Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 208 Silver Spear Filial Piety Festival

That day, Fang Youde and Fang Chongyong talked behind closed doors for a long time and talked about many things.

After that, neither of them mentioned what happened that day again, but outsiders could clearly see that Fang Youde admired Fang Chongyong very much and began to teach him the essentials of military art step by step.

Because of the big wedding, Ji Ge specially gave Fang Chongyong three days off.During these three days, Fang Youde would practice sword fighting every day, while competing with Fang Chongyong on their skills while explaining the art of war in the form of sparring.

It has to be said that Fang Youde's art of war is very different from the Tang Dynasty art of war that Fang Chongyong knew. It can even be said to be completely opposite to the "idea of ​​army building".

That afternoon, the two were sparring in the yard again.Fang Youde held the wooden knife, clenched it with both hands, looked directly at Fang Chongyong, and moved slowly, like a vigilant cheetah.

But Fang Chongyong still did the same thing, inserting the wooden sword into the scabbard, arching his body, and preparing to use his waist to draw the sword.

"When two armies confront each other, most of the soldiers can be used, but are of little use. Don't take them too seriously. What you need is to have a trump card in your hand."

As Fang Youde spoke, he fiercely moved forward to chop.

Fang Zhongyong was indeed fooled, and he used all his strength to draw the sword, using a force that was powerful enough to cut off the enemy's neck in actual combat.

However, what he didn't expect was that Fang Youde exerted force on his calf, braked suddenly and then took a step back!He easily dodged Fang Chongyong's killing move, and taking advantage of his too much strength to turn around, Fang Youde struck Fang Chongyong in the chest with a sharp knife!
When the two "father and son" fight, they don't pay attention to the point and the end, they are all dead blows!If he was really weak, it would be normal for him to be beaten to death.

click!
The wooden knife broke into two pieces, leaving a deep mark on the bamboo armor on Fang Zhongyong's chest!

Even though Fang Chongyong was as strong as a black bear, he couldn't bear the blow and fell to the ground in a panic and rolled twice.

Damn, that fake move was so insidious.

Fang Chongyong got up and patted the dust on his body, picked up the wooden knife on the ground, put it into the scabbard, bowed to Fang Youde and said, "Father, I lost again."

"This is not surprising, because you only know how to draw your sword and slash, so I can just guard against this move of yours.

It has only been a few years, and you have to be busy with many other things. It is already very good that you can practice this move to the point where you can easily kill people. "

Fang Youde smiled and nodded, picked up the wooden knife that was broken into two parts, looked at Fang Chongyong and continued:
"Not to mention siege, when the two armies are fighting in the field, if you have one hundred to two hundred elite soldiers in your hands, as long as they can be used in key places, it will be enough to turn the tide of the battle involving tens of thousands or even 10 people.

Don't be greedy for too many soldiers. The more soldiers and horses you command, the easier it is to fail, because you are not familiar with those soldiers at all!There can be more than 100 soldiers who are skilled in tactics and can kill enemies and capture flags with point-breaking attacks. "

"Choose brave soldiers to form an army?"

Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully.

"Yes, but there is another word to add, which is to select the most courageous and brave soldiers to form an army. If one cannot equal a hundred, those who are brave enough to win the three armies are not enough to be selected.

For this pro-army, it is only basic that they do not default on military pay. They must be generously rewarded and punished, and they must be treated differently from ordinary soldiers to restrain each other. "

Fang Youde frowned as he spoke, as if he thought of something, and sighed softly.

"Being an official for thousands of miles is just for food and clothing. Is it natural for you to be a soldier and eat food?"

Fang Chongyong continued to ask.

"That's natural. Did you know that some time ago, it was He Qichang who organized bravery in Yangzhou City to annihilate the rebellion around Yangzhou Prefecture?

They were all temporarily trained, and the best ones had served in the military many years ago.

The courage of one person can be worth hundreds of thousands, it just depends on how you use it. "

Fang Youde sighed and said with emotion, he couldn't help but introduce the battle situation to Fang Chongyong.

"Father is saying that he will send people to secretly hide in the ranks of the rebels, and then shout to the top of the city that they will never retreat until the dog officer Yang Zhao dies?"

After listening to Fang Youde's introduction, Fang Chongyong was dumbfounded. This was the first time he heard that war could be fought like this.

"Civil riots started because of Yang Zhao, so a certain person sent people in their ranks to shout at the top of the city. On the top of the city, a certain person took the opportunity to kill Yang Zhao directly, and then threw his head into the moat.

If their wish comes true, most of the people in the rebel team will definitely have the desire to seek revenge and be afraid of the court's investigation, thus their morale will be shaken.

Taking advantage of the commotion among the rebels, and doubting whether it was true or not, a certain person lit the smoke again and asked the temporarily trained defenders to transport troops through the water network to the rear of the rebels to fight.At the same time, the city gates of Yangzhou were opened. He Qichang was so brave that he could fight with the three armies.He led the few defenders in the city and charged directly into the rebels. The battle was decided in one battle, and that was all. "

In fact, the situation at that time was even more dramatic. The dog bearer in the city shouted, "As long as Yang Zhao dies, we will not die in peace, and we will not retreat until we fight to the death." Fang Youde immediately beheaded Yang Zhao next to him, and then shouted to the people in the city, "Yang Zhao is dead." , now you can rest in peace!".

Then a temporary army of three-legged cat kung fu was launched to launch a ferocious attack!

"Father really calmed down the chaos..."

Fang Chongyong was simply speechless.

Looking for an opportunity to kill Yang Zhao and put an end to the chaos, Fang Youde's move was really dark. He was worthy of someone who had been around in the late Tang Dynasty. This two-bird-with-one-stone game was extremely skillful, and he was full of the aura of Qiu Ba from the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.

However, it seems that there was no trouble in Yangzhou. Could it be that... Fang Chongyong thought of a terrible result.

"Yes, there were still many rebellious people alive after that battle. I ordered them all to be killed and their heads hung in Yangzhou City for ten days as a warning. If not, there would be more chaos in Yangzhou in the future.

It is true that Yang Zhao deserves to die, and these rioters also deserve to die. "

As if he had guessed what Fang Chongyong was thinking, Fang Youde said coldly.

Fang Chongyong suddenly fell into silence, not knowing how to answer this question.

If the people are not afraid of death, why should they be afraid of death?If everyone in the world starts to rebel, can they be killed by killing?

He now finally understands what "historical limitations" means.

……

"Ugh!"

This afternoon, the crisp autumn air was a good time for travel.However, in the corridor on the second floor of the Huaxianhui Building, Li Longji, the sage of the Tang Dynasty, was looking into the distance. The prosperous Chang'an was the same as before, but he no longer felt peaceful and peaceful.I couldn't help but sigh.

In his opinion, there are many beasts that want to kill him hidden in some dark places in this city, and they may stretch out their fangs at any time.

These people include but are not limited to: his adult princes, his brothers' sons, Guanlong dignitaries, etc.

"Hercules, all my good sons want me dead.

What do you think I should do with them?Kill him or let him go? "

Li Longji spoke slowly and asked Gao Lishi beside him.

This time King Shou tore off the last fig leaf of the royal family, allowing him to completely break up with his sons who had ulterior motives.In addition, Li Heng's rebellion was suppressed and his entire family died, resulting in all communication between the remaining sons and Li Longji being severed.

As long as Li Longji doesn't go looking for them, they will stay in the Shiwang Mansion like dead dogs and won't come to Xingqing Palace to pay their respects.

After all, at this time, whoever opens his mouth may die.

It's okay to live like this for a day or two, but as time goes by, Li Longji, who is trying to harm me, becomes more and more uneasy. He always feels that these "good guys" will cause trouble anytime and anywhere.

In the case of King Shou and King Zhong, Brother Ji couldn't help but think about it, and I'm afraid the same would be true for his descendants.

"Saint, this time King Xue unexpectedly rebelled. Perhaps with the death of your majesty's brothers, their heirs no longer have much gratitude to your majesty. Therefore, the heirs of the saint are also the foundation of the saint. Otherwise, it is common for small sects in aristocratic families to A big incident might happen again."

Gao Lishi calmly reminded Li Longji that he should not be too harsh on his sons.In political operations, the two most important words are "balance."

Only when the balance is not extreme can the political situation be stable.

"What Lux said is right, that's what I thought, so I was hesitant." Li Longji sighed.

Slaughtered all his unscrupulous sons. Firstly, he killed too many people and his reputation in history books was too bad. Secondly, this move was purely to gain advantage for clans like King Xue and make them have undue ambitions.

Isn't it a living example that King Xue's family participated in the rebellion this time?
"Go and call Ge Nu, and by the way, Quan Zhong. As for Zhang Shougui, don't call him...go and call Li Shizhi."

After some hesitation, Li Longji said hesitantly.

"Slave will do it."

Gao Lishi took the order and left.

Li Longji always felt as if something was uncomfortable in his heart. Suddenly he saw Fang Chongyong on duty downstairs. He suddenly realized and asked someone to call him up to the corridor of Huaxianhui Building for questioning.

"No need to be too polite. I haven't rewarded you for saving your life last time. Today I'm here to ask you what you want."

Seeing Fang Zhongyong's frightened look, Li Longji said kindly.

"Back to the saint, it is the duty of the general to protect the saint, and there is no need for reward."

Fang Chongyong cautiously crossed his hands and saluted.

"Well, good, good."

Li Longji smiled and nodded. He just said it casually. If Fang Chongyong really wanted something, he would give it to him, but he would definitely feel very unhappy.

I have to say that Fang Quanzhong has a good son!

"Guozhong, you were involved in the entire rescue operation this time. What do you think we should do to prevent similar things in the future?"

Li Longji asked calmly.

"Back to the saint... these issues should be considered by the prime minister."

Fang Zhongyong said with a look of embarrassment.

"Hey, Ge Nu's performance in rescuing the driver this time is far worse than yours. In this regard, you have more say."

Brother Ji waved his hand nonchalantly and said in a very easy-going manner, with a smile just like his grandfather in his previous life.

If Fang Chongyong hadn't known the emperor's mean and unkind temperament, he might have been fooled by his kind and kind face.

"Then will you dare to say a few words, general?"

"It's a crime of deceiving the emperor if you talk about him any more!"

Brother Ji pretended to be displeased and threatened.

"Sage, it's like this. In fact, most of the people in the Longwu Army are loyal to the Saint. It's just that Wu Zhiyi has too much power and the structure of the Longwu Army is too bloated, so at the critical moment, even if he has the strength, he can't use it.

I think that when it comes to protecting the saint, the number of guards accompanying the saint does not need to be too large. A battalion of 500 people is enough. If there are too many people, it will not be in the way, and it cannot be deployed in a place like Chang'an.

Five hundred warriors were selected from all over the border towns and asked to be unstoppable and brave enough to win the three armies, and then be rewarded and punished generously.

These people came from different sources than the Longwu Army. This army only selected people from the border troops to prevent them from being bribed by the powerful people in Chang'an.

What did the saint think? "

Fang Chongyong asked calmly.

"Okay, okay! Wonderful! Why didn't I think of that!"

Li Longji put his hands on his hands and laughed.

He also thought about reducing the number of personal guards and eliminating the rough and selecting the best.

However, firstly, reducing the establishment still cannot guarantee the absolute loyalty of its personnel; secondly, even if the loyalty is praiseworthy, the selection of soldiers in Chang'an and surrounding areas will not select many "brave champions of the three armed forces".

The situation in the Tang Dynasty now shows that all the elites are in the frontier army.Not to mention others, Wu Zhiyi, who caused the storm this time, Fang Chongyong, and Zhang Guangsheng, who rescued the driver, were all from the border army, or at least they had been trained there for a long time.

Their combat effectiveness and ability to make decisions on the fly are much stronger than those of the Longwu Army.Therefore, what Fang Chongyong just said is really to the point.

It is necessary to form a capable and efficient new army with no more than [-] people and a rotation of personnel who are not in the Chang'an area to accompany them.This army has nothing to do with the Longwu Army and the Nanya Forbidden Army. Even though these soldiers come from all over the world, there is no possibility of forming a party.

"Fang Guozhong, you are indeed resourceful.

Now let me test you. If you were asked to organize this new army, what kind of name would you give it? "

Li Longji asked with a smile, this is considered a school exam.If Fang Chongyong's answer satisfies him, the matter will basically be left to Fang Chongyong. After the matter is completed, he will be the first commander of the forbidden army, which is considered a reward.

Fang Chongyong had a strange look on his face, but then regained his composure.He thought for a while and said:
"When I was serving as governor in Hexi, I heard that those who were good at using spears in the army were called silver spears to show their bravery.

The four words "loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness" mean dedicating loyalty and righteousness to the saints and leaving filial piety to oneself. Therefore, this army is called the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army. "

Fang Chongyong suggested, crossing his hands and saluting.

"Is the Silver Spear a filial piety festival..."

Li Longji murmured to himself, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this name was a good one.Dedicate your loyalty to him, a saint, and keep the festival of filial piety to yourself. What a good name!
"Okay, okay, when you go back, write a memorial and give it to me in private. Tell me what equipment this army needs and how much military pay it will cost.

If this plan is suitable, then I will appoint you as... to recruit brave people. Go to the border town to recruit brave people to join the army in Chang'an and join the Silver Spear Filial Filial Festival. "

Li Longji said with excitement that he finally found a way to restrain the erosion of Chang'an's powerful people.Of course, this matter is not a long-term solution. With the rotation of soldiers, there will be problems in the Silver Spear Filial Festival, and some people will be bribed by the powerful people in Chang'an.

But how can I put it, Brother Ji didn't think too far ahead about the future.Many people plan for a hundred years into the future, but they often die of illness the next year.Life is unpredictable, and there is no use thinking too far ahead.

Brother Ji's idea is very simple, and it's still the same: If Datang is a paradise on earth, but in the end it has nothing to do with him, what's the point?

"Saint, it may cost a lot of money to raise this army..."

Fang Chongyong whispered, giving Brother Ji a vaccination in advance.

"It's okay. I'm short of money. Just ask Yang Zhao to make money again."

Li Longji waved his hand and said, he suddenly remembered something, and said to himself a little doubtfully: "How long has it been since Yang Zhao sent me an offering?"

"Sage...if this Yang Zhao refers to the governor of Yangzhou, then he is already dead."

Fang Chongyong reminded Brother Ji helplessly in a low voice.

"Dead? How is it possible? This matter was not reported to the local government?"

Li Longji was extremely surprised. No one told him about such a big thing, the governor of Yangzhou Prefecture died!
In fact, what Ji Ge didn't expect was that when there was civil unrest in Yangzhou, officials at all levels would be demoted lightly.If Fang Youde hadn't turned the tide, the civil unrest in Jiangnan would have developed to the scale of hundreds of thousands of rebels!
Who would take the initiative to mention this kind of thing before it's too late to cover it up?Zhang Shougui would not mention the depleted armaments and empty troops in Jiangnan, because he was in charge of the Ministry of War.

"They, they all hid it from me. The governor of Yangzhou is dead. Even you know it, but I don't know it!"

Li Longji clenched his fists tightly and said bitterly.At this moment, his inner sense of crisis became more and more serious.

He is 60 years old, his eyesight is blurred, his ears are not working well, and he can't take two steps without gasping for air.Now, even the officials of the imperial court were beginning to deceive him.

How to break the game?
At this moment, Ji Ge's heart was filled with unprecedented panic.

(End of this chapter)