Emperor Sui Yang

Chapter 494 Zhang Xutuo of Qi County
Zhang Xutuo has been promoted to the prefect of Qi County because of his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion in Hebei. The rebellious Wang Bo is now hiding in Changbai Mountain at the junction of Zouping County and Zhangqiu County in Qi County, which is very close to Licheng, the seat of Qi County. .

At such a close distance, Zhang Xutuo had already dealt with the other party, so there was the report from the Ministry of War.

He hoped that the imperial court could allocate some soldiers to him, or military pay would be fine, but right now, the imperial court can't allocate anything for him.

"Father, the situation is not good," Zhang Yuanbei hurried in and handed over a report to his father.

The report stated that Wang Bo's song was widely spread not only in Qi County, but also in other counties and counties. Many desperate civilians have now gone to Zouping County, and they heard that Wang Bo has food to eat.

"There's nothing to eat!" Zhang Xutuo snorted coldly after reading the letter. Wang Bo's food was all stolen. He didn't have any food, but he was hiding in Changbai Mountain and didn't dare to come out. He used rumors to confuse people and bluff. To recruit civilians to serve him.

"This thief is hateful, I will punish him," Zhang Xutuo said: "The key right now is to open a warehouse to release food, otherwise, in Qi County, more people will be bewitched by him, and I am afraid that it will become a big deal."

Zhang Yuanbei hurriedly persuaded: "Father, you can't. Opening a warehouse to release grain is a death penalty. The grain in the warehouse will be escorted to Qinghe in one month, and it will be transported to Zhuojun by water boat. This is the ration of the army. How dare you touch it? To kill."

Zhang Xutuo remained calm and said expressionlessly:

"The official warehouse in Qi County is only 30 shi. The expeditionary army lacks this, and no one will starve to death. But in my Qi County, people are starving to death every day. If they don't open warehouses, the rebels will grow up and capture the county. We It's also a death."

Zhang Yuanbei looked terrified and kept persuading his father, but Zhang Xutuo was unmoved.

This person is still powerful. He knows that the key to the problem is that there are too many victims, so he is easily bewitched by the rebels. If everyone can eat, he will go to the rebels if his head is sick.

And Zhang Xutuo also knew that the reply from the Ministry of War was delayed, so he probably didn't take his affairs seriously at all. After all, the army had already assembled in Zhuojun, and there was nothing bigger in the current Sui Dynasty than the expedition to Goguryeo. something happened.

Those matters in the officialdom are clear, and he has no backer, and the Ministry of War will not allocate money and food to him, so the only plan for the present is to take risks and open positions.

So Zhang Xutuo ordered that Qi County set up ten counties, Licheng, Zhu'a, Linyi, Linji, Zouping, Zhangqiu, Changshan, Gaoyuan, Tingshan, and Zichuan, all of which opened warehouses and set up porridge sheds. Disaster relief.

As for himself, he had the cheek to visit several big families in Qi County, Gao, Guo, Bao, Fang, Lu, Tan, Luo, Ning, Yan, and Zha.

The Fang family here is Fang Xuanling's family, Lu is Yang Jian's mother, and Lu Kutao's family.

Although Lv Yongji, Duke of Qi County, has been sentenced to exile in Lingnan and his family property has been confiscated, his relatives have done well in the local area through their relationship with the Sui royal family. look down.

Zhang Xutuo's trip didn't go well. Until March, he borrowed a total of [-] shi from the aristocratic family. Fly legs were also meat. The food was sent to Zhangqiu County because there were the most victims there.

As a result, the relief food was robbed by Wang Bo.
Luoyang, Comrade Yang Guang is about to set off. This time, he will come out in full force. There will be more than 6000 maids and servants of Ziwei Palace going north with the emperor to serve the emperor.

The family members of the 24th Route Manager also followed to see how their husbands fought on the front line.

This is an expedition outing for the nobles, with more than 30 people risking their lives in the front, and mineral water with peanuts and melon seeds in the back.

But before that, someone from Yushitai filed a complaint, suing Zhang Xutuo for privately opening an official storehouse for disaster relief, requesting to be escorted to Luoyang and beheaded for public display.

"Your Majesty is about to personally conquest, it is inappropriate to kill people, Zhang Xutuo did this as a helpless act and should not be punished," Su Wei pleaded in the court hall.

Yang Guang smiled and nodded: "This person is still capable. He has done great work for four years and has made great achievements in suppressing rebellion. I had an impression of him at that time. Opening a warehouse to help the people is actually to help the people. I have to not only forgive him, but also reward him."

"Your Majesty is wise," Yang Yue stood up and said, "The chief officer of a county is the parent official sent by His Majesty to the place. It is His Majesty's intention. Zhang Xutuo's actions are a demonstration of His Majesty's love for the people, and he really deserves to be rewarded."

The reason why Yang Yue helped to speak was because Zhang Xutuo was single-handedly promoted from the army by Shi Wansui, and now that Shi Wansui's people have moved closer to the prince, Zhang Xutuo is also a matter of time.

Yang Guang said with a smile: "That's exactly the case. According to my decree, Zhang Xutuo, the prefect of Qi County, will be rewarded with five thousand pieces of brocade and ten thousand stones from my private treasury as a reward."

Ten thousand stone millet is not worth much, but five thousand pieces of brocade are worth a lot of money.

Brocade is a high-end item of cloth, only the rich can afford it. After converting 60 pieces of brocade, according to the current market price, there can be [-] pieces.

Yang Guang is the most intelligent, he has figured out where the root of Shandong is, but he can't give food, so he gave Zhang Xutuo [-] bolts of brocade, and asked him to exchange for food to help the victims.

The reason why he gave so much was because Yang Guang knew that the more food shortages there were, the higher the price of food would be.

Zhang Xutuo was wiping his ass, he had to express it.

The heavy rain last year caused a lot of losses around Luoyang, and even more in Shandong. Guo Yan was originally asked to go to Jiangdu to find food, but Yang Guangda sent the food to the army with a swipe of his pen. There were famines in six counties.

He also knew what the crown prince Yang Ming was doing in Bashu, and he had hoped that his son could get him some food, but Guo Rong and Qu Tutong, the capital master, also asked for money.

Difficult, the expedition to Goguryeo has already taken half of the Sui family's belongings.

Yang Yue, who returned home from the court, received a letter from Yin Jiang, his niece and granddaughter. He hurriedly opened the envelope cheerfully, and read it carefully.

His happiest thing was Yin Jiang's letter to him, because it would let Yang Yue know that Yin Jiang was doing well in the capital. She was adopted to him when she was young, and Yang Yinjiang was raised by him alone.

Although she is a grandniece, Yang Yue treats her as her own daughter, and they are more like father and daughter.

"What's written on the letter? Can I read it?" Xuangan, who was his own father, watched eagerly from the side.

After Yang Yue read it, he handed the letter to Xuangan. After Xuangan read it quickly, the corner of his mouth twitched:
"This prodigal girl, since she got married, has been thinking about how to seize my family property every day. She wants money, horses, and food this time? No! Not a single grain."

Yang Yue looked at Xuangan with slanted eyebrows, and said with contempt: "Do you think that you were ejaculated by Shang Shupu? You don't need Yin Jiang to take care of you?"

"I've never needed her to take care of me?" Yang Xuangan said in a daze, "Isn't she who gave me this title? Is it not her who gave me the title of Minister of Rites?"

"That's true," Yang Yueyin said with a smile, "but without Yin Jiang, how long can you hold on to your title and official position? Can Yuan Qing take over?"

Yang Xuangan pursed his lips and said: "I am the Duke of the state, and I will not be replaced by hereditary."

"You fart! This is just to fool a fool like you," Yang Yue reprimanded:

"Is it still hereditary? How many titles can be passed down from generation to generation throughout the ages? Look at your son's virtue, he is 21 this year, right? , beat Wei Zheng, when the old man was 21, he followed your father to kill Gao Qi, and when he was 30, he killed Chen and became the county magistrate of Ancheng, does he have the ability?"

"Yuan Qing is still young, isn't he joining the army now? When I come back, I will find a way to find a good position for him in the military residence," Yang Xuangan said with a look of dissatisfaction.

Yang Yue sneered again and again: "Can you arrange a good location for the military mansion? You are not your father. He was a soldier for half his life, and half of the generals of the Sui Dynasty were under his command, so he can do it. How about you? You have fought Who? You followed me to beat Yu Shiji at the court meeting."

Faced with the cynicism from his uncle, Yang Xuangan is a dead pig who is not afraid of boiling water. As long as I can remember, you have scolded me, half my life, and I am invulnerable.

"Why not? Second Uncle, don't underestimate people, just watch, when Yuan Qing comes back, I will bring it to the general of Yifu," Yang Xuangan said confidently.

Yang Yue chuckled: "Okay, I'll wait, but right now, I need to borrow food."

"Why?" Yang Xuan was puzzled.

Yang Yue sneered and said, "For your grandson, Yinghui (Yang Rui's nickname) is the eldest son. Our family will rely on Yang Ming for the next 30 years, and rely on Yinghui for the next 60 years. I have always told you to make a right A person who is useful is the most tragic thing because others don't need you anymore, which means you are useless. Right now Shandong is short of food for disaster relief. Yin Jiang said that this matter must be done. If you are always useful to Yang Ming , then no one can shake Yinghui's position, understand?"

Yang Rui's nickname was given by Empress Xiao, because Yang Yinjiang conceived him in Jingzhou, and Jingzhou was the capital of Chu State during the Warring States Period. Coming back from Jingzhou means returning from Yingdu, but Yang Ming thinks this The nickname is really not easy to pronounce, so I don't like to call my son that way, and I usually call him Dalang.

Then the other sons became Erlang and Sanlang.
The corner of Yang Xuangan's mouth twitched: "This is too much, 30 shi, where can I get it for him?"

"You didn't?" Yang Yue asked.

Xuan Gan said with an innocent face: "Why am I lying to you? I really don't have it. There are so many people in my house, and there are many places to spend money. This time, I spent 20 yuan on the purchase of high-quality armor and military equipment from Hedong. Right now there is a shortage of food everywhere, and the price of food is very high, if it costs 20 shi, I can make it up for her."

"Then you can borrow from your brothers, 30 is 30," Yang Yue patted the table and said, he knew that Xuangan had food, excluding the daily expenses of the Duke's Mansion, at least 40 shi could be embezzled. Are you crying poor with me?

Why don't you borrow it from your brother?Your brother is richer than mine.

Yang Xuan sighed: "Okay, okay, I'll leave, I hope this girl can give me a two-year reprieve, and then trouble me again."

(End of this chapter)