frightfiction Chapter 569 Claiming Relatives to Liu Bei
Chapter 569 Claiming Relatives to Liu Bei
The people of the Han Dynasty were meticulous in their farming practices. Nothing but grain was allowed in the fields, and even the smallest sprout of weeds had to be pulled out.
But look at this rice paddy in front of you. The weeds are much taller than the rice, and in many places there are only weeds and no rice. The weeds dominate the rice paddy, and the rice has become a minority of vegetation.
This isn't a rice paddy overgrown with weeds; it's clearly a meadow with a few rice seedlings mixed in. How dare you say the yield isn't high?
Qu Feng touched his nose and laughed awkwardly, "We wanted to weed, but the grass in the field grows too fast. If we pull it out, new grass will grow back in less than three days. Sometimes, before we've even finished pulling out the grass in front, new shoots will sprout in the places we just pulled out. We simply can't keep up. After a while, we just gave up and left it to fate."
Fu Shiren said speechlessly, "It seems you're not hungry yet. You'll know what it means to have food as the most important thing for people when you're hungry."
"This paddy field looks to be about ten acres. I'll rent it from whoever you want. You can name your price, but this season's harvest is mine. I'll return the land to you after this season's rice is harvested. How about it?"
Since renting is not buying or stealing, Qu Feng naturally had no reason to refuse and readily agreed, "No problem, General, please feel free to do as you please."
Fu Shiren immediately waved his hand and said, "You few go back and get some farm tools. The rest of you come with me to the fields to weed. I'll be staying here for the next few months, and we'll leave after the harvest."
Fu Shiren, who also came from a poor background and had worked in the fields, knew that tending to farmland was his specialty. He immediately led his men into the fields to weed, carefully avoiding the rice stalks and relentlessly attacking the wildly growing weeds.
His soldiers, also from humble backgrounds with extensive farming experience, quickly cleared the weeds from the ten acres of land.
Meanwhile, the soldiers who had retrieved the farm tools returned safely. Fu Shiren divided the soldiers into two groups: one group took hoes to the fields to weed and loosen the soil, while the other group cut down trees to build houses, intending to stay there permanently and observe the growth of the rice.
Not only that, Fu Shiren also took out the notebook that Guan Xing had given him when he left Da Han, preparing to record the growth of the rice at all times. Qu Feng was dumbfounded by this series of actions and asked incredulously, "There are so many things to know about farming?"
Fu Shiren laughed and said, "There are many intricacies involved. If you don't mind, you can bring a group of people over to learn. If you do as I say, I guarantee your family's grain yield will double next year."
"You know, grain is hard currency in the Han Dynasty. With enough grain, you can exchange it for weapons, farm tools, silk, ceramics, warhorses, and everything else. Brother Qu, don't you want these things?"
Thinking of the luxuries of the Han Dynasty, such as weapons and silk, Qu Feng trembled with excitement and immediately made a decision: "General, please wait a moment, I will go find someone to learn farming techniques from you."
Whether it's food or weapons, it all boils down to money. No matter how rich a person is, they will never think they have too much money.
Besides, Linyi and Funan are still at war. Since they are at war, they can't possibly complain about having too much food.
In the days that followed, Fu Shiren actually lived in the fields, leading his soldiers to actively weed and taking better care of the rice than a grandson who was the only son in ten generations.
A few days later, he was dismayed to find that the weeds in the field were indeed growing very fast. They kept growing back as soon as he tried to pull them out, and he couldn't keep up with them. But Fu Shiren was a determined man. He went down to the field to remove the weeds whenever he saw them, not giving them any chance to erode the rice. He was determined to fight the weeds.
Not only that, Fu Shiren also cultivated another ten acres of farmland nearby to continue growing rice. Although winter is not suitable for growing rice, the climate of Linyi is different from that of the Han Dynasty, and the twenty-four solar terms are obviously not applicable here. So Fu Shiren wanted to try it out and plant a few acres every month to test the best planting season for rice. In short, he was trying and failing.
Every invention is the result of countless repeated experiments, eliminating all incorrect answers before arriving at the correct conclusion. The same is true for the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. Our ancestors experimented countless times before summarizing the Twenty-Four Solar Terms.
Unfortunately, the solar terms of the Han Dynasty cannot be used in Linyi. So what can be done? We can just follow the example of the ancients and prepare another set.
With this in mind, Fu Shih-jen threw himself into his work, taking care of the rice paddies and having his soldiers cultivate coastal land, clear the reefs, and prepare for the construction of a port.
Thousands of people can't just stay in the barracks sleeping all day; they need to get some exercise.
Seeing how diligent the Han soldiers were, the natives brought by Qu Feng also actively learned and tried to absorb the advanced knowledge of the Han. Even King Qu Lian, upon hearing the news, sent people to join them, resulting in a lively scene on the beach where the Han army landed.
Fu Shiren, the deputy envoy, was farming. What was Mi Fang, the chief envoy, doing? What else could he be doing but shamelessly flirting with his new wife?
That damned Mi Fang completely exposed his纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled, dissolute young man) nature upon arriving in the capital. Not only did he spend his days illicitly with the princess, but he also gave all the silk, tea, gold ornaments, and other items they had brought from the Han Dynasty to Princess Qu. Princess Qu is now wearing a magnificent robe made of silk and Shu brocade, a gold hairpin crafted by skilled artisans of the Han Dynasty, and even her face is covered in Han Dynasty rouge and powder. As for why there was rouge and powder on the Han Dynasty's long voyage ship, you'll have to ask Mi Fang.
Princess Qu was so charmed by Mi Fang's sweet talk that she completely forgot she had a husband.
Seeing how close Mi Fang and the Qu family were, King Qu Lian had other ideas. He had no sons, only this one daughter, and the throne was originally intended to be passed on to his grandson Fan Xiong, but now...
If the Qu family could give birth to a son for Mi Fang, wouldn't their family prosper? If Mi Fang's son were to inherit the throne, would Mi Fang still have the nerve to make things difficult for Lin Yi?
You should know that Mi Fang is Liu Bei's brother-in-law. He has a noble status and high position in the Han Dynasty. If he really becomes the father of the crown prince of Linyi, he will not only stop making things difficult for Linyi, but will also do his best to help Linyi. At least he will not watch Linyi be bullied by Funan anymore, right?
The idea took root and grew wildly in Qu Lian's mind as soon as it emerged, making Qu Lian more and more excited the more he thought about it.
After all, if Mi Fang and the Qu family's son really became the next ruler of Lin Yi, he and Liu Bei would indirectly become relatives, which would be a benefit...
That's how it's done!
Qu Lian, determined to establish a kinship with Liu Bei, became increasingly friendly towards Mi Fang, granting almost every request. Officials who received new farm tools from Qu Lian also treated Mi Fang as a cash cow, flattering him in every way, to the point that Mi Fang was almost too happy to think of Liu Bei.
But staying in one place for too long can get boring. One day, feeling utterly bored, Mi Fang finally remembered that he had a good brother, Fu Shiren, who was enjoying the sea breeze by the sea, so he decided to go and visit him.
Upon learning this, Qu Lian immediately prepared vehicles and supplies, and personally led the adulterous couple Mi Fang and Qu Shi, along with several trusted ministers, away from the capital to Fu Shiren's settlement.
When Mi Fang arrived at the field, she looked up and saw that not only had many bamboo houses been built nearby, but there were also many busy figures in the field. Even Fu Shiren had rolled up his trousers and was harvesting rice in the field.
Seeing his deputy working so hard, Mi Fang felt a rare pang of conscience and waved his hand, calling out, "Old Fu."
Upon hearing the shout, Fu Shiren turned around and saw that it was Mi Fang. He was overjoyed and quickly walked out of the rice field to report his recent achievements. However, when he saw a beautifully dressed woman beside Mi Fang, he became displeased and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "This must be Princess Linyi. Fu Shiren greets the princess."
Damn Mi Fang, we're both prisoners trying to redeem ourselves. Why is it that I'm toiling away in the fields while you're enjoying the company of women in the capital?
This is so unfair!