In the lobby of Hexi Jiedu Mansion, Fang Chongyong sat in the wheelchair prepared for him by Anaye, and was surrounded by everyone. He was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say.
"Cui Jieshuai thought the yang energy you mentioned in your letter last time was very useful, so he wanted to hear what it was about.
This is related to the next actions of the Hexi armies. You can think about it before talking about it. "
Wang Zhongsi hinted very explicitly, advising Fang Chongyong to "be careful in his words and deeds."
"My dear commanders, generals. Haven't you noticed that the Tibetan people, from Zanpu to serfs, generally have short lives?
If others don't say it, they say that the talented and sage Songtsen Gampo only lived for more than thirty years. Could it be that with his status, he didn't have enough food and housing? "
Fang Chongyong said with a puzzled look on his face. He couldn't understand what Wang Zhongsi and the others didn't understand. That letter was almost at the level of elementary school students' popular science.
As soon as he said this, Cui Xiyi, Wang Zhongsi, Xiao Jiong, Kang Taihe and others all fell silent, seeming to be thinking about something.
Precisely because the Tubo people are generally short-lived, they take life and death very lightly, and it can even be said that they "see death as home".
This is something that is easy to understand. In a place where the average life expectancy is less than forty years old, dying on the battlefield may not be a sorrow but a relief.
The harsh living environment in low-oxygen areas will torture every elderly person with declining physiological functions. For them, barely living... is not as comfortable as dying happily on the battlefield.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Fang Chongyong continued to explain: "The Tubo people are also human beings, no different from us, and they don't have three heads and six arms. They live on the plateau, and they lack Yang Qi for a long time. The loss of internal organs increases, and it is not surprising that they have a short life. "
What Fang Chongyong said about yang energy may not be recognized and understood by everyone present. But what he said about the situation in Tubo was completely consistent with what these people saw on a daily basis.
In the past, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, the Tang army was also on an all-out offensive against Tibet, and there were many examples of battles that went deep into Tubo territory.
But the results are obvious. Once the Tang army, which is invincible at low altitudes, enters the plateau area, its combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced.
In the past, Wang Zhongsi and others also thought about the reasons, such as there was miasma in the mountains, but in many cases this statement was difficult to justify. There is not much grass around some mountains in the plateau area, so where can the miasma turn into?
Only Fang Chongyong's statement can perfectly explain all of this.
"Do you have any means to prove this statement? It is not a trivial matter to reorganize the three armies and change the order of battle."
Kang Taihe asked in a deep voice.
He had the fewest dealings with the Tubo people among them. However, he had just seen the fierce and fearless Tubo people and they were well-equipped in the battle of Bugu.
"This is simple."
Fang Chongyong gave Wang Zhongsi some instructions, and the latter immediately asked his soldiers to bring a saucer filled with water, with a short candle standing in it, and a teacup that could be turned upside down on the saucer.
The color of the water is light black due to the addition of ink.
When everything was ready, Fang Chongyong placed it on the table in front of Cui Xiyi, then flipped the teacup upside down on the saucer, picked up the teacup again, and said to everyone:
"Look, there's nothing wrong with this thing, right?"
"Come on, we all saw it."
Cui Xiyi said with interest. He also wanted to know what tricks Fang Chongyong was going to pull off.
A lieutenant from Hexi Jiedu Mansion came over and lit the candle. Fang Chongyong gently tipped the tea cup upside down on the saucer, and then waited quietly.
Soon, a shocking scene appeared. The water in the saucer was actually sucked into the upside-down teacup! Without any external help!
"this……"
Wang Zhongsi and others gathered around, waiting for the water in the upside-down tea cup to fall. However, they waited for a long time and did not see the scene they imagined appeared.
"Water was sucked into the tea cup?"
Cui Xiyi asked doubtfully.
"Yes, because burning candles consumes Yang Qi. When Yang Qi is gone, something naturally needs to be filled, so water goes in."
Fang Chongyong yawned and said that he did not dare to explain too complicatedly and could only explain the simplest concepts.
However, although he did not mention what "atmospheric pressure" meant, there was no fool present, and they quickly understood the "implication" of Fang Chongyong's little experiment.
The water in the saucer is not "sucked" into the cup, but is pressed in by invisible "pressure" from the outside world. The reason why there is this power is because the Yang Qi in the cup is consumed, and the original gas space will be compressed.
What would happen if we replaced the tea cups and candles with human lungs? Who dares to say that he is invincible?
Cui Xiyi and others felt waves of inexplicable chill. The "invisible helper" of the Tubo people was finally discovered by Fang Chongyong today.
"Shuai Cui, when it comes to selecting elites for the expedition, it's better to follow Fang Junjun's suggestion. I have no objection."
Kang Taihe was the first to relent.
You only have one life. Now that someone has made things clear, why are you still so reckless? Just for that little bit of face?
As the leader of the second wave of expedition, responsible for the reinforcement and response, Kang Taihe believed that this matter had a direct interest in him. Although he was slapped in the face this time, there was no actual loss.
"In this case, let's select the best from the army's young men under the age of twenty and reduce the scale of this troop dispatch."
Cui Xiyi looked around the crowd and said in a deep voice.
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
No one in the lobby raised any objections. Fang Chongyong's little experiment scared them all. I was half-convinced before, but now I am convinced.
Some older elite soldiers have excellent skills and tactics and rich experience, and they have great potential on the battlefield in Hexi. Even if he retreats to the second line as a teacher, he can still play a role. There is really no need to die on the battlefield because of "lack of yang energy".
Everyone followed the order and left. Except for Fang Chongyong who was in a wheelchair, Cui Xiyi and Wang Zhongsi were soon the only two people left here.
Wang Zhongsi walked up to Fang Chongyong and asked with concern: "Did your legs get skinned while riding?"
"Yeah, I rode hundreds of miles in one breath, and my flesh and blood are all blurred."
Fang Chongyong sighed, his father-in-law didn't open any pot, so he really didn't say anything about it.
"Go to the medical center and recuperate. I will be leading troops to fight against Tibet in the next few days, and I won't be able to return to Liangzhou City for the time being.
This place is no better than Chang'an. You can't be careless about injuries. Once your legs and feet are ready, you can return to Baitinghai. I'll send someone to take you to the hospital. "
"No need, I have people here who can help."
Fang Chongyong said with an embarrassed look. His name as "Fang Yanei" has spread in Liangzhou, and everyone who is well-informed knows that his father is Fang Youde and his father-in-law is Wang Zhongsi. Behind him stood a half-Jiedushi.
If Wang Zhongsi's cronies were to send him to the hospital, it would be a self-inflicted crime and cement his reputation as a "powerful man."
"That's fine."
Wang Zhongsi was a refreshing person. He patted Fang Chongyong on the shoulder and left with a golden sword. In his opinion, his future son-in-law is already the number one person and can move freely in Hexi. It is much better to let the other party recruit a group of cronies from the Baiting Army than to appoint people from the Chishui Army to protect you personally.
Guo Ziyi was a fellow villager of Wang Zhongsi, and Wang Zhongsi always felt a little sorry for asking him to serve as a guard for his future son-in-law. He felt that it was delaying the other person's military career, which was quite unkind.
After Wang Zhongsi left, Cui Xiyi came over to push Fang Zhongyong's wheelchair. As he walked outside, he asked with concern: "Are you used to staying at Baitinghai? The scenery there is better than Liangzhou City. More importantly, it won't I am troubled by the military affairs. This season, the commander wants to go there to rest for a while."
"It's not bad, but the Baiting Army is very short of money, and all the soldiers have been howling all day long."
Fang Chongyong complained, since there is no war on the Baiting Army side, naturally everything from armaments to supplies should be saved as much as possible. These are common occurrences in border towns, and there is nothing to make a fuss about.
Hearing this, Cui Xiyi smiled slightly and said: "Don't pay attention to these Qiuba people. You came to Liangzhou to learn more and see more. Our generation has fought enough in the war between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo, and sooner or later it will be fought by your generation." , the battle between the two countries will not stop. If Tibet is not dead, it will frequently invade the Tang Dynasty. There is no such thing as a once and for all solution."
After he finished speaking, he let out a long sigh, and Fang Chongyong briefly introduced the various overt and covert struggles between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty since the founding of the country. To be clear, whether Tang Dynasty marries a princess to Tubo or not, it will not have a decisive impact on the strategy between the two countries.
In the past, the scale of the war between Datang and Tubo was still controllable because there were many small countries serving as buffer zones between the two countries, and there was also a lot of undigested territory behind Tubo.
Today, the Tang border borders Tubo for thousands of miles, with no buffer between them. Moreover, Tubo has almost dealt with the small countries around it that can be dealt with. If it continues to expand eastward, it will inevitably have violent collisions and conflicts with the Tang Dynasty, and a big fight is inevitable.
If Tibet did not expand, the contradiction between its domestic population and land would break out in an unstoppable way. Therefore, Tubo's aggressive offensive was actually nothing more than a compromise and a transfer of contradictions to resolve internal conflicts.
In essence, one of the Tang and Tubo must die before the Hexi Corridor can truly stop.
This is not a generation's war, nor is it a problem that can be solved by spending a generation's blood and bones.
Fang Chongyong felt that the memory of the war with Tubo would definitely last throughout his life.
"If you succeed in attacking Tubo this time, the Commander-in-Chief will take credit for you."
When they were saying goodbye outside the gate of Hexi Jiedu Mansion, Cui Xiyi looked at Fang Chongyong and said earnestly.
Whether Fang Chongyong's method can work or not, it is useless to just say it with words. It must be verified on the battlefield. Cui Xiyi just wanted to give it a try.
"I dare not take credit, but I only hope that the three armies will return victorious."
Fang Chongyong said humbly.
Everything has accidents. Don't pop the champagne at halftime now. If something goes wrong, you will be punished!
…
In the main room of the medical center, Fang Chongyong saw Anaye's father, a medical officer who had his lower leg amputated and was sitting in a wheelchair.
Both people are in wheelchairs, one is temporarily unable to walk, and the other will never be able to walk. This scene is quite subtle. Fang Chongyong finally understood why Anaye found him a wheelchair so smoothly. It was the one her father had used before.
Anaye's father's surname was Li, and others called him Medical Officer Li. He was a powerful figure who studied at Chang'an Imperial College and furthered his studies at the Imperial Medical Office. As for what the name is, no one cares.
Seeing his legs, Fang Chongyong understood why he didn't take Anaye back to live in Chang'an.
His medical skills can be said to be second to none in Liangzhou. On weekdays, he sees many businessmen from the Western Regions. The medical fees are generous, and he can also receive a salary from the army. His living standard is much higher than that of ordinary people.
Moreover, in Liangzhou, disability is a medal for military merit, and people in the border areas do not discriminate against such people. But after going to Chang'an, can a lame medical officer whose medical skills are worth mentioning in the border areas make a living in the 108 squares of Chang'an's east and west cities where prices are high and the rich are everywhere?
The answer is obvious.
"If you have anything you want to ask me, Commander Fang, just ask me. I am someone who has studied medicine in Chang'an, so I know a little bit about it."
Medical Officer Li was very enthusiastic, but the look in his eyes that looked at Fang Chongyong was quite meaningful.
"Originally, I wanted Doctor Li to accompany me and go to Bai Tinghai to see what medicinal materials are available on the grassland. But now it seems... it seems a little inappropriate."
Fang Chongyong said with a troubled expression.
"I have taken a lot of the stolen goods from Bai Tingjun in the past, and I have also helped you sell the stolen goods. I still have to help you with this small favor."
Medical Officer Li came over and whispered in Fang Chongyong's ear.
It can be seen that this town on the west side of the river is prosperous on the surface, but chaotic behind the scenes. It is really a family of soldiers and bandits.
Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, indicating that he understood and was waiting for Doctor Li's next words.
"Fang Junzhi's leg should be almost healed now. Let's do this. I'll ask Anaye to follow you to Baitinghai. She is very familiar with medicinal materials, even better than me. If you need to ask about any medicine, just ask her. .
I think I'll leave tomorrow. "
"That's okay..."
Thinking of the scene when Anaye applied medicine to herself in the past few days, Fang Chongyong felt strange in his heart, so he reluctantly agreed to Dr. Li's request.
"When you are free, come back and pick more herbs to stop bleeding. There has been a lot of trouble in Liangzhou recently, and the war with Tubo is about to begin.
Prepare more medicine, and you can save more lives. In this chaotic situation, there is no harm in accumulating more virtue. "
Medical Officer Li sighed and said. People from border towns like them have the memory of the war engraved in their hearts. Naturally, the powerful people who have lived in Chang'an for a long time and have not heard the sound of war drums for a hundred years have not experienced this firsthand.
People in the same era and in different places have completely different memories of the era.
Fang Zhongyong felt something in his heart and solemnly crossed his hands and saluted, "I will definitely live up to my trust."
"Envoy Fang Jun, please go to the wing to rest. I'll just talk to Anaye and we'll set off tomorrow."
Doctor Li said with a smile.
…
In the courtyard of Li Linfu in Pingkangfang, the Right Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty was walking in the courtyard, and Zheng Shuqing was following him like a servant, with a low eyebrow and a submissive look.
"It's not that I don't want to help you, but that you have offended the saint and this matter is not easy to handle."
Li Linfu sighed and said.
"Please give me your advice, Prime Minister. With your extraordinary power, there will definitely be a way!"
Zheng Shuqing begged bitterly.
"Let's see, there is still a vacancy for the governor of Qizhou in the Ministry of Personnel. You write to the sage and say that you have not done your job in Luoyang well and ask for demotion. The truth will make you go to Qizhou to be the governor for a few years, and then you can Let’s go back to the capital and join the center.”
Li Linfu pretended to be helpless and said.
Of course, this is all within his arrangement. It's just that the old dog Zheng Shuqing was too obedient, which made the right prime minister of the Tang Dynasty less happy to control things freely.
Zheng Shuqing has climbed too fast in the past few years. It is not a bad thing to be promoted to governor and work hard.
In the four east and west streets of Chang'an, Li's slave is the father!
In order to establish one's own authority, it is also necessary to beat one's own people.
"Everything will be subject to the arrangements of the Right Prime Minister."
Zheng Shuqing said bitterly, crossed his hands and bowed before leaving.
(End of chapter)
