Chapter 78: Unwritten Rules of the Officialdom

The Tufan came in a great hurry and left just as fast—well, the Tang army gave them a swift send‑off. Throughout the dozens‑of‑miles‑long Dadouba Valley one can see Tufan prisoners, even many young Tufan nobles clad in mail armor.

The Tufan, adept at both major and minor campaigns, did not expect the Tang army—without deploying the Chishui forces—to annihilate the Tufan incursion into Dadouba Valley, rendering the Tufan eyes‑and‑ears and early intelligence inside Liangzhou utterly ineffective.

None of this concerns Fang Chongyong; at this moment he is taking a deep sleep in a separate residence in Liangzhou arranged by Wang Zhongsi. Whether the outside world is in chaos or the war drums are booming, it does not disturb his relaxation.

Since arriving in Liangzhou, he has lived under constant tension and pressure. First came the Baiting Army's fish‑talisman incident, then Cui Xiyi's welcome banquet was ambushed by Tufan at night in Dadouba Valley; these endless side matters have left Fang Chongyong exhausted.

"Young Master, Cui Jiedushi has sent someone, saying you are invited to the Jiedu Prefecture to discuss important matters."

Fang Dafu whispered in Fang Chongyong's ear, that the newly‑awakened Xiao Shengtong was now poring over the "military manual" on the Tufan army left by Niu Xianke, his expression growing ever more solemn.

"Understood, I'll go right away."

Fang Chongyong sighed; he knew Cui Xiyi's face must be saved, even though he had no desire to go.

The separate residence they lived in was close to the Hexi Jiedu Prefecture in central Liangzhou; after Fang Chongyong was ushered inside, he was surprised to find that in the Jiedushi's inner study, besides Cui Xiyi, there was also a young armored commander.

Aside from them, no one else was holding a meeting there.

According to Fang Chongyong's expectation, the Hexi Jiedu Prefecture should now be filled with the region's senior generals convening to discuss how to counter the Tufan, but the reality seemed different.

"Young Master Fang, you're here—have a seat, have a seat. This Jiedushi will introduce you to a local talent."

The moment Fang Chongyong entered, Cui Xiyi immediately beckoned him to sit, his demeanor extremely cordial.

Perhaps Cui Xiyi's over‑enthusiasm left Fang Chongyong a little bewildered. He pretended nothing of the sort as he walked over and sat, politely saluting the young general with a hand‑cross, awaiting Cui's next words.

"The horse bandits you previously encountered, sigh, turned out to be a rogue horse‑man from my Hexi forces…"

Cui Xiyi said with anguish, had it not been for Fang Chongyong's suggestion in handling the matter, it would indeed seem that this Hexi Jiedushi knew nothing at all.

His appearance was innocently pure to the point of being frightening!

"So those men were this general's subordinates, then?"

Fang Chongyong asked thoughtfully.

"Indeed, Xin Yunjing of the Baiting Army, as a Xin Military Commissioner, comes from a distinguished lineage and governs his troops with strict discipline.

However, some under his command resort to looting in order to privately raise horses.

Originally these men should have been dealt with under military law—beheaded as a warning—but the matter is far‑reaching. They must be dealt with, yet publicizing it would risk casting our Tang border forces as indiscriminate murderers.

Staff Officer Fang, how should this be adjudicated?"

The address shifted from 'young master' to 'staff officer'; Cui Xiyi, this Hexi Jiedushi, spoke with flawless precision, leaving Fang Chongyong marveling.

"This matter can be settled by Cui Jiedushi alone; no need to consider my opinion. My authority in Hexi is limited, and I lack power to intervene in such affairs. Hence Cui Jiedushi may no longer bring these issues to me."

Fang Chongyong chuckled lightly.

He noticed Xin Yunjing seemed to exhale, instantly understanding what had transpired earlier.

It must be that Xin Yunjing softened his stance toward Cui Xiyi!

Does Fang Chongyong truly lack jurisdiction over such matters?

On the contrary, his post as a prefectural Staff Officer grants him authority over such incidents, and history records multiple concrete precedents.

In other words, even though a prefectural Staff Officer might seem powerless amid local military‑civil chaos, he not only handled it but was chronicled, indicating a significant impact at the time.

Thus, to some extent, Cui Xiyi's summons of Fang Chongyong is not redundant but the crucial step in 'following procedure'.

Of course, Fang Chongyong had just arrived in Liangzhou, shivering on a hill all night, daring not even to light a campfire. This grievance must be directed at the chief culprit.

If the grievance remains unvoiced, Fang Chongyong feels uneasy, Xin Yunjing would be on edge fearing retribution, and Cui Xiyi would feel his face darkened. Hence today's meeting is less about Cui interrogating Fang and more about acting as a mediator to erase the harmful fallout.

Cui Xiyi thought the matter could end here. If Xin Yunjing yields, writes a 'request' at the Hexi Jiedu Prefecture to retrieve the fish talisman, Cui will accept his submission, turn the page, and give Fang Chongyong a final answer.

Naturally, the problem is easy to resolve; once Fang Chongyong can think around the corner, he'll see that compromise is far better than persisting in a stalemate.

After all, Fang Chongyong bears no deep grudge against the Baiting Army; he merely endured a night of cold wind. If he were to feud endlessly with the Baiting Army and Xin Yunjing, even his father Li Longji could not shield him.

One never hears of a reckless man who, over a minor slight, seeks to kill his enemy and expects to go far.

As expected, after Cui Xiyi uttered a single sentence, Fang Chongyong readily agreed, without further entanglement. This caused both Cui and Xin to look at him more favorably.

"Staff Officer Fang, this was done by the Baiting Army's Deputy Commander. I have already detained him, ready to execute military law, and publicly claim he fell from his horse.

As for the fifty participants in that raid, Cui Jiedushi will find some pretext to send them to the front of the Dadou Army in Dadouba Valley, reinforcing the units that suffered the greatest losses, thereby allowing them to atone with merit.

How do you, Staff Officer, view this arrangement?"

Xin Yunjing bowed humbly, crossing his hands, and asked.

When a mishap occurs, even without severe consequences, someone must take the blame. The Baiting Army's Deputy Commander, whose fish talisman went missing, is the perfect scapegoat. Unlike the Dadou Army, the Baiting Army is nominally tasked with guarding against the Turks, who are now waning and cannot threaten the Tang.

Thus the Baiting Army is effectively a second‑line force, not engaged in daily combat.

Not going to war is one thing, but this time they caused trouble; even if Fang Chongyong does not pursue it, Xin Yunjing will heroically cut off his own wrist—to punish those men, set an example, and give Cui Xiyi an answer!

This is the proper course.

The absurdity lies in Xin Yunjing essentially offering Cui Xiyi a 'token of allegiance' while apologizing to Fang Chongyong.

Yet Cui Xiyi was merely rebuked by the over‑confident Xin Yunjing, and Fang Chongyong only spent a night shivering on a hill; for them, the loss was negligible.

Xin Yunjing had to bow and admit fault, both because that is the protocol of officialdom and because Cui Xiyi is a Jiedushi and Fang Chongyong has a powerful background!

Not because the two hold any so‑called 'principle'.

If we truly speak of 'principle', do the dozens of innocent Tibetan monks slain not have a claim to it?

Do the Turk merchants responsible for laundering the loot not have a claim either?

But who is willing to listen to them? Even if they were alive, their voices would be too weak to matter.

Right and wrong hinge on power; fairness does not reside in public opinion—this is evident now.

As a member of the 'governing group', Fang Chongyong realized that by following internal protocols he could effortlessly achieve things previously unimaginable.

Twenty years of hard toil may still pale before the five characters 'Fang Youde, my father'.

At this moment, Fang Chongyong felt an indescribable sense of absurdity.

It was a cruel reality.

"Now the Baiting Army lacks a Deputy Commander; the Baiting Sea boasts beautiful scenery, ideal for recuperation. Young Master Fang, why not take the opportunity to serve as Deputy Commander and convalesce at Baiting Fortress?"

The great army is about to set out at once; our Tang Border Army will clash heavily with the Tubo Army, and it seems not only Liangzhou City but even Chiwu Town will not know peace.

Your father‑in‑law this time will also be among the first batch of troops marching south from Dadu Bagu, so he will likely have no time to attend to you.

So, do you have any intention of taking over as Deputy Military Commissioner of the Baiting Army?

Cui Xiyi pushed the copper fish talisman in front of Fang Chongyong.

The one who tied the bell must untie it, so sending Fang Chongyong to the Baiting Army will conveniently settle the old grievance, and the Baiting Army need not fear the Governor of Hexi giving them a hard time; everyone rejoiced!

More importantly, the Baiting Army is the only unit in Liangzhou that has been confirmed not to take part in the regular border forces fighting Tubo! It is located near the Baiting Sea in the northeast of Liangzhou, with beautiful scenery and few duties, suitable for a vacation—and also suitable for safeguarding Fang Chongyong's safety!

Is there any place better than this?

Moreover, the military commissioner of the Baiting Army is not like those of the Chishui Army or the Dadu Army, which are larger or even massive forces. The deputy commissioners of those units—let alone Cui Xiyi recommending Fang Chongyong for the post—would still face unanimous opposition from the entire border army.

Who would dare entrust their life and fortune to a half‑grown child, especially one parachuted in from the court?

But the Baiting Army is different; although called an 'army,' its manpower is even less than a garrison, and with no wars or enemies, its daily training is relatively lax.

The Turks are indeed a massive force, but they cannot rise in a single day or even a year. Their development follows a trend, and at present that trend is not visible, so the 'fortitude' of Baiting Fortress is not like a 'Maqiro defensive line'; it is simply that there is little real danger.

This Fang Yanei, who hails from Hexi and is already gilded, impressed Cui Xiyi with Fang Chongyong's suggestion, yet Cui still fears that he might wear the old man out to death!

He is about to head south to Qinghai Lake to fight the Tubo, so he can't look after Fang Yanei. It would be better to leave him in Xinyun Capital and have the other side help 'take care of the child.'

Now Cui Xiyi and Xinyun Capital stare eagerly at Fang Chongyong, at the fish talisman on the desk, waiting for his answer.

…

The Han Jia Warehouse Ferry in Luoyang was once one of the Tang's busiest ferries, second only to Yangzhou in the south. Every day many transport ships unload here, moving bag after bag of grain into the Han Jia Warehouse for storage, even for sale at the Luoyang market.

This continued for many years.

However, since Pei Yaoqing altered the canal's course and adopted segmented transport for moving grain, the waterway from Biankou to Luoyang was abandoned.

After all, that stretch was merely 'wasting' money.

Thus the Han Jia Warehouse Ferry became completely empty, just like the Han Jia Warehouse itself.

Not even in a day, let alone a month, can a few decent transport ships be seen passing. Luoyang's economy began to decline gradually, while the grain stockpile at He Yin Warehouse made the crucial water‑transfer hub Biankou increasingly prosperous.

Frankly, how much grain can Luoyang itself consume? Many of the ships that passed before were serving Guanzhong.

Chang'an is the empire's core; merchant and transport ships that don't reach Chang'an achieve little. Going to Chang'an, becoming a high official, making big money, is the dream of every 'north‑drifter.'

At this moment, Zheng Shuqing placed his hands behind his back, watching ship after ship unload, just as in the days before Pei Yaoqing reformed transport, a contemptuous smile tugging at his mouth.

"A single flying note, and it is terrifyingly powerful. The Han Jia Warehouse revives because of it, while He Yin Warehouse declines."

He could not help but sigh in lament.

Fang Chongyong's plan truly was a good one; Zheng Shuqing, without changing the overall outline, tweaked some details and then submitted it to Li Linfu for approval. The latter accepted it almost entirely, offering only minor suggestions.

Since the new regulation was enacted three months ago, the inflow‑outflow trend of Han Jia Warehouse's grain has begun to reverse. Previously it was a one‑sided decline; now the proportion of grain entering the warehouse has steadily risen, now exceeding the 30% warning line.

That does not even include Han Jia Warehouse's continual shipments to Hexi, dispatching grain daily to support the Hexi war effort!

"The next stop should be the Minister of Revenue," he thought.

Speaking as if no one were there, Zheng Shuqing muttered to himself. Once he reaches the Minister of the Six Ministries, he'll be only one step away from becoming a chancellor. The only question is when he will be appointed chancellor and what important missions will be assigned to him!

Just as Zheng Shuqing was lost in thought, an eunuch in palace robes approached and said, "Deputy Minister Zheng, set aside your current matters for now and come with me to the palace to meet the Emperor."

Enter the palace? Meet the Emperor?

Hearing this, Zheng Shuqing wore a puzzled expression; he didn't understand—if the central court needed him, Li Linfu would have approached, so why would Li Longji summon him for a talk?

It was truly incomprehensible.

Although he didn't know Li Longji's intentions, Zheng Shuqing knew refusing was impossible, and this 'Saint of Chang'an' had a particularly bad temper.

You bow and serve him wholeheartedly, yet he may not even remember.

If you neglect your duties and treat his words as a joke, this fellow remembers everything clearly and will seize any chance to ruin you.

"I'll set off right now," he said.

Zheng Shuqing gave a slight nod, his heart uneasy.

(End of chapter)