Chapter 282: Chapter 282

At the same time, witnessing this scene with their own eyes and confirming the yield per mu, the assembled ministers also felt their eyes were insufficient to take it all in.

Simultaneously, they understood even more clearly in their hearts that now, regardless of whether the previous emperor had truly abdicated voluntarily or if there were other circumstances, all of that had become utterly meaningless.

In terms of wealth, in terms of influence, and now even the hearts of the people lay with the person before them!

The current emperor was truly the one upon whom public expectations converged!

The gazes of the crowd unconsciously fell upon this young emperor. They saw a person dressed in a dark blue casual robe, a long sword adorned at the waist, whose every movement inexplicably exuded an indescribable air of a distinguished scholar's grace and ease.

After a moment of silence, an elder minister stepped forward first:

"Your Majesty's profound virtue is truly our fortune, the fortune of the common people..."

"Indeed, what Minister Fu says is absolutely correct. After this campaign, Your Majesty will undoubtedly leave a name in history..."

"The people's lives will surely improve greatly from now on..."

Without surprise, this day would certainly be recorded in history. And they...

Thinking this, the official historian responsible for recording nearby wielded his brush with exceptional swiftness, regretting in his heart that his speed wasn't faster and that he couldn't record even more.

As everyone's emotions surged, it was Academician Ouyang and others who first spoke up to raise questions.

Exchanging a glance with his friend Han Qi beside him, Ouyang Xiu was the first to speak:

"Your Majesty, we subjects do not doubt Your Highness's intentions in the slightest. However, the matter of superior seeds concerns the state and the people's livelihood; it is by no means a trivial matter. If this prosperity is merely for one year, or limited to one location, what if..."

Understanding his meaning, An Ning did not take offense, but instead turned and signaled to Cao Xi nearby.

Within moments, a whole stack of booklets, a full ten or more volumes, was carried up by two young men.

"To be frank with you esteemed ministers, in reality, these superior seeds already demonstrated their exceptional qualities last year. However, sharing your concerns, Her Highness deliberately ordered us to conduct further extensive testing."

As she spoke, Cao Xi reached out, took the topmost volume from the pile, and respectfully presented it to the person before her:

"This is the experimental record of these seeds from various locations across the country last year, along with this year's harvest data from different regions..."

Looking at the dense, detailed records spanning hundreds of estates, covering dry land, paddy fields, and even mountainous terrain—essentially encompassing everything, and spread throughout our dynasty...

All were exceptionally thorough and precise.

At this moment, the ministers fell silent once again.

Apart from being astonished by the meticulous planning and substantial financial resources of this new emperor, the most crucial realization was that despite successful experiments in the capital as early as a year ago and distribution across the nation,

right up until the recent publication of the Morning Post, not a single whisper of news had leaked within or outside Bianjing.

Not to mention other aspects, this ability to control and manage people...

It must be said, she truly is a formidable person, worthy of having reached this position!

Some of the more astute individuals had already begun considering even more:

"Looking at it now, from the rise of this newspaper called the 'Morning Daily' last year, to the various governance measures recorded in the paper over the past year, and now these superior seeds—everything has been part of our Emperor's plan from the very beginning..."

The purpose was likely to ensure that, even before firmly grasping complete power, these messages and even rapid commands could be disseminated to all regions without relying solely on the imperial court.

This would minimize obstructions from interested parties within the court.

Even the earlier military unrest, the emperor's fright, and the subsequent smooth ascension to the throne—viewed now, each and every event...

"I'm afraid they were all moves on her chessboard!"

After a long while, within the modest study, an elder with a long beard, clearly past the age of fifty, could not help but sigh:

"Brother Han, our Emperor is truly far from ordinary..."

The old emperor indeed did not lose unjustly.

Across from him, Han Qi slowly placed a white piece on the board:

"His Majesty lacks neither ability nor skill in strategy, acts with steady judgment, and now brings blessings to all people, achieving merits that will be passed down for generations. Is that not a good thing?"

Previously, he had harbored some worries. Although Her Majesty was skilled, her youth might lead to somewhat radical actions. But now it seemed...

He had been mistaken.

With her presence, things previously deemed impossible might now become achievable.

Knowing his friend's lingering concerns, Han Qi looked up again and said softly to the man before him:

"No matter what, Her Majesty is the biological child of the former emperor, connected by blood. It is likely that even through this 'abdication,' she will not treat him poorly..." He ended with another light sigh:

"Brother Fu, ultimately, isn't the peace and security of the nation, the prosperity of the people, and their deliverance from hunger and cold the lifelong pursuit of scholars like us?"

After a long pause, another sigh came from the room:

"Brother Han speaks rightly..."

Similar scenes played out in quite a few other places.

It must be said that among the scholars of this time, a significant portion were insightful individuals. Even if their political views differed and their methods varied, the lofty aspiration expressed in the poem—"to shelter all the poor scholars under heaven"—was indeed genuine.

Even Sima Guang, who had always disapproved of her, a woman, participating in politics and advocated that women should primarily cultivate their virtue, sent a memorial from his distant post. It detailed a series of feasible measures for promoting the superior seeds and some problems encountered during their rollout in his jurisdiction.

The biggest issue was the insufficient supply of superior seeds, with regulations limiting each household to only enough for one mu of land per person.

For ordinary families, this was generally sufficient, but it clearly wasn't enough for major landowners and wealthy households. To prevent these individuals from targeting the poor, I specially request Your Majesty to deal severely with these 'troublemakers.'

Reading the memorial in her hand, An Ning at the imperial desk couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, then promptly wrote the vermillion endorsement: "Approved!"

The next day, she specifically convened a grand court assembly regarding this matter:

"We believe Minister Sima's suggestion is excellent. In extraordinary times, strict governance should be applied to clarify and uphold the law. What do you esteemed ministers think?"

Upon the throne, the new female emperor still wore a smiling expression.

The ministers below: "..."

Thinking of themselves, and even the vast fertile lands in the hands of their relatives and friends behind them, many inwardly cursed the one who made the suggestion to the extreme.

Just because you're poor, you can't stand others being wealthy!

Despite inwardly feeling so angry they could cough up blood, everyone maintained a smiling face and earnestly bowed towards the Emperor above:

"Your Majesty's words are absolutely correct..."