The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 192 Li Congjia and Xu Xuan’s Adventures in Jingzhou
Jingzhou, Yangjinchuan Salt Factory.

On the Baiyan Avenue, which leads directly from the salt factory to Anding County, a group of travelers came in cars and on horseback.

They asked about the specific location of the salt factory along the way, mixed in the crowd, and rushed towards the salt factory.

Today is the salt factory's rest day every seven days. A large number of salt factory workers who take shifts leave the factory to go home, or go to the county town to buy daily necessities.

On the wide Baiyan Avenue, there is even a grand scene of more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages running side by side. There are many shopkeepers and pedestrians, and the sound of cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys is heard one after another. There are also various craftsmen, shouting and selling their own clay figures, grass insects, bamboo baskets, brooms and other miscellaneous objects.

Today's Baiyan Avenue has long become the busiest commercial street and thoroughfare outside Anding County.

On a carriage, a strange-looking young man stuck his head out and looked around curiously.

He has double pupils, a broad forehead, a pair of rabbit teeth faintly exposed from his lips, coupled with a white and ignorant expression, he looks like a frail young lady.

This group of people was none other than Li Congjia and Xu Xuan, who traveled across mountains and rivers to come to Jingzhou from Jiangning.

They set off from Jiangning more than a year ago, and the passenger boat went up the river, directly to Jiangzhou, and crossed Mianyang on the Han River to enter Houshu.

The originally planned route didn't need to go around in a big circle, but when they set off, Li Shouzhen's rebellion broke out in Guanzhong. Tang Lord Li Jing received a letter from Li Shouzhen, ready to move, and tried to send troops to cooperate with Li Shouzhen, and he was disgusted.

Liu Chengyou was very annoyed by this, and after calling all the ministers to discuss, he decided not to compromise with Tang.

Liu Chengyou transferred Murong Yanchao to Caizhou, and Murong Yanzhao in Suzhou to station troops north of the Huaishui River, putting on a posture that if you dare to come, I will dare to fight!
Li Jing, the leader of the Tang Dynasty, did not expect that Liu Han still had a tough attitude despite internal and external troubles. For a time, he was riding a tiger and was unable to get off. The two countries of Han and Tang faced off at the Huai River. Both sides blocked their borders and suspended trade.

Because of this, Xu Xuan, Li Congjia and their party had to take a long way to enter the country from Houshu.

Unfortunately, when I went to Hanzhong, I happened to meet Meng Chang, the Lord of Shu, sending troops to attack Sanguan. He planned to take advantage of the war in Guanzhong to send his troops out to Sanguan to steal a handful of chickens.
The road from Hanzhong to Guanzhong was in chaos and unsafe. Xu Xuan did not dare to go, so he had to stay.

Li Congjia suggested that since we arrived in Hanzhong and the road ahead was temporarily blocked, we might as well go for a walk in Chengdu and experience the customs of Shu.

The two hit it off immediately, and went to Chengdu to play for several months.

After the border situation eased, they set off on the Ziwu Ancient Road to Chang'an, and then made a circuitous route to Jingzhou.

After traveling all the way for more than a year, we finally arrived in Jingzhou.

Originally, the two of them were stopped by Li Jing's men in Jiangzhou. They managed to escape and rushed to Ezhou non-stop until they left the territory of Tang State.

Li Jing was in a hurry, but he didn't dare to chase after him with great fanfare, and he even suppressed the news that the prince Li Congjia had left the country.

Li Jing knew that if the Han lord Liu Chengyou or the Shu lord Meng Chang knew that the Tang prince had quietly come to his own territory, he was afraid that his good son would never come back.

Li Jing lost his temper in Jiangning, and secretly sent people to search for them along the route they were traveling.

Surrounding the carriage that Xu Xuan and Li Congjia were riding were ten gray-robed warriors, all of them sharp-eyed and brave. The leader was named Xu Biao, a side brother of the Xu family.

These people are also retainers of the Xu family.

In addition to being a family of officials, the Xu family is also one of the largest salt lords in the Jianghuai area.

It's just that those who study and become officials are direct descendants of the Xu family, and those who make money in the private salt business are from the side branches.

A word "Xu" covers both positive and negative sides, black and white.

Of course, the side branch always serves the direct meridian, and only under the protection of the direct meridian can the private salt business flourish.

In the Tang Dynasty in the south of the Yangtze River, the property rights of salt and iron were nominally nationalized, but in fact both official salt and private salt were openly sold, and there were countless operators like the Xu family.

Xu Xuan is the legitimate son of the Xu family, and may be the next head of the family. He has a high seniority. Xu Biao, a salt lord with a well-known reputation on the green forest road in the south of the Yangtze River, can only be regarded as a grandson in front of him.

Xu Biao followed the carriage on horseback with a sword in hand. The slightly crowded crowd made him a little irritated.

A few joking young people passed by him, Xu Biao suddenly held one of his shoulders, and asked, "Hey! Let me ask you something, is this road really leading to the Yangjinchuan Salt Factory?"

Several young men were salt factory workers. Seeing that Xu Biao looked ferocious and was wearing weapons, they were a little frightened and asked cautiously: "My elder brother's accent sounds like a foreigner, right? Why are you asking about the salt factory?"

"What's wrong! Do you want to take care of it? Just say yes?" Xu Biao glared angrily and pressed hard with his fingers. The young man who was pressed on his shoulders grimaced in pain and said hurriedly: "Yes! This road is called Baiyan Avenue, and further on More than a mile ahead, the salt factory is in the northeast."

"Hmph!" Xu Biao let go of his hand, took out a few copper coins and threw them on the ground, then clasped his legs under the horse's belly to follow.

Several young people picked up the coins, looked at each other, and ran away.

Xu Biao looked at the busy Baiyan Avenue and became increasingly confused.

He has traveled all over the country. Although he has never been to Jingzhou, he heard that Jingzhou is isolated and poor, and the people's lives are difficult.

But when I entered Jingzhou, everything I saw along the way was a scene of prosperity and prosperity for the country and the people.

Not far from Anding County, there is a land reclamation and development zone for relocated households, with tens of thousands of acres of paddy fields, and the newly built villages and towns around it are lively and peaceful. Such a grand scene made Xu Biao and his party astonished.

Is this the so-called poor border state and county?

If the prefectures and counties of the Han Dynasty were like Jingzhou, then there would be no possibility for Meng Shu and the Southern Tang Dynasty to continue. If they accept the surrender as soon as possible, they can still preserve the wealth of their descendants.

Xu Biao couldn't figure it out. Before coming to Jingzhou, he was even prepared to go hungry. He didn't expect that the food here was cheaper than in Huainan, as long as he had money in his pocket.

The Xu family's shops were spread all over the Tang Dynasty, and there were also branches in Hanzhong and Chengdu. They had withdrawn a lot of money to carry with them before leaving Hanzhong, so they lived a comfortable life along the way.

Xu Biao spat on the ground and took out a coarse cloth handkerchief to blow his nose. After using it, he felt a little dirty and threw it behind him.

As soon as he grabbed the reins, an old lady wearing a red cloth armband appeared out of nowhere, opened her hand and stopped in front of Xu Biao's horse, and said sternly: "Official, please dismount, throw away the phlegm and spit that you just spit. Dispose of the fallen garbage!”

Xu Biao was stunned, looking confused, and cursed: "Where did you come from, old woman? Get out of here!"

Xu Xuan in the carriage poked his head out and scolded displeasedly: "Xu Biao shut up! How many times have I told you not to insult people at will, why don't you listen?"

Xu Biao hurriedly clasped his fists and said, "Third Grandpa, I'm sorry, but I won't dare to do it next time! It's just that this shrew suddenly stopped me, it's really inexplicable!"

Xu Xuan looked at his aunt, and the red armband on her arm was particularly conspicuous.

"Madam, what's the matter?" Xu Xuan cleared his throat and spoke in awkward Kaifeng Mandarin, saying in a pleasant tone.

The aunt stood up and knew from the accent that this group of people were from other places. Her tone softened a bit and she pointed at the ground and said: "The government has regulations. You are not allowed to throw garbage on Baiyan Avenue, you are not allowed to spit, and you are not allowed to pee anywhere. ! The first time a foreigner commits a crime, he will not be fined, but he must be cleaned up!"

Xu Xuan's face was full of surprise. There was such a rule in a small county town?

He turned around and looked around. The avenue was bustling with people, but the ground was clean without even a scrap of paper.

Rabbit Ya Li Congjia also poked his head out and asked curiously: "May I ask, aunt, what should I do if I have something to throw away or need to go to the toilet?"

The aunt was stunned: "What do you mean gray things?"

Li Congjia thought about it and hurriedly explained: "It has a similar meaning to garbage."

The aunt said angrily: "Garbage is just garbage, so formal and awkward! Look over there, there are trash cans there, and there are latrines by the road. If you throw garbage into the latrine, just go there!"

Li Congjia, Xu Xuan, and Xu Biao all looked in the direction of the aunt's finger. Sure enough, there were cylindrical barrels built with mud bricks at fixed locations on the avenue, with openings with baffles underneath.

Next to the road, there is another earthen house with a unique shape, divided into left and right sides and two entrances.

The three of them had never seen a house like this.

"That's the trash can?" Xu Xuan murmured in surprise.

"That's the toilet?" Li Congjia opened his mouth slightly, showing his fangs.

The aunt looked at her with disdain: "Look, you are also traveling from a wealthy family, how come you have no knowledge at all?"

Xu Xuan and Li Congjia looked at each other, and both felt a little blushing.Xu Biao wanted to reprimand, but Xu Xuan hurriedly shouted: "Hugh, you are so rude! Clean up the filth immediately, and pick up the trash you threw!"

Xu Biao didn't dare to say anything, so he got off his horse, picked up the coarse cloth handkerchief he had just thrown away, and wiped the spit on the ground.

The aunt supervised with her hands on her hips, nodded with satisfaction, and waved her hand: "Okay, let's go, let's remember, the rules are the same in Anding County and Baiyan Avenue. If you are caught next time, you will be fined. !"

Xu Xuan hurriedly stopped her: "Auntie, stay here! May I ask where you are from?"

The aunt rolled her eyes at him: "Of course I'm from Anding County! My home is in Watou Village, west of the city, the second and sixth household!"

The aunt is very proud that Watou Village is a high-class village near the county town, and most of the children in the village serve as soldiers in the army.

Nowadays in Jingzhou, military households are the first to allocate fields, and most of them are concentrated around the county. The paddy and dry fields left by Xue Jiakong were cleared and allocated to military households first.

There was an open recruitment for soldiers three months ago. In just a few days, more than [-] young men and women signed up enthusiastically. Finally, under Shi Kuangwei's personal supervision, [-] brave men were selected.

Those who failed were all regretful and looked forward to the next recruitment.

Now in Jingzhou, serving as a soldier is the most prestigious occupation.

The aunt's pride made Xu Xuan and Li Congjia a little confused. Xu Xuan asked hurriedly: "Since the aunt is a native of Jingzhou, why can she speak the Mandarin of the Central Plains?"

The aunt puffed up her chest, stretched out her arms, and revealed the red armband: "Did you see it? We have been trained, and we are also fed by government officials!"

The two Jiangnan nobles looked at each other, confused.

The red armband was embroidered with several large characters: Health Management Team, and underneath there was a line of small characters: Baiyan Avenue Area.

Xu Xuan couldn't laugh or cry. What does this mean?
Is it possible that the Yamen of Jingzhou Prefecture has set up a team to supervise people not to spit or urinate anywhere?

The aunt waved her hand impatiently and left: "I'm too lazy to tell you foreigners, you don't understand anything."

Li Congjia blinked and whispered: "Mr. Xu, is this really Jingzhou? Why does it seem to have more rules than Jiangning? Can a country peasant woman be employed by the government? And she scolds people in the street fiercely?"

"This is indeed Jingzhou." Xu Xuan forced a smile, "Maybe it's Shi Kuangwei, the governor of the Zhangyi Army, who governs well! This person should be more particular, and he likes to be clean."

"Will it be suspected of disturbing the people?" Li Congjia asked doubtfully.

Xu Xuan thought about it carefully: "Probably not. The avenue is clean and new, without filth and stinky running water. It is also a pleasing thing to see."

Li Congjia nodded: "Mr. Xu is right."

Xu Biao said disdainfully: "Why don't I just fine her a few cents and give it to her? What's the big deal! What can an old woman do to me?"

Just finished speaking, I saw a group of healthy soldiers wearing black robes with iron and wooden sticks slung across their waists, talking to the lady wearing the red armband just now, and asking her if there were any pedestrians making trouble on the road.
After learning that nothing happened, a group of healthy soldiers bid farewell to the aunt and continued to patrol along the street.

When passing by the carriage, several sharp eyes looked at Xu Xuan, Li Congjia and others with scrutiny, paying special attention to Xu Biao and his guards.

Xu Xuan saw the words embroidered on the chest and back of the Xuanpao worn by these people: Public Security Management Team.

Li Congjia was surprised to find that some of the people in this team had only one arm, some were blind, lost their ears, and some were lame, but they were full of fierceness and seemed to have come from the military.

Xu Biao tightened his grip on the handle of the knife, but did not dare to act rashly. He was a gangster and was always very alert. He could tell at a glance that this group of people were all veterans who had retired from the army and had killed many people.

The two sides passed each other, and the warning in the eyes of the security guards was obvious.

"Go, go!" Xu Xuan urged in a low voice, pulling Li Congjia back into the carriage.

"Let's go!" Xu Biao yelled, and the guards who drove the car whipped the horsewhip, and continued to walk along Baiyan Avenue.

Xu Biao looked back and saw that the old soldiers did not follow him, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, what the hell is this place?" Xu Biao cursed, but he couldn't help but feel a little lucky in his heart. He closed his mouth and didn't dare to talk nonsense again.

When I came to Yangjinchuan Salt Factory, I found that there were soldiers guarding it, and I couldn't get close at all.

In addition to guarding Xu Xuan and Li Congjia during this trip, Xu Biao also had to follow the order of the family leader to contact the Zhangyi Army to discuss business cooperation in salt transportation.

Xu Biao wanted to visit the salt factory in person to see how Jingzhou white salt, which has recently become famous in Huaibei, is produced.

Xu Xuan said: "If you want to enter the salt factory, it seems that you have to visit Zhangyi Army Shi Jieshuai first."

Li Congjia whispered: "We'd better leave quickly. There are many soldiers showing up in the ravine, all looking at us. This place should be heavily guarded."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of knights came from Baiyan Avenue. There were about five or sixty people, and the leader was Guan Tieshi.

There is a person sitting behind Guan Tieshi. He is the young man who was stopped by Xu Biao for questioning just now.

The young man jumped off his horse, pointed at Xu Biao and said loudly: "It's them! They asked about the situation of the salt factory all the way, I'm afraid they have bad intentions!"

With Guan Tieshi in his armor, with a wave of his hand, cavalry soldiers surrounded Xu Xuan and his party.

Hundreds of soldiers armed with crossbows suddenly appeared from nearby hills, woods, and ravines, and hundreds of arrows and crossbows were pointed at them.

Li Congjia's face turned pale with fright, and Xu Xuan's face was ashen.

Xu Biao led a group of guards to draw their swords and shouted: "What do you want to do?"

Guan Tieshi frowned, his accent sounded like someone from the Jianghuai area, and he said coldly: "I should ask you this! Who are you? What is the purpose of approaching the salt factory?"

Xu Xuan got out of the carriage, cupped his hands and said, "General, please take us to see Commander Shi."

Guan Tieshi shook his head and said: "You can actually meet Commander Jie if you want? I advise you to honestly explain who you are, where you come from, and what your purpose is. Otherwise, take them all down!"

With a sharp shout, the cavalry soldier held his sword in his hand, and the sound of the bowstring tightening not far away was frightening.

Xu Xuan hurriedly said: "General, forgive me, we are here to discuss business with Shi Jieshuai."

Guan Tieshi said sternly: "Tell your people to put down their weapons! Otherwise they will be shot to death!"

"Grandpa Three," Xu Biao whispered, his back vest soaked with sweat.

Xu Xuan smiled bitterly and said, "Put down your weapons."

Xu Biao gritted his teeth and threw away the knife in his hand, and the other guards had no choice but to do the same.

The situation is stronger than the people. Once they fight, they will definitely die.

"Take it!" Guan Tieshi waved his hand, and the sergeants rushed forward and tied everyone up.

"We want to see Shi Jieshuai!" Xu Xuan struggled, still making his final struggle.

Unfortunately, Guan Tieshi ignored him and shouted coldly: "Take them all to the reconstruction site!"

Xu Biao became anxious and cursed loudly in Jianghuai dialect, but unfortunately he was held down by two stout sergeants.

A subordinate came closer and said, "Do you want to send someone to send a message to the handsome master?"

Guan Tieshi rubbed his chin and said with a smile: "Master Shuai and Lady Yan went to Linjing County to inspect the newly built agricultural reclamation area. Before they left, they told us not to bother him if we had nothing to do. Anyway, the young envoy will be back soon, let's talk about it then. Those guys, just throw them into the renovation yard and work hard for a few days. They are all labor force, so there is no need to waste more."

The subordinate smiled and said: "Since Young Ambassador took over the Zhangyi Army, the handsome man's life has been so comfortable. He doesn't have to worry about anything!"

"That's right!" Guan Tieshi laughed and waved his hand: "Go back to the city!"

The cavalry team galloped away, and the guards around the Yangjinchuan Salt Factory returned to their original positions.
　I wish my friends a happy New Year's Day, my family is healthy, and I wish you good luck in the new year and everything goes well

　　
　
(End of this chapter)