Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 415 Changshan County

Changshan County, Zhending County, suburbs.

The Taihang Mountains tower in front of you. The Hutuo River flows through the Taihang Mountains, nourishing the land in the ravines. There are scattered cottages under the mountains.

Yuan Luqian, the chief historian of Changshan, came on an old horse. With his eyes wandering around, he finally saw the figure of Yan Gaoqing, the judge of Yingtian, Hebei, among a group of people.

"Brother Yan." Yuan Luqian got off his horse and rushed forward.

There were several broken tables set up on the road beside the fields, and several officials were sitting there distributing money and food. Yan Gaoqing was dressed in cloth and holding a writing brush. From time to time, he made a few strokes on the book. He raised his head when he heard the words. Seeing an old friend, he showed a long-lost smile.

After finishing their work, the two of them walked to the edge of the field to talk, letting their disciples follow them from a distance.

"Why did Brother Yan come to this rural place?" Yuan Luqian asked, "I'm so tired that it's hard to find him."

"The imperial court hired people to work in the fields, and each person was given six hundred and thirty, seven hu of rice and two dou of dendrobium per year. However, these people have not received commission money for several years." Yan Gaoqing sighed: "I can only pay a little. them."

Yuan Luqian, the chief official of Changshan, had just taken office. He shook his head and said: "We employ common people to work in the fields, which will not be affected by droughts and floods. The imperial court has sent official documents several times saying that 'since the people started to work in the village, the fees have been several times higher and they cannot make ends meet.' How can there be any arrears of wages?" "Are you afraid that some unruly people are causing trouble?"

"It's a long story to tell. The imperial court cannot make ends meet and the people don't get commissions. Where did the income from the camps go?" Yan Gaoqing said: "There are embezzlements from above and below, and there are pockets of personal enrichment. In recent years, many camps have The land was converted into Yongye Field, and the commission money was still paid, but who owned the Yongye Field? "

With just a few words, Yuan Luqian felt the depth of the collusion of interests behind this. He couldn't help but sigh: "The people in Hebei have the heaviest burden and the deepest resentment towards the imperial court. No wonder the talk of 'rebellion' in the imperial court is so rampant."

"How can the people think about this?"

Yan Gaoqing looked at the figures in the distance who were busy making a living, and thought to herself, the common people in Dou Sheng can't even take care of the food, rice, oil and salt, so how can they care about the court? Rather than saying that the people of Hebei want to rebel, it is better to say that the people are just fish and meat between the two forces and have no will at all.

Who represents the wishes of the people of Hebei? The generals of the border towns, the Hu tribes within them, the merchants and traffickers in the mutual market, the local sects who were not accepted by Guanzhong, the underprivileged scholars with unappreciated talents, the children of the aristocratic families whose families were in decline, the rangers who went to the frontier fortress to find a way out...

These people joined forces and dared to risk their lives. They gathered under Anlu Mountain and became the biggest vested interests in Hebei. They imposed heavy taxes on the people of Hebei and at the same time harbored strong dissatisfaction with the imperial court. On behalf of the people of Hebei, they kept venting their resentment and gradually became an uproar.

"Yes, if it's just a misunderstanding by the court, that's fine. But if there is a rebellion, what good will it do to the people?"

"The barbarians inside do not know the rules and speak treasonous and unethical words. They do not really want to rebel."

This is what Hebei officials often say, and this sentence alleviates many acute problems.

"Have you heard?" Yuan Luqian lowered his tone, "There seems to be some trouble over there in Taiyuan Mansion."

Yan Gaoqing heard something about it and said, "I met a few refugees the day before yesterday. They said there was a war in Taiyuan, but I don't know what happened."

Yuan Luqian said: "The Prince of Dongping County has always wanted to hold the position of Hedong concurrently. I'm afraid that he won't be able to do it by trick and will instead take it by force."

Yan Gaoqing also looked worried, but there wasn't much he could do about this matter. It can't be that An Lushan didn't rebel. As a subordinate, he took measures first, which turned into a rebellion on his part.

They couldn't come up with anything, so the two returned to private matters.

"How long will Brother Yan stay in Changshan this time? I will treat you well."

"I should stay a little longer. Firstly, I am waiting for an appointment." Yan Gaoqing said: "Secondly, I also want to wait for someone in Changshan."

"Congratulations to Brother Yan for moving to the official position." Yuan Luqian showed a rare smile and said, "I wonder who you are waiting for? Maybe I can help find out?"

"No need to ask." Yan Gaoqing waved his hand, "We will naturally know when he arrives."

"Oh? Who is that?"

"Speaking of which, he is my son-in-law."

Yuan Luqian was surprised, guessed something for a moment, and asked tentatively: "Could it be the new prefect?"

~~
Zhending County, where Changshan County is located, is located on the banks of the Hutuo River.

Its west gate faces the dock and is very bustling and lively. When Yan Gaoqing and Yuan Luqian walked along the official road to the city gate, a ship had just arrived and was unloading its cargo. Several people on the boat came down together, talking about something at the same time. Their voices were not loud, but they were very clear.

"Meeting Uncle Pei in court is as bright as walking on the Jade Mountain. The Yellow River falls from the sky and flows through the East China Sea, and thousands of miles are written in my mind."

"Prefect Pei will be pleased to have received this poem from you."

"He is a person who loves poetry, but I harmed him..."

Yan Gaoqing realized that the person he was talking about might be the dead Pei Yushu, the previous governor of Changshan, so he couldn't help but stop and look over there, and finally noticed a few distinctive characters.

He immediately walked over there, and later saw a young man surrounded by a group of people.

"No blame?"

After calling twice, the young man who was arranging his luggage turned around.

"Uncle? How did you recognize me?"

Xue Bai did not deliberately disguise himself, but he was wearing commoner clothes and a hat to protect him from the sun. He wanted to wait until he entered the city to reveal his identity as a prefect and scare the officials in the city.

Yan Gaoqing smiled bitterly and said, "It's hard not to be noticed when you are traveling with Li Taibai."

"He must follow, there is no other way."

When Xue Bai arrived in Hebei, he originally wanted to have a good talk with Yan Gaoqing, but he didn't expect to meet him as soon as he arrived. There are thousands of words to say, but I don’t know what to say.

Not in a hurry to talk about the affairs of his family, country, and world, Yan Gaoqing patted him on the shoulder, looked at him carefully, showed a pleased smile, and said, "You have become a real man. Have you brought Sanniang with you this time?"

"Originally I took them with me. When we were traveling to Jinzhong, something unexpected happened, so I rushed to Taiyuan alone and sent someone to escort my family back."

Yan Gaoqing's attention was immediately drawn to the incident that happened in Taiyuan, and he said, "Let's talk about it after we enter the city."

His situation was opposite to that of Xue Bai. His family had arrived in Changshan County in advance because after Mrs. Cui heard that Xue Bai was appointed as the prefect of Changshan, she had to come to see the young couple Xue Bai and Yan Yan, and she was impatient with her husband. There were various camp and field errands along the way, so her son Yan Quanming took her to wait first.

Cars and horses are slow these days, so it is really time-consuming for relatives and friends to meet each other.

Yan Gaoqing did not let Xue Bai go to the government office first to take up his post, but led him to a post house in the city. As a judge in Yingtian, Hebei Province, he often comes to Zhending County and is very familiar with the streets.

Xue Bai arrived for the first time and observed the pool. When he arrived in front of the post house, he thought of meeting Cui and felt a little ashamed. When he left Chang'an, he thought he could run the business in Changshan for two or three years, and indeed he took Yan Yan with him to take up the post. But seeing the situation was so turbulent, he asked Lao Liang to send her back to Chang'an, which was a waste of time for Cui.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint my aunt, so my uncle can help me explain..."

When he entered the post house, Xue Bai was still talking, but he was stunned for a moment.

He saw a man standing in the front yard, greeting him respectfully, with an expression of guilt on his face. It was Lao Liang.

"Lang Jun."

"Why are you here?"

"Mistress and the others have been waiting for the husband in Changshan for three days." Lao Liang scratched his head, "Why is the husband so late?"

"You blame me?"

Xue Bai asked back, his expression turned cold.

This was the first time that he was angry with Lao Liang, and it was also the first time that Lao Liang disobeyed his order.

Of course, he could have guessed the situation even without telling him. It was simply that Yan Yan and others learned that he was going to Changshan to take up a post and forced Lao Liang to bring them here.

"Mr. Lang, the mistress and the others said that they will not return to Chang'an until they meet Lang Jun. I am afraid something will happen on the road..."

As Lao Liang said this, he felt that Xue Bai's anger was not diminishing, and he was frightened and didn't know what to do.

At this moment, someone behind him suddenly spoke.

"Why doesn't this kid come in? What are you doing in the court?"

Lao Liang quickly glanced back and saw Mrs. Cui coming out with a group of ladies, and couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.

Xue Bai's eyes have fallen on the people behind Cui. Yan Yan and Qing Lan are here as his wives and concubines, and Li Tengkong is Yan Yan's doctor. They happen to be traveling around and traveling together. As for Li Jilan, Regardless of whether the reason is good or not, I came here with my friends.

If Yan Yan or any of them came forward to act coquettishly, Xue Bai would still blame her for not knowing the importance. But Cui was an elder after all, so Xue Bai still put on a polite expression and called: "Auntie."

"You call me so lively, Sanniang is also my daughter, so I call her husband."

"Yes, mother-in-law."

Mrs. Cui was overjoyed and beckoned Xue Bai into the hall to talk. She also praised Lao Liang, the leader of the guard, for being loyal and hard-working. In short, it was a happy reunion after a long absence.

After entering the hall, Xue Bai looked at the expressions of several family members. Yan Yan looked guilty and peeked at him from time to time, hiding behind Ms. Cui. Qing Lan only cared about her joy and wished she could take care of the housework for Xue Bai now. After bathing and changing clothes, Li Tengkong still pretended to be aloof, especially in front of others, and even pretended to be unfamiliar with Xue Bai, but the red ears had betrayed her; Li Jilan didn't know why she was blushing, and it was easy for others to misunderstand her.

Seeing them, his anger couldn't help but dissipate.

They agreed to take office together, but he only accompanied them on the journey to Jinzhong and then left alone. They were inevitably worried. It doesn't hurt to come and meet them, just send them back as soon as possible.

"Sanniang is still worried. Why did you arrive later than her?" Ms. Cui asked as soon as she sat down.

Xue Bai actually went to Tumenguan, but there was no need to tell her clearly about this kind of official business, so he said: "It took some time on the road."

"You come to Changshan to take up an official position. No matter how quickly you are promoted, you will still have a two-year term, right?" Ms. Cui said with a smile, "I can take care of Sanniang more in the future."

"Yes." Xue Bai said, "I hope I can stay in Changshan for two more years."

"Okay, okay." Ms. Cui said, "If you can add a little one, I can help you raise it..."

After hearing this, Yan Yan found it funny and pursed her lips secretly. She didn't know whether she was laughing at Cui's leisurely attitude or at Xue Bai.

Yan Gaoqing heard Xue Bai's worries about the current situation. He only sat in the hall for a while, and then he couldn't wait to ask the family members to retreat and let them talk about business.

~~
There was still some fragrance of powder in the hall, but there was already a sigh.

"He really took action against Yanmen Pass?"

"It's absolutely true, it's not that I wronged An Lushan."

Xue Bai told the story of the causes and consequences of the battle at Shiling Pass.

Yan Gaoqing finally no longer had any illusions. He could no longer mention the rhetoric that "the people's customs are strong and may not mean rebellion." There was a look of sadness in his eyes and he said: "How dare you do this in such a situation?" Come to Changshan? Even bring Sanniang."

Xue Bai said: "Of course I will send her back to Chang'an as soon as possible. Not only me, but also my father-in-law's family members should be sent to a safe place."

When Yan Gaoqing heard what he said, he asked rhetorically: "Are you so sure that I didn't rebel with An Lushan? The several times I was promoted were all recommended by him." "If my father-in-law wants to rebel, escort me away." If you give it to An Lushan as a gift, you can become a prime minister in the puppet government in the future."

Yan Gaoqing shook his head and said, "It sounds like you don't plan to leave Changshan."

Xue Bai said: "I want to see if I can contain An Lushan's rebellion."

He took the map from his sleeve and unfolded it.

"If An Lushan rebels, the only choice is to take Chang'an quickly, either by Hedong or Hebei. Now Li Xian comforts Hedong and recommends Gao Xianzhi and Li Guangbi as governors, blocking this road. However, if we go to Hebei, Changshan is not a choke road. , but it is also an important thoroughfare and I have to guard it.”

Yan Gaoqing pointed to the plain east of Changshan County on the map and said nothing.

"I know." Xue Bai said: "If the cavalry wants to go south, it is very simple to bypass Changshan County. But as long as I am here, Hedong soldiers and horses can leave the Taihang Mountains at any time and point directly at the rebel Youzhou base camp. I am here, Anlu Mountain If he wants to go south, he must get rid of me first."

Yan Gaoqing said: "I mean, you still need someone to be your horns and jointly hold An Lushan hostage."

"Who?"

Although Xue Bai's bank has spread to Hebei, he is still completely unfamiliar with the entire officialdom of Hebei, so naturally he has to ask Yan Gaoqing.

But Yan Gaoqing pointed to her nose, smiled and said, "I also want to get an official position, what do you think?"

Xue Bai did not agree immediately, but looked at Yan Gaoqing blankly for a while, as if he was stunned by the old man's "begging for an official position", but in fact he was not.

Of course he understood that Yan Gaoqing did not say this for his personal future, but his original idea was to send Yan Gaoqing out of Hebei.

In the original history, Yan Gaoqing resisted the Anlu Mountain rebels, and after the city was captured and the city was broken, the whole family was cut into pieces and slaughtered. Xue Bai had heard about it. Now that he had replaced Yan Gaoqing as the governor of Changshan, he thought that maybe Can save the Yan family from such disaster.

The wise and brave loyal ministers and righteous men who spared their lives might be able to do more valuable things for the continuation of the prosperous age of the Tang Dynasty.

But on the other hand, Xue Bai went to Hebei alone and really needed Yan Gaoqing's help.

"Can you trust me?" Seeing that he didn't answer, Yan Gaoqing asked again.

Xue Bai came to his senses and said, "I am writing a letter back to Chang'an, asking Gao Lishi to find a position as a county guard for my father-in-law."

"Okay." Yan Gaoqing obliged.

"I still want to know about the situation in Changshan County with my father-in-law. Just before entering the city, I saw my father-in-law walking with an official?"

"Changshan has a long history, Yuan Luqian. I have been an old friend with him for many years. We expanded our fields together in the early years. He is a loyal and good man, you can trust him." Yan Gaoqing is very sure of Yuan Luqian's character.

After that, he talked about many officials in Changshan County.

"Zhang Tongyou, the magistrate of Zhending County, is also a Jinshi appointed by the imperial court. He is worthy of his integrity. But he has some selfish motives in doing things. Your seat of government is in Zhending, so you need to pay more attention..."

While talking, Xue Bai polished the ink, spread out the paper, and picked up the pen to write a letter to Gao Lishi.

Yan Gaoqing sat aside and watched. He was not happy about being promoted. Instead, he became more and more sad. Finally, he asked: "Since you have such a friendship with General Gao, why don't you advise the saint to be careful."

"If General Gao could persuade the saint, he would not cooperate with me in private."

Xue Bai did not hide the sarcasm in his tone, and deliberately expressed his dissatisfaction with Li Longji's mediocrity in front of Yan Gaoqing, saying: "The saint would rather believe that Wang Zhongsi rebelled than that An Lushan rebelled."

When Yan Gaoqing heard that this was the case, he lowered his head and thought about it, and then said: "The reason why the saint doesn't believe it may be because An Lushan really doesn't want to rebel."

"what?"

"According to what I noticed, it was more like he was pushed to that position step by step. He may not have wanted to rebel in his heart." Yan Gaoqing recalled An Lushan's often lazy appearance and said: "From this point of view, the saint may That's right."

This is not good news. It can be seen that the cause of the Anshi Rebellion was not just An Lushan's personal ambition, but a deeper conflict.

~~
At night, Xue Bai returned to the house where he lived in the post house. It was an independent guest house with three rooms. Li Tengkong and Li Jilan were in the east wing. Several maids had their own rooms, and the west wing was empty. With.

He pushed open the door of the main room and saw Qing Lan lying on the table waiting for him. Hearing the sound, he got up quickly and started getting him water to wash up.

"Silly Qinglan, why are you so busy?"

"I have to take good care of Mr. Lang." Qing Lan was like a hard-working little bee, and wanted to run to get a cup of warm water for Xue Bai. "The water is cold, Mr. Lang, don't drink it yet."

Xue Bai felt it was funny, took her hand, asked her to sit down beside him, and said, "I haven't said yet, whose idea it was to come to Changshan."

"Lang Jun's idea." Qinglan tilted her head.

Her face was still flushed from panic. It was obvious that they had conspired to confess in advance.

"Mr. Lang agreed to take us to Changshan, and he just ran to Taiyuan halfway. Lao Liang came back and said he would take us back to Chang'an, but he didn't have a token. Who knows if he was lying and abducting us, of course. It’s according to the original plan…”

When Qing Lan said it, she felt ashamed and couldn't go on. She begged in a low voice: "Mr. Lang, please spare me?"

Her coquettish tone stirred Xue Bai's heart. Where he looked, her face was flushed, and even the broken hair on her temples looked alluring.

"Sanniang is asleep?" Xue Bai asked.

"Well, my wife has been waiting for you and just fell asleep."

"The west wing over there is empty."

"Hmm? Hmm." Qinglan moaned as thinly as a mosquito.

Xue Bai then pulled him up, but when he heard a noise on the other side of the screen, Yan Yan rubbed her eyes and walked out.

"Why are you talking to me so late?"

"Some business."

Yan Yan yawned and said, "Speaking of official business, my eldest lady and I have inquired about many local people in Hedong. Maybe this is what your husband wants to hear."

"is it?"

Xue Bai was in high spirits at this time and didn't quite believe that women could talk about anything useful. He looked at Qing Lan and decided to put this little lady to sleep who was too weak to bear the torment.

The three of them lay back on the couch and chatted casually.

"A while ago, there was a noble lady named Linghu in Youzhou. She passed by Zhending City and asked a doctor for help. She said she wanted to treat her husband's burns. Does Mr. Lang know who her husband is?"

Xue Bai was immediately pulled away by Yan Yan and asked, "You also know the grudge between Gao Shang and me."

"Humph, this is my territory. I grew up with the eldest lady."

Yan Yan sat up from the couch proudly, looking very energetic. After all, she had just caught up on her sleep and looked like she could chat with Xue Bai for a long time.

Then, she learned from the Linghu family that there was a counselor named Dugu Wensu in Fanyang Jiedu Mansion, and his wife Li and Cui were also close friends.

These topics were really interesting to Xue Bai. He listened attentively and nodded from time to time to write them down.

Qing Lan was not interested in this. At first, she tried to cheer up, hoping to stay up until Yan Yan fell asleep. But she actually waited all night, yawned a few times, and finally fell asleep holding Yan Yan's waist.

"When dominoes first spread to Youzhou, it was my eldest lady who played it with Mrs. Li. Later, it gradually became popular among the civil and military officials of Fanyang Mansion. Oh, Mrs. Li followed her brother to Hebei. She originally She is a widow who only married Dugu Wensu when she was twenty-six years old, because her brother Li Shiyu and Dugu Wensu are good friends, and Li Shiyu is also related to you. "

Yan Yan said and stopped.

Xue Bai waited for a while, but saw nothing more, and asked, "What does it have to do with me?"

"I'm thirsty, please bring me some water."

"it is good."

Xue Bai handed his water glass to Yan Yan's hand, but she shook her head and said, "I want warm water."

"Ok."

Xue Bai had no choice but to put on his clothes again and go to bed. In the past, the women around him would greet him with greetings, but getting along with Yan Yan was a different feeling. The strange thing is that he doesn't reject it.

When I arrived at the Tongfang, I found that Yong'er had fallen asleep with her arms stretched out, and she really looked like the character "Yong".

"I used to think that Yong'er was named because the Yan family is a calligraphy family."

"Hey, I did it, is it awesome? It's a pun." Yan Yan took the water glass, took a sip, and looked at Xue Bai, waiting for him to praise her.

"Awesome, tell me, what does Li Dead Fish have to do with me?"

"It's Li Shiyu, you must be too lazy with your tongue." Yan Yan said, "He originally had a great official career, but because of the Tianbao Five Years Case, he was demoted to Hebei. He was almost killed on the way. An Lushan Saved him."

Xue Bai asked: "What then?"

"I'm sleepy."

"Let's talk tomorrow?"

"Husband, do you want to hear it?" Yan Yan smiled, patted the pillow, and asked Xue Bai to put his arm over, "Don't say anything anymore."

After the New Year, she seemed a little different from before.

Xue Bai looked at her, looking at her smiling face, and vaguely realized that she seemed to have grown up.

Her head rested on his arm, her thin back pressed against his chest, she yawned lazily and said, "My husband, please blow out the candles."

"it is good."

The room became dark, leaving only the faint moonlight shining through the window paper.

Yan Yan was about to fall asleep when she suddenly remembered something and muttered something softly.

"By the way, the eldest lady asked if we haven't had sex yet... You can explain it to her yourself."

Xue Bai was stunned for a moment, then reacted, but seemed not to know how to react.

In this dangerous situation, Yan Yan's tenderness made his heart heavy...

(End of this chapter)