potato will be sweet and refreshing. If you are loved by the royal family in the palace, it will become a routine one day. It will be like the story of litchi. If it is published every year, the consequences will be unimaginable. When he arrived in Huizhou, he had a brainwave and said that there were many steep mountains, thieves and unsafe places. However, it is safer for official ships to be escorted by the navy along the waterway, and they can also enjoy the coastal scenery.
Of course, the assistant minister agreed. Seeing that the fishermen in Haifeng coastal area were ragged, sallow and emaciated, they were digging a knot in their crops on the ground and asked what it was. Ye Gaobiao casually replied: "Dioscorea cirrhosa."
Dioscorea cirrhosa is similar in shape to sweet potato and cannot be eaten. Can only be used to dye cotton and linen fabrics. Hearing this, the assistant minister thought Dioscorea cirrhosa was a sweet potato. After Haifeng finished his official business and prepared to reply in Beijing, Ye said to the assistant minister, The emperor wants to eat Haifeng sweet potato, so let's take some home.
The assistant minister smiled and said, "Don't bother. I ordered it long ago. " It turned out that the emperor secretly confessed to the assistant minister, who carried Ye Gaobiao on his back and asked his entourage to carry a few loads of yam.
In the palace, I ate the yam rhizome brought by the assistant minister as soon as possible, so that Emperor Chongzhen waved his pen and said, "Haifeng yam rhizome is not allowed."
The ministerial order of "pardoning Haifeng for three years" was also issued step by step.