Chapter Thirty-Four: Discussing the Invention of New-Style Furniture!

Li Yi held onto Juechen’s reins, strolling leisurely back home, swaying with every step. It was already afternoon, yet the streets remained bustling. He walked and paused, deliberately circling through the Western Market, for Chang’an under the Tang dynasty was meticulously divided: the central Vermilion Bird Avenue marked the line, establishing the pattern of noble families to the east and wealthy merchants to the west. Li Yi’s detour through the Western Market was not merely for leisure—it was to gather information.

Half an hour later, Li Yi returned home, first greeting his grandfather and grandmother, exchanging some warm family chatter, before finally heading to his own courtyard.

"Ah! Brother Yi, you’re back!" No sooner had Li Yi stepped into his courtyard than Li Xueyan dashed over like a gust of wind, her face gleaming with joy.

Li Yi was pleasantly surprised to see her; though it had only been a day, the absence of her lively chatter left him feeling oddly unsettled.

“Little one, what brings you here? Has your father not returned?”

Li Xueyan blushed, replying in a small voice, “They’ve already returned! Didn’t you ask Chang Dong to look for Juchen? I couldn’t resist and secretly snuck out!”

“What? You snuck out? Oh heavens! Won’t your father be furious with me?”

“Um... probably not!”

“Did your father know you came here?”

Li Xueyan scratched her head. “I was too focused on escaping at the time, didn’t think about it!”

“And you never remembered after that?”

“No, I only remembered when I was almost at Juchen’s house. I was going to send someone to notify him after arriving here. I even wanted to tell Chang Dong so he could remind me.”

“And then?”

“And then I forgot to tell Chang Dong!”

Li Yi was dumbfounded, smacking his forehead and shouting, “Chang Dong! Chang Dong!”

“Yes, Young Master, I’m here!” Chang Dong immediately ran out from behind the door, having been eavesdropping the whole time.

Li Yi, seeing this, knew for certain there were others behind the door as well, his lips twitching in exasperation.

“Chang Dong, go send someone to the Duke of Renzhou’s residence and tell them that Lady Li Xueyan is a guest at Li Jing’s mansion, discussing the invention of new furniture. Assure the Duke not to worry, she’ll be sent home shortly.”

Chang Dong responded and hurried away.

After he left, Li Yi called toward the door, “Come out already!”

And so Jiang Juchen, Li Zixuan, Yiyi, and Bingyu all shuffled out slowly.

Jiang Juchen exclaimed, “Ah! Big Brother, you’re back!”

Li Zixuan chimed, “Big Brother, you look even more handsome!”

Yiyi pleaded, “Son-in-law, I didn’t mean to!”

Bingyu said nothing at all, her gaze pure and innocent as she looked at Li Yi.

Li Yi smiled helplessly. “Alright, drop the act. You’re all grown, still playing these games? Am I someone who fears prying eyes? Is peeking really necessary? It’s freezing out, let’s go inside.”

He took Li Xueyan by the hand and led the way into the house.

Upon entering, Li Yi caught the familiar scent of coal. The Tang people still used brazier pans for heating, which consumed fuel, provided little warmth, and posed dangers of poisoning—every year people died from carbon monoxide. Li Yi had wanted to introduce boilers, but winter was nearly over; it was a bit late now, best to make do and plan for a full upgrade next winter.

“Bingyu, remove the brazier. It’s not cold anymore. Open the window a crack for ventilation. You must always be careful when using braziers—ventilate properly, or you risk poisoning. Bingyu, later, tell the household staff about this, especially the maids attending to Grandpa and Grandma. They’re old and can’t handle any trouble.”

“Understood, Young Master!” Bingyu answered, moving to open the window.

Once the coal smell had faded, Li Yi spoke, “Little one, did you visit my family?”

Li Xueyan nodded proudly. “Of course! Unlike you! Let me tell you, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt all adore me!”

“You little show-off. What about my two younger brothers?”

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“I don’t know, I heard they went out to dine with friends.”

“Friends? That must be the Tang’s group of wastrels. Hmm, I ought to meet them too. Tang’s wastrels should be interesting.”

“By the way, Brother Yi, what’s this new furniture you mentioned?”

“Oh, it’s my new invention. Let’s save that for later!”

“What should I say if my father asks?”

“Just tell him the idea’s not finalized, the plans aren’t drawn, funding’s unavailable—ask him to stay tuned!” Li Yi replied casually, then turned to Jiang Juchen. “Juchen, I called you here today to ask: what do you want to do with your life?”

Jiang Juchen had been pondering this lately; after all, he was a grown man with a household—he couldn’t avoid the question. “Big Brother, could you be more specific?”

“Hmm! After much thought these past few days, I’ve mapped out a preliminary plan for both you and myself. Let’s set mine aside for now. For you, I see three paths. First: commerce. But this isn’t ordinary business; I can’t reveal too much, only that the royal family is involved. If you choose this, money will never be an issue—you’ll have more than you can ever spend. If you succeed, you could be renowned across the land, even entered into history. But the road is hard; your education is lacking, everything must be learned from scratch, and you’ll pay far more than just sweat. In short, it’s not easy.”

Jiang Juchen frowned. Renown and a place in history seemed unimaginable to him. In the past, he’d have agreed without hesitation, even though he disliked studying—but things were different now that he had Big Brother.

“Is there anything else?”

Li Yi nodded. “Of course. If the scholarly path doesn’t suit, there’s the martial way—two choices. One is easy: I can guarantee you’ll never lack food or clothing, but you won’t stand out. This world still favors those with powerful fathers, and your background isn’t strong. The other path is far tougher—you’ll endure hellish trials and pain, even risk your life; you may languish in obscurity for a long time, but if you persevere, fame, fortune, titles, and nobility await. I’ve laid out three choices; it’s up to you. Don’t rush to decide. Discuss it at home; when you’ve made up your mind, tell me.”

Jiang Juchen and Li Zixuan exchanged uncertain glances, then bid farewell to Li Yi to talk things over at home.

“Brother Yi, what about me? What will I do in the future?” After the couple left and Bingyu got busy elsewhere, only Li Xueyan and Li Yi remained in the room. Li Xueyan leaned on Li Yi’s shoulder, asking softly.

“Heh, bored already? Well, you do spend your days at home—it’s time you found something to do. But you’ll need your parents’ approval. Here’s the test: if you can get their permission, I’ll find you a job that’s both enjoyable and brings you fame. How about it?”

“Brother Yi, do you mean it?”

“Heh, when have I ever lied to you?”

“Ah! Brother Yi, you’re wonderful!”

“Don’t celebrate too soon; getting your parents’ permission won’t be easy.”

Li Xueyan lifted her chin, proudly flaring her delicate nose. “Hmph, this heroine has her own clever plan!”

“You’re certainly capable!”

...

After spending an hour in affectionate company with Li Xueyan, Li Yi escorted her home, only to the door. As for why he didn’t go in—well, he wasn’t ready. He had neither wealth nor a career yet; facing her family now would bruise his pride.

Back home, Li Yi found Bingyu and had her take him straight to the new workshop Li Jing had built for him. He wanted to start on the new furniture, for his long legs resented the low stools.

Arriving at the workshop, Li Yi sought out the heads of the carpenters and blacksmiths.

He led them to a set of steps and, without hesitation, sat down. The two men and Bingyu hurried to stop him.

Li Yi waved them away with a chuckle. “What are you stopping me for? Sit, sit—this is more comfortable than inside.”

The two men relented and sat on the ground as well.

Bingyu stood awkwardly nearby.

“Well, Bingyu, don’t sit, it’s dirty. Unless you want to sit on my lap?”

“Pfft! Young Master, you’re so improper!”

“What are you thinking? You’re so young—what could I possibly do? Silly girl!”

Bingyu snorted again, turned inside, fetched a low stool, sat, and ignored Li Yi.

Li Yi laughed and shook his head. “How should I address you two, uncles?”

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The thinner, shorter, honest-looking man spoke first, “Oh, Young Master, I dare not accept such a title! My name is Lin Jiang, I’m a blacksmith. You can just call me Xiao Lin.”

The other, taller, sturdier, darker, and slightly fierce-looking man followed, “Reporting to Young Master, my name is Tie Yan, I’m a carpenter. You can call me Old Tie.”

Li Yi was stunned. “Wait, did you get your trades mixed up?”

Lin Jiang scratched his head, embarrassed. “Uh… it’s like this… Our master gave us our names. We apprenticed under the same master. He intended to train me as a carpenter and Tie Yan as a blacksmith—but things turned out otherwise!”

“Your master truly had a keen eye! Hahaha! No need to be nervous; those who know me know I’m not so particular. I’ll call you Uncle Lin, and Old Tie—well, that’s a good name! Judging by your speech, you seem literate?”

Tie Yan was the taciturn type, so he listened closely but rarely spoke. “Yes, Tie Yan and I studied with our master for a few days. We can write, but it’s hardly cultured.”

“Heh, being literate makes you cultured. In these times, anyone who can write is cultured—so don’t be modest. Now, tell me about the workshop’s current state.”

“Very well. The workshop’s nearly finished, just needs a few more days before it’s usable. We have five blacksmiths, ten carpenters, twenty laborers, and fifteen family members.”

“How come there are so many?”

“Well, Young Master, all of us were rescued from the chaos years ago by Old Master. Since we had skills, he kept us. We had little to do, so when Old Master heard you needed craftsmen, he sent us over.”

Li Yi considered this. “Alright, since that’s the case, stay here. I’m short on manpower; settle in for now. It’ll be crowded, but when circumstances allow, I’ll build homes for you.”

“Really? We can have our own homes?”

“Of course. You’re cultured men; I ought to treat you well.”

“Thank you for your great kindness, Young Master!”

“Enough, no need for thanks. Our enterprise hasn’t started yet, so I can’t pay high wages. You two will get one string of coins per month, the other craftsmen three to five hundred coins monthly—set by you. Laborers get a hundred coins. This is just for now; it’ll go up later.”

Lin Jiang hurriedly knelt, Tie Yan following suit. “Oh, Young Master—our lives were saved by Old Master; we belong to the Li family. How could we ask for your money? That cannot be!”

Li Yi saw this and knew it was time for firmness—otherwise, it’d never end. The ancients were stubborn indeed.

He darkened his face and barked, “What are you doing? Get up! I’m paying you because you’re skilled. I, Li Yi, never keep idle hands. If you weren’t capable, you wouldn’t stay. If you want this money, work well—no more talk of life debts and family loyalty. Did your master train you to be household slaves? Don’t you think for yourselves, or at least your descendants? Enough! Tomorrow, fetch the plans from me—start with simple tasks to practice.”

With that, Li Yi rose and left, Bingyu quickly following.

Lin Jiang and Tie Yan called out behind him, “The craftsmen thank the Young Master for his great kindness!” Their voices trembled with joy, even the iron-willed Tie Yan was moved to tears.

Li Yi strode out of the workshop, pausing to catch his breath. “Ah! A few days without exercise and my body’s gone soft!”

Bingyu watched him with shining eyes. “Young Master is a good man.”

Li Yi was surprised—the girl actually spoke up! “Why do you say that?”

“You scolded them for their own good—I could tell.”

“And?”

“You’re easygoing, unpretentious, kind to your servants—a benevolent man.”

Li Yi grinned like a monkey, delighted. “And?”

Bingyu blushed. “Young Master knows much, he’s capable.”

Li Yi couldn’t help but shake his leg in pride. “And?”

Bingyu giggled. “Young Master is also improper, thick-skinned, loves showing off, self-absorbed—and a bit of a rogue!” With that, she ran off.

Li Yi’s face twitched behind her. “Cheeky girl, calling me a rogue—how am I a rogue to you? What a character!”