Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 347 This is a tailwind game
"Ambassador Fang, I am here late at night because I have something important to report."

In the inconspicuous bedroom in the small courtyard where Fang Chongyong lived, Li Qijun bowed and said. And the "Ambassador Fang" in his mouth was soaking his feet in hot water, with a sour and refreshing look on his face that showed "pain and happiness".

Next to him, He Changqi quietly exited the bedroom, closed the door behind him, and stood guard outside the door to prevent others from approaching.

“There are many places along the way where you are not allowed to ride horses, and I am so spoiled that I have a lot of blisters on my feet.

It's hard to say it all, it's hard to say it all. "

Fang Chongyong sighed with emotion, wiped his feet dry, then took out a needle from the leather bag on his waist, and skillfully picked out the blisters on his feet. He looked lazy, obviously not treating Li Qijun as an outsider.

"Ambassador, I really have something important to report..."

Li Qijun thought of the allusion of "Pei Gong washed his feet". If Fang Chongyong stepped forward and took off his hat to pee now, he would really become "Pei Gong of the Tang Dynasty". When he thought of this, Li Qiyun suddenly felt dumbfounded.

"Judge Li, just tell me, Fang is listening. What did Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng say?"

Fang Chongyong wiped his feet dry with the linen cloth he had prepared, and then looked at Li Qijun with a serious face and asked.

Hearing this, Li Qijun couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. Ambassador Fang was young, but his political skills were so sophisticated!

Publicly and privately, Li Qijun must tell Fang Chongyong everything about Gao Xianzhi and others asking him for advice, otherwise his position would be unjustifiable.

Li Qiyun didn't know whether Fang Chongyong was greedy for money, but he knew very well that Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng were definitely money-grubbing people. Gao Xianzhi's hands and feet were not very clean in Qiuci Town. Of course, if the water is clear, there will be no fish and no one is perfect. Li Qijun does not want to comment on this kind of behavior.

"This...do you already know this?"

"I was still worried about the ambassador before. Now that I see that the ambassador has everything under control, I can go back and sleep peacefully."

Li Qijun said politely.

Fang Chongyong needed Bian Lingcheng to deal with the emperor of Chang'an, and he also needed Gao Xianzhi to manage the Anxi Army's elite troops, which numbered more than 20,000.

"Tomorrow Judge Li will do a small favor and put a table of wine in your house, and call the representatives of the Tocharian envoys, as well as the senior deputy governor and the chamberlain. The ambassador will discuss this matter at the banquet. Properly disposed of.”

Fang Chongyong waved his hands indifferently and said, his tone seemed to be talking about dealing with two kittens and puppies.

Anyway, Gao Xianzhi can fight as the deputy governor of Anxi, and one handsome person can cover up all the ugly ones. As long as he can win the battle, the Emperor of Chang'an will not care about these trivial details.

"Ambassador, the folk customs in Anxi are not as good as those in the Central Plains. If you take back this gift, you will inevitably feel resentful..."

If something big happens between them, not to mention whether Fang Chongyong will be removed from his post, at least the four towns of Anxi will fall into chaos and they will not be able to escape.

Fang understood their thoughts very well.

"You should have seen my concubine, she is actually..."

"What Ambassador Fang said is true. Everyone knows about this matter, and I have nothing to hide."

At that time, let alone sending troops to Xiaobolu to sweep across the Western Regions. Even stabilizing the situation in Anxi is difficult. Did Fang Chongyong come to the Western Regions and travel such a long way just to deal with Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng?
If you defeat the other party, what will you get? The imperial court would still appoint other eunuchs to supervise the army, as well as generals who were not easy to deal with Fang Chongyong, to prevent excessive concentration of power.

Li Qijun felt comfortable talking to smart people. Finally, he didn't have to explain himself as hard as he did when facing Gao Xianzhi and others.

Li Qijun was beyond surprised. Even if Fang Chongyong's cronies eavesdropped on the conversation outside his residence just now, they wouldn't have come back so quickly to report it, right?

However, this was an internal conflict among the Tang Army in the Western Regions, and it was not like facing the Tubo people with no room for turning.

Since it is an internal conflict, it should be handled according to internal rules and cannot be generalized. The ambassador knows this well.

Fang Chongyong suddenly asked Li Qijun a seemingly strange question.

Don't look at Li Qijun saying a lot of harsh words in front of Gao Xianzhi, hinting not to fall out with Fang Chongyong. But judging from the actual situation, if Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng join forces to fight Fang Zhongyong without any bottom line, it is difficult to say who will win in this round.

No matter what these two people planned, they objectively violated Fang Chongyong's legitimate rights as the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador.

Li Qijun felt that Fang Chongyong knew very well where his "power boundary" was, which was very rare.

However, Fang Chongyong now looks as stable as a rock. Is he wise, or is he reckless?
"Gao Xianzhi and the others are not stupid enough to know how to discuss countermeasures with Judge Li.

On the other hand, Judge Li is prudent and loyal to his duties, and he can set an example for the officials of the Anxi Protectorate! "

Fang Chongyong smiled and praised Li Qijun, already making his attitude clear.

But if he loses in the future, these things recorded in the small book will become a noose around his neck.

"She is the daughter of King Xin'an, and the subordinate also knows about it."

Li Qijun smiled bitterly and said, indeed nothing could be hidden from Ambassador Fang.

Whether you want to tighten it or not depends on how the emperor is feeling at that time!
Li Qijun believed that it might be good for Fang Chongyong to take control of the overall situation. But he may not have thought that some people just have a narrow vision and keep looking at those three melons and two dates, and become resentful and end up ruining a big thing.

"Judge Li, I heard that you were not recognized for your talent, and it was Li Xian, the eldest son of King Xin'an, who promoted you, right?"

The Western Region is far away from the Central Plains, and the strongholds are widely distributed, as if they are dotted all over the place.

The ambassador believes that the deputy governor-general abused force in the four towns of Anxi and used the method of fishing from the lake, which is not a long-term strategy.

He was walking in front of Gao Xianzhi and others, and then came to Fang Chongyong, so there was absolutely no possibility of leaking the secret!
Although Li Qijun is a big-hearted person, he still has a basic sense of right and wrong. He is a person who is willing to do practical things in his official position. The rights and wrongs of this matter now, according to the orthodox concept of the dynasty, Fang Chongyong is the chief official who acts according to the rules, while Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng are the ones who use the rules of the game for personal gain.

“Since that’s the case, then Fang won’t hide anything from you.

Li Qijun nodded slightly and said.

This seems to be a very simple truth to outsiders, but the parties involved may not be able to understand it in the game.

Li Qijun was a little unsure whether Fang Chongyong understood what he said. Many officials in the Western Region are greedy for money. This is because the commercial atmosphere here is very strong, and the desert oasis lacks everything and everything costs money.

A wolf and a leopard team up to take on a tiger. Although the tiger can eventually kill the opponent in a fight, it may also be scarred, allowing other beasts to take advantage.

It is human nature to do as the Romans do.

This ambassador wants to do some big things in the Four Towns of Anxi, and I don't bother to get entangled in small things with those people who are just trying to do things like this.

If you want to accomplish something, you need to work together, and Fang needs Judge Li to help me.

What do you think? "

Fang Chongyong held Li Qijun's arm tightly and said sincerely.

His expression was sincere and serious, but his bare calves were covered with hair, and coupled with his slovenly clothes, he looked a little inexplicably funny.

Li Qijun replied very reservedly: "These are the duties of the lower official. Ambassador Fang has given instructions. As long as the interests of the Tang Dynasty are not betrayed, then the lower official will naturally have no shirk."

Well, that's enough.

Fang Chongyong nodded happily and said, "Then Fang really remembers Judge Li's words."

If Fang Chongyong wanted to rebel, he would bring the entire Western Region to join Tubo and become the "King of the Western Region of Tubo". Or if Fang Chongyong had to let Li Qijun's first wife sleep with him and play with him, then Li Qijun would definitely stand opposite him. After all, this was something that went against the "public order and good customs" of Tang Dynasty society, and a man couldn't tolerate it.

However, if it is not such a trivial matter, but encounters internal disputes in the four towns of Anxi, for example, if Fang Chongyong and Gao Xianzhi and others have conflicts over government and military affairs, then Li Qijun will probably still side with Fang Chongyong.

When the party agrees and opposes differences, it is often involuntary.

"I am resigning."

Seeing that Fang Chongyong seemed to be well prepared, Li Qiyun exited the room very wisely, feeling relieved immediately.

This Ambassador Fang is not simple.

Talking to him makes people feel friendly, but it's hard to figure out what his trump card is.

More importantly, he and his "benefactor" who promoted him to power are likely to be political allies!

So no matter what, in terms of interpersonal relationships, Fang Chongyong is more cordial than Gao Xianzhi and others who have no connection with him.

In the meeting just now, Li Qiyun understood the gap in political skills between Gao Xianzhi and others and Fang Chongyong. He made a silent judgment in his heart and set new principles for his next actions.

However, after Li Qijun left, Fang Chongyong had a sneer on his lips.

Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng were relatively well-informed and managed to escape. Otherwise, he would have to take heavy action to deal with these two people. Otherwise, the noise in the four towns of Anxi would be too loud and he would not be able to do serious business!
However, since he chose to "resolve the conflict internally", pulling Li Qijun to his side, even if the other party did not help each other, solved a major hidden danger for Fang Chongyong.

This Jiedu judge could write a memorial to the imperial court and file a complaint through official channels. His official position may not seem to be big, but in fact he has great authority in the local area. It is an important tentacle for the civil service system to control border towns.

Jiedu magistrates are similar to "Jiedushi executive officers". They act according to orders regardless of policy reasons, but they can also participate in military operations as a staff member. When implementing the policies formulated by the shogunate, you can choose to do it seriously and do it well.

You can also do it secretly and "take it easy".

By bringing this person to your side, you can keep policy channels open and not be sidelined by Gao Xianzhi and others.

After Fang Chongyong's hint just now, he believed that Li Qijun, a smart man, should have understood it.

The so-called politics means making more friends. For those who could be won over, Fang Chongyong naturally spared no effort to win over those who could win over them.

As for Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng, he felt that he would have many opportunities to teach them a lesson in the future, but definitely not now, so there was no need to rush.

This is a favorable situation, so you should take advantage of the favorable conditions and do everything that needs to be done.

As for punishing people, let's wait until we finish the work.

……

When night fell the next day, Li Qijun was indeed very diligent, notifying the people involved one by one to come to his home for a banquet.

Fang Chongyong, Gao Xianzhi, Bian Lingcheng and others, who had already prepared themselves, pretended to be confused and went to the banquet happily. Only Qi Si, the Tocharian envoy and the great leader of Tocharian, was kept in the dark.

After sitting at the table, he was careful not to speak loudly, and he even didn't dare to look at the Western Region Economic Strategy Ambassador who had just arrived in Qiuci Town.

Among the titles of the Tang Dynasty, the name "big leader" sounds very majestic, but in fact it is so small that it can only scare children.

Tocharo is a Jisi state canonized by the Tang Dynasty, and its leader is "Ye Hu". Ye Hu's cronies were named "Special Service" by Datang. The one level lower than Qin is the "prince". This prince may not be Ye Hu's biological son, it's just a title.

Then under the "prince" is the "big leader".

Note that these are the titles canonized by the Tang Dynasty, which are the titles recognized by the Tang Dynasty. They do not represent the other party's local strength in Tochara.

Fang Chongyong also didn't know what was going on inside Tochara. He only knew that the Tocharian envoy in front of him, who seemed to be very old, did not have a high official status.

In other words, Tocharo asked Datang for help, and probably had the intention of asking for help. This was similar to what Fang Chongyong expected.

"Fire spitting leaves protect Wuliduo, your body is still strong, right?"

As soon as he sat down at the table, Fang Chongyong smiled at Qi Si and asked.

This Tocharian envoy named Qi Si was actually a "Tang Tong". He worked as a guard in the Tang Dynasty. Apart from his appearance, his language, tone of voice, living habits, and behavior were no different from those of ordinary Chang'an officials.

This time Tocharo sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty, and Qi Si was responsible for contacting the officials of the Tang Dynasty along the way, which can be regarded as "specialized in the art". In terms of diplomacy, Datang's system was actually very mature and experienced, and Fang Chongyong did not need to worry about it at all.

Hearing Fang Chongyong's question, Qi Si saluted respectfully and said: "Ye Hu is strong, can fire a three-stone bow, and can go into battle to kill the Tubo people. Thank you Ambassador Fang for your concern."

Seeing how low his posture was, Fang Chongyong understood instantly. Tocharia is sandwiched between Tubo, Arabia, and Tang Dynasty. It can be said that it is very precarious, and either side can crush them to death.

Relatively speaking, Tochara had the deepest friendship with the Tang Dynasty, and geographically speaking, it was the most difficult for the Tang Dynasty to attack Tochara.

On the contrary, Tubo and the black-clad Dashi were very close at hand, posing a great threat to them.

This is one of the reasons why Tochara did not sway on both sides and had both sides. They must be loyal to the Tang Dynasty to show their "united front value" and seek the support of the Tang Dynasty, which has the farthest power projection distance, to protect their independence!
If they sided with Tubo or the Black-clothed Dashi, they would be annexed by the other side. Tocharo couldn't stand in the wrong line even once, so he simply stopped standing.

This is a geographical choice and a human choice.

Between countries, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests, and there is never any unreasonable goodwill. Behind love and hate, there is an economic and political account of Hongguoguo that needs to be settled clearly.

"I heard that the gifts given by the chief to the high deputy governor and the chamberlain were quite exquisite, and I would like to learn more about them.

I wonder if you two can meet Fang’s request? If it doesn't work, forget it, I just said it casually. "

Fang Chongyong looked at Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng and asked with a smile on his face.

Upon hearing this, the smiles that were still on the faces of everyone in the courtyard instantly froze in place!
Fang Chongyong said, "Just take a look," but no one present would think he was really joking!

"Actually, it's not anything special..."

Bian Lingcheng laughed sarcastically, speaking incoherently. He glanced at Li Qijun angrily!
This guy promised well yesterday, but when it was time for him to speak today, Li Qijun was mute!
However, Bian Lingcheng had wronged Li Qijun. The latter did not expect that Fang Chongyong had no "foreshadowing" at all and just lifted the lid!
Didn’t this person have a plan in mind yesterday? That's it?

They were pretty good people, but the Tocharian leader Qi Si, who had been kept in the dark, was frightened by the scene in front of him!
"Ambassador Fang! Your Majesty has neglected his duty! Your Majesty didn't know you were coming to Kucha!"
I'll go prepare the gifts right now. You'll be back soon, right away! "

Qi Si was originally kneeling on the blanket, but now he was kowtowing directly to Fang Zhongyong. Under the firelight, his face looked twisted and hideous with anxiety!
I was so careless that I left out the biggest one when giving gifts!

"How presumptuous! Does this ambassador lack your gift? Do you look down on Fang?"

Fang Chongyong became furious and overturned the desk in front of him.

Qi Sifu knelt on the ground and shivered, not even daring to look at him.

"That's all, you guys, bring your gifts here and let me, the ambassador, see them. I won't say anything else for now."

After a long time, Fang Chongyong seemed to have lost his temper and then waved his hand. Li Qijun quickly asked his servants to move the table in front of the other party, replace it with a new one, and put the food and wine on it.

In desperation, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng had no choice but to bring over the gold handicrafts sent by the Tocharian envoy. They originally wanted to hand them over to Fang Chongyong in private after the banquet, so that they could admit their mistake and relent. Unexpectedly, the other party actually got angry in front of the Tocharian envoy!

Soon, those jeweled handicrafts were brought up by the servants, which dazzled everyone present.

(End of this chapter)