The Duke of Qian chuckled with ill intent twice, "This marvelous sweet potato, you brought it from Lan Yong, and it was you who claimed a yield of five thousand catties per mu. Now that it's time to harvest, of course you must accompany us. If it's not five thousand catties, I'll chop off your head right here!"
Xie Jiang felt it necessary to correct him, "When did I ever say five thousand catties per mu? I clearly said three to four thousand catties! Don't spread rumors, don't believe rumors, everyone!"
The Duke of Qian was displeased, "What do you mean by that? Are you denying it!"
Xie Jiang replied, "What I said is what I said, how can it be arbitrarily changed by others? You can ask Xu Hengyan if you don't believe me, I said this to him."
The Duke of Qian frowned and asked Xu Hengyan how many catties this young man had actually said.
Xu Hengyan said, "Young Master Xie told us at the time that the yield per mu was three to four thousand catties."
In fact, the average yield of sweet potatoes per mu was six to seven thousand catties, and the highest could reach ten thousand catties. Xu Hengyan did not intend to mention this to shock people at this time.
Once the sweet potatoes in the field were all harvested, they would know the actual yield.
The per-mu yield had dropped from five thousand catties to three to four thousand catties. This was too much of a difference, and the Duke of Qian and the other old men looked displeased.
The Duke of Zhao spoke to comfort everyone, "Three to four thousand catties is already a lot."
The several old marquises also nodded in agreement. Even if the sweet potatoes yielded at most three thousand catties per mu, it was still much more than rice and wheat.
The Duke of Qian said with a dark expression, "Whoever spread the false rumor, I'll chop him up later!"
He had been happy for nothing!
It wasn't entirely for nothing, even if it was only three to four thousand catties, he was still very excited and happy.
But the difference between three to four thousand catties and five thousand catties!
That wasn't just cold numbers!
That was enough food to save so many lives!
The cool morning breeze brushed his face, and a thought in the Duke of Qian's mind grew like wild grass.
The three to four thousand catties that young man Xie Jiang mentioned was the yield in Lan Yong, wasn't it?
Perhaps their land in Da Yu was the most suitable for growing sweet potatoes?
He heard that Xu Hengyan had sent people to carefully tend to them for the past few months, so why couldn't they grow better than in Lan Yong?
Perhaps they could yield five thousand catties per mu?
By the time they reached the field, the sky had just begun to show a hint of white.
Xie Jiang wanted to lean on Xu Hengyan, but found that everyone had already started to get busy.
An incense table was set up in an open space at the edge of the field, with whole heads of cattle, sheep, and pigs, as well as various fruits and pastries.
While Xie Jiang was still in a daze, someone took out a bronze incense burner and placed it in the center of the table.
Looking at the Duke of Qian and the others in their full court attire, dignified, solemn, and imposing, Xie Jiang slowly realized that these people were going to perform a grand sacrificial ceremony before digging up the sweet potatoes?
Who were they sacrificing to?
It had nothing to do with her anyway.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Xie Jiang quietly moved to the side.
Nie Tong opened the folding stool he had brought, letting his young master sit for a while, and promised to send a lounge chair later.
Everything was ready.
As everyone took their positions and was about to perform the sacrificial ceremony, the Duke of Qian noticed someone missing, "Where is young Master Xie?"
Xu Hengyan had already seen Xie Jiang hiding to the side. He hadn't expected Xie Jiang to participate in the sacrifice obediently, so he turned a blind eye and pretended not to know.
When the Duke of Qian asked, everyone looked around, and an old marquis said, "He's over there."
The Duke of Qian roared, "Young Master Xie, come here!"
Xie Jiang pointed to her nose, "I have to come too?"
She was afraid the Duke of Qian would come to fetch her himself. The Duke of Qian was old, fierce, and brutal, so she could only drag her feet as she walked over.
The Duke of Qian pointed behind him, "Stand at the back!"
Xie Jiang tugged at her clothes, indicating that she was not part of their group, "I don't think it's necessary, is it?"
The Duke of Qian raised his eyebrows and said, "Time is almost up. If you talk any more nonsense, I'll beat you to death!"
Xie Jiang walked to Xu Hengyan's side and stood there speechlessly.
Nie Tong and Luo Tie watched curiously from a distance.
A group of high-ranking old men were solemnly doing something in the field.
Several old marquises caught them and cursed them, telling them to get over and stand at the back!
Although Da Yu and Lan Yong were separated by the ocean, the gods in the sky were all shared!
It was outrageous to be so ignorant of etiquette and so unpious!
Luo Tie and Nie Tong and the others had experienced the elders' scolding skills, and they all obediently stood at the back of the line, not daring to lift their heads.
As the first ray of morning sun shone on the incense table, the Duke of Qian loudly announced that the auspicious time had arrived.
Everyone knelt down to pay homage.
Xie Jiang, who was yawning, was pushed down by Xu Hengyan. Her head almost bumped into the butt of the Marquis of Yongchang, who was kneeling in front of her.
When she wanted to curse Xu Hengyan, she saw his devout expression.
Xie Jiang had to hold back her vulgar words.
Although she didn't believe in gods or ghosts, when others believed, she should show basic respect.
The Duke of Qian began to read the memorial and sacrificial text with great emotion. Xie Jiang's fleeting energy was completely drained by the recitation.
Whoever wrote the sacrificial text was too verbose.
She didn't know which great god they were sacrificing to, to list all of his achievements since ancient times, and to not express gratitude before making a wish?
Xie Jiang was about to fall asleep when the recitation finally finished.
The Dukes and Marquises of the several states stepped forward one by one to offer incense.
Xie Jiang was also handed three sticks of incense.
After following everyone in the worship, she inserted the three sticks of incense into the censer.
As she retreated, Xie Jiang quietly asked Xu Hengyan, "Who were we worshipping?"
Xu Hengyan looked at her strangely, "The God of Sheji, who is in charge of agriculture. Doesn't Lan Yong worship the God of Sheji?"
Xie Jiang rolled her eyes and said "oh" faintly, then went to find her small stool.
She didn't know if Lan Yong worshipped the God of Sheji or not, but she had never participated in such a thing.
She heard the Duke of Qian muttering that he was praying for more sweet potatoes to be dug up.
Sweet potatoes were brought to Da Yu by her, so she should be the one thanked.
When had the high and mighty gods of heaven and earth ever cared about the lives and deaths of mortals?
Guang Bai, along with the clerks from the county office, measured the land, demarcating one mu with a rope before digging.
Not only the Dukes and Marquises wanted to see how much one mu of land could yield.
Everyone wanted to know.
The old men took off their heavy court robes, rolled up their trouser legs, and each picked up a hoe to go into the field.
But they had never seen what sweet potatoes looked like, nor did they know how they grew, and they were worried about accidentally damaging them.
So they looked at each other, none of them knowing how to dig.
Mainly, no one dared to dig casually.
After all, everyone had high hopes for the sweet potatoes.
The Duke of Qian grabbed a handful of sweet potato vines and pondered, "Sweet potatoes seem to grow in the soil? There are no fruits on the vines."
The Marquis of Yongxin stroked his beard and said, "We said we were going to dig sweet potatoes, so they must grow in the soil. Otherwise, why would we dig?"
"If we don't know how to dig, let's go see how the people who know how to dig do it."
The Duke of Qin pointed to the farmers who were already busy and were responsible for tending to the sweet potatoes.
"Let's go and see."
The Duke of Qian dropped the sweet potato vines and walked towards the busy farmers.