Ch 74: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

At first light, when dawn had only just begun to break, every household in the Village was already busy.

It was the height of the midsummer harvest season. The heat was oppressive, so farmers came out early while the weather was still cool to work.

Jiang Ji and the others were no exception.

Having been caught in the rain the night before, Jiang Ji woke early with a runny nose, his voice slightly nasal when he spoke.

“Caught a chill?” Jiang Yan reached out and touched his forehead. “You don’t seem to have a fever. Any headache?”

Jiang Ji shook his head. “I’m fine. Just a runny nose. Drinking more hot water will take care of it.”

“You’re not going out today. Stay home and rest.” Jiang Yan pressed him back down onto the bed. “I’ll ask Physician Yang to come take a look.”

Jiang Ji lay pinned against the pillow. “…I don’t even have a headache. It’s just the beginning of a cold. Some hot water and I’ll be fine.”

Jiang Yan ignored him. “Let the doctor examine you.”

Jiang Ji tried to sit up again but Jiang Yan pressed a hand against his chest. “Don’t move.”

Jiang Ji sighed. “Alright, alright. Then hurry up.”

Jiang Yan brought the physician over. Hearing that Jiang Ji might have caught a chill, Zhao Ru and Jiang Xia came as well.

Looking at the room suddenly full of people, Jiang Ji said helplessly, “I’m really fine. Just a little runny nose. Very mild.”

“Let Physician Yang check you,” Zhao Ru said.

After taking Jiang Ji’s pulse and examining his tongue coating, Physician Yang said, “Nothing serious. He caught a chill from yesterday’s rain. Two doses of medicine will do.”

“See? I said I was fine.” Jiang Ji sat up. “Doctor Yang, do I really need medicine for something this small? Drinking hot water should be enough.”

Zhao Ru glared at him. “Listen to the doctor.”

Overpowered by maternal authority, Jiang Ji sighed. “…Alright.”

Jiang Xia stared at Jiang Ji’s lips and asked curiously, “Brother, why are your lips swollen?”

Everyone immediately looked toward his mouth. Indeed, his lips were slightly more swollen than usual.

“Hm?” Jiang Ji touched his lips and glanced at Jiang Yan. “Ah, a mosquito bit me.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

“That must’ve been a vicious mosquito,” Lu Jiu added from the side. “I didn’t close my bed net properly last night and got bitten several times on the neck.”

Jiang Ji looked at Jiang Yan with a cheerful smile and agreed, “Exactly. Very fierce mosquito, biting people nonstop.”

Jiang Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze dark and unreadable.

Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow subtly at him, then turned to everyone else. “I’m really fine. Stop crowding around me and go get back to work.”

Physician Yang wrote the prescription, and everyone gradually left.

Once the room emptied, Jiang Yan pulled Jiang Ji into the room, closed the door, pressed him gently against it, and raised his thumb to press against Jiang Ji’s slightly swollen lips.

“A mosquito bite?”

Jiang Ji glanced at his thumb, slowly lifted his gaze, and arched a brow. “What? You have a problem with that?”

Jiang Yan rubbed his lips slightly harder, eyes fixed on the reddened mouth as Jiang Ji deliberately puckered his lips and lightly kissed his finger.

Jiang Yan’s gaze darkened instantly.

Jiang Ji smiled brightly. “Come on, kiss me.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

“What, don’t want to anymore?” Jiang Ji asked when he did not move.

Jiang Yan sighed helplessly and leaned down to give him a firm kiss before murmuring, “Go back to sleep for a while. I’m going to plow the fields.”

He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Jiang Ji happily rolled back onto the bed, grinning foolishly to himself.

After a while, he opened the livestream again. The screen immediately filled with bright yellow scrolling comments.

【Oh my god, I can’t even watch this】
【Face completely flushed】
【Is this really something I’m allowed to see】
【Came early to wait and caught it again】
【Same here, waiting squad】
【Ahhh they’re so sweet!】
【Wonder how last night ended. Did Jiang Ji complete his first time?】
【He’s still bouncing around today, so probably not】
【He even remembered to turn off the livestream yesterday. Incredible. In that situation too】
【The screen went dark for a moment during the kiss just now】
【He definitely set new conditions again】

Jiang Ji: “……”

He silently closed it.

The family refused to let Jiang Ji go to the fields. After lying around for a while reminiscing, he found he could not fall asleep again, so he got up, washed, and helped dry rice grains at home.

In ancient times there were no cement courtyards for drying grain. The village did have a communal drying ground, but it was only packed earth, and grain could not be spread directly on it without collecting dust.

Most households instead laid out straw mats beneath the grain so it would be cleaner when milled later.

Part of the grain at Jiang Ji’s home was spread on large woven straw mats specially made for drying rice, while another portion was laid out on waterproof tarps he had exchanged for. These were spread across the courtyard, and the harvested rice was poured out and evenly distributed to dry.

After filling all three courtyards with drying grain, Jiang Yan and the others returned from morning work to eat breakfast.

Seeing Jiang Ji covered in sweat, Jiang Yan frowned. “Didn’t I tell you to rest properly?”

Jiang Ji looked up and smiled. “I couldn’t fall asleep anyway. It’s fine. Sweating a bit might even help. How are the fields?”

The rain from last night had continued into the latter half of the night, leaving the soil sticky with mud, but harvesting still had to continue.

Jiang Yan said, “The remaining fields have been harvested. The field we cut two days ago has already been plowed once. After breakfast we’ll go harrow it.”

“Alright.”

After breakfast, Jiang Ji was watched closely by Jiang Yan as he drank his medicine, his face twisting tightly from the bitterness.

The next moment, a soft candy was popped into his mouth. It was the same kind Jiang Ji had once exchanged for Jiang Yan when he had to drink calming medicine.

Jiang Ji looked up at him and sighed. “We really are a pair of suffering little lovebirds.”

Jiang Yan had to drink calming medicine, and now he had to drink cold medicine. Translated on Hololo novels. Both suffering together from bitterness.

Jiang Yan glanced at him. “Nonsense.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “Now that your memory’s back, do you still need the calming medicine? You’ve already finished a full course, right?”

“Mm. I won’t take it anymore starting today,” Jiang Yan said.

“It’s really good that your memory came back.” Jiang Ji studied him carefully, smiling.

With his memories restored, Jiang Yan’s presence had subtly changed. The confusion and unease were gone. Even his bearing felt different to Jiang Ji.

His gaze was more restrained, his demeanor steadier and calmer, carrying the composed confidence and strategic assurance of the Regent, as though everything lay within his control.

Even more attractive than before.

The sweet milk candy rolled across Jiang Ji’s tongue as he deliberately called out, clearly and slowly, “Lu… Huai… Zhou.”

Jiang Yan’s brow shifted slightly as he looked at him.

It was the first time Jiang Ji had addressed him like this.

“That name sounds really nice.” Jiang Ji hooked a finger with his, smiling as he said it again, “Lu Huaizhou.”

“Mm.” Jiang Yan responded gently, tightening his grip on Jiang Ji’s hand.

“Young Master, we…” Lu Jiu’s voice abruptly stopped when he noticed their joined hands. He blinked, looked at their calm expressions, and felt his mind explode with realization.

“!”

So that’s how it is!

He turned stiffly and saw Chen Feng coming up the steps. Hooking an arm around him, he hurriedly dragged him away.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t we looking for the young master?” Chen Feng asked in confusion.

“No, no, later,” Lu Jiu said, steering him away while also dragging his younger brother Lu Shun along.

Lu Shun tried to pry his arm free. “What are you doing? I have something to report to the young master.”

“Not now. Trust me, I’m doing this for your own good.” Lu Jiu pulled them toward the entrance, stared at the sky, and sighed deeply in melancholy.

“What’s wrong with you?” Lu Shun asked.

Lu Jiu sighed again. “Nothing. Just let me have a moment.”

Chen Feng and Lu Shun exchanged confused looks, completely unable to understand.

Inside the east wing, Jiang Ji released Jiang Yan’s hand. “Everything alright?”

“It’s fine. Ignore him.”

That morning, Jiang Yan worked at home drawing maps with Lu Jiu and Lu Wen. Three maps still remained unfinished, while everyone else had gone to the fields.

From time to time, Lu Jiu would zone out and secretly glance at his prince.

Jiang Yan shot him a look. “Focus. Don’t make mistakes.”

“Yes.” Lu Jiu quickly lowered his head and concentrated on drawing.

Jiang Ji had also been ordered to stay home. With nothing else to do, he assembled the repeating crossbow and sleeve arrows Chen Feng had brought back.

The large bed crossbow assembled smoothly, but one mechanism in the sleeve arrow would not fit. A component had been made slightly too small and would need to be reforged by a blacksmith.

After lunch, during their rest period, Jiang Ji and several others took the bed crossbow outside to test it.

It was midday, when the sun burned hottest, and the villagers were all resting indoors.

They transported the weapon to the foot of a nearby mountain and prepared for testing.

This bed crossbow was Jiang Ji’s design, inspired partly by things he had seen in his previous life and partly by technology described by viewers from another world. It was a multi-bow bed crossbow.

Jiang Ji secured a massive bolt, as thick as a spear shaft. “We can probably only draw one bow at a time. Aim for that hillside.”

Lu Jiu asked worriedly, “Can it really shoot that far?”

“Let’s try. In theory it should reach a thousand paces. The arrowhead should even embed into a city wall. It could be used for siege warfare.”

Seven or eight of them worked together to turn the windlass and draw the string tight.

Jiang Ji shouted, “Alright, release!”

Jiang Yan pulled the trigger.

Whoosh—

Boom!

A tree in the distance shook violently before crashing down with a loud rustle.

Everyone stared in shock.

They walked over to inspect it. The enormous bolt had pierced straight through a tree more than a foot thick in diameter, splitting halfway through the trunk.

“Wow!” Lu Jiu exclaimed. “That’s impressive power.”

“And the range is excellent,” Chen Feng added.

Jiang Ji said, “We don’t have a city wall here to test it properly, but it should be able to pin bolts into walls for sieges. The only drawback is that it’s heavy. Multiple bows firing together would require many people to draw them.”

Jiang Yan’s eyes lit up. “Very impressive.”

They carried the bed crossbow back. Jiang Ji handed the faulty sleeve-arrow component to Chen Feng. “This piece is too small. It won’t lock in place. Have it remade.”

He measured it carefully with a ruler. “The inner ring is short by one millimeter.”

Chen Feng examined it. “I’ll have it remade.”

That night, after wrestling with his thoughts all day, Lu Jiu quietly climbed onto the roof and secretly observed the east wing from afar.

The room belonging to his prince never lit up.

But Jiang Ji’s room showed two silhouettes for a moment before the lamp quickly went out.

Lu Jiu: “……”

Before they moved houses, his prince and Jiang Ji had slept together. He knew that much. There hadn’t been enough space for so many beds, and Jiang Ji had been injured and needed care, so it made sense.

But later, after Jiang Ji recovered and they moved here with separate rooms, they were still sleeping together?

That could only mean one thing.

The hand-holding he had seen that morning had no other explanation. It was simply hand-holding.

His prince and Jiang Ji were truly together.

Feeling conflicted, Lu Jiu drifted away and returned silently to his own room.

The next day, Magistrate Xu and the others arrived.

Lord Chen was especially concerned about the rice yield per mu. “The dried grain has finished drying, right?”

“It has,” Jiang Ji nodded. “Five hundred fifty-seven jin.”

Lord Chen brightened immediately. “Excellent!”

Magistrate Xu and the others had already visited during the first two days of harvest. Translated on Hololo novels. They had watched Jiang Ji’s family harvest two fields and had weighed the grain while still wet, nearly seven hundred jin. But because of the moisture content, yields were normally calculated based on fully dried grain, which was why they had returned.

Jiang Ji’s fields were treated as experimental plots. Detailed records were kept during harvesting. Each field’s grain was dried separately, and the duck-raised and fish-raised paddies were also recorded separately.

Magistrate Xu asked, “What about the rice from the fish-raised fields? Has it dried?”

“Some has,” Jiang Ji replied. “Calculated out, it’s about the same as the duck fields, around five hundred forty-six jin per mu. As for Uncle Tugen’s and the village chief’s fields planted normally, their yield is around four hundred ninety to nearly five hundred jin per mu.”

“Wonderful!” Lord Chen clapped his hands and said to Magistrate Xu with a smile, “That matches the situation in other villages. The best fields elsewhere are about the same. Some places with heavier pest damage only reached a bit over three hundred jin, but that’s still higher than before.”

Magistrate Xu nodded with a smile.

Over the past few days they had traveled through villages across the county, and Lord Chen had even visited neighboring Pingnan County.

The new rice variety had produced a bumper harvest. Yields had nearly doubled, and villagers everywhere were filled with joy. The hardship of the double harvest season felt worthwhile at last.

“Let us copy your recorded data,” Lord Chen said. “We must submit a report upward.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Of course. I’ve recorded everything, but a few fields still haven’t been fully counted. We’ll need a few more days to calculate the final averages.”

“Good, good. We’ll wait until harvesting is finished.”

Jiang Ji asked about conditions in other counties. Lord Chen replied, “During inspection, one area in Lushan County suffered severe pest damage. According to the methods recorded in your book, they used pine-needle water and similar treatments to eliminate insects. Their yield may end up slightly lower.”

Magistrate Xu sighed with feeling. “Your family’s fields really did have far fewer pests.”

“The duck and fish ate the eggs and larvae,” Jiang Ji said with a smile. “Many people in our village have already woven fishing nets and are preparing to raise ducks and fish.”

“This method truly deserves promotion,” Lord Chen said happily. “Your fields produce more grain than traditional planting, and you can also sell ducks and fish. That’s additional income.”

“That’s the idea,” Jiang Ji agreed, then added a reminder. “But if other villages want to try it, it’s best to recommend duck-raising first. Fish farming has higher requirements and greater risk.”

“Understood. I’ll inform them,” Magistrate Xu said, nodding.

…

Two days later, Jiang Ji’s family finished harvesting and transplanting seedlings, successfully completing the double harvest season. All that remained was drying the grain completely and storing it.

Lu Jiu and the others finally finished drawing the maps. Together with the crossbow schematics, Jiang Yan ordered Chen Feng to send the maps and blueprints to their intended destinations.

During this period, villagers frequently came at noon or in the evenings asking about raising ducks and fish in rice paddies. Eventually, Jiang Ji asked the village chief to gather everyone so he could give a dedicated lecture.

Villagers from two nearby villages also came after hearing the news.

Jiang Ji’s fields had yielded over five hundred jin per mu, not to mention the additional income from ducks and fish. The news had spread everywhere, and everyone wanted to follow his methods.

This season’s harvest showed villagers tangible proof of doubled yields, as well as the clear difference between Jiang Ji’s production and their own.

They now knew Jiang Ji had spoken truthfully.

Just like the earlier seed-promotion meeting, Jiang Ji stood before the crowd and explained everything from digging irrigation trenches onward. He talked until his throat went dry, drinking several bowls of water.

Although all this knowledge was already written in his cultivation manual, people still preferred hearing him explain it personally, and many questions required direct answers.

Jiang Ji patiently responded from the platform while villagers sat on the ground listening attentively.

Lu Wen nudged Lu Jiu. “Young Master Jiang Ji looks just like a general leading troops into battle.”

Lu Jiu nodded, then glanced at his prince, whose face clearly showed admiration, pride, and satisfaction.

Lu Jiu: “……”

Jiang Yan turned and looked at him. Lu Jiu quickly looked away. These past few days he hardly dared meet his prince’s gaze.

Lu Wen studied him. “Have you been constipated lately?”

“You’re the one who’s constipated,” Lu Jiu snapped.

“Then why do you look so troubled? Can’t go?” Lu Wen asked in confusion.

Lu Jiu: “……Ignorance really is bliss.”

He looked up at the sky and sighed. It was all because of his overly perceptive eyes.

Lu Wen elbowed him. “You’re the ignorant one.”

Lu Jiu shook his head, deeply melancholy, and muttered, “You don’t understand. If you understood, you’d know.”

Sigh… what were they going to do? The prince’s household might never have a young heir now.

After the summer harvest was completed, everyone was exhausted and could finally rest for several days.

Chen Feng brought back some of the bow components finished by the blacksmith and carpenter, and Jiang Ji began teaching Jiang Yan and the others how to assemble the bows.

It was also at this time that Lu Wu returned.

Earlier, Jiang Yan had sent him personally to deliver his plan back to the capital. Lu Wu had remained there while the Emperor and Minister Lu discussed and finalized the strategy, and now he had brought the response back.

Along with it, he also brought the military command token.

Immediately, Jiang Yan summoned several of his subordinates to the study. They held a long meeting, discussing matters for quite some time.

Jiang Ji did not disturb them and continued assembling bows on his own.

After about half an hour, Jiang Yan came to the workshop to find him. More than a dozen completed bows lay lined up along the wall.

Jiang Ji looked up. “Finished discussing?”

“Mm.” Jiang Yan sat by the table and watched him. “Now we’re just waiting for news from the capital.”

Jiang Ji paused. “When do you leave?”

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment before answering, “In three days.”

Jiang Ji stopped what he was doing and stared at him. “Didn’t you say a month? It hasn’t even been a month yet.”

“My memory has returned,” Jiang Yan explained softly. “I don’t need that much time to adjust. I need to go earlier to make arrangements.”

Jiang Ji lowered his gaze and turned away. “…Oh.”

He picked up the half-assembled bow and continued working. Jiang Yan watched him and said, “I’ll finish things quickly and come back.”

“Got it. Go then.” Jiang Ji paused again, glancing at the bows by the wall. “Tell Chen Feng to bring back all the finished components. Assemble more for you to take along.”

“Alright. Lu Jiu will stay a few extra days to transport the weapons.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ji hesitated, then asked worriedly, “Only Chen Feng and the other two going with you? That’s too few people.”

“The rest will be waiting for us in the forest outside the city.”

“How many?”

“Twenty.”

“That’s acceptable.” Jiang Ji relaxed slightly.

After a moment, he pressed his lips together and turned to look at him seriously. “Promise me you’ll come back alive.”

Jiang Yan nodded solemnly. “I promise.”

The next day, Jiang Ji began preparing supplies for their journey.

He sent people into town to buy up all the wound medicine available and exchanged for large amounts of instant noodles, biscuits, and bottled water. Traveling in summer made food difficult to preserve, and these were the most practical options.

Jiang Yan stopped his hands. “We don’t need these. We’ll bring dry rations, and we’ll pass through towns along the way. The mountains are full of game. We won’t go hungry. These things could expose your secret.”

Jiang Ji protested anxiously, “What if you need them?”

“Don’t worry. The south isn’t like the north where supplies are scarce. There are mountains everywhere and plenty of food,” Jiang Yan explained.

Speaking of the south, Jiang Ji reminded him, “Whatever you do, don’t eat wild mushrooms. They’re easy to get poisoned by.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Ji pointed at a medicine box. “Then at least take this. Antibiotics, fever medicine, iodine. You know what they’re for now. Bring them for emergencies.”

Jiang Yan tried to object, but Jiang Ji glared at him. “Listen to me. You have to take them.”

Jiang Yan paused, then nodded. “…Alright.”

Even so, Jiang Ji secretly packed the exchanged travel food for him anyway.

The night before departure, in Jiang Ji’s room in the east wing, faint sounds of kissing broke the darkness. Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan held each other and kissed for a long while before finally separating.

They lay quietly together, leaning against each other. Jiang Ji stroked Jiang Yan’s back gently. “Sleep.”

“Mm.” Jiang Yan’s voice was low. He kissed Jiang Ji’s lips again. “I’ll keep the promise I made to you.”

“Good. Just remember it.”

After a while, Jiang Yan suddenly got up and lit the lamp.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Ji asked. “Did you forget to pack something?”

“Mm. I forgot one thing.”

“What?”

Jiang Yan opened a drawer in the dressing table and took out a black box.

He climbed back onto the bed, opened it, and removed a seal and red ink.

Jiang Ji blinked. “What… are you doing?”

Jiang Yan glanced at him, dipped the seal into ink, and said, “I told you before. I would stamp you.”

Jiang Ji blinked again. “Oh. Right, you did say that.”

“Go ahead,” he said, lying flat. “You can stamp wherever you want.”

Jiang Yan looked him over, lifted his clothing, and carefully pressed the seal onto the upper left side of his chest.

Jiang Ji looked down. The skin felt cool at first. Soon, a square red imprint appeared against his pale chest, vivid like a flame.

— Regent’s Seal.

Jiang Ji blew gently on it to help it dry. Soon, two smaller square seals were added beside it.

— Jiang Yan Seal.
— Lu Huaizhou Seal.

All of Jiang Yan’s seals were now marked on him.

Jiang Ji stared at the small imprints and could not help smiling.

Jiang Yan looked at the seal on Jiang Ji’s chest that belonged to him and leaned down to kiss beside it.

Though the ink felt cool, Jiang Ji felt as though the skin there burned with heat.

As Jiang Yan prepared to put the seals away, Jiang Ji said, “Wait.”

“Mm?”

Jiang Ji jumped off the bed, rummaged through the wardrobe, then climbed back up, holding something in his hand.

“I’m stamping you too!”

He held a wooden seal of his own. Jiang Yan raised a brow. “When did you carve that?”

“After I saw your seal last time.”

Jiang Ji dipped it into ink, lifted Jiang Yan’s night robe, and stamped the same position over his left chest.

— Jiang Ji Exclusive.

Jiang Ji raised his brows proudly. “Well? Looks good, right?”

Jiang Yan smiled faintly. “Mm. It looks good.”

Jiang Ji tapped his chest lightly. “Jiang Yan, Lu Huaizhou. You belong to me now.”

“I do.”

Jiang Yan caught his hand, kissed it, and leaned forward to kiss Jiang Ji deeply.

The next day, Jiang Yan departed with Chen Feng, Lu Wen, and Lu Wu.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾