Please bookmark this as you read, let’s aim for five thousand today...
Just as Chen Xi had said, the following day at noon, Zhao Yun and Jian Yong both returned travel-worn, but they were in high spirits and in a good mood. After all, anyone would be happy to see fields upon fields of bountiful harvests at this time.
"Xianhe, Zilong, have you checked the tax collection from all the counties?" Chen Xi asked, pouring a cup of tea for both of them.
"It’s a great harvest. Except for some peasants who planted late, people everywhere have begun the autumn harvest. Next year, we won’t have to live so tightly," Jian Yong said excitedly, thinking that he had a significant share in this achievement.
"Zilong, you talk too. Oh, and take these things with you when you go. The people from around Mount Tai voluntarily brought them for you. I’m eating my share now," Chen Xi said, turning his head to speak to Zhao Yun, then pointing at a few baskets in the corner of the Political Office. They were filled with chestnuts, pine nuts, and some black fungus and mushrooms.
All these nuts and rare mountain delicacies had been brought by the people over the past few days since the start of the autumn harvest as gifts to thank Zhao Yun for his hard work during this period. Zhao Yun might not accept them, but Chen Xi had no qualms about accepting anything that came his way; after all, he felt completely justified in eating what he could.
There were gifts for Chen Xi and Liu Bei too, but compared to Zhao Yun, who had been hustling about, they received much less. There was no helping it; Zhao Yun’s work with the Tuntian peasants during this time was plain for all to see. In this era, encountering an official who prioritized the common people was something for which everyone was immensely grateful.
"Zichuan, how can you accept gifts from the people? They struggle all year round, and gathering these things costs them considerable effort. How can you have no qualms about enjoying these pine nuts?" Upon hearing that all these pine nuts were gifts from the people, Zhao Yun immediately stopped reaching for them, his face a picture of righteousness.
After traveling around for more than three months, Zhao Yun had a real insight into the plight of the lower-class people. They toiled from sunrise to sunset, facing the loess for the sake of the grains in the fields, praying for divine blessing and the benevolence of officials, simply with the hope of having enough food for the next year.
The more he traveled and saw, the more fierce Zhao Yun’s inner anger grew, and he increasingly felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. For the first time, he thought he should have learned more about farming, as even a little more grain for the people would have been a meritorious deed, a glory surpassing that of slaying enemies on the battlefield. Unfortunately, he was not knowledgeable in this area. All he could do was help the people within his capabilities.
Chen Xi told him that there were some seasoned farmers who knew how to produce a good crop. If he wanted everyone to harvest as much as those farmers, he should go and find them, talk with them, and see if he could acquire these inconspicuous techniques. So, Zhao Yun traveled throughout the entirety of Mount Tai with his own eyes, looking for the fields with the best yields, finding the owners, and asking them about their techniques.
For three months, Zhao Yun traveled across the whole of Mount Tai, gathering all the techniques he could find and teaching them to others as best as possible. Therefore, the residents of Mount Tai Commandery might not recognize Liu Bei, but they definitely knew Zhao Zilong in white robes because he was always running around in the fields.
To be honest, when Chen Xi found out about this, he had great admiration for Zhao Yun’s dedication, as he knew he could not do the same. Talking was his forte, but he was not capable of such physically demanding tasks.
Chen Xi believed that although Zhao Yun may not have been proficient in agriculture before, by the time he had confronted Chen Xi over the Tuntian Decree, his understanding of agriculture was no less than that of a seasoned farmer. And now, even if Zao Zhi came, he might not be able to surpass Zhao Yun in this field because Zao Zhi did not have the energy to travel across the entire Chenliu to collect all the farming techniques, while Zhao Yun had already gone beyond Mount Tai Commandery.
"Zilong, you must accept these things, and if you don’t, they won’t leave; the people will remain uneasy. They recognize you as Zhao Zilong, and as long as you accept their gifts, they will believe that next year you will still lead them to reclaim wasteland and carry out this year’s decrees. If you don’t accept, tomorrow there will be a group of people kneeling at your doorstep, and they will be bringing their children with them." Chen Xi cracked open a pine nut, ate the kernel, then looked up at Zhao Yun and spoke earnestly.
"Zichuan is right, you must accept them. At first, we didn’t either, but then, people just stood there holding their bundles, waiting. They’d leave at night and return the next day, without saying a word." Lub Su also cracked open a pine nut, "They seek reassurance. Only if you eat what they bring will they believe you won’t change this year’s decrees. Their approach is simple, but it’s effective."
"It’s just that simple," Chen Xi nodded, "You can try not accepting, but in no time someone will come to offer a gift again; you could give it a try."
No sooner had Chen Xi finished speaking than an old man dressed in patched hemp clothing, carrying a small basket, entered the Political Office. Since people had been continuously bringing gifts, Chen Xi and Lub Su had stopped preventing anyone from entering the Political Office.
"This humble old man pays respects to the Prefectural Governor, the Magistrate, Mr. Jian, and Mr. Zilong." After setting down his basket, the old man greeted everyone with a bow, fearfully, but his face lit up with excitement upon seeing Zhao Yun.
"Old master, please, no need for such formality," Chen Xi said with a smile as he picked up a cushion from the side and handed it to the old man. Normally, outsiders were not permitted in the Political Office, and cushions were counted and controlled.
The old man fussily refused Chen Xi’s cushion but was eventually pressed down onto it by Chen Xi. He carefully sat on the cushion and took a cloth-wrapped package out of his basket.
"Mr. Zilong, thank you for leading our village in reclaiming land this year and teaching us agricultural techniques. Our Zhuangzi has nothing worthy to thank you with; these are dates harvested from my humble Zhuangzi’s date trees. Please, you must accept them."
Chen Xi glanced at the large bundle of bright red dates, shining with the sign of top-quality, pesticide-free, green produce.
Zhao Yun refused with a sense of righteousness, and then the old man became frantic, continually speaking in Zhao Yun’s favor, hoping he would accept. After that, Zhao Yun started explaining that he would continue to do the same next year, and there wouldn’t be major changes, to put the old man’s mind at ease, suggesting he take the gifts back, that the sentiment was enough. Suddenly, the old man, who had been speaking stumblingly, became fluent, insisting that if Zhao Yun didn’t take the dates, he wouldn’t leave...
After the old man had gone, the dates remained. Chen Xi took one and bit into it, then, turning to Zhao Yun, asked, "Zilong, what are your thoughts?"
"I can’t help feeling somewhat guilty," Zhao Yun sighed, the sentiment of a hero running short on vigor within him.
"Feeling guilty is good. Next year, channel all that guilt into your administration, strive to govern even better, and ensure the people live better lives." Chen Xi continued to eat the dates; unlike Zhao Yun’s uprightness, he felt that as long as his conscience was clear while seated at the head of the administration, that was enough.
"Think about what we’ve brought to the people of Mount Tai. Then you’ll feel like eating the dates too. As for me, my conscience is clear~" Chen Xi crunched on dates, merrily chomping away while proclaiming his clear conscience.