Just as preparations for the war in Hexi were in full swing, an "unremarkable" news from Jingzhou reached Chang'an, which made Li Longji, who was obsessed with his ex-daughter-in-law Yang Yuhuan, feel a little sad for a few days.
Zhang Jiuling died of illness while taking office in Jingzhou!
So Ji Ge posthumously named Zhang Jiuling the "Grand Governor of Jingzhou" and gave him the posthumous title of "Wenwen". He asked professionals from the court to find a geomantic treasure land for his burial.
With the death of Zhang Jiuling, the "literary school" officials who once dominated the Kaiyuan period have completely ceased their activities. Only the "wine-loving" He Zhizhang is left, who spends his days fishing in the yamen and staying away from government affairs.
Perhaps it was the sadness of the death of a rabbit, or perhaps it was a feeling of sadness. Although Zhang Jiuling's death did not touch Brother Ji, it made Li Linfu, the right minister of the Tang Dynasty, feel a chill on his back.
The officialdom is dangerous, and being able to climb up is not a big deal. Many people can do it. The difficult thing is how to land smoothly and enjoy your old age in peace!
The fall of Zhang Jiuling told Li Linfu a terrible political truth: after entering this circle, the world will no longer be tolerant of you!
In the study room of Li Linfu's house in Pingkangfang, the Right Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty was reading an official document sent from Youzhou and the imperial edict that Ji Ge responded to. This is his daily job, turning imperial edicts into official government documents, into political and military orders, and implementing them.
Now the content of this official document is: Fang Youde, the governor of Youzhou, shocked the north and made the Bohai Kingdom, which had previously deviated from the trend of the Tang Dynasty, surrender. The Khitan and Xi people nobles were shocked and frightened, and once again proposed a marriage request. ! And in order to show sincerity, the proton has been sent to Chang'an, and according to the rules of previous years, the proton is going to study in the Imperial College, and after graduation, he will enter the palace and serve as a guard.
Ji Ge, Longyan Dayue, agreed to the request of Khitan and Xi, selected a clan girl to marry as a princess, and handed over the relevant etiquette matters to Li Linfu. In short, we must promote the prestige of the Tang Dynasty and handle the marriage affairs beautifully.
"Zhang Wenwen (Zhang Jiuling) brought it upon himself, I cannot follow in his footsteps!"
Li Linfu, who was sitting in front of the desk, sighed with emotion.
He took out the draft under the paperweight and read it again and again. It was a draft on matters related to the reform of the Tang Dynasty system. He was stimulated by the death of Zhang Jiuling. The right prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, who was originally full of confidence, actually felt a little worried. Bottomless.
Li Linfu knew very well what kind of emperor he was assisting, and he also knew very well what his own situation was.
Was Zhang Jiuling expelled from the central government and dismissed as prime minister because of the incident of killing three sons in one day?
Was Pei Yaoqing dismissed as prime minister really just because he failed to give the saved freight to the saint?
Only Li Linfu, who understands Li Longji best, understands that these are superficial reasons.
When Taizong employed people, he put people first and worked with people. Choose people first, then send out errands.
In the early years of Kaiyuan, Li Longji, who worked hard to restore the power of the Tang Dynasty, always boasted that he had the legacy of Taizong and wanted to compare with Taizong everywhere.
But in fact, Li Linfu, who was born in a clan and had been in the palace for a long time, understood that Ji Ge's employment principles were completely opposite to those of Taizong.
To put it simply, he is mean and unkind to the extreme!
Pei Yaoqing was dismissed as prime minister just because Brother Ji felt that although the canal was opened, freight rates had not been reduced. It was not cost-effective for the national treasury and internal treasury to spend all the money on freight rates! To a certain extent, the canal management was successful, but it did not achieve the expected goal!
After three years of canal transportation, there was no shortage of food in Chang'an. Pei Yaoqing, who took office for the purpose of rectifying the canal, was the first to be dismissed.
In short, Brother Ji doesn't need him anymore, it's that simple.
It's not that Pei Yaoqing did anything outrageous and made Brother Ji dissatisfied.
In fact, Pei Yaoqing has just lost his use value. Therefore, he is still an official in the center of Chang'an, and has been changed to the prime minister Zuo of Shangshu (a false position), and has been granted the title of Marquis of Zhaocheng. He also has other official positions, and has certain powers and can advise Li Longji.
The days even went by with a little comfort.
Brother Ji's logic is actually straightforward and clear: I will make good use of you when you are useful, and when you are useless, if you have not offended me before, then I will not beat you to death!
Because the canal must be built to ensure Chang'an's food security, Pei Yaoqing was appointed Prime Minister instead of being sent to organize water transportation after Pei Yaoqing was appointed Prime Minister.
Brother Ji’s hiring logic is a typical example of “employing people based on circumstances.”
Even worse is Zhang Jiuling.
Zhang Shuo was Zhang Jiuling's mentor. Li Longji paid homage to Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling. The main purpose was to let him rectify the military affairs in the north and become "Zhang Shuo's second".
But he failed in this matter.
This was the main reason why Ji Ge couldn't tolerate Zhang Jiuling in the end. Zhang Jiuling's siding with the prince was actually the trigger for Ji Ge to make up his mind to remove him.
Along with this, Zhang Jiuling was dismissed as prime minister, Yan Tingzhi was dismissed from office, Zhou Ziliang was killed with a cane, and He Zhizhang became an idler fishing all day long.
The ministers of the "literary school" in the center of the Tang Dynasty declined at a speed visible to the naked eye. The most fundamental reason was that Ji Ge had deep doubts about the talents who passed the imperial examination. I think they can only write beautiful articles but not do practical things.
Incidentally, Li Longji also asked Li Linfu to vigorously rectify the rules and models of imperial examinations and talent selection!
Since the Kaiyuan Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty has been pulling and beating the Khitans and Xi people, giving them both kindness and power, dividing the relationship between the two and the Turks, and compressing the Turks' living space.
When Zhang Jiuling was prime minister, he did not have a deep understanding of the relationship between the three. He unilaterally presided over peace talks with the Turks, who were gradually declining, in an attempt to unite the Turks to deal with Tibet, which was about to move in the Western Regions and Longyou.
This move frightened the Khitan and the Xi people, thinking that they had been abandoned by the Tang court. This greatly increased the voice of the "Turkic faction" within them, causing them to further sway towards the Turks.
This is the source of instability in Youzhou border town.
In fact, the reason why An Lushan was appointed as the military envoy of Pinglu Army was because he was the talker of a certain Turkic Sogdian tribe in Youzhou. The Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty needed to rely on the power of these "neutral factions" to fight against the Khitan and Xi people who were increasingly moving away from the Tang Dynasty.
The reason why Fang Youde has become famous and won the trust of Brother Ji in the past two years is because he used "alternative" methods to wipe the butt of Zhang Jiuling, who had been dismissed as prime minister, and used his fists to make the Khitan and Xi people surrender. Use force to intervene in Bohai's domestic regime change in a bloodless manner.
This hand scratched Brother Ji's itchy spot!
So much so that Ji Ge had always wanted to give Fang Youde the position of Pinglu Jiedushi concurrently, but the opposition from the DPRK and China was too great and he gave up.
Again, Brother Ji thinks Fang Youde is very useful, so he wants to use him extensively. Although this is blessed by the aura of "the minister of the dragon", the most fundamental reason is that Brother Ji is not a person who talks about friendship, he is very snobbish.
Those who are useful will get in, and those who are useless will get out. There is no tolerance and tolerance in Brother Ji's eyes.
The surrender of Khitan and Xi Ren made Li Linfu feel that if he was not careful, he might be the next "Zhang Jiuling"!
"Here, prepare a car. I'm going to Xingqing Palace."
Li Linfu picked up the pile of drafts on the desk and put it into his sleeves, and gave instructions to his servant.
Tu Qiong saw that these things would eventually be shown to Li Longji. Li Linfu was heartbroken and did not want to change them anymore.
…
"Hey, I feel good."
Fang Zhongyong sat in front of the desk and groaned happily, enjoying the massage on his wrist by Anaye.
The Tubo people's military law was finally copied by him. It had to be said that these bird things were so long and metaphysical that he did not believe that the Tubo people would strictly follow military laws!
Fang Chongyong inquired about the military law among the Tang army and found that the Tubo military law was even more stringent than that of the Tang army. I'm afraid there's a big question mark over how vigorously military law is enforced on weekdays.
If all the energy of the officers and soldiers is devoted to dealing with military law, then they will certainly not have any spare energy to consider war matters. This is the principle of "too much is not enough" in military law.
But for Fang Chongyong, the value of this military law lies in the fact that the Tubo people put forward many very detailed requirements for marching and fighting. For example, when camping at night, how to arrange scouts, how to arrange the camp, what kind of location is better to set up the camp, how to set up fixed sentries and mobile sentries, etc.
This thing is not so much a military law as it is a highly operational art of war book! The valuable thing about it is not the guiding principles like "Sun Tzu's Art of War", but the clear explanation of the details of marching and fighting.
"Are you confused? There are so many foreign officials and scribes in Liangzhou City who can copy. You have to copy it yourself, and you are half exhausted."
While Anaye massaged Fang Chongyong's wrist vigorously, she couldn't help but complain in a low voice.
She was always reluctant with her mouth, but her body was honest and circled around Fang Zhongyong, consciously taking care of his food and daily life. She was diligent and worthy of her calloused little hands.
"When you go to Chang'an from now on, you have to follow some rules. As you said just now, it is natural for a powerful family to kill you with a stick."
Fang Chongyong snarled angrily, and then asked the other party to sit next to him.
Anaye sat down obediently, waiting for Fang Zhongyong to lecture.
"For you, Chang'an is not a good place. Are you sure you really want to go?"
Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice, with a solemn expression on his face.
Anaye bit her lip and finally nodded: "Yes, I'm ready."
A "native girl" from Hexi would not have many ways to go if her identity as the illegitimate daughter of King Xin'an was not exposed. Early marriage in ancient times meant that in two years, Anaye would choose to marry into a military family in Hexi.
She can choose any one, but she has to make a choice!
Going to Chang'an means unlimited possibilities.
Maybe he died miserably and was buried in a foreign land, or he could become famous and take a different path.
Anaye has already made a decision in her heart whether to settle for stability or to take risks for a better future.
"I understand, please sign this contract."
Fang Chongyong handed Anaye a deed on the desk. The above content is very simple, it is the "step" of Anaye's transformation from a military household to Fang Chongyong's family. This also means that her future will be at the mercy of Fang Chongyong.
As long as the other person is willing.
Signing this deed means that all the achievements that the Hu girls in the Western Regions have worked hard for will be wiped out, and they will once again become slaves of the powerful, with no guarantee of identity and status, and even harm future generations.
Of course, the title of Bu Lu is a nicer way of saying it than the title of slave, but there is not much difference in essence.
Signing this contract means that Fang Chongyong can play with Anaye at will in the future. There is no bottom line or lower limit that can be controlled. It all depends on personal morality. Even if Anaye is given away in the future, no one will say anything wrong.
This is how the powerful circles work!
This is the price you have to pay to go to Chang'an.
Fang Chongyong had already "negotiated the matter" with Medical Officer Li, but he still had no need to talk to Anaye again.
Picking up the pen, Anaye signed her name on the deed, and then pressed her cinnabar handprint. After finishing all this, she stared at Fang Chongyong without saying a word, unwilling to be outdone.
Fang Chongyong's strong request to go through such a process seemed very ruthless to Anaye. But she didn't know that this matter was actually brought up by the well-informed Dr. Li as a way of protecting Anaye.
The explicit rules on the table are always different from the unspoken rules of how things operate. Only those who are familiar with the inside story can make correct judgments.
Fang Chongyong put the deed close to his body, and then laughed and said: "From now on, you can use the names of Fang Junshi and Fang Canjun to bully others in Liangzhou."
"How could I possibly do such a thing!"
Anaye said angrily.
She also guessed that she was "sold" by her father. Although such things are common in Liangzhou City, it still feels a little strange when it's my turn.
Even if I want to lose my temper, I don’t know who to target.
"With the company of a beautiful woman and the fragrance of red sleeves, joining the army is really a pleasure."
The voice of Xiao Jiong, the governor of Hexi Province, came from outside the pharmacy. Anaye stood up quickly, bowed to him in a hurry, and exited the pharmacy.
"This little lady from Hexi will definitely be a beauty when she grows up. Fang joins the army and she really has a good eye."
Xiao Jiong teased as if he was familiar with it.
If the other party was not Hexi Jiedushi, Fang Chongyong would not bother to pay attention to this birdman who spoke vulgarly and was illiterate. Xiao Jieshuai, the villain who hides his cock, never strays from his profession. Fang Chongyong can guess with his toes what he is doing here.
"The saint's birthday is approaching, and the medicine is almost ready. But I am still a little worried, has Xiao Jieshuai really thought about it?"
Fang Zhongyong asked pointedly.
"The arrow has to be fired when it is on the string, so naturally the faster the better!"
Xiao Jiong clenched his fists tightly and said with wide eyes, obviously he didn't want to continue being polite to Fang Zhongyong.
More importantly, he has taken this medicine himself, and it seems... quite interesting.
"First of all, this is tea, not medicine, right? As long as the saint likes it, you can add some warm tea to it."
Fang Chongyong opened his eyes and asked as if he was telling lies.
Xiao Jiong nodded like a chicken pecking at rice and said: "Yes, yes, yes, this is tea produced in Hexi, not medicine."
"Tea" in the Tang Dynasty did not necessarily have tea leaves. This situation was actually very common in Fang Chongyong's previous life.
Local governments pay tribute to "auspiciousness" in the name of "tea", and the risk is far lower than that of "medicine".
Based on this alone, Xiao Jiong concluded that Fang Chongyong was a person who could do great things!
"The main function of this kind of tea is to regulate the five internal organs and smoothen the qi. As for its aphrodisiac effect, we know nothing about it, right?"
Fang Chongyong hinted very explicitly.
"Yes, yes, this kind of tea is specially used to regulate the five internal organs. As for the body being recuperated and a man's masculinity restored, that's normal. Naturally, we know nothing about it."
Xiao Jiong hurriedly continued, "It's comfortable to talk to smart people, it saves time, effort and is not pretentious!"
"Even if it's tea, not everyone can drink it. Everyone's physique is different. Before drinking it, it's best to ask the medical officer at the medical center whether your body can handle it. This is what it should be, right? ?”
Fang Zhongyong struck the last blow.
"Who says otherwise? Not everyone can enjoy the tea in Chang'an. People with weak liver and spleen cannot drink tea or drink too much."
Xiao Jiong gave Fang Chongyong a thumbs up, saying nothing!
"Write down the efficacy and taboos of this tea, and then send it to Chang'an for the saint to taste. I believe the doctors at the Imperial Medical Office will not let the saint down."
Fang Chongyong took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, handed it to Xiao Jiong and said.
Of course, you have to do the key things yourself to be safe. I don’t know how many big bosses have died on inconspicuous details. Fang Chongyong will not make this mistake.
He had already prepared the relevant instructions for the prescription and was waiting for Xiao Jiong to ask for it!
"Hey, I, Xiao, have taken note of this favor. I will definitely repay you generously."
Xiao Jiong took the piece of paper and left without any hesitation.
Looking at his leaving figure, Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh. Bai Tingjun's money making thing is over here, it's time to go to Bai Tinghai for vacation.
As a yameni with a backing, why do I have to live so tiringly?
Fang Chongyong decided to leave for the Baiting Army today, bring the Tubo military law with him, and go there to "learn" it.
After we’re done, it’s time to go to the beautiful Baitinghai to enjoy it!
(End of chapter)
