Chapter 229 [VIP]
When he got home, Chen Qingyan had already arrived home before him, because the Ministry of Revenue was closer to his home.
"How was your first day on duty? Are you adjusting well?" Chen Qingyan asked, taking the bag from his hand.
Wang Ying rubbed her neck. "It was alright. I didn't do much today. I just met some people from the Ministry of Agriculture and also met a Mr. Yu. He has read the two books I wrote and asked me a lot of questions about them."
Chen Qingyan smiled and said, "That's good. I was worried about you being ostracized, and I was concerned all day."
"Hey, there's definitely some exclusion. Those older folks can't accept that you're an official."
Chen Qingyan paused, looking somewhat nervous. "Then what should we do?"
"I naturally persuaded them with reason. When they asked me what abilities I had to get a job in the Department of Agriculture, I told them about the wheat seeds I had cultivated and the agricultural books I had written. You didn't even see how ugly their faces looked."
"And then? Did they continue to make things difficult for you?"
"No, that's not true. It just so happened that Lord Wen came and reprimanded them, and the matter was dropped. Don't worry, I don't take those people's words to heart at all."
Once inside, Chen Qingyan poured Wang Ying a glass of warm water. "Speaking of which, you're even bolder than me. Back when we first got married, you dared to help Mother drive away Second Uncle's family. I felt so relieved listening to you scold him while I was lying in bed!"
Wang Ying couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Why did you bring this up?"
"I think your personality is more suited to officialdom than mine."
Wang Ying was taken aback and turned to look at Chen Qingyan, "Has someone in the Ministry of Revenue been gossiping about you too?"
"No, no," Chen Qingyan denied outright.
Wang Ying grabbed his hand, "What can't we talk about? If you don't tell me the truth, I'll find out the truth myself."
"Well, some people were gossiping, but I didn't pay any attention to them."
It wasn't just gossip; this morning while on duty, several colleagues went to advise him not to let his husband show his face in public. They talked to him about his husband's behavior, practically pointing at his forehead and scolding him for being unruly.
Although Chen Qingyan did not directly turn against them, he still stood up to them firmly. Although he was mild-mannered, he was also selective about who he spoke to. When it came to the matter of husbands, no one had the right to lecture them!
Wang Ying guessed that someone must be gossiping. "Those officials don't do their work, they just get together all day and talk about other people's faults like the women at the village entrance. They're so idle."
Chen Qingyan smiled bitterly, “It’s because we’re so idle. The wars in the past few years have emptied the national treasury. This spring, the winter wheat harvest in the north failed, and the Yangtze River in the south flooded. The Ministry of Revenue couldn’t collect grain and had to spend money on disaster relief everywhere. The people at the top are going crazy with anxiety, and the people below are going crazy with boredom.”
"Is the south also experiencing disaster?"
"The disaster situation in the south is not too bad; it's just an excuse for a few powerful families to avoid paying grain."
Chen Qingyan said, "Do you know why the Emperor risked the criticism of scholars across the land to promote you to the Ministry of Agriculture?"
Wang Ying shook her head. How would he know?
"That's the reason. They originally wanted to use war to restrain the powerful families, but now the situation has changed, and they are being restrained by the South instead."
The Wu Dynasty has been stable for so many years, does it have money? Yes, but it's all in the pockets of aristocratic families, who took it back with them when they migrated south.
Although the remaining fertile land has been brought under the Emperor's control, it will take time for the land to yield its harvest. The Emperor has just taken over the land when a natural disaster struck. If the disaster cannot be controlled this time, the southern authorities will likely intervene.
After listening to his analysis of the intricacies of the situation, Wang Ying felt a chill of fear. Having just experienced a war, she didn't want the country to fall into internal strife again.
"Now the court is desperate and is trying anything, not only promoting you, but also requisitioning and allocating grain nationwide. Recently, the Ministry of Revenue has begun to study the issuance of grain tax vouchers."
What are grain tax coupons?
“The wealthy and powerful families in the south have driven up grain prices artificially. If people were to spend their silver to buy grain, they would probably empty their savings and still not be able to buy much. The Minister has proposed issuing grain tax vouchers, which can be exchanged for grain. When the people take the tax vouchers next year, one dou can be exchanged for one and a half dou of grain.”
Wang Ying said, "That is a good idea, but it only solves the immediate problem."
"It is still under discussion and has not been implemented yet. It is estimated that it will be distributed nationwide by the end of September at the latest. At that time, we hope that the collected grain can help the people in the north get through this difficult time."
After discussing business, Yuanbao returned. Chen Qingyan tested him on his studies for the day, while Wang Ying went to the kitchen to give instructions for dinner. Ever since he introduced potatoes, everyone in the family, adults and children alike, had fallen in love with them.
This dish tastes great whether it's stir-fried, deep-fried, or stewed, so we added it to our dinner again.
Just as the meal was almost ready, Old Liang returned. He had been feeling better lately and often visited his new friends during the day, including the dean of the Imperial Academy and his close friend Xiao Jingran.
Actually, it started with Lord Xiao admiring Elder Liang on his own. The old man, wanting his grandson to study well at the Imperial Academy, also got involved himself.
As it turned out, he found that the two of them were quite to his liking. Both of them had a love for traveling and exploring nature. In their early years, Qi and Xiao had traveled in the south for several years. Later, after returning to the capital and taking up positions at the Imperial Academy, they were stuck there.
Liang Boqing was unable to travel due to illness, and his legs were also restricted. The group of people, sharing the same plight, quickly became acquainted.
"Xiao Wang Ying, how was your first day on duty?"
"It's alright, I can manage."
Old Master Liang laughed a few times. “I know you are different from ordinary young men. You have a more masculine personality, are capable, have your own opinions, and have a certain demeanor. Your master believes that you will definitely be able to make great strides in the Ministry of Agriculture.”
Wang Ying said, "That's all thanks to the potatoes that Master gave to Lord Wen."
Liang Boqing touched his nose, turned his head and pretended to deny it, "What are we having for dinner?"
"Eat potatoes."
...
That evening, Wang Ying went into the experimental field to check on the growth of her newly planted potatoes. This time, the potatoes were planted after the wheat harvest, and she specially turned on the speed three times.
The normal growth cycle is about ninety days, but with the accelerated growth mode enabled, it can be harvested in a month.
Wang Ying squatted down and pulled up a stalk of potato, which brought out six or seven small potatoes the size of eggs. They were growing well and looked like they would be ready to harvest in another half month.
After checking the potatoes, Wang Ying went to another experimental field to inspect the wheat seedlings. This time, she was researching increased wheat yields by hybridizing Changfeng No. 3 with another traditional Wuchao wheat variety. So far, the results have been somewhat unsatisfactory. She will try other varieties next time.
After recording the data and returning to their room, the couple were both quite tired and turned off the lights to rest early.
*
The following day, Wang Ying continued to get up early to go to the Ministry of Agriculture for her shift.
Having learned from yesterday's experience, I feel much more at ease today. Anyway, these people don't like me, and I'm too lazy to argue with them. I might as well just leave them alone.
After finishing the drawing, she went straight to the office, where the Yang brothers were already waiting. They brought over all the things Wang Ying needed to handle that day.
As a seventh-rank official, Wang Ying's responsibilities were not numerous. His main task was to record the growth of crops on the tenant fields, which was equivalent to that of a modern scientific researcher, making it a suitable job for him.
It just so happens that Lord Wen is taking him to visit the tenant fields on the outskirts of Beijing today, so Wang Ying packed his things and prepared to leave.
Around 7 AM, the morning court session ended, and Lord Wen returned from the palace. He summoned Wang Ying and several other officials to accompany him, including Lord Zang, who had scolded him the most yesterday.
The group split into three carriages and left the city from the west, traveling for about an hour to reach the tenant fields on the outskirts of the capital.
This field comprises thirty-five hectares, of which thirty hectares are royal fields, whose annual output is directly supplied to the palace. The remaining five hectares are experimental fields of the Ministry of Agriculture, where newly cultivated crops and transplanted species from other places are planted.
After getting off the carriage, Wang Ying saw that the fields were severely lacking in water, and hundreds of farmers were carrying water to irrigate them.
This is just a drop in the ocean. I heard that the largest river near Kyoto is almost dry, so it probably won't last much longer.
If Kyoto is in this state, one can only imagine what other places are like.
When the tenant farmers in the fields saw the officials approaching, they immediately put down their buckets of water, knelt down, and kowtowed. Only after the group had walked away did they dare to raise their heads and stand up.
The group walked along the narrow path beside the ridges of the field. As they walked, the clerk in charge of the field introduced the crops, saying, "These are soybeans and mung beans, planted after the wheat harvest. Right now, they look to be growing well and have already formed pods. They'll be ready to ripen in about a month."
Wang Ying walked into the field, reached out and plucked a bean pod, squeezing it. "There's a severe water shortage during the flowering and pod-forming stage, so even if it grows up, we won't be able to harvest many beans."
The clerk choked for a moment and didn't dare to refute, as he didn't know Wang Ying or his identity.
Standing at the back, Manager Yu nodded and said, "That's right, almost all the pods here are empty."
The clerk knelt down with a thud. "My lord, please forgive me. I have been watering the land every ten days as instructed, but it hasn't rained and the land is parched. I can't even hold any water..."
Wen Yanping raised his hand and said, "Get up. This is a natural disaster, so we can't blame anyone. Since these beans won't grow, there's no need to waste manpower watering them."
Continuing forward, you'll find experimental fields for various plants. Wang Ying even saw the tomatoes she brought, but they were drooping and the fruits were pitifully small.
Seeing Wang Ying so engrossed in looking at the tomatoes, Zang Mingsheng couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks, "Wang Dianshi has never seen this before, has she? It was only introduced to our capital a few years ago, and I cultivated it last year. It's quite rare..."
Wang Ying gave him a look as if he were an idiot and walked straight over, reaching out to prune the tomato branches. "This plant is called a tomato, belonging to the Solanaceae family, Tubularia order. Its growth cycle is four to five months, and it can be an annual or perennial. However, the branches must be pruned during cultivation, otherwise it will affect the growth and yield of the tomato."
"The pruning method is also simple: for single-stem pruning, remove all side branches. For double-stem pruning, leave the first side branch below the inflorescence."
The others quickly stepped forward to learn.
After listening, Yu Xin asked curiously, "How come Lord Wang is so familiar with this?"
Wang Ying explained, "These tomatoes were first discovered in my hometown. I'm not very talented, but I even grew them for a few years to make a living selling vegetables."
The group suddenly realized that this was like showing off one's skills in front of Guan Yu (a legendary Chinese martial arts master).
Zang Mingsheng's face turned red, and he stood there wishing he could disappear into the ground.
Along the way, whenever Wang Ying saw a crop, she would say a few words about it, including how to deal with pests and diseases, as well as the methods and amounts of fertilizer.
People gradually let go of their prejudices against him. To be chosen by the emperor, he must be capable. It seems that this young master Wang is indeed no ordinary person.
When they reached the last plot of land, which was about ten acres, Wen Yanping said to Wang Ying, "This plot of land is for you. I hope you can cultivate the potatoes."
"Your humble servant will certainly not fail in his mission!"
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