The Peach Blossoms White by the Village Edge

Chapter 117: Epilogue

The case of the King of Yan had not yet died down when the Emperor fell gravely ill, causing widespread panic within the court. The Crown Prince stayed by the Emperor's side day and night, hoping that the Emperor could pull through.

However, in early May, shortly after the Dragon Boat Festival, the Emperor passed away. With the support of the Empress and other high-ranking officials, the Crown Prince ascended to the throne at the Emperor's funeral and subsequently granted a general amnesty.

The court was still in disarray immediately after the Emperor's death. Fortunately, the Crown Prince had been acting as regent for some time, so he was not completely unfamiliar with the affairs of state and was able to manage them without being entirely overwhelmed.

Once the court's situation stabilized, the new Emperor, following custom, began bestowing titles and rewards upon his close aides and prominent officials.

May was the harvest season for new wheat. When Zhao Changxia had entered the capital last year, the wheat planting season had already passed, so she hadn't had time to use the seeds bought from the mobile agricultural market. In September of the previous year, taking advantage of various sales, she had stockpiled a large amount of conventional wheat seeds and planted over five hundred acres.

Before the harvest in May, the farmers managing the fields had come to believe Zhao Changxia's grand claim of "increased production by several times," because they were very familiar with the growth of the wheat.

As May progressed, the wheat gradually matured. The farmers harvested the five hundred or so acres of wheat in batches. After a final tally, they were astonished to find that the yield was indeed as Zhao Changxia had claimed: sevenfold! This yield was not just three or four times but seven times the usual amount!

What did a sevenfold increase mean?

A threefold increase was already enough for a family of five to live comfortably, and a fourfold increase would give them a slight surplus. Sevenfold was enough to elevate a poor family to a well-off status!

This data was reported up the chain, startling the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Agriculture, and then the Prime Ministers, eventually reaching the new Emperor. Almost everyone came personally to the Agricultural Bureau to verify the accuracy of the figures.

The Imperial Guards examined every bag of grain and found that it was indeed new wheat and not substituted with outside grains. Thus, it was confirmed that Zhao Changxia had genuinely achieved high-yield wheat!

This caused a flurry of congratulatory remarks, with people claiming that the new Emperor's reign was blessed with abundant crops and prosperous people, a sign of divine favor and the new Emperor being the Son of Heaven.

However, the new Emperor was well aware of Zhao Changxia's contribution. Therefore, while rewarding his close aides, he also promoted Zhao Changxia.

Since Zhao Changxia had no official background, her career progress was somewhat limited. Thus, the new Emperor granted her the status of a Jinshi (a degree holder) and promoted her to a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for the affairs of the Left Department.

In just two years since Zhao Changxia was granted official rank, she had risen from a ninth-grade position to a mid-level official, advancing faster than most officials who had passed the imperial examinations. This naturally aroused some jealousy.

Despite the jealousy, everyone recognized Zhao Changxia's immense contribution. Even if she were promoted four ranks, the Prime Ministers would not have any objections.