"So this is Chiquan!"
Fang Chongyong walked around a small square pond for a long time, in which crimson spring water gurgled.
The color is like blood, but crystal clear.
During the Takenori period, Liangzhou peacefully returned to the embrace of the Central Plains, and the Chishui Army was also established at the same time. After settling down and building a camp here, they named themselves after this red spring, which has been powerful in Hexi for hundreds of years.
This is Chiwu Town, a military town established because of the Chishui Army. Many of them are family members of the Chishui Army. They cultivated fields nearby, built houses, reclaimed water conservancy, and developed "oasis agriculture."
This kind of town is one of the characteristics of Hexi, although it may not be called "town".
The spring water of Chiquan is as red as blood, but the scale is a bit smaller. Fang Zhongyong knelt down and put his hand into the pool water, wanting to taste what the red spring tasted like, but was quickly pulled back by Fang Dafu.
"Mr. Lang, you are not allowed to drink this."
Fang Dafu smiled and shook his head.
"I just want to see if I really want to drink it."
Fang Zhongyong explained sarcastically that he had heard before that the red color of this kind of red spring was due to iron ore, but he didn't know if it was true.
Everything in Chiwu Town is subordinate to the army, and most of the civilians here have retired from the army, forming a closed-loop system.
The entire town was simply surrounded by wooden fences. Although the Chishui Army has as many as 33,000 people, Chiwuzhen is not large in size, and not all the Chishui Army is stationed here.
At this moment, Fang Chongyong saw Wang Zhongsi walking over with a bad look on his face, followed by Guo Ziyi who looked depressed.
"Father-in-law seems to have something on his mind?"
Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully. He looked at Guo Ziyi's expression and vaguely guessed what happened.
"Yes, you follow me into the Chishui Military Yamen. This is not the place to talk."
"good."
Fang Chongyong nodded slightly. It was obvious that his intelligence was not only recognized by Wang Zhongsi, but also by Guo Ziyi.
The group came to the study room of Chishui Military Yamen, and Guo Ziyi told Fang Chongyong exactly what happened on the north shore of Baiting Sea.
To put it simply, Bai Tingjun took advantage of the evil and killed his partners who were selling stolen goods. This kind of operation occurs quite frequently in the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions.
Not only did the officers and soldiers take advantage of the robbers, but the merchants also took advantage of the merchants. The difference between hunters and prey here is not clear-cut and easy to achieve overnight.
A caravan may be the prey of horse bandits, but they may also "guest" as horse bandits when the time is right to rob smaller caravans.
Fang Chongyong somewhat understood why silk in West Asia was more expensive than gold, but the quality was not that good.
In addition to the distance, the chaos among various forces is also an important reason.
"It's really wonderful for Bai Tingjun and his gang to play like this."
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh.
Then Guo Ziyi folded his hands and saluted:
"Xiao Langjun, I also think that Bai Tingjun's move of Li Daitao is flawless. When the time comes, all we have to do is push these Turks out.
Those who killed the Tianzhu monks were Turks, and those who sold the stolen goods to the north of Baitinghai were also Turks. The Baiting army wiped them out and recovered the stolen goods. Not only was there no fault, but it was also meritorious.
Even if Cui Jieshuai knew about this, he would have to hold his nose and admit it, and go along with the situation and put the responsibility on the Turks. "
Guo Ziyi said calmly.
Wang Zhongsi's expression changed, and then he nodded, feeling deeply uneasy about Guo Ziyi's analysis.
Because this is too in line with the style of those gangsters and the unspoken rules of the Hexi Corridor!
All the mistakes are the fault of the Tubo people and the Turks. It can only be this group of people who did the bad things. How could the Tang Dynasty border troops protect everyone's life and property?
Even if it is...it can't be made public, as long as the inside knows what's going on.
Bai Tingjun just handed over the stolen goods and stolen money, and it was over. He didn't even need to push the scapegoat out to take the blame, and the matter was over.
Cui Xiyi gained face, and Hexi Jiedufu gained filial piety with stolen money and goods.
People of all ethnic groups in Hexi knew that the ferocious Turks were robbing merchants and monks everywhere, and they firmly united with the Tang government.
Everyone is happy!
Except for the dozens of dead monks, there was not a single victim in this incident!
That's why Wang Zhongsi felt that there was nothing he could do about Bai Tingjun and the others!
It would be great if everyone went to help Bai Tingjun fulfill this beautiful lie. Why should we be honest and expose this "Emperor's New Clothes"?
"This matter is indeed unsolvable."
Fang Chongyong said with a sigh.
Manpower is sometimes scarce, and others have already taken care of the situation, and apparently it has not harmed your interests. At this time, other people can come in and complete the game. Rushing to tear things down will only arouse disgust from all parties.
For example, Wang Zhongsi or Cui Xiyi tried to dismantle the Bai Ting Army and insisted that the Tang Army did it. This kind of behavior is not good for anyone. Even if the charges are proven, it will only make Tang Jun's reputation in the Hexi Corridor worse.
But this feeling of being manipulated and manipulated by others is very bad! This made Wang Zhongsi feel uneasy.
"How do you think it should be dealt with?"
Wang Zhongsi said in a deep voice.
Sooner or later, he will succeed the Hexi Jiedu Envoy. This has been the tradition since the founding of the Chishui Army. The Hexi Jiedushi either concurrently serves as the Chishui Army envoy as soon as he takes office, or he is promoted to the Hexi Jiedushi after taking control of the Chishui Army. There is no third situation.
Therefore, Wang Zhongsi hoped that he could deal with Bai Tingjun. If the situation is not settled now, after becoming the governor of Hexi Province, we will also find opportunities to settle the matter.
"If I hit you, I'll hit mine."
Fang Chongyong said thoughtfully.
Um?
Wang Zhongsi and Guo Ziyi were stunned. Both of them had pure martial arts backgrounds and didn't have that many tricks up their sleeves. They still couldn't figure out what Fang Chongyong wanted to do.
"I'm just going to find Cui Jieshuai now. Father-in-law, please don't worry."
Fang Chongyong nodded and said nothing more.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Send an official letter to the Baiting Army, saying that the Chishui Army's horses were damaged the last time they fought against the Tubo people. Now there is a group of Chishui Army cavalry who have lost their mounts and need to go to the horse farm south of the Baiting Sea. Choose a group of war horses.
Therefore, please ask the Bai Dinh Army to withdraw the garrison personnel to avoid misunderstanding. "
Fang Chongyong made a suggestion that made Wang Zhongsi feel baffled.
This kind of thing seems very reasonable, but it is actually not the rule of the court.
The warriors personally select their horses, which is what it should be, because the first step in cavalry's combat effectiveness is the cooperation between man and horse.
But this is not how horses are selected. The formal procedure is for Liangzhou City to send Sinong to join the army, and take a group of "professionals" under him (none of whom have official ranks) to go to the pasture to pick horses, and then bring them to the Chishui Army. The soldiers of the army are selected.
It was never said that Chishui soldiers would go directly to Baitinghai to challenge the horses.
That place is not the defense zone of the Chishui Army!
And if an army breaks into the defense areas of other armies without a military order, it is tantamount to treason!
It is possible to be questioned or even disarmed afterward.
However, the situation of the Chishui Army is slightly different, because it is directly under the Tang Dynasty, and there are many precedents for prime ministers to lead Chishui Army envoys from a distance. After all, the Chishui Army has 33,000 sharp soldiers and 13,000 war horses.
This configuration is the well-deserved leader among the armies of the Tang Dynasty, and it is impossible for local military governors to mess around.
Therefore, the operation of Chishui Army going to Baitinghai Ranch to pick horses was very weird and subtle. The demand is reasonable, but the operation is illegal and the identity is very strong.
What's more important is that now we are just sending official letters, not really sending people there directly.
Whether the people of Baiting Army agree or disagree, it is a troublesome matter for them.
"Gone?"
Wang Zhongsi asked with an inexplicable expression.
"Yes, no more."
"Then why do this?"
Wang Zhongsi didn't understand the cause and effect, he just felt a little confused about this operation.
"The Baiting Army did a great job in preventing the Turks from robbing Tianzhu monks, and there are no flaws. Our purpose is not to publicize this matter widely and make the Tang Army infamous in Hexi.
So we have to find another way. Make Bai Tingjun uncomfortable from other places. "
Fang Chongyong chuckled.
The horse rider unexpectedly let him feel the cold wind all night and was frightened all night long.
He has never been so embarrassed in front of Brother Ji!
If I hadn't shown Qiu Bayi, the culprit Bai Tingjun, how could I still be a "Fang Yanei" in the Hexi Corridor in the future.
"That's okay. It makes sense to say that the soldiers love horses so much that they want to come to the ranch to choose them in person.
Although it is against the rules, it is human nature. "
Wang Zhongsi nodded slightly and said.
Fang Chongyong's move, if nothing else, could at least make the soldiers of the Chishui Army feel comfortable. This was very helpful in stabilizing Wang Zhongsi's status as Chishui Army envoy. He had no reason to refuse.
"Then you go quickly. The sooner you do this, the better. The Tibetans will come who knows when. Get rid of all these chores quickly, and you can fight against the Tibetans without any distractions."
After walking out of the Chishui Military Yamen, Guo Ziyi looked apologetic, bowed to Fang Zhongyong and said, "I have betrayed my husband's trust. I don't know how to apologize. Please show me."
"Hey, Judge Guo is too polite. I just didn't expect the people from Bai Tingjun to do the opposite. This is not Judge Guo's fault.
It should be said that it was fortunate that Judge Guo did not rush over with his troops and break up with the Baiting Army. Otherwise, the situation would have been out of control.
There are experts in Baiting's army who are difficult to deal with. "
Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice, looking far away at the yellow sand moving in the wind outside the Chiwu Town Oasis.
"Young gentleman, you're welcome, you're welcome."
Guo Ziyi said embarrassedly.
His impression of Fang Chongyong has changed several times, and now he feels that this kid really shouldn't be underestimated.
Soon, a group of people took a carriage from Chiwu Town to Liangzhou City, twenty miles away. Unexpectedly, at this time, Cui Xiyi, the governor of Hexi Province, was furious in the lobby of the governor's Yamen, and all the subordinate officials were silent.
…
What made Hexi Jiedushi Cui Xiyi angry was none other than an official letter sent by Xin Yunjing, the military envoy of Baiting Army.
The official letter stated that they sent people to patrol the pastures north of Baitinghai a few days ago and found that several Turkic businessmen were trading stolen goods with a group of horse bandits of unknown origin, so they sent people to attack them, annihilated them all, and captured them. Many of the expensive silk cassocks with "Golden Thread Buddha Clothes" should belong to the group of Tianzhu monks a few days ago.
By the way, some gold and silver coins were also seized from unscrupulous Turkic traders.
Now Bai Tingjun didn't know what to do with this batch of stolen money, so he sent a letter to ask the Hexi Jiedu Mansion whether it was necessary to transport this batch of things to the treasury in Liangzhou City for confiscation.
Judging from his tone, he was not as humble as Qiu Ba who was armed with weapons; but his behavior was no different from that of Hexi Qiu Ba.
What makes Cui Xiyi angry is that Bai Tingjun's people are treating him as a fool and making up stories!
But he couldn't expose this "beautiful lie"!
What is even more frustrating is that the Jiedushi's term is very short, no more than four years at most, and once he is transferred, it is a long-distance transfer, and it is impossible to have any influence in Hexi.
Although the terms of the Baiting Army envoys are also four years, most of their rotations are within the five states of Hexi.
Therefore, the Baiting Army envoy "played" Cui Xiyi. Although the latter was aggrieved, in the eyes of Hexi locals, it did not mean that the Baiting Army people did not follow the rules. It only meant that Cui Xiyi was not very capable and could not control the situation.
There are hidden benefits for the generals of the local armies in Hexi to have a thorny head come out to cause trouble. Who would get involved in such nonsense!
To put it simply, Cui Xiyi's current state is one of incompetence and rage!
"Commander Jie, I'm going to join the army and ask for an audience."
A clerk came over and said to Cui Xiyi, who was sitting at the desk and sulking.
"Fang joins the army?"
Cui Xiyi searched in his mind for anyone named Fang to join the army.
"That's the half-grown kid."
The clerk reminded in a low voice.
"Oh oh oh, him, what's wrong with him?"
Cui Xiyi asked with a puzzled look.
"He said that Commander-in-Chief will know it when we meet him, which is a good thing."
"Bring it in."
Cui Xiyi sighed. At this juncture, what on earth does this "Fang Yanei" want to do if he still doesn't stop?
Last time, I promised to take care of Bai Tingjun's matter, but now Bai Tingjun's envoy gave me eye drops, which made me really unhappy.
After Fang Chongyong led Guo Ziyi in, he found that Cui Xiyi had a bad look on his face, and he quickly told the story of Bai Ting's army "taking advantage of the enemy" and killing the Turkic merchants and their accompanying guards.
Cui Xiyi then sighed and said, "The commander of this section already knows about this. Look at this."
Fang Chongyong took the official letter from Cui Xiyi's hand and took a breath!
It’s exactly the same routine as what Fang Chongyong and Guo Ziyi explained to Wang Zhongsi at the Chishui Military Yamen!
The Qiu Ba gang in Hexi are really unruly and unruly. These people had to spit out the fat in their mouths. In a bad mood, even Jiedushi dared to express his feelings.
Publicly writing an official letter is "humiliating".
"Cui Jieshuai, in fact, Bai Tingjun and his gang have made this matter flawless. But there are still other ways to deal with them."
Fang Chongyong said with a mysterious look.
"You can tell me if there is any way, but why didn't Shuai see any way in this section?
Are we now telling the people in Hexi and the Hu merchants in the Western Regions that we, the frontier soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, are doing the same work as Hu bandits? "
Cui Xiyi asked angrily.
Seeing that Fang Chongyong was a child and had a strong background, he didn't want to argue with this guy. It is best for the other party to go as far as possible now.
"Cui Jieshuai, let's do this first, then this, and then..."
Fang Chongyong came over and whispered in Cui Xiyi's ear for a long time. Finally, he looked at him and asked, "What do you think, Commander Ji?"
"Good! Excellent!"
Cui Xiyi was so excited that she started shooting!
This kid's bad idea was really brilliant, and more importantly, it was completely in line with the laws of the Tang Dynasty, and in line with the explicit and implicit rules of the officialdom.
This is like a race between two people, one of whom is so fast that he is almost invincible.
If another person wants to win, of course he needs to find a new way and choose other "tracks".
Knowing that the other person is running faster, but still approaching him to compete with him is not brave and fearless, but stupid and reckless.
He went ahead and wrote an official letter quickly, then handed it to the clerk in the study and said: "Send it to Baiting Fort where the Baiting Military Yamen is located as quickly as possible."
After the civil servant left, Cui Xiyi burst out laughing. He looked at Fang Chongyong and said, "I've been in Hexi for a few days, and I haven't come to you yet. The commander of this section will hold a banquet tonight at the largest Huamen Tower in the city. Remember Must come!”
What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
(End of chapter)
