A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 65

The new wheat kernels harvested in summer are sieved, steamed, mixed with homemade koji, and fermented for two days to produce the freshest barley fuzi wine. This is the protagonist of today's banquet.

This banquet can be called floating wine banquet, new rice wine, or summer harvest wine.

In the courtyard in front of the cave dwelling of the Wu family, tables were set up early, reed mats were placed on the cleaned floor, grass futons were placed on them, and fresh floating wine was still fermented and bubbling. Food and wine are even simpler, a big bowl of fried beans, some baked Hubing, nothing else.

It simply made Huaiyu mistakenly think that it was just a snack before the banquet.

Neither sheep nor pigs were slaughtered, not even a chicken.

"Is there no food?"

Huai Yi was quite familiar with this new rice wine, and said with a smile, "This is not a wedding or wedding event, but just a chat between the host and tenant after the summer harvest and slack."

This is really for drinking, the fried beans didn't even add any oil residue, just sprinkled with salt after frying, but the tenants in the village who were invited yesterday, as well as Liu Cunzheng and several military officers came early, everyone even more I don't think there is anything wrong with the wine and beans.

"In the first half of today, the weather is good and the harvest is good. Please don't dislike this self-brewed Fuzi wine from newly harvested wheat kernels." Lao Wuduan bowled.

Everyone also raised their wine bowls.

"Celebrate the harvest, do it!"

Huaiyu and his brothers will accompany the last table today, and they are serving guests with wine.

After a bowl of Fuzi wine, when the Huaiyu brothers poured the wine for everyone, Lao Wu asked his concubine Wang to take out a pen and paper. The land was rented by share, and the harvest in the field was not the same every year, but there were some numbers.

The tenants reported the summer harvest by themselves, and then recorded the rent according to the agreed rent amount, and then paid accordingly.

Everything is very trusting and harmonious, there is no fussing about it, the villagers report, Wang's record, and then send the grain to the Wu family courtyard according to this amount.

Another round of wine was poured, and Lao Wu raised his bowl again with a smile, and everyone raised their wine bowls with smiles.

The wine was drunk boldly, and the air was full of joy after the harvest.

"Today, I have another thing to tell the folks. Those Turkic cubs who are under the wolves are making a lot of trouble in Shuofang Longyou recently. The main gateway of the river and valley, but they went around to Longyou and plundered Qinlong, and they may enter the pass from the upper reaches of the Weihe River at any time."

"I am Tianzi Yuan, who was born in the imperial army. Although I have retired from the army like the elder brothers here, we have settled here for nine years and have taken root. There are more than half of the folks in Longqiao Fort. Although they are not in the imperial army, this is everyone root.

My eldest child, Huaiyi, and my second child, Huaiyu, are now buying houses in Chang’an. The houses are not small, and my family can live there.

However, those wolves are really about to enter the customs and go to Weibei. Although our old Wu was limped when he beat those wolf cubs, is he really going to run?
This is our family, we are going to let wolf cubs wreak havoc on our homeland?
If you run away, the monk can't run away from the temple. "

Huaiyu didn't expect Wu Shike to suddenly mention this matter, and it seems that what he said yesterday that he would go to Chang'an after the Turks entered the customs did not count.

"Anyway, the Turkic people are really coming, and I, a warrior, will not leave. Although I am old, I still want to pick up my sword and gun, ride on my horse, fight to the end with those wolves, and defend our homeland to the death."

Several other military attachés of the Forbidden Army in the village, whether retired or serving, also expressed that they would not abandon their homes.

"We have to prepare in advance, just in case." Lao Wu said his idea at this time, to gather the young children of the village and strengthen training, not only the children of the imperial army, but also the children of more than half of the other villagers. Get ready, prepare food and prepare for war.

"We will hoe with a bow, woodcutter with a sword, and strengthen the gates and walls of our Longqiao Fort."

Driven by Lao Wu, several veteran officers of the Forbidden Army were even more excited, shouting that if the wolf cubs came, they would give them some power.

Others proposed to unite with Lijiazhuang to form a township regiment to train self-protection, practice arrows, spears and shields.

Most of these people are old, but none of them think about retreating or hiding. This is their home, and they don't want to leave.

This was something Huaiyu had never thought about before. What he thought in his mind was that the Turks would really invade in a short time, and it was very likely that they would plunder the three plains of Weibei. By then, it would not be safe here. The wild Turkic cavalry was thinking about how to safely retreat to Chang'an City one step ahead of time to escape.

And I didn't expect to be armed here to defend my homeland against the Turkic cavalry.

Wars should be the affairs of the army, and the common people should avoid wars.

But now the words of Lao Wu and the others reminded him that there are [-] emperors in Longqiao Fort who belonged to the Forbidden Army. They were placed on the best land in Weibei.

Some of them are still in the imperial army, and some have been succeeded by their children. They are father and son army.

This is their home, their caves, their cattle and sheep, their wives and children, their fields and crops, why should they give up.

Facing the Turks, they had the courage to fight.

Just frying soybeans and drinking the newly brewed Fuzi wine, a group of people were very excited, even the tenants who were not imperial households were very excited, and even Hou San, a member of the Wu family, rolled up his sleeves and said that he would kill the Turkic bastard.

After the meal of booze and wine was over, Lao Wu's face was still flushed.

"Aye,"

"Erlang doesn't need to persuade me anymore, I won't leave. When you leave, bring your eldest sister and niece back to Chang'an. If the Turkic people really come, I will let your mother come to Chang'an too. We men must be stay here."

Huaiyi didn't persuade him.

"In a while, Liu Cunzheng and I will go to Lijiazhuang to talk to Li Lizheng about setting up a village group, and you will go with us. You have a good relationship with the Li family, so it's easy to talk about." The regiment, especially fancy that the Li family has many family soldiers who have been on the battlefield.

He went to Lijiazhuang again with a complicated mood. He found that the Li family had been doing this for a long time. The last time Li Sanniang recruited people to go to the border to save his father, he failed in the end, but Li Jing, Li Xiuxing and others were fighting fiercely at the border. Everyone is naturally very aware that the border is in danger now, and it may even be in danger as far as Guanzhong and Weibei.

Nowadays, many women, children, old and weak in Lijiazhuang have begun to send them to Chang'an to live temporarily, and those who stay behind have also begun to train in the slack time of the organizers.

Large wooden shields, long spears, bows and arrows, and even flags and golden drums are used to practice advance and retreat.

Even Li Si'an had already reported to the Sanyuan County Government and the Beiquan Prefecture Government, and received support from the prefecture and county levels.

"Wu Erlang, I happen to have something to ask you too."

Li Sixing took Huaiyu aside and took him to meet a clansman from Chang'an Yongkang Duke's mansion. When the person met, he asked him if he had seen Li Sanniang.

"Isn't the third lady in the Yongkang mansion in Pingkangfang?"

"I disappeared early yesterday morning. My wife asked me to ask Wu Erlang if he had seen the third lady and the maidservants beside her."

"No, I saw the third lady last time when I was dispensing medicine in the Yongkang mansion, and I haven't seen her since, and I haven't seen the girls around her."

"Did Sanniang buy medicine from Wu Erlang?"

"also not."

"Then if Erlang sees Sanniang again, or Sanniang sends someone to buy medicine, please let me know. Madam is very worried, and she is afraid that she will rush to the border on the spur of the moment. It will be too dangerous."

Huaiyu agreed, and Mrs. Zhang was also Runniang's foster-grandmother, so she had to save face.

Old Wu Liu Village is talking with the Li family about the establishment of the township regiment, but the talk is good. There are many active-duty forbidden soldiers in Longqiao Fort. There are fifty active forbidden soldiers. They are usually on duty at five times, and only ten people go there every month. In Chang'an Suwei, there are 40 people farming at home, plus the sons and daughters of each family, and other villagers who are young and strong, Longqiaobao can pull out at least 200 people.

Although the number of households in Lijiazhuang is small, there are many slaves attached to them, and many of them are family soldiers who have been on the battlefield. There are even many non-prohibited weapons such as spears, bows and arrows.

Together with the young and strong from several other villages, they can organize three regiments in Dongli, Qinghe Township, one regiment, two brigades, four teams of 200 people, three regiments, six brigades and twelve teams.

They are all old soldiers who have fought in the war. They plan to organize the Dongli Township Regiment into three regiments to practice spears, bows, arrows, knives and shields.

Once the Turks really enter the Guanzhong, they will gather to prepare for the battle. At that time, there will be one regiment in Longqiaobao, one regiment in Lijiazhuang, and the remaining regiment will be used as a reserve team.

Huaiyu was very impressed when he heard that they were doing the battle preparation plan very professionally. Although the old man used to have the highest military position, he was only a brigade commander, but this attitude must at least be the commander of the Commander's Mansion.

The two sides also agreed on the color of the flag, the contact signal, etc., and even the heads of the brigade were determined. The warrior Ke led the Longwubao regiment, Li Si'an led the Lijiazhuang regiment, and the remaining regiment was led by Xu Erleng's father Xu Zhongyi.

On the contrary, Huaiyu couldn't intervene on the sidelines, so he got bored after watching it for a while, so he went home first.

As soon as I got home, Cheng Chumo came.

"Brother Cheng, why are you here?"

"On official business, I will send you a letter of confession under the order of the crown prince. Congratulations Erlang, you are now an official. The crown prince's right guard will lead the government to join the army."

He smiled and handed over a confession.

This is a letter of appointment written by the Ministry of Zhongshu in the tone of the emperor, which is called a book-making letter. After being reviewed and approved by the Menxia Province, the emperor will draw the letter, archive the original, and send a copy to the Minister of Shangshu for formal procedures. .

Produced by the Ministry of Officials.

Huaiyu took it suspiciously, and the brocade silk was mounted into a scroll, which was very extraordinary at first glance. When he unfolded it, he could see the word "Chijiu" at the beginning, and at the end it was stamped with the seal of "Shangshu Libu's complaint".

This is an official appointment letter.

Read carefully, and the fine hemp paper of the brocade scroll has his hometown, background, year armor and appointment words copied. Under the product, Shi Lang will be dismissed.

Sesame Xiaoguan, the lowest level in the stream.

But he is also a real high-ranking official, and he is also a military officer of the East Palace.

Cheng Chumo handed over another imperial edict.

Those who lead the body must also receive an edict, which is an appointment document issued by Shangshu Province.

Cheng Chumo congratulated and said: "Your entry into the army was specially granted by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The Minister of the Ministry of Officials expedited the process personally, and the ministers of the three provinces signed and approved it. Originally, according to the usual practice, the Ministry of Officials must pay Zhu Jiaoling the money first when suing an official. But the Crown Prince has an order, and the East Palace will hand it over for you."

This official fee is not low, and some new officials can't even afford the money.

There are even some people who are often transferred officials, and they are often transferred, so they simply don't report to the body, and only receive the edict issued by the Minister of the Ministry of Employment to make a document instead.

And Huaiyu not only joined the army at the ninth rank for nothing, but even the crown prince paid for him to sue himself.

"The crown prince has an order for you to return to the capital immediately to report to the right guard's mansion after receiving the notice and edict."

Huaiyu was a little dazed for a while with the confession and the edict, but suddenly became an official, a little caught off guard, the second and third sisters haven't seen it yet.

"The portraits you drew for Duke Qin and Duke Yuchi last time were pasted on the gate of the Lizheng Hall with the help of divine power injected into the portraits. Your Highness is no longer having nightmares, and the two generals finally don't have to work hard every day to stand guard. The prince is very happy Well." Now that Cheng Chumo looks at Wu Huaiyu, he already has to look up.

"Hurry up and pack up and go back to Chang'an next time."

"What is my right guard's duty to join the army?" Huaiyu asked.

"There is no specific fixed position."

(End of this chapter)