The Huaqing Palace in Fang Chongyong's impression should be a few bathing pools in a small courtyard, steaming with steam, eunuchs and maids were busy coming in and out, and then that was it.
His level of prowess is limited to this level.
As a result, when he arrived at the gate of Huaqing Palace, he realized that he had underestimated Li Longji.
Brother Ji is rich all over the world, so he must be doing everything in a big way! If the emperor's pomp is not as good as that of the civilians or local bureaucrats, what does that mean?
The Huaqing Palace is built on the mountain and has an astonishing scale. From the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, there are various palaces and facilities. It makes full use of the favorable terrain to make it a huge palace complex with rigorous structure and grandeur.
It’s hard to say anything else. Among the palaces with hot springs, Huaqing Palace is definitely second to none, both at home and abroad.
The main palace building of Huaqing Palace is the "Tangchi" with hot springs as the center, which forms the core of Huaqing Palace. Of course, there are far more than one hot spring. It can not only entertain the emperor, but sometimes even entertain the accompanying officials and clan members at the same time.
use.
It is not difficult to entertain hundreds of people to bathe in hot springs at one time.
The entire palace complex, which is the main hot spring area, is divided into three hierarchical areas: West Area, Middle Area, and East Area.
There are Xingchen Tang and Jiulong Tang in the West District, which are where Li Longji and his concubines bathed in hot springs; there are four bathhouses in the Central District, including Prince Tang, which are the territory of the prince and the princes’ clans; and the East District is directly divided into
"Real Soup Sixteen Institutes" are used by accompanying officials.
The levels of hot springs decrease from west to east. If there is no special edict, people entering the hot springs are not allowed to exceed their own class.
The palace complex is not only located halfway up the mountain, but also spreads out from the mountain and down the mountain. Taking advantage of the terrain characteristics, pavilions and pavilions of different types and uses are arranged. There are also green pines and cypresses, lychee garden, hibiscus garden, pear garden, pepper garden, east garden and other non-linear gardens.
Tangchi buildings are distributed among them.
To put it simply, it is a luxury hot spring resort.
The buildings of Huaqing Palace are lined up against mountains and rivers. In addition to the palace city (Luocheng), they are also surrounded by walls. Outside the city, there are facilities such as "big stadium", "small stadium" and "dance horse stage".
While walking, Gao Lishi introduced these palaces and soup pools to Fang Chongyong. Fang Chongyong was dumbfounded. No wonder he saw many houses and fenced fields outside the walls of Huaqing Palace, which looked like polo.
place.
How much manpower and material resources will this cost?
Fang Chongyong couldn't believe that such a large palace complex was built solely for the emperor's pleasure.
After all, the nature of Huaqing Palace is different from that of Daming Palace! It was just a place for the emperor to relax and entertain!
Moreover, the hot spring bath here does not mean that it will stop operating if Li Longji does not go there. In fact, Huaqing Palace has a special official office to take care of it all year round and continues to operate.
What's more, Huaqing Palace is not usually open to the public, and its existence is a pure luxury and waste. In other words, Huaqing Palace is just an institution dedicated to serving the Li and Tang royal families. The operation here relies entirely on the financial support of the imperial court.
There is no income per se.
Only when Li Longji nodded could outsiders come in to soak in the hot springs, without any exception.
For example, now.
"This... how much does this cost?"
Fang Chongyong murmured to himself, he was shocked by Li Longji's luxury.
Hearing this, Gao Lishi couldn't help but laugh out loud and said slightly proudly:
"The things of the emperor's family are not measured by money. There are some things that money cannot buy.
Just like you are taking a bath today. If there is no instruction from the saint, no matter how much money you spend, you will not be able to enter the Huaqing Palace. What do you want to do with these copper-stinking things?"
Gao Lishi said meaningfully.
Fang Chongyong crossed his hands and bowed respectfully without saying anything. He really didn't know what to say.
Many facts may seem a bit cruel, but they are not fake. Whether you are used to it or not, the majesty of imperial power is there.
For example, Huaqing Palace, and another example... the former Princess Yang Yuhuan who is currently playing with Li Longji every night in Huaqing Palace.
Ordinary people faced with imperial power would either be crushed by it or temporarily submit to it.
Fang Chongyong felt that there was really no need to engage in a verbal dispute with Gao Lishi.
When the two of them came outside a small bathing beach, they heard the exclamations and gasps of young women, as well as the sound of waves hitting the reef. It was as lively as a swimming competition being held inside.
Fang Chongyong was just about to put his head to the door to take a look at the scenery inside, but Gao Lishi squeezed his arm tightly!
"Is the saint's bath bath something you can watch at will?"
Gao Lishi laughed angrily at Fang Chongyong's reckless behavior.
"Oh, it's me, Meng Lang. I'm so rude."
Fang Chongyong bowed to Gao Lishi with folded hands, nodded and bowed in a submissive manner, making Li Longji's personal eunuch dumbfounded.
Boldness and timidity both appear in one person.
Soon, Fang Chongyong was taken by the accompanying eunuchs to a side hall in Yutang Jiulong Hall. Fang Chongyong sat neatly on a cushioned high stool, waiting for Li Longji's summons.
The solitary luan is embroidered on the front of the curtain, so that the door curtain can be pasted with two swallows. The two swallows fly around the painted beams, and the curtains are covered with tulips.
There are a lot of these things.
There are also a few flower and bird screens that are common in noble houses, but there is a striking white-fronted tiger painted on the screen!
Looking around at the furnishings in the house, Fang Chongyong lamented that Li Longji was indeed an artist and had good taste. Even if he came from modern times more than a thousand years later, he did not have such high taste.
He suddenly remembered that he was summoned because his scumbag father was in the limelight in Youzhou again, and there was that Bohai country... where are these things?
Fang Chongyong's mind was in a state of confusion and he didn't understand the cause and effect of this incident. But one thing is certain, what Daddy Zha did in Youzhou made Brother Ji feel "very comfortable".
With Li Longji's character of being very happy about his achievements, since he cannot reward the meritorious officials in time, it would be good to reward the meritorious officials' son in advance. This is in line with the emperor's daily habits and thoughts.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Thinking of this, he felt relieved and sat motionless, waiting for Li Longji to be summoned after he finished his hot spring bath.
After a long time, Fang Chongyong squinted his eyes and dozed off several times. The maids had already lit candles in the main hall, but Li Longji hadn't come yet.
Just when Fang Chongyong's legs and feet were numb from sitting and he was about to stand up quietly and stretch his limbs, Gao Lishi hurriedly walked in and said to him with a smile:
"The saint is a little tired today and it is not convenient to see you.
Let's do this, you can stay in Huaqing Palace for one night first and then talk about it."
Gao Lishi was also a little tired and wiped the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
Fang Chongyong wanted to ask, what on earth was Li Longji doing when he was having fun in the Hot Spring Palace and didn't have to participate in government affairs?
A person is tired both at work and after get off work. Is life so miserable?
"Tomorrow, when the saint summons you, don't say anything disappointing, you know?"
Gao Lishi emphasized again.
Fang Chongyong nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
…
For nearly a month, Fang Youde led two thousand light cavalry and attacked for more than 800 miles, starting from Liucheng, Yingzhou, to Xianzhou, the capital of the Bohai Kingdom. Except for defeating a group of border troops returning to the Bohai Kingdom at the border, the rest
Time is almost fleeting.
When they returned to Yingzhou, Pinglu Jiedu envoy Wu Zhiyi's jaw dropped.
It’s enough that all the soldiers who sent out the army had the best cloth and silk provided by the Bohai Kingdom. The Bohai Kingdom also “sent” Da Qinmao, who was supposed to succeed the country’s leader, into Chang’an as a hostage. It can be said that this wave of face-saving
Yes, the more important thing is that I haven’t smashed the plate yet.
Everyone is a military envoy, so why can Fang Youde be able to attack anyone he wants without leaving any mess in the end?
But he can only stay in Yingzhou and barely maintain the situation in the border town?
Wu Zhiyi was in a bad mood because he knew that Li Longji could not tolerate sand in his eyes.
He is very strict with others, but very lax with himself!
After Fang Youde reported his military exploits, he could actually guess with his toes what was waiting for Wu Zhiyi.
"Fang Jieshuai, you are so impressive this time. You have returned with a full load."
Wu Zhiyi stepped forward, took Fang Youde's hands and shook them back and forth.
Although he said he was not jealous of those fake ones, Wu Zhiyi also knew that he had no backing. The saintly relatives in him were far inferior to Fang Youde, and his abilities were also far behind.
He should have been dismissed last time, but thanks to Fang Youde's letter to the court, he escaped.
But many things cannot be done again. This time, Fang Youde taught Bohai Kingdom a lesson for playing too beautifully. The ministers of the DPRK and China praised it, saying that it showed the majesty of the Tang Dynasty and did not kill himself recklessly and mess up the situation in the border towns.
Comparing the two, Wu Zhiyi is nothing. He has to laugh if he can avoid being punished. If he wants to keep his official position, he can't even think about it.
"The imperial court's transfer order should be coming soon."
Wu Zhiyi said with a wry smile.
"Commander Orchard, there is no need to panic. I have already written to the court, recommending you as the general of the left army of the Longwu Army. Although Commander Orchard is conservative in combat, the Longwu Army in Chang'an does not need to be bothered. The Saint's Longwu Army is I like people who have nothing to do with all parties.
In this way, wouldn’t it be the best of both worlds?”
Fang Youde said with a smile.
Hearing this, Wu Zhiyi understood it and came over and whispered in Fang Youde's ear: "An Lushan is not an honest man. I have collected all the evidence. When the transfer order comes, I will hand over these evidence to him." you."
Fang Youde nodded, saying nothing. Official help always comes at a price.
To operate Wu Zhiyi to go to Longwu Army and transfer him away from Pinglu Jiedushi, a hot potato, of course requires the expenditure of political resources. How can such a thing be done for nothing?
An Lushan and Cui Qianyou are different.
Cui Qianyou was just a small officer in the Mo Dou Army before, so it was done. No one would say that Fang was virtuous, only that he was a new officer who established his authority after taking office.
But now Anlu Mountain is already the commander of the Pinglu Army under the command of Pinglu Jiedu! This position can be said to be very critical, and one move can affect the whole body.
Pinglu Jiedushi had two armies under his command, plus the Andong Protectorate and Yuguan Guards:
The Pinglu Army is stationed in Yingzhou City, with a total of 16,000 soldiers and 4,200 horses!
The Lulong Army was stationed in Pingzhou City, which had only 10,000 soldiers and 300 horses.
Yuguan guarded the capture, four hundred and eighty miles west of Yingzhou City, with 300 soldiers and 100 horses.
The Andong Protectorate is located 270 miles east of Yingzhou. It has 8,500 soldiers and 700 horses under its command.
Obviously, the Pinglu Army was the main force under Pinglu Jiedushi, and most of the war horses were concentrated as mobile forces to ensure the security of Pingzhou Yingzhou.
An Lushan occupies such a crucial position, which cannot be taken away by Fang Youde at will.
Wu Zhiyi was asked by Zhang Shougui to place cronies in his jurisdiction. In fact, it was because he was a "weak Jiedushi" who had no backing and no direct cronies of his own. There was no way to say no to many unspoken rules.
In fact, since the imperial court established Jiedushi envoys, most of them were weak Jiedushi envoys. Those who worked conscientiously in their posts could not make any mistakes.
"This time Commander Orchard has done a great job in supporting us in our attack on the Bohai Kingdom. I asked my sons to leave a thousand pieces of silk for Marshal Orchard to reward the soldiers.
We are busy with military affairs, so I apologize for pardoning you, but I am about to return to Youzhou."
Fang Youde bowed his hands in salute, bowed to Wu Zhiyi, then turned around and walked away, leaving only the big cloak behind him whistling in the cold wind.
Watching his leaving figure, Wu Zhiyi sighed helplessly and said to himself: "I finally have to leave this hellish place."
He finally figured out that anyone who had Fang Youde as a neighbor or a military governor would be unlucky.
…
In the Royal Tang Jiulong Hall of Huaqing Pool, Fang Chongyong pretended not to recognize Li Bai next to Li Longji, sitting on a high stool with his head lowered and silent.
"Don't be so formal."
Li Longji waved his hand, pointed at Li Bai and said to Fang Chongyong: "I heard that you are a child prodigy and are quite good at writing poems. The person next to me is Li Taibai, who is famous all over the world. You can write a poem for him.
Let’s evaluate it.”
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Li Longji smiled gently and said that he did not have the airs of being an emperor. Maybe it was because he was in a better mood now.
"The saint is in front of me. I am frightened and cannot do anything."
Fang Chongyong said with a bitter smile.
This indeed dampened Li Longji's mood, but the other party didn't seem to care. He waved his hand gently, and Li Bai bowed and left before leaving. Only Fang Chongyong and Li Longji were left here.
"Your father has made great contributions this time. It is enough to grant him a title. But he is not in Chang'an now, so the title is of little significance. So I want to transfer part of the reward to your father to you.
.”
Li Longji got straight to the point and stated his intention of calling Fang Chongyong to Huaqing Palace this time.
"So, tell me, what do you want?"
Li Longji looked at Fang Chongyong and asked.
This kind of question is difficult to answer.
Because what Li Longji gave him was not necessarily what he needed.
On the other hand, Li Longji may not be willing to give Fang Chongyong what he wants.
"Okay, I'll send you to Chongwen Hall to study."
Li Longji said nonchalantly.
Are you still here? You’ve already dropped out of Hongwen Hall once!
Fang Chongyong quickly refused and said: "Sage, I want to go to Liangzhou to gain some experience. It would be best to have an idle official position in the state capital to join the army."
"Going to Liangzhou? Why?"
Li Longji looked at him with a strange look and asked, he really didn't understand what Fang Chongyong wanted to do.
"As the saying goes, traveling ten thousand miles is like reading ten thousand books. I just want to go to the frontier of Liangzhou to gain experience. After returning to Chang'an, I will come to study in the academy. I ask the saint to help me."
Fang Chongyong saluted Li Longji with folded hands, bowed deeply and said.
"Let me think about it."
Li Longji pressed his temple with one hand and kept kneading it, as if he was distressed by Fang Chongyong's request.
This requirement is not too high, but too low, so low that it is a bit humble!
If you treat the son of a hero like this, how will the world view him as a saint?
Li Longji also fell into deep thought for a while, not knowing how to make a decision.