In March of the 26th year of Kaiyuan, Li Longji, who had lived very comfortably all winter, returned to Xingqing Palace from Huaqing Palace. Then he was almost knocked unconscious by a blow to the head from a Tibetan man.
The Tubo army fought fiercely in three areas at the border with the Tang Dynasty: Jiannan, Longyou and Hexi. Their attack was very fierce!
But the other two directions are all feints, and only the Hexi side is a real attack.
The Tubo army located in Xincheng (now the ancient city of Jinbatai, Qinghai) penetrated into the Hexi Corridor from the Qilian Mountain Tunnel and attacked Liangzhou City, exceeding the expectations of Hexi Jiedushi Cui Xiyi.
He personally led the Chishui Army and the Tubo Army to fight outside the city of Liangzhou. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and were punched to the flesh.
Later, because they could not get any advantage, the Tubo army took advantage of the darkness and fled.
Although the Tubo people did not succeed, they made Li Longji break into a cold sweat. Liangzhou City is a key logistics node between the Hexi Corridor and the Anxi Protectorate and Beiting Protectorate. If the Tang army in the Western Regions were compared to a sword, then Liangzhou City was the hilt of the sword.
The hilt was smashed and the sword was broken. The situation in the northwest of the Tang Dynasty will accelerate erosion.
Brother Ji was furious and issued an edict:
"The Tubo clowns have been invading the country for many years, destroying our cities and towns, and capturing our border people. In Hexi, Longyou, Anxi, Jiannan and other prefectures, those who are below the level of Jiedu officers and soldiers, who can win the Tubo Zanpu, will be given the title of king with a different surname; if they win big Those who are ranked as generals will be awarded as generals; those who are ranked below the rank of general will be awarded as generals and lieutenants. There is no limit on official qualifications, and rewards will be given in one case; the order will be announced quickly, and the envoys will hear about it."
Well, to put it simply, those who have meritorious service are awarded official positions, but there is no mention of rewards in terms of money and silk.
Wang Zhongsi received the military order and was transferred to the Chishui Army as envoy, and immediately rushed to Hexi. But Fang Chongyong has not set off yet, because he is now a "civil affairs official" in Liangzhou City, and can wait until the war situation is less anxious before setting off.
…
"What the hell is going on?"
A few days before departure, Fang Chongyong received a letter from Zheng Shuqing from Luoyang. Apart from those polite words, the core issue was only two words: Help!
Lao Zheng was appointed as the transshipment envoy and is now responsible for the storage of Hanjiacang and the supply of grain and fodder for the northwest war.
This will cost him his life!
The canal from Biankou to Luoyang was abandoned by Pei Yaoqing, so the grain stored in Hanjiacang naturally had no stable source. Occasionally, ships transporting grain would come to Luoyang, and they would sell the grain to the locals instead of selling it to the government for storage.
At this time, it’s time to try out the good methods of the “predecessors”. For example, the "Ping Bian method".
The price of grain harvested by the flat buying method is lower than the price of grain on the market in Luoyang area, so this means that when the canal is not smooth, not much grain can actually be harvested. Collecting grain locally in Luoyang will also cause high grain prices in Dongdu.
The higher the price of food, the more local large households will be reluctant to sell food, further pushing up food prices. As a result, Lao Zheng needed to constantly "request money" from the court, otherwise, he would not have that much money to collect grain. Based on Li Longji's character, doing this is probably seeking death.
But if Hanjiacang remains half-empty, Lao Zheng is likely to be punished by Li Longji.
What to do is a dilemma.
"It's just a warehouse..."
Fang Chongyong read the letter again and again, feeling disgusted in his heart.
If he wanted to improve Datang's economy and solve people's livelihood problems, Fang Chongyong had no solution at all.
But is it difficult for him to fill up Hanjiacang?
Not at all!
Just when he was about to lay down the paper and write a letter, Fang Dafu came to report that Niu Xianke had come to visit!
Fang Chongyong was shocked. Although Niu Xianke had a low-key style, he was also the Minister of the Ministry of Industry! I just don’t know why Niu Xianke came to my door!
After he led the other party to the study and sat down, Niu Xianke took out a thick thread-bound volume from his sleeve.
Most of the books these days are scrolls, but most people's notebooks and account books are hand-written manuscripts bound in threads. It can be said that each has its own merits.
"This is a brochure of the common weapons and equipment of the Tibetan people. I have illustrated them with pictures."
Niu Xianke said with a smile.
"How does this work?"
Fang Chongyong was flattered, but still resolutely took the thread-bound book.
"I will go to Shuofang tomorrow to persuade the Sogdian barbarians in the six states. I am here to say goodbye to you today."
Niu Xianke said with a heavy expression.
Even if Fang Chongyong was not familiar with military affairs, he could easily tell that the so-called "six-state miscreants" were not so easily persuaded. There are many barbarians on the border of Tang State, and they are intertwined with each other. If they are not careful, they may be angered. What Niu Xianke got this time was not a good job.
"This matter should be suppressed by the right prime minister, right?"
Fang Chongyong asked calmly.
Niu Xianke was stunned for a moment, then nodded silently.
"The water in Chang'an is too deep. As a local official from Hexi, I really can't control it after I come here. It's not a bad thing to negotiate with the miscreants in the six states this time."
Niu Xianke sighed, not knowing what to say.
In the center of the Tang Dynasty, people were busy with work and the atmosphere was very laid-back. Although he is the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, he has no connections or connections, and his words are not useful. In fact, the power is still in the hands of two ministers of the Ministry of Industry.
The power and authority of the six ministers of the Tang Dynasty have been in vain. After the middle and late Tang Dynasty, they were even completely reduced to decorations, forming a new rule of "serving ministers as prime ministers". Now, although this evil wind has not yet blown, Niu Xianke, who has no background and no background, has already felt the bone-chilling chill.
"Niu Shangshu... please take care along the way."
Fang Chongyong crossed his hands and saluted. He was very sorry that such a practical official could hardly survive in Chang'an.
It can be seen from this that the Tang Dynasty may still be in full bloom and appear to be extremely powerful, but the seeds of disaster have already been planted. An important evidence of the decline of the country is that hard-working officials cannot be reused and cannot carry out their work smoothly.
"By the way, although Liangzhou City is generally safe, sneak attacks by Tibetan scouts are not ruled out. The arrow shafts of the Tibetan bows and arrows are made of poisonous reed poles, and their soldiers generally like to extract poison from the arrows.
Although this poison will not kill you if you encounter it, if you don't pay attention to it, you will still have a narrow escape. Remember to pay attention to safety while you are there. "
Niu Xianke warned patiently.
"Understood."
Fang Chongyong nodded cautiously.
"Then I won't disturb you, and I'll take my leave now.
Xiao Langjun went to Hexi, so he didn't really need to do anything big. If you have time, why not help the border soldiers write letters home. "
Niu Xianke made a "request" that was not a request.
"I understand, I will try my best on this matter."
Fang Chongyong continued to nod.
Niu Xianke seemed to have something else to say, but in the end it turned into a sigh, hunched over and left the Fang family's house.
After he left, Fang Chongyong began to flip through the booklet and saw that it not only contained text, but also included pictures painted by Niu Xianke.
"There are five types of Tubo swords: Shangma, Suobo, Hupai, Gusi, and Jiare.
The back of Shangma's sword is thick, the edge of Suobo is sharp, Hupai has a scabbard, Gusi has silver sword patterns, and the armor heat can cut iron. "
"Tubo armor includes rhinoceros leather armor, nine-eyed armor, chainmail armor and vest."
"The rest are not worth mentioning. Only the chain mail is light and strong. Both men and horses are covered with armor. Only their eyes are exposed. They cannot be hurt by bows and arrows."
"Tubo is good at attacking cities. They have throwing towers, flying ladders, goose carts, wooden donkeys and other equipment. Together with their heavily armored infantry, they are unstoppable."
…
Fang Chongyong flipped through page after page of the "secret books" provided by Niu Xianke. These armaments were recorded one by one by Niu Xianke during his decades in Hexi. The information compiled was obtained with the lives of Tang Army soldiers. .
"This gift is very important."
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
In his impression, the Tang army should have an absolute advantage in weapons and equipment against Tubo.
However, according to Niu Xianke's secret book, it seems that he has a cognitive bias. It is not without reason that Tubo was able to fight back and forth with the Tang Dynasty, and even had an advantage at certain times.
The Tubo people are not only well-equipped, but there are many subdivisions in those equipment, which is enough to show that they have a deep understanding of warfare in the cold weapon era.
If a fight really breaks out, can Wang Zhongsi be able to withstand it?
Fang Chongyong raised a question mark in his heart.
This trip to Hexi is probably going to give me a lot of experience!
At this moment, the haze of war is shrouding Fang Chongyong's heart. The fighting in the battle formations in Hexi will not take many years to become the norm in the Tang Dynasty. Instead of being in a hurry and not knowing what to do, it is better to do it now. Prepare.
You can't wait for the enemy to put a knife on your neck before you think of practicing martial arts.
…
In Hanjiacang, Zheng Shuqing was pretending to patrol. There is a cross-shaped street inside Hanjiacang, which divides the city into a warehouse area, a living management area and a water transport terminal area. Zheng Shuqing looked at the deserted water transport terminal and didn't know how to scold his mother.
The so-called reforms must have beneficiaries and victims.
After Pei Yaoqing's water transportation reform, segmented transportation was adopted. In the past, people in the south of the Yangtze River sent people to ship rented rice to Luoyang, and they had to pay the freight themselves. Now the government stipulates that these charter boats arrive at Heyincang in Biankou, and after unloading the rented rice, they can turn back to the south. There is no need to hire additional Heshi sailors to navigate the Yellow River as before.
Is this good governance?
To a large extent, yes, but not everyone likes this tone, such as the managers of Hanjiacang.
The current situation is due to the fact that the country's supporting policies have not been implemented in place during the reform. It is not just anyone's fault.
But since the blame has been left, someone has to take the blame. This is how things go in officialdom.
"Shilang Zheng, spring plowing has begun. Do you want to..."
The prison censor of Hanjiacang said calmly.
"What do you have in mind?"
Uncle Zheng asked with a smile on his face.
"When the crops are young, we buy grain to avoid extra branches. During the autumn harvest, we can naturally receive part of it."
The prison censor was careful and found Zheng Shuqing staring at him with unkind eyes, and his heart pounded.
"I don't have a penny. To buy grain and fodder, I have to ask the court for payment first. Tell me, the court hasn't seen a grain of rice. How can you get the money approved?"
Zheng Shuqing asked with red eyes, staring at the warehouse manager who was "taking a boat" with him.
"Maybe we can use the harmonious buying method to collect grain at a high price in Luoyang."
The prison censor continued to suggest.
The so-called Hebian method means that when the price of grain is low, the government purchases new grain at a price that is 10 to 20% higher than the market price and puts it into storage. This method has a long history, and its effect is immediate.
However, this is not without problems.
First, using the Hebian method will inevitably push up local food prices in Luoyang, and even overall prices. Luoyang had lost its former status as a transit warehouse due to the diversion of the canal line. Now the government has come out to collect grain at a high price. The final result must be a skyrocketing grain price in Luoyang!
Seeing that food prices have risen, will wealthy families immediately release food to stabilize food prices?
No, no, no, what they want to do is to hold back the food and be reluctant to sell it, pushing the price of food even higher!
Given Luoyang's political status, if something like this happened, Zheng Shuqing felt that his position as the Minister of Household Affairs would be over.
What kind of bad idea is this horse riding!
At this moment, Zheng Shuqing's servant hurried over and handed a thick letter into the other party's hands.
"Okay! Finally here!"
Zheng Shuqing was overjoyed and hurriedly walked to the office area in the granary. He had already arranged his residence here. Although it was of no use, at least he swore to the court that his attitude was to "coexist or die" with Hanjiacang.
After removing the screen, he hurriedly opened it.
After reading it in one breath, Zheng Shuqing let out a long sigh.
This boy is so terrifying, he will definitely be replaced by Li Linfu someday!
Fang Chongyong proposed three measures in his letter!
The first trick, Fang Chongyong calls it the "money-seeing method", and the principle is also very simple.
Encourage the merchants in Biankou to transport the grain to the ferry at Hanjiacang. Then they can go to Chang'an alone, take the documents issued by the government, and go to the Sinongqing Yamen in Chang'an to get the payment for the grain!
These days, large transactions are mainly physical goods. Now on this trade route, merchants transport grain to Biankou and then get money.
Theoretically, they would return after delivering the food, but in reality, it was impossible for them to run this route in vain.
Usually they drag their money to Luoyang, especially to Chang'an, where they buy rare goods from the Western Regions, and then go south along the canal.
In his previous life, Fang Chongyong was a taxi driver who took customers to the train station, hoping to pick up a customer at the train station so as not to miss the road. This kind of thinking is very common in later generations, and it is the same in this era.
The advantage of the money-seeking method is that merchants only need to transport the goods to Luoyang by water, then go to Chang'an to collect the money and silk, go to Dongshi and West Market over there to purchase, and finally take the goods away.
There is missing a necessary procedure of "escorting the money and silk into Guanzhong".
After saving such a huge amount of money, the money saved is getting old! However, transporting grain from Biankou to Luoyang is not troublesome if it is profitable.
Therefore, the price of grain collected in Hanjiacang only needs to be slightly higher than the market price or even the same to ensure that merchants will continue to come to transport grain.
More importantly, this method is "spend as you spend" and does not require requesting money from the court in advance. This alone solved a big trouble Zheng Shuqing faced.
If the first move is to solve the problem through market means, the second move is definitely administrative means.
The second method is simple and simple. To sum up, it is "quota to households". Part of the grain delivered by each household must go to Hanjiacang. Whether this move is useful or not is another matter. Generally speaking, it can be somewhat restrained.
In addition to administrative measures, Fang Chongyong also proposed a third method, which was to use copper coins as loans and lend them to farmers before spring plowing. Then during the autumn harvest, when the rent was repaid, grain must be repaid and must be transported to Hanjiacang to repay the loan.
He said in the letter that these three methods can be used separately or in combination, depending on how much grain Hanjiacang needs to store.
