The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 134: County Magistrates
There were indeed fewer eunuchs in the palace, and many palaces were empty with no one living in them.

The queen also ordered the release of many palace maids, allowing them to return to good status and get married after leaving the palace.

Or perhaps the empress was concerned about the declining population in Guanzhong and dismissed the palace maids of marriageable age.

Ever since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince took control of the court's expenses, no additional palaces have been added to the imperial palace except for a villa built this summer.

It is said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is always strict in employing people, but according to rumors in the palace, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is strict with himself, and since a serious illness in the sixth year of Zhenguan, the Eastern Palace has not added any staff.

Even the prince didn't have any toys to entertain himself with.

A sixteen-year-old prince leads a simple life and is absorbed in state affairs.

Young people of this age are not obsessed with playing, but are busy with state affairs.

People who are strict with themselves are scary. The eunuchs in the palace are also very cautious and sometimes terrified when facing the prince.

After His Majesty angrily left Ganlu Hall, the eunuchs in the hall helped each other to stand up. Their legs were still a little weak and they were even trembling.

What happened in Ganlu Hall soon spread to Lizheng Hall.

Empress Changsun listened to the maid's report and asked again, "Why is your majesty angry again?"

"Your Majesty, it was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who rejected the Lingyan Pavilion's budget."

"Ugh……"

Empress Changsun sighed, "This father and son really are unwilling to give in to anyone."

The maidservant beside him whispered, "I thought that your majesty and the crown prince could talk calmly in Ganlu Palace. Your majesty was going to go to the East Palace after he got angry."

"What? Your Majesty, are you going to the East Palace to find Cheng Qian to argue?"

"Replying to the Queen, His Majesty did not go to the East Palace, but went to the Sanqing Hall to drink."

Empress Changsun sat on a newly made armchair, rubbing her temples in distress, and said, "Alright, you can leave now."

"Here."

The maid stepped back in small steps.

Empress Changsun looked at Xiao Sizi again. The child was playing with tearing pieces of paper.

In the Eastern Palace, Li Yuan was eating a bowl of oatmeal porridge and looking at his eldest grandson.

Li Chengqian was sitting in the Chongwen Hall, writing on a piece of paper.

"Cheng Qian?"

"Grandpa, just speak frankly." Li Chengqian picked up the pen and continued writing.

Li Yuan held up the tea bowl and said, "Your father wants to build the Lingyan Pavilion, just build it for him. It's not a very big palace."

See this grandson is still writing.

Li Yuan came closer and asked curiously: "What is it written?"

Li Chengqian put down his pen and said, "The rules for next year's imperial examination."

Hearing this, Li Yuan took another closer look. Although his grandson's handwriting was not particularly beautiful, it was at least neat. He then asked, "Didn't the results of the imperial examination just come out this year?"

"Grandpa, you don't know that there are still too few officials recruited this year, and many people failed. We plan to hold the imperial examination again next year."

"Did your teacher arrange this?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "I haven't told the teacher yet."

Li Yuan stroked his beard and said, "I really don't want to build Lingyan Pavilion for your father?"

"Repair it." Li Chengqian said with his hands in his pockets, "But we have to wait until this year's budget is fully completed and there is a surplus before we can repair the Lingyan Pavilion for my father."

This grandson has his own persistence, and this is not the first or second time that he has contradicted his father.

Li Yuan shook his head and sighed, not knowing what to do with this family.

After finishing writing the charter at his grandfather's place, Li Chengqian went to the Secretariat again.

The autumn rain lasted for more than half a month before it stopped, and the water level of the Yellow River was finally brought under control. All the counties in Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief.

When they had free time, Li Chengqian and General Li Ji would walk by the Taiye Lake.

The lake water flooded the plank road, and even the pavilion in the center of the lake in the distance was flooded, leaving only a roof and a few pillars.

If you walk north and east from Taiye Lake, you will pass Longshouyuan and reach the Wei River.

Li Ji sat on the shaft of the carriage and said to the prince in the carriage, "Your Highness, all the counties have been reported. Do you still need to go and see it in person?"

"Go and have a look, there's no need to disturb others."

"Here."

Li Ji drove the horse and the carriage headed towards the Wei River.

Inside the carriage, the curtains were blown up by the wind. Li Chengqian looked at the situation along the way and saw many people walking on the official road.

People were walking on both sides of the official road. Li Ji was wearing a round-necked robe. At first glance, he looked like a coachman of a powerful family, and the person sitting in the carriage must be of noble status.

When the carriage passed along the official road, the villagers along the way did not look back.

Perhaps it was some of the sons of powerful families who wanted to come out for some autumn hunting and relax after the rain.

The villagers living around Chang'an City have long seen this kind of scene.

The current crown prince's travel did not alarm too many people.

Li Chengqian smelled a familiar fragrance, lifted the car curtain and saw a vendor in the distance, who was selling zonggao on the roadside.

"General, please stop by the roadside so I can buy some zongzi."

"Here!"

Li Ji pulled the reins and the horse stopped steadily.

The vendor selling zonggao asked with a smile, "Do you want to buy zonggao?"

Li Ji asked, "How about your zongzi?"

"Sir, this zonggao is made with glutinous rice from Huainan, jujubes from Lingbao, and red bean paste from southern Shanxi."

Li Chengqian handed over three copper coins and said, "Take three coins of zong gao."

"Okay." He put a piece of zongzi slightly smaller than his palm into a bamboo slip and handed it over.

Li Ji continued to drive the carriage in silence.

Li Chengqian ate zongzi and sat beside the shaft of the cart, looking at the villages on both sides of the official road.

When the villagers saw the luxurious carriage, which was pulled by Dayuan horses, they all made way for it. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that the young man sitting in the carriage was a Dayuan horse, both in terms of his clothes and the carriage's decoration.

Even if they are from a wealthy and powerful family, they must be of extraordinary status. With such a travel style, they must be a wealthy and powerful family even in Chang'an.

While eating the hot zongzi in my hand, the Wei River is almost there.

Without going to the Jing River upstream of the Wei River, just looking at the situation downstream, you can probably know what the situation is like upstream.

A few people were walking together not far away. They came to a tavern to rest. They noticed a man wearing the official uniform of the county magistrate. Li Chengqian said, "General, let's go and rest for a while."

Li Ji pulled the reins of the horse and handed them to the waiter beside him, asking the waiter to tie up the horse and then reminded him, "Feed some hay." The waiter bowed repeatedly and said, "Don't worry, sir."

When the young man in the carriage came out, the servant lowered his head and did not dare to look at the son of a powerful family.

Li Chengqian and Li Ji walked into the tavern. There were not many customers here, only two merchants who looked like they had come a long way, and two county officials.

Li Chengqian sat closer to the county magistrate.

Seeing the servant tying up the horse and walking towards him, Li Ji looked at the prince standing beside him.

The waiter spoke first: "Sir, we have tea and white bread."

Li Chengqian asked: "How much is a bowl of tea? How much is a bun?"

"Ten cents for a bowl of tea, three cents for a bun."

Li Chengqian said: "Two bowls of tea and two buns."

The other person's clothes were very expensive, but he only ate these kinds of food. The servant felt a little disappointed that he was not like other rich young men.

"Guest, please wait."

Li Ji whispered, "There are buns outside now?"

Li Chengqian nodded but said nothing.

The servant brought two meat buns and two bowls of tea.

There were only three or five tea leaves in the tea. The servant gave the boy a few plums and then went back to his own business.

Li Chengqian was eating meat buns, which tasted much worse than those in the Eastern Palace. They were made of mutton mixed with some chopped green onions.

The more pork people eat in Guanzhong, the more money Jingyang makes.

Nowadays people still prefer mutton. The price of white flour is high and the cost is also higher, so more families use millet and wheat.

If you want to eat pork buns made with white flour, you can only go to Chang'an City.

I heard from Du He that his Jingyang pig farm does not raise many pigs, and now there are even fewer adult pigs. It is necessary to give each county more time to develop its own industry and production capacity.

Li Chengqian listened to the conversation of the officials nearby.

"How many people did you send out from Sanyuan County this time?"

"Not many. Ten more people were assigned to us later. We finally managed to stabilize the riverbank." The county magistrate of Sanyuan County said, "This time, Jingzhao Prefecture has summoned the county magistrates and lieutenants of our counties. Maybe they will give us some difficult tasks. How is Gaoling County doing?"

The county magistrate of Gaoling County said in distress: "It's the same. This time, our county sent more than 30 militiamen to repair the river bank."

Li Chengqian ate buns and drank tea while listening silently.

"Have you heard? This Xu Jingzong was fined one year's salary by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and he has to stay in Jingzhao Prefecture for three years without any promotion."

The county magistrate of Sanyuan County whispered, "According to rumors in the court, this prince is a very strict person."

"Someone has heard about it, too."

Li Chengqian glanced at them and saw that the county magistrate of Gaoling County looked to be around 40 years old, and the county magistrate of Sanyuan County also looked to be around 50 years old, with a lot of white beard.

Hearing them talking about the crown prince, Li Ji glanced at the crown prince, who looked calm and composed. He was holding a book in his hand, eating a bun and reading the book leisurely.

"This Xu Jingzong is the Crown Prince's man. The Crown Prince is strict in his conduct, so it's no wonder that Xu Jingzong is also so strict."

"Yes, there have never been so many problems in our counties in the past. If we do something wrong, not to mention that Xu Jingzong is difficult to deal with, maybe even the prince will not let us go."

The county magistrate of Sanyuan County sighed and said, "You and I should be careful in the future."

"When Xu Jingzong was serving as the county magistrate in Jingyang, he was a notorious cruel official. Now that he has followed the crown prince and gained power, the counties in Guanzhong may have a harder time in the future."

Gaoling County Magistrate said again: "Don't do anything wrong and offend the Crown Prince. Have you heard? The current Crown Prince dares to contradict His Majesty."

The county magistrate of Sanyuan County nodded slightly and advised: "Don't drink. You can't drink during the day when you are on duty. If the people in Jingzhao Prefecture smell the alcohol, they will fine you."

The two county magistrates sighed in unison, paid the servant some money, and left quickly.

Li Chengqian was still sitting here, having finished the bun in his hand, and sipping tea intermittently.

After a long while, when the two county magistrates had gone far away, Li Chengqian put down the book in his hand, took out some copper coins, and paid for the tea and buns.

"Excuse me, there are white flour pork buns in Chang'an City, why don't you sell them?"

The waiter replied with a smile: "Sir, this white flour is too expensive, and pork from Jingyang is hard to buy. The store owner said that they will think of a solution when white flour becomes cheaper and pork from Jingyang can be bought."

Li Ji stood up and took the reins.

Li Chengqian stood outside the tavern with his hands in his pockets. He did not rush to get on the carriage, but asked again: "Just now, the two county magistrates said that Jingzhao Prefecture is under strict control now?"

The servant looked around and whispered, "To be honest with you, the Jingzhao Prefecture is very strict right now."

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets and asked again: "Wasn't it strict before?"

"In the past..." the servant said, "In the past, we just paid taxes every year, and if the court needed men, they would give us some men, and that was it. It's not like now, they want this and that."

Li Chengqian frowned and asked again: "How could this happen?"

"It was the order of the current crown prince. The crown prince is in charge of the agricultural affairs in Guanzhong, and the counties have more things to do than before."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "I'm leaving first."

"Goodbye, sir." The servant bowed with a smile, watching the young man in expensive clothes get into the carriage.

The coachman must carry a broadsword, which shows that his identity is not simple.

However, the children of the powerful and wealthy who came from Chang'an were all extraordinary, so I thought it was nothing.

After His Highness was seated in the carriage, Li Ji drove the horse and the carriage moved slowly.

Li Chengqian sat in the carriage, closed his eyes and said, "Would an ordinary shopkeeper dare to tell customers these things like this?"

Li Ji said, "Your Highness, I will bring the man here for questioning."

"no need."

"Yes." Li Ji nodded in response.

"There are wine shops around Chang'an, and they are also located next to such an important official road. Most of these people have backers."

Li Ji said, "Your Highness is right. I will ask someone to investigate when I return to Chang'an. And those two county magistrates are really rude."

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the carriage suddenly smiled.

Li Ji continued, "It's fine if they talk about Xu Jingzong, but how can they say that about Your Highness and say that Your Highness is a strict person."

"I've heard this a lot." Li Chengqian looked at the scenery along the way and said, "The county magistrate is a frontline official. They are the people who are closest to the villagers. They may feel that the workload of the counties in the past was not so heavy, and there were not so many things to do in and outside the county."

Li Ji said: "If they feel that there are too many things to do, they don't need to be county magistrates."

"In the counties of Guanzhong, some of the county magistrates have been here since the Wude period. Their abilities vary, some are strong and some are weak. Most of them are content to do their own things." Li Chengqian sighed, "It's different now. I care about the abilities of these county magistrates. Compared with the various departments in the court, the governance ability of the county magistrates is more important."

"In other words, I think the ability of the county magistrates in each county should be stronger than that of the assistant ministers in the six ministries."

Listening to His Highness' words, Li Ji drove the carriage silently. He heard His Highness sigh, and then more words were heard.

"I actually have high hopes for the counties. If they are not capable enough, the court can help them. I hate county officials who stick to the status quo and don't seek change."

(End of this chapter)