Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 449 Seemingly Loyal
Gao Shang thought he would be abused by Fang Zhongyong, but in fact he was not.

The place they arranged for me to stay was a heavily guarded courtyard in Lingzhou City. I lived in an ordinary room, and a medical officer came to change the medicine regularly.

This was clearly the treatment of guests, not captives or sinners.

The only bad thing was that your mouth was blocked and you were not allowed to take it off (if you took it off secretly, you would be slapped if you were discovered), and there were people watching you even when you were eating or going to the toilet.

Three days later, Gao Shang finally saw Fang Chongyong coming here to interrogate him, and his already anxious heart rose to his throat.

Whether he lives or dies depends on how he responds to this question.

"Your Highness has become a prince, and his temper has also become bad. When he saw this acquaintance of mine, he cut off one of his arms without thinking.

Are you blocking someone's mouth because you are afraid that others will know that you and I are old acquaintances?"

Gao Shang suppressed his inner fear and asked in a pretended angry tone.

"Success makes you a king, failure makes you a bandit. If you mess up your job, it's not a pity to die.

Now it’s just a broken arm, which is a great blessing in this world.

Instead of thanking me for showing mercy, you blame me for cutting off your arm.

There is nothing better than repaying kindness with enmity, and fearing power but not cherishing virtue in this world."

Fang Chongyong's words killed Gao Shang.

If Fang Zhongyong let him go back to Chang'an, it would be a great favor, and taking an arm as the price would be quite cheap.

"Your Highness is right. I misunderstood Your Highness."

Gao Shang was silent for a long time, nodded slightly, took a deep breath and said.

When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. At this moment, he had nothing more to say.

"Write down all the Shuofang Army generals you have met and give them to this commander, then you can go back to Prince Yong."

Fang Zhongyong put his hands behind his back and said calmly.

"Your Highness is willing to let me go?"

Now Gao Shang was completely upset!

When he came to Shuofang this time, he was actually fully prepared mentally and was not afraid of death.

But if you can live, who would want to die in vain?
"If it wasn't for setting you free, why would I cut off one of your arms?"

Fang Chongyong scolded Gao Shangdao shamelessly, with full confidence and without any flaws.

In fact, when he was in the Jiedushi's office, he did not recognize Gao Shang at first glance and cut off Gao Shang's arm as a conditioned reflex.

After being castrated, Gao Shang's temperament has changed drastically. He did not introduce himself, wore a hat, and was even pushed to the ground, with stains all over his face.

Who could recognize it at first sight?

But then again, even if the arm wasn't chopped off at that time, Fang Zhongyong would definitely get some "parts" from Gao Shang later.

In this way, neither Yongwang Li Lin nor Ji Ge would think that they were in collusion with this matter, let alone that he had a "secret agreement" with Gao Shang.

Of course, this is also Fang Chongyong's philosophy of "struggle requires sacrifice" and his emphasis on "fair trade" in doing things.

Even if I let you go for my own benefit, you will still be sentenced to death.

Otherwise, wouldn't everyone be afraid of me in the future and think that I'm easy to bully?

Fang Chongyong is very concerned about certain principles.

"Your Highness's self-torture tactic has come at a high price."

Gao Shang smiled bitterly.

What else could he say at this point? Who made Hun Yu play by his own rules?

Among so many Shuofang Army generals, Hun Yu was the only fool, and he happened to meet this fool.

I don’t know whether to say it is lucky or unfortunate.

On the other hand, people like Fang Chongyong are very "sensible" and know that it is useless to show loyalty in front of an old emperor who is about to lose his teeth!
"I will write the list now, and I will also circle out those who are enthusiastic for Your Highness."

Gao Shang agreed without hesitation.

He didn't want to die yet, especially not in such a meaningless way.

"That's good."

Fang Chongyong sat down at the desk and ground ink for Gao Shang himself.

The latter had an excellent memory and actually wrote down more than twenty names in a row, circled many of them.

There were generals from various armies under the Shuofang Jiedushi, and the number of them was shocking.

After the ink dried, Gao Shang folded the list and handed it to Fang Chongyong, feeling extremely nervous.

Nowadays, there are too many people in the world who say one thing and do another, and he is one of them!

If Fang Chongyong goes back on his word, he can be killed with one blow without even having to make excuses.

Gao Shang was never a good person. He never hesitated to guess other people's thoughts with the greatest malice.

As expected, Fang Zhongyong looked at Gao Shang with a half-smile and asked:
"Do you know what to say when you get back?"

"Your Highness, I have already thought about it.

Please give me the letter. I will go to Chang'an and give it to Gao Lishi.

And he said that His Highness didn't know my true identity yet and accidentally injured me and broke my arm."

Gao Shang forced a smile, and as he spoke, he felt a dull pain in his broken arm.

His true identity is actually Ji Ge's spy, whose purpose is to control and monitor Yong Wang Li Lin. But Gao Shang has his own selfish motives, and actually jumps back and forth secretly, deceiving both sides and taking advantage of both sides.

For example, this time, he could go back and tell Gao Lishi that "I failed in my attempt to lure the police with Li Lin's recruitment letter, and was caught by the Shuofang Jiedushi, who chopped off one of his arms and nearly killed him."

In this way, he proved his loyalty to Brother Ji with one arm. Fang Zhongyong was even more loyal to Brother Ji, and he didn't even open the letter from Li Lin to bribe him!

Since Fang Chongyong "didn't know the inside story", of course he had to be rude to this trusted spy of the prince!

If they are in collusion with each other, it means they have ulterior motives.

As for the conspiracy of Prince Yong Li Lin, it was just a joke and Brother Ji would not take it seriously.

If he gets rid of this fool in a hurry, will he reuse a smarter prince and cause trouble for himself in the future?

In fact, many people have already figured out Ji Ge's style of doing things.

During these few days, Gao Shang has thought of all the escape routes and has been waiting for today.

In other words, this round of "probing" by Ji Ge revealed the political background of many people in the Shuofang Army.

Gao Shang's routine of "if things go well, do things for Li Lin, and if things go wrong, do things for Brother Ji" is actually quite common these days.

This is the case for people who try to survive in the cracks. The faster they climb, the more opportunities they have. Almost all of them will die out of a hundred. It’s just a matter of when they die.

As expected, Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly and said, "You are extremely intelligent and smart, it's a pity. If the saint hadn't castrated you, this commander would have transferred you to his side as a chief secretary to give advice.

You can go back and say what you just said. Of course, you can also say bad things about me in front of the saint, but it doesn’t matter. There is still a long way to go.”

While Fang Zhongyong was talking, he quietly put some icing on Brother Ji's face.

Feeling an unspeakable threat, Gao Shang quickly defended himself, "I haven't even thanked Marshal Jie for saving my life yet, how can I speak ill of him behind his back?"

In fact, he really wanted to complain to Brother Ji, saying that Fang Chongyong was "deep-minded and had evil intentions."

But after thinking about it, I realized that they were now on the same boat.

Gao Shang said that Fang Chongyong had a problem, which was equivalent to saying that Fang Chongyong deliberately did it for him to come back this time. If Fang Chongyong was a traitor, then how could you, who was not a traitor, be allowed to return to Chang'an?

Gao Shang informing Ji Ge on the matter is tantamount to suicide!

After a set of combined punches, Fang Zhongyong might not suffer any losses with the help of the Holy Favor. But it was hard to say whether Gao Shang himself could withstand Fang Zhongyong's revenge in the future.

There is still a long way to go, so why bother yourself? If you want revenge, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future!

As long as you are alive, there is hope!
Gao Shang encouraged himself in this way.

The world has changed dramatically, and things have turned around. It is hard to say whether Fang Zhongyong will continue to be so successful in the future or will make a comeback himself!

It’s never too late to avenge a broken arm today, ten years later!
Gao Shang secretly swore in his heart that he would repay Fang Chongyong a hundredfold in the future for the humiliation he had suffered today.

"No, that's good. You will return to Guanzhong tomorrow and report to the Saint that there are people with bad intentions in the Shuofang army." Fang Zhongyong said indifferently and in a stern tone. His imposing manner was so strong that he would not tolerate any refusal!

Gao Shang felt that if he dared to say no, he would be killed without a burial place!

He nodded and agreed immediately: "Please rest assured, Marshal. I will definitely take care of these things."

"Well, if there is nothing else, I still have a lot of things to do. I will send someone to take you to the post station tomorrow, and you can go back to Chang'an by yourself.

I won’t send you off.”

Fang Chongyong said this very casually, not taking people like Gao Shang seriously.

In other words, he doesn't care what Gao Shang thinks at all.

This indifference deeply hurts the noble self-esteem.

He always thought that he was very capable, and he also once thought that Fang Chongyong just had a good father.

Without a good father, he is nothing!

Gao Shang believed that if his father was Fang Youde, he might be able to be a military governor now!
The Tang Dynasty is a world that belongs to the powerful and wealthy; they can have whatever they want!
As a person from a poor family in Hebei, I have nothing. The process of climbing up is full of thorns!
Brother Ji wanted to castrate him, and he did it! Fang Zhongyong wanted to chop off his arm, and he did it!
He couldn't resist, or even retaliate.

What else do these powerful people have besides the power they hold?
Gao Shang became angrier the more he thought about it, and the fingers of his only remaining hand were pinched until they turned white.

But now, all he could do was...helplessly rage.

Gao Shang took the extremely important "recruitment letter" handed over by Fang Chongyong. It was originally intended for him to bribe Hun Yu, the military commander of the Jinglüe Army.

Once the Jinglüe Army is under control, the defense of Lingzhou will basically be under control. In the future, as long as Prince Yong arrives in Lingzhou and raises his arm, then...

Damn it, it was just a little bit off! Why is it always just a little bit off?

Gao Shang secretly felt regretful in his heart. He had thought that the people of the Nine Tiele Clans should be very easy to bribe, but he did not expect the opposite.

These people are stupid and stubborn and won't listen to anything!

One misstep can lead to eternal regret, but fortunately, I still have my head and there is still a chance in the future!

While I was thinking about this, Fang Chongyong had already pushed the door open and walked out, leaving only his tall figure.

boom!
After Fang Chongyong had left the courtyard, Gao Shang carefully closed the door, then punched the table in anger!

"How cold and indifferent God is to me!"

Gao Shang wailed with emotion, lowering his head and shedding tears.

He is not satisfied.

Reality keeps hammering at him, hammering him over and over again with no end in sight.

Why!

……

Gao Shang left Lingzhou, and Fang Chongyong sent his trusted guards to escort him along the way. In the name of escorting him back to Chang'an for trial, in fact, what was going on between Gao Shang and Fang Chongyong, none of the soldiers in the border town knew.

But it is generally felt that Fang Zhongyong is quite loyal to the emperor!

Just a few days after Gao Shang left Lingzhou, Fang Chongyong, the ambassador of Hetao and the governor of Shuofang and Hedong towns, summoned the border generals of the Shuofang army to a meeting in Lingzhou city to discuss how to prevent the Uighurs from invading the border.

The generals had no doubts about it, as this was a necessary operation, and they all rushed to Lingzhou without stopping. After a short rest, they immediately went to the Jiedushi Yamen to attend the meeting.

That afternoon, heavy snow fell in Lingzhou, and everything was white.

Fang Chongyong sat on the main seat in the hall of the yamen, looking at the densely packed Shuofang army generals in front of him, and then looking at the heavy snow outside. He couldn't help but think of Jiang Dayou's words "The yellow dog has white on its body, and the white dog has swelling on its body."

I almost laughed out loud.

Seeing his commander in a daze, Feng Changqing, the recorder beside Fang Zhongyong, reminded him quietly, "General, everyone is here."

"Well, let's get started."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently, and Che Guangqian at the gate had already led a hundred soldiers of the Xiaojie Army armed with horn bows and crossbows and silver spears to surround the entrance of the yamen tightly!

Even from the inner hall behind Fang Zhongyong, many warriors armed with swords and shields rushed out, led by He Changqi, and stood beside Fang Zhongyong.

This posture doesn't look right!
The Shuofang army generals in the government hall, who were dressed in military uniforms without any armor and even had their swords confiscated, suddenly looked slightly unhappy.

Many generals exchanged glances with their neighbors, all with puzzled expressions, not knowing what Fang Zhongyong was up to.

“Everyone, those whose names are not called out later can leave the government office on their own, but do not leave Lingzhou City.

The strategy for guarding against the Uighurs will be discussed early tomorrow morning. You must be here by then, otherwise you will be subject to military law.

Those whose names are called should not leave the yamen. This commander will have something to say to you in detail.

Do you understand everything? "

Fang Zhongyong stood up, looked around at everyone and asked.

"We all obey the commander's orders!"

All the generals answered in unison.

At this point, what else can they say?

"Han Youhuan! I heard my name called!"

Feng Changqing read out loud.

"To!"

"Hao Tingyu!"

"To!"

"Ji Guangchen!"

"To!"

"Wei Chuyu!"

"To!"

"Zhu Yuancong!"

"To!"

One by one, Fang Zhongyong read out names that were completely unfamiliar to him. Every time someone agreed, Fang Zhongyong would look to see who that person was.

Simply put, the appearance of the generals in border towns all have some template-like features, which are formed when they face similar geographical environments and daily affairs.

Many people have a sturdy build, long arms, and dark and yellow skin with rosy cheeks.

Even Fang Zhongyong himself was similar. If he often stayed in the border town, it would be impossible for him to grow up to be a pretty boy like Gao Shang.

If he only looked at their appearance, Fang Zhongyong couldn't tell who was a "good guy" and who was a "bad guy". Who was loyal and who had ulterior motives were not written on their foreheads at all.

For a moment, he felt a little sympathetic towards Brother Ji.

Fang Zhongyong, who had the memory of his past life, at least knew the character of some people. But Brother Ji was high up, and it was impossible for him to know everything in advance.

How does he judge who is the bad guy?
Duke Zhou was afraid of rumors, and Wang Mang was humble before he usurped the throne. This is not a very strange thing.

"Chen Huiguang!"

"arrive!"

Finally, the last person was called. Feng Changqing handed the list in his hand to Fang Chongyong and then returned to his original position.

"Those whose names are not called can leave the Jiedushi Yamen now!"

Fang Chongyong stood up and waved his hand!
The generals who did not hear their names were as if they had been pardoned, and hurriedly and carefully left the government hall. In the originally crowded hall, there were only about twenty people left.

"Everyone, do you know why this commander wants you to stay here?"

Fang Zhongyong looked around at everyone and asked in a deep voice.

The eyes of everyone present were shining.

They vaguely guessed why they were detained here by the Shuofang Jiedushi.

However, now that it has come to this, we have to hold on even if we have to grit our teeth!
The atmosphere at the scene gradually became solemn.

(End of this chapter)