Chapter 113: The Next Stop Full of Things to Pick Apart

Inside the main hall of the Ganzhou prefectural yamen, Fang Chongyong looked with a strange expression at the eunuch who had come to deliver the imperial edict, unable to figure out what this fellow was here for.

Previously, when he was appointed Inspector of Ganzhou, it was perfectly normal for a eunuch to come deliver the edict, because Ganzhou was a central prefecture and the Inspector's official rank was Fourth Grade, Upper Class. Officials of the sixth rank and above had to be personally appointed by the emperor; without an imperial edict, the appointment was invalid.

But now Fang Chongyong was very clear about what he had actually done. This transfer of office was one hundred percent a demotion!

A demotion—just handle it casually and be done with it. Did they really need to send someone specially from the palace, traveling all the way from Chang'an to Ganzhou, over a thousand li?

Did they truly not mind the trouble?

"Lord Fang, your imperial favor is truly unmatched. I am Niu Xiantong, Internal Proprietor of the Palace Eunuch Service. I offer Lord Fang my greetings."

This middle-aged eunuch named Niu Xiantong said expressionlessly, quietly extending his hand toward Fang Chongyong.

No red envelope in hand, and your life was guaranteed to be lost. During the Kaiyuan era, when eunuchs went out to deliver edicts, extorting and taking cuts was the norm.

If local officials didn't serve them well, they could expect to be tormented to death!

"Uh, are you related to Lord Niu Xianke?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Niu Xiantong and asked in a slightly flippant tone. He turned a blind eye to the hand Niu Xiantong had extended.

"Uh... well, we were probably the same family a few hundred years ago, haha, hahahaha."

Niu Xiantong said with a stiff face, forcing a laugh, and quietly pulled his hand back, so embarrassed he wanted to turn around and leave immediately!

"Since there's no relation... then never mind. Eunuch Niu, read the edict."

Fang Chongyong had no desire to say much to this Niu Xiantong, who was clearly trying to cozy up to him. In his previous life, he had read a strange book that happened to record how this eunuch Niu Xiantong died.

This unfortunate eunuch seemed to have angered Brother Ji over some matter, and then Brother Ji ordered him to be severely punished.

So Niu Xiantong was first beaten with several hundred sticks, then had his heart cut out, and finally an old eunuch named Yang Sixun, who had outstanding military merits, ate the extracted heart raw!

This kind of R-rated plot should not appear in a history book; tales of the strange was where it belonged.

Of Tang dynasty eunuchs, Fang Chongyong basically only knew the likes of Gao Lishi, but this Niu Xiantong, who met such a tragic end, was impossible to forget—the way he died was simply too "performance art."

Fang Chongyong had no desire to have any entanglement with this unlucky fellow.

"Relieved of the post of Inspector of Ganzhou, transferred to Vice Director of the Sacrificial Bureau in the Ministry of Rites, proceeding to Shazhou on official business. Additionally appointed Shazhou Militia Commissioner and Disbursement Commissioner of the Doulu Army, stationed at Yaoquan, with no need to report for duty at the small city of Shazhou."

Niu Xiantong's drake voice read out the imperial edict, leaving Fang Chongyong completely dumbfounded.

There were simply too many things to pick apart in it; he didn't even know where to begin.

As a "study tyrant" who studied desperately and read books every day without fail, Fang Chongyong had thoroughly understood the ins and outs of Tang officialdom.

This official appointment, utterly lacking in virtue, he had no idea which genius had come up with.

It was like stacking buffs—simply outrageous! Fang Chongyong wanted to ask to his face which great deity could mash these three "useless" official posts together and still make them look perfectly natural.

The Sacrificial Bureau of the Ministry of Rites was specifically in charge of Buddhist temples. Issuing ordination certificates to monks and the like fell under its daily affairs. Hosting national-level Buddhist ceremonies and similar events was also within its jurisdiction.

The Vice Director was the second-in-command of the Sacrificial Bureau, which seemed to carry some authority.

However, the power of a central government department could only function when the official in charge returned to his yamen! A central official posted out in the provinces didn't even have access to the yamen's seal!

A fish out of water couldn't swim a single step—and this principle applied equally to Tang officialdom.

Sending a central official all the way to Dunhuang, two thousand li away, to manage Buddhist affairs—Fang Chongyong could guess with his toes that this was a business trip to supervise the construction of a "merit stele" for Brother Ji!

Of course, the actual work wasn't to build it, but to "keep an eye on" it! In other words, he didn't need to do anything; the people truly responsible for the project's progress were the relevant officials of the Ministry of Works.

For example, the Leshan Giant Buddha built during the Kaiyuan era—the court had assigned a specialist to oversee it, and similar cases were not isolated incidents.

The stone Buddhas carved into the mountainsides around Dunhuang were innumerable, distinctive since the Northern Wei, and the Dunhuang Mogao Caves were world-renowned. The Vice Director of the Sacrificial Bureau going there on official business was, to put it bluntly, a taxpayer-funded sightseeing trip. He just needed to check whether the Buddhist statues and murals being produced conformed to the "main theme" that Brother Ji demanded.

If they didn't meet the requirements, then they had to be rectified or even redone. These matters would be overseen by the Vice Director of the Sacrificial Bureau.

Simply put, he didn't need to do anything—except that if something went wrong, he would take the fall.

Whoever had laid this trap here had to be a supreme schemer!

Fang Chongyong cursed Brother Ji for his shamelessness in his heart.

As for the Shazhou Militia Commissioner, that was easy to explain. The Militia Commissioner was responsible for training militia troops but had no military authority—unable to mobilize armies or recruit soldiers.

However, there was one thought-provoking point: because Shazhou had insufficient food, the Doulu Army there had always strictly controlled its manpower, replenishing immediately whenever there was a shortage. The proportion of the agricultural population there was considerably lower than in other prefectures along the Hexi Corridor, and there was a large pool of non-laboring people suited for military service.

When Fang Chongyong had previously served as Inspector of Ganzhou, he had approved quite a few official documents, all concerning the transport of rations to Shazhou.

So Shazhou simply had no surplus food to support semi-non-laboring militia troops, and with the fierce local temperament, there was no need to maintain them either.

This post could probably only fool children in Shazhou itself—it couldn't accomplish anything.

And the most cursed post of all was the Disbursement Commissioner of the Doulu Army.

Because among the various armies of Hexi, only the Chishui Army, with thirty-three thousand troops, had its own separate Disbursement Commissioner, giving it some financial independence. The Doulu Army, with only 4,300 troops, had never previously had a "Disbursement Commissioner" post at all!

This was easy to understand: someone with ten billion in assets would definitely hire a "financial assistant" to help manage the money, but if you only had ten thousand, you'd be better off worrying about your own future livelihood!

The Doulu Army, with fewer than five thousand troops, had far less logistical pressure than the Chishui Army, so of course there was no need to specially create a "Disbursement Commissioner" post.

The Liangzhou Regional Command already had its own Disbursement Commissioner, responsible for the fiscal expenditures of all the armies under its command.

In other words, this so-called "Disbursement Commissioner of the Doulu Army" post had been "invented" by the court only recently, and Young Master Fang was to be the first Disbursement Commissioner of the Doulu Army... and most likely the last.

Therefore, what the person holding this office needed to do, could do, and should do—there was no reference at all, and no clear explanation whatsoever.

If Fang Chongyong wished, he could do nothing at all and it wouldn't matter, because the existing system between the Hexi Regional Command and the Doulu Army was already running smoothly, and a similar post was not included in the Tang Six Statutes, which Li Linfu was currently still compiling.

Three impressive-sounding official posts that looked quite intimidating. Yet upon careful analysis... it seemed there was nothing he needed to do at all.

Fang Chongyong took the imperial edict with both hands, expressionless, and waved impatiently, saying, "Eunuch Niu may return and report."

He couldn't even be bothered to exchange pleasantries with the man now.

Seeing Fang Chongyong being so obtuse, Niu Xiantong truly wanted to flick his sleeves and leave. But his business wasn't finished, so he could only suppress the foul air in his heart and say to Fang Chongyong in a hostile tone, "The Sage also has a personal letter to deliver to you, Lord Commissioner... oh, you're no longer Lord Commissioner, but Vice Director now."

He reluctantly took out a letter from his sleeve, cursing inwardly that this brat Fang Chongyong knew nothing of propriety.

Under "normal" circumstances, Fang Chongyong should have offered him flattering words and pleasantries, then presented "travel money." Then Niu Xiantong would "return the courtesy" by handing over the Sage's personal letter to Fang Chongyong.

That was how the routine was supposed to go!

Niu Xiantong couldn't figure out what Fang Chongyong was thinking, nor why the man had become a capital official yet wasn't happy about it at all. In any case, the other party's failure to curry favor with him was simply wrong. Once back in Chang'an, this one would get what was coming to him!

He silently swore in his heart, then gave Fang Chongyong a fake smile with a cupped-hand bow, turned around, and left the Ganzhou prefectural yamen.

Holding this complex edict laden with deep scheming, Fang Chongyong read it over and over, suddenly recalling how Niu Xiantong had addressed him just now.

He was no longer Commissioner Fang, but Yuanwai Fang!

The image of those portly, big-bellied "yuanwai" from TV dramas of his previous life appeared in his mind, and Fang Chongyong felt a subtle sense of awkwardness.

It was as if he had already entered the bizarre and grotesque circle of Tang officialdom, becoming an indescribable misfit within it.

"Commissioner, this..."

Yan Zhuang approached with a bitter smile to ask; by now, basically everyone at the Ganzhou prefectural yamen knew about Fang Chongyong's transfer.

Tang officials generally served terms of four years, after which they would rotate and await reappointment. This waiting period could be long or short—the long ones could last decades, the short ones meant taking office immediately. But someone who was transferred as frequently as Fang Chongyong was truly rare.

Enough to show that his prospects were boundless.

According to Bai Juyi's later complaints in the historical records, a Tang official who hadn't rotated more than twenty times would be too embarrassed to call himself "blessed in his official career." Those who rotated only three or four times in a lifetime and then fell silent, spending decades afterward bitterly waiting—such losers in officialdom were everywhere.

Changing posts frequently was not the mark of an unlucky wretch; on the contrary, it was a symbol of enormous potential.

"Once I've established a foothold over there, I'll find a way to transfer you across. Or you could resign your post right now and come along as my retainer?"

Fang Chongyong pulled Yan Zhuang aside and asked.

"Of course I'll follow the Commissioner... I mean, Yuanwai! Whoever wants this lousy county lieutenant post can have it!"

Yan Zhuang said through gritted teeth.

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was slightly surprised, but after a moment's thought, he understood.

The county lieutenant post was typically the first appointment for unsuccessful examination graduates who had no patron. Anyone with even a bit of backing in the Classics Examinees would be unwilling to go, let alone the Jinshi graduates.

This post could be summed up as: little power, many tasks, and huge trouble!

Although its "theoretical" duties were mainly judicial arrests, case trials, drafting verdicts, and tax collection, in reality every trivial matter in the county fell to the county lieutenant. For example, here in Zhangye County, if you needed to communicate with the settlements outside Zhangye City, could the county magistrate go himself? Of course the county lieutenant would handle it as official business, and only when official business failed would they think of other solutions!

This was the bottom rung among "ranked officials," and Yan Zhuang didn't cherish it at all.

By Fang Chongyong's side, he could serve as an "unranked" assistant official—essentially something like a private secretary, yet with an official establishment, only that it was Fang Chongyong who paid his salary.

"Yuanwai Fang, central officials posted to remote regions generally bring their own cooks, dancing girls, medical officers, retainers, and guards. Why doesn't Yuanwai hire some people locally in Ganzhou?"

Yan Zhuang asked in a lowered voice.

Fang Chongyong was taken aback, then secretly mused:

Fang Dafu could cook, so he counted as a cook, and together with A Duan, they served as guards.

Anaye came from a proper medical officer family and knew medicine; as a descendant of Western Region Hu women, she could barely pass as both a medical officer and a dancing girl.

Yan Zhuang would serve as a retainer handling routine minor affairs, and he also had Fang Laique, the "holy son" of the Buddhist faith, by his side.

This lineup, though a bit low-spec, was actually quite complete.

"No need. More people means more trouble. The people around me now are all trustworthy. If I truly need more hands, we'll discuss it later."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and said helplessly.

Heading east had become heading west. Dunhuang was the last stop where Tang military forces could maintain full control; it seemed as though the vast Western Regions lay further west, but in reality Dunhuang was the edge of where Tang power could be continuously projected.

Further west, whether in national strength or military power, the Tang could not cover everything—holes were everywhere.

This arrangement that Brother Ji had given him was truly... quite subtle.

"Damn it, traveling through the desert right before winter—Brother Ji really hasn't accumulated any good karma!"

As he walked out the prefectural yamen gates, Fang Chongyong felt the waves of chill in the wind and couldn't help cursing. If he couldn't reach Shazhou on schedule, it would be another pile of trouble.

And traveling through the desert in winter would make a person so miserably cold that their whole body would spasm. Having had terrible experiences in his previous life, Fang Chongyong truly did not want to brave wind and snow to get to Shazhou in the dead of winter.

……

The Nine Surnames Tiele gradually formed during the period when the Turks held sway, and submitted to the Turks while maintaining the independence of their own tribes.

This was the organizational model of a steppe empire—it could not maintain too large a structure, so it could only form large tribes from small ones, assembling level by level upward into an "empire."

The Nine Surnames Tiele gradually formed the Uighur, Bugu, Tongluo, Bayegu, Sijie, Qibi, Hun, Baximi, and Geluolu, among others. The "nine" here was not actually a fixed number, but meant "many."

During the Kaiyuan era, the Uighurs were the most powerful among the Nine Surnames Tiele.

In the autumn of the twenty-seventh year of Kaiyuan, under the planning of Fang Youde, the Military Commissioner of Youzhou, Li Longji issued a secret edict to form an alliance with the Nine Surnames Tiele, and according to Fang Youde's strategy, divided the steppe into nine tracts of varying sizes.

It was agreed that once the Turks were destroyed and their lands divided, each tribe would migrate to its pre-agreed territory.

As for whatever disputes and bickering might arise afterward, they could be discussed later. The destruction of the Turks was set as the top priority.

The Bayegu tribe, which bordered Tang territory, struck first; the Qibi, Bugu, Geluolu, and other tribes also rose up in succession, jointly attacking the Turkic royal camp.

Fang Youde, stationed at the mouth of the Gobi, held his troops back and only ordered the Shuofang Military Commissioner to supply provisions.

The various Uighur tribes, who had been observing this chaotic situation all along, finally could hold back no longer and marched south to attack the royal camp of the Second Turkic Khaganate. With the Uighurs entering the fray as a turning point, the northern steppe of the Tang once again entered an era of chaos!

The Turks' ranks fell into total disarray, and they hastily retreated from Xiakou Mountain north of Hexi, but it was already too late.

When they returned to the Turkic royal camp, they ran straight into the Uighur cavalry, who had joined the battle late and gained nothing at all.

The two sides erupted into fierce combat near the Bilge Khagan stele north of the Turkic Khaganate's royal camp! The Turks suffered a crushing defeat, shattered and routed by the Uighur cavalry!

From then on, the Turkic Khaganate was destroyed and replaced by the Nine Surnames Tiele. At this time, Fang Youde was leading five thousand elite cavalry to visit the various Tiele tribes, displaying military might; at each stop, he demanded that the tribal chieftain proceed to Lingzhou, the garrison of the Shuofang Army, for a meeting to await an audience with the Tang Emperor Li Longji!

One had to admit, this scene was quite ironic.

Because just in the twenty-third year of Kaiyuan, in order to focus on dealing with the Tibetans, the relationship between the Turks and the Tang had improved, and the Turkic Bilge Khagan had honored Emperor Xuanzong of Tang as his father. Thus a stele to Bilge Khagan was erected near the royal camp. The inscription extensively recorded (and boasted of) Bilge Khagan's "great achievements."

For example, destroying a certain Tiele tribe one day, beating up the Khitan people the next—even the raid on the Shandan Horse Ranch in the early Kaiyuan years was recorded.

Who could have expected that he would be poisoned not long after, and the Second Turkic Khaganate would fall apart and ultimately perish.