"Zheng Shijun, are we going in the wrong direction?"
Fang Chongyong, who was following Zheng Shuqing, found that they were heading to Chunming Gate in the east of Chang'an City. Not far after leaving the house, there was the place where Li Longji "killed three sons in one day": Chengdong Station!
"Let's go to Chengdongyi to meet that person."
Zheng Shuqing said with a somewhat unnatural expression. Not long ago, three princes were hanged on the beams of the Chengdong Station lobby, but now Niu Xianke can actually live there without changing his expression.
This is probably an honest person who came up from the grassroots level!
Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but sigh in his heart. That day when he contacted Niu Xianke, the other party's attitude was very humble. He didn't look like someone who had become the minister of the Ministry of Industry, but more like a junior official working at the grassroots level.
Back in Kuizhou, those people who followed Zheng Shuqing and did errands all carried the same aura as Niu Xianke. After Zheng Shuqing asked for advice tomorrow if he had something to do, the other party agreed without hesitation.
It has to be said that Li Linfu grasped Niu Xianke's mentality very accurately. Niu Xianke, who was a civil servant, was suddenly transferred from the town on the west side of Hexi to become an official in the center. Seeing the grand appearance of the imperial capital, he thought of the complicated officialdom here. And the sadness of being looked down upon by others (not just Zhang Jiuling and others).
It is obvious that he wants to find a political ally!
Niu Xianke, who has been working at the grassroots level for a long time, doesn't know the importance of connections? Didn't he rely on the support of his boss to make it all the way?
"Well, you haven't told me who you are until now? And you haven't shown me the documents. Why don't you write the memorial yourself?"
Fang Chongyong turned around to leave, but Zheng Shuqing hurriedly grabbed his sleeve.
"Don't! You're already here, just go take a look. The old rule is, I'm mute today, you decide everything! This man's name is Niu Xianke, he has worked in Hexi for decades, and now he has just been awarded a job As a minister, you should be polite."
Zheng Shuqing quickly comforted Fang Chongyong and said that cold sweat was about to break out on his forehead. If you give up your pick at this time, it will really kill you!
"Niu Xianke, this name seems familiar."
Fang Chongyong muttered to himself.
He recalled it, and it seemed that he had seen this person in a history textbook in his previous life, but he couldn't remember any of his deeds.
"Okay, this will be the last time, Mr. Zheng."
Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly.
"I promise this last time, I won't bother you again, hehe."
Hearing the word "Servant", Zheng Shuqing was filled with joy. With the insight of Niu Xianke, a senior bureaucrat in Hexi, and Fang Chongyong, who was making terrible money, the two of them joined forces to push him to the throne of Minister of Household Affairs.
Zheng Shuqing felt that although he was not very smart as an official, he was very good at it.
As for why he did not discuss such a major matter with his staff, it was because the staff in the Tang Dynasty were also officials, the so-called "assistant officials". After Zheng Shuqing was no longer the governor of Kuizhou, the assistant officers around him stopped listening to his orders.
This was the case in the Tang Dynasty. There were still many ways to rise to the rank of civil servant, but the assistant position was a narrow path that was not easy to walk. Therefore, no capable person would be willing to be a "pure staff member" without an official status.
The threshold for becoming an assistant officer is very low, as long as you are not from a "low status", some businessmen can even obtain similar official positions by donating money. Of course, official status is not important, what really matters is "errands".
Fang Chongyong was considered a "child laborer" because he was too young. Otherwise, a person of this level would have become an official long ago. As long as he was not an official under Zheng Shuqing, Fang Chongyong could theoretically ignore the official who was about to become the Minister of Household Affairs.
"Wouldn't it be good if we came here empty-handed today?"
When he was approaching Chengdong Station, Fang Chongyong suddenly remembered this incident, stopped and asked. If you let someone act as a "consultant", shouldn't you pay consulting fees or something like that? This is a bit too informal.
"Do you think giving gifts is all about dragging an ox cart and delivering the gifts?"
Zheng Shuqing also stopped and asked angrily.
"What if that's not the case? Isn't that why you gave me a gift? That old cow even ate a meal of my fodder before leaving."
Fang Chongyong became angry when he thought about this. Lao Zheng drove up to deliver gifts but didn't fill up the car with gas. Before leaving, he even used a box of gas of his own. It was really unreasonable.
"You know what the heck, if I pulled the car over, wouldn't it be obvious that I was bribing the court officials? In the future, I will be the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and an official in the same court as Niu Shangshu. Will this not be impeached by the officials of Yushitai? ?”
Zheng Shuqing took out a greeting card, waved it in front of Fang Chongyong, and said in a low voice:
"This is a house deed close to Chongxian Square in West City. When Niu Shangshu first arrived in Chang'an, didn't he want to buy a property? This house deed saved him a lot of effort, right?
In terms of clever planning, I am not as good as you.
When it comes to official etiquette, you are still far behind. "
I understand. As expected, you still know how to play.
Seeing the smug look on Zheng Shuqing's face, Fang Chongyong nodded slightly. The officialdom was really not worth mentioning. After all, it was just four words: "Flies in the camp and dogs in the doghouse."
Of course, Li Longji would also gift Niu Xianke's house to show his favor. This house deed may seem useless and redundant, but in fact it expresses the officials of Li Linfu's line of wooing and accepting Niu Xianke, a foreign official!
The real estate that Zheng Shuqing donated to Niu Xianke may not necessarily be Zheng Shuqing's own property. Fang Chongyong no longer wants to inquire about the inside story here.
To sum it up in two words: very smooth.
Compared with the high position of officials, the accessories such as wealth, silk, land and property are just things that are in the mirror and not worth mentioning.
Without power, they are just free custodians for others.
When the two entered Chengdong Post, Fang Chongyong subconsciously looked at the beams where the three princes were hanging. That hideous and terrifying scene is still in his mind.
All this seems to remind him all the time that officialdom is dangerous and good or bad is unpredictable. The rise and fall of an officialdom depends not only on one's ability, but sometimes luck and family background are also important.
Not to mention, the prosperous Tang Dynasty didn’t have many good days left!
…
"The place is simple. Please sit down, please. I'll make tea right now."
Niu Xianke is already an old man in his sixties. He is dressed as plainly as a farmer and has no airs at all.
"No need to be polite, Niu Shangshu. Mr. Zheng suddenly fell ill yesterday and cannot speak. I am the boy who will ask all questions. If you are not polite, please don't be offended, Niu Shangshu."
Fang Chongyong bowed and saluted Niu Xianke.
"Where did the minister come from? The appointment from the imperial court has not come down yet. I am just a white person now, just a white body."
Niu Xianke brought a simple tea set and began to make tea skillfully. While breaking the tea cake, he smiled kindly and said: "If you have anything you want to ask, Minister Zheng, just ask directly. It's all for the sake of the people of Hexi and the stability of the border.
I must make no reservations and tell you frankly what I have to say, so that it will not delay the overall situation of Hexi. "
Niu Xianke's attitude was very sincere, which was somewhat beyond Fang Chongyong's expectation. When a high-ranking official whom he doesn't know is questioned, he can just give a few perfunctory explanations. Is it necessary to say "I know everything and tell you everything"?
In fact, what Fang Chongyong didn't know was that the reason why Niu Xianke agreed to Zheng Shuqing's inquiry about Hexi was not entirely because of Li Linfu's face. This factor was not even the main reason.
The real reason is closely related to Niu Xianke's own life experience.
Niu Xianke was originally from Quaigu, Jingzhou, and was born near Hexi. He has also been an official in the Hexi Corridor for decades. It can be said that he has served everything from civilian to official to high official.
His experience in Hexi is rich and his roots are deep. Among so many officials in the Tang Dynasty, he can give a well-deserved thumbs up and say: Lang Bowan!
Hexi is the hometown of Niu Xianke, the place where he was born and raised, and where he was allowed to go to Qingyun Road. Niu Xianke's success in Hexi has something to do with his experience as a local.
Now that I heard that the imperial court was preparing to send troops from Hexi to fight against Tibet, Niu Xianke naturally wanted to give him all his money and contribute to his hometown.
Zheng Shuqing pointed at his throat, then at Fang Chongyong, and nodded slightly to Niu Xianke. The meaning was very clear: I can't speak, and what this child said means what he said on my behalf.
"Niu Shangshu, I would like to ask, are the weapons, crossbows, arrows, armor, Hengdao Modao, saddles and stirrups in the Hexi arsenal produced locally, or do they come from Guanzhong?"
Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice, already spreading a large piece of paper on the table and preparing to record it.
Originally, Niu Xianke was still thinking about what questions a child would ask. Unexpectedly, the first question pointed directly at the biggest weakness of the four counties in Hexi!
"Little Langjun doesn't know that all the armaments in Hexi come from Guanzhong, and most of them come from Chang'an. And many of the bows and crossbows in Chang'an come from places outside Guanzhong.
The Hexi Corridor is mostly sandbars with luxuriant pastures but not many trees. Hexi cannot provide the wood needed to prepare crossbows, and they can't even wait to plant trees. Where are the trees that can be cut down?
As for the requirements for making armor, in addition to the iron ore needed to smelt pig iron, wood also needs to be burned into charcoal. Hexi cannot produce these things on its own. Many of the crossbows, crossbows, and arrows needed by the soldiers to join the army came from Sogdian merchants. Their origins are mixed and cannot be generalized.
Minister Zheng is worthy of being the Minister of Household Affairs, and his questions are really to the point. The trouble in Hexi lies in armaments. "
Niu Xianke couldn't help but praise Zheng Shuqing.
"Well, I have all these things written down. Then let me ask Mr. Niu another question: Is there a shortage of food in Hexi? How much is the shortage? Where is the shortage?"
Hearing this question, Niu Xianke and Zheng Shuqing both looked at each other, and Fang Chongyong's "lack of common sense" problem occurred again.
Niu Xianke laughed loudly and said: "This is what the young man wants to ask himself. Hexi is rich in grain and fodder, and he raises 70,000 horses for the imperial court. However, the most land for the imperial court to farm is only in Liangzhou and Ganzhou, and other places Including the Western Regions, they all rely on this place to supply food.
When Guanzhong is short of food, Hexi has to supply food and grass to Guanzhong. "
Speaking of his hometown, Niu Xianke couldn't help but feel proud.
Fang Chongyong coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment. In his previous life, the ecology of the hinterland of Gansu had been destroyed to a great extent, and the lack of water caused a dry throat.
But at this time, the Hexi Corridor, especially the Liangzhou area, was a fertile land where the imperial court spent a lot of effort to cultivate fields. It can be regarded as the grain and grass supply warehouse for the Western Regions and the western section of the Hexi Corridor.
There was even a food shortage in Guanzhong two years ago, and Liangzhou shipped a lot of food to Chang'an!
"How many soldiers are there in Hexi Prefecture? Are they recruiting locally? Are all their family members there?"
Fang Chongyong asked several questions in series.
The expression on Niu Xianke's face was in a trance, as if he had returned to those years. He thought for a while and shook his head and said: "These things are really difficult to describe. Although those people are still called Fu soldiers, they are no longer the rules of Fu soldiers.
Nine out of ten men in the village who have had military experience can be said that the people are soldiers, and the soldiers are also people. It will not work if the imperial court handles the affairs in Hexi according to the script.
The various types of people with military registration in the government are all over fifty years old, and there will be no increase in the number. The rest are recruited and recruited, and the soldiers at the frontier are suffering. They have not been rotated for many years. Most of them have settled in Hexi. The imperial account books may not be trusted. "
Niu Xianke introduced to Fang Chongyong the shocking military system in Hexi Bian Town.
The so-called Fu soldiers have long been a nominal term. As for the rules of Fu soldiers, such as "two brothers join the army and return one brother", it is an act of self-deception and pinching the nose to coax the eyes.
Even if it is recruiting soldiers, because they have not been rotated for many years, most of the soldiers recruited from the mainland have settled down locally, got married and had children. There were frequent wars in Hexi, and countless men joined the army through various channels.
If the noble masters are exempted from military service, and the old and the weak are also excluded.
That means all the people are soldiers!
Niu Xianke said that when he was working under the Yingtian officer, he saw a fifty-seven-year-old soldier who later died on the battlefield. His son was twenty years old and died on the battlefield the following year.
Niu Xianke didn't know whether he was extinct or not, because at that time he had already been promoted and became an official elsewhere.
The reason why Hexi is prosperous is that it is located on the key passage of the Silk Road, and its location is very critical. Secondly, military settlements and large-scale militarization restrained land annexation to a certain extent.
It is destined that there cannot be any wealthy families here. When they are facing the court, they are border towns, and when they are not facing the court, they are warlords. Judging from the current situation, the smoothness of government orders in Hexi far exceeds that in other places outside Guanzhong.
Does the family want to engage in land annexation? Everyone in Hexi is a soldier. Try annexing them!
"What products are there in Hexi? For example, they are rare in Chang'an."
Fang Chongyong asked and took "notes" while feeling very emotional. The Hexi that Niu Xianke talks about is completely inconsistent with the hinterland of Gansu in his mind where economic development lags due to lack of water!
"There are many specialties in Hexi! The first thing worth mentioning is the Sogdian brocade! But it is not produced in Hexi, but was brought by the Sogdians."
As soon as this is mentioned, there will be an endless stream of Niu Xianke.
"Lamb, wine, luminous cup, Sogdian tapestry, oh, I can't finish it in just a short while. Please let me speak slowly..."
Seeing him talking with a cheerful expression on his face, he seemed to be several years younger.
Fang Chongyong secretly thought that although Niu Xianke was now appointed as the Minister of Industry, he probably still regarded himself as the local bureaucrat who shined in his hometown and was widely loved and praised.
As the saying goes, a tree moves a dead person to move a living person, but sometimes there is no shortage of counterexamples.
Niu Xianke could obviously do great things in Hexi, so why did the imperial court bother to bring him to the center to be isolated and suppressed?
This is a good person, but he may not be a good official in the central government, which is a pity.
Fang Chongyong sighed inwardly, and the hand holding the brush wrote faster on the paper.
