Jinyang has always occupied a place among the big cities in the North, and its geographical location is also quite special. Most of Shanxi's scenic spots are reflected in Jinyang's location.
Compared with big cities such as Chang'an and Luoyang, Jinyang is located in a frontier area.
However, there are three counties of Daizhou as a buffer to the north, and the fertile soil of southern Shanxi is behind it, so it can be easily supplemented by population, food, etc.
Hebei, Yulin, Lingzhou, Liangzhou and other places do not have such conditions. Zhuojun is better, but it still relies on the Great Wall defense line and is easily attacked by nomads.
This is what was later said about the emperor guarding the country.
Precisely because of Jinyang's geographical location, it was not directly affected by the wars in the late Sui Dynasty. The most serious sin was caused by Li Po. Li Po led his army south to defeat Li Yuanji, and the war in which Jinyang changed hands was
.
In fact, Jinyang didn't experience much war that time, and Yu Wenxin surrendered immediately.
The great city of Jinyang is like this. As long as you don't make strategic mistakes, even if the enemy comes to the city, you can still survive for a year and a half by standing still and waiting for reinforcements.
Nowadays, Jinyang is a hub city in Jin region, and it goes without saying that it is prosperous.
Without the threat of the Turks and the fighting in the south, more people came from north to south. Especially after the opening of the border market in Dali, merchants began to become active again.
It's just that unlike the previous Sui Dynasty, which was laissez-faire, the Tang Dynasty strictly controlled this. The merchants who were able to go to Dali City all had official backgrounds. In fact, most of the caravans were organized by the government, and spies from the Military Intelligence Department were indispensable among them.
Explore.
But even so, Jinyang, Yanmen and other northern cities still benefited a lot.
Even though commerce was not developed at that time, and the imperial court did not have much policy support to encourage business, commerce was still a rigid indicator of social prosperity.
As the saying goes, there is no wealth without business. Without businessmen, social circulation becomes a problem. Since ancient times, from the moment businessmen were born, business has become an indispensable part of people's social life.
………………
Most of Jinyang's prosperity depends on this. The caravans traveling from south to north have brought many new things. Almost everything that can be seen on the grassland can be seen here.
The caravans coming from the south will bring special products from the hinterland of the Central Plains. There are even merchants from the Western Regions who are not afraid of hardships and dangers. They detour from the Western Regions to Dali City and do everything possible to reach Jinyang through the border of the Tang Dynasty, bringing the customs of the Western Regions with them.
here.
It's just that they are a minority after all, and they cannot bring about earth-shaking changes in Jinyang.
Moreover, the population of Jinyang was much smaller than when Li Po occupied Jinyang.
The refugees who fled to Jinyang due to the war in Jin Dynasty gradually returned home. In addition, there were not so many troops stationed in Jinyang. As a result, the population of Jinyang gradually increased from more than 300,000 people at its peak to more than 200,000 people.
, and continues to decrease.
This is a good sign. The most important thing in the farming empire is agriculture. The craftsmen in Jinyang are not enough to support such a large population of more than 200,000 people. This is because of Jinyang's status in Jinland and its complete military industry system.
This is not the same concept as the later military industrial system. It is mainly a logistics system that is ready to supply large armies for battle.
………………
Li Po hasn't been here for a long time, so he can't feel much change.
When he entered the city, there were no people lined up to welcome him, burn incense and worship him. This was mainly due to security issues. During the alliance meeting, the news of the emperor's arrival spread like wildfire, and the officials in Jinyang were also afraid of being noticed by interested people.
Therefore, wherever the emperor's ceremonial guard went, there were soldiers guarding it, and people were not allowed to approach at will.
Of course, in order to appear less deserted, you still have to find some trustworthy people to pay homage to on the side of the road. It is superficial, and it seems to have been the case since ancient times.
Li Po has always been in a good mood. The place where he started is peaceful and looks much better than Guanxi. This is all due to his achievements. Even though he is a little annoyed by the officials flattering him, he is still quite happy.
contented.
This is a tree he planted with his own hands, and now it is almost blooming and bearing fruit. The great sense of accomplishment makes people feel very happy.
………………
"If you're not going to the palace, let's go visit Mr. Chen first. How is your health lately? You're not clamoring to go back to your hometown, are you?"
Li Po finally got into the chariot that Jinyang officials had prepared for him. Li Po rarely sat in this chariot, and it was easy to get motion sickness due to the erratic behavior and was not comfortable.
Accompanying him were Wang Qing, the general manager of Bingzhou, and Xue Yuanjing, the living man.
Wang Qing heard the words and replied: "It is our great fortune that Your Majesty cares about our old friend so much. Chen Gong had previously said that he would come to greet the Holy Emperor, but he has been feeling unwell recently and was persuaded by his ministers.
Your Majesty has come a long way and worked hard all the way. When he arrived in Jinyang, the first thing he thought of was Mr. Chen. I wonder how grateful he would be when he saw Your Majesty?"
Li Po laughed, "I haven't seen you for several years, and I really miss you. Mr. Chen is both a teacher and a friend of mine. He has contributed a lot to make me what I am today. I should be grateful to him."
Now that he can live a long life without being disturbed by worldly affairs, it can be regarded as a small reward for me. You should take good care of him in Jinyang and learn more about the way of being an official from him..."
There are some things that Li Po did not say, and many lessons can be found in the former Sui Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Wen Yang Jian, most of the old ministers who had made great contributions to him did not die well, not to mention Yang Guang. Almost all the ministers who were loyal to him died.
No burial place.
He should take a warning here, because after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there were more heroes. Treating them well is actually treating yourself kindly. If you want the road ahead to be smoother, you must not let the heroes down.
It's best to start and end well, and even if some people put their heads under the knife, they can't be massacred.
Now it seems that he has done quite well in this regard. No one dares to complain about his unfair rewards and punishments. In the future... who knows what will happen in the future?
Wang Qing was still unable to understand the profound meaning. He only felt that the emperor treated his old ministers very well, and those who had followed the emperor for many years felt particularly at ease.
Flattery comes as soon as you open your mouth. If you don't slap him hard a few times at this time, you will be sorry for Wang Qing's many years as an official.
………………
Chen Xiaoyi's residence is not far from the Daizhou Governor's Mansion, and not far from the former Han Dynasty Prince's Mansion.
The mansion is neither big nor small, neither new nor old. Li Po is very familiar with this place. Ever since he led his army into Jinyang, Chen Xiaoyi seems to have been living here and has not moved yet.
The person guarding the gate of the Chen Mansion is a grandnephew of Chen Xiaoyi.
Chen Xiaoyi is from Hedong. Due to the war, his own branch has been lost in Henan and no one can be found. It is estimated that they are all deceased.
There are only two or three kittens left in the Hedong ancestral land. Now they have reunited with the help of Chen Xiaoyi, and the population is extremely thin.
There were a few Jinyang officials who took care of his food and daily life, and there were not many guards and servants in the mansion. Chen Xiaoyi had been honest and self-responsible all his life, and he never did anything unsafe in his later years, such as taking a concubine or something.
Wang Qing told Li Po that although Chen Xiaoyi was suffering from many health problems, they were all minor problems. From time to time, he would visit Jinyang or nearby ancient buildings from past dynasties.
Recently, I have become obsessed with fishing. I often go out to the city to fish. I don’t use any straight hooks, but my fishing skills are not good, so I often come back empty-handed.
Someone once hung a fish on his hook while he was not paying attention, trying to make him happy, but he saw through it and said that the person's mind was evil and he needed to study with him to correct his mind.
As the news spread, more and more people started hanging fish on his hooks, which made the old man dumbfounded.
Li Po also smiled after hearing this, and couldn't help but think of those retired veteran cadres later. Judging from Chen Xiaoyi's level, they were high-ranking officials such as the Central Committee Committee. They could definitely live as they pleased in their later years...
……………………
After not seeing each other for only three or four years, Li Po felt that Chen Xiaoyi was getting old very quickly.
Chen Xiaoyi led the people to greet him outside the gate of the mansion. His body was slightly stooped, but he still tried hard to straighten his posture. His beard and hair were all white, and his face was criss-crossed with ridges and age spots, like mottled tree bark.
In fact, his change was not as great as Li Po thought. He was over seventy years old, and he was a serious old man in this world. He was still sane and not lingering on the bed, which was an exception.
Again, the only people who can compare with him now are He Chou of Chang'an and Pei Ju of Luoyang. Those two are both official fans, but Chen Xiaoyi has the air of a loyal minister.
Li Po got off the chariot early and walked to the front of Chen's mansion surrounded by people.
Although they had not seen each other for only a few years, the emperor and his ministers had mixed feelings when they saw him again.
Li Po was still the King of Han when he left Jinyang, but now he has become the emperor. Chen Xiaoyi also retired from the post of governor of Daizhou and began to live in retirement. The changes are not small.
Chen Xiaoyi bowed to see him and said bluntly: "It is my fault for not being able to welcome you from afar."
Li Po stepped forward to help him and said with a smile: "We monarchs and ministers don't need to be so polite. We walk around and talk inside, and so do you. Chen Gong is not in good health, so why should we greet him?"
While talking, he held Chen Xiaoyi's arm and supported it a little while entering the gate of Chen's mansion.
Such an intimate gesture immediately broke the sense of alienation brought about by not seeing each other for several years and the change of status. Even when Chen Xiaoyi said she didn't dare, her eyes narrowed in laughter.
He said in his heart that it seemed that the emperor was still the same as before, so he felt completely at ease.
You must know that some people... It is said that the Duke of Zhou was afraid of the rumor day, but Wang Mang was humble and did not usurp the time. Xiangshi died at the beginning, who knows the truth in his life?
Although Chen Xiaoyi could not recite such a poem that hit the point directly, he understood the truth behind it. The difference between the king of Han and the emperor was too far.
Li Po smiled at Yan Yan, and first asked if Chen Xiaoyi was in good health. Seeing that the old man was in clear mind and not confused, he felt even more happy.
I thought that good people are rewarded. For example, Wang Cong has Alzheimer's disease. It seems that God is fair...