The sourness in the air was so thick that even the ever-present "Minister Wang, my beloved subject" had turned into "that old Wang."
"Your Majesty has land for planting? Isn't all the land in the hands of the gentry?" Even if I gave them to you, where could you plant them?
Emperor Mingxi clearly heard the sharp blades hidden in her words. One wrong answer, and the good things that might come later could very well have no share for him.
Emperor Mingxi seemed completely oblivious to her implied meaning, coaxing like one would a child showing off a treasure: "You don't know this, do you? I've recently confiscated the properties of some corrupt officials.
I've accumulated quite a bit of land. I've discussed it with the ministers, and from now on, these lands will not be sold off in large plots.
These lands will first be leased to landless commoners for cultivation. The court will collect thirty-five percent of the output, and in the future, these lands will be prioritized for sale to those very tenants.
Of course, families with more than three mu of land per person will not be eligible to purchase these lands.
What do you think of our plan?"
[Master, in the future, if Xie Zhiyan doesn't die young and succeeds to the throne smoothly, you can tell him about that 'Tax and Labor Merger into Land' policy.
As for this old emperor, forget it. He's clearly already lost his edge prematurely at the age of forty, which should be prime for ambition. Even a good method given to him, he wouldn't know how to use it properly!]
Emperor Mingxi: Tax and Labor Merger into Land? Explain clearly, who are you calling an old emperor? He's clearly at the age where a man is a flower in his forties, how is that old?
Can't you see, whenever he appears in the inner palace, those concubines come up with all sorts of elaborate schemes to 'accidentally' run into him!
I'm not dead yet, is it really appropriate for you all to side with the Crown Prince so early?
Emperor Mingxi looked at the Crown Prince, a true flower at eighteen, and suddenly felt the ruthless blade of time had cut him again and again—skin loosened, belly expanded...
The Crown Prince, who no longer planned to die early: Divine Artifact, you're quite kind! After hearing this, won't my father try to finish me off ahead of schedule?
「Little Pearl, what you say makes sense. The Emperor is now indulging in pleasure. Even in the few years before he was supposed to die, he didn't father fewer children.
At that age, still selecting girls in their teens to enter the palace, really...」
[Blinded by lust!]
Yue Fuguang: Well said!
Emperor Mingxi's old face flushed red. He... just liked younger, fresher maidens, so what? Can't a man have a personal preference!
He glanced at Minister of Rites Zhang Zhongping... Forget it, no imperial selections for the next few years, lest he offend the eyes of these two ancestors!
Yue Fuguang shook her head. "Your Majesty speaks of things Fuguang does not understand. However, since Your Majesty also desires sweet potatoes and corn, I can try asking that friend for more."
"Really?" Emperor Mingxi was as happy as a fool. The others were also excited but silently turned their heads away. They couldn't look at His Majesty in this state, or they would surely be 'remembered' by him once he came back to his senses!
"How could it be false? Before, I thought since Your Majesty had no land, these seeds would be useless. Now that you have some, I can indeed try to get some seeds."
She conveniently ignored the fact that the emperor was the largest landowner in the country, whose lands were not only vast but whose manors were called Imperial Manors.
"However, I imagine Your Majesty's land holdings are not that extensive yet, so I'll just ask my friend for a small amount first."
"Don't, don't! There is, there will be! Soon a large amount of land will be confiscated by the court. When the time comes, we'll need quite a lot of seeds. Fuguang, please trouble your heart, ask your friend to find more for us, alright?"
Emperor Mingxi's face was full of humble pleading. Although the land from those four families wasn't in his hands yet, their net was already cast.
Reports of snow disasters from various regions have been coming in one after another. Due to prior precautions, the losses for the common people were manageable, but many houses inevitably collapsed, leaving many displaced and having to spend their days in temporary shelters.
All regions were methodically mobilizing grain supplies.
According to reports, those families had indeed begun secretly manipulating local grain prices.
They were at least 20 to 30 percent higher compared to elsewhere. Grain merchants from other areas, hearing the news, were also rushing there with large quantities of grain.
Along the way, when they passed through the disaster-stricken areas, they wouldn't spare a single grain for sale. When Emperor Mingxi learned of this, he ground his teeth in secret for a long time.
These black-hearted scoundrels truly deserved to be robbed!
"More? How soon will you acquire it? If you need a large amount, I'll try to have my friend transport the seeds before spring planting."
"Before spring? Yes, yes! We'll get the land before the New Year, and after the snow melts after the New Year, we'll have the local commoners prepare the fields."
Yue Fuguang was in a good mood today and decided to make a grand offering. "Speaking of preparing the land, my friend also gave me some tools used by overseas people and methods for accumulating fertilizer.
I can't really understand them, not sure if they're useful. I originally thought of showing them to my grandfather. Since Your Majesty and all the ministers are here, we might as well take a look together."
Tools and fertilizer accumulation methods?
Everyone was a bit dizzy from Yue Fuguang's sudden generosity. What auspicious day was today? Why was the Junior Mentor suddenly so generous? They almost felt unaccustomed to it!
One could only say these people had been somewhat conditioned by Yue Fuguang's recent maneuvers to develop a bit of a cheap tendency.
Everyone glanced again at today's birthday star, Yu Chongshan. Could it be because it was this old fellow's birthday, and his granddaughter was giving him a gift?
No, no. They'd rather believe it was because His Majesty now had idle land that the Junior Mentor was willing to produce the superior seeds!
As for the tools and fertilizer... weren't they essential for farming? To achieve high grain yields, neither fertilizer nor handy tools could be lacking.
How could Yu Chongshan fail to see their petty thoughts?
Before, they all waited to see his family become a laughingstock. Now, seeing his granddaughter giving him a peace pendant made of spiritual jade and planning to give him tool diagrams to review, these people were jealous!
Hah!
With his granddaughter overseeing things, his family would only get better and better. He wouldn't stoop to their level.
Yu Chongshan glanced at his colleagues with a smile, deliberately walking with an exaggerated sway. That exceptionally exquisite and extraordinarily beautiful jade pendant swayed and swung at his waist!
It swayed until everyone's eyes grew sore, and their hearts grew even sourer!
Emperor Mingxi: Fine, he was sour too!
...
On this day, after leaving the morning court, Yue Fuguang's carriage hadn't even reached the mansion gate when she spotted seven or eight carriages parked in front of the Yu residence from afar.
Relatives must have arrived, bringing quite a lot of belongings with so many carriages!
Yue Fuguang had just alighted from her carriage at the entrance when the steward, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, came forward with a smile. He respectfully addressed Yue Fuguang, "Seventh Young Miss, the Second Master and his family have returned. They are all at the Old Madam's courtyard now. Will you go directly, or rest for a while before going?"
Conventionally, when an uncle's family returns, a niece should immediately go to pay her respects. But their Seventh Young Miss was different.
Her status in the household was on par with the head of the household. All her provisions even surpassed those of the Master and the Old Madam, making her the top priority in the Yu residence.
Steward Yu You was also an old servant of the Yu residence. Every time he interacted with this young lady, he was particularly careful.
Offending the Master might still allow for an appeal based on master-servant sentiment. Daring to slight this one? Being dismissed like Yu Qi would be his fate.
Yue Fuguang didn't mind the steward's cautious and respectful attitude. She merely said, "Second Uncle is back? Go inform Grandmother that I will go change my clothes first before heading over."
