Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yu Youyaoâs heart skipped a beat. âThere are detailed records about cutting and planting in the Essentials of the Qi People and the Records of Agriculture. Sweet potatoes have a strong vitality. Perhaps we can try cutting and increasing the planting.â
Cutting some vines did not affect the growth of the sweet potatoes.
Nanny Yue was a little surprised, but she nodded and said, âThatâs possible. The sweet potato vine will definitely live if itâs inserted into the soil. Even if it doesnât bear fruit, we can plant something in the ground and nourish it.
Otherwise, if the ground is idle for too long, the quality of the soil will worsen. Moreover, the tender leaves of the sweet potato vine can also be eaten. The old leaves can be fed to poultry, pigs, and cows, and they wonât be wasted.â
Last June, they made a discovery in the manor. Broken sweet potato vines could also live when planted in the ground. The vines grew well, but the roots were thin and old, and the taste was not good.
Although there were many trees, flowers, trees and fruits that could be propagated from cuttings, they were harvested every year and the success rate was low.
Rice could not be propagated from cuttings. It could only be considered to be transplanted from the roots.
No one had thought of propagation, nor had they mentioned this to Young Miss. They did not expect Young Miss to have such an idea.
There were many poultry, pigs, and cows raised in the manor, and they had to feed them a lot of grass every year. Young Missâs suggestion was feasible.
Yu Youyao smiled. âSince it can be planted and itâs not a waste, plant them all the idle land.â
Nanny Yue nodded. âThe sweet potatoes will have to be planted in the ground in mid-March at the latest. In April and May, when the vines grow, you can try to cut them and insert them into the soil to try planting them.â
Yu Youyaoâs train of thought also started. âIn the past two years, the weather hasnât been good, and some of the land in the manor with bad soil has become quite empty. Itâs also easy to plant sweet potatoes, and itâs not difficult to plant them. Many farmers are also idle at home because the weather isnât good. We can hire people to work here. With an income, itâs easier for them to live. They can plant as many as they can.â
There was nothing to do on the ground, and the agricultural work was ready-made. The sweet potato vines were not completely useless, so there was no reason not to plant them on a large scale.
Nanny Yue nodded in agreement. âAlright, Iâll arrange it when I go back.â
Yu Youyao smiled. âThank you again, Nanny.â
At this moment, Yu Yao did not know that she had unknowingly found the best way to plant the sweet potatoes. It had greatly increased the production of the sweet potatoes. She had single-handedly pushed for the promotion of the planting of the sweet potatoes and saved countless poor citizens who had suffered from natural and man-made disasters.
As soon as Nanny Yue left, Chun Xiao came over. âYoung Miss, Matriarch wants you to go over.â
After Yu Youyao tidied her clothes, she brought Chun Xiao to An Shou Hall. Just as she walked into the house, she heard a cry from the inner room.
The crying continued, accompanied by sobbing. It was so heart-wrenching.
Yu Youyao quickly lifted the curtain. âBrother Ming, why are you crying so hard?â
When Old Madam Yu saw her enter, she also looked helpless. âHe was fine just now, but he suddenly cried. He didnât pee or poop, and he only had some sheepâs milk. He doesnât seem to be hungry. I canât coax him no matter what. Why donât you come over and coax him? Brother Ming has been close to you since he was young. Every time he is close to you, his concubine canât carry him away.â
In April two years ago, Concubine He had successfully had a son.
Nine years later, Yu Zongzheng had another son. Although he was only a Concubineâs son, he attached great importance to him. He sent his name choices early in the morning to the clan, and asked the respected elders in the clan to help him choose a suitable name..
The elder also knew that the first branch of the Yu Residence did not have
many children. Even if he was the son of a concubine, he should indeed be In the end, he circled the word âMingâ and wrote, âThe night is bright!â He pointed out the origin of the word âMingâ.
After Old Madam Yu saw this, she sighed slowly. âItâs not only mean bright, but also wise.â
The Yu Residence looked dignified with the title of âDuke Zhonglie.â In the royal court, even the political enemies had to give in because the meaning behind this name was loyalty.
The descendants of aristocratic families had to inherit the virtue of their ancestors and follow their legacy.
With an ancestor who had commited âregicideâ, others were also worried that this descendant of the same bloodline might go crazy. Who knew what he would do?
All these years, Second Brother and Eldest Sonâs life in the court had been smooth sailing.
Since ancient times, loyalty and righteousness had always been a dilemma. Other than leaving a legacy of regicide and building a good reputation for them, what else was important?
Only by suffering would one know that lotus seeds were bitter.
Emperor Gaozu admired Duke Zhonglie and his loyalty. However, a big reason was because when Duke Zhonglie was the prime minister of the previous dynasty. He blessed all the people in the world and gained the hearts of the people.
Duke Zhonglie had been conferred the title to win over the hearts of the people, and also to appease the scholars in the world.
Later on, the great ancestors placed the Yu Clan in an important position and left behind a will, hoping that his descendants would treat the Yu Clan well.
However, there was nothing good about âregicide.â
When they met the magnanimous emperor, the Yu Clan could still have a seat in the court.
It was already not bad not to suppress the emperor who had ill intentions.
After so many years, the Yu Clan was still in decline. The scholarly aristocratic family in the past had already fallen.
Even the emperor of this dynasty was originally willing to put Second Brother in an important position because the Yu Clanâs foundation was shallow and they needed to rely on the emperor. They had also written an ancient book like the âSea Map Strategyâ and had a large but empty treasury.
Now, the emperor wanted to put the Yu Clan in an important position. Not only had Second Brother been promoted to the Minister of Revenue, but Eldest Son had also been transferred to the Minister of Official Personnel Affairs. Yu
Shande chose a family member to enter the Hanlin Academy.
The other three were not forgotten either. They were all sent to good positions.
Last autumn, Yu Shanyan, who was only 16 years old, participated in the Fall Quarter Examinations and took the top three place.
This result shocked the entire Yu Residence. Everyone in the family knew that Yu Shanyan was good at studying and could guess that he would definitely be able to enter the rankings this time. His results would also be very high. However, Yu Shanyan was smart and a little insensible. When he competed with Yu Shande, it would be difficult for him to be outstanding.
He did not expect him to get third place.
At first, the family thought that the emperor wanted to place the Yu Residence in an important position. The officials in charge of the examination more or less had some holy will.
After reading Yu Shanyanâs article, even Second Brother was shocked.
Yu Shanyan said bluntly, âItâs also thanks to Cousin Zhouâs guidance that I was able to get third place this time.â
Yu Zongshen recalled that even his clueless son, who had always been useless, Imew that he was diligent and motivated under Zhou Linghuaiâs guidance. He had even been admitted as a student. Although his ranking was slightly lower, he had still passed. Even if he did not have much future in the imperial examination in the future, it would not be a disgrace to the reputation of the Yu Residence. In the future, it would not be bad for him to take the path of a general.
At the thought of this, she did not find it strange.
This time, the scholar who was the Top Scorer in the examination was almost 30 years old.
The person in second place was also over 20 years old.
Although Yu Shanyan was not known as the Top Scorer, he still shocked the world. After Song Mingzhao, he caught twice the attention as one of the genius students in the capital.
All of this meant that the Yu Clanâs future was bright and his ancestral career was in sight.
This was also what the Yu Clan had been looking forward to the most for many years.
However, in the past few years, the court had not been peaceful. The Yu
Residence had been placed in an important position and was in the limelight. At this time, they needed to protect themselves.
The clean elder used this name to remind the Yu Residence of the capital.
After that, Old Madam Yu said, âHis full name is Yu Shanming, and his courtesy name is Jiming. I wonât make it public for the time being. Iâll mention it when he grows up.â
It was obvious that although he was only a concubineâs son, the family still had high hopes for him..