Crown Tang emperor

Li Tong originally planned to do a big job in the winter fair this year, and now that a large number of voters are pouring into the gate, it is really a joy to welcome the guests into Pingkangfang.

The list in his small book kept getting longer and longer, and some of the people who he felt needed to be focused on were also selected, and he ordered Wei Suizhong and Tian Dasheng, who had already organized personnel in a superficial way, to arrange people to investigate the background and character And so on, so that when there is a need, only the amount can be used.

He didn't shy away from doing these things too much, which should have been the scope of his grandma's tacit approval.Moreover, these electors seem to have a large number of people, but right now, including for a long time to come, they are destined to only hold humble positions below the sixth rank, which has little impact on the real upper-level government structure.

However, what makes Li Tong feel more regretful is that although there are many people who enter his residence, there are not many real famous people.

However, this does not mean that all these people are useless. It must be known that the entire official system inside and outside the court has tens of thousands of people. To have such an opportunity.

Those who can leave a name in the future, whether they are virtuous or stupid, loyal or treacherous, are indeed superior, but those who are unknown may not be incompetent. Naturally, quite a few of them just lack opportunities.

In the past, Li Tong did not have the conditions to select talents from the sea, and the efficiency of finding pearls from the sea was too low, but now that he can do it, he naturally enjoys it. It's not just about collecting cards according to historical memory.

Of course, to be able to gain this calmness, he has also passed his grandma's tests, large and small, in all aspects, and there will definitely be more tests of this kind in the future, but they are not worth being afraid of, they are nothing more than tricks and tricks.

Right now everything is still in the early stages, but given time, who can guarantee that his Xiyuan scholars will not be the most capable group in the court?

In addition to these electors who are still quiet and unrecognizable, who came to make fun of it, there are also many friendly expressions from people in the current situation.

For example, Li Siwen's father, Li Jingyi, who was the county magistrate of Yongchang in the past, came to congratulate him in person.Li Jingyi now lives in Sima, Luozhou, and his brother Li Yuanyuan was one of the prime ministers who were demoted years ago. But in January, the old prime ministers were reinstated one after another.This family is also the one with the closest relationship between Emperor Xianzong and Li Tong.

Wei Yuanzhong, who had just returned to the court, also sent his nephew to congratulate him, which made Li Tong heave a sigh of relief.At least Wei Yuanzhong probably didn't sue him again, but he still purposely put away and stored the Wei family's congratulatory gifts separately, in order to give Wei Yuanzhong a surprise if he was really convicted of it.

In addition, the youngest son of Prime Minister Yao Xuan was selected as He Lang who went to greet his relatives.It can be seen that these Jiangnan people have also noticed the existence of Li Tong's family, otherwise Yao Xuan's official residence in Luantai Nayan would not allow his son to take advantage of this enthusiasm.

As for Zheng Gao, Li Tong's servant who is busy with socializing recently, because the election month has not yet passed, he is still in the closed period of daily communication, but he still sends his family to send a rich gift.

In addition, although there were no prominent people from Guan Long Xungui to congratulate him, the big tigers in Guan Long are almost beaten up, and their own small circle is also extremely unstable.

For example, Li Tong's old Zuo Yanyan Fan, Wang Renjiao, and even his father-in-law Tang Xiuzhong's family are actually members of the middle and lower classes or peripheral members of Guanlong, and the restraint of those big clans on their behavior and communication has already become almost infinite. .

But among the many congratulatory guests, Li Tong was most surprised by a group of people from Longxi. They were part of the group of brave warriors sent to Heyuan years ago. Headed by Ge, pretending to be a merchant traveling westward, he hurried all the way to the capital of God.

These people did not have any connections to visit the king's mansion directly, but followed the guidance of Xijing Suyue and directly stayed in the Xiushanfang mansion near Nanshi.Of course, not long after, Tian Dasheng received the news and brought them into the Wang residence among the merchants from Nanshi who came to congratulate him.

Li Tong was also overjoyed when he learned that this group of people entered the capital, and he pushed aside all kinds of other entertainment, and met Li Ge in the mansion.

This young man is already brave and brave. After more than half a year of experience in Longshang, his skin is even darker. Although he is wearing a round collar robe, his body is bulging and he looks full of arrogance. Li Tong also sighed after seeing this : "As expected of me, a mighty and brave warrior!"

After entering Long, after several bloody battles, Liu Youqiu also gradually revealed Li Tong's true identity to these courageous fighters. If such a group of brave, passionate and generous righteous men who went to the border cannot be trusted, then no one in the world can be trusted. .

So it was not surprising that Li Gexing entered the king's mansion, but after seeing their head of the society with his own eyes, he still seemed a little stiff, knelt down and crossed his hands and shouted: "My subordinates pay homage to the lord, the lord... the king!"

"It's still an old friend in front of me, but the friendship is deeper, just like the old one, no need to be formal!"

Li Tong stepped forward, helped Li Ge up, and said with a smile: "Tell me quickly, what you have experienced after entering Long, although there are written records, it is not as detailed as oral descriptions."

Seeing that the Lord Lang was still so kind, Li Ge's rigidity gradually disappeared, so he began to talk about it in detail.After this group of brave warriors entered Long, everything was not smooth sailing, with all kinds of acclimatization and personnel making things difficult.

In Longbian Benduo, there are all kinds of wild places, plus Tubo's deliberate provocations, and it can be said that there is almost no daily struggle.Although there is Liu Youqiu's nearby care, but Liu Youqiu has just joined the job, and there is really not much government power that can be mobilized. Many crises still have to be dealt with by these brave fighters.

However, this situation has improved since Hei Zhi Changzhi took charge of the Heyuan Army.

The prestige of Heizhichang was established in the west first, and he came back to his hometown. He was also responsible for creating a good external condition for the Anxi war. The integration of various city and Jimi tribal forces.

Under such circumstances, the brave warriors who were originally composed of fierce soldiers naturally attracted the attention of Changzhi Heizhi.If it is in the inland of Middle-earth, such a group of elite soldiers will naturally attract vigilance.But on the side of the golden horse and iron horse, it is not so dazzling.

Moreover, these brave warriors themselves had a layer of cover from Tuyuhun Murongkang, so they soon joined the Heyuan Army and became the outskirts of the city. The account of the house.

"The gold and silver wares that I entered Beijing this time are mainly obtained from these two wars. The land in Tubo is really cold and desolate, but those rich and fat ones make people salivate!"

When talking about all kinds of war gains, Li Ge couldn't help but gleefully. He groped around his waist and took out two half-circle lacquerware inlaid with gold and jade, and put them on the desk, and said with a smile: "Those offered utensils, Lord Lang You can check it yourself later. But these two beautiful artifacts, the subordinates must present them to the lord with their own hands!"

After seeing this, Li Tong held up the lacquerware with great interest, and it was quite heavy in his hand. After looking at it for a while, he smiled and said: "This utensil has a unique shape, like a human..."

When he said this, his voice stopped abruptly, and Li Ge on the opposite side laughed and said: "Master Lang really has a good eye, this is the head weapon of those two leading scholars! Made with local techniques, polished and inlaid, ordinary How can anyone recognize it at a glance!"

Hearing this flattery, Li Tong laughed dryly, put the lacquerware back on the case, wiped his hands and said, "It's very good, I will definitely treasure it."

Chapter 0355

The brave warriors have gained a lot in the past six months of experience, but it is not without loss.On the contrary, the loss can be described as heavy.

First of all, the biggest loss is that when they first landed in Long, they were dissatisfied with the climate and their condition was greatly reduced. Although there were old soldiers such as Ma Xing and Li Guang following them, their experience was actually quite old.

Especially after the loss of the four towns during the Chuigong period, the penetration of Tubo into Longbian was even greater.Those fanhus under the yoke are not trustworthy themselves, and many roads and areas that were originally safe have become dangerous.

Therefore, in the first month of Denglong, nearly a hundred of the warriors lost their combat effectiveness due to various injuries and illnesses.Although some of them recovered after recuperating in Lanzhou and returned to the team, dozens of them still buried their bones forever.

After a period of buffer adjustment, the brave fighters gradually entered the rhythm of fighting to support war.But just as the Anxi battle was coming to an end, commentators suddenly organized a surprise attack against the Heyuan army. Although under the command of Hei Zhichang, who was not surprised, Heyuan was kept intact, many forces on the periphery of the city suffered heavy losses. This naturally includes the brave warriors.

Speaking of this, Li Ge also had tears in his eyes, and Li Tong also felt great heartache from his mournful tone.

"Master Lang is, and is... His subordinates are not greedy for vanity, but none of Fan Denglong's brave fighters are fighting for vanity, but seeing the flesh and blood rotting far away, I don't want them to lose their reputation..."

Li Ge knelt down on the ground again, kowtowed and said.

Li Tong stood up from the table after seeing this, and said solemnly: "They will not remain anonymous, nor will they die in a foreign country. In time, with the steles and roads leading, I will personally recall the heroic souls and let them return to their homeland. In this world, you will never bear such righteousness and blood!"

Hearing this, Li Ge's grief gradually receded, and he kowtowed again, then raised his head to stare at Li Tong and said, "If another nobleman made such a promise, my subordinates would not dare to believe it. But the government household has been suffering for a hundred years, and can give Those who are kind and help the poor are only the master! The people in the grass and fields, although they are ignorant of the great knowledge, but as long as the master has a look, those who donate their lives and use their lives are everywhere in the grass and fields!"

Next, Li Ge calmed down and talked about some follow-up arrangements.

Right now, the brave warriors have established a foothold on the Long, but nearly half of the first batch of brave warriors who climbed the Long have been disabled. In addition to various other objective reasons, it is also due to lack of preparation, such as various Bow armor equipment is not a small shortcoming.

However, they also recruited or looted a large number of craftsmen in Longbian, and according to the original plan, they were transported to Hanzhong at the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains one after another, taking advantage of the relatively safe environment there for production.

At the same time, the former Sui craftsmen of the Dou family who were hiding around Longshan were also integrated one after another, and they could directly build a production and supplementary base in Longshan.

Taking advantage of the cold winter, Li Ge sent some of the wounded and sick back to Guanzhong, and Qinling also had a new batch of brave fighters, also 500 people, who continued to climb Long, bringing the old with the new.

Of course, this new batch of brave fighters is definitely not as strong as the first batch regardless of their quality or experience, but the environment they face is not as difficult as it was at the beginning.

It already has the foundation laid by the predecessors, and with the recovery of the four towns, the order between the Western Regions and Longxi is gradually restored, and Tubo does not dare to be as rampant as in previous years. This is a normal training ground, not a complete Fight with your life.

In the future, at the base in Longxi, Li Tong intends to maintain the size of an army of two to 3000 people.The scale is too small to reflect its significance.If there are too many, it is not good to completely deceive people.

Moreover, Guyishe is not just a pure source of soldiers. Its internal cohesion lies in the general assistance to those households who died from the government soldiers. , even if it can grow rapidly in a short period of time, it is very likely that it will collapse in the future.

However, armed forces have different organizational forms, and the army is only the most complete and powerful one.It is not only necessary to maintain a basic livelihood, but also to gather a considerable number of young and strong. It is not that there are other options, such as water transportation.

When it comes to water transportation, we have to mention Sui Yangdi, the prodigal son.The excavation of the Grand Canal has resulted in a qualitative improvement in the exchange of materials between the north and the south, both in terms of space and quantity.

The Tang Dynasty inherited this Yuze, especially after the mid-Tang Dynasty, Caomi from the south of the Yangtze River became the ration of the Tang Dynasty to continue its life.But in the Tang Dynasty, there was actually a lack of a systematic and effective management of water transportation.

Although Liu Yan reformed the water transport in the middle Tang Dynasty, his focus was still on the financial aspect, and he did not continue to dig and upgrade the ruling model based on the canal water transport system.

After the collapse of the Tang Empire, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were divided everywhere, and even the previous separatist regimes had a lot to do with this.

Of course, right now Li Tong's plan is not grand enough to open up the entire water transport route, and even the idea of ​​daring to make water transport is a recent idea.

The reason is also very simple, the authority in hand is not enough.

It is difficult to do this kind of thing in private. In the DPRK alone, there are many departments related to water transportation, such as the Ministry of Water under the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Cang under the Ministry of Households, Si Nong Temple, Taifu Temple, and the Water Supervision Department. , as well as the nearby management of government offices in various states and counties.It is basically impossible to intervene without the help of official power.

Li Tong had previously proposed to his grandmother that the capital should be paid to the public, based on the regular warehouses in various places, which itself planted a reason for coordinating water transportation.Of course, with such a big stall, it would be very difficult for him to manage it at the moment, and he never thought about taking advantage of it to seize the hosting right.But even if it's just a little smudge, it's enough for him to digest it for a long time.

At present, the imperial court’s water transport mode is mainly that the divisions in Beijing issue transfer orders to the local areas, and then the various localities dispatch labor to transport them to the capital.But there is a problem in this, that is, each region has its own wide and narrow townships, the distribution of household registration is not even, and the frequency and quantity of imperial court material transfers cannot be completely adapted to local conditions.

Moreover, the financial situation of the imperial court is really bad now, and the proportion of the annual income of the money paid for the service is getting higher and higher, and the situation of no service available in various places is becoming more and more serious.Under such circumstances, it has become a trend for unofficial organizations and forces to gradually join the water transportation system.

In addition to the above points, the huge wastage of water transportation organized by the government is also a problem that cannot be ignored.The emperors of the Sui and Tang dynasties had an important activity, that is, chasing food from the eastern capital.

In the Gaozong Dynasty, after eating in the Eastern Capital, the direct shipping costs saved by water transportation from Chang'an to Luoyang were enough to pay for the monthly salary of Beijing officials.

After all, the government calls for forced labor, then assigns errands, and then goes to the labor field. The wasted time between the journeys includes time. In the farming society where the farming season is like fire, time is also money and food.This is not counting other various administrative redundant orders.

The rigid demand for canal water transportation is there, and enough manpower is needed almost all year round.Therefore, Li Tong felt that organizing a relatively professional Cao Gang was also a great plan to benefit the country and the people.

The Guyishe has already reached a considerable scale between the two capitals, and there is no shortage of manpower, and many people have no land to cultivate.Incorporating these people into the water transportation system, even if the logistics cannot be achieved, contracting water transportation between the two capitals can not only maintain a vitality, but also cultivate a certain degree of organization.

As for the gathering of so many strong laborers, will it arouse official vigilance?

First of all, no one would be so stupid as to pile up tens of thousands of strong laborers on both sides of the river for inspection, and a certain degree of dispersal was necessary.As long as the size of the team is controlled within a certain range, the government will not bother to ask.

Among other things, there are hundreds of laborers working day and night in those salt ponds in the east of the river, go investigate and gather people to rebel.

Secondly, Li Tong didn't come up with the idea until his official influence had reached a certain level, and even if an accident happened, he could make up for it and cover it up.

Moreover, Li Tong didn't plan to place the Cao Gang's base camp along the Grand Canal, where the two capitals and his eyes were still out of reach, and where the conflict of interests was more complicated, but Puzhou in Hedong between the two capitals.

On the one hand, it is naturally located at an important node of the great river water transport, and on the other hand, it is naturally covered up by salt ponds, which can be more convenient.

Speaking of this, I have to mention one more thing, that is, so far, salt has not been accepted as an official camp, and that is after Kaiyuan.

Back in Xijing, Li Tong asked his second brother Li Shouli to gather the sons of Guan Longxun to sell salt in Hedong.

But the plan didn't change quickly, and he didn't expect that he would go back to God's City and lose his country.As for those honorable children, it is okay to join in the fun, but it is difficult for them to start a business from scratch.So this matter has been stranded until now.

But now, it is possible to do two things at the same time to start this cause.When Li Tong planned this plan before, he was still greedy for the convenience of enforcing the country there, but now he can take a bigger step and directly place his people in Hedong.

Now, Wang Renjiao and others have returned to the capital of God, and have passed the election, but they have not yet been appointed.

Li Tong is waiting for a vacancy in Hedong. There are hundreds of officials in eight counties and one prefecture city in Puzhou. Get in!

Li Tong was still thinking about who to send to take charge of this matter before. Tian Dasheng and the others were loyal enough, but if they were to be placed in a place extending in all directions in the east of the river, there must be more things to deal with. Li Tong was a little worried.

It just so happened that now that Li Ge was entering the capital, Li Tong talked with him for a while, and felt that this young man was good, so he could send him over to try it out first.

When Li Ge heard that he was not allowed to go back to Longyou, his expression was quite disappointed, but after pondering for a while, he still said in a muffled voice: "Master Lang thinks I can do it, and my subordinates will definitely do my best!"

Chapter 0356: Farewell to the south of the city, with a new meaning

Li Shouli's wedding was very lively for several days.But because the gathering in the West Garden was too lively, it seemed a bit overwhelming.

Li Tong was also a little embarrassed about this, it wouldn't matter if it was just between the two brothers, but after all, he still had the face of his relatives, the Dugu family.

And Li Shouli's biological mother, Mrs. Zhang, was withdrawn by nature, and she was not a talkative person. One day, she even complained in the dormitory that since Li Tong no longer had the king, she shouldn't have stayed in the mansion and made so many gossip. disturbing.

Fortunately, the aunt Fang could hold back, and when she learned about it, she was directly detained in the house, and Zhang was not even allowed to attend the wedding of her own son.Although this is a bit cruel, but it is easy for women to compare their shortcomings. If the family wants to live a nourishing life in Wu Zhou Dynasty, they have to sacrifice.

Li Tong needs the Wang Mansion as a place to recruit talents. Although everything is within the scope of his grandmother's acquiescence, it is not good to openly dig the corner of the imperial court near the imperial city. The remote location of Luxinfang is just right.

Although Li Tong was too lazy to ask about family disputes, he did not completely ignore them.Lai Junchen's house in Daodefang occupied before was reserved for Li Shouli to live in after his marriage.Although the scale of that mansion was not as large as the Three Kings' Mansion, its architecture was more beautiful. Even if Li Shouli's small motor was running at full speed, he could live in a litter of more than 60 people.

The Wang mansion is too noisy here, it is indeed quite disturbing, if it is just singing, dancing, opera and music, it will be fine.But most of these electors have been unsuccessful all year round. It is normal operation to drink a few cups of yellow soup and howl like ghosts and wolves.

Therefore, Li Tong plans to move his concubine Fang's family, Zhang's family and others to Daodefang, which is close to Luoshui, and is very close to the imperial city and the two cities. When it comes to living environment and convenience, it is far better than From Xunxinfang.

Even Li Tong himself didn't plan to live in Luxinfang for a long time.

For the convenience of buying a property in Shendu City, he even deliberately placed a member of his own family as the camp supervisor, Wang Hewang, the former Fengge supervisor who had contacts with his family in the past. Because of the turmoil of the incident, he was dismissed as an official, and has been out of work all the time.

Some time ago, Wang Hewang paid homage to the king's mansion, and the old friendship was renewed. Taking advantage of the winter gathering, Li Tong arranged for him to be the prime minister.It's not just to solve the housing problem. After that, he will definitely do some construction in the city of God. It will be much more convenient to have an official contractor of his own.

Therefore, as a male, although Li Tong is not as casual and calm as his aunt Princess Taiping in front of his grandmother, it is not without advantages.At least the breadth of communication is far from what his aunt can compare.

The Wu Zhou dynasty was devastated not only by the imperial power, but also by the prime minister. One of the reasons why Princess Taiping was easily taken care of by Li Longji in the congenital coup was the lack of penetration in the middle ranks of the forbidden army. The lack of support on the lower floor is naturally only a castle in the air.With such an identity and position as Princess Taiping, her influence is destined to be unsinkable.

In the future, the King's Residence of Luxinfang will simply be built into a landscape resort, and it will be used as a place for gatherings and feasts.

After Li Shouli got married and returned to the province, he lived directly in Daodefang. There were many good horses in the stables in the mansion, such as Li Tong's "Pear Blossoms", there were as many as seven or eight horses. It was made as a wedding gift for his second brother, which greatly satisfied Li Shouli's vanity of wanting famous horses to blow up the street, and helped him with the polo business with peace of mind.

A few days later, Li Tong found time to send Fang and others to Daodefang, and then to see off his elder brother Li Guangshun.

Li Guangshun had been in touch with and familiarized with the related matters of the palace a while ago, and he was waiting to attend Li Shouli's wedding.The Feiqian business of Baoli Xingshe is also on the track with the joint efforts of Xijing people and Shuzhong Yang Li. The business growth is very gratifying, and a leading figure is also needed to sit in charge.

This time Li Guangshun traveled to Shu, the team size was quite large.

Previously, there were few people available under the sect, but now there are many talented people. In the future, the western front business will be the main growth point of Li Tong's power, so it is natural to have a good team.

Li Tong arranged for the old member Zhong Shaojing to go with him, and selected more than a dozen people who were willing to follow him to Shu from among the electors. They either held different official positions or accompanied them as simple staff members. It is necessary to receive as many people, things and things as possible that the Dou family has accumulated in Sichuan.

These attendants, of course, have also gone through a preliminary political review to ensure that their backgrounds and resumes are clean, and there are not too many human affairs involved.Even if someone among them wanted to make trouble, there was still Guo Yuanzhen, who was as smart as a monkey, watching over Shuzhong.

Moreover, he has turned over the flying money business to the state, and now he is managing money for his grandma, and few people dare to openly mess around and make trouble.

In the middle of the twelfth lunar month, Li Tong went to Luopu in the south of Luoyang to see off his elder brother.

The season is in deep winter, and the scenery is cold and bleak, but Luopu, as a resort in the suburbs, still has a slightly impressive scenery.Although the distant mountains are not as gorgeous as in spring and summer, they are still green with pines and cypresses. Luoshui has formed ice floes, and the ice is densely covered with frost. Under the setting sun, it looks like a bright white jade belt.

Looking at Li Guangshun, who was wearing a thick fur coat, but his face was still flushed by the cold wind, Li Tong was not in a good mood. He stepped forward to help his eldest brother straighten the hat on his head, feeling a little depressed: " Since we were born, brothers have not been separated for a long time, but family fortune and future make people want to be together, so we cannot be obsessed with staying together for a long time. My brother has gone so far, so you must cherish it!"

Li Guangshun's personality is introverted and sensitive. After hearing this, he raised his arms to hug Li Tong, tears welled up in his eyes, and his tone became choked up: "Sanlang, don't hurt yourself because of suffering, brother is not as talented as you , all these years, the housework has been maintained by my young brother, and I am very happy to be able to help you... With Sanlang here, I am not worried about the family affairs in the city. Looking back, the family must be prosperous for a long time! As for the place in the middle of Shu , I must abide by Saburo's instructions and make good use of the help of these characters you laid out!"

Speaking of this, he suppressed his grief, raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, forced a smile and said: "If you say there are grievances, there are some. Inaction is on the wrong road, and the sons and daughters share the towel. The cold winter sends me, and there is no willow left." Zhe, my brother is very talented, don't you want to give it as a gift?"

Li Tong was quite sad at first, but when he heard his elder brother's words, he couldn't help laughing, and looked at Li Guangshun and slowly sang: "The green mountains run across the north, and the white water surrounds the east city. This place is farewell, and the solitary Peng Wanli march..."

Luopu has beautiful scenery in four seasons, and it is also a famous pick-up and send-off resort in Luonan.There are many pavilions and tents by the waterside, where some people say goodbye sadly, and some people gather and meet each other happily here, and there are often performances of joys and sorrows.

Li Tong sang here once, and Zhu Zhan sang three more times here. Although the singing was low, it was full-bodied, and soon spread to the surrounding area of ​​Luopu.

Tourists around heard the new music and were curious, so they gathered here one after another. When they saw the crowds in the tent, some people suddenly said: "It turns out that Xunqing is here to say goodbye to relatives and friends. No wonder, no wonder!"