Anyone who has farmed knows that in addition to good seeds, soil fertilizer is also very important for high grain yields.

During the late Han Dynasty, there was no comprehensive knowledge on increasing soil fertility. Farmers worked hard all day long, and all they could do was prevent the land from losing its yield.

Liu Hong sought out the physician in order to solve these two problems.

Then Liu Hong looked at the doctors led by Zhang Bozu and asked, "You are all quite familiar with medicinal herbs. I wonder if the effects of the same medicinal herb are different?"

Zhang Bozu stood up and said, "Your Majesty, medicinal herbs produced in different places vary in plant size and medicinal potency."

"What does the physician, Uncle, think is the reason for this?"

Zhang Bozu was taken aback; he hadn't really thought about Liu Hong's question in detail.

However, Zhang Zhongjing, who was standing to the side, seemed to have thought of something and stood up respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that the different medicinal properties of medicinal materials are related to geographical location and the growing environment of each region. For example, the medicinal materials from remote mountainous areas are much better."

Liu Hong smiled and asked, "Does Zhongjing know the reason for this?"

"I do not know!"

Zhang Zhongjing shook his head, indicating that he didn't know and refrained from offering any unfounded opinions.

"I believe it is related to the fertility of the soil. In the deep mountains, the animal carcasses and excrement, as well as the fallen leaves of trees, make the soil there different from that outside. What do you all think?"

After careful consideration, everyone present felt that what the emperor said did indeed make some sense.

In fact, Liu Hong didn't know if what he said was right or wrong. Although medicinal herbs and crops are different, they are both plants after all, so there should be some commonalities. These people have a deep understanding of medicinal herbs, so it doesn't seem inappropriate to let them study crops.

Zhang Bozu asked, "Does Your Majesty mean that the reason affecting the growth of medicinal herbs and crops lies in the fertility of the soil?"

"Indeed, you all deal with plants and medicinal herbs year-round, so you should know more about them than I do. Some people use manure in their fields, while others use wood ash or other rotten things. What are the differences between them? And what is the connection between them?"

Although the growth requirements of medicinal herbs and crops are certainly different, they both depend on the fertility of the soil, which is beyond doubt. All Liu Hong can do is guide them to conduct research in this direction. After all, not all fertilizers are the same, and it is important to make full use of the fertilizer's effectiveness.

Without good chemists, we can only rely on these doctors as pioneers.

The physicians finally understood why the emperor had summoned them. Although studying the land might not be directly related to medicine, if they could indirectly increase the yield of medicinal herbs, it would be of great help to them. Moreover, if they could discover a way to increase grain production, they could also be remembered in history.

After seeing everyone off, Liu Hong ordered the Ministry of Personnel to issue another edict, stating that as long as someone could increase the yield per mu of grain, he would fulfill his promise to the officials, erecting monuments and building temples and shrines for them.

Although this decree caused an uproar throughout the land, it did not cause much of a stir in the imperial court. After all, failure would have little impact on them, and success would also bring them benefits. The stability of the court depended on the balance of interests, a point that Liu Hong understood very well.

However, this news is undoubtedly good news for farmers. Since ancient times, both emperors and officials have valued agriculture, but no one has valued farmers, which has made the status of farmers very awkward.

In short, I can't live without you, but I still look down on you.

Upon hearing the news, Mo Shang and the rest of the Mo family at the Research and Manufacturing Bureau couldn't help but sigh. They knew they had to work harder, as the Farmer's School was showing signs of resurgence.

Mo Shang sat at his desk with a furrowed brow, pondering how to develop a product that would gain the emperor's approval and support.

"Your Excellency, since the Emperor attaches such importance to agricultural production, why don't we start from this aspect?"

Hearing the old man's opinion, Mo Shang nodded. "You're right. So, where should we start?"

"I have traveled through the fields before. We might as well start with arable land and irrigation. If we can improve the efficiency of land reclamation and irrigation, it will definitely be of great help to increasing agricultural income and stabilizing the economy."

"Yes, yes, if we can make a breakthrough in this area, we might be able to pass on our knowledge to future generations."

Mo Shang said excitedly, and couldn't help but think of the scene where he and others were worshipped.

Then Mo Shang thought of something else and quickly said, "Oh, and with the autumn harvest just around the corner, if we could develop the corresponding tools to improve harvesting efficiency, it would surely be of great help to His Majesty."

“Very well, then I will arrange for them to go to the fields to conduct observations. After all, only by going to the fields can we conduct targeted research.”

The old man nodded, indicating his support for Mo Shang's idea, as it was also Qin Mo's pragmatic principle.

"Alright! I'll go discuss this with the chief official right away."

After saying that, Mo Shang found the eunuch sent by Lü Qiang and explained the request.

Upon hearing this, the eunuch smiled and said, "You can arrange the research and development yourself. I am here on the Emperor's orders to provide you with food, drink, supplies, and research materials. I don't understand anything else and will not interfere. As long as you can research and develop something useful for His Majesty, that's fine."

Then the little eunuch added, "And His Majesty also said that as long as you don't leave the territory of the Han Dynasty, you can go wherever you want."

Mo Shang was surprised that the current emperor would take such good care of and trust them. While he was touched, he also felt a sense of pressure.

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