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

Chapter 465 Daily Offering of Wine to Ma Binwang

As dawn broke,

The servants and servants of Wuji Fortress had already gotten up, washed, and prepared for the new day.

Last night, Li Yi was flattered by Yu Shu, a Silla maid, and couldn't resist, so he had sex with her twice and got up late this morning.

By the time he got up, the sun was already high in the sky.

He yawned, and two Hu women who heard the commotion came in from the outer room to help him dress, comb his hair, and wash up.

The two Hu women moved gently, their exotic appearances accentuated by the high-waisted ruqun (traditional Chinese dresses) they wore, which made them appear even more majestic.

It was intentional; they must have done it on purpose.

Li Yi felt his blood and qi fluctuating, and quickly restrained himself. No wonder most emperors died young; spending all their time surrounded by women made it difficult for them to withstand the test of time.

After washing up,
Third Aunt had already prepared breakfast for him and cooked it herself.

"There are fresh shepherd's purse this season. Lanxiang and her siblings went to dig them up this morning. They were so tender and still covered in dew."

There are two seasons for eating shepherd's purse: early spring and late autumn.

Shepherd's purse is delicious whether it's cooked into porridge, made into a cold dish, or used in dumplings. Today, Luo San Niang made shepherd's purse and black rice porridge and shepherd's purse dumplings for Li Yi.

And another bowl of smooth tofu pudding.

This breakfast suited Li Yi's taste perfectly; it was refreshing and not greasy.

While eating breakfast, Li Yi chatted with Luo San Niang. This girl, who used to be a big, unkempt young girl, has really changed a lot.

Money can make a person; after marrying into a wealthy family for several years, she now possesses a great deal of elegance.

Just like the Luo family, she went from being a sparrow to a phoenix.

"Where is Taiping Lang?"

"The Princess Consort is showing him and Ping Anlang around Wuji Academy." Luo San Niang sat there with a dignified air.

Despite having her own son Erlang, Luo Sanniang could only call Du Shiniang "Mother." She usually took care of him in Shiniang's room, and Luo Sanniang did not show any dissatisfaction, even when she was alone with Li Yi.

"My lord, our persimmon wine is now famous not only in the Central Plains, but also in the Turkic grasslands. Merchants from Liaodong Goguryeo, Haidong Baekje and Silla, and even Japan are vying for it."
The Tuyuhun and Dangxiang peoples of the northwest, as well as the Sogdian merchants of the Western Regions, all vied for it.

"Our family increases persimmon wine production every year, but it still can't meet the demand. Autumn pears are also in harvest season now, and we usually make pear-infused liquor, which is quite popular."
Should we buy more pears this year to make more pear-flavored liquor?

Li Yi wasn't too concerned about these things right now. "Since they sell well, let's brew more."

Even now, food remains precious and a scarce commodity.

Even in the relatively stable Guanzhong region, the ban on brewing has not yet been lifted. Private individuals are not allowed to brew alcohol from grain, and the imperial distilleries also face restrictions on production.

Although the wine made from persimmons by Li Yi was not as popular as traditional millet wine or glutinous rice wine, it did not consume grain and was very potent, making it very popular among the common people, soldiers, and nomadic groups.

Tuli, the young Khan, has made a fortune by monopolizing the distribution of persimmon liquor on the Turkic grasslands from his sworn brother Li Yi.
Jieli launched several invasions against Tang this year, but Tuli found excuses not to participate each time. He no longer needs to plunder southwards; he can make money without lifting a finger, so why would he risk going south to plunder?

Li Yi was more concerned about the current planting of potatoes, cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins in the Li family.

After several years, the Xiangrui Golden Potato has been successfully promoted. The Li family made a lot of money just selling potato seeds a few years ago.

Compared to potatoes, which are considered auspicious, the Li family is less high-profile about sweet potatoes, corn, and cotton. They simply work hard to grow them, increasing the amount they plant each year.

"Now every household in Luojiabao grows sweet potatoes. On the banks of the Haohe River below the plateau, they grow Osmanthus Ball Rice, while on Shenhe Plateau, they grow a season of wheat and then a season of sweet potatoes. The yield of sweet potatoes is quite good."

After these sweet potatoes are harvested, they can be used as a staple food alongside other grains, saving a significant amount of food throughout the year and eliminating worries about food shortages during lean periods.

Li Yi has always hoped to realize the idea of ​​feeding pigs and chickens with potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn as soon as possible, but he has not been able to do so yet.

Although sweet potatoes were no longer a rarity in aristocratic households, they were not yet common in ordinary people's homes.

The villagers of Luojiabao were only able to cultivate two mu of land per family this year. As for other villages in the surrounding area, they could only cultivate such small plots of land in their vegetable gardens.

The harvested sweet potatoes were used for seed if they were good, and kept as food if they were not so good. They could be boiled, steamed, or stewed, which was much better than eating bran and wild vegetables.

The pig wants to eat, but it's still a long way off.

The pigs in the Li family can only eat sweet potato vines now. Sweet potato vines can be continuously pruned and fed to pigs, and proper pruning can even help increase production.

The Li family's tenants and servants are now enjoying these auspicious foods: steamed potatoes, corn porridge, and sweet potato rice.

These were used in pig feed in later generations.
These days, the servants and retainers of the Li family are eating very well. In addition to their original rations, they have received a lot more mixed grains, which means everyone is able to eat their fill.

Originally, during the off-season, we would eat two meals a day, one of which had to be thin porridge. But now, with rice cooked into thin porridge and these coarse grains, we can eat our fill.

The servants and tenants of other people were extremely envious.

After all, when auspicious omens first appeared a few years ago, each one could fetch more than ten taels of gold, but now even the servants of the Li family are eating these auspicious omens.

"Sweet potatoes are not as good as golden potatoes. If you don't cook sweet potatoes with rice, they can easily cause heartburn, while golden potatoes won't. However, sweet potatoes have a high yield, and they are good for making starch and vermicelli."

"Corn is easier to preserve after harvest, but it doesn't taste very good. Whether made into corn rice or corn porridge, it's not very palatable, but it can fill your stomach. The yield is good, and it doesn't have high requirements for land, water, or fertilizer." "Our family grows cotton, but officials keep persuading us to stop, saying it takes up land and affects our grain harvest, which has prevented us from growing more."
The harvesting, deseeding, processing, spinning, and weaving of cotton are all quite troublesome, but the resulting cotton cloth remains highly sought after and its price has remained consistently high; a bolt of fine cotton cloth can be worth five bolts of fine white silk.

Li Yi listened as Luo Sanniang spoke, bit by bit.

She has a comprehensive understanding of the family's businesses and can provide data to support her claims.

"How is our pig farming business, especially the joint pig farming with the villagers, going?"

"Yes, our family's pig farming business has grown many times over in the past two years, especially after the promotion of cooperative pig farming, it has developed very rapidly."

The pig manure alone, obtained from raising pigs, has significantly increased our grain yield per mu (unit of land area).

Raising sows to sell piglets, supplying pork, and making cured meat has led to rapid development and considerable profits.

Most importantly, not only did the Li family make money raising pigs, but they also helped other villagers increase their income. The Li family had skilled pig farmers and even offered specialized courses on postpartum care for sows.
There is a dedicated veterinary team to support castration and treatment, safeguarding this industry.

Traditionally, the Jingzhao Wei family, a major pig farmer in the Beijing area, mainly raised free-range pigs. The Li family, however, is now adopting a completely different cooperative and pen-raising model.

Like Li Yi, many of the Li family's businesses have taken unconventional paths, but they have all been very successful.

Even the tofu skin workshop that was once on the verge of being abandoned has actually seen its business grow again in recent years as the Li family's status has risen rapidly. Now it is not only flourishing everywhere, but also selling well in various regions, and even reaching the Turkic grasslands.

Many people are making this now, so it's not as profitable as it used to be, but the market demand is still quite large, and with large-scale operations, there can still be considerable profits.

After dinner,

Li Yi sought out Luo San.

"The sage has appointed me to establish a state and to recommend officials to the state. I wish to have my third uncle serve as my household steward, with the rank of seventh grade."

Luo San is the head of the household, Guo Erlang is the chief farmer, and Ma Zhou is the lieutenant. The steward Fu An and the accountant Ping An are also the chief farmer and the lieutenant, respectively.

"What does a household steward do? I can't be an official."

"Uncle, don't worry. The head steward of the Wu'an County Kingdom is essentially the same as the chief steward. The chief farmer and the lieutenant are also stewards."

Luo San and his men were originally the stewards and managers of Li Yi's household, with the added title of "state official".

Ma Zhou, who was summoned, was somewhat surprised to hear that he had been appointed as the Commandant of the Kingdom of Wu'an.

"Mr. Ma, would you be willing?"

Ma Zhou was stunned for a moment, "I am deeply grateful for the Prince's appreciation of a lowly scholar like myself."

He was a twenty-year-old scholar from Bozhou, Hebei. His family was poor, but he was diligent and studious from a young age. He grew up to be quite talented, especially proficient in the Book of Songs and Zuo Zhuan. However, he was somewhat unappreciated, unrestrained, and fond of drinking, so he was not respected by the villagers.

When Li Yi was in Bozhou, Hebei, he also heard about this talented and unrestrained scholar. He knew the name of Ma Zhou, a famous minister in the Zhenguan era recorded in history books, who became the prime minister of Emperor Taizong from a commoner.

In terms of background, Ma Zhou and Liu Rengui were similar.

Liu Rengui was at least employed by Ren Gui, but Ma Zhou had yet to find a patron.

Li Yi invited Ma Zhou to become his retainer.

This time, they simply appointed him as their own Grand Commandant, a position within the national government responsible for guard duties. Although it was only a ninth-rank official post, at least he now had a formal position.

"Brother Binwang, would you be willing to take on the position of Commandant?"

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. I am willing to give it a try."

Li Yi is also willing to mentor talented people, whether they are young people who are not recognized for their talents or those who have no opportunities due to their poor background. He does not mind giving them a helping hand.

"I will need to trouble you, Brother Binwang, with my paperwork in the future."

"It is my honor that the Prince trusts Ma Zhou."

Li Yi and Ma Zhou had been getting along for a while. Ma Zhou, who was just over twenty years old, had no flaws except for his fondness for drinking.

He was very good at writing, but because of his ordinary background and lack of support, he could only remain unrecognized in his hometown.

Li Yi was willing to give him a chance to showcase his talents, so how could he refuse? He only thought about demonstrating his abilities well. Even if he wasn't expected to be recognized by Li Yi and recommended to the court in the future, at least working for Li Yi would bring him a very generous reward.

Not to mention the generous allowances of money, silk, and monthly rations, they also provided him with clothing expenses, transportation fees, and even a special daily supply of a dou (a unit of volume) of wine.

The customary serving of the Imperial Secretariat attendants was only three liters of fine wine.

Wang Ji, the younger brother of Wang Tong, a great Confucian scholar from Hedong, was once known as a man of supernatural abilities. When the court summoned former officials, he was appointed as a corrector in the Secretariat of the Sui Dynasty. He was then transferred to the Chancellery. Chen Shuda, a court official, particularly appreciated him and made an exception by increasing his daily supply of fine wine from three liters to one dou (a unit of volume) of fine wine. He was known as the "Scholar of One Dou of Wine".

Wang Ji was known as a child prodigy from a young age. He later rose to the position of Secretary in the Imperial Secretariat. Although his official rank wasn't high, his reputation was immense.
Only a renowned scholar like him could enjoy the privilege of a daily jug of fine wine.

Ma Zhou was currently unknown, yet the Prince of Wu'an was willing to provide him with a dou of wine every day and even gift him a fine horse for transportation. What reason did Ma Zhou have not to serve the Prince of Wu'an?

Li Yi compiled a list of his official staff, consisting of dozens of officials, and assigned the titles of senior officials to all the stewards of the Li family. He then submitted the list to the imperial court.

The newly appointed stewards of the Li family were quite excited.

(End of this chapter)