Peace Order
Chapter 658 - 60: To Save the People of the World_4

Chapter 658: Chapter 60: To Save the People of the World_4

I’m not planting crops, just using the land to experiment with my own crops!

Damn, isn’t that too extravagant?

He didn’t belong to Confucianism, Legalism, or the Military School—schools that thrive in chaotic times with nothing particularly special to prove their strength—so he gritted his teeth and made a lion’s demand.

Li Guanyi looked at his fingers and nodded, saying, "Not too much."

Xu Tiange was stunned; then, after some thought, wondering if he had offered too little, he put out another finger. But the young man on the other side only nodded and said, "That’s acceptable, but is it just these gentlemen?"

He looked around at the Farmer School disciples with some regret.

There were too few people.

For such a major matter as crop improvement, how come there are so few.

Xu Tiange was stupefied; he licked his lips with a mix of excitement and disbelief, yet still hesitantly asked, "Uh, does the General mean that more would be okay? That each student could be given land to experiment with?"

Li Guanyi openly said, "Of course!"

The Farmer School disciple Xu Tiange realized that he might have encountered an extraordinary person, one rarely recorded in history, where everyone was to be given twenty acres—not for growing food, but to try out their crops.

Was this what they call being foolishly generous with land in the legends?!

Xu Tiange asked, "How many people do you want?"

The young man whose eyes nearly radiated golden light stretched out his hand and then grasped it tightly, exclaiming, "The more the better!"

"As many as there are, I’ll have that many!"

Xu Tiange was an honest man, a very stalwart farmer.

So he made another trip.

He felt that good news should be shared with all the students!

But his influence within the Farmer School was not enough to persuade that many disciples.

So he asked Wen He for advice!

Xu Tiange received Wen He’s stratagem!

After Wen He knew that Li Guanyi would not resort to violence.

He happily expressed his strong support for Xu Tiange.

And even provided a hemp rope and half a jar of wine.

Finally, with Wen He’s help, they managed to tie up the Family Sect Master of the Farmer School—the least of the Nine Streams from the Academy—and placed him on a small cart, clattering as they transported the old man out of the Academy.

They rushed headlong, regardless of the old man’s physical condition. When the old man woke up, he understood the reason his student had taken him out and remained silent for a long time.

The old man turned around, tied up his proud disciple, and threw him on the cart.

Then, displaying his solid Martial Arts skills, he covered the great distance in one day, arriving at the Qilin Army’s ferry crossing.

Li Guanyi was shocked to see Xu Tiange tied up and quickly untied him. The aged Master, who had been briefed by his proud disciple on the way there, frowned and said:

"I didn’t expect someone to understand the importance of the land, but General, when I was young, I too was arrogant. Back then, I traveled far and wide, asking the kings of Ying Country and Chen Country."

"Unable to obtain their support, I understood their thinking."

"With the world unset, at this moment, soldiers and horses are tantamount to farming and silkworm rearing. By annexing territories, the benefits gained far exceed those of farming. If Jiangnan’s farming yields a good harvest, then Ying Country and Chen Country need only invade Jiangnan to seize provisions and also train their troops."

"What do you think of this concept, General?"

It was the thinking of the Military School, "A bushel of the enemy’s grain counts as twenty for us; a stone of their fodder counts as twenty for us." So it’s not that the states don’t understand the importance of farming; they just believe there are more beneficial options.

Li Guanyi answered directly, "Because the lords and the aristocratic families do not starve to death."

The old man fell silent.

Li Guanyi asked, "Old Master, how much land do you think we need to experiment on seeds with the strength of the Farmer School, so we can promote them in Jiangnan as soon as possible?"

He did not know the identity of the elder before him who seemed like an old potato that had come to life.

He simply asked candidly.

The old man thought for a moment and then, stroking his beard, he replied, "In my opinion, at least a hundred mu is needed to start, and this hundred mu is just barely sufficient to begin. The financial and human resources needed are not as simple as merely a hundred mu of land."

Li Guanyi said, "Good!"

"I will give you a hundred qing!"

A hundred qing was five thousand mu.

The countenance of the always impoverished Family Sect Master of the Farmer School slowly solidified.

Li Guanyi asked, "Is that enough?"

He said to himself, "Indeed, this is not enough. I will give you two hundred qing, ten thousand mu of fertile land!"

"Is that enough?"

The Family Sect Master of the Farmer School saw the fierce flame in the eyes of the young man. Li Guanyi took a step forward and said, "Ten thousand mu of fertile land, along with manpower, logistics, and all finance required, can you do it?"

"To cultivate the best strain and promote it in the land of Jiangnan."

The aged Farmer School Master looked at the young Marquis, ignoring the disciple tied up next to him, who seemed almost desperate to crawl over but was restrained by the old man’s binding. The elder stood up, straightened his attire, deeply bowed, and then asked solemnly:

"I have one last question."

"What if our research succeeds? Our seeds will easily spread throughout the world. The other two countries will also adopt the superior strains. It’s hard to widen the gap in national strength with other countries merely with such an approach. It wouldn’t be of much help to your quest for supremacy."

"This is one of the reasons the Farmer School has declined."

"It’s difficult to produce results, and once achieved, it’s hard to maintain them."

Li Guanyi calmly replied, "If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better?"

The Family Sect Master of the Farmer School said subconsciously, "What?"

The young man in front of him smiled, "If the world could use the grains and seeds researched by the Farmer School, and if everyone in the world could have enough to eat, wouldn’t that be better? If we can make Ying Country and Chen Country adopt the superior strains in their pursuit to catch up with us."

"No need for people to starve to death, that would be worth it."

"Out of fear of us, they will distribute the superior strains to the poorest people and give them favorable policies; their lives will improve."

"I hope people can be well-fed, no longer needing to sell their children for a few pounds of grain. There shouldn’t be anyone starving to death in the world..."

The aged Master was stunned and lost in thought.

Seeing the young man was like looking at his own youthful dreams; then he watched as he reached out his hand towards him, calmly saying, "If that’s possible."

"Then let them take our achievements."

"And save the people of the world!"

The Family Sect Master of the Farmer School misspoke, lost in thought for a long time, as if the soul of his youth had returned. The old man suddenly felt a touch of sorrow, twirling his white hair, then he laughed in dismay, saying, "Why is it that I only meet someone like you at this age?"

"Since that’s the case, please allow us to enter Jiangnan."

The elder wrote a letter back personally.

That day, at the Academy of the Nine Streams, Farmer School.

Master and disciples, all left the Academy.

All entered Jiangnan.

Together they entered Jiangnan!