In the Years When I Was a Father-Chapter 47: Strict Father in Ancient Times (4)

After quite a bit of bidding, the chili peppers were finally all presold.
Everyone was very satisfied with the outcome today. Back in the study, Qi Sheng couldn’t help but laugh aloud as he looked at the signed order contracts and the silver. The road to Yuping County was finally happening!
Qi Xiuwen stood by his side, truly admiring his father’s foresight as he looked at the silver notes spread out on the desk.
It was currently the agricultural off-season, making it the perfect time to hire locals for road construction. With a daily wage of thirty wen plus two meals, the news quickly spread, and the townspeople rushed to sign up, afraid that slots would fill up too fast.
By the time the New Year came around, Yuping County already had eight wide and smooth roads connecting the towns and the county seat. The people were overjoyed and deeply grateful, praising Qi Sheng as an extraordinarily virtuous official.
During the road construction, the local government also encouraged villagers to expand livestock farming, even sending experienced breeders to villages to offer guidance. By the New Year, many families who had earned quite a bit from road work could afford to slaughter a chicken or two and enjoy a proper celebration.
Meanwhile, Qi Sheng had also left a good impression on the Emperor.
The Great Sheng Emperor had long grown tired of the rich palace cuisine. After tasting dishes made with chili for the first time, not only did his appetite return, but he even grew somewhat addicted. He became increasingly fond of hot pot, too.
And the Emperor’s preferences, like a weather vane, quickly influenced others. After sampling chili dishes at palace banquets, high-ranking officials and noblewomen alike began talking about it. Chili became a bit of a trend in the capital. When the next harvest comes, there’s no doubt it’ll be in high demand.
At the end of February, Qi Sheng received even more good news: a merchant caravan from the border had brought him something he’d been looking for—sweet potatoes!
The merchant leader, Xu Yunyan, was a sharp-minded man. He recognized sweet potatoes as valuable and had originally planned to take them to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to sell to high-ranking officials. But along the way, he heard about the chili peppers and had a new idea.
Xu Yunyan cupped his hands and said, “Sir, ever since you asked me last time about edible grains, I’ve been paying close attention. These sweet potatoes were bought at great cost. They are perfect as a staple food, and after further investigation, I found that they are easy to grow, drought- and poor-soil-resistant, and yield a stable, high harvest. Just the kind of rare crop you were looking for!”
Qi Sheng inspected the basket of sweet potatoes in the hall. They were exactly what he’d hoped for. Overjoyed, he said with satisfaction, “Thank you, Master Xu. May I ask what price you intend to sell these sweet potatoes at?”
Qi Sheng sighed inwardly. He figured the sweet potatoes would be too expensive this time. It wasn’t like the chili peppers—those two men hadn’t known their worth, so he’d gotten them cheaply. But this Xu merchant was clearly well-prepared. Most of the money from the chili presale had already been used up on road construction, so he really couldn’t afford to pay a high price.
Still, Qi Sheng wasn’t too disheartened. As long as sweet potatoes could be promoted throughout the Great Sheng Empire and the people could have enough to eat, it didn’t matter whether he was the one to lead the effort. It wasn’t like he had no other political achievements to show.
Besides, he still had quite a few other crops in his personal storehouse. He could secretly bring out one or two and claim he bought them from the caravan—it wouldn’t raise suspicion, especially now that chili and sweet potatoes had already paved the way.
Unfortunately, Qi Sheng had underestimated these merchants. They were all sharper than the last.
Xu Yunyan praised him, saying, “Sir, your efforts to improve the people’s livelihood are truly admirable. I’ve heard you have a unique food called chili that’s become very popular. I won’t beat around the bush—would you be willing to trade sweet potatoes for chili?”
As a grain, sweet potatoes could earn a large sum if sold to high officials or curry favor with the powerful, but the profits were still limited. Xu had no officials in his family, and his dealings with them were purely transactional. An upright official like Qi Sheng, who truly sought to solve problems for the people, was a rare find. Plus, Qi Sheng had valuable chili peppers—trading with him made perfect sense.
Qi Sheng was surprised. He hadn’t expected Xu to be so well-informed, but he nodded in agreement. “Of course. But the current chili yield is still limited. I can’t offer you much right away, but I can guarantee you’ll have priority access for the next three years.”
In three years, the chili planting area wouldn’t have expanded that much, and compared to the wealth of the entire elite class of Great Sheng, it would be an incredibly profitable venture.
The two hit it off. Qi Sheng later treated Xu Yunyan to hot pot. After tasting the chili flavor, Xu’s eyes lit up. While sweet potatoes were better suited to fill the bellies of commoners, rare chili could fetch a much higher price.
Xu Yunyan was delighted—he had clearly made the right choice!
Once Qi Sheng received the sweet potatoes, he immediately arranged for people to cultivate seedlings. Although it was a few days late, it was still just in time for spring planting.
By June, the planted chili peppers had already produced their first harvest. Qi Sheng arranged for dedicated workers to dry and collect the seeds, ensuring the peppers wouldn’t leak to outsiders.
Because of a few “extras” Qi Sheng had mixed in, even just the first harvest produced about a hundred jin of dried chili. Most of it was offered up as tribute.
There was no helping it—ever since chili peppers made their appearance in the palace, not only had high-ranking officials tried to probe him openly and in secret, even the Emperor himself had started to pressure him.
When he first presented tribute, Qi Sheng handed over a small portion of chili pepper seeds, along with detailed instructions on how to cultivate and care for them. Unfortunately, with the emperor’s vast household—concubines, princes, and countless royal relatives thick-skinned enough to ask for their share—the recently harvested peppers weren’t nearly enough to meet the demand. Qi Sheng had no choice but to offer some up as tribute first.
By October, several harvests had already been completed, and Qi Sheng had finally repaid his “debts.”
Looking at the piles of chili pepper seeds, Qi Sheng was finally satisfied. Next year, these seeds could be distributed to the common people for planting.
Sweet potatoes had also reached harvest season. Qi Sheng looked at the baskets of harvested sweet potatoes and nodded in satisfaction—another step closer to their widespread adoption!
He selected the best-looking batch to present to the court, along with notes on cultivation methods and characteristics such as high yield and stability. The submission stirred quite a commotion in the imperial court.
“Your Majesty, if Lord Qi’s claims are true, and this sweet potato is indeed a viable grain crop, once promoted across Da Sheng, our people may finally no longer need to worry about having enough to eat!” someone exclaimed excitedly.
Others were more cautious: “None of us have seen these sweet potatoes ourselves. It’s possible Lord Qi has exaggerated to gain merit. I believe we should send someone to verify this immediately!”
Another suggested, “Yuping County is remote and the soil there poor. If this crop is as miraculous as claimed, it should be transferred to a more fertile county for testing.”
Since Qi Sheng dared to present it to the court, it was likely this sweet potato truly was a good variety. Even if he had exaggerated, everyone agreed it was a rare and valuable crop—many were already eyeing it with interest.
The emperor, sitting high above, was in a good mood. Even as the ministers quarreled, he didn’t get angry. Though he was now in his prime, he had accomplished little since ascending the throne over a decade ago. Fortunately, he benefited from the solid foundation laid by his predecessors and continued their policy of expanding border trade. The commoners lived reasonably well, and even in times of natural disaster, the court could still manage support. Without that, how could Yuping County have received a five-year tax relief after the drought? It was only because the imperial coffers were still sufficient.
However, there’s a big difference between scraping by and not having to worry about hunger at all. Counties like Yuping were common across Da Sheng. If the sweet potato was truly easy to grow and high-yielding, even the poorest families could have full stomachs. That would lead to a healthier population, increased birth rates—an achievement worthy of being recorded in the emperor’s legacy.
The emperor halted the ministers’ bickering and signaled the chief eunuch to deliver a decree. The imperial edict stated that Assistant Minister of Revenue, Cai Mingce, and Court Secretary Li Wen were to go to Yuping County after spring to investigate and verify the cultivation and yield of sweet potatoes and chili peppers.
Cai Mingce was known to be upright and diligent, not one to play political games. The emperor trusted him with this important matter.
Qi Sheng had anticipated the court would send envoys and wasn’t worried. After learning about the character of the imperial envoys, he was relieved—it was best not to deal with the old foxes of the bureaucracy.
At the start of spring, Assistant Minister Cai, Secretary Li, and a group of agricultural experts arrived early in Yuping County.
After hosting them with proper hospitality, Qi Sheng began organizing the distribution of chili seeds to villagers and set aside land with skilled farmers to raise sweet potato seedlings.
Minister Cai worked earnestly, inspecting chili and sweet potato fields personally, and the Ministry of Revenue’s agricultural experts meticulously documented their observations. The entire spring planting season was spent in diligent labor.
By May, as the first peppers began to bear fruit and sweet potatoes had all been planted, Cai Mingce set out for the capital to , leaving a team behind to observe until the autumn harvest.
That year, the people of Yuping County earned a great deal. With silver in hand, many families planned to build homes or take wives during the idle season. Having once starved, many also stored up enough grain to last an entire year.
Grateful villagers frequently came to the county office to kneel and give thanks—so much so that Qi Sheng was too embarrassed to leave the house.
One day, Secretary Li jokingly said, “Lord Qi, your service to the people is truly admirable.”
“You flatter me, my lord,” Qi Sheng replied modestly. “I’ve only done what is within my means, just like all the other officials. It is you, who tirelessly toiled in the fields for investigation, that I admire greatly.”
The two exchanged courteous compliments, subtly praising one another in return.
Now, Yuping was no longer the ignored little county it once was. Caravans came and went endlessly, all hoping to get a share of the chili trade.
Thanks to his connection with Qi Sheng, Xu Yunyian was now making profits hand over fist—this year’s income even surpassed what he had earned from border trade!
By October, with the sweet potato harvest proving both abundant and flavorful, Secretary Li was finally reassured. If promoted widely, this food could certainly save countless hungry citizens.
“Lord Qi, there’s no need for more gifts. We’ve successfully completed our mission and must now return promptly to to His Majesty.”
Qi Sheng bowed to see Secretary Li and the others off. Upon returning to the Qi residence, he turned to his son Qi Xiuwen and said, “It won’t be long before you head to the capital for the imperial exam. Use these next few days to calm your mind and review your studies thoroughly.”
Over the past few years, Qi Xiuwen had followed his father’s lead, learning strategy and practical governance. Witnessing the transformation of Yuping from a poor county to a prosperous one, he couldn’t help but feel proud—and admired his father’s foresight even more.
His writing had matured, and now, when completing assignments from Master Zhang, he often received praise. Even his father frequently nodded in approval.
Qi Xiuwen was now brimming with confidence—he was sure he would pass the upcoming exams!
Seeing his son in such good shape, Qi Sheng encouraged him: “Even Master Zhang praises your writing now. As long as you remain calm during the exam, your name on the honor roll is only a matter of time. I was once too anxious and almost held you back…”
Before Qi Sheng could finish, Qi Xiuwen interrupted, “Father, how can you say that? Without your strict guidance, I would never have achieved what I have today. Please don’t say such things—it humbles me too much.”
Qi Sheng patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Alright then, as long as you don’t resent me. Your wife is pregnant and cannot accompany you to the capital. The journey won’t be easy—bring plenty of servants and money with you.”
Qi Sheng rarely spoke so tenderly. Qi Xiuwen’s eyes grew moist—having such a father, he vowed to work hard and live up to his expectations.
In mid-November, before the weather turned too cold, Qi Xiuwen set off for the capital. This time, Qi Sheng personally escorted him out of the city. Qi Xiuwen nearly burst into tears as he left.
His father had always been stern, and rarely showed such warmth. Staring out the carriage window in a daze, he wondered—when exactly had his father begun to change?
Thinking back to that family punishment over two years ago, Qi Xiuwen couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile. That was the first time his father had let him off before the punishment was complete—perhaps that was when his father began to slowly change.
The Qi family had quite a lively New Year. Apart from Lady Wang, who remained especially anxious, even Madam Lin was all smiles.
Soon after the New Year came the important metropolitan examination. Qi Sheng remained calm, but Lady Wang had taken to chanting scriptures and visiting nearby temples to burn incense and pray. If Qi Sheng hadn’t stopped her, she would have gone all the way to the renowned Shengfo Temple in the provincial capital to offer incense.
Lady Wang was slightly annoyed at being thwarted, secretly cursing Qi Sheng for caring too much about appearances at such a crucial time. In the past two years, Qi Sheng had mellowed out quite a bit, and both Lady Wang and Madam Liu had grown bolder around him. Lady Wang thought to herself: “If my son doesn’t pass this time, just you try laying a hand on him again!” But then she spat twice and muttered, “Nonsense—my son is sure to pass this time!”
Not long after the exam, before news of Qi Xiuwen’s results had arrived, Qi Sheng himself received good news.
After the Left Assistant Minister returned to the capital to back, the emperor took note of Qi Sheng’s contributions. Once Imperial Physician Li and the others also completed their , the emperor felt assured and promoted Qi Sheng early in the year.
From a zhixian (county magistrate) of the seventh rank, Qi Sheng was promoted three levels to a zhizhou (prefectural magistrate) of the fifth rank, a leap that made many other hardworking officials envious. Some, unconvinced, grumbled that heaven had favored Qi Sheng, allowing him to stumble upon chili peppers and sweet potatoes by sheer luck.
No matter how others saw his rise, Qi Sheng was satisfied—he was finally moving up in the world.
This promotion came with a direct reassignment within the borders of Jizhou. As zhizhou, he now governed five counties instead of just one, including Yuping County.
After thinking over the conditions of the other four counties, Qi Sheng couldn’t help but twitch the corners of his mouth. So, they’d seen how prosperous Yuping had become and now expected him to lift the surrounding counties as well.
But it made sense. Previously, all five counties in Pingzhou had similar living standards—poor and struggling. Compared to the other three prefectures in Jizhou, they were like neglected children. Now that Yuping County had improved significantly, the neighboring “brothers in hardship” felt the imbalance.
The emperor, considering all this, promoted Qi Sheng to zhizhou of Pingzhou—not only to reward him for his clear contributions but also to test him further. Not just local officials but even the emperor suspected that Qi Sheng’s success might’ve involved a fair bit of good luck. Considering Qi Sheng’s past record, this promotion was already a great imperial favor.
Qi Sheng moved with his entire household into the zhizhou residence, located in Jiaping County—the wealthiest in Pingzhou and also the closest to the provincial capital.
Upon taking office, Qi Sheng resumed another year of busy work. Thanks to the advantages brought by chili peppers, Yuping County was already preparing its seedling work in an orderly fashion. Heping and Taoping Counties were like Yuping two years ago—doing little beyond weeding their wheat and envying Yuping’s thriving households. Caiping County, not bordering Yuping, continued on much the same as usual. As for Jiaping County, which bordered both Yuping and the capital, its economy had developed thanks to the flow of trade caravans passing through.
Qi Sheng began reviewing each county’s gazetteer and economic data, planning how to improve life for the people of Pingzhou.
Take Jiaping County, for example: while some merchants had spare wealth, most common folk still depended entirely on the land and weather to survive.
Qi Sheng was drafting preliminary plans in his study when excited shouting reached his ears.
“Master! He passed! The young master made the list—sixth place!” The servant who brought the news was panting from excitement.
Although Qi Sheng had a strong hunch his son would pass this time, hearing the confirmation still brought a few hearty laughs. “Pass the word—everyone in the household gets an extra month’s pay!”
The servants waiting in the courtyard cheered joyfully, spreading the news like wildfire. The Qi residence erupted in celebration.
Having placed sixth, Qi Xiuwen was naturally overjoyed. Unfortunately, as a new jinshi (presented scholar), he couldn’t return home to honor his ancestors this year. He had been appointed a shujishi (scholar for further study) and would soon enter the Hanlin Academy for advanced studies.
Though he regretted not being able to celebrate with his parents, he was glad not to have disappointed his father’s expectations, and felt he had brought some glory to the family name.
Thinking of his father’s recent promotion, he wrote a heartfelt letter expressing both filial piety and longing.
Lady Wang wore a constant smile these days—her husband promoted, her son passing the exam. Nothing could be more satisfying.
She was now especially kind and gentle toward her pregnant daughter-in-law, Madam Lin. “Wen’er is staying in the capital now that he’s passed. You just focus on resting at home. Once the baby’s a bit older, you and the child will join him in the capital.”
“Really? Mother, do you really agree to let me go to the capital?” Madam Lin was taken aback, nearly losing her composure. She had been so happy when her husband passed the exam, but her heart had ached knowing he’d have to stay in the capital for work. She thought she’d have to wait years before reuniting. Hearing her mother-in-law’s approval, tears of joy spilled down her cheeks.
Lady Wang smiled, “Child, you’re still pregnant—you mustn’t cry.”
Madam Lin quickly wiped her tears, but hesitated. “What about Father…”
Lady Wang knew exactly what she was worried about—Qi Sheng might object, fearing the child would be a burden on his son’s career. But thinking of what he had said that morning, she smiled again. “It was the old master himself who said to bring both children along. Don’t worry.”
Madam Lin was stunned. While her father-in-law had seemed gentler over the past two years, based on years of observation, she had assumed he would prioritize her husband’s future. She didn’t take the words too seriously, assuming her mother-in-law had interceded on her behalf—only making her all the more grateful for her mother-in-law’s love and care.