Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 164 A Happy End
"This guy is really hateful!!"

"How dare you rob and oppress the people to accumulate such a huge fortune!!"

Lou Rui shouted loudly, his eyes red and burning with jealous rage.

Tian Zili had recovered and sat beside him carefully.

This is Lou Rui's mansion. Even among all the nobles in Yecheng, Lou Rui's mansion can be considered the most luxurious. His mansion is far away from the imperial palace and covers a huge area. He alone occupies a piece of land as big as five or six noble mansions. The whole house was built by him to be unlike the human world. Rockery and flowing water are just the most basic. At this moment, Lou Rui and Tian Zilie are sitting in a pavilion on a high slope. Sitting here, they can actually see the imperial palace in the distance at a glance.

Anyway, this is a bit of an overreach.

But Lord Lou obviously didn't care much about these. He wore a set of glittering clothes. The outer garment made of gold thread was so dazzling. The jade belt made of pure white jade around his waist was dazzling. There were more than 40 slaves gathered around him, gathered around the pavilion. Two servants were prepared for everything. They said that there were two people to wash hands and wipe hands, two people to feed fruit, and two people to cut meat.
Even the prime minister is not as arrogant as him.

Lou Rui looked at Tian Zili in front of him again, with a gentle smile on his face, "Don't worry, I have submitted a memorial to the Prime Minister."

"I will always remember all the kindness my nephew has shown me. I hate greedy thieves like Hui Luo the most in my life!"

"He can be greedy for everything else, but is he qualified to be greedy for military rations?!"

"Now that he's in a high position, he's even forgotten how he got there!"

"There are so many ways to get enough food at the border, why do you have to pick the stupidest one? Does he want to force the border soldiers to rebel and be held hostage by them to enter Yecheng?"

"Besides, how could he, a person of a different surname, be so greedy?"

Lou Rui gritted his teeth.

Tian Zili hurriedly said, "When such a big thing happens on the border, I am afraid that all the nobles in the court will make a petition together and ask for punishment for my brother. The Prime Minister..."

"Hahaha~~"

Lou Rui burst into laughter. He slowly stood up and pulled up his belt.

"You just stay in my house and don't go out easily."

"It's not very safe out there."

"I'll be back as soon as I go!"

Lou Rui looked at the servants and yelled, "What are you guys standing there for? Bring me some old clothes!!"

The servants hurried out, and Lou Rui did not avoid them. In front of Tian Zili, he took off his luxurious clothes and changed into a set of dirty clothes with holes. He picked up some dirt from the ground, patted himself on the ground, and then strode down the stairs.

A servant led Tian Zili to another courtyard to rest. The reason why Tian Zili came to Lou Rui was really to seek shelter.

The news of what Liu Taozi had done at the frontier had already reached Yecheng.

The nobles were extremely angry about this and demanded severe punishment. Hui Luo had many friends and nobles were moving back and forth. Tian Zilie had been visiting them constantly these days and had arranged for many people to join him. These nobles were not stupid and naturally knew of his existence. If there was no heavyweight noble to protect them, Tian Zilie and his men would easily disappear. After all, they were just a group of "one-money men" without official titles.

Cui Gang did not come with them. His identity was in conflict with Lou Ruifu's, so he led some people to seek refuge with his father.

At present, both parties are responsible for the areas they are familiar with. Tian Zili contacts the Chinese people, while Cui Gang contacts the Han people.

Lou Rui sat in the carriage, muttering to himself.

"Aunt, as a member of the royal family, how can I sit idle in Ye and watch those bandits wreak havoc on the border?"

"Aunt, let me go! I will definitely not let you down."

Lou Rui cleared his throat again, his expression changing constantly.

"Aunt, the Great Qi is in danger, and the nobles do not know the foundation of the country."

He told the story over and over again, constantly changing his expression and practicing it over and over again.

After repeating this all the way, the carriage finally stopped outside the palace. Lou Rui got off the carriage, raised his head, and rushed straight inside. The general in charge of the palace gate had a very complicated look when he saw Lou Rui dressed like this. He raised his head and looked to the south of Yecheng, looking at the huge courtyard that could be seen from here, and shook his head secretly. You really don't have to dress like this.
No one dared to stop Lou Rui from coming to the palace. He had a smooth journey and easily entered the harem and went straight to the residence of the Empress Dowager.

After the report, a female official led Lou Rui into the hall.

At this moment, Empress Dowager Lou was in a very good mood. She was surrounded by a group of female relatives who were talking and laughing. When they saw Lou Rui coming, the female relatives bowed and left. Lou Rui took a few steps and suddenly knelt in front of the Empress Dowager.

He raised his head, his expression extremely solemn.

Empress Dowager Lou was stunned for a moment, "You idiot, why are you pretending to be so ugly today?"

"Aunt!! Great Qi is in danger!!!"

Lou Rui shouted loudly, but before he could finish his next sentence, the Empress Dowager started to scold him, "How can it not be dangerous? You are such a fool, you have done such a stupid thing. Your pavilion is taller than the imperial palace. If all the nobles in the world are like you, how can the world be governed?"

"I will punish you, the overstepping bastard, first!!"

"Aunt, I just used the reward from you and the Prime Minister to build the mansion. It's not a big deal. If you don't like it, I'll tear it down. But Hui Luo over there is the one who is really endangering Da Qi!!"

"How dare this guy speak to the border soldiers, Aunt! These border soldiers are the foundation of our country, how can he do this?"

"I heard that it's not just Hui Luo, but all the nobles at the border are like this. They eat everything in their power and make the people at the border miserable. If this continues, I'm afraid there will be another chaos!"

"Aunt, as a member of the royal family, I can no longer stand idly by. I want to go to the border and solve this crisis for the country!!"

Lou Rui's words were awe-inspiring and powerful.

Empress Dowager Lou looked at his face and sneered again, "You are jealous because they eat more than you, so you want to eat for them, right?"

"Aunt, I am greedy, but I know what is good and what is bad. I know what I can eat and what I cannot eat. Whether it is farming or reorganizing the border troops, they are all beneficial to the country and require cooperation from the local authorities. I should go."

The Empress Dowager's expression became even uglier. "Don't tell me that! The garrison commander killed Dazhi earlier, and I didn't care because of your plea. Now you want me to help him? I don't ask for punishment, but I help the enemy who murdered my own family. How will others view my Lou family? How will they view me?!"

Lou Rui looked calm.

"Others will think that my aunt has put aside her personal grudges for the sake of the country, and that my son is a good talent for the country."

The Grand Empress Dowager waved her hand and said, "I don't agree. If you want to be an official, go find Liuzi and don't bother me."

"Aunt, Lou Dazhi is just a distant relative. How many times have you met him? Do you still remember what he looks like? Why would you delay national affairs for such an unworthy person?"

"This time the border soldiers were able to gather together and attack Shuozhou. There's no telling where they can attack in the future. I hope you'll take the important matter seriously!"

"Even if you hate me for this, I still have to say this: I have the country in my heart and I have no selfish motives!!"

Looking at Lou Rui who was making a solemn promise in front of her, the Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, "What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want my aunt to help the King of Changshan. The King of Changshan is in a very bad situation right now. Many people think that the Prime Minister is in charge of the government because of their contributions, and thus he has become arrogant. After all, the Prime Minister is just a minister, so it is not easy for him to attack them directly. If he wants to go further, he cannot lose these people. The Prime Minister is in a dilemma right now. Taozi is the one he sent to solve these problems."

"At present, Cui Jishu and other Han officials have already stood on the side of the King of Changshan, willing to assist him in fighting against the nobles. Since Yang Yin, these people have ignored government affairs and become decadent and undisciplined. This is the first time. There are also many royal family members and the king's own confidants who are willing to support him, but this is not enough."

"If my aunt can come forward and support the King of Changshan's plan, the country will be safe."

"There can be no compromise or delay in the matter of money and grain."

"My aunt knows."

"The soldiers here don't have enough food, so they have to eat people."

Lou Rui got out of the car and walked into the yard happily.

Immediately, a servant came up to change his clothes. He followed these people to the villa, and Tian Zili hurried out to greet him.

Lou Rui was in a good mood. He smiled and said, "Everything has been done. You can write to Zhizhi to let him know."

"Tell him not to cause any more trouble and wait for me to take over!"

Tian Zili was overjoyed and hurriedly thanked him again and again.

Lou Rui added: "But you'd better not go out." "Reply to Luo Laozi, there are many relatives and friends in Yecheng, all of whom are veterans of the battlefield. You can't be sure that they are looking for you everywhere in the city!"

"only."

Tian Zili hesitated for a moment, "Lou Gong, I came with Cui Jun, he won't..."

"Choi Ji-su's son?"

"Don't worry, don't worry. Cui Jishu has just been promoted to Guanglu Xun and concurrently the Minister of Military Affairs. Although those people are a bit dishonest, they won't cause trouble for him."

Lou Rui looked at Tian Zili in front of him again, "Zhizhi is a good tactic. When he was fighting the Han people before, he dragged the Chinese people into it. Now that he wants to fight the Chinese people, he dragged the Han people into it again?"

Tian Zili suddenly raised his head and said, "Brother, under your sword, there is no distinction between Han people and Chinese people."

Lou Rui laughed again but didn't respond.

Tian Zili was still a little worried about Cui Gang. That guy was too upright. He hoped that he could stay with his father obediently and not go out.

At the same time, the Cui Mansion was also extremely lively.

Cui Jishu had just been promoted, and people were coming and going in the mansion, all of them coming to congratulate him.

Cui Jishu was dismissed from his official position by Yang Yin and then promoted by Gao Yan. It can be said that he experienced great ups and downs.

His mansion is completely different from Lou Rui's.

Lou Rui's mansion looked extremely luxurious from the outside. Even his carriage was several times bigger than others. The outer courtyard wall was covered with patterns without a single blank spot. Others could tell at a glance that he was a rich man.

Lou Rui also enjoys this feeling. He does not hide it. The purpose of making money is to let others know that he is rich.

Cui Jishu's mansion was obviously much more elegant.

The decoration is just right. Unless people ask, they would never imagine that those seemingly ordinary decorations can cost so much.

Lou Rui hired a group of craftsmen to use the best materials to build the house, while Cui Jishu hired the most famous craftsman to design the layout of the courtyard for him and decorate it carefully.

At this moment, the group of people gathered in the garden in the side yard.

Many of the trees were beautifully trimmed. A quiet path led outside with a pavilion in the middle. People gathered here, feeling like hermits in the mountains.

Even the food he serves is different from that of nouveau riche like Lou Rui.

When Lou Rui hosts a banquet, he would like to bring up the whole cow to eat, but people like Cui Jishu usually choose some special seats and use several cows to prepare a delicious meal.

Therefore, these Han gentlemen usually do not like to attend the banquets of Xianbei gentlemen. They think that the other party is vulgar and they don’t even know how to enjoy themselves.

Similarly, the Xianbei masters did not like the banquets of the Han masters because they felt they were not full.

Literary men, important officials and talented people gathered in the Qiuwai Pavilion at this moment. Cui Jishu sat in the protagonist and the upper seat. Everyone smiled and thanked him. Someone else suggested writing poetry. This one spoke eloquently, that one spoke wittily. This one held calligraphy and paintings, that one held jade. There was a boy holding an incense burner on one side, and a beautiful dancer grinding on the other side. This one was a madman speaking nonsense, and that one was a poet commenting on the elegance of life. It was truly a gathering of talented people and a beautiful time.

Cui Gang stood not far away with a stern face, watching the lively scene. For some reason, scenes of the frontier kept flashing in his mind.

The laborers lay in the mud, as desperate as zombies. Their faces flashed before Cui Gang's eyes one by one. Suddenly he woke up with a start, only to see a noble man holding a glass of elegant wine, composing lyrics and making music for him.

Cui Jishu sat in the upper seat, looked at Lu Yao beside him, and said with a smile: "Mr. Lu, all the people who submitted petitions this time are here, you don't have to worry, so many talented people submitting petitions together will surely be effective."

Lu Yao looked at the noisy banquet, his face still worried, "Mr. Cui, thank you for your help, but isn't this a bit too much? So many ministers are writing petitions at the same time."

Cui Jishu laughed and looked at the people around him. "Since Lord Yang's accident, the ministers have ignored the government and stopped asking about government affairs. The king seems calm, but he is actually extremely worried."

"In the past, the king needed people who could ride horses and fight to help him accomplish his goals, but now, he needs people like us who can write."

"If the Han officials don't care, what is the point of the Prime Minister ruling the country?"

"After he took charge of government, he first opened schools, encouraged students to study, increased the number of scholars, sent people to urge them to study, and severely punished local nobles for being too strict in enforcing the law, all in order to appease Han officials."

“These noble men may not understand this.”

As Cui Jishu was speaking, someone suddenly came over and toasted him. Cui Jishu smiled and returned the toast. He sat down again and said calmly, "Does Lord Lu really think that I have such a big face? Can I make all the Han officials follow me to write a letter?"

"These petitioners are just using this incident to show their attitude to the Prime Minister, to show that they are willing to participate in politics and to follow the Prime Minister."

"At the same time, we can also strike a blow to the nobles. Why not do it?"

"And the Prime Minister is also happy. He is most afraid that these people will neglect him. Now they have expressed their intentions and are willing to write letters to the Prime Minister to advise him. What does this mean? This means that even without Yang Yin, they are still willing to follow the Prime Minister to govern the country!"

"Besides, the Prime Minister wanted to implement these policies in the first place, but he was worried that the nobles would not obey. What's the harm in this?"

Cui Jishu suddenly looked at the people in front of him dimly.

"Of course, they are the ones who suffer the least."

"If something goes wrong, we have you and I as leaders to take the blame, so they don't have to be held accountable."

"Look at that Zhao Yanshen, Lord Zhao, he is an expert in this field. Since the time of Emperor Shenwu, he has not interacted with anyone and has only focused on his work. Now he does not have the title of prime minister, but he has taken over all of Lord Yang's affairs. Even he has jumped out to write a letter to the emperor. Now he is sitting there with his head down, not saying a word. He looks pitiful and aggrieved, as if he was held hostage by us. If I go back to Luo, I won't have the heart to blame him!"

Cui Jishu had a smile on his face, but he said some pretty scary words.

The smile on Lu Yao's face suddenly became a little stiff. He looked at the honest elder again, but this time, he felt that the other person was gloomy, as if surrounded by black fog, and there was no longer the original feeling of closeness.

Cui Jishu looked at another person, "There is also Yang Xiuzhi. When Prime Minister Yang was still alive, he was Prime Minister Yang's confidant and served as an assistant minister. He stayed by Prime Minister Yang's side all day. When Prime Minister Yang died, he had nothing to do with it. Suddenly, he became the king's confidant again. He was promoted and given a higher rank, and his reputation has not been damaged."

Lu Yao followed his hand and looked at the newly promoted senior official, who was smiling and talking about rich people with his colleagues, but at this moment, Lu Yao seemed to see the viciousness and cunning hidden in his eyes.

"And the rest of them."

"Look how happy they are."

"Mr. Lu, you are not as good as them. You are so scared because of the person you recommended. I am not as good as them. I am not as good as them. I am talking nonsense with you here."

Cui Jishu took a sip of wine and looked at Lu Yao, "Among all the people present here, we two are the most stupid. It seems that they will all have a good ending in the future, but I'm afraid it will be difficult for us two to have a good ending."

Looking at the bewildered Lu Yao, Cui Jishu suddenly laughed again, "I'm drunk, drunk!!"

He stood up suddenly, holding a wine cup, and looked at everyone.

"Everyone, there is unrest on the border, we can't let drunkenness delay state affairs, how about we talk about it first, and then have a drink?"

"Yes!"

Everyone gathered around, and Lu Yao stood up, but he still looked a little confused.

Cui Jishu said: "Reorganizing the border troops and setting up military farms will benefit the country and the people, and we must not delay it!"

"At the moment, there are traitors who are obstructing the Prime Minister from making up his mind. I think we can go to the Prime Minister's residence together and report this to him. This is a matter of great importance to the country and there is no time to waste. If the Prime Minister wants to blame us, then let him blame us!"

Yang Xiuzhi quickly stood up and looked at everyone solemnly.

"Gentlemen, we should go together!!"

"The only one who can save the country right now is the Prime Minister!!"

ps: At the beginning, before Emperor Xianzu of Qi came to power, the price of grain soared. When the King of Jinan came to power, the Minister of the Left Su Zhenzhi suggested that Shibie and other garrisons be built. Since then, the Huainan army has been well fed. When Emperor Suzong came to power, Ji Ye, the governor of Pingzhou, suggested that Dukang Pond be opened and garrisons be set up. The annual harvest of rice and millet was several hundred thousand shi, and the northern border was well provided for. Huaiyi and other garrisons were also built in Henei to provide for the expenses of Henan, thus slightly reducing the labor of transportation. ——"Zizhi Tongjian"

I have some things to do at home, so I don't have time to write two chapters. I'll just post one chapter first and complete it another day.

In addition, the average subscription has reached 14,000. Well, the growth trend is still quite good. Thank you all for your support. It seems that there may be a chance to reach an average of more than 20,000!

(End of this chapter)