Chapter 228 [VIP]

Early in the morning, Wang Ying finished washing up, changed into her official robes, tidied her hair, and took a deep breath in front of the bronze mirror.

Because the Wu Dynasty did not have official robes for young men, he dressed no differently from an ordinary man. This attire made him appear even more tall and handsome. If one ignored the birthmark on his cheek, he looked like a refined young gentleman.

Chen Qingyan hugged his waist from behind, "It's your first day on duty. If anything happens, just send someone to call me."

"Don't worry, today's visit is mostly just to learn about the Ministry of Agriculture, there shouldn't be anything else."

I'm afraid you won't be able to adapt.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, but there's too much gossip going around in the city these days, which might affect your career."

The rumors circulating outside are going too far. Because of his identity, there are many vulgar speculations, such as that he is a femme fatale who bewitched the emperor to make an exception for him. Such talk is laughable. How could someone his age be a femme fatale?

Chen Qingyan held his hand and smiled, "Let them say whatever they want. I know best how capable my husband is. I just hope you can show your talents."

After getting ready, the two of them got into separate carriages and went to their shifts.

Although the Ministry of Agriculture was subordinate to the Ministry of Revenue, it was not located within the Ministry. Instead, it had its own courtyard in the west of the city, and it took about half an hour to get there by carriage. Since today was Wang Ying's first day on duty, she arrived exceptionally early.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous on her first day of work. Wang Ying clutched her wildly beating heart and looked out the car window.

Finally arriving at the entrance of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wang Ying got out of the carriage, took a deep breath, and stepped forward, holding the token. "Wang Ying, the Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, is here to take her shift."

Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper immediately stood up and greeted him, "Sir, is this your first day on duty? Please follow me."

Wang Ying nodded and followed the clerk into the courtyard. The Ministry of Agriculture was not large; its main responsibilities included managing grain reserves and storage, supplying the palace with grain and providing stipends to officials, and implementing agricultural policies such as agriculture, sericulture, and water conservancy.

Apart from lower-level officials, other officials were mostly idle. Grain reserves were only available for a busy period after the autumn harvest each year. The palace and officials also had fixed quotas for rice and grain, which were distributed according to need.

As for implementing agricultural policies, that depends on the higher-ups' intentions. As a minor official of the seventh rank, Wang Ying only needs to follow orders.

After a brief introduction, the clerk led Wang Ying to his office, a separate office that was clean and tidy.

"I'll use this room myself?"

"That's right. We have fewer people and more spare rooms. If the adults are not satisfied, they can choose another room."

"No need, no need, I'm very satisfied." The office environment exceeded Wang Ying's expectations, but she didn't know how to get along with her "colleagues" from now on.

When Wang Ying first transmigrated, she always thought that the young master was just like a man except that he could give birth, but the reality was not so.

For thousands of years, feudal ideology has deeply ingrained the idea of ​​male superiority and female inferiority, and the status of a young man is even lower than that of a woman.

Going back a hundred years or so, young men were only married off to poor families to work and carry on the family line; wealthy families wouldn't even marry a young man as their principal wife.

As time went by, the identity of the young master was gradually recognized by the world. However, some aristocratic families still did not allow their direct descendants to marry young masters, which could be considered a disguised rejection of the young master's identity.

Bringing her thoughts back, Wang Ying wiped the table. The room was very simple, with only a table and a few chairs. There were two pots of orchids on the windowsill, which looked to be well taken care of, with lush green branches and flower buds already forming.

"This is Cymbidium sinense, also known as Cymbidium faberi. It will bloom when the weather gets a little colder."

Wang Ying withdrew her hand and turned around to see a tall man standing at the door. He looked to be about the same age as her, with a short beard and very handsome features.

"I am Wang Ying, a newly arrived seventh-rank official. May I ask your honorable surname, sir?"

The man's gaze fell on the red mole on Wang Ying's cheek and he quickly looked away. "So you are Wang Dianshi. My surname is Yu, and I am in charge of the warehouse."

"Greetings, Manager Yu." The manager was half a rank higher than him, so he was considered his superior.

To avoid suspicion, Manager Yu cupped his hands in greeting and turned to leave.

Wang Ying had anticipated their attitude, so he didn't care too much. He was already disliked by many people for entering officialdom as a young man, so as long as they could get along peacefully and not disturb his work, that would be fine.

However, things didn't go as planned. About an hour later, news of his arrival at the Ministry of Agriculture spread, and a large number of people suddenly gathered outside the gate.

One of the older men pointed at Wang Ying inside the house and cursed, "A hen at dawn brings ruin to the family; this is a harbinger of national disaster!"

"Yes, I've never heard of a young master becoming an official. Isn't this a mess?"

Another shorter man craned his neck and said, "A man should stay at home and have children like a woman, instead of coming out and making a fool of himself!"

"That's right, that's right. How dare your husband let him out? If you ask me, a husband who shows his face in public and doesn't follow the rules should be locked up at home and kneeling in the ancestral hall!"

Wang Ying clenched his fists. He had anticipated that he would be ostracized, but he hadn't expected the ostracism to be so severe.

He immediately stood up and retorted, "His Majesty appointed me to the Ministry of Agriculture. If any of you are dissatisfied, you can go to His Majesty to file a complaint. Besides, in matters of agriculture, the capable should be in charge, regardless of gender or age."

The man who had just spoken the loudest said, "Since you say that the most capable should be in charge, then let me ask you, what abilities do you have to be appointed to the Ministry of Agriculture?"

This man's surname was Zang, and his name was Zang Mingsheng. He was in charge of the tribute rice for the imperial court. He was not a high-ranking official, but after associating with many powerful and influential people, he felt superior to others. He always acted arrogantly towards others, which made him very disliked.

Regarding Wang Ying, these people were surprisingly united in their opposition, determined to drive him out of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Wang Ying said, "The Changfeng No. 3 wheat variety that I cultivated is now being grown by all the people of Wu Dynasty. The composting method I researched has increased the yield per mu in Shanzhou by 40%. I have also written two books on agriculture, 'Qi Farming Techniques.' I wonder what abilities you gentlemen possess?"

The group was stunned by his series of answers. The old man who had just been shouting "The Morning of the Hen" repeatedly said, "No, impossible! How could Jiaxuan Jushi be a boy?" when he heard that Qi Nong Geng Shu was written by him.

“Why not? I even helped find a publishing house to print Wang Xiaoyou’s book. The manuscript is still stored with me.” Grand Minister of Agriculture Wen Yanping arrived late.

Upon seeing this, the men quickly clasped their hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

"Hmph, instead of wasting time ostracizing others, you should spend more time studying agriculture, so you won't be ridiculed for not being able to distinguish between different grains!"

Zang Mingsheng blushed and quickly lowered his head. These words were directed at him; he was the one who had confused millet and foxtail millet back then.

"If there's nothing else, everyone should go home. Don't cause trouble here."

"Yes..." Several people left dejectedly, only the person in charge surnamed Yu remained.

"Yu Xin, is there anything else?"

"This humble official would like to ask Your Majesty a few questions. I will leave after I have finished asking them."

Wang Ying said, "Please ask."

"I'd like to ask you about the Changfeng No. 3 wheat variety you cultivated. What method did you use to cultivate it? Also, what is the specific ratio of Huangshi powder used to treat leaf blight? I followed the ratio in the book and only succeeded on one mu out of three mu. And—"

As Wang Ying listened to his questions, her guard gradually lowered. "Lord Yu, please come in. The process of cultivating the Changfeng No. 3 wheat variety is very long, and I need to explain it in detail..."

Wen Yanping looked at the two men, stroked his beard, and nodded. This is how the Ministry of Agriculture should be.

With the severe drought in the north and tens of millions of people starving, what's the point of focusing your efforts on the right things and instead scheming against and ostracizing colleagues? Even if you drive people away, you won't necessarily benefit yourself.

Changfeng No. 3 was Wang Ying's graduation thesis, so she remembered it very clearly. She told Yu Daren about how she collected specimens step by step and the later process of breeding sexual hybridization. Yu Daren's eyes lit up as he listened, and he gradually went from avoiding the topic to admiring it.

"You're amazing! How did you come up with such a method!"

Wang Ying scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly; of course, he couldn't explain that these were all things his teacher had taught him.

"I originally thought that Lord Wang was just a figurehead placed in the Ministry of Agriculture as rumored, but now it seems that I was very wrong. You have real skills and great abilities. I have benefited greatly from the two books you wrote. Please allow me to bow to you." With that, he bowed deeply.

Wang Ying quickly helped him up. "Lord Yu, you are too kind. I don't have any other skills, but I am very passionate about agricultural science. I never thought of entering the court as an official. I never expected to be valued by His Majesty. The Minister of Agriculture even risked public condemnation to recommend me. I have no way to repay you, so I can only use my knowledge to give back to the people."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xin felt even more ashamed. "I will continue to learn from Lord Wang and hope he will not hesitate to offer his guidance!"

"Of course, I will tell you everything I know."

After seeing Yu Xin off, Wang Ying breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that she had passed the first hurdle.

Fortunately, he came from the modern era and had been taught about gender equality since childhood; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to stay there after being scolded by those people.

Even so, he wasn't feeling too good. Wang Ying clenched her fist at the air, deciding she needed to work out in her spare time so she could beat him up next time he tried to insult her.

*

Not long after Yu Xin left, the Grand Minister of Agriculture came with two people. "These two will be by your side to help you from now on. Just tell them what you need."

The two introduced themselves. The older one was named Yang An, and the younger one was named Yang Zhi. They were cousins ​​and both were scholars from farming families.

These two men were honest and upright, and did not look down on Wang Ying because he was a boy. They respectfully bowed and greeted Wang Ying.

Wen Yanping sighed and said, "I hope you won't be influenced by what those people said earlier. They are short-sighted and don't understand your abilities. They will understand in the future."

Wang Ying laughed heartily, "It's alright. I am grateful to His Majesty and the officials for their appreciation. I have no regrets in dedicating all my knowledge to the people. I will not take what others say to heart."

“Young Master Wang is quite genuine. Tomorrow I’ll take you to visit the tenant fields of our Ministry of Agriculture. This year’s drought has been severe, and the crops are not growing well. Everyone has been very worried lately.”

"good."

The Si Nong Si (司农司) staff members are on duty until 2:40 PM every day. When things are not busy, they do not need to work overtime and can go home on time.

Wang Ying received her token from the gatekeeper, and that marked the end of the day. Chen Ju was already waiting nearby with his carriage. Upon seeing Wang Ying, he waved happily, "My lord!"

Wang Ying laughed and ran over to the carriage, "Let's go home!"

A note from the author: