kingnovel Chapter 1347 Stepping Out of That Door
Chapter 1347 Stepping Out of That Door
Upon hearing the farmer's reply, the emperor was delighted: "It won't be long before our Great Zhou is no longer short of food, so why bother eating these vines?"
The farmer was taken aback by his question and subconsciously replied, "Vegetables are precious, and they're not spoiled, so we can't just feed them to pigs, can we?"
Upon hearing this rhetorical question, the emperor fell into deep thought.
After a moment, he came to a seemingly impossible conclusion: "Perhaps ten years from now, or a hundred years from now, or even a thousand years from now, these vines may really be used to feed pigs."
He always believed that humanity was like a huge rough diamond, with unlimited potential.
A thousand years from now, perhaps not only will vegetables be used to feed pigs, but pork may also be used to feed dogs.
As for dog meat...
Forget it.
He quite likes dogs, so there's no need for him to eat their meat.
"Feeding pigs?" The farmer completely disagreed with this suggestion. "You must be joking. Take this year for example, if His Majesty hadn't been so benevolent towards his people, issuing an edict to establish relief workshops and provide refuge for displaced people, there would probably still be many poor souls outside the fields scavenging for rotten vegetable scraps to fill their stomachs. If people have nothing to eat, how could pigs possibly have any..."
Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, the emperor intended to say that he was "not joking," but upon hearing the second half, he instinctively felt a lump in his throat.
He couldn't help but ask, "In previous years... were there many people coming to the garden to pick up vegetable scraps?"
“There are so many, so many.” The farmer thought about the scene. “It’s not just picking, it’s scrambling! If someone is small and not strong, they won’t even be able to grab a rotten leaf! Oh dear… why am I telling you all this? The adults are looking over here. You can do as you please. I have to get back to digging!”
The farmer voluntarily ended the casual conversation.
The emperor looked at his back as he bent over again, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
More than ten years ago, he considered himself a wise ruler and climbed the observatory to overlook the capital more than once.
During the day, this vast capital city is bustling with traffic and people, full of prosperity.
At night, the magnificent imperial city was brightly lit, dazzling and displaying the majesty of the emperor.
At that time, he was full of self-satisfaction, believing that the country under his rule was peaceful and prosperous, and that he had fulfilled his duties as an emperor, living up to the expectations of the people and his ancestors.
But as one corrupt official after another was severely punished by him, time passed and circumstances changed without him realizing it, and the cloth strip that had been firmly covering his eyes disappeared without him knowing where.
Gradually, he discovered that the Great Zhou under his rule was not a peaceful and prosperous country, much less a country of peace and prosperity.
The walls of the imperial city were too high, trapping the flattery of court officials inside and keeping the cries of the common people outside.
So he chose to walk out of that door and tear down the wall in his heart.
In this world, anyone can be a fool, anyone can ignore the suffering of the people, but he cannot.
His people are still hoping that he will lead them to a better life, so he cannot be numb, much less back down.
The farmer didn't believe that pigs could eat fresh vines, so he was even more determined to cultivate such a prosperous world by his own hands, so that there would be no more famine in the world, and that piglets could also taste the flavor of fresh vines.
"Your Majesty...Master Bi!" Ji Benchang's shout interrupted his thoughts.
He turned around and saw Ji Benchang carrying several new crops, leading Yue Zhenchuan and others running towards him.
Looking at the steward of Jiahe Garden hanging behind them, he suddenly came to his senses: "Minister Ji, I just heard you say that the steward of the garden accidentally damaged several new crops?"
Ji Benchang suddenly stopped in his tracks.
I went to great lengths to conceal His Majesty's identity, only to have His Majesty reveal it the moment he opened his mouth?
Several agricultural teachers looked horrified and almost instantly knelt down: "Your Majesty, we were blind and failed to recognize you. Please forgive us!"
The emperor waved his hand and looked at Ji Benchang's arms: "These... are the damaged new crops?"
Ji Benchang nodded and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, what do you think... should be done to punish Steward Shen?"
The emperor turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Steward Shen, who was nearly fainting, and asked, "What kind of person is he?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Benchang knew that the emperor had no intention of imposing a severe punishment, and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, Steward Shen has always been diligent and attentive to the crops in the garden. Before the relief center was established, he often used his own money to help the surrounding refugees."
He paused, then added, "Furthermore, this old minister has already examined these four new crops with several agricultural experts, and none of them meet the standards for seed preservation..."
Hearing these words, which were both overt and covert pleas for mercy, the emperor was slightly surprised: "For my dear minister to plead like this, it seems that he is indeed a very diligent person."
Ji Benchang choked upon hearing this.
Could it be that in His Majesty's eyes, I am such a heartless person?
Thinking back to the year before last...
No, it seems like it was the year before last, when I even pleaded for Yue Zhenchuan at the court assembly!
Come to think of it... I'm not exactly heartless, am I?
"Enough." He was still recalling when he heard the Emperor say again, "Today is a joyous day. If Minister Shen were here, he certainly wouldn't want to see me punish someone."
With that, the Emperor looked at Steward Shen, who was kneeling on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "I will not punish you today, but you must remember clearly that the plants and trees in the garden are all related to the livelihood of the people, and cannot be neglected in the slightest! If you are negligent again in the future, I will deal with you severely. At that time, even if Minister Ji comes to plead for you, it will be useless! Do you understand?"
Manager Shen was so frightened that his whole body went limp and his ears were ringing.
If it weren't for Master Qu leading him to kowtow and express his gratitude, he wouldn't have even realized that the emperor's words were directed at him.
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! Thank you for your mercy!" Master Qu, the old farmer, not only thanked him on his behalf, but also kept pressing his head to the ground.
He suddenly realized what was happening: "Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! I will certainly remember Your Majesty's instructions and live up to Your Majesty's grace!"
"Get up, everyone."
The storm gradually subsided, and the agricultural experts slowly stood up before the farmers dared to stand up as well.
Watching the emperor walk towards the pile of new crops, they held their breath for a long time before finally daring to breathe.
"My God..."
A farmer clutched his chest, utterly shocked: "I...I spoke with His Majesty the Emperor?"
Looking at the emperor's retreating figure, he quickly began to recall if he had said anything he shouldn't have.
......
Half a moment later, the large scale in the field was set up again.
Holding an abacus, Ji Benchang respectfully asked the emperor, "Your Majesty, there are still six rows of crops left to be weighed in the first mu of land. May we begin the weighing now?"
The emperor looked at the six piles of new crops, took a deep breath, and nodded: "Let's begin."
Upon receiving the order, Ji Benchang waved his hand, and everyone present instantly sprang into action.
"Thirteenth row, 529 jin!"
"The fourteenth row, 518 jin!"
"..."
"The eighteenth row, 546 jin!"
As the sun set, the yield of the first mu of new crop appeared prominently on Ji Benchang's abacus.
The emperor's gaze was intense, his upper body leaning slightly forward, his voice barely concealing his excitement: "How many? Over nine thousand, right?"
Nine thousand?
Ji Benchang looked down at the abacus beads.
This seems to be more than nine thousand.