There are more than ten officials in the Agricultural and Fertilizer Department. The highest-ranking official is the Junior Supervisor, who is a fourth-rank official. The others are all young officials, with ranks around seventh or eighth, and there are also a few ninth-rank officials.
The junior supervisor of the Agricultural and Fertilizer Department was also surnamed Yang, and he was a relative of Yang Jin. The two had a feeling of déjà vu when they met.
Yang Shaojian introduced the officials of the Agricultural and Fertilizer Department to them one by one, and the two then greeted these people.
After the introductions were completed, Lord Yao took out a document, handed it to Vice Supervisor Yang, and said:
"This is an official document drafted by the Ministry of Revenue. Vice Director Yang will read it aloud here."
Yang Shaojian nodded, opened the document, and began to read it aloud. The document was very simple, containing only one sentence: Yang Jin was appointed as the Director of the Agricultural and Fertilizer Supervision Office of the Ministry of Revenue, holding the rank of ninth grade.
This decision left Yang Jin and Qin Shiyu speechless. They never expected that Lord Yao would directly appoint Yang Jin to an official position, although it was only a ninth-rank official, he was still a court official.
Yang Jin never dreamed that he would wake up one day to find himself with an official position.
Many people spend their entire lives pursuing something, yet I obtained it so easily.
At this moment, Yang Jin was a little confused, his mind was blank, and he stood there at a loss.
"Congratulations, Brother Yang! You are now a ninth-rank official in the imperial court. Why don't you thank Lord Yao?" Qin Shiyu said.
Yang Jin only then realized what was happening, and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to express his gratitude.
Seeing this, Lord Yao nodded and said:
"Yang Jin, the court has appointed you to this official position, mainly for the production and promotion of fertilizers. This is a matter of great importance to the country, and everyone must do it personally. As an official of the Agricultural and Fertilizer Supervision Bureau, you should devote yourself wholeheartedly to serving the court."
In his letter, Marquis Zhengyang highly praised your abilities and expressed his confidence that you would handle this matter well, cultivate fertilizer-making talent for the country, and fulfill your mission.
Yang Jin was appointed as a ninth-rank official, and Qin Shiyu was happy for him. Back then, the emperor issued an edict appointing Zhao Xian as a ninth-rank registrar in the Ministry of War, based on his significant contributions to the Great Northern Dynasty.
At this time, Yang Jin had not yet made any contributions, but he was appointed as a ninth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue. The purpose of this was to encourage Yang Jin to do a good job in fertilizer production and promotion.
"Governor Yang, after you have completed the task assigned by Marquis Zhengyang, you may return to Shuixian Village. The imperial court will also bestow further rewards upon you," Lord Yao said.
After Lord Yao finished speaking, he looked at Qin Shiyu and said:
"Miss Qin, among the letters you brought, there is a memorial submitted by Li Guang to the Emperor."
In his memorial to the emperor, Li Guang mentioned that when he was stranded in Shuixian Village, Miss Qin took good care of him. The emperor was very moved and bestowed upon Miss Qin the title of Ninth-Rank Lady.
As per the Emperor's request, a set of Lady's robes was specially made as a reward for Miss Qin. Due to the complex process of making Lady's robes, the craftsmen worked day and night for three days to complete the set.
This set of lady's clothes has been brought; please accept it, Miss Qin.
No sooner had Lord Yao finished speaking than several people stepped forward and presented the lady's robe to Qin Shiyu.
This set of lady's attire is not just a piece of clothing, but also includes a headdress, crown, and shoes.
Qin Shiyu was a talented and worldly woman. After a brief moment of surprise, she immediately knelt down and thanked the emperor for his great favor.
Qin Shiyu knew that if the emperor bestowed upon her the title of "Ruren" (孺人), people could understand it. But adding "Ninth-Rank Ruren" (九品孺人) would change the nature of the title, making her equivalent to an official with a rank.
This is a big deal. Qin Shiyu has been granted a rank, and the next step may be for her to become the first female official in the Great Northern Dynasty. And the lucky person is none other than myself.
Suddenly, Qin Shiyu remembered something important. The title of "Ruren" was for married women, but she was not married and did not know who her husband was. Yet the emperor had bestowed upon her the title of "Ninth-Rank Ruren." How could this be?
Lord Yao seemed to see Qin Shiyu's question and said, "When the Emperor bestowed the title of Ninth Rank Lady upon Miss Qin, he asked if she was married. I replied that she would be soon, and that's why the Emperor gave you this title of Ninth Rank Lady."
You must act quickly about this matter, otherwise this old minister will be guilty of deceiving the emperor.
Upon hearing this, Qin Shiyu seemed to understand something. She glanced at Yang Jin, and a blush rose to her cheeks.
Next, Yang Jin and Qin Shiyu went to the Agricultural and Fertilizer Department with Lord Yao. Qin Shiyu began to teach the officials, while Yang Jin was making devices and teaching fertilizer production techniques.
At this time of year, the autumn air was crisp and clear, and many tourists were strolling along the lake. Li Xue and Meng Yaoyao were picking water chestnuts in a small wooden boat on the lake, creating a beautiful scene.
Since it was the fifteenth of the month, the teachers in the academy had a rare day off. Yu Jie brought his easel to the lakeside to paint, while Ruan Fang stood beside him, admiring his work and helping him grind ink.
Yu Qianwen also arrived. He was with several children from the academy, catching small stone crabs in the nearby ditch. In no time, they had caught half a bucket of small crabs.
Stone crabs are at their most delicious this season. Although these little guys are not big, their bellies are full of crab roe.
By this time, Li Xue and Meng Yaoyao had already picked a lot of water chestnuts, enough for the family to eat for several meals, so they rowed the small boat to the shore.
The guards came to the small wooden boat and filled several baskets with water chestnuts.
Li Xue was about to go back when she suddenly saw Ruan Fang and Yu Jie painting by the lake. She smiled and walked over silently.
The painting was almost finished and they were making final touches. Neither of them noticed Li Xue walking over.
This is a painting of ladies picking water chestnuts. The scene is very beautiful. With green mountains, clear waters and vast fields as the background, a small boat is floating on the beautiful lake. Two young women are picking water chestnuts, giving people a feeling of heaven and earth.
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