Several sweet-scented osmanthus trees were planted in the courtyard of Li Linfu's house in Pingkangfang. In autumn, the garden is filled with the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus. It is early spring now, and the osmanthus branches are sprouting and green.
At noon that day, it was time to take a bath. Li Linfu had nothing to do and was walking in the yard, feeling the breath of spring.
"Right Prime Minister, a letter from Luoyang."
The servant handed Li Linfu a letter he had just received.
Waving his hand gently, the servant quietly retreated. Li Linfu opened the letter with a smile. He had already guessed what Zheng Shuqing would say.
Generally speaking, it is nothing more than "help".
Even if he is one of his own, he has to suppress him. Li Linfu is a person who is very particular about finesse and means, and he also guards against and suppresses Zheng Shuqing.
The Hanjiacang incident is unsolvable. However, the national strategic reserve granary cannot be left empty. There is only one way to cure the symptoms and the root cause, and that is to build a canal between Chang'an and Luoyang.
In this case, a steady stream of grain-carrying boats can be transported from Biankou Road to Chang'an by water, and then the problem of Hanjiacang will be like prickly heat after autumn, which will be cured without treatment.
Other than that, there is no solution. It was precisely because he knew there was no solution that Li Linfu asked Zheng Shuqing to take over the job. He waited for the other party to call for help, then fished him out, and finally pushed his political opponents one by one to the official position of managing Hanjiacang.
It only takes a few months to deal with one person, but it will take at least three years to build the canal. A conservative estimate is that we can deal with more than a dozen political opponents of the court!
As he was thinking about it, he opened the letter. After reading the first few lines, Li Linfu's hand holding the letter shook and he almost dropped the letter to the ground.
"Meet Qianfa? It's interesting."
Li Linfu pondered for a moment and continued to look down.
Zheng Shuqing's method was complicated and complicated, and it required the level of the Tang Central Committee to amend the law. But it is very simple to say it simple. To put it clearly, it is to use credit instead of currency and payment transfer.
This concept is no longer new, but it was really popularized in the middle and late Tang Dynasty after the Anshi Rebellion. Because the Jiedushi envoys plucked their feathers and the merchants brought money and silk across the border, they were like unsuspecting babies dangling in front of the robbers holding golden rice bowls.
Therefore, long-distance large-scale transactions often use the "credit currency" method. It is not uncommon to issue a bill at the starting point A and get the money at the end point B, eliminating the intermediate circulation process.
In this letter, Zheng Shuqing asked Sinong Temple to open a new department to handle the write-off of accounts. When a transaction is completed, a sum of money is given. In this case, there is no need to request money from the court.
Li Linfu thought about it for a while, and this method was so good that he couldn't even think of a flaw!
This is definitely a brilliant idea that can only be thought up by someone who is familiar with business operations, but it is obvious that Zheng Shuqing is not this material.
"That's all."
Li Linfu sighed, what a good trap, Zheng Shuqing filled it up like this. It's too late to replace the other party now. We can only try Zheng Shuqing's method first, and then decide what to do next.
After being slightly depressed, he cheered up again. Because in addition to the government affairs in Hanjiacang that can deceive people, there are actually many other problems that can deceive people in the Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty.
For example, the Fu Bing Ban is now in name only. Last year, 35 people were supposed to attend the Fu Bing Ban in Longyou, but only 6 actually showed up. The others were excused for various reasons.
The Nanya Forbidden Army, composed of the Fubingbanshang, was in decline due to the collapse of the Fubing system. The number of soldiers shrank again and again, resulting in the Forbidden Army becoming a private reserve for the Beiya Forbidden Army, which mainly recruited soldiers.
In order to ensure the normal operation of border towns, it is a general trend to transform government soldiers into recruiting soldiers. However, the interests involved here are so great that no one can control the situation!
Li Linfu felt that it seemed good to use the government affairs of replacing government soldiers with recruiting soldiers to kill political opponents.
"Here come, prepare the car, I am going to the palace."
Li Linfu ordered his servants.
…
Fang Chongyong and his party first went to Guanglufang on the west side of Zhuque Street. This is where Chang'an officials gather when they go to the west. It is also where they handle customs clearance documents along the way.
Then the carriage went out of the west gate and headed west, passing by Linfu Station. Here it changed horses without changing carriages, and continued westward.
"The white dragon horse, with its hooves facing west, carries Tang Sanzang and follows his three disciples. He goes to the west to learn the scriptures on the main road, which is tens of thousands of miles away."
In the stable carriage, Fang Chongyong was humming children's songs, feeling extremely happy.
He finally left Chang'an, where he felt uncomfortable for a moment. He felt like he was being assimilated into the city all the time, turning into one of those "elegant" and "fashionable" Wuling youths.
Traveling is different.
I have to say that in the Tang Dynasty, if you are an official, especially a powerful or well-backed official, then traveling will not be an uncomfortable thing. The inns along the highway will take good care of you. Let you have the mood and energy to enjoy the scenery.
And it’s all free! There were people licking me along the way! Good service!
"Lang Jun, isn't Chang'an very nice? Why should we leave?"
Fang Laique, who was sitting next to him, asked.
"The world in Chang'an is too small."
Fang Chongyong sighed and continued: "And there is a false prosperity, which I don't like."
Fang Laique nodded as if he didn't understand.
"It doesn't matter if you go elsewhere, as long as you tell me the name of Alang Youzhou Jiedu Envoy, you don't have to pay for anything."
Fang Laique added another sentence.
A vein popped out on Fang Chongyong's forehead, he knocked Fang Laique's head and said, "The people of Hexi are tough and fierce. When the time comes when your legs are broken, don't run in front of me and shout for help!"
"oh."
Fang Laique responded, not knowing what he was thinking.
At this moment, Fang Dafu, who was driving the car, shouted to Fang Zhongyong at the top of his lungs: "Maweiyi is ahead of us. Do you want to spend the night here tonight?"
Maweiyi!
"We'll spend the night here tonight."
Fang Chongyong was stunned for a moment, and then shouted to Fang Dafu who was driving the car.
The carriage stopped, and Fang Chongyong got out of the car and observed Mawei Post. It was just an ordinary post station, far inferior to Hanyin Post in Xiangyang.
"The colorful clothes shocked Tai Canghuang, and the king who concealed his face lost his claim. The Qixi Festival promise cannot be forgotten, and Qian Niu wants to scold Li Sanlang."
Fang Chongyong looked at the mediocre Maweiyi and sighed with emotion.
"Lang Jun, does the Li Sanlang you just mentioned refer to the current saint?"
Fang Laique asked curiously.
"Shut up and get out of here!"
Fang Dafu pulled Fang Laique aside and pulled him aside.
"Mr. Lang, the journey is long. Should we hire an escort?"
Fang Dafu lowered his head, leaned into Fang Chongyong's ear and asked.
"No, not asking for an escort means you don't have any money and status, but you are safe."
Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice.
There is a journey of 1,600 miles from Liangzhou to Chang'an, and they have just begun.
According to the seventh record of "Tongdian", the transportation routes of the Tang Dynasty during the Kaiyuan period were: "To the Song Dynasty and Bian in the east, to Qizhou in the west... to the south... to the north... to Shuchuan (Sichuan) and Liangfu (Wuwei, Gansu) in the west ), all have shops for traveling merchants, and they can travel thousands of miles away, without holding an inch."
The transportation highway from Chang'an to the northwest, passing through Yuanzhou and ending at Liangzhou, was the most important post road in the Tang Dynasty. This road runs from Chang'an to Jingzhou, then from Jingzhou to Pingliang, passes Longshan Pass to Yuanzhou, crosses Muxia Pass to Huizhou, turns northwest to Huining Pass, crosses the Yellow River from Huiningjin, and then passes through Wulanguan and then to Liangzhou.
The route was very mature and had been developed since the Han Dynasty, with occasional changes, and was finally fixed in the Tang Dynasty. The journey is generally safe, and there are government-run inns and private "shops" along the way to provide supplies for people coming and going.
There was only one guard in the group, Duan, and they looked a bit shabby indeed. Cui Qianyou had already followed Wang Zhongsi to the Chishui Army in Hexi, so he was not with Fang Chongyong and others.
A group of people entered Mawei Post. As soon as the post guards heard about Fang Chongyong's official position, they warmly received them. These people are used to seeing big shots.
If a person has a very powerful official position and a high false position, then there is no doubt that this person is a high-ranking official in the court, and his entourage often numbers dozens or even hundreds of people. Facing such a noble person, of course the postman must kneel down and lick him!
And when a person only has a high fictitious position but no actual position, you have to be careful, as it is easy to get noticed.
Generally speaking, such people are of noble status. They have no actual duties, just because the court has no suitable errands for them, and they often have very few entourages around them.
After the mid-Tang Dynasty, when the central government of the Tang Dynasty dispatched local officials, there were more than one situation where "the actual duties were not enough, and the false posts were made up", which is enough to show that the false posts are not completely "virtual".
If someone who neglects such a "highly qualified person" will take revenge in the future, it will only take one sentence to set up a postman.
"Can I write a poem about this Mawei Station?"
Fang Chongyong asked curiously.
"Look what you said, when Princess Jincheng married Tubo, Zhang said that Xianggong Zhang left a poem in Mawei Post. That's what's hanging on the wall."
The postman pointed to a large pile of wooden boards hanging on the wooden wall in the lobby of the post station. The one placed in the most conspicuous position was the poem written by the former prime minister Zhang Shuo.
Poetry is a cultural product of the Tang Dynasty. Every place with dignity is proud to have a wall hanging with poetry. Poets in the Tang Dynasty also competed to leave their own calligraphy on this "poetry wall".
"Qinghai made peace with Japan, and when Huangxing came out and descended. The son-in-law of the Rong prince was favored, and the uncle of the Han Dynasty was kind to his family.
A farewell party is held in the spring fields, and farewells are said in the sky. The empty bombs are played immediately, and the thoughts of Fenglou are reduced. "
"Lang Jun, I feel that this poem is not as good as what you wrote."
Fang Laique said disdainfully.
The postman just pretended that he didn't hear this sentence. In fact, as far as he knew, more than one person couldn't stand this poem.
But it is one thing for others to dislike it, but the poems of the former prime minister are not something that he, a postman, can comment on.
"Bring me a pen."
Fang Chongyong said to the postman, and soon the other party brought a wooden board and a writing brush.
"Although the beautiful face hides Mawei's dust, the resentment and smoke lock Weijin. The cicada's temples do not follow Luan Jia, and I can't see the people coming and going."
Signed "Anonymous".
After writing four sentences, Fang Chongyong handed it to the postman and said, "Hang it up."
"Hey, okay, okay."
The postman felt strange. There were many educated people in Chang'an. During the travels, the postman at the post station was uneducated and would not be able to serve these demanding and pretentious literati. It's just this poem...he can't understand it!
After the postman left, Fang Laique came over and asked doubtfully: "Mr. Lang, I didn't understand."
"You're right if you don't understand."
Fang Chongyong sighed. Who would have thought that more than ten years later, Anlu Mountain and Youzhou would raise troops and conquer Chang'an in one fell swoop. Li Longji fled to Shu in a hurry and killed Yang Yuhuan in Maweiyi!
Very sad.
Isn't it good for Huanhuan to follow King Shou? Brother Ji intervened and he didn't fall into the same situation.
Why bother.
At this moment, the postman hung another wooden board on the wall. I saw it read:
"I'm sorry to say goodbye to you, but I'm thinking of you as a guest.
The march is like this now, and the front army is still in a state of disbelief.
When I came out of the pass, I encountered the wall of Han Dynasty. I climbed up the dragon's gate and looked at Hu Tian.
It is also a land of feudal lords, and the king should be whipped early. "
The title is "The Dugu Judge's Department Sends Troops".
To put it simply, the person who wrote the poem wrote a farewell poem to a judge named Dugu. Both of them are now in Maweiyi. Judging from the details in the poem, the judge named Dugu should be heading to Hexi, or the Western Regions.
It can be seen that this poet's life is not easy. After licking the judge so much, Fang Chongyong couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
Think about it, among Tang poems, there are countless similar farewell poems, but few of them are of high quality. They have even become an "inherent program" for officials to welcome farewells.
However, although both the person who is giving the gift and the one who is being licked have to write poems as a reward, in many cases the person who is kneeling and licking puts all their effort into writing one, while the one who is being licked just writes a random poem and then sends it away.
Of course, there are exceptions, such as Wang Lun.
"The water in Peach Blossom Pond is a thousand feet deep, and it is not as deep as Wang Lun's love for me." It was Wang Lun, the county magistrate with a wealthy family, who invited Li Bai to eat, drink and have fun, and left Li Bai's calligraphy treasures to be passed down to future generations.
Otherwise, who in the future will know who Wang Lun is!
A character who couldn't even pass the "Investor's Examination".
After a while, a middle-aged man added another signature on it: Gao Shi.
"It turns out to be Gao Shi."
Fang Chongyong saw that this poem was actually written by Gao Shi!
It's no wonder, he suddenly realized that at this time, any scholar from Hebei who wanted to climb up would have to kneel down and lick the powerful, because the ascending channels were basically blocked.
As a scholar from Hebei Province, if you have talent, you have no way out, so you can only look for ways around. It's actually not too much to keep a low profile, write poems, kneel and lick a judge, a middle-level official in a border town.
One judge is nothing, but what if he licks a hundred officials of similar rank? Doesn't it matter?
As long as there are enough people licking it, it can make waves!
Gao Shi's doing this, apart from losing face, was enough to form a strong network of relationships. Once something happened, he would be able to sharpen his head and enter the circle of powerful people who were once "out of reach".
Of course, under normal circumstances, even if you have a good relationship with these middle-level officials, it is difficult to make any progress in the officialdom. The rule of the Tang Dynasty officialdom, at least the current rule is: a hundred eggs added together are not worth a stone.
The recommendation of one prime minister is far better than the joint letter of a hundred judges.
Sometimes it is easy to get involved in officialdom, but sometimes it is not easy to get involved in officialdom. The key depends on your background.
Fang Chongyong suddenly felt ridiculous in his heart when he thought about how he could be promoted without doing anything, and how Gao Shi was groveling and groveling to build good relations with officials at all levels without making any progress.
"Go and ask over there. They say that Fang Chongyong, the son of Fang Jieshuai, the governor of Youzhou, wants to treat them to a glass of water and wine to make friends, and asks them if they are willing to give in."
Fang Chongyong called Fang Dafu over and whispered in his ear. (End of this volume)
(Next volume: The glory of Han and Tang Dynasties, half of which is in Hexi)
