Chapter 01: Opening Act
In a very short time, the Yun Family estate transformed from a thriving semi-industrialized village back into a pastoral farming manor where roosters and dogs could be heard calling to each other, and shepherds sang in harmony. In the fine rain, diligent farmers were still hurrying to plant broomcorn millet. Strong oxen were led slowly forward by young children, while the men handling the plows behind them occasionally shouted commands. The Yun Family estate’s oxen all came from the grasslands and didn’t yet know how to plow fields on their own—they needed people to direct them. Behind them, farm wives wielding rakes constantly pulled out grass roots from the soil and piled them at the field’s edge.
The soil was a dark black color, and if you grabbed a handful, it seemed like oil would squeeze out—clearly top-quality land. Joy showed on the farmers’ faces. The Yun Family was different from others—they only collected rent on the first wheat harvest. This broomcorn millet harvest would belong entirely to the tenant farmers. Although they were tenant farmers, the grain they had left over each year might even exceed that of families who owned their own land. The oxen belonged to the master’s family and could be borrowed whenever needed, as long as the cost of using them was paid in broomcorn millet. This millet wasn’t even for the master’s family—it was to be steamed and cooked to feed the oxen in winter. No tenant farmer thought this was unreasonable. The master’s family didn’t farm themselves, yet they raised over a hundred head of cattle—wasn’t this all for the convenience of the tenant farmers?
Tian Fu wiped away his sweat. Handling the plow was inherently strenuous work. Even with a strong body, one couldn’t sustain it for long. He looked sympathetically at his son, who had been leading the ox all morning, and smiled. A farmer’s son couldn’t avoid hardship. A child’s strength was trained, just like spring grass—cut it and it would grow back. Even though his son was now studying with a teacher, he still had to know how to do farm work in the fields. In Tian Fu’s view, this was the foundation of making one’s way in the world. Being tired didn’t matter—a child’s strength was developed through practice, just like spring grass—cut it and it would grow back.
His wife brought over a water jar containing fermented grain water, sour and perfect for quenching thirst. Seeing his wife secretly slip a boiled egg to their son, Tian Fu pretended not to notice. At the age when the boy was growing, eating something good was only proper.
His son didn’t like eating egg yolks and fed them to his mother. Seeing this, joy bubbled up from deep within Tian Fu’s heart. A farmer’s son—where would he get such young master airs, not liking egg yolks? Eating chicken eggs had only become possible in the last couple of years anyway. He was simply being considerate of his mother.
If the Marquis hadn’t ordered all the workshops dismantled, their family’s life would be even better. Just the wages earned at the kilns during the farming off-season were enough for the whole family to live well. It was all those bastards in the imperial court who couldn’t stand to see the Yun Family estate have a good life, forcing the Marquis to dismantle all the kilns. Now it was good—the whole estate was farming. Let’s see what you can do about it!
An official stood beneath the willow trees by the main road, watching the tenant farmers plant from afar. Tian Fu spat and called his son to continue leading the ox to prepare for plowing. You like watching tenant farmers suffer—well, I’ll suffer for you to see.
Standing beneath the willow tree was Wei Zheng. He wore his official robes and had been wandering around the Yun Family estate for the past few days. He wanted to see what the Yun Family estate had really become—whether there would be any changes after being knocked down from prosperous heaven back to its original state. In the end, he was disappointed. The Yun Family estate still operated smoothly according to its original rhythm. That market street was still bustling, the mule and horse trade was still thriving, only now grain trading had been added. Could it be that the Yun Family estate already had more grain than they could eat?
Thirty percent—a thirty percent increase in grain production—this was simply like a rumor. Accompanied by the county magistrate, they opened several households’ grain storage areas. In the granaries woven from bamboo, golden wheat filled them to the brim. They deliberately brought a rod for testing grain and thrust it into the grain pile. The old man of the farming household was very dissatisfied that officials had poked holes all over his family’s grain pile, so he sent his grandson to split open the grain pile with an axe. The scattered grain nearly submerged Wei Zheng’s feet.
Never before had a farmer been so disrespectful to him. In the past, no matter where he went, when farmers heard his name, they would respectfully invite him, this spokesperson for farmers, into their homes to sit. Now he needed the county magistrate’s forceful order just to enter a farmer’s home.
He had visited Yun Ye twice, but he wasn’t there. Wei Zheng knew Yun Ye must be in the garden behind the house, but since the man wouldn’t see him, there was nothing he could do. What a masterful move—advancing like a mountain collapsing or sea surging, retreating like rivers and seas breaking through dikes. Yun Ye’s counterattack had taken things to the extreme and pushed the civil officials into a dangerous position. Now the markets in Chang’an were extremely depressed. Merchants all seemed to smell the scent of danger and were desperately hiding their wealth, afraid that some great upheaval might occur in the imperial court again. Not a single new shop had opened in a month, while countless ones had closed down instead, and this trend showed signs of spreading.
Minister of Revenue Zhangsun Wuji was gritting his teeth and persevering. Last year, commercial taxes accounted for thirty percent of all tax revenue; this year, having even twenty percent would be quite good. Chang’an had always been the main source of commercial taxes—a single city accounted for thirty percent or even more of all commercial taxes. The previously insignificant commercial tax had now become a fiscal revenue source that could not be underestimated.
Yun Ye was weeding in one of the Yun Family’s fields with his sisters. After the wheat had been harvested, the intercropped corn was now in its rapid growth phase. There wasn’t much—only about half a mu of land. This spring, the Yun Family had sown almost all their corn in the wheat fields. Corn had deep roots while wheat had shallow roots, so the two didn’t interfere with each other. Another wheat field intercropped with soybeans now had only soybeans remaining, their fuzzy leaves almost completely covering the field. This practice was very beneficial for the soil—soybean roots left behind large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. Now in the Yun Family estate, all tenant farmers who didn’t plant broomcorn millet practiced this intercropping method.
Yun Ye carefully avoided the exposed corn roots while hoeing weeds from the furrows. Xiao Ya followed behind her brother, putting the weeds into a basket, very obediently. Shishi was in another furrow, using the hoe much more skillfully than Yun Ye. The Wu Family’s second young lady followed behind her picking up grass. For some unknown reason, after the two had fought, they instead became good friends. Now Xiao Wu was teaching Shishi to write characters, very earnestly.
As for Yiniang, she had long since turned working in the fields into a date. Pei Yu hoed weeds in front while Yiniang picked them up behind, exchanging glances and delaying the work. Yun Ye had already hoed two furrows, yet they were still dawdling behind.
“Are you done yet? Do you think I don’t exist? In half a year, when your in-laws come to Chang’an, you’ll be getting married. How much do you have to say that’s never enough? You’re delaying the work. Hurry up! Don’t you see the rain getting heavier? If you don’t finish loosening the soil, you two can work in the rain by yourselves.”
Breaking up lovebirds was just like this. Yiniang had an introverted nature and embarrassed easily. When Yun Ye said this, she covered her face and squatted down. Pei Yu, with a thick-skinned manner, said to Yun Ye: “Elder brother, the academy has strict rules. I rarely get to come home, so I inevitably have more to say. Please forgive me.”
The formerly refined and elegant young gentleman had disappeared. In just a few months, the academy had transformed a gentleman of troubled times into a scoundrel. It was said that he was now also a fierce player on the ball field, one of those who stripped to the waist, beat their chests, and howled like wolves on the playing field.
“How are your studies at the academy? I heard you’re now studying history with Master Yuanzhang. This is a good development. Master Yuanzhang’s accomplishments in historical studies are profound, and now he’s planning to compile the History of Sui—it’s a perfect time. You mustn’t neglect this opportunity.”
Yun Ye worried that Pei Yu would learn his own methods. This wasn’t good. This path was destined to be winding and tortuous. Without great determination, there was no way to persevere to the end, and the future would certainly be filled with difficulties. Selfishly, he only hoped Pei Yu wouldn’t become interested in mathematics. Following Li Gang, Yuanzhang, or Yuanzhang would all be fine. Even following Lishi to learn painting was a viable path. Let him and Li Tai handle mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
“Elder brother, these few months at the academy have been the happiest days I’ve ever spent. Although it’s been tiring, I’m utterly enchanted by it. Not just me—Xiao Yang and Linghu say the same. Every morning we get up and exercise, then wash up, eat, attend classes, and after afternoon classes we start games. We’re all reluctant to leave. In his reply to his father, Linghu said this place is a paradise of learning. The teacher he follows is Master Yushan, and now he’s preparing to write Biographies of Notable Figures.”
Yun Ye smiled without speaking and picked up his hoe to head to the edge of the field ridge. Making Wei Zheng wait too long wasn’t a good thing. At least basic courtesy still needed to be observed.
“What brings Lord Wei to this remote rural place today? I wonder what instruction you have. Yun Ye is all ears.” From a distance, he bowed in salutation to Wei Zheng, though his words weren’t particularly polite. For someone who went against the tide of history like this, he really had no favorable impression.
“Marquis Yun, you jest. With one move of pulling the rug out from under, you’ve left this old man with nowhere to turn for help. I had no choice but to come seeking advice. How could there be any instruction to speak of?” Wei Zheng said with a bitter face, forcing out a slight smile.
Shouldering his hoe, he invited Wei Zheng to rest in the shelter at the edge of the field. This shelter was built by the Yun Family specifically for household guards to watch over the corn. Right now, every corn plant was extremely precious.
After they sat down, Wei Zheng wasn’t polite. He opened his mouth and said: “Marquis Yun, how long do you intend to keep this up? Your Yun Family has completely extricated itself this time. Won’t you consider the common people of the realm? Could it be that in your eyes, the Yun Family weighs more heavily than all the common people under heaven?”
If someone else had said this, Yun Ye would have smeared pig manure on his mouth. But when Wei Zheng said it, you really couldn’t refute him. This fellow had done this his whole life. He himself valued the common people of the realm above his own clan and demanded that everyone follow his example. This wasn’t realistic. Speaking honestly, the weight of all the people under heaven truly wasn’t as important as the women and children of the Yun Family.
“This youngster is just a scoundrel, stinking up the streets of Chang’an. If I shouted on Vermillion Bird Avenue, even dogs would run away without a trace. A person like me—you expect me to benefit the realm?”
“Marquis Yun, you’re a clever person, so this old man won’t beat around the bush. Aren’t you worried that taking things to such extremes will bring strange calamities upon you? The markets of Chang’an are depressed, merchants are anxious and panicked, all rushing to sell their goods, only seeking to avoid having inexplicable crimes placed upon them. If this continues, even if the Empress continues to protect you, once there’s an uproar in the court and countryside, I don’t believe you can remain safe and sound.”
“The imperial court believes merchants are all profit-seeking scoundrels with low morals and poor character, proposing to impose strong constraints. The Yun Family followed the officials’ opinions, closing our workshops of our own accord, devoting ourselves to reform, wholeheartedly farming. Could this also be wrong? What exactly do the gentlemen in the imperial court want from the Yun Family to be satisfied? Speak it out, and I’ll comply. I only ask that you spare the Yun Family. If that won’t work, I’ll immediately disperse all the family wealth and deliver it to the state treasury. What does Lord Wei think?”
Wei Zheng closed his eyes without speaking. Since Yun Ye could close the workshops, if pushed to extremes he would truly donate all the family wealth. This really wouldn’t amount to much for the Yun Family. As long as Yun Ye existed, vast wealth would gather around him in an instant—no one in this world doubted this. But if it came to that, merchants would disappear from the Great Tang, which meant that aside from the great families, there would be no more merchants. The harm would be even worse then. He, Wei Zheng, would have no path forward except to die in apology to the realm.