Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4812 Yazhou Military Port
What kind of people are most respected?
Naturally, it is a person who possesses "uniqueness", that is, he has a certain talent that others do not possess, and a certain thing can only be done by this person and no one else can do it. Such a person is naturally irreplaceable.

Fang Junzhi and Li Chengqian are such people.

Even though there were always some grudges between the two, Li Chengqian was sometimes dissatisfied with Fang Jun and Fang Jun was sometimes rebellious towards Li Chengqian, but when it came to the most critical and important moment, Li Chengqian always trusted Fang Jun the most, because of Fang Jun's unreserved support for him.

There were tons of impeachment memorials all day long, with all kinds of charges. Li Chengqian might believe any of them, but he would never believe that Fang Jun would rebel against him.

A minister who has made great contributions, holds military power, and can be confirmed not to rebel is simply the perfect assistant that any king dreams of.

Besides, since he could make money as a minister, how could others compete with him for favor?
As the Minister of the Central Secretariat, Liu Li naturally knew some secrets that others did not know. For example, the navy would send ships upstream along the canal to Chang'an every quarter, unload gold and silver ingots at the dock dedicated to the inner treasury on the south bank of the Weishui River, and transport them directly to the palace to add to His Majesty's treasury. This number has increased little by little and has now become a shocking number.

If we can snatch this money-making job from Fang Jun and let Your Majesty know that Fang Jun is not the only one who can make money, then Fang Jun's "uniqueness" in Your Majesty's mind will naturally be greatly weakened. Even if you continue to trust him as always, your reliance on him will inevitably decrease.

Although Liu Li thought this was feasible, he looked at Zhang Liang with doubts. Zhuge Liang was a master of strategy and could win battles thousands of miles away, but not every plan could lead to a complete victory. Why? Even the most perfect plan still depends on people to execute it. If the executor is not capable enough, no matter how good the plan is, it will be greatly discounted.

A mere Wang Xuance could make Zhang Liang look humiliated. If he were to be overseas and deal with a group of arrogant and powerful soldiers in the navy, could he gain the upper hand?

Zhang Liang understood Liu Li's distrustful look. He felt a little aggrieved in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He patted his chest and assured, "Have you, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, forgotten my original profession? I was also a general who led the navy with the Duke of Weiguo and the Prince of Hejian to fight against Xiao Xin! I may not be able to travel across the oceans like Su Dingfang, but how difficult is it to protect a mere Luzon? I am willing to sign a military order in front of the Minister of the Central Secretariat. If I make mistakes in gold mining after serving as the Governor of Luzon, I will be beheaded!"

"This matter will inevitably be opposed by Fang Jun and others. It will be difficult to implement. Let me think about it before making any decisions."

Outside the sea is the territory of the navy, and Fang Jun has the final say in everything. Even Li Ji acquiesces in this situation, which is almost equivalent to allowing Fang Jun to "grant territories". Therefore, if he wants to propose and send Zhang Liang to Luzon to govern the trade and overseas Chinese there, he must gain the support of more people, so that His Majesty will agree.

After all, he doubted Zhang Liang's ability. This man was arrogant and conceited, but he was defeated when he faced Fang Jun. It was unknown whether he could get the expected return after paying a huge price to push him to the position of Governor of Luzon...

He questioned Zhang Liang's ability, but he didn't know that Zhang Liang also disagreed with him.

In Zhang Liang's view, the Minister of the Secretariat is the head of the civil servants. Even if he cannot suppress the military, he should at least compete with it. However, the current situation is that the military headed by Fang Jun not only acts arbitrarily and does whatever they want within the military field, but even occasionally extends his hand to policies. For example, the "one-stop" office that has caused a lot of controversy this time, who doesn't know that Fang Jun is in charge behind the scenes?
The most basic interests of the civil servants were undermined, and Liu Li, as the leader of the civil servants, was helpless and watched the situation develop. He has long been criticized privately by countless people.

Now, even pushing for his appointment as the Governor-General of Luzon, which is so beneficial, he is indecisive and hesitant, which makes people very disappointed...

"Then I will wait for good news from the Minister of the Central Secretariat."

"Don't worry, don't worry. We need to prepare for this matter carefully. If we act rashly, it will only lead to bad consequences."

"Haha, the Minister of the Central Secretariat is calm and steady. I admire you."

Liu Li was inevitably annoyed by such sarcasm. He certainly didn't turn hostile, but he could still sarcastically say, "During the period of pushing this matter forward, Duke Yun should still go to the Right Jinwu Guard and sit in court. Otherwise, if someone accuses you of dereliction of duty and having a bad relationship with your colleagues, it will greatly affect His Majesty's impression, and there may be twists and turns."

Zhang Liang was very embarrassed.

Now the entire Right Jinwu Guard is laughing at him. As soon as he steps into the military camp, he feels that all eyes are on him, with sarcasm, ridicule, and disdain. Every step he takes makes him feel uneasy, and every moment he stays makes him feel like sitting on pins and needles.

He definitely would not go to the Right Golden Guard to serve as a judge. Even if he had to retire and return home, he would never go to the Right Golden Guard to serve as a judge...

*****
It was nearly October, the autumn wind in the north was getting cooler and the rice and wheat were fragrant, but in Yazhou in the South China Sea, the sun was still scorching and the heat was unbearable. Su Dingfang, wearing straw sandals and a straw hat, stepped on the earthen hillock on the shore and looked at the huge construction site where the river flowed into the sea not far away, where there were people and materials piled up. The wet and salty sea breeze blowing in his face was not at all cool, but instead blew on his body with a hot sensation.

Yazhou Governor Lu Chengqing stood aside and watched the bustling construction site, unable to suppress his excitement.

This place is less than ten miles away from Yazhou City and is the mouth of the river. The original small port has become unusable due to years of siltation. Although the construction of Yazhou can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty, due to the sparse population and scarce supplies in the area and its isolation from the Central Plains, the taxes and grain are pitifully small, so there has been no ability to repair the wharf, and it has been almost abandoned in recent years.

As a result, Lu Chengqing was blessed with good fortune just after taking office. The navy built a military port here as an important node of the South China Sea route. He was so happy that he danced with joy. The important task that the previous governors of Yazhou had been thinking about but had not completed would be completed within his term. Such a political achievement was enough to make him get an "excellent" evaluation in the evaluation of the Ministry of Personnel after his three-year term. With the power of the Fanyang Lu family, it would be natural for him to be transferred to the central government or other upper states...

The craftsmen chiseled stones from the mountains on the north side of Yazhou City, and then transported the stones to the river. Countless small boats transported the stones one by one along the river to the dock like ants shuttling back and forth. Under the scorching sun, no one complained about the hard work; they were all excited and motivated.

The two men arrived at the dock accompanied by their personal soldiers and clerks. They watched the old embankment being dug up, stones being re-laid, and a section of breakwater being completed. Not far away, the navy's ships gathered together, with horns sounding.

Su Dingfang grabbed a short, bronze-skinned young man at random, asked him to put down the hammer in his hand, and asked with a smile, "The weather is so hot and the project is so difficult, can you still bear it?"

The young man was stunned for a moment, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled honestly: "I can bear it! How can I not bear it? We 'Baishuilang' take the water as our home, and what we need most is a good dock. Now the navy is spending money and hiring people to build a port. Not only can we get generous wages, but we can also get a dock for free. No matter how hard or tiring it is, we can bear it!"

To Su Dingfang's surprise, the man's Mandarin was very standard, not a dialect that the locals couldn't understand. He was surprised and asked, "You speak Mandarin very well. Where is your ancestral home?"

The man replied, "What ancestral home is there? It's just that my ancestors said they were from the Minyue country. After the Han Dynasty was destroyed, they scattered all over the country. Because they lived on water, they were called 'Bai Shui Lang'."

Su Dingfang understood. Although he was a military officer, he had read a lot of books and was both civil and military. He had read history books about the period when Emperor Wu of Han conquered the Kingdom of Minyue.

After the fall of the Minyue Kingdom, its people either fled to the sea, or fled to the bamboo forests in the mountains and valleys, or lived in the swamps to avoid being hunted down by the Han. Those who fled to the bamboo forests in the mountains and valleys became the "Shanyue", those who lived in the mountains and valleys became the "She people", and those who lived in the water became the "Dan people", also known as the "Tan people", or the "Baishuilang".

The "Baishui Lang" not only lived along the coast of Minyue, but also crossed the sea to Qiongzhou and Yazhou by boat, where they multiplied and made a living on water. The port in front of us was named "Dadan Port" because many "Baishui Lang" lived here...

Su Dingfang stood with his hands behind his back, smiling like a kind elder, without the majesty and dominance of a naval commander. He said in a gentle voice: "There are no Han or Minyue people now. We are all Tang people. We should unite and work hard to build a better home. I heard that although the Yazhou County Government is responsible for recruiting craftsmen and laborers for the construction of the port this time, the wages and meals required are provided by the navy and distributed by the county government. I don't know the quality of each meal, and whether it can make up for the heavy labor?"

Yazhou Governor Lu Chengqing, who was standing nearby, was sweating profusely and his heart was in a knot.

He came from an aristocratic family and had a noble status. Although he did not dare to say that he was as clear as water and as bright as a mirror, he could not do such a vulgar thing as embezzling the food of the laborers and craftsmen. Otherwise, once the news leaked out, not only would his official career end immediately, but also his family's reputation would be affected.

However, Yazhou is a place far away from the emperor, and it is almost the southernmost prefecture in the territory of the Tang Empire. It may seem insulting to say "poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people", but it is a fact that several major families in Yazhou control the prefecture and county governments. These people have always been hypocritical. If they embezzled the food expenses in private and were discovered by Su Dingfang, the final blame would definitely be borne by himself, the governor.

Others might not dare to do anything to him, but Su Dingfang did.

It was not because of Su Dingfang's authority as the admiral of the navy, but because of his identity as "Fang Jun's lackey". Once Fang Jun wanted to punish him, the clan leaders and elders in the ancestral hall of the Fanyang Lu family would probably tie him up and send him to Fang Jun to be beaten and killed...

(End of this chapter)