Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 685: The army lacks good generals, you should work hard
After talking for an hour, Daqinmao left in a daze.

Some time ago, he wrote a letter to his daughter Da Zhenhui, asking her how she was doing with Fang Chongyong and whether she was favored.

As a result, a reply was received. Da Zhenhui, who had changed her name to Rosa, said in the letter that she and Fang Chongyong "get along very well, and this is the greatest happiness in life."

Therefore, Daqinmao thought that it should be easy to dispatch troops this time. After all, he had been planning this situation for several years, and had laid the groundwork step by step. It was impossible for him to fail!
However, the conditions offered by Fang Chongyong were a bit scary.

Marshal Fang clearly stated that if the Bohai Kingdom wanted to send troops, it must cede Longyuan Prefecture, the "Eastern Capital" among the "Five Capitals of the Bohai Kingdom", which is the land around Hunchun, including the estuary of the Tumen River.

Of course, in name it is not called cession, but "autonomy."

He wants the land, but it doesn't matter if he wants the people or not. Daqinmao can take all the people of the land away. It's hard to find three-legged frogs in Bianzhou, but two-legged people are everywhere. It's not difficult to migrate tens of thousands of people to open up wasteland there. Seagoing ships can guarantee logistics, and as long as they don't go deep into the interior, there will be no problem with material supply.

From the traditional perspective of land power, it is nothing but a pipe dream for the Tang Dynasty to control this place, as its power projection is beyond its reach.

But from the perspective of sea power, this is an important port in Northeast Asia with mature shipping routes. If the main force is seagoing ships, the Bianzhou Army can not only control the seaport and surrounding cities, but also live a comfortable life.

In other words, Fang Chongyong had no ambition for the territory of Northeast Asia, and he knew that he did not have the power to do so. He could not destroy the Bohai Kingdom and then take actual control of the area.

It's just a matter of inserting a nail here, relying on sea routes to develop maritime trade, which is also a big plan.

Its impact will last at least decades, or even hundreds of years.

Or, in other words, this was the new geopolitical pattern that Fang Zhongyong arranged after Da Qinmao seized the throne of the king. Da Qinmao was just a pawn in it.

Man counts tigers, and tigers also count man. Fang Zhongyong did not show any politeness to Daqinmao. He wrote down all the accounts that needed to be settled on paper, making them clear.

Fang Chongyong handed all these matters to Daqinmao in person in the form of a letter. It was written clearly in black and white, without playing word games, and no one could deny it afterwards.

Da Qinmao had nothing to say. The land of Bohai Kingdom was divided into five capitals, which were five big cities to govern. Now one of the five capitals is going to be taken away. If a piece of it is cut off, can it still be called Bohai Kingdom?

He had no choice but to say that he would go back and think about it, as he really didn't dare to agree rashly.

The price Fang Zhongyong offered was just at Da Qinmao's bottom line. If it was even more excessive, such as supporting him as a puppet, Da Qinmao would directly refuse.

If the price is too low, for example, if they only ask for some money and horses, then the Bianzhou Army will be working for Daqinmao.

With Longyuan Prefecture, Fang Zhongyong no longer needed Daqinmao to help him collect war horses. As long as part of the Bianzhou army was stationed in Longyuan Prefecture, good horses could be continuously imported into the Central Plains.

Asking for money is one meal, controlling Longyuan Mansion is one meal after another.

The price offered by Fang Chongyong showed that his strategic vision far exceeded that of ordinary people. He made his moves steadily and ruthlessly and would never waste his energy on boring things.

Of course, Daqinmao could choose to do nothing and just pretend that nothing had happened. Then he could continue to work under Fang Zhongyong and continue to waste his time in Dengzhou.

There were many "foreigners" like him in the Tang Dynasty who had accepted their identity as Tang people, and some even never left the Tang Dynasty. Daqinmao was not the first, nor the last.

After all, Fang Chongyong did not force him to die, but told him clearly: there will be sacrifices if there is struggle.

After returning to his residence, Daqinmao weighed the pros and cons again and again, and finally decided to accept the price offered by Fang Chongyong.

Borrow troops from Bianzhou and seize the throne. The money obtained after the success can be used to win over confidants, develop production, and stabilize people's livelihood.

There is no need to hand it over to the Bianzhou army. Fang Chongyong also guaranteed in the letter that no one would be harmed wherever the army passed.

All Daqinmao needs to do is transfer Longyuan Prefecture to Bianzhou, and complete the procedure in the form of a letter of credence. To some extent, this is a win-win situation.

Otherwise, the Bianzhou army looted Xiandefu, the "Zhongjing" of Bohai Kingdom, for three days. That was just basic exercise, and the royal palace might have been looted as well.

Thinking of this, Daqinmao didn't seem to feel uncomfortable anymore.

Fang Qing cut very firmly with this knife. He took what he should take and did not touch what he should not touch.

It is cruel enough, and it is also very open and frank.

……

After Daqinmao left, Fang Chongyong crossed his legs and closed his eyes to rest. He believed that Daqinmao was a smart man and must know the pros and cons.

Although this nobleman of Bohai State could only get four-fifths of the land, it was still much better than getting nothing at all!

As to what to do next, Fang Chongyong believed that Daqinmao would give the answer tomorrow, because this weathered noble of the Bohai Kingdom really couldn't wait any longer.

At this moment, Cui Qianyou pushed the door open and walked in. The other party, Chongyong, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "General, what can I do for you?"

Cui Qianyou is not a fool. Fang Chongyong summoned him late at night, which must be to discuss something important.

"Sit down and talk."

Fang Zhongyong pointed to the cushion on the table in front of him and said.

Cui Qianyou sat down carefully, held his breath, and waited for the other party to continue.

"You and I have known each other for a long time, but our circumstances are different. Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."

Fang Zhongyong suddenly sighed and said, "When he met Cui Qianyou, he was only nine years old."

"Yes, the commander-in-chief is a rare talent. I am shortsighted."

Cui Qianyou also sighed. He had never thought that Fang Chongyong would achieve what he has today. But thinking about his father Fang Youde, Cui Qianyou was relieved.

With a father like this, his son will definitely be extraordinary.

"I have always remembered our old friendship and want to promote you. As the saying goes, new clothes are not as good as old ones, and old people are not as good as new ones. I have a good idea, but now I am in a high position and I have no choice in government affairs.

If you don't do anything, you can't give a generous reward, otherwise your subordinates will harbor resentment. As a leader of troops, you should understand this principle, right?"

Fang Chongyong poured Cui Qianyou a glass of wine and explained gently.

"You don't need to explain, Marshal. Cui has always wanted to make a contribution, but he just didn't have the opportunity."

Cui Qianyou clasped his fists and said excitedly that even after saying this, if he still didn't understand what was going on, then these decades would have been wasted.

"Tomorrow, I will organize a drill. Daqinmao has a motley crowd under his command. There are not many people, so it's hard to say whether they can fight.

There were also many desperate criminals working as sailors and boatmen on the ships in Dengzhou Port. These people were usually unruly and often caused trouble in Dengzhou.

There were no major incidents, but minor incidents occurred almost every day. Tomorrow, they would form an army and participate in the drill.

The tax police corps under your command has never been tested, and it is not a big deal for them to mess with the servants of the wealthy families in Bianzhou.

Tomorrow, I will show you and your tax police corps what you can do. Send 500 people to participate in the martial arts performance.

I heard that the soldiers of the tax police corps are all porters and thugs recruited in Bianzhou. They are brave and aggressive on weekdays, and only military law can restrain them. Let them all come out and exercise tomorrow. I don't just want to win. General Cui, do you understand?"

"Understood! I will go and pass on the order now!"

Cui Qianyou saluted with a solemn expression and clasped his fists.

"Tell those soldiers in the tax police that tomorrow they can only use sticks, and everything else is fine.

This time, I will give you a big reward for your martial arts performance. It depends on who has the ability to take it."

Fang Zhongyong reminded him. Upon hearing this, Cui Qianyou's hair stood on end.

What does "no taboos" mean? All those who understand will understand. In other words, he will not pursue the matter if someone kills someone or is beaten to death.

Killing someone is called a mistake, being beaten to death is called a lack of skill.

This is actual combat!
Cui Qianyou didn’t understand why Fang Chongyong was playing such a big game, but he knew that his chance had come.

If the other party gives you an opportunity and you can't seize it, then there is really nothing you can do.

You can't always expect others to pave the way for you, right?

After Cui Qianyou left, Fang Chongyong couldn't help but yawn.

"The superiors are really ruthless in their work. This is the reason why they say that kindness cannot lead an army."

he muttered.

Fortunately, this is the Tang Dynasty. At that time, everyone in society, regardless of gender, age or status, accepted such violent values ​​and had an extreme worship of the use of force.

Why was Li Yi so coquettish in bed? Why were all the ladies around him so obsessed with him?

Do you really think it's just for power?
Fang Chongyong doesn't think so.

Because in this era, those who control force and military power are the best aphrodisiacs themselves, and no woman can resist such violent and bloody charm.

The strong worship in Tang Dynasty society has alienated everyone.

If it was just Lao Deng, who was weak and had no military power, those charming young ladies would frown when doing things in bed even if they had to give themselves to others, and would not feel the smoothness and joy in their hearts.

This may seem unreasonable, but in fact it is constantly practiced by countless people.

Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong couldn't help laughing out loud.

"The happiness of some people is indeed built on the pain of others. Being high above others can bring unexpected pleasure, and controlling the lives of others will make you feel powerful. No wonder Brother Ji is addicted to this."

Fang Zhongyong couldn't help but complain.

He feels sad about the state of the world, but everyone has gotten used to it. Those who try to change it are the outliers and cannot be accepted by others.

……

Early the next morning, Dengzhou Penglai Port began to clear the area, and a very spacious and open area was cleared. All debris was moved away, and no outsiders were allowed to approach.

Five hundred soldiers from the tax police were selected to line up here. They all held sticks and stood in line, wearing military uniforms but no armor.

On the big ships in the harbor, sailors and boatmen came down one after another, holding sticks. They were dressed differently, some were merchants, some were pirates, some were civilians, and some were bandits.

When they are sailing on a daily basis, they are bound to encounter robbers at sea, or encounter lone ships who want to make a fortune.

To them, robbing or being robbed, killing or being killed are all common occurrences.

Since there is a reward today, these people came out as well, mainly to give face to Fang Chongyong and Daqinmao. Otherwise, if they offend these big shots, they will not be able to survive on the route between Dengzhou and Bohai Kingdom in the future.

They heard about today's martial arts performance and that they would just accompany the "Tax Police Corps" to perform and would get money regardless of winning or losing, so they were all eager to try.

It's not easy to find such an easy job! And it's a legitimate opportunity to show off your skills!
As for the tax police corps, you can tell from the sound of it that they are not regular troops, but just officials who collect taxes. In fact, similar institutions existed during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and they were mainly responsible for patrolling rivers, which was a kind of corvée.

So these sailors and boatmen didn't feel strange at all and didn't take it seriously at all.

On the temporary viewing platform, Daqinmao saluted Fang Zhongyong with his arms crossed and said, "Sir, the martial arts performance is ready."

He looked a little excited, no longer as calm as yesterday. Because Daqinmao knew very well what the martial arts performance was for today.

This feeling is the same as when Fang Chongyong bought a new house in his previous life.

Before I bought the house, all I thought was that the housing prices were too expensive and that the developers should go to hell. I even wished I could get the house for free.

After buying it, the focus becomes on the quality of the house.

Since it was already bought, it was meaningless to think about how much it cost. Fang Zhongyong arranged a martial arts performance today so that Da Qinmao could "inspect the goods".

After all, this was the army that was "ceded" to Longyuan Prefecture! If you really can't stand it, then wouldn't you be at a big loss?

Thinking of this, Daqinmao couldn't help but sigh that Fang Zhongyong was authentic in doing things.

First, let him check the goods for himself, and let him see what the army that will go to Zhongjing Xiandefu to seize power is like soon, and whether it can fight. If it can't fight, the transaction has not been completed yet, so it is invalid. It's not too late to regret, and Daqinmao will not suffer any loss.

If it is approved, then the deal has been done and no one should complain about it. The matter is settled and there is no need to go back and forth about it.

"Then let's get started. By the way, although no swords are used, the martial arts performance is still a battle, and the dangers of war are not to be trifled with. If there is any damage, I will not be responsible for compensation."

Fang Chongyong laughed.

All the generals around him looked at Daqinmao with unfriendly eyes!

"That's all right, that's all right, that's the way it should be."

Daqinmao waved his hands repeatedly, and the mob under his command were also among them. However, Daqinmao also knew that the group of people he hired with money could only guarantee his personal safety.

If you want to rely on these people to seize the throne of Bohai State, then you really underestimate Bohai State. No matter how poor the martial virtue of Bohai State is, it is not something that a small group of mercenaries can do.

Bang bang bang!
Three fireworks exploded in the sky, and the martial arts performance officially began.

The phalanxes on both sides slowly approached each other, and after only moving a few dozen feet, the team that was put together from the Dengzhou fleet had already begun to fall apart.

Daqinmao frowned as he watched. He had thought about getting Fang Zhongyong's approval, hiring some people in Dengzhou, training them, and returning to the country to seize power. Now it seems that these makeshift teams are really not up to par.

The tax police corps was not the most elite silver spear filial piety corps in Bianzhou, but it was definitely not comparable to this mob.

While Daqinmao was stunned, the two sides had already started fighting. Then, he saw a soldier from the tax police corps swinging a stick and hitting the head of the person on the opposite side!

Just like a wooden stick hitting a watermelon, the man's head "exploded" and blood spurted everywhere.

The whole person fell to the ground instantly, and it was unknown whether he was alive or dead.

No!
Daqinmao was so frightened that a chill ran down his spine! This was just a martial arts performance!
The Tang Dynasty is indeed full of martial virtues!
He was secretly alert in his heart.

"No!" "Help!" "Run!"

The mob screamed and cried like ducks being chased, and turned around and ran in the direction of the ship. The front stepped on the back, and the back bumped into the front, making it a mess.

It seemed like just a few breaths of time, and the Dengzhou fleet was completely defeated. The tax police chasing after them were like tigers descending from the mountains, holding sticks and waving them like gods of death.

Blood spurted out continuously on the field! It was a one-sided, brutal and extremely cruel beating. The scene was extremely cruel and terrifying!
"Do you think my soldiers are strong?"

Fang Chongyong turned his head and asked Daqinmao with a smile, the latter was so scared that his face turned pale.

(End of this chapter)