In the sacred capital of Luoyang, bursts of elephant chirping broke the tranquility of the early morning.
When they heard the roar of the elephants, the people of Luoyang City seemed to be awakened. They dragged their families and rushed from their rooms to the street, and then began to run towards the Suzaku Gate in the inner city.
The Suzaku Avenue connects the outer city and the inner city, and at the end of the avenue is the Suzaku Gate, the main entrance to the palace in the inner city.
"Look, white elephant, white elephant, there really is a white elephant! This is an auspicious sign from heaven, an auspicious beast!"
An old man whose front teeth had fallen out pointed at a milky-white elephant at the front and roared in surprise.
The white elephant has been very precious since ancient times, because it is not an albino elephant. Albino elephants are pink. Therefore, the white elephant is truly a rare thing, not a disease.
"What a benevolent saint! I heard that in the past when Emperor Taizong Wen was the emperor, the southern states used to pay tribute with the auspicious beast white elephant. I didn't expect to see it again today."
The old man was still so excited that he couldn't control himself. It was so exaggerated that he seemed to have lived from the time of Emperor Taizong Wen of the Tang Dynasty to the present. However, the neighbors around him didn't mind this. They still liked to listen to the old man talking about ancient times.
Because the old man was born in the 14th year of Xiantong, Yizong of the Tang Dynasty, that is, 873 AD, he is already 82 years old this year.
This age was very common in later generations, but at this time, it was considered auspicious.
And when you know what he has gone through, you will think it is a legend.
The old man's surname is Wang. When he was seven years old, Huang Chao, the upright Qi Emperor, entered Luoyang. Wang Weng managed to escape by hiding in a well. Only an old man, Ah Weng, was left in the family. The grandfather and grandson struggled to survive in these troubled times.
Later, the old man experienced Zhu Quanzhong killing Tang Zhaozong Li Ye, the later emperor Zhuangmiao Xingjiaomen was killed, Qin Wang Li Congrong, the son of Mingmiao, rebelled, the last emperor Li Congke cried for the throne from Fengxiang, Shi Jingtang betrayed the country, and the last emperor held a ceremony on Xuanwu Tower. Self-immolation at home, etc.
When Zhang Zhi entered Luo and fought with the Khitan in Luoyang, hundreds of thousands of troops fought fiercely for several months, and the surrounding area of Luoyang was almost in ruins.
However, the old man survived all these catastrophes one by one. Now he is eighty-two, with descendants everywhere. He has also witnessed the revival of the dynasty and the prosperity of the country. It is indeed a legend.
Among the dozens of brothers and associates who were the same age as him, less than 30% survived to a normal death, and he was the only one who survived past his sixties.
The rest either died of cold and hunger, or died of military disasters. Those who could die of illness had their fortunes told.
Wang Weng clearly remembered that when they passed away, most of them were in their teens or 20s, upright men, and many of them had never married or even had a full meal before they died.
When Marquis Wu, who was maintaining order, heard the old man say that this was a white elephant sent as tribute from other countries, he immediately corrected him with a smile:
"Wang Weng, this is not a tribute from a foreign country. Did you see the leader with his hands tied behind his back, who is as black as a Kunlun slave?
He looks like a Kunlun slave, but his ancestors were Han children. It was his ancestors who killed officials and rebelled in Xianglin County, Rinan County, causing Rinan to fall for hundreds of years. Today, even his ancestors don't remember them, and they are like Kunlun. Slave appearance. "
Wu Hou's words are actually wrong. Qu Lian is a Zhan, not a Han'er. Their family has been like this since ancient times.
Moreover, after the district company rebelled in Nichinan County, it was recovered in all dynasties.
During the Liu and Song Dynasties, Zongqi, who was willing to ride the long wind and break thousands of miles of waves, led his troops to defeat the Linyi Kingdom and regained Rinan County.
In the first year of Daye, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty also sent General Liu Fang to attack Linyi State again and recover Rinan County.
The real fall was during the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty expanded its power to Hezhong, Persia and Tochara, and it really had no energy to manage the small Rinan County. Only then did the Champa Kingdom gain a foothold.
However, these things do not need to be explained one by one to the common people below. They only need to know that the imperial army conquered the capital of the Champa Kingdom, captured and killed hundreds of Champa clan members, and recovered Rinan County. This has happened for hundreds of years. His great achievements far surpass those of the Tang Dynasty.
As soon as Wu Hou finished speaking, loud and furious curses rang out. The people of Luoyang were both angry and incomprehensible. They couldn't believe that there were people who wanted to become Kunlun slaves if they didn't do what they wanted.
This is too outrageous!
But despite the scolding, the people of Shendu couldn't help but be excited that the imperial court could regain Rinan County.
Just at this moment, the figure that the Wang clan members were trying their best to find finally appeared. It was a strong man wearing a fiery red 髜鞬 uniform and carrying a horizontal sword at his waist.
The screams and cheers of Dalang, eldest brother, eldest brother, eldest brother, and uncle came one after another. The Wang family jumped and jumped, which immediately attracted the attention of the strong man. He also shouted loudly and broke away from the team and ran over. .
Only then did the Wang family notice that Wang Dalang was holding two ropes in his hands. The ropes were tied around the waists of the two Kunlun slaves. Each of the Kunlun slaves also carried a large bag on their backs.
After more than ten steps, Wang Dalang was about to kneel down and worship. Wang Weng threw his stick away and shouted:
"Discourteous! As a national warrior, you are wearing a military uniform, how can you bow down casually!"
In Zhangzhou, the 櫜鞬 uniform has evolved from a dress that simply displays bravery and loyalty to a type of military uniform, which is somewhat similar to the military uniforms of later generations.
In Zhangzhou, when the emperor was wearing military uniform according to the law, he only knelt down on one knee to salute. To kneel down and worship his ancestors, he had to take off his military uniform, so Wang Wengcai shouted a reminder.
Hearing his great-grandfather's shouts, Wang Dalang also reacted. He bowed and saluted, "Aweng, sir, I am wearing a military uniform, so I cannot bow."
Then everyone gathered around, and with a look from Wang Dalang, the two Kunlun slaves put down the cloth packages on their backs and opened them.
Oops! Someone immediately exclaimed, it turned out that this big package was filled with various treasures.
What rolled down with a clanging sound was a gold wine glass that shone with dark golden light, and the body of the glass was inlaid with emerald green gems.
What fell with a crash were two strings of pearl necklaces that looked very valuable at a glance.
The rest of the gold nuggets, silver coins, rhinoceros horns, and turtle skins were spread all over the floor. Wang Dalang took out a pair of ivory chopsticks wrapped in red silk from his arms. He held them high and handed them to Wang Weng.
"Azu, this is the ivory treasure chopsticks treasured by the Prime Minister of Champa Kingdom. It has the effect of prolonging life."
Wang Weng took the ivory treasure chopsticks handed over by his great-grandson, touched the gold inlay wrapped with the Taotie pattern on the head of the chopsticks, opened his toothless mouth and laughed:
"I'm already an old man, but I still want to live longer. Isn't it necessary to live to be a hundred years old?"
Smiling, Wang Weng's eyes showed sadness, "In the past, my Wang family in Dongcheng was more than thirty years old, but now I am the only one left with heirs. My brothers and uncles all died due to the disaster of swords and soldiers.
The fact that I have survived alone to this point is a tribute to the saint who defeated the rebels and brought peace to the world.
You have to live a few more years, otherwise you won’t live up to the saint’s kindness! "
Wang Weng's words resonated widely with the people of Luoyang. Yes, since the end of the Great Dynasty, especially after Li Cunxu of Zhuangmiao died at the Xingjiao Gate, Luoyang has suffered seven major disasters in the past twenty years, and small military disasters have been numerous. number.
However, since the sage Shaoming entered Luoyang and Dingding in the Central Plains in 945, there has not been a single incident of military personnel harming the people in the past ten years. The politics have basically been kept clean, and the civil servants, military generals, nobles and businessmen have generally behaved in a well-behaved manner.
If we say that a few years ago, the people were still worried about the gains and losses of this kind of stability, because Zhu Liang and the later dynasties did not have a stable life for a few years. Even the pseudo-Jin Dynasty did not have much trouble for a few years.
But now, the world has been at peace for ten years. Not only is Jin'ou intact, but also Ninan, which has been lost for hundreds of years, and Silla and Japan, which have never surrendered, have all surrendered.
At this moment, everyone seemed to suddenly realize that the era of chaos had passed, and the days of peace had really arrived.
Of course, when the army returns to the court, it is indispensable to dance and thank them. Speaking of it, this picture of Zhou and Li Tang in front of him really feel a bit disconnected.
Many of Zhang Zhou’s cultures, systems and habits are basically derived from Li Tang.
Of course, this is not the Li Tang after the Yan Thief Rebellion, but the Li Tang before.
The sound of drums sounded in the sky above the city, and the returning army, dressed in uniforms and uniforms, danced to the tune of their voices.
At Zhuque Gate, Emperor Zhang also came with his sons, thirteen in total, all over eight years old.
Thirteen princes surrounded Zhang Yan. Zhang Yan held the Jiegu drum and followed the sound of the drum. He danced with the princes on the Zhuque Gate to express his welcome to the heroic soldiers returning home.
Someone shouted, saying that the saint was dancing on the Zhuque Gate. In an instant, the people on both sides of the Zhuque Avenue also started dancing to the drums and chants with laughter.
For a time, dust was flying on the wide Suzaku Avenue, and cheers came and went.
The maids in colorful clothes, the scholars in green shirts, the common people in linen clothes, and the gray-headed children playing, held hands or formed a circle, dancing with all kinds of wild and uninhibited postures and movements.
Everyone was reveling in the carnival, except for the captives who had returned from being captured and knelt on the ground, not daring to move.
Well, in this time and space, no one should say that Han people can't dance and can only shout 666.
Before the wind of conservatism blew, the Han people were enthusiastic and unrestrained, and they were also good at singing and dancing. They were the most adventurous people in the world, and they dared to make their own way with a horizontal sword!
. . . .
After the return ceremony of the master, Zhang Gao directly gave the warriors meat and wine and let them go home.
At this time, no one is impatient to continue with those complicated rituals. Their most urgent mood is to take home the bravery and achievements along the way and share them with their families.
Therefore, Zhang Gao even skipped the banquet, and directly gave the wine and meat to the soldiers, allowing them to go back and enjoy the royal delicacies with their relatives.
Wang Dalang came back. He took off his bright and powerful robe and put on a homely shirt without a crotch. Along with him, there were several merchants brought by the boss.
Gold wine glasses, pearl necklaces, rhinoceros horns and other things are not needed in ordinary families! So merchants specialized in collecting these trophies came into being.
To prevent some soldiers from being deceived by merchants, merchants usually come with the elders of the neighborhood, officials from the Inspection Department of the Four Cities of Shendu, who are equivalent to the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, and a few catchers and quick hands. .
And instead of just letting one merchant collect the money, seven or eight or even a dozen families would come together and bid in front of the soldiers. After the negotiation was completed, the soldiers would have to draw a pledge and file it before the transaction was completed.
Of course, the yamen can also take this opportunity to collect taxes and fees, which can be regarded as killing two birds with one stone.
A businessman took a fancy to Wang Weng's ivory treasure chopsticks because it was really beautiful. It seemed to have been made by Han craftsmen. It had exquisite patterns and a cool touch. It could be regarded as a work of art.
Wang Dalang didn't want to sell it, but when Wang Weng insisted on selling it and watched the merchant take away the pair of ivory chopsticks for twenty pieces, Wang Weng said to the gray-bearded eldest grandson beside him:
"Tomorrow you go to the county government office and cut off my pension. From now on, I will use my good grandson Baozhen to exchange for these twenty pensions.
It’s not easy to be a saint! I have to save some food for him. There will be plenty of money to spend in the future. "
The so-called Enyangyin refers to the pension money distributed by the Zhang Zhou court to the elderly who are over the age of seventy.
It is not money directly, but one pound of brown rice and two taels of pickles per day. In addition, three pounds of white flour and polished rice, one pound of meat, one pound of wine, and three ounces of sugar and tea every month.
Residents in each town received one every three days. In the countryside, the county government sent Wuhou to supervise the village elders, who purchased rice and meat every ten days in the township.
These supplies ensured the daily needs of an old man over seventy years old. They were an extremely important part of Zhang Zhou's benevolent government and the most direct manifestation of Zhang Zhang's philosophy of governing the country with loyalty, justice, benevolence and filial piety.
It is also the most important assessment criterion for rural officials such as people-friendly officials and village elders in the Zhang Zhou court.
It looks like a lot of expenditure, but in fact it is not much at all. With the productivity and medical level at this time, only 80,000 people in the country can enjoy it, which is about the same as the cost of raising four to five thousand forbidden troops.
But the influence it brings is sky-breaking, because for such an old man, there are a lot of children and grandchildren under him, and he is very influential not only in his family, but also in the whole village.
Through the imperial court's support for the elderly, Zhang Zhou's imperial court showed great courage that was different from the previous chaotic and separatist rulers in the past hundreds of years, and played a great role in the restoration of folk customs.
The officials from the Inspection Department of the Four Cities gave a thumbs up, and the boss happily agreed with the praise, and no one objected.
Because in Zhang Zhou's case, it was an act of high moral integrity to refuse favors and provide money after getting rich.
Now, the Wang family has sold more than 300 yuan of trophies brought back by Wang Dalang. The envious neighbors are shining brightly and it is reasonable to refuse the favor.
The gold cups and pearl necklaces were all sold out. The last person who came forward was the official from the Four Cities Inspection Department. He looked at the two male Kunlun slaves kneeling on the ground behind Wang Dalang. After careful inspection, he nodded with satisfaction.
"Youjinwu Weiguo is a minion of the saint, and his vision in selecting people is indeed impressive.
After three days, please ask Da Langjun to send these two people to the Inspection Department to register. After sixty days, they should be able to buy them at a good price. "
There is a reason why the inspection officer said this, because the Kunlun slaves at this time were different from the black slaves in North America in later generations.
Black slaves in North America farmed the land, but at this time, in terms of farming skills, who could compare with the Chinese?
If you buy a Kunlun slave to farm the land, you might as well rent out the land if you are afraid that you will lose your pants.
Therefore, Kunlun slaves at this time were generally used in the inner houses of wealthy families.
Because there are generally many women in the inner house, but many things must be done by men, so some Kunlun slaves are raised to do the work.
The advantage of this is obvious, because the appearance of Kunlun slaves is different from that of Chinese people, and inner women generally look down on such guys who look like black monkeys.
Even if it looks good, there is no condom at this time. Once pregnant, the child will be dead after birth.
Because if she had an affair with a Han servant, the woman would fight to the death and deny it, and there was no blood test, so it was usually not easy to find out. If she was a Kunlun slave, the secret would be revealed immediately after the child was born.
The same goes for the male master. The female protagonist puts several female Kunlun slaves beside him. Firstly, it is difficult to match the aesthetics. Secondly, he gives birth to a black child. Just think about what happened to Yan Kunlun and Murong Yanchao. You can know that the male master , how embarrassing it must be, especially for the male host with status.
Therefore, the Kunlun Slave was actually used by wealthy families as a semi-eunuch slave, and other functions were incidental.
In addition, in the eyes of ordinary people, Kunlun slaves are basically not considered human beings and are not protected by any laws. The other burdens of using them are also much smaller.
But since they are going to enter the inner house, those who are fierce, cunning, or even too smart are not suitable.
Therefore, before entering the mainland of the Tang Dynasty, the Kunlun slaves would be initially screened by the captors.
Kunlun slaves with the above-mentioned personalities were basically thrown into mines, forest farms or used as cannon fodder.
Therefore, the officials of the Inspection Department praised the Youjinwu Guards where Wang Dalang worked for for their professional vision in selection.
At this stage, these docile, timid, and not so cunning Kunlun slaves will go to the Yamen designated by the Inspection Department for a sixty-day training, and then they can enter the market for selection by wealthy families.
Of course, the prices are also different. If the Wang family is willing to sell now, it will be around ten guans for men and six or seven guans for women.
If you are willing to go to the Yamen designated by the Inspection Department for training, and then take it home to let the Kunlun slave become familiar with the living environment of the Tang Dynasty, if you take action after sixty days, you can usually double the amount.
Of course, there are risks involved. Death from illness, accidental death, and sudden onset of viciousness are all possible.
Wang Dalang was very confident. He waved his hand and said, "Let's keep it for sixty days. If you sell it, the money will be of great use to someone."
After hearing what Wang Dalang said, the last few merchants who specialized in the Kunlun slave business left in disappointment. After making an agreement with the Wang family, the small official from the inspection department also got up and left.
That night, the Wang family kept singing and laughing, and no matter how good the food and wine they were given by the royal family actually tasted, it was a supreme honor to eat it.
Large pieces of meat and large bowls of wine were served even to children. When they were almost full, Wang Weng, a mature man, signaled his children and grandchildren to quiet down, took Wang Dalang's hand and said:
"My dear grandson wants to sell these two Kunlun slaves at a good price, but there are other important things to do, right?"
Wang Weng asked this for a reason.
This time Wang Dalang came back and sold hundreds of trophies alone, which was enough for their family to live a good life.
Even his younger brothers can each have more than a dozen guan, which is more than enough to start a family and marry a wife. There is no need to take risks to train these two Kunlun slaves, unless there is a place where a lot of money is needed.
Wang Dalang nodded and said to Wang Weng: "My grandson wants to save more money because he handed over the official seal of the country when he came back and asked his grandson personally.
He knows that our Wang family is strict. Erlang, Sanlang and Wulang are all good at spears and sticks, can ride strong horses, and are good at archery. Therefore, he wants to ask if anyone in our family is willing to go to Guangnan.
Duke Jiao Guo said that as long as anyone in our family is willing to go, our grandson can join the Tang Dynasty King Zuowei as the Marquis of Yu for five years.
Then those who go can choose one of the centurions of the guard station or the small patrol, and then be given 300 acres of good paddy fields, 800 acres of dry fields, ten slaves, and three guans of money for travel expenses. "
"Prince Tang?" Wang Weng asked in confusion. There is no Prince Tang in the court now!
Don't underestimate the Luoyang people at this time. In later generations, they will all be old Beijingers from Chaoyang District. Officials from other places are not as familiar with matters in the court.
Wang Dalang looked mysterious and lowered his voice, and the relatives around him also leaned over mysteriously and excitedly.
"The saint has decided that the third son of the emperor, Zhao Geer, will be the king of the Tang Dynasty when he comes of age and will forever rule Guangnan. The princess is the eldest daughter of Duke Jiao."
"Oh!" The Wang family members drawled their voices, looking like they were suddenly enlightened.
After hearing this, Wang Weng nodded solemnly. In the past, only the second among his sons grew up, and the second only had two sons and two daughters.
But fortunately, the second son's two sons, that is, his two grandsons, were blessed and raised a total of eleven sons.
Wang Dalang is the eldest grandson among them, and the other Erlang, Sanlang, and Wulang are all heroic young men who grew up after Zhang Zhou founded the country. Zhang Chengji has been in the capital for a long time, so he naturally knows the reputation of these younger generations.
"The Duke of Jiao, Lian Erlang and Sanlang, gave such generous rewards to those who had only served as brave men in the Long March. It seems that Guangnan is in short supply of people!" Wang Weng sighed.
Wang Dalang shook his head, "Actually, there is no shortage of people, but there is a shortage of confidants of saints and sons of the capital like us."
When Wang Weng said this, his face stretched out. He clapped his hands excitedly and shouted loudly pretending to be happy.
"My dear grandson, you go and tell Duke Jiao that our Wang family wants both the centurion and the little inspector. If Erlang and Sanlang go together, we can still have someone to take care of them."
When the Wang family heard what their ancestor said, everyone in their faces looked dignified and happy.
Fortunately, the family will soon have an official again. Ning Zhong was even more so because he had traveled thousands of miles and could not return to his hometown again. No one could say whether Erlang and Sanlang could adapt to the soil and water of Guangnan, or whether they would be in danger when they arrived.
Wang Dalang looked at his great-grandfather who was pretending to be happy and said nothing, because he knew that the saint needs people like Erlang and Sanlang to go away.
The country and the people need people like them to leave the gentle and wealthy hometown of the Central Plains and travel far and wide.
(End of chapter)
