Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 404 Cangzhou Prefecture Soldiers
The Yellow River meanders like a giant dragon, causing significant changes in the climate on both the north and south sides of its basin.

It wasn't until late April that the warm spring breeze from the south reached the north.

Due to climate differences, agricultural practices in Hebei differ from those in the Guanzhong region.

In the Guanzhong region, millet, sorghum, and wheat are rotated for three harvests every two years. In Hebei, however, the traditional planting customs are still followed, with winter wheat as the staple food, harvested twice every two years.

Nevertheless, Hebei remained the region with the highest grain production in the Tang Dynasty, mainly due to the high yield of wheat and the fertile land of the Hebei Plain.

After many years, Li Mutang returned to Hebei and found the place to be unfamiliar.

Along both sides of the road, golden wheat ears sway in the wind, layer upon layer, like golden waves.

The road beneath his feet seemed to have been recently renovated, and there were more people on it.

Hebei used to have a large population, but most people stayed in their hometowns busy with farming and rarely left their homes, resulting in slow commercial development.

The road is now full of merchants and many farmers carrying loads on their shoulders.

Only now did Li Mutang finally believe what his second uncle had said in his letter: Hebei was indeed different from before.

As they walked, a stone bridge appeared ahead.

A strange scene unfolded: whether riding a horse or traveling by carriage, everyone crossing the bridge would dismount and walk across.

Just as Li Mutang was wondering, an old man next to him called out, "Young man, come down quickly! You must not be disrespectful to the sage!"

Li Mutang was taken aback. He quickly dismounted and went to the old man's side, asking, "Old man, what did you mean by what you just said?"

The old man smiled and looked him up and down, saying, "What a robust young man. Are you from Tang?" His tone was a little strange.

Li Mutang stood tall and proud, saying, "Of course I am a Tang person."

The old man said, "Of Hu descent, perhaps?"

Li Mutang showed a hint of annoyance and said, "The imperial court has issued an edict that as long as one has completed the official verification at the government office, one is a citizen of the Great Tang Dynasty. Regardless of which branch of the barbarian people one comes from, all should be treated equally and there should be no discrimination!"

The old man laughed and said, "Don't be nervous, I'm just asking. There are quite a few people of Hu descent here, and I am of Khitan descent myself."

Li Mutang thought to himself, "No wonder this old man has such a strange accent." He quickly replied, "I am also of Khitan descent."

The old man said in surprise, "Your Tang language is quite good; I can't hear any Khitan accent at all."

Li Mutang said, "In the seventh year of Yonghui, I came to live in the Tang Dynasty with my parents, and my mother was a Tang person."

The old man nodded and said, "That explains it. I was the same way. Back when the Khitans submitted to the Tang Dynasty, everyone was doing well. But some people wanted to rebel against the Tang, so I came to Cangzhou."

Li Mutang nodded secretly; his father had come to Cangzhou to live for the same reason.

However, because his father was a member of the Xincheng Princess's fiefdom, the court collected rent twice in the sixth year of Yonghui, and the family became refugees, eventually moving to Chang'an and later being relocated to Tingzhou.

Li Mutang asked, "Old man, what did you mean when you said that we were disrespecting the sage?"

The old man put down his load, sat on a large rock, pointed to the stone bridge in front of him, and said, "Do you see that bridge?"

Li Mutang nodded.

The old man said, "When the Sage was on his northern tour, this bridge was broken and blocked his way. The Sage found it strange and ordered people to go into the city to investigate."

Li Mutang asked curiously, "And then what happened?"

The old man laughed and said, "Later, the county magistrate who practiced nepotism was found out by the officials sent by the emperor, and was taken to Chang'an to be beheaded. Lucheng County was then replaced by a new county magistrate."

"Although this new county magistrate is not as good as the former county lieutenant Changsun, at least he is willing to do some practical things, such as building bridges and paving roads, so that he will not be ridiculed by the surrounding counties."

"When the villagers discussed this matter, they all felt that it was thanks to that broken bridge that the emperor's carriage was stopped, and the corrupt officials were driven away. So everyone named the bridge 'Bridge That Blocks the Emperor,' and every time they crossed that bridge, they would get off and walk on foot to show their respect for the emperor!"

Li Mutang said, "Is that so?"

After crossing the Lansheng Bridge, it wasn't long before we arrived at Lucheng County.

This was Li Mutang's first return to Lucheng County since leaving Cangzhou.

Eight or nine years had passed, and the county town had undergone tremendous changes. The streets were lined with shops and densely populated, making it much more prosperous than the county seat of Tingzhou.

Li Mutang took out a piece of paper and, following the instructions on it, asked people as he walked, and soon arrived at a small street in the southeast of the city.

Counting inwards from the street corner, the fifth house is a small, square courtyard.

Li Mutang arrived at the courtyard gate and knocked on the door.

A moment later, a "tap tap tap" sound came from inside, and the door was quickly pulled open, revealing a young, innocent face that asked, "Who are you?"

It was a five or six-year-old boy, quite tall, with several scars on his face, and holding a small slingshot in his hand. He looked like a mischievous child.

Li Mutang smiled and asked, "Are you Xiao Rong?"

The child asked in surprise, "Yes, do you know me?"

Li Mutang smiled and said, "I am your cousin."

The child was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. He turned and ran wildly into the house, shouting, "Father, Mother, my cousin is here!"

A short while later, Li Mutang's second uncle, Li Xiuge, came out, glanced at Li Mutang, and laughed heartily.

"Good lad, you've grown so strong! You'll definitely pass the conscription test this fall!"

Li Xiuge was also a Khitan, but unlike Li Moge, he stayed in Khitan.

Later, when the Khitan were destroyed, he became a prisoner and was originally to be sent to a military post in Jiangnan to serve as a soldier.

For these Khitans who grew up in the north, moving to the south of the Yangtze River would be very difficult for them to adapt to.

Their families, in particular, have no knowledge of farming or weaving. Even if they were given land, they would lack the capacity to produce anything and would likely starve to death.

Just when Li Xiuge was feeling desperate, Li Moge suddenly arrived in Yingzhou and found him.

When the two brothers met, they were both filled with regret. Li Xiuge deeply regretted not listening to Li Moge and going to the Tang Dynasty with him.

Li Moge spent a lot of money and asked for favors, and finally succeeded in getting him assigned to Zhechong Prefecture in Cangzhou.

With Li Moge's help, Li Xiuge's family was able to settle down in Cangzhou, and Li Xiuge also became a soldier in the Cangzhou Zhechong Prefecture of the Tang Dynasty.

The soldiers of the garrison were on duty in shifts, only needing to serve for four months a year, and could spend the rest of the time busy with farming.

Li Xiuge has now gotten used to life as a soldier, and his wife has also learned to farm.

Aside from the initial discomfort, they soon discovered that surviving in the Tang Dynasty was easier than in the Khitan. They didn't have to worry about starving to death in winter or being raided by other tribes.

Li Xiuge was very grateful to his elder brother, so he treated his nephew with great hospitality.

His wife was a capable woman who not only learned farming techniques from the Tang Dynasty, but also kept up the family's herding tradition, raising eight sheep at home.

Li Xiuge ordered his wife to slaughter a sheep to entertain his eldest nephew.

At noon, the uncle and nephew sat in the house, eating mutton and drinking wine.

Li Xiuge's son, Li Rong, was also sitting on the doorstep, holding a large leg of lamb and happily gnawing on it.

“Big Brother, when your father wrote to me saying you were coming here, I found it strange. Why did you insist on coming to Cangzhou to enlist as a soldier when you weren’t serving as a soldier in Tingzhou?” Li Xiuge asked, puzzled.

Li Mutang said, "There hasn't been a war in Anxi for several years, and even as a soldier, I haven't had the chance to go to the battlefield. I heard there's a war going on in Yingzhou, so I came here."

Li Xiuge frowned and said, "You're too late. The fighting just ended a while ago, and there's been no war recently." Li Mutang said, "On my way here, I found out that Buyeo Boksin of Baekje is showing signs of rebellion, Japan has only just occupied a small island, and Goguryeo hasn't been conquered yet. I think the court will definitely have to attack them again in the future."

Li Xiuge thought about it and agreed, then laughed and said, "That's right, these lands will be ours sooner or later."

Although the uncle and nephew were naturalized as Tang people, they still retained the mindset and habits of the Khitan people.

They felt that the Tang Dynasty was so powerful that it was only natural for it to conquer the weaker countries around it, and that no reason was needed.

Li Mutang then asked whether the Khitans faced discrimination in military camps.

Li Xiuge was silent for a while, then said, "There are always some unruly Han Chinese who will cause trouble for us Hu people. But most Han Chinese are alright, so you don't need to worry too much."

Li Mutang asked in surprise, "Han Chinese?"

Li Xiuge said, "They are pure-blooded Tang people. There is a rule in the military that all soldiers are Tang people, and there is no distinction between Tang and Hu. So those pure-blooded Tang people call themselves Han people."

Li Mutang nodded.

Li Xiuge added, "If you're upset, don't get into a conflict with those Han Chinese. Those officials are all Han Chinese and will only favor their own people. If you feel frustrated, you can vent your anger on the Japanese; it won't cause any trouble."

Li Mutang asked in surprise, "Japanese?"

Li Xiuge said, "They were the captured Japanese. It is said that they were initially all assigned to the same unit, but as a result, this group of Japanese united and frequently clashed with other Tang troops."

"Later, Governor Liu dispersed them and sent them to various Zhechong Prefectures in Hebei. He probably wanted to integrate them into the Tang army as soon as possible. Dozens of Japanese were also transferred to our Cangzhou Zhechong Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Li Mutang's face lit up with joy.

Li Xiu asked, "What's wrong?"

Li Mutang exclaimed with delight, "Governor Liu values ​​these Japanese so much, which means we'll be attacking Japan soon!"

Li Xiuge was taken aback for a moment, then said, "That's right, no wonder your father always says you're smart, you really do have a good brain!"

Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door. Li Rong stood up, carrying a leg of lamb, and scurried over to open the door.

A moment later, he came running back, shouting, "Father, it's the military government!"

Li Xiuge was taken aback and said, "Is it really going to be a war?"

He ran out quickly.

Li Mutang arrived at the gate and looked towards the courtyard gate, where he saw Li Xiuge talking to a tall soldier.

A short while later, the soldier left. Li Xiuge closed the door, walked back, and had a thoughtful expression on his face.

Li Mutang hurriedly asked, "Second Uncle, did the military government summon you?"

Li Xiuge looked at him, his eyes gleaming, and said, "It is a summons, but it's not for war. The imperial court has issued an edict to select elite troops from various military commands and expand them into the Imperial Guard!"

Li Mutang exclaimed with delight, "Isn't that a good thing?"

Li Xiu was silent for a while, then said, "It is indeed a good thing, but there are only fifty spots available, so I have no hope."

Li Mutang said, "With your horsemanship and archery skills, are you not eligible to be selected?"

Li Xiuge said in a deep voice, "You've never been to Zhechong Prefecture, so you don't know how formidable the Han Chinese from Hebei are. Those lads who are not even twenty years old are no less skilled in horsemanship and archery than I am, let alone those veterans."

Li Mutang lowered his head and remained silent.

Li Xiuge looked at him and said, "Big Brother, your father told me that you can hit six out of ten targets from a hundred paces away. Is that true?"

Li Mutang hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Li Xiuge's eyes flashed, and he said, "That's good. With your abilities, you should have a chance."

Li Mutang exclaimed in surprise, "But the military examination isn't until August! I'm afraid it'll be too late."

Li Xiuge said, "There is a rule in the Tang army that any soldier can recommend someone to participate in the internal assessment to take their place. This assessment is more difficult than the soldier assessment in August, but I believe you can pass it."

Li Mutang's expression changed, and he said, "How could I possibly take your seat?"

Li Xiuge waved his hand and said, "Don't be so wishy-washy. I know my own abilities. Even if I fight on the battlefield my whole life, I'll only ever become a squad leader. But you're different. You're young and strong, and you're smart. You have the potential to become a brigade commander, a captain, or even a lieutenant!"

Li Mutang hesitated and remained silent.

Li Xiu patted him on the shoulder and said, "Stop talking nonsense, consider this my way of repaying your father's kindness."

Li Mutang took a breath, cupped his hands and said, "Then thank you very much, Second Uncle!"

Li Xiuge laughed and said, "I'm counting on you to make something of yourself and help Rong'er out in the future. Come on, let's go out of the city to shoot targets and let me see your archery skills!"

The uncle and nephew arrived at a small grove outside the forest. Using a large tree as a target, Li Mutang stood a hundred paces away, nocking an arrow and drawing his bow.

With a "whoosh," the arrow shot out into the air!

……

"Good, excellent shot! I hereby bestow this Nine Dragon Jade Pendant upon you!" Li Zhi stood on the viewing platform and praised loudly.

This is the training range of the Imperial Guards. A general, with his shoulders lowered and in a bow stance, shoots an arrow from a hundred paces away, hitting the bullseye.

Upon hearing Li Zhi's words, the general was overjoyed and was about to kneel down to express his gratitude.

Suddenly, another general rode out and shouted, "Your Majesty, please allow this humble general to give it a try as well."

The general galloped a hundred paces away without dismounting. Once the horse had come to a stop, he raised his hand and fired an arrow, which hit the bullseye.

Shooting arrows on horseback is more difficult than shooting on foot. Li Zhi exclaimed with delight, "Excellent archery!"

The general dismounted, but before he could even express his gratitude, another general spurred his horse forward, shouting, "Your Majesty, behold this arrow!"

They galloped straight to the edge of the red line. As soon as their hooves approached the red line, they stopped without stopping, nocked an arrow, drew their bow, and fired, hitting the bullseye.

This kind of moving target shooting is more difficult than archery on horseback, and the surrounding soldiers cheered in unison.

Li Zhi was also full of admiration and asked Xue Rengui behind him, "What is the name of that general?"

Xue Rengui replied, "Your Majesty, this man is named Tian Qi, a native of Hebei. He is an expert archer, ranking first among the Imperial Guards."

Li Zhi exclaimed in surprise, "His archery skills are better than yours?"

Xue Rengui paused for a moment, then said, "Uh... if you include me, he would be ranked second."

Li Zhi said, "If he has such abilities, why didn't he participate in this year's hunting expedition in the Forbidden Garden?"

Xue Rengui said, "Although Tian Qi is not bad in the Imperial Guard, he is still inferior to people like Zhao Chiman and Wei Daijia."

Li Zhi nodded. It seemed that the internal competition within the Tang army was even more intense than he had imagined.

Because the Imperial Guard was expanding its ranks recently, Li Zhi often came to inspect it. Coincidentally, today Xue Rengui was testing the archery skills of his generals, and Li Zhi watched along.

Seeing the outstanding performance of these generals, Li Zhi was very pleased and proposed that whoever shot the best today would be rewarded with the Nine Dragon Jade Pendant that had not been given away in the previous days, which caused a dispute among the generals.

After Tian Qi finished shooting, another general wanted to imitate him, but unfortunately he missed a little, so no one else dared to try.

Li Zhi took out the jade pendant and bestowed it upon Tian Qi before riding away from the military camp and returning to the inner palace.

(End of this chapter)