Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 676 Killing two birds with one stone

Tomorrow is the Spring Festival, the first day of the next year. The Tang Dynasty did not pay much attention to New Year's Eve, but attached great importance to the Spring Festival, and the Lantern Festival was the most important.

Although no one in Bianzhou was in a position to work today, two-thirds of the soldiers of the Silver Spear Xiejie Army stationed in Guoqiao, also known as the Imperial Guards camp, were still on duty and had not been given leave to go home.

The camp was very dull, and the soldiers had no intention of training, but they had to follow the military order.

It was natural for people to want to take a holiday, but the tense situation in Hebei was there. The soldiers below were just following orders, and they didn't know what was going on, but the officers were all alert to the current situation.

Normally, not many people would be so blind as to use military force against Bianzhou, but there could be some short-sighted people in the world, so we must not let our guard down at this time.

At noon, the sentry on duty at the camp gate saw Fang Zhongyong leading a group of generals here, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute. Behind these people were flatbed trucks one after another, piled with one "package" after another, which looked like they were all packed things.

"Marshal! Please... please show me the fish talisman!"

The sentry was so excited that he was speechless, but he still followed the procedure and asked Fang Chongyong to show the fish token. He was only allowed to enter the camp after his identity was verified.

It's not the first day for him to come out and mess around. Just looking at this posture, you can tell that it's Marshal Fang who has come to the camp to give out rewards! But the rules cannot be broken, Fang Zhongyong attaches great importance to this kind of thing!
Military generals will never be allowed to ignore military law because of personal relationships.

"Beat the drums, tell the soldiers to come to the parade grounds and prepare to receive their rewards!"

Fang Chongyong waved his hand, laughed, and took out a golden fish talisman from his arms. After checking it with the sentry, he put it in his arms.

He had led troops for many years and had dealt with soldiers for a long time, so he knew their nature. The army did not like cunning and deceit, but wanted to have laws to abide by and let people speak freely!
As long as you strictly follow the rules, the army will not be in chaos!

"Order!"

The sentry, whose name Fang Chongyong couldn't even remember, was overjoyed and ran all the way to the parade ground.

"He Lao Hu, you lead the soldiers well. The soldiers are motivated."

Fang Chongyong turned his head and admired He Changqi who didn't even dare to breathe behind him.

"You are too kind, Marshal. You are too kind."

He Changqi felt sympathetic, fortunately he hadn't caused any trouble just now.

Today is different from the past. Fang Zhongyong's prestige is growing day by day, and in the hearts of many people, he is already like an emperor. Now the situation of the court in Bianzhou is very good. Sitting on this big ship, he can basically guarantee his future success.

Who wouldn’t worry about being kicked into the river on the way?

The group arrived at the parade ground, and the guards moved the goods from the flatbed truck and piled them aside. At this time, the soldiers of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army had already lined up according to their respective formations. The entire parade ground was silent, as if there were stone statues standing one after another.

Seeing this, the generals behind Fang Zhongyong became nervous and their faces were all tense.

This precious sword will soon see blood. Today's reward is to grease the sword before killing someone.

"Thank you, Marshal!"

The sturdy man standing first in line took the "package" handed over by Fang Zhongyong and was a little at a loss.

"It's just a set of quilts. I'll keep you warm in the winter."

Fang Zhongyong smiled and patted the other person on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Marshal! Thank you, Marshal! I..."

The soldier was so excited that he was speechless.

Gaochang cotton has gradually become popular in Bianzhou, but as the farming technology is still being explored and summarized and breeding is ongoing, the output is not as good as Fang Chongyong had expected, and the market price is still very high.

As for cotton spinning technology, it is better not to mention it. At present, this kind of grass cotton cannot be used directly to weave cloth. Commercially, it can only be used as a filling material to make quilts, and the technology is relatively mature.

The outer layer is a layer of silk cover, and the inner layer is filled with Gaochang cotton, which complement each other. This combination of quilts was sold out immediately after it was released. It can be said that even if you have money, you may not be able to get the goods first, and you have to queue up.

Now Fang Zhongyong gave a set to every soldier in the army. It can be said that the gift is not light, but the sentiment is even greater.

Fang Chongyong was like this. He never left the army under his command and always paid attention to what the grassroots soldiers were thinking, what they needed and what they needed. As long as it could be solved, he would find a way to solve it as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Marshal!"

The second soldier couldn't wait to open the bundle. When he saw a set of quilts inside, he was so excited that he almost cried.

Many things cannot be bought at normal prices, and are a symbol of status. The key is that this is just "holiday expenses" and does not need to be deducted by military merit.

It's almost like freeloading.

"I should thank you. You risked your lives to kill the enemy, and I was watching from behind. Why are you thanking me?"

Fang Zhongyong said seriously and patted the other person's shoulder.

In this way, the quilts were distributed one by one. It took more than an hour to finally distribute them all, and no one was left out. As for those who were on leave at home, they had already received them yesterday. Fang Zhongyong also led people to look for them one by one.

It was troublesome, but also very rewarding, as it allowed him to see the living conditions of the grassroots in the military and what these people were thinking.

After the quilts were distributed, the soldiers lined up on the training ground as before. No one moved and the military discipline was particularly strict.

He Changqi whispered in Fang Zhongyong's ear: "Marshal, how about saying a few words?"

"Talk nonsense!"

Fang Zhongyong cursed with a smile, and then shouted to the army: "I will sell my belongings to give you quilts. You all must fight bravely for me. Do you hear me?"

"Order!"

The shouts in the army shook the sky.

"It's all gone."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand, turned around and left without any hesitation.

He Changqi followed behind cautiously, as if he was guilty of something.

"What do you have for today?"

Fang Zhongyong turned his head and asked. As soon as he saw the guy's hesitant look, he knew that something bad was going to happen.

"Marshal, I wonder how the next dispatch of troops will go?"

He Changqi asked with a smile, he no longer concealed his little thoughts.

To put it bluntly, it's just about leading troops to war. These military generals are all thinking about military exploits. Without military exploits, where would their status and future come from?
"Your reputation is too great, I cannot use you lightly."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hands, obviously unwilling to make a promise.

When the group returned to Kaifeng Prefecture, Yuan Zai happened to come to the prefecture to report, so Fang Chongyong invited him to the study to discuss Tian Qianzhen's matter. However, just as he was listening to Yuan Zai talking about Tian Qianzhen's views on the Huaizhou battle, an unexpected situation suddenly occurred, disrupting Fang Chongyong's overall plan.

……

Tianjing Pass is the commanding height of Taihang Pass, one of the Eight Passes of Taihang Mountain, and the most dangerous pass on the southern foot of Taihang Mountain.

Logically speaking, Li Huaiguang and the Konghe Army should not give up this place. By defending this place, the safety of Zezhou City can be guaranteed.

But perhaps Li Huaiguang was frightened, or perhaps the morale of the Konghe Army collapsed. In any case, when Li Tingwang led his troops here, he found that there was not even a ghost.

There was still some food stored in the pass, and it looked like the defenders left in a hurry, as if they had just left.

"No matter how careless you are, you should at least leave a few hundred people behind to make an example."

Arriving at the city wall of Tianjing Pass, Li Tingwang looked at the mountain below in confusion and talked to himself.

It was white and desolate there, and it was obviously impossible for someone to ambush here. Tianjing Pass was not so much a "pass" as it was a very narrow "small town". There was only one road in the middle of the town, with houses on both sides. There were pass cities on the north and south ends, and mountains on the east and west sides. The city defense was not worth mentioning, but the terrain advantage was unmatched. Both the attackers and defenders could not deploy their troops here.

After observing for a while, Li Tingwang began to understand what was going on.

At the end of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was rumored that Gao Huan encountered danger here and was surrounded by rebels. The uniqueness of this place is that its terrain treats the troops coming from Zezhou and Huaizhou equally.

It is not a "one-way" pass, which is fundamentally different from Tongguan.

The defensive strength of Tongguan in Guandong far exceeds that of Guanzhong. In other words, the Guandong forces holding Tongguan cannot ensure that the Guanzhong army cannot break through here, but the opposite direction can.

There is no difference in attacking Tianjing Pass from both ends.

Li Tingwang looked for a long time but couldn't find out where the flaw was. He had no choice but to order a thousand soldiers under his command to station in Guancheng, five thousand to camp at the foot of the mountain, and the rest to return to Huaizhou City to station.

Li Tingwang didn't want to set up a "long snake formation", but Tianjing Pass was so small that it took a lot of effort to transport grain to the mountain, and there was only one well to draw water, which is also the origin of the name Tianjing Pass.

It is not possible to station too many troops here.

The situation at the foot of the mountain is similar. Only Huaizhou City, where the Qinshui River and the Danshui River converge, has space for large-scale garrisoning and can support long-term logistics.

Li Tingwang left his deputy to guard the foot of the mountain, and returned to Huaizhou City, then sent someone back to inform An Shouzhong that everything was normal in Huaizhou. He planned to send someone to Zezhou to investigate and test Li Huaiguang's strength first.

While Li Tingwang was stationed in Huaizhou, waiting for news from An Shouzhong, in Bianzhou, Fang Chongyong was discussing important matters with his staff in the Privy Council with a solemn expression.

"Da Mingming, is this true? Have you confirmed it? Is it your father Da Qinmao's handwriting? Was it sent by his followers?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Dacongming and asked.

A follower of Daqinmao who had just arrived from Dengzhou brought a letter. Daqinmao said in the letter that Damen Yi, the ruler of Bohai State, had passed away suddenly, but the news was kept secret.

Da Qinmao had a traitor in the palace of Bohai State, so he took great pains to bring the news out. As soon as he received the news, Da Qinmao sent people to deliver the letter to Bianzhou without stopping.

That was a real non-stop journey, not just an expression. In winter, the canal was frozen and ships could not sail. In order to hurry, the attendant killed two horses and even wore out the inside of his trouser legs. He finally reached Bianzhou in the shortest time possible.

The hardship involved is truly beyond words.

"Returning to the official home, it is indeed my father's handwriting, and it is also my father's personal attendant."

Da Congming answered honestly.

In the letter, Daqinmao begged Fang Chongyong to send troops to Bohai Kingdom and support him to return to his country and ascend the throne!
The Tang Dynasty had a tradition of intervening in Bohai's internal affairs. When Damen Yi was able to succeed to the throne, it was Fang Zhongyong's cheap father Fang Youde who rushed to Longquan Prefecture in Shangjing. Now, if Fang Zhongyong supports Daqinmao to succeed to the throne, it seems reasonable, which can be regarded as "the son inherits the father's business" to some extent.

In the past two years, Daqinmao used his connections to help Bianzhou get a lot of good horses from Bohai at a low price to equip the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army. You have to repay a favor. They have served you diligently for several years, isn't it just waiting for this day?
It's just that the timing was a little unfortunate.

"Then it seems that there is a trick."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, already believing it 90% in his heart.

"Everyone, what do you think?"

He looked around at everyone and asked.

Many things are difficult to handle, so we have to gather the staff together to discuss them.

One is to pool ideas, the other is to find someone to share responsibility.

"General, we must have elite troops to support Daqinmao's ascension to the throne in Bohai. After the success, Daqinmao can send troops from the north to attack Youzhou, Pinglu and other places with us.

So, this matter must be done.

However, the situation in Hebei is treacherous now, and the war has already begun. If Bianzhou is short of troops, it will be difficult to cope with the next changes.

I think it is better not to act rashly.

It’s not a bad idea to leave Daqinmao aside for now.”

Yan Zhuang said with a light cough.

To put it bluntly, no matter how great the interests of Bohai State were, they were just "surprises" and icing on the cake, not core interests. However, once Bianzhou was empty, it would be easy for surrounding enemies to take advantage of it.

It’s hard to say what will happen at that time, and no one can take the responsibility!

Compared with his own safety, Daqinmao is nothing.

Liu Yan, Li Quan, Zhang Tongru, and even Yuan Zai, all nodded slightly, and no one stood up to support Daqinmao.

Da Congming felt that his position was very awkward. It was not right to speak, and it was not right not to speak. For a moment, he even wanted to sneak away.

"Alas, if I lose my promise, how can I gain their trust again in the future? I'm afraid it won't work if I don't send troops.

If Daqinmao cannot be the ruler, the supply of good horses to Bohai will be cut off, which will have a huge impact on military preparations."

Fang Zhongyong sighed, obviously thinking that Yan Zhuang's suggestion was a bit rash.

Apart from anything else, Daqinmao has been playing with his daughter for two years, and even gave birth to a child. The child's grandfather wants to return to the country to become the emperor. It would be bad if he doesn't support her, right?
It was difficult to refuse, both emotionally and logically. I had to show some appreciation, not to mention that there were considerable strategic benefits involved, which would be very helpful in stabilizing the border of Youzhou in the future.

"General, Bohai is a foreign country, and our Tang Dynasty is the legitimate one. We support it if we are happy, and we don't support it if it is inconvenient. What else is there to say?"

Li Quan said this with confidence, obviously feeling that Fang Chongyong was too "kind".

In their view, these foreign people are no different from beasts. Giving them a little face is already very considerate. Is there a need to talk about "reciprocity" with these people?

unnecessary.

"Marshal, that's true, but you can put it in a more pleasant way. There's no need to be so blunt."

Yan Zhuang also echoed.

These advisers all reached a consensus on how to deal with foreign countries.

"Okay, you all go back and think about it. There's no rush to decide on this matter now."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand impatiently.

People like Yan Zhuang have strong ethnic discrimination and they often fail to handle similar things well.

Da Congming looked at Fang Chongyong with gratitude, and followed him back to the Kaifeng government office.

Before he could even get comfortable in his seat, Yuan Zai asked for a meeting, saying that he had a "brilliant plan" to use.

Fang Zhongyong quickly led him to the study and asked anxiously, "What good ideas do you have?"

"Sir, what Lord Yan said is totally wrong.

The fairness of the imperial examination was one of the important reasons why the imperial court was able to gain a foothold in Bianzhou and win the support of the people.

If the government loses its trust in people who have helped us in the past, it will be difficult to gain their trust again in the future."

Yuan Zai said calmly. He didn't say anything during the meeting, but he sold Yanzhuang right away.

"That's right, so what do you want to say?"

Fang Zhongyong asked with a frown, obviously a little impatient.

"Sir, I have a plan that kills two birds with one stone. Walls have ears, so it's better to write it down on paper."

Yuan Zai came closer, bent over and whispered.

(End of this chapter)