Eastern Suburban Farmstead.
It belonged to the Seed Selection Department. The crops tested by the Seed Selection Department were all grown at this farmstead.
Today, the farmstead bustled with people, packed shoulder to shoulder in a lively spectacle.
The normally lofty officials of the Seed Selection Department were now planting rice seedlings in the fields like ordinary old farmers.
Not only did they have no complaints, each one worked with vigor, competing against one another.
All so they could leave a good impression on Fang Heng.
Fang Heng sat upon a cushioned couch, attended by two maidservants on either side.
One massaged his legs while the other peeled oranges for him. He was having a grand time.
As the saying went, those below labored with their strength, those in the middle labored with their wits, and those above labored with people.
Artificial pollination was not difficult, but it was exceedingly tedious.
Naturally, Fang Heng pushed it all onto those beneath him.
He had barely taken a bite of an orange peeled by a maidservant when he saw Xu Xingzhi walking toward him.
Xu Xingzhi looked hurried, his footsteps swift.
"Lord Xu, what is so urgent?"
"Why not have an orange first?"
Fang Heng called out to him, but this only made Xu Xingzhi's brow furrow more deeply.
A deep crease, like the character for river, seemed carved between his brows.
"Your Highness, I shall pass on the oranges."
"I came here to see what crop Your Highness ordered the Lower Six Sections to plant."
Although he had long received intelligence on the matter, Xu Xingzhi still wished to be cautious and have Fang Heng say it himself: that they were planting rice incapable of producing ears.
That way, there would be no absurd misunderstanding.
"Lord Tian, explain it to Lord Xu," Fang Heng instructed.
Tian Sheng set down the rice seedlings, shook the rotten mud from his sleeves, stepped forward, and reported.
"Lord Xu, following His Highness's orders, we are planting the rice varieties stored in the warehouses."
"Is it Wu 127, the rice that cannot produce ears?"
Xu Xingzhi barked the question, his expression stern and cold.
Tian Sheng hesitated. He glanced at Fang Heng, and seeing no indication from him, steeled himself and said.
"It is indeed Wu 127!"
"However..."
"Absurd!"
Before Tian Sheng could explain, Xu Xingzhi let out a thunderous roar.
It was as if lotus blossoms had burst from his tongue, like the great bell and grand chime.
The sound made Tian Sheng's mind tremble despite himself.
"Tian Sheng, look at what you have done!"
"Are you worthy of His Majesty's grace? Are you worthy of the court's salary?"
Xu Xingzhi's torrent of abuse, hurled straight at his face, immediately stirred Tian Sheng's anger.
You are only a petty physician-rank official. You have accomplished nothing all these years—what right do you have to scold me?
I have latched onto Ninth Prince's thigh. Do I still need to heed your every glance?
Heh heh!
"Lord Xu, that is not correct."
"How have I failed His Majesty's grace? How have I failed the salary I receive?"
"I have acted entirely according to His Highness's orders. Are you saying that His Highness's orders are wrong?"
Tian Sheng spoke in a sinister tone.
With those words, he dragged Fang Heng into the matter and directly put Xu Xingzhi in check.
"Hmph—"
"His Highness is young and ignorant, unfamiliar with farming. You, Tian Sheng, have worked in the Seed Selection Department for five years. Do you not understand agriculture either?"
"Look at the rice you are planting. Can it produce ears?"
After berating Tian Sheng, Xu Xingzhi turned and respectfully bowed to Fang Heng.
"Your Highness, I stake my life on this remonstrance."
"His Majesty rises early and sleeps late, toiling over affairs of state. As his son, even if Your Highness cannot share His Majesty's burdens, how can you behave so recklessly and treat agriculture as a child's game?"
Xu Xingzhi's expression was stubborn yet sincere, his iron bones standing proud and unbending.
Fang Heng recalled the assessment of Xu Xingzhi in the archives.
It truly was fitting.
Upright and impartial!
He had the bearing of a remonstrating minister!
However, Fang Heng did not take Xu Xingzhi's remonstrance to heart. He merely smiled it off.
Officials of Great Qian like Xu Xingzhi and Tian Sheng had their own limitations.
That was not their fault.
In truth, the actions of Seed Selection Department officials throughout the ages had been limited to "selecting seeds." They had no concept of "breeding seeds."
All they did was scour mountains and seas in search of high-yield crops.
His use of the Three-Line Method to cultivate Hybrid Rice completely exceeded the understanding of people like Xu Xingzhi.
People could not imagine things beyond the bounds of their own understanding.
Fang Heng cleared his throat. Rather than blame Xu Xingzhi, he spoke calmly.
"Ahem!"
"Lord Xu, what I am doing benefits the nation and the people, and eases my father's burdens."
"Above, I answer to Imperial Father. Below, I answer to the common people."
"And I answer to the officials of the Lower Six Sections."
"When this batch of rice has been planted, it will be the day of their promotion."
Hearing Fang Heng's sophistry, Xu Xingzhi's face flushed red as pig liver.
"Your Highness's eloquence has my admiration."
"But I dare not agree with the great undertaking Your Highness calls beneficial to the nation and the people."
"Tian Sheng, why are you still standing there? Quickly take His Highness back to the Seed Selection Department."
"Do whatever you should be doing. Stop this foolishness."
Xu Xingzhi issued orders to the officials of the Lower Six Sections.
The Lower Six Sections officials working in the fields looked at Xu Xingzhi, then at Fang Heng.
Silently, they bent back down and continued planting.
As for Xu Xingzhi's orders, they acted as though they had not heard them.
Could the arm of a Seed Selection Department physician-rank official twist harder than Ninth Prince's thigh?
Seeing that no one obeyed his orders, Xu Xingzhi felt darkness cloud his vision. His head spun, and he could not help taking half a step back.
In only half a day, he could no longer command the Lower Six Sections?
Tian Sheng gave Xu Xingzhi a pitying look, as though saying.
Lord Xu, stop struggling.
Ninth Prince was the sky of the Seed Selection Department!
Fang Heng spoke to Xu Xingzhi's household servant.
"Can't you see that your master is unwell? Why are you not taking Lord Xu back to rest?"
"Your Highness, this lowly one will do so at once."
Upon hearing Fang Heng's words, Xu Xingzhi's servant felt as though a great weight had been lifted. He hurriedly pulled Xu Xingzhi away from the farmstead.
Xu Xingzhi was filled with grief and indignation. He had never expected even his own servant to obey Ninth Prince's orders.
After Xu Xingzhi left the farmstead.
Tian Sheng began to fan the flames.
"Your Highness, Xu Xingzhi is an old fossil. He has remained in the Seed Selection Department for over a decade, accomplishing nothing. He should have been demoted long ago."
"Now that Your Highness has taken residence in the Seed Selection Department, everyone from top to bottom finally has hope."
Fang Heng saw through Tian Sheng's little scheme at a glance.
He merely wanted to squeeze Xu Xingzhi out.
If Xu Xingzhi were promoted to physician-rank official of the Seed Selection Department, then as Fang Heng's foremost lackey, Tian Sheng would have a chance for promotion as well.
Fang Heng saw through the infighting among those below, but did not expose it.
"Lord Tian, mind your words."
"Lord Xu has served in the Seed Selection Department for twenty years with diligence and devotion. He too has a heart loyal to the sovereign and devoted to the nation."
"Your Highness is broad-minded, with a spirit vast enough to swallow mountains and rivers. The scale of Your Highness's vision leaves this subordinate ashamed of his inferiority."
Tian Sheng seized the opening to flatter and fawn, exerting every ounce of strength he had to make Fang Heng comfortable.
Seeing this, Fang Heng gained a deeper understanding of the saying, "The Yellow River's water is muddy, while the Yangtze's water is clear."
Officials with principles like Xu Xingzhi did not understand what he was doing, so naturally they would not obey his orders.
On the other hand, fence-sitters like Tian Sheng would never care whether what he did was reasonable, so long as they could curry favor with him.
In Tian Sheng's heart, making Fang Heng happy was the foremost matter.
"Lord Xu is merely short-sighted. He does not know that what we are doing truly benefits the nation and the people."
"Once he sees the rice we grow, he will naturally lower his head and admit his mistake."
"Your Highness is right."
"Before long, Xu Xingzhi will understand Your Highness's painstaking intentions and bow in admiration before Your Highness's wisdom and martial might."
Tian Sheng's mouth was full of agreement.
Yet in his heart, he scoffed and secretly grumbled.
Benefiting the nation and the people?
Spending so much time and effort merely to plant rice that could not produce ears.
What kind of benefit to the nation and the people was that?
Tian Sheng's hypocrisy was all visible to Fang Heng, but he did not care.
After all, from beginning to end, he had never intended to take Tian Sheng in as his underling.
As long as Tian Sheng followed his orders and grew Hybrid Rice, it would count as a great merit.
"Those who understand me condemn me; only the Spring and Autumn knows!"
"Once the rice is grown, the people of the realm will understand my painstaking intentions."
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