Although Chang'an City does not have a door facing the sea, it is already warm and the flowers are blooming in early spring.
The children of powerful families, with various orchids and slingshots on their backs, went out in groups in the suburbs to shoot chickens and birds.
Naturally, there is no shortage of people who come to Baqiao in the east of the city to see off their friends, and those who go to the cemetery in the south of the city to sweep their graves. There is an endless stream of people greeting and seeing off.
Poems such as "Luoyang relatives and friends ask each other, a heart of ice is in a jade pot" are also heard by passers-by from time to time.
Not only that, in order to adapt to Chang'an's intensifying "market economy", some of the manor houses of powerful landlords in the suburbs have also been converted into "farmhouses" for the temporary residence of dignitaries living in Chang'an City, and they earn a living by collecting rents. Make a fortune.
Candidates from all over the country who were studying around Chang'an to prepare for the exam also gathered together from time to time to recite poems and compose poems. Everyone's heart is higher than the sky, and they hope that their destiny will be higher than the sky.
All in all, all of this seems to be a scene of vitality and competition among all things.
Since the dignitaries in Chang'an City are accustomed to outings outside the city, they are free and happy. So how could the Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty, who always claimed to be "the most playful" and the most playful, stay bored in Xingqing Palace without going out!
Early that morning, Brother Ji took Gao Lishi and asked Fang Youde to lead a battalion of elite Shence Army soldiers to station near Baqiao in the east of Chang'an City. Brother Ji, who is old-hearted but never old-hearted, also called some of the emperor's grandsons, who were usually well-behaved, to form a team and play a game of polo with the soldiers selected from the Shence Army.
That's right, although Brother Ji dislikes all his sons, he still has some feelings for his grandchildren, which is the legendary "cross-generational relationship."
Many of these soldiers were experts in riding skills and good at playing polo. However, Brother Ji's command was decisive, and he led a group of emperors and grandsons to defeat the opponent without even scoring a goal. Naturally, he won a great victory!
Those polo masters who usually swept through thousands of armies had no single enemy in front of Brother Ji.
It's a pity that although the polo skills of Brother Ji's grandchildren are acceptable, their performance today was really poor. Basically, Brother Ji supported the scene alone and became the most handsome boy on the court.
The horse flies like the wind and is as fast as lightning. If you didn't look closely, outsiders would think that Brother Ji on the horse was only forty years old.
Even so, after a polo match, Brother Ji was too tired to move. He lay on the special soft cushion like a dead dog, smelling the fragrance of wild flowers on the grass.
Gao Lishi was very attentive and knelt down to help him wipe his sweat, while Fang Youde stood at the side, observing the surroundings with a slight frown, but did not even say a word.
At this moment, a postman from the Chengdong Post Station galloped over on a fast horse, and was immediately brought to Li Longji by the guards of the Shence Army.
"Hercules, I won polo today and I will be rewarded."
Brother Ji lazily pointed at the postman delivering the letter and said.
"Thank you saint for your grace!"
The postman was overjoyed and knelt on the ground to express his gratitude.
He was originally ordered to deliver the letter to the palace. After going out, he heard someone said that the Holy Driver was nearby, so he did not go directly to the palace, but found it directly.
Not only did he have to run a little less, but he didn't expect a reward. It can be said that Qin Shi Huang touched the wire and won.
After sending away the postmen, Ji Ge dismissed everyone, leaving only Fang Youde and Gao Lishi to discuss secrets.
"Read it, who wrote the letter?"
Brother Ji asked feebly, his mind still recalling the pleasure he felt when he hit a fatal shot on the polo field!
On the court, he seemed to be still the young boy chasing the wind, but lying on the ground, he felt that he was already old.
"Back to the Saint, it was written by Fang Guozhong, the son of Fang Quanzhong, the envoy of Longyou Jiedu."
Gao Lishi glanced meaningfully at the expressionless Fang Youde beside him and said cautiously.
"Sage, that humble minister should step aside."
Hearing that this letter was written by Fang Chongyong, Fang Youde quickly saluted Ji Ge with folded hands.
"Hey, no need, just listen to it. Warriors, there is no need to be taboo, just read it."
Brother Ji turned over and held his chin with his left hand, looking at the unknown white wildflowers blooming on the grass not far away, giving it a spring beauty.
Gao Lishi had no choice but to read Fang Chongyong's letter of faith intact. Not only that, he also added after reading: "Fang Guozhong's handwriting is good."
Fang Chongyong said several things in his letter.
The first thing was that Longyou was in arrears with wages and the An army mutinied. As for what other armies were about to do, not a word was mentioned.
The second thing is that Du Xiang is seriously ill and can no longer serve as the governor of Longyou, and is now on his way back to Chang'an.
The third thing is that Fang Chongyong himself temporarily took over the post of Longyou Jiedu envoy as a post-reservist, and started to deal with the problem of non-payment of Longyou army.
In response to these three matters, Fang Chongyong also proposed solutions to Brother Ji and the court.
The first measure is to suggest that the imperial court issue a secret decree to pardon the soldiers who rebelled against the Anren Army. This matter should be handled in a low-key manner, and should not go through the official channels of the government, lest it become known to everyone in the end. It also requested that only the chief culprit be dealt with, and the rest not be investigated, so as to minimize the impact on the Longyou military system.
The second measure was to suggest that the imperial court prepare 200,000 silk and quickly transport it to Lanzhou to stockpile it in case of emergency. The winter clothes that were owed in arrears in previous years will be replenished as much as possible in the future to stabilize the court's credibility in border towns.
The third measure is not to appoint a formal Longyou Military Envoy for the time being. After he has dealt with these matters and recruited the soldiers of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army, the court will send someone to formally take over the Longyou Army to avoid unclear powers and responsibilities. .
If the first two are still ordinary operations, then the third one shows Fang Chongyong’s political responsibility.
I take over the matter, and after handling it, leave the clean up to the next person. I will never pass the blame before the matter is completed. Any problems left during my tenure are mine alone and I will not cause trouble for others.
As for Longyou's empty wages, martyrs turning into deserters, and Wang Nanpo's father Wang Sijing being a member of Li Heng's gang, Fang Chongyong didn't mention a word about it.
After finishing their conviction, Li Longji and Fang Youde looked at each other in confusion. The former had no idea how things could be like this, while the latter was secretly worried about the changes in the border army.
"The rich and powerful sons of Chang'an are walking around with chickens and fighting dogs in the suburbs, hugging Hu Ji and talking nonsense. But Fang Guozhong is only twenty years old, but he can already stand alone. In comparison, he can judge superiors and superiors.
I have dozens of princes, why not be loyal to you? "
Li Longji sighed with emotion, and Fang Youde was so frightened that he quickly confessed.
Brother Ji waved his hand indifferently, and the other party Youde continued: "How does Quan Zhong think we should deal with the Longyou matter?"
Hearing Brother Ji's question, Fang Youde also sighed with emotion: "I have already said everything I can say, my unworthy son. Even if I went to Longyou in person, I could only do this. I don't know what to say." Let the saints decide what is good."
"Then let Yang Shenjin get more silk and send it to Lanzhou.
Fang Guozhong asked for 200,000 pieces of silk, so I gave him 400,000 pieces of silk. I can't chill the heart of the person doing the work. In addition, he was given the third division of Kaifu Yitong and a manor in the eastern suburbs of Chang'an.
Lishi, ask Genu to send an official document to commend Fang Guozhong for his diligent service in Longyou, and send the eunuch to send a few kilograms of pepper to him so that he can eat mutton more happily. "
Brother Ji looked at another letter in his hand that read "Personally Inscribed by the Saint" and said to Gao Lishi calmly.
After saying that, he asked Fang Youde to gather the guards of the Shence Army, and asked Gao Lishi to deliver the letter, while he sat on the carriage back to the city to read the letter.
After reading ten lines at a glance, Ji Ge was a little confused, so he went back and read it word for word. He suddenly understood and was amazed!
After a long silence, Brother Ji couldn't help but shake his head and sighed, and said to himself very regretfully: "It would have been better if Guozhong had been born thirty years earlier."
…
Five days later, Zheng Shuqing, the nominal magistrate of Xingyang County, rushed to Chang'an non-stop after receiving the holy order. Two stage horses were even killed on the way!
He didn't even ride in a carriage, but rode a horse day and night. Even the messengers conveying urgent military information were not as fast as him.
Seeing the Chunming Gate where people from Chang'an City came and went, Zheng Shuqing burst into tears, and his excitement was beyond words.
Not being a county magistrate but not being an official, this "self-abuse journey" is finally over!
Whether he is serving as a local governor, or as a censor Zhongcheng or Jingzhao governor in the center of Chang'an, these official positions are several orders of magnitude higher than those of a mere county magistrate.
Well, a county magistrate is a county magistrate, after all, he is still an official.
But when Zheng Shuqing was demoted and moved to his hometown, he found that he was nothing! Not to mention the county magistrate, he is not even an official at this time! Not even a non-official official can compare!
This is not a description, but a true portrayal of his own situation after "retiring from old age and returning home."
Although he still holds the official position of county magistrate in name, in fact the government affairs of Xingyang County are handled by the chief registrar of Xingyang County, and Zheng Shuqing has nothing to do with him at all.
The imperial court was worried about local troubles, so it sent an official document to Xingyang County. It’s clearly stated above: Zheng Shuqing is a mascot who “recuperates with peace of mind”, so don’t listen to his nonsense. You can work as you normally would, and don't even let him touch the county magistrate's seal.
Brother Ji’s meaning is also very simple: Didn’t you say you resigned due to illness? That's fine, you can take good care of your health in your hometown. The court affairs have nothing to do with you.
Afraid that Lao Zheng would fish in troubled waters, Ji Ge also asked Li Linfu to send a letter to the local government and analyze it clearly, for fear that outsiders would not know that Zheng Shuqing had completely gone cold.
This is Brother Ji’s eye salve to the “neutralists” jumping on both sides.
Loyalty is not absolute, absolutely not loyal!
If you want to be neutral, then just stay neutral at home!
For Zheng Shuqing, who was addicted to being an official, leaving him idle was more uncomfortable than killing him.
Although Zheng Shuqing can still maintain a "calm" persona in front of outsiders and seems to not care at all about resigning and returning home, in fact he has already regretted it!
If you stick around too much in the officialdom, you will also run into ghosts! Zheng Shuqing's current situation is a typical example of "being clever but being misled by cleverness".
The status of the Zheng family in Xingyang has been declining since the Wu Zhou Dynasty. Zheng Shuqing is already one of the few famous figures of the Zheng family.
Censor Zhongcheng was even the Zheng family’s biggest official in the court!
Precisely because of his high official position, Old Zheng could squander the money given to him by the Zheng family and live a luxurious life without any psychological burden.
Zheng Shuqing was forced to "resign his old age and return to his hometown" when he was still in his prime, which was no less than a blow to the Zheng family in Xingyang.
What's even more disgusting is that after Li Longji, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, mentioned that he would expand the number of Lingyan Pavilion heroes, he actually seemed to have forgotten about it! There is nothing behind it!
Maybe it's still brewing, or maybe after getting excited, I regret taking too big a step. In short, it seems that this matter will be settled now.
Not only did Zheng Shuqing lose his official position, but he also lost his reputation in the officialdom. Instead, he learned from others that he had now become a famous laughing stock in the officialdom, which could be regarded as a different kind of fame.
Those who were resolutely opposed to Ji Ge's "reform of the ancestral system" at the beginning were naturally not embarrassed by their fame;
Li Linfu and others who need to hug Brother Ji's thigh tightly have nothing to be embarrassed about. After all, they have no choice.
The most embarrassing person turned out to be Zheng Shuqing, who suddenly "moistened up" before the final blow. It can be said that he had lost both face and appearance, and was no longer a human being inside and outside.
Zheng Shuqing, who was not sick at first, fell ill while he was working at home. A cold winter nearly killed him, but he recovered in the spring.
Zheng Shuqing, who had walked through the gate of hell, was heartbroken and planned to stay at home until he grew old.
Unexpectedly, Brother Ji issued an imperial edict and summoned him back to Chang'an!
This secret decree said: The imperial court is going to establish a new yamen, and I have decided that you, the former censor Zhongcheng, will come to Chang'an to see me! Let’s talk about it in detail when the time comes!
Zheng Shuqing, who had just recovered from a serious illness, immediately galloped towards Chang'an on a post horse as if he had been beaten with blood. It was said that he could travel 500 miles a day in an easy way!
When Zheng Shuqing arrived outside the Chunming Gate in Chang'an, his green official robe was dirty, his hat was crooked, and his body smelled of sweat. So he bought a set of clean brocade robes, found a "public bathhouse", washed himself and put on new clothes, and then he came to Xingqing Palace to meet the saint.
However, when Zheng Shuqing entered Xingqing Palace with joy, he saw Li Longji and the three ladies of the Yang family catching butterflies in the flowers from a distance!
What's so easy about catching butterflies when riding horses! Seeing this scene, Zheng Shuqing was furious! When he came to Chang'an from Xingyang, he wore a horse on the inner side of his thighs. As a result, the emperor actually took a woman to catch butterflies!
Gao Lishi asked him with a half-smile if he needed to pass the news. Zheng Shuqing, who was knowledgeable and knowledgeable, quickly confessed, left Xingqing Palace in a hurry, stayed at his nephew's house in Chang'an for one night, and ran away again early the next morning. Go to Xingqing Palace to ask for an interview.
However, Zheng Shuqing's luck seemed to be very bad. When he went there this time, Brother Ji was very interested in weaving flower baskets on the grass with several young beauties from the palace. While weaving garlands, she told dirty jokes, making several beauties laugh shyly.
There were also several musicians from the Liyuan playing nearby to add to the fun. Zheng Shuqing felt that there were too many people and it would not be a good idea to interrupt the saint's elegance.
This time, before Gao Lishi could speak, he resigned first.
Zheng Shuqing did not dare to report to Xingqing Palace in the next few days. It was not until the fifth day of his arrival in Chang'an that Gao Lishi went to Zheng Shuqing's nephew's house in person and took Zheng Shuqing to the study room of the Qinzheng Affairs Building.
Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty finally had time to meet with him, his demoted minister.
Zheng Shuqing was also at a loss as to what kind of new institution Brother Ji wanted to set up, what he was going to do, and why he should be chosen as a "recuperative person" who had become a salty fish and had no use value.
But this was the last chance he could seize.
Even if Brother Ji asks Zheng Shuqing to patrol the streets naked every day shouting "I am a fool", he can't refuse!
This is not just for myself, but the family needs a figurehead. A family that has been without a prominent figure in the officialdom for a long time will inevitably decline.
Zheng Shuqing couldn't gamble, let alone dare to gamble.
"I heard that Aiqing was seriously ill in the winter. Are you feeling better now? I'm busy with official duties, so I only have free time today."
In the imperial study room, Li Longji helped Zheng Shuqing up from his knees on the ground and asked with concern on his face.
"Back to the saint, Wei Chen is completely fine now. If the saint has any instructions, Wei Chen will definitely be able to do it!"
Zheng Shuqing patted his chest and said.
Brother Ji nodded slightly with a calm face and said, "I really have a difficult thing to leave to Aiqing to handle now."
I have mixed feelings in my heart. It’s not easy to write now. Please support me.
(End of chapter)
