Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 433: When will the storm rise?
"General Li is very energetic. Since he is his wife's brother, he is one of his own family, so there is no need to be formal."

Looking at the tall and reserved Li Sheng in front of him, Fang Chongyong laughed loudly.

Wang Yunxiu poured wine for Fang Chongyong and Li Sheng and waited on them attentively.

She said to Fang Chongyong: "My sworn brother is skilled in bow and horse, Alang must arrange a good job for him."

Li Sheng was not pretentious, but Fang Zhongyong respectfully crossed his hands and saluted: "I'd like to trouble Prince Pingxi."

He came here to seek an official position, and no matter how pretentious he was, he would inevitably be despised.

"Hey, we are all family members, there is no need to say such things, it's easy to say."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently, looking full of agreement.

At this moment, the scene in the study room of Pingxi County Prince's Mansion seemed so weird.

Why is this so?
Because Wang Zhongsi was Li Sheng's "adopted father", and the other party was recognized as his "adopted son" when he was working as an errand under him, Li Sheng was regarded as Wang Yunxiu's adopted brother.

Wang Yunxiu understood, nodded slightly, quietly exited the study, closed the door, and ordered the servants outside the door not to come near.

However, the current Shence Army has not yet been reorganized, and the Black Cloud Long Sword Army has not yet been built. The Shence Army is not only in chaos, but at least the morale of the army has been greatly reduced!

Nowadays, who in Guanzhong doesn’t know that the most powerful force of the Forbidden Army is the Silver Spear Xiaojie!
Li Sheng couldn't afford to lose that person and ran away in despair. Cui Qianyou knew that Li Sheng had a deep relationship and did not embarrass him.

Li Sheng's face suddenly tensed up, and his heart became excited. He understood that the highlight was coming.

The social atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty was uplifting, worshiping the strong and yearning for the radiant and invincible.

If you lose, you deserve to die; if you are weak, you deserve to be bullied. This is the value of society as a whole during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, regardless of Hu or Han. Ideas such as "There is a limit to killing people and every country has its own borders" are not the mainstream today.

Of course, that "letter of recommendation" was just a stepping stone for Li Sheng. It was written by Wang Zhongsi to Cui Qianyou when he joined the Shence Army last time.

It's just that the balance of power has changed.

These days, it's no use just being able to fight. There are plenty of people who can fight. In addition to the hard work itself, the necessary connections are also indispensable.

Upon hearing this, Li Sheng immediately clasped his fists and saluted, "Your Highness, it's okay to just say it."

And the reputation is already bad.

Fang Chongyong looked at Li Sheng with burning eyes and asked.

In the future, when the glory of the Tang Dynasty is no longer there, and they bite the Tang Dynasty again, there will be no obstacles to their psychological transformation.

People with a little ability are looking for their own way out and are ashamed to stay in the Shence Army.

Shence Army is a loser, so it is not worth staying and perishing with it.

Fang Chongyong winked at Wang Yunxiu and said.

That would have to wait until the late Tang Dynasty.

If possible, he doesn't want to have a relationship. Who doesn't want to stand up and say to outsiders, "I achieved all my achievements today by myself"?

Li Sheng was previously in the Shence Army and was recommended and arranged by Wang Zhongsi.

If you have connections, you don't have to endure hardships, and no one will dare to covet your military exploits. The importance of connections is unquestionable.

Not to mention that Fang Chongyong, the commander of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army, is also the son-in-law of his adoptive father and a member of his own family!

This king is the vanguard of the imperial court, leading troops to put down the rebellion. How should I deal with this? "

Stay inside and wait until the Year of the Monkey next time!

Suppose the two towns in Hebei join forces to rebel and collude with the Khitan and Xi people to send troops to Chang'an with great momentum.

Last time, the 12,000 Shence Army was dispersed by the 3,000 Silver Spear Xiaojie Army. They suffered a huge defeat and the morale of the army had collapsed.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh, shook his head and said: "There are just some questions. I am also very confused, so I would like to ask my brother-in-law, what do you think? Of course, this is just to exchange ideas and has nothing to do with the exam. ”

What is a network of people? This is a network of people.

Society as a whole has little sympathy for the weak and losers.

Pay attention to winner takes all.

This is what Li Sheng thinks. At this time, there are countless people who think like Li Sheng.

As for letting Fang Chongyong do things, what letters of recommendation are needed? They are all family members!
Li Sheng took it out just to meet Fang Chongyong and avoid making trouble for the kid.

If you don't take advantage of other options, do you still choose to be looked down upon by strangers?

Hearing these words, Fang Chongyong was slightly startled. He had underestimated the impact of the last battle at Xiangji Temple.

"The Shence Army was reorganized, its designation was revoked, and its morale was low.

A certain person originally didn't want to seek out the relationship with the Prince of Pingxi County, but he couldn't help himself and didn't want to waste his time. "

"I heard that my brother-in-law is skilled in bow and horse. I believe this. There is no need to check."

"Hypothesis, of course, it is just a hypothesis, not directed at anyone.

"I want to have a chat with my brother-in-law today. Madam, please prepare some fine wine."

Li Sheng couldn't help but sigh and sigh.

The Silver Spear Xiaojie Army is a victor and a strong army, so it is worthy of surrender.

The barbarians around the Tang Dynasty were also proud to serve as dogs for the powerful Tang Dynasty, and they did not feel insulted at all. Even the Tang court looked down upon them at all.

"Huangfu Weiming wants to rebel?"

Li Sheng lowered his voice and exclaimed.

This news is so exciting. It is so confidential. Should he, an "intern" who has not passed the "interview", know?

He comes from a military background and is well-informed.

The instability in Hebei is not something that happens in a day or two. In the year of Wu Zhou, the Khitans in Hebei made trouble and killed the generals of the Tang army. The rebellion was so powerful that the court was in a state of panic for a while.

There was a commotion back then, and it seems like it’s not unusual to have another commotion now, right?
Li Sheng didn't feel that Fang Chongyong was "joking" at all.

"Just think that he is rebelling. I am asking you how to quell the rebellion! Huangfu only knows what to do. That is his business and has nothing to do with my problem."

Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice.

Li Sheng thought for a moment and then Fang Chongyong said:

"The imperial court can divide its troops into three groups, two for the upright and one for the strange. One is to guard Heyin County on the south bank of the Yellow River to fight against the rebels, and the other is to guard the three cities of Heyang to protect the northwest gate of Luoyang.

The last group of surprise troops left Hedong and attacked from Changshan, Hebei Province. They made a surprise attack on the rebels' lair and cut off their food supply.

At that time, the rebels will be at a loss.

If the rebels on the bank of the Yellow River retreat, two groups of regular soldiers can follow and cover them up. If the rebels do not retreat, they will run out of food and grass and risk the entire army being annihilated.

They will inevitably attack the cities along the Yellow River at all costs, and it is impossible not to leave flaws.

At that time, the initiative on the battlefield will be with the imperial court. Your Highness has a strong army at his disposal. Whether he is in the regular army or serving as a surprise soldier in this battle, he has great potential. "

Li Sheng talked eloquently, obviously not thinking that the Hebei rebellion could get any benefits from the imperial court at this time.

It's just that this statement is basically consistent with Fang Chongyong's view. This is probably the consensus among the military circles. After all, strategies have routines. If economic pressure and political changes are not taken into account, the correct answers to the "examination paper" will be very limited.

"If the Huihe people also get involved, how will we deal with it?"

Fang Chongyong continued to ask.

Hearing this, Li Sheng sighed, shook his head and said, "The two ghosts are knocking on the door. The Tang Dynasty will be in turmoil. Even if His Highness asks me, I can't tell the reason."

If military problems worsen, they will turn into political problems that are difficult to deal with. This is not what a strong and determined general like him should consider.

Or it doesn’t matter even if you say it.

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly noncommittally, and the two fell into an awkward silence.

Seeing that the other party was silent, Li Sheng lowered his voice and asked with some itch: "Does His Highness think that the unspeakable thing is that a great chaos is about to happen, and it will turn into an elbow and an armpit?"

"I don't want this, but there are many things that my king says don't count, even what the saints say doesn't count. Guanzhong and Hebei have deep grudges. How can the conflicts be eliminated by changing a few military governors?"

Fang Chongyong shook his head helplessly and poured Li Sheng a glass of wine.

The silent test was over. Fang Chongyong did not want to put too much pressure on Li Sheng, so he comforted him and said:
"The Silver Spear Xiaojie Army is about to expand, and it will definitely promote lieutenant generals to important positions.

But you are still relatively young in the military, so being promoted suddenly would not be a good thing for you.

It is better to transfer at the same level first and become a halberd bearer in the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, accompanying someone in and out.

Recently, you went with me to Lianghuai and Jiangnan for official business. When your master returns to the court, you will be rewarded. When the time comes, I will be able to promote you to the ranks. "

Finally hearing the specific promise, Li Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. Fang Chongyong's appointment was a horizontal transfer, which was a normal operation in the army and would not cause too much trouble and would not make other generals in the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army jealous.

If Fang Chongyong really appoints Li Sheng as the "Ten Generals", then He Changqi, Che Guangqian and others will definitely not be happy.

Their official positions were all obtained from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They didn't see whether Li Sheng was capable or not. If he were to occupy a high position and be on equal footing with them, it would definitely cause cracks in the original harmonious relationship between the generals.

Let Fang Chongyong's younger brother become disloyal.

Now Fang Chongyong is the leader of a party, with many people under his command, each with their own demands and taboos. It's not like you can do whatever you want.

There is a lot of knowledge involved in nepotism and meritocracy, and Fang Chongyong is still exploring it. Personnel appointments are carried out with trepidation and he dare not trust others.

"Thank you, Your Highness, I will definitely work hard."

Li Sheng said very reservedly, cupping his fists and saluting.

Transferring at the same level is not a great favor. Li Sheng believes that with his ability, even if the commander of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army is not Fang Chongyong, he can easily transfer at the same level.

The key is how you perform next.

"If you have time, you can think more about the strategy for countering the rebellion in Hebei."

Fang Chongyong suggested meaningfully.

"Hebei... It seems that those things are not rumors."

Li Sheng couldn't help but sigh.

Seeing that he seemed to know something, Fang Chongyong asked with great interest: "Why did my brother-in-law say this?"

"Your Highness does not know that Hebei is heavily taxed by the imperial court, and the dissatisfaction from top to bottom is overwhelming.

It is inevitable that they will make trouble. It just depends on when they make trouble, and how big the trouble will be. "

"I see."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly but did not express his thoughts.

There is nothing new under the sun. In fact, many people are aware of the various conflicts within the Tang Dynasty. They are not blind and deaf, and they don't know anything.

But knowing is one thing, whether you want to solve it or not, and whether it can be solved, is another matter!
Many people have the mentality of "it's none of my business, if the court is not in a hurry, why should I be in a hurry?"

Country, country, the interests of the country are often not equal to the interests of the family. If there is no life-and-death moment, most people will still only care about their own one-third of an acre of land.

So what if Hebei rebels? Brother Ji should worry about it! If Brother Ji says to quell the rebellion, then he will quell the rebellion!

Fang Chongyong clearly saw Li Sheng's attitude that this matter had nothing to do with him, and understood this idea very well.

As long as he is in charge of his own affairs, there are too many injustices in the world, and who can take care of them?
"You have nowhere to stay now. Why don't you stay in the Prince's Mansion of Pingxi County first? There are only a few days before the expedition. When the time comes, you will be the commander of the soldiers and just stay by my side. Che Guangqian will let you know later. I’ll take you to the Yinqian Xiaojie Army station to get the military uniform.”

Fang Chongyong arranged Li Sheng's whereabouts with just one sentence.

"Order!"

Li Sheng bowed to Fang Zhongyong very formally, cupping his fists.

He secretly murmured in his heart that his "brother-in-law" was really as steady as a tortoise in doing things, and he could be said to have no leaks.

It's hard to believe that a few days ago, this "King of Pingxi" dared to lead a silver spear Xiaojie Army to mutiny in Chang'an!

Ridiculously brave.

Which one is the real one?

……

About twenty miles south of Chang'an City, there is a temple called "Niutou Temple". It was built in the sixth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (AD 632) and was one of the eight major temples in Fanchuan in the Tang Dynasty. The environment here is quiet and the scenery is beautiful. It is a place where poets and poets often visit.

In a side hall of Niutou Temple, Prince Ning Li Lin, the son of Emperor Li Xian, was chanting sutras and chanting Buddha's name, looking very pious.

He came here in a leisurely manner without attracting any attention. It was not the first time he came here, so he didn't even make a splash.

Many of the children of Brother Ji's family believe in Buddhism and have close contacts with Buddhist temples. They often go in and out of Chang'an City and various temples around Chang'an.

Of course, this is just a superficial phenomenon. As for whether there are any "undisclosed" private things in it, it's hard to say.

Because Buddhist temples and even Taoist temples in the Tang Dynasty often harbored filth and evil. Monks in the Tang Dynasty were often the ones who "received money to do things", and the so-called "taoist nuns" and "taoist priests" in Taoist temples did not have simple identities.

They belong to each other as the eldest brother, don’t laugh at the second brother.

These covert guys are often the kind of hungry men and women who want to take off their clothes and have fun, but are afraid of damaging their family honor. They "renounced the world" deliberately to create a cover for themselves.

It is demeaning for officials and nobles to have an affair, but after becoming a Buddhist monk and chanting sutras, it is equivalent to disappearing from the public eye, and it doesn't matter how you want to do it.

"Did His Highness send that red coral away?"

A hollow voice came from behind the golden Buddha statue.

"Master, it has been sent to the Prince of Pingxi County."

Li Lin frowned slightly, but still suppressed the anger in her heart and spoke in a calm tone.

"Looking at the emperor's reaction, His Highness will know what he wants to know."

The voice behind the Buddha statue continued: "If the saint does not take any action, His Highness will be able to relax."

Hearing this, Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief.

Recently, he has been restless in the palace every day, always feeling that Brother Ji will take this matter to task. After all, when the red coral was delivered that day, servants from many powerful families were present.

This gift was very famous back then, and there were so many witnesses that no other gift could be found in Chang'an.

"Three men become tigers, and Fang Chongyong cannot control the military power for long. Soon the emperor will be suspicious of him.

Without Fang and his son, the emperor would be a tiger without teeth.

This Tang Dynasty still belongs to your family after all.

Back then, your father had to give up the throne to the current emperor. After so many years, it's time for him to return the things to their original owners. "

The voice behind the Buddha statue said beguilingly.

Li Lin held her cuffs tightly, her body couldn't help but tremble.

Yes, after so many years, even the posthumous title is "Emperor Rang"! This old guy has been on the throne for so many years, is he good enough?
The anger in Li Lin's heart was burning.

If the Tang Dynasty is not in chaos, he has no chance. Once chaos breaks out, it will be difficult to say!

Their family was just a little bit close to inheriting the orthodoxy back then.

No, it should be said that the throne originally belonged to their family. It was his father Li Xian who was worried about Li Longji's trap, so he had to give up the crown prince position! In the end, Li Longji succeeded to the throne!

Li Lin didn't know whether Li Xian was convinced; but everyone in their family was unconvinced!

"Your Highness, please wait and see what happens. Once the storm rises, it will be your Highness' day to take the lead."

The voice behind the Buddha statue seemed to be filled with endless temptation, making Li Lin breathe heavily.

When he came to his senses, he quietly walked behind the Buddha statue to observe, but found that there was no one there, let alone a human being, not even a mouse.

"The storm is surging...?"

Li Lin murmured to herself, he couldn't wait for this day to come soon!

(End of this chapter)