Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 131 Tianhua Dibao
Last autumn, there was a bumper harvest in Guanzhong. The imperial court implemented the method of buying grains in Guanzhong and purchased the grain in Guanzhong at a market price that was [-] to [-]% higher than the market price for the palace and the border defense of the northwest states.

A large amount of silk and silk from the south of the Yangtze River were distributed to the people in Guanzhong in the form of Hebian.

A slight change in the form of wealth resulted in temporary prosperity.During the New Year this year, many people came to Chang'an City to buy new year's goods, and business was particularly prosperous.

One of the functions of Hebian is to increase the amount of liquid currency at the social level.With silk in their hands, people would go to surrounding markets to buy daily necessities.It is good for revitalizing the economy.

Of course, if you only look at the bright side, this is indeed the case.

Since we are about to go to Lingzhou to meet the alliance, we need a good start to make the people of Chang'an happy.Therefore, Li Longji, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, announced the opening of the Great Temple for three days. He showed a rare act of kindness: all the expenses for this Great Temple were paid from the internal treasury and were not allocated to the local officials in the capital.

The universal celebration of Dayu was not given in vain. Li Longji had his own profound considerations.

Forming an alliance with the Tiele tribes on the grassland was a great achievement comparable to that of Taizong.

Brother Ji believes that his martial arts skills are comparable to those of Taizong, and he has no shortcomings.

It is necessary to take advantage of this alliance to raise one's reputation to an unprecedented level.From now on, when people talk about the Tang Dynasty, Taizong will be the first and he will be the second. He is very beautiful and has no regrets in this life.

The three-day stay in Dayou, Chang'an was also to build momentum. The money was well spent, and it was all spent on myself, so Brother Ji didn't feel distressed at all.

On the last day before all officials retired, Brother Ji issued an edict. It was very long, and its general meaning was very clear:
There is a saying in Wang Bo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" that "the treasures of heaven are as precious as the dragon's light, and the oxen are in vain." I think today's Tang Dynasty is worthy of this sentence.It is a time when the harvest is abundant, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and all nations are coming to court.Change the year name "Kaiyuan" to "Tianbao", may our Tang Dynasty be a treasure of heaven and earth for generations to come, and be immortal for eternity.

After the Shangyuan Festival next year, it will be the first year of Tianbao, and the 28th year of Kaiyuan will be the last year of the Kaiyuan era.

As soon as this imperial edict was issued, the central officials in Chang'an City felt as uncomfortable as eating flies, but they could not "hard-core" the emperor on such a trivial matter.

With Li Linfu here, Brother Ji's edict will basically not be returned.

Li Longji issued an edict on the last day before the central government went on annual leave. What needs to be said about what he wants to do?
I wish I could have painted that face on the edict!

The courtiers with a keen sense of smell smelled meaningful information from this reign name.

The so-called "Kaiyuan" means opening up a new era and symbolizing efforts to govern.

At that time, Datang was emerging from a series of violent strife and changes at the top level, like a patient recovering from a serious illness.

How to get back on track and how to correct all the deviant things and social trends since Wu Zhou Dynasty seemed like a big mountain before Li Longji.

At that time, he was determined to create a new era with his own profound imprint.

To a certain extent, Brother Ji did it, and even did it pretty well.

Now it is easy to understand that the year name is changed to "Tianbao".

To put it bluntly, doesn’t it mean that Brother Ji thinks that he has done all he can do, and now it’s time to enjoy it?

After working hard for most of my life, why can't I still listen to singing and watch dancing?
All civil and military officials in the dynasty kept silent and acquiesced in the "rudeness" of this edict.

At this time, whoever jumps out to oppose will be beaten to death.

Still silence is golden, it is better to say less.

……

"Hahahahahaha, it turns out he is General Wang's son-in-law. Fang Shijun is really young and promising!"

In the lobby of the Doulu Army Mansion in the center of Luocheng, Dunhuang County, Shazhou, in front of Fang Chongyong, a bearded and burly man, was casually looking at the letter of appointment he handed over and laughing indifferently.

"Does General Wang also know my father-in-law?"

Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully.

Wang Zhongsi’s connections are so extensive!

"Of course, so-and-so is Wang Sili, who was promoted by General Wang to serve as the envoy of the Doulu Army. When General Wang came to Hexi this time, he took a certain person with him, and then he was placed in the Doulu Army.

Wang Huailiang, the former governor of Shazhou and military envoy of the Doulu Army, was imprisoned for his crime, so a certain person succeeded him as the military envoy. "

Wang Sili touched his head and said, a little embarrassed.

This military envoy came so easily that he felt uneasy!

"Wang Huailiang is really a wonderful person."

Fang Chongyong smiled bitterly and sighed.This man was convicted, which caused a series of bad things.

Fang Chongyong is now "the governor of Shazhou", but he has not "removed the Ministry of Rites and served as a foreign minister".

In other words, Fang Chongyong's current role as governor is just a guest appearance, and it is not a big problem for him to do nothing, because there are Sima and Changshi under the local governor.In emergencies when the governor is unable to serve as governor for various reasons, one of these two people actually acts as deputy.

No appointment from the court is required, the appointment takes effect automatically.

Moreover, in border towns, the Doulu Army envoy can also "guest star" as Shazhou governor in emergencies. In many cases, the two roles are often held by one person.

Fang Chongyong suspected that Brother Ji might be afraid that he would be bullied in the border town, so he deliberately added a lot of useless positions that could help him get in trouble no matter what.

But having said that, "acting positions" can be fooled, but seriously appointed positions cannot.

Fang Chongyong guessed that the Doulu Army Envoy was probably just "invented" by the imperial court. However, once appointed by the imperial court, it would be serious and should not be taken lightly.

This was why he took the lead in reporting to the Doulu Army Mansion the next day without even thinking about it.

Of course, this is just his first stop.

Next, Fang Chongyong has to go to the Shazhou government office in the small city and the Buddhist temple in Yaoquan. There is already a director of the Ministry of Etiquette there, and Fang Chongyong wants to go there to handle the handover.From then on, for at least four years, until the court sent someone to replace him, he had to take care of the stone Buddhas and murals in the Mogao Grottoes.

At least for the next four years, I can't make "reports" and return to Chang'an.

Suddenly, Wang Sili, who had been silent until now, frowned slightly, as if he thought of something inappropriate.

Seeing his expression, Fang Chongyong's heart tightened, and he asked cautiously: "Do you think there is something wrong with the envoy Wang Jun? He took up a military position at a young age, so he is really worried. If you have anything to do, please ask the envoy Wang Jun. It must be made clear that a certain person will not delay the royal envoy’s daily military affairs.”

Seeing Fang Chongyong's humble appearance, Wang Sili couldn't help but laugh or cry. He waved his hands and explained with confusion:

"The problem is not Fang Shijun, but someone is wondering. Two days ago, someone wrote to the court asking for instructions to add a branch envoy to the Doulu Army. Why did Fang Shijun take out the court documents today?

This...is a bit unreasonable.

In the past, military affairs were all handled by Wang Huailiang, the envoy of the Doulu Army. I didn't know that the envoy came here for this. "

Well, Fang Chongyong had a bad feeling in his heart.

"The Doulu Army only has 300 people, so it shouldn't need an envoy, right?"

Fang Chongyong asked with some guilt.

Wang Sili looked around, pulled Fang Chongyong to a deserted place, and complained softly:

"Fang Shijun doesn't know something. The branch envoys of the Doulu Army are different from the branch envoys elsewhere. In fact, this is just a nicer way of saying it."

"What about the bad ones?"

Fang Chongyong looked calm, but his heart was as anxious as a boiling kettle.

"Well, there are a lot of bad things. It's all Beijing debt, discount money, etc. Anyway, it's just letting the cloth out, collecting the grain or cloth, borrowing one and paying back two... That's pretty much it." Wang Sili tilted his head. , dare not look at Fang Chongyong.

Letting such an old child become a loan shark... is an unscrupulous act!Wang Sili, a tall and dignified man, felt ashamed.

But this was appointed by the court and cannot be changed. But why did the court appoint it like this?
"Isn't the post of Doulu Army's envoy a false position?"

Fang Chongyong was not feeling well.

"How could it be a false position? In the past, it was the commander-in-chief of the Doulu Army. I saw that the official position of the commander-in-chief was too small, he was still an expatriate official, and there were many big local families. I was afraid that he would not be able to show off his face, so I asked the court Please ask for instructions to set up a special branch envoy.

I didn't expect it would turn out like this. "

Wang Sili said to Fang Zhongyong with an apologetic look on his face.

The good news is that the local military envoy is a direct descendant of his father-in-law.

Bad news, he was appointed as the head of an official loan shark and underground bank.

The harvest from today’s trip is really subtle.

After organizing his words in his mind, Fang Chongyong asked Wang Sili in a low voice: "Doulu Jun is playing like this, and the court just doesn't care?"

Hearing this, Wang Sili was startled, then spread his hands and asked: "There are valuable treasures from the Western Regions. The locals in Dunhuang want to buy them but have no cash. Do they want to find someone to lend them money? Then resell these goods to Chang'an?"

"That's really necessary."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

“Since it’s a loan, it must be from a big banker in a small town.

So everyone wants to borrow it, why not ask Doulujun to borrow it?

Big local businesses are also afraid that someone will not pay back their debts, but Doulujun is not afraid of anyone who owes money.The knives in our hands are very fast. "

Wang Sili chuckled.

Since there is a market for loan sharking, and it is even extremely active, why can't we borrow money from the local garrison?We have to force the Doulu Army to disguise themselves as horse bandits and intercept the caravan in the desert, right?

Fang Chongyong somewhat understood why Wang Sili set up a separate branch envoy in the Doulu Army.

It's all about survival!
This "Zhi Du Shi" with Dunhuang characteristics should correspond to the local "Ying Tian Shi", and it would be more accurate to call it "Ying Qian Shi".

"Grow" money among the locals in Dunhuang, and then cut off their heads like leeks.

There is no saying about whether it is good or bad. People who think it is not good can not borrow it.

This is just a local survival strategy in Shazhou.There are many rare treasures from the Western Regions that can be sold to Chang'an for more than ten times the profit. There are many people here who are keen on money.

Those who gamble at the table should not be afraid of losing, and those who borrow loan sharks should not be afraid of high interest rates. These are all matters for those who are willing to take the bait!

When the imperial court assigned Fang Chongyong this "branch envoy", he didn't think about these nonsense at all. He just "transplanted" the Chishui Army's lieutenant over, thinking that the Doulu Army was too small, so it probably wouldn't be a big deal.

I didn't expect that once Wang Sili's memorial was handed over, if Brother Ji didn't open his eyes, he would be lured to his grandma's house!
"Fang Shijun's regimental training officer is unnecessary. Although the local people in Shazhou are strong and fierce, there is indeed no unified army."

Wang Sili finally told Fang Chongyong some good news that was not good news at all.

Now Fang Yanei is in a state of chaos, and he is afraid that Brother Ji will cause something wrong again.

"However, the establishment of the Doulu Army is too small and often not enough for use. Therefore, the local Doulu Army's standing army now has more than 500 people.

We need to find ways to provide food that is not enough.

Although Fang Shijun's branch is just to meet the needs, it is really a big mountain.If the situation is really difficult for you, it would not be a problem for someone to issue a memorial and ask the court to replace him.It will only affect your reputation. "

Wang Sili comforted Fang Chongyong and said.

More than [-]% overstaffed?

Fang Zhongyong, who had already breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly looked up at Wang Sili, shocked in his heart and confused.

"So many super staffs?"

Fang Chongyong no longer knew what to say, he could only listen to Wang Sili's explanation first.

The imperial court only provided an establishment of 200 people, and the other [-] people needed to be overstaffed. The local government and the garrison needed to find a way.This man eats horse chews, and the military rations alone are not a small sum.

"Doulu Army, we have to protect the trade routes in the Western Regions. Guarding the large caravan is also one of the daily military duties. If we can't maintain the local order in Dunhuang, then who will take the Tang Dynasty seriously?
The five states in Hexi are heavier in the east than in the west, and the troops are mainly concentrated in Liangzhou.But when it comes to daily chores, Doulujun is responsible for the most. The establishment of more than 4000 people has to defend the city, conduct daily patrols, and escort large caravans out of customs. It is really not enough. "

Wang Sili said helplessly.

Does the court know about similar rubbish or not?This question is difficult to answer.

But one thing is for sure, just don’t know.

Even if they knew about it, the court would definitely turn a blind eye to it, only seeking the general outline and not pursuing the details.

If you can keep Dunhuang, keep Shazhou under the firm control of the Tang Dynasty, and ensure the smoothness of the Silk Road, then you can just take care of local needs yourself!
The account books of the central military department of the Tang Dynasty were one account, and the local account books were another account.These are unspoken rules, see through them but don’t tell them.

Since there are those who are over-staffed, there are also those who are on free wages. These must be adjusted by the border town according to local needs.

The center of the imperial court in the feudal era, never expect too much from them!
Fang Chongyong thought maliciously.

"By the way, the governor's office is also in the medicinal spring, which saves you a lot of trouble."

Wang Sili mentioned one more thing.

Fang Chongyong was thoughtful and asked doubtfully: "Why not in Luocheng?"

"Luocheng is a mixed bag of fish and dragons. There are too many military rations and silks piled up, and the warehouse is easy to be visited by thieves. You can only be a thief for a thousand days, but there is no way to guard against thieves for a thousand days."

There is a large lake on the other side of the medicine spring, with some fields and granaries around it. The other three sides are surrounded by mountains and are covered with sand, and only one side has a road.Even if someone steals without opening their eyes, they can't run away. This is to prevent the Doulu Army from being guarded and stealing.

Anyway, it's less than ten miles away from Luocheng, so it doesn't matter. "

"That's fine."

Fang Chongyong nodded and waited until he took over the loan sharking business.

Brother Ji is really willful.

"By the way, I will arrange for five hundred cavalry to camp near the medicine spring to help you.

Among those who borrowed money, it was common for large households to borrow hundreds of dollars of grain, and more than a hundred people were escorted each time.If the Doulu Army didn't send people to keep an eye on it, those desperadoes would inevitably have some wrong ideas. "

Fang Zhongyong nodded numbly, still thinking about what the unit "Shuo" meant. It seemed to be commonly used in Dunhuang. He guessed it should be similar to "Shi".

What Fang Chongyong and Wang Sili didn't know was that in order to combat the arrogance of the Tibetan people, in the coldest month of winter, under the most unfavorable weather conditions for the Tang army, Hexi Jiedushi Xiao Jiong and Longyou Jiedushi Du Hope joined forces to concentrate on With nearly [-] troops, they launched a large-scale counterattack against the Tibetans in the Hehuang Valley from two directions!
Dunhuang, the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor, has become the calmest place in the surrounding area.

　The story comes from life, savor it carefully.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)