In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 785 Recognition

For scholars from aristocratic families, Li Mingyuan was a mortal enemy who had ripped their family members out of their blood and flesh.

But for students from poor families like Xu Zhiwen and Li Qingyun, Li Mingyuan was like a second parent who gave them a second chance at life.

Without Li Mingyuan's reforms and his personal involvement in overseeing the imperial examinations, these students from humble backgrounds would not have had the opportunity to study, let alone pass the examinations and become officials.

It is no exaggeration to say that Li Mingyuan is the spiritual idol of almost all poor students in Kyushu. When they learned that Li Mingyuan had settled in Chenjia Village, Xu Zhiwen, Li Qingyun and others were very excited. They even disregarded their busy political affairs and set off to visit Li Mingyuan in Chenjia Village.

At this moment, when they saw Li Mingyuan again, Xu Zhiwen and the others still couldn't hide their excitement, just like children seeing their idol.

Li Mingyuan turned to look at Yang Zheng and his group, and said approvingly, "You did a good job!"

Li Mingyuan's words seemed disjointed, but everyone present knew he was referring to Yang Zheng's conquest of Qingzhou.

Xu Zhiwen and the others thought that Li Mingyuan, as a former prime minister of the court, would not approve of their help to Yang Zheng, a "traitor." Unexpectedly, Li Mingyuan gave an approving answer, which made Xu Zhiwen and the others feel excited to have received the approval of their idol.

Yang Zheng was also pleased and said, "I am relieved to have gained Prime Minister Li's approval."

Yang Zheng, who rose from humble beginnings as a cowherd to a high position, has always been walking on thin ice, fearing that his decisions would harm the people under his jurisdiction, and even more afraid that his decisions would make their lives more difficult.

Therefore, the moment Yang Zheng received Li Mingyuan's affirmation, his anxiety dissipated considerably.

As the former prime minister of the Xia Kingdom, Li Mingyuan had extensive experience in both governing local areas and governing the country. Gaining his approval proved that what I did was correct.

"Let's go take a look at the farmland!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two groups headed towards the farmland. Soon, they saw the striking golden waves of wheat amidst a world covered in snow!

A gust of wind blew by, bringing a slight chill, but this chill could not dispel the fire in everyone's hearts.

Whether it was the farmers of Chenjia Village, Chen Dao, the manager of Chenjia Village, or Li Mingyuan and others, they were all excited as they looked at the thriving wheat in the field with its full and dense ears of wheat!

This farmland nurtures not only wheat, but also hope!

In this lush farmland, the farmers of Chenjia Village saw a better life, while Li Mingyuan and others saw hope for a complete solution to hunger!

If the wheat in the fields could truly yield as much as Chen Dao said, no, even if it only yielded 70% of what Chen Dao claimed, then no one in the entire Kyushu would ever go hungry again, and there would be no more worries about famine!

"Little friend!"

Li Mingyuan walked excitedly toward Chen Dao and asked, "When will the harvest begin?"

“Start now!”

Chen Dao turned to the village chief Chen He and gave him an order, which Chen He immediately gave to the farmers to start harvesting.

The next moment, the farmers gathered by the field sprang into action. They worked in groups of three, with one person carrying a sickle to harvest the wheat, while the other two carried wheat baskets to move the harvested wheat stalks and pile them up by the field.

Li Mingyuan walked to a pile of wheat stalks, picked up a stalk, and looked at the heavy ears of wheat on it. He couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion and his eyes welled up with tears.

Ironically, in his seventy years of life, Li Mingyuan had witnessed the most common way to die: starvation!

Whether during his time as an official or during his travels across the country after being dismissed from his post, Li Mingyuan saw countless people who were starving and poorly clothed.

Especially during the years after he was dismissed from his post and traveled throughout the nine provinces, Li Mingyuan saw more people starving to death than in the previous forty years combined!

It was precisely because he witnessed the suffering of humanity and saw countless people starving to death that Li Mingyuan became utterly disillusioned with the Xia Kingdom's court.

What he cared about was never his dismissal from his post as prime minister; what he truly cared about was whether the people of the country could have enough to eat, wear, and live a good life.

It is obvious that the imperial court could not do this. When he was in power, the people still had a way to survive. After he was dismissed from his post, the officials in the court no longer concealed their greed. They exploited the people to the bone, making the whole country angry and resentful, leaving the people with no way to survive.

This is the fundamental reason why Li Mingyuan was completely disappointed with the imperial court, and also the reason why he supported Yang Zheng and hoped that Yang Zheng could establish a new dynasty.

Under the corrupt rule of the Xia Dynasty, the land will only deteriorate further, and the people will only suffer more. It would be better to destroy the old order and establish a new dynasty...

Only then can this land possibly improve and regain its vitality!

Before today, although Li Mingyuan admired Yang Zheng, he did not think highly of him. This was because Yang Zheng, who came from a humble background as a cowherd, was destined to have little support from powerful families. In addition, his base in Liangzhou had always been harsh and cold, and could not provide Yang Zheng with enough assistance.

Compared to the White Lotus Rebellion, which had the support of powerful clans and occupied fertile lands, Yang Zheng's Yang Family Army had inherent disadvantages.

But at this moment, upon seeing the wheat in the fields of Chenjia Village, Li Mingyuan's thoughts changed slightly.

Although Li Mingyuan was not knowledgeable in military affairs, he knew what was most important in war!

As the saying goes, "An army marches on its stomach," which clearly shows the importance of supplies in warfare. In fact, it can be said that supplies are the most important thing during wartime, without exception!

In the past, Yang Zheng was confined to Liangzhou due to its harsh climate and lack of sufficient food and supplies, preventing him from conquering the world.

But the situation is different now!

With the help of Chenjia Village, Yang Zheng will surely be able to plant Chenjia Village's high-yield wheat on the land of Liangzhou, and given the yield of Chenjia Village's wheat...

Even though Liangzhou is a barren land, it can still ensure that all the people of Liangzhou have enough to eat and that the Yang family army receives more food!

With enough food, coupled with the ferocity of the Yang family army...

Yang Zheng's chances of seizing the world will increase infinitely, until he overthrows the entire Xia Kingdom, sits on that supreme position, and then works hard to govern the country, so that all the people in the world can live a good life!

"These ears of wheat are so plump!"

"Yes! In my forty years of life, this is the first time I've seen wheat with such dense and plump ears!"

"I wonder what the yield per mu of wheat will be? Will it reach the 1500 jin that Chen Xiaoyou mentioned?"

"..."