Chapter 223: Meeting the Emperor

Fang Jifan’s face fell, and he spoke righteously, “Uncle, what kind of person do you think I am? I, Fang Jifan, have morals! I wouldn’t even dare think about exaggerating. A True Man acts openly, as bright as the sun and moon! Being deceptive is no different from being a beast!”

“…”

Zhang Mao paused and looked at Fang Jifan’s serious expression. He immediately felt ashamed in the face of such righteousness.

He truly was a disgrace, not even as good as a child!

After carefully studying Fang Jifan’s face, Zhang Mao suddenly felt as if he had underestimated him.

He never expected Fang Jifan to be such an honest child. That Old Fang… really knew how to raise his son. Compared to Old Fang, he was not even worth half a dog.

He sighed inwardly. There was no time for reflection now—His Majesty was waiting for a report.

So Zhang Mao wasted no time. “Thirty dan per mu, then thirty dan per mu it is. Let’s go and report back.”

After saying this, Zhang Mao warmly patted Fang Jifan on the shoulder.

…

At that moment, a court meeting was still ongoing in the Hall of Prudent Cultivation.

However, Emperor Hongzhi seemed a bit lost.

Although he found the claim of thirty dan per mu unbelievable, he still held a faint hope.

Throughout history, there had never been a crop that produced ten dan per mu, let alone thirty!

In fact, if Fang Jifan had reported ten dan, Emperor Hongzhi might have believed it. But thirty dan was simply too absurd—it sounded obviously fake the moment he heard it.

He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. If only this could be true…

But then he shook his head.

The ministers were still in heated debate. The emperor had lost focus and only snapped back to reality when he found himself staring blankly around the vast hall.

Liu Jian was presiding over the meeting. He glanced at Emperor Hongzhi, noticing his unusual silence and visible anxiety today.

In truth, he understood.

When it came to state affairs, weren’t they all about money and grain?

Disasters, rebellions—everything required grain first. Nothing in the world could escape those two things.

The idea of an Auspicious Omen producing thirty dan per mu sounded ridiculous, yet it inevitably made His Majesty hopeful. In fact, he too felt tempted.

If it were truly possible to achieve thirty dan per mu—no, even just ten dan—the world would be on its way to peace.

Unfortunately… that lad Fang Jifan had stirred everyone’s hopes, yet his so-called auspicious omen seemed entirely empty.

Just then, a eunuch hurried in and said, “Your Majesty, the Duke of Yingguo has returned…”

It was nearly evening, and the court session, which had lasted almost two hours, was drawing to an end.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Hongzhi did not immediately summon the Duke of Yingguo. Instead, he calmly said, “Have him wait a moment. I will call for him shortly.”

In truth, he intended to protect Fang Jifan.

Since he had sent the Duke of Yingguo to investigate, it was almost certain that the lad had exaggerated. If this were exposed during the court session in front of all the officials, it would cause an uproar. Many Censors were present, and once they began fighting to speak out righteously, things would spiral out of control, leaving both him and Fang Jifan in an awkward position.

Therefore, he planned to summon them privately. That way, even if the report were false, it would not attract much attention. With so many matters occurring daily in the court, the Censors likely wouldn’t bother revisiting it.

The eunuch nodded and withdrew.

But before long, commotion arose outside.

The Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Mao, and Fang Jifan had entered the Imperial Palace and were waiting outside the Hall of Prudent Cultivation. However, the eunuch informed them to wait.

Zhang Mao, being impatient by nature, grew anxious. With such joyful news, he couldn’t wait even a moment.

The palace rules were strict, and as a senior minister, Zhang Mao would normally have waited without complaint, no matter how long His Majesty demanded. But today…

He frowned and said, “No, Jifan, we must see His Majesty immediately. How can we delay such important matters? Follow me. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take the blame.”

With that, he gently pushed aside the eunuch blocking their way.

Though Zhang Mao’s push was “gentle,” the eunuch was thrown back, landing sprawled on the ground. The eunuch still called out, “You cannot… His Majesty instructed…”

Zhang Mao ignored him. Though rough, he understood the stakes. Even if he had charged into the palace with a sword today, this joyful news would surely spare his head.

Chen Huang, Manager of the Jiangxi Department in the Ministry of Revenue, was in the middle of a speech about the Grand Canal when he suddenly stopped, dumbfounded at the sight of Zhang Mao striding confidently into the hall.

As for Fang Jifan, he kept a low profile, staying behind Zhang Mao and following closely.

“…”

In the Great Ming Dynasty, aside from the Tumu Fortress Crisis when ministers fought and killed followers of Wang Zhen right in the Hall of Prudent Cultivation, no one had ever dared act so boldly.

Dozens of eyes stared in shock at Zhang Mao.

Including Emperor Hongzhi.

The emperor frowned unconsciously.

He had always held a favorable impression of the Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Mao. Though occasionally rash, Zhang Mao knew his place. A senior minister and a loyal descendant of a founding family, Zhang Mao had been entrusted with important ceremonies like offering sacrifices to heaven and ancestors. Yet today…

“Duke of Yingguo, how dare you!”

A voice rang out righteously.

It was Liu Daxia, known as one of the three Noble Persons of the Hongzhi Reign. Liu Daxia had made a name for himself by burning shipbuilding plans and Zheng He’s records to prevent the court from undertaking grand voyages to the Western Oceans. Despite being only a Director in the Ministry of War’s Bureau of Operations, he still dared to stand up and rebuke the Duke of Yingguo.

Zhang Mao didn’t even glance at him, completely ignoring him. Noble Persons were a dime a dozen in the Great Ming; if they could be sold by weight, the dynasty would be rich.

A seasoned official like Zhang Mao, who had served through several reigns, might seem reckless, but he knew exactly what he was doing. He continued forward without hesitation, then bowed deeply to Emperor Hongzhi. “Your Majesty, I bring joyful news—wonderful news!”

“Wonderful news?”

Emperor Hongzhi’s heart stirred. He seemed to realize something instantly, yet still found it hard to believe. He stared at Zhang Mao. “Speak freely.”

He had no mood to deal with anything else now.

Zhang Mao declared proudly, “Your Majesty, I have investigated the matter of the Auspicious Omen. It turns out it was nothing but a lie!”

“Nothing but a lie.”

Those words immediately drew everyone’s attention to Fang Jifan.

Sure enough, it was a false claim…

Hmph, that shameless brat.

Though Fang Jifan showed no embarrassment, inwardly he cursed, “Uncle, can’t you finish your sentence in one go? Why pause like some writer?”

Fortunately, Zhang Mao quickly added, “The so-called thirty dan per mu is truly not an Auspicious Omen. However… I saw it with my own eyes and would stake my life on it—it is absolutely true. The reason I declare it is not an Auspicious Omen is that this yield isn’t a one-time fluke. In the Western Hills, fields producing thirty dan per mu are everywhere! Your Majesty, Heaven smiles upon the Great Ming. From now on, for a hundred years, our dynasty will never face famine again!”

At this point, Zhang Mao became emotional.

He had truly wasted his life compared to this lad Fang Jifan, who solved a century-long problem in one go.

Emperor Hongzhi trembled. Already standing, he felt as if struck by lightning. His legs weakened, and he collapsed into his throne.

The bustling Hall of Prudent Cultivation fell into silence.

Liu Jian widened his eyes and couldn’t help but ask, “How… how is this possible? Thirty dan per mu? Was it rice or Wheat?”

Liu Jian remained cautious, maintaining a shred of clarity.

Zhang Mao fell silent.

Once the yield of thirty dan per mu was confirmed by the Duke of Yingguo, few dared to question it.

Zhang Mao was waiting for Fang Jifan to respond.

Fang Jifan knew it was his turn to speak up. He stepped forward and said, “It’s not Wheat, and it’s not rice. It’s the sweet potato. Because its skin is red, it’s also called sweet potato.”

Instantly, the hope that had swelled in many hearts plummeted. So it wasn’t rice or Wheat…

If that were the case, what did it matter even if it yielded a hundred dan per mu?

“Is it edible?” Liu Jian pressed on.

Every question Liu Jian asked reflected the concerns of the entire court.

Fang Jifan steadied himself. “It’s delicious.”

He didn’t just answer whether it was edible—he used “delicious” to address all doubts at once.

Liu Jian raised an eyebrow. Now this was getting interesting.

But he still had many questions. “Can it relieve hunger?”

“Yes!” Fang Jifan replied firmly.

He thought of the Qing dynasty’s prosperous era, sustained largely by sweet potatoes, which helped the population grow nearly tenfold and fed countless people.

Yet many remained skeptical.

It wasn’t that they were unintelligent; no one in that hall was foolish.

But they had never seen or heard of sweet potatoes before. This “miraculous” claim was difficult to believe.

Liu Jian took a deep, excited breath and asked slowly, “How can you prove it?”

“It’s easy to prove,” Fang Jifan said, equally deliberate, under the gaze of everyone present. “I brought all the tools. One test will tell.”