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

Chapter 505 Encountering an Old Friend in the Snow

On the east bank of the Hutuo River, in the suburbs of Raoyang County.

On a cold night, in Zhangzhuang Village, Beishanli, Linhe Township, the old village head Zhang Shanhu was repairing a plow by the light of a pine torch when his old dog suddenly started barking, and the geese in the yard also started honking.

The village head put down what he was doing and listened attentively.

Amidst the howling, cold wind, the muffled thud of horses' hooves pounding on the frozen earth could be faintly heard.

"Old woman, quickly tell the brides to take the children and hide them in the cellar."

The sound of horses' hooves that night made him uneasy. Whether they were bandits, rebel soldiers, or Turks, none of them were good people.

The old woman hurriedly responded and quickly began calling for people in each room.

Several young men came over, carrying machetes, spears, and hunting bows. These boys were the grandsons of the village chief, the oldest being sixteen or seventeen and the youngest only eleven or twelve. Although still young, they already showed a great deal of responsibility.

"You should quickly take your mother, younger brothers and sisters to the cellar to hide them," Zhang Shanhu hurriedly said.

“Azu, we’ll stay outside.”

The old man glanced at his five grandsons. He was originally from a prominent Zhang family and had served as a clerk in the county in his younger days. Later, as he grew older, he became unwilling to work in the government and returned to his hometown to become the village head. He once owned hundreds of acres of land, had many wives and concubines, and a house full of children and grandchildren.

But now, with his hair and beard turned white, the family has fallen into ruin.

The sound of horses' hooves drew near.

Then someone knocked on the door in the wind.

“Zhang Bo is at home, and Su Lie from Wuyi came to visit.”

Zhang Shanhu held a hunting bow in his hand and paused for a moment when he heard the words "Wuyi Su Lie".

He remembered an old friend.

Dogs barking and geese honking

The person outside was knocking politely on the door, but did not barge in.

Zhang Shanhu waited for a while before going out to open the courtyard gate.

Outside, amidst the wind and snow, several torches flickered, and in their light, he saw a young man standing at the very front.

"The second son of the Su family?"

"I thought Uncle Zhang didn't remember me."

“It’s been a few years since we last met.” Zhang Shanhu said, glancing at the people behind him. There were about a dozen of them, all leading tall horses, and they wore armor and carried weapons under their cloaks.

···
"I haven't seen you since your father died in battle in the ninth year of the Daye era. Raoyang has changed hands several times over the years."

First, the Sui Dynasty's Hejian Prefecture conscripted men and grain; later, Gao Shida conscripted able-bodied men; and then Dou Jiande, the governor of Shenzhou, conscripted money and grain.
Last year, the Tang court conquered Hebei and issued a notice exempting it from rent and taxes for a year. But now, the Gao Kaidao has taken it over. In the newly established Raozhou, they are even more ruthless, directly looting and even attracting Turks to plunder.

However, I heard that those guys just suffered a defeat in the south and are now fleeing in panic to Raoyang City. As he said this, Zhang Shanhu specifically looked at Su Dingfang.

Inside the thatched cottage, turnip porridge was simmering on a mud stove, making a bubbling sound.

Zhang Shanhu looked at Su Dingfang, who looked very much like his old friend Su Yong.

"Erlang, you were a general under Dou Gong before. Now, dressed in armor and carrying a sword, who are you under now?"

Looking at the old man in front of him, Su Dingfang recalled the chaos in Hebei at the end of the Daye era, when bandits were everywhere. His father organized a local militia and led the villagers to resist the bandits and protect the village.

Su Lie's hometown, Wuyi in Jizhou and Raoyang in Shenzhou, both belonged to Hejian Commandery during the Sui Dynasty. The two counties were separated only by Wuqiang County, so they were not far apart.

He accompanied his father on several trips to Raoyang to suppress bandits, and that's how he met Zhang Shanhu, the local village head. At that time, Zhang Shanhu wasn't so old yet. He led his men and local militia to fight the bandits, and his bow was known for its long and accurate shooting.

"To be honest, I now serve the Tang Dynasty."

Su Dingfang recounted his defeat and capture at Chanyuan last year: "After the Battle of Chanyuan, I spent two months pounding rice in the prisoner-of-war camp. Later, in the Battle of Mingshui, Dou Gong was defeated, captured, and surrendered, so I also submitted to the Tang Dynasty."
He is now the military commander in the inner court of Prince Li, the Minister of Works of Wu'an.

The turnip porridge was cooked, and Zhang Shanhu invited Su Dingfang and his ten personal guards to eat it while it was hot. "When Lord Dou was alive, we managed to have two years of relatively peaceful life. Just as things were starting to get better, Gao Kaidao rebelled and even led the Turks to plunder."
The family's meager food supplies were all looted; only a little turnip is left. Don't mind it.

Looking at the porridge with only a few grains of rice, Su Dingfang couldn't help but think of Zhang, the township head who had fought alongside his father back then, and who had also visited the Zhang family.

The Zhang family had a large population, with hundreds of servants and thousands of acres of land.

The house now clearly shows signs of having been burned down; the roof has been replaced with a thatched roof, and Uncle Zhang's clothes are old and patched.

"Luo Dayou".

"What are your orders, Commander?"

"Bring us the fried rice and dried meat we brought."

The team leader, Luo Dayou, turned and went out, quickly fetching a bag of fried rice and a small bag of dried meat from the horse in the yard.

Su Dingfang added fried rice and dried meat to the thin porridge.
"Uncle Zhang, you should eat too."

Zhang Shanhu looked at the turnip porridge, now filled with golden fried rice and brownish-red dried meat, and it looked incredibly tempting.

"Erlang, you've come for those rebels in Raoyang City, haven't you?"

"Yes, they were the ones I defeated on the outskirts of Shenze County. After I defeated three thousand of them, they fled all the way here. I pursued them relentlessly, determined to annihilate them completely."

Zhang Shanhu was somewhat surprised.
But then he burst into laughter, “You’re still the same Su Erlang from back then, fearless and invincible. Back in the day, I followed you and your son to fight in places like Hejian, and we defeated so many bandits.”

"However, there was already a rebel army in Raoyang City, and now there are no fewer than three thousand people in the city. It is also a city that can be defended, so it will not be easy to attack."

Su Dingfang smiled, "Unless they cower in the city and don't come out." After the alarm was lifted, Zhang Shanhu called out his family members who were hiding in the cellar.

Su Dingfang was surprised to find that Su Dingfang's family consisted of orphans and widows, with not a single able-bodied man among them.

"Uncle Zhang, what about my brothers?"

"Ugh."

At this point, Zhang Shanhu's expression turned sorrowful. "The eldest son was taken to conquer Liaodong, and his fate is unknown. The second son was taken to transport grain, but the grain was damaged by rain on the way, and fearing punishment, he fled and has also disappeared since."

The third son was killed by bandits when his family was attacked. He led the villagers to defend the village and was shot dead by the bandits' arrows.

The fourth son was later recruited by Cui Yuanxun, the governor of Shenzhou, and died in battle when he joined the army to attack Youzhou.

"Fifth brother, oh, fifth brother went to Cangzhou to sell salt, hoping to make some money and earn some grain, but he was robbed by bandits. He lost both his goods and himself."

"The sixth brother died of illness, the seventh brother,"

At this point, Zhang Shanhu shed tears, "Gao Kaidao rebelled, and the rebels brought Turks to plunder. The seventh son was killed by the Turks."

"The seventh day after his death has just passed."

Not only did he lose seven sons, but over the years, the once prosperous Zhang Shanhu family has seen its population halved.

Of the entire Zhangzhuang village, only about 30% from the early years of the Daye era remain.

"Now that the rebels have looted, even if the remaining orphans, widows, the elderly and weak have no food, I'm afraid many of them will not survive this lean spring famine."

Su Dingfang felt heartbroken when he heard this.

"Auntie, sisters-in-law, and all my nephews and nieces, come and have some porridge."

Su Dingfang invited them to sit down and drink turnip porridge with fried rice and dried meat.

Zhang Shanhu's older grandson, Zhang Erlang, looked at Su Lie's fine armor and asked with great admiration, "Are you Su Dingfang, the young warrior who could defeat ten thousand men, whom my grandfather often told us about?"

"Yes, I dare not claim to be a match for ten thousand men. I am Su Lie."

"Can you accept me? I'm eighteen years old this year, and I also want to join the army."

Why do you want to join the army?

"With soldiers and bandits coming and going, my family business has declined. I don't want to be bullied like this anymore. I want to join the army and protect my family."

Zhang Shanhu said, "This is the second son of the eldest son's family. His brother was also killed by the Turks not long ago, leaving behind a child who is not yet a year old."

Su Dingfang patted the young man on the shoulder, "You're still young, you have a long road ahead of you. My hometown, Jizhou, is safe for now."
Uncle Zhang, take your family and go to the Su family manor in Wuyi to take refuge temporarily. My manor still has some grain stored up. Stay there for now, and you can come back when the imperial court has quelled the rebels.”

After listening, Zhang Shanhu did not refuse, as it was indeed difficult to survive here now.

"Thanks."

"Uncle Zhang, why are you being so polite with me?"

“I’ll go to Raoyang City tomorrow to find out about the rebels in the city. I also have some acquaintances in the city, so I might be able to find an opportunity to help you open the city gates,” Zhang Shanhu said.

Turnip porridge with fried rice and dried meat.
The Zhang family ate with great relish.

"I've heard that Zhuge Dewei is currently in Raoyang City?"

“Yes, he joined the bandits Gao with Cui Yuanxun. Cui Yuanxun was appointed Governor-General of Shenzhou, while Zhuge Dewei was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry. He was stationed in Raoyang City,” Zhang Shanhu replied. “You know Zhuge Dewei?”

"He used to be my godfather Gao Yaxian's standard bearer, and later my godfather's personal guard captain. After my godfather was killed by Qin Shubao in Mingshui, he was also seriously injured. Afterwards, he chose to retire and return to his hometown. Unexpectedly, this time he went to join Gao Kaidao."

Zhang Shanhu hadn't expected this connection. "In that case, I'll go into the city tomorrow and deliver a letter to him. Maybe I can persuade him to surrender."

“I have a red official document stamped by Minister Li. If he is willing to surrender, I will appoint him as a fifth-rank general who pacifies the distant lands.”

Xie Ling and Cui Yuanxun were defeated and entered Raoyang City. The city gates were heavily guarded, and Su Dingfang had no chance to enter the city. He thought of his father's old friend Zhang Shanhu in the suburbs of Raoyang County.

“Uncle Zhang doesn’t need to go into the city in person. Just find a servant to deliver the letter to Zhuge Dewei. I used to have a good relationship with him, and I believe he will listen to my advice.”

The next day,

Zhang Shanhu insisted on going to Raoyang City in person, carrying the red edict of General Dingyuan. He entered the city smoothly and met Zhuge Dewei.

"Does Lord Liu say he has something extremely urgent to tell you?"

“General Zhuge, you are also a native of Raoyang. Our two families have had some dealings in the past, and your father and I were old friends,” Zhang Shanhu said, trying to establish a connection.

Zhuge Dewei nodded. "Hmm, Master Zhang isn't just here to reminisce about old times, is he?"

“The son of an old friend asked me to deliver a letter to General Zhuge.”

"The son of an old friend?"

When Zhang Shanhu handed him Su Wei's letter and the red edict that Li Yi had given him, Zhuge Dewei was stunned into thought.

"General Zhuge, Gao Kaidao is unlikely to achieve anything significant. Why waste your talents? Although we Hebei people all miss Dou Gong, the mandate of heaven has now fallen to the Tang Dynasty, and we should follow the trend of the times."

Now that Gao Kaidao has rebelled and even invited the Turks to invade, burning, killing, looting, and raping women everywhere, how can you, General, be an accomplice to evil?
The general should defect to the Tang, capture Xie Leng and Cui Yuanxun, open the city gates, and surrender to the Tang, thus gaining wealth and honor. If this opportunity is missed now...
The bandits will only further disrupt Hebei and ruin our lives.

"What will become of General Zhuge after the rebellion is quelled? And where will Rao Yang's descendants place him when they mention General Zhuge?"

"Prince Wu'an, Li Sikong, has already dispatched troops and is currently attacking Dingzhou. General Zhuge, do you think Gao Kaidao can stop Li Sikong?"

(End of this chapter)