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

Chapter 162 The Emperor's Wrath

morning,

Li Yi was drinking morning tea.
The emperor suddenly arrived, followed by the crown prince Jiancheng, Qin Shimin, and the prime ministers Pei Ji, Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda and others.

These prime ministers and ministers have another identity. Most of those who were granted auspicious signs last time were the original heroes who helped Li Yuan start his uprising in Taiyuan.

Most of the seventeen heroes of Taiyuan Yuanmou are here today.

"I brought everyone here specially to see the auspiciousness."

Li Yi quickly put down the tea,

The renovated greenhouse was as warm as spring even in this winter. Li Yi even took off his cloak and fur coat and only wore a padded robe.

Mica roof tiles were installed, and transparent mica windows were added to the four walls.

There is also a stove in this greenhouse to regulate the temperature.

It is really comfortable to drink tea here.
There is sunshine but no cold wind.
The potatoes have sprouted and are enjoying the sun so that the sprouts can grow stronger.

Li Yi introduced the progress of the auspicious planting to the emperor.
Li Yuan was very satisfied to see that the buds on the auspicious tree were growing strong.

It was the first time for many of Yuanmou's heroes to see the true appearance of auspicious signs, although they were part of it.

"Each auspicious plant has been numbered and registered, with its own ID card stating who it belongs to. After a few days, it can be officially planted in the tank..."

Li Yuan said with a chuckle, "I've heard that many noble families and noble sons have come to you to buy golden potatoes for good fortune, and you charge fifteen taels of gold for each one?"

Li Yi also knew that this kind of thing could not be concealed.

I admitted it frankly at the moment.

Li Yuan did not intend to blame him. Li Yi offered auspicious signs, so he also gave him a nest, which originally belonged to Li Yi personally.

"This greenhouse is quite comfortable. We grow flowers and plants and a lot of green leafy vegetables."

Wu Shigui, the Imperial Court Minister who was also in charge of the treasury, said that if it were not for an auspicious sign, it would be too costly to grow vegetables and flowers in the greenhouse in winter.

The Minister of Rites Liu Yijie said that for the sake of auspiciousness, no matter how much money was spent this winter, it would be worth it.

"Qianshui Bo used two auspicious golden potatoes and produced 72 kilograms in one season. Two becomes 72, and these 60-odd kilograms of auspicious potato seeds will become over 2,000 kilograms after this winter.

By then, if every family plants it on their farm, it will be able to produce 70,000 to 80,000 kilograms.

If we can harvest three crops a year, how many acres of golden potatoes would be planted in the entire capital, and how much would the grain yield increase?"

Planting wheat and millet on an acre yields only one or two dan, but planting sweet potatoes on an acre yields twenty or thirty dan.

"A few years later, the people of the capital were no longer hungry, and the price of grain in Chang'an was no longer high."

Li Yi looked at Duke Ge, who was the head of Jinyang Township two years ago. He was quite eloquent. It was said that he and Wu Shigui were originally local tyrants, and even became rich through business. Wu Shigui was a timber dealer, and Liu Yijie was a cattle and horse dealer.

Liu Yijie was formerly known as Liu Shilong. After following Li Yuan into Chang'an, he came up with the idea of cutting down the trees in the palaces and streets of Chang'an and selling them to the people as firewood in exchange for military funds.

Now both sides of Chang'an Street are bare, all thanks to him.

Prince Consort Chai Shao looked at the large vats that had been prepared. The soil inside had been carefully mixed. He grabbed a handful of black soil, which was relatively loose and mixed with plant ash, fermented dry manure, and some fermented oil cakes.

On the other side, there are also a lot of fertilizer piled up, and some water tanks.

“Whichever tank is mine, I have to choose a good spot for it,” he said with a smile.

The emperor took a tour and then held a tea party in the greenhouse.

Drinking tea and chatting,

Enjoying this leisurely winter sun,
A eunuch came hurriedly,

Brought a bad news,

Minister of Works Dugu Huai'en attacked Puzhou, but Emperor Yao was unsuccessful. The general commander of the army, the governor of Huazhou, and the consort of Princess Guiyang, Zhao Cijing, was defeated and captured.

Emperor Yaosu captured Prince Consort Zhao on the city wall and beheaded him for public display.

This news made Li Yuan, who was drinking tea and telling jokes, look unhappy.

His face was gloomy at first, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly threw the teacup.

"The dog of Jie barks at Yao!"

Princess Guiyang was Li Yuan's concubine's daughter, but unlike Princess Pingyang, who was good at riding and shooting and knew military tactics, Princess Guiyang was good at writing poetry. She was a talented woman and was deeply loved by Li Yuan.

Therefore, Zhao Cijing from the Tianshui Zhao family was specially chosen as her son-in-law. The Tianshui Zhao family was also a famous family. Zhao Cijing's father had served as the governor of Fanzhou in the Sui Dynasty. Little Zhao was handsome and very talented in both civil and military affairs.

Li Yuan liked this son-in-law very much, and he was particularly filial. When Li Yuan started his army in Hedong, Xiao Zhao was in Chang'an with his mother. He could not bear to abandon his mother and escaped, so he was imprisoned and was not rescued until Li Yuan entered Chang'an.

He served as the Minister of War, the Governor of Huazhou, and other posts, and performed well. He was much more favored than Chai Shao, the son-in-law of Princess Pingyang.

Yao Junsu held Puzhou stubbornly and resisted. Li Yuan sent Lu Shaozong and Wei Yijie, but they failed to capture him. He then sent his cousin Dugu Huai'en and specially appointed his good son-in-law Zhao Cijing as his deputy.

Who would have thought that a good son-in-law would be implicated.

How can I explain this to my daughter? Princess Guiyang has a very good relationship with Prince Zhao. She has two sons, and her two grandsons are still young.

"This Yao Junsu, I will definitely kill him."

The emperor rarely roared in anger, but everyone present knew that Yao Junsu had already made up his mind to die.

At first, Yao Junsu was Qu Tutong's deputy general and the governor of Hedong County. When Qu Tutong was defeated and surrendered, he came to persuade Li Yuan to surrender, but he refused.

Later, Li Yuan repeatedly tried to persuade him to surrender, even promising him an iron certificate, pardon from death, and even promotion and nobility, but he refused. Later, he sent Pang Yu and Huangfu Wuyi, who had surrendered in the Eastern Capital, to persuade him, but it was useless.

Li Yuan even sent his wife to persuade him to surrender, but he shot his wife to death with an arrow.

How could such a person surrender?

Yao was a guard when Yang Guang was the Prince of Jin. It can be said that he was indeed loyal. What's more amazing is that he was guarding a city, and none of the generals sent by Li Yuan to attack could take it.

Now the son-in-law is involved.

Li Yuan, furious, said to Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, and others, "I want to kill people. Shimin, you go and capture Puzhou City yourself. After the city is captured, all the defenders, from Yao Junsu on down, will be executed."

Li Shimin said, "Father, I heard that Puzhou City has been resisting stubbornly until now and has already run out of food. If Minister Dugu can continue to besiege it without attacking, Puzhou will surely fall without a fight.

Emperor Yao was stubborn and insane. He even shot his own wife who came to persuade him to surrender. He had lost all reason.

Puzhou City has high walls and is fortified. A forceful attack would only make him fight like a trapped beast, resulting in unnecessary casualties."

"I will destroy Puzhou now and kill Yao's dog slave now!" Li Yuan cursed.

Chai Shao said, "Your Majesty, since Puzhou has run out of food and is isolated and helpless, it will fall sooner or later. However, not everyone is like Yao Junsu, who wants to be buried alive with the Sui Dynasty.

The court could issue a large reward and shoot the reward document into the city with a bow and arrow.
Anyone who kills Yao Junsu will be granted an official title, and anyone who opens the city and surrenders will be forgiven..."

Li Shimin's siege without attack and Chai Shao's killing and destroying the heart were both able to capture Puzhou.

But Li Yuan wanted to capture Puzhou immediately and even wanted to massacre the city.

At this time,

Another eunuch came hurriedly,

"What's the matter?"

"Li Gui of Liangzhou in Hexi usurped the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, changing the reign title to Anle."

"Snapped,"

Li Yuan dropped another teacup.

The eunuch stood there uneasily, "Also, Li Gui sent people to capture Hezhou."

Bang, Li Yuan dropped another teacup.
Li Yi felt a little distressed, because this set of tea set was given to him by Wu Shiling, and he liked it very much. It was produced in Gongxian Kiln in Luoyang and was a very good green porcelain.

"Li Gui sent the pseudo-minister Deng Xiao to the court, presenting a letter claiming to be his cousin, the Emperor of Daliang."

Upon hearing this, Crown Prince Jiancheng asked, "Are you planning to follow Xiao Cha's example and proclaim yourself Emperor of Liang while submitting to Zhou?"

Li Yuan said angrily, "I can call Li Gui my cousin, but he must call me Your Majesty. Now he calls me brother, which means he refuses to submit."

There is a Puzhou Yao Junsu who is indestructible and unconquerable.
Now there comes another man named Li Gui from Hexi who usurps the throne and declares himself emperor.

Originally, Li Yuan sent an envoy to contact Li Gui and appointed him as the King of Liang and Governor of Liangzhou. Li Gui accepted the appointment. Li Yuan was quite happy and felt that he had pacified Hexi without sending any soldiers.

Who knew that Li Gui would become emperor in the blink of an eye.

Li Yuan returned to the palace angrily.

All the ministers accompanied him,

Li Yi stayed behind to clean up the mess. A set of Gongxian kiln green porcelain tea sets was perfectly good, but three of them were smashed by Li Yuan.

He felt that being an emperor was not easy.
There are so many bad things happening all day long. Just now, my beloved son-in-law died in the war and his head was cut off. I don’t know how to face my crying daughter, and my two grandsons have lost their father.

Over there, his cousin Li Gui proclaimed himself emperor and dared to capture Hezhou of the Tang Dynasty, yet he sent envoys to write a letter, claiming to be his cousin, the Emperor of Daliang.
Is this a provocation?
Someone helped Li Yi clean up.

I also gave him a new pot of tea.
Li Yi poured a cup of tea and continued to bask in the sun in a daze.

He felt quite emotional after hearing about Yao Junsu. There was no doubt that Yao Junsu was really loyal to Yang Guang.
Unfortunately, his loyalty cost him the life of an entire city and tens of thousands of people.

He has been defending Puzhou until now, and has eaten up all the food and grass in the city. I heard that they have even started cannibalism.

Eat people to defend the city,

How terrible.

The dynasty has changed, and we are not facing any invasion or massacre by foreign races. There is no need to persist like this.

Qu Tutong had always refused to surrender, but he finally came to his senses.

Puzhou is an important town.
Located between Chang'an, Luoyang and Taiyuan, it is an important town on the east bank of the Yellow River. Yao Junsu was only a Yingyang Langjiang before. Qu Tutong took the main force of Hedong to reinforce Chang'an and promoted him to Tongshou of Hedong County and stationed him in Puzhou.

He is a small general.

Yao Junsu was proud enough to defeat the three main generals sent by Li Tang, Lü Shaozong, Wei Yijie, and Dugu Huai'en. He changed the generals three times but still failed to capture Puzhou City.

If Yao Junsu had not known about Yang Guang's death in the early stage, his persistence would have made some sense.

But later the news of Yang Guang's death in Jiangdu reached Puzhou. There was no need for him to continue, but he was still holding on. Now the food in the city has been eaten up and people have started to eat each other, but he still refused to surrender.

Li Yi had never known such a person existed before.
Now I don't know how to evaluate his loyalty.

But I still feel that it is a bit terrifying if the entire city is dragged into a burial ceremony just for his loyalty. How could the soldiers and the people of Puzhou be willing to live and die with the city?
perhaps,

At this time, the soldiers and people of Puzhou were actually hoping that Yao Junsu would die. If he died, the people of Puzhou would be relieved.

(End of this chapter)