nucmednet Chapter 204 Champa Rice, Donation
Chapter 204 Champa Rice, Donation
At the emperor's command, all departments began to move together.
Prince Chen was to leave first. He was currently discussing this with his nephew in the palace. "Nephew, can your uncle not go? If you want your uncle to paint a picture or host a calligraphy competition, he's certainly up to it. But he can't possibly be the one to comfort the angels!"
Prince Chen's full name was Zhao Yuande. He was the youngest brother of Emperor Jiayou. Since he didn't have to worry about ascending the throne, he lived a carefree life.
He was a skilled calligrapher and painter, and was a handsome young man in his youth. He and Princess Chen became friends through painting, creating a legendary story. The couple had been married for many years, enjoying harmonious harmony. Although they had only one daughter, Prince Chen remained deeply devoted to her.
Because Prince Chen had been obsessed with calligraphy and painting for many years, his attainments in the field were very high. Every piece of his work that came out was highly sought after and even sold at exorbitant prices. So even though Prince Chen was no longer in power, he was still very popular among the people and was the image spokesperson of the royal family in the field of art.
Therefore, when Zhou Dajiang mentioned someone who could represent the royal family and had high prestige, Emperor Jiayou first thought of Prince Chen.
At this moment, facing Prince Chen's request, Emperor Jiayou could only smile helplessly, "Uncle, this matter is difficult for me as well. You are the prince most beloved by the people. If you go, you will surely appease the people."
Besides, this is just a formality, not something you're really asked to do. Zhou Dajiang, who's following you, is the one who's really going to get things done."
Prince Chen still had a bitter face, "My nephew, your uncle just wants to protect my calligraphy and paintings and accompany your aunt."
Emperor Jiayou thought for a moment, his eyes rolling. "Uncle, how about this? If you go, I promise you that when you return, I will organize an unprecedented calligraphy and painting event. All the famous painters in the world will gather in Beijing, and you can exchange ideas and learn from each other. How do you think?"
Prince Chen's eyes lit up. This was a great temptation. But he was still hesitant. "However, it would be a long journey. My uncle is old and I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it."
Emperor Jiayou said quickly, "Uncle, please rest assured. I will arrange the best carriage for you, and there are so many doctors accompanying you along the way."
Prince Chen thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, nephew, but you must keep your word and hold the event when you return!"
Emperor Jiayou was overjoyed and nodded vigorously, "Uncle, please rest assured. I am not joking."
So King Chen had no choice but to go back and prepare for his trip.
******
On the other side, Zhou Dajiang returned home and told his wife about the flood in Xinde Prefecture, and also told Chen Xiuying about his trip.
Chen Xiuying was not very worried about Zhou Dajiang's trip because she had passed through Japan. She just thought of the people who were currently suffering from the disaster as Zhou Dajiang said.
In modern times, whenever a disaster strikes a part of the country and a fundraising campaign is launched, Chen Xiuying will do her bit, no matter how much. Although she has now traveled to ancient times, she still hopes that she can do her part as she did before.
When Zhou Dajiang mentioned that the emperor sent people to board a ship from the South China Sea to look for seeds overseas, Chen Xiuying remembered something.
"I remember learning about history when I read about how Emperor Zhenzong of Song used precious treasures from countries like Champa and India to acquire the high-yield Champa rice. Champa rice is early-maturing, drought-tolerant, and suitable for growing in high-lying fields. Combined with late-season rice, it can form a 'double-season rice', significantly increasing yields. With this rice, reconstruction would have been much faster."
Zhou Dajiang was immediately excited when she said this. "This information is very useful. I will ask Master Cui to report it to the emperor tomorrow."
Chen Xiuying rolled her eyes. "How are you going to tell people? Say you read it in a book? Then why didn't you say it in court today? And if someone asks you which book it is from, how will you answer?"
Zhou Dajiang thought about it and realized that this lie was indeed not easy to cover up. "What should I do? Just pretend I don't know?" He was still unwilling to give in.
"Don't worry about this matter. I will write a letter to the boss behind Datong Trading Company and ask her to find a way to convey this to the emperor." The preparations I made before should be useful.
So that night, by the light of an oil lamp, Chen Xiuying wrote about Champa rice and double-season rice in a letter. After writing about Champa rice, she thought of rubber trees and mentioned them as well. If they were found, even better. That way, Yunnan and Hainan could plant them sooner, and Donghua would have more rubber products. If they weren't, that wouldn't matter.
After writing the letter, she went to Datong Trading Company to find the manager Xue early the next morning. She came at the right time because Zhihua was there when she arrived.
Zhihua had come with her master's orders: when the Ministry of Personnel solicited donations, the Empress wanted the Datong Trading Company to donate one million yuan, consisting of 500,000 yuan in supplies and 500,000 yuan in donations. It was easy to imagine how busy Manager Xue would be.
When Chen Xiuying saw Zhihua, she didn't need Manager Xue to pass on the message. She handed the letter directly to Zhihua and asked her to give it to the lady as soon as she returned.
Ever since Empress Cao took her to visit Hanbao Fort and Xiangbaofang last time, Zhihua has had a good impression of Chen mother and daughter. So, naturally, she followed Chen Xiuying's request and gave the letter to Empress Cao as soon as she returned to the palace.
After reading the letter, Empress Cao immediately asked Fangruo to dress her up. She was going to the imperial study to tell the emperor about this matter immediately!
So, when Emperor Jiayou was tired of reviewing memorials that day, he looked up and saw Empress Cao appearing in the imperial study in formal attire, which was rare for her.
Last night, when the couple had a late-night conversation, Empress Cao had already told Emperor Jiayou that she wanted to donate one million in the name of Datong Trading Company.
It would be a lie for Emperor Jiayou to say he wasn't moved by his beloved wife's profound understanding of justice and her dedication to the imperial court. Seeing his beloved wife arrive, he stood up and walked over to Empress Cao, "Why are you here, Shu'er?"
Empress Cao's maiden name was Cao Qingshu. Since Emperor Jiayou reconciled with the empress, he has always called her by her nickname.
Empress Cao handed Emperor Jiayou a piece of paper. "I once read a book, the title of which I have forgotten, but I vaguely remember something like this. This is what I just remembered. When you have the Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple search, focus on finding this rice variety called 'Champa Rice.' This and today's late rice can be called double-season rice. With it, we can rebuild much faster."
After listening to her, Emperor Jiayou took the paper and began to read. The more he read, the more surprised he became. He could not help but exclaimed: "This is a major plan concerning the people's livelihood. With a wife like this, what else could a husband ask for!"
After Empress Cao left, Emperor Jiayou immediately summoned his ministers for a discussion. Everyone was thrilled to hear about the Champa rice discovery. They immediately decided to dispatch a dedicated team to investigate the matter. They also noted the rubber trees in their notebook as a long-term exploration target.
As for Prince Chen, after returning home, he sighed and told Princess Chen about his upcoming long journey.
Princess Chen smiled and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. You might even gain something special from this trip. Imagine a flood of that magnitude. If you could memorize it in your mind and paint it in your painting, how magnificent would it be?"
After hearing this, King Chen felt a little relieved. As long as he imagined this as a journey to find materials, he would not feel uncomfortable.
Zhou Dajiang was relieved when he learned that the news had reached the palace. He thought that if Donghua Kingdom could really obtain Champa rice seeds, the lives of the disaster victims would be able to return to normal sooner.
Chen Xiuying, at home, silently prayed for everything to go smoothly. She gathered her silver and calculated that she could come up with a thousand taels without affecting normal operations. Although it was a drop in the bucket, she hoped that this ancient dynasty would continue to improve through everyone's efforts.