After lunch, Guo Song accompanied Xue Xun to take a walk in the small back garden, the back garden is only half an acre, but the design is exquisite, the layout is elegant, a circle of pebbles paved into a path can be detoured, plant a few bamboos, put a rockery, build a pavilion, it is a small garden world.

Xue Xun regretted that there was no water and he couldn't raise fish, this was mainly because Xuanyangfang had no river and could only use well water, but Han raised a few big carp in the well.

"I got the news a few days ago, saying that Jiannan Jiedu made Cui Ning die of a violent illness, how did he die and don't need to explore, soon after his death, the Son of Heaven issued a decree to crown his brother Cui Kuan as the Jiannan Jiedu envoy, which is also expected by everyone, but the strange thing is that yesterday Cui Kuan sent someone to my house to thank me, and also sent me a pair of white jade, I was confused, what does Cui Kuan's promotion of Jiannan Jiedu have to do with me?"

Guo Song smiled slightly: "Since my father-in-law asked me, I should have guessed the reason." ”

Xue Xun raised his eyebrows, "Does it really have anything to do with you?" ”

Guo Song nodded, "The last time the Son of Heaven paid a private visit to visit the rice price, I accompanied him, during which I talked about the arrangement of the Jiannan Festival Envoy, I recommended Cui Kuan, and later I told the Son of Heaven that the evaluation of Cui Kuan was told to me by my father-in-law, I guess that's the case, Cui Kuan got some news from the palace, and he may have mentioned his father-in-law's name." ”

"I see!"

Xue Xun suddenly realized that this was the case, but he was a little worried: "If Cui Kuan rebels one day, will I be implicated?" ”

Guo Song knew that his father-in-law used to be known for his integrity and outspokenness, but now after he was promoted, he became more and more cautious, and he couldn't see the sharpness he used to have at all.

Guo Song smiled and comforted him: "Although Cui Kuan feels that it has something to do with his father-in-law, but in the official, it is highly recommended by Han Xiangguo, the Son of Heaven just asked me, who really wants to appoint, the court must consider all aspects, weigh all kinds of pros and cons, even if Cui Kuan rebels in the future, it has nothing to do with his father-in-law." ”

"You're right, I'm a little overthinking."

Xue Xun put down his heart, and he smiled and said: "It's almost time, I have to rush back to the courtroom, and I have to go to the Ministry of Rites to participate in the imperial examination in the afternoon, so I won't accompany the virtuous son-in-law." ”

Guo Song nodded and smiled: "Before I officially leave, I will come over to talk to my father-in-law!" ”

..........

Xue Xun took a look at his son, and hurried back to the courtroom, Xue Tao accompanied his mother to the street to buy things, Guo Song had nothing to do, so he simply took a nap in Xue Tao's room, until Xue Tao came back in the afternoon, and the young couple said goodbye and returned to the garden house.

Before dawn the next day, they left the capital for Jingyang County, where Guo Song's manor was located.

Since the middle of the Tang Dynasty, the wind of land acquisition by wealthy magnates has intensified, a large number of homesteaders have lost their land, the most serious consequence is that the foundation of the government military system has been seriously damaged, the prerequisites for the imperial court to exchange land for peasants to serve in the military without compensation do not exist, and the imperial court can not afford the huge military expenditure, so the frontier lord will raise his own military expenses in various ways, An Lushan and others began to master their own army, and rebellion became possible.

Although the An Lushan rebellion had been put down, the wind of merging land did not disappear, and after a hundred years, it eventually led to the demise of the Tang Dynasty.

The land of Guanzhong has already been covered with countless large and small manors, the most famous is the Huangzhuang, there are dozens of them, the area is hundreds of thousands of acres, when the Anshi Rebellion, many imperial relatives were killed, their manories were not inherited, they were taken back by the Son of Heaven, listed as the Huangzhuang.

The Huangzhuang is not used by the Son of Heaven for private enjoyment, but is used to reward the emperor's relatives or meritorious officials.

Guo Song was rewarded with an imperial village for his outstanding performance in the Battle of Fengzhou and the Battle of the Central Plains, which was located in Jingyang County and covered an area of 10,000 acres.

It should be noted here that covering an area of 10,000 acres does not mean owning 10,000 acres of farmland, which also includes mountains, forests, rivers, etc., and the actual farmland is only about four or five thousand acres at most.

Guo Song this manor is called Bailu Manor, located in the east of Jingyang County, close to the famous Baiqu, there is no forest in the manor, but there is a lonely mountain, a small river goes around the mountain, the forest on the mountain is deep, there are all kinds of small animals living on the mountain, there is a courtyard like a building on the top of the mountain, and a large wheat field is distributed around the lonely mountain.

This manor originally belonged to Princess Huo, Princess Huo died in the Anshi Rebellion, and her manor returned to the Son of Heaven, and the other courtyard on the mountain was the courtyard where Princess Huo came to escape the summer heat, but it has been in disrepair for many years and no one lives there.

And the manor is also divided into grades, like Guo Song, the White Deer Villa, with mountains and rivers, it belongs to the first-class manor, which is generally given to the prince or princess, because Guo Song was forced to resign, Li Yu specially gave him this first-class manor in order to compensate him.

There is a village in the south of the manor by the white canal, it is called Bailu Village, the manor is also named because of this, there are sixty or seventy families in the village, most of them are tenant farmers of Bailu Villa, the average family plants eighty acres of land, half of the harvest pays the rent, and the field tax is deducted from the rent, because the water source is sufficient, the land is fertile, basically the harvest can be guaranteed by drought and flood, the annual harvest is good, although it is not enough to talk about food and clothing, but it can barely maintain the food and clothing of the family.

At noon, Guo Song arrived at Bailu Manor with his wife, and Yang Jun had already arrived at the manor on horseback and found the steward of the manor.

The steward of the manor is surnamed Jin, a native of Jingyang County, about forty years old, who has been managing the manor for nearly ten years.

Hearing that the owner of the manor had arrived, the steward Jin led nearly 200 tenant farmers to greet him on the side of the official road, and everyone was nervous, wondering if the new owner of the manor had come to demand rent.

Last year, the crops were hit by pests and diseases, and the harvest was reduced by two percent, and if the rent was not reduced, their life would be difficult.

"Don't worry too much, Guo Yuanjun should just come to take a look, not to urge rent, I will explain the situation clearly, and ask Guo Yuanjun to reduce the rent for everyone as appropriate."

This is, a carriage came from a distance, Yang Jun waved to everyone, and the golden steward hurriedly said: "Guo Yuanjun is here, let's go to greet him!" ”

Two hundred people, under the leadership of the golden steward, came to the carriage together, the carriage slowly stopped, Guo Song took the lead out of the carriage, today he accompanied his wife, did not ride a horse, but came together in a carriage.

Steward Jin hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "The villain Jin Nan is the steward of Bailu Manor, see Guo Yuanjun!" ”

"The gold steward has worked hard!"

Guo Song smiled, looked at the people who greeted him and said, "These are the villagers in the manor?" ”

"Exactly!"

Steward Jin waved his hand, "Everyone come to see Guo Yuanjun." ”

A large group of people suddenly knelt down on the official road, which startled Guo Song, and said to the Jin steward with some dissatisfaction: "What are you doing, tell them to get up quickly!" ”

"Rise up, everybody! You don't have to pay a big salute. ”

Everyone got up, and several old men stepped forward and bowed and saluted: "Qi Guo Yuanjun, last year's insect infestation was rampant, and the entire Guanzhong was affected, we have been taking precautions day and night, but the production has been reduced a lot, and I implore Guo Yuanjun to understand our difficulties." ”

"Is it a plague of locusts?" Guo Song asked.

"It's not a plague of locusts, it's a small black worm, the size of corn, and the entire rice ear is crawling with this kind of small worm, and if you find this small worm, you must immediately cut down the infected rice and burn it, otherwise it will all spread."

"How much did you lose last year?"

The golden steward hurriedly said: "Last year, the winter wheat production was not reduced, mainly the autumn grain, the rice production was reduced by 30%, and the other imperial villages have been exempted from 20% of the rent, and we have to wait for Guo Yuanjun to make the decision." ”

Guo Song nodded and smiled: "I understand, everyone is worried that I won't reduce the rent, right?" ”

Everyone looked at Guo Song with a blank eye, Guo Song smiled and said: "I just took over this Zhuangzi, it stands to reason that I should give you a little meeting gift, since last year's autumn grain disaster, then I will be exempted from the rent of autumn grain, it should be my meeting gift to everyone!" ”

When the news came out, the two hundred tenant farmers immediately cheered, they were excited, and the haze on their faces was swept away, and several old men were so excited that they knelt down and kowtowed to Guo Song, "Thank you Guo Yuanjun for your generous gift!" ”

Guo Song helped them up and said with a smile: "I'll come to the manor casually today, let's all go back!" ”

Everyone went home happily, Guo Song helped Xue Tao out of the carriage, Xue Tao looked around and smiled: "Husband, here is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the scenery is very beautiful!" ”

Guo Song was particularly pleased with the lonely mountain, a small river surrounded the lonely mountain like a jade belt, he pointed to the lonely mountain and asked the golden steward, "Is there anyone living on the mountain?" ”

The golden steward shook his head and said: "No one lives, there are rules in the Huangzhuang, no trees are allowed to be cut down, villagers are forbidden to hunt, at most they can only cut some branches and go home to burn the fire, but the other house on the top of the mountain has fallen into disrepair, I went up to see it last year, and the wooden doors and windows are all rotten." ”

"Let's go and see in the fields!"

Guo Song asked his entourage to explore the road in front, and he took his wife down the official road and walked along a small road to the wheat field.