A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 991 The Dragon Returns to the Sea
early morning.

On the Sixth Street morning agitation, the gates of Chang'an were opened one after another, and countless people running for life lined up to pass.

People entering and leaving the city come and go, entering from the left and leaving from the right.

Chang'an Avenue has no embankments of sand, no dust in the morning wind, no mud in the rain.

At the east main gate of Chang'an, inside Chunming Gate, a team came.

Yu Lin on the left, Long Wu on the right, the imperial army opened the way. When the gatekeeper saw this team, his expression immediately became serious, "Quick, clear the way for the nobles."

A group of city gate guards armed with knives and spears quickly cleared away the pedestrians at the city gate.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way,"

"quiet!"

The Laws and Regulations of the Tang Dynasty stipulate that when walking in the streets, the humble should avoid the noble, the young should avoid the old, the light should avoid the important, and go and avoid coming.

This is Baiqi, the youngest and bravest among the Eighth Battalion of the Fourth Army in the Bei Ya Forbidden Army. Most of them are chosen from peasant households, Hu chieftains and the children of the border troops. The emperor personally teaches them and is called the emperor's personal army.

"The prime minister doesn't have this attitude either. He might be the prince."

marvel,

The team leaving the city could clear the way for the Imperial Guards, and there were hundreds of Imperial Guards. As the gatekeeper, the man immediately knew that the people coming were extraordinary. This was definitely a prime minister-level travel specification.

"Could it be that one of the prime ministers is traveling?"

A young man holding a vegetable load on the roadside looked at Wu Huaiyu with admiration on his face, "It would be great if I could follow Duke Wu to Lingnan to quell the chaos."

He is a disciple of the land immortal Xiaoyaozi, Qingyangzi, the head of the Longmen sect of Louguan Taoism. He is also a hero of Yuancong in Zhenguan and a hero of Lingyan Pavilion.
He is the adopted son of the door god Qin Qiong and the student of the military god Li Jing. He was the young god of war who once captured Jieli and destroyed Liang Shiduping in Lingnan.
He is also revered by the people as the King of Medicine, the Saint of Painting, the Immortal of Poetry, and the God of Tea.
"Is Mr. Wu going back to Lingnan?"

Pedestrians retreated one after another, and those who collided with these ceremonial guards could be whipped with sticks or dragged to death. If the nobles were disturbed and harmed, they would be killed as if they were beheaded.

Being cheap and avoiding the expensive is the first one.

"I know this. It is said that Dang Renhong, the governor of Guangzhou, took advantage of Duke Wu's visit to plunder everywhere in Lingnan and caused the rebellion of the Luo Dou Cave cattle tribe. Duke Wu must have gone to clean up the mess."

The people standing in the front row on the roadside finally saw the people escorted by Baiqi.
Wu Huaiyu is known to everyone in the world, and his existence in Chang'an is like thunder.

At this time, the Yulin cavalry who was leading the way passed by, and everyone saw another group of brave cavalry escorting a group of people coming over. These cavalry had tall horses, all wore leopard-print saddles, tiger-pattern shirts, and even their bows and swords were made of leopard skin.

"Well, I heard that the Lingnan barbarians rebelled again,"

There are at least a hundred tiger-shirted knights here.

"Who is this noble man?"

"Could it be that the five vassal princes were granted the title upon leaving the capital?"

A person who looked like a steward in the mansion immediately joined in, "I heard that Dang Renhong has been dismissed from office by imperial edict and recalled to Chang'an for questioning. The imperial court sent Duke Peng Cheng to take over as the governor of Guangzhou. Look, next to Duke Wu is Liu. male."

"You also want to find a wife and a wife, and want to go to Lingyan Pavilion?" A vendor next to him said with a smile.

Many people stood on tiptoes and stretched out their necks to see,
"It's Duke Wu,"

Hundreds of riders.

There are only a few nobles in the Tang Dynasty who can let a hundred cavalry guards and the light cavalry of Yu Lin Long and Wu armies clear the way to guard.

"Who wouldn't want to?" said the vegetable farmer.

"Then I'll show you a clear path."

"Oh, brother, please speak."

The hawker stroked his beard and said, "It's definitely not possible to select soldiers. If you have that qualification, you won't be a vegetable farmer, right?"

The vegetable farmer nodded. He was just a tenant who grew vegetables and sold them in the tenant fields on the outskirts of Chang'an. The selection of the soldiers was based on wealth, material strength, and population. Generally, they were selected by landowners, and at last they were self-cultivated farmers.

Those who have equal wealth will be stronger, those who have equal strength will be richer, and those who have even wealth will get more wealth first.

It is very difficult to meet these conditions.

Since the Zhenguan period, the Tang Dynasty has been victorious in all foreign wars. Although the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty often have to go to the battlefield, they are also rich in rewards. Not only can they obtain rich trophies, but they also have the opportunity to receive honors and officers for their meritorious service.

The land rewards can also be fulfilled, which has become an important channel for countless children of landowners and farmers to cross class. This is no longer the time of the Wude Dynasty. If you are not a descendant of a landlord, you are basically not qualified to join the army.

The vegetable farmer is in his twenties. Although he is married and can barely make ends meet by growing vegetables on his land, he is still a little unwilling to live like this for the rest of his life. He often goes to Beijing to sell vegetables, which can be considered an eye-opener for him and the world. ,

"It doesn't matter if you can't be a soldier, you can recruit workers."

"The Wu family recruits workers every year, especially in the past few years, there are also special recruitments from the south."

Vegetable farmers also know that the Wu family recruits workers, because the Wu family recruits a lot of workers, and as long as they can get in, the treatment is relatively good. Whether it is a shop, a workshop, a manor, a mine, etc., they are among the best among their peers.

I have never heard of anyone maliciously delaying wages, or even deliberately deducting wages, or being harsh on employees. Not only are wages relatively high, but they are also paid on time, and usually include food, accommodation, clothing for two seasons, and even some benefits during the New Year. Those who work for more than one year will even receive a year-end bonus. For those with more than three years, there are often performance awards.

If you perform particularly well, you can also receive dividends from the top shares after three to five years. With an accounting period of four years, the dividends for this position are much more than the salary.

The Wu family's recruitment in the south means that the Wu family has recruited workers from various places in recent years, but the recruited workers are sent specifically to Lingnan.

Although Nanzhao requires people to leave their hometown, it is still very attractive to many people. After all, the Wu family's workmanship is good and the wages are usually good. Every time they recruit workers, there are usually a large number of applicants.

Nanzhao is special, but there are also subsidies for Nanzhao. It is even said that if you do well there, you will be rewarded with extra fields.

Of course, these are all legends,
Vegetable farmers have only heard about it.

Seeing the vegetable farmer's excited look, the hawker came closer and continued to him, "It seems that you have also heard about Wu Jia Nan's recruitment. I know more about it. Let me tell you, this year Wu Jia Nan is recruiting people." The recruitment conditions are much more generous. Not only will there be a settlement allowance, but after you work there for three years, you will have thirty acres of land. It is said that if you perform well, you will be given a daughter-in-law, and no gifts are required... ····”

"If there is such a good thing, what are you going to do?"

"We are recruiting all kinds of people. As long as you are willing to go, the first ones to be recruited will be those who are skilled in craftsmanship. Then those who can read and do math will also be given priority. Of course, you are not afraid if you are neither illiterate nor crafty. As long as you are young and strong, you can go there." It doesn’t matter whether it’s working or farming.”

The vegetable farmer was a little wary when he saw how active the vendor was. "Don't worry, to be honest, I am a small businessman. I have business dealings with the Wu family's trading company and know that they are recruiting workers, so if I help recruit people, I will get some tea money. This matter is good to you and me to the Wu family's trading company. ,right."

"If you are really interested, I will take you to the Deyusheng Store of the Wu family as soon as you enter the city. You can talk to the shopkeeper."

······
Wu Huaiyu rode out of the city.
Previously, the emperor originally ordered the transfer of a thousand forbidden troops previously transferred to Wu Huaiyu, but before he left the capital, the emperor transferred a team of people from the Beiya Yulin Longwu Army and the Eighth Battalion to him.

Four hundred Beiya imperial guards followed and escorted them.

Including the children of the Wu family, Bu Qu, and some children of relatives and friends and their Bu Qu, Wu Huaiyu's team going south this time still has a lot of people.

Liu Dewei, on the other hand, has only a dozen followers, and they are all relatives and friends of his family.

Wu Huaiyu was still a little curious about this. The Liu family did not own any property, but relied on a small salary. Then Old Liu took in more than 200 relatives and friends who came to Beijing to seek refuge. It was not easy to support so many people. This time he went to Lingnan, In fact, we can definitely bring the young and strong men among those people.
But he only brought a dozen people.

After asking, I found out that many of the more than 200 people in his family were old, weak, sick, and disabled. Many of them brought their families with them. They were worried about their wives, children, and children, and could not follow Liu Dewei to Lingnan.

Wu Huaiyu could only say that he could not interfere in other people's family affairs. In fact, in his opinion, although Liu Dewei was kind-hearted in helping relatives and friends, he had gone too far. Unless those who are really orphans and widowers have no choice but to do so, those men over fifteen or sixty years old, regardless of whether there are old people or children at home, they should go out and make a living and not suck blood from the Liu family.

in the team,
Compared to the fine armors of the Imperial Guards and the young and sharp warriors of the martial arts disciples, the people from the Liu family seemed a bit out of place.

Liu Dewei rides a very ordinary Hetao horse with a relatively ordinary saddle and bridle. A set of horse and saddle only costs 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. Liu Shenli rides a Turkic horse with simple decoration and is also relatively ordinary. mount.

Their dozen or so followers included teenagers of sixteen or seventeen, strong men in their twenties or thirties, and men in their forties or fifties. Their mounts were even more ordinary, with most of them riding mules, and some riding the kind of old horses that could be seen at a glance to be retired military horses.

The equipment is basically a bow, a horizontal sword, and a long spear.

After leaving Chunmingmen,
Wu Huaiyu looked back at Chang'an City.
On a summer morning, Chunming Gate immediately became noisy and busy again after their large group of people left the city, with countless people coming in and out.

"Let's go."

Along the Lanwu Road Post Road, they were very fast,

Chen Runniang and Zheng Liwan did not accompany them, so Wu Huaiyu arranged for someone to escort them to Guangzhou and prepared a carriage for them, so they did not have to rush to avoid the bumps and tire pressure.

"Mr. Wu, actually you don't need to hurry. I'll just take the dog and ride the horse to Guangzhou first."

In Lantian, they rested halfway, boiled a pot of water and made a pot of tea. Because they were in a hurry, they brewed Fucha bricks produced in Jingyang, added salt and butter, put a large amount of fried rice in the bowl, and then cooked it hot Once the tea is brewed and stirred, it is an excellent way to replenish physical strength.

"It doesn't matter, I'm much younger than Liu Gongke, so this journey is nothing."

There is a convenient water and land passage from Chang'an to Lingnan. The route Wu Huaiyu and his friends took was still very smooth. They took the blue martial arts road out of the customs.

When we arrived at Shangluo, we took the Danshui route and took a boat straight to Xiangyang. Then transfer to a large boat and go down the Han River to Jiangxia, Ezhou. From here, transfer to a river boat and enter the Yangtze River until you reach the mouth of the Xunyang River in Jiujiang.

Change the ship and sail into Ganjiang River.

After passing Wuguan, it is basically a waterway all the way to Dayu County in Qianzhou. We land here and cross Dayu Mountains via Meiguan Road.
After entering Shaozhou, we took a boat down the Beijiang River and reached Guangzhou City.

This journey has been smooth sailing. Although the weather has become hotter in June, fortunately, most of it is waterway. I try to avoid the hottest midday sailing time, so I don't suffer much.

Even their mounts basically came all the way by boat, which was a rare relief.

When passing through Shaozhou,
The governor Doulu Huai asked his consort to greet them and invited them to stay in the city for one night.
After the reception dinner,

In the back garden of the Governor's Mansion, Wu Huaiyu and Doulu Huairang cut a large watermelon that had been frozen in well water under the starry sky.

This watermelon looks like a winter melon, with a dark green outer skin and very thick skin. The sac inside does not look very red, and the watermelon seeds are very large and have many seeds.

But it is gizzard and tastes very sweet.

"How about this cold melon? The new product we have cultivated in Shaozhou in recent years uses Gaochang cold melon seeds. After several years of cultivation and improvement, our new product is much larger and the sweetness has not changed at all."

The cold melon varieties from Gaochang are very sweet, but they are small in size and have extremely thick skin. Half of a melon is skin.

“That’s right, our Shaozhou not only has the Danquan Spring of Laishui River to smelt copper, but also has the water of Lingxi River to brew fine wine. Now we have added this delicious cold melon.”

Doulu Huairang spit out the seeds while eating, "Everything else about this cold melon is good, but there are too many seeds."

Wu Huaiyu was a little nostalgic for the watermelons of later generations. They were thin-skinned, seedless, and extremely sweet.

"Now that Dang Renhong has been defeated, your father and I wanted to push you to take over as the governor of Guangzhou, but His Majesty rejected it outright."

"I, Aye, have already sent someone to tell me. Anyway, I have to thank you, Erlang. You recommended me as the governor of Shaozhou back then. I failed to become the governor of Guangzhou this time because of my own incompetence."

Liu Dewei was the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment and the inspector of Yongzhou Biejia, and he was also the emperor's cousin-in-law. He even secretly took charge of six sects. He came to replace Dang Renhong. What could Lu Huairang, the emperor's brother-in-law, say? In the end, it was still him. Lack of military experience and merit.

"Liu Dewei is not here for us, is he?" Doulu Huairang said while eating watermelon.

"It's not enough." Huaiyu smiled and put the finished watermelon rind on the plate next to him. Take the thick watermelon rind back and wash it, peel off the skin, peel the inside, and then cut it into strips and pickle it. It's a sour and appetizing side dish.

Doulu Huairang sighed, "I dislike people like Liu Dewei the most. They are more troublesome than guys like Dang Renhong who stretch their hands everywhere."

"It's not that exaggerated. Anyway, we behave according to the rules and we are not afraid of him causing trouble." Wu Huaiyu said.

On the Lingnan side, Wu Huaiyu has been in business for several years. In short, his control is now stronger than that of Feng Ningchen and other Lingnan wealthy families. Moreover, Wu Huaiyu and Feng Chenning's family have already been married.

"That's true. If Liu Dewei really feels uncomfortable, then we don't have to give him dignity. We can kick away the unruly guy like Dang Renhong, and we can also kick away Liu Dewei." Doulu Huairang said bluntly.

Wu Huaiyu shook his head, "Liu Dewei is in deep trouble. Don't make him an enemy easily. We can try to cooperate first. In the worst case, we can keep our distance. There is no need to become enemies."

"Then I will listen to you, Erlang."

Wu Huaiyu’s most shameful secret in Lingnan is that there is only one Luzon Island, Luzon’s gold, and the secret of the Spice Islands that no one knows yet.

But these are now tightly sealed, and the emperor only knows that the Wu family is doing business with the Luzon barbarians, but he does not know that Luzon is rich in gold.

Maybe Liu Dewei came with some mission to spy on Luzon, but it's not that easy to spy on Luzon.

On the other hand, Wu Huaiyu observed this young man Liu Shenli and found that it was extremely unusual. He was more likely to be the emperor's confidant.

(End of this chapter)