At the beginning of September, all the paperwork from the Ministry of Personnel was completed, and Xue Bai set off for Yanshi to take up his post.
Li Longji did not retain his part-time job as Tai Lecheng, probably because he was not satisfied with his musical level. However, his imperial title was still Chengwulang. He was promoted to Ji County Lieutenant with the eighth-grade official rank from the eighth grade, which was considered to be of a very high standard.
When others see that he is such a young champion, they know that he is likely to have a bright future with a big tree at his back.
The autumn rain is lingering, not a good time to rush.
After leaving Chang'an City, we went to Weinan on the first day, Huazhou on the next day, and Huayin County on the third day. Xue Yunniang occasionally caught wind and cold, so they had to stop and rest, and they set off for Tongguan on the fifth day.
Xue Bai originally thought he would be interested in climbing Mount Huashan again, but now that the long-distance trek was far more difficult than he imagined, and there were women in the team, he finally gave up.
In Huayin, you can see Mount Huashan from a distance. Maybe it’s too far away, so it’s not dangerous. However, I feel that the mountains in the distance are as beautiful as black daisy. But if you climb up, it must be extremely dangerous. I really don’t know how Li Longji wants to dig the Huashan Road and bring all the officials up to enshrine it.
"Let's go."
Continuing to the east, there are more and more mountains ahead, and the road becomes more and more difficult to navigate. Fortunately, there are business travelers coming and going along the way. It is still a lot of peace of mind to follow the merchants' team.
From early morning to afternoon, Tongguan is approaching.
Xue Bai's mood also changed. He stood on the horse and looked eastward with some nostalgia in his eyes.
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“Has the young master ever been to Tongguan?
The speaker's name was Yin Liang, and his surname was Bie Ming. He was a native of Chenjun County, Henan Province, and he was thirty-eight years old at the time.
Yin Liang is a clan member of Yan Zhenqing's mother, Mrs. Yin. She was a guest in the palace when Yan Zhenqing was the captain of Liquan County. After that, he lived in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain to study for the imperial examination, but failed to pass the examination for two years.
"I often hear people talk about Tongguan." Xue Bai responded: "So it seems that I understand it, but I don't understand it."
"Tongguan is bordered by the Yellow River to the north and the Qinling Mountains to the south. The surrounding peaks are connected, the valley is deep and the cliffs are cut off, and there is a narrow trail in the middle, which can only accommodate one car and one horse...
Yin Liang was conscientious and received Xue Bai's salary. He took the trouble to start with common sense.
Xue Bai recalled his previous life. Before he went to Guanzhong to study, he always thought that Xi'an and Luoyang were very close... In fact, it is not close or far. The problem is that the Qinling Mountains, the Yaoshan Mountains and the Yellow River form a natural barrier, blocking the two places like a corridor and Tongguan as a gate. To the east is the Central Plains and to the west is Guanzhong.
Further forward, the carriage was no longer easy to move, and the ladies also got off the car and walked. Lu Fengniang couldn't help but asked: "Why didn't you see the Yellow River?
"You can see it after passing Tongguan." Yin Liang responded, "The Yellow River is just north of the mountains and forests."
Finally, Tongguan is in front of us.
Guancheng is a hillside with low trees and loess. The towers on Guancheng are also gray and not as tall as imagined. But looking around, there was no other way.
There was a long queue of business travelers and pedestrians blocking the gate. Xue Bai stood there watching the business travelers pass the border and noticed something strange.
"Mr. Yin, does he know why some caravans collect tariffs and some don't?"
Although the Tang Dynasty did not collect commercial taxes, there were customs taxes. Du Youlin didn't understand this either, and looked at Yin Liang, who was listening carefully.
Yin Liang lowered his voice and said, "Of course it's 'registration'."
"What is 'registration'?
"Military transit has the right to be tax-free, so some merchants used their brains to change their names and register and join the army." Yin Liang said: "Since the imperial court recruited troops, there have been generals in the army who have been paid empty wages. If they have empty quotas, they allow these merchants to Registration."
Du Youlin was stunned when he heard this and asked: "Then they can't fight?
"Except for the Helong and Anxi armies, why are we going to fight? It is impossible for merchants to go to the battlefield. They will probably give another "lesson money" to the generals and find someone to join the army on their behalf. "
"Is there any alternative to joining the army?
"It's nothing more than an occasional click. In this way, merchants are exempted from customs duties, military generals receive bribes, and farmers around them occasionally earn some money as errands. It has gradually become a routine to deceive everyone."
Xue Bai shook his head and said: "It seems that all parties are benefiting, but it is the interests of the country that are harmed. The military and political affairs are corrupt, and when border troubles arise, bandits and bandits cause chaos, and it is out of control.
"Oh, what can I do?
These things were not seen in Chang'an, and no one in the court ever mentioned them. Xue Bai, a county lieutenant, naturally had no control over military affairs. He could only step forward and hand over the documents and listen to several calls of "Zhuangyuanlang". Entered Tongguan.
The city site has changed slightly, but not much.
In the second year of Tianshou of the Wu Zhou Dynasty, Tongguan City moved to the Yellow River. After that, as the water level of the Yellow River dropped, it gradually moved north.
Xue Bai is familiar with this place because it was the place where he once worked.
They were not a garrison and could not stay in Guancheng for a long time, so they quickly left Tongguan City.
While the team was resting, Xue Bai wanted to take a look and climbed up a low hill alone in the north.
In the team, Lao Liang saw him and felt worried, so he quickly motioned for Jiang Hai to follow.
Xue Bai was not as good at climbing as they thought. He climbed faster and faster, and finally climbed a small tree to the top of the hill. After passing through the small woods blocking his eyes, the scenery immediately opened up.
The Yellow River is at the foot of the mountain. It doesn't look turbulent because it is too wide.
There is no longer any obstruction to the sight, and one can see extremely far. To the west, you can see the big bend of the Yellow River, which is like a sea, and you can see the Wei River flowing into it; to the north, you can see Shanxi.
Other than that, the sky is high, the clouds are wide, and the river flows eastward.
That night, everyone stayed in a post house by the Yellow River. Before they checked in, it started raining again and there was a strong wind.
Finally, I no longer had solid food for dinner, but meat buns.
The taste of today's Roujiamo is very different from that of later generations. Because there were many disaster years in Guanzhong, people mixed the remaining flour with pork and baked it to avoid waste, and the taste was far less rich than that of later generations.
In the wind and rain, a few old fishermen came to sell freshly caught Yellow River carp.
They had their feet tied and their arms bare. Most of them were not very good at talking and could only gesture with their fish baskets.
"Is this the weather for old man to go fishing? Are you going to die?!"
Xue Bai knew that this section of the Yellow River looked slow but was actually quite dangerous. Naihe said a few words, but they didn't understand and didn't care about the reminder at all.
Du Youlin was kind-hearted and quickly bought all the fish. He also paid the inn clerk to help grill the fish. The fishermen happily rushed into the wind and rain with their money in hand.
There were not many rooms in the post house, so they rented a small private courtyard with only two side rooms as common bunks, one for men and one for women. The followers slept on the floor in the hall of the single courtyard.
At night, the wind beside the Yellow River kept whistling.
The bedding was extremely damp, and Du Youlin's snoring was like thunder.
It was rare for Xue Baijing to be unable to sleep, thinking about some past events...
He is not from Guanzhong, but he studied in Guanzhong. After graduation, he worked in Tongguan County and worked in the ancient city of Tongguan for a long time. The town is not wealthy, but there are many cases and they are countless.
During those years, he often walked through the mountain paths of Jingou, mediating some incredible cases, big and small, including fruit trees that grew crookedly into other people's fields, stolen jewelry, and runaway daughters-in-law.
This place is really difficult for him. It is located at the junction of three provinces. People come and go on the national highway, and people often fall into the surging river. At that time, Tongguan was no longer an important city in the world like it was during the Tang Dynasty, and had become a forgotten place.
But those villagers are indeed strong, simple and proud. Passers-by on the national highway smashed their windows, but they still got up early and baked the most fragrant meat buns and sold them at the lowest price. They did not envy the prosperous cities in the distance, like There is a sense of responsibility that has been guarded here for generations.
"Have you seen this bunker? The Japanese invaders still want to sneak across the Yellow River, and they can't even imagine setting foot in Shaanxi!"
Recalling these people and things, Xue Bai suddenly felt very difficult when he thought that he would also be a county captain and a parent official.
A few days ago, he lived like a powerful person in the Tang Dynasty. He even secretly determined to have Li Tang's empire. But when he returned to his hometown, he still didn't forget that he was a farmer whose ancestors had been digging in the fields.
In a daze, it was getting brighter and the snoring was still ringing.
Xue Bai then put on his clothes and got up and left the wing.
It's still raining outside, and it's getting heavier. I'm afraid we won't be able to set off today.
Xue Bai originally expected the Du sisters to come out and talk to each other, but they were tired from the trek and obviously they would not come out.
He simply left the small courtyard and walked to the lobby of the post house.
Outside the door of the post house, an old man was holding an umbrella and looking into the distance. He sighed and recited a poem: "After the rain, the mountains and rivers are shining brightly, and the flowers and willows in the clouds are endless."
Xue Bai raised his eyes and saw that the rain was still falling. He wondered what the old man meant by writing the poem.
At this moment, the other party turned around and said with a smile: "I heard that there is a champion staying in the post house. You are Xue." "Yes." Xue Bai looked around and saw that although the old man was not wearing an official robe, he was wearing a jade belt around his waist. He was obviously a high-ranking official. He held the ceremony and asked, "I wonder who you are?" "
"The governor of Wei County and the envoy for interview and handling in Hebei Province, Miao Jinqing."
“It turned out to be Mr. Miao in person.
Xue Bai had heard of this reputation. After all, when Miao Jinqing was taking the Chunwei exam, he selected a number one scholar and turned in a blank paper during the re-examination. He was called "the white number one scholar". This was one of the laughing stock of Chang'an City in recent years.
He was said to be the butt of a joke, but Miao Jinqing was gentle and gentle in person.
"Heavy rain blocks the road. You and I are destined to meet each other. How about we chat?
"It's a pleasure to meet Mr. Miao. I couldn't ask for more.
Being lucky enough to meet him depends on his status. Otherwise, there would be so many people in the post house that Miao Jinqing would not be related to others.
The two of them turned back to the lobby and sat down. Miao Jinqing was born in a Confucian family and had extraordinary talents. He first taught Xue Bai some experience in official career.
When compared, Xue Bai's official career has actually gone very smoothly. For example, after Miao Jinqing became an official, he served as a county captain for two terms, joined the army for one term, and then became a Wannian county captain.
However, as soon as they reached Wannian County Lieutenant, the Censor, Yuanwailang, Langzhong, and Shilang were promoted very quickly. If there was such a big mistake in presiding over the spring palace, the foreign minister would still be the governor of one side.
"Xue Lang came to Luoyang to investigate about disaster relief?"
"Yes, I wonder what Mr. Miao has to say?
Miao Jinqing obviously didn't hear about Xue Bai's deeds for the first time. He stroked his long beard, hesitated for a moment, and said slowly: "Although this is my first acquaintance with Xue Lang, we feel like old friends at first sight, so it doesn't hurt to remind him."
Xue Bai stood up quickly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Miao."
"To be honest, I have also heard about the Lishan case. One of the points is that given the difficulty of traveling on Tongguan Road, how did Zhao Yingling bring nearly a thousand victims to Lishan?
"how?
Miao Jinqing raised his hand, pointed eastward, and said: "Dou Tingzhi, the governor of Shaanxi County and the defense envoy of Shaanxi and Guozhou, must know."
Xue Bai couldn't help but said: "I am just a county captain, how can I ask the prefect of Shaanxi County?
"That's not something I can control." Miao Jinqing stroked his beard and smiled and said no more.
When Du You got up, he heard that Miao Jinqing was at the post house, so he went to visit him, but to his surprise, Miao Jinqing didn't see him at all.
This made Du Youlin very puzzled. He thought that he had only heard of flattering the superiors and flattering the inferiors, but it was rare for someone to greet the ninth-grade county captain with a smile and turn away the fourth-grade high-ranking officials.
"Uncle, there is no need to be angry." Xue Bai said, "This is a simple matter. He must have regarded me as an imperial envoy."
"What is an imperial envoy?"
"An official appointed by a saint to deal with important matters in a local area."
"You?" Du Youlin was surprised and whispered: "Tell me the truth, did you really follow the imperial decree and secretly investigate the assassination case?"
Xue Bai smiled and said nothing, lowering his head in thought.
Dou Tingzhi, the governor of Shaanxi County and the defense envoy of Shaanxi and Guozhou, was in charge of the section from the Central Plains to Guanzhong, so he was naturally an important position;
In addition, money and food were constantly being transferred along this section of the road, and there were a lot of losses, so it was naturally a bad job; even if there was a rebellion in the Central Plains, this job would also be related to the defense of Guanzhong.
Miao Jinqing wanted to use him or Yang Dang behind him to deal with Dou Tingzhi. Even if it was just a casual move, it meant that someone had already heard the news and took action. He wanted to take advantage of a case to "take advantage of" a political opponent and seek official position.
"The important thing is that some people think that I have obeyed the imperial decree." Xue Bai said: "Perhaps, there are many pairs of eyes staring at us at this time.
Are you watching a Yanshi county captain take office?
"Uncle should not underestimate the county captain."
After all, many county captains can become ministers and prime ministers, but I have never seen a Zanshan official become prime minister.
Du Youlin didn't look down on Xue Bai, but he didn't realize how serious the matter was. At this time, he couldn't help but become nervous and asked: "What should we do?"
Xue Bai said: "Even Miao Jinqing has heard of me. I am a target of public criticism. I don't need to reveal my identity and pass through Shaanzhou. It is easy to fall into the trap of others."
Du Youlin knew what a trap meant. It was not impossible to kill someone by pretending to be a thief. The more common method was to take the stolen goods or use traps such as beauty to get them to join in the crime.
But this terrain cannot be bypassed. "
"Just go there under a false identity.
"It's just a short while, how can I take a leave..." Du Youlin was halfway through talking when he suddenly thought of something and couldn't help but stop talking and whispered: "You mean, register in the army?"
"Is it easy to handle?
Both of them were a little worried that this matter might not be easy to handle, so they just asked Yin Liang for help to find out more.
Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, Yin Liang handed over two documents.
"Bought it from a merchant.
"So easy?
"They have a lot of these documents in their hands. It should be noted that in addition to registered registration and empty quotas, there is another disadvantage in the army, which is 'promotion'. Although the generals receive a lot of money, they still have to bribe the powerful officials and envoys in the court. In short, everything is easy to do if you have money...
In the evening, the fishermen came to sell fish again, and Du Youlin still paid for all their fish.
"There is no rain in spring and summer, and this autumn is also strange, with non-stop wind and rain." Du Youlin looked at the backs of these fishermen and couldn't help but sigh.
The next day, the wind and rain stopped, and everyone set off again.
Walking along the Yellow River, we heard cries from a small fishing village ahead.
They stopped marching and saw villagers crying and offering sacrifices by the Yellow River. Taoist priests were setting up altars and performing rituals, waving peach wood swords towards the Yellow River.
Several women and children lay on the ground crying until they died.
Xue Bai and others then went over to ask, but the women didn't answer, they just cried loudly.
In the end, the Taoist priest rang the bell and sighed a little flatly, saying: "It's not surprising. Yesterday's fishing trip caused the Yellow River to swallow three...
Du Youlin's mind buzzed and he opened his mouth, thinking that he might have killed them by buying fish the day before yesterday.
This is just a few dozen steps out of the barrier.
Just flow silently. Only the bones at the bottom of the river know what kind of stormy waves it contains and how dangerous it is to rob people.
Everyone looked up and saw that the Yellow River in front of them was extremely wide. It was always so calm, no matter day or night, it was just like the Tang Dynasty.
The crying behind him gradually faded away, Xue Bai left Tongguan and went to Yanshi.
Walking between the waves of the Yellow River and the mountains of the Qinling Mountains, he kept thinking of a poem but could not pronounce it.
