"Well, this matter is really difficult to explain in words. By the way, I am Li Kui, a distant relative of General Wang's wife's family, and I am temporarily staying here."
When Li Kui saw Fang Chongyong take out the red paper with Wang Yunxiu's birthday and horoscope written on it, he immediately realized that something big was about to happen.
Fang Chongyong was invited into the main room by Li Kui, but he saw that there was only one servant cleaning the yard. The whole yard looked empty, and no one from the Wang family could be seen.
I don't know if he has traveled far away or if he has something to do and has temporarily gone to another place in Chang'an.
After sitting down, Li Kui sighed helplessly: "After General Wang was demoted, this house can no longer be maintained. Chang'an's food, clothing, housing, transportation, and the care of this house are not something ordinary people can afford.
A certain person was studying in Chang'an and preparing for the imperial examination. To be honest, he couldn't afford to rent a house, so he had to stay with a distant relative temporarily. General Wang's wife, Mrs. Li, is from the aunt Li's house in Longxi, and is of the same clan and branch as Mr. Therefore, I took a certain person here to look after the house and prepare for the imperial examination. "
Li Kui's words contained a bitterness that could not be expressed by others.
Wang Zhongsi's family, whose mother Kuang is a descendant of Kuang Heng in the Han Dynasty, is now a small family. It is said that a marriage must be from a well-matched family. If Wang Zhongsi's father, Wang Haibin, was wealthy and had a powerful background, how about marrying the Kuang family, who was already in dire straits?
Nowadays, Migui in Chang'an, the Wang family are all orphans and widowers, and they have no income at home. They live in Chang'an and live a very hard life. As for the houses given by Li Longji, they cannot be bought or sold at will. If not, they may be labeled as "bullying the emperor".
Li Kui himself also had difficulties.
Although he was born in the aunt of the Li family in Longxi, all the money and silk belonged to the family and could only be used when needed urgently. There are many children in the family, and they all find their own way and develop independently. Prices in Chang'an are astonishing. Even if you are a member of an aristocratic family, you can save whatever you can here.
To take the imperial examination, you have to go around Chang'an to find connections with "noble people", otherwise there is no chance. So what if Li Kui comes from a noble family? It seems like no one has a good background. When the time comes to fight for connections and backstage, Li Kui is not sure of it.
As soon as he heard that Wang Zhongsi's wife, Li, wanted to quit Chang'an and return to her hometown to settle down, someone in the family provided a guarantee for Li Kui to stay here temporarily and paid Wang Zhongsi and his family a sum of money every month to improve their lives.
There are many benefits to doing this. Because Wang Zhongsi is only temporarily in decline, once he recovers, his house in Chang'an will still be there, and his family, including the Li family, can also move back from their hometown.
Moreover, Li Kui only stayed here temporarily for the imperial examination. Once he passed the imperial examination, he would immediately jump over the dragon gate. As a child of a family like him, once he wins the first place, he will not lack connections in Chang'an. Of course, he will not be as miserable as Bai Juyi who later had to save money to buy a house.
Seeing that Li Kui didn't look like a cunning person, Fang Chongyong had a question in his mind. He pondered for a moment and asked: "My father-in-law is from the Wang family in Taiyuan, and his family is well-off... Why can't he afford to live in a house in Chang'an once he is demoted?"
"Even if it is a family of officials, how can everyone be well-dressed and well-fed?"
Li Kui pointed to the robe on his body and asked, the unwillingness on his face was clear. The navy blue Mage robe is so plain that there are no accessories on it.
The family is really too big, and he has not yet passed the imperial examination, let alone become an official. There are many children from various branches of the family. If everyone has good food and clothing, there will not be enough gold and silver to spend.
To live a luxurious life, one must be an official in Chang'an, or one's father and brother must be officials in Chang'an. He yearns for such a life and is willing to achieve it through his own efforts. There is only a thin line between his current situation and "living under someone else's fence". His strong self-esteem makes Li Kui unwilling to live here permanently.
"Then Brother Li, does he know where my father-in-law and his family have moved?"
Fang Chongyong asked helplessly, Wang Zhongsi, who was riding a horse, was so unreliable that he didn't even know if his family moved.
Where is the sweet childhood sweetheart and wife we promised?
"General Wang's family has moved back to his hometown in Zheng County, Huazhou. He has not said anything to XX. To be precise, XX has not met them since coming to Chang'an. It was just that a long time ago, when General Wang got married, I just met them once when I went to have a drink."
In other words, Li Kui was arranged by his family to live here temporarily and manage the house. Wang Zhongsi's wife, Mrs. Li, had no contact with him. It was the Li family who pulled the strings and handled the matter.
"Zheng County, Huazhou..."
Fang Chongyong was silent, wondering where this place was. The names of the Tang Dynasty were quite different from those of the previous eras. The three-level system of prefectures, counties, and counties was changed to two levels of prefectures and counties. Therefore, many unfamiliar place names with the word "zhou" often appeared.
"Zheng County, Huazhou is at the foot of Huashan Mountain, about eighty or ninety miles away from Chang'an. It takes about two days to get there by oxcart."
Li Kui said indifferently that he probably also knew the reason why Wang Zhongsi's family moved away from Chang'an.
There are no relatives in Chang'an, prices are astronomically expensive, and Wang Zhongsi is not a general in the court, so what should he do in Chang'an? His hometown in Zheng County is not far away. Wang Zhongsi's family has relatives and land there, and even returning to Chang'an is only two or three days away. It’s really not worth the inconvenience of living in Chang’an.
"Okay, then I'll leave for Zheng County from now on."
Fang Chongyong no longer knows what to say. These adults, Fang Youde, Wang Zhongsi, Zheng Shuqing, both of them are scammers! They are all making things difficult for him, a half-grown child!
"Could it be that...you are Fang Jieshuai's son?"
Li Kui wanted to take the imperial examination, so he naturally paid attention to whether there were powerful people in Chang'an who could gain access to the imperial examination. Fang Youde is actually one of the so-called "connectors", but he has already gone to Youzhou. When Li Kui thought of the family that married Wang Zhongsi, he thought of this incident.
After all, the joke about "holding a hand for marriage" has been spread everywhere. As a relative of Mrs. Wang Zhongsi's family, it is natural that she would know about this.
"Who else could it be but me, the unlucky guy?"
Fang Chongyong sighed and was ready to get up and leave.
"Actually, you are still young, so you don't have to think about marriage. Since Fang Jieshuai has already made arrangements, it will naturally fall into place when the time comes." Li Kui persuaded him kindly, and his intention to please others was very obvious.
Fang Chongyong was Wang Zhongsi's son-in-law and Fang Youde's son. Wang Zhongsi's wife was born in the Li family of Guzang, and he was also born in the Li family of Guzang. Didn't this path come to him?
Li Kui's heart was burning, and his eyes changed when he looked at Fang Chongyong.
"This matter is too long to be described in words. I can only wait until I see my mother-in-law before making a decision. Please forgive me for causing any inconvenience. I will take my leave now."
Fang Chongyong raised his hands and saluted Li Kui.
Unexpectedly, Li Kui pulled his sleeve enthusiastically and said, "There is a man named Wang Sheng in Xuanpingfang who is good at drawing lots and telling fortunes. He and I hit it off immediately, so why not go to Xuanpingfang today?"
"That's fine. Xuanpingfang is not far from my home anyway."
Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and did not refuse.
Li Kui has selfish motives and his intention to build relationships is obvious. But Fang Chongyong thinks it doesn't matter. People are social animals and the relationship is mutual. I have just arrived in Chang'an not long ago, and the road ahead is quite slim. There are many friends and many paths.
Anyway, on the way home, it was quite interesting to see how the magic sticks of the Tang Dynasty performed tricks.
Fang Chongyong thought in his heart.
…
Youzhou Jicheng (Beijing) is nine miles from north to south, seven miles from east to west, has ten gates, and has a city circumference of thirty-two miles. It is a rectangular city that is slightly longer from north to south and slightly narrower from east to west. It is a large city of considerable size by ancient standards. .
This is Youzhou, even the northernmost core area of Hebei, no one else.
Northeast of Jicheng is Tanzhou City (Miyun District, Beijing). Go north past Gubeikou and continue walking northeast. The Tang Army set up a military garrison here: the Eastern Army is guarding the enemy!
Not only for farming, but also for military training and border defense.
Shouchuo was a border defense institution unique to the Tang Dynasty and not found in other dynasties. The chief was called the Shouchuo general. The number of garrison troops ranged from 300 to more than 7,000, and the setting was very flexible. It can be regarded as a garrison establishment for the border army, rather than an establishment based on the source of soldiers.
The officers and soldiers guarding the capital may include regular troops, that is, government soldiers, or united troops, or even prisoners. There are also many local people hired by Youzhou Jiedushi to garrison. The sources are very complex and include both Chinese and Chinese sources, but they are all managed in a unified manner.
Whether you are on the Fubing Fan or recruiting locally, there is a rule here.
Further to the northeast is Mo Dou Mountain. The Tang State and the Xi people used Modou Mountain as their national boundary. The Tang army established a border army, the "Modou Army", and stationed troops across Yunling (Tongling) to prevent the Xi people from crossing the border illegally.
Although spring has arrived and the flowers are blooming, the weather in Duyunling still makes people feel chilly.
Fang Youde, the Youzhou investigation and disposal envoy wearing a large cloak and leather armor, was inspecting Mo Dou's army with his bodyguards. As for Youzhou Jiedushi Zhang Shougui, he quietly stood aside and watched without saying a word.
It seemed like he was giving Fang Youde a lot of face.
It is indeed impossible not to give face. Although Zhang Shougui's official position is slightly higher than that of Fang Youde, his relationship with Li Longji is more than a little worse than the relationship between Fang Youde and Li Longji.
It can even be described as the difference between cloud and mud.
There are rumors that the reason why Li Longji decisively launched a coup to kill Princess Taiping was because Fang Youde was the mastermind. Just because this person keeps a low profile doesn't mean he has little energy.
Kneeling in front of Fang Youde was a burly young man. The armor on his body had long been taken off. He was only wearing single clothes and was tied up. He was looking at Fang Youde with an angry face and said nothing.
"Cui Qianyou, the evidence that you stole military rations is conclusive. Now that the Commander-in-Chief has taken your head as a warning to the three armies to enforce military discipline, do you have anything to say?"
Fang Youde pulled out his sword and pressed it against Cui Qianyou's hair with a very insulting and provocative attitude.
Zhang Shougui on the side couldn't understand what Fang Youde wanted to do, but Cui Qianyou was just a small corps leader of the Mo Dou Army, so he dealt with it as he wished. If killing this person can lead to Li Longji, he wouldn't mind killing ten more.
In the officialdom, the life of a soldier is nothing. Of course, killing is okay, but killing in front of so many people is not okay!
"Bah! If you didn't take it, you didn't take it. If you want to incriminate it, there's no need to hesitate, just do it!"
Cui Qianyou yelled while holding his neck, spitting at Fang Youde, and was immediately punched and kicked by the soldiers around him.
First, the army reported that the rations were missing, and then the next few bags of rations "magically" appeared in his camp. Finally, Pao Ze, who ate and lived with him, stood up and testified against him, saying that when Cui Qianyou stole the rations and brought them back, It happened to be seen by the other party.
All this frame-up and frame-up scheme is as if it has been planned. If this is not a frame-up, then it is really a damn thing!
"Wait a minute."
Zhang Shougui walked over slowly and pulled Fang You aside.
"In the border town of Youzhou, there are many traders and foot soldiers, and it is not uncommon to commit crimes. This is just like when Ban Chao conquered the Western Regions. The Han troops in the Western Regions were all brave and ruthless. .
This Cui Qianyou is just the captain of the corps. Although he is from the Boling Cui family, his family has long been in decline, and he is nothing more than an ant in the eyes of Gongtai. How about expelling him from the military, returning him to his home, and then hinting to the local government to send him to corvee service. What would the government think? "
Zhang Shougui asked calmly.
He is the governor of Youzhou! Fang Youde just observed and dealt with it.
If he had his cooperation, Fang Youde would be able to walk around the border town of Youzhou and deal with whoever he wanted; if he didn't have his cooperation, Fang Youde wouldn't be able to do it even if he had many holy relatives! The worst thing is to break up and make trouble in front of the emperor.
Observation and disposal envoys are themselves lawbreakers in the picket army. Cui Qianyou committed a crime (obviously framed) and was captured by Fang Youde, which was also the fault of the other party.
It's not impossible to kill the soldiers on the border in front of Zhang Shougui, but you can't use such despicable frame-up methods.
It's okay to be punished if you want, but killing is absolutely not allowed.
If Fang Youde can kill people randomly in his own army, how can Zhang Shougui command the three armies?
"Zhang Jieshuai pleads for you. He will be spared the death penalty and will not be able to escape. He will be beaten with fifty military sticks and escorted back to his place of origin!"
Fang Youde waved his hand, turned around and left.
The group of people rode back to Youzhou City. This time Fang Youde's inspection of the border military situation was also completed. Zhang Shougui hosted a banquet for Fang Youde, and the food was all local game. There was no one around at the banquet. Zhang Shougui thought of Cui Qianyou and asked Fang Youde doubtfully: "Cui Qianyou is just a corps leader, why is Gongtai so aggressive?"
"The punishment cannot be known, and the power cannot be measured. I know he is innocent, but as Commander Jie said, there are countless people in the Youzhou border army who committed crimes.
Cui Ganyou and others are in danger of being punished by military law. Will those who really steal military rations continue to steal without scruples? "
Fang Youde expressed his own theory.
Zhang Shougui nodded slightly. Although he did not completely agree with Fang Youde's approach, he had to say that if the punishment was unknown, the power would be unpredictable. It might not be easy to treat ordinary people, but the frontier troops were very fond of him.
Fang Youde used an innocent soldier to establish his power, which was really easy to do among the frontier soldiers Qiu Ba who had a very indifferent concept of right and wrong. If there are no rules for taking action, it will be difficult to predict; if it is difficult to predict, it means it will have a strong deterrent effect.
After bidding farewell to Zhang Shougui, Fang Youde returned to his residence. After retreating, he took out a thread-bound booklet placed close to his body.
Turning to the second page, Fang Youde took out his ink pen and marked the name "Cui Qianyou" heavily. And on his booklet, there were a series of names written impressively.
An Lushan, Shi Siming, Yan Zhuang, Cui Qianyou, An Shouzhong, Li Guiren... Among them, the names of Yan Zhuang and Cui Qianyou have been crossed out with a red pen.
"Anyone who ruins our prosperous Tang Dynasty will die!"
Under the weak candlelight, Fang Youde murmured to himself, put the booklet into his pocket and put it away, with a look of relief and satisfaction on his face.
If the problem cannot be solved, then solve the person who created the problem. Fang Youde's thinking is very simple and crude. As for whether it is effective, you can only ask the heavens.
