Chapter 54: The Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Garment Melody

"Is this plan of yours actually going to work?"

In the study of the Fang family residence behind the back gate of Xingqing Palace, Zheng Shuqing looked at Fang Chongyong with puzzlement and asked.

It was already late at night, and the two were still conspiring there.

There were still many things to do next, the most crucial one being: have a proper discussion with the head of the Directorate of the Palace Building Service—that is, Zheng Shuqing's relative, the Director of the Palace Building Service Zheng Yan—and quickly have this batch of Tang brocade made into garments for the dancing girls.

Only then would it not delay the important matter.

Rushed, high quality—at the very least, the workmanship could not be inferior to the grade of the fabric!

With such requirements, apart from the Directorate of the Palace Building Service, no other establishment in Chang'an truly had the capability.

Before discussing with Zheng Yan, Zheng Shuqing needed one final confirmation from Fang Chongyong: could this one-shot deal be done!

"Actually, there's a shortcut this time. There's no need to go find Wei Qing, and even less need for Lady Gongsun's help."

Fang Chongyong said quietly.

Old Zheng dreaded hearing him say such things the most, and hastily lowered his voice to ask: "What do you mean by that?"

"Yang Yuhuan is currently in favor. As long as Vice Minister Zheng has a few sets of clothes custom-made for her and has her wear them at the celebration, the Sage will surely be greatly pleased. That batch of Tang brocade will no longer be a problem.

This method is both reliable and economical, and it also curries favor with Yang Yuhuan, indirectly pleasing the Sage."

Fang Chongyong explained the benefits of this approach to Zheng Shuqing: good efficacy, fast results, and it saves money.

Old Zheng was no fool—the moment he heard it, he knew this matter had enormous side effects, and hastily asked: "Only, is there something inappropriate about it?"

"Of course it's inappropriate—the hidden risks are enormous! Just trust me on this. There are many things right now that can't be explained in a short while."

Fang Chongyong sighed softly. He couldn't exactly say that at least in this era, many people would come to blame Yang Yuhuan for the outbreak of the An-Shi Rebellion, believing it was closely connected to her.

Getting involved in the affairs between Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan was tantamount to burying a bomb beside himself that could detonate at any moment!

"Hmm, that works too. I also felt that approaching Yang Yuhuan in this matter was rather inappropriate."

Zheng Shuqing nodded slightly. He said this purely out of the survival instinct he had honed over years of serving as an official.

Countless predecessors had proven with bloody lessons that as long as one became entangled with palace consorts, when things went well they could certainly lift you to great heights. Yet the moment there was any sign of trouble, one could very likely be implicated and brought down for no reason at all.

The matter of imitating the new-style Sogdian brocade was originally a good deed that benefited both the nation and the people, and might even have a tremendous impact on the future textile industry of the Great Tang.

With this as the foundation, Zheng Shuqing had no desire to take a risky and unorthodox path. Never mind that Fang Chongyong hadn't brought it up—even if he had, Zheng Shuqing was unlikely to accept.

And providing fine garments and fabrics for the dancing girls of the Pear Garden was itself one of the inherent duties of the Directorate of the Palace Building Service—a matter of "official to official."

Flawless.

This was also the main reason Zheng Shuqing frequently came to Fang Chongyong for ideas.

This little prodigy Fang's ideas often had extremely strong practicality, and were moreover compliant and lawful!

"Having Lady Gongsun take the spotlight this time will certainly offend Yang Yuhuan. Right now she might not say anything, but once this matter leaves a root of trouble, it will be very hard to eliminate the hidden risk.

What will happen in the future... is hard to predict.

But future matters are too far off, and for now cannot be attended to."

Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing very earnestly and said.

"A favored woman whose position is so illegitimate—what kind of waves can she make?"

Zheng Shuqing said dismissively, not taking Fang Chongyong's warning to heart.

A mere Yang Yuhuan—as the Princess of Shou, a plaything snatched away by the Sage, this was a scandalous affair of a father-in-law taking his daughter-in-law that stank to high heaven for three hundred li.

What waves could this woman make?

Zheng Shuqing didn't think this woman Yang Yuhuan could amount to much—perhaps Li Longji would casually play with her for half a month or a month and then grow tired of her?

However, it was foreseeable that providing "performance costumes" for Lady Gongsun's disciples this time without so much as consulting the favored Yang Yuhuan would surely plant a thorn in the latter's heart.

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

Was it to curry favor with Yang Yuhuan to climb higher, or to "deliberately" embarrass this woman who was destined to become a Noble Consort?

Few things in this world can satisfy both sides; often, pleasing one side means offending the other. Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing both made the same choice without prior consultation: ignore this future Noble Consort Yang!

……

In a certain study of Li Linfu's residence in Pingkan Ward, on the desk of this newly appointed Right Minister of the Great Tang, lay a memorial from Cui Xiyi, the Military Commissioner of Hexi.

It stated: this year, due to drought, the Hexi region had a poor harvest, with yields considerably lower than last year. He hoped the court could supply Hexi from the capital region.

Li Linfu sank into deep thought.

In fact, the matter described in this memorial was not the first occurrence.

The total grain output of the Hexi Corridor had already shown a phenomenon of failing momentum under the influence of continuously declining per-mu yields.

The Hexi Corridor, with Liangzhou and Ganzhou as its primary grain-producing regions, had seen an increase in overall grain output in previous years merely because frontier settlers had been continuously clearing new land in Liangzhou.

But now, the areas that could be reclaimed had essentially all been reclaimed, and annual grain output was in slight decline every year.

Now not only were there no surplus oases available for cultivation, but in some long-developed areas, due to worsening desertification, the local Tang forces had already abandoned large tracts of military farming zones.

Armies were downgraded to garrison posts, garrison posts downgraded to outposts, and some were even directly withdrawn from oases swallowed by the desert. This phenomenon appeared from south to north; the farther from the upstream glacial snowmelt, the more severe the desertification.

These matters had previously been like a needle pricking the back of Li Longji's hand, but now they had become steel nails piercing through the palm, forcing one to deal with these thorny problems.

As if a leaking house caught in an overnight rain, starting this year, because of an all-out war with Tibet in the Hexi and Longyou regions, the military's demand for provisions had increased even further.

The Hexi Corridor could no longer transport grain from Liangzhou back to Chang'an as before; instead, there was a grain shortfall of approximately eight hundred thousand shi that needed to be supplied by the capital region.

Li Longji ignored this problem, tossing it directly to Li Linfu.

This Sage was busy fooling around with Yang Yuhuan in the Pear Garden—why would he care whether Liangzhou was short on grain?

Our Great Tang is invincible; if something goes wrong, it's the officials' fault—just execute a few as punishment.

That was how Li Longji thought.

He believed: if the affairs of state couldn't be handled by the Left Minister, the Right Minister, and the ministers of the Six Ministries, then what use were they?

These people all existed to serve the Emperor and handle the nation's business, not to turn around and trouble the Emperor himself!

The newly appointed Left Minister Zhang Shougui was utterly ignorant of central government affairs and not very familiar with the court's situation, so he also lacked the qualifications to meddle in Li Linfu's business.

In short, now is a good opportunity for Li Linfu to seize power aggressively and install his followers, but it is also a test of his administrative ability.

If he lacks the ability to handle the complex situation, this favorable circumstance will collapse in a very short time.

"To transport grain to the Western Regions, one must conscript mules and draft cattle from the whole country; that is not acceptable. Let the Hu merchants carry grain to Hexi, and then use the he‑di method; that would not be an unwise move."

Li Linfu muttered to himself.

"But the total amount is fixed; the Hu merchants have taken Chang'an's grain away, so the shortfall must be filled."

Li Linfu understood clearly that Li Longji is overly ambitious and wants everything. Yet if supporting the military campaign in the Hexi Corridor causes a famine in Chang'an, then this right prime minister of his will certainly meet his end.

The grain coming from Hebei is abundant, and shipping via the Tongji Canal costs the least, so… we can only continue to press Hebei, increasing the grain transport output from Hebei.

Well, transport alone is insufficient; there must be goods to transport, so taxes must be raised a bit, increasing Hebei's household tax. The old levy is "ancestral law" and not easy to discard; household tax is flexible, so add a household tax.

Li Linfu thought that the grain levy on Hebei must be increased to meet the logistical needs of the campaigns in the Western Regions and Hexi.

However, merely collecting taxes is not enough; how to transport this grain to Chang'an is the top priority. Thus the problem circles back to the water transport.

During Emperor Gaozong's reign, Chang'an suffered a grain shortage; the court tried to transport grain overland to Chang'an, and then… more than eighty percent of the mules tasked with hauling died of exhaustion, and the famine in Chang'an was not fundamentally alleviated.

That humiliation nearly crushed the Tang dynasty's grand ambitions.

Therefore, later Chang'an's grain had to rely entirely on water transport. But water transport has its own problems: the rivers require continual dredging, and the shipping costs are not cheap.

Now supplying Chang'an by water transport is already a strain; turning Chang'an into a grain transshipment hub for the Hexi Corridor would be a fiscal burden the state cannot bear.

So the method Zheng Shuqing originally proposed is a good one: let Western Region merchants transport grain to the Hexi Corridor for civilian sale, then use the he‑di method to collect the grain from the populace into the Changping Granary, and finally use the Changping Granary's grain for military supplies.

Li Linfu has already seen these benefits.

But it is still far from enough.

"Water transport, water transport… where does the grain come from?"

Li Linfu fell into contemplation, feeling helpless with the current transport conditions.

Unless a new canal is excavated?

That thought, once it appeared in his mind, would not leave.

He took a map of canal distribution from the cabinet and examined it by lamp light.

The Yongji Canal has always been relatively smooth, and its distance is much shorter than the Tongji Canal. Therefore, there is little potential to develop this segment.

The bottleneck in water transport is mainly the stretch from Chang'an to Luoyang; the treacherous Sanmen Gorge causes slot‑boats to lose twenty to thirty percent of their cargo.

The idiom "zhongliu dizhu" (a pillar in the middle of the river) originates from this.

Just that pillar alone, without exaggeration, would damage the Tang dynasty to a degree comparable to several major earthquakes.

"Between Shan Zhou and Chang'an, open another slot‑canal?"

Li Linfu's mind drummed; he weighed whether to open another new canal.

"Never mind, discuss it after the tribute captive celebration."

Li Linfu felt a sense of powerlessness.

Everyone harbors a desire to seize power; politely it's called ambition, bluntly it's called a controlling desire. Li Linfu wants to seize power, but he also knows that mere political maneuvering is useless; he must solve the court's real problems.

He now has a notion: whether to open a slot‑canal to solve the grain issue for the north‑western campaigns, and what benefits he could reap from it.

The state's affairs must be handled, and his own affairs too; this is Li Linfu's belief.

"Perhaps we should first cast a stone to test the road."

…

On the day of the celebratory banquet, Zheng Shuqing ordered someone to deliver to Fang Chongyong a set of robes made of Tang brocade, dark indigo, dignified and upscale.

Wearing it, Fang Chongyong's aura changed completely; saying he is a royal clan descendant, probably no one would doubt it.

"Sir, this garment looks splendid, I guess it costs several thousand wen."

Fang Laique said with an envious face.

Several thousand wen?

That's the craftsmanship fee!

This kind of Tang brocade is not yet on the market; it requires a special imperial decree to obtain.

Wearing it is a symbol of status; it cannot be bought with money, and not everyone may wear it.

This reflects the Tang society's strict and unspeakable hierarchical system.

Fang Laique, that fool, knows nothing; Fang Chongyong is too lazy to even scold him.

"After the banquet ends today, I'll give this robe to you."

Fang Chongyong said irritably.

"Really, sir? Would that be inappropriate?"

Fang Laique asked shyly, his eyes shining as he looked at Fang Chongyong.

"Don't get out! Shameful!"

Fang Dafu slapped Fang Laique on the head, and with a worried face said to Fang Chongyong: "Sir, you shouldn't attend such an occasion."

"I know, but this time the saint is granting my father a title; I cannot skip it. This banquet is because my father achieved a great victory over the Khitans in Youzhou, right?"

Fang Chongyong sighed; this Hongmen banquet is not something one can simply skip. Gao Lishi also sent an invitation, meaning Fang Chongyong now holds two invitations.

This is a celebratory banquet related to his father Fang Youde; if the old man couldn't go to Youzhou for official business, that's one thing, but can his son in Chang'an also skip it?

Trying to insult the saint, but not in that way.

"Then, I shall escort you, sir, to the outside of the Pear Garden."

Fang Dafu sighed; Fang Youde's greatest worry is his son being drawn into the political vortex.

Contrary to his wishes, Fang Chongyong seems to be getting closer to the political center.

The group arrived at the Pear Garden and was immediately led inside by Wei Qing, who was waiting at the gate. Today he is the official in charge of guiding guests to their seats.

Wei Qing holds multiple roles: he is a scholar who failed the imperial examinations, a vocal performer, a manager of the Pear Garden, and a confidant of Li Longji.

Still an acting General of the Golden Warrior Guard, although this post is temporarily useless.

While there was no one around, Wei Qing approached Fang Chongyong and said, "The Tang brocade garments you made, the Sage is very pleased with."

Pleased? He doesn't even know what the Sage looks like—what the hell is there to be pleased about! Shouldn't this be kept secret right now?

Fang Chongyong stared at Wei Qing with a bewildered expression, saying nothing for a long while.

"The Sage personally ordered a set of brocade robes made for Yang…Noble Consort using Tang brocade. Today, the Sage will command Li Guinian to perform the Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Robe melody here, while Yang Noble Consort is responsible for the accompanying dance; that set of brocade robes is what she will wear while dancing."

"The Sage is pleased with the clothing, but dissatisfied with Zheng Shuqing's attitude. Such fine garments, giving them to Gongsun Dawa's disciple instead of Yang Noble Consort—are you trying to embarrass the Sage?"

Zheng Shuqing is about to face great disaster; stay away from him.

Wei Qing issued a stern warning.

Damn Li Longji, the old bastard, still trying to curry favor with Yang Yuhuan!

Fang Chongyong cursed furiously in his heart, but on the surface he remained impassive and nodded slightly.

Old Zheng, this time it's probably hard to get out of this predicament. The emperor finding fault with officials is as easy as it gets.

No matter how well the things are made, if you don't give them to the favored concubine, you're not giving face!

Fang Chongyong suddenly noticed the brocade robe he was wearing, and at that moment Wei Qing seemed to realize something as well.

He sighed and said, "You do as you see fit."

"Is there still time to go back and change clothes?"

Fang Chongyong grabbed Wei Qing's sleeve and asked.

"What do you say?"

Wei Qing pointed to the nearby crowd of guests gathering, and replied with a bitter expression.