Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 586: Chaste Virtuous Woman
"Write an article about peach blossoms."

In the study, Fang Zhongyong said to Da Congming who looked embarrassed, pointing to the paper on the table in front of them.

"General Jie, then... I will show you my ugliness."

The conscientious and cautious opponent Chongyong saluted with his fists, then he ground the ink skillfully and picked up the pen to write with very standard movements.

This must be a nobleman who has practiced calligraphy since childhood.

Fang Chongyong saw that he wrote quickly and neatly, and he immediately understood.

Dacongming is not a waste, he just wasn't trained as a guard. All his skill points are in reading, writing and writing.

This is another problem of the rigidity of the Tang Dynasty system.

The princes of foreign countries who came as hostages had to serve as guards in the palace. However, many of them were not suitable for being guards, but they still had to wear armor and carry swords.

This wise man is just like that.

"You obviously don't know how to use a knife, so why do you have a knife around your waist?"

Fang Zhongyong sighed softly.

"General, this is the ancestral rule of the Tang Dynasty. I don't want to carry a knife either."

Da Congming couldn't help but remind Fang Chongyong.

Now, the guards' attire was not his idea, but a rigid requirement imposed by the Tang Dynasty on hostages from various countries. After being transmitted to Bohai State, it became the law of Bohai State.

Fang Chongyong recalled Da Qinmao who was dressed as a civil servant, and then thought of Da Zhenhui who was full of scholarly air, and then looked at Da Congming who was in front of him and whose pen was as fast as a dragon.

The Bohai Kingdom's desire for civil governance is truly obvious.

No wonder the Bohai Kingdom, after experiencing its peak in history, was destroyed by the Khitan, who were inferior to them in everything except military strength. If even the royal family is obsessed with literature, how can the country's martial virtues flourish?

How can we protect the country without a sharp knife?

"If you have anything to say in the future, just tell me directly. If you say you are a scholar, He Lao Hu and the others will not bother to pay attention to you."

Fang Zhongyong warned Da Congming.

"Jie Shuai is right, ah!"

Da Congming sighed helplessly and handed the "Peach Blossom Fu" he had just finished writing to Fang Chongyong for review.

Thinking of the humiliation three days ago, he really had to thank Fang Zhongyong for his great prestige in the army. No one dared to offend him because he was always honest and unyielding. Otherwise, it would be difficult for He Changqi and his gang to kill Da Congming, but it would be easy to break his leg during a duel.

"You have good literary talent, but it's a pity."

Fang Zhongyong sighed, not knowing what he was regretting.

Da Congming lowered his head and dared not say anything, feeling that the words should not be derogatory.

In fact, Fang Zhongyong just felt sorry that Da Congming, whose face resembled Takeshi Kaneshiro's youth, did not appear in Chang'an during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao periods. Otherwise, he might have been able to hook up with Lady Guo.

It will definitely be a lot of fun then.

"From now on, you will serve as a marching officer, help me polish the military orders, and then convey them."

Fang Zhongyong suddenly put away the smile on his face and spoke seriously.

ha?
Da Congming was stunned. Although this position was small, it was very important. In the past, Che Guangqian or Feng Changqing held this position concurrently. Now Che Guangqian was sent to Dengzhou and Feng Changqing was sent to Bozhou, so the position was vacant.

"Marshal Jie, this, this, this... isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Da Congming suddenly suspected that Fang Jieshuai had any sexual needs for Junnan, and was worried that his chrysanthemum would be in danger.

"Don't worry. This position only requires you to fulfill your duties. Just remember who you are working for. Do you understand?"

Fang Zhongyong looked directly into Da Congming's eyes, making it impossible for people to refuse his request.

"I will do my best to serve the commander."

Da Congming saluted with his fists clasped, looking very excited. He wanted to kneel down but was stopped by Fang Zhongyong.

"It's not about being dedicated, but from now on you will only work for me. You don't have to listen to any orders other than mine."

"Yes, sir!"

Dacongming was so excited that his whole body was shaking.

"Well, that's good to know."

Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly. In fact, he was just preparing for a rainy day.

Da Congming has absolutely no connection with the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army. He is even a noble of the Bohai Kingdom and has no roots in the Tang Dynasty!

Without Fang Chongyong, Da Congming would be nothing, and he would not be able to rely on others, let alone gain their trust and recognition.

This firewall is to prevent any of the soldiers under his command from having any ill intentions in the future.

Who knows what will happen in the future? If people who are loyal now are tempted by more benefits in the future, can we guarantee that they will not rebel?

Fang Chongyong does not dare to overestimate human nature at all.

The loyal and brave generals who are willing to give their hearts to him now are likely to stand on the side of his descendants after marrying Fang Chongyong in the future.

Can you say that they are unfaithful? Everything is driven by interests.

"Go ahead. There's no need to make this public."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand, and Da Congming bowed and left the study.

Fang Chongyong stood up, staring at the Bianliang city plan hanging on the wall, thinking about a series of measures that should be implemented after Li Lin ascended the throne.

Militarily, they had to remove the thorn in Luoyang and "give" it to the Guanzhong court. In this way, for the safety of the grain transport, the government troops would have to occupy Heyin County and even establish a bridgehead in Liyang.

Otherwise, the absolute safety of water transport cannot be guaranteed.

However, the imperial court deployed its troops outward and lengthened its supply lines.

The Silver Spear Filial Piety Army will not touch these places.

This was a very clever move. If it was played well, it would create a buffer zone near Yecheng that would be very uncomfortable for both the imperial court and the Hebei rebels, but they could not give up.

Whoever Bianzhou helps will win!
The reason for cutting off the canal transportation now is to relax it in the future after the Guanzhong court gets rid of Li Baochen, and then release it to a limited extent.

Fang Chongyong did not want to advance to Guanzhong in one go, as that would be too fast and would be an opportunity for Li Lin.

Slowly building the city of Bianliang was to control the capital from the root. This was Fang Zhongyong's attempt to change the world situation. He was unwilling to follow the old path of the middle Tang Dynasty, and even more unwilling to go back to the path of the early Tang Dynasty.

Bianzhou did not have the super-powerful forces like Guanzhong, which made it easier for Fang Zhongyong to implement various reform measures. Nowadays, the world is in chaos, and the damage to the private economy caused by war has appeared in various places, but it is more or less.

As long as there are one or two more strategic decisive battles, the pace of the various forces trying to unify the world will slow down. Each party will be in a state of insufficient offense and sufficient defense.

Fang Chongyong felt that this was a good opportunity for him to build up his power.

At this stage, the outcome of the war will depend on logistics and the hard power of the jurisdiction.

How to develop production, how to develop people's livelihood, how to achieve political stability, how to reduce the impact on people's livelihood while strengthening the military, and so on, are difficult problems facing everyone.

The future will no longer be an era where whoever is the best at fighting can do whatever they want.

Or a regime will be short-lived, lasting only three to five years before the ruler dies and his clan is destroyed.

“Those without a big picture cannot create a new era.”

Fang Zhongyong sighed. He was not as confident as he looked to outsiders. The problems he saw were much more far-reaching and deeper.

“The new era is about allowing more people to become masters of the country.

In the past, there were aristocrats who were passed down from generation to generation, but later, there were landlords and gentry who were replaced every few decades.

Although there are more people, their sense of responsibility in shouldering the historical mission has weakened.

The diversification of political participation will inevitably lead to political fragmentation, with more people in charge and fewer people taking action.

There are countless participants enjoying the prosperous times, but when it comes to suffer losses, everyone becomes a self-sufficient deserter.

Now that the Tang Dynasty is gone, will the successor really be able to defeat the Tang Dynasty?"

Fang Zhongyong said to himself, a trace of worry appearing on his face.

The selection mechanism is the imperial examinations at all levels, the relationship is linked by classmates and teachers, the background is the poor landlords, and the wealthy merchants are the wings of support.

This was the political landscape after the Tang Dynasty, which remained the same for a thousand years.

The emperor was supreme and power was centralized among the civil officials.

The emperor and the court played with the officials, while the gentry and the wealthy played with the people. On the surface, the two did not interfere with each other's operations, but in fact they harmed and hindered each other.

The history of the past life has given such an answer, which is heartbreaking in many aspects, but must have its rationality.

Hereditary succession is a problem, but it is not the whole problem and it is not even among the top three in the series of problems.

History is vast and there is no such thing as good or evil. It is normal that many things in ancient and modern times are just jokes.

"The road is a long way to go, and I will go up and down to find out."

Fang Chongyong sighed again. What he feared most in exams were the open-book questions that had no standard answers.

"Ah Lang, that woman is here again."

Just as Fang Zhongyong was lost in thought, Da Zhenhui's voice came from behind him. "Li Yi?"

Fang Zhongyong turned around and asked. He didn't feel strange.

"It seems so... Oh, so her name is Li Yi. She is prettier than me."

Dae Jung-hye muttered quietly.

Fang Chongyong remembered that Da Zhenhui didn't seem to care about his appearance before, but now she obviously cares about it.

She seemed to be in a very relaxed state, and usually spent her days surrounded by books.

"Let her in. Don't leave. Just stay here."

Fang Zhongyong held Da Zhenhui's hand and said, "To be honest, he is a little afraid of a woman like Li Yi who has a burning heart."

"I need to take a rest."

Da Zhenhui broke free from Fang Zhongyong's hand, lowered her head and walked out the door, seeming a little embarrassed.

Women's intuition is very sharp. Dae Jung-hui may have guessed what Li Yi is going to do tonight.

Dae Jung-hye actually knew everything. Why would she stay here and spoil the mood?

If you want to stay, you can just peek outside the door!

After a while, Li Yi walked into the study alone. This time she was wearing a white skirt. A layer of gauze was draped over her fair shoulders, and her slender legs were faintly visible. She was dressed up.

She wore light makeup on her face, but no eyebrows, and looked incredibly beautiful.

In the feudal era, late at night a young woman dressed so beautifully came to the study of a powerful official alone.

Perhaps there is no need to elaborate on what she did.

That's all obvious.

"Tonight, do I want to see Xi Shi tease the King of Wu?"

Fang Zhongyong looked at Li Yi and smiled, feeling a little nervous. Many things are not impossible to do, but there are some hidden dangers and consequences.

"Although I am adopted, my mother's family is also the Wei family. Now that the Wei family is in trouble, I will do my part to help them both publicly and privately."

Li Yi saluted Fang Zhongyong with his hands crossed, very frankly.

Fang Chongyong really appreciated this generosity and sincerity.

"Please sit down. No need to be so polite."

Fang Zhongyong instructed Li Yi to sit down.

Before Li Yi could speak, Fang Zhongyong said sarcastically: "Li Baochen will attack Bianzhou. Whether he wins or not, you must return to Luoyang. Otherwise, he will definitely kill the people of the Wei family. Of course, this will also include some other people from Guanzhong who are in the way."

Seeing that Li Yi seemed unmoved, Fang Zhongyong added: "Maybe you will kill him when you go back, the difference won't be that big."

"Indeed, it will make no difference."

Li Yi sighed lightly and didn't say much.

Just like why she came today, it was also obvious what Li Baochen wanted to do. If it weren't for the fact that the beauty trap was completely useless to Li Baochen, Li Yi might have been in Marshal Baochen's bed by now.

“In fact, the Wei family’s people should be planning to marry you to Huangfu Weiming’s offspring, so as to tie the Li, Wei and Huangfu families even tighter.

From one place to another, and now here...it seems different, but in fact it is no different."

Fang Chongyong shook his head and sighed. He had no intention of teasing Li Yi at the moment. He was not a beast.

Li Yi smiled faintly, and shook her head helplessly, "People who should have died back then are still alive today because of the kindness given to them by others, including Fang Jieshuai. In fact, there is nothing unfair. Being able to live is the greatest fairness."

Her brother Li Yu was captured by Fang Chongyong and was soon executed by Ji Ge's order because he was a male.

Does the deceased Li Yu want justice? Who should he seek it from?
Should I look for Fang Zhongyong, the executioner, or Brother Ji, the person who gave the order?

Fang Zhongyong always felt very awkward when facing a girl like Li Yi, because telling the truth would expose the scars, and telling a lie would be seen through by the other party.

No matter how you put it, it's not right.

The two of them suddenly fell into a silence with nothing to say.

It is impossible for Fang Chongyong to change his position towards the Hebei rebels for Li Yi.

It was impossible for Li Yi to give up Wei, who had helped and raised her, for Fang Chongyong.

Both sides understand that the other side's position is unlikely to change, but are unwilling to say hurtful words.

"Marshal Jie, I have always had a... um, a question that is difficult to ask. I wonder if I can ask it."

Li Yi suddenly burst out laughing, as if he remembered something funny.

"But there's no harm in talking."

Fang Chongyong looked calm, but he had a bad feeling in his heart.

"If the concubine and the Marshal kiss and hug each other in this study, can outsiders really see anything?
Or can we just walk out of this room and pretend nothing happened?"

Li Yi blinked at Fang Zhongyong, and his expression seemed to have returned to when he was a child.

Eh?
Fang Chongyong had never thought about this question.

Isn't this just... cheating? It's high school level, the kind that goes into the woods.

They had just kissed, but when they were caught by the head teacher, they dared to argue that nothing happened!

He couldn't help but laugh.

The situation Li Yi described does exist, and there are many of them. If you have an affair, kiss and hug, as long as no one sees it and the woman doesn't get pregnant, then "nothing happened."

What else could it be but a moral dilemma?

Fang Zhongyong suddenly realized that Li Yi's personality must have been suppressed by reality, making her extremely rational. Once in front of someone she trusted, she would occasionally show a playful attitude.

I just want to indulge myself, what can you do to me? As long as there is no evidence, I can do whatever I want! Anyway, I won't admit it, right?
Li Yi probably already had this evil idea in his mind.

"What you said is true... You should know that there is a god above your head."

Fang Zhongyong shook his head helplessly. How could he be so mean? If he wanted to have fun, he could just take a concubine and bring her home to play with her openly. Why would he need to have an affair secretly?

"My biological mother, Wu, died of illness when I was a child. Later, my adoptive mother, Wei, was raped by my grandfather and then poisoned by my father. My brother and all the male members of my family died at the hands of my grandfather. My adoptive mother and her family raised me and I have been wandering around ever since."

Li Yi laughed as she spoke, and tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"Even if there is a god above my head, shouldn't the god have mercy on me?"

After saying this, Li Yi walked over and hugged Fang Chongyong tightly.

"Ugh!"

Fang Zhongyong sighed deeply. He already understood that the last string in Li Yi's mind had been broken.

A woman who has been oppressed by reality for more than ten years finally exploded at this moment!

He dropped his hands, not knowing where to put them.

"Ah Lang, let's do it quietly. As long as I'm not pregnant, no one will know about our relationship.

I just want to be your woman.

If Alang is worried, you can keep my chastity and do whatever you want with the rest. This way no one will know since there is no evidence anyway.

You see, even if I tell it to others, no one will believe it. Why do you want to suppress yourself?

My body has never been touched by a man, it is very clean..."

Li Yi gently kissed Fang Zhongyong's ear and whispered softly, with an irresistible charm in her voice.

Should you eat the fat meat that is right in front of you or not? In fact, you can deny it even if you play with it. Why not try it?
Fang Chongyong was torn between his own conscience and his own desires for a moment.

Li Yi's identity is sensitive, but she smells so good. I wonder how wonderful it would be to play with her in my hands.

As long as you don't lose your virginity, it's free to play, there are no consequences!
There was a voice screaming in Fang Zhongyong's head.

Just as his hand unconsciously reached for Li Yi's belt, the back door of the study was suddenly pushed open!

Dae Jung-hye ran over in a hurry and roughly separated the two, using almost all her strength.

While Li Yi was still in a daze, Da Zhenhui hugged Fang Zhongyong's arm tightly, shook his arm, and yelled at him:

"Ah Lang! Didn't you say that this woman must not be touched now? Ah Lang is a man who is going to do great things!

If you must touch this woman now, kill me first!
Anyway, if Alang is defeated in the future, my father will also be defeated. If I fall into the hands of the enemy, I will not only die but also be humiliated.

"I'm going to die anyway, I'd rather die under Alang's sword! Come on, chop here!"

Dae Jung-hye patted her slender neck with her hand.

Li Yi was at a loss for a moment by Da Zhenhui's sudden outburst. She didn't even know the woman's name.

The ambiguous atmosphere just now was completely ruined. Li Yi picked up the gauze shawl that fell on the ground with an embarrassed look, then straightened his clothes, and finally looked at Da Zhenhui deeply.

She said nothing, bowed to Chongyong leisurely, then turned and left.

(End of this chapter)