The eleventh year of Di Xin's reign, the twelfth month.
Zi Shou went to Youli to visit Ji Chang.
Dressed like a farmer, Ji Chang was tilling the land with a farming tool in hand, looking every bit an honest man.
Zi Shou asked, "Old Ji, you're farming even in the dead of winter?"
Ji Chang wiped the sweat from his face. He had cut his hair short and still wore long sleeves, but no longer the broad robes with billowing sleeves. His outfit was neat and practical, perfectly suited to farming.
He cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, your subject is doing winter planting."
Zi Shou found this odd. It was his first time seeing anyone plant crops in winter. "What are you planting?"
Ji Chang answered with the utmost respect, "Naturally, the wheat Your Majesty has promoted."
This wheat really was good. After last year's wave of farming-tool inventions, grinding wheat into flour had become extremely simple, making it easier to spread. All sorts of wheat-based foods had appeared along with it: steamed buns, stuffed buns, dumplings, pastries...
The ingenuity of the people of Huaxia when it came to food could never be underestimated.
This was excellent. Zi Shou disliked ancient food too, so he naturally raised both hands and both feet in favor of a greater variety. Still, he had his doubts. "Then why plant it in winter?"
Ji Chang explained, "Your Majesty knows that rice and wheat yield more than foxtail millet, but you do not know that wheat is divided into spring wheat and winter wheat."
"What your subject is planting is winter wheat. Winter wheat is sown around the winter solstice and can be harvested in the fourth month, in summer. Foxtail millet is sown in the fifth month and harvested in the ninth month,