"Is this a good trick for you?"

In the study room of the Fang family's mansion at the back gate of Xingqing Palace, Zheng Shuqing looked at Fang Chongyong suspiciously and asked.

It's late at night, and the two are still plotting here.

There are many things to do, and the most critical one is: discuss it with the head of the Shaofu Eunuch, that is, Zheng Shuqing's relative, Zheng Yan, the Secretary of the Shaofu, and hurry up to make these Tang Jin into the clothes of the dancers.

so as not to delay the big thing.

Expedited, high quality, at least the workmanship can not be worse than the grade of the fabric!

Such a request, except for the young government supervisor, there is really no one in Chang'an who has this strength.

Before discussing with Zheng Yan, Zheng Shuqing needed to confirm with Fang Chongyong one last time whether this hammer deal could be done!

"Actually, there is a shortcut this time, and you don't need to go to Wei Qing, let alone Aunt Gongsun's help."

Fang Chongyong said quietly.

Lao Zheng was most afraid that he would say such things, so he hurriedly lowered his voice and asked, "How can you say this?" ”

"Yang Yuhuan is the time to be favored. As long as Zheng Shilang customizes a few sets of clothes for her and lets her wear them during the celebration, the saint will definitely be happy. That batch of Tang Jin is not a problem.

This method is not only safe and money-saving, but also can please Yang Yuhuan and indirectly please the sage. ”

Fang Chongyong explained to Zheng Shuqing the benefits of this method: good efficacy, quick effect, and money saving.

Lao Zheng knew that this matter had great side effects when he heard it, and hurriedly asked, "Is there just something wrong?" ”

"Of course it's not proper, the hidden danger is huge! Believe me, there are a lot of things that can't be explained for a while. ”

Fang Chongyong sighed lightly, he couldn't say that at least many people in this era would blame Yang Yuhuan for the occurrence of the Anshi Rebellion in the future, thinking that it was closely related to it.

If it is involved in the matter between Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan, it is equivalent to planting a bomb that may detonate at any time by his side!

"Well, that's fine, I also think it's a little inappropriate to find Yang Yuhuan for this matter."

Zheng Shuqing nodded slightly, he said this purely because he was an intuition to survive in officialdom for many years.

Countless ancestors have proved with the lessons of blood that as long as you are related to the concubines in the palace, you can certainly take you away when it is beneficial. However, once there is any trouble, it is very likely to be implicated and fall for no reason.

Originally, the imitation of the new Sogdian brocade was a good thing for the benefit of the country and the people, and it may have a great impact on the textile industry of the Tang Dynasty in the future.

It is precisely because of this foundation that Zheng Shuqing does not want to go sideways. Not to mention that Fang Chongyong didn't mention it, even if he did, he was unlikely to accept it.

And providing good clothes and fabrics for the dancers in Liyuan is one of the main jobs of the young government supervisor, which belongs to "public to public".

Impeccable.

This is also the main reason why Zheng Shuqing often asks Fang Chongyong for ideas.

The ideas of this little prodigy are often extremely operable, and they are compliant and legal!

"Letting Aunt Gongsun show her face this time will definitely offend Yang Yuhuan. She may not say anything yet, but once this matter leaves a curse, it will be difficult to eliminate hidden dangers.

What does the future hold...... Unpredictable.

But the future is too far away to be taken care of for the time being. ”

Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing very seriously and said.

"A favored woman, her position is still so wrong, what storm can she set off?"

Zheng Shuqing said disapprerovingly, and the other party's heavy reminder was not taken to heart.

Yang Yuhuan, as the princess of Shou, was snatched by the saint as a plaything, this is a stinking thing for 300 miles.

What waves can this woman turn over?

Zheng Shuqing didn't think that Yang Yuhuan could do anything to this woman, maybe Li Longji would get tired of playing casually for half a month and a month?

However, it is foreseeable that this time he provided "performance costumes" to the apprentices of Aunt Gongsun, but he didn't ask the favored Yang Yuhuan, and this matter would definitely put a thorn in the latter's heart.

After all, there is no harm if there is no comparison.

Is it to tie Yang Yuhuan up and climb up, or is it "deliberately" to embarrass this woman who is destined to become a concubine?

There are few things in the world that have the best of both worlds, often just pleasing one side will offend the other, Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing both made the same choice: not bird, the future Yang Guifei!

……

In a certain study room of Li Linfu's house in Pingkangfang, on the table of the new Tang Dynasty's right minister, there is a piece of music from Cui Xiyi, the envoy of Hexi Jiedu.

It said: This year, due to the drought in Hexi, the grain harvest failed, and the output was much lower than last year. It is hoped that the imperial court can support Heseo from Gyeonggi.

Li Linfu fell into deep thought.

In fact, this is not the first time that the incident mentioned in this letter has appeared.

The total grain output of the Hexi Corridor has been weakened under the influence of continuous decline in yield per mu.

In the Hexi Corridor, with Liangzhou and Ganzhou as the main grain-producing areas, the overall grain output increased in the past few years only because the border people continued to reclaim land in Liangzhou.

But now the places that can be cultivated are basically reclaimed, and grain production is falling slightly every year.

Not only are there no extra oases to cultivate, but there are areas that were developed very early, and the local Tang army has abandoned large areas of cantonment due to increased desertification.

The army was demoted to a garrison, and the garrison was downgraded to a garrison, and even directly withdrew from the oasis swallowed by the desert. This phenomenon occurs from south to north, and the farther away from the icebergs upstream the snow melts, the more desertification becomes.

These things, in the past, were just like pricking the back of Li Longji's hand with a needle, but now they have become steel nails chiseled through the palm, and people have to deal with these thorny problems.

The house leak happened to rain overnight, and at the beginning of this year, because of the all-out war with Tubo in Hexi and Longyou areas, the army needed more grain and grass.

Not only is the Hexi Corridor unable to transport grain from Liangzhou back to Chang'an as before, but there is a food gap of about 800,000 koku, which needs to be provided by the Gyeonggi region.

Li Longji didn't care about this problem, and directly threw it to Li Linfu.

This saint is busy fooling around with Yang Yuhuan in the pear orchard, who cares if Liangzhou will be short of food.

I am invincible in the world, if something happens, it is the problem of the officials, and killing a few is to punish the crime.

That's what Li Longji thinks.

He thinks: If the affairs of the country are left and right, and the six scholars can't handle it, then what use do they want?

These people are all in the service of the emperor and for the country, not the other way around!

Now the newly appointed left minister Zhang Shouqi does not know anything about the central government affairs, and he is not very familiar with the situation of the imperial court, so he is not qualified to point fingers at Li Linfu.

All in all, now is a good opportunity for Li Linfu to vigorously seize power and install party henchmen, but it is also a time to test his administrative ability.

If you don't have the ability to deal with the complexities, the good things you can do will collapse in a very short time.

"If you want to transport rice and grain to the Western Regions, you must requisition mules, horses, and cattle from all over the country, and it is not advisable. It was wise for Hu merchants to traffic grain and grass to Hexi, and then use the Heyi method. ”

Li Linfu said to himself.

"But the total number is certain, Hu Shang transported Chang'an's grain away, and the gap must be filled."

Li Linfu knew very well in his heart that Li Longji was so happy that he wanted everything. But if the use of troops in support of the Hexi Corridor has caused a famine in Chang'an, then he, the right minister, will definitely be the end.

The amount of grain from Hebei is enough, and the freight through the Tongji Canal is also the least, so it ...... We can only continue to suffer Hebei and increase the amount of water transportation on the Hebei side.

Well, light luck is not good, there must be something to transport, so the tax should also be increased a little, and the household tax in Hebei will be increased. The rent adjustment is that the "ancestral family law" is not good for light waste, and the household tax is flexible and flexible, and the household tax is increased.

Li Linfu pondered that it was necessary to increase the collection of grain in Hebei in order to meet the logistical needs of the Western Regions and the Hexi region.

It's just that it's not enough to collect taxes, and how to transport these grains to Chang'an is the most important thing. After a turn of the question, it came back to Caoyun.

During the Gaozong period, Chang'an was short of grain, and the imperial court also tried to transport grain and grass to Chang'an by land, and then ...... More than eighty percent of the mules and horses in charge of carrying the transportation died of exhaustion, but the grain shortage in Chang'an has not been fundamentally alleviated.

That slap in the face can be said to have almost wiped out Datang's ambitions.

Therefore, the grain and straw needed by Chang'an in the future had to rely entirely on transportation. However, Cao Yun also has the problem of Cao Yun, that is, the river must be combed for a long time, and the freight cannot be said to be cheap.

Now it is already very difficult to supply Chang'an, and if Chang'an has to be turned into a grain transit place to supply the Hexi Corridor, it will be a heavy burden that the national finances cannot bear.

Therefore, the method proposed by Zheng Shuqing at the beginning was a good way, allowing merchants from the Western Regions to transport grain to the Hexi Corridor to sell it to the people, and then use the peace method to receive the grain from the people to the Changping Warehouse, and finally use the Changping grain for military needs.

Li Linfu has already seen these benefits.

But it's not enough.

"Cao Yun, Cao Yun...... Where does the food come from? ”

Li Linfu fell into deep thought, feeling that with the existing transportation conditions, he was helpless.

Unless, dig a new canal?

As soon as this thought popped up in my head, I couldn't get rid of it.

He took out a map of the canals from the cabinet and looked at it with an oil lamp.

The Yongji Canal has always been relatively smooth, and the distance is much shorter than that of the Tongji Canal. Therefore, there is not much potential that can be tapped in this paragraph.

The point where Caoyun is stuck is mainly the section from Chang'an to Luoyang, and the steepness of Sanmenxia makes the loss of the transit of the trough ship as much as 20% to 30%!

The idiom "mainstay" comes from this.

Just that pillar, it is no exaggeration to say that the extent of the pit Datang is no less than a few major earthquakes.

"Between Shaanzhou and Chang'an, open another trough?"

Li Linfu was beating a drum in his heart, thinking about whether to open a new canal.

"That's it, let's talk about it after the prisoner sacrifice ceremony."

Li Linfu felt a sense of powerlessness.

Everyone has the idea of regent, and if it sounds good, it is called self-motivation, and if it is not good, it is called control. Li Linfu wanted to take power, but he also knew that it was useless to rely on power alone, and it was necessary to be able to solve the practical problems of the imperial court.

Now he had a plan, that is, whether to open a trench to solve the problem of food and grass for the troops in the northwest, and what kind of benefits he could get from this.

The affairs of the state must be handled, and the affairs of oneself must also be handled, and this is his belief in Li Linfu.

"It's better to throw stones and ask for directions first."

……

On the day of the celebration banquet, Uncle Zheng ordered someone to send Fang Chongyong a set of robes made of Tang Jin, navy blue, solemn and high-grade.

Fang Chongyong wore it on his body, and his temperament was completely different, saying that he was a child of the clan, it was estimated that no one doubted it.

"Lang Jun, these clothes look so good, it is estimated that it will cost thousands of dollars."

Fang Laique said with envy.

How many thousand?

That's a manual fee!

Tang Jin is a fabric that is not available on the market now, and it can only be obtained with the special approval of the sage.

When worn on the body, it is a status symbol, which money cannot buy. It's not something that everyone can wear.

This was the strict and indescribable hierarchy of Tang society.

Fang Laique, a fool, knows a fart, and Fang Chongyong doesn't bother to scold him.

"After attending today's banquet, this robe will be given to you."

Fang Chongyong said angrily.

"Really, Lang-kun? Wouldn't that be a bad thing? ”

Fang Laique asked embarrassedly, looking at Fang Chongyong with bright eyes.

"Don't roll out yet! Shame on you! ”

Fang Dafu slapped Fang Laique's head, and said to the other party with a sad face: "Lang Jun, on such an occasion, Lang Jun shouldn't go." ”

"I also know, but this time the saint wants to make my father an official, and I can't help but go. Isn't this banquet just because my father broke the Khitan in Youzhou? ”

Fang Chongyong sighed, this Hongmen banquet is not something that you can't go if you don't want to. Gao Lishi also sent an invitation card later, that is to say, Fang Chongyong now has two invitations in his hand!

This is a celebration banquet related to his father Fang Youde, Lao Tzu can't go on business in Youzhou, and his son in Chang'an can't go?

I just want to slap the saint in the face, not like that.

"In this way, the slave will send Lang Jun outside the pear orchard."

Fang Dafu sighed, what Fang Youde was most worried about was that his son was caught in the political whirlpool.

Contrary to expectations, Fang Chongyong seems to be getting closer and closer to the political center.

When the group came to the pear orchard, they were immediately brought in by Wei Qing, who was waiting outside the door. Today he is the official in charge of guiding the guests to the table.

Wei Qing has several identities, he is not only a scholar who failed the imperial examination, but also a vocal singer, and he is also the administrator of Liyuan and Li Longji's cronies.

is still the inspector of General Jin Wuwei, although this official position is not of any use for the time being.

Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, Wei Qing leaned over to the other party and said, "The saint is very satisfied with the Tang Jin clothes you made. ”

Satisfied? He doesn't even know what it looks like, so he's satisfied! Shouldn't it be a secrecy at the moment?

Fang Chongyong looked at Wei Qing with a stunned expression, and didn't speak for a long time.

"The sage personally ordered to use Tang Jin to give Yang... The nobleman made a set of brocade clothes. Today, the sage will order Li Guinian to play the song of neon clothes and feathers here, and Yang Guiren is responsible for the accompanying dance, and the brocade clothes are worn when dancing. ”

"The sage was very satisfied with the clothes, but he was very dissatisfied with Zheng Shuqing's attitude. With such beautiful clothes, if you don't give Yang Guiren to the apprentice of Aunt Gongsun, do you want to embarrass the saint?

Zheng Shuqing is in a big disaster, you stay away from him. ”

Wei Qing warned in a fierce voice.

Li Longji, who stepped on the horse, did not forget to please Yang Yuhuan!

Fang Chongyong scolded in his heart, but nodded quietly on his face.

Lao Zheng this time, I'm afraid it will be difficult to untie it. The emperor couldn't have made it easier to find fault with the officials.

What if things are done well, if you don't give them to your favorite concubine, you don't give face!

Fang Chongyong suddenly saw the brocade clothes on his body, and at this time, Wei Qing seemed to have a sense of recollection.

He sighed and said, "You can do it yourself." ”

"Is it too late to go back and change your clothes now?"

Fang Chongyong grabbed Wei Qing's sleeve and asked.

"What do you say?"

Wei Qing pointed to the guests who were already crowded not far away, and replied with a bitter face.