Zhenguan: I, Dou Fengjie, will not be the first cuckold.

On the first day of the fifth lunar month, Dou Fengjie took fifteen days off from farming and happily practiced boxing and harvested wheat in his courtyard.

As for the one hundred households of real fiefdoms that Dou Fengjie inherited, he transferred them to the Ministry of Civil Affairs for management, and he only wanted the corresponding taxes from them.

When Aye passed away, the attitude of those retainers and servants showed that they were not of one mind with Dou Fengjie, so Dou Fengjie naturally didn't need to care about them.

There's no debt or loss between us, which is good.

The May planting holiday is legally 15 days long, so harvesting just one acre of wheat in the yard is a piece of cake.

And so, Ah Lu, along with two female donkeys, took advantage of the freshness and ate several mouthfuls, which angered Dou Xi, who rolled up his sleeves and cursed several times.

Dou Shang used a rake to spread the wheat out to dry on the stone slab. He squatted under the shade of a tree like an old farmer, his squinting eyes revealing a hint of happiness. Suddenly, he said, "This wheat, when dried, will yield two and a half bushels."

One shi of grain is approximately 120 jin, and two shi and five dou is approximately 300 jin of grain.

In those days, millet yielded about one shi per mu, and wheat yielded about two shi per mu.

The average yield of all grain and land in the Tang Dynasty was about five dou per mu, truly a case of extensive planting and low yield.

The thin fields and the autumn rice paddies formed by the receding river waters in autumn don't yield much anyway, so it's better than nothing.

This output, far exceeding current standards, brought Dou Shang great joy.

Life is getting better and better.

Dou Fengjie let out a breath, put down the stone lock, took the shield from the weapon rack, and pondered how to apply the Tai Chi fighting style to the shield.

As for the yield per mu, without superior or hybrid seeds, and without various kinds of fertilizers, relying solely on Dou Shang's care, this is the best that can be achieved.

The donkey brayed loudly, as if reminding its master that it had also contributed to the high wheat yield, as its droppings fermented and were scattered on the ground!

Under the blazing sun and amidst the incessant chirping of cicadas, Lady Dou led her brothers Dou Jing and Dou Jing slowly into the tranquil courtyard.

Before Dou Niangzi could exchange pleasantries, Dou Jing pointed to the still-damp wheat and was speechless with surprise.

The Ministry of Agriculture possessed the most garrison land in Yongzhou, and the Director of the Imperial Garden, the Supervisor of the Four Sides of the Imperial Garden, and the Supervisors of the various garrison lands were all struggling farmers.

As the Minister of Agriculture, Dou Jing still possessed basic discernment, even without having to serve in the fields.

Dou Dan glanced at his elder brother and asked with a smile, "Nephew, is this wheat truly grown from the one acre of uncultivated land in the yard?"

If you're useful, call me my nephew; if you're not, call me a coward!

Dou Fengjie put the stick on the weapon rack and replied in a neither soft nor hard tone, "What the General said, does this humble official have some kind of premonition that your esteemed presence would trample on my humble home and buy wheat in advance to falsify it?"

"My aunt is here, and I was unable to greet her. Please forgive me."

One after the other, Dou Fengjie's change of expression was so fast that it was comparable to the same-named special skill of Jiannan.

"What are you saying? Why bother welcoming relatives when visiting them? It's too formal, isn't it?"

"Wulang saw that the dogs of Tuyuhun were protecting their master and wanted to give you a puppy to play with, but the supervising officer stopped him."

With a wave of her hand, the steward led people to bring over two cured lambs.

Hou Junji, returning victorious and in high spirits, did not forget Dou Fengjie.

Money and such are too vulgar; giving some food is something no one can criticize.

"It's a good thing my fifth cousin didn't send any. Those dogs are called Duoqi. They're fierce and protective of their owners. They're normal in cold places, but in this hot Chang'an, Duoqi can bite people if it goes berserk."

Dou Fengjie said earnestly.

The Tibetan Mastiff, also known as the Tibetan Mastiff, is able to live in icy and snowy environments thanks to its thick coat and the mechanism that helps its body retain heat.

Forcibly bringing them to hot places to raise is a disaster for both people and the environment.

The most suitable dog breed for the Chang'an area is the gentle Slender-waisted Dog.

Dou Jing suppressed his temper and, unusually, cupped his hands in greeting: "Duke Zan, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture to increase wheat yields."

"Please put aside past grievances and speak frankly with me."

Dou Fengjie forced a fake smile: "Shangguan, the Ministry of Agriculture is not the only institution in charge of agriculture and sericulture."

This statement is absolutely correct. The Ministry of Works' Agricultural Settlement Department can manage all agricultural settlements except for those in Yongzhou, and can formulate corresponding laws and regulations, stipulating the labor hours required for the yield of each species per mu.

Minister of Works Du Chuke is from Li Tai's faction. Although we have never had any dealings, he must be closer to them than Dou Jing and the others, right?

Dou Jing felt an itch in his heart, but Dou Fengjie was not a subordinate of his Ministry of Agriculture, so no amount of official power could help him.

In the imperial court, after being scolded by Dou Fengjie for exploiting his family's infertility, Dou Jing's only remaining authority as an elder was also trampled on.

Looking back, after Dou Gui's death, his brothers and even the entire Dou family of Xianyang did quite a lot of things.

If it weren't for Lady Dou's hard work and help, they might have already become enemies.

Dou Dan smiled wryly: "Why should we benefit outsiders?"

Dou Fengjie rolled his eyes. "You're not family either."

A donkey brayed and shoved Dou Jing and his brother aside with its rear end. Its huge head pressed close to Dou's wife, pretending to be cute and obedient.

"You naughty donkey, you've bullied all the horses in my manor."

Lady Dou lightly patted the donkey's neck and said something in a feigned tone.

Ah Lu's eyes were full of smiles as he circled around Dou Niangzi, his obsequious attitude obvious.

Dou smiled.

Even a donkey knows who is far and who is near, who is close and who is distant.

Dou Jing opened his mouth unwillingly, still wanting to persuade Dou Fengjie to hand over the secret, when suddenly Ah Lu turned around and a smelly, loud fart shot into his mouth and nose.

"vomit!"

Even though Dou Jing wasn't a pretentious person, and even though the Director of the Imperial Garden of the Ministry of Agriculture had used some manure in some of the land reclamation, Dou Jing felt that the smell of manure was not even half as bad as donkey farts!

Palace dung is not even half as good as donkey fart.

Unable to contain herself, Dou Jing rushed out of the courtyard with speed surpassing that of a young person, and leaned against the neighboring courtyard wall, retching uncontrollably.

"Donkey has indigestion, give it a chicken egg tonight."

Dou Fengjie calmly gave the order, and Dou Xi responded with a wicked smile.

Ah Lu grinned and turned his back to Dou Dan, who immediately followed suit and left the mansion through the gate.

He finally understood that Dou Fengjie had no chance of reconciling with them, and that trying to take advantage of Dou Fengjie was wishful thinking.

Unfortunately, none of his sons could rival Dou Fengjie.

Lady Dou said seriously, "I don't care about their brothers' affairs. It's not convenient for Fifth Brother to have frequent contact with you openly. In the future, it will be your grandson-in-law Zhang Wenguan or the steward who will handle the negotiations with you."

"After your aunt returns, please take good care of Wulang and make sure he doesn't do anything wrong. He did a very good job as the military supervisor this time."

When Hou Junji captured Fusi City, he had an absurd idea: to sit on the chair of Busabo Khan. Fortunately, Xu Yushi stopped him.

Otherwise, Hou Junji would not have been impeached, but he certainly wouldn't be as successful as he is now.

As for Zhang Wenguan, although it takes time to climb the ladder step by step, his character is very upright. He was cautious in the judiciary throughout his life, which is worlds apart from the scoundrel Helan Chushi.

Well, I should also remind Hou Junji to stay out of the messy affairs of the imperial succession. He has already reached the pinnacle of his position and doesn't need to take sides.