A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 359 Du Yan, that lackey
Carrying a bucket of fresh, plump mandarin fish, Li Yi returned to his home in Shengyefang.

Upon entering, one sees Du Ruhui, a man from Jianping County, Shaanxi Province, who appears somewhat haggard.

He stood there, holding a cup of tea, lost in thought.

"Second brother!"

Du Ruhui looked over. More than a year had passed since they parted. Although they had exchanged letters from time to time, they still felt that things were quite different when they met again.

"Shi Niang said you went to the palace."

"The sage has recently taken to boating and fishing on the Shanghai Pond, and often invites me to fish with him. Today he caught several plump mandarin fish. In a little while, we'll steam one, boil one, and then braise one."

Du Ruhui came over to look at the fish. "It's plump and fresh. Let's make a plate of sashimi, cut it into smaller pieces."

"Okay." Li Yi himself tries to avoid eating sashimi, but he knows that Tang people like to eat it.

Give the fish to Chen Lingjiao to take to the kitchen.

He took some tea leaves to brew.

"Has the King of Qin returned to the capital as well?"

"I rushed back as soon as I received your message, but I'll go ahead first. Your Highness should arrive in the next day or two." Du Ruhui perked up. "Is His Majesty really preparing to attack Luoyang immediately?"

"Yes, that's the intention. We don't want to give them a chance to catch their breath and develop."

Du Ruhui was somewhat worried, "If it weren't for the Hedong Rebellion last year, it would have been appropriate for the court to launch a campaign against Luoyang this autumn. However, after that major battle, many soldiers were killed or wounded, and the consumption of food and equipment was even greater. Now the treasury is empty, and the soldiers are exhausted."

This battle won't be easy.

Li Yi nodded as he pried open the tea cake with a tea needle. He also felt that attacking Luoyang now was a bit hasty, but he could also feel the emperor's immense pressure after spending so much time fishing and playing music with him every day.

The negotiations with the Turks did not go smoothly. The Turks made exorbitant demands, wanting more and more, their desires insatiable. However, the court could neither satisfy them nor tolerate them.

With the Turks pressing down on him from the north, and especially with Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande rapidly expanding their power, Li Yuan couldn't sit still.

This battle wasn't something Li Yuan wanted to fight; he had no choice but to fight it.

The roasted tea cakes emitted a fragrant aroma. Li Yi used a tea grinder to grind them into powder. Now he was also a skilled tea brewer and didn't need to rely on others.

"If we must attack Luoyang at this time, we would prefer that the King of Qin lead the army."

Li Yi discerned the key word "we" in this statement. Who exactly did "we" refer to? Undoubtedly, it referred to the civil and military officials of the Shaanxi Eastern Circuit Grand Secretariat, including civil officials such as Qu Tutong, Yin Kaishan, Feng Shaoshi, Wen Daya, and Han Liang, as well as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui.
Wu You Zhang Shigui, Duan Zhixuan, Zhai Changsun, Liu Hongji, Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, Yuchi Gong, Xun Xiang, Hou Junji, etc.

It can be said that after defeating Xue Ju and his son in Longyou, and Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang in Hedong, Li Shimin had gathered a very strong force under his command.

So many people are following Li Shimin, and it can't be said that they are all completely loyal to him or have any intention of supporting him as emperor, but at least they hope that Li Shimin can lead the eastern expedition so that they can also make meritorious contributions.

"The establishment of the Shaanxi East Circuit Grand Commandery was originally intended to pacify Guandong. Now that we are going to attack Wang Shichong, how can we change commanders on the eve of battle? Besides, the achievements of the Prince of Qin in conquering Xue Ju and his son, as well as in suppressing Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang, are verifiable."

“The Crown Prince is very talented, but he is not good at military affairs. If the Crown Prince leads the army, I am afraid that he will repeat the defeats of Pei Ji and Yuan Ji.”

Water boiled in a silver kettle on a small stove, and Li Yi added tea powder.

"Wu Yi, you are now highly regarded by His Majesty and your words carry some weight in the imperial court. You must put in a good word for the Prince of Qin. Even if the Crown Prince offers you the position of deputy commander, it is still difficult to offer you the position of deputy commander even if the Prince of Qin is in charge of the army."

Li Yi chuckled.

"Actually, I don't like war at all,"

He was telling the truth. War is always risky and arduous. He is now extremely wealthy and a newly ennobled man. He hasn't even had a chance to enjoy life yet, so why would he want to be out there marching every day, living in tents and eating dry rations, with calluses chafed on his buttocks and thighs?

At home, he sometimes felt overwhelmed by the many wives and concubines, but when he was commanding troops in the field, it was like being an ascetic monk, as he wouldn't see a single woman.

Why bother?

The Battle of Hedong propelled Li Yi to new heights, and now some people genuinely believe he's a future great general.
His loyalty and perseverance during the emperor's most distressing time earned him the emperor's appreciation. In particular, Li Yuan was reassured by Li Yuan's attitude of immediately heading south to the capital after Chuluo Khan presented him with a wolf-head banner.

Li Yuan prioritized trusting and employing his own family members, including Prince Qi Yuanji, Prince Lujiang Li Yuan, his son-in-law Duan Lun, Zhao Cijing, his cousin Dugu Huaien, and Dou Gui, Dou Jin, and others.

However, many people ultimately fail to meet the emperor's expectations.

Just like when he was in Shannan, Li Yuan initially heavily relied on Li Yuan, the Prince of Lujiang, who served as the Pacification Commissioner of Shannan and the Governor-General of Xinzhou. He was also among the first to be granted the title of Prince.

However, Li Yuan kept losing battles and couldn't break through the situation, so Li Yuan had no choice but to push Li Xiaogong, who was only the Duke of Zhao, to the front. Both Li Xiaogong and Li Yuan were from Li Yuan's seventh uncle's family.

Duan Lun couldn't handle things in Shu, so he sent Dou Jin. But Dou Jin couldn't do it either, so he had to send Dou Gui instead.

Li Yi had long realized that Li Yuan was a pragmatic person. Whether it was his attitude towards bestowing official titles and ranks or his methods of employing people, he was primarily pragmatic.

Li Yi appeared in the right place at the right time and made the right contribution.
Thus, it has attained its current appropriate position.

"What should I add?" Li Yi asked.

"Whatever you like," Du Ruhui said.

Li Yi then added salt, shredded ginger, chopped green onions, and a little orange peel to the tea. He also added fried rice and yogurt curds to the teacup.

With a simple pour of tea, you can have a uniquely flavored milk tea.

"Please, second brother."

Du Ruhui picked up his tea and blew on it gently, but his mind was still preoccupied with important matters.

"Actually, I also support the King of Qin leading the eastern expedition. I will definitely speak to the Emperor when I have the opportunity."

Du Ruhui smiled slightly, content to have received this promise.

"Your way of drinking tea is quite good."

"Haha," Li Yi laughed, "I forgot to add some ghee."

The two men drank tea, each lost in their own thoughts. "Have you heard anything from Third Brother lately? Is he doing well in Luoyang?" Li Yi asked.

Speaking of this, Du Ruhui got angry. "That dog of a slave, Du Yan, imprisoned my third brother and made him send me a letter every hundred days. My third brother was imprisoned and abused by him. He only had a bowl of cold porridge every day and was almost starving to death."

"If we capture Luoyang, I swear I will kill this dog-like slave!" Du Ruhui gritted his teeth; Li Yi rarely saw him so out of control.

"Perhaps we can write a few letters to Luoyang," Li Yi said, pouring him more tea.

Du Ruhui felt that his words were not simply a message, "Wuyi, do you have a way to kill this dog slave?"

"There's no harm in giving it a try. I've heard that Wang Shichong is suspicious, and officials and generals in Luoyang often lead their prefectures and counties to surrender to the Tang. Wang Shichong has a harsh penal code; if one person flees, his entire family, regardless of age, is killed. Fathers, sons, brothers, and spouses may be spared if they inform each other."
They then made the five families form a guarantor group; if one family fled, all four neighbors would be executed.

Even going out of the city to cut firewood or pick wild vegetables was subject to many restrictions.

But the more he killed, the more he escaped.

Wang Shichong used the palace as a prison, but if anyone became suspicious of him, he would move their family members into the palace. Even when his generals went on campaign, they had to leave their families in the palace as hostages. It is said that he currently holds over ten thousand hostages in the palace, but supplies are scarce, and dozens of people starve to death every day.

Du Ruhui, understanding the implied meaning from the music, asked, "You mean we devised a plan to make Wang Shichong believe that Du Yan was in contact with Chang'an and intended to betray him and return to the Tang?"

"Well, let's give it a try. Whether there are any good results or not, we'll cast a couple of times," Li Yi said.

Du Ruhui hated Du Yan to the core. In the past, when the branches of the family fought each other, their eldest branch was suppressed by the branch of Guo, the second wife, but in the end it was just internal strife. But when Du Yan killed his elder brother in Luoyang and imprisoned his third brother for more than a year, it became an irreconcilable feud.

Li Yi was only responsible for providing the initial idea; as for how to execute the plan, he didn't need to worry too much about it. Du Ruhui was more skilled at it and more eager for revenge.

This matter is both difficult and easy; it requires not only a good plan but also Wang Shichong's trust. However, Wang Shichong is currently the most suspicious person, so the plan has a high probability of success.

It is said that after the battle of Guzhou last spring, Wang Shichong learned that Li Yi was Du Yan's son-in-law and was very disappointed in Du Yan, so he immediately dismissed him from his position as Chief Secretary of the Grand Commandant's Office.

Although he still held the position of Minister of Personnel in Zheng and had been granted the title of Duke of Wen, Wang Shichong had clearly begun to suspect him because of his son-in-law, Li Yi. If it weren't for his son's death in Chang'an, specifically in the assassination attempt on Li Yi, and the subsequent confiscation of all property belonging to Guo Shi and Du Yan and their son, which was then given to Li Yi, Du Yan would not have been able to retain his position as Minister of Personnel, let alone be granted the title of Duke.

However, if Wang Shichong discovers that Du Yan is secretly contacting Chang'an, then Wang Shichong will inevitably become suspicious again.

At dusk,
Li Yi invited Du Ruhui to dine at his residence. The meal included steamed mandarin fish, mandarin fish sashimi, and boiled mandarin fish. They had also slaughtered a sheep that day, making for a delicious feast.

Shi Niang also came to accompany her cousin, and brought three children to see her uncle.

After the meal, Du Ruhui asked Li Yi for help again and then returned to his home in Anrenfang.

Li Yi took Li Shu for a walk.

Little Chili didn't want to walk more than a few steps; she wanted to be carried and lifted high. This girl loved it when Li Yi lifted her up; she was very brave. Li Yi was also brave; he not only tossed her around, but sometimes he would even let her stand upright in his palm.

These actions always made everyone in the mansion anxious, but the father and daughter seemed to enjoy it immensely.

"My lord, I've selected a few new maids to serve you."

Du Shiniang gave a signal, and Luo Sanniang went to call four women in.

Two of them were around twenty years old, while the other two looked to be fourteen or fifteen.

However, these four people have a good temperament and don't look like they come from a rural background.

"They were originally from the Dugu family of the Duke of Wei's mansion. Those two were Dugu Huai'en's concubines, both in their early twenties, while the other two were Dugu Huai'en's daughters, not yet sixteen."

Li Yi understood; these were the family members of Dugu Huaien, who had been executed for treason.

All of Dugu Huaien's properties were confiscated and given to him as a reward. Dugu Huaien's brothers and sons who had reached adulthood were also executed, and the rest were not enslaved, but were all given to him as slaves by the emperor.

These women, who once lived in luxury and were once royalty, have now fallen to such a state.

"Dugu Huaien's wife was born into the Wei clan of Jingzhao. She was the daughter of the eldest son of Wei Shou, the Duke of Huaguo, and the cousin of Wei Yijie, the Duke of Xiangcheng and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."

Li Yi knew that Wei Shou was Wei Xiaokuan's son. The Wei family that Li Yi had offended before was a descendant of Wei Zong, another son of Wei Xiaokuan, from the branch of Duke Shu, Wei Kuangbo.

The Dugu family was a prominent noble family in the Guanzhong Plain, with extensive maternal and paternal connections across generations. Dugu Huaien's mother and grandmother were both from the Guo family of Taiyuan, and he himself married a woman from the Wei family of Jingzhao. Even his concubines came from distinguished backgrounds.

These two concubines, one from the Yu family of Tongzhou and the other from the Guo family of Huazhou.

Dugu Huaien had many wives and concubines, as well as many daughters. Of course, the wives, concubines, and daughters of his brothers and nephews who were implicated were also now living in Li Yi's household.

Li Yi asked some questions.
Upon learning that they were temporarily housed in various manors, Shi Niang instructed that several young, beautiful women skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting be selected to serve Li Yi.

Li Yi looked at the four people.
The four women all had their heads down. It had been almost half a year since their home was raided. They had fallen from grace and were already mentally prepared, even numb to it.

In ancient times, if a crime was serious enough, there was no such thing as the crime not extending to one's family; executions of three, nine, or even ten generations of relatives were common.

However, Li Yi wasn't very interested in this kind of thing—stealing other people's wives and daughters—and he was already finding it difficult to cope with it.

Moreover, only Huai En's branch of the Dugu family was exterminated. Huai En's grandfather, Dugu Xin, had seven sons, three of whom were empresses, and his relatives by marriage were spread throughout the court and the country.

Take these two concubines, Guo and Yu, for example. Their families are both well-known wealthy families in Huazhou and Tongzhou.

"Contact the Dugu family and the women's families. If any are willing to take them back, let their families come and pick them up."

Du Shiniang was taken aback. "Does Master look down on them? Then we can choose a few more."

That's not what I meant.

Ji Lingyi could understand Li Yi's thoughts. When she was a convicted woman in the Yeting Palace, the emperor bestowed her upon Li Yi. Li Yi had asked her where her home was and if anyone was willing to take her home.

"My lord, the manor can send people to contact each family, but they may not be willing to take them back. Perhaps, it would be a better option for them to stay."

If I could catch the eye of my beloved and be taken as a concubine or maid, that would be even better.

Li Yi waved his hand, "Let them write letters home first."

(End of this chapter)