Chapter 1202 - 1202: That Scene Was So Lively
After Jiang Zhennan and the others received the order, they put down their equipment, rolled up their pants, took out a seemingly sharp sickle from the basket, and immediately went to the field to cut the rice.
The officials were stunned at first; then, they looked at each other. No one ran to Jiang Zhennan to learn how to harvest rice.
Yuwen Longyan’s face darkened, and he shouted in a deep voice,” My dear ministers, what are you all daydreaming about? Why aren’t you learning?” Jiang Zhennan was not a man-eating beast. Were they that afraid of getting close?
Seeing that His Majesty was about to lose his temper, they could only brace themselves and walk forward.
Fortunately, Jiang Zhennan wasn’t the only one who was going to teach them how to harvest the rice. There were also Guo Bing, Little Three, Little Six, and
Little Twelve.
A few of them had been in Lin Family Village back then. They had once participated in the process of transplanting rice and harvesting rice in Lin Family Village.
As for using this small sickle to cut rice, they had long been very familiar with it. However, the Emperor had brought hundreds of officials and descendants of the royal family. So many people did not take the lessons seriously but only stood on the ridge and watched from afar. No one rolled up their pants and went into the field.
Could they see Guo Bing and the others ‘movements clearly?
Yuwen Longyan was speechless again. He said to Eunuch Zhang beside him,”
Eunuch Zhang, you go to the field too. Teach them one by one. I want to see who isn’t learning seriously.”
Eunuch Zhang immediately bowed and replied,” Yes, Your Majesty!” After that, Eunuch Zhang put down the horsetail whisk in his hand and rolled up his pants like Jiang Zhennan.
Then, he picked up a small sickle from the basket and went straight into the field. He used the small sickle to cut the rice in a very clumsy manner. These officials were also very puzzled when they saw that Eunuch Zhang, who had always been by the Emperor’s side, could actually use such a small sickle to cut the rice.
However, on second thought, they heard that Eunuch Zhang was also a child from the countryside before entering the palace. Therefore, he would naturally be more familiar with the work of the countryside.
Yuwen Longyan’s face darkened at first, then he smiled and said to the officials,” Beloved ministers, I’ll give you all the time to learn how to harvest rice in three incense sticks! After the time it takes for three incense sticks to burn, anyone who did not learn it would have their salary deducted for three months!”
He would see who would continue to slack off. This involved their own direct interests. This immediately woke everyone up. All of them immediately bent down to roll up their pants. Some of them even ignored rolling up their pants because they wanted to get into the emperor’s good book.
They stepped into the field and observed the soldier’s actions very seriously. Although Guo Bing and the others didn’t like these people and felt that they only knew how to talk nonsense and didn’t know how to do anything substantial, they had received the order of His Majesty.
The Emperor’s plan was for the 1,000 Mus of land in the Nanyuan Manor to be harvested by the civil and military officials and the people who were originally working there.
“Hold the sickle like this. Right, then, swing the knife down. Don’t use too much force, but don’t use too little force! However… Haha…
Immediately, someone fell on all fours like Eunuch Zhang during his first harvest, causing everyone to laugh!
“Ah, I cut my hand, and it’s bleeding!’
“Aiyo, I seem to have been bitten by something. There’s actually a red and swollen mark on the back of my hand!”
“Hey, why can’t I bend down? What should I do?”
In a short period of time, all kinds of situations occurred frequently.
This was clearly a joke! His Majesty’s face was dark and ugly! However, he didn’t say anything. He got up from his chair and asked the palace maid to roll up his trousers and put on gloves. He also picked out a small, sharp sickle from the basket and went into the field in two or three steps. His Majesty’s series of actions shocked everyone except Eunuch Zhang and Jiang Zhennan, who knew the inside story.
Their mouths were wide open, enough to stuff a duck egg in! ‘Why does His Majesty look so skilled?’
However, what shocked them, even more, was that after His Majesty went to the fields, he bent down and skillfully grabbed a handful of rice with a small sickle and began to cut. Nothing happened at all. The officials once again looked at each other, and then their expressions immediately became serious.
His Majesty had already gone to the fields. Could they still hang back? Wouldn’t that annoy His Majesty?
Therefore, as long as one wasn’t a particularly stupid fool, no one would make the mistake of angering His Majesty.
Therefore, everyone started to get serious. Even if their hands were cut by this small sickle or the back of their hands were cut by the rice, no one dared to make a sound. They could only endure it silently! The originally lively scene suddenly became quiet again.
However, everyone was more confused about why His Majesty was so skilled in using this small sickle.
They knew that ordinary farmers did not use small sickles to cut rice. In other words, this was the first time that this small sickle had appeared in a harvesting field. However, why were His Majesty, Jiang Zhennan, and some of the people in Nanyuan Manor so skilled in using it?
With these doubts, everyone began to harvest the rice very seriously. Even if there were something they didn’t understand, most people would ask Guo Bing and the others.
Those who wanted to build connections would directly ask Eunuch Zhang. No one dared to ask Jiang Zhennan and Yuwen Longyan.
Even the Crown Prince only asked Guo Bing. A hundred people, even the dumbest of them, would learn how to harvest rice within the period of burning three incense sticks. Moreover, these were not fools who became ministers.
Therefore, after the time it took for three incense sticks to burn, Yuwen Longyan sent Guo Bing and the others to check the results. They all passed.
It was also said that no one was punished!
Guo Bing curled his lips in boredom. He looked down on these people even more. These people only knew how to act hypocritically.
Not long after, Jiang Zhennan raised his head and glanced at the harvested rice. He then said to Guo Bing and the others,” You can bring out the thrashing machines now!”
Thrashing machines? What was that?
Many people were puzzled. However, hearing the name of this thing, he could guess that this thing was used for harvesting grain.
Guo Bing and the others went up the ridge and put the scythe back into the basket. Then, they walked in the direction of the house.. Everyone stared curiously at the people who had left and muttered to themselves,” What does a grain thrasher look like?” A moment later, more than a dozen thrashers were carried out and placed in front of the officials, shocking them once again!