When returning, Fang Chongyong remained silent, his mind always filled with the magnificent scenes of the Hexi Corridor. Niu Xianke's narration made him feel that what he wanted to do was not just to fool Zheng Shuqing, but also to fool the court.
This may be related to the survival and development of the Han people in Hexi.
"Do you think things are difficult to handle? I also think it's very difficult. The military system in Hexi is corrupted. I'm afraid that if things continue like this, there will be big trouble."
Seeing that Fang Chongyong was silent, Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but sigh.
"This...that's all."
After thinking about it, Fang Chongyong felt that Zheng Shuqing had always been "not very smart" and told him many ideas, but it was just a chicken-to-duck discussion.
Is the military system in Hexi still called collapse? That was almost the best-maintained place in the entire Tang Dynasty’s military system!
If something goes wrong in this place, then Datang Pills!
Fang Chongyong didn't even know what to say about Zheng Shuqing. This person can be an official, but his ability to do things is very average.
Because of the extensive farming in the Hexi Corridor, the soldiers in Fanshang could not return to their place of origin, so they could only settle down in Hexi and have children, which were passed down from generation to generation.
Therefore, although their descendants are not government soldiers now, but participate in "recruitment" and "local regiments" and other "foreign soldiers", due to the nature of military settlements and the "vast land and sparsely populated" attributes of Hexi, The essence is still the same as the original Fu Bing.
Of course, this is the version with weakened treatment, so don’t think about rewards or anything like that.
The basic equipment is purchased and handed over to the military camp for safekeeping. Most people have their own fields and their families live not far away, so they can offset part of their labor service.
If one person escapes, the whole family suffers. The self-sufficient system becomes self-sufficient. In addition, the land annexation in Hexi is suppressed by the high-intensity war and the high proportion of military families. This makes all the soldiers in Hexi united and fight for survival!
It would be strange if Hexi could not produce a strong army.
Lao Zheng's dog brain has always been metaphysical, so we shouldn't expect too much from him.
"If you are in trouble, it's not that you can't think of a solution. In a situation like this in Hexi, I feel helpless..."
Uncle Zheng said with sadness.
At this time, the two of them had passed through the Chunming Gate and entered Chang'an City. The drums of the curfew were beating and the city gate was about to close.
"I just lamented that our ancestors overcame all obstacles and risked their lives to open up the Hexi Corridor and open up a road to connect the Western Regions in order to survive. Now that something happens in Hexi, I will naturally do my part.
Mr. Zheng, please don’t worry. "
Fang Chongyong saluted Zheng Shuqing and said.
"Easy to say, easy to say, and you will be greatly thanked when the thing is done. You don't have any servants around you yet. I have quadruplets maids at home. I will send them over in two days."
Zheng Shuqing said with a pained expression.
"Well, even if you send someone to deliver it, I won't be able to use it."
Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing helplessly, not knowing how to evaluate him.
Quadruple maids, Mr. Zheng really knows how to play! That’s enough for a table of mahjong!
"Well, I forgot about this one. But it doesn't matter. When you are older, I will look for you again.
There are so many things. If you haven’t tried them, you don’t know the fun. Don't be so repellent. You will encounter these social events after you become an official. It's good to get used to them first. "
Zheng Shuqing patted Fang Chongyong's shoulder meaningfully and walked away minding his own business. In front of you is Xingqing Palace, so you should avoid suspicion.
Returning home exhausted, Fang Chongyong saw that Fang Dafu and others had worried faces.
"Why do you all have such expressions?"
Fang Chongyong asked looking at Xu Yuan who usually talked the most.
"Young Master, someone from the palace came to inform you today that there is no need to go to the Imperial College."
Eh?
"You won't go if you don't go?"
Fang Chongyong was stunned. He never expected that Li Longji would do things so casually!
"Well, that's not the case. The eunuch said that the Imperial College must be fourteen years old before admission, and Lang Jun is not qualified. Although the saint opened his mouth, he was still rejected by the Imperial College."
Xu Yuan said with an embarrassed look. In fact, they all know this rule, but thinking that Fang Chongyong's background is not ordinary, maybe there are exceptions? Unexpectedly, it still doesn't work.
But think about it, the Imperial College is the exclusive residence of traditional literati like Zhang Jiuling, and it is not unusual for him to support Li Longji. Fang Chongyong understands this very well.
"If you don't want to go, don't go. I'm so happy and relaxed."
Fang Chongyong sighed. Anyone who is fooled like this will feel very unhappy.
"By the way, the eunuch also said that he will assign a teacher to the young man to give lectures. He will teach the young man what he wants to learn."
Xu Yuan came over and whispered.
"Understood."
Fang Chongyong nodded and told Fang Dafu to clear out a special study room. He himself dragged his tired body back to the bedroom, spread a large piece of paper on the table, lit a candle, and meditated.
Zheng Shuqing had to do what Zheng Shuqing asked him to do, otherwise he would also offend Niu Xianke. Besides, when you travel to this world, you can't live like a maggot, just eating and waiting to die.
With Liangzhou in Hexi as the center, the use of troops against Tubo must be a long-term and comprehensive war. Judging from the information obtained by Niu Xianke, the material preparations for a short-term war against Tubo are completely different from those for a long-term war.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is hypoxic!
This idea whirled back and forth in Fang Chongyong's mind.
Because hypoxia cannot be overcome, there is an obvious "geographical contour" between the Tang army and Tibet. As the altitude increased, the Tang army could not defeat the Tibetan soldiers. This was insurmountable.
This article destined the Tang Dynasty to face Tubo, and they could only wait for the other party's domestic chaos. Otherwise, even if there was an occasional victory, the Tubo people would eventually make a comeback.
If Zheng Shuqing wants to ascend to power, he must not get the key points wrong. Making money is the means, and ensuring the logistics of the Hexi war is the goal.
Fang Chongyong picked up a pen and wrote a line on the paper:
We cannot produce our own armaments.
This is the biggest flaw and weakness in the situation in the Hexi Corridor.
The wood, metallurgy, and forging required for manufacturing armaments cannot be provided there. The reason is simple: the ecological environment cannot bear it. In fact, the economy of the Hexi Corridor has made many concessions due to ecological environment constraints.
This problem is also a problem for Chang'an.
Due to the limitations of the ecological environment, during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, there was no large-scale weapons production base in Chang'an City, and it mainly relied on transportation from other places. Weapons and equipment were initially stored in the arsenal under the east wall of Tai Chi Palace.
Arms cannot be eaten or worn. When the country is stable, there is no need to arrange to occupy natural resources near the capital. The central organization "Ordnance Supervision" is responsible for managing the production and dispatch of armaments.
Niu Xianke did a good job in Hexi. Many people, including Zhang Jiuling, thought that he was just an excellent "warehouse manager".
Although this view contains discriminatory elements, it cannot be said to be completely unreasonable. At the very least, the inability to produce armaments on his own made him, a local official, much less valuable.
Fang Chongyong continued to write on the paper: The government's transportation capacity should make every effort to ensure that consumables in armaments, such as bows, crossbows, arrows, etc., continue to be imported into Liangzhou, and the rest can be postponed.
This has little to do with Zheng Shuqing's authority, but it can definitely add points to his position as Minister of Household Affairs.
Fang Chongyong continued to write on the paper:
Silk from Hexi lacks the high-end skills of printing, dyeing and blending. Only white silk can be exchanged with Hu merchants from the Western Regions, but the market price is low, far inferior to Sogdian brocade.
Sogdian brocade is Chinese silk and is woven in Persia. It is sold at a high price and is sold well in Chang'an.
In the future, Gaochang cotton, which is common in Anxi Duhufu area, can be promoted in places such as Liangzhou and Ganzhou in Hexi Province, and white silk can be replaced by cotton fabrics.
If the people are prosperous, the country will be strong, and the people of Hexi must fight to the death.
As he wrote this, Fang Chongyong felt a burst of emotion in his heart.
The rent transfer system hinders the development of the commodity economy, which is particularly prominent in Hexi. This is one of the reasons why the silk weaving industry in the Hexi Corridor has never recovered after it was destroyed by the war.
Because it is a product of the distortion of the unreasonable economic system in the Tang Dynasty, once this external force no longer exists, the market competition of survival of the fittest will naturally extinguish it.
With the deepening development of the commodity economy in the Tang Dynasty, the system of renting and mediocre taxes became increasingly overwhelmed.
Rent Yongdiao required farmers to weave cloth, and silk products, as "hard currency", could be used as currency. Therefore, Hexi locals have to follow this rule regardless of whether their silk fabrics are competitive in the market.
If they don’t spin yarn, how will they pay rent? Obviously sericulture and spinning are the most cost-effective!
As for social labor productivity and market competition, the decision-makers who formulated this system at the time did not consider these things.
However, the cruel fact now is that due to the limited size of the Hexi Corridor and the harsh external natural environment, the scale of the silk weaving industry is also limited. The limited scale determines that the upper limit and growth potential are also limited.
It was not obvious in the Han Dynasty, but Liangzhou silk was still famous. However, in the Tang Dynasty, with the upgrading of textile industry technology, the silk produced in the Hexi Corridor, which had lagged behind in the industrial upgrading, no longer had any competitiveness in the domestic market competition of the Tang Dynasty!
Either these silks were handed over to the government as part of the rent; or they were sold at low prices to the Hu merchants in the Western Regions, who were mainly Sogdians. These Hu merchants sent the original silk fabrics produced in the Hexi Corridor to Persia and even Dashi for secondary processing. , turned into "Sogdica Brocade".
The Sogdian brocade was then sold back to the Tang Dynasty, and was enthusiastically sought after by the dignitaries of Chang'an.
This is why Dunhuang in the western section of the Hexi Corridor became the first turning point for Hu merchants from the Western Regions, because they wanted to bring raw materials and rough-processed products from the Tang Dynasty back to the Western Regions for "secondary deep processing."
This is the origin of the saying "Silk Road produces silk". The local people in Hexi did not get any benefits from the silk trade.
Changing silk silk to Gaochang cotton, Gaochang cotton cloth is competitive in Chang'an, and changing silk silk to cotton cloth in Hexi is the call of the times. It is imperative to relax the mediocrity and adjust the content.
"It's all nonsense anyway, as long as the saint is happy after seeing it. If Old Zheng can become an official, I will be considered as a man of responsibility."
Fang Chongyong sneered. His purpose in writing this was naturally not all to make the people of Hexi live a good life. The most fundamental thing was to promote Zheng Shuqing.
The purpose determines the means. It’s okay to make suggestions. If you want a solution, I will give it to you.
As for execution, what kind of execution can a half-year-old kid talk about?
Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong continued to write on the paper:
Although Liangzhou and Ganzhou are full of grain, they are surrounded by powerful enemies. Once there is a disturbance, farming cannot be sustained, and the people become soldiers and recruit soldiers. Food and fodder are wasted and are not always guaranteed.
A "permit" system can be established in the West City of Chang'an. If Hu merchants from the Western Regions want to transport goods out of the city, they must transport grain and fodder to Liangzhou and Ganzhou to obtain a permit.
Those who transport grain can carry a certificate to trade out of Chang'an, trade grain with the government in Liangzhou, and then take other goods out of the customs to the Western Regions. Those who do not transport grain will not be granted a license and can only trade within Chang'an City.
In this way, Liangzhou's food supply will be endless and military needs will not be hindered.
The Hu merchants in the Western Regions are quite free. Let them bring the goods. At the same time, let these people put eye drops on Tibet and play with the economic blockade.
Fang Chongyong thought maliciously.
Sogdian merchants were also suppliers to Tibet, and many of them were cheap bastards who ate from both ends. Once the Tang Dynasty closed its mouth, the Sogdian merchants could only stand on the side of the Tang Dynasty, hoping that the war would end soon.
Because Datang played the dual role of absolute supplier and policeman on the Silk Road. Tubo only plays the role of consumers and robbers.
When the Tang Dynasty was defeated, the Silk Road died, and everyone died with it.
Tubo was defeated, the Silk Road continued, everyone pretended that nothing happened, and others acted as robbers and consumers.
Of course it is difficult for most people to understand this at this time, but Fang Chongyong can easily understand it thoroughly from the known historical trends.
In previous history, after the decline of the Tang Dynasty, Tubo was shocked to realize that there was no profit, and then thought of establishing its own textile center.
As a result, within a few years of playing this belated game with the help of the Sogdians, the serf uprising that swept across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau crushed Tibet to pieces, and it was never able to rise again.
The country of Tubo probably didn't understand what it had been busy with for hundreds of years until its demise.
"There is still one thing missing. Where will the money and silk to reward the three armies come from?"
Fang Chongyong thought as he wrote on the paper: "We can order the Weaving and Dyeing Department to develop imitation Sogdian cloth in Chang'an and produce and sell it in Yangzhou, Luoyang and other places. The money obtained will be used for military needs."
This is a really good idea, but it's hard to say whether Li Longji will listen. Fang Chongyong wrote it on paper with the attitude of doing his best and knowing destiny.
He looked at the completed memorial and found that it contained just a few suggestions.
To sum it up, there are sixteen words: dedicated to military supplies, changing silk into cotton; permission to transport grain, and imitating cloth to raise money.
"Why should I worry about this? Isn't this a question that Li Longji should think about? If you sleep and stay up late, will you grow taller?"
Fang Chongyong hurriedly washed himself and got into the silk quilt.
…
The next day, Fang Chongyong did not wait for Zheng Shuqing who was "pressing the manuscript". Instead, he waited for a young man in Taoist robes who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old.
"I, Li Mi, have been ordered by the saint to come here to teach you."
"Oh oh oh……"
Fang Chongyong quickly introduced Li Mi into the study.
After both parties sat down, Li Mi smiled calmly and said, "You can ask whatever you want, sir, and learn whatever you want to learn. I will tell you what I know. If you don't know, I won't say anything."
Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, suddenly remembered what happened in Hexi, and couldn't help but ask: "How is the matter in Hexi?"
"There is nothing wrong with Hexi, it's just Tubo."
Li Mixi, whose words are like gold, spoke these ten words.
"What about Tubo?"
Fang Chongyong continued to ask.
"Five as sixty-one Dongdai."
Li Miyan said concisely and concisely.
Fang Chongyong was choked to death by him, but he didn't dare to ask what he meant, not wanting to expose his empty head.
The atmosphere suddenly became deadlocked.
