Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 346 There is no shortage of those three melons and two dates

In the diplomatic history of the Tang Dynasty, the use of "silver bullet offensive" and bribing officials of other countries were both basic and not worth mentioning.

Well, you don’t have to ask who has done this, just ask who hasn’t. Because giving and receiving gifts in the diplomatic process, or giving and receiving bribes, are basically unspoken rules. It's just bad work that can't be put on the table, there's nothing to say.

Gao Xianzhi took the "Heavenly Soldiers" of the Tang Dynasty to help some Tocharian tribes fight for power and clean up other tribes. Who would believe that he and Bian Lingcheng benefited from confiscating the Tocharian envoy?

I'm afraid their subordinates don't believe it, right?

If they don't accept it, the envoy from Tochara will not be able to feel at ease.

At this moment, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng looked at each other in embarrassment, wondering why Fang Chongyong mentioned this. Of course, this matter cannot be dealt with, because Fang Chongyong only needs to call those Tocharian envoys and ask casually to know the authenticity.

This matter cannot be hidden, so there is no need to say things like "confiscating gifts" that insult your IQ.

Not to mention what Gao Xianzhi was thinking, just talking about Bian Lingcheng, he took Fang Chongyong's "filial piety" a lot.

Bian Lingcheng was very confused. Those who can give gifts can receive gifts. What's the point of Fang Chongyong chasing after him for receiving gifts?

The Anxi Army is the sage's soldiers and horses, listening to the sage's orders. Sending troops to Tochara is of great importance, and it cannot be decided by two private ministers. "

After he left, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng looked at each other, feeling that something was wrong! It can be said that Ambassador Fang means what he says. What is he trying to do?

Haven’t you heard that the Fifth Lun refused to accept a thousand-mile horse in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty? The fifth Qi in the court today is still his descendant. The fifth love relationship can reject Chollima, so it’s natural for you to accept Tochara’s gifts, right?

You don’t need to explain it too clearly, you just need to mention it a little. By then, it will probably be enough for two people to drink a pot, and they will have to shed their skin even if they die!

This poem was written when he was looking for someone to write a test paper when he was taking the Jinshi examination. The poem is full of the sadness of not being able to realize his talent.

There is also a proper term for this situation, called "raising hope."

……

That's all. I've been traveling day and night for several days, and I'm really tired now. I'm going to take a rest soon.

"As far as our family knows, Ambassador Fang is very sophisticated and very good at conducting himself. There must be some hidden meaning in what he just said.

Bian Lingcheng helped Gao Xianzhi come up with a bad idea.

When it comes to collecting money to do things and dealing with favors, the things that happen are often the same, but the interpretation is different. Bian Lingcheng and Gao Xianzhi accepted the gold from the Tocharian envoy. This is a matter of certainty.

Looking back on his career, Li Qiyun realized a key lesson: a person's talent only means he has acquired the "necessary skills" to enter the officialdom and play the game.

This was also one of the reasons why Li Qijun was willing to sign the "letter of investment" with Li Siye. If he really doesn't want to sign, it may not be possible to stop Fang Chongyong from causing trouble, but there is still a way to escape.

Bian Lingcheng sneered and argued.

Gao Xianzhi asked in a low voice.

Let’s not mention anything else. Just tell me whether you have accepted bribes! Talk clearly about receiving gifts before talking about anything else.

Well, he is also Anaye’s half-brother.

But whether it is collecting money to do things or dealing with favors, I am afraid it depends on how Fang Chongyong understands. Fang Chongyong should write a memorial back to Chang'an to report to Brother Ji, saying that Bian Lingcheng conspired with Gao Xianzhi, misinterpreted the imperial edict, and acted wantonly.

No one expected that after Li Qijun was admitted to the imperial examination, things would turn around and he would gradually become the Jiedu Judge of the Anxi Protectorate. Although this position belongs to an official of the imperial court, the rank is not high. However, he has great power in Anxi and can easily influence local civil and military affairs.

No matter what important matter you two have, please wait until tomorrow to talk about it.

Gao Xianzhi knew that he was stupid and looked helplessly at Bian Lingcheng, not yet thinking about how to explain to Fang Chongyong. He was convinced that the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador was deliberately looking for trouble, but the other party just grabbed this little braid and didn't even talk to you about whether it was feasible to send troops to Tochar.

Therefore, the descendants of bureaucrats are also bureaucrats, and being an official is a profession inherited from the family. Even if officials and their families are idle and sitting at home, they will not go to the fields to plow the fields, let alone go to the market to earn a living like traffickers and lackeys.

Once the gift is received, it is difficult to return it. Besides, who to return it to is also a question.

This is how a big family is. Once a high-ranking official emerges, this person will support his children and nephews and take them out for training if there is an opportunity.

Of course, this was all in the past.

"Uncle, the senior deputy governor and the side servant are visiting."

A young man, who looked somewhat similar to Li Qiyun, came over and whispered to him. This man's name is Li Shudu, the son of Li Qijun's brother, who came to Qiuci Town to help him.

Fang Chongyong's angle of attack on them was quite tricky!
"The side servants are hard-working and hard-working, but they have read few stories from the past and present, and they think about receiving gifts simply.

Fang Chongyong said with an indifferent expression, waved his hand, and then walked out of the room on his own.

It's better than this. The deputy governor-general can just ask a trustworthy and smart staff member.

Our family is very upset right now. "

Therefore, in the long run, children from official families have far stronger official abilities and connections than those from commoner families. Those who can take the imperial examination should prepare for the imperial examination, and there will be people to look after them all the way. Those who can't take the imperial examination can join the officialdom and build connections along the way.

"Businessman, how do you deal with this matter?"

“In nine out of ten places, one throws oneself into disobedience, and thousands of miles away from his hometown, he returns home empty-handed.

In a courtyard in the inner city of Yiluolu City, Li Qijun, who had just returned to Qiuci Town, was sitting in the courtyard, admiring the moon and reciting poems. After a glass of wine, the melancholy in my chest is almost overflowing from my body, which makes me sigh.

Without admission qualifications, no matter how talented you are, you can only watch the show from the sidelines! After ten years of hard work, it is better to have a noble person help you overnight. This is the cold and cruel reality.

Not every capable person can get ahead. He must have someone to guide him and someone to hold his arms in order to get the ticket to play the game!
The ability to play games is important, but the most important thing is the admission ticket!

"Ambassador Fang, actually, this is not bribery, it's just reciprocity."

Why is Li Qijun so prosperous? There were so many talented people in the Tang Dynasty, why did he suddenly change his destiny?
Because Li Qijun was appreciated by a member of the Li Tang clan, this person was Li Xian, the eldest son of Xin'an King Li Yi.

The severe frost invaded the human bones last night, and no one could read the high hall without giving them clothes. "

Hearing this, Gao Xianzhi's handsome face suddenly relaxed from its tension. He nodded slightly and said: "There is indeed a person in the shogunate who is usually very resourceful. I will go and ask him now."

"You can avoid it later."

Li Qijun waved his hand gently and said to Li Shudu.

After a while, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng came to visit together and were introduced into the courtyard by Li Shudu. Under the light of the torch, neither of them had any smiles on their faces, and even looked a little sad.

After Li Shudu stepped back, Li Qijun pointed to the simple dishes placed on the simple table in the courtyard and said with a smile: "Xiaguan just ate the leftovers. I am too embarrassed to invite the senior deputy governor and the side servants to the table. Why not drink some?" Wine bar.”

"Judge Li, you are very polite. There is no need to drink. This is not the place to talk. Please talk in the study."

Bian Lingcheng said with a solemn expression.

Seeing the solemn expressions of these two people, Li Qijun also put away his smile, nodded slightly, ordered his servants to clean up the dishes in the courtyard, and then led Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng to the study. After the three of them sat down, Bian Lingcheng was not polite and directly repeated Fang Chongyong's words to Li Qijun without missing or changing a word.

Repeating the original words of superiors, including the emperor, is the basic skill of eunuchs in the palace. Those who cannot remember and cannot remember accurately are eliminated by the involution and explosion of the palace environment, and the remaining ones are "kings of shorthand".

Bian Lingcheng is one of the best.

After listening to Bian Lingcheng's narration, Li Qijun suddenly fell into silence, with mixed feelings in his heart, and he didn't say a word for a long time.

As expected, a Qiu Ba and a eunuch still can't understand the hidden "Ti Ji words" of "educated people".

Li Qijun couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Ambassador Fang, who is currently "presiding over the overall situation" in Yiluolu City, is really a wonderful man with both wisdom and courage. It's a pity that he gave his flirtatious look to a blind man.

If Bian Lingcheng and Gao Xianzhi didn't come to him for questioning at this moment, the two custodians would have no idea what Fang Chongyong meant by his words.

"Judge Li, what exactly does Ambassador Fang mean?"

Gao Xianzhi asked eagerly.

"Don't be impatient, Deputy Protector. Ambassador Fang's meaning is actually very clear. It can be seen from the story of the Fifth Lun in "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty". Please sit down and wait for me to explain it to you in detail."

Seeing Gao Xianzhi standing up in a hurry, Li Qijun quickly waved his hand and said.

Seeing that the two people opposite him had calmed down, Li Qiyun explained:
"The key to Fifth Lun's refusal to accept Chollima is not that he refused to accept the gift, but what happened next.

Ambassador Fang deliberately did not say what happened next, hoping that the deputy governor and the chamberlain could figure it out for themselves. "

"What happened next?"

Bian Lingcheng asked doubtfully. As a servant beside the emperor, he naturally knew very well that he had to understand the implication of the words thoroughly.

Otherwise, when it gets serious, you will die without a burial place!

But Bian Lingcheng was just a eunuch, and he didn't know anything about those classics and stories. Although he is not uneducated, he is certainly not like a "cultural hermaphrodite" like Fang Chongyong, who knows allusions well and speaks in a precise manner.

"The Fifth Lun refused to accept the Chollima, and not long after, I happened to meet someone who could deal with the deeds of the person who gave the gift. The Fifth Lun did not accept the Chollima, but he was still deeply impressed by the person who gave the gift, and at the same time he felt the other person's kindness in flattering him. .

In the end, he still opened his eyes and made a decision that was beneficial to the person who gave the gift.

Therefore, the Fifth Lun lamented that although the gift of the gift-giver was returned, the other party actually achieved the goal indirectly. This is the beauty of gift-giving. No matter whether the recipient accepts the gift or not, as long as the intention is delivered, the purpose is achieved.

It doesn’t matter whether the gift itself is valuable or not. What matters is who gave it, who it was given to, and what intention it expressed. "

Li Qijun said eloquently.

So this is ah!

Neither Bian Lingcheng nor Gao Xianzhi were stupid people. Once they heard Li Qijun's explanation, they completely understood what was going on.

In Chinese society since ancient times, gift-giving has always been a profound knowledge, and it is not just about collecting money to do things.

The Tocharian envoy gave gifts to Bian Lingcheng and Gao Xianzhi. This not only showed his attitude of asking for help, but also shortened the personal relationship between them. Otherwise, wouldn't it be better if they just gave the gifts to the Emperor of Tang Dynasty? Why bother?

Sending Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng away is not the principle of "the county magistrate is not as good as the current one". To say it's not complicated is really not complicated.

And the connections brought about by giving gifts are also mutual, not one-sided.

In the future, if the Tang Dynasty needs anything, Gao Xianzhi gives an order. If it does not violate the Tocharian tribe's own interests, then the Tocharian mercenaries must also obey his orders.

This is a hidden political resource that cannot be ignored.

After the Anshi Rebellion, Guo Ziyi had a friendship with Ye Hu, a Huihe man, drinking and talking. This friendship was later used in the matter of "riding back to He alone". So many times, the cards in your hand are not good or bad, it just depends on how to use them and when to use them.

No matter what card it is, if you can hold it in your hand, there is no reason to waste it and give it to others.

Let alone being stolen.

The problem facing Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng now is: Does Gao Xianzhi stick to his word on military matters in the Western Regions? Is he taking charge of the overall situation? Is it Bian Lingcheng, the eunuch who oversees the army, who has the final say?

The answer is obviously not so!

When you two accepted the gift, where did you put someone from our side?

Is the official position of Ambassador of Economic Strategy of the Western Regions just for show?

Could it be that in the future, the various Tocharian tribes will only recognize Deputy Governor Gao and not Ambassador Fang?

Since I can't speak my mind, let Deputy Governor Qian Gao be the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador. Can I go back to Chang'an now?
In this case, the nature of the problem becomes serious.

This is not a question of whether to accept gifts or not, nor is it a question of whether to send troops to Tochara, but a question of who will take the lead in military affairs in the Western Regions!
The core attribute of power is whoever listens to the command! There is no room for compromise on this issue!
Does Fang Chongyong lack the three melons and two dates that the Tuhuoluo Messenger had? What he cares about is that his authority cannot be challenged!

Sending troops to Tochara, or even sending troops to Xiaobolu, is not beyond negotiation.

But it must be Ambassador Fang who gives the order to send out troops. Ambassador Fang must accept the gift from the Tocharian envoy and take the largest share!
If Fang Chongyong doesn't take it, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng can't take it!
Moreover, the two of them could not hand over the gift to Fang Chongyong. Instead, the Tocharian envoy had to hand over the heaviest gift to Fang Chongyong in front of the Anxi military and political officials.

Gifts need to be delivered, good words need to be said, rituals need to be carried out, and procedures need to be followed.

This is called getting things done.

With this premise, the Anxi Army sent troops to Tochara before it could be put on the table for discussion.

If there is no such premise, then the thing about sending troops is to cut off the water supply on the 1st, 3rd and 5th, intermittent water supply on the 24th and 6th, and have to report for maintenance on Sunday! As long as Fang Chongyong serves as the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador for one day, there will never be any certainty!
In short, Fang Chongyong would never issue a military order to send troops to Tochara in a haphazard manner. Whoever dares to prepare secretly will definitely kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, follow the military law strictly, and catch a few role models.

Fang Chongyong traveled from Yizhou to Qiuci Town at night and night, eating all the sand along the way. Wasn't it just for the sake of authority?
Li Qijun has a very deep understanding of this. Ambassador Fang suffered a lot from eating and sleeping in the open along the way. Could it be that this person came to Qiuci Town to see how Gao Xianzhi showed off his power in front of him, and then made himself invisible?
Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng were both fans of the authorities who had received gifts, but Li Qijun, an outsider, could see clearly. Fang Chongyong gave Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng a lot of face and was already solving the problem with great sincerity.

If these two people don't understand the stakes, they will be dealt with by Fang Chongyong in the future, but don't blame the Western Region Economic Ambassador for his ruthlessness. Others give you face, but you lose the face yourself.

"To be honest, Senior Deputy Protector, Border Chamberlain, I can't help but handle this matter properly.

The reason why Ambassador Fang did not tell the truth was to save face for you two and not to make it difficult for you to step down.

Tomorrow, I will ask the officials to have a dinner with Ambassador Fang. You will also participate. I will also call the Tocharian envoy. I believe it will not be difficult to solve this matter. "

Li Qiyun saluted Gao Xianzhi and others.

"In that case, I would like to thank Judge Li."

Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng smiled bitterly and returned the courtesy to Li Qijun. I have to spit out the gifts I received. This is probably the first time I have lived for decades.

After the two of them said goodbye and left, Li Qijun quietly went out and headed towards the villa where Fang Chongyong lived under the cover of darkness.

(End of this chapter)