Gu Kuang was very trustworthy and wrote an official document, stamped with the official seal of the warden and his personal seal, saying that he was not in a good position to protect the farmland. The army burned half of the mountain when they burned it, and now it was too late to replant it. Please punish me centrally.
He handed it to Zheng Shuqing for review. After the two of them exchanged polite greetings, Gu Kuang said goodbye and left.
Then he left a note for Fang Chongyong "on the way" and arranged to meet by the river outside the city.
To go or not to go, that is the question. Logically speaking, Fang Chongyong could actually ignore Gu Kuang.
However, Fang Chongyong was very embarrassed to see an honest man being cheated, so he went to the pavilion by the river outside the city alone, and saw Gu Kuang in a coarse cloth robe already waiting there. The river wind ruffled his unkempt hair, making him look a little embarrassed.
"Young man, you are very careful, and you screwed me up all of a sudden."
Gu Kuang invited Fang Chongyong to sit down and said with a wry smile.
"Taking care of everyone..."
"You can't afford it. The young man is a child prodigy, and the first born is a great figure."
Gu Kuang said very politely, obviously still angry.
"Brother Gu, actually, although this official document seems to have cost you a lot, in fact, it is very likely that you will become a capital official in Chang'an because of it, which is a blessing in disguise. Not to mention being held accountable."
Fang Chongyong said with a mysterious smile.
"Well, thank you for your kind words. If the Central Committee doesn't dismiss me and investigate, I will burn incense and worship Buddha."
Gu Kuang had a look of despair on his face. It was estimated that he would not be able to eat well or sleep well until the imperial court issued the order.
"Brother Gu, think about it. The red lotus rice you asked to be shipped out before was not missing at all. Did it all go to the palace treasury? Can the emperor eat so much?"
Fang Chongyong asked a question that tortured the soul.
"That's not true."
Gu Kuang sneered and said, although he is an honest man, he is not completely ignorant of the truth here. Just because he didn't dare to reach out to the tribute didn't mean that others didn't dare either.
There are so many dignitaries in Chang'an, either rich or powerful. Is it a big deal if they want to eat some local specialties? If the emperor doesn't reward him, will he let these precious red lotus rice rot in the treasury?
Obviously impossible!
Even in the past, red lotus rice would be lost due to various reasons. The rice that was delivered to Li Longji was half of what it was when it was shipped, just because some people were good-looking!
Gu Kuang was very surprised why Fang Chongyong was so young yet he knew so much about the officialdom of Chang'an.
"The official document that Brother Gu wrote, invisibly gave cover to many people.
These people have benefited from Brother Gu, so why would they go out of their way to retaliate? Therefore, not only is there no danger in this matter, but Gu Xiongtai is also likely to be promoted as a result.
After all, there doesn't seem to be much difference between taking care of the fields in Kuizhou and taking care of the fields in Chang'an. Those people don't mind if an informed and knowledgeable person like Gu Xiongtai is closer to them, right? "
Gu Kuang seemed to have listened, and Fang Chongyong began to explain in detail why this move would be absolutely fine.
Gu Kuang handed over all the red lotus rice, but only 50% of the quantity was written on the "manufacturer". Then the other 50% became goods beyond the scope of the court's surveillance. In other words, it would be "drifted away" openly. . Even if Li Longji knew about it, he wouldn't do anything. It's very likely that he doesn't know about it at all, or he doesn't have time to pay attention to such a trivial matter.
Because in previous years, it would also "float", but the process may be a bit tortuous. For example, some people will report that a tanker sank and the red lotus rice on the ship was also floated.
Those dignitaries in Chang'an would definitely reciprocate and help cover up Gu Kuang's favor. Otherwise, who will take the initiative to "honor" them next time?
"I originally thought that the court was bright and clear, and the government was clear and clear. I didn't expect that there were so many joints in it."
After listening to Fang Chongyong's explanation, Gu Kuang sighed and already had the intention of resigning and going home to study.
"Brother Gu, if you can go to Chang'an and see the scenery of Chang'an, your life will be worthwhile. Why bother saying such dejected words?"
Fang Chongyong comforted him.
Gu Kuang didn't answer, just shook his head and sighed, got up and left.
He left, and Fang Chongyong watched the canal boats passing through the Kuimen River Pass one after another on the river. He also looked at the majestic Baidi City on the other side, and suddenly felt that his mind was exceptionally clear.
The many complicated events during this period overwhelmed him. But now he has straightened out all the weirdness.
"Not the Prime Minister is in a dream, only Zheng Shijun is in a dream."
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but lamented that he had seen through the mystery, but he didn't intend to tell everything to Zheng Shuqing.
"Fang Youde, named Quanzhong, was an old friend of Emperor Qianlong. He had an only son, Fang Chongyong, who was stupid and unable to speak since he was a child.
As I observe today, the ancients said that what is heard is false and what is seen is true. Your reputation as a child prodigy is not only what Zheng Shuqing said, but it is even worse. "
Wei Qing's unique voice came from behind Fang Chongyong.
"The angel is so ridiculous, I can't afford it, I can't afford it."
Fang Chongyong stood up and saluted Wei Qing and said.
"Well, you are not an ordinary person, so I want to talk to you about the court affairs. After all, your father supported me back then."
Wei Qing said with emotion on his face, straightened his spotless robe, and sat down carefully.
"What's going on in the court? How to talk about it?"
Fang Chongyong asked pretending to be confused.
Wei Qing turned his head, looked at the green river in the distance, and said with emotion: "In the 21st year of Kaiyuan, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, and Chang'an was short of food. In March of the following year, the saint brought hundreds of officials to Luoyang to eat. After returning to Chang'an, the saint was furious and thought he had lost his face, so he ordered Pei Yaoqing to rectify the water transportation in the Yellow River and Jianghuai River.
The three-year period has come and Mr. Pei has made outstanding achievements, but..."
In many words, I am afraid of the word "but".
Fang Chongyong heard Zheng Shuqing say this. Although Pei Yaoqing had rectified the Yellow River water transport, he had blocked the Jianghuai water transport, causing freight to skyrocket. In addition to Chang'an receiving food, the people and officials in Lianghuai and Jiangnan complained endlessly.
Of course, for the court ministers, as long as Li Longji is satisfied, the rest is not important.
"I think Mr. Pei should have intercepted rice, grain, cloth and other items from the Jianghuai River and built Changping warehouses in Mengjin and other places in the middle reaches of the Yellow River to suppress food prices in Chang'an and stabilize people's livelihood."
Fang Chongyong said nonchalantly, you can guess this ending with your buttocks.
Hearing this, Wei Qing laughed dumbly and said: "You are no longer an ordinary prodigy, but an auspicious one for the country. You are right. Mr. Pei ordered the construction of Heyin Cang, Jijin Cang, and Sanmen Cang along the Yellow River to collect Renting grain from the world, he went up the river from Mengjin to the west. In three years, he accumulated 7 million shi of grain and rice, saving 300,000 taels of freight.
And the money was used as government and city expenses. "
The so-called Heshi is a market opened with foreign exchanges in border towns, which can be understood as the national import reserve.
In other words, Pei Yaoqing used the money for public use instead of giving it to Li Longji's small treasury.
Fang Chongyong thought to himself that if he were Li Longji, he would have a smile on his face, shouting "Aiqing" in his mouth, and feeling numb in his heart.
Is becoming an emperor to benefit the world?
There may be such an emperor, but the vast majority of people who want to be emperor, whether they become emperor or not, their ultimate thought must be to enjoy life better!
Seeing that Fang Chongyong remained silent, Wei Qing frowned slightly and continued:
"Wang Yu, the envoy of Jiannan Festival, was recommended by Pei Yaoqing. Now Wang Yu has been dismissed from office because of the Nanzhao incident, and Xianggong Pei has been implicated. He has been dismissed as prime minister and served as Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. Of course, this is only a superficial reason, the real reason The reason is...you don't need to be so straightforward with me."
"I understand, I understand. Don't say anything you shouldn't say."
Fang Chongyong nodded and waited for Wei Qing's next words.
He didn't know Pei Yaoqing, and he didn't have any interests related to him. I believe that this was not what Wei Qing wanted to say.
"Your father secretly returned to Chang'an this time and went to the palace to meet the saint. He did the same thing as Xianggong Pei did, and then asked me to take you back to Chang'an if there is a chance. Of course, I don't recommend it. You go back to Chang'an now.
The current situation in Chang'an is a bit strange. You are the son of a close minister of the emperor, so it is easy to get involved in the whirlpool. "
Wei Qing said helplessly.
"Some people may not be able to remember if you are nice to them; but they will remember it for the rest of their lives if you are not nice to them."
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but hum.
"I just thought you were complaining about your father."
Wei Qing frowned slightly and said with a hint of displeasure in his tone.
It is precisely because of Li Longji that they, the children of Liyuan, can enter and leave the upper class society in Chang'an. Therefore, there are many things that Fang Chongyong can say that they absolutely cannot say.
Of course Wei Qing could hear that Fang Chongyong was complaining that Li Longji was mean and ungrateful, and only remembered grudges but not kindness. Wei Qing also admired what Fang Youde did. It’s just that Li Longji will not be happy.
From this point of view, Fang Chongyong seemed to have said nothing wrong.
"Now, Prime Minister Li is responsible for rectifying water transportation. Are you really sure that you can handle the matter at Jiangguan in Kuizhou? If not, I will take you back to Chang'an now, and you can escape unscathed. If things don't go well in the end, Zheng Shuqing will definitely Unfortunately, you won’t end up in a good situation either!”
Wei Qing couldn't help but mention something. Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing were neither relatives nor friends, so there was really no need to sink with the ship.
"We have already figured out the customs duties of 300,000 yuan in Kuizhou. The angel can go back and report to the saint. It will definitely be completed before the Lantern Festival next year."
Fang Zhongyong said confidently.
"And...that's all, let's wait and see when you arrive in Chang'an."
The words didn't make sense, Fang Chongyong didn't make any progress, and had no intention of following him back to Chang'an. Wei Qing sighed helplessly.
Fang Youde hoped that Fang Chongyong could enter the palace and find a job in the Forbidden Army. He did not expect that the other party had the potential to be a "rebellious son". It seemed that he had no intention of leaving according to Fang Youde's arrangement.
As for studying and taking the imperial examination, with Fang Chongyong’s foolish appearance before, is that the right material?
"Go ahead. I will return to Chang'an today to report on my work. I also want to see the mountains and rivers of Kuizhou before setting off."
Wei Qing said with some emotion, leaving Fang Chongyong a little confused. What is this person doing who has been grieving the spring and autumn?
He put his hands together in a salute, then turned and left. Fang Chongyong has only done half of Zheng Shuqing's matter. Whether it can be accomplished or not depends on two people. He is just a slap in the face and pretending to be fat.
After Fang Zhongyong left, Wei Qing stood up and looked at Baidi City on the other side of the river, recalling the scene he accidentally saw in the opera garden.
…
"Quan Zhong, thank you for your hard work on this trip."
In an inconspicuous pavilion in the opera garden, Li Longji, who was in his early fifties but looked like the emperor of the Tang Dynasty in his thirties, was wearing an ocher-yellow dragon robe and a crown on his head. He knelt on the ground to worship a tall and thin man. With a big gift, a middle-aged man wearing a black military uniform of the Tang Army helped him up.
This middle-aged man is Fang Chongyong’s scumbag father Fang Youde.
"I don't know what the sage wants, but I will definitely do what the sage orders."
Hearing Fang Youde's words, Li Longji nodded with satisfaction, and the two of them walked in the pear garden.
"What do you think of Kuizhou government affairs?"
Li Longji asked casually.
"Back to the saint, the top and bottom of Kuizhou are colluding, making the Kuimen Jiangguan a mess. The mediocre tune is in vain, and the superiors are deceived..."
Fang Youde wanted to say more, but saw Li Longji wave his hand.
These were not words he wanted to hear.
After Zheng Shuqing left, Kuizhou sent many more mediocre tunes than before, and that was enough. As for those details, he didn't care and couldn't care less.
"What do you think about the situation with the Jiannan Army?"
Li Longji asked in a deep voice.
"Wang Yu took bribes from the leader of Nanzhao and delayed the military plan and deserved to be killed. Zhangchou Jianqiong incited a mutiny. Although he had military exploits, it was not enough to offset his crime, so he also deserves to be killed."
Fang Youde said with great certainty.
"That's all, the position of supervisory censor is also embarrassing for you. It's hard to return to Chang'an, so you should have a good rest this time."
Li Longji said sadly, seemingly worried.
"I have something I want to report to the saint."
Fang Youde's eyes were firm, and he bowed his hands to Li Longji.
"Tell me, you are an old minister from the time of Qianlong, I know it well."
Li Longji nodded slightly and said.
"The Khitans frequently invaded the territory, and the situation in Youzhou was unstable. Jiedu envoys had no financial power, and soldiers were in urgent need of military pay for training, so the ministers transferred the 300,000 tax dollars sent by Zhangchou Jianqiong to the Youzhou vassal town for support. Military supplies should be earmarked exclusively to prevent those Qiu Ba gang from expropriating money in Hebei."
Hearing this, Li Longji, who was still calm at first, suddenly had a dark cloud on his face!
"Fang Youde! How brave you are! How dare you embezzle my money!"
Li Longji turned around and looked at Fang Youde, glaring at him angrily!
Fang Youde quickly knelt down on one knee and said:
"Wei Chen only has saints in his heart. Saints are the masters of the country and are rich all over the world. Doing things for the country means doing things for the saints. Wei Chen knows that the 300,000 yuan in taxes is used to run the Lantern Festival next year. As well as rewards for the princes of the ten kings' houses.
But Wei Chen believed that state affairs in Bianzhen were the most important, and the rest were not worth mentioning.
In Wei Chen's heart, only the saint is the master. Wei Chen doesn't care what the other princes think. Wei Chen will never seek refuge with them, nor is he afraid of offending them. "
After hearing these words, Li Longji's face softened slightly and he said: "You are doing it for the country, but I have lost face. Isn't my face important?"
"This...Wei Chen can't take care of it."
Fang Youde said sarcastically, obviously feeling guilty.
"That's all. There is a vacancy for a minister in the Ministry of Rites. You should go to the Ministry of Rites and become an official. Stop running around."
Li Longji waved his hand and sighed.
A person like Fang Youde has strong beliefs and is loyal to the point of being pedantic. There is nothing Li Longji can do against him.
A lackey who is so loyal that his master would not even be willing to kill him with a knife.
"People's hearts in Hebei are unstable. This time Zhang Shougui received help from Wei Chen in times of need. The same is true for many soldiers in Youzhou. They must have neglected to take precautions. Please ask the saint to demote Wei Chen to the Youzhou army. Wei Chen should be treated as a saint and hide in the dark. Keep a knife in case of emergencies."
Fang Youde suddenly knelt on the ground and made a prostration.
"Why is this...don't you believe in my ability?"
Li Longji helped Fang Youde up and held on to his arm, sighing deeply.
