The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

"It would be better to just give them money and silk..."

Lu Jun carried the four jade bowls home, muttering to herself the whole way.

This thing is very valuable, but like the imperial silverware, it has the mark of the Imperial Workshop, so it's not easy to sell for money.

He went to the jewelry store in Nanshi to inquire. Although there were many sellers of gold and silver items, imperial gifts were rarely traded. This was because the circle in the capital was only so big, and the items were easily passed around and ended up in the hands of nobles. He could find out who sold them.

The Empress Dowager had just bestowed the gift, and the very next day it was sold off; they showed no regard for the Emperor's grace.

Silver can be melted down and sold, but...

Zhang said that when he saw this, several of his friends from the same year quickly spread the word and came to his house to see it and share in the joy.

Silverware cannot be sold, let alone jade; you can't even quietly melt it down.

Therefore, apart from silk, the imperial gifts were mostly kept at home as family heirlooms and were rarely sold.

Selling it means the family has fallen on hard times.

Lu Jun became a little money-grubber because after half a month, he found that the family expenses were greater than he had imagined.

Uncle Zhong was brought to the capital to work as a steward. After a few days of managing things, I did some accounting for him...

Although servants were slaves, they were still paid a monthly allowance. This was a common practice in all households. People always need to buy some snacks to satisfy their cravings and some trinkets to relieve boredom in order to have some energy.

Large mansions receive more, while small residences receive less. The Lu residence receives eighty coins, which amounts to six hundred coins per month.

Next, consider food, clothing, and other necessities.

There are eight people in the family: five men, mostly young and strong, and three young maids, all of whom eat a lot.

Liu Da is good at growing vegetables in the courtyard and raising chickens in the front yard; he can manage it all by himself with ease.

However, space is ultimately limited, and raising pigs and sheep is not suitable, otherwise the stench would permeate the house and make it inconvenient to receive guests.

Therefore, in addition to the grain consumed for eating and selling it to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, meat, fruits, and vegetables, about 1.5 dou of millet was consumed every day, which amounted to 54 shi per year.

There are also horses at home, which consume even more energy than people.

Ade was very good at raising horses. On the first day, he knew how to buy horse feed, how to mix the grains, and how to add salt to improve the taste.

Horses cannot eat only refined millet, otherwise they are prone to diarrhea; they must be fed a mixture of hay and feed.

Fresh grass can be bought in summer and autumn. Every day, five liters of millet, a bundle of fresh grass, and two measures of salt are consumed. The total amount consumed per month is one and a half shi of millet, thirty bundles of fresh grass, and six liters of salt.

During the winter and spring seasons, only hay could be bought in the southern market. The amount of millet was increased to three liters per day and one bundle of hay, totaling three shi of millet, thirty bundles of hay, and six liters of salt per month.

In a year, the amount of millet needed was 27 shi (a unit of dry measure), and the cost of fodder and salt was about 3,000 coins.

Therefore, ordinary officials often rent donkey carts because they are cheaper to maintain, while riding tall horses is more prestigious but less practical.

Other expenses...

With a hundred bolts of silk bestowed by the emperor, one can finally have freedom in clothing. One can simply take the clothes to a tailor and have them sewn by a needleman, with the silk serving as payment for the work.

However, there are still fixed daily expenses for firewood, writing brushes, ink, and paper, plus rent, servants' monthly wages, horse feed, and the cost of food for both people and horses, totaling a considerable amount over a year.

Around sixty strings of cash

Approximately eighty shi (a unit of dry measure) of millet.

Lu Jun received double salary and double stipend this year, totaling nearly 59 strings of cash and 100 shi of millet, which was just enough for his needs.

Without the double allowance, an eighth-rank official's monthly salary of rice alone would not be enough to support this mansion, seven servants, or a fine horse.

Fortunately, there is still income from the farmland.

Uncle Zhong arranged for Bai San to stay at the old house in Luhun to take care of the crops, as he owned twenty-three mu of land.

Having come from the Ministry of Agriculture and having tended the fertile fields of the Imperial Garden, Bai San is a skilled farmer. He can get started immediately and take over the work easily.

The land was eventually exchanged from Luhun to Lushan. Lu Jun sent Bai San to negotiate, and the rent was only four dou per mu.

The official rent was a minimum of two dou and a maximum of six dou, which was the average. He wanted to be a kind and wealthy landlord.

After talking to him, I realized that he couldn't be called kind.

The tenants called him a living bodhisattva.

Bai San, who had been working in the Forbidden City for many years, was unaware of the market prices. Only after asking around did he learn that almost no one paid attention to the official guidance price.

The area around the capital is mostly cultivated land, and most officials forcibly collect eight dou per mu in rent. In years of good harvest, they can even collect more than one shi.

Lu Jun, who collects four bushels of grain, is harder to find than a starfish in the river. If Bai San hadn't stopped him, the tenants would have almost erected a memorial tablet for him to worship.

Well, let's just be good people then.

Anyway, the family owns land, and with the added income from the rent, they can harvest around 120 shi of millet and wheat each year, which is not bad.

The price of grain in the capital was much higher than in other places. If sold at a discount, it could be sold for about twenty strings of cash.

It's enough to buy new cooking utensils and furniture, and some wine and tea to entertain guests.

Jiu Niang has an ordinary appearance, but her cooking skills are truly outstanding. She was previously transferred to the Sibin Temple to help with cooking and even entertained foreign envoys. The Sibin Temple was reluctant to let her go.

With her around at the Lu residence, everyone from Lu Jun to the servants enjoyed good food. Zhang said that several of his friends often came over for a free meal.

Lu Jun bought her an iron pot and told her the method, and she studied it on her own every day, making the loose tea more and more fragrant.

So, although servants cost money to keep, they can indeed enjoy life at home.

It refers to the upper body...

The two maids who served Lu Jun, Yan Niang was very skillful and learned to make and brew tea very quickly.

Lu Jun was always being pursued by other men outside, but he had young girls to pursue at home. Every day after get off work, he wanted to go home and sneak into the back garden.

In my past life, I drank two cups of tea every day without fail, and it became a habit to drink tea while working. The same applies now.

Swish, swish, swish—

With red sleeves and purple brush infused with ink, she wrote thousands of characters in small regular script with swift, elegant strokes.

Lu Jun took a sip of tea and stretched lazily: "Volume 3 is finally almost finished!"

"The Classic of Tea... wait, the character '荼' in your name is missing a stroke in every place. Was that intentional?"

Yingniang's tea-making skills weren't as good as Yanniang's, but her voice was sweet and clear, and her speech was gentle and pleasant to the ear.

In the Imperial Palace, she learned to play the zither and sing. She was originally going to be sent to the Imperial Music Academy, but by chance, she ended up at the Lu residence.

Lu Jun laughed and said, "Since it's a new way of drinking, let's just change the word so it's easier to distinguish from the previous one."

Yingniang suddenly realized, her pretty face showing amazement: "My lord always has novel ideas. Not only is his tea delicious, but he can also write books. If word gets out, he will surely be very popular!"

Among the servants, the two young girls were the closest to him, and they were the first to see him experimenting with tea making and writing.

After more than half a month, the tension gradually subsided, and my feelings for him changed from respect and gratitude to admiration.

Yan Niang was literate and could write beautifully. Besides brewing tea and grinding ink, she sometimes helped her master proofread and correct his work.

Seeing that Lu Jun had finished writing the last stroke, he excitedly took it, eager to be the first reader to follow the story.

Her eyes blinked rapidly: "Huh, how come you're so familiar with tea from all over the region, even though you haven't left the capital?"

"Even gods can buy tea leaves from all over the world, and the palace also has tribute tea..." Lu Jun casually made up an excuse.

He only remembered parts of Lu Yu's "The Classic of Tea," and these three volumes were not complete. The reason he wrote them was not to gain fame, but to give them another boost.

We need to actively promote what's popular; we can't just wait around.

Elevating practice to theory makes it more appealing to eminent monks and scholars, and its dissemination will be faster.

Lu Jun smiled at Yingniang and said, "Your husband has finished his masterpiece, shouldn't there be some singing to celebrate? The few lines I taught you are very fitting, sing them for me!"

There should be background music here, something with a powerful and majestic feel.

Yingniang blushed and lowered her head, saying, "It's so hard to learn, I wonder where this accent comes from..."

"Hong Kong is far away anyway, hurry up and sing!" Lu Jun continued to urge.

The little girl is no longer afraid of him and can tease him daily, livening up the atmosphere at home.

Yan Niang chimed in, "Ying Niang, sing quickly! The master has spoken! If you don't sing, you'll be punished by having to wipe his body!"

Well said... Is it appropriate for the owner to do the drying of the body after taking a bath in the tub?

"Okay..." Yingniang stammered.

Finally, he spoke: "I, who once dominated the world, now roam freely in the eyes of all; I, who once dominated the world, need never look back..."

After singing only two lines, Lu Jun and Yan Niang were seen laughing so hard they were almost lying on the cool mat in the pavilion.

A gentle breeze wafts through the garden, carrying the fragrance of flowers. Lush greenery abounds, and the air is filled with the cheerful chirping of birds.

Thump, thump, thump—

Footsteps sounded, and Jiu Niang entered through the small gate in the back garden, reporting to Lu Jun:

"My lord, Uncle Zhong said that two guests have come to visit."

"One of them is Tang Xiujing, the governor of Xizhou."

"One of them is Wang Xiaojie, the Right Eagle Guard General."