Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 298 No Snow on Winter Solstice Means Drought (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Brother, it's snowing!"

As dawn broke, fine snowflakes began to drift down from the leaden-gray clouds.

After having breakfast, Wenrou put on a moon-white brocade jacket and ran into the courtyard in her soft-soled embroidered shoes. Her little boots made a soft "tap-tap" sound on the bluestone slabs. She happily reached out to catch the cold snowflakes and smiled brightly.

Wen He stood under the long corridor, with Li Ke, Li Tai, and Li You, the three little ones, beside her. Li Yifu also stood to the side, his hands clasped in service.

The red plum blossoms outside the corridor were covered in snow, their branches heavy with fruit, like trees adorned with rouge.

"Sir, you seem rather unhappy?"

Li Ke looked up and saw Wen He's furrowed brows, then asked softly.

He is calm and composed, and has a keen sense of the emotions of others.

Li Tai shook his head and teased, "The master is unhappy, surely because he got up too early."

Wen He ignored him, her brows furrowing even more as she gazed at the scattered snowflakes in the sky.

It is said that a timely snowfall promises a good harvest. Snow can cover the crops that have been overwintering with a blanket, and when it melts, it can also add some nitrogen compounds to the soil, encouraging the wheat seedlings to grow taller.

But this year's snow came too late and was too stingy.

It's already December, and Chang'an should have had several heavy snowfalls by now, but this year, only now have these few decent snowflakes fallen.

The white layer couldn't even accumulate on the ground; it dissolved as soon as it touched the blue bricks. It couldn't even moisten the withered grass in the corners of the walls, let alone nourish the soil.

A sense of unease settled over him.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty was in a period of warming weather, and such sparse snowfall suggests that the Guandong region will likely suffer a severe drought after spring.

When the soil cracks, crops fail to grow, and locust plagues follow.

These seemingly unrelated things are actually like beads strung on a rope, each link connected to the next. If any link breaks, it will cause a huge upheaval.

Historically, starting from the first year of the Zhenguan era, there were two consecutive years of poor harvests, caused by either drought, floods, or locust plagues.

It is remarkable that Li Er was able to accumulate the resources for the conquest of the Turks in just one year under such circumstances.

Of course, there are many reasons for this, including population issues.

In the early Tang Dynasty, the population, including those who had been deposed, was only about 25 million, and there was still a large amount of uncultivated wasteland.

This allowed the Tang Dynasty's grain reserves to last for two years.

But this is just a facade of prosperity; in the past two years, the national treasury has only maintained a superficial level of stability.

Those who died as hermits and tenant farmers were hardly considered commoners in the eyes of the imperial court.

"gentlemen?"

Seeing that Wen He hadn't moved for a while, Li Yifu couldn't help but call out softly.

In the past, if His Highness Prince Wei had made such a joking remark, the teacher would have given him a good whack on the head. But today, he remained silent, and the worry in his eyes made one's heart pound with unease.

Wen He then came to her senses, raised her hand to rub her temples, and let out a long yawn: "We're going to Qujiang Pool today, so class time is moved up to after breakfast, haha."

The last syllable still carried a strong sense of drowsiness.

"Hurry up and finish speaking so we can set off."

Li Tai and Li You's faces immediately fell, looking like eggplants that had been hit by frost.

Li Tai was about to complain when Li Ke quietly tugged at his sleeve, so he had to swallow his words.

Before Wen He could finish speaking, Li Tai spoke first, his eyes gleaming: "Sir, let's talk about crops. You mentioned that triple-crop rice, but we haven't discussed how to cultivate it yet!"

"No no no!"

Li You shook his head hurriedly, his little face full of anxiety, "Teacher talked about mechanics and steam! What exactly is the principle behind 'using steam to push wheels' that you mentioned last time?"

Li Ke spoke up calmly from the side, his voice steady: "I think we should talk about geography. Last time, you mentioned Europe, and there's something about the Americas where there's a crop that can be cultivated to yield twenty shi per mu."

Upon hearing this, Wen He was somewhat taken aback and raised an eyebrow at the three young men.

He suddenly smiled. Had this allowed the three brothers to find their own hobbies?

"Alright, stop arguing. I won't talk about anything you've said today." Wen He cleared her throat and pointed to the snow outside the corridor. "Let's talk about the snow today. Do you know that whether the snow falls well or not is related to our jobs next year?"

The three young men looked at each other, clearly not expecting that a snowfall could lead to a job.

Li Yifu also quietly pricked up his ears, even softening his breathing. This snow looked ordinary; could there really be something special about it?

Wen He simply stood under the corridor and pointed to the snowflakes falling outside the eaves, saying, "Look at this snow. It looks dense, but when it falls to the ground, it doesn't even accumulate into a layer of frost. This amount of snow may look nice, but it is extremely detrimental to farming."

Li Tai leaned out halfway, caught a snowflake in his hand, and watched as the hexagonal ice crystal melted into a water droplet in his palm: "Sir, are you saying that the snow should be thick and heavy?"

"Exactly."

Wen He nodded, her voice carrying a hint of solemnity.

"Winter snow is like a blanket, it has to cover your ankles to freeze the insect eggs in the soil and lock in the moisture. Just like when we cover ourselves with a blanket, if it's too thin, it won't keep out the cold, and if it's too thick, it will keep us warm. The land also has to be wrapped in a blanket of snow and sleep through the winter so that it can grow crops with full vigor in the spring."

Li Ke gazed thoughtfully at the distant field ridges: "If there's less snow, will next year's harvest be poor?"

"It's not just a poor harvest; if there's no snow on the winter solstice, there will definitely be a drought."

Wen He's gaze swept over the bare vegetable patch outside the corridor.

"With insufficient snowmelt, the ground becomes dry in early spring. Cracks appear in the ground, and seedlings cannot take root. Locusts will then come in droves. Those things are most prone to drought. When they fly up, they can cover half the sky and devour the seedlings and tree bark clean."

Li You's eyes widened as he listened: "Won't the people starve?"

"so."

Wen He turned around and her gaze swept over the faces of the three young men one by one.

"Governing a country is not just about reading memorials and approving documents; it also involves looking at the clouds in the sky, the soil in the ground, and the grain in the granaries. In winter, don't always stay by the stove; go out to the fields and walk around to see if the snow is thick enough, if the soil is moist enough, and if the people's rice bins are full enough. These are more real than the numbers in the account books."

He spoke earnestly, and the three children listened intently. Even Li Yifu lowered his eyes, repeatedly weighing the words "thin snow to prevent drought and locusts" in his mind.

And just as Wen He was speaking, she became engrossed in her words.

A group of people had appeared outside Wenhe's residence at some unknown time.

Li Shimin was wearing a dark blue casual robe, with some snowflakes on the cuffs, and his brows were slightly furrowed.

Empress Zhangsun, Li Chengqian, and Li Lizhi alighted from the carriage one after another.
"That brat, knowing we were coming, didn't even bother to greet us." Li Shimin deliberately put on a stern face, but there was no real anger in his tone. He had specifically sent someone to deliver a message this morning, but he didn't expect the gate to be tightly closed.

Just as he was about to speak, the side door creaked open, and A-Dong ran out carrying a snow-covered cotton robe. Upon seeing the people at the door, he hurriedly bowed and greeted them: "Greetings, Your Excellency, Madam, Young Master Li, and Young Lady."

Judging from Li Shimin's attire, it was clear that it was not advisable to make a fuss today, and even the way he addressed him was changed appropriately.

"Where is Wen He?" Li Shimin asked, frowning, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate dissatisfaction.

"The young master is telling the three young masters about the snow, saying that the snowfall is strange." A-Dong answered honestly, not daring to hide anything.

"Snow?"

Li Shimin looked up at the sky and saw that the snowflakes that had been falling just moments before had stopped, leaving only damp patches on the ground.

He sighed softly.

This morning, the Imperial Observatory sent a report stating that since the beginning of winter, the Guannei region has only seen sporadic light snowfalls and no significant snow accumulation, while the Hebei region has experienced heavy snowfall, which has gradually turned into a snow disaster.

Given this situation, the Guandong region is likely to suffer a severe drought next year.

Although a lot of water conservancy projects have been repaired in the past two years, he still has a heavy feeling in his heart.

Originally, I didn't want to spoil the fun today, so I didn't tell Empress Zhangsun in detail.

Empress Zhangsun had already noticed something in his expression. At this moment, she gently held his hand, and the warmth from his fingertips spread from his palm.

Li Shimin turned his head to look at her and saw a comforting smile in her eyes, which eased the gloom in his heart.

"Well, this brat does have some ideas."

He waved his hand, his tone softening.

"Let's go in and see what he can come up with."

But before they could go inside, the gate of the Wenhe Mansion suddenly opened wide.

A large, pot-bellied figure rushed out of there in a hurry.

Li Shimin was immediately drawn to the noise, and upon seeing who it was, he recognized them.

It was none other than Duke Ying, Wu Shiyue.

Not long ago, he heard from the steward that a group of people from Wenhe Mansion had come, one of whom looked like the Crown Prince.

After all, Li Chengqian had stayed at Wenhe's residence for a period of time, so Wu Shiyue specifically asked his steward to remember his name.

Upon hearing that Li Chengqian was accompanied by a couple, he was startled and rushed out without even changing his clothes.

"Your Majesty..."

"Brother Wu."

Before Wu Shihuo could even utter the words "Your Majesty," Li Shimin interrupted him.

People passing by glanced at it curiously, but didn't pay any attention and hurried away.

“Li, Mr. Li.”

Wu Shihuo was not stupid. Upon seeing Li Shimin's behavior, he knew that His Majesty intended to conceal his identity today, so he immediately changed his form of address.

"Brother Wu, is something urgent?"

Seeing his energetic and impulsive manner, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel curious.

"No, no, no, I came here specifically to greet you, knowing that Mr. Li and his wife were coming."

Although Li Shimin often visited Wen He's residence, he usually sneaked in through a side gate, and always alone.

Samurai Go was naturally unaware of this.

Today, there are three or four carriages of various sizes, along with more than a dozen guards. Although the entourage is not large, it is absolutely impossible to keep it a secret.

"There's no need for that. Today, I simply wanted to take my wife to admire the plum blossoms," Li Shimin said with a smile.

Samurai Ge thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"Yes, to admire the plum blossoms. To be honest, Mr. Li, I also wish to take my family to Qujiang Pool today. Would you be willing to come along?"

There are many places in Chang'an where plum blossoms bloom, but Qujiang Pool is the most famous among them.

Moreover, there is a literary gathering today.

That's why Samurai Go made that bold guess.

Li Shimin smiled faintly, glanced back at Empress Zhangsun, as if asking for her opinion.

“It’s more lively with more people,” Empress Zhangsun said with a smile.

"Very well." Since his wife hadn't refused, Li Shimin agreed.

"Thank you, Young Master Li, thank you, Madam." Wu Shiyue was overjoyed and quickly clasped his hands in thanks before returning to his residence to arrange matters.

"Plum blossom viewing? No way, what's the point? I'm already heavily pregnant, I'm not going to join the crowd." When Wu Shiyue suggested going to Qujiang Pool, Madam Yang refused outright.

She thought her husband might be having an episode, wondering why he would go to Qujiang Pool for no reason.

She doesn't want anything else right now, she just wants to give birth to a legitimate son.

Before Wu Shihuo could tell her about Li Shimin and his wife's arrival, he saw that she refused and stopped trying to persuade her.

He then left the mansion with Wu Shun and Wu Erniang.

When the sisters saw Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, they were taken aback and quickly bowed.

If Wu Shiyue hadn't reminded them, they would have inadvertently revealed the identities of the emperor and empress at this moment.

However, Wu Erniang quickly regained her composure, hiding behind her father with a somewhat timid expression.

Wu Shun was clearly bolder than her, staring directly at Li Chengqian while feigning shyness.

This immediately turned Li Chengqian's initially good mood into a somewhat unpleasant one.

Why are they here too?

When Wen He came out and saw the Wu sisters, she couldn't help but frown.

However, when he noticed Wu Shihuo's obsequious manner in front of Li Shimin, he guessed what was going on.

He couldn't help but sigh. He didn't want to go in the first place, and now he didn't want to go at all.

"Young Master Li, I've heard that there are many talented men at Qujiang Pool today, and I know quite a few of the young ladies among them. I can introduce them to you later."

Wu Shun intentionally or unintentionally moved closer to Li Chengqian, but the latter's face grew increasingly displeased.

Upon hearing this, he immediately turned cold and said, "No need."

Wu Shun seemed not to understand and was about to continue speaking when he suddenly heard a cold shout: "Since Madam Wu knows so many talented men, there's no need for you to accompany us today. You might as well stay in the mansion and read 'Admonitions for Women'!"

Her face paled instantly, and when she turned around, she saw Wen He warning her with a cold, sharp gaze.

(End of this chapter)