Chapter 94

In the sky, a few white clouds floated over the blue expanse, the sky so clear it resembled a piece of blue jade with snowflake patterns, making Li Kuan, who was looking up, feel a sore neck.

Shaking his head, the people around him either bowed respectfully or ignored him outright. Li Kuan suddenly felt that he might be too small, for although his small body possessed strength far greater than that of an average adult, whenever he tried to lend a hand, he would receive suspicious glances. This had been confirmed by the looks of doubt from Changsun, Yang Fei, and his elder sister, Princess Xiangcheng, who all looked at his small arms and legs with suspicion, making Li Kuan somewhat resent his age.

The harem was now in a state of chaos, with countless palace maids and eunuchs busily moving things around. Although the items to be moved had been clearly designated earlier, the vastness of the palace and the scattered residences of the residents made the task quite challenging. However, in the royal family, no matter how small the matter, it was significant, and these items demonstrated the nobility of the royal family. Moving house, it took countless eunuchs and palace maids half a day to make it look grand and upscale. If only a few people did it, wouldn't it be a waste? Therefore, even a flower pot that a child could carry had to be carried by two people, as Changsun had ordered. In the harem, she was the most powerful, and no one dared to disobey.

Leaving the harem aside, in the Taiji Palace, the last imperial court session was underway, and a very interesting activity was taking place. What activity? Do you know about the heavenly blessings? When Li Er (Li Shimin) ascended the throne, the heavens bestowed blessings, indicating that Li Er was the true Son of Heaven. The rumors in Chang'an about the killing of his brothers at the Xuanwu Gate and the coercion of his father in the Taiji Hall would be shattered.

Li Er did not know about this matter; he only learned about the heavenly blessings from Changsun Wujie's report. The matter dated back to when Li Er announced his reforms, moved his office, and assigned his trusted relatives to their respective departments. Changsun Wujie then stepped forward to report something. Li Er asked him to explain in detail, leading to this scene.

An old farmer, dressed in coarse linen, trembled as he stepped into the Taiji Palace, his steps becoming even more shaky as he saw the officials in various official robes standing on both sides. He was almost unable to walk.

He held a tray covered with a red cloth. No one knew what was inside, but since it was brought by an old farmer, it must be something produced from the land, something rare, hopefully not embarrassing.

"High Minister, what is this? To dare bring it into the hall!" Xiao Yu whispered to Gao Shilian.

"Well, Minister Xiao, you've come to the wrong person. I have no idea. My nephew didn't reveal anything!" Gao Shilian said awkwardly. Although he was Changsun Wujie's uncle, his nephew was much more capable. Since the two siblings moved out of his house, they no longer consulted him on anything, and Changsun Wujie made all the decisions. So Gao Shilian really didn't know what was on the tray.

"Could it be like the big joke during the Sui Dynasty?" Xiao Yu said, worried. During the Sui Dynasty, officials from Ji Prefecture reported the appearance of a qilin (a mythical creature), and after expending countless resources to capture it and transport it to Daxing City (the predecessor of Chang'an), it was revealed to be a pig with gold foil and fake deer antlers. This became a topic of ridicule for the people of Daxing City for three months. The officials who reported the qilin were executed by the enraged Emperor Yang, and since then, officials no longer dared to report such omens.

But now, Changsun Wujie had brought up this taboo topic and had an old farmer present it in the council hall. It seemed he had some confidence, but it was unknown whether the omen would be exposed.

The old farmer, with white hair and a patched but clean coarse linen robe, had calloused hands and a weathered, copper-colored skin with faint age spots. He was indeed very old, and in the post-war era, such elderly people were rare, except for those from wealthy families. Poor people's elderly either died in the war or starved to death while fleeing from the war. So for Changsun Wujie to find such an old man, it showed his dedication, and Li Er felt somewhat reassured: "Since Fuji has put so much effort into finding a man over sixty, this omen is unlikely to be embarrassing."

Under the watchful eyes of the court, the old farmer finally reached the center of the hall and knelt down: "Your humble subject pays respects to His Majesty!"

"Old man, please rise. I cannot bear it!" Li Er quickly stood up from his throne, stepped down the stairs, and helped the old man to his feet.

In this era, being old was an advantage. The Wude Code clearly stipulated that those over sixty did not have to kneel in the hall, and those over seventy could even defecate or urinate in the Golden Hall without punishment. This was the privilege of living long.

So when the old farmer knelt to Li Er, Li Er dared not accept it and hurriedly helped him up. The old farmer was moved, as the emperor had personally helped him, a peasant. He couldn't believe it, his lips trembling, unable to speak. He placed the tray on the ground, no longer caring about the omen. The emperor was the greatest omen. When he returned to his village, he would boast about being personally helped by the emperor, which would give him great face. Those who looked down on his old bones would eagerly offer their daughters to his two sons, who would then have good fortune and not need to pay a dowry to marry.

At this moment, the old farmer was thinking about these things, not the fear and blank mind one might expect. It was incredible, but in this era, few people had seen the emperor. In the minds of the peasants, the emperor was probably someone who plowed the fields with a golden hoe. In their minds, the emperor was just a great person.

Li Er helped the old farmer up, and Changsun Wujie picked up the tray from the ground: "Old sir, is this the omen you wish to present to the emperor?"

The old farmer was a tenant of the Changsun family and recognized his master. Seeing Changsun Wujie speak, he quickly continued as instructed: "Yes, this is the omen I wish to present!"

"Can we let the court officials see it?" Changsun Wujie continued.

Changsun Wujie's action was somewhat overstepping, as Li Er should have said this, but Li Er remained silent, knowing his brother-in-law was not one to lose his sense of propriety. He was likely guiding the old farmer, and the court officials would not dare to speak out against the newly appointed Duke of Qi.

"Of course, the omen is to be announced to the world. It is something grown in my field, and I hope the emperor will find it worthy!" The old farmer, now in the state he had practiced many times, spoke more calmly.

"Ah! Then please tell me about this omen, old man." Li Er was interested.

"Your Majesty, this omen has been planted for several years, but there was no harvest until this year. This year, the yield is comparable to wheat, and after one harvest, it grows again, allowing two harvests a year. Compared to wheat, it can produce nearly half more crops per acre, truly a blessing for the people!" The old farmer was excited, having forgotten the praise for Li Er that Changsun Wujie had taught him, focusing instead on the benefits of the crop. The praise for Li Er would be left to his master.

"Is that so? Why was the yield low before, and why did it suddenly increase this year?" Li Er, though not a farmer, knew that crop yields were generally stable and could not suddenly increase without a reason.

"Your Majesty, this grain, called rice, was given to us by the master two years ago. It was mostly empty and produced little. This spring, the young master taught us how to plant it. We didn't believe him, but I thought he was a noble and wouldn't deceive us. So I followed his method, pulling out many of the densely planted rice plants. During the recent autumn harvest, the yield increased significantly, and the second harvest just a few days ago produced even more, at least two shi (a unit of weight) more per acre than wheat." The old farmer spoke fluently.

Li Er, hearing the word "rice," knew what it was. He had given it to Changsun Wujie, and it seemed the old farmers hadn't grown it well, which was why there had been no news. But the sudden improvement this year must be due to his son's efforts.

"Old man, please show this omen to the court officials and see if it is as you say!" Li Er felt confident, knowing his son had received help from his master, so it must be true.

"Sure!" The old farmer, not knowing the proper protocol, took the tray from Changsun Wujie, lifted the red cloth, and revealed a bundle of golden rice, with full grains and long stalks.

The old farmer untied the red ribbon and handed the rice stalks to the curious court officials. They examined the rice, comparing it to wheat.

The grains were smaller than wheat but more numerous. One stalk of rice produced about the same as one wheat plant. If the planting density was similar, the yield would be about the same, but if it could produce a second harvest, the yield would be much higher. For the Tang Dynasty, which was founded on agriculture, this was a great blessing. A 50% increase in annual grain production would greatly boost the empire's development, leading to a prosperous and peaceful era.

The court officials were delighted, thinking of the benefits of this crop. It must be widely promoted throughout Guanzhong, Hebei, and Shandong. The aftereffects of the war would be quickly alleviated, and the arrival of a prosperous era would be imminent. Thinking of this, the officials, who were always concerned about the state and the people, smiled, even calculating how much more grain their own fields could produce.

"I believe this grain should be widely promoted!" Cui Xiang, representing the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, was the first to speak, as it would greatly benefit his family, solidifying their status.

"I agree!"

"I also agree!" The officials from the aristocratic families stood up, demanding the promotion of this grain, as their families would also benefit greatly from this omen. They supported Cui Xiang to gain these benefits, not because of any particular loyalty to the Cui family.

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