Yun Ye got up early in the morning and led the children in reading. After the dew on the trees had been baked dry by the sunlight, he took his five children to pick pears. This year happened to be a bumper year for fruit trees, and the pears hung heavily and abundantly all over the tree. The pears on the sunny side had already turned reddish on their outer skin, while the pears on the shady side remained emerald green as before.
The pear tree, having grown for over a dozen years, had already become quite tall. Yun Ye stood on a triangular ladder picking, while Yun Shou took the pears his father handed down one by one from the small basket and loaded them into bamboo hampers. Yun Mu looked up with her little face, holding onto the ladder for her father, while the three youngest ones squatted by the big hamper counting how many pears there were in total.
Wang Cai also stood by the hamper. He didn’t like eating pears; he simply liked staying by Yun Ye’s side.
These kinds of days were Yun Ye’s favorite days to live. Standing on the ladder, he could see Grandmother lying on a brocade couch under the eaves basking in the sun, and could also see Xiao Ya and Li You frolicking together—just now she seemed to have been secretly kissed by Li You. Aunts and aunties were unchangingly playing mahjong as they had for ten thousand years. Yun Mu’s big dog Wang Cai lay sprawled in the courtyard, completely displaying an attitude of having no other dogs in his eyes.
What wonderful days these were—everyone was here, right where his eyes could see them. The wives had gone to the riverbank to cry about the land, taking along much food. It looked like they planned to cry all day long. He wondered whether the new county magistrate of Lantian County could withstand it.
Did he think he was Ma Zhou, holding the emperor’s seal in his hand and able to do whatever he pleased in Chang’an? In fact, the nobles were the most law-abiding people in Chang’an. Each one, for the sake of their family’s title and honor, was painstakingly managing their affairs. A family head could blacken his face and severely beat his own nephews, but when meeting tenant farmers, no matter how uncomfortable, would still squeeze out a smile. To this day, Yun Ye had not seen any family head who would bully their own tenant farmers to death—not a single one.
Who suffered the greatest losses when river waters overflowed the embankments? Wasn’t it the nobles? Prepare your calling cards and visit each household properly to explain things. Tell them how much land they lost at the riverbank, and make up for it from wasteland—that would be the end of it. Noble families didn’t care about those few mu of good land; what they cared about was the area. Clearing the river channels benefited everyone. Once the reasoning was explained clearly, this matter would become the county magistrate’s achievement. Now it was good—not only were the mistresses of large households going to the riverbank to cry, but small households were even more intent on crying. Perhaps even the men would go. If you made your jurisdiction filled with crying sounds, it would be strange if the censors didn’t come looking for trouble with you.
He hadn’t exercised in a long time. After picking pears for half an hour, he already felt his arms were so sore and tired he couldn’t lift them. Wiping away his sweat, he came down from the ladder. Yun Mu’s little face was flushed bright red, her two little hands straining to grip the ladder, afraid that Daddy would fall down. Although with her bit of strength, holding it was the same as not holding it, her filial heart was commendable. Yun Ye kissed his daughter on the cheek and selected the biggest, reddest pear to reward his daughter. Yun Shou had just moved over wanting to claim credit when his father kicked him away. Doting on one’s daughter was appropriate—which family went out of their way to dote on sons?
Sitting in a chair looking at the pear tree, they had only picked less than thirty percent. They needed to call Xiao Ya and Li You over. The two of them were stuck together all day—if something scandalous happened, it would be ugly. The reason Li Chengqian’s primary wife Su Shi was confined in the cold palace included one charge that she showed no maiden blood on the wedding night. Damn it, it would be ghostly if there had been any to see. Li Chengqian had ruined her long before Su Shi married him. Not having a shotgun wedding when they got married was already giving Li’er plenty of face. Now bringing this matter up as a talking point—didn’t anyone notice Li Chengqian had no objections? In order to stimulate Hou Junjie’s ambitions, Li’er didn’t care whether it would hurt others.
Li You had never picked pears before. He happily climbed up the ladder, and the two of them—he and Xiao Ya—took turns picking pears. In no time at all, they had picked all the fruit clean from the pear tree. Yun Ye wouldn’t let them pick the two fruits at the very top of the tree—the fruit tree had been busy all year, so leave it some seeds and some hope. Next year they were still counting on the pear tree to bear fruit.
“Pick out the good ones and fill a basket. I still have some honey produced in the maze forest in my study—pack a small jar for your mother. I won’t give you the bee pupae though; I estimate your mother wouldn’t eat them anyway. You two enter the palace and deliver these. Your maternal uncle has passed away, and your mother must be very distressed. Comfort her—you as her son should at least show something.”
Li You happily agreed. He selected the pears himself and had Xiao Ya go to the study to pack the honey. What kind of place was the academy’s maze forest? It was one of Chang’an’s death zones. He’d heard that the bees there ate people. Honey produced by man-eating bees—how extraordinary must that be? He absolutely had to get some. These past few days he had actually been very worried about his mother. His big brother-in-law had loosened his restrictions—it was perfect timing to go see Mother.
Somewhat excited, Li You found the most beautiful bamboo basket and filled it completely full. Turning around, he saw Xiao Ya running over carrying a small, pure white porcelain jar. The guards of Prince Qi’s manor had already prepared the carriage and horses—they were just waiting to depart.
Yun Ye saw Xiao Ya’s furtive appearance and knew this girl had secretly taken some bee pupae. She could never pretend properly—whenever she tried to pretend, her behavior would expose her. A daughter’s heart turns outward—this habit couldn’t be changed.
“Did you get the bee pupae or not?” Li You asked Xiao Ya as soon as he got on the carriage. He would never believe Xiao Ya would obediently follow instructions.
“Big Brother doesn’t have much left either. I saw he had already divided them into several small packages. I didn’t dare touch those small packages, so I just took all that remained. Look.” Xiao Ya proudly pulled out a package of bee pupae from her sleeve to show Li You.
Li You chuckled, clapped his hands, and gave Xiao Ya a thumbs up, urging the carriage driver repeatedly to drive the cart a bit faster.
The imperial palace was still as deathly silent as always. Li You twitched his nose. After living at the Yun Family for a few days, he had already grown fond of that kind of lively feeling—the whole family gathering around a big table to eat, pushing plates and exchanging bowls. His big brother-in-law’s bowl was piled full of vegetables the children wouldn’t eat, and he didn’t get annoyed. He ate his rice with the vegetables and even said eating more vegetables had many benefits.
People should live in a lively, bustling way. Li You glanced at Xiao Ya and said in a low voice: “In the future we’re going to have many, many children, preferably enough to fill a whole table. When we return to Qi Province, the prince’s manor doesn’t need to be too large—elegant will be fine. Just the two of us living together won’t require anything too big. At that time we’ll sell the Beijing residence, and we’ll have a large sum of money. We’ll go to Qi Province and build our own house. When we return to Chang’an in the future, we’ll just stay at Big Brother’s home. I like the Yun Family estate.”
Xiao Ya snorted reproachfully and said: “By that time you’ll have many concubines, and they’ll help you bear children.”
Li You smiled bitterly and said: “I’ve seen with my own eyes how cold and desolate my mother’s life is. Having you alone is enough for me—what do I need concubines for? To keep them at home to fight with each other?”
Consort Yin lived by Taiye Pool, far from Wanmin Palace, but it was superior in its tranquility. Having heard the eunuch’s report, Consort Yin immediately became anxious. Upon seeing Li You, she said right off: “You’re not properly staying at Marquis Yun’s home to avoid disaster—what are you running into the palace for? Your uncle is gone. The only one who can protect you is Marquis Yun now. Quickly return. This consort your mother is fine.”
Li You smiled somewhat bitterly. Xiao Ya interjected: “Your Ladyship, it was my big brother who sent us into the palace to see you. Please rest assured—since my big brother permitted us to leave, it means this matter has already passed. My big brother wouldn’t miscalculate.”
Hearing Xiao Ya’s words, Consort Yin finally calmed down. Grasping Xiao Ya’s hand, she said: “This grievance to you, child. You’er is not accomplished—you must be more understanding. I only have this one flesh and blood of mine. Help me look after him more.”
Xiao Ya placed the honey jar in her hand on the table, helped Consort Yin sit down, and said in a low voice: “Ayou is very capable. You needn’t worry about him. When my big brother saw Ayou, he said just one sentence: continue pretending to be foolish. If you pretend until others all believe you’re a fool, naturally all matters will be worry-free. My brother is extremely accurate at reading people and terribly proud. If Ayou were someone without capability, he absolutely wouldn’t say this sentence. You can rest assured—whatever happens, Ayou will resolve it himself.”
Only then did Consort Yin carefully look at her son. Indeed, she discovered her son seemed to have a somewhat spirited and elated air about him, greatly different from the dejection of some time ago.
“Mother, look—these are fruits this son personally picked in the Yun Manor garden this morning. Big Brother-in-law told me to select some good ones to bring for you to taste.” Li You took several pears from the basket and instructed the palace maids to take them and wash them.
Xiao Ya also opened the honey jar, and a floral fragrance slowly wafted out. Consort Yin picked up the jar, smelled it, and asked Xiao Ya: “What kind of honey is this? It smells very comfortable—it’s not an ordinary product, is it?”
Li You smiled and rummaged in Xiao Ya’s sleeve for quite a while before pulling out a paper package. He placed it before the beaming and smiling Consort Yin and said: “Mother, the honey is produced by man-killing bees in the maze forest, so naturally it’s different from other honeys. As for these bee pupae, Xiao Ya stole them from Marquis Yun’s study specifically to show filial respect to you. Don’t look at how ugly these bee pupae are—frying them in oil or roasting them to eat has great benefits for your body. This thing, I’ve heard, only Master Li Gang and a few other old masters have portions of it. Even Father Emperor doesn’t have any there.”
Consort Yin was extremely happy at this moment. Originally she had worried that these two adversaries wouldn’t get along together. From how her son had just casually rummaged in Xiao Ya’s sleeve and Xiao Ya hadn’t resisted, she knew they were getting along very harmoniously. Now, never mind eating bee pupae—even if it were eating scorpions, she could happily eat them.
She told the eunuch steward in the palace that today she would be entertaining her son and Xiao Ya, and wouldn’t go attend to His Majesty’s side. In no time at all, Aunt Mei brought over some wine and dishes, placing them separately on the three people’s individual tables.
Li You frowned and wanted to change to a large table. It was just a family of three eating a meal, yet they were still separated eight zhang apart—what kind of sense did that make? As for matters of ritual protocol, Li You had long forgotten them.
Xiao Ya took the oil-fried bee pupae and placed them before Consort Yin. Consort Yin used her chopsticks to pick up one and put it in her mouth. At first she was still a bit worried, but after eating one, she couldn’t stop. Seeing her son and Xiao Ya watching her without moving their chopsticks, she said somewhat embarrassed: “The taste really is very good. No wonder your brother hid them away.”
Li You chuckled and poured his mother a cup of wine, then poured Xiao Ya a bit of grape wine. The three of them clinked glasses and each held up their wine cups to drink them dry in one gulp. Consort Yin only felt extremely satisfied—many years of accumulated gloom seemed to have also been drunk dry by her in one mouthful.