After finishing today's calligraphy practice, Fang Chongyong looked at his "work" with satisfaction. He felt a little proud and couldn't help but complain.
In his opinion, there is no point in practicing calligraphy specifically in this era when the Anshi Rebellion has entered the countdown.
There's a fine line between wasting time and wasting time.
However, people are social animals and cannot do whatever they want. Since Zheng Shuqing gave him a "gift" of interpersonal relationships, he has the obligation to perform the role well.
"When Jiang Gao heard the dawn bell, he ignored the principle and returned it.
The sea tide comes around every night, and the dew on the river melts in the morning.
I first saw birds on the sand, still buried in the clouds outside the peak.
My hometown is boundless, and my friends are always welcome."
The copybook copied by Fang Chongyong is an early poem by He Zhizhang, written when he left his hometown of Yongxing County when he was young and went to the capital city of Chang'an to take exams.
I don’t know if He Zhizhang left this poem for Fang Chongyong to copy because he hoped that he would take the imperial examination in the future, or if he was simply telling his original mood.
Fang Chongyong compared the first article he wrote more than a month ago with the one he wrote today, and found that the two copied copybooks were completely unlike those written by the same person.
From being dull and lifeless at first, now at least it looks decent.
He Zhizhang was a drunkard and a lazy man, but occasionally he would give guidance on Fang Chongyong's calligraphy. For this alone, he was worthy of the reward of eighty pieces of Tang Brocade.
"Kung Fu is not wasted after all."
Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh.
He is most afraid of wasting time, but sometimes he has to "waste" time by doing things he thinks are unnecessary, and then gets entangled again.
On the one hand, Fang Chongyong felt that writing good calligraphy was a way to decorate his appearance, which was of great use.
On the other hand, he felt that the trend of the collapse of the Tang Dynasty did not seem to have changed at all. For him, practicing calligraphy was just useless work.
Fang Chongyong placed the copybook on the table, pressed it on the paperweight, said goodbye to the servants of He Zhizhang's family, and left Xuanpingfang.
It must be said that after this period of training, his calligraphy has improved by leaps and bounds.
Of course, Fang Chongyong's request for He Zhizhang was also very pure. There was nothing else, just to borrow a name.
The progress of calligraphy is an unexpected blessing.
Fang Chongyong is a very down-to-earth and even vulgar person, and he never feels that there is anything special about himself.
It seems that the nine-year-old child will not be very handsome in the future. Instead, his skin is a bit rough and he has a bit of martial arts background.
He did not feel that he was "shocked", so He Zhizhang believed that he was a talent and introduced him to the circle of scholars in which he belonged.
Fang Chongyong didn't even think that the other party would treat him as a closed disciple after accepting 80 pieces of Tang brocade, and teach him everything he could.
As for thinking that He Zhizhang's daughter is obsessed with him, let alone the age being inappropriate, even if the age is not a problem, he is not the type to show off his face for a living.
A nine-year-old child thinks that these things are all for free, and children are children.
Fang Chongyong has no illusions in his heart and does not think that others will look down on him for no reason or because of a trivial matter.
Facts also proved that He Zhizhang hardly talked to him, and seemed to be incapable of even being perfunctory. Every time after commenting on what he had written that day, he would take the wine bottle to the bedroom to drink and sleep.
Very businesslike.
"When can I leave Chang'an?"
Walking on the more than 120-meter-wide street of Chang'an City, Fang Chongyong exhaled a breath of turbid air, forming a white mist in the air.
It gets dark early in winter and there are not many pedestrians on the road.
Many people put on thick jackets with various fillings stuffed into the silk layers to keep them warm.
However, some of the slaves were wearing thin clothes and had their bodies curled up. They seemed to be shopping for goods outside and were in a hurry. They thought they could keep out the cold by walking faster.
The world in Chang'an is very exciting.
The world in Chang'an is very helpless.
It all depends on who the person is.
The technology of reincarnation is much more important than personal efforts.
The efforts of slaves are to help their masters live a better life. In Chang'an, different people's efforts have different meanings, different connotations, and different effects.
It's sad, and there's nothing you can do about it.
With complicated thoughts in his heart, Fang Chongyong knocked on the door of his home. As soon as he entered, he saw Wang Zhongsi, a tall man with a Chinese character written all over his face, sitting in the lobby chatting with Fang Dafu. The two seemed very familiar.
Mature look.
"Father-in-law is finally back!"
Fang Chongyong said excitedly.
"Yes, thanks to you, I can tell you in detail in the study."
Wang Zhongsi nodded slightly and said.
After the two of them sat down in the study, Wang Zhongsi sighed and said, "I don't know if you used too much force, but the saint actually promoted me to the general of the left army of the Longwu Army. I can't leave Chang'an. Alas!"
He couldn't help but sigh, only his family knew about his own affairs.
Being a sergeant in the Chang'an Forbidden Army was not a good job for him.
Wang Zhongsi has already found out what the Longwu Army does. This is the new core of the Tang Dynasty Forbidden Army. In terms of organization, it can be regarded as Li Longji's "private guard." Therefore, this nature determines that the Longwu Army will not have anything.
The opportunity to make meritorious deeds is unlikely to even leave Chang'an.
Wang Zhongsi has been in the army for many years and grew up in the palace. He knows very well what an army like the Longwu Army is.
Since Taizong, the strongest armies of the Tang Dynasty have been border troops, showing a situation of strong branches and weak trunks. The imperial army is by no means the most capable force.
"If you join the Longwu Army, you will be trusted by the saints, but you will never be able to make meritorious deeds throughout your life. You will have to live in confusion in Chang'an, which is not what I want."
Wang Zhongsi couldn't help but sigh again and said.
"What my father-in-law said is true. My son-in-law has been to the place where Longwu Army recruits soldiers. All the children of wealthy businessmen and powerful people signed up there."
Fang Chongyong made a stabbing blow without taking it seriously.
Hearing this, Wang Zhongsi could only smile bitterly. This should not be considered an unexpected "accident".
"Well, I have to go to the palace to meet the saint. Let's talk about it after the interview."
Wang Zhongsi's face darkened, he vaguely knew what happened in Chang'an.
Nothing good anyway!
"Li Linfu suggested to the saint that his father-in-law should go to Jiannan to take up a post. Du Xixi and others wanted his father-in-law to go to Hexi. My son-in-law also felt that going to Hexi was better than going to Jiannan.
At present, the initial goal has been achieved. My father-in-law has left Dongyang Mansion in Kuizhou and has basically returned to his previous official rank.
The next step is to leave Chang'an and go to Liangzhou."
Fang Chongyong gave Wang Zhongsi a copy of the letter written by his future mother-in-law to Li Longji for inspection.
"To move with emotion, to understand with reason; people are not grass and trees, and saints are no exception. What the son-in-law can do is to let his father-in-law return to Chang'an first. As for the next step, we need to calculate it slowly."
Hearing this, Wang Zhongsi nodded slightly. His son-in-law was really capable of what others could not do. He could no longer treat him like a child, but should be treated as a partner who could discuss important matters.
"After the Lantern Festival this year, the saint killed three sons in one day, including the prince Li Ying. Does my father-in-law know about this?"
Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice.
Wang Zhongsi is in Dongyang Mansion, which is located next to Wushan County, which is more remote than the capital of Kuizhou. How can he know what is happening in the imperial court?
"I don't know, but...that's all."
Wang Zhongsi sighed.
"After that, Concubine Wu Hui also died suddenly. The cause of death is unknown."
Fang Chongyong continued to add more money.
Wang Zhongsi was silent. Although Fang Chongyong didn't say much, he could guess that Concubine Wu Hui was probably killed by Li Longji.
There can never be evidence for such a thing, only mental evidence is enough.
How everyone thinks things will be is what they really are. It doesn't matter whether Li Longji comes forward to explain or not.
"Princess Shou Yang Yuhuan has now become a Taoist priest. But she is a forbidden concubine of the saint, and the saint is taking her to the hot springs in Huaqing Palace. My father-in-law wants to enter the palace to meet the saint, but he is afraid that he will not be able to see anyone.
"
Fang Chongyong said with a "heavy" face.
"The saint actually..."
Wang Zhongsi was speechless.
His life experience is very simple. How have you ever seen such fancy ways of playing?
How could Li Longji do such things as removing his daughter-in-law and killing his beloved concubine?
In Wang Zhongsi's memory, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty should not be such a person.
At that time, when Wang Zhongsi was still young, Li Longji tested his military skills and said personally: You will be a good general in the future.
At that time, it was not clear that Li Longji would dig out his daughter-in-law's ashes.
However, time can really change a person slowly and steadily over a long period of time, making him become completely different and hideous.
"So, if my father-in-law goes to Huaqing Pool to see the saint now, it will only make him angry.
My father-in-law grew up in the palace when he was young. If he saw the saint actually removing the ashes of his daughter-in-law and playing in the hot spring together..."
Halfway through, Fang Chongyong fell silent. He believed that Wang Zhongsi must understand this truth.
"Oh, I understand."
Wang Zhongsi let out a long sigh and was speechless. Thousands of words could be said in this sigh.
Wang Zhongsi had a bad feeling in his heart. The saint now was no longer the saint he was before. Maybe the saint had always been like that, but he just didn't show it before.
I originally thought that after leaving Dongyang Mansion in Kuizhou, the opportunity to make great achievements would be right in front of me, but unexpectedly... it was all in vain.
"Father-in-law, I want to go to Hexi to have some experience. The water here in Chang'an is too deep, which is not conducive to my growth."
Fang Chongyong suddenly raised a question that caught Wang Zhongsi off guard. But after thinking about it, he felt relieved.
"Chang'an...is really not suitable for you."
Wang Zhongsi nodded slightly and did not object. Many things were obvious. There were too many powerful people in Chang'an, and Fang Chongyong was still too young, so he had very little interaction with this circle.
However, Fang Chongyong cannot be nine years old forever. Once he is over fourteen, he will be an adult, and it will be a matter of time before he interacts with the powerful circle.
And this circle, to be honest, is completely rotten by now, so rotten that it stinks.
If Fang Chongyong enters this circle, he will either stand out from the crowd and be isolated and attacked, or he will join in the trap and become a waste.
"You need an official position, just like when Liu Yan was the crown prince at the age of ten. For example, it would be good to join the army in Liangzhou.
This is an official position for joining the army in the state capital, and it is very flexible."
Wang Zhongsi smiled and said that he had found a tailor-made official position for Fang Chongyong.
"But, I can't be an official."
Fang Chongyong was confused, not knowing what this so-called "state capital army soldier" did.
Wang Zhongsi laughed loudly, waved his hands and said:
"Don't worry, the state capital joins the army to undertake special tasks. The so-called special tasks are special orders issued by the court.
For example, if you are given a job to detect illegal things, you can get involved in everything. Of course, it’s not you who has the final say on what is illegal?”
In the Tang Dynasty, it was not a problem for children to become officials. It was a problem if something went wrong when they became officials!
The official position of joining the army in the state capital is an official position that Fang Chongyong will never get into trouble no matter what he does.
"Tongdian" says that joining the army in the state capital "has no permanent duties, and is sent as an envoy when necessary."
Entering Hexi and participating in the defense of the Hexi Corridor is the so-called "occurrence". As for the specific matter, we will wait for the court to arrange it.
Liangzhou is the "Shangzhou", and there are six military officers, which is the collective name of the Tang Dynasty state government's military positions such as merit, warehouse, household, soldier, law, and scholar. These are fixed official positions, one carrot and one pit.
The state government's participation in the army does not belong to this. They are officials "airborne" from the imperial court.
If you join the army in the state capital, you can take care of everything, or you can take care of nothing! It belongs to "idle without permanent duty"!
The imperial court tried again and again to abolish this position, but in the end it failed due to various reasons.
The official system of the Tang Dynasty was very casual. The abolished officials (such as the six ministers after the Anshi Rebellion) were regarded as honorary titles, and then any official positions were "created" when the demand arose.
If it is necessary to manage borderland farming, a "camping envoy" is established.
If it is necessary to manage the military power of border towns, a "jiedushi" is established.
If it is necessary to manage the government affairs of the border town, an "observation and disposal envoy" should be established.
If you need to manage water transportation, set up a "transshipment envoy".
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! As for those messy chores that are difficult to break down, I like to find some "baskets" to put them in. For example, the state capital's military service is a mess.
You can take care of everything, and you can take care of nothing.
Fang Chongyong felt dizzy after hearing Wang Zhongsi introduce these border town official positions.
Fortunately, it is not the last year of Tianbao's reign, and there is no rule that the son of a Jieduzhi should come to Beijing as a hostage, so going to Hexi this time should not be a big problem.
But from now on, it will be hard to say.
Fang Chongyong thought with lingering fear, not daring to say these words to Wang Zhongsi.
"Father-in-law, be prepared for everything. Before going to Hexi, you need to visit someone first."
Fang Chongyong suddenly said seriously.
Wang Zhongsi was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "Who is so powerful?"
"Niu Xianke."
Fang Chongyong spit out three words.
"Niu Xianke?"
Wang Zhongsi was no stranger to this name. When Xiao Song came out of Hexi, he recommended Wang Zhongsi as his subordinate many times, and Niu Xianke had been in Hexi since his debut. It was naturally impossible for Wang Zhongsi not to know Niu Xianke.
Of course, Wang Zhongsi and Niu Xianke, one was in the military and civil affairs system, and they did not have much contact with each other. Wang Zhongsi only knew that Niu Xianke was very familiar with Hexi affairs.
"Know yourself and your enemy and you will be victorious in any battle. Once the war with Tubo begins, it will not end quickly. It is normal for the offense and defense between each other to last for three to five years.
Once Liangzhou is in the middle of a war, the farmland will be affected, and there is also the risk of logistics being cut off. The more preparations you make now, the easier it will be to deal with it when the time comes.
It is not convenient for my father-in-law to come forward directly, so why not ask my son-in-law to contact Niu Xianke and arrange a place to meet and chat. What does my father-in-law think?"
Fang Zhongyong spoke eloquently, with a confident smile on his face.
If he goes to Hexi and fights, he will definitely have nothing to do.
But apart from things other than fighting, Fang Chongyong felt that he should not be an outsider.
He was determined to be an observer and learn the skills to survive in this era, while at the same time doing something within his power.
"That's fine. I have to go to the Longwu Army camp to report on my duties. Then you can just go to the inn to find me."