The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 276: Stability in Da Qi

The two men, Zhou Cunzheng and Chen Youtian, followed the little eunuch into the Taichi Hall. Inside the hall, they saw a group of officials in ceremonial robes. They were led through the crowd of civil and military officials, and they didn’t dare lift their eyes even once. When the eunuch stopped, Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng knelt immediately, not daring to look at the Emperor or even the shape of the throne. They completely ignored the etiquette instructions given by the eunuch and kept bowing their heads.

Zhou Cunzheng was slightly better; he managed to say “common people greet His Majesty”—a phrase he had learned from storytellers during the peaceful years of the previous dynasty.

The Emperor was exceptionally affable and smiled as he invited them to rise.

“Are you two villagers from Daxing Village? Did you live in the same village as Governor Zeng and also hide in the deep mountains years ago?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Their responses were perfectly synchronized.

“Don’t be nervous. I called you here to ask some questions about farming.” The Emperor began to inquire in detail about the composting method and the dry-wet crop rotation method.

When it came to farming, the Emperor asked question after question with great detail. Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng gradually relaxed, as they were there to teach about these methods, though they hadn’t anticipated teaching the Emperor himself.

The Emperor was also quite adept at questioning. He asked common questions but managed to extract all the details about how Sang Luo had developed the composting and rotation methods, the years involved, what was planted each year, and the yields.

Of course, they didn’t have the exact figures for each year, as rural farmers and even those who had taken refuge in the mountains didn’t typically measure their harvests so precisely. They relied on containers and experience to estimate, with exact weights only recorded when selling grain to the government. Thus, they only had rough estimates, but the fact that they could achieve two harvests a year and not only maintain but increase yields was certainly real.

Master Chen was listening with excitement, his hands clenched into fists almost to the point of cramping, his heart pounding. He was so bold that he even interrupted the Emperor, seizing an opportunity to ask, “I have one question that I don’t understand. Does the type of fertilizer used matter? Isn’t it all just manure? Governor Zeng’s report also mentioned that different crops can return different types of nutrients to the soil, and that burning crop ashes can also replenish nutrients. Aren’t all fertilizers just used to enrich the soil?”

Chen Youtian, who enjoyed thinking about farming, had learned more from Sang Luo, so he replied thoughtfully, “Fertilizers are indeed different. In our village, we use human manure, sheep manure, chicken manure, pig manure, rabbit manure, and cow manure. There are also green manures, plant ash fertilizers, leaf mold fertilizers, and even eggshells and bones from meat as fertilizers. According to Sang Luo, each of these provides different nutrients to the crops.”

“Although I can’t specify the exact differences, using different fertilizers at different times or for different crops is significant.”

“As for returning nutrients to the soil from the crops planted, I don’t fully understand the reasons, but for the past four years, we’ve followed Sang Luo’s methods, and indeed, the soil hasn’t become depleted. As long as the fertilizer is sufficient later, it’s fine to plant two crops a year without needing to fallow the land, and the yields remain good.”

He emphasized, “Back when we were in the mountains and later at Daxing Village, since we raised many livestock, the manure was ample. If the fertilizers for the dry-wet rotation method weren’t sufficient, yields would be much lower. Whether growing vegetables or crops, the treatment, quantity, and timing of fertilizer application are all crucial. If done correctly, the harvest will be better than elsewhere; if not, it can lead to diseases. For example, we used to apply raw manure directly, but now we compost it first to reduce seedling damage and diseases.”

The detailed explanations about farming left the scholars who were only familiar with literary theories confused and dazed. However, the officials concerned with economic and practical affairs listened intently.

Considering the content of Zeng Ziqian’s report, this detail was indeed accurate. The report had specifically mentioned the importance of fertilizers and suggested building more public toilets in various counties.

The two honest farmers, who had been trembling when they first entered the hall, stood there uncertainly, not knowing how to place their hands and feet. Yet, when discussing farming, they spoke authoritatively. The Emperor and several officials asked questions in detail, and they answered them all.

Those who were familiar with Zeng Ziqian and knew his character, along with the several achievements of Sang Luo in agriculture, were now about sixty percent convinced.

The methods of composting and crop rotation are related to agriculture, and the Department of Agriculture couldn’t just stand idly by. The Minister of Agriculture stepped forward and asked many more questions. Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng answered them all, and by the end of the questioning, the Minister of Agriculture had no further comments.

At this point, most officials were about eighty percent convinced.

Grain yields in the southern regions had increased severalfold.

Some prominent families who had stockpiled large quantities of grain from last autumn’s harvest, hoping to sell it at higher prices, were now calculating the data provided in Zeng Ziqian’s report with silent agony. The best choice was to sell the grain to the court as soon as possible—waiting for a higher price was no longer feasible.

By this autumn or next year, they could already anticipate grain prices returning to pre-chaos levels of sixty wen per dou.

Holding onto the grain would only lead to losses!

Meanwhile, key officials close to the Emperor, like Xue Yan and Li Yu, who genuinely cared about the well-being of the people, were thrilled.

Da Qi was stabilizing!

Smart ones followed the trend, loyal ones rejoiced, while the greedy and foolish ones were resentful.

One of the latter, a minor official, threw out another question after Chen Youtian had answered all the inquiries:

“Since spring of the first year of the Wuding era saw trials in the mountains and they came down at the end of the third year, why weren’t the composting and dry-wet rotation methods presented along with the plowing technique in the spring of the fourth year and the pig raising and yam planting methods at the end of the fourth year? If they had been presented early in the fourth year, we should already have had two harvests by now.”

With such good methods available, why weren’t they submitted last year? Was the Emperor really so desperate for grain? It seemed too coincidental that a method capable of increasing yields several fold appeared just when there was a shortage of grain.

It was clear that this official suspected Zeng Ziqian and the Emperor were staging a performance.

Unaware that Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng were not fools and were already uneasy, this official’s insinuation was that Sang Luo had delayed presenting the methods, causing a delay in the court’s ability to address the grain shortage!

Their nerves were instantly on edge. Chen Youtian’s expression darkened as he bit his lip, and Zhou Cunzheng stopped answering questions.

It wasn’t their fault; they knew Sang Luo had simply forgotten. With so many tasks—making plows, raising pigs, being pregnant and giving birth, running a thriving business—she had too much on her plate to remember everything. They, busy with farming, animal husbandry, and side businesses, hadn’t thought of it either.

They had used these methods for so long in Daxing Village, and the surrounding villagers knew about them. It was no longer considered a secret; who would still be thinking about it?

Now, they were being scrutinized for it!

Chen Youtian instinctively clenched his fists, exchanged a glance with Zhou Cunzheng, and both realized their minds had never worked so quickly. They had to come up with a reasonable explanation.

Would saying it had been taught before be appropriate? It didn’t seem right.

Before they could think further, Zeng Ziqian stepped forward and positioned himself in front of them.

He had anticipated this. He would say that Sang Luo had simply forgotten.

Only a fool would say otherwise.

Turning to the questioning official, Zeng Ziqian scrutinized him from top to bottom: “This official seems not to understand farming very well?”

The official twitched his mouth at the question, thinking that there were probably not more than two people in the court who had actually farmed. Did Zeng Ziqian really know much?

“Governor Zeng, you jest. People like us, with our background, wouldn’t dare claim to be experts in farming.”

“I suspect you don’t understand, otherwise, you wouldn’t say such things. But don’t include me in this. Though I’m not an expert in farming, I understand that changes in soil fertility require a long process. Farming is the foundation of the country; it’s not about making tools and seeing immediate results. Who would dare play games with soil fertility? Without years of observation, one wouldn’t dare to report hastily.

According to the original plan, it was necessary to observe for another year or two. If I hadn’t called her husband’s uncle to help with buying grain and informed her of the court’s current predicament, these methods might not have emerged so quickly.

Even so, the village head has repeatedly warned that these methods are still in the early stages of experimentation and should be implemented cautiously, with local experienced farmers conducting trials based on climate, soil, and crops before a full-scale promotion.”

At this point, Zeng Ziqian turned to the Emperor with a fist salute: “This caution is the village head’s responsibility to Your Majesty and to Da Qi. How could it be considered a fault?”

With a smile that hid a sharp edge, he openly criticized the official for his ignorance and for faulting a capable official who had repeatedly contributed.

The official’s hands trembled with anger, fearing that his reputation might be tarnished by Zeng Ziqian. Sweat beaded in his palms: “Governor Zeng, you overstate. I had no intention of criticizing the village head, just addressing the Emperor’s urgent need.”

“Oh, I see,” Zeng Ziqian dragged out the words, still smiling: “Therefore, I think the village head’s suggestion to establish a specialized agricultural officer is excellent. After all—specialization in techniques, wouldn’t you agree?”

The sweetest smile accompanied the sharpest rebuttal.

The challenging official was left speechless, his face turning green, unable to counter Zeng Ziqian’s valid points.

Some people chuckled softly, and several senior officials looked toward the Minister of the Imperial Academy.

This man, with his grandson in the spotlight, maintained a calm and unassuming demeanor, his eyes hidden beneath lowered lids—one couldn’t tell if he was dozing or deep in thought.

Ah, this pair of grandfather and grandson.

The elder was a schemer, while the younger… was also formidable! Notice how adept he was at reading the Emperor’s mind.

…

Zeng Ziqian was speaking with false modesty, and Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng were unaware of this. Sang Luo had not explicitly told them she had forgotten. Hearing Zeng Ziqian’s well-reasoned arguments, the two men nodded repeatedly, fully convinced!

So that’s how it is.

Indeed, they had forgotten, but how could Sang Luo forget!

Having shifted from the anxious and uneasy look from earlier, Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng now stood tall, their chests puffed out with a hint of proud restraint on their faces!

The Emperor was delighted to see Zeng Ziqian put others in their place. He was thoroughly enjoying the lively scene and waited until Zeng Ziqian had made his point before changing the topic to official matters.

Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng, hailing from Daxing Village, had gained a bit of favor from the Emperor. Each was awarded twenty taels of silver and five bolts of silk. They were instructed to wait outside the hall, and after the court session, they were to return with the Minister of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and then to the Imperial Farm to thoroughly teach the officials and farmers there about composting and crop rotation.

Chen Youtian and Zhou Cunzheng didn’t know what the Department of Agriculture was, but they were so excited by the Emperor’s rewards that they didn’t know what to do, kneeling and kowtowing sincerely.

The Emperor smiled as he watched Zeng Ziqian’s display of skill in dealing with others. He was thoroughly pleased, and once Zeng Ziqian had finished, the Emperor turned to official matters.

Sang Luo had achieved another great feat.

This time, unlike before, there was no need for Zeng Ziqian to speak. Xue Yan, Li Yu, and other close officials of the Emperor all stepped forward to request rewards for Sang Luo.

After all, she had not only increased Da Qi’s strength by thirty percent but had also indirectly solved this year’s grain shortage problem.

The Emperor’s smile never faded.

“Rewards! Of course, there must be rewards! And they should be substantial!”

He had no intention of letting the officials below discuss the matter. After a moment’s thought, he announced, “Bestow upon Sang Luo the title of County Lady of Yunyang, with a fief of three hundred. Grant her a residence in Chang’an and an additional village in the suburbs.”

The officials below all raised their eyes in unison.

Not just any title, but County Lady of Yunyang, meaning Sang Luo’s fief of three hundred would be located in Yunyang County.

This was astonishing. The country had been poor in recent years, and aside from rewarding founding officials generously, the Emperor had been quite frugal with the royal family and his own children. Princes and princesses only had titles without any fiefs.

Sang Luo had been elevated from a county lord directly to a county lady, with both a fief and a residence and an additional village—this was truly surprising to the officials.

However, it was also understandable. The grain harvest had increased severalfold, laying a solid foundation for Da Qi.

Some felt it was appropriate, but others thought that rewarding her so early might be premature. One official stepped forward with a suggestion: “Your Majesty, it might be better to wait a year to see the results of the composting and crop rotation methods before granting rewards.”

“No need. I trust Ziqian, and I trust the County Lady of Yunyang’s agricultural skills.”

The title of County Lady of Yunyang was already given before the official ceremony, so the official could only agree awkwardly and fall silent.

“Master Qin, have the regulations for the imperial examinations and the recruitment of students into the Imperial Academy, as previously discussed with the Ministry of Rites, been established?”

The Minister of Rites, well-prepared, presented a memorial from his sleeve: “I and the other officials of the Ministry have discussed it. County and district exams can be held in the autumn, followed by provincial exams. The top scorers can then participate in the February examination hosted by the Ministry. As for the Imperial Academy… we believe that the children of nobility, officials, and commoners should be distinguished. The Imperial Academy and the Taixue should follow the original regulations, but some places in the Four Books, Law, Arithmetic, and Calligraphy might offer spots for exceptional commoners from each state and county.”

This had been discussed several times in the court, with officials eager to secure benefits for their descendants. The Emperor understood and glanced at the memorial, noting the allocation of spots for commoners in the four studies. He nodded: “Alright, inform each state and county to prepare.”

After setting aside the memorial, the Emperor calculated the months for the Shen family’s children and then shifted back to the rewards: “Order the County Lady of Yunyang to handle the affairs in Shezhou and bring her entire family to the capital with the tribute convoy in October.”

The Minister of Rites and the entire court were surprised: Was the sudden question about the examinations just a prelude?

Zeng Ziqian: Your Majesty, wasn’t it agreed to be in three years???