Chapter 29: Yinreng: Me? The Chosen One?

Chapter 29

In a blink of an eye, it was March, and the 18th was the Emperor's birthday. Because of the good news last year, such as glass, clocks, and cowpox, the people had good weather and the treasury was full. The court was full of joy, and the court officials proposed a grand celebration, and Kangxi gladly accepted it.

The Ministry of Rites began preparations in early February, and the concubines in the harem also began selecting birthday gifts early. They racked their brains, trying to make their gifts unique and pleasing to Kangxi, so that they would stand out from the other concubines.

Concubine Hui prepared a red coral. Although this thing is valuable, it is not new in the royal family. The difficulty lies in that this red coral is shaped like a dragon, with a flying image, and it is naturally grown and not artificially carved. How can this be a red coral! This is a good omen!

Concubine Shanhu Hui had obtained this at the beginning of the year, but she kept silent and covered up the news, just waiting to make a splash at the gift-giving ceremony on the day of her emperor's birthday.

As for Yinzhi, Concubine Hui said, "You are still young, so you don't need to choose expensive things. Just practice calligraphy and write a longevity character. Or you can ask the teacher for advice and choose a pleasing topic and write an article."

Yinzhi frowned: "Mother, isn't this too light?"

Concubine Hui laughed and said, "If you want something valuable, the emperor has seen all kinds of valuable things. Besides, you are only nine years old, you haven't married yet, and you haven't left the palace to build a residence. At your age, the emperor values your studies the most. If you just work hard on this, you will surely be pleased by the emperor."

Yinzhi thought for a moment and said, "I don't know what the Yuqing Palace will send you yet."

Concubine Hui was stunned. This is a problem. There is nothing wrong with her suggestion. But the prince might also think of it. It would be bad if the two were sent to the same place. In terms of martial arts, the prince is not bad, but Yinzhi is better. In terms of literature, even if the prince is two years younger, he is better than Yinzhi.

Concubine Hui's face darkened: "You prepare first, I'll ask someone to find out."

As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Rui came in and reported, "My queen, eldest prince! The crown prince has gone to deliver the birthday gift!"

Concubine Hui was very surprised: "Now? Today is only the first day of the new year!"

"Yes! The prince had no intention of hiding it from anyone. He told the servants in Yuqing Palace and went straight there with the box in his hand."

Concubine Hui clenched her hands and said, "Go and find out what he gave you!"

…

Yinreng came to the Cining Palace happily holding the wooden box. He moved very carefully with a look of joy on his face.

The Empress Dowager asked with a smile: "What treasure did you get that makes you so happy?"

"My dear!" Yinreng replied, and then looked at Kangxi who was paying his respects in the Cining Palace, "Khan Ama, your son has come to give you a birthday gift!"

"Birthday gift?" Kangxi smiled. "It's still more than half a month away. Why is it so early?"

"Because I want to be the first one to give Khan Ama a birthday gift! Of course I have to send it in advance, I can't let others get there first! What's more, my treasure can only be delivered early, not late!"

Kangxi became curious: "What is this? It's too late?"

The Empress Dowager joined in the fun with a smile: "Oh, it seems that this birthday gift is not simple, let me see it too!"

Kangxi opened the wooden box and was stunned for a moment. There was no jade or precious stone inside, but rice ears that filled the entire box.

The Empress Dowager exclaimed, then turned to ask Yinreng: "But the crops you planted yourself? Have they been harvested yet?"

"yes!"

Dai Jia, who was serving beside him, smiled and said, "The prince is really thoughtful. The emperor just told the Empress Dowager that now that the national treasury is full, his greatest wish is to have a good harvest. Your Majesty, this is grown by the prince himself, so it has a different meaning. I think there is no other gift that can compare to this."

These words directly elevated Yinreng's rice planting behavior to a higher level. Kangxi narrowed his eyes in delight, "I didn't expect that you could actually grow rice in a glass house."

He thought more. If rice could be grown in winter, could the people follow suit? But this thought lasted only a moment and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Let's not talk about the cost of the glass house. Just take the method used by Yinreng to build that house. It is OK for a small area, but it is not suitable for large-scale planting. Moreover, the Yuqing Palace is so small, and Yinreng sent eight servants to guard it day and night and serve it carefully. Can ordinary people afford such labor and time?

Kangxi sighed and had to give up.

The Grand Empress Dowager joked, "Chengpin is right. The ones Baocheng planted himself are different. Your Majesty, I think it would be better to take them down and let the servants shell them and cook them today. I will also have a taste of them."

Yinreng quickly covered the box and said, "No! Mother Wuku, you can't eat this!"

The Empress Dowager was stunned. Kangxi laughed and said, "You are not allowed to eat it? Great! Then I will have someone preserve it and watch it from time to time, thinking of your kindness. Is that ok?"

Yinreng shook his head: "This is not a decoration, how can I collect it for appreciation? Khan Ama, this is for seed."

Kangxi was confused: "Leave seeds? You're giving me rice seeds? Do you want me to farm with you?"

Yinreng did not answer directly, but asked: "Khan Ama, look at these rice, what is the difference?"

Kangxi: ???

Yinreng slapped his head and suddenly realized that Kangxi was an emperor who had only eaten rice. He probably had never seen rice seeds, let alone tell the difference.

He waved his hand and asked someone to bring over all the unused rice seeds that Soetu had collected, sorted them by variety, and placed them on the ground one by one.

"Khan Ama, generally the best millets of the season are reserved for rice seeds, but look. Aren't the ones in my box fuller than those on the ground?"

"It does need to be fuller." Kangxi looked over suspiciously, "So what?"

"Khan Ama, please follow me to Yuqing Palace!"

The two came to the glass house.

Yinreng pointed to the rice fields and said, "Khan Ama, look carefully, what is the difference between plot No. 1 and plots No. 2, 3 and 4?"

"Bigger ears of rice, more grains, better harvests. So what?"

Yinreng called Meng Jixiang over and said, "Tell Khan Ama if the rice grown by ordinary people is this good?"

"Your Majesty, Prince. No. I farmed with my father for five years before entering the palace, and I have never seen anything as good as Plot No. 1."

Yinreng narrowed his eyes and asked: "How much do you normally produce per mu of rice?"

"It depends on the harvest. In bad years, there may be no harvest at all. In good years, it depends on how the crops are planted, how well they are taken care of, and how diligent they are. Generally speaking, most of the yields per mu are more than 300 kilograms, and preferably no more than 400 kilograms."

Yinreng pointed to site number one and said, "What do you think of these?"

"There is only about one mu of land here, and half of it has been harvested. According to current calculations, there are more than 40 kilograms. I looked around and found that the remaining half is growing in the same way as the harvested ones, and the yield is comparable.

"According to this calculation, there should be at least 80 kilograms. One point is 80, so one mu should not be less than 800." Meng Jixiang couldn't help but sigh, "I have never seen such a high yield of rice in my life."

Kangxi was shocked. "Are you telling the truth?"

Meng Jixiang lowered his head and said, "Every word I say is true. I dare not lie about anything."

Yinreng smiled and said, "Khan Ama, Jixiang would not lie about such a thing. But he was only twelve years old when he entered the palace, and many years have passed. He is talking about the situation back then, and he probably doesn't know what it is like now. I have asked my uncle to ask the people, and I think there should be results soon."

Yinreng invited Kangxi out first and sat for a while in Yuqing Palace. Not long after, he heard the eunuch report: Soetu wanted to see him.

Soetu recorded the results of the inquiries one by one and presented them to Kangxi.

"I asked the tenants on the farms under my name, and went to the imperial farm. Although the imperial farm in Beijing is not as big as Xingzhou, the fields are top-quality. The fields under my name are all good fields. So the harvest should be better than that of ordinary people. The yield per mu in these two places, under the premise of ensuring good weather and good harvests, is generally maintained at around 370 kilograms.

"This is not just the words of the village head. I am afraid that the village head only cares about the affairs and does not work in the fields, and does not understand the actual situation well enough, or there are mistakes or omissions. I have asked 57 tenants in total. The results are consistent.

"After that, I went to the Ministry of Revenue again and asked for data on grain production in various places in previous years. I found that even in the land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River, the best harvest was only a little over 400 million."

Kangxi took a deep breath and tried to curb his surging blood. "Have you found out everything?"

"Yes! There is a Mr. Min in the Farmland Division of the Ministry of Revenue. He was born in a poor family. Before he entered the government, he often had to go to the fields to farm after finishing his studies. Later, when he entered the court as an official, he still maintained this habit and would go to the fields to tend to the crops every year.

"Although he doesn't have much talent, he is a hard-working person. After joining the Agricultural Land Bureau, he often went out to the grassroots to conduct field investigations and occasionally worked with farmers.

"Among all the officials in the court, who knows the most about farming? I think he is the best. I brought him here specially and waited outside the door. If the emperor has any doubts, why not send him to ask? And as for the prince's land, we must let someone who knows about it come and take a look."

"Okay!" Kangxi nodded, "Let him in! No, take him directly to the glass room, let's go too!"

Glass house.

Lord Min was only a sixth-rank official, not even qualified to attend the grand court meetings, and he had never seen the emperor before. He was suddenly brought into the palace, and he was trembling with fear. When he saw Kangxi, his legs started to tremble. Fortunately, he managed not to lose his manners in front of the emperor. But cold sweat kept coming out of his head.

But when he got to the field, he was like a fish in water, and his previous timidity was swept away. After walking around the No. 1 field, Lord Min almost climbed up using his hands and feet. He even forgot his fear and was so excited that he began to stutter.

"Your Majesty! What kind of rice is this? The root system is well developed, the ears are large and the grains are numerous. I have been farming for more than 20 years and have inspected countless farmlands, but I have never seen this kind of rice! It is because the cultivated area here is too small. If we can achieve the yield per mu, it should be around 800 kilograms. Even compared with the best harvest in the past, it is almost doubled!"

Kangxi's eyes sparkled: "Really?"

"really!"

Kangxi looked at Yinreng and asked: "How did you get this rice by hybridization? Is it possible to produce it in large quantities?"

Yinreng: ... His Khan Ama was so happy that he was confused. He actually asked a seven-year-old child such a question.

"Khan Ama, you know. I was just inspired at the time. I thought that horses and donkeys could be crossbred, grapefruits and oranges could be crossbred, and rice should be able to crossbred as well. That's why I gave it a try.

"I originally wanted to see if the hybrid variety tasted better than the normal rice, but I didn't expect the harvest from Field No. 1 to be so good. It was a pleasant surprise. Now you ask me whether I can produce it in large quantities, but I don't know!"

Kangxi came back to his senses. Yes! How could Yinreng know that?

Yinreng added: "I plan to have Jixiang and the others harvest all the crops in the field today. Together with the crops harvested previously, I will keep them all and prepare to send them to Khan Ama. Khan Ama may want to try it at the imperial farm first. It just so happens that now is the planting season. If it is later, I am afraid we will miss it."

Kangxi was stunned, and finally understood what Yinreng meant when he said that this birthday gift could only be given earlier, not later. It really couldn't be given later. If it was later, we would have to wait until next year. It would be unacceptable to waste a year in vain!

"Then harvest quickly!"

Yinreng smiled and waved to Meng Jixiang and others to work. He followed Kangxi out and brought him a cup of tea to calm him down.

"Khan Ama, the fields of the imperial farm are good, and the people who grow crops there are all good. There is no problem in this regard. But the head of the farm used to only take care of the affairs of the farm. Although they are all farming, this time is different. I think we need to send someone else to take charge. He must also be in a high position and have great power, so that the head of the farm will be afraid and dare not fight for power and cause trouble."

Kangxi glanced at him. How could he not know what he was thinking? "Are you planning to instruct your uncle to go again?"

Yinreng nodded without hesitation and said, "My uncle helped me find the initial hybrid rice seeds. In the past few months, although Meng Jixiang and others have been farming the land in the palace, my uncle has been there to help me if I need anything or want to know some precautions and farming techniques. This time, my uncle also collected the data on per-acre yield. He knows it best.

"It is said that one thing should not be handled by two masters. I think that my uncle has experience and it will be easier for him to handle it than others. Besides, I have something else I want my uncle to do."

Kangxi turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"

"I asked my uncle to ask the people in the streets. I know that a horse and a donkey can give birth to a mule, but a mule and a mule cannot. There are also some grafted plants. Although the seeds of this kind can regenerate, each generation is worse than the previous one, not to mention compared with the original grafted seeds. I think that maybe the same will be true for rice.

"We have few rice seeds now, so we can only try to plant them in the Imperial Farm. But if the Imperial Farm succeeds, it will naturally be popularized throughout the country. But what if the successful rice seeds are used for production again, and there is no such advantage?"

Kangxi was stunned. He had just learned about hybrid rice today and was still immersed in joy and shock. He had not had time to think so much. He did not expect that Yinreng had considered all of this.

"You make sense." Kangxi looked at Yinreng with increasing satisfaction, and even more doting and pride. This was his son! He was the son he had personally taught!

"So what do you think?"

Since Kangxi had already noticed this, how could he not know what to do? This question was obviously asked deliberately to Yinreng.

"When I was doing the hybridization, I had someone make a record of the whole process. It recorded which two varieties of rice were hybridized in the No. 1 plot. I thought that there was a lot of land in the imperial farm. We can divide a small part of it and hybridize it again. Let my uncle go to collect rice seeds. As for how to hybridize, Meng Jixiang and others know it well. Let them teach.

"This can also serve as a guarantee. If the trial planting in the imperial farm is successful, we can select some of the good ones and keep them as rice seeds. We can compare them with the current batch of rice and see if we can maintain the harvest. If the planting results are not satisfactory, we still have new hybrid rice seeds to back us up."

Hybrid rice is different from other rice. Due to special treatment during hybridization, the rice grown is not good for seed preservation except for the first generation. Because hybrid rice combines the advantages of both the male and female parents, its offspring will have gene separation, inconsistent phenotypes, and cannot be stably inherited.

As a result, some of them will be infertile, some will not have hybrid properties, and at most only half will retain the hybrid advantage, which will be lost with continuous reproduction.

Of course, Yinreng couldn't say that now, and no one would understand if he did. But he could guide them, and he only needed to plant for one season and let everyone see the results, and then everyone would naturally understand.

Kangxi laughed heartily and gave him an approving look: "Not bad, you have considered it very carefully, Suo'etu!"

"I am here!"

"You will be in charge of this matter, and do as the prince says. You can come up with a set of rules for the details. I will ask the people on the imperial farm to cooperate with you." After thinking for a while, Kangxi mentioned Lord Min again, "Since you understand farming, go and assist Lord Suo."

Suo Etu was in charge of the macro-control and various adjustments, while Lord Min was in charge of the details in the field. Perfect!

Having witnessed the situation of Yinreng's experimental field, the chances of success of the trial planting in the imperial farm can be said to be very high. Food is the foundation of the people. If it is really worked out, it will surely be famous all over the world. This kind of job that benefits the country and the people, this kind of achievement that benefits the world, as long as you participate, it will surely be passed down in history and be remembered forever. Only a fool would push the benefits away!

As soon as Kangxi appointed him, Lord Min knelt down to express his gratitude. He kowtowed loudly. Suo Etu looked calm, because he had been shocked by the news from the crown prince. But even so, he could not hide his joy, and his voice was trembling when he answered.

"I obey your order!"

Suo Etu looked at Yinreng with tears in his eyes. He was so excited!

Not long ago, the prince gave him credit for the treatment of cowpox, and this time it was hybrid rice!

Last month, the prince said something. At that time, he wondered if the prince had thought of something new. He was trembling with fear, worried about this and that. He sent people to inquire but couldn't find out. Unexpectedly, it was rice! Rice!

Cowpox is a problem that has been around for ages, and food is even more so! The prince solved both problems at once! What is this? Could it be that his prince really had a divine master helping him in his dream? This is the chosen one!

The Chosen One has the blood of their Hesheli family! Ahhhhh! The Hesheli family is about to ascend!

Unfortunately, Yinreng was staring at Kangxi with starry eyes, not looking at him at all. He had no idea of the emotions in his eyes and the passion in his heart. Of course, even if he knew, he would not respond, but would just think that he was overthinking.

After Suo Etu and Lord Min left, Yinreng hugged Kangxi's arm and said, "Khan Ama, how do you like this birthday gift from me?"

"Of course! You're the only one of yours in the world! Tell me, what do you want?"

Yinreng puffed his cheeks and said, "I just want to make Khan Ama happy. Khan Ama, don't act like I'm giving you something and I want to get something from you. I don't!"

"Okay, okay! No!" Kangxi looked at him with a smile, "Really?"

Yinreng lowered his head and stammered, "No...no."

His tone was obviously a little hollow, and Kangxi's eyes were full of amusement.

Yinreng finally couldn't bear it anymore and said, "I am really just presenting a birthday gift to Khan Ama, I have no other thoughts. It's just... it's just..."

Yinreng lowered his voice, "I haven't finished my homework for today. Can Khan Ama talk to Lord Zhang and ask for some leniency?"

Kangxi: ???

He frowned slightly. "Let's put it this way. I can't agree to this. You are curious about many things and always want to tinker with them. I can let you do that. But the premise is that you can't neglect your studies. Why didn't you write today?"

Perhaps fearing that he would be angry, Yinreng hurriedly explained: "It's not that I'm lazy and don't write, but that I... I really can't do it."

Kangxi was stunned for a moment. It might be because he had always heard praises for the prince from Zhang Ying and others, and Yinreng had also answered questions fluently when he personally tested him. This was the first time Kangxi heard him say that he didn't know this word.

"What kind of homework is assigned? Let me take a look."

Yinreng sent Xiaozhuzi to the study to get it. When Kangxi saw it, he was a little surprised: "You have already started studying history?"

"Lord Zhang saw that I was making good progress in studying the Four Books and the Five Classics, and said that I didn't need to wait until I finished studying the Four Books and the Five Classics before studying history. Yesterday, he started to teach me the Records of the Grand Historian. He said that since I was the crown prince, I should read history books more than mastering the Four Books and the Five Classics."

Kangxi nodded: "Zhang Ying is right. You should read more history. But the questions he asked are a bit difficult for someone your age. It's not your fault that you can't answer them."

Kangxi thought that it might be because Yinreng's performance in the Four Books was too good that Zhang Ying repeatedly raised his requirements. Now that the history books have been changed, it is still the same. Now that they have just started learning, the two of them are still in the running-in period and have not yet figured out Yinreng's pulse. Zhang Ying is not a rigid person, and he will make adjustments in a few days.

Kangxi beckoned: "Come here, if you don't understand anything, I will teach you."

Yinreng was a little hesitant: "Will it waste Khan Ama's time?"

Kangxi was stunned.

"I spend half an hour in the Imperial Study every day, and I see that Khan Ama is very busy. Either this minister wants to see him, or that minister has something to report. Even when he doesn't summon the ministers to discuss matters, there are still a lot of memorials to review. Often, when I have finished my homework and practiced calligraphy for several large sheets, you have only finished half of your work.

"You work so hard every day. When you finally get out of the imperial study, you have to pay respects to Mother Wuku, pay attention to the situation in the palace, and check on my and my brother's homework every now and then. Today, the trial planting of the imperial farm is scheduled. I think you will be busy again. Khan Ama, why don't you take a rest? I can read the book myself, or I can wait until tomorrow to ask you for advice."

Facing Yinreng's concerned eyes, Kangxi's heart stagnated, and he suddenly thought of something. Could it be that he was wrong? It's not that Yinreng didn't have any problems in his studies before, but he felt sorry for his tiredness and couldn't bear to trouble him again, so he never asked him. He just quietly spent double or even several times the time to study. No wonder...

No wonder he was always wondering why Yinzhi often came to him with homework, but Yinreng never did. How could it be possible that there were no problems at all? Even though Yinreng was smart, the requirements of Zhang Yingxiong, Cili and others were also rising.

Kangxi sighed, and his tone became softer. "How can I miss your time? These questions are very simple for me, and I don't need to think too hard. Why are you delaying my rest? While teaching you, I am also resting. Come here and sit next to me."

Yinreng hesitated for a moment, but still ran over.

Kangxi touched his head and said, "If you don't understand something in the future, you can come and ask me. Baocheng, remember this. I am your father. When you were learning the Three Character Classic, you also memorized a sentence: If a child is not taught, it is the fault of the father. This shows that educating children is the responsibility of a father. Don't think too much, just come to me directly."

Yinreng raised his little face and replied with a smile: "Okay! I understand!"

The big and the small snuggled together, one talking while the other listened. The dim light projected the figures of the father and son on the window. Su Malagu, who came to deliver snacks for the Empress Dowager, saw them, left the things behind, turned around and left, never coming back inside. The corners of her mouth curled up in a relieved smile.