help but chide, "The second son is getting bolder and bolder. He didn't even tell the family about this!"Tao Hongying advised, “Mother, Second Brother is a trusted guard of the Hou Mansion. You shoul...The emperor snapped the corn stalks, and a bunch of courtiers rushed up, peeled off the husks, then clumsily rubbed the kernels...

In the potato field, the plow broke open the ridges, and countless people rushed in to pick potatoes.

Li Zhensheng felt a headache coming on. He told the foreman to check again, for the second time, because with so many people, some potatoes had been trampled back into the ground...

Thus, in a flurry of activity, it took a full hour for the corn kernels and potatoes to be weighed.

Needless to say, the verified high-yield numbers got everyone excited.

An old minister knelt on the ground, sobbing loudly.

Some people rolled around with bundles of cornstalks, while others started munching on potatoes.

Grandfather Liu had been a shrewd fox in the political arena for many years. Liu Ziheng was familiar with such scenes, and at this moment, his face was full of excitement, but secretly, he couldn't help but mutter a few words of criticism.

These people took the imperial examinations, but they didn't write essays, did they They must have been taking acting exams!

This crying is way too exaggerated, even snot is coming out!

What about the one that gnaws on the potato after eating the leaves What's going on, can it even bite through them

Li Zhensheng and Li Lao Si had rarely experienced such a thing. They glanced at each other and both dodged behind the Marquis, for the Marquis's cold face could suppress all demons and heretics in the world!

Indeed, several courtiers seemed to have overacted in their performance, momentarily losing themselves and even trying to drag the Marquis into tears.

But before they could get closer, they were frozen by the coldness emanating from the Marquis's presence. They quickly turned their heads and sought out others to "collaborate" with, continuing to express their excitement and joy elsewhere!

The Emperor was truly delighted!

Although he had known about it for a long time and had his spies keep an eye on things all year, when he actually saw hundreds of acres of high-yield crops right before his eyes, he couldn't help but feel excited!

These two new food sources have solved Tianwu's urgent needs.

Originally, both the court and the people had moved to the south of Yangtze River. However, they only had half the land they used to have to support all the people of Tianwu, which was simply not enough. He and his civil and military officials racked their brains over this problem.

Especially this emperor, he has lost half his kingdom under his rule and is already branded with shame. If he fails to reclaim the north in his hands, for thousands of years to come, he will be a figure reviled by all!

The appearance of these two new foods is simply a blessing from heaven bestowed upon Tianwu!

Even this emperor, forgotten by heaven, will not be abandoned. His precarious position will once again become unbreakable!

"Divine blessings abound, showering upon Tianwu!" The Emperor, holding a corncob in one hand and a large potato in the other, shouted with joy.

All the ministers' performance finally reached the unified stage, kneeling down in unison and kowtowing to the Emperor, shouting loudly together!

"Heaven's blessings descend, auspicious omens grace Tianwu!"

"Divine blessings descend, showering grace upon Tian Wu!"

For a moment, in the fields, echoes resounded!

The emperor asked again, "Where is Li Zhensheng Where is Liu Zhiheng"

Li Zhensheng and Liu Zhiheng immediately knelt and crawled forward, kowtowing in response, "We are your humble subjects!"

The Emperor said, “Xin Ting Hou reported that the two of you, one obtained such a high-yielding new grain from a monk from Quanzhou, and the other, through hard work in cultivation, has achieved such a bountiful harvest, bringing such auspicious blessings! This emperor wishes to bestow great rewards upon you. If you have any requests, please speak freely!”

Liu Zhiheng giggled and replied, "Your Majesty, my father often says that I am not capable and have always been obsessed with silver since I was young. I'm simply not cut out for studying. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me an honorary position so that I can occasionally attend court with my father. That way, I can finally shed the label of a fool! My old father would naturally stop scolding me then!"

His words were so humorous that after everyone was moved to tears, they almost burst out laughing.

Especially Lao Taiye Liu, hurried forward, almost gritted his teeth and scolded his son, "How dare you bring the family's jokes to the emperor Besides, you only planted a few acres of land, what achievements do you have, to actually brazenly ask for an official position!"

The emperor, however, waved his hand and laughed, saying, “Liu, your words are mistaken. Next year's new grain will have a high yield; there is truly no shortage of people to guide its cultivation.”

Having said that, he declared in a loud voice, “Liu Zhiheng, listen carefully! I appoint you as a Fourth Rank Langzhong, serving in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Assist the ministry in promoting the cultivation of new grains next year.”

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty!" Liu Zhiheng was overjoyed and quickly bowed his head in thanks.

When he stood up, he even raised his chin at Old Master Liu, that "little man triumphant" look got everyone laughing.

The Emperor turned his gaze back to Li Zhensheng, "Li Zhensheng, with the arrival of the new grain harvest, your contributions are paramount. Is there anything you desire Do not hesitate to speak!"

Li Zhensheng kowtowed and said seriously: "Your Majesty, my life is extraordinary. I left home many years ago. As the eldest son, I failed to fulfill my duty of filial piety to my mother and protecting my younger brothers. I have always felt guilty about this, unable to sleep or eat peacefully."

Today, the commoner thanks the Emperor for his blessing and this fortunate encounter. Having received high-yield grain, I wish to offer this meager contribution, requesting a title for my elderly mother and a nominal position for my younger brother.

Firstly, my mother is getting old and shouldn't have to suffer humiliation because of her humble status. Secondly, this would compensate my younger brother for having to shoulder the responsibility of supporting the family after I disappeared and giving up his dream of studying.

From then on, whenever I went out, I no longer had to worry about home.

The Emperor and the officials were all stunned. Such a good opportunity, such an extraordinary feat, Li Zhensheng deserved to be granted the hereditary title of Duke just for this alone.

But he demanded a decree of marriage from his mother and official positions for his brothers, not thinking about himself at all...

This person is truly too devoted and loyal!

Especially, some officials remembered the intrigues and schemes within their own families, truly envying the unity and harmony of the Li family. They even envied the Li family for having such an outstanding eldest son.

The Emperor personally helped Li Zhensheng to his feet and said, “As I said before, if you have any request, I will certainly fulfill it. Since you requested these two things, then I shall bestow upon your mother the title of a First Rank誥命夫人, and your second son, the title of Marquis of Zhongshan, hereditary and irreplaceable!”

A first-rank imperial consort, the highest rank a woman could attain, was rare. Although there were seven or eight in Tianwu's time, it wasn't particularly uncommon.

And they were generally elderly women who lived on their pensions and were respected when they went out.

When life ends, so too does this glory.

But the Earl was different. He had a salary, a hundred guards, and could attend court sessions. He could even submit petitions directly to the emperor.

A straightforward explanation is that this is an official position without specific duties, but one that can always voice opinions and influence the court!

The Li family obtained this title, and from then on they were completely integrated into the upper echelons of power in Tianwu.

Moreover, this title is hereditary and immutable!

As long as the Li family does not rebel or usurp the throne, this title will be passed down through generations!

Those watching merely shook their heads, at most envying Li's family for such a stroke of luck.

But the Marquis of Dingbei couldn't help himself. Although he had never directly clashed with the Li family.

But whether it was his ex-wife, his brother-in-law from the Jiao family who had been stripped of his official position, or Liu's family who continued to oppose him and keep him down as the new marquis of Xiting,

Which one isn't close to the Li family, with countless connections

If allowing the Li family to rise up benefits them, it's unknown if there are any downsides for him at the moment, but there are definitely no upsides!

The Duke of Dingbei immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Li family is just a commoner family. Is this reward too generous"aren, Lig'er and Mao'er also jumped out of the carriage.The brothers ran and huddled together, hugging each other, jumping up and down, all bursting with joy.Jia Huan came out of the yard, wiping the...