Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 352: Xiongjin Port Garrison

The gentle breeze blew away some of the turbid air in the alley.

This is a small alley on Dayefang West Street.

Dayefang is located in the southern part of Chang'an City. Most of the people living here are ordinary people in Chang'an City.

Dai Zhide walked in the alley with a suspicious look on his face.

This was his first time to visit Zhang Jianzhi. He never expected that he, a fourth-rank official in the Honglu Temple, would live in such a place.

But if you think about it carefully, it's not surprising.

Zhang Jianzhi was born in a poor family in Xiangyang, and his family was definitely not wealthy. In Chang'an City, land was extremely expensive, so an official from another place like him could only afford such a small courtyard.

Dai Zhide actually didn't like his subordinate Zhang Jianzhi.

This was not because he had any prejudice against Zhang Jianzhi's character, but because Zhang Jianzhi spoke too sharply and often left no room for maneuver.

In Dai Zhide's opinion, Zhang Jianzhi could be a vice minister in the Ministry of War. As an official of the Honglu Temple, there was no need to be so ostentatious and more emphasis should be placed on speaking skills.

It's okay to be cunning but being aggressive and disrespectful will make it difficult to demonstrate the etiquette and grace of attending court.

This morning, the two had an argument because of their different ideas and the Baekje issue.

The emperor issued an edict to provide Baekje with 3,000 old armors, and the specific negotiations would be handled by the Honglu Temple.

Dai Zhide thought that since the emperor had issued the decree and Baekje had just surrendered, he could just give these things to them.

Zhang Jianzhi objected.

He believed that the emperor had only told them the bottom line of the Tang Dynasty, and as officials of the Honglu Temple, they should strive for more benefits for the country.

Dai Zhide felt that Zhang Jianzhi was deliberately trying to show off his ability.

Finally, he took advantage of his power and made a decision with a wave of his hand, and the two parted on bad terms.

However, the situation took a sudden turn and Dai Zhide was helpless. He didn't even have time to eat after leaving the office and had to ask Zhang Jianzhi for help.

Following the instructions of an old man, he quickly turned a corner, passed three houses, stopped outside the fourth house, looked up, and knocked on the door.

After a while, the door opened, and the person who opened it was Zhang Jianzhi.

When Zhang Jianzhi saw Dai Zhide, he was also surprised. He didn't expect him to come to him, so he turned aside.

"Mr. Dai, you are honored to be here. Please come in."

Dai Zhide bowed and smiled, "Excuse me for bothering you."

After entering the courtyard, Dai Zhide looked around.

This small courtyard looks quite nice from the inside, clean and tidy, with a big locust tree in the yard.

The main house was also very spacious. There was food on the dining table, two side dishes, one meat and one vegetable, plus half a bowl of corn rice.

Zhang Jianzhi asked, "Is Dai Siqing ready for dinner?"

Dai Zhide smiled and said, "I came in a hurry and haven't had my meal yet."

Zhang Jianzhi shouted towards the kitchen, "Grandma Li, bring another bowl of rice."

Zhang Jianzhi lived alone in Chang'an. Besides him, there was only an old servant and a cook in the house.

The cook quickly brought a bowl of corn rice.

No, only half a bowl to be exact.

Dai Zhide was stunned for a moment. Is this how you treat guests?
Zhang Jianzhi hurriedly said, "We've almost run out of rice at home recently, and I haven't had time to buy more. Please bear with me."

The price of rice in Chang'an is not high now, and the court provides rice as salary.

Zhang Jianzhi couldn't even afford rice to eat. It was obvious that something went wrong at home, so he sold the rice.

"Zhang Shaoqing, take this money." Dai Zhide took out a purse from his sleeve.

Although the two have different ideas, they are colleagues after all. They have to help each other when necessary. Who doesn’t have embarrassing moments?

Zhang Jianzhi smiled and said, "You, Dai Siqing, have misunderstood. I am not short of money. It's just that the price of rice will drop in a few days, so I have told my family not to buy rice for the time being. Please eat more vegetables, Dai Siqing."

I picked up a piece of mutton and put it in his bowl.

Dai Zhide slapped his forehead and cursed himself for being stupid.

If Zhang Jianzhi's family was really in financial difficulty and he sold all his rice and sheep salary, how would he have any mutton to eat?

"Zhang Shaoqing just said that the price of rice in Chang'an will continue to fall. Why is that?" He changed the subject.

Zhang Jianzhi said, "I'm just guessing."

Dai Zhide did not ask any further questions. His face became more serious as he said, "Zhang Shaoqing, I would like to discuss the matter with you again this day."

Zhang Jianzhi took a bite of food and said, "Hasn't Dai Siqing already made the decision? Why are you asking me again?"

Dai Zhide smiled bitterly and said, "I was too aggressive this morning. I apologize to Brother Zhang. Please help me."

Zhang Jianzhi hurriedly bowed in return.

"Mr. Dai Si, your words are too serious. Please tell me what happened."

Dai Zhide sighed, "I was negligent. I didn't expect the Baekje people to make another request..."

When Dai Zhide took the aid from the Tang Dynasty to negotiate with Daochen, the Baekje people were not satisfied and hoped that the Tang Dynasty would add another thousand armored soldiers.

Dai Zhide spent a lot of time talking to him, and finally persuaded him to give up his request for armor and instead provide him with another 10,000 Tang swords.

Weapons were different from armor, which were piled up like mountains in the treasury. Dai Zhide thought that there were only 10,000 Tang swords, which was nothing.

However, when he told the emperor the results of the negotiation, Li Zhi seemed dissatisfied and asked him whether Zhang Jianzhi also agreed.
Dai Zhide had no choice but to say that Zhang Jianzhi was not aware of it.

Li Zhi asked him to seek Zhang Jianzhi's opinion before giving any reply.

The emperor's intention was very clear when he asked the chief officer to seek the opinion of his deputy.

Dai Zhide was frightened and had to come to Zhang Jianzhi for help.

"Oh, I regret not listening to my brother. I didn't expect the Baekje people to add further conditions."

"I understand now. This morning, I asked the Baekje people to pay for the armor in order to bargain with them. I was careless."

Zhang Jianzhi poured him a cup of tea and said, "Dai Siqing misunderstood. This morning I suggested that they pay for it, not bargaining."

Dai Zhide said: "No?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "Actually, selling it to them is already a privilege. Last year, the Shi Kingdom also wanted to buy 300 crossbows from us, but didn't Your Majesty agree?"

Dai Zhide said, "That's true."

Zhang Jianzhi asked, "Dai Siqing, I'd like to ask why you agreed to give the Baekje people an additional 10,000 Tang swords."

Dai Zhide blushed slightly and said, "Actually, they said that Japan provided Yici with a large amount of armor and Japanese swords, so I agreed."

Zhang Jianzhi's eyes flickered as he said, "Dai Siqing, please have your meal first. Afterwards, we will go meet the Baekje people and make them agree to our terms."

Dai Zhide was overjoyed and grabbed his hand.

"I ate a lot at noon and I'm not hungry now. Let's go now."

Zhang Jianzhi gave a few instructions to the servants and left the alley with Dai Zhide.

As soon as I reached the crossroads, I suddenly saw a man shouting outside the rice shop.

"The price of rice has dropped again, fifteen cents a bushel. Come and see, come and buy!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many people around gathered around to watch the fun.

Dai Zhide was slightly startled and turned his head to look at Zhang Jianzhi.

"Brother Zhang, you're right. How did you know the price of rice would drop?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "Last year, when I accompanied Your Majesty on an inspection tour of Hebei, I noticed that the crops there were growing very well, and with no floods, there was sure to be a good harvest by the end of the year."

Dai Zhide asked, "Since there was a good harvest last year, why are the prices only being lowered now?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "Your Majesty has changed the tax system. After the people pay their grain, the government needs to sell it at local grain shops for copper coins and then transport it to Chang'an. Therefore, ordinary people don't know the harvest situation."

"I've been visiting the Ministry of Revenue frequently these past few days to monitor this matter. Taxes from all regions will be sent to the Ministry in the next few days." "As soon as the news of the Ministry of Revenue's tax collection spreads, grain merchants will know of the bumper harvests, and grain prices at grain shops will naturally plummet."

Dai Zhide sighed, "My dear brother, you are very attentive. I admire you."

The two continued their journey north, and soon, the sound of curfew drums could be heard everywhere.

The deep beat of drums echoed throughout the city.

The Honglu Temple is right next to the Suzaku Gate, and the sound of the drums is particularly loud.

Dao Chen stood by the window, looking towards the Suzaku Gate in the distance, a thoughtful look on his face.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Please come in."

With a creak, Jin Yan pushed the door open and came in.

"Your Excellency the Left Prince, that Dai Siqing hasn't come yet. If he gets angry and speaks ill of us in front of the emperor, I'm afraid you and I will return empty-handed." She reminded him.

Daochen said in Baekje: "He won't."

"How do you know?"

Dao Chen said: "In fact, since the Tang Dynasty promised to give us 3,000 armors from the beginning, it can be seen that we are very important in the heart of the Tang Dynasty emperor."

"After testing this point, we will naturally seek more benefits for the country. Ten thousand Tang swords are nothing. Wait and see, my appetite this time is more than that."

Jin Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "Aren't you afraid of angering the Tang Emperor and ending up with nothing?"

Dao Chen smiled slightly: "As I said just now, we are very important to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He will not fall out with us over such a small matter. Besides, I will be careful and mindful of the limits."

Jin Yan said, "Wouldn't it be better to just take the three thousand armors back? Why take such a risk?"

Dao Chen glanced at her and said, "Princess, don't forget that our current situation is not that good. We are still not as strong as Yici. If we lose a battle, we may lose everything."

"At this time, if we can bring back more weapons for Sibi City, our army will have a better chance of victory. To achieve this goal, you and I must do our utmost!"

"I understand." Jin Yan nodded.

A Baekje follower suddenly came to report that Dai Zhide wanted to ask the two of them to come over.

Dao Chen smiled and said, "Very good, it seems that he is ready to give in. He will wait and see if there is a chance to ask for more horses."

The two of them came to the inner hall of the Honglu Temple together and paid their respects to Dai Zhide.

Dai Zhide smiled and said, "Daowai Envoy, let me introduce you. This is Zhang Shaoqing from the Honglu Temple."

Dao Chen glanced at Zhang Jianzhi, bowed, and said in a deep voice, "Excuse me, Zhang Shaoqing."

Zhang Jianzhi got straight to the point and said, "Envoy from the outside, I heard that you wanted to ask the Tang Dynasty for 10,000 pieces of armor during your mission to the Tang Dynasty."

Dao Chen said, "To be honest with you, Zhang Shaoqing, the Japanese have just provided Yici with 20,000 sets of armor and 50,000 Japanese swords. My king is in a bad situation right now, so he has come to the Tang Dynasty for help."

Zhang Jianzhi narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is this really true?"

Dao Chen sighed, "That's right. Furthermore, Yi Ci's army is far better equipped than ours, so we shamelessly asked Dai Siqing for another 10,000 Tang swords."

"However, compared to the weapons Japan provided to Yici, it's still far less. Of course, we're not complaining, but we're just worried that the upcoming war with Yici will become extremely difficult."

Zhang Jianzhi suddenly asked, "You just said that Japan gave Buyeo Yici 20,000 pieces of armor?"

Dao Chen said calmly, "According to the report from the spies, it should be good."

Zhang Jianzhi said, "As far as I know, Japan is short of iron and livestock, and its armor is extremely scarce. How can we have any extra for you?"

Dao Chen turned to look at Jin Yan and said, "Could it be that the information from the spy is wrong?"

Jin Yan said: "That's possible."

Zhang Jianzhi asked again, "You just said that Fuyu Yici's army was well-equipped. How much armor did they have?"

Dao Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "At least more than 30,000 sets."

Zhang Jianzhi said calmly, "Your entire Baekje nation has less than 10,000 sets of armor. Where did Buyeo Yici get over 30,000 sets?"

Daochen's face suddenly changed. He opened his mouth to ask something, but swallowed the words back.

Jin Yan was also secretly surprised.

She didn't know the details of Baekje's internal military secrets and was still secretly trying to find out.

How did this official know this? Or was he deliberately cheating?
Zhang Jianzhi looked at Daochen and said, "You're wondering how I knew that, right?"

Dao Chen hurriedly said, "In fact, I was originally a monk. I was invited by the king to return to secular life to serve the king. I don't know much about these situations, so what I said just now may not be accurate."

Zhang Jianzhi ignored his explanation and continued, "In the 19th year of the Zhenguan reign, the Tang Dynasty attacked Goguryeo and captured over 60,000 soldiers and civilians, many of whom were high-ranking Goguryeo generals."

"Many of these people are still serving as official slaves at the Sinong Temple. I went to the temple yesterday and asked them about the situation inside Baekje."

Dao Chen turned pale when he heard this.

Unlike Silla, Baekje's top leaders were all Buyeo people, and they had extremely close relations with Goguryeo, especially in the military.

The military officers of Goguryeo knew the strengths and weaknesses of their own people very well.

Baekje was severely short of iron and had poor smelting technology, so it had no ability to produce iron armor on its own.

The hundreds of armored suits in the country were also donated by Goguryeo.

Fortunately, Baekje still had a certain level of animal husbandry and was able to produce leather armor on its own.

But there are not many of them. Only generals can wear leather armor. The total number of iron armor and leather armor is only a few thousand.

Zhang Jianzhi said coldly: "The three thousand armors that the Tang Dynasty gave you are old, but one thousand of them are iron armors, made using the advanced steel pouring method."

"This kind of armor is unavailable to any country, yet you're still being so picky and greedy. If everyone in Baekje is like you, I will report it to His Majesty and have him withdraw my support!"

Dao Chen's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "Zhang Shaoqing, calm down. This matter is entirely due to my own ignorance and self-willed decision. This is why I have made a fool of myself. My king has nothing to do with this. I beg for your forgiveness."

After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply.

Zhang Jianzhi said, "Since you have just surrendered, this matter can be waived. Those three thousand pieces of armor represent the Tang Dynasty's sincere support for you. Shouldn't you also show your gratitude?"

Dao Chen hurriedly said, "The Tang Dynasty is willing to give such a generous gift, and our country should return the favor handsomely. However, the treasures in the treasury have already been donated to the Tang Dynasty. I hope Zhang Shaoqing will forgive me."

"Then, after our country defeats Yici and conquers the entire country, we will definitely present a generous gift to the Tang Dynasty as a token of our gratitude."

Zhang Jianzhi said, "I have a way to have the best of both worlds."

Daochen's heart skipped a beat, and he had a vague bad feeling.

"What's your solution?"

"It's very simple. You will allow our Tang army to be stationed in Xiongjin Port for five years and collect maritime trade taxes."

Dao Chen's face changed color and he said, "This..."

Zhang Jianzhi looked at him and said, "My Tang army stationed at Xiongjin Port will also benefit your country. If your country is going against the odds, we can provide support as soon as possible."

Dao Chen looked hesitant and glanced at Jin Yan.

The latter nodded and said, "Envoy, what Zhang Shaoqing said makes sense."

Dao Chen took a deep breath and said, "I still need to send someone to report this matter to the king before I can make a decision."

Zhang Jianzhi said, "Alright."

Dao Chen said no more and left with Jin Yan.

Dai Zhide asked tentatively, "Brother Zhang, is the condition you proposed what His Majesty intended?"

Zhang Jianzhi said: "No, I haven't reported it to Your Majesty yet."

Dai Zhide was shocked and said, "That's too reckless."

Zhang Jianzhi smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Dai Siqing. When I meet Your Majesty tomorrow, I will have my own arguments and get your approval."

Dai Zhide said with emotion, "I have seen your ability, brother. There is nothing to worry about. I will meet the emperor with you tomorrow."

……

(End of this chapter)