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

Chapter 675 Want to quit

It's rare to have a day off.
Li Yi didn't want to waste time on those welcoming and seeing off guests. Ignoring the business cards and invitations that were being collected in boxes, he changed into a cotton scholar's robe and old cloth shoes, and left through the side gate of the polo field.

"Ah Lang, where are we going?" Chen Lingjiao rubbed the fake eye.

"Go to Leyouyuan in Xinchangfang."

We boarded a carriage and headed straight for Xinchangfang in the south of the city.

In the southern corner of Xinchangfang, there is a Linggan Temple, which was built in the second year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, but was abandoned in the fourth year of the Wude era.

This temple is located on Leyouyuan, with a high and serene location, covering an area of ​​120 acres.

It once enjoyed a period of great prosperity, but for some reason it was abolished in the early Tang Dynasty.

After Emperor Daye moved the capital to Luoyang and the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the southern part of Chang'an City never developed. Large tracts of wards were surrounded by earthen walls, but there were no houses, residences, or people inside.

All that exists is a large expanse of open land.
Wheat, vegetables, and fruit trees were planted on it.

Foxes, wild boars, and even wolves are seen.

In the south of the city, there are only a few temples and Taoist temples in the neighborhoods, which are quite special.

However, some declined or fell into ruin after the change of dynasties.

No one knows yet that this place was later renamed Guanyin Temple, then Qinglong Temple, and even later became the ancestral temple of Esoteric Buddhism.

But now, this place has quietly changed its identity; the abandoned Linggan Temple has now become a private garden.

Back then, after Yang Jian established the Sui Dynasty, he built a new Chang'an city, named Daxing. The first step in building the new capital was to clear the new capital site and relocate all the tombs within the planned area. For this purpose, he specially built Linggan Temple at the highest point in the east of Leyouyuan to pray for the souls of those who were reburied.

Song Yi and his family soldiers were initially puzzled by Li Yi's visit to this abandoned and dilapidated temple.

Upon arrival, they discovered a hidden paradise.

There was no dilapidated or abandoned ancient temple left; all that remained was a garden guarded by private servants.

They were curious about whose family owned such a large manor in the south of the city.
As it turned out, Li Yi merely lifted the carriage curtain to reveal himself, and the guard in blue respectfully stepped forward and bowed.

"Ah Lang is here, please come in quickly."

"Is Ayu home?"

"The matriarch is at home, playing backgammon with her young mistress."

Li Yi alighted from the carriage and strolled up.

Who would have thought that there was such a wonderful place south of Chang'an?

The scenery is magnificent, and the terrain is high and open, offering a panoramic view of Chang'an.

I long to take command of the rivers and seas, and gaze upon Zhongnan Mountain from Leyou Plain.

This was Li Yi's first time here, and he walked around looking at the sights.

A voice came laughing, "You're too late. If you came in spring, the thousands of cherry trees planted throughout this garden would be in full bloom, that would be truly beautiful."

Strolling through the garden, the flowers are in full bloom, like clouds and rosy hues—a truly magnificent sight.

far away,

Two women, one tall and one short, emerged from behind the cherry blossom branches.

"Ah Lang still remembers us, mother and daughter!"

Li Yi smiled and said, "I've been back in the capital for several days and only just found some free time today, so I came right away, Xiaoyu."

The little girl with two braids looked at Li Yi sideways for a while.

"Don't you recognize Aye?" Li Yi smiled and waved.

"Yay!" The little girl ran towards Li Yi.

Huo Yu called out worriedly from behind, "Slow down, be careful not to fall."

Li Yi strode forward, picked up the little girl, and lifted her high in the air.

The little girl giggled.

"You've grown taller again."

The little girl had not only grown taller, but also gained weight and become fairer, with some baby fat on her face. She was completely different from the poor child Huo Yu had picked up from the corpses of refugees on the roadside.

Even their demeanor has changed; they are constantly laughing and carefree, and have become innocent and naive.

After a while, Li Yi crossed one arm and asked Huo Yu, "Knowing I'm back in the capital, why haven't you come to the house?"

Huo Yu rolled her eyes at Li Yi, "I wouldn't dare to visit you. Who am I to dare go to your residence? Your wife is a princess. She'd probably tear my face to shreds with all your concubines."

"No, I already told Shi Niang, and she said she would welcome you to her home."

"Let's forget about it. Now that you're back, you have time to take Xiaoyu home to play and meet her brothers, sisters, and cousins."

Li Yi held Xiao Yu'er in his arms.
Da Yu'er then took his arm.

The two strolled in the garden.
Although we missed the best time of spring and the magnificent cherry blossoms, the location is still beautiful and refreshing.

"This garden is very nicely done."

"We transported grain from the Jianghuai region to Daibei in Hebei, earning some money. Following your advice, we bought this abandoned temple and hired many craftsmen to design, plan, and renovate it."
It took a lot of effort, but fortunately the conditions here are really good. With a few modifications, it became a nice garden. It's still under renovation now, and it will definitely be even more beautiful when it's fully completed.

Huo Yu led Li Yi on a tour of the garden.

There is a cherry blossom garden, as well as plum groves, peach orchards, bamboo groves, and a library and star-gazing tower.

She leaned closer and whispered, "They even built a swimming pool so you can swim in the summer, and there's also an indoor bath so you can take a hot bath in the winter."

"Alright, we can take a bath together later." Li Yi had barely finished speaking when he was pinched on the waist by Steward Huo.

The little girl asked in Li Yi's arms, "Father, what is a 'Mandarin Duck Bath'?"

"You know Yuanyang, right?"

"Is it a wild duck in the water, the kind with beautiful, colorful feathers?"

"Well, I guess so, they're all in pairs." The summer heat...

But it was quite cool on Leyou Plain.

His arrival,

This made Huo Yu, the matriarch of Wen State, smile broadly, and she even swayed her hips more when she walked.

She personally cooked for Li Yi and also prepared fine wine.

"Drink less, or don't blame me for lying down and falling asleep as soon as I lie down if you drink too much," Li Yi said with a smile, looking at the table full of delicious food.

"Then have some fermented rice wine; it won't make you drunk."

"It's too sweet, I won't drink it, I'll just have some soup."

To be honest, Huo Yu used to be a female commander of a righteous army. She was a heroic figure, riding her horse into battle. However, she was not good at cooking and was not as good as Li Yi.

But just now she wouldn't let Li Yi help, so Li Yi stayed with Xiao Yu'er and played with her. He brought some small toys, like tangrams, and Xiao Yu'er had a lot of fun playing with them, and didn't want to wash her hands or eat.

"There's some sweet fermented rice wine. Go wash your hands, I'll give you some later."

Children need to be coaxed, and Xiaoyu immediately skipped off to wash her hands.

"This child really listens to you; sometimes I can't even get her to listen to me anymore," Huo Yu complained.

"This is a good thing. It means that the child has gradually forgotten that memory and has come out of that shadow. If she were still subservient to you, it would mean that she didn't consider you her mother yet. Isn't it good that she is like this now?"

Huo Yu looked at Xiao Yu'er washing her hands in the distance and said, "This child always talks about you. She's happiest that you're here today."

"Are you unhappy?"

"Happy!"

The family of three enjoyed their meal together in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

After the meal, the two big hands held the little hand and took a walk together.

The sunset at dusk is infinitely beautiful.
It's also quite cool on Leyouyuan.

A gentle evening breeze was blowing.

"You guys are really bold, actually staging a mutiny in Chang'an. Aren't you afraid of what might happen? What will I do if something happens to you? What will happen to Xiaoyu'er? What will happen to your wives, concubines, and children?"

Huo Yu couldn't help but scold her.

"This is neither impulsive nor reckless; it is a well-planned move. How could the King of Qin and I fight a battle unprepared?"
Besides, there was no other way out.

Huo Yu sighed, "You men are so bold. If it were me, even if I had no way to retreat, I would only think of starting an uprising in Luoyang or raising an army in Taiyuan. But you guys dare to make a move in Chang'an with only 800 men."

"Didn't we succeed?" Li Yi said with a smile.

Huo Yu rolled her eyes at him, but in her heart she had to admit that this man had such charm. She remembered that when the army marched out of Chang'an and followed Li Yi to pacify Shannan, she was gradually attracted and conquered by his unique charm.

"What are your plans for the future? Will you be assisting in governing the court?"

Li Yi didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Given the current situation, his role in orchestrating the ascension to the throne is paramount, and the Crown Prince trusts him greatly, so he will definitely keep him in the court and in the Hall of State Affairs.

But to be honest,

Li Yi was considering retiring.

The imperial court is a gladiatorial arena; it's not a pleasant place to stay.
Besides, he has already achieved so much success, why is he still working so hard in the court, and what is there to fight for?
It would be better to take a step or two back.

It's also more relaxed and comfortable, and of course, it can reduce suspicion and attacks.

Even if Li Shimin trusts him now, it doesn't mean he will always trust him. If he wields too much power, it will inevitably arouse all sorts of suspicion.

Some people are power-hungry; once they have power, they don't want to let go of it for even a moment longer.

But Li Yi wanted to enjoy life to the fullest.

Power is certainly necessary; otherwise, other things like wealth, beautiful women, and land are just castles in the air without any foundation.

“I will transfer Wen Xiang back to the capital and arrange for him to serve as a general in the Twelve Guards for a few years in Chang’an before he is appointed as a governor.”

Li Wenxiang is now also a military governor.
However, a governor who has never been to the capital is definitely different from a governor who has been to the capital and served as a general of the guard. In particular, Li Wenxiang was a general of the rebel army at the end of the Sui Dynasty. He had served in Wagang and surrendered to Dou Jiande.

"Before I returned to Chang'an this time, I made a special trip to Huazhou and talked with him for a long time. It's not that he didn't want to come to Chang'an."

"Why? Don't you trust the imperial court?"

Li Wenxiang was originally the governor of Huazhou, but now he has been promoted to the military governor of Huazhou. He has entered the capital to become a general of the guard. This is not considered a promotion, but this resume will be very important and will allow him to go further.

Huo Yu felt somewhat helpless.
"Although Wenxiang didn't say anything, I could tell that he didn't want to come to Chang'an, not for any other reason, but mainly because of you and me."

He didn't want to come to Chang'an to face you, and he didn't want to hear gossip and pointing fingers in Chang'an, so he simply stayed in the city.

The affair between Li Yi and Huo Yu was no secret.

Many people already knew about it, but the Zheng family spread the word, making it known to everyone.

Li Wenxiang and Li Yi are about the same age.

“Alright, I understand. The Huazhou Governor’s Office is about to be abolished. In that case, the position of Governor of Huaizhou will be vacant. I will arrange for him to take up the post of Governor of Huaizhou.”

Huo Yu was very satisfied with the arrangement. "Mao Gong sent his brother to Chang'an. He just came to my place this morning and wanted me to arrange for him to meet you. He also prepared a generous gift and insisted on leaving it with me first."

Ten Turkic horses matched with Khitan silver saddles,
There were also ten young and beautiful Silla maids, and ten Kunlun slaves brought from Guangzhou, all of whom were castrated, tall and docile.

There was also a chest of gold and silver.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi simply shook his head and laughed, “Li Shiji and Wen Xiang are sworn brothers. If he calls you Mother, then what should he call me? Father or Godfather?”
He does know that I like gold, silver, beautiful women, and BMWs.

"One shouldn't accept a gift without merit. What does he want from such a lavish gift?"

Huo Yu didn't have a particularly good impression of his adopted son, Li Shiji. "Mao Gong is now succeeding you, serving in Taiyuan, and acting as the Grand Commander of Bingzhou. I guess he also heard about the sudden changes in Chang'an."
Therefore, I wish to befriend you, the new crown prince's confidant.
He probably still wants to secure his position as Grand General of Bingzhou, and therefore wants to remove the title of "Inspector."

"I hope you can say some good things about him to the new crown prince."

(End of this chapter)