Chapter 1328: Loyalty

From Taiyuan all the way to Daxing, it was already the end of the year.

After more than a year of development, Daxing became more and more lively. Especially when it was near the end of the year, it was even more lively than usual.

Although the ancient people were hungry, poorly clothed, and difficult to keep warm, the people living in the capital of a country were always much better than other places.

After all, it is the place of first goodness. If the officials and big families were messing around and harming the people, how could the Emperor's rule be manifested? How would the historians record it? Do they really think the Emperor has no martial virtue?

They didn't do too much, everyone just fooled around and passed. If they did too much, for the sake of face, the Emperor had to kill people. No one took those people seriously, but it was the biggest thing.

So in Daxing City, it was a scene of prosperity. If you only look at Daxing, it could really be considered the rule of Kaihuang.

Following Yang Guang's procession into the city, Wang Yan's family did not return to the mansion Yang Guang gave him last year, but followed Yang Guang into the Inner City and found the Jiangning Marquis Mansion.

Being enfeoffed as a marquis of course has benefits, and this Marquis Mansion was given by the imperial court. From now on, no matter how the family declines, this large mansion is the old Wang family's, unless the Emperor bestows a larger mansion.

Because he, Wang Mou, is a military meritorious noble who shares the country with the country.

It's just that his identity is relatively awkward, not from a noble family, nor an founding meritorious noble who followed Yang Jian early...

"It's still very imposing." Xiao Mei stood at the main gate, looking at the plaque at the door and the lions at the door.

"How can it not be, it's a Marquis Mansion." Wang Yan looked at it with a silly smile, then waved his hand, "Go in and see."

A whole family entered the Marquis Mansion, and Wang Yan and Xiao Mei strolled together.

This is a mansion with more than two courtyards, with pavilions, corridors, and waterside pavilions inside. It's just that the water was frozen in winter, and there was no much feeling. However, the heavy snow that had just fallen was only cleared on the walking paths, and the large expanse of white looked not desolate.

The configuration was also quite complete, servants' houses, kitchens, master's houses, kitchens, dining halls, large halls for entertaining guests, study rooms, other stables, storage rooms, two wells, and a martial arts field.

Overall, it was quite good.

The house had been cleaned up in advance, so everyone moved in directly, and the servants and retainers were busy putting various things in place...

Watching people busy, Xiao Mei said to Wang Yan who was holding the child and playing: "Have to enter the palace in these few days, right?"

"Wait for the Emperor to summon, I estimate it will be in these few days."

"After seeing him, can the princess's matter be settled?"

"Not clear." Wang Yan shook his head, "Still have to see if the Emperor and Empress fancy me."

"Husband is a good man of the world, how can they not fancy you?"

Xiao Mei had great confidence in Wang Yan. She turned to say, "Husband, should we also associate with other meritorious families? How can we be a national marquis? Now that we have returned to Daxing, it is too cold."

Wang Yan understood Xiao Mei's meaning, which was to contact and win over his own people, form a political alliance, constantly contact, constantly distinguish, and find usable people.

It was just that the family was busy settling things, so Xiao Mei didn't say it directly. Instead, she very appropriately expressed the anxiety of a shallow foundation. These things could all reach Yang Guang's ears, and it was not impossible to reach Yang Jian's ears.

Because while bestowing the Marquis Mansion, Yang Jian also bestowed a large pile of silk, gold, and silver treasures, as well as a dozen palace maids from the palace, and rough-working old women, etc. Needless to think, there must be surveillance.

Wang Yan said: "No need, everyone is not on the same path. What is the use of taking the initiative to lean up? We rely on the Prince of Jin, rely on the royal family, no need to take the initiative to lean up and stick to other people's cold buttocks. If someone takes the initiative to find us, then we treat them with courtesy; if not, it doesn't matter, it's nothing. We just live our own lives down-to-earth, and the royal family will definitely not treat us badly."

A few words were simple, direct, and heartless, expressing two words: Loyalty!!!

Yang Guang likes to listen, and Yang Jian also likes to listen.

Xiao Mei nodded and smiled: "Husband, you say, will anyone send us things near the end of the year?"

"Don't know." Wang Yan looked indifferent.

Although he was loyal here, he never cared about the attitude of those in power; he had the confidence to change his route at any time.

Today, if he offended Yang Jian and Yang Guang and was not tolerated by the Sui Dynasty, he would directly kill his way out of the city, find a village at random, slaughter a big family at random, and then give a speech to the people, incite them, and pull up a team of eighty or ninety people that day, and then kill officials, rob grain warehouses, and armories, and snowball like this.

He can refine steel, can build weapons, train soldiers, use soldiers, and has the ability to know people. His rebellion is not comparable to other rebels. It can be said that the moment he raised the flag, the rebellion was already successful.

It was just that he didn't want to do that; that would cause too much harm to the people. No one loves the Great Sui more than him, no one is more loyal to the Yang Sui dynasty than him, he is a true loyal minister of the board.

It's a pity, no one can understand.

Even Xiao Mei, who had to chat with him about the progress of ascending the throne every day in the bed, didn't understand his painstaking efforts.

Heroes are so lonely.

Just at this time, a retainer ran in from outside to report: "Marquis, there is a person outside the door named Li, courtesy name Yaoshi, who claims to be the Marquis's brother."

Wang Yan stood up with a silly smile: "Although we haven't sworn brotherhood, he is also my righteous brother. Go and welcome him."

After saying that, he walked out quickly and took the initiative to welcome Li Jing.

"Yaoshi, have you been well?"

"Well, Brother has killed a great merit and is in high spirits."

"Just a lowly soldier, a lucky person. Just now, my Madam and I were talking about whether to associate with the powerful in the city, the door is cold and there is no national marquis style. I didn't expect Yaoshi to come to welcome me, and also brought wine and food? Hahaha, please, please."

Wang Yan enthusiastically held Li Jing's arm and invited him into the mansion, first went to see Xiao Mei, then looked at the child, and then the two sat down to eat and drink.

"Brother is now stable, enfeoffed as a marquis after one battle, and has heirs, which is gratifying. I toast Brother a cup."

"It should be me toasting you, Yaoshi." Wang Yan smiled, "Knowing that my door is cold, you specially came to welcome me. You really have a heart."

"I was afraid Brother wouldn't recognize me."

"What kind of fart words are you saying, punish yourself with a cup."

Li Jing smiled and drank a cup of wine, sweet as nectar.

Wang Yan also accompanied him with a cup, then tore off the chicken leg of the roast chicken Li Jing brought, and ate it with his hands: "It's near the end of the year, Yaoshi, are you not going home?"

"Brother, I haven't told you yet, now I am a Gongcao in Chang'an County."

Gongcao is a subordinate official of the County Magistrate, in charge of examining and recording performance. Because of the special status of Chang'an County, the official rank is high, and Gongcao is from the ninth rank, which is also an official.

This is the gold content of a son of a noble family. It is easy to be a small official.

In fact, Li Jing's official career cannot be said to be too bad. He smoothly became the County Magistrate of Mayi.

The Sui Dynasty had 190 counties, and the first-in-command was the County Magistrate, and the second-in-command was the County Magistrate. This position is already not low, worthy of his ancestors of this branch. His grandfather was an Inspector, and his father was a County Magistrate. Not to mention winning over his grandfather and father, he didn't lose much.

Of course, it was mainly because Li Jing didn't have a chance to show it. A generation of military gods is not a joke. He also has a hand in administration, led the reform of the Tang Dynasty's military system, can plan, and can fight.

By the time he grew up, the Great Sui had already begun to sway. Li Jing at twenty, and Li Jing at thirty or forty, are not the same thing.

But Li Jing at twenty had already fully demonstrated his excellence.

Wang Yan said: "I know Yaoshi's ability, Gongcao is really wronged. I will talk to the Prince of Jin in a few days and let him arrange a position for you."

"No, no. Brother, I am still fine now, I have things to do, I haven't thought about being a high official." Li Jing waved his hand repeatedly, looked left and right, and then said, "Brother should know that the Prince of Jin has the heart to compete for the storage, this matter is not convenient for us to participate."

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile: "Yaoshi doesn't think highly of His Highness?"

"It's not that I don't think highly of him, but that I don't understand. This kind of thing is not something I can participate in." Li Jing said very sincerely, "Brother, let's not talk about these things, talk about how you killed the enemy on the grassland."

"Good." Wang Yan followed the trend, "Speaking of the grassland, it's like yesterday. After arriving in Taiyuan, His Highness gave me a hundred elite soldiers..."

Wang Yan told Li Jing about the experience on the grassland with a smile. He knew how to tell stories, and he was vivid and colorful, making Li Jing's blood boil. Especially there were a few key battles, Li Jing and Wang Yan reviewed them, and later simply started to push the soldiers.

Li Jing led the Turkic army to encircle and suppress Wang Yan, obstructing the Youbi tribe from retreating to Yanmen. The two talked from day to night.

It has to be said that Li Jing's talent in military affairs is indeed very good. The two of them pushed the soldiers to fight from God's perspective, which still caused Wang Yan a lot of trouble. But it was just trouble, and Li Jing didn't block it longer than the actual Turks, causing greater damage.

Li Jing drank a cup of wine and let out a long breath: "Brother, my defeat is not the fault of the battle, it is really that Brother is too fierce as a general, difficult to restrain. If it were an ordinary general, you and I would have died more than a dozen times during the push."

Wang Yan laughed: "My Jiangning Marquis was killed like this. Being able to survive is also a blessing from heaven. I didn't intend to do such a great thing. This trip was just to destroy the Turkic vitality, but when I arrived on the grassland, there were many ideas in my mind, developing little by little, and later it almost got out of control."

"Now it's good, Brother has killed everything on the grassland, and you don't have to take such a big risk in the future."

"A mud-legged person from a lowly soldier background, if you want to climb up, how can you cherish your life? Yaoshi, I live for a breath, if you encounter things, you have to fight, otherwise this breath will dissipate, and then I should die. Now it's just a Jiangning County Marquis, a General of the Cavalry, how is this enough? It is to be ambitious and strive for the upper reaches, only then can you stand firm and achieve something."

Wang Yan waved his hand, "Alright, Yaoshi, it's already very late, go and rest."

As soon as he said it was very late, Li Jing couldn't help but yawn. After sighing with Wang Yan that time passed so fast, he went to the guest room to rest with the little servant who was serving.

Wang Yan is very particular, he didn't put the maids in the family on Li Jing's bed to play, his family didn't have this rule...

The next day, Wang Yan got up early as usual to exercise, practiced boxing with Li Jing, beat the unconvinced Li Jing until he was fat, ate breakfast together happily, and then Li Jing limped away from the Jiangning Marquis Mansion and went back to work and heal his injuries.

Wang Yan had nothing to do, so he simply took a few retainers and rode his horse to the farmstead outside the city, one to walk the horse, and two to see how the farmstead had developed after more than a year.

Although letters were sent every few months to report the situation to Xiao Mei, seeing is believing.

The horse stepped lightly, trotting along. Wang Yan rose and fell with the horse's running, and walked into the farmstead.

He only collected one-tenth of the rent. In the past two years, they were all bumper years, and the tenants raised a lot of chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs, all of which were bought by Wang Yan, the master.

Especially at the beginning of this year, when the news of Wang Yan's enfeoffment as a marquis came back, the tenants took the initiative to sign the deed of sale and became slaves of the Wang family, so they didn't have to pay various taxes to the country.

The price was to pay one more percent of grain. Although the powerful and big families all hid fields and people, they still had to pay a little, and Wang Yan just paid it as a meaning.

So the tenants had more spare money, lived better, and Wang Yan also spent money to level the roads in the village, and repaired the water conservancy projects in the village. Everyone repaired their own houses, and the whole village looked much better.

The tenants were even more ruddy. Before Wang Yan was enfeoffed as a marquis, they could eat a few more full meals. After Wang Yan was enfeoffed as a marquis, they sold themselves, and they could eat more full meals all year round, and even eat meat a few times, and the family raised chickens, ducks, and geese, and could eat some eggs to supplement some protein.

After a year like this, everyone naturally adjusted well.

Seeing Wang Yan arrive, riding a horse and turning around, the village became lively, everyone came out, and many people wanted to kneel and kowtow to Wang Yan. Wang Yan of course didn't accept it, asked about everyone's living conditions, what difficulties they had, and looked at the learning results of the children in the village. He fooled the scholars from poor families and let them teach for a few more years.

Overall, the teaching was still good. Wang Yan didn't expect the children to become great talents, just let them be able to write and calculate. This requirement was not high. Ambitious children, after reading and writing, naturally ran upwards, and these he could see, so they could naturally get ahead.

In this farmstead, it could be considered that the hearts of the people could be used.

There were more than a hundred people in the village, more than twenty adult men under thirty, and children who were shouting. Wang Yan planned to transfer the disabled soldiers who fought with him on the grassland, and conduct some military training for these people during the slack season, all of which could be trusted.

People only thought that he didn't forget his roots because of his lowly background. Although they might still scold him as a mud-legged person, they would definitely look at him highly at the same time and express affirmation of him. If you can achieve faith and not forget your roots, people will respect you.

But they could not have imagined that Wang Mou had always had a clear goal, which was to rebel.

Thus, after Wang Yan had inspected the farm, he returned to the city and received notice to attend the court tomorrow...