Farming Life in the Qing Dynasty

An Qing transmigrated from her life as a PhD in agricultural sciences to the Qing Dynasty during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, where she suddenly found herself betrothed to the Fifth Prince as a Mongolian princess. Looking at the towering walls of the Forbidden City, An Qing couldn't help but sigh and rub her forehead. Everyone in this palace was as cunning as a sieve full of holes. Standing among them, she was the quintessential naive, sweet girl. Fortunately, An Qing was not too unlucky. She was betrothed to the Fifth Prince, Yin Qi, who had no part in the struggle for the throne. Her family was one of the most influential branches of the Khorchin Mongols, and highly valued by the Kangxi Emperor. Besides, palace intrigue was out of the question. Why not shut the door and lie flat, enjoying a life of wealth and comfort? And so, while the secondary consorts and concubines pulled out all the stops to win favor, An Qing ate, drank, and farmed. While her sisters-in-law busied themselves showing off their virtue and filial piety, An Qing ate, drank, and farmed. While the princes formed factions and fought for power, An Qing pulled Yin Qi along to eat, drink, and farm with her. Who could have guessed that this woman, whom no one in the palace had taken seriously, would casually save a rare peony used in a sacrificial rite, a flower said to be an auspicious omen? She would also solve the agricultural plagues that had troubled emperors and ministers throughout history, including rice blast and wheat smut. And that was without even mentioning the succession of high-yield crops that appeared on her estate... Many years later, stories spread through villages and fields about the renowned "Goddess of Agriculture." Tens of thousands of commoners volunteered to erect monuments in her honor. They say this "Goddess of Agriculture" was a noble lady from the Forbidden City, yet she spent much of the year among the fields. The reason, she said, was that she wanted every child in the land to have enough to eat. * Yin Qi had grown up under the care of the Empress Dowager, and her influence had made him kindhearted and generous from a young age, with no taste for conflict. But no one in the imperial family could escape the struggle for power. Faced with feuding fathers and sons, brothers turning against each other, and factional disputes, Yin Qi was caught between all sides and had to tread carefully. His heart was tormented day and night. Then An Qing came into his life. Gradually, her easygoing nature, her composure, and every smile and frown became his salvation. From then on, he did everything in his power to escape the bloodshed of the struggle for power unscathed, all so he could give her a safe and peaceful life. Three meals a day, the seasons passing, sowing in spring and harvesting in autumn. As he watched waves of wheat ripple across the fields, then turned to look at his wife and children beside him, Yin Qi felt a peace he had never known before. Coming soon: Love Me, Sister 1 Everyone in B University’s alumni circle knew just how much Jian Ran liked Zhou Yu. She pursued him relentlessly for years, staying by his side as he went from having nothing to building a successful career. At last, the clouds parted and the moon appeared, and she became his girlfriend. But after dating for only a few months, Jian Ran realized she was a laughingstock in their whole circle. It turned out that Zhou Yu had always been in love with his childhood friend, the unattainable girl he could never have, and she had recently returned to the country. No one understood the power of that first love better than Jian Ran. At the B University alumni reunion, she showed up uninvited. When she saw the girl with her own eyes, arriving with her arm linked through Zhou Yu's, Jian Ran finally gave up hope. She broke up with him on the spot and walked away. A month later, Zhou Yu called Jian Ran late at night while drunk, but a man's gentle whisper came from the other end. "Sis, it's your phone." Zhou Yu: "?" He'd never heard that she had a younger brother. Then the man's cool voice came through again. "I'm not her brother. I'm her boyfriend." 2 After the breakup, Jian Ran's best friend arranged for her to stay at a secluded resort, cut off from the outside world while she healed. The resort assigned her a personal butler, a university student working his way through school. He wore a crisp white shirt, was tall and handsome, and was a pleasure to look at. The student was good at his job, too. He kept her company at meals and activities and listened to her worries. He was an excellent butler, and Jian Ran was very pleased with him. Then, by chance, she discovered that the university student was planning to find a rich woman to support him. Unable to bear the thought of him going down the wrong path, Jian Ran gritted her teeth and said, "I'm practically rich myself. Why don't you come with me?" Jian Ran thought it was nothing more than a simple transaction, but she had no idea the other person had been plotting this for a long time. It wasn't until a party that she discovered the poor student wasn't poor at all. He was a hotshot chip-design genius in B University's tech scene. Flustered, Jian Ran turned and ran, only to be cornered against the wall by the puppy-eyed younger man. He nipped at her earlobe and murmured, "Want to fall in love, Sister...?" - The first version of this blurb was screenshotted and saved on 2023.10.16 Theme: When you're poor, look after yourself. When you're prosperous, help the world.