Chapter 048 But I'm dying
In fact, if you look closely, it is very abnormal for Rong Yin to learn to speak so quickly. It is obvious that she is a cat. But this matter does no harm to anyone. On the contrary, it brings convenience and touches everyone, so Lu'e and others did not think much about it.
Now Lu'e looks forward to Rong Yin talking to her more every day. Every time Rong Yin calls her name, she can get excited for a long time.
Looking at Lu'e who was quietly wiping her tears with a handkerchief, Rong Yin slapped his face awkwardly.
After he talked it out with Zong Zhengxiao, he decided to give up the disguise of "not being able to speak human language" to facilitate future communication.
He thought that other people might be surprised that he could speak, but he didn't expect Lu'e to be so excited. He felt that he and Lu'e were like a game player and an NPC these two days. Lu'e approached him, he called her name, and then Lu'e was moved to tears.
Rong Yin also thought about keeping silent, but when he met Lu'e's expectant eyes, he really couldn't bear to refuse.
Not only Lu'e, but other palace ladies also liked to listen to him talk. On the one hand, they felt it was novel, and on the other hand, they thought Rong Yin's voice was pleasant and could not help but want to listen.
Therefore, every time Rong Yin opened her mouth, the palace ladies around her would quietly prick up their ears, making Rong Yin feel inexplicably pressured.
Maybe after a while everyone gets used to him talking and things will get better.
Zong Zhengxiao, who had just returned from bathing, saw the scene in front of him and knew what had happened. He walked over with amusement to help Rong Yin out, because after seeing him, Lu'e didn't dare to be sentimental anymore.
Zong Zhengxiao: "Go out first. I have something to say to your master."
"Yes." After Lu'e left and there were no other palace maids nearby, Rong Yin patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, I don't have to speak like a babbling child anymore.
Although he knew that his and Zong Zhengxiao's little tricks would be easily seen through, he still wanted to act more realistically, pretending to be someone who had just learned to speak and was not yet proficient.
Zong Zhengxiao sat down and touched his head: "Thank you for your hard work."
Rong Yin shook her head: "It's not hard at all, it's just that they are too enthusiastic."
Zong Zhengxiao had the same idea as Rong Yin: "It will be fine after they get used to it after a while."
"Yeah." Rong Yin nodded, and suddenly remembered something. She turned around and asked Zong Zhengxiao: "Is the composting going well?"
In ancient times, due to the shortage of grain seeds and fertilizers, grain production was very limited. Rong Yin asked Zong Zhengxiao, and at present, one mu of fertile land with careful care can produce nearly two dan, or almost two hundred kilograms. The yield of thin land or newly opened wasteland is infinite. There is no minimum, only lower.
The yield per mu is low, there is little fertile land, and reclaiming wasteland is even more of a sin, so the key is to increase the yield per mu of land. It takes time to make the fields fertile and select good varieties, and the quickest way is to use fertilizer.
Nowadays, most people use farm manure, which is the feces of humans and livestock. However, the amount of human excretion is small, and we have to farm every year, so how can we use enough manure?
Not to mention livestock. Small animals like chickens, ducks and geese don't even produce as much feces as humans. The feces and urine of larger cows, horses and donkeys can produce more fertilizer when fermented with dead leaves of plants.
But only a few people can afford large livestock, and it is not common.
There is no other way but to find other ways to make fertilizer.
The only fertilizer Rong Yin could think of that could be produced even without modern industry was urine plus gypsum, mixed with feces, wood ash, dead leaves, etc. to make earth fertilizer.
Although Rong Yin grew up in an orphanage, the orphanage was located in the city, so there was no land for him to farm even if he wanted to. He heard about this composting method from the caretaker of the orphanage. Before he moved to the city, he was an old farmer in the village.
Rong Yin didn't dare to guarantee it because she had never used it herself, but she still told Zong Zhengxiao the compost ratio she remembered and asked him to arrange it.
The main thing was that even if Rong Yin wanted to do the work himself, the conditions did not allow it. Not to mention that he could not stay out of the water for too long, just imagining himself picking up shit in the field with a fish tail on his head was so weird that Rong Yin wanted to laugh.
It takes some time for fertilizer to ferment. Now that spring planting has begun, it may be too late to do it in time. You can wait until the grain grows before applying top dressing.
The effect may be a little worse, but it's better than nothing.
Zong Zhengxiao heard this and said, "It's going smoothly. We just need to wait for the fertilizer to ferment."
The most troublesome step in composting is that it requires a large amount of gypsum. However, Zong Zhengxiao is the emperor, and with just one order from him, this problem is no longer a problem.
"I will try it in the imperial manor first, and then gradually promote it after the results are out." Zong Zhengxiao continued.
"Well, let's experiment first. Once we have a real example, people will believe it when we promote it."
Rong Yin expressed his understanding. After all, it was a new thing and it was related to the people's lifeline - land and food, so he had to be extremely cautious.
The imperial farm was Zong Zhengxiao's own land. If the fertilizer worked well, everyone would be happy. If not, only one year's food supply would be lost, and he would not starve to death.
As an emperor, when talking to Rong Yin about fertile soil and farmland, Zong Zhengxiao did not show any disgust on his face, but was full of anticipation.
If this method could allow more people in Dasheng to have enough food every day, let alone just talking about it, he would be happy even if Zong Zhengxiao made compost himself.
Zong Zhengxiao looked at Rong Yin with a smile and said, "The results will be seen in late summer at the latest, and even earlier for winter wheat. I will take you to the imperial farm to see the grain harvest then."
Rong Yin was stunned when he heard this, and a hint of gloom flashed across his eyes, but he quickly regained his happy expression: "Okay."
Afraid that Zong Zhengxiao would hear her thoughts, Rong Yin quickly changed the subject: "By the way, didn't I tell you about potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes, which are high-yield crops?"
Hearing the word "high yield", Zong Zhengxiao's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly said, "You say."
Rong Yin put aside the messy thoughts in her mind and began to concentrate on talking with Zong Zheng Xiao.
With these three kinds of food, producing 1,000 kilograms of grain per mu is not a dream. As long as the country is stable, it can not only reduce famine, but also drive the processing and production of agricultural and sideline products and promote economic development.
Because this was originally a fictional world of fiction, Rong Yin had no idea whether these high-quality potato varieties had already appeared in Dasheng, or were still somewhere outside. Did they grow into their later appearance?
He drew pictures of the three kinds of grains during their seed, growth and fruiting stages and gave them to Zong Zhengxiao, asking him to send people to pay more attention to overseas and Western Regions business, as he might find unexpected gains.
Looking at the drawing paper in his hand, Zong Zhengxiao's excitement was beyond words. After saying something to Rong Yin, he couldn't wait to leave. By the way, he asked Si Xi to summon several people from the group of meritorious officials to enter the palace secretly, as he had important matters to entrust to them.
After making sure that Zong Zhengxiao had left, Rong Yin's stiff back slowly relaxed.
When Zong Zhengxiao said he would take him to the imperial estate to witness the bumper harvest with his own eyes, Rong Yin almost couldn't help but blurt out: I'm afraid I won't live to see that day.
It was early summer when he came here, around the end of May. Now it was spring, and if he made a full calculation, he would have less than three months to live.
When the time comes, heaven will take back his reward, and he will return to his original fate and die of a terminal illness.
As a friend, he should have told Zong Zhengxiao the truth earlier so that he could be prepared and not face his death hastily.
But for some reason, Rong Yin didn't want Zong Zhengxiao to know about this in advance. He didn't want Zong Zhengxiao to be immersed in the pain of losing his friend in the future.
Rong Yin was unsure when would be the best time to tell Zong Zheng Xiao. Perhaps he should just die peacefully and alone, so that he wouldn't have to face the sadness of separation.
The sound of birds chirping could be heard outside. Rong Yin turned around and saw that the scenery in the yard remained the same, as if nothing had changed. Only his life had helplessly entered a countdown.
The joy and sorrow in the palace did not blow out of the palace with the wind. The young girls and young men from the families of dignitaries in the capital were taking advantage of the spring breeze to go out for an outing.
Men rode through the streets, all smiling and flirting; women sat in carriages that drove slowly out of the city gate; even the wind blowing through the window curtains seemed to be tainted with a scent.
The peach blossoms are just beginning to bud, the grass is green, and the paper ibis are flying higher and higher under the blue sky, attracting bursts of cheers and laughter.
There were a few less groomsmen on the trip this year, and no one seemed to notice, and no one even wanted to mention their names.
If the bloody scene in Caishikou had not yet been completely washed away, I'm afraid no one would have remembered that countless heads had fallen here not long ago.
Most of the dignitaries seemed to be unaffected by the great changes. They ate, drank, slept and played as usual.
Only the Ning Prince's Palace, with its gates closed every day and no outside visitors allowed, seemed to be still mired in the shadow of last winter.
However, those who had been keeping an eye on Prince Ning's mansion discovered that the smell of medicine in the mansion had faded a lot since the beginning of spring, perhaps because the conditions of the two masters had improved.
This is understandable. The eldest son is dead, and the Ning Prince's Mansion still has two children. They can't just sink into sorrow forever and ignore reality.
I heard that Prince Ning is still bedridden and can't even leave his room, but Princess Ning is much better and can be seen in the mansion more often.
On this day, the side door of Prince Ning's mansion opened and a horse-drawn carriage drove out. Following the carriage was a handsome young man on horseback. He was Prince Ning's second son, Zong Zheng Lianjun, and sitting in the carriage was his mother, Princess Ning.
After leaving the city, the carriage went straight to the Buddhist temple on the mountain. Princess Ning met the abbot, Master Wuchen. It is unknown what Master Wuchen said to her, but Princess Ning, who had originally looked ashen, had a little more spirit in her eyes after leaving the temple.
Master Wuchen was the best at explaining Buddhist scriptures. It was probably because of him that Princess Ning resolved the knot in her heart and brought her back to life.
Some people were curious about what Master Wuchen had said to Princess Ning, but since both of them had important identities and kept their mouths shut, it was almost impossible to find out the news.
The third son of Ning Wangfu, Zong Zheng Lianxing, also wanted to know why his mother seemed to be cured after going to the temple and smiled more often.
He didn't dare to ask his mother, so he could only go to his second brother Zong Zheng Lianjun, because Zong Zheng Lianjun also went to burn incense and worship Buddha that day.
"Brother, just tell me, please!" In the small study room, Zong Zheng Lianxing stuck to his second brother like a little tail, begging him to tell him the truth.
Zong Zheng Lianjun picked up a military book from the bookshelf, sat down at the desk, and turned to the first page while saying to his brother, "Didn't I just tell you everything? I was waiting outside at the time, and I don't know what mother and Master Wuchen talked about."
"I don't believe it." Zong Zheng Lianxing sat down opposite his brother, thought for a moment, and then asked in a low voice, "Is it related to my brother and sister-in-law?"
Both brothers knew that although their family had severed ties with their brother and Su Wan'er was no longer their sister-in-law, their deaths still dealt a great blow to their parents, and the two brothers were sad about it for a long time.
The family atmosphere in Prince Ning's Mansion is very good. Zong Zheng Lianqi and Su Wan'er are kind-hearted and almost obedient to their two younger brothers. They have never even had any verbal disputes.
When their brother and sister-in-law were first imprisoned, the two brothers wanted to ask their father for mercy, but were stopped by their mother, who said that Prince Ning had his reasons for doing so and asked the two brothers not to make things difficult for him.
Seeing that their mother, who usually loved their brother the most, said this, the two brothers, although they still didn't understand what had happened, obeyed their father and didn't bother him.
Later, his sister-in-law's background was exposed to the public, and his brother forced his father to write a letter of severance of ties. As children, they could only watch anxiously from the sidelines.
Both parents fell ill, and Zong Zheng Lianjun had to take charge of the family. Zong Zheng Lianjun saw that his brother's eyes were often red, probably because he had cried at night, but he still had to muster up energy during the day to arrange various affairs in the mansion. During those days, Zong Zheng Lianjun was always tense and never relaxed for a moment.
One night before his brother and sister-in-law were beheaded, Zong Zheng Lianxing got up in the middle of the night to drink water. He heard a noise outside, opened the door, and found that his brother who lived next door was standing in the yard neatly dressed, looking up in the direction of the palace.
Zong Zheng Lian Xing didn't know what happened to his brother. He was scared and ran over to hug Zong Zheng Lian Jun. Zong Zheng Lian Jun hugged him back and comforted him softly, "Don't be afraid, Xing Xing. Brother is here."
After that night, Zong Zheng Lianxing found that his brother had changed. He was still managing the Ning Palace diligently, but his mood was no longer as heavy as before.
However, to outsiders, Zong Zheng Lianjun still had that gloomy look on his face. Only his younger brother Zong Zheng Lianxing, who was closer to Zong Zheng Lianjun, could see the subtle changes in his brother.
On the day when his brother and sister-in-law were beheaded, there was still no movement in Prince Ning's mansion. However, Prince Ning and Princess Ning forced themselves to stand in the front yard with the two brothers despite their sick bodies. They stayed there for a long time in concentration until they received the news that the execution was over. Only then did they return to the house.
After the spring, his parents' condition improved, and his brother often took him to visit them and talk with them.
However, there were several times when Zong Zheng Lianxing was called out early, and Zong Zheng Lianjun stayed in the house, and he didn't know what secrets he told his parents that he didn't know.
Zong Zheng Lianxing was a little unhappy, thinking that his family was hiding some secret from him. For example, a few days ago when they went to the temple to burn incense, he also wanted to go with his mother, but his brother and mother did not allow it.
They said he had a naughty personality and might disturb the Buddha.
Zong Zheng Lianxing didn't believe what they said, but he was young and powerless to resist, so he could only listen to his family's arrangements.
After returning from the temple, his mother's illness recovered, and Zong Zheng Lianxing guessed that something might have happened in the temple that he didn't know about.
This made him feel excluded from his family again, and he didn't like this, so he came to his brother to ask about the specific situation.
Seeing that his brother did not answer his question, Zong Zheng Lianxing started talking on his own.
"My mother's illness was not serious to begin with. The reason she didn't get better was because she was thinking about my brother and sister-in-law. So now she is better. Apart from things related to my brother and sister-in-law, I can't think of anything else that can solve my mother's problem."
From the outside, Zong Zheng Lianqi and Su Wan'er really have nothing to do with Ning Wangfu anymore. In order to avoid giving people a chance to talk, Zong Zheng Lianxing never calls them brother and sister-in-law in front of other people, including his parents.
Only when he was alone with his brother Zong Zheng Lianjun, he knew that his brother loved him the most, so he would act recklessly.
Hearing this, Zongzheng Lianjun finally put down the book. He looked at his brother and said with a smile, "It seems that our Xingxing is still very smart."
Zong Zheng Lianxing's eyes lit up, "I guessed right."
Zong Zheng Lianjun nodded, "That's right. Master Wuchen told my mother that my eldest brother and his wife would be reborn into a good family in their next life, and advised her and my father not to grieve too much. Otherwise, when the ghosts of my eldest brother and his wife see their family members sad, they will be reluctant to leave and will stay in the human world, missing out on the chance to be reborn into a good family."
Zong Zheng Lianxing seemed to understand, "Mother didn't want to worry my brother and sister-in-law, and she also knew that they would have a good future, so she relaxed and recovered naturally...Brother, is that so?"
Zong Zheng Lianjun nodded, agreeing with his brother's conclusion.
After knowing the truth, Zong Zheng Lianxing should have been happy, but he always felt that there were some secrets that he had not discovered, which made him a little depressed.
However, no matter what Zong Zheng Lianxing thought, the conversation between the two was "accidentally" heard by someone with ulterior motives.
Knowing that Princess Xiaoning recovered from her illness just because of a few words from a monk, people who heard the news were very disdainful. One of them smiled and said, "Since she believes in gods and Buddhas so much, it will be easy to use her in the future."
The others looked at each other and smiled knowingly.
While they were feeling smug, Zong Zheng Lianjun was also smiling for having achieved his goal.
The fake news that "Princess Ning is obsessed with gods and Buddhas" not only confused the noble families, but also concealed the real reason why Princess Ning recovered from her illness. It can be said that it killed two birds with one stone.
In order to deepen the wrong impression of the aristocratic family, Princess Ning later built a small Buddhist temple at home, brought in a Buddha statue, and burned incense and worshipped Buddha every day.
Every time he went to the temple to find the abbot, he would donate a large sum of money. Many people secretly said that he was stupid, and that he must have been cheated to pay so much for a few sweet words from the monk.
But after hearing these words, Princess Ning still went her own way and it was said that she even wanted to bring Prince Ning to believe in Buddhism.
The harder the people outside laughed, the more at ease Prince Ning's Mansion felt.
One day, Zong Zheng Lianjun received a gift, an inkstone carved with a green pine tree, which was secretly delivered by someone in the palace.
Along with the inkstone comes a saying: Only by keeping calm can you achieve great things.
The inkstone was a reward for his successful plan, and those words were a reminder for him not to be complacent because of temporary success, so as not to expose himself. Only by being patient and calm can he accomplish great things.
Zong Zheng Lianjun placed the inkstone on his desk and told himself to always keep His Majesty's teachings in mind.
Looking at the inkstone, he couldn't help but think of that night again.
Because his parents were seriously ill and his eldest brother and sister-in-law were about to be executed, Zong Zheng Lianjun often tossed and turned at night and had trouble falling asleep.
That night was the same, but it was different from every night before because he met the secret guards sent by the emperor to secretly take him into the palace.
As a child, Zong Zheng Lianjun both admired and yearned for his uncle Zong Zheng Xiao. He admired him for his great military achievements at such a young age, and he yearned to become a great hero like him in the future.
Before the Emperor's grandfather passed away, Zong Zheng Lianjun remembered that his father had a very good relationship with his uncles. His youngest uncle had the most sunny and cheerful personality and was a young general praised by everyone in the army. He would often take him and his brother out riding and hunting, and taught them how to shoot guns and shoot arrows.
But a battle for the throne changed everything. The second uncle died, the third uncle was forced to go to his fiefdom, the father became more serious and rigid, and the aunt asked to leave Beijing.
As for the younger uncle who ascended the throne, he seemed like a different person, terrifyingly cold and gloomy.
During the holidays, his uncle would invite them to the palace for family dinners, but he and his brothers could no longer happily call him uncle and ask him to take them out to play. Instead, they had to bow respectfully and address him as Your Majesty.
Three years was enough time for Zong Zheng Lianjun to adapt to such changes.
His brother and sister-in-law were sentenced to be beheaded, but he never blamed his uncle because he understood that when sitting in that position, there would be many things that were beyond one's control.
He met the emperor in Yu's study, and the emperor asked him, "Su Wan'er and Zong Zheng Lianqi, do you want them to die or live?"
Zong Zheng Lianjun knelt down without hesitation and said sincerely: "Out of selfishness, I want them to live, but if they live, it will pose a threat to the entire Zong Zheng family and cause instability in the country. Therefore, I hope that they can ascend to the paradise as soon as possible."
After he finished speaking, the emperor was silent for a long time. Finally, he suddenly laughed and said, "As expected of my eldest brother's son, he has quite a bit of his style."
Zong Zheng Lianjun did not dare to reply. Then the emperor asked again, "If I want to keep them alive, but I have to let outsiders think they are dead, and leave it to you to do it, what will you do?"
After thinking about it, Zong Zheng Lianjun revealed his plan. Zong Zheng Xiao did not comment after listening to it, but said: "I will give you the opportunity to save them, and I will also order people to cooperate with you. As for whether you can succeed, it depends on you."
To rescue two doomed people from under the noses of the aristocratic families was a big challenge for the fourteen-year-old Zong Zheng Lianjun, but he still resolutely accepted it.
After this, Zong Zhengxiao asked him many more questions, covering military affairs, agriculture, the ways of being a minister and a king, and his views on the rebellion. He answered them all one by one, but Zong Zhengxiao only listened to his answers and never commented on them once.
Before dawn, Zong Zheng Xiao sent someone to send him back the same way. He stood in the yard, gazing towards the direction of the imperial palace. His originally dead heart began to beat wildly again.
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