Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 888 - 733: Carrying the Emperor Out

Chapter 888: Chapter 733: Carrying the Emperor Out

Several days later, when Li Xuan met Yu Hongshang again at the Shennong Institution, he noticed that Yu Hongshang found him looking listless.

She couldn’t help but express surprise, "Xuan, what’s happened to you? Why do you look so dispirited?"

Li Xuan lifted his eyelids to glance at her and then sighed without saying a word.

Dugu Biluo chuckled and interjected, "What else could it be? Obviously, it’s financial difficulties. He is worrying about money."

Yu Hongshang was startled by the remark and looked at him doubtfully, "Where has all your money gone? Didn’t you still have seventy million half a year ago? The factories you’ve opened recently are also making a fortune daily."

"I have my uses for it, the money has been spent where it needed to be," Li Xuan thought to himself that it wasn’t really about the money, although his financial situation was indeed difficult, it hadn’t reached a critical point yet.

What mainly troubled him these past few days were the glimpses he couldn’t help but steal towards Tubo; those images were truly an eyesore.

He shouldn’t have looked. In this regard, reptiles really could endure for a long time, clinging on for several days—

Li Xuan felt like he had been violated and was no longer pure.

"Seventy million in funds, you couldn’t have spent all that even if you bought Divine Artifacts," Yu Hongshang expressed disbelief and concern.

But, in the end, Yu Hongshang shook her head and curbed her curiosity, thinking it wasn’t her place to question where Li Xuan spent his money.

She then managed a bitter smile, "I was actually hoping to discuss opening a factory with you."

Since Li Xuan’s factories began operations, they had been booming, causing many nobles and prestigious families both inside and outside The Court to be envious, and there was a long queue of those wanting to buy various machinery from the Shenqi Union.

Yu Hongshang also felt motivated and wanted to invest in a factory.

She had clearly divided the assets under her control: those of The Court were for the people, those of the Neiguan Bureau were Yu Youlong’s royal enterprises, and only those of the Princess Mansion were hers.

Li Xuan couldn’t help but laugh, "You want to open a factory? That’s a great idea. These businesses, I can’t monopolize them anyway. Hongshang, what do you want to do? Silk reeling is the most profitable, but it has to be set up in Jiangnan. Next would be cotton spinning, and lastly would be wool weaving."

"Hongshang, how many machines do you want? I’ll have the Shenqi Union move you up in the queue. If you’re too busy with the state affairs to manage it, you might consider a partnership with Luo Yan and the others."

Recently, Luo Yan, Xue Yunrou, and Yue Qianqian each invested in two factories, all planning to set them up in Tianjin with a setup of five hundred machines each.

Li Xuan’s factories were also expanding, about to increase sixfold in terms of size.

The total investment was expected to be less than three million, but by the end of the year, the income from these factories could increase to thirty-two million taels.

The reason for only a sixfold increase was mainly because the staff needed training and the sources of raw materials were not yet organized.

In terms of sales, there was absolutely no need to worry. Whether it was silk reeling or cotton spinning, the quality of the machinery surpassed that of handcrafting.

Thus, although the retail price of several factories’ products was twenty percent higher than the market price, merchants from both north and south of the Yangtze River still eagerly sought them out.

Actually letting Luo Yan and the others invest their money in the factories under his name was not a problem, but currently, the factories were being managed on his behalf by Sister-in-law Su Zhaojun, which was somewhat inconvenient.

Yu Hongshang considered for a moment and then shook her head slightly, "I think I’ll just invest in one myself without forming a partnership."

In her Princess Mansion, there were still a few talented and loyal managers.

"That works too."

Li Xuan didn’t really want the girls to compete in the business arena later on, but thinking about the current population of 150 million in the Jin Dynasty, and possibly even exploding in number ten years later,

He wondered how many machines would be needed to satisfy such a vast market and let it take its course.

After settling this business deal, the two then got down from Yu Hongshang’s imperial carriage and walked together into the Shennong Institution.

However, their attention was soon drawn by a wheat field ahead.

The reason they had gathered here today was due to the hybrid wheat created by Lv Qiluo and Zhao Xixue finally showing preliminary results.

Li Xuan remembered that hybridizing wheat was much easier than hybridizing rice, so he had advised Lv Qiluo and her colleague to first focus on wheat.

"These wheat stalks seem to have grown considerably taller, by at least a foot."

Li Xuan looked toward another wheat field beside him and made a comparison.

He sharply noticed that the wheat in his field not only grew taller but also had more and larger wheat ears.

This was simply miraculous. Since the onset of the cold wave, the wheat ears everywhere had been more or less affected, not as plump as in previous years.

Li Xuan’s eyes sparkled, and he couldn’t contain his emotions as he grabbed the hand of a girl next to him, "Senior, how much yield do you expect? Can it withstand cold and drought?"

But the area around Li Xuan was eerily silent for a long time, and no one spoke.

Li Xuan then realized that he had not grabbed Lv Qiluo’s hand, but that of the ’Juezui’ taoist Zhao Xixue.

This plainly-faced, aloof young girl, while trying to break free discreetly, blushed deeply.

Beside them, Yu Hongshang, Lv Qiluo, and Dugu Biluo all focused their eyes on Li Xuan’s hand.

In Yu Hongchang’s eyes, there was even a hint of murderous intent.

Li Xuan’s heart shivered, and he quickly let go of his hand.

He thought this was truly a huge misunderstanding, he was just too excited earlier.

However, the more he tried to explain, the worse it seemed.

Li Xuan, with an unchanged expression, said, "Lady Lv, may I ask what the yield is?"

Lv Qiluo then opened her mouth and replied, "It should be about fourteen stones. We will know the specific amount after the wheat matures completely in five more days."

Her lips slightly curved into a smile, and her eyebrows were also filled with joy: "I have experimented with your technique on dry and cold fields, and those beside us are just a few examples. It has a strong cold resistance, even at negative eighteen degrees, we measured using the thermometer you invented, Li Xuan. Its drought resistance is only average, slightly stronger than ordinary wheat."

She wished she could use techniques to hasten the growth and let these hybrid wheats mature now.

Yet, the natural process of plant growth shouldn’t be overly accelerated.

"Fourteen stones!"

Yu Hongchang’s eyes shimmered with excitement, her hands clenched into fists, "Does that mean at least a double increase? When can this wheat variety be promoted?"

At this moment, Yu Hongchang’s excitement was not only comparable to the previous harvests of potatoes and sweet potatoes but even surpassed them.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes could alleviate hunger, but they could not be accepted by the Jin Dynasty’s populace as a staple food, whereas the people from both north and south of the Yangtze River were accustomed to eating wheat—

In the north, even the best fields only produced around six stones of wheat per acre.

If Li Xuan’s method of crossbreeding actually succeeded—

Lv Qiluo shook her head, "It’s too soon to say, whether this variety can be introduced nationwide we must plant it for a few more seasons to see how it performs; ideally, experimenting with soils from both the south and north. If there are no issues, then I will do my best to cultivate enough seeds before September."

"September?" Yu Hongchang thought it was precisely the sowing time for winter wheat. She suppressed her excitement, showing a solemn and grave demeanor as she bowed to the two of them, "Then I’ll have to ask both of you! Mr. Lv, Master Juezui, currently a cold wave is rising, disasters are frequent, and rice and wheat production has significantly decreased.

If this hybrid wheat is successful, it will surely save hundreds of millions; it truly holds tremendous merit for the whole world. On behalf of the people of the entire Jin Dynasty and The Court, I thank you both!"

"You flatter us, Princess," said Lv Qiluo.

Lv Qiluo immediately stepped back modestly: "The idea this time was Li Xuan’s, relentlessly selecting from tens of thousands of wheat spikes those that were sterile, and Master Juezui provided the technique. I only supplied some labor, this thanks from you, Princess, is truly undeserved."

Yet, Lv Qiluo’s mood was very pleasant, even though she had only contributed some labor by using techniques to stimulate the wheat field, she still contributed to the welfare of the world’s people.

※※※※

After inspecting the Shen Nong Institution, back in the imperial carriage, Yu Hongchang’s mind was still restless.

"—I just looked into it, Lv Qiluo and her team are experimenting with hybrid wheat in simulated cold fields. This means that from Tieling southward in Liaodong, it’s possible to grow this hybrid wheat during winter. North of Tieling, it can also be grown in spring, the output is not much different, only the taste will be slightly off.

"This means that in the future, the entire Liaodong might become the granary of the Jin Dynasty, Beijing will no longer need waterway transport for its sustenance—"

Yu Hongchang was right in the middle of saying this when she suddenly paused, catching a large pig’s trotter silently fallen onto her leg.

Yu Hongchang’s face turned cold, and she swatted it away: "I am discussing serious national affairs here, where are you touching? Hands off. Weren’t you interested in Zhao Xixue? Go find her instead."

Li Xuan thought he was really wrongly accused, his expression awkward, "It was really a misunderstanding just now, Shang, it’s been days since we’ve seen each other—"

"You’re aware it’s been days, are you?" Yu Hongchang scoffed, "I might pardon the day before yesterday, where you were accompanying Luo Yan and Yunrou. They are pregnant, it’s right for you to spend more time with them. But yesterday, I had the maid summon you to the palace, yet you went to Xifeng Pass, to see that mare, right?"

"I told you, I went to inspect the military situation. Recently, there have been slight movements in the Doyan tribes."

Li Xuan did indeed go to look for Meng Qingfan; two months ago, Xuanchenzi lost track of her.

Since then, Meng Qingfan’s whereabouts had been erratic, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

Yesterday, upon being informed by the Xiuyiwei that Meng Qingfan had appeared at Xifeng Pass, he hurried there, but ended up empty-handed.

However, he inspected the military situation there incidentally.

Yu Hongchang caught Li Xuan’s action and, far from stopping, redoubled her efforts.

Her face flushed red, she struggled half-heartedly: "Stop it! Look, you’ve woken up the child."

Li Xuan saw that Yu Youlong, indeed, had woken up on the adjacent bed, sucking his thumb and blinking his big eyes, curiously watching them.

Li Xuan’s expression then slightly stiffened: "Bilo, take the Emperor out, give us a moment!"

Yu Hongchang was instantly amused and perplexed. Dugu Bilo, who was waiting outside the imperial carriage, walked in with a somewhat speechless expression.

She didn’t take Yu Youlong. Instead, she handed a letter sealed in purple gold to Li Xuan: "Just in time, urgent military intelligence from the Xiuyiwei, you might want to take a look."

Li Xuan took the letter in his hands, then chuckled, passing the letter to Yu Hongchang.

"Looks like we need to hurry up the production of revolvers—"

This letter mentioned just one thing, Dasiming had appeared in the Khan of Vala Yexian’s tent yesterday, and had a secret meeting with Yexian for two hours.