Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 16

Upon entering, a stench of blood and excrement assaulted Li Ji's nostrils. He frowned, taking the opportunity to free his left hand from Yu Chaoen's grasp and cover his nose. The room was dimly lit, and he needed to focus to see clearly. In front of him was a wooden torture device of unknown purpose, with a person tightly bound by thick ropes. The person was restrained by the ropes, their head forced back, body leaning forward, chest out, stomach in, arms outstretched, but legs dangling behind them, heels almost touching disheveled hair... Essentially, the person was folded into a circle.

Li Ji covered his nose and took two steps forward, scrutinizing the man's face. He vaguely recognized him as the short man who had jumped in through the back window yesterday and whom he had grabbed by the neck and used as a club. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another person lying face down beside him, silent—presumably the one who wielded the wire-cutting copper hammer, and who had already been beaten to death.

The two assassins were stripped naked, their bodies covered in either blackened bloodstains or suspicious filth. If it weren't for their intact limbs, which still gave them a human form, they would almost be mistaken for utterly mangled flesh. Li Ji felt a wave of nausea and vomiting... He forced himself to ignore the mangled flesh and focus only on the small, still-living assassin's face, which was barely intact.

The creature had its eyes tightly closed and was silent, but its facial muscles would occasionally twitch. There was a patch of blood under its nose, and its mouth was open, but no teeth could be seen...

Li Ji turned his head and asked, "Is he still alive?"

Yu Chaoen waved his hand, and a burly, shirtless man came over, carrying a bucket of cold water, and poured it all over the assassin's head. The assassin shuddered, then slowly opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused and glazed. He moved his lips a few times, mumbling, "Kill me, I have nothing to confess..."

Li Ji moved his face slightly closer, staring intently at the other person's expression, and asked, word by word, "Who exactly ordered you to assassinate the Marshal? If you confess, I will give you a quick death."

The man's pupils darted around slightly before his gaze finally settled on Li Ji's face. His expression first showed pain, then disdain, but soon—an indescribable look of terror gradually emerged from almost every pore on his face, as cold sweat seeped out!

Then a deafening, piercing scream erupted from inside the room, piercing through the windowpanes and soaring into the sky—even the guards standing at the courtyard gate, hearing this ghostly cry from afar, couldn't help but shudder, quickly reaching up to clutch their collars and pull their robes tighter...

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The interrogation quickly yielded results. Ever since meeting Li Ji, the assassin seemed to have completely broken down, and from then on, he had nothing to hide. He answered every question, only asking to get this guy who used me as a tool kicked out the door!

Li Ji, unwilling to remain in the foul-smelling room any longer, excused himself to Yu Chaoen and retreated outside. However, upon reflection, he felt some regret. Although standing by the door, he could clearly hear Yu Chaoen's interrogation, his account of the assassin's confession was somewhat vague.

Ultimately, the assassin was exhausted and weak, and with his teeth knocked out, his speech was slurred. Given the distance, some details could only be inferred. Could the confession written by Yu Chaoen's men contain omissions, additions, or even deliberate concealment?

According to his confession, the assassin was named Zhu Fei, a native of Jiangxia County in Jiangnan West Circuit—which is now Wuhan City. From a young age, he learned the art of scaling walls and entering houses from a strange man, and thus committed many years of petty theft, gaining some renown in the martial arts world. More than half a year ago, he was recommended by an old friend to go to Luoyang and join Zhou Zhi's forces.

Zhou Zhi served as An Lushan's advisor, searching far and wide for people with supernatural abilities and forming a small unit called the "Divine Machine Guard." Zhu Fei confessed that because he had only recently joined the force and had not yet gained enough trust, he was still on the periphery. He only knew that the "Divine Machine Guard" had two commanders, one in charge and one in deputy, and a total of twenty or thirty people with supernatural abilities and more than one hundred soldiers to assist them.

He had been ordered to infiltrate Ding'an City more than a month ago to spy on the Tang army's movements. A few days ago, he received a signal and went to meet with his accomplices, saying they were planning an important operation... There were a total of eight people present. Besides the seven assassins who carried out the attack, there was another person dressed as a scholar, who was the mastermind and the chief strategist—but those who knew him called him "Mr. Guo," and his specific name was unknown. As for the other six assassins, Zhu Fei was meeting them for the first time and didn't know most of them.

All that is known is that the one who throws darts is a strange hero from Yan, nicknamed "Jingjing'er".

The original plan was to assassinate Emperor Li Heng in the palace, and there was indeed an inside agent who helped distract the guards at a certain section of the wall, allowing Jingjing'er and Zhu Fei to scale the wall and enter, then kill the guards and open the side gate. However, the plan changed at the last minute. Jingjing'er, as the leader of the action team, instructed them to pass through the palace—a short distance—to assassinate Li Chu. As for whether this was "Mr. Guo's" idea, and whether they should enter...

Chapter Thirty-Four: Bad News from Jiangdong

Li Mi privately disapproved of An Lushan's military capabilities, and repeatedly told Li Ji that the man was only fit to be a general of a single army, not a regional commander. He believed that An Lushan's rapid rise to the position of military governor of three towns was due to three factors: first, he bribed powerful officials, especially currying favor with the former prime minister Li Linfu; second, he flattered the retired emperor and Consort Yang, constantly professing his loyalty; and third, he stole credit from his subordinates and killed innocent people to claim credit.

Therefore, Li Mi said: "If An's military skills are half that of Wang Zhongsi, or even comparable to Geshu Han and Gao Xianzhi, how dare I say that I can expect to annihilate him within two years?"

At the outset of the rebellion, An Lushan's strategic deployment, though perhaps meticulously planned over a long period, was relatively sound. Taking advantage of the Tang court's unpreparedness, he first swept through Hedong, then marched straight in to capture Luoyang and advance on Chang'an. However, the Tang court quickly recovered and launched a multi-pronged attack, achieving successive victories in Hebei, while in Henan, the cities fortified themselves, creating a prolonged stalemate. Furthermore, Geshu Han blocked Tongguan Pass, leaving An Lushan with no clear path forward or backward in Luoyang. He then decided to retreat to Fanyang. He also rebuked his confidants Yan Zhuang and Gao Shang, saying:

"When I raised my army, you all said it was perfect. Now, Tang armies from all sides are gathering, growing stronger every day. From Tongguan westward, my army cannot advance an inch. What about your plans? Do you still have the face to come and see me?!"

Unexpectedly, his old enemy Yang Guozhong helped An Lushan by urging the emperor to issue an edict forcing Geshu Han to leave the pass and fight, which led to the fall of Tongguan and the recapture of Chang'an, the western capital...

Upon hearing the news of Chang'an's fall, morale plummeted in the counties of Hebei and Henan. Li Guangbi, who was engaged in fierce fighting with the rebels in Hebei, was eager to return to the rescue, thus abandoning the gains of the past few months in one fell swoop, and the national situation was on the verge of collapse. Faced with this situation, An Lushan should have personally taken command in Chang'an, mobilized troops, and relentlessly pursued the Li Tang royal family. At the very least, he should have seized the strategic passes of Guanzhong to block the southward advance of the Tang Dynasty's most powerful Shuofang army. However, he remained in Luoyang, and his various troops hesitated to advance. Even after Chen Tao's victory over Fang Guan, he still had no intention of launching a major westward offensive.

Thus, the new emperor was able to establish a firm foothold in Pengyuan County and, in December, welcomed the main force of the Shuofang army, which surged southward.

Li Mi was overjoyed, saying, "The rebel An was ignorant of military strategy and missed a great opportunity. This is Heaven's blessing upon our Tang Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but curl his lip, thinking to himself, "No matter how much God protects us, we still have to prove ourselves. In the blink of an eye, both capitals fell and the emperor fled in disarray. And you still have the nerve to boast about the Tang Dynasty?"

During this time, Li Ji, along with Chen Fu, Yi Tiechui, and others, guarded Li Bi, taking him to work at the commander's mansion every day. There were no more assassin attacks—at this point, even hoping for a lucky break would likely result in more than half being left alive; even a reinforced platoon would be wiped out. He was actually quite leisurely, spending his days chatting and laughing with Chen and Yi in the corridor, eating and drinking together—unfortunately, those two were of lower rank and dared not compete with him for food, making it somewhat dull—and his evenings discussing internal and external affairs with Li Bi, or reading at his desk.

There will be no more chances to see Li Shi—his father, on the other hand, is seen every day—as for Li Tan, he is still in solitary confinement.

Later, Li Ji also met the renowned Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi at the Marshal's Mansion. Guo Ziyi was over fifty years old, while Li Guangbi was slightly younger. The former had a round face like a wealthy old man, always smiling, but his behavior was very rigid and he was especially respectful to Li Bi. The latter had a rather fierce appearance, a very strong physique, moved like the wind, and was taciturn, but it was obvious that he often failed to show respect to Li Bi, and even when facing Li Chu.

In Li Ji's view, Li Guangbi was a true general, but perhaps somewhat politically naive; while Guo Ziyi, even if he abandoned military affairs for civil service in the future, would still be able to thrive.

Li Bi devised a plan for Li Chu, suggesting that instead of attacking Chang'an head-on, Li Bi should order two generals to lead troops across the river eastward. Li Guangbi would then defend Taiyuan to secure the northern front, while Guo Ziyi would first pacify Hedong before planning a surprise attack on Tongguan. Once Tongguan was captured, the tens of thousands of rebel troops occupying Xijing would be trapped like turtles in a jar. With the Shuofang army in the east and the imperial army joining forces with the arriving Uyghur troops in the west, they could encircle and annihilate Xijing, thus recovering it.

If Li Guangbi then leads his victorious army eastward, An Lushan will surely lose heart and abandon Luoyang to flee. However, after Li Guangbi defeats Shi Siming's rebel army that invades Taiyuan, he can, as before, cross the Taihang Mountains to the east and advance into Hebei. In that case, An Lushan will have lost both capitals and will have no way to retreat, leaving him with only the option of being beheaded.

Li Chu naturally praised this idea—given his strategic acumen, he couldn't offer any other solution—and both General Guo and General Li agreed.

However, afterward, the Li brothers analyzed the situation privately, and Li Ji speculated: "Since the two generals led their troops to Pengyuan, they could not confront the rebel army head-on and recover Xijing. Instead, they wanted to cross the river to the east again... Could it be that they agreed so readily because they had some conflict with each other and were unwilling to fight side by side under the marshal?"

Li Bi smiled and shook his head, saying, "While the two generals certainly have vastly different methods of managing troops and employing soldiers—Guo is benevolent while Li is strict, Guo is steady while Li is brave—there is no animosity between them. However, you're overthinking it. I suspect that the two generals agreed to march east precisely to escape the marshal's control..."

The reason is simple: Geshu Han's defeat at Tongguan wasn't due to his incompetence, but rather the court's constraints and pressure. The two generals worried that under Li Chu's command, they might receive arbitrary orders and be powerless to act, ultimately bearing the responsibility themselves – a truly frustrating situation. If the emperor had entrusted them with military power as he had with Fang Guan, there would be no problem. However, after Chen Taoxie's defeat, the emperor panicked and wanted to appoint a prince as the military commander…

That would be better than agreeing with Li Bi's suggestion. We should send our troops out to assume command in key areas, where we can essentially make our own tactical decisions—haven't we heard that "a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders"?

It only works if you are "outside".

Li Ji then asked, "So, brother, you offered this strategy out of the same consideration, didn't you?"

Li Bi stroked his beard, smiling without saying a word.

Li Ji thought to himself, "That's right. Don't think that you can handle everything by yourself. If you want to rely on your generals, you have to figure out their thoughts first and do what they want. Only then can you make them willing to cooperate with you and give full play to their initiative."

However, he still had serious doubts about whether Li Bi's plan would succeed. While the troops accompanying Li Chu out of the city to inspect the Shuofang army did appear to be more elite than those of other prefectures, they were still practically worthless compared to the armies of later dynasties. Moreover, he had only heard that Guo and Li were capable warriors; their actual fighting ability would only be revealed on the battlefield.

No matter how meticulous the strategic plan or how brilliant the talent, if the generals are incapable of planning and the soldiers are incapable of fighting, victory will remain but a mirage...

Before the army moves, supplies must be ready. So even before the official start of the war, military affairs were already numerous and complex. In addition, Li Chu was a marshal with little ability, which meant that the heavy responsibility fell entirely on Li Bi's shoulders. He often worked until midnight and could only sleep for two hours a day. Li Ji advised Li Bi to take care of his health, but Li Bi dismissed the advice, saying, "I have my own methods of maintaining health, so it won't harm me."

Li Ji thought to himself, no matter how much you try to maintain your health, you still need to consume something to put in the effort. If you can't even eat a pancake and a bowl of porridge every day, do you really think you're some kind of immortal who doesn't get tired?! But no matter how he tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen. So he could only think to himself, "Fine, I'll finish this first stage first, and then see how things go. I'll go directly to Li Chu or ask the emperor through Li Shi."

You can't treat my brother like a disposable mule!

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One day in mid-December, after lunch, Li Ji was chatting and boasting with Chen and Yi in the corridor when a eunuch suddenly arrived, summoning Li Chu and Li Bi to the palace for an audience. Li Ji, who possessed a token that allowed him free entry and exit from the palace, escorted the two into the palace with his hand on his sword—Chen and Yi, who were not qualified, could only wait outside the palace gate.

The palace guards, mostly Shence Army soldiers with red turbans, were all looking at Li Ji with respect when he arrived, as news of Li Ji's feat of defeating three assassins had already spread throughout the army. Initially, Li Ji felt somewhat flattered by these looks, but over time he grew accustomed to them and didn't become arrogant. In truth, he was secretly thinking: "I clearly fought four assassins! Why don't you count the one who threw the dart?"

Upon arriving at the palace, Li Chu and Li Bi announced their arrival and entered, while Li Ji waited below the steps. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the palace guard general was an old acquaintance—Jing Jiang.

Old Jing's injuries had recently healed, and he was promoted for his merits. However, since Li Bi's position as a bodyguard had already been taken by someone else, Li Chu recommended him to enter the palace to protect the emperor. When he returned to service, Li Ji invited Chen Fu and Yi Tiechui to rent a house outside the palace and hold a banquet to celebrate—because by the time they finished their shifts, all the restaurants in the city had closed, and even the citywide curfew was approaching.

Old Jing remarked, "Indeed, this is a small place. In Xijing, there are often taverns that stay open all night. We could simply take a day off and not go home, and drink all night long."

Chen Fu and Yi Tiechui were both true country bumpkins who had never seen the bustling capital. So they asked Old Jing to tell them about the old Xijing. Old Jing rambled on and on, without any coherence, making up stories and describing Chang'an as a heavenly paradise. It was hard to tell how much of it was true.

Li Ji didn't care—could it possibly be more bustling than the cities of later generations? Besides, the "Imperial Guard's ban" only lasted a few days a year, unlike later generations where prosperous areas were like New Year's every night. But Chen Fu and Yi Tiechui listened with rapt attention, their mouths agape, almost big enough to fit their fists... Then they said dreamily, "We are now protecting the Marshal's Chief Secretary, so we're considered Imperial Guards, right? When we recover Xijing in the future, we should be able to go into the city and experience such a prosperous scene, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lao Jing's face suddenly darkened. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Hey, is this all you've got? A true man should fight on the battlefield and strive for a title and a secure future for his wife and children. How can you waste your time in such a bustling and prosperous place? I regret that I transferred to the Left Valiant Guard early on, missing out on several years of military achievements. Otherwise, I might even be wearing a scarlet robe by now!"

He then sighed and said, “You are now serving as the Chief Clerk’s guards. When we recapture Xijing, you will surely be on the battlefield. If the central army is attacked, you will be able to fight bravely and make meritorious contributions. As for me, I have been transferred from outside the palace to inside, and I am only standing guard every day. I am afraid I will never have the chance to go on the battlefield again…”

Li Ji casually comforted him, saying, "There will always be a chance to fight a war, so why are you so worried?"

Old Jing glared and said, "If we follow Chief Secretary Li's plan, we can recover Xijing by next spring at the latest, and Luoyang by summer and autumn. By the end of the year, the rebels will surely be wiped out. Once we miss this opportunity, where will we have any more battles to fight?"

Li Ji sneered, "Have you forgotten about Tibet? Now the troops from Hexi, Longyou, and Shuofang, as well as the Uyghur troops, are coming one after another to plot the recapture of the two capitals. The western defenses will inevitably be weak. Do you think the Tibetans are stupid? Won't they take the opportunity to attack down the plateau and seize our Han cities?"

Upon hearing this, the three men were stunned. Then Yi Tiechui slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "It's all because of that despicable An Lushan! He has wiped out years of hard work in Hexi and Longyou! I curse An Lushan!" Thus, a banquet to celebrate Old Jing's recovery and promotion ended with him verbally insulting all the women in the An family.

To return to the story, today, when the guards Li Chu and Li Bi entered the palace to pay their respects to the Emperor, Li Ji, upon seeing Lao Jing again, immediately bowed and greeted him. Lao Jing stood ramrod straight below the steps, but did not return the bow; he merely nodded slightly and winked, as if to say: I am on duty.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Being a Parent Is Difficult

The rebellion of Prince Yong, Li Lin, was a huge blow to Li Heng's spirit. He was carrying the burden of national and personal hatred and was planning to fight against the traitor An. Who would have thought that his own brother would stab him in the back? And that brother was the one he had always cared for and loved the most!

In her anger, she even smashed the hand warmer in her hand to the ground, saying, "If I had known this would happen, I should have strangled him when I was putting him to sleep in the same bed with him—I never imagined there would be a vicious wolf lying next to me!"

Fortunately, theoretically, Li Lin would not join forces with An Lushan, and the Tang Dynasty's Jiangnan region still had sufficient troops in each prefecture to contend with Li Lin. Moreover, in the short term, Li Heng's main concern was the recapture of the two capitals, and he could not spare troops to attack Li Lin.

However, during Li Bi's explanation of the situation to Li Ji that evening, Li Ji remembered a few names.

One of them was Li Xian, the Prefect of Jiangling. He was a great-grandson of Emperor Taizong and a member of the Li Tang imperial family. After learning of Li Lin's plot, he feigned illness and fled to Ding'an to report the rebellion. Li Heng initially did not believe him—"I am so close to Prince Yong, he would not rebel against me"—but after the urgent reports from Guangling and Wujun arrived today, Li Heng completely abandoned his illusions and summoned Li Xian to ask for advice.

Secondly, there was Gao Shi, the Grand Counselor, who had come to Ding'an from Chengdu with the prime ministers a few months earlier. Li Bi praised him, saying, "Gao Gong truly possesses strategic acumen." Today, when the court discussed how to deal with the Jiangdong rebellion, Gao Shi was also present, and his words were all to the point. Therefore, with Li Bi's support, Li Heng appointed him as the Military Governor of Huainan, in charge of suppressing Prince Yong, Li Lin.

That evening, when the topic of this person came up, Li Bi casually introduced him: "Gao Gong has been serving on the frontier for a long time, and his poems are generous and passionate, making him the best of his time." Li Ji then took the opportunity to ask, "What masterpieces has this Gao Shi written? Brother, would you like to recite one for me?"

Li Bi briefly recalled the events, then recited a poem, "Yan Ge Xing": "Smoke and dust rise in the northeast of the Han dynasty, Han generals bid farewell to their homes to vanquish the ravaged bandits. Men are born to roam freely, the Emperor bestows extraordinary favor upon them. With the clang of gongs and the beating of drums, they descend from Yuguan Pass, banners fluttering between Jieshi. The military commander's urgent message flies across the vast sea, the Xiongnu chieftain's hunting fires illuminate Wolf Mountain..."

Before he could finish reading, Li Ji quickly waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, let's get down to business. We can talk about poetry and prose another time." Actually, he was completely terrified. My God, another literary genius here! Luckily, I gave up the idea of ​​copying his poems, otherwise this guy would have humiliated me long ago…

The third name Li Ji remembered was Fifth Qi. This man was originally a registrar under Helan Jinming, the military governor of Linhuai. Several months ago, Jinming sent him to court to report on matters, and he then met with Li Heng in Ding'an. Fifth Qi offered his advice: "The urgent matter today is military action, and the strength of the army depends on taxes, and the highest taxes are levied in the Jianghuai region. If Your Majesty could grant me a position, I would request to seize all the treasures of the southeast and send them to Hangu Pass and Luoyang."

Li Heng followed his advice and appointed Wu Qi as Supervising Censor and Commissioner of Taxes and Labor in Jianghuai. At the same time as receiving the report of Li Lin's rebellion, Wu Qi also submitted a memorial stating that the taxes and labor from Jianghuai had been collected in Jiangling and would soon be transported along the Yangtze and Han Rivers, through Yangchuan County, to Fufeng. He also mentioned that Prince Yong, in the name of the four military governors, had demanded provisions and grain from him, but he had not received an imperial edict and therefore had not given them to him…

Therefore, Li Bi said to Li Heng: "If Prince Yong can obtain the taxes from Jianghuai and have enough to supply his army, then he will be difficult to control. Fortunately, Your Majesty has ordered Fifth Prince Yu Gui (Fifth Prince Qi) to make preparations in advance to supply Guanzhong. Then Prince Yong will surely be defeated, and there is no need to worry."

Li Heng angrily said, "What Prince Yong? Li Lin is a traitor! He should be stripped of all his titles and positions!"

However, when analyzing the situation that evening, Li Mi said, "Prince Yong may not have had any intention of rebelling, and although the Emperor spoke ill of him, he did not actually issue an edict afterwards to strip Prince Yong of his title..."

He then explained that Li Xian had reported that Li Lin refused to return to Chengdu as ordered because he had been denied military pay by Fifth Qi. Therefore, following the advice of his advisor Xue Liu, he planned to lead his naval forces eastward to Wu County and Guangling. Li Heng did not believe Li Lin had any rebellious intentions and even speculated, "Does the Prince of Yong intend to march north from the Yangtze and Huai Rivers to outflank the rebels?"

At that time, Li Bi said to Li Heng that Li Xian's escape from Prince Yong's staff would inevitably lead to unwarranted suspicion between His Majesty and Prince Yong. He hoped that His Majesty would write a letter as soon as possible to comfort Prince Yong. So Li Heng wrote a letter himself and ordered the eunuchs Dan Tingyao and Duan Qiaofu to inform Li Lin and urge him to release his troops and return to Shu.

Therefore, Li Mi speculated: "Eunuchs, confined within the palace, have always been more eager for wealth and merit, often creating trouble out of nothing to profit from it. Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing died because of the slander of Bian Lingcheng; in the Battle of Chen Taoxie, it is said that Fang Cilu did not want to fight recklessly, but was forced by the eunuch Xing Yan'en… It is likely that the mishandling of the affairs of Dan and Duan in Jingzhou and Xiangyang has deepened the rift between the emperor and the king…"

"Furthermore, there are rumors that Prince Yong led his naval forces eastward, intending to launch a surprise attack on Youzhou by sea. Li Xiyan, the Prefect of Wu Commandery and the Inspector of Jiangnan East Circuit, wrote a letter questioning his intentions. Prince Yong was furious and thus sent troops to attack Wu Commandery and Guangling..."

Li Ji couldn't help but curl his lip and retorted, "Brother, it is indeed a tragedy for brothers to fight each other, but in the face of power, anyone can be blinded by greed, and such things are even more common in the imperial family. Why do you have to defend Prince Yong...excuse him? To sail out of the Yangtze River and launch a surprise attack on Youzhou by sea from afar is a delusion that shows a complete lack of understanding of military strategy. Does Prince Yong think that the soldiers he has raised are all idiots?!"

Li Bi lowered his head and remained silent. Li Ji, however, continued speaking to himself: "I don't know if sea routes are still open today, or about maritime technology... well, the skill level of boat handling, whether it's capable of transporting troops over long distances. But I do know that riverboats and seagoing vessels are completely different; they can navigate rivers but not necessarily the open sea. And although shipping is faster than cart transport, it still involves distances of thousands of miles... perhaps even more? Therefore, it's necessary to have..."

A secure rear base is essential for the successful execution of military operations. Therefore, if Prince Yong intended to use Wu Commandery and Guangling as bases, how could the local prefects and inspectors dare to obey without imperial decree?

"Therefore, it is entirely reasonable for Wu Commandery and Guangling Commandery to send letters questioning our intentions. They are dealing with a vassal king, the emperor's own son, and the emperor's own brother. Moreover, everyone knows that the emperor favors Prince Yong, so they would not dare to use disrespectful language in their letters. Given this, why is Prince Yong so furious and wants to send troops to attack the two commanderies? And if he were not angry, would he not have sent troops to attack the two commanderies? How would his ships establish a foothold on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River? Does he intend to use Jiangling as a base and march all the way to Youzhou in one fell swoop?"

"Perhaps Prince Yong initially had no intention of rebelling, and even, as you said, was forced by those eunuchs; but now, with the urgent reports from the two prefectures arriving, the evidence of Prince Yong's rebellion is irrefutable. Just as you said the other day, An Lushan may not have initially had any rebellious intentions either, but was forced by Yang Guozhong... Why don't you report similar statements to the Emperor to exonerate An Lushan?"

Li Bi listened without answering. Just then, a servant came to announce that Emperor Li Heng had arrived…

This time, Li Heng didn't bring his three brothers; only Li Fuguo accompanied him. He then left Li Fuguo in the courtyard and followed the Li brothers into the house alone. He took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, gesturing for Li Ji to close the door. Before closing the door, Li Ji deliberately glanced into the dark courtyard, but unfortunately couldn't see Li Fuguo's cunning expression…

Li Heng sat on the couch, with Li Bi and Li Ji standing at its front. The emperor lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before finally making a move. He reached out and tugged at Li Bi's sleeve, saying, "Changyuan, come and sit with me." Once Li Bi was on the couch, he leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Some say that Prince Yong has no intention of rebelling, but merely wants to launch a surprise attack on Youzhou by sea... Changyuan, do you think this is credible?"

Li Ji understood. The emperor had been dealt a blow during the day and was truly enraged. He even smashed his hand warmer in front of all the ministers and cursed Li Lin. But once the anger subsided, he was still kind and weak-willed. Deep down, he still hoped that Li Lin had no intention of rebelling. He could betray anyone, even his father, but how could he betray me?

Li Bi then bowed and replied, "Prince Yong may have been forced by circumstances to do this, and originally had no intention of betraying His Majesty. However—the claim of a surprise attack on Youzhou by sea is merely a pretext..."

Li Ji, who was listening nearby, was furious: "Li Mi, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you've also betrayed the revolution... oh wait, I mean, you've also learned to plagiarize? Isn't what you're saying to the emperor right now exactly the analysis I just gave you? Only a few minutes have passed, it's still fresh in your mind!"

But thinking about it again, given Li Bi's shrewdness, he had already advised Li Heng to relieve Li Lin of his military power. Since he had this political sensitivity, would he really believe the excuse of attacking Youzhou by sea? Did he anticipate that the emperor would come to ask and not have time to think of an explanation, so he came to me to ask for it, or was he deliberately testing me?

Brother, I have been sincere to you, yet you resort to such petty tricks. Isn't that a bit too unkind?

After listening to Li Bi's analysis, Li Heng's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face. He muttered repeatedly, "How could this be? I have treated Prince Yong so well. How could he suspect that I have any intention to harm him and actually turn his back on me? Could it be that I have done something wrong that caused Prince Yong to misunderstand my intentions?"

Li Bi said solemnly, “Your Majesty, if Prince Yong suspects you, he should hurry back to Chengdu, and His Majesty will surely be able to ensure his safety. Instead of heading west, he is sailing east. This is not out of suspicion, but rather out of ambition! It is not Your Majesty’s fault.”

Hearing this, Li Heng became even more heartbroken, crying uncontrollably and repeatedly pounding his chest with his fists. Li Bi tried every way to comfort him, but he couldn't find peace.

At one point, Li Bi turned his head slightly and gave Li Ji a wink, as if to say: Do you have any ideas on how to stop His Majesty from crying?

Li Ji and the person beside him were already impatient. They thought to themselves, "The emperor came so late at night, I thought he had something important to discuss with Li Bi, but it turns out he just came to cry and pour out his troubles? It's so late! Li Bi still has a mountain of official business to handle. The longer you stay, the later Li Bi will have to sleep. Besides, Li Bi is probably used to staying up late. Since I came into this world, I've gradually gotten used to going to bed around nine or ten o'clock. If you don't leave, I can't sleep either! I'm so sleepy!"

However, given his own public persona, he couldn't very well come up with all sorts of reasons to gently and tactfully persuade others, like Li Bi did. Li Ji scratched his head, pondered for a while, then crossed his arms, bowed, and asked loudly, "Your Majesty... no, I don't understand. So what if Prince Yong plotted a rebellion? Why is Your Majesty so heartbroken?"

The room was small, and it was nighttime with no one around, so when Li Ji opened his mouth, his voice was loud and clear, the echo lingering in the air, immediately startling Li Heng and Li Bi. Li Bi then flicked his sleeve and said, "You are ignorant, how dare you speak such nonsense? Prince Yong is His Majesty's beloved brother, and now that his beloved brother has gone against the grain, how can he not be heartbroken?"

Li Ji replied, “I have heard that the fruit of a tree can be sour or sweet, and that oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet, while those grown north of the Huai River are bitter. If Prince Yong had always been by Your Majesty's side, receiving your teachings every day, it would be understandable that Your Majesty would be saddened by his betrayal. But now that he has come of age and lived separately, people change. Who knows what scoundrel instigated him to do something wrong? It is not surprising.”

Upon hearing this, Li Heng immediately stopped weeping, slammed his hand on the edge of the bed in anger, and said, "It must be that scoundrel Xue Liu who instigated Prince Yong!"

Xue Liu was Prince Yong's chief strategist. It is said that he was the one who suggested sailing east. As for whether this included a surprise attack on Youzhou by sea, or whether he instigated Prince Yong to rebel, that is unclear. Li Ji had heard Li Bi mention that this Xue Liu was the son of Princess Xi, and was a cousin of Li Heng and Li Lin.

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Family Feast at the New Year's Eve Banquet

A few days before New Year's Day, Prince Jianning, Li Tan, visited again to express his gratitude.

Only then did Li Ji learn that Li Bi had advised Prince Guangping, Li Chu, to take advantage of the emperor's slightly better mood and kneel down to beg for Li Tan's release, saying: "The rebellion of Prince Yong was due to a misunderstanding of Your Majesty's intentions. It is truly tragic that brothers quarreled over this. Now, my relationship with Jianning is as close as that of siblings. If Your Majesty were to imprison Prince Yong, then Jianning's imprisonment would originate from me. If he is imprisoned for too long, it is inevitable that he will harbor resentment. How could Your Majesty bear to see this?"

“If Prince Yong can stay by Your Majesty’s side, our relationship will grow stronger and we will not grow distant. Now, I am in the same situation as Jianning. I am willing to accept the punishment and ask that Jianning be released so that he can serve Your Majesty alongside me.”

Li Heng patted his son's shoulder and sighed, "This is a lesson from the past... You will surely be better than me when you become a parent." He then ordered the release of Prince Jianning.

Li Tan then went to thank Li Chu, but Li Chu did not take credit, saying, "I did want to ask the Emperor to forgive my brother, but the timing and words were all taught by Master Changyuan."

Therefore, Li Tan came to thank Li Bi—this matter was aboveboard and would not attract any jealousy, so there was no need to pretend to ask Li Ji to help pass on the message as before.

Li Bi probed, wanting to see if Li Tan harbored any resentment at losing his palace post. Li Tan replied, "The country is in turmoil, and the rebels are in Luoyang and Chang'an, not in this city of Ding'an. Although there were assassins before, if it weren't for the rebellion of the An rebels, how could Zhou Zhi have dared to commit treason? Therefore, I have long wanted to relinquish my palace post and serve the Emperor on the battlefield."

He paused here, then suddenly laughed, "Sir, please don't think I covet the Marshal's position. I know my virtue and prestige are inferior to my brother, the Prince of Guangping, and I am even less capable of commanding generals like Guo and Li. I only wish to lead an army to serve as my brother's vanguard, to enter the Western Capital first, to clean the streets and tidy up the roads, and to await the Emperor's return. Then I can avenge my ancestors and father, and bring peace to the common people. That would be enough for me. However…"

"Now that the affairs of the palace have been entrusted to eunuchs, I cannot rest easy!"

So, why did Li Heng's mood improve? Previously, Li Bi had devised a plan to have Generals Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi lead the Shuofang army eastward. Li Heng was not happy about this, feeling that with the two generals gone, his military strength would be weakened again, and he worried that the rebels would take the opportunity to attack. Li Chu and Li Bi repeatedly reassured him, saying that now that the loyalist troops were gathered in Ding'an, numbering forty to fifty thousand, the rebels would not dare to attack easily. Furthermore, reports indicated that reinforcements from the four garrisons of Anxi would also arrive soon, and they would certainly ensure His Majesty's safety—only then did Li Heng feel somewhat relieved.

The so-called "Four Garrisons of Anxi" refers to the four military garrisons under the Anxi Protectorate established by the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions: Kucha, Khotan, Yanqi, and Shule. Their soldiers had long fought fiercely with the Tibetans and were considered elite troops. Sure enough, not long afterward, the troops dispatched by the four garrisons to come to the aid of the emperor crossed thousands of miles of mountains and finally arrived in Ding'an. The total number was about 20,000, of which a quarter were Khotan Hu soldiers.