Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 580: Undercurrents of the Founding of a Nation

The selection of the site and establishment of the altar, the selection of officials, the establishment and selection rules of the imperial examination, the number and allocation of recruits, and a series of other miscellaneous matters all required Fang Zhongyong to make the final decision personally, and he did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

The day when Prince Yong Li Lin ascended the throne was chosen as the Lantern Festival, and all preparations were carried out in full swing.

Before Li Lin ascended the throne, Fang Chongyong still had a battle to fight to lay the foundation for the "New Dynasty", and he could not be careless.

That night, Fang Chongyong stood in the study room of the Bianzhou government office, staring at the planning map on the wall, contemplating and thinking. He was always worried about the affairs of Bianliang City, and he couldn't stop even in the dead of night.

The necessity of a political center cannot be overemphasized for a separatist force. Occupying Chang'an or Luoyang would make them the target of public criticism, and they would not be able to develop peacefully, so they would have to start a new one.

Bianliang City changed not only the political landscape, but also the economic landscape. The convenience of logistics means that the coverage area of ​​the commodity economy will be greatly expanded, and the cost of tax transportation in various states will be greatly reduced.

Precisely because of its importance, the city of Bianliang cannot be careless and deal with it casually.

According to the plan, the outer city of Bianliang City needs to be 40 li in circumference to include the main ferry crossings of several rivers. The specifications of the inner city are generally one-fourth of the outer city area, and the area of ​​the imperial palace is one-fourth of the inner city area.

On the surface, the Imperial Palace looked like a palace, but in fact, it was much larger than the temporary fortifications commonly seen in military operations. It also required a lot of money and manpower.

Li Lin's ascension to the throne was like buying a new house, at least there was a rough house, that is, the palace, so that things could be fooled. Announcing the ascension to the throne was like buying a pre-sale house, but the house was still under construction.

You can temporarily not live there, but you can't live there forever. If the emperor lives in the provincial government office all the time, can he still be called the emperor?
So now all the pressure is on Fang Chongyong.

"General Jie, there has been no movement from Prince Yong, but the divorce letter has been delivered. The list of officials has been reviewed by Wei Zichun on behalf of Prince Yong, and there are no problems."

Yan Zhuang came to Fang Zhongyong and reported in a low voice.

It was a consensus among all parties that Li Lin ascended the throne and became emperor. After Fang Zhongyong "beat" Li Lin, there was nothing more to say. Basically, all important positions were held by Fang Zhongyong's cronies.

"Well, that's expected."

Fang Zhongyong put his hands behind his back, his eyes still fixed on the map on the wall. Jia Dan's ability to draw a picture was indeed extraordinary. Although the city was only outlined, the surrounding terrain was drawn very clearly.

As for Li Lin, surrender was inevitable. It was pointless to dwell on such matters as his son's divorce and his daughter-in-law's remarriage, as it would not change anything.

"General Jie, Li Bai has great ambitions but little talent. Is it inappropriate to ask him to go to Chang'an to lobby Yan Zhenqing?"

Yan Zhuang asked with a confused look on his face.

Yan Zhuang felt that Fang Zhongyong should be the one who understood Li Bai's character best, not to mention that he was now Prince Yong's confidant.

Can such a person be trusted?
"In addition to being able to write poetry, Li Bai has another amazing skill."

Fang Zhongyong turned around and looked at Yan Zhuang and said.

"ability?"

Yan Zhuang didn't think that Li Bai had any other talents besides writing poetry.

"Li Bai certainly has the ability, but he uses it in a special way. Never mind, it doesn't matter, he has already gone to Guanzhong anyway."

Fang Zhongyong didn't want to continue talking about this topic, so he changed the subject and asked:

"How is the recruitment going?"

"Reporting to the commander, the recruitment order has been passed on. The commander and the Silver Spear Army are well-known, and all states are eager to sign up."

Yan Zhuang answered cautiously. He was actually quite afraid of Fang Zhongyong because this man could always come up with solutions that were better than his own.

“That’s good.

Pass the order down, after winter comes, the Silver Spear Military will recruit elite soldiers from the united soldiers of each state, and there will be no need to issue recruitment orders to the outside world. "

Fang Chongyong gave Yan Zhuang a very "strange" order.

"General Jie, if that happens, the recruitment of the Silver Spear Xiejie Army will have to be delayed."

Yan Zhuang still raised his concerns.

But Fang Zhongyong seemed determined. He said in an unquestionable tone: "It is better to have no one than to have someone of poor quality. We should not recruit people without knowing their background directly."

Establishing grassroots party organizations is completely unfeasible these days. Therefore, to ensure the combat effectiveness of the army, we can only adopt the "filter" mode.

That is, soldiers are selected from the military rather than from the civilian population. Soldiers selected in this way can obey orders after a short period of training.

The most important factor in winning a battle is to obey orders and follow all instructions.

The soldiers who had just been recruited from the people obviously did not possess this quality.

Yan Zhuang nodded quickly, but in his heart he thought Fang Zhongyong was being too hypocritical. Although this method was good, it was slow to take effect.

What are we fighting for in this era of great contention? We are fighting for time! Nothing is more important than time!

One step slower, every step slower!
But Yan Zhuang also knew that he could not convince Fang Zhongyong because the strategy in his mind was completely different from that in Fang Zhongyong's mind.

Fang Chongyong seems to have given up his plan to march into Chang'an and replace the Tang Dynasty with Bianzhou as the core!

This idea is simply arrogant and bold! In Yan Zhuang's opinion, the best strategy is to make Luoyang the new capital!

However, the problem with occupying Luoyang is that it will be attacked by all forces. It cannot be said that Fang Zhongyong's consideration is unreasonable.

Just when Yan Zhuang was about to mention the temporary move of the capital to Luoyang, a personal soldier outside the study door reported: "General, a monk who claims to be an old friend from Luoyang came to visit, and he is outside the government office."

Old friend from Luoyang?

Fang Zhongyong's first reaction was that Li Yi was a woman dressed as a man. But then he thought, no matter what, Li Yi couldn't possibly pretend to be a monk, right?

Besides, with Li Yi's fair and charming figure, how could the soldiers not tell that she was a woman?

"Bring it in."

Fang Zhongyong responded but did not let Yan Zhuang leave.

After a while, a middle-aged monk who looked no more than forty years old walked into the study.

He crossed his arms and bowed to Fang Zhongyong, saying, "Wei Lan of the Jingzhao Wei clan, I pay my respects to Marshal Fang Jie."

Wei Lan, who used to be a deputy minister of the Ministry of War in Chang'an, was Wei Jian's younger brother. When Fang Chongyong was still the governor of Shazhou, military orders issued by Wei Lan were often sent to his desk.

No one has ever seen it, but the name is well-known!
"What a rare guest! Please take a seat."

Fang Zhongyong pointed at the cushion opposite the table in front of him. Yan Zhuang quickly stood up, came and sat down beside him, squinting his eyes and looking at Wei Lan.

Ordinary monks usually have kind eyes and a slightly plump figure.

But Weilan looked quite thin, and it was obvious that he was not a monk in the temple at all. He just stepped down temporarily to keep a low profile.

Wei Lan glanced at Yan Zhuang and said nothing. He seemed a little uncomfortable and obviously didn't want his conversation with Fang Zhongyong to be overheard by outsiders.

Fang Zhongyong introduced him calmly, "This is my counselor. He is very tight-lipped. Mr. Wei, don't mind."

"Wei came here to help the general capture Luoyang."

Weilan said in a deep voice, took out a letter from his arms and placed it on the table.

In fact, even without reading the content of the letter, Fang Zhongyong could guess most of it.
Because Weilan probably didn't know yet, Li Yi had actually already told Fang Chongyong their general plan.

"Luoyang is so big, how can Fang just take it away whenever he wants? Mr. Wei, you must be joking."

Fang Chongyong shook his head and sighed as he took the letter, opened it, and read ten lines at a glance.

After reading it, he didn't say anything and directly handed the letter to Yan Zhuang for the latter to read.

The whole process was carried out without a word, and the study was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Yan Zhuang almost laughed out loud after reading the letter, but he was trying hard to hold it in. Wei Lan raised his eyebrows and showed displeasure when he saw Yan Zhuang's frivolous attitude. However, he went to Bianzhou to seek help, so he couldn't lose his temper even if he was angry.

So Weilan calmed himself down, looked at Fang Zhongyong, and waited for his answer.

"You will work together with my iron army to annihilate Li Baochen's trusted troops.

After the matter is accomplished, who should I serve as my master? Li Wan... or Li Lin?"

Fang Zhongyong asked with a smile, his tone somewhat meaningful.

"Of course, I am serving my Lord Li Wan."

Weiland answered calmly, his face not changing.

Perhaps because he was afraid that Fang Zhongyong would criticize him, he added, "But the Silver Spear Xiejie Army can enter Luoyang, and Marshal Jie can just take Li Yi as his concubine. Li Yi is a beauty, and she is a match made in heaven for Marshal Jie. I believe Marshal Jie has met her before."

I have to say, the price is indeed reasonable.

In other words, Fang Zhongyong didn't want a reputation or a righteous position, he just wanted to control the actual military power. And he could also marry a beautiful woman, and gain both people and land. Isn't that wonderful?
As for Li Lin... What Li Lin? He has nothing to do with it! Prince Yong is still Prince Yong. Just go back to Qizhou and wait for death.

For Fang Chongyong, this is a very favorable condition.

Because Prince Yong had not yet ascended the throne to become emperor, few people actually knew about Fang Zhongyong's so-called "promise", and most bureaucrats were just guessing.

Since the Hebei forces can purge the Guanzhong faction in Li Wan's regime, the Guanzhong faction can naturally introduce external forces to clean up the Hebei forces and change its appearance.

After all, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

What Li Lin can give, Li Wan can give

What Li Lin couldn't afford, Li Wan could still give.

From this perspective, Fang Chongyong seems to have become a key bargaining chip at this moment, just like Han Xin who conquered Qi during the Chu-Han Contention.

If you side with King Han, King Han will win; if you side with King Xiang, King Xiang will win.

It’s a very popular thing!

"This is a serious matter. I need to think about it carefully."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand and didn't say anything final.

This did not seem to be beyond Wei Lan's expectations. He smiled nonchalantly and said, "General, you may not know that Li Baochen is determined to march east to Henan next spring to subdue those who hold different opinions and marry Li Yi. But the general does not have much time to think about it."

Hearing this, Yan Zhuang looked at Fang Chongyong in surprise.

If Weilan was not bluffing, then Fang Zhongyong was right again. Li Baochen chose the time to send out his troops unexpectedly, in the spring when the ice and snow melted.

Most people are like this, always thinking that a crisis will come when they are most prepared.

But the reality is often the opposite.

Yan Zhuang thought that Bianzhou had plenty of manpower during the winter, so it would be no problem to deal with Li Baochen. But General Baochen was not stupid, so how could he send troops in winter?

You may think that Li Baochen has a very strange mind, or even a little silly. But he is not stupid at all in the use of troops, and can even be said to be very talented.

"I understand. Please give me three days to think about it. After three days, I will naturally give you an answer."

Fang Zhongyong's attitude was very gentle, but his refusal was clear. Saying that he would take some time to think about it meant that he was not very interested. It was just a polite remark and there was no need to think too much about it.

Wei Lan was obviously experienced and not easy to fool. He could not help but remind him: "Marshal Fang Jie, I believe you have seen the world today. No one knows what the future will be like. Sometimes losing a good opportunity means a bad fate in the future. Please think about it carefully. We are sincere."

After saying this, he bowed and said goodbye.

After he left, Fang Zhongyong looked at Yan Zhuang and asked, "What do you think?"

"It doesn't matter. Even Li Yi, it's best for Marshal Ji not to touch her now.

As long as Li Wan is wiped out, Luoyang and the beauty will all belong to the commander-in-chief. There is no need to rush. "

Yan Zhuang said with some disdain, a mocking look on his face.

The people in Guanzhong supported Li Wan in his rebellion, but in fact they were treating him as a puppet. All this was not Li Wan's own will.

Li Lin is also a puppet now, and is no different from Li Wan.

In this case, there is no need to switch to Li Wan. In fact, from a moral point of view, the situation is even worse.

As for occupying Luoyang, this is contrary to Fang Zhongyong's strategic plan. It's not that Luoyang is not wanted, but it can't be taken now.

Should we accept the olive branch thrown by Wei Jian or not?
In fact, Fang Chongyong already had the answer in his mind.

"Our plan was all prepared to support Li Lin's ascension to the throne. Now it's too late to change hands. It's easy for us to pull Wei Jian aside. We just need to defeat Li Baochen. There's no need to cooperate with them at all."

Fang Zhongyong said nonchalantly that Wei Jian and his gang were like vines, and could only exist by relying on the strong. It was better to ignore such people and wait for them to come to him in the future.

"General Jie, do you mean to leave Weilan alone?"

Yan Zhuang asked doubtfully.

Fang Zhongyong didn't say anything, but handed him the letter and said, "Just go on my behalf and give this letter to Wei Zichun. No matter what he asks, don't waste your words and don't say anything."

Give it to Wei Zichun?
What a wonderful move!
Yan Zhuang immediately understood Fang Zhongyong's intention.

Wei Zichun was the chief of staff of Yongwang Li Lin, but he was also a member of the Jingzhao Wei family and had served as a Beijing official during the Kaiyuan period! His resume was no worse than Wei Lan's.

Of course, I can't compare with Wei Jian.

In the letter, Wei Jian persuaded Fang Zhongyong to switch to Li Wan and was willing to cooperate in the conquest of Luoyang as a gift. In other words, this meant that Fang Zhongyong's trusted troops could enter Luoyang at a relatively low cost.

If successful, it would be like reaching heaven in one step, and they would have the strength to compete with Guanzhong for orthodoxy!

There is nothing to do with Li Lin at all!

I asked Li Lin whether he was panicked after reading the letter.

Wei Zichun's letter to Li Lin would inevitably arouse Li Lin's suspicion because he was from the Wei family.
If he didn't hand it over, it would be like handing the evidence to Fang Zhongyong. As long as Fang Zhongyong kept the original copy in his hand, he would give Wei Zichun a copy.

Then, by handing the original copy to Li Lin in the future, Wei Zichun would be doomed to failure.

This strategy of sowing discord was really well used.

Not to mention how panicked Li Lin would be after reading this letter.

There will be a lot of things to do by then.

Yan Zhuang put the letter into his sleeve and said, "I will copy a copy and send it to Wei Zichun tonight. It will definitely not delay the commander's important task."

"Go ahead. I'm waiting for Li Lin to visit me."

Fang Chongyong chuckled.

Only after Yan Zhuang left did he feel deeply tired.

Although the "Founding of a Republic" was to support Li Lin in becoming emperor, everything, all internal and external affairs, from top to bottom were handled by someone from another party.

It just makes my head numb.

If Li Lin is allowed to pick peaches in the end, is that still justice?

(End of this chapter)