Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 177 Nobody Believes the Truth
The yamen of the Sixteenth Guards of the Southern Government of the Tang Dynasty was located in the imperial city directly north of Chang'an City, adjacent to many government offices.

After Fang Chongyong was brought here by the wolf-like and tiger-like Jinwu Guard soldiers, he was put under house arrest in a certain custody room in the Jinwu Guard Yamen.

But he didn't panic at all. He had figured out a lot of things on the way here.He also roughly guessed why he was arrested.

"I didn't expect that we would meet for the second time on the same day in this way."

Seeing the familiar face, Fang Chongyong sighed with emotion.

The person in front of him was none other than Zhang Shougui's eldest son, Zhang Xiancheng from Zhang Yamen.Sitting on a bench and looking at himself.

"Yes, I didn't expect that either. I thought it would take some time to find you."

Zhang Xiancheng sighed. He didn't want to take risks. He also knew that this gamble was a big one, but compared to the huge benefits, these risks were tolerable.

He waved his hand to Si Ge, the Jinwu guard next to him, who acted as if he didn't exist and turned away to mind his own business, as if he didn't want to care about such a thing.

"Where is the ledger of the Shazhou Caravan?"

Zhang Xiancheng said straight to the point.

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was startled. He never expected that this man would actually bring him to Jinwu Guard for interrogation because of the smuggling incident in Hexi.

He thought it was a battle of imperial examination fraud.

"If I said it was burned, would you believe it?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a smile.

“You’re a smart guy, just like me.

If it were me, I wouldn't burn it, I would keep it for self-protection.

So I believe you will definitely not have a fever. "

Zhang Xiancheng said very firmly, full of confidence.

He believed that Fang Chongyong knew that Hexi had definitely made a lot of money over the years, and it was impossible to keep the money at home or find a place to bury it.

Therefore, this wealth must exist in the form of shares in the Shazhou Caravan.

You can't see it, but it actually exists.Get a dividend on weekdays.

Therefore, a core ledger for recording accounts is a must.

"I am determined to take care of business affairs in Hexi. I don't need to explain it clearly. I know, and I know you know.

My father could send me to Hexi as a border general, or as the governor of a state, or even as the governor of Shazhou.

How about we split those shares [-]-[-]?
Give me half of those shares, and you will receive dividends from the rest.

You don't suffer a loss, because I am taking care of the business and will pay you dividends every month or six months.

You are no longer in Hexi, Liangzhou, or Shazhou.Your words have no appeal over there, they no longer have the power to manage accounts, and no one is willing to listen to you.

But I have the strength, or my father does.

Some of my father's cronies are still in Hexi and control part of the military and government.

I can help my father with the accounts, which actually means you can get that part of the money that you can't get anything now.

This is good for us.

If you take half of the dividend, you won't be swallowed up by those people in Shazhou, and you won't lose it in vain.

They all call you Hexi Qilinzi. I think I can earn a more famous name.

You see, I didn't take action against you. I didn't rush to marry the Wang family before you, nor did I steal your beautiful concubine. I didn't even do anything to you.

I just want the account books of the Shazhou Caravan!

I don’t want much, do I?You couldn't control that thing to begin with. I'm helping you now, right? "

Zhang Xiancheng offered what he thought were excellent conditions.

These words were really candid, straightforward, and completely undisguised. They were truly heartfelt.

But his question made Fang Chongyong confused!

What is this horse riding thing all about?

Fang Chongyong had no idea what Zhang Yanei was thinking.

He thought he was so greedy that everyone else would have to be like him?
Can you reach out and take the money from the Shazhou Caravan?Will no one be jealous if I take it?If you take it, can you still return to Chang'an alive and kicking?
What's even more disgusting is that Fang Chongyong has been telling the truth to Zhang Yanei that he hasn't received a penny. Why doesn't anyone believe that he has been working voluntarily for several years?

If it weren't for the fact that he didn't take money, how could he have so many Qiu Ba actively surrounding him to protect him every time he led his troops to kill people, buy goods, or maintain trade routes?

He couldn't bear to part with the money, maybe he would die in one of the expeditions, and what would he do with those extraneous things after he died?
"Well, with all due respect, I am just a manager and organizer of the Shazhou Caravan. In fact, I don't get a penny, let alone any shares.

When a certain person resigned as governor of Shazhou, all the major accounts were burned.Specifically, the smuggling in Hexi has nothing to do with Mr. "

Fang Chongyong spread his hands helplessly and said.

"That's all, I know you will tell me sooner or later. Such a huge amount of wealth is still coming in an endless stream. I believe this is very tempting, so it's not surprising that you don't tell me."

Zhang Xiancheng bowed to Fang Chongyong with his hands crossed, and continued slowly:

“There is nothing lacking here, you can take your time to think about it and say goodbye.

I can also tell you by the way that Zheng Shuqing is going to be finished, and it may be difficult for the Right Prime Minister to keep his position.Many officials in Chang'an will be in trouble this time. It's not a bad thing for you to avoid disaster here.

If someone doesn’t want to get into trouble with you, this can be regarded as mutual benefit.

I want to regain control of these shares, which is not an easy task.

There is no merit, but there is hard work. Why is it impossible for us to cooperate? "

Throwing out the hidden words, he saw Fang Chongyong still shaking his head slowly, with a helpless smile on his face.

Zhang Xiancheng thought that the other party was reluctant to give up those huge benefits, so he shook his head in disappointment, walked out of Jinwuwei's Yamen slowly, and then exhaled a filthy breath.

Hexi, trade routes, smuggling, and powerful soldiers.This road has too many benefits. No matter whether the world continues to be stable or suddenly becomes chaotic, it is worthy of adventurers to try the waters.

He felt that it was only human nature for Fang Chongyong not to give up the shares that had become "irredeemable".

Because these things can be cashed in immediately as long as Fang Chongyong becomes a high official in Hexi again.So it's understandable that you insist on refusing to hand it over.

If it were him, he wouldn't be able to part with it.

It will take some time to get what you want from this person.

And some patience.

There are many ways he can try. After all, his father is the left prime minister.If Fang Chongyong is really stubborn, he will have to resort to some unpalatable methods. He doesn't want to get to this point.

Zhang Xiancheng feels that the world is not far away from chaos now. It can be seen in many subtle ways that the world is getting worse and worse.

He wants to make big money, not for enjoyment, but because these wealth and these connections can be turned into what he wants when he needs it!
As for why Fang Chongyong is not taking some tough measures now, it is because Zhang Xiancheng feels that the effect should be better if he "cooperates" with the other party.The two of them share half of the shares. As the prime minister's son went to Hexi to become an official, Fang Chongyong had to help him smoothen his relationship and build bridges, even for the money in their hands.

Father Zhang Shougui first gained an advantage in the court, then moved himself to Hexi to become a high official, and finally took control of this smuggling trade route!
This is the future route Zhang Xiancheng has planned for himself.

Zhang Xiancheng didn't understand why someone like Fang Chongyong went crazy to take the imperial examination, but that didn't stop him from scorning it!

A good man should work hard, there is no reason to hide and be a coward!
After Zhang Yanei left, Si Ge from Jinwu Guard walked in again, looked at Fang Chongyong expressionlessly, and stood guard on the side.

"Brother, how much is your monthly salary?"

Fang Chongyong asked curiously, and started chatting with this Si Ge in a familiar manner.

"The salary is 60 stone a year, not counting miscellaneous things, it's just a living wage."

The man said calmly.

Si Ge is an eighth-grade official. He can barely support himself in Chang'an, but he can't support his whole family at all.This young rich and powerful son with no energy or spirit expected to have a good life. The powerful family had a great career and had many abandoned children.That's probably what happened to someone who was thrown into the Jinwu Guard to hang out.

"This piece of milky white jade from the Western Regions can now be sold for about [-] guan in a pawnshop in Chang'an East City. It was given to me by a senior.

Take this piece of jade and go to Mount Zhongnan to find General Gao Lishi and give the jade to him.

Just say the four words "richest man in Chang'an" and that's it.After the deed is completed, if he returns the jade to you, then the jade will be yours.

If he doesn't return the jade to you, how about you go directly to the Fangzhai in Yongjiafang and ask my wife for five hundred gu of property as a reward?
I believe you are not the only one on duty here.Even if someone doesn't look for you, he will look for someone else. "

Hearing this, the Si Ge didn't even think about it. He directly took the jade and put it into his arms. He bowed to Fang Chongyong and said, "I'm going to set off soon. Does Fang Shijun have any other instructions?"

Seeing that his tone was much warmer, Fang Chongyong thought for a while, waved to Si Ge, and said in a low voice: "I miss those little ladies, can you find one of them to come over and relieve me?"

After being slightly startled, Si Ge also lowered his voice and asked: "Where are you looking for? Is it a Han girl or a Hu Ji? How old is she? What is her status? Are there any requirements for body shape? Do you need talent? One is enough not enough?"

You seem to understand very well!

Fang Chongyong said sarcastically: "A certain lady is the legitimate daughter of the governor of Hedong. All you need to do is bring her here to play with me. The rest are just jokes."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the Si Ge quickly waved his hands and said, as if he had seen a poisonous snake and beast: "This is really impossible, it will cost someone's life! The higher-ups strictly prohibit you from seeing your family members. If the woman from Zhao Pingkangfang plays tricks on you, It’s okay to play around.”

He left the custody room as if running away, leaving Fang Chongyong alone.

“It looks like something big is going to happen over there in Jingzhao Mansion.

This official matter is mixed with personal interests, and it seems that it will be difficult to handle. "

Fang Chongyong sighed quietly, lamenting that nowadays people really can't help themselves in the world.

Now there is no room for turning around with the forces of the Left Prime Minister, so we can only jump on the boat of the Right Prime Minister Li Linfu without any reservation.

"I hope Lao Zheng is okay. If it were me, I would concentrate all resources on the Jingzhao Mansion."

He shook his head helplessly. As long as the only token given to him by Brother Ji as a reward for Shazhou's military merits a few years ago was delivered to Gao Lishi, everything would be fine.

Without getting a penny from the smuggling in Hexi, he would be invincible at that time, quietly watching these wild dogs in Chang'an City, biting and grabbing food in the mud pits.

……

The city of Chang'an is very large, and there are many law enforcement agencies.

Capitals in the feudal era basically revolved around the needs of the emperor, and the armies of confidants around different emperors often varied greatly.

In other words, which army the emperor will side with often depends on the preference of the person concerned.

Even in the past few years, as long as there is a change of emperor, the specific situation will change greatly. It is common for the most favored army to be disbanded.

However, from the beginning of the Tang Dynasty until the incident of Ganlu Temple in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the basic system of the Jinwu Guards had not changed much.It's just that due to the collapse of the imperial army, the establishment is constantly being reduced.

Most of them are the rich and powerful children of Chang'an who are living a gilded life in it. Their ability to fight is almost zero, and they have been reduced to honor guards and paramilitary forces responsible for patrolling and public security management!
Generally speaking, Jinwuwei still continued the performance management habits of the Tang Dynasty government: supervising one department and taking care of other things, some functions were lacking, and law enforcement was very flexible.

During the Tianbao period, Jinwu Guards were mainly responsible for the following responsibilities.

The first is to guard the palace. Jinwu guards are divided into "teams" and are responsible for patrolling, guarding and changing defenses inside and outside the palace.

The imperial palace here includes Daming Palace and Chang'an Palace City, but does not include Xingqing Palace where Ji Ge lives.Because Brother Ji only believed in the Longwu Army and did not believe in the Jinwu Guards, which had complex ingredients and sources and had been infiltrated by various forces into a sieve.

Brother Ji generally dislikes Jin Wuwei's attitude.

In addition, the Jinwu Guards are also one of the armed forces that protect the emperor. They are responsible for security along the journey and guarding the palace, chariots, chariots, etc.As above, during the Tianbao period, the Jinwu Guards were also good in this regard, and Brother Ji handed over these chores to the Longwu Army.

However, Jinwuwei's function of supervising officials at all levels and monitoring high-ranking officials in the DPRK has not changed.Because Ji Ge was also on guard against someone assassinating the emperor or launching a coup.An extra pair of eyes means extra safety.It's a bit like Jinyiwei, but it's not as professional and has much fewer manpower.

The above powers were all undisputed by Fang Chongyong in his previous life and were the main business of Jinwu Guard.

So here comes the key question, does Jinwu Guard care about the public security in Chang'an except for the imperial city?
The answer is, both manage and not manage.

This statement seems strange, but it is actually in line with the specific situation of Chang'an City at this time.It is also in line with the national conditions at this time when the military system has collapsed.

Because Jinwuwei includes people in the yamen, there are only 1000 people in total!Of course, it is still stronger than the less than 600 people in Qianniu Guard at this time!
A similar situation is like asking a person to eat at a buffet. Do you think he ate or did not eat after entering?

If so, which dish specifically did you eat?

How many dishes have you eaten?
Similar problems are actually unknown and cannot be summarized by just "eating at the buffet". They require detailed analysis of specific issues.

It is also correct to say that Jinwuwei has great power, but just like the above reasoning, we cannot use "great power" to summarize what Jinwuwei is going to do.

Because the greater the authority, the greater the pressure to perform.This must be managed, that must be managed; the imperial city must be managed, and the outer city must be managed; the streets must be managed, and the city gates must be managed. Should we expand the establishment of these 1000 people several times?

After all, Chang'an 540th Square, even if only five people are allocated to each square, it will occupy [-] people.

Another 500-man detachment was left to patrol the imperial city, not counting the people stationed near the city gate.

So if you think about it with your toes, you will know how much water there is in the records of Jinwu Guard's majestic deeds in ancient books.

And there is one more problem.

In Chang'an City, the Jinwu Guards are responsible for patrolling the streets, and the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen is also responsible for the security of places in Chang'an City other than the Imperial City, Xingqing Palace, and Daming Palace, and even the suburbs and surrounding counties.

So if something goes wrong, who listens to whom?

Will people on both sides fight?
Will there be internal strife?
With overlapping functions, what should people from Jingzhao Mansion do if they encounter people from Jinwu Guard while patrolling the streets?You can't say that two agencies will handle the same thing at the same time, right?

Therefore, it can be seen from this point that the ancient Chinese feudal rulers have thoroughly studied histology.

Jinwuwei has law enforcement power but no "deployment power".

The Jingzhao Mansion Yamen has "deployment power" but does not have a law enforcement team, or it only has petty officials who are recruited as "temporary workers" for public security and law enforcement.

Between the two, each has its own plans and restrains each other, making it impossible for one company to dominate.

To put it simply, the Jingzhao Mansion has the power (although this power is basically unused) to allocate the soldiers and soldiers from the Gyeonggi region, recruit soldiers, and the Sixteenth Guards of Nanya, including the Jinwu Guards, and deploy them somewhere in Chang'an City. , perform security tasks.

For example, it was discovered that someone in a certain workshop was plotting rebellion!Then it is the power of the governor of Jingzhao to mobilize these troops.Likewise, this power has limitations, requires approval, and has boundaries.

However, Jingzhao Mansion's own rapid response capability is very weak, and it does not control an organized army or paramilitary force. This is one of the reasons why it is not recorded in historical materials.This is also the reason why it is so frustrating to be the governor of Jingzhao. There have been fifteen changes in ten years. Many central agencies can step on them at any time, and even many powerful people do not look down on him.

It has powerful powers in theory, but does not have smooth execution channels in reality.

Now Zheng Shuqing encountered such a problem.

At this moment, outside the gate of Jingzhao Mansion's Yamen, there are already many "ordinary people" standing there. They are all the victims of old cases that Jingzhao Mansion has accumulated over the years.

Of course, they didn't come voluntarily, but the dog entrusted them with money, saying that they would get money if they came to cause trouble.

No matter how many days you make trouble, you will get as many days as you want, and you will get it every day!
"Dog officer, get out!"

"Zheng Shuqing, the dead dog officer, get out of here!"

Angry shouts came from outside the door, which scared Zheng Shuqing behind the door to tremble.

"Don't open the door, you'll fall into the trap as soon as you open the door!"

Zheng Shuqing shouted at the soap officials who were holding sticks and preparing to open the door to drive away the crowd.

At this moment, the Jinwu guards who were supposed to be patrolling around the area seemed as if their parents had just died and had to go back to pay their respects. There were no ghosts to be seen.

The number of Jinwu Guards is so small and there are so many affairs in Chang'an City. It is normal for no one to be near the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen for a while, right?
The scene before him was not surprising at all. In fact, Zheng Shuqing knew exactly how the next script was going to go.Gou Tuo, who was mixed in the crowd, was the desperado found by Zhang Shougui. He had planned to take advantage of the chaos to attack and kill the court officials, and then create a "conflict between the government and the people."

It is estimated that a supervisory censor has already written a highly biased complaint accusing Zheng Shuqing of abusing force.

As long as blood is seen at the scene, it will be delivered to the saint immediately.Eventually things will get bigger and bigger.

It's just that it's one thing to know how your opponent's plot will unfold, but it's another thing to be able to handle it well!
Zheng Shuqing's situation can now be summed up in four words: helpless.

　Take a good look at the Jinwuwei section, it will not be in vain, it will be of great relevance later in the article.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)