Chapter 108.2
The golden sunlight cast shadows from the trees occasionally crossing the riverbanks onto Li Wenjian's face. He squinted, watching the drenched youth nearby, thinking of things from a past life.
Ziren used to break out in rashes all over his body after drinking. When they were together in the past, Ziren would only have tea while they drank alcohol.
However, after Ziren returned to the capital, he was surprised to find that he had learned to drink alcohol. Fu Yu told him that during Wei Zhan's days in the border, he would get drunk every day, completely intoxicated. He would wake up, drink, get drunk, sleep, and repeat, all while covered in rashes which he paid no attention to.
After spending several years on the border defending against northern invaders, he suffered numerous injuries, using strong liquor to numb the pain. Thus, a youth who never touched alcohol developed a drinking problem.
Looking at the angry youth in front of him, Li Wenjian smiled, raised the wine pouch to his lips, and took a deep sip.
"Alright, don't worry," Li Wenjian smiled as he leaned back against the boat's railing. "If you can't drink, you can always find a capable wife who can help you with alcohol."
"Ah Xiong!" Li Yicheng called out helplessly.
Wei Zhan laughed heartily.
After returning from the day's outing, Zhao Heng fell ill. Already sensitive to heat, being exposed to the sun while wearing damp clothes caused her temperature to fluctuate.
By dinner time, she was too weak to sit up, and Xue Shi, upon feeling her forehead, was startled by the heat. Knowing Li Wenjian was busy with studies, Xue Shi didn't disturb him but instead informed Xie, the steward, to call a doctor and prescribed medicine for her.
The next day, Wei Wanyu came to find Zhao Heng for a playdate, only to discover her unwell and lacking energy. Concerned, she ignored Xue Shi's protests and ran to find Li Wenjian.
The sun shone brightly outside, with the trees in the courtyard rustling in the wind.
The ground, freshly dampened by morning rain, dried quickly under the sun. The cicadas on the branches chirped noisily.
Awakened by the chattering of cicadas, Zhao Heng slowly opened her eyes to find a cool hand on her forehead, relieving some of the heat within her.
"Do you want some water?" a clear voice asked.
She raised her head to see Li Wenjian, her throat parched and her voice hoarse as she replied, "Yes."
Li Wenjian got up, poured a bowl of warm water, and walked back to her bedside, gently helping her up and offering her the bowl.
Thirsty, she was dizzy from the fever, so she gratefully drank the water from his hand, finishing the whole bowl.
"Still thirsty?" Li Wenjian asked, looking at the empty bowl.
Gazing at him with her amber eyes, she shook her head and said softly, "I don't want any more."
"Then rest for a bit. Ying Que is brewing medicine for you. You can eat after taking the medicine," Li Wenjian said in a soothing tone.
Hearing his voice, a warm feeling washed over Zhao Heng.
"All right, I'll listen to you," she said.
Closing her eyes, she heard Li Wenjian continue, "It's hot recently. Don't go out with Wanyu at noon or in the evening."
Zhao Heng's eyelids drooped slightly. "I understand."
Seeing her obedient and gentle demeanor, Li Wenjian couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart. He raised his hand to rub her forehead gently, feeling her hair, "When the weather cools down in the morning and evening, you can go out riding or visit the fields."
"Sorry," Zhao Heng lifted her eyelids to look at his expression, "Am I causing trouble for you again?"
"Not at all," Li Wenjian was afraid she might be hungry, so he handed her a piece of mung bean cake, "Eat something to fill your stomach."
Looking at him, Zhao Heng's eyes curved into a smile as she nuzzled his hand affectionately with her cheek, "Brother Shulang, you're so kind."
"How am I kind?" Li Wenjian asked with a smile.
With a shy smile, Zhao Heng replied, "When we were in the village, Aunt Li fell ill, and Uncle Li scolded her for being useless. One time, she was so weak from a fever that she couldn't stand steady, yet Uncle Li insisted she help plow the fields, causing her to faint. You never make me work and always take care of me."
"You...you are..." Zhao Heng's face blushed slightly, and after hesitating for a few moments, she finally said, "You are the best husband in the world."
Li Wenjian's ears turned a bit red, and he pushed the pastry in his hand forward, saying, "Eat quickly. Once you feel better, we'll go to the lantern festival together."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng smiled softly and said, "I thought you brought us out here to escape for our lives, but it turns out we're here to eat, drink, and have fun."
Being sick for these few days had caused Zhao Heng's previously round chin to slim down a bit. When she looked at him, the childlike innocence remained in her features. Li Wenjian asked her, "Are you having fun?"
Without hesitation, Zhao Heng replied, "I am having fun."
Li Wenjian said, "If we're having fun, let's stay a bit longer." Confused, Zhao Heng looked at him, and he explained, "Once we return to the capital, it will be difficult to come out like this again."
The palace was square and imposing; once inside, one bore the responsibility for the people of the world, and there wouldn't be ample time for leisure outings.
In their past life, they had spent decades within the palace, serving the people until Ziyuan took over the government at the age of eighteen. Only then did they occasionally have the freedom to leave the palace.
However, they never strayed too far and always returned promptly. Their true freedom came when he abdicated the throne to Ziyuan at the age of twenty-five, stepping back from the court.
But Ziyuan was rather outrageous. Even as an emperor, he still refused to let them have full freedom. He would send his young heir to cry and clamor for Ah Heng every day, reluctant to part with his grandmother and grandfather as well.
In retaliation, Ziyuan had assigned them to the capital, where they had to accompany the young heir for a few years before being allowed to leave.
By then, they were both in their fifties before they truly regained their "freedom."
Intrigued, Zhao Heng asked, "Why won't we be able to come out?"
Li Wenjian replied, "In the future, we will go to a grand and magnificent place to perform a very important task."
"What important task?" Zhao Heng's bright eyes blinked.
Li Wenjian explained, "To ensure everyone has enough food to eat and to bring peace to the world."
Perplexed, Zhao Heng blurted out, "I don't understand."
"That's okay," Li Wenjian smiled. "You'll understand in the future."
Being sick had changed Zhao Heng's tastes, making her more picky and craving strange foods. One day, Wei Wanyu brought two fragrant melons to her, but she found them tasteless and muttered, "These melons seem to have no flavor."
Wei Wanyu cast a concerned look at Zhao Heng. "What would you like to eat? I'll try to find it for you," she offered gently.
Zhao Heng hesitated, pursing his lips. "Pears," he mumbled finally.
Wei Wanyu's brow furrowed slightly. "Pears aren't in season right now. Perhaps something else?"
Zhao Heng shook his head, a flicker of disappointment crossing his features. "No, nothing sounds good."
Wei Wanyu turned to Li Wenjian, a worried crease etching itself between her brows. Zhao Heng's lack of appetite had been a growing concern.
Being told about this, Li Wenjian worried about Zhao Heng's lack of appetite and her shrinking face. So, when he heard she wanted to eat pears, the next day he and Wei Zhan went to the mountains to search for a wild pear tree.
The mountain air was cool, and the pears ripened late, weighing the branches down heavily.
While picking the pears from the tree, Wei Zhan mentioned, "Uncle An wants to send a message to your father and mother. I'll be going to the military camp tomorrow."
"Not staying here anymore?" Li Wenjian asked him.
The pears were different from the city's pears - they were green with thin skin, clearly indicating they were good pears with small cores and lots of juice. After picking one, Wei Zhan wiped it on his sleeve, took a big bite, and said, "No, it's too boring here. It's either taking care of the children all day or hunting birds and picking fruits. Too dull. This time when I return to the military camp, I'll go fight with them. We'll meet again in the capital."
Li Wenjian, watching Wei Zhan's carefree face, didn't know what to say, so he just smiled at him.
An eagle is destined to soar in the sky; his wings couldn't be bound, locked inside a cage.
Seeing Li Wenjian smile mysteriously, Wei Zhan scratched his head in confusion.
"The Emperor Li must be as restless as an ant on a hot pan. Your father and mother are besieging the capital, and he won't just sit idly by. But their forces aren't enough to support a counterattack, and with General Ning's troops to the north and the lost eighteen cities to the west, he can't go in those directions. Only in the south..." Li Wenjian sat down on a rock, quickly drawing a map on the ground with a sickle, pointing to the south with the tip. "The southern aristocrats are deeply rooted and well-connected. He's most likely to flee to Jiangnan. He wouldn't dare take the official route and would probably climb over the hills, head to the ferry, and sail south..."
"Xiao Tao Village!" Wei Zhan's gaze fell on the spot pointed out by Li Wenjian's sickle, which was under the Little Ridge Mountains.
Li Wenjian nodded. In their previous life, Emperor Li had fled through this route towards the ferry. The villagers were alarmed by the nocturnal procession and, to prevent them from inadvertently revealing his whereabouts, his entourage killed several villagers they encountered on the road.
Among the victims were Yue Li and her father, who returned from a hunting trip to unexpectedly come across Emperor Li's fleeing party. Tragically, Yue's father met his end under the knife. Yue Li was left to fend for herself, and shortly after, she was summoned to the palace.
"In my letter, I informed my father and mother of this, but they are busy with military matters, and they may not notice," Li Wenjian glanced at Wei Zhan, casually suggesting, "Remember to remind them for me."
Wei Zhan nodded earnestly, "Don't worry, I'll definitely convey the message."
"Well, I trust you." Li Wenjian patted his shoulder.
*
A few days after eating the pear Li Wenjian brought back, Zhao Heng's body had almost fully recovered. After all, she was just a child with a strong constitution.
Both Li Wenjian and Xue Shi breathed a sigh of relief.
Their days in Yingzhou were fulfilling. While on the run, An Jingliu was less strict about the children's studies, and Li Wenjian took Zhao Heng along almost every time he went to the school. She half understood most of the lessons about governing and peacekeeping.
After school, they would accompany Wei Wanyu to the fields to see the rice paddies. Initially, they only went to work to avoid homework, but Wei Wanyu had actually grown fond of farming.
In Yingzhou, there was a type of rice where the seedlings were short, but the rice grains were abundant. Most of the rice produced in Yingzhou every year came from this type of rice. Wei Wanyu was very curious and almost dragged Zhao Heng to the fields every day to see the rice, constantly pestering the farmers with questions.
Learning that this variety of rice had sustained most of the people in Jiangnan, Wei Wanyu became even more diligent in visiting the fields. During the autumn harvest, he specifically bought some seeds, intending to take them back to the capital to plant.
Li Yicheng mentioned that the capital's climate was too dry to grow this type of rice. Wei Wanyu observed the irrigation systems and water wheels in the fields to the south and had drawings made of them.
Compared to the continuous warfare in the north, Yingzhou was relatively peaceful. However, after years of conflict, public security in the area was extremely poor, leading to scattered populations and abandoned fertile lands. Incidents of burglary and murder frequently occurred in the city. People loathed the bandits to the core, wishing to drink their blood and would often resort to violence.
While organizing a group of local volunteers to maintain law and order in the city, Li Wenjian and Li Yicheng also informed the people that they could use the funds from the An family to farm the land and repay them after the harvest.
Instead of indiscriminately punishing thieves and robbers, they provided money to buy farming tools and seeds, supporting them in farming, with repayment deferred until after the harvest.
In chaotic times, most people turned to banditry for survival, with the means to make a living, who would resort to theft. Initially, people were hesitant, but as more and more received funds from the An family, the long-abandoned fertile lands gradually saw a resurgence of greenery.
Gradually, the An family and Li Wenjian began to garner some goodwill among the people.
After the beginning of autumn, the rain fell incessantly.
With clear skies, the lingering white clouds that had been drifting in the mountains for some time began to dissipate. Zhao Heng unfolded the paper in her hand, just having written a few words, when she heard footsteps outside the door.
"Brother Shulang." Turning her head, she saw Li Wenjian walking in from the dim eaves.
He sat down at the table, casually picking up a piece of candy and offering it to Zhao Heng. She accepted it, and the sweet taste danced on her tongue.
"Here." Li Wenjian took out a box from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Heng.
Holding it in her hand, she could still feel his warmth lingering on the box. She squinted slightly and asked, "What is this?"
"Open it and see." Li Wenjian's tone was cheerful, like a bubbling spring.
Obediently, Zhao Heng unlocked the box and found a stack of deeds inside. Each deed represented a property, some houses, some estates, forming a thick stack.
"For me?" Zhao Heng looked stunned, unsure.
Li Wenjian nodded, "Yes."
"All for me?" Zhao Heng gasped, taken aback.
"Today is your birthday," Li Wenjian reminded her with a hint of joy, "These are your birthday gifts."
Staring at the thick stack in her hand, Zhao Heng was incredulous, not quite sure of what to make of it.
After a long while, she blinked in disbelief: "Why?"
"Didn't you agree to marry me?"
"But...this is too much..." Zhao Heng's clear eyes were still filled with astonishment.
Quietly lowering her gaze, Zhao Heng scratched her head, feeling a little embarrassed.
"We promised not to part ways in this lifetime. So, my wealth should naturally be in your care," Li Wenjian blushed slightly, his voice low, "These are all my worldly possessions, to be entrusted to you. You can use it to buy candy, pearl flowers, and everything you like..."
The young girl, at the age of ten, was slowly developing a liking for beautiful things, fine clothes, jewelry, and sweets. She wasn't one to cause trouble or ask for things, but he couldn't possibly allow her to feel short on anything.
"However..." she murmured hesitantly.
"Why? Are you going back on your word?" Li Wenjian teased, sipping his tea.
"Of course not."
"Then put these things away. You must manage the money well in the future," Li Wenjian said, "If it gets lost, we'll both go hungry."
Zhao Heng nodded vigorously, tucked the box under her pillow, and after a pause, she coyly leaned closer to Li Wenjian, whispering, "Are these deeds very valuable? How much are they worth?"
Li Wenjian responded with a soft "Yes, they're worth around one hundred thousand gold."
One hundred thousand gold!
Zhao Heng was dumbfounded, as if a huge scallion pancake had fallen from the sky, knocking her into a daze. Trying to count to see how much one hundred thousand gold was, she used all her fingers, yet still couldn't grasp the exact amount.
It took her ten years' worth of homework to earn ten taels of silver for Wei Wanyu, and with one hundred thousand gold, she would need to write for a hundred lifetimes without repaying him. Brother Shulang had given her so much money, and she was determined to save money as well for her dowry, to be worthy of the generous gift.
"Brother Shulang, I...I will work hard to save for my dowry!"
Amused by her antics, Li Wenjian didn't say much, letting her be content.