A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 414 Brothers
At the end of a busy day, the left school office of the general supervisor ordered Zhang Bi to leave the office and go home.

The school office that will serve as the supervisor is mainly in charge of Zijiang craftsmen, building carpenters in the palace and official yamen, and carpenters for exquisite furniture.

However, although the official is inferior and the position is light, there are many things. I deal with carpenters all day long, and there are many official construction tasks everywhere.

The Shangyuan Festival is about to come, and the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival is getting stronger and stronger in Chang'an City.

There are many new street lights all over the street.

The gates of each square are decorated with various lanterns, not to mention the houses of nobles in the squares, every family has set up colorful buildings in front of the gates in line with their status.

On the cross street in the square, someone is drawing lines with white ash.

Zhang Bi greeted the commander of the village, "Zhang Lizheng, what are you doing?"

"Yongzhou Yamen's new order is to prepare for the Shangyuan Festival. Each square will set up some stalls on the cross street in the square. Those who want to set up stalls for sale will have to sell in the designated positions, so as not to Add to the chaos."

Looking at the white squares drawn, Zhang Bi thought it was pretty good. After working as a supervisor for several years, dealing with craftsmen and construction all day long, he could immediately imagine that during the Lantern Festival, the street vendors From flowing to fixed selling in the street grid.

It does ease some of the clutter.

At this time, some people have already started to register the painted booths, and even sell them in advance.

"Festival lanterns, all kinds of lanterns, beautiful lanterns, the Lantern Festival is coming soon, let's buy one."

Looking at the vendors' various small lanterns, Zhang Bi couldn't help but leaned closer, picked them for a while, and finally picked a few small animal lanterns. He even bargained with the vendors, and finally paid the money and carried it home with satisfaction. I believe that the children at home should be very happy to see these lanterns.

When he turned from Shizi Street to Xiaozizi Street, and finally turned into a remote alley, he saw many people standing in front of the firewood gate of his small bamboo fenced courtyard.

Zhang Bi was stunned for a moment.

He stopped and looked at those people carefully, and found that these should be the guards of nobles.

What are these people doing around their door?
I used to hear that every year during the New Year's Eve and the busy season of the Yuan Dynasty, there will always be dudes and villains who take the opportunity to do evil, and things like molesting women and robbing women happen from time to time.

Thinking about the beauty of his own wife and concubine is fine, and the eldest daughter has already grown up, can't it be?

Thinking of this, Zhang Bi became anxious.

He quickly strode home.

The guards stopped him.

"What are you going to do in broad daylight?" Zhang Bi shouted. Although he had been in charge of carpenters in Chang'an for several years and learned a lot of craftsman's work, he was also a mighty member of Wagang before.

With a loud roar, Zhen's guards couldn't help but look at him in surprise. He looked ugly, but he had such a loud voice.

"Big brother!"

At this time, a voice suddenly came from the courtyard, and then the chai gate was pushed open, and Li Daliang ran out.

He stopped at the door and stared at Zhang Bi.

His eyes became more and more joyful.

"Brother, it really is you."

Li Daliang rushed towards Zhang Bi.

Zhang Bi also recognized Li Daliang.

The two old men ran towards each other and hugged each other fiercely.

Li Daliang shed tears of excitement.

"Brother, I've been looking for you for several years, and you've been in Chang'an, why didn't you tell me?"

Zhang Bi was also very excited.

"Since Wei Gong died, I have no face. If I didn't worry about Chang'an's wives and children, I would have gone with Wei Gong."

"You are in Beijing, you should have told me earlier." Li Daliang patted Zhang Bi's arm.

"Shameless." Zhang Bi said, "In fact, I have been secretly watching you all these years. I have seen your promotion and smooth career. I am happy for you. I have also heard about the good deeds you have done these years..."

Wu Huaiyu, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Li Junxian also came out of the courtyard.

"Li Gong, it's better to talk at home."

There was so much commotion here that all the neighbors came out to watch. Maybe some people ran to report Lizheng.

"Yes, come and sit at home."

Zhang Bi welcomed them into the house, and there were several simple thatched huts in the courtyard.

Rough pottery, only boiled water, not even thick tea cakes.

Li Daliang looked at his house like this, and sighed very much, "Brother, have you had a bad life these past few years?"

"Fortunately, I have been serving as a prisoner. The world has been in turmoil these years, but I still have a salary to support my family, so I don't have to worry about food and clothing,"

Zhang Bi is a good person. He is a small sesame official, and he has no authority, but he is enough to support his family. However, like Li Daliang, he also took in many orphans left by war and famine. He had five children himself, and adopted seven more. indivual,
With so many children, big and small, it is actually quite laborious just to feed so many mouths.

He also often helps neighbors in the neighborhood. When he encounters a sudden illness and has no money to buy medicine, or orphans and widows have no food, he will often help them in an emergency.

Qin Qiong smiled and said to Cheng Yaojin and Li Junxian, "Look, they both have the same personality."

Li Daliang expressed that he would give Zhang Bi his wealth.

Zhang Bi laughed and said, "I heard that you are a well-known prodigal man in the court, how many rewards of gold, silver, slaves, silk, silk, cattle and horses are all 'spent' by you within three to five days after the rewards, you The family is no better than me."

"Hahaha."

The brothers hugged and laughed.

After laughing, he couldn't help crying.

Li Daliang sighed, "Brother, you were also a fierce general in Wagang back then, how can you condescend to be an official in charge of a carpenter, you are too humble, I will report to His Majesty, please Your Majesty will hire you according to your talents, and give you another official position. "

Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Li Junxian and the others all nodded.

Back then, Zhang Bi was the guard officer next to Li Mi, and Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin and the others went to Wagang one after another, and later became the commander of the hussars in Li Mi's elite camp. Really good at riding and shooting.

It is said that when Zhang Bi followed Li Mi to the Tang Dynasty, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin and the others were forced to surrender to Wang Shichong, and it took a long time before they abandoned Zheng to the Tang Dynasty.

After Zhang Bi arrived in Chang'an, he was awarded the post of Zhonglang General of the fourth grade. Unfortunately, he failed to follow Li Mi and was injured and captured. The supervisors are lowered from the ninth grade to the junior officials.

It has since been completely forgotten.

This is also because Zhang Bi didn't take advantage of others. Otherwise, even if Li Daliang has served in the local area for a long time, old acquaintances like Qin Qiong and the others are still in the capital. You can also find a deputy commander, school lieutenant or something.

We must know that Zhang Bi's position in Wagang was higher than that of Li Junxian and Niu Jinda.

Now Li Junxian is the governor of Lanzhou, and Niu Jinda is also Zuowei's relative Zhonglang.

Not to mention Qin Qiong Cheng Yaojin, one is the minister of the Ministry of War to worship the prime minister, and the other is the governor of Luzhou, a general who came out of the town.

There are many other Wagang generals, but they are all doing well.

Li Daliang wanted to recommend Zhang Bi, and Qin Qiong also said that he would play Emperor Chen face to face.

But Zhang Bi said that it is good now. When Li Mi died in front of him and was shot to death by random arrows, it actually had a great impact on him.

Li Mi is called Zhang Bi's benefactor. He once saved his life and treated him very well. Unfortunately, he finally died in front of him. Although he tried his best to block several arrows for him, he failed to protect him in the end. .

He brooded over it.

"Brother, the past is over," Li Daliang patted Zhang Bi's arm, still hoping that he could look forward.

Wu Huaiyu looked at the poverty of Zhang Bi's family, especially his dozen or so children, and moved Zhang Bi with just one word.

"Uncle Zhang, there are so many children in your family, and they don't have enough clothes to eat, let alone learning literature, martial arts, riding and archery. They can't be delayed."

Zhang Bi looked at his wives and concubines who have been following him all these years, saw the hope in their eyes, and then looked at the group of children, most of their clothes were patched, and even after the New Year, they were still wearing thin clothes .

These years barely gave them food and clothing, but as Wu Huaiyu said about learning literature and martial arts, etc., there are really no good conditions, and I owe the children a lot.

"Uncle Zhang, you have all your talents. Now that the country is employing people, you can't waste it, right?"

Huaiyu said to let Zhang Bi's children go to the attached school of the Wu family's clan school in Chengnan, where all fees will be waived, the closed boarding system will be implemented, food and accommodation will be provided, and even clothes, paper and pens will be provided.

Of course, that was originally the family study of the Wu family, and it was only limited to the children of the Wu family in Bingzhou, and some close relatives of the Wu family were attached to the school, and under normal circumstances, it was necessary to pay for the school.

Wu Huaiyu paid the money for Zhang Bi.

Li Daliang said gratefully, "The Wu Family School is quite famous in Chang'an now, the discipline is strict, the masters are very knowledgeable, the school spirit is strict, and it is good to study there."

Li Daliang also hoped that Zhang Bi and the others would move to his house.

Qin Qiong said, "Brother Li's house is not big, why not go to my house in the south of the city, the house of seven or eight mu has all the furniture, etc."

On that day, the three princes, two county princes, and one county man had a simple meal at Zhang Bi's house.

Because of the large population, most of Zhang Bifa’s Lumi would be exchanged for sorghum and other miscellaneous grains at the grain store. Although sorghum is easier to maintain production under flood and drought conditions, the yield is not bad, but it is really unpalatable. They are all used as feed for livestock. Only in times of famine, people eat them as food.

The meals of Zhang Bi’s family are millet, sorghum, soybeans and other grains, and then add water to boil a large pot. Huaiyu even saw bran in the porridge, and then boiled white radish with some water, a little bit of oil, and added A little salt, it's dinner.

It's hard to imagine that the dinner of an eighth-rank Beijing official's family is like this. There are no servants and maidservants to serve them. A family of nearly twenty people, with a dozen children of all sizes, eats very simple meals.

Zhang Bi's wife originally wanted to cook another pot of millet rice, and even killed two old hens in the family to cook, but Qin Qiong, Li Daliang and the others refused, and ate the prepared meals.

Zhang Bi's family left a deep impression on Huaiyu.

When they went to the court the next day, he, Qin Qiong, and Li Daliang specially asked the emperor to tell the emperor about Zhang Bi's situation and recommended him.

Li Daliang even made a request to the emperor: "I have a little credit today, it is all because of Zhang Bi, I request Your Majesty to transfer all the honors and titles of the minister to Zhang Bi, and give Zhang Bi a suitable official position." .”

"Your Majesty, when Zhang Bi returned to the Tang Dynasty, the imperial court gave him the title of Zhonglang General. Zhang Bi is very brave, good at riding and shooting..."

After hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help sighing, "Zhang Bi was loyal to the old master Li Mi, he was indeed a loyal minister, and it is also very rare to be able to live in poverty and loneliness these years. I will use such a talent."

The emperor decreed that Zhang Bi's crown prince, Zuo Wei, was appointed as the general of Zhonglang in Yifu, from the fourth rank, and rewarded him for his loyalty, and gave him [-] pieces of silk and [-] horses.

(End of this chapter)