Chapter 410: Harvest

Chapter 410: Bountiful Harvest

Wen County was neither prosperous nor wealthy, so there was no traveling palace, nor was there time to build one temporarily. Emperor Xingyuan stayed in a manor provided by a local wealthy landowner.

The manor was located in the west of the city, covering a vast area with mountains and rivers nearby. Though not as exquisite as a royal estate, it had its own rustic charm.

Breathing in the fragrant air scented with flowers, Emperor Xingyuan sighed, "Though Wen County is not well-known, it is indeed a good place."

The subsequent banquet and meal arrangements needn't be described in detail. After everything concluded, Emperor Xingyuan asked Grand Eunuch Sun Yan, who had returned to his side, "How have Ayou and Changle Marquis been during this time?"

Sun Yan recalled the image of the two secretly holding hands but replied with utmost sincerity, "Your Majesty, over these past months, Princess Ayou and Changle Marquis have been proper in their affection, never crossing boundaries."

Emperor Xingyuan felt a wave of relief, and his resentment toward He Qingxiao for deceiving the throne lessened considerably. "At least he knows the rules," he muttered. Yet a doubt crept in: a young man in the prime of his life, spending every day with the one he loves—how could he restrain himself so well? Is the boy made of stone?

Or is there something... lacking in him?

The thought left Emperor Xingyuan conflicted.

"Your Majesty, you should rest early. The journey was taxing—take some proper rest," Sun Yan advised.

But Emperor Xingyuan could not sleep. "Where are the sweet potato fields? Are they ready for harvest? How much was planted?"

Sun Yan answered each question, though some details he knew, others he did not.

Only then did Emperor Xingyuan bathe, change clothes, and retire for the night.

Early the next morning, Emperor Xingyuan, accompanied by his ministers, personally visited the sweet potato fields.

What greeted his eyes was a sea of vines. Surprised, he remarked, "So much was planted?"

This didn't match Sun Yan's report.

Xin You quickly clarified, "Of these five acres, only one is planted with sweet potatoes. The rest are covered with vines resembling sweet potato leaves. The same goes for the other two fields."

Emperor Xingyuan hesitated a moment before understanding.

This was a defense against tampering—planting similar-looking vines as camouflage.

"It seems to be growing well. Is this poorer-quality land?"

Upon receiving confirmation, Emperor Xingyuan proceeded to inspect the medium and high-grade fields.

A martial artist by training, he had not neglected his physical condition even during his years as emperor. After the tour, he returned to the manor still full of energy, while some ministers were clearly struggling to keep up.

Seated in the hall used for discussions, Emperor Xingyuan sat with a satisfied smile.

Though the yield of sweet potatoes was still unknown, the sight of the lush fields and the memory of their delicious taste put him in excellent humor.

"Gentlemen, you have all seen it—that is the sweet potato growing in the fields."

Emperor Xingyuan's tone was excited, but the ministers' faces showed mixed reactions: confusion, skepticism, resignation—as if they had come all this way for nothing.

The Minister of Revenue inquired, "Your Majesty, what exactly is this sweet potato? What is its use?"

Was it edible, could it be used to extract oil, or was it medicinal?

Emperor Xingyuan glanced at Xin You and smiled. "Sweet potatoes can serve as a staple food."

"A staple food?!" he asked incredulously.

The ministers exchanged glances with odd looks.

All this commotion over staple food like rice and wheat?

At this, some were disappointed while others were secretly pleased.

If Xin You's creations were worthless, then naturally they posed no threat.

"Ayou." Emperor Xingyuan nodded at Xin You.

Xin You turned and left, returning a moment later with a tray.

Everyone leaned forward to look, seeing two white porcelain plates on the tray, each holding two spindle-shaped tubers.

Emperor Xingyuan pointed: "This is the sweet potato, a root vegetable. Last year when envoys went overseas, Ayou had it specially brought back from abroad. Now that it's finally harvested, let's all try some."

Xin You took the small knife handed to her by Sun Yan and cut the four sweet potatoes into pieces.

Normally she wouldn't do this herself, but since she was the one who facilitated the sweet potatoes from nothing, it meant something special. It was most appropriate for Xin You to personally cut and distribute them now.

In a sense, this was an honor.

The ministers watched intently as the purple-red skin of the sweet potatoes was cut open, revealing golden flesh inside.

It actually looked pretty good.

Sun Yan carried the cut sweet potatoes, starting with Emperor Xingyuan and Prince Xiu, then serving everyone else.

"Try it."

After Emperor Xingyuan spoke, everyone chewed slowly, but found the sweet potato so soft and smooth that it practically melted in their mouths.

"How does it taste?" Emperor Xingyuan observed everyone's reactions.

"The sweet potato is really delicious."

"Hmm, quite tasty, especially suitable for the elderly and children."

"This texture is remarkable for a staple food."

Hearing the ministers' comments, Emperor Xingyuan smiled: "The sweet potato is delicious and filling. In cold regions it can be planted in spring and harvested in autumn; in warm regions, two crops a year, maybe even four. Most importantly—"

The ministers pricked up their ears.

Emperor Xingyuan said word by word: "It's not picky about soil quality—even the poorest land can yield abundant harvests."

These words hit like a thunderbolt, shocking everyone.

Not picky about soil, can be planted in all seasons if the climate allows—this could solve hunger problems!

The Minister of Revenue immediately sprang up, asking excitedly: "Your Majesty, what's the yield per mu for sweet potatoes?"

"The yield per mu of sweet potatoes—" Emperor Xingyuan paused, holding back the high-yield figures Xin You had mentioned earlier, adopting a mysterious tone, "This is precisely why I brought you all south. After all, sweet potatoes are foreign crops. Just talking about yields means nothing—seeing is believing."

This sparked everyone's curiosity, and they went with Emperor Xingyuan to watch the sweet potato harvest.

Xin You first led everyone to the poorest fields, where many tenant farmers were already waiting with hoes, baskets, and other tools prepared.

"Begin."

At the command, the hired farmers sprang into action with fiery enthusiasm.

Pulling away the vines, they dug down with hoes, bringing up clusters of soil-caked sweet potatoes. After shaking off the dirt and roots, they placed them into wicker baskets.

Basket after basket quickly filled...

As the filled baskets piled up, Emperor Xingyuan grew increasingly excited.

With many hands at work, the task was completed swiftly, and soon an entire acre of sweet potatoes had been harvested.

Emperor Xingyuan kept his eyes glued to the weighing of the sweet potatoes.

The Minister of Revenue took over from the person originally in charge of recording the weight and tallied the final count himself.

"Nine bushels! A whopping nine bushels!" he exclaimed after completing the calculations.

"Is this really from lower-grade land?" asked several officials familiar with agriculture.

Upon receiving confirmation, the crowd was stunned.

Lower-grade land typically yielded at most two bushels per acre, yet these sweet potatoes had produced nine bushels—more than four times the usual output!

His imperial composure slipping, a grin spread across his face as Emperor Xingyuan waved his hand decisively. "Without wasting a moment, let’s move on to the medium-grade fields!"

The group made their way in an impressive procession to the medium-grade fields, where they once again witnessed baskets being filled with sweet potatoes freshly dug up.

"How much?"

"Sixteen bushels!" he bellowed, voice ringing across the fields.