Chapter 415 Changshan County

Changshan County, Zhending County, suburbs.

The Taihang Mountains tower in front of you. The Hutuo River flows through the Taihang Mountains, nourishing the land in the ravines. There are scattered cottages below the mountains.

Yuan Luqian, the chief historian of Changshan, came riding on an old horse. With his eyes wandering around, he finally saw the figure of Yan Gaoqing, the judge of Yingtian, Hebei, among a group of people.

"Brother Yan." Yuan Luqian got off his horse and rushed forward.

There were several broken tables set up on the road beside the fields, and several officials were sitting there distributing money and food. Yan Gaoqing, dressed in cloth, holding a writing brush, made a few strokes on the booklet from time to time. He raised his head when he heard the words,

Seeing an old friend, he showed a long-lost smile.

After finishing their work, the two of them walked to the edge of the field to talk, leaving their disciples to follow them from a distance.

"Why did Brother Yan come to this rural place?" Yuan Luqian asked, "I'm so tired that it's hard to find him."

"The imperial court hires people to work in the fields, and each person is given six hundred and thirty and two bushels of rice and seven bushels of dendrobium per year. However, these people have not received commissions for several years." Yan Gaoqing sighed: "I can only pay a little.

them."

Yuan Luqian, Changshan's chief historian, had just taken office. He shook his head and said: "We employ common people to work in the fields, which will not be affected by droughts or floods. The imperial court has repeatedly sent official documents stating that 'since the people started to set up camp, the fees have doubled and they cannot make ends meet.' How can there be any arrears of wages?"

Say, are you afraid that the unruly people are causing trouble?"

"It's a long story to tell. The imperial court cannot make ends meet and the people don't get commissions. Where does the income from the camps go?" Yan Gaoqing said: "There are embezzlements from above and below, and there are pockets for personal enrichment. There are many camps in recent years.

The land was converted into Yong Ye Tian, ​​and the commission money was still paid, but who owned the Yong Ye Tian?"

With just a few words, Yuan Luqian felt the depth of the collusion of interests behind this. He couldn't help but sigh: "The people in Hebei have the heaviest burden and the deepest resentment against the imperial court. No wonder the talk of 'rebellion' in the imperial court is so rampant."

"How can the people think about this?"

Yan Gaoqing looked at the figures in the distance who were busy making a living, and thought to herself, the common people in Dou Sheng can't even take care of the food, rice, oil and salt, so how can they care about the court? Rather than saying that the people of Hebei want to rebel, it is better to say that the people of Hebei are going to rebel.

It's just a piece of fish caught between two forces, with no will of its own at all.

So who represents the wishes of the people of Hebei? The generals of the border towns, the Hu tribes within, the merchants and traffickers in the mutual market, the local nobles who are not accepted by Guanzhong, the underprivileged scholars with unappreciated talents, and the aristocratic families in decline.

Disciple, a ranger who went to the frontier to find a way out...

These people joined forces and dared to risk their lives. They gathered under the command of Anlu Mountain and became the biggest vested interests in Hebei. They imposed heavy taxes on the people of Hebei and at the same time harbored strong dissatisfaction with the court. They represented the people of Hebei and continued to

Venting out resentment, it gradually became a boiling point.

"Yes, if it's just a misunderstanding by the court, that's fine. But if there is a rebellion, what good will it do to the people?"

"The barbarians inside do not know the rules and speak treacherous words. They do not really want to rebel."

This is what Hebei officials often say, and this sentence alleviates many acute problems.

"Have you heard?" Yuan Luqian lowered his tone, "There seems to be some trouble over there in Taiyuan Mansion."

Yan Gaoqing heard something about it and said: "I met some refugees the day before yesterday. They said there was a war in Taiyuan, but I don't know what happened."

Yuan Luqian said: "The Prince of Dongping County has always wanted to hold the position of Hedong concurrently. I'm afraid that he won't be able to do it by trick and will instead take it by force."

Yan Gaoqing also looked worried, but there wasn't much he could do about this matter. It couldn't be that An Lushan didn't rebel. As a subordinate, he took measures first, which turned into a rebellion on his part.

They couldn't come up with anything, so the two returned to private matters.

"How long will Brother Yan stay in Changshan this time? I will treat you well."

"I should stay a little longer. First, I'm waiting for an appointment." Yan Gaoqing said, "Second, I also want to wait for someone in Changshan."

"Congratulations to Brother Yan for moving to the official position." Yuan Luqian showed a rare smile and said: "I wonder who you are waiting for? Maybe I can help find out?"

"No need to ask." Yan Gaoqing waved his hand, "We will naturally know when he arrives."

"Oh? Who is that?"

"Speaking of which, he is my son-in-law."

Yuan Luqian was surprised. He guessed something for a moment and asked tentatively: "Could it be the new prefect?"

~~

Zhending County, where Changshan County is located, is located on the banks of the Hutuo River.

Its west city gate is facing the dock, which is very bustling and lively. When Yan Gaoqing and Yuan Luqian walked along the official road to the city gate, a ship had just arrived and was unloading. Several people on the ship came down together, talking about something at the same time.

Their voices are not loud, but very clear.

"Meeting Uncle Pei in court, it is as bright as walking on the Jade Mountain. The Yellow River falls from the sky and flows through the East China Sea, and thousands of miles are written in the mind."

"Prefect Pei will be pleased to receive this poem from you."

"He is a person who loves poetry, but I hurt him..."

Yan Gaoqing realized that the person he was talking about might be the deceased Pei Yushu, the previous governor of Changshan, so he couldn't help but stop and look over there, and finally noticed a few distinctive characters.

He immediately walked over there, and later saw a young man surrounded by a group of people.

"No blame?"

After calling twice, the young man who was arranging his luggage turned around.

"Uncle? How did you recognize me?"

Xue Bai did not deliberately disguise himself, but he wore common clothes and brought a hat to protect him from the sun. He wanted to wait until he entered the city and then reveal his identity as a prefect to scare the officials in the city.

Yan Gaoqing smiled bitterly and said, "It's hard not to be noticed when you are walking with Li Taibai."

"He must follow, there is no other way."

When Xue Bai arrived in Hebei, he originally wanted to have a good talk with Yan Gaoqing, but he didn't expect that he met Yan Gaoqing as soon as he arrived. He had thousands of words to say, but he didn't know what to say.

Not in a hurry to talk about the affairs of his family, country, and world, Yan Gaoqing patted him on the shoulder, looked at him carefully, showed a pleased smile, and said, "You have become a real man. Have you brought Sanniang with you this time?"

"I took them with me. When we were traveling to Jinzhong, something unexpected happened, so I rushed to Taiyuan alone and sent someone to escort my family back."

Yan Gaoqing's attention was immediately attracted by the incident that happened in Taiyuan, and he said, "Let's talk about it after we enter the city."

His situation was opposite to that of Xue Bai. His family had arrived in Changshan County in advance because after Cui heard that Xue Bai was appointed as the prefect of Changshan, she had to come to see the young couple Xue Bai and Yan Yan, and she was impatient with her husband.

There were various camp and field errands along the way, so her son Yan Quanming took her to wait first.

Cars and horses are slow these days, so it takes a lot of effort for relatives and friends to meet each other.

Yan Gaoqing did not let Xue Bai go to the government office first to take up his post, but led him to a post house in the city. As a judge in Yingtian, Hebei Province, he often came to Zhending County and was very familiar with the streets.

Xue Bai arrived for the first time and observed the pool. When he arrived in front of the post house, he thought about meeting Cui and felt a little ashamed. When he left Chang'an, he thought he could manage it in Changshan for two or three years, and he did take Yan Yan with him.

Yes, but seeing that the situation was so turbulent, he asked Lao Liang to send her back to Chang'an, which was a waste of time for Cui.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint my aunt, so my uncle can help me explain..."

When he entered the post house, Xue Bai was still talking, but he was stunned for a moment.

He saw a man standing in the front yard, greeting him respectfully, with an expression of guilt on his face. It was Lao Liang.

"Mr. Lang."

"Why are you here?"

"Mistress and the others have been waiting for the husband in Changshan for three days." Lao Liang scratched his head, "Why did the husband come so late?"

"You blame me?"

Xue Bai asked back, his expression turned cold.

This was the first time that he was angry with Lao Liang, and it was also the first time that Lao Liang disobeyed his order.

Of course, he could have guessed the situation even without telling him. It was simply that Yan Yan and others learned that he was going to Changshan to take up a post and forced Lao Liang to bring them here.

"Lang Jun, the mistress and the others said that they will not return to Chang'an until they meet Lang Jun. I am afraid something will happen on the road..."

As Lao Liang said this, he felt that Xue Bai's anger was not diminishing, and he was frightened and didn't know what to do.

At this moment, someone behind him suddenly spoke.

"Why doesn't this kid come in? What are you doing in the court?"

Lao Liang quickly glanced back and saw Mrs. Cui coming out with a group of young ladies, and couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.

Xue Bai's eyes have fallen on the people behind Cui. Yan Yan and Qinglan are here as his wives and concubines. Li Tengkong is Yan Yan's doctor and happens to be traveling around. As for Li Jilan,

Regardless of whether the reason is good or not, I came here with my friends.

If Yan Yan or one of them came forward to act coquettishly, Xue Bai would still blame her for not knowing the importance of the matter. But Cui was the elder after all, so Xue Bai still put on a polite expression and called: "Auntie."

"You are called so vividly, Sanniang is also my daughter, so I call you mother-in-law."

"Yes, mother-in-law."

Mrs. Cui was overjoyed and called Xue Bai into the hall to talk. She also praised Lao Liang, the leader of the guard, for his loyalty and hard work. In short, it was a happy reunion after a long absence.

After entering the hall, Xue Bai looked at the expressions of several family members. Yan Yan looked guilty and peeked at him from time to time, hiding behind Ms. Cui. Qing Lan only cared about her joy and wished she could do the housework for Xue Bai now.

After bathing and changing clothes, Li Tengkong still pretended to be aloof, especially in front of others, and even pretended to be unfamiliar with Xue Bai, but the red ears had betrayed her; Li Jilan didn't know why she was blushing, and it was easy for others to misunderstand her.

Seeing them, his anger couldn't help but dissipate.

They agreed to take office together, but he only accompanied them to Jinzhong and then left alone. They were inevitably worried. There was no harm in coming to see him, and he would just send them back as soon as possible.
To be continued...