Ch 98: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

Before the New Year, Lu Huaizhou and his group had hurried along and made it from the capital to Changping County in just four days.

On the return trip, however, Lu Huaizhou slowed the pace, worried that Jiang Ji wouldn’t be able to handle it physically. They took six days on the road and arrived in the capital the day before the Lantern Festival.

The capital was much colder than Changping, still blanketed in snow, and even colder during the thaw.

Jiang Ji wore thick cotton padding under a heavy cloak, a hat on his head, a thick mask over his face, and a scarf wrapped outside that. Only his eyes were visible as he leaned weakly against Lu Huaizhou.

He had been sneezing since morning and felt slightly dizzy. It was probably the start of a cold.

Lu Huaizhou had originally wanted to stop at a post station and wait until Jiang Ji recovered before continuing, but Jiang Ji saw that the capital was only half a day away and insisted on pressing on and resting once they arrived.

Given his condition, Lu Huaizhou didn’t trust him to ride alone, so he brought Jiang Ji onto his own horse.

Lu Jiu had ridden ahead to arrange for a carriage to meet them at the city gates.

Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou switched to the carriage. Leaning against Lu Huaizhou, Jiang Ji lifted the curtain with a gloved hand and looked out at the streets.

“The capital is really lively,” Jiang Ji murmured.

Since the Lantern Festival was the next day, many shops were already setting up lantern displays for the evening festivities.

Lu Huaizhou tucked a hand warmer into Jiang Ji’s arms. “Tomorrow night there will be a lantern festival.”

“Oh?” Jiang Ji turned back, brightening. “Then let’s go see it tomorrow night.”

Lu Huaizhou rubbed his hands. “That depends on whether you’ve recovered by then.”

Jiang Ji blinked. “Of course I will. It’s just a small cold, no problem.”

Lu Huaizhou smiled. “Alright. If you’re better, we’ll go.”

“Deal.” Jiang Ji grinned.

The Lantern Festival was basically the ancient version of Valentine’s Day. There was no way he’d miss it.

They passed through the bustling streets and returned to the Prince’s residence.

When the gatekeeper saw them, he turned back in surprise and shouted, “Quick, inform Steward Zhong! The Prince and the Duke have returned!”

Someone ran inside at once, announcing the good news.

Lu Huaizhou got down from the carriage and helped Jiang Ji down.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing serious.” Jiang Ji pulled down his scarf, his voice slightly muffled. “Just the early stage of a cold.”

Lu Huaizhou led him inside. By then, Steward Zhong and Xiao Liu had already come out to greet them.

“Your Highness!”

“Your Grace!”

Lu Huaizhou nodded and instructed, “Uncle Zhong, send someone to fetch the imperial physician. The Duke has caught a cold. Also have the kitchen prepare ginger sugar water and hot water.”

“Yes.” Seeing Jiang Ji’s poor complexion, Uncle Zhong hurried off to arrange everything.

Lu Huaizhou led Jiang Ji back to their courtyard.

As Jiang Ji lifted the wind curtain and stepped inside, a wave of warmth hit his face. He sighed in relief. “So warm!”

Xiao Liu immediately brought hot tea. “Your Highness, Your Grace, warm, right? I knew you’d be back today, so I started the charcoal brazier early.”

“Very warm. Good work, Xiao Liu.” Jiang Ji removed his cloak, and Xiao Liu quickly took it. Lu Huaizhou went inside, brought out one of his own cotton jackets, and wrapped Jiang Ji in it.

Looking at himself bundled in two layers, Jiang Ji said, “I feel like a bear.”

“You’ve caught a chill. Wear more for now. You can take it off later once you’re warm,” Lu Huaizhou said, reaching to remove his mask.

Jiang Ji turned his face away. “Don’t. What if I infect you?”

“I’m fine. I’m strong. That mask makes it hard to breathe,” Lu Huaizhou said, removing it anyway. Seeing Jiang Ji’s reddened nose, he felt a pang of concern. He placed a cushion on the chair and pressed him down to sit. “Sit first. Drink some hot tea and warm up.”

“Mm.” Jiang Ji sat down and slipped his feet under the heated table.

Lu Huaizhou immediately covered his legs with the quilted cover and took his hands, rubbing them to warm them up.

“Your hands are cold too,” Jiang Ji said, his voice thick with nasal congestion.

“Then we’ll warm each other,” Lu Huaizhou replied, rubbing until Jiang Ji’s hands were warm before handing him the tea.

“I’ll do it myself.” Jiang Ji took the cup and sipped slowly. The hot tea traveled down his throat into his stomach, bringing a sense of warmth.

Lu Huaizhou wrung out a hot towel and wiped Jiang Ji’s face and hands, then gently pressed the warm cloth against him.

“You should sit and rest too,” Jiang Ji said, pulling him down.

“Mm.” Lu Huaizhou washed up and sat beside him. They warmed themselves together, waiting for the physician and the ginger sugar water.

Jiang Ji noticed the window was only slightly open and reminded Xiao Liu, “When you use charcoal braziers, open both front and back windows. It’s fine to open them wider. Let the air circulate so no one gets poisoned.”

“Got it.” Xiao Liu opened the windows further.

“And remind everyone else too. Always open a window when heating.”

“Alright, I’ll go tell Uncle Zhong.” Xiao Liu ran off.

This heated table had also been made based on Jiang Ji’s design. According to Lu Huaizhou, it had gradually become popular in the capital over the winter.

After a while, the kitchen brought ginger sugar water. Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou each drank a large bowl, gradually feeling warmer.

The imperial physician arrived, checked Jiang Ji’s pulse, and confirmed it was a cold. He prescribed some medicine and advised him to keep warm and rest.

Jiang Ji said, “Physician, please check His Highness as well.”

“I’m fine,” Lu Huaizhou said.

The physician smiled. “It doesn’t hurt to check for peace of mind.”

“Exactly, just to be sure.”

Lu Huaizhou let him check. He was fine.

He then had the others who had returned with them examined as well. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. One of them had also caught a slight chill, so the physician prescribed medicine.

By the time they got home, it was already late afternoon. Jiang Ji took a hot bath, broke into a sweat, and felt his head clear up a bit.

After bathing, it was time for dinner.

Lord Lu and his family, having heard of Lu Huaizhou’s return, came to visit and ended up staying for the meal.

Everyone sat around the heated table, with the dishes placed on top.

Jiang Ji offered New Year greetings to Lord Lu and Madam Lu. Madam Lu handed him a red envelope. “Why does your voice sound like that? You don’t look very energetic. Are you sick?”

“Mm, just caught a cold,” Jiang Ji replied.

“Have you seen a doctor?” she asked with concern.

“The imperial physician already came and prescribed medicine.”

“Then eat quickly. Afterward, take your medicine and rest.”

Jiang Ji nodded.

They began eating. With their legs warmed by the table, the warmth spread through their bodies.

Madam Lu smiled. “Xiao Ji, this heated table you designed is wonderful, especially with this quilt cover. Once it’s on, your whole body stays warm. I’d say at least eighty percent of households in the capital are using it now. I haven’t been able to do without it all winter.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “It just prevents heat from escaping.”

“I wish I could live on it,” Lu Huaichuan joked.

Everyone laughed, the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful.

Madam Lu and the others had only come by to take a look. They shared dinner with them, sat for a while, and then left.

After eating, Jiang Ji took his medicine, soaked his feet, and was promptly tucked into bed by Lu Huaizhou. Lu Huaizhou even stuffed several hand warmers under the blankets, two by his feet and one in his arms.

“Still cold?” Lu Huaizhou pressed down the edges of the quilt and asked.

Jiang Ji shook his head. “Not anymore.”

Lu Huaizhou touched his forehead, worried he might develop a fever. “I’ll come back after I bathe.”

“Mm, you should soak properly too.”

After bathing, Lu Huaizhou also went to bed early, holding Jiang Ji to keep him warm.

Jiang Ji was young after all. After a bath, medicine, and a good night’s sleep, he felt much better the next morning.

At noon on the Lantern Festival, he followed Lu Huaizhou to the Lu residence for a reunion meal, and that evening he dragged him out to see the lantern festival.

The capital’s Lantern Festival was extremely lively. Along several main streets, large red lanterns hung from the eaves on both sides, and nearly every shop displayed decorative lanterns, lighting the streets brightly.

From a distance, the lights flowed like a river, dazzling and brilliant.

The crowd bustled, with all kinds of stalls lining the streets. Jiang Ji wandered through them with great interest, buying many small items for his mother and the others, and also preparing some for giveaways to his audience.

He even picked out a pair of hair crowns and bought them on the spot.

“One for each of us. Couple hair crowns,” Jiang Ji said with a grin.

Lu Huaizhou nodded, smiling softly. “Alright.”

Jiang Ji then pulled him along to wear masks and solve lantern riddles. The two of them solved one riddle after another, drawing bursts of amazement and applause from the surrounding crowd. In the end, they even won a beautifully crafted lantern.

Jiang Ji was delighted, carrying it home and hanging it in their room.

The next day was the first grand court assembly after the New Year break, and Jiang Ji had to attend with Lu Huaizhou.

When Lu Huaizhou got up, he was still worried about Jiang Ji. “Are you feeling better? You don’t have to go.”

Jiang Ji sat up. “I’m fine. It’s the first court session, I should show up.”

“Then wear more layers.”

At four in the morning in deep winter, the temperature was several degrees below zero, bitterly cold.

Jiang Ji nodded. “Mm. You should wear thermal layers too.”

With the tail end of his cold lingering, Jiang Ji no longer cared about appearances. He put on thick fleece-lined thermal underwear from the system, added cotton trousers, and bundled himself tightly. When he finally put on his official robes, the loose garment looked puffed and round from all the layers underneath.

The first court assembly after the New Year was a grand occasion. Officials rarely missed it.

After the ministers offered New Year greetings to the emperor, the palace hosted a banquet for the court. Then a brief “opening of the seals” ceremony was held, signifying that officials were formally resuming work.

Once everything was done, Jiang Ji went to see the emperor and the Regent.

He had gone home early before the New Year and hadn’t reported or paid respects, so he used this opportunity to make up for it.

He presented seeds of new crops and their planting methods as a gift to the emperor, both a tribute and a record of his achievements.

The young emperor looked at the seeds and documents and said with a smile, “You’ve worked hard. The lettuce, cabbage, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower grown at the Regent’s residence have been sent into the palace. They taste excellent. Because of you, even in winter the people of the capital can enjoy fresh vegetables they never had before. I hear from the Regent that the people will soon be able to grow them themselves. This greatly pleases me.”

Jiang Ji replied with a smile, “I will do my utmost to promote these seeds and not fail Your Majesty’s grace.”

“Then I will rely on you,” the emperor said, before changing his tone slightly. “I hear from the Regent that you’ve also brought many spring wheat seeds this time?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. Spring wheat will be promoted further north, where winters are too harsh for winter wheat. I have identified the general regions. As for which counties will begin trial planting, that will require Your Majesty and the Regent’s decision.”

“Very good.” After discussing official matters, the emperor added, “I hear from my mentor that your family won’t move to the capital until March?”

“That’s correct. There are still some matters to arrange at home. Once I return this time, I will begin preparations for the move.”

After chatting with the emperor for a while, Jiang Ji didn’t bring up the matter of establishing women’s academies. It wasn’t appropriate to raise it on the first day back to work after the New Year. He and Lu Huaizhou had agreed to wait a few days.

After leaving the palace, Jiang Ji returned to the Regent’s residence.

After resting for two days and fully recovering, he took Lu Jiu and the others to inspect the fields outside the city.

The wheat fields were covered in snow, lying dormant for the winter, with only a hint of green visible at the tips.

Jiang Ji brushed aside the snow to check. The growth looked good, and after inspecting, he covered it back up.

Snow helped insulate against cold, killed pests and eggs, and even contained nitrogen that enriched the soil.

These winter wheat varieties were relatively cold-resistant. As long as there weren’t prolonged periods of extreme cold, they should survive the winter safely.

Jiang Ji spent three to four days inspecting all the farmland outside the city, including those belonging to the Duke’s residence, the Regent residence, and the Lu household.

He also spoke with the farmers, addressing their questions about cultivation. He gave each overseer a spring farming plan, detailing when to sow, what to plant, how many mu to plant, what preparations were needed, and the planting methods, so they could study it in advance.

After finishing this, Lu Huaizhou returned with news that the court had selected the counties for trial planting of spring wheat and had already issued instructions for when they would come to collect the seeds.

Since the local officials wouldn’t arrive until after the first lunar month, Jiang Ji didn’t rush to redeem the seeds, to avoid moisture damage.

Soon after, Lu Huaizhou arranged a time for Jiang Ji to meet the emperor again.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t bring this up in court?” Jiang Ji asked.

Lu Huaizhou led him out, holding his hand. “No need. Leave the rest to me.”

Jiang Ji looked at him and said, “This proposal will cause a stir. At least ninety percent of the ministers will oppose you.”

“It’s fine.” Lu Huaizhou glanced at him. “I also want to do what I can to help.”

Jiang Ji’s eyes curved with a smile. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

The two entered the palace. Lu Huaizhou brought Jiang Ji to the lake in the imperial garden.

Jiang Ji looked over and saw the emperor standing by the lake, watching attendants break the ice.

His eyes lit up instantly as he understood Lu Huaizhou’s intention. He gave him a thumbs up. “Handling two things at once. Nicely done, Your Highness.”

Lu Huaizhou smiled faintly and led him forward.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

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