Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 132: Brother Ji who is running fast

In the early spring of the first year of Tianbao, Qinghai Lake was still freezing and the climate was harsh.Spring here is more than a month later than in Chang'an, but winter starts earlier.

However, on this day when everyone thought there would be no war, Hexi Jiedushi Xiao Jiong and Longyou Jiedushi Du Hope sent troops from the north and east respectively, with the target being the coast of Qinghai Lake occupied by Tibet. .

The Tubo people could not keep track of each other, so they had no choice but to march north to resist the invasion of the Hexi Army. In the valley south of the original new city, they encountered the Chishui Army led by Wang Zhongsi, and a fierce battle broke out between the two.The Chishui Army, which had been recuperating for several months, was as unstoppable as a tiger descending from a mountain.

The Tibetan army had been fighting in various places in the past few months and had not had a good rest. It was obviously physically weak.

In this battle, the Tibetan army was severely defeated. More than a thousand people were beheaded, and the rest retreated.Because of the sudden heavy snowfall, Wang Zhongsi was worried that the Tang army might get lost in the mountains and cause unnecessary losses, so he did not pursue it.

They had no choice but to follow the route they came from and retreat to Dadou Bago to camp in preparation for the Tibetan counterattack.

But Du Hope, who set out from Kuozhou, made many achievements.

With the cooperation of the Jishi Army on the Kuozhou front line, Du Hope led the Lintao Army, the main force of the Longyou Army, to continuously break through the three lines of defense of the Tubo people and recapture the original bases of the Jintian Army, Weisheng Army, and Wuning Army.

At the beginning, the three small towns with 1000 garrisons each could barely last a day under the Tubo raid.

Now when they were recaptured, it didn't cause any disturbance. The Tubo people's poor defense obviously did not expect that the Tang army would counterattack from here.

Du hoped to continue to lead his troops westward, taking advantage of the severe winter when the Yellow River was frozen, and led his troops to conquer the Tibetan city of Shiqiao on the other side of the Yellow River!

Caught off guard, this strategic location that was captured by Tubo during the Wu Zhou Dynasty was captured by the Tang army, and Tubo went on the strategic defensive again!

The victory report flew to Chang'an like snowflakes. However, at this time, Li Longji had already left Chang'an with the Minister of Rites and many courtiers. Under the escort of five thousand dragon warriors, they headed towards Shuofang in a mighty manner, heading straight for Ling. Zhoucheng!

In order to flatter someone who wrote a poem for him, Brother Ji not only asked He Zhizhang to follow him around, but also brought Li Bai with him!How can he care about other state affairs? Now Ji Ge only has the glory of "Khan of Heaven" in his eyes!

All reports of the victory over Tibet were kept in Chang'an by Li Linfu, and no one was sent to inform Li Longji immediately.

Li Linfu decided to delay for a few days, waiting for Brother Ji to meet in Lingzhou for the alliance, and then send the news.This allows Brother Ji to receive two surprises on the same day.

Wouldn't it be nice to have double the happiness?
……

The emperor's patrol team naturally could not move very fast.On the day the team left Chang'an City, it was an unprecedented event. The people of Chang'an watched on both sides of the road, and many good people shouted long live.Brother Ji's vanity was greatly satisfied. He even got out of the car and walked, shaking hands with the people along the way.

Brother Ji felt the satisfaction and glory of being a master. Chang'an was his home and this was his territory.Here, he can get everything he wants without any restrictions.

With excitement that was almost uncontrollable, Brother Ji headed west after leaving Chang'an. What he was thinking about was the scene where the Tiele tribes in the grassland bowed to him in Lingzhou City.

Four words to sum it up: beautiful beyond words.

The vast team arrived at Maweiyi, not far from Chang'an, which had been cleared long ago.

All the idle people who lived here before, no matter how high they were, were "invited" out, and even the postmen were replaced by eunuchs in the palace.

In Chang'an, Brother Ji's prestige is endless, and no one dares to do anything to him.However, outside Chang'an, this may not be the case.

General Chen Xuanli of the Longwu Army was very cautious, and he also did a good job in the small and inconspicuous security work.

There are many wooden boards hanging on the walls of the lobby of Maweiyi. What are written on those wooden boards are the works left by poets from all walks of life in the Tang Dynasty.

It was not dark yet, and Brother Ji was very interested. He took He Zhizhang, Li Bai and others to appreciate these works and comment on them.

It has to be said that Brother Ji's literary accomplishment is still very high, and there are many poets like He Zhizhang and Li Bai around him, so naturally he doesn't like the wooden boards hanging on the wall.

Brother Ji, what good poems have you not seen?

For example, the song Zhang mentioned was not very good to Brother Ji.It is true that Zhang said he was a prime minister, but his poetry writing skills were indeed average.

"Although the beautiful face hides the dust of Mawei, the resentment and smoke lock Weijin. The cicada's temples do not follow Luan Jia, and so far it is empty to see the people coming and going.

Who wrote this poem? It's so wrong. How can such a work be hung on the wall? "

Brother Ji finally discovered the poem that Fang Chongyong left behind when he left Chang'an for Hexi. Unfortunately, it was signed "Anonymous" and he couldn't find out who wrote it for a while.

Ji Ge vaguely felt that this poem was satirizing himself, but he had no proof.

Just the word "Luan Jia" can't explain anything.There is no way to say that he is the emperor of this dynasty, let alone himself.

But there was no reason for it. As soon as he saw this poem, he felt very uncomfortable!
"Come here, please take off this board for me."

Li Longji sounded unhappy and ordered Gao Lishi, who was not far away.

At this moment, Li Bai stood up, crossed his hands and saluted, and said to Li Longji: "Sage, this poem is too depressing, and it is indecent to hang it here. It is better for Wei Chen to write a poem to suppress its depressing mood!"

Upon hearing this, He Zhizhang also echoed: "The world doesn't know that this poem offends the saint. Leave it here for them to appreciate. The so-called justice lies in the heart of the people."

If it were removed, people who don't know the truth might criticize the saint as being narrow-minded and intolerant of others. "

When Brother Ji heard what the two poetry masters said, he lost half of his anger.He half-jokingly looked at Li Bai and "threatened": "Li Taibai, write well. If you don't write well, I will punish you!"

"Saint please rest assured."

Li Bai bowed, then picked up his brush and wrote a poem on a blank board.

"The white sun shines in the spring sky in Chang'an, and the green poplar trees and smoke hang down in the wind.

The flowers in front of the Xiang Hall are beginning to turn red, and the fragrance is flowing in the embroidered rooms.

In the embroidered house, phase passed by.

Queen Feiyan dances lightly, Lady Purple Palace sings a masterpiece.

The Holy King has thirty-six thousand days, but he is happy every year. "

The title is "Maweiyi recalls Chang'an Yangchun".

This atmosphere is much more cheerful than the "people who come and go so far", and they are unabashedly flattering Brother Ji.

Although we are in Maweiyi now, all we can think about is the beautiful scenery of Chang'an!All I think about is the boundless happiness of the king!
"Yes, let's leave this poem here for everyone to see."

Li Longji laughed loudly, left the lobby with satisfaction, and went to his temporary hotel to rest.

Yang Yuhuan also went to Shuofang this time as a Taoist priest to "pray for blessings".After a tiring journey, the delicate Yang Yuhuan felt unwell not long after leaving Chang'an and has fallen asleep now.

Of course, Li Longji would not let her rest.They will be very busy tonight.

Brother Ji, whose vanity has been greatly satisfied, now seems to be 20 years younger!
The next day, Brother Ji, who had been tossing Yang Yuhuan all night, took a nap in the carriage and had no energy at all.The next stop was Jingyuan. He had not yet left Guanzhong, so nothing could happen, and he was not worried at all.

Last night's madness overdrafted Brother Ji's body and left his mind empty.The glory that will be obtained in Lingzhou City seems to have become irrelevant.

Brother Ji just wants to find a place to sleep well. …

Before the Yellow River was unblocked, Fang Youde took five thousand Youzhou elite soldiers and some Tiele tribe envoys south to the Hetao area and entered the territory of Lingzhou.

Speaking of Lingzhou, we have to talk about Lingzhou.

A little more water makes a big difference.

Lingzhou is a continent on the Yellow River in Ningxia in ancient times. It is surrounded by water and has superior geographical conditions.Yan Shigu of the Tang Dynasty commented: "Things that can be lived in the water are called islands. This place is on the island of the river. It goes up and down with the water and has not been destroyed. Therefore, it is called Lingzhou, and it is also called Heqizhou."

Therefore, Lingzhou is a geographical unit that existed before the Western Han Dynasty.This is Zhouzhu, which is about 90 kilometers long from north to south and 30 kilometers wide from east to west, with an area of ​​nearly 3000 square kilometers!
However, "Lingzhou" existed before the Northern Wei Dynasty. However, during the Northern Wei Dynasty, due to the interruption of the "Dongzhi" (also known as "Zhijin"), this huge Zhouzhu was connected with the Ordos platform in the east of the Hedong River. The topography and geography Lingzhou in the sense no longer exists.

To put it simply, Lingzhou City, within the scope of Lingzhou, is now at the lower left corner of the "ji-shaped" in the Hetao area. The intersection of the Yellow River and Anlechuan is located on the southeast bank of the Yellow River. After crossing the Yellow River, there is the grassland to the northwest.

From this we can know that Lingzhou City's strategic position is extremely important, and the surrounding water resources are abundant, suitable for the development of agriculture... and animal husbandry.

Fang Youde's reputation was so well known that no one dared to compete with him, even if they were both Jiedushi.

The new Shuofang Jiedushi Zhang Qiqiu specially ordered people to build a strong wooden bridge somewhere on the Yellow River in Lingzhou, and personally guarded the other side of the Yellow River. He brought senior generals from Shuofang's army and the state governor in Lingzhou City to greet him.

The scene is nothing short of magnificent!

They had already learned about the Lingzhou Alliance through the imperial court's official newspaper.It is conceivable what kind of status Fang Youde has in the mind of the Emperor of Tang Dynasty now.To describe it as red as purple is not an exaggeration at all.

Shuofang's army itself did not participate in this operation, and even the former Jiedu envoy Wei Guangcheng was dismissed. These troubles were simply difficult to describe for the people of Shuofang Jiedu.

What was supposed to be a matter in one's own defense area was snatched away by Youzhou Jiedushi, but there was actually nothing to say on one's side!

Brother Ji only wants to hear who has made meritorious deeds and doesn't care about these trivial matters.Therefore, within Shuofang's army, the atmosphere of fear is spreading, thinking that they may be settled by Qiu Hou.

Many people in Lingzhou City thought so, but Zhang Qiqiu had just "airborne" here, so he didn't care, as long as he did a good job of reception and security.

He received the envoys from Tiele's ministries, received the Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty, and received the Youzhou Army who returned from victory.Let this matter, which is extremely detrimental to the reputation of the Shuofang Army, pass as soon as possible, so that there won't be any trouble.

"Commander Jie, people from the Youzhou Army are here to deliver official letters."

A soldier walked up to Zhang Qiqiu and handed him a sealed official letter.

For matters such as the Tang army's transit, handover of defense, and joint defense against enemies, official letters are required as written contact methods and kept on file.

In order to facilitate tracing after the war, whether it was a meritorious service or a crime, all have black and white evidence, and it is by no means an empty talk.

"Fang Jieshuai is very polite."

After reading the official letter, Zhang Qiqiu felt emotional and couldn't help but sigh.

Fang Youde stated in the official letter that the Youzhou Army would camp on the other side of the Yellow River and would not enter Lingzhou City.If there are any attendants from the Youzhou Army who want to enter, just follow the rules.

Zhang Qiqiu felt that Fang Youde was not as domineering and willful as rumored.

I heard that this gentleman doesn't seem to take the court's military orders seriously at critical moments, and usually gets things done first.

If Fang Youde hadn't been able to do anything wrong, he would have been unable to continue being a military commander!

"Give me the order to have Duan Xiushi set up camp where Commander Fang is standing and guard the wooden bridge. Arrange for the Youzhou Army to be stationed on the outskirts of Lingzhou City, and allow Commander Fang to bring 500 people into Lingzhou City."

Zhang Qiqiu ordered in a deep voice.

The soldiers took the order and left, and he was helplessly relieved.

The so-called courtesy reciprocity, Fang Youde said that letting Youzhou Army garrison on the other side of the Yellow River was just polite.If we really do this, Shuofang's army will not be able to hold its head high in the Tang Dynasty in the future!
This time, Fang Youde single-handedly promoted an alliance among the Tiele tribes in the grassland, but when the troops returned to the court, they were left on the other side of the river. How could it be expected to spread?

Zhang Qiqiu has a high emotional intelligence and knows that many big things are often caused by small things.Shuofang's army is in a bad situation now. The emperor is coming to Lingzhou City, and any small contradiction will be magnified countless times.

After a while, the messenger came again, panting and said to Zhang Qiqiu: "Fang Jieshuai of the Youzhou Army is very insistent that he can't reach the Yellow River. He also said that this attitude is also seen by many envoys of the Tiele Department. Yes, please show Zhang Jieshuai the strict military discipline of the Tang Dynasty border army."

Hearing this, Zhang Qiqiu no longer knew what to say.

"That's okay, but there is no need to argue about bringing five hundred Youzhou troops into Lingzhou City. It is also troublesome to give instructions one by one for the procedures for entering and exiting the city gate. The saint is coming to Lingzhou City. As a local Jiedu envoys, naturally, have to be saints, and they cannot take care of all these trivial matters.

Bring Shuai's words from this section, and you can come back and resume your life. "

Zhang Qiqiu said to the soldier with an unhappy expression.

"To order..."

The soldier looked unhappy and did not dare to resist. He had no idea what the two Jiedu envoys were doing as they went back and forth!

Only Zhang Qiqiu understood that Lingzhou City would soon become the most watched stage in the Tang Dynasty.The protagonist singing on the stage will be the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Longji, and there will be many supporting roles, such as Fang Youde, himself, and the envoys of the Tiele tribe, etc.

At this juncture, he was also secretly competing with Fang Youde, neither of them wanted to lose face.

if you can.

Finally, Fang Youde agreed to Zhang Qiqiu's conditions and asked Yan Gaoqing to draft an official letter and send it to Zhang Qiqiu.After confirming that it was correct, Zhang Qiqiu also signed his name and stamped his seal on it.

Even if this matter is over.

Zhang Qiqiu was slightly worried.

Before Youzhou entered the city, he showed Fang Youde's incompatible and tough character.When he enters Lingzhou City, will he... cause something big?

At this moment, a group of cavalry appeared in the field of vision. One of them was leading at least three horses. From a distance, there were many more horses than people in the group. It made the soldiers of Shuofang Army feel angry and jealous. .

"Is Fang Jieshuai in front of you?"

Zhang Qiqiu shouted to the Youzhou Army team.

Soon, a tall and thin middle-aged man walked out of the team. He was imposing and not angry.He came over, held Zhang Qiqiu's hand and said calmly: "Exactly, please ask Zhang Jieshuai to send someone to lead the way into the city. I will only take the generals of the Youzhou Army and a hundred soldiers. It's not good for you if there are too many people." Management, if they act recklessly, I will cut down their flags for sacrifice, which is really intolerable."

Fang Youde nodded slightly and said.

"That's fine, please come this way."

Zhang Qiqiu didn't say much. If Li Longji didn't come, neither he nor Fang Youde would embarrass the other.The "secret battle" between the two armies will be lively until the emperor comes.

He could fully expect that those under his command would definitely stand up and compete for credit.

(End of this chapter)