I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 344 Ascending the Throne and Becoming Emperor (Part 1)

When Liu Miao saw Yi Ji, he was standing at the dock, holding a package in his arms with his hands on it, as if protecting something precious.

"Uncle Ji has lost a lot of weight and gotten much darker!"

Yi Ji was already thin, but now it seemed as if only a layer of skin covered his flesh, which then clung to his bones. His brownish-yellow skin made him appear even more emaciated, as if he didn't even have the strength to stand.

"If my personal difficulties can alleviate the suffering of millions of people in the Han Dynasty, then what harm is there in that?"

As soon as he opened his mouth, Liu Miao could hear the hoarseness in Yi Ji's voice.

Clearly, Yi Ji suffered quite a bit during his trip to Jiaozhi.

If it weren't for the traditional scholar-official belief in governing the country and bringing peace to the world, Liu Miao doubted he would have ever met Yi Jibo, who had been tricked into going south to "seek immortal herbs."

"what!"

Upon hearing Yi Ji say this, Liu Miao knew that he must have found what he was looking for.

Liu Miao stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Yi Ji's waist, and with a gentle pull, lifted the light-footed Yi Ji from the ground.

"Ji Bo's actions are a merit for all ages!"

Liu Miao laughed loudly, picked up Yi Ji, and spun her around, making Yi Ji feel a little dizzy.

"Your subject, your subject dares not accept such merit."

Yi Ji rubbed his head: "This, after all, was instructed by our lord, so..."

"Oh~~~"

Liu Miao interrupted Yi Ji.

"What are you talking about? Do you think I can bring this thing back from south of Jiaozhi just by talking?"

"Stop saying such things! Come on! Today I'm here to celebrate your victory!"

The place Liu Miao chose to celebrate Yi Ji's victory was none other than the newly built Ziwei Palace, which had never been put into use before.

Yi Ji had obviously gathered a lot of information about the Central Plains on his way here, and knew what the palace would be used for in the future, so he quickly refused.

"The things that Uncle Organic brought will ensure that the people will not go hungry for at least the next thirty years. For this achievement alone, he can be called a saint of our time. What's wrong with using a mere palace?"

Hearing Liu Miao praise him so highly, Yi Ji hesitated, saying, "My lord, after all, you were the one who brought this up first..."

"Really? Why don't I remember?"

Liu Miao not only chose the Ziwei Palace as the venue for the banquet for Yi Ji, but also invited all the high-ranking officials in Jinling City to celebrate Yi Ji's achievements.

The court officials were all busy with preparations for Liu Miao's ascension to the throne, and were quite surprised when they first heard that Liu Miao was hosting a banquet.

But these people quickly realized that something really serious had probably happened!
Otherwise, why would Liu Miao have needed to use the Ziwei Palace? And why would he have summoned everyone to a banquet at this crucial juncture?
The officials who came to the banquet were even more certain of the matter when they saw that the person sitting next to Liu Miao was not the highly respected Lu Kang or Wang Lang, or Zhou Yu or Taishi Ci, but the dry and unassuming Yi Ji.

Now, the court officials are gathered in Qianyang Hall, the only newly renovated main hall in the Ziwei Palace, and they all feel that Liu Miao has gone too far.

This is the main hall reserved for Liu Miao when he ascends the throne! It will be the main hall where the future emperor of the Han Dynasty will receive the homage of his ministers!

However, it is somewhat against etiquette that this palace has been requisitioned by Yi Ji first!
However, after Liu Miao explained why he wanted to celebrate Yi Ji's victory, the courtiers no longer had such thoughts...

"Uncle Ji, you can talk about it now."

Liu Miao gestured to Yi Ji, who respectfully rose from his seat, took out the package from his robes, and solemnly opened it.

The courtiers craned their necks to look, but were greatly disappointed.

The package contained nothing but rice stalks.

Moreover, this rice stalk is longer and awnless than common rice, and the grain size is small, so it can hardly be called a good rice.

The courtiers looked at Liu Miao and Yi Ji with curiosity, wondering why such a big fuss was being made over just a few rice stalks.

Yi Ji took a deep breath: "This rice is called Champa! It is produced in the Champa Kingdom south of Jiaozhi!"

"Of the five grains in Champa, rice is the most important. I personally went to the south and saw that its soil is fertile, and the fields are clearly defined. As far as the eye can see, one can cultivate rice, and the price of rice is reasonable!"

This caused a stir among the court officials.

In conventional understanding, shouldn't the area south of Jiaozhi be a desolate and barren land? How could anyone possibly be farming there?

But what Yi Ji said next made everyone stare blankly—

"Their tillage is simple: they only take the broken clods and do not dig deep or easy fields. They then plant the seeds directly in the field without transplanting them. After planting, they do not seek water in drought or drain the ponds in flood. They have neither fertilizer nor weeding, leaving everything to nature!"

Suddenly!

The courtiers looked on incredulously!
Is Champa rice really that easy to grow? It doesn't need water during droughts, nor does it need drainage during floods?
This is simply outrageous for the Central Plains agriculture that now pursues intensive farming practices!
Yi Ji's last words caused the court to erupt in jubilation!

"Its ripening time is also different from that of rice varieties from the Central Plains."

"It is an early rice variety. Rice seedlings are planted in mid-to-late May and can be harvested in mid-to-late July."

"After that, we can plant Central Plains rice varieties, complete the transplanting before the Beginning of Autumn, and then harvest before the Frost's Descent..."

Even though the ministers each had their own duties, whether they were civil officials or military officers.

But regardless of who they are, they all have an exceptionally profound understanding of farming!
Therefore, they were extremely perceptive in discerning Yi Ji's intentions—

Double-cropping rice!
The emergence of Champa rice does not necessarily mean that it can significantly increase yields. Rather, it means that early and late rice can be planted in rotation!
What does this represent?
This means that grain production in rice-growing areas of the Yangtze River basin could double!
Grain production has doubled!
This is something everyone would only dream of!

But now, the impossible has become possible?

Even deep-thinking people like Jia Xu and Sima Yi couldn't help but tremble after hearing Yi Ji's description of Champa rice!
Grain production doubled...

It's unimaginable what Jiangdong, which is already considered prosperous, would be like if its grain production doubled!
Even if Yuan Shao occupies the north, so what?
With more grain, more people can be fed.

The gap between the North and the South will narrow as the food supply surges!

Regarding military affairs.

For people's livelihood.

This will have a huge impact on politics!
This happiness came too suddenly.

Suddenly, everyone felt uneasy, wondering if the Champa rice was really as miraculous as Yi Ji had described!

Yi Ji also noticed the anxiety and unease among the ministers, so he said again, "What we have brought now is merely a sample to present to our lord."

"The governor of Jiaozhi, Shi Xie, has agreed to send three thousand bushels of Champa rice. We can try planting it next year first, and if it works, we can promote it further. There's no need to rush."

Only practice is the sole criterion for testing!

Otherwise, neither Yi Ji's opinion nor Liu Miao's opinion matters!
Upon hearing this, the courtiers were relieved, but at the same time, they were all impatient.

If Champa rice were to be widely adopted and grain production doubled, the impact would be enormous!
Even so, some quick-witted officials immediately perked up!
The leader among them was Gu Yong—

"When heaven and earth crumble, a giant tortoise carries a mountain; when the sun and moon are obscured, a blue dragon swallows the stars. Now, the Han dynasty has collapsed, the traitor Yuan Shao has usurped the throne, the seven ancestral temples have crumbled, the nine tripods have been moved to Hebei, and the people are crying out in despair! Yuan Shao's heart is that of a savage beast, and the emperor's body is weak and feeble, so he has issued a sorrowful edict of abdication. The flames of the blazing fire have been extinguished in Xuchang, and the reins of the imperial regalia have been handed over to a usurper! This is truly a catastrophe unprecedented in the four hundred years since Emperor Gaozu wielded his sword to slay the serpent!"

"Your Excellency, General of the Cavalry, are a descendant of Emperor Yao and inherit the heroic spirit of Emperor Guangwu. You personally practice benevolence and righteousness, spreading your virtue throughout Jing and Yang; you hold the Milky Way in your hand, extinguishing the flames of war at Kunyang! Now Yuan Shao has usurped the throne, but you alone hold the white banner and uphold justice. In the past, King Wen, with two-thirds of the Han dynasty still revered the Shang sacrifices, but now not a single tile of the Han dynasty remains, who will continue its glorious reign?"

"Your humble servants have laid bare their hearts and souls, their tears flowing like blood. The throne is vacant; how can we bear to see the imperial jade tablet tarnished? The Purple Palace hangs empty; how dare we refuse the Yellow Axe to open the heavens! We only wish to heed the hopes of Heaven and man, and to uphold the spirit of our ancestor. We beseech you to ascend the throne in Nanjing, to rescue those drowning and extinguish those burning; and to ascend to the Southern Capital, to rightfully assume the imperial position. Then our ancestors in the netherworld will clap their hands in comfort; and the people of the eight directions will bow their heads and sing praises of your virtuous rule! We weep blood as we write this memorial, humbly uttering these words even unto death!!!"

Gu Yong, as Liu Miao's chief secretary, even stepped forward to submit a memorial urging him to ascend the throne, let alone others.
The officials immediately followed Gu Yong out of the ranks, and shouted in unison—

"Your humble servants weep blood, and would rather die than utter a single word!!"

Yi Ji, also holding a handful of Champa rice, turned around and prostrated himself on the ground.

"May our lord follow the celestial stars of the North Star and respond to the great mandate of creation. May he inherit the sword of Emperor Gaozu who slew the serpent and receive the talisman of Emperor Shizu. May he continue the great foundation of the Han dynasty and usher in a new era of Zhangwu!"

"If one harbors loyalty and compassion but declines the imperial title, then where will the people of the world turn for refuge?"

Although Liu Miao had long ago agreed to become emperor.

But accepting the throne is one thing, while the ministers' urging is another!

So even though Liu Miao had anticipated this, he was still taken aback by the imposing manner of the courtiers!
Especially Gu Yong!
Liu Miao's eyes were filled with resentment.

Judging from the lengthy memorial Gu Yong just read aloud, it's clear he probably wrote it long ago and was just waiting for the right moment to urge him to ascend the throne.

"Really..."

Liu Miao couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the officials' prominent buttocks.

"Alright! Get up, all of you!"

But this time, no one got up.

They wanted to hear Liu Miao's promise to them! His promise to the people of the world!

"Whoo~~~"

Liu Miao knew that if he didn't give these people an explanation today, he wouldn't be able to leave!
"Humph!"

Liu Miao glanced at Gu Yong.

Do you think you're the only one who cheated by bringing a cheat sheet?

In order to deal with this, Liu Miao also prepared cheat sheets!

"Cough cough!"

After a few light coughs, Liu Miao recalled the content he had memorized long ago.

"The mandate of Heaven is not constant; only virtue can assist it. The divine instruments have their proper place; no one can arbitrarily usurp them."

"Alas, the land is in turmoil, and the imperial family is in disgrace; fortunately, with the wise counsel of the wise men and the support of the people, we are able to preserve the state of Jing and Yang."

"In the past, Emperor Guangwu declined the offer of service at Haonan, and Geng Chun offered the words 'like fish and water separated by a deep pool.' Now, you gentlemen are laying bare your hearts before the emperor. If you cling to foolish humility, you will defy the auspicious signs of Heaven, betray the hopes of the people who are in dire straits, and further condemn the loyal and virtuous to injustice!"

Liu Miao gazed into the distance, and amidst the barely suppressed commotion of his courtiers, he finally made his formal admission in the Qianyang Palace—

"I wish to inherit Emperor Gaozu's will to punish tyranny and continue Emperor Shizu's work of restoring the dynasty. Today, I will devoutly offer sacrifices at the ancestral temple, to continue the glorious legacy of the Han dynasty and sweep away the stench of war from the world! I only hope that all my ministers will hold the red banners to cleanse the heavens and the white pennants to quell the evil influence. May the living and the dead witness and support the Han dynasty!"

Long live the Emperor!

Although everyone knew it was only a matter of time, when they heard Liu Miao admit it, a strange emotion still welled up in their chests, and they wanted to get it off their chests!
"Your humble servants pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Han!"

"Long live your majesty!"

(End of this chapter)