Chapter 70 You who live in a compound, what do you know about growing crops!

"More than a month ago, I sent people to conduct an in-depth investigation into the Thirteenth Young Master's recent situation and learned that he had invented a farm tool called the curved plow."

"It is said that it can greatly improve agricultural production efficiency. Do you still remember this, sir?"

Ying Zheng nodded slightly: "I... ahem, I do have an impression, please continue."

Dahei continued to report: "I had specifically reported this to the master before. The Thirteenth Young Master not only invented the curved plow, but also mentioned a kind of farmyard manure that can enhance soil fertility. The raw material is actually feces."

"You expressed doubts and criticisms about this at the time, sir."

Ying Zheng nodded and recalled: "Yes, I do remember the incident with the farm manure, and I thought he was just fooling around."

"But now it seems that this farmyard manure may be the key to the problem."

"Dahei, I think your speculation makes sense."

Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, covered his nose and frowned, and said: "Even if farm manure is related to the reincarnation of grains, according to common sense, why would the people fight over it?"

"After all, this thing is widely available and easy to obtain."

"At a time when arable land is limited and seeds are precious, why has farm manure become so popular?"

Dahei responded smartly: "Master, you are right. There must be an important reason that we have not yet noticed."

So, Ying Zheng decided to go there himself to find out what was going on, and went straight to the market with Dahei and Xiaohei.

Xiao Hei was cleaning the stains on his trouser legs as he walked, his expression even more gloomy than his name.

The three of them came to a bustling market. Although it was bustling all around, the matter of "robbing manure" was still confusing.

The First Emperor had no time to care about anything else and was only interested in finding the answer.

An old farmer happened to pass by in a hurry, and the First Emperor hurriedly stopped him to ask what was going on. However, the old farmer was in a hurry to grab the newly produced farm manure, and seemed quite unhappy.

Dahei wanted to scold him when he saw this, but was stopped by the First Emperor. He told him that he had to keep a low profile on this incognito visit.

The First Emperor took out a copper coin and handed it to the old farmer, promising that if he could take half a quarter of an hour to answer the question, the copper coin would be used as compensation.

The old farmer then showed a satisfied smile and slowed down his pace slightly.

The First Emperor asked, "My dear father, I heard that our Great Qin is suffering from famine. Why do these people not look like they are starving? Instead, they are rushing to collect feces. What are they doing?"

The old man looked at them all dressed up and asked in surprise, "You look so well dressed. Have you lived in a big house for so long that you don't even know this?"

The First Emperor coughed lightly and explained, "In fact, we have been visiting relatives in the mountains for the past two months. We just returned to Xianyang and found that things outside have changed a lot, so I would like to ask for your advice."

After hearing this, the father-in-law nodded in understanding: "Oh, I see, that's why. No wonder, this really happened in the past two months."

"Since you have returned to Xianyang, you are considered a part of the capital of the Great Qin. Then I will explain the whole story to you."

The old man suddenly asked: "Have you ever heard of the Thirteenth Prince of my Great Qin?"

The First Emperor nodded slightly and replied jokingly, "Of course I know. Isn't that the playboy who idles around in the brothels in Xianyang all day? His reputation is well known to everyone."

However, the old farmer's face darkened when he heard this. He retorted with dissatisfaction: "Oh, you are wrong! Those folk sayings about the Thirteenth Young Master are all misunderstandings."

"The Thirteenth Young Master is not so bad. He is a very elegant, talented and handsome man."

"It is said that a great scholar once asserted that even compared with our great Qin Shi Huang, he was no less talented in the study of the classics!" "He was even more caring for us ordinary people."

As the old farmer spoke, he raised his finger to the sky mysteriously, alluding to the highly praised Thirteenth Young Master.

When the First Emperor heard this, a cold light flashed across his eyes, and he squeezed out a voice from between his teeth: "Oh? Which great scholar dared to evaluate my son in this way, and said that he can be as talented as me?"

The old farmer answered honestly: "They all say that Shangqing Meng Yi said it, but I can't tell whether it's true or not."

There was a flash of murderous intent in the First Emperor's heart. Meng Yi, oh Meng Yi, I was very kind to you when I was alive. Now that I'm dead, you start to plot a relationship between me and that playboy?
On the other hand, the old farmer did not notice the change in Qin Shi Huang's mood and continued to talk about the deeds of the Thirteenth Prince.

"Speaking of the Thirteenth Young Master, I can't finish talking about him even in three days and three nights."

"I don't have time to talk about it today. If you're interested, come to my house some other day with some wine and we can talk."

"Today we are only talking about this farmyard manure. It is a great invention of the Thirteenth Young Master. It can help crops grow vigorously!"

The old farmer patted his chest and assured: "You city people may not understand, but if this farm manure is mixed into the fields, it will definitely increase grain production by more than 20%!"

When Dahei heard this, he immediately became suspicious and interrupted the old farmer: "Hey, brother, you are talking so mysteriously. My master has only been in Xianyang for two months. How can anyone prove that farmyard manure can really increase production by more than 20%?"

When the old farmer heard someone questioning him, his hot temper as a northerner was instantly ignited.

"What?!"

"If I can prove it, I can prove it! What do you people who live in big houses know about farming?"

"During the past two months, the Thirteenth Young Master sent people to verify the first batch of seeds. He said that this farmyard manure is effective. Thousands of soldiers have witnessed it with their own eyes and confirmed that it is effective!"

"My kid is a cook in the military camp. He accidentally let this out when he was drinking with his fellow villagers a few days ago. Could it be fake?"

"If I didn't think you were farmers trying to steal my business, I wouldn't tell you this secret so easily!"

The old farmer got anxious and spoke in his hometown dialect, spitting all over Dahei's face.

Lao Hei was about to argue with him again and continue the argument, but he saw the First Emperor raised his hand slightly, signaling him to pause.

The First Emperor asked again: "Father, I want to ask you one more thing. Even if farm manure is inexhaustible, why are the people fighting to grab it now?"

The old farmer glanced at the emperor and replied with disdain: "That's the point. You don't know it."

“Although this is a lot of fertilizer, there is more barren land outside.”

"Now the Thirteenth Young Master has issued an order that every household can go outside the city to cultivate land on their own. Apart from paying a small amount of tax, the rest of the crops they grow will belong to them."

"But there's not even grass growing in the wilderness, so how can crops grow?"

"But with this farmyard manure, even if there is no grass growing on the land, as long as a layer is spread, the crops will take root and grow. In this way, which one do you think is more land or fertilizer?"

The First Emperor nodded slightly, and a mystery in his heart was solved, but new questions came to his mind, so he asked again: "Father, even so, I still don't understand."

“There is a lot of wasteland here, but what good would it do even if we reclaimed it all?”

"Without suitable seeds for planting, millet and chestnuts won't grow well just by having fertilizer."

"What should we plant on all this newly reclaimed land?"

(End of this chapter)