The hot summer sun has peeled off some of the red wood paint on the window coffins. If you look carefully at these details, you will find that the Youxiang Mansion is already a bit old.
Calculated, Li Linfu bought a house at the same time as he was prime minister, which has been fifteen years.
In the evening, Yang Guozhong walked through the corridor and looked at the furnishings of the prime minister's residence. For the first time, he realized that this place was no longer as luxurious as his new residence.
His new house is located in Xuanyangfang, south of Yang Zheng's house. It is not far from the houses of the three Chinese ladies and Xue Bai. It is adjacent to the Wannian County Office. It can be seen that the location is very expensive. When the new house was renovated, he also A large amount of agarwood is used, so the house has a light fragrance. This is a method he learned more than three years ago, and now he can finally use it.
It can be seen that if you work hard and make progress, you will be rewarded.
"Your right minister is in good health."
"Sit down, you will soon be a minister."
It was rare for Yang Guozhong to have a seat in the Youxiang Mansion. He smiled, sat down calmly, and said, "Yang Zhao has sent someone to summon Xue Bai back to Chang'an."
"It shows that he doesn't want to listen to your ideas." Li Linfu said, "He would rather trust Xue Bai and Yuan Zai, but he doesn't trust you as a brother?"
"Xue Bai is different after all." Yang Guozhong rarely admitted this.
Li Linfu picked up the tea soup and took a sip, thinking that after waiting for so long, Xue Bai still did not lead the Lishan assassination case to Wang Xi, which was disappointing.
Now that Yang Guozhong has replaced Xue Bai in Yang's party and helped deal with Wang Zhi, Xue Bai is no longer needed. It is also simple to prevent Yang Zhi from transferring Xue Bai back to Chang'an.
"The forehead of Wannian County Lieutenant..." Li Linfu pondered, and decided to sell the Boling Cui family some benefits, saying: "I really care about Cui Youfu, you don't need to covet him anymore."
Yang Guozhong was stunned, but he was secretly happy about what happened to Xue Bai. Yuan Zai was demoted and Xue Bai did not return. After all, the Yang party had to be supported by him. He was the only one who could sit back and watch the fight between tigers and express his position in time, which was a great success. benefits.
On the way up, sometimes once an opportunity is missed, it will never come back.
~~
Mrs. Guo's Mansion.
Yang Yuyao is holding a money order and looking at it.
This item has only recently become popular among the nobles of Chang'an City. It is also called "flying money". The thick paper is printed with complicated patterns, and there are also some patterns faintly visible in the paper. There are several seals stamped on the text. , and the most important anti-counterfeiting measure is a row of numbers, using simple numbers that few people can understand today.
In addition to this money order, there are other documents in the small box, such as proof of money deposit. If the food capital is deposited in Fenghui Bank, the interest rate is slightly higher than elsewhere, and Fenghui Bank can lend it out at a higher interest rate, or expand more business...
As Xue Bai said in the letter, the reason why he stayed in Yanshi was because this was one of the businesses he needed to open up, which could earn her a lot of money. This was the explanation he gave her.
Yang Yuyao was at a loss.
Of course she likes money. The luxury of Mrs. Guo's house is one of the best in Chang'an. She even likes to compare. She feels that her house is not as good as others, so she wants to demolish and rebuild it. But now she gradually realizes that what she wants in her heart is not money. , but rather hope that Xue Bai will come back soon.
But he kept her waiting, and he didn't know how much it burned her bones and her heart when she missed him at night.
Fortunately, now Yang Hao finally made up his mind to invite Xue Bai back.
Thinking of this, Yang Yuyao put the items sent by Xue Bai back into the box one by one, with a smile on her lips.
"Yao Niang." Mingzhu hurried over and reported, "I have received news that the personnel department has decided on the candidate for Wannian County Captain..."
Having said this, Yang Yuyao turned back and looked at her with expectant eyes.
Mingzhu was very stressed, but she still responded in a low voice: "It's not Xue Lang, it's Cui Youfu."
"Why?"
"This slave doesn't know."
"What a good slave." Yang Yuyao immediately became furious and cursed: "I told you we won't help each other, but he dared to offend me."
This matter is of course a bit strange. According to Xue Bai's speculation, Li Linfu should be wooing the Yang party at the moment. Why did he suddenly change his attitude and start suppressing him? In addition, Yang Linfu just sent someone to summon Xue Bai back to Chang'an, but Li Linfu could do it so quickly. Is the reaction a coincidence or is there another hidden reason?
Yang Yuyao immediately decided to go to the palace to see the imperial concubine and give the right minister some eye drops.
Before she could go out, a servant from Yang Zheng's house hurriedly arrived.
"Sanniang, it's not good!"
"I already know." Yang Yuyao said with a cold face: "If you dare to ruin my affairs, I will never give you an easy life."
"No, it's A Lang...A Lang fell ill..."
Yang Yuyao still didn't understand how serious her so-called illness was, so she hurried to Yang Sui's mansion and saw the two sisters' carriages and horses parked at the door.
She hurriedly stepped forward to greet him and asked, "How is brother?"
At this time, Yang Guozhong rushed out and ran down the steps in a hurry. Because he was too panicked, he missed his footing, stumbled, and almost fell to the ground.
The pain was so painful that he could only sit down on the steps, patted the steps with his hands and cried loudly.
"Brother is gone, we have no brother!"
Yang Yuyao's mind buzzed, and she felt that Yang Guozhong was talking nonsense, so she stepped forward, kicked him over, and rushed inside.
The mansion was in chaos. The servants and maids were in a hurry and at a loss. When they saw Yang Yuyao coming, they all knelt down on the ground.
In front of the main room, four doctors were standing there with medicine boxes on their backs, their faces pale and frightened.
"Mrs. Guo Guo, when I arrive, my uncle will already..."
Yang Yuyao ignored him and ran into the main room, only to see Yang Mao lying on his back on the couch with his mouth open and his long beard stained with blood.
"Brother!"
Unable to tell what she was feeling for a moment, Yang Yuyao stepped forward and pushed, hoping to wake Yang Wei up, but no matter how hard she pushed, Yang Wei didn't respond.
"Brother, wake up, I was wrong, I shouldn't have lost my temper with you..."
Only then did Yang Yuyao realize that Yang Sui's seemingly black hair had been dyed, and the roots were already densely gray.
He also applied a layer of powder on his face to cover up the fine lines and age spots on his face. At this time, the powder had faded away, revealing his tired and dark circles under his eyes.
Those eyes were covered with red bloodshot eyes, and there was a faint hint of anger, as if they were angry with Yang Yuyao.
"I was wrong. I have been bullying my brother all my life. Can you wake up?"
At this time, Mrs. Korea and Mrs. Qin also arrived. Seeing this situation, they all lay down beside the couch and burst into tears.
Yang Yuyao stopped crying. She wiped her tears and stood up. She walked towards the doctor outside the door and asked, "How did my brother die?"
"Mrs. Guo Guo, please forgive me. It was only after my uncle passed away that someone invited me here..."
"I asked you to take good care of him."
"Back to Madam Guo Guo, my uncle was sleepy in the afternoon and wanted to take a nap. After that, the little old man didn't know what happened."
Yang Guozhong limped over and said with runny nose and tears: "I came to see my brother today about Xue Bai's matter. Before I could talk, my brother happened to know that Xue Bai would not come back. He was so anxious that he couldn't come back. I can’t stop coughing…”
"Why is he so anxious?"
"That's what I mean." Yang Guozhong cried, "It shouldn't be like this. What a shame! What a shame! Brother!"
In this sad atmosphere, someone suddenly came and shouted hurriedly: "The saint... the saint and the noble concubine have arrived..."
~~
A very practical situation facing the Yang family is that there are very few men in the Yang family who can support the family. After Yang Sui's death, the only one who can take action is Yang Guozhong.
Despite being sad, Yang Yuhuan also realized this problem.
But after much thought, she finally hesitated about Yang Guozhong's character and talent... There was always a shadow of a person inexplicably appearing in her heart, belonging to a resolute and reliable young man.
Perhaps it was because of Xue Bai's protection for her on the night of the Lishan assassination case. She felt that Xue Bai was a person she could truly trust.
At this juncture, Yang Yuhuan believed that Xue Bai needed to be transferred back to Chang'an.
Therefore, after Yang Wei's first seven days passed, she took advantage of the fact that the Yang brothers and sisters were all around and asked about it.
"There was a gap," Yang Guozhong replied in a low voice, "It's a pity that Xue Bai refused to resign and missed the opportunity. My brother was also very upset because of this matter."
Yang Yuyao picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp without responding.
Yang Guozhong was actually secretly observing her reaction, and upon seeing this, he thought that she might also be a little angry with Xue Bai.
"What about Wannian County Lieutenant?" Yang Yuhuan asked.
She had never asked a question before, but now she could blurt out Wannian County Lieutenant, which shows that she is paying attention to Xue Bai in private.
"He is a Jinshi, so he cannot compete with other officials." Yang Guozhong asked, "Maybe the imperial concubine can directly appeal to the saint?"
"I'm not involved in government affairs." Yang Yuhuan said, "Is there any other way?"
But Yang Guozhong knew that it was not for this reason. It seemed that since Xue Bai was released, the imperial concubine had never spoken for him in front of the saint.
"After all, it depends on the saint's will." Yang Guozhong said: "As long as the saint is satisfied with him, he will be transferred back to Chang'an to serve as an official. It is just a word."
"How?"
Seeing that Yang Yuhuan kept asking questions, Yang Guozhong was embarrassed and responded: "The first thing is political performance. When this year's taxes come to Beijing, the level of local officials' political performance will be known by looking at the tax amount."
This is indeed true. The more taxes local officials receive, the stronger their control over their governance is. It also proves that there are more registered households and fewer hidden households in the local area.
"To bring taxes to Beijing? Then we have to wait until the autumn?"
"Yes, but Xue Bai's political achievements this year will definitely be very impressive. I will take the opportunity to convey some good words in front of the saint in the name of an official of Taifu, and transfer him back to Chang'an. It will not be difficult, not difficult."
It's not difficult to say, but Yang Guozhong has his own selfish motives.
After Yang Wei's death, he left behind an increasingly powerful court force. So, who will inherit it?
Of course Xue Bai is not qualified to inherit, and his surname is not Yang, he is just a face or a concubine. But he does have means, and his relationship with the imperial concubine is probably closer.
Try to let Xue Bai be transferred back to Chang'an as late as possible, so that Yang Guozhong can take over Yang Dang calmly. By the time after autumn, the deal is already done, and it will be useless for Xue Bai to come back.
Therefore, Yang Guozhong often thought that his stay in Yanshi was a foolish move. Chang'an City was at a time when it was profitable, what could Yanshi have?
~~
Cars and horses came and went, and letters were delivered. In August, Xue Bai's official documents were sent back to Chang'an.
Yang Guozhong couldn't wait to know Xue Bai's reaction to Yang Wei's death, so he paid special attention and rushed to the Youxiang Mansion as soon as possible.
When he arrived, Li Linfu happened to be holding the official document and thinking about it. I don't know if it was a coincidence or he had been thinking about it for too long.
"Right Minister Ankang, did Xue Bai request to be transferred back to Chang'an?" Yang Guozhong said, "When my brother leaves, he will definitely use this as an excuse to request to return to Chang'an. If the saint appreciates his affection for the Yang family, I'm afraid he will have to return to Chang'an." He was promoted."
He clearly saw this matter clearly, but when Yang Yuhuan asked, he didn't say anything, and used some reason to fool him: "Jinshi should not compete with other people for the title."
Li Linfu shook his head.
"Isn't it true? Then it's time to bow to the right prime minister and be willing to put the blame on Wang Fei?"
When Li Linfu heard this, he glanced at Yang Guozhong lightly and said, "You don't understand Xue Bai."
Yang Guozhong did not agree with this evaluation. He had always thought that Xue Bai was the same kind of person as himself, who was enterprising and unscrupulous, but he did not expect that Xue Bai had become more and more useless recently.
"That's just a show of merit. He wiped out several big families and didn't know how much tax he would receive. If he can show off the saint's ability to recognize people before paying tribute from various states and counties to the capital, he will definitely be happy."
"No need to guess." Li Linfu said: "Xue Bai is reporting that there is a drought in some prefectures and counties in Henan Prefecture this year. I beg you to reduce or reduce taxes."
"What?"
Yang Guozhong was so surprised that he couldn't understand it at all.
Xue Bai worked so hard, but in the end the credit was not rewarded. Why?
Both people in the hall were silent for a long time, and then Li Linfu asked a strange question.
"You said, that Zhuzi stayed there and refused to return to Chang'an. Is it really for the sake of the people?"
"It's impossible." Yang Guozhong's tone was firm and his attitude was clear, "Xue Bai is by no means a person who sacrifices himself for others. He must do things that are good for himself."
However, Li Linfu had been thinking about it for a long time and could not figure out that Xue Bai's actions would be of any help to his personal official career.
"There are many people in the world who slander the truth about the implementation of the law, but the truth is that the price is based on the size of the land and more money is given to the poor households. What benefits does it have for yourself to do this?"
"This..." Yang Guozhong was speechless and said, "How can Xue Bai have the ambition of a right prime minister?"
Although he couldn't guess, the matter was at this point, and Xue Bai could no longer seek promotion for the time being.
The topic then turned to Wang Fei.
"Wang Ji started his career by collecting debts and was not good at political maneuvering. The only thing he relied on was the word 'holy family'. But it is precisely because of the holy family that he has always stood firm. The only way to deal with him is to make the saints no longer believe in him. he……"
~~
Yanshi County, Luhun Villa.
There is a row of well-defended houses deep in the valley. From the outside, they appear to be just ordinary farmhouses used by the owner of the villa for his tenants to live in. However, as you get closer, you can hear the constant sound of tinkling iron inside.
"It's cast."
"Give me."
Lao Liang took a long-handled Mo Dao. The first thing he felt was its heavy weight. Then he found a large wooden stake and slashed it with the knife in both hands.
When everyone around them saw it, they took a deep breath and cheered: "Okay!"
"Good sword." Lao Liang first commented like this, then turned to Lu Sanxi and said: "Gong Lu, I have one thing to say, this sword still needs improvement, so I can use it smoothly."
Just as he was talking, Jiang Hai came over and said, "Mr. Lang is here."
The two hurriedly went out to greet each other.
Now Fan Lao has settled some brothers from Erlangshan and their families, and there are also some confidants from Fengweilou with their families, so the villa is quite lively, and Lao Liang and Jiang Hai belong to these people Coach, teach them some skills to protect their home and country.
Everything was going on in an orderly manner, but today when Xue Bai came over, he seemed a bit solemn and called everyone directly in the lobby to discuss matters.
Lao Liang, Jiang Hai's position is at the front on the side.
Fan Lao was also there. He had just delivered a batch of copper materials yesterday. He was sitting below them, and behind him were brothers Diao Bing and Diao Geng.
After that, there are some guys who are just beginning to show their performance, such as Hu Laishui, and strangely, Ren Mulan. This little girl is waving to Lao Liang carelessly, looking very proud of herself.
Opposite them were some people with official status. Shi Zhong was running business in Yanshi in the name of Yang's firm manager, Wang Yi was Xue Bai's staff, and Xue Xin, the commander-in-chief of the county office, and the county chief
Officials Guo Huan and Zhao Liu.
Strangely, Yin Liang, the staff member Xue Bai relied on the most, was not there.
Lao Liang admired Yin Liang's ability and character, so he kept thinking about the reason. His intuition was that Yin Liang's family background was different from everyone here.
After everyone waited for a while, Xue Bai arrived, followed by the sisters Du Jin and Du Wei on the left and right.
Du Wulang didn't come, probably not because of trust issues, but simply because it was unnecessary.
The three of them sat down at the top, and without much greeting, they soon got down to business.
"We invite everyone here today to talk about something important." Xue Bai said: "I told Fan Lao about this first. It's nothing. It's just that we have to overthrow the prince and support an emperor's grandson..."
After finishing the sentence, everyone in the hall had different reactions.
Lao Liang and Jiang Hai originally had a deadly feud with Dong Gong and had already decided to follow Xue Bai, and their expressions were as usual; Fan Lao and the Diao brothers were nervous and a little excited, and they really had never seen the world; Shi Zhong, Wang Yi, and Hu Laishui had already planned to do so.
Although she was surprised but could accept the offer of her life to Xue Bai, Ren Mulan was completely excited and wished she could immediately shout a few words in response to Xue Bai.
There are also many people who have never thought about this problem at all and are suddenly at a loss, such as Guo Huan, Zhao Liu...
"Which emperor's grandson is it? It's not appropriate for me to say more for now." Xue Bai continued, "Today I mainly want to ask everyone if you dare to do something big."
Only then did Lao Liang understand why Xue Bai didn't invite Yin Liang to come. In fact, smart people like Yin Liang didn't need to speak too clearly. It was up to people like them to do big things, and Yin Liang would naturally have a choice.
"dare!"
After Lao Liang, Jiang Hai, Xue Xin and others responded first, Fan Lao was not willing to lag behind.
"Okay." Xue Bai asked, "Is there anyone who doesn't dare?"
Guo Huan's hands were shaking all the time, and he was a little nervous and scared. After hearing Xue Bai's question, he responded: "Dare."
Because his voice was a little weak, he answered again, thinking that at his age, he would still be involved in the battle for the throne.
Fortunately, the battle for the throne has been a common occurrence since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, so the burden on people's hearts can be much lighter.
Xue Bai was still very concerned about Guo Huan's attitude. With the support of this Yanshi know-it-all, he would avoid a lot of trouble, so he nodded and gave him an encouraging look.
"Okay, you will all be heroes of the Tang Dynasty from now on."
Hearing this, everyone was a little restless. Xue Bai waved his hands and continued: "Don't worry about glory and wealth, let's talk about how to achieve it. This time when we arrived in Yanshi, the emperor and grandson's requirements have basically been met, including ironware, copper coins, banks, and food.
, people's support, etc., these are the cornerstones of success..."
These words gave everyone a lot of confidence, and then he changed the subject.
"But if I am transferred from Yanshi, can you maintain all this?"
Xue Bai did not tell his subordinates why he wanted to be transferred or whether he could be transferred. He only used the word "if".
Guo Huan was the first to understand what he was worried about, and he also knew that he was an important part of maintaining these. He quickly saluted and said: "Don't worry, Young Master. Although we don't have the boldness of Young Master, we will do our best to keep it successful."
"Okay, I have recommended Mr. Yin to be the Yanshi Lieutenant, and Mr. Guo can temporarily serve as the recorder and wait for the time."
"Here."
Guo Huan was shocked in his heart, astonished by Xue Bai's ability, and also wondered what the point of waiting for the time was, as he could never recommend him an official position in the future.
"Lao Liang, Jiang Hai, it's not convenient for you to follow me back to the capital, so you stay at Luhun Villa." Xue Bai said, "Diao Bing, Diao Geng, how about you come with me?"
The Diao brothers looked at each other, then looked at Fan Lao, and then imitated Lao Liang's movements and responded: "Here!"
~~
When Xue Bai came back from Luhun Villa that day and had a private discussion with the Du sisters, they really talked about the transfer.
"The candidate for Wannian County Captain has been decided."
"Yes, Cui Youfu. His qualifications are similar to mine, but his background is noble. This time he can support Li Linfu on behalf of the Boling Cui family. It is normal for him to be promoted to Wannian County Lieutenant."
“So it’s easy to follow the trend?”
"They all followed the downhill road of the Tang Dynasty, so naturally they went smoothly." Xue Bai sighed slightly and said: "But I really didn't expect that Yang Wei would be gone at this time. The last letter he gave me said that he was in good health. good……"
For this reason, he had to start preparing to return to Chang'an, otherwise the Yang Party might fall apart or let others steal the fruits.
But the premise is that he must first complete this year's taxes and arrange follow-up matters, because the only party in Chang'an City is Yang Dang, and the only party in Yanshi County is his Xue party.
Yang Dang is just the shell, Xue Dang is his core and cornerstone. This is the purpose of his coming to Yanshi. He pays attention to what he does to benefit himself and others, and never does anything to sacrifice himself for others.
"The incident happened suddenly." Du Wei said: "With the departure of our uncle, we have lost a lot of support in the court. I'm afraid it will be difficult to transfer back to Chang'an now, right?"
Xue Bai said: "I dare to refuse Brother Nu and Wang Xian's proposal to serve as Wannian County Captain. I have already prepared for the promotion."
"how?"
"Let me write a letter first."
Xue Bai spread out a piece of bamboo paper, picked up a pen, and first wrote down some of his achievements in Yanshi, and then wrote: "Zhixian, the king of Wei in Chang'an County, is knowledgeable in classics and history, and is talented. He can be admitted to the secretarial department..."
Du Jin kept watching from the side, feeling slightly amused.
Last year, when Xue Bai was seeking to be released from school, he coveted the position of Chang'an County Captain. However, his qualifications were far from enough at that time, so he could only use it for bargaining. In the blink of an eye, one year later, Xue Bai already had the qualifications. Wang Zhixian is still in office.
This was the plan that had been prepared for a long time, and the post of Wannian County Lieutenant was the unexpected change. Xue Bai withstood its temptation and was not easily disrupted.
Contrary to what he did, Yuan Zai was the one who failed to withstand the temptation, so no matter how smart he was, he still fell into the trap.
Xue Bai wrote word by word, like his attitude in doing things, step by step, unhurried and unhurried.
Soon, the letter was finished. Du Jin read it over and thought that both Wang Zhixian and Xue Bai were indeed qualified for promotion, but there was still a problem.
"Who are you sending it to?"
At present, Xue Bai's biggest backers are Yang Yuyao and Yang Yuhuan sisters, but it is difficult for them to bypass Li Linfu and decide Xue Bai's official position. At least they need a powerful figure like Yang Wei in Zhongshu's sect.
But right now, Li Linfu and Wang are fighting fiercely. Both sides are staring at him. No matter which side he leans towards, the other side must obstruct him in every possible way.
Coupled with Yang Guozhong's ambiguous attitude, Xue Bai seemed to have no allies in the court...
~~
A few days later, Zhongshu went to the province.
"Here from Yanshi?"
"yes."
A long letter was opened. The old man who read the letter squinted his eyes and felt that the words above seemed familiar, as if he had heard it before.
After reading it, he stroked his beard and thought for a long time, recalling Xue Bai's time in Beijing...