A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 434 Cherry Feast

Early spring.

Chang'an cherries also matured when Xinke released the rankings.

Taking advantage of the ten-day break, Wu Huaiyu brought his family to the cherry orchard for a banquet today.

This cherry orchard is located in Xiudefang in the west of Miyagi. It is located in the west third street of Suzakumen Street, from the first square in the north, exits Fanglin Gate in the north and enters Jinyuan, and the Yong'an Canal flows through the west of the square.

The cherries are newly ripe, and many orioles are flying in the garden. They like to eat cherries the most. These days, the servants guarding the garden drive the birds away day and night, and keep the fruit in their mouths.

Freshly ripe cherries are red.

"How many cherry trees are there?"

"There are more than a thousand trees, and there are more than a dozen varieties. The ones that mature now are the earliest ones, while the ones that mature late over there are still blooming."

This cherry orchard is actually the back garden of a different courtyard. There are two lotus ponds in the back garden. In summer, the lotus leaves are endlessly green, and the lotus flowers are red in the sun. It is also a very beautiful scenery. On the banks of these two lotus ponds, there are thousands of cherries, and there are many peach and pear trees.

With such a large garden, there is naturally a large courtyard gallery in front.

This house was originally the house of Wang Junkuo, Duke of Peng Guo. It was given by him when he first joined the Tang Dynasty. Later, he made more contributions and gave it to Xuanyangfang Mansion, which became Wang Junkuo's other house. He planted many cherries here. Waiting for the trees, and digging two lotus ponds, it took a lot of thought, and it was built very well.

In the early spring of the next year, the cherry blossoms here are in full bloom, which is also very beautiful. The cherry blossoms are like snow. It is said that when Wang Junkuo first entered Chang'an, he went to Qinglong Temple in Xinchangfang to see the cherry blossoms. Donkeys snub.

In a fit of anger, he planted cherry blossoms in his garden in order to realize the freedom of cherry blossoms.

He joined the Tang Dynasty in the first year of Wude, and the cherry trees in this garden have been planted for ten years, and now they are no less than the cherry trees in Qinglong Temple, and there are even more varieties.

The cherry blossom trees in this garden alone are worth a lot of money.

It's a pity that Wu Huaiyu is all cheap now.

Seeing flowers in early spring, fruiting in late spring, beautiful flowers and fruits, both flower trees and fruit trees, Chang'an nobles, as well as palaces and temples grow many cherries.

Only the nobles in Chang'an can eat cherries. Like mutton in meat, cherries are much more valuable than cherries in later generations.

This kind of cherry blossoms is actually not the same as the mountain cherry blossoms that are purely for viewing flowers. The mountain cherry blossoms that are purely for viewing flowers mainly grow in the Yangtze River Basin. Huaiyu also has a little bit in this garden. The flowers are beautiful, but the fruits they bear are not edible.

The weather is fine.

The early-ripening cherries here can already be picked and enjoyed, while the late-ripening cherries over there are still blooming, and the other peach tree is also budding, and the branches are full of pink buds.

Directly under the cherry tree is a Persian hand-woven wool blanket with colorful patterns, and the corners of the blanket are pressed by wine jars of various fine wines.

Put a few cases on the blanket and put a futon.

This year, the cherries in Xiudefang Bieyuan of the Wu Family opened, and the first batch of cherries picked were the largest and reddest. After picking, they were directly sent to the palace for tribute to the emperor, empress, prince, emperor, as well as Concubine Wei, Concubine Yang Shu, and Concubine Yang Jie. Yu they enjoy first.

Then pick the second batch and send it to the Wu family temple in Qinglongfang in the south of the city for ancestors.

"What are you preparing for today's cherry feast?"

The cherry banquet can also be regarded as a traditional culture of the aristocrats. A classy aristocrat must have his own cherry orchard. Every year when the cherries are ripe, they will entertain friends in the cherry orchard after paying tribute to the palace and family temple.

And those aristocrats who are not strong enough, without their own gardens, usually hold a banquet at home after the emperor bestows cherries. Although it is also called a cherry banquet, it is definitely not as good as those nobles who have gardens and hold their own cherry banquets.

Wu Huaiyu is an upstart, but now it is unspeakably expensive.

There is a pear orchard in Xinchangfang, a cherry orchard in Xiudefang, a vineyard in Yongxingfang, and a peach orchard in Xuanyangfang.

"Today, we prepared butter cherries, cherry pirogues, iced cherries, soaked cherry wine, and freshly squeezed cherry juice."

Naturally, the cherry feast should be played by cherries.

Although there are some people who like to stand directly under the cherry tree and eat the cherries under the tree with their mouths, aristocrats naturally have to look like nobles.

The banquet is placed under the cherry trees in the cherry orchard, and the cherry is the first protagonist, but other dishes, snacks, and fine wines are also indispensable.

The diet in the early Tang Dynasty still contained a lot of Hu Feng.

For example, cheese is a favorite food of Tang people. The frozen cheese is directly poured on fresh cherries. The richness of fresh cheese is combined with the sweetness and juiciness of first-ripe cherries. Its taste is most praised by Tang people.

As for the Cherry Bilo, this is a dessert filled with cherries, the skin is still translucent, delicious and delicate.

Of course, cherry fruit wine is also essential, because the time is limited, so I just take the ready-made wine, add rock sugar, etc., soak it for a day or two and drink it, it's sweet.

Of course, the samurai family also has authentic cherry wine, which is fermented naturally from cherries without any additions. This is the same as grape wine.

Three types of kirsch for your choice.

This year's Xinke Scholars Li Yifu is also the guest of today's martial arts cherry banquet, but at this time he is still looking at the house in the south of the city.

The house is not big, that is, two courtyards with a small outer courtyard, covering an area of ​​more than two acres, relatively compact, the layout is quite good, the courtyard walls are made of rammed earth, and there is a well in the courtyard.

The only fly in the ointment is that it is too far away.

The house is in Da'anfang. The south of the square is the southern wall of Chang'an City, and the southeast is the Anhua Gate of Chang'an City. Most of the people living in this square are farmers.

In the square, there are four gardens where Qin Qiong, Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling and Gao Shilian worshiped the prime minister.

There are Yong'an Canal and Qingming Canal passing through the east and west of the square.

It would be nice to tidy up the yard. He especially likes the ginkgo tree in the front yard. It is so beautiful in autumn when the ginkgo leaves turn golden.

He also likes the sweet-scented osmanthus trees in the backyard. The sweet-scented osmanthus flowers are fragrant in the mid-autumn moon.

Li Desheng also likes this house very much.

After running around all these years, it was rare to find a place to settle down. Now he has finally gained the favor of his son, and was recommended by Lord Yi to be transferred to the Branch Department of Guannei Road.

The Guannei Road Zhidu Division is located in Chang'an City. He is currently on secondment, but he will definitely be able to solve this problem in the future.

"The house is okay, just a little bit smaller,"

"Can the price be lower?"

Li Yifu smiled and said humanely,

Ya Ren is an official Ya, and he is also very respectful to this Xinke Jinshi. After all, he is not only a 15-year-old Jinshi, but the key is that he has become the son-in-law of the Wu family. Give.

What's more, this is the student who lived Yan Luowu Jing Zhaoyin.

Yaren smiled apologetically, "If Jin Shilang can settle the price, I can lower the price with the seller. The original owner is also a Beijing official who wants to sue his old age and return home, and is anxious to go home."

The two haggled over the price.

Li Yifu said that this place is too remote. He is now walking in the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Imperial City. It is worth walking ten miles to get here. Yaren said congratulations to Jin Shilang for his great future. He has already walked in the Ministry of Civil Affairs so soon. He also said that riding a horse is not enough It won't be long.

Then lowered the price a bit.

In fact, Li Yifu can continue to live in the teacher's house in Xuanyangfang, but after all, his father is also transferred to the capital now, and he will start working in Beijing in the future. Their father and son hope to bring all the family members from their hometown in Hebei to Beijing, and always live in the teacher's house. It's not convenient, and it even feels like living under the fence.

In fact, the teacher also proposed to give him an old house in Huaiyuanfang, but he finally refused.That house was where the teacher lived before he made a fortune, so it must have some special meaning to the teacher.

Although Li Yi's mansion is proud of the spring breeze, but the father and father don't have much money in their hands.

Although the houses in the east and west cities are good, they are all more expensive, while the houses in the south city are relatively cheap. Buy a small courtyard and live in it first.

Seeing that the business has been negotiated and the commission can be obtained, the Yaman is also very happy, and he keeps saying all kinds of compliments.

"In order to avoid long nights and dreams, if the seller changes his mind again, should he sign the contract now?"

"it is good."

Yaren then talked with him about how to trade, whether it is cash, the seller of money, grain and silk is inconvenient to carry, and whether he can trade with gold and silver as light goods. If there is only money and silk, he can also help contact the gold and silver shop in Dongxi City. exchange.

If you don’t have enough cash on hand, you can also introduce Xiangji Kitchens from several major temples in Chang’an.

Xiangji Kitchen was originally the kitchen of temples, but all major temples lend money. Over time, Xiangji Kitchen has become another name for temple loans.

Monks like to superficially say one thing, but to cover another. For example, slaves in temples are called Jingren, and those who lend money are called incense product kitchens. The principal is called merit, and the interest is called blessings.

It's just that the blessings are also very high.

"How many merits and blessings will be rewarded?"

"It depends on how much you borrow," the toothman explained with a smile. Generally, the interest rate is higher for small loans and short-term loans. If you borrow a lot and the time is long, the relative interest rate will be lower. In addition, the larger the temple incense savings, Usually lower interest rates.

Of course, those with mortgage or status can get more loans.

With a talent like Li Yifu, a teacher like Wu Huaiyu, and a father-in-law like Wu Shiyi, he can help him get a four-year two-year loan, and it is the kind that does not count compound interest. If the loan is more than two hundred, then the total interest Only ninety-six percent of the cost.

Two hundred guan, the two-year interest is only 190 two guan.

Of course, there are some introduction fees, handling fees, and even the cost of signing the contract.

Generally speaking, the conditions given to Li Yifu are the best in Chang'an.

Li Yifu did some calculations in his mind, and the interest rate was not too high from what he knew, after all, the imperial court used to pay [-]% of the money a year, and the monthly interest rate started from eight cents.

Some other private loans have higher rates.

Li Yifu knew that Chang'an's loan was a tiankeng, and once he entered the pit, he might never be able to climb out again.

The father and son didn't have any savings, but they received a lot of various gifts after becoming a Jinshi. In addition, knowing that he wanted to buy a house, Wu Huaiyu specially gave him a sum of money, but Li Yifu refused to take it. He didn't ask when to pay it back, and it was stated at the time that it was exempt, so he went to borrow money to pay interest.

"Then use silver to open yuan, okay?"

"Chang'an Qianjian newly minted silver Kaiyuan?"

"Well, that's it."

The dental man thought for a while, "Then you have to test it, as long as it's true, it's fine."

Silver Kaiyuan is a new silver coin without a square hole in the middle. It is different from pure silver Kaiyuan Tongbao and silver-copper Kaiyuan Tongbao. This new silver coin is directly exchanged for one thousand and six Tongbao coins each. Yes, it's beautiful.

In his heart, he was happy that he could get a commission for completing this intermediary transaction, but he was also a little regretful because he did not facilitate another loan of Hong Kong savings money.

Li Desheng directly took off the bag, and took out the shiny silver coins inside, the father and father had already come prepared.

Although Yaren himself knew how to inspect gold and silver, he took them to the gold and silver shop in Xishi to be safe, and after checking the silver coins, he immediately took a pen and paper, signed a deed, and took the money back later. The white deed can be exchanged for the official red deed at the Yamen.

As for the settlement with the original owner, there is no need for Li Yifu to come forward, and his own intermediary will be responsible.

"Congratulations to Mr. Li, congratulations to Li Jinshi, stay in Chang'an!"

Both Li Desheng and Li Yifu felt a sense of happiness rising from the soles of their feet, and they had a place in this majestic Chang'an.

"It's getting late, and our father and son have to go to Xiudefang to attend Yi Guogong's cherry banquet today, so we will leave first!"

The father and father put away the contract, walked out of the gold and silver shop, rode on the horse and went straight to the cherry orchard in Xiudefang full of love.

Along the way, Li Yifu felt refreshed, and Li Yifu felt as if he had returned to the day when he was a Jinshi in high school and rode a horse and wore flowers to tour Chang'an Street.

(End of this chapter)