A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 293 Thirteen Years a Slave

Buying all the slaves of the Han family in the border city of Baicheng at once shocked the entire market, but it was not surprising when everyone knew that the buyer was the wife of the governor's mansion.

The governor of Wu has eleven Zhuangzi and ten grasslands in Yanzhou, so he must need a lot of slaves, although the biggest landlord in Yanzhou is Doulu Consort, who has eighteen Zhuangzi.

"A total of 190 seven pieces. Originally, at least eight pieces were required, and some were more than ten pieces. In the end, they were sold for [-] pieces, and they were combined into one piece of eight pieces. Dozens of zeros were wiped off." On the way home , Wuniang, a monk and maidservant, reported to Huaiyu.

Beside the carriage, nearly [-] slaves, men, women and children, were still tied to ropes and strung together in a row.

Huaiyu looked at their numb faces and didn't say much.

The monks and servants are still distressed by such a large expenditure, and feel that these slaves are too expensive to buy, "Our family booked [-] slaves at Lu Guogong's house, which is much cheaper, and the slaves are only discounted to about [-]. "She rambled on, completely just evaluating the price-performance ratio from an economic point of view.

The Wu family ordered more slaves from the sister-in-law's house, and the price was cheaper. It was also because of the relationship with the sister-in-law. In fact, it is completely possible to send the slaves here now. Originally, the Wu family booked [-] houses for sale in Guanzhong.

The price of Han slaves is indeed quite expensive.

Taking these people back to the Zhuangzi in the south of Baicheng City, Huaiyu called the Zhuangtou.

Because this village is close to the border market, the head of the village is Lao Chen, Runniang's father, who was specially transferred from Chang'an, and he also brought his wife and daughter.

He has relatively rich experience in managing Zhuangzi, and he is Runniang's father, so Wu Huaiyu trusts him quite a bit. What is most lacking here are management personnel, especially trustworthy ones.

Lao Chen is not a slave of the Chen family, but a steward hired by the Chen family. Wu Huaiyu paid good wages and benefits, and even the Zhuangzi he manages gave him some dry stock dividends. In addition, the land here is cheap now, and Huaiyu also helped him get it. Some lands are now regarded as small landlords with property.

"Uncle Chen, take them to take a bath first, and wash their whole bodies. I see that many of them have fleas and lice on their bodies."

Huaiyu explained carefully that these slaves came from all over the world, but without exception, they were all bad. Not only were they mentally numb, but their appearance was also unkempt, with tattered clothes, parasites, and many of them had skin diseases.

"Give them clean clothes after washing. It turns out that these tattered clothes have to be boiled, washed, dried and repaired before they can be reused."

He also called Lao Chen's wife and asked her to call people to start cooking.

Most of these people are malnourished, and now they dare not give them too much food all at once, or their stomachs will not be able to bear it.

"Cook more millet porridge, this nourishes the stomach, and make some mutton soup, remember not to put oil in it, use lean meat, cook it more,"

Millet porridge with some lean meat soup, let them eat first, and recover slowly.

"It's so good to eat as soon as you come here, you'll have a mouthful," Chen Qian said.

Huaiyu could only say, "These cost [-] yuan, and each of them cost [-] yuan. They must be raised well, and if they don't have one, they will lose [-] yuan."

These words really worked, and Chen Qian thought it made sense, "It's still A Lang's way of thinking, I'll hurry up and make arrangements."

Those slaves were tied with ropes, and when they arrived at Zhuangzi, they just stood there numbly.

They can do whatever they are asked to do. When Old Chen told them to take a bath and change their clothes, some people would immediately take off their clothes.

"Don't worry, when we arrive, they will come one by one, and we have to separate men and women,"

Although once you become a slave, you lose your dignity long ago. Even female slaves are often naked, and they are randomly picked by human traffickers or buyers, just like picking animals.

But Huaiyu's words still made many people feel warm after hearing it. This master seems to be good.

After these people were taken down and lined up to take a shower, they changed into clean clothes one by one. Although most of them were old clothes, they were at least clean and warm. They were brought before Wu Huaiyu.

On the porch of the manor, a table was set up, and Huaiyu sat there, giving these newcomers a simple physical examination, mainly to check for parasites and skin diseases.

Especially for contagious skin diseases, it is necessary not only to prescribe prescriptions for the symptoms, but also to arrange to live separately temporarily, so as not to spread the disease everywhere.

As for those with injuries, they can be treated as soon as possible. Now they belong to the Wu family's property. If the family animals get sick, they have to call a veterinarian.

"What's your name, where is your hometown?"

Huaiyu would also ask them for some information while interrogating the doctor. Instead of cross-examination, it was more like chatting. A few words can always make people feel the warmth that has not been seen for a long time.

Physicians, pharmacists, and fellows from the Baicheng Qianjintang branch assisted in the back, some helping to write prescriptions, and some dispensing medicines.

There are also life assistants such as state officials, farmers, school officials, food officials, stable shepherds, and Sheren from Shouyang Gongfu. They are also on the side. They register these people, make ID cards on the spot, and even Fingerprint them.

Originally, Lao Chen suggested that these newly purchased slaves should be branded with the exclusive slave mark of the Wu family, so as to prove that they are the property of the Wu family and prevent them from escaping.

Many slaves have many such marks on them.

Wu Huaiyu finally refused. Although he bought these people, he didn't think about letting them go, but he still wanted to take care of them within his ability. After all, they were all of the same clan.

Among the nearly 200 people, some are relatively complete families, and more are just alone. Huaiyu asked those families to work in the same village and not to break them up.

And those who have one person are the same as in the army, let them form a group of three, a small group of three, and designate a small group leader, so that ten people are grouped together, and people in the same group and team must take care of each other and must Mutual supervision, if the members of the team are lazy or run away, they will also be jointly and severally responsible.

Huaiyu hopes to treat them as well as possible, but there is a bottom line. As for the slaves who are bought, they can't run away, let alone be lazy.

If you work hard, then he will exempt a few of the most outstanding and hardworking slaves in each Zhuangzi every year. If they perform well, they can also enjoy rewards and marriage treatment. There are extra meals and other rewards.

He wanted an incentive strategy, not just whips, but if someone had to run or resist, there had to be some punishment.

An old man was skinny and skinny, and it was shocking to see.

But he said that he was only in his forties, Huaiyu looked at him as if he was over 60.

"My hometown is Yanmenguan. In the 11th year of the great cause, the Turkic Shibi Khan led hundreds of thousands of riders to hijack his car and drive around the Sui Emperor in Yanmen. At that time, there were 41 cities in Yanmen County and 39 cities were captured. I was captured by the Turks at that time. slave,
Calculated, this year is No. 13 years of being a slave. "

When this man spoke, he was quite unusual.

After careful inquiry, I found out that the old man had studied before and was a small official in Wutai County, Yanmen County.

"My family can be regarded as a powerful family in Yanmen County. They have served as county officials for generations. My father once served as the county secretary. ··”

The old man's surname is Liu.

In fact, his ancestry was a surname changed during the Sinicization of Xianbei during the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was originally one of the internal surnames, and later became the eight surnames of Xunchen. His original surname was Dugu. In the Sui Dynasty, his family became subordinates in Wutai County, Yanmen County. The family has been in the family for several generations and has been subordinate officials in the county.

Because of the Sinicization since the Northern Wei Dynasty and the intermarriage with the Han, the old man does not have any Xianbei characteristics.

13 years as a slave.

He was taken into captivity at the age of 30. Although he was only a small official in the county at that time, he was very carefree. Although the subordinate official was humble, he was already quite powerful in the local county government. It is still very nourishing, and it is this group of people who are known as local snakes.

But the Turkic Shibi Khan led 40 riders into Yanmen County to besiege Yang Guang, 41 cities captured 39 cities, and Wutai County was also destroyed. Not only was Liu Tou captured, but his family was also captured.

His family was ruined long ago, and he grazed outside the Great Wall for many years. Later, he was sent to Dingxiang Empress Xiao Yang Zhengdao, and became a member of the post-Sui Dynasty.

But once you are a slave, it is very difficult to turn over.

Because some of the sheep she shepherd were taken away by wolves, he was whipped and then sold. He was taken all the way to the border city of Baicheng in Yanzhou, and eventually became a domestic slave of the governor of Yanzhou.

When he was first captured, he was full of vigor and youth, but now he is only 43, but he is as old as dying, his back is bent, his white hair is graying, and he is even sick all over his body.

"Your accent hasn't changed."

"Don't dare to forget, I was a slave outside the Great Wall, herding sheep and horses. I often spoke my hometown dialect to cattle and sheep. I was afraid that I would forget my hometown dialect when I spoke Turkic every day. I was afraid that I would die and meet Lie Zu under the Nine Springs Liezong, he won't say anything."

Sihu Shi, this is the assistant of Sihu Zuo of the county government. Generally, when going to the county, there are only two Sihu Zuo and Judicial Zuo, and then four subordinates each. These twelve people are the main officials in the official document system of the county government. The person in charge is now to assist the county magistrate, county magistrate, master book, county lieutenant, and recorder.

Although it is a low-level miscellaneous job, if it is released to future generations, it will at least be a county deputy director.

Seeing that he spoke in an orderly manner, Huaiyu checked his body, prescribed some medicine, and arranged for him to be Lao Chen's assistant.

After all, Sihu Shina could write and count, especially those who had some experience in organization and management, and those who could work as subordinates in the yamen were actually of a certain level, and the more grassroots they were, the more capable they were.

Although Lao Liu is also of mixed Han and Hu blood, and even said that he belongs to Xianbei, the old man does not think he is a Hu. In fact, since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Xianbei has basically fully integrated into the Han nationality, and is rarely called a separate Xianbei.

The truly independent Xianbei may be Tuyuhun in Qinghai. The Khan and the upper-class nobles are basically dominated by the Murong family of Xianbei, while the middle and lower classes are mainly Qiangdi such as Dangxiang Qiang.

Wu Huaiyu gave Lao Liu a single room. Although he was still a slave, he would enjoy the treatment of a series of songs in the future, and even gave him some pocket money every month.

Liu Xiaogan bowed deeply to Huaiyu.

After 13 years, there is finally a glimmer of light again.

"Old Liu, I brought back a lot of women today. Go and pick one. I will arrange for you to get married and reorganize your family. You are only in your 40s. Find someone younger who can have more children and enjoy family happiness again." .”

Sending your wife away is one of the ultimate welfare rewards, and the next level is to be exempted.

The sudden happiness caught Lao Liu by surprise.

"Good job,"

Liu Xiaogan, who didn't want to kowtow to others, finally knelt down for Huaiyu. After 13 years of herding sheep, suffering countless whips, and suffering countless hunger, he felt that he was finally alive again.

"I, Liu Xiaogan, will definitely repay Alang's great kindness!"

(End of this chapter)