"I shall get going, brother. Have fun with your lover." Harsha smirked.
Bhairava sighed and decided not to respond to the taunt. Harsha and Viswa were leaving back to the capital as they needed to attend to the other needs in the kingdom.
He chose to stay back in Cochin to help Vikrama and his daughter get accustod to the city.
Shraddha waved back at Viswa with a light smile. She chatted with Viswa for so ti during their tour. Although sotis awkward, Shraddha found him incredibly intelligent about the place. She couldn't muster up the courage to talk to the Emperor.
The man was sotis different in her eyes. He was cold and calculating but at the sa ti relaxed and nonchalant. Bhairava didn't seem to be scared of him but she was definitely a bit scared in his presence. Despite this, she had a feeling of safety since Bhairava was with her.
"Take care." Bhairava waved his hand to Harsha. "Don't do anything, reckless like before."
The carriage left with the huge contingent of guards following them close for security.
"Reckless?" Shraddha looked puzzled.
"Oh that?" Bhairava scratched his cheek with the prosthetic hand.
"He annexed a whole kingdom a few weeks ago."
"Huh? WHAT?"
That was the mont Shraddha realized that the Emperor was much scarier than she thought.
After a few days of travel, Harsha could see the capital city in the distance. He was finally returning to the capital after the brief trip to Cochin. The academy of Cochin was the only one he actually visited due to the lack of ti. The level of work was similar in all other places so he didn't have to worry.
The reason he visited Cochin was due to its location. It was located to ensure that the inland incursion would be harsh. It could also act as forward bases if the harbour defenses give out.
Military academies would keep increasing in numbers as ti passed. He laid the foundation of a very disciplined army. The academies would be spilling out the top-quality talent into the army each year. The average age of the army also would be kept relatively on the lower side. It would make the army more strong.
As the carriage was nearing the city, Harsha's gaze fell on the lively city preparing for the upcoming harvest festival. It was that ti of the year where the farrs harvest and start a new agricultural cycle for the year.
They conduct so ritual and invoke the blessings of the gods for a good harvest next season. During this ti of the year, the houses will go through a lot of cleaning and preparations will be made for the harvest and upcoming rituals. New clothes were brought by the populace. The trade would be booming during this season.
The activities around the temples would be in full swing. rchants from different parts of the Empire gather in the capital for the harvest festival. New stalls with festive goods would be set up all around the capital. The stone-paved roads would be illuminated by the lights from the festive mood.
The devotees would soon flock to the temples to pray and it would be packed with festive dances and gas. It was going to be huge this ti around, as the harvest was much better than the previous year and with the new Emperor's reign. It was going to be a big harvest festival.
"Viswa, what about that old farr?" He asked. "Have you gotten the results yet?"
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Gopalakrishnan, the old farr that was tasked with the new thod of farming. He intended to have him test that thod out before he could spread it all around the Empire. It would increase the yearly yield by a lot.
"Not yet. He ntioned it would be ready soon." Viswa responded with a smile.
He knew that the old farr had worked hard on the thod provided by Harsha. He followed the thods with the utmost dedication. He even learned how to read and write during Viswa's instructions.
Gopalakrishnan was a man who was dedicated to his craft and didn't half-assess the job. The book contained the four-field crop rotation thod. This was particularly useful when you have a lot of arable land.
The plots were divided into four equally and each one would have different crops. One field would have legus for nitrogen fixation into the soil and increasing it's fertility. The other field was usually grown with root vegetables or leafy vegetables to consu the nitrogen and nutrients fixed by the legus.
The third field would be the grain field that would be cultivated for the grains that were the staples in the subcontinent, like wheat and rice. The last field would be left fallow for the rotation or just with grass for pastures. The cattle would have steady food in that field. The field was rotated over four years in this way. This thod would have a lot of yield increase. It would allow the Empire to be self-sufficient and also sell a lot of grains and food to the neighbours and Europeans. It would beco a gold mine for the Empire in the long run.
"Your Majesty! Why not head to the fields?" Viswa asked with an expectant look.
He was a little hesitant since Harsha was royalty. Despite this, he wanted to show the old man's field and his success to the Emperor. The man was one of the few people, including the Emperor, he genuinely liked and wanted to protect.
"Sure. We can go. I want to check the progress as well."
Viswa's face lit up and he ordered the carriage to head to the outskirts of the capital, where the fields of the old man were located. He was given the fields by Harsha for experinting with the thods. He was also supplied a lot of resources from the royal palace.
It was a ager amount for Harsha compared to the profits he could reap if turned out to be successful. The sa amount was a lot of investnt for Gopalakrishnan, who did his best to et the expectations of the Emperor.
After a while of travelling, the royal carriage of the Emperor trodded into the field managed by the old farr. He got out and took a deep breath of fresh air mixed with the scent of earth. The fields were properly maintained and were made as he wrote in the book. The crops were nearing the harvest.
Gopalakrishnan lived in a small cottage made for him by the guards near the fields. He was also assigned so guards to save him in case so wildlife ca into contact with the fields.
The old farr hurriedly to the fields as soon as he heard that the Emperor was coming. He did a slight bow and greeted Harsha.
Harsha nodded with a smile. "So when is the harvest?"
"Umm…It will be during the harvest festival, Your Majesty."
Harsha patted the shoulder of the old man. "You look a lot healthier. Nice, how did you like the thod?"
"It was exceptional; this thod allows us to cultivate year-round without having to worry about fertility since we retain it by planting root vegetables and legus."
"This is genius."
"Have you completed the report with the estimated harvest for now?"
"I believe so, but it is a rough estimate. We need to wait till the harvest to check the actual amount, Your Majesty." He said it with a cough. "Although I can guarantee it would be way more than the old thod. This would significantly boost agricultural output in the Empire."
"What fertilizer did you use?"
"Hmm..it's the sa fertilizer, manure, and biowaste from the leftover foods and plants."
"I see, this is great. Fetch the report, Viswa." Harsha ordered.
"It's in the drawer in my study room," Gopalakrishnan directed.
Viswa went to fetch the report.
"How is he?" Harsha asked. "Was he good?"
"Absolutely, I have known him for a while. He doesn't make mistakes."
Harsha smiled. "After all, I chose him."
"He still has a way to go to cent himself in the Empire." Harsha explained. "He seems fond of you. Keep in touch with him."
"Of course. He is like a son to ." Gopalakrishnan smiled.
"That's great to know. He might get into so roadblocks in the future." Harsha said seriously. "Your presence might help him a lot at that ti."
Gopalakrishnan nodded.
Viswa ca back with the report after a while.
Harsha skimd through the report with a dark smile. The report was exactly like he expected. The experint was a success. He just needed to pass this thod on to the farrs.
He handed it back to Viswa with a smirk. "Viswa, you will pass this thod to every farr in the Empire." He turned to the carriage. "I expect good results."
"Huh?" Viswa looked confused. "Do I have to pass it in the royal council?"
"Of course. You will be my proxy."
"But your Majesty. This is an important matter. Are you sure?"
"Are you not confident?" Harsha glanced back. "You have to face this hurdle to reach your goal."
Viswa stayed silent.
"And I would be busy with forging an alliance with the Marathas." Harsha smirked.
"You are my proxy. You have the power and intelligence to draft a plan for this. Show your abilities to everyone. This is your chance." Harsha declared.
Viswa clenched his fist with a determined look.
"I shall not disappoint you, Your Majesty."
He smiled at the determination in Viswa's eyes.
"Now that's more like it."
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