Chapter 217: A Brilliant Idea

Chapter 217: A Brilliant Idea

The only thing that spilled out of the brocade pouch and caught Fang Jifan’s attention was… a potato.

A po… potato…

A potato, also called a tuber.

It also came from the continent of America.

Probably because it didn’t resemble a precious ginseng root or look particularly impressive, the damned Hu merchant had presented the sweet potato first, holding back this treasure.

So, what was the difference between sweet potatoes and potatoes?

The biggest difference was that potatoes were more suitable as a staple food.

Of course, that wasn’t the most frustrating part. The worst thing was… heck, sweet potatoes were more suited for growing in the south, while potatoes preferred colder climates.

In other words, to cultivate sweet potatoes, Fang Jifan had gone to great lengths. For instance, sweet potatoes could be harvested twice a year in the south, but only once in the north due to cooler temperatures. To compensate, he hadn’t hesitated to instruct Zhang Xin to dig flues, using them to warm the ground.

Fang Jifan had poured a small fortune into maintaining the yield of those sweet potatoes.

Potatoes, thankfully, didn’t have this problem… because they were naturally suited for colder regions. In his previous life, sweet potatoes were common in the south, while potatoes thrived mainly in the Northeast, Inner Mongolia, and Shanxi.

If… if that Hu merchant had given him potatoes first, why would Fang Jifan have wasted so much effort cultivating sweet potatoes? Those sweet potatoes could have simply been shipped south to be slowly cultivated, improved, and eventually promoted.

He could have just… grown potatoes here all along.

Huff…

“Has that Hu merchant left yet?” Fang Jifan frowned, looking up at Wang Jinyuan.

Wang Jinyuan blinked, confused. “Hmm? He should have left by now… Young Lord… You…”

A fierce scowl instantly twisted Fang Jifan’s face. He gritted his teeth. “Don’t let me see him again. Next time I do, I’ll chop him up and feed him to the dogs!”

The air became heavy.

Fang Jifan let out another long sigh. Then, with extreme care, he picked up the potato and handed it to Wang Jinyuan. “Give this to Zhang Xin. Tell him it’s not the end of the world just because his wife ran off. He needs to turn his grief into strength. Tell him to cultivate this for me. It’s a cold-resistant crop, so take very good care of it.”

Seeing Fang Jifan’s serious expression, Wang Jinyuan quickly bowed his head. He also carefully took the potato, then scurried away like a puff of smoke.

After Wang Jinyuan left, Fang Jifan sat down to collect his thoughts. Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing after all. The sweet potatoes would eventually need to be transplanted south. Come next spring, if things went well, the potatoes should also be mostly cultivated and ready for wider planting.

As for the current sweet potato crop, planting had started a while back, and they were nearing harvest time now. This year, at least, he could reap one good harvest, demonstrating their value.

Fine. For now, this would have to do.

Leaving his disciples behind at Western Hills Academy, Fang Jifan headed back into the city. Yes, he was that kind of hands-off overseer. That was simply how he operated.

Fang Jifan was gradually delegating the education matters to his disciples, the mining and business affairs to Wang Jinyuan, and all planting matters entirely to Zhang Xin.

Even the precious potato was entrusted to Zhang Xin without hesitation. This was because Zhang Xin had accumulated vast agricultural experience. Compared to him, Fang Jifan was practically an amateur. Who else could he have given it to?

He arrived back at the manor just around noon. Deng Jian, seeing the young master return, immediately rushed over eagerly. “Young Lord! Young Lord! The Earl sent a letter back!”

Finally, word.

Fang Jifan nearly burst into tears. Although he hadn’t spent that much time with this father, he had genuinely felt deep paternal affection from Fang Jinglong!

Counting the days, this time he’d been gone for several months already. For the ancients, goodbyes were lengthy affairs with mountains and rivers in between. Going months without news was common, inevitably deepening the heartache of separation.

Fang Jifan had truly come to regard Fang Jinglong as his real father in his heart. Hearing there was news, he quickly seized the letter and went straight into his study.

“Haha… He’s arrived in Guiyang, started taking command of the Mountain Brigade… Uh? He doesn’t get along with the Guizhou Provincial Governor?”

Fang Jifan wasn’t overly worried. His father had gone there to take up the post of Guizhou Regional Commander, a military position subordinate to the Provincial Governor. The Great Ming emphasized civilian officials overseeing military ones. Rank-wise, the Regional Commander might not have been lower than the Governor, but military matters were oddly decided by the Governor.

Relations between a Provincial Governor and a Regional Commander were bound to be tense, as the Governor’s role included overseeing the military.

Though the letter contained minor complaints, most were inquiries about Fang Jifan’s well-being. A warm feeling spread through Fang Jifan’s chest. Beaming, he said to Deng Jian, “Go call Xiang’er. Tell her to grind ink for me. I need to write a reply.”

Deng Jian, however, looked at Fang Jifan with a sorrowful expression. “Young Lord, actually… your humble servant can grind ink too.”

Fang Jifan shuddered internally. That look on Deng Jian’s face… wasn’t it a bit strange? Could it be…?

He pondered the implications, then felt a wave of revulsion. Immediately baring his teeth, Fang Jifan snapped, “Go call Xiang’er right now!”

“Oh.” Under Fang Jifan’s fierce glare, Deng Jian had no choice but to obey.

Xiaoxiangxiang arrived. Hearing the young master had specifically requested her for ink grinding, her pretty cheeks flushed pink. She had filled out slightly in recent days, and with her blushing face, she presented a rather distracting picture.

“Come, sit on your young master’s lap and grind the ink for me,” Fang Jifan said, quite accustomed to this kind of teasing.

“Young Lord… we shouldn’t.” Xiaoxiangxiang shook her head, keeping it bowed as she stared at the tips of her shoes. She dared not actually sit on Fang Jifan’s lap. Instead, she stood beside the desk and quietly began her task.

Actually, Fang Jifan had only said it out of habit. He truly behaved properly. Watching Xiang’er prepare the ink until it was nearly done, he gathered his thoughts. He dipped his brush into the ink, paused to think carefully, then began writing.

Mostly, he wrote that all was well at home.

Then, an idea struck him. Hesitation crossed Fang Jifan’s face.

This mission had his father taking command as Regional Commander, to both manage the Mountain Brigade and suppress the rebels.

The Mi Lu rebellion, historically, lasted three years, causing immense headaches for the imperial court. So far now… it seemed similar. They had lost one Provincial Governor already, and another was facing difficulties. Although news of a victory had come, as long as Mi Lu herself remained alive, these rebellious chieftains would persist like a nightmare, continuing to plague the court.

Historically speaking, the main reason this rebellion dragged on for so long was precisely Mi Lu herself.

Usually, rebellions involved rebels rising up, with the imperial forces moving to crush them. If the imperial forces lost, they would send more troops until the rebellion ended.

The complexity of Mi Lu’s rebellion lay in Mi Lu herself – she was extremely cunning. She never appeared on the battlefield. The imperial troops slogged through treacherous mountain terrain, locked in a deadly back-and-forth struggle with the rebels. Even after winning a few battles, native rebels kept streaming in!

As long as Mi Lu remained uncaptured, this rebellion would not end!

Fang Jifan couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect for this woman named Mi Lu. Heaven only knew what persuasive skills she possessed to drive so many natives to fight for her.

But then…

Fang Jifan narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the still-damp letter. He remembered a historical detail. The reason Mi Lu was never found was that she constantly moved, keeping her forces hidden in a place called Stone Stream Stronghold. This place had rugged, hard-to-trek mountain paths. Crucially, it wasn’t a strategically vital location, sitting behind the active front lines. The court had consistently overlooked it.

What if… Father led the Mountain Brigade in a surprise attack on this very place?

If they managed to capture Mi Lu’s center army, then… the entire rebellion would collapse.

Perhaps he should give his father a heads-up. As for the rest… it wasn’t his concern anymore.

Thinking it over, Fang Jifan picked up his brush and mentioned Stone Stream Stronghold. Of course, to mask his seeming ‘brilliant foresight’, he needed a plausible reason. His justification was simple: Mi Lu was cunning. After Fang Jifan had studied the military maps of the rebellion zone, he concluded that such a sly player would find a remote hiding place. Stone Stream Stronghold was easily defensible yet offered nothing worth fighting over conventionally. Ten to one, she was hiding deep within it. He urged his father to watch for an opportunity to strike.

Finishing the letter felt like accomplishing a major task. He rotated his wrist, immediately ordered the letter sent off, and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

…

Meanwhile, in the Warm Pavilion

Since recovering from his illness and regaining his energy, Emperor Hongzhi had thrown himself into state affairs with even greater diligence.

Early that morning, he attended a Court Conference, then summoned the three Imperial Scholars: Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and Li Dongyang!

Two crucial matters needed discussion today. The first concerned the grain tax transport from Jiangnan. Harsh winter weather was approaching, threatening to freeze the Grand Canal. It was essential to get Jiangnan’s grain tax transported swiftly into the capital. Moreover, with continuous disasters striking the Northern Region, grain shortages were already emerging. If the southern grain didn’t arrive on schedule, the imperial court would surely find itself in deep trouble.

The second issue was the ongoing Mi Lu rebellion. A major victory had been reported recently, but with the year Hongzhi 13th drawing to a close, if the conflict wasn’t resolved this year, no one knew how much longer it would drag on.

These two problems were like twin thorns in the court’s side, causing Emperor Hongzhi considerable distress.

Though he was the Emperor, ruler of this vast land, many matters were beyond the power of a single sovereign to solve at will! Take the urgent matter of moving the grain tax to the capital. It involved a monumental undertaking; a problem at any step of the process could lead to unforeseeable consequences.

In the midst of this, it was Scholar Xie Qian who brought up a different matter: “Your Majesty, this humble minister has heard some troubling rumors. I beg Your Majesty’s discernment…”

“Speak freely, Minister.” Emperor Hongzhi offered a gentle smile.

Anyone observing carefully might note Xie Qian’s somewhat peculiar expression. He continued: “The first is… it involves His Highness the Crown Prince and Fang Jifan. They seem to have established some kind of academy. The Crown Prince has even… become the head of this academy. Naturally, this has sparked quite a few discussions.”

“…”

The smile vanished from the Emperor’s lips. His face instantly darkened. He even unconsciously gritted his teeth: “That rebellious son! I knew it! He refuses to settle down. Clearly, I have been too lenient! See? Mere days pass, and he starts causing trouble! And he’s dragging Fang Jifan along. Doesn’t Fang Jifan have official duties? Must he squander his time leaping about whimsically with this troublesome son?!”