Chapter 82 A Cunning Plan: This old scoundrel is obsessed with political achievements, isn't he? ...
Seeing Lu Hongguang's surprised expression, the official in charge of agriculture dared not conceal anything and quickly bowed to explain the whole story.
"Your Excellency, this matter was indeed specifically instructed by Lord Su before he left office. He ordered us to personally go to Luxi Village to humbly learn new farming methods from that Miss Wen Yu, and to bring back the superior seeds she recommended for trial planting and promotion throughout the prefecture."
Lu Hongguang did have some recollection of this matter.
When Su Lin was transferred to a new post, the two handed over their official duties, and it seemed that the document files mentioned it briefly, but he only glanced at it at the time and did not really take it to heart.
He harbored a certain disdain for Su Lin deep down.
A dignified prefect, constantly entangled with a group of women, establishing women's schools and promoting female doctors, is, in his view, simply lowering his own status.
This matter was likely another instance of Su Lin using his power to facilitate Wen Yu's advancement, purely an abuse of power for personal gain.
But by then Su Lin's transfer was a done deal, so it didn't bother him. He was happy to do a favor and didn't investigate further.
Who would have thought... that these women could actually accomplish such a great thing?
Seeing that the prefect remained silent, the agricultural official continued his report, holding the land register in his hands, his tone filled with excitement: "Sir, that Miss Wen was indeed very generous. The high-quality seeds she gave us were plump, the crop rotation and intercropping methods she taught were remarkably effective, and she even taught us the art of composting, which enabled us to turn barren land into fertile land."
"She also has a set of meticulous field management techniques, which include various important matters such as pest control and drought resistance. This spring and summer, there was another drought in my Luzhou, but the fields using the new method were all green and strong, and were minimally affected by the drought, which was completely different from the withered and yellowed appearance of the old fields in previous years."
"With the autumn harvest approaching and the ears of grain heavy with ripe fruit, farmers in every county are overjoyed and praise Lord Su and Miss Wen as 'living bodhisattvas'..."
The official in charge of agriculture became more and more emotional as he spoke, tears welling up in his eyes: "My lord, as far back as I can remember, Luzhou has not seen such a sight for more than twenty years! This is truly a blessing from Heaven upon Luzhou, and also a testament to your effective governance!"
He hadn't forgotten that his current superior was Lu Hongguang. After praising Su Lin for a long time, he still carefully flattered the current prefect in his last sentence.
Lu Hongguang's expression shifted repeatedly as he slowly sat back down in his chair.
At that moment, he couldn't hear any of the praise he received; only one name echoed repeatedly in his mind.
Wen Yu...
This name was like an inescapable curse, always popping up unexpectedly and turning his thoughts into a tangled mess.
Initially, it was a female student she taught who won first place at the literary gathering, defeating her son Lu Chengzhou, whom she had painstakingly cultivated for many years, and stealing the limelight that should have belonged to the Lu family in front of everyone.
Since that incident, Lu Hongguang has been puzzled as to how a group of women from the countryside could surpass his eldest son, who was a scholar with a family tradition of poetry and literature, in terms of classical Chinese literature.
Could it be that their self-taught, unorthodox methods are more effective than the numerous renowned teachers he has hired?
He was secretly annoyed by this for a long time, feeling utterly humiliated, yet too ashamed to ask them for their methods of success.
Then came the inexplicable rise of "women's education".
After Princess Zhaoxin gave the order, Luzhou Prefecture was the first to respond.
Su Lin spearheaded the establishment of a girls' school. Although Lu Hongguang disapproved of it, he couldn't easily change the policy, so he turned a blind eye.
Unexpectedly, the trend of girls enrolling in schools originated in Luzhou and spread like wildfire despite being suppressed by the government.
Despite repeated prohibitions by local governments, the simple thirst for knowledge among women in rural areas is difficult to truly suppress.
A set of primers called "Literacy Book" and a series of supplementary teaching materials signed "Compiled by Luxi Academy" circulated quietly in the market. The content was simple and practical, and even some poor students and low-level scribes went to seek out and study them in private.
He sent people to investigate, and the source always pointed to that remote Luxi Village, and to Wen Yu and the group of women around her.
Now, even in the agricultural taxes that he had never valued much, believing that they only needed to be collected according to regulations, Wen Yu's figure has appeared...
She seems to possess some strange divine power; whatever she gets involved in, she can always transform the ordinary into the extraordinary and the impossible into the possible.
Lu Hongguang felt a mix of emotions.
He loathed Wen Yu's subtle challenge to his authority; her very existence seemed to mock him, making all his efforts over the years a joke.
But the real harvest before him made his mouth water. The path to promotion was already unfolding before him. How could he remain indifferent?
Especially considering that the former prefect, Su Lin, had received His Majesty's praise precisely because he presented a medical book related to these women...
In an instant, Lu Hongguang understood.
He raised a hand, his face regaining its usual sternness: "Yes, I am aware of this matter. Lord Su is indeed farsighted in caring for the people's livelihood, and the Wen family's contribution of this good method is also beneficial to the local community."
He paused for a moment before slowly saying, "This kind of agricultural method that increases production and benefits all people is a blessing for the court. How can we allow it to spread and become unsystematic?"
"You shall quickly categorize and meticulously record all the new farming methods, improved varieties, and field management techniques taught by the Wen family. Once compiled into a book, submit it to this official immediately."
The officials in charge of agriculture nodded quickly and wrote down his request.
Lu Hongguang looked at them and finally revealed his true purpose: "I will name this law 'The Essentials of the New Agricultural Laws of Luzhou' and present it to the court to inform His Majesty, so that the benefits of agriculture and sericulture in our Great Yin Dynasty can be widely promoted."
Since Su Lin was able to win the emperor's favor and gain official rank and wealth with just a medical book, why couldn't Lu Hongguang compile this practical method of increasing production into an agricultural book and present it to the emperor?
How could he possibly miss out on such a tremendous achievement and such a lucrative opportunity?
"Your humble servants obey!" The officials in charge of agriculture bowed and responded hastily.
Lu Hongguang nodded in satisfaction, then picked up his pen and casually wrote a few lines on a piece of paper before handing it to the head of the Ministry of Agriculture: "Since a bumper harvest is a foregone conclusion, let each county deliver its grain and fodder on schedule according to this amount."
The official in charge of agriculture took the document and his expression immediately changed. He hesitated and said, "Sir, although this year is a bumper harvest, if we follow this precedent, requiring each region to hand over half of its produce, isn't that too harsh? I'm afraid the people will..."
Another person reluctantly chimed in, "Yes, sir, in previous years even with favorable weather, we only collected 20% or 30% at most."
"Farmers work hard all year, and the grain they produce has to feed their own families, as well as be exchanged for oil, salt, cloth, and to repay loans. If half of it is suddenly requisitioned, even if there is a bumper harvest, what they will receive may be less than in previous years when there was a poor harvest... Your Excellency, this may cause resentment among the people."
Upon hearing this, Lu Hongguang's face darkened, and he slammed his pen down on the inkstone: "Foolish! The war in the northern border is critical, a matter of national importance. Her Highness the Princess is overseeing the battle at the front and urgently needs supplies. How can the common people disregard national affairs for their own selfish reasons?"
He had already planned it all out in his mind.
If one is to present agricultural books to demonstrate merit, then one must have evidence of delivering grain beyond the usual amount. Otherwise, how can one gain the trust of superiors with empty words?
The so-called support for the princess is nothing more than a high-sounding excuse.
The real intention is to use this opportunity to gain political capital for themselves.
The officials in charge of agriculture were rendered speechless by his accusation of "disregarding state affairs," and they looked at each other, not daring to argue further.
Seeing that they had fallen silent, Lu Hongguang softened his tone: "Alright, considering your compassion for the people, I will make some adjustments."
"Since Luxi Village is the origin of the new law, it should take the lead and pay 50%. The other counties should pay 40%. Since it is Luxi Village that has promoted the agricultural method, it should set an example in order to gain the trust of the people, shouldn't it?"
Since Wen Yu can accomplish anything, surely Luxi Village can collect more money?
Lu Hongguang thought to himself that he was using this as a way to settle personal scores.
After saying that, he waved his hand impatiently: "You all go and get on with your work. This matter concerns the national interest and cannot be compromised."
The officials in charge of agriculture had no choice but to nod and agree, and retreated with heavy hearts.
Lu Hongguang sat alone behind his desk, his gaze becoming deep and thoughtful once again.
No matter how many unpleasant things had happened with Wen Yu before, in the face of readily available political achievements, those minor disagreements could be temporarily tolerated.
----
When the news reached Luxi Village, the village was filled with the joyful atmosphere unique to the pre-harvest season.
Upon hearing that half of the grain tax had to be paid, everyone was stunned, and then an uproar ensued.
"Fifty percent?" Wang Xiufen couldn't help but mutter a complaint, "Has Lord Lu gone mad?! He's trying to suck us dry!"
"Is there a mistake in the documents?" someone asked the agricultural official. "We've never collected so much before..."
Even if the new law greatly increases the yield of Luxi Village, and the best fields double the harvest, if half of it is taken away, the villagers' hard work for a season will only amount to the same as in previous years when the yield was average, and all the benefits of the increased production will vanish in an instant.
And those fields that increased production by 50%, after half of them were harvested, the farmers actually received only 75% of the harvest in previous years, which was less than when production did not increase!
The official in charge of agriculture who came to deliver the order also looked distressed. He bowed to Wen Yu, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, and said, "Miss Wen, I am also acting under orders."
“How could I not know the implications? We have already advised him in the government office, but Lord Lu’s mind is made up. He keeps saying that he is ‘serving the country’ and ‘not being selfish’... Alas!”
Wen Yu remained calm, but the comments section in front of him was already exploding.
[Is this old scoundrel obsessed with political achievements? Why doesn't he go and try farming himself? Does he think food falls from the sky?]
This is outrageous! No matter how much production is increased, it can't withstand this kind of exploitation! If Luxi Village can't even hold on, what hope is there for other villages in the county?
Indeed, hoping that certain officials have a conscience is like hoping the sun rises in the west.
[I'm furious! He speaks so righteously, but does he even know how much the people suffer? He's utterly selfish!]
[Sigh, even if we could actually hand over that much, after all the deductions at each level, probably less than one-tenth would reach the princess in the north.]
[No, you guys need to think of something quick! We can't let him succeed!]
Wen Yu understood perfectly.
Given Lu Hongguang's personality, once he has made up his mind, he will never easily change it.
A hardline confrontation will not only fail to solve the problem, but may also bring about greater disaster.
Her gaze darkened slightly, her mind racing, and she suddenly thought of her personal space.
A bold idea popped into my head.
Although Luxi Village had no way to resist the grain delivery, what would Lu Hongguang do if all the grain "disappeared" out of thin air?
She suppressed her many thoughts and was about to discuss them with the villagers when one of the officials in charge of agriculture suddenly struck up a conversation with her.
The official in charge of agriculture took out his notebook and asked Wen Yu some key questions about agriculture, making no attempt to hide his purpose: "The lord recently issued an order for us to compile an agricultural book and hand it over to him."
Wen Yu's expression immediately became thoughtful, but he did not hide anything and told the Minister of Agriculture all the key points.
After the apologetic officials left with sighs, Wen Yu gathered several village leaders and trusted associates together.
She whispered, "I see it now. Lu Hongguang's actions are aimed at taking our grain and stealing our credit."
"What should we do, Wen girl?" Wang Xiufen asked with a worried expression. "Are we really going to hand over all our grain to him as a reward?"
Wen Yu shook his head: "Open confrontation is not the solution. Right now, we are in the open while they are in the dark, and our every move is being watched. We can only think of other methods."
Looking at Wen Yu, Wen Qingshi immediately understood that his elder sister must have her own methods.
"So, sister, what are you planning to do?" she asked casually.
Wen Yu paced back and forth a few steps with his hands behind his back: "How about... we turn the tables on him and put on a show for him?"
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