Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 348 Ambassador Fang seems to have lost his temper
A natural and free-spirited horse, made of copper, plated with gold, and has two eyes inlaid with gems. Although it was only the size of Qiu Ba's palms, the posture was already about to break through the shackles and break out of the body.

The other piece is a gold lock with gold leaves, rubies inlaid all over, and a chain lock made of gold even the key.

A gold chain that a woman wears around her neck to completely cover her chest. It is covered with armor-like leaves of different shapes made of silver. They sparkle under the firelight and can add a lot of beauty to the beauty.

In addition, there are also a variety of exotic gold and silver jewelry.

A wide range of accessories, from masks to bracelets, earrings to belts.

From these heavy gifts, Fang Chongyong could feel the "sincerity" from Tocharo. Compared with the saint who is far away from the emperor and sits in Chang'an, they trust the general who is close at hand more!

The last time the Tocharians paid tribute, what did they give Brother Ji?

A lion and several parrots of five colors. Fang Chongyong happened to hear Zheng Shuqing bragging about this matter before. The other party also ridiculed that Tochara was a "small country with few people", so he could only give away these "local specialties".

Ji Ge gave these Tocharians who paid tribute a large amount of silk and hard currency as a gift in return for the tribute.

When he thought of this, Fang Chongyong became even more angry!

Bian Lingcheng's tongue trembled, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. It's okay if this matter doesn't spread. If it does spread to the saint, he will have to shed his skin even if he returns to Chang'an.

It is easier to cash out things like gold Buddhas, gold horses, gold locks, and gold jewelry.

Hearing this, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng both looked at him with gratitude. They have to say that this Ambassador Fang is really kind! If Fang Chongyong wants to play some tricks on this matter, he can kill Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng quietly!

What would Brother Ji think if he heard about this?
"Fang, Ambassador Fang thinks, what should our family do?"

Fang Chongyong sighed and clapped his hands, and He Changqi came over. Fang Chongyong whispered a few words in his ear, and the latter paused slightly, then reluctantly left the courtyard.

But gifts for important officials are different.

Bian Lingcheng was not Gao Lishi, and he couldn't stand someone gossiping in Ji Ge's ears. Not to mention Gao Xianzhi, the affairs of the generals are extremely sensitive no matter how you look at them.

This is a very heart-wrenching question. No matter how you answer it, you will never be able to satisfy the emperor.

Even Brother Ji couldn't get something, but a general got it and kept silent about it.

They are just some kind of "wealth and soft goods" of this era.

But having said that, in order to obtain these gifts, the Tocharians have spent a lot of money, and it is estimated that they will not be able to provide more gold, silver, jewelry and other fine items for a while.

However, Ambassador Fang had some evil intentions when he asked now.

What these people care about is money. Five-color parrots are priceless and have no market, especially if they have been given to the emperor. Which rich family or big official would dare to accept them? Similar gifts are meaningless, but not as direct as gold and silver.

In the future, when envoys are sent to the Tang Dynasty, or people from Tocharia move around Hexi, they can use this as money.

"Originally, the imperial court should have returned the gift of Tocharo to you. But now that you have returned to Chang'an, it is too late, not to mention that the imperial court still needs time to prepare the gifts. I am afraid that going back and forth will delay important events."

Qi Si also breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that Fang Jieshuai was unlikely to hold him accountable for not giving him a gift. He immediately saluted him gratefully and said, "I have heard for a long time that Fang Jieshuai, the governor of Hexi Province, is anxious." He is so righteous and so open-minded. When I see him today, he is really extraordinary!"

It is actually clear at a glance how to choose.

The Tocharians were not fools, and the items they paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty were carefully considered!

The reputation of Hexi Jiaozi can be vouched for by the chamberlain. "

"Oh, you guys, what do you want this ambassador to say? This thing has gone too far!"

Fang Chongyong suddenly guessed that the leader of Tocharo wanted to compensate him with a few five-color parrots, right?

Knowing that I am extraordinary, how dare you leave me out when giving gifts?
If Gao Xianzhi and others were not present, Fang Chongyong would have had to teach Qi Si a lesson. But having said that, money is something external to the body, so there is no need to worry about it too much. The key is whether things are done well.

Hearing Fang Chongyong's question, Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng on the side had cold sweat on their foreheads. They looked at Fang Chongyong with horrified eyes, their hearts pounding, for fear that the Western Region Economic Strategy Ambassador would file a memorial to the emperor. .

There is no conflict between sending exotic animals and rare handicrafts. Why don't you give all these good things to Brother Ji, but keep some of them in the end?
Or do you think Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng are more important than the emperor?

Fang Chongyong showed a sad expression, couldn't help but sigh, and then said:

"The chief will take inventory of these gifts and write a new gift list. The ambassador will send someone to send them back to Chang'an, along with these gifts.

The emperor is rich in the world, why would he care about gold, silver and jewelry? On the contrary, these rare animals are more eye-catching. If the emperor is happy, wouldn't the return of tribute be richer?

The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed. As the saying goes, rare things are more valuable.

He looked at the Tocharian envoy Qi Si and asked, his tone already quite harsh.

Qi Si was speechless because he didn't know whether Ambassador Fang was really stupid or pretending to be stupid. If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's the latter, things will be in trouble.

The latter pointed to the wooden box and said:
"These are the jiaozi of Hexi, which can be used as money. As long as you are within the scope of Hexi, you can use these jiaozi to buy things or exchange them for silk.

Fang Chongyong sighed and said.

Ma De, the Tocharians gave such good things to Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng, but they didn't give them to me!

The lions and five-color parrots dedicated to Brother Ji are both "auspicious" and have a strong meaning of political gifts that cannot be bought with money. These gold and silver jewelry and handicrafts are considered "dead objects" in Ji Ge's opinion, and contemporary people cannot correctly assess the true value of these handicrafts.

Just say that it was Tochar who wished the saint a birthday. I hope the saint will not blame him. September happens to be the saint’s birthday. "

There are some things that cannot be stopped even if they are not weighed down by three or four liang, but weighed down by a thousand pounds!

"Commander, I would like to ask you, why didn't Tochara send these things to the saints when they paid tribute? Do you think these beautiful ornaments are not good enough to get rid of, or do you think the lions and five-color parrots are not good enough? More likely to please the saint?
You have a lot on your mind and it’s a bit complicated! "

Why can't you Tocharians give both?

We will encounter many people like Qi Si in the future. Fang Chongyong does not want to lose big things because of small things. The so-called small intolerance will mess up big plans.

Soon, He Changqi came over holding a wooden box. He placed the box in front of Qi Si and retreated to Fang Chongyong.

These jiaozi are only 10,000 guan, which is a little less, so I'll make do with it and take it back with you.

Fang Chongyong pointed at Bian Lingcheng and said.

Hearing this, Bian Lingcheng quickly said in a flattering manner: "Yes, yes, what Ambassador Fang said is true. You can use this Jiaozi Bank in Hexi to exchange for silk, and you will be safe."

Upon hearing this, Qi Si was overjoyed and was so excited that he quickly kowtowed to Fang Chongyong.

After coming to Datang, it’s not like I haven’t seen kind people. But it is really rare to see a kind person like Fang Chongyong who repays evil with kindness.

No, it should be said that it is unique. This time it is an eye-opener!

Fang Chongyong didn't reply, but just gave He Changqi a wink. The latter reluctantly took out two silk-wrapped objects from his sleeves, which were square and looked like a stack of paper. Hand them over to Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng respectively.

"You have already received the gift from the Tocharian envoy, and this ambassador should not have interfered with it.

But in the end, these gifts were not very suitable. So now I have to hand it over and send it back to Chang'an for the saint to decide. This ambassador knows that your losses are not small.

So, Fang will make the decision privately and allocate one thousand gu to each of you as compensation.

The gift is valuable, it must be more than this amount. You can accept it reluctantly, buy some wine and food, buy some fields and houses in your hometown, whatever you want is fine as long as it is not used to violate laws and disciplines. This can be regarded as the ambassador's intention.

Don't take what happened today seriously. We are all doing things for the saint. It is not my intention to embarrass you.

From now on, we must work together to serve the saints and not make ourselves unhappy over trivial matters. "Fang Chongyong looked at Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng and said sincerely.

One thousand strings is not much, but it is not much!

The key is that Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng originally thought they would burn incense to avoid disaster, but they didn't expect there was still money to get!

Now, the two people who originally felt "suffering a loss" even felt secretly happy in their hearts!

Those gold and silver jewelry cannot be eaten or worn, and you have to find channels to cash them in. But Jiaozi from Hexi can use them directly after taking them! The two of them had some grudges against Fang Chongyong, but now they sincerely admire the Hexi Jiedu envoy for his promptness and kindness.

Be a human being before doing anything. Everyone was sincerely convinced of Ambassador Fang and felt ashamed.

Li Qijun saw all this in his eyes. While sighing at Fang Chongyong's superb skills, a question suddenly arose in his heart: Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng were satisfied. Fang Chongyong even pleased the emperor and made Tocharo Those people return home.

But Ambassador Fang spent a lot of money but got no obvious benefits. What did he do for this? Is it really just for the unity and stability of the four towns in Anxi?
Looking at this posture, Ambassador Fang, who could have "killed everyone" today, seems to have lost his temper.

I can't see through it, I really can't see through it, it's unfathomable!

While Li Qijun admired Fang Chongyong's generosity, he also secretly felt sorry for him. In his opinion, Fang Chongyong actually has a better trick that he can use, and he can use both kindness and power to make everyone in Qiuci Town submissive.

There is really no need to be so polite to Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng.

"Judge Li, if you stay here in a daze, that's not the way to treat guests! Even if you don't serve the food, you can still dance for the guests, right?"
How about you come for a while? "

Fang Chongyong looked at Li Qiyun who was stunned with a smile and teased.

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere at the banquet finally calmed down completely. A possible internal strife was eliminated.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm distracted. Let's serve the food. Serve the food."

Li Qijun apologized to Fang Chongyong for a while, and after saying that, he asked his servants to put out all the delicious food and wine at home. He read a lot of poems and books, quoted from various sources during the dinner, and told many stories about the Western Regions, including the battles in the Tang Dynasty to retake the four towns of Anxi in the early years of Kaiyuan decades ago, and various anecdotes about the time when Emperor Taizong's Tang army was exploring the road here during the Zhenguan period. Strange things.

He even talked about a lot of allusions to the Western Regions during the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty, such as Ban Chao's rebellion against the Huns' envoys and so on. After a few glasses of wine, all the guests felt a sense of pride and ambition. Even Qi Si, the Tocharian envoy, composed a "frontier fortress poem" in response to the occasion.

Although there is no artistry at all, it can be regarded as "arty" to a certain extent.

During the dinner, Fang Chongyong behaved very reservedly. When he should speak, he would say a few words for the occasion and leave the main conversation to Li Qijun. When he shouldn't speak, he would eat his food slowly, showing dignity, calmness, and no emotion or anger.

After they had had enough wine and food, everyone said goodbye, bowed and dispersed. It could be said that the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves.

When Fang Chongyong returned to his hospital and was hospitalized, he discovered that He Changqi's face dropped and he seemed to be worried.

"Are you trying to make me disgusted by showing such a bad face here?"

Fang Chongyong asked angrily.

He Changqi pulled Fang Chongyong into the room, closed the door, then became a little anxious, and deliberately lowered his voice and complained:

"Jie Shuai, why should we be so polite to Gao Xianzhi! And the Tocharo gang, why are you spoiling them? How dare you not give gifts to Jieshuai? The general didn't use a knife to kill them. It's already considered polite, and the other way around Why are we so mean when we give our children to these grandsons?
You are the ambassador of the Western Regions Strategy! Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng, a Korean slave and a eunuch with his buttocks cut off, who are they? Dare I embarrass you?
Usually others fawn over us, but now it’s the other way around! In the end, it’s not worth it to be handsome!
Jie Shuaigui is the ambassador of the Western Regions. Isn't it easy to deal with Gao Xianzhi and his like? "

He Changqi almost cried because of Fang Chongyong's "dog-licking attitude"! I have been patient during the dinner, and now I finally exploded! He talked angrily like he was pouring beans out of a bamboo tube, which made his face red and thick-necked.

"That's it? That's what you're angry about?"

Fang Chongyong looked at He Changqi with a confused look and asked.

"Yes, those friends are brothers' military pay! Isn't that enough?

If the Commander-in-Chief doesn't stop me, I will go and get those Jiaozi back now! "

He Changqi said confidently.

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong immediately felt dumbfounded and couldn't say a word for a long time. His own version was so advanced that it not only deceived others, but also hid it from his own people.

"You, you, come on, let me tell you in detail about this section."

Fang Chongyong asked He Changqi to sit across from him, and personally poured him a cup of hangover medicine.

"If you were an envoy from Tochar and received a large number of Hexi jiaozi, and knew that these jiaozi could be exchanged for silk, what would you do?"

Fang Chongyong asked a question that was easy to answer.

"Of course, part of it will be given to Tocharo Yehu. Well, even to the entire Tocharo elite circle, everyone at the top of each tribe will have a share. And then leave some for himself."

He Changqi replied without thinking.

"That's right. If you were a Tocharian dignitary who got Hexi Jiaozi, wouldn't you want these Jiaozi to become useless paper and worthless?"

Fang Chongyong asked another strange question.

In terms of the portability of Jiaozi, Tocharians usually have to climb mountains and ridges to move around, so its lightness is a big advantage.

As long as there is credit endorsement, things like Hexi Jiaozi can be easily circulated. Of course, there is a premise for this, that is, the trade between the Tocharian region and Datang cannot be interrupted.

"If I were Tocharo Yehu, I would naturally not want Jiaozi to become useless paper, so I would also not resist the circulation of Jiaozi in Tochara."

He Changqi nodded thoughtfully and said.

Like the famous Erwuzai Shiguo and Kangguo in the northwest of Congling, these small countries like to jump left and right and will never take Hexi Jiaozi seriously. However, for Jisi Prefecture, which has a fixed political stance like Tochara, as long as Hexi Jiaozi can maintain its value, then as long as the upper-level Tocharian government approves, Jiaozi can be guaranteed to circulate within a certain range.

"Use the Jiaozi just given to the Tocharian envoy to knock on the door of the Tocharian region and let the Hexi Jiaozi circulate there. The cost is already ridiculously low. This section commander thought he was making a fortune from this deal. There is no reason to lose money at all.

Do you really want to go to Tocharo and hold a knife to rob you with nothing? "

Fang Chongyong asked in disbelief.

He Changqi's eyes flashed and he remained silent, hesitating and not daring to answer.

Seeing the other party's bad behavior, Fang Chongyong knew that this was really what he was thinking, and he never thought about whether he looked good or not.

They Qiu Ba just want to grab the knife and kill anyone who doesn't give it!
"The same is true for Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng. If they take Hexi Jiaozi, they will find ways to use it, and they will naturally support our policy of spreading Jiaozi in the Western Regions.

This is called spending a little money to do big things.

As for the military salaries of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army and the Anxi Expeditionary Army, is it difficult to send someone back to the branch to tell Yang Yan and open a batch of letters? Why can't you even understand this?
Jiaozi will only become money if everyone accepts it voluntarily.

The more people use it, the more valuable Jiaozi is and the more it can maintain its value!
You have been staring at such a small profit all day long, look at your potential! "

Fang Chongyong mocked He Changqi mercilessly.

However, after the other party heard this explanation, not only was he not angry, but the other party Zhongyong gave a thumbs up and said: "Jie Shuai, your methods are better! Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng are like two fools who are being played by you." In the palm of your hand without knowing it, you are the most powerful!”

"Come on, let's go and guard the goal. The coach has to take a rest in this section.

Neither one of them can worry about riding a horse. I finally got rid of the two thorns in Gao Xianzhi and Bian Lingcheng. "

Fang Chongyong couldn't help laughing and scolding.

(End of this chapter)