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

Chapter 345 Young Master, You'd Better Be Careful
"Why are you here?"

Wen He had just finished explaining the precautions for sowing to the old farmer when he turned around and saw Li Shimin and his son standing not far away. He was stunned and thought he was seeing things.

Why did these two suddenly appear at the farm, dressed in coarse cloth shorts, looking no different from ordinary travelers?

Li Chengqian stood behind Li Shimin, his cheeks slightly flushed, and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

I always felt guilty for secretly following my husband like this.

Li Shimin seemed unconcerned, giving Wen He a casual "hmm" before walking to the edge of the field with his hands behind his back. His gaze swept over the turned soil, and he said in a casual tone, "The weather is nice today. I heard that your farm is about to start spring plowing, so I came to take a look."

"Yeah yeah!"

An old farmer who was tidying up his farm tools heard this and quickly came over, his eyes crinkling into crescents with laughter.

"The sun is shining brightly today, and the soil is moist. This year's new seeds will surely grow well!"

A younger farmer next to him scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Uncle, didn't you say a few days ago that there was little snow last year and that this year there would be a drought, and you were worried that the crops wouldn't grow well?"

Upon hearing this, the old farmer immediately raised his hand and gently tapped the young man with his cane, scolding, "What do you know, young man? Our Emperor is wise and has already ordered several irrigation canals to be built nearby. Even if the heavens are blind and don't send rain, we don't have to worry about the harvest this year thanks to the water in the canals!"

Hearing the familiarity with farming in his words, Li Shimin smiled and asked, "Old man, you seem to be an old hand who has farmed all your life. Do you think the new grain seeds sent by Prince Huan can be grown well here?"

The old farmer smiled憨厚ly and rubbed his hands together: "To be honest, esteemed sir, I'm not entirely sure either. After all, these are seeds from a foreign land. Whether they can adapt to the soil near Chang'an is still uncertain. However..." He changed the subject and looked at Wen He, his eyes full of trust.

“Young master is an honest man. Since he dares to plant these seeds on our farm, I trust him.”

Wen He stood aside, listening to the old farmer's words, and felt a slight warmth in her heart.

These farmers may not understand any grand principles, but they possess the most basic trust.

They trust whoever treats them well.

Li Shimin also understood the old farmer's implied meaning.

It was true that you were unsure at first, but when you said you trusted Wen He, you were just giving Wen He face, right?

I was afraid that expressing my doubts would embarrass him.

He smiled and nodded, not asking any further questions. He turned and walked a few steps towards the other end of the field. Once he was some distance from the villagers, he turned to Wen He and said, "No wonder you insisted on trying to plant the seeds in Gejiazhuang first. If the Ministry of Revenue were to distribute the seeds to the people rashly, they would probably be just like this old farmer, full of doubts and might not be willing to plant them with care."

After saying that, he looked at Wen He with a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

This young man not only considered the adaptability of the grain varieties, but also took into account the mentality of the people. He is much more thoughtful than those officials in the court who only know how to follow the rules.

Wen He felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, touched her nose, and laughed, "Actually, that's only one of the reasons. There's an even more important reason—the experiments on composting and the cultivation of new seeds. If these things were handed over to the Ministry of Civil Affairs or those aristocratic families..."

Before he could finish speaking, he gave Li Shimin a cold laugh, his eyes full of disdain.

Li Shimin instantly understood his meaning.

Some officials in the Ministry of Civil Affairs were incompetent and lazy, while the aristocratic families were particularly adept at scheming.

If we were to entrust them with the task of cultivating new grain varieties, let alone whether they could do it well, even if they did cultivate seeds with higher yields, they would never easily distribute them to the people; they would only hoard them privately.

They were either used to inflate grain prices for profit or to win over tenant farmers and expand their own power. In the end, the upper class benefited, while the common people at the bottom still did not get any benefit.

"You've thought this through quite thoroughly," Li Shimin sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Most officials in the imperial court act according to regulations, caring only about their own promotion and wealth, and never thinking about the common people.

"Yes."

Wen He accepted the praise without any modesty, and continued with a smile: "So as long as the crops on this farm are harvested in abundance, even if the imperial court does not issue an order, a large number of common people and even noble families will come to ask for the crops. After all, who doesn't want their land to yield more grain?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin remained silent, gently stroking his chin with his fingertips.

He vaguely sensed a completely new logic for doing things from Wen He's words.

It was not enforced by the imperial court, but rather attracted people to follow voluntarily by the actual results, which was more convincing than any government decree.

"Does your method have a name?"

Li Shimin suddenly asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Without batting an eye, Wen He blurted out, "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."

Anyway, nobody has heard this saying before, so it's not unreasonable to borrow it.

Li Shimin pondered the words for a moment, then took a deep breath and repeatedly savored the words "practice," "truth," and "standard," feeling that the words were both simple and profound.

After a moment's thought, he nodded emphatically and praised, "Good, well said. Showing results is much more effective than empty talk!"

Just then, a hurried shout came: "Young master! Where is the young master?"

Wen He then realized what was happening.

He had only turned around when he heard the shouts and bumped into Li Shimin and his son. This unexpected situation had disrupted his train of thought, causing him to forget the important matter at hand.

He looked up and saw Feng Dahu running towards him, his face full of anxiety. When he saw him looking over, he was overjoyed and quickened his pace.

"Young master, the ox is here!"

Feng Dahu ran up to him, panting, and said.

"I just borrowed it from a nearby village. It's right here at the farm entrance. Would you like to go take a look?"

As he spoke, Feng Dahu's gaze fell on Li Shimin, his eyes filled with doubt.

He recognized Li Chengqian.

The distinguished person who came with Wen He yesterday was a middle-aged man dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, yet exuding an air of authority. He had never seen him before and could not guess his identity.

Seeing this, Wen He quickly smoothed things over: "This is a distant relative of mine. He heard that the farm is going to do spring plowing today, so he came to see what's going on."

Feng Dahu immediately revealed a simple and honest smile, and bowed to Li Shimin: "So you are a relative of the young master. Greetings, young master!"

But inwardly he thought to himself, 'This young man has an extraordinary bearing; he doesn't seem like an ordinary farmer. Why would he come seeking refuge with a young man like me? Could it be that something bad has happened to his family, and he's trying to use his family connections to gain some benefits from the farm?'

Thinking of this, Feng Dahu secretly kept a watchful eye on things.

Over the years, he has seen far too many heartless people like that.

My son is a kind and good-hearted man; we mustn't let him be deceived by some people with ulterior motives.

Li Shimin's attention was completely drawn to the "oxen," and he was completely unaware of Feng Dahu's ulterior motives. He turned to Wen He and asked, "Don't you keep your own oxen on the farm?"

In his view, with Wen He's current financial resources and the scale of his farm, buying a few strong cattle would be no problem at all.

“Yes, yes!”

Feng Dahu quickly stepped forward and explained with a simple smile, "However, a few days ago, the neighboring village was short of oxen for spring plowing. The young man was kind-hearted, so he lent out our oxen first, thinking that we could ask them back after they used them up. It wouldn't matter if we planted a few days later."

"Yes, he has always been kind-hearted." Li Shimin's lips curled up slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

I knew I hadn't misjudged him; Wen He not only had strategic acumen, but also a heart that cared deeply for the people.

He had even started making plans in his mind.

If this young man manages to leave his mark in history, then the praise for "knowing how to recognize and use talent" will surely include him, the emperor.

Wen He stood to the side, watching Li Shimin's inexplicably pleased expression, and thought to herself, "What's with the laughter? It's just borrowing a few oxen, why is he so happy?"

Before he could figure it out, the old farmer in charge of keeping track of the time at the farm shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived! Time to start plowing!"

According to the farm's rules, the opening ceremony for the first trial planting plot must be performed by the owner, Wen He.

Of course, it was just a symbolic gesture of holding the plow and harrow and pushing it a few steps, hoping for a good omen of "abundant harvest".

Wen He took the plow and harrow from the old farmer and pushed it along the ridge for only two meters when he heard Li Shimin say enthusiastically from the side, "This job looks interesting, I'll give it a try! Old man, let's have a competition and see who can plow straighter?"

The villagers were taken aback at first, then they all burst into laughter.

This "distant relative of the young man" looked quite distinguished, but was actually quite easygoing.

The old farmer in charge of tilling the land didn't hesitate and replied with a smile, "If you want to try, young master, we'll have a match with you!"

But no one expected that this emperor, who could command thousands of troops on the battlefield, would completely "show his weakness" when he came to the fields.

Li Shimin gripped the plow and took only two steps forward before his arms began to ache. The plow either went too deep, turning the soil into a mess, or it veered off course, turning the neat ridges into a series of twists and turns.

Before long, sweat beaded on his forehead, and even his coarse cloth jacket was covered in mud, making him look like a greenhorn who had just learned to farm.

Wen He watched from the side and couldn't help but laugh, almost bursting out laughing.

Li Chengqian covered his mouth, his shoulders twitching.

The villagers all suppressed their laughter, but no one dared to openly tease them.

Only Feng Dahu kept a close eye on Li Shimin's every move. Seeing how clumsy Li Shimin was even at plowing the fields, Feng Dahu frowned more and more, and his doubts deepened: "How come this man can't even do farm work? He doesn't look like a scholar who can't even kill a chicken. Could it be that he really came here to rely on the young master for free meals?"

The more he thought about it, the more worried he became.

My young master is kind-hearted, so I hope he doesn't get entangled with someone who "only knows how to put on airs and can't do anything." Otherwise, he'll not only take advantage of the farm's benefits but also have to be waited on.

Seeing that Li Shimin was truly "out of his depth," the old farmer quickly stepped forward to help, smiling as he took the plow and harrow: "Young master, you look like someone destined for great things. Leave this kind of rough work to us! You rest over there and watch us plow the straightest furrows for you!"

Li Shimin wasn't embarrassed. He laughed and let go of her hand, patting the dirt off his hands. "Indeed, everyone has their own expertise. This farm work is best left to you veterans." After saying that, he turned to look at Wen He, his eyes filled with a hint of self-deprecation. "It seems... I'm more suited to wielding swords and spears in this life. I'm really not cut out for farming."

Wen He suppressed a laugh and teased him on purpose: "You are quite frank, but it's okay, you can rest. The farmers will take care of the farm work."

Feng Dahu stood aside, listening to the conversation between the two, his unease growing stronger.

This "relative" speaks with quite a boast, and is even "suited to wielding knives and guns." Could he have been a soldier before?
Even if he served in the army, he can't do farm work now. If he stays on the farm, he'll just be eating for free.

He secretly made up his mind to keep a closer eye on things from now on, and absolutely not let this person take advantage of the young master.

Hundreds of acres of land, tilled and ready for planting, stretched out under the spring sun, seemingly endless.

Spring plowing of this scale obviously cannot be completed in a single day.

Li Shimin stayed at the farm for about half an hour. First, he followed Wen He to observe the farmers' plowing techniques, then squatted by the field to carefully check the moisture of the newly turned soil, and even asked a few questions about the storage of the Huanwang grain seeds.

After all, these grain seeds are crucial to the success or failure of subsequent trial plantings, so he can't afford to be careless.

After finalizing the schedule and division of labor for the subsequent composting experiment with Wen He, Li Shimin hurriedly took his leave with Li Chengqian: "There is still the morning court session to attend, so we will return first today. If there are any further developments, please come directly to the palace."

The father and son didn't even have time to drink a sip of hot tea before boarding the carriage and heading towards Chang'an, missing out on lunch at the farm.

Wen He didn't rush to leave. He stayed at the farm with Feng Dahu to divide the land for the next day's planting and confirmed the number of plows, harrows, and hoes with the farmer in charge of farm tools to ensure that spring planting could proceed smoothly in the next few days.

It wasn't until after noon that they finally ate a simple farm-style meal after Feng Dahu repeatedly urged them to stay.

Brown rice served with pickled mustard greens and a pot of stewed, mushy dried radish was utterly tasteless.

Indeed, roasted lamb is still the best.

If we could eat mutton, who would want to eat these things?

After lunch, Wen He planned to return home.

"Young master, please wait a moment!"

Just as Wen He mounted his horse, preparing to return to Chang'an, Feng Dahu suddenly ran out of the farmyard, clutching a cloth bag filled with wild vegetables.

He strode up to Wen Hema, handed him the cloth bag, then lowered his voice and a serious expression appeared on his face.

"Young master, you must be more careful."

Feng Dahu looked around to make sure there were no other villagers nearby before continuing.

“These days, the world is not peaceful. You can know a person’s face but not their heart. Do you remember when you were in Gejiazhuang, you were harassed by the former village head, and no one was willing to stand up for you? Now, suddenly a relative has appeared to come and seek refuge, and it just so happens to be during the spring planting season. Who knows if he heard that your farm is doing well and wants to come and benefit from it, or even... even if he’s after your fields and new grain seeds!”

Wen He sat on the horse, stunned for a moment, her eyes full of surprise.

He never expected Feng Dahu to suddenly bring up Li Shimin. It took him a while to react.

In order to conceal Li Shimin's identity, he casually made up the excuse of being a "distant relative," which Feng Dahu actually took seriously and caused him so much worry.

Suppressing a smile, Wen He leaned down from her horse and patted Feng Dahu on the shoulder: "Dahu, don't overthink it. This relative is indeed a distant relative. He just came to see the spring plowing festivities and has no other intentions. Besides, your young master isn't stupid. If someone really wanted to take over the farm, wouldn't I be able to tell?"

"But...but he has an extraordinary air about him, unlike an ordinary farmer. Why would he suddenly come to seek refuge with a junior like you?"

Feng Dahu was still worried, his brows still furrowed tightly.

Seeing Feng Dahu's "eager to protect his master" appearance, Wen He felt both warm and amused.

He knew that Feng Dahu genuinely cared about him. These past few days at the farm, Feng Dahu had been following him around, from initially handling miscellaneous tasks to later taking charge of the farm's income and expenditure, and he had done a very good job.

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Wen He could only try to appease him again.

“If he really has bad intentions, I have my own ways to deal with it. You just need to keep a close eye on the spring planting at the farm, make sure the farmers don’t slack off, and make sure the new grain seeds don’t go wrong. That’s better than anything else.”

Feng Dahu reluctantly nodded, but still reminded him, "Young master, if you encounter any trouble in Chang'an, be sure to send someone back to the village to report it immediately. The villagers all listen to you, and we are not afraid of anything!"

As he spoke, he puffed out his chest, looking as if he were ready to lead a group to Chang'an to rescue his lord at any moment.

Wen He smiled and agreed, then rode his horse toward Chang'an.

Along the way, recalling Feng Dahu's serious and earnest demeanor, and the farcical incident of mistaking the current emperor for a conman plotting to swindle the farm, he couldn't help but smile.

If this were to get out, it would probably shock the entire court. I wonder what Li Shimin's reaction would be if he knew.

I guess I'll have to smash the brush washer again.

By the time they returned to their residence in Chang'an, it was almost dark.

During dinner, Wen He remembered Feng Dahu's worries and couldn't help but laugh out loud, almost dropping her chopsticks on the table.

Seeing his strange smile, Wenrou, who was sitting opposite him, put down her spoon, tilted her head, and asked, "Brother, why are you so happy today? Is something fun happening at the farm?"

Wen He was about to explain, but then remembered that she couldn't reveal Li Shimin's identity, so she could only vaguely say, "It's nothing, I just remembered something funny."

But his smile aroused the curiosity of Li Tai, Li Ke, and Li You, who were sitting next to him. They all pressed him to tell them what had happened. Wen He could only laugh it off, but he secretly planned that if he had the chance in the future, he would definitely tell them this as a joke.

The next morning, it was just dawn.

The kitchen of Wenhe Mansion was filled with the aroma of soy milk, steaming meat buns, and the occasional sound of chopping vegetables could be heard.

When Wen He finished washing up and walked into the dining room, Wen Rou, Li Tai, Li Ke, and Li You were already sitting at the table.

As soon as Wen He sat down, he felt a gaze secretly observing him. He looked up at Wen Rou opposite him and saw that the little girl, like a startled deer, immediately lowered her head, sipping her soy milk in small sips, her long eyelashes still trembling slightly.

But as soon as Wen He looked away and took a bite of the bun, that timid gaze quietly returned, repeating this several times.

"Xiao Rou, why are you staring at me like that?" Wen He suddenly turned around and caught Wen Rou sneaking a peek.

When Wenrou was asked that question, her cheeks instantly turned red, and she almost dropped the bowl of soy milk in her hand.

"Brother, I, I..."

The little girl stammered and couldn't even finish her sentences.

Wen He put down her chopsticks, picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and looked at the little girl with a smile: "Just say what you want to say, don't keep peeking at me, or the steamed buns will get cold."

As soon as she finished speaking, not only did Wenrou suddenly raise her head, but Li Tai, Li Ke, and Li You also looked at Wen He in unison, their four eyes shining.

Seeing this, Wen He deliberately narrowed her eyes and scrutinized the four of them with feigned seriousness: "You four, are you secretly plotting something behind my back? Confess honestly."

"No, no!"

Li Tai waved his hand, then leaned forward again, blinking his eyes as he tentatively asked, "Sir, I heard that you and His Highness the Crown Prince went out these past few days? Did you go to the farm?"

He hasn't stepped out of Chang'an since the beginning of spring this year. Even though he now lives in Wenhe Mansion and is not bound by palace rules, his daily life consists of nothing more than reading, practicing calligraphy, and occasionally helping to feed the piglets he named "Jieli".

They called it feeding the pigs, but it really just meant pouring pig feed into the trough; they rarely even went into the pigpen.

Even so, he felt stifled and longed to get some fresh air.

Wen He saw through his little scheme at a glance and teased him, "What, are you willing to leave your precious 'Jieli'? I remember you said a few days ago that you wanted to watch them grow up until the New Year."

Li Tai pouted and muttered with a droopy face, "Sir, it's too boring in the manor. All I do is read and feed the pigs. It's so boring. Besides, there are servants looking after those piglets. It won't matter if I'm not here for a day."

Li You, who was standing to the side, quickly put down the half-eaten meat bun in his hand, nodded vigorously in agreement, and said with the steam from the bun still lingering in his voice: "Sir, I heard from the gardener in the manor that the peach blossoms and apricot blossoms outside are in bloom, and there are also many beautiful wildflowers. They are so pretty."

He was the youngest and had the gentlest nature. He usually listened to Wen He the most in the manor, but his eyes were full of anticipation when it came to going out to play.

Wen He was stunned.

Are the peach blossoms in bloom now?
"What do you mean by 'flowers blooming and withering'? I think it's just that you guys want to go out and have fun."

Wen He's words revealed what the group was thinking, causing Li Tai and Li You to scratch their heads in embarrassment, their ears turning slightly red.

Li Tai wanted to argue a bit more, but Wen He saw right through him, so he could only turn his head to the side and pretend to look at the scenery outside the window.

At this moment, Wenrou suddenly got up and walked to Wenhe's side, gently tugged at his sleeve, swayed her small body, and said in a soft and coquettish voice, "Brother, I also want to go back to Gejiazhuang to see it."

The little girl pouted, her eyes full of anticipation.

"I want to see the little courtyard where we used to live."

Wen He's heart softened instantly when she saw the little girl's expectant eyes.

He gently rubbed Wenrou's head, then turned to look at Li Ke, who had remained silent, and raised an eyebrow with a smile: "They've all expressed their opinions, don't you have anything to say? Or do you not want to go out and want to stay in the manor to study?"

Li Ke remained silent for a moment before meeting the urging gazes of the other three.

Li Tai secretly gave him a wink, signaling him to speak up for him.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, his tone calm and even: "I think you could let them participate in farming."

"What?"

Li Tai and Li You were both stunned.

They just want to go out and have fun, not farm.

(End of this chapter)