Chapter 229 The Emperor is overjoyed and conferred upon Xiao Ying the title of Ninth Rank Lady
The emperor of the time was also stunned for a long time, staring at the memorial and reading it word by word, fearing that he had made a mistake, and suppressing the anger in his heart.
Seeing the two sides arguing endlessly, he stared at Prime Minister Ning and asked, "What exactly are these potatoes you're talking about? Have you brought them?"
Prime Minister Ning deliberately looked annoyed and said, "Your Majesty, I was mistaken. I left the potatoes in the carriage and forgot to bring them in."
How could the emperor not know the implication? He was worried about being searched during court, so he deliberately stayed outside.
He immediately ordered the palace servants to get it. The ministers were waiting anxiously, wishing they could go and check it out in person.
Soon, two guards entered the hall carrying a bag of potatoes weighing over 100 kilograms.
Prime Minister Ning personally opened the bag and took out a few potatoes bigger than fists and presented them to the ministers. The ministers all stretched their necks.
Some people were so impatient that they took one out of the bag and looked at it with great curiosity.
The emperor was also very curious. When the potatoes were placed on the imperial table, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and his gaze was burning.
He actually sensed a hint of spiritual energy from this thing called potato!
Although it is very faint, it is undoubtedly spiritual energy.
How is that possible?!
How could there be a crop that contained spiritual energy?! Could this be some kind of spiritual plant?
Even for their Yu family, it is not easy to grow crops containing such spiritual energy. What they grow every year is barely enough for them to eat. How could such spiritual creatures appear in just a small mountain village?
His mind raced, his thoughts whirled, and countless guesses flashed through his mind.
The current emperor’s surname is Yu, and his name is Yu Feiyang. He is thirty-five years old this year and has been on the throne for eight years.
Even few people in the court knew that he was actually a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining.
He was the third son of the previous emperor. His talent for cultivation was average, but he had some ability to govern the country, so he was chosen as the crown prince.
Those who were more talented than him continued to practice, which made him very envious.
He had to stay in power for at least twenty years before he could abdicate, and he felt depressed every time he thought about it.
When the emperor's cultivation is greatly affected and his strength cannot be improved, it means that his life span cannot be increased. What is the point of enjoying more wealth and glory?
What's more, being an emperor means he has to deal with all kinds of affairs every day and is exhausted. He is looking forward to his sons growing up quickly to succeed him.
He had thought that today's morning court session would be the same old same old thing, but unexpectedly it brought a touch of joy and shock to his boring day.
He must find out the origin of this thing! Perhaps, he can find another spiritual plant for the Yu family, which is a great feat.
Or perhaps, that small mountain village is a place where spiritual energy gathers, so he must take it.
"Prime Minister, what do you think about this?"
Putting down the potatoes, he collected his thoughts and asked Prime Minister Ning calmly.
Prime Minister Ning naturally understood what he meant and replied respectfully, "The one who sent the memorial is my second son, Ning Yuanze, who just took up his post in Yun'an County a few months ago."
"This child has always been serious and never speaks nonsense. Therefore, I believe this memorial can be trusted."
The emperor nodded slightly. He remembered that Prime Minister Ning had indeed asked him for this position in person a few months ago. He didn't expect that guy to be so lucky.
He suddenly smiled and asked, "Have you tasted this potato?"
Otherwise, why are you so sure?
Prime Minister Ning said calmly, "I did try it last night. It was delicious and filling."
"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the delicious food."
The emperor laughed and joked, and the court officials couldn't help laughing.
After a moment, the emperor continued, "If this thing is truly so productive, it would be a blessing for our Yue Kingdom! If it were to be widely used, there would be no more starving people in our Yue Kingdom. This would be an unprecedented achievement!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
All the ministers immediately congratulated him and were delighted.
The emperor smiled and said, "Ning Yuanze and the village woman named Xiao Ying have both made great contributions by discovering this item and presenting it to the emperor."
He gave Prime Minister Ning a meaningful look and said, "In your opinion, my dear ministers, how should I reward Ning Yuanze and that village woman named Xiao Ying?"
An official immediately said, "Your Majesty, this is an unprecedented achievement. In my humble opinion, even a promotion of one rank is acceptable for Ning Yuanze."
"As for the village woman named Xiao Ying, I believe she made the greater contribution. After all, she was the one who discovered potatoes and promoted their cultivation throughout the village. Otherwise, potatoes would still be hidden deep in the mountains."
"I believe that conferring an imperial decree upon her is worthy of her."
Some agreed, while others shook their heads.
Those who disagreed retorted, "Your Majesty, it's nothing to confer an imperial edict on Xiao Ying. This contribution is indeed great."
"However, I think it is inappropriate to promote Ning Yuanze. As a county magistrate, it is his duty to understand the people's sentiments and actively discover and report useful information."
"Giving him some gold and silver as a reward for this achievement is fine, but you can't treat him differently just because he's the Prime Minister's son."
This is clearly an attempt to flatter Prime Minister Ning, and the only thing missing is pointing at his nose and accusing him of being too selfish.
However, Prime Minister Ning remained calm and unmoved.
The two sides argued endlessly for a while, each claiming that he was right.
However, no one objected to the imperial edict to confer the title on Xiao Ying, or rather, no one paid any attention to her at all.
Zhou Hong and Qi Yuping wanted to refute, but they were worried that being too obvious would attract attention. After all, he was just an insignificant little person.
After a long time, the emperor finally spoke.
"Ning Yuanze's report was indeed meritorious, and he could be promoted one level higher. However, he has only been the Yun'an County Magistrate for three or four months, and he has just become familiar with the affairs of Yun'an County. It would be unfavorable for him to be promoted or transferred at this time."
"However, this matter can be recorded as a merit for now. If he achieves something again in the future, he can be rewarded as well."
"This time, I will reward him with a thousand taels of silver, and ten pieces of silk and brocade each."
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers who opposed the promotion all showed joy and praised the emperor's wisdom.
The officials under Prime Minister Ning felt a little regretful, but that was all they could do.
However, Prime Minister Ning himself had no dissatisfaction, because he had long known that it was impossible to promote Ning Yuanze just because of this matter.
Furthermore, Ning Yuanze has just entered the officialdom, and it is not appropriate for him to be promoted too quickly. Let him stay in Yun'an County for two more years.
"This old minister thanks the Emperor for his kindness on behalf of my son. Your Majesty is wise!"
The emperor nodded slightly and continued, "Xiao Ying's contributions are immense. I hereby confer upon her the rank of Ninth Rank Lady, bestow upon her the Lady's attire and seal, and grant her a two-story house in Yun'an County, along with twelve servants."
"In addition, I will reward you with one hundred taels of gold, one thousand taels of silver, ten pieces of silk and brocade each, and a pair of jade ruyi."
This reward is much more than Ning Yuanze's, but no one objected.
They really didn't take a mere ninth-rank lady seriously. After all, the lowest official who could enter the court to discuss matters was a fourth-rank official.
Only Zhou Hong and Qi Yuping took this matter to heart and each had their own plans.
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