Parents are busy farming

Although two or three rains have fallen since the rains began, these rains have only benefited some areas.

What's worse, some places only experienced one rain at that time and never received any rain again.

Ye Zifen frowned, her heart filled with worry.

What she was most worried about was the possibility of a locust plague this year, which would instantly wipe out the people's hard work over the past year.

Fortunately, the north is still too dry to provide the environmental conditions for locusts to breed and spread on a large scale.

However, this drought condition still had a significant impact on the growth of food crops.

The endless fields of crops that should be thriving and vibrant now appear a little listless.

Ye Zifen looked up at the sky and prayed silently to God in her heart.

However, the current peace and tranquility is only temporary. It remains unknown whether the locust plague can be avoided by April or May next year.

Recently, Ye Zifen has clearly noticed that the air around her seems no longer as dry as before.

She took a deep breath of the fresh air, as if trying to capture the faint scent of moisture.

After all, if there's more humidity in the air, the likelihood of snowfall in winter will increase accordingly, which may bring more precipitation.

Unfortunately, no one can predict the exact direction of something that has not yet happened.

Even if suitable temperature and other conditions are met, future climate change will still be full of variables and uncertainties.

At this time, Ye Zifen was standing aside, with her head down, thinking about something in her mind.

The emperor sat on the dragon throne and asked majestically, "I want to know whether crops have been planted in the fields everywhere?"

This should have been a matter under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, but since it was beyond its scope of responsibility, Lord Hong respectfully saluted the emperor, then slowly took a step back, indicating that he had no knowledge of the matter.

At this time, the official from the Ministry of Works quickly stepped forward, clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, officials from various places have not yet reported the relevant situation, so I am temporarily unable to know the details."

Hearing this, Ye Zifen raised her head, thought for a moment, and then said softly, "In my opinion, it is not too late now. For wheat, now is the best time to plant. However, rice is different. It can be planted at any time, so we don't need to be too anxious."

The emperor nodded slightly, obviously believing what Ye Zifen said.

Because he had heard the retired emperor mention that this Princess Fuxia not only worked in the fields herself, but was also keen on studying all kinds of things, including the seeds of various crops.

The emperor frowned slightly, and his originally majestic face was now tinged with a hint of worry.

He looked at Ye Zifen with a serious look and asked, "In your opinion, what measures should be taken to urge all parts of the country to implement the planting as soon as possible?"

After hearing the emperor's question, Ye Zifen thought for a while before answering slowly: "Your Majesty, I think you can first issue an imperial decree to order local officials to quickly report the local planting situation in detail to the court. At the same time, send some reliable people to various places to check on the spot, so that you can accurately grasp the real progress of the planting work and ensure its smooth progress. In addition, I think those places and officials who actively implement the planting tasks and achieve remarkable results should be rewarded generously; and those who are perfunctory and negative about this matter must be severely punished. Only through this kind of clear reward and punishment method can we encourage everyone to truly pay attention to this major event related to the national economy and people's livelihood."

After the emperor heard what Ye Zifen said, a trace of thought flashed across his deep eyes, and then he slowly nodded, expressing his agreement: "Well, what you said does make some sense, but the scale and degree here need to be well controlled."

Ye Zifen quickly bowed to the emperor, his expression seemed particularly solemn and serious, and responded: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I believe that the responsible officials will carefully weigh the appropriate standards between rewards and punishments, and will never let loyal and virtuous officials be wronged, nor will they allow those treacherous officials with ulterior motives to take advantage of the situation."

After hearing Ye Zifen's words, the emperor nodded slightly to show his satisfaction, and the worry on his face was slightly alleviated.

Then he emphasized again: "This matter is of great significance and directly concerns the livelihood and well-being of the people. There must not be any slight omissions or mistakes! Let the Ministry of Personnel be responsible for this matter!"

After hearing this, the Minister of Rites took a step forward without hesitation, clasped his hands together and saluted the emperor, then stood up and responded with a firm gaze, "Your Majesty, rest assured! I will lead all my colleagues in the Ministry of Personnel to do our best and will never let your Majesty down!"

His voice was loud and powerful, echoing throughout the court, demonstrating full determination and confidence.

The emperor nodded slightly to show his approval, with a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Then, the emperor's gaze slowly shifted to Ye Zifen beside him, and complex emotions intertwined in his eyes.

Deep down in his heart, he really admired Princess Fuxia's ability to get things done.

After all, other people might be at a loss as to how to deal with this difficult issue, but she was able to quickly come up with a solution, and her insights were unique and far-sighted.

At this moment, the emperor already knew what kind of official position would be appropriate for her.

However, what is puzzling is that this seemingly talented and capable woman does not seem to want to become a minister with a close relationship with the emperor.

She seemed to have her own set of rules of conduct, which was like an invisible high wall that blocked her and his desire to get close to her.

The emperor couldn't help but ponder in his heart: What was the reason that she couldn't treat him with the same wholehearted devotion as she did to the emperor? Was it really just because of those so-called principles? Or...

When the retired emperor was in power, she was very thoughtful and dedicated. She considered everything very carefully and gave everything without reservation.

But for some reason, when facing me, she seemed like a different person, always with a vague sense of alienation and reservation.

Fortunately, despite this, she can be said to be conscientious and down-to-earth in handling affairs.