novelSusiti Chapter 17 Whether you know it or not is not important
Chapter 17 Whether you know it or not is not important
Li Shimin looked at the young man before him. Three years. From this one farm to the entire Guanzhong Plain.
He squatted on the edge of the field, discussing with his neighbors what to plant next year, explaining his three-year plan clearly and logically.
The two returned. Li Shimin sat down again and took a big gulp of the now-cold medicinal tea.
I didn't have time to savor it properly just now; my mind wasn't on it. Only after I calmed down and settled down did I have the leisure to appreciate it.
Only after tasting it can you appreciate how good this tea is—the sweetness of licorice is subtle, and the aroma of dried tangerine peel lingers in your throat for a long time.
He took another sip, put down the cup, and leaned back in his chair.
Then he noticed that several clumps of azaleas were in full bloom in the corner of the yard, and that the cracks in the hollow brick wall by the back door were filled with dark brown soil.
"What kind of soil is under this wall?"
"Earthworm castings. Good for growing vegetables and flowers. But what we should be looking at most today," he pointed to the rice paddies outside the window, "is that. They'll be heading in another two weeks."
Li Shimin nodded. He understood the process of irrigating rice paddies and controlling the heading and flowering of rice seedlings.
But what he saw today was enough—the rice seedlings were thicker than any field he had ever seen. He would come back when the rice heads emerged.
Empress Zhangsun stood up from under the jujube tree, holding a rough porcelain cup in her hand: "Young Master Wang, this medicinal tea is indeed very comforting."
I've had this cough for over ten years, and it flares up every spring. The prescriptions from my family doctor haven't helped. Do you have any remedies for it?
Wang Zhi glanced at her again. She asked casually, but she had already finished drinking the tea in her cup. It wasn't a casual question.
"Madam has been suffering from this ailment for quite some time. It's a chronic condition; medicine is only 30% effective, while proper care is 70%."
"How do I raise it?"
"It's easier said than done."
Wang Zhihuan stood up and demonstrated: "Find a place with good air in the morning, take a deep breath until your stomach swells up—yes, don't use your chest, use your stomach."
Exhale slowly, making each exhale twice as long as the inhale. Do this for the duration of one incense stick each day.
Empress Zhangsun did as instructed. She inhaled deeply, her stomach expanding, and exhaled slowly. Halfway through her exhale, she coughed, paused for a moment, and then finished.
"It might feel strange at first, but take it slow. This method is free, and if you stick with it, it's more effective than medicine."
Eat smaller, more frequent meals, and avoid spicy and fried foods. Eat more pears, lilies, and yams, as they all nourish the lungs. And one more thing—
He paused for a moment, then said, "Don't worry too much. People who overthink things are more prone to getting sick because they feel tightness in their chest and their breathing becomes sluggish when they worry."
Empress Zhangsun remembered this. She could manage the first few points, but this one was the most difficult.
Li Shimin stood up and stretched: "This courtyard of yours is comfortable. It's more relaxing than those big gardens."
He walked to the jujube tree and looked up at its canopy: "This jujube tree must be quite old, right?"
"It was here before I came. It bears fruit in the fall, and the dates are crisp."
"I'll come back in the fall and pick two pounds."
"Okay, I'll keep it for you."
Li Shimin paced back and forth in the courtyard, then walked to the back gate to check on the chicken coop. A dozen or so yellow-feathered chickens peeked out cautiously. After watching for a while, he turned and said:
"What you just said... 'What can farmers do about their hard work?' was very true. I've truly seen how tough it is to be a farmer."
Wang Zhihuan nodded: "So this rice matter can't be rushed, nor can it be slowed down. We have to take it step by step, but every step has to be solid."
Li Shimin gave him a deep look. This young man understood farming, poetry, and, most importantly, human nature.
"I'd like to use your method on my several estates. Could you send people to learn it?"
"Of course. I can get enough seeds. If you're interested, you can have someone take some back and try planting them for a season. I'll write down the planting method on paper then."
But the people you send over must be willing to work in the fields; otherwise, just looking at the paper seeds won't do, and it will be a waste of the relatively scarce seeds we have at the moment.
The sun was beginning to set. Li Shimin looked at the sky and said, "Young Master Wang, it's getting late. We should head back. We've disturbed you today."
As usual, Si Zi bargained—"Just a little longer," "Just a little longer"—before being dragged away by Chang Le. Before leaving, he made a pinky promise with Wang Zhi, agreeing to come back tomorrow.
Li Shimin walked to the courtyard gate, turned around and said, "In a few days, I'll have my ninth son come over for a visit. You're all about the same age, you'll get along well."
Wang Zhihuan nodded: "Alright, Mr. Li can come anytime. There will be plenty of tea."
The carriage left. The courtyard quieted down. Wang Zhi cleared the cups from the stone table and poured the dregs of the medicine into the earthworm pit.
He stood under the jujube tree, stretching and watching the dust kicked up by the carriage in the distance gradually dissipate.
A prompt from the merit system popped up in my mind at the right time:
"[System Prompt]: The host has deeply instilled the idea of valuing agriculture and caring for the people in the hearts of the noble people through personal practice and heartfelt words."
The hardships of farmers described and the poems they wrote about rural life are like a clear mirror, reflecting the real suffering of ordinary people.
If this idea is disseminated by a noble person, it will be a blessing for the nation and a boon for all people. Merit points +800.
Wang Zhihuan looked at the number and understood.
His words, his poems, and everything he reveals today are not for the purpose of pleasing or pandering, but simply because that is how he thinks and acts.
That lament about the hardships of farming, that poem depicting the toil of farmers, was born from a feeling evoked by the scene before him—
When he saw the rice paddies and thought of the farmers, those words and verses naturally came to mind.
He moved the bamboo dragonfly closer to the windowsill to prevent it from getting wet with dew at night.
Then he turned around and went back into the house to prepare for tomorrow's farm work.
On an afternoon in the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, an emperor listened to a conversation, looked at a field of rice, and drank a cup of tea in a farmer's courtyard.
The young man who spoke, planted rice, and brewed tea had no idea what kind of seeds his words and actions had sown in the emperor's heart.
He was just doing what he was supposed to do and saying what he wanted to say, that's all.
The carriage traveled smoothly along the official road. Inside, Li Shimin leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes closed. Empress Zhangsun sat beside him, still holding the coarse porcelain cup in her hands.
"Guanyinbi".
"Um?"
"Those words...that poem..."
Li Shimin slowly opened his eyes. "He was truly speaking from the heart."
Empress Zhangsun said softly, "Yes, he is not only a talented person."
He had truly worked in the fields and shared the hardships of farmers to understand such a profound truth.
Do you think he knows who I am?
Empress Zhangsun smiled slightly: "Whether you know it or not, it doesn't matter."
The important thing is that everything he said and did today came from his heart.
If he knew His Majesty's identity, his ability to speak so frankly and openly would be a testament to his loyalty and integrity.
If he was unaware of this, yet could speak so candidly with an ordinary visitor, it shows sincerity. Either way, it's rare.
Li Shimin nodded and asked no further questions.
After returning to the palace, he summoned someone and gave them two instructions.
The first thing is to have the Ministry of Revenue select two experienced farmers who have actually farmed the land, and have them go to that village in Lantian County tomorrow to learn from Wang Zhihuan.
The second thing is to have the Supervisor of Works send people to investigate the water system around Lantian to see which places need canals to be repaired and which places can be rerouted.
After doing all that, he walked to the window and looked at the darkening sky outside.
The lush green rice paddies and those weighty lines of poetry still lingered in his mind.