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

Chapter 467 Confidants
"Thirteen Lang wants to go back to the capital."

Holding her youngest daughter, Yu Youniang spoke to her sworn brother, Li Yi.

“Great! Hexi has been relatively peaceful these past two years. There aren’t many good opportunities there besides eating sand.” Li Yi hugged her eldest son. “Brother-in-law can stay in the capital when he comes back. Don’t worry, I’ll make the arrangements.”

Yu Youyu smiled. Although they were sworn siblings, she knew he would always help if she asked. These past few years had been the most peaceful and happy days of her life; she and Shisanlang had finally become a couple and had a son and a daughter.
The only drawback is that Thirteen Lang is away from home most of the year, only returning once or twice a year, resulting in a long separation.

"Thirteen Lang said that if he comes back, he still wants to stay by your side."

"I will be returning to Hebei soon and will not be returning to the capital for some time."

The young woman smiled and said, "Then he's willing to go to Hebei."

"You're willing too, sister?"

Yu Youniang could only smile bitterly, "Men should have ambitions beyond their hometowns, while we women have no choice but to stay home and take care of the children. We can't be a burden."

"Sister, you now live in Yushu Township. Is life there convenient and comfortable for you?"

"It's great. Thanks to you, we've settled in Luo Family Fortress and acquired land here and there. We have servants at home, it's all very nice. If you get bored, go to Chang'an for a while and spend some time with Shi Niang and the others."

Yu Youniang is quite satisfied with her current life. She used to live a life of luxury, but later her family was ruined and she was forced into prostitution. Those days of being forced to smile were unbearable to recall.

Li Yi admired the women's resilience. They were so young, yet their husbands were away from home for most of the year. Even if they were financially well-off, they still lacked someone to rely on.

But whether it's Yu Youniang, Du Shiniang, or Ji Lingyi, these women are all virtuous and content. They don't complain much; they just try their best to manage the household chores.

In their words, men should aspire to travel far and wide, and women should support them. Compared to ordinary people, they should actually be content.

During those years of war, many people sold their wives for a single bushel of millet, and some even pawned their wives to others.

"Now that you're back, spend more time with Shi Niang. These past few years, her family has suffered one terrible tragedy after another. It's pitiful, really. Her grandmother, father, and two elder brothers from her mother's side all passed away one after another, and she's been in mourning ever since."
You've been married for several years, and you still don't have a child. She's actually suffering inside.

Li Yi nodded, "I know." He also felt quite indebted to his wife. When they first got married, he didn't want her to get pregnant so young, but who would have thought that she would have to observe four years of mourning later.

Du Shiniang is the first wife, and now she is a princess, but she has three daughters and two sons in her family, none of whom are her own. It's impossible for her not to feel anxious.

Being the first wife isn't easy. There's plenty of intrigue and backstabbing in the inner quarters. It's just that the Li family is a little better off, as it's not so open or obvious, but there's still a lot going on behind the scenes.

Unfortunately, her husband had a bad relationship with her family, and now her family has suffered so many misfortunes—her father and elder brother have died. Although her family still has her mother, uncles, cousins, sisters-in-law, and nephews, their fortunes have ultimately declined.

In the past, the Fengxiang Marquis's mansion, from his grandmother, Madam Guo, to his father and elder brother, all looked down on Li Yi. Who could have imagined that Li Yi would have reached such a high position today?

“Alas, Shi Niang still has to observe mourning for two more years,” Yu You Niang sighed.

"I'll write a letter to my brother-in-law. If he wants to come back, I'll make arrangements for him." Li Yi changed the subject. Xiao Shisan was skilled in both literature and martial arts, and his abilities were actually quite strong. However, he didn't get many opportunities under Yang Gongren in Hexi, and he was still just a seventh-rank registrar.

On the other hand, those who have followed Li Yi all these years, such as Liu Heizi, have all become General of the Cavalry, and Luo Dafu, Luo Wu, and others have also become Generals of the Chariots and Cavalry.

Li Yi's senior fellow apprentice, Wei Zheng, had just been appointed by the imperial court as the Right Vice Minister of the Grand Secretariat of Shaanxi East Circuit and Secretary of the Tian Ce Mansion. He was also appointed by the Prince of Qin as a scholar of the Qin Prince's Literary Academy, a position of the fourth rank, and he held several other positions concurrently.

Zhang Hao, a cousin of Li Yi's maternal uncle Zhang He, followed Li Yi on his campaigns in Henan and Hebei, and is now a sixth-rank official.

Sometimes, doing a good job is not as important as having a good mentor.

The four princes of the imperial clan who followed Li Yi in conquering Hedong are now either governors or prefects, and they hold real positions rather than nominal ones.

Life in the countryside is actually quite difficult to find peace and quiet.

It is said that poverty is unknown even in bustling cities, while wealth attracts distant relatives even in remote mountains. This saying is indeed true. Li Yi is not only wealthy now, but also extremely valuable.

The dignified Prince of Wu'an, Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary, General of the Banner Guard of Wannian Road, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and Commander of the Left Guard, Grand General of Mingzhou, Pillar of the State, and General of the Right Guard...
Li Yi's eldest son, born out of wedlock, is a dignified Duke of Rongguo, while his second son, also born out of wedlock, is already a founding viscount of Qianshui County.

He stayed in the countryside.
They were all like the bright moon in the sky, too dazzling.

People come to visit every day, bringing all sorts of gifts.

Li Yi instructed his newly appointed officials to deflect any gifts from them, refusing all valuable ones. He would accept a small amount of local specialties, and in return, give them a gift of Li family specialties.

The Li family now has many local specialties, including not only bean products like dried bean curd sticks, but also persimmon fritters, pear fritters, soap, bamboo paper, cotton cloth, as well as osmanthus-shaped crystal rice, water chestnuts from the Haohe River, and lotus root.

Of course, the Li family's ham, sausages, cured meat, smoked chicken, salted duck, and salted duck eggs are also indispensable.

Li Yi usually doesn't see guests who come to the place. It's not that he's arrogant, but if he really wanted to see them, he would never be able to see them all.

He preferred to wander around the homes of his fellow villagers, chat in the fields, and have a simple meal and conversation in the courtyards of various households or the courtyards of the mountain cave dwellings.

That evening, Li Cunxiao invited Li Yi to dinner.

Knowing that Li Yi was also busy, the four Qiang people decided to have a meal together.

These four Qiang people, who originally came from the Chipai Qiang tribe in Longyou, have now become Qiang generals in the imperial court, each of them a fourth-rank Zhonglang General.

They are currently stationed in Hebei, and like Li Yi, they won't be able to stay in Chang'an for long before returning to Hebei.

As former prisoners of war of the imperial court and later servants of Li Yi, their journey had been far from easy. It was by chance that the four of them received their opportunity during the rebellion of three thousand Qiang soldiers in the capital region, a chance granted by Li Yi himself.

And then, step by step, we've come to where we are today.

The food was quite home-style. "Knowing that you don't like fancy things, I've prepared some simple home-style dishes today. The women in my family are all country women, and they're not very handy, so please don't mind. Also, a few of us personally roasted some meat in the style of our tribe in Longyou."

Not only do they have roasted lamb, but they also have chunks of pork.

The four insisted on settling in Luo Family Fort, and over the years their family home has been expanded several times, making it quite large, almost like a small fort.

There are quite a few servants.

Li Cunxiao and his companions also specially purchased some Qiang slaves from Longyou.

But their children are only taught Chinese, and they don't show any trace of the Qiang people.

Large skewers of mutton strung on willow branches, and chunks of pork cooked in a big pot, are quite hearty.

Their wives were all from the countryside, from humble backgrounds. They hesitated a bit when they married, but their fathers and brothers valued the generous dowries given by Li Cunxiao and his family, as well as their official positions.

She is indeed enjoying a life of luxury now. Her husband is a fourth-rank military officer who receives many rewards for his meritorious service in battle. He invests money in some businesses with the Prince of Wu'an and simply sits and shares the profits.

Women who wear gold and silver and have servants at their beck and call naturally obey their husbands and actively seek out concubines and maids.

The four Qiang generals are living quite comfortably now, each with seven or eight children and a large number of concubines and maids.

Li Yi saw contentment and happiness in them; their former wildness had largely faded. It was clear they loved the Tang Dynasty and were loyal to it.

Even if they were allowed to lead their troops back to their ancestral homeland of the Chipai Qiang tribe in Longyou, these four would probably show no mercy. Their flesh and blood might still be Qiang.
But in their minds, they had long since identified themselves as people of the Tang Dynasty.

Qiang-style roasted meat is quite delicious, rustic yet hearty.

Tuotuo meat is delicious as long as it's just sprinkled with a little salt after it's cooked.

Served with some green vegetables like chives, cucumbers, and eggplants, it's a simple yet delicious barbecue.

“Ah Lang, I respect you. Without your help, the four of us would probably have turned to dust long ago, and we wouldn’t be living such good lives today.”

"Yes, without Ah Lang, we wouldn't have so many wives and concubines and so many children today."

"Our position as a lieutenant general is all thanks to Alang. From Shannan to Hebei, we really didn't contribute anything significant."

The guys were drinking very heartily.
He loves persimmon wine the most, and he has a particularly high alcohol tolerance. He likes to fill a bowl with wine and take several big gulps.

Not only Li Yi came today, but all the guards from Luo Family Fort also came.

Liu Heizi, Luo Dafu, and the other ten were among the first to be recruited into the local militia through Li Yi's connections. They followed Li Yi from the conquest of Hedong to Shannan, Henan, and Hebei. In just a few years, they rose from tenant farmers, farmhands, tofu sellers, and charcoal burners to become General of the Cavalry and General of the Chariots, both of which were fifth or sixth-rank official positions, each commanding a thousand or eight hundred local militia.

The later batches of soldiers are now mostly captains, brigade commanders, and squad leaders.

It's true what they say: when one person attains enlightenment, the whole family benefits.

Hei Zi and the others are here today too. As fellow officers, it feels especially special to sit together and drink.

"I'll drink it, Ah Lang, do as you please!"

"I did it too."

Seeing how much these guys were drinking, Li Yi quickly said, "Slow down, there's no one else here at home, what's the rush? Don't waste all this roasted and stewed meat."

"Song Yi, roast some lamb tripe for me."

The atmosphere became more harmonious.

Li Cunxiao blushed and spoke directly, "My lord, I heard that the Emperor has allowed you to establish your own residence, and has also set up two residences, one for the tent and one for the empress, and given you five hundred guards for the empress and the tent. Both residences will have a commander and a deputy commander."

I want to go to Alang's place as a military commander, or even a deputy military commander.

Li Yi bit into a large chunk of meat. It was rare for this large chunk of meat to have skin on, and the skin was quite chewy.

“You are now a fourth-rank general, while the military commanders of the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Guard are only fifth-rank officials. This is a demotion for you.”

Li Cunxiao chuckled and said, "We just want to follow you, Alang. We don't care about rank four or five."

Liu Heizi immediately replied, "I also want to work by Alang's side, as a deputy commander is fine."

After finishing the chewy, bouncy piece of meat, Li Yi shook his head.

"In my Prince Wu'an's mansion, both the marriage and military staff, whether they are military commanders, deputy military commanders, captains, brigade commanders, or squad leaders, including the five hundred marriage and military staff, are all under the command of the imperial court."
"You are my most trusted family members, you wouldn't be an exaggeration to call you family, but this matter cannot be arranged. You should all just focus on doing your current jobs well. We're family, there's no need for you all to come and work for me; that would be nepotism."

Li Cunxiao and Liu Heizi all felt very regretful.

"Come on, this is a family dinner today, let's not talk about official business. Cunxiao and his friends' way of roasting mutton in Longyou Qiang ethnic group is really good, it tastes great. This chunk of meat is also stewed in a special way, it's crispy but not mushy, fatty but not greasy, have more."

Cunxiao's family raised many Qiang mastiffs, which were trained to be very obedient and squatted in the distance.

Tall and imposing, yet docile and obedient, just like their master.

(End of this chapter)