Chapter 124

After lunch, Emperor Jingxi returned to his study to continue reading memorials, while Qin Su and Ye Yan sat in Zhaoning Palace whispering to each other.

She rested her chin on her hand, looking worried, and said, "Ye Yan, what do you think we can do to increase the amount of grain?"

Ye Yan was slightly surprised: "How did Your Highness come up with this?"

Qin Su sighed like a little adult: "Because I suddenly realized that many people are not getting enough to eat."

Although she didn't say it explicitly, Ye Yan guessed that she probably learned about court affairs from Emperor Jingxi.

He frowned, recalling that he had seen some data before, saying that agricultural output in ancient times was very low, with the highest being only a little over 300 kilograms during the Ming and Qing dynasties, which was the highest level in ancient times.

In modern society, the yield of hybrid rice has reached more than 1,600 kilograms per mu.

Although Dayu did not belong to any dynasty in history, its production level was similar to that of ancient times, and its productivity should have been roughly the same.

"Why do people grow by eating and drinking water, but crops don't?" Qin Su asked疑惑地. "How is farming done? What do crops eat?"

Ye Yan said, "People eat grains, but wheat and barley eat chemical fertilizers."

Qin Su asked, puzzled, "Fertilizer? What's that?"

Ye Yan was taken aback: "Is there no fertilizer for farming now?"

Qin Su stared at him blankly, and said, "I don't know either."

Emperor Jingxi talked to her about agriculture and planting, but he couldn't possibly tell her how to dig soil and fertilize.

"Is this for farming?" Qin Su asked like a curious child upon hearing the new term, "Which one is used as fertilizer?"

Ye Yan wrote it down for her to see, saying, "This is something that can increase grain production."

Qin Su's eyes lit up, and she grabbed him, saying, "Then let's go ask someone else."

She found a palace maid from Zhaoning Palace whose family came from farming backgrounds. Before entering the palace, the maid had worked in the fields and her family, so she really knew these things.

According to her, there are now many kinds of fertilizers available in the countryside, such as cake fertilizer, soil fertilizer, ash fertilizer, green manure, slag fertilizer, etc.

But I've never heard of "chemical fertilizer".

The palace maid respectfully asked, "I wonder if this fertilizer is made from flowers and herbs? In my opinion, it should be similar to green manure, or perhaps it's called something different in different places."

Qin Su turned to Ye Yan: "Is that so?"

Ye Yan: "..."

It's not a flower, it's a transformation!

However, he then realized that the "chemical" in "chemical fertilizer" refers to the chemical process.

This didn't exist in ancient times; it only appeared after the Industrial Revolution.

Thinking of this, Ye Yan hesitated for a moment.

How do you make fertilizer? Does it require phosphorus? Phosphorus is extracted from phosphate rock. There's also potassium fertilizer. The main components of wood ash are potassium carbonate and calcium oxide. Is it okay to burn it into potassium fertilizer?

A flood of chemistry knowledge flashed through Ye Yan's mind, and he tentatively suggested, "How about we make it ourselves?"

Qin Su gripped his arm tightly, her eyes sparkling, and exclaimed, "Take me with you!"

Seeing Qin Su's excited expression as if she was about to try something new, Ye Yan explained to her, "We can't do it yet, we don't have phosphorus yet."

Moreover, it's not something the average person can easily find in large quantities of phosphate rock.

"I see." Qin Su lowered her head in disappointment, looking so pitiful that one wanted to offer her the most precious things in the world to cheer her up.

Ye Yan couldn't bear it and said, "However, there is a quick and good way to find phosphorus."

Qin Su raised her head, her face full of anticipation.

Ye Yan said, "Find a Taoist priest."

If we were to say who in ancient times was most likely to learn chemistry, acquire chemical knowledge, and begin chemical research, it would undoubtedly be Taoist priests.

The ascension of Empress Guangxuan to the throne in the early period of this dynasty was related to Taoists. That emperor pursued immortality, built Taoist temples on a large scale, and favored Taoist practitioners. Empress Guangxuan was favored because she was a Taoist nun when she was a concubine.

Later emperors intended to suppress Taoism and no longer associated with Taoist priests, but the religious trend had formed over time, and the popular worship of Taoism had become mainstream. Even many officials would privately worship at Taoist temples.

People often discuss which Taoist priest possesses extraordinary treasures or which mysterious master knows magic.

A while ago, Ye Yan overheard the servants at the Assistant General's Mansion discussing that a celestial being had arrived in the capital.

It is said that this immortal was blessed by the heavens and was unharmed while sitting in a pot of boiling oil. This became a legend, and many wealthy people went to visit him at great expense.

Ye Yan was speechless for a while. What kind of oil pot was that? It must be filled with vinegar at the bottom and then a layer of oil on top, using the fact that vinegar has a lower boiling point than oil to create the illusion of boiling oil.

But that was none of his business, so he just listened and let it go.

It was only then that I realized that trash is a treasure trove in the wrong place!

From an objective standpoint, these Taoist priests were obviously using the chemical knowledge that ordinary people in ancient times didn't know to cheat people out of food and drink. However, from a talent perspective, these Taoist priests with basic chemical research skills were very suitable to be captured and put to work.

Ye Yan whispered his thoughts in Qin Su's ear, and Qin Su clapped her hands in amazement, her eyes sparkling as she exclaimed, "Ye Yan, you're amazing! You know so much!"

It's clear that this is genuine and heartfelt worship.

Ye Yan's expression was strange.

Heaven knows, he and Qin Su had met in two different worlds. No matter how much he spent on her or how meticulous he was in his care, Qin Su had never given him such girlish praise.

Unexpectedly, in this world, I actually gained something by demonstrating basic chemistry knowledge.

What's this?

Knowledge is power?

Ye Yan couldn't help but feel both amused and guilty.

What if Qin Su regains his memory in the future? Won't he call him shameless?

Having long served the arrogant Emperor Jingxi with sweet talk, Qin Su had honed her skills. Now, she showered Ye Yan with compliments, making Ye Yan feel both embarrassed and delighted.

He coughed, his fist pressed against his lips, his ears turning red, and whispered, "It's not that bad."

Qin Su exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent: "Wow, you're blushing, Ye Yan, are you shy?"

Ye Yan tilted his head: "No, it's hot."

"It's only April, we've just changed into spring clothes, how can it be hot?" Qin Su ran up to him again and confirmed, "You're just shy."

She clung to the armrest of Ye Yan's chair, like a curious kitten, peeking closer to observe him, her eyes bright and clear.

She's just a little girl now, so Ye Yan naturally wouldn't have any romantic thoughts about her. He just secretly sighed, "Qin Su is still Qin Su even without her memories. She's only so young, yet she already enjoys watching people's embarrassing moments just like when she's grown up. She's been wicked since she was little."

Not only that, she also remarked with some emotion, "You're so shy! When I praise my father, he never gets embarrassed; he just laughs with pride."

Ye Yan was surprised to hear gossip about Emperor Jingxi, and was both amused and exasperated.

He picked up Qin Su helplessly and changed the subject: "Shall we go see the swans? I heard that they recently released swans into the Beast Taming Garden."

The swan, called "hu" by the ancients, is the subject of the famous line "How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?"

Ye Yan wasn't used to calling it a swan; he privately called it a swan.

Qin Su hooked her arm around his neck and asked curiously, "Swan? Geese can fly, can swans fly too? Can they fly high?"