Chapter 201: Credit
Editor: Atlas Studios
Qi Haoran swallowed his saliva and recalled the information that Mu Shi had sent back the last time he returned. At that time, he had said that many Han people were looking for a way to escape to Great Zhou.
This might have been a good thing in the past, but in the face of a natural disaster, it was a terrible situation. If so many refugees fled to Xingzhou Prefecture, what would they use to feed them? If they didn’t have sufficient food for them, wouldn’t Great Zhou become embroiled in this riot?
The riots of the commoners were sometimes even more terrifying than the wars outside. As this thought flashed across his mind, Qi Haoran’s heart skipped a beat and he raised his head to look at his big brother.
“What’s wrong?” Qi Xiuyuan turned around and asked when he sensed his brother’s movements.
Qi Haoran hurriedly shook his head. “It’s nothing. Big Brother, continue.”
Qi Xiuyuan and Fan Zijin glanced at Mu Yangling subtly. They knew that Qi Haoran must have thought of something, but he merely didn’t say it out loud because Mu Yangling was around. The two of them did not probe further. Qi Xiuyuan continued, “Now, the army is in charge of their own rations. Although I can ask the Imperial Court for support, the possibility of them distributing grains to us is zero. Therefore, before the chaos begins, I hope that the camp can stock up on more grains.” Qi Xiuyuan said, “Not only grains, but also forage. All the wheatgrass and straw harvested this year must be dried and stored. Every family has to hand over a certain amount. We’ll discuss this later.”
Qi Xiuyuan turned to look at Mu Yangling with a smile. “So you have to keep the harvested corn as seeds. But don’t worry, I won’t take your things for nothing. I’ll buy it at a high price. How about that?”
“It’s all up to you, General, but there’s no need to pay a high price. These seeds were paid for by Little General back then.”
Smiling, Qi Xiuyuan said, “That wasn’t much money. Now, I’m asking for more than 20 acres of seeds from you. This is a big deal. If you have any other thoughts, tell me. As long as it’s possible, I’ll help you do it.”
Mu Yangling thought for a moment before saying solemnly, “General, you said that the future might be chaotic, but in fact, only ordinary people will suffer and starve. Although corn isn’t delicious, it can at least save lives. I want to spread this planting method so that everyone can grow more corn. Even if there are droughts and floods, and the rice and wheat crops fail, at least this can temporarily save their lives.”
Qi Xiuyuan reached out and stroked her hair. Smiling, he praised, “I’m heartened to see that you care about the world, Ah Ling. I have no objections to this, but there are very few corn seeds left in this world. As far as I know, other than some in Four Tray Village, the batch you have is the largest.”
“Moreover, the seeds of Four Tray Village are not good.” Fan Zijin interrupted. “When Zhuang Dawei was still here, I learned from him that Four Tray Village is surrounded by mountains, so there are very few farmlands and similarly few corn planted. In addition, the harvest is not good, so all of them added up might not be as much as yours.”
Qi Xiuyuan nodded. “Even if we pay to round up the seeds of Four Tray Village, it might not be enough for the military households of our army to plant, let alone spread them.”
Seeing Mu Yangling lower her head in silence, Qi Xiuyuan smiled and said, “However, we can make some preparations in advance. Disasters take time to arrive and there’s still some grains in the treasury. In addition, considering the autumn harvest is coming soon, we should be able to survive this year. There won’t be any problems in the first half of next year, too. Times will start to get difficult in the second half of next year. By then, our second batch of corn will be ripe. Not only can we save a portion for food, but we can also choose a large number of seeds. Before that, we can release the news that corn is high-yielding.”
Fan Zijin said confidently, “Eldest Cousin, why don’t you let me handle this?”
Qi Xiuyuan shook his head. “I don’t need you at all. When Ah Ling harvests the corn and obtains the data, I’ll write a letter to ask for credit for Ah Ling. When the Imperial Court rewards her, the entire Great Zhou will know. Why would I need you?”
Stunned, Mu Yangling pointed at her nose and said, “Ask for credit for me?”
“That’s right.” Smiling, Qi Xiuyuan said, “You were the one who planted the corn. If I don’t ask for credit for you, who should I ask for credit for? In the past hundred years, ever since the fleet returned, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have found many farmers to plant corn, but they haven’t been able to plant it well. The highest yield was only 56 catties per acre. The number of seeds scattered was already more than this. Now that you’ve found the right method, shouldn’t you be rewarded?”
Mu Yangling opened her mouth and looked at Fan Zijin. The latter muttered softly, “The seeds were clearly bought by Haoran.”
Qi Xiuyuan glared at his cousin and said to Mu Yangling, “There won’t be any actual rewards for the Imperial Court’s commendation, but the reputation will be beneficial to you. When the time comes, I’ll submit two names. Your father is a soldier, so this reputation is useless for him. Therefore, I want to submit your and your brother, Mu Bowen’s names. With the imperial decree of commendation by the Imperial Court, your parents won’t have to worry about your marriage in the future. As for your brother who is weak, with this, it’ll be easier for him to become a civil servant in the future.”
Qi Haoran pursed his lips and smiled. He winked at Mu Yangling and nudged Fan Zijin before getting up happily.
Mu Yangling didn’t expect Qi Xiuyuan to even consider this. After a moment of silence, she said, “General, actually, I can’t take all the credit for this. This is actually something that belongs to the ancestors. I’m just relying on something that others don’t have to produce such a yield, but when it comes to farming, I’m as good as anyone. I’ve only planted corn for a season, but the villagers of Four Tray Village have planted it for nearly a hundred years and studied it for as long. Previously, it was because they were stuck in a dead end, but once they overcome that, they’ll only do better than me. If you really want to write a letter to ask for credit, why don’t you commend Four Tray Village to the higher-ups?” Mu Yangling felt that it was a victory in a sense that a village managed to persist in studying a crop for a hundred years. Regardless of whether they succeeded or not, the fact that they could last for so long was worthy of commendation. “I’ll tell you something else. Corn can withstand drought and cold. In our Xingzhou Prefecture, we should be able to plant it a second time this year. I’m just afraid that the cold wave will come too early and the tender corn won’t age. However, I think the villagers of Four Tray Village might have a way to counter that. If you wish to obtain a large number of seeds in a short period of time, you have to count on them.”
Qi Xiuyuan and Qi Haoran looked at each other. Qi Haoran said, “You want us to take over everyone in Four Tray Village?”
Mu Yangling said, “Four Tray Village has always been isolated from the world. Although it’s in the territory of the Jin Kingdom now, it hasn’t been disturbed. There is a road connecting them to Mingshui County, and there are only about 50 families in the entire village. It’s not difficult to move everyone out. Previously, when Zhuang Dawei helped me plant corn, he mentioned many things to take note of. Some of them were about dealing with the insects and weeds, but in fact, my attention was mostly on the wheat and rice fields. I really haven’t taken much care of these corn. If you want to ask me how to plant corn, I know roughly, but if you want to ask how to get rid of insects and prevent pests, I don’t have a deep understanding of that. If you want to plant these things on a large scale, these are necessary knowledge.”
Qi Xiuyuan knocked on the table and said, “There’s really no one more familiar with corn than the villagers of Four Tray Village who have been planting it for nearly a hundred years.” Qi Xiuyuan looked at Mu Yangling and asked, “Doesn’t it pain your heart to give away such a huge contribution?”