Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 148 We Are Reasonable

Snapped!
Fang Zhongyong slammed the bronze paperweight on the table to the ground, just like an infantryman throwing a grenade in a close encounter in his previous life!
The entire government office hall fell silent in an instant, and the chatter of the generals stopped abruptly. It was as if the sound of a needle dropping to the ground could be heard in the huge space.

No matter how little Fang Chongyong is a child, he is still a court official wearing a red official robe (albeit a smaller version), and he is still officially appointed!
By not speaking, he tacitly "transferred" the command power to Wang Sili. This was an "unspoken rule."

Once he spoke, he represented the will of the court.

If you want to make a fuss, you have to think about the consequences. Many military matters can be big or small.

If Fang Chongyong randomly placed him on "the crime of betraying the army", there would be no place to cry.

"Those who want to pursue the Tibetan army can sign a military order and lead their own troops to attack, and organize the troops according to the wartime establishment.

If this battle is defeated, no matter whether he can lead his troops back or not, he will be killed according to the law! "

Fang Chongyong, who was already very familiar with the military law of the Tang Army, directly followed the script and found a basic military order that was enough to crush these Qiu Ba people.

According to the wartime establishment, it means that you may not be able to select the direct subordinates who usually lead the troops.

And in the middle of the night, he took the soldiers with whom he was unfamiliar and did not necessarily have much sense of identity to take risks to pursue the retreating enemy troops.

This risk is probably similar to "a blind man riding a blind horse into a dangerous city late at night".

Sure enough, as soon as Fang Chongyong said his words, he felt that the atmosphere in the lobby suddenly relaxed.

Chasing enemy soldiers is not chasing girls!If a girl catches up with you, she will give you a sweet kiss. If the enemy catches up with you, she will backhand you with a knife!

This is no joke!

"Everyone, a bird in the hand is worse than a hundred birds in the forest. Since we have completely wiped out the Tibetan army that besieged the small town, we can just wait for the court to reward us for our merits. There is no need to create complications.

After daybreak, we sent people to Luocheng. After contacting them, we rebuilt the border army organization in Shazhou, re-deployed the defenses, and then contacted Hexi Jiedufu to wait for the next plan.

What do you think? "

Fang Chongyong said this clearly and clearly, and everyone present understood the principle of not pursuing the enemy when you are in trouble.They are just greedy for military success.Now Governor Fang is talking about it. Anyone who disobeys will definitely be punished in the future!
Considering Fang Chongyong's profound background and local origin in Shazhou, it would be better not to mess with this man.

"Everything must be obeyed by your envoy!"

Everyone, including Wang Sili, bowed in unison.

"Let's all disperse. Let's take turns changing defense according to the order of the shift."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and announced the disbandment, without any formalities such as "summary mobilization".

After all the generals left, Wang Sili stayed alone.

He looked at Fang Chongyong repeatedly with complicated and unreadable eyes, and finally sighed with emotion:

"Those who are good at fighting have no great achievements. The victory of this battle is all due to the envoy who knew the enemy's opportunity and prepared two months in advance.

The original intention of the Tubo people was to catch us by surprise. After losing the first move, the stubborn diseases inherent in the Tubo army began to break out.

The first period is the hardest. "

He now admires Fang Chongyong's "vision".

"Alas, in order to boost morale, I have emptied the treasury. If the imperial court does not reward the soldiers, Shazhou will really suffer from the northwest wind."

Fang Chongyong smiled bitterly.

The gold, silver and silk in the treasury were all promised to be given to the officers and soldiers of the Doulu Army and the wealthy families in the city as rewards after the victory.

You can honor it late, but you must not fail to honor it, otherwise the morale of the Shazhou army and people will collapse, and then Fang Chongyong, the governor, will have no effect.

"Hey, you don't have to worry too much about this."

Wang Sili chuckled.

He came closer and lowered his voice and said:

“We fought bloody battles to protect the safety of Shazhou and protect the trade route from here to the Western Regions.

Those Hu businessmen who are so fat that they are full of fat must be interesting to say the least.

If they don't show us any interest, then don't blame us for not being interesting enough. "

Wang Sili's face showed Fang Chongyong's very familiar smile, which he had also seen on Xin Yunjing's face.

What the other party wants to express is actually self-evident.

In Hexi, even a sip of clean water costs money!The soldiers of the Tang Army wiped out the Tibetans who invaded Shazhou. Can these businessmen who are enjoying the dividends of peace really feel free to pay for their money?
Then you have to ask the Qiu Ba who are holding the swords if they are willing or not.

Of course, in Fang Chongyong's view, many things do need to be done, but the atmosphere cannot be so rigid.

As the saying goes, soldiers and civilians are one family, Hu merchants are also civilians, so don't be too cruel to them.As long as these people pay every penny they should pay, Doulujun will still be their patron saint, protecting their safety on this section of the trade road.

You have to speak kindly, and just hang a knife on your waist. There is no need to go around scaring people with a knife in your hand.

Of course, although Tubo was defeated, many of its troops were routed, and the trade routes were temporarily unsafe. Several groups of Tubo rebels were robbing the trade routes. Is that normal?

The Doulu Army has limited troops and limited energy. Of course, it cannot cover everything and can only "selectively" protect some merchants.

After thinking about these things, Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said:
“We are teachers of might and benevolence, and we must pay attention to image.

We are completely different from those Tibetans who even stripped off the clothes on their captives.

They are thieves and we are officials. The people of Shazhou must understand this.

If those Hu businessmen are unwilling to support local construction in Shazhou, forget it and don't force it.

As the saying goes, everyone has his own ambitions, and forceful melons are not sweet.

To allow others to have different opinions on the same matter is to seek common ground while reserving differences.Our minds are broad and can tolerate people with different opinions.

However, the trade route to the Western Regions is not very safe. The Doulu Army is busy with military affairs on weekdays, and can only rescue those Hu merchant teams who strongly support the construction of Shazhou.This is because manpower is sometimes poor. We can't demand the soldiers in the army to become the servants of the merchants who can't even get a penny, right?
Therefore, if those Hu merchants who did not pay to support the construction of Shazhou were robbed and asked for help from us, then the government can only decide according to the situation.If we are able to do our part, we will do our best.

If the Doulu Army is not busy with military affairs, then there is no harm in going to the rescue; if it is busy with military affairs, then forgive us for not being able to help.After all, there is a difference between closeness and distance, and everyone has his or her own ambitions.If we have different ambitions, we can't treat them as relatives and friends. Is that the truth?

Tell those Hu merchants these words and let them choose for themselves. "

Fang Zhongyong talked eloquently and spoke to Wang Sili in a gentle tone.

What this cultured person says is different!

Wang Sili was greatly shocked. Fang Chongyong's words were so appropriate.

In the middle and late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms, when the Qiu Ba people were fighting for military pay, they would often set up a big log in front of the Jiedu Mansion. The Qiu Ba people would take turns to demonstrate "performance art" and chop the wood to show their "mighty spirit". .

Seeing this scene, the Jiedushi envoy either begged his grandfather to sue his grandmother and clamored to return to Chang'an and leave the land of trouble, or he quickly prepared the money and collected the military pay to distribute it to show "sympathy for the soldiers."

If the Jiedushi took the initiative to pay the army, that would be called "loving soldiers like sons"; if the Qiu Ba people went to the government office to ask for money, that would be a mutiny!

This is the same as what Fang Chongyong said.

What is the identity of Shazhou Prefectural Government? How can he approach Hu merchants for "protection money" like a beggar?

Couldn't the Hu businessmen "cry with gratitude" and then take the initiative to donate military expenses?

There is an unspoken rule here that "those who know the current affairs are heroes". It depends on whether these Hu businessmen who claim to be shrewd are smart enough.

"What you said is absolutely true!" Wang Sili slapped his thigh and said excitedly.

"I'm afraid the battle with the Tubo people is far from over, and everything will be done by King Lao's army."

Fang Chongyong said sincerely.

"Please rest assured about this.

However, there is no danger to defend Shazhou, and it relies entirely on the army from Hexi.If the Tibetans invaded in full force, they would be in grave danger.

Since your future is bright, it is best to leave Shazhou as soon as possible.Even if it is someone, maybe he will be transferred after this battle is over. "

Wang Sili came over and whispered.

"People in the arena involuntarily."

Fang Chongyong left these eight words, said goodbye to Wang Sili, and returned to the backyard of the government office alone.

No one else was around, and the broken arms and limbs he saw in the Tibetan camp on the bank of the sweet spring water during the day came to mind again, as well as the ferocious-looking corpses of Tibetan soldiers. The acid water in his stomach surged again, and he started to violently hold on to the wall. vomited.

Although he pretends to have pearls of wisdom in front of others, when the wolf skin is peeled off, Fang Chongyong is still just an immature child with the soul of an adult.

……

In the first year of Tianbao, the decisive battle between Tang Dynasty and Tubo began.The Tubo army first defeated Guazhou and then besieged Shazhou, trying to use Shazhou as a bait to lure the Tang army's cavalry to rescue them. They happened to besieging the point for reinforcements.

The new Hexi Jiedushi Wang Zhongsi, who had just succeeded Xiao Jiong, had no scruples about his future son-in-law who would be the governor of Shazhou, and resisted all suggestions to send troops to rescue Shazhou.

The Hexi frontier army fought steadily, defended Ganzhou, and concentrated the elite Tang army to pursue, encircle and suppress the Tubo troops who entered the Dadou Valley!
This order made the Hexi frontier army aware of the coldness and ruthlessness of this new superior!
There was no father or son on the battlefield, and Wang Zhongsi did not even save his future son-in-law. If any of the generals in the army committed a crime, how could you expect such a person to show mercy when his subordinates violated military orders?
Even thinking about it is impossible!

So the military discipline of all the troops in Hexi was straightened, and the officers and men were all respectful.

Except for the Doulu Army in Shazhou and the Dadou Army chasing the Tibetan partial divisions, the other main forces of the Tang Army in Hexi did not rush to Shazhou as the Tubo people imagined. Instead, they gathered in the west of Ganzhou. They did not seek a quick victory and followed honestly. Tubo started a positional war.

To the west of Ganzhou, there was a confrontation with the elite Tibetan army in Suzhou.

The Tang army only had Jiuquan City left in Suzhou. It was an indescribable advantage in terms of the situation. It only barely dispelled the momentum of the Tibetan army sweeping into Hexi. No one could do anything about the current war situation.

The war was not going well, and Li Longji began to settle accounts after the fall.

The former governor of Yangzhou, Zheng Shuqing, withheld pay from the troops on the west side of the river, which led to low morale in the army and directly affected the war against Tibet.An edict was issued, imprisoning him in Dali Temple, and he would be tried again after the Battle of Hexi.

The former Hexi Jiedu envoy Xiao Jiong was unaware of the movements of the Tibetan army and neglected military affairs, resulting in a passive start to the war.Even though he had already been demoted as the governor of Qizhou, he was directly dismissed from his post this time and was restrained from leaving Chang'an until the war was over before he could be convicted.

On the surface, this series of personnel changes seem to be caused by the Hexi War, but the trends behind it are intriguing.

Zheng Shuqing and Xiao Jiong are both members of the right minister Li Linfu!

Taking down these two people at the same time was no less than killing Li Linfu's arm.

Is this a phase change?
The central officials of Chang'an would not say much on the surface, but they couldn't help but talk about it behind the scenes.

On this day, in the study room of the Qinzheng Building of Xingqing Palace, the gloomy-looking Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty was looking at Yang Shenjin, who was holding a ledger in his hand.I wanted to speak several times, but finally endured it.

"Why do I have no money in my inner treasury?"

Li Longji couldn't help but ask.

"Hui Sage is building a lot of construction projects in Xingqing Palace. The rewards for the northwest frontier army all come from the inner treasury, so now there is no money.

Wei Chen's accounts are all very clear, please ask the saint to look over them. "

Yang Shen said in a salute with folded hands, neither humble nor overbearing.

"Don't watch it anymore, I'll be upset when you see me!"

Li Longji waved his hands impatiently and said in a very impatient tone.

Could he not know that there is no money in the inner treasury?Could he not know what the money was used for?

Those are not important, what he cares about is when he can fill up his inner treasury again!

Horse riding!For the sake of the country and the frontier troops, he, a saint of the Tang Dynasty, used his internal treasury to pay military salaries to the soldiers. Is it easy to be the emperor?

"When can the money and silk from Yangzhou Prefecture be delivered? As soon as it is delivered, it should be put into the inner treasury immediately, without any delay!

Aiqing must keep an eye on this matter and never let the Ministry of Revenue get the money, do you understand? "

Li Longji couldn't help but remind him.

National finance has its own effectiveness.The money to reward the three armies is not included in the establishment and can only be misappropriated from elsewhere.If the war lasts for a long time, more money will be spent. Fighting a war is about logistics, and everything in logistics ultimately depends on money.

Nothing can be done without money!

"Minister obeys the order.

However, Yangzhou Prefecture has enshrined millions of Guan last year. Although it has not been completed yet, it has greatly exceeded the norm in previous years.

Now if we ask for it on a large scale, I'm afraid...it will be very difficult. "

Yang Shenjin said in a very embarrassed tone.

"Of course I know it's difficult, but isn't it difficult for the country? Isn't it difficult for the border army? Isn't it difficult for me...?

Let the Yangzhou government feel aggrieved, and I will be rewarded generously in the future!Go do it! "

At this moment, Gao Lishi hurried into the study room with a happy face.When he saw that Yang Shenjin was here, he had no choice but to lean into Li Longji's ear and whisper for a long time.

"Okay! I knew Yang Zhao was capable!"

After listening to Gao Lishi's words, Li Longji laughed and said, the gloom on his face swept away.

He glanced at Yang Shenjin with a slightly dissatisfied look and said to Gao Lishi: "Come, talk to my Taifu Qing."

"Yang Taifu, Yangzhou Governor Yang Zhao, has collected 300 million gu of goods for the saint and has shipped them outside Chang'an City.

Please also take the trouble to send someone to pick it up. "

Gao Lishi said to Yang Shenjin with a smile.

"Three million yuan? Where can you get so much money?"

Yang Shenjin was shocked and couldn't help but exclaimed.

"This involves government affairs. It's normal for Mrs. Yang not to understand. It's better to go on errands first."

Gao Lishi said as if there was a needle hidden in something, but he sighed in his heart.

Yang Zhao scraped the ground in Yangzhou Prefecture, paying all the money to merchants and people, all he wanted was to complete the task after he took office.Now when people in Yangzhou mention the name Yang Zhao, they feel itchy with hatred.

Memorials to impeach Yang Zhao were already piled on the desk of Zhongshu Province.

Then why didn't Li Longji punish Yang Zhao?

Gao Lishi couldn't tell Yang Shenjin these things, and there was no need to tell him.

The Tang Dynasty was still the Tang Dynasty of saints after all. Why should a dog interfere with its master's affairs?
(End of this chapter)