Chapter 276 Da Qi, Stable
The two followed the young eunuch into the Taiji Hall, where they saw a group of people in official uniforms being led through the midst of civil and military officials. They didn't even dare to raise their eyes. The young eunuch stopped, while Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng just knelt down, not even daring to look at whether the emperor was round or flat. They didn't even listen to what the eunuch taught them outside the hall, and just kowtowed.
Zhou Cunzheng was better. He could still say, "Your humble servant pays homage to the emperor." He learned this from storytelling during the peaceful years of the previous dynasty.
The emperor was particularly friendly and invited him to stand up with a smile.
"Are you two from Daxing Village? You live in the same village as the gentleman, and did you live in seclusion in the mountains together in your early years?"
"yes."
"yes."
The chickens pecked the rice in an extremely neat manner.
"Don't be nervous, old man. I called you here to ask you some questions about farming." He asked in detail about the composting method and the water-land rotation method.
Speaking of farming, the emperor asked one detailed question after another. Chen Youtian and Zhou Cun were concentrating on answering. They were here to teach this, although they had never expected to teach the emperor.
The emperor was also a good questioner. It seemed that he was asking common questions, but he actually asked about the whole process of Sang Luo's instruction on composting and crop rotation, the years, what was planted each year, and the yield.
Of course, there is no specific weight every year. Whether it is an old farmer in the countryside farming or fleeing to the mountains, who has time to carefully weigh the weight every time they harvest? It all depends on the container and experience. The weight is only from last year when the government bought their grain, so the grain had to be weighed before selling it to have an understanding of the yield per mu.
Even though there is no specific weight for the first three years, only a vague description of how many more dan there are, but it is a real fact that there are two harvests a year and the yield has not decreased but increased.
Minister Chen was listening in, so excited that his fists were almost cramped, his heart was pounding, and he was so bold that he even interrupted the emperor's words. He couldn't wait to ask, "I don't understand one thing. What kind of fertilizer do crops eat? Aren't they all manure? Lord Zeng also said in his memorial that different crops can return different fertilizers to the soil. Crop ashes can return fertilizer. Don't crops all eat fertilizer when they are planted? Can they return fertilizer?"
Chen Youtian was quite interested in farming, so Sang Luo talked to him about it more. After listening to this, he thought for a while and said, "Fertilizers are indeed different. We use human manure, sheep manure, chicken manure, pig manure, rabbit manure, and cow manure in our farm. Other fertilizers include green manure, plant ash fertilizer, fallen leaf humus fertilizer, and eggshells from the eggs we eat every day, and bones from chicken, duck, pork, and fish. These can all be processed into fertilizers. According to A Luo, the nutrients they can provide to crops and vegetables are different."
"Although I can't say for sure what the specific differences are, there are certain rules for using different fertilizers at different times or for different crops."
"As for the fact that crops planted in the ground can also return fertilizer to the soil, I don't really understand the reason, but for the past four years we have been planting according to the method Luo said, and it is true that the soil does not easily become barren. And as long as fertilizer is applied later, it is fine to plant two crops a year and leave the land uncultivated for several years, and the harvest will be just as good."
Thinking of this, he emphasized again, "When we were in the mountains, and later in Daxing Village, because the young men in the family were good at hunting, we raised a lot of poultry and livestock, and there was enough fertilizer. If the fertilizer cannot keep up with the continuous flood and drought method, it will not work, and the harvest will be much worse. And whether it is growing vegetables or crops, the treatment of fertilizers, the amount of fertilizers, and the time of fertilization are also very particular. If everything is right, the harvest will naturally be better than outside. If it is not used correctly, it is easy to cause diseases. For example, manure, we used it directly in the past, but now we don’t. We have to compost it before use, so that it will not burn the seedlings and there will be fewer diseases."
The string of farming experience made the civil servants, who were only good at talking about various subjects, confused and dizzy. However, some ministers who were concerned about the economy and people's livelihood listened particularly seriously.
Combined with what Zeng Ziqian wrote in his memorial, this is indeed the case. The memorial specifically mentioned the importance of fertilizer, as well as the suggestion to build more public toilets in various counties and prefectures.
The two honest farmers' legs were trembling when they first entered the palace, and they didn't know what to do with their hands and feet when they stood there. However, they spoke very knowledgeably about farming, and they were able to answer all the detailed questions asked by the emperor and several officials.
Some officials who were familiar with Zeng Ziqian and knew his character, and because of Sang Luo's previous achievements in farming, had already believed him to a certain extent.
Composting and crop rotation are related to agriculture, so the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture didn't dare to just stand there and eat. He stepped forward and asked more questions. Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng answered them one by one. At the end, the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture was speechless.
At this point, most officials believed it to a certain extent.
The annual grain yield in the south has increased several times.
Some of the aristocratic families were hoarding large amounts of grain that had just been harvested last autumn, waiting for a high price to make a profit. They silently calculated the data given in Zeng Ziqian's memorial, and their hearts ached. Selling the grain in their hands to the court as soon as possible was already the best option; wanting to sell it at a higher price was impossible.
They have already anticipated what grain prices will be like this fall and next year. In just one year, grain prices will probably return to the level before the chaos of the previous dynasty, when they were sixty wen per dou.
If you keep it any longer, it will just be a waste of your time!
However, a group of the emperor's trusted ministers, such as Xue Yan and Li Yu, who truly cared about the people's livelihood, were so excited that their hearts were trembling.
Da Qi, it’s stable!
The wise go with the flow, the loyal are delighted, the greedy and foolish are unwilling.
The vanguard was the latter. After Chen Youtian answered questions from all sides, he raised another question -
"Since they had already started to plant crops in the mountains in the spring of the first year of Wuding, and had already gone out of the mountains at the end of the third year of Wuding, why didn't they offer the composting method and the water-land rotation method when they offered the plow in the spring of the fourth year of Wuding, and the pig-castration method and yam planting method at the end of the fourth year of Wuding? If they had offered them earlier in the spring of the fourth year of Wuding, they should have harvested two crops by now."
If there was such a good method, why didn't they present it last year? Would the emperor still have to worry so much about the food shortage? Just when the food shortage was at a critical juncture and the government couldn't buy enough food, this method that could increase the grain harvest several times came out.
The timing of coming out is too coincidental.
Obviously, this person suspected that Zeng Ziqian was collaborating with the emperor to put on a big show.
Little did they know that although Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng were honest, they were not stupid. They felt uncomfortable when they heard this. They thought the official had bad intentions. He was saying that the mulberry compost and crop rotation method were presented late, which delayed the court for a year!
Their nerves were tense in an instant, and both of them looked unhappy. Chen Youtian pursed his lips, and Zhou Cunzheng did not answer every question.
It's not their fault. They both knew that Sang Luo had actually forgotten because she was too used to using the things she used to. She had done a lot more than that in a year since she came out of the mountains. Not to mention that Sang Luo was making plows, thinking about slaughtering pigs, being pregnant and having children, and her business was booming. Even those of them who were just busy reclaiming wasteland, farming, breeding, and doing sideline processing didn't even think about it.
They have been using this in Daxing Village for too long, and the surrounding villagers have also used it. It has been taught to others a long time ago, and no one regards it as a secret recipe anymore. Who would still be thinking about it?
Now it's going to be used as a topic of conversation!
Chen Youtian subconsciously clenched his fists and looked at Zhou Cunzheng next to him. Their brains had never worked so fast in their lives, and even their nervousness disappeared. They had to think of a reasonable explanation.
Is it appropriate to say that I have already taught you? It doesn't seem that good.
Before the two of them could think a few more times, Zeng Ziqian stepped out of the line and stood in front of them.
I had expected this to happen. Would he say that Sang Luo had completely forgotten about this?
Only a fool would say that.
He turned sideways to the official who was speaking, and looked him up and down: "I guess this gentleman doesn't know much about farming?"
The official from the capital twitched his lips when he was asked this question. He thought to himself that among all the civil and military officials in the court, there were probably less than two who had ever farmed. Could it be that Zeng Ziqian knows a lot about it?
"Master Zeng, you are joking. With our background, who dares to say that we know much about farming?"
"I guess you don't understand, otherwise you wouldn't say that. But please don't include me in this. Although I'm not an expert in farming, I do understand that the change of soil fertility is a long process.
Agriculture is the foundation of the country. This is not just about making farm tools. Once you have an idea and make it, you can see the results after trying it out. Who dares to play with soil fertility? Without years of observation, you dare not report it rashly.
According to the lady's original plan, it would take at least one or two more years of observation. If I hadn't summoned her husband's uncle to help go to the countryside to purchase grain and let her know the current predicament of the court, this composting and water-land rotation method might not have been available so soon.
Even so, the township official repeatedly warned that the two methods had not been tested for a long time and should be promoted with caution. Experienced local farmers should be recruited to conduct demonstration experiments based on the different climates, soils and crops in different places before they can be fully promoted.
At this point, Zeng Ziqian turned sideways and clasped his fists towards the emperor on the throne: "This caution is exactly what I am responsible for, Your Majesty, and my great Qi. How come you, Your Excellency, say that it is a fault for nothing?"
He was smiling, but his words were full of sharpness. At this critical moment, he openly said in front of the emperor and all the officials that the man only knew scriptures but was not good at governing. He was a fool and yet he blamed the local lord who had made many contributions.
The civil servant was so angry that his hands were shaking. He was really afraid that his reputation would be ruined by Zeng Ziqian. His palms were covered with sweat. "Mr. Zeng, your words are too serious. I have no intention of blaming you. I am just anxious for your Majesty."
"Oh, I see." Zeng Ziqian dragged out the words, smiling, "So, I think the suggestion of the township lord to add an agricultural official who specializes in researching planting is a great idea. After all, everyone has his or her own specialty, don't you think?"
Snap after slap, give the sweetest smile and the hardest slap in the face.
The civil servant who was finding fault was so choked that his face turned green, but what Zeng Ziqian said was still reasonable and he could not refute it at all.
Someone chuckled, and several old officials looked towards the chief academician of the Imperial College.
This one is also interesting. His grandson is in the limelight, but he keeps his eyes down, neither arrogant nor conceited, and is as steady as a rock. You can't tell whether he is dozing off or not.
Tsk, this pair of grandparents and grandchildren.
The old one is a white flour dumpling with a black belly, and the young one... is not easy to mess with either! Look, the one with a sharp tongue, the most important thing is that he can grasp the heart of the saint.
…
Zeng Ziqian was talking nonsense in a serious tone, but Chen Youtian and Zhou Cun didn't know about it. Sang Luo didn't tell them clearly that she had forgotten. After listening to Zeng Ziqian's clear and logical talk, they nodded repeatedly and believed it completely!
So that's how it is.
Yes, they forgot, but how could Luo forget!
In contrast to the guilty look on his face just now, his chest was straightened up and there was a bit of reserved pride on his face!
The emperor was delighted to see Zeng Ziqian making fun of others. He felt so refreshed watching this excitement that, after Zeng Ziqian had finished speaking, he changed the subject and got down to business.
Chen Youtian and Zhou Cun were from Daxingzhuang and were quite favored by the emperor. He rewarded each of them with twenty taels of silver and five pieces of silk, and asked them to wait outside the palace. After the court session, they would return to the Sinong Temple with the Minister of Sinong, and then go to the imperial farm to carefully teach the officials of the Sinong Temple and the managers and tenants of the imperial farm how to compost and rotate crops.
Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng had no idea what the Sinong Temple was, but they were so excited to receive the emperor's reward that they didn't know what to do. They knelt down and kowtowed.
The emperor called out with a smile, and the young eunuch from before came again to lead the two out of the hall, and whispered to them that the rewards would be delivered directly to the Shezhou Jinzouyuan where they were temporarily staying by a eunuch later.
…
Sang Luo has made another great contribution, a tremendous achievement.
This time was different from the last time. Zeng Ziqian didn't need to speak at all. Xue Yan, Li Yu and a group of the emperor's close ministers came out to ask for rewards from Sang Luo.
Isn't it necessary to ask for a reward? Not only did it increase the national strength of Da Qi by 30%, it also indirectly solved the food shortage problem this year.
The smile on the emperor's face never faded.
"Reward! Of course I will reward you! And I will reward you heavily!"
He had no intention of inviting the ministers to discuss the matter. He thought for a moment and then said, "Confer the title of Yunyang County Lord to Sang Luo, with a fief of 300, and a county mansion in Chang'an. Since she is known for her expertise in agriculture and mulberry, she will also be granted a farm in the suburbs of the capital."
These words made all the officials below raise their eyes.
If nothing else, the title of Yunyang County Lady was directly conferred, and it was based on Yunyang County in the capital area. This meant that Sang Luo's fief of three hundred was settled in Yunyang County.
This is really puzzling. There is no other reason. The country has been too poor in the past few years since its founding. Their emperor has been generous in rewarding a group of important founding ministers, but he is not generous to the royal family or even his own children. The princes and princesses only have empty titles but no fiefs.
Sang Luo was directly conferred the title of County Lady without being named a County Lady, and was also granted a fief, a mansion, and a farm, which really stunned all the ministers.
But that's true. The annual grain harvest has increased several times, which has laid a solid foundation for the Great Qi.
Some people thought it was appropriate, but others thought it was too early to reward them. They suggested, "Your Majesty, why don't you try the composting and crop rotation methods for a year to see the results before rewarding them?"
"No need. I trust Ziqian, and I also trust Yunyang County Lord's ability in farming."
The title hadn't been officially conferred yet, but the Lady of Yunyang had already been called. The minister just said yes, then shut up and returned to his post.
"Minister Qin, have you come up with a plan for the imperial examinations and the Imperial College enrollment that we asked the Ministry of Rites to discuss?"
The Minister of Rites had been prepared. He took out a memorial from his sleeve and presented it: "I have discussed with my colleagues in the Ministry of Rites that each prefecture and county can hold a county examination in the autumn, and then a state examination. Those with excellent results will be selected to pay tribute with gifts in October and recommended to participate in the joint examination hosted by the Ministry of Rites in February next year. As for the Imperial College... I think that the sons of nobles, officials, and common people should still be distinguished. The Imperial College and the Imperial University should still follow the original regulations. Some quotas can be appropriately allocated for the four-door school, law school, mathematics, and calligraphy school, and the outstanding common people in each prefecture and county school can be selected."
This was a topic that had been discussed several times in the court. If one wanted to achieve merit immediately, he would naturally want to pass it on to his descendants. The emperor understood this and took the memorial presented by Cen Xi. He glanced at the quotas given to common people in the four schools and nodded, "Okay, inform all the prefectures and counties to prepare."
He put the memorial on the imperial desk, silently calculated the months for the two children of the Shen family, and then changed the subject and turned back to the reward: "Tell the Yunyang County Lord to arrange the affairs of Shezhou, and the whole family will go to the capital with the tribute team in October."
The Minister of Rites and all the civil and military officials in the court: So you suddenly asked about the imperial examination?
Zeng Ziqian: No, Your Majesty, what about the three years you agreed on?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
