novelhk Chapter 218 Free Loan of High-Quality Potato Seeds
Chapter 218 Free Loan of High-Quality Potato Seeds
On the outskirts of Beijing.
The three are saying goodbye to each other.
As soon as he entered the court, Zhen Yuan was regarded by outsiders as a member of the Crown Prince's faction. When the Zhen family was devising a plan for the Crown Prince to counter the Third Prince, he submitted a transfer order to the Ministry of Personnel to leave the capital.
He Yanzhi and Du Yuan came to see him off.
The three stood side by side. Du Yuan looked towards the distant mountains and sighed, "Brother Zhencheng and Brother Mingzhang have both been transferred to local areas. Now you have also left the capital. The world is vast and the waters are far away. I don't know when we will be able to meet again."
Du Yuan became somewhat saddened at this point. He looked cold, and people who didn't know him well thought he was difficult to get along with, a cold-hearted person. In fact, he valued his family and friends very much.
After Zhen Cheng passed the palace examination, he went to take up his post in a local area. A few months ago, Zheng Hao was also sent to Youzhou Prefecture by His Majesty. Although he knew that all good things must come to an end, Du Yuan was still somewhat saddened.
Zhen Yuan turned to look at him, his playful smile unchanged, but his voice lowered as he said, "It's not a bad thing for me to request a posting to a remote area. Others only see the power and wealth in the capital, but I don't believe you can't see that the world is about to change drastically, and the capital will become a place of trouble sooner or later. I advise you to leave as soon as possible."
Upon hearing Zhen Yuan's words, Du Yuan was not surprised. A faint worry appeared on his face: "Father has made arrangements, and I will soon be going to Qingzhou Prefecture to take up my post. But Brother He..."
He turned to look at He Yanzhi, his cold expression unable to conceal his worry.
He Yanzhi's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was firm: "My family members are all in the capital. No matter what happens, I will never abandon my family."
He turned to look at Zhen Yuan, his expression solemn: "Youzhou Prefecture is far away. You are only taking a few people with you to take up your post. Please take good care of yourself!"
Zhen Yuan raised his hand and bowed to the two of them. The three of them bid each other a reluctant farewell in the suburbs of the capital and then went their separate ways, not knowing when they would be able to reunite.
.
The officers and soldiers carried baskets of potatoes to the countryside and ordered the village chiefs to strike gongs to summon all the villagers to gather in the fields.
The village chief stepped forward and smiled obsequiously at the leading officer, saying, "Sir, everyone in the village has arrived. What is it you wish to announce?"
He asked cautiously and in a flattering tone, but deep worry lingered in his eyes.
Every autumn after the harvest, these soldiers liked to go to the countryside to ask them for "tribute". As ordinary farmers, how could they dare to fight against those dressed in official robes? Even if they couldn't afford to eat, they would still have to squeeze out a little money from their teeth to hand over.
As the village chief pondered this, he took out a heavy bundle of copper coins from his sleeve and handed them to the soldiers: "Sir, this is just a small token of my appreciation. It's kind of you to make this special trip to the countryside. Take these coins back with you so you can buy some tea."
Upon seeing this, the officers and soldiers immediately took a step back, and then shouted in a sharp voice, "Stop!"
The village chief was startled, frightened by the sudden change in the soldiers' behavior and attitude. Seeing their displeased expressions, he assumed that the tribute he had prepared was insufficient. The village chief's legs trembled, and he mustered his courage to plead for them, but then he heard the soldiers in front of him angrily say, "What are you doing, old man? Are you trying to kill me?"
Looking back at the soldiers who were about to lead their men to other villages, the officers and soldiers solemnly said to the village chief, "The prefect has ordered that we receive daily supplies of money while we are in the countryside. We are not allowed to privately collect money or grain from the people. If we are discovered and reported, we will be dismissed from our posts and expelled from the prefectural government and military camp."
Upon hearing this, the village chief was stunned. The leading soldier, not wanting to waste any more time, urged the village chief, "Check if everyone is here. Quickly announce the news. I have to go to another village."
The village chief quickly came to his senses and nodded.
The leading officer found the soldier with the loudest voice and asked him to read the notice.
"The Prefect has found a superior variety called potato. After testing, it has been found that potatoes can be grown in Youzhou Prefecture year-round, and the yield is higher than that of millet and wheat. One mu of land can produce up to eight shi of potatoes. After the autumn harvest, all villages and fields in this prefecture must be planted with potatoes!"
After the soldiers finished reading the announcement, the people who were initially afraid of them and dared not speak began to discuss it quietly.
"I've never even heard of potatoes. Why aren't we planting millet and wheat on these perfectly good fields? How are we going to pay the grain tax later?"
"My family only has a few acres of barren land. Even with good weather all year round, we can't even have enough to eat. There's really no place to grow these potatoes," someone sighed.
Some villagers noticed the key point in the officers' words: "Didn't you hear the officer say that potatoes are more productive than millet and wheat? One mu of land can produce eight shi of grain. I can't even imagine it. The Zhou family, who lives not far from our village, has several hundred mu of fertile land, but each mu of fertile land can only produce a maximum of five shi of grain. Do you think what the officer said is true?"
Some were skeptical, while others were tempted, but in any case, they did not want to grow potatoes. Each household had limited land and labor, and every time they planted potatoes, the able-bodied young men in the family would suffer greatly.
They had never grown potatoes before and didn't know if the yield was as the soldiers claimed. They were peasants who relied on the land to raise their children, unlike city dwellers who could eat rice and flour without having to work in the fields. If the potatoes they planted this time didn't yield a harvest next year, it wouldn't harm the soldiers or city dwellers, but it could cost them half their lives.
The village chief hesitated, "Sir, what do you think of this..."
Seeing their hesitation, the officers said coldly, "The prefect requires each village to allocate at least ten mu of land to grow potatoes. As for whether to grow potatoes on the other land, that's up to you."
Upon hearing this, the village chief and the villagers were overjoyed.
They thought the prefect wanted to force them to plant potatoes in all their fields, but unexpectedly, a new opportunity arose.
Then, the officers and soldiers said, "This is the first time our prefecture has planted potatoes. The prefect is kind and grateful for the villagers' hardship. This year, he has specially lent the villagers high-quality potato seeds free of charge. After the potato harvest next year, the seeds will be returned to the prefecture."
"High-quality potato seeds are limited, and not every household can get them; it's first-come, first-served!"
These words sparked a heated reaction from the villagers. They had initially thought the government was trying to force them to plant potatoes, but now, after hearing and seeing that the soldiers didn't seem to care whether they planted them or not, they felt a surge of excitement. Could these potatoes really be a good thing?
The group looked at each other, deep in thought.
Today, everyone they met outside was talking about this matter. Some acquaintances asked if they wanted to try planting potatoes, but they all waved their hands and refused.
Some people were too timid to try, while others were bold enough to be the first to try something new. After a night of contemplation, some families made up their minds and went to the government office the next day, only to find a long queue outside. Clearly, many people were interested in the free, high-yield seeds, and they quickly joined the queue, fearing that there wouldn't be any potato seeds left when it was their turn.
It was nearly noon, and the crowd had not yet dispersed.
The bailiff announced loudly, "The potato seeds have been distributed. Everyone, leave the government office."
"What?! They're all gone already? Our family hasn't even received any yet!"
"There were so many people here, how could they all be gone so quickly?"
"When the officers and soldiers came to spread the word yesterday, they said that there were limited high-quality potato seeds. I didn't take it seriously. If I had known, I would have come earlier."
Those who managed to borrow seeds returned home in high spirits, while those who didn't were somewhat disappointed. However, thanks to the help of waterwheels this year, the harvests in Youzhou Prefecture were quite good. So, many people who were disappointed returned home to find their rice jars full, and their disappointment quickly turned into smiles again.
The rumors about improved potato varieties grew stronger and stronger. When these rumors reached the ears of the Marquis of Zhenbei, he pondered for a moment and ordered his personal guards to invite Supervisor Zheng over. However, a short while after the guards left, one of them returned and said, "My lord, Supervisor Zheng is handling official business in the government office."
Upon hearing that the young military supervisor was not in the camp, the Marquis of Zhenbei frowned. Thinking of the grain seeds that had caused such a stir, he became restless and got up to leave the tent to return to the city to find the other party. However, he ran into Gu An, who happened to be in the camp to observe military affairs.
After Gu An was recognized by the Marquis of Zhenbei, the Marquis specially gave him a token. The holder of this token could freely enter and exit the military camp except for the forbidden area. All the generals in the army were promoted by the Marquis of Zhenbei. Knowing that he was the Marquis's grandson, they all treated him with the utmost respect.
Apart from the young man before him, the Marquis of Zhenbei has no other sons or grandsons. If nothing goes wrong in the future, Gu An will be the next Marquis of Zhenbei and take charge of their Zhenbei Army.
No one expected the young man before them to continue pursuing literature. The sons of the Rong family are either skilled in martial arts or have the talent to be generals. Gu An does not need to be a master of martial arts; he only needs to have the talent to lead the Zhenbei Army to resist foreign enemies.
"Xiao An."
Marquis Zhenbei stepped forward.
Gu An remained expressionless and bowed to him, saying, "Lord Marquis."
A hint of sadness flashed across the Marquis of Zhenbei's eyes, but with the superior potato seeds before him, he did not dwell on his sorrow.
Thinking of how Gu An and Zheng Hao lived together and helped each other with many things, the Marquis of Zhenbei asked, "Little An, do you know anything about the improved potato seeds?"
Gu An nodded. He had been involved in the matter to some extent. The Marquis of Zhenbei said, "This matter is of utmost importance. Lord Zheng is not in the camp. Tell me about it first."
Seeing a hint of anxiety appear on the usually calm face of the Marquis of Zhenbei, Gu An paused for a moment, then said, "Let's go inside the tent and talk."
The Marquis of Zhenbei led him back to the commander's tent.
After the two sat down, the Marquis of Zhenbei looked at him and asked, "Is it true that one mu of land can yield eight shi of potatoes?"
Not only were the common people short of food, but the Marquis of Zhenbei, a noble family, was also in dire need of food.
The Zhenbei Army, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, consumed an astonishing amount of food every day.
Although the Zhenbei Army was the army of the Great Qian Dynasty, Emperor Jian'an and his court officials were extremely wary of him. Whenever he requested funds and provisions from the capital, they would always delay for a long time.
To maintain such an army, the Marquis of Zhenbei personally spent a considerable amount of money, yet he often found himself in a deficit.
Upon hearing that high-yield grain varieties had appeared in Youzhou Prefecture, how could he not be anxious?
Gu An nodded slightly: "The potatoes were discovered and brought back by Uncle Gu's caravan when they went out to trade. After cultivating the first batch of seeds themselves, Uncle Gu and Brother Hao decided to promote the potatoes to various parts of Youzhou Prefecture. However, due to the limited number of seeds, not every household could get a good potato seed."
Despite his advanced age, the Marquis of Zhenbei was still young at heart and very clear-headed. He immediately grasped the connection: "Lord Zheng and Husband Gu are truly dedicated to serving the people!"
If the Marquis of Zhenbei had discovered the superior potato seeds first, he would have selflessly shared them with the entire army. This was because his Rong family had been in charge of the Zhenbei Army for generations and were inextricably linked to it. It was quite unexpected that Zheng Hao and Gu Lin would take out the high-yield seeds without seeking personal gain.
If their act of saving Gu An was an act of kindness, then their act of distributing high-quality potato seeds to the people without expecting anything in return was truly benevolent, compassionate, and utterly selfless.
Gu An spoke calmly, his expression softening: "Uncle Gu has always taught us that when we are poor, we should cultivate our own virtue, and when we are successful, we should help others."
Looking at his grandson, whose expression was calm yet couldn't hide his pride, the Marquis of Zhenbei smiled. In his heart, he felt grateful that Gu Lin had raised his grandson so well. If it were him, he might not have been able to raise Gu An to be like this.
Many outstanding young men from powerful families are exceptional, possessing great talent, keen insight into human nature, or near-divine wisdom. Yet few can see the most insignificant common people in the same way as Gu An.
His performance was not an act to gain fame, but a genuine expression of his concern for the people.
It was precisely because of this that the Marquis of Zhenbei's wariness of Zheng Hao lessened considerably.
Gu An and Zheng Hao were both taught by Gu Lin, so their thoughts and ideas must be quite similar.
However, the Marquis of Zhenbei never considered that having the people in his heart does not necessarily mean being loyal to the emperor. Whether it was his grandson or the military supervisor and prefect who were highly valued by the emperor, they were all wolves in sheep's clothing with rebellious intentions.
Marquis Zhenbei pondered for a moment, then looked at Gu An and asked, "Does Mr. Gu have any extra high-quality potato seeds?"
When he asked this question, the Marquis of Zhenbei did not have high hopes. The government had not even lent enough good seeds to the people, so how could there be any left for him?
Marquis Zhenbei felt regretful, but then heard the young man in front of him say, "Uncle Gu had already left several baskets of good seeds for you, Marquis. I also brought the good seeds with me this time. They were handed over to the logistics department when we entered the military camp."
"Is this true?" The Marquis of Zhenbei looked up in surprise, his eyes shining as he looked at Gu An.
Gu An: "Uncle Gu was worried that the Zhenbei Army wouldn't know how to grow potatoes, so he specially sent a farmer to help."
Marquis Zhenbei stood up with delight: "My husband Gu is truly thoughtful and considerate."
He instructed Gu An: "Potato seeds are precious. Go home and get some treasures to give to Gu's husband. I heard that Gu's husband likes gemstones and jade. There are many in the storeroom. There are no women in the family. Send them all to the Zheng family."
When the Marquis of Zhenbei mentioned that his home was the Rong family, Gu An calmly replied, "This is inappropriate, and Uncle Gu will not accept it. He was willing to give the potatoes to the Zhenbei Army because he appreciated their defense of the territory against foreign enemies, and he did not have any other intentions."
Although they had only met once, the Marquis of Zhenbei was deeply impressed by Gu Lin. Gu Lin had clear eyes and was straightforward but not reckless when talking to people. The Marquis of Zhenbei believed in Gu Lin's sincerity and thought that he had done this out of gratitude to the Zhenbei Army.
He said, “Although Gu Fulang is a boy, his temperament and ambition far surpass those of many men. You can learn a lot from him and Lord Zheng.”
Gu An neither spoke nor denied it.
As he watched potatoes being planted throughout Youzhou Prefecture, Gu Lin gradually felt at ease. However, as he felt the chill of autumn and thought of the snow-covered winter landscape of Youzhou Prefecture, he couldn't help but feel worried.
Many people die every winter in the Great Qian Dynasty.
Most of these people died because their families had no food or because they froze to death.
The young prefect, returning from his shift, happened to see this scene. He walked over to the young man, shook his hand, and asked him something.
Turning around with the help of the young man, Gu Lin did not hide his concerns and said, "This winter I will set up soup kitchens in the suburbs and call on wealthy households and merchants in the city to distribute soup together."
But these are ultimately just a drop in the ocean.
Zheng Hao raised his hand and gently stroked the young man's back, pressing lightly on the back of his head from bottom to top. Gu Lin pressed against Zheng Hao's chest.
Zheng Hao leaned slightly forward, his expression unreadable, and whispered a few words in Gu Lin's ear. Gu Lin suddenly looked up at him with surprise.