A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief
Chapter 245 Changle
Chapter 245 Changle
Jingdong,
In early spring, the Chan River, wrapped in the chill of the remaining snow on the Qinling Mountains, meanders under the Changle slope.
Changle Palace on Changle Hill,
Li Shimin leaned on the railing and looked into the distance. The copper bells on the eaves of Wangchun Pavilion jingled in the cold wind, startling a few crows that flew over the water.
The Tang Dynasty King Qin stroked the palace railings and said, "The willow trees haven't sprouted yet this year."
Fang Xuanling took two steps forward, holding the copper heater. "Your Highness, this year is the intercalary February."
Li Shimin, following the imperial order, went ten miles out of the capital to welcome the crown prince back in triumph.
Xuanba and Suchan, the two rivers are one clear and one turbid. Li Shimin looked at the Chan River and couldn't help but think of himself and the prince. Now the two brothers are becoming more and more estranged.
The imperial court dug the Longshou Canal to divert water from the Chan River to the Forbidden Garden, where it split into two branches, one flowing north to the Taiji Palace and the other flowing west to the Chunming Gate.
"Spring comes particularly late this year. In previous years, at this time of year, the willows on Changle Slope would have sprouted, the weeds would have been green, and the people of Chang'an would be everywhere enjoying the spring." Li Shimin said.
Changle Slope, nestled between the Chan River and the Longqu Canal, is surrounded by clear water and is truly a scenic spot. It is said that after Yang Guang proclaimed himself emperor, he suffered from frequent nightmares, so he lived in Changle Palace for a long time until he moved to Luoyang to build the Eastern Capital.
"I'm afraid it will delay spring plowing." Fang Xuanling said.
From the foot of Changle Slope to the banks of Chanshui River, there are Wangchun Pavilion and Yuedeng Pavilion from the Sui Dynasty, as well as villas and manors of noble families.
These manor villas are extremely luxurious, and many of them are equipped with polo fields.
"Li Yi has made a big splash this time. This guy can stir up trouble wherever he goes. He was assigned to the army as a recorder and escort grain, but he was able to capture three forts and five strongholds, and recruit nine generals and ten thousand soldiers. I admire him so much," Li Shimin said, pointing to a place not far from Wangchun Pavilion. "I have a villa there, and it also has a polo field.
Give it to that kid as a gift."
Du Ruhui said, "I remember that the king still has quite a bit of land in the Chan River."
"Hahaha," Li Shimin laughed, "It seems everyone knows that Li Yi likes gold, fertile fields, delicious food, and beautiful women."
Li Shimin owned many manors and properties, including a villa on the Chan River. The villa was surrounded by mulberry trees and had 500 acres of land. He had 300 servants who worked in farming, silk weaving, milling, oil pressing, and wine making.
It is a very mature medium-sized manor economy.
The geographical location is good, and although this manor only has 500 acres of land, it is quite valuable.
"Chang'an Duting Posthouse is 26 miles away from the next posthouse in the east, Zishui Posthouse. Although there is a posthouse every 30 miles, I think we can add another one here between the two posthouses," Li Shimin discovered a problem with his keen eyes.
"Well, after all, this is the capital. There are many people coming and going, as well as military secrets and official documents. The horses are often exhausted to death. Adding an inn should greatly alleviate the problem." Fang Xuanling also agreed.
Li Shimin pointed to the Chan River in front of him.
"The imperial power of the nation is originally based in the capital, where all nations pay homage, a place that will remain unchanged for generations. However, the land of Qinzhong is small, and the grain harvest is not much. If there is a flood or drought, it will be scarce. At present, the stipends and granaries are small, and the transport of grain is only 100,000 or 200,000 dan. But in the future, when the world is unified and the country's fortunes gradually expand, the grain transport will surely increase several times. I am afraid that it will not be enough to support it.
"Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty ordered Yuwen Kailuo to follow the old route of the Han Dynasty canal eastward and lead water workers to dig a new canal. The new canal passed through Weikou Guangtong Cangxia and reached Tongguan to join the Yellow River. It was over 300 miles long and benefited the people living along the canal. However, the canal has now become silted up."
Li Shimin proposed digging a canal parallel to the Wei River south of the Guanzhong Canal, modeled on the Sui Dynasty's existing canal. This canal would originate west of the Imperial Palace, divert the Wei River eastward, intersecting the Ba and Chan Rivers, and eventually merging with the Wei River near Yongfengcang in Huayin. After the canal was completed, a pond was dug beneath the Wangchun Tower in Chang'an to accommodate the canal boats.
As a result, rice stored in Yongfeng and Sanmen warehouses could be shipped all the way to Chang'an by ship, eliminating the need for oxcarts to transport it overland. Since the entire journey was transported by water, the transportation of grain naturally increased significantly.
"If we can build a water pond wharf here, it can become a grain transport wharf for Chang'an. Then, grain and cloth from Guandong, Central Plains, and even Jianghuai can be transported directly to the capital."
Fang Xuanling did not expect the King of Qin to think so far.
"Re-dredging the Sui Guangtong Canal will require a lot of manpower. If we want to divert the Chan River to build a canal wharf, it will be a huge project."
The world is still in turmoil, so it is not appropriate to undertake such a large project.
Li Shimin said slowly: "Before Li Yi went to the battle, he once told me about the refugees in the suburbs of Chang'an. Although there are no refugees pouring into Chang'an, and even within ten miles of the Chang'an city walls, there are not many refugees.
But the officials only prohibited the refugees from approaching Chang'an City for ten miles. A large number of refugees gathered in Sanqiao, Bashang, Xianyang and other places outside the capital.
Li Yi once told me that although these refugees weren't from Guanzhong, they were still subjects of the emperor. Since they had come to Chang'an, the court couldn't just turn a blind eye. He thought they could offer work-for-relief, giving them some work and then distributing food. This would both provide relief to the victims and actually help them.
Li Shimin thought that dredging the canal and even digging a canal dock here was a good work-relief project. He did not require it to be completed immediately. He could organize the victims first and work on it slowly. It was better than having a large number of refugees gathering on the outskirts of Chang'an and waiting to die.
"Whether it's dealing with Liu Wuzhou's southward invasion or the imperial court's future eastward expedition to recapture Luoyang, we'll need to transport food to the army. If the canal is repaired, water transportation can greatly save manpower and food consumption compared to horse-drawn transportation."
"Right."
As they were chatting, Hou Junji came up to report, "The Crown Prince will lead his army to Changle Slope soon."
"Follow me to welcome the prince!"
The wind blows the red flag,
Twenty thousand soldiers from the Eastern Expedition returned victoriously.
The Tang characters embroidered in the center of the banner sparkled in the afternoon sun.
Li Yi pulled Zhao Yebai's reins, and the famous Dayuan horse impatiently crushed the ice. The rustling stones embedded in the stirrups shone faintly blue in the sunlight.
This horse given by the prince is worth hundreds of strings of cash.
Li Yi also changed into silk armor today, which was modeled after the Ming Guang armor. It was made of silk and brocade with gorgeous patterns, lined with thick silk, and the silk surface was inlaid with leather and metal ornaments.
It looks the same as Ming Guang Armor or even more gorgeous, but it actually doesn't have much defensive performance. It is used for ceremonial purposes.
The tail of the 10-foot-long horse lance is stuck in the victory hook, the bird-wing ring of the lance is hung on the arm, and he carries a bow and a sword, looking majestic.
Behind him was the right wing rear army led by him, with a total of 2,600 people, including 1,850 combat soldiers, 37 battle teams, 250 crossbowmen, 300 archers, 400 leaping warriors, 400 special troops, 500 cavalry, and 750 auxiliary troops.
In Shanzhou,
Following the court's order, the prince reorganized the army, retaining 14,000 combat soldiers and 6,000 auxiliary soldiers. The remaining soldiers stayed in eastern Shaanxi to strengthen the defense of various states.
Of the fourteen thousand soldiers, the cavalry reached four thousand, and after reorganization, their combat effectiveness was improved. Li Yi also became the commander of the right rear army of the Seventh Army.
These 20,000 people will be reviewed by the emperor in Chang'an, and after a short rest, they will march to Hexi to defeat Li Gui of Xiliang.
It is only ten miles away from Chang'an.
Several horses came running.
"The King of Qin, following His Majesty's orders, has already arrived at Changle Slope to welcome the Crown Prince back in triumph."
Crown Prince Li Jiancheng reined in his horse and paused, looking back at the banners that stretched for ten miles. He smiled and said, "It's a great honor for the King of Qin to come out of the city to welcome you."
The crown prince, dressed in gilded silk armor, was full of vigor and spirit. He smiled at Wei Ting beside him and said, "I wonder how the construction of Erlang Changning Palace is going."
In front of Changle Palace,
Li Shimin, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, led dozens of officials to greet him.
"Welcome the crown prince back in triumph!"
A clear voice pierced the north wind. Li Jiancheng sat on his majestic jade horse, but he did not dismount. He simply tapped the golden saddle with his whip and looked down at his second brother with a smile on his face:
"Thank you for your hard work, Jiro."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince will have a hard time on the Eastern Expedition."
"How is the construction of Changning Palace going?"
“It’s still under construction.”
Wei Ting lightly pressed his horse's belly and took a half step forward. "According to the imperial system, the princes should greet the crown prince with a respectful step, and when meeting the prince, they should draw their swords!"
"When the King of Qin meets the Crown Prince, he must declare himself his subject!"
Li Shimin glanced at Wei Ting and looked at his brother. Jiancheng was sitting on his horse and looking at him with a smile on his face.
"I respectfully welcome the Crown Prince back in triumph!"
Li Shimin first stepped back, then took small and quick steps and started over again.
"Hahaha, Erlang, there's no need to be so polite," Jiancheng laughed.
Li Shimin's expression remained unchanged as he cupped his hands and said, "I have prepared some wine and food here. Please enjoy it, Your Highness, the Crown Prince, and the soldiers."
"We are still more than ten miles away from Chang'an. Let's not stop here and go back to the capital first." Li Jiancheng waved his hand and ordered the entire army to continue advancing.
Li Shimin stood by the roadside, watching the figure riding away on horseback, his hands clenched into fists in his sleeves, his knuckles turning white.
Li Yi's right rear army was positioned very far back.
When he arrived at Changle Palace, Li Shimin and a group of officials were still standing there.
Li Yi jumped off his horse from a distance and stepped forward to salute.
"Your Majesty."
"Is Wuyi now the commander-in-chief of an army?" Li Shimin said with a smile.
"I'm being forced to do something I don't understand."
"You've been tired from marching. Eat something before you go." Li Shimin waved his hand, and his men brought the prepared wine and food.
Li Yi smiled and said, "I'm really a little hungry. Thank you, Your Majesty." He waved his hand and ordered them to take a break and eat.
"You have accomplished a great deed this time. I am so happy for you when I hear about it in Chang'an. Come, let me toast you."
"Not worth mentioning."
Talking about this trip to Guzhou, Li Shimin was very emotional, "I didn't expect that the prince could win so easily this time."
"Wang Shichong is unpopular. Just look at Qin Shubao and others and you will know." Li Yi said with a smile.
This time, the prince won easily without any effort. He confronted Wang Shichong for several days without a direct battle. It was mainly because Ren Gui held the city of Guzhou while Li Yi fought several battles on the periphery.
But the prince was the commander-in-chief, and all the credit belonged to him.
Faced with the complacent prince, Li Shimin could only hold his anger. He asked for battle several times, but the emperor would not let him lead the troops. He could only stay in Shenheyuan in Chang'an to build Changning Palace for his mother.
The prince's behavior just now really stimulated Li Shimin deeply, and he could hardly hold back.
The prince is about to lead another western expedition. If Li Gui is defeated again, the prince will be so proud that he will be in high spirits.
"Wuyi, is there any way for me to take over the crown prince's western expedition?" Li Shimin leaned close and asked in a low voice.
(End of this chapter)
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