Chapter 13 Troubles within the family
Lao Yu said, "Okay, since you have made arrangements, I will reply to His Majesty."
Li Ji took Lao Yu's hand and said, "If you can't stay at the villa, let's prepare some snacks and chat tonight."
Li Ji immediately set up a banquet to see Lao Yu off.
At dawn the next day, Lao Yu rode a tall warhorse, with the sound of horse hooves, heading southeast.
The dragon boat team successfully passed through Ningling, stayed in Suiyang for a few days, and then set off south. The journey was calm and there were no obstacles.
After the fish pond in Shenmiao Village was dug, Li Ji directed the villagers to start repairing the road.
A broad, straight road leads directly to the canal dock.
A post road leads directly to Suiyang.
In the Suiyang County government office, Li Ji arranged for Li Ai to live there, and all daily lawsuits were handled by Li Ai.
Whenever there was a murder case or a major bandit incident at the imperial court, Li Jicai would hold a trial in the trial bureau of the mountain temple.
The popularity of Shenmiao Village was growing, and owners of several nearby villages came to ask Li Ji for advice.
"Brother, you are young and promising, which makes me far behind you."
"The Great Sui Dynasty is in need of talents, and he has been promoted at such a young age. This is really an honor for Liang County."
Li Ji was also very modest. Whenever this happened, he would say:
"The position of a small county magistrate is not worth mentioning. It is my duty to share the worries of the court and solve the problems of the people."
Li Ji's fame grew.
The mountain god temple actually became a rare wonder at the end of the Sui Dynasty.
In the small village, the crops in the fields are growing well.
The hillside is shaded by fruit trees.
The ponds in front of and behind the mountains are filled with fish, shrimps, crabs and turtles.
Several small workshops and processing plants have been opened.
The deserted village turned into a land of fish and rice.
People from other places and neighboring villages come here because of its reputation.
Seeking scriptures and sightseeing;
fortune-telling and medical treatment;
Look at Feng Shui and match the marriage.
Li Ji was either busy with receptions or with fortune-telling and feng shui all day long.
There is a beggar village five miles southeast of Shenmiao Village.
The owner of the manor, Qi Kaixiu, is wealthy and is one of the most powerful families in the beggar village.
But the population is not large.
When he was middle-aged, he had no children but a daughter named Qi Yu.
When the little girl was sixteen years old, she became more and more charming, with a slender figure and graceful demeanor.
Master Qi naturally regarded her as the apple of his eye and wanted to choose a good husband for her.
On this day, Qi Yu accompanied his father to visit the mountain god temple, hoping to ask Li Ji for some advice on how to get rich.
When she saw the beautiful mountains and rivers, full rice warehouses, and abundant fish and shrimps in Shenmiao Village, she envied Li Ji.
Li Ji allowed the father and daughter of the Qi family into the temple.
He specially ordered the kitchen to prepare a table of dishes carefully.
He brought out the temple's finest wine and had lunch with the father and daughter.
Li Ji and Qi Yu are of similar age, one is in the prime of life, and the other is in her twenties.
In addition, Qi Yu is well-educated, well-mannered, and has a stunning appearance.
He couldn't help but feel a surge of love from the bottom of his heart.
However, due to the fact that he had no place to stay and was wandering around, Li Ji could only suppress the fire of hope in his heart.
Qi Kaixiu saw this and couldn't help but feel happy.
He thought to himself that Qianliyan 's fate was predestined, and it would take some time for his daughter's dream of being with Master Li to come true.
However, good things come to those who wait. My daughter is still young, and her lifelong event is not something that can be taken lightly.
After the meal, Li Ji gave some remaining wheat seeds to the owner of Qi Manor to take back.
A few jars of Mengtixiang-"Gaolianghong" liquor were also placed in the carriage of the owner of Qi Manor.
He smiled and said:
"Master Qi, have a safe trip. If you need anything in the future, just let me know."
Qi Kaixiu smiled and replied, "Every time I come here, I have to bother Master Li. When you are free, please come to Bizhuang and have a seat. As the saying goes, it is impolite if you do not reciprocate."
Li Ji bowed and said, "Okay, I will definitely go there when I have time."
As for other pilgrims, Li Ji would treat them with good wine and delicious food every time they came to the village.
Of course, the purpose of these pilgrims is to ask for help.
Li Ji pretended to be confused and didn't tell the truth, so they all thought Li Ji was a god.
Other villages are like this: "Thousands of villages are covered with lychees and people are left alone, and thousands of houses are deserted with ghosts singing."
The Temple Village is:
The bright moon startled the magpie on the branch, and the gentle breeze made the cicadas sing in the middle of the night. The fragrance of rice flowers spoke of a good harvest, and the sound of frogs was heard.
Seven or eight stars in the sky, two or three drops of rain in front of the mountain. The old thatched cottage is beside the forest, and the road turns to the creek bridge.
Shenmiao Village not only has beautiful mountains and rivers, but also good weather.
After going through several trials and tribulations, Li Ji gradually emerged.
At the age of sixteen, he is in the prime of his life.
With the abundance of food and clothing in Shenmiao Village, Li Ji became healthier and more charming.
General Linghu Da of the Left Tunwei Army had been eating and drinking in the mountain temple to recuperate from his injuries for several days.
That day, he strolled to the valley behind the mountain, where he saw a large open space of several hundred square meters.
There was a large cave on the right side of the open space. Linghu Da looked into the cave and gasped.
The cave was filled with swords, guns, sticks, and colorful flags of various sizes.
On the scattered flags, a big word "Li" was clearly sewn.
He was very puzzled. How could the farm have so many weapons and require so many farmhands to protect themselves?
During dinner in the evening, Linghu Da remained calm.
Li Ji saw that Linghu Da was unhappy and taciturn, and thought that it was because he had been away from home for many days and missed his family.
"General Ling, you and I are officials in the same court. Since you are living here, don't worry too much."
Linghu Da hesitated to speak, and kept weighing in his mind whether he should say it or not.
Li Ji was stunned and realized that Linghu Da seemed to have something to say.
"General Ling, didn't we reach a consensus the day before yesterday? Do you have any official information to report back in a timely manner?"
Linghu Da smiled and said, "Right now, bandits are rampant and people are suffering everywhere. Your Majesty is traveling south to Jiangdu. You know all this very well."
Li Ji did not hide his opinion. He said to Linghu Da:
"You and I are both appointed officials of the imperial court, and we should pay attention to the dynamics of the government. The emperor is traveling to the south of the Yangtze River, and we, as his subjects, should always pay attention to the dynamics of the world, so as to share the worries of the emperor."
He stood up and looked at the distant mountains.
“The sound of wind, rain, and reading, all are pleasant to the ear; family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs, all are of concern to me.”
Linghu Da thought that although Li Ji was a few years younger than himself, he had great ambitions in his heart and mountains and rivers in his eyes.
He asked casually, " Master , your manor should have quite a few servants, right?"
Li Ji did not think too much and answered casually:
"The management of the farmhands is in the charge of the housekeeper Li Ai. Generally speaking, they usually work on the farm, and practice martial arts with Li Ai in their spare time."
He suddenly noticed that Linghu Da's eyes were flickering, and he continued:
"Of course, they only have some superficial skills, fancy moves. They are used to guard the house and maintain order."
"Thieves are rampant right now, so Lord Li should be careful."
"In fact, there are no valuables in the temple village. There are only some agricultural supplies, farm tools and water conservancy facilities."
Linghu Da nodded and asked tentatively: "If Master Li needs it, I can also teach them in my spare time."
