Late Tang

Chapter 88 Goodbye Zhang Kuguan

(Thank you for the reward and reminder for the two-fold Xinzi Luoyi children's shoes. Before it goes on the shelves, it will be changed at [-]:[-] every morning and evening.)

Li Jing accepted Xing'er's family, but Li Huier and Yu Youniang were the happiest.The two of them have long fallen in love with this sensible and stubborn little girl, and just now they were worried that Li Jing would not want to take in this poor girl.Unexpectedly, Li Jing still had such a sentimental side that he actually accepted Xing'er's family.

However, neither Li Jing nor the others expected the reaction of other starving people nearby after seeing the results of his handling of the matter.Those hungry people had already stared at Li Jing's grain cart, but they were all afraid of the angry horses of Li Jing and his group, especially the bows, arrows, horizontal knives and horse lances hanging on the saddles of Li Jing and others. Wait for sharp weapons.But when they saw a little girl from Xing'er coming forward to block the way, instead of being scolded and chased away, they got two big bags of life-saving food, and some people who were close also heard that Xing'er's family was actually taken in as domestic servants, The hearts of all the people boiled.

Along the way, fleeing famine to beg for food, sleeping in the open, being blinded by people, being chased and bitten by vicious dogs, eating wild vegetables, tree bark and grass roots, what hardships have you never suffered?Now that they have actually met such a kind and gracious man, everyone finally couldn't help but rushed over.

In a short while, Li Jing and the others knelt down in front of them. The hungry people, men, women, young and old, kowtowed like garlic, saying all kinds of auspicious words loudly.

"Little Shitou, take out the dry food you brought and share it with everyone." Looking at these expectant faces, Li Jing really didn't know how to refuse.Xiao Shitou greeted the little dogs, took out the dry food such as cooking cakes, sesame seed cakes, and dried meat, and distributed them to the already hungry people with bright eyes.

"Don't rob, don't rob, everyone has a share, everyone comes one by one."

Not for a moment, all the dry food brought by the crowd was distributed to dozens of hungry people.Seeing that all the hungry people were given a share of dry food, Li Jing sighed and said, "Let's go!"

The team continued to set off, but what Li Jing didn't expect was that these hungry people who had just wolfed down their dry rations all followed behind the convoy when they saw Li Jing continue on their way, a dozen or so steps away. hanging.

"Give a cart of food to these hungry people." Li Jing frowned, feeling heavy in his heart.Although food is expensive, it seems nothing compared to these many human lives.Although Li Jing knew that he was not the savior of the world, he could save one person, ten people, or hundreds of people, but he was powerless to save thousands of people.But he really couldn't remain indifferent to this group of hungry people.

However, to Li Jing's surprise, when Xiaoshitou was about to distribute food to them, a man in his forties among the hungry people came out and said, "Master, we don't want your food for nothing. They are all good villagers. You need strength and strength. Although you are weak now, you can work in a few days. We see that the young master is good and rich, and he must have a big family. We don’t ask for anything else, just ask the young master to save me Hunger, let us eat porridge twice a day, we are willing to work for you."

"You mean you want to work at my house?" Li Jing was stunned for a moment, and heard the meaning of the man's words.

The man nodded quickly, they all saw that Li Jing was that kind of kind person.I finally came across one today, the young master gave everyone food, but no matter how much food you give, it won't last long.But if you can follow this good man, even if you sell yourself as a slave, you can save your family's life.What's more, this young master is a kind person, even being his slave is a good place to go.

"As long as the young master is willing to take us in and give us a good meal, we are willing to be slaves to the young master."

Li Jing's family also had slaves. Although Wan'er was not looked down upon in the Li family before, she was actually a registered slave.He understood the meaning of selling himself as a slave. According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, once a slave is a slave, he is like a pig or dog of his master.If good people and untouchables intermarry, they will be exiled.For example, Wan'er can only be Li Jing's concubine at most, not his wife.Although the untouchables of slave status can also be released by the master's family in the future, basically those who have been slaves cannot participate in the imperial examination or become an official within a few generations.

"Why don't you accept them, you see they are so pitiful, if you don't care, they probably won't make it through this year." Yu Youniang couldn't bear to persuade Li Jing because she couldn't see the young children among the hungry people.

Lin Wei on the side also rode his horse to Li Jing's side, and said softly: "I think Miss Yu is right, you can accept them. Anyway, there are not many of them, and it's just food if you accept them .”

Li Jing smiled wryly and said: "Brother Lin, it's easy for you to say, just some food. Now that food is getting more and more expensive, I'm not worried about accepting these dozens of people. This news, what should I do if they all come to ask me to take me in?"

"Didn't you say last time that you want to buy some land in the countryside and build a manor this time? Then you just take these people to help you farm the land. If you use serfs to farm the land, it is much more cost-effective than asking tenants to farm. Serfs Just take care of their food and use, and give some rewards, but you don’t have to share it with the tenant farmers.” Zhang Hong also touched his beard and leaned over, and suggested from the side: “Besides, I see that many of these people are physically fit. They are all burly and in their prime of life. Saburo, you can definitely pick some strong ones from them and make them your servants. Even if you take these servants to Salmon Town, it will not be counted in the [-] troops in Salmon Town among."

"What else is this? You can take a servant to take office, and it's not included in the military quota?" This is the first time Li Jing has heard of this.

Lin Wei smiled and said: "Of course, servants are not included in the military quota. However, not everyone can raise family servants. Family servants are not officials, they are private soldiers that can only be owned by generals and above. But Because it is not included in the military quota, the equipment and food and salaries of these servants are naturally not included in the supply of the court. All equipment and food and salary rewards must be paid by the generals themselves. According to the usual practice, you are now a seventh-rank general. , you can have fifty servants, and if there are more, it will be a bit inappropriate."

After hearing this, Li Jing was thoughtful.He is now the general of Samana, with three hundred troops under his command.If he brought fifty more servants, Lin Wei and the others would also bring fifty, and then they would all bring ten people from the first level. After doing the math, they would have a full three hundred private soldiers.Doesn't that mean that Li Jing's soldiers and horses can be doubled, from three hundred to six hundred? 600 people, a full six capitals.Li Jing's heart skipped a beat.

After pondering for a moment, Li Jing nodded: "Just do as you said, little stone, tell them, just say that I will accept them all, and let them go back to Wangli Village with us."

Hearing that Li Jing agreed to everyone's request to join in, dozens of hungry people cheered in unison. There was no loss and heaviness on their faces from being a good citizen to a pariah, but only the joy and ease of finally finding a way to survive.Although he became a slave, at least he survived, and the whole family can survive.

The team continued to move forward, along the way, Li Jing and others rode horses in front, the convoy was in the middle, and dozens of hungry people followed behind with their families.Yu Youniang and Li Huier were actually very sympathetic to these hungry people, and specially let those women, old people and children who were too weak to sit in the carriage.

When he arrived two miles outside Wangli Village, Xiao Shitou couldn't control his excitement. After asking Li Jing for instructions, he immediately ran back to report the letter on the bay red horse Li Jing gave him.When Li Jing and the others arrived a hundred steps away from the village wall of Wangli Village, the gate of Wangli Village was already wide open, and the sound of gongs in the village could be heard from a distance, and then a group of men, women and children rushed out to greet them. .

A group of villagers surrounded Li Jing and the others, and they were all shocked by Li Jing's angry horse in fresh clothes.Especially the dozens of big horses under the crowd, to the farmers, bright clothes are nothing, but a livestock on a horse is eye-catching.Many onlookers in the village were even more envious. They even said that the talented man of the Li family was indeed not an ordinary person. He took the initiative to replace Wang Lao's village chief's family in the army, and he became prosperous after going out for a while.Previously, the shopkeepers of the cloth village owned by the village head's daughter in Dengzhou City came back twice, and when they brought back a lot of money, they still couldn't believe it.Now, when I finally saw Li Jing and those young people who went out from the village come back riding tall horses and dressed in silk and satin, how dare they have any doubts.

Many people ran out from the crowd, they were all young family members who went out at the beginning.They each held their children in their arms, full of joy and excitement of seeing each other again.Li Jing looked for the figure of his mother and wife in the crowd, and saw Wan'er standing in the distance supporting Han Shi, Gui Niang and two sister-in-laws.

Li Jing got off his horse in a hurry and was about to meet his family when he saw a familiar voice next to him. The old village chief walked over with a slightly hunched back and a walking stick with a smile on his face: "Sanlang, you are back. Get out You have been homesick for more than a month, you go to see your mother and wife first, and I will go to your house to find you after the party."

Li Jing hurriedly cupped his hands: "The old village head is too polite. When I left home, it was thanks to the old village head who lent me food and gave me armored horses. Li Jing dare not forget this. I will come to thank you personally at the party, right? I can trouble you to come to my house in person."

Seeing that Li Jing in front of him was still as humble as before, the old village chief's eyes were full of admiration, and his heart was even more emotional.Li Jiasanlang is really not easy. He has become a seventh-rank official in a short period of time, but he still has no pride in his dealings with others.

The old village chief smiled: "It's different now, you are now a general of the seventh rank. The old man Yi Lao Mai Lao didn't bow down in front of you, but he dared not let you come to my house in person again. It should be I'm going to see you."

The villagers next to him were stunned when they heard the words of the old village chief. They had only heard that the shopkeeper Wang who delivered things to several families said that Xiucai seemed to be a protégé of the governor, but they hadn't heard that he had become a general.Everyone doesn't know what the status of the governor's disciple is, but when it comes to the general of the seventh rank, everyone knows.The county magistrate of Wendeng County is also on the seventh rank, so isn't Xiucai Lang as high-ranking as the county magistrate in the county?For a moment, apart from eagerness, everyone looked at Li Jing with a bit of awe.

In the end, Li Jing told the old village head that he would come to the door in person later, and then greeted the villagers while walking towards his family.He had just walked a few steps, but he heard the sound of horseshoes, a puff of smoke and dust, and a horse team had already approached.

"Brother Ji Yu, brother, I am late to greet you, please forgive me!" A thick voice exploded like a thunder, Li Jing frowned, turned around to look, but saw that the person who came was familiar and familiar. Cui Decheng, the unfamiliar general and envoy of Chishan Township.From far away, he jumped off his horse and walked towards Li Jing. When he came to Li Jing, he waved his hand. Immediately behind him, two knights dragged a man up, and threw that man in front of Li Jing.

Li Jing looked a little puzzled, looked at the fat body, and after a long time, he vaguely recognized that the blood-stained, hands and feet tied like rice dumplings was actually Zhang Kuguan who almost killed him back then.

(Last night, I just read Tang Zhuan, the newest god in history and 2. The book is very exciting. If you like it, you may also read it.)

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