Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 350 Fading apart
At the ferry outside Kaifeng County, on the east and west banks of the canal, two groups of shirtless men holding wooden sticks and with red and blue cloth strips tied on their heads were facing each other faintly.

It's funny to say that although there are ferries, warehouses, and large-scale temporary markets on both sides of the canal in Kaifeng County, there is no serious bridge.

Why is this so?
Because the canal is busy and there are an endless stream of ships coming and going, the most important thing is that the river channel is smooth, and everything else must stay behind.

With the bridge-building technology at this time, after the bridge was built, large ships would not be able to pass at all, which was equivalent to abolishing half of the function of the canal. A bridge built could only facilitate the movement of people in Kaifeng County, but this canal connected the north and south of the Tang Dynasty and was an indispensable economic artery.

Which one is more important or less important can be known without asking.

Therefore, every morning, a simple pontoon bridge that can be easily disassembled will be built in a very short time to allow people to travel between the two sides of the strait.

The composition of this pontoon is basically boats connected to each other, with planks laid on the deck. The gap between the boats is enough for an ordinary small boat to pass through.

When the big ship arrives at the ferry, it will stop here to rest, replenish supplies, purchase and unload cargo, and wait until the pontoon bridge is dismantled before leaving, which will not affect their transit.

The real reason why it is so troublesome to go back and forth can only be said to be understood by experts.

The Bianzhou government has summarized a set of "methods to make money", which can be said to have used various tricks to the extreme.

Fang Youde, who was watching the battle on the sidelines, heard a sarcastic comment coming from behind him. It was a woman he was very familiar with.

"Order!"

The sign erected on both sides of the pontoon that read "No gatherings to fight here" seemed more like a sign of contempt for the government by the local gangsters. When this sign was first put up, the dealers were scared to death, but after testing it out and finding that nothing happened, they became even more courageous.

Li Jiaqing clasped his fists in salute, took a stick of incense from the soldier, lit it with a torch, then took it in his hand, walked to the signboard that read "No Fighting" and stood next to it as if nothing had happened. Fragrant (the kind that is as thick as your thumb).

"Princess Yuzhen, let's not mention what happened back then. Your subordinates are already this age."

There were corpses all over the ground, mixed with broken arms and limbs, and blood flowed into the Bian River like a stream. The tragic scene was comparable to hell on earth!
More than a hundred gangsters who were gangsters were massacred by the He Army's tooth soldiers in just a few breaths! Its killing efficiency is very rare among the elite frontier troops, let alone those who fight against the enemy.

The slick businessmen ran and shouted, dropped the sticks in their hands and ran away. Many of them were even good at water and jumped directly into the Bian River!
However, this was of no use. Those who jumped into the river and those who ran away were shot and killed by the crossbowmen who had ambushed them in advance. No one was spared. Those who try to resist stubbornly are like wheat that has been knocked down after a little resistance.

If the fighting stops before the incense is burned out, then the matter ends there and you don't have to do anything.

Fang Youde smiled and looked at Li Jiaqing and continued: "You should have memorized the military laws of the Xuanwu Army by now. After burning incense, the Xuanwu Army will perform martial arts training on both sides of the pontoon. Those who are still noisy and refuse to leave, Whatever you think should be done, then do it.”

Now he serves as the head of the Yabeng Control Crane Army. This man was very skilled in martial arts at a young age, and his law enforcement was strict and ruthless. All the Xuanwu Army in Bianzhou were very afraid of him.

A deputy general next to Fang Youde asked, this person's name is Li Jiaqing. He joined the army as a young man and came from Youzhou. He was Fang Youde's old confidant.

It’s not that building a bridge is impossible, but it’s more cost-effective to go back and forth like this.

The soldier asked in confusion, pointing to the soap official who treated himself blindly and allowed the gangsters fighting on the side to fight.

beep!beep!beep!
Three sharp whistles sounded, and the government officials moved away the roadblocks that blocked the people from crossing, then moved a table and sat there to collect the bridge toll. It's not expensive either. It costs a penny per person, both ways.

"Jie Shuai, how should we deal with it?"

Fang Youde turned around, sighed and said to the middle-aged woman wearing gorgeous Taoist robes.

“You hold a stick of incense in your hand, walk up to that signboard, and don’t say anything or make a move.

"Have you ever experienced that feeling when you want something but can't get it?"

"Fang Quanzhong, after so many years, you are still as cruel as ever.

If those people are still fighting after the incense is burned, then..."

The crowd on the right bank of the Bianhe River shivered with fear. The timid ones quietly left the pontoon bridge quietly, while the bold ones watched the excitement from the side with trepidation.

The commander-in-chief of this army is so insidious!
People who came back to their senses couldn't help but secretly take a breath of cold air.

The pontoon bridge will wear out. It is reasonable to charge bridge tolls to replace the worn boards and pay salaries to those who maintain the pontoon bridge, right?
Hurala!
The group of people with red strips of cloth on their heads on the right bank rushed straight across the pontoon and headed towards the left bank! The clerk who collected the money seemed not to have seen them, and allowed these people to run rampant, and the people who had originally planned to cross the pontoon gave way.

"Will you kill the official who collects money next to the bridge?"

Your heart is really cruel! Harder than stone! "

From a distance, it looks like a Buddha statue!
Not to mention the thugs who fought hard, even ordinary people didn't take him seriously and didn't even look at him. Li Jiaqing looked solemn, without saying a word or scolding the lively crowd, and just stood quietly next to the sign.

"What are you going to do?"

Many smart people came to their senses. The sergeant who just held up a stick of incense was not holding it for fun, but just to make an "ultimatum"!

"No!"

Fang Youde scolded coldly.

He doesn't think he's a joke at all.

After these lawless people rushed to the left bank, the group of people with blue cloth strips tied on their heads immediately rushed over and struggled with them. The scene suddenly became chaotic! There were even cases where innocent people were pushed down the canal to escape the fighting.

Fang Youde watched Li Jiaqing waving the flag and ordered the soldiers around him: "If you are within 20 feet of the left bank sign, you will not be spared. Li Dutou will time and calculate your merits."

Dozens of tooth soldiers from the Crane Control Army rushed towards the crowd who were fighting fiercely. One group of people blocked the pontoon to prevent people from escaping, while the other group of people, like tigers entering a flock of sheep, killed the gangsters they saw!

"The Commander-in-Chief does not want to repeat himself in this section. Act in accordance with military law. Anyone who blocks the Xuanwu Army from performing martial arts will be killed without mercy."

On weekdays, the gangsters fighting against each other for territory seem to be very lively in order to collect the "security fees" of the shops. The government and these people collude with each other, as if they are very powerful!
But under the pressure of the officers and soldiers, these people were like babies being beaten by strong men. They were nothing at all!

"Order!"

"Run quickly, the officers and soldiers are killing people!"

For the first time, they, melon-eating people, realized that this Bianzhou, no matter how developed its commerce and trade was, it was still the Bianzhou of the government!

At the gate of Kaifeng County, a few hundred meters north of the floating bridge, Fang Youde held a "telescope" in his hand and looked at the fighting crowd for a long time. He put it down with some disappointment and murmured to himself: " People in the market are aggressive and unable to fight."

Seeing that the incense in his hand was getting shorter and shorter, Li Jiaqing remained silent. At the end, when the incense was finally burned, Li Jiaqing breathed a sigh of relief, took out a small red flag from his waist, and waved the flag in the direction of the south gate of the county with corresponding rhythm and movements!

Princess Yuzhen looked straight at Fang Youde and asked with a look of resentment.

“Your Highness, you should understand.

What you want is poetry, and so-and-so is just a warrior. The throbbing of youth is just a dream.

Someone who has no intention of being a prince-in-law is not suitable for someone like you, who is a wealthy person, and you don’t have to worry about such leisurely thoughts for the sake of a saint.

Now that you and I have children, we don’t need to look back on the past. If you have something to say, you may as well speak up. "

Fang Youde said in a cold and stiff tone. To be fair, Princess Yuzhen was considered to have a decent personality among the Li Tang royal family, and she even admired Fang Youde back then. But now that the other party comes to Bianzhou, I'm afraid it won't be for personal matters.

Princess Yuzhen looked disappointed, and then she sighed and begged: "Quan Zhong, could you please go back to Guanzhong? As soon as you left Chang'an, something happened to the saint."

"Saints have God's blessing. Didn't the dangerous fire in Cuiwei Palace disappear due to a sudden heavy rain?"

Fang Youde waved his hand gently and said, as if he had no intention of going back at all.

The last time he left Chang'an, Brother Ji was in danger in Cuiwei Palace. It is said that some thieves stole the kerosene in the workshop of the Ministry of Work, and took advantage of the emperor's opportunity to cool off in the mountains to escape the heat. They burned Huangyu, and the fire spread for several miles. , there is a great risk of burning the mountains south of Chang'an into white ground.

Then how to solve this crisis?

There was no solution, because soon there was a heavy rain of astonishing scale, which could be said to cover the sky! The raging mountain fire was extinguished by the heavy rain.

It's outrageous, but think about it from another angle. Isn't it strange that there is a heavy rain in summer?

This can only be said to be the will of God.

The black hands who planned this matter probably failed to realize that they had defeated Brother Ji, but they had not defeated God. This heavy rain is a rare occurrence in ten years, and it can be said that Brother Ji happened to encounter it.

After returning to Chang'an, Ji Ge believed that he was blessed by God, so he set up an altar in the south of the city with great fanfare and led the civil and military officials of the court to worship heaven.

and then?
Then there is no more.

Brother Ji continued to dive into the opera garden and became fascinated by the strange art of beautiful women taking off their clothes and dancing at the same time.

Everything in Chang'an City seems to have changed a lot, because with the popularity of Chang'an Jiaozi, commerce and trade has become more prosperous.

However, as the singing and dancing flourished, the temperament of the Celestial Kingdom did not change at all.

Brother Ji didn't care, but those close to him did not let down their guard, such as Princess Yuzhen.

She was keenly aware that at the critical moment, there was no key person around Ji Ge to "rescue the situation".

Whether it is Li Linfu, Li Shizhi, or civil and military officials, none of these people particularly care about Brother Ji's life or death.

Brother Ji is dead, they all work as officials, drink wine as they please, and do whatever they are supposed to do. If the emperor changes, as long as he is still the heir of Ji Ge, as long as their property is not confiscated and their sins are liquidated, these officials will welcome him with both hands.

Huangyu was set on fire, and the officials in Chang'an City reacted so slowly. It took several days to open the passage from the bottom of the mountain to Cuiwei Palace on the top of the mountain. It is hard to say whether some officials in Chang'an City did not want Brother Ji to get out of Cuiwei Palace alive.

Although these people organized quite a lot of manpower to put out the fire, for some reason, the fire kept getting bigger and bigger! A lot of people were so anxious that they couldn't get up the mountain. I didn't know whether these people were pretending to be anxious or really anxious.

Princess Yuzhen felt that there might be spies among the people fighting the fire at that time, and others would throw water at others and throw oil at others!

Then she thought of Fang Youde.

If there were people in Chang'an, someone would be able to save Brother Ji at the critical moment, and he would not be trapped in Cuiwei Palace this time. Princess Yuzhen was also in Cuiwei Palace at the time, and she still remembers many details.

"Your Highness, I am just an idle official now, the so-called military envoy of the Xuanwu Army, with only a thousand soldiers and horses under his command. He is a fig leaf left by the saint for his subordinates.

The princess is the saint's biological sister and should not interfere in state affairs.

You must not have an edict from a saint here, right? The saint must not have asked you to invite someone back, right? "

Fang Youde said calmly, seemingly disapproving of Princess Yuzhen's words.

"As long as you agree to return to Chang'an, even in Hua County! Those are not problems!
I am willing to live with you. If the saint wants to deal with you, he must first step over my corpse. What are you still worried about? "

Princess Yuzhen said excitedly.

Obviously, as Fang Youde said, this was her own wishful thinking, not Brother Ji's expectation.

Even when there is a fire, God helps put it out. Now Ji Ge thinks he is the chosen saint! He was sent by God to manage the Tang Dynasty. He is blessed by God!
Brother Ji already regards him as a god.

He doesn't need anyone now, he has no way to be virtuous, so if he can find someone else, what does it matter?

"Jie Shuai, the matter is done. What should we do on the pontoon?"

Li Jiaqing came over and reported. He didn't pay attention to who the lady was opposite Fang Youde, but he also knew that she was covered in blood and looked a bit ferocious. So I want to leave here quickly and go back to the military camp to clean the armor.

"Over there, I'll ask my soldiers to collect the body. You just need to send Princess Yuzhen back to the residence. You don't need to worry about other things."

Fang Youde gave Li Jiaqing instructions, turned around and left, not caring about the friendship back then.

Back then, Princess Yuzhen, a young girl, took off her clothes and quietly hid under Fang Youde's quilt at night, that super female dog licker!

Just saying this is such a humiliation for being delivered to your door, if it were anyone else, they would really have to take care of it before you can have a good meal. Thanks to the fact that Princess Yuzhen was sensible and virtuous, she was able to live to this day. Among all the princesses of the Tang Dynasty, she was considered a rare existence.

It's a pity that the entrustment is not human.

"Fang Youde, I hate you! You will definitely regret it in the future!"

Princess Yuzhen's face was filled with tears and she shouted at Fang Youde's back.

This bloody scene made Li Jiaqing, who was eating melon on the side, dumbfounded.

My coach is serious and doesn't understand the charm. How can he attract women to like him? She is still the emperor's biological sister.

Why bother? Is it because these women who have grown up in the palace have never seen a man?

Li Jiaqing could only lament that he really didn't understand the aesthetics of the powerful. If he is betrayed by the emperor's sister now, he must be kept away!
"If Your Highness really has nothing to do, then go back and tell the saint:

Being close to virtuous ministers and being far away from villains is why the early Han Dynasty prospered.

Being close to villains and being distant to virtuous ministers is why the Han Dynasty has declined since then.

Fang had nothing else to say. "

After saying that, Fang Youde left directly and walked towards the gate of Kaifeng County without looking back.

"Your Highness, the inn is going this way, please."

Li Jiaqing made a gesture of invitation. Although he tried his best to show kindness, his bloody face still looked ferocious to outsiders.

Princess Yuzhen didn't want to talk to Li Jiaqing at all, turned around, stamped her feet, and walked towards the opposite direction from where Fang Youde left.

The two of them drifted apart.

(End of this chapter)