Chapter 81: Harvest

The Empress Dowager finally managed to reveal a smile.

The Empress Dowager finally managed to reveal a smile, and said to the Emperor at her side, "This mourner feels that the Minister of Personnel's proposal is not bad."

"This mourner has felt unwell these past few days, and every night in my dreams, Ningning is picking up scraps; it would be better to let them return to the Capital quickly."

The Emperor sneered.

Saying Yan Ning is picking up scraps?

Who doesn't know that this girl has an unknown source of so many Gold Melon Seeds and Silver Melon Seeds, scattering money all along the way.

And yet they tell him Yan Ning is picking up scraps?

He, a dignified Emperor, has been living frugally since the national treasury was emptied, yet Yan Ning actually still has money to scatter everywhere.

And there is Yan Ze; he doesn't even want to speak of this eldest son. He never liked him to begin with, and now he dislikes him even more.

He has the method for making Glazed Glass but won't hand it over; this is the fastest way to fill the national treasury, yet who knew he would be so tactless and refuse to budge at all.

If he could hand it over, he could be allowed to return to the Capital.

Thinking of this, the Emperor's expression darkened.

"Since you are so concerned about the First Prince, then you go and keep him company."

"Gao Yuan, exile to Lingnan."

All the ministers were stunned.

This is the Minister of Personnel! To exile him just like that?

His Majesty is truly old and increasingly muddled.

The ministers all knelt to plead for mercy.

The Emperor only said, "This Emperor is not an unreasonable person; only Gao Yuan alone shall be exiled, as the old, weak, women, and children of his clan are all in the Capital."

The ministers:...

Everyone sighed, fearing that the Daxia dynasty is finished.

The Empress Dowager slammed the table and stood up: "Absurd!"

"You just go ahead and exile him, there will come a time when you regret it!"

Having said this, she rose and left.

This was the first time the court officials had seen the Empress Dowager so angry.

The Emperor is also becoming increasingly absurd.

Gao Yuan thought, since he was already being exiled, he might as well continue: "Your Majesty, if the First Prince does not return, no one can shoulder the position of Crown Prince!"

The Emperor let out a cold snort and beckoned to Yan Qing.

Yan Qing immediately walked over.

The Emperor looked at him and revealed a smile, "Who says there is no one who can shoulder the position of Crown Prince? From now on, Yan Qing shall be the Grandson of the Emperor."

The hearts that everyone had been holding up finally died.

Gao Yuan took a deep breath, never expecting that a Grandson of the Emperor could still emerge.

Has His Majesty gone mad?

Seeing that His Majesty's health is getting worse year by year, appointing Yan Qing as Grandson of the Emperor at this time is certainly not a good choice.

Yan Qing, however, smiled.

The Grandson of the Emperor will be the future Emperor, right? Once Grandfather Emperor passes, he will issue an order to bring his eldest uncle's family to the Capital.

The Emperor did not yet know Yan Qing's thoughts; if he did, he would surely be so angry he would vomit blood.

The position of Grandson of the Emperor had already been decided.

Originally, he should have gone to the Eastern Palace, but Yan Qing was too young, only ten years old.

Furthermore, the Crown Princess was still living there and had not moved out, so the Grandson of the Emperor would reside in the side hall of the Qianqing Palace.

The Emperor continued: "Xiao Quanzi, go and settle the people of the Eastern Palace in the Yongning Marquis Mansion; from now on, that will be the residence of the deposed Crown Prince."

It is just as well; when Yan Qing is a bit older, he can go live in the Eastern Palace.

This time, the court officials had nothing more to say.

It was just a pity for the First Prince's talent.

Gao Yuan sighed in his heart; this Grandson of the Emperor has too soft a temperament, making him unsuitable to be Emperor.

But these things no longer had anything to do with him; he was about to be exiled to Lingnan.

Yan Ning did not know the news from the Capital, but she was quite happy right now.

There was a bumper harvest of food!

The villagers were digging up Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes together, and picking ears of Corn.

And the improved Rice that Yan Ning had exchanged for was all growing gratifyingly well.

Jin Sanzhu was helping Yan Ning tend to the Rice, still somewhat puzzled: "Miss, why is the yield of this Rice so high?"

Yan Ning smiled and said: "This is also something I obtained by chance; when the time comes, half of this Rice will be kept, and the other half will continue to be used as Seed."

Before Yan Ning transmigrated, the seeds at that time could only be planted for one generation, and the next generation would not work, but the seeds they exchanged had relatively stable genes after the second generation.

Therefore, Yan Ning decided to keep half of the seeds to continue planting.

These past few days, everyone's harvest had been very bountiful; within two days, those in Taohua Village who had taken the seeds had already begun moving Corn and Sweet Potatoes to her house.

This year they had taken care of them quite carefully, there were no weeds, and they followed the fertilization methods Yan Ning taught, so the yield was very abundant.

After they left, Yan Ning collected all the Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, and Corn into her space and put them into the Cold Storage; they could be preserved for a long time, and even after a year or two, the texture and taste would be about the same as if they were newly bought.

Yan Ning felt that this Cold Storage was still very useful.

It was also at this time that her father patted her head: "Come back to your senses, County Magistrate Lin has come to find us."

Yan Ning came out of her space, and as soon as she stepped outside, she saw County Magistrate Lin smiling with a face full of spring breeze.

He said to Yan Ning with a beaming smile, "These seeds of yours are too amazing, where did you get them?"

Yan Ning made up a story on the spot: "Traded them with a Huoshang; besides these, there are some vegetable seeds."

County Magistrate Lin's eyes sparkled.

Yan Ning said, "I'll see if there are extra seeds later, and I'll distribute them to you all then."

Things like chili peppers and green peppers could be brought out and distributed to them.

County Magistrate Lin only then brought up the real business: "Miss Yan, may I give these seeds to Lu Prefect of Haicheng?"

"I don't mean to take credit; I will certainly tell Lu Prefect that these seeds were spread from your place."

Yan Ning nodded: "When I gave you the seeds, I was prepared for you to promote them."

County Magistrate Lin truly admired Yan Ning.

Such precious things were handed over just like that.

After asking, County Magistrate Lin immediately prepared to go to Haicheng, not wanting to delay for even a moment.

Yan Ning, meanwhile, sat and waited to collect that ten percent of the yield.

Er Gouzi began to get busy again, helping Yan Ning register and calculate the accounts.

She had originally given them to 42 households, but only 40 households had already given them to Yan Ning.

Once Er Gouzi checked, his expression became somewhat subtle.

Yan Ning noticed it and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Er Gouzi hurriedly said, "No problem; the two households that didn't turn them in are Zhao Dazhu and Li Laiwang."

"Zhao Dazhu, Li Laiwang, Qian Pang, and Cui Xiaoliu—these four are the laziest idlers in our Taohua Village. Qian Pang and Cui Xiaoliu are still fine as they haven't separated from their families, but Zhao Dazhu and Li Laiwang have already separated, and I reckon they didn't plant those seeds at all."

Yan Ning frowned, "If they weren't going to plant the seeds, why did they take them back?"

Er Gouzi hurriedly said, "I'll go get the seeds back right now."

Yan Ning let him go get them.

It wasn't that she begrudged those seeds, she simply disliked these few idlers.

Who knew that as soon as Er Gouzi went in, Zhao Dazhu hugged Er Gouzi's leg and cried, "Er Gouzi, I regret it. If I had known the yield would be so high, I would have planted them no matter what. I—I will go plant them tomorrow, I absolutely won't waste a single seed."

Regarding this, Yan Ning was noncommittal, but she did not have anyone forcibly take the seeds back.

Yan Ning counted the Silver Notes and took the money to Haicheng.

Wu Jiangjun had long since told her to go choose a ship; if she went early, she could still find shipwrights to help make adjustments if there were any parts she was dissatisfied with.

After Yan Ning finished these matters, she immediately dragged her father along to pick out a ship.