Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 23 speechless
"Thank you for this gentleman, thank you for this...Xiao Langjun."

After the man was invited by Zheng Shuqing to sit down, he quickly thanked him.He looked very down and out, as if he had been on the road for a long time, and the clothes on his body were all dirty.

"Although the postmen at the post station are also the generation who watch people and order food, they will not drive away the officials who have settled in like just now. Who are you? Why do those postmen want to drive you away?"

Zheng Shuqing asked with a puzzled look on his face, and poured the man a glass of wine.

The wine they drank was Huadiao wine, a specialty of Xiangyang, which tasted indistinguishable from Honglianchun.

However, Honglianchun, as an "Internet celebrity wine", is obviously more famous among the nobles of Chang'an. Zheng Shuqing and Fang Chongyong both brought some wine back to Chang'an as gifts to their relatives and friends.

Of course it is impossible to open and drink at the inn.

"Well, I'm from Jingcheng, Cangzhou, Hebei. I worked as a small Kongmu officer under the tent of Zhang Shougui, the Jiedu envoy of Youzhou. As a result, I was appointed as an observation envoy from Chang'an this year. If I don't like it, I will catch me a little bit. A small mistake framed me. In the end, I was transferred to the five prefectures of Lingnan to continue working as a Kongmu officer under the account of the strike envoy.

Doesn't this cost me death?That place in Lingnan was used to exile officials!Miasma and poisonous insects, which one doesn't kill people! "

The young man in front of him said angrily.His officials did a good job, and Kong Muguan was the kind of official who could be promoted. If he did well, he would not have no future.

As a result, the Youzhou Fanzhen was airborne by the imperial court for an observation envoy, and he was simply and rudely "dismissed"!
"So, you were kicked out by them just because you refused to go on the road to Lingnan and purposely stayed at the post station in Xiangyang?"

Fang Chongyong stared into the man's eyes and asked.

"That...to tell you the truth, it seems to be true."

The man lowered his head in embarrassment. The reason why he kept dragging him from Youzhou to Xiangyang and stayed at the inn until others rushed him was to delay his appointment and wait for the transfer.

Generally speaking, Jiedu envoys also work as part-time observers.But for some reason, the imperial court actually airborne an observer this time, and Zhang Shougui didn't mind this at all and even called him brother.

"This dog official is really terrible! When I return to Chang'an, I will definitely read him a book."

Zheng Shuqing said angrily. Suddenly something occurred to him and he asked doubtfully: "By the way, what's your name, and what's the name of the dog officer?"

"Oh, sir, don't worry about that. This dog official is an old minister of the saint Qianlong, and he is deeply favored by the saint. I am solemn, and I will never forget the kindness of a meal, so let's say goodbye."

Yan Zhuang realized that he seemed to have said something he shouldn't have said, and it was a taboo to talk briefly or deeply.

He was about to get up when he suddenly found the eight or nine-year-old kid who didn't talk much pulling on his clothes.

"It's okay to say anything, under such a bright and bright world, can't you say a word of reason? No matter how big the official is, can it be bigger than the prime minister? This envoy Zheng dares to speak out in front of the prime minister, so why not?" said?"

Fang Chongyong put Zheng Shuqing on the fire and winked at him.

After a few cups, Zheng Shuqing became more courageous, and said: "Just say it, you are a sesame-sized official, and with a wave of my hand, it is easy to save you from trouble."

Zheng Shuqing secretly thought that after entering the center, he would become a mountain of his own, and it seemed that he had the right intention to recruit some useful thugs and minions.

"Junhou is so righteous! That dog official is Fang Youde, and Junhou can find out after a little inquiring."

Yan Zhuang said excitedly, feeling as if he had found a backer.

Zheng Shuqing and Fang Chongyong looked at each other, and they both saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Well, there is no rush to deal with him. Let's talk about you first. Why did you get demoted? Let's see if Commander Zheng has any way to help you."

Fang Zhongyong asked without changing his expression, his toes digging out three rooms and one living room on the ground.

The same post was transferred from Youzhou to Lingnan, which is a proper demotion.

"Oh, it's still caused by drinking."

Yan Zhuang sighed helplessly and said: "Fang Youde just arrived in Fanyang City, and all the staff members were present at the welcome banquet. I got drunk and complained to my colleagues that the imperial court oppressed Hebei too much! Isn't this true?
As a result, Fang Youde happened to hear me, saying that I was slandering the imperial court and plotting something wrong!I just said a few fair words, he wants Zhang Jiezhen (Zhang Shougui) to kill me as an example to others!
At that time, many people tried to persuade me, and Zhang Jiezhen also said that I was talking nonsense because I had drunk too much, so I was able to save my life.

The result was great, within a few days I was retaliated against and demoted to Lingnan!Do you think I am unjust or not? "

The scumbag's wrist is very sharp, but his brain is still not working.

Fang Chongyong complained in his heart, and asked: "What did you say at that time?"

"Is this... very important?"

Yan Zhuang was stunned, he didn't expect Zheng Shuqing's son (mistakenly) to be so curious!

Only then did he helplessly explain: "Fang Youde boasted during the meeting that Pei Yaoqing had made great contributions to the regulation of water transportation, saying that he had transported 700 million shi of grain to Guanzhong in three years, and that the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty has shaken the ancient and modern times.

I told my colleagues that these are the people of Hebei who have sacrificed their lives and that the imperial court is suppressing us Hebei people to death!What a fart!

Is it not?
Pei Yaoqing's 700 million stones of grain and grass come from eight states, five of which are in Hebei, namely Xiangzhou, Weizhou, Beizhou, Dezhou, and Cangzhou, and two are Puzhou (Puyang) and Yunzhou next to Hebei. .

If the people of Hebei are short of food, they will not even be able to find food to buy in neighboring states and counties.

Isn't this searching Hebei, knocking the bones and sucking the marrow?Am I wrong?Why did that dog officer Fang Youde target me? "

The more Yan Zhuang talked, the angrier he became, wishing he could slap the table and scold his mother, Zheng Shuqing quickly interrupted: "Be careful, be careful."

"Sorry, I'm really angry..."

Yan Zhuang said with shame.

Fang Chongyong saw it and kept silent.Yan Zhuang is just a young man who has never been beaten by the society.When he matures, he will naturally know that there are laws behind the operation of all things.

"Actually, the Yongji Canal, the canal north of the Yellow River, is closer to Luoyang and more gentle, making it easier to store and transport grain. However, the Tongji Canal to the south is quite difficult to transport grain from the Jianghuai River into the Guanzhong. As for how the imperial court will choose, it is actually clear at a glance."

Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice.

The idea of ​​the imperial court is very simple. The canal route in Hebei saves freight and can suppress Hebei and continue to suck blood.In this case, why not do it thoroughly?

Can the people in Hebei suffer so much and make Chang'an live a better life? Can this business still be done?
Fang Chongyong assumed the identity of Li Longji and found that an emperor who was over 50 years old did not seem to need to consider such issues!
When a person dies and a bird turns to the sky, how can there be a long-lived person in the world?Live well in the moment, earn money when you are happy first, what do you want to do in the future?

Let's talk about something!
The transportation of grain and grass from Jianghuai to Chang'an is very expensive.The shipping fee for a stone of rice will almost reach more than 50 Wen after arriving in Chang'an.In good years, the price of rice in Chang'an is only this amount.That is to say, based on the current freight rate, the delivery to Chang'an has already doubled, so how much is the loss!

This is not counting the loss caused by the countless capsized tank boats in the section of the Yellow River in Shanzhou!
Zheng Shuqing told Fang Chongyong these things when he was in Kuizhou.The water transport of the Tang Dynasty was related to the destiny of the country.But Chang'an's position is unsolvable. Unless the capital is moved to Luoyang, the aging of the empire can be delayed.

Otherwise, continued inefficient water transportation will sooner or later drag the empire into the abyss.

However, it didn't matter to Li Longji. Anyway, as long as Chang'an and Guanzhong were happy, he really couldn't care about the rest.

Doesn’t Confucian etiquette, justice, benevolence and trust also emphasize the distance between people near and far?
Li Tang's clan originated from Guanzhong and has no connection with Hebei.Most of his supporters are Guanlong nobles.These people are "pro" and Hebei people are "shu".

From Li Longji's point of view, does he have to care so much about what people in Hebei think?

Fang Chongyong felt that this seemed to be an unsolvable proposition.There is only one bowl of rice, but two people eat it. Even if they share it equally, no one is full. What should I do? Is there any choice?

"After I return to Chang'an, I will ask Li Xiang to test your knowledge. If it is passable, then you can stay in Chang'an and take up a post. I will write a letter and send it to the Lingnan Jiedushi. You are just a little bit of sesame. , No one wants to make it difficult for you even after thinking about it.

As for complaining about the imperial court, you should say less in the future.Don't you hear the truth that disease enters from the mouth and disaster comes from the mouth? "

Zheng Shuqing said nonchalantly.

"Thank you Mr. Zheng, thank you Mr. Zheng!"

Yan Zhuang saluted Zheng Shuqing respectfully, wishing he could kowtow and kneel down.

"It's too much of a compliment. You can't call me my husband now. You've called me my husband. How will Prime Minister Li handle himself?"

Zheng Shuqing scolded him with a straight face.

Fang Chongyong thought to himself, Lao Zheng said no, but his body is still very honest.After all, only the prime minister can be called "Xianggong".Old Zheng was about to be promoted, so he really trembled.

It's human nature, human nature.

"Uh, this young gentleman is..."

Yan Zhuang suddenly noticed that Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing didn't look alike, but they looked very familiar to him, as if he had seen them somewhere before.

"Yellow-mouthed child, what a shame. I'm the only son in my family. From now on, you can call me Fang Dalang."

Fang Chongyong couldn't help teasing.

Yan Zhuang nodded slightly, hiding the question in his heart.He always felt that something was not quite right, but he couldn't put it into words.

The group rested for a day in Xiangyang, added some dry food and drinks, and then took the carriage provided by the post station and continued northward.The next stop is far away, which is Xiangxian County in Dengzhou.Going further north is Neixiang County, entering Wuguan Road and going directly to Chang'an.

Due to the delay caused by the ice on the waterway, Zheng Shuqing suspected that they would not have time to return to Chang'an before the Shangyuan Festival.After the Lantern Festival, there may be twists and turns in Zheng Shuqing's election of officials. This happens often, so when officials are dismissed, new positions will be filled in time.

Otherwise, his new position is likely to be replaced by those officials who are elected.

But now the court is also troubled, Pei Yaoqing was dismissed as Prime Minister, Zhang Jiuling and Li Linfu are in conflict.It's normal for Zheng Shuqing's official position to not be settled, and it would be weird if he immediately confirmed a new official position.

Regarding this, Zheng Shuqing was unhappy all day.Apart from that, he discovered that Yan Zhuang was very talented and witty, which was an unexpected surprise.

What Zheng Shuqing, Fang Chongyong and others didn't know was that when they came to Chang'an, the situation here was completely different from what they expected when they set off from Kuizhou.

……

Zhang Jiuling's mansion is in Xiufang, which is in the southeast corner of Chang'an City, very close to Furong Garden.But unlike Li Linfu, Zhang Jiuling was a clean and honest official, and his house was also small, far inferior to Li Linfu's house.

This is also related to his cold background.

In essence, Zhang Jiuling is a very traditional and conservative Confucian scholar-bureaucrat, who dislikes the extravagant and extravagant atmosphere in Chang'an City.Confucian scholars have always had a point of view: the wealth of the world is constant.

For government affairs, they tend to adopt the method of "throttling expenditure" to maintain the balance of fiscal revenue and expenditure.On the other hand, "open source" means "competing for profit with the people." Confucian historians have always severely criticized the affairs of financial officials.

If the ruling class uses more, then the people will have less, and the so-called "competing with the people for profit" comes from this.

From this point of view, it is not surprising that Zhang Jiuling despised Li Linfu for helping Li Longji make money and expressed disapproval on his face.This is due to academic inertia.It's a bit like Fang Chongyong, an undergraduate student in his previous life who looked down on college students.

However, at this time, Zhang Jiuling's life was not as comfortable as outsiders thought.He did not wait for the New Year in the revision workshop, but followed Li Longji out of Chang'an to "appreciate the snow" in Zhongnan Mountain.

However, Zhang Jiuling, who has experienced many storms, can feel that Li Longji is going to do something big this time!

Because there are various indications that the crown prince Li Ying, whom Zhang Jiuling supports, is steadily preparing for... a rebellion.

Two years ago, when there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, Li Longji visited Luoyang eastward and brought all the officials to Luoyang to "eat".The Crown Prince Li Ying at that time did something that I don't know how to describe.

At that time, Li Ying borrowed two thousand armor from Li Yun, the thirteenth son of Li Longji (later renamed Li Yan), but Li Yun did not give it.Not only did he refuse, but he also reported the matter to Li Longji.

Li Longji, who has been trained in the court for a long time, naturally knows what it means to borrow armor.So he called Zhang Jiuling and asked if he wanted to abolish the prince!

Zhang Jiuling said at the time that the prince is the foundation of the country and should not be moved lightly.He felt that this matter was quite strange, because Li Yun was only leading the military governor of Pinglu, and the soldiers, horses, and armor were all in Hebei.Where can he get two thousand pieces of armor?
In other words, it is certain that Li Yan reported on the prince.But whether he made a false accusation or whether he was instructed to play such a trick of "confusing falsehood with truth" is anyone's guess.

Li Yun has no possibility of inheriting the throne, and it is impossible for him to be his turn anyway.In terms of age and wings, he is far inferior to Li Heng; in terms of the degree to which his mother is favored, he is far inferior to the longevity king Li Wei.

Therefore, it is very likely that Li Yan was instructed by someone to deliberately falsely accuse Prince Li Ying.In other words, even if Li Ying wanted to rebel, it would be impossible for Li Yan to catch such a big loophole.

So who is behind the instigation, in fact, it is already ready to be revealed!

For these, Zhang Jiuling didn't even dare to think about it!
"The snow scene is very beautiful, can Prime Minister You compose a poem to entertain you?"

Li Longji walked to Zhang Jiuling and asked, pointing to the snow-covered mountains in the distance.

"The minister is worried about national affairs... I really don't know what kind of poem to write."

Zhang Jiuling said modestly to Li Longji.

"Are you worried about the country's affairs...or are you worried about the prince?"

Li Longji's sudden question made Zhang Jiuling's hairs stand on end!

(End of this chapter)