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

Chapter 461 No Longer Father and Son

happiness,

It's determined through comparison.

The villagers of Luojiabao in Yusu Township are now living very happily because their lives are much better than those of the surrounding villagers.

Several years ago, after a torrential rain caused a precipitous collapse, only eighteen households remained in the village. During the sweltering summer, they could only live in small shacks made of straw built along the rice paddies and irrigation ditches. The days were scorching and stifling under the blazing sun, and the nights were filled with swarms of mosquitoes and the deafening croaking of frogs.

A few years later, Luo Family Fort now has seventy-two households, half of which are soldiers.

Eighteen households belonged to officials.

Even if other families weren't officials or had their own soldiers, they still lived quite well. They owned dozens of acres of land, which they entrusted to tenant farmers to cultivate. Most of the couples worked as managers in Li Yi's manor or workshop.

The income is not low, and the child is still studying at Wuji Academy Primary School.

In Luojiabao today, every household has built a courtyard house, and the cave dwellings have become storage rooms for miscellaneous items.

They all basically had servants and tenants, and owned cattle and horses.

When you mention Luojiabao, everyone in the surrounding villages envies it. Nowadays, when people from Luojiabao go out, their voices carry more weight.

The daughters of Luo Family Fort are sought after by the surrounding area, and the men of Luo Family Fort are also sought after by women from the surrounding area.

All these changes were brought about by Li Yi of Wuji Fortress.

Beside Luojiabao Bridge,

Upon hearing that Li Yi had returned to his hometown, people from all around came to welcome him.

This wooden bridge has now been rebuilt into a stone bridge, which is taller and wider, and there is no longer any worry about it being washed away by water. A covered walkway has even been built on the bridge, turning it into a covered bridge.

It can be used for both passage and rest.

The old trees at the south end of the bridge where Li Yi and Luo San Niang used to sell tofu pudding are still lush, but the stalls under the trees have been upgraded to shops.

From the bridgehead, past Wuji Academy, then past Guozhuang, and uphill all the way to Fengjiabao on the plateau, it's a long road lined with shops and houses on both sides.

There are various shops, inns, and guesthouses.

It has changed dramatically. It is now just as bustling as the General's Camp Market. There is a market here every other day, and the shops along the main street are open every day.

"Our Wuji Academy now has over a thousand students,"

Under the shade of a tree at the bridgehead, Mr. Leng, a scholar from Wuji Academy, spoke to Li Yi.

The primary school has been upgraded to an academy, which now has a primary school section, a girls' primary school section, and the main academy campus, as well as various affiliated technical training classes. Most of these classes are for students recruited by the Li family themselves through a targeted training program. Examples include apprentice doctors and pharmacists recruited by Qianjin Pharmacy and Wuji Medical Hall, as well as training classes in blacksmithing, woodworking, lacquerware, papermaking, textiles, and veterinary medicine.

More than a thousand people study and train here, which has made Luojiabao lively and boosted consumption.

The place where the tofu pudding stall used to be located at the bridgehead is now a tofu pudding shop. Customers coming and going all like to have a bowl, since they all know that this shop was run by Li Sikong before he became famous. They say that if you eat a bowl of tofu pudding when you pass by, you can get some good luck and be safe.

Li Yi sat under the shade of a tree by the bridge outside the shop and ordered a bowl of tofu pudding to reminisce about the academy's headmaster, Dong Xiucai; Guo Erlang, the village head of Guozhuang; Luo Er, who had a hunchback but a loud voice; as well as Township Head Wang, Township Assistant Feng, and others.

A group of old acquaintances sat around a table.
The others could only stand at a distance and accompany them.

The tofu pudding is very tender and smooth. You can add honey, soy sauce, or even toppings like minced meat. You can also add vinegar; it goes with any flavor you like.
But Li Yi couldn't seem to taste the same flavor as before.

He couldn't recognize Luo Family Fortress anymore.

The two Wuji Fortresses, one big and one small, stand like sisters at the bridgehead, but everything else has changed.

This place has become lively and bustling.
It became a bustling little town, just like Zhangqiaodian in Weizhou.

That large stone arch bridge is very well built and can be considered a scenic spot in Shenhe Plain.

Along the banks of the Hao River, the rice paddies have begun to turn yellow, the rice ears heavy with ripeness, a sign of a bountiful harvest.

This autumn, the 10,000 mu of Osmanthus Ball Rice along the Haohe River will be harvested again.

Dong Xiucai's hair has turned completely white, but he is in good spirits. Wuji Academy is doing very well now, with a great reputation. Countless people come here to study, and many landlords, powerful and wealthy merchants in the capital area are willing to provide scholarships for their sons to study here at their own expense.

Many people are only interested in Li Yi's reputation and try every means to squeeze in.

The academy's academic society is growing stronger and stronger, with several thousand members. This is quite remarkable, considering that the entire academy has only a little over a thousand students, yet more than three thousand people have donated money to become members.

Even the Luo Family Bridge Association, which Luo San organized at Li Yi's behest to rebuild the Luo Family Bridge, now has more than a thousand members.

The Wuji Academy now owns over 3,000 acres of land, 22 branches of the Wuji Pharmacy, and several workshops. The academy's annual revenue is quite impressive, fully covering the academy's expenses with a surplus.
With the surplus money, the academy built the Wuji School Granary, purchasing grain at higher market prices during bumper years for storage. The grain was used not only as a school canteen, but also to provide relief to orphans and widows in the vicinity, help impoverished students, and provide low-interest loans for young seedlings.

The school warehouse can also generate revenue every year.

Every year, the association also purchases some farmland and forests, making it a behemoth in the village.

Headmaster Dong is no longer worried about the school's operating expenses, mainly because so many people want to come that he can't even keep up with the demand. Also, he really wants to make the academy more formal and focus on classical studies, but Li Yi's educational philosophy is more about strengthening primary education and providing targeted vocational training.

Dong Xiucai felt that running the academy together with this would lower its prestige, but Li Yi insisted.

Li Yi did not object to Dong Xiucai running an academy to study Confucian classics, but he felt that this was not a path that ordinary children could take, especially the children of many ordinary villagers, after all, only a minority had that talent.

Li Yi hoped that most of the children could attend primary school for two or three years, which would broaden their horizons. Among them, the bright ones would be given further training to learn a certain skill, so that they could work directly for a workshop or shop. For many children from ordinary backgrounds, this was a good way out.

of course,

Li Yi was also cultivating talent for his own family, training apprentices in batches. This was much faster than the one-on-one mentoring system, and it greatly helped the Li family's business expansion. Moreover, these apprentices he trained himself were more reliable, since most of them were the sons of his own tenants and hired laborers.

"The imperial court will be holding the Mingjing and Jinshi examinations next year, and I heard that they might also hold the Xiucai examination," said Dong Xiucai, who still hoped that Wuji Academy could produce some Jinshi, Mingjing, and even Xiucai.

But to succeed in the imperial examinations, having Li Yi, the Minister of Works, as a protector is not enough; one must also possess genuine talent and learning. Regardless of the subject of the examination, one must master the Nine Classics, at least one or two of them.

Dong Xiucai had participated in the imperial examination for scholars during the Sui Dynasty, but he was not admitted. He was determined to help Wuji Academy reach new heights.

Li Yi smiled and expressed his support.

“I used to say that I hoped you would take the Mingjing or Jinshi exams after the imperial examinations were reinstated, but things have changed.” Dong Xiucai sighed.

Given Li Yi's current status—Minister of Works, Grand Councilor, Pillar of State, and Prince of Wu'an—it's naturally impossible for him to take the imperial examinations again.

"Qilang can participate in next year's imperial examination. I believe that with his abilities, he can easily pass the examination to become a Mingjing candidate."

Dong Qilang is the son of Dong Xiucai and is now the deputy headmaster of the academy.

In recent years, Lao Dong has kept his son in check; otherwise, Dong Qilang would have joined Li Yi's service long ago.

Guo Erlang has changed a lot. He no longer has the same ease he used to have when facing Li Yi. He even feels a bit uncomfortable sitting next to Li Yi.

He used to consider himself Li Yi's uncle and elder, but now Li Yi is someone he dares not look directly at.

Li Yi did remember this man, although Guo Erlang had many flaws in his eyes. He was stingy, exploited the people, and even lent money at exorbitant interest rates to the villagers.
But this is a common problem among small landowners in the countryside. "What is Uncle busy with these days?"

Guo Erlang quickly stood up, bowed, and said that he was now one of the vice presidents of the Luojiabao Stone Bridge Association, responsible for managing the farmland purchased with donations from the association members, as well as some shops at the bridgehead and the association's warehouse.

The bridge association actually owns 1,200 acres of land and a bridge warehouse for loans. The annual income from land rent and shop rentals, after deducting a portion for bridge maintenance and river dredging, is used for loans.

Since the head of the bridge association is Luo San, the rules still follow Li Yi's. The loan interest rate is much lower than that in the countryside, which can be considered as helping and facilitating the villagers. At the same time, the bridge association's funds can continue to accumulate.

This is a special foundation. The advantage of this is that in the future, there will be no need to apportion expenses to the people for bridge repairs and river dredging. The assets of the bridge foundation can continue to accumulate and appreciate. The money of the bridge foundation can even be lent to the people for their convenience, and the grain reserves can also be used for disaster relief.

With landlords and powerful figures like Li Yi taking the lead in donating funds and continuing to operate the business, the burden on the villagers could be greatly reduced.

This can be considered a traditional way for local gentry to benefit their communities.

In any case, Yushu Township now has not only the Luojiabao Bridge Association, but also the Road Association. The wealthy families donated a sum of money, with Li Yi contributing the lion's share, buying land and fields, and using the proceeds to maintain the roads in Yushu Township.

If the road construction fund is well managed, then the villagers won't have to pay for road repairs anymore.

Eating tofu pudding and chatting at the bridgehead
The steward of Wuji Fort had already gone to the pig farm to select pigs as instructed by Luo San. Many pigs were to be slaughtered today, and a banquet would be held at Wuji Fort. The food was actually simple, just braised meat noodles, and people from all around could eat.

This feast will surely attract many people and cost a considerable amount, but for Li Yi, who hasn't been back for over a year, treating his fellow villagers to a bowl of stewed meat noodles is just a small gesture.

He still cared a lot about his hometown.

Ten miles away, on the Shenhe Plain, at the Changning Palace, Prince Qin, Li Shimin, arrived quietly with Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Changsun Wuji.

The Changning Palace, which he built for his mother, has long been completed and is quite magnificent.

Li Shimin strolled through the royal temple, but there was no smile on his face.

After returning to Beijing, he felt that oppressive atmosphere.

His father was suppressing him, while his elder brother, the crown prince, was full of hostility towards him.

Today, the emperor issued an edict to adopt his second son, Li Kuan, to his fifth brother, Zhiyun, who would then inherit the title of Prince of Chu.

His second son, Li Tai, the Prince of Yidu, was promoted to Prince of Wei and adopted by his fourth brother, Yuanba.

Li Shimin was not happy at all that his two sons had been granted the title of prince, because these two sons had been adopted by his deceased brother and were no longer father and son.

Li Kuan and Li Tai would call him uncle from then on, which Li Shimin found hard to accept. He suggested that the emperor select someone from the imperial clan to be adopted by Yuanba and Zhiyun, but the emperor did not agree.

The imperial edict was issued, and the titles and ranks were determined.

What bothered him most was not just this, but also that he already knew that after his return to the capital this time, the emperor did not intend to let him return to Luoyang.

Even though he was known as the Grand General of the Heavenly Strategy and the Grand Chancellor of the Shaanxi-Eastern Circuit, he couldn't go to Luoyang, so these titles were just empty honors.

Hou Junji came over.

"Your Majesty, many villagers from this plateau are heading to Wuji Fortress. They say that King Wu'an is going to hold a banquet there, and people from the surrounding villages will be able to eat their fill of stewed meat noodles."

Li Shimin looked south, which was only about ten miles away.

“Then let’s go incognito and try his lavish feast of stewed meat and noodles. We’re hungry too,” Li Shimin said.

The group changed into civilian clothes and even changed their horses to mules.

"Kemin, do you think Li Yi has any way to break out of my current predicament?"

Du Ruhui thought for a moment, "Wu Yi has always been quick-witted and unconventional in his actions. Perhaps he really has a good way to break the deadlock."

They rode mules to Wuji Fortress, where a huge crowd had already gathered from afar.

"How many people have come?"

Hou Junji said, "With this braised meat noodles, you can eat your fill. Who wouldn't come? Everyone who knows about it wouldn't miss it. Prince Wu'an is really generous. How many bowls does each person eat? How much meat and noodles will he eat in this meal?"

Changsun Wuji patted his large belly and said, "Who doesn't know that Prince Wu'an is wealthy? What's a few bowls of noodles to him?"

The group finally managed to squeeze into Luojiabao.

Li Yi was quite surprised to see Li Shimin and the others brought into the fort by Luo San. "I have something I'd like to ask you."

Invite the person into the study.

Li Shimin got straight to the point, explaining his current predicament.

"Does Wu Yi have a brilliant plan to help me break this deadlock?"

"Does Your Majesty wish to return to Luoyang?"

"Yes, Chang'an is a cage to me now. I really don't want to be trapped here. The Crown Prince is hostile to me now, and I'm even worried that staying in Chang'an for too long will be dangerous."

Li Yi brewed tea for him.

“Actually, before returning to the capital, I told Your Majesty to lie low for a while and keep a low profile. Given the current situation, we cannot rush back to Luoyang. The more Your Majesty wants to return to Luoyang, the more likely things will turn out the opposite.”

"Then what should I do?" Li Shimin frowned.

Li Yi took out a tea cake and, while using a tea needle to pry the tea, said, "I heard from my teacher, Mr. Dong, that the imperial court will hold the imperial examinations next year?"

Li Shimin wouldn't care about that and said he didn't know.

"Now that the north has been pacified, Prince Xiaogong of Hejian and General Li Jing have launched a campaign to destroy Xiao Xian. I estimate that Xiao Xian will be defeated soon, and then, following this momentum, Lin Shihong, Li Zitong, Wang Hua, and others will certainly not be able to withstand the attack."

Du Fuwei only needed an imperial edict to enter the capital, and Lingnan was pacified with a simple proclamation.

This year, the world will be at peace in due course.

Li Shimin felt that Li Yi was too optimistic; it couldn't be that fast.

"Your Majesty, the key point is that the world is about to be unified. Some people in the court may call for a shift from military to civil administration. Therefore, I advise Your Majesty to calm down and build a literary academy in the Qin Prince's Palace to receive learned people from all over the country. You can appoint some officials from the Qin Prince's Palace, the Shaanxi East Circuit Grand Secretariat, and the Tian Ce Mansion to serve as scholars in the literary academy."
He summoned them to the capital, where they were divided into three shifts to take turns discussing literature and classics with His Highness.

Li Shimin looked puzzled.

At this time, reading?

Seeing that he was momentarily blinded by his own involvement, Li Yi directly pointed out, "If His Majesty won't allow Your Majesty to go to Luoyang, then Your Majesty should summon your trusted confidants back to Chang'an. Ostensibly, it's to establish a literary academy and discuss literature with scholars, but in reality..."

Li Shimin suddenly realized the truth.

"Your Majesty, I recommend Wei Zheng to the Qin King's Palace and the Academy of Scholars," Li Yi said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)