In order to strengthen the cohesion of the army under his command, Li Siye often went to the barracks to inspect and inspect, and required that promotions above the rank of lieutenant must be stamped with his seal before they can take effect. Because of the vast amount of land controlled by the army of the Three Towns, he allowed the promotion of officers in Anxi, Beiting, Tocharo, and Lesser and Lesser Boru, as well as in North India, to be reported at the end of the year.

In order to make the system flexible and not appear rigid, the military envoys can first promote the people who are ready to be promoted to their posts, but they must add the word "deputy" in front of the official position, and the salary is only 70% of the current post, so that the seal of his envoy to the three towns and festivals will always have absolute influence on the grassroots level of the army.

In March, An Lushan promoted 2,000 grassroots officers under his command to Zhonglang General, and more than 2,000 names were written in a thick volume of notes asking for additional officials, and the emperor agreed one by one, and all of them sent a complaint, which bought the loyalty of the officers under his command.

Li Siye also decided to follow him, and at the end of October, he submitted a report to the emperor, asking the emperor to crown Zhao Congfang, the military envoy of the North Indian garrison, as the protector and the general of the right Xiaowei, and Wang Tao, the deputy town of Khotan, to be transferred to the military envoy of Quy Nhon Army, and concurrently serve as the patrol envoy of the Great and Small Bolu, and promote the official to the general of Zuo Wuwei. Others, such as the Yonghui military envoy Bi Sishen, the Longshuo military envoy Bai Xiaode, and the rest of the four towns and towns envoys are all generals.

He also asked the emperor to protect the deputy capital of Anxi, and the deputy envoy of Jiedu, Feng Changqing, to add officials to the army, and the general of Huaihua. Duan Xiushi, the deputy protector of Beiting and the deputy envoy of Jiedu, was added to the official army and returned to the general of Germany. Li Guangbi, the military envoy of the Chishui Army, was added as General Yunlu, and the military envoys of all armies in Hexi were added to the ranks.

Li Siye asked for the title of Zhonglang General for 1,500 middle-level officers, and drew up a piece that was thicker than a book, and then sent it to Shang'an to wait for the emperor's approval.

Yang Guozhong jumped out again to express his opposition, but the emperor was absolutely unambiguous on this issue, and directly approved the issuance of a notice by the Ministry of War.

Li Siye has now completely checked the pulse of the emperor, as long as An Lushan asks for something, he also follows to ask for it, the emperor does not allow it, this seems to be called the legendary bowl of water Duanping, but this method of leveling, let Longyou Jiedu make Ge Shuhan and Shuofang Jiedu make An Sishun embarrassed?

Cao Anding, a member of the army of the Hexi Jinju Academy, sent him a letter saying that Yang Guozhong strongly opposed his request for a confession.

Li Siye slapped his palm heavily on the desk, and said angrily: "Yang Guozhong really doesn't know the general situation, and he still stumbles on my performance at this juncture, if it weren't for Your Majesty's wisdom, this guy would really make trouble." His Majesty even made him a commonplace, what qualifications does this kind of mediocrity have to be a commonplace. ”

Cheng Qianli, Du Fu, and Li Guangbi, who were sitting below, looked at each other, Cheng Qianli twisted his beard and hesitated for a moment, and said with his crossed hands: "Although Yang Guozhong has no talent, he is in charge of the government alone, blocking the way of speech, and there is a flood in Guanzhong, he not only conceals it and does not report it, but also plays to His Majesty that although the rain is more than the seedlings are not harmed, with such a prime minister in the court, how can I be safe from the Tang Dynasty." ”

Du Fu took the opportunity to advise Li Siye: "Guanzhong was affected by the disaster, Yang Guozhong closed the holy hearing, the doctor could not sit idly by, Du Fu was willing to write a note for the doctor, please Your Majesty face up to the disaster situation, and send envoys to inspect the disaster relief." ”

Li Siye lowered his head and asked Cheng Qianli and Li Guangbi: "What do you two think?"

"No," Cheng Qianli said with his crossed hands: "Guanzhong is at the feet of the Son of Heaven, can't the princes of the court and the central government see it?" Just because Yang Guozhong controlled the court, all the officials did not dare to speak. The doctor's performance not only had no effect, but also disgusted Yang Guozhong because of it. Once the contradiction between us and Yang Guozhong deepens, An Lushan will have an opportunity. Therefore, the subordinates think that it is better to leave the affairs of Guanzhong alone. ”

Li Siye pondered for a moment before pressing the case table with his hand and said: "The people are affected by the disaster, I can't sit idly by, Zimei, you immediately write a letter and send it to Chang'an." As for Yang Guozhong, I don't bother to pay attention to him. ”

At this time, a messenger came to the front of the hall, knelt on one knee and crossed his hands behind his hands and held the letter: "This is a letter from Zhao Jun's envoy to the doctor." ”

Li Siye was quite surprised that Zhao Congfang had not written to him to report for more than half a year, so that he did not know the situation in North India at all. He vaguely sensed that Zhao Congfang's authority to the west of Congling Ridge was too heavy, so he sent Wang Tao to replace him as Quy Nhon military envoy and let him concentrate on running North India.

"Bring me the letter."

He took the letter from the messenger's hand, tore open the seal and read it, and said to the messenger, "Take the Kunlun slave you brought with your escort to the hall for a look." ”

The messenger stepped back with his hands crossed hands, came to the gate of the governor's mansion, and with a wave of his hand, he brought the Kunlun slaves escorted by the soldiers to the courtyard.

Li Siye got up from the desk and went to the bottom of the porch to scan the brown-skinned slaves standing at the bottom of the steps, their shoulders bent, their hands wearing wooden shackles, and their feet with iron chains.

These so-called Kunlun slaves are the Shudras who Zhao Congfang led his troops to crusade against the captives of South India, and they are a Dravidian of southern India, with dark skin and a docile temperament. They are the favorite property of Chang'an officials and nobles, and it is a status symbol to carry them with them as an entourage.

The Kunlun slaves in the Tang Dynasty were generally trafficked from North Africa by the tropics of Southeast Asia or the Arabs, and there was also the Dravidian sent by Zhao from Fang North India.

Zhao Congfang mentioned in the letter two ways to make money, one of which was to traffic Kunlun slaves to Chang'an through the pepper trade route, whose value was no less than that of pepper spices and other items. The Dravidian people make up a high proportion of the population in South India, according to Zhao Congfang's estimates of several million.

The slave trade was the most shameful and despicable commercial activity in human history.

He pinched his chin and hesitated for a moment, the current era is legal to buy and sell slaves, there is no legal problem, but there is a moral problem...... Always forgetting that you are an ancient person, and the values of the past do not apply in this era. If you feel disgusted, then turn a blind eye and let Zhao Congfang and Dai Wang get tired of themselves.

The second way to make money proposed by Zhao Congfang was to set up checkpoints in North India and collect customs duties on Dashi and Byzantine merchants who crossed the Hindu Kush Pass. This can be implemented, but the money for collecting customs duties can't all fall into Zhao Congfang's pocket.

He had already made a decision in his heart, and said to Cheng Qianli and Li Guangbi who were sitting below: "You guys retreat first, Zimei stays." ”

The two of them stood up from the desk, crossed their hands at Li Siye, and retreated to the door of the hall before turning to leave.

He waved his hand to Du Fu and instructed, "Zimei, write a reply letter to Zhao Congfang." ”

Du Fu got up and moved his position, sat in front of the wide desk in the corner, and waited for the scribe next to the desk to grind the ink, he picked a fine one on the pen stand, dipped it in ink and looked up at Li Siye.

Dr. Li paced with his hands behind his back and said, "There is no need to write to me to ask me about such a trivial matter as the slave trade, you will write to contact Dai Wang." It is feasible to set up a card in North India to collect commercial taxes, but you can't do it alone, and set up a card with the Western Regions Chamber of Commerce, and the income tax is transferred to Hexi by the Western Regions Chamber of Commerce, and thirty percent of you are left for your own use, which is used to expand the soldiers' reward subordinates. ”

In addition, within half a year, 30,000 stone of rice and grain were raised in North India, and manpower was requisitioned and sent to the newly built granary in Khotan. All of the above shall be complied with. ”

Du Fu put down the pen holder, pinched the paper after writing, and lifted it in the wind to dry it with his mouth.

He looked up at Li Siye, who was standing in front of the pillar of the hall with his hands behind his back, hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but ask: "Since the doctor knows that the slave trade is a dirty thing, why is it not prohibited?" But you have to pretend not to care? So the subordinates thought ......"

Du Fu stopped talking, because he saw that Li Siye's face was obviously ugly.