Chapter 116: Heavenly Splendor and Earthly Treasures

Last autumn, Guanzhong saw a bumper harvest, and the court implemented the grain-purchase policy in Guanzhong, buying grain at a price two to three tenths above the market rate, to supply the imperial palace's expenditures and the frontier defenses of the northwestern prefectures.

Large quantities of silk fabrics from Jiangnan were distributed to the common people of Guanzhong through the grain-purchase method.

A slight conversion in the form of wealth thus created a temporary prosperity. This year's New Year, the common people coming to Chang'an to purchase New Year goods were especially numerous, and business was especially booming.

One effect of the grain-purchase policy was to increase the amount of circulating currency at the societal level. Common people holding silk fabrics would go to nearby markets to purchase daily necessities. This was beneficial for stimulating the economy.

Of course, if one only looked at the positive side, it was indeed so.

Given that he was soon going to Lingzhou for the alliance meeting, he needed a good omen, and also wanted the people of Chang'an to be happy. Therefore the Tang Emperor Li Longji proclaimed a three-day grand celebration, and he rarely showed a moment of kindness: the expenses for this celebration would be entirely paid from the inner treasury, with no apportionment to the local governments of the capital region.

The grand celebration for all under heaven to rejoice together was not given for free; Li Longji had his own deep considerations.

Forming an alliance with the various Tiele tribes of the steppe—this was a great achievement that could rival that of Taizong back in the day.

Brother Ji believed that his civil and military accomplishments were already on par with Taizong's, with no regrets left.

Taking advantage of this alliance meeting to elevate his prestige to an unprecedented and unrepeatable level was quite necessary. Later, when others spoke of the Tang, Taizong would be first and he second—how wonderful, no regrets in this life.

Holding a three-day grand celebration in Chang'an was also to build momentum; this money was well spent, all spent on himself, so Brother Ji did not feel the least bit pained by it.

On the last day before the hundred officials began their holiday, Brother Ji issued an imperial edict, very long, and its general meaning was also very clear:

In Wang Bo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" there is the saying, "The essence of things and the treasures of heaven, the dragon's radiance shines upon the void of the Dipper and the Ox." We believe that the Great Tang of today already deserves this phrase. At this time of abundant harvests, the nation at peace and the people secure, and ten thousand nations coming to court, We change the era name from "Kaiyuan" to "Tianbao," wishing that Our Great Tang may possess heavenly splendor and earthly treasures for generation after generation, imperishable for ten thousand ages.

After the Lantern Festival next year, it shall be the first year of Tianbao; the twenty-eighth year of Kaiyuan shall be the last year of the Kaiyuan era.

Once this edict was issued, the hundred central officials in Chang'an felt as uncomfortable as if they had swallowed flies, yet they could not exactly "butt heads" with the emperor over such a trivial matter.

With Li Linfu around, Brother Ji's edicts basically would not be rejected.

Li Longji promulgated the edict on the last day before the central government's holiday recess—did what he intended to do and wanted to do still need to be said?

That expression was practically painted onto the edict already!

The court officials with keen senses of smell all detected deeply meaningful information from this era name.

The so-called "Kaiyuan" meant opening a new epoch, symbolizing diligent governance and vigorous effort.

At that time, the Great Tang was just emerging from a series of violent upheavals and power struggles at the highest levels, like a patient who had recently recovered from a serious illness.

How to return to the right track, how to correct the various deviations and heterodox social trends since the Wu Zhou period, loomed like a great mountain before Li Longji.

At that time, he resolved to create a new era bearing his own deep imprint.

To a certain extent, Brother Ji did indeed achieve this, and even did a fairly decent job of it.

And now changing the era name to "Tianbao" was also easy to understand.

To put it plainly, was it not simply that Brother Ji believed everything he could do was already done, and now it was time to enjoy himself?

Having toiled for the better part of his life, could he not listen to some singing and watch some dancing?

The entire court of civil and military officials all shut their mouths, tacitly accepting the "impertinence" of this edict.

At this point, whoever jumped out to oppose it would be beaten to death.

Silence is golden; it was better to say less.

……

"Hahahahaha, so it's General Wang's son-in-law! Lord Fang is truly young and accomplished!"

Inside the main hall of the Doulu Army headquarters, located in the very center of the outer city of Dunhuang County in Shazhou, a heavily bearded, powerfully built man sat before Fang Chongyong, casually looking over the commission he had handed over and laughing heartily without a care.

"Does General Wang know my father-in-law as well?"

Fang Chongyong asked in puzzlement.

Wang Zhongsi's network was just ridiculously extensive!

"But of course. I am Wang Sili, and I received General Wang's patronage to hold the post of Doulu Army Commander. This time when General Wang came to Hexi, he brought me along, and subsequently I was assigned to the Doulu Army.

The former Shazhou Inspector and concurrent Doulu Army Commander Wang Huailiang was imprisoned for crimes, and I succeeded him as Army Commander."

Wang Sili rubbed his head and said, looking a bit embarrassed.

This command had come too easily; he did not feel secure holding it!

"Wang Huailiang really was quite a character."

Fang Chongyong gave a bitter smile and sighed. This man's conviction had set off a whole string of messy affairs.

Fang Chongyong was now "Acting Inspector of Shazhou," but had not "left his post as Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites."

That is to say, Fang Chongyong serving as Inspector was merely a temporary fill-in role; it would not be a big problem if he did not handle affairs, because beneath the local Inspector there were still the Sima and the Chief Clerk. In emergency situations where the Inspector could not attend to official business for various reasons, one of these two would in fact serve as acting head.

No court appointment was needed; the succession took effect automatically.

Moreover, in a frontier garrison, the Doulu Army Commander could also "fill in" as Shazhou Inspector in emergency situations; very often, the two positions were held concurrently by the same person.

Fang Chongyong suspected that Brother Ji perhaps feared he would be bullied in the frontier garrison, so he deliberately piled on a bunch of thankless positions that let him stick his nose in matters whether or not there was any reason to.

Then again, an "acting post" could be glossed over, but a properly appointed position could not.

Fang Chongyong guessed that the Doulu Army Supply Commissioner was probably something the court had just "invented," but once the court made the appointment, it carried its own seriousness and could not be taken lightly.

This was also the reason he went to report to the Doulu Army headquarters first thing the very next day without a second thought.

Of course, this was only his first stop.

Next, Fang Chongyong still had to go to the Shazhou prefectural office within the small city, as well as the Buddhist temple at Yaoquan, where a Director of the Ministry of Rites was already stationed; Fang Chongyong needed to go there and conduct the handover with the other party. From then on, for at least four years, until the court sent someone to replace him, he would have to look after the stone Buddhas and murals within the Mogao Caves.

For these four years at the very least, he could not file a "report" and return to Chang'an.

Suddenly, Wang Sili, who had not spoken all this while, slightly frowned, as if he had thought of something amiss.

Seeing his expression, Fang Chongyong's heart tightened, and he asked cautiously: "Does Commander Wang feel something is amiss? I assumed a military post at the tender age of twenty, and my heart is truly anxious. If there is anything, I ask Commander Wang to please state it clearly; I shall certainly not delay Commander Wang's daily military affairs."

Seeing Fang Chongyong so humble, Wang Sili did not know whether to laugh or cry, waved his hand, and explained with a puzzled expression:

"The problem is not with you, Lord Fang, but rather I am wondering: only two days ago I submitted a memorial to the court requesting to add a Supply Commissioner to the Doulu Army. How is it that today Lord Fang already has the court's official document?

This… is a bit irregular.

In the past, military affairs were all handled by the former Doulu Army Commander Wang Huailiang, and I had no idea that Lord Fang was coming here for this."

Uh, Fang Chongyong had a bad feeling in his heart.

"The Doulu Army is only forty-three hundred men strong; surely it doesn't need a Disbursement Commissioner?"

Fang Chongyong asked, somewhat lacking in confidence.

Wang Sili glanced around, then pulled Fang Chongyong to a secluded spot and complained in a low voice:

"Commissioner Fang, there is something you do not know. The Disbursement Commissioner of the Doulu Army is not quite the same as those elsewhere. In truth, it is merely a more pleasant-sounding name."

"And the less pleasant version?"

Fang Chongyong's expression was calm, but in his heart he was already as anxious as a boiling kettle.

"Uh, well, there are many less pleasant names—capital debts, note money, and the like. In any case, it amounts to lending out bolts of cloth and collecting grain or cloth in return, lending one and getting back two… something along those lines."

Wang Sili turned his head away, not daring to look at Fang Chongyong.

Making a child this young go out to practice usury… that was utterly conscienceless behavior! Wang Sili, a grown man of full stature, felt ashamed.

But this was a court appointment, and could not be changed. Only—why would the court make such an appointment?

"Is the Disbursement Commissioner of the Doulu Army not a sinecure?"

Fang Chongyong felt utterly unwell.

"How could it be a sinecure? In the past, it was handled by the Registrar of the Doulu Army. I saw that the Registrar's rank was too low—still a sub-rank official—and there were many prominent local families, so I feared they would not show him any face. That was why I petitioned the court to establish a dedicated Disbursement Commissioner.

I never expected it would turn out like this."

Wang Sili said to Fang Chongyong with a face full of apology.

Good news: the local Military Commissioner was his father-in-law's trusted subordinate.

Bad news: he himself had been appointed as the boss of an official loan shark operation and an underground money shop.

The harvest of today's excursion truly left one with complicated feelings.

After organizing his words in his mind, Fang Chongyong asked Wang Sili in a low voice: "The Doulu Army operates like this, and the court just lets it be?"

Hearing this, Wang Sili was taken aback, then spread his hands and asked: "There are heavy goods and rare treasures arriving from the Western Regions. The locals of Dunhuang want to buy them but lack ready cash—do they not need to find someone to borrow from? And then resell those goods to Chang'an?"

"That is indeed necessary."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

"Since it is borrowing, one naturally must turn to the prominent families in this small city.

So since they have to borrow either way, why not borrow from the Doulu Army?

The local prominent families also fear people defaulting on their debts, but the Doulu Army fears no one owing money. The blades in our hands are very sharp."

Wang Sili chuckled.

Since there was a market for usury, and an exceptionally active one at that, why couldn't they borrow from the local garrison? Did they really have to force the Doulu Army to disguise itself as bandits and ambush merchant caravans in the desert?

Fang Chongyong somewhat understood why Wang Sili wanted to establish a separate Disbursement Commissioner within the Doulu Army.

It was all for survival!

This "Disbursement Commissioner" with its Dunhuang characteristics should correspond to the local "Camp Farming Commissioner"—calling it a "Camp Money Commissioner" would be more accurate.

"Planting" money among the locals of Dunhuang, then harvesting heads like leeks.

There was no question of good or bad—those who thought it bad could simply not borrow.

This was merely a survival strategy native to Shazhou. Rare treasures from the Western Regions, sold to Chang'an at profits of tenfold or more, were everywhere to be found. There was no shortage of people here who would open their eyes wide at the sight of money.

Those who sit down at the gambling table shouldn't fear losing, and those who borrow from loan sharks shouldn't complain about high interest—it's all a matter of willing fish taking the bait!

When the court appointed Fang Chongyong to this "Disbursement Commissioner" post, they hadn't considered any of this mess at all. They had simply "transplanted" the Disbursement Commissioner of the Chishui Army, figuring that since the Doulu Army was so small in scale, there probably wouldn't be much to do.

They never expected that once Wang Sili's memorial was submitted, if the Base Fellow didn't watch his step, he'd screw young master Fang over to kingdom come!

"The Militia Commissioner title that Commissioner Fang holds is actually superfluous. Though the local customs of Shazhou are fierce, there are indeed no militia troops here."

Wang Sili had at last told Fang Chongyong a piece of news that was not quite good news.

Young master Fang was now in a state where every bush and tree looked like an enemy, terrified that the Base Fellow might pull some new stunt.

"However, the Doulu Army's authorized strength is too small and often insufficient, so the local Doulu Army standing force now numbers over seven thousand five hundred men.

The provisions and forage that fall short must be figured out by ourselves.

The Disbursement Commissioner post that Commissioner Fang holds, while responsive to actual need, is truly a great mountain. If you truly find it too difficult, Commissioner, I can submit a memorial and have the court appoint someone else—there would be no harm in that. It would only affect your reputation."

Wang Sili said, comforting Fang Chongyong.

Overstrength by more than seventy percent?

Fang Chongyong, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly looked up at Wang Sili, shocked and bewildered.

"Overstrength by that much?"

Fang Chongyong no longer knew what to say; he could only listen to Wang Sili's explanation first.

The court only authorized a strength of forty-three hundred. The other thirty-two hundred excess troops all had to be managed by the local prefectural office and the garrison themselves. With men eating and horses chewing, military rations alone were no small sum.

"The Doulu Army must maintain the Western Regions trade routes. Escorting large merchant caravans is also part of daily military duties. If we cannot maintain order in Dunhuang, then who would still take the Great Tang seriously?

Among the five prefectures of Hexi, the east is weighted heavily and the west lightly; troops are mainly concentrated in Liangzhou. But when it comes to daily miscellaneous duties, the Doulu Army bears the heaviest burden. A strength of over four thousand has to garrison the city, conduct daily patrols, and escort large caravans out of the pass—it truly isn't enough."

Wang Sili said with a face full of helplessness.

Did the court know about this kind of mess or not? That question was hard to answer.

But one thing was certain: if they didn't know, so be it.

Even if they did know, the court would surely turn a blind eye, seeking only the broad picture and not pursuing the details.

As long as they could hold Dunhuang, keep Shazhou firmly in the Great Tang's grasp, and ensure the smooth flow of the Silk Road, then local needs should be handled by the locals themselves!

The accounts of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue at the Tang court's center were one set of books, while the local accounts were an entirely different set. These were unspoken rules—see through them but do not speak of them.

Since there were overstrength units, there naturally were also those who drew pay for phantom soldiers; all of this had to be adjusted by the border commands themselves according to local needs.

One should never expect too much from the court of a feudal era!

Fang Chongyong thought with no small degree of malice.

"Oh, by the way, the Disbursement Commissioner's office is also at Yaoquan, so that will save you a lot of trouble."

Wang Shili added another remark.

Fang Chongyong, thoughtful and meticulous, asked doubtfully: "Why not in Luo City?"

Luo City is a mix of good and bad, with too much military grain and silk stored; the storerooms are easy targets for thieves. Only a thousand days as a thief—where could there be a thousand days of guarding against thieves?

Beyond Yao Spring there is just a big lake; around it are some fields and granaries, while the other three sides are mountains of sand, with only one side having a road. Even if someone came recklessly to steal, they couldn't escape; this also prevents internal theft within the Dou Lu Army.

Anyway, it's less than ten li from Luo City, so it's fine.

"That's fine too."

Fang Chongyong nodded, and said he'd talk about it after taking over this usury job.

Brother Ji is really damn willful.

"Right, I'll arrange for five hundred cavalry to be stationed near Yao Spring to give you a hand."

Among those borrowing money, it's common for big households to borrow hundreds of shi of grain, and each convoy involves over a hundred people. If the Dou Lu Army doesn't assign someone to watch over them, it's inevitable that those desperadoes will have ulterior motives.

Fang Chongyong nodded blankly, still wondering what the unit "shi" meant; it seemed to be commonly used locally in Dunhuang, and he guessed it should be similar to the "stone" (shi) unit.

What Fang Chongyong and Wang Shili didn't know was that, to strike at the arrogance of the Tubo people, in this harsh winter month, under the most unfavorable weather conditions for the Tang army, the Hexi Military Governor Xiao Jing and the Longyou Military Governor Du Xu, joining forces, gathered nearly a hundred thousand troops from two directions and launched a large-scale counterattack against the Tubo in the Hehuang valley.

The westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor, Dunhuang, instead became the most peaceful place in the surrounding area.

The story comes from life; savor it.

(End of chapter)