The Ministry of Revenue is responsible for managing the nation's finances and resources. In recent years, the imperial court has imposed minimal taxes on the people in order to recuperate and revive the country. With limited national income but significant expenditures, every penny spent needs to be carefully accounted for. Zhang Xiu, who is in his early forties, has dedicated himself to filling the empty treasury, resulting in his hair turning half white. As a result, some people secretly mockingly call him "Stingy Zhang".
He feels aggrieved! If one doesn't take charge of the household, how can they understand the value of every grain of rice? How can he not be frugal? How can he not be?
Now, suddenly, someone has given him such a big surprise. A yield of four to five thousand kilograms per mu of grain! If this can be widely implemented, there will be no more starvation in the entire Da Xia, and the treasury will be brimming. He wishes he could kowtow to the person who grew these sweet potatoes and shout, "Ancestors!"
Therefore, Zhang Xiu, who has always been extremely thrifty, is the first to speak up: "Your Majesty, this person deserves great rewards."
However, there are both supporters and opponents. A portly official steps forward and says, "Your Majesty, I believe we should approach this matter cautiously. After all, a yield of four to five thousand kilograms per mu of grain is unprecedented. We must investigate thoroughly before considering rewarding him."
"I'm afraid there are audacious individuals who, for undisclosed purposes, deceive and deceive others, attempting to deceive the emperor. Moreover, this Jiang Wenyuan is just a county magistrate. How could he personally go to the fields? I suspect there's deception involved. I earnestly request Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation."
Before he finishes speaking, a voice with a hint of rascality rebuts him, "Tong Furen, you really have a lot of power. The matter hasn't been thoroughly investigated yet, and His Majesty hasn't said anything. But with your flapping mouth, you're already accusing someone of deceiving the emperor. Isn't that too hasty?"
As the words are spoken, a man steps forward from the ranks of civil officials. This person is none other than Qin Jue, the newly appointed Left Attendant of the Ministry of Personnel, the Marquis of Pingyang Mansion, the younger brother of Empress Qin, and the uncle of Crown Prince Jing Yan, a genuine uncle of the nation.
Seeing that it's Qin Jue, Tong Fuqiu glares at him fiercely and says, "Am I not speaking the truth? It's widely known that the yield of wheat and barley is only two to three hundred kilograms per mu, and beans slightly higher, no more than three to four hundred kilograms. A yield of four to five thousand kilograms per mu of grain has never been heard of throughout history."
Qin Jue sneers, "How can a frog at the bottom of a well know the radiance of the moon? Just because you can't achieve it doesn't mean others can't." With that, Qin Jue ignores him.
He turns to Emperor Jing and bows, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."
Emperor Jing, aware that Qin Jue has just returned from Qingzhou, expects him to have some knowledge about the matter. So he smiles and says, "Please go ahead."
"I previously served as the county magistrate of Qingzhou and had several interactions with Jiang Wenyuan. This young man possesses both talent and moral character and enjoys a good reputation locally."
At this point, Qin Jue gives Tong Fuqiu a meaningful glance and continues, "A few days before I stepped down from the position, I visited Jiang's residence with the Crown Prince. The Jiang family informed me that he had gone to the fields."
At that time, I found it strange that Jiang Wenyuan, a talented scholar, would go to the fields. He had one of his servants accompany me and the Crown Prince to the location.
When we arrived, I saw Jiang Wenyuan, along with his father and two brothers, dressed in coarse short-sleeved shirts, with rolled-up trousers, sweat pouring down their faces, vigorously wielding hoes to till the land.
Speaking of this, Qin Jue paused for a moment and continued, "As a distinguished talented scholar, he not only enjoys the luxuries of life but also remains true to his original aspiration. I admire him for this alone!
At that time, I asked him what he was cultivating in the fields. He said it was sweet potatoes. Having spent three years in Qingzhou, I was familiar with most crops, but I had never heard of this one. Naturally, I wanted to know more.
He explained that he had unintentionally saved an old Taoist priest before, and in return, the priest gave him a bag of fruit, saying it was called sweet potatoes. They could be planted in April or May and harvested in September or October, with a high yield.
I personally saw the sweet potato seedlings, with their vigorous vines and lush leaves, but I couldn't see any flowers or fruits. I even suspected that he had been deceived.
Jiang Wenyuan admitted that he had never grown this crop before, but he was determined to give it a try. If it failed, he would treat it as a common vegetable; if it succeeded, the people would have another staple food.
Now, it seems that he has indeed succeeded, although he never expected the fruit to grow underground."
At this moment, Jing Yan, who was sitting on a small throne beside the imperial seat, spoke, "I can testify that what Minister Qin said is true."
Since even the Crown Prince confirmed it, there was little doubt about the matter. Moreover, when they recalled Tong Fuqiu's "righteous" words targeting Jiang Wenyuan, the ministers began to look at him with meaningful glances. Could there be some ulterior motive behind Tong's actions?
Tong Fuqiu felt as if his face had been swollen. Regardless of whether the sweet potatoes were truly high-yielding, at the very least, they were grown by Jiang Wenyuan himself, with his own hands in the fields.
The Crown Prince himself had witnessed it and couldn't refute it. He could only cover his ceremonial tablet and retreat back into the ranks, feeling disheartened.
Emperor Jing nodded and said, "In that case, Jiang Wenyuan does indeed possess some capabilities. However, what Tong Qing said also makes sense. We must proceed with caution. Gentlemen, who do you think would be suitable to send to investigate?"
At that moment, Jin Yaolin, the official from the Ministry of Agriculture, who had remained silent all along, stepped forward and said, "I am willing to go and verify."
Emperor Jing smiled upon seeing him and said, "Ah, you are indeed the most suitable candidate for this task. The Ministry of Agriculture is in charge of farming affairs, so it falls within your jurisdiction. Therefore, Jin, immediately select a few reliable agricultural officials to accompany you. I will also assign twenty Imperial Guards to accompany you to Qingzhou. Once there, swiftly investigate this matter. If it is true, cooperate with Jiang Wenyuan in making sweet potatoes a staple crop in Qingzhou. We must not make any mistakes. It will also be an opportunity for the agricultural officials to learn how to cultivate sweet potatoes."
"I, Jin Yaolin, accept the edict!" Jin Yaolin replied.
With a temporary resolution to this matter, Emperor Jing had the basket of sweet potatoes taken to the Imperial Kitchen to be steamed. Once they were ready, they would be sent to the Diligent Government Hall. He wanted to taste for himself what these sweet potatoes were like. Were they as soft, sweet, and satisfying as described in the letter?
After the sweet potato incident, the court continued its deliberations. Before dispersing, the palace attendants brought the steamed sweet potatoes.
On the tray, one could see elongated or oval-shaped red fruits, emitting a delicious aroma. The eunuch took one and bit into it. The outer layer was a bright red skin, and when peeled, it revealed a yellow and clear pulp that smelled enticing.
The eunuch's eyes lit up after taking a bite, and Emperor Jing nodded approvingly.
Emperor Jing personally picked a medium-sized one and tasted it. As Jiang Wenyuan had described in his letter, it was soft, sticky, and sweet—a delicacy that even toothless elderly and children could enjoy. After eating just one, he already felt partially satisfied, as it provided a strong sense of fullness. Emperor Jing's confidence in the sweet potatoes grew.
As for the mention in the letter about the tendency to pass gas after consuming it, he didn't pay much attention to it. When it came to satisfying his hunger, such trivial matters could be easily overlooked.
With limited supply, many ministers shared one or even split it among three people. After tasting it, they all declared it highly feasible...
After the morning court session, Emperor Jing took another look at the letter and wondered, "This Jiang Wenyuan, if I remember correctly, he seemed to be this year's top scholar? How did such a talented scholar end up farming in Qingzhou instead of staying at the Imperial Academy?"
Meanwhile, Jin Yaolin received his assignment and immediately went to select personnel.
Early the next morning, Jin Yaolin led several agricultural officials and guards, along with twenty armed Imperial Guards, and hurriedly rode towards Qingzhou.
This was the first time Da Xia's Ministry of Agriculture officials had received such treatment and grandeur when going on a mission, indicating Emperor Jing's high regard for the new crop.
They traveled day and night, enduring wind and dust, until twelve days later when they reached the gate of Qingzhou.
Jiang Wenyuan had thought that the court would send someone, but he didn't expect them to arrive so quickly, and it was the highest-ranking official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Jin Yaolin. While he was surprised, he also felt pleased, realizing that His Majesty attached great importance to this new crop.
Jin Yaolin's group consisted of nearly thirty people, and the county government couldn't accommodate them all. Jiang Wenyuan had to arrange a nearby inn to provide accommodations and meals for these visitors who had come from afar.
Jin Yaolin and the agricultural officials had been bouncing on horseback for more than ten days, and their old bones were about to fall apart.
But Jin Yaolin had to remember the purpose of this visit and was urged to go see the sweet potatoes the next morning.
Since the high-ranking officials weren't afraid, Jiang Wenyuan, a small county magistrate, naturally wouldn't stop them. So he immediately led them back to Xijin Ferry.
Although he had mentally prepared himself, he was still taken aback when he saw the sweet potatoes piled up like a mountain in the warehouse. Afterward, Jiang Wenyuan took them to see the one-and-a-half-acre sweet potato field.
At this moment, only withered sweet potato leaves remained in the field, along with half an acre of yet-to-be-harvested soybeans.
Jin Yaolin had good luck and accidentally kicked a sweet potato buried in the soil. He quickly picked it up, wiped off the dirt, and held it carefully as if it were a treasure.
Back at Jiang's mansion, Jiang Wenyuan led Jin Yaolin and the others to the backyard, where several rows of sweet potatoes were still growing, ready to be harvested.
Hearing that he could personally harvest sweet potatoes, the agricultural officials were overjoyed.
Even the leader of the Imperial Guards couldn't resist coming to join the excitement. He also wanted to witness the moment when this high-yielding crop emerged from the ground, weighing thousands of catties.
Jiang Wenyuan instructed his men to bring sickles and hoes, telling them to first cut off the vines before digging, as it would be more efficient. The agricultural officials were all experienced and practical in farming, so they quickly understood the plan. Without hesitation, they took their tools and got to work.
However, the short stretch of five ridges of sweet potatoes only covered a small area of land. After harvesting and weighing, they amounted to 607 catties.
At this moment, Jiang Wenyuan finally believed in the high-yield crop that could produce five to six thousand catties per mu. A newfound sense of pride surged within him! The people of Da Xia would never go hungry again.
Jin Yaolin and his entourage stayed at Jiang's house for two days. Together with Jiang Wenyuan, they meticulously planned the promotion of sweet potatoes for the following year. Afterwards, they hurried back to the capital city to report.
Apart from Jin Yaolin, the other three agricultural officials stayed behind to assist Jiang Wenyuan in the sweet potato promotion for the next year. All twenty Imperial Guards remained to specifically guard the sweet potato crops.
Finally, the Jiang family could finally sleep peacefully.
By now, it was already winter. Jin Yaolin traveled north, and the further he went, the colder it became. Near the borders of the capital city, heavy snowfall almost froze him to death.
Even so, upon returning to the capital city, it was already November twelfth. Ignoring the need for rest, he went straight to the palace to report to Emperor Jing. He vividly described the process of digging sweet potatoes, making Emperor Jing wish he could have personally participated in the excavation.
The next day, Emperor Jing announced this matter in the court, causing a sensation throughout the entire court.
A nation is built on its people, and its people rely on food. Grain is the foundation of a country. When the common people can't even eat their fill, the country is not far from turmoil and chaos.
Therefore, even the usually stingy Minister of Revenue, Zhang Xiu, earnestly requested that Your Majesty reward this individual generously.
