Chapter 271: Fortune Treasure Has Good Fortune

The young imperial prince paused; his maternal grandfather was also a Minister.

The Great Yan Emperor was no fool. Noticing the young prince's subtle expression, he spoke with added gravity: "Do not let your maternal grandfather win."

The young prince: "..."

At the Minister of Revenue's residence, the Minister's Lady had eaten two pieces of spirit melon and felt refreshed.

"No wonder one craves spirit melons even in summer," the Minister of Revenue's Lady said. "Such fine spirit melons are truly different; this is the first time I've tasted spirit melons infused with ice spiritual energy."

"It's a pity we bought so few," the Nanny said.

The Minister of Revenue's Lady went to find the Minister: "Go check the Barren Lands. There are still several mu of melon fields there. I heard there are a few spirit melons as well. Can the people of Marquis Qin Yan's Hou Fu possibly eat them all?"

The Minister of Revenue had already set his sights on them. Hearing this, he said, "I'll go take a look."

"Go quickly," the Minister of Revenue's Lady urged anxiously. "Our Emperor is a glutton."

The Minister of Revenue immediately went to the Barren Lands. No one knew the Great Yan Emperor's gluttony better than he did, and the Emperor was blessed with great fortune; whatever he desired, he would surely obtain.

Competing with the Great Yan Emperor for luck? That was no easy task.

The overwhelming power of the Bountiful Harvest Cloud had already eased. Rainfall had decreased, and its ability to promote plant growth was no longer so terrifying. At this time in the Barren Lands, it was not only Luo Bi's family that had spirit melons.

Melon fields, mu by mu, had grown melons, with spirit melons scattered among them. By estimation, the yield was quite good.

Luo Bi still had three mu of melon fields. Qin Tan, Qin Yan, Qin Tang, and Qin Xun each had one and a half mu of land there. Rong Juan and Jiang Xu each had one mu, hastily cleared, with some still clods of earth remaining.

He Zu had even less. He had been summoned by Rong Juan and had merely mixed in a bit of rainwater that promoted plant growth.

He Zu had one mu of land, which he had cleared with the help of several young nephews. After consulting Rong Juan, He Zu planted a variety of crops, including a few fen of melons of all kinds.

There were also beans and peanuts; a little of each was planted.

"Maternal grandfather," Rong Juan ran to find Qin Tan. "Is the Bountiful Harvest Cloud free?"

As long as Qin Di was not around, the child simply called him "maternal grandfather." Since Qin Di was not in the Barren Lands, no one would mistake the call for Qin Di. Qin Tan had handed over all county magistrate duties to the Assistant County Magistrate, focusing entirely on the farmland in the Barren Lands.

Spirit melons were rare; it was not worth having one picked by someone else.

Qin Tan looked around and found the Bountiful Harvest Cloud over Qin Xun's melon field. "I'll go tell your uncle Qin Xun."

"Okay," Rong Juan said readily.

He was simply taking advantage of his young age to seize the Bountiful Harvest Cloud for irrigation.

"Qin Xun," Qin Tan approached and asked, "Have you finished irrigating?"

Upon seeing the little bundle Rong Juan, Qin Xun, having not yet finished irrigating, yielded the Bountiful Harvest Cloud. Rong Juan happily took the cloud back and directed it to rain over He Zu's farmland.

Prince Su and others arrived at the Barren Lands to find Qin Yan and the others. "Are any of the spirit melons ripe yet?"

Qin Yan remained expressionless. "No."

The young imperial prince and the others were disappointed. The Minister of Works said, "If any melons ripen, let us know. We will buy spirit melons. With such a large field, you surely cannot eat them all yourselves. We will buy your spirit melons at the price of the Immortal Sects."

Qin Yan agreed. The young imperial prince stayed behind to find Rong Juan, while the others departed.

One group left, and another arrived. This group consisted of the Prime Minister, this Marquis, and that General. Being cultivators, they naturally wanted to taste a spirit melon. Some Ladies and Young Ladies accompanied them as well.

"Hiss, is this really the Barren Lands? Crops are actually growing here?"

"And not just drought-resistant crops; watermelons require a lot of water."

This person understood agriculture; she was the General's Lady.

"It's so hot even in autumn," a Young Lady said, shaking her mother's arm. "I want to eat spirit melons."

"Do you think you are the Fortune Treasure of Prince Xue's Wang Fu?" her mother said. "You still want spirit melons? Even Fortune Treasure can't get them anymore. For families of our standing, ordinary watermelons will suffice."

Fortune Treasure was blessed. Since childhood, she had consumed spiritual energy ingredients, and her reputation for good fortune was widespread. Among cultivation families, it was almost common knowledge that the young girl possessed high fortune value and had been pampered since birth.

This year, Fortune Treasure could not eat spirit melons. The Ladies of various residences gathered and whispered that Fortune Treasure had benefited greatly from the Yan Guogong Prefecture since childhood, consuming countless fine things, so not eating them now meant she lost nothing.

The Prime Minister went to find Qin Tan and Qin Yan, agreed to buy the melons once they ripened, then walked along the melon fields inspecting the watermelons before turning back and leaving.

A Lady asked about ordinary watermelons. Lin Yao consulted Rong Juan, speaking quietly: "There are two mu of watermelons. If they ripen, how about we sell a few ordinary watermelons at a higher price?"

Buy if you want; if not, our young Prince will eat them.

Rong Juan followed Lin Yao into the melon field, his small head busy searching. "Find a ripe melon."

Lin Yao found several that were fully ripe. "These are all ripe."

Rong Juan thought for a moment. "Pick them all."

Lin Yao picked them. Guards came to take the melons, walked out of the field, and went under the grape trellis.

Rong Juan said, "Cut one open to taste."

The young imperial prince ran over; he wanted to taste it too.

Lin Yao took a dagger to cut the melon. He touched the melon, and it cracked with a crisp sound. Fine, everyone knew this melon would be crisp. The child's eyes lit up. Lin Yao quickly cut the melon into pieces.

The young imperial prince took a piece of melon, first currying favor with Rong Juan, placing a piece in the little bundle's hand. "Brother, eat the melon."

Rong Juan was not one to stand on ceremony. It was his family's melon. He took a small bite. The young imperial prince had already taken another piece, tilting his small head to look at Rong Juan, waiting for his evaluation of whether the melon was good.

Rong Juan: "..."

Qin Bi was not present, so the child remained very composed. "Mr. Lin and the others should all taste it."

Lin Yao needed to have a sense of the price. He took a piece of melon and invited Guard Yan and the others to eat. Lin Yao took a bite of the watermelon and fell silent. Eh? He looked down at the melon in his hand. It was an ordinary watermelon!

Guard Yan and the others took a bite. Everyone looked at each other, stunned.

"Ordinary melons still have ice spiritual energy?" one guard asked, bewildered.

An advisor said, "This melon cannot be counted as an ordinary watermelon!"

The autumn air was dry and hot; eating a melon was refreshing. Spirit melons were needless to say, but even ordinary watermelons were cool and sweet. This was simply a surprise. Everyone saw joy in each other's eyes.

Lin Yao called Qin Tan and the others over. "Everyone taste it."

Qin Tan and the others tasted it, and their eyes all lit up.

Qin Tan said, "We cannot price it as an ordinary watermelon. The price can be raised."

That went without saying. Lin Yao took two ordinary watermelons, carried Rong Juan, and left. He returned to Rong Wang Fu to discuss the price with Prince Rong. When Lin Yao and Rong Juan returned, the watermelon was priced at one low-grade demon beast crystal per melon.

No spiritual energy; judging by the crisp, sweet, and icy texture of the melon, this price is fair for an ordinary watermelon.

Ordinary farmers sell a single watermelon for only a few dozen cash.

"How much for the watermelons?" a Lady asked.

"One monster spirit stone per melon," Guard Yan replied.

The Lady: "????"

The Lady spun around and stormed off in anger; a mere rotten watermelon, yet they dared to ask such a price.

Guard Yan did not care; buy it or not, perhaps the young Heir would be generous and reward his subordinates with watermelons; it would be even better if they didn't sell any.