Chapter 75 Hand in hand to Qingqiu Pavilion

Farmers only have to take care of a few acres of land all year round and have to rely on the weather for their livelihood. Sometimes a few more days of sunshine or a few more days of rain can ruin the year's harvest.

It so happened that there was a little more rain this year, but the overall impact was not that big, with the yield per acre only slightly less than last year.

Unfortunately, most of the villages near the capital used fertilizers this year, and the harvest from the year before last was not good enough compared to this year. As a result, the Li family's harvest this year is even worse than the year before.

This blow is no different from adding insult to injury.

The head of the Li family stood in the farmhouse with the most fertile land in his family, looking at the withered ears of wheat in the fields. He remembered that he had asked his servants to spy on the fields of the Cui and Chen families. The servants said that the crops were growing well and there would be a good harvest in autumn. The worry on the head of the Li family's face deepened.

The gap between one aristocratic family and another is sometimes widened little by little, just as the saying goes, dripping water wears away a stone, a little bit adds up to a lot. Looking at the current situation, let alone ten years, within five years, at least in terms of food, the other families will be able to crush the Li family.

Moreover, as for subsequent development, the excess grain can be sold, and the money earned can be invested in other businesses to generate profits.

So over time, the Li family is at risk of being left behind in all aspects.

The condition of the head of the Li family had just stabilized. Seeing the current situation, his heart sank and his face looked extremely ugly.

After returning home, he told his eldest son about his worries. Li Chu said, "Dad, don't worry. I have already thought of a solution. This year, His Majesty is watching us more closely, so we will be more honest and not use fertilizer. Next year, I will transfer some of our family's land to relatives with different surnames. Then we can use fertilizer. Even if His Majesty wants to punish us, we will have a reason to deal with it."

Hearing this, Patriarch Li's expression softened a lot: "Chu'er, you are really smart. This is indeed a good idea."

Li Chu said: "Actually this method is not difficult. Father has done something similar before. It's just that you have been too worried recently and didn't think of it for a while."

The head of the Li family sighed and said, "I dreamed of your brother again last night. He told me that he was in so much pain. He hated me so much. He hated me for pushing him out to take the blame and causing him to die without a complete body."

Li Chu was disdainful in his heart: If you miss him so much, then just go and die and accompany him.

However, on the surface, Li Chu still comforted him softly, "Dad, you think too much. My brother is so smart, how could he hate his family? If he wants to blame someone, he will only blame those who want him to take the blame. Why did Ao'er die in a foreign land when they did the same thing, but their children are still alive and well?"

As he spoke, a strong hatred emerged in Li Chu's eyes, as if he was really feeling sorry for Li Aoming.

The head of the Li family looked at his eldest son who was in grief and anger, and said helplessly, "Who said that we are insignificant and cannot defeat them?"

Li Chu cautiously probed: "Even if we can't defeat them, there will always be someone who can deal with them."

Patriarch Li looked at him and said, "I understand what you mean, but I don't agree. We are allies with the other two families. If we suddenly change our alliance, I'm afraid we will not please either side. In the end, we will become a knife in the hands of others and will be discarded after use."

"My son was impulsive at the time and didn't think it through." Li Chu concealed the expression in his eyes.

Patriarch Li shook his head and said, "I don't blame you. I know you want to avenge Ao'er, but you can't be impatient. One day we will get the chance."

"Thank you for your teaching, father." Li Chu looked humble.

After returning to his mother's yard, the disguise on Li Chu's face completely disappeared. The mother and son sat together. The mother frowned and said, "I thought that after Li Ao's death, they would be seriously injured by this illness. I didn't expect that the old man and that woman would actually recover. It's really a disaster that will last for thousands of years."

The mother and son planned that if the head of the Li family fell ill and could never get up again, they could take over the Li family smoothly.

It’s a pity that Patriarch Li has recovered from his illness and looks quite strong. He probably won’t die in a short time.

Li Ao's mother has slowly come out of her grief in recent days. After all, her son is dead, and she has to find a new way out for herself.

The head of the Li family was much older than her. Once the head of the Li family died, her sixth sense told her that the mistress and the young master Li would never let him go.

Recently, she frequently called the head of the Li family to her courtyard in the name of Li Ao, with the purpose of giving birth to another child. The head of the Li family agreed because of her pity for losing her son and because he loved her.

Not to mention whether they can still have children, if Auntie really gives birth to a second child, then her and Li Chu's status will probably return to their original position.

Li Chu took a sip of tea and said, "Don't worry, mother. They can't turn the tables. The old man has already promised me to transfer the land. When the land falls into our hands, he won't be able to take it back."

While transferring the land, Li Chu would also transfer other properties. Even if the head of the Li family really had a son in his old age, Li Chu could ensure that not a penny would be left for the child.

After hearing his words, the mother finally laughed and said, "My son is really smart. In fact, we should thank His Majesty. If His Majesty had not forbidden us to use fertilizers at home, we would not have been able to get things from the old man so easily."

Li Chu smiled meaningfully: "Your Majesty, I should thank you very much."

After a while, the corn was harvested. Looking at the weight of the corn after hulling, Zong Zhengxiao smiled with satisfaction. Da Sheng really had another high-yield and high-quality variety.

At the same time, Ji Shizi also handed in a booklet recording the growth of corn, which contained the summary of Ji Shizi's hard work over the past six months: for example, the suitable dryness and humidity for corn, the pulling and supplementing of corn seedlings after germination, the appropriate amount of fertilizer, as well as the diseases that have occurred and their solutions, etc.

At the end, he even introduced several ways to eat corn: stew it in soup or grill it when it is tender, grind it into flour and steam it when it is old, all of which are very filling.

After reading the booklet, Zong Zhengxiao gave him a credit and asked him what reward he wanted. He still asked for a reserved spot for a cream cake.

His mother's birthday is in a few days. Cream cake is the most popular in Beijing right now, and his mother also likes to eat it, so no reward can compare to this.

Moreover, Prince Ji knew clearly that even if he did not ask for it, His Majesty was a man who clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments, and he would not lose any of the rewards he deserved.

For example, Zong Zhengxiao said that this booklet serves as a guide to growing corn. Regardless of whether other content will be added in the future, its first author will always be Ji Xie, and his name will go down in history along with this booklet.

To be recorded in history is the lifelong wish of many officials. Just by writing a book recording his observations on corn, he fulfilled a long-cherished wish that others might not be able to fulfill in decades.

In the future, his reputation will probably be even more famous than his father's.

When Ji Xie thought of this, he couldn't help but feel happy. Once when he went back home, he accidentally let the secret slip and was beaten up by his father.

Duke Ji: "You little bastard, your father is not dead yet, and you are already thinking of climbing over his head."

Although Duke Ji said this, he could not conceal the pride he had for his son.

The butcher's son, who was once looked down upon by everyone, has now become the emperor's favorite and has the opportunity to become famous throughout the world. Their Ji family has become prosperous, and when he dies in the future, he will have the face to meet his ancestors in the underworld.

In autumn, there was a bumper harvest of grain. The people who used fertilizers were all grinning from ear to ear. They kept some food for the next year and sold the rest in the city. Their pockets, which had been empty for the year, were finally filled.

"Dad, I want to eat the milk biscuits from Cloud Bakery."

While selling grain, Zhao Laoer brought his wife and daughter into the city, intending to use the money to buy his daughter some hair flowers, and then go to the cloth shop to buy some cotton cloth to make her a new winter coat.

The daughter saw that her parents were happy and knew that the grain was selling well, so she whispered her request.

She is usually a good child. Knowing that her family is poor, she seldom asks for anything on her own initiative.

She had tasted milk biscuits only once. She picked raspberries and shared them with the children of a wealthy family in the village. The child gave her the biscuit, which was only as big as her little finger. She held it in her mouth for a long time and was reluctant to swallow it.

She still remembers that feeling.

After hearing their daughter's words, the couple looked at each other, smiled, picked up their child and walked towards the bakery.

"Okay, whatever you want to eat today, Dad will buy it for you."

"Great, Mom and Dad are the best!" Juaner lay on her father's shoulder and clapped her hands in joy.

The bakery is located on the most prosperous street in the capital. Normally, Zhao Laoer and his friends would not come here easily. The ordinary commercial district is enough for their daily shopping. In their impression, this is a place only city people can come.

Sure enough, when they arrived, they found that all the customers coming and going at the door of the bakery were dressed neatly and cleanly. Even the servants and maids who ran errands wore clothes that were several times better than theirs.

Considering that they were going into the city, they changed into their most decent clothes, but in front of this group of glamorous city people, they still looked gray and obviously like country people.

After Juan'er came over, she saw these people who were richer than the rich people in the village, and she became nervous for a moment.

She and her mother both grabbed their father's sleeves, looking a little timid.

Zhao Laoer was also a little panicked, but as the pillar of the family, he still pretended to be calm and whispered to comfort him: "We are here to buy things, not thieves, don't be afraid."

Moreover, he had heard from the villagers that the shop assistants in the shops related to the emperor were very tolerant and gentle, and would not look down on them just because they were from the village.

Zhao Laoer believed in the emperor, and last year, amid everyone's astonishment and anticipation for a laugh, he applied fertilizer to all the land in his home. This was undoubtedly a big risk, but the result did not disappoint him.

Thinking of those people who laughed at him not long ago and their envious eyes when they saw his family’s granary was full of food, Zhao Laoer could not help but straighten his back and his face showed a little more confidence.

一家三口排隊時，聽見前面的人說面包店和奶茶店大門頂上的牌匾是聖上親賜，字也是聖上題的，聽說打門口過上一趟，就能沾到龍氣，帶來好運。

趙老二夫妻倆聽完，想法也和前面那些人一樣，想着進出走兩遭，就算是得聖上庇護了。

但娟兒不一樣，自從地裏莊稼長出來後，他爹就天天在她面前念叨，說都是托了皇上的福，他們家的糧食才能長那麽好，娟兒要記得，當今皇上就是最好的皇上。

糧食豐收後，他爹說這句話的次數就更多了。

娟兒明白，她今天能來面包店買餅幹，也是因為皇上賜下的肥料。

皇上比廟裏的神仙還厲害呢。

心裏這樣想着，等他們排到店門口時，娟兒便像平時她娘帶她去廟裏祈福一樣，雙手合十，對着招牌拜了一拜，聲音軟糯地道：“希望皇上保佑我和我的爹娘健健康康，糧食年年豐收，天天都有牛奶餅幹吃。”

她這一舉動在人群中不可謂不突兀，大人們雖然嘴上說着要沾龍氣，但也不會那麽光明正大地拜一塊招牌，這樣實在有點丢臉。

但小孩子考慮得就沒那麽多了，想到什麽就做什麽。

發現大家都在看自己，娟兒以為自己做錯了什麽，趕緊把臉躲進了父親懷裏。

原本喧鬧的門口忽然陷入了一陣詭異的寂靜，趙老二和妻子不知所措，有點想抱着孩子轉身就逃。

這時，店裏忽然傳來一道清亮好聽的聲音：“這是誰家的小姑娘呀，嘴巴那麽甜。”

一個身着雪白衣衫的男子走了出來，驚為天人的容顏看得趙老二夫妻倆俱是一愣，他們活了幾十年，還是第一次見到長得這樣好看的男子。

娟兒則更為直接，她躲在父親懷裏，瞪圓了眼睛看着戎音，下意識問：“哥哥你長得真好看，你是天上的神仙嗎？”

“哈哈哈哈……”戎音笑開了，“我方才那句話沒說錯，你這小姑娘嘴是真甜，是不是在家天天吃糖呀？”

見戎音和善，娟兒膽子也大了起來，回答道：“甜甜的糖很貴，娟兒沒有天天吃。”

“這樣啊，那今天哥哥請娟兒吃甜甜的點心，吃到飽，好不好？”

這話一出，趙老二一家三口都呆住了，不知道該做何反應。

直到路人帶着嫉妒的語氣提醒道：“小姑娘，還不快謝謝這位哥哥，他就是這家面包店的老板。”

夫妻倆如夢初醒，吓得立馬就要跪地謝謝貴人，戎音連忙将他們扶起，笑道：“我又不是什麽官，跪我做什麽，只是恰好我覺得與這小姑娘有緣分，又恰好我有那麽一家店，請她吃點東西，就當是慶祝我們兩個有緣人今天見面了。”

大家都知道戎音好說話，便有人玩笑道：“老板，我天天都來，怎麽我跟你就沒緣分啊？”

戎音笑道：“再等五百年吧，或許到時候我們就有緣分了。”

在衆人的哄笑聲中，戎音将娟兒和她父母帶到了樓上他和宗政逍的專屬雅間裏，給他們上了點心和奶茶。

娟兒和父母坐在一起，面對着一桌他們只聽過沒見過的美食，說不饞是假的，但他們不敢動手。

戎音把奶茶點心推到他們面前，微笑着道：“其實說我跟娟兒有緣只是個借口，我看你們應該是京城周邊的村民，又發現你們對當今聖上有善意，就想找你們打聽點事兒，這些吃食，算是你們給我消息的報酬。”

趙老二鼓起勇氣問：“不知貴人想打聽什麽？”

戎音道：“我想知道肥料在你們村和附近村子的使用情況，比如有多少人用，效果如何，大家對肥料和聖上的評價又是怎樣的？你們如實說就好。”

講到自己擅長的地方，趙老二慌張的心情瞬間褪去大半，他道：“去年肥料剛出來的時候，村民們的确是不怎麽敢用的，但後來上頭的人叫了村長去宣傳，再加上大家都吃過陛下送的免費冰，相信陛下不會害我們，用的人就多了，我家的地也全都用上了。”

之後，趙老二又把莊稼用了肥料長勢有多好，收獲了多少斤糧食，大家邊收割糧食邊謝謝老天爺和皇上的事情都說了出來。

趙老二的妻子補充道：“不止我們村決定明年每塊地都用上肥料，附近幾個村都有這個打算，多虧陛下教給咱們堆肥的方法，我聽說今年那些沒用肥料的地，莊稼都減産了呢，還好我們家用了，不然今年又要餓肚子了。”

娟兒苦巴巴道：“餓肚子，難受。”

戎音兒時也嘗過吃不飽的滋味，他伸手摸摸娟兒的頭，道：“我們的陛下是個愛護百姓的好陛下，有他在，大晟的未來一定會越來越好，餓肚子的人也會越來越少。”

趙老二道：“我相信皇上一定能做到。”

問完自己想知道的，明白自己在這裏只會打擾他們吃東西，戎音便起身找借口走開了，并且對他們道：“你們盡管敞開肚皮吃，這些東西你們吃不完也是要扔掉的，到時候反而浪費。”

這話當然是騙人的，這年頭，哪有會被浪費的食物，人不吃，還有牲畜貓狗呢。

不過娟兒和父母膽子小，根本沒懷疑戎音的話，等戎音一走，他們仨便放開吃了起來，堅決不讓這麽好的東西被浪費掉。

等過了一段時間戎音再回來，一家三口已經吃得飽飽的了，只是桌上還剩一些。

娟兒端着一塊完好的面包，小聲問：“老板哥哥，這個面包我可以帶回家嗎？我想給我爺爺奶奶吃，他們還沒吃過那麽好吃的東西呢。”

“當然可以啊，你是個孝順的乖孩子。”說着，他看向趙老二夫妻倆，道：“桌上剩下的這些，你們不嫌棄的話，都可以打包帶回去，不過現在氣溫還比較高，東西別放太久，最好明天之內就吃掉，不然容易壞掉，吃了對身體不好。”

這是他們吃剩的東西，他們怎麽會嫌棄，夫妻倆趕忙拉着娟兒跟戎音說謝謝。

送走一家三口，戎音才坐馬車回宮，他身後跟着一連串隐蔽了行蹤的暗衛。

沒辦法，他不想天天憋宮裏，就撒嬌讓宗政逍放他出宮。

但宗政逍太忙，不是次次都有空陪他出來，所以為了避免再出現之前被綁架那種事，宗政逍便又派了一堆侍衛暗中保護他。

晚上，戎音跟宗政逍說了今天發生的事情。

戎音道：“看見那個小姑娘拜你寫的牌匾時，我心裏其實特別激動，這說明你的地位在她心裏跟神仙一樣高了，這些都是你愛護百姓的成果，你的努力沒有白費，我為你感到高興。”

宗政逍摟着戎音，神情卻不如他那麽歡喜，他看着戎音，道：“阿音，其實該被百姓像神一樣信仰的人是你，肥料、冰、紙，這些都是你帶來的東西，是我占了你的名聲。”

“又胡思亂想了。”戎音故意虎着臉，“我之前不是說過了嗎？如果不是遇見你，我即便知道再多的知識，也沒有用武之地，可能還會招來殺身之禍。是你無條件相信我，願意采用我的建議，我不喜歡站在最前方成為衆矢之的，因為有你的保護我才能安穩地過自己的日子，你要是再說這種喪氣話，我就一個月不理你了。”

宗政逍神情失望：“你這麽好，百姓們卻不知道。”

“你知道不就行了。”戎音道：“我又不是要當明星，巴不得全天下人都知道我的名字。”

“可……”

戎音一把捂住他的嘴，有些生氣：“我的話不起作用了是吧？再聊這個話題，你今晚就去跟小艾同學睡一個窩。”

宗政逍牽住戎音的手，勉強笑道：“好吧，不說這個了，再過幾天就是你的生日了，你想要什麽禮物？”

之前兩人生日都是互相送個禮物就算過了，宗政逍作為皇帝，也不喜歡自己的生日大操大辦，畢竟大晟如今的情況還沒好到能讓他窮奢極欲的程度，最多那天他會給自己放個假。

“唔……”戎音摸着下巴思考，忽然眼睛亮了一下，道：“你陪我去宮外玩一天吧，地點由我定，你不許反駁，怎麽樣？”

并不知道那天會發生什麽的宗政逍溫柔微笑：“你是壽星，都聽你的。”

戎音生日當天，一開始也很順利，兩人一起吃了早點，去湖邊散了會兒步，又去逛街，買了不少零嘴和小玩意兒。

直到戎音領着宗政逍站到清秋閣門口，他才意識到事情的嚴重性。

宗政逍目光如炬地看向他：“你确定要進這裏？”

戎音仰起下巴：“你答應過我的，今天都聽我安排。”

宗政逍道：“不是不準你進去，我只是想知道你進這裏是想做什麽？”

“去看漂亮姑娘啊，不然還能幹什麽？”

宗政逍面色不善：“你再說一遍。”

Rong Yin quickly begged for mercy: "Hey, I was just kidding. I just wanted to go in and listen to some music. What? It's my birthday, and you can't let me indulge myself a little?"

"You'd better just listen to the music." Zong Zhengxiao held Rong Yin's hand and walked inside.

As soon as the two of them entered, the boss came up to them holding a handkerchief. The smile on his face hadn't yet fully bloomed, but when he saw the two of them holding hands tightly, he froze.

The guests of Qingqiu Pavilion include men and women, young and old, and the boss has seen all kinds of weird people, but this is the first time he has seen two men holding hands and coming to such a place.

However, the boss's professionalism made her smile quickly and she asked politely, "Do you two know any girls? Or do you want me to introduce them to you?"

Rong Yin felt a little embarrassed and tried to pull her hand away, but Zong Zheng Xiao refused to let go.

He could only smile dryly and reply: "I'm looking for Miss Ningyue."