“Your Majesty,” Liu An readily admitted his mistake, “this old minister knows his error.”
"This servant knows she was wrong!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan's expression softened, and he shook his head, "It's alright, I won't hold it against you."
Seeing this, An Qingyun was furious.
There are fewer and fewer people in the court as upright as myself. It's a pity that even though His Majesty is wise, he is still young and does not understand the gravity of the situation.
“So,” Jiang Nuan frowned, “the harvest two months from now becomes extremely important!”
“That’s right,” Ji Xuan nodded directly, “We can’t afford the slightest mistake!”
Ji Xuan had already consulted the Imperial Observatory, and the weather would be very good for the next two months, so there was a high probability that the harvest would not be poor.
But he was still afraid.
Even something you've planned for so long can go wrong, let alone the unpredictable weather. Besides, a good harvest requires various conditions, but a poor harvest is very easy to achieve.
A flurry of insects, a shower of rain...
"I have some remedies that are very effective at getting rid of pests, as well as some tips that can also be helpful. I'll write them all down later. If anything unexpected happens, you can let me know and I'll try my best to find a solution."
“That’s good,” Ji Xuan said with a faint smile. “This batch of grain accounts for almost 20% of the tax grain. If it’s suddenly gone, it won’t kill anyone, but it will be a huge blow. It’s almost at its limit to last for two months.”
If the harvest doesn't keep up, the pressure will keep piling up, and things will only get more difficult in winter.
“Your Majesty need not worry too much,” Liu An said, cupping his hands in greeting. “It is late summer now, and there are wild vegetables and fruits everywhere in the mountains and fields, so people will not be completely starving. Now, Lady Jiang has cultivated rice with extremely high yields, so there should be no more food shortage crisis in two years.”
“That makes sense,” An Qingyun nodded, a rare occurrence. “If the rice harvest is as the Lady Protector of the Nation says, then the Great Zhou will indeed have a much larger grain supply.”
“Lady Jiang,” Ji Xuan suddenly remembered something, “did the corn seeds I sent you before grow well?”
“It’s alive,” Jiang Nuan said with a smile. “It has been tested and the yield per mu can reach 1,200 jin.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan immediately stood up.
Realizing her lapse in composure, she sat down again, feigning calmness, coughed lightly, and gave Qi Yong a wink.
After realizing what was happening, Qi Yong immediately put on a big smile and said, "Madam, I took your words seriously."
“I would never joke about something like this, but,” Jiang Nuan said helplessly, “there are too few seeds. It would take at least two years to promote it throughout the entire Zhou Dynasty.”
"Qi Yong, what did those merchants from the Western Regions say? Is there any way to get more?"
“It’s no use,” Jiang Nuan said before Qi Yong could reply. “These corns are the ones I improved, not the ones from before. In fact, I have cultivated three kinds of corns, and this is just one of them.”
What are the differences between the three?
“You’ll definitely find out when you have the chance,” Jiang Nuan steered the conversation back on track. “Right now, business is more important!”
“This is also a serious matter,” Liu An said dismissively. “Nothing related to grain is insignificant.”
"That's right!"
The other two Grand Secretaries also agreed with Liu An's words, and it was rare for them to reach a consensus.
"To have the Lady Protector of the Nation is a great blessing for the Great Zhou!" Ji Xuan exclaimed with deep emotion.
Ji Xuan had mixed feelings after being saved by the same person twice.
He discovered that since meeting the Lady Protector of the Nation, both he and the Great Zhou Dynasty were changing for the better.
It is not obvious, but it cannot be ignored, just like the Lady Protector of the Nation. She is not sharp or aggressive, but she stands quietly and makes people dare not underestimate her.
"Your Majesty is too kind," Jiang Nuan shook her head, then spoke earnestly, "We have been fortunate to have Your Majesty's protection all along."
Jiang Nuan was telling the truth.
Whether it was out of genuine affection or deliberate manipulation to win people's hearts, Ji Xuan did indeed give the Huang family real honor and protection, and did not do anything to wrong the Huang family.
Without his protection, my family could eventually grow into a big tree, but the process would definitely not have been so smooth.
Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan curled the corners of her lips and said, "I didn't do anything."
Although I don't care whether my efforts are seen or appreciated, knowing that my efforts are cherished still makes me feel good.
Seeing this, Jiang Nuan smiled but didn't reply.
Ji Xuan is a person who can be incredibly deep at times, but at other times she can be as childlike as a child.
After being interrupted like this, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study eased considerably.
Seeing this, An, Liu, Zhong, and the other two exchanged glances and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
It must be said that the banished immortal was truly different from others.
They were clearly loyal to the country with utmost care and diligence, unafraid of hardship or fatigue, yet the Emperor showed them no pity whatsoever. If he displeased them with even a single word, his brow would immediately furrow.
Then, the cold air started pouring out, like it was freezing people to death.
Even though the Lady Protector of the Nation had been delayed for so long, the Emperor remained amiable and kind.
They were so busy getting food that they barely had time to breathe. They finally managed to calm the soldiers down and made sure the news wouldn't leak out, but they didn't hear a single word of praise.
The Lady Protector of the Nation, with just a few casual words, could improve the Emperor's mood...
This is so frustrating!
Upon arriving at the government office, Zhong Ping could no longer contain his grievances. "His Majesty is biased. We stayed up all night working on state affairs, and after learning that the grain had been burned, we immediately began to clean up the mess. We even planned to bring out our family's stored grain for emergency use, but it was all for naught compared to a few casual words from the Lady of the State!"
By the end, Zhong Ping's eyes were red with jealousy.
They were the ones who did all the work, while the Lady Protector of the Nation was just a pretty vase to please people, yet she outshone all three of them. Why?
"Don't say such things again," said Grand Secretary An, who was also in a bad mood. "It's not good for others to hear it."
He was reluctant to agree when the Emperor summoned the Lady Protector of the Nation. What use was summoning a banished immortal for matters of the court? Weren't the three of them the ones who provided the manpower and effort?
Sure enough, this person only said a few words casually when he arrived at the imperial study.
They had said similar things before, almost wearing their lips out, but to no avail, which showed that the Emperor did not take their words seriously.
However, after the arrival of the Lady Protector of the Nation, the situation immediately changed.
It's hard not to feel frustrated.
Their words left Liu An speechless. "Are you sure you want to compare yourselves to the Lady Protector of the Nation?"
“Of course I must…” Before he could finish speaking, Zhong Ping immediately realized, “I am just an ordinary mortal and I am certainly no match for the Lady Protector of the Nation, but today, I am truly wronged.”
His sincerity and dedication to the Emperor were no less than those of the Lady Protector of the Nation, so why was the difference in treatment so obvious?
Seeing Zhong Ping's resentful expression, Liu An subtly turned his face away, "How can you compare feelings when they're not the same? The Lady Protector of the Nation saved His Majesty twice, shouldn't she be closer to him?"
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