Chapter 620: Old Clothes Are Not as Good as New Ones

Before long, a patrol reported that Ji Guangchen, the governor of Yangzhou, Han Jinping, the chief secretary, and Pei Jin, the magistrate of Jiangdu County, were seeking an audience outside the camp. Li Qingan was overjoyed and went out personally to greet them. On one hand, it was to praise the officials of Yangzhou for maintaining its commercial prosperity; on the other hand, Han Jinping was an old friend of his. Having not seen each other for years, out of personal friendship, he also wanted to show Han Jinping respect.

Li Qingan went out of the camp and saw the three officials approaching from afar. The one on the left was Han Jinping, his subordinate from his days in the garrison. Although eight years had passed, Han Jinping’s appearance had not changed much—he was still dark-skinned and thin. The only change was a few strands of silver in his dark hair, indicating the hard work he had put in handling government affairs.

The three were greatly surprised to see Li Qingan greet them in person and quickly stepped forward to pay their respects, saying, “Your humble servants pay their respects to Prince Zhao!”

Li Qingan chuckled and returned their greeting, “You three have worked hard.”

He then said to Ji Guangchen, “I wasn’t expecting Governor Ji to take control of Yangzhou so quickly. You’ve done very well. Just by recruiting soldiers, with this year’s assessment from the Ministry of Personnel, at least a moderate rating should be guaranteed. With more effort, an excellent rating should not be a problem.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your encouragement!”

Li Qingan then went over to Pei Jin, the magistrate. Pei Jin was also from the Pei family. In his early thirties, he had been the magistrate of Jiangdu County for three years. He was actually a cousin of Pei Wan’er, so he was somewhat related to Li Qingan. During Li Lin’s hasty retreat, his greatest achievement was preserving the grain stores in Jiangdu. Li Lin had planned to transport a million bushels of grain from the warehouses on the west bank of the Grand Canal to the other side of the Yangtze River, but Pei Jin promptly evacuated the laborers and grain ships, leaving Li Lin without any labor force or means to transport grain. With the vanguard of the Anxi army already reaching Gaoyou County, Li Lin was forced to abandon the plan. In this regard, Pei Jin’s contribution was immense.

Seeing Li Qingan approach, he quickly bowed and said, “Your humble servant pays his respects to Your Highness!”

Li Qingan smiled slightly and bowed back, saying, “Magistrate Pei, by preserving the grain stores, you saved the lives of tens of millions of hungry people. The Ministry of Personnel has recorded your achievements. Please accept this bow from Li Qingan.”

Pei Jin panicked and waved his hands, saying, “I dare not! I dare not! How could I accept such an honor from Your Highness?”

Li Qingan bowed to each of them one by one, and finally it was Han Jinping’s turn. The two had not seen each other in eight years. They had served together in the garrison and fought together in the Battle of Boliu, making them true friends through thick and thin. Han Jinping was somewhat emotional. Before Li Qingan could speak, he bowed deeply to the ground, saying, “Your humble servant, Han Jinping, pays his respects to Prince Zhao!”

He was filled with emotion. Who would have thought that the young man he found in the wild and who was almost sold as a slave would become the most powerful minister in the Tang Dynasty and the de facto heir to the throne? Life was truly unpredictable, like a dream.
“Lord Han, there’s no need for excessive formalities. By saving Yangzhou this time, you have also accomplished an extraordinary feat. The court will not forget it. I hope you will continue to work hard on matters related to grain transportation—that will also be the day of your promotion.”
To his surprise, Li Qing’an did not give him a particularly warm embrace or hold his hand to express his gratitude. Like Pei Jin, he simply thanked Han Jinping for allowing the market to be closed for three days so that merchants could hide their goods and avoid being looted by rebel troops. His attitude was quite indifferent, even less polite than toward Pei Jin, as if treating him like an ordinary official. This left Han Jinping slightly disappointed. Since Li Qing’an held such a high position, did he no longer care to maintain old ties with a local official like himself?
After exchanging pleasantries with the three men, Li Qing’an said with a smile, “Please, come into the military camp. Let’s discuss the affairs of Yangzhou in detail.”
“Your Highness is busy with military matters; we shouldn’t disturb you any longer!”
The three of them walked into the military camp together in a cheerful atmosphere.
…
Han Jinping’s home was located in the northwest of Jiangdu City, a medium-sized residence covering three mu of land. His father had passed away, and he lived there with his elderly mother, wife, concubines, and three pairs of children. There was also an old servant and two maids in the household.
As an honest official, Han Jinping didn’t have any extra money to buy a house. He only had a few dilapidated houses in his hometown and over ten mu of poor-quality farmland, which he refused to sell. He left them to his younger brother to farm. The house he currently lived in was an official residence. Logically, as the chief administrator of a province, he should have lived in a fine official residence covering at least ten mu of land. However, because Han Jinping didn’t understand the intricacies of the official world, he offended the previous governor of Yangzhou. The governor told him that there were no large official residences available at the moment and suggested he stay there temporarily for a few months until a suitable one became available. Han Jinping didn’t mind and moved his family there, staying there ever since.
His lack of understanding of official politics also showed in his promotions. After returning from Anxi, not only was his exile sentence overturned, but Li Longji also appointed him as the magistrate of Dantu County. Dantu County was the administrative center of Runzhou and was considered a high-ranking county, with the position corresponding to the upper rank of the sixth grade. Meanwhile, his current position as the chief administrator of Yangzhou was at the upper rank of the fifth grade. It took him a full eight years to advance just one rank and four steps.

It was not due to his corrupt governance or lack of official integrity; on the contrary, he enjoyed extremely high popularity among the people. Every spring, he would actively prepare seed cattle for plowing and even work in the fields himself. When the people suffered injustice, he enforced the law impartially, never showing favoritism to the powerful. The people of Dantu hailed him as “Han the Just.” Yet such a highly respected and honest official struggled to advance in his career for various reasons.

Firstly, his humble origins—his father was a tenant farmer with no notable background—put him at a disadvantage in the Tang Dynasty, where family status was highly valued. As a result, he was often overlooked for promotions.

On the other hand, he was suppressed by Zhang Boji, the governor of Runzhou at the time and son-in-law of Li Linfu. His annual evaluations were consistently mediocre. Since Li Linfu controlled the Ministry of Personnel, the officials there dared not offend Zhang Boji. Knowing it was unfair to Han Jinping, they could only go by Zhang Boji’s evaluations, causing him to suffer injustice for many years.

After Li Linfu’s downfall and Yang Guozhong’s rise to power, Yang Guozhong, though not as focused on family background as Li Linfu, promoted many lowly-born officials. However, due to his dissatisfaction with Han Qingan, he demoted officials associated with the Anxi faction, including Han Jinping, once again preventing him from getting promoted. It was not until the Anxi forces grew stronger and Yang Guozhong lost power that Han Jinping finally received a promotion, first to the position of Sima of Runzhou, and soon after to that of Chief Councillor of Yangzhou. Yet he still faced obstacles from the governor—this time because, upon taking office, he had visited the governor’s home carrying only a jar of Dantu aged vinegar as a gift, angering his superior.

Not long after returning from the military camp, dusk fell, and Han Jinping went home. He had one son and two daughters. His son, Han Yue, was seventeen and studying at the local school, preparing to take the imperial examinations the year after next. His two daughters were still young—seven and six years old—born to his concubines after his return from Anxi.

The whole family relied on Han Jinping’s meager salary to make ends meet. Fortunately, he had received 300 taels of silver as a reward, which allowed him to pay off his debts. Additionally, the local government provided rent subsidies from official lands, which were slightly higher than the imperial salary and paid on time. Thus, although Han Jinping’s family was poor, they could just get by.

When Han Jinping returned home, his wife, Lady Zheng, welcomed him with a smile, “Sir, you’re back!”

Madam Zheng was the daughter of Han Jinping’s teacher during his school days. Coming from a scholarly family, she was gentle, beautiful, and highly virtuous. Once, she was abused by the county magistrate, and in a fit of anger, Han Jinping killed him and was exiled to Anxi to serve in the army. Madam Zheng then took it upon herself to support the family, caring for everyone. After her father passed away, she sold their land to bury him and worked hard farming and weaving to support her blind mother-in-law and young son. When Han Jinping was pardoned for his merits, she, concerned that he had few descendants, gave her maid, who had followed her for years and whom she treated like a sister, to Han Jinping as a concubine—truly a model of a virtuous wife and mother.

As she helped her husband take off his outer clothes, noticing his gloomy expression, she asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

“Li Qing’an came today. I met him at the military camp outside the city this afternoon.”

“Is that the Prince of Zhao?”

“Mm!” Han Jinping removed his coat and nodded gloomily.

“Didn’t Master say he’s an old friend of yours? If they’re old friends, he should be happy to see you. Why does he seem so gloomy?”

“Things may seem the same, but people change. Though I thought that was true, when I saw him today, he was cold and distant, with no trace of the warmth one would expect from an old friend. Perhaps he’s so powerful now that he thinks I’m not good enough for him.”

Madam Zheng thought for a moment and asked, “Did Master go to see him alone?”

“No. I went with Governor Ji and County Magistrate Pei.”

Madam Zheng smiled. “That makes sense. It’s not that he doesn’t want to recognize you. With Governor Ji and County Magistrate Pei around, if he were too friendly to you, it would neglect them. Master, don’t you think that’s the case?”

In fact, Han Jinping also thought it was this reason, but being involved in the situation, he couldn’t see it clearly. It was only after his wife reminded him that he realized it, and the knot in his heart was untied.

“You’re right, my dear. I was being too petty.”

At that moment, there was a knocking at the front door. Han Jinping’s family didn’t have a doorman, so his wife went to open the door. “Who is it?” Madam Zheng asked as she stepped forward.

“Is this the home of Han Changshi?”

“Yes!”

As she answered, she opened the door. She was stunned for a moment before suddenly turning around and shouting, “Master, come quickly!”

Han Jinping was heading to his study when his wife called him. Frowning, he went over. “Who is it?”

“Master, I think they’re looking for you.”

When Han Jinping reached the door, he was stunned. Outside stood hundreds of soldiers in full armor, surrounding a carriage. Stammering, he said, “I am Han Jinping. What do you want?”

“Brother Han, don’t be afraid. It’s just your humble servant who came to see you.”

The carriage door opened, and Li Qing’an stepped out smiling. He walked over slowly and said to the stunned Han Jinping, “What, Brother Han, don’t you recognize me?”
“Ah!”
Han Jinping finally realized and quickly bowed, “How dare Your Highness come in person? I’m not worthy!”
Madam Zheng also understood and promptly bowed, “It’s Prince Zhao after all. I was rude just now and apologize.”
Han Jinping hurriedly introduced her, “This is my wife, Madam Zheng. I’ve mentioned her to Your Highness before.”
Li Qing’an smiled and clasped his fists, “So you’re my sister-in-law. Back in Anxi, Brother Han mentioned you more than once. Seeing you now, I can see you truly are a virtuous wife.”
“Your Highness is too kind. I should thank You Highness for taking care of Jinping in Anxi. His amnesty was thanks to Your Highness’s help. Our whole family is deeply grateful to You Highness.”
At that, Madam Zheng said to Han Jinping, “Husband, please invite Your Highness inside! How can he stand outside?”
This reminder made Han Jinping act hastily. “Please come in, Your Highness! I was rude.”
Li Qing’an nodded. Seeing that Han Jinping’s house wasn’t large, he told his guards, “Wait outside. You can go in groups to eat, but don’t cause any trouble!”
After giving those orders, he entered Han’s house under the protection of two personal guards. Meanwhile, Madam Zheng quietly discussed with her husband behind them, “There isn’t much food at home. I’ll go buy some ready-made dishes and wine.”
“Good idea. Go quickly and buy some high-quality dishes and wine.”
The couple was discussing how to entertain guests through the back door, but Li Qing’an heard everything. He curiously observed Han’s house—the roof was damaged, the window paper was yellowed, and the bricks on the floor were uneven. He knew this was an official residence. Generally, a new official would renovate it upon moving in, but Han Jinping’s house clearly hadn’t been repaired in years. Apparently, the owner didn’t have the money to fix it either, so they just made do. It was the poorest official residence Li Qing’an had ever seen, and yet it belonged to the governor of the wealthiest province in the land—Yangzhou. Li Qing’an couldn’t help but feel surprised. He had heard that Han Jinping was an honest official, but he never imagined his home would be so poor. Just having one more guest forced them to go out and buy wine and food.
He said nothing and followed Han Jinping into his study with a smile.
“Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I’ll go get another wooden couch.”
Li Qing’an’s sudden arrival left Han Jinping in a flurry. The poor condition of his home became evident—there was no tea, and he couldn’t offer plain water either. Moreover, there was only one decent teacup, leaving Han Jinping in a terrible predicament. He quickly sent his concubine to borrow some tea leaves and a set of tea utensils from the next house.

Li Qing’an took it all in with his eyes, shaking his head inwardly. After all, he was a fifth-rank official, and the subsidies from the government offices in the Jiangnan region were quite high. Calculating it, he should have around fifteen or sixteen guan per month—surely not poor to that extent!

As Li Qing’an examined the study, he suddenly understood why Han Jinping was so poor. The furnishings in the study were very simple—just a table and a couch, with bookshelves nailed to all four walls, filled with various books. There was another room next door; when Li Qing’an peeked in, he saw it was also full of books—over a few thousand in total. Books from the Tang Dynasty were expensive, so collecting them must have cost Han Jinping a fortune. No wonder!

Li Qing’an then looked at his desk and saw a memorial written on it: “Several Methods to Improve the Grain Transport in Yangzhou.” This piqued Li Qing’an’s interest greatly. Improving grain transport was the top priority of his trip to Jiangnan. If Han Jinping had good ideas, it might be worth discussing them with Cui Ning.

“Be careful!”

Han Jinping’s voice came from outside. The door opened, and Han Jinping along with a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy entered, carrying a heavy wooden couch. Li Qing’an’s two personal guards quickly stepped forward to help.

Noticing that the boy resembled Han Jinping quite a bit, Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “Brother Han, is this your son?”

“That’s right, my son.”

Han Jinping set down the couch and pushed his son forward. “Hurry up and pay your respects!”

The young man, somewhat embarrassed, knelt down and kowtowed to Li Qing’an. “Your nephew, Han Yue, pays his respects to Uncle Li!”

Han Jinping’s face turned red with shame. He usually bragged to his son that Li Qing’an was his sworn brother from his days in Anxi, but he had forgotten to remind his son earlier. Now his son called Li Qing’an “uncle,” leaving him utterly embarrassed.

Li Qing’an quickly helped the boy up and said with a smile, “The first time I saw you, it was through a painting hidden by your father. You were only eight years old back then; you must be seventeen now!”

“I turned seventeen last month.”

“Hmm! Are you studying now?”

“I’m studying at the local school. I’ll finish my studies next year and plan to travel abroad for a year before taking the imperial exams the year after that.”

“Not bad. You have great ambition.”

Li Qing’an felt he didn’t have anything impressive to offer. After thinking for a moment, he took out a silver plaque from his waist and handed it to the boy with a smile. “This is a gift for you as a token of our acquaintance. With this silver plaque, the local government offices will treat you well. Please accept it!”

Han Jinping, who knew the value of that silver medal, was terrified and quickly stepped forward, waving his hands. “Your Highness, it can’t be done. Such a precious item shouldn’t be given to him. He doesn’t understand its value and could cause trouble.”

Han Yue also refused stubbornly to accept it. Li Qingan had no choice but to take back the silver medal and said to Han Jinping with a smile, “How about this? Since the boy is going on a study trip, it might cost a lot. I’ll cover all his travel expenses. You must agree to this. If not, I’ll leave right away.”

Seeing Li Qingan’s sincerity, Han Jinping was moved and nodded. “Alright! Since Your Highness is so kind, I agree.”

“That’s much better. Come, let’s sit down!”

He patted Han Yue’s shoulder and said with a smile, “You sit down too and listen to us elders talk about matters in Anxi.”

The three of them sat down. At that moment, Han Jinping’s wife, Lady Zheng, returned with food and drinks, setting the table and placing two bottles of wine that had just been warmed.

Li Qingan picked up the wine pot and poured a glass for each of them father and son. Han Jinping quickly covered his son’s glass with his hand and said with a smile, “He’s still young; he can’t drink wine.”

“Brother Han, that’s not right. He’s already seventeen. In the Anxi army back then, weren’t there many soldiers in their sixteen or seventeen? You can’t always treat him as a child. He should be exposed to adult things. Wine isn’t bad in itself; a little won’t hurt.”

Li Qingan insisted, and Han Jinping had no choice but to repeatedly warn his son, “He can drink at most three glasses.”

Li Qingan also filled his own glass. He raised it and said with a smile, “Come! Let’s drink to our reunion as old comrades after so many years.”

Li Qingan’s casual attitude made Han Jinping unconsciously recall their days in Anxi. He gradually relaxed as well, raised his glass, and said with a smile, “Eight years apart, and now that we’re reunited, the general has matured, while I’ve grown old. Come! Let’s drink this.”

The two of them drank their glasses in one gulp. It was Han Yue’s first time drinking wine. He took a few sips and then forced himself to finish it. When Li Qingan tried to pour more, Han Jinping snatched the bottle, filled his son’s glass, and poured one for himself as well. Seeing his son’s face turn red, he tapped his head with his chopsticks and scolded him with a smile, “Who told you to drink it all at once? Drink slowly and eat more food.”

Li Qingan drank a few cups of wine before saying to Han Jinping, “Old Han, there are some things I really didn’t want to say, but since I’m sitting here drinking with you, I have to. Look at your family—how poor it has become. I fully support your integrity, but after all, you’re a fifth-rank official. Before I left, I checked with the Ministry of Works. In Hangzhou, Suzhou, Changzhou, Runan, and Yangzhou, the monthly salary for prefects is ten guan, plus eight guan for office expenses and two guan for stationery, making a total of twenty guan per month. Not to mention the rice allowance—less for the deputy prefect. Your monthly salary should be sixteen guan. You should at least own hundreds of acres of permanent farmland. That’s quite a lot, yet you still live in such poverty. How can I face myself? I want to help you, but I’m afraid it might hurt your pride. If I don’t help, I feel guilty toward you. What do you think I should do?”
Han Jinping smiled bitterly and said, “The general is right. Actually, the money at home should be enough, but I have a bad habit—I love collecting books. Over the years, I’ve gathered tens of thousands of books. At least half of my salary goes into buying books. My wife never complains about it…”
Just then, his son Han Yue interjected, “Dad, why doesn’t Mom complain? She just doesn’t do it in front of you. Sometimes she wishes she could burn all those books of yours.”
Han Jinping was stunned. After a while, he touched his nose and said, “Is that so? She never mentioned it. I thought she wasn’t complaining!”
Li Qingan burst into laughter and shook his head at Han Jinping. “Old Han! If it weren’t for me today, you’d have remained in the dark your whole life. Well, I’ll indulge your bad habit. Next March, when you go to the capital to report on your duties, I’ll bring out Emperor Li Longji’s collection of books. You can pick whatever you want. If you like a thousand books, I’ll give them to you. If you like ten thousand, I’ll give them all to you. How about that?”
“That’s impossible. Those are the emperor’s books.”
“Damn those so-called emperor’s books! They’re piling up in the Daming Palace and are about to rot. I don’t want his books. I’d rather reprint them myself. Do you want them or not? If not, I’ll burn them all.”
“Yes! Yes! Please don’t burn them.”
Han Jinping was overjoyed. Li Longji’s books must be unique and rare—exactly the kind of books he’d dreamed of having. How could he refuse? He could hardly wait to go to the capital and get them.
“But I have one condition.”

Li Qing’an said again, “From now on, you’re not allowed to buy books anymore. Use your salary properly to support your family. I’ve made up my mind—starting from the first day of next year, all officials’ salaries will be increased by 50%. That means your monthly salary will rise to 24 guan, and you’ll also get rice at the end of the year, enough to support your family. Buy some good tea, a few more teacups, and some jewelry for your wife. Stop living in such hardship.”

“I understand. It’s already difficult enough for me to return alive from Anxi. I’ll take good care of my family.”

Li Qing’an felt pleased. He drank four cups in a row. Holding his cup, he couldn’t help but think of his comrades from back then. Sun Matou, who had saved him first, was promoted to colonel but died in the Battle of Talas. He Yanming died in the Battle of Shibao City. Of the nine subordinates he had when he was a fire commander, only three were still alive now; the rest had all died in battle.

He felt somewhat sad. He drained the wine in his cup and sighed, “If my comrades from the fortress hadn’t followed me, I think most of them wouldn’t have died. I feel extremely guilty.”

Han Jinping poured him a cup of wine and advised, “I thought most of the comrades had nothing to do with you. When Deputy Commander Gao came to the fortress, he took you away. Only I and He Yanming followed you. The rest of the comrades basically had nothing to do with you. They died one after another because of the continuous wars in Anxi. As soldiers, dying on the battlefield is, in my opinion, their luck.”

Li Qing’an picked up his cup and drained it again. Shaking his head, he said, “Though I say that, I still feel a bit sad when I think about it.”

Li Qing’an hadn’t drunk for a long time. He drank more than a dozen cups today. Coupled with his worries, the alcohol took hold quickly. He picked up his cup and slowly poured the wine on the ground, saying, “This cup of wine is my offering to my comrades in the afterlife. May they rest in peace.”

Han Jinping felt that Li Qing’an had drunk too much. Seeing him about to pour more wine for himself, he held his cup and said, “General, stop drinking.”

“No! Leave me alone. I’m happy today, and I’m drinking with old friends. I don’t know if I’ll have such a chance again. Come, let’s drink more. You two, go buy a few more jars of wine. Tonight, I’ll not stop drinking with Old Han!”