Chapter 227 [VIP]
"Recommend him?" Emperor Wuping sat up straight, his expression inscrutable.
The Grand Minister of Agriculture knelt on the ground and said, "This humble subject is not recommending him for the sake of the Ministry of Agriculture, but for the sake of the millions of people suffering from the disaster. This person is extremely skilled in agriculture, and if he can join the Ministry of Agriculture, he will surely achieve great things!"
Actually, Wen Yanping's visit today was somewhat impulsive. Yesterday, Liang Boqing visited his home, carrying a basket of things and mysteriously asking him to guess what they were.
At first, Wen Yanping thought it was cassava, as it was grayish and looked like it had been dug out of the ground.
Liang Boqing smiled and shook his head, instructing his servants to steam it. The two peeled and ate it, and the sweetness of the taste instantly made Lord Wen's eyes widen.
"What exactly is this thing?"
"This thing is called a potato, and it was made by my apprentice and husband."
"The taste is quite good, but I wonder how easy it is to grow and what the yield will be?"
Old Liang waved his hand, "I don't know about that. If you're curious, you might as well go and ask him yourself."
Having nothing else to do, Wen Yanping accompanied Old Liang to the Chen family's house.
He had actually wanted to visit Wang Ying for a long time, but he couldn't send an invitation because of his status. After all, she was a young man, and it wouldn't do to cause trouble if word got out.
He had already read Wang Ying's second agricultural book, and the composting methods in it were very practical, especially for barren mountainous areas. They were less effective for already fertile soil.
The methods for treating pests and diseases and preventing late spring cold snaps were things they had never heard of before, so he wanted to ask this young master Wang where he learned so many agricultural skills.
When the two arrived at the Chen family's house and went to the backyard, Wang Ying was tending to the vegetable garden. He often took vegetables from the experimental field, which was too conspicuous, so he also planted a plot of land outside to avoid attracting attention.
The vegetable garden isn't very big, but it has six or seven kinds of vegetables planted, and they're all growing well. It's just that it's been too dry this year, so I have to water them myself every day.
“Ah Ying.”
"Oh, Master, you're back." Wang Ying straightened up, carrying the water ladle, and saw that there was another person with her master.
"And this is...?"
Liang Boqing said, "This is Wen Yanping, the Grand Minister of Agriculture. He was the one who helped you submit your wheat seeds back then."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ying immediately stepped forward, cupped her hands in greeting, and said, "Junior Wang Ying greets Lord Wen!"
"No problem, no problem. It was your own skill to begin with. I was just passing on your talent and I even received praise and reward from His Majesty. No need to thank me."
"You should thank me. If it weren't for your help, my husband wouldn't have been able to regain his status in the imperial examinations and pass the exam to become a Jinshi."
Wen Yanping laughed and said, "That's because Lord Chen is capable. Even if someone else regained their identity, they might not be able to pass the exam."
Liang Boqing, who was listening from the side, grew impatient and said, "Stop being polite, just ask whatever you want."
Lord Wen coughed lightly. "I did come here today to ask you something, young friend Wang. I have read your two books. The content of the second book is easy to understand, but the first book contains many breeding methods that I have never heard of before. Could you explain the grafting method in detail?"
"Of course, please feel free to ask me anything, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."
"Let's go inside and talk, standing here is tiring." Old Liang walked away first with his hands behind his back, and the two of them smiled, shook their heads, and followed him into the house.
Wang Ying took out her book and handed it to Lord Wen. He skillfully turned to the page he wanted to ask about, showing that he had indeed read her book many times in private.
"What's the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination? I see this method is used for cultivating rice and wheat seeds, but are there any special considerations?"
Wang Ying slowly explained, "Let's start with self-pollination, which is the phenomenon of pollen from the same flower landing on the stigma of the pistil. This pollination method makes crops relatively pure, but equally harmful genes are also more likely to be inherited, which will lead to crop degeneration over time. This is similar to humans, where people with the same surname do not marry, and close relatives are more likely to have children with diseases."
Wen Yanping stroked his beard and suddenly realized, "I understand! So that's how it is. Farming is just like people."
He asked a few more questions, which Wang Ying answered one by one, leaving Wen Yanping completely convinced. "May I ask, Young Master Wang, where did you learn to read and write from, even though you're a farmer?"
Wang Ying prepared her explanation: "To tell you the truth, when I was young, I was herding cattle on the mountain and met an old man. He said we were destined to meet and taught me many farming methods, but I was too young to read and write them down. Later, after I learned to read and write from my husband, I was able to write them down."
"Could it be some great scholar from the peasant school, or even Shennong himself..." Lord Wen actually believed it, otherwise there was really no way to explain how a peasant boy could learn so many things that ordinary people couldn't.
Liang Boqing coughed, interrupting their conversation, "Didn't you want to ask about this potato?"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Wang, what exactly are these potatoes, and how are they grown?"
"Well, when we were in Shanzhou, we found this by chance while searching in the county. An old woman was selling it on the ground, saying that it was dug up from the mountains and that it could fill your stomach when cooked. I bought it and took it home to study it. I found that it is very easy to grow and requires a simple growing environment. It can grow well even in the most barren and inferior fields."
However, war suddenly broke out, and the potato business couldn't continue. If you like them, sir, I can have someone get you some more.
Wang Ying's ability to lie is getting better and better; she can make up a whole story without batting an eye.
"This is a good thing!" Wen Yanping, as the Grand Minister of Agriculture in charge of agricultural affairs, knew immediately that this thing had great potential.
Wang Ying said, "However, it also has its drawbacks, such as not being able to be stored for long. Because potatoes have a relatively high water content, their storage time is much different from that of millet, wheat, and rice. In a normal environment, they can be stored for a maximum of one month, but if you dig a cellar to store them, they can be stored for a maximum of three to four months."
Wen Yanping held the potato in his hand and said, "Judging from this, this plant is indeed not suitable for large-scale planting. Otherwise, all these potatoes would rot before the taxes could be properly settled."
"Indeed, this is suitable for people to plant on the wasteland they have cleared, as a supplementary food, so as to avoid food shortages in the event of famine."
"How are these potatoes grown? Could you give me some seeds?"
Wang Ying said, "These potatoes really don't have seeds. They are grown by dividing the rootstock. Look at these little spots on top. If you leave them for ten or twenty days, potato sprouts will grow on them. Potatoes that have sprouted cannot be eaten. They contain toxins that can kill people."
Wen Yanping frowned. "This thing is poisonous?"
"Yes, but only the sprouted part is poisonous. It's fine to eat the part after cutting off the sprout. If you bury the cut-off sprout in the ground, new potatoes will grow in about three months."
Wen Yanping couldn't remember what he was saying and wanted to write it down, but then he slapped his forehead and said, "Let's put this matter aside for now. I'll come to visit again in a few days." After saying that, he cupped his hands and left in a hurry.
Wang Ying looked completely bewildered. "Master, what exactly is Lord Wen here for?"
The old man smiled with a triumphant look on his face, "Just wait a moment, perhaps there will be good news in a few days."
*
Emperor Wuping rubbed his temples and said, "I'll discuss this matter further. You should go back now."
"Yes." Wen Yanping came out of the palace with indescribable feelings in his heart. He had worked in the Ministry of Agriculture his whole life and dealt with the land his whole life.
In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture has suffered a decline in talent, with fewer and fewer people willing to dedicate themselves to research. Most people treat the Ministry of Agriculture as a stepping stone, completing their current duties while waiting for promotion or transfer.
A few years ago, when he went to inspect the tenant farms in Zhengzhou, there were still people who couldn't distinguish between millet and foxtail millet. People would laugh their heads off if they found out.
With such talented people available, how could he not be tempted? If he could take a position at the Ministry of Agriculture and promote this potato, he could feed at least 30% of his family.
The north is currently suffering from drought, and the winter wheat harvest has failed. It's almost time to plant beans, but there's still no sign of rain. If we miss the planting season, the beans will also fail, and countless people will starve to death...
Emperor Wuping naturally considered these things as well. Wang Ying was indeed a talented person, but unfortunately, his status was special. This matter still needed to be discussed with the cabinet ministers before a decision was made.
A few days after the morning court session, Emperor Wuping summoned the six ministers and several other cabinet ministers to his study to discuss this matter.
Liu Yaozhi frowned upon hearing Wang Ying's name. Why was the Emperor suddenly bringing up that Chen family boy's husband?
He was then shocked by what followed: "I intend to recruit this person to serve in the Ministry of Agriculture."
These words struck like a thunderbolt, and the ministers were instantly thrown into an uproar.
The Minister of Rites was the first to speak out, “Your Majesty, you must not! There has never been a precedent in our dynasty for a young man to serve as an official. Once this door is opened, I fear that all the ladies and young men in the inner quarters will want to become officials!”
The Minister of Justice echoed, "This matter is of great importance, and we hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully."
The Minister of Revenue stroked his beard and said, "It's just the Ministry of Agriculture. You all don't need to make such a fuss. Nobody wants to go to such a hard and tiring place."
"That won't do either. Once we set a precedent for our son to become an official, there will be countless troubles to come! What if all our sons and daughters start clamoring to study and become officials?"
"What are you saying? Are you afraid that your own offspring will be outshone by boys and girls?"
"You're spouting complete nonsense!"
A group of elderly ministers, all over fifty years old, gathered together and fought like they were in a vegetable market, shouting and yelling, giving Emperor Wuping a headache.
"Alright, stop arguing. What do you think, Minister Liu?"
The group stopped arguing and turned to look at Liu Yaozhi, who was standing to the side. "It is true that there has never been a prince in our dynasty. However, there was a famous prime minister in the previous dynasty who was also a prince. In the Wei dynasty, there were also women who became generals. I think it was just that some people were capable, so it is not a big deal."
Emperor Wuping nodded; these words had struck a chord with him.
"Your Majesty could first transfer this person to the Ministry of Agriculture. If he performs well, he can be kept on. At present, there is a drought in the north, so it would be a good thing if he could be put to use."
"As you say, my dear minister."
Others tried to object, but the Emperor waved them away, leaving them with no choice but to leave.
To everyone's surprise, a few words determined the future direction of the Wu Dynasty.
In early July, Wang Ying received his appointment letter. Because of his expertise in agriculture, the emperor specially appointed him as a seventh-rank official in the Ministry of Agriculture.
Wang Ying never expected that she would be granted an official position; this was truly the first time in the Wu Dynasty!
Chen Qingyan was also very surprised. His husband was highly skilled in farming, but he never thought that he would be given an official position. Although it was just a minor official position, it did break the precedent set by the Wu Dynasty!
For a time, the couple became the focus of discussion in Kyoto.
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