20demayo Chapter 221 Taking on a critical mission, I'll just open a bookstore at the border to sell chap
Chapter 221 Taking on a critical mission, I'll just open a bookstore at the border to sell chap
The officials, who had been repeatedly humiliated, looked extremely embarrassed and dared not say anything more.
This time, Ye Yuwu won completely.
"Excellent! This is wonderful!" The emperor ate two dumplings in a row, then suddenly stood up from his dragon throne, his expression excited.
At this moment, the prime minister couldn't help but stand up and say to the emperor, "Your Majesty, potatoes are a blessing to the country. I urge Your Majesty to issue an edict to implement Lord Ye's policy so that the people on the border can have enough to eat!"
As soon as the Prime Minister said this, the first-rank ministers who were standing behind him all echoed his words, and they all clasped their hands and knelt down to pay their respects to the Prime Minister.
"We beg Your Majesty to issue a decree!"
Their unanimous words echoed throughout the imperial study.
Even these high-ranking officials knelt down and pleaded for the emperor's permission.
The officials of the fourth rank and above behind him could not just stand there; they all bowed and knelt before His Majesty.
Ye Yuwu reacted a beat too slow. By the time she came to her senses, everyone around her was kneeling on the ground, with General Liang kneeling behind her.
Seeing that she was standing there blankly and motionless, General Liang kindly tugged at her sleeve, which finally made her kneel on the ground.
Ye Yuwu, who was suddenly pulled to her knees by General Liang, grimaced in pain but dared not utter a sound.
This wicked feudal dynasty.
Her poor knees!
No one knows what Ye Yuwu is thinking.
On the contrary, while Yan Yu was wincing in pain, General Liang leaned closer to her as if presenting a treasure and whispered something to her.
"Lord Ye, be more careful next time! Luckily I was by your side, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to be any slower! No need to thank me, just treat me to some fries after court."
Ye Yuwu: ...
Thank you! I think you just want some fries!
However, while they were chatting secretly, His Majesty had already made a decision in his mind.
So he looked at the throng of people below and asked, "Minister Ye, how many fields can your potato seeds plant?"
"Your Majesty, a rough calculation shows that we can plant about 10,000 mu." This includes all the potatoes she planted, except for a small portion that she took out to eat.
"Minister of Revenue, tell me how much arable farmland there is on the border and how many farming households there are?"
Only then did Ye Yuwu notice that a minister kneeling not far away suddenly straightened his back and reported to the emperor on the dragon throne:
"Your Majesty! The number of farmers in the border area is approximately eight hundred, and the total area of farmland is fifteen mu."
In other words, the 10,000 mu mentioned by Ye Yuwu might not be enough to plant.
In theory, a county should have more than 16,000 farming households, but due to the harsh conditions of the border region, only 800 farming households have remained.
However, there is one advantage to the border region: there are almost no landowners there, so every farmer has their own cultivated land.
Therefore, implementing the new policy of equal land distribution was relatively easy.
"Your Majesty, we can set up a few test sites first. The farmers on the border have not seen potatoes before, and some farmers may have doubts about them. We can dispel their doubts through these test sites."
"A test site? I've never heard of that before."
Ye Yuwu continued, neither humble nor arrogant, "The potatoes grown at this experimental site can be used to distribute potato seedlings to farmers in the future."
"You mean the test site is used as a seed site?!"
"That's what it means."
"Interesting. Let's do as Minister Ye has suggested!" The emperor on the dragon throne made the decision.
Ye Yuwu inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
But before she could fully breathe a sigh of relief, the emperor suddenly spoke again.
"Where is the Minister of Agriculture in charge of agricultural affairs at the border?"
"Your Majesty, I am here!" A powerful reply suddenly broke the silence of the Imperial Study from the far corner.
A refined official in official robes stood up. His gaze was humble yet firm as he rose. Unlike many officials she had ever met, Ye Yuwu felt a long-lost sense of simplicity emanating from him.
This is the Minister of Agriculture, who is in charge of agricultural affairs.
"From this day forward, you and Minister Ye will be dispatched to the border as imperial envoys. You must ensure that potatoes are successfully planted there!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Minister of Agriculture kowtowed and accepted the decree.
Ye Yuwu was still in a daze.
No? How come she was suddenly assigned to go on a "business trip"?
That won't do. She's away on a business trip. What will happen to her shop? We haven't found anyone to help manage it yet. What will happen to her storybooks if she goes to the border?
They won't be back for at least ten days to two weeks.
Ye Yuwu was on the verge of tears, wondering how she could refuse, and whether this would be considered disobeying an imperial decree.
Disobeying an imperial edict is punishable by death!
Before Ye Yuwu could even refuse, the ministers beside her couldn't sit still any longer.
Grand Tutor Zhao was the first to speak, "Your Majesty, you mustn't..."
However, after he only said a few words, the emperor beckoned him to stop talking.
The Grand Tutor and the Prime Minister, who were standing nearby, stopped speaking when they saw His Majesty's actions.
The reason why the Grand Tutor and the others were even more nervous than Ye Yuwu was because they all knew of Ye Yuwu's extraordinary identity.
If her disguise were to fall into the hands of malicious people, how many would secretly try to collude with her or assassinate her?
Regardless of how much benefit she will bring to Jin Kingdom in the future, they have not been able to break through the defenses of what she has written in the storybooks. If they really lose her...
Are these prices that their Jin Kingdom cannot afford?!
According to their thinking, Ye Yuwu, with her special identity, should stay in Bianjing and be properly protected.
Instead of going to such a chaotic place as the border, what if her life were to be in danger?
What frightens them even more is that the border connects to several countries. If other countries find out about Ye Yuwu, they might lure her to those countries, and their Jin Kingdom would lose a talented person.
Seeing the ministers below, who looked like they wanted to speak but dared not, the emperor finally couldn't bear it and said something.
"I have made my own decision."
The ministers already knew that His Majesty had made his decision, and they knew that there was nothing they could do. They could only silently pray that the trip to the border would go smoothly.
However, upon closer reflection, His Majesty's decision is not entirely bad.
It was precisely because there were so many things about potatoes that needed Ye Yuwu's help.
After all, only Ye Yuwu is familiar with potatoes, and sending her to the border will better assist the Minister of Agriculture in growing potatoes there.
Ye Yuwu's eyes were already brimming with tears; there was no turning back, so she had no choice but to give up on refusing.
She treated it as a field trip to gather inspiration, as she was currently experiencing writer's block while writing her storybook.
Perhaps going out and broadening her horizons, experiencing different cultures, could provide her with better inspiration.
She immediately calmed herself down, especially knowing that she might have to go for a year or two, her mood was like a rollercoaster.
How should I put it? At worst, I'll just open a bookstore on the border and sell her storybooks!