December 29th.

Just as everyone was busy preparing to welcome the New Year, Cao Song hummed a song and led his men into the West Garden, heading straight for the greenhouse area.

There's always a fighting spirit that inspires us to strive for excellence!

Cao Song hummed the lyrics of "The Power of the Han Dynasty" as he wandered through the various greenhouses, followed by several agricultural officials with pained expressions.

The song "The Power of the Han Dynasty" is a perfectly good song. When other people sing it, it's full of passion and excitement. But when Cao Song sings it, it makes you break out in a cold sweat.

"Tsk tsk tsk, great, that's wonderful!"

Looking at the lush green chives in the greenhouse, Cao Song finally stopped making noise, bent down, and couldn't help but pluck a chive leaf and put it in his mouth to chew.

A spicy and stimulating flavor assaulted Cao Song's taste buds.

"Delicious, haha~, it's so delicious!!"

This bite of chives in winter tasted like a delicacy to Cao Song.

Then Cao Song led a few people to inspect the vegetables in the remaining greenhouses one by one.

Since this was the first time greenhouse cultivation had been used, the vegetables in the greenhouses other than those used for growing chives and garlic sprouts were not growing well.

Then Cao Song looked solemnly at the agricultural officials behind him and said in a deep voice:

"Go back and investigate this thoroughly! Find out what's going on! Temperature, humidity, fertilizer, and seeds—you must figure out why these vegetables are yielding such low numbers!!"

"promise!!"

"Sigh, how much less money will we have to sell this??"

Looking at the sparse scallions, cilantro, bok choy, and other vegetables in the shed, Cao Song couldn't help but sigh.

Afterwards, Cao Song led his men to inspect several melon sheds. Looking at the melon seedlings that had just reached the vine-spreading stage, Cao Song felt even more distressed.

"It's been almost a month, and we haven't even seen a trace of fruit yet. I wonder when we'll finally be able to eat some melons!!"

Thinking that the time to eat melons was far off, Cao Song couldn't help but feel a little regretful. He should have just planted two greenhouses instead, so that he could have planted three more greenhouses and made more money.

"Take good care of these melon seedlings!"

After giving instructions to a few of his men, Cao Song walked out of the melon shed with a sullen expression.

As soon as Cao Song and the others stepped out of the greenhouse, they saw Zhang Rang leading a dozen people pushing a cart toward them.

"Hey~ Grand Minister of Agriculture, how are you? You've come to see the vegetables again today!"

Zhang Rang approached Cao Song with a broad smile.

"Huh? Are you guys planning to go somewhere to collect trash???"

Seeing the dozen or so cars following behind Zhang Rang, Cao Song asked a question with a surprised look, though he already knew the answer.

"Picking up trash...?"

Upon hearing Cao Song's words, Zhang Rang's face twitched involuntarily a few times.

Zhang Rang was too lazy to argue with Cao Song, so he said, "I have come on His Majesty's orders to harvest some leeks, onions, garlic sprouts and the like!"

As he spoke, Zhang Rang took a sickle from the cart and waved it in front of Cao Song.

"You probably won't need that many, will you?"

Seeing that there were at least fifteen cars behind Zhang Rang, Cao Song's face immediately darkened.

"Why can't we use it? Do you think only His Majesty is eating it? His Majesty said that the Empress Dowager, the Holy Mother, all the officials in the court, as well as His Majesty's guards and the palace servants all have to try it!"

Zhang Rang curled his lip, secretly pleased to see Cao Song's liver-like face. It was quite an accomplishment to make Cao Song suffer.

"Want to...try everything?"

Cao Song stood there dumbfounded, inwardly groaning, "This is meant to be sold, not tasted! My Emperor..."

"Alright, Minister of Agriculture, you can go ahead and get busy. I'll leave as soon as I'm done harvesting!"

Seeing Cao Song's face begin to contort, Zhang Rang couldn't help but chuckle. He then walked past Cao Song and led his men toward the greenhouse.

"What am I busy with? Right now, my biggest concern is keeping an eye on you guys so you don't ruin my food!"

Cao Song snapped out of his daze, stared wide-eyed, and followed.

"I'm telling you, anyone who doesn't have eyes in the floor and steps on my vegetables, I'll chop off their feet...!"

Seeing Zhang Rang's group excitedly rush into the greenhouse, Cao Song, who was following behind, gave them a stern warning.

Hearing Cao Song's roar from behind, everyone shuddered, then tiptoed and carefully bent down, swinging their sickles.

"You bastard, do you even know how to harvest leeks? How can you pull them up by the roots? If you pull them up by the roots, what am I supposed to harvest next time?"

Upon seeing a eunuch accidentally uproot several leeks, Cao Song immediately rushed over and gave the eunuch a good scolding.

"And you... that scallion was so small, how could you bear to pull it up?! Quickly replant it for me... you, you, you..."

Cao Song's roars echoed continuously from inside the greenhouse. After about an hour, the group of eunuchs, trembling with fear, finally filled the fifteen carts they had brought with various vegetables.

"Hehe~ This harvest is about enough. I'll take my leave now, Grand Minister of Agriculture. Please continue with your work!"

Seeing that the carts were all fully loaded, Zhang Rang happily bid farewell to Cao Song and led his men away from the greenhouse area under Cao Song's almost fiery gaze.

"My food! My money! Your Majesty!"

Looking at the three empty greenhouses, Cao Song couldn't help but groan again. He was speechless at the emperor's generosity. Then, with tears in his eyes, he cut a bundle of chives, a few scallions, and some other vegetables and headed towards the Cao residence.

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