What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 285 Su Lang's hometown is too terrifying!

Hearing the Empress ask about his true abilities, and whether it was something she couldn't learn, he felt a surge of emotion.

Su Mo's expression instantly turned strange.

It's definitely possible to learn it; it's not some kind of ideological theory, nor is it an obscure major like philosophy or archaeology. Moreover, the job prospects are broad, and there's plenty of room to showcase your talents here.

Even though Su Mo wasted his four years of university, spending more time playing games than attending classes, he didn't learn much about his major.

But teaching the ancients is no problem at all!

As a university student, Su Mo naturally had his own major.

The major he applied for is definitely at the forefront of technology, a future trend, and quite prestigious—artificial intelligence and robotics engineering.

only……

The college entrance examination is not something that guarantees admission just because you fill out your application. In particular, to be on the safe side, I filled in "willing to be assigned to any major" in my second batch of applications.

Seeing that Su Mo's expression suddenly became strange, the Empress became even more curious.

She blinked at Su Mo: "What kind of knowledge does Su Lang study? I'm really curious!"

"This disciple truly wishes to inherit the mantle of my teacher and carry forward the teachings of my teacher!"

Su Mo's forehead creased with annoyance.

If I don't tell her, given Leng Liuxi's personality, she'll probably keep asking questions and annoy me to death!

He could only say with a dark face, "The knowledge I specialize in is useless to you!"

The Empress was slightly taken aback: "Why can Su Lang learn it, but it's useless for me to learn it?"

"Why does Su Lang specialize in such useless knowledge?"

Su Mo let out a breath: "The field of study I pursue is bioengineering, specifically how carbohydrates are efficiently converted into proteins!"

The Empress looked bewildered and hesitated for a moment: "Could you please speak in a way that I can understand, Su Lang?"

"I really can't understand the language of Su Lang's other hometown."

Su Mo's face darkened even more, and after a long while, he finally spat out two words through gritted teeth: "Aquaculture!"

"Raising?" The Empress seemed to understand this time and blurted out, "What kind of creatures are being raised?"

Su Mo gritted her teeth and squeezed out two more words: "Raise pigs!"

The Empress stared in disbelief at Su Mo, her beautiful face filled with astonishment: "Raising pigs?"

"The pig that Su Lang is talking about, should it be a porcupine?"

Su Mo nodded irritably: "That's right! A pig is a pig, so raising pigs is raising pigs!"

Empress...

After a long pause, she looked at Su Mo with a mixture of amusement and exasperation: "Young Master Su, are you trying to deceive me?"

"Is there a science to raising hogs?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo immediately became indignant and glared at the Empress: "Why not?"

"There's a science to growing grains, so why isn't there one to raising pigs?"

Even within the profession of hog farming, there are several sub-categories!
Seeing Su Mo's annoyed expression, the Empress couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh: "What I mean is... even ordinary farmers know how to raise pigs, so why would you, my lord, specialize in studying this subject?"

"Could it be that you, sir, can raise a pig to be bigger than a cow?"

She paused, then couldn't help but say, "I truly find it hard to imagine that Su Lang, who knows everything, is actually studying such a useless subject as pig farming!"

Su Mo sneered: "Who told you this is useless knowledge?"

“Raising pigs well can enrich the people and strengthen the country. How can Your Majesty, as the emperor, say that this is a useless subject?”

The Empress was suddenly taken aback, her expression instantly turning serious: "Raising pigs can actually enrich the people and strengthen the country?"

Su Mo looked at the Empress calmly: "Let me ask you, which group of people who regularly eat meat is physically stronger, those who can only fill their stomachs with rice or grain?"

The Empress immediately replied, "Naturally, those who eat meat are strong!"

"The main force of the barbarian tribes on the grasslands has a constant supply of meat, so their physiques are superior to those of the people of Dawu, making them extremely difficult to deal with."

Su Mo said irritably, "That's settled then."

"If every citizen of Dawu can eat meat and be physically strong, what fear do they have of the barbarians of the grasslands!"

"Your Majesty says that raising pigs could strengthen the nation."

The Empress's expression grew increasingly serious, and she frowned as she said, "Raising pigs requires a huge amount of grain; it takes five or six pounds of grain to produce even one pound of pork."

"The same amount of rice can feed more people. The people are barely able to feed themselves, how can we waste it on pigs!"

"Moreover, pork has a strong, unpleasant smell, which the people do not like to eat. How can we enrich the people?"

Su Mo was slightly surprised.

I never imagined that the Empress would even know the ratio of meat to fat.

It seems that she was quite a qualified emperor, genuinely caring about the people's livelihood, much better than emperors in history who didn't even know how much an egg cost.

Of course, the Empress was extremely powerful and could secretly leave the palace at any time for incognito visits.

Anyone who truly cares about the people will naturally be much more aware of such matters of livelihood than emperors of ancient times.

Su Mo smiled and said, "I didn't expect Your Majesty to know about pig farming."

"The people are fortunate to have such a wise ruler!"

The Empress was slightly taken aback, looking at Su Mo in surprise, as if she could hardly believe that these words came from Su Mo's mouth.

To think that raising pigs makes one a sage ruler—what kind of logic is that?

Is this how you praise an emperor?
She hesitated for a moment: "Does Su Lang think I... am a good emperor?"

“That’s right!” Su Mo smiled. “Doesn’t Your Majesty think so?”

The Empress's pretty face suddenly flushed slightly: "If others said such things about me, I certainly wouldn't believe it, but if Su Lang says it, I believe it."

"This is the first time Su Lang has praised me."

Su Mo's expression turned serious: "The people can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it. Your Majesty cares about the people and values ​​their livelihood. You are a wise ruler and can win the support of the people. The Great Wu Dynasty will be forever secure."

The Empress nodded slightly: "But I do not understand the principle that raising pigs can enrich the people."

Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "The reason you think raising pigs consumes a lot of food is simply because the feed conversion ratio for pigs is too low."

"If we can find a way to increase the feed conversion ratio of pigs from five parts feed to one part meat to three parts feed to one part meat, then pig farming will naturally become worthwhile."

The Empress's eyes lit up: "How to improve?"

Su Mo casually replied, "Easy!"

“Select suitable breeding pigs, or obtain high-quality pig breeds with faster growth rates through crossbreeding. However, this method requires a considerable amount of time for breeding and selection.”

"There is another quicker way: castration."

The Empress frowned slightly: "Castration?"

Su Mo's forehead creased with annoyance: "It means castration, like a eunuch."

Empress...

Then, gritting his teeth, he said, "Will castration make the pig grow faster?"

What kind of logic is this?

Su Mo explained, "After a pig is castrated, it becomes lazy and less active, expending less energy, so it naturally grows more meat."

"In addition, castrating pigs has another great benefit: it greatly reduces the fishy smell of pork. If they are fed clean food, the meat quality is not much worse than beef or mutton."

The Empress was immediately startled upon hearing this: "Pork can be compared to beef and mutton?"

Pork from Shenjing costs twenty sen, mutton costs fifty sen, beef...

Beef cannot be sold, it's against the law, but its price on the side is definitely higher than that of lamb!

If pork could be sold at the price of beef and mutton, it would truly make people rich!

Su Mo nodded: "That's true."

He didn't lie to the Empress.

The native pigs here are the same breed as those native to China.

Su Mo had eaten authentic local pork before.

Simply stir-fry it with a little oil and salt, no other seasonings are needed, and the taste is excellent, far superior to fast-growing pig breeds.

The Empress looked at Su Mo in surprise: "Castration has so many benefits?"

"Raising hogs is indeed a complex subject!"

She hesitated for a moment: "Since Su Lang specializes in the study of pig farming, why...why don't I see you raising pigs?"

Su Mo looked at the Empress speechlessly: "You just said it yourself, the feed conversion ratio of pigs is extremely low, and there isn't enough grain for the people to eat. Raising pigs is not worthwhile!"

"There are many ways to make money, why raise pigs?" The Empress immediately became anxious: "As Su Lang has said, this is the way to enrich the people and strengthen the country!"

"Su Lang, you can raise pigs for me!"

Su Mo... finally smiled wryly and said, "The problem is that I've only learned the theoretical knowledge; I haven't tried it in practice!"

"and……"

He hesitated for a moment, his old face flushing slightly: "Back when I was in school, I played a lot of games and didn't learn much about my major..."

Empress: "What is playing games?"

Su Mo coughed twice: "Playing around..."

The Empress stared in disbelief at Su Mo, her voice slightly deepening as she said, "How could you do this, Su Lang!"

"Such a way to enrich the country and strengthen the people is so profound and useful. How can Su Lang neglect his studies and not study diligently because of playing around!"

As she spoke, the Empress seemed to realize that her tone had been a bit harsh, and quickly added, "How can Su Lang's husband be so indulgent towards his son!"

The Empress angrily blurted out, "This person is unfit to be a teacher!"

Su Mo chuckled: "In the academy, there are at least eight or ten thousand slackers like me. How can the teachers possibly manage them all?"

"If a teacher can manage a small number of good students well, then he/she is qualified."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's expression changed abruptly, and she frowned as she looked at Su Mo: "Are there nearly ten thousand scholars like Su Lang?"

Su Mo shook her head: "That's not it."

The Empress suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Mo's words really startled him.

In her eyes, Su Mo's abilities were unparalleled in the world, even surpassing those of sages.

If the other hometown Su Mo mentioned had tens of thousands of people like Su Mo, the Empress couldn't even imagine how terrifying it would be!
Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, Su Mo casually added, "The sow's postpartum period... there are only about a hundred people specializing in pig farming, while other majors have significantly more."

"The college has more than 8,000 students and more than 20 majors, with an average of more than 300 students in each major."

The Empress's expression suddenly changed, and a cold glint flashed in her beautiful eyes: "Su Lang Academy actually has more than 8,000 students and more than 20 majors... more than 20 subjects of study for Su Lang and others?"

Su Mo smiled and said, "There's no need to be surprised. Our academy has a relatively small number of students."

"Some colleges have tens of thousands of students and hundreds of majors!"

The Empress was utterly speechless.

No wonder Su Mo is omniscient and knowledgeable!

One college offers hundreds of subjects for students to study, and tens of thousands of students study at the college.

The Empress could not even imagine what this scene was like!
The Imperial Academy of the Great Wu, the highest institution of learning in the Great Wu, has only about seven hundred students!

With tens of thousands of students, what an impressive faculty!

Among them are many great scholars and sages, and many classics and knowledge that are rarely seen by others!
No wonder Su Mo is only superficially knowledgeable in all kinds of academic fields!
No wonder he disdained the Tao Te Ching and Sun Tzu's Art of War, discarding them aside!
The Empress took a deep breath, her expression turning serious: "In Su Lang's hometown, the academy alone has tens of thousands of students. How many students are there?"

Su Mo thought for a moment: "The number of college graduates each year, well... it's probably around four or five million."

The Empress nodded slightly: "That's quite a lot already."

"The academy that Su Lang mentioned has so many students, yet only a few hundred graduate each year, which shows how strict the graduation standards are!"

She paused, then looked at Su Mo and sighed, "Su Lang, when you say you're just having fun, I'm afraid it's just you being modest."

"To stand out among so many students and graduate with such academic success, you must have put in tremendous effort."

"The college student that Su Lang mentioned is definitely comparable to a top-ranking scholar in the imperial examination!"

Su Mo gave the Empress a strange look and coughed, "Your Majesty said that there are four or five hundred students graduating every year, so we should add ten thousand to that number!"

The Empress stared at Su Mo with wide, beautiful eyes: "Four or five hundred followed by ten thousand?"

"That's four or five million?"

Su Mo nodded: "Yes!"

Empress...

As we all know, reading is an extremely expensive luxury.

It was common to see wealthy families in Dawu fall from riches to poverty after supporting a child who was studying.

Su Lang now tells himself, "There are four to five million college graduates every year?"
The Empress remained silent for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finally speaking: "In the hometown that Su Lang mentioned, how many students actually studied there?"

"How can there be so many students who have completed their studies?"

Su Mo secretly calculated: "Normally, it takes sixteen years from enrollment to graduation from university, not counting kindergarten, and the time spent pursuing further studies after university can also be ignored."

"The total number should be around seventy or eighty million."

The Empress remained silent for a long time, her pretty face turning bitter: "Su Lang's hometown must be incredibly prosperous, with people living in peace and contentment, free from worries about food and clothing."

"Otherwise, how could everyone pursue education, leading to the subdivision of knowledge into hundreds of different fields!"

Su Mo nodded: "That's true. As long as people are diligent, they will definitely not have to worry about food."

A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed deep within the Empress's eyes before she smiled and said, "Such a prosperous era truly fills me with longing and envy!"

"I truly wish to visit Su Lang's hometown and witness this prosperous age with my own eyes!"

Su Mo smiled wryly, "I can't go!"

"But this is for the best. If Your Majesty could go anywhere, people from there could also come here, and that would be a catastrophe!"

He paused, then added, "It's best to avoid contact with that world!"

The Empress asked calmly, "Hasn't Su Lang arrived?"

Su Mo explained, "I'm the exception!"

"Actually, I don't know if I've really been there, or if it was just a dream!"

The Empress then asked, "Why did you say that contact with them would be a catastrophe?"

Su Mo was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Does Your Majesty think that destroying a large city like Shenjing would take a long time?"

If anyone else had asked this question, the Empress would probably have dragged them out and executed.

However, at this moment, he frowned and began to think seriously.

Finally, with a solemn expression, he said, "Even if a million-strong army attacks, Shenjing can definitely hold out for ten days or even longer!"

Su Mo gave a bitter smile: "The people of that world could raze such a large city to the ground in the blink of an eye, leaving not a single chicken or dog alive!"

The Empress stood up abruptly, her beautiful eyes wide with fear, her voice turning cold and sharp: "How is this possible!"

Seeing the Empress's strong reaction, Su Mo dared not say more and could only smile wryly and say, "Your Majesty, please just consider this my ramblings."

The Empress exhaled, then slowly sat back down, and chuckled, "I was almost frightened by Su Lang!"

"To destroy a city with millions of inhabitants in the blink of an eye—even legendary immortals couldn't do that!"

She suddenly changed the subject: "However, Su Lang's knowledge of pig farming can indeed enrich the people and strengthen the country. It is a remarkable skill that must not be wasted."

"I am very much looking forward to the pork that Su Lang mentioned, whose meat is comparable to that of beef and mutton!"

The Empress did not insist that Su Mo teach her how to raise pigs, but instead told Su Mo to raise them himself!
Su Mo was also aware that it was not appropriate to talk about past lives with the Empress, or anyone else.

However, having been in this world for so long, Su Mo dared not confide in anyone. She already had obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Su Mo suspected that holding it in could lead to mental illness, which is why she couldn't stop talking once she started.

This time it really wasn't the Empress secretly using mind control on me; I feel perfectly clear-headed.

Seeing that the Empress had brought up the topic of pig farming again, Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "Even if we castrate the pigs, the feed conversion ratio of the current breeds is still not cost-effective."

"However, the vines and leaves of this variety are not tasty, so they are perfect for feeding pigs."

"We'll set up a pig farm on Gufeng Mountain later, raise thirty or fifty pigs as an experiment. If we can't sell them, we can feed ourselves."

The Empress exclaimed urgently, "No!"

Su Mo was taken aback: "Why not?"

"This variety isn't specifically for eating sweet potato leaves, it's a shame to throw it away, it's perfect for feeding pigs."

The Empress looked at Su Mo speechlessly: "In my opinion, my lord, sweet potato vines can be used to grow sweet potatoes, how can they be used to feed pigs!"

Su Mo...

I just told the Empress about my past life.

For a moment, I forgot that there weren't as many sweet potatoes here as in my previous life!
However, given the rapid reproduction rate of sweet potatoes, it won't be long before they can be widely cultivated.

It's fine not to feed them sweet potato vines, since this is an experimental pig farming project and won't require much grain.

Of course, I can't raise them myself; at most, I can give them some pointers.

Before time travel, he was a professional pig farmer; after time travel, he is still a professional pig farmer.

Wasn't this all for nothing?
Su Mo had no intention of applying for this major!
Artificial intelligence and robotics engineering—how prestigious and impressive they are!
Damn it, obey orders!
(End of this chapter)