"I have official business to attend to. I am only here to escort my sister, so I will not be dining. My father has also asked me to say hello to him."
Bai Zixuan was dazed for a moment. The Regent's frank demeanor made him think that the smile just now was just an illusion...
"Official duties cannot delay meals. The food is ready and it won't take long."
Xiao Moqing never cared about other people's opinions when doing things, but Bai Zixuan's protective look was too obvious.
This is understandable. After all, in the eyes of the elders, Xiao Moqing is not a good son-in-law.
Because of his health, he had never imagined a life of getting married and having children.
But now it’s different. There is hope that his body can be cured and he may be able to live a normal life.
"Your Highness has kindly invited me, and I will respectfully obey your command."
Bai Zixuan couldn't see through Xiao Moqing at all.
Sometimes I thought he was being unusual towards his sister, but sometimes I thought it was normal to thank him for a meal.
He had no choice but to accept Xiao Moqing's invitation and sent his personal servant to deliver the message to Liu Ruyin.
Meanwhile, Bai Shu, who had already been attracted by the delicious food, did not notice the undercurrent between her brother and Xiao Moqing.
It’s no wonder she’s a foodie. There are five or six kinds of rice dumplings on the table alone. She has never seen them anywhere else!
"Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. Tianxiang Restaurant has a few new chefs from surrounding counties. Miss Bai and Mr. Bai can have a good time to taste the special rice dumplings from various places."
Xiao Moqing knew that Bai Shu couldn't wait any longer, so he didn't keep her in suspense and the three of them started eating!
As for why there are only five or six varieties of zongzi, it's because the journey is too long, and the chefs from other counties are still on their way to the capital...
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness. I will not be shy about it!"
Bai Shu happily picked up a zongzi she had never seen before and ate it with big mouthfuls.
The rice dumplings look great, are small and delicate, and can be eaten in just a few bites.
"Yeah! It's a meat dumpling!"
It was Bai Shu’s first time eating rice dumplings. She used to eat sweet rice dumplings, but she didn’t expect that these rice dumplings had such a unique flavor!
"There are many varieties. Miss Bai, please eat slowly. If you like, ask the chef to make some to take back."
Xiao Moqing found that every time he ate with Bai Shu, he would have a strong appetite.
Seeing her eating with relish, I felt my appetite improve.
Bai Zixuan, who was standing aside, watched the interaction between Xiao Moqing and Bai Shu. He really didn't dare to speak!
His sister was not like this before!
Also, the Regent wasn’t like this before!
Bai Zixuan had no choice but to eat in silence. He took a bite of the rice dumpling and thought, well, it was indeed pretty good.
"What has Mr. Bai been busy with recently?"
Xiao Moqing had seen enough of Bai Shu's cute appearance while eating, and then turned his gaze to Bai Zixuan.
"It's still a problem of grain cultivation. Dongye's grain production has always been low. Even with our vigorous efforts to support farmers in grain cultivation, the results have been minimal."
"Recently, the Ministry of Industry has received reports from many local county magistrates stating that the grain seeds planted some time ago have suffered root burns."
Bai Zixuan, who works in the Ministry of Industry, has been worried about this matter.
"Is the root burn phenomenon only discovered this year?"
Xiao Moqing frowned slightly.
Food production in Dongye has always been a problem, especially when wars broke out a few years ago, when it was difficult to meet the needs of the troops.
Therefore, when the late emperor was still in power, he expanded the area of farmland in the hope of increasing the annual output.
Since the young emperor ascended the throne, agriculture has always been a top priority because it is the foundation of people's livelihood.
"This phenomenon occurred last year, but it's even worse this year."
"The Ministry of Industry now suspects that the problem lies with fertilizer. In the past, grain production was too low, so people developed grass fertilizer.
The retting process is not complicated, and the yield has increased, but a problem has emerged in the past two years: root burn.
Bai Zixuan told Xiao Moqing all the details about the problem. They were trying to figure out a solution to the problem.
I had been planning to submit this report to the young emperor tomorrow, but it would be the same if I told the regent in advance.
“Grass fertilizer has always been successful. Could root burn be due to too much nutrition?
Everything should be done in moderation. If you over-water or over-fertilize, the flowers and plants won’t grow well.”
Xiao Mo listened thoughtfully. The development of grass fertilizer had caused a sensation.
With the increase in grain production, the people not only have enough to eat, but their income has also increased a lot. It can be said that everyone is happy.
I didn't expect such a problem to arise again.
"Your Highness is right. The Ministry of Works also suspects that it is a problem of overnutrition.
But no matter how adjustments are made, I'm afraid this season's grain production will drop significantly."
In fact, this is the problem that everyone is most worried about. When problems arise, they will try to brainstorm and solve them.
It's just that the best time to sow grain is fixed and was discovered by our ancestors.
After all, farmers rely on the weather for their livelihood and follow nature. I'm afraid this batch of grain is difficult to save...
[Burning seedlings for crops? Why does this sound so familiar?]
Bai Shu was eating happily, but she just overheard the conversation between Xiao Moqing and Bai Zixuan and caught the key information.
[Has Susu forgotten again? This is the key opportunity for Du Wenqing to gain the young emperor's appreciation!]
The system is helpless. Its host has forgotten the useful plot again...
[Huh? Why is Du Wenqing everywhere?]
After hearing this name, Bai Shu felt that even her meals were no longer enjoyable.
[In the original plot, giving suggestions to the Ministry of Industry was Du Wenqing’s first step to success!
At this time, he had already established connections with the Bai family and was doing very well in the Hanlin Academy and even in the Dongye court.
As it happened, he had grown up in the countryside and knew a little about agriculture, so he gained recognition from quite a few people with his good ideas!
Speaking of tasks, the system is not sleepy!
【Oh, then what good advice did he offer? 】
Bai Shu felt that Du Wenqing really had the aura of a male protagonist.
Looking at the entire court, there are only a handful of people with some agricultural knowledge and experience.
Agriculture holds a high status in this world, but officials rarely manage their farms themselves, or even farm the land.
It is not difficult to understand why Du Wenqing can take the lead in this matter.
[It’s actually very simple. It’s just about improving grass fertilizer into organic fertilizer.]
The system has also seen a lot of things. Organic fertilizers have been popularized in many worlds. They are moderately nutritious and have not yet caused problems such as seedling burn.
[Manure! Is it that simple?]
Bai Shu instantly felt that the rice dumplings in her mouth no longer had any fragrance...
Xiao Moqing, who was attracted by the conversation between Bai Shu and the system, originally listened very attentively.
Until he heard these two words, he glanced at the rice dumpling that Bai Shu had just put down, and silently put the rice dumpling down as well.
Well, he's full.
[That's right, because manure isn't widely used in this world yet, Du Wenqing may have only experimented with it in the past.]
These are systematic speculations.
Did he say how to deal with this season's crop seedling burn? We can't let it go to waste, right?
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