Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 328: Useless is the emperor
“This wine has so much staying power, I don’t feel it when I drink it.”

Late at night, in the bedroom of his old house in Shazhou, Fang Chongyong squinted at the map of the Western Regions while complaining to Anaye who was serving tea and water beside him.

This small house was where Fang Youde lived when he was a child, and it is now regarded as the "former residence of celebrities" in Shazhou. Fang Chongyong politely declined the invitation of Shazhou Governor Wang Hualiang and insisted on living in this house with rather simple conditions, experiencing Fang Youde's state of mind when he suddenly returned from the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties to the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

In order to reflect on himself, Fang Youde specially gave himself the nickname "Quan Zhong", which shows how deeply he resented Zhu Wen who destroyed the Tang Dynasty!

"What are Alang thinking? He has a heavy look on his face. The Tubo people didn't look like this when they besieged Shazhou, right?"

Anaye touched Fang Chongyong's face with her rough, calloused hands and asked with concern on her face.

"So many things in ancient and modern times are just a matter of laughter and conversation, so it's okay not to mention them."

Fang Chongyong sighed and said, not wanting to continue this topic.

Nowadays, the problem of too many troops and excessive financial expenditure in border towns has aroused heated discussions in the court. It feels as if the problems are caused by the border towns area, and the issue of disarmament will probably be put on the agenda.

But according to what Fang Chongyong knew, at least during the Tianbao period, the border towns of the Tang Dynasty, including the northern edge of Hebei controlled by Anlu Mountain, were places where the imperial policy was well implemented and people's livelihood was well managed.

Too much sugar in the body may not seem like a big problem, but in fact it causes some functional disorders. People with diabetes die from complications, not from diabetes itself.

Using the simplest logic, if the people under An Lushan's rule were really in dire straits, then when he wanted to "clear the emperor's side", he would have been tied up by the locals and sent to Chang'an, and he would have started a rebellion!

The officialdom is gradually becoming corrupted, and incompetent people are everywhere. Isn't that what it is? "

Hearing these words, Anaye not only did not frown, but laughed. She laughed so hard that tears came out. She finally restrained her smile and asked:
"Alang, I have always been by your side, for many years.

"It seems that I really can't do it if I don't teach you a lesson."

When everything was ready, he wrote on the paper: Hard times create brave men.

If you have a headache, you can’t just treat your head, and if you have a foot pain, you can’t just treat your feet.

Fang Chongyong did not speak, but wrote on the paper: The weak return to the hard times.

Fang Chongyong wrote on the paper again: Era of ease produces weak people.

Anaye nodded slightly. Although she didn't understand much about this, she felt that Fang Chongyong looked so powerful now, full of the strong and wise charm of a man.

Isn't militarizing the "demilitarized zone" just a disguised suppression of civil unrest that may break out? The transformation of the military structure has always been closely related to the economic foundation and political ecology!
A similar situation is the same as diabetes killing people.

It is a very difficult thing for a person to be incapable of human power and yet have a clear mind.

"Why are you so angry? I'm worried about national affairs."

Fang Chongyong asked Anaye to sit on his lap and talk.

Nowadays, the powerful people in Chang'an love handsome young people, are fond of literature and bad martial arts, and indulge in pleasure.

"Those who know me tell me that I am worried. Those who don't know me tell me what I want."

The so-called survival of the fittest is nothing more than that. "

"This is when the Tang Dynasty was founded. Emperor Taizong swept the world and even dared to kill his brother to seize the throne. If you are not brave and can't endure hardship, you will die.

In short, the turbulent waves that the Tang Dynasty will face are all under the water that all the civil and military officials of the dynasty can see, and no one really sees what the problem is! Since we don’t even know what the problem is, let alone prescribe the right medicine, chaos in the future is inevitable and no one can stop it. It’s useless to think about it.

She has never eaten pork and has seen pigs running away. Anaye knows that most of the poems of the Tang Dynasty are four, eight, sixteen or the like, and four sentences are at least one paragraph.

"Although Taizong initiated the Zhenguan rule, and Gaozong and Empress Wu were controversial, the Tang Dynasty's national power was generally improving, the country was prosperous, and society was stable. There is no problem with this, right?"

"What do you want?
Aren’t you just looking longingly at those coquettish and charming Orchids?

Fang Chongyong asked Anaye to kneel down next to him, spread out a large piece of paper on the table, and asked Anaye to help him grind the ink.

After the Anshi Rebellion, these three places formed the defensive vassal town group headed by Xuanwu Town, the three Heshuo towns headed by Wei Bo, and the "eunuch vassal town group" after the Guanzhong Shence Army vassal town was transformed.

"Oh, actually you don't need to coax me like this. Men are all like that, and I know that too.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh again.

Fang Chongyong's eyes were very serious. Anaye was shocked by his momentum and could only nod lightly, no longer thinking about those things about male and female love.

Anaye slapped Fang Chongyong hard on the shoulder, turned around and left, but was grabbed by the arm again.

For this kind of thing, let alone Anaye, she is just a young woman who knows medical skills. Even if she were an official in the court, if Fang Chongyong expressed his worries, the other party would probably just think it was alarmist.

A Lang was worried about national affairs a moment ago, but at this moment his hand reached into my concubine's clothes. "

Then, Fang Chongyong continued to write on the paper: Brave men create an era of comfort.

I don’t care about you anymore, you can look for whoever you like! "

But that will be a matter of time.

How to clean up the situation in the future and how to survive in troubled times are the questions that Fang Chongyong is thinking about now.

That's what I'm worried about. "

“However, good times can make people weak.

"Is there another sentence?"

Anaye glared at Fang Chongyong with resentful eyes and complained.

"The current Tang Dynasty is probably between the third and fourth sentences. The third sentence has been completed, but the fourth sentence has not yet started.

In the final analysis, the ultimate contradiction of the Tang Dynasty was that there were too many people and too little land to support such a large population. This was the core of the problem.

The real problem was the "demilitarized zone" directly ruled by the Tang court. Including but not limited to Henan with Luoyang as the core, southern Hebei with Beizhou, Bozhou, and Weizhou as the core, and Guanzhong with Chang'an as the core!
The people's livelihood burden in these places is extremely heavy, the people have great resentment towards the court, and they are all extremely densely populated areas.

I don’t know what the future holds, but at least you’re happy, right? What else do you want to do if your daughter becomes your wife?

Isn't it the same for me? If I hadn't met Alang, I would have been exhausted from working in the fields during the day, and would have been played to death at night.

In the past, I would not have dared to think about this kind of life now.

In the future, Alang's heirs will get older and fight for the family property, which will lead to all kinds of troubles. When the time comes, I will be old and frail, and I will no longer be able to serve Alang. How will I deal with myself then? Aren't these annoying?

But what's the point of thinking about this now?

As long as I live well and comfortably now, isn't it good?

Anyway, when the world is in chaos, I am not the only one who is unlucky. At worst, we will all suffer together.

Even if I am a peasant woman, if I can see the concubines of emperors and princes reduced to sleeping with others in a brothel, then I will feel comfortable.

Happiness comes from comparing with others. Even if I am unlucky enough to die, am I the only one who will die? So many people died with me, it was enough. What do I have to worry about now? "

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was stunned, and then he remembered that Anaye grew up in Liangzhou. She has been collecting medicines and working in medical clinics since she was a child. She has a tough and tough temperament in frontier towns, which is not at all what those delicate ladies in Chang'an think.

Rather than wanting to live a good life for herself, she feels more comfortable when she sees others living a poor life. Anyway, it’s not like I’ve never experienced hardship, and I didn’t feel any pain at that time!
"I'm really scared of you."

Fang Chongyong lamented. In fact, Anaye's thoughts represented the thoughts of a large part of ordinary people in the Tang Dynasty.

Living a good life, having a bold mentality, not worrying about what will happen tomorrow, is in line with the mainstream spiritual outlook of this era. In short, one sentence is: I will die tomorrow, I want to have a good time today!

"Jie Shuai, Mr. Zhang has sent someone to wait in the main room. Do you want to see him?"

At this moment, He Changqi's voice came from outside the door.

"Let them wait in the main room. When the commander wakes up this section, he will go."

Fang Chongyong responded impatiently.

After saying that, he blew out the candles on the table, picked up Anaye and put her on the bed.

He Changqi, who was outside the door, understood and quietly retreated.

"If I don't go...wouldn't it be, um, not good?"

In the darkness, Anaye gasped and murmured on the bed.

"Who the hell is Zhang Mi? He's going to delay me from trying to find a girl. Let him stay in the main room blowing the cold wind all night."

Fang Chongyong laughed and cursed, then rushed toward Anaye like a hungry wolf, biting the opponent's slender neck.

……

"Why are there only five hundred of you?"

Looking at Gao Shi who was bowing in front of him, Ji Ge's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot and he asked in a bad tone.

He seized military power by force and when he led the Shence Army to Jingyang County, he found that the Shence Army camp north of Jingyang County was empty.

Although the flags were flying and many people were busy coming in and out, cutting down trees and building rafts, it looked like they were in full swing, but there were really only five hundred soldiers.

"Returning to Saint, General Fang led his troops to take a detour and sneak attack on the rear of Pizhou from the alley. The official is here just as a suspicious soldier to confuse the rebels' scouts.

This place is not very safe. If there is a flash flood, the camp will be prone to flooding. The saint is asked to move to Jingyang County for temporary shelter. "

Gao Shi, who was responsible for managing the camp, said with a low eyebrow and a very humble attitude.

Brother Ji was very satisfied with his attitude, nodded slightly noncommittally, and looked slightly calmer.

After his blood boiled over, all that was left now was worry and fear. Let him lead troops north to attack Pizhou. If the son of a rich man cannot sit down in court, how can the emperor be in danger?

It’s impossible to go, the most you can do is pretend!
After learning that Fang Youde led his troops to attack Pizhou in a detour, Ji Ge's anger also dissipated. At least, the matter did not get out of hand, but Fang Youde strictly blocked the news in order to keep it secret, and even he, the emperor, did not know!
Of course, if the emperor knew it, it meant that the eunuchs around him also knew it. As for the eunuchs around Brother Ji, who can guarantee that they are not secretly colluding with the prince?

Fang Youde's caution is not groundless, but is closely related to his personal experience.

At this moment, Ji Ge's old and dim eyes suddenly saw something that seemed to be floating on the Jing water, flowing down the fast river.

It was too far away to see clearly what it was!
"Gao Shi, I order you to take someone to see what that thing is."

Brother Ji pointed at an object on the river in the distance and said.

In fact, there was no need for him to say that the soldiers of the Shence Army who were responsible for guarding the river had already moved the "thing" to the shore. This was a corpse swollen with blisters, with tattered clothes and braided hair that did not look like the Central Plains style.

"This is a Qidan Qingzhuang."

When Ji Ge led someone over to observe, Gao Shi pointed at the braid on the other person's head and said. He is from Hebei and is no stranger to Khitan hairstyles.

Khitan male hairstyle usually involves shaving the hair on the top of the head, leaving a small amount of hair on the temples or forehead as decoration. The hair can hang freely or be braided into small braids.

It is completely different from the hairstyle of ordinary people in the Tang Dynasty, and it is almost recognizable at a glance.

Brother Ji nodded slightly and breathed a sigh of relief. He was most afraid that this corpse belonged to a soldier of Shence, which would be a bad choice.

Soon, a second corpse appeared on the Jingshui River, a third body, a fourth body... A horrifying scene appeared. Along with the rapid water flow of the Jingshui River, one after another the young and strong Khitan corpses appeared. Go down the river.

In less than half an hour, it had already reached hundreds! There is no doubt that these Khitan corpses appearing in Jingshui can only be the rebellious Khitan slaves in Pizhou. Because some of them still had arrows stuck in their backs.

But more people don’t have many scars on their bodies!

What's going on?

Brother Ji frowned. He had a vague feeling that Fang Youde should have defeated the rebels. But why do rebel corpses appear in large numbers in Jingshui?

"Sage, someone is paddling over there on a raft! Wearing Tang Army uniforms, they are gesturing to us not to fire arrows!"

Gao Shi pointed to the Jingshui River not far away and said with excitement in his tone.

The Jingshui River flowing from Pizhou to Jingyang has dangerous currents in several places. Taking a kayak to "drift" south for more than 100 miles from Pizhou is really not something ordinary people do. Even among the elite Shence Army, Langli Baitiao is also an outstanding warrior. Ordinary people would not dare to do such crazy things.

The two people on the raft saw that the emperor's umbrella cover was also there, and they quickly jumped out of the boat. Regardless of their wet clothes, they stepped forward and saluted Brother Ji and said: "Sage, your humble position is to be a scout of the Shence Army. Under the orders of General Fang, I came here to report the military situation. Our army has already captured Xinping County in Pizhou. When I left, General Fang had just captured Sanshui County and was finishing the work. Please don’t worry, saint."

After saying that, he handed Yu Chaoen a bamboo tube hanging around his waist. This was a personal letter that Fang Youde asked them to forward to Brother Ji.

It turns out it’s over!

Everyone present heard this and breathed a sigh of relief. The war was over without participating in the war. There was nothing better than this.

Gao Shi suppressed the joy in his heart, knowing that he could not escape his share of the credit.

And Brother Ji's face turned cloudy and clear, and he smiled for the first time in these days. He opened the wax paint on the bamboo tube and read the words on the letter at a glance, his heart finally falling back into his stomach.

Fang Youde told him that Pizhou had been basically captured, and some Khitan prisoners had escaped. He was leading the Shence Army to arrest people everywhere, making sure not to leave any hidden dangers.

"Listen to my order, pull out the camp and set up stronghold, and the whole army will return to Chang'an."

Brother Ji laughed and ordered.

One day later, thousands of Shence troops returned to Chang'an without any danger, and stationed themselves at Xuanwu Gate, taking over the defense of Chang'an's important areas. Brother Ji returned to Xingqing Palace and saw Gao Lishi. Both of them were filled with sighs.

Brother Ji brought Gao Lishi to the imperial study room in the main building of Qinzhengwu, and he couldn't help but ask the other party: Did anything major happen in the city while he, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was away from Chang'an.

However, Gao Lishi's answer surprised Brother Ji!
Nothing happened in Chang'an City! Even calmer than when Brother Ji was here!
There is no prince rebelling, no officials panicking like ants on a hot pot, and no government affairs stagnating and the country being left in ruins! Everything is working fine! Even the Jinwu Guards specially opened the Golden Light Gate to allow Hu merchants from the Western Regions to take their caravans out of the city.

Only going in and out, everything is in order, but the inspection is very strict.

To put it simply, except for Ji Ge and Gao Lishi who are more worried about the political situation, everyone in Chang'an City, from the powerful to the officials to the common people, is eating, drinking, and doing whatever they should do.

There was no such thing as a grand conspiracy between princes and courtiers to overthrow the Tang Dynasty. Many people didn't even know that Brother Ji had left Chang'an!
At first, Brother Ji was very pleased with this. The Pizhou rebellion was passed without any danger, which can be said to be a good thing.

But after thinking about it carefully, Brother Ji felt a strange fear from the bottom of his heart!

He, as the emperor, does not need to worry about countering the rebellion, he does not need to worry about the daily government affairs of Chang'an, and he does not need to worry about the military affairs of the border towns. Even the princes didn't come to make trouble, and the dignitaries and officials were performing their duties peacefully. I didn't hear anyone wanted to go against him, the emperor.

Being so "stable and peaceful" doesn't mean that he, the emperor, has no sense of existence at all. Would the Tang Dynasty be the same with or without him?
What should we do? terrible!

Brother Ji suddenly discovered that the Tang Dynasty had become useless and the emperor! The existence of the emperor seems to be nothing more than his status! He doesn't need to do anything at all!
So how should he deal with himself as the emperor, the supreme ruler of the Tang Dynasty?

This incident was like an impenetrable dark cloud that began to shroud Ji Ge's mind and lingered for a long time.

(End of this chapter)