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Chapter 112 The Princess Moves In to Kaolao Village!
Even if they didn't go to teach, the princesses could still stay comfortably at Xiao Ran's house.

With Li Shimin's permission, Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang also began preparing things.

Besides the gifts for Xiao Ran and Kaolao Village, there were also his own clothes.

We can't go without food and drink, and we still have to bring gifts. It's always been like this, and it's no exception now.

These pastries are also for the two little princesses.

Without persimmon cakes and roasted chestnuts, Zhang's Grain Store's business suffered greatly.

No one noticed the job posting written by Zhang Huaicai.

A middle-aged man passing by stopped and looked at the job posting.

The man looked to be around forty years old. He was wearing a faded coarse cloth shirt with a few wine stains on the collar, but it wasn't dirty.

Her hair was loosely tied up and held in place with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands hanging down at her temples, swaying slightly in the wind.

He carried a small wine pot in his hand, taking sips from time to time. As his Adam's apple bobbed, the pot swayed slightly, giving him a rather carefree air.

What's most striking are those eyes; when they're squinted, they seem to be filled with a layer of mist, but when they're open, they're very bright. As he scanned the words on the notice, his gaze lingered on the phrases "Kaolao Village" and "teaching children to read."

"This village... is it Kaolao Village of the Quyuan Plow?" He spoke with a hint of alcohol on his breath, but his voice was clear and melodious, like a mountain stream flowing over stones.

Seeing that although he was casual, there was a calmness in his eyes, Zhang Huaicai quickly went over and cupped his hands in greeting: "Indeed, sir, do you recognize him?"

The man took another sip of wine and pointed to the notice: "Not seeking the imperial examinations, just the ability to keep accounts and understand agriculture is sufficient."

He smiled and said, “That’s quite true. Ordinary village schools either hope to produce scholars or just teach the Thousand Character Classic to make a living. You know what’s important—farmers’ children, being able to distinguish between millet and wheat and accurately calculate the accounts of the fields is more useful than memorizing the Analects.”

Zhang Huaicai's heart skipped a beat.

That hits the nail on the head. Xiao Ran had specifically instructed in his letter that we shouldn't delve too deeply into the subject; we should start by teaching practical skills.

He sized up the newcomer, noticing a few ink stains on his knuckles. Though dressed simply, his speech revealed his knowledge, prompting him to ask, "Sir, you seem to be a scholar?"

The man swayed the wine jug, the liquid inside making a soft sloshing sound: "Not really. I've just read a few books and farmed in the countryside for a few years. I know that kids can't even recognize the character for 'plow,' but I can hold a plow more steadily than anyone else."

He looked up at Zhang Huaicai, his eyes clearing slightly. "The teacher you're looking for, do you want to teach them 'reading' or 'recognizing days'?"

Zhang Huaicai was taken aback.

That's a profound question—knowing how to read is a skill, but knowing how to recognize dates is a principle.

He recalled Xiao Ran's words, "It's good if one can understand things," and quickly replied, "Naturally, the latter. If you are interested, sir..."

"Me?" The man smiled, fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, which made him seem even more gentle. "I'm used to being at ease, I'm afraid I won't be able to sit in the classroom."

Zhang Huaicai took half a step forward, a sincere smile plastered on his face, his tone earnest:

“Sir, you’re too kind. Our Kaolao Village isn’t like Chang’an; there aren’t so many complicated things here. The villagers are all honest people who farm and mine coal. They will only show you respect when they see you, and they would never try to make things difficult for you.”

He paused, recalling the village's scenery, and added, "If the teacher goes, there's a quiet courtyard next to the school, with a small fence, perfect for growing vegetables. Teaching is also flexible; he can teach characters whenever he wants, or take the children to the fields to identify ears of grain if he wants. No one will rush him to follow any rules."

At this point, fearing the other party might still have reservations, Zhang Huaicai quickly added, "If you feel uncomfortable going there, sir, you can leave at any time. Our village will cover all your travel expenses and journey costs, so you won't have to make a wasted trip."

"To be honest, the village's current state is all thanks to young Master Xiao Ran leading the way. He often says that one must treat others with sincerity. Sir, go and see for yourself, even if it's just for three days, you'll know the true nature of our village—just consider it a trip to the countryside to relax and have a sip of newly brewed jujube wine, how about it?"

Wang Ji wasn't interested in the others, but hearing Xiao Ran's name made him think of many things.

I want to see Xiao Ran.

The curved plow, persimmon cakes, and sugar-roasted chestnuts are all related to Xiao Ran, and Wang Ji has also heard of them.

"Alright, let's go take a look!"

Zhang Huaicai could tell that Wang Ji was capable.

"May I ask your name, sir?"

Wang Ji shook the wine jug, the wine clinking softly inside. He tilted his head back and took another sip, a few drops of foam on his lips, but he didn't seem to care, simply smiling and waving his hand.

His surname was Wang, his given name was Ji, and his courtesy name was Wugong.

"Sir, if possible, I can arrange for someone to take you to your village to check on the situation. When would be a convenient time for you, and do you need to prepare anything?"

Wang Ji glanced at the wine jug in his hand. "No need to prepare, it's ready anytime."

"Alright, sir, please come in and wait a moment."

Zhang Huaicai immediately arranged for a carriage to come.

Ox-carts were cheap, but to show sufficient sincerity and respect, Zhang Huaicai found a horse-drawn carriage.

Xiao Ran didn't need to tell him these things; Zhang Huai knew what to do.

Upon seeing the carriage, Wang Ji nodded approvingly in his heart.

Wang Ji didn't care much about these things, but he could still sense Zhang Huaicai's sincerity.

Zhang Huaicai made the arrangements and watched the carriage leave.

He also gave the coachman a letter, which was addressed to Xiao Ran.

Zhang Huaicai didn't know much about Wang Ji, so he gave a brief introduction.

Whether it can be used or is suitable depends on Xiao Ran and the other villagers.

The carriage stopped abruptly at the city gate.

As Wang Ji drank his wine, he lifted the curtain and saw the coachman making way for other carriages.

Wang Ji also looked around and noticed that the carriages coming from the side were of a high standard, and there were several of them.

He was clearly not an ordinary person, so it was only natural that the driver would give way to him.

After the caravan in front had left, the coachman then drove the carriage to catch up.

Gradually, Wang Ji realized something was wrong. His carriage seemed to be heading to the same place as the previous caravan, and it kept following behind.

The carriages belonged to none other than Princess Li Lizhi and her consorts.

There were more carriages this time because they were carrying more things.

Wang Ji's carriage followed Li Lizhi and the others until it stopped in front of Xiao Ran's courtyard.

Cheng Tiehuan and Li Wu also noticed, and when the carriage stopped, Cheng Tiehuan and Li Lizhi spoke to each other.

A horse-drawn carriage followed them.

Li Lizhi glanced at it and said it was fine.

I have faith in Cheng Tiehuan and Li Wu's abilities.

Soon, Xiao Ran came out with several people.

Seeing so many carriages, Xiao Ran was a little confused.

There weren't this many before.

"How do we get back?" Xiao Ran asked.

"I brought quite a lot of things," Li Lizhi said with a smile.

“Young master, the carriage behind us is not ours, we don’t recognize it,” Princess Yuzhang pointed behind them.

Xiao Ran looked over and saw the coachman and Wang Ji walking over.

Xiao Ran was certain that he did not recognize the two people in front of him.

"Excuse me, is this the home of young master Xiao Ran?" the coachman asked.

"I am Xiao Ran, what brings you here?"

"This is a letter from Manager Zhang, asking me to bring this gentleman here," the coachman said, looking at Wang Ji beside him.

Xiao Ran instantly understood what was going on; he hadn't expected to find it so quickly.

"I see, you're applying for a teaching position, sir!" Xiao Ran sized up Wang Ji.

“Yes.” Wang Ji also looked at Xiao Ran, not expecting that Xiao Ran knew high-ranking officials like Li Lizhi.

“Young master, me too, and so can Liu Niang and me,” Li Lizhi quickly said. “But we don’t conflict with this gentleman. If one gentleman can’t handle it all, we can help out.” Hearing Li Lizhi say this, Xiao Ran was quite happy.

"That's excellent." Li Lizhi is a woman of great talent, more than capable of teaching.

"Sir, Fifth Madam, please come in."

Zhang Erya entertained Wang Ji and led him to the living room.

Xiao Ran then opened the letter and was startled to see Wang Ji's name.

"What's wrong with the young master?" Li Lizhi noticed something was wrong.

"Fifth Sister, do you know this gentleman?"

Li Lizhi shook her head. "I don't know him! Is there a problem?"

“It’s alright. I thought Fifth Sister knew him. This gentleman should have been from Chang’an City before.”

Wang Ji served as an official multiple times throughout his life and resigned from office multiple times. The core reason was that he could not adapt to the rules and constraints of officialdom and longed for a life of freedom.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, he was initially appointed as a corrector in the Secretariat. Because he was "unhappy in court", he took the initiative to request to be transferred to the position of assistant magistrate of Liuhe County. However, due to his fondness for wine and neglect of official duties, he was impeached and simply resigned due to illness and went into seclusion in his hometown.

After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, he was summoned to serve as a "waiting-for-the-imperial-ministerial official," but he was only temporarily retained because "there was fine wine to drink." Later, seeing that the officialdom was still cumbersome, he resigned again.

His resignation was not due to a lack of ability or being ostracized, but rather a voluntary escape—the rigid hierarchy, the constraints of etiquette, and the utilitarian calculations of officialdom were completely contrary to his pursuit of a free life of "indulging in wine and song, and being self-sufficient in farming."

As he wrote in his poem, "Ruan Ji was often awake, while Tao Qian was often drunk." He emulated Ruan Ji and Tao Yuanming, using wine and seclusion to resist the constraints of the world.

Wang Ji's attitude towards the court was not one of anger or resentment, but rather one of "respectful distance."

He lived through the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. He was used to the power struggles and turmoil during the change of regimes. He was deeply tired of the hypocrisy of officialdom and the risks of politics, and preferred to devote his energy to drinking, writing poetry, farming and reading.

He did not participate in political disputes, nor did he criticize the court. Instead, he remained an "outsider" outside the system, expressing his uncompromising stance against worldly rules through a reclusive lifestyle. This attitude did not negate the court itself, but rather it negated the life "alienated by officialdom."

Wang Ji was by no means without talent—he was an important poet of the early Tang Dynasty, whose poetry style was fresh and simple, breaking away from the ornate style of the Six Dynasties, and pioneering the landscape and pastoral poetry of the High Tang Dynasty. His "Wilderness View" is a timeless masterpiece.

His talent was already recognized at the time, otherwise he would not have been summoned to serve as an official multiple times.

His "frustration" was the result of his own choice: it was not that the court did not give him opportunities, but that he voluntarily gave them up.

He once frankly said, "I have a jar of wine at home, what do you have to worry about?" He clearly stated that he would rather be accompanied by wine and find joy in farming and reading than be bound by fame and fortune.

This choice stemmed from his ultimate pursuit of "spiritual freedom," rather than from resentment at being unappreciated.

Those who truly possess great talent in Li Shimin's era will surely shine.

Ma Zhou is the best example.

Wang Ji is not very well-known, while his descendant Wang Bo is much more famous.

Wang Ji was Wang Bo's great-uncle.

Xiao Ran was startled when he saw Cheng Tiehuan and Li Wu moving things.

“So many things!”

"Young master, is it alright if I don't want wages, but you provide food and lodging?" Li Lizhi smiled gently.

Xiao Ran suddenly realized, "Of course there's no problem."

I didn't expect the princesses to have so many things.

"Father was very happy to know that the young master was running a school, so he asked me to bring some books as a small token of his appreciation."

“These things are quite valuable, thank you very much, Uncle.” Xiao Ran saw a pile of books.

Even if Li Shimin didn't send it, Xiao Ran would still go and buy it.

It's impossible to live without books.

I had seen Wang Ji and Xiao Ran's information before; I got to know them when I was researching Wang Bo's information.

Wang Ji's teaching abilities were more than sufficient; it was a waste of his talents.

Xiao Ran was very satisfied with the person Zhang Huaicai had found.

Princess Li Lizhi of Yuzhang is acceptable; a tutor would be sufficient.

The princesses brought a lot of things.

Several people moved in all at once.

Fortunately, the house was built relatively large and had many rooms.

Zhang Jinhe knew that Li Lizhi and the others were going to stay and help with teaching, so he arranged rooms for them.

Li Lizhi shared one room with her two little princesses, while Princess Yuzhang and Cheng Tiehuan shared another.

The princesses were very popular, and Xiao Ran and his companions were happy to stay.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya used to be a little insecure, but now that they're more familiar with each other, they're much better.

Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang were unpretentious and easy to get along with.

The same goes for the two little princesses.

Everyone is happy.

Wang Ji had just arrived in Kaolao Village and hadn't contacted anyone else except Xiao Ran and his group.

I had a good impression of them; Xiao Ran and the others were very polite and courteous.

Upon seeing Sun Simiao, Wang Ji took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

I was startled when I heard the name Sun Simiao.

"Master Doctor Sun, I never expected to meet you here." Wang Ji was very excited.

Wang Ji had never met Sun Simiao, but he had heard of him.

Sun Simiao did not know Wang Ji.

"I dare not accept such praise as an old doctor," Sun Simiao said with a smile.

Sun Simiao's medical skills were first-rate, and his medical ethics were impeccable. Everyone who knew him admired him.

"I heard that the old gentleman likes to travel all over the world. Is this his way to Kaolao Village?" Wang Ji asked.

"Pretty much, but the old man has been here for a long time. This is a good place. If you don't have any better places to go, sir, you might as well stay and give it a try. Young master and Kaolao Village will not disappoint you."

Wang Ji had originally wanted to give it a try, and he had a good impression of Xiao Ran and the others. Seeing that Sun Simiao was also there, he was determined to stay.

"Listen to the old man."

After Xiao Ran finished arranging things for Li Lizhi and the others, he went to the living room and saw Sun Simiao and Wang Ji chatting happily.

"Sir, do you know this gentleman?"

Before Sun Simiao could speak, Wang Ji said with a smile, "I have long admired you, sir, and this is the first time I have met you."

"Young master, I wonder if I am up to the task?" Wang Ji really wanted to stay, not for any other reason than for Sun Simiao.

Xiao Ran, understanding Wang Ji's abilities, was very satisfied and quickly said, "Of course, it's fine. We would be delighted if you could stay, sir."

"Young master, you don't need to pay wages. Just provide wine, food, and lodging. If it's convenient, it would be even better if you could live closer to the old gentleman."

"Providing food, lodging, and accommodation is no problem, and being close to the old man is also no problem. The wages also need to be collected, otherwise we may not be able to find a wage earner in the future."

Sun Simiao smiled and nodded, "Young master, you are right. Back then, when a disciple of Confucius redeemed someone and refused payment, Confucius advised him to accept it instead—why?"

"I fear that future generations will see that there is no profit in redeeming people and will therefore refuse to do it."

“If you don’t accept wages, you’ll be embarrassed to ask for help when other teachers come in the future. Wouldn’t that be blocking their way?”

"Take it. This isn't greed; it's leaving a convenient path for those who come after."

"Very well, the old man is right. I will listen to the young master. I was overthinking it." Wang Ji accepted it readily. The atmosphere here was indeed better than he had expected.

(End of this chapter)