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

Chapter 268 Like a dream in vain

While riding through the East Market, I heard the sound of the market opening drum from afar.

"Let's go to the East Market and buy some things." Li Yi remembered that he hadn't been home for several days, so he wanted to go to the East Market to buy some gifts for his wives and concubines.

"County officials of the fifth rank and above are not allowed to enter the market." Zhao Yongan reminded.

Li Yi glanced at the purple robe and jade belt on his body. Although his goldfish bag could allow him to enter the Taiji Palace, it could not allow him to enter the East and West Markets.

"Alang, change your clothes and leave the imperial guards behind." Liu Heizi offered advice.

Li Yi smiled and said that he was smart, so he came to the Wuhou shop at the corner of the street. When he approached, the Wuhous on duty there became nervous for a while, and they quickly straightened their robes and checked their weapons.

"Don't be nervous, I'll lend you this place to change into casual clothes."

"Please come in, Lord Li."

The on-duty leader of the Wuhou Shop also recognized Li Yi, who lived in the nearby Kangfang, and quickly and respectfully invited him into the shop and called out all his men inside.

Li Yi took off his purple robe and jade belt and changed into an ordinary robe.

He called Liu Heizi, Luo Wu, and a few others, and told the imperial guards to wait outside. "I'll just buy some things and be back soon."

Walking into the East Market,

The noise was overwhelming, with all kinds of shouting and hawking sounds filling the air, and the streets were crowded with people.

Coming to a street of gold and silver shops, Li Yi bought a few hairpins and a longevity lock for Xiao Lajiao.

On the street, I met Zou Luotuo again, who was pushing a cart and selling Hubing. He was still working so hard and his business was still good.

Li Yi stepped forward to take care of the business, and the price remained the same.

Without staying in the East Market for too long, Li Yi bought some Persian rose dew from the Hu merchant, then left the East Market and rode Ye Zhaobai back to Pingkangfang.

The Wutou Gate of my own house has been modified and expanded, becoming taller and wider.

There are already six halberds lined up inside the main gate. Now that he has reached the third rank of Silver and Green Guanglu Doctor, he officially has the honor of having halberds lined up inside the gate.

When the doorman Fu Bo saw Li Yi coming back, he happily went forward to lead the horse.

Talking,
Li Jing from next door had just returned from outside the alley. When he saw him, he came over to greet him with a smile.

"Why are you back today?"

"I'm presenting the newly carved sample coins to Your Majesty. Why are you going to give up now?"

Li Jing smiled and said, "Xu Shao, the prefect of Anlu in Yiling, led the Qian'an, Wuling, Liyang and other counties to surrender. Your Majesty appointed him the Duke of Anlu and the Governor of Xizhou. Xiao Xian of Jiangling sent Yang Daosheng to lead an army to attack Xizhou. Li Xiaogong, the Duke of Zhao, the ambassador of Shannan Road and the governor of Xinzhou, submitted a memorial to the court, requesting that troops be sent to attack Xiao Xian and relieve the siege of Xizhou. I am writing to request to serve."

This time, when Li Jing accompanied Li Yi to suppress the bandits in Nanshan, he gained a good harvest. His honors were increased by two ranks and he was promoted to Zhuguo, and his official rank was increased by one rank and he was promoted to Kaifu.

But he was still only a fourth-rank military officer. When they were drinking in Yishou Palace that night, Li Yi and Luo Shixin were both promoted to pillars of the state before they were twenty years old, and Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin were only in their twenties or thirties, and their official positions were higher than his.

Li Jing didn't even get back the Duke of Yongkang from his ancestors.
This time I took the initiative to go to Shannan.

"It's a pity that you are minting coins in Yishou Palace. If you go to Shannan to lead the troops, I would be willing to continue to be your chief secretary. You are a lucky general. I will be promoted every time I follow you." Li Jing said with a smile.

He looked at Li Yi's house and said, "There are six halberds in the gate, and the black-headed gate is two feet high. However, this house is still a little small for you now. The hall is not the central building, and there is no double-arched caisson, nor any decorative ridge beasts.
With your current official rank, you can have a hall with five rooms and nine frames, and a hip roof..."

Li Yi looked at the eight-acre house, which indeed seemed a bit small now.

"When will you leave Beijing?"

"I actually hope the sooner the better. After spending some time with you young people, I'm eager to make some achievements. Hahahaha."

"I believe that Mr. Li is a talented person and will shine brightly in Jinghan."

"Thank you for your good wishes. You should go home quickly. It's been a long time since you came back."

The two smiled and said goodbye.

Li Yi didn't expect that Li Jing would go back to his old ways. Perhaps this was the inevitability of history. His abilities could not be concealed after all.

Perhaps only by going to Shannan can I put my talents to use. In Chang'an, being a General of the Central Army will not give me any room to display my talents.

However, this time, Li Jing seemed to have arrived in Shannan earlier than in history. Perhaps it was because of Li Yi's change that Li Jing escaped from the bench early, got two chances, and showed off his skills, which is why he came out early.

The next time we meet may be a few years later, and by then Li Jing may have become a county lord or even a county lord.

The inner courtyard of the mansion.

Ji Lingyi's belly was already quite swollen. She moved a rattan chair to sit in the courtyard and bask in the sun. Her maids and servants sat beside her, sewing baby clothes and diapers. Because A Lang had said that cotton was better for children's clothes, Ji Lingyi had someone buy some fine white cloth from Gaochang in the West Market.

These fine white folded cloths were much more expensive than silk, but for the sake of her unborn child, Ji Lingyi bought a lot of them at once.

"Why did the lady move to the garden recently? She even set up a small Buddhist temple there. I heard that she chants Buddhist scriptures all day long and refuses to see anyone." Hongxiao girl said softly.

Ji Lingyi had a handkerchief covering her face, feeling lazy under the warm sun of the spring afternoon. When she heard Hong Xiao's words, she pretended not to hear them.

Of course she knew why.

Firstly, Shi Niang's grandmother passed away and she was still in mourning. Secondly, Shi Niang still found it difficult to accept that her father and brother would repeatedly send people to murder her husband.

I originally thought it was just a temporary unacceptable situation, but who knew it would be so cruel.

She was caught in the middle, neither of them being accepted by the public.

She was grieving that her brother came to assassinate her husband, but died in Chang'an. She was sad for her brother who had taken care of her since she was a child, but she also felt guilty towards her husband. All these tortured her deeply.

So she set up a Buddhist temple in the garden, moved there to stay away from everyone, and chanted scriptures and recite Buddhist scriptures.

Ji Lingyi knew all this very well, but she couldn't persuade her. She had tried to persuade her, but it was useless. It all depended on whether she could figure it out and move on.

In fact, she could understand Shi Niang very well. Thinking back to when her husband's family got into trouble and her brothers on her natal side abandoned her, she had been brooding over it for five years and almost couldn't get over it.

What is happening to Shi Niang now is even worse than what happened to her back then. Anyone who encounters her will feel uncomfortable.

In the west wing of the inner courtyard,

Luo Sanniang was looking at the account book. There was an abacus on the table. This abacus was custom-made for her by Li Yi himself. He also taught her how to use it and taught her the formulas.

Nowadays, she is already very familiar with using the abacus, which is indeed more convenient than counting chips, especially when used with abacus formulas, it is much faster.

Their conversation in the yard also spread to the room.

Sanniang was a little distracted.

She feels a little embarrassed in this courtyard now.

Shi Niang had already given a betrothal gift to her family, which was quite a bit, and her family also signed the concubine agreement. In theory, she was already a member of the Li family.

Even his household registration has been moved here and is attached to Li Yi.

But after all, Li Yi hadn't sent anyone to pick her up, nor had he invited relatives and friends to hold a banquet to witness it, so it still felt a little less formal.

Shi Niang said that Li Yi was very busy and had no time for the time being, and would come to meet her when he was free.

But his father Luo Er and his brothers and sisters-in-law all thought it would be better to come earlier to avoid any further complications.

Luo Sanniang was worried about gains and losses. She could actually feel that Li Yi was somewhat indifferent to her. She might be satisfied with being taken as a concubine, so in the end her father, brother and sister-in-law hired a carriage to send her to the Chang'an County Mansion.

As a result, Shi Niang is no longer the head of the household and does not receive guests.

The pregnant Ji was the temporary head of the household. Ji was quite warm to her and not only arranged for her to live in the west wing of the inner courtyard, but also gave her the management of the household accounts.

But in the end, she still didn't consummate her marriage with Alang, and the servants in the mansion looked at her differently.

In fact, she felt less comfortable here than in Luojiabao, and she spoke much less.

But she didn't want to go back, and she couldn't go back.

Ah Fu's wife's voice came from the yard, "Ah Lang is back,"

The whole inner courtyard of the mansion suddenly became noisy, and Luo Sanniang also became energetic. She stood up and was about to walk out, but when she reached the door, she turned back.

She picked up the small bronze mirror on the table, looked at herself carefully in the mirror, and quickly took out the lip balm box that Li Yi had given her.

Li Yi entered the mansion,
All the way into the inner courtyard,
Everyone greeted them.

Jin Yushu, who had been hiding in the house, also came to greet them with a flower in her hair.

"I brought you gifts,"

Each wife, concubine and maid was given a hairpin, including Luo Sanniang who had just come in, and the concubine Shuying also had one.

"As for Little Pepper, I bought her a longevity lock and a rattle."

Things were sent around.
But he didn't see his wife Shi Niang.

Ji Lingyi pulled him aside and whispered about Shi Niang's recent situation, "The princess has been locking herself in the small Buddhist temple in the garden lately, chanting scriptures and reciting Buddhist scriptures all day long. I'm very worried that she will be depressed for a while, but our persuasion is useless. Ah Lang is back, let's persuade her as soon as possible."

In the newly built small Buddhist temple in the garden,
Du Shiniang knelt in front of a bluestone lotus seat, holding the Diamond Sutra translated by Kumarajiva of the Later Qin Dynasty in her hand.

Li Yi walked in.
Seeing her pale and haggard face, I felt very distressed.

"Madam, I'm back."

Shi Niang trembled a little, but did not look back.

"I was a Taoist priest for sixteen years, but now I have returned to secular life and married a woman. My wife is now chanting Buddhist scriptures. Does this mean that Buddha is originally a Taoist?"

Shi Niang still didn't look back.
Li Yi hugged her from behind, and she struggled for a few times.

"Madam, are you reciting the Diamond Sutra? Tell me what you want to know from this sutra?"

Du Shiniang said with tears in her eyes: "I want to develop a great heart to save all sentient beings."

Li Yi interrupted her, hugged her in his arms, and whispered in her ear, "Didn't Kumarajiva say that all appearances are false, and all phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows, like dew and lightning. You should view them in this way. My lady, I know that these recent events have made you very sad and even confused.

But the Diamond Sutra also says that one should give rise to the mind without dwelling on anything. Only by not dwelling on appearances and not being biased can one grasp the truth.

You don't have to get too hung up on it.
Just let it be. My husband has a message for you: accept things as they come, don’t dwell on the past, don’t get distracted by the present, and don’t anticipate the future.”

Du Shiniang burst into tears: "I never thought that my father would kill my Alang, and my brother also died because of this. I feel so sorry for Alang.
I am also sorry to my brother Aye.
I feel like everything is my fault."

"Don't think like that. There's nothing wrong with you marrying the man you love. The ones who are wrong are your grandmother, your uncle, and your brother. They can refuse to accept it, but at most they can just stop communicating with you. But your uncle and brother want to kill people. They are so wrong.
Why should you use their mistakes to punish yourself?
If you do this, what should I do?"

"Ah Lang, what should I do?"

"Before marriage, you should obey your father. After marriage, you should obey your husband. After your husband dies, you should obey your son. You were a daughter of the Du family, but now you are married to the Li family. You are a member of the Li family."

(End of this chapter)