Crown Tang emperor

One is the armed forces of the local barbarians in Longyou, who integrated them and formed associations to plunder and make profits.The second is the merchants in the pass, and the government in the pass will integrate them to form a big market.The third is the local tyrants in Longyou, who knocked on the door of their granaries through the market.

If this model works well, it can continue in the future, not just to satisfy this year's Qinghai battle.Moreover, in the future, there is no need to hand over all the financial and logistical powers of Anxi, Longyou and other frontier armies to the Jiedushi.

The predecessors planted trees and the descendants took advantage of the shade. The various prefectures and prefectures accumulated in Longbian since the founding of the Tang Dynasty were just tasteless food and a pity to discard.But now for Li Tong, he is either my accomplice, or a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, fat and oily.

Lao Tzu not only has a Xihe agency that is in charge of looting, but also a group of merchants in the related area to sell stolen goods. You can go all the way.

Wherever we hit, there are two or five youngsters from my Xihai Company haunting us. We are not robbers, but porters of wealth!

Chapter 0612 King of the Dragon, God Bless Tang Ye

In mid-April, Lou Shidecai, who was busy with travel and dust, finally arrived in Longshang. However, when he stayed at the post station more than ten miles away from Lanzhou Jincheng, he encountered trouble.

"It's a coincidence that the station is full of passengers. According to His Royal Highness King Yong's order, all officials and people who are not allowed to stay in the station will be subsidized by [-] yuan, or they will be resettled in a nearby folk house. I don't know where to go. Which arrangement do you want to accept?"

Hearing what the officials in the station said, Lou Shide is not very tempered, so he can't help but be angry at the moment.All the way was full of dust and hunger, and he was about to take a rest, but was turned away, and no one was happy.

He did not answer the officials' questions, but rode his horse around the post house, and saw that there were groups of barbarians coming in and out, all of them hooked their shoulders, yelled, and spoke and acted. Arbitrary and unrestrained, making the atmosphere of the whole post house seem a bit smoky.

"Could it be that the place where the post is staying is full of morons? The muttons are in the middle of their troubles. Could it be that something big has happened in Longyou recently?"

Turning back to the main entrance of the posthouse, Lou Shide asked with a frown.

"It's just a recent incident that the Hutus have stayed here. As for what happened, I really don't know. A few days ago, many households evacuated from Shancheng and passed here. In short, after the nobleman in Guanzhong ascended Long, The situation is different. As for whether it is good or bad, hey, we lowly officials don’t dare to take a peek, as long as we accept our orders.”

After hearing the words, the official replied that he was not optimistic about these so-called changes in his words. He leaned closer and said to Lou Shide: "If the senior staff is not extremely tired, the humble staff still recommends taking subsidized board and lodging." After the money, hit the horse and drive fast, and you can rush to Jincheng before sunset. Recently, Jincheng..."

The official was still babbling, when suddenly another figure flashed beside him, stood aside for a moment, looked at him, and then stepped forward with surprise on his face, "Ambassador Lou has returned to Long?"

After Lou Shide heard the words, he turned his head and looked, only to feel that the person looked familiar, and then he heard the person introduce himself: "The humble job is in Shancheng. I was ordered by the ambassador in the past, and today I work here with Liu Sima. The ambassador Please wait a moment, I will send someone to notify Liu Sima."

Not long after, Liu Youqiu, who was in charge of Jincheng's affairs, hurried over, bowed his hands and saluted from a distance: "Received the Hequ Battle Report a few days ago, His Royal Highness King Yong told all the staff that Mr. Wait for the respectful reception. I was busy with other things before and did not come out in time, so I ask Mr. Lou for forgiveness."

While speaking, he ordered the people in the post house to quickly vacate a hall to receive Lou Shide.Usually officials transiting the border are naturally full of customers, but this Liu Sima has been wandering around Jincheng recently, and his official authority is not weak, so the posthouse staff naturally did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly went to prepare.

Lou Shide is not familiar with Liu Youqiu, after all, he has no contact with him before, and knowing that he is an official in Shanzhou Sima and is a member of King Yong's family, he has many doubts in his heart.But there are too many people in this place, so they can only temporarily suppress the curiosity in their hearts.

There are indeed quite a few Hu people in the post house, there may be more than a thousand people inside and outside, besides living in the post house, there are many felt tents outside.Most of these barbarians were vulgar and rude, but after recognizing Liu Youqiu, their words and deeds suddenly became restrained, and some even came together to salute with unfamiliar gestures.

Lou Shide took this scene into his eyes, and he could see that Liu Youqiu had quite a lot of prestige in front of this barbarian, and he wanted to know that this person should be a talented official who rose again in Longbian after he returned to the court.

Of course he didn't know, just half a month ago, these barbarians didn't know Liu Youqiu at all.The so-called prestige was established in a very short period of time after he was ordered to manage the affairs of Fanhu Shiyi.Even the chiefs of the Hu tribe in Longbian scrambled to hold the bridle and lead the horse for him. Naturally, these ordinary Hu people did not dare to act presumptuously in front of him.

After entering the official hall, Liu You begged everyone to retreat, and personally accompanied them at the table, and said with a smile: "I thought that Mr. Lou should arrive before ten days ago, and the humble job also instructed the staff to leave. Mr. Lou didn't arrive for a long time, and he was occasionally slack, so he almost missed it." .”

"Dun stayed in Xijing for a few days and took care of some chores."

Lou Shide felt a little embarrassed after hearing the words, but he still replied calmly.

After communicating with Qi Biming in Hequ, he came south. Although he was very interested in King Yong, he didn't agree with the fact that King Yong went to Long in person.So he didn't go directly to Long with the people of Hequ, but transferred to Chang'an and stayed for a while.

To put it bluntly, I still have some hesitation in my heart, wondering whether I should go directly to King Yong's command.It wasn't until he saw that the order in Chang'an City had been restored and the people's livelihood was well-organized, that he felt that King Yong's ascension to Longlong was not due to thirst for merit, and he still had some confidence.

During the time in Chang'an City, some envoys from the capital of God also contacted him and lobbied him to return to the court, but Lou Shide was a little pessimistic about the general situation of the court situation revealed in the words of those people.

After weighing several times, he still decided to climb Long.Regardless of the issue of King Yong or the emperor's heir, Longyou is the starting point of his career after all, especially the Heyuan Army where he has devoted many years of hard work.In the dark and unclear situation of the North Korean situation, only by returning here can he feel a little relieved.

After a simple meal, Lou Shide put down the tableware and asked: "So, His Royal Highness King Yong is in Heyuan? How is the situation in Heyuan? I saw many pedestrians leaving Shanzhou on the way. Has it officially started a war with the Fan Kingdom?"

"His Royal Highness is sitting in Shancheng. In terms of warfare, he is still fighting to seize Chiling. It is almost time to lay out the plan for the future. Mr. Lou's arrival at this time is just at the right time. As for the situation of people in Longbian, there may be minor disturbances. But it’s not enough to call it a problem. Especially in Shanzhou itself, everything has settled down now. Your Highness will personally control the area, and everything will benefit.”

Liu Youqiu replied with a smile after hearing the words.

Although Liu Youqiu's tone was relaxed, Lou Shide was not optimistic about it. He had been in Heyuan for a long time and knew a lot about the situation.In Longyou right now, regardless of the hearts of the king and the people, or human and material resources, it can be said that it is difficult to support a war with Tubo.

Although King Yong is now divided into Shanxi and Guanxi, the Guan is still in a recovery period, Hequ has just experienced the Turkic invasion, and Longyou has suffered a lot of blood from the action of recovering the four towns of Anxi.King Yong was facing such a tired situation, how could he be relaxed.

Although he had worries in his heart, it was inconvenient for him to discuss it in front of Liu Youqiu, so he decided to save it in front of King Yong.After all, he chose to go to Long this time because he planned to overcome this difficulty with King Yong.

Lou Shide fell asleep early that night, but the quality of rest was not very good. While thinking about the situation in Heyuan, he was extremely noisy by the noise of the barbarians outside the room.

At the same time, he also had a hidden plan in his heart. When he saw Queen Yong, he still had to make suggestions. Hu Qing in Longyou must pay attention. Regardless of the outcome of the battle with Tubo, these Hu tribes needed stricter and more effective supervision.

The next day, before the sky was completely bright, Lou Shide got up early and prepared to rush to Heyuan as soon as possible to meet His Royal Highness King Yong.Liu Youqiu was still in charge of the affairs here in Jincheng, so he only sent a group of followers to follow.

The closer you get to Shancheng, the more abundant scenery you can see on the road, and the barbarian team coming and going is full of people.Although there were many Hu people in this area in the past, but this time when he revisited the old place, Lou Shide saw that the Hu people's activity has increased several times compared to previous years.

In addition to large and small barbarian teams, there are also numerous caravans, horses and camel teams, escorting various supplies to Shancheng.

It seemed to be prosperous, but Lou Shide was more worried about it. He had a deep understanding of the situation in the Longyou states, and it was difficult to collect so many supplies through conventional means.The reason for this scene must be that the search efforts have been intensified.

As he walked and watched, Lou Shide gradually began to guess. It seems that King Yong used a lot of force to fight against Tubo this time.But indulging in the bravery of the Husbands is drinking poison to quench thirst, and increasing the search is to exhaust the resources.

After realizing this, Lou Shide felt even more heavy.The outcome of this battle is unknown, but the order in Longbian has been destroyed a lot. Once it wins, it will be fine, but if it loses again, it may trigger a series of chain reactions.

Could it be that the black-toothed Changzhi, a foreign general, was eager for military exploits, so he encouraged King Yong to do this?

Lou Shide stayed in Guanzhong for a while before, and learned about some of the strategies that King Yong used to govern Guanzhong. Although he did not lose his courage, he still maintained restraint overall, which was not the style of Longshang at all.

As for the old colleague of Hei Chi Chang Zhi, of course Lou Shide knew him well. He was a rare genius in Hu Zhong, and Lou Shide often felt inferior to him in front of him.However, the black-toothed Changzhi will be involved in affairs after all, and he was involved in political turmoil in his early years and was almost killed. Lou Shide is not sure whether his behavior will change.

If it is true that Black Tooth Changzhi tricked King Yong into taking this strategy of drinking poison to quench his thirst and catching fish, Lou Shide felt that he must urge King Yong not to fight rashly. on the side.The overall situation in Longyou and King Yong's future reputation must not be used as bargaining chips for his success!

"Looking at the door for those who are humble, and finally waiting for Duke Lou to return to Heyuan?"

At the wild intersection in Shancheng, people from the state government had been waiting here for a long time. The few people who came to greet Lou Shide were all his old friends. They were naturally excited and enthusiastic when they reunited after a long absence.

After seeing a few people, Lou Shide also showed a slight smile on his face, but he frowned soon, and after getting off his horse, he said in a deep voice: "After reminiscing about the past, let me tell you more about the current situation in Heyuan!"

Seeing Lou Shide's serious expression, the old members didn't dare to neglect for a while, and hurriedly answered.They are limited by their status and status, or they cannot understand the whole picture of King Yong's strategy, but in the past period of time, they have had various personal experiences, so when they talk about it at this time, there are many details.

Lou Shide listened, his frown gradually relaxed, especially after inferring from the details explained by the old staff that King Yong used some means to raise military use and control the crowd, he couldn't help clapping his hands and sighed: "The famous king entered Long, God bless my Tang Dynasty! If King Yong could enter this place early, how can it be a disaster for the barbarians! This old man is so foolish and trapped in himself, it is really ridiculous!"

Chapter 0613 grain into the warehouse, the military food is not lacking

Some time ago, due to the fleeing of a large number of households, Shancheng was no longer as prosperous and lively as it used to be, and the city was mostly deserted.But soon, this desolation was dispersed by the crowds flocking in from all directions.

As an important town in the Hexi Corridor, Shancheng already has a lot of supporting facilities in terms of commerce, but in a very short period of time, the demand for various transactions has increased sharply. not enough.

This was not a problem at all, Li Tong simply confiscated all the houses of those fleeing people with a swipe of the pen, and after a little consolidation, they all flattened them all, and temporarily set up a few discussion halls in the city, which were soon put into use.

The trading materials here in Shancheng are mainly various harvests from the attack on the Xifeng Ministry, the largest of which are herds and population.The population of the Fine Seal Department is more than [-]. Except for some young men who were directly recruited to the Heyuan Army to undertake labor, the rest flowed into the market. Suddenly, several sinful slave trades appeared in Shancheng. market.

Regarding whether this is moral or not, Li Tong does not want to discuss it in depth.Not to mention that it is only in the Middle Ages now, even in modern times, some white-skinned and black-hearted things are quite fun.

Right now, population is a kind of resource, especially in the Hu tribe whose social system is not sound and cannot be controlled at all. Some leaders of the Hu tribe themselves regard the tribe as their property. In times of famine, they even Actively betray the tribe to survive.

Of course, the Datang government does not allow such gray transactions to exist on a large scale, but the Tang law firm only protects registered registered households in the Tang Dynasty, and does not care much about the population of the Hu tribe.One is that this is a private matter of each tribe after all, and the other is that even if they want to manage it, there is no corresponding publication information.

Longyou is different from Guanzhong. Most of them are wide towns with vast land and few people. Therefore, labor is a very important resource.The Xifeng tribe joined the market, and such a large transaction naturally caused a shock in Longyou, so people from all over the country came to Shancheng to check the situation.

As for the merchants from Guanzhong, they were very interested in the huge herds and various Longyou local things, especially cattle and horses.

In today's Guanzhong, although more in-depth social reforms have not yet been carried out, under the leadership of the shogunate, prefectures and counties in various places have also made contributions to farming, and the required animal power has naturally surged, and the demand from the people is very large.

As Li Tong knew, the price of a three-year-old cow was ten cents, which was the old market at the beginning of the year. With the spring plowing in the pass in full swing, the price of cattle had risen to more than fifteen cents.

Now in Shancheng, the quality is cheap and the supply is huge, so it is naturally attracting people.Many merchants who heard the news spent the whole day among the herds searching for good goods, regardless of the stench of cow and horse manure.

"On the first day of April, 43 hu was newly harvested, of which 33 hu had been transferred to Huangyuan, and the remaining [-] hu had all been put into storage..."

Li Tong went to inspect the city, and after hearing the report from the city supervisor, he was quite satisfied with the result.

In previous correspondence, Li Yuanyuan, who stayed behind in the Chang'an shogunate, also suggested that the cattle and horses he obtained should not be sold directly in Longyou City. If they could be transported back to Guanzhong in batches and distributed to the sublet households in various states and counties, it would not only comfort the people and stimulate production. And in the long run, the profit will be more.

But Li Tong still has a different opinion on this. The military situation is like a fire. No matter how many long-term profits are expected in the future, the lack of military equipment in Longyou is just a need.If there is no huge benefit inducement, it would be difficult for Longbian to be so enthusiastic.

What determines the price of a commodity is not only its own value, but also the degree of demand and people's expectations of returns in a certain stage in the future.Although the government has come forward to rent cattle to private households, although it is of great benefit to the recovery of the situation in Guanzhong, the abundant market supply will also have the same effect.

I asked a family, under what circumstances would they spend significantly more than the usual prices in previous years to purchase properties and cattle?The first is strong demand, and the second is that the judgment of the future situation tends to be optimistic.

After spending such a large price to buy farm cattle, it can't be that the harvest period has not passed, so you have to raise the flag to make trouble, right?

So sometimes, the price of a certain commodity in the market is inflated, not because the government does not act, nor is the market not calm, but because both parties need such a phenomenon.

The market officially opened in late March, and in early April, in just ten days, more than 40 hu of grain and rice were collected here in Shancheng.Although this is still not enough to make up for the huge gap in military supplies, it is undoubtedly a good start.

The biggest gain during this period is not only what Gu Mi has gained, but the confidence and expectation brought by the successful initial exploration of this model to all participants. In the future, more people will definitely join this system. .

Of course, doing so is not without its drawbacks.The merchants from within the customs are really too vicious. In order to complete the transaction in Shancheng as soon as possible, to snap up better quality cattle and horses, and to purchase the folk grain in Longyou, it is simply a sky-high price.

The price of grain in Longyou was already on the high side, around [-] yuan for a bucket of rice, which was even higher than the price initially set after the chaos in Chang'an.

With the rush of merchants in the customs to buy, in Liangzhou, Lanzhou, Weizhou, Qinzhou and other places, the price of grain has exceeded a hundred dollars for a bucket of rice in a very short period of time, and the current transaction around the assets of the Ministry of Sealing is far from over. It is conceivable that it will continue to rise for a period of time in the future, and may even exceed the consumption of transporting grain from Guanzhong.

Merchants are so emboldened to spend so much, mainly because they have initially tasted the sweetness in Lanzhou Jincheng.

Those Hu chieftains who participated in the Xihe Travel Society each received tens of thousands of flying money drafts, and they were still full of doubts about the purchasing power of this piece of paper. Because the preparation time of the goods was too hasty, the categories and quantities were not sufficient, which directly caused panic buying.

Therefore, as usual, ordinary commodities in the Chang'an market are sold at prices that are several times or even ten times higher in Jincheng.In particular, a Hu chieftain snapped up a lacquerware tray worth hundreds of dollars at a price of one hundred yuan, and the direct premium was tens of thousands of times.

Hu chiefs don't pay much attention to flying money, but these merchants are used to this new thing, knowing that as long as they take it back to Chang'an, they can withdraw a full amount of goods from the Baoli Bank's treasury, and they are delighted by the amazing profits Ruokang sent people back to Guanzhong to speed up stocking, and at the same time rushed to Shancheng to buy goods and return.

This time, they had the convenience of actively responding to the government's call. They would eat the soup first, and when the transactions became more frequent in the future, those Hu chiefs were not stupid. The market was rational, and they would definitely not be so extravagant again.

As for the Hu chiefs squandering their money and buying a lot of cheap daily necessities, Li Tong just had fun after listening to it, and it wasn't him who suffered the loss anyway.If those Hu chieftains feel that they have lost money, and want to get back their share of the war gains, there is no problem, and they will return the flying money I sent out!

As for their flesh being cut by the merchants in Guanzhong, it was originally a business of your own will. Don't you buy others to force you with a knife around your neck?Eat a ditch and gain a wisdom, how can you thrive without weathering the wind and rain?

If you lose, you will lose, don't think that I will uphold justice for you, even if you meet and kneel down and call Dad, I will not accept a prodigal like you!This time the money is spent, it doesn't matter, just grab it next time.What's the point of making money without spending money or squandering it?

While walking, outside a temporary discussion hall, Li Tong's eyes suddenly caught sight of a fairly familiar figure, and after a little contemplation, he realized that it was Song Bazi, his new official in Chang'an.After thinking about it, he asked Bazi Song to be summoned.

"Humble duty to pay homage to Your Highness!"

Song Bazi approached and bowed down with a big salute, his expression was quite excited.

Li Tong had a good impression of this heroic and heroic leader, and motioned Bazi Song to stand up without ceremony, and said with a smile, "Is there also a transfer of goods this time on Longlong?"

Song Bazi shook his head quickly after hearing the words, and said, "Longbian is beyond the reach of the family's lowly business. This time, the lowly position entered Long, it was ordered by the shogunate to supervise business affairs along the way."

Hearing this, Li Tong couldn't help but feel ashamed secretly, Song Bazi was really kind to him, donating a huge sum of millions of dollars to the shogunate, which gave the shogunate a good start in revitalizing the people's livelihood in Chang'an.

But after he was summoned into the mansion, he ignored him, patted his ass and led the army into Long.Song Bazi was treated so coldly, but he was still so respectful and enthusiastic after entering Long, and he didn't accuse him of being a poor person with a face of resentment.

After a little self-criticism in his mind, he said to Song Bazi again: "Since we have arrived at this place, let's stay here first, there are also many things to do in Longbian, and there are many opportunities for my husband to make meritorious deeds. The imperial court has always been eclectic. Even the barbarians and clowns can enter and leave the court, let alone all kinds of people in our country!"

When Song Bazi heard this, his slightly uneasy mood became hot again.He spent a lot of money to enter the mansion before, but was left behind by King Yong. He felt a little resentful in his heart, but after hearing His Highness say this after meeting, he just felt that the depression in his heart was swept away, and he just wanted to shake it. Stand up and work hard, and contribute your strength to His Royal Highness King Yong's achievements.

"What do you think about business matters here?"

Li Tong signaled Song Bazi to follow him, continued to patrol the venue, and asked casually.

"His Royal Highness is resourceful and resourceful, and his ingenious plans are like the stars in the sky. The treasury is not wasted, so he can gather all the power of personnel in the Longbian, and he has the effect of calming the situation in the pass. The humble job is only respect, and it is difficult to say a word of advice if you exhaust your intelligence. !"

Bazi Song has always been nice to speak, and right now he really admires King Yong's series of operations, even if he flatters him so much, he feels it is from the bottom of his heart, and he doesn't feel nauseous at all.

Li Tong is still more concerned about other people's opinions. Hearing that Song Bazi, a wealthy businessman in Shu, praised him so much, he felt naturally at ease. Matters will be established permanently, so let’s take care of this matter first.”

"Thank you for your highness's reward, I must be sincere and hardworking, and I will never let down the situation that your highness's ingenious plan has brought!"

Bazi Song was overjoyed when he heard the words, and prostrated himself on the ground to thank him.

At this time, another assistant from the state government rushed forward and reported: "His Royal Highness, Lou Gong has entered the city and is waiting for His Royal Highness to summon him in the inner city."

After Li Tong heard the words, his eyes lit up immediately, and he said to Song Bazi: "Get up, Lou Shide has been involved in the affairs of Heyuan for a long time, and now he returns to the border town, and he may be able to lead the affairs to death. You will be ordered by him in the future, follow me See you."

Chapter 0614 Lou Gong ruled the kitchen, and the personnel enjoyed themselves

In Shancheng State Mansion, Lou Shide stood respectfully outside the hall all the time, and when King Yong entered the mansion, he walked forward and bowed his hands in salute: "Lou Shide, who joined the army in Yuanzhou, has met His Highness King Yong."

Hearing Lou Shide claiming to be so, Li Tong couldn't help but feel emotional again.Previously, Lou Shide was dispatched as the prime minister to succeed Wei Yuanzhong as the left-behind in Xijing, but he was affected by the Wangchengyi murder case not long after, and he was directly demoted to white body. Out of state to join the army.

From the high-ranking prime minister of the Zhengshitang to suddenly being reduced to the same class as the newcomers in the officialdom, this gap is not insignificant.However, what happened to Lou Shide is not an isolated case. Like Li Zhaode, who is now calling the wind and rain in the court of the gods, he was directly sent to Hainan to pick coconuts during the Yongchang period.

During the Wu Zhou Dynasty, the political situation was always in turmoil, and officials' ups and downs have become the norm.

Li Zhaode and Di Renjie, who were also deposed as prime ministers, have returned to the current situation through coups. Even Li Yuansu has become the commander of the Guannei Road because he took refuge in King Yong.Lou Shide, on the other hand, is far away from the political center and has not been reinstated until now, which is a problem left over from history.

"Xiao Wang was inspecting the discussion field outside, but he was not able to return in time. Please forgive me for his negligence."

Li Tong stepped forward to hold Lou Shide's wrist and said with a smile that in order to show closeness, people in this era, especially those who are superior to those who are inferior, often have to make some physical contact, hold small hands, pat shoulders, so-called arms talk.

If it is only in contact with women, there is nothing to say, King Yong is a man who loves women and jade, and is a corporal.Unfortunately, due to his working relationship, most of the people he needs to have such contact with are men, so it is not enough to express his attention, which makes people feel quite helpless.

He also reprimanded the officials of the state government for daring to let Lord Lou stand outside for a long time, Lou Shide replied that he should be so, and after a few social greetings, they joined hands in the hall.Bazi Song, who followed King Yong back to the mansion, just followed obediently at the moment, not daring to ask for any performance.

"This time we are going west, His Majesty the Holy Emperor told me that Taoism is the talent of Lord Lou's national scholars. You can ask questions about big and small matters. I also keep in mind the holy order. When I enter Xijing, I will send a letter to call. Unfortunately, I couldn't sweep the couch in Chang'an City to welcome them, and I have to go to Longshang to see Mrs. Laolou."

Hearing His Royal Highness King Yong's words, Lou Shide hurriedly got up from the table, bowed again towards the direction of the god capital, and when he returned to the couch, he sighed: "His Majesty the Holy Emperor sent his ministers to camp in the middle of the border. , The important thing was handed over, but the minister failed to fulfill his duty and failed the holy grace. He is really ashamed to be called again.

Now that the clan's family is full of young and handsome men, His Majesty the Holy Emperor can spend his leisure time in the middle of the country without any troubles.Fortunately, His Royal Highness King Yong did not dismiss his ministers as despicable. If he accepts the teachings of the king, he will take his previous crimes as whips, guard himself every day, and never dare to neglect his duties again! "