Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 323: Funny and absurd things happened in the Tang Dynasty

Fang Youde led more than 10,000 Shence troops and marched all the way to Tianshui City. After replenishing supplies in the city, he took the official road directly to a pass in the northwest of Chang'an and camped on the outskirts of Liquan County.

Starting from here and walking southeast, you will reach Chang'an City.

Starting from Liquan County and walking along the Jingshui River to the northwest canyon, you will find Pizhou (Binzhou City, Shaanxi Province), which is currently occupied by the rebels!

Pizhou is located on both sides of the Jingshui River. The coal mine where the accident occurred and Sanshui County are both to the east of the Jingshui River; while Xinping County, the capital of Pizhou, is to the west of the Jingshui River. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the terrain is quite complex.

Now in early summer, the Jing River has surged and the water is too deep to wade through, which has also caused certain difficulties in siege warfare.

To attack Pizhou, how to advance, how to defend, how to attack the city, and when to attack are all things that test the general's command ability.

Fang Youde stationed troops in Liquan and refused to leave, so he asked Bian Lingcheng to return to Xingqing Palace and report to the emperor! Then he asked the imperial court to send civilian men to escort grain and grass supplies from Chang'an City to the Shence Army camp outside Liquan County!

Because the enemy's situation was unclear, Fang Youde did not march rashly. This battle is no small matter. If you win, it's easy to say. If you lose, the fun will be great, and the situation will become uncontrollable!

Pizhou is no different from other places, it is really too close to Chang'an!

This time the Khitan slaves rebelled and seized the city, which was certainly a slap in the face to Brother Ji, but there was still a little bit of luck in the misfortune. It is the only road from Pizhou to Chang'an, or the only road that the army there can only take, which is to go south to Chang'an along the Jing River.

Brother Ji flicked his sleeves willfully, turned around, and turned his back to Fang Youde.

Brother Ji was cursing his mother while he angrily raised a military stick on the weapon rack. He felt it was too heavy when he weighed it in his hands, but he returned it to its original position calmly, but his face couldn't hide the flush.

It was also the first time that he felt that Fang Chongyong could see more clearly, more clearly, more deeply, further, and more accurately than he did!

Seeing the impatience on Brother Ji's face, Fang Youde quickly lowered his head, crossed his hands and saluted, "Then get ready."

It was not the Shence Army camp at Xuanwu Gate in Chang'an, but the camp where the elite Shence Army soldiers led by Fang Youde were located.

Is it too hasty to attack Pizhou directly like this? "

"Sage, please don't be so angry that the dragon body is broken. The ministers already have a comprehensive strategy to defeat the enemy. It will not be a problem to capture Pizhou."

Helpless, panic, despair, and even a hint of wanting to cry but not being able to, wanting to laugh but not daring to laugh, and not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

……

The current situation of the Khitan slave rebellion in Pizhou is exactly similar to the "tea cup version" of the Anshi Rebellion.

At this moment, Fang Youde could suddenly feel the feelings of Gao Xianzhi, Feng Changqing and others in the previous life.

That night, Fang Youde personally received a batch of military rations from Chang'an. After ordering and inspecting them, he returned to the commander's tent, only to find an old man wearing an inconspicuous white brocade robe sitting in front of the desk. Looking through the pile of maps.

In Ji Ge's opinion, the safest place in Guanzhong now is the Shence Army Camp! In other places, there is the possibility of unruly people harming me.

It's better to be in the military camp. "

Brother Ji sighed, helped Fang Youde up, and sighed helplessly:

"Funny and absurd things happened in the Tang Dynasty. I had just accepted Wang Zhongsi's sending people to Chang'an to offer prisoners, and Longyou also fought vigorously. As a result, Pizhou, which is so close at hand, gave me such a blow!

How unreasonable! This is simply unreasonable! I will cut those rebels into pieces! "

"Saint! Why did you come to the camp? What if..."

At this moment, Fang Youde felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.

Of course, this also means that if Fang Youde wants to take Pizhou, he can only go north along the Jingshui River, and there is no way to make a sneak attack.

Logically speaking, he should stay in Xingqing Palace and wait for news. However, in fact, Brother Ji was very frightened and uneasy.

"Quan Zhong, I feel really uneasy when I stay in Xingqing Palace.

There are mountains to the north, and nothing can be done about it, which objectively prevents the expansion of the rebels.

Within three days, I want to see the heads of those thieves. No one will be left alive in this battle, and all those involved will be killed. "

Fang Youde asked bravely.

Fang Youde certainly had no problem dealing with such a small scene. It's just that the phenomenon reflected by this little thing is so real.

As a result, his words made Brother Ji feel extremely dissatisfied!

Quanzhong, please make preparations and send troops to Pizhou tomorrow.

"Well, go ahead, I'll be waiting in your handsome tent."

Even if An Lushan, Yang Guozhong, and Yang Yuhuan are gone, the emperor's habits have not changed.

Who can guarantee that this time when the Khitans cause trouble, there won't be a prince behind them?

Who can guarantee that these Khitans are real slaves and not elite soldiers who were deliberately ambushed and secretly trained in Pizhou?

Fang Youde said very conservatively, not daring to talk nonsense.

It can be said that the Khitan slaves made such a fuss that the powerful people in Chang'an City saw through the reality of Brother Ji!

Today, he is just an old man who is almost helpless, can't trust anyone, and can't believe anyone!

Brother Ji's chest was rising and falling, and he said excitedly.

There are even thousands of people deployed in the three cities of Heyang! Disguised defense and surveillance of Luoyang!

If half of them are deployed dispersedly, there will be no chance of a general being bribed and then coercing his colleagues to stir up trouble and play "Qingjun side".

"Sage, the Shence Army has just arrived at Liquan, and they are marching in a hurry along the way, and the soldiers have not yet rested.

"Strategy? Do you need strategy to kill these bastards?

I order you to lead troops to attack Pizhou tomorrow! "

"Urgent? Of course I am in a hurry! But I am not too hasty!

That rebel army is like rat droppings in a pot of porridge, it makes me feel sick just looking at it!

Like a thorn in the eye, a thorn in the flesh!

If possible, I would like to lead troops to recapture Pizhou tonight!

In fact, in order to prevent the Shence Army from becoming the next Longwu Army, half of each "city" under its banner is deployed dispersedly.

The Anshi Rebellion suddenly broke out, the government and the public were panicked, military deployments were in disarray, and so on.

Brother Ji said expressionlessly, looking obviously unhappy.

He was afraid that Fang Youde would not win, and he was also afraid that if the opponent won, he would "take advantage of the situation" and support a certain prince to "force the palace" and make him, the old emperor, abdicate.

Fang Youde was shocked and quickly knelt down on one knee to salute.

It was so real that it made him dumbfounded!

That emperor is really "the emperor".

"Khitan slaves captured the capital of Pizhou in Guanzhong, so why did they build a great Zhou Dynasty?"

He Changqi touched his round head and couldn't believe that the contents of this secret letter sent from Hexi Jinzouyuan in Chang'an City were true.

All of Fang Chongyong's cronies looked at each other in the study of Hexi Jiedushi and were speechless for a moment.

How can a few Khitan prisoners turn the world upside down?

"If you don't believe it, this is indeed true."

Fang Chongyong said with a speechless expression.

Guanzhong has been singing and dancing for so long that there is no vigilance at all. To actually be able to make a gang of Khitan slaves dig coal work is a real slap in the face to Brother Ji.

"Having said that, I personally went to explore this coal mine in Pizhou. It can be said that it was God's will. I didn't expect that this commander's original intention was to benefit the people of Chang'an and let them burn more pebbles and less charcoal. Cut down trees.

Unexpectedly, this group of people just threw away more than 10,000 Khitan slaves, and neglected to prevent extensive management. "

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but complain.

Chang'an officials, especially in Pizhou, were too sloppy in their management of coal mines. They simply wanted to squeeze the lives of slaves and treated these people as consumables without even trying to hide it.

If Fang Chongyong was asked to handle this matter, it would definitely be much more precise.

Labor dispatch needs to be implemented, performance appraisals must also be implemented, and Guanzhong household registration and other things that can be done for three to five years must also be arranged. There is no other way, but the slaves must be forced to rebel.

The officials in Pizhou are really a bunch of idiots. The more you dig, the more you get. If you are squeezed like a slave, you won't be motivated to do anything.

In the end, the Khitan people worked less and had nothing to eat, and the government did not get much coal. This was a typical lose-lose situation! Holding a golden hen and not even knowing how to lay eggs, what a bunch of idiots!

Fang Chongyong complained about the group of birdmen in Pizhou in his heart, put the letter in his hand aside and said:

"This incident will have little impact on us in the short term, but the long-term negative impact cannot be ignored. The saint may be more jealous and suspicious in the future, and his attacks will be more ruthless. You must be mentally prepared.

The cunning rabbit dies, the running dog cooks.

The day when the Western Region is pacified will be the day when we are resettled by the saints and ascend and descend secretly. If you are not careful, your life may be in danger.

Are you all mentally prepared? "

Fang Chongyong looked around at the crowd and asked. This was actually quite explicit.

In fact, whether it is the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army or the Hexi Frontier Army, the chief generals in these armies have also considered the issue of Ji Ge's death.

No one is a pure wronged person.

Because one fact is obvious. Everyone knows that the structure of the Tang Dynasty's frontier army has basically been set and cannot be significantly changed.

Do not even rule out disarmament!

In other words, the current positions of the border army are one carrot and one hole, and it is impossible to increase them any more. One must go down before one can come up.

So who goes down and who comes up?

This question needs to be asked to a country and a person.

The so-called country is Tubo, and the person in question is Brother Ji. The two of them can decide the fate and promotion of the Tang Dynasty's generals.

You can get promoted by fighting against Tubo, or you can get promoted by being a member of Ji Ge's holy family. Both paths are quite uncertain.

This is also the reason why the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army is so popular now: the emperor's personal army is elite, and being closer to the emperor means more opportunities for promotion.

In a local border town, what if someone can tear apart a tiger with his bare hands? If there is no Jiedushi to recommend, or appreciate and promote, then this person can only spend his whole life wrestling with tigers in the mountains and forests!

If you want to achieve military merit, you must also have military merit!

The reality is so cruel.

And Brother Ji is already over sixty, which makes all the generals unconsciously move closer to the town's military commander. Because compared to the emperor who may die at any time, the governor who meets every day is more reliable!

Not to mention that Fang Chongyong is talking to his die-hard cronies now, even if he summons the top brass of the Chishui Army to make a set of cryptic rhetoric with the same meaning, there will still be nothing wrong at all!

"Fang Jieshuai, there must be a road before the car reaches the mountain. The saint has an imperial edict, and the border town also has its own response method.

For example, when the Tibetans attacked, the saint could not easily replace the governor.

If the Tibetans don't move, we can force them to move. "

Zhang Tongru, who had recently come to seek refuge with him, calmly persuaded him.

"Does raising a bandit respect one's own self?"

Fang Chongyong muttered to himself and nodded slightly without comment.

"I feel that Fang Jieshuai may be thinking a little too far. Nowadays, the civil chaos in the Tang Dynasty is beginning to appear, and it may not be possible for the saint to become a demon in the future.

As long as Fang Jieshuai captures the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army, he will be invincible. "

Duan Xiushi, who was wearing a mask, said.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but take another look at this "masked man". I have to say that these words were really accurate!

In fact, he was just vaccinating his cronies today, and the matter was not as urgent as he said.

Duan Xiushi believed that chaos had begun to arise in the Tang Dynasty. This might be related to the fact that he had been a slave and follower in Shazhou for several years and had experienced all the sufferings in the world. People who have never been at the bottom of society will always think that the country is peaceful and the people are safe, until one day they face a landslide!

And those who work hard at the bottom often have a keener insight into the good and bad of the world! Duan Xiushi's sense of smell is right, and it can be seen from his words that this man is not a reckless man, but is very thoughtful.

"The expedition to the Western Regions was something that the commander of this section took the initiative to mention to the saint.

In fact, if we don't go to the Western Regions, we will have to face Tubo.

If there is nothing wrong with Tubo, its power will be cut off by the saint.

The main purpose of this move is actually to avoid the political whirlpool in Chang'an and accumulate strength in the process of heading to the Western Regions.

These things will be discussed with you in this chapter. This is also an opportunity for you to be promoted.

This expedition must be carried out wholeheartedly and with one heart and one mind. I have an oath here, please sign it. "

Fang Chongyong took out a large piece of paper from his arms and placed it on the table shared by everyone.

He Changqi picked it up and saw the six-character title "Brothers, Righteousness and Social Alliance" written on it.

"People in the Hexi prefectures generally like to form associations to do things. There are Caoqu societies for repairing canals, weaving societies for weavers, and Buddhist societies for those who worship Buddha.

Now, in this section, Shuai also forms an association, which is called the Brothers’ Benevolent Society.

On the battlefield, we are brothers.

We live and die together, never give up, share interests, share responsibilities, and look after each other.

Even if, in this section, Shuai is saying that even if one day he is betrayed, brothers will still stand up for other brothers!

Do you think this oath is okay? "

Fang Chongyong looked around at the crowd, his eyes were as bright as lightning, and he was not angry but confident.

"Hey, what did you think it was?

Following Fang Jie Shuai, you can eat nine meals a day!

Come on, let me be the first to sign! "

He Changqi directly signed his name on the piece of paper without even thinking about it, without even reading the details of the covenant.

He was afraid that he would not dare to sign after seeing it!

"Duan Dapeng, what about you?"

Fang Chongyong asked looking at Duan Xiushi who was wearing a mask.

"I owe you today to Li Longji. There is nothing I can't sign!"

Duan Xiushi signed directly without thinking.

With these two people taking the lead, everyone signed their names on the covenant and boarded the pirate ship safely.

From today on, there is only one way to go to the dark side, one will be prosperous and one will suffer!

Fang Chongyong put the big piece of paper away and said with a smile:

"This piece of paper is just to make us feel at ease when the world is in chaos in the future. In the prosperous times, you will not feel any difference. However, once the chaos begins, the brothers who can rely on are your help and brothers. .

It's late at night, let's all go and have a rest. "

After finishing the "serious business", Fang Chongyong breathed a sigh of relief and continued to say to everyone: "The army is preparing to leave for Shazhou to prepare camels. If you still have unfinished business in Liangzhou, hurry up and do it."

After hearing this, everyone stood up and left.

I didn't feel anything when I was sitting just now. When I walked out of the study room door of Hexi Jiedushi Yamen, I was blown by the cold night wind. Everyone calmed down immediately and felt waves of fear.

From what Fang Jieshuai said, it seemed that "everything is under control." It is easy to get on the pirate ship now, but it will be difficult to get off in the future.

(End of this chapter)