Chapter 107:
Li Chengqian found Li Ers behavior increasingly puzzling. However, he dared not ask further and could only follow suit, observing the fields. Soon, Li Chengqian noticed a peculiar sight.
The young eunuchs carefully cleared the soil around the roots and tubers, then lifted out rounded objects coated with soil.
What is this? Why does it look so strange? Li Chengqian, having studied such matters as the crown prince, quickly guessed the truth. Yet, he didnt realize the gravity of the situation.
Li Er paid no attention to maintaining his royal dignity. He was captivated by the incredible yield they were witnessing. He wasnt even aware that Li Ers gaze upon these objects was strangely gentle.
Well, at least they are yielding anything, Li Er felt relieved and relaxed.
Subsequently, Li Ers focus remained on the eunuchs harvesting potatoes.
The potatoes formed a small mound resembling little hills. Someone soon used a copper scale to weigh the pile of potatoes.
The elderly attendant beside Li Er also participated, recording the results with paper and pen. Suddenly, the attendant recording dropped his pen and paper as if struck by a revelation.
He screamed and rushed towards Li Er, falling to his knees.
Your Your Majesty 3000 catties! the eunuchs voice trembled as he spoke.
Li Ers breathing turned heavy, and he stared intensely at the eunuch, filled with disbelief.
How how much? Li Ers breath grew even heavier, and his eyes widened with intensity as he asked.
Li Ers hands gripped the chairs back tightly, and he fixed a stern gaze on the eunuch.
Congratulations, Your Majesty! Potatoes, the miracle crop, yielding 3000 catties per mu!
Li Ers hands clenched the chairs back, and his eyes widened.
Li Chengqian was equally surprised.
What kind of unbelievable story was this?
Several breaths later, he stood up abruptly and rushed to the field.
Father!
Seeing his father digging in the ground like a madman, Li Chengqian was shocked. After hesitating, he clenched his teeth and followed suit. The worlds most prestigious father and son were now both lying on the ground, engaged in farming.
Li Chengqians body ached with every movement, reminding him that he had never experienced such hardship.
3000 catties, it is 3000 catties! Li Ers excitement led to dizziness.
Turning to the sweet potato field, Li Er saw a mountain of sweet potatoes larger than the pile of potatoes.
5000 catties
Li Er was exhilarated, ignoring Li Chengqians bewildered expression.
Li Er turned to Li Chengqian and said, As Yuan Tiangang predicted, Su Li is indeed an auspicious omen for the Tang Dynasty!
Li Chengqian was shocked.
Li Er didnt pay attention to Li Chengqians expression but closed his eyes slightly, lost in thought.
He finally understood what kind of reward he should grant Su Li, having witnessed the unexpectedly massive yield of potatoes and sweet potatoes and recalling Su Lis final poem from the previous night.
And now, Li Er knew exactly what kind of reward he should bestow upon Su Li!
Undoubtedly, under Li Ers rule, the people of the Tang Dynasty were living in an era of prosperity. Admittedly, Li Er ascended to the throne by eliminating his brothers and pressuring his father, which naturally wouldnt be favored in a society that valued filial piety and ethical conduct. However, it must be acknowledged that Li Er performed remarkably well as an emperor.
Internal and external challenges often marked the transition from a prosperous dynasty to its decline. During the four years of Li Ers reign as emperor, he dedicated himself to solidifying the Tang Dynastys stability.
Naturally, commoners didnt harbor ill intentions. They all desired a stable nation and the ability to live peacefully through farming. In this aspect, Li Er excelled. Victories on the battlefield followed one after another, gradually earning the acceptance of the people as their emperor.
As the nation became more stable, the peoples expectations of Li Er didnt rise significantly. They werent greedy. They understood that Li Er was an emperor, not a deity.
They didnt hope for Li Er to provide them with smooth weather and abundant harvests year after year after providing them with a tranquil farming environment. However, the unimaginable dream that ordinary people never dared to wish for suddenly arrived!
It came suddenly on an ordinary day in the autumn of the fourth year of the Zhenguan era!
That day, Li Er suddenly announced convening a grand imperial assembly. All officials ranked seventh grade and above in Changan were summoned to the palace. Typically, gatherings of this scale would take at least a day of deliberation. However, this time, the imperial assembly was unusually brief.
After the assembly ended, the vast central mechanisms of the Tang Dynasty began operating swiftly. In just a few hours, the Ministry of Education issued several imperial decrees that needed to be publicly announced. The people were initially most concerned about Su Li, who entered the Imperial Smoke Pavilion, rather than the promotion of new crops or the general amnesty.
As it was known, the Imperial Smoke Pavilion enshrined portraits of twenty-four founding heroes. Almost all of them had fought alongside Li Er for many years, enduring hardships to achieve their current glory.
Although Su Li was unparalleled in poetic talent, poetry wasnt considered a significant accomplishment. Why should he be mentioned in the same breath as those great figures who had put in so much effort?
For the common people, introducing new crops didnt carry much weight. After the Divine Peasant divided the five grains, new crops appeared in China for thousands of years. This situation was no longer a novelty for the people.
For a moment, almost everyone felt that Su Lis contributions didnt deserve such recognition. Strangely, the prominent figures of the court, who would usually argue and bicker over small matters, seemed to be silenced this time.
No one voiced any objections!
With the introduction of new grain announcements, they were posted throughout the streets and alleys of Changan City. All the discussions vanished almost instantly!
Producing 3,000 catties of potatoes per acre!
Producing 5,000 catties of sweet potatoes per acre!
Though clearly displayed in the courts widely publicized announcement, such an astonishing yield.
Upon learning this news, peoples initial reaction was whether the court had mistakenly marked the numbers in the notice.
The common people, who had always relied on farming for survival, had never dared to dream of such things. Only after government officials repeatedly explained that they gradually came to believe this. Instantly, the unexpected abundance overwhelmed the people!
Harvesting thousands of kilograms of food per acre, how could they possibly consume it all?
These days, Changan City was engulfed in joy. Furthermore, as notices were posted in various regions, this excitement intensified.
The thresholds of every county government in the Tang Dynasty were trampled by the people collecting grain!
Now, all the people understand why Su Li was able to enter the Imperial Smoke Pavilion!
The entire population of the world thanked and revered Su Li.
For some reason, Yuan Tiangangs words to Li Er suddenly spread at the right time. In no time, Su Lis auspiciousness became widely accepted. People in any era could always find the most logical explanation for their unwavering beliefs.
After summarizing Su Lis year, some individuals were surprised by his experiences. From being a humble peasant, Li Er chose to become a consort. Changans citizens then believed him to be a tool for good luck, the epitome of misfortune.
Little did they know that, in the Princess Mansion, within a few months, Princess Changle made a full recovery. Just as others envied his sudden stroke of luck, thinking he was an ordinary peasant who got lucky.
He turned out to be extraordinary, displaying his unmatched poetic talent. That night, the entire Changan City sparkled because of his poems!
Currently, he introduced new grains that yield thousands of catties per acre.
It was imaginable that the Tang Dynasty would no longer worry about hunger!
These events made people unable to help but ponder with deep fear. In the common folk, those who lived beyond a hundred years were considered blessed, and those who lived beyond a hundred and ten years were regarded as super-blessed.
Because they embodied peoples aspirations and blessings for longevity, one only needed to live long enough to become such a blessed individual.
While these individuals werent numerous, they werent too scarce either.
However, someone like Su Li was truly unprecedented!
Moreover, he had concretely achieved acts of benevolence for all people, bestowing blessings for generations to come.
If people like him could not be called auspicious, who else would dare to claim such a title?
With these accomplishments as a foundation, many even began to refer to Su Li as a celestial exiled immortal. Some superstitious folks had even established shrines in his honor. Soon enough, more and more people followed suit.
Considering it, Su Li satisfied almost all aspects of what the Tang Dynasty defined as a successful person, whether it was luck, poetry, achievements, or status.
His success was all-encompassing and without blind spots. Offering a prayer was never wrong for fame, talent, or just hoping for a stroke of luck. In short, sincere beliefs brought results!
This trend quickly gained momentum and became widespread. To the point that when Su Li first heard about it, he couldnt help but find it both amusing and exasperating.
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