Chapter 1 Emergence (Part 2) In the next few days, reconnaissance cavalry from Hedong came out in all directions, searching for the whereabouts of the former Mayi County Prime Minister Li Jing in all the cities under his control. But this person seemed to have sunk into the ground and left Taiyuan.
After that, no traces were left. However, the hard work of the scouts was not in vain. Three days later, they brought back the news that the second lady Wan'er, who had escaped from Chang'an, was out of danger.
"Whose mouth did you hear the news about Wan'er from? Are you trustworthy? Have you ever left her behind?" When he heard the news about his daughter, Tang Gong Li Yuan was so happy that he jumped up from the bed and asked loudly.
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"The person who sent the message is an elder from General Wu's family who sells fur goods. I met them in Yushe, so I quickly 'invited' him back to Taiyuan in a carriage!" The scout team who answered was very capable and spoke a few words.
Then he explained Li Yuan’s problem clearly.
"Call him, no, invite him in quickly. Invite him to the second hall to speak. Is the warrior General Xun the elder? Not counting outsiders! You lead him to the second hall, and also bring General Wu in. Let's all drink a bowl of tea and eat together.
Some snacks!" The sudden good news made Li Yuan temporarily forget all the unhappiness in his heart, and ordered incoherently while arranging his clothes.
"Tang Gong is very fond of me!" Qian Jiulong, the commander of the guards, secretly called to the scout team who was walking out, asked a few questions carefully, and then made some arrangements. Once the safety is guaranteed,
Finally, a few confidants were sent to "ask" the messenger to bathe and change clothes according to etiquette.
"Since you are a member of Shitong's tribe, what's the problem? Jiulong, have you been too nervous recently?" Li Yuan was annoyed by Qian Jiulong's cautious behavior and kept complaining.
"The future of Tang Gong with tens of thousands of soldiers is no better than it was in the past. Jiulong has to be more careful!" Qian Jiulong bowed his body and replied in a low voice.
"Trouble, what a fucking trouble!" Li Yuan shook his head and cursed helplessly.
The cost of turning a family into a country is not small. This has just begun. The Li family has lost five children including Zhiyun, Huier, and Yunniang. The youngest Yunniang was only four years old and was detained in Chang'an and sent to the execution ground.
At that time, they had no idea what rebellion was. They kept begging for mercy from the "uncles" of the past, while those "uncles" who used to be courteous to the Li family all had a cold face, fearing that they would bring down their own family even if they showed even a hint of sympathy.
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Others also went through many hardships on their way to Taiyuan. Yuan Ji fought hard with his martial arts skills. Jiancheng just entered the city last night and looked like a beggar. As for Chai Shao, the son-in-law of Chenglong Kuai of Tang Gongfu, he walked away.
Deping Ping'an ran away with Wan'er as soon as the danger came. He said that Wan'er took the initiative not to increase the risk to the men, but in fact, he took after Liu San who abandoned his wife and son...
What made Li Yuan feel most sad was his second son Shimin. Although he believed that his son did not deliberately kill his biological brother that day, thinking about it later, the clever rumor was most likely his own. As a father, Li Yuan could no longer pursue it.
, I don’t want to pursue it anymore, but it’s like a piece of ice is stuck in my heart, and it won’t melt away no matter how hard it is.
He is not opposed to conspiracy. Complementing the right and the odd is the way to achieve great things. But conspiracies and tricks should not be used between fathers, sons and brothers, let alone burying biological brothers as victims! He does not want to believe that Shimin is as ruthless as Yang Guang
It makes no sense, but more and more facts are stabbing him in the heart like a knife!
"Caomin Wu Fang, see Tang Gong!" While Li Yuan was deep in thought, the merchant surnamed Wu had already packed up as required and walked into the second hall under the leadership of several guards. Although the Li family has not officially raised the anti-rebellion flag so far,
The smart Taiyuan businessmen already know how to kneel down and kowtow three times before the visitor slowly straightens his body, still staring at the ground in front of his knees, not daring to raise his head to offend Tian Yan.
"Pingshen, Pingshen, are all from Taiyuan, why should I give such a big gift!" Li Yuan raised his arm and made a gesture of no courtesy, "Shitun, help your tribesmen up for me and give me a seat! It's true!"
Your elder? Why have I never heard you mention it?"
"Xie Tanggong gave me the seat of grass-roots. In terms of seniority, he is an uncle of Shi Xun, but he is not in the same family as him. His family is a scholarly family, and he doesn't usually hang out with us businessmen! Later, he joined the army and was busy with official duties, so he had no time.
Contacted the old man!" The businessman Wu Fang was very smart. He knew that the warrior Yu was very concerned about each other's identities, so he quickly smoothed things over for him.
"Well, there shouldn't be merchants. Who will carry the goods from north to south? Shi Xun took the words of the Confucian scholars too seriously. The strongest thing in the world is family love. No matter how much it is cut off, it will always be cut off!
"Li Yuan smiled and preached in the tone of an elder.
In this chaotic situation, those who dare to lead caravans across the country are not simple people. They are either extremely brave and have strong leadership skills, or they have good hands and eyes, and have friendship with bandit leaders, mountain kings, and green forest masters from all over the country.
The Li family is about to raise their troops, and such a hero is the target to win over. Even if he is not expected to persuade the rogue bandits along the way to surrender, he can at least buy some in-demand supplies and useful information that the scouts cannot get. Therefore, Li Yuan is here
He worked hard in front of the visitor and did not show any pretense of being the king of a country.
"Thanks to Duke Tang's words, my thirty-six businesses in Taiyuan will be blessed in the future!" Wu Fang, who was sitting on the bench, cupped his hands, and his gratitude was beyond words.
"No, I'm just telling the truth." Li Yuan waved his hand, refusing to accept the other party's compliment. "We in Hedong are rich in products, but the plain land is scarce. It is difficult to be self-sufficient in food. If it weren't for you businessmen running back and forth these years, what would the soldiers eat?
What do the people eat when there is a famine, and what do the government provide to help the people? It’s just that those rotten scholars don’t understand the sufferings of the people, and they always talk about scholars, farmers, industry, and commerce. Don’t they know that if one of the four people is missing, they won’t even be able to wear long robes?
I can’t afford to wear them, let alone pens, ink, paper and inkstones!”
Not only did Wu Fang feel warm in his heart when he heard these few words, but even the warrior Yu who was standing by was deeply moved. Even though he knew that some words may not come from Li Yuan's true intentions, he still bent down deeply and bowed in thanks, "
I would like to thank my lord for your advice. I will definitely respect your lord's teachings from now on and go home more often to prevent the relationship between flesh and blood from becoming cold due to differences in status!"
"I'm afraid you won't have much time in the future!" Li Yuan smiled and shook his head, "We are about to go south to eliminate traitors for the country. At such a critical moment, how can I be willing to let you, a knowledgeable soldier, return home, but you, an uncle of the clan,
and other tribesmen, you can often come to the army to see you. We will have more and more soldiers in the future, and there will be a huge shortage of various supplies. Since your Wu family is known as the "Ban Bingzhou", come out and organize a caravan to supply supplies to the army and sell them.
It should be possible to transfer loot!"
"Thank you for your love, my lord!" After hearing this, Wu Fang quickly jumped off the bench and thanked Li Yuan together with the warrior Xun for his willingness to take the risk to help Wan'er deliver the news in order to get on Li Yuan's line and make a lot of money from the war.
Unexpectedly, Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang Dynasty, was so smart that he took the initiative to meet all the requirements without waiting for him to ask.
"You don't need to thank me, Shitong, for following me for many years. According to common sense, your Wu family is considered your own. Don't worry, you can let him take you to the imperial master to get a waist card later. With this waist card
, people from the Wu family can come to the camp to see me at any time!" Although he was concerned about his daughter's safety, Li Yuan followed the principle of putting public before private and used the opportunity in front of him to solve the worries of the army.
The distance between the guest and the host was instantly shortened, as if they had known each other for many years. After chatting and laughing for a few sips of hot tea, the flattered Wu Fang took the initiative to propose donating materials and labor, "I will do my best to satisfy you as much as possible."
If the shortage in the army is due to the lack of gold and silver in the hands of Duke Tang, the merchants in Taiyuan can also donate some to repay the kindness of Duke Tang for his care over the years. Secondly, they can also contribute to the country. Those rebellious officials and traitors will be cleared up earlier, and peace will be enjoyed one day earlier.
!”
Li Yuan did not covet the petty gains of a few merchants. He smiled and said: "I still have a lot of those disgusting things that can't be taken away alive and dead. Since we are doing business, how can you use your own?"
Money to buy your own goods? Don't worry, Mr. Wu, if any of my subordinates, Li Yuan, dares to take something without paying, or buy or sell it by force, I will definitely cut off his head with my own hands."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Tang! Thank you so much, Mr. Tang!" Wu Fang was so grateful that he chanted Buddha's name repeatedly. He wanted to rush forward and hug him. People who do business are afraid that the government will be unreasonable. With Li Yuan's guarantee today, the risk of the Wu family losing everything in the future will be small.
If they follow the footsteps of the Li Jiajun, businesses from all over the world will also take a high look at the Hedong Wu family, and their financial resources will surely come rolling in in the future.
"You don't have to thank me yet." Li Yuan put away his smile, and his tone slowly became cold, "I hope that if you accept my order for exclusive business, you will not supply supplies and food to Liu Wuzhou. I know before that you have countless channels and methods.
I went north, but I never interfered because you also need to make money and support your family. I can't just watch your goods rot in my hands! But in the future, with my Li family's financial path, Liu Wuzhou will have Shi Bike
It's best to leave Khan's wealth, especially grain and salt, as I don't want to fight to the death with the traitors in the front, and fatten up two powerful enemies in the back!"
"This--" Wu Fang was stunned for a moment, and the smile on his face froze immediately. He had been managing business for the entire family for many years, and he had never suffered a loss in business. Only today did he realize that he had met someone who was better at business than himself.
I gave him a small sweetener first, and then he started cutting the meat with a knife.
But the sweetness has been swallowed up, and it is obviously too late to regret it at this moment. Although Tang Gong Li Yuan in front of him is known as an "old woman", he has never hesitated to chop off people's heads.
Looking at the entire Sui Dynasty, he could not find seven people who dared to stroke his beard in public!
The Hedong Wu family was definitely not one of the seven, so even though his heart was bleeding, Wu Fang had no choice but to comply with Tang Gong Li Yuan's request on behalf of the merchants. "Grass people, the grass people just go back and tell everyone that they will never transport goods beyond the Great Wall."
But Mr. Tang, you also know that although there are many businesses under the Wu family's name, they are concentrated in timber and leather goods, and you will never touch prohibited materials such as ironware, grain, and illicit salt!"
"I just want you to tell everyone that when doing business, you can go south, and you can walk on any ground that our Li family can control." Li Yuan put down the tea bowl in his hand, with an expression on his face that seemed to be smiling, but also angry. "As for the north,
I will send people to patrol day and night. If someone is caught and loses everything, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"That's natural, that's natural!" After hearing a few harsh words, cold sweat broke out on Wu Fang's forehead. Over the years, he has met many bandits and big figures among bandits, as well as unreasonable ones.
He has seen a lot, but no one has ever given him such great pressure as Li Yuan.
Tang Gong was more reasonable than any bandit or bandit. When he was able to reason, he could make people unable to stand up. If he started to get angry, Wu Fang didn't know whether the so-called thirty-six businesses in Bingzhou could withstand this person's stamp of feet.
"Don't worry, my subordinates will not harm anyone without evidence! Even if they are caught, I will give them a chance to defend themselves, so as not to be framed by their enemies!" Li Yuan's words were very calm, but sounded strange to other people's ears.
She said like thunder, "Those who do business must follow certain rules, and those who govern the country must follow certain laws. I believe you will not make things difficult for me in the future!"
"Isn't it easy for an official to frame the people? Arrest him first and then look for evidence, no matter how hard he finds it!" Wu Fang suddenly began to regret. He regretted that he should not be greedy for cheap and rashly come to deliver a letter for someone. If he hadn't come here,
The Wu family won't gain much from this trip, but it won't get into such big trouble either.
He suddenly understood why his nephew Shitong had been an official for so many years but never let the family get involved with the government. It was clearly a broken ship with no other shore. No matter whether it was leaking or not, as long as he got on it, he would never think about it again.
Come down!
"Caomin, Caomin must abide by the rules. This time I met the second young lady. She also gave similar teachings. Caomin has already ordered someone to write them down. I will never forget them!" Wu Fang, who was eager to get away, did not care about selling out anymore and seized every opportunity to bring up the topic.
Lead to Wan'er
"It won't take long. Liu Wuzhou and others are just dew on the tip of the grass. Their demise will not be too far away. By then, the surrounding areas of Mayi will be connected with Taiyuan, and your business will be done!" Li Yuan saw the messenger.
Instead, I felt less anxious. I took a few sips of tea and then asked in a low voice: "How did you meet my little girl? Does she have a handwriting? Well, in these war-torn times, it's hard for a woman to live with her!"
"Second Miss, the Second Miss has now gained a lot of power in Wangwu Mountain. The common people didn't know it was the Second Miss at first, so they were afraid of losing their money, so they prepared to force their way there. Later, they were invited to have a drink by the people on the mountain, and they found out.
There was a separate army from Taiyuan, so they crossed the mountain safely..." Wu Fang could not recover from the panic, so his mind was a little unclear, his words were very wordy, and he could not answer the key points.
"Second uncle, Mr. Tang asked if you have a letter from the second lady? We can talk about the other details later!" Warrior Xun scolded him in a low voice because he thought his clansman was causing trouble.
"No, no, the second lady said that it is inconvenient to use paper and pen, so she just asked me to report that she was safe. She said that she asked Mr. Tang not to worry about her. The daughter of the Li family will not cause trouble to anyone!" Wu Fang
After pondering for a while, he said intermittently
"The daughter of the Li family?" Li Yuan was stunned for a moment, and immediately felt a sense of desolation in his heart. As a father, he understood how his daughter was feeling. When the disaster was imminent, Chai Shao left Wan'er and ran away alone. Although he did not write a letter of divorce, he still loved it.
Tong Yuen broke up with each other, so Wan'er no longer regarded herself as the daughter-in-law of the Chai family, and took the initiative to resume her identity as the daughter of the Li family. But how did she end up in Wangwu Mountain? How could she turn it into Taiyuan's sphere of influence in a short period of time?
Wangwu Mountain is located at the junction of Changping and Hanoi counties. It is less than a hundred miles away from Mengjin Ferry. After passing Mengjin, you can reach Yanshi, the gateway to Dongdu. Now that Wan'er has taken control of Wangwu Mountain, it is tantamount to serving as a soldier for Hedong.
The credit of Ma's march southward for clearing the road in advance is no less than conquering dozens of counties along the way.
Amid a mixture of sadness and joy, Li Yuan's voice changed his tone unknowingly: "Sir, how did you meet the little girl? Does she look okay? Are you short of food and clothing in the mountains? Don't be impatient. Speak slowly. Everything is fine."
I will listen to everything that passes by and don’t leave anything behind?”
"Wouldn't this delay Mr. Tang a lot of time?" Wu Fang couldn't stand Li Yuan's hot and cold attitude. He looked at his nephew and said hesitantly.
"It's okay, it's okay Shitong, you go out and order some food and wine to be prepared. I have nothing to thank Mr. Wu, so I'll just have a meal with him and talk about our feelings! Let's talk about our feelings!"
At this time, Li Yuan regained his image as a loving father and extended the invitation very enthusiastically.
With the precedent set, how could Wu Fang dare to take advantage of Tang Gong again? He quickly pushed Li Yuan away but refused to let him continue to be polite. He forced people to bring in two short tables and pushed Wu Fang into his seat. "I was the gentleman just now. Of course I want to
Keep a straight face and say what you are saying is private at the moment. You don’t have to worry about the wording. Let’s talk about being a parent while eating. Who doesn’t think about their children? Hi, Mr. Wu is also a person who has been here. He should know that Li
