Chapter 85 Changes (1) Great undertakings are never smooth sailing...

In his dream, Changsun Qingjing indeed entered the Huaxu Kingdom, a place of peace, tranquility, and abundance. The heavens hung down with dew, the earth gushed forth sweet springs, and abundant crops grew in the fields, while a plain zither played without strings.

The unicorn that had fled with her in the wilderness in her dream was now strolling by a wide body of water. Where its silver hooves trod, ripples spread out in the shape of a Bagua (eight trigrams).

Several white wagtails landed on the unicorn's back. Their snowy plumage shone in the sunlight, making the unicorn's back appear adorned like a necklace. The unicorn slightly raised its head, its jade horn glistening with dew, facing the sunlight, where rainbows seemed to dance within the dew.

The unicorn leaped to Changsun Qingjing, its footsteps shattering the morning light, and nestled affectionately into her arms. Changsun Qingjing noticed that the cub's hide seemed thicker and its horns harder than before…

As she awoke from her dream, the natural sounds of swaying grass and flowing springs still lingered in her ears.

A few days later, she unexpectedly found a brocade with a pair of beaded qilin patterns among the congratulatory gifts sent by Dugu Huaien. The qilin looked just like the auspicious one-horned beast from her dream. Changsun Qingjing felt very curious and cut off a piece to ask the weavers at the Li family's brocade workshop if they could weave such a rich and delicate pattern.

Li Shimin selected Jingyin Temple, which he had funded and built, as the school and also provided it with food and clothing.

The Zen master of Jingyin Temple promised to have the novices help copy the "Jijiupian" for young children to study. The abbot himself was fluent in Sanskrit and knowledgeable in phonetics, and stubbornly believed that the phonetic experts' rhyming techniques were inspired by Sanskrit. Therefore, he was eager to meet his young friend Changsun Minxing in order to find out the truth.

Zhuang Li was repeatedly invited by Li Shimin to work with Zhang Houyin and Changsun Minxing to design a new tax contract for the Li family's estates, based on the old land equalization decree found in the archives.

Of course, to avoid frightening this diligent old man, Li Shimin promised to only extend the benefits to the fifty earliest farmers who had submitted.

When the village official fully understood that the Li family would harm his interests in this new contract, he was utterly perplexed.

The court's excessive inspections, the officials' harsh treatment, and the excessive corvée labor were unacceptable practices among the nobility. Farmers were willing to submit to the court to avoid uncertain taxes and corvée labor, paying high taxes for protection.

So why did the young master arbitrarily alter the land deeds?

Nowadays, the only one with a sharp mind in this villa is probably that young woman who can accurately calculate the square steps of the arc of the field.

According to the purchasing maid, Lady Changsun had already clearly figured out the market prices of all kinds of gold-embellished and jade-decorated silk threads, brocades and silk fabrics. She also kept track of the commissions of silk refiners, thread twisters, brocade makers and silk weavers. In front of a group of capable maids serving Lady Dou, she checked last year's accounts and then assigned the production tasks for the new year.

The maids and the head mistress were filled with respect for her and dared not speak to the young mistress again, showing any sign of being a know-it-all.

Perhaps, the village official could use his seniority to ask Lady Liu for a favor and have a good chat with this Lady Changsun, who is skilled in financial matters, about her husband's disloyalty.

Zhuang Li imagined countless times that the Duke of Tang would stop his second son from carrying out these outlandish "righteous deeds" in time.

However, his delusion was ultimately shattered a few days later.

Anxious farmers, skillful weavers, and noisy children gathered at Jingyin Temple on an ordinary morning in February to welcome the new beginning of their lives.

The official did not receive any timely notification from the Duke of Tang to cut his losses, so he had no choice but to follow the stubborn young master's prior agreement and explain the new contract to these country bumpkins in the most colloquial language.

Li Shimin paced back and forth in the courtyard opposite the Dharma Hall and the Garan Hall, his mind filled with the surprised and doubtful whispers of the villagers.

Outside the Garan Hall, Changsun Qingjing was discussing the important matter of purchasing new looms with several female servants.

"Several ladies here have been conscripted by the Imperial Household Department to serve in the frontier. The brocades worn by the Emperor and Empress were all made by these ladies; you are all knowledgeable and experienced. My mother has recently passed away, and the Crown Prince's wife is currently in Daxing and unable to leave. I am new to this position, and I am still learning and observing daily, and I fear I have not yet grasped the essentials." Changsun Qingjing glanced at the room full of children in the Dharma Hall and smiled, "Family affairs are like lessons; one must be immersed in them to understand. Today, I am like one of you children coming to the Dharma Hall for the first time. I hope you ladies will teach me frankly and openly..."

The older weaver suggested, “The kind of trendy brocade with linked beaded animal patterns that you mentioned last night requires the most expensive looms to weave. These looms cost thirty to fifty thousand coins, which is very expensive; however, the brocades and satins they produce are favored by concubines, noblewomen, and foreign merchants. After deducting the cost of purchasing the looms, the silk threads, and the commission, the profit is still considerable… You might as well add a few looms to your brocade workshop. Whether it’s for your own wife to make clothes, for rewards, or for paying tribute, you can use these colorful silks and satins to show the grandeur of your wealthy and powerful family.”

"Let me do the math..." Changsun Qingjing began fiddling with counting rods. "The loom costs 30,000 coins, the annual salary is 5,000 coins, and the silk thread can be produced on the estate..."

A dozen or so boys of varying ages, led by a novice monk, first kowtowed before the tablets of the Demon Mother, then before the tablets of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius. Even after taking their seats, the children were restless, crowding around the windows of the Dharma Hall, chattering excitedly for their parents and siblings.

Changsun Qingjing was so annoyed by the noise that he had to set up the counting rods again several times.

Inside the Dharma Hall, the murals depicting the Western Pure Land were peeling and faded. The usual place for sermons had managed to gather a dozen or so small tables. The novices searched the monks' quarters, the dining hall, and the storeroom before finally finding a slightly more refined gilded Boshan incense burner and a green-glazed slender-necked vase to place on Changsun Minxing's table.

Changsun Minxing cut a handy bamboo branch from the bamboo grove in the back garden, walked into the Dharma Hall, knocked on the old table and urged, "Everyone has rested enough. Recite the names in the 'Jijiupian' for me again."

The children scurried back to their desks, stealing a glance at the first chapter of the *Jijiupian* that the young novices in the temple had helped them copy, and then, like parrots, loudly proclaimed: "Song Yannian, Zheng Zifang, Wei Yishou, Shi Buchang, Zhou Qianqiu, Zhao Ruqing, Yuan Zhanshi, Gao Bibing, Deng Wansui, Qin Miaofang, Hao Liqin, Feng Hanqiang..."

All the children had a mischievous and comical appearance, with words that were all talk and no action.

The arguments outside the courtroom grew louder again.

"But sir, if I were to press my finger here, would I still be considered a member of the Li family's patronage?" A strange question suddenly arose from the crowd.

“We work hard just to seek the protection of Lord Tang, to reunite our families, and to keep our flesh and blood together. Now that you have suddenly decided to renegotiate the contract, will we still enjoy the protection that Lord Tang promised? My two sons and one daughter are still minors. If I am arrested and forced to build the canal or the Piling Palace, who will they be able to rely on?” A bold person questioned with concern.

"The land of Han is vast, encompassing all. All nations come to pay homage, serving as our subjects. The borders are peaceful, and China is tranquil. The people enjoy virtue, and the world is at peace..." The children in the court continued to roar, but to Li Shimin, today's "Jijiupian" sounded somewhat ironic.

"Begin practicing calligraphy. Each of you should use the characters 'Shang Da Ren Qiu Yi Ji' that I and the monks in the temple wrote as a model and copy them five times." Changsun Minxing straightened a child's pen and reminded him, "If you don't write it properly, you'll be punished by writing it five more times."

"Master Changsun, will the Li family remove our family from the register of households with special privileges? And then let the officials arrest my father and brother to build the Piling Palace?" Guoniang's younger brother, Zheng Foyou, asked nervously.

"Nonsense, there's no such thing. Hurry up and practice your calligraphy!" Changsun Minxing tapped the table and said, "Look at you, you're always absent-minded, and your strokes are so light and careless. Copy it ten more times."

The debate outside the courtroom window continued.

"Sir, the imperial court has promised to reduce taxes in previous years, but what followed was the expropriation of households, the demolition of households, and forced labor... It's not that the young master's new land deed is bad, but we commoners have been frightened by all sorts of temporary measures in recent years and are afraid to protect ourselves. If I may not offend Lord Tang and the young master, we are just afraid that the Li family will be as fickle and untrustworthy as the imperial court. Today they collect ten years' rent in advance, and tomorrow they will conscript men to rest on the Taihang Road. We commoners really cannot bear it."

When Changsun Qingjing, who was fiddling with abacus rods in a corner of the corridor of the Garan Hall, heard these strange and absurd remarks that not only failed to express gratitude but also raised doubts, she couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances with her husband, who was pacing and listening intently in the corridor of the Dharma Hall across the way.

"The young master personally tasted the crops the other day and knew of your hardships. Therefore, he felt pity and was willing to share the benefits with you. Why don't you believe him?" The village official pointed to a pile of land deeds on the stone table and questioned loudly.

“It’s not that we don’t believe, but we are all suffering from military service, corvée labor, and borrowing money to make ends meet, and the court’s laws change every month. We’ve been played enough these past few years, and we just hope that nothing new will happen and that we can live in peace. If the Tang government also despises us because we are old and young, and uses some pretext to drive us out of the manor, where will we go to seek protection?”

"What new farm contract? We worked the way we always did. Do you think you can expect me to not work now?"

"Believe it or not, if you sign this today, the taxes will be paid, and Lord Tang won't care whether you live or die. Tomorrow, the local soldiers will arrest you and take you to conquer Goguryeo."

"Why do my relatives in Henan County say that the emperor intends to build the Piling Palace?"

"Nonsense! I have a cousin who is a patrol officer in Luoyang County. Their county magistrate said that the emperor will not launch an eastern expedition this year, but will instead make a northern tour!" Someone began to subtly raise the banner of rebellion amidst their words.

"If you have the ability to hear everything, then go and work on the Great Wall!" a man with a bitter tongue said mercilessly.

"Sharp tongue! Speak properly and don't curse people!"

Several hot-tempered country bumpkins almost came to blows over a disagreement.

"Good morning! Good morning!" The village clerk jumped onto the stone table, waved the new land deed he had drafted for a long time before finally putting it into writing, and stamped his foot, saying, "I'm putting my words out here today: the division of profits will be more for you than for the Li family; there will be labor service, but it won't be heavy, and the people won't have to leave Luoyang or Mangshan. Sign it or not, it's up to you!"

Author's Note: Erfeng and Ajing naively believed that pushing profits would definitely be accepted by the farmers, only to find that they suspected the Tang State Government was just trying to get rid of its burdens, and that changing course was not as easy as they imagined.