A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 154
August eighth.

After waiting for a few days, brother Wu Huaiyi finally came back from Sanyuan with the warrior Ke. When he saw Huaiyu, Lao Wu was still dissatisfied.

"Turkic rangers plundered everywhere in Weibei, and many villages in our Sanyuan were destroyed by wolf cubs,"

"You brought me to Chang'an at this time, Xu Erbaiwu, Zhao Dayan and they said I ran away."

Huaiyu helped Lao Wu get off the horse with a smile, and let him complain, but he didn't return his words, just smiled and said: "Aye, it's been hard work to come back all the way, so hurry up and wash and change clothes first in the house."

Wu Liushi, eldest sisters and younger sisters also came out to welcome them.

"Erlang is kind, you've become a donkey's liver and lungs." Wu Liu complained to her husband, while Wang silently took over Lao Wu's burden.

Huaiyi jumped off his horse and sighed to Huaiyu: "Weibei is very bad now. Many Turkic cavalry are looting everywhere. Smaller villages have been breached. People who have not had time to hide in the castles and fortresses have been taken away. Even the crops They were ruined by the Turks."

When they came back, they even encountered a group of Turkic soldiers. Fortunately, when Huaiyi came back, there were many people. The two sides shot and killed seven Turkic soldiers and drove them back.

"Is Longqiao Fort okay?"

"After all, our Longqiao Fort occupies a favorable location. Aye and the others also raised the height and strengthened the fort wall, and joined forces with Lijiazhuang and other villages to recruit three regiments of soldiers. Everyone patrolled and guarded. It’s not going well, but it’s okay for now.”

When the Turkic cavalry plundered Weibei this time, they were still looting in the countryside for the time being, and did not attack the cities or strong villages. As long as the resistance was fierce, they would not fight hard.

"Aye, the crown prince called you to Beijing because it is of great importance. The son of heaven, Yuan Cong, has always been loyal to the imperial court. The Shenjifang Office was newly established, and there is no one to take charge of the situation. He specially called you." Huaiyu laughed.

Lao Wu just curled his lips. He knew very well that he, a lame veteran, had already retired and was conscripted because his son was now appreciated by the crown prince.

He was getting old, and he wasn't too happy about being recruited again, or even being promoted. On the contrary, he felt that Xu Zhongyi and other fellow villagers were abandoned at this time, and he felt a little deserted, which made him feel very unhappy.

Wu Cheng's family and Hou San's wife and children also followed.

The Longqiao Wu family can only lock their doors behind closed doors for the time being.

"Erlang, what's the matter between your eldest sister and Mr. Ma?" Old Wu entered the courtyard and sat down in the hall without washing up first, so he asked about the elder sister first. Huaiyu went to Xinlongqiao before, and said Speaking of which, he said that Ma Zhou and the eldest sister were paired up.

"Mr. Ma has been to our house before, and I have a good impression of him. I heard he is well-off now?"

"Well, the last time I went to Longyou with me, he also made military achievements and was directly awarded the eighth-rank position. Then he gave His Royal Highness a lot of current affairs countermeasures, which won the crown prince's appreciation. Now he is a Chaosan from the fifth rank. The doctor even bestowed a purple-robed goldfish bag."

Lao Wu was very surprised when he heard it. He didn't make it clear in the letter before, and thought that Huaiyu had made a mistake.

"That must be a great talent, otherwise Bai Ding would grant Zijin and reach the sky in one step." Lao Wu took the water glass handed over by Huaiyu, drank it in a few sips, and smacked his lips, "Then he is now so smooth that he can reach the sky in one step Alright, can you still see your sister?"

"Aye, I don't want to hear your words anymore. My sister is so nice. She is virtuous, smart, and good-looking. She is also young and can manage the house. The food she cooks is delicious. It's hard to find even with a lantern."

Lao Wu looked around and found that his daughter was not there, so he breathed a sigh of relief, "I didn't mean that. After all, your sister died three men and dragged two daughters. Mr. Ma was just a poor scholar before, but now You are already wearing purple robes, how can you still be willing?
If he changes his mind, don't force it, and save your sister from having a hard time going there. "

Lao Wu put down his water glass and said to Huaiyu: "Your sister is a bad girl, I have figured it out a long time ago, and I don't want to marry her anymore. As long as she is willing, she will stay at our house. When she gets old in the future, You brothers are responsible."

"Aye, don't worry, Ma Zhou is a very nice person, otherwise how could I have promised the elder sister to him? He has a close relationship with the elder sister now, and the crown prince rewarded him with a house of more than 2000 square meters in Xuanyangfang. I handed it over to my eldest sister for decoration, and even all his money was collected and managed by my sister.

Just wait for you to come to Chang'an, choose a good day to propose marriage and matchmaking. "

Lao Wu was very relieved when he heard this, "Erlang, you have done a good deed, and you have also settled a big concern between me and your mother, then tell Ma Zhou that you should choose a date early to invite a matchmaker to propose marriage, so there is no further delay. "

Lao Wu got up and looked at the small courtyard. When Huai Yu just bought it last time, he stayed here for one night. Now he came back not long ago, and found that the place has changed a lot.

"Aye, I'm dating the eldest daughter of the Rongguo family opposite, do you agree?"

Lao Wu turned his head and looked at his son for a long time.

"I don't have anything to disagree with. You have an idea. Now that you've found a match, I agree. It's just that this matter is not up to our family. Can Duke Rong agree?"

"Mr. Rong is currently guarding the city of Binzhou. When he comes back, I will come to propose marriage. It will definitely work."

Lao Wu couldn't understand his son anymore, so he just shook his head and stopped thinking about these things.

"Your place is quite crowded, I might as well move your mother and your elder brother to live with you later."

"Let's just live here. The guys from Qianjintang in the front yard have all moved to the shop in Dongshi now. It's not crowded here anymore."

Lao Wu didn't care about being tired all the way, so he called Huai Yi, and the third master chatted with each other about what happened during this time, especially the battle of Huai Yu Longyou.

After a long time, Lao Wu sighed, "Erlang is lucky, and Dalang has a lot of good luck with him."

He can't believe it now, his two sons, now the eldest has become a sixth-rank general, and he is still the leader of the North Gate who escorts the flying cavalry, and the second son is Feng Kaiguo, a military officer of the fifth rank. The job of the instrument supervisor and the young supervisor is over.

"Is Hou San okay in Longyou?"

The old buddy of many years, now stays in Longyou and won't come back, Lao Wu still misses him quite a bit.

"Uncle Hou is very nice, hehe, he's even very happy." Huaiyu said with a smile that Hou San not only became the deputy military officer who was dismissed from the ninth rank in Longyou, but also started a business with his colleagues, and also with many military officials. Like a soldier, he accepted the girl who came to his door.

"Two, Uncle Hou took two concubines, and also took in two families of disaster victims as tenants. Those two concubines are very young."

"Bah, this guy," Lao Wu laughed and scolded, "his wife and children stay in Guanzhong, and he is happy in Longyou."

After laughing and cursing, he was happy for Hou San again. It has not been easy for this old man these years, and now he has finally made it through.

"Originally it was the season for harvesting millet and buckwheat, but now the Turkic cubs are causing a famine," Lao Wu lamented that this year's harvest was gone again.

Huaiyu didn't panic, now he no longer needs to count on that little field to produce like Lao Wu, and even he has a lot of fields.

"Yeah, I have [-] mu of Yongye farmland in Longyou, [-] mu of land in Bailuyuan, [-] mu of pear orchard in Chang'an Xinchangfang, [-] mu of land in Weibei, [-] mu of newly granted land in Qujiang in the south of the city, and Huaiyuanfang. With this house, there is a Qianjin Hall in Dongshi, and there are still some businesses left in Weizhou, Longyou.

By the way, the crown prince also rewarded me with twelve slaves before and after, and he also gave me the two palaces before.Three hundred bolts of silk, two horses, four silver vases, and some gold and silver coins were also rewarded..."

Huaiyu is not short of money now.

After hearing this, Lao Wu sighed a little. He has struggled all his life and worked hard for a lifetime. How hard he has lived, and when he is old, he is only a commander of the Imperial Army under the seventh rank, and he has accumulated [-] mu of land. Still have to farm.

The two sons are much stronger than him.

"You guys are promising, but dad is getting old."

"Aye, you are only sixty, now you are recruited out of the mountain, and then you are awarded the order of Shenjifang on the seventh rank, but you have been promoted to three ranks in a row. You see, Hou San has taken two concubines, why don't you, Aye? Also accept a small?"

Lao Wu rolled his eyes at him.

"You are amazing, kid. In a short time, there are three girls in this backyard."

He was getting old, and before Lao Wu left, he still told his son some life experience, although maybe the son didn't need it, "Whether it's the Qianjintang Pharmacy in Dongshi, or the Baoyutang Saltworks in Weizhou, business and industry are the most important things. You can send people to manage it, but if you want long-term stability in the future, when you have money, it is best to buy more land, buy more slaves, recruit more tribal tenants, raise more cattle, horses, donkeys and mules, and set up more farms. , that is a stable family business that can be passed on from generation to generation.”

Finally, Lao Wu added another sentence, "Bring more sons."

"Aye, you just gave birth to three sons, isn't it pretty good?"

"I have no conditions. You see, your patriarch's uncle has more than 30 sons, all of whom are 70 years old. He is still working hard to take concubines and give birth to sons. In our Wu family, your uncle is the one who has contributed the most... "..."

"Then you should work harder. I heard that the crown prince intends to issue an edict to let many palace officials go out of the palace after he succeeds to the throne, so that they can return to their relatives. If they have no relatives, they can also voluntarily marry. Eunuch Zhang here is Mrs. Fan's godfather, I'll help you get two of them."

Lao Wu seemed to be really moved.

It seems that he still wants to make more contributions to the Wu family.

"How is the third child studying in the ethnology?"

"I didn't have time to ask after I came back, but I heard from Aunt Wang that Huailiang is very hardworking. Now I can only come home on the ten-day holiday every month. The rest of the time is boarding in the ethnology. The gentleman invited by the ancestry Not bad, hold on tight."

Lao Wu nodded, "It's good to be willing to study hard. Although he is not a sibling with you, he is also your brother. You should take care of him more in the future."

"Take some time, and come with me to send some food, vegetables, paper and pens to the ethnology." He confessed.

"Don't worry, it's natural."

"Okay, I'll take a shower first," Lao Wu got up and left. Huaiyu found that Lao Wu was walking now, as if he was a little more stylish, even a bit official.

Although his legs are still a little lame, those who are limping have a bit of a sense of being an outsider.

In the front yard, Xu Jizu, the second pole, was chatting with Wu Cheng and Hou Sanjia, making them less restrained, "Brother Xu, help me go to Ma Yushina in Xuanyangfang, and tell him that I, Aye, have come to Beijing. He came over for dinner."

Xu Jizu, the forbidden army, is quite contented to be Huaiyu's entourage now. Compared with the boring life in the camp, he prefers the current life, where he is more free to run around all day long. , but also get in touch with more people.

"Okay, I'll go right now."

Xu Jizu went to the stables to lead the horses, but Wu Cheng's family and Hou San's family became somewhat restrained facing Huaiyu, "It's been a hard journey, let me take you to settle down first, there are still vacant rooms in the outer courtyard, so you can live in the outer courtyard first .

Aunt Hou, Uncle Hou is now an official. I originally asked me to arrange for you to go to Longyou when I came back, but now the road is not peaceful, so you stay with me first, and when the Turkic people leave, I will send you there. "

The hunchbacked Wu Cheng was still so thin, he grinned flatteringly and asked his wife and children to say hello to Huaiyu, "When I saw Erlang for the first time in Changao on Bailuyuan, I knew that Erlang had a good face and was born rich and honorable." Well, now he really has become a high official, and even a knighthood."

"Our family has become the servants of the knighted nobles, and we all have bright faces."

Hearing this, Huaiyu could only smile helplessly. For Wu Cheng's family, it was also a helpless move for them to leave their nationality and seek refuge.It is indeed a good thing for him to be promoted to the rank and title of the master he is following now.

It's all about the times.

For Wu Cheng's family, it doesn't matter whether they are good people or servants, the important thing is to survive first.

(End of this chapter)