Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 97 Facts speak louder than words
In the lobby of Hexi Jiedu Mansion, Fang Chongyong sat in the wheelchair that Anaye had prepared for him, and was surrounded by the crowd, so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say.

"The yang energy you wrote last time, Cui Jieshuai thought it was very useful, so I want to hear the specifics.

This is related to the next actions of the Hexi armies. You can think about it before talking about it. "

Wang Zhongsi hinted very explicitly, advising Fang Chongyong to "be careful in his words and deeds."

"Gentlemen, generals. Haven't you noticed that the Tubo people, from Zanpu to serfs, are generally short-lived?

If others don't say it, they say that the talented and sage Songtsen Gampo only lived for more than 30 years. Could it be that with his status, he didn't have enough food and housing? "

Fang Chongyong said with a puzzled look on his face. He couldn't understand what Wang Zhongsi and the others didn't understand. That letter was almost at the level of elementary school students' science.

As soon as he said this, Cui Xiyi, Wang Zhongsi, Xiao Jiong, Kang Taihe and others all fell silent, seeming to be thinking about something.

Precisely because the Tubo people are generally short-lived, they take life and death very lightly, and it can even be said that they "see death as home".

This is something that is easy to understand. In a place where the average life expectancy is less than 40 years old, dying on the battlefield may not be a sadness but a relief.

The harsh living environment in hypoxic areas will torture every elderly person with declining physiological functions.For them, barely living... is not as comfortable as dying on the battlefield.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Fang Zhongyong continued to explain: "Tuban people are also human beings, no different from us, and they don't have superfluous heads and six arms. They live on a plateau, lack yang energy for a long time, and their internal organs are more worn out. It is not surprising that they are short-lived. "

What Fang Chongyong said about yang energy may not be recognized and understood by everyone present.But what he said about the situation in Tubo was completely consistent with what these people saw on a daily basis.

In the past, the Tang army was in a state of full-scale offensive against Tubo during Gaozong's period, and there were many cases of battles that went deep into Tubo.

But the results are obvious. Once the Tang army, which is invincible at low altitudes, enters the plateau area, its combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced.

In the past, Wang Zhongsi and others also thought about the reasons, such as there was miasma in the mountains, but in many cases this statement was difficult to justify.There is not much grass around some mountains in the plateau area, so where can the miasma turn into?

Only Fang Chongyong's statement can perfectly explain all of this.

"Do you have any means to prove this statement? It is not a trivial matter to reorganize the three armies and change the order of battle."

Kang Taihe asked in a deep voice.

He dealt with the Tubo people the least among these people, but just after the battle of fighting and pulling the valley, he also saw that the Tubo people were fierce, fearless and well-equipped.

"It's simple."

Fang Chongyong gave Wang Zhongsi some instructions, and the latter immediately asked his soldiers to bring a saucer filled with water, with a short candle standing in it, and a teacup that could be turned upside down on the saucer.

The color of the water is light black due to the addition of ink.

When everything was ready, Fang Chongyong put it on the table in front of Cui Xiyi, then flipped the teacup upside down on the saucer, picked it up again, and said to everyone:
"Look, there's nothing wrong with this thing, right?"

"Come on, we all saw it."

Cui Xiyi said with interest.He also wanted to know what tricks Fang Chongyong was going to pull off.

A Liao Zuo from Hexi Jiedu Mansion came over and lit a candle, Fang Chongyong gently put the teacup upside down on the saucer, and waited quietly.

Soon, a shocking scene appeared. The water in the saucer was actually sucked into the upside-down teacup!Without any external help!

"This……"

Wang Zhongsi and others gathered around, waiting for the water in the upside-down tea cup to fall.However, they waited for a long time and did not see the scene they imagined appeared.

"Water was sucked into the teacup?"

Cui Xiyi asked suspiciously.

"Yes, because burning candles consumes Yang Qi. When Yang Qi is gone, something naturally needs to be filled, so water goes in."

Fang Chongyong yawned and said, he didn't dare to explain too complicatedly, he could only talk about the simplest concept.

However, although he did not mention what "atmospheric pressure" meant, there was no fool present, and they quickly understood the "implication" of Fang Chongyong's little experiment.

The water in the saucer is not "sucked" into the cup, but is pressed in by invisible "pressure" from the outside world.The reason why there is this power is because the Yang Qi in the cup is consumed, and the original gas space will be compressed.

What would happen if we replaced the tea cups and candles with human lungs?Who dares to say that he is invincible?
Cui Xiyi and the others felt an inexplicable chill.The "invisible helper" of the Tibetans was picked out by Fang Chongyong today.

"Shuai Cui, when it comes to selecting elites for the expedition, it's better to follow Fang Junjun's suggestion. I have no objection."

Kang Taihe was the first to relent.

There is only one life, and now that someone has made things clear, why do you have to be so reckless?Just for that little face?

As the leader of the second wave of expedition, responsible for the reinforcement and response, Kang Taihe believed that this matter had a direct interest in him.Although he was slapped in the face this time, there was no actual loss.

"Since this is the case, let's select the elite from the young and strong soldiers under the age of 20 in the army, and reduce the scale of this dispatch."

Cui Xiyi looked around the crowd and said in a deep voice.

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

No one in the lobby raised any objections. Fang Chongyong's little experiment scared them all.I was half-convinced before, but now I am convinced.

Some older elite soldiers have excellent skills and tactics and rich experience, and they have great potential on the battlefield in Hexi.Even if he retreats to the second line as a teacher, he can still play a role. There is really no need to die on the battlefield because of "lack of yang energy".

Everyone led away, except for Fang Chongyong who was in a wheelchair, soon there were only Cui Xiyi and Wang Zhongsi left here.

Wang Zhongsi walked up to Fang Chongyong and asked with concern, "Have you worn out your legs while riding a horse?"

"Yeah, I rode hundreds of miles in one breath, and my flesh and blood are all blurred."

Fang Chongyong sighed, his father-in-law didn't open any pot, so he really didn't say anything about it.

"Go to the hospital to recuperate, I will lead the army to fight against Tubo in the next few days, and I won't be able to return to Liangzhou City for the time being.

This place is no better than Chang'an, so don't be careless about injuries, and return to Baitinghai when your legs and feet are better.I'll send someone to take you to the hospital. "

"No, I have someone on my side who can do it."

Fang Zhongyong said with an embarrassed expression.Now his name of "Fang Ya Nei" has been spread in Liangzhou, but anyone who is well-informed knows that his father is Fang Youde and his father-in-law is Wang Zhongsi.Standing behind him is a half-jiedu envoy.

If Wang Zhongsi's cronies were to send him to the clinic, it would be self-inflicted and the reputation of "powerful" would be solidified.

"That's fine too."

Wang Zhongsi was a refreshing person. He patted Fang Chongyong on the shoulder and left with a golden sword.In his opinion, his future son-in-law is already the number one person and can move freely in Hexi.It is much better to let the other party recruit a group of cronies from the Baiting Army than to appoint people from the Chishui Army to protect you personally.

Guo Ziyi is Wang Zhongsi's fellow villager, and he always asks him to be his future son-in-law's bodyguard. Wang Zhongsi has always been a little bit sorry, thinking that he is delaying the other party's military career, which is quite unkind.

After Wang Zhongsi left, Cui Xiyi came over to push Fang Chongyong's wheelchair, and while walking outside, he asked with concern: "I'm still used to staying in Baitinghai. The scenery there is better than that of Liangzhou City. What's more, it doesn't Troubled by military incidents. This section commander wants to go there to recuperate for a while."

"It's not bad, but the Baiting Army is very short of money, and all the soldiers have been howling all day long."

Fang Chongyong complained, since there is no war on the Baiting Army side, naturally everything from armaments to supplies should be saved as much as possible.These are common occurrences in border towns, and there is nothing to make a fuss about.

Hearing this, Cui Xiyi smiled slightly and said: "Don't pay attention to these Qiuba people. You came to Liangzhou to learn more and see more. Our generation has fought enough in the war between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo, and sooner or later it will be fought by your generation." , the struggle between the two countries will not stop. If Tubo is not dead, he will frequently invade the Tang Dynasty, there is no such thing as a once and for all."

After he finished speaking, he let out a long sigh, and Fang Zhongyong briefly introduced the various open and secret struggles between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty since the establishment of Tubo's self-established state.To put it bluntly, no matter whether Datang married the princess to Tubo, it would not have a decisive impact on the strategy between the two countries at all.

In the past, the scale of the war between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo was still controllable because there were still many small countries as buffer zones between the two countries, and there were still many territories behind Tubo that had not been digested.

Today, the Tang border borders Tubo for thousands of miles, with no buffer between them.Moreover, Tubo has almost dealt with the small countries around it that can be dealt with. If it continues to expand eastward, it will inevitably have violent collisions and conflicts with the Tang Dynasty, and a big fight is inevitable.

If Tubo does not expand, the contradiction between its domestic population and land will explode in an unstoppable way.Therefore, Tubo's aggressive offensive is actually nothing more than a compromise and transfer of contradictions made to resolve internal conflicts.

In essence, one of the Tang and Tubo must die before the Hexi Corridor can truly stop.

This is not a generational war, nor is it a problem that can be solved by exhausting the bones and blood of a generation.

Fang Chongyong felt that the memory of the war with Tubo would definitely run through his entire life.

"If you win the attack on Tubo this time, the commander in this section will give you a credit."

When parting outside the Hexi Jiedu Mansion, Cui Xiyi looked at Fang Chongyong and said earnestly.

Whether Fang Chongyong's method is effective or not, it is useless to rely on words alone, it must be verified on the battlefield.Cui Xiyi just wanted to give it a try.

"I dare not take credit, but I only hope that the three armies will return victorious."

Fang Chongyong said humbly.

Everything has accidents. Don't pop the champagne at halftime now. If something goes wrong, you will be punished!
……

In the main room of the medical hall, Fang Chongyong saw the medical officer, Anaye's father, who had his calf amputated and was sitting in a wheelchair.

Both of them are in wheelchairs, one is temporarily unable to walk, the other is never able to walk, this scene is quite delicate.Fang Chongyong finally knew why Anaye found him a wheelchair so smoothly, and her father used it to replace her feelings.

Anaye's father's surname was Li, and others called him Medical Officer Li. He was a powerful figure who studied at Chang'an Imperial College and furthered his studies at the Imperial Medical Office.As for the name, no one cares.

Seeing his legs, Fang Chongyong understood why he didn't take Anaye back to live in Chang'an.

In Liangzhou, his medical skills can be said to be second to none. On weekdays, there are many merchants from the Western Regions who see a doctor. The consultation fee is generous, and he can also get a salary from the army. His living standard is much higher than ordinary people.

Besides, in Liangzhou, disabilities are medals for military exploits, and people in the border areas do not discriminate against such people.But after going to Chang'an, can a lame medical officer whose medical skills are worth mentioning in the border areas, make a living in the [-] squares of Chang'an's east and west cities where prices are high and rich and powerful are everywhere?
The answer is obvious.

"If Fang Junshi wants to ask me anything, feel free to ask me. At least I have studied medicine in Chang'an, so I still know a little bit."

Doctor Li was very enthusiastic, but he looked at Fang Chongyong with deep meaning in his eyes.

"Originally, I wanted Doctor Li to accompany me for a walk, and go to Baitinghai to see what medicinal materials are on the grassland. But now it seems...it seems a bit inappropriate."

Fang Zhongyong said with a look of embarrassment.

"I took a lot of stolen goods from the Baiting army before, and I even sold them for you. I still need to help with this small favor."

Doctor Li came over and whispered in Fang Chongyong's ear.

It can be seen that this town on the west side of the river is prosperous on the surface, but chaotic behind the scenes. It is really a family of soldiers and bandits.

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, indicating that he knew, and was waiting for Dr. Li's next words.

"Fang Junzhi's leg should be almost healed now. Let's do this. I'll ask Anaye to follow you to Baitinghai. She is very familiar with medicinal materials, even better than me. If you need to ask about any medicine, just ask her. .

I think I will start tomorrow. "

"So... that's fine."

Thinking of the scene when Anaye applied medicine to herself in the past few days, Fang Chongyong felt strange in his heart, so he reluctantly agreed to Dr. Li's request.

"When you are free, come back by picking more herbs to stop the bleeding. There has been a lot of talk in Liangzhou recently, and the war with Tubo is about to start.

If you prepare more medicine, you can save a few more lives. There is no harm in accumulating more virtue in this chaotic war. "

Doctor Li said with a sigh.People from border towns like them have the memory of the war engraved in their hearts.Naturally, the dignitaries who have lived in Chang'an for a long time and have not heard the sound of war drums for a hundred years have not personally experienced this point.

In the same era, people in different places have completely different memories of the era.

Fang Zhongyong felt something in his heart, and solemnly crossed his hands in salute: "I will definitely not lose my trust."

"Emissary Fang Jun go to the wing to rest, I will talk to Anaye, and we will leave tomorrow."

Doctor Li said with a smile.

……

In the courtyard of Li Linfu's house in Pingkangfang, the Right Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was taking a walk in the courtyard, and Zheng Shuqing followed him like a servant, with a low eyebrow and a pleasing look.

"It's not that the truth doesn't want to help you, but that you have offended the saint, and this matter is difficult to handle."

Li Linfu sighed and said.

"Please give me your advice, Prime Minister. With your extraordinary power, there will definitely be a way!"

Zheng Shuqing begged bitterly.

"Well, there is still a vacancy for the governor of Qizhou in the Ministry of Officials. You wrote to the saint, saying that you have not done well in Luoyang, and asked to be demoted. The truth will work. You go to Qizhou to be the governor of Qizhou for a few years, and then Go back to Beijing and enter the center."

Li Linfu pretended to be helpless and said.

Of course, this is all within his arrangement.It's just that the old dog Zheng Shuqing was too obedient, which made the right prime minister of the Tang Dynasty less happy to control things freely.

Zheng Shuqing has climbed too fast in the past few years. It is not a bad thing to be promoted to governor and work hard.

On the East and West Streets of Chang'an, the slave of the Li family brother is the father!
In order to establish one's own authority, it is also necessary to beat one's own people.

"Everything will be subject to the arrangements of the Right Prime Minister."

Zheng Shuqing said bitterly, crossed his hands and bowed before leaving.

(End of this chapter)