Chapter 154: Princess Consort Wu 154

Chapter 154: Princess Consort Wu 154

Inside the Yangxin Palace.

Yongzheng sprang up from his dragon throne, looking at Yinqi with a face full of joy, "Fifth Brother, what yield per mu are you saying?"

Yinqi bowed again and replied, "Your Majesty, An Qing estimates that the average yield per mu should reach over four hundred fifty catties."

Of course, this was a conservative estimate, as it was based solely on the current condition of the wheat ears, so it was better to be cautious.

Yongzheng walked down from his seat, brimming with excitement. Four hundred fifty catties!

The Thirteenth Prince also understood, having served in the Agricultural Administration Department for years, giving him a good grasp of the grain yields across Great Qing.

It was important to note that without major natural disasters, the current average wheat yield per mu in Great Qing was only one hundred eighty catties. Even in the best fields in the south during bumper harvests, the wheat yield rarely exceeded three hundred catties.

This was already the result of years of tireless efforts by An Qing and agricultural officials, spreading basic farming knowledge. Yet, this new variety had more than doubled the current yield!

Moreover, both Yongzheng and the Thirteenth Prince knew An Qing and Yinqi well. They were always reliable, and if Yinqi said the yield could reach four hundred fifty catties, it would likely exceed that.

Yongzheng suddenly asked, seemingly remembering something, "Fifth Brother, is there a possibility of widespread cultivation of this wheat?"

Yinqi immediately understood Yongzheng's concern. When they first proposed 'pressing wheat' in Mulan, An Qing's wheat yield was already high, but the seeds couldn't be widely used. Yongzheng must have recalled that incident.

However, over the past twenty years, An Qing had made continuous improvements, not only increasing the yield but also stabilizing it to a point where it could be widely cultivated.

Yinqi nodded slightly and replied, "This improved wheat variety has stable yields and can be cultivated throughout Great Qing. If possible, Your Majesty, you could select test sites for planting this autumn."

Hearing this, Yongzheng was overjoyed. "Excellent! Fifth Brother, you and Fifth Sister-in-Law have done a great service to me."

With such an excellent variety now available, once it was widely cultivated, Great Qing would surely enter a golden age under his rule!

However, the immediate priority was to address the pressing issue at hand.

The next day, Yongzheng walked with a spring in his step, radiating joy.

The ministers were all puzzled. Did the Emperor have some good news today?

Rumors about his legitimacy as ruler were rampant, and no solution had been found yet. Could there be a solution now?

But that seemed unlikely given the current situation. The locust plague was real, and since ancient times, people believed it was a sign of divine wrath. Only a self-criticism edict might resolve it, which no emperor would resort to unless absolutely necessary.

"Ministers, any further reports? If not, let's..."

Just as the ministers thought the session was ending, Yongzheng changed the topic. "Today, the weather is quite nice. If there's nothing else, let's go for a walk in the outskirts."

Everyone was taken aback, except for Yinqi and the Thirteenth Prince who knew the situation. The others began guessing Yongzheng's intentions.

Why suddenly go to the outskirts? Given Yongzheng's diligence since ascending the throne, it couldn't be just for a stroll.

But Yongzheng didn't give them a chance to figure it out, leading the ministers briskly toward the outskirts.

Initially, many were confused, but as they progressed, some began to suspect the purpose.

For example, Zhang Tingyu, when he saw Yongzheng heading toward An Qing's Royal Manor, had a hunch but wasn't entirely sure.

When Yongzheng led everyone to the Royal Manor, An Qing was already waiting at the gate with her children. Besides Hongang and Yalic, who had been with her at the manor, Hong Zhi and Honghui had been sent by Yongzheng after the morning session to greet An Qing.

Honghui initially didn't understand, but Hong Zhi explained the situation on the way, leaving Honghui ecstatic. This was great; his father's predicament finally had a solution.

Not just Honghui, but Hong Zhi was also elated upon learning this, proud of his mother's achievement.

After An Qing and the children greeted Yongzheng, he smiled and began his performance.

"Today, seeing the nice weather, I brought the ministers out for a stroll. We happened to pass by Fifth Sister-in-Law's manor, so I thought we'd drop by. I hope it doesn't disrupt your work."

An Qing felt helpless inside but maintained a composed demeanor. "Your Majesty is too kind. Not at all. The wheat on the manor is ripe today. Would you like to see it?"

Yongzheng waved his hand confidently. "Certainly, I would love to."

The ministers weren't fools and had their suspicions. Could Princess Consort Heng's wheat hold some surprise?

Yongzheng led everyone to a wheat field. Seeing the golden waves of wheat, even those unfamiliar with farming were impressed. Princess Consort Heng's wheat looked truly remarkable.

For the agricultural officials and those who had studied at the agricultural school, the difference was clear. The wheat ears were heavier and larger than any they had seen before.

Standing beside Yongzheng, Zhang Tingyu remembered something and turned to An Qing, surprised. "Princess Consort, this wheat is..."

Is it the variety she has been cultivating for years?

The officials from the Agricultural Administration Department reacted similarly, their faces filled with disbelief. "Princess Consort, is this a new variety?"

An Qing smiled and nodded, continuing to play along. "Yes, I've been working on breeding for years. It's a blessing from heaven for Great Qing."

She said it was a blessing from heaven, but everyone understood the underlying meaning.

The ministers looked at Yongzheng, realizing why he was so happy today.

Good varieties were rare. If Princess Consort Heng's wheat could increase yields, even by just two or three percent, it would be a significant breakthrough. The rumors about his legitimacy would naturally dissipate. How could they claim divine displeasure now when such a blessing had arrived?

"Audacious to ask, Lady Fu Jin, what is the yield of your wheat?" one minister asked.

An Qing pointed in the direction of the wheat fields and replied, "Your Honors have seen for yourselves; the wheat in the fields has yet to be harvested."

Her implication was clear: if you don't know, how could I possibly know?

But the crowd wasn't foolish. They didn't believe An Qing truly didn't know. Breeding new varieties doesn't happen overnight, and it's impossible to achieve without thorough knowledge.

Moreover, Yongzheng had clearly come prepared today. The Prince Heng couple were known for their meticulousness. If they didn't know the exact yield, they wouldn't have arranged this demonstration.

A hint of a smile flashed across Zhang Tingyu's face as he turned to Yongzheng and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, we should send more people to help Lady Fu Jin harvest the wheat in the fields so that we can weigh the yield on the spot."

Yongzheng had intended this all along and saw no reason to refuse.

Thus, the plan was set. Thirteenth Prince arranged for many guards and soldiers to assist with the wheat harvest, and several ministers also joined in. An Qing had already invited many local villagers to help.

In her view, if they were going to do this, they needed not only to show the ministers but also to involve some commoners as witnesses.

With many hands making light work, An Qing had planted about a hundred acres of experimental wheat on her estate. With sufficient manpower, the entire process of harvesting and threshing was completed in just one day.

In previous years, An Qing had developed a method based on modern techniques to separate wheat grains directly from the stalks without needing to dry and crush them. After separation, the wheat was dried.

The next step was the long-awaited weighing. Given the significant amount of wheat from over a hundred acres, Yongzheng had assigned specific areas to officials from the Six Ministries to oversee the harvesting. Now, each group would weigh and report their results.

When the officials presented their tallies, many faces still bore expressions of astonishment, clearly shocked by the actual numbers.

After consolidating the reports, the average yield per acre of the hundred acres was astonishingly high at six hundred catties!

Despite being mentally prepared, the crowd couldn't help but gasp.

An Qing quickly explained, "The wheat hasn't been fully dried yet, and there are still some chaff remnants mixed in. We need to account for the moisture content to get an accurate figure."

The Agricultural Administration Department officials had experience with this. Based on their tests, the weight loss after drying was approximately 10%. Thus, with a current yield of six hundred catties, after drying, the loss would be sixty catties, leaving a final yield of five hundred catties per acre, which was guaranteed to be accurate or even higher.

One cautious official asked, "Lady Fu Jin, are these fields all prime farmland?"

Prince Heng's estate, granted by the late emperor, was quite extensive, with both prime and inferior land. If all the wheat was grown on prime land, the yield might need to be adjusted downward.

An Qing shook her head, turned to Perilla for the records of the wheat trials, and handed them to Yongzheng.

"These records detail the trial planting of wheat on over a hundred acres, including inferior, medium, and prime land. The prime and inferior lands make up a small portion, while most are medium-quality fields."

Given the current situation in Great Qing, most wheat is grown on medium-quality land. Prime land is too scarce to be representative, while inferior land is better suited for crops like sweet potatoes.

The ministers exchanged glances before kneeling before Yongzheng. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! This excellent variety is a blessing for our Great Qing and its people!"

A yield of five hundred catties per acre was double the previous yield. This meant a significant increase in annual wheat production, providing more surplus grain for the populace and filling the national granaries.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have dared to imagine it.

Even though Yongzheng had anticipated Yinqi's reserved remarks, he couldn't help but be amazed. "Excellent, excellent, excellent! Lady Fu Jin An Qing, who cultivated such an excellent variety, is a great benefactor to our Great Qing."

The ministers echoed his praise.

An Qing, still somewhat uncomfortable with the attention, felt much better than before, at least she didn't need Yinqi to shield her anymore.

"Your Majesty, since you're here, why not take a look at the paddy fields?" An Qing suggested.

Yongzheng's eyes lit up at the mention of paddy fields.

Paddy fields?

Could it be that she has also bred an excellent rice variety?

An Qing didn't deny it. Although the rice hadn't reached harvest time yet, it had already formed panicles, and anyone could see the difference.

She had decided to present both hybrid wheat and hybrid rice seeds together, so there was no need to hide anything now.

With the precedent of hybrid wheat, when Yongzheng and the ministers arrived at the paddy fields, they easily noticed the differences.

"Audacious to ask, Lady Fu Jin, what is the yield of your rice?" one minister asked.

An Qing replied straightforwardly, "The yield of the rice isn't as high as the wheat, but four hundred catties per acre should be achievable."

Although she wasn't entirely satisfied with the yield of the hybrid rice, scientific research is a continuous process. Four hundred catties was a significant breakthrough compared to the current standards. Promoting it early would benefit the people sooner.

For future improvements, further research would continue, and newer varieties could be introduced later.

Undoubtedly, Yongzheng's visit was highly successful. He had expected only a wheat variety but found a rice variety as well. He could envision the nationwide excitement when the news spread.

Fifth Sister-in-law was truly a blessing to Great Qing. Of course, she and Fifth Brother were blessings to him as well!

The next day, Yongzheng issued an edict announcing that Lady Fu Jin An Qing had cultivated excellent varieties of wheat and rice, with the rice yielding four hundred catties per acre and the wheat five hundred catties per acre.

The news caused a sensation throughout the nation.

Since many commoners had witnessed it firsthand, the news spread rapidly.

No one cared about the locust disaster anymore. The focus everywhere was on when these varieties would be widely distributed.

If someone else had developed these varieties, there might have been doubts, but it was Lady Fu Jin, believed to be the reincarnation of the Goddess of Agriculture. No one doubted her.

Thus, officials from various regions began submitting requests for the seeds, eager to be included in the first batch of trial plantings so that their local populations could benefit sooner, and their performance evaluations would improve.

Yongzheng, known for his efficiency, discussed with his loyal advisors and immediately designated ten trial sites in both the south and north for planting.

An Qing had arranged the seed selection after the rice harvest at her manor. At the same time, she and Hongang compiled various planting precautions into a booklet, which Yongzheng arranged to have copied and distributed along with the seeds to each experimental site.

Spring passed, autumn came; cold arrived, heat followed—the four seasons cycled and changed.

Yongzheng’s smile never left his face as he read through the congratulatory reports from all over the country.

After last year’s locust disaster, it had been more than a year now. The people had already harvested two seasons of grain, and the locusts did not return again. Everyone finally felt relieved, certain that there would be no consecutive years of locust disasters.

The experimental sites for hybrid wheat designated last year had a bumper harvest last month, with yields exceeding five hundred catties per mu. Now, the rice harvest was also in, yielding four hundred and fifty catties per mu. Next year, they could be widely promoted.

Not going hungry has always been the most basic and greatest wish of the common people, and now they saw hope.

Thus, people everywhere were ecstatic, taking to the streets to celebrate this historic moment.

Yongzheng looked at the letter in his hand, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. "Thirteenth Brother, come take a look at this."

The Thirteenth Prince took a large sheet of paper from Yongzheng and unfolded it. "A petition?"

Yongzheng nodded with a smile and said, "This is from Li Wei. He says it’s a petition signed by ten thousand people from Hai Ning, wanting to request a title for Fifth Sister-in-law."

Hai Ning belongs to Zhejiang province and was one of the hardest-hit areas during last year’s locust disaster. An Qing spent the longest time here, working tirelessly with the local people in the fields to combat the locusts.

Today, their petition was a heartfelt expression of gratitude to An Qing for helping them overcome the crisis and saving their families. After all, successfully protecting their families during such a severe locust disaster was truly unprecedented.

The Thirteenth Prince was taken aback but quickly understood Yongzheng’s intention. "Your Majesty, do you intend to grant Fifth Sister-in-law a title?"

Yongzheng gave a light nod.

Ever since An Qing presented the superior seeds last year, the rewards from the palace poured into Prince Heng's Palace—gold, silver, jewelry, and estates—but Yongzheng still felt it was not enough.

However, he had been struggling with how to further reward her. But now, Li Wei’s petition suddenly enlightened him: if granting an official position was not possible, then a title would suffice.

A title of a Prince of the First Rank would be more than fitting for Fifth Sister-in-law’s contributions!