Wang Yueting, accompanied by several officials, toured the area, his face beaming with joy.
An old farmer knelt on the edge of the field, holding a rice seedling in his hands, tears streaming down his face: "Sir, this rice is growing so fast! I've farmed all my life and I've never seen anything like it!"
Wang Yueting helped him up and said gently, "These are superior breeds that His Majesty brought back from the West. From now on, no one will have to go hungry anymore."
When the news spread, people flocked to the government office, begging for superior seeds.
In the agrarian era, food was of paramount importance. Officials in various regions were extremely busy, yet not a single one complained.
In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, everyone was talking about this "auspicious omen from heaven".
In the county town.
"I heard that this rice variety was personally sent by the Emperor from the West, and it can be harvested three times a year!" An old farmer squatted on the edge of the field, carefully stroking the tender green seedlings, his voice trembling. "I've lived most of my life, and this is the first time I've ever seen such miraculous rice!"
Those around him echoed, "His Majesty is wise! He has saved the lives of us poor people!" Some even knelt down facing the direction of the capital, kowtowed several times, and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The experimental fields on the outskirts of Beijing became a place of pilgrimage for many.
Every day, a steady stream of people come to admire the sight, marveling at the green waves that are taller than ordinary rice seedlings.
A child, holding his mother's hand, innocently asked, "Mother, why is the rice growing so fast? Did the Emperor invite a deity to help?"
His mother smiled and patted his head: "Yes, the Emperor is like a god to us common people!"
The public's reverence for Emperor Yongzheng reached an unprecedented level.
In teahouses, storytellers would weave tales of the emperor's search for and promotion of seeds into anecdotes, drawing cheers from the audience; in rural ancestral halls, people would spontaneously erect longevity tablets for the emperor, with incense burning daily; even children would often imitate officials shouting "Your Majesty is wise!" while playing.
A silent revolution is quietly transforming this ancient empire as superior seeds take root and sprout.
And the name of Emperor Yongzheng was engraved in the monument of history amidst the praise of the people.
When the news reached the inner palace, Emperor Yongzheng stood in a pavilion in the Imperial Garden, listening to the guards report the public's reaction, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
All of this was thanks to Yun'er, but due to the world's prejudice against women, it could not see the light of day.
In a few days, he will definitely give Yun'er the highest honors in her investiture ceremony, so that the world will remember that their emperor, whom everyone admires, has always had such a virtuous and kind woman by his side.
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