Chapter 1088: Mulberry Ceremony
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Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The surrounding commoners were all used to farming, so they couldn’t help but discuss this matter.
“The emperor is really good at plowing. He’s really not inferior to us old farmers who are used to farming.”
“Isn’t that so? It’s obvious at a glance that he has a style.”
“I heard that when the emperor was guarding the North, he often explored and planted food with the soldiers because of the difficulties in the army.”
The emperor was good at plowing, but some of the court officials panicked. Under the gazes of the commoners, they went down to farm.
“They have no skill. They can’t even hold the plow tightly.”
“Such good land is being ruined. It’s as if they’re doing the dog paddle. The land is not as dense as the land farmed by the emperor.”
“What a mess. If the land is thin, it’ll be poor. It won’t retain fat or water. Even if the seeds are inserted, they won’t live. Even if they can barely live, they definitely won’t grow well. There won’t be any harvest…”
“…”
The censor of the Imperial Court took a booklet and personally asked the nearby commoners for guidance. He also recorded the officials’ performance in the fields.
It was as if a demon mirror was pointed at all of them. Thus, they were unable to hide on the spot.
The officials were not farming as well as the emperor. It was enough to leave a strong and colorful mark in the history books.
Yu Youyao was also wearing rough hemp clothes. She wrapped her hair in a headscarf and carried a basket. She followed behind Yin Huaixi and cleared the weeds in the plowed ground.
Weeds had tenacious vitality and couldn’t fertilize. If they stayed in the fields, they would compete for the nutrition of the crops.
Since the empress had personally gone to work, these well-dressed married women could no longer sit still and quickly followed her to the ground.
“You don’t even know how to shake the soil on the roots when picking weeds. If you do it like this, won’t the soil in the soil become thinner?”
“What are you stepping on? The freshly turned ground is flat.”
“Such a big weed is by your hand. All of you, open your eyes. It’s obvious that there’s nothing in your eyes…”
“Don’t ruin it…”
The commoners around them were filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could rush into the field and teach them what to do.
There was a strange comical feeling to the scene.
In late February, the temperature rose with the sun. Before five o’clock, there was news from the field that someone had fainted from the sun. The accompanying imperial physicians quickly carried them away.
When the commoners saw this, they couldn’t help but complain, “Pfft, the emperor plowed for a long time without even panting. Are all of them more precious than the emperor?”
Yin Huaixi simply worked until noon.
The court officials could only grit their teeth and follow suit. Even if the emperor finished plowing, they couldn’t leave immediately. They had to plow for another half an hour before they could leave.
At noon, the emperor gathered all the officials and had a simple meal together. The coa.r.s.e cake was mixed with tall beams and wheat bran. There was no oil on the plate of vegetables.
The ministers had never suffered like this before. All of them had worked all morning and were tired and hot. They already had no appet.i.te to begin with, so how could they eat something that was difficult to swallow?
However, not only did the Empress’s expression not change as she ate, but she also remembered bitterness and sweetness. “Sixty percent of the food in the army is made of mixed grains, while the remaining 40% is made of bran. When they’re roasted in the furnace, they’re hars and piercing to the throat. What we’re eating only has two portions of bran. There’s also enough oil. It tastes good.”
Did that mean that they were complaining that they had eaten too well?
The ministers quickly stuffed the cake into their mouths, not daring to show how bad it tasted.
Yu Youyao chuckled. “Although the coa.r.s.e grain doesn’t taste good, it’s good for digestion and the stomach. It’s most suitable for sc.r.a.ping the intestinal oil after eating fish and meat.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Yin Huaixi’s gaze swept across the ministers below.
The ministers were shocked. They lowered their heads and ate the coa.r.s.e grain cake crazily. The fatter ones were still holding their breaths and quickly retracted their fat stomachs so that they wouldn’t look as big as before. Although this wasn’t useful, it was their strong desire to live.
Yin Huaixi chuckled playfully. “Ever since I ascended the throne, I’ve been eating a bowl of coa.r.s.e grain porridge every day. All the ministers are trusted ministers of the court. Usually, when you’re busy with the country, you have to pay more attention to your health. How can you always eat fish and meat? Why don’t we do this? From now on, in the morning court every day, why don’t you eat coa.r.s.e grain with me to nourish your health?”
He had always had the habit of eating coa.r.s.e grain porridge in the morning. Yu Youyao said that it could accelerate the digestion in the intestines and increase the power of the stomach, making the intestines smoother. This prevented him from acc.u.mulating fat and filled his stomach with nutrition.
How could the ministers dare to say no?!
After the emperor ascended the throne, many palace servants were sent away one after another. When the ministers saw this situation, their hearts tightened. They quickly sent away the concubines in the family and strictly bought concubines according to their ranks. They did not dare to overstep their boundaries, let alone dote on their concubines and neglect their wives.
They did not dare to be negligent when the emperor reduced the expenses of the harem. They quickly reduced the expenses of the family.
The emperor had to let them experience the hardships of the people so that they could wholeheartedly serve the people and abandon the luxurious and enjoyable style of the previous dynasty. Since the emperor was an example, they could only follow his instructions.
Not only did they have to eat rough food with the emperor in the morning court, but their family also had to eat with them.
For 15 consecutive days, Emperor Zhaoyong plowed the land every day and ate simple tea and rice.
The hundred officials were indescribably miserable. Not only did they have to work with the emperor, but they also had to do more than the emperor.
If the emperor plowed five acres of land in a day, they had to plow more than six acres that day. It didn’t matter if they couldn’t finish. They would hold lamps at night and rush to finish plowing at night. They couldn’t let the emperor plow much more than them.
Therefore, after the initial chaos, the ministers all took the Imperial Farming Ceremony seriously. Those who did not farm well quickly looked for the old farmers for guidance.
The rest were quite similar.
Yin Huaixi’s heart ached for Yu Youyao. He asked her to get off the ground for an hour every day and did not let her farm again. Yin Huaixi took over her job.
Hence, Yu Youyao gathered the mingfu and taught them how to raise silkworms, reel silk, weave cloth, print flowers, dye cloth, and so on. Even the farmers in the nearby farms came over to listen to the cla.s.s.
How could the mingfu dare to be negligent? Not only did they have to learn from the Empress during the day, but they also had to find someone proficient to learn from at home.
Fifteen days later, the Empress returned to the palace.
Ten thousand people sent her off from afar.
According to the records of the Great Zhou’s history, “On 2nd February of the second year of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Emperor Zhaoyong carried out the Imperial Farming Ceremony and personally plowed. Empress Zhaoyi followed him and carried out the Mulberry Ceremony to personally teach the people how to weave silk. The emperor and empress made a memorial and persuaded the farmers to learn. All the people fought to watch and learn. The people were happy and shared a close relationship with the rulers. From then on, the world was loyal.”
The second day after returning to the palace, Emperor Zhaoyong exempted the world from taxes for two years.
The tuntian system was issued.
Everyone was happy.
At the same time, the emperor had indeed dismissed a group of officials who had not performed well during the Imperial Farming Ceremony.
There were also some mingfu who did not perform well during the “Mulberry Ceremony”, which also implicated the men in the family and caused them to be demoted.
The emperor said, “Only by cultivating yourself and managing your family can you run a country and bring peace to the world. It’s difficult to take on a big responsibility if one can’t even cultivate their family.”
At the same time, a group of officials who performed well were promoted.
Then, an edict was issued to reopen the examination by grace in August.
All the students in the world were overjoyed and praised the new emperor’s benevolence.