Chapter 163

The time saved in this regard is countless times over; it is simple, convenient, and fast!

The commoners who received the Xuan paper all stepped back, letting those behind continue to move forward.

Before long, almost everyone had a sheet of Xuan paper in their hands.

But some people holding this so-called Xuan paper in their hands are completely bewildered.

Many people have never seen this thin material and are extremely curious.

"What is this Xuan paper?"

"I wonder if this paper called Xuan paper is expensive? We took so much all at once; do we have to pay for it?"

"It shouldn't be expensive, right? I heard it was invented by the Ninth Prince and is a good substitute for bamboo slips!"

"As long as it doesn't cost money, that's fine; I have no money!"

"Right, we're just here to watch the excitement; we have no money to give."

Soon, some people turned their attention to the characters written on the Xuan paper.

They only feel that every character is square and upright, looking very regular and pleasing to the eye.

"What is written on this?"

"Someone say it, I'm illiterate!"

"Those who are illiterate, be quiet and let those who can read tell us what it says."

Those illiterate commoners quieted down.

Those merchants and scholars who could read began their show-off mode.

It is a joyful thing to have a rare opportunity to flaunt one's knowledge in front of so many people.

"Big event, a super big event!"

"The official news is finally here!"

"The previous rumors have been confirmed as true!"

Many people became confused.

The rumors from last time?

What they said, they couldn't understand at all.

"It says here that Great Qin has discovered new crops! Potatoes and sweet potatoes!"

"This is an auspicious sign from Heaven, brought back by Prince Ying Ying Zi Ye, with a yield per mu reaching seven to eight thousand jin!"

"The imperial court is going to distribute these auspicious crops to the commoners for farming for free!"

"Farming tools, farming techniques, and auspicious seeds—everyone will be able to receive these three things in a few days!"

The people waiting for this news were silent at first, then they became boisterous.

"Is this news correct?"

"A yield of seven or eight thousand jin per mu? Is this true?"

"The wheat and millet we farm only yield three hundred jin per mu!"

"I don't believe it! How could there be a crop with such a high yield!"

"The official announcement is out; believe it whether you want to or not! The imperial court wouldn't lie!"

"That makes sense; the imperial court wouldn't use these things to fool people, since the announcement has been issued."

Everyone was unwilling to believe this at first.

After all, it was too exaggerated.

If such auspicious crops really existed, a family could eat for a year by farming just one mu of land!

But the current situation is that they farm dozens or even hundreds of mu, and apart from taxes, it is barely enough to support a family.

Occasionally, when a drought comes, the harvest is minimal, and they go hungry directly.

This news shocked everyone present.

They had heard of such things before.

But those were just rumors; after all, they had heard about the mobilization of one hundred thousand troops outside Xianyang City to guard something.

Such a big matter cannot be hidden, they just didn't know what it was.

Now the official news has finally come out.

It is an auspicious crop! An auspicious crop that can yield seven or eight thousand jin per mu!

The commoners were immersed in joy, unable to extricate themselves for a long time!

At this time, those scholars laughed out loud again.

"There are good things coming later!"

"Wake up, everyone; don't let joy cloud your minds. The news that follows is also a major highlight!"

Many commoners, upon hearing this, looked at those scholars with burning intensity.

They all wanted to know what other good news there was.

The scholars felt the feeling of being the center of attention once again, and their hearts felt somewhat light and airy.

"That is the new farming tools! They can change the efficiency of the farmers!"

"These new farming tools can allow farmers to farm more easily."

"They are the curved-shaft plow and the seed drill! These are divine artifacts invented by the Great Qin Regent, the Ninth Prince Ying Ying Zi Ye!"

The commoners were somewhat stunned.

Sweet potatoes and potatoes were brought back by the Ninth Prince.

This curved-shaft plow and seed drill were also invented by the Ninth Prince.

What exactly is so magical about them?

"What exactly are those divine artifacts, the curved-shaft plow and the seed drill?"

"Exactly, tell us quickly; don't keep us in suspense."

The commoners became a bit anxious.

The scholars looked at the crowd with smiles, their hearts feeling greatly satisfied.

"First, the curved-shaft plow: it only requires one person and one ox to plow the land, and it plows deeper and faster than the previous method of two oxen and three men!"

"Everyone knows that two oxen and three men can only plow a few mu of land a day, but with the curved-shaft plow, one person and one ox can plow twenty mu of land in a day!"

"And the seed drill: using the seed drill for planting, one can plant one qing (50 mu) a day!"

The commoners were all dumbfounded.

One person and one ox can plow twenty mu of land in a day?

One can plant one qing of land in a day using the seed drill?

Heavens! If this is true, then this world is truly too crazy!

They were unwilling to believe this, feeling as if they were dreaming, but this was an official announcement, so they had to believe it!

"No, I have to go and ask for more fertile land!"

Some commoners realized that this news must be true.

Previously, when the government distributed fertile land to the commoners, some people thought their families lacked the ability to farm it and didn't dare to ask for so much.

If you ask for fertile land, you have to farm it; if you dare to leave it fallow, you will be punished.

But now, hearing that the efficiency of the new farming tools is so great, they all regretted asking for so little land.

The government had also said before that if they wanted more later, they could come back to receive more fertile land.

"With these new farming tools being so powerful, the one hundred mu of fertile land my family has isn't enough to farm!"

"Exactly, exactly; let's hurry and report it to get more fertile land; if we're late, there won't be any left!"

The commoners ran off one after another, wanting to tell their relatives and wanting to get more fertile land.

Previously, their strength didn't allow it, but now that the new farming tools have appeared, this problem can be perfectly solved.

At the bulletin board, it suddenly became somewhat chaotic.

Fortunately, there were soldiers guarding it, so no stampede occurred.

In no time at all, everyone here had run off completely.

Compared to the scene of people crowding each other just a moment ago, it was as if no one had ever gathered here.

And such things were happening throughout Xianyang City and the surrounding commanderies and counties.

Ying Ying Zi Ye, however, did not pay attention to these matters.

At this moment, he and General Wang Li, along with the soldiers, had already begun their departure for Kuaiji Commandery.