Chapter 2316 2056: Such Is Fate

This level of efficiency astonished the Yuezhi to an extreme, especially considering they noted that the other side had some pronunciation and grammar errors at the beginning, but became fluent later on, leaving them utterly speechless.

"Can we have an audience in three days?" the leading Kushan Envoy respectfully bowed to Wu Yan, acknowledging that after arriving in the Central Plains, they had truly witnessed the region's prosperity.

Compared to Kushan's significant wealth disparity, from the observations of the Kushan Diplomatic Mission, the Han Dynasty seemed to at least ensure its people had no difficulty surviving, with most households having surplus grain.

Of course, Kushan had no idea that all of this was greatly linked to the Qu Qi they encountered in Yunnan.

Speaking of which, recently, Qu Qi had deviated significantly, often venturing into remote mountains, and had set aside his research on increasing grain production.

After all, by now, Qu Qi clearly understood that any high yield that didn't account for earth power depletion was pure folly, and the method of five stones plus crop rotation was essentially the limit of this era.

Beyond that, unless they could accumulate fertilizer, it was all nonsense. Thus, Qu Qi had shifted his focus from high yield to Heaven and Earth Essence Plants and other peculiar plants.

Back then, when Kushan encountered Qu Qi, it happened to be night, and they nearly mistook Qu Qi for a criminal due to this, almost apprehending him. Incidentally, Qu Qi's purpose for traveling at night was to seek glow plants suitable for cultivation.

After reaching south of Sichuan and Shu, the most magical plants Qu Qi encountered were glow plants. When faced with a bottleneck in increasing yields, coupled with the stagnant research on Heaven and Earth Essence Plants, Qu Qi deeply felt the need to research something else.

No matter how it was viewed, glow plants seemed extraordinarily valuable to research; planting them along roadsides for illumination seemed quite feasible too. Although night blindness had diminished significantly, it was still a condition that affected millions within the Han Dynasty. Hence, setting glow plants as a research goal seemed valuable to Qu Qi, if only to avoid accusations of neglecting his duties.

To determine whether a plant was a glow plant, one could only observe them at night, which is why during that period, Qu Qi was always up at night and hiding during the day, ultimately encountering the Kushan Diplomatic Mission. His nocturnal appearance almost got him killed, mistaken for a criminal.

Had it not been for the sudden emergence of three exceptionally skilled fighters at Qu Qi's side, which caused the Kushan Diplomat immense trepidation, they might have acted impulsively. With Qu Qi's previous behavior resembling that of a criminal, death seemed imminent at that time.

Thankfully, with the Telepathy Bead in hand, and under the wary gaze of the Kushan, Qu Qi was able to leave helplessly.

Looking back, had Kushan acted rashly, and Qu Qi not had the protection of an Immortal, resulting in his death on the spot, the Han Dynasty and Kushan would have immediately clashed.

Fortunately, such an incident didn't occur, and without much interaction, they each turned and departed.

Naturally, the Kushan Diplomatic Mission had no idea how crucial the man who appeared before them was to the country.

However, during this era, it was indeed terrifying for every household to have surplus grain. In just two years of dissemination and the populace's spontaneous learning, the planting methods and seed selections Qu Qi left behind had almost been mastered by the entire Central Plains populace.

For the people, while other matters might require deliberation, when it came to matters of life and death, they wouldn't act recklessly. During the first crop cycle, despite assurances from officials, it was challenging to promote the methods, but once the first crop yielded five stones of millet, nothing could move the people of that era more than food.

Naturally, by the second crop cycle, nearly everyone aware of the matter followed Qu Qi's initial directions step by step, naturally achieving the expected results. This also explained why Qu Qi's small shrines were thriving everywhere.

The adage "food is heaven for the people" is no joke. By resolving the issue of sustenance, Qu Qi became regarded as the Agricultural Emperor in the people's eyes during this era. Although China's sacrificial deities often had peculiar roles, such as seeking children or blessings, no matter the odd Job titles.

Regardless, a yield of five stones per mu was enough for the people of that era to live steadily, and with the stability of the lower classes, the entire country gradually entered a period of steady development. This was the national peace and prosperity scene observed by the Kushan Envoys.

Because of this abundance among the people, the Kushan Envoy felt a subtle sense of pressure. Every envoy visiting another nation, aside from presenting state documents, had another task: to observe the other nation's situation and compare it with their own.

Obviously, the Han Dynasty's situation was significantly stronger than Kushan's. Despite Kushan occupying the Ganges Plain, considered the world's most fertile land of the South Asian Subcontinent, people still starved. Even along the westward journey, observing the fields, the Kushan Envoys could tell that the Han Dynasty's fields yielded much more than Kushan's.

This was simply incredible. Any country that could earn an empire title in ancient times wouldn't invest lightly in food production.

Yet, the disparity was so vast that even a layperson could see it with the naked eye; the gap was indeed substantial.

"If you have any other needs, please feel free to let me know, and I will try my best to accommodate," Wu Yan inclined respectfully. As a spy casually placed by Li Youu within the Grand Herald, he was well-prepared from the outset for Kushan, and had undergone extensive learning of the Yuezhi language and script.