Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 221 The Rise of the Dog Official
A few days after Fang Chongyong returned to Chang'an, Wang Yunxiu was canonized as the Fourth Grade Imperial Lady, which was the edict from the county monarch and was sent to Fang Chongyong's home next to Xingqing Palace.Apart from this, Brother Ji didn't even give him a piece of silk. This canonization can be said to be very pure.

After the eunuch who delivered the edict left, Wang Yunxiu looked at the piece of silk in his hand that could not be eaten or worn, and was too small for wiping one's buttocks in the toilet. Then he asked Fang Chongyong with a speechless face: "You have been busy for so long, why? Granted you a fourth-grade imperial title?"

"It's not that I was given a fourth-grade imperial edict, but you were granted a fourth-grade imperial edict.

Now it's good. From now on, you can hold your head high and speak in front of your coquettish cousin. Isn't that good? "

Fang Chongyong said angrily. He was also shocked by Brother Ji's stinginess.But you can't speak ill of the saint. This saint from Chang'an is very stingy.

Wang Yunxiu's cousin, who was born in the Li family in Longxi, was not an easy person. When she first came to her home as a guest, she privately asked Fang Chongyong if he wanted to develop a super-friendship relationship with her.He also said that he could be given a "taste" first without any commitment or guarantee.

Women from aristocratic families have a keen sense of politics. For the sake of a better future, it is just normal for them to take off their clothes and lie on the bed to seduce men.

Fang Chongyong immediately asked Wang Yunxiu's cousin how many teachers there were at home.

After getting the answer that her father and brother were just local civil servants in the state and county, Fang Chongyong immediately sternly rejected Wang Yunxiu's cousin's seduction, and informed Wang Yunxiu of the incident after the other party left.

"Yeah, you don't know if you don't compare. Only after comparing do you realize that our naughty fox is a rare good person."

Wang Yunxiu sighed as she put away the edict of the fourth rank. This thing was a trump card to consolidate her status in the family.Even my cousin comes to poach me, and I don’t know how many such women will there be in the future.

Since father-in-law Fang Youde became the general of the Longwu Army, similar shabby things began to happen more and more, and there were even people who came directly to deliver their daughters to Fang Chongyong to warm his bed as a concubine.

"Lang Jun, that annoying Zheng Shuqing came to see you again. He also said that he is your superior officer and cannot be blocked from the door."

When Fang Chongyong was talking to Wang Yunxiu, Fang Laique walked in and reported.

"Zheng Shuqing is now the Yushi Zhongcheng, so Alang should go and see him. This is an official connection."

Wang Yunxiu persuaded, then glared at Fang Laique.As if the latter didn't see her threatening eyes, he snorted coldly and went out.

"A night owl comes to the house for whatever reason. He must be up to no good with me, let alone his immediate boss now!"

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly.

Originally, his official position of "supervisory censor" was just a hook for "recruiting brave envoys".Fang Chongyong himself was not qualified to exercise the power of supervising the censor when he was not on assignment.

But this couldn't stand up to the old bureaucrat Zheng Shuqing who was using chicken feathers as an arrow!

As long as you have the position of supervising the censor, you must be under the jurisdiction of the censor. Although you do not have to follow the orders of the censor, you must at least be on call, right?

The bureaucracy of the Tang Dynasty during the Tianbao period was really like a tangled thread, which continued to become chaotic after being cut.

Reluctantly, he took Zheng Shuqing to the study. After the two of them sat down, Lao Zheng said to the other party Chongyong with a mysterious face: "There is something big happening tonight!"

"What's the big deal? Did the Huns attack Chang'an?"

Fang Chongyong poured a glass of turbid wine for Zheng Shuqing and asked weakly.

"Tonight, murder, arson, gold belt."

As Zheng Shuqing spoke, he patted his belt proudly.

"what?"

Fang Chongyong scratched his head in confusion, wondering what Zheng Shuqing was playing.

"Can you speak more quickly?"

Fang Chongyong asked dissatisfied.

Zheng Shuqing coughed and then said seriously: "The coal mine you are talking about is already being operated by the Ministry of Industry."

"Yes, but if we send the coal, it will be next year at the earliest."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said, not wanting to ridicule Lao Zheng anymore.

"So, since the distant water cannot quench the near thirst, I decided to strike hard to combat the arrogance of some people."

Zheng Shuqing took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Fang Chongyong. The latter opened it and saw a long list filled with names and specific addresses in Chang'an.

"This is……"

"They are all those with bad private money who should be beheaded. I asked Yang Yan to count the amount of charcoal purchased by each shop every day, calculate the approximate location, and then send someone to verify the list."

Zheng Shuqing was a little proud, but then his face suddenly flashed ferociously, and he clenched his fists tightly and continued: "Tonight, a certain society will mobilize the Jinwu Guards to kill these people in their homes, and then they will take the stolen goods together!"

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was so shocked that he was speechless for a long time.

Zheng Shuqing swings back and forth between extreme cowardice and extreme arrogance, which makes him a little unsure.

Fang Chongyong asked in confusion: "What then?"

"Then wait for the reward from the saint!"

Zheng Shuqing touched his beard and smiled.

"Catching all the rats in Chang'an will alleviate the bad money situation in the market and free up more firewood for trading in the market.

Wouldn't it be nice to kill two birds with one stone? "

Zheng Shuqing clapped his hands, then spread his hands to show off in front of Fang Chongyong and said.

As expected, after only a few days as the Censor Zhongcheng, Mr. Zheng was already trembling. Fang Chongyong didn't know how to evaluate him.

You could say he is a bitch, but he still wants to do something.

You could say he was a good official, but he couldn't get anything done and often messed up things, such as the crackdown on privately minted coins.

In the end, he is still a dog official in the eyes of the people!

"So, why did Zheng Yushi come to see you?"

Fang Chongyong asked helplessly.

"Isn't there a lack of someone to hold the line? We are both officials of Yushitai, so you won't even give me this face, right?"

Zheng Shuqing asked while rubbing his hands.

"What if, someone is saying what if, after Zheng Yushi ransacked his house, he discovered that the person behind the secret coinage was Princess Yuzhen?"

Fang Chongyong asked a question that hit his soul.

"Or, what should I do if it's King Qi or some nobles in Chang'an City? For example, people from the Wei family or the Pei family are behind it, what should I do?"

"What will these people do if they know you have found out their secrets? What will you do if they join forces to retaliate against you?"

Fang Chongyong asked repeatedly.

Zheng Shuqing was so frightened that cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he asked in a low voice: "Are the backgrounds of these people who make private money really so big?"

"What if there is no one behind it? Who dares to do this kind of business!"

Fang Zhong was so brave that he slapped the table.

Lao Zheng was too rough in doing things. He always wanted to do big things and took off his hat as a dog official, but in the end he only made things worse. "Who else knows about this? Doesn't everyone in Jinwu Guard know about it?"

Fang Chongyong stood up and paced back and forth in the study, wondering if this matter would get out of hand.

"No, no, I just told Zhang Guangsheng, the general of the Zuo Jinwu Guard. When he took office as a new officer, he wanted to make meritorious service, so he directly agreed."

Like a child who had done something wrong, Zheng Shuqing lowered his head and rubbed his hands, defending in a low voice and not daring to talk back.

"Then let's meet at Jinwuwei's Yamen tonight, and we'll discuss a solution then. Zheng Yushi will go back to the Yamen first. Don't create unnecessary complications. Keeping confidentiality is the top priority.

I'll think of a solution first. "

Fang Chongyong was afraid that Zheng Shuqing would tell other people at Yushitai about this matter. If that happened, things would get serious.

"it is good……"

Zheng Shuqing swallowed what he wanted to say, and suddenly realized that what he had to do this time did not seem to be that simple.Zheng Shuqing has learned many lessons from the past, but the difficulties he faces always exceed the limits of his abilities.

"correct."

Just as Zheng Shuqing stood up, Fang Chongyong suddenly stopped him and said:

"It seems that the Yushitai does not have the authority to directly instruct the Jinwu Guards to do things. Therefore, we must invite Pei Kuan, the newly appointed Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture, to the Jinwu Guards Office tonight to discuss important matters.

Without Pei Kuan's participation, this matter would be difficult to control. "

"Is that so?"

Hearing this, Zheng Shuqing was slightly stunned. He suddenly realized that he had been Jing Zhaoyin for more than four years. Although he was now the censor Zhongcheng, his mind still retained the thoughts he had when he was Jing Zhaoyin.

The Yushitai can only detect "illegal acts by officials" and "illegal acts by powerful people", but is not qualified to detect "illegal acts among the people".At first glance, this may not seem to be a big problem, but after an incident, it is easy to be caught in pigtails.

We should first find out the private casting merchants and then connect them to the protective umbrella behind them; instead of first investigating the protective umbrella behind them, and then in turn investigate the private casting matters.

Zheng Shuqing's original intention in handling this matter was because he was the "Charcoal Envoy" appointed by Brother Ji, not because he was an official of Yushitai.Now it is tantamount to saying that he is using the resources of Yushitai to run his charcoal envoy's errands, which is regarded as "public use for private use" to a certain extent.

Of course, this is also the original intention of Ji Ge's appointment.In the Tang Dynasty, an era of distorted officialdom rules, if you didn't have other powers, how could you do serious things?
And the authority of Jingzhao Prefecture just fills in the last piece of the puzzle.

Zheng Shuqing asked Jingzhao Prefecture Yin for help as a charcoal envoy, and then "concerned" Jingzhao Prefecture Yin as censor Zhongcheng whether the matter was handled well.In this way, the newly appointed Jingzhao Governor was "controlled".

Then the Jinwu Guards were mobilized in the name of Jingzhao Mansion, and finally the Jinwu Guards were used to ransack homes!All procedures were legal and in compliance with official rules and did not exceed authority.

This is the normal and correct logical chain.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh in his heart, Lao Zheng's skills as a dog official were top-notch, but his skills in handling serious matters were still a bit lacking. He liked to scratch his eyebrows and beard, and thought that with a high official position, he could walk sideways, and he didn't pay much attention to the formal procedures.

Zheng Shuqing suddenly realized after listening to Fang Chongyong's explanation. He was very glad that he did not bypass the other party and act alone this time. Otherwise, something big would have happened and it would have been difficult to end the situation later.

Just when he was about to say goodbye, Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but ask: "Cracking down on privately minted coins doesn't seem to do you any good, and it's easy to offend people. Why do you want to join in?"

He asked an important question about motivation.

Obviously, if Fang Chongyong had a hand in it, it would be easy to offend some powerful people in Chang'an.

"Did those people give money to Yu Shi Zheng?"

Fang Chongyong asked back.

"not at all."

Zheng Shuqing shook his head and said, if there were people who minted coins privately and respected him as a dog official, then he would have to weigh the pros and cons in his mind as to whether to take action against these people.

"Yes, they didn't send money to Yushi Zheng, but they didn't send money to me either. Then why can't I exercise my normal power of supervising Yushi and detect lawlessness?"

Fang Chongyong spread his hands and continued to explain: "While making money in Chang'an, he is still digging and refusing to give us any benefits. People like this can just blow the dog's head off. Why should we be polite to them?" "

Many Chang'an dignitaries have similar thoughts: I should benefit from it. If you interfere with my affairs, you will be my enemy waiting for my revenge. If it doesn't interfere with my affairs, just go away and cool off.

Regarding such people, Fang Chongyong's attitude is very clear, that is, as long as there is a chance, he will punish such people to death before stabbing them to death.Then look at the dead person lying on the ground to see if he will curse.

Understanding Fang Chongyong's resolute attitude, Zheng Shuqing lowered his voice and said:

"After this is done, if a certain niece of your family marries Fang Laique of your family, you quickly go to Chang'an County, cancel all of his household registration, and set up a separate household.

The Zheng family in the house will pay for it as part of the dowry. "

In the Tang Dynasty, good people and bad people did not intermarry. Fang Laique's household registration was still part of Fang Chongyong's family. He had to become a "good family son" before Zheng Shuqing could marry his niece.

Eh?
Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was very curious and didn't understand why Zheng Shuqing said this.

He asked with confusion on his face: "That's not necessary, it's so unfair."

"No aggrievement, she's not someone's daughter anyway."

Zheng Shuqing laughed loudly, patted Fang Chongyong on the shoulder, and walked out of the study.

As soon as the two went out, they saw Anaye holding a broom and chasing Fang Laique in the yard.Fang Laique was beaten so hard that he screamed and cursed constantly.

Seeing this scene, Zheng Shuqing frowned slightly and couldn't help but sigh.

There was nothing we could do about pushing my niece into the tiger's mouth. Who told her that she was born in the Zheng family in Xingyang?If she couldn't keep her official position, her family would be in bad luck, so she had to be forced to marry a fool.Now that the Fang family is very popular, it is obvious that they cannot let their niece be Fang Chongyong's concubine, as that may be counterproductive.

Instead, let the Fang family's servant marry the matchmaker, which is more low-key, more secretive, and more in line with the needs of the Zheng family's officialdom.

After sending Zheng Shuqing out, Fang Chongyong came to the study and called Fang Laique in.

Then Fang Chongyong saw that Fang Laique's body was covered with black marks rubbed by the charcoal piled in the yard. His hair was disheveled, and his dull little eyes were looking at him like this.

"Let's talk about the Anshi Rebellion."

"The rebellion launched by the rebels An Lushan and Shi Siming in Youzhou lasted for eight years. At first, An Lushan served as the governor of the three towns, but privately..."

Fang Laique introduced it steadily and continued for half an hour before stopping.

Fang Youde has already told Fang Chongyong about the secrets of Fang Laique and the "method of use".

To put it simply, Fang Laique is the "insurance" left by Fang Youde in the world. When something unexpected happens to him, he tells the "destined people" what he knows through Fang Laique's mouth.

"Don't you want to marry the prime minister's daughter? Now is your chance."

Fang Chongyong said to Fang Laique with a smile.

"Really? Mr. Lang, please don't lie to me again. You have been saying that you want me to marry the prime minister's daughter for so many years, but in the end you are married. I have never seen what the prime minister's daughter looks like."

Fang Laique complained with an aggrieved look on his face.

"What do you call it? It's just a little bit closer now."

Fang Chongyong said while making a "little" gesture.

(End of this chapter)