Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 397 Choose one of three
Compared with Li Linfu, Li Shizhi, Fang Guan, and Liu Yan were much more public-minded, or in other words, more dedicated to making contributions.

Therefore, when they disagree on major national decisions, these people will never treat it as "nothing happened".

So these three people wrote three memorials respectively, and personally went to Huaqing Palace and handed them to Brother Ji personally.

Brother Ji's attitude is also very interesting. He did not confirm or deny someone's suggestion face to face, and did not even read the memorial. Instead, he adopted a comforting and comforting approach, first keeping the memorial, and then sending the other person away. That's it.

In fact, similar things have been in this process since the early Kaiyuan years. Even when a frontier official like Fang Chongyong proposed a certain policy, it was a routine operation. There were countless cases in the past.

It's just that Brother Ji today is no longer the young and powerful Brother Ji back then. Most of the abilities of the prime ministers are not as good as before.

So things that were easy to handle in the past are a bit difficult to handle this time.

This morning, Brother Ji just woke up and his energy returned to a relatively good state. He didn't even bother to read those three memorials. It was really because he was so sickened by various government affairs recently.

Taking advantage of his good spirits in the morning, Brother Ji spread out the memorials of Li Shizhi, Fang Guan, and Liu Yan. Then he felt as if he had been force-fed a bunch of Xiang, and his whole body felt bad!

Three central ministers, three opinions, it can even be said that they are completely opposite, and no one can fight!
Liu Yan's opinion was the most conservative. He believed that such a waste of national power should not be done. The policy of building a new "River Protectorate" cannot solve the logistical problems by handing over the money.

The first one has a good face, the second one has great breasts and waist, and the third one has a pair of beautiful legs.

Gao Lishi looked modest and cautious.

"Sage, how can I say anything about such a big matter? I don't even understand the matters on the frontier."

Brother Ji took out Li Shizhi's memorial and after reading it, he was a little disappointed with him.

Brother Ji's evaluation of this memorial was: short-sighted, conservative and pedantic.

Fang Guan wrote in the memorial: The Tang Dynasty was so powerful as never before in ancient times! Now the Tang army is crushing food in the Western Regions like a stone crushing an egg! The imperial court has been working hard in the Western Regions for more than a hundred years and has taken control of Xizhou, Yizhou, Tingzhou, plus the newly built Lizhou.

Will the Western Regions in ten years still be the Western Regions today?

Therefore, Liu Yan's attitude was clear-cut opposition without any reservations.

Wouldn't the great cannibal gather strength and make a comeback?

"It's just picking up people's wisdom."

To put it simply, Datang could not afford such a huge military expenditure.

This person feels uncomfortable being caught in the fierce struggle between the left and right prime ministers. It is better not to keep his official position, but to give him an errand as a "Henan transit envoy" and let him go to Luoyang to work in a quiet place.

Brother Ji put down Li Shizhi's memorial and said with disdain.

Brother Ji sighed. He discovered Liu Yan, the "little prodigy" back then.

What's more, the current expenditure of the imperial court is increasing year by year. If this hole is opened again, I'm afraid it will be difficult to clean up later.

This kind of national policy formulation related to the Tang Dynasty's border defense is indeed not Liu Yan's strong point.

Is it not possible for more powerful enemies to appear in the west of the Tang Dynasty?

Brother Ji put down Li Shizhi's memorial and casually asked Gao Lishi next to him.

In areas that cannot be actually controlled at present, a two-pronged approach of civil, offensive, and military intimidation will be the main task of the Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador in the future!
Li Shizhi's meaning was very clear. The idea of ​​attacking Persia or even Daqin, like Fang Guan's, was just child's play. It could be used to entertain oneself, but it would not work if it were actually implemented.

Moreover, the land in the river is too far from Chang'an, not even close to Liangzhou.

Then the Tang Dynasty will establish the Hezhong Protectorate with the Shiguo capital Zhezhicheng as the core, extending to Talas in the north, Alanmi in the west, Huwencheng (Kabul) in the south, and Dabolü and Xiaobolü in the east!

On the one hand, Fang Guan was indeed a bit whimsical and completely opposed to Liu Yan. He did not consider Datang's financial capabilities at all, which made Brother Ji feel that his plan was not reliable.

It's not that Datang doesn't have enough time, it's that Brother Ji feels that he doesn't have enough time, and now he is living less and less every day!

If troops are deployed in the river for a short period of time, food and fodder can also be raised locally in the Western Regions. Once the Tang army is permanently stationed there, it will greatly increase the logistical pressure and increase the burden on the court.

Because the most famous place in Suiye Town is Rehai, it’s okay to call it Rezhou. There’s nothing much to say about it.

Li Shizhi basically added some things to Fang Chongyong's plan, such as establishing "Rezhou" in Suiye Town, which was directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court and managed by the Beiting Protectorate.

Isn’t it the goal that our generation should strive for? Is it not the right time for me, the remaining warrior of the sixth generation of Fen of the Tang Dynasty?
A hundred years from now, a thousand years from now, how will history judge us?
Balabala, a meal of emotional output.

On the other hand, Fang Guan has one thing to say: time is really running out! Time waits not for us!

However, when it comes to expanding territory, time and no time waits, so seize the day! Step by step, how long will it take to wait? Is it ten years or twenty years?

Brother Ji took out Fang Guan's memorial and read it. After reading it, he had to admit it. There is indeed a shadow of Zhang Jiuling in Fang Guan, and the style of his articles also makes people's blood boil after reading it!

After reading this memorial, Brother Ji had mixed feelings in his heart.

On the contrary, the risk is relatively small by attacking other surrounding areas in turn and turning Jisu Prefecture into a state under actual control.

Could it be that all the vast royal land in the Tang Dynasty was acquired by saving money?
Brother Ji really disagrees with Liu Yan's thinking. Of course, he also knows that Liu Yan has no bad intentions. This is purely due to the limitations of his personal expertise and vision, he can only see so far.

The current situation was as if three beauties were standing in front of him, letting him, the emperor, choose.

Will Tibet not recover from the turmoil?
Taking advantage of the fact that Tibet is now weak and will not come out to disrupt the situation, it will attack Persia and Daqin (Rome) in one go.

Which one is better to choose?
Brother Ji’s choice is: I don’t want any of them!
"Lishi, you have also read the memorials of the three important ministers. What do you think?"

Compared with the Tianbao era, during the Zhenguan period, Taizong had less money! There are fewer soldiers and horses!

Liu Yan's plan seems to be beneficial to the country, but it is a great disadvantage to Brother Ji!
After all, when a person dies, there is nothing left! Why worry so much? He doesn't really care about spending money to kill people!
Let's take a look at what Li Shizhi said. Li Shizhi is the right prime minister.

"Liu Yan is still qualified to be a transit envoy. Let him go to Luoyang and serve as a transit envoy to Henan."

To sum it up in one sentence, the turtles that Brother Biji is raising now are all stable, and it is more like the "map to open up borders" model during the Tang Gaozong period has been implemented into actual control. The idea is indeed grand, but nothing new!
The places mentioned in Li Shizhi's memorial were all places where the Tang army had set foot, and there was nothing unusual about them.

If the control of the four towns in Anxi can be strengthened and a new Hezhong Protectorate is built, it will naturally be possible to advance steadily. Fang Guozhong's strategy can be regarded as mature and prudent, and achieved through painstaking efforts.

Gao Lishi has long understood Brother Ji's thoughts. When it comes to major national affairs, it is not convenient for him, a personal eunuch, to make suggestions.

Break a taboo!
Sure enough, Brother Ji nodded noncommittally, then sighed and said:

"Tell Fang Guozhong and his Silver Spear Xiaojie Army to return to Chang'an for reorganization. The other soldiers and horses will stay in Shiguo on standby, and Wang Zhongsi will take the Longyou Town Division to the Western Regions to replace him.

As for the expansion of territory, Wang Zhongsi will take care of it himself and let him serve as the new Western Region Economic and Strategic Ambassador and the deputy governor of the Hezhong Protectorate.

The Protectorate of the River is in charge, and the Prime Minister of the Left is led by Guanyao.

Didn’t Li Guangbi, under Wang Zhongsi, have considerable military exploits? He was appointed as the envoy of Hexi Jiedu. Guo Ziyi, the former military envoy of the Chishui Army, was appointed as the deputy envoy of Hexi Jiedu and concurrently served as the post-war envoy of Jiedu.

Let Fang Guozhong return to Chang'an and serve concurrently as the deputy envoy of the Shence Army. Take all the burden off him and focus on looking after Chang'an for me.

As for the meritorious service of the armies in Hexi and the Western Regions, Fang Guozhong was asked to report the rewards and approved them all. The Silver Spear Xiaojie Army and Fang Guozhong himself were rewarded and sent back to Chang'an.

Just do it this way, issue the edict directly without telling Li Shizhi and the others. "

Brother Ji waved his hands a little tiredly.

Although it is important to expand the territory, Ji Ge feels that the safety of his emperor is the first priority!

There is an extra territory on the frontier, and Brother Ji can't go there himself. He can only look at the map and think about it. The sense of accomplishment it brings is really limited!
And the benefits of transferring Fang Chongyong and his brave and capable Silver Spear Xiaojie Army back to Chang'an for Brother Ji to control the situation of the government are obvious. Now this young man and the young iron army under his command have been trained.

What's more important is that these people have little connection with the powerful people in Chang'an.

They are much more reliable than the Shence Army!

With this as the foundation, other factors will take a back seat.

"Sage, it seems that Fang Guozhong has not finished his work in the Western Regions. Should we let him come back now?"

Gao Lishi asked with some uncertainty. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Fang Chongyong's plan has just begun.

Just when the other person is ambitious and wants to do something big, call him back and hand over the work in hand to someone else.

This method of controlling one's subordinates is really hard to describe.

"Rikishi, you don't understand."

Brother Ji stood up and walked around the palace study:
"If Fang Guozhong has made immortal contributions at a young age, how do you think I will reward him then? Do I want to tear off a piece of the land of the Tang Dynasty and break the earth for him to make him a king?
If there is no reward for his work, then he can only be given a grand burial. Now that I am transferring him away from the Western Region, I am not harming him, but protecting him. Do you understand? "

Brother Ji said with a smile. These words were so reasonable that it was impossible to refute. Of course, the warm words are full of calculations.

To put it bluntly, eagles and dogs should not be fed too full or too well! Otherwise, you will be out of control!
If you feed them too much, they will become lazy, eating, drinking and sleeping all day long;
If fed too well, their tastes will become tricky and picky.

In short, if ministers are like hawks and dogs, if they are too kind to them and reward them too much, their desires will not be easily satisfied in the future and they will become uncontrollable.

This is a very unfavorable thing for the king!

Seeing that Fang Chongyong was about to make an immortal contribution, he was recalled, placed in an important position elsewhere, and relocated. This will not chill the hero's heart, nor will he make his meritorious service too fast.

It can be said that it kills two birds with one stone!
Brother Ji's plan can be said to be a slap in the face.

"A saint is good at controlling people, but a slave is far inferior."

Gao Lishi said sincerely.

Brother Ji looked proud and said with a smile: "General Gao, just follow me. There is no need to learn these imperial powers."

"That's right, what's the point of me learning that? I just need to work for the saint."

Gao Lishi's lowered eyebrows made Brother Ji very satisfied.

If all the eunuchs in the palace learned these power tactics, wouldn't it mean that they would ride on the emperor's head and shit in the future?
This is absolutely not allowed!

It is precisely because of Gao Lishi's obedience that he can stand beside Brother Ji for decades. This is not something ordinary people can do.

"Go and convey the decree and let the Council of Ministers handle it quickly."

Brother Ji waved his hand. It was cold and he was going to stay in the hot spring.

……

In a side hall of the Stone King's Palace in Zhezhi City, Jinsi Kaiya, who was wearing a red dance skirt, was leading two girls to dance the zhezhi dance to the accompaniment of golden bells and tambourines.

This is the dance method of Chang'an Zhezhiwu. The former Princess of Shiguo really put a lot of thought into getting Fang Chongyong's favor.

At this moment, Fang Chongyong was holding Anaye's shoulders, watching the dance and whispering.

"Look at how coquettishly she dances. You can smell the coquettish smell from a hundred feet away. She is really a slut. Sooner or later, Alang will be played by her until he can't straighten up!

It's so shameless, even if you dance you have to wink at me. "

Anaye took a bite of the "prickly pear" unique to Shiguo and other places, and couldn't help but make a foul-mouthed comment.

Fang Chongyong smiled helplessly and said: "In your eyes, as long as she is a beautiful woman, she is a slut in all shapes and postures. You are the only one who is a serious person, right?"

"That's not true. Women from aristocratic families are coquettish, and so are princesses and princesses.

The singer is very coquettish and the dancer is even more coquettish. They are all of the same virtue. I'm the only one who cares about whether you'll be exhausted from having sex too much.

Look at what Jinskaya has become since she slept in your bed.

Do I need to say whether she is a slut or not? Isn't it obvious?
Which woman twists her waist like that when walking? "

Anaye complained angrily.

She also admitted that this saint was really good at playing.

Anaye sometimes felt embarrassed when having sex on the bed, and would cover her face with her hands to prevent Fang Chongyong from seeing the happy and indulgent expression on her face.

But Kinskia obviously enjoyed it and was not ashamed of it.

Referring to others, Anaye knew that this "distant cousin" had a strong learning ability and was now a master of sexual intercourse!

Of course, if a woman can be "self-consistent" both physically and mentally and will not fall into internal friction, then she can really live a happy life.

Transform physical pleasure into spiritual satisfaction, the kind of carefree canary!
To be honest, Anaye quite admires this kind of person.

But thinking about the teachings of Zoroastrianism, it seems that there is also a place where sluts are cultivated. It’s actually not surprising why Jinskaya plays like this.

Just as she was thinking wildly, Feng Changqing walked over quietly, put the box in his hand on the table, and then said a few words in Fang Chongyong's ear.

"The envoy of the Great Cannibal? Come to seek peace?"

Fang Chongyong was stunned. He didn't expect that the Great Eater would actually send someone to sue for peace!

"Hui Jie Shuai, it's true. He also brought a so-called gift."

Feng Changqing looked at Jinsi Kaiya who was dancing and wondered whether he should tell the truth.

Most of the military generals admired Anaye, but were not too fond of Jinsikeya who purely "entertained people with sex".

"Then open it and take a look."

Fang Chongyong nonchalantly pointed to a small wooden box on the table and said, this is the so-called cannibal's gift.

At this moment, Jinskia also stopped dancing and ran over to see what happened.

Feng Changqing opened the wooden box and saw a lime-pickled human head inside. The face seemed to have been cleaned. It was a young man, and the face shape was 70% or 80% similar to Jinsikeya's.

"Brother!"

After Jinskia saw clearly whose head it was, she screamed crazily, then her eyes turned white and she fainted.

He was hugged by Fang Chongyong, who had quick eyes and quick hands.

This scene made him and Anaye horrified, but both of them had seen many dead people before, and they were not as excited as Jinskia.

"The Great Cannibal killed the Prince of Stone Kingdom and then sent his head back?"

Fang Chongyong asked in confusion. He had already guessed what happened on the other side.

"It's true. The prince of Shiguo crossed the desert and went to the real Mulu City to find the big cannibal, and then he was beheaded."

Feng Changqing said calmly, obviously not taking it seriously. I have to say that this prince of Shiguo is really persistent! He is like a weakling who cannot be beaten to death. Even though Abu Muslim was defeated, he did not die. He still could not forget the Tang army's destruction of the country and had to find foreign aid.

As a result, he was swatted to death.

Anaye glanced at Jinskiya, and suddenly felt a little compassion, feeling that this slut was quite pitiful.

"Go and do your work. I'll take care of her. You don't know how to dispense medicine, so you can't help much here."

She waved her hand impatiently to Fang Chongyong and said, obviously knowing that Fang Chongyong had something important to do.

Although Anaye usually calls Kinskia a slut, she doesn't intend to add insult to injury at critical moments.

"Well, you should comfort your distant cousin."

Fang Chongyong sighed softly, feeling a little emotional.

He didn't even intend to deal with the Prince of Stone Kingdom, but he didn't expect that he would still die. It can be said to be a blessing rather than a curse, but a curse that cannot be avoided.

When no one was around, Feng Changqing pulled Fang Chongyong aside and whispered: "Jie Shuai, we are worried that we have no excuse to teach the cannibal a lesson, and now the opportunity has come."

"Is there a chance?"

Fang Chongyong secretly pondered the risks and benefits.

He thinks this is indeed a good opportunity! If the Great Eater killed the Prince of Stone Kingdom, it was not Tang Dynasty’s fault.

Wouldn't it be appropriate to take advantage of it and cause trouble?

"Convene the generals to discuss the matter of sending troops, and we will make a decision when the time comes."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said without comment.

(End of this chapter)