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

Chapter 186: The Illegitimate Child Who Shocked Chang'an

Xuanyangfang.

Fenyuan Mansion,

Li Yi wore a scarlet robe and a golden belt, and rode a dark red horse from Hexi. Behind him was a large carriage drawn by two horses and a small carriage drawn by one horse. Six servants followed in front and behind each carriage, and there were four imperial guards on horseback leading the way.

Near the Wutou Wall of Fenyuan Mansion,

Zhao Yongan urged his horse forward to report first.

"I am Zhao Yongan, a member of the Imperial Guards and garrison cavalry, and have been ordered to escort the founding earl of Qianshui County. I have come to inform you that the concubine of the Qianshui County earl, Li Gong, has returned to visit her parents today and has arrived at the entrance of the alley."

The old servant guarding the gate of Ji Mansion was startled by the loud voice of this strong man, especially since he was carrying a bow and a sword.
"Who, who is this guard talking about?"

"The concubine of the Earl of Qianshui, Ji." Zhao Yongan said loudly.

"Ji what?"

"Ji's nickname is Sujun, the eldest lady of your Fenyuan Mansion,"

"Madam Sujun?" The old servant at the gate finally understood. "Where is the Madam?"

"We've reached the alley entrance. Please inform the men in your family immediately."

The old servant came out and took a look at the street corner. He was a little surprised to see such a grand scene, and then hurried back to pass on the message.

quickly,

Ji Wen and Dou Liuniang, along with everyone from the Ji Mansion, came out of the door.

I was also surprised to see so many people and cars at the door.

At this time, Li Yi dismounted, came to the front of the carriage, and helped Ji Sujun dismount.

Today, Ji Sujun was wearing a long-sleeved dress with a sable fur coat on the outside. She wore a pair of gold hairpins on her head, each with a pair of precious ornaments.

The Ji brothers almost didn't recognize her.

"Brother."

Ji Sujun bowed to Ji Wen,

"aunt?"

A maid stepped forward and said, "My son Alang has just obtained the grace of the Holy Saint to be promoted to be a concubine for Lady Ji. He has been granted a certificate of status and is considered an eighth-rank official."

Ji looked at her sister,

After nearly six years, he returned home, surrounded by four maids, four servants, twelve servants, and even four imperial guards.
Two carriages filled with people,

There are also two carts of gifts.

What surprised him even more was that his sister was originally given to Li Yi as a maid from the Yunting Palace, but was later released as a free woman, then taken as a concubine, and now she was promoted to a concubine.

It is very rare for a concubine to be promoted to a maid.

Li Yi was actually able to ask the emperor for permission to promote Su Jun from concubine to concubine. It seems that Li Yi is really good to Su Jun.

Ji Sigong's wife seemed a little skeptical.
"Such good news, I haven't heard sister talk about it before."

As soon as Ji Sujun stretched out her hand, her maid Hong Xian took out a sandalwood box and took out the yellow silk certificate.

"I happened to have it in the car today, so I'll let my sister-in-law take a look."

Ji Sigong's wife took it and unfolded it, but after taking a glance at it, she was speechless and had to hand it to Dou Liuniang embarrassedly.

Dou Liuniang could tell at a glance that this was true.
"Congratulations, sister."

The Wen family welcomed Li Yi, Ji Sujun and others into the house.
The thirty or so people who followed the Li family also went in. Dou Liuniang asked the servants to serve tea.
As a result, the girl Hongxian stood up again.
"When I came here, my Lord Du said that when Lady Ji came back to visit her family and worship her ancestors, the Qianshui County Marquis's Mansion had already prepared everything.
The sacrificial items, tea, and snacks are also prepared, so there is no need to trouble the Ji family."

As he spoke, the red line waved,
The maids, servants, servants, and coachmen began to bring things in from the carriages.

Someone even brought down a charcoal stove and boiled water and made tea in the living room.

Bring your own charcoal, water, tea, tea sets, snacks, etc.

That scene,
Ji Wen's mouth twitched when he saw this.

Dou Liuniang's face looked a little unhappy.
The Li family is taking over the show.
drink tea,

Change clothes,

Then worship the ancestors,

After the sacrifice, Ji Sujun began to distribute gifts to her brothers, sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces, and even uncles and cousins in the clan.

"These are all homegrown products. These are from my family's farm in Yushuchuan. These are water chestnuts, which have always been tribute to the royal family. There are also sweet-scented osmanthus balls and crystal rice, which have also been tribute to the imperial court since the Qin and Han dynasties.
The dried bean curd sheets, bean curd bubbles, soap, persimmon wine, etc. produced in my workshop are now also tributes to the imperial court, and even the saints are full of praise. "

A lot of things were prepared, and everyone in the Wen family had a share.

Speaking of bean curd sheets, the Wen brothers had to tell Li Yi about his family's current bean curd sheet workshop.
"The slaves who were sent to the Luojiabao workshop to learn have all completed their studies. Our Wen family's tofu skin workshop has also started production. We have already opened these workshops in several states, including Pu, Shaanxi, and Shang. It's great."

Although Li Yi originally sold a complete set of recipes for bean curd sheets and soaked tofu to the Ji and Wen families, and asked for thirty taels of gold each, Li Yi did let them send people to the workshop to learn, and he guaranteed that they would be taught until they could master it. After they learned it, they could open workshops and quickly make a profit.

Ji Wen and Dou Zhiyuan both thought that this deal was quite worthwhile and praised Li Yiren as a good person.

When Ji Wen heard that Li Yi had been promoted to Director of Fengyi Palace, he could not help but sigh at how fast his brother-in-law was promoted.

In half a year, he went from being a commoner to being a fifth-rank official and a founding county earl.

However, he was still only a ninth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel, and he was transferred to Beijing only because of his father-in-law's family connections.

Ji Wen called all the Ji family members in Beijing.
The family warmly entertained Li Yi and Ji Sujun. At this time, they no longer felt that it was shameful for their sister to be a concubine. Instead, they felt that it was remarkable that their sister had risen from a slave to a concubine of a founding county earl in just a few months after leaving the Yunting Palace.

"Stay home tonight." Ji Wen drank a few glasses of persimmon wine and was already a little drunk. His face flushed, he pulled Li Yi and called him brother-in-law. Li Yi could drink much more than him, and he only took a sip at a time.

"Next time, next time, I'll come and stay again. There will be plenty of time and opportunities in the future, and I will come often."

A group of Ji clan members came to toast Li Yi one by one, and some of them asked Li Yi to help support their children in the future. Li Yi also agreed with a laugh.

Everyone can say polite words.

After the lively family dinner,
Li Yi took Ji Sujun's hand and said goodbye to the Ji family.

Everyone from the Ji family sent them to the Wutou Gate.

Li Yi and Su Jun got on the carriage together and drove away.

"Thank you, Mr. Lang."

"Why are you being so polite to me?"

"Thank you, my lord, for giving me all this face. I was originally just a convicted woman in the imperial court, a slave, but you have been so kind to me. You first gave me the warmth of a home, then pardoned me and made me a good woman, then took me in as a concubine and gave me a proper status, and now you have even promoted me to be a concubine."

Ji Sujun choked up and couldn't continue.

"My dear, I have no way to repay you. I will definitely give you five or six sons!"

Li Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This way of repaying a favor was too special.

"When you have time in the future, you can also visit your parents' home more often. After all, this is your parents' home. Visit them more often and bring more gifts."

"This time it's too expensive."

"As long as you are happy, this little gift is nothing. Besides, I made 150 taels of gold last time I sold them prescriptions and auspicious items." Li Yi said with a smile.

Today, Ji Wen kept saying good things about Li Yi, saying that he made a good deal by buying the bean curd skin recipe.

Ji Sujun snuggled in Li Yi's arms, feeling extremely happy.

"Ah Lang, the conflict between you and General Li this morning will probably spread like wildfire soon."

"who cares."

"But what if he spreads the news to all of Chang'an, saying that you are his son and that you are unfilial?"

"He said I was his son, so I am his son?"

······
On the bank of Shenheyuan,

At the construction site of Changning Palace, which Li Shimin was building for his mother, Empress Dou Mu,

"Ke Mingke heard a new rumor about your cousin's husband."

"Your Majesty, are you referring to the conflict between Li Zhi and Li Yi on Pingkangfang Street today?"

"Well, a fourth-rank official in charge of Zuowei Yifu and a fifth-rank official in charge of Fengyi Palace were fighting in the street. Li Yi even drew his sword and killed Li Zhi's mount.

This is quite a sensation.

But what caused even greater sensation in Chang'an and sparked heated discussion was that Li Zhi was now spreading the word that Li Yi was his illegitimate son.

Du Ruhui did not hide anything from Li Shimin, "Your Majesty, this matter is complicated, but Li Yi is indeed Li Zhi's biological son."

He told Li Shimin the secret story of Li Yi's life.

Li Zhi was a brave and skilled warrior at a young age, and was appreciated by the powerful minister Yang Su, who wanted to take him as his son-in-law. However, in order to curry favor with the powerful minister, Li Zhi broke off the engagement with his fiancée, Zhang from Fanyang.
But Zhang was already pregnant...
In fact, Li Shimin's father can be considered as Li Zhi's half-brother-in-law.

After Li Yuan entered Chang'an, he took Yang Su's daughter into the palace and made her a concubine, known as the Great Yang Concubine in the palace. Li Zhi's wife, Yang, was also Yang Su's daughter and the Great Yang Concubine's half-sister.

Li Jing was brave and strong at the beginning. Although he was regarded as lacking in wisdom, he was praised for his loyalty. He had followed Yang Su in many battles and fought with every sword and spear to become a great general.

His grandson Li Zhi was very similar to him, strong and brave, but lacking in strategy.

When Li Jing was a personal guard in Yang Zhong's court, he had an affair with Yang Zhong's maid and gave birth to Li Yuantong, but he refused to acknowledge it. Li Zhi broke off the engagement with his fiancée even though she was pregnant before they were married. Zhang gave birth to a child and sent it back to him, but he refused to acknowledge it and abandoned the child.

The grandfather and grandson are very similar, both good at fighting and very bad.

When Li Zhi married Yang Su's daughter, he did benefit from his father-in-law's influence for a period of time. He was promoted to the prefect of Longxi County and was granted the title of Marquis of Yuanqiu County.

However, when Yang Xuangan rebelled later, although Li Jing was not implicated, Li Zhi, Yang Xuangan's brother-in-law, was implicated, stripped of his title and dismissed from office, and demoted to a commoner.

It was not until Li Yuan entered Guanzhong that Li Zhi went to greet him.

After Li Yuan took Yang Su'nu into the palace as a concubine, he also granted his adopted brother-in-law Li Zhi the title of Zuowei Yifu Yitong, and later promoted him to Yitong.

After hearing this, Li Shimin sighed and said, "The Tianshui Li family has a bad family tradition. When Li Daoxing had an affair with Yang Zhong's maid and gave birth to Li Yuantong, he refused to admit it. I didn't expect his grandson Li Zhi to do the same thing again."

Now Li Zhi is spreading the word that Li Yi is his illegitimate son. What is his intention?

Fang Xuanling said, "I heard that although Li Jing refused to acknowledge Li Yuantong as his son throughout his life, even though Li Yuantong was very powerful in the previous dynasty, he was still very tough.

However, after Li Xiaochang was included in the nationality and granted the title of King Yi'an, Li Zhi often went to the Yi'an Palace in Xiuxiangfang and took the initiative to ask King Yi'an to recognize his ancestral roots. He always called King Yi'an his brother.

Fang Xuanling's words were very clear. Li Zhi saw that Li Yuantong's son was now crowned king in the new dynasty, so he wanted to recognize Li Xiaochang as his cousin.

Now Li Yi's career is going smoothly. In just half a year, he has been promoted to the fifth rank and was granted the title of earl. Li Zhi then wants to recognize his son again.

"This Li Zhi is truly shameless." Li Shimin could not help but sigh, and then he asked, "Is Li Yi really Li Zhi's son?"

"Well, Li Yi is the son of Li Zhi and his fiancée Zhang."

Although Zhang was once engaged to Li Zhi, they later broke off the engagement. Li Yi was born after the breakup, so even if he was a biological son, he was now just an illegitimate child.

(End of this chapter)