For thousands of years, China has only had one problem: not having enough to eat!
The most celebrated golden ages by various wise rulers were those where most people were well-fed and wouldn't starve, or at least no one wanted to starve and rise up in rebellion.
Ying Zheng was openly and honestly protected by the Imperial Guards in the center, with Fusu and the jade rabbit in his arms by his side.
Carrots are mainly eaten from the root and stem, so you have to dig them out of the soil first, then gather them into a pile, cut off the leaves, and slowly pile the carrots together.
The harvesters weren't very skilled at first, but as they practiced harvesting more and more carrots, they became faster and faster, piling up carrots in the field.
Every time a pile of carrots was harvested, a commotion would erupt in the crowd.
"Your Majesty, the harvest of one acre of land has been completed."
Someone excitedly ran over, cupped their hands in greeting, their eyes sparkling as if with tears welling up, and spoke in a loud voice.
How much grain was obtained?
The King of Qin still appeared dignified and composed, asking the question in a measured and unhurried manner.
System Jade Rabbit chuckled inwardly: "Your muscles are practically taut, and you're still pretending."
Whether they were commoners or high-ranking officials, everyone on the field held their breath, their eager eyes fixed on the messenger.
If only we could have two bushels, that would be wonderful; it was a faint hope in the hearts of the people.
With this much money, even if half of the taxes are taken away this year, we can still have two more full meals.
During the pre-Qin period, units of weight included shi, jin, and liang. One shi was approximately 120 jin, while the average yield per mu (unit of land area) is now around 1.1 shi.
The people thought their ideas were already outrageous; if the carrots hadn't been a gift from the moon goddess, they wouldn't have dared to be so bold even in their wildest dreams.
The Qin rulers and ministers, including Ying Zheng and Li Si, had much bolder ideas. They didn't expect a yield of 1,500 catties, but they thought they could at least get 8 shi (a unit of dry measure)!
Thinking about it idly, with less fertilizer available now and intensive farming not yet at its peak, the yield is probably only about one-third of what it is today.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the messenger shouted tremblingly, "Thirteen bushels of carrots were produced from one acre of land!"
Suddenly, the scene spiraled out of control, with the people discussing amongst themselves and trying to catch a glimpse of the carrots.
What is the concept of "thirteen stones"?
Even the most foolish farmer knows that if you plant carrots for one season, your whole family can eat their fill all year round!
Being well-fed—what a luxurious and distant concept.
"Don't push your way in, go back, go back!"
The Imperial Guards shouted at the top of their lungs, their spears pointed inwards, their sharp tips aimed at them. Only then did the swarming people finally calm down a little, but they were still excitedly discussing in disbelief among themselves.
"Thirteen bushels! How are we supposed to eat all that grain?" a middle-aged farmer said, distressed and bewildered.
Another farmer laughed heartily, "Stuff it into your stomach, stuff it until you can't hold any more!"
"This is such a waste, such a waste! How can you do this?" The middle-aged farmer shook his head, his face beaming with barely suppressed joy.
"The Moon Goddess is so kind; she sent us carrots."
“That’s right. We Qin people are the most grateful people. We can’t just let it go in a haphazard way. In my opinion, we should think carefully about how to repay the Moon Goddess,” an old farmer next to him chimed in.
"Yes, yes, yes"
Those around him nodded in agreement, offering their own suggestions.
Were Ying Zheng and his men happy?
Of course he was happy. Qin was ruled by the Ying family, and Ying Zheng was the most entitled to rejoice. The future and wealth of Li Si and others were tied to Qin. They were all in the same boat, and their fates were intertwined. How could they not be happy?
They were so happy that the system almost couldn't bear to break the silence.
Cough cough cough, Fusu was also laughing foolishly when he suddenly heard a cough. He looked around in confusion but did not find any adults coughing.
Looking down, it turned out that the Jade Rabbit, just like a human, was covering its mouth with its front legs, seemingly coughing.
Fusu's mouth gaped slightly. So the Jade Rabbit could not only talk, but also catch colds and coughs? He tilted his head and asked:
"Jade Rabbit, what's wrong?"
This question also attracted the attention of Ying Zheng, who was standing nearby, and he cast a concerned glance at him.
Seeing that it had finally attracted someone, the system forced two red patches to appear on its white rabbit fur and deliberately spoke in a soft voice:
"Carrot production is large, but they are not easy to preserve. Haven't you thought about how to preserve them?"
Everyone was taken aback. Yes, carrots are clearly a high-water-content food, and like fruit, they don't keep for long. So even if the yield is high, it won't benefit the people.
They looked at each other, speechless, and for a moment they couldn't come up with any good ideas, so the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
A deep sense of resentment lingered in everyone's hearts; it would have been better if they had never gotten it at all.
Piles of carrots were laid out in front of him, and everyone was starting to dream about a bright future, only to have it all suddenly shattered. It was a truly unpleasant feeling.
The system was secretly pleased. It was true that carrots were difficult to preserve, but if they weren't difficult, how could it show the Moon Goddess's... and the Jade Rabbit's emergency rescue?
Only the host could be so unethical, doing one thing and setting three traps. The person making these comments doesn't realize that he himself is also an unethical rabbit.
"Well, actually, there is a way."
The Jade Rabbit, in a affected manner, jumped down from Fusu's arms, straightened up, put its two front legs behind its back, and walked steadily with a swaying gait.
Fusu: ...His eyes widened in disbelief, his worldview shattered.
"Please enlighten me, Jade Rabbit."
Seeing the Jade Rabbit's reaction, everyone understood that the rabbit must have a solution, and they were half relieved. The other half of their worries lay in whether they could satisfy the Jade Rabbit.
Li Si tried to ignore the Jade Rabbit's bizarre posture, stepped forward, clasped his hands and bowed slightly, and said something without making it obvious.
"As you all know, Chang Xi forced me to be a vegetarian back then, every single day, until my face turned orange!"
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