Chapter 256: New Crops

Chapter 256: New Crops

Emilio from Luzon thought he was the hunter, little knowing that Meng Wan's heart had been racing from the moment he saw him.

Meng Wan had long wanted to get seeds from other countries that Yu didn't have. Emilio was practically the best gift heaven could send him.

So it was no surprise that he caught Meng Wan's attention. Even if Emilio hadn't meant any harm, Meng Wan wouldn't have let him go as easily as he'd claimed.

After parading the group through the dungeon of the government office, Meng Wan brought out Emilio and his eight companions and housed them at the courier station.

"Emilio, I treated you sincerely, even planning to send you all the way to the sugar workshop. Isn't that a bit much for a friend?"

Meng Wan wore a deep blue side-fastened long gown with slightly wide sleeves, the collar and cuffs embroidered with dark blue-black patterns. This was a work from the teachers of the Huie (Wisdom) Class Embroidery Class at Songyun College—specifically designed for Meng Wan, with aesthetics far superior to his usual reckless, handsome-but-messy style.

Now that most children were learning characters in the Wisdom Class, the Huie Class teachers had nothing to do and felt guilty about receiving Meng Wan's wages for nothing, so they took over making Meng Wan's new clothes.

He was sitting in the courier station's reception hall, surrounded by burly porters from the station, all glaring menacingly at the nine people from Luzon below.

"That's not what I meant… I want to be friends with you too, please… please forgive me." Emilio's legs were shaking; he couldn't even cry, unable to imagine what kind of big shot he had provoked.

"But you've really let me down." Meng Wan sighed, a look of regret on his face.

As soon as he finished speaking, Na Tuo stepped forward immediately, his towering figure blocking Emilio completely.

Even standing up, Emilio was a head shorter than Na Tuo; now sitting in his chair, it felt like a mountain was blocking him. He nearly slid off his chair and fell to his knees.

"Master! Please give me another chance! I… I… I am a special envoy from Luzon. If you let me go, I will return to my country and offer you a huge sum of money."

Meng Wan said coolly, "Do you think I'm stupid? You say you're a special envoy from Luzon, but where are the relevant documents? How can you prove who you are?"

Emilio had no relevant documents. For an envoy from another country to come to Yu, they had to first submit documents to the Ministry of Rites. Only after the emperor gave his approval could the envoy be given an audience.

The problem was that Emilio was sent by the King of Luzon to secretly learn sugar-making. That was essentially smuggling. If he were discovered, his identity would implicate Luzon, so how would the king ever let him carry documents proving his identity?

"I really am!" Emilio was about to cry, offering only feeble excuses.

Meng Wan slowly tapped his slender fingers on the side table and then proposed a compromise. "Alright, I've seen some geographical records mentioning Luzon. If you can describe a few things about the ordinary people's clothing, food, and daily life there, and if it matches what the records say, fine, I'll believe you're a special envoy from Luzon."

Emilio blurted out eagerly, "I can! People there all grow rice…"

Meng Wan's fingertips went white from pressing the table as he held his breath, listening intently to Emilio's next words.

Then Emilio suddenly rattled off a string of words in the Luzon language.

Meng Wan hadn't felt his emotions yo-yo like this in a long time. He gritted his teeth and smiled dangerously at Emilio. "Are you messing with me?"

Damn it, this guy wasn't even speaking English. Based on the region, it should be Austronesian, and Meng Wan couldn't understand a single damn word.

Scared that he might lose his head any second, Emilio waved his hands frantically to explain, "After coming to Yu, I only know the word for rice—I haven't seen the rest, so I don't know how to describe them."

Meng Wan's heart pounded even harder. "Not seen" meant Yu didn't have it!

"Old Zhang, get me the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone!"

"Emilio, try to describe those things the best you can, got it?"

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Meng Wan took up the brush and began drawing on the paper. Emilio, terrified, described every crop in painstaking detail to save his own neck.

Meng Wan quickly singled out a few crops that Yu didn't have from Emilio's descriptions. Then he set down the brush, expression calm, and dried and rolled up the papers before him. "Xue Sheng, let's go home first."

Xue Sheng went out first. "Yes, young master, I'll go hitch the carriage."

"And… and us?" Emilio asked, full of hope.

He thought that if he could prove he was from Luzon, Meng Wan would let him go. If he could leave, he'd head straight back to Luzon. Yu was far too dangerous—even if he went back and got framed by his enemies, he wouldn't come to Yu again!

"You stay here for now. I'll decide after I verify whether what you said is true or false." Meng Wan's steps were slightly quicker than usual as he replied casually.

Emilio looked at the sturdy men around him, on the verge of tears. That's not what you said just now!

When Meng Wan got home, Song Tingzhou hadn't returned yet. He had been busy very late lately.

The first round of the prefectural exam in Xiwu Prefecture was over, and the next step was the retest, with the education commissioner and his staff grading the papers. To ensure fairness, local authorities were barred from interfering. Song Tingzhou, Professor Shan, and the instructors had no authority to grade the exam papers.

This was the first time Song Tingzhou, as prefect, had assisted the education commissioner in holding the prefectural trial, so naturally he was nervous.

The reforms to the county schools and prefectural schools had not yet spanned half a year, so results were hard to see. It was possible Xiwu Prefecture would produce zero scholars again, or at most one, just like in previous years.

In fact, even back when Song Tingzhou himself took the prefectural exam years ago, despite all the ups and downs along the way, he hadn't been as nervous as he was now.

Xue Sheng went to the government office later to deliver dinner to Song Tingzhou. Song Tingzhou looked up from his desk. "Where's Wan'er?"

In previous days, Meng Wan had come to deliver meals, sometimes bringing the two children along.

Xue Sheng opened the food box and placed the dishes one by one on an empty table nearby. "The young master had matters to handle at home and said he wouldn't be coming."

"Mm." Song Tingzhou paused, set down his brush, washed his hands, and went over to eat.

That night when he came home, Song Tingzhou walked a little faster. Meng Wan was reading by the lamp, with several thin or thick books scattered on the table.

"Looking for a book?"

Meng Wan looked up, saw him, got up quickly, and dragged him over.

Song Tingzhou first observed Meng Wan, making sure he showed no sign of being upset or wronged, only excitement and hope in his eyes.

"Today, I bought some overseas travelogues at the bookstore, but most are just a few vague sentences. I couldn't find any substantive summary. Do we have any books on Luzon at home?" Meng Wan held his hand and asked in front of the bookshelf.

Song Tingzhou's gaze softened. "There's a Records of Overseas Countries. I'll find it for you."

His collection of books was extraordinary. If Meng Wan was the kind who bought a new house wherever he moved, Song Tingzhou, whenever he passed a new place, always thought of buying books.

Their study had two desks pushed together, but the two bookshelves were filled mostly with Song Tingzhou's books. Meng Wan's account books were barely touched after they were checked, so they were mostly packed in boxes—five large boxes, all stacked in the room right next to the study.

Of course, Song Tingzhou's books were piled even higher.

Every box was labeled, so he could easily find the one he needed.

"This is the Records of Overseas Countries I bought in Shengjing." Song Tingzhou lifted the hem of his robe and squatted down, handing a thin volume to Meng Wan.

Meng Wan squatted next to him, grabbed the book, and eagerly started flipping through it.

Song Tingzhou helped him up as if he were a baby, led him to sit on the soft couch in the bedroom, and lit an oil lamp on the table for him.

During this time, Meng Wan's eyes never left the pages—more focused than when Song Tingzhou himself was studying for the imperial exams.

When Song Tingzhou came back from his bath, Meng Wan had already found what he wanted.

"Come here, quick." His eyes were bright, his voice excited.

Song Tingzhou sat directly behind him, wrapping his arms around him entirely. "What's wrong?"

Without warning, Meng Wan lifted his head and gave a firm kiss to Song Tingzhou's chin. Pointing at the now-messy low table, he said, "According to the book, Luzon should be to the southeast of the Yu Kingdom, with the South Sea in between. It's mainly a group of islands in the sea, relatively close to Leizhou Prefecture and Qinzhou Prefecture. The climate there is humid and hot, rich in fruits—similar to our Xi Wu Prefecture."

Song Tingzhou listened attentively to Meng Wan, occasionally offering comments. "I've heard that Luzon is rainy, with a hot climate and no winter at all."

Meng Wan nodded twice. "Exactly, that's why it produces so many tropical fruits."

"Tropical?" Song Tingzhou found the term odd.

"A very hot region. Let me continue." After rambling casually, Meng Wan went on, "The terrain of that country is different from any prefecture in the Yu Kingdom, which is why they have many unique fruits that we don't have. That's nothing special, though—fruits are just for enjoyment; having them or not is just an extra touch."

"But—" Meng Wan finally got to the main point. He shuffled a few sheets of rice paper on the low table. Song Tingzhou also shifted his gaze from Meng Wan's face to the drawings on the table.

The drawings depicted all sorts of strange crops, with small annotations below them, and even a string of very odd symbols.

"They have unique crops native to their land! Some yields can even match potatoes!" Meng Wan was inexplicably excited, because in this world, no one else but Luo Jining knew better how important sweet potatoes and corn were to the land of Huaxia.

Song Tingzhou's usually calm expression gradually turned serious as he listened. "Wan'er? Is what you're saying true?"

Meng Wan pointed at one of the drawings on the paper—a plant with vines at the top. Its stems were slender and branched, with nodes. The leaves were palmate, with long tips and varying sizes. At the bottom were its tuberous roots, spindle-shaped, slightly pointed at both ends, and plump in the middle.

"Are the roots below edible?" Song Tingzhou immediately caught the key point. His family was made up of genuine farmers, and he had worked in the fields. When he served as the County Magistrate of Heshan County, he personally taught villagers to reclaim wasteland and cultivate crops like potatoes.

"Yes, the roots are edible. And according to Emilio, this crop is highly adaptable—tolerant of poor soil and drought, suitable for hillsides and slopes. It's not picky about soil or water, easy to plant and survive. A single seedling can yield several tubers, and the output can reach a thousand jin per mu!"

These words from Meng Wan were full of substance, without any selfish motive. Whether something tasted good or not didn't matter compared to yield and ease of cultivation. What mattered was that it could complement potatoes and fill people's bellies!

Song Tingzhou, his chest pressed against Meng Wan's, felt his heart pounding violently, then gradually steadied. He spoke in a deep voice, "Wan'er, don't make this public for now."

Meng Wan turned his head to look up at him. "Lan Niang's father, Count Fuen, was granted the title of count for his contributions in growing beans. Are you worried we'll become the target of public criticism?"

Count Fuen, originally an ordinary farmer, was granted the title of count by chance. Apart from the annual stipend of a count and a royal estate bestowed by the emperor, he received no substantial benefits.

The title of count sounds noble and prestigious, but in reality, Count Fuen's family was in an awkward position. His son couldn't inherit the title, and the aristocratic families didn't regard them highly. Only the lower and middle classes were somewhat polite to Count Fuen.

Song Tingzhou was on the path to becoming a powerful official. Copying Count Fuen's route was not advisable. Brief glory would only thrust him into the spotlight, and he was not yet strong enough, while the court was rife with intrigue.

Discovering a superior crop and governing a region well were two different concepts. For example, there were over a thousand counties in the Yu Kingdom, large and small. Under Song Tingzhou's governance, Heshan County enjoyed such peace that doors were left unlocked at night, no one picked up lost items on the streets, the elderly and children were safe, and all was harmonious.

The sugar workshop outside the county town was the first of its kind in all of Lingnan. One single county had boosted the entire prefecture's livelihood and commerce. He also had achievements in opening mountains and building roads, integrating the Zhuang, Yao, and Miao peoples with ordinary citizens, and increasing the population.

Unless something unexpected happened, when he returned to the capital for an audience at the end of the year, he would be promoted another rank. Such a pace of promotion was rare in this dynasty.

Any perceptive person could see that Song Tingzhou had a bright future and great potential. Under such circumstances, Count Fuen, who held an empty title, had less prestige than Song Tingzhou.

Song Tingzhou's focus was on the people. Before confirming the yield and other drawbacks of the new crop, it was better not to publicize it.

Meng Wan agreed with this, but he was more meticulous, focusing on the immediate situation. If they weren't so far from the capital, they would already be in Prince Lian's crosshairs. On top of that, they had offended the Wu family and had just appeased Luo Jining of the Luo family. Standing out in such a situation might incur the enmity of all three families. Maintaining the status quo was the better option.

"I understand. Tomorrow I'll make proper arrangements for those people from Luzon and make sure they don't go blabbing about this." Having thought through the causes and consequences, Meng Wan formed a plan in his mind.

Song Tingzhou agreed, "Good. Let's discuss it thoroughly after the prefectural examination is over."

It was getting late. He scooped up Meng Wan and carried him to the bed, letting down the curtains. The oil lamp on the table was left unattended. The melted wax overflowed like spring water, gradually covering the wick, tenderly enveloping the faint glow until it slowly faded from sight.