"Brother Shi Wen has given birth to a good son! He is versatile in both civil and military affairs. He has done many great things at a young age. Unlike this silly boy in my family, who is still flying around all day long and has no real integrity." Li Xiaogong had no idea. With stingy praise, he led Xiao Rui to the living room.
The two parties sat down separately, and Li Chongyi, Xiao Rui's equal, stood beside his father to serve him, not daring to sit with him.
"Chongyi, please go down and study. I have business to discuss with your brother Xiao." Li Xiaogong dismissed his son and drove away the housekeeper and servants.
Turning back to look at Xiao Rui, "You have recently overwhelmed the entire Chang'an officialdom. You will not come to my palace for no reason today. Tell me, do you need my help?"
this……
Xiao Rui was extremely embarrassed. Li Xiaogong was so close to him, but he was here to ask questions. For a moment, he didn't know how to speak.
"You, Xiao Rui, were not hesitant when you started talking to the court. You have an engagement with Xiangcheng. According to your seniority, you should call me uncle. If there are any difficulties that require my uncle to take action, you are welcome."
"Alas..." Xiao Rui sighed and handed over the piece of paper.
Li Xiaogong took it in confusion and looked at it carefully.
After a while, his face became as dark as water, and he no longer had the graceful demeanor of being like a spring breeze and supporting the younger generation.
Xiao Rui bowed and saluted: "The prince has been a soldier all his life and has made great contributions to the country. Xiao Rui has always admired me. Because of your love, let me call you uncle. But the public is public and the private is private. This junior is offended."
Li Xiaogong asked in a deep voice: "I heard that many people are checking our Hejian County Prince's Mansion in the past two days. Are they from your boy? How about this thing on paper, but is it true?"
Looking at the other party's face, Xiao Rui nodded bravely and said: "This junior personally supervised the verification and checked again and again. It is indeed true."
"Then how are you going to investigate this king?" Li Xiaogong looked at Xiao Rui jokingly.
Xiao Rui raised his head and looked at him without fear, "Of course I will handle the case impartially."
"Oh? In that case, just like investigating Feng Deyi and his son, you can just bring people to capture me. Why come here alone and do it in vain? Are you afraid that I will resist? You can't take it? I heard that you can fight with Yuchi Jing If virtue is equal, I think that my martial arts skills are not as good as respecting virtue."
What the hell? Is Yuchi Jingde a draw with me? Who passed it on? Xiao Rui was confused.
who? Of course it was Yuchi Jingde himself. Was he embarrassed to tell the truth? It's embarrassing enough to lose to a kid who has no place to show off his old face and say it's a tie.
Shaking his head, putting aside these distracting thoughts, he bowed respectfully again, and Xiao Rui said sincerely: "Hejian County Prince's Palace has invaded people's land, causing many people to be displaced and homeless. This is an established fact, and the evidence is conclusive . Today, I am here alone, not to ask for help, but to ask my uncle for advice on something I don’t understand.”
Li Xiaogong couldn't help but take a high look at this boy. He was neither humble nor arrogant, and he was calm in times of danger. His temperament alone was far superior to that of all his peers.
He simply turned around, sat down again, and pointed to the Hu stool next to Xiao Rui, "Since we are not asking for an apology, you handed over the invitation and visited in a private capacity, so let's sit down and talk."
"I learned from my father that you are a famous general in the clan and have made great achievements for the Tang Dynasty. Over the years, you have been dedicated and loyal, and you have never made any mistakes no matter where you serve. Your Majesty came to the throne and after the Yuan Dynasty was changed, you took the initiative to step down from military power. Serving as the Minister of Etiquette, it can be said that no one in the civil and military circles in the dynasty can match this magnanimity."
Li Xiaogong waved his hand and interrupted: "I don't need a junior like you to flatter me in person."
Xiao Rui simply asked bluntly: "Ahem! This junior knows a lot about you. People who know you well say that you are not a money-grubbing person. Although you cannot be considered frugal in life, you are by no means extravagant. But why have there been rumors in the past two years? It is said that the prince of Hejian County loves money very much, and even uses any means to make money. Is this a way for you to insult yourself in order to avoid suspicion? "
Li Xiaogong laughed wildly, "I have even handed over my military power, so why should I insult myself again?"
Xiao Rui said in confusion: "What I saw when I entered the palace today is that except for the larger house, the decorations in your palace are very ordinary, which is completely inconsistent with the rumors. The only thing that can be called noble is the clothes you are wearing. But as far as this junior knows, not to mention the money involved in this case, even the rewards you have received in the past few years should not make the family look shabby, right?"
At this time, Xiao Rui became more and more guessing that there was something wrong with Li Xiaogong. Where did his money go? The luxurious clothes he wears further prove that his greed for money is to show to outsiders. In this way, many people who want to follow him will know his hobbies, making it easier to make money. But what about his money?
Looking at Xiao Rui's eyes full of curiosity, Li Xiaogong sighed: "You beat Feng Yandao to death in the street, and everyone thought you were a brainless and reckless man. Someone who may have written a beautiful masterpiece like Xia Kexing, how could he be a reckless man? ?As expected, you are a careful boy."
"It doesn't matter, you are always public-minded. For the sake of my niece Xiangcheng, it doesn't hurt to tell you."
"Come here, bring me the account books of the Hejian fiefdom over the past few years."
The old housekeeper ran over with more than a dozen account books in his arms, glanced at Xiao Rui hatefully, and put down the account books dissatisfied.
Li Xiaogong scolded: "Go and receive fifty lashes yourself."
"Ah? Old uncle, why is this happening?" Xiao Rui quickly tried to dissuade him, saying in his heart that it was not necessary. I came here to call for punishment. Isn't it right for the people in the palace to be angry with me?
Li Xiaogong didn't say anything. The old housekeeper bowed his head and agreed without asking why. He was not dissatisfied at all. It was obvious that the temperament of the people in this prince's palace followed the orders and prohibitions of the military.
Unable to take care of other people's family affairs, Xiao Rui had no choice but to lower his head and look through the account books. Ten lines at a glance, and in less than half an hour, Xiao Rui sat there dumbfounded, reading all the dozens of thick account books, his eyes full of shock.
After coming back to his senses, Xiao Rui stood up, straightened his robes, and saluted Li Xiaogong again, "I am ignorant, I apologize to my uncle."
Li Xiaogong smiled and said: "You can straighten out Hejian's three years' account books so quickly. This alone can cover half of the household department's food and wine bags. You kid, is there anything else you don't know?"
"Sigh... Everyone in the world knows that I, Li Xiaogong, am greedy for money, but I was born in the royal family. In addition to high-ranking officials and generous salaries, I am also supported by the royal family. How can I be short of money? I accidentally traveled out the year before last and met a group of begging veterans. A group of them followed me through life and death. In the end, because of Disabled veterans returning to their hometowns.”
"I never imagined that those former brothers would be reduced to begging on the streets? I always thought that they would marry, have children, and provide for their old age safely in their hometown, but who would have imagined... How unfair is fate?"
"Since then, my Hejian County Prince's Palace has been short of money. Whether it is officials or businessmen, they come to give gifts and money. I have never refused again."
"With the money, I slowly visited and contacted some fellow veterans who suffered, and resettled them properly. Gradually, the number of people increased. By this year, there were almost 3,000 people. Fortunately, they were all older or disabled. Those with disabilities are not afraid of violating taboos. But as the number of people increases, the expenses increase, such as building houses, purchasing land, raising livestock, marrying wives and having children, etc."
"I thought it would be placed in my fiefdom in the river. It would be easy to take care of. It would not be too difficult. Five taels of silver is enough for an ordinary family to survive for a year. This is nothing for a prince like me."
"I didn't expect that despite my repeated restraints, something went wrong. The housekeeper's son was responsible for occupying the land to relocate the old ministry. If you hadn't come today, I wouldn't have known that he would seize the people behind my back. Fertile farmland has led to the displacement of ordinary people, which is really disgusting!”
"It is the law of the royal family to give him fifty lashes. As for the case, how you should punish it and how you should compensate it should be in accordance with the regulations. The king admits this matter."
Looking at the broad-minded and upright Li Xiaogong in front of him, Xiao Rui couldn't help but stand in awe, "Xiao Rui admires the words and deeds of the prince!"
At this moment, the servants rushed in quickly, "Oh no, my lord, Dr. Wei from Yushitai came to our door with dozens of officials, threatening to ask for our people."
Wei black face? Who does he want from me? Li Xiaogong was puzzled.
Xiao Rui slapped his forehead and said, "I misunderstood. It must be Lao Wei and the others who were worried about something happening to me and came here to find me."
