Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 272 “Copy” version update

From Wuwei, Liangzhou to Chang'an, there are 1,800 miles of official roads along the way. When ordinary officials go to take office or return to Beijing to report on their duties, the court requires that they be in place within one month.

But this is just a requirement for rushing under normal circumstances, and there is plenty of time.

If a message or letter is delivered by express horse, it will only take six days at the earliest.

Just when Fang Chongyong was in Liangzhou Jiedushi Yamen, he had a meeting with local big players but failed to reach any consensus. Cen Shen returned from delivering a letter from Chang'an, and was appointed as a supervisory censor by Ji Ge. He also went to Liangzhou to announce the imperial decree.

That is: Fang Chongyong was appointed by Ji Ge as the "Yu Shi Dafu", a member of the Honglu Qing Dynasty and an external official, and a Thousand Households in Hou Shiyi in Dunhuang County.

Although the censor doctor only holds a temporary position and does not participate in the daily management of the censor station. However, being named a military official means that the emperor will treat him as a local military leader who formally guards a party and recognize his ability. He will no longer be a "transitional" figure like a dragonfly.

This is an inconspicuous unspoken rule in officialdom, but it is actually running.

Wang Zhongsi, An Lushan and others all have the title of "Yushi Dafu". On the contrary, Fang Youde resigned from the post of Lingnan Economic Envoy and returned to Chang'an to take control of the imperial army, and no longer served as the imperial censor.

The military pressure currently facing Hexi is not great, because the unrest in the Tubo Subi District and the sap attack by Fang Chongyong in Longyou have greatly damaged the strength of the Tubo Military Region corresponding to the Hexi area, and it is no longer able to face Hexi in the northernmost part of Subi. Launched an offensive, occupied the outskirts of Liangzhou and fought against the enemy.

Now the military pressure in the western part of the Tang Dynasty has been backlogged to the front line of Longyou and Shanzhou. The next step is that the Tubo people will concentrate their forces and compete with the Tang army for the Tuyuhun old road on the front line of Shibao City. This is already the consensus of the Tang Dynasty and the public.

Under such a clear strategic situation, Ji Ge insisted on granting Fang Chongyong the position of "Yushi Dafu" to strengthen his authority as the Hexi Jiedushi envoy.

This can only mean one thing: the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who was short of money, had high hopes for Fang Chongyong’s plan to make money in Hexi!

Fang Chongyong is nominally the Hexi Jiedu envoy, but in fact what he wants to do is closer to the Hexi branch envoy.

Of course, the official positions that should be given have been given, the titles that should be given have been given, and the local financial rights, land rights, and personnel appointment and dismissal rights have been given. If a satisfactory answer cannot be submitted in a few years, Brother Ji will be furious. ! If things are not handled well, even if you are dismissed from office, you may not be able to fight, and you may be exiled to Lingnan!

After learning that he had added a lot of messy titles with no practical use, Fang Chongyong was not only unhappy, but even more embarrassed.

……

"After a trip to Chang'an, I realized how deep the loyalty of the Commander-in-Chief is. It is really unmatched by outsiders. The lower officials also benefited from it. Otherwise, it will take at least ten years of hard work to get the position of Supervisory Censor. On a certain head.

I would like to thank the commander-in-chief here. "

In the study of Hexi Jiedushi, Cen Shen said respectfully to Fang Chongyong.

Fang Chongyong didn't speak, and looked straight at Cen Shen without speaking.

"Fang Jieshuai..."

Cen Shen felt frightened and confused when Fang Chongyong saw him. It is said that Fang Chongyong's lovely wife and concubine, plus Pei Xiu, a mistress with fair and delicate skin, can satisfy the man's physiological needs.

There's no need to play some weird tricks, right?

"Yushi Cen, originally, I really hoped that you could stay by my side and help me make suggestions.

But, there are not many people around you who you can trust. There is something that requires a trustworthy and capable person who can stay in Chang'an for a long time to handle the mission.

I have been thinking about whether to let you do it or let Yan Zhuang do it. Would like to hear your opinion. "

Fang Chongyong said with a sigh.

Cen Shen was a scholar with a good personal image, which made it easy for him to promote his political achievements in Hexi in Chang'an, but he lacked experience in political struggle.

Not to mention Yan Zhuang, he was cunning and treacherous. His shortcoming was that he couldn't get along with the elite nobles. It was easy for him to be criticized and discredited by some people in the central government in Hexi.

Fang Chongyong thought about it and found that it was not An Lushan who was busy rebelling, so he really did not need to let Yan Zhuang operate in Chang'an. Cen Shen was more reliable. Even if you have good wine, you are afraid of a dark alley. These days, literati and poets are specially used to advertise for the powerful and increase their social influence.

What Fang Chongyong wants to do in Hexi is called "financial innovation" at best, but it is to find new ways to make money for the emperor at worst.

No matter how you look at it, you think Cen Shen is quite suitable for this official position.

After all, Cen Shen is someone who can write poems to praise his generals! Feng Changqing in history is one of the "records" he boasted. Fang Chongyong really wanted Cen Shen to stay in Chang'an and promote local political achievements for himself!

"Please give me your orders, Commander-in-Chief, I will not give up even if I die!"

Cen Shen said with excitement.

"Then take a look at this first."

Fang Chongyong handed the stack of manuscripts under the paperweight on the desk to the other party without saying much. He just lowered his head quietly and said nothing, as if he was thinking about something.

"Entering the Academy?"

Cen Shen looked at Fang Chongyong with a strange look on his face and asked with some confusion.

This draft of a memorial to Brother Ji was completely different from what he had originally expected. The matter Fang Chongyong mentioned had nothing to do with money, which was a bit strange.

But after Cen Shen thought about it carefully, he felt that it was not against the peace at all. This was indeed within Fang Chongyong's responsibilities.

In this draft, Fang Chongyong proposed a new institution called "Jinzouyuan", which is "external to the Central Committee". It is indeed a member of the Beijing official establishment, but the local government provides official candidates for the Central Committee's approval, and the local government also provides financial support. .

To sum it up briefly, this is similar to the "Jiedushi Office in Beijing". Its operating expenses are handled by itself without any additional money from the court, which is very considerate.

So, why was this Jinzouyuan established?

Fang Chongyong made it clear in the draft: "Since the Kaiyuan Dynasty, there have been many affairs in the border towns, and the Ministry of War has been unable to cope with them, so it moved into the memorial hall and stationed in Beijing to take over the handover."

With the establishment of border towns, the disintegration of the military system, and the formal establishment of the "Ten Bao Jiedu Envoys", the internal military machinery of the Tang Dynasty has undergone fundamental changes.

The original "three provinces and six ministries" of the Tang Dynasty Center were no longer able to cope with daily border town affairs. This problem was not only seen by Brother Ji, but also by some local military governors.

Although they did not propose a solution, they complained many times, saying that the center responded extremely slowly to border town affairs, and many times they needed Jiedu to make their own decisions.

The central command is slower than a turtle!

However, central officials also have something to say, there is a reason to be slow, and there is no point in being anxious!

Datang has its own system, so we must follow the procedures that need to be followed. It is not the officials who are slow, but the government!

This kind of "little things" were often brought up to Li Linfu in the past, and then they were filtered out by Gao Lishi and were not passed on to Brother Ji.

Fang Chongyong proposed the establishment of Jinzou Yuan, which would allow officials from the border towns who were familiar with local people's conditions to be stationed in the capital for a long time and rotated regularly.

Any movement in the border town, such as personnel transfers, large financial expenditures, recruitment of troops, and military dispatch, will be handled by dedicated personnel in the Jinzou Courtyard who will contact the relevant departments of the imperial court!

Either take the initiative to report, or answer all questions. Anyway, if something happens, you can communicate with the court center as soon as possible.

In this way, it was equivalent to the emperor's order. After walking around inside the central court, he connected with the dedicated person from Jiedu Envoy. In this way, there will be no situation where something happens in a border town and the emperor cannot find the person responsible.

No matter what troubles there are in the border town, the emperor can just call the person in the memorial hall directly. And if something goes wrong in Bian Town, the person in charge of Jinzouyuan will also be the one who delivers the news. No matter how others spread it or say anything, it is not "official news."

Fang Chongyong's suggestion was to ask the imperial court to choose an inconspicuous location in Chang'an City and send the Hexi Jiedushi to the Memorial Hall first.

If the pilot effect is good, then we will continue to open the other nine Jiedu Envoy Academy to promote the Hexi experience.

If the effect is not good, dismantling this institution will not lead to a major war.

At the same time, this operation can make the information in each zone relatively confidential. Furthermore, the emperor could also bypass Zhongshumen and go to the province and directly follow up with the memorial hall to consolidate the imperial power.

It has to be said that Fang Chongyong’s suggestion is indeed a sharp criticism of the current situation and is highly feasible. Based on his many years of experience in politics, Cen Shen has a high probability that this memorial will be adopted.

But there are some questions that are difficult to explain clearly: Do the officials who enter the memorial hall listen to the Jiedushi or the imperial court?

If you listen to the imperial court, it doesn't matter if you serve as an official in Chang'an. But how could Jiedushi be willing to have an extra yoke strangled around his neck? They will definitely make things difficult for the relevant officials who enter the memorial hall in every possible way, from lack of money and food to being obedient and unscrupulous. This model of entering the memorial hall is simply unsustainable.

If you don't listen to the imperial court, but listen to the Jiedushi. Naturally, if you enter the memorial hall, you can get full support from the local government. If you ask for money, you will get money and people will be given. But can the imperial court tolerate the ostentatious activities of such a local Jiedushi spy agency in Chang'an?

Of course, although it is a long-term trend for local military governors to become powerful, anyone who is not blind can see it. But at present, the imperial court changes military envoys very frequently, so there is no need to worry about this.

At least so far, the local Jiedushi is not considered a warlord. The border army generals and even the Jiedushi himself can be dispatched at will by the court.

"Censor Cen is very suitable to serve as the envoy of the Hexi Jinzou Academy in Chang'an, and he will be recommended to the court by a certain society. Of course, he cannot hold the position of supervisory censor.

However, Yushi Cen is asked to consider where to go, and I will not force it. "

Fang Chongyong said nonchalantly. “You’re going to the memorial hall to do some confidential things for the commander, right?”

Cen Shen asked calmly.

"Indeed."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, neither explaining nor denying.

"Fang Jieshuai, I have something private to say to Fang Guozhong, but I can't let Fang Jieshuai, the envoy of Hexi Jiedu know about it.

How do you think the official should speak? "

Cen Shen asked in a low voice.

"But it doesn't matter, there is no Fang Jieshuai here. After walking out of this door, I will not remember what Cen Yushi said."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently and said.

"This is an autographed letter from Prince Ying, Li Xuan, to a subordinate, hoping to be a matchmaker for Fang Jieshuai. He said that his wife's family has a girl who is sixteen years old, and she admires Jieshuai very much for being young and promising, so she volunteered to provide warmth to Jieshuai for her concubine. bed.

Then he asked his subordinate to give a message to Commander Jie.

The subordinate did not dare to neglect the matter, and was afraid of being investigated by the court, so he opened the letter and read it in advance. There was nothing else important. Even if something happens, I can take the blame for Jieshuai.

This girl is the thirteenth daughter of Dugu Li.

It is worth mentioning that Li Xuan's wife was Dugu Li's twelfth daughter. In other words, she is Li Xuan's wife and sister.

Apart from this, the people sent by Li Xuan didn't say anything else to the official. "

Cen Shen took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Fang Chongyong. The envelope had already been opened.

Fang Chongyong took the letter and read it at a glance. He immediately understood what Li Xu wanted to do.

There is a noble girl from aristocratic family who has not left the court and admires you. Are you happy or happy?

They are not seeking fame or fortune, but they just like you and want to sleep with you. Do you accept it?

If you want, that's fine. From now on, you and I, Prince Ying and Li Xuan, will be brothers-in-law. Then we can't get close to each other?

If not, you scumbag doesn’t know how to appreciate it! You are shameless, don’t blame yourself for your reputation!

"You really know how to play!"

After reading the letter, Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

He was originally curious about how Pei Xiu didn't resist at all when he pushed her into bed. Now it seems that any girl from aristocratic family who was pushed down by him would have to queue up! How could Pei Xiu resist?

These days, girls from aristocratic families are not a scarce resource, but young Jiedushi are!

"What did Judge Cen want to say to someone?"

Fang Chongyong asked helplessly.

"Jie Shuai, the saint is already very old now. Once the saint dies... the world will be in chaos in an instant."

Cen Shen lowered his voice and said.

Fang Chongyong nodded thoughtfully. Cen Shen's words could only prove that his political quality was qualified, because not only he had seen this, but many people in the Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty had also seen it. The day Brother Ji died was the time for many princes to unite with the generals of the border army and raise troops to seize the throne!

How can the world not be in chaos?

"Yes, Yushi Cen's eyes are as bright as a torch."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly but did not express his position.

"The Commander-in-Chief is now in a high position and seems to have unlimited support from the saints. But once the Saint is gone, wouldn't the Commander-in-Chief lose his biggest supporter?

How will Jieshuai deal with himself in the future? "

Cen Shen continued to ask.

Fang Chongyong remained silent.

In fact, although the Anshi Rebellion broke out suddenly, it was the consensus of many officials that the Tang Dynasty was about to suffer civil strife due to the backlog of conflicts.

If Brother Ji had died a few years earlier, Datang would have fought for the right to inherit the throne. The drama of the prince colluding with the "King Qin", the governor of the border town, was much more acceptable to the people of the Tang Dynasty than the iron rebellion at Mount Anlu. At least the governors in the north would be involved.

And it is very likely that a prince will get the support of a group of roadside townsmen. After the group of people successfully captures Chang'an, other people from all walks of life will take sides and be beaten. The power will be reshuffled.

"What does Cen Yushi want to say? Don't beat around the bush."

Fang Chongyong sighed and said.

"The lower official thinks that Fang Jieshuai should make preparations in advance, and if he is prepared, he will be safe.

Entering the memorial hall is an opportunity to make arrangements in advance. The lower official's ability is limited and he is not good at these things, so it is better to stay with the commander-in-chief to do things.

The commander-in-chief didn't need to pay attention to Li Xuan's little tricks. He could just shop around before making a decision.

The little lady of the Dugu family is not necessarily the most beautiful, so of course, Jieshuai must take a good look at her before talking about her. "

Cen Shen bravely suggested, with an ambiguous smile on his face. He believed that Fang Chongyong must understand what he wanted to express.

If officials like them stood up to rebel and smashed Li Tang's stall, they would definitely not have the will and courage.

But if there is a chance to join the dragon, these people will run faster than anyone else and be more active than anyone else!

The root of Ji Ge's mischievous thinking is that from top to bottom in the Tang Dynasty, no one thought that changing the emperor was a treasonous thing. As long as Li Tang is still the brand, it doesn't matter which clan becomes the emperor!

Taizong forced his father to abdicate and killed his biological brothers to ascend to the throne. What kind of ethical code can there be?

Under the premise of this social trend of thought, there is no loyalty under the national framework. The loyalty of ministers to the emperor relied entirely on personal relationships. People who are loyal to the country may be thinking about killing Brother Ji day and night.

"Yu Shi Cen's words are reasonable, so Yan Zhuang was appointed as the envoy to the memorial hall.

He is still serving as the county magistrate of Dunhuang County in Shazhou. Someone has sent someone to ask him to come to Liangzhou. He is expected to arrive tomorrow. "

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

The situation has indeed changed, and Brother Ji's descendants have begun to move quietly after escaping from the prison.

Fang Chongyong felt a little emotional that what he wanted to do quietly was actually revealed by Cen Shen. It seemed that the wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated.

Entering the Academy is not simply a "Jiedushi Office in Beijing". In the history of the middle and late Tang Dynasty, there were cases where officials of the Jinzouyuan assassinated central officials of the imperial court according to the orders of the Jiedushi.

The complexity of this institution, involving military, politics, economics and even diplomacy, was far more important than people imagined at the time.

Li Xuan's letter shows that a new situation in the field of power has opened up. Cen Shen's ability is indeed unable to cope with such a complicated situation, and he needs a more scheming and even vicious figure.

It is none other than Yanzhuang.

"By the way, didn't Li Xuan say that this Dugu lady admires me? Then let her come to Liangzhou to have fun and ride a camel. Then she sleeps with a rough guy like this... meet her and live there for a few months and have enough fun. Let’s go back to Chang’an.”

Just when Cen Shen was about to get up and leave, Fang Chongyong suddenly said something with a smile on his face.

"Eh?"

Cen Shen was stunned, could he still play like this? I feel like my knowledge has been refreshed by Fang Chongyong. If you come to Liangzhou for fun, you will naturally have to go back. Fang Chongyong can be said to be a rebel general.

"Then I will write a letter right now."

Seeing Cen Shen's stunned look, Fang Chongyong laughed and shook his head, secretly cursing Li Xu for being a big sabi.

It's too disrespectful for Li Xuan to play this kind of ambiguous routine. What kind of place is Liangzhou? What kind of woman does Fang Yanei, the governor of Hexi Province, want but can't get?

Even if it is a princess from a small country in the Western Region, he can get her at his fingertips if he wants to, and he can also choose. Li Xuan thought that giving him a woman would drag Fang Yanei into trouble. He was really full, so he might as well go to bed.

Fang Chongyong thought disdainfully.

(End of this chapter)