Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 781 If it weren't for Fang Qing, I don't know how many people would be lonely

Dazalugong led the Tibetan army out of Chang'an. There was no counterattack or reluctance. They left very cleanly. Dazalugong divided the army into two parts. When one part set up camp and set up fences, the other part retreated a day's journey and set up camp here.

The two groups of troops took turns to provide cover and retreated from Xiwei Bridge in Chang'an all the way to Chencang.

Wang Nande followed the order and tried to find opportunities to defeat the enemy several times. However, Dazalugong was very cautious and did not leave any loopholes. Dazalugong retreated all the way to Longxi and stopped only after exiting the narrow mountain road where Niaoshu Mountain was located. Wang Nande took advantage of the situation to recover Longxi and stationed in Xiangwu, blocking the Tibetans' entry into Guanzhong.

After the Tibetans left, it was only natural to clean up the battlefield, remove the corpses, and protect the country and the people.

Fang Chongyong "suggested" to Li Qi: Chang'an City is too big, the defense is too weak, and the population migration is too rapid. The population has been reduced by 70% to 80% from its peak of more than one million.

Such a large city is neither suitable for living, nor for management and defense. Chang'an is not the capital now, and many central government offices are vacant, which is really a waste.

It would be better to adopt the method of "demolishing small cities by using big cities", rebuild a new Chang'an City with the walls of the imperial city as the core, change the administrative division of Guanzhong area into "Guanzhong Prefecture", and this place will be the prefectural capital.

A new county seat was built with Xingqing Palace as its core, and the nearby area was governed by Wannian County.

A new county seat was built with the burned-down West Market as its core, and the nearby area was governed by Chang'an County.

One provincial capital and two county towns form an organic defense system, and the garrisons can support each other.

As for the neighborhood walls, if the local people are willing to make holes in them, they can do so. If they are not willing to bother, it is fine to leave them as they are, but the government will no longer repair and maintain them.

Li Qi naturally had no objection. He simply stamped it with the rubber stamp and issued it in the name of an imperial edict.

This move directly shattered the plans of the Guanzhong Tianlong people! It turned the series of conspiracies and conspiracy brewed by those people into a joke.

At the same time, Fang Zhongyong appointed his confidant Yuan Zai as the new "Chang'an Mu", responsible for all government affairs of Guanzhong Prefecture. He also appointed Che Guangqian as the governor of Fengxiang and Wang Nande as the governor of Longxi, responsible for guarding against the eastward advance of Tubo, managing military affairs of Guanzhong, and replenishing troops locally.

In addition, Fang Chongyong also issued an edict in the name of Li Qi to "eliminate the rebels."

The Bianzhou court would set up a new government office in Chang'an called the "Detective Department" under the Ministry of War, responsible for arresting, interrogating and detaining Li Chenghong and his party who colluded with the Tibetans, as well as their supporters.

Zhang Guangsheng, who was very familiar with the people's conditions in Chang'an, was appointed as the "disposal envoy".

The yamen did not need evidence to arrest people, as long as someone pointed out and reported them. The office was located in the former Dali Temple in Chang'an. People could be arrested but not killed. Anyone who was found guilty and to be executed had to be sent to Bianliang City, and after the formal Dali Temple reviewed the case, he could be executed in the autumn of the following year.

In addition, given the large-scale migration of people in Guanzhong and the deaths of many people in the war, there was great confusion in land ownership. Therefore, the government will conduct a thorough "census" of local households and complete the equal distribution of land within three years.

Anyone who does not participate in the census or does not cooperate with the census will be considered to have illegally occupied land, and the government will confiscate the land. Families with more than 100 mu of land per capita must proactively explain to the government when, where, and from whom the land was obtained.

Anything that cannot be proven is considered illegal possession and will be confiscated by the government.

In other words, the world is so chaotic now that Chang'an has been conquered by the Tibetans.

You say that these thousand acres of fertile land are yours. What evidence do you have?

Was it obtained legally? Was there a guarantor when the land was handed over?

Your family occupies so much fertile land, shouldn't you explain to the government how you obtained it?

You have so many tenants, how many divisions do you have in your family? Are you planning to rebel by occupying so much land?

Fang Zhongyong didn't want to give any face to the Guanzhong Tianlong people. The signal he gave was very clear:

If you want to ask someone to do something for you, you have to act like you are asking for help. At the very least, you have to come to Bianzhou and kneel in front of the Bianzhou government office to beg for help. That shows your sincerity.

If there were no Tianlong people sitting at the table, they would only be names on the menu. During this period, many Tianlong families sent their daughters to the gate of Duting Posthouse where Fang Chongyong lived, but they were all rejected by the official Fang. Those beautiful girls were so gorgeous that Zhang Guangsheng was shocked.

After dealing with the affairs in Guanzhong, Fang Chongyong "surrounded" Emperor Li Qi and returned to the capital with his army. He was not in a hurry to lead his troops out of Guanzhong and march into Hexi.

It was already the autumn harvest season, but on their way to Tongguan, they saw that villages across Guanzhong were in decline, large areas of land were barren, and people had fled in large numbers.

The weeds in the field were taller than my waist, but there was not a single wheat seedling to be seen.

The closer they got to the east, the better the situation became, until they arrived in Huayin, when the surrounding farmland returned to normal.

The war had a huge impact on Guanzhong, and it was not entirely the fault of the Tibetans.

In fact, Guanzhong has never been completely peaceful in these years. The chaotic political situation has led to the rise of bandits. In addition, the rise of the Bianzhou Canal economy has also created a "siphon effect" for talents. A large number of Guanzhong people fled to the east of Tongguan and settled there, further causing the collapse of Guanzhong agriculture.

On this day, the returning army camped at the foot of Mount Hua. Fang Chongyong took Li Qi and others to the Xiyue Temple to worship.

"When I was young, Guanzhong was a land of abundance. I never expected that in just twenty years, it would become like this."

In front of the Xiyue Temple, Li Qi couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

As a Taoist holy place, there has always been no shortage of incense here, and it seems that the years are peaceful. But after leaving the Xiyue Temple and looking around, even if there are no starving people everywhere, it is still in decline.

Anyone with eyesight knows that Guanzhong can no longer support the imperial capital. Li Qi, who grew up in Chang'an, can certainly see the difference.

After Fang Zhongyong offered sacrifices and incense to the clay statues of Xiyue Emperor and Huashan Military God Jin Tianwang, he said calmly:
"Your Majesty, the past cannot be changed, but the future can still be pursued. Chang'an can no longer be used as the capital, but the emperor is the shepherd of the country on behalf of the emperor, and he cannot shirk his responsibility.

All living beings should eat when they need to eat and rest when they need to rest. Without the capital Chang'an, everyone still has to live their lives. "

What he said was very straightforward. Combined with a series of decrees issued by the Bianzhou court on the Guanzhong region, what Fang Zhongyong wanted to do, to put it bluntly, was to overturn the table and not play by the previous rules.

The Guanzhong Tianlong people will become a historical term.

The privileges these people once enjoyed will be stripped away bit by bit as the reform proceeds.

"Sir, how many years do you think it will take to drive out the Tibetans?"

Li Qi suddenly remembered this and asked hesitantly. In front of the "god", he felt that Fang Zhongyong would not lie.

"Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the Tibetans have been living on a plateau with a humid climate and a rapid population growth, which is the Tibetan people's confidence.

Even if I drive the Tibetans away, they will come back in two years. In my opinion, our war with the Tibetans may be temporarily stopped because of Dazalugong's defeat.

But sooner or later they will come back, and perhaps in the next ten, twenty, or even fifty years, we will continue to fight the Tibetans."

Fang Chongyong said with a sigh.

The decline of Tubo in the previous life was very sudden, almost like a cliff-like fall. Ten years ago, a small Tubo noble could still wear full body armor, but ten years later, the armor could not even protect the chest and back.

This was unthinkable in the serfdom of Tubo. So it was obviously not political factors that determined this, but climate change.

Climate change leads to a sharp decline in productivity, and the decline in productivity will intensify conflicts, leading to war and further reducing productivity.

To completely defeat Tubo, we need the right time. The right time, right place, and right people are all essential. "Is that so..."

Li Qi sighed helplessly and finally understood that some people are irreplaceable.

To fight against Tubo, we need a strong and unified central government. Otherwise, the incident of Tubo people entering Guanzhong will happen again.

Looking at this situation now, it seems that only Fang Qing can handle it.

Thinking of this, he no longer felt that being a powerful official was a good thing. Everything you do requires strength. If you have the strength, you can shoulder the burden, and you must have the power and status to match it.

The others, to put it bluntly, are just messing around and won't make any waves. Isn't it ridiculous for someone like Li Wei?
"I want to go back to Bianzhou. Can I set off today?"

Li Qi asked dully, no longer thinking about those messy things.

"Your Majesty, you can set off at any time."

Fang Zhongyong saluted and said with his arms crossed.

"Well, let's go now."

Li Qi nodded and walked out of the main hall of Xiyue Temple.

……

To the north of Didao, the Great Castle stands tall and straight on the official road.

This is a garrison that has been built for more than a hundred years, built on a hill next to a major traffic route, and the terrain is extremely dangerous. Although it can only accommodate 500 people at most, this place is extremely important, locking the throat of Guanzhong to Liangzhou.

Dazhalugong led his defeated troops all the way to Changcheng Castle. Instead of marching towards Lanzhou, he planned to retreat directly to Liangzhou.

At this time, Nanang Chitojie also led a detachment to join him.

The main force of the Tibetan army was still alive, but it retreated so thoroughly. This made Nanang Chitojie a little confused as to why Dazalugong was so cowardly.

"Da Lun, why don't we retreat to Lanzhou?"

Nanang Chitojie asked with dissatisfaction on the tower of the Long Castle, obviously questioning Dazha Lugong's decision. However, the latter was just stroking the weathered bricks on the wall of the Long Castle, as if thinking about something.

"If I'm not mistaken, Lanzhou must have been lost."

Dazalugong sighed and said.

"lost?"

Nanang Chitojie was shocked.

"Well, if we go through Lanzhou, the consequences will be unpredictable. If we go through Liangzhou, we will have no problem protecting ourselves.

It is better for a newly defeated army not to take risks if possible."

Dazhalu Gong waved his hand and did not explain why Lanzhou fell.

At this moment, a rider came galloping from a distance. He saw the flag of Tubo Dalun raised on the top of the city wall, so he shouted loudly: "Dalun, urgent news from Lanzhou!"

Dazhalugong and Nanang Chitojie looked at each other, and neither of them said anything, and went down the city wall directly. The man entered the Great Wall, and when he saw Dazhalugong, he saluted and said to him: "Dalun, Lanzhou is besieged by the Tang army and is in danger. Please quickly dispatch reinforcements, otherwise something unexpected will happen!"

"I know. Go and take a rest."

Dazha Lugong spoke gently, but Nanang Chitojie stopped the man and asked, "We came from Guanzhong and didn't see any Tang troops leaving Guanzhong. Where did the Tang troops come from?"

"Come from Lingzhou, and go south along the Yellow River!"

The scout reported helplessly.

It seemed that this was not beyond Dazha Lugong's expectation. The great theorist nodded slightly without saying anything more. Nanang Chitojie instantly understood why they did not station in Lanzhou.

“You are not familiar with Tang Dynasty geography. The distance between Lingzhou and Lanzhou is actually closer than that between Liangzhou and Lanzhou.

Fang Qing is cunning, and he must have sent someone to contact the Shuofang Army in advance and suggested that they attack Liangzhou."

After hearing this, Nanang Chitojie suddenly understood and figured out the key point.

It is highly unlikely that the Shuofang Army would follow Fang Qing's orders and enter Guanzhong to fight against the Tubo Army.

However, it is very likely that the Shuofang Army would capture Lanzhou "incidentally", because if you don't take advantage of an opportunity, you'd be a bastard, and it's only human nature.

Conquering Lanzhou and obeying Fang Qing's orders as the emperor are two completely different concepts.

Since the Tibetans' defenses in Lanzhou were weak and the Shuofang Army was under the banner of the Tang Dynasty, it would be a cost-effective thing for the Shuofang Army's top brass to capture Lanzhou, seize some land and population, and strike a blow against the aggressive Tibetans.

There are absolutely no psychological barriers.

Even if they captured Lanzhou, they could still ignore the Qing Dynasty and it would not affect their independence. If the Tibetans retreated to Lanzhou, there would be a good show to watch.

Unexpectedly, Dazha Lugong had been on guard against this move, and Fang Zhongyong's trick did not trick him.

"We suffered heavy casualties during this attack on Guanzhong. It is time to recuperate in Liangzhou for two years before fighting again."

Dazalugong sighed with disappointment, feeling very unwilling. But his remaining rationality told him that this wave of offensive had ended, and he couldn't continue fighting even if he didn't gain any advantage.

"By the way, hasn't Shazhou been taken down yet?"

Dazha Lugong was somewhat puzzled and asked Nanang Chitojie. The latter also did not know, so he asked Dong Ben, who was in charge of collecting military intelligence, and learned from him that Shazhou was indeed still under the control of the Tang army.

"What's going on with Shang Zanmo?"

Dazha Lugong was obviously dissatisfied. It was understandable that they could not capture Guanzhong. After all, the food supply was unstable, and it was precious to be able to retreat safely. But Shang Zanmo's troops did not move in Shazhou. From spring to autumn, several months had passed. How could they not capture Shazhou?
"Replying to Dalun, Shang Zanmo sent people to Shazhou City to negotiate with the Tang army commander, but the messenger was beheaded. Since then, he has kept his troops in place and has been besieging Shazhou City for several months."

Dong Ben reported carefully.

To be fair, there was nothing wrong with Shang Zanmo's response.

To put it bluntly, it was just a matter of wasting time with the Tang army in Shazhou City. The food in the city would eventually run out, and without supplies, the city would fall sooner or later!
Now was the time to test their endurance. Because the Tibetans were not wealthy, their situation was not much better than that of the defenders in Shazhou City. If they really wanted to waste time, resolving the battle in a few months would be considered fast.

Dazha Lugong also understood that haste makes waste. Anyway, this was not the only trouble. He suppressed his anger and told Nanang Chitojie, "You go back to Liangzhou first, I will cover you."

(End of this chapter)