Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 222 Chang'an Sleepless Night

According to the classification of positions, Fang Chongyong is actually not qualified to enter the Jinwu Guard Yamen.

Of course, the same goes for Zheng Shuqing.

But who told the Jinwu Guard Yamen to be not far from the Yushitai Yamen? At night, Fang Chongyong went from the Yushitai Yamen in the west area of ​​Daming Palace, south of Zhongshu Province, to the Jinwu Guard Yamen in the Imperial City area to discuss with Zheng Shuqing event.

You won’t know the result until you go, but you will be shocked when you go.

In addition to Yushi Zhongcheng Zheng Shuqing and Jinwu Guards Zhonglang General Zhang Guangsheng, Youjinwu Guards Zhonglang General Pei Min, Jingzhao Prefecture Yin Pei Kuan, and Taifu Yin Yang Shenjin were also present.The small signing room was actually packed with people!
As soon as he saw Fang Chongyong coming, Zheng Shuqing pointed at Yang Shenjin and said, "This is the Taifu Yin Yang Shenjin. After we ransacked the house, he was responsible for sending people to count the copper materials and bad money and enrich the Taifu."

Upon hearing this, Fang Chongyong very reservedly crossed his hands and saluted Yang Shen.

He was not familiar with this person, but he had heard of some of his "advanced deeds."It is said that this person kept Ji Ge's inner treasury in order and could be called the emperor's exclusive "accounting clerk".

Yang Shenjin has appeared here, so at least one thing can be proved: this operation not only used a lot of government power, but Brother Ji also knew about it and acquiesced to Zheng Shuqing's actions.

No wonder Lao Zheng was so proud in the morning.

Fang Chongyong understood it. After the last Li Heng rebellion, Li Longji obviously had more trust in the heroes who made their stance clear at that time and participated in the escort.The ministers who did not act or even acted randomly at that time were demoted to varying degrees.

Some were even jailed.

However, it was somewhat beyond Fang Chongyong's expectation that Pei Min, the general of the Youjinwu Guard, also participated in this operation.In his impression, Pei Min always acted in a low-key manner and did not like to get involved in similar chores.

"Now that everyone is here, let Yushi Fang talk about this operation. He is fully responsible. I am just holding the battle in Yushitai Yamen and arranging manpower to support you."

Zheng Shuqing said to everyone with a smile.

He knew he was not the one, so he simply lay down and stopped playing!Hearing this, Fang Chongyong no longer knew how to evade, so he could only walk to the middle of the crowd, then spread out the layout map of Chang'an City's interior squares hidden in his sleeves, and nailed it to the wooden board hanging on the wall. superior.

This map has marked them one by one according to the names on Zheng Shuqing's list.

"There are a total of fifteen companies in this operation. They are distributed in fifteen squares in Chang'an City. In order to prevent the enemy from being alerted, we must operate at the same time tonight. No one can leave the team to prevent the news from leaking.

Zuo Jinwuwei is responsible for the seven houses near the West City, Right Jinwuwei is responsible for the seven houses near the south of the city, and Jingzhao Mansion is responsible for the one near the East Market.Five teams of people went to ransack each house, and one team consisted of ten people. "

Fang Chongyong held a thin wooden stick and told everyone present the route of travel.In the event of an emergency, the details of how to provide reinforcements to each other were explained in detail.

After he finished speaking, he handed the stick to Zheng Shuqing in a very knowledgeable and knowledgeable manner, and then stepped aside without saying anything.

"Cough cough cough..."

Zheng Shuqing pretended to cough a few times, then looked around at the crowd and said:
"These people who minted copper coins privately burned firewood and charcoal without hesitation. They also pushed up the price of food in the capital and made it difficult for the people to burn charcoal. There were even complaints in the streets of Chang'an. It was a heinous crime.

Therefore, for this operation, I propose that no one should be left alive, but just kill them with sticks.What do you think? "

Zheng Shuqing looked stern, full of evil aura, not angry but proud.

"Since the matter is serious, I suggest you consult a saint first."

After a period of silence, Yang Shenjin stood up to sing the opposite. However, just after he finished speaking, Pei Kuan, who had already turned gray, stood firmly on Zheng Shuqing's side and said sonorously:

"What Zheng Yushi said is true. According to the law of the Tang Dynasty: Those who cast money privately will travel three thousand miles; those who have prepared the tools but have not cast them will be left for two years; those who have not yet prepared the tools will be punished by a hundred sticks.

The fifteen families discovered now have not only minted money, but also minted a huge amount of money. They were only exiled for three thousand miles, which may not deter the young people.I agree with Zheng Yushi's statement that if these people are not killed, the people will not be angry. "

No one was arrested, and no one was even tried. They were already convicted.As for the rules of the feudal era, I can only say that everyone who understands them understands them and don’t ask too many questions.

Fang Chungyong pretended that he was deaf and blind, and at this moment he was wandering around without saying a word.

Zhang Guangsheng and Pei Min were both generals of the Jinwu Guard, so they naturally had no say in this matter. They were very knowledgeable and kept silent.Everyone looked at Fang Chongyong, as if his opinion was important.

Seeing that Fang Chongyong remained silent for a long time, Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but remind him:

"Even if these people are arrested, they will still be sent to Dali Temple for interrogation. This is what they should do. But in the end, they will definitely be sentenced to death, either hanged or beheaded. It's all death anyway, it doesn't make any difference.

However, during the interrogation process, if some prisoners bite randomly, causing a lot of noise and criticism among the people, the scene will be ugly, and the saint will not be happy.

He would have died a few days earlier, but he would have saved a lot of trouble. Fang Yushi must not be merciful, and in the end the situation was beyond control. "

Zheng Shuqing had already said it very explicitly, and Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said: "Yes, if you don't kill such a scum, it will not be enough for the people to get angry."

Hearing that he was so "informed and knowledgeable", the solemn faces of everyone present relaxed.

Who allowed the Fang family and his son to have such great achievements in rescuing people that they could speak in front of the saint?
Although Fang Chongyong's official position was not big, his holy family members were very grand.If this person spoke ill of them in front of Brother Ji behind their back, that would be really troublesome.

Now that Fang Chongyong expressed his stance, they were relieved and could concentrate on their work.

"It's getting late, let's get started."

Zheng Shuqing said to Zhang Guangsheng and Pei Min.

The two Jinwu Guard generals immediately walked out of the Yamen and took their guards to order troops.Pei Kuan and Yang Shenjin also bowed their hands and said goodbye. They also had to organize people to do things, and they couldn't fish in the Jinwuwei Yamen.

After everyone else left, Fang Chongyong pulled Zheng Shuqing aside and asked, "Are many people going to die this time?"

"Yes, many people will die."

Zheng Shuqing nodded slightly and said.

"Isn't it okay to let them dig for coal until they die? Do we have to beat them to death now?"

Fang Chongyong asked with some dissatisfaction.

"This is not something you can decide. Don't you still understand this?"

Zheng Shuqing pointed in the direction of his head, saying nothing.

Behind all the private forging merchants, there are big bosses that may or may not be mentioned. These people are all Ji Ge's beloved relatives and friends, court dignitaries, and even the "cornerstones" of the Tang Dynasty.

The current problem is that while these private minting merchants continue to purchase large amounts of charcoal and firewood, they use the charcoal and firewood to privately mint copper coins, and then secretly distribute these low-quality copper coins to the markets in Chang'an for circulation, forming an underground industry.

Double the harvest, double the happiness, I can only say that they are so good at playing!

However, although these people were happy, the people of Chang'an were in bad luck!Now it's even reached the point where ordinary officials can't afford charcoal and can only wait for the court to issue more charcoal and firewood when they pay their salaries.

In the past, Fang Chongyong went to Pizhou to explore coal mines, and later in the process, Zheng Shuqing dealt with private traders. All actions had one purpose: to ensure the balance of energy supply in the Chang'an area.

Fang Chongyong is "increasing revenue" and Zheng Shuqing is "reducing expenditure". In essence, the two are using different means to do the same thing.

These private forging merchants have taken too big steps, infringing on the interests of the majority of Chang'an central officials, and indirectly infringing on the interests of Brother Ji, so it is inevitable that they will be dealt with.However, that’s where it ends.

It is a blessing for the people if someone can step forward to "treat the symptoms". It is unrealistic to expect someone to "treat the root cause".

Beating the dog regardless of the owner's face is the limit of tolerance. We must not let the stick hit the "owner" in the face!That would be breaking the rules.

Although Zheng Shuqing had big problems at the execution level and his ability to adapt was also very tight, there was nothing wrong with the action he planned this time.

"I understand." Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

“It’s good to understand.

Many of those private forging merchants were involuntary and indeed very innocent.

The powerful people they depended on asked them to make money privately, and they had to comply. If they had any inappropriate thoughts, they would be cleared out.

They are indeed very pitiful.

But how can you and I have the final say?Why can't we help ourselves?
So since everyone is like this, don't blame someone for being cruel.

You reminded me in the morning, and I went to the palace to report it to the saint.The saint said that he did not want to hear any bad things coming from Chang'an City.

You ask how to deal with it, and I can only deal with it this way now. "

Zheng Shuqing sighed with emotion.

Fang Chongyong was stunned when he heard this, and then suddenly realized.

The words he said during the day were not to urge Zheng Shuqing to deal with the matter of privately minting copper coins.Fang Chongyong believes that this kind of non-market behavior may cause a lot of noise, but judging from past examples, the effect is not good and cannot be very good.

When there is pressure, there will be greater backlash, and private casting may become more common in the future!
What Fang Chongyong means simply put is, "Since the mastermind behind the scenes cannot be cut off and cannot afford to offend, we have to find other ways."

Unexpectedly, Zheng Shuqing actually understood it as "how can we get things done while keeping those behind the scenes invisible and non-interfering"!
Obviously, silencing the black and white gloves who pushed the powerful to the front is the simplest way, and it is also Zheng Shuqing's personal choice.

He was not the founder of this method. In fact, a hundred years ago, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty Yang Jian strictly stipulated that if anyone dared to mint coins privately, he would be killed immediately in order to prevent privately minted coins from entering the market.

That's right, there was no need to interrogate him at all, he was killed on the spot.In the final analysis, Zheng Shuqing was just imitating the "killer trump card" of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.Whether it works or not, Zheng Shuqing has to give it a try, otherwise his job as a "charcoal envoy" will be in vain, and in the end Brother Ji will not be able to spare him.

The two of them sat quietly in Jinwuwei's signing room, waiting for news from Jinwuwei and Jingzhao Mansion.

……

This night in Chang'an is destined to be recorded in history books, but it will definitely be underestimated and forgotten by the world.

The places where private copper coins were minted in Chang'an were distributed in a very regular manner.

Or around the West Market, where there is a mixture of fish and dragons, a huge population flow, and small shops clustered in each square, which facilitates the circulation of bad money.

Or in the inaccessible place in the south of the city, where the smallest population is less than 500 people.On weekdays, there are only a few people around, so it is a secret place where copper coins are minted privately.

That night, the west gate of Changmingfang near Anhua Gate in the south of Chang'an City was wide open.A group of heavily armed Jinwu guards were filing in.With Fangzheng leading the way and Zhang Guangsheng leading the way, a large group of people arrived at an inconspicuous house.

Many people think that privately minting copper coins can only be carried out in high-end mansions, but this is not the case.The threshold for privately casting copper coins is very low, and the technical requirements are not high, much lower than casting bronze Buddhas.All it takes is a few skilled casting masters and some strong labor.

What really limits the scale of private casting are copper materials, charcoal (firewood), molds and other materials, and it does not require a venue as large as a palace.Precisely because there are few objective conditions, private casting has been banned repeatedly since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

Making money means "money begets money". Who can bear it if you have the conditions to do this?

"Is this where the Zhang family lives?"

Zhang Guangsheng asked Fang Zheng with a cold face.

"Back to the general, it is true."

Fang Zheng said cautiously.

"Hmph, you knew that copper coins were minted illegally here, but you didn't report it. How could you do that?"

Zhang Guangsheng asked in a bad tone.

"Oh General, is this kind of thing something that a certain Fangzheng can handle?

There are people behind them... "

The boss said in a low voice.

"Go and open the door! Otherwise, I will hold you accountable for not reporting what I knew!"

Zhang Guangsheng scolded, not looking at Fang Zheng at all well.

"Okay, okay, I'll call the door now."

Fangzheng was very discerning and saw that when the Jinwu Guards came today, they were not armed with the wooden sticks that were common on duty, but with knives.

Why do Jinwu Guards use wooden sticks when on duty?

Because there are many dignitaries and dignitaries in Chang'an, and there are also many people who are closely related to them.When the Jinwu Guards are on duty, if they use the knife casually, they can easily kill people who should not be killed, making it impossible for both parties to turn back.

There is no such problem when using wooden sticks. No matter how big the misunderstanding is, as long as no one is killed, it is easy to talk about and mediate.

So looking at it from the other side, now that Jin Wuwei does not have a wooden stick, it means that they are going to do something deadly tonight!

Fangzheng opened the door of the courtyard with a cold sweat on his head. As soon as the door was opened, the wolf-like Jinwu guards rushed into the courtyard and knocked down the slaves holding sticks in the courtyard. land.

"Search! Don't miss any place!"

Zhang Guangsheng pointed in the direction of the backyard and shouted.

After a while, everyone living in the courtyard was taken to the front yard and sat on the ground, trembling with fear. A dozen Jinwu guardsmen with torches surrounded them.

"General Zhang, we found the molds used to mint coins, as well as several boxes of bad money."

Si Ge, a member of the Jinwu Guard, whispered in Zhang Guangsheng's ear.

"You lead people to kill everyone here, leaving no one alive.

Then send a brother to the Yamen to inform Yang Fuyin of Taifu and ask him to send someone to take over the place.

I'll go look elsewhere first. "

Zhang Guangsheng gave instructions to Si Ge beside him, turned around and left.

Killing was inevitable, it was a death order, but he was not so perverted that he liked watching his subordinates kill people.

Just when Zhang Guangsheng was leading a killing spree in Changmingfang, similar stories were being played out in some of Chang'an's city.

In Changshou Fang, Huaide Fang, Tongshan Fang, Changle Fang, etc., the gates of one house after another were pushed open by the Jinwu Guards, and they searched indiscriminately and massacred without distinction between right and wrong.

When I was privately minted, it was so refreshing to get the money, but now when my family is wiped out, my death is so painful.It seems that all gifts from fate have a price secretly marked on them.

The vague smell of blood gradually spread in Chang'an City.

(End of this chapter)