Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 394 A layman directs an expert.
It was getting late, and a canal boat was parked beside a trestle at the Bianhe River Ferry. But at this moment, it was surrounded by soldiers of the Xuanwu Army. The boatman and owner of the ship have all been controlled, and now the ship is an unmanned ship filled with saltpeter.

At the bottom of the cabin, inside large wooden boxes one after another, there are piles of small stones that are either transparent, white, or gray and semi-transparent. Not only are the colors not exactly the same, but the sizes and shapes are also very different, making them look a bit ugly.

Li Jiaqing is a knowledgeable person, and Fang Youde introduced:

"During mining, saltpeter is often mixed with Glauber's salt, making it difficult to distinguish. You can only dig it out first and process it later. To make gunpowder, you need some processes to first refine the saltpeter.

The general thought that the gunpowder made from such a large amount of saltpeter was definitely not used for setting off fireworks. What's more, if these things are shipped to Chang'an, I still believe that they have a wide range of uses. How can there be so many fireworks to set off in Youzhou! "

What he said was right to the point.

Saltpeter can also be used to make ice, and business in Chang'an is extremely prosperous. There is already an industrial chain for making ice and cold drinks from saltpeter. But Youzhou City is only that big, and there is only a little bit of commerce, most of which is used to trade livestock with the northern grasslands. What do you need saltpeter for?
These issues cannot be investigated in depth, and Li Jiaqing tactfully dumps the burden on Fang Youde.

"This matter is indeed strange and unusual."

Fang Youde squatted down, opened a wooden box containing saltpeter, and confirmed that what Li Jiaqing said was correct, and his heart suddenly sank.

In his previous life, at the end of the Tang Dynasty, gunpowder had already become popular for military use. He understood better than Li Jiaqing what so much saltpeter meant.

In fact, Fang Youde had a very good idea of ​​the Tang army's armaments and knew what was lacking in the army and what was not lacking.

For example, the most common items such as bows and arrows, there is often no shortage of bows and crossbows in the army, but there is a severe shortage of arrows.

There is no shortage of cold weapons such as swords, guns, swords and halberds. They are piled everywhere in the treasuries of various places. Even if the Tang Dynasty doubles its army, these cold weapons will be enough.

As for things like gunpowder, they are "auxiliary baggage" for which there are no clear standards in the military.

Due to different formulas and different usage occasions, there are no detailed production standards for gunpowder. We just know that several things are necessary, such as charcoal powder, sulfur, and saltpeter.

These things were not systematic in the military supply of the Tang Dynasty. There were no workshops under the Ministry of Industry to manufacture them, and there were no large-scale private supply channels, so they were in short supply everywhere. Gunpowder was not used in the army to kill people, but mostly to start fires.

Charcoal powder and sulfur are both easy to find, but saltpeter is more difficult to obtain, especially since there are only a few large production areas.

To get so much saltpeter at one time is not something ordinary people can do, and it can't even be bought with money! The mine with the largest saltpeter output in the Tang Dynasty is in Hanzhong! Without official smoothness and cover, the saltpeter would not even be able to leave Hanzhong, let alone be transported to Youzhou.

"Jie Shuai, what should we do about this matter? When the general interrogated these people, they all didn't know anything. They picked up the goods from Yangzhou and planned to use Beizhou and Bozhou as transit places. Someone there asked them to pick up the goods. Only I’m afraid those people are not the last stop.”

Li Jiaqing frowned and said, with a bad feeling in his heart.

Ordinarily speaking, if the amount of saltpeter is small, it is not particularly sensitive. It is commonly used by Taoist priests when making alchemy, and it is not very noticeable at ordinary times.

The key is that the quantity is large this time, a whole boat!
Sneaking around and using several layers of white gloves, why?
"The people who planned this matter are very careful. Even if we hand over the contents of the boat and the boatmen, I believe the court will not be able to find anything. They are all people who are paid to transport the goods, and they have no idea who the employer is. Just treat it as normal goods.

The captain probably sensed something was wrong and lied to protect himself. He was not sure that the destination was Youzhou. "

Fang Youde waved his hand, already thinking about this.

Youzhou was just the captain's guess, because this "smart" captain knew that if he killed someone in places like Bozhou and Beizhou, his life would probably be in Bianzhou. These saltpeters must be for military use, and Hebei's border troops are basically in Youzhou.

I have to say that this captain was a little clever, but it made things even more confusing.

"Jie Shuai, so we can't investigate?"

Li Jiaqing asked reluctantly. They were so active in inspecting the large ships passing through the canal. It was unclear what their intentions were.

All the troubles in the world are caused by profit. When there is no profit to be made, it is convenient for oneself to be convenient for others. There is no need to jump up and down like this.

Fang Youde did not point out his selfishness, shook his head and said:

"Drown all the boatmen and owners on the boat! Then give all the saltpeter to the commander of this section and move it to Kaifeng County, scuttle the boat, and report to Bianzhou Prefecture that a tanker capsized and everyone drowned, and the body was handed over to For them, this matter is over.

From now on, anyone who asks will tell them that the ship sank. If anyone wants to fish it out, just let them do it. We know nothing and have done nothing. "

Does this work too?
Li Jiaqing was stunned and realized that Fang Youde was not very courageous. This horse was a thief!
He originally thought he had to put on a disguise to look good, but he didn't expect Fang Youde to handle it simply and roughly, with just one click, clean and neat!

"We will keep half of the saltpeter to make gunpowder ourselves, and the other half to a trustworthy merchant and sell it to Chang'an. The money we get will be used to add some wine, meat, and clothes to the brothers in the Crane Control Army."

Fang Youde said nonchalantly that it was impossible to investigate the case. It was too involved and he didn't know who was behind it.

He is no longer the military commander he once was!

Instead of letting the people in Youzhou take control of these saltpeters, it is better to take advantage of them and steal them. At least the things are still in your hands. If saltpeter were thrown into a border town, it would cause quite a stir, but if it were thrown into Chang'an, it would really cause no splash at all.

In various cities in Chang'an, ice drink sellers can use up a lot of saltpeter in summer. This half a shipload of saltpeter seems to be a lot, but if it is spread out in the huge city of Chang'an, it will be nothing.

Fang Youde's move could be described as killing two birds with one stone. On the one hand, he attacked the careerists who had not yet emerged. On the other hand, he bribed his subordinates and made them work for him wholeheartedly.

"Jie Shuai, you are still thoughtful. No matter where the saltpeter goes, in our hands, it saves the saint a lot of trouble."

Li Jiaqing cupped his fists and saluted with a very respectful attitude. As a commander, Fang Youde is still very competent. The military law is strict and the rewards are generous, so the Qiu Ba people below have no complaints.

Li Jiaqing felt that Fang Youde was very persistent in being loyal to the Tang Dynasty, but he was also flexible in dealing with specific matters and was not a pedantic person stuck in small details.

"Well, there's no need to make this matter public, but it doesn't have to be like guarding against thieves. After all, it can't be hidden from anyone, and you won't be afraid if others find out in the future. Just let it take its course."

Fang Youde waved his hand and said.

Although his face was calm, he was a little frightened in his heart, and he no longer had the sense of control that he once had.

Because Fang Youde has lost his prediction of the "future".

If An Lushan is still alive, and this ship of saltpeter is what An Lushan wants, then even if he sends troops across the state to intercept it, Fang Youde will not hesitate.

If you know the goal, you can definitely figure out a way. Running towards the goal is nothing more than finding ways to run faster. Although the years are difficult, they are not without hope.

But now that An Lushan is dead, Fang Youde no longer knows what will happen in the "future", and he can't say who is the "good guy" and who is the bad guy, and whether his rash actions will affect the situation of Datang. gets worse.

He lost his goal and the way forward, but the world did not calm down as he expected.

Therefore, Fang Youde can only choose the lowest risk and most direct method: treat headaches, head and feet, and treat pains!

Since a large amount of saltpeter has been found, just dispose of these things, that's all. As for whether the mastermind behind the scenes could obtain the saltpeter from elsewhere, that was not something he could interfere with. But it is obvious that as long as the "disease" is not eradicated, the next crisis will come soon.

There is nothing Fang Youde can do about these.

When he returned to the small courtyard where he lived, Fang Youde recovered from his panic. His heart was extremely empty, and he felt that everything he had done in the past seemed to have lost its meaning.

"Huangfu Weiming, Huangfu Weiming, what are your plans?

If you are in charge of Youzhou, will you be like An Lushan? At the beginning, you said that An Lushan was going to rebel, and you had to get rid of him to avoid future troubles.

Will you become the second An Lushan now? "

Fang Youde muttered, Bai Juyi's poem echoing in his mind:
The Duke of Zhou was afraid of rumors, but Wang Mang was humble and did not usurp the time. Xiangshi died at the beginning, and who knows the truth of his life.

Something suddenly dawned on him.

An Lushan is indeed dead now, but how will the history books record him, and how will future generations evaluate him?

Is he really still the heinous traitor of the Tang Dynasty?

I'm afraid not necessarily, no matter what, he will just be a barbarian general who is loyal to the Tang Dynasty.

The credit was not great and the faults were negligible. They became a piece of leftover material in building the splendid Tang Dynasty.

And Yang Yuhuan, who didn't even splash, has long been forgotten. Even Li Longji himself may not remember her.

If a bad guy who hides his true intentions dies due to an accident before doing bad things, then the evaluation of him by outsiders after his death will probably be completely different, right?

Huangfu Weiming died very early in his previous life and had no chance to rebel. Is he really an "honest man" who has no ambition and will never betray Datang?

I am afraid that this question will only be answered in the future. At least Fang Youde can no longer tell what the other party is thinking and which path he will take in the future.

"Sure enough, did I do something wrong?"

Fang Youde sighed, turned around and walked into the bedroom. This time, he really felt tired! The figure under the moonlight looked particularly lonely.

……

Fang Chongyong's idea of ​​setting up a "River Protector's Palace" to the west of the two Protectorate's Palaces in Beiting and Anxi caused an uproar after Ji Ge threw it into the Council Hall!

Li Shizhi has a very hot temper, but he is not a strong person. He also knew that the matter was too important to act arbitrarily, so he sent the memorial to the six ministries for circulation. Any central official can submit a letter stating their views.

Now, a bunch of howling officials are no less than the "Keyboard Politburo" trolls in Fang Chongyong's previous life!

As we all know, in ancient times, the threshold for acquiring knowledge was a bit high, so the amount of information was a key parameter. Only those who have obtained enough information have enough thinking and vision to control national affairs.

However, most of the officials in the Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty, regardless of their professional abilities, their knowledge was actually quite limited. Apart from being proficient in their own affairs, many of them knew nothing about other things.

I don’t even know where the Shi Kingdom is, or how much money there is in the treasury, but there are a lot of people there!

Moreover, many central officials regard this "key political expansion" as a fast track to promotion and wealth. After all, if Li Linfu dies, his faction will naturally collapse, leaving many positions vacant.

At this time, who can make it and who can't, depends on which of the competitors performs more brilliantly!
What Fang Chongyong mentioned is obviously the hottest and fastest path at the moment!

National policies need time to be verified. Whose approach is better and whose approach is more appropriate? Those who formulated the national policy were crossing the river by feeling the stones at the time, not knowing what would happen in the next few years or even decades.

Therefore, the idea of ​​"whose method is better" does not seem to work on the surface, and it will take time to verify.

So how can you run ahead on the "track"?

Since it takes time to verify whether the method is good or not, we cannot decide the outcome now. So, if the method looks more "radical" and beautiful, it will attract more attention. Does this mean that it can run further ahead?

Whether the national policy is good or not depends on it later, but with a radical national policy, you can have fun now!
My mind is excited. Is the official position coming soon?

"Anyone who offends a strong man will be punished no matter how far away" sounds better than "the treasury is too empty for expeditions", right? If you let people who don't know anything choose, I'm afraid they will choose the former, right?

So one memorial after another that was off the mark was sent to the Yizheng Hall, to Li Shizhi's desk, to Fang Guan's desk, all kinds of things!

This wave of operations directly numbed Li Shizhi.

He originally planned to choose some reliable ones, polish some of them himself, then improve and summarize them, and then personally send them to Huaqing Palace to Brother Ji. Unexpectedly, the desk was full of ridiculously bloated plans.

Originally, Fang Chongyong was a big talker and never thought that the court would agree. Unexpectedly, many people complained in the memorial that he was too conservative!
Since the Tang army was so capable of fighting, why didn't they destroy the black-clad Dashi and bring the territories further to the west under the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty?

A small Protectorate's Mansion in the middle of the river, with all the digging and searching! Where can I find the courage of a feudal official!
There are also a series of suggestions to follow the trend, such as "registering households to equalize the people" and "garrisoning the Tang army". How to put it, I can only say that the ignorant are fearless.

Anyway, you can speak freely, and it is not a rebellion. You can say whatever you want!

"Prime Minister Zuo, how do you think the incident at the Hezhong Protectorate should be handled?"

Li Shizhi put down the last memorial in his hand and asked.

This memorial was written by Liu Yan, the newly appointed Minister of Household Affairs. Liu Yan strongly opposed Fang Chongyong's proposal in his memorial, believing that "the national treasury cannot be used" and that it would be enough to maintain the current structure. The Tang Dynasty could not withstand the tossing and there was no need to set up another military governor in such a distant place.

Liu Yan believes that for such a long distance, there is no 10 million silk foundation in the early stage, which cannot support the expenses. The follow-up is still a bottomless pit, and it requires continuous investment and more than ten years to be effective.

Wouldn't it be better to use the money for other things? There is no need for money in the imperial court!

After reading Liu Yan's memorial, Li Shizhi felt that compared to other "Arabian Nights" whose ideas were so radical that this man's ideas were too conservative.

The Tang army won a great victory in the Western Regions and reversed the trend of separation among the countries west of Congling. It would not work without a heavy blow! Liu Yan is a nerd who only focuses on money, but doesn’t he know that some prestige cannot be bought with money?

"Right Chancellor, I think that Fang Guozhong's idea is too small, just a martial artist's style, without any general plan, and cannot show the atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty. It is really unacceptable."

Fang Guan said calmly, his face looking extremely confident.

(End of this chapter)