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

Chapter 346 Just outside Chang'an, they encountered a bandit.

As the saying goes, "Hoeing the fields at noon, sweat drips onto the soil..."

The spring sunshine shone on the ridges of Gejiazhuang fields, so warm that it made people feel sleepy.

Wen He, with a freshly plucked foxtail grass dangling from her lips, lay comfortably on the wicker chair, her legs dangling in the air and gently swaying to the tune she hummed, her hands tapping out rhythms on her knees as she sang slowly.

On a mound of earth not far away, the three little guys, Li Tai, Li Ke, and Li You, were slumped over, each one drenched in sweat, their hair soaked and plastered to their foreheads.

Li Tai took a water ladle and gulped down cold water. After finishing, he wiped his mouth and complained, panting, "Moving things is much more tiring than feeding pigs in the manor. If I had known it would be this hard, I would have preferred to stay in the manor and study!"

Li You nodded in agreement, his little face flushed, his hand sore from squeezing the water pouch so tightly it was almost deformed: "Sir, I'm so tired, when can we rest for a while?"

Wen He didn't actually make them do any heavy work.

If these pampered princes were really asked to plow the fields and loosen the soil, not only would they be unable to do it, but even though the farmers didn't know their identities, they knew they were still just children, so they didn't dare to let them actually do it.

He only assigned some light tasks, but even so, it was tiring enough for the three little ones who had never suffered before.

Of the three, Li Tai is considered quite good.

After all, he had raised pigs for more than half a year, so his physical condition was much better than Li Ke's and Li You's.

"What's the rush? We'll have lunch soon after we rest a bit more."

Wen He spat out the foxtail grass in her mouth and joked with a smile.

"You're already complaining about being tired after only moving things for a short while. If you were to work in the fields, you probably wouldn't last even half an hour."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a gentle, clear voice called out from not far away: "Brother!"

Wen He looked up and saw the little girl wearing a brand new straw hat, being led by a little girl with her hair in two buns, skipping and hopping over.

The straw hat was exquisitely woven, with neat wheat stalk patterns and colorful strips of cloth adorning the edges; it was clearly made with care.

She ran up to Wen He, gently and proudly took off her straw hat and put it back on, showing off, "Brother, look! This was made by Xiao Mei, she's so amazing!"

Wen He followed her gentle gaze to the little girl beside her.

Seeing Wen He looking over, Xiao Mei quickly bowed slightly, her voice a little timid: "Young master, this straw hat was made by my mother when I was at home. My mother was also a farmer, and she always wore a straw hat to the fields during busy farming seasons, saying it could block the sun."

She had been in the manor for several months, but every time Xiaomei saw Wen He, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Her fingers would gently twist the hem of her clothes as she spoke, and she dared not look him in the eye.

Wen He nodded lightly, said nothing more, and just yawned.

Spring afternoons are the easiest time to feel sleepy. Basking in the warm sun and listening to the chirping of insects in the fields, he almost fell asleep.

Not long after, Feng Dahu arrived with several villagers, carrying food boxes and rice buckets.

The lunchbox contained brown rice, the rice bucket held a thick soup of wild vegetables, and there was also a dish of pickled mustard greens—exactly the same as yesterday's lunch.

Feng Dahu placed the food on the stone slab by the field and said with a smile, "Young men, three young men, and young ladies, come and eat! You must be starving after working all morning!"

Li Tai leaned closer for a look, then frowned and stepped back: "What is this?"

"This is brown rice and wild vegetable soup." Seeing his disgusted look, Feng Dahu scratched his head sheepishly.

Li Tai frowned, took a bite, and swallowed it with a pained expression: "This food is so tough on my throat, and the wild vegetable soup has no oil at all. How can I eat this?"

He ate only refined rice and flour in the palace, and the soup he drank was made with chicken, duck, fish and meat. Even at Wen He's house, he ate and drank delicious food.

I've never eaten such bland food before.

Only Li Ke, though also frowning, had eyes full of resistance.

But when he saw Wenrou holding her bowl, eating with relish, and even scooping a large spoonful of wild vegetable soup into her rice to mix with it, he still silently picked up his chopsticks and shoveled rice into his mouth, bite by bite.

He didn't say anything, but ate very slowly, occasionally stopping to drink some water, and managed to finish the whole bowl of rice.

After finishing his meal, Li Ke walked over to Wen He, hesitated for a moment, and then couldn't help but frown and ask, "Sir, did you eat this when you were at the farm?"

In his opinion, even the servants in the mansion might not be used to such coarse food, so how could Wen He, who was a person of status, eat such things?

Wen He thought he was concerned about people's livelihood and was about to start talking to him about the daily lives of farmers, but Wen Rou interrupted her, saying, "That's not it at all!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ke secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Sure enough, such food is not something a person can eat for a long time. It seems that Wen He only occasionally makes do with food at the farm.

As he was thinking this, he heard Wenrou continue, "In the past, we could only eat brown rice and wild vegetable soup during festivals. On ordinary days, we only had millet porridge once a day, and sometimes the porridge was mixed with wild vegetable roots, so we were never full."

When the little girl said this, there was no hint of grievance on her face, but rather a satisfied smile.

For her, being able to eat her fill every meal, and even occasionally having brown rice, is already a huge improvement over the past.

Wen He looked at the grains of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth, and with a helpless yet amused expression, reached out to wipe them away for her, gently flicking her little nose with her fingertips: "You can't eat too much now."

This little girl has gained a lot of weight recently.

Upon hearing this, Wenrou playfully stuck out her tongue.

Feng Dahu listened from the side and nodded in agreement, his tone full of emotion: "What the young lady said is true. In the past, in our village, in good years we could barely afford millet porridge. In years of famine, we had to dig up tree bark and grass roots to eat."

"Thanks to the young man, he not only allocated land to us farmers, but also taught us how to grow new grains. Now we can eat our fill every day, and occasionally we can even buy some meat to improve our meals."

Li Ke was completely stunned, his chopsticks hanging in mid-air.

Looking at the brown rice and wild vegetable soup in front of him, he recalled that when he was in the mansion, he ate chicken, duck, fish and meat every meal. Sometimes he would even refuse to eat if he didn't like the food.

What he looked down upon was actually considered a delicacy by the villagers, something they could only enjoy during festivals.

Something moved in his heart.

'Poor Xiaorou.'

Li Tai, who was planning to secretly pour out the remaining brown rice in his bowl when no one was looking, had already moved the rice to the side of the bowl.

Li You, who was preparing to secretly throw it away, also froze.

They exchanged a glance and saw shock and shame in each other's eyes.

The food they could hardly swallow was the delicacy that others dreamed of.

The ridges of the fields fell silent instantly, with only the rustling of the wind through the leaves of the crops.

Looking at the three little ones' silent expressions, Wen He sighed softly in her heart and slowly spoke, her tone full of emotion: "Sow a grain of millet in spring, reap ten thousand grains in autumn; there is no idle land under heaven, yet farmers still starve to death."

When Li Shen wrote this poem, "Sympathy for the Peasants," he must have truly witnessed the suffering of farmers to produce such heart-wrenching verses.

It is said that when Li Shen first entered officialdom, he was indeed known for his integrity and honesty. During his tenure as a local official, he opened granaries to provide disaster relief, repaired temples, and dealt with tiger infestations. Some historical records indicate that although his policies were strict, they genuinely helped the people solve many problems.

Ironically, as Li Shen rose higher in rank, he gradually changed.

He became obsessed with power and wealth, his life became extravagant, and he even used his power to oppress the people, ultimately leaving behind the infamous reputation of "cruel official" and "greedy" in history books.

The two poems titled "Sympathy for the Peasants," which have been passed down through the ages, ultimately became the greatest irony for him.

“You may not like this brown rice now, but for the farmers, every grain of rice is soaked with their sweat.”

Wen He looked at the three little ones, her tone becoming more serious.

"From spring planting to summer weeding and autumn harvesting, it takes more than half a year of hard work to harvest this bowl of rice. Now, I'm letting you experience these things not to make things difficult for you, but to let you know that every bite of food we eat is hard-earned."

Wen He also knew that she couldn't change the three little ones immediately.

But at least it can plant a seed of empathy in their hearts.

……

"Hmph, he's not afraid that these words will be overheard by someone with ulterior motives, who could then impeach him." Inside the Lizheng Hall.

Li Shimin held a newly delivered report in his hand.

It refers to Wen He taking the three little ones out today.

The text above specifically mentions the saying, "Sow one grain of millet in spring, reap ten thousand grains in autumn; though there is no idle land under heaven, farmers still starve to death."

It was specially circled in red ink.

He put down the report, his fingers gently stroking the paper, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

He then looked up at Li Chengqian, who was standing to the side, and asked in a questioning tone, "Do you understand the meaning of the poem your husband wrote at the farm?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian bowed slightly, pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly, his face showing a hint of confusion, as if he understood but didn't quite grasp the meaning.

After hesitating for a moment, he mustered his courage and asked, "I have a question: since there is land to cultivate throughout the land and the harvest should be plentiful, why do farmers still starve to death?"

Li Shimin put down the jade ruyi in his hand, slowly stood up, and walked down the imperial steps with his hands behind his back.

Li Chengqian's gaze followed his father's figure closely, not daring to look away for even the slightest moment.

It wasn't until Li Shimin reached the entrance of the main hall and looked out at the budding willows in the courtyard that he slowly spoke, his voice low but carrying a heavy weight: "Because some people eat too much."

Li Chengqian stood there, his brows furrowing even more, still somewhat confused.

But soon, he recalled what Wen He had said before.

“If we eat less, they can eat more.”

Could it be that what Father is saying today is the same as what you said back then?
Li Chengqian couldn't help but lower his head and ponder.

Seeing his son looking down, frowning, and deep in thought, Li Shimin couldn't help but laugh.

Some truths cannot be learned by others preaching; you must see and experience them for yourself.

Thinking about it this way, he, as a father, was actually worse than Wen He, as a teacher.

He turned around and called out to the outside of the hall, "Gao Yue."

Gao Yue, dressed in a blue eunuch's robe, immediately strode in from outside the hall, bowed, and said, "This servant is here."

"Go to the Ministry of Personnel and find Fu Ji, and ask him about the study tours and when they can begin."

Li Shimin's gaze fell on Li Chengqian, his tone carrying a hint of decisiveness.

"It is time for the Emperor and the Crown Prince to go out and see what life is really like for ordinary people."

Gao Yue was startled, but dared not question it.

He glanced back at Li Chengqian and couldn't help but sigh.

'Poor Crown Prince, he's going to be banished to live a life of hardship. Those officials in Gaoyang are too cruel to them.'

But Li Chengqian's eyes lit up when he heard this.

Are we finally able to get out?

He couldn't wait to leave the palace tomorrow.

……

"Let us be companions in this mortal world, living freely and unrestrained, galloping on horseback..."

Spring is in full bloom outside Chang'an City, with forsythia blooming freely on both sides of the road, its tender yellow petals adorning the branches.

In the open space not far away, a figure was riding a small pony, lightly stepping on the grass.

The colt was jet black, its mane neatly combed and glossy, gleaming warmly in the sunlight. Though small in size, it ran steadily and nimbly, each step exuding agility.

The rider was Wen He. He held the reins in his hand, his body swaying gently with the horse's gait, and he was humming a peculiar tune.

As he ran, he suddenly pulled on the reins and shouted at the empty fields, "I've finally left that godforsaken place, Chang'an! Yo-ho!"

The voice was clear and bright, carrying a long-suppressed sense of joy.

The little black horse seemed to understand his joy, snorted, gently pawed the ground with its front hooves, and rubbed its head against Wen He's knee, looking very affectionate.

Not far away, on the frame of an inconspicuous blue cloth carriage, beside the official road.

A middle-aged man wearing a straw hat, his face exposed, slowly raised his head.

"Does Wen Jiaying really want to leave Chang'an that badly?"

This person was none other than Li Shimin, who was traveling incognito.

Li Chengqian was peering out the car window, gazing longingly at Wen He and the little black horse. His face was full of envy, and his tone was tinged with sourness as he said, "Sir must think that riding a horse must feel very enjoyable."

Beside the carriage, Changsun Wuji, dressed in a blue cloth robe, was adjusting the saddle. Upon hearing this, he quickly turned around and said with a smile, "Your Highness, don't be in a hurry. You are still young and your bones have not yet fully developed. Wait until you are a few years older and have mastered your riding skills. Then you can choose a gentle and good horse and ride it however you like."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian could only give a reluctant "Oh," but his eyes remained fixed on the little black horse, his fingers unconsciously digging into the edge of the car window, and his brows slightly furrowed.

He had long wanted to own his own pony, preferably one as black and glossy as this, so it could carry him across the fields.

Li Shimin sensed the resentment in his son's tone and felt a pang of pity.

He recalled the original historical account of Li Chengqian's eventual downfall: his personality changed drastically due to a leg ailment, and he was eventually deposed for plotting a rebellion.

Although I want to give my son more freedom, I am afraid that too much indulgence will cause trouble, so I can only restrain him for the time being: "In a few years, when you have mastered riding skills, I... will personally take you riding. At that time, we will choose two good horses and, like that brat, run freely in the wilderness."

"really?"

Li Chengqian suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly brightening. His previous displeasure vanished as if blown away by the wind. He reached out and grabbed Li Shimin's sleeve, his small hand holding a bit of strength.

"Father, you mustn't lie to me! I want to ride a horse even stronger than your little black horse!"

"Of course I won't lie to you."

Li Shimin rubbed his son's head, a warm feeling rising in his heart.

Back then, he also longed for his father's love and care.

It's a pity that later...

Li Shimin sighed inwardly and made a silent vow in his heart.

In the future, I and Gaoming will never turn against each other as father and son!

Li Shimin was thinking about it.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from behind them, accompanied by several hoarse shouts, breaking the silence: "The carriage ahead, stop for me!"

The group was taken aback. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw three tall horses galloping towards them from the end of the official road not far away.

Three men dressed in short jackets and carrying curved knives sat on horseback, each with a fierce look on their faces.

The man at the head of the group had a fierce face and a scar on his forehead. His eyes swept over the carriage with a hint of greed. The sound of hooves was getting closer and closer, clearly aimed at their seemingly ordinary blue cloth carriage.

at the same time.

Wen He, who was riding a horse not far away, noticed this scene.

He was shocked.

Holy crap, we've only been away from Chang'an for a day and we've already run into robbers?
(End of this chapter)