The Emperor raised his hand to stop the two of them. It was merely a casual remark, as he didn't want to argue with a young girl over trivial matters. It would be beneath his dignity.
But Baby Dumpling had a bit of a temper. "Hmph, go ahead and test me. What if I answer all the questions correctly?"
Emperor Xia Jing stroked his beard and suddenly became interested. "You are now a village lord. If you answer all the questions correctly, I will grant you the title of County Princess."
"Deal!" Baby Dumpling tilted her head and asked, "Is being a County Princess a higher rank than a village lord?"
"Yes!" The Emperor couldn't help but find it amusing. This little girl's focus was quite peculiar, but she was indeed still a child.
Although she was currently a village lord, Jiang Yuqing didn't really have much knowledge about the noble titles of the Xia Dynasty's women. She only knew about princesses and county princesses, so she guessed that a County Princess would probably be one rank higher than a village lord.
"Alright, go ahead and ask!"
"... " The Emperor looked at Baby Dumpling's serious and confident little face and suddenly remembered that she was the one who came up with the idea of the rice-planting machine.
Maybe she really had some talent. A feeling arose in his heart that he was going to be taken advantage of today.
But since they had already come this far, Emperor Xia Jing spoke up, "Tell me, how many jin of seeds are needed to plant one mu of high-yielding crops?"
"It depends on the type of field. It's around 6-8 jin per mu."
"Can you be more specific?"
Baby Dumpling explained, "If it's a fertile field with rich soil, the seedlings will sprout abundantly, and the plants will grow tall and strong with around 6 jin of seeds."
"If it's a medium or poor-quality field with insufficient soil fertility, the seedlings will sprout less, and the plants will be thin. In that case, you need to plant them more densely."
"Additionally, adjustments should be made based on the local climate, soil conditions, and other factors. But generally speaking, 6-8 jin of seeds per mu should be sufficient."
Emperor Xia Jing nodded, somewhat surprised by the knowledge of this little girl in front of him. He didn't expect her to have such insights.
He asked again, "Now, tell me how to cultivate rice seedlings!"
Jiang Yuqing then began explaining starting from the soaking process.
How to prepare the seedling field, how to soak the seeds, how to promote germination, how to sow the seeds, and how to manage the field after sowing.
When to irrigate and how deep to flood the field, when to transplant the seedlings to the main field based on their height... She went into great detail, even discussing what to do with the leftover straw after harvesting.
Her explanation was as detailed as a professional agricultural book, leaving everyone in the hall dumbfounded.
Jing Yan had a smile in the corners of his eyes and mouth. He almost clapped his hands and said, "Qingqing, you're amazing."
Emperor Xia Jing felt like he wasn't facing a three-year-old little girl but an experienced farmer with years of experience.
He dared to say that even the agricultural officials in the Ministry of Agriculture didn't have such a clear understanding as this little girl.
Agriculture was the foundation of the Xia Dynasty, and food security meant social stability.
In less than two years as the County Magistrate, Jiang Wenyuan had successfully cultivated two high-yielding crop varieties, securing the Xia Dynasty's food production.
And his daughter, at such a young age, had such a profound understanding of farming. Truly, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Given time, she might even surpass her father and become another outstanding talent for the Xia Dynasty.
With such a successor, how could the Xia Dynasty not prosper?
At the thought of this, Emperor Xia Jing's heart suddenly became fiery hot. His gaze towards Jiang Yuqing was as if he were beholding a priceless treasure.
"Good, good, good, hahaha!" He exclaimed, uttering three consecutive words of praise.
In an instant, the entire Pepper Chamber was filled with Emperor Xia Jing's hearty laughter. "Not only is Advisor Jiang adept at farming, but he also raises his children well. Spread the word on my behalf and reward him accordingly."
Upon receiving the order, the eunuch left, and Baby Dumpling cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, does this mean I have passed the test?"
Emperor Xia Jing patted her head and replied, "You have passed, indeed! I will fulfill my promise to you, without fail!"
Baby Dumpling then plopped herself onto a small cushioned stool, pitifully saying, "May I have a cup of water, Your Majesty? I'm thirsty."
Laughter erupted throughout the hall. They marveled at how this child showed no shyness and spoke whatever came to mind.
Empress Qin promptly had warm tea brought over for Baby Dumpling.
Accepting the cup, she guzzled down the tea in big gulps, clearly parched from thirst.
Emperor Xia Jing found this little one incredibly amusing and began asking her about her experiences in Qingzhou.
Baby Dumpling shared some interesting anecdotes while subtly impressing her father in front of the emperor.
For instance, when Emperor Xia Jing asked her, "How did you come to possess such knowledge about farming at such a young age? Who taught you?"
Baby Dumpling replied, "I learned it on my own because I found it fascinating. Moreover, my father said that even though he holds an official position, we are still a farming family, and we shouldn't forget our agricultural skills. So, whenever he goes to the fields, he takes me along. My older brothers also join in when they have time off."
Another time, Emperor Xia Jing asked her, "Do you think your father is a good official?" It was a clever trap, nearly tipping his hand.
Can Baby Dumpling dance?
Of course, she can dance, and she leaps three feet high.
Baby Dumpling answered, "Of course, he is."
"Why?" the emperor inquired.
"Because my father once said that if being an official means not prioritizing the people's welfare, then it's better to go home and sell sweet potatoes." It had a rhyming quality, and its meaning was straightforward.
Emperor Xia Jing became even more satisfied. Jiang Yuqing was indeed a genuinely outstanding official, and his daughter was an excellent child.
They chatted until noon when the imperial couple warmly invited her to stay and have lunch with them.
After finishing the meal, Emperor Xia Jing, Jing Yan, and Empress Qin had other matters to attend to, so they departed first.
Noticing that Baby Dumpling had no maidservants by her side, Empress Qin assigned two palace maids, Yu Zhu and Yu Qing, along with a stewardess named Nanny Yan, to accompany her.
She was also allowed to rest in the palace for a while longer and received numerous precious gifts before bidding her farewell with reluctance.
Before leaving the palace, she was given a plaque that allowed her to enter the palace at any time, with a reminder to visit often.
Baby Dumpling readily agreed.
Jiang Yuqing boarded the carriage and immediately slumped inside, closing her eyes without moving.
Er Yu thought she must be tired and fetched a blanket from the carriage drawer to cover her.
However, Jiang Yuqing was filled with a sense of desolation.
She couldn't count how many times she had feigned innocence, acted coquettish, and played cute. The mere thought of it made her feel exceedingly embarrassed.
It seemed that her petite stature and attractive appearance had the power to captivate others, even if it were just a casual wave of her hand.
Since that's the case, it's better to put on a thick skin and make good use of these unique innate conditions to secure a sense of security for oneself and one's family as much as possible.
Just as she had returned home and hadn't even taken off her ceremonial hat, Li Deshun arrived at the Qingzhou Marquis's residence with an edict of appointment.
Seeing Li Deshun again, Baby Dumpling was overjoyed to the point of almost going crazy. Like a little cannonball, she rushed into Li Deshun's embrace, clinging to his neck and rubbing against him with all her might. "Li Gonggong, Li Gonggong, ah—I missed you so much."
In the capital, besides her master, he was the only one she could treat as an elder.
In Qingzhou, it didn't matter what she called Li Deshun, but here, she couldn't address him as "Grandfather Li" anymore.
That was the rule.
Li Deshun held her small body, tears streaming down his face. "Oh, my little ancestor, I missed our home so much."
They had caught sight of each other in the Queen's palace earlier, but the timing and occasion weren't right, so they both tacitly refrained from speaking.
Now, however, there were no inhibitions. They savored the intimacy for quite a while. Li Deshun then said, "My dear, quickly have someone set up the incense table and receive the imperial edict first!"
Baby Dumpling suddenly remembered that the Emperor had said he would confer upon her the title of County Princess. Unexpectedly, the imperial edict had arrived so quickly. She hurriedly instructed someone to prepare the incense table.
Since she didn't need to change clothes at the moment, once the incense table was set up, Baby Dumpling knelt down, and Li Deshun began to read. It was still a lengthy passage.
In summary, the Emperor conferred upon her the title of Second Rank County Princess, with the honorary title of Linghui. She would receive one thousand households as her fiefdom, along with a certain amount of gold, silver, pearls, and various silk and satin fabrics.
Jiang Yuqing carefully put away the imperial edict. She immediately had someone remove the ceremonial hat from her head, then took Li Gonggong back to her own courtyard, where the two of them sat down and talked.
Jiang Yuqing reached out to pulse him. "How have your legs been this year?"
Li Deshun replied, "Last winter, they acted up, but after a few days of taking the medicine you gave me, it was fine. Recently, I caught a cold, and my legs started to ache a bit, but I used it right away, and now there's no issue. It's really effective."
Baby Dumpling interjected, "If you need to use it, don't hold back. There's always more."
Saying that, she dashed back to her room and brought out a large cloth bundle.
The bundle was too big, and it contained many diverse items.
Baby Dumpling stuck her head in and rummaged for a while, then took out two bottles of muscle-relaxing and blood-activating pills, as well as a stack of ointments for treating dampness and relieving pain. She stuffed them all into Li Deshun's hands.
Li Deshun cherished them and gave her careful instructions on what she should pay attention to in the capital.
How to handle necessary social interactions, which families could be trusted, which families should be avoided, and even the relationships between different families—no detail was too small. It seemed that being a beloved granddaughter was just like this.
Listening to all these complicated and intertwined relationships, Baby Dumpling's head spun in circles.
In her previous life, the relationships around her were simple, and in this life, she was still young and hadn't faced any complicated people or matters. Suddenly hearing so many convoluted connections, she felt like her brain was tying itself in knots.
Li Deshun also knew that although the little girl was clever, it would be very difficult for her to remember all these complex relationships all at once.
Not to mention, she was born into a simple and harmonious family, and being young, even many noble ladies in the capital who have been in power for years may not be able to handle everything perfectly.
Well, with herself and the Crown Prince watching by her side in the capital, there shouldn't be any major issues arising.
Yuzhu, Yuqing, and Nanny Yan on the side were amazed by what they saw.
They only knew that the young county princess had a good relationship with the Crown Prince, but they never expected her to be so close to the Chief Steward by the Emperor's side.
Such an intimate gesture could even be described as that of a grandmother and grandson.
As the chief palace maid who had the favor of the Empress, Li Deshun naturally knew them.
His status was higher than theirs, so he lightly admonished the three of them.
There were two points to his words: firstly, he warned them not to take advantage of being from the Empress's palace and bully their superiors; secondly, their young mistress didn't have a proper elder by her side, so they must protect her well and not let anyone take advantage of her.
The three of them nodded and dared not be negligent.
They had witnessed firsthand how favored their young mistress was in the palace, so how could they dare to take advantage of her?
Moreover, now they had Li Gonggong as a backing, so their respect for Jiang Yuqing only increased.
Li Deshun was a trusted attendant of the Emperor and couldn't stay outside the palace for long. After talking for a while, he had to leave. Baby Dumpling didn't want him to go and accompanied him all the way to the main gate.
Not long after Li Deshun left, Doctor Qiu and Tian Guang returned to the residence. Jiang Yuqing introduced Er Yu, Nanny Yan, and Doctor Qiu to each other.
"Yu Zhu, Yu Qing, Nanny Yan, this is my master and senior brother."
"Master, senior brother, these are the two sisters and Nanny Yan that the Empress bestowed upon me today."
Er Yu and Nanny Yan immediately stepped forward to pay their respects.
As the Chief Physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau, Tian Guang was very familiar with the three of them. And she also knew that Tian Guang's master was the renowned Doctor Qiu from the Bianque Valley.
Never did she expect that her new mistress was actually Doctor Qiu's closed-door disciple and Tian Guang's fellow apprentice sister. It was truly astonishing.
Er Yu and Nanny Yan exchanged a glance, both feeling like they had struck gold.
Who said their new mistress was just a rootless and insignificant rural girl? This was clearly a valuable golden opportunity!
