After confirming the specific content of the report, the Yunqi nun quickly contacted the Jinling Prefect and brought him to see the specially left unharvested fields of wheat and rice. Through him, the news of the appearance of superior varieties was sent to the imperial court at top speed.
Only seven days passed.
Upon receiving the memorial, Emperor Yuyuan dispatched an imperial envoy and secret guards, who arrived in Jinling City, one openly and one covertly, primarily to ascertain the truthfulness of the memorial's content.
One could not simply claim to have high-yield grain varieties and expect immediate belief from the court.
Someone had to be sent to verify.
It might even require personally cultivating a full season to confirm.
Therefore, this matter would not be concluded quickly.
The arrival of the imperial envoy was hosted by Yunqi nun, the primary party involved. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they immediately got straight to the point, taking the envoy and his retinue to inspect the unharvested fields.
If they hadn't been waiting for the inspection, those fields would have been harvested long ago. The wheat and rice were already unnaturally mature, and had it not been for recent good luck with no rain, they might have even started sprouting.
Thus, further delay was out of the question.
Any welcoming banquets were entirely dispensed with.
The focus was to see the rice paddies and wheat fields first.
The imperial envoy dispatched this time was an official responsible for agricultural matters. Although his position was not particularly high, he was well-versed in agricultural common sense.
Therefore, upon arriving at the fields and seeing the wheat and rice, he immediately recognized that the yield was definitely not low. Without needing any prompting from those around him, he rolled up his sleeves and entered the fields. His purpose was to examine the fullness of the wheat and rice grains, the number of grains on the ears, and also to inspect the root systems of the plants. This was to determine if the wheat and rice had simply grown that way, or if they had transplanted wheat and rice from two mu of land into one mu, thus faking an abundant harvest.
After about the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn.
The imperial envoy in the rice paddy exclaimed, "Heaven has opened its eyes! A blessing for the common people, a blessing for all! His voice was so emotional that he was almost incoherent. Turning his head, one could see that his eyes were already teary, unable to contain his emotions.
Following this was a period of about half a stick of incense for him to compose himself.
Only then did the imperial envoy, with the support of Yunqi nun, return to the edge of the field. He then instructed the long-awaiting farmers to begin harvesting. During the harvest, he specifically cautioned them to pull up the plants by the roots, as he intended to transport the entire wheat and rice plants to the capital.
This request, while perhaps unusual, was not excessively demanding.
Therefore, Yunqi nun, seeing the surprise of the farmers who had come to help with the harvest, waved her hand in assent. Immediately, while they waited for the harvest to be completed, they engaged in conversation. The imperial envoy asked questions, and Yunqi nun provided answers.
Ding Yun also made an appearance during this process. She needed to present herself and describe the life of her non-existent, deceased mother, which she had just fabricated.
By the time the imperial envoy had finished his questions and recorded all the information, the remaining two mu of land had also been completely harvested. More accurately, they had all been uprooted.
Thus, they quickly concluded their farewells.
Before departing, the imperial envoy specifically stated that His Majesty would not forget their merits. However, because the grain varieties had not yet been thoroughly verified, it was not convenient to bestow rewards at present. He assured them that, at the latest, after the next harvest, an imperial decree would surely arrive with their rewards.
The entire process was remarkably swift.
Their total stay was less than twelve hours.
While the imperial envoy was somewhat hurried, eager to transport the wheat and rice to the capital before Emperor Yuyuan's birthday, another reason for the haste was to deliver the grain seeds to the capital early to avoid delaying the next planting season.
...
"That imperial envoy was quite efficient!"
As soon as the imperial envoy left, Ding Yun stood at the entrance of Nanhua Temple, gazing after their departing figures, and remarked.
"It's better that he was efficient.
If he had stayed here, it would have truly been a delay. Agricultural seasons brook no delay. Moreover, the sooner he returns, the better, saving us the trouble of hosting him.
By the way, Ding Yun, can you tell me more about the breeding technology you mentioned earlier? I'm quite interested in farming now. Although the matter of grain seeds has been temporarily settled, I still want to try the breeding technology you mentioned, to see if we can cultivate seeds with higher yields and better drought and disease resistance.
I feel this is much more significant than chanting scriptures and providing alms.
Even chanting scriptures for ten thousand years cannot compare to the help brought to the people by increasing grain production by three to five catties!"
Yunqi nun added a brief sigh after her comment.
Then she brought up a matter that she had recently decided upon and was prepared to dedicate her life to.
That is, to complete what Ding Yun's mother had not fully accomplished.
Although Yunqi nun's idea was good, Ding Yun felt a little powerless. She could only say:
"Revered Immortal, I am truly sorry. It's not that I'm unwilling to share my mother's technology, but rather that I don't understand much about this field myself. I only know some superficial aspects, and I don't know if it will be helpful. Of course, if you're willing to listen, I will tell you as much as I can.
But I don't know if it will be useful."
Ding Yun was not a professional in agricultural science. Furthermore, in her era, life had long since transcended the need for food. The term "breeding technology" was something she had learned from history books, so her understanding was truly limited. The help she could provide was naturally limited as well, at most she could only impart some basic information.
"It's alright, whatever you know is more than I do.
In any case, I have plenty of time, and we can take it slow. If I can't thoroughly research it, I still have many disciples and grand-disciples in my Nanhua Temple!"
Yunqi nun did not seem disappointed.
She immediately responded with a smile.
Since the other party had said so, Ding Yun could not refuse. That evening, after dinner, Ding Yun racked her brains, searching her memory for any remaining related recollections. She told Yunqi nun all the information she knew about breeding technology. For some parts that were difficult to remember, she even wrote them down and gave them to her to prevent her from forgetting.
Then, starting from the next day.
Yunqi nun became very busy.
She busied herself with entrusting various escort agencies and merchants to help her purchase wheat and rice seeds from different regions. She also asked them to keep an eye out for wild wheat and rice plants and to bring them back for her, as she was willing to pay a high price.
In addition to this, she began to divide the land.
And prepare for breeding.
In short, she was so busy that she didn't have time to pay attention to Ding Yun.