Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 263 Chen Zhong: If you are not from the nine clans, I will strangle you!

To the persistent demands of that dead eunuch Chen Zhong regarding propriety, Magistrate Yang calmly replied with just two words.

"No time."

As the magistrate of Ningyang County, Magistrate Yang had just seen Zhu Biao, Zhu Lao Er, and Zhu Lao San off when he had to go to a village in Ningyang County to inspect the ponds and harvest lotus roots. He had no time to practice the extremely complicated Zhou rituals.

Magistrate Yang glanced at Chen Zhong and the others, and said with a forced smile, "I have already promised the people that I would go to each village to inspect the harvest of lotus roots. This is a major event that is related to the paper mill's papermaking and printing and the lotus root harvest. Old man Chen, you would not ask me to break my promise to the people, would you?"

Chen Zhong felt a lump in his throat. After a moment of silence, he said, "What about after the people have finished harvesting the lotus roots?"

Magistrate Yang rolled his eyes and said, "Naturally, we'll go and inspect the people's harrowing and sowing of winter wheat. Next, we'll go and see the people's plowing. After all, not all fields need to be planted with winter wheat. If the land is plowed well in winter, it will save a lot of work when harrowing in spring, and the harvest will be better."

"Once these matters are finished, it will be around the winter month. The pig farm in Ningyang County will be preparing to slaughter pigs to make sausages and cured meat. These are military rations supplied to Prime Minister Xu's army, and there must be no mistakes. Therefore, I have to go and see for myself."

As Magistrate Yang continued recounting his points, Chen Zhong's urge to strangle him grew stronger and stronger.

This is your wedding, you bastard!

Moreover, you are going to marry two princesses at once, which is unprecedented. If you don't understand the etiquette, you will not only embarrass yourself on the wedding day, but you will also make the royal family lose face, you bastard!

Chen Zhong roared inwardly, wishing he could grab Magistrate Yang by the collar and give him a thorough dressing-down.

But the thought of his own life and his entire family quickly calmed him down, and he said with a forced smile, "Lord Yang is benevolent to the people, which is a blessing for the people of Ningyang County. I admire him greatly. But Lord Yang can't just think about the people of Ningyang County. He should at least think about his own marriage."

"After all, we are marrying Princess Jin and Princess Yu. If we are impolite, wouldn't we make the whole world laugh at the imperial family and the two princesses?"

"Of course, I know that many of the rituals are rather cumbersome. So, I'll discuss it with the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs later to see if we can simplify them a bit. Would that be alright?"

Upon hearing Chen Zhong suggest further streamlining of various rituals, Magistrate Yang smiled and said, "What are you saying, Elder Chen? Although I am quite busy, matters of etiquette are not solely my concern. How could I possibly slack off?"

At this point, Magistrate Yang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "These days I do indeed need to inspect the people's lotus root harvesting and their plowing and cultivation. These agricultural matters, which are related to the people's livelihood, cannot be delayed."

"How about this, if you have some free time these next few days, Mr. Chen, you can come with me to visit the various villages and see how the people cultivate the land. That way, when we return to the capital, we can have something to report to His Majesty."

"As for the etiquette, we can practice it in the evening. I wouldn't joke about my own wedding, would I?"

Upon hearing Magistrate Yang's explanation, Chen Zhong could only nod in agreement helplessly.

Let him study at night if that's fine. At worst, we'll just remove all those tedious rituals that are deliberately designed to torment Yang Dianfeng and only teach him the useful things.

After all, what Yang the Madman said concerned the livelihood of the people. If he really used this as an excuse not to learn etiquette, even if the Heavenly King himself came, he couldn't say that Yang the Madman was wrong. On the contrary, he would have to praise him for caring about the people.

Thinking of this, Chen Zhong couldn't help but feel very unhappy.

The task assigned by the Emperor is definitely impossible to complete. Not only can we not bother Yang Dianfeng, but everyone also has to take care of Yang Dianfeng's schedule. Teaching him things depends on his mood. It's truly infuriating!

Especially after the next day, when Chen Zhong and the head of the Ministry of Rites' Ceremonial Affairs Department accompanied Magistrate Yang to Liu Miao Village in the west of the city, Chen Zhong's urge to strangle Magistrate Yang became even more uncontrollable.

The common people are busy draining the pond with buckets and basins. What are you, Magistrate Yang, doing?

Oh, so you, Magistrate Yang, are just lying on your recliner waiting to have some tea!

Water was boiling on a small clay stove, a small dragon-shaped tea ball was placed in a teacup, and a young maid of about fifteen or sixteen years old was sitting by the stove waiting for the water in the kettle to boil!

Is this what you, Magistrate Yang, meant by coming to inspect the people's lotus root harvest?

You'd be better off staying in the county government office and learning etiquette from the Ministry of Rites!

It wasn't until quite a while later, when the water in the kettle had boiled and the maid had brewed the tea, that the villagers of Liumiao Village had drained most of the water from the pit.

Liu Sanshier rubbed the mud off his hands and leaned over to Magistrate Yang, saying, "Your Excellency, the water has been drained, and we can start harvesting lotus roots soon."

Magistrate Yang got up, took a sip of tea from the maid, and said, "Go ahead and pick them. I've said it before, I don't know how to farm, so I don't know how to pick lotus roots either. You can handle these things yourselves. I'm just here to watch the fun."

Liu Sanshier chuckled and agreed, then turned around and shouted to the villagers of Liumiao Village, "Time to harvest lotus roots!"

Harvesting lotus roots is no easy task.

Strictly speaking, lotus roots in Shandong Province only begin to form tubers around July, and by the time they are ready to be harvested, it is around September or October.

The water temperature was already quite cool at this point, and the bottom of the pond was mainly silt, making it impossible to go down and pick lotus roots with shoes on. So, they could only choose the warmest time of day, around noon, and go barefoot into the silt to pick lotus roots.

When harvesting lotus roots, first use your feet to locate the lotus root, then use your feet to clear away the mud on both sides of the lotus root, and then break the lotus rhizome from the outside by stepping on it from the lotus leaf stalk. Grab the back of the lotus root, support the middle of the lotus root with your other hand, and gently pull the lotus root out.

If you're not careful during this process, you can easily damage the lotus root, especially the nodes. Once damaged, mud can seep into the holes, making it much harder to clean.

When Liu Thirty-Two presented several sections of lotus root to Magistrate Yang as if offering a treasure, Magistrate Yang, unconcerned about the dirt, reached out and took them, asking, "Didn't it get muddy?"

Liu Thirty-Two chuckled and said, "No, not a scratch at all. If mud got in, I'd twist the head off and use it as a chamber pot for you, sir."

Magistrate Yang chuckled and said, "I don't need such a big chamber pot. Alright, while it's still warm, hurry up and pick the rest of the lotus roots. Leave these two lotus root slices here for now; I'll take them back later to fry lotus root fritters."

When Liu Sanshier ran back to pick lotus roots, Magistrate Yang turned to Chen Zhong and said, "These are crisp lotus roots from our Ningyang County. Take them back, wash them clean, and cut them without cutting them completely in one go. Then stuff them with seasoned minced meat, deep-fry them, and that's how you make them fragrant."

Chen Zhong really didn't want to say anything more.

You'd rather spend your time figuring out how to make delicious lotus root cakes than learn some etiquette, right?

It's truly heartbreaking and upsetting.

Magistrate Yang continued, "Speaking of which, this is the first time our Ningyang County has grown lotus roots. We don't know how many we can harvest."

Chen Zhong chuckled and asked, "Does Magistrate Yang have any plans?"

Magistrate Yang shook his head slightly and said, "What plans could I possibly have? I already told them when we had them plant lotus roots earlier this year that after the lotus leaves were picked, they should be sold to clinics and pharmacies, and the lotus stems should be sold to paper mills. They should keep the lotus roots for themselves to eat, and take any that they can't eat to the city to sell."

At this point, Magistrate Yang pointed to the lotus root sections that had just been placed aside and said with a smile, "When we get back to the county office, I'll have someone fry some lotus root sandwiches, and stir-fry the rest. Mr. Chen and the officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs must try them."

Chen Zhong didn't respond to Magistrate Yang's words; instead, he pondered to himself.