Chapter 242: A Woman Named Sang Luo in Shezhou

Chapter 242: A Woman Named Sang Luo in Shezhou

On the first day of the second lunar month, known as the chou hour, officials of the Great Qi Empire followed the precedent of previous dynasties by attending the early morning court ceremony. Rank nine and above in both civil and military sectors were required to participate.

Before the dawn drum sounded and before the chickens began to crow, the capital city was already bustling with its first round of traffic. Officials from all corners of the city rode their horses, lanterns in hand, to make their way to the Taiji Palace. The palace gates opened at sparrow-fart, and the officials assembled at the Waiting-for-Leak Courtyard to rest beforehand.

Among them was Elder Zeng, who had recently taken up his post as the Director of the National Academy. His advanced age and high rank entitled him to a designated resting place. However, the so-called rest area was merely warmer than the outdoors. As they were about to attend the grand court ceremony, no one dared to indulge in tea or refreshments. Thus, Elder Zeng sat with his eyes closed, conserving his energy.

Someone had seated themselves beside him, their soft laughter ringing out. "Old Master Zeng is truly blessed."

Old Master Zeng opened his eyes to see that the one smiling warmly by his side was none other than Xue Yan, the highly favored Zhongshu Ling, a key advisor to the current emperor.

"Oh, Lord Xue!" He turned slightly and gave a courteous bow. "I am not worthy of such an address as 'Old Master Zeng' from you."

Xue Yan chuckled, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "Old Master Zeng is too humble. You have an excellent grandson."

A flicker of emotion crossed Old Master Zeng's face. He raised his gaze to meet Xue Yan's, but the latter merely stroked his short beard, smiling enigmatically without speaking further.

This... would be something to be revealed during the morning court session?

It sounded like good news, so he didn't inquire further. Having lived a long life, he had mastered the art of self-restraint. He humbly replied, "Sir Xue, your praise is too kind."

After resting for more than an hour in the Waiting-for-Dawn Pavilion, the palace gates opened, and the officials entered in an orderly fashion, each following their designated protocol. Of course, the current number of court officials was still relatively small, with many positions unfilled, thus the process wasn't excessively slow.

When the civil and military officials took their positions and recited their registers before entering the hall, Elder Master Zeng immediately noticed an object that shouldn't have been there – a large wooden chest.

He turned to look at Xue Yan, but Xue Yan was standing motionless, holding his ceremonial board, not even casting a glance in his direction.

Elder Master Zeng: ...

Before he could ponder what could be inside the wooden chest, an imperial attendant's voice echoed, "His Majesty has arrived!"

The Emperor had come.

All the officials straightened themselves, yet they all had the same thought: The Emperor had arrived earlier than usual today!

After the kneeling ceremony, when the "rise" command was given, Elder Master Zeng detected another clue: The Emperor was in an exceptionally good mood today!

Sure enough, lifting his gaze, he saw the young emperor's face radiant with joy.

"The recovery of Jianye City means that our great Qi has reunited its lands. That is cause for celebration. Yesterday, a tribute arrived from Xizhou, a gift presented by the acting governor on behalf of the rural folk there."

Upon the emperor's words, an attendant approached to open the wooden chest, revealing a plow within.

Indeed, a plow.

But not one like they had ever seen before.

The civil and military officials whispered to each other, unsure what made this plow different from the ordinary ones. Some instinctively looked to Elder Master Zeng, expecting him to shed some light on the matter.

The emperor on the Dragon Throne observed for a moment before smiling. "When you hear the report from the governor of Xi Zhou, you will understand the brilliance of this plow."

Having thus spoken, he gestured for the eunuch at his side to read aloud the memorial.

The memorial was not overly lengthy. The beginning contained the usual formalities that officials were well acquainted with. However, as it progressed, it mentioned the victory report from Xizhou on the 15th of the first month, followed by how, the very next morning, a peasant had offered a plow in celebration. It described the grand scene of Sang Luo, a villager from Daxing Village in Xizhou, presenting the plow. Then, Zeng Sanlang frankly recounted his own experience of trying out the plow, detailing the differences between the curved and straight-plow.

Gongzhang Zeng was indeed proficient in the literary arts; with merely over a hundred concise characters, he vividly depicted the grand spectacle of that day in Shezhou, leaving the gathered officials feeling as though they had witnessed it firsthand. However, none of this compared to the poignant responses given by the Sang family in the closing passages.

Each imperial edict was replete with laudatory phrases, crafted by skilled scholars whose prose could never be matched by San. However, these were the voices of the people, not the official stance of the court. The report from Xizhou conveyed the genuine sentiments of its citizens.

The gratitude of the people, their aspirations, their endorsement, and their praise! All in tribute to the will of the masses!

This carried more significance than any beautifully worded document. Moreover, it arrived at a pivotal moment, when news of the current emperor's conquest of the Chen Dynasty and unification of the realm had just reached Xizhou. Furthermore, the offering was a plow, directly related to agriculture and the livelihood of the people. How could this be seen as anything but extraordinary?

Even the court chronicler, whose duty was to record the emperor's every move, was now eagerly scribbling away, his eyes shining with excitement as he listened to the report.

Regardless of whether the ministers truly believed in the coincidence or were speculating that the Xizhou governor had orchestrated this grand spectacle, they all understood that this moment was a tremendous blessing! It was an accolade and endorsement for Great Qi, for the present ruler, and for the nascent regime!

Upon conclusion of the reading, the officials offered their congratulations in unison!

This morning audience did not take place within the grand halls of the Taiji Palace, but instead, the soldiers cleared the way as they proceeded towards the outskirts of Jianye City.

Jianye City, known during the Great Kan Dynasty, stood as the capital.

Beyond its walls, the spring plowing of the rural folk had only just begun. This land had been under the governance of the Chen Dynasty a month prior.

The Son of Heaven invited farmers to test the new plow together!

News of the people of Xiuzhou presenting their new plows in celebration of Taizhou's grand unification swiftly spread throughout Jianye City, both within its walls and beyond.

The morning court session extended well into the afternoon, and upon returning to the capital from Jianye City at noon, the imperial kitchen provided a meal for the officials before they resumed their discussions in the afternoon.

The discussion encompassed the commendation of the Xinzhou Sang family and the promotion of the Quyuan Plow. Most unexpectedly, the hundred officials never imagined that the matter of renaming Jianye City, which had been under consideration since the founding of the Great Qi dynasty, would also be decided upon that very day.

Not the names that the ministers had spent days debating, referencing ancient texts and engaging in heated arguments without reaching a consensus. It was Chang'an!

In pursuit of the second wish of the Sang family from Xizhou, may the Great Qi thrive, its dynasty endure eternally, and enjoy the prosperity signified by the very name "Everlasting Chang'an."

Chang'an City!

The edicts regarding the commendation of Sang for his plow, the renaming of Jianye to Chang'an, and the blueprint of the curved-plow were simultaneously delivered to all the prefectures and counties of Qi. Naturally, the citizens of Jianye City, being in the capital, were the first to lay eyes on these proclamations.

No, the people of Chang'an!

On the journey back to his residence following the court dismissal, Lord Zeng was congratulated all the way by his fellow officials. Those in the know understood well that the matter in Shezhou had been handled exceedingly well. Though the Sang family appeared to have garnered the most attention and reaped generous rewards, an ordinary rural woman like her, they all knew, could go no further than this.

In the eyes of the court officials, the greatest winner in this game was none other than Third Son of the Zeng family, who then served as the Cishi of Shezhou.

Grandfather Zeng maintained his humble demeanor all the way, and as the carriage rumbled forward, he lifted the curtain in front to speak with the coachman, "Head for the city gate where the notices are posted."

A new edict had already been affixed at the city gate. Grandfather Zeng observed the crowd gathered below the notice board, and gazed at the city gate of Jianye – the two characters that read 'Jianye' would likely be replaced soon.

He murmured, "Chang'an," and smiled before instructing the coachman, "Let's return."

The coachman turned the carriage around, leaving Jianye City Gate behind them, as they journeyed forward towards Chang'an.

With the connection to the capital city, the Zhang family of Shezhou would no longer just be known for their plows.

As the coachman drove on, he seemed to hear a faint voice coming from within the carriage, reciting,

"In Shezhou, there was a woman named Sang Luo, whose fame spread across the land overnight."

The voice was so low that it was indistinct, and the coachman couldn't tell if it was just his imagination.

...

In Shezhou, Sang Luo was oblivious to the events transpiring in the imperial city. She had no idea that her name would soon resonate throughout every prefecture and county of Qi, as well as be recorded in the Chronicles of the Emperor by the diligent court historian, alongside the emperor's edict and the ox-drawn curved plow.

With her arms folded, she stood before her pigsty, watching Shen Ning scoop steaming pig feed into the trough. The five piglets grunted contentedly as they ate, oblivious to their impending fate.

"They've grown healthy and strong, with vitality to spare."

Time for castration.

Sang Luo fixed her gaze on her five pigs.

Two boars and three sows.

She recalled that castration could be performed on both genders, but she didn't quite grasp the purpose of castrating females. Thus, her attention fell upon the two boars.

Which one should she choose?

Such a difficult decision.

Xizhou lacked livestock, so it was out of the question to castrate them all. However, Sang Luo believed it was worth trying with one, as castrated pork tasted significantly better. Moreover, the animals grew faster and healthier, making the practice worthy of promotion.

Without a good example, how could she convince the villagers outside the city to try it once their pigs had matured and produced the next generation of piglets?

Castrating pigs is actually best done when they're still young, as the wound is smaller and the risk of infection is lower.

"A'ning, look at these two boars we have at home. Which one has a healthier physique?"

Logically, the strongest should be kept for breeding purposes. But without a professional castrator, Sang Luo had to rely on her scattered knowledge from books, which made her feel uncertain. So, she decided to choose the one with the best physique, as it would recover from the procedure more quickly.

Shen Ning was unaware of her sister-in-law's intention and pointed at one piglet that was greedily eating. "This one with the black spot on its ear. It's the easiest to raise and the most competitive for food."

Sang Luo smiled. "Then, let's go with this one."

Shen Ning: "???"

"You'll find out later."

Upon returning from the provincial school, Shen Lie and Shen An received a new task – castrating a pig.

The brothers were bewildered, a chill running down their spines.

"Castration?"

Any man, regardless of age, would feel a chill run down his spine when uttering that term.

San Luo nodded earnestly. "That's right."

Without giving them time to ponder the meaning of life, she explained the principle behind the saying "uncastrated pigs don't gain weight, and uncastrated pigs don't stay calm." She described the process of castration in detail, leaving Shen Lie and Shen An to mull it over.

Indeed, they had to give it serious thought. Who had ever attempted such a task? They had to study the pig upside down, wary of accidentally killing the healthy animal.

After much deliberation, Shen Lie concluded that specialized tools were necessary for safety. He carved one out of wood and sought out a blacksmith the following day.

The piglet with the black-patched ear had recently been taken out for inspection by its masters almost every other day. After a few days, it initially struggled but eventually grew accustomed to the process and cooperated willingly.

One day, when the piglet felt an unusual chill in its private parts, its innate sensitivity told it something was amiss. It let out a piercing cry, echoing through the mountains, alarming Old Man Chen, Chen Youtian, Chen Ershan, Father and Son Zhou Village Head, and the Jin brothers.

They then witnessed Shen Lie castrating the pig.

The group of men's legs trembled as they asked, "What are you doing?"

Shen Lie smeared some wood ashes on the pig before confining it in a relatively cleaner pen. Watching the terrified pig rush about before finally huddling in the corner, grunting incessantly, he composed himself before addressing Old Man Chen and the others. "A' Luo has been contemplating a new method of hog farming. She says that castrating pigs that aren't intended for breeding can make them grow healthier. We're not sure yet, so we're just giving it a try."

If someone else had made that claim, would anyone have believed it? But since Sang Luo said it, everyone fell silent for a moment, too hesitant to look at the bloodied testicles but still crowding around to inspect the squealing pig.

"Could it really survive?"

Shen Lie: "...."

Could he say that he didn't know either?

The two brothers would check on the pig before and after school every day for the next few days.

Everyone in the village knew about the castrated pig in the Shen family's household, and even the teenagers had heard about it. Everyday, there were people coming by the pigsty to see if the pig was still alive.

Sang Luo was no different. With only five pigs in her family, she was worried too. She visited three times a day to check on it. At first, she suspected the pig might lose its will to live due to its listlessness, wishing it would starve itself to death. However, after some time, it seemed as though it had channeled its sorrow into appetite. All of its energy was focused on eating!

It ate, then slept, then ate again, and slept...

Madame Chen, Madame Lu, and Gan all went from disbelief to gradual acceptance. Madame Chen whispered, "You know, this is just like a man, isn't it? When he has nothing to worry about, he just eats and sleeps. If it continues like this, it will surely grow bigger."

San Luo couldn't help but chuckle.

Amidst the pigsty, Xu Wenying and Shen Ning rushed over. Shen Ning called out as she ran, "Big Sister, Big Sister, people from the government office are here!"

Who were these people from the government office?

San Luo took a few steps forward. The group was already approaching, led by Censor Zeng's attendant, followed closely by Lady Fan, the wife of the Censor, accompanied by her servants and maids.

Lady Fan's pace was incredibly swift, and before long, she arrived before San Luo. "Madam San, quickly, your household needs to make preparations. The imperial edict is arriving momentarily."

Both Mother Xu, who had come to see what was happening, and Wei Lingzhen, were stunned, sharing the same reaction as San Luo.

"What imperial edict?" San Luo asked, realizing her own mistake. "You mean the curved plow?"

Lady Fan looked at San Luo and smiled. It wasn't just about the curved plow; Jianye City had become Chang'an City. She hadn't expected such a coincidence.

But she didn't elaborate, for fear of alarming them. Instead, she said with a smile, "Yes, His Majesty has issued commendations. The envoy delivering the edict will arrive soon. Madam, please hasten your preparations to receive it."