In the late autumn of this year, the emperor's birthday was celebrated by everyone. Li Longji ordered Dayu to celebrate himself for three days. Many governors and envoys from various places sent various treasures to Chang'an on the grounds of "offering auspiciousness" to celebrate the emperor's birthday.
Li Longji was delighted and granted amnesty to the world. Those who committed misdemeanors were released from prison, and those who committed serious crimes were sent to the frontier army to join the army. Everyone praised the emperor's kindness.
Although the celebration was lively and the gifts he received were valuable, Ji Ge always felt a little ordinary. Celebrating a birthday can only prove that you are one year older, nothing else is of use!
But there is still good news, that is the prescription presented by Xiao Jiongjin, the governor of Hexi Province. Well, it is very good and powerful!
Now Ji Ge not only drinks it himself, but also distributes the excess medicinal materials to many princes in the ten kings' houses for their enjoyment. Shunqi Cynomorium Tea became famous for a time, and because Baitinghai is now the front line of the conflict between the Tang Army and Tibet, it has become a military blockade area, and ordinary people cannot approach it.
Therefore, after the raw materials of this kind of health medicine were not uncommon, after it entered the Chang'an market, the price soared to hundreds of times the price of the raw materials, and even reached the point where there was no market for it!
It's just that the instigator, Fang Chongyong, didn't get any visible benefits from it. Nowadays, the production and sales channels of this medicine have been completely monopolized by Hexi Jiedu Prefecture. Xiao Jiong did not say anything superfluous except that he promised to expand the Baiting Army's establishment after the war and provide sufficient "private horses".
Everyone involved in this matter was almost in vain.
The former soldiers of Baiting Army followed Guo Ziyi to Ganzhou to guard Baiting Fort, and served as the core team for Zhangye's capture and expansion in the Autumn Defense Order; the part guarding Baiting Sea Horse Farm was due to the previous sneak attack by the Turks. According to military law, the soldiers who "escaped in battle" were incorporated into the Chishui Army after being dispersed, while those at officer level were removed from their posts for investigation.
Xin Yunjing escaped by chance because he "sticked to" Baiting Fort. Because of his military exploits, he was "promoted" to the rank of training envoy of the Ganzhou Regiment and helped Guo Ziyi train troops. He was promoted openly and secretly. This position should have been held concurrently by a certain Yameni from Chang'an.
Although the medicinal materials produced in Baitinghai are popular, they have not brought any benefits to the personnel related to Baiting Army. It is hard to say that this is not someone who is jealous of the benefits of medicinal materials, snatching them from the hands of Bai Tingjun, and using the big to bully the small.
As for Fang Chongyong, he was no longer the deputy military envoy of the Baiting Army and was transferred to Ganzhou as the governor. Naturally, no one paid attention to what he would think.
…
"Today, I will confer you the titles of Imperial Censor and Taichang Shaoqing. From now on, when you are by my side, you must serve me front and back, just like your loyal dog father."
Li Longji stuffed a yellow silk book into Fang Chongyong's arms and said with a smile.
"You can't afford this, saint."
Fang Zhongyong gingerly took the silk book, bowed and said with folded hands in salute.
"Hey, what are you calling a saint? I took the medicine you gave me and screamed all night long. It's so beautiful. From now on, just call me Brother Ji!"
Be a good dog to me! "
Li Longji pretended to be dissatisfied and patted Fang Chongyong on the shoulder very affectionately.
"Isn't this too rude, Brother Ji?"
Fang Chongyong muttered while his right hand was unable to push away someone's hand that was pinching his face. He opened his eyes drowsily and found Anaye's delicate little face full of doubts, looking at him without speaking.
The bright sunshine shone in through the cracks in the tent, and it turned out to be morning.
"I was so tired all the way that I overslept."
Fang Chongyong got up and said with a guilty look on his face. Looking around, he found that Anaye was the only one there and everyone else had gone out.
"Who is Brother Ji?"
Anaye asked curiously.
The word "brother" was used in a more elegant and even casual way in the Tang Dynasty. It could mean elder brother or father. It was not commonly used but could often be seen being used.
The title "Brother Ji" has rich connotations when spoken. Let alone Anaye, a local girl from Liangzhou, even if Zhang Jiuling came, I'm afraid he would have to ask more questions.
"Just an acquaintance, nothing special."
Fang Chongyong waved his hand nonchalantly, managing his expression very successfully and not allowing Anaye to see any flaws.
Last night, he actually dreamed that Li Longji appointed him an official, and it was some bloody official position like "Du Shi and Taichang Shaoqing". In fact, the Tang Dynasty did not have the official position of Du Shi. Taichang Shaoqing is the second-in-command of Taichang Temple. There are two officials in charge of rituals and music, suburban temples, communities, altars, and mausoleums. They are the fourth-rank officials.
This official is boring, he looks like a dog when he is busy, and he behaves like a dog when he is not busy!
"The magistrate of Shandan County is waiting outside for the husband to meet me. Although they all said that we can meet again after waking up, I think it is better to call the husband."
Anaye said sheepishly.
Fang Chongyong nodded slightly without comment, but in his heart he was amazed at Guo Ziyi's efficiency.
The Shandan County Magistrate came to visit, which meant that the two parties had reached an agreement on the matter of "cutting pasture", and the magistrate was most likely here to express his gratitude.
This was the case for the most basic county magistrate in the Tang Dynasty. No one had a higher official position than him. Even the county magistrates of small and remote counties were not appointed by the imperial examination candidates at all. Instead, they were promoted locally, often through self-recommendations from talents from neighboring counties.
However, when Fang Chongyong met with the Shandan County magistrate, he realized the unspeakable embarrassment.
The county magistrate, who is wearing a green robe and has a gray beard, looks to be in his fifties; and he is the "bicycle governor" who is just ten years old and has not even had time to order his official robes.
The status gap between people may have been determined since birth.
The county magistrate came here for no other reason than to thank Fang Chongyong for his concern for the people of the state and county, and to ask if he needed any help. After receiving the answer that there was no need to send him, the magistrate left with a lot of thanks.
Several boxes of local specialties from Shandan County were also left behind.
The marinated and air-dried mutton, fine licorice herbs, local medicinal wine, etc. are not very valuable, but it can be seen that they are all carefully selected.
It is not easy to prepare all these things in such a short time in a small and remote county.
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh in his heart. When he was a small local official, he had to serve all kinds of gods. He really couldn't put down his body. He had to kneel down and lick him every time he got an official.
At this moment, he saw Guo Ziyi commanding his sergeants and cutting grass with a curved sickle. He was immediately eager to help. Anaye quickly pulled his sleeves and whispered:
"Lang Jun is the governor of a state. This sickle is sharpened at both ends. People who don't know how to use it can easily cut themselves. If Lang Jun is injured, it will delay important events!"
Like a basin of cold water being poured on his head, Fang Chongyong stopped.
"The young lady is right. Since Lang Jun is the governor, he has to do the governor's work. You can't run away when you need to stand out. But there are many trivial things that Lang Jun doesn't have to do personally to waste time."
Fang Dafu's voice came from behind. He took Fang Laique with him, and both of them hung a pair of aprons on their chests to prevent the grass juice from splashing on their clothes.
Fang Chongyong, who wanted to show off, immediately stopped talking.
"Yes! I will use Lang Jun's strength!"
Fang Lai Que shouted loudly.
Although he screamed the loudest, he was so tired after a while that he lay down in the hay to bask in the sun. On the other hand, Anaye, who didn't say much nonsense, was busy from morning until dark.
Fang Chongyong also leaned on the hay pile, next to Fang Laique, thinking about the countermeasures after entering Ganzhou.
Guo Ziyi said that the Tubo people are coming and they are going to cross the Qilian Mountains. What should I say about this?
In this day and age, that is a fantasy, but Fang Chongyong remembered that during the Liberation War in his previous life, the People's Liberation Army crossed the Qilian Mountains and liberated Zhangye. There is no shortage of examples in history.
The Tubo people are quite aware of the importance of Ganzhou as a logistics node for the Tang army, and more than ten years ago, they "patronized" it by going to Dadou Valley.
It's just that the Tang army was in a state of stress at that time and responded immediately to any disturbance, so the Tubo people did not gain any advantage.
Now everyone in the Tang Army in the Hexi Corridor believes that as long as Dadou Bago is defended, the Tubo people will not be able to touch the gate of Ganzhou.
How should we tell the local soldiers and civilians in Ganzhou about the absurd fact that the Tibetans could cross the Qilian Mountains?
For a while, Fang Chongyong was at a loss for ideas.
Defending a city is the most annoying thing. You can be careful even ten thousand times. If you are careless once, you will be dead. How and when to launch an attack are all decided by the enemy.
After cutting grass for three days in Shandan County and sending most of the grass to Shandan County, Guo Ziyi led the team to Zhangye City.
What no one expected was that when the officials in Zhangye City learned that Fang Chongyong was coming here, they all exploded!
They could not wait to line up ten miles outside the city to welcome Fang Chongyong to come and take over Ganzhou's bad... er, take over Ganzhou's military and political power.
When the people in Zhangye City heard that Fang Yanei, who could be the governor at the age of ten and had a powerful background, was coming to Zhangye City, they all cheered and looked forward to it.
The autumn defense order, which was as powerful as a nuclear bomb, was sent from Chang'an to Liangzhou, and then from Liangzhou to here. It was lying quietly on the desk in the lobby of the Ganzhou government office. No one even dared to dismantle it. Let alone execution.
…
On the Zhuque Street in Chang'an City, which is more than 150 meters wide, a postman is galloping on a post horse. Behind the horses were three flags, each with the word "urgent" written in red letters on a black background.
Pedestrians on Zhuque Street all gave way for fear of being hit by the stagecoach and dying in confusion.
"Great victory!"
"Great victory in Jiannan!"
The postman was shouting loudly as he rode his horse and galloped.
"Has Jiannan achieved another great victory?"
A drunk young man walked out of Pingkangfang.
He knelt down to lick the powerful people last night and presented his poems, but it seemed to be of little use and he did not receive a clear commitment.
His name is Cen Shen, a native of Jiangling, Jingzhou. He was born in a bureaucratic family. Because of his intelligence and precocious wisdom, he studied at the age of five and was a literary scholar at the age of nine. He ranks among the ranks of prodigies of the generation.
Of course, just being a child prodigy doesn't mean anything, and a poor family background is useless. He cannot "occupy a high position" at a young age like Fang Chongyong, nor does he have a father who holds great power, serves as a military envoy in Youzhou, and is favored by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, Cen Shen had no choice but to take the imperial examination.
Cen Shen, who was born as a child prodigy, quickly understood that the imperial examination requires not only ability, but also "extraordinary tricks". Since entering Chang'an this year, studying and studying are the first priority, and quickly finding a supporter for myself is the second priority.
Cen Shen traveled around to write scrolls and pay homage to the powerful, but in the end he still couldn't find a way out.
He was disheartened and was already planning to leave Chang'an and try his luck in Luoyang, the eastern capital.
Most of the dignitaries of the Tang Dynasty were in Chang'an, but some were also in Luoyang. As for other places, it's like finding a needle in a haystack, and the chances are slim.
"In the future, going to the border towns to develop and make contributions may be a way out."
Staring in the direction where the messenger postman left, Cen Shen murmured to himself.
Naturally, no one paid attention to his little emotions. But this good news from the border town coming from Jiannan is no small matter!
In the administrative affairs building of Xingqing Palace, Li Longji saw the good news that made him elated, and he wished he could sing loudly.
Jiannan Jiedu envoy Zhangchou Jianqiong reported that the Jiannan army captured the important Tubo town of Anrong after a fierce battle! And with difficulty withstood the Tubo people's counterattack.
Please ask the saints to give this place a new name!
There has been no new news of success from the Hexi side, but Jiannan has won a big victory first. No wonder Ji Ge is overjoyed.
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Tubo occupied Anrong City (west of Maowen, Sichuan). The terrain was so dangerous that the Tang army could not attack it repeatedly, which had become a worry for Li Longji.
In order to "dedicate" Ji Ge's birthday, Jiannan Jiedushi Zhangchou Jianqiong, who has always been "good at dancing" in this regard, used a big victory to claim credit and flattery. It can be said that he has figured out Ji Ge's pulse.
After decades of being emperor, Brother Ji lacks everything. What surprises can a border town military envoy give him?
woman?
I heard that today's saint is picking up the ashes, and his daughter-in-law Yang Yuhuan is favored. In addition, Zhangchou Jianqiong cannot possibly know what type of woman Ji Ge likes. Can he succeed in inviting favors in this regard?
The possibility is extremely low, and it is suspected of "not doing his job properly".
Furthermore, Brother Ji is getting older. Now he is particularly interested in the art of immortality and is obsessed with practicing Taoism. He is only driven by power and women.
Zhangchou Jianqiong did not fail to work hard. He sent people to various places in Jiannan to look for alchemists and so-called "immortals". I have heard a lot about strange people and strange things, but after searching for them, I found that they are all untrue, and they are all people who deceive the world and steal their reputation.
So as a military governor, the only thing he can do is military exploits. Using the great achievements of the border town to present Ji Ge's birthday gift was not only in line with the Jiedushi's duties, but also before that, Fang Youde had stirred up trouble in the north in an attempt to encircle and annihilate the Turks.
This can be regarded as setting an example for Zhangchou Jianqiong!
Fortresses are always breached from within.
Zhangchou Jianqiong wanted to capture Anrong City, but obviously he couldn't follow the conventional method and foolishly pounced on him with his life!
So he first had an affair with Zhai Duju, the Tubo general in the city, and gave him a lot of gold, silver and silk, and promised him an official position. Sure enough, due to the factional strife within Tubo, the Zhaidu Bureau finally chose to rebel as the second and fifth sons, so they opened the city gate to lure the Tang army in and killed all the Tibetan generals in the city.
Then Zhangchou Jianqiong sent sharp soldiers to guard Anrong City. Due to the bad weather, the Tibetan people's counterattack was greatly reduced, and they finally returned without success.
In the direction south of Jiannan, the Tubo people suffered a heavy setback!
Brother Ji feels that the time is approaching to completely resolve the Tibetan issue.
Since Jiannan can make meritorious deeds, and Hexi Longyou has more than 100,000 elite soldiers, why can't they open up the situation?
Ji Ge sent an imperial edict to the Hexi Jiedu Mansion in Liangzhou, urging Xiao Jiong, the Hexi Jiedushi envoy, to cooperate with Du Hope, the Longyou Jiedu envoy, to fight the Tubo people in the Qinghai Lake area and regain the hometown of Tuyuhun.
The Tang army's strategic deployment against the Tubo people in the northwest border town began to accelerate because of Zhangchou Jianqiong's good news.
(End of chapter)
