He didn’t sleep all night, eyes staring blankly at the bed canopy as his mind churned. Even with two beautiful, fragrant women lying beside him, he achieved a state of complete tranquility—not due to Sun Simiao’s medicinal effects, but because the burden of the family pressed down like a mountain. In such circumstances, Yun Ye couldn’t generate any other thoughts.
The Yun family’s estate was now vast, with many things requiring calculation—which could be exchanged, which could be abandoned, which required risking one’s life to protect—all had to be figured out clearly. To completely sort everything out would take at least two or three days. He deeply admired those ruthlessly decisive masters from history who could calculate all advantages and disadvantages in a flash of lightning—such people were definitely not ordinary. The Yun family’s modest estate already made Yun Ye rack his brains. He wondered how Li Er managed to keep digging pits for others after calculating everything clearly.
Yan Zhitui arrived at the Yun residence early in the morning. Seeing Yun Ye’s bandaged arm, when no one else was around, he asked: “Boy, how rare. A hothead like you actually has retainers now.”
“Teacher Yan jests. They’re just household servants. After following for so long, we couldn’t bear to separate, so they acknowledged the family head. Just children’s games—you’re taking it seriously?”
“Don’t try to fool me. Even children’s scuffles don’t use this as a ritual. Your arm is cut up chaotically—there must be quite a few of them. Boy, from now on, you must act prudently. If you continue being reckless, it won’t just be your family losing their lives.”
They’d arranged with the old man to go see the corn harvest today. The old fellow claimed he loved eating corn most—he could never get enough of corn grits porridge, even giving it an enchanting name: “Crystal Yellow Jade Porridge.” For this year’s first corn harvest, the old man insisted on going to see it. Accompanying them were Li Chengqian and Li Tai.
The Lantian County Magistrate brought the Chief Clerk, County Deputy, and County Commandant—all in attendance. Now that those scalp-tingling potatoes were no longer visible in the fields, the local officials had regained their vitality.
“Magistrate Cao looks radiant today. What happy news do you have? Share it with us.” Yun Ye joked with the magistrate with a smile.
The plump Magistrate Cao beamed upon hearing this, repeatedly cupping his hands saying: “I’m ashamed, ashamed.”
The Chief Clerk quickly continued: “For the Marquis to know, Magistrate Cao must now change his title. The Ministry of Personnel’s documents just arrived yesterday—Magistrate Cao is now Assistant Administrator of Xuzhou and will soon assume office. He’s currently transferring his duties. Hearing that Lord Yan, the Crown Prince, Prince Wei, and Marquis Yun would come to inspect the corn fields, he insisted on coming to receive instruction no matter what.”
Li Chengqian said “Oh” and remarked: “Your promotion is well-deserved. When merit accumulates, naturally advancement follows. I won’t speak congratulatory words, only hope that once you assume your post in Xuzhou, you can still perform your duties diligently and render service to the nation. Xuzhou has historically been a place of contention. The terrain is high in the northwest, low in the southeast, gradually sloping from west to southeast, with many plains and considerable mountains. Originally a place of abundant resources and prosperous people, unfortunately this area has experienced too much warfare, leading to impoverished citizens. As an official for one term, you should certainly benefit the region. If you still have outstanding performance in Xuzhou, your official career won’t be limited to Assistant Administrator.”
Upon hearing the Crown Prince’s encouragement and admonishment, Magistrate Cao immediately prostrated himself, swearing to heaven that he would definitely change the current state of Xuzhou’s citizens. If he couldn’t achieve this, he’d rather die of old age in Xuzhou.
“Fat Cao, your luck really is good. The Crown Prince speaking this way clearly intends to promote you. Xuzhou is also in the capital region—the climate and soil are almost identical to Guanzhong. You just need to bring potatoes and corn there. In one year you can fill the people’s bellies, in two years you can sell Xuzhou’s noodles everywhere. When the people have grain and money, you’ll have ironclad achievements. In the future when you become a governor, you can replicate the same methods. You might as well be called the Potato Official.”
Everyone present burst into laughter, with Magistrate Cao laughing most heartily. Yan Zhitui sat in his wheelchair, laughing and scolding Li Tai: “Your mouth, boy, is still vicious as ever. What’s wrong with being a Potato Official? When the common people have grain and money, that’s the true way. Not going hungry is better than anything else. When clothing and food are sufficient, only then do people know propriety and righteousness. When Magistrate Cao grasps the people’s granaries and purses, he must never forget moral education.”
Magistrate Cao straightened his clothes and hat, respectfully thanking Yan Zhitui. Finally, facing Yun Ye, he cupped his hands and said: “This official departs for many years and can no longer hear Marquis Yun’s teachings. I wonder if the Marquis has any admonishments to keep this official vigilant.”
“Nothing else—your character is still quite good, just a bit stubborn. When you go to Xuzhou, don’t get too involved in local officialdom. As long as you handle these three things well—potatoes, corn, and noodles—no one can do anything to you. Remember this: you must give the people a feeling that this official is foolish, has lots of money, and is easy to deceive. Only when the people swarm to take advantage of you can you bypass everyone and do everything you want to do.”
These words stunned everyone. Yan Zhitui reacted fastest, laughing until tears came out, pointing at Yun Ye but unable to speak. Li Tai also caught on and laughed heartily.
Seeing Magistrate Cao still looking confused, Li Chengqian explained: “Marquis Yun’s meaning is that you shouldn’t blindly and forcibly promote these two crops. You need to arouse the people’s curiosity, transforming from you wanting them to plant potatoes into them wanting to plant potatoes themselves—the kind where they won’t take no for an answer. As an official for many years, you must understand such little tricks.”
Magistrate Cao suddenly understood. Behind him, the Chief Clerk, County Deputy, and County Commandant also showed expressions of comprehension—though how much was genuine was unknown.
Watching Magistrate Cao leading the charge, carrying a basket to harvest corn, Yun Ye said to Li Tai with a smile: “Watch—if Xuzhou isn’t covered with potatoes and corn all over the mountains next year, come ask me about it. With today’s conversation, even if you gave the Xuzhou Governor eight times the courage, he wouldn’t dare secretly trip up the Assistant Administrator. You were right—this fellow really has good luck.”
“I’ve been wanting to ask you—where did those wounds on your arm come from? It looks like you were cut many times. That insignificant little official isn’t worth our concern. Could you be self-harming?”
Even Li Chengqian had been chased into the cornfield by Yan Zhitui to harvest corn. Naturally, Yun Ye and Li Tai couldn’t escape. Yun Ye’s hands were very inconvenient, and Li Tai immediately noticed something amiss.
“Calling it self-harm works too—I did indeed cut myself. Several old soldiers who campaigned with me in Longyou back then insisted on becoming the Yun family’s retainers and required a blood oath. Originally one cut would suffice, but how was I to know? I thought one person required one cut, so my arm ended up in this wretched state.”
Li Tai looked enviously at Yun Ye’s ruined arm and said: “Your luck is really good—having people give you their lives. My father has such wounds, my eldest brother has them, but Li Ke and I don’t yet. It seems my character still can’t win people over.”
Yun Ye stopped his work in surprise, looking at Li Tai: “You’re His Majesty’s most favored son, and you’re a prince. Your fief is frighteningly large. By rights, having a hundred or eighty retainers shouldn’t be strange. How come you don’t have any? Wei Ting and Du Chuke have followed you for years—aren’t they your retainers?”
“They’re officials of Prince Wei’s mansion, not retainers. Retainers, servants, and officials are different matters. One is assigned by the state, one sells themselves into the household. Retainers are different—first they must establish merit for you, then you must recognize their loyalty, and finally you must feel you can entrust your life to this person. Only such people can qualify as retainers. Even if they’re stable hands in your household, they’re half a master of your house, not servants. Those old soldiers in your family went through life-and-death situations with you and have been utterly loyal to your household. After seven or eight years, a person’s heart should be transparent. So you having retainers is not strange at all. It’s difficult for me—I established my mansion too recently. At this time, no one would voluntarily acknowledge me as their family head.”
Casually picking a basket of corn as a token gesture was enough. This year, the Yun family’s corn was almost entirely used as seed grain. Magistrate Cao actually bankrupted himself to purchase five hundred strings of copper worth of corn seeds, plus seven or eight boatloads of potatoes. Yun Ye couldn’t stand the Tang dynasty’s information flow speed. Chang’an had more potatoes than they could finish eating, yet Xuzhou, though only five hundred li from Chang’an, had citizens who’d never even heard of potatoes. The government’s knowledge of potatoes was merely two simple characters in documents and postal reports.
People from the Ministry of Agriculture also entered the Yun family’s land to harvest corn. The Vice Minister of Agriculture was too embarrassed to read the imperial edict, stuffing it into Yun Ye’s hands for him to read himself. Bewildered, Yun Ye opened it only to discover this wasn’t an imperial edict at all—it was Zhangsun’s empress’s decree.
“Vice Minister Liu, this marquis is twenty-two years old now—am I still not considered an adult? How am I still under the Empress’s jurisdiction? This doesn’t make sense. The decree for Prince Wei is an imperial edict, so how did it become an empress’s decree when it got to me?”
“Marquis Yun, this official also doesn’t know. The Ministry of Agriculture’s purchase of quality seeds follows the price you set. It’s just that this money doesn’t come from the national treasury but from the Minor Treasury. I heard it’s powder money saved by Her Majesty through frugality, so it’s not strange that you received an empress’s decree rather than an imperial edict. The big shots at the Secretariat-Chancellery had no objections, the Remonstrance Officials didn’t seal and reject the empress’s decree, so it’s valid.”
“Old Liu, a few years ago when you said Her Majesty practiced frugality, I had no objections. But saying this now is rather unconscionable, isn’t it? The Minor Treasury is now rolling in wealth. The money His Majesty used to renovate Qujiang Pool was entirely sponsored by the Minor Treasury. How many pavilions and towers have been added to the palace these past two years? Which one isn’t magnificent and beautiful? The rare birds and exotic beasts in the Qujiang garden—I haven’t seen several of them even in the Qinling Mountains. The gilt Buddhist statues in the palace aren’t even gilded—have you ever seen gilding a finger’s thickness?”
Yun Ye felt extremely bitter inside. Zhangsun was determined to keep him in the palm of her hand. Held in her hand, whatever happened would be a small matter that could be handled according to family law. Though this brought him many benefits, wanting to gain respect would be quite impossible, because the nobles the Empress managed were all minors.
The Secretariat-Chancellery? The Remonstrance Officials? How could they have objections? Someone voluntarily paid a large sum of money to help the court buy seeds with absolutely no additional conditions. As for whether a marquis would lose face—who cared? As long as they didn’t touch treasury money, they wouldn’t care even if they themselves lost face. Yun Ye knew how terrifying people like Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng could be when they were shameless.