Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 489: The Clothing of the Nobles
Before the meeting could even begin, a governor was "eliminated"!
When Yuan Jie sat down in the position originally occupied by Guo Na, everyone present knew that Fang Chongyong had already laid out his plan.

The specific content of this plan is still unknown. It could be anything from resisting the Hebei rebels to dividing the land and becoming a king.

The expressions on the faces of the several provincial governors present were very cautious.

Perhaps ten years later, Fang Chongyong's intentions will be clear. But now it is like looking at people in the fog. Whether you can see through the current situation depends entirely on your personal skills.

Seeing that the atmosphere had cooled down, Fang Chongyong quickly ordered his personal soldiers to serve seasonal fruit plates to the provincial governors and military confidants in the hall, which were all seasonal fruits and melons.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Feng Changqing, who was behind Fang Zhongyong, stepped forward again, crossed his arms and saluted him, saying, "General, Bozhou is rich and has four large rivers for shipping. It is located in the southern rear area of ​​Bianzhou and is very important.

But now Bozhou has no governor, only Sima is temporarily in charge, which may not be appropriate in the long run. Please let the commander make the decision."

As soon as Feng Changqing finished speaking, the entire hall suddenly became silent.

The power to appoint and dismiss provincial governors was a huge power in the hands of the Jiedushi. This was the case during the Kaiyuan period, and the "Fengchaoshi" was responsible for this task. Since the positions of Fengchaoshi, Jiedushi, and Yingtianshi were integrated into one person, it was the ultimate form of the Ten Jiedushi during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao periods.

The envoy would report to Chang'an that the governor of a certain place needed to be replaced and that he was not competent enough. Usually, the Ministry of Personnel would approve it and replace him with someone else. Of course, there was also a series of complicated official games involved.

However, when Huangfu Weiming of Hebei raised the banner of rebellion, this set of smoothly running rules began to have a bug.

The Jiedushi, who had his own army, could use force to control the envoys, and he could even be the envoy himself! Then the Jiedushi had the ability to report to the "court" and "recommend" the replacement of a certain governor with another one. Moreover, because he had the support of force, he could execute first and report later, and drive away the governor he disliked.

The imperial court was no longer as powerful as it once was, and it no longer had the power to bargain with the Jiedushi. Without the cooperation of the Jiedushi, the governor could not run the government office when he arrived at the local area.

As a result, the Jiedushi had almost the power to appoint and dismiss local officials.

However, for an emergency like the sudden death of the governor of Bozhou, it still depends on who will react faster, the Jiedushi or the court.

There can't be a power vacuum. If there is a vacant official position in Bozhou and Fang Chongyong doesn't occupy it, the imperial court will send someone to occupy it!

This is exactly what Feng Changqing said.

"Everyone, what do you think?"

Fang Zhongyong looked around at everyone and asked, this question was somewhat intriguing.

Normally, the governor of a state is not allowed to interfere in the military, political and civil affairs of another state!
In fact, no matter what these provincial governors present said or not, it was useless!

This was when the imperial court was still "alive".

However, although the imperial court still exists, it has obviously become seriously ill and is unable to suppress the local areas.

This time the governor's support or opposition is more than just a rubber stamp.

"General, Bozhou is of great importance. If there is any change, the entire Henan defense line is in danger of collapse. I suggest that we select a person who is both civil and military in the army to serve as the governor of Bozhou, to ensure the food supply, train the soldiers, and achieve the effect of training soldiers and providing food."

Yuan Jie, the newly appointed governor of Bianzhou, quickly suggested to Fang Zhongyong. Intentionally or unintentionally, he also glanced at Yan Bojun who was sitting at the last seat.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Bozhou Sima Yan Bojun's face changed drastically!
"General Jie, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Yan Bojun quickly stood up and saluted.

At this moment, he was cursing madly in his heart, wishing he could dig up the graves of Yuan Jie's ancestors for eighteen generations!
The two obviously knew each other, and from their respective standpoints, they simply could not see eye to eye.

Yan Bojun was Xiao Yingshi's last disciple, and they had a very close relationship.

Xiao Yingshi was demoted and left idle because he was a foul-mouthed person. After being recruited by Li Linfu, he was unwilling to associate with him. He privately complained that Li Linfu was a good-for-nothing and even wrote an article "Fu on Cutting Down the Cherry Tree", using objects to describe people and making sarcastic remarks.

As a result, he was demoted out of the capital by Li Linfu, the right prime minister who was at the peak of his power at the time. He only returned to the capital after Li Linfu was assassinated.

Not to mention that Li Linfu himself was not a broad-minded person. Even if he didn't care about others criticizing him, in order to maintain his authority, he would definitely have to deal with Xiao Yingshi! The feud was getting deeper and deeper.

It just so happened that Yuan Jie was a scholar promoted by Li Linfu in the imperial examination, and it was the latter who paved the way for him to become the governor of Hebei. He regarded Li Linfu as his benefactor.

Xiao Yingshi is not a man with connections who can pull Yuan Jie to his side.

Everything Yuan Jie did was a "official character setting" and was done for others to see. This shows that he was a person who never forgot to dig wells when drinking water and who cared about his identity and position.

Rather, he was truly loyal to the deceased Li Linfu.

So now Yuan Jie can't stand Yan Bojun doing well and regards him as a political enemy. The latter also has a similar stance.

This is not a matter of personal vendetta, but rather one's inability to decide one's own fate in officialdom.

Yuan Jie's political skills have always been mature, and he inadvertently tricked Yan Bojun.

"Well, Sima Yan, you are in Bozhou, and I think you have your own unique insights. I am all ears now."

Fang Zhongyong smiled and made a "please" gesture to Yan Bojun. His tone and expression did not reveal his emotions. It was not necessarily a good choice for a general in the army to serve as a local governor. So how Fang Zhongyong should make a decision was still uncertain.

Of course, judging from the current situation, basically whoever Fang Zhongyong wants to be promoted can be promoted, and there is no obstruction in the power channel.

"General, your generals are invincible and unstoppable on the battlefield. But the provincial governors are usually involved in complicated cases, so they may not be able to handle these matters.

I suggest that we find someone familiar with the local customs in the Bozhou government office to take over for a while and see the results!"

Yan Bojun pretended to be indifferent while explaining to Chongyong.

"If Bozhou cannot contribute to the fight against the Hebei bandit army, then no matter how good this place is or how good its officials are, it will be of no use!"

Fang Zhongyong sighed and shook his head with some regret.

Everyone present looked thoughtful, and Fang Zhongyong's words were full of hidden meanings, revealing his dissatisfaction.

Yan Bojun sat down awkwardly, knowing that he had been made a clown this time and that his little thoughts had been exposed.

"How about this, I have reserved the Wanhua Tower in Kaifeng City. I won't go home until I'm drunk tonight, and then we can drink and chat.

Now the commander has to go inspect the canal, so please do as you please."

After saying that, Fang Chongyong stood up and left. All the generals of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army in the hall followed him out one after another.

The few governors who stayed behind looked at each other, exchanged greetings, and then left.

Only Liu Changqing, who was standing like a minion, stared at Yan Bojun with eyes that seemed to have deep meaning.

Yan Bojun also felt this gaze, so he asked with some doubt: "Is there anything wrong with Liu Mingfu?"

He didn't know Liu Changqing, but he could feel an inexplicable hostility from him.

"Ji Lanzi is indeed a wonderful person."

Liu Changqing slowly said something meaningful to Yan Bojun, then turned and left.

I have to say that this pretty boy Yan Bojun is indeed more handsome, taller, and more graceful than me.

No wonder Li Jilan can't forget him.

Liu Changqing deliberately disgusted Yan Bojun and vented his anger.

He strode out of the government office, feeling an indescribable frustration welling up in his heart, making him want to find someone to beat up to vent his anger.

Damn it, how did it become like this!
If I fail this time, how will I survive in officialdom in the future?

Liu Changqing found that the situation he was facing was a bit bad.

……

After walking around the canal outside Kaifeng City for a while and calming down, Liu Changqing finally came to his senses.

There was actually only one reason why Fang Chongyong did not give him the post of Bianzhou governor: as a scholar, he had not sold himself thoroughly enough and could not be treated as one of Fang Chongyong's own!

But it was obvious that Yuan Jie was just a pawn of Fang Zhongyong, and the two had probably known each other for many years. There was no way he could win against Yuan Jie. The dispute over the governorship of Bianzhou was settled, so he could only look for other opportunities.

However, isn’t there still a vacancy for the governor of Bozhou?
Liu Changqing's mind became active. When he heard that Fang Chongyong was a lustful man, he became interested.

If Li Jilan is "presented" to Fang Chongyong for a while, would there be a chance for him to become the governor of Bozhou?
Although Liu Changqing was still a little obsessed with Li Jilan's beautiful body, he had no intention of marrying her.

I also think that "it would be a waste if I don't play".

Since you don't have to marry her, it doesn't matter. Just do whatever makes you happy.

In fact, many men have played with Li Jilan. All of them are very talented, but none of them wanted to marry her.

This kind of thing is all about mutual consent.

For example, Shi Jiaoran, Lu Yu and others. Although Li Jilan wanted to get into their arms, they did not want to take advantage of the women, so they disdained to do anything obscene and always maintained a friendly relationship.

Liu Changqing believed that Fang Chongyong certainly had no shortage of women, but a "cultured" beauty who could write poetry must have a different flavor. He believed that he would find it difficult to resist Li Jilan's charm.

Which man doesn't want to try something new?
Putting himself in other people's shoes, Liu Changqing thought that this matter might have some potential!
Sending a woman to seek a job is despicable. But introducing a beautiful woman to your boss is none of his business, right?
Liu Changqing remembered that Li Jilan often mentioned the good things about Yan Bojun in front of him, and he felt that exchanging this woman for the position of governor was a huge win!
After he had prepared himself, he returned to the inn. However, he found that Li Jilan's door was locked from the outside and no one seemed to be inside. Then Liu Changqing found Lu Yu and saw that Lu Yu was making tea while taking notes, which seemed to be related to the tea-making process and fire control.

"Brother Liu, how are you today? Did General Fang Jie select you and promote you to the position of Governor of Bianzhou?"

Lu Yutou also asked, with a teasing tone in his voice.

Liu Changqing sat down on the cushion, straightened his robe, and sighed helplessly, "He appointed Yuan Jie as the governor of Bianzhou, and I got nothing."

"Oh, no wonder. Yuan Jie has made a name for himself in Hebei, and the rebel army has even made a name for himself, wanting to take his head.

The position of Governor of Bianzhou is of great importance, so it is not surprising that Yuan Jie was appointed as the governor. "

Lu Yu made tea as he spoke, and soon handed a small tea bowl to Liu Changqing.

"Oh, yes."

Liu Changqing nodded helplessly and sighed. He took a sip of tea and felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

"so bitter!"

He put down the tea bowl and asked in confusion, "Where is Ji Lanzi?"

Hearing the name Ji Lanzi, Lu Yu's originally steady hands trembled slightly, and then he forced a smile and said, "She's out, so she won't attend the evening banquet. I will accompany Brother Liu to Wanhua Tower."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yu realized that he had let the cat out of the bag.

Seeing that the other party's face quickly darkened, Lu Yu knew that Liu Changqing had a stubborn temper and was addicted to power, so he comforted him and said, "Don't ask anything. I will go to Wanhua Tower with you tonight."

However, at this moment Liu Changqing was not angry, but completely hopeless!

When Li Jilan was not around, how could he persuade the other party to throw himself into his arms, spend a few days with Fang Chongyong, and coax him into being nicer by "appealing to his emotions and explaining things to him with reason"?

Although I am reluctant to let go of my wife and catch the pervert, I have to have my wife in my hands!
It is better to mend the fold after the sheep have been stolen than to have sheep in the sheepfold!

"It's over, it's over. My career is over!"

Liu Changqing couldn't help but sighing and holding his head in his hands in extreme pain.

Lu Yu put down the wooden spoon in his hand, walked over and asked with concern: "What happened?"

After hearing this, Liu Changqing selectively told what happened in the lobby of the government office today.

"Wenfang wants Ji Lanzi to ask for an official position for you?"

Lu Yu asked after pondering for a moment.

Has Li Jilan ever done this before? It's hard to say.

But it is very likely that she has done it. At least in the eyes of outsiders, she has done it many times!

Because Lu Yu was a friend of Li Jilan, he only heard that she had been attending family dinners of powerful families as a "Taoist nun" since she was a teenager. She always "made friends through literature" and left behind many poems.

This is not only an exchange between literati, but also a bond of interests between officials. The two are fused together and difficult to distinguish. Poetry is one of the lubricants for connecting with officials in the Tang Dynasty.

Literati are often civil servants, and civil servants are almost all literati. This was no secret in the Tang Dynasty; it was all out in the open.

On the surface, they were discussing poetry, but in reality, they were engaging in physical affection; or when they were writing poetry and their emotions were so strong, they ended up in bed, which was perfectly normal. This kind of communication could be very pure, with everyone only talking about literature; or it could be very complicated, with transactions full of interests and lust.

Lu Yu didn't dare to speculate about what Li Jilan was like, but she couldn't get rid of the suspicion.

Lu Yu knew even more that Li Jilan would never sleep with a man just to get money, but her loose belt and reckless love-brained attitude were also an open secret in the literary circle.

"I think this is not a good idea. As a scholar, you shouldn't be obsessed with this."

Lu Yu persuaded patiently.

"I can't wait any longer."

Liu Changqing clenched his fists tightly, his eyes full of unwillingness.

Lu Yu wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he finally decided to shut up.

In fact, Li Jilan is now in this inn, maybe lying on that man's bed.

Lu Yu decided not to tell Liu Changqing about it, so as to avoid an awkward encounter between the three of them, which might even result in someone's death!

……

We haven't seen each other for many years, but we feel like old friends again.

Yan Bojun lay on the bed, gently stroking Li Jilan's smooth back.

Everyone thought that he became the Sima of Bozhou because of his talent.

Only Yan Bojun himself knew that he was able to marry into a powerful family and the daughter of Cui Huan of the Boling Cui family thanks to the connections of his teacher Xiao Yingshi and his brother in the court.

This branch of the Cui family was quite powerful in Bozhou, and through internal and external manipulation, he was barely able to become the Sima of Bozhou.

His father-in-law was originally a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, and had a promising future. But after Huangfu Weiming of Hebei Province started his rebellion, it was obvious that the central government of the imperial court had no say in the local military and civil affairs.

So Yan Bojun was very anxious. He wanted to be a governor! He wanted to control the military power!
As for Li Jilan, apart from her good skills in bed and the ability to compose some whining poems, how can she compare to Cui Huan's daughter?

This chance encounter at the posthouse made Yan Bojun interested.

"Jilan?"

"Ok?"

Li Jilan agreed, her body as soft as mud. It must be said that Liu Changqing, who lacks physical fitness, is much worse than Yan Bojun, and his appearance is also much worse.

The two of them had just made love in bed, and Li Jilan found that the person she liked was Yan Bojun after all.

"I'm in a big trouble right now, and I have to solve it before I can continue to be with you. I wonder if Ji Lan can help me?

Only you can help me."

Yan Bojun bit Li Jilan's ear and asked in a low voice.

"Hurry up and tell me, Yan Lang. As long as it is what you want, I will give it to you if I can."

Li Jilan was so overwhelmed with love that she moaned and murmured while kissing Yan Bojun's face.

(End of this chapter)