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

Chapter 362 Rumors
Shengyefang.

After dinner, Li Yi accompanied Shi Niang for a walk. He had been home for some time, but Shi Niang's belly was still not showing any signs of pregnancy. Seeing that her concubine Shu Ying had already been confirmed to be pregnant, she couldn't help but become more and more anxious.

Sometimes, the more anxious you are, the more disappointed you become. With her husband about to leave for war, and then her period starting, she grew even more agitated.

"Ah Lang is confused."

Shi Niang took Li Yi's arm and said, "The Crown Prince has taken the initiative to show goodwill and help propose marriage to the Zheng family of Xingyang. How can you refuse, my lord?"

"That's the Zheng family of Xingyang, one of the five noble families and seven prominent clans of Guandong. Zheng Shanguo's daughter, even if she's an illegitimate daughter, is not someone that ordinary people can compare to. Zheng Shanguo comes from the Donglin branch of the Xingyang Zheng family. She is the grandson of Zheng Xiaomu, the Junior Minister of Works and Governor of Qizhou in the Western Wei Dynasty, and the son of Zheng Cheng, the Grand General and Duke of Kaifeng in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Her mother is the daughter of Cui Yanmu, the Duke of Dongjun in the Qinghe Cui family."

He inherited the title of Duke of Kaifeng County at the age of nine, was promoted to Duke of Wude County at the age of ten, and became the Prefect of Yizhou at the age of fourteen. Now, in his early fifties, he holds the official position of Left Vice Minister to the Crown Prince and the title of Duke of Xingyang County.

I heard he was also appointed as the acting Minister of Rites.

Shi Niang said excitedly, "His daughter, even if she is an illegitimate daughter, is still a daughter of a noble family. The Crown Prince is willing to step in and have Zheng Shanguo give his illegitimate daughter to A Lang as a concubine. How can we refuse? Of course, we must agree immediately."

Li Yi gently patted the back of her hand, "Don't get so agitated. She's just a concubine's daughter. Although she was born to a concubine, not a maid, she's still just a concubine's daughter."

Even if she's the legitimate daughter, I wouldn't be surprised.

"You're so foolish, Ah Lang!" Shi Niang stopped in anger, turned to face Li Yi, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Although you were adopted by the second brother of the Prince of Yi'an, everyone knows that you were originally the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Yuanqiu of the Duke of Hua's mansion."

"My son is now young and successful, and our family is quite wealthy, but we still lack a solid foundation. A marriage alliance with the Zheng family of Xingyang would greatly enhance the prestige of the Duke of Jin's mansion."

"Although I, Li Yi, am not of noble birth, I can establish my own clan and become the progenitor of the Li family for ten thousand years. I am still young, and the Li family will surely prosper even more in the future. There is no need to fawn over the stinking feet of the Zheng family of Xingyang."

"Does that mean I have to fawn over any illegitimate daughter they give me?"

Shi Niang is angry.
"The King of Longxi and the King of Bohai each gave Alang a Hu woman, which Alang accepted with great joy and delight."
Now the Crown Prince is acting as matchmaker, wanting to arrange for the Prince to take women from five different families as concubines, but the Prince is unwilling. What does this mean?

There are some things that Li Yi can't tell Shi Niang, even though she is his legal wife.

An angry Shi Niang hurried away, turned back, and buried her head, ignoring Li Yi. She was only doing it for the good of the Li family; she understood and supported her husband's decision to resign from the title of Prince of Fenyang. These important matters should be decided by the man.

But the husband taking concubines...
She thought she was very magnanimous and would never be jealous or obstructive, but now, for the good of the family, she persuaded her husband to take women from five different families as concubines, but her husband was not happy about it.

She was only thinking about the long-term future of the family.

A marriage alliance with the Zheng family of Xingyang would bring many benefits.

Li Yi called Shi Niang several times from behind, but she ignored him.

I was just about to chase after him and coax him...

Third Sister came in and said that there were guests visiting outside.

"It's Uncle Du."

"Alright, I'll go see the guest. You go and appease Shi Niang for me."

Third Sister was very clever and immediately guessed what it was about. "Actually, Madam is doing all this for the good of her husband and the family."

Previously, the women who had been confiscated from the Dugu family and given as gifts were chosen by the lady to serve her husband. However, the husband was unwilling and insisted that they write letters home to be returned to their respective families. The lady was quite dissatisfied; these women of the Dugu family, including wives and concubines, mostly came from prominent clans. If the husband were to take them in, it would be a way to establish good relations with those families.

Even if the daughter of the Dugu family were accepted, it would be considered a marriage alliance with other members of the Dugu family, yet Ah Lang showed no appreciation for his wife's good intentions.

"I find it hard to understand why the five women from the same family are still refusing the Crown Prince's matchmaking. Could it be that you've heard somewhere that this Zheng woman is too ugly?"

"No, the Crown Prince even showed me a portrait of that Lady Zheng. Although it's a painting, I think the person in the painting shouldn't look too different."

"Then why did you refuse, Ah Lang?" Luo San Niang asked, puzzled. If Li Yi had repeatedly refused her back then, it was probably because she was just an ignorant country girl who lacked nutrition, had dry and yellow hair, and had sun-darkened skin.

Unlike now, when people have broadened their horizons, have better nutrition, wear better clothes, and don't have to be exposed to the wind and sun, and can be bossed around by servants, they naturally develop good skin and a good temperament over time.

There are some things you don't understand.

Li Yi shook his head and went outside to meet the guests.

Du Ruhui did not come alone; he also invited Fang Xuanling, Qin Shubao, and Cheng Yaojin to come together.

It was quite unexpected that all four of them would appear at the same time.

Li Shimin did not come.
Li Yi's status is not what it used to be, and as a prince, Li Shimin can no longer have close private interactions with him.

"What brings you all together to visit?"

"I was just passing by and thought I'd stop by for a cup of tea," Du Ruhui said with a smile.

Qin Qiong said, "I heard from the King of Qin that you originally wanted to borrow us to fight in the southern part of the mountain, but the King of Qin has already received the military order and will be going to Luoyang in July. Now we have also received military positions and have been busy with troop deployment and training recently, so we really can't leave."

Li Yi brewed tea for them.

"The main battlefield is on the King of Qin's side. I'm just playing a supporting role here. We should use our best resources where they're needed most. You warriors who can take on ten thousand men should stay on the battlefield in Luoyang."

Everyone chatted while drinking tea.

"There's a rumor circulating today that the Crown Prince wants to become your brother-in-law, Wu Yi, and will arrange for you to marry the daughter of Zheng Shanguo, the Duke of Xingyang, as your concubine?" Du Ruhui asked with a smile.

Li Yi could only nod helplessly. He did not directly refuse the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, but he did not agree either. Instead, he claimed that the expedition was imminent and he had no time to think about it. He said that they would talk about it after the expedition was over.

The original intention was to delay the enemy.
As a result, the news spread throughout Chang'an overnight. It was clearly a deliberate attempt by the Crown Prince's side to create a fait accompli.

This story is now being spread with great detail and conviction.

Could Li Yi refuse?
In private, Li Yi declined, and since no one else knew, it had no impact.

But now everyone in Chang'an knows.
Li Yi's refusal would put the Zheng family in a very awkward position.

"This is a good thing, so why does Wu Yi seem a little unhappy?" Fang Xuanling asked. Fang Xuanling's hometown was Licheng in Qi County, and he was a fellow townsman of Qin Shubao. The Fang family was actually the Qinghe Fang family, and the Licheng Fang family was a branch of the Qinghe Fang family.

The Fang family was considered a prominent clan in Shandong, but it was naturally a level below the Five Clans and Seven Clans.

Fang Xuanling's father married a woman from the Li family of Zhao County, and he himself married a woman from the Lu family of Fanyang. It is not difficult to see from this that Shandong gentry families like the Fang family actively sought marriage alliances with the five surnames.

The sons of Shandong's aristocratic families all wished they could marry women from the five most prominent clans.

Fang Xuanling is currently an official in the court. He doesn't expect his career to rise much higher in the future. He only hopes that he can marry his son to a woman from one of the five surnames. That would be enough for him.

In any case, no one in Kanto can ignore the Five Surnames and Seven Clans.

If one cannot marry a legitimate daughter of one of the five prominent families, then one can marry a daughter born of a concubine, or even a daughter born to a maid, as long as she can be taken as a concubine, it is still a form of alliance. If all else fails, then one can marry one's own daughter into one of the five prominent families.

No one would refuse to marry into one of the five surnames.

Moreover, Zheng Shanguo was a prominent direct descendant of the Zheng clan of Xingyang, and he held high prestige and official rank in the court.

Du Ruhui asked, "Is Wuyi worried about the King of Qin?"

Li Yi smiled.

"The King of Qin was talking to us about this this morning. He said that you don't need to have such concerns. Marriage is marriage. Even if you become brothers-in-law with the Crown Prince by taking a woman from the Zheng family as your concubine, it will not affect the trust between you and the King of Qin."

"The King of Qin is very pleased that you still have the Crown Prince's trust in you. You have also been appointed as the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor and have become the Crown Prince's brother-in-law."

At present, Prince Qin, Li Shimin, has not shown any intention of vying for the throne, but among the confidants surrounding Prince Qin's residence, who does not hope that Prince Qin can live in peace?

Putting aside the struggle for the throne, the priority is to secure one's position. There is an important figure in the Eastern Palace who is one of their own, which is a good thing for the Prince of Qin's mansion.

Qin Shubao then said, "None of us brothers can help you this time, but Mao Gong has been in charge of the army for a long time and is very experienced. He is your deputy commander, so you can rely on him more."

Li Wenxiang and his mother, the Huo family, were both fierce, but lacked strategy.

I used to work with Li Daliang at Wagang. He wasn't a particularly brave general, but he was a shrewd strategist. Guo Xiaoke has always been Mao Gong's assistant; he's both courageous and resourceful.

Li Yi nodded.

Cheng Yaojin said with a smile, "If you really don't want to take Zheng's daughter as a concubine, you can introduce her to me, Old Cheng."

"Haha, if Steward Cheng is willing to serve the Crown Prince, perhaps the Crown Prince can really introduce you to a woman from one of the Five Families," Du Ruhui laughed.

The group finished their tea and left.
Today, I said I was just passing by and stopped by for a cup of tea, but actually, I came on behalf of Li Shimin to express my stance to Li Yi regarding the rumors circulating outside.

Li Shimin didn't mind him becoming the Crown Prince's brother-in-law and even supported him marrying a woman from the Zheng family, hoping that he could gain more of the Crown Prince's trust in the Eastern Palace.

Hedong.

North of Taiyuan, at Shiling Pass.

Chuluo Khan suddenly led tens of thousands of Turkic cavalry across the pass and southward.

Four plumes of smoke rose.

It was passed on southwards.

A swift messenger on horseback urgently reported to Taiyuan City.

Upon hearing the report, Li Zhongwen, the Inspector General of Bingzhou, changed his expression drastically.

Under his command, the Bingzhou General Administration has seven prefectures, currently garrisoned with 20,000 troops, plus the 10,000 troops under the Shizhou General Administration.

He commands 30,000 troops, which can be dispersed across various states.

"General, wasn't Chuluo Khan negotiating peace with our Great Tang? Why did he suddenly launch a large-scale invasion?"

"We don't know the situation yet, we can only take it one step at a time," Li Zhongwen gritted his teeth. "We must urgently report to Chang'an!"

"Khan Chuluo has already crossed the Shiling Pass and is heading south. Should we intercept them?"

Li Zhongwen pondered for a long time, then shook his head.

There wasn't enough time to gather troops, and he wasn't confident he could defeat Chuluo.

"Order all units to guard the passes, fortresses, and strongholds, and not to launch any offensive attacks!"

"Are we just going to let them head south like this?" the military advisor asked.

"I will wait here in Taiyuan City for the imperial decree. Whether to fight or make peace, I will follow the imperial court's arrangements."

Chu Luo led his army south, looting along the way. The Tang army was ordered not to attack, and they were allowed to plunder all the way to the walls of Taiyuan.

Chuluo Khan called for the gates of Taiyuan.
Seeing that the Turks numbered tens of thousands and were well-equipped, Li Zhongwen dared not attack.

They sent people to entertain Chuluo Khan with wine, meat, vegetables, millet, and other gifts, and also sent a batch of money and silk. At the same time, they kept a close watch on the gates of Taiyuan.

Chuluo Khan led his troops to besiege Taiyuan for three days.
Li Zhongwen was fed and cared for every day, and dared not launch an attack. Chuluo Khan sent troops to plunder the countryside and capture livestock and people.

Someone in Taiyuan was secretly plotting to seize the city and surrender it, but Li Zhongwen discovered this and killed them.

Three days later, Chuluo Khan failed to obtain any inside help and lacked weapons, making it impossible for him to launch a strong attack on the fortified city of Taiyuan. He then turned north again, leaving Lunteqin with several hundred cavalry to garrison Shiling Pass.

This time, Chuluo Khan came and went quickly, without conquering a single city, but he looted along the way, which was both an open invasion and a show of force.

The Turks could come and go freely in this important northern border town of the Tang Dynasty, and no one could control them. This was undoubtedly a great warning and threat to the Tang Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)