Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 300: Treat, behead, accept as a dog

Because of their personal grudges, the Hexi Jiedushi and Pinglu Jiedushi wanted to set up a ring on Zhuque Street outside the imperial city!

This news seemed to have grown wings, like a viral plague, spreading throughout the city of Chang'an, causing an uproar!

Weird things happen every year, especially this year!

In the past, the officials at Yushitai would have said a few words, issued a memorial or something about this kind of nonsense.

However, this time, all these people collectively lost their temper.

If any official still can't see that there is something fishy hidden in this dispute, then they don't need to join the officialdom, and it is better to go back to their hometown to farm.

Tomorrow is the day to go to the ring. After the curfew, the officers of the Jinwu Guard organized people to build the ring and were busy all night long. The platform at this corner is not just paved with a few wooden boards, but also a high platform for "referees" and VIPs to observe. The workload is not small at all!

It was already dark, and all the women in the Fang family's courtyard in Yongjiafang were already sleeping peacefully. Fang Chongyong, on the other hand, stopped practicing horning and was pacing alone in the yard at night, thinking about how to deal with it tomorrow.

Going to the ring to compete is both an "exhibition match" and a "fighting match". The only thing you have to guard against is accidentally beating An Lushan to death, or being accidentally beaten to death by An Lushan.

There are rumors that the last time An Lushan personally went into battle to kill an enemy was ten years ago!

His strongest skills are not killing and fighting, but strategy and foreign languages.

That’s right, it’s a foreign language.

An Lushan is a rare senior translator who is proficient in at least six languages! His specialty is doing business, especially side business. He sent fellow countryman Shi Siming to do many of the dirty jobs of robbing homes and houses.

An Lushan may be resistant to beatings because he is fat, but his fighting ability is definitely not very strong! Fang Chongyong suspected that the one who could really fight in the battle formation should be Shi Siming.

Moreover, the biggest spectator behind this confrontation is the emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the master of Chang'an: Brother Ji.

What does he want?

Fang Zhongyong put his hands behind his back, thinking about Brother Ji's needs in his heart.

The first is control, the second is vanity, and the last is face.

According to Ji Ge's vision, the two major military governors are incompatible with each other. This is the power of control.

With their horns on the ring, the two high-ranking officials were fighting to the death like wild beasts. This was just vanity.

To give a "wonderful" performance in front of Quan Chang'an is to save face.

Brother Ji really deserves to die!

Fang Zhongyong thought bitterly. But even if this person deserves to die, he still has to rely on the other party.

Life is like a play, it all depends on your acting skills. There are many plays that you can’t stop acting just because you say you don’t want to act.

Tomorrow Fang Chongyong will work with An Lushan to perform a big play for Brother Ji, for the dignitaries of the Tang Dynasty, and for the people of Chang'an.

Then take what you need!

As for the small tricks of secretly making friends with An Lushan and exchanging information, don't even think about it. Brother Ji, this old coin, is very thoughtful. He will probably support Anlu Mountain to the top soon and let this fat man also serve as the governor of the two towns in the Northeast.

In this way, he can safely lead his troops to sweep across the Western Regions!

The more Fang Zhongyong thought about it, the more he felt that the historical trend was unstoppable, full of vitality, and the scene of all things competing was still before his eyes.

In his previous life, many scholars believed that during the Tianbao era, the military, political, personnel and financial affairs were so tightly controlled that the vassal towns were later separated.

But now it seems that the situation is slightly different from what was imagined, and the causal relationship is completely reversed.

Rather than saying that Jiedushi was trying to seize power, it would be better to say that the Tang Dynasty stationed heavy troops on the border, forcing the government and finance of border states and counties to give priority to the military! Separate from central finance!

This process is passive, but the effect and impact are more terrifying than Jiedushi actively seeking power!

The power-grabbing Jiedu allowed the imperial court to be dismissed, but no one could stop the trend of border towns breaking away from the center!

After Fang Chongyong became the governor of Hexi Province, he did not act beyond his authority, nor did he take the initiative to form a party for personal gain. However, the military, political, and financial power of Border Town came into his hands on his own initiative. The property of the prefectures and counties under his control will not be sent to Chang'an at all.

Even if Fang Chongyong is unwilling, the money and silk from the five states in the Hexi Corridor, and even neighboring states and counties including Lanzhou and other places, will be collected in Liangzhou, and the accounts will be sent here.

Because the accounts follow the money.

In fact, sending these properties to the treasury in Guanzhong would not only be a long and costly journey, but also not worth the effort.

Local money and food are no longer enough to supply the frontier troops, so how can they feed back the central government in the form of taxes?

Because tens of thousands of elite frontier troops had to be supplied, the prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of the Jiedushi had to take care of themselves. In order to adapt to this situation, the imperial court had to decentralize financial power to the local governments and stipulated that the border towns and states could supply the border troops without reporting everything to the imperial court.

When such a situation occurs, it actually forces Jiedushi to take over the management power. Even if the Jiedushi didn't want to take care of it, its government affairs had to be attached to the Jiedushi Yamen and needed to be managed by dedicated personnel.

As time goes by, the central government's control over the border towns will inevitably weaken, and political means will be needed to check and balance the Jiedushi.

For example, now!

Fang Chongyong could not help but feel chills running down his spine when he realized Brother Ji's sophisticated tactics. At the same time, they are helpless against the trend of history.

Fang Youde's "ancestral home" is Dunhuang, Shazhou, so Fang Chongyong is about to lead an expedition to the Western Regions. An Lushan was born in a tribe near the city of Hebei, so he is now the military governor of Pinglu.

Brother Ji's power tactics are all in line with the current situation. Now the top officials of the three towns in the northwest and the two towns in the northeast are hostile, and everything is under his control.

What's more, Chang'an is about to issue Jiaozi, and the central finance will gain great liquidity. The deposit effect will begin to kick in. The deflation curse that has restricted Datang's economic development will be temporarily lifted, and Datang will enter the period of economic recession. A period of overall economic prosperity.

Various low-interest loans will spring up like mushrooms after a rain, and the grains in the granaries of the powerful and the silks in the treasury will enter the circulation on a large scale to release money. In order to release productivity, the central bank's low-interest loans will not deprive the people at the bottom of their hands of the wealth they need to meet their basic needs.

Fang Chongyong believed that with Li Linfu's wisdom, he would not do such a favor and cost nothing.

After all, if a person dies, money becomes waste paper and debt becomes headless debt.

The chains on the poor should be loosened for a while. The rich and powerful will lend them money for consumption, and the interest will be extremely low. The debt period will be extended in the future, so you can fish big fish in the long run!

The wealth plundered from the Western Regions and the sufficient military expenditures brought by the issuance of Jiaozi will allow the Tang Dynasty's border troops to display their bravery and continue to expand the Tang Dynasty's territory.

More leading parties in the surrounding area will yearn for the prosperous Tang Dynasty, take the initiative to surrender and rely on it, and be proud to be the subjects of the heavenly kingdom.

Expulsing the Khitan in the north, conquering Tubo in the west, and establishing power in the Western Regions. Unless there are any accidents, all these will be realized naturally.

With this achievement, Brother Ji should be able to put himself on par with God, and be so arrogant as to be arrogant!

Under Ji Ge's "rule by inaction" rule, Li Linfu, who has abundant central finance, will have more "policy weapons" in his hands, and Datang will enter unprecedented super prosperity.

The previous feudal dynasties did not exist, and the subsequent feudal dynasties will probably be very difficult.

In this situation, even if Emperor Taizong was born again, he would still kneel down and sing Conquer.

Then all levels of the Tang Dynasty, from top to bottom, will start to thoroughly eat their food!

The backlash of the deposit effect will come one day in the future! And the entire social class of the Tang Dynasty, which has been accustomed to going from one prosperity to another, will fall into the endless abyss!

It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. This is human nature!

At that time, the world will be filled with rebels who are dissatisfied with reality and support the Tang Dynasty; everyone will be immersed in the prosperity of the past and cannot extricate themselves, trying to restore the abnormal glory of the past, and then in the process of searching for the illusion of the past, they will sink and collapse step by step !

Out to mix, sooner or later have to repay! Happiness beyond endurance will make death come faster and earlier!

"Brother Ji, Brother Ji, you must not die too early."

Looking at the full moon in the sky, Fang Chongyong murmured to himself. If Brother Ji died when the Tang Dynasty was at its most prosperous, it would be a huge disadvantage for him!

Fang Chongyong felt that God should not be so blind.

As for bringing out the beast like Jiaozi, Fang Chongyong was helpless.

The society of the Tang Dynasty was vigorous and unrestrained, both literary and martial, luxurious and uncontrollably aggressive. This was a situation created by the Tang people.

If we follow the example of the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty and be restrained, we can certainly extend the life of the Tang Dynasty and delay its decline. However, the character of the Tang people is that they would rather die violently while standing than kneel down and survive!

This is their life choice! Fang Chongyong respects their choice.

"Heaven and earth are not benevolent, and treat everything as a straw dog.

Anyway, everyone is destined to die, just try to fly before you die! "

Fang Chongyong said with a carefree smile. Only caring about what you once had and not caring about eternity is a free and easy attitude towards life.

If you are going to die, just kick your legs happily, and you will be a good man again after eighteen years. There is nothing wrong with that.

……

"Rikishi, who will win in this fight?"

On the tower of the imperial city, Ji Ge was leaning on the parapet, pointing at Fang Chongyong and An Lushan who were preparing to fight in the ring below the city, and asked Gao Lishi next to him.

"Back to the saint, the one who wins is the loser who is standing, and the one who loses is the loser who is lying down. The only winner in the end is the saint." Gao Lishi complimented calmly.

"You are becoming more and more cunning."

Brother Ji laughed loudly without looking back, looking intently at the audience. He knew that if there was no accident, An Lushan would definitely lose.

The arena was crowded with people, three floors inside and three floors outside. Some people even climbed up to the nearby wall to watch. The arena was at least as high as a floor, and there were people standing and looking at it from hundreds of meters away on Zhuque Street.

It's common for officials to fight over beautiful women, and the two military governors square off in the ring. It's the first time a big girl is getting married!

"The fight begins!"

At this moment, Zheng Shuqing on the high platform shouted!

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Chongyong rushed over with a vigorous stride and used the famous move "Fierce Bull Rush" in Tang Quan, directly hugging his shoulder and hitting An Lushan's shoulder blade!

This blow, including the run-up, he used 100% of his strength!

An Lushan's body weighing several hundred kilograms seemed to go backwards on its own. After flying several meters in the air, he fell to the ground and then fainted!

Foaming at the mouth and unconscious! It doesn’t look like he can stand up at all!

Eh? This is too weak!

After using a fierce blow, Fang Zhongyong, who was temporarily out of strength, was dumbfounded!

The people around me were stunned!

Brother Ji, who was preparing to watch the show on the upper floor of the Imperial City, was stunned!

I fainted after this collision. Could it be made of paper?

Everyone was puzzled by An Lushan's "weakness".

Some people suspect that it is due to Fang Chongyong's experience since childhood and his natural supernatural power that it is normal to defeat the enemy with one move; others suspect that An Lushan's body was hollowed out due to excessive drinking and sex, and he was just puffy.

Only the person involved, Fang Chongyong, knew that with An Lushan's physique, he definitely wouldn't fall to the ground after taking one Tang Fist move!

Unless he doesn't want to get up.

Fang Chongyong squinted his eyes and looked at An Lushan who was lying motionless on the ground, a hint of gloom flashing across his face.

"I declare that Fang Chongyong wins!

Here come two medical officers and take Anjieshuai down for treatment. "

Zheng Shuqing, who was on the high platform, shouted and looked at Fang Chongyong with a strange expression.

The latter also noticed the look in his eyes and found it inconvenient to talk, so he had no choice but to sigh.

Damn it, you fell into An Lushan’s trap!

Fang Chongyong stood on the ring with an embarrassed look on his face, clenching his hands into fists with hatred, secretly cursing that he was still too young.

How can a person who can climb from the bottom to the position of Jiedushi be a fool?

If he had thought about this earlier, he would have been practicing Tang Quan and Jiao Da in the past three days. It would be wise to have fun before going to Hexi. If he had known earlier, he should have just gone to bed, tortured Dugu Yao to death, and released his desires on this beautiful girl.

Maybe this wave of hard work will allow her to conceive her own child and continue her bloodline.

No loss at all!

Why waste time preparing for the battle? Just cooperate with An Lushan in acting!

Fang Chongyong yelled in his heart, damn, he was fooled by Fatty An, and his intestines were filled with regret.

Everything is a play. Brother Ji asked them to act, and An Lushan used the fastest and most cost-effective method to complete the play, while hinting at his dissatisfaction as a statement that could not be made explicit during negotiations.

In this case, Brother Ji knew on the one hand that An Lushan would be obedient and at his mercy, and on the other hand, he also knew from An Lushan's subtle attitude that this person was not someone who could be easily rubbed and bullied.

If the fighting in the ring continues, can An Lushan, as the dignified Pinglu Jiedushi, really ignore his status and act like a monkey show to please the ordinary people of Chang'an City?

Are those people worthy? That's fine, I really thought Jiedushi was a petty official! An Lushan now occupies a high position, but he himself is a arrogant and cruel person. It's okay to dance the Hu Xuan Dance for Brother Ji, but it's absolutely impossible to dance it for the people of Chang'an!

Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong felt no joy as a winner. An Lushan's skill at pretending to be stupid is top-notch. Now everyone thinks that Fang Chongyong is a young tough guy who can defeat the enemy with one move. In the future, he will be praised by all parties and roasted on the fire!

Losing big!

The real battle in An Lushan is about to begin. Having finished this drama, if An Lushan faces Brother Ji again, he should be able to get what he wants smoothly.

Winning first is not fat, winning later is overwhelming!

Fang Chongyong walked down from the ring with some disinterest, and headed towards Yongjiafang amidst the continuous cheers of the crowd.

He lost this round and became An Lushan's prop for showing off.

Forget it, let's go home and sleep with a girl to see if we can make up for it.

Fang Zhongyong thought sadly, feeling extremely bad.

……

"The fighting skills of the Anqing family are not very good. I was knocked down by one move. I am really disappointed!"

In the imperial study room of the main building of Xingqing Palace, Ji Ge arranged for Gao Lishi to make tea while teasing An Lushan with a smile.

"I am ashamed, I am ashamed."

An Lushan knelt down and bowed to Brother Ji and said.

He said he was ashamed, but in fact he was extremely proud. It was a rare time to fool Fang Chongyong, and I didn't know how beautiful it was.

"The Jiedushi commander commanded the soldiers and horses of Bianzhen. It is true that there is no need to go into battle to kill the enemy in person. I can trust your ability."

Brother Ji nodded slightly and comforted An Lushan.

Then the two of them fell into silence for a while, only the sound of the tea stove boiling water could be heard.

"I feel that there are still some mysteries in Pei Kuan's case that have not been solved, and Zheng Shuqing, the chief minister of Dali Temple, has continued to pay attention to it.

There are so many affairs in Yingzhou that it is inconvenient to force Aiqing to stay in Chang'an. In two days, you can return to Yingzhou to handle military affairs. "

Brother Ji waved his hand and An Lushan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you saint for your grace!"

An Lushan gave Ji Ge a big bow.

Suddenly, Brother Ji seemed to think of something, put away the smile on his face and asked: "Huangfu only knows that I have other uses. Who do you think would be better to transfer Fan Yang to Jiedushi?"

"Weichen thought... it would be better to let Weichen take the post, and just replace Weichen's Pinglu Jiedu envoy."

An Lushan suggested with crossed hands and a salute.

"Well, why is that?"

Brother Ji asked, pretending to be confused.

"Back to the saint, the tribe next to the city where Wei Chen is located is near Youzhou City. Wei Chen can call on them to defend the border without any extra money from the court!"

An Lushan said bluntly like a fool.

"What you said makes sense.

Let's do this. You will be transferred to Fanyang Jiedushi and temporarily serve as Pinglu Jiedushi.

When I find a suitable candidate, I will ask him to come to Yingzhou to take up his post. You should take care of things in Yingzhou for me first. "

Brother Ji smiled nonchalantly.

"Thank you, Saint! We must keep an eye on the border town for the Saint and prevent those northern barbarians from causing trouble!"

An Lushan kowtowed with excitement, leaving a red mark on his forehead!

(End of this chapter)