First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

...

In Feng An's narration, Gao Chong also gained a deeper understanding of the Tan clan in Luozhou and the powerful chiefs from various places in Lingnan.

Some of the information previously collected by Wei Fengwei was only superficial, and they did not know about some unknown past events of these chiefs and marshals.

If we take a closer look at the formation of the current pattern of powerful chieftains in Lingnan, we need to trace it back to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.

Thinking of this, Gao Chong's hatred for the Sima clan became even more intense. The Sima clan had harmed the country to the extreme, and Gao Chong really had no interest in Sima and Jin.

In fact, the Liao people, that is, the combination of the Han people in the Central Plains and the local barbarians, are now almost regardless of you and me, and are collectively called the Liao barbarians.

Rich families such as the Feng family and the Ning family are all Han Chinese who migrated south.

It was precisely because of Sima's political chaos that the Hu people went south and the world was in chaos. Han people from the Central Plains moved to Lingnan to take refuge and gradually integrated into the local indigenous people.

For example, Ning's ancestral home is Linzi, Feng's ancestral home is Liaodong, Chen's ancestral home is Yingchuan, etc.

The indigenous people of Lingnan belong to the ancient Baiyue. They often gather in towns and villages and live scattered among the high mountains and valleys. Their social civilization is relatively backward, living materials are scarce, and they plunder and attack each other. It can even be called the primitive era of living like hair and drinking blood.

These wealthy families who moved south quickly integrated into the local area with their advanced farming technology and civilization, and gradually became local leaders with their knowledge and wisdom, becoming powerful chiefs who combined local officials and indigenous leaders.

For example, the Chen family of Yingchuan at that time moved a large number of people southward and eventually became powerful chiefs, such as Chen Tan, the governor of Cangwu, Chen Yu, the governor of Kangzhou, Chen Dai, the governor of Qinzhou, and Chen Boxao, the protector of Xijiang. They formed a powerful empire. power.

Seeing this, you may understand the origin of Nanchen, precisely because of these powerful chieftains of the Chen family.

Later, there was a man who served as the Governor of Xijiang in Nanliang and was also the governor of Gaoyao. He was also from the branch of the Chen family in Yingchuan. With the help of the Chen family in Lingnan, he went north to quell Hou Jing's rebellion and founded the Chen Dynasty. His name was Chen Baxian.

The Tan clan of Luozhou mentioned by Feng Ang was always attached to the Chen clan until the Sui Dynasty, when Chen Fozhi, the chief of the Chen clan, died in battle. At that time, Tan Dian was the commander-in-chief of Chen Fozhi.

After Chen Fozhi's death, Tan Dian finally did something righteous. He took Chen Fozhi's son, Chen Longshu, to Huaide County (i.e., Yunkai Mountain) to avoid trouble. Later, Tan Dian climbed up to the Ning family in Qinzhou and escorted Chen Longshu. He went to Qinzhou, which was Anzhou at that time, and took refuge with Ning Mengli.

Chen's tree fell and the monkeys dispersed, and Tan Palace developed rapidly. It united the chiefs of the two mountains of Yunkai and Yunwu, and gradually took over the traditional sphere of influence of the Chen family. Now it belongs to the two mountains of Yunkai and Yunwu. The premier warchief.

Moreover, Tandian had no loyalty to the emperor at all. He could come and go freely in the mountains. That is to say, he encouraged the officials in Zhuxidong to oppose household registration.

As for the relationship between the Feng family and the Tan family, it goes back even further and needs to be traced back to the Sixteen Kingdoms period.

Although the Tan family was attached to the Chen family in the pre-Sui period, and later to the Ning family, in fact, the Tan family was first attached to the Feng family, and it should not be said to be dependent. It should be subordinate to the Feng family, because he was a descendant of the Feng family. A force that splintered from the Feng family.

Speaking of the Feng family in Gaozhou, their background was extraordinary. Seriously, they were also descendants of the royal family.

During the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a country in the Youyan and Liaodong areas, which was Beiyan.

Beiyan only existed for 29 years. The last monarch was named Feng Hong, with the courtesy name Wentong and the posthumous title Emperor Zhaocheng.

The rise of the Northern Wei Dynasty swept the north, and the Northern Yan's national power was weakened and lost to the Northern Wei Dynasty. However, Feng Hong did not want to surrender to the Northern Wei Dynasty, so he fled to Goguryeo with his family.

Feng Hong may have understood the principle of diversifying risks, so he ordered his son Feng Ye to lead [-] tribesmen to cross the sea from Goguryeo and defect to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

It just happened that there was a war in the Central Plains, and the fleet did not dare to dock. Feng Ye went through hardships and traveled thousands of miles, starting from Goguryeo and traveling all the way to Nanhai County, which is now Lingnan Panyu, where he landed and stopped in Panyu.

At this time, the Eastern Jin Dynasty had died, Liu Yu rose up, deposed Emperor Gong of Jin Dynasty, and established the Song Dynasty, namely Liu Song Dynasty.

The Liu Song regime was newly established, and Liu Yu urgently needed to stabilize his regime. At this time, Feng Ye came from Lingnan to surrender.

Although Feng Ye fled to Lingnan and is now alone, with no power, no soldiers, and no generals, he is at least a member of the Northern Yan royal family and has a distinguished status. If he represents Northern Yan and surrenders to the new Liu Song regime, it will have great political significance. Same as usual.

Liu Yu was overjoyed when he heard the news and immediately made Feng Ye the governor of Luozhou and the title of Marquis of Huaihua.

The impoverished Feng Ye really caught up with a good time.

If it had been earlier and the Eastern Jin Dynasty had not perished, then the Eastern Jin Dynasty would have had no time to take care of him;
But if it were later, when Liu Song had stabilized his power, Feng Ye, a descendant of the exiled Northern Yan royal family, would never receive this treatment.

Feng Ye then moved to Luozhou, and his position as governor was passed down to his grandson Feng Rong. He served as the governor of Luozhou for three generations. During Feng Rong's period, Tan Dian's great-grandfather was a general under Feng Rong and was ordered to guard Luozhou.

Feng Rongchuan was succeeded by his son Feng Bao. Feng Bao married the daughter of the Xian family, a powerful chieftain of the Baiyue tribe in Gaoliang, as Mrs. Xian. From then on, Gaoliang was officially included in the Feng family's sphere of influence.

Later, Feng Baozhuan was located in his son Feng Pu, and Feng An was Feng Pu's son.

When it comes to Feng An's father, Feng Pu, he is also a legendary figure. He had a great heroic mother. Ouyang He, the governor of Guangzhou at that time, was jealous of Emperor Chen Xuan. Ouyang He planned to rebel. Knowing that Feng was very prestigious, he sent the then-prefect Ouyang He to the throne. Feng Pu, the prefect of Yangchun, came to Guangzhou and threatened him to join the rebellion against Chen.

Feng Pu refused to obey and was imprisoned by Ouyang He. Feng Pu had to send a message to his mother, Mrs. Xian. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Xian was furious after hearing the news. Mrs. Xian, who was over fifty years old, personally went into battle and directly sent troops to Guangzhou to attack Guangzhou City in one fell swoop. Capture Ouyang He alive and rescue Feng Pu.

Poor Ouyang He, the dignified Duke of Shanyang, a famous family in Changsha, the son of the famous general Ouyang Ji, intended to rebel, but ended up being imprisoned before even raising his banner, which made Mrs. Xian famous.

By the way, Ouyang He's son is also famous. He once discussed calligraphy with Gao Chong, and briefly succeeded Gao Junya as the servant. But his appearance... according to historical records: "looks like an ape", that is, a sharp-mouthed monkey with cheeks. He is a famous calligrapher. Ouyang Xun.

After hearing this, Gao Chong was also a little sad. With the vicissitudes of the world and the changes in current affairs, these Central Plains wealthy families came to Lingnan to take refuge and eventually became new wealthy families. After all, wealthy families are wealthy families, and their heritage is far beyond what ordinary people can compare with.

Of course, the wealthy families are not just aristocratic families. Although the Lingnan wealthy families such as the Feng family, the Chen family, and the Ning family are lords in Lingnan, they are really not popular in the world. In the eyes of the five surnames and Qi Wang, you are all barbarians. .

A wealthy family can last for hundreds of years, usually accompanying the rise and fall of a dynasty, while an aristocratic family can last for thousands of years. No matter how you change dynasties, the aristocratic family will remain as stable as a mountain.

For example, the Zheng family in Xingyang has been around since the Western Han Dynasty, when Liu Bang founded the Han Dynasty. Zheng was the chief agricultural officer at that time and first lived in Xingyang, becoming the ancestor of the Zheng family in Xingyang. It has been more than [-] years since then. The Zheng family has endured for a long time and is famous all over the world. Dare to underestimate.

Looking back to Lingnan, according to Feng An, Tan Dian's great-grandfather was just a general under the Feng family. After being ordered to station in Luozhou, he first joined the Chen family and then the Ning family over the past hundred years, and he developed into the power he has today. .

This Tan family is really... talented.

After Feng An finished speaking, Tian Yangming was amazed, "It seems that this Tan family is born with a rebellious nature. Whoever clings to whom is really discerning."

Feng Ang also shook his head and smiled bitterly, and continued to sigh: "In recent years, Tan Dian has encouraged the local officials in the mountains and has always opposed household registration. The purpose is to win the hearts and minds of the officials, and even...".Having said this, Feng Ang paused and glanced at Gao Chong. Gao Chong raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "There are no outsiders here. It's okay to be fair and honest."

Feng An nodded and sighed, "I even doubt that he is determined to be independent."

"Self-reliance?" Everyone was a little surprised.

If Tan Dian does not want to be disciplined by the government and loves freedom, this is possible, but self-reliance?This is somewhat surprising.

"Self-reliance?" Tian Yangming's eyes widened, then he curled his lips and sneered: "Could he have lost his mind and gone crazy? With only tens of thousands of people in the mountains, how can he be self-reliant?"

At that time, Feng Ang occupied more than 1 states in the eastern part of Lingnan and did not dare to stand on his own. Ning Changzhen had been powerful in the western part of Lingnan for decades, but he did not dare to stand on his own. Tian Yangming's grandfather Tian Zongxian was called "No. [-] in Kaiqian" and was powerful in central Guizhou. , appease the Han barbarians, and dare not stand on their own.

How can a mere talk hall hide in the mountains all day long and stand on its own feet?

At this time, Feng Zhidai, who had been silent, also shook his head and sighed: "We didn't expect it before, but in the past two years, Tan Dian has been causing conflicts among Han officials, claiming that they should not be controlled by the Han people, and even rumored that he deliberately created He published Li Liao's writings and made his own coins, all signs indicate that he was determined to make Li Liao independent."

With a bang, Gao Chong slapped his hand on the desk with an angry look on his face.

"He is so brave. All the nations in the world belong to the same family and belong to the Tang Empire. What does he want to do when he talks about the palace? He is trying to cause division by saying these things that are not conducive to unity. The court cannot spare him. I, Gao Youzhi, cannot spare him. !”

After hearing Gao Chong's righteous words, everyone looked solemn. Tian Yangming also stopped laughing and did not dare to laugh.

Feng An lowered his head and couldn't see his expression clearly.

No one doubted the truth or falsehood of what Feng and his son said, and there was no need to delve into it, because if Tan Dian refused to submit to the government and did not submit, he would already be on the opposite side of the court.

Furthermore, Tan Dian may have this intention to dominate the mountains and occupy Luozhou.

Maybe he thought that the Huns, the Xianbei, and the Di could build a country, so why couldn't the Lingnan Liao people build a country? This idea was not No. 1 in Tandian. The brothers Li Guangshi and Li Guangdu of Guizhou were also like this. With this idea, relying on tens of thousands of people, he tried to dominate the mountains.

This kind of thinking can only be said to be short-sighted. For example, Tian Zongxian, Ning Changzhen and Feng An understood that with a small number of officials and no advanced civilization, it was impossible to separate and stand on their own in the period of the unification of the Central Plains.

Even when Ning Daoming rebelled previously, Ning Changzhen declared to the outside world that he would defend his territory rather than intend to establish a country and become king, because Ning Changzhen knew that to stand on his own was to seek death.

Defending oneself in a solid territory, although it does not have the false reputation of founding a country and becoming king, in fact, it is still king and hegemony, and there is no need to be disciplined. Even if the imperial army comes and is defeated, you can quickly surrender and continue to be the chief of Jizhou. , Ning Changzhen’s ideas were impeccable, but he was unfortunate enough to encounter an alien like Gao Chong.

"What's the situation in Luozhou now?"

The atmosphere was silent for a long time, Gao Chong raised his head and asked.

After hearing this, Feng An hurriedly stood down and said, "I want to apologize to the Jinglue Mansion and the imperial court. Luozhou nominally belongs to the Gaozhou Dudufu, but since Tandian occupied the prefecture and county at the end of last year, the Dudufu has lost actual control."

"Didn't you send troops to recover?" Gao Chong asked with raised eyebrows.

When it comes to this, even Feng Ang, who is very good at nourishing qi, can't help but gnash his teeth, "Luozhou is close to the mountains, and thieves are extremely cunning. When I enter, they will retreat to the mountains. When I retreat, they will come out of the mountains to harass and attack each other. Each has his own way." The outcome cannot be determined completely because of the dangerous mountains.”

Ti Gaochong was also dumbfounded when he heard this. He patted his head and said with a smile: "This Tan Dian is really a talented person. He knows guerrilla warfare without any teacher."

"Guerrilla warfare?" Feng Ang couldn't help but be startled when he heard this new term.

"Rengui, tell me." Gao Chong raised his head and motioned to Xue Rengui behind him to say something.

Xue Rengui cleared his throat and said bluntly: "Guerrilla warfare is a combat method proposed by my master when he conquered the Western Qin Dynasty. In fact, it appeared as early as the Warring States Period. The meaning of "guerrilla warfare without attacking" is what the master summed up. Sixteen-word key to guerrilla warfare...".

Having said this, Xue Rengui couldn't help but look at Gao Chong. After all, the secrets of military art were never passed on to outsiders.

Upon seeing this, Gao Chong waved his hand and smiled: "It doesn't matter, this is a secret that has to be told, and there are no outsiders here."

The key to the art of war... As soon as everyone heard it, they immediately looked at it and listened attentively.

"The sixteen-character key to guerrilla warfare is that when the enemy advances, we retreat... When the enemy retreats, we chase." Xue Rengui said slowly: "According to Governor Feng, Tandian also adopted guerrilla tactics, using mountains to hide, and then cooperated with mountain warfare. People are more at home in the mountains and forests, so the outcome is perfect."

Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing this.

"Jing Lue's sixteen-character guerrilla formula is concise and comprehensive. It's really wonderful." Feng Ang twisted his beard and savored it for a long time before slowly nodding his head in praise.

"I'm just looking at the problem from the shoulders of giants. I don't dare to take credit." Gao Chong waved his hands and smiled, and then said thoughtfully, "Tan Dian... Since he doesn't obey the discipline, he can't be left alone. It's just that he is entrenched in the mountains. , this is indeed a problem.”

Feng Ang just bowed his head and said nothing.

"In my opinion, it's better to send an envoy to find out more about Tandian's thoughts and find out what's going on." Gao Chong banged on the desk and said, "I will go to Gaoliang tomorrow, and I might have to disturb Mr. Mingda." It’s been some time.”

Feng Ang's hand placed under the desk unconsciously clenched his sleeves, and a smile appeared in front of him, "What are you talking about? If you can stay in Gaoliang for a while, I would love it."

"Jinglue, let's talk about the thief's intentions..." Feng Zhidai on the side said hurriedly when he saw this.

But before he finished speaking, Feng Ang smiled and said: "The thief is unstable and capricious, so I think it would be best to send an envoy to investigate."

"Since Mr. Mingda agrees, that's the best thing." Gao Chong laughed loudly and said, "Then we will rest in Yangchun for one night and set off for Gaoliang tomorrow."

After saying that, Gao Chong looked at the expressions of Feng and his son, then looked at the four young men behind him and sighed: "When you arrive in Gaoliang, remember to come with me to worship the Virgin, and learn from the Virgin's noble character of being loyal to the king and loving the people. It's worth it." You will benefit from it for a lifetime."

The four young men also respectfully agreed upon hearing this.

"I want to go too," Tian Yangming also echoed: "I have heard the name of Our Lady of Lingnan for a long time, and I am going to Gaoliang. Since I have the opportunity, I must go to show my respect."

When he heard everyone mentioned paying homage to Mrs.