At the entrance of the potato restaurant.
Wang Dehai led a large group of palace attendants over in an imposing procession.
“Where are Qiao Da and Qiao Er? Receive the imperial decree!”
The two brothers, who were busy in the kitchen, quickly wiped their hands and rushed out.
Seeing such a grand display, they immediately knelt.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Qiao Da and Qiao Er have diligently cultivated high-yield crops and benefited the people. Their contributions are invaluable!”
“Thus, a new Agricultural Affairs Bureau is hereby established. Qiao Da is appointed Director (sixth rank, upper grade); Qiao Er is appointed Deputy Director (sixth rank, lower grade)!”
“From this day forth, you shall be responsible for the promotion and cultivation of high-yield crops. You are granted one thousand taels of silver and one hundred mu of fertile land!”
Qiao Da and Qiao Er’s minds went completely blank.
They… had become officials?
From ordinary commoners to sixth-rank court officials in a single leap?
“Why are you still not receiving the decree?” Wang Dehai reminded them with a smile.
Only then did the two snap back to their senses.
“We accept the decree! We thank Your Majesty for his great grace!”
Qiao Da’s voice was steady, but Qiao Er couldn’t hide his excitement—his eyes were already red.
“We brothers will do our utmost and never fail His Majesty’s trust!”
The surrounding customers and onlookers all stood up at once.
“They’ve become officials!”
“Sixth-rank imperial officials! Real court appointments!”
An old farmer, overwhelmed with excitement, even slapped himself.
“Selling potatoes can get you promoted to official rank—farmers like us finally have a future!”
Young scholars whispered among themselves.
“Every trade can produce its own master. The ancients truly did not deceive us!”
The staff of the potato restaurant cheered wildly, proud of their bosses.
The Qiao brothers held the imperial decree tightly, their hands trembling.
They turned toward the back hall, in the direction of Feng Zexuan.
She was leaning against the doorframe, watching them with a faint smile.
The two of them bowed deeply again, eyes reddened.
“Thank you, Prince, for recognizing our worth!”
“We brothers will never fail this trust in this lifetime!”
【System: These two kids are solid. They know gratitude!】
【Host, this move of yours is textbook win-win-win operation!】
【Potatoes are promoted, the brothers get official posts, and the Emperor gets a great reputation—tch, I almost want to applaud you!】
【Heh heh, this is called leveraging all sides—everyone benefits.】
【And look at the people’s reaction—this is public approval!】
Feng Zexuan nodded in satisfaction.
The first stage of the potato promotion plan was perfectly completed.
Next, it would depend on how the Agricultural Affairs Bureau performed.
As for her, she could go back and take a lazy nap.
【System, today’s KPI must be off the charts, right?】
【Host, it’s not just off the charts—it’s blown the meter apart!】
The news that the Emperor personally went to the fields to dig potatoes spread through the capital like it had grown wings.
Tea houses along Vermilion Bird Street were packed with people listening to storytelling.
The storyteller struck the gavel.
“On that day, His Majesty personally went to the experimental fields of the Ministry of Agriculture—”
“He struck down with a hoe… guess what happened next?”
He lowered his voice.
“Golden light burst from the earth!”
“That was the sign of dragon qi responding—the descent of divine grain!”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Public enthusiasm for potatoes had escalated from “delicious food” to almost “sacred reverence.”
Outside the potato restaurant, queues grew even longer.
People stood there with devout expressions, as if they were buying not food—but blessings.
This agricultural craze reached its peak inside the imperial palace.
Emperor Xiao Juechen personally ordered a large patch of the Imperial Garden to be converted into farmland.
Every day after court, the first thing he did was change into short work clothes and carry a hoe to loosen soil and water his potatoes.
He enjoyed it immensely.
Not only that, he decreed that every concubine in the harem must “claim” a plot of land.
Beautifully framed as: “Experiencing the joy of farming and appreciating imperial grace.”
In an instant, the harem’s atmosphere completely changed.
The concubines no longer competed in jewelry or dresses—they gathered daily to inspect their vegetable plots.
“My plant looks like it will produce a ‘Potato King’!”
The Empress, now heavily pregnant, proudly pointed at her plot.
Consort Liang snorted.
“The eunuchs from the Fertilizer Bureau said my soil is the best!”
“That’s not necessarily true!”
“Just wait and see!”
The once fiercely competitive harem had fully switched into “farming mode.”
This trend quickly spread to noble households across the capital.
Madams and young ladies uprooted their prized flowers and planted potatoes instead.
Their new greeting became:
“Has your potato sprouted yet?”
“Of course! It’s already the height of a finger!”
“Oh no, mine still hasn’t moved at all—I’m so anxious!”
Feng Zexuan struck while the iron was hot and opened a shop beside the potato restaurant called “World Grain Seeds.”
She displayed high-yield crop seeds such as sweet potatoes, corn, and chili peppers—exchanged from the system—on neatly arranged shelves.
After Qiao Da and Qiao Er were promoted, they were overwhelmed with work.
Countless people came daily seeking planting advice.
Remembering Feng Zexuan’s earlier instructions, they immediately sent word back to Yanmen Pass, calling all the “little followers” who had once eaten gossip with her.
Soon, a grand “Great Xia Agricultural Technology Pioneer Team” was formed.
An agricultural revolution officially began.
While the entire Great Xia empire was immersed in the joy of farming—
Something happened in the Second Prince’s mansion.
Evening, Zhenbei Prince’s residence.
Feng Zexuan had just returned from court, changed into casual clothes, and was lying on a bamboo chair eating chilled watermelon.
Suddenly, the system screen popped up.
【Host! Watch the livestream! There’s a big melon at the Second Prince’s mansion!】
【I’m eating watermelon right now, and you’re giving me another melon?】
【This one’s bigger than the one in your hand!】
Intrigued, she opened the livestream.
In the image, at the back wall of the Second Prince’s mansion.
Two ragged, beggar-like figures were sneaking toward a dog hole.
Leading them was an old man with a messy beard, but sharp and ruthless eyes.
He grabbed a chubby little boy and tried to shove him through the hole.
“Ah Bao, crawl in!”
“There’s meat inside—and your heartless father too!”
The old man was none other than the Old Khan.
He was now utterly down and out—ragged clothes, yet still carrying a strange arrogance.
Beside him crouched a pale, exhausted woman—Consort.
Her expression was conflicted, wanting to go in but also fearful.
【System, has this old man gone crazy?】
【Bringing his wife and child to crawl through a dog hole to find A’gu’la?】
【Host, there’s insider info!】
The system sounded excited.
【Bashi has been tormented by those women inside the mansion and realized he can’t take A’gu’la back alone.】
【So he tipped off the Old Khan and Consort, telling them that the “Second Prince” in the mansion is actually A’gu’la in disguise!】
【And that Ulan, whom they’ve been longing for, is also there!】
Feng Zexuan’s eyes lit up.
【Good grief. So this is… if I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it?】
【No. He’s trying to drag in wolves to stir the water—so he can fish in troubled waters.】
【Impressive. Really impressive.】
With a “swoosh,” Ah Bao successfully squeezed through the dog hole.
Then the Old Khan took a deep breath, stuck his backside up, and forcibly squeezed his old bones through as well.
The Consort hesitated for a moment… then followed.
Inside the Second Prince’s hall.
A’gu’la was surrounded by Bashi and a group of concubines.
He was holding a bowl of pitch-black, foul-smelling bull-whip soup.
His face had turned green.
“Husband, drink it quickly.”
The third concubine of Minister Wang slammed the table, full of authority.
“Tonight, it’s my courtyard’s turn.”
“No… I don’t…”
A’gu’la’s voice trembled.
“SECOND SON!!!”
A piercing cry suddenly came from outside.
The bowl in A’gu’la’s hands slipped and shattered on the floor.
The Old Khan, covered in mud and grass, rushed in holding Ah Bao.
He charged straight at A’gu’la and hugged his leg.
Bursting into tears.
“Second son!”
“Father finally found you!”
“This Great Xia’s dog hole is too small—I almost broke my old waist squeezing through it!”
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