Shen Jia'an was already very happy that Luo Yunyi was taking it seriously, but things still needed time, so Shen Jia'an went back first.
Upon returning, Shen Jia'an personally visited the Wutong Garden. As a county magistrate, visiting a merchant was a significant gesture for You Qing.
Youqing was also quite surprised by Shen Jiaan's arrival. The two had mostly worked together, and now that everything was on track, he shouldn't have come.
"What brings Lord Shen here?"
Did they come in person? I'm really puzzled.
Shen Jia'an smiled and said, "I have some good news to tell you."
Good news?
What good news could she possibly have?
"Please speak, sir."
"Prefect Luo thought the farm tools you sent to me last time were quite good and has already started reporting them to the Prefect. If nothing unexpected happens, those farm tools may be used throughout the entire Qing Dynasty. If that happens, Young Master You will have made a great contribution. I will definitely report Young Master You's name to the court to the Prefect. Such a contribution should be rewarded. If the court understands the great use of farm tools, it will surely reward Young Master You handsomely."
Upon hearing this, Youqing felt a jolt; it was certainly not good news for her.
As a "concubine" who escaped from the Forbidden City, what did she need the imperial court's reward for? She didn't need that kind of thing.
Youqing quickly refused, saying, "Sir, since I have given you the farm tools, that is your credit. I cannot accept this credit. Please do not mention this matter again."
The tone was quite one of "avoiding it at all costs".
Hearing this, Shen Jia'an couldn't help but wonder. The imperial court's commendation was a great thing for merchants, a living advertisement, so why didn't they want it!
"Does Young Master You know what the imperial court's commendation means?"
Youqing naturally knew this. If she hadn't come from the Forbidden City, it wouldn't have mattered if she had gone through this trouble. Although she had changed her name, Youqing and Youqing were different names that others wouldn't notice. The only concern was that the person in the palace who knew her name might overthink it.
She wants to enjoy a few more years of leisure!
She couldn't bear the life in the Forbidden City.
"My lord, my ambition lies elsewhere. I am already content that the Wutong Garden can become famous in Yunnan. As for the matter of the farm tools, please just pretend that I do not exist."
Shen Jia'an still found it strange, but seeing her avoidance attitude, he thought that perhaps there was something she couldn't say.
Youqing had helped him a lot, and he wouldn't "repay kindness with enmity" by invading her privacy, so the matter was left in the past.
In the blink of an eye, three months had passed in the twenty-fifth year of Kangxi's reign. The weather in the capital was warming up, but the Empress Dowager's condition was getting worse.
The imperial physician said it would be within the next two years.
Such news was undoubtedly saddening for Emperor Kangxi.
The relationship between Emperor Kangxi and the Empress Dowager was extremely close.
It's hard to say, but the two of them simply have different stances.
The Empress Dowager was born in the Khorchin Mongols. It is true that she cared about the Qing Dynasty and hoped for its prosperity, but it is also true that she cherished her maternal family and hoped for its flourishing.
Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many Mongolian concubines in the Shunzhi Emperor's harem.
The Empress Dowager played an indispensable role in Kangxi's ability to seize power and rule personally. Without her guidance, no matter how gifted Kangxi was, he could not have outmaneuvered several regents who were in their fifties when he was only a teenager.
But this feeling is real.
Upon learning this news, Emperor Kangxi immediately issued an edict ordering all members of the Imperial Medical Academy to be on standby and not to be negligent.
"Your Majesty, this is a memorial sent by the newly appointed Governor-General of Yunnan, along with some farm tools. He specifically explained how to use them. Would you like to take a look?"
farm tools?
Emperor Kangxi reigned for a long time and had never seen any local officials send agricultural tools to him. He was an emperor who valued agriculture, so although he was somewhat surprised, it did not stop him from being interested.
"Where is the memorial? Let me see it."
Liang Jiugong immediately delivered the memorial to Emperor Kangxi. After reading it, Kangxi became even more interested in its contents. If the contents were true, then the agricultural level of the Qing Dynasty would surely have advanced further.
Although the Qing Dynasty under Manchu rule was still predominantly Han Chinese, and the anti-Qing restoration movement in recent years was not a major threat, the Qing Dynasty would inevitably face greater pressure than previous dynasties should a major natural or man-made disaster occur.
Emperor Kangxi was well aware of this, which is why he desperately needed achievements to prove that the Qing Dynasty's rule was without problems.
Most people rely on the land for their livelihood, and readily available farming tools mean that more arable land can be cultivated.
"Liang Jiugong, where are the farm tools sent from Yunnan?"
He was eager to know if it really worked that well.
"Your Majesty, those farm tools are in the storeroom."
"Prepare an estate. I will go there the day after tomorrow and bring all the farming tools with me."
Liang Jiugong also came from a poor family, so he couldn't be said to know nothing about farm tools. He naturally knew the role of handy farm tools in farming.
It seems the farm tools mentioned in the memorial are quite unusual.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Liang Jiugong went to carry out his orders, and then Kangxi summoned his secret guards and instructed them: "There have been many things happening in Yunnan these past two years. Investigate carefully to find out where these farm tools came from."
Emperor Kangxi had a hunch that the matter of agricultural tools was not simple.
“Zha”
Two days later, at the Imperial Estate, Emperor Kangxi led a large group of people to personally test the effects of the new farming tools. The results proved that, compared with traditional farming tools, the tools sent from Yunnan could save more effort and allow farmers to do more work in a limited amount of time.
The Qing Dynasty had a vast territory and a population that was not small compared to other dynasties, around 150 million. This was still far less than the 1.3 billion population of later dynasties. With such a large territory, why were there still people who couldn't get enough to eat? First, the yield was low, not as good as the grain seeds of later dynasties. Second, the efficiency was low. With limited time, there weren't enough people to cultivate the land. Many wastelands could be reclaimed, but there wasn't enough labor to cultivate them.
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