From cute to empress

Chapter 266 Exploration of Diversified Agriculture

"Oh? Drought-resistant crops?" I immediately became interested. "Show them to me quickly."

Zhen Youcai took a cloth bag from the soldier behind him and handed it to me. I opened it and saw some brown seeds inside, which looked unremarkable.

"This is called sand potato. It was presented to me by the local people while I was patrolling the border," Zhen Youcai explained. "This crop is extremely drought-resistant and only requires a small amount of water to grow. Its yield is quite high, and it's one of the staple foods of the local people."

I was struck by this thought. The perennial drought and barren land of the northern part of Dayue had always been a major problem plaguing successive emperors. If this sweet potato was truly as miraculous as Zhen Youcai claimed, wouldn't it be the key to solving the northern region's food problem?

"Thank you for your hard work, my dear! You've done a great job!" I gave him an approving look. "Come here, give these seeds to the doctor of agronomy. I'll research the cultivation method as soon as possible."

"I obey your order!" Zhen Youcai clasped his fists and accepted the order.

After seeing Zhen Youcai off, I immediately summoned important court officials and agricultural experts and held an emergency meeting in the Imperial Study.

"My dear ministers, agriculture in our dynasty is thriving, but I still have a concern." I looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Our Great Moon is vast, and the climate and environment vary greatly from place to place. How to develop agriculture according to local conditions and maximize grain production is a difficult problem facing us."

"Your Majesty is absolutely right," said Old Farmer Tian. "Take the north, for example. The land is barren and drought-scarce year-round, and the people's lives are miserable. If we want to change this situation, we must find crops that are suitable for local cultivation."

"Mr. Tian, ​​what you say makes sense," the agronomist said. "I've been studying the sweet potatoes General Zhen brought back these days. I've discovered that this crop is indeed extremely drought-resistant and has a considerable yield. If it can be promoted, it will greatly benefit the lives of the people in the north."

"Yes, I think so too." I nodded and turned to look at the Minister of Revenue. "The Ministry of Revenue will be responsible for promoting the cultivation of sweet potatoes. You must come up with a feasible plan as soon as possible."

"I obey your order!" the Minister of Revenue responded quickly.

"Your Majesty," the Minister of Works, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up. "I believe that in addition to promoting the cultivation of drought-resistant crops, we can also consider building water conservancy projects to divert water for irrigation, thereby fundamentally solving the water shortage problem in the north."

"Well, my dear minister, you make sense." I gave him an approving look. "This matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration. I will make a final decision after discussing it with you, my dear ministers."

"Your Majesty, I have another idea," Old Farmer Tian suddenly said. "We can combine agriculture with commerce, encourage the people to grow cash crops, and develop specialty agriculture. This will not only increase people's income but also drive local economic development."

As soon as Mr. Tian finished speaking, the agronomy doctor excitedly said, "Yes! We can also combine agriculture with tourism and create some agricultural tourism parks that integrate agricultural sightseeing, leisure picking, and farming experience to attract city dwellers to come and play and spend money. In this way..."

Hearing this, my eyes lit up. This is indeed a bold and novel idea. If agriculture can be combined with commerce and tourism, it will inject new vitality into the agricultural development of Dayue.

"Great! That's a great idea!" I stood up excitedly, looking at everyone with a burning gaze. "My dear ministers, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Wei Chen seconded the proposal!"

……

Looking at the excited crowd before me, my heart is filled with hope. I believe that with everyone's joint efforts, Dayue's agriculture will usher in an even brighter future!

At this moment, the wealthy businessman A, who had been silent all this time, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to invest..."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to fund the construction of an agricultural tourism park!" said Merchant A passionately. "I have traveled extensively over the years and witnessed the unique agricultural products of many places. I know their huge potential for development. I am willing to contribute my humble contribution to the development of agriculture in Dayue!"

"Good! I am very pleased that you have such intention!" I nodded with satisfaction. Rich Businessman A has always had a unique vision. He took the initiative to volunteer, probably because he saw the broad prospects of agricultural tourism.

"Your Majesty, I have a suggestion." The usually taciturn County Magistrate B stepped forward and said, "City dwellers are very attracted to farm life these days. Why not offer e-commerce training in rural areas and teach farmers how to use online platforms to sell their produce? This would not only expand sales channels but also increase farmers' incomes."

As soon as County Magistrate B finished speaking, Peasant Woman C excitedly said, "Yes, yes! The fruits grown in our village are so sweet. If we could sell them to the city, our lives would be much better!"

"Well, that makes sense." I looked at County Magistrate B with approval. This suggestion is quite practical. Nowadays, all walks of life in my country are booming, and the e-commerce industry is booming. Combining agriculture with e-commerce is indeed a way to get rich.

For a time, the atmosphere in the imperial study was lively, and ministers offered suggestions one after another, from promoting new varieties to building water conservancy projects, from developing characteristic agriculture to building agricultural sightseeing parks, from e-commerce training to brand building. Various ideas emerged one after another, which made me dazzled, but an unprecedented ambition surged in my heart.

I seem to see, in the near future, the fields of Dayue, golden waves of wheat rolling with hope, well-equipped agricultural tourist parks thronging with tourists and laughter, truckloads of high-quality agricultural products sold across the country via the internet, and farmers' faces filled with happy smiles...

"My dear ministers, your ideas are all excellent. I..." I took a deep breath and was about to make a concluding speech when I suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the hall. Then, a guard hurriedly ran in, knelt in the center of the hall, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border..."

The guard's words, "Urgent report from the border," were like a bucket of ice water on a winter's day, instantly extinguishing the enthusiasm in the imperial study. Suppressing the uneasiness welling up in my heart, I asked in a deep voice, "Tell me quickly, what happened at the border?"

The guards did not dare to delay and quickly reported: "Your Majesty, the Northern Di have assembled an army of 100,000 and are invading the border of Dayue. General Zhen... General Zhen..."

"What happened to Youcai?!" My heart tightened, and I didn't care about the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects. I grabbed the guard's shoulders and asked anxiously.

"General Zhen... He led his troops to fight desperately, but the enemy was too numerous and we were too few. The border... The border has been lost..." The guard's voice became smaller and smaller, and he almost didn't dare to look up at me.

"What?!" I suddenly felt a black screen in front of my eyes and almost fainted. Fortunately, the personal palace maid next to me was quick-witted and supported me in time.

"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!" Upon seeing this, the ministers knelt down and anxiously comforted him.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Now was not the time to be sad. The border was in crisis, and I had to make a decision quickly!

I suppressed my grief and worry, quickly gathered my composure, and said to the ministers, "My dear ministers, the border is in danger. I recommend that we convene a military meeting immediately to discuss countermeasures!"

At the military meeting, Zhen Youcai and I, connected remotely, combined the ministers' suggestions and developed a detailed defensive counterattack plan. While agricultural development is important, national security is paramount. We unanimously decided to allocate a portion of agricultural development funds to military spending and to call on citizens nationwide to donate money and supplies to support the frontier.

After the meeting, I came to the Imperial Garden alone. Looking at the colorful flowers in the garden, I felt gloomy in my heart.

"Mengmeng, don't worry. Talented people will be blessed by heaven. Everything will be fine." A familiar voice suddenly came to my ears. I looked up and saw that it was Zhen Youcai who appeared behind me at some point. He was wearing armor and his face was tired, but his eyes were still as firm as before.

I couldn't hold back any longer, so I threw myself into his arms, hugged him tightly, and felt his real warmth and heartbeat.

"Youcai, you must come back safely..." I said with a sob, my heart full of worry and reluctance.

"Don't worry, I promise you that I will come back safely." Zhen Youcai gently stroked my hair and comforted me softly.

After a brief moment of tenderness, Zhen Youcai once again took to the battlefield, leading reinforcements to the border. Watching him retreat, my heart was filled with worry and anticipation. I knew that what awaited us would be even more severe challenges...

I turned to return to the Imperial Study, but suddenly remembered my appointment with the Master of Painting and the renowned Peking Opera actor to discuss the details of the art festival in the Imperial Garden. I rubbed my brows, suppressed the turmoil within me, and walked towards the pavilion...