Chapter Seventy-Five: The Experimental Field

Outside the South City Gate

The pond that the Mo Family Village used to transfer live fish had now been opened to the public, drawing a continuous stream of curious citizens from Chang’an. The crowds surrounded both sides of the pond, leaving hardly any space to move.

Within the pond, countless live fish swam densely together, showing no fear of the people on either side. Instead, they darted toward the aerators, competing for the most comfortable spots.

“So this is the secret of keeping live fish?” a scholar in a blue robe exclaimed in disappointment. Seeing that the method was so simple, he couldn’t muster any interest.

“Did you not attend today’s Mo Technology Exhibition?” a middle-aged man in black glanced at the scholar and spoke.

“How did you know?” the scholar asked in surprise.

The middle-aged man chuckled. “If you’d been there, you wouldn’t be disappointed. The young master of the Mo Family publicly promised that anyone who can unravel why injecting air into the water keeps the fish alive will receive a reward of ten thousand strings of cash!”

“Ten thousand strings!” The scholar’s jaw dropped in shock.

The surrounding crowd was abuzz as well. Ten thousand strings of cash was an unimaginable fortune for most of them. Eyes blazing with desire, they stared at the wind-powered aerator by the pond.

“If I could uncover the existence of this ‘air,’ wouldn’t that mean…” More and more people were seized by the thought, the temptation of such a reward overpowering nearly all resistance.

“It seems the little catfish’s plan is working splendidly,” Li Shimin remarked as he watched the crowd’s excited chatter, with everyone talking about the ten thousand strings as though money were nothing.

He wore plain clothes, appearing like a well-to-do gentleman out for a stroll. By his side stood the tall and burly Cheng Yaojin and the dark-faced Yuchi Jingde, while the capable Qin Qiong had disguised himself as a guard.

“All the hustle and bustle in the world is for profit. If not for the five thousand starving villagers of the Mo Family Village, I would rather have been a frivolous nobleman, idly walking dogs and playing with birds,” Mo Dun said, accepting a handful of fish feed from a passing villager and tossing it into the water.

Splash! The feed hit the surface with a crisp sound. The fish, long accustomed to being fed, immediately surged forward in a frenzy, madly scrambling for the food and sending water splashing high into the air.

“What a spectacular sight!”

Such a scene of fish scrambling for food, so common in later ages, was being witnessed for the first time in Tang Dynasty Chang’an, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd.

“The words of Guan Zhong are truly incisive,” Li Shimin sighed softly. As emperor, he had come to a deeper understanding of such wisdom, often employing similar methods to achieve his goals.

The spectacle of the fish left a deep impression on all present. Many onlookers clamored for the scene to be repeated.

Mo Dun, in no mood to perform again, simply handed the feed to the eager Qin Huaiyu and led Li Shimin and the others toward the Mo Family’s experimental fields.

“Greetings, master!”

Su Lingnong hurried over upon hearing the news. For Li Shimin’s safety, he addressed him as “master.” Dressed as an old farmer, Su Lingnong was unrecognizable as the Grand Minister of Agriculture of the Great Tang.

“Su Lingnong, you arrived early. How is the curved-beam plow working?” Li Shimin asked.

Su Lingnong promptly pointed to the fields. “Your Majesty, as you see, there are two plows at work here. The one on the left is the old-style plow, while the one on the right is the curved-beam plow. The advantages of the new plow are immense!”

Li Shimin looked over. The old-style plow was indeed cumbersome, difficult to turn, and required two oxen to pull, yet still covered less ground than the curved-beam plow, which needed only one man and one ox.

“Not only does the curved-beam plow save one ox without slowing down the work, but it also turns the soil more thoroughly, making the land more fertile and loose—ideal for crops to grow. The Mo Family is truly remarkable. On behalf of a million farmers of the Tang, I thank the Mo Family.”

With that, Su Lingnong bowed deeply to Mo Dun.

Startled, Mo Dun quickly stepped aside. “You honor me too much, Minister Su. My only aim in improving the plow was to find a source of income for the Mo Family Village. Such ceremony is undeserved.”

“There’s no need for such modesty, young master Mo. The farmers gain better tools, the Mo Family makes a profit—everyone benefits,” Qin Qiong interjected.

“But you may not know, Lord Qin,” Su Lingnong continued, “that Mo Dun’s contributions go far beyond this. Look here: these hundred acres are neatly divided into four sections, each of twenty-five acres.”

Only now did Qin Qiong realize that the fields had been purposefully planned, not simply left as they were.

“What is the use of such division? Is there some secret to it?” Li Shimin wondered, not understanding Su Lingnong’s excitement.

Su Lingnong glanced around to ensure they were alone in the center of the field, then respectfully said, “Your Majesty, the secret is best explained by Lord Mo, who designed this system himself.”

“Well, out with it, boy!” Li Shimin shot a sidelong glance at Mo Dun.

Mo Dun awkwardly rubbed his nose. When Old Su was speaking, everyone listened respectfully, but when it was his turn, their attitude changed completely. Yet, knowing his lowly status among them, he could only sigh inwardly.

He began, “I divided these hundred acres into four sections. The first uses only traditional methods for planting. For the second, I made a slight change: I gathered plant ash and various fertilizers from nearby villages and plowed them into the earth with the curved-beam plow to enrich the soil, aiming for higher yields.”

In truth, Mo Dun glossed over the details with a stroke of his literary brush. Among the fertilizers were human and animal manure, common in later times for boosting yields, but there was no need to spell this out to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin nodded approvingly, though the faint, lingering odor made him slightly uncomfortable.

Mo Dun continued, “For the third section, I realized that poor harvests were often due to seeds being eaten by pests and birds. So, I soaked the seeds in a mildly toxic, pungent solution to protect them from being eaten and thus prevent crop loss.”

“If I’m not mistaken, the fourth section uses seeds treated with that solution and sows them in the fertilized soil,” Li Shimin guessed.

“Brilliant as ever, Your Majesty!” Mo Dun flattered.

“Then why not enrich all the fields and use treated seeds everywhere? I assume you know that would yield the best harvest,” Li Shimin’s eyes flashed keenly.

Mo Dun bowed his head respectfully. “Though I am ninety-nine percent certain this method will increase yield, I cannot implement it all at once.”

“I call this land the experimental field. These four sections showcase the Mo Family’s method: experiment is the only path to mastering technology. The secret of live fish, the curved-beam plow, artificial incubation—all these successes came from step-by-step experimentation. These four steps demonstrate to the world how Mo technology is born.”

“This is not only a test field for farmers—it is also the test field of the Mo Family,” Mo Dun declared proudly.