Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 446 Duplicity
In Lingzhou City, in the study of the Shuofang Jiedushi Yamen, Fang Chongyong was listening to Che Guangqian's report with a solemn expression. The other people in the study, including Yan Zhenqing, all bowed their heads in deep thought and remained silent.

The atmosphere seemed a bit depressing.

"According to what you said, most of the Tiele tribes refused to come to Lingzhou to discuss the alliance with me, right?"

Fang Zhongyong asked with a sigh.

Che Guangqian nodded and said, "General, that's true. Those who are willing to come are all Tiele people who have already submitted to the Tang Dynasty, such as the Hun tribe, the Pugu tribe, the Tongluo tribe, etc. Others are unwilling to come to Lingzhou City."

Ever since Li Guozhen and others ordered the siege and killing of the Uighur envoys and more than a thousand guards, the leaders of the Tiele tribes have become more cautious.

Who dares to say that Fang Chongyong, the successor, will not follow the example of his predecessor Li Guozhen and trick them into Lingzhou and kill them?
Che Guangqian spent more than half a month traveling around the locations of the Tiele tribes, only to be met with complete failure.

"A man without integrity cannot stand. Li Guozhen was happy at the moment, but it caused suffering to those who came after him."

Yan Zhenqing couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

Fang Chongyong had no other intentions in inviting the Tiele people to a meeting this time. He just wanted to deal with the Uighurs and win over any forces he could.

So-called politics, isn't it just about making your own people more numerous, reducing your enemies to a minimum, and then cleaning them up?
But the current situation is a bit like "using a stick to hit a wolf is a shame for both ends".

You say you are harmless, but people don't believe you. The Tiele people don't care whether the current boss is Li Guozhen or Fang Chongyong, they just want to stick to the word "Tang".

“This is a different time now. Even if the Tiele tribe leader cannot come this time, they can still send an envoy.

These are their excuses.

I think this may be related to the bribery of the Uighurs. The Tiele tribes are now mainly waiting and watching. "

Feng Changqing, who had been silent, said in a deep voice.

"Oh? How do you know?"

Fang Chongyong suddenly asked with interest.

He is a person who likes his subordinates to speak freely. He doesn't mind if they say something wrong. He also often gets inspiration and methods for handling matters from his subordinates.

"General, I think the Tiele people are just waiting for a good price, and then we will see who will have the last laugh between us and the Huihe people.

Of course, they were waiting for the general, not the Tang Dynasty. The Huihe people certainly could not defeat the Tang Dynasty, but judging from their military strength and deployment, they might not be defeated by the Shuofang Town.

If the commander loses, then there is naturally no need for them to discuss important matters with the loser, as the successor will surely be more talkative and more willing to speak.

After all, border towns are places where strength speaks volumes.”

Feng Changqing explained without hesitation.

In a word, the Huihe people are still ready to make a move, and it is still unknown who will win. If the Shuofang army can defeat the Huihe again and inflict heavy damage on them, then the Tiele tribes will also be convinced.

At that time, there would be no need for Fang Zhongyong to invite them, as these people would come to Lingzhou City on their own to "apologize".

The Huihe people adopted slavery. The Huihe people were not just "Huihe people", but also included many small tribes they enslaved.

The combined strength of these people is very impressive, and it is no exaggeration to say that they can control two hundred thousand soldiers.

"Are the Huihe cavalry still frequently harassing areas outside the Hetao area?"

Fang Chongyong asked He Changqi.

"That's true. Many merchants traveling between the grasslands and Lingzhou were harassed by the Huihe people. If the team was smaller in number, they would be robbed by the Huihe people.

The Huihe people only robbed things but did not kill people, just to let everyone know that the Tang Dynasty is no longer able to maintain the trade routes! "

He Changqi said helplessly.

These Uighur scouts were very cunning. When He Changqi led his troops on patrol, they would avoid the Tang army's patrols and specifically attack when the Tang army was not around.

If it was a fair fight, He Changqi would not be afraid of those slippery Huihe cavalrymen. But the opponent's current tactics made him very uncomfortable.

You can't hit them if you fight them, and if you chase them, you can't catch up at a short distance, and you're afraid of being ambushed at a long distance.

You have to guard against thieves day and night, running back and forth, and you're exhausted!

I couldn't use all my strength and was made fun of.

"You haven't read today's imperial edict yet, but you know the news."

Fang Zhongyong pointed to the imperial edict on the table.

Everyone nodded slightly.

“The saint has ordered me to control Hedong, which is at least good news.

However, the imperial court had not taken the Uighurs' current fighting style into account.

The imperial edict urged us to resolve the border town issue as soon as possible. It seems that the officials in the court still think the problem is too simple. "

Fang Zhongyong helplessly patted the yellow silk on the table, not knowing how to talk to Brother Ji.

Many people who have never been to the battlefield think that the people of the grassland are like crazy. Once the Tang army arrives, they will rush forward and be beaten regardless of everything!
Even if I get beaten to a pulp, even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, even if I am deserted by my friends and relatives, I will not change my original intention.

But in fact, these cavalrymen on the grasslands have experienced many battles. They are like cunning beasts. As long as they test the enemy's strength once, they know how to change their strategies and deal with different types of enemies.

They are not stupid at all!

If the Tang army had suffered a disastrous defeat in Feng'an City before, the Uighurs would naturally seek to seize Hetao and further adopt an offensive strategy, and even not rule out capturing cities.

However, the Uighurs had been severely beaten by the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army before. Wouldn't they have learned their lesson?

The Huihe people are now trying to avoid a decisive battle with the Shuofang army, but instead a small group of cavalry continues to harass the outer areas of Hetao! Now it's a competition of who can't help it first and who will act impulsively!

The Uighurs' adjustment of strategy was so obvious that even the clerks in the Shuofang Jiedushi's office who knew nothing about military affairs saw it clearly.

But no matter what the other party does, it doesn’t matter. The key is how to solve the problem.

Brother Ji is now a hands-off boss and tells Fang Chongyong directly: The troops in Hedong are at your disposal, and you need to deal with the Uighurs as soon as possible!

How the hell should I do this?
Fang Zhongyong was furious. He didn't know what the soldiers and generals in Hedong were like. With such a long distance, there was no way for him to issue orders to Taiyuan from Lingzhou City!

The transmission of government orders requires channels, not to mention the control of military power.

Although Fang Chongyong temporarily "concurrently holds" the post of Hedong Jiedushi, he does not have control over the channels for transmitting military orders to the grassroots! In other words, Fang Chongyong has no actual control over the extent to which the people in Hedong will execute his military orders, whether they will pretend to obey but secretly disobey, how to supervise them, etc.

This power exists only on paper.

On the contrary, the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army is now stationed in Lingzhou. No matter what the army on the Shuofang side is like, Fang Zhongyong can suppress it through the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, and the military orders will flow smoothly. If anyone is dissatisfied, let the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army act as "military police" and go directly to the relevant military camp to arrest people.

Who dares to get angry?

Brother Ji still has that condescending mentality, thinking that his imperial edict is equivalent to actual power.

Don’t you know that if no one obeys the order, the imperial edict is just a piece of waste paper!

"General, the new Hedong Jiedushi Deputy Envoy Tian Chengsi wants to see you. He is waiting outside the government office, with only two guards accompanying him."

A personal soldier walked into the study, saluted and said to Fang Zhongyong and his group.

"Tian Chengsi? It's him!"

Yan Zhenqing showed surprise on his face, obviously knowing this person.

"Mr. Yan knows this person?"

Fang Chongyong asked knowingly.

How could he not know who Tian Chengsi was! He was the most capable person in the An Lushan rebel group!

It is not considered powerful if a person can fight a war. A person who can fight and protect himself at the same time is a more powerful person.

Obviously, Tian Chengsi, the founder of Wei Bo's Yabing in history, is more powerful than An Lushan!

The emperor of Chang'an and the soldiers of Weizhou are known as the two "beautiful scenery" of the middle and late Tang Dynasty.

"Back then, he served under your father and made great achievements in battle. He is well-known in Pinglu Town.

Tian Chengsi is very good at commanding troops, and he is very scheming, so ordinary people can't tell what he is thinking. "

Yan Zhenqing thought about it and sighed.

When he was still in Hebei, he knew that Tian Chengsi was no ordinary person. Sure enough, after so many years, he finally became the military envoy of Lulong Army, and now he has been transferred to the deputy envoy of Hedong Jiedushi!

He is only one step away from becoming a Jiedushi.

Although this is a "small" step, many generals, for various reasons, are unable to take it in their entire lives.

"Everyone, please go and take care of your own affairs first. Dealing with the Huihe is the top priority. You can put other things aside for the time being."

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone and said, it was obvious that he was going to have a secret talk with Tian Chengsi. Everyone in the study filed out, and after they left, Fang Chongyong fell into deep thought.

Is Tian Chengsi Huangfu Weiming's man?

Even though he didn't know who his backer was, it was no secret to Fang Chongyong that Huangfu Weiming wanted to support a certain prince to succeed the throne.

In other words, many people have this idea now, but no one has "I want to rebel" written on their forehead. From Brother Ji's perspective, he can only use his balancing skills to suppress these people and use them for his own benefit.

After all, it is natural for an emperor who is already over sixty years old to have his subordinates find a way out for themselves and their family.

If the standards are set too strictly, then everyone in the world will be seen as a rebel who has not yet rebelled.

Just when Fang Chongyong was daydreaming, He Changqi had already led the tall and strong Tian Chengsi in.

Tian Chengsi is now nearly 50 years old, and he looks calm and composed.

To be honest, this age is indeed the right age to be a military governor. Tian Chengsi worked his way up from the grassroots level step by step. He was used to living on the edge of a knife and had a murderous aura.

You can tell at first glance that he is not that frivolous person.

"Tian Chengsi, the military envoy of the Datong Army, pays respect to General Fang. I have come from afar and am sorry for my poor manners. I beg your forgiveness, General."

Tian Chengsi saluted Fang Chongyong very reservedly with his fists clasped, his face calm and no one could tell whether he was happy or angry.

"This is someone's confidant, don't worry about him."

Seeing that Tian Chengsi seemed to be hesitant to speak, Fang Zhongyong pointed at He Changqi beside him and said.

“I came to Lingzhou to ask General Fang Jie how to deploy the troops in Hedong.

It has only been a few days since I arrived in Hedong, and I have already rushed to Lingzhou without stopping. I am not afraid of being laughed at by the commander-in-chief, as I do not know much about the internal situation of the Datong Army. "

Tian Chengsi said very humbly.

His words were full of hidden meaning, but he was unwilling to say it out loud.

So Fang Zhongyong waved his hand to He Changqi and said:

"Go watch outside the door, and no one is allowed to approach."

The latter glared at Tian Chengsi with great dissatisfaction, then left the study and stood guard outside the door.

After He Changqi left, Fang Zhongyong pointed to the cushion on the opposite side of the table in front of him and said, "General Tian, ​​sit down and talk."

Tian Chengsi didn't bother to exchange pleasantries. After he sat down, he clasped his hands together and said, "Marshal Fang Jie, I was tricked by Huangfu Weiming into leaving the Lulong Army! He wants to rebel!"

"Is there such a thing?"

Fang Chongyong pretended to be surprised, but actually he disagreed.

Huangfu Weiming was not An Lushan after all. He was originally from Guanzhong and it was impossible for him to use a family of Hebei frontier generals. Removing Tian Chengsi, a "local faction", from the military post and using his own people was a basic operation.

Huangfu Weiming ultimately wanted to support the prince to ascend the throne. His roots were in Guanzhong, and everything was planned with Chang'an as the future focus.

Even if he wanted to rebel, Huangfu Weiming would not be the "King of Hebei"! Of course, if he took Chang'an in the future, he would not be able to smash and loot in Chang'an like An Lushan did.

At least that's what many "discerning people" think.

"Indeed. In recent years, Huangfu Weiming has been eliminating dissidents from the Hebei border army and replacing them with his own confidants. This time I was transferred to Hedong because Huangfu Weiming's people were making efforts in the court. If it weren't for your help, I would basically not be able to return to Hebei."

Tian Chengsi said in a deep voice, implying that Fang Chongyong was the noble man.

“After saying so much, what exactly does General Tian want to do?

This guy thinks you are a smart person, so don't beat around the bush and don't act stupid.

Just tell me, what do you want to do?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Tian Chengsi with a half-smile and said, an indescribable aura emanated from him, making people dare not look directly at him!

"I...I want to be transferred back to Hebei after I finish dealing with the Huihe issue.

"General, if Huangfu Weiming rebels in the future, you will be the one to suppress it. At that time, I will send troops from Hebei to stab him in the back. Wouldn't that be twice as effective in suppressing the rebellion?"

He suggested calmly with an ingratiating smile on his face.

Tian Chengsi had a good plan, the beads were about to jump onto Fang Chongyong's face!
If the Tang army wins, he is an undercover agent; if the Tang army loses, he is the vanguard of the rebels. He wins no matter which way he turns.

“It’s interesting, but not enough.”

Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly and said without comment.

Neither of them mentioned Ji Ge's affairs, nor did they mention informing the court of Huangfu Weiming's affairs.

"I was transferred to Hedong this time, and I need the support of the military commander to control the Datong Army.

But at the same time, I will follow the orders of the commander-in-chief and fully cooperate with him in dealing with the Uighurs.

I hope that after the matter is settled, the commander-in-chief can make an effort to get the court to transfer me back to Hebei."

Tian Chengsi continued to give his conditions and requirements.

On the surface, this seems fair, if we ignore the unequal status between Fang Zhongyong and Tian Chengsi.

"General Tian has a sincere heart for his country and seems to be a loyal person."

Fang Zhongyong sighed with a forced smile.

Seemingly, that is, it looks like it, but it is not at all.

When Tian Chengsi heard this, he was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "General Jie, everything I said is true. I was definitely not sent by Huangfu Weiming to deceive you!"

Only then did he realize that he seemed to have underestimated the young "Little Marshal Fang Jie" in front of him.

"General Tian, ​​I won't play tricks on you.

Today is the first time we meet, and you tell me about some provincial governor's rebellion.

If I were in your shoes, and I were a complete stranger to you, and I suddenly mentioned that Huangfu Weiming wanted to rebel, would you believe it?"

Fang Chongyong asked rhetorically.

These words immediately silenced Tian Chengsi.

In fact, people’s hearts are hidden in their stomachs. Many people have a smile on their faces but hold a knife in their hands. Who the hell knows if you are smiling but hiding a knife?
What’s more, this is someone I just met for the first time!
"How can I gain the trust of the commander?"

Tian Chengsi also understood that he would not be able to gain Fang Zhongyong's full support by just talking nonsense.

He gritted his teeth and asked in a deep voice.

“You said Huangfu Weiming wanted to rebel, I think most of the officials in the court, including the Saint, would not believe it.

You know, his sister gave birth to a prince, and the emperor's favor was no less than this general.

Words are not enough, General Tian, ​​please write the letter of accusation now, and I will grind the ink for you, how about that? "

Fang Chongyong asked calmly, invisible pressure coming towards Tian Chengsi.

Letter of accusation?

Tian Chengsi's heart skipped a beat and he thought to himself that something was wrong.

This young Marshal Fang is really meticulous and hard to fool.

If Fang Chongyong had the "accusation letter" in which he accused Huangfu Weiming of treason, whether he gave it to Huangfu Weiming or reported it to the court, he, Tian, ​​would be finished.

This letter cannot be written. If you write it, you will give others an advantage!

"Marshal Jie, this letter..."

Tian Chengsi was a little hesitant and extremely reluctant.

If you take this path, you will really have no choice but to go down it until the end!
"Even if General Tian doesn't write the letter of accusation, this section commander will have to write it.

If I were to decide what to do with what you wrote, I might even consider General Tian’s thoughts.

If someone wrote it himself, how to deal with it is a matter of my own decision. What is General Tian still hesitating about?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a sneer.

Then he started grinding ink without saying anything, and handed the brush to Tian Chengsi.

This brave general, who had joined the army since he was a teenager and worked his way up to become a military envoy, suddenly felt that the pen in his hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

(End of this chapter)