A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 713 Martial Lord
As soon as Huaiyu returned to Chang'an, the Wu family became lively again.

Many people come to visit every day,
The hunchback Wucheng was guarding the door. Amidst the polite voices of the officials, he felt so happy that he almost went to heaven.

No matter whether you wear a scarlet robe, a green robe, or a silk damask, when you arrive at the door of Wu's house, you have to be polite to him.

Even if some purple-robed ministers come, they still have to hand over greeting cards.

Jin Guogong's gate is not open to anyone who wants to.
Yesterday, even the prince, Prince Wei, visited him very politely and even rewarded him with a golden bean.

Although King Wei is a bit fat, he is really polite, and he is also so polite to his little caretaker.Of course, the hunchback still prefers His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness the Crown Prince will not smile and give you bounty beans when you meet him.
But His Highness the Crown Prince's smile was like a breath of fresh air. In comparison, King Wei seemed a bit condescending and even looked down upon.

After returning to Chang'an, Huaiyu was in no hurry to return to the political hall.

He, the prime minister, was quite lazy to be honest, but the emperor also said that Huaiyu could take a good rest.

The trial of the new law in Sanyuan County this year was very successful. It was obvious to all and praised by everyone. The emperor has already decided to implement the new law in the entire Gyeonggi Province next year. Initially, it was originally planned to roll it out in the nine counties of Yongzhou and Weibei, but later the emperor felt that the pace was too slow. point, it was changed to be implemented in the entire eighteen counties of Yongzhou.

Later, the ten lanes were changed to fifteen lanes, and the emperor simply waved his hand and implemented it in the entire six states of Gyeonggi Province.

Wu Huaiyu will still be primarily responsible for implementing the new law next year.

Wu Huaiyu's current official position is Doctor Zuo Guanglu, Prince's Young Master, Bachelor of Chongxian Hall, concurrently studying national history, participating in political affairs, director of the East Palace Army, Shangzhu State, and Jin Guogong's real seal of [-] households.

The official title is quite fierce.

But there is no serious ministry here,

He neither works in the three provinces nor the six ministries, and he doesn't even need to be a regular member because he can be exempted from it due to special orders.

Until the first day of the fifth year of Zhenguan, Wu Huaiyu could enjoy such relaxing special treatment, which was equivalent to being able to work from home.
Anyway, Miyuan's affairs now, that is, summarizing successful experiences and formulating some regulations for the implementation of new laws, do not need him to do so.

He is always the director of Donggong Soldiers and Horses, which is just an additional title and does not require him to do anything.

As for concurrently studying national history, he is also responsible for reviewing the history draft with other prime ministers and academicians every month.

gray sky,

Chang'an in winter is quite cold, quite gray, and even smells a little strange.

This is all caused by the large amount of coal burning in Chang'an in the winter.
People in the Tang Dynasty burned coal, and there were quite a few in Chang'an.

Coal was called coal by the Tang Dynasty people, and it was discovered and utilized very early. The city of Chang'an was very large, and daily firewood consumption for boiling water and cooking was very large. In winter, charcoal was burned for heating, and the consumption was even greater. .

The price of firewood rises sharply in winter, and the burden on the people also increases.
Compared with firewood, charcoal is cheaper.

The briquettes stove sold by the Wu family, plus the honeycomb briquettes sold by the Wu family, are very useful together and the cost is much lower. Except for the pungent smell of smoke, it is more cost-effective to use this.

Moreover, many people sometimes cannot buy firewood and charcoal in winter, as it is expensive and difficult to buy.

There are special yamen and people in the palace who are responsible for purchasing fuel charcoal, and wealthy families also have stewards to take care of this, but for ordinary people, they can only rely on the supply in the market.

When it’s cold or it rains or snows, it’s common for supplies to be insufficient.
After getting used to it, I don't feel that charcoal is dirty or pungent. In winter, warmth is more important. There is a charcoal stove in the house, which can not only keep warm, but also boil water for cooking, and it doesn't cost much.

In the winter in Chang'an, a large amount of firewood, charcoal, and coal are consumed every day.

The Wu family's fire wall and Kang will burn coal, and the kitchen will also use coal stoves for cooking, but coal is basically not used indoors, and the smell is loud.
The Wu family uses charcoal for heating, even bamboo charcoal, which is smokeless and odorless, and the firepower is quite stable.

Of course, the Wu family made many quilts this year, which added a lot of warmth.

Especially when you put it on the bed, you feel like you are sleeping on clouds at night. The cushion is warm and it is very comfortable if you don't cover it much.

The Wu family has now opened many cotton-spun shops in Chang'an City. The cotton-spun cotton is used to make quilts, cotton shoes, cotton-padded jackets, etc., and the business is booming.

Ordinary people can't afford it.

However, Chang'an has many nobles, officials, scholars and businessmen. It is the place with the strongest consumption power in the Tang Dynasty. Especially every winter, officials from all over the country come to Beijing to meet and submit plans, students come to Beijing to take exams, and there are many candidates who are waiting for election. Officials come to Beijing for election.

There are tens of thousands of these people alone, and together with their entourages, a large number of high-spending groups suddenly flood in, not to mention that at the end of the year, businessmen from all over the country gather.

The cotton players in Wu's shop were playing non-stop all day long, and they were so busy that they didn't even have time to drink water.

Wu family cotton is also selling well now.

Wujia cotton cloth is called cotton cloth, not white folded cloth. This is unique in the world. The slogan of Wujia cotton shop is that not all white folded cloth is called cotton cloth, which immediately makes Wujia cotton cloth unique.

Nowadays, the nobles and relatives of Chang'an like to wear cotton jackets, and it has even become a fashion. Ordinary silk and satin can't compare.

Anyway, now Wu Huaiyu is at home, just wearing a cotton robe. The room is very warm, there is a fire wall, and there is a charcoal stove in the room, and he doesn't even need to wear a cotton-padded jacket.

In fact, no matter how cold it is in Chang'an, the nobles are not afraid because they have furs.

The top nobles wore sable, and the lower-ranking nobles wore other sables.

Noble officials with lower official titles naturally wear various fox skins, squirrel skins, marmot skins, otter skins, sheepskins, etc. The common people at the bottom wear sheepskin, cowhide, and even pigskin, dog skin, and cat skin.

Fur not only keeps people warm, but also carries a symbol of status and class.

For example, sable fur is luxurious and soft, with a glossy color, dense velvet, and durability. It is especially rare and is known as soft gold. It is also known as golden fleece and the king of furs.

This thing doesn't have an official rank of third rank or above. Even if you have money, you can't buy it. If you have it, you won't dare to wear it.

Of course, there is a cotton trend emerging in Chang'an. People who are obviously qualified and able to wear mink, but just don't wear it, wear cotton.

This makes a difference.It also needs to be plain cotton clothing without printing or dyeing colors or woven patterns.

In the middle of winter, when snowflakes are falling, being able to wear a light cotton robe does not mean that you have strong firepower, but it shows your identity. It also means that your home has a fire wall and is well kept warm, so there is no need to wear too much clothes.

Of course, scarcity is still more valuable.

It’s not uncommon to see furs all over the street.
Like Mr. Wu or even the Crown Prince, wearing a cotton gown is so chic.

The imperial examination is coming soon.

In front of the Wu family, there are still countless scholars who come to Qian Ye every day to submit poems. They all want to submit their articles to Mr. Wu. If they can be appreciated by Mr. Wu, they will skyrocket.

Don’t you see that Li Yifu, Shangguan Yi and the others are already rising through the ranks at such a young age?

Li Yifu's supervisory censor patrolled Hedong, which was very popular. Shangguan Yi entered the Secretary's Department as an official, and was deeply appreciated by the saints.

It's just that Wu Huaiyu didn't have much time to read the dry poems for these enthusiastic scholars. There were so many scholars who presented poems that he had to put many baskets of poems in every day. Wu Huaiyu read every one of them. , there really is nothing to do.

He can only ask his disciples to accept it, and then send it to his clients, let them see it first, and then sort it out if there is a better one.
In the end, the curtainmen made a selection together and selected the ten best ones every day. They sent them to him with comments, and he took a look at them when he was free.

But even so, Wu Huaiyu would not easily recommend a scholar to the examiner.

Nowadays, there are many scholars who want to join Wu Huaiyu’s sect.

But the more this happens, the less Wu Huaiyu will accept people easily.
It depends on talent as well as character. The higher the position, the more careful you have to be. Otherwise, if you accept a white-eyed wolf, the stronger the ability, the greater the damage when backstabbing.

Today’s imperial examinations consist of one subject per year.
The scholar subject is too difficult, and ordinary officials dare not recommend people casually, so sometimes it is opened every two or three years, and one or two students may be admitted at a time, but it is different.

On the other hand, Ming Jing and Jin Shi departments recruit scholars every year. Ming Jing is divided into four grades and Jin Shi is divided into two grades. However, they only admit about ten people a year.

Other things like clear laws, clear laws, clear calculations, and even clear medicine, etc., all belong to specialists, and those who are admitted are just working as officials.
The ones that are really more promising are Mingjing and Jinshi. Among them, Jinshi is more difficult to pass because there are only two grades and fewer people are admitted.

Huaiyu felt that the current imperial examination system was too simple. The state did not pay enough attention to it. Firstly, there were few people admitted. Secondly, the selection of scholars was not based entirely on ability, but mainly on relationships. The examination did not involve copying names. Even if you say hello to your relatives and dignitaries, you can order it in advance outside the venue.

In contrast, the model of layer-by-layer examination selection in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, where only one subject was held for three years, and only Jinshi was selected, was more fair.

However, nowadays, the selection of scholars in the Tang Dynasty is mainly based on family selection, followed by recommendation. As for the imperial examination, it is purely supplementary. So many people a year are simply dispensable.

Even this opportunity was mainly taken away by the children of the noble family, and the children of the poor family had very few opportunities.

Ma Zhou once had tea with Huaiyu and when they talked about the imperial examination, he felt it was not fair.

Wu Huaiyu also knew that it was unfair, but the imperial examination was not based on fairness, otherwise it would not be based on the merits of the family.

Why have there been aristocratic families since the Wei and Jin Dynasties?

To put it bluntly, this is caused by family origin being the main factor. Children of noble officials are directly qualified to be officials, which inevitably makes them hereditary.

Wu Huaiyu's eldest son is just over three years old, and he has already been granted the title of Marquis of Sanyuan County.

He was promoted almost every year, from county boy to county son to county uncle and county marquis.

This kind of situation is not uncommon in the top-level noble families. Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Wu Huaiyu and other princes and nobles all have sons who are awarded empty titles for their father's merits. If they are given marriages, Princess Shang's title can even be granted to the title of County Lord or County Marquis.

And many soldiers from ordinary civilians or small landowners may fight for the rest of their lives without ever getting a false title of baron.

Children of noble and high-ranking officials can become either pavilion students or imperial eunuchs, both of which can qualify for official service. No matter how bad they are, they can also become three-guard servants. After accumulating seniority, they can be released and awarded the title of official.

After all, the Tang Dynasty was still a hierarchical era.

The last era of aristocratic families.

"Erlang, Alang, Dalang and Ma Lang's son-in-law are here,"

The Marquis of Wenshui County, Samurai Ke, and the Marquis of Qushui County, Wu Huaiyi? Zhou Ma, Hou Ma of Gaotang County, came in with his third son, Lao Wu, who was still holding Huaiyu's eldest son, Hou Wu Chengsi of Sanyuan County.

The four princes, old and young, came in.

Lao Wu and Xiao Wu were both promoted by Zhan Huaiyu. They were granted the title of Xujue. Huaiyi was promoted based on his amazing political achievements in Shaozhou.

As for Ma Zhou, he was originally a Viscount of Gaotang County, but this man had always been appreciated and valued by Li Shimin. How could he be the minister of Zhongshu and the prince's right concubine? He was Li Shimin's number one secret. He had been linked to several memorials in the past few days. Li Shimin was very satisfied with his suggestions. He not only rewarded him with silk money, but also promoted him to Gaotang County Marquis.

Wei Zheng, who also received the title of Jin Dynasty, was already a Marquis of Julu County, but this time he was granted the title of Duke of Julu County.

Seeing that the young and old were all holding the title of county marquis, Wu Huaiyu couldn't help but sigh that the Wu family had really risen. The four brothers of the warrior Xun, as well as a country prince, two county princes, and even the dead warrior Rang were posthumously awarded a county baron. Bit.

Wu Huaiyu also supported the Duke of Jin.

The Wu family in Bingzhou only has two families. Now there are two dukes, two county dukes, three county princes, and one county boy. Ma Zhou, the county prince's son-in-law, has not been included.

Moreover, Wu Huaiyu's wife was a lady from the Jin Dynasty, and his concubine Yang Muyun was originally a princess of the Sui Dynasty who was pro-Turkish. Li Shimin also canonized her as the Huainan Princess of the Tang Dynasty. Even now with Tuli, Li Gai and Wu Huaiyu, this princess status is still there. .

Li Qing, the grand-niece of Pushe Li Jing, was recognized by the emperor as a adopted sister and was granted the title of Lord of Yongle County. Her and Huaiyu's daughter was also named the Lord of Jiangning County by the emperor.

Even the second daughter of the warrior Yun has now become the quasi-prince Liangdi.

At the end of the fourth year of Zhenguan,
It started to snow in the sky above Chang'an.
However, the Wu family is so glorious that it amazes everyone in Chang'an.

This brilliance has even made many people in Chang'an feel that it has overshadowed many old clans and aristocratic families.

(End of this chapter)