Top-notch Little Horseman

Cao Bucun leaned back in his chair, staring intently at Ye Chen. He found it hard to believe that these words came from the mouth of a horse herder.

"From what you're saying, you mean you want food?"

Ye Chen cupped his hands to Cao Bucun and said, "What I mainly want is land near Huangchen Pass, and a small village called Chenjia Village. Ideally, any village near Huangchen Pass could be given to me; I plan to farm there!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Baiquan frowned, feeling secretly anxious.

Having finally achieved such great merit, Ye Chen doesn't want to get promoted and make a fortune, but actually wants to go back to farming.

But here, he couldn't vent his anger, so he could only lower his head in frustration.

Upon hearing this, Cao Bucun paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!……"

This wasn't a polite laugh; it was a hearty, cheerful laugh.

"You're skilled at herding horses, and you're also good at farming?"

Ye Chen chuckled softly and said, "I know a little, I know a little..."

"How do you know a little about the law?" Cao Bucun asked, raising his eyes slightly.

"I read a book that said there's a food called potato overseas, and another food called sweet potato. This food can yield 5,000 catties per mu..." Ye Chen thought for a moment and said.

"What did you say? Five thousand catties!"

Cao Bucun looked at Ye Chen with disbelief and immense excitement.

Yunheqiao was also incredulous. The highest yield in the Great Qin, even in the south, was only 500 catties per mu, but Ye Chen was talking about 5,000 catties!

God!

It increased tenfold, something they could never have imagined!

Chen Baiquan stared at Ye Chen, completely stunned.

What's wrong with Ye Chen? He really dares to say anything!

The highest-ranking person present was the governor; everything depended on what Cao Bucun said.

"Really, is there really such a high yield of grain?" Cao Bucun took a deep breath and asked excitedly.

If there were such a high yield of grain, it would alleviate the current predicament, and the soldiers would no longer have to fight on an empty stomach.

"Of course it's true. I drew it out with paper and pen, hoping that Your Excellency can mobilize manpower to find these two kinds of food." Ye Chen nodded, looking certain.

"If what you say is true, then I will search with all my might!" Cao Bucun waved his hand and said, "Guards! Bring me paper and pen immediately!"

Soon, soldiers brought paper and pens, and everyone gathered around to see what Ye Chen would draw.

Seeing what Ye Chen had drawn, everyone seemed to be deep in thought, and one of them exclaimed in surprise.

"This...this is a type of earth fruit?"

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man dressed as a scholar calling out softly.

"Military Advisor Jiang, have you seen this before?" Cao Bucun asked the scholar with surprise.

"I saw it at the trade market... I thought it was strange at the time, picked it up and looked at it, but I was afraid it was poisonous, so I didn't dare to take it," Jiang Junshi said, shaking his head slightly.

"This thing doesn't taste good. Someone picked it up and took a bite... You can't eat it!"

He looked at Ye Chen as he spoke, wanting to see what Ye Chen would say.

"Potatoes can be eaten raw, but they don't taste good and can upset your stomach," Ye Chen said with a smile. "They have to be roasted or boiled before you can eat them."

"It won't burn your tongue when it's cooked, and it's also very soft and fragrant."

Cao Bucun nodded slightly and looked at Ye Chen, saying, "This governor trusts you and will order people to find what you mentioned."

"If you haven't lied to this governor, then you will certainly be rewarded with great merit!"

"You have rendered meritorious service in training the warhorses, so you will first be given a position in the Livestock Department. Once your claim about the grain is verified, you will be rewarded accordingly!"

"As you said, Desolate Dust Pass is yours, as are the nearby villages. But... what will you do if you encounter the Northern Barbarian cavalry?"

The governor made the decision. Although Ye Chen was not given a high-ranking official position, he was now officially appointed and no longer a lowly horse herder.

"Ye Chen, are you sure you want to go to Huangchen Pass? The imperial court has already abandoned Huangchen Pass and it's impossible for them to send troops to you!"

"Governor, Huangchen Pass is a crucial battleground, and we must hold it!" Ye Chen said firmly.

"If the imperial court fails to defend itself, I, Ye Chen, will defend it to the death!"

"The moon of Qin shines on the pass of Han, but the soldiers on the long march have not returned."

"If only the leaves of the barren pass remained, the northern barbarians would not be allowed to cross the Yin Mountains."

Upon hearing this, Cao Bucun's expression changed drastically, and he muttered, "Good, very good indeed! If only General Ye were here at the desolate pass, the Northern Barbarians would not dare to cross the Yin Mountains!"

As he spoke, he turned to Chen Baiquan and said, "You'll be in charge of coordinating the land matters. Some wasteland is just sitting idle anyway; it's better for someone to cultivate it than for it to grow weeds!"

Chen Baiquan held real power in the Right Guard, and the Third Horse Camp was under his command, while Huangchen Pass was under his control.

Now that he has the governor's order, he can directly hand over Huangchen Pass to Ye Chen, and it won't be long before he can make him the pass's master.

As long as he has military merits, Ye Chen can advance to the military rank, become the gatekeeper of Huangchen Pass, and become a true general.

Chen Baiquan quickly calculated in his mind that one of the plots of land Ye Chen wanted belonged to the Zhang family.

The Zhang family was a prominent family in Dingyuan County. One of their ancestors was a prefect, and they were wealthy and powerful in Dingyuan County!

If I were to personally negotiate with the Zhang family, it shouldn't be difficult, and it would be a way of repaying their great favor.

Chen Baiquan bowed to Cao Bucun and immediately replied, "This subordinate obeys!"

Cao Bucun nodded slightly, signaling Ye Chen and the others to step back first.

Ye Chen bowed and walked out, followed by Chen Baiquan.

Chen Baiquan patted Ye Chen on the shoulder. This young man was giving him credit, and he had already done enough. Saying anything more would be superfluous.

It was nearly noon.

He walked alongside Ye Chen, and after only two miles, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from behind.

Luo Kai rode up from behind on a chestnut horse. When he dismounted, he was still holding the reins of another horse in his hand.

It was a chestnut-colored stallion with snow-white hooves, over five feet tall at the shoulder, with a well-proportioned frame and a glossy coat.

The horse's ears were constantly twitching back and forth, and its hooves were gently pawing the ground; it was clearly a fine horse that had just been thoroughly examined.

"Brother Ye!" Luo Kai handed the reins to Ye Chen and said, "This is a gift from the General. He said you cured his horse, and this is a token of his appreciation."

"This three-year-old horse has a good frame and a stable temperament; it's a good choice for both travel and battle!"

Ye Chen knew that Yunheqiao wanted to befriend him, and being able to make friends with General Yunheqiao was a great gain.

"Jun Liangkun, I'll accept this fine horse. Please convey my thanks to the General!"

Ye Chen took the reins. He couldn't accept the benefits from General Yunheqiao in front of Chen Baiquan, but it wasn't a big deal to get a good horse in private!

If he refuses, it would seem that he lacks social skills.

"Haha, no problem, I'll definitely deliver it. My lord has nothing but praise for you!" Luo Kai laughed.

"I hope that one day in the future, we can fight together and drive the Northern Barbarian cavalry back to their homeland!"