Chapter 82 The young couple, secretly observing each other, are eating impatiently...

Young people laughed and made merry around the bonfire, singing and playing music like the wind, their sweat pouring down like rain.

Zhang Houyin glanced at the carefree crowd and turned back to say, "I am not a pedantic person. In my opinion, we should go. Not only should we go, but we should also hold a grand wedding for that lady to confirm that you are indeed a wealthy and influential maternal uncle. We must make sure that everyone in the village knows that this newlywed couple has a powerful patron and that no one will dare to underestimate them."

“What you say is true, but…” Li Shimin subconsciously straightened his mourning clothes, indicating this.

Qingjing, who overheard the master and apprentice's discussion, naturally understood: the trouble was not in the funeral and the mourning itself, but in the son's worry that his inflexible father would both scold his son for not observing mourning for his mother and oppose his son's excessive contact with commoners.

Zhang Houyin naturally understood this as well.

Zhang Houyin thus easily and skillfully resolved Li Shimin's inner conflict.

Changsun Minxing noticed that Changsun Qingjing had secretly taken a big gulp of his drink. He patted his friend on the shoulder and said, "Do you need me to help the groom recite a poem? Although they may not have that many places where they need to recite poems, it would be good for me to respond elegantly to the bride's family's rude behavior when the groom arrives. I can urge them to get ready in a refined manner and wait for the bride to return the fan in a refined manner."

“Of course you will come to the banquet with me,” Li Shimin replied earnestly.

Changsun Minxing laughed and said, "That's more like our dashing young master."

As Ah Cai jumped off the platform from Changsun Qingjing and passed through the line of young men and women dancing with mulberry branches, she noticed that her wife was in a bad mood. However, she dared not ask any questions and could only decisively withdraw from the revelry and stay by her wife's side without leaving her side.

As fate would have it, Guoniang had been preoccupied with her thoughts after receiving the promise from the lady to help her out of a predicament. The drinking party had barely begun when she made an excuse to go home and bring her younger brother to pay respects to Lady Changsun, and left without a word. Acai didn't know if Guoniang was telling the truth, but she felt she had lost a very important and quick-witted helper, so she dared not let Changsun Qingjing out of her sight.

All A-Cai could do was silently pray that Guo-niang would come back soon to help her keep a close eye on the unpredictable young lady, while also keeping an eye on Changsun Qingjing's mood changes.

She wondered if the young master had quarreled with his wife again, just like the other day.

Sigh, one is eager to change the old habits in the family overnight, while the other is still thinking about his deceased mother and feels unhappy because his wife is causing trouble. It's really a headache!

However, A-Cai also felt that her mistress had become much more composed than when she first arrived in Luoyang. She hadn't stubbornly tried to change the types of mulberry and hemp, or, like other wealthy families in the vicinity, rushed to expand her "fire room" when the emperor came to Luoyang, hoping that the Ziwei Palace would buy her flowers at high prices. She simply listened to the silkworm farmers and silkworm workers talk about the fabric patterns produced in previous years and the popular ones this year, and didn't like to interfere much. She asked a lot of questions and learned quickly.

Changsun Qingjing chatted with the weavers about planting hemp trees, their privately hoarded silkworm eggs, and the types of tribute. He quickly recovered from his frustration and was no longer as resentful as when he first argued with Li Shimin about the proper measure of regency. Instead, he was filled with curiosity about everything related to agriculture and sericulture.

Speaking of speculation, several bolder peasant women reminded Changsun Qingjing to wear warm clothes on spring nights. Changsun Qingjing smiled and agreed, and then instructed A Cai to send warm cloaks to Changsun Minxing and Zhang Houyin.

“Should I accept this?” Changsun Minxing said, putting on his cloak. “A-Cai, you’re still as skillful as ever.”

Hearing the praise, A-Cai smiled and then told Changsun Minxing, "My lord, my wife said that on the day of Zhang Lang's wedding, she came to prepare jewelry for the bride, so I went with her to help Li Niang with her makeup..."

“My sister is very thoughtful; it’s truly a blessing for your husband.” Changsun Minxing raised an eyebrow at Li Shimin.

“I dare not presume to call myself A-Cai’s husband.” Li Shimin stroked the half-brocade branch and joked with A-Cai, “A-Cai must be deliberately bullying me. Your own eldest grandson has warm clothes, and Master Zhang has warm clothes, so why don’t I have any? If I were to praise you for being righteous, you would clearly not respect me; if I were to say you are unrighteous, you would even go to great lengths to take care of my mentor. What else could your actions be but deliberate?”

Because A-Cai was a maid who accompanied Changsun Qingjing in his dowry, she was deeply favored by her mistress. Li Shimin had always treated her with courtesy and had never spoken to her in a harsh or frivolous manner. Now, these words were clearly a pretext for speaking to Changsun Qingjing, who was nearby.

A-Cai draped a cloak over Zhang Houyin and retorted emphatically, "My lady instructed me that Changsun Langjun is a distant guest who is on your behalf, and he is also your brother. Whether as his sister or mistress, you cannot bear to see him suffer from the cold. Master Zhang is your mentor, just like you are your mentor. You and Master Zhang are like father and son, and I believe you would not want him to suffer from the cold either. After much thought, I can only ask you to make this difficult for me."

Li Shimin was speechless for a moment, only staring blankly as his friend and mentor wrapped themselves tightly in their cloaks, silently showing off. He replied with a wry smile, "Lady Changsun is indeed very thoughtful. I am truly a blessed man."

Changsun Qingjing's shoulders trembled slightly as she looked back, as if she were trying to suppress a laugh. Li Shimin could even imagine her adorable, half-smiling face, like spring ice melting and autumn water rippling.

Although her anger was somewhat infuriated by his actions in the mulberry grove, it was less powerful in terms of supporting his change of course.

He was just about to take the opportunity to invite Changsun Qingjing to sit next to him, and pretend to ask her about her opinion on the collection of rent. If she was willing to pay attention to him, then the old matter would be over.

Just as he was feeling triumphant, he saw Guoniang leading a child under ten years old by the hand, skipping and hopping towards Changsun Qingjing.

Li Shimin suddenly felt that everything was going wrong for him that night. His instep began to ache again.

Under the scolding of the cricket, the child bowed somewhat reservedly to Changsun Qingjing.

The girl and the boy seemed to be desperately trying to persuade Changsun Qingjing to agree to a very important matter.

Changsun Qingjing reached out to the boy, arranging for him to sit beside her and serve her, while casually chatting with the women around her about various patterns, spinning, and silkworms.

“Look at your friend, he’s pushing his luck, just like a toddler,” Zhang Houyin said, pointing at Li Shimin and addressing Changsun Minxing. “As long as you don’t shut him up, countless ideas will keep popping out of his mouth. Speak up!”

"Master, I always feel that the current system of sharing profits between the estate and the tenants, and the collection of rent as a form of charity, is short-sighted and not a sustainable solution. These people should be under the protection of the Li family. If they become disloyal to me and run away again, disrupting our farming and weaving, what benefit will it bring me?"

"You want to reduce or waive taxes?" Zhang Houyin asked seriously. "This is a matter of great importance, not child's play; a single move could have far-reaching consequences. Have you seriously reported this plan to the Duke of Tang?"

“My father allowed me to give it a try, but he forbade me to make too much of a fuss. Of course, I understand my father’s concerns and will not make a big fuss to put him in a difficult position. This time, I will only select farmers who have been loyal to me for many years to sign new land contracts,” Li Shimin replied.

Zhang Houyin nodded, secretly marveling that it was rare to find someone in this world who remained pure despite adversity, a phoenix emerging from a pack of owls. He could only silently pray that the clear waters of the Li family, father and son, amidst the chaos of the world, would not be corrupted by the storms.

"Erlang, you are a wise and ambitious person. The fact that you told me this proves that I am not an outsider who would interfere and cause confusion. I am a reliable helper..."

Li Shimin smiled and acquiesced.

"Although I am only a scholar of the Five Classics, I also have some knowledge of numerology and divination. How do you plan to draw up a new contract?"

“I also know some of the Zhoubi and Jiuzhang. In the future, besides teaching them to read, I must select some useful algorithms to teach those young children, so that when they grow up they will not be fooled and deceived by your cunning village official.” Changsun Minxing was shocked by Li Shimin’s groundbreaking idea, yet he couldn’t help but join in this swirling ripple in the chaotic world.

"Our Master Changsun has only received a few disciples kowtowing and offering wine, and hasn't even received his tuition fees yet, but he's already starting to protect his own offspring? Ah, what a remarkable person!" Li Shimin said, half-jokingly and half-deprecatingly.

“Those are dozens of people who completely trust you and kowtow. How could I not be moved? Besides, using your temple, spending your money, and teaching the children of the farmers in your village to fight against you in the future—isn't that just too interesting! I'm also very curious to know how you intend to sacrifice yourself for others in the new land deeds?”

"Enough talk! Let's settle the accounts first!" Zhang Houyin picked up a twig and gestured for the two young men to come closer. "Let's calculate together whether, with the cloth woven by the women, and the produce from your orchard and flower garden, these people who have come to submit can barely make ends meet without borrowing or with minimal borrowing..."

Changsun Qingjing had turned to face the three people discussing a tedious problem without anyone noticing. She beckoned Guoniang forward and gave her some instructions. Guoniang then lifted her skirt and left temporarily.

Just as the three of them, young and old, were arguing about a number, Guoniang happened to run back with a handful of counting rods.

Li Shimin accepted the counting rods and thanked him.

Ah Cai poured new wine or drinks for the three of them.

"Ah, Guoniang, you're back!" Acai felt more confident in facing the difficulties.

"My wife has allowed my younger brother to become a disciple of Lord Changsun... I thought my wife would dislike my younger brother for not having received proper instruction and for his uncouth behavior, but to my surprise, she didn't hesitate at all..." Guoniang couldn't hide her joy, and her voice was a little loud. When she saw Li Shimin gesturing for the two of them to walk away, she slapped her lips in shame and silently retreated.

“Good news, good news.” Ah Cai whispered, linking arms with Guo Niang. “I have some leftover fabric from when my wife made new clothes for her cousin. If you don’t mind, have your brother come to me in a little while, and I’ll make him a new outfit for school.”

"You're the one with the most ideas!" Guoniang hugged Acai's neck warmly.

"Don't overthink it, everything's fine." Guoniang flicked Acai's forehead and said, "While chatting with the weavers, my wife was also keeping an eye on what the young master and the others were talking about regarding rent reduction. She also asked me to find the estate official, saying that it would prevent the three young men who don't know the hardships of farming from just talking on paper."

"That's good." A-Cai's questioning eyes darted around several times, but in the end, her suspicious nature reconciled with the ironclad reality.

Changsun Minxing's joke reached her ears: "Then you've lost a lot of rice and cloth, haven't you? You won't regret it, will you?"

“No,” Li Shimin replied decisively. “It’s settled then. I’ll make the arrangements with the estate official, and I’ll explain to Father…”

He looked up and met Changsun Qingjing's focused gaze. She was resting her chin on her hand, memorizing every word they spoke, and her half-smiling eyes seemed to say, "Go ahead and try. Even without Master Zhang and Minxing, you still have me."

Author's Note: This makeshift team, within its limited capabilities, plans to offer some benefits to ordinary people. While it can't compare to our current situation, it's certainly more humanitarian than Guang Shen and his anthropomorphic friends.

This chapter ends with Erfeng's arrogant and boastful thoughts.

He couldn't stand not talking to his wife, so he'll have to apologize and explain himself in the next chapter. [winking emoji]