CHAPTER 97: CHAPTER 97: THE FACE-SLAPPING TIME-TRAVELING FARMING GIRL 34

Anning had a rather comfortable time at the Ye family’s home.

But she couldn’t stay there too long.

Having lived at the Ye family’s home for over a month, Anning then moved to the manor that came as part of her dowry with Qi Wenjuan.

This was essentially a separation from Qi Rui, which in modern terms, would be considered living apart.

Qi Rui had gone to the manor to look for Anning, hoping to persuade her to return and manage the family’s inner court.

But Anning firmly refused, claiming she felt nauseated by the thought of returning.

In fact, Anning had things to do while living at the manor.

She organized fleets to go to sea, bringing back new crop varieties such as Champa rice, as well as red yams, corn, and potatoes, among others.

Anning had these species quietly planted on the manor grounds. Staying there meant protecting these valuable crops.

Time flew by incredibly quickly, and before she knew it, Zhao Sanya was due to give birth.

Anning didn’t go back to see her; after Zhao Sanya gave birth, Ruyu quietly sent word to Anning, informing her that Zhao Sanya had delivered a deformed child.

After Zhao Sanya gave birth to this deformity, people became even more convinced of her and Qi Wenwei’s sibling relationship, and Qi Wenshao’s status as the Princely Heir seemed undeniable.

Upon seeing the frightening infant, Qi Rui immediately ordered the child to be killed in secret.

Zhao Sanya also glimpsed her child once and couldn’t accept that she had birthed a monstrosity, nearly losing her mind.

Qi Wenwei started avoiding Zhao Sanya altogether, refusing to step foot in her courtyard. Even when she summoned him, he found various excuses to stay away.

The entire family considered this a retribution, a punishment from the heavens.

Whereas Anning knew what had actually happened—Zhao Sanya consuming expired Fertility Pills and Qi Wenwei forcing an abortion pill on her during pregnancy.

Of course, though Anning understood the situation, she would not broach the subject. She sighed alongside Mrs. Hao and others, lamenting it as fate and mentioning how she had initially disapproved of the marriage. Qi Wenwei had been insistent on marrying Zhao Sanya, and now their actions had driven the family to the brink of ruin.

Qi Rui had changed completely.

Once full of vigor, he was now despondent, feeling as though life had lost its purpose.

Nevertheless, his ambition for power was too great, and he could not let go of the prestige and wealth for which he had strived for many years, thus he had no choice but to muster the spirit to continue his scheming.

Anning paid no mind to these matters.

She had originally planned to find a suitable husband for Qi Wenjuan.

However, the Qi Family’s scandal leaked out, and although it wasn’t widespread, all the notable families in Suzhou City knew of it, impacting Qi Wenjuan’s reputation and complicating her marital prospects.

Qi Wenjuan, on the other hand, was rather open-minded; she didn’t want to marry at all and preferred to live on the manor with Anning.

She enjoyed her freedom and happiness here and wouldn’t dream of marrying into servitude to another household.

Since Qi Wenjuan had no desire to marry, Anning let her be.

In private, Anning had discussed this with Qi Wenshao, who assured her that he would handle it, so she naturally stopped worrying.

Before long, over a year passed, and the time for the imperial examination approached.

Qi Wenshao had entered the Capital two months prior, and Qi Wenwei went to the Capital to take the exams as well.

Anning did not pay much attention to these affairs. She had accumulated a great deal of crops like red yams and potatoes on the manor and was only waiting for the right opportunity to present them to Qi Wenshao to boost his reputation.

Anning now dedicated her full attention to the manor, busy tallying the crops, determining how many to set aside for seeds, and compiling notes on farming practices from the past two years.

While Anning was engrossed in her work, news arrived that Qi Wenshao had become the top scorer in the imperial examination.

Overjoyed, Anning gave the manor’s staff two extra months’ wages and began preparations for Qi Wenshao to present the high-yield crops.

She sent word to Qi Wenshao, advising him not to return to Suzhou City and to remain in the Capital instead.

Afterward, Anning personally escorted the seeds to the Capital.

Qi Wenshao was not aware of Anning’s intentions, but he missed her after not seeing her for so long.

He waited in the mansion bought by Prince Kang Le in the Capital and after about half a month, Anning arrived.

Anning took Qi Wenshao to see the crops as soon as she saw him.

She pointed at a cart of sweet potatoes and said, "These are crops found from overseas. They’re called sweet potatoes and can grow even in sandy soil. Over the past two years, I’ve re-cultivated them and increased the yield significantly. The output can reach three to four thousand catties per mu, or even more."

Qi Wenshao was completely astounded when he heard it.

He looked at the cart of sweet potatoes, which seemed more valuable than life itself. This could feed everyone in the world; it had to be protected carefully.

Anning laughed and introduced him to corn and potatoes, among others. The more Qi Wenshao heard, the brighter his eyes shone, "Mother has found such high-yield crops, saving the lives of people all over the world. When I present them, I will ask for recognition on mother’s behalf."

Anning waved her hand, "Don’t say I found them, just say you did."

"Son..."

Qi Wenshao was reluctant; he felt it was Anning’s achievement, and he couldn’t take the credit away from her.

Anning pulled him aside and whispered, "This is the key to building your reputation. Think about it, you’re from the Royal Family, the Heir of Prince Kang Le. If you discover these crops, it’s different from if I did. If you are the one to present them, everyone in the world will be grateful to you. In the future, even without contention, the throne will be yours."

"But..."

Qi Wenshao wanted to argue, but Anning immediately frowned, "Are you saying that when you succeed, you will cast aside your mother?"

Qi Wenshao shook his head quickly, "No, no matter what, I will never forget mother’s kindness. If I’m not filial to my mother, I’m worse than pigs and dogs."

Anning hurriedly stopped him, "It’s enough that you know it in your heart, there’s no need to say such things. Whether it’s you or me who handles this, it’s the same; it belongs to both of us. However, if you handle it, we will benefit more."

After much persuasion from Anning, Qi Wenshao finally agreed.

Two days later, the Prince Kang Le formally requested to appoint Qi Wenshao as the Princely Heir.

Another day passed, and the Emperor approved.

Then, the news that the new top scorer was the Prince Kang Le’s long-lost Heir spread throughout the world.

Three days later, the newly crowned Xie Wenshao, formerly the Heir, presented to the Emperor the high-yielding crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn.

As these crops were easy to grow and had a particularly high yield, the Emperor began to promote them across the entire world.

After these new crops were promoted, within three years, there was no famine anywhere in the world. Regardless of how the people ate, there were no longer any who went hungry.

Since Xie Wenshao was the discoverer and the first to cultivate these crops, the people of the world were grateful to him, and he became highly acclaimed.

It was at this time that the Emperor passed away.

The Emperor died without an heir, which prompted the Empress and the Ministers to discuss who would be the new Emperor.

The Empress wanted to appoint the son of the Marquis Zhenan as the new Emperor.

She had good intentions; the Marquis Zhenan’s son was only four years old and didn’t understand affairs of the state. If he became Emperor, she could rule behind the curtain and hold the power of the world.

But the Ministers did not agree with the Empress’ plan.

The reason was that the Marquis Zhenan’s son was too young.

At this time, someone proposed that the Heir of Prince Kang Le could be Emperor.

Firstly, the Heir of Prince Kang Le was older and his literary and martial arts talents were especially outstanding. He was the top scorer, and in terms of martial arts, he could rival the Imperial Army. His character was upright, and he had the merit of promoting high-yield crops, making him an excellent candidate for the throne.

The Empress was unwilling, but because Xie Wenshao’s fame was too great, if he was not made Emperor, most people would be dissatisfied.

Furthermore, the Empress was also afraid of Xie Wenshao’s ambitions. If he harbored any, and the Marquis Zhenan’s son was made Emperor, it was feared that Xie Wenshao might create trouble, leading to chaos in the world, and then she would be the sinner.

After several rounds of squabbling, Eunuch Bai stood up and said that the late Emperor had mentioned that if he passed away, Xie Wenshao could be made the new Emperor. This statement settled the matter, ultimately favoring Xie Wenshao.

Then Xie Wenshao was invited into the Capital and was earnestly requested to enter the palace.

Of course, he repeatedly declined, but the Ministers’ insistent hospitality was hard to decline, and in the end, he ascended to the throne, faced south, and became Emperor.

After Xie Wenshao became Emperor, the first thing he presided over was the funeral of the late Emperor. After the late Emperor was buried and he observed mourning for a month, he began to award and recognize Ministers.

The late Empress was bestowed the title of Empress Dowager, and some meritorious Ministers received their rewards.

Of course, Xie Wenshao did not forget Anning.

After he secured the throne, he decreed Anning to be known as Madam Fengsheng and Qi Wenjuan to be Princess Huixian.