Chapter 680: An Old Acquaintance from Chenliu

After a brief stop in Xunyi County, Li Qing’an’s ship continued southward and arrived the next day at another important town, Chenliu County. Like Xunyi County, Chenliu was also a key transit point on the Grand Canal. The difference was that Xunyi served as an official storage area for supplies, while Chenliu focused more on civilian use, with more developed commerce.

Another person joined Li Qing’an’s ship at this time—Dugu Changfeng, Li Qing’an’s brother-in-law and the elder brother of Dugu Mingyue. He served as the Transport Commissioner for Jianghuai and Henan as well as the Inspector of Henan Province. He left the capital ten days earlier than Li Qing’an. Before that, he had been the Transport Commissioner for the Capital Region, and even earlier, he had served as the Deputy Governor of Jingzhao. His rapid promotion from a fifth-rank official to a high-ranking third-rank official in just two years reflected the need for the Dugu family to rise to power—Li Qing’an needed the support of his relatives.

“Changfeng, you need to put extra effort into Chenliu County!”

As the ship neared the shore, Li Qing’an pointed to the somewhat dilapidated docks in Chenliu County. “Don’t underestimate it just because it’s a civilian supply hub. On the contrary, the main reason I developed the Grand Canal transportation system is for commercial growth. If we focus only on official needs while ignoring those of the people, it will only lead to a wealthy state and poor people—this isn’t what I want. Distributing wealth among the people is the long-term strategy for the revival of the Tang Dynasty.”

Dugu Changfeng nodded. “Please rest assured, Your Highness. In Prime Minister Cui’s plan, the docks and warehouses in Chenliu are listed last and need to be repaired. I intend to start by improving the docks in Chenliu to boost civilian commerce as soon as possible. I talked to Governor Zhang the day before yesterday; he will recruit laborers to get the work started right away.”

“Hmm! Prime Minister Cui focused on official docks, warehouses, and organizing the official fleet due to the urgent situation in Chang’an. But I hope that once you take over, you’ll shift focus to encouraging civilian trade—that will be your achievement.”

This reflected Li Qing’an’s different approach. Since the Grand Canal was dug, it had mainly been used for official purposes, and rulers throughout the dynasties had not considered using it for civilian use. As the saying goes, “The people should not compete with the officials for profit.” Although driven by profit, merchants secretly used the Grand Canal, but they never received official support. Therefore, Li Qing’an’s task was to loosen restrictions on civilian trade and allow it to flourish.

Only when commerce in the Tang Dynasty itself thrived could the large amounts of silver he brought from Anxi be put to better use.

Dugu Changfeng bowed. “I understand. This will also be a priority for me in the future.”

At this moment, the ship slowly docked. Xu Zhaoyuan, the magistrate of Chenliu County, along with officials such as the county assistant, county commander, and chief clerk, had been waiting at the pier for a long time. Li Qingan stepped ashore, and Xu Zhaoyuan and the other officials stepped forward to greet him, saying, “Your humble servants pay their respects to His Highness the Prince of Zhao and to Inspector Dugu.” Li Qingan also bowed with a smile and said, “I’m sorry for causing you all trouble!” “How dare we! It is an honor for Chenliu County that Your Highness has come to inspect it. Please rest in the city after such a long journey.” “No need. I can only stay in Chenliu County for half a day. I need to meet an old friend. May I ask Magistrate Xu where the Zong family lives?” The Zong family referred to Zong Chuke, a prominent family in Chenliu who had once been a prime minister under Wu Zetian. Almost everyone in Chenliu County knew him. Magistrate Xu quickly replied, “It’s not far from here. I’ll take you there!” But Li Qingan shook his head and pointed at Dugu Changfeng, saying, “Inspector Dugu needs to consider repairing the Chenliu pier. Magistrate Xu, you should get back to your duties! My visit to the Zong family is a personal matter, so I won’t trouble you further.” Since the Prince of Zhao refused, Magistrate Xu didn’t dare interfere. Dugu Changfeng was the inspector of Henan Province and his superior. As a county official, he preferred to deal directly with Dugu Changfeng. He ordered a court servant to guide Li Qingan, and after seeing them off, the group returned to the county. Li Qingan, accompanied by a dozen trusted guards, mounted his horse and rode along the ridges toward the Zong family’s estate several miles away. The other guards, worried, followed from a distance. The rice seedlings in the paddy fields had grown tall, stretching as far as the eye could see in lush greenery, a sight that was truly refreshing. It was the time when the rice was heading into bloom, and farmers were everywhere weeding the fields. Under the scorching afternoon sun, they sweated profusely, occasionally looking up in surprise at this nobleman accompanied by a dozen followers. Li Qingan went over to an old farmer, squatted down, and asked with a smile, “Old man, is this paddy field yours?” Seeing that he seemed to be of high status, the old farmer didn’t dare neglect him. He stood up and pointed to the large area of fields around them, saying, “This whole area is thirty mu. I own twenty mu myself, and the other ten mu are rented from the Zong family. This year’s wheat harvest wasn’t very good. I hope the rice will make up for it.” “What’s the tax rate set by the government now?” Li Qingan asked further. “In our area, the land tax is two sheng and two he per mu, plus 300 wen per mu as seedling money. We also have to pay one bolt of silk. That’s about it.” “What about the Zong family’s taxes? Do you bear those as well?”

“No! No!” The old farmer quickly waved his hands. “The Zong family are good people. Ever since the founding patriarch, they have treated tenants kindly—rent is set based on actual harvest yields at 30%, and they bear the costs of land taxes and seed money themselves. In years of disaster, one can even borrow grain from them without interest.”
Li Qing’an smiled and nodded, then asked, “Where is the Zong family’s residence? I’m an old acquaintance of theirs and have come to visit.”
The old farmer pointed to a village not far away. “The largest house after entering the village is theirs. It’s easy to spot—there’s a Taoist tower there. Another house nearby is also theirs. It used to belong to another family but was bought last year by the Zong family’s eldest daughter and her husband surnamed Li. It’s considered part of the Zong family as well.”
“Thank you very much, sir.”
Li Qing’an bowed in gratitude to the old farmer and then strode quickly toward the village. At that moment, the old farmer called out loudly, “Sir, the sun is scorching! Put on your conical hat!”
“Thank you!”
Li Qing’an put on his conical hat and soon arrived at the village. The village was filled with pear and apricot trees, with green pears and light yellow early apricots already hanging from the branches. A few small dogs ran over at the sound, barking around them. Shortly after entering the village, he indeed saw a large house, with a white Taoist tower standing in the courtyard. Above the gate hung a horizontal plaque with black background and golden characters: “Zong Mansion.” This must be the old residence of Zong Chuke.
But Li Qing’an wasn’t looking for this family. He walked another dozen steps, and indeed, there was another house diagonally across—half the size of Zong Mansion, but with denser trees. The courtyard wall wasn’t high, only reaching a person’s chest level. Li Qing’an suddenly stopped in front of the wall. The courtyard was a vegetable garden, and a middle-aged man was watering the plants with a long spoon. He too wore a conical hat and a faded long robe. He was tall and moved slowly, seemingly careless.
Li Qing’an said with a smile, “Watering in such scorching weather will burn the vegetables.”
The middle-aged man slowly raised his head and glanced at Li Qing’an, then froze. “It’s you!”
“It is I, Brother Taibai. How have you been?”
This middle-aged man was none other than Li Bai. He had been wounded by an arrow during Li Lin’s defeat, escaped from the chaos, and sought refuge with his uncle, Li Yangbing, the magistrate of Dangtu County. Soon after, he was taken back by his wife from the Zong family in Chenliu to recover, and he has lived in seclusion ever since.
Li Bai didn’t expect to meet Li Qing’an here. He felt awkward and flustered, not knowing what to do.
At that moment, a young woman rushed out of the house and reproached him, “Husband, why aren’t you resting indoors in such hot weather? Why are you out planting vegetables?”

This young woman was Li Bai’s wife, Lady Zong. As the eldest daughter of the Zong family, she admired Li Bai’s talent and wisdom. She married him when he was at his lowest ebb. It was thanks to her careful care that his arrow wound gradually improved.

As she walked to the vegetable garden, she spotted Li Qing’an at once and was taken aback—who was this person?

Li Qing’an bowed and smiled, saying, “It turns out to be my sister-in-law. I am a friend of Brother Taibai. I came from Chang’an and passed by Chenliu, so I stopped by to see him.”

“Oh, a friend of Qinglian. Please come inside.”

“Then I’ll trouble you!” Li Qing’an smiled as he entered the mansion, while his bodyguards waited outside.

Lady Zong complained a bit that her husband didn’t know how to entertain guests. “Husband, the guest has come from afar. We should invite him in. It’s so hot—leaving him in the sun is really rude!”

Li Bai gave a wry smile. This wasn’t just an ordinary guest.

Although Li Bai’s new home was large, most of it was made up of orchards and vegetable gardens, with only a dozen or so houses. Li Qing’an sat down in the guest hall, which was spacious, with thick wooden floors and good ventilation. Outside, there were lush fruit trees, and in the backyard, there was a pond with artificial hills and pavilions. One could see red carp swimming in the water. The environment was serene and pleasing.

“Brother Taibai lives in a paradise—how enviable!”

Li Bai had recovered from his initial embarrassment and confusion. He smiled faintly and said, “Actually, I’m someone who can’t stay still. If it weren’t for my arrow wound, I would have left long ago.”

At that moment, Lady Zong brought over a wooden tray with two cups of chilled plum juice. She placed them in front of her husband and Li Qing’an and said with a smile, “Among Qinglian’s friends, I only know Du Fu, Cen Shen, and Wang Changling. I wonder what your name is. Perhaps I’ve long admired your fame.”

Lady Zong was from a noble family and very capable. She had significant influence over the Zong family’s affairs. To some extent, Li Bai had married into the Zong family. But Lady Zong was also very virtuous. Seeing that her brother and relatives looked down on her husband, she resolutely stood on her own feet, bought this house in her husband’s name, and separated from the Zong family. At home, Li Bai hardly interfered in anything; he was a hands-off husband, relying entirely on Lady Zong to manage everything. Her greatest hope was that her husband’s wound would heal soon, so she could find him something to do to keep him at home and stop him from wandering around.

Li Qing’an quickly bowed and said, “Sister-in-law, you flatter me. I’m not a poet but an ordinary man in politics.”

Li Bai laughed from the side and said, “Wife, actually, you’ve long admired him too. Didn’t you mention him the day before yesterday?”

“You are…” Lady Zong guessed somewhat, but she couldn’t believe it.
“I am Li Qing’an, an old friend of Brother Taibai.”
“Oh!”
Lady Zong was shocked. She hurriedly stood up to pay respects. “It turns out to be His Highness Prince Zhao. I was rude just now.”
Lady Zong was the granddaughter of the former prime minister. Influenced by her family since childhood, she had strong official-mindedness. Li Bai knew this and waved his hand dismissively. “Madam, General Li is my old friend. You’re being too polite. Otherwise, we won’t be able to catch up.”
If it had been a prefect or some court official, Lady Zong wouldn’t have cared, but who in the world didn’t know who Li Qing’an was? The future emperor, soon to become the emperor of the Tang Dynasty—was he an ordinary person? Her husband really didn’t understand human relations.
“Please sit down for a while, Your Highness. I’ll go prepare some food and drink.”
Li Qing’an quickly stopped her with a smile. “Sister-in-law, no need to rush. I still need to continue my journey. I’ll leave after sitting for a while. If it’s convenient for you, could you also prepare some plum juice for my guards? They’re outside.”
“Sure. I’ll ask my family to invite them in and let them rest in another room.”
Lady Zong hurried off to arrange this. At that moment, Li Bai sighed again. “My wife is fine in every way, but she’s too influenced by her grandfather. She insists on finding me a position as the head clerk in Chenliu County. I’ve told her many times that I’m not cut out for government work, but she just won’t listen.”
“What are your plans for the future, Brother Taibai?”
Li Bai shook his head. “After what happened with Prince Yong, I’ve realized I’m not suited for officialdom. If I enter officialdom, others will suffer, and I will too. Besides, I’m already over fifty. As the saying goes, seventy is a rare age in life. I want to use the rest of my time, as long as I can still move around, to fulfill a few of my wishes.”
“Brother Taibai, tell me what your wishes are. Maybe I can help you.”
“You really could help me.”
Li Bai smiled. “My greatest wish is to go to the Western Regions and visit my hometown of Suiye. I left Suiye when I was young. I don’t even know if my old house is still there.”
“Your old house in Suiye is still there, though empty. The sand fruit tree in the yard has grown into a huge tree. I tasted its fruit a few years ago—it was very sweet.”
“Really? Is that tree still there?”
Li Bai was excited. He was young when he left Suiye and had forgotten many things there, but he remembered that sand fruit tree clearly. He had planted it himself and had asked his father to take it with him when leaving.
“Qinglian isn’t fully recovered yet. I’m afraid she can’t go to Suiye.”

Madam Zong was back again. She was worried that her husband would propose going to the Western Regions, for once they went there, it would mean forever parting as husband and wife—how could that be acceptable? Moreover, Madam Zong had another idea: to take this opportunity to ask Li Qing’an to arrange an official position for her husband. As the saying goes, a wife knows her husband best. She knew that although her husband had suffered a heavy setback under Prince Yong, he still wanted to go out and pursue his ambitions. She wanted to help him as much as possible, but the influence of the Zong family had long vanished; at most, they could only secure a position as a clerk in the household department for him.

But today, Li Qing’an had come—this was unusual. She never knew that Li Qing’an was actually an old acquaintance of her husband. Only then did she realize that her husband had mentioned that in the seventh year of Tianbao, he had served as an aide to a General Li in Yangzhou. It turned out that General Li was none other than Li Qing’an.

“Your Highness, I have secured a position as a clerk in the household department of Chenliu County for Qinglian. The county magistrate has agreed, and Qinglian is to take up the post in a few days.”

Li Bai grew displeased. “My wife, didn’t I say I don’t want to go? Why bring this up again?”

Li Qing’an also laughed. “Sister-in-law, you’re really putting Brother Taibai in a difficult position. To assign someone of Brother Taibai’s talent to such a minor role would only invite ridicule from everyone.”

In fact, Li Qing’an also knew that in history, Li Bai had participated in Prince Yong’s rebellion, was later exiled by the imperial court to Yelang, and was pardoned and returned to Jianghuai. He had suffered poverty for a time, yet even in such circumstances, he did not forget to worry about the country and its people, submitting a plan to Li Guangbi to pacify the region. For a scholar, realizing his ambitions had always been their lifelong dream. From the fact that Li Bai had served as an aide to Prince Yong, it was clear that he had simply lacked opportunities for too long, leading him to act impulsively without considering the consequences. Until his death, the roots of his troubles stemmed from Prince Yong’s rebellion.

Back then, Li Bai became an imperial scholar but was demoted for offending Zhang Jie. If Li Qing’an wanted to revive the Tang Dynasty and expand its territory, could she not even accommodate someone like Li Bai?

Thinking of this, Li Qing’an said sincerely to Li Bai, “Brother Taibai, I came to see you this time partly to catch up, and partly to discuss your future.”

Li Bai sighed inwardly. He said nothing and lowered his head. Madam Zong’s heart was filled with hope. She sensed that there was more to Li Qing’an’s words—seemingly, he intended to find a position for her husband.

Li Qing’an smiled and said again, “I truly understand Brother Taibai’s ability to handle government affairs. I won’t put him in a difficult position. But not all officials in my Tang Dynasty have to deal with government work. I would like to continue employing Brother Taibai as a Hanlin Academician and also as a professor at the Imperial Academy, without requiring him to manage government affairs. Instead, he could focus on nurturing and selecting talents for the Tang Dynasty. I wonder if Brother Taibai would be willing to take on this role?”
Li Bai was deeply moved. His eyes became moist. He had left Sichuan in the 13th year of the Kaiyuan era, hoping to realize his ambitions. Yet after decades of wandering, he had achieved nothing, and had even almost been imprisoned. Last month, his close friend Du Fu was promoted to governor of Yanzhou and came to see him on his way to take up the position, inviting him to join him in Yanzhou. But he declined. He felt extremely bitter. Wang Changling had become vice minister of the Ministry of Works, Cen Shen had become governor of Fengxiang Prefecture, and Wang Wei had become vice minister of the Right Ministry. All his close friends had realized their ambitions, while what did he have? He was already over fifty, with gray hair, still working as a minor official in Chenliu County, not even a ninth-rank official. This filled him with sorrow.
Just when he was nearly desperate about life, fate began to smile upon him. Li Qing’an actually wanted him to be a Hanlin Academician and a professor at the Imperial Academy. How could Li Bai not be excited?
“Qinglian, speak up!” Lady Zong grew anxious. She feared her husband would stubbornly refuse this opportunity again.
“General, it seems we are truly fated to meet.”
Li Bai smiled self-mockingly. “Back then, when I worked as your aide in Yangzhou, I thought you were just a military officer with a too-low rank, which seemed to belittle me, so I quit. Who would have thought that ten years later, I’d become your aide again?”
“Then, Brother Taibai, do you still think the rank is too low this time?” Li Qing’an asked jokingly.
Li Bai stroked his long beard and smiled slightly. “Even if I were made prime minister, I wouldn’t think the rank is too high.”
Li Qing’an burst into laughter. Lady Zong was excited and quickly stood up. “I’ll go prepare some food and drink for you. Please wait a moment.”
Li Qing’an was also in high spirits. He said with a laugh, “Great! It’s always Brother Taibai who borrows my wine. Today, I’ll borrow some from Brother Taibai too.”
……