Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne-Chapter 180 - 152 Transplanting Rice Seedlings

In the southern suburb of the capital, there is an imperial manor. Every spring planting season, the emperor would bring his sons and ministers here to plant rice seedlings.

On the way to the southern suburb, Zhao Yao looked around continuously while riding on horseback. The fourth prince kept a close eye on him, worried that he might fall off the horse.

"Fourth brother, there’s a kite flying in the sky," Zhao Yao pointed at a kite in the distant sky, "It seems like someone’s kite string has broken."

"Want to fly a kite?"

Zhao Yao nodded vigorously, "Yes, I do."

"Once we return to the palace, I’ll take you kite flying." Last year around this time, the fourth prince took Zhao Yao to fly a kite.

"Alright, let’s make a big kite then."

"Sure."

After Zhao Yao finished speaking, he lowered his head and kept looking at the roadside.

The fourth prince saw his body leaning more and more, about to fall, and quickly reached out to pull him upright.

"Sit properly."

"Fourth brother, we have stirrups now, I’m not that easy to fall off."

"Don’t be careless."

Ever since Zhao Yao came up with the stirrups, the emperor had decreed the making of stirrups. Now, both in the palace and military camps, the horses are equipped with stirrups. Of course, horses among commoners have stirrups too.

With stirrups, the cavalry’s combat abilities have improved significantly.

Recently, the Xiongnu have been stirring. The emperor ordered the cavalry to practice diligently, knowing that the Xiongnu cavalry is very fierce.

The Great Zhou will inevitably have a battle with the Xiongnu sooner or later. For this battle, the Great Zhou must be fully prepared in advance, especially enhancing the cavalry’s combat ability.

"Fourth brother, I’m looking at wild vegetables," Zhao Yao said, "Wild vegetables taste great, especially when made into dumplings."

"Are you planning to dig some wild vegetables to take back to the palace?"

"Yes, I plan to dig some to take back, make dumplings to eat."

Seeing Zhao Yao always thinking about food wherever he goes, the fourth prince smiled helplessly, "You..."

"I’ll also gather some wildflowers later to give to mother consorts," Zhao Yao said, "Fourth brother, you should also collect some to give to Lady Li."

"Give wildflowers?"

"Wildflowers are beautiful." Zhao Yao suddenly thought of a saying, "Isn’t there a saying that home flowers aren’t as fragrant as wildflowers?"

The fourth prince was so shocked by this saying that he almost fell off the horse. With a slightly displeased expression, he asked, "Who told you that saying?"

"I heard it."

"Where did you hear it?"

"Heard it on the street."

"That saying isn’t a good saying, don’t say it again in the future," the fourth prince said with a stern expression, "It’s not talking about flowers."

"Ah, it’s not about flowers? Then what’s it about?" Zhao Yao asked, looking puzzled.

The third prince turned back and smiled at Zhao Yao, "It’s about women. The saying means that home women aren’t as charming as wild women."

The fourth prince, with a stern face, said to the third prince, "Third brother, don’t corrupt our tenth brother!"

"I’m just telling tenth brother what his saying means, not corrupting him."

"Tenth brother is still a child."

"Precisely because he is a child, he needs to know what the saying means, so he won’t repeat it carelessly later on." After the third prince finished speaking, seeing the fourth prince’s increasingly cold gaze, he felt a bit scared and chuckled awkwardly, "Alright, alright, I’ll stop."

The fifth prince said, "Fourth brother, it’s nothing really, you’re too protective of our tenth brother..." Seeing the fourth prince cast a cold look, the fifth prince quickly shut his mouth, not daring to say anything more.

Zhao Yao blinked, so that’s what it means.

"Fourth brother, I won’t say it again in the future." He quickly changed the subject, "Fourth brother, how do you plant seedlings?" His mother consort had instructed him to learn properly how to plant rice seedlings.

"Planting seedlings..." The fourth prince earnestly explained to Zhao Yao how to plant seedlings, "Later, when we get there, I’ll show you."

"Then I’ll have to keep my eyes wide open and watch closely."

Next, the fourth prince told Zhao Yao many things about planting rice seedlings and farming.

Zhao Yao listened very carefully. If there was anything he didn’t understand, he would ask.

Since the fourth prince started planting rice seedlings, he read many books on the subject. He had gone through almost all the books on agriculture. He also consulted many people with farming experience, meticulously recording these experiences, which he later compiled into a book. Two years ago, this book was published.

In terms of farming experience, the fourth prince was the most knowledgeable among the princes. Of course, he also farmed the best among them.

A little over an hour later, Zhao Yao and the others finally arrived at the imperial manor in the southern suburb.

Upon arrival, the emperor led his sons and ministers to the fields to plant rice seedlings.

The emperor donned coarse cloth clothes, rolled up his sleeves and trousers, and bent into the field, skillfully planting rice seedlings.

The Crown Prince was beside him, also planting seedlings with proficiency.

On the other side, Prince Dai seemed a bit rusty, after all, he hadn’t planted rice seedlings for several years.

The Crown Prince, seeing Prince Dai not planting the seedlings well, personally instructed him on how to plant them.

Though Prince Dai was unwilling to be taught by the Crown Prince, he couldn’t refuse and had to follow along. If he didn’t learn and couldn’t plant the seedlings properly, he’d be admonished by the emperor.

The third prince and others were initially a bit unfamiliar, but after planting some, they became more skilled, as they had been doing this every year.

The fourth prince, while planting seedlings, explained to Zhao Yao, who was standing on the ridge, how to plant them.

Zhao Yao watched very intently. After a while, he wanted to go downfield and try it himself.

"Fourth brother, I’ll just go down for a while."

"The water in the field is very cold, your health isn’t good, it’s better not to go down..." Before he could finish, the fourth prince saw Zhao Yao swiftly take off his shoes and socks, then jump down.

"Tenth brother, you..."

"Fourth brother, I’m not afraid of the cold." The water in the field was indeed cold. "Fourth brother, is my planting correct?" Zhao Yao picked up rice seedlings and mimicked the fourth prince’s actions in planting them.

The fourth prince carefully checked and then nodded, "Planted quite well."

"Then I’ll continue." With his small stature, Zhao Yao could squat to plant the seedlings. His actions were fast, and he planted quite a number soon.

The fourth prince was worried his planting might not be right. Every seedling he planted had to be inspected carefully by the fourth prince to ensure there were no problems.

"Ouch..." Zhao Yao felt something bite his leg. He quickly lifted his leg and saw something stuck tightly on it. Just as he was about to reach out and grab it, the fourth prince stopped him.

The fourth prince led Zhao Yao up to the ridge, then squatted down, lifted his hand, and forcefully flicked the leech off Zhao Yao’s calf. Then, he took medicine from Wei Mian’s hands and applied it to where Zhao Yao was bitten by the leech.

"Fourth brother, what was that just now, it was disgusting?"

"A blood-sucking leech, there are many such things in the fields," the fourth prince said, "You can’t grab them with your hand; you have to pat them away."

"Fourth brother, did you get bitten?"

"No."

"Am I too tender?"

"Tenth brother, your body is too cold, you shouldn’t go into the field anymore." The fourth prince was worried that Zhao Yao would get cold if he stayed there.

"Fourth brother, I’m fine." The field was a bit cold, but after a while, it didn’t feel cold anymore.

"Be obedient."

The fourth prince’s hands were full of mud, so he couldn’t help Zhao Yao put on his shoes and socks. Zhao Yao’s small chubby hands were also covered with dirt.

The fourth prince called Wei Mian over to help Zhao Yao put on his shoes and socks.

After Zhao Yao put on his shoes and socks, he could only stand on the ridge watching the fourth prince plant seedlings.

The seventh prince nearby seemed to have been bitten by a leech too and was so frightened he almost screamed. He hurriedly went up to the ridge and had the eunuch attending to him pat the leech off his leg.

"Seventh brother, are you alright?"

The seventh prince, with a grim expression, said, "I’m fine." After saying that, he returned reluctantly to the field with a frown.

"Fourth brother, seventh brother seems quite unhappy." Also seems rather disdainful.

The fourth prince glanced at the seventh prince, then casually said, "Ignore him."

The seventh prince was complaining inwardly while planting the seedlings.

He couldn’t understand why someone of his noble status had to plant rice seedlings like commoners.

What was the emperor thinking?

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel