Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Year 31 of Anjian, January 19th.

The snow in Anqiu County had yet to melt, and the streets were still sparsely populated, but the government office had already opened its doors.

Today was the day the office would issue official seals, and everyone was required to be present.

“Happy New Year!”
“Wishing you a prosperous start to the year.”
“Feels like the year hasn’t quite ended yet.”

Master Fan and Clerk Ma stepped forward; both were aware of the response from the Prefectural City’s official bureau. The reason they couldn’t be appointed as deputy clerk or county assistant was also clear: the local population was too small, and there simply weren’t enough affairs to warrant additional positions.

Though they had felt a bit disheartened before the New Year, hearing that the county magistrate was actively preparing for the new year rekindled their hope.

With such a capable magistrate like Ji, working under him would surely double their efficiency.

What if, by chance, the county’s population grew enough to justify more positions?

That was the implication in Ji Chu’s words. So, as the new year began, everyone was full of enthusiasm, eager to make a mark.

There’s an old saying: “A single brave soldier is formidable, but a nest of brave soldiers is unstoppable.”

With such a formidable superior, they were certain they would share in his glory.

Ji Chu proceeded to issue orders one by one.

First, Household Clerk Xie Mi, along with clerks from six other departments, was to copy three manuals on fertilizer usage.

Each manual was to be copied fifty times and distributed to the officers under Master Fan’s supervision. These officers would be divided into ten teams to distribute the manuals across five villages, one town, and the county seat of Anqiu.

Officers had to be literate; if a village had no literate individuals, then personnel would be sent to read the manuals aloud.

Clerk Xie first reviewed the manual. The opening summary read: “Agricultural production depends on three essentials: seeds, pesticides, and fertilizer.”

The manual elaborated on the importance of these three elements.

Seeds were the foundation of all life, no explanation needed.

Pesticides had to be tailored specifically—this section was even turned into a catchy rhyme to help farmers better understand how to tackle pests and diseases.

The section on fertilizer was especially detailed, covering every aspect.

It specified which fertilizers were best for different crops and which kinds of soil required particular nutrients.

Though Ji Chu was a scholar from the imperial examination system, he wrote the content succinctly, without a word wasted.

His sole purpose was clarity.

Everyone should be able to understand; everyone should be able to follow.

There was not a single obscure character, nor any show of literary flair.

If this were a test essay for the imperial exam, it would surely be rejected.

But for promoting fertilizer use, it was perfect.

Clerk Xie, having served as a minor official for many years, understood this kind of document best suited the needs of the common people.

As he marveled quietly, others rubbed their hands eagerly, ready for a major effort.

Only the county school instructor, Zhang, opened his mouth but said nothing.

The county exam was imminent; he had no time to copy fertilizer manuals—doing so would be beneath his scholarly dignity.

Yet he dared not complain, since the current Anqiu County office belonged to Magistrate Ji.

Ji Chu had not forgotten the exam either. He inquired about the number of applicants and the exam arrangements, nodding in approval: “Over thirty candidates will participate, with five seats available in the county exam—this is manageable.”

An exam with just over thirty candidates would be a minor matter even for a single classroom.

As for those who passed the county exam and had to proceed to the prefectural level, he would arrange travel expenses and assign officers for their accompaniment.

He said no more, which only deepened Instructor Zhang’s frustration.

Being a county magistrate should not mean such blatant favoritism.

Studying was an urgent matter—far more important than fertilizer.

He had heard that Magistrate Ji came from a family of scholar-farmers, which might explain his special emphasis on agriculture.

No matter what Zhang thought, the government office sprang into action.

Before spring plowing began, everyone was to be taught how to make different types of fertilizer.

The village and town leaders wore puzzled expressions.

But the farmers were immediately interested upon hearing “fertilizer making.”

Not to mention, prior to the New Year, Magistrate Ji had already earned their trust by distributing relief aid.

Moreover, any farmer knew the importance of fertilizer.

Now that the government offered free instruction, they were eager to learn.

With the snow still unmelted and fieldwork impossible, it was better to study.

Following Ji Chu’s orders, each village cleared a space. If there were literate villagers, they were taught first, then instruction proceeded in batches.

If no literate individuals were present, clerks from the office were sent.

The learned man of Luoyu Village never imagined that his teaching would no longer focus on classical texts but on fertilizer making.

What’s more, the methods described were both well-written and precise.

The entire village gathered, usually chatting idly, but this time they fell silent, afraid to miss any detail.

The first lesson covered basic fertilizer knowledge.

Ji Chu’s manual began by explaining what fertilizer was, then detailing its classifications.

Since chemical fertilizers did not yet exist, it discussed various types of organic fertilizers.

For example: cake fertilizer, human manure, poultry manure, cattle and sheep manure, crop stalks, and the like, explaining the appropriate uses of each.

These insights, only veteran farmers had previously deduced; now they were openly shared so that novice farmers could learn.

It also covered base fertilizer, mid-growth fertilizer, and top dressing.

The manual provided practical methods and precautions for fertilizing, making every farmer wish for a bigger brain to absorb more knowledge.

To everyone’s surprise, officials struggled stumblingly to explain these concepts; those unfamiliar with farming found it hard to grasp.

Yet the farmers immediately remembered and integrated the knowledge.

Because these were already their everyday skills—they were merely filling gaps and supplementing their understanding.

This contrast raised questions.

Who was truly educated: the literate officials or the illiterate farmers?

Why did those with books learn less effectively than those without?

Ji Chu laughed and said, “Farmers may be illiterate, but they are not ignorant.”

Like the county school.

The instructor Zhang hoped to support the county school because it imparted knowledge.

But who said knowledge was only the Four Books and Five Classics?

Must learning be confined to the county school or private academies?

The countryside and fields were equally valid places of learning.

Instructor Zhang realized his view of these farmers’ knowledge was too narrow.

When it came to farming, who was whose teacher was obvious.

The county school’s imperial exam was important.

But so was fertilizer in the fields.

Knowledge about fertilizer quickly spread among Anqiu’s farmers, and some had even begun producing different fertilizers according to the methods.

The five villages advanced swiftly, and the county seat followed suit.

What surprised Ji Chu was that in Weijia Town, considered a model area in Anqiu County, the promotion met with difficulty.

This was because the scholars there were all focused on the county exam.

Among the thirty-plus candidates, over ten hailed from Weijia Town, and all local literates took the exam very seriously.

Ji Chu was helpless and had to dispatch several literate clerks to Weijia Town from the office.

He could not halt the county exam, but he could not neglect the local people either.

Once the fertilizer usage promotion succeeded, he had another important task.

To promote the cultivation of rapeseed.

During the month after the New Year, compiling the fertilizer manual was crucial, and so was preparing a planting manual for another crop.

If it were an ordinary county, there would be no need to rush.

But Anqiu County could not wait.

Do you remember Anqiu’s situation?

They taxed land that was barren or non-existent as if it were farmland, forcing locals to pay triple the usual land tax.

Only after Ji Chu took full control of local accounts and examined the true figures from Zhao Jinchuan did he grasp the vast gap between reality and records.

The official ledgers listed 310,000 mu of arable land.

In truth, the county only had 160,000 mu under cultivation.

The residents were paying tax on an extra 150,000 mu of nonexistent land.

This was a sensitive issue that could not be reported to higher authorities.

To improve local livelihoods, Ji Chu could only try to close this gap.

Besides cultivating existing farmland meticulously,

Opening actual wasteland was equally important.

After careful selection, Ji Chu chose rapeseed.

First, rapeseed was well-suited to local conditions, extremely cold-resistant, highly productive, had a short growing cycle, and was easy to cultivate.

It required minimal care, and whatever harvest was gathered helped offset losses.

The oil extracted could be sold or used at home.

Most importantly, rapeseed plants served as leafy greens in early growth.

The fields used for rapeseed would not be counted as taxable farmland.

In short, Ji Chu’s goal was to show the people of Anqiu that his methods were sound and to let them experience the benefits of learning agricultural techniques.

This would pave the way for promoting widespread rapeseed cultivation.

Fields of golden rapeseed blossoms would bring wealth to the locals and benefit many.