Chapter 298: Visiting the Estate with a Beauty (Part 2)

Li Qing’an’s estate was located in Weinan County. It was a fief granted to him by Li Longji after the First Battle of Suiye. Originally, it belonged to Wu Sansi, who later had it confiscated by the authorities and given to the former crown prince, Li Ying. After Li Ying was convicted of crimes, Li Longji took it back and now granted it to Li Qing’an.

The estate covered a vast area of 4,000 mu, situated near an irrigation canal. It was fertile land with abundant water resources. In addition to arable fields, there was also a small mountain called Qibao Mountain, named so because of the seven kinds of local products it produced. Though not large, the mountain had winding paths and dense forests. At its summit stood a nunnery called Shuiyue Nunnery, built by Wu Sansi for his mother. Dozens of nuns lived there, practicing their faith. Halfway up the mountain, a spring flowed down a 10-zhang-high cliff to form a waterfall, beneath which lay a clear pool used by the nuns for water. Next to the nunnery was another compound, where Wu Sansi’s mother lived in seclusion, surrounded by green bamboo.

The people in this area were simple and generally wealthy, with few incidents of crime. Currently, 120 tenant farmers cultivated the land, bearing the tax burdens themselves. Li Qing’an charged very little rent—only two dou per mu. During years of disaster, no rent was collected. Over two years, he had accumulated less than 2,000 dan of grain, which, together with the existing stock, totaled 8,000 dan—all of which he donated to the victims of disasters in Hedong.

In addition, the former crown prince Li Heng had also granted Li Qing’an an estate of over 2,000 mu in Jingyang County. He distributed this land to the orphans of soldiers who died in the Battle of Shibao City. Most of the families of the fallen soldiers were taken to Anxi and settled in Jinman County and Gaochang County. However, more than 200 families refused to leave their homeland, so Li Qing’an provided them with generous compensation to allow them to buy land for support in old age.

After traveling for over an hour, the carriage finally reached the official road just two li away from the estate. From afar, Qibao Mountain, covered in lush trees, could already be seen. As the owner of this estate, it was Li Qing’an’s first time visiting. He only knew that an old steward surnamed Wang was in charge of managing it and had gone to the capital last year to report on matters to Mingyue.

The gambling in the carriage had stopped. With the windows open, everyone enjoyed the beautiful scenery outside. It was early spring, with flowers in full bloom—large peach and plum orchards, and forsythia blossoms lining the fields. In the open spaces along the road, various wildflowers swayed in the wind, in shades of red, white, yellow, and purple, creating a dazzling display of color. Boats traveled back and forth on the irrigation canal in the distance, and a winding stream flowed through the fields into the canal. Not far away lay a village hidden among tall poplar trees.

The winter wheat in the fields had already begun to thrive, bringing vitality to the surroundings. Farmers could be seen working hard in the fields everywhere. The arrival of Li Qingan and his group piqued their curiosity, and they stopped what they were doing to look over.

At that moment, an old man ran over from the ridge. He was the steward of the estate, named Wang Licai, in his fifties. He had taken over managing the estate from his father over twenty years ago. His duties were limited to collecting and paying rent; there wasn’t much else to do, as the land was managed by the tenants. He was also the village chief, responsible for handling all matters with the authorities.

It was Wang Licai’s first time meeting his new masters. He had previously dealt with the old master, the former crown prince Li Ying, a few times. Of course, Li Ying hadn’t come to collect rent but to stay at Qibao Mountain for a while. In Wang Licai’s memory, Li Ying was an extremely arrogant and demanding master with strict rules—nothing could be off. He had given Wang Licai only a few cold instructions, not even looking at him directly. After all, he was the crown prince heir, while Wang Licai was just a commoner. Yet Li Ying’s arrogant attitude left a deep impression on him.

Although Wang Licai had never met the new master, he had seen the future mistress. Last November, he had gone to the capital to report accounts to her and bring some local products from the estate, gifts from the tenants. After all, they had never encountered a master who charged such a low rent—just one dou per year. Such a low rent made them feel guilty. In Wang Licai’s impression, their future grandmother was very kind, gentle, and beautiful, which made him feel extremely fortunate. He only wondered what the master would be like.

Wang Licai certainly knew of Li Qingan, the governor of Anxi and a renowned general with many military achievements. But this identity made him very nervous. Would the new master be strict?

“Wang Youcai pays his respects to the governor-general!”

He had originally wanted to say he was paying his respects to the master, but due to nervousness, he said it as paying respects to the general. As the carriage moved forward, a tall young man got off. Wang Licai felt uneasy. The man seemed a bit younger—could he be the master’s bodyguard? But soon he realized who he was. The second person to get off was the mistress he had seen last year. The man took her hand and helped her down from the carriage. Then a few more young and beautiful women got off, all of whom he helped down one by one. Undoubtedly, he was the famous Li Qingan, his new master. He quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, “I pay my respects to my master!”

Mingyue recognized Wang Youcai and smiled at Li Qingan, saying, “Young Master Li, this is Uncle Wang, the estate steward.”

The word “uncle” made Wang Youcai’s face turn red instantly. He had always been called Old Wang; no one had ever called him “uncle” before. Now, even the lady in charge was addressing him as such, and she was about to become the princess of a county. He was deeply moved and quickly said, “I, an old man, arrived late. Please forgive me, my lord!”

Li Qing’an glanced at this manager. Seeing that he was thin but energetic and had a friendly appearance, he nodded and said, “Manager Wang, you’ve worked hard.”

Unlike Mingyue, Li Qing’an came from a military background and had a strict sense of hierarchy. Sometimes he seemed relaxed with his subordinates on the surface, such as treating Li Feiyuanli and others as brothers, but that was just pretense—applied to people, not matters. If Li Feiyuanli dared to act recklessly, he would surely be punished with a military stick. But with this manager, Li Qing’an didn’t need such pretense. Mingyue called him uncle because she was kind-hearted; he couldn’t possibly call her uncle as well!

Seeing that Li Qing’an wasn’t as cold and stern as he had imagined, Wang Youcai felt a little relieved. He quickly smiled and said, “My lord, please go to the village to rest for a while!”

The village was at the foot of Qibao Mountain, hence the name Qibao Village. It had over a hundred households, most of whom were tenant farmers working on the estates. It was only two li away from the main road, reachable after crossing a long ridge. Accompanied by his bodyguards, Li Qing’an’s group headed toward the village. Wang Youcai led the way, shouting loudly at the farmers working in the fields, “The master has arrived! Come and greet him!”

The farmers came to the fields to pay their respects, most of them looking nervous. Li Qing’an’s status was far above theirs, and they weren’t really interested in him. They were only worried that he might come to raise the rent. Several neighboring estates had already increased their rents due to the drought in the east. Could it be their turn today? Seeing their nervousness, Li Qing’an smiled and said, “I’m just here to visit Qibao Mountain today; I have no other intentions.”

Hearing that there would be no rent increase, the tenant farmers were overjoyed. A few young men even cheered and ran back to the village. The news spread quickly throughout the village. Hundreds of people, men, women, and children, came out to welcome them. Dozens of small dogs ran ahead, barking at these strangers. While the young master surprised many people, the four women following him sparked even more discussion. They had never seen such beautiful women before. A group of young men cast many envious and eager glances at Mingyue and the other women. Seeing that the villagers were being rude, Wang Youcai grew angry. He waved his hand and shouted, “You guys! The master has arrived—don’t you know how to show respect?”

At that moment, two elders from the village stepped forward, bowing in reverence with earnest and grateful tones, “Welcome, our master, to Qibao Village!” Only they could appreciate the value of this master—after all, they were merely his tenants. Everything they needed to survive came from him, and the land they cultivated generation after generation also belonged to him. He provided them with the lowest rent and ensured their livelihoods during hard times, allowing them to live a relatively prosperous life. Without him, the entire village would be displaced, forced to work as tenants on expensive land or sell themselves as slaves. Today, as their master visited for the first time, the two elders felt that bows alone were not enough to express their gratitude, so they even knelt down.

The two elders were highly respected figures in the village. Their act of kneeling inspired everyone else. They suddenly understood the gratitude their forefathers felt and knelt down as well. Many young people felt ashamed of their rude gazes earlier. Hundreds of villagers knelt together.

Li Qing’an understood their feelings, and the simplicity of the villagers touched him. He quickly helped the two elders up and apologized, saying, “We came to Qibao Mountain for a visit and have disturbed you all.”

“The master is the owner of this estate; this is his home. How can coming to one’s own home be considered a disturbance?” the two elders replied warmly. “It’s been less than two months since the New Year, and every household has preserved wine and meat. Since the master has come, he must have lunch here!”

Li Qing’an glanced at Mingyue to seek her opinion. Mingyue pointed to his bodyguards, reminding him that they hadn’t eaten yet. He smiled and said, “In that case, I’ll not keep you all waiting!”

The crowd burst into laughter as they rushed home to bring the best food and drinks. The two elders led Li Qing’an and his family to the wheat field at the east end of the village, where the lunch would be held.

“Elder, are there any other sources of income in the village besides farming?” Li Qing’an asked with a smile. “It seems there are few young people here.”

“Some young people have gone to work transporting goods by water, while others are still in the wheat fields. Farming ensures enough food, but it doesn’t bring in money. Transporting goods not only earns money but also allows them to see the world. However, the village rules that only one young person from each household may go.”

“Why?”

“Simply because if they all go, who will perform the labor duties for the government? And who will protect the village? Especially in years of good harvests, hungry people flock here and can destroy the wheat fields in just one day. We’d have to fight hard to defend them—would we really expect us old people to do that?”

Li Qing’an nodded silently. At that moment, another elder spoke cautiously, “I heard that the master is a high-ranking official in the army. Could we get some weapons? After all, we’re few in number, and it’s hard to gain the upper hand with just hoes and sticks.”
Li Qing’an smiled but didn’t answer them. He found it difficult to respond to this request. From the perspective of farmers, it was understandable to protect their food and property. But as the military governor of Anxi and even a member of the government council, his responsibility was for the whole realm. More specifically, his duty was to find a balance between the starving and the farmers so that both could survive. From this standpoint, his policy of low rents might not be correct. If he could collect rents normally, the amount of grain he would donate to the victims of disasters wouldn’t be just 8,000 dan, but 12,000 dan, giving more disaster victims a chance at survival.
There was only so much wealth. If one side got more, the other would inevitably get less. Li Qing’an fell into deep thought.
Soon, mats were laid out on the wheat field, and a sumptuous banquet was set up. Li Qing’an sat on the ground with his family and villagers, filled with laughter, as if celebrating a festive holiday.
……
After lunch, Li Qing’an took Mingyue and the others to Qibao Mountain. The nuns at Shuiyue Hermitage had already been informed, and several elder nuns were waiting at the foot of the mountain. When Li Qing’an and the others arrived, the leading nun immediately stepped forward, clasped her hands in greeting, “I am the humble Jinghui. I pay my respects to the great general and his wife!”
Li Qing’an returned the greeting by clasping his hands. But Mingyue stepped forward and said, “May I ask, Sister Jinghui, is Sister Jingyun here?”
“She is in seclusion in the hermitage and never sees outsiders.”
“That’s fine. Just tell her that Mingyue from the Du Gu family has come to see her.”
“Very well! General and madam, please follow me up the mountain.”
They all walked together up the mountain. The path was paved with bluestone and kept very clean. Lush trees lined both sides, and the chirping of birds could be heard everywhere, creating a serene and beautiful atmosphere in the valley. Mingzhu and Ruhua were overjoyed and excited, rushing ahead. At that moment, Li Qing’an slowed down and whispered to Mingyue, “Who is Sister Jingyun?”
Mingyue leaned in and whispered to Li Qing’an, “She’s the former crown princess.”

Only then did Li Qing’an realize she was Li Ying’s wife. That made sense—the estate had originally belonged to Li Ying. The former crown princess hadn’t caused him much reaction, but when Mingyue spoke in his ear, her breath was as fragrant as orchids, stirring passion in his heart. Suddenly, he turned and kissed her soft, delicate lips. Caught off guard, Mingyue was rudely assaulted by this bold man. She felt both ashamed and angry. Glancing back, she saw Ru Pi with her face turned away, her cheeks red—clearly she had seen it. The two nuns further behind were so frightened that they bowed their heads in prayer, silently repenting their sins.

Mingyue gritted her teeth in anger, grabbed his wrist tightly, and snapped, “If you’re not honest, I won’t marry you!” Li Qing’an just chuckled and changed the subject, “Strange! I heard there’s a waterfall on this mountain. Why can’t I hear it?” The elderly nun Jinghui ahead pointed upward and said, “You’ll hear it once you turn the corner!” “Let’s go! Let’s see the waterfall.” Li Qing’an took Mingyue’s hand and ran upward. Mingyue felt both love and hate for him but had no choice but to follow him up the hill.

Just as they turned the corner, they heard the roar of the waterfall from afar. In the distance, they saw a waterfall like a jade belt cascading from the sky, with mist rising and vapor filling the air. Below the waterfall was a pool of clear water, from which a gentle stream flowed, its water crisp and clear. Mingzhu and Ru Hua were playing in the stream barefoot. Seeing them arrive, they shouted, “Brother Li, sister! There are fish in the water!” Seeing the crystal-clear water and the beautiful waterfall, Mingyue was also very pleased. Li Qing’an knelt by the stream and drank a few sips of the water. It was sweet and cool, refreshing to the bone. He praised it highly. Mingyue asked curiously, “Lord Li, can we drink this water?” “Let me pour some for you.” Li Qing’an took out a horn water pot from behind him, filled it with water, and handed it to Mingyue with a smile, “It’s quite good. Try it.” Mingyue took the pot, took a small sip, and shivered immediately, complaining, “You jerk! Why didn’t you tell me the water was so cold?” “How do you like it?” After savoring it, she nodded and smiled, “Mm! It’s a bit cold, but it’s very sweet!” Ahead, Mingzhu giggled at them, “You two are drinking my foot-washing water!” “Go away, you brat!”

Moonlight took a sip, bent down to pick up a small stone, and threw it at her. With a “plump!” the stone splashed water in front of her, still far from Mingzhu. Mingzhu laughed even harder. But joy turned to sorrow as she slipped and lost her balance, falling into the pond. The people around her screamed in panic.

The water was up to her waist. Mingzhu struggled in the water for a while but couldn’t get up. Everyone laughed. Moonlight clapped her hands and said, “Now you deserve this. You’ve been teasing others all day—here’s your lesson.” But after a while, Mingzhu not only failed to get up but also slipped deeper into the pond and disappeared. Moonlight’s face changed instantly; she was so anxious she almost cried. “Li Lang, please save Mingzhu! She can’t swim!”

Li Qing’an was also shocked. He took two leaps and dived into the pond. Amidst the bubbles at the bottom, he saw Mingzhu slowly sinking, struggling weakly before eventually stopping moving. Li Qing’an swam over quickly, grabbed Mingzhu’s legs, and carried her on his shoulders, swimming hard toward the surface. With a “splash!” he broke through the water.

Li Qing’an’s bodyguards were at the foot of the mountain and hadn’t followed. Only a few nuns helped. Together, they pulled Mingzhu onto the shore. She had already fainted from drowning.

Seeing her sister’s pale face and unconscious state, Moonlight was filled with regret and panic. She cried over her sister. The nuns were at a loss. The elder nun Jinghui felt her heart—it had stopped beating. Terrified, she stood up with clasped hands and said in a trembling voice, “Amitabha! Your sister… she’s gone!”

Moonlight cried even louder. At that moment, Li Qing’an climbed onto the shore and shouted, “Don’t worry! Let me do it!”

Li Qing’an knew Mingzhu had only choked on water and might still be saved. He knelt down, held Mingzhu face down with her lower abdomen on his legs, and patted her back rhythmically. He parted her lips and removed the water from her mouth.

Then he turned her over, lifted her chin, pinched her nose, took a deep breath, and blew into her mouth. When her chest rose, he pressed down firmly, took another breath, and blew again into her mouth. Meanwhile, he slowly pressed on her heart area rhythmically, over and over again.

Although Li Qing’an’s actions seemed rather indecent or even lewd to the Tang people, Moonlight was in such despair that she didn’t care. Kneeling in front of Li Qing’an, she wept as she watched her sister. If anything happened to her sister, how could she face her parents?

Suddenly, Mingzhu began to cough violently, with a large amount of water flowing from her mouth. To everyone’s surprise, she came back to life. Mingyue immediately stopped crying and hugged her sister again, tears streaming down her face.
“Mingyue, wait—it’s not over yet!”
Li Qing’an held Mingzhu in his arms and called to the old nun Jinghui, “Sister, go to the nunnery quickly and light a fire. Also prepare some dry towels and hot ginger soup—wine will work too!”
Jinghui was utterly impressed by Li Qing’an’s ability to bring the dead back to life and hurriedly ordered, “Go and get ready right away!”
A few nuns rushed toward the nunnery. Ru Shi brought some dry clothes for changing. She quickly covered Mingzhu with them and asked anxiously, “Big brother, is Sister Mingzhu okay?”
“She should be fine.”
Li Qing’an wrapped Mingzhu in dry clothes and held her tightly as he ran up the mountain toward the Shuiyue Nunnery. Mingyue and the others followed him.
By then, Mingzhu was somewhat awake. She felt herself being held by strong arms, her body jostling back and forth. Alarmed, she instinctively tried to push away. Sensing that she had woken up, Li Qing’an was even happier. He whispered, “Don’t move!”
Recognizing Li Qing’an’s voice, Mingzhu felt relieved. It was Big Brother Li who had saved her again. She pressed her face tightly against his broad, strong chest.
A fire had already been lit at the Shuiyue Nunnery. The nuns brought a bed and several clean, thick mats, as well as wine and ginger.
Li Qing’an said to Mingyue, “Change Mingzhu’s clothes, give her some wine to drink, cover her with a blanket, and keep her by the fire to warm up. Once she’s warm, she’ll be fine.”
Since Mingzhu needed to change clothes and he didn’t want to stay in the room, he stepped back and gently closed the door.
The mountain wind was biting cold, and his clothes were soaked. He shivered as the wind blew. He got a pot of wine and sat down on a large rock at the entrance of the nunnery. He had originally come out to have fun with everyone, but an accident had occurred. In his urgency to save her, he hadn’t thought carefully. Now, he felt a wave of fear. If he hadn’t known these first-aid techniques, the lovely Mingzhu might really have died. It was then he realized why Mingzhu had gone into sudden drowning—the stream water was too cold, freezing her instantly and preventing her from struggling.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Mingyue’s concerned voice came from behind him, “Li Lang, it’s cold outside, and you’re soaked too. Go inside and warm up by the fire!”
Li Qing’an took her hand, gently wrapped his arm around her waist, and sat her down next to him.
“Is Mingzhu feeling any better?”

“It’s fine now. Ruhua is taking care of her. Ah! Just now she started smiling again.”
Li Qing’an smiled and said, “That’s what’s so cute about her—optimistic and positive. Isn’t that great?”
But Mingyue’s heart was filled with joy. She sighed, leaned her head on Li Qing’an’s shoulder, and said softly, “I really owe you so much. The abbotess said her heart had stopped beating, but you managed to bring her back to life. I’m extremely grateful.”
“If you’re grateful, give yourself to me!” Li Qing’an teased.
“You’re at it again!” Mingyue pinched him lightly.
“Are you angry?”
Mingyue shook her head, a hint of shyness on her face. She whispered, “Lord Li, I’ll soon belong to you. I’m not angry at all.”
“Then let’s hug again!”
With that, Li Qing’an reached out to hug her with a smile, but Mingyue slapped his hand. “Go! Your hands are wet. Don’t touch me. I’m not Mingzhu.”
“What?” Li Qing’an was stunned.
Mingyue smiled faintly, glanced at him, and said teasingly, “Just now you kissed Mingzhu and touched her inappropriately. How do you explain that?”
Li Qing’an scratched the back of his head. “Wasn’t it to save her?”
“I know!”
Mingyue giggled. “That’s why I’m not angry at you. Otherwise, I would make you pay.”
Suddenly, as if remembering something, her brows furrowed again. She hurriedly warned Li Qing’an, “You must never tell Mingzhu about this. She’s talkative and might spread the word. Once rumors start spreading, who knows what they’ll become? If her future family finds out, it’ll be terrible.”
Li Qing’an stood up, stretched, and smiled. “Don’t worry! Of course I won’t tell her. Well, I’m going to warm up by the fire. You want to see that princess-nun, right? Go see her then. Your husband won’t accompany you.”
……
As soon as Li Qing’an reached the door, he heard Ruhua inside describing in detail how he saved Mingzhu.
“Oh my! It’s so embarrassing to talk about. Brother Li kissed your mouth, blew air into it, and touched that part of your body, rubbing and pressing. Believe it or not, it really worked. You were clearly dead, yet you came back to life.”
“What! He touched my body there?” Mingzhu screamed.
“Here! He touched this part of you, rubbing and squeezing it!”
“You idiot! How can you just touch that part? Take your hand away!”
“It wasn’t me who touched you. It was Brother Li.”
“Call him here right now! I’m going to kill him!”

At that moment, Rushi beside her said with a smile, “Mingzhu, don’t listen to Ruhua’s nonsense. We all know that Brother Li is actually trying to save you. If not for him, you would be in trouble.”
“But even if he’s saving me, he can’t kiss me… on my mouth! And touch those parts too. No wonder I still feel pain!”
Li Qing’an coughed heavily and knocked on the door. “I’ll come in to warm up.”
Silence fell in the room instantly. Mingzhu suddenly cried out, “Sis Rushi, don’t open the door for him!”
“Brother Li’s body is also wet. If he doesn’t warm up, he might get sick.”
Worried about Li Qing’an’s health, Rushi quickly opened the door and said, “Brother Li, come in quickly to warm up.”
Li Qing’an entered the room. Ruhua winked at him flirtatiously and pouted her lips as if blowing air, while Mingzhu buried her whole head under the blanket, too afraid to look at him.
“Hehe! It’s so warm here.”
Li Qing’an sat down by the fire. Rushi brought him a bowl of ginger soup and whispered, “Drink it quickly!”
Li Qing’an nodded gratefully, took the ginger soup, and drank it all in one gulp. Soon, a warmth spread through his chest and abdomen. He turned to glance at Mingzhu again and happened to see her peeking at him through the gap in the blanket. Their eyes met, and Li Qing’an winked at her with a smile. Mingzhu was so scared that she quickly pulled the blanket over herself.
Li Qing’an coughed and said to Rushi and Ruhua with a smile, “Let me tell you two a story. There was a rich man who fell into a river while crossing a bridge. Someone on the shore tried his best to save him. The man in the water was extremely grateful and offered him money, but the rescuer refused. After thinking for a while, the man in the water gave him his fine horse, but the rescuer still refused. The man in the water became anxious. If he doesn’t want money or wealth, then what does he want? What do you think? What does this rescuer really want?”
Ruhua quickly replied, “Does he want her to give herself to him?”
“No! Both of them are men. Rushi, what do you think?”
Rushi thought for a moment and said, “Could it be that he thinks the money isn’t enough?”
“No, the man in the water gave him all his money.”
Neither Rushi nor Ruhua could figure it out. So what exactly did the rescuer want?
At that moment, a soft voice like that of a cat came from behind them: “Brother Li, thank you!”
Li Qing’an laughed heartily. “That’s right. This is exactly what he wants.”