Chapter 69

In Lantian County, by the Dongyang River, a large group of people was listening quietly, much like students in a private school listening to their teacher. However, these were a group of ragged farmers. With the world at peace, these farmers, who relied on the land for their livelihood, began to repeat their year-after-year lives. But in the past two years, the tenant farmers of the Changsun family had become anxious. The master of the house had brought back a new type of crop seed, but they could not achieve satisfactory yields no matter what they did. This left Changsun Cheng, who had farmed all his life, puzzled. Why did the master say that this thing needed a lot of water, so he planted it in the best watered land, but still got so many empty shells?

Today, a young lord from the Qin王府 (Qin王府, Qin Mansion) came here and told him that it was because they had planted it too densely. This left Changsun Cheng even more puzzled. Wasn't it true that planting more would yield more? Why did they have to plant it sparsely to get a harvest?

Li Kuan didn't know that for generations in Guanzhong, people had been planting wheat. Before wheat was introduced, they planted millet. These crops were not picky, and planting them densely still yielded good results. However, rice was different (some might wonder, isn't wheat also planted with spacing? That's a modern practice. Before the liberation, or rather, before the Republic, people in Guanzhong planted wheat by scattering a large handful of seeds, densely packed together, a fact discovered by a宅男 (zhainan, otaku) while watching "White Deer Plain," haha...).

Li Kuan explained for a long time, his mouth dry and his tongue parched, before these farmers who had farmed all their lives understood that rice was different from wheat. It not only needed a lot of water but also had to be planted more sparsely.

As the sun set and the sky turned to twilight, wisps of smoke rose from the sparse homes in the wilderness. Li Kuan sat in his carriage, heading back to Chang'an. Little Nianwei was sleeping soundly in his arms, her little nose breathing evenly, occasionally smacking her lips, as if dreaming of something delicious.

Li Lizhi rested her head on Li Kuan's shoulder, also dozing off. As for Qingque Li Tai, he was sleeping soundly, snoring loudly. Only Li Kuan was still awake. In the morning, they had gone boating, and in the afternoon, they had done farm work. This was very novel for the few young ones who had never done it before. Li Tai went straight into the paddy field, but the mud was so deep it reached his thighs, making it hard to walk. Li Lizhi and Little Nianwei cheered from the shore, but from the eager look on Little Nianwei's face, it was clear they also wanted to try.

In the end, the two little girls also went down. A fish's fin created a ripple on the water, and the little one shouted "fish, fish" and jumped into the paddy field. Li Lizhi couldn't hold her back and had to follow.

Thus, the three little ones caught fish, while Li Kuan pulled out the excess rice seedlings. Although he had explained clearly to the farmers, he couldn't persuade them to pull out the extra seedlings. So he had them mark out about one-tenth of an acre (one mu is divided into ten parts), and he did the work himself, pulling out the excess seedlings. This way, they would know if it was correct when the harvest came in the autumn.

One-tenth of an acre didn't look big, but pulling out the rice seedlings was no easy task. Li Kuan took two hours to pull out the excess, during which Little Nianwei cried loudly, making him feel both amused and helpless. The little one saw a fish and ran down without thinking, getting more and more stuck. If Li Lizhi and Li Tai hadn't grabbed her, she might have ended up drinking the water in the paddy field. Li Kuan sent the other three back to the shore, as they were more of a hindrance than a help. It was easier for him to work alone, but they all needed to change their clothes.

Fortunately, they had brought extra clothes, as they had planned to climb a mountain before and would have needed to wash off the sweat. So they didn't worry about not having clothes to change into.

Time passed slowly, and five days later, at dusk, Li Er and his entourage arrived at Chang'an. Three thousand armored cavalry galloped at full speed, returning to Chang'an after the death of hundreds of warhorses. Seeing Chang'an under the setting sun, Li Er let out a long breath. The lack of martial law indicated that the situation hadn't worsened, which was the best outcome.

Li Er didn't enter the city directly but ordered the three thousand armored cavalry to camp outside. He decided to enter the palace that night to check the situation.

As night fell, weary birds returned to their nests, flying over the city and into the forests outside. The camp where Li Er's army was stationed was brightly lit.

Li Er gathered his generals and sat in the main seat: "Gentlemen, I have decided to enter the palace tonight. Do you have any good strategies?"

"Your Highness, we cannot hide our movements from the Crown Prince. If you enter the palace alone, they might act prematurely. The soldiers are exhausted, and their combat effectiveness is greatly reduced. We cannot act rashly!" Qin Qiong stepped forward and advised.

"Your Highness, as General Qin said, we cannot easily enter Chang'an. If the Crown Prince mobilizes the Six Armies of the Crown Prince, our exhausted troops might not be able to resist," Fang Xuanling also agreed.

"I think, if we can hide our movements, it would be fine. As long as we pretend to be discussing matters with Your Highness in the main tent, we can deceive the Crown Prince and gain information about the city. Knowing both ourselves and the enemy ensures victory," Changsun Wujì had a different idea.

"I think, as long as the Emperor is safe, the Crown Prince won't act rashly. After all, the sixteen guards of Chang'an are still under the Emperor's control," Cheng Yaojin, who usually seemed a bit reckless, showed his ability in critical moments.

"Then how can we hide Your Highness's entry into the palace?" Du Ruhui, decisive as always, immediately started thinking of ways.

"I can help you with that!" A sharp voice came from the dark corner, shocking everyone in the tent. Each person there was skilled in martial arts, yet someone had entered the tent without being noticed, indicating extraordinary skills.

"It's you!" Li Er said, recognizing the person, who was the mysterious figure who had given him the secret order.

"Who are you?" Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and others protected Li Er and asked the mysterious person.

"I am An Yi, paying respects to Your Highness and all the generals!" The mysterious person bowed to Li Er.

"Are you one of Father's people? Is your presence here by Father's order?" Li Er asked calmly.

"I am indeed one of the Emperor's people. Your Highness, rest assured, I will not harm you. I heard you want to enter the palace, and I can help you!" An Yi's black robe seemed to blend into the dark corner, making him hard to see in the dim light of the large wax candles.

"Then I will trouble you, Sir!" Li Er chose to trust this mysterious person, as his skills were such that he could have taken Li Er's life silently, and his willingness to reveal himself showed his integrity.

"Since that's the case, please bear with me, Your Highness. I have an ancestral mask here. Your Highness, please put it on and follow me. Of course, you will also need to change your clothes. The generals, please stay in the tent and pretend to be discussing matters to deceive Li Jiancheng. As for Your Highness's voice, I will have my junior brother handle it!" Another figure appeared in the corner, similarly dressed in black and indistinct.

"Please speak freely, gentlemen. We will discuss matters until dawn. Do you still have the energy?" A voice came from the shadows, identical to Li Er's.

"It's ventriloquism!" Li Er whispered, both surprised and enlightened.

"A minor trick, not worthy of Your Highness's attention!" The shadow's voice was hoarse and unpleasant.

"Then let's go!" Li Er had his generals help him take off his armor and put on a long robe. The blue robe was the least conspicuous in the night, while the black robe of the black-robed person seemed to blend into the darkness. The black-robed person, confident in his skills, was not afraid of being discovered.

While changing, Li Er thought about his son, whose suspicions were resurfacing. The mysterious Chen Tuan seemed unreliable, and perhaps one day he could control the mysterious scientists.

The two moved stealthily from the shadows, leaving the camp without disturbing anyone, even the patrolling soldiers, who were skillfully avoided. The entire process was smooth and fluid, making Li Er realize how laughable his supposedly impregnable camp was to such people.

"Sir, how many people like you are there in Father's service?" Li Er couldn't help but ask, as this question had been troubling him. People with such skills could easily kill him in his sleep without anyone noticing.

"Your Highness, there are no more than five such people in the world, and there is no one else like me in the Emperor's service!" The black-robed person, seeing Li Er's concern, smiled and said.

"Is that so? Then you must be the last guard by Father's side. Why are you here, a thousand miles away in Longyou, delivering a message to me?" Li Er had many questions. He had never heard of this mysterious group, and with so many skilled people, he couldn't be too careful.

"The Emperor has instructed that once you enter the palace, he will explain everything to you personally. I cannot say more!" The black-robed person said no more, focusing on the journey. Li Er had no choice but to follow.

The two crossed the wilderness, moving through the shadows of a few short trees, and arrived at the city wall of Chang'an.

The black-robed person imitated the call of a night owl, and a creaking sound came from the wall. Slowly, a basket descended, lifting the two up.

Once inside the city, they headed towards the palace. The black-robed person led Li Er, skillfully avoiding the patrolling guards, moving through Chang'an with ease, as if they were strolling in their own backyard. Li Er was increasingly amazed by this mysterious group, who knew Chang'an like the back of their hand, knowing every alley and pit to avoid patrols. Li Er felt like a stranger in Chang'an, the city still unfamiliar to him.

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