Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 591: Expensive Rice in Chang'an
"Two thousand coins for a bushel of rice! Two thousand coins for a bushel of rice!"

All businesses in Chang'an West Market were in a slump, except for the rice shop, where the shop assistants shouted out the latest rice prices, which were shocking.

In the early years of Tianbao, the price of rice in Chang'an was only 20 wen per dou, but now it has increased a hundred times!
How much is a bushel of rice?

If the scale is not false, it is about five kilograms.

Even so, there was still a long queue of people buying rice. Two thousand coins a dou, don't think it's too expensive, when you die of hunger, no amount of money can be put into the coffin!
Li Bai looked at the people queuing up to buy rice, and remembered that when he visited his friend's house in Chang'an these days, the other party could not even provide him with food.

This made Li Bai leave in shame, and he didn't dare to stay at all.

Although the price of rice in Chang'an has skyrocketed, it is still a good thing.

After all, the powerful and wealthy were worried that the people would starve to death, so they finally opened their granaries and released grain!

After all, at the critical moment of the great famine in Guanzhong, ordinary people could buy these grains with money. How merciful the powerful masters were.

There must be a reason why it is expensive. Before this, even if you have money, you can't buy it, which is really sad.

"It's time to go back to Bianzhou."

Facing the people queuing up to buy rice, Li Bai sighed and even lost the mood to write poetry.

He went to see Yan Zhenqing today, and the latter had promised him that the troops from Guanzhong would attack Luoyang from Tongguan, and wrote a letter to Yongwang Li Lin.

The city is still the same city, the people are still the same people, but Li Bai can no longer find the feeling that "Chang'an is the Tang Dynasty".

Chang'an is in such a mess now that he really can't stay there for a moment.

Li Bai decided to set off today.

As soon as he walked out of Chunming Gate, Li Bai happened to meet Yan Gaoqing, Yan Zhenqing's cousin. The other party was returning to Chang'an from other places, but it was unknown where he had gone.

Both of them were in a hurry to travel, so they exchanged a few simple greetings, bowed and said goodbye to each other before going their separate ways.

Li Bai stayed in Chang'an for a long time, which was far longer than the time required to deliver the letter.

After arriving in Chang'an, he basically stayed at the homes of the rich and powerful and was highly praised. He ate, drank, and had sex with the rich and powerful's prostitutes, and he hardly spent a penny from beginning to end.

Those people tried their best to find out about the various situations of Prince Yong and Bianzhou. During the banquet, Li Bai improvised many poems without hesitation.

Li Bai did have a great time during this period. Apart from the fact that what he saw and heard when he was a guest at a friend's house made him feel nervous, he felt good overall.

Because even in the past, he had never held his head high in front of the powerful and wealthy like he does now.

It's a pity that Princess Yuzhen is not in Chang'an. She was his benefactor back then! This time, Li Bai really wanted to thank Princess Yuzhen in person. He would never forget her kindness in helping him.

However, Li Bai also knew that he had too much fun this time, which was also a problem.

Although it did not interfere with my business, it was still considered "publicly funded travel" and I wasted a lot of time.

Li Bai didn't dare to report these things to Prince Yong truthfully, so he planned to make up some excuses, such as saying that he stayed in Chang'an to observe the people's livelihood and suffering, and then go back to fool them.

Prince Yong usually doesn't care about it.

Li Bai left in a very carefree manner. Whether there was an earthquake or a flood in Chang'an, it had nothing to do with him.

But Yan Zhenqing and Yan Gaoqing were unable to leave Chang'an, or rather, they had no way to escape from the huge cage of Chang'an.

As soon as Yan Gaoqing returned to Chang'an, he went straight to the Council Hall, as he knew Yan Zhenqing must be there.

As expected, when Yan Gaoqing entered the Council Hall, Yan Zhenqing was discussing military rations with Diwu Qi. The military rations needed for the attack on Luoyang were not a small amount.

But the people of Chang'an also need food!
The government's "affordable grain" can only be purchased by people with connections, and the quantity is limited to one dou per person.

Now these few grains and fodders have to be used exclusively for military needs, and the amount that can be transported to Chang'an City is even smaller.

Why was there a food shortage in Chang'an?
This question should be asked in reverse: Why didn't Chang'an lack food before?
Ultimately, this is because in the past, there was too little land in Guanzhong and too many people in Chang'an City.

The grain self-sufficiency rate of the entire Guanzhong area was less than 30%, and the excess had to be transported from Hebei and the Huai River and the south of the Yangtze River. Otherwise, the emperor would be short of food and had to go to Luoyang for food.

Hebei is now in rebellion, and the way to import grain has been cut by one third. The canal has also been blocked by Li Baochen, which is considered to be blocked by one third. This year, there was another war in Guanzhong, and not only was the grain harvest poor, but the grain in the treasury was also consumed.

With so many unexpected things happening, how could Chang'an not be short of food?

Although Yan Zhenqing and others tried their best, the effect was still a drop in the bucket.

Human power is limited, and no matter how great their abilities are, they cannot produce food.

"Is it done?"

Yan Zhenqing saw Yan Gaoqing standing aside for a long time, watching him and Diwu Qi quarreling with an embarrassed look, so he asked with concern.

Being trapped in Chang'an and trying to collect food everywhere is like trying to stop a boiling pot with water, or even drinking poison to quench thirst.

Only by taking out Guanzhong and opening up the water transport channel can we solve the problem once and for all.

Yan Zhenqing naturally understood this truth. Diwu Qi on the side stopped talking and just looked at Yan Gaoqing.

"Prime Minister Yan, Fifth Minister, Fang Qing has promised to send troops, and they will leave earlier than us, so there is no need to worry about being deceived. We can wait until they send troops before taking action."

Yan Gaoqing saluted Yan Zhenqing and Diwu Qi with his arms crossed, with a gratified smile on his face.

After all, this trip was not in vain, and it almost got the best result. Fang Zhongyong promised to send troops first, which meant that Guanzhong would not be cheated.

Everyone can rest assured.

“Fang Qing has an excellent reputation and can be trusted.

If Prince Yong said so, then the truth is really..."

Yan Zhenqing kept shaking his head and sighing.

He had worked with Fang Chongyong before and knew his background and working style. If Fang Chongyong said he would send troops, then he would definitely do it, and there would be no surprises.

This person's calculations are all in places that outsiders cannot see.

"Why not ask the wealthy families in Chang'an for food? Otherwise, it will be troublesome if the army does not have enough food."

Yan Zhenqing looked at Diwu Qi and suggested.

This is also a difficult task. The imperial court is looking for wealthy households to borrow grain, but who can they borrow from?

Royal relatives or wealthy families?
Who should I look for or not? Who should I send to ask for it?

This is obviously a thankless task.

“The scale of this deployment is a bit large.

Gao Xianzhi's troops attacked Shanzhou as the vanguard, and the Konghe Army followed closely behind to provide support.

Li Guangbi's troops took the Chenguan Road and attacked the Beizhong City, one of the three cities in Heyang, as a feint attack.

Therefore, we must not lose any food or fodder in this battle."

Diwu Qi was worried that Yan Gaoqing didn't understand the situation, so he briefly introduced the troop route.

Simply put, the main force was sent along one side and the detachment along the other side, forcing Li Baochen to split his forces. Wherever there was an opportunity, there would be a breakthrough.

If everything went well, Li Baochen would have to divide his troops to defend the three cities of Heyang, defend Xingyang, and defend Shanzhou in the far west.

Even if you had three heads and six arms, you still wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Therefore, Yan Zhenqing and others felt that they had a great chance of winning this time, and Fang Zhongyong was willing to give his full support. This was a great opportunity to open up the canal transportation. If they lost it, Yan Zhenqing and others didn't dare to think about what would happen next.

Anyway, unless we are short of food and supplies this time, no one can guess how we will lose.

"Your subordinate will go and ask for it, one family at a time. If you run yourself to pieces, you will eventually get some."

Yan Gaoqing sighed helplessly.

Who made him the Minister of War? When the troops go to war, they are short of food and fodder, so they must raise food and fodder. It is indeed his turn to take action.

"Let's draw up a list first."

Yan Zhenqing slapped his forehead and finally remembered this matter.

How can we go door to door to ask for food and fodder if we can’t even determine the list?

He estimated that this matter would be difficult to accomplish, because it was a matter of "asking" rather than "borrowing". There would definitely be a lot of people willing to contribute, but there would definitely not be many people willing to contribute greatly.

This kind of food used for sending troops is basically borrowed but not returned. Even if you declare it as a loan, people will treat it as a "demand".

Anyway, it’s better not to have too high expectations.

Soon after, the three of them drew up a long list, which included almost all the famous families in Guanzhong and royal relatives.

"Without further ado, let's go now."

Yan Zhenqing handed the list to Yan Gaoqing and urged him in a low voice.

...On the trestle bridge at the Bianzhou ferry, Li Yi, wearing a veil, was saying goodbye to her uncle Wei Lan. One was a slender young woman, and the other was a bald monk. It was really confusing to see this combination talking together.

Apart from the consecration for fallen women, similar situations seem to be rare.

"Take care of yourself, I will persuade your uncle when I return.

If you want to do something, you can decide for yourself, you are grown up."

Wei Lan sighed and said, feeling a little reluctant. He saw that Bianzhou was already preparing for war, and he could guess what would happen next.

It won't be a good thing after all!
Li Yi did not respond. The face behind the veil was not clear, and no one knew what expression it had.

"Uncle, if... that's all, you should leave Luoyang as soon as possible."

Li Yi originally wanted to say that the troops from Bianzhou would soon march towards Luoyang.

All the clues and the daily whispers of the guards who protected her courtyard showed that dark clouds were looming over the city.

The war machine has begun to roar, it cannot run idle. Once the sword is unsheathed, blood will be drawn.

The enemy's, or your own.

It was obvious that the troops from Bianzhou were heading for Luoyang.

But after thinking about it, Li Yi decided not to tell anyone his guess.

If Weilan told Li Baochen about it, it might cause some unnecessary trouble.

Although this possibility is slim.

"That's not your concern, just take care of yourself."

Weiland waved his hand and jumped onto the passenger boat, which soon left the ferry and headed north towards the canal.

The boat would go upstream along the Yellow River to the Nancheng Ferry in the three cities of Heyang, where you could disembark and then quickly reach Luoyang by horse or carriage.

Li Yi returned to her residence in Kaifeng city listlessly. After entering the house, she threw her veil on the bed and knelt in front of the table.

Spreading out a large piece of paper and grinding the ink, Li Yi picked up the pen and wrote a few words on the paper. She was not satisfied with it, so she crumpled the paper and continued writing. She was still not satisfied, and she became more and more annoyed.

Li Yi thought she should write a letter to Fang Zhongyong to explain, and then tell him that she was indeed impulsive that day. But it was really just a simple desire to throw herself into his arms, and to have something romantic that broke the boundaries between the two of them.

There is absolutely no intention to use Fang Zhongyong. As long as Li Yi does not cooperate, Wei Lan's plan will be a show for the blind.

She just had some little thoughts of her own at that time. It was a bit embarrassing, but she had no intention of harming anyone.

It’s just that the woman next to Fang Zhongyong kept yelling and described Li Yi as a bad woman with ulterior motives.

So Li Yi was completely unable to explain himself and had no way to defend himself.

The girl couldn't express her feelings in words; they were a complex mix of gratitude, admiration for the strong, seeking shelter and hoping to trade her body, as well as being exhausted and wanting to give up on herself.

There may also be appreciation and trust for the opposite sex, the spiritual pleasure of being regarded as a confidant, etc. It may also not rule out the impulse of youth and the deep desire to be held and cared for by a man.

It was a very complex emotion that exploded in an instant and could not be stopped at all.

Yes, that night was just as she had said to herself and hypnotized herself. Li Yi felt that if she and Fang Zhongyong had a secret intimate relationship, no one else would know about it, so she could pretend that nothing had happened!

If she wasn't pregnant, that meant she hadn't done anything, right? That's what she thought at the time.

Li Yi had no doubt that if that woman had not appeared, that night, she would... do everything that should and should not be done.

Looking back now, Li Yi no longer knew how to face Fang Chongyong. He just felt that he was simply too crazy at the time.

Li Yi now only wanted to tell Fang Zhongyong what was in her heart: she really didn't do it for any political benefit that day, she was just a young girl who couldn't help herself. She didn't care about anything else, she just worried that Fang Zhongyong would misunderstand this.

In the end, she was just being horny at that time, she just wanted to sleep with Fang Zhongyong, it was really simple and pure. She didn't have such complicated thoughts, and she wasn't that kind of person.

But this kind of thing will only make things worse the more I explain it, and no one will believe it. So how should I explain it?
Li Yi weighed the pros and cons again and again but still had no idea how to write the letter. He felt as uncomfortable as if he were being scratched by a cat.

I wrote for the whole afternoon and produced a pile of waste paper, but I didn't even have a complete letter.

Finally, she was tired of writing, so she gave up and went to bed with her clothes on. She lay on the bed like a dead fish and fell asleep in a daze.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

Boom boom boom!
The room was dark, and someone seemed to be knocking on the window outside. The sound was very regular, knocking three times, stopping, and then knocking three more times.

Li Yi was so frightened that his hair stood on end. He sat up from the bed, walked over and lit the oil lamp on the table.

She held the Tang knife under the pillow tightly in one hand and slowly approached the window.

The man was still knocking.

"who is it?"

Li Yi asked cautiously, not intending to open the window.

"it's me."

A familiar voice came from outside the window.

what?
Li Yi was surprised and delighted for a moment. She quickly opened the window and saw Fang Chongyong standing in front of it.

A question popped up in Li Yi's mind: This courtyard is completely controlled by Fang Chongyong's men. It would be fine for him to visit late at night, but why did he knock on the window?
While he was stunned, Fang Chongyong had already climbed into the house through the window, leaving Li Yi stunned.

Only then did she remember to close the window, and then followed the other person like a guilty thief.

"I think this way, it will have a more sneaky feel."

Fang Zhongyong didn't hesitate and sat directly on the cushion in front of the table.

When Li Yi thought of what happened that night, he was suddenly speechless. A red cloud appeared on his face and he lowered his head, not knowing what he was thinking.

She sat next to Fang Zhongyong like a child who had made a mistake, without saying a word.

"Da Zhenhui did misunderstand you that day. I believe you are not that kind of person."

Fang Zhongyong said softly, with a very sincere attitude.

Hearing this, the haze in Li Yi's heart was immediately swept away. She looked up at Fang Zhongyong with some excitement and blurted out, "Really?"

"Of course I'm serious. I won't lie to you."

Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly.

"Marshal Jie, did you come here late at night just to talk about this?"

Li Yi asked, crossing her legs, expecting an answer.

"Right, that is it."

Fang Zhongyong continued to nod, his face calm.

"Oh, that's all."

Li Yi seemed a little lost.

"Nothing else, I'll leave then?"

Fang Zhongyong made a gesture to stand up.

"No, I have something... Uh, nothing, forget it."

Li Yi wanted to stand up and grab Fang Zhongyong, but he didn't know what excuse to find. He was unwilling but couldn't think of what to do, so his outstretched hand just hung in the air.

Almost like a fool.

Fang Chongyong did not leave, but looked at Li Yi with burning eyes, as if waiting for her to speak.

"Can you stay...and keep me company?"

Li Yi requested in a low voice, the sound not much louder than a mosquito.

"Some things, once you take the first step, there is no turning back."

Fang Zhongyong sighed and said, "Now that it has come to this, let's just show our cards."

Li Yi raised his head and looked at him for a moment, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

Then he retreated to the bedside without saying a word, and gently, slowly, yet firmly took off all his clothes.

In the dim firelight, her body was smooth and graceful, like a noble work of art.

Li Yi showed a charming smile on her face. She gently patted the bed sheet beside her and motioned Fang Zhongyong to come and sit down.

(End of this chapter)