After the meeting, the wicked man kept Tao Rang alone.

"Dean, besides promoting 'Qin Zhan No. 4,' I have an even more important task for you."

"Please speak, Grand Commandant," Tao Rang said respectfully.

"I hope you can continue to study 'Qin Zhan No. 5' in depth." The wicked man's eyes burned. "Although its performance is currently unstable, those high-yielding strains have shown great potential. If we can fix these excellent characteristics and cultivate better varieties, it will be a qualitative leap."

Tao Rang's eyes lit up: "Does the Grand Commandant mean to conduct targeted breeding of the superior strains in 'Qin Zhan No. 5'?"

"That's right." The wicked man nodded. "Crop improvement isn't something that can be achieved overnight; it requires multiple generations of selection to fix the superior traits. Although this process may take several years, once successful, it will be of extraordinary significance."

Tao Rang exclaimed with admiration, "Grand Commandant, you are truly farsighted! I will certainly do my utmost to cultivate an even better variety as soon as possible!"

The wicked man patted him on the shoulder: "I believe that under your leadership, the Agricultural Research Institute will surely create even more miracles. This is not only for increasing yields, but also for the foundation of our Great Qin Dynasty for generations to come!"

With the arrival of winter and the fallow period for farmland, the work of the Agricultural Research Institute has not stopped.

Tao Rang led his team to carefully select the harvested "Qin Zhan No. 4" rice seeds, keeping the best-performing seeds as seed sources for next year. At the same time, seeds of high-yielding strains of "Qin Zhan No. 5" were specially preserved in preparation for further breeding.

Based on their experience this year, the Mohist craftsmen continued to improve their farming tools. The new rice transplanters were lighter and more durable, and the threshing machines were more efficient. They also developed a simple waterwheel that could draw water from rivers to irrigate the fields more easily.

Water conservancy experts are mapping the Yellow River basin's water system in preparation for its promotion next year. They need to design suitable irrigation systems based on local topography and water resources to ensure that rice has sufficient water.

Soil experts are studying the soil characteristics of different regions and formulating suitable fertilizer formulations. Because soil properties vary from place to place, fertilizer ratios need to be adjusted accordingly to achieve the best results.

The wicked man would visit the research institute almost every week to check on the progress of various tasks and offer corresponding suggestions. He also specially collected soil and water samples from various places for experts to study in advance, so as to make full preparations for the promotion next year.

During an inspection, the wicked man suddenly thought of a question: "Director, after our hybrid rice is harvested, can the farmers save the seeds for themselves?"

Tao Rang shook his head: "Grand Commandant, I'm afraid that won't work. The offspring of hybrid rice will segregate, and their traits will be unstable. Some plants will revert to the characteristics of the male or female parent, and the yield will also decrease. If farmers save their own seeds, the yield the following year may be significantly reduced."

The wicked man pondered for a moment, then said, "That is indeed a problem. However, it can also be turned into an advantage—having the research institute supply the seeds centrally ensures quality and facilitates our continuous improvement of the varieties."

"Grand Commandant, you are wise!" Tao Rang exclaimed, suddenly realizing, "This is indeed a win-win solution. The research institute can provide farmers with high-quality seeds every year, and the farmers can obtain stable high yields."

The wicked man nodded: "Then it's settled. Starting next year, the research institute will expand seed production to prepare for wider application. At the same time, we will train a group of technicians to guide farmers in the proper cultivation of hybrid rice."

The research and preparations for the winter were proceeding smoothly. The wicked man regularly reported the progress to Ying Zheng, who attached great importance to it and issued several orders to support the work of the Agricultural Research Institute.

As the annual Spring Festival approached, the wicked husband brought a bag of rice labeled "Qin Zhan No. 4" when he paid New Year's respects to Ying Zheng in the palace.

Ying Zheng personally tasted the rice cooked with this kind of rice. He saw that the grains were plump, white in color, and tasted fragrant and delicious. He couldn't help but praise it repeatedly: "What good rice! Not only is the yield high, but the quality is also so good. It's truly rare!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the wicked man reported on next year's promotion plan: "Your Majesty, I have selected ten counties in the Yellow River basin as pilot areas, with 1,000 mu in each county. A detailed data report will be available after next year's autumn harvest. If successful, it can be promoted on a larger scale the year after."

Ying Zheng nodded in agreement: "My dear minister, your arrangements are excellent. This concerns the very foundation of our Great Qin, and I will fully support you! Whatever resources you require, just let me know."

The wicked man thanked the emperor, and his resolve to advance the agricultural revolution only strengthened.

Spring is fast approaching, the ice and snow are melting, and all things are coming back to life. Ten pilot counties in the Yellow River basin have already begun preparations for spring plowing.

The wicked man personally went to inspect one of the counties. He saw that the farmland had been leveled and smoothed like a mirror, with irrigation ditches crisscrossing the fields. Technicians from the Agricultural Research Institute were instructing local farmers on the use of new farming tools and planting techniques.

"Your Excellency, Grand Commandant," the county magistrate greeted him respectfully. "Everything is prepared according to your instructions. The seeds have arrived, and the farming tools have been distributed to the villages. The farmers are eagerly anticipating this trial planting."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!