Chapter 257: Update of the

From Liangzhou's Wuwei to Chang'an, the official road spans 1,800 li. Ordinary officials traveling for appointment or reporting back to the capital are required by the court to arrive within a month.

But this is merely the normal travel requirement, leaving ample time.

If a swift horse carries a message or a letter, it can arrive in as little as six days.

Just as Fang Chongyong was at the Liangzhou military governor's office, finishing a meeting with local magnates without reaching any consensus, Cen Can returned from Chang'an with a letter, having been appointed Censor‑in‑Chief by Ji Ge, and proceeded to Liangzhou to announce the court's decree.

It read: Fang Chongyong was appointed by Ji Ge as Imperial Censor‑in‑Chief, Honglu Qing, Assistant Right and same‑rank official, and Marquis of Dunhuang County with a fief of a thousand households.

Although the Imperial Censor‑in‑Chief is merely an honorary post, not involving daily management of the censorate, a military governor bestowed with that title signals that the Tang Emperor now regards him as a formal regional commander, affirming his capability and no longer treating him as a transient, stop‑gap figure.

It is an inconspicuous bureaucratic convention, yet it operates in concrete reality.

Wang Zhongsi, An Lushan and others all bear the title Imperial Censor‑in‑Chief. In contrast, after Fang Youde stepped down as Lingnan Military Commissioner and returned to Chang'an to command the Imperial Guard, he no longer held the Imperial Censor‑in‑Chief title.

Hexi currently faces little military pressure, because the turmoil in the Tibetan Su Bi region and the heavy blow Fang Chongyong dealt in Longyou have severely weakened the corresponding Tibetan forces, leaving them unable to launch an attack from the northernmost Su Bi toward Hexi, nor to seize the outskirts of Liangzhou and the Doudou Valley.

Now the military pressure on the western Tang has been pushed back to the Longyou‑Shanzhou front. Next, the Tibetans will concentrate forces to contest the ancient Tuyuhun route at Shibao City with the Tang army, a view already shared across the Tang court and society.

With such a clear strategy, Ji Ge nonetheless insists on granting Fang Chongyong the Imperial Censor‑in‑Chief post to strengthen his authority as Hexi military governor.

That only shows one thing: the cash‑strapped Tang Emperor places great expectations on Fang Chongyong's money‑making scheme in Hexi!

Fang Chongyong is nominally Hexi military governor, but in practice his duties resemble those of a Hexi regional administrator.

Of course, the appropriate offices were granted, the appropriate titles bestowed, and the local fiscal, land, and personnel appointment powers handed over; if after a few years he fails to deliver satisfactory results, Ji Ge will lose his temper! If things go awry, even dismissal may not suffice, and he could be exiled to Lingnan!

Upon learning that he had been saddled with a slew of chaotic, practically useless titles, Fang Chongyong not only felt displeased but grew even more resentful.

……

"Having gone to Chang'an, I finally realized the depth of the imperial favor bestowed upon a Jiedushi; no outsider can compare. Your servant also basks in that glow—otherwise the Censor‑in‑Chief position would have required at least ten years of hard toil before reaching anyone."

"Your servant hereby thanks the Jiedushi."

In the Hexi military governor's study, Cen Can respectfully saluted Fang Chongyong and spoke.

Fang Chongyong remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on Cen Can, who also said nothing.

"Fang Jiedushi…"

Cen Can felt a chill under Fang Chongyong's gaze, puzzled. Supposedly, with Fang's delicate wife, beautiful concubine, and the fair‑skinned, delicate Pei Xiu as a third, any man's physical needs could be satisfied.

No need to indulge in strange games, right?

"Censor Cen, originally I was eager for you to stay by my side, to devise strategies and handle affairs for me."

"But, the number of trustworthy people around me is few. There is a matter that requires a reliable and capable person to be stationed in Chang'an for the long term."

"I have been weighing whether to have you handle it or Yan Zhuang. I'd like to hear your opinion."

Fang Chongyong let out a light sigh and said.

Cen Can is a scholar with a good personal image, making it easy to promote his Hexi achievements in Chang'an, though he lacks political battle experience.

Yan Zhuang, on the other hand, is treacherous and cunning; his flaw is that he cannot converse with the upright aristocracy, making it easy for central officials to vilify him in Hexi.

Fang Chongyong pondered; he is not An Lushan busy plotting rebellion, so there is no need to let Yan Zhuang operate in Chang'an—Cen Can is more reliable. Good wine still fears narrow alleys; nowadays scholars are chiefly used to advertise for the powerful and boost social influence.

What Fang Chongyong intends to do in Hexi, politely termed 'financial innovation,' bluntly is finding ways to skim money for the emperor.

The more one looks, the more Cen Can seems suitable for this post.

After all, Cen Can can compose poems praising frontier generals! The historical figure Feng Changqing was one of his 'battle records.' Fang Chongyong wishes to station Cen Can in Chang'an to trumpet his local achievements.

"Please, Jiedushi, issue your command; I would die ten thousand times without refusing!"

Cen Can said, his face alight with excitement.

"Then you take a look at this first."

Fang Chongyong handed the stack of manuscripts beneath the desk's paperweight to him, said nothing further, and bowed his head silently as if pondering a problem.

"Memorial Submission Office?"

Cen Can gave him a strange look and asked, somewhat bewildered.

The draft memorial to Ji Ge differed entirely from what he had expected. The matter Fang raised had nothing to do with money, but was rather unusual.

Yet after careful thought, Cen Can felt it was not out of place at all; indeed it fell within Fang Chongyong's duties.

In this draft, Fang Chongyong proposed a new institution called the Memorial Submission Office, classified as "central‑outside," technically part of the capital bureaucracy but with personnel candidates supplied by the region and approved by the central government, and also funded by the region.

In simple terms, it is akin to a "military governor's Beijing office," with operating costs self‑handled, requiring no extra court funds—truly considerate.

So why establish this Memorial Submission Office?

Fang Chongyong wrote plainly in the draft: "Since the Kaiyuan era, frontier garrisons have multiplied, and the Ministry of War cannot cope; thus the Memorial Submission Office is opened in the capital for handover."

With the establishment of frontier garrisons, the dissolution of the militia system, and the formalization of the Ten Great Jiedushi of Tianbao, the Tang's internal military machine has undergone fundamental change.

The Tang central government's original Three Departments and Six Ministries system can no longer handle daily frontier affairs. This problem was noticed not only by Ji Ge but also by some regional military governors.

Though they offered no solutions, they complained many times that the central response to frontier matters was extremely slow, often leaving the military governor to decide on his own.

Central orders are slower than turtles!

Yet central officials also say that slowness has its reasons; your impatience won't help.

The Tang has its own procedures; the required processes must be followed. The slowness lies not with the officials but with the bureaucracy!

Such "minor matters" used to get tangled up to Li Linfu, then filtered out by Gao Lishi, never reaching Ji Ge.

Fang Chongyong's proposal for the Memorial Submission Office is to have officials familiar with local conditions stationed long‑term in the capital, rotating periodically.

Any frontier developments—personnel changes, major expenditures, recruitment, or military dispatches—would be handled by dedicated staff within the Office liaising with the relevant central ministries.

Whether proactively reporting or answering queries, any issue could be communicated to the central government instantly.

Thus, an imperial order, after circulating within the central court, would connect directly with the designated frontier official, preventing situations where a frontier incident leaves the emperor without a responsible party.

No matter what trouble arises on the frontier, the emperor can go straight to the Office's specialist; likewise, the Office's head transmits any frontier news, and no other messenger's report counts as "official information."

Fang Chongyong's suggestion is for the court to select an inconspicuous location within Chang'an to first establish a Hexi Military Governor Memorial Submission Office.

If the pilot proves successful, similar offices would be opened for the other nine military governors, spreading the Hexi experience.

If it fails, the institution can be abolished without causing a major upheaval.

At the same time, operating this way could keep information within each Jiedushi's defense area relatively confidential. Going further, the Emperor could bypass the Secretariat and Chancellery and directly interface with the liaison offices, thereby consolidating imperial power.

It must be said that Fang Chongyong's proposal truly hit the mark on current ills and was highly practical. From Cen Shen's years of experience in government, the chances of this memorial being adopted were very high.

Only there were some problems that could not be stated openly: would the officials of the liaison offices ultimately answer to the Jiedushi or to the court?

If they answered to the court, serving as officials in Chang'an would be fine. But how could a Jiedushi willingly accept another shackle around his neck? He would surely obstruct the relevant liaison office officials in every possible way, from withholding money and provisions to feigning compliance while acting otherwise, making the liaison office model fundamentally unsustainable.

If they did not answer to the court but to the Jiedushi, then the liaison office would naturally receive the full support of the locality—money when money was needed, men when men were needed. But could the court tolerate such an intelligence organ of a regional Jiedushi operating openly in Chang'an?

Of course, though the growing power of regional Jiedushi was a long-term trend that anyone not blind could see, for now the court transferred Jiedushi very frequently, so such concerns were not yet warranted.

At least up to the present, regional Jiedushi could not yet be called warlords; frontier army commanders and even the Jiedushi themselves could still be reassigned by the court at will.

"Censor Cen is well suited to serve as the liaison envoy of the Hexi liaison office in Chang'an. I shall recommend you to the court. Of course, the position of Investigating Censor would then no longer be tenable.

But as for where you ultimately go, please consider it yourself, Censor Cen. I will not force the matter."

Fang Chongyong said dismissively.

"The liaison office—is it meant to handle certain confidential matters for the Jiedushi?"

Cen Shen asked without batting an eye.

"Indeed it is."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, neither spelling it out nor denying it.

"Jiedushi Fang, this humble official has some private words to say to Fang Guozhong, yet they must not be known to the Hexi Jiedushi, Jiedushi Fang.

How should this humble official broach the subject?"

Cen Shen asked in a lowered voice.

"Speak freely. There is no Jiedushi Fang here. Once you step out this door, I will not remember anything Censor Cen said."

Fang Chongyong said with a gentle wave of his hand.

"This is a personal letter from Prince Ying, Li Jian, entrusted to this humble official, to arrange a match for Jiedushi Fang. It says that the wife's family has a daughter aged sixteen who greatly admires the Jiedushi's youth and promise, and is willing to serve as his concubine and warm his bed.

He asked this humble official to relay a message to the Jiedushi.

This humble official dared not neglect the matter, yet feared the court might investigate, so opened the letter in advance and read it—there was nothing else of consequence inside. Even if by some chance there were, I could take the blame for the Jiedushi.

This lady is the thirteenth daughter of Dugu Li, a lady of the Dugu clan.

It is worth noting that Li Jian's wife is the twelfth daughter of Dugu Li. In other words, she is Li Jian's wife's younger sister.

Aside from this, the people Li Jian sent did not say anything else to this humble official."

Cen Shen pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Fang Chongyong; the envelope had already been opened.

Fang Chongyong took the letter, skimmed it at a glance, and immediately understood what Li Jian was really after.

An unmarried noble lady of a great house admires you—are you pleased, are you delighted?

She asks for neither fame nor profit; she simply has her eye on you and wants to go to bed with you—do you accept?

If yes, wonderful—henceforth you and I, Prince Ying Li Jian, will be brothers-in-law, so shouldn't we grow closer?

If no, you faithless man who doesn't know a good thing! You're refusing a face-saving offer—don't blame anyone but yourself when your reputation is ruined!

"What a way to play the game!"

After finishing the letter, Fang Chongyong could not help but remark with a sigh.

He had originally been curious why, when he pushed Pei Xiu onto the bed back then, she had not resisted at all. Now it seemed that noble ladies begging to be pushed down by him would have to form a line! How could Pei Xiu possibly have resisted!

In this day and age, noble ladies of great houses were not the scarce resource—young Jiedushi were!

"What is Judge Cen trying to tell me?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a look of helplessness.

"Jiedushi, the Sage's age is already very advanced. Once the Sage passes away... chaos across the realm will be but a moment away."

Cen Shen said in a lowered voice.

Fang Chongyong nodded thoughtfully. Cen Shen's words only proved that his political acumen was up to standard, because this was something not only he had seen—many in the Tang court's inner circles had seen it too. The day Brother Ji passed away would be the day various princes each allied with frontier army commanders and rose in arms to contend for the throne!

How could the realm not descend into chaos?

"Quite so. Censor Cen's gaze is sharp as a torch."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, without taking a position.

"The Jiedushi now occupies a high position, seemingly enjoying boundless imperial favor. But once the Sage is no longer around, would the Jiedushi not have lost his greatest backer?

How will the Jiedushi conduct himself in the future?"

Cen Shen continued to ask.

Fang Chongyong remained silent.

In truth, although the An-Shi Rebellion erupted very suddenly, the accumulation of the Tang's contradictions to the point of impending internal turmoil was a consensus shared by many officials.

If Brother Ji had died a few years earlier, the Tang would still have seen a battle for the succession. The spectacle of princes colluding with frontier Jiedushi to "rescue the sovereign" was far more palatable to the Tang's subjects than An Lushan stubbornly rebelling; when the time came, at the very least all the northern Jiedushi would be drawn in.

And it was very likely that one prince would gain the support of one frontier force, and once that faction successfully seized Chang'an, the others would either pick sides or take their licks, and power would be reshuffled anew.

"What does Censor Cen want to say? Stop beating around the bush."

Fang Chongyong said with a sigh.

"This humble official believes that Jiedushi Fang should make preparations early; with preparation, there will be no calamity.

The liaison office happens to be an opportunity to lay the groundwork in advance. This humble official's abilities are limited and I am not skilled at such things, so it would be better for me to remain at the Jiedushi's side to serve.

As for Li Jian's little scheme, the Jiedushi need not pay it any mind—you can shop around before making a decision.

The young lady of the Dugu family is not necessarily the fairest of them all; the Jiedushi should of course take a good look before saying anything."

Cen Shen said boldly, a suggestive smile on his face. He believed Fang Chongyong would certainly understand what he meant to convey.

Officials like them, if they stood up to rebel and smash the Li-Tang's stall, certainly lacked the will and the nerve.

But if there was a chance to earn merit as a follower of a future emperor, these men would run faster and more eagerly than anyone!

The root of Brother Ji's "wretched subjects are ruining my reign" mentality lay in this: from top to bottom, the Tang did not regard changing emperors as anything treasonous. As long as the Li-Tang brand remained, it made no difference at all which member of the imperial clan sat on the throne!

Taizong himself had forced his father to abdicate and seized the throne after killing his legitimate brothers—what ethics or moral principles were there left to speak of?

Under the premise of such social currents, loyalty within the framework of the state simply did not exist. A minister's loyalty to the emperor depended entirely on personal relationships. Those loyal to the state might well be scheming day and night to do Brother Ji in.

"Censor Cen speaks reason. I shall have Yan Zhuang take up the post of Reporting Commissioner at the Reporting Office."

"He is currently still serving as county magistrate in Shazhou's Dunhuang County. I have already sent someone to have him come to Liangzhou; he should arrive tomorrow."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

The situation had indeed changed. Brother Ji's sons, once freed from their cage, had already begun to act in secret.

Fang Chongyong felt somewhat moved. The things he had wanted to quietly accomplish had been laid bare in a single sentence by Cen Shen—it seemed one truly could not underestimate the wisdom of the ancients.

The Reporting Office was not a simple "Jiedushi's liaison office in the capital." In the history of the mid-to-late Tang, there were cases where officials of the Reporting Office, acting on a Jiedushi's orders, assassinated officials of the imperial court's inner council.

The complexity of this institution touched on military, political, economic, and even diplomatic affairs; its importance far exceeded what people of that era could have imagined.

This letter from Li Jing indicated that a new situation had opened up in the arena of power. Cen Shen's abilities were indeed insufficient to cope with such complexity—what was needed was a figure of deeper cunning, even a ruthless one.

No one but Yan Zhuang would do.

"Right—didn't Li Jing say this Lady Dugu fancied me? Then have her come to Liangzhou for a bit of fun, ride a camel. Then sleep with a rough fellow like me… meet with me, stay a few months, have her fill of fun, and then go back to Chang'an."

Just as Cen Shen was about to rise and leave, Fang Chongyong suddenly brought it up with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Eh?"

Cen Shen was taken aback—was that how you played it? He felt as though Fang Chongyong had refreshed his understanding of the world. Coming to Liangzhou for fun naturally meant going back afterward; Fang Chongyong had effectively turned the tables on them.

"Then this subordinate will write a letter right away."

Seeing Cen Shen's stunned expression, Fang Chongyong laughed and shook his head, silently cursing Li Jing as a massive idiot.

Li Jing's playing this kind of ambiguous game showed he looked down on people far too much. What kind of place was Liangzhou? What woman could he, Young Master Fang, as Jiedushi of Hexi, not get his hands on?

Even a princess of some small Western Region kingdom—so long as he wanted one, it would be effortless, and he could take his pick. Li Jing thought sending a woman could drag Young Master Fang down into the muck—he must have eaten too much and had nothing better to do. Better just wash up and go to sleep.

Fang Chongyong thought with disdain.

(End of this chapter)