Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 484: Vigorous Performance Art (Part )
Seeing Li Jiaqing tied up without any escort, Li Mi asked curiously, "General Li, what is going on?"

It was Li Heng who stepped forward and untied Li Jiaqing. In fact, the defenders of Luoyang City could have done the job, but Li Jiaqing strongly requested the soldiers not to untie him, and he must let the prince see his "miserable condition".

"Prince, Mr. Li, something terrible has happened. Fang Chongyong and the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army have occupied Bianzhou. I was not careful enough and fell into their trap, but fortunately no one was injured."

Li Jiaqing did not care that they were at the city gate and told Crown Prince Li Heng and Prime Minister Li Mi, who was "appointed" by Li Heng, everything that happened in Bianzhou.

After hearing this explosive news, everyone gasped!
The bandit troops from Hebei were coming in full force, and they were blocked north of the Yellow River, so Luoyang was already stretched to the limit.

The Silver Spear Xiaojie Army is one of the strongest armies in the world. It is the best of the border troops and has been trained in the Western Regions and other places, so it has extremely rich combat experience.

Their occupation of Bianzhou is not necessarily good news for Li Heng!
"I almost forgot that Fang Zhongyong wrote a letter to the prince."

Li Jiaqing quickly took out the letter from his arms and handed it to Li Heng.

"Your Highness, this is not the place to talk. This matter is of great importance and we must consider it carefully!"

Li Mi suggested calmly.

Neither Fang Zhongyong nor the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army could be easily dismissed. Li Heng nodded slightly, his face as gloomy as water, and called everyone back to Shangyang Palace to discuss important matters.

When they arrived at Shangyang Palace, Li Heng summoned Fang Youde, who was training in the military camp outside Luoyang City. He circulated Fang Zhongyong's handwritten letter among the crowd, then looked at Fang Youde and asked, "Quanzhong, Fang Guozhong is your only son, what does his letter mean?"

"He has a wolfish ambition and deserves death!"

Fang Youde suddenly uttered eight words.

Li Heng and Li Mi were both shocked, fearing that Fang Youde would sacrifice his own family for the sake of justice, so they proposed to lead troops to attack Bianzhou!
They really can't afford to make trouble now!
"But now the Hebei bandits are eyeing us covetously. We can't do anything to these evil beasts for the time being. Alas, it's unfortunate for our family."

Fang Youde couldn't help but shook his head and sighed.

"Marshal Fang is loyal to his country and a role model for all officials!"

Li Mi couldn't help but admire him, and then he changed the subject and continued to ask, "How should we respond to what Fang Zhongyong mentioned in his letter?"

This "General Fang" had a big appetite. As soon as he opened his mouth, he asked for the six wealthy states in Henan Province, namely Bianzhou, Songzhou, Caozhou, Chenzhou, Bozhou and Yingzhou, as well as the power to recruit soldiers and deploy troops.

If the toxicity of the Hebei rebels is 100, then the toxicity of this unruly General Fang is at least 50.

Even if they are not birds of a feather, they are not far apart.

"Your Highness, many of the things I say may not be appropriate, but in an emergency, I cannot care less.

Now the rebel army in Hebei is eyeing us covetously. We are under great pressure and cannot withdraw troops to Bianzhou. Moreover, Bianzhou really needs a capable and skilled general to guard it.

Fang Chongyong occupied Bianzhou with his troops, which showed that he did not choose to collude with the Hebei bandit army.

I believe that the Crown Prince entering Chang'an and ascending the throne is the first priority; pacifying Hebei is the second; and retaking Bianzhou is the last. It is fine to leave it to the end.

Since Fang Chongyong asked for these six states, let him take charge of them for the time being. Luoyang won't give him a single grain of rice or a piece of cloth anyway.

The Hebei bandit army is coming, and they won’t care whether he is the prince’s man or not!
The prince could openly appoint Fang Chongyong as the governor of Xuanwu Army, and then issue a manifesto to denounce the current emperor for killing loyal and good people.

Moreover, several princes have been appointed as military governors by the emperor in Jingxiang and east of Mount Tai. The prince might as well appoint other princes at the same time as he appoints Fang Zhongyong as the military governor of Zhongwu Army to hedge against this."

Fang Youde proposed a plan, which was as effective as stabbing Ji Ge in the back.

Hearing this, Li Mi also echoed: "Your Highness, Marshal Fang is right. Your Highness can even replace the provincial governor. The emperor is in Hedong now, and he is unable to govern."

There cannot be a power vacuum. Once a power vacuum appears, other forces will take advantage of it.

Ji Ge was unable to govern in Hedong, and the bureaucratic system in Chang'an lacked legitimacy. At this time, the prince of Luoyang spoke up and appointed and dismissed local officials, which was equivalent to "grafting" Ji Ge's power.

Since Ji Ge is unable to exercise the power of the emperor properly, someone will exercise the power on his behalf.

"My two beloved ministers, what you said is absolutely true!"

When he heard that it would cause trouble for Brother Ji, Li Heng immediately became excited!
"Mr. Li, draft an imperial edict immediately and follow what Mr. Fang just said."

He gave instructions to Li Mi anxiously.

"I will do it now."

Li Mi took the order and left promptly.

After he left, Li Heng sighed softly. Fang Youde asked, "As the saying goes, fathers and sons fight together in battle. Why can't you persuade Fang Guozhong to serve me wholeheartedly?"

"He... I am deeply ashamed for my poor parenting skills. Your Highness, please just think that I have never given birth to this son."

Fang Youde smiled bitterly.

Of course, he knew what kind of evil thing was inside Fang Zhongyong's body. For that kind of person, he could only be "persuaded" with a knife, and talking was useless.

……

Kaifeng was the seat of Bianzhou and was located at a key node on the canal, so its commerce was very prosperous.

So, since the rebellion in Hebei, has Kaifeng been depressed because of the war?
the answer is negative.

Because the Yellow River became the front line of the battle between the two armies, Kaifeng became the end point of the Tongji Canal and the distribution center for land transportation to the north.

Instead of becoming depressed due to the war, this place became even more lively.

The grain ships on the canal could not sail to Heyin County, let alone go directly to Chang'an, so they had to unload and load cargo at the ferry outside Kaifeng City.

With passenger flow, there will naturally be business. With a large number of foreign population, business will naturally flourish.

Before, when getting off the ferry, each person had to pay a penny of "head tax". The business here is large, and everything from food, clothing, housing and transportation is free. Therefore, although Kaifeng is not a large county, there are market towns and ferry crossings everywhere, and its prosperity is no less than that of Taiyuan in Hedong.

That day, Fang Zhongyong and his subordinates came to the canal ferry in the east of the city for inspection. This is the largest ferry near Kaifeng, and only Yangzhou has a larger ferry than this one.

People come and go, shoulder to shoulder, and the sounds of business calls are endless.

Fang Chongyong and his companions could not ride horses here. If they did, they would most likely knock down pedestrians.

"General Ji, there are so many people here. If a war breaks out, how can we resist it?"

He was wearing a brocade robe, dressed like a wealthy businessman, but his temperament seemed out of place, He Changqi asked in a low voice.

A temporary market has been formed near the ferry, with stalls opening in the morning and closing in the evening, and the items sold are also varied. Fang Youde originally asked the Xuanwu Army to collect "protection fees" here, but now that Fang Chongyong has taken over Bianzhou, he has not yet continued this policy.

Fang Chongyong did not respond to He Changqi's words. He just stared at the passers-by, looking thoughtful.

"Jie Shuai?"

He Changqi shouted again.

"Bianzhou cannot be defended simply by defending it."

Fang Zhongyong sighed and said, he also felt powerless. Of course, if it was just a matter of defending, it would be true.

So, since stubborn defense is not an option, we can only use "mobile defense" and "active defense".

"Old Duan, I heard that you were very good at infrastructure construction when you were in the Shuofang Army?"

Fang Chongyong asked Duan Xueshi.

"Infrastructure? Oh, yes. At that time, I was often in charge of building bridges and roads, and constructing fortresses and castles in the army. I have quite some experience in this!" Duan Xueshi replied quickly.

"Okay! Now let's go back to the government office. I have something important to ask you to do."

Fang Chongyong suddenly thought of something interesting and was eager to do it.

The group returned to the government office with a lot on their minds, and Fang Chongyong also called his servant A Duan over.

He pointed at Ah Duan and said to Che Guangqian, "I am a servant who was born in the mountains and forests. I have a lot of experience in catching tigers and leopards. You select a hundred capable soldiers from the army and search the mountains and forests of Bianzhou and nearby counties to see if you can catch some tigers and leopards alive."

"General Jie, are you sure you want to capture tigers and leopards?"

Che Guangqian thought she had heard it wrong.

"Yes, it is indeed to catch tigers and leopards."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and repeated the military order.

During the Tang Dynasty, there were many tigers and leopards in Henan, and they even gathered in many remote areas to cause harm to the local area.

There are also many mountains and forests named after "tigers and leopards" to remind outsiders not to enter easily, so as not to become food for tigers and leopards. In short, encountering wolves, tigers and leopards on the road was a common practice in the Tang Dynasty, and there are many related records in historical materials.

What Fang Chongyong said about "catching tigers and leopards" is not uncommon. Many warriors and even mountain dwellers have done it.

But what to do with these beasts is a matter of opinion. Anyway, Che Guangqian and others didn't understand what Fang Zhongyong was going to do.

"Do you have any questions?"

Fang Chongyong asked Aduan.

"Don't worry, Alang."

Ah Duan replied in awkward Chinese.

"He Lao Hu, go to the army and pick out some brave and strong soldiers. They will be of great use to me."

Fang Chongyong instructed He Changqi.

"Order!"

After everyone left, Fang Chongyong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The more dangerous the war, the more powerful the attack to calm people's hearts. When the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army first arrived in Bianzhou, people's hearts were not attached to them, and the locals did not know whether they could fight or what their level was.

Since there is no trust, things will naturally go wrong at critical moments.

Without breaking down the psychological barriers, many of the subsequent tasks would not be able to be carried out. Not to mention governing the six states, even Bianzhou might not be within Fang Chongyong's control.

The loyalty of the newly trained soldiers is definitely far less than that of the veteran soldiers of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army.

The effect is not visible in normal times, but it will be exposed once a war breaks out.

Moreover, all the local people actually had doubts about whether the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army could defend Bianzhou.

If Fang Zhongyong fails to establish his authority, then neither the local self-cultivating farmers, nor the landlords, nor the merchants who come and go, will take the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army seriously.

Fang Chongyong rubbed his temple. He used to rely on Ji Ge's authority in the court. Whether he went to the Western Regions to be a big boss or went to Hedong to save the situation, he could take over the local military, political and civil affairs naturally.

But now I am working on my own, and things that used to be a natural thing have now become an unattainable luxury.

The authority established by putting a knife on the neck is no different from street thugs. Like a castle on the beach, it will be destroyed by a wave.

How easy is it to establish local authority independent of the Tang Dynasty government?

At this moment, Fang Chongyong also experienced the troubles of being a rebel. It is easy to roam around, but it is difficult to establish a base.

It is like a senior executive of a large company in the past life who started a small company on his own. Things that could be done with just a word in the past are now often like climbing a mountain, which is difficult to accomplish with great effort.

Just when he was racking his brains for a solution, Wang Yunxiu actually came to the government office from his home.

"Madam, why are you here at the government office? Weren't you too tired to move last night?"

As soon as Fang Chongyong saw Wang Yunxiu's dignified and virtuous appearance, he remembered her passionate desire for sex in bed last night. The contrast was so great that he couldn't help but tease her.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Wang Yunxiu stomped her feet in shame and anger. Her body was extremely craving for a man's care last night, but it was not her fault. It was her body that betrayed her will.

"There is something urgent. Return to the house immediately."

Wang Yunxiu came over and spoke in a low voice.

"what's up?"

Fang Chongyong asked back with a puzzled look on his face. He didn't think anything could happen to his family.

Apart from the fact that Fang Laiqiao married Zheng Shuqing's niece but didn't know how to have his wedding night, there was nothing major happening at home.

"There are unexpected guests! Don't make them public!"

Wang Yunxiu said seriously.

Fang Zhongyong also put away the lustful thoughts in his heart, nodded slightly and said: "Okay, I will go back now."

The two returned to the mansion in Kaifeng City. Wang Yunxiu led Fang Zhongyong to the study. After seeing who was coming, Fang Zhongyong blurted out, "Why is it you?"

……

Looking at the old man with white hair in front of him, Fang Zhongyong sighed helplessly and said, "No matter what, the Dugu family will be fine in Chang'an. Why did you come all the way to Bianzhou?"

Sitting opposite him was the father of his concubine, Dugu Shisan Niang: Dugu Li.

"My dear son-in-law, I am here for an important matter."

Dugu Li rubbed his hands and smiled awkwardly. If you ask someone to do something for you, you must be humble.

"You must be talking about Prince Ying Li Yu, his wife is Lady Dugu Twelve. I can tell what he wants to do with my toes."

Fang Chongyong took the letter from Dugu Li, and it turned out to be a handwritten letter from Ying Wang Li Yu. Fang Chongyong thought he had seen through the hearts and minds of the powerful people in Chang'an like Dugu Li!

Sure enough, after opening the letter, Li Lu first exchanged some pleasantries, and then proposed in the letter that Fang Chongyong lead his troops to Xiangyang, where he would ascend the throne and become emperor.

As long as Fang Zhongyong is willing to come, all military power will be under his control!
In the future, when Prince Ying inherits the throne, as long as it is not the throne, Fang Chongyong will be given whatever he wants, and he can afford it!
I have to say that if we only look at the promises in this letter, Li Lu's sincerity is indeed very sufficient.

To put it simply, he is willing to take the initiative to become a banner for Fang Zhongyong, so that he can recruit soldiers under the name of Li Lu!
You and I are brothers-in-law, and king and subject, which is a close relationship! Why don't we join forces?

Li Lu’s plan was very sound!
"My dear son-in-law, when I arrived in Bianzhou, I found it to be extremely prosperous.

In fact, even if we ask Prince Ying to come to Bianzhou, it is also possible. All you need to do is say a word, and I will go back and pass on the message."

Dugu Li chuckled, as if he had already seen that he and his family would soon prosper.

(End of this chapter)