Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 276 Anti-counterfeiting technology for high-end paper

"Send troops to Xiao Bolu?"

Seeing the edict sent home by Gao Lishi himself, Li Linfu looked stunned, and then a feeling of powerlessness surged in his heart.

The emperor directly asked the people of Zhongshushe to write an edict to the prime minister. How long has this happened? Usually it is a very important military and national event that would lead to such a move.

Even so, the emperor would previously convene a meeting with the prime ministers to discuss. Only when there is strong opposition and the emperor really wants to do something, will he use this method to push forward forcefully.

It can be said that this is the first time in more than ten years that an edict without the seal of the Yizhengtang was delivered to his home by Gao Lishi himself. This shows that this matter is the firm will of the emperor himself, and it must not be delayed and muddled.

As expected, Gao Lishi smiled and said:

"This is the meaning of the saint. The right minister should handle important matters."

The professional fake smile prevented Li Linfu from seeing what he was thinking, nor could he figure out Brother Ji's true intentions.

"General Gao, wouldn't it be better to discuss this matter in the political hall? Can we arrange it after the truth is revealed?

For no other reason than for fear of delaying the saint's important event. "

Li Linfu said hesitantly. Although he raised objections, his attitude was very humble.

Brother Ji bypassed the council hall and directly dealt with military and state affairs without consulting the prime minister beforehand. This is too much!

Li Linfu's power as the right prime minister was invisibly deprived of too much by Ji Ge. If things go on like this, he will definitely lose his decision-making power on military and national affairs!

In the future, I will only be able to deal with daily and complicated government affairs!

At that point, what does this right equivalent mean? Isn’t it just like when Zheng Shuqing was Jing Zhaoyin?

In the past, Brother Ji had to behave himself no matter what, and when big things happened, he would summon a few prime ministers to have a meeting to talk things over. Although Brother Ji's wishes will be followed in the end, at least the prime ministers are aware of it.

But now, it seems that the emperor no longer communicates to the political hall any government decrees he wants. He just issues an imperial edict to do whatever he wants, and all the left and right prime ministers become decorations.

This can't go on like this!

Even if Li Linfu knew that he was Brother Ji's dog, he would still try his best to get the dignity that a dog deserves!

How can a dog have no dignity when he is in charge of a group of dogs with even humbler status?

Li Linfu's dissatisfaction was almost palpable, but he said it tactfully.

"The sage said that Xiao Bolu accepted the canonization of the Tang Dynasty first and surrendered to Tubo later. He acted in two ways and did not repay his favor by plowing the courtyard and sweeping holes, which was not enough to enhance the prestige of the Tang Dynasty.

When King Bolu humiliated the Tang Dynasty, he was humiliating the saint. Did the right minister want to persuade the saint to calm down? "

Gao Lishi asked with a smile on his face.

"No, no, the truth is that I am just worried that the saint will work day and night and damage the dragon body. There is no other intention."

Li Linfu laughed dryly and said, for the sake of talking, what else could he say.

"The right prime minister is busy with state affairs, and all the saints see it."

Gao Lishi bowed to Li Linfu and said calmly, then turned and left.

After he left, Li Linfu sat in front of the desk in the study and pondered in silence, repeatedly reading the edict in his hand.

Fang Chongyong was appointed as the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador, coordinating the troops and horses of the four towns in Hexi and Anxi, with the goal of conquering Xiaobolu, and Fang Chongyong took charge of related war matters.

This appointment gives great military command power!

Li Linfu did not doubt why Fang Chongyong gained such great military power. After all, it was because of his rescue. Now in the eyes of the emperor, at least half of the ministers in the court are rebels who want to rebel but have not yet. He only trusts a limited number of people.

The Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador is a "mission" without rank. Without the emperor's instructions and other supporting official positions, then this position is nothing and of no use.

This temporary assignment is very similar to Fang Chongyong's project general manager in his previous life, when the state took the lead and organized many central and state-owned enterprises to carry out large-scale projects abroad.

Each large central enterprise can be regarded as a Jiedushi, and the enterprises affiliated to the central enterprises can be regarded as a certain army under the Jiedushi.

The Economic Strategy Ambassador can deploy any military resources within the large jurisdiction, including but not limited to troop dispatch, personnel appointment and dismissal, material deployment, etc. He just generally does not interfere with the daily training and recruitment of troops under his command.

Similarly, they generally do not directly participate in front-line combat command.

This is the product of mutual checks and balances in the military organizational structure of the Tang Dynasty since the early Tang Dynasty.

To put it simply, the Economic and Strategic Ambassador only has the power to mobilize troops and command in general directions, and does not interfere with specific operational details or peacetime military management.

This position has real power but no official position, and is closely related to border military affairs. Its status is very delicate.

It can be understood as uniting troops to fight, or it can be understood as splitting the original organizational structure of the Northwest Military Region.

What exactly it is depends on what Fang Chongyong will do in the Western Regions in the future. It also depends on whether he can get things done.

In this way, the emperor could use the opportunity of attacking Xiaobolu to "integrate" the Tang troops in the Western Regions who were originally planning to unite with Fang Chongyong's help, so that they would not be able to support their own generals in the Western Regions.

The Western Region is too big, and small countries rebel almost every year. There is no loyalty or betrayal here, only the exchange of interests between Hong Guoguo.

The Tang Army has been in the Western Regions for a long time and has not been rotated for many years. Many soldiers are recruited from local small countries and settlements near the cities in the Western Regions. In such a political environment where "the king's flag changes at the top of the city", will there be a "local emperor"?

Can a place like the Western Region, which is vast and sparsely populated, be able to stand alone as an independent country?

Brother Ji didn't know the answer, and neither did Li Linfu.

But hundreds of years later in the history books of Fang Chongyong's previous life, a regime called Xiliao and a man named Yelu Dashi told later generations: This is very possible. Even this regime has existed for nearly a hundred years and is by no means a flash in the pan.

Now that Fang Zhongyong has been appointed as the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador, is this the emperor rewarding his own people, or is he planning something big?

Li Linfu thought secretly, feeling a little hesitant.

The emperor's mind is so scary, I can never understand what the emperor is planning.

Li Linfu also had another appointment on hand. Because it involves the royal family, it does not require the approval of the Council of Government. You only need to inform the prime minister.

This personnel appointment is also not simple.

"The crown prince is Jing Zhaoyin, Prince Ying is the magistrate of Wannian County, and Prince Yong is the magistrate of Chang'an County..."

Li Linfu felt weak in his heart. Compared with the confusion of the previous appointment, what the emperor wanted to do this time was almost directly blurred on his face, and he didn't want to hide it at all.

After Li Heng's rebellion and nearly two years of silence in the court, Chang'an City is now about to become noisy again.

But this time, whose team will he, the prime minister, stand on? In other words, should we take sides?

Li Linfu thought about it and found that the answer to this question was too rich. It was so rich that he didn't dare to think about it any further!

How you choose your stance depends crucially on how long the emperor can live. Depending on the time the emperor has left, the answer will be very different, or even completely opposite.

Although it was already spring and the flowers were blooming, and it was not cold even if he was wearing only a thin brocade robe, Li Linfu still felt a cool air from the soles of his feet to the sky.

It's too cold to be in high places. He has reached the position of Right Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty and cannot be promoted.

The higher his status, the fewer people around him, so much so that he had no one he could trust to discuss issues such as how long the emperor would live.

Standing on the top of the mountain, the scenery is really good, but the place for people to stay is too small and the wind is too strong. While enjoying the infinite scenery, you may fall into the cliff at any time.

Li Linfu stood up and left the study, went to a narrow secret room, locked himself in the secret room and thought quietly. I kept thinking about it from morning until late at night, and then I walked out of the secret room exhausted.

He finally knew how to deal with the issue of taking sides.

……

"Are these Kunlun slaves?"

Arriving at the largest "human resources" market in Liangzhou City, Fang Chongyong pointed to a few short black men whose ankles were shackled and were eating wheat rice and asked.

"Yes, Marshal Fang, I will deliver these slaves to your house in a moment."

An Arab businessman in white said something flattering.

Fang Chongyong shook his head slightly, waved his hand and said, "This is just a question for the commander in this section. He doesn't care about the Kunlun slaves."

Things are rare and valuable, and the dignitaries of the Tang Dynasty like to compare themselves with the Kunlun slaves in their hands. This is just a curiosity.

If I don’t have what others have, I feel uncomfortable in my heart; if I have what others don’t have, I feel very comfortable in my heart!

Comparison psychology like this is at work.

However, unlike the legendary Kunlun slaves who were tall and tall, many of the so-called Kunlun slaves Fang Chongyong saw were very short in stature, much like the people in Southeast Asia in their previous lives, such as the ones in front of him. Legend has it that they have dark skin, lean bodies, and are particularly proficient in water!

Many dignitaries of the Tang Dynasty used the Kunlun slaves as "divers" and threw them into wells to salvage things. Fang Chongyong had heard it many times after coming to the Tang Dynasty.

It can be seen that because they are sold more expensively, their food is much better than other slaves.

Slavery existed in feudal society, and a large proportion of the population were slaves. Such things were not uncommon. The Tang Dynasty was a classic aristocratic society. Everything was based on the needs and tastes of the nobles. The analogy of slaves to animals was written into the "Laws of the Tang Dynasty".

Naturally, there is no shortage of slave trade. These slaves are often buried by their masters. It can be said that they have no control over their lives. Whether they die or not is determined by their masters.

By the time of the Qing Dynasty, the system of "martyrdom" for wealthy families was also heard from time to time, which shows that enslaving others is a bad human nature and will not disappear with the development of the times.

It's just that the methods of slavery have changed, becoming more hidden and difficult to detect, but the essence has not changed at all.

Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong frowned slightly and pulled the slave trader from Arabia aside to ask questions.

"Do you have anything you want to ask, Marshal Fang? I have seen and heard about the sea in the south of the Tang Dynasty, and I know a little bit about it. That's where these Kunlun slaves come from."

This Arab slave trader spoke very standard Chinese, and if you didn't look at his appearance, you would hardly notice that he was a foreigner.

The two came to the market gate, and Fang Chongyong asked the guards to screen away the rest of the crowd and ask questions alone.

Fang Chongyong looked at the other party's slightly older face and asked with a half-smile: "To the west of Congling, the Shia uprising of the black-clad Shia is in full swing. But you have always been wearing white clothes. Could it be that you were in the white-clad Be an official?"

Upon hearing this, the Arab trafficker's expression changed slightly. He originally thought that his disguise was good, pretending to be a traveling businessman who came to Liangzhou from South Asia by sea and land, and traveled to most of the Tang Dynasty. Unexpectedly, the other party revealed the mystery with one word.

"Fang Jieshuai is joking. I have been away from Dashi for many years and have been sailing for a long time. I don't know these things."

The Arab trafficker laughed dryly.

But what he didn't know was that even in Chang'an, businessmen in white clothes and big food were rare now, and there were even very few big food merchants. Even if there are, they are all dressed in black, or do not identify themselves at all.

This kind of thing involving sectarian conflict is completely unreasonable. The Arab businessmen in white clothes are like fireflies in the dark night, writing on their faces that they are a "minority".

"Come here, take me down and interrogate him slowly!"

Fang Chongyong shouted, and He Changqi took the Arab slave trader away with two soldiers of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

"Jie Shuai, was that man just now a spy dressed in black?"

Yan Zhuang trotted over and asked in a low voice.

"Isn't this obvious? He pretended that he was a cannibal who came from the southern seaside. He should have no information, so he was still a cannibal in white, so he should wear white clothes.

But in fact, the Dashi who came from the south, whether they were black-clad Dashi or not, after they landed in Tang Dynasty from Guangzhou, they no longer wore white clothes, but wore Shu brocade. If they don't identify themselves, outsiders won't be able to tell.

This person was obviously a black-clad spy who came to spy on the movements of the Tang army. They thought it would be better to pretend to be a slave trader. They were afraid that we would be suspicious, so they felt guilty and did not wear black or white. "

Fang Chongyong waved his hand indifferently and said.

As soon as he heard someone reported that someone was selling Kunlun slaves in Liangzhou City, he wanted to see what the Kunlun slaves looked like and whether they were the same as he imagined. Unexpectedly, I found out that the slave trader was a big man in white clothes.

The Tang Army spies had actually grasped the general trends in the political situation in West Asia, and it was not just a blind eye.

The white-coated food is now experiencing the famous "Shiite Uprising" in history. Moreover, the suppressive army of the White-coated Dashi suffered a decisive defeat a few years ago. The Black-clothed Dashi began to take control of power and went all out to hunt down the royal family and officials of the White-clothed Dashi.

Nowadays, those who appear accidentally in the Western Region are all businessmen in black clothes and rich in food.

Different from the position of the merchants in white clothes, Dashi in black implemented a border-blocking strategy against Datang. Their merchants rarely come to Hexi now. Therefore, the goods coming from the west of Congling in Chang'an have plummeted like a cliff. This is also an objective reason for the sharp decline in trade route smuggling revenue.

The spy who pretended to be a wealthy businessman in white clothes was not inflexible. He just didn't expect that there would be a bug like Fang Chongyong. This newly appointed Hexi Jiedushi actually knew that during this period, a border conflict would break out between Datang and Black-clothed Dashi!

Many times, if you don't know the standard answer to guess the question, you often have to take many detours. However, knowing the answer in advance and deducing the question is extremely straightforward.

"Fang Jieshuai is really well-informed!"

Yan Zhuang couldn't help but admire and said, not daring to underestimate Fang Chongyong.

Although the man in front of me is young, he is not easy to fool at first glance.

"By the way, what's the matter with you coming to see this commander? Aren't you keeping an eye on the issue of Fa Jiaozi right now?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“Ah, yes, yes, Jiaozi Jiaozi.

Ma Daifeng came back from Shu and brought Pu paper back. This kind of paper is real...it's hard to describe in words.

Jieshuai might as well go back home and take a look. "

Yan Zhuang said anxiously.

"understood."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and took Yan Zhuang to the Hexi Jiedushi Yamen. Then, according to Yan Zhuang's guidance, he went to the "Official Documents Hall" on the second floor of the newly built Yamen to check out the paper samples that Ma Daifeng brought back from Shu.

This kind of paper is a little different than expected.

Firstly, it has natural slight wrinkles; secondly, the texture is closer to cloth and can be easily pulled without breaking; and finally, the thickness is very thin.

It is much thinner than the thickest paper of this era, and even slightly thinner than the paper used by the government for daily office work.

The color of this paper is white with brown, and there are some short black lines that look like parasites under a microscope, evenly distributed among them.

Each short streak looks irregular and different, but overall it appears and is evenly distributed.

This kind of paper, let alone craftsmanship, was the first time Fang Chongyong had seen it today.

It’s an eye-opener!

He dared to assert that just this kind of publicity was a natural anti-counterfeiting. Especially those small short black lines are very recognizable. Ordinary people can identify its characteristics at a glance, which is very convenient to use as anti-counterfeiting features.

And without knowing the paper technology and materials, it is difficult for outsiders to imitate it.

"Ma Langzhong, you are serious."

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but praise.

Ma Daifeng came over and saluted Fang Chongyong with his hands crossed, and lowered his voice and whispered: "The entire family of dozens of craftsmen who made the paper came to Liangzhou with the official. The original workshop was burned down, and nothing happened. Not left."

"Well, in this section, the commander will report his merits to the saint and the groom."

Fang Chongyong said with a smile, winking at Ma Daifeng, and everything was understood without saying anything.

"How dare you, how dare you, they are all working for the saints, lower officials dare not take credit."

Ma Daifeng said humbly.

This man is worthy of being a craftsman working around Brother Ji. He knows that the matter is of great importance, and he is very careful when planning the paper. If in the future there is a high imitation of Jiaozi, he will definitely not be blamed.

Ma Daifeng has tried his best to keep technology confidential and block information.

Pu paper is a large category, and the products made by each workshop in Shu are slightly different. Even within the same workshop, they will subdivide products into subcategories based on different user needs.

If others don't have professional guidance, it would take several years of trial and error to get a rough copy of this kind of professional paper. After trial and error, we have to deal with other anti-counterfeiting measures.

Easier said than done!

"Now everything is ready, all we need is the east wind!"

Fang Chongyong stretched and said.

"Jie Shuai, the paper is solved, what ink should we use?"

Ma Daifeng suddenly asked a strange question, which stopped Fang Chongyong.

　The first chapter of the new year, vote. I'll see if I can do a double update today

　　

　

(End of this chapter)