Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 456: The Deep Morality of Master Lou

There is a hustle and bustle of traffic in the west city of Chang'an.

A 30-year-old fat scholar looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar scene in front of him and couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "I didn't expect that Chang'an has changed so much."

The fat scholar was Lou Shide, who was transferred from Yangzhou to Chang'an to take up a post.

Lou Shide was a native of Zhengzhou and the top scholar in the 18th year of Zhenguan. Before he was transferred to Yangzhou to serve as the lieutenant of Jiangdu County, he visited Chang'an many times and had a deep impression of this capital of the Tang Dynasty.

When I entered Beijing again this time, the roads were still the same roads, the surrounding houses were still the same houses, and even the locust trees on both sides of the streets were not much different from what I remembered.

But it just gave him a feeling of a big change...

Lou Shide soon realized the reason.

people!
There are a lot more pedestrians on Chang'an Street than ten years ago, especially the proportion of foreigners, which is much higher than before. There are countless people coming and going on the street in strange clothes, and there are even many people with blond hair and blue eyes, and people as black as charcoal.

Lou Shide was slightly curious and walked into the city.

His purpose was very clear, and he went straight to Xuanyangfang where Chen Qingsi lived.

Chen Qingsi has long been famous throughout the world. The house he lives in was given by Your Majesty. It was the former residence of Ma Zhou, the former Minister of the Central Secretariat.

Even Lou Shide, who was far away in Yangzhou, knew that Chen Qingsi lived in Xuanyangfang.

As for where it is in Xuanyangfang, I don't know.

Lou Shide asked a passerby and soon found out where Chen's house was.

After knocking on the vermilion door, Lou Shide only gave his name and explained his purpose.

The concierge informed the steward Jiang Chen, and when he learned that the visitor was Lou Shide, Jiang Chen immediately led him to the reception room, served him tea, and said, "The master has not returned from work yet, please wait for a moment. If you need a book to pass the time, please tell me directly."

Lou Shide thought for a moment and asked, "Are there any recent court reports?"

The court bulletin is a kind of official or private bulletin that records important events in the court without being counted by the court, but is spread throughout the country.

Basically, all large and medium-sized counties have similar institutions.

When local officials wanted to know about important events in the imperial court, they mostly learned about them through official reports.

An official who truly has ideas will never miss any issue of the official bulletin.

Lou Shide rushed here from Yangzhou, and had to change boats and horses along the way. He was cut off from news and had missed several issues of the official bulletin.

"Of course there is! Please wait a moment, my dear. I will go and get it!"

The Dibao had the rudiments of several newspapers, but it was not as formal as a newspaper.

Chen Qingsi would also take a look at it in his spare time. Of course, he would only take a brief look at it. He knew most of the things and had even experienced them personally. He would only take a closer look at the few things he didn't know.

Lou Shide was watching so seriously that he didn't even notice Chen Qingsi entering the hall.

Seeing that Lou Shide looked completely different from the one he remembered, Chen Qingsi slightly questioned and called out, "Brother Zongren?"

Only then did Lou Shide realize that Chen Qingsi had approached, and he hurriedly stood up and bowed to greet him.

Looking at the old friend in front of me, who has not changed much from my memory except that he is a little more mature and has a little more beard, I feel that some things have changed.

Back then, the other party was a commoner, and even though everyone knew he was extremely talented, they never thought he could climb so high so quickly.

Not to mention surpassing himself, even Pei Yan at that time was left behind by him.

"Minister Chen!"

Chen Qingsi sincerely returned the greeting and bowed, saying, "Brother Zongren, why should we be so distant? We met when we were poor and knew each other. At that time, you were a high-ranking county lieutenant, and I was just a low-ranking official. Brother Zongren was willing to make friends with you sincerely. Today, I have been lucky enough to have some achievements and am ranked above Brother Zongren. Brother Zongren, calling me that is putting me in an unjust position."

Lou Shide couldn't refuse, so he bowed again and called out, "Brother Fudao."

"That's right!" Chen Qingsi showed his joy at meeting an old friend, and said to Lou Shide in front of him, "Brother Zongren, you look like a general at first glance."

Compared with the Lou Shide in his memory, the Lou Shide in front of him was fatter, and had a full beard that covered half of his square face.

This is also the reason why Chen Qingsi didn't dare to recognize him at first.

Lou Shide patted his big belly, shook off the fat on his body, and said with a hint of self-mockery: "I have accomplished nothing in Yangzhou, and I have only gained this much fat."

Chen Qingsi pulled Lou Shide to sit down and said, "Even though the pearls are covered in dust, I know Brother Zongren's ability very well. You have accumulated a lot of experience and are ready to make a breakthrough. This time I strongly advocate transferring you to the capital because there is a major event concerning the future of the court, and Brother Zongren must be involved."

Lou Shide became the top scorer in the imperial examination at the age of 20. He was full of enthusiasm and hoped to find an opportunity to realize his ambitions.

I just haven't had that opportunity...

Lou Shide had been the magistrate of Jiangdu County in Yangzhou for ten years. He had always had a very good reputation, but he had no chance of promotion.

When he was in Yangzhou, Lou Shide even thought of quitting his official position and going to Beijing to make a living, but he couldn't bear to give up the foundation he had laid in Yangzhou over the past ten years.

In history, he couldn't stand the life in Yangzhou, so he resolutely gave up everything in Yangzhou, went north to Beijing, and looked for new opportunities. He then met Li Zhi who was recruiting warriors to conquer Tubo, and thus he rose to fame.

Now Chen Qingsi has summoned him to the capital ahead of time and told him that he has a chance to display his strengths. Even though he is as steady as a rock, there is some desire in his eyes.

"Let's sit down and talk slowly!"

Chen Qingsi gave a detailed account of the situations in the Western Arab Empire, Persia, and Tocharia.

"In fact, there is no need for the Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire to fight this war... It's just that there is no room for two tigers in one mountain. The Arab Empire does not trust us, and we do not trust the Arab Empire to ignore the fat piece of meat in the Western Regions. If we do not trust each other, we will be on guard. If we are on guard against each other, something bad will happen. It's just a matter of time. It depends on who can't help but move first..."

Lou Shide listened very carefully. When he saw Chen Qingsi stop, he said, "I see. The biggest feeling I had when I came to the capital this time was that there were a lot more people in Chang'an, especially merchants and travelers from all over the world."

Chen Qingsi said: "This is the effect brought by Fengshan."

In most people's eyes, Fengshan is a waste of money and labor, and this is indeed the case.

But there are certain political purposes behind it. Whether it is Qin Shi Huang, Han Wudi, or Emperor Guangwu of Han, they all have political purposes, and it is not just pure show-off.

Especially the Fengshan ceremony during the reign of Emperor Li Zhi, which had stronger political purposes.

This time the Fengshan ceremony was not for internal use, but for external use.

Li Zhi began to inform the vassal states of the matter of Fengshan two years ago...

This Fengshan ceremony was the biggest event in China since Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty. It was a milestone event, and truly achieved the goal of "people from all over the world came to pay homage to the emperor." Fengshan did empty the imperial treasury in recent years, but it also brought great business opportunities to the Tang Dynasty because it showed the magnificence and openness of the Tang Empire to all quarters.

The number of merchants from all over the world willing to come to Chang'an and Luoyang to trade, and the number of scholars willing to learn about Tang culture or engage in cultural exchanges were much greater than in the same period in history, forming a chain reaction.

"So, a blessing in disguise. The prestige of the imperial court attracted more scholars and businessmen who yearned for the Celestial Empire, and also attracted the camel of the Arab Empire."

Lou Shide couldn't understand why Chen Qingsi called the Kingdom of Dashi a camel. In this context, shouldn't it be a ferocious beast like a lion or a wolf?
A camel is at best a larger animal than a horse.

But he didn't care and just said, "Brother Fudao, do you want me to go to the Western Regions?"

Chen Qingsi nodded and said, "Yes, the future focus of the court will be in the West, and the stability of the Western Region is the most critical. We need a calm and steady person who is both civil and military to stabilize the situation. After thinking it over, I can't think of anyone other than Brother Zong Ren who can take on this important task."

Lou Shide said, "It's not that I'm shirking my responsibilities, but with my current resume, I'm afraid I won't be able to convince the people if I go to the Western Regions. Brother Fudao, after listening to your description of the situation, I understand that we are now racing against time with the Arab Empire. Their internal situation is unstable, our treasury is not well-off, and the people are anxious for peace. Whoever stabilizes the situation first will have the upper hand. But haste makes waste, and we can't rush things just to race against time and lose our sense of proportion."

The greatest characteristic of Lou Shide is stability, he is as reliable as a rock.

He might not be sharp enough, and lacks a bit in terms of aggressiveness, but as long as he stands there, he is someone worth trusting.

It was because Chen Qingsi appreciated this point about Lou Shide that he arranged for him to go to the Western Regions.

Generals who can capture cities and strongholds are important, but generals who can stabilize the rear and provide auxiliary support are also indispensable.

Chen Qingsi said truthfully: "I have already thought about this, so I will transfer Brother Zongren to the capital first, and then look for an opportunity to transfer him to the Western Regions."

Lou Shide was quite embarrassed and said, "It turns out that everything is under the control of Brother Fudao."

Chen Qingsi's eyes fell on the official newspaper beside Lou Shide, and his heart moved. He said, "Brother Zongren, what do you think about this official newspaper?"

Lou Shide said: "A piece of imperial newspaper can keep people like us who are far away from the capital informed of world affairs. As the saying goes, you can know what is happening in the world without leaving home. It is thanks to this imperial newspaper that we can know what is happening in the world without leaving home."

Chen Qingsi asked, "Brother Zongren, do you have any opinion on the development prospects of the official newspaper?"

Lou Shide thought about it carefully and said, "Of course it is very good. It is indispensable for officials far away from the capital. However, the content of the official reports is somewhat uneven and can be easily controlled by others. This is a major drawback."

The official reports came from the Xuanbao Office, which was mostly established by aristocratic families and local gentry.

They had special information channels and were able to obtain first-hand information on the imperial court's decrees. They would then distribute the compiled decrees to the newspaper offices in the prefectures and counties they were responsible for. Some places also provided free tea and even pens and ink.

Aristocratic families and local gentry would not do good deeds without reason. Instead, they would use this method to get to know officials from all over the country and seek opportunities to cultivate their network. They would also misinterpret the court's intentions in individual cases for their own benefit.

Newspaper offices near the capital did not dare to do so, but those far away from the capital secretly changed one or two words, or reversed or omitted one or two words.

Chinese characters are profound and extensive, and just a slight change can completely reverse the meaning.

Chen Qingsi said, "I think so too. Many people use newspapers to collect imperial decrees and use them for their own benefit. This is a big drawback. Rather than letting others take control, I think it would be better to let the imperial court take charge. It might even generate a lot of revenue."

The model of the hanging newspaper office has a drawback that the court has not taken into account.

Lou Shide said: "It is indeed very good to let the court take responsibility. By delivering the court's intentions exactly as they are, we can avoid being exploited by others and avoid mistakes in government orders. But where will the revenue come from?"

Chen Qingsi said: "The court sent people to compile the decrees, and let local officials print them. Some of them were put aside for people who wanted to know about the world to copy, and some of them were sold directly. There are always rich kids who don't want to copy them and buy them directly. It's a mutual agreement."

Lou Shide thought about it, patted his thigh and said: "This is a method, and it can be regarded as opening up new sources of income for the court."

Chen Qingsi said: "This is a move that benefits the country. I would like to trouble Brother Zongren to take some time to sort out his thoughts and make suggestions to the court."

Lou Shide was stunned and said, "This proposal is against the way of morality. How can I take credit for it?"

Chen Qingsi said, "You and I planned this together, but I am not in a position to speak up about this proposal. Only Brother Zongren can bring it up, otherwise we will have to put it aside and let future generations notice it and give advice."

Seeing that Chen Qingsi did not seem to be lying, Lou Shide pondered for a moment and understood the reason: Chen Qingsi was the Minister of War, and the Jianyanzhenghe Newspaper Office was not under Chen Qingsi's jurisdiction.

Chen Qingsi is very sensible in this regard.

There is a saying that goes, "Don't meddle in matters that are not your responsibility."

Relying on one's own ability to control everything and say everything is courting death.

Chen Qingsi only worked on the Ministry of War's affairs and hardly interfered with other matters unless Li Zhi consulted him.

He has many ideas in his mind, but he will only speak them out and try to do them at special times.

For example, Li Zhi died...

Chen Qingsi relies heavily on Lou Shide's abilities, and this promotion of Shi En will be of great help when the truth is revealed in the future.

Lou Shide was a little hesitant.

Chen Qingsi said: "We are all serving the country, so why differentiate between us? The Western Regions needs Brother Zongren, and you are doing this for the sake of the court and the country. Brother Zongren also knows that we are racing against time with the Arab Empire, and it is not a good idea to force things to happen, but it is beneficial to go with the flow."

At this point, Lou Shide couldn't refuse, and said, "Shide, I am ashamed to accept it!"

When he said this, he was deeply moved.

Chen Qingsi considered him so much only because he believed that he could achieve success in the Western Regions.

The Arab Empire was the strongest rival of the Tang Dynasty.

Chen Qingsi trusted himself so much and was sure that he could accomplish it.

After ten years of dormancy, I suddenly felt recognized by others. I thought to myself: Brother Fudao is my mentor and I will never let him down.

Chen Qingsi looked at Lou Shide with eyes full of recognition and trust.

When it comes to being a talent scout and investing in talent, Chen Qingsi is second to none, and no one dares to claim to be first.

Lou Shide's official position in Beijing was Counselor.

In the Tang Dynasty, the easiest person to become famous was the Counselor, who was promoted quickly but also died quickly.

Originally, Chen Qingsi arranged other opportunities for Lou Shide to become famous, but after seeing the court bulletin today, which reflected the opinions of the wealthy and powerful families, he changed his mind.

Sure enough, on the second day after Lou Shide took office, this censor who had been silent for many years dropped a bombshell in the court, suggesting the integration of court reports so that the court's decrees could be transmitted to the local areas without any errors.

Lou Shide made certain changes in the details to make it more in line with the national conditions of that era.

(End of this chapter)