Qi Niang is a worried child.

She thought that since "Lang is affectionate, and the concubine is intentional", the Xu family is in trouble, and their master and apprentice should always help do something. However, looking back, Li Bai, who has a big heart, is showing Xu Jia his bird taming skills.

The melodious whistle sound fills the sky. Several gray cranes heard the long cry and flew from the distant paddy fields, hovering and not moving.

Xu Jia had never seen such a scene, and looked up in surprise.

Qi Niang showed a small look of contempt.

Sure enough, the man's mouth is a deceitful ghost, Li Shibai can't be relied on at all, and she has to go out in person.

The little sword boy was violent, and he walked out of the steps that the six relatives did not recognize.

After returning from the paddy field, Li Bai finally saw that something was wrong with Qi Niang.

The little girl closed the door all day long, wrote and drew in front of the bookcase, and made a pair of strange drawings.

Day 3.

Li Bai couldn't hold it back, lying outside the window of Qi Niang, stretching his neck to study the drawings, the more he looked, the more confused he became: "What are you painting?" ”

Qi Niang: "Sister's family was occupied by Yongye Tianbei." ”

She also patiently explained to Li Bai that this dark color is Wangtian Field (1), the light color is the irrigation field, and the yellow ones are dry land.

Li Bai lowered his eyes and looked at it with a little anger: "As a public official of the Principality of Xu Xiang from the second grade, you can get thirty hectares (2) of Yongye Field, and six hectares (600 Tang mu) of land in the hands of the third house. The Peng family is insatiable, he can finish planting after eating so much land?! ”

Relying only on the labor of the Peng family, it is natural that it will not be able to plant in a hundred years.

However, in this prosperous and absurd Kaiyuan period, countless aristocratic landlords encroached on the mountains, forests, rivers and rivers, exploited the farmers, and finally evolved into producers and operators who opened granges.

This is when the tenant model emerged.

Qi Niang supported her little head with one hand, pretending to be an old man and sighed: "I heard my aunt say that when the Peng family got the land, they turned it into a grange, and then rented it to the farmers to farm. ”

Li Bai's left eyelid jumped: "Say, what are you holding back?" also deliberately drew a map of the Xu family's Yongye field. ”

Qi Niang rubbed her little hands awkwardly: "Hehe." ”

This completely aroused Li Bai's curiosity, and he went in through the window: "Don't just hehe, if you want to help the Xu family, you can't rely on your small body to fight, I'll listen to it." ”

Qi Niang whispered in Li Bai's ear at this time.

The corners of Li Bai's eyes twitched when he heard this.

The little girl's idea is also simple, and the four-word summary is "sowing discord".

Who to provoke?

Qi Niang crossed her waist: "That is naturally between the tenant farmers and the Peng family, between the tenant farmers and the government, between the Peng family and the government, and between the tenant farmers and the tenant farmers...... Oops, anyway, there are contradictions everywhere, and if there are contradictions, there are loopholes to exploit. ”

Looking at the little girl's proud appearance, Li Bai sneered: "Tang Lu's loophole, he really got out of you like a fish that slipped through the net." ”

Qi Niang ignored him and grimaced: "Slightly." ”

Li Bai made a gesture to beat her, but the little girl was so frightened that she hurriedly jumped away.

After calming down, Li Bai pondered it carefully, and felt that Qi Niang's method was child's play at first, but it was very useful.

In Datang, the people's tax is superimposed on other harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, which is a large burden of expenses;

But if they become fugitives, they don't have to pay taxes according to their household registration, they can rent the landlord's land, and as long as they have planted the land and paid the rent, they can be regarded as having enough to eat all year round.

This was a good thing for the landlords and tenant farmers, but not for the imperial court.

In the long run, there will be a large loss of Datang editors.

This may not be perceptible for a short time, but the conquest requires manpower, and the development of production requires labor. In a smallholder economy, manpower shortages are a fatal crisis.

In addition, the Peng family employs a large number of tenant farmers, and the quality of the cultivated land is different, and the yield of the autumn harvest is also different.

These tenant farmers compete with each other, and I am afraid that they will be very hard to plant. ④

Li Bai had an idea. opened his mouth and shouted to Qi Niang: "Change into linen coarse clothes, let's go to the Peng family's grange." ”

Qi Niang, who loves to join in the fun, cheered, and immediately went to do it.

*

Cicadas chirp and clamor.

On the ridges, farmers are busy irrigating their rice fields.

June is the time when the rice ears grow, and the number of pests and diseases increases due to the rising temperature, so the farmers take the trouble to hunch their backs and remove insects and irrigate under the scorching sun.

Qi Niang is cute and loved by the elders. He simply leaned up and asked an old man: "Ah Weng, do you recognize the Peng family?" ”

The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead, and was a little suspicious: "What are you doing looking for Peng Gong?" ”

Qi Niang put on a aggrieved little face, and said nonsense: "I want to rent a field, there is no rice at home, and I haven't eaten well for a long time." ”

Li Bai almost laughed not far away.

What a little liar.

The old man's eyes were not very good, and he vaguely saw that Qi Niang was wearing poor acid, and there was a smear of ash on his face, so he was just a poor child. Then his tone softened: "Don't worry, the steward of the Grange will come later, and ask you Aya to talk to him well." ”

The grandmother next to her also interjected: "That's you, Aya, right?" Oh, Lang Jun, who was young and strong, was standing under the tree and was lazy, calling a four- or five-year-old milk doll to come over and bask in the sun, so ruthless. ”

Qi Niang listened happily and quietly agreed: "That's it." ”

Li Bai under the tree coughed sharply when he heard it.

Now, he has no choice but to pretend to be ruthless.

Li Bai stepped forward and accosted: "You farm for Peng Gong, can you eat enough?" ”

When the surrounding farmers mentioned this topic, they had smiles on their faces: "Peng Gong is a good person." The villagers in the township all got Peng Gong's kindness, so they had a bowl of rice to eat. ”

"Yes. My family can't open the pot, or Peng Gong lent the seeds of spring planting in advance, so that we only need to bury our heads in planting, and pay the grain according to the deed in the autumn harvest. ”

"Lang Jun, you can come with confidence! The peasants in the Anlu area who could not afford to pay the taxes were almost all tenants of the Peng and Tian families. ”

Tenant farmers, you say a word to me, but the farm work in hand is not left behind.

After Li Bai heard this, he showed a saved expression and rubbed his hands embarrassedly: "That's good, that's good." I don't know how much rent we have to pay for Peng Bus? ”

The old man snapped his fingers and roughly calculated: "My family's two acres of land, collect rent three times, regret one penalty and two fines, plus borrow the seeds of the master's family when returning the spring seeds, you can leave more than one hundred." Insert the empty wheel to plant some millet and millet, and you can also make up the rations of the old couple. ”

Qi Niang's eyes widened when she heard this.

For them, is there hope and a headway for them?

Li Bai also faced the weight of the words "how difficult the people's livelihood is" for the first time. Even in the prosperous times, under the heavy conscription, the hardships and responsibilities all fell on the people.

He wondered, will those who are high in the sky be able to bend their backbones and wade into the mud fields one day, and sweat all year round for the rations of this acre and two hundreds?

Both the master and apprentice were uncomfortable.

Li Bai couldn't hold it back, pretending to be happy, and said, "It's not right! ”

Old man: "What's wrong?" ”

"Have you ever thought that Duke Peng is willing to rent out the land and collect rent to avoid trouble, but what about the government that owns a large amount of public land? To whom did their public land grow? ”

A strong man quietly mixed behind, and suddenly spoke: "Yes, I haven't heard of anyone planting the government's public land in the past few years." After my family sold their land, they still wanted to go and farm the public land. ”

The gossiping tenant farmers suddenly fell silent.

They all set their eyes on Li Bai and Qi Niang.

Li Bai gave the strong man a slightly calm look, and said solemnly: "I heard that in the area of Jiangnan East Road, there are wealthy families who privately inherit the public land of the government, and then lease it to tenant farmers to earn poor silver. Jiangnan people call him -"

"Two landlords."

Li Bai's words were like thunderbolts, waking up the busy farmers in the fields.

As soon as everyone summed up, they carried farm tools out of the paddy field, and bumped into the manager of Peng's mansion, and the scene was suddenly chaotic, like a peasant uprising.

The steward went from being arrogant to begging for mercy on his knees, but in a breath. He sat paralyzed on the ground, and it seemed that the Peng family had ghosts.

The tenant farmers were furious, escorting people with farm tools, and a long queue went to the government office. There was no one on the ridge, but there was a bit of a demonstration and a strike.

The state and county government intervened, and the follow-up affairs were beyond the control of Li Bai and Qi Niang.

Qi Niang followed behind Li Bai, jumping up and down on his long shadow: "Twelve Bai!" ”

Li Bai raised his forehead: "Call Master." ”

"Master, what do you think will happen to this?"

Li Bai put one hand behind him, and with the other hand, he untied the wine naan on his belt, and happily raised his head to drink, and then wiped his chin with his sleeve: "I think...... It shouldn't be like that. ”

"However, it is enough for the three rooms of the Xu family to go to the government office to rob at this moment."

The fact that Gongtian was made by the "two landlords" is a real thing.

According to the attitude of managing affairs, the government and the Pengtian family also have disagreements, so there is a high probability that it is still a conflict of interests.

Qi Niang listened to the clouds and shook Li Bai's arm: "Huh? What, what! ”

Li Bai had no choice but to say: "The Xu family's involvement in this game is likely to be used by the government as a bargaining chip to control the Peng family, and they can rely on the government and take the opportunity to regain some of their ancestral property." ”

That's the limit of what he can do now.

This is only a struggle, and it is far from having the effect of shaking up the land annexation.

But Li Bai inexplicably felt that as long as Qi Niang was there, this road would get better and better.

*

Hot summer nights.

A little light of fireflies floats in the mountains and forests, making people feel cool for no reason.

Qi Niang made a pillow with her hands and spread it out on the board in the courtyard. It wasn't until I heard the frightened bird bell ringing under the eaves of the porch that I opened my eyes and looked: "Master, have you finished reading the book?" ”

Li Bai came out of the study, saw Qi Niang's lazy appearance, and smiled helplessly: "Your little stove, it's hot again?" I chilled some summer peaches, grapes and sand nuts in the house......"

Before she finished speaking, Qi Niang got up and rushed into the hall to forage for food.

After the candle burst into flames, there was a crisp "click" of nibbling peaches inside.

The orchard horticulture of the Tang people is of a high standard.

Not only fruit trees are planted everywhere in the suburbs of Chang'an, but also orchards are often carried in the granges, temples and temples of officials and eunuchs in various places, and the types of fruit trees involved have reached thirty or forty kinds. ⑤

Qi Niang's favorite food since she was a child is Shuzhong yellow mandarin, and Li Bai and Zhao Rui also planted dozens of plants in the mountains for this purpose. Now that she can't eat outside the house, she gnaws on peaches with the energy of longing.

"Click, click, click."

Li Bai heard it clearly outside, and joked: "Eating a Xia Bai peach, how can it be like gnawing copper and iron raw." ”

Qi Niang was amused, and after holding her stomach and laughing, she suddenly asked, "Master, did King Ning reply to you?" ”

After the Xu family recaptured a part of Yongye Field, the pair of masters and apprentices settled down.

On the one hand, it is to take into account the reputation of the family; On the other hand, Li Bai has already decided to participate in the Jingzhaofu Township Tribute in Mengqiu next year.

After making up his mind, Li Bai repaired a letter and went to the Yangzhou Metropolitan Governor's Mansion.

He was very firm in handing over his answer sheet to King Ning-tribute.

Thinking of King Ning's reply, Li Bai's face was strange, and he couldn't help but smile and reply after holding back for a long time: "Hmm." King Ning was probably satisfied with the answer and asked me to meet in Yangzhou. ”

Qi Niang sensed that something was wrong: "Then what do you say?" ”

Li Bai: "Hahahaha, I can't say it, it's not time yet." ”

Qi Niang also followed the "fluttering" music. Well, King Ning was blocked back by his original words.

This is not Li Bai's deliberate revenge on King Ning.

The Tang Dynasty's Gongju (Imperial Examination) Changke was different from other dynasties, and the article examination school was not only decided by the Ministry of Rites, but also the test papers were not vague.

This is a loophole that belongs only to the initial period of the imperial examination.

It was originally intended to investigate the fame and conduct of scholars, but later it became a help for black-box operations.

As a result, the trend of "public recommendation and entrustment" prevailed (6), and outside the field, the public secretary's recommendation could even leave and right. What is more important than learning and doing work is a false name.

Compared with entering the office, Li Bai actually chose a more difficult path.

Qi Niang laughed enough, rubbed her eyes, yawned and asked, "Will you miss the benefits of King Ning, Master, if you can't save face, I'll go for you." ”

Li Bai peeled the grapes angrily and gagged her: "You just die." Even if King Ning meets, he will not recommend me for the imperial examination. Then I still have to go to Yangzhou to see something! He held back everything he had to say, and when he entered Chang'an, he would see him at the peak. ”

Qi Niang chewed, the grapes in her mouth were sweet and juicy, where could she still take care of King Ning, and opened her mouth to signal Li Bai to feed another one.

The uninhibited Li Taibai is not afraid.

She hugged a sword boy, what is there to be afraid of!

Besides, it's a big deal that she'll trade Alpha for some knowledge rewards. Anyway, the master is a gossip with rake ears, and she hasn't exchanged it yet.

While eating grapes, Qi Niang summoned the panel, scribbled down among the countless fragments of knowledge, and finally stopped at the item of "agriculture".

That's right, it's land!

Land is the best gift to mankind.

The Tang Dynasty has fertile soil and vast territory, and if they can all plant good land, will the tenant farmers also live a better life?

Qi Niang thought about it and clicked on the [Agriculture] option.

[If you don't have enough points to exchange for specific wisdom achievements, please get more gossip points.] 】

Qi Niang: "......"

Master's gossip is really worthless.

*

If you eat too many grapes, you will have a stomachache.

Early the next morning, Qi Niang rolled over and over on the couch with her belly, Li Bai was around, waiting for the doctor, while pouring hot water for Qi Niang, and chattering endlessly: "I told you to eat so many grapes, I peeled a large bunch and put it all into your mouth!" ”

Qi Niang had a white face and cried: "Who told you to feed me." ”

Li Bai glared, that's not what you look like you have to eat, and you cry to me if you can't eat!

Seeing the little girl bury her head in the crook of her arm and weakly shout "Master", Li Bai's fire was completely extinguished.

His eyes showed distress, he bent over and touched the top of Qi Niang's hair, and coaxed softly: "It's the master who is not good, I will remember it in the future, and I won't give you more food." ”

The healer soon arrived.

Li Youcheng personally beat the horse to invite him, and the old man sat behind the horse and was scared enough, so he came in and calmed down, and then stepped forward to check the pulse of Qi Niang.

After a while, the old doctor let out a long breath: "Don't get in the way, the little girl in the house should have eaten too many grapes." Although it can replenish qi and blood, if you eat too much ice, your spleen and stomach will be uncomfortable. ”

After speaking, he deliberately glanced at Li Youcheng.

Just now, this Lang Jun cried for his father and called his mother, and he thought that he had eaten some terrible poison by mistake!

Seeing that Li Bai and Li Youcheng still looked forward to it, the old doctor had no choice but to bite the bullet and prescribe three pairs of tonic herbs to Qi Niang.

Qi Niang lay on the bed and looked at the little old man with resentment.

After some hectic commotion, Li Zhai finally quieted down.

Aunt Zhou also hurriedly came to see Qi Niang, and saw that the little girl was regained her energetic appearance, and she could still talk to Li Bai, so she was relieved.

Zhou seemed to have cried before he came, and the corners of his eyes were a little red. Maybe it's to cover up, and I deliberately put on makeup today.

She took the decoction handed by the servant, blew it cold and fed it: "Come, Qi Niang." Drink the medicine well to get better quickly. ”

Although the little girl on the bed was still sick, she was keenly aware of her aunt's sadness, so she swallowed the decoction with an obedient "ah-woo".

By the time the bowl of soup was drunk, Qi Niang had already shown an expression of looking at death as if she were at home.

Li Bai turned his head sideways and laughed.

Qi Niang glared at him angrily and bared her teeth: "When Ah Lang is sick, I will beat gongs and drums and set off firecrackers next to me!" ”

Li Bai: "......"

Zhou's spirit was not good, so he instructed his personal maid to send a cup of hot corn porridge to Qi Niang, and went back first.

Qi Niang and the others walked away, and then beckoned to Li Youcheng: "Seventeen Lang, what's wrong with Auntie?" ”

After Li Youcheng came from the Zhou family, his expression was a little solemn, and he must know something.

"You don't know, my aunt's daughter just accidentally ingested the poisonous herb and left in time. That's why today scared me. Li Youcheng looked at Qi Niang, hesitated for a moment and said, "Moreover, today is the 100-day festival of the younger sister, and the aunt must be very sad." ”

I see.

Qi Niang thought of Zhou's depressed appearance, and couldn't help asking: "Isn't that sister also only five years old." She is the maiden of the house, how can she have the opportunity to encounter poisonous herbs. ”

Li Youcheng shook his head: "Auntie, they all lived in Jiaxing County with Ji's father before, and I don't know. ”

When my sister died, Ji's father and aunt were too sad, and no one in the family dared to ask for details.

Qi Niang chatted with them for a while, drank the millet porridge sent by the maid, ate two mouthfuls of vegetarian dishes, and fell asleep hungry.

It's really hard to get sick!

You are not allowed to eat delicious food, and you have to drink bitter medicine, her stomach is going to be troubled!

The little girl in her sleep muttered to herself, and Li Bai quietly leaned in with Li Youcheng to listen-

"Cherry cheese, crystal dragon and phoenix cake, mandarin fish soup ......"

"Suck and slip."

*

Qi Niang's body is very durable, and after drinking gruel and bitter medicine for two days, she can't wait to get out of bed and practice a set of swordsmanship.

"Look! I'm alright, really good. ”

Li Bai held back a smile and replied with a cold face: "Oh." So what. ”

Qi Niang stuck up, hugged Li Bai's arm and shook it: "Master, hungry, hungry, rice!" ”

Li Bai couldn't stand this abrasive spirit pestering him to be coquettish, so he had to surrender: "Okay, okay, today I made an appointment with Seventeen Lang and them to go to the mountain for a banquet, and you will go together!" ”

There are many banquets of the Tang people, and each one has a strange name.

As long as people are happy and the weather is good, a group of fox friends and dog friends take a few jars of good wine to share food between the mountains and fields, which can also be called a feast.

Qi Niang was very happy about this.

Anyway, no matter what the banquet is, she can eat a lot, so happy!

Today I am going to Bishan in the northwest of Anlu, which belongs to the remnants of Dahong Mountain.

Li Bai and Li Youcheng were disgusted with the slow driving of the car, so they simply beat the horses and went together. And Qi Niang was still young and couldn't control the horse, so she could only sit in Li Bai's arms.

Half an hour later, the crowd entered the realm of mountains and forests.

Bishan is full of trees, mostly pines and cypresses, and there are no tall trees, so the field of vision is very broad.

Li Bai and his disciples discussed where to put the horse under the mountain, and simply put Qi Niang down first.

The mountain breeze passed through the trees and blew on the people, and it was soft and refreshing. Qi Niang looked around in a new way, then tilted her head and waved her little hand excitedly at the edge of the mountain.

Li Bai immediately looked sideways: "What's wrong?" ”

Qi Niang: "Someone beckoned to me. ”

Li Bai looked up along Qi Niang's line of sight, and saw a bearded Lang Jun sitting in the Shanyan Pavilion, greeting them with a smile.

Looking at the clothes, it seems that he is also a traveling scribe.

Li Bai turned over and dismounted, arched his hand and said loudly: "Li Twelve in Xia Mianzhou." ”

Qi Niang roared: "White! ”

Everyone: "......"

Lang Jun in the pavilion was amused by Qi Niang, and also got up to return the salute: "The person in Xiaxiangyang, surnamed Meng, the word Haoran." ”