Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 736: Money is Hard to Earn and Words Are Hard to Hear
Late at night, the Poyang Lake is completely silent except for the sound of waves, which, once you get used to it, will make your eardrums buzz.

Just after the third bangzi sounded at midnight, a sentry on patrol at the northwest corner of Diaojishan Water Fort, which is located on the east bank of Poyang Lake and adjacent to Diaojishan Mountain, suddenly saw a red dot like a firefly lighting up in the night.

He was horrified and was about to open his mouth to warn when a rocket was nailed to the wooden pole of the arrow tower in the water fort. Soon more rockets came pouring in, and the arrow tower soaked in flaming oil instantly shot up a three-foot-high green flame, burning fiercely.

The flame fragments torn apart by the river wind flew like red butterflies, landing on the adjacent pier and causing other flames.

The wooden boards soaked in tung oil made crackling sounds, and soon the arrow towers and the high platforms on which the Thunderbolt Chariots were installed collapsed. Some of them sank into the water, and the exposed parts looked like braziers floating on the water.

In the thick smoke rising into the sky, the cowhide drum surface of the lookout tower was baked taut by the heat wave. As soon as the last warning drum beat was heard, the drum stand and the burning lookout tower fell into the water of Poyang Lake.

The navy of the Jingxiang Army took advantage of the night to raid the water stronghold of the Bianzhou Army. From the beginning, they used all their strength and threw out all kinds of flammable objects as if they were free.

It was not known whether the Bianzhou army was short of manpower or was caught off guard, but their resistance seemed ineffective and they were unable to control the fire at all.

Not to mention fighting back.

As soon as the battle started, it became one-sided.

As the flames licked the pier, the sheepskin rafts tied to the wooden stakes exploded one after another, and the swollen skins turned into fireballs that rushed across the water.

Several carved wooden windows of the main building simultaneously spewed out streams of orange-red flames.

The glazed tiles exploded in the heat, breaking into thousands of pieces of rain that shone with golden light. The bamboo vents of the granary became natural fire tunnels, and the rice stored inside exploded into golden fireworks in the flames, and the grains wrapped in sparks scattered onto the dark lake.

"Cut the rope bridge!"

Hao Tingyu's roar was drowned out by the roar of the collapsing wooden beams. Seeing that the situation was not good, he quietly left the water fort with his personal guards and rode on horseback towards Duchang County in the northeast.

The nine-curve bridge connecting the villages turned into a fire dragon, and the burning ropes fell into the water with sparks, making a sizzling sound like the roar of evil spirits. Several soldiers who were holding wooden barrels and struggling in the water suddenly froze, and the paper armor on their backs was curled and shrunk by the heat. Even the cold lake water could not extinguish the flames.

The warehouse where the fishing nets were stored collapsed with a loud bang, and the burning ramie ropes covered the soldiers who fell into the water. Each net line became like a branding iron, falling into the lake with a "sizzling" sound. The lake surface around the water fort seemed to be boiling.

In the surging foam, there were dead fish floating belly up.

At 3:30 pm, the lake was already covered with charred charcoal, and unburned wood was still emitting dark red flames. The morning mist, carrying the smell of burnt human flesh, spread over the ruins, and the remaining arrow tower was half-inserted in the water. The huge copper bell rang in the wind.

This scene was truly tragic to the extreme.

On a large ship not far away, Yu Qi and Liang Chongyi, who were watching the battle, were all dumbfounded.

They had never commanded a naval battle before, so this battle was fought with great fear and they had no confidence at all.

However, it now seems that the strength of the Bianzhou army, at least its strength in naval warfare, is somewhat exaggerated and unworthy of its reputation.

Of course, the cruelty of naval warfare was far worse than that of land warfare. The scene of the fire devouring everything made them feel uneasy for a long time.

"We should have won this battle, right?"

Yu Qi asked uncertainly. Although he was a military governor, he had never led troops.

However, Yu Qi had one good thing, which was that he had been an official for more than ten years and was extremely experienced. He knew exactly what to do and what to say in what occasion.

He did not take any power and directly handed over the command of the naval battle to Liang Chongyi. Although the latter had never fought a naval battle, he was still a soldier. Someone who often touched a sword would be more adept at leading troops than a layman like him.

Judging from the result of this battle, the decision to give command to Liang Chongyi was completely correct.

"Marshal Yu Jie, after we capture the Diaoji Mountain Water Fort, we can form a cornerstone with our Water Fort at the mouth of the Gan River.

The two are like a pair of pliers, tightly blocking the waterway into the Ganjiang River and supporting each other.

If Yuzhang is as stable as a rock, we have already won half the battle.

The next step is to march north and recapture Xunyang, and the situation will no longer be something the Bianzhou army can shake. "

Liang Chongyi said with confidence.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qi realized that Liang Chongyi understood strategy.

Poyang Lake is a "chess point" surrounded by several states, and it is also the key to the struggle for strategic advantages. To seize control of Poyang Lake, it is necessary to seize control of Yuzhang City and Ganjiang River.

Whoever controls Yuzhang City will have the advantage.

Of course, the same principle applies to playing Go. The area around Poyang Lake can only be considered a "part". The Yangtze River must also be included to be considered the whole. If we look at the overall situation, the "key point" is not in Yuzhang, but in Xunyang (Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province), the entrance of the Yangtze River to Poyang Lake.

Whoever occupies Xunyang will have the initiative in the strategic confrontation.

Therefore, the current situation is that the Jingxiang Army has a partial advantage within the Poyang Lake area, but the Bianzhou Army has the initiative as a whole. They can easily obtain supplies from Yangzhou through the Yangtze River, whether it is soldiers or materials. The transportation capacity of the Yangtze River, a golden waterway, is not inferior even in the modern times of Fang Zhongyong's previous life.

In Yu Qi's view, gaining local advantages and then seizing overall advantages is a very stable and feasible approach.

"General Yu Jie, in my opinion, we should quickly pursue them and attack Duchang County directly. We should take advantage of the fact that the Bianzhou army is just defeated and their morale is low, and beat them until they are dizzy!"

Liang Chongyi clasped his fists and bowed to Qi, and in his heart he couldn't help but be dismissive of those rumors.

The saying that the Bianzhou navy is as fierce as a tiger is all nonsense. Tonight, we tried our best and captured the Diaojishan Water Fortress, which has been run by the Bianzhou navy for many years.

We can get some clues about the other party's character from here.

It's just that the reputation is not worthy of it.

Unexpectedly, when Liang Chongyi was daydreaming, he heard Yu Qi sigh and say, "General Liang, the way to be an official is to think three times. The so-called three thoughts are to think of danger, retreat, and change. You have to think three times."

Liang Chongyi was puzzled when he heard this and asked softly, "General, I don't understand this."

Yu Qi looked at the burning water fort in the distance and said calmly:

“The so-called thinking about danger means preparing for a rainy day. Don’t wait until danger comes before thinking of a solution.

The so-called retreat is to understand what you can and cannot do, and how to protect yourself if you make a mistake.

The so-called thinking about change means not being obsessed with current victories, but considering possible changes that may be encountered.

When General Liang won a battle, he just wrote a memorial to the court.

If the court rewards you, the general will be proud; if not, it means the court owes you something, and it will be easier to explain if something goes wrong in the future.

If General Liang insists on attacking Duchang County, if you win, it will be considered that you disobeyed orders and acted on your own, and if you lose, I'm afraid you will be held accountable.

Now that Lu Jing has defected, it is time for us to establish our authority and credibility. If we win a game, we can just wait for the imperial edict.

In that case, even if he lost later, General Liang would still obey orders, and victory and defeat are common in the military.

Isn’t that the truth?”

Yu Qi stroked the short beard on his chin and looked at Liang Chongyi.

What the hell!

Liang Chongyi was shocked, and his back was wet with cold sweat. He was still thinking of rushing all the way to Xunyang, but he didn't expect that this battle would have so many twists and turns.

In fact, Yu Qi had an "implied meaning" that he did not say clearly. If Liang Chongyi could see it, he would definitely benefit a lot. Of course, if he could not see it, it only meant that this person's achievements were only as a deputy general, and he would never be able to lead the army alone.

In fact, Yu Qi did not want to defeat Li Guangbi any time soon.

Why do I say that? Because Bianzhou is extremely powerful, with dozens of states under its jurisdiction, and two economic centers: Bianzhou and Yangzhou. Such strong economic strength cannot be shaken by one or two local defeats.

Even if Li Guangbi is defeated, Fang Qing will not give up Poyang Lake. At that time, there will surely be a steady stream of reinforcements coming.

Even if Liang Chongyi had three heads and six arms, could he keep winning?
If you lose one game, you might even lose your life.

So, just slow down the pace a bit, there is no need to work too hard. It is good to win a game now, no matter how good it is, just build up momentum first!
As for what will happen in the future, Yu Qi is not bragging. In today's world, he feels that no one can predict what the future will be like.

The same goes for himself.

When Li Longji was emperor, Yu Qi was already serving as an official in the central government. At that time, the Tang Dynasty was at its peak. Then what happened?
Then Li Longji died.

Later, Li Ying also died.

As for Bianzhou, I heard that Li Lin was also killed.

These emperors came one after another, changing as frequently as a revolving lantern.

Would you dare to entrust your life and property to one of these emperors?

Do you really want to learn from Yan Zhenqing?

Yu Qi was not a corrupt official, nor was he stupid, but he could not do what Yan Zhenqing did. He admired Yan Zhenqing, but he really could not do what he did.

"General Jie, thanks to your guidance, I almost made a big mistake!"

Liang Chongyi hastily bowed to Qi, thinking that this civil servant was indeed not a bad person, or rather, he had a better brain.

Now the two of them are like unfortunate people sitting in the same boat, rising together and falling together. Seeing Yu Qi's current attitude, Liang Chongyi finally let go of his worries.

……

Although Liang Chongyi was relieved, Li Lu was still worried.

On this day, the autumn rain outside was mixed with frost, and the atmosphere in the Zichen Hall of the Xiangyang City Imperial Palace was extremely tense.

Li Lu sat on the dragon throne, his face gloomy as he glanced at the faces of many ministers in the hall, his eyes revealing impatience.

He began to understand a little bit why his father Li Longji wanted to make money.

The truth is that if this court has no money, it won’t be able to function for a single day.

If you were not an emperor, you wouldn't have to worry about these things. But once you become an emperor, where the money will come from and whether you will have your next meal are life-threatening issues.

Li Lu vaguely felt that even if Li Longji had not been extravagant, had not given out rewards ostentatiously, and had not acted so recklessly, it seemed that he would not be able to stop the trend of the country's lack of money. It would only delay it for a few more years.

In fact, as early as the middle of the Kaiyuan period, Li Linfu had already been carrying out the "streamlining of the military and administration" policy on a small scale, increasing revenue and reducing expenditure in some minor details, and it was very effective.

Of course, this so-called effect is relative to the sub-item he adjusted. For example, if the reporting forms used in the government offices have not changed from the previous year, they do not need to be updated, thus saving more than 100,000 strings of cash in paper costs.

But these minor repairs are just a drop in the bucket compared to the huge fiscal expenditure.

Now Li Lu also encountered the same problem. The government institutions began to become bloated, and the local governments also set up the kind of central government offices that only national governments had, but they were unable to afford it financially.

Many of the problems that Chang'an had in the past also appeared in Xiangyang, with the problem remaining the same.

This local "court" not only lacked any new atmosphere, but became lifeless in just a few years, tainted with the atmosphere of the past "Glorious Tang Dynasty".

"Lu Qingjia, after all this time, how much military funds have you raised?
Can you please say it in front of all my beloved ministers and in front of me?
I also want to know, so don’t refuse.”

Li Yu rubbed his brows and asked tiredly. Although his voice was soft, it was unquestionable!

"Thirty-three……"

Lu Qi just said the word "three" and seemed to be stuck.

Three million? That's OK, but it's still a little short of five million, so I'll just save a little and make do.

Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand, saying, "Three million is enough. There are many criticisms from the people now, and memorials have been sent to me. So let's stop the new policy."

Li Lu finally gave in. During this period, Yan Zhenqing had to submit memorials to the emperor every day, which made him very annoyed.

Doesn’t Li Lu know that making money from merchants will have serious consequences?
Of course he knew it, but compared with the military pressure that the Jingxiang court was facing now, it was nothing.

"Your Majesty, it's not three million strings of cash, it's three, three hundred thousand strings of cash."

Lu Qi reported with difficulty.

Hearing this, Li Lu thought he was hallucinating, and even Yan Zhenqing looked at Lu Qi in surprise.

So you've been calling the shots in Xiangyang for so long, causing public outrage, and you've only raised 300,000 strings of cash?
Yan Zhenqing heard from his cousin Yan Gaoqing that when the big merchants in Bianzhou raised money, they would give tens of thousands of strings of coins. How come when it came to Lu Qi, they couldn't get any money?
"Lu Qi! Where's my money?"

Li Lu was furious and threw the paperweight on the table directly at Lu Qi!
The greater the power he gave her in the beginning, the more furious she is now!
Three hundred thousand strings of cash, this amount of money is nothing!

Li Lu recalled that Li Longji spent 300,000 strings of cash to organize a Lantern Festival.

He delegated power to Lu Qi and let him make money "properly". No matter how others shouted and said bad things about Lu Qi, Li Yu pretended not to hear them.

And that’s it?

After all the chaos, Lu Qi only got enough money from Brother Ji to host a lantern festival?
Does this corrupt official think that he, the emperor, is easy to bully?

"Mr. Lu, I have heard that merchants in Bianzhou would often invest tens of thousands of taels of silver when setting up a business.

You have only managed to collect 300,000 strings of cash by squeezing people out of their homes. Did you embezzle the rest of the money?"

Yan Zhenqing asked maliciously.

He had been unhappy with Lu Qi for a long time, and now was the time to give him a beating when he was down.

"Yeah, where's the money?

So many people have been scolding you for making so much money that it has wiped out families and forced people to hang themselves. Where is the money now?
Where is my money?"

Li Lu disregarded his dignity, stood up from the dragon throne, grabbed Lu Qi by the collar, and questioned him with red eyes.

The look in his eyes seemed to want to eat someone, with an extremely terrifying and ferocious look.

"Your Majesty, I didn't take a penny.

Jingxiang was far less prosperous than Chang'an, and many merchants heard the news and fled with their families, taking their valuables with them.

Therefore, I only got some land, which cannot be directly converted into cash, nor can it be used as military expenses.

I am innocent! "

Lu Qi knelt on the ground and cried bitterly, and kowtowed to Li Lu repeatedly.

Many ministers in the hall exchanged glances with each other, including Yan Zhenqing. They were all confused and unable to understand.

No matter how bad it is, there can't be only 300,000 strings of cash. The noise of grabbing money is comparable to scraping the ground three feet deep. Where did the money go?
No one can give an answer.

(End of this chapter)