Chapter 266: Journey to the Western Regions in Search of Kin

Before Ma Daifeng sat a clay pot containing a somewhat viscous, unidentified pitch-black liquid.

Fang Chongyong, looking puzzled, dipped a chopstick into the pot, coated it with the ink, and used the chopstick to write on white paper.

It seemed merely darker than ordinary ink; no other advantages were apparent for now.

"Is this the ink made from petroleum as a base, mixed with oils and water?"

"To reply to Jiedushi Fang, indeed it is."

Ma Daifeng said with a modest expression.

"Hmm, not bad."

Fang Chongyong nodded noncommittally.

Could printing jiaozi be handled well with this ink alone?

That was hardly certain.

He recalled the luxury goods pursued by people in his previous life. No matter how many people mocked those things, what was undeniable was that these items called luxury goods, which were actually just junk, no matter whether they were useful or not, at the very least looked exquisite and eye-catching.

If jiaozi were printed using only ink, it would seem a bit lacking in prestige!

"Could we use multi-block color printing?"

Fang Chongyong took out the printing block he had long since prepared from the desk drawer, placed it on the table, and asked.

"What does multi-block color printing mean?"

Ma Daifeng asked in puzzlement.

"First, use this set of printing blocks to print in black.

Then, color a separate block and use another printing block for a second printing.

For the second printing, you can use red pigment containing cinnabar.

This is the method of printing in multiple passes—loading different pigments onto several printing blocks of the same size, then printing them onto the same sheet of paper in successive passes.

It is not limited to just two printings.

In the future, you could also add cyan, reddish-yellow, and so on, printing a third time, a fourth time. You can do whatever you like.

What does Pharmacist Ma think?"

Fang Chongyong asked, brimming with confidence.

In his era, multi-block color printing was already a commonplace technology, long since eliminated by large-scale industrial printing—it was considered an "intangible cultural heritage."

Moreover, it did not appear to have a particularly high technical barrier, yet no one in this current era used it. The main reason was the lack of any necessary use case, which meant the technology's emergence lacked social demand.

"Marvelous! Jiedushi Fang's thinking is truly broad and ingenious beyond words."

Ma Daifeng was so excited he clapped his hands and laughed. This technique, taken on its own, was nothing worth mentioning. But if three or four colors could be printed on jiaozi, it would undoubtedly greatly raise the threshold for counterfeiting and also make this kind of "money" look far more high-end.

Fine clothes make the man, and a fine saddle makes the horse—never underestimate presentation. For something as novel as jiaozi, whether it looked good and whether the printing was exquisite often determined people's first impression of it.

Compared to the still rather crude "flying money," the jiaozi that Fang Chongyong, Ma Daifeng, and the others were now planning had a noticeably higher technical content, and its eventual presentation would be in an entirely different league.

The quality of the paper used for printing alone was something flying money could not match.

"It is indeed worth trying, right? I, this Jiedushi, also think this approach is quite good."

Fang Chongyong said with great interest as he toyed with the wooden printing block for jiaozi in his hand.

The wooden printing block he now held was called the "first draft," used only to verify the printed pattern. Even if it were actually used for printing, it could not produce an "embossed" effect.

The printing blocks that would ultimately be used for printing needed to be modified from the first draft, then reproduced and finalized using copper material. Using copper as the printing block material allowed it to be used many times. It could also easily produce locally embossed patterns.

Whether in service life or printing effect, both were satisfactory. When worn out, the copper could be melted and reworked, and it would be good as new again!

"Liangzhou's treasury has only one million bolts of silk, but whether for military campaigns or paying soldiers, at the very least three million bolts' worth of jiaozi must be issued to cope. Beyond that, to manage affairs across the court and the provinces, to pay tribute to the Sage, and at the same time to maintain currency circulation across the five prefectures of Hexi.

Therefore, the first edition of jiaozi must print at least five million bolts' worth—no less, only more."

Fang Chongyong sighed softly, patted Ma Daifeng on the shoulder, and said, "Without issuing jiaozi, I cannot continue as Hexi Jiedushi. Success or failure depends on how we handle this operation."

Issue that much jiaozi?

Ma Daifeng was startled and asked in shock and uncertainty, "Jiedushi Fang, that is four times over-issued!"

He still did not understand what "monetary leverage" meant, and naturally assumed that for every bolt of silk stored, only one bolt's worth of jiaozi could be issued.

"It's a minor matter. It would be hard to explain to you right now even if I tried.

Once a batch is printed, have Yan Zhuang take it to Chang'an, establish a Jinzou Yuan, and pay tribute to the Sage.

Yan Zhuang will purchase the building next door to the Jinzou Yuan, open a jiaozi shop there, and stockpile silk within the Jinzou Yuan to handle exchanges in Chang'an.

Several sets of jiaozi printing blocks should be prepared in reserve for unforeseen needs. Extra mulberry paper should also be stocked. When the time comes, jiaozi can be issued in Chang'an as well."

Fang Chongyong spoke of this shocking plan with a casual, understated expression.

"Th-this-this...

This humble official will certainly do his utmost to print the jiaozi. Please rest assured, Jiedushi Fang."

Ma Daifeng said with a bitter smile, realizing that he had now thoroughly boarded a pirate ship with no way to get off.

What had just been said indicated that either this Jiedushi Fang completely did not understand Tang law, or his audacity had grown beyond all bounds!

The latter possibility seemed far greater than the former.

In Ma Daifeng's impression, Fang Chongyong had been immersed in Tang government documents for many years and was very familiar with all kinds of laws and ordinances—he did not seem like the kind of ignorant, uneducated playboy who knew nothing.

What was illegal and what was not—this Jiedushi Fang should have it crystal clear in his mind!

This Jiedushi Fang before him, who was said to be deeply trusted by the Sage, did not seem quite as loyal as the rumors outside suggested!

It was merely that his little schemes were very well hidden, that his methods were comparatively sophisticated, and that his intentions were difficult for outsiders to fathom.

The Duke of Zhou feared the days of rumor, and Wang Mang was humble before he usurped! How could Ma Daifeng, who had served by Brother Ji for many years, not know such a simple truth?

At this moment, Ma Daifeng thought a great deal in his heart, yet did not say another word.

"Go. The matter of jiaozi—make it quick."

Fang Chongyong handed the printing block in his hand to Ma Daifeng and said.

"Yes, rest assured, Jiedushi."

Ma Daifeng cupped his hands in salute and withdrew.

After he left, Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh and paced about the study, pondering the livelihood problems of the northwest.

The Great Tang in Hexi and even the Western Regions essentially needed to operate a military-agricultural colonization model: the people were the army, and the army was also the people. When the empire declined, such a structure could maximize the strategic buffer.

To combat the harsh natural environment of desertification, to maintain the irrigation system, and to withstand the military pressure of the steppe peoples who held the numerical advantage, the Han people needed to abandon the small-farmer economic model and enter a collective ownership model.

Using "garrison forts" as units, they carried out military colonial expansion. Every time they arrived at a place, they would kill or drive away the indigenous people and have Han people from the interior migrate there. Since the Han dynasty's management of the Western Regions, the Central Plains regimes had always played it this way.

A single garrison fort was also a small-scale army, and at the same time a collective farm where everyone ate and lived together and helped one another. Currency, that thing, did not work well under such a model.

Before the Silk Road flourished, this was for a long time the normal organizational model of the northwest Han people. It was just that the people involved and those in power were always realizing it after the fact. They had not yet distilled a theory, could not sustain it long-term, and had not carefully studied its pros and cons.

What was even more fatal was that an overly militarized northwest would lead to tense frontier relations and drain national strength for no reason.

The prosperity of the Silk Road changed this mode of operation. And the secret of the Silk Road's prosperity lay in a commodity economy and free trade. Having reached this stage, the Great Tang could no longer say that upon migrating somewhere, it would simply kill or drive away the indigenous people of the Western Regions there. In reality, national strength did not permit playing it that way either.

Since the Kaiyuan era, Hexi and even the Western Regions under the Great Tang's control had been striving to develop a commodity economy, and had prospered as a result.

Wuwei, Dunhuang, Zhangye, and other places were all like this. The prosperity of the commodity economy greatly strengthened the Great Tang's control and cohesion in the northwest. The loyalty of the tribes beside the cities here toward the Great Tang was several orders of magnitude higher than those around Youzhou.

Compared to simple migration and military agricultural colonies, this model of opening the frontier undoubtedly cost much less.

Was it prosperity they wanted, or frontier security, or colonial expansion to form a permanent base? These options could sometimes all be pursued simultaneously, but more often than not they were mutually exclusive—only one could be chosen.

There were gains and sacrifices; every policy had its pros and cons. There was no such thing as a foolproof strategy.

The Great Tang's current system still took ethnic unity as the mainstream, relying on the Silk Road to develop a commodity economy and thereby strengthen control over the Western Regions.

The number of Han people in the Western Regions was not large, nor was the situation stabilized through iron-blooded and ruthless military expansion and colonial farming.

The Tang court and the Tang army relied on a model of "if there's money, everyone earns together," relying on commercial prosperity and the export of silk to maintain the Great Tang's dominant position in the Western Regions.

However, this model also had its flaws. Once the Great Tang's national strength faltered, losing the Western Regions and losing Hexi would be inevitable. Developing the military-agricultural colony model would allow it to collapse a bit more slowly.

Regardless of what Brother Ji's starting point was, since Fang Chongyong had been appointed by the court as the Grand Envoy for the Management of the Western Regions, he could not be a bureaucrat who just whiled away his days. How the Great Tang could stabilize the situation in Hexi and even the Western Regions was his required course.

Fang Chongyong thought: Ban Chao, who abandoned the brush to join the army, could still maintain "however far they may be, all who offend the mighty Han shall be punished" for decades. As a latecomer with a thousand years of knowledge and the lessons of countless predecessors' trial and error, how could he just muddle along?

But to hold the position and do the job—saying that was simple, yet when it truly fell on his own shoulders, he felt the heavy burden weighed far more than ten thousand catties, pressing him so hard he could barely straighten his back.

Fang Chongyong's eyes, red and swollen from staying up late, stared fixedly at the massive map of the Western Regions hanging on the wall.

The "Persian Protectorate" established during Emperor Gaozong's reign was now Arab territory—specifically, the Black-Clothed Abbasid Caliphate.

Such was the case when strength fell short: even if it had once been indirectly ruled, the moment power slightly declined, it would be lost. This was the real environment the Great Tang faced, not something human effort could reverse.

Facing these difficulties, Fang Chongyong could only choose to "do some things and refrain from others."

The first great surge of Islam's spread in the Western Regions was now already poised and ready, waiting only for the Great Tang's influence to decline.

This trend was very difficult to interrupt at present. The eruption of Arab civilization was driven by their own internal factors, with the influence of the external environment playing a supporting role. This was precisely what the Art of War meant by "invincibility lies in yourself, victory lies in the enemy."

Historically, after the Great Tang's influence withdrew from the Western Regions, the Tibetan Empire, the Great Liao, Western Xia, the Western Liao, and other firewalls appeared in succession, preventing the then-weak Central Plains from being fully Islamized.

The various states of the Western Regions west of the Pamir Mountains were the first line of defense against Arab invasion.

And the Great Tang, whether or not it was at its peak, did not have much spare capacity to attend to this region.

In the long run, for the agrarian civilization of the Central Plains to maintain its presence and dominant rule in the Western Regions, it required continuous investment. The capital's location determined the cost of power projection. Overall, an empire centered on the agrarian civilization of the Central Plains was at a disadvantage in the contest for the Western Regions and needed to compensate for its geopolitical shortcomings with powerful national strength.

Winning was easy; staying prosperous forever was extremely difficult—at the very least, Brother Ji could not achieve it.

Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong felt a wave of intense pain in his head.

Standing high and seeing far was, more often than not, not a fortunate thing. Only the ignorant could continuously obtain carefree happiness.

Fang Chongyong believed that the Great Tang's court, from top to bottom, had underestimated the strategic significance of campaigning and managing the area west of the Pamir Mountains.

This time he was to lead the elite troops of Hexi to campaign in the Western Regions. The first goal was to break through Lesser Balur and lock the western gate through which the Tibetans advanced toward the Western Regions; the second goal was to defeat the twenty-odd states of the Western Regions west of the Pamir Mountains, bring them under control, and stand against the Black-Clothed Abbasid Caliphate; the third goal was to issue jiaozi in the Western Regions and control the upstream source of the Silk Road.

All three goals had to be accomplished. Of course, if there was spare capacity, other things could be done as well.

Fang Chongyong's mind was churning with a jumble of thoughts. He pushed open the door of the study, and the dazzling sunlight made his vision blur for a moment.

At this moment both his legs were trembling, and he could not muster any strength in his body.

Thud!

Fang Chongyong's eyes went dark and he fainted onto the ground. In a daze, a gentle and familiar voice faintly reached his ears:

"Quick, quick, quick! Find a wooden board, lift Alang onto it, and carry him to the bedroom. I will go prepare the acupuncture needles."

……

Fang Chongyong had a strange dream.

He dreamed that Brother Ji was trapped on a deserted island, with countless warships surrounding it, firing ballista bolts and explosives. The island's garrison suffered heavy casualties, and Brother Ji, hair disheveled, was shouting in the center of the great formation, looking as though he had already reached the end of his rope.

In this dream, Fang Chongyong could not see his own body. He was like an immortal possessing a "god's-eye view," watching the warriors aboard the warships land on the island and ruthlessly kill the guards protecting Brother Ji one by one.

Strangely, no matter how bloody and indescribable these scenes were, everything around was as quiet as if no life existed at all.

Fang Chongyong slowly opened his eyes. He had just tried to shift his position when he discovered that silver needles seemed to be inserted in his head. From the corner of his eye, those silver needles glimmered with a faint light under the candle's glow.

By the bedside, Anaye was dozing with her small hands propping up her chin. With her eyes closed, her high nose bridge looked particularly captivating, as exquisite as a work of art.

"Ah, remove the needles, remove the needles!"

Anaye jolted awake and saw Fang Chongyong staring at her without blinking. Though her movements were a bit flustered, her hand removing the needles was very steady, pulling out the silver needles from Fang Chongyong's body one by one in their proper order.

"Did you come to Liangzhou alone?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a hoarse voice.

"That's right. That Xiu'er in our household already has a bulging belly, and she said she was afraid the bumps of a long journey might disturb the pregnancy. We discussed it, and she decided to simply stay in Chang'an to nurture the pregnancy and not come to Hexi.

Who told me that I'm a Liangzhou local and familiar with the situation here?"

Anaye retorted with exasperation.

Wang Yunxiu was pregnant?

Fang Chongyong was taken aback and recalled for a moment. During that period, it seemed that whenever he had free time, he would be "repairing the carriage" with Wang Yunxiu, hardly taking a single day off. Sometimes when they got carried away, they weren't even in bed.

"What are you thinking about? Even if an outsider came to our house to steal a woman, they'd steal me! Who'd go looking for trouble to steal her!"

It is absolutely your child! I am with Xiu'er every day!

Anaye saw Fang Chongyong staring blankly and knew what odd thing he was pondering, and couldn't help but laugh and scold him.

Fang Chongyong actually wanted to say that he had also made Pei Xiu's belly big, so now both Xiu'ers have (something), and he didn't suspect Wang Yunxiu of stealing a man outside.

But after thinking, it's still better not to mention this.

"You're really bold."

Fang Chongyong forced a smile and said.

"That's right!"

Alang's body is too weak now; he needs proper replenishment.

Otherwise, tonight I'll give you a good showing.

Anaye smiled gently, her eyes shimmering, leaned over and kissed Fang Chongyong on the cheek.

"We're about to set out for the Western Regions; come with me."

Fang Chongyong took Anaye's hand and said.

"I don't want to go; I just want to stay in Wuwei City to keep my grandfather company. You go about your business yourself."

Anaye slipped out of Fang Chongyong's grasp, gave a sly smile, then whispered in his ear in a mischievous tone:

"There are so many people in the camp; when night falls and it's quiet, you, a black bear, press on me and mess around."

The whole camp can hear my pleading cries and wails; how will I ever face people again!

I'm not going with you; there are plenty of Hu women in the Western Regions, you can look for any you like!

I'm not Xiu'er; I don't mind any of this at all.

"Actually, when I was in Chang'an, I heard something."

"Your mother is not an unknown person; she may well be a princess of the Anxi Kingdom. This time you accompany me to the Western Regions, see if we can find people from your mother's family."

Fang Chongyong said with a solemn expression; Anaye's ambiguous smile instantly became rigid, her muscles tensed, she clenched her sleeves, and her gaze turned gloomy.

"A princess of the Anxi Kingdom? At last I'm not springing out of a stone."

Anaye let out a long sigh, her eyes full of disappointment.

"Your biological father is Prince Xin'an Li Xi. Doctor Li was a staff member in his princely residence; he was injured back then, stayed in Liangzhou, and took care of you as you grew up."

Fang Chongyong continued to drop a bombshell.

"When we left Chang'an for the relay station, I noticed an old man in a brocade robe trailing behind, looking powerful, yet he only watched me from afar with lecherous eyes, never approaching."

At the time I wondered if the old man was too old to act, just wanting to satisfy his eye fetish.

Now I think, could he be my grandfather?"

Anaye asked with a bitter smile, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"How could you be so foolish? The powerful in Chang'an who can act would never just watch. That man is obviously your biological father."

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but hold Anaye in his arms, gently patting her back. The girl of Western Regions blood clutched him with both hands and sobbed loudly.

(End of chapter)