The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 309 Breeding and Selling Manure
On the seventeenth day of the second month, a grand ceremony was held to bestow titles upon his wife.

His 29th son was Li Zhengquan, whose mother was Consort Zhao. He was granted the title of Prince of Wei.

His 33rd son, Li Zhi, was born to Consort Zhao Ruozhao and was enfeoffed as the King of Zhao.

Li Tianyi, son of Consort Luo, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Liang. Tianyi means "Heavenly Star Purple Palace," the God of War, who also foresees good and bad fortune. This was a name given by Afu himself.

Li Lizhi, the 65th daughter, was born to Consort He and was granted the title of Princess of Gusu.

Li Guanyin, the 66th son, was born to Tianxian Yuanjun. He conquered Mingzhou and was enfeoffed as the King of Ming.

Li Shaoyin, son of the 67th generation, whose mother was the Celestial Immortal Yuanjun, conquered Wuzhou and was enfeoffed as the King of Wu.

Li Zichuan, the 68th son, captured Jiaozhou and was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jia.

Li Yi, the 69th woman, was born to Lady Lingyin and was granted the title of Princess Lingxi.

72. Son Li Meng, mother... yes, Consort Meng! He captured Ezhou and was enfeoffed as the King of E.

74. Li Zheng, daughter of Consort Zheng, was granted the title of Princess Langya.

The Holy Emperor didn't know how to name these two sons. Although he had accepted his sister-in-law's invitation to have a child to help them pass the time, the guilt he felt towards his elder brother still tormented the three of them.

With things having come to this, Zheng Yanchang, after sighing and lamenting, forced the historian's office to delete the record. Years later, Li Meng and Li Zheng would be like many other princes and princesses in history whose origins were recorded: "Their names are lost to history, and no one knows anything about them."

Nuclear!

Li Jingshen was granted the title of Prince of Wu, which corresponds to the rank he was born into.

After all, Li Zhengquan was enfeoffed as the King of Wei, and Li Zhi was enfeoffed as the King of Zhao.

Why not enfeoff someone with a title like Wei or Han? The answer is to place them within the imperial clan; those titles bestowed by the previous dynasty are still being passed down to their heirs. Are other noble titles unacceptable? Yes, but King of Wu is already a noble title, that's enough.

There are too many children to list.

After serving as a tool in the Xuanzheng Hall, the Holy Emperor went to the Forbidden Garden to study breeding with his wives and concubines.

The Forbidden Garden is located north of the palace, bordered by the Wei and Chan rivers, encompassing the Han palace city. With its small bridges, flowing water, carved railings, and jade steps, it boasts beautiful scenery.

After the nest was destroyed, it was reduced to ruins.

Repairing it wouldn't be difficult; most of the main structures remain, with few large-scale projects. It wouldn't cost much, even if it wasn't built to Tang Dynasty standards. However, Rou Nu, wanting to save money, suggested: "The imperial garden is fertile, flat, and large, with convenient irrigation. Why not use it to develop some small businesses to support the family?"

So the Forbidden Garden repaired some of the palaces while developing agriculture and animal husbandry. Under Rou Nu's rule, it was divided into four types of estates, which cultivated fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat.

The vegetables include cabbage, eggplant, sunflower, and spinach.

The grains include millet, rice, wheat, and sorghum.

The meat consisted of beef, pigeons, fish, horses, donkeys, and so on. Except for the fish, which were raised in the lake, the poultry and animals were temporarily raised from the Shayuan (Sand Garden). The Shayuan regularly sent supplies to the capital to fund the salaries of officials and the consumption of the imperial family.

Neatly marked paths led to the Guangtai Gate, with separate gardens for various spices like scallions, chives, and ginger. There were also bean gardens. Mung beans, red beans, sesame seeds, peas…

The orchards included grapes, lychees, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, oranges, and crabapples… each a separate garden. The plum orchards alone had nearly ten varieties, spread across nine separate gardens. They were categorized by color. The highest grade, the green plums, were reserved exclusively for the Emperor, while the remaining colors were distributed among the concubines and palace women.

Each garden was managed by a person from the Imperial Household Department, with the palace attendants and eunuchs taking turns to work.

Everything was well-organized and thriving.

"What a good steward." The Holy Emperor strolled leisurely into the lychee orchard: "How's the lychee harvest?"

"It's my duty." Rou Nu smiled and sighed, "It's not all that great. It's a shame that I put so much effort into it, and last year I only harvested a dozen or so decent baskets."

"That's normal." The Holy Emperor pinched his cheek and put his arm around her shoulder. "Northern trifoliate oranges and southern oranges are different. Lychees, a famous fruit, can be grown in Guanzhong, but to compare their quantity and quality with those grown in Jiangnan is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree. It's good that you've tried your best. There's no need to be too demanding. I don't like them either."

“I understand the reasoning, but…” Rou Nu shook her head in distress: “It seems that many things really cannot be forced.”

"You've suffered," the Holy Emperor said. "Among all the women, you've always been the busiest. From now on, the Forbidden Garden will be managed by Shangguan Shen. You can focus on presiding over the Security Institute, take a break, and spend time with Atao and Ayang. I won't be affectionate with you anymore."

“Shangguan Shen doesn’t understand farming and finds these things uninteresting.” Rou Nu lifted her skirt and said, “You should make time for it yourself. Time is like the Emperor’s lifeblood; you can always squeeze some out. As for the three children… we can leave them with the wet nurse. When we have some free time, we can raise them ourselves.”

As she spoke, she pouted her red lips, glanced at the Holy Emperor, and poked his chest with her finger: "If you want to be considerate of others, then stop scheming against people like Zhang Hui. Isn't that disgusting? Every time I think about how you just left them and then came here, I feel uncomfortable all over."

The Holy Emperor said sullenly, "She is not dirty; she is as clean and delicate as a peach blossom."

Rou Nu looked utterly dejected: "Your Majesty, you're too attached to appearances... Am I less beautiful than that old woman? Or is my talent and virtue inferior? A man is fickle, a man is fickle!"

Rou Nu clapped her hands: "I'd rather be intoxicated by wildflowers by the roadside than think of roses indoors. That's men for you. The most satisfying and best woman is always a married woman."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" The Holy Emperor changed the subject, pointing to an old lychee tree: "Want to climb the tree?"

"I'm not some delicate Consort Shu who can be pinned down by you anywhere!" Rou Nu slapped away the groping hand that was trying to sneak into her skirt.

"What about those times in the sheepfold and peach grove?"

"That was completely unexpected!" Rou Nu exclaimed, both ashamed and anxious. "Since serving you, I've only learned not to stand with my back to you. People were still talking, and before I knew it, I was suddenly grabbed by the neck, pulled into your arms, and violently..."

"Haha." The Holy Emperor was so happy that he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms.

"What are you doing! There are too many people, hurry up and stop!"

"Don't be afraid, I just want a hug."

"Then don't do what you used to do, where you hold the baby and then let them pee..."

"Let's get back to the main topic." The Holy Emperor said solemnly, "The Annamite rice that King Li sent back is divided into more than a dozen categories, as well as many fruit and vegetable seeds. I plan to cultivate them in the palace. How should we proceed?"

The Holy Emperor had never been involved in production; he was practically clueless about agriculture. Making him farm would only lead to starvation. And breeding, of course!

Seeing that he had come to stroll through the garden with her with a purpose, Rou Nu was a little unhappy. But seeing that he didn't do anything inappropriate, unlike his usual flirtatious and affectionate behavior, touching her here and there, she became more and more dissatisfied. She buried her face in her arms and said, "I don't know."

"Come to Penglai Palace tonight, and I'll show you a new game." The Holy Emperor said, while rubbing Rou Nu's top, "It's not bondage."

"What…" Rou Nu reacted, her cheeks slowly turning red: "Werewolf?"

"I told you it's a new game." The Holy Emperor scoffed, "Besides, when it comes to Werewolf, it always leaves you completely bewildered. It's boring."

"Don't be so smug." Rou Nu sneered, "You've never won a game of the king! Every time, you've been beaten down by us until you begged for mercy. What is it that you've done?"

"Keep it a secret," the Holy Emperor said mysteriously.

"Hiss... Ouch." Rou Nu's eyes were glazed over. She twisted her legs a few times, straightened her skirt, and jumped down from his arms. "No wonder Gao Mingyue often reminisces about it. The Holy Emperor's methods of controlling his subjects are truly superb... As for rice, go to Yongtai Gate. It's next to the Wei River there. Follow me!"

Around him, his wives and concubines played with their children in the garden, chatted on the grass, or quietly basked in the sun.

Upon seeing this, a commotion erupted: "Your Majesty, wait for me!"

"Sister-in-law." The Imperial Concubine held Li Zhengquan in her left arm and walked side by side with Meng Zheng. "Now that the child is born, let's forget about the past. My sister is tolerant, and the Consort Shu and the others have nothing to say, so let's not care about outsiders. They're all hypocrites! Just wait and see how they react when their wives lose their husbands. A bunch of thieves and prostitutes, yet they have a whole set of ridiculous theories when they lecture my family!"

Ah Zhao cursed a few times, then softened his tone: "Sister-in-law and he aren't having an affair or indulging in lust. It's just a child, what's the big deal? Don't overthink it. Just live a peaceful life from now on, and I'll call you 'elder sister' from now on."

The two looked radiant, holding their children contentedly. Upon hearing this, Consort Meng's eyes reddened again, and she said softly, "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm sorry to have put you in such a difficult position."

Consort Zheng didn't even blush; she simply nodded and said, "I dare to take responsibility for my actions. I'll bear any retribution myself."

“In a few days, I will go to the Emperor,” Consort Zhao said with a smile. “I will ask him to allocate palaces for my sisters. Those places like the Sanqing Temple and Zhenxian Temple are inhabited by scoundrels or dissolute Taoist priests. They are unclean places and not suitable for living.”

"Thank you for your help." Consort Zheng thanked him. "I couldn't stand it anymore, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. Seventh Prince is really something. If he wanted to see, he should have just taken off his clothes and looked carefully. Why did he have to peep?"

"What did you say?" Consort Meng's face flushed red.

Ah Zhao was a little embarrassed: "He has some quirks, please don't be offended, sister..."

"Something?" Consort Zheng asked, "What else is unknown to others? I know he likes a lot of hair and smells armpits."

"Don't mention it!" Ah Zhao said, feeling extremely embarrassed.

He's wearing open-crotch pants right now, without a bib! If he gets wet in the rain or you remove your hand, his size and shape are immediately visible. This is unacceptable, but every time I get pestered, my emotions override my reason. Am I spoiling him too much?

"Ah Zhao, what's your quirk?" the Holy Consort asked, peeking out. "How come I didn't know the Emperor liked to smell armpits?" "Go away, little sister, don't listen." Ah Zhao pushed Liang Xiaoyao away. "Because you don't have any hair."

"Ah." Liang Xiaoyao's mouth opened slightly. Was it because he was too fair-skinned and had too much body hair, and his body smelled too good, that the Emperor rarely summoned him to serve him in bed?

"Is that right?"

Ah Zhao didn't know what to say. Consort Liang was dumbfounded, silently turning away to speak to Dugu Hua and Xiao Wangqing. Both of them were speechless. Dugu Hua sighed softly, "The King of Chu loves slender waists, while I, the King, am hairy and infatuated. Where can I find affection? The armpits smell so good..."

As they spoke, the three women swapped arms, sniffed each other, and then, all with expressionless faces, said, "We smell so good..."

"My sister is so lucky." Zheng Zhaoyi said with some envy, "It's rare to be able to act like a young girl in front of men even after the age of thirty."

"It's not difficult," Ah Zhao said. "Sister, just wait, he'll take good care of you. With your looks—"

Consort Zheng's heart skipped a beat. Remembering how he was always so thoroughly plowed until he was drooling and delirious, she quickly said, "I'll go watch him plow the fields!"

It was late spring in February inside Yongtai Gate.

The weeds were cleared away, and the solid land was plowed by oxen until the ditches were overflowing with water.

Peas are being cultivated as seedlings, and spring wheat is being planted in the fields.

The palace maids and eunuchs, dressed in colorful robes, were busy in the fields.

The Holy Emperor stood on the edge of the field.

"If we're going to plant, we'll plant this patch." Yuwen Rou summoned two eunuchs: "Huang Ao and Liu Xi are the wheat commissioners, so I'll appoint them to manage the rice. But I think it's all about luck. Who knows if the seeds from Jiaozhou will be suitable for Guanzhong?"

"Let's give it a try," said the Holy Emperor. Agriculture, without the biotechnology of later generations, is all about luck. Isn't the food we eat cultivated by generations of farmers through sheer chance?

"Early rice or something else?" Yuwen Rou asked. "Different rice varieties have different water and heat conditions, and are sown in different months."

"I don't understand." The Holy Emperor shook his head: "Just follow the appendix memorials of the two of them."

Yuwen Rou took it and looked through it for a while before handing it to Huang Ao: "Take this and discuss it with your grain envoys. Report a few cultivation plans. Starting today, prepare a few plots of land for future use."

"Yes, sir." Huang Ao respectfully accepted.

“Do this matter seriously,” the Holy Emperor said. “If it is done well, there will be rewards.”

Thank you everyone.

"How were soybeans and wheat grown before?" the Holy Emperor asked, pointing to a wheat field.

"Just one type." Yuwen Rou asked, puzzled, "What else could it be?"

"Just a mixed broadcast, I suppose," the Holy Emperor said leisurely.

Yuwen Rou retorted, "The grain policy is of paramount importance and cannot be taken lightly. I have only ever seen turnips mixed with hemp, or millet mixed with mulberry, but I have never seen anything else."

“No,” the Holy Emperor said with certainty, “turnips can be mixed with hemp, millet with mulberry, so why can’t others?”

"Then, Holy Ruler, tell me, how should we conduct ourselves?"

The Holy Emperor couldn't explain it clearly for a while, but he had seen and heard of wheat and corn being intercropped together, corn and soybeans being intercropped together, and all sorts of other patterns in his previous life.

But it's too complicated. From seedling row spacing, land width, plant spacing, crop ratio, intercropping time to fallow, crop rotation, fertilization points, hydrology, soil moisture, and soil properties, there are too many things to consider. It would be difficult to master without farming for eight to ten years.

This explains why, despite the widespread use of chemical fertilizers in later generations, significant differences in yield per acre still exist in small-scale farming units. Before the reform and opening up, the same amount of land could support a dozen or more people in some families, while others went extinct.

Intensive farming, the product of which starved countless people.

In some novels, a few time travelers provide guidance and agriculture advances at breakneck speed—it's utterly ridiculous. It's a pity I lack the knowledge of the refined farming methods of later generations. Otherwise, if I had promoted these methods, even without chemical fertilizers, the land could have produced far more wealth and supported a much larger population.

But let's give it a try!
In any case, the factors that increase grain yield are nothing more than improved varieties, pesticides, fertilizers, hydrology, soil fertility, and planting techniques. We have plenty of time, power, and resources to experiment. We can spend a few years selecting some rice varieties and summarizing the optimal patterns for intercropping, three-field fallowing, and other methods in the palace.

"I don't know how to mix them," the Holy Emperor pondered. "But turnips can be mixed with hemp, millet with mulberry, and so on should work too."

"No way!" Yuwen Rou's face darkened. "Can farming be done by assumptions?"

"Rounu," the Holy Emperor said, gripping her shoulders, "you only gave me one hundred mu, one hundred mu! Let me try, let me give up..."

"Sigh, I just can't do anything with you." Yuwen Rou covered her face: "Oh well, oh well, what can I do? I'm your little sister Rou."

"My darling!" The Holy Emperor kissed her and said, "Pass down the word: on the hundred acres of land allocated, wheat intercropped with cabbage, soybeans intercropped with sesame. I'm just making this up; you can combine them yourself. As for row spacing, plant spacing, and so on, do whatever you think is suitable. Don't assign any work to the palace servants in charge of the experimental fields and the Annam rice. Just focus on farming, and they'll be rewarded if they do well. If a palace maid does a good job, I'll sleep with her and give her a child."

The nearby palace maids, who were paying attention, overheard this and exchanged knowing glances. In the silence, excitement and joy were conveyed between them. They were all women, all had "tools," so why were only Zhao Ruxin and her ilk so high and mighty?

In addition, speaking of fertility, he had seen people cutting corn stalks and soybean grass in the fields, and he didn't know if there was any similar experience.

Furthermore, the excrement from the hundreds of thousands of livestock raised annually in the Shayuan Imperial Household Department and the palace was not fully utilized.

In agrarian societies, manure, firewood, and salt were always scarce commodities.

Now, the Holy Emperor is pondering: could he integrate the Sand Garden Bureau and the concubines' affairs and sell them to the people for profit?
Of course, selling only excrement and urine is a waste.

The Holy Emperor's idea was to build a series of super cesspools, fill them with withered branches and leaves, human and animal carcasses, and various plants and animals, and then use microorganisms and fungi to decompose them into humus, thus increasing the volume of excrement while composting. Selling these would generate a considerable income, enough to support a large army.

However, there seems to be no example of an emperor selling excrement in China? Nor is there any example of ordinary people buying excrement from the government?

But wouldn't this be a slight invasion of the wives' privacy?

The scene of collecting excrement is easy to imagine. This is Consort Shu's, this is Consort Gui's, my goodness, I never thought Nangong Chongyan's poop would smell so bad! Quick, quick, take it away! Put it in the pool, I'm going to faint...

"Rou Nu, is this feasible?" the Holy Emperor asked quietly.

"You're going to be even more disgusting!" Rou Nu was furious. "Stop talking, I feel like throwing up. If you really do that, you'll become famous."

"What are you talking about?" Seeing the two acting strangely, Consort Shu leaned over to inquire.

After a short rest.

"Consort Shu?"

"Consort Shu, what's wrong? Wake up!"

"Your Majesty, what exactly did you say to Consort Shu that made her vomit?"

The Holy Emperor coughed lightly and muttered to himself, "I don't feel nauseous."

"How strange! Let me hear what kind of vulgar things this is!" Zhao Ruozhao abandoned Li Xiaozhu and strode forward.

Rest again.

"Ruozhao!"

"Consort Zhao? Why are you gritting your teeth?"

After more than ten rounds, the Holy Emperor stood alone on the edge of the field, facing a group of concubines, in complete silence.

“I said,” the Holy Emperor cleared his throat and stepped forward, “I didn’t say to just take it and sell it.”

The wives and concubines all retreated.

"Sigh." This weighed heavily on the Emperor's mind. It seemed this matter needed careful consideration, but it had to be done. At worst, he could hand it over to Zheng Yanchang and have him send a low-ranking official to oversee management and monopoly.

His gaze lingered on the snow-white chests of Zhao Ruyi, Luo Wenxuan, Cui Yuzhang, Wu Rongxian, and Xiao Yueguang, a wicked glint in his eyes. He grabbed Cui Yuzhang's delicate wrist; Cui Yuzhang struggled violently, crying out that she was having a lunar eclipse, but she couldn't resist the tearing of his demonic claws. He then pulled over Luo Wenxuan, Zhao Ruyi, and the others: "Take them off!"

Seeing the Holy Emperor's hand moving inside his crotch, whether adjusting his inner garment or something else, Chen Cailian felt nauseous and turned away.

The women sat down one after another, forming a circle around the Holy Emperor and his companions with practiced ease.

While teasing Cui Yuzhang and Luo Wenxuan, the Holy Emperor was not as pleased as before, and instead thought of Li Miaowei. At this hour, she should have already seen Wusi, right? After finishing matters here, he went to see the two sisters at Yuzao Palace.

(End of this chapter)