Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 488 Standing Like a Hero
Early in the morning of that day, a lot of people gathered outside the lobby of the Xuanwu Army Jiedushi's office in Kaifeng City.

They were all the entourage of the governors of the prefectures under the jurisdiction of the Jiedushi, and some of them held official positions such as county lieutenants. It was a pity that they could not enter the hall to participate in the military discussion and could only wait here.

At this moment, Fang Zhongyong was already sitting in the main seat in the hall. On his left were the governors and prefectural governors wearing red official robes, and on his right were the generals of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, all sitting in front of their respective desks, not saying a word.

Only Liu Changqing, wearing a green robe, stood alone in an inconspicuous place near the gate. There were also a few people behind Fang Zhongyong who he didn't know, who seemed to be his staff. The more than ten people in the lobby were silent, waiting for Fang Zhongyong to speak.

"Everyone, the defense area of ​​Xuanwu Town is very large, and there are no famous mountains or rivers to rely on.

The Xuanwu Army has limited manpower. If the Hebei rebels raise 200,000 troops to attack, what should we do?"

Fang Zhongyong looked around at everyone and asked, looking at the row of provincial governors.

Bianzhou Governor Guo Na, Songzhou Governor Li Jiayou, Caozhou Governor Li Pengnian, Chenzhou Governor Xue Yuan, Yingzhou Governor Chen Shu and Bozhou Sima Yan Bojun and others all lowered their heads unconsciously and had no intention of speaking at all.

If they had any other way, they wouldn't have come today at all!
Aren’t we coming here to seek help from Fang Zhongyong?
"What about you?"

Fang Chongyong looked at He Changqi and others and asked.

"Whoever the commander tells us to kill, we will kill! No second thoughts!"

He Changqi quickly stood up and saluted.

Ugh!
Fang Zhongyong sighed silently. It was indeed impossible to hear any valuable and constructive suggestions from He Changqi.

Although he already knew the result would be like this.

"Everything is decided by the commander!"

The generals of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army shouted in unison.

"Well, the army's morale can be used!"

Fang Zhongyong gave a mild compliment, and the hall fell into awkward silence again.

He calmly winked at Feng Changqing beside him. The latter understood and stood up and said:
"General, I think that Bianzhou cannot be defended, or we need to attack instead of defend, so that the Hebei bandits dare not go south to the canal. If we want to defend Bianzhou to the death, we must have an army of 100,000.

I have calculated that before the war, it costs at least 20 strings of money to support one soldier a year. Even if we collect the wealth of the six states, we can only maintain 30,000 soldiers in the short term.

We can’t afford to waste time with the enemy army.”

Feng Changqing's algorithm may not be reliable, but it expressed in one sentence what many provincial governors wanted to say but did not dare to say.

In fact, in order to deal with the war, these governors have recruited some soldiers in their own states, and these underdogs with varying qualities can only protect themselves. The quantity has increased, but the quality is hard to describe.

Bianzhou enjoys the benefits of the canal and is extremely rich, so it is not a problem to maintain more soldiers.

In fact, many provincial governors also wanted to ask Fang Chongyong for money when they came to Kaifeng this time.

"Envoy Guo, what do you think?"

Fang Chongyong suddenly called out the name of Guo Na, the governor of Bianzhou, who was sitting near him.

This person actually supported him quite a lot. After Fang Chongyong came to Bianzhou, Guo Na basically followed whatever orders he gave.

But that's it.

The problem with Guo Na is that he has no ability and no position. Just like those shameless women in Fang Zhongyong's previous life, any man can have sex with this woman.

Fang Zhongyong was very sure that if Xuanwu Town changed its governor, Guo Na would also be "happy to pledge his loyalty". It would be better to uproot this fence-sitter as soon as possible.

"Whatever the commander says is fine, I will do it."

Guo Na, a middle-aged man with a scholarly air, looked quite elegant and kind. He saluted Chongyong with his hands crossed.

"Strong winds reveal strong grass, and turbulent times reveal loyal ministers.

"Envoy Guo's loyalty to the court is evident to all!"

Fang Zhongyong couldn't help but sigh, but his tone was a little perfunctory, as if he was speaking in clichés.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Liu Changqing standing near the door in the lobby, still not stepping out to cause trouble, and he couldn't help but secretly despise him in his heart.

No wonder some people say “A scholar’s ​​rebellion will fail in three years”!
The biggest shortcoming of intellectuals is that they are often hesitant and not decisive enough, which ultimately leads to them failing to accomplish great things.

And those intellectuals who act decisively are all outstanding figures, and their names are recorded in history.

Liu Changqing is a man of quick mind. Last night he told Guo Na many secrets. He has the ambition to make progress, but unfortunately his ability to do things is lacking.

Fang Chongyong commented silently in his heart.

"Liu Mingfu, do you have anything to say? I saw you took a step forward and then retreated. Are you worried that I and the other envoys will ridicule you?

You worry too much!

Soldiers, the country's major events, the place of death and life, the way of survival, must be observed.

Today, there are only military orders and strategies here, no distinction between high and low positions, no hierarchy! If you have something to say, just speak up. As long as your words are meaningful and reasonable, this commander will give you a commendation! "

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall looked at Liu Changqing.

Huh? There's actually a county magistrate in a light green robe standing here!
Not to mention the provincial governors, even He Changqi and others did not take Liu Changqing seriously at first.

During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao periods, the Tang Dynasty had more than 1600 counties. To be honest, it is understandable that ordinary county magistrates were not taken seriously by the bureaucracy, including themselves.

Of course, the magistrates of Chang'an County and Wannian County are another matter. The magistrates of those counties wore scarlet robes, and their official ranks were different from those of ordinary magistrates.

Liu Changqing originally wanted to wait until the meeting was about to end before talking about it, but he didn't expect Fang Chongyong to actually pick him out to "break the formation". He immediately felt that something was wrong.

This is like when Fang Chongyong was in his previous life, his company wanted to send him on a business trip out of town.

He thought he would be chartered and picked up by a special car. But in the end, he had to take a green train for more than ten hours. When he arrived, he was unfamiliar with the place and could not get a taxi. He had to take a short-distance bus to go into the mountains.

The starting point and the end point are the same, but the path is very different from what you imagined, and the experience it brings is also very different!
"General, I have something to say, and I want to tell you in front of you and the other envoys. Please forgive me if I am not thorough enough!"

Liu Changqing stepped out, saluted Fang Zhongyong with his arms crossed, and bowed deeply.

"Mr. Liu Mingfu can speak freely."

Fang Chongyong said calmly.

Liu Changqing said without hesitation:

"General, military and national affairs should not be taken lightly.

The six states of Xuanwu Town can be said to be integrated in advancement and retreat. Once problems occur in any state, it will have immeasurable impact on other places.

Therefore, I think that General Guo is a frivolous person. When the bandits in Hebei were eyeing us covetously and sharpening their knives every night, he actually recruited dancers and singers in the yamen and even went to the point of walking around at night with candlelight.

It was only after the governor came to Bianzhou that he began to restrain himself a little. If Guo Na continues to serve as the governor of Bianzhou, I am afraid that changes will happen soon. Please be careful, governor!"

Liu Changqing just knelt down and couldn't get up!
If the world was peaceful in the past, Liu Changqing would have dug his own grave by doing this. Complaining about his immediate superior in front of many people, regardless of winning or losing, and regardless of whether he was right or wrong, would give other officials a stereotype of being "unruly".

It is inevitable that we will be excluded and suppressed in the future.

Moreover, the Jiedushi was in charge of military affairs, while the Inspector was in charge of civil affairs. In principle, the two were not allowed to interfere with each other. Only when the military situation on the frontier was urgent could they "handle it conveniently". Liu Changqing, the county magistrate, reported the Inspector to the Jiedushi, which would only make the Jiedushi embarrassed.

He should have complained to the "envoy", which is the main reason why the military governors of various border towns during the Tianbao period often also served as envoys.

But now the war has begun, and there is even a trend of continuous expansion. So Liu Changqing's move, which seems to undermine the laws of the court, is actually a new means of adapting to the new situation. That's quite interesting.

Guo Na quickly defended himself to Chong Yong, "General, Liu Changqing is not well-informed and is talking nonsense. His words cannot be trusted!"

Guo Na's voice was filled with tension and uncontrollable fear.

In his opinion, Liu Changqing had already been falsely accused once and reduced to a county magistrate, so why didn't he just stop? If he was demoted again, he wouldn't even be able to be a county lieutenant, and would only be dismissed from his post!

At this moment, Guo Na hated Liu Changqing to death.

"General, the war is imminent, so we shouldn't make too much trouble. Envoy Guo has done nothing wrong before, so we can urge him to be more disciplined and do his job well.

Focus on stability.”

Li Pengnian, the governor of Caozhou, came to the rescue of Guo Na.

In fact, he was not familiar with Guo Na, and the two had no friendship. But there is no doubt that Liu Changqing's behavior has violated the unspoken rules of the officialdom. Who dares to say that he will not be the next "Guo Na"? If there are more "lower-ups" in the future, who can bear it?

But apparently some people don't think so.

Yingzhou Governor Chen Shu saluted Fang Zhongyong with his hands crossed and said:
"General, the governor of a state is the leader of a state in normal times, and the leader of an army in times of war. Now that we are facing a powerful enemy, any slackness in any state will affect other states. This is a matter of life and death.

It's fine to fool around with the pedantic rules of the officialdom on ordinary days. But if we continue to fool around at this critical moment, wouldn't that put everyone in danger?
Therefore, I think it would be better for the commander-in-chief to request to Luoyang and suggest that Envoy Guo be transferred from Bianzhou to Luoyang to serve as an official.

If a war really breaks out, I won't mind dying, but if I cause millions of people to die with me, that would be the greatest sin, and I will never refuse death."

Eh? There's an expert!

Fang Chongyong could not help but glance at Yingzhou Governor Chen Shu, only to find that he was strong and masculine, and obviously came from a military background, which was in stark contrast to the other governors who looked like weak scholars.

Only those who have experienced war can understand how terrifying it is to put someone like Guo Na in a key position.

You led your troops out to fight, and he was having a party in the rear with singing and dancing, and then the enemy came over... and nothing happened.

Obviously, Chen Shu's words were very harsh, and he almost openly broke off relations with Guo Na!

"What do you think?"

Fang Zhongyong asked with difficulty.

The hall was silent, and everyone had a different expression on their face.

Some people gloat over other people's misfortune, some people grieve over the loss of others, some people look solemn, and some people just watch the show as a spectator.

"Marshal Fang, please make the decision for me!"

Guo Na stepped out, put his official hat on the ground, then bowed and stood still, waiting for his fate.

Fang Chongyong hurriedly walked forward, supported him, and sat back in his original seat.

But the official hat was not returned to him and remained on the ground. Everyone looked at Fang Zhongyong, waiting for his answer.

"Everyone, Henan's defense is of utmost importance and cannot be neglected in the slightest."

Fang Zhongyong then looked at Guo Na and said, "Envoy Guo, the Crown Prince is short of trusted people. I will write to the Crown Prince and arrange for you to serve as an official in Luoyang and be a close minister to the Crown Prince. You can take up the post immediately."

Upon hearing this, Guo Na was overjoyed!

Not to mention that Luoyang is much safer than Bianzhou, the four words "Prince's close minister" are of extraordinary value.

"Then shall I set off now?"

Guo Na asked.

"This is natural."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly.

The meeting here is to discuss how to defend against the southward advance of the Hebei rebels.

You're not even a governor, so how can you still be qualified to stay here?
Guo Na hurriedly nodded and bowed to Fang Zhongyong, said goodbye to his colleagues, and strode out of the lobby of the Bianzhou government office.

Since it was a substantive "promotion", there was no need to care about people like Liu Changqing. Guo Na was too lazy to pay attention to Liu Changqing. He believed that there would be plenty of opportunities to make trouble for him in the future.

At this moment, in the crowded lobby, a table suddenly became empty. Everyone was secretly wondering who would sit at this table.

Liu Changqing, who was standing like a minion near the gate in the lobby, thought to himself: Hey, it's my turn, Liu Wenfang, to attend next!

However, Fang Chongyong did not speak to Liu Changqing, but said to Yuan Jie, who was standing not far from him and was thought to be the Jiedushi's staff, "Yuan Cishan, you will serve as the acting governor of Bianzhou. After the meeting, this Jiedushi will report this matter to the crown prince."

Eh?
Everyone in the hall, including the generals of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army, was shocked!
Fang Chongyong had not greeted them before, not even a hint.

Yuan Jie himself didn't know about this. When he heard Fang Chongyong calling him, he was still confused.

After he reacted, he stepped out and saluted Fang Zhongyong.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce him to you. This is Yuan Jie Yuan Cishan, a Jinshi, and the former governor of Weizhou in Hebei Province.

When the rebel army came, he defeated the 10,000-man army of Yin Ziqi with only 500 old and weak soldiers, and successfully broke through the siege with some civilians.

Yuan Cishan used to be a governor, but he no longer had the territory to govern. He was not lacking in abilities.

He fought to the death against the enemy and refused to surrender. His character and integrity are trustworthy.

This commander intends to recommend Yuan Cishan to the crown prince as the new governor of Bianzhou. What do you think? "

Fang Zhongyong's words were like a big stone thrown into a small pond, instantly causing an uproar!
Yuan Jie is like an experienced driver who has been driving for many years. His car was stolen, but his driving skills were not stolen. If he is given a "new car", he will be able to drive it quickly.

This is much more reliable than catching a "road killer" who has only learned to drive for two days from a driving school and asking him to drive a new car.

The others were fine. After all, they had no grudge against Yuan Jie, and they didn't feel any real pain about this matter. They just felt a little impressed by the meticulousness and perfection of Marshal Fang Jie in front of them.

This smooth combo is well-reasoned and indisputable, combining defense and attack!

He passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, served as a provincial governor, and fought against rebels.

The trinity makes the resume almost invincible.

Yuan Jie, the governor of Bianzhou, is a well-deserved person to be appointed as such, and no one present can say anything against it!

As for whether Li Heng would agree, haha, that depends on whether he wants to be slapped in the face by Fang Zhongyong. As long as Li Heng is not the kind of person who is born to be a jerk, he will never make a fuss about such a thing.

"Marshal Fang Jie's words are very appropriate." Chen Shu saluted Fang Zhongyong with his arms crossed.

"Yes, Yuan Cishan has been the governor of Hebei Province for many years, and now he is the governor of Bianzhou, so it should be no problem for him to take on this position."

Several provincial governors immediately agreed. Anyway, there was nothing to object to.

However, everyone present was satisfied with the result, except Liu Changqing, because he became a clown.

Liu Changqing thought that he would be promoted to "Acting Governor" and then become a regular governor after a while!

How come Yuan Jie became the governor?

Liu Changqing couldn't understand. Hadn't he already agreed on this with Fang Chongyong before?
At this moment, his face turned red and white. Standing near the gate, he seemed to have become a minion!
(End of this chapter)