Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 786 Attitude is a big problem
There was great controversy between the court and the public about whether the imperial court should send troops to Lingnan to restore maritime trade between Guangzhou and Dengzhou, and there were actually quite a few people who shared the same idea as Fang Chongyong.

The top officials in the government were all conservative, but the generals of the imperial army and local officials were very active. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the situation in the world was now stable, and the chances of war would only become fewer and fewer.

How can we make progress without fighting?

In a society where relationships are important, everyone likes to help their relatives and friends. Who doesn't have a few successful relatives and friends? Relying on connections, the options are very limited.

Only war is the fast track to advancement.

All of a sudden, various memorials came one after another and were delivered to Fang Chongyong's desk.

However, the official Fang had not made a clear statement. Zhang Jiuling's son Zhang Zheng, as a "special envoy", had been staying at Shangyuanyi waiting for a reply.

That day, the person Fang Zhongyong was waiting for finally arrived in Bianzhou. After getting off the ferry, he came to Kaifeng government office with a small group of people.

This person was Li Sheng, who had been ordered to manage Dengzhou for many years and had made considerable political achievements in the local area.

Although Fang Chongyong does not have the title of emperor now, he is the emperor in reality, and his majesty is growing day by day. Even though Li Sheng is Wang Zhongsi's adopted son and Wang Yunxiu's sworn brother, he dare not put on airs in front of him.

After the two of them sat down in the study, Li Sheng was still very nervous and addressed him as an official, not daring to mention the title of brother-in-law.

"Don't be so reserved. You have been governing Dengzhou well for many years, and you have also trained the navy and built ships. Your contributions are great.

Besides, you are one of our own family, so even if Fang wants to bully someone, he can’t do it to you.”

Fang Zhongyong smiled gently, and Li Sheng finally relaxed. He asked cautiously, "I wonder if the emperor has summoned me urgently. Is there something urgent?"

He was still worried because he didn't hear Fang Zhongyong's personal description.

Although the Bianzhou court was now running more smoothly and was already a central government, the political situation became more complicated because of this, and the boundaries between enemies and friends began to blur.

Li Sheng is considered a heavyweight figure of the "foreign relatives faction", and the things he considers are more profound than Fang Chongyong.

"I want to ask you, has Dengzhou's maritime trade suddenly become prosperous recently? There are always ships and goods coming to Dengzhou for delivery?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice.

Hearing this, Li Sheng was shocked, then nodded and said, "I was going to report this to the emperor. These foreign merchants came in a rather strange way. They just wanted to sell the goods on the ship quickly without bargaining. But these people have settled down now, and most of them live near Dengzhou Port."

He had no idea why Fang Chongyong knew such details!

as predicted!

In this era, apart from the Tang Dynasty, no other place has the ability to digest the looted goods!
So it is obvious that those Hu merchants who plundered Guangzhou did not dare to stay in Guangzhou, but they had to sell the goods on hand, so the only place they could go was Dengzhou Port!
Only here are there sufficient financial resources and extensive sales channels to digest the stolen goods.

After they sold the stolen goods, they turned around and became foreign merchants who "care about the Tang Dynasty"! Who dares to say that they looted Guangzhou? Whatever you say, you need evidence!
"Hehe, a wolf travels a thousand miles to eat meat, a dog travels a thousand miles to eat shit, these barbarians are just dogs that can't stop eating shit!"

Fang Zhongyong snorted coldly, his expression changed from sunny to cloudy, and he was obviously not happy.

Li Sheng was very embarrassed and didn't know how to respond, so he just kept silent.

Fang Zhongyong ordered Da Congming beside him, "Go and find Lu Mai, quickly."

"Order!"

Da Congming took the order and left. Soon, Lu Mai, who was as thin as a reed stick, walked into the study room of the government office holding a thick stack of files.

"What orders does the official have?"

Lu Mai asked in a low voice, not daring to breathe.

Lu Mai felt a little guilty about Li Qi taking the golden elixir, because he could have stopped it at that time, but he didn't do anything because of some concerns.

Although Fang Chongyong did not punish him, he disbanded the Secret Service.

This can also be considered a silent warning.

Over the years, Lu Mai has developed a gloomy and low-key personality. In Bianzhou, he is known as the kind of person who can stop crying children, and he even ranks quite high.

When a tiger appears, it only eats one person. If Lu Mai appears, he usually kills the entire family.

"Please take the trouble to accompany Li Shijun to Dengzhou.

Many of the Hu merchants who looted Guangzhou are now gathering in Dengzhou to sell the stolen goods. You should pay attention to it. They should be arrested in a high-profile manner, put on trial and then executed immediately without the need for a review by the Dali Temple.

Fang Zhongyong stretched out his hand and made a chopping motion.

Lu Mai nodded and did not ask how to find clues. After all, this was his "professional ability".

"Your Majesty, the offending Hu merchants should indeed be killed. However, Dengzhou already has many Hu merchants from all over the world, and some of them have quite large businesses. I am worried that if we arrest people rashly and arrest the wrong people, it may damage the reputation of your Majesty."

Li Sheng suggested with an embarrassed look on his face.

"It's okay, just arrest them. Anyone who can't explain the origin of the goods will be arrested.

Guangzhou is such a big city, but its treasury was looted completely. I don't think it was done by just a few small people.

Bring a dog with a sensitive nose to smell the cargo. If there is a smell of blood in it, it will be caught!"

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently and said, as if he didn't mind catching the wrong person.

Having been baptized by countless capitalists in his previous life, he knew very well what the so-called "merchant" was, let alone the Hu merchants.

If you enjoy the comfort brought by money, you will encounter the curse formed by massive money.

Lu Mai wrote down these words in a booklet, then bowed and took his leave.

After he left, Fang Zhongyong looked at Li Sheng and asked, "I want to send troops to Lingnan. Are you willing to lead the army?"

This, isn't this right?

Li Sheng was a little confused and stood there without saying a word.

"Yes or no, just one word!"

Fang Zhongyong urged impatiently.

"Your Majesty, there are many generals in the court who are good at fighting. You want me to lead the army to fight. Is that right..."

Li Sheng felt that Fang Chongyong's nepotism was a bit too much.

Lingnan, that’s Lingnan, not Hexi!

"You have trained the navy in Dengzhou and are familiar with naval warfare. You are the right person to lead the troops to attack Guangzhou by sea. Who else can do it but you?"

Fang Zhongyong encouraged Li Sheng.

What he said is true, but, is Lingnan just Guangzhou?
"Sir, I will speak frankly. To pacify Lingnan, we must have more than 50,000 troops and a ten-year campaign.

There are so few people in Dengzhou that even if everyone can fight against a hundred people, Lingnan is surrounded by high mountains and steep cliffs, and there are many miasma, poisonous insects, rats and ants, and countless.

I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to complete my mission." Li Sheng almost said "I can't do it".

"Oh, it's okay. You just need to lead your troops to land near Panyu City (Guangzhou City) and occupy Panyu and the surrounding offshore islands (Zhuhai).

No need to go far inland.”

If conquering Lingnan was an "impossible task" for Li Sheng, then taking down Panyu City and the surrounding offshore islands would be no difficulty at all.

But what’s the point of just taking over this place?
"Your Majesty, it is indeed not difficult to do so. But I am very confused. Even if we take over Panyu and the surrounding islands, we can only be self-sufficient.

If you want to use this place as a base to govern Lingnan, I'm afraid... it's still not enough."

Li Sheng spoke the truth and was very sincere.

"It doesn't matter, just take Panyu."

Fang Zhongyong laughed loudly, seemingly not minding at all.

Seeing that Li Sheng still didn't understand, he went on to explain: "The court has to use troops in Hexi this year, so we really can't go through Shaoguan to support Zhang Jiugao, let alone manage Lingnan. But if we don't go to Shaoguan, we can go to Panyu! After occupying here, we can announce in a big way that the court will not give up Lingnan and support Zhang Jiugao. As for the rest, we can wait and see."

That's it!

Li Sheng suddenly understood and nodded slightly in agreement.

He is not a fool and it is easy for him to understand the interests involved here.

War is about politics.

The Bianzhou army occupied part of Guangzhou, and they didn't even need to occupy the entire Guangzhou, they only needed to occupy Panyu City and the offshore islands. In this way, Zhang Jiugao's army in Shaoguan would not be isolated.

As for the others, whether it is Nanzhao, Tubo, or the local forces in Lingnan, it would be fine if they maintain the status quo. Anyone who wants to attack cities and seize territories must first consider their own level!
At the same time, this was also a statement to Zhang Jiugao: The court didn't abandon you, hold on! As long as you hold on, there is a way! Look, the court has sent the navy to occupy Panyu, just be patient, it will be over soon, soon!
It is important that political commitments are translated into action.

You said that the imperial court in Bianzhou did not send troops and no longer cared about the affairs of Lingnan?

It doesn't seem so. Didn't Li Sheng lead the navy to occupy Panyu by sea? If this doesn't count as sending troops, then what counts as sending troops?
But if you say that the imperial court in Bianzhou sent troops to Lingnan, Zhang Jiugao couldn't even see the shadow of the "official army"!

Fang Chongyong does not have the ability to pacify Lingnan now. But he has the ability to create momentum by pacifying Lingnan. He has a great ability.

"Please rest assured, I will definitely fulfill my mission!"

Li Sheng saluted Fang Zhongyong with his arms crossed, feeling extremely excited inside.

This is the easiest one among all the military exploits that can be obtained. The others are all about holding the line with the heavy infantry in full armor of Tubo, which makes people's hair stand on end just thinking about it!

It can be said that Fang Chongyong took great care of himself this time. Li Sheng knew how to return the favor and his heart was full of gratitude.

Suddenly, he remembered some rumors he had heard in Dengzhou, so he lowered his voice and asked, "Your Majesty, the court is in a state of uncertainty with a young ruler, and the political situation may be disturbed. I wonder if Your Majesty... has any idea of ​​making decisions for the emperor?"

As expected of someone from a noble family, he speaks in a tactful way.

If it were He Changqi, he would definitely ask directly: Does the official want to be the emperor?

The statement of "making decisions for the emperor" is very obscure.

When a powerful official is in charge, one makes decisions for the emperor. When a dynasty is changed, one becomes the emperor, and one is also in charge for the current emperor. Either way, it makes sense.

However, in this context, considering that he is the adopted son of Wang Zhongsi and the adopted brother of Wang Yunxiu, the meaning is already very clear.

"What if I make the decision? What if I don't make the decision?"

Fang Zhongyong asked with narrowed eyes and a smile on his face, seeming not to mind at all.

"If the emperor wants to make the decision for the emperor, then I will follow him. If the emperor does not want to make the decision for the emperor, then I will follow him. After all, the emperor also said that I am one of his own family, and there is no reason for family members not to help one another."

Li Sheng said calmly.

It seems that if the emperor does not want to be decent, these close confidants would like to help him to be decent.

Fang Zhongyong thought to himself, but his face was as calm as water. He just nodded slightly without commenting.

Seeing that Fang Zhongyong did not scold him for saying such "unfilial and unlordly" words, Li Sheng's heart suddenly became clear.

It seems that the government does not want to do it, but just does not want it to be too abrupt. From this, it can be seen that this wave of "strategy in Lingnan" is absolutely very important!

After getting the answer he wanted, Li Sheng took his leave. The situation was urgent, and he had to return to Dengzhou as soon as possible, accompanied by the sinister-looking Lu Mai.

Dengzhou seems to be about to face a bloody storm.

Li Sheng sighed in his heart, these foreign merchants are really something, don’t they know who Fang Qing is? It’s already very polite of him not to take money out of your pocket.

As a result, these Hu merchants dared to plunder Guangzhou and even dared to sell the stolen goods in Dengzhou!
This is equivalent to stealing the goods from Fang Qing's family and selling them on the streets of Bianzhou. How could the Fang family tolerate such a thing?
Li Sheng was thinking in his mind and unknowingly arrived at Shangyuanyi.

He thought of a clever way to deal with the matter.

If we rashly arrest these foreign merchants, regardless of whether there is a reason for it or not, it will cause some ship owners who are not involved in the case to suffer.

So, just do the reverse.

……

A few days later, a big incident happened in Penglai Port in Dengzhou!

A fleet of pirates entered the port, pretending to be foreign merchants, pretending to trade with other ship owners in the harbor. Who knew that in the middle of the night, these people actually set fire to the warehouse, looted the goods in the government warehouse, and set fire to create chaos!
Evil intentions!

Fortunately, the local officers and soldiers in Dengzhou were on high alert and thwarted the conspiracy of this gang of bandits.

Upon learning of this, Li Sheng, who was also the governor of Dengzhou and the commander of Jiaodong militia, was furious. He sent out capable personnel to search everywhere. Surprisingly, they found a large number of Hu merchants from Guangzhou. They could not explain where the goods came from, and there was no delivery document.

Li Sheng immediately wrote a letter to the court, stating that Dengzhou had uncovered a major case of Hu merchants robbing government offices, and requested the court to send someone here to "guide the investigation."

Afterwards, Lu Mai and the staff of his detective department began to take over the case, and then one major related case after another surfaced.

The murder of the Guangzhou governor and the looting of government offices by Hu merchants actually had a hidden story behind it, and there was a mastermind behind it!

That's the Tibetans!

The Tibetans bribed these Hu merchants to cause trouble in Panyu City, attempting to unite with Nanzhao and attack Lingnan, making it difficult for the imperial court to take care of both ends and unable to concentrate on military operations in Hexi!

The order from the court in Bianzhou was soon sent to Dengzhou: All male members of the Hu merchants involved in the case were beheaded, and their female relatives were taken as official prostitutes and arranged elsewhere. The domestic slaves who were involved with the Hu merchants were sent to Guanzhong as auxiliary soldiers to transport food and fodder. The property of the Hu merchants involved in the case, including their ships and houses, was confiscated as military funds to fight against the Tibetans.

In addition, in order to save Lingnan's current extremely unfavorable situation to the imperial court, the Dengzhou navy will attack Panyu by sea in the near future, led by Dengzhou governor Li Sheng.

The court appointed Li Sheng as the governor of Guangzhou and the Lingnan Recruiting Envoy, who could recruit soldiers in Guangzhou and use the local treasury at will. He was given the power to make arbitrary decisions on personnel matters.

Anyway, the court has only one requirement, and that is to win! Must win!
If he loses, even if Li Sheng is Wang Yunxiu's sworn brother, Fang Chongyong will definitely chop off his head as a sacrifice!

After being silent for more than half a year, the war machine of the Bianzhou court began to slowly turn again.

(End of this chapter)