Chapter 657: Deep Knowledge

Translator: Atlas Studios    Editor: Atlas Studios

When the emperor conferred the title of County Head to her, the first sentence of the imperial edict was about loyalty, being filial and accumulating kindness and virtue. Eldest Son kept saying that he was using kindness and virtue to prove his point. Old Madam Yu suddenly opened her eyes and stared at Yu Zongzheng. “You’re right. How can our family fall behind in doing good and accumulating virtue?”

Yu Zongzheng was delighted. “Mother is indeed righteous.”

As soon as he left, Old Madam Yu said weakly, “Help me back to my room.”

Nanny Liu helped Matriarch Liu up. Matriarch Liu had recuperated for a few days, but because of Eldest Master’s words, her spirits had weakened again.

After returning to her room, Old Madam Yu asked Nanny Liu to take out the Four Treasures of the Study. “Even if the emperor wants to request a royal order for Madam Xie, he has to see what Eldest Son thinks.’

If Eldest Son did not ask for a title, it was impossible for the emperor to give Madam Xie a title.

Nanny Liu lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Old Madam Yu sighed softly. “I’ve tried to block him from having these ambitions. There was news in the palace that the Empress Dowager wanted to raise money for disaster relief, so she guessed the emperor’s intention in conferring the title of county head to Yao Yao. He took the initiative to ask for a title for Madam Xie and pave the way for the emperor. He wanted to use his daughter’s and my money to pave the way for his future.”

At this point, what was done was done.

The emperor and Eldest Son both had their own agendas. The two of them hit it off immediately. It was no longer her place to get involved.

Old Madam Yu looked down at the letter spread out in front of her, and for a moment, she seemed to have aged ten years. ‘Eldest Son has already been blinded by his desire for power. He doesn’t even recognize his relatives. I have to leave a way out for my Yao Yao. In the future, if I die, my Yao Yao won’t be controlled by an unrighteous thing.”

Nanny Xu lowered her head and studied the ink.

Old Madam Yu picked up her brush and dipped it in ink…

This letter took more than an hour to write. It was more than three Dazes

long. Old Madam Yu asked Nanny Xu to get her private seal and the Yu Residence’s seals were printed one by one.

After    she felt that it was inappropriate and picked up her pen to write another letter.

In the first letter, every word and sentence was for her granddaughter’s deep consideration. It was indescribable.

Every word and sentence of this second letter was shocking. Nanny Liu only took a glance and quickly lowered her head, not even daring to breathe loudly.

After writing, she picked up her brush and wrote another letter.

The three consecutive letters gave Nanny Liu a bad feeling. She had the illusion that Matriarch was explaining her funeral in advance. “Matriarch, why do you have to…”

Old Madam Yu sealed the three letters one by one. “With my illness, who knows when I’ll lie on the ground and die?”

Nanny Liu’s lips moved, wanting to persuade her.

Old Madam Yu handed the letter to Nanny Liu. “Give the letter to Chang An and ask him to send it to Linghuai at full speed. Linghuai returned to Youzhou this morning and hasn’t gone far yet.”

Nanny Liu took the letter. “Young Master will be back in two months at most. Why are you in a hurry to send the letter to him now?”

After writing the letter, Old Madam Yu seemed to have exhausted all her strength and leaned back in her chair. “The royal court is changing rapidly. As long as this letter isn’t his your hands, I won’t be at ease. 1 have to send it now, not a moment later.’

It was too late for the Xie Residence to protect Yao Yao. Even if they had a fortune, they might not be able to protect her.

There was no one in the Yu Residence who was worthy of her trust.

Only Linghuai had a close relationship with King Yue Fei and Yao Yao…

With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, Nanny Yue followed the people from the manor into the residence to send off the gifts.

Yu Youyao asked about the sweet potato propagation again.

Nanny Yue said, “The vines that were planted earlier have also come to life. They’re growing better than the roots. After the summer, the manor has already hired commoners to cut the vines and plan to plant sweet potato vines in the free land. Not only are the manors in the capital, but Young Miss is also planting sweet potato vines in all the manors in the country.”

They were more drought-resistant than beans. They were produced in large quantities and could stave off hunger.

Planting sweet potatoes during a drought was the best choice.

Young Miss was indeed far-sighted.

Back then, in order to try planting sweet potatoes, Young Miss had tried planting them in various farmsteads in the country. She wanted to see how different the yield, taste, and variety of sweet potatoes planted in different areas, climate, and soil were.

When she discovered that sweet potatoes were not picky about fertile soil and were suitable to be planted in sand, she prepared to plant them in large quantities.

Yu Youyao was a little relieved. “Nanny, pay more attention to the commotion in the brokerage house. If there’s suitable land, buy it all. It doesn’t matter if the land is thinner. You don’t have to pick fertile soil for sweet potatoes.” She did not lack money. It was the safest to buy farmland at any time.

After the world became chaotic, there were a lot of things to do. Only by starting agriculture on a large scale could she stabilize the country’s foundation. The first national policy of the country stated that the fields belonged to the people. As long as there was a contract, even in the new dynasty, what should be hers would still be hers.

Even if the new dynasty wanted to conquer land, it was not free.

If she grew one mu of sweet potatoes, perhaps the famine would ease a little in the second half of the year.

Nanny Yue naturally wouldn’t stop her from buying land. “The experienced old farmers in the manor said that the best time to plant the sweet potatoes is around the Dragon Boat Festival. I reckon they can be planted until late May.

There’s still time to buy some more fields.”

Yu Youyao nodded and said, “If there’s extra sweet potato vines, distribute them to the commoners in the nearby manors. Tell them that this is a new plant that was brought back from overseas and can be successfully planted. It’s high in yield, drought-resistant, and pest-resistant. Its output is greater than other crops. Leaves, stems, and vines can all be eaten. Their families all have their own land or thin plots of land that they’ve explored themselves. Those who are willing to plant them can plant them themselves. This doesn’t just apply only to manors in the capital but all the manors in the country.”

Nanny Yue nodded. “That’s good. One stalk of sweet potato vines can grow a piece. I definitely won’t be able to plant them all. As long as they are willing to plant them, I’ll distribute some to them to plant themselves.”

After all, sweet potatoes were a new plant. No one in the Great Zhou Dynasty had planted them before, so the commoners might not waste the few fields in their families to plant new seeds that they had never planted.

However, it was not a secret that Young Miss was planting sweet potatoes on a large scale. After all, it was the manor of the young miss of an official family.

There would definitely be more commoners willing to follow suit.

Young Miss could be considered to have done a lot.

Upon hearing that there were many extra sweet potato vines, Yu Youyao heaved a sigh of relief. “The commoners entered the mountains early to find food. In June and July, there won’t be much to eat in the mountains. There are many sweet potato vines, so the commoners can harvest the sweet potato leaves to relieve their hunger. In August, when the drought erupts, the sweet potatoes can be harvested and can more or less alleviate the famine.” At this point, she felt a little regretful. “If only there were more sweet potato vines.” Nanny Yue shook her head. “There’s nothing we can do.”

Potatoes were not a species of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so the number of them that merchant ships could obtain was very limited. After two years of cultivation and testing, it was already not easy to grow so many.

If it weren’t for the fact that Young Miss had suggested cutting the potato vines and the old farmers in the manor felt that it was feasible, how could they be planted on a large scale now?

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