Chapter 225
The crowd's hearts stirred. As they watched Emperor Mingxi personally cast the sacrificial manifesto into the great cauldron to burn, their reverence deepened.
Those who had shrines at home thought to themselves that they must remind their families to be absolutely respectful and devout when offering Incense to the Little Immortal Lord.
Next came Emperor Mingxi's verbal decree to the civil and military officials, as well as the commoners.
In the middle of the Si hour, the thrilling moment to harvest the potatoes finally arrived.
As sixteen strongmen carried eight large vats of potatoes onto the high platform, a restless commotion began to ripple through the crowd.
Especially among the common folks, whose minds had been lulled to sleep by the sacrificial manifesto and the decree, they were instantly jolted awake. Each of them craned their necks, wishing they could stretch forward a few more meters.
A cacophony of voices rose and fell. If one listened closely, words like "They're digging!" and "So many pots!" could be heard.
The officials who were in the know were thrilled, their faces flushed with excitement, but they managed to maintain their composure. They thought to themselves that a yield of thirty shi should be possible.
Those who were completely clueless only fared slightly better than the commoners when they saw the large vats being carried up.
They remembered clearly how Yu Chongshan had stated with absolute certainty in the great hall that this thing called a potato could yield at least twenty to thirty shi per mu.
Compared to the two or three shi per mu yield of rice and wheat, if this potato was truly edible, even if it tasted a bit inferior, the Junior Preceptor deserved to enjoy the Incense offerings of ten thousand households.
Some in the crowd had burning gazes, while others had flickering, uncertain eyes. As they looked at the potato pots on the high platform and the small figure of Yue Fuguang standing below them, it was hard to tell what they were thinking...
The sixteen strongmen retreated to the side. From the back came Wang Shouchen leading the way, followed by two officials from the Court of Agricultural Administration, and over twenty people dressed as old farmers and rural squires.
Were these the witnesses Emperor Mingxi had found among the people? Truth be told, it was a good idea.
The potato yield was so vastly different from the current grain yield of the Great Yan Dynasty that if they didn't find some influential commoners and squires from the local areas, some people might genuinely not believe it.
Yue Fuguang was invited onto the stage. Zhang Zhongping was seen handing a tool resembling a trenching spade to Emperor Mingxi, bowing as he said, "Your Majesty, please dig the first spade for our Great Yan!"
Placed in front of Emperor Mingxi was a pot containing the best-growing potato plant. Although its leaves were turning yellow, the plant was massive. Everyone guessed that there must be quite a few potatoes growing underneath.
Emperor Mingxi couldn't help but tighten his grip on the tool Yue Fuguang called a trenching spade. Having seen his fair share of great storms, even he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous at this moment.
The palm gripping the spade was slightly sweaty, and his heartbeat was a few beats faster than usual.
Just as Emperor Mingxi's spade was about to touch the potato vines, he reflexively glanced at Yue Fuguang, who was looking at him with a calm expression, holding a spade of her own, waiting for him to start digging.
Yue Fuguang said, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, the potatoes in your vat weigh at least three catties. You won't lose face. Hurry up and dig!"
[Exactly! It's just digging up a potato, why dawdle! If he saw rice that yields fifteen or sixteen shi per mu, wouldn't he be too scared to harvest it?]
Fifteen or sixteen shi? And of a precious grain like rice!
The Junior Preceptor had seemingly provided their Great Yan with rice that could yield six or seven shi per mu, which was already excellent. As for rice that yielded fifteen or sixteen shi, they... they weren't... envious, really!
Yue Fuguang: If your eyes weren't so red with jealousy, I might have believed you!
Hybrid rice was inherently unsuitable for saving seeds, and the high-yield rice seeds she had deliberately chosen from the system mall would produce less than half the yield of Great Yan's native rice in the second year.
Therefore, she only planted some in her own Sancha land far off at the border. This would not only solve the food problem for the garrison troops but also trick any lawless scoundrels who dared to steal her rice.
[Host, do you think that when your rice is harvested, if someone really steals it to plant, they'll regret it to death?]
Its host was far too devious. It knew that the rice plants would still grow exceptionally well in the second year, but they simply wouldn't produce any rice grains.
The more hope it gave people in the early stages, the more despair it would bring them later on.
"Taking without asking, is that my fault?"
Meanwhile, Emperor Mingxi, whose heart had been tense and anxious, was instantly refreshed by the interruption of these two little ancestors. He returned to being that calm and majestic emperor.
Yue Fuguang: The emperor seems to be developing into a glutton for punishment; a little scolding and he's full of energy!
With Yue Fuguang's endorsement, Emperor Mingxi felt completely at ease. He smiled and said, "Fuguang makes a good point. Then I shall start digging!"
As for the people on the stage, apart from Zhang Zhongping and Wang Shouchen, who were accustomed to it and thought nothing of it, the others saw the casual way the Junior Preceptor spoke to their emperor.
Not only did His Majesty not take offense, but he also responded with a chuckle. They all couldn't help but be shocked, quickly lowering their heads to hide their expressions.
There were many rumors in the streets about this legendary Junior Preceptor who had descended upon divine decree. Seeing her today, she was indeed extraordinary.
Although they couldn't quite put it into words, they felt she was different from them mortals, especially the lotus mark on her forehead, which shimmered with brilliance in the sunlight.
It made those who saw it feel an urge to bow down and worship her.
Incense: It is indeed me exerting my power!
Emperor Mingxi had obviously practiced beforehand. Using the trenching spade, he first loosened the soil along the edges, then grabbed the potato vines with his left hand and gave a forceful pull.
Instantly, six or seven earthy-yellow potatoes at the roots of the plant were pulled out. The large ones were the size of an adult man's fist, while the small ones were the size of a child's fist.
Ah!
Hiss!
Oh!
Upon seeing what was beneath the seedlings, various gasps echoed around Yue Fuguang.
Tears even welled up in the eyes of those old farmers. They didn't cry out loud; they just wept silently, occasionally wiping the corners of their eyes with the sleeves of their ill-fitting clothes.
Their eyes, however, were completely glued to the potatoes in Emperor Mingxi's hands.
This scene made Yue Fuguang, who dreaded seeing people cry the most, feel a surge of sorrow. No matter where, life was never easy for the common folk.
The people here were especially pitiful; their only wish year-round was simply not to go hungry.
Wang Shouchen and the other officials weren't doing much better. Although they had anticipated this, seeing the potatoes dug out of the soil one by one still brought tears to their eyes.
"Your Majesty, quickly weigh them!" Prompted by Wang Shouchen, Emperor Mingxi's slightly trembling hands immediately plucked the potatoes off one by one and wiped away the dirt on them.
He gently placed them into the exquisite weighing pan beside him, and Wang Shouchen stepped up without hesitation to weigh them immediately.
His hands were shaking non-stop, and it was only with Zhang Zhongping's help that he managed to finish the weighing.
Three catties and two taels!
"Three catties and two taels!" Zhang Zhongping immediately shouted in a hoarse voice.
"Three catties and two taels!" Someone began to relay the message, and voice after voice passed on the weight of the first potato plant.
The commoners knelt on the ground to thank the heavens. Among the officials, some also kowtowed to the sky, while others bared their teeth, looking up at the sky with vacant eyes, as if there were potatoes up there too.
The more normal ones started dancing with joy, such as Wu Yuanjing and Ling Yinghua.
As for her grandfather, father, and uncles, they flashed their white teeth and grinned foolishly at her, their faces full of shared pride.
Yue Fuguang looked at the people going crazy with joy on and off the stage and frowned.
If these were potatoes from her hometown, this weight would indeed be quite a lot. But these were produced by the system, the best of the best, and the yield was supposed to be higher than those from her hometown.