Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 474: The Famous General’s Elegy (Part )
On the mountain road of Queshu Valley, Fang Chongyong's Silver Spear Filial Piety Army was surrounded by his father-in-law Wang Zhongsi, who led 40,000 elite soldiers!

Ironically, most of the troops besieging him came from Anxi, Beiting, Hexi, and Longyou. Many of them were familiar faces, and many of them had fought a life-and-death battle with Fang Chongyong.

Even helped him block arrows on the battlefield!

At least that was the case at the time.

But at this moment, they drew their swords and were about to go to war.

Fang Zhongyong felt extremely sad in his heart, even more uncomfortable than when Brother Biji announced the death penalty that night!
"Wang Zhongsi, I don't accept it!"

Fang Zhongyong put the Swift Wind Phantom Blade back into the scabbard, pointed at the people in front of him and said, his hair standing on end with rage!

"You can tell me what you are dissatisfied with.

I am killing my own relatives today for the sake of justice, and I have plenty of time to listen to you.

Don’t say you are just Ah Xiu’s husband. Even if you are my unfilial son Wang Yanshu, I will kill you if you get the imperial order.”

Wang Zhongsi said with a cold face.

“When I was ten years old, I was the governor of Shazhou.

During my four years in office, I kept the area safe. During my tenure, the Tibetans did not dare to come to Hexi to water their horses. During these four years, have I been considered the iron wall of the Tang Dynasty? "

Fang Zhongyong asked loudly.

Wang Zhongsi did not answer. He did not know these things, but Wang Sili beside him must know them very well.

At that time, smuggling was taking place in Hexi, and Wang Sili was the military envoy of the Dou Lu Army. It was clear who got more.

"When the Tibetans besieged Luocheng in Shazhou, who led the troops to defeat Dazalugong! And who led the troops to pursue the Tibetan army to Guazhou?

Doesn’t any of you know that?”

Fang Chongyong asked again.

There was still silence on the other side. It was obvious that there were people involved, and quite a few of them.

"Where were you when I led my troops through a thousand-mile detour, defeated the Tibetan imperial guards, and captured Yuanmen?"

"Where were you when I led my troops to ambush the elite Tibetan cavalry at Tumen Tower?"

"While I was collecting military pay and uniforms for the Longyouyou Army, what were you doing?
Oh, yes, mutiny, incompetent rage! Furious because they can't conjure up wealth!

Have you said thank you for the food and money I sent you?"

Fang Zhongyong asked questions in rapid succession, but the generals on the opposite side remained silent, and didn't even dare to look at him.

"Humph! You are so ugly, and you still dare to say that this general is a sinner!"

Fang Zhongyong snorted coldly and continued to question: "I won't talk about these, after all, many of you don't know. But when this general led his troops to sweep across the Western Regions, was there anyone among you?

Gao Xianzhi, who saved your life in Talas? If it weren't for me, your head would have been chopped off by the governor of Khorasan of the Black Caliphate and kicked around like a ball!
You dare to stop me now? Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?"

Fang Zhongyong pointed at Gao Xianzhi opposite him and cursed.

Gao Xianzhi quickly covered his face with his elbows, feeling so ashamed that he wanted to fall off his horse!
After hearing Fang Chongyong's words, the crossbowmen on both sides of the mountain road unconsciously put down their crossbows.

Every soldier has his own story, his own family, and his own sense of right and wrong.

These will not be affected by imperial power, nor will they be changed by an imperial decree.

They all knew who Fang Chongyong was. Back then, he had led them across the Western Regions, and all nations had surrendered. The Arabs threw away their weapons and armor, and Mulu City was burned down.

How carefree and joyful that was! It was a glory they could brag about to their children and grandchildren for the rest of their lives!
More importantly, Fang Zhongyong didn't owe them a penny of military pay! Every time he gave them rewards, he never missed a piece of cloth!
In the eyes of these people, Fang Chongyong is a coach who is good at commanding and fair and generous!
This kind of person shouldn't die here, at the hands of his own people.

"When I led you to defeat the Black-robed Arabs, and when I led you to subdue the demons and monsters in the Western Regions, did I ever treat you unfairly?
One big victory after another, has Shuai let you down in this quarter?
"Ah? Can you tell me about it?"

Fang Zhongyong pointed at everyone and asked loudly.

Hearing this, Gao Xianzhi, Li Siye, Bai Xiaode and others dismounted from their horses and consciously stepped aside to make way for the road ahead.

The human heart is made of flesh.

They are human beings, not machines, and their brains are not controlled by Brother Ji! They know what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong, who is making trouble, and who is destroying the Great Wall!
Isn’t Fang Chongyong of today the same as them of tomorrow?
If Fang Chongyong was like this, who among them could escape a tragic ending?
There are many things that cannot be talked about, because if you talk about them, you will cry.

When a rabbit dies, the fox mourns; all creatures feel grief for their own kind!
Who dares to say that what happens today will not happen to him in the future?
"Well, even if you have forgotten all those things, you should remember the Rebellion of the Four Kings, right? Huangfu Weiming has now established a new court in Yecheng, and the rebel army is wreaking havoc in Hebei and Hedong. Don't you think it doesn't exist?

I ask you, who went to Shuofang and stopped the rebellious Uighurs?

Who led the troops to rescue Hedong and defend Taiyuan City?

Who persuaded Cai Xide to submit to the Tang Dynasty?
Who made Shi Siming afraid to cross Chitang Pass?

Did all those rebel soldiers commit suicide?

Where were you when I led the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army to fight bloody battles against the bandit army in Hebei!

In this section, I would like to ask: What crime have I committed? What crime have Silver Spear Filial Piety committed?

Which national law or military regulation have we violated?
Despite such a great achievement, the court not only did not reward him, but instead wanted to kill him!

Is this the national justice you are pursuing, serving your country for your entire life?

Is this how you serve your king?

If you repay kindness with evil, why complain?
Wang Zhongsi!
Just because of a word from that tyrant, you want to kill your own relatives for the sake of justice, you want to cut down the pillars of the country, you want to kill the soldiers who fought for the country!
You are such a foolish and loyal person! You can't tell right from wrong, good from evil!
To obey the imperial edict is to do small good and be fussy about details; to kill meritorious officials is to commit great evil and commit a heinous crime!
You are not worthy of being a general!"

Fang Chongyong vented his anger violently and cursed to his heart's content.

However, he also knew that this was actually useless. If a fight really came to a head, he would have no chance of winning.

Shhh!
Wang Zhongsi pinched his lips and whistled.

The ambushes on both sides of the mountain road immediately disappeared into the forest. The army blocking the road behind him retreated to the side of the road and put their weapons on the ground to show that they were not a threat.

Wang Zhongsi dismounted, walked forward, took off the sword from his waist, and handed it over with both hands.

Fang Chongyong quickly dismounted to take it, then looked at Wang Zhongsi with a complicated expression, not knowing what the other party was up to.

"A Xiu and the others have all gone to Bianzhou. You don't need to go back to Chang'an, go to Bianzhou instead. Take a detour after leaving Queshu Valley, as I'm afraid the Saint may have ambushed troops in Puzhou.

We will say goodbye today, and we may meet again on the battlefield, so please take care of yourself."

Wang Zhongsi sighed and said.

"Father-in-law, why do you want to protect that tyrant?"

Fang Chongyong persuaded.

“The saint raised me in the palace, like a father and son.

The kindness of being recognized and appreciated can never be repaid.

A sage can betray me, but I cannot betray a sage. This is the way of loyalty and filial piety.

Wang Yanshu will follow you from now on. He is still young and naive, and is not as smart and courageous as you are. You should help him more in the future.

As for the saints..."

Wang Zhongsi smiled bitterly and shook his head, not knowing how to comment.

"Go."

Wang Zhongsi waved his hand, and those who were still standing in the middle of the road blocking the way immediately hid aside.

"Take care, father-in-law."

Fang Chongyong clasped his fists and saluted Wang Zhongsi.

He jumped on his horse and shouted to the troops behind him: "Speed ​​up the march!"

Seeing that there would be no major battle, the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, from officers to soldiers, breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that they were afraid of death, but no one wanted to die in such despair.

The three thousand soldiers passed through Queshu Valley quickly and efficiently, and the whole process was orderly.

"General Jie, how are you going to explain to the Saint that you let Fang Guozhong go?"

Gao Xianzhi walked up and asked Wang Zhongsi, looking worried.

"Fang Guozhong has made great contributions to the country. Even if he made mistakes, he is not guilty of death. As for how to explain to the saint, that is the business of this commander, and it will not implicate you.

The Silver Spear Filial Piety Army is brave and good at fighting, so it is not surprising that our ambush failed and allowed them to pass through the Queshu Valley."

Wang Zhongsi sighed and didn't want to explain any more.

As for what the saint should do, in fact, the Tang Dynasty has become like this now, what can the saint do?

Wang Zhongsi understood many things, he just didn't want to mention them.

The majesty of the imperial power does not lie in who is the emperor, who is the crown prince, who is the prince, and who can succeed to the throne. It lies in the word "inheritance".

The most important things are how to pass on power to the next emperor, the process, and the rules of inheritance.

Wang Zhongsi came to protect Brother Ji just for the sake of "inheritance", but he didn't have the courage to say it, nor could he say it.

Because everything Fang Chongyong did before, except for the mutiny in Chang'an, was in line with his own idea, which was to protect the "inheritance".

Fang Zhongyong today is himself tomorrow, and Wang Zhongsi did not have much hope for his future. He also knew that compared with the generals under his command, Fang Zhongyong was already "loyal and faithful".

If a saint does evil things, he will be retaliated against by the military generals sooner or later!
However, even so, Wang Zhongsi still tried his best to restore the Tang Dynasty's heritage, although he knew it was almost impossible for him to do so.

If one does what Fang Youde did and establishes a crown prince, then the crown prince will become a tool and plaything of the ministers in the future.

Wang Zhongsi was very disappointed that Fang Youde couldn't see this!
"Let the whole army march to Taiyuan City.

This time, we have gathered 100,000 elite troops and will enter Hebei from Jingxing. We must take Hebei in one fell swoop and wipe out the rebels!"

Wang Zhongsi sighed, waved his hand, and signaled the team to withdraw.

In fact, he had never thought of attacking the other side, Chongyong and the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army. The military order had been issued before, and no force could be used this time.

Many of the people who came with them this time were Fang Zhongyong's former subordinates. If they killed the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, how would they live in the future?

“The saint is really old and no longer understands what the people below are thinking.

Where is the Tang Dynasty headed?"

Looking at the geese flying north in the sky, Wang Zhongsi felt extremely heavy in his heart.

Even Fang Chongyong can’t protect himself, let alone others?

People's hearts are about to fall apart.

Wang Zhongsi subconsciously touched his sword and remembered that he had already given it to Fang Chongyong.

……

Yindi Pass, not far to the north of Huoyi County, is the exit of Queshu Valley. The frightened soldiers of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army did not feel relieved until they arrived here.

"Fuck! You damn dog emperor! I'm going to massacre Taiyuan!"

He Changqi slammed the helmet on his head to the ground, his face flushed with anger!
"There are probably 100,000 elite soldiers gathered in Taiyuan City now. If you want revenge, you can just go and kill that dog emperor.

We will give you all the armor to ensure that you are invulnerable."

Fang Zhongyong said lazily, sat on a big rock to catch his breath, and then took a big gulp of water!

Are you convinced? Of course he is not convinced! But what can he do if he is not convinced?
Those who go can not be remonstrated, and those who come can still be chased.

The strong never complain about the environment and never regret the past!

"General Jie, now that we have become rebels against the imperial court, are we going to Hebei to seek refuge with Huangfu Weiming?"

Che Guangqian asked with a heavy face.

"Do you like being a dog so much? Isn't Li Wan a prince of Li Tang? Isn't Huangfu Weiming an ambitious person?"

Fang Chongyong responded bluntly. He seldom criticized Che Guangqian normally, but this time it was because it was a life-and-death situation and there was no room for any mistakes.

Che Guangqian lowered her head awkwardly and said nothing.

"Let me ask you a question: have you had enough of being dogs? Do you still want to be dogs for the Li family?"

Fang Chongyong looked around the crowd and asked.

“I don’t want to be a dog.”

Duan Xueshi, who had been silent, suddenly interrupted.

In fact, after this battle, no one in the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army would work for Brother Ji anymore, and there was even a possibility that they would kill him and join the Hebei rebels.

But that's all.

The idea of ​​the supremacy of imperial power is deeply rooted, leaving them with no choice!
"what about you?"

Fang Zhongyong looked at the others and asked.

“Those who like to be dogs for the Li family can now hide their identities and leave the team.

Just pretend we don’t know each other. In the future, we will go our separate ways. ”

Fang Zhongyong's expression was extremely serious, he looked around at everyone and said.

There was silence all around, and it was obvious that someone still had doubts.

Seeing that no one spoke, Fang Zhongyong sighed and said to everyone:
"Just now in Queshu Valley, we were already considered dead once. After dying once, shouldn't we try to find a new way to live?
From today on, I will no longer be called Fang Chongyong, nor will I be called Guozhong.

From now on, you can call us Fang Qing, and we will clean up the world’s Qing!

My courtesy name is Jutian, which means huge, and means the pillar that supports the sky.

You can call me Fang Jutian. This is what I want, what do you think? "

"it is good!"

Che Guangqian raised her hand and said, "We have all died once. From now on, we will follow the commander, into water and fire! We will go through fire and water without hesitation! Anyone who agrees with me, raise your hand!"

"Yes, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Everyone shouted in unison and raised a hand!

I think the wanted list of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army will be posted everywhere soon.

Anyone who leaves the team will die!
Only by sticking together can we survive!

"Okay, now that we've confirmed this, the question is, where are we going next?"

Fang Chongyong finally raised the most crucial question.

"General Jie, let's go to Chang'an, kill all the members of the Li Tang royal family, rob the treasury of that dog emperor, and take all the money and treasures with us wherever we want!"

He Changqi quickly raised this question, fearing that his colleagues' unreliable suggestions would lead Fang Chongyong astray.

However, upon hearing this, everyone smiled bitterly and shook their heads.

He Changqi was an excellent captain of the personal guards and a marching vanguard. He could even be said to be the fastest sharp knife of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army.

But let’s forget about asking him for advice.

What does "a dog can't spit out ivory" mean? Just look at He Changqi's appearance and you will know.

"General, occupy Puzhou and cut off the food supply route to Hedong. This strategy is feasible."

Che Guangqian suggested with a fist clasped.

"It looks beautiful, but we can't stand up to the 100,000 elite soldiers in Hedong. If they attack us, can we still resist?"

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand.

"Brother-in-law, let's go to Bianzhou."

Fang Chongyong's brother-in-law Wang Yanshu suggested that this was actually the arrangement of the Wang family, as Fang Chongyong's family had already gone to Bianzhou.

"We do need to go to Bianzhou, but we cannot take the Hedong Road to Bianzhou."

Fang Zhongyong said in a deep voice, and drew a very rough topographic map on the ground. With just a few strokes, he gave a rough picture of Hedong with its mountains and rivers.

"The imperial army might be lying in ambush in Hedong Road. This time, my father-in-law and his old subordinates will no longer be with me. If I go, I will die.

The way to survive is to go east from Jinzhou, take the less traveled path to Luzhou. Then go through Hukou Pass, exit Fukou Pass, and reach the border of Yecheng. "

Yecheng?

Isn’t that the rebels’ capital?
This is such a big joke!
"Marshal Jie, if we go to Yecheng, then that doesn't mean..."

Che Guangqian hadn't finished her words yet, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt... this trick seemed interesting.

"Do you think Huangfu Weiming will attack us? Do you still think of yourselves as the elite of the imperial army?

We are the rebels now!"

Fang Zhongyong couldn't help but point it out.

Everyone looked at each other, as if they understood something.

(End of this chapter)