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

Chapter 512 Li Sikong's Death warrant

"My lord, Minister Li has sent an invitation."

"This isn't an invitation, it's a death warrant."

In Anping City, Shenzhou, inside the Cui family residence, a middle-aged man with a worried expression dared not even accept the invitation his son brought.

“My lord, our Cui family of Boling, Anping branch, comprises five prominent clans and seven prestigious families. Even if Li Yi is a high-ranking official, such as Minister of Works and Grand Steward, what do we have to fear from him?”

The man sighed and waved for his son to leave the invitation behind.

Sitting alone in the study,

The man looked at the invitation and smiled bitterly. Of the five surnames and seven clans in the world, the Cui family alone occupies two positions: Qinghe Cui and Boling Cui. Of the forty-four top-tier core families among these five surnames, Boling Cui accounts for eight.

The earliest ancestor of the Boling Cui clan mentioned in historical records is Cui Chao, who served as an imperial censor during the reign of Emperor Zhao of the Western Han Dynasty. His son, Shu, served as governor of four commanderies.

Counting from the Cui dynasty, it has been eight hundred years since then, beginning in the Western Han dynasty and flourishing in the Northern Wei dynasty. In the late Northern Wei period, the Cui clan of Boling produced more than a dozen officials who reached the rank of third grade within a short span of forty years.

During the Northern Qi Dynasty, Cui Xian, Cui Jishu, and Cui Ang successively served as prime ministers, and were collectively known as the Three Cuis. The Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties produced important figures such as Cui Shuo, Cui Qian, and Cui You. The Sui Dynasty boasted figures like Cui Zhongfang, Cui Hongdu, and Cui Peng.

To this day, the most prosperous branch of the Cui family in Boling is the second branch. When Cui Xiaofen was killed by Gao Huan, five of his eight sons died, and the remaining three fled to Western Wei in Guanzhong. They were granted the surname Yuwen by Yuwen Tai and became a prominent family in Guanzhong.

Cui Mingan, the current Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, comes from the second branch of the family. They have long been a core family of the Guanzhong region.

And he is from Anpingfang, Boling.

Although the Cui clan of Boling is generally also called the Cui clan of Anping in Boling, the Anping branch usually refers to the descendants of Cui Lie, the cousin of Cui Shi in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

A beautiful woman brought over a soup.

His almond-shaped eyes glanced at the invitation on the table. "Is Ah Lang still worried about this matter?"

"How can I not worry? My Cui clan of Boling is a prestigious family with a thousand-year history. We originated from the Jiang clan and took our fiefdom as our surname. Ji Zi, the eldest son of Duke Ding of Qi, ceded the state to his uncle Yi, who was granted the fiefdom of Cui, and thus became the Cui clan."

Since the Han Dynasty, the Cui family has been a renowned family of Confucian scholars and writers. Of the twelve members of the Boling Cui family mentioned in the *Book of the Later Han*, six held the highest rank of official position in the Northern Dynasties.

The beautiful woman was already very familiar with the glorious history of the Cui family, and said with a smile, "Everyone knows what Li Sikong is thinking. Now that the war is over and there is a shortage of food and supplies, he wants to ask us for some money and grain to appease the people. Just give it to him."

Shenzhou was aware that Li Yi had previously issued bonds in Mingfu.

“It’s not that simple,” he sighed. “Third Uncle’s matter won’t be resolved so easily. If it were just about money and supplies, Li Yi wouldn’t have needed to send us invitations. He could have just sent a minor official to inform us.”

The man's third uncle,
It was Cui Yuanxun, who had been killed in Raoyang City not long ago. He had been a prefectural governor of the Sui Dynasty and later became the governor of Shenzhou under Dou Jiande. After Dou Jiande's defeat, he did not go to Chang'an, but returned to his home in Anping under the pretext of old age and illness.

However, when the rebel army of Gao Kaidao attacked Shending, Xie Leng came to the Cui family in Anping to invite Cui Yuanxun to come out of seclusion and become the governor of Shenzhou. Although Cui Yuanxun refused several times, Xie Leng was furious and found a pretext to kill a illegitimate son of the Cui family. Cui Yuanxun dared not refuse again and had no choice but to become the governor of Shenzhou of Gao Kaidao.

Before he had served as the steward for a full month, he was killed by Zhuge Dewei in Raoyang City.

Now, Gao Kaidao's rebel army has been driven out of Shenzhou by Su Dingfang, and Gao Kaidao himself has even fled to the border region. His old stronghold in Yuyang has been captured by Wang Junkuo.

Li Yi was appointed Grand General of Dingzhou.

It's time for a reckoning.

Because of Cui Yuanxun's affair, Anpingfang is unlikely to get away easily this time. When Li Yi and Li Shimin defeated Dou Jiande, they invited Cui Yuanxun to Mingzhou for discussions and even wanted to recommend him as the governor. However, Cui Yuanxun returned to his hometown on the grounds of old age and illness, wanting to wait for the situation to become clearer before making a decision.

Who would have thought that things would turn out this way?

"Hasn't Governor Su been quite polite to our Cui family lately?"

"What is Su Dingfang? He is just the military commander of Li Yi's palace and the remnant of Dou Jiande's troops. How can the Su family of Wuyi compare with our Cui family of Anping?"
He didn't have the guts to bare his teeth at us.

But Li Yi is different. That guy, Zheng Shanguo from Xingyang and Cui Shishu from Yanling married their daughters to him as concubines, and he still had to pay them a sum of money.

I have absolutely no idea how to handle this invitation.

The woman walked behind her husband and massaged his head. Cui Renshou, with his head resting on his full breasts, closed his eyes and temporarily forgot his troubles.

"My lord, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. The reputation of the Cui family of Boling is there, so Li Yi has to be careful."

I believe this person's actions in Hebei are motivated by a desire to do good, and he is not the domineering and unreasonable type like Gao Kaidao and Xie Leng.

Whether he issues bonds or buys grain, it's not for his own personal gain, but for the benefit of the people; he still has a bottom line as a human being.

If we cooperate a little, I believe he won't make things too difficult for us. Back when Dou Jiande was defeated, how many of those Xia state's ministers, secretaries, governors, generals, and officials were truly purged?

It seems like there aren't any?
Although my third uncle refused the Tang court's summons to return to his hometown and later became an official in charge of the Gao Kaidao, wasn't that also forced upon him? He only served as the chief steward for less than a month and didn't do anything bad.

After Ah Lang visited Li Yi in Dingzhou, he took the initiative to buy more bonds. Also, all the grain we've stockpiled, except for our own rations, should be taken out, whether by selling or donating.
Money and grain are just external things. Even if Li Yi wants land and gold and silver, we can give him some.

Once we get through this ordeal, the family will be able to recover its strength in a few years.

"Our Cui second branch from Boling has settled in Guanzhong for generations and now holds a relatively high position in the court, so Li Yi wouldn't dare to act recklessly."

In this imperial examination, the seventh brother, Cui Renyuan, passed the examination and became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) together with Cui Renshi, a member of the second branch of the family, thanks to the help of Cui Mingan, a Huangmen Shilang (a high-ranking official in the second branch of the family).

"I heard that in this imperial examination, Li Yi's senior fellow student, Sun Fujia, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, became the top scholar (Zhuangyuan). One of Li Yi's teachers' grandsons also passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examination), and he was in the same cohort as our Fifth and Seventh Brothers. You can mention this connection to Li Yi when the time comes..."

The woman massaged her husband's head as she spoke gently.

Choi In-soo closed his eyes and enjoyed it.
"My wife is truly a virtuous and capable helper."

“My maternal family, the Li family of Zhao County, has been dealing with Li Yi for some time, so we know him fairly well. He’s like a mule that’s easily swayed, and he won’t listen to force.”

"My wife, what do you think we should do if Li Yi wants to keep me in Dingzhou as his advisor?"

"Although Li Yi is young, he would be a good advisor. If you really want to recruit Alang, you might as well accept and give it a try. Alang is still young. Now that Third Uncle has left, someone in Anpingfang has to stand up. I think Li Yi will stay in Dingzhou for at least a few more years."

Cui Renshou hesitated for a moment, "Li Yi is too young. Although he is registered under the Imperial Clan Court, he was just a wandering Taoist priest before. Would it damage my reputation to serve as his advisor, given that I am the dignified head of the Cui Anping family of Boling?"

"My lord, Li Yi is the Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary of the court, the Right General of the Guard, and the Grand Administrator of Dingzhou. No matter how young he is, he has risen step by step through his merits."

Wasn't the Qin King, the renowned general who once shook the world, only in his early twenties?

"By the way, Renyuan wrote that he was introduced to Chancellor Chen Shuda, the Duke of Jiang, by the Second Branch of the Daozhen Clan in Chang'an. He was recommended by Chen Shuda and may be appointed as a military advisor in a prefecture. Tomorrow, take some gold leaves and silver ingots and I will send someone to Chang'an. They are easy to carry. Renyuan is making connections and arranging things in Chang'an. If he can really be appointed as a military advisor in a prefecture, although it is only a minor eighth-rank official, it is still a very good starting point."

Li said, "It's a pity I didn't get to be awarded the title of Zhengzi."

“After what happened to my third uncle, our family will not be able to get the official title of Zhengzi this year. However, my second uncle still helped a lot. He not only helped Wulang pass the imperial examination, but also made him a disciple of Chen Shuda, becoming a student of the prime minister. His future career will definitely not be bad. This time, I asked Shiren to send more gifts to Prime Minister Chen.”

The woman thought for a moment, “Actually, I think it would be better to use some connections to transfer back to Hebei and work under the Grand General’s Office in Dingzhou, even if I start as a ninth-rank military advisor, than to go to Guanzhou as a registrar.”

Cui Renshou was taken aback.

"Serving as an official under Li Yi?"

"My lord, Li Yi has a bright future. Even now, his power is in no way inferior to Chen Shuda's. Besides, our family has made a wrong move this time."

The next few years will definitely be difficult. If Wulang can get a position in the Dingzhou Grand General's Office, even if it's just a ninth-rank official, it will make a difference.

"I'll think about it some more," Cui Renshou said after a moment's thought.

···
Outside Yanmen Pass,

Shuozhou, Mayi.

On the banks of the Sanggan River,

Prince Li Da'en of Dingxiang stood on the hilltop, gazing at the north bank of the Sanggan River, where Mayi City lay to the north.

Down the mountain, the troops of the Daizhou General Administration were encamped for several miles, and they had been there for several days.

"As agreed, Dugu Shaojian led his army out of Loufan Pass and down the Sanggan River. They should have met here three days ago." Li Da'en frowned deeply. "Where are they? Where are they?"

Li Da'en has brought out all his resources this time, leading a total of 20,000 troops out of Yanmen Pass. The imperial court has ordered Dugu Sheng, the Junior Supervisor of the Palace, to lead 20,000 troops from Shi Lan's side northward to join forces on the banks of the Sanggan River.
Then, taking advantage of the famine in Mayi, they launched a counterattack against Yuan Junzhang to avenge the siege of Yanmen by Jieli's army that last month.

But now he's here.

Dugu Sheng's troops were nowhere to be seen.

The wind howls.
The Sanggan River has thawed, the shallow water is clear, and the grass and trees are sprouting, presenting a thriving spring scene in the border region.

But Li Da'en was in no mood to appreciate it.

A fast horse galloped in.

"Report,"

The knight drawled out his words, his voice hoarse, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Turks... the Turks have sent troops to Mayi."

Scouts reported that tens of thousands of Turkic cavalry were heading towards Mayi.

Heard this news,

Li Da'en's face turned deathly pale instantly, his eyes filled with rage.

The situation was unpredictable, but the plan was for two routes to advance simultaneously, meet at the banks of the Sanggan River, and then launch a surprise attack on Mayi City to kill Yuan Junzhang.

But now he has been waiting here for many days, and Dugu Sheng has failed to arrive on time, missing a great opportunity.

Not only did it alert the enemy, but it also attracted tens of thousands of Turkic cavalry.

There was no longer any chance to launch a surprise attack on Mayi.

Even his 20,000 troops are in great danger.

"Your Majesty, retreat to Yanmen immediately."

Li Da'en made a decisive decision and ordered the troops to break camp and withdraw immediately.

But after walking for only half a day,

Another knight arrived hastily from the south, with an arrow still stuck in his body.

He brought news that Li Da'en least wanted to hear and found hard to believe.

His escape route was cut off.

"It was Gao Kaidao. He led 20,000 Yan soldiers and tens of thousands of Turkic soldiers, appearing behind us and blocking our way at Juzhu Mountain."
"Yanmen Pass, there's no going back!"

"Isn't Gao Kaidao in Hebei? How come he suddenly came to Shuozhou in Hedong?" Li Da'en was extremely shocked.

In front of them were tens of thousands of Turkic troops, and behind them were tens of thousands of troops from Gao Kaidao.

"Retreat southwest, retreat into Loufan Pass."

Li Da'en was quite decisive.
However, the two enemy forces clearly did not want to let him go, and they moved with great speed, blocking his retreat to Loufan Pass first.

Li Da'en had no choice but to lead his troops to retreat to a new city not far northwest of Loufan Pass.

He dispatched more than a dozen light cavalry messengers to break through the encirclement and seek reinforcements!

We can only pin our hopes on reinforcements.
The closest force should be Dugu Sheng's troops, the furthest is Liu Shirang of Yanmen, and even further away is Dou Cong of Taiyuan.

Standing on the not-so-tall city wall of the new city,
Looking at the enemy troops surrounding them from all sides, especially seeing those banners with the characters "Gao" and "Yan," Li Da'en's eyes were filled with disbelief.

Are all the generals in Hebei dead? What were Wang Junkuo, Li Yi, Qin Wutong, Lu Shijun, Li Xuantong, and Shuang Shilu doing?

Why was Gao Kaidao able to travel from Hebei to this place, Beimayi?
Also, where exactly is Dugu Sheng?

A guard captain approached and said, "Your Majesty, you said that Dugu Sheng failed to arrive on time. Is someone trying to use us as a tool to eliminate us through the Turks?"

Li Da'en stared wide-eyed, unable to utter a single word.

After a long while, he looked around before saying in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense." But inside, he was feeling incredibly anxious.

(End of this chapter)