Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 167: "Fanzhen Jiedushi"

Provincial government, south courtyard.

There were soldiers standing outside the house, looking around vigilantly.

The room was ablaze with gold. Lou Rui walked excitedly among the wooden shelves. He picked up a string of jewels and gently stroked them with a gentle look in his eyes. He put them down and suddenly picked up a dagger. The handle of the dagger was inlaid with a huge gem. The color was something Lou Rui had never seen before. Looking at the dagger in his hand, Lou Rui suddenly burst into tears. "It looks good. It looks really good."

Just when Lou Rui was immersed in the beauty, a shout suddenly came from outside.

"Lord Lou! The Turkic envoy is coming!!"

Lou Rui reluctantly put down the dagger, walked all the way to the door, turned back again, and looked at his babies again. When he turned his head, the gentleness and kindness on his face disappeared, and his whole face became solemn and ferocious.

He pushed open the door and walked into the yard, with a fierce look in his eyes.

There were four people standing in the empty courtyard, talking in low voices. When they saw Lou Rui coming out, they hurriedly stopped chatting and couldn't help but look at him.

Lou Rui had a grim look on his face, and his eyes, which were narrow and gloomy like his father's, were staring straight at the envoys in front of him and walking towards them with big strides. Several envoys were horrified and hurriedly saluted when they saw Lou Rui approaching step by step.

"Greetings to the Governor!"

Although they were dressed in Turkic clothing, their appearance showed that they were definitely from the Central Plains.

During these years, a large number of people from the Central Plains fled to the outside of the Great Wall. Some fled because they could not bear the corvee labor, while others were sold at high prices.

In the past, craftsmen were very popular outside the Great Wall.

After Anagui Khan of Rouran came to power, scholars became very popular outside the Great Wall.

He made use of a large number of people from the Central Plains, and, following the example of the Central Plains, established such posts as Shizhong and Huangmenlang, strengthening the Khan's centralized power system, which led to a brief revival of the Rouran.

This also led many other tribes to learn to buy these scholars from the Central Plains and appoint them as officials to help them establish proper official positions and better rule their tribes.

Lou Rui was very close to them, almost bumping into them.

He lowered his head and looked at the envoys who were saluting in front of him. Without returning the greeting, he directly grabbed the leader, grabbed the other's neck, and looked him up and down.

Suddenly, Lou Rui sneered, "I thought you were some kind of Turkic person. With your appearance, aren't you from Qi?"

The messenger said seriously: "My ancestors were from Youzhou."

"Why do you serve thieves?"

"Although my Khan lives outside the Great Wall, he treats scholars with great courtesy and rewards those who have made contributions. He will not deceive them or sell them to the Great Wall. He is not a thief."

Hearing the messenger's words, Lou Rui laughed and pushed him away.

"I have nothing to discuss with you. The reason I didn't kill you is that I wanted you to be alive and pass on the message to them. Come on, kill the others, cut off the ears of this one, and send him back."

Several envoys were horrified, and the leader cursed: "When Qi sent envoys to our Khan, they were not treated unfairly. Why is it that the current envoy has to be treated like this when he arrives here?"

"We came here on Khan's orders to discuss important matters, but we have ended up like this!!"

Yilou Taishou, who was standing not far away, could not wait any longer and quickly stepped forward to persuade them: "Lord Lou, you can't treat the envoys like this. Why not listen to what they have to say first?"

Lou Rui snorted coldly, "What can I say to them? When Emperor Wenxuan was still alive, they begged for mercy and were let go. Now that Emperor Wenxuan has just passed away, they have sent people to occupy my old town and even want to collude with the Pseudo-Zhou. I will ignore the Pseudo-Zhou and lead the army to fight to the death with that Khan!"

He looked at the messenger angrily and said, "Go back and tell your Khan that since I have come here, I will lead the army to attack you. Either he dies or I die."

The chief envoy was stunned.

He looked at the governor again. Governor Yilou couldn't help but said, "Lord Lou! Don't be angry. Even if there are such things, you shouldn't attack the envoys. In the past, when we sent envoys, they never humiliated us. This is inappropriate, really inappropriate!"

Lou Rui pondered for a moment and asked, "Did they really never humiliate our envoys?"

"No, no."

Lou Rui nodded and looked at the messenger in front of him again, "Since that's the case, I won't humiliate you. Tell me, why did you come to this?!"

The messenger breathed a sigh of relief, but after being intimidated by Lou Rui, his mind was in a mess.

The purpose of his coming this time was to put pressure on the border of Da Qi and ask them to give an explanation for the attack on Shetu's tent.

But now it seems that given the governor's recklessness and temper, if he asks for an explanation again, he may not be able to return alive.

The messenger changed his words, "Sir, we are here to find out why Qi attacked our camp."

"Yours?"

Lou Rui was furious again, "It was you who sent troops to our country first, how come we were the ones who attacked?"

The envoy was also very angry. "Why do you say that, Lord Lou? The border of Xinshan is the homeland of the Rouran people. We defeated the Rouran and stationed here. How did it become the territory of Qi?"

"Oh, the envoy is so forgetful. When you attacked the Rouran and chased them to our border, the Rouran people asked Qi for help. Emperor Wenxuan led the army to fight and protected Tiefa Khan. He also allowed them and the surrendered Gaoche people to graze around Xinshan."

"Why doesn't this place belong to my Qi State?"

The envoy's face flushed with anxiety, "But those Rouran people rebelled against Qi again, and were defeated by you!!"

"Why? They rebelled. Could it be that the land that was awarded to them has changed its owner?"

"According to what you said, if I raise an army in Shuozhou today and am killed by the imperial court, will Shuozhou no longer belong to Qi?"

The messenger was speechless and could only defend himself by saying, "You have never sent anyone to govern!"

"So you guys got seized?"

Looking at the envoy who suddenly fell silent, Lou Rui continued: "You all know how powerful our Qi State is. These days, you have been too close to the Pseudo-Zhou. How can this be allowed?"

"Go back to the tent first and tell your Khan that the Pseudo-Zhou may not be trustworthy. When we sent troops to Xinshan, did they send any soldiers?"

"But if they want to attack your tent, I will definitely send out all my forces."

"This is the difference between the two countries. If we continue to push each other like this, and Qi and the Turks go to war in the future, will the Pseudo-Zhou send troops to help? They will wait until both of us are defeated, and then send out!!"

"Let Khan think about it!"

Lou Rui waved his hand and asked people to send these guests away.

After they left, the look in Prefect Yiluo's eyes when he looked at Lou Rui became a little different.

He hurried forward and saluted, "Lou Gong is wise!!"

"What do you mean by wise? If he was really wise, why would he be thrown into this damn place?"

Lou Rui looked around and pulled him towards the backyard. As they walked along the road, Lou Rui said seriously, "Luo has done something really stupid this time!"

"I went to the border town to check the situation, and was stopped three times to ask about food and fodder!"

"If this continues, I'm afraid that the border soldiers will attack the government sooner or later. Rebellion is imminent and there will be chaos!!"

Hearing Lou Rui's words, the governor was also shocked. He hurriedly asked, "Lord Lou, they just took a large amount of money and food not long ago, why are they still asking for more?"

Lou Rui suddenly stopped.

"Whether it's money or food, it's all the same."

“When you have a lot, you want more, and when you have more, you still want more.”

"There's no end to this thing. It's never enough. You'll never feel satisfied."

Yi Lou looked at Lou Rui who suddenly became emotional, and nodded helplessly, "Mr. Lou is right."

"What can I do? The truth is meant to be told to others."

Lou Rui suddenly said something, and then quickly sobered up. He said, "I came here this time to fill this gap. The temple doesn't have much food anymore, and the issue of border soldiers can't be delayed."

"From today on, all counties will contribute half of their money to support border troops."

"what?!"

The governor's expression changed drastically. "How can this be possible?! They can't even afford the tribute grain alone, and they still need the government's help. They also want us to share the grain? No, no!"

"Why not? Do you want to hand it over yourself, or wait for the border troops to come and take it?"

"If you feel that you can't complete it, there is another way."

"Those self-righteous people in the government say that we can establish a military farm here, mobilize civilians from all over the country, let them cultivate the land, and let the border soldiers solve part of the food and wages themselves."

The governor nodded, "We heard about this matter from King Shunyang. Although it is a little inappropriate, it is the best way at the moment. We can go and do it!"

"Execution? What do you think reclamation and farming is?"

"Catch those laborers, point them outside, and ask them to go to the fields?"

"Have you ever farmed?"

Lou Rui suddenly became irritable, "It's easier said than done."

"Farming requires arable land. Is there any around here?"

"Need farm tools, do they have any?"

"Without seeds, land, or even a hoe, let alone oxen, how can we cultivate the land? How can we cultivate the land?"

"Even if all these are complete, how many years will it take to turn a piece of wasteland into fertile farmland?"

"It's just a bookish opinion, totally useless!"

Lou Rui waved his hand, "Let's do as I say and let all places prepare money and food. I've said it before, whoever has money should do it. The border soldiers are ready to move, and if they rebel, no one can afford to delay. In order to appease the border soldiers, the court has granted me great power. I have the right to kill anyone in the whole state, whether they are ministers or generals!!"

The prefect's face became even uglier.

He hesitated and was unable to speak. Lou Rui waved his hand and said, "I'll give you half a month, go and do it!"

"If you can't do it well, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Lou Rui raised his head and strode towards the inner room.

Seeing Lou Rui leaving, the prefect felt a splitting headache and hurriedly led his people out of the provincial government. Soon, different horses carrying their masters galloped to various places.

Lou Rui has been in the provincial government office these days.

Lou Rui had almost no pursuit of entertainment. He did not like hunting or going out. However, he hired some craftsmen, reportedly intending to renovate his own mansion. He drove out all the officials working in the government office and asked them to set up another courtyard outside. His many family members and confidants moved into the government office, and he once again turned it into his home.

Unlike him, officials and nobles from all over the country were extremely anxious.

After much hesitation, they decided that Governor Yilou should come forward and hold a banquet to discuss the matter with Lou Rui.

Stop talking nonsense like asking the nobles on the border to pay for the support of the border soldiers. Instead, think about reclaiming the land.

The scale of this second banquet was obviously not as large as the previous one. These people were worried, each with their own ulterior motives, and had no mood to have fun. Lou Rui, on the other hand, was having a great time and didn't care about anyone's emotions at all.

Although he told Liu Taozi that these people were difficult to deal with, given his status and qualifications, nothing would be difficult for him in Da Qi.

He followed Gao Huan to go on expeditions when he was in his teens and had just come of age. He had already reached the highest position when he was just an adult. If he had not been dismissed by Gao Cheng, he would have had a seat among the three highest officials in the court.

These poor nobles who stayed at the frontier dared to bar their teeth at me? They didn't even dare to return to Luo!

Looking at Lou Rui being surrounded by women and singing from time to time, the people sitting on both sides were hesitant to speak.

When Lou Rui got tired of singing and was ready to take a break, Prefect Yilou finally came out and sat in a position slightly closer to Lou Rui.

"Lou Gong, we have prepared some gifts for you."

Lou Rui glanced at him and said, "Gift? Do you think that giving gifts can solve the problem of border soldiers?"

"No, of course not. This gift is just out of respect for you. It has nothing to do with the border soldiers."

Hearing this, Lou Rui's face became more solemn. He looked around and said, "Let's remove the dancers and attendants."

Governor Yiluo gave orders hastily, and soon only these prominent figures in the border area were left in the house.

Lou Rui looked at them and sneered, "That time Luo was a crude warrior who didn't know how to govern. Don't you know how to govern either?"

"Can we take possession of the military rations?"

"Is it okay now? The border soldiers are ready to make a move. Are you scared now? Why didn't you think of it at the beginning?"

Everyone slowly lowered their heads.

Lou Rui added, "I came from the border and I know your situation. You are not doing well. Your family really doesn't have much money or food. If you are asked to support the border soldiers, you will be defeated sooner or later."

"How about this, I have a way to get rich, would you like to come with me?"

Everyone looked at each other, and Yi Lou hurriedly said, "Please tell me, Lord Lou!"

Lou Rui stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Speaking of which, Huiluo is really buying the casket and returning the pearl. This beautiful borderland has been turned into this by him."

He looked around and said seriously, "First of all, it's about reclamation."

"You can bring out the farm tools, seeds, and even farmland you need."

"You will definitely not be short of these things. According to preliminary calculations, there are 200,000 civilians, but the actual number is definitely not just this, there are many, many more, and you all know very well how much grain the border areas produce."

"The temple will certainly give us replacements, and once we have settled 200,000 people, no matter how many more people there are, they will all be ours. If no one comes, we can still find people from other districts."

Lou Rui looked at the people around him, "Everyone, please remember, it's hard to say how long I can stay here. Just to see the benefits, it will take at least three years. I don't know if I will still be here after three years, but many of you will definitely still be here, especially those whose families are here. Haha, after paying this once, you will reap the rewards every year in the future."

"First, it can appease the border soldiers, second, it can provide a fixed amount of food every year, and third, it can also get rewards from the temple. Well, compared to these, giving out some things now is nothing at all."

"If you are willing, you can make distribution specifications based on what you have contributed now. The more you contribute, the more benefits you will get in the future!"

Lou Rui grinned, "Don't be so quick to frown, everyone. Apart from this, there are other good things. Tea is a big business. Tea, iron, salt, porcelain, paper. How much can we rob? The border is close to the land, and all the business is going on right in front of us. How much profit can we get?"

"As long as we can handle these two things, we will have an endless supply of money and food."

"And the local area can be governed, and the government will give additional rewards. How great is that?"

"I have always been a fair and honest person. If you are willing to work with me, I dare not say that you will make money. If you lose money, I will lose with you. If you make money, I will make money with you."

"Everyone, think about it carefully. Embezzling military rations may be beneficial for a while, but what about the future? What if it is discovered?"

"Although the Prime Minister is open-minded, he has one thing in common: he has a rather violent temper and gets angry easily. Once he gets angry, he will beat and kill ministers in the court regardless of the occasion. This is a common occurrence."

"Why would you take such a risk and do such an unreasonable thing?"

"But reclamation is different. There are 200,000 households on the register. This is a fact. The newly added ones are all our own ability. Even if the court knows, they will definitely not make things difficult for us. As for trade, the Prime Minister has long had the idea of ​​opening up trade and has talked to me about it many times. Why not increase our income?"

"I'll give you three days to think about it carefully."

"Think about it."

"By the way, if you want to work with me, these gifts alone are not enough. These things are not permanent to me, but they are for you. I will charge some fees, but not too much."

Lou Rui narrowed his eyes and curled up the corners of his mouth. The cunning and greed in his eyes were intertwined and extremely creepy.

Wuchuan.

Liu Taozi maintained the posture of saluting and lowered her head towards the front.

All the minions knelt behind Liu Taozi and looked forward.

The angel stood before them, holding the decree and reading it aloud.

"In April, he defeated the Xi bandits and made great contributions. At the end of the month, he destroyed the Turkic camp and made great contributions. In June, he reorganized the border troops and pacified the local area. The officials praised him and the governor commended him. I hereby promote General Hufen Liu Taozi to General Wuyi and order him to train and reorganize the border troops and make new contributions!!"

After the angel said this, the solemnity on his face suddenly disappeared, and then it was filled with a smile. He walked quickly forward and helped Liu Taozi up.

"Congratulations General!!"

"Congratulations to the General!!"

(End of this chapter)