"Your Majesty, the dog is still very young. Are the words you said today a bit harsh?"

Duke Mu glanced at Li Xun who was walking out of the palace, and whispered to Zhao Zhi.

Zhao Zhi shook his head and said softly: "You are still young. After this year, he will be twenty-one. At his age, I have experienced many more things than him. What I said today is

Let him understand that he should not be arrogant because he has been on the battlefield a few times and made some achievements. I just want to put a tight spell on him. When he has scruples in his heart, I can safely put him to the west to avoid being exposed in the future.

Outside, I think no one can take care of him and do things without scruples. If he causes any big trouble, I may not even be able to protect him."

"Your Majesty is still thinking far ahead, but this old slave is far behind."

Mu Gong nodded, chuckled and slapped him on the back.

Zhao Zhi smiled, his character was a bit gloomy. Zhao Zhi knew it himself. After being the emperor for more than 20 years, few people dared to say flattering words in front of him. However, Duke Mu

Occasionally, he dared to say a few words. Maybe it was because Mu Gong had been with him for so many years, and there were some emotional factors involved. Zhao Zhi was quite happy with his flattery. People's hearts are sometimes so strange.

.............

On the first day of the new year, as usual, Li Mancang and Li Xun, their father and son, took Xiaolian, Jiang Daxiong, Dahei Erhei and other five or six servants to the rural farm, accompanied by Zhu Zhengguo and Yan Yi

Two people and their families.

Li Mancang actually didn't like life in the capital. He had to be cautious in everything he did, for fear of causing trouble.

In May of the third year of Taiping, Li Mancang went shopping and had a quarrel with a street vendor. In anger, he pushed and shoved the person a little, but did not start a fight. However, even so, the matter immediately spread to many people.

Immediately, several censors jointly filed a memorial, impeaching Li Mancang for oppressing good people and being domineering. Li Mancang didn't even have a chance to defend himself, but was severely banned by Zhao Zhi for one month and fined for half a year. Although afterwards, Zhao Zhi never

Li Mancang learned the truth of the matter from his mouth and gave him some rewards, which were considered to be offset, but Li Mancang still felt aggrieved and aggrieved. From then on, he began to live in Fengjing for the first half of every month, and then

For half a month, I went to live in a farm in the suburbs, and lived a leisurely and contented life.

The arrival of Li Mancang and others was naturally warmly welcomed by thousands of people in the entire farm. From the sincere and enthusiastic faces of these people, it can be seen that their respect for Li Mancang and his son is sincere.

In the past hundred years of the Jin Dynasty, there have been constant wars and natural disasters. The imperial court's financial situation was not good, and its taxes were naturally very heavy. Generally, they were eight taxes and one tax, or even five taxes and one tax. However, the taxes Li Mancang set for the farm were

It has been decreasing year by year, and now it is already thirty to one tax. In disaster years, the tax is completely exempted. For the people of these farms, being able to meet a proprietor like Li Mancang is really a blessing accumulated in eight lifetimes.

, compared with the outside world, they actually live a very good life. At least they no longer worry about not having enough to eat. During festivals, they can even have surplus money to buy some wine and meat. For them, this kind of life is no different than

Heaven.

"Uncle Li has auspicious New Year."

"Happy New Year, Mr. Hou."

"Blessings to the proprietor for the New Year."

Everyone shouted enthusiastically and called him anything. It was obvious that everyone knew that their proprietor had a good personality and did not need to be so serious and polite.

"Hello everyone, happy new year everyone."

Li Mancang kept cupping his hands with a bright smile on his face. He was once at the bottom of society. When he saw these people, he would not feel any contempt or alienation, but would feel close and familiar with them.

Dahei drove a carriage, which was piled with copper coins. Li Xun, Jiang Daxiong and others kept taking out copper coins and giving everyone dozens of pennies. The money was not much, just that.

mean.

Li Xun came to the back of the team, and a group of people stood there. The leader was Yu Guang. Over the years, he has been in charge of this farm, and he has managed it very well. The people in the farm also know the relationship between Yu Guang and Li Xun.

, of course I respect him quite a bit and obey his management.

"Mr. Li, happy New Year!"

A man in his forties or fifties, with a large group of people, crowded forward, rubbed his hands, bowed his waist, and said with a charming smile on his face.

Li Xun looked at them. This group of people was Xiaolian's relatives, and the oldest man at the head was Xiaolian's uncle.

Li Xun nodded, chuckled and said hello: "Is Uncle Sha still in good health?"

Xiaolian's maiden name is Sha, and his uncle's name is Sha Yubao.

Sha Yubao chuckled and said, "Okay, that's great. Thanks to Mr. Li, I have food and drink here, so I don't have to worry about anything."

At this time, Li Mancang walked by, and Sha Yubao quickly said hello to him. Li Mancang glanced at him, nodded, hummed, and walked away.

Li Mancang didn't like Sha Yubao and his family very much, or he didn't want to have any close relationship with them. Li Mancang's original intention was to give them some money and let them leave on their own. If it wasn't for Xiaolian's sake,

In terms of face and Li Xun's pleading, it was impossible to keep them here without charging them any taxes. That was hundreds of acres of land. Li Mancang once tactfully told Xiaolian that no matter whether she would follow him or not in the future,

With Li Xun, these hundreds of acres of land will be given to her uncle's family in a few years.

Looking at Sha Yubao's embarrassed expression, Li Xun shook his head. Unexpectedly, the old man was quite vindictive. In the early years, Sha Yubao had verbally insulted Li Mancang. After all these years, Li Mancang still held a grudge.

Li Xun touched his arms, but he didn't have any silver notes with him, so he had to say to Yu Guang: "I brought twenty taels of silver to Uncle Sha from the accounting room in Zhuangzi. This is my filial piety to his old man."

Yu Guang nodded: "I know, I will make arrangements afterwards."

Sha Yubao's family was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly to express their thanks. Xiaolian stepped forward and pulled his uncle's family away.

Beside Yu Guang, his wife was holding a several-month-old child, a daughter.

Li Xun walked over, took the child over, kissed her a few times, then smiled at Yu Guang and said: "How about letting her be my goddaughter?"

Yu Guang chuckled and said: "Then my daughter is very lucky!"

Li Xun took out a jade pendant from his arms and put it on the child.

He glanced at the jade pendant out of the corner of his eye and saw that it was of great value. He smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Gou'er, your greeting gift is a bit heavy."

Li Xun smiled and said nothing.

On New Year's Day, Li Xun's family stayed at the farm for a whole day.

Early the next morning, Li Xun and others rushed back to Fengjing and had a New Year's dinner with the servants in the mansion. In the afternoon, when they were about to rest and take a nap, an unexpected visitor came from Prince Qi's mansion. Zhao Xun invited Li Xun to come over.
Chapter completed!