Chapter 495 Achievement
After giving verbal praise, there should also be some practical reward.
Huo Lin immediately summoned Wang Degui and gave him instructions in a deep voice.
"He Ling is hereby appointed as the chief consultant for the promotion of new crops in Jiangnan. The Agricultural Department is to immediately make several copies of this plan, one for filing and the rest to be taken by Shen Yi to Jiangnan to ensure its effective implementation."
"Your servant obeys the decree."
Wang Degui took the seemingly simple yet extremely important proposal booklet and carefully withdrew.
When the news reached the Ministry of Agriculture, He Ling was in the backyard storeroom counting the newly harvested wheat seeds.
Hearing her colleague running up breathlessly with the news, she was stunned for a long time before putting down the measuring cup in her hand and repeating incredulously, "Chief Consultant for Promotion in Jiangnan? Me?"
It wasn't until the bright yellow silk was truly handed to her and the eunuch's distinctive voice clearly reached her ears that she snapped out of her daze and quickly knelt down on the dusty bluestone floor.
"Receive the imperial decree—"
She stretched out her hands, her fingertips trembling slightly from the sudden, overwhelming impact and excitement. When she touched the cool, smooth silk, she felt a sense of unreality.
"Yes... no, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, He Ling, accepts the imperial decree and expresses your gratitude!"
He Ling knelt down and kowtowed, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.
But every word was pronounced clearly, and when he looked up, his eyes were bright and clear, filled with unwavering determination.
This feeling was completely different from when she first received the reward after exchanging seeds through the system.
At that time, she felt almost no joy, just a sense of relief, feeling that she could finally relax and enjoy life in this era.
There was even a hint of unease, as if the fruits of someone else's labor had been stolen.
It's like walking on clouds; though high, you never know when you might fall.
But now, my chest is filled with an excitement and pride that is almost bursting out.
Scalding hot, solid, and taking root.
These achievements were the result of her meticulous research, reading every word of classical texts and deliberating day after night!
Recognition earned through one's own brain and hands!
Is there anything more valuable than hard work? No!
After seeing off the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, his colleagues from the Ministry of Agriculture gathered around to offer their congratulations.
He Ling couldn't suppress her smile; she'd said "thank you" so many times that she'd almost forgotten how to say it.
The courtyard fell silent as the last person left.
The autumn afternoon sun was just right, shining warmly on her body, and He Ling squinted comfortably.
Subconsciously, she once again sank her mind into the depths of that consciousness.
This time, however, the silent darkness actually responded.
The instant her mind touched it, in the deepest part of the darkness, a faint blue light flickered.
Immediately afterwards, a line of extremely blurry text flashed by at the location of the flickering light.
[Host has achieved the accomplishment of 'Independently Leading a Major Livelihood Project'... Energy collection in progress...]
The handwriting flickered intermittently, and before she could react, the blue light and the words disappeared quickly, like a screen running out of battery.
He Ling was stunned. This broken system had come back to life again?
That can't be right. Could it be that I'm too excited and hallucinating?
A moment of blankness flashed through her mind, followed by chaotic doubts and jumbled thoughts.
Until a gust of autumn wind gently carried the scent of harvested wheat from the warehouse.
He Ling wrinkled her nose and sniffed. The wheat fragrance was like a gentle hand, helping her stand up and pushing her forward.
Yeah! How did I get myself into this mess again!
Whether the system wakes up or not is no longer important to her; she no longer has to anxiously wait for those tasks or rewards.
She is now earning her honor through hard work!
"If you're going to sleep, then so be it."
He Ling murmured to herself as she faced the darkness in her consciousness, then smiled freely.
"Anyway, I have already surpassed my teacher, so you can rest in peace."
As soon as she finished speaking, she stopped worrying and turned to walk to the experimental field exclusively for the Ministry of Agriculture, where she began to focus intently on checking the growth of the new batch of wheat seedlings.
Sunlight shone on her official robe, which was stained with mud, and time flowed by slowly.
Until He Ling suddenly realized that a human-shaped shadow had appeared in front of her?
She subconsciously looked up. The person stood with their back to the sunlight, tall and straight, with a cool and aloof demeanor. It was that face...
Hmm, it looks kind of familiar.
"Uh... Minister He, is there something wrong with this young master?"
The figure opposite seemed to feel uneasy under He Ling's gaze, and coughed awkwardly before speaking first.
At this moment, He Ling, belatedly realizing what was happening, finally came to her senses.
The person standing in front of her was clearly Huo Yuan!
"No, no, Your Highness, you are very proper, extremely proper! It is my poor eyesight that prevented me from recognizing you."
He Ling quickly offered a polite greeting, subconsciously tidying her slightly disheveled hair, and tried her best to maintain a calm and natural expression, though she felt a little uneasy inside.
The experimental fields of the Ministry of Agriculture are usually only frequented by officials and hired farmers; outsiders are rarely seen there.
How did Huo Yuan end up here, and why is he standing right in front of me?
Could it be... that he's looking at me?
This realization made He Ling's ears burn slightly.
Logically speaking, all her girlfriends are finding partners, so it should be her turn by now.
Could it be that the God of Love has appeared in person, and a perfect husband has descended from the heavens?
Just as He Ling's heart was pounding and she was wondering whether she should say something more to showcase her personal charm.
Huo Yuan spoke again: "It's alright. I came here today because I have long admired the name of Minister He and would like to ask him for some advice."
"Yes, yes, I will definitely tell you everything I know." He Ling nodded immediately.
Here it comes, every conversation needs an opening line, right?
I also need to be prepared, so as not to leave that handsome guy feeling awkward.
"I was just wondering why the seedlings here are growing weaker than those elsewhere. I wonder what insights Minister He has?"
Huo Yuan asked, his brows furrowed, with the seriousness of a scholar.
He Ling followed his gaze and looked back, pinpointing a clump of wheat seedlings.
...
The unrealistic pink bubble that had just risen in her heart burst out in an instant.
Well, all that tension and effort was for nothing.
His Highness the Crown Prince is concerned about the nation's granaries; all he sees are these lush green seedlings in the experimental fields.
They didn't even notice the living, breathing person next to them who was lost in thought.
She could almost hear a little voice inside her sighing and rubbing her forehead, while also laughing at her own momentary mental imagery.
Amidst the embarrassment, I also found it somewhat amusing, and my tense nerves instantly relaxed.
“Your Highness,” she immediately got to work, pointing to the area and saying, “This is a specially set-up control area. The soil has been mixed with a small amount of salinity and alkalinity that may exist in some parts of Jiangnan. I want to observe the tolerance and growth of this batch of improved wheat varieties under mild salinity and alkalinity stress, in order to accumulate data for their promotion in the south.”
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuan's eyes flashed with understanding and interest.
He squatted down and carefully examined the seedlings, even picking up a bit of soil and rubbing it between his fingertips.
"I see." He raised his head and looked at He Ling, his gaze clear and pure, purely seeking knowledge. "He Sinong must already have a solution?"
Looking at his face, which seemed to say "I only care about the crops," He Ling completely gave up hope.
Sure enough, I've been reading too many storybooks lately, and my mind is filled with all sorts of random thoughts.
She shook her head, dispelling her wandering thoughts, and explained earnestly, "We're still observing the initial performance and recording data..."
The two discussed technical issues such as crop improvement and breeding on the ridge of the field.
They reluctantly parted ways as the sun began to set.
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