Langri lowered his head, picked up the wine glass, and tried to cover up the shock in his heart. What did this Tang general mean? Does he know the inside story of our country? This is impossible. There are no foreign students from Tang Dynasty in Tubo. This must be his deception. Thinking of this, he regained his composure and said with a smile: "What's the point of being light on the inside and heavy on the outside, but the tail can't fall off? Why can't I understand what Governor Wang is saying!"
"Don't you understand?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "You once came to Datang to study, so you must have read "Spring and Autumn", right?"
"I have read both "Zuo Zhuan" and "Gongyang Zhuan"!"
"That's good, let me ask you, what were the great countries in the Spring and Autumn Period?"
"Jin and Chu are the largest, followed by Qi and Qin, then Wu and Yue, and after that are Song, Lu, Wei, and Zheng!"
"Well, then let me ask you, when Emperor Zhou split the earth and separated the grass, would Jin and Chu be stronger than Qi Qin, Wu Yue, Song, Lu, Wei and Zheng?"
"This!" Langri frowned, and after thinking for a moment he replied: "If I remember correctly, after Zhu Rong of Chu originally, there was no Ji surname, and the enfeoffed land was also a barbarian land in the south. Therefore, there are blue rays of road to start. The theory of mountains and forests. And Qi is the descendant of Jiang Shang, Song is the descendant of Weizi, Lu is the kingdom of Duke Zhou, and Wei is the younger brother of King Wu. They are far apart. Chu is definitely not as good as these countries; and the founding king of Jin He is the younger brother of King Cheng, and he is very close to him, so I don’t know how he can compare with other countries!"
"Yes, when Emperor Zhou was enfeoffing, he talked about kissing relatives and respecting respect. It was indeed different from later! But later, the strength of the strong and the weak was very different. Have you ever thought about why?" Wang Wenzuo nodded. The other party seemed to be in awe. Chang'an also worked hard. Everyone knows that the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period were the strongest vassal states at that time, especially Jin and Chu. The struggle for hegemony and the elimination of troops between the two countries were the main theme of the middle and late Spring and Autumn Period. But when the Western Zhou Dynasty first began to enfeoff the vassals, the vassal states were indeed arranged according to the principle of "kissing, kinship, and respecting". The so-called "kissing, kinship, and respecting" means being close to relatives and respecting those in honorable positions. For example, the founding kings of the vassal states such as Lu, Wei, Cao, and Yan were all younger brothers of King Wu of Zhou; the founding king of Jin was Shu Yu, the younger brother of King Zhou Cheng; and the founding king of Zheng was King Zhou Li. His sons were all members of the clan; their fiefdom had fertile land, an important position, and many people were allocated to it (land was not scarce at that time, and population was the more important resource). This was Qinqin; the founding king of Qi State Jiang Shang was the grand master and chief adviser of Zhou. Wei Zi, the founding king of Song, was the elder brother of King Zhou of Shang. Chen and Qi were the queens of Yu and Xia respectively. Although they had no blood relationship with the Zhou royal family, their ancestral status was respected, so The fiefdom is pretty good too. For example, the fiefdoms of Qin, Chu, Wu, Yue and the Zhou royal family are far away. There are many, and my ancestors were not in an honorable position at the beginning, so the enfeoffed territories were far inferior to the previous ones.
"For hundreds of years, the situation has changed constantly. How can the strong always be strong and the weak always weak?" Lang Ri said with a smile: "What does the Governor Wang mean by saying this?"
"It is true that strength and weakness change constantly, but it is not unreasonable!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "The reason why Jin, Chu, Qi, Qin, Wu and Yue are strong is because they are among the four barbarians. They fought against the barbarians and expanded their territory, making the country rich and the people strong; However, Wei, Song, and Zheng were in the middle of the world and had no room to develop, so they were gradually surpassed and reduced to subordinates. The same is true for your country. Although the land of Qinghai is good, how many points can Zanpu get? In times like this As time goes by, how do you know that the vassals occupying Qinghai and the Western Regions will not become the Jin and Chu people and ask about the importance of Jiuding?"
Langri opened his mouth, but didn't speak. Facts are more powerful than any words. In fact, it won't take too long. The current strength of the Gar family has already surpassed Zanpu. If it continues like this, it won't take more than two generations. , the person on the throne is either a puppet of the Gar family, or a member of the Gar family. This Tang general is so powerful. Although he doesn't know the inside story of Tibet, he can make a rough guess just by making a rough guess.
"Since you didn't say anything, I should have guessed right!" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "Actually, you don't have to worry too much, everyone has their own troubles!"
"What's the meaning?"
"Like Tubo, the Tang Dynasty also had its own problems!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Don't think that only Tubo can be light on the inside and heavy on the outside, and it can't lose its tail!"
"You mean the Tang Dynasty can do it too?" Lang Ri was surprised: "No way?"
"What can't you do?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "The Tubo people are human beings, and the people of the Tang Dynasty are also human beings. Human beings will make the same mistakes. As the territory of the Tang Dynasty becomes wider and wider, the military and financial resources are also becoming more and more important. The border is tilted, and the capital is becoming weaker and weaker compared to the border towns. What do you think will be the consequences?"
"But aren't you also a side general?" Langri asked.
"It's true that I am a side general, but I don't want the Tang Dynasty to collapse because of this!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Stop the war, divide the spheres of influence, and develop trade. This is a better choice for the Tang Dynasty and Tubo. It will last for a long time The war will only benefit the third party, right?"
"But isn't it your Tang Dynasty who is preparing to send out a large number of troops?" Lang Ri muttered.
"Yes, but at least we can take the first step now. Didn't you just say that? Times are changing and no one knows what will happen in the future. Are you right?"
Langri did not answer immediately. He looked into Wang Wenzuo's eyes and smiled after a few minutes: "Yes, the situation is constantly changing and no one knows what will happen in the future, but at least we can start the trade now! After all, No one can have too much money!"
Having said this, both of them had knowing smiles on their faces.
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Chengdu, Qingyang Restaurant and Shanyaoju.
Like many shops at that time, the Cai family also had a shop in front and a home in the back. The five-room wide house facing the street in front was the shop, and there was a five-by-deep courtyard behind it. The total number of clan members, clerks, and servants was nearly 500. , occupying almost one-eighth of the square,
It has already entered the twelfth lunar month. According to the rules of the store at that time, at the end of the year, it was necessary to check out the accounts and determine how much money was made this year, how much was lost, how much dividends were given to shareholders, and how much wages were paid to the clerks. In ancient times, stores usually did not pay the clerks. Those who pay wages only cover food and accommodation, and they decide how much to pay when the accounts are settled at the end of the year. So as soon as the twelfth lunar month enters, the ears of the clerks in the store are perked up, and their minds are focused on the upcoming income.
However, this year is different from previous years. If it had been in previous years, the owner Cai Dingshan would have been at home enjoying the happiness in the twelfth lunar month. His family has been in the medicine shop business for hundreds of years, and all the business has been on track, and there is no need for him to do everything himself. Why run outside in the wind and snow? But since autumn this year, he has been running around outside. Even when he comes back, he only stays at home for a day or two before going out again. The guys in the store were all wondering what the owner was doing. It was not until the 26th of the twelfth lunar month that Cai Dingshan and Zhuge Wen returned to Chengdu. They were accompanied by more than ten guests, and there were two to three hundred male and female slaves accompanying them.
When this majestic team consisting of lanterns, umbrella canopies, sedan chairs, carriages and horses, and various boxes and luggage entered Shanyaoju, everyone in the Cai family woke up from their sleep and became busy. From the front door, the second door, the lobby, the second hall to the inner courtyard, the lights came on one after another. Several deacons appeared in the foyer almost at the same time. The panic-looking waiters ran back and forth. Two shoulder carriages specially designed for walking in the house had been carried out of the sedan hall and prepared. A bleary-eyed young man walked in the wrong direction in confusion. The leader grabbed him by the neck, gave him a hard shove, and stumbled back to the queue.
Cai Dingshan got off the mule cart. He looked haggard and tired. His dark face had obviously become thinner, and his hair and beard seemed to be a lot whiter. However, his spirit was exceptionally high, and his eyes were already shining. When he got off the carriage, he looked at The steward who came up to say hello asked, "How are you doing these days, Mr. Wang Xiaolang?"
"Okay, okay!" The steward hurriedly responded: "I will go to say hello in the morning and evening as the master said, and send some deer breasts, dried fruits, chickens and ducks every now and then. The young man has a good temper and smiles every time. Yes, and greetings to you, my boss!"
"That's good!" Cai Dingshan nodded: "Even so, you can't neglect it. After all, he is the younger brother of Governor Wang. Being able to mention him in front of Governor Wang in the future will be an inexhaustible benefit for us! "
"Don't worry, sir, I'll spare it for you, the villain!"
"Has that Japanese gentleman been here before?" Zhuge Wen asked at the side.
The steward glanced at Cai Dingshan and then carefully replied: "I came here five days ago and took away 20,000 yuan. Before leaving, I left a letter for the villain to deliver to my employer!"
"Is there a letter? Why didn't you tell me earlier!" Cai Dingshan looked slightly angry: "You haven't brought it yet!"
"Yes, yes!" The steward quickly took out a letter from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. Cai Dingshan glanced at Zhuge Wen, took the letter without opening it in his sleeve, and said in a low voice: "There are many people here, wait and see." I'll go to the study and read it after you meet me!"
Zhuge Wen nodded. At this time, the servants carried two shoulder carts. The two of them got on the shoulder carts. Someone held a torch in front to light the way and slowly went to the inner house.
There was no moon in the night, and a few twinkling stars only blinked and disappeared in the mist. The courtyard was dark, with a few sparse lights trembling in the night air, standing out more clearly; on both sides of the carriage, the pillars, railings, and the shadows of the flowers and trees outside the railings kept flashing; the voices of people on the other side of the gate kept flashing. It gradually faded away and was no longer audible. Only the light and even footsteps of the house slave were left in his ears... At this moment, Cai Dingshan felt that his whole body began to relax, and fatigue swept over his body. He leaned back on his shoulder chair and stared silently at the dark pavilion outside the corridor. His breathing became even and slow, and his eyes gradually closed.
I don't know how much time passed, but Cai Dingshan woke up again. His first reaction was to reach out and touch his sleeves. He breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the letter inside was still there. He looked outside and saw that he was still in the yard. It turned out that he had only slept for a while, and he hadn't arrived in the study yet! He let out a long breath and took out the letter from his sleeve.
With the light of a torch not far away, Cai Dingshan could see the familiar handwriting on the envelope. Although he was a Japanese, his handwriting was really good, almost as good as that of Cui Lu's children! He enviously copied it twice with his fingers before he finished.
"We're in the study! Master, please be careful!"
Cai Dingshan nodded, got off the carriage and walked into the study. Zhuge Wen smiled and said: "What is written in the letter, I can't wait for it, why don't you open it and take a look!"
Cai Dingshan smiled and opened the letter, only to find two pieces of letter paper. When he opened it, he found it was the handwriting of Igilian Bode. It said in very simple words that the Governor Wang had a personal letter attached to the letter. Cai Dingshan was surprised: "King, there is a letter written by Governor Wang!"
"A letter written by Governor Wang himself? Isn't it from the Japanese husband?"
"No, the Japanese Prime Minister is just handing it over!" Cai Dingshan unfolded the second piece of letter paper, and saw that it was densely covered with a strange handwriting. Cai Dingshan just read a few lines, and his mouth opened involuntarily.
"Dong Cai's family, Dong Cai's family, what's wrong with you? What's written in the letter?" Zhuge Wen saw this and asked quickly.
"Look, take a look!" Cai Dingshan handed the letter in his hand to Zhuge Wen: "It's unbelievable that there is such a thing, such a thing!"
"The Tubo people are already willing to do business with me. We will hold trade gatherings in the market twice a month. Those who want to participate must have the imperial edict, otherwise they will be regarded as lawbreakers. Now we plan to distribute fifty copies of the edict. Everyone who donated before has the remaining I have asked you to recommend me and raise a certain amount of money!"
Seeing this, Zhuge Wen couldn't stand it any longer. If he could sum up his mood at this time in one sentence, it would be that happiness came too suddenly. When he paid for Wang Wenzuo's road construction, he did have the intention of investing, but he also couldn't. I knew that this kind of return would not come so early, and I was prepared to wait for three years, five years, or even ten years, but I didn't expect it to come so quickly. In just over two months, my investment had already seen results. Gained.
"The King has asked me to distribute the imperial edicts. Brother Zhuge, what do you think?"
"We have to be careful!" Zhuge Wen composed himself: "This is the first mission that the King has given us. If we don't do it well, there will be no next time!"
"Well! It seems that the king's governor behaves with clear rewards and punishments. After we raised the 20,000 guan, he immediately responded to our edict. This has repaid our 20,000 guan. There are many more. If we If we don’t do it well, if he punishes us severely, no one will say it’s his fault!”
"Not bad!" Zhuge Wen paused and said: "Brother Cai, you think deeply, but I think lightly. I only think about whether there will be a next time, but I don't think about being punished!"
"What should we do?" Cai Dingshan asked.
"In my opinion, we need to ask the young prince more about this matter!" Zhuge Wen said: "In the final analysis, blood is thicker than water, so we can't be close if we are separated!"
"Not bad!" Cai Dingshan slapped his thigh fiercely: "Why didn't I even think of this? Thanks to my dear brother!"
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(End of chapter)
