Chapter 187: First meeting An Lushan

Huangfu Weiming's report lasted for nearly two hours. According to the original plan, the report of Zhang Qiu Jianqiong, the governor of Jiannan, was arranged later. However, Li Longji was no longer able to maintain his physical strength, so he postponed Zhang Qiu Jianqiong's report until after the New Year. After another half an hour, Li Longji was slightly relieved and returned to the imperial study room. Li Linfu was still waiting here. Tomorrow is the New Year. As a king of a country, he would like to express something to his subjects no matter what.

The imperial study room has been ventilated and changed, the air has become fresh and warm. Several pots of strong wintersweets are placed on the windowsill, and the room is filled with a faint fragrance. From time to time, the sound of charcoal burning is heard, and a string of sparks is blown up.

Li Longji casually looked through the memorials on the table and smiled faintly: "Although I live in a downtown city, I don't know the livelihood of the people at all. I feel ashamed. Seeing that tomorrow is the New Year, I want to ask the Prime Minister, what is the price of rice in Chang'an now?"

Li Linfu looked up at the ceiling and didn't say anything for a long time. He was busy with court chores and conspiracy every day, but never cared about the general public's firewood, rice, oil and salt. The emperor suddenly asked this, which really made him embarrassed, but he couldn't let him follow Chen Ping of the Western Han Dynasty, saying that he had his own specialties in everything, and the prime minister would not care about trivial matters!

"I don't know this, I don't know."

His frankness made Li Longji feel good, and he couldn't help but smile and said, "It's because I asked something wrong. How can I ask the prime minister? It might as well be a matter of it. I'll ask someone to ask."

"Your Majesty, I know."

Gao Lishi, who stood with his hands down, smiled and said, "I always have to say a few words to my wife when I go home every day. I know the price of this rice."

"Oh! Tell me, what is the price of rice in Chang'an now?" Li Longjizhuo asked interested.

Gao Lishi thought for a while and said carefully: "Every bull of 45 cents is 45 cents per bucket during the Laba Festival, and it has increased to 55 cents in the past two days."

"Fifty-five cents!"

Li Longji was secretly surprised. In the early years of Tianbao, only ten coins were used to make rice. In just five years, it had grown five times. Rice was the weather vane of prices. If you don’t ask about other things, it would definitely skyrocket. However, the newly minted copper coins in the past two years have been reduced by 10% compared to the Kaiyuan period. It should be that money is expensive and rice is cheap. How can he do the opposite? He couldn’t help but look at Li Linfu, hoping to get the answer from him.

Although he didn't know the price of rice, Li Linfu was very clear about the reason for the rise in rice prices. In fact, it is because land annexation is becoming increasingly serious. From the data reported by the Ministry of Revenue every year, it can be seen that there are fewer and fewer farmers in land. If others don't say it, even if he has a grain field in Jingzhao area, there are as many as 2,000 slaves, and there are countless grain storage in his family.

The princes and nobles were even more unscrupulous in enclosing land and did not pay a penny of taxes. The court rent was getting less and less, and they could not afford food to stabilize prices, so the price of rice would certainly surge.

He clearly understood all this in his heart. Can he say it? When Emperor Gaozu decided on the equal land system, he left a hole in allowing Yongyetian to be traded. He didn't believe that Li Longji didn't know. Besides, he was also a member of this interest group. How could he harm his own interests?

All the sufferings should be borne by those ordinary people!

Seeing that he was meditating and said, Gao Lishi smiled and helped him out: "It must be because of the New Year that every household is busy storing rice, which has led to an increase in rice prices."

Li Linfu realized that Gao Lishi was hinting that he should not ruin the emperor's mood for the New Year. He touched his huge nose and immediately smiled: "This is only one reason, and another reason is that there are too many porridge sheds in Chang'an recently. The princes are busy doing good deeds and collecting all the food in Chang'an, so the price of grain will naturally rise."

The answers of the two people avoided the important and made Li Longji sigh secretly. He discovered signs of land mergers from the late Kaiyuan period, but at that time the country was prosperous and he did not want to make a big move. But today the problem is serious, but he lost the courage to reform and could only avoid it. It is invisible to see it. Since ancient times, the land problem has been the top spot. Rulers of all dynasties have been unable to solve it. It is like a cancer, and they can only let it corruption and decay. In the later period, landless farmers rose up and smashed the old country and left a good start for the new rulers. Therefore, most of the politically clear-headed dynasties at the beginning of all dynasties, because the population was sharply reduced and land did not become a problem.

The root cause of the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was that the increasingly tight land crisis was finally broken, leading to a series of serious problems, such as financial bankruptcy and the collapse of the military system, which made the central government unable to control the local area, and finally led to the Anshi Rebellion.

As the supreme ruler, Li Longji was unable to change the fate of this dynasty, so he gradually focused on his voice and sex to numb himself and forget all his worries.

"Worry about the world first and worry about it, and then enjoy the world later!" The reason why it has become a famous saying for all ages is that there are too few people who can do it.

At this moment, Li Longji was no longer in the mood to care about people's livelihood. He took the joke and turned the topic to the main business. He said to Li Linfu lightly: "I will go to the Hot Spring Palace tomorrow, so I will trouble the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister to worry about the matter in the court."

Li Linfu looked solemn, stood up and bowed and replied, "I will follow the holy will!"

"I'm a little tired, so let's stop here today!" Li Longji stood up and was about to leave, but Li Linfu remembered something and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Li Longji stopped, glanced at him sideways, but did not sit down, and said to him with his hands behind his back, "What's the matter?"

"At the beginning of this year, after Guo Xuji, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was appointed as the governor of Yizhou, the position has been vacant to this day. The chief censor Yang Guozhong is proficient in the division of the branch. I recommend him to serve this position as well. I hope the emperor will approve it."

The Ministry of Revenue has always been the traditional sphere of influence of the Crown Prince Li Heng. The Minister of Revenue Zhang Yun was also a supporter of the prince. However, the Secretary of the Tang Dynasty only had a false reputation but was not pragmatic, so the real power of each department was actually in the hands of the ministers. The ministers usually had two people. Now Fang Guan, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was recommended by Li Shizhi, and naturally supported the prince Li Heng. At the beginning of the year, when Guo Xuji was transferred, Li Linfu's original intention was to let Wang Gong serve as the left minister of the Ministry of Revenue, but Zhang Yun firmly opposed it because Wang Gong was already the young minister of Jingzhao and should not have too many part-time jobs, so he firmly opposed it. This matter was left unresolved. However, since the emperor wanted to depose the prince this time, it was a good opportunity. Yang Guozhong was in a strong family, and Li Longji also publicly expressed that Yang Guozhong was a good Duzhi man, so Li Linfu thought that if he proposed to let Yang Guozhong take this position, he would not be rejected.

Unexpectedly, Li Longji smiled coldly and said, "Yang Guozhong's promotion is too fast, and he has no contribution. If he is promoted to him again, I am afraid that the whole world will scold me for abuse of the country and let him feel at ease for a few years. Besides, I have already chosen this position and will be officially announced after the New Year."

Li Linfu was secretly surprised and asked again: "I dared to ask Your Majesty, I don't know who Your Majesty is going to appoint this position? I can submit it to the Ministry of Personnel for filing first."

He is the right prime minister. According to the Tang Dynasty, he should propose officials under the third rank and above fifth rank and above, and submit them to Li Longji for approval. Even if it is a formality, he should follow this procedure.

Li Longji touched his chin and smiled and said, "It's hard to say now, but this person is still young and is a rising star in the Tang Dynasty. The prime minister and him should be old acquaintances."

After saying that, Li Longji raised his head, laughed twice, and then walked towards the harem surrounded by hundreds of eunuchs, palace maids and guards.

"Who does the emperor want to use to break the princeling's control over the Ministry of Revenue?"

Li Linfu thought carefully, "I am still young? A rising star?" Suddenly, his eyes slowly shone out, and he had already guessed who it was.

‘The flowers are similar every year, but the people are different every year’

Every year, the New Year is similar. On the 24th day of the 12th lunar month, every household starts dusting and hangs Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong's portrait to drive away evil spirits. When going out, food and clothing are the first priority. Even the poor family will kill chickens and pigs and have a big meal during the New Year. Secondly, they will pull new clothes for the children, which will not cost much cloth, but it is a good idea.

On the night of 30, every household used a long bamboo pole to grill it in the fire, causing the bamboo to explode and make a loud noise to drive away evil spirits, called "firecrackers".

On the first day of the lunar month, it is the day to worship ancestors and burn incense, from the royal family to the people, kowtow to their ancestors, but the purpose is to dig out the inheritance of their ancestors and let them share the welfare of the underworld to their descendants in the world.

From the second day of the lunar month, the New Year greetings begin. The younger generation will give to the elders and subordinates and superiors. Especially those who want to get promoted and make money in the new year, the New Year will be even more likely to be given. The famous sect must be given, but the gift must not be missing.

In the fifth year of Tianbao, there was a beautiful scenery in the New Year of Chang'an, which was the congee pancake that lasted for several miles on Zhuque Street. This was the Renyi congee pancake set up by the princes to gain the reputation of wise men. At first, it was spread all over Chang'an's workshops, but on the second day of the lunar month, all the congee pancakes were concentrated on Zhuque Street. The reason was very simple. This morning, the Emperor of Tang Dynasty, Li Longji, and the Imperial Concubine, had to pass by here to Huaqing Palace in Mount Li.

In order to leave a deep impression on the father, the princes and the eight immortals crossed the sea and showed their magical powers. Some were wrapped in brocade, some were invited to write inscriptions and paintings, and some were spent on money to hire beggars to sing praises to the prince on the street. In short, they were all good-hearted and just to please the father. What is particularly ridiculous is that many princes and little princes came to personally serve the porridge. Of course, the time didn't take too long. As long as the father's dragon chariot passed by, they carried a long spoon in their left hand and touched the head of a little beggar with loving heart with their right hand, so that this touching picture was frozen in the eyes of the father, and the goal was achieved.

It was gradually noon, and Li Longji had probably gone away, and these porridge sheds gradually lost popularity. It was not that there were fewer people eating, but that the porridge donors had lost their motivation. Some porridge sheds had even begun to be demolished and placed after the father came back on the Shangyuan Festival.

At this time, a group of horse riders came outside the Zhuque Gate, about fifteen or six, all of whom were in military uniforms, each of whom was fierce and cold, and exuded murderous aura.

The leader was a young general with a tall figure and extremely wide shoulders. He had dark skin, tall and straight nose, and clear angular lips, as if he was chiseled with rocks. There was a short tuft of black beard on his chin, which looked a little old, but his eyes were obviously inconsistent with his age. His eyes were deep, with few fury or emotional teenagers, so dull that he could not see any joy, anger, sorrow, sorrow, and happiness. However, the occasional shimmering light was extremely sharp and terrifying.

Of course, he was Li Qing, the governor of Shazhou who had just been dismissed from the deputy envoy of Longyou Jiedu, who came to Beijing to report his work. When Bian Lingcheng had something to do when he passed Xianyang, he left, so Li Qing came to Beijing alone. He was accompanied by a middle-aged scholar with a sick face. It was his aide Gao Shi, who was responsible for preparing for the copywriting of this report. He suffered from a cold all the way and was a little sick.

"Chang'an City is worthy of being the capital, and there are so many people doing good deeds!" Li Fei Yuanli was in Chang'an for the first time. Looking at the porridge shed that lasted for miles, he couldn't help but sigh.

Li Qing looked at the sign of Wang's mansion hanging on the porridge shed, and sneered slightly: "It would be best if the emperor had been undecided for several years, so that this kind of good deed would truly become a good deed."

Li Fei Shouyu seemed to have some enlightenment and said in surprise: "The governor means"

"Just understand it in your heart, don't ask more questions."

Li Qing patted his shoulder and apologized and said, "After I wandered around, you have suffered aggrieved."

Li Fei Shouyu shook his head and said lightly: "The governor dares to kill Tubo Zanpu. I can only say that the governor is a brave man, but the governor endured the man surnamed Dong, which made me decide to follow the governor. The governor is an extraordinary person. In time, he will surely roar into the sky."

Gao Shi also stepped forward and smiled and said, "In the past, the young master Chong'er was away for decades and could not tolerate ordinary people, so he accomplished great things. Although the governor was dismissed from the deputy envoy of the Jiedushi, his position was not lost and he could still go to Beijing to report his duties. I wonder if it was a blessing in disguise?"

"So! Sour! Sour! I'm sour."

Li Fei Yuanli next to him grinned and screamed, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Suddenly, there was a chaos behind the back. The people who were crowded at the city gate were about to leave the city, all turned around and ran back, hid behind the walls and looked at this side timidly. Li Qing was surprised and looked back, but he saw a military horse outside the city gate. There were at least a thousand people. He did not take a flag and was arranged into three teams, with bows, horses, and three armies. They all held swords and spears with murderous auras. There was a carriage among them, slowly entering the city. The body was wide and wrapped in iron sheets, and the arrows could not be shot through.

A scribe handed over a document to the soldiers guarding the city. The soldiers immediately collected their guns and arranged their troops into the city.

"Which prince is this?" Li Qing saw that the team was majestic and neat, and he couldn't help but think to himself. He ordered his subordinates to dodge aside and move away from the road. At this time, the team of chariots entered the city gate and passed by them. The terrifying murderous aura scared the people on both sides backed. He did not dare to speak, but suddenly led Li Qing and more than a dozen others to the roadside.

"It's An Lushan!"

Gao Shi suddenly cried out. When he was traveling in Youzhou, he had seen the middle-aged scholar. It was Gao Shang, a counselor under An Lushan. Because both of them had surnames Gao, they were deeply impressed.

"An Lushan?" Li Qing was very interested. He stared at the carriage ten feet away, and wanted to see this person who almost caused the Tang Dynasty to perish.

Perhaps Gao Shi's loss of voice attracted the other party's attention. The curtain of the carriage opened a crack, revealing a pair of bright eyes, which directly stabbed Li Qing. The two of them collided, but Li Qing smiled slightly, saying hello.

A hint of surprise flashed in the other party's gaze. An Lushan ordered the scholar beside him through the curtain of the car. The scholar also looked up at Li Qing, nodded, and urged the horse to come here. When he walked to Li Qing, he bowed and smiled, "I'm Gao Shang, my general, may I ask about the name of the general."

Li Qing also replied with a smile: "Li Qing in Xiashazhou."

"But Li Qing, who killed the Tubo King and seized the Stone Fort City?" Gao Shang looked shocked and looked at Li Qing up and down. He had heard of his name for a long time, but he didn't expect that the other party was so young.

Li Qing smiled slightly and said humbly: "Mr. Gao is so serious. Li Qing accidentally got a small achievement, so it's not worth mentioning."

"I am not arrogant when I make a contribution, and I am not arrogant when I am young. Don't mention my general, I even like it."

Gao Shang smiled and put on a pose for invitation, "My general saw that Governor Li was very imposing, so he wanted to see him."

"It's better, I have heard of General An for a long time and want to see him." Without waiting for his subordinates to persuade him, he urged the horse to meet him.

The horse team had stopped. Seeing Li Qing coming up, the troops dodged a path, but the murderous aura became even stronger. They stared at the uninvited guest close to An Lushan.

An Lushan's car curtain had been pulled up, revealing a fat face, as if it was coated with Indian magic oil. The face was shiny, swollen and big, and his facial features were squeezed into a pile, which was a bit like the pumpkin face of the later Western Halloween. His eyes were slightly shining, and he smiled at Li Qing. At this time, Gao Shang caught up from behind and said a few words in his ear in a low voice. An Lushan's eyes immediately became hot. He looked at Li Qing and laughed: "It turns out to be Governor Li, there are many people under his jurisdiction. Governor Li gave way."

Li Qing did not dare to underestimate the hero of the middle Tang Dynasty. He gave a bow on his horse first and smiled faintly: "The general has just quelled the rebellion of Khitan and Xi. There are many enemies, so I feel it is necessary to be more cautious."

An Lushan was so happy that he said to the sky that he laughed loudly, saying, "I was pointed at the back and scolded me all the way, saying that I was arrogant and arrogant. I didn't expect that Governor Li would understand it, which really touched An."

He looked at Li Qing and couldn't help but angrily: "We are all people guarding the border. It's okay to endure the bad conditions. The most annoying thing is that the officials in the capital are all rich and well-off. Let's make some contributions. They are like black-eyed men, and they are picking each other. Take you, Governor Li, for example, for the great contribution of taking the Shibao City, the court doesn't even give up a fart. He keeps saying that killing Tubo Zanpu affects the overall situation. Then, if Tubo Zanpu kills him, it won't affect the overall situation. A group of corrupt scholars are still pretending to be benevolent and righteous. If a real man does things, he should be ruthless and kills him. Otherwise, how can he calm the border chaos?"

Although this person later rebelled, he heard the words, and Li Qing also smiled and said, "I didn't expect that the general was quick and easy. Thank you Li Qing."

"It's okay! It's okay! If Governor Li feels wronged in Shazhou, the governor of Youzhou under my rule is also vacant. Why don't I tell the emperor and transfer Governor Li to me and never let you feel wronged. What do you think?"

This is An Lushan’s real purpose. Li Qing knew his old background and how could he agree. He smiled and said, “Thank you, General for paying attention to Li Qing. It’s just that the future is long. Let’s talk about it later after reporting on his work!”

An Lushan wanted to persuade him again, but suddenly a convoy came to the opposite side, with countless guards. Someone went up to inquire and returned urgently, "General, it is Li Xiangguo's carriage."

An Lushan looked shocked. He suddenly pushed open the car door and jumped out of the carriage. His fat and round body rolled towards Li Linfu's carriage like a ball, and shouted repeatedly: "Li Xiang, my subordinates have misfortune, forgive me! I wish you guilt!"

Li Qing looked at An Lushan from afar, nodding and bowing in front of Li Linfu's carriage like a groundhog, and couldn't help but feel alert in his heart, "People say that Li Linfu is the nemesis of the border guard general. Whether it is An Lushan, Wang Zhongsi, Gao Xianzhi or later Ge Shuhan are all very afraid of him. It seems to be really good now, so you have to be careful."
Chapter completed!