Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 330 If you don’t give money, it doesn’t count as selling, but if you give money, it doesn’t count as robbing.

In the study room of Qin Zheng Wu's main building, Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty was pacing inside, looking melancholy.

I don't know if it was because I left Chang'an in a hurry and was worried about being overworked on the way. Brother Ji was in a "sub-healthy" state after he came back.

The body is not very agile, and the spirit seems a little lethargic.

You might say he is sick. He doesn't need to take medicine. The imperial doctor came to see him but he couldn't explain why.

But you want to say that he is not sick, but Brother Ji always complains that he is not feeling well and feels uncomfortable standing, sitting, or lying down.

"Sage, Fang Quanzhong would like to see you."

Gao Lishi quietly walked into the imperial study and whispered in Ji Ge's ear. Since returning a few days ago, Brother Ji ordered the eunuchs in the palace to clear out the luxurious furnishings in the royal study and replace them with a simple style.

You don’t want anything inlaid with gold or silver!
The thoughts of this Tang sage were unpredictable, and even Gao Lishi was now very careful in front of Brother Ji, no longer as casual as before.

"Let him in."

In his opinion, it was not that the Khitan slaves could not be killed, but that they could not be killed by Fang Youde. Instead, they should be "captured" first, and then Ji Ge himself would issue an edict to execute them "with the mighty power of God".

When disasters don't happen, people in the world always think that time will always be quiet, and it will be no problem no matter how much they wander, without considering the risks at all.

"Sage, I have returned from the rebellion in Pizhou, and the Shence Army has entered the Xuanwumen camp and returned to the camp. I came to the palace to hand over the Shence Army Fish Talisman to the Saint."

"Returning to the saint, all the Khitan prisoners in the cities of Pizhou have been killed. The ministers are pursuing them everywhere, collecting and killing the scattered escapees, and have wiped out Pizhou.

Brother Ji asked with narrowed eyes.

He seems to be very interested, but in fact he is vaguely suspected of provoking an army to investigate.

It’s not unusual to predict inaccurately and overestimate your opponents. After all, sometimes the enemy is dumber than you predict, and this is actually normal.

As for the possible failure, this is sheer nonsense in Ji Ge's opinion.

Li Qiwu was captured and has been escorted to Dali Temple for custody. "

Fang Youde answered conclusively, unaware of Ji Ge's true intention in asking this question.

"Back to the saint, it was indeed possible for the rebels to block the river and build a dam at that time, but they just did not implement it. This possibility cannot be ruled out.

What do you say?
Fang Youde was speechless for a moment.

Ji Ge believes that although this battle was a complete victory militarily, politically it was far from achieving the desired effect.

How could the elite Imperial Guards of the Tang Dynasty lose against the unprepared Khitan slaves? There is no need to consider this situation at all!

The key question is, is there a problem?
The general who leads the army makes good use of strategies to attack the enemy in roundabout ways and reduce his own losses. Is this a problem?

In Fang Youde's view, since this battle has been won, what else is there to say?
What he didn't understand was that Brother Ji always looked at issues from a political perspective, and of course his own emotions were mixed in from time to time.

Brother Ji asked with a bad look on his face.

He already understood that Brother Ji was blaming him for having too many twists and turns in his victory, and that the Imperial Guards of the Tang Dynasty should have gone straight over and hacked the rebels to death.

He was stunned for a moment, then realized what he was doing, crossed his hands and saluted and reported: "According to Wei Chen's inspection afterwards, it was found that there was no such thing. Those Khitan slaves were completely unprepared and enjoying themselves in Pizhou City, thinking that the Tang army did not dare to do anything to them. "

He didn't expect Ji Ge to mention this, and Fang Youde also didn't expect Ji Ge to be so ignorant and stupid.

Brother Ji said hypocritically.

Brother Ji asked in a hoarse voice, with unconcealable fatigue in his tone.

Brother Ji sighed tiredly. For some reason, his face was not as warm as before, and there was a hint of disgust.

Fang Youde said calmly and methodically. It's like talking about killing thousands of sheep instead of thousands of people.

"How is the situation over there in Pizhou?"

Wei Chen... was just cautious and did not go directly along the Jingshui River. "

"So, before you returned to Chang'an, I was just trying to scare you?"

After speaking, he took out a gold fish charm from his arms and carefully handed it to Gao Lishi.

In Ji Ge's opinion, Fang Youde actually used Taoist tactics and even attacked from behind by taking a detour. Doesn't this mean that the Shence Army cannot fight and must rely on strategy to win?
Even dealing with a group of Khitan slaves who suddenly rebelled is so "arduous". How can people trust this forbidden army when encountering bigger things?

"Quanzhong, you have been telling me before that the rebels may build a dam on the upper reaches of Jingshui River and attack Jingyang by water.

The back of this fish charm says "Chang'an Xuanwu Gate" and the front reads "General Shence Army". It happens to be the one on the desk in the imperial study room and can be combined into a complete fish charm.

Fang Youde defended somewhat helplessly.

Fang Youde didn't know how to answer this. He was not a person who liked to talk.

To show the majesty of the emperor!
Of course, since these prisoners have been killed, they will be killed, there is nothing worth saying.

Physical illness or mental illness.

Now that Pizhou has been conquered, is this possible? "

If you win, you will say there is a problem, and if you lose, you will certainly not mention it. It is so pretentious, so what should we do?

The map on the battlefield is not fully illuminated, and the rebellion is put down in a hurry. Fang Youde can only predict how the rebel army composed of Khitan slaves will eventually move.

"I love the people, and Hu and Han are on the same page. Although the Khitan prisoners rebelled, most of them must be coerced. Why do you kill indiscriminately, alas!"

Seeing Brother Ji's expression, Fang Youde bowed and said:

After a while, Fang Youde was brought into the imperial study room by Gao Lishi, and he saw Brother Ji sitting on a soft cushion. He looked completely listless, and he was obviously sick.

If a colleague or subordinate dared to talk to Fang Youde like this, it would be a slap in the face from him.

However, at this moment, Fang Youde was facing Brother Ji, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, the emperor who created the prosperous age of Kaiyuan Tianbao.

This emperor doesn't like to reason. Especially as he grew older, he became less and less willing to reason with his ministers.

Fang Youde had no choice but to kneel on the ground and plead guilty: "This battle was caused by the improper command of the humble minister. I ask the saint to forgive me."

"That's all."

Brother Ji waved his hand, stood up, helped Fang Youde up and said:
"It looks a bit ugly to win, but I finally won. Bianzhou is rich. After going there, Aiqing, please take good care of your health. Don't worry about military training. We can train three thousand Xuanwu troops in Bianzhou and patrol the canal every day. .

My beloved has worked hard all his life, and it's time for him to enjoy some peace and happiness. Isn't Fang Chongyong the ambassador of the Western Regions Economic Strategy? From now on, just let him carry the burden, and you don't have to worry about the country and the people all day long. "

Brother Ji couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

His questioning just now had some "unreasonable" content, just because he wanted to see Fang Youde's attitude.

Now that I saw Fu Ruan and knew that Fang Youde had no second thoughts, there was no need to continue holding it.

This time, Brother Ji knew from Fang Youde's absolute control over the Shence Army that the other party had great military support and that there would be hidden dangers in Chang'an.

There are still people who disobey the imperial edict for the sake of military orders. Naturally, they cannot continue to stay in Guanzhong and take charge of the Shence Army.

Fang Youde retreated bravely and proposed to be a nominal "Xuanwu Army Jiedushi" in Bianzhou. Ji Ge was naturally happy to see it happen. If the other party didn't bring it up in the first place, now it's up to Brother Ji to find a way to get this old minister from Qianlong to resign on his own initiative.

That would be another hassle. Brother Ji is getting older, and now he just doesn’t want to bother, but sometimes he has to.

It troubled him.

"Back to the saint, Wei Chen has this intention."

Fang Youde stood up and saluted, and said with a sincere face. As for what he was thinking, only he knew. Anyway, Brother Ji didn't see anything wrong.

"Of course, I won't treat you badly. Quanzhongqin, don't leave Chang'an yet. In a few days, I will ask someone to repair the Lingyan Pavilion and hang portraits of certain ministers in it.

Of course, your portrait is among them. When the time comes, you will accompany me and reminisce about the past in the Lingyan Pavilion in the imperial city. "

Brother Ji said with a smile.

Lingyan Pavilion?
Fang Youde had a strange look on his face, and then quickly thanked him, fearing that Brother Ji would see the flaw.

He remembered that at the end of the Tang Dynasty, it seemed that Zhu Wen also entered Lingyan Pavilion. Just like the end of the Tang Dynasty, the reputation of Lingyan Pavilion at that time also became bad, and most of the new members were rebellious officials and traitors.

Now, Fang Youde himself was suggested by Brother Ji to add his portrait to Lingyan Pavilion, and Fang Youde, like Zhu Wen, also has the epithet "Quan Zhong".

I have to say, this joke is really big!

It reminded Fang Youde of many cruel memories that he couldn't bear to look back on.

Jiedushi held the emperor hostage and was lawless.

Chang'an was repeatedly destroyed, the capital fell six times, and the emperor moved nine times.

The Li Tang clan was slaughtered by Huang Chao like wild dogs.

They are all indelible marks of that era.

Fang Youde sighed silently, bowed and said to Brother Ji:
"Wei Chen retire."

After walking out of Xingqing Palace, I looked at the bustling Chunmingmen Street and the crowds of people. From time to time, vendors would violate the court's decrees and hawk on the streets, and the Jinwu Guards would turn a blind eye when inspecting.

Everything in Chang'an seems not to have been affected by the Pizhou rebels at all, and is still as prosperous as before.

Among all living beings, some are leisurely and lazy, some are busy and busy; some are confused, and some are drunk and dreaming.

No one seems to think that such a life will change drastically one day, and then suddenly take a turn for the worse!

Fang Youde suddenly had a strange premonition in his heart.

Perhaps without Anlu Mountain, the people of Chang'an would still encounter a catastrophe like the Anshi Rebellion sooner or later.

No matter what he does now, Datang still seems to be unavoidable from being stabbed.

It’s like fate! Even Pizhou, which is so close at hand, cannot alert the people of Chang'an who are living in their dreams. Perhaps, they will only wake up when the knife is placed on their necks.

Fang Youde shook his head helplessly and thought to himself: Unfortunately, Fang Chongyong is probably right again.

Returning to his home in Yongjiafang, he called Fang Laique, and the two of them stayed in the study for a long time, not knowing what they were doing.

……

After finishing his work in Shazhou, Fang Chongyong led the expeditionary force eastward and came to camp near the lake outside Yumen Pass in Guazhou. Yang Yan had already been waiting here with a team of trustworthy Silver Spear Filial Piety Army elites, and brought the last "gift" that Fang Chongyong prepared for the expeditionary force before setting off to the Western Regions.

Jiaozi!

And it’s Jiaozi that has just been printed out!

These Jiaozi are basically the same as the Jiaozi circulating in Hexi, except that after the printing of Hexi Jiaozi was completed, another process was added.

A special seal was specially stamped on these Jiaozi: only circulated in the jurisdiction of Anxi and Beiting Protectorate!
In other words, this thing cannot be used in Hexi, and the local people in Hexi will not recognize it! The same goes for other areas of Datang!
"Fang Jieshuai, the special Jiaozi has been printed, but I still don't understand why I need to add an extra seal?"

Yang Yan asked, pointing to the line with more words on Jiaozi.

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and told He Changqi: "Go and call all the envoys, generals, and heads of the army to the commander of this section, and say that the commander of this section has given them benefits!"

"Order!"

He Changqi glanced at Jiaozi who was packed in a big box, then took the order and left.

Soon, a large number of military envoys, generals, and chiefs from the expeditionary force had arrived. They all looked at each other, wondering what Fang Chongyong was going to do.

"Now, the Commander-in-Chief will issue the first military order of the expeditionary force!"

Fang Chongyong stood up straight, put his hands behind his back, and looked around at everyone.

These Qiu Ba people also immediately straightened their postures, bowed and saluted: "I will obey the commander's orders!"

“The first military order is that after arriving in the Western Region, no matter where there is no formal military order, the people are not allowed to be disturbed, and the people are not allowed to burn, kill or loot.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that we are a civilized and mighty army, not bandits, and we must not ruin the reputation of our army. "

After hearing this, all the Qiu Ba people drooped their heads, and their energy and energy were instantly drained. If Dang Qiu Ba can't "burn, kill, and loot" in enemy-occupied areas, what's the point?
Are you counting on the "emperor's grace" for those at the bottom to fight hard? Isn't this too outrageous?
You just said that you should not disturb the people at the station on weekdays. After all, the families of the border soldiers are nearby, and the rabbits of the folks in the countryside still don't eat the grass beside their nests.

But when going on an expedition, burning, killing, looting, etc. are not allowed. That would be too much! Whose troops are fighting outside and are not full of energy?

If there is no waste, how can morale be guaranteed?

"Next, the commander of this section issues the second military order."

After Fang Chongyong said this, the chattering Qiu Ba people became quiet again.

He walked in front of everyone, and the soldiers in the army had to cheer up and did not dare to neglect him, because they were afraid that Fang Jieshuai would catch him and make a warning to others.

"Although the military order stipulates that the people must not be disturbed. But, my brother has been through life and death in the Western Region, and this commander is not a harsh and ruthless person.

We prepare some Jiaozi for everyone in the army that are specially used in the Western Region. Whether they are generals or soldiers, they can be divided into fifty Guanzi, without distinction. You can use these notes to buy goods locally.

These friendships do not need to be deducted from military merit, they are just regarded as rewards given by the commander to the soldiers in this section.

If there is military merit, there will be another reward.

You immediately bring your own soldiers to transport Jiaozi, and they will be distributed today. "

Fang Zhongyong spoke eloquently and made these Qiu Ba people, who were strong in force but simple-minded, confused.

He Changqi asked with some confusion: "Jie Shuai, what if we go over there and want to buy something with this kind of jiaozi, but the Hu merchants refuse to sell?"

He asked this question for everyone present. After all, buying and selling is a voluntary act between both parties.

"If anyone refuses to sell, ask the soldiers to report their names and addresses to our commander, who will persuade them face to face."

Fang Chongyong replied with a smile on his face.

That's it!

Qiu Ba instantly understood what Fang Chongyong meant.

Of course burning, killing, looting is not allowed, and it offends people, so why not just give money to buy it?

If you don't accept the money... then you are just being unruly, and there is no need to tolerate it.

Sure enough, Fang Jieshuai can be the Jieshuai because he has two skills.

Really, what the army is anxious about is what the army is anxious about, and what the army is thinking about is what it wants! They hadn't even asked Fang Chongyong if he could smash and rob a dragon after going to the Western Region, but now he had already answered them.

"Thank you Fang Jie Shuai for the reward! I look forward to being grateful!"

Everyone said in unison.

"Don't talk about those useless ones. Once you get there, you will make great contributions to me on the battlefield. You will receive endless rewards when the time comes!

Go ahead and bring the song to claim the reward! "

Fang Chongyong waved his hand indifferently and said.

(End of this chapter)