Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

After teasing and tugging at both of his apprentices, Qin Ji was very satisfied and maintained a good mood until he returned to the palace.

The next day, Shang Jingming was packed up and dumped at the doorstep of a retired old general.

Qin Ji, along with Bian Yushu and the newly modified curved plow, went to Jitian in the suburbs of the capital.

Accompanying him were the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of Works, and several officials related to agriculture.

It was the same Temple of Agriculture as yesterday, but there was no grand ceremony today.

But for Bian Yushu, it was even more nerve-wracking than yesterday.

He had never been stared at so intently and scrutinizingly by His Majesty and so many high-ranking officials before.

Although he had already taken the new curved plow to the fields outside the capital for farmers to try out after modifying it in the workshop yesterday afternoon, he still couldn't help feeling nervous when it came to demonstrating it in front of His Majesty and his ministers.

He looked at His Majesty somewhat flusteredly, took a deep breath under His Majesty's encouraging gaze, suppressed his excitement and nervousness, walked to the improved curved plow, and pointed to the tenon and pin added to the top of the plow's arrow, saying: "Your Majesty, gentlemen, please look, these three holes correspond to three different plowing depths."

When deep tillage is required, push the tenon to the bottom hole and insert the pin into the round hole to fix it; when shallow tillage is required, push it to the top hole to fix it.

In this way, farmers holding the plow no longer need to rely on brute force to press down or lift up; they can simply adjust the position of the latch according to their needs to control the depth of plowing, saving a lot of effort.

As he spoke, he asked an elderly farmer who had been arranged to demonstrate.

The old farmer cracked his whip, urging the ox forward. The plowshare entered the soil, carving a furrow of moderate depth in the arable field.

After plowing through the furrow, Bian Yushu demonstrated how to adjust the position of the tenon in front of everyone.

When the old farmer plowed the field again, sure enough, the soil was turned over to a deeper and more even depth. It was no longer uneven or pitted because the person plowing the field had to control the depth.

Those present were all important officials who knew that agriculture was the foundation of the country, and they understood what this meant, so they all went closer to take a look.

They not only asked Bian Yushu some related questions from time to time, but some even couldn't resist trying it out themselves.

The Minister of Works examined the tenons and pins closely, stroking his beard as he said, "Without altering the main structure, the problem of controlling the depth has been solved simply by adding a basic structure. It is truly ingenious."

The Minister of Revenue asked the old farmer in a gentle voice, "Old man, how does this modified plow feel compared to the old one?"

The old farmer was a little hesitant. "Replying to you, sir, there's no need to press down so hard, it works perfectly!"

An agricultural official squatted down to examine the furrows that had been plowed. "What I see now is that the furrows are indeed of uniform depth, but I don't know how effective they will be on different types of soil."

Qin Ji cleared his throat, walked to Bian Yushu's side, and looked at the assembled officials: "What do you all think?"

The Minister of Revenue replied, "The changes are minor; only a simple structural element has been added, and the cost will not increase significantly."

The Minister of Works immediately said, "It has a simple structure and uses ordinary materials, so it is not difficult to imitate and can be widely promoted."

Qin Ji pondered, "It is already the third day of the second month, and spring plowing is imminent. If we hastily promote it, and there are undiscovered drawbacks, it will only waste manpower and resources and delay the farming season."

"Zhou Aiqing".

An agricultural official quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty."

"Select a few farms in the suburbs of Beijing for a small-scale trial. You can decide where to choose, whether it's a hillside or newly reclaimed wasteland. But remember one thing: do not disturb the people or forcibly requisition land. If anything unpleasant happens, I will hold you responsible."

"yes!"

The Minister of Works volunteered, saying, "I will cooperate with Lord Zhou to arrange for the production of the first batch of the new curved plow as soon as possible for use in the trial fields."

In addition, detailed drawings and production processes will be created, and if the results are satisfactory this year, they will be distributed to the state governments that will pilot the program next year.

Qin Ji nodded slightly. "Have Bian Yushu cooperate with you."

The Minister of Revenue added, "If the new curved-shaft plow proves to be effective after the autumn harvest, we can discuss its trial implementation in major grain-producing provinces next spring. The Ministry of Revenue can allocate funds for its promotion."

Qin Ji glanced at him. "Aren't you going to complain about being poor to me?"

The Minister of Revenue stroked his beard somewhat awkwardly. "I can still distinguish between what is important and what is urgent."

The purpose of allocating a small amount of money today to promote the curved plow is naturally to increase grain production and harvest more grain in the future.

This is about making money from money; only a fool would complain about being poor.

"Alright, you can discuss the specifics yourselves. I only have two requests."

First, ensure that my people have enough to eat.

Second, we must not oppress the people; implementation must be cautious, pragmatic, and tailored to local conditions, and we must not be impatient for quick results.

The ministers all exclaimed in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Bian Yushu: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Bian Yushu's eyes widened with admiration as he watched His Majesty issue decrees one by one.

He shouldn't have stood out when he joined the ministers in praising the emperor, but his excited voice, flushed face, and earnest expression made him stand out.

Noticing that everyone's gaze had shifted to his face, Bian Yushu blushed even more, so embarrassed that he wished he could disappear into the ground.

The Minister of Works patted Bian Yushu on the back with a smile and exclaimed, "Bian Hongzhen has raised a fine son!"

Qin Ji snorted inwardly.

Bian Hongzhen thus raised a spoiled brat.

That's because I, as the teacher, taught well.

...

On the fifth day of the second lunar month, it was time for the "reading companionship" break.

Qin Ji received a dinner invitation from his senior brother, Shen Jiangliu.

Congratulations to Shen Jiangliulian on his promotion of three ranks.

...

Second update delivered! Goal achieved! Double update tomorrow!