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

Chapter 84: Provide Your Own Food and Clothing
"Your Majesty has agreed to let me lead the charge against the Xue clan again."

Li Shimin finally got the seal of commander-in-chief again, and at Li Shimin's strong request, Liu Wenjing was still appointed as the chief military officer and Yin Kaishan as the military secretary.

The son-in-law Chai Shao was the deputy general.
Dou Gui, Liu Hongji, Li Anyuan, Qiu Xinggong, Liu Shirang, Liang Shi and other generals were to serve as generals, and all would obey the orders of Li Shimin.

Li Shimin took out a fish token,
"This is your military enlistment fish token. It will serve as proof of enlistment in the camp."

Li Shimin proposed to the emperor that Li Yi should join the army, and Li Yuan agreed immediately and let Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan resume their posts in the camp. Li Yuan was still a little hesitant, but he had no objection to Li Yi joining the army.

"Send troops in three days."

"Do I need to prepare anything?" Li Yi remembered that the Tang Dynasty soldiers had to prepare their own food and clothing when they went to war, such as nine dou of wheat rice and two dou of millet, as well as a bow with thirty arrows, a broadsword, etc.

Li Shimin smiled and said, "The soldiers of the imperial court must prepare seven items of clothing and food when they go to war. You are a soldier, a civilian, so you don't need to prepare anything. Everything is available in the barracks."

For a civilian like Li Yi who joins the army, the headquarters will even provide him with a mount.

Of course, if Li Yi wanted, he could bring his own mount, as well as some personal belongings such as books, clothing, and dry food, and even his own followers and servants. Except for his wife, maids, and concubines, he could even bring his family members with him.

"What are the seven things you carry with you?"

"Clothes, bedding, supplies, belongings, bows and arrows, saddles and bridles, and weapons."

Each group of ten soldiers had to purchase six pack horses at their own expense, along with six mules or donkeys to carry their equipment. These six pack horses did not belong to the supply troops, but to the government soldiers.

The mount is equipped according to personal conditions.

Anyway, a soldier has to bring a lot of things when he goes to war. For example, he has to bring three pairs of shoes, and different hats for different seasons.

There were also grain bags, medicine bags, salt bags, water bags, flint bags, whetstones, pliers, files, knives, fire drills, awls, horse bowls, leg wraps, blankets, etc.

Each group also needs to be equipped with tents, axes, shovels, pots, hammers, and even pestles for grinding rice, hoes for cutting grass, baskets, wooden buckets, horse reins, etc. In short, there are a lot of things.

Since the establishment of the Fubing system by Emperor Yuwen Tai of the Western Wei Dynasty, the selection of Fubing was very strict, but everyone was eager to sign up. The treatment and prospects of Fubing were still very good. They were given military land in full and were exempt from rent, taxes and labor service.

The most important thing is that fighting can not only plunder spoils of war, but also get rewards. If you make meritorious contributions, you can also be awarded medals and official positions.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the common people were eager to enter the government through the imperial examinations.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, everyone wanted to become a government soldier, kill the enemy, and gain merit in order to enter the government.

The selection requirements for government soldiers are high, and they need to have sufficient training in normal times. When going to war, they also need to provide a lot of clothing, food and equipment.

Ordinary people really cannot afford these.

After Li Yi figured this out, he decided to take Heizi with him. It would be safer to have a follower with stronger martial arts skills.

"Your Highness, what will happen to the three people I sent here?"

"They are not slaves." Li Shimin said directly. These people were identified as Xue Ju's spies, not slaves.

Thinking of the young man named Chen Liang, Li Yi felt that this young man who always missed his sister was not a bad person, he was just coerced. If Li Yi sent him to Wannian County, he might not have become a slave.

"Your Highness, one of the three was only fifteen years old. He said that he and his sister were abducted while begging in Xianyang. The other party used his sister to force him to work with them. I feel sorry for him. He said that his family was in Didao, Longyou, and he was originally the son of a merchant. His family lived a stable life. But Xue Ju rebelled, and the Xue army robbed his shop, killed his father, and abducted his mother and sister..."

Li Shimin said, "Since you feel so sorry for him, I will reward him with your slavery. Although I sympathize with his plight, it is a fact that he went to your house to poison you. Whether he did it voluntarily or not, he must bear the consequences."

He asked Du Ruhui to write a note.
"Take this and go to the Yongzhou Yamen Prison to pick up the person."

"Your Highness, could you please ask Lord Du to write another note, asking the Yongzhou government to help locate his sister?"

Li Shimin nodded, and Du Ruhui wrote another note.

"Go back and prepare. We'll set off the day after tomorrow. You don't need to bring anything. I'll prepare mounts, packhorses, rations, bows and arrows, swords, armor, and even guards for you."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Finished the work at Yongzhou Yamen,

Li Yi took the young man Chen Liang out of the yamen. Behind him were two palace soldiers, both of whom were tall and burly young men in their twenties. One was named Zhang Yiquan and the other was named Cao Daxing.

This is the body that Li Shimin gave him.
According to the imperial court system, officials had guards and servants, officials in the Zhechoufu had guards, civil and military officials of the third rank and above were assigned to relatives and the tent, and officials of the second rank and below were assigned to Baizhi and Zhiyi.

These are servants given by the court to officials, equivalent to guards, orderlies, communicators, etc.

The military officers of the Zhechoufu were all selected from the local soldiers, while the officers of the capital were selected from the soldiers on duty.

Li Yi, a military officer in the field camp, was promoted by Li Shimin according to the rank of military officers in other Cao departments.

Their mission was to follow and protect Li Yi.

"Let's go to Wannian County Office in the east of the city first."

The three of them had horses, so Chen Liang could only trot along. He was very depressed about being reduced to a slave, but he was powerless. Fortunately, Li Yi told him that he had asked Yongzhou Prefecture to help him find his sister's whereabouts, which gave him some hope.

Wannian County Government Office,

Xin Chujian, the Green Hat County Magistrate, has received a notice from the Yongzhou government office.

"Two men will be assigned to guard your home. After twenty days, another will be sent to take over. The government will provide them with rations: two liters of rice and half a hectogram of salt per person per day. They will carry their twenty days' worth of rice and salt."

"The Yongzhou government sent two Baizhi, and the Qinwang Mansion's inner court also sent two inner court officials. Their food rations are also provided by the Wannian County government."

Six people from three yamen went to Li Yi's house to work, and they brought their own rice and salt.

This made Li Yi no longer have to worry.

"Your Highness has rewarded me with a recently confiscated official slave. I need to go to the county to change his status."

This is a small matter. Call the household officer and he will handle it on the spot.

According to Li Yi's household registration, under the head of the household, Li Yi, there are two maids, Xu Xiuzhi and Ji Sujun, one medium maid, Jin Yushu, and one small maid, Hong Xiao. In addition, there are two small slaves, the door bolt and the door post, and now Chen Liang, a medium slave.

The first child was named Huang, four was considered Xiao, sixteen was Zhong, twenty-one was Ding, and sixty was Lao. The Tang Dynasty household registration system was very strict on this. "Li Daizhao, do you want to change his surname to the head of the family?" the household assistant asked politely.

It was common for slaves to take their masters' surnames.

Even during the Western Wei Dynasty, Han people were required to change their surnames to Xianbei ones, and even the soldiers in each military office were required to take the surname of their commander.

"No need, just register Chen Liang."

The household officer corrected Li Yi's household registration information. In such a short period of time, Li Yi had only one person and fifty acres of land at the beginning, but now he had registered two new houses, a bean curd workshop, one cow, four mules, three donkeys, and three horses. The land also increased from fifty acres to seven hundred and fifty acres.

There were also seven male and female slaves, big and small.

The speed at which he made his fortune was so fast that it made people envious.

This prince was not qualified to be a proper official, and he was not even accepted as a proofreader in the Ministry of Rites. Yet, he was summoned by the King of Qin to serve as a military officer in the field camp.

He had worked in the Wannian County Government for twenty years, but he was only a household assistant.

"I wish the attendant good fortune in military affairs!"

"Lend your auspicious words."

After finishing his work, Li Yi declined Xin Lumao's invitation to drink and chat. He still had a lot of things to do, so he didn't have the time to drink with Xin Chujian.

A group of ten people left Chang'an,

Each of the six men also carried four dou of rice, one liter of salt, and one liter of sauce. This was their rations for the next twenty days of duty, and the sauce was their vegetable.

"Put all the food on the horses. It's a forty-mile journey, and it's hot, so carrying it is tiring."

Several people said it was okay, but they couldn't resist Li Yi's enthusiasm and finally let the horse carry it.

Everyone walked.

They chatted all the way back to Wuji Thatched Cottage in Luojiabao. Li Yi settled the six people first. The six people were divided into three shifts to take turns on duty day and night, with one person on duty in each courtyard, one shift during the day and two shifts at night.

"You will eat in the cafeteria in the west courtyard with the teachers. The meals will have oil, salt and occasionally meat." Li Yi provided them with food and accommodation. He asked them to keep the rice, salt and sauce distributed by Wannian County and take them home after finishing their shift.

He also privately gave each of them a subsidy of 1,000 coins. Although they were ordered to do the job, Li Yi gave them some small favors in the hope that they would be more attentive.

Several people were very fond of Li Yi's generosity. They didn't expect to meet such a generous and magnanimous person on this mission. They all patted their chests and promised: "Please rest assured, the six of us brothers will guard us and make sure that the traitorous villain will not get even a step closer."

"Uncle, please ride your donkey to Weiquji and buy some mutton, a chicken, and two fish. From now on, our family will rely on you brothers to protect us. Please prepare some meat and vegetables for you brothers to welcome us."

Li Yi didn't care about this little money.

But for the six people, this made them feel respected, and they would work harder. This was just like when Li Yi used to give cigarettes to the security guards when he went in and out of the community, and the security guards would give him a lot of convenience.

Be more polite and courteous to your brothers at the bottom, and less blaming and criticizing them. In fact, they will treat you better.

Li Yi returned to the inner courtyard.
Call Ji and the others,

"I will be going to Jingzhou with the army the day after tomorrow. It may take two or three months for me to come back."

When everyone heard this, they were all worried. This news was too sudden.

"Alang isn't a palace soldier, so why is he supposed to go to the front lines? You're the village chief and a baron now, so you shouldn't be recruiting Alang." Ji was puzzled. "Is Wei Du behind this? Can you talk to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin? The battlefield is too dangerous."

Wu Su's eyes were also red with anger, and he didn't want anything to happen to Li Yi.

Lian Xiuzhi was panicked.
"Don't worry, it was His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin who asked me to join the army as a soldier in the camp, not to fight in the battlefield."

Ji breathed a sigh of relief. It was not too dangerous for the marshal to join the army.

"Why do we suddenly have to go to war?" Yu Shu pouted.

After much persuasion, they finally calmed down.
"I'm leaving for the war the day after tomorrow, so there's no time to pack Alang's luggage."

"No need to prepare, the army has everything ready."

Lanxiang was very disappointed. Her father had gone to serve in the army and she was leaving as well. "Brother, let's make you some fried rice. Last time my father went to serve in the army, I made fried rice for him."

"Tomorrow is the Ghost Festival on July 15th. The weather will soon become cooler as autumn arrives. You must bring more clothes this time, including a felt hat, a felt blanket, and a jacket as well." Ji reminded.

Watching them busy with preparations, Li Yi was alone with nothing to do, so he returned to the west courtyard.

"Heizi, I'm going to join the army the day after tomorrow. Are you willing to go with me?"

Liu Heizi said without hesitation, "Yes,"

"Are you willing to give up your new bride?"

"I've been too greedy these days and my body can't take it anymore. It's a good time for me to go to the army with Alang," Liu Heizi laughed.

Chen Liang, who was standing aside and was very afraid of Liu Heizi, said, "Alang, I am willing to follow you too."

Liu Heizi had already recognized Chen Liang and laughed at him, "What can you do if you follow him, you little chicken?"

"I can lead horses, run errands, and do anything else."

Li Yi was a little surprised, and after thinking for a while, he said, "Okay, you can come with me."

Liu Heizi is the personal bodyguard, Chen Liang is the orderly, and Zhang Yiquan and Cao Daxing are the guards.

Tomorrow is July 15th, and it will be two months in the blink of an eye.

In just over a month, the lush green rice fields on both sides of the Hehe River will turn golden and ready for harvest.

I don’t know if I can make it back in time for the autumn harvest.

(End of this chapter)