Chapter 32: Visiting the Recluse

But this was his first time coming to Southern Frontier.

“Who are you? Have we met before?” Fang Han asked, a bit puzzled.

Recalling how the hermit had once refused to descend the mountain at all costs, yet now seemed willing to follow him, Fang Han increasingly sensed that there must be some connection.

The man before him was an elder in his fifties, with white hair yet a youthful face, bearing the aura of a sage detached from worldly affairs.

The elder led Fang Han into an inner room and invited him to sit.

“Sir, I am Sun Shengyuan. We once crossed paths briefly in the capital.”

“Sun Shengyuan?” Fang Han could not recall the name.

The elder smiled. “The elder Sun you mentioned is my older brother. We are originally from the Southern Frontier…”

After a long pause, Fang Han finally understood—the farming expert, the elder Sun, was none other than this man’s brother. And he had already passed away.

When Fang Han was in the capital, he had secretly devoted himself to inventions among the common folk, determined to improve production in the Great Zhou.

In doing so, he had met many talented individuals. The elder Sun was one of them.

In the first two years, the Great Zhou had issued decrees to improve production and recruit talent, which was met with enthusiastic response across the land.

At that time, the elder Sun’s hometown in the Southern Frontier was ravaged by continuous warfare, forcing him to flee.

Upon arriving in the capital, relying on his farming skills, he became one of Fang Han’s capable aides.

Fang Han even entrusted him with the development of hybrid rice.

Later, the elder Sun suddenly disappeared, coinciding with the final stages of the Great Zhou’s pacification of war.

Fang Han was too busy to remember the matter.

Now he realized the elder Sun had died, and his younger brother had brought him back to the Southern Frontier.

“Where is elder Sun buried?” Fang Han asked gravely.

Out of both reason and feeling, he ought to express his gratitude to the elder Sun.

First, for working alongside him for so long and completing numerous agricultural improvements.

Second, because the hybrid rice was not yet fully developed—had it succeeded, the Great Zhou’s national strength would have grown even further.

Currently, the hybrid rice only increased yields by twenty to thirty percent; it was still far from complete.

It was fortunate that the research was not yet successful—otherwise, overthrowing the Great Zhou would be even harder.

Sun Shengyuan rose and said, “Just below the mountain. My brother passed away shortly after returning. Since the family home was gone, I could only bury him at the foot of the mountain.”

Fang Han pondered, “I will pay my respects when I leave.”

“Thank you, Protector. If my brother knew, he would be very pleased.”

Hearing the title “Protector,” Fang Han frowned.

He had never disliked a title as much as he did this one.

He preferred to be called “Sir.”

In the capital, all the talented folk, regardless of age, respectfully addressed him as “Sir” upon meeting him.

“Call me Sir instead. I don’t like the title Protector.”

Sun Shengyuan was delighted upon hearing this.

He knew only those favored by Fang Han earned the right to call him “Sir.”

Previously, he had only observed their inventions from afar under his brother’s guidance.

Now, unexpectedly, he was granted the honor to call him “Sir” directly.

“Thank you, Sir,” Sun Shengyuan said respectfully.

Suddenly, Fang Han thought of something—Sun Shengyuan still did not know his true intentions.

If this were accidentally discovered, it would ruin his plans.

“Do you know what has happened recently in the capital, and how those bandits regard me?”

Sun Shengyuan nodded. “I have heard some rumors—that you were demoted to the Southern Frontier out of jealousy toward General Fang Li.”

“In my opinion, while General Fang Li is capable of leading troops, he is not even one ten-thousandth as skilled as you.”

“If it weren’t for your efforts to develop production and increase yields, no matter how good Fang Li is at commanding soldiers, he wouldn’t have any troops to command.”

Sun Shengyuan spoke at length.

Fang Han interrupted, asking, “Do you believe that?”

He had thought that Sun Shengyuan, daring to lure him here, must be learned.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have invited him into the inner chamber for a private talk.

This clearly suggested caution about leaking information, yet now it seemed otherwise.

Fang Han was momentarily unsure of Sun Shengyuan’s true abilities.

Sun Shengyuan smiled. “I cannot comprehend the full extent of your talents, Sir. But I am certain you have your own plans for coming to the Southern Frontier.”

“No matter what you intend to do or how you plan to do it, I will follow you, Sir.”

“Good. When you return, focus on agricultural production. I will assign you other tasks later,” Fang Han said.

“Sir, I have found the potatoes you wanted. They are planted right here in the courtyard. Also, the traditional fish-farming method passed down in my family fields.”

“These two things will surely bring vitality to the Southern Frontier.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Han was shocked.

He hadn’t expected that Sun Shengyuan was the one who taught the rice-fish farming technique.

Truly, after searching high and low, the answer came effortlessly.

This meant he no longer had to worry about rice-fish farming failing outside its original environment.

“We’ll talk about the potatoes later,” Fang Han said, suppressing his excitement.

Afterward, Sun Shengyuan eagerly approached the potato plants and pulled one up.

Beneath it were a dozen or so egg-sized potatoes.

This was due to the lack of fertilization.

Once the latrines were improved and farmyard manure collected, the potatoes would grow much larger.

Then, there would be no more worries about food shortages.

It might even attract people to settle in the Southern Frontier.

“Protector, this is something I stumbled upon in the mountains. I call it potato. These tubers below are edible.”

Fang Han gazed at it and could not help but marvel.

He had entered the role too quickly.

But that was the effect he sought.

“Potatoes? Edible?”

Fang Han feigned disbelief.

Sun Shengyuan picked one up, wiped the dirt off on his clothes, and handed it to Fang Han.

“Sir, this is very fragrant and sweet. You can roast it, boil it, or steam it.”

Fang Han swallowed hard at the sight of the potato.

He hadn’t eaten potatoes in a long time.

Though in his previous life he had often vomited after eating them, it was still a childhood memory.

Over time, he found himself longing to taste them again.

Especially roasted potatoes dipped in chili and crushed peanuts—such a flavor was worth more than a steamed bun.

“Is it really that good? Fang Yuan, go start a fire. I want to see if it’s true.”

Fang Yuan obeyed at once and began to build a fire.

Soon, a blaze roared up.

The soldiers pulled out about a dozen potato plants, each bearing a large cluster of small potatoes.

When the potatoes were being washed, Fang Han almost stopped them.

Roasted potatoes tasted best unwashed, charred over the flames.

Washing them would ruin the flavor.

But since they did not yet know his true nature, and the soldiers had been with him a long time but did not understand who he had been before, it was better to keep such details secret to avoid any suspicion.

As the fire blazed, Sun Shengyuan tossed the potatoes into the flames all at once.

Fang Han’s heart ached—it was a sin.

They should wait until the fire died down and use charcoal to roast them properly!