inspire-indiana Chapter 173 Fifth-Rank Minister of Agriculture
Chapter 173 Fifth-Rank Minister of Agriculture
"Your Majesty," the Duke of Zhenguo replied solemnly yet respectfully, "after careful calculation, the yield of the corn planted this time is estimated to be 8 shi per mu." His slightly bowed posture revealed his utmost respect for the Emperor.
The previously quiet and orderly atmosphere in the imperial court was instantly shattered. Upon hearing the figure of "8 shi per mu," the court officials could no longer maintain their composure. Whispers and whispers rose and fell among them. It should be noted that in the Azure Kingdom, the highest yield of rice per mu had never exceeded 6 shi, and most of the time it only remained between 4 and 5 shi. As for crops like wheat and millet, their yields rarely surpassed the 5 shi per mu mark.
Faced with such astonishing yield figures, even the emperor sitting on his dragon throne was shocked. He suddenly stood up, his eyes wide, and asked incredulously, "Can this corn really yield 8 shi per mu? My dear minister, you must not deceive me!"
The Duke of Zhenguo quickly bowed again and replied firmly, "Your Majesty is wise, this matter is absolutely true. This year is the first time we have tried planting corn, and the relevant planting methods are not yet fully mature and perfected. If we continue to explore and improve in the future, and make the planting techniques more refined, then the yield per acre of corn will surely increase."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's face gradually lit up with joy. He nodded slowly and exclaimed repeatedly, "Good, good, good! The Duke of Zhenguo has truly educated his son well, raising such an outstanding child." With that, he smiled and sat back down on the dragon throne.
Immediately afterwards, the Emperor waved his hand and loudly proclaimed the imperial decree: "Guards, quickly convey my decree: Su Yuan, the third son of the Duke of Zhenguo, has rendered a great service to our dynasty. He is hereby appointed as a fifth-rank official in charge of agriculture and is awarded one hundred taels of gold as a reward."
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Zhenguo immediately knelt down and kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor. Long live the Emperor!" For a moment, the entire court was immersed in joy and praise.
"My dear minister, this corn..."
"Your Majesty," the Duke of Zhenguo reported earnestly to the Emperor, "aside from reserving some for next year's seeds and sending some to Consort Zhuang for her to enjoy, I intend to donate the rest to the national treasury for next year's planting. In this way, the people of the capital will be able to plant some corn next year."
"Excellent, excellent! Your actions are truly beneficial to the country and its people. On behalf of all the people, I thank you in advance." Upon hearing this, the Emperor slapped his thigh in excitement, his face beaming with joy.
Then, with a smile on his face, he looked around and shouted, "Where is the Minister of Agriculture?"
"Your Majesty, I am here!" An official hurriedly stepped out of the queue and respectfully bowed to the Emperor.
"The corn generously donated by the Duke of Zhenguo must be stored separately and properly. In addition, everyone in the Ministry of Agriculture must immediately go to the Duke of Zhenguo's estate to learn how to cultivate corn. We must do our utmost to ensure that we can produce more corn next year, so that the people of my Azure Kingdom can plant this excellent crop as soon as possible," the Emperor solemnly instructed the Minister of Agriculture.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey the decree!" The official in charge of agriculture replied respectfully and then returned to his original position.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department has sent someone over with more supplies," Yaoqin reported as she entered.
The one who came to deliver the gifts was still the same Chief Steward Qin. He quickly walked into the hall with small, quick steps, and after arriving in front of Su Nuannuan, he respectfully bowed and said, "This servant greets Your Majesty."
"Chief Steward Qin, what strange things has His Majesty sent you to deliver this time?" Su Nuannuan asked Chief Steward Qin with a smile.
Steward Qin bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, this was delivered by someone from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. They said it was corn from the new harvest on the estate this year."
Upon hearing the word "corn," Su Nuannuan's eyes lit up instantly. Overjoyed, she jumped up from her chair and eagerly asked, "Really? That's wonderful!"
Chief Steward Qin nodded hurriedly and replied, "Your Majesty, it is absolutely true. The carriage delivering the corn is currently waiting outside the palace gate."
"Li Quan!" Su Nuannuan called out in a loud voice.
"Your servant is here!" Upon hearing this, Li Quan hurriedly ran into the hall and bowed.
"Quickly, go and call a few quick-witted people to bring in all these things sent by the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion," Su Nuannuan ordered excitedly.
After giving her instructions, Su Nuannuan turned to look at Jinse beside her. Jinse, perfectly in sync with her, immediately nodded in understanding. Then, with a beaming smile, she stepped forward, curtsied to Steward Qin, and said, "Steward Qin, thank you for making this trip. I hope you won't find this small token of my appreciation too much." As she spoke, Jinse slipped a thin red envelope into Steward Qin's hand.
Seeing this, Steward Qin hurriedly declined, saying, "How can this be! Being able to serve Your Highness is a blessing I earned in my past life." However, although he said this, he tightly gripped the red envelope in his hand and refused to let go, his face full of fawning smiles.
"Does Steward Qin not think so?" Jinse asked softly with a charming smile.
"What are you saying, Miss Jinse?" Upon hearing this, Steward Qin hurriedly responded with trepidation, while also giving Su Nuannuan a deep bow, his face full of fawning smiles, "This servant thanks Your Highness for the reward."
"Manager Qin, you've worked hard," she said with a smile, her tone gentle and warm.
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Nuannuan slowly stood up and walked gracefully towards the door.
"It's my duty, it's what a servant should do." Seeing this, Steward Qin hurriedly followed behind Su Nuannuan, nodding and bowing obsequiously all the way.
Before long, they arrived outside the hall. At this time, a row of corn sacks had already been placed in the courtyard.
Chief Steward Qin looked up and saw that everything on the carriage had been unloaded. He then turned to Su Nuannuan and respectfully said goodbye: "Your Majesty, now that everything has been delivered, this servant will take his leave."
After Steward Qin and his entourage left, Su Nuannuan turned around, her gaze falling on a bag placed not far away. She walked gracefully to the bag, gently untied the drawstring, and her eyes lit up—the bag was filled to the brim with golden corn!
Looking at the bag of bountiful harvest, Su Nuannuan couldn't contain her joy, and a bright smile involuntarily appeared on her lips. After a moment, she turned to Li Quan beside her and instructed, "Li Quan, go and thresh these corn kernels. Remember to keep the corncobs for cooking."