Chapter 680 Chen Liu's Old Friend

After a short stay in Junyi County, Li Qing'an's boat continued to move south and arrived at another important town, Chenliu County. Like Junyi County, Chenliu County is also an important transit station on the Caohe River. The difference is that Junyi County is an official material storage place, while Chenliu County is more focused on the private sector and has more developed commerce.

At this time, there was another person on Li Qing'an's boat, Dugu Changfeng, Li Qing'an's brother-in-law, and Dugu Mingyue's elder brother. He served as Jianghuai, Henan Transportation Envoy and Henan Road Observation Envoy, leaving Beijing ten days earlier than Li Qing'an. Before that, he was the Gyeonggi Transportation Envoy, a little earlier. He had been the Jingzhao Shaoyin. It can be said that his official position was very fast. In just two years, he was promoted from a fifth-rank official to a third-rank senior official. To a certain extent, he was the need for the rise of the Dugu family, and Li Qing'an needed a force of the foreign relatives.

"Changfeng, Chenliu County, you have to pay more attention!"

The ship was about to dock, and Li Qing'an pointed to the slightly dilapidated dock in Chenliu County and said, "You can't underestimate Chenliu County just because it is a distribution center for private materials. On the contrary, the most important reason for the canal transportation I developed is business development. If you only care about the official fortune and ignore the civil movement, you will only enrich the country and the people in the end. This is not what I want. Hiding wealth among the people is the long-term plan for the revival of the Tang Dynasty."

Dugu Changfeng nodded, "Please rest assured that in Cui Xiangguo's plan, Chenliu's wharf warehouse is placed at the end and needs to be repaired. Beizhi is also planning to start from Chenliu wharf first and let private businesses develop as soon as possible. I had already talked with Taishou Zhang the day before yesterday that he would recruit civil servants and start construction as soon as possible."

"Well! Cui Xiangguoqing's canal transportation focuses on official docks and warehouses, and on reorganizing official fleets. This is also due to the urgent situation in Chang'an, but I hope that after you take over, you will turn to encouraging private trade, which is also your political achievements."

This is also the difference in Li Qing'an's thinking. From the day the canal transportation was dug, it was mainly used for official activities. Rulers of all dynasties did not consider giving to the people. The so-called people did not compete with the officials for profit. Although the profit was driven by the profit, the merchants also secretly borrowed the Caohe River, but they never received support from the government. Therefore, what Li Qing'an had to do was to loosen the constraints on private trade and let them develop without any help.

Only when the Tang Dynasty's business itself developed greatly could the large amount of silver he transported from Anxi be more useful.

Dugu Changfeng bowed and said, "I understand that this is also the focus of my future."

At this time, the ship slowly landed. Chenliu County Magistrate Xu Zhaoyuan led the county magistrate, county magistrate, chief clerk and other officials to wait on the dock for a long time.

When Li Qing'an got ashore, Xu Zhaoyuan and other officials came up to welcome him, "I am in charge of the position of the King of Zhao, and Dugu Observation Envoy."

Li Qingan also bowed and smiled, "It's causing trouble for everyone!"

"I dare not! I dare not! The palace came down to Chenliu County to inspect the city. It is the glory of Chenliu County. Your Highness worked hard all the way, please go to the city to rest."

"No, I can only stay in Chenliu County for a long time and want to meet an old friend. May I ask County Magistrate Xu, where is the Zong family?"

The Zong family is the great Chenliu family, Chuke, who was once the prime minister of Wu Zetian. Almost everyone knows about Chenliu County. County Magistrate Xu hurriedly said, "It's not far from here, I'll take Your Highness!"

Li Qingan shook his head and pointed at Dugu Changfeng and said, "The observer should consider repairing the Chenliu Wharf. County Magistrate Xu should be busy with official duties! The Zong family is just my private matter, so I won't bother County Magistrate Xu."

Since King Zhao refused, County Magistrate Xu did not dare to do anything. Dugu Changfeng was the Henan Road Observer and his superior. The county magistrate was better at the current management. County Magistrate Xu was more willing to contact Dugu Changfeng in his heart. He ordered a yamen runner to lead the way for Li Qing'an. Everyone sent him a journey and went back to the county.

Li Qing'an took more than a dozen of his confidant guards, turned over to horses, and walked along the ridge of the field toward Zongjiazhuang several miles away. The other guards were not relieved and followed him from afar.

The seedlings in the rice fields have grown up, green and endless, which makes people feel refreshed. Rice is the time to head. The rice fields are full of weeding farmers. The sun is scorching in the afternoon, and the farmers sweat in the scorching sun. From time to time, they look up at the noble man with more than a dozen followers.

Li Qing'an walked to an old farmer and squatted down, asked with a smile: "Old man, is this rice field yours?"

Seeing that he seemed to have a noble status and did not dare to neglect, the old farmer stood up and pointed to a large area of ​​fields around him and said, "This area has thirty acres, I have twenty acres myself, and the other ten acres are rented to the Zong family. The wheat harvest this year is not very good, I hope the rice can be made up."

"Then how much tax is the government now?" Li Qingan asked again.

"We are here to go up the fields, with a tuition of two liters and two pounds per mu, and a 300-cent green seedling money per mu. Then we have to pay a piece of silk, and there is nothing else."

"What about the taxes of the clan family? Do you bear them?"

"No! No!" The old farmer waved his hand quickly, "The Zong family is a good person. Since the old master Zong, he has been treating tenants well. The actual collection of each acre is accurate, and the rent is collected 30% of the rent. They are all borne by themselves. If they encounter a disaster year, they can ask the Zong family to borrow grain, without interest."

Li Qingan nodded with a smile and asked again: "Where is the Zong family? I am their old friend, come to visit them."

The old farmer pointed to the village not far away and said, "The biggest house after entering the village is, it is easy to recognize. There is a Taoist tower, but the house next to it is also. It turns out that it was another family. Last year, it was bought by the eldest daughter of the Zong family and her husband named Li, which is also considered the Zong family."

"Thank you, my father-in-law."

Li Qingan bowed his hand and thanked the old farmer, so he quickly walked towards the village. At this time, the old farmer shouted again: "This official, the sun is very poisonous, put on the hat!"

"Thank you!"

Li Qingan put on a hat and soon came to the village. The village was planted with pear and apricot trees. The green pears and light yellow morning apricots were already covered with branches. Several thin dogs rushed over and barked around them. Not long after entering the village, they saw a big mansion, a white Taoist tower standing in the courtyard, and a horizontal plaque with black background and gold characters hung on the gate: "Zong Mansion", this should be Zong Chuke's old mansion.

But Li Qing'an was not looking for this family. He walked forward for more than ten steps. There was indeed another house diagonally opposite, half smaller than the Zong Mansion, but the trees were denser and the courtyard wall was not high, only to the people's chest. Li Qing'an suddenly stood in front of the courtyard wall. There was a vegetable field in the yard. A middle-aged man was holding a long spoon to water vegetables. He was also wearing a straw hat and a white-washed robe. He was tall and slow and seemed a little careless.

Li Qingan smiled and said, "Water such a poisonous sun, you will burn the vegetables to death."

The middle-aged man slowly looked up and glanced at Li Qing'an, and couldn't help but be stunned, "It's you!"

"It's me, Brother Taibai, are you safe?"

This middle-aged man was Li Bai. When Li Lin was defeated, he was injured by arrows and escaped from the riots. He defected to his uncle, Dangtu County Magistrate Li Yangbing, who was soon taken back to Chenliuzong's house by his wife Zong, and has been living in seclusion until now.

Li Bai didn't expect to meet Li Qing'an here. He couldn't help feeling embarrassed and panicked, and didn't know what to do for a moment.

At this time, a young woman walked out of the house quickly and complained to him, "Mr., what kind of vegetables should I grow when I don't rest in the house when I have such a hot sun."

This young woman is Li Bai's wife Zong. She is the eldest daughter of the Zong family. She admires Li Bai's talent and knowledge. She married Li Bai when he was most frustrated and miserable. It was because of her careful care that Li Bai's arrow injury gradually improved.

She walked to the vegetable field and saw Li Qingan at once. She couldn't help but be stunned. Who is this?

Li Qing'an bowed and smiled, "It turns out that he is his sister-in-law's wife, and he is a friend of Brother Taibai. He comes from Chang'an and passes by Chenliu. I come to see him."

"It turns out that it's Qinglian's friend, come in quickly."

"Then I'll disturb you!" Li Qing'an walked into the mansion with a smile, and his personal guard stayed outside the mansion to wait.

Zong complained that her husband would not be able to enter the guest, "Mr. Guests come from afar, so you should invite them into the house. It's so rude to let others spread their sun in such a hot day!"

Li Bai smiled bitterly, this was not an ordinary guest.

Although Li Bai's new home covers a large area, most of it is orchard vegetable fields, with only a dozen houses. Li Qing'an sat down in the living room. The living room is very spacious, covered with thick wood floors, ventilated in the front and back. There is a lush fruit forest outside the door. There is also a pond in the backyard, and a rockery pavilion is decorated. You can see the red carp swimming in the pond. The environment is elegant and refreshing.

"Brother Taibai lives in a paradise, which is enviable!"

Li Bai had returned to normal from the initial embarrassment and panic. He smiled faintly and said, "Actually, I am a person who can't calm down. If I hadn't been injured by arrows, I would have gone out long ago."

At this time, Zong brought a wooden plate over, and there were two cups of iced sour plum soup. She placed the sour plum soup in front of her husband and Li Qing'an and smiled and said, "Among Qinglian's friends, I only know Du Fu, Cen Shen, and Wang Changling. I don't know what this gentleman is called. Maybe I have been recognizing the name for a long time."

Zong is a lady from a wealthy family and is very capable. She has a great say in the affairs of the Zong family. In fact, to a certain extent, Li Bai married into the Zong family, but Zong is also very virtuous. Seeing that her brothers and clan members looked down on her husband, she resolutely became independent and bought this house in the name of her husband and separated from the Zong family. At home, Li Bai ignored almost nothing and was a hand-off manager. She relied on Zong family to be the head of the family. Her greatest hope was that her husband's injuries would recover as soon as possible, and she would find some things for her husband to do, tie him to the house, and stop wandering around.

Li Qingan hurriedly bowed and said, "My sister-in-law is too famous. I am not a poet, but a civil servant in politics."

Li Bai smiled and said, "Madam, you have actually admired his reputation for a long time. Didn't you talk about him the day before yesterday?"

"You are..." Zong guessed it a little, but she couldn't believe it.

"Li Qing'an is the old friend of Brother Taibai."

"oops!"

Zong was shocked and she hurriedly stood up to salute, "It turned out to be His Highness King Zhao, and the young lady had just neglected it."

Zong is the granddaughter of the former prime minister. He was influenced by the family since he was a child and the official family was very thoughtful. Li Bai also knew that he waved his hand disapprovingly, "Madam, General Li is my old friend. If you are too polite, we can't reminisce about the past."

If the person who came was a prefect or a court official, it didn't matter to Zong, but who Li Qing'an was? Who in the world did not know that the future emperor would soon become His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Is this an ordinary person? Her husband is too ignorant of the world.

"Your Highness, please sit down, I'll prepare the wine and food."

Li Qingan quickly stopped her with a smile, "Sister-in-law doesn't have to be busy anymore. I have to hurry up and sit for a while before leaving. If my sister-in-law is convenient, can I prepare a cup of sour plum soup for my personal soldiers? They are outside the door."

"Okay, I'll ask my family to invite them in and rest in another room."

Zong went to make arrangements in a hurry. At this time, Li Bai sighed again and said, "My wife is good at everything, but she is too influenced by her grandfather. She is determined to plan for me to be the head of the household in Chenliu County. I told her many times that I am not a government official, but she just doesn't listen."

"Will Brother Taibai have any plans in the future?"

Li Bai shook his head, "After experiencing the incident of Yongwang, I understand. I am not suitable for the officialdom. When I enter the officialdom, others are tired, and I am also tired. Besides, I am over fifty years old this year, and my life is rare. I want to take advantage of the rest of my life to fulfill my wishes."

"Brother Taibai tell me, what do you have any wishes? Maybe I can help you."

"The general can really help me."

Li Bai smiled and said, "My biggest wish is to go to the Western Regions and go back to my hometown Shuye to see. I have left Shuye since I was a child, and I don't know if the old house is still there?"

"Brother Taibai's old house is still there, it is closed in vain. The sand fruit trees in the yard have grown into towering trees. I have tasted the fruit a few years ago and the taste is very sweet."

"Really? That fruit tree is still there?"

Li Bai was a little excited. He was still young when he left the Broken Leaf. He forgot many things about Broken Leaf, but he still remembered the sand fruit tree. It was planted by him with his own hands. When he left Broken Leaf, he begged his father to take the tree away.

"The Qinglian's injury has not healed, so I'm afraid it won't work to break the leaves."

Zong was back again. She was worried that her husband would propose to go to the Western Regions. Once she went to the Western Regions, the couple would leave forever. How could this work? Moreover, Zong had another idea, which was to take this opportunity to ask Li Qing'an to arrange an official position for her husband. As the saying goes, there is no better wife than to know her husband. She knew that although her husband suffered a severe blow with King Yong, she still wanted to go out and do things in her heart to realize her ambitions. She wanted to do her best to help her husband, but the influence of the Zong family had long disappeared, and at most she could only find a position for her husband to be the head of the household.

But Li Qing'an came today, which was extraordinary. She never knew that Li Qing'an was also her husband's old friend. She realized that her husband told her that in the seventh year of Tianbao, he served as a staff member for General Li in Yangzhou for several days. It turned out that General Li was Li Qing'an.

"Your Highness, I have already found Qinglian the position of chief of Chenliu County households. County Magistrate Xu has agreed to let Qinglian take office in a few days."

Li Bai was a little unhappy, "Madam. Didn't I say that, don't I want to go? Why are you still mentioning this?"

Li Qingan also laughed, "Sister-in-law is really embarrassing Brother Taibai. Isn't it a joke for all the people of the world to let Brother Taibai be the head of the household?"

Li Qing'an actually knew that Li Bai participated in the Yongwang Rebellion in history, and was later exiled by the court, Yelang, and returned to Jianghuai after being pardoned by the court. He was once poor and destitute. However, in this situation, he did not forget to worry about the country and the people, and wrote a letter to Li Guangbi to pacify Huai. As a scholar, realizing his ambitions has always been their lifelong dream. From Li Bai's aide to King Yong, it can be seen that he had not had any opportunity for too long, so that the scholars were angry and did not see the consequences clearly, so they boarded the pirate ship. Until his death, they were the roots planted by the Yongwang Rebellion.

Li Bai was a Hanlin envoy and was demoted for offending Zhang Ye. When he was Li Qing'an wanted to achieve the revival of the Tang Dynasty, he had a boundary of thousands of miles in his heart. Can't even a Li Bai tolerate it?

Thinking of this, Li Qing'an said sincerely to Li Bai: "Brother Taibai, I am here to visit you this time. First, I want to reminisce about the past, and secondly, I want to talk about your future."

Li Bai sighed in his heart. He did not speak, lowered his head, and hope ignited in Zong's heart. She heard something in Li Qing'an's words, as if she wanted to give her husband a place.

Li Qingan smiled and said, "I do know the ability of Brother Taibai to handle government affairs very well, and I will not make things difficult for Brother Taibai, but not all officials in my Tang Dynasty have to handle government affairs. I want to continue to hire Brother Taibai as a Hanlin Grand Secretary and also serve as a PhD in the Taixue School. He does not have to manage government affairs, but trains and selects talents for the Tang Dynasty. I wonder if Brother Taibai is willing to come out?"

Li Bai was excited. The corners of his eyes were already wet. He left Shu in the 13th year of Kaiyuan. He wanted to relax his ambitions in his heart, but he had been wandering for decades and still had nothing to find. He was almost arrested and imprisoned. Last month, his close friend Du Fu was promoted to the prefect of Yanzhou. He visited him on his way to his post and invited him to Yanzhou, but he declined. He felt really sad. Wang Changling was appointed as the Minister of Works, Cen Shen was appointed as the prefect of Fengxiang, and Wang Wei was appointed as the right prime minister of Shangshu. All his close friends realized their ambitions. What he has? He is over fifty years old, his temples are frosted, and he is also the head of a household in Chenliu County. He is not even a ninth-rank sesame official. How can he bear it?

Just when he was almost desperate about life, his fate began to favor him. Li Qing'an actually asked him to be a Hanlin Grand Secretary and also served as a Ph.D. in the Imperial Academy. How could Li Bai not be excited?

"Qinglian, you are talking!" Zong was a little anxious. She was afraid that her husband would become stubborn again, so she refused this opportunity.

"General, we are really destined to be together."

Li Bai smiled with a little self-deprecating smile, "I used to be an aide for you in Yangzhou. I thought you were a military general and the official was too young. I felt wronged by myself, so I turned my hand away. Unexpectedly, after ten years, I will become your aide again."

"Did Brother Taibai feel that he is too young this time?" Li Qingan laughed jokingly.
To be continued...