Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 279 The Jiedushi in the middle

The Chishui Army was considered the basic base of the Liangzhou An clan in the early Tang Dynasty. The source of its soldiers was very single, namely the Central Asian Sogdians native to Liangzhou. The scale of the Chishui Army at the beginning was not as large as 33,000.

After the Kaiyuan Dynasty, the Chishui Army gradually added high-quality cavalry provided by the tribes near the city where they were born in Uighurs, as well as mounted infantry provided by the local Han people in Liangzhou and the Sogdians who had settled their households.

Recently, the imperial court asked some soldiers of the Chishui Army to move to Hedong and Shuofang, which seriously infringed on the interests of the tribes near Huihe City, because these people themselves do not have a farming economy, but a tribal nomadic economy. The taxes imposed by the Tang government on them were also different from those of border towns and military villages.

These settlements near the city usually migrated with the soldiers they provided. However, the imperial court's policy prevented them from ensuring the same level of high-quality pasture in Hedong and Shuofang.

If these settlements near the city do not follow the soldiers, they will lose the youth of the tribe and will not be able to gain a foothold in Liangzhou.

This is an unsolvable contradiction, and the local forces in Liangzhou never want to see the migration of these tribes near the city.

Under such a premise, the military camp in Chiwu Town, where the Chishui Army belongs, was filled with a tense atmosphere. Soldiers in twos and threes gathered together and whispered to each other. It was obvious at first glance that something was not normal.

Accompanied by Guo Ziyi and others, Fang Chongyong came to the gate of Chiwu Town Camp with hundreds of silver spear Xiaojie troops. Seeing everything in front of him, his heart sank suddenly.

This is not the first time he has come to Chiwuzhen, but the last time he came, Wang Zhongsi served as the envoy of the Chishui Army. At that time, the Chishui Army had a solemn atmosphere in the military camp, and the soldiers were neat and silent. They were an elite division capable of fighting big and vicious battles when they were mobilized.

But now, it seems that people are panicking. Even though many Chishui soldiers were not Uighur cavalry, and they were not as resistant to the court's dispatches as the Uighur tribe was, there were still many of them who did not want to be transferred out of Liangzhou.

They just can't resist!

"Come on, there's something not quite right about the atmosphere."

He Changqi came to Fang Chongyong's side and spoke in a low voice.

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently, signaling He Changqi not to talk too much, and instead ordered Guo Ziyi: "Beat the drums and order the troops."

"Fang Jieshuai..."

Guo Ziyi stopped talking and wanted to hold Fang Zhongyong's arm, but her hand stopped in mid-air. She was so embarrassed that she wanted to put it down, but she was unwilling to do so.

In fact, it was not that Guo Ziyi was unable to deal with the situation of the Chishui Army, but he had long seen that the emperor wanted to make great use of Fang Chongyong, so he deliberately gave up this opportunity to establish his authority.

If Fang Chongyong cannot tame the Chishui Army, but Guo Ziyi can handle it, then is Fang Chongyong not worthy of being the military governor, or is Guo Ziyi more worthy of being the military governor?

It's hard to say this, and it's extremely inappropriate to even discuss it.

No matter how stupid Guo Ziyi is, it is impossible for him to do something like shooting himself in the foot.

However, Fang Chongyong's method now is obviously different from what he thought!

Guo Ziyi was really anxious at this time.

"Commander Jie, the Uighur cavalry is causing the most trouble in the Chishui Army right now.

The Uighur cavalry also come from different Uighur tribes in Liangzhou, and they are not monolithic with each other.

Jieshuai can discuss it with them in private and always come up with a solution acceptable to everyone.

If the army beats drums and calls for troops, no one will be able to step down, and things may become deadlocked.

It would be better for the Commander-in-Chief to have private interviews alone and break them down one by one. "

Guo Ziyi persuaded in a low voice.

It must be said that this idea of ​​using hidden rules to solve problems in private has strong historical inertia and operability. At all times and in all countries, most people who achieve success must adopt this method.

"If these people are discussing mutiny in private, does this commander have to comfort them in private?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a bad tone.

"The last general made a mistake, please forgive me, Commander-in-Chief."

Guo Ziyi hurriedly bowed and said, the cold sweat on his forehead couldn't help but drip down.

"The drums are beating and the soldiers are beating, the commander doesn't want to say it again in this section."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and did not continue to follow Guo Ziyi's words.

"Here."

"Come here, beat the drums and mobilize the soldiers!"

Guo Ziyi shouted to the soldiers beside him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The even and heavy drum beat sounded, and every time it was struck, the dust under the big drum was stirred up, as if it was beating on everyone's heart.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sounds of armor scraping together and soldiers clashing sounded, intertwining with each other. The large school field in Chiwu Town is the central area of ​​a series of small camps of the Chishui Army, and is also the core of the "Chishui Seventy-two Battalion".

Upon hearing the drum beat, the Chishui soldiers rushed to the center of the school ground like a tide and gathered here.

and quickly lined up.

At this moment, the quality of Hexi's No. 1 elite began to appear. According to the military law of the Tang army, those who fail to beat the drums in the camp will be killed immediately. This strictly enforced military law began to show its power.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but nodded slightly. The Tang Dynasty's frontier army was still at its peak. It was far different from the anti-autumn soldiers and unity soldiers after the Anshi Rebellion. Taking money to do things was like hiring them.

In less than a minute, the soldiers of the Chishui Army who were still stationed at the camp and had not gone out had already gathered in place and lined up at the school ground to wait for instructions.

"Shuai Fang, the Chishui Army has completed its formation. There are more than 15,000 people inside and outside the school grounds. Some of the rest are patrolling outside, and some are scattered and stationed in other stations."

Guo Ziyi said to Fang Zhongyong with folded hands and a salute.

"Are the messengers in place?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice.

In such a large school ground, there is no electronic amplification equipment (basic amplification equipment is still available), so the phalanxes that are far away communicate through messengers.

There are almost no military-wide training sessions like this every day, and many Qiu Ba have never seen them in their entire lives.

Not only that, when the emperor carried out the "Great Ceremony" sacrificial activities, because there were too many participants, he actually used local orders, with soldiers or eunuchs who were specifically responsible for conveying orders.

"Come back to the festival, everyone is on standby, please give me instructions!"

Guo Ziyi shouted loudly.

"Well, Deputy Commander Guo is interested."

Fang Chongyong said calmly, adding the word "vice" specially.

A group of people walked into the stands of the school field. Fang Chongyong looked at the dense phalanxes all around, imagining in his mind the spectacular scene of tens of thousands of troops fighting on the battlefield.

It was like a mountain falling apart and a flood surging, it was indescribable.

The power of a single person is insignificant in the face of an army.

"The imperial court has ordered that 10,000 people from the Chishui Army must be selected, and 5,000 from the Hedong Army and 5,000 from the Shuofang Army must be moved to the east of Hedong and 5,000 from the Shuofang Army. Another 5,000 from the Hedong Army and 5,000 from the Shuofang Army must be sent to the Chishui Army to complete the establishment.

There is no way to change this.

In this section, Shuai will not play any tricks of preferring one to another. I will explain everything to you here.

Choose 10,000 people, and the commander in this section has the final say. Who you choose or who you don’t choose depends on your performance.

The resettlement fee for moving out of Hexi is fifty silk per person. Here in Hexi, this section is specially approved by Shuai. I will give it to you first before you go on your way.

In addition, 10,000 elite troops will be selected to march westward against Xiao Bolu. As long as they are willing to go out and are finally selected, they will be given spring and winter clothes for a year. If you can win, the court will reward you. In this section, I would like to ask you, if there are any people who are unwilling to participate in the expedition, and are unwilling to relocate to Hedong or Shuofang, please come out now! "

After Fang Chongyong spoke, the messenger immediately left the stand and went to the distant formation to deliver the message.

Then all the generals in the stands, including some soldiers of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army who were personal soldiers, were quietly watching to see if anyone came forward.

Unexpectedly, probably because they were frightened by some "rumors", no one was willing to stand up and declare "no migration or expedition" at this time. Because if you stand out at this moment, you are very likely to be imitated by your commander-in-chief and be executed in front of more than 15,000 people!

"Very good, there are indeed no cowards in the Chishui Army.

This section has given you a chance. As the saying goes, let me make it clear now: in the future, anyone who refuses to accept the move will be executed.

Three days later, the Chishui Army began to select the expeditionary force, each based on their ability on the field. Everyone, please go back to camp! "

After saying that, Fang Zhongyong waved his hand and turned around, leaving Chiwuzhen directly. Guo Ziyi and other Chishui Army generals looked at each other in confusion.

When everyone had left Chiwu Town and was approaching the gate of Wuwei City, Guo Ziyi couldn't help but pull Fang Chongyong aside and expressed the questions in his heart.

"Shuai Fang, after the military training just now, I am afraid that the settlements next to Huihe City will not be convinced. Letting them move to Hedong and Shuofang together is no less than cutting off the roots of trees.

As a result, a mutiny by the Uighur cavalry in the Chishui Army may be inevitable. "

Guo Ziyi said with a sincere look.

"So, they should compete on the school field, join the expeditionary force, and make achievements in the Western Region."

Fang Chongyong said calmly and waved his hand gently, obviously not taking it seriously.

Guo Ziyi was speechless. Should he say that the other party was taking things for granted, or should he say that this Yameni was crazy and messing around because he wanted to make great achievements?

Guo Ziyi believes that the issue of the Uighur cavalry requires patient communication and comfort.

The settlement next to the city where they belong is now in a dilemma. These are very real survival issues and are by no means unreasonable.

"Jie Shuai, most of the Qiu Ba people think not of having a wife and a son, but of being a soldier and providing food.

They don't understand what you mean by making contributions. "

Guo Ziyi smiled bitterly and persuaded from a different angle.

"The relocation of the Uighur tribes and the establishment of households to unite the people has been one of the national policies since the Kaiyuan Dynasty. It is not that the commander-in-chief does not want to accommodate them, but that the court cannot accommodate them.

Those who are unwilling to accept formal transfer orders are not worthy of being in the frontier army. When the time comes, the commander of this section will definitely use thunderous means to deal with it.

Today's training in the school field is just to tell all the soldiers of the Chishui Army: The commander in charge of this section does his work upright and does not play those evil tricks, spitting every spit and nailing every nail.

If other members of the Chishui Army do not join the Huihe cavalry in making trouble, then the Huihe cavalry will not be able to cause trouble.

Deputy Commander Guo will wait and see. If there is any blame from the court, the Commander-in-Chief will take full responsibility. The sky is falling, but there are still tall people holding up.

You are not afraid of handsome guys in this section, what are you afraid of? "

Fang Chongyong said firmly.

"What Jie Shuai said is that the final general is too short-sighted and cannot be as safe as Jie Shuai."

Guo Ziyi saluted and said.

He suddenly discovered that Fang Chongyong's thinking was fundamentally different from that of generals like them.

This Fang Yanei was always keenly aware of the things that the court and the emperor cared about most, and never overturned on this issue. Therefore, he was deeply trusted by the emperor and was often reused.

Fang Chongyong "runs the army with things," while Qiu Ba, who came from a family of generals, basically "runs the army with things." There is nothing simply good or bad about these two ideas, and they require specific analysis of specific situations.

"Running the army by affairs" essentially means to be based at the center, obey the emperor's orders, and use the military resources in the frontiers to build achievements and handle one's own affairs. Cultivating partisans is secondary. To put it simply, everyone in the border army serves the imperial court's strategy.

As for "Using the Army to Achieve Things", like Guo Ziyi, he focuses on cultivating contacts at the local grassroots level, establishing a network of interpersonal relationships, and then, on this basis, seeing what he can do for the court.

The flaw of this approach is obvious: if you always cultivate power locally, it will be difficult to gain the emperor's trust and you will easily be suspected. The emperor got rid of this man with a transfer order. In the end, he did not achieve any merit. He was moved from one border town to another. His status did not improve and no one thought highly of him.

As for "ruling the army based on affairs", it is based on the orders of the emperor, and the central government can do whatever it wants. The army is managed under this premise.

This approach is not without its hidden dangers: an obedient Jiedushi can certainly climb very fast and achieve a lot of achievements. But it is also difficult to avoid the inherent shortcomings of having an unstable foundation at the grassroots level and can only absorb the generals around them. After all, blindly dyeing purple robes with blood will hardly unite the hearts of the grassroots.

One is a "war zone" and the other is a "military zone". Many people understand the difference.

The two are not isolated or separated, but achieve and hinder each other. To be a good Jiedushi envoy, it is obvious that he must not only "run the army with things" but also have the ability to "use the army to achieve things".

Make the most of it between the hub and the edge towns.

The group continued to go to Wuwei City. When they were at the city gate, they saw cart after cart of silk, which were stuck outside the city gate and could not enter the city until they were inspected.

The merchants who were coming and going and the people who were leaving and entering the city were all driven away and stood aside, watching the carriages entering the city with envy on their faces.

Those unabashed and unobstructed silks made their minds wander.

Cen Shen was leading a team of Chishui soldiers to organize order outside the city gate and clean up the idlers.

"Has the silk from the imperial court arrived? Are there a million pieces?"

Fang Chongyong walked up to Cen Shen and asked with a smile.

"Hui Fangjieshuai, it's true, the court affairs are really smooth this time.

It seems that the emperor has high hopes for Commander Jie's expedition to the Western Regions. "

Cen Shen came over and whispered.

"Hmph, I do have high hopes!"

Fang Chongyong said with a slight snort.

Brother Ji has high hopes for the expedition to the Western Regions?

No, no, no, he is a fan of publishing, and he can’t wait to raise his scythe to cut leeks!

The more powerful Ji Ge's support is, the more Fang Chongyong is worried that this willful emperor will mess around in the future. It only took more than ten days to send millions of silk from Chang'an to Liangzhou. This efficiency was unimaginable in the peaceful period of the Tang Dynasty!

After I die, I won’t care about the flood! Has Brother Ji really not considered the disadvantages of promiscuous sex?

Fang Zhongyong's heart sank, and then he said to Cen Shen:

“Send more capable people to guard the warehouse, and there must be no news of theft or fire in the Liangzhou Treasury.

Then you find a few people to promote it in Wuwei City, saying that the imperial court has shipped five million silk to Liangzhou in preparation for the issuance of Jiaozi. The saint was very determined in this matter. Whoever blocked the way would have his whole family killed. "

"Five million silk? Isn't it too much?"

Cen Shen was stunned and asked. He heard from the leader of the "horse store" responsible for transporting silk that the silk was only a million pieces of silk. How come it suddenly expanded to five million?

“Not much, because ordinary people only believe what they want to believe.

Five million silk, is it a lot? "

Fang Zhongyong asked confidently.

"It's really not much."

Cen Shen echoed with some guilt.

What he doesn't know is that exaggerated and bizarre things can often cause large-scale publicity effects. The more outrageous they are, the more people will believe them.

The core of Jiaozi circulation lies in two words: credit! In this regard, Fang Chongyong is the expert.

(End of this chapter)