Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 392 The lion opens its mouth

"hahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"A lot of gems, a lot of gold, I've made a lot of money this time!"

After "dealing with" the old nobles of the Stone Kingdom who were ignorant of current affairs, the generals of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army under Fang Zhongyong sang, danced, howled and acted in the warehouse filled with treasures in the Palace of the King of Stone. Rolling on the ground!

It’s like I’ve never seen gemstone gold in my life!
Now he looks almost like a beast in heat!
Fang Chongyong stood in front of the warehouse door, folding his arms, looking at the ugly appearance of He Changqi and others, and sighed helplessly.

Before, this Qiu Ba gang joked that Gao Xianzhi had never seen the world. Now that they heard that they could get a share of the Shi Kingdom's treasure, they were also crazy with joy.

"Jie Shuai, it's so cool! It's so cool! Let's divide these treasures from the Stone Kingdom, and we won't have to worry about food and drink in this life!"

He Changqi came to Fang Chongyong with a handful of gems, then placed it on top of his head, letting the gems fall down his body, as if he could feel the reality of wealth in this way.

These Qiu Ba's joy at this moment comes from the heart and is undisguised.

Simple and natural!
"Enough of the trouble, please stop for a moment and listen to what this handsome man has to say."

Gold and silver coins from various countries were used as a share to give to Gao Xianzhi and his Anxi Army as a reward and compensation.

“These are just floating wealth that cannot be escaped and are not the foundation of one’s life.

He picked up the turquoise and said to the generals: "The commander has taken it this time. You can choose the one you like. Feng Changqing will tell you the weight and quantity of the reward after calculating it."

Feng Changqing greeted the other party Zhongyong, cupping his fists and saluting.

But now Fang Chongyong has decided on the plan to divide the spoils first, which can be regarded as "kill first and show later". Even though the imperial edict was not issued, you divided the treasure first. Are you the emperor, or is the one from Chang'an the emperor?
The article here cannot bear to be elaborated upon! Maybe it will be a hymn of loyalty!

"Commander Jie, all the soldiers have taken it, but Commander Jie has not taken it. Isn't that not good?"

Why do you say this way.

Finally, eunuchs were sent to send them to the Tang Army camp on the border, and they were distributed according to the reported list. There was no need to send these trophies back to Chang'an.

The commander-in-chief picks first, and we’ll pick after he’s finished! "

Seeing Fang Chongyong's persistence, He Changqi and the others had no choice but to give up. In fact, they were just talking, not really discouraging.

This is using a certain "bug blocking" method to simplify the process and then do it.

Fang Chongyong asked Che Guangqian to hand over the head of Abu Muslim to the generals for circulation. The impetuous mood of these Qiu Ba before was swept away, and their expressions became solemn.

Fang Chongyong saw a small turquoise on the ground not far away. This stone was brought by Hu merchants from the Western Regions from Tochara. It was not particularly valuable here in the Stone Kingdom.

Unexpectedly, Fang Chongyong smiled helplessly and explained nonchalantly: "The commanders of this section are in a different situation than you. You only need to deal with the commanders of this section. I nodded and said that the points should be divided.

The saint is in the palace and doesn't know anything. Maybe he thinks it's easy for us to fight!
This road has been through thorns and thorns, smoothing the river, and the commander-in-chief takes the most credit. Is there any reason not to take it?
Commander Jie just needs to take these treasures. If the brothers don’t tell anyone, how could the saint know?

Because whether Fang Chongyong distributed the gems and gold in the Shiguo treasury to the soldiers of the Anxi Expeditionary Force, or He Changqi and the others swallowed it up themselves, it was not in line with the Tang Army's spoils distribution process.

Generally speaking, when this kind of memorial is sent back to Chang'an, Brother Ji will just glance at it casually, stamp it, and then issue an imperial edict, which will say that the soldiers of the three armies worked tirelessly on the expedition, and I agree not to hesitate to reward them, etc. .

At this moment, we are stepping on a volcano that may erupt at any time! No one is allowed to touch these treasures until they return to Broken Leaf Town. "

Fang Chongyong applauded and scolded the playful generals. The generals reluctantly put down the gems and gold in their hands and lined up to listen to the instructions.

It has to be said that Fang Chongyong has always been very kind when dividing the spoils, and he also sticks to the rules, does not play any tricks, and is trustworthy.

He Changqi stepped forward and asked with some confusion. This was actually what everyone present was thinking.

Those inconvenient Kaiyuan Tongbao, various copper coins, and large areas of unowned farmland outside Zhezhi City were left for the reconstruction of Shi Kingdom.

There are still many soldiers and horses in the old places of the great cannibal Khorasan Province, such as Anxi, Kushan, and Mulu. The possibility of their comeback cannot be ruled out.

He ordered Feng Changqing beside him:
"Divide these treasures into four parts, and ask Bian Lingcheng to send people to Chang'an to deliver the small part of the precious and rare treasures to the saint. Those gems and gold ornaments that are easy to carry are listed separately to reward the Anxi Expeditionary Army. Lieutenant General and Colonel.

If Fang Chongyong takes the lion's share of the gems and gold in the Shiguo treasury, how is he going to explain to Brother Ji about sharing the spoils privately?

Now don't get carried away. With Abu Muslim as a ready example, if we are not careful, we will follow in the footsteps of cannibals.

Therefore, in addition to writing approval notes to his soldiers, Fang Chongyong also had to submit a memorial to explain the matter to Brother Ji.

After hearing these words, the generals of the Anxi Expeditionary Force who were worried just now couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. First establish the documents and distribute the spoils. After the army returns in triumph, these easy-to-carry gems and gold ornaments will be distributed.

It will not affect the morale of the military, and everything that needs to be done will be done.

Those women who have husbands should not harass them. "

If we really want to strictly calculate it, Fang Chongyong should have written a list of loot and handed it to Bian Lingcheng, the military supervisor. Finally, after Bian Lingcheng checked the warehouse, he sent the gift list and the list of merit reports back to Chang'an for Brother Ji to review.

Local widows and marriageable girls from the Stone Kingdom, go and ask if anyone in the army is willing to accept them. If so, after leaving the Stone Kingdom in the future, they can be brought back to the Ili Valley and settled in Bagua City.

It doesn't matter if you hold these gems and gold, but it's hot to hold on to in this section, do you understand? Only if the saint says to reward me as much as I want, then I can take it, otherwise I will die. "

Seeing that his persuasion was effective, Fang Chongyong immediately waved his hand and continued: "Don't be so nervous. It should be yours and it will always be yours."

Except for the saint's share and the things left to the local area, the rest will be signed with approval slips first, and will be cashed in according to the approval slips when you return to Suiye Town with these things in the future.

"Hey, what do you think this is going on?

He Changqi said nonchalantly.

"Please rest assured, Marshal, these generals have all been memorized."

In this way, everyone will have nothing to worry about when fighting on the battlefield.

But in addition to dealing with you, the commander of this section also has to consult with the military supervisors and the saints for instructions and reports. It is not something I can do whatever I want.

"That's it!"

Do you really think you can do it without being noticed?

As the ambassador of the Western Region Economic Strategy, there are so many pairs of eyes watching. If you want others to know, you have to do nothing yourself.

Many things are taboo!
After leaving the warehouse of the Stone King's Palace, Fang Chongyong finally let out a sigh of relief, finally letting go of his hanging heart.

What he feared most was that the soldiers under his command would be like Gao Xianzhi, popping champagne at halftime, which would cause a real disaster.

Now we promise to distribute the spoils and set the share. This is to stabilize these Qiu Ba and give the whole army something to look forward to, but they have not actually obtained it, so they must be vigilant at all times.

This hot potato is really difficult to deal with, and it may turn over if not done properly.

……

"What a happy event! What a happy event!

Saint, great victory at the border! What a great victory! "Gao Lishi jogged all the way to the side hall of Huaqing Palace, holding an unopened memorial in his hand, his face flushed and extremely excited.

However, Brother Ji seemed very calm. He had just drank a bowl of turtle soup and was now leaning on the bedside, squinting his eyes and falling asleep.

"Lux, what's the news from the Western Region?"

Brother Ji asked with a calm face, obviously having a premonition.

"Hui Saint, that's exactly what happened. Fang Chongyong defeated the Governor of Khorasan, the great food country, in Baishui City, hundreds of miles west of Suiye Town. Tens of thousands of elite soldiers under Abu Muslim were almost wiped out.

On his way to escape, the commander-in-chief of the Dashi Kingdom was surrounded and killed by the Kangguo army, and no one escaped. Saints know people well and are responsible for their duties. Fang Guozhong lived up to his expectations and settled the disputes west of Congling. "

Gao Lishi couldn't help but say a lot of good things to Fang Chongyong.

"Bring the memorial to me."

Although Brother Ji didn't care on his face, he was still very proud in his heart.

Fang Chongyong's appointment caused a lot of controversy. However, in order to balance the military and political structure of the Western Regions, Ji Ge forcibly appointed Fang Chongyong as the Economic and Strategic Ambassador of the Western Regions.

Now it seems that this appointment is very wise, and it also has the effect of making a big difference.

The establishment of the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador strongly interfered with the original military and political structure of the Western Region. Now, no matter Hexi, Anxi or Beiting, the local forces cannot unite together to resist the imperial court's military orders and the emperor's imperial edict.

Brother Ji is well aware of the strength of the local forces in Hexi, and is also secretly wary of it. Hexi's connections are inextricably linked to the Western Regions. Obviously, Fang Chongyong did not collude with that group of people and completed the expedition mission well.

It can be said that he fully understood Ji Ge's strategic intention in appointing him to this official position.

"Fang Chongyong is capable of both literary and military skills. He is a pillar of the country. I was not wrong about him."

Brother Ji took the memorial handed over by Gao Lishi with a look of emotion. He just read a few lines of words and his eyes immediately widened!

He couldn't help but sit up straight, showing an expression of disbelief. He didn't dare to neglect anymore. The more he looked, the more frightened he became.

"Sage, is there anything wrong with this memorial?"

Gao Lishi asked doubtfully, with an ominous premonition in his heart! He usually handles small matters in daily life, but he dare not read the memorials of the feudal officials in private in advance, for fear of Brother Ji's suspicion.

That’s why I didn’t watch it.

But today's memorial, which has been urgently sent from six hundred miles away from the Western Region, is probably... not that simple.

"Let's see for yourself, Lux. I don't know what to say."

Brother Ji looked confused and didn't know how to evaluate it.

Gao Lishi took the memorial and read it at a glance before taking a breath.

If it is a memorial to report merit, then it is easy to say that it is just a matter of giving instructions or not.

It's okay to describe the battle process. After all, saints like to watch this.

But Fang Chongyong almost brushed off these "nonsense" with the least amount of pen and ink, and didn't want to say more at all.

In the memorial, Fang Chongyong proposed a new idea: taking advantage of this good opportunity to sweep across the west of Congling, establish a "River Protectorate"!
Now in the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, there was the Beiting Protectorate, which administered Yizhou, Xizhou and Tingzhou.

There is the Anxi Protectorate, which adopts a mixed model of surveillance system and military control, and has jurisdiction over the four towns of Anxi. However, considering that Suiye Town was previously abandoned, the four towns in Anxi that are actually controlled are: Yanqi, Qiuci, Shule, and Khotan.

Now Fang Chongyong proposes to establish a "Hezhong Protectorate", similar to the establishment of a Jiedushi at the same level as Anbeiting in the west of the Tang Dynasty, with jurisdiction over Suiye Town, Dayuan Town (Shiguo), Kangju Town ( Samarkand), Kushan Town, etc.

Basically, Datang currently controls none of these places! Some are even in the hands of the black-clad eaters!

Such a big gesture would have been unthinkable even by Ji Ge who was still in the prime of his life and still focused on government affairs, let alone the current Ji Ge!
First of all, this requires cutting off part of the "theoretical jurisdiction" of the Anxi Protectorate and controlling it in practice, or at least strengthening control.

In addition, the Tang army also needed to be stationed in places like Shi Guo and Kang Guo.

Finally, in order to make this border town no longer a decoration, it is imperative to rebuild Broken Leaf City. It was real reconstruction. It was not just about building a city wall, but also a series of supporting projects. Including internal migration to Guanzhong.

Of course, Fang Chongyong's original words were that Bagua City in the Ili Valley was the starting point of the Hezhong Prefecture, as well as the logistics base and headquarters. As for whether it is suitable or not, only God knows. Anyway, this proposal is unprecedented, and Ji Ge will not pay attention to whether there will be others in the future.

Fang Chongyong's grand idea directly numbed Brother Ji's claws.

"Sage, Fang Guozhong's idea is good, but it's... a bit unrealistic."

Gao Lishi sighed helplessly, not knowing how to evaluate Fang Chongyong as a talent.

Call him naive, but he can handle the situation west of Congling.

But if you say he is mature and steady, the idea he proposed is too radical. During the reign of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong, there were no troops stationed in Shiguo!

"Yes, Fang Guozhong also told me that to build a new Hezhong Protectorate, at least 50 million silk will be invested!
To achieve the idea.

Does Fang Guozhong know how much fifty million silk is? He is not afraid of flashing his tongue when he speaks! "

Brother Ji clenched his fists bitterly and beat the head of the bed, feeling angry and helpless at the same time.

If it was the beginning of Kaiyuan, Fang Chongyong's idea might really give it a try. Unfortunately, the current situation in the Tang Dynasty can no longer support such a grand idea.

"You ask Ge Nu to write a memorial. I will take a look at it and send it to him. I will reprimand Fang Chongyong and let him calm down. Report the merits of the soldiers honestly and I will reward him. I will inevitably give him a promotion. Get rich.

Don't always think about some inexplicable things, and create a Hezhong Protectorate, it's just child's play! "

Brother Ji said angrily.

Suddenly, he noticed that Gao Lishi had a strange look on his face, so he asked suspiciously: "Why didn't Lishi go to deliver the order?"

"The saint, Brother Nu... has been assassinated and died. How can I convey orders to the deceased?"

Gao Lishi smiled helplessly and said, Brother Ji's imperial edict is effective for the living, but whether it is effective for the dead depends on the mood of the dead.

"That's it, then..."

Brother Ji suddenly discovered that Li Shizhi was not a being that he ordered around like Li Linfu. This person had a rather bad temper.

So he nodded slightly and said: "Then take Fang Guozhong's memorial to the political meeting hall and let the prime ministers discuss it. I also want to hear their opinions."

When people are used, they hate being young. Without Li Linfu, Brother Ji really felt unwell.

"I will go to the Yizheng Hall to deliver the decree."

Gao Lishi closed the memorial, bowed to Brother Ji, and slowly exited the palace bedroom.

(End of this chapter)