Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 176

Xue E's crushing defeat in Zhangbei not only greatly weakened the Zhaoyi Army but also tarnished the Xue clan's reputation. Moreover, with the victorious army of Weibo right beside him, if Xue Song were summoned at this time, he would certainly not dare to disobey—unless he intended to break ties with the court. In that case, the imperial decree would likely be issued today, and the Dongji Army would march straight into Xiangzhou tomorrow, while the Weibo Army would surge towards Mingzhou.

Li Ji knew that Li Bi's political views were against large-scale reductions in the power of military governors. Summoning Xue Song back to court was merely a warning, and perhaps a way to force him to relinquish one or two prefectures. But Xue Song was unaware of this. He feared that returning to Chang'an would mean imprisonment, or at least being sidelined. The court would then appoint him as the military governor of Zhaoyi, eradicating the Xue family's power.

This explains his strong reaction to Li Ji's accusatory letter, and his unexpectedly subservient attitude. It's estimated that after the crushing defeat, he won't be able to offer any money or provisions as compensation, only enough to suppress iron prices and send a woman as a gift…

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dragon-Patterned Short Sword

Hongxian lay in the dormitory, her heart filled with unease.

Although she possessed exceptional skills, she had ultimately lacked real combat experience. While she was deeply loved and respected in the Xue household, and acted with grace and poise, she was, at heart, still just a young girl of marriageable age. Now, having left her familiar surroundings and been sent to Yuancheng, though both were part of the Tang Dynasty and even Hebei province, the two regions were vastly different, leaving her uncertain about her future and unable to sleep peacefully.

In fact, since entering Weizhou territory two days ago, Hongxian had been carefully observing the situation from behind the carriage curtain. Compared to the lifeless Zhaoyi Army, everything in Weibo seemed full of vitality. Winter had arrived, and the millet and wheat in the fields had been harvested. Logically, farmers should have gone home and minimized their activities to conserve their strength for the long winter. However, along the main road of Weizhou, groups of farmers could often be seen gathering together, basking in the sun, chewing on grass roots, and chatting idly—their conversations revolving around Weibo's great victory and the military governor opening the treasury to provide extensive relief.

The city was even more bustling. The recent good news seemed to bring joy to everyone, more or less: officers felt that promotion was on the horizon, soldiers boasted of their merits and achievements, merchants greeted their customers with smiles and laughter, and even beggars seemed to be able to get more leftovers, with some oil even glistening on the rims of their broken bowls...

In contrast, Fuyang and other cities of the Zhaoyi Army have recently been shrouded in gloom and despair—after the major defeat in Zhangbei, Xue E fled all the way back to Fuyang, with only a few thousand of his 30,000 troops remaining. Although the number killed by the Tianxiong Army in pursuit was certainly not large, with the troops scattered, it was uncertain how long it would take for those scattered soldiers to return to the town, and how many would die on the way due to cold, hunger, or being intercepted by bandits.

Countless elderly men with white beards and women in plain clothes, many of whom were holding young children, gathered every day in front of the city gate, craning their necks to look north, hoping that their loved ones could return safely.

However, Xue Song only killed two defeated generals who had fled back. As for his brother Xue E, he merely scolded him severely and then ordered him to go home and reflect on his actions.

Immediately, the imperial decree was issued to Fuyang. After pacing around his room for an entire night, Xue Song finally summoned Hongxian and pleaded with boundless sorrow, "Now, only you can save my life and my Xue clan..."

And so, Hongxian left the Xue family mansion where she had lived for six years, was helped into a sedan chair, and was sent to Yuancheng.

After Xue Ji's repeated pleas, Li Ji finally left the red thread, but he did not intend to take her as a concubine immediately—given his current status, even if he were to take a concubine, a certain ceremony would be required. Instead, a soldier from Weibo drove the fragrant carriage through a side gate into the Li residence—which was the backyard of the Weibo military governor's office—and then several maids and old women came to help her alight from the carriage and enter the hall to pay her respects to Madam Cui.

Hongxian had also seen Cui Cuo once at a banquet arranged by Xue Song. Although she knew the two were of vastly different social statuses, as a woman, she couldn't help but secretly compare their appearances. In her opinion, this Madam Cui was hardly a beauty, and seemed to lack the elegance of a noblewoman—could it be true that the rumor that she was Cui Guangyuan's illegitimate daughter, whom he only acknowledged after she came of age, was true?

Hongxian couldn't help but sigh that day: Common flowers growing in gardens can compete with peonies in beauty, while orchids and irises growing in mountains and marshes are ultimately ignored... Life's fortunes, whether rich or poor, are in the hands of fate!

But now, upon seeing her again, Hongxian felt ashamed and even worried about her appearance. Madam Cui's expression was indifferent, merely going through the motions. After asking a couple of questions, she ordered that Hongxian be settled in a side room for the time being—was she jealous of her looks? If the roles were reversed, and her husband suddenly welcomed a concubine whose beauty far surpassed her own, she believed she wouldn't be happy either.

Therefore, the Li family mansion in Weibo is like a dragon's den or a tiger's lair for me... How should I navigate between Marshal Li and his wife to complete the mission assigned by Marshal Xue?

Thinking of this, Hongxian couldn't help but reach into her bosom and firmly grasp the dragon-patterned short sword that she never parted with—fortunately, when she entered the mansion, the guards only checked the carriage inside and out and did not dare to search her body.

Night had fallen, and there was no moon tonight. Although the sky was full of stars, the dormitory was still pitch black, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. Hongxian turned slightly to try to fall asleep, but a thousand thoughts rushed into her mind, and her beautiful eyes remained open, shining brightly in the darkness.

Suddenly, her small ears, hidden in her long, glossy black hair, twitched slightly involuntarily, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed. There were extremely faint footsteps outside; if Hongxian hadn't trained her hearing diligently for six or seven years, she would have barely noticed them.

Who is it? How could they sneak into the Marshal's mansion in the dead of night?

Just as she was on guard, the next footstep seemed a little heavier, and Hongxian immediately realized—the person had clearly leaped up. She held her breath and listened carefully, but the footsteps echoed again on the eaves.

Hongxian immediately threw off the covers, exerted force with her waist and legs, and silently leaped up. Then, with a few quick leaps, she reached the window, gently lifted the window sash with her left hand, drew the dragon-patterned short sword from its sheath with her right hand, held it backwards, and concealed it in her sleeve. Then, like a nimble cat, she darted straight out through the crack in the window.

The landing inevitably made a sound—though extremely faint—and then she rolled over to her feet, half-crouching, looking around. The footsteps on the eaves not far away seemed to pause slightly, then resumed. Following the sound, Hongxian saw a dark shadow suddenly rise and fall on the rooftop about four or five zhang away.

She immediately sprang up, leaping into the air, and with a light touch of her left hand on the eaves, lunged straight at the shadowy figure from behind. The shadowy figure seemed to sense her movement, twisting its waist and turning around, when a cold light, reflecting the starlight, shot towards its face.

Hongxian slightly shifted her body to the side, and the light grazed past her ear before embedding itself in the trunk of the crabapple tree beside the house with a "thud." Before she could react, another cold light shot towards her. Hongxian lost her balance and dared not dodge again. Forced to hold the dragon-patterned short sword upside down in front of her, she lightly parried the attack.

With a "clang," although the blade was successfully deflected, the red thread was quite forceful, and my wrist felt slightly numb.

The dark figure let out a soft "Eh," then lowered its voice and asked, "I came here specifically to kill Li Ji. If you are not a guest of his household, please do not interfere. You will surely be punished."

Hongxian was both surprised that the other's skills seemed to originate from the same source as hers, and deeply felt that the other was a cut above, and that she was probably no match for them. After a slight pause, she finally made up her mind, opened her mouth, and shouted, "Assassin!"

The dark figure seemed enraged and lunged at the red-striped figure. The red-striped figure changed to a normal grip on her dragon-patterned short sword and thrust it towards the chest—in fact, she was more skilled with flying swords, never missing her target within twenty paces. However, her opponent was of the same style as her and seemed to have more than one or two weapons, while she only had a short sword, so she dared not throw it lightly.

The opponent twisted his waist mid-air, easily dodging the incoming sword. Then, a flash of cold light shot from his hand, aiming straight for Hongxian's throat. Hongxian was startled and forced to retreat, but continued to shout, "Help! An assassin!"

The other party sneered, "Even if you shout until you're hoarse, no one will come!" With a flick of his right hand, his left hand shot forward and pressed down on Hongxian's shoulder: "Go down and talk!"

Unable to dodge, Hongxian was forced to lean back, inevitably slipping and tumbling in mid-air. Fortunately, she managed to twist her waist and turn around in time, finally landing on all fours. The dark figure also leaped down, holding a sharp blade to Hongxian's forehead and chuckling, "You do have some skill."

This time, instead of a falsetto, it was a seemingly familiar female voice. Hongxian was taken aback and blurted out, "Madam Cui..."

The one who stayed up so late at night to test the red thread was none other than Cui Cuo.

She escorted Hongxian into the side room, lit an oil lamp, and sat down to interrogate her. From beginning to end, no matter how much Hongxian shouted, not a single guard from the general's mansion, not even a maid or servant, came out to check.

Hongxian was dressed only in a plain white silk undergarment, while Cui Cuo was dressed entirely in the dark, only pulling back his veil to reveal his true face after the oil lamp was lit. Hongxian was utterly astonished, her mind a complete blank, only managing to stammer, "Madam Cui...you actually..."

Cui Cuo smiled slightly, a hint of smugness on his face: "I knew you were no ordinary person at the banquet hosted by Commander Xue, yet you couldn't see through my intentions."

Hongxian thought to herself, "Of course!"—On that day, she pretended to play the ruan and perform, but in reality, she was secretly protecting Xue Song. Her entire focus was on Xue Song and Li Ji, so she naturally didn't pay much attention to Li Ji's wife... And during the banquet, Li Ji spoke harshly to Xue Song and even stood up from the table. Hongxian was worried and confused, so it was inevitable that her ruan playing would falter—Madam Cui, with her artistic skills, couldn't possibly not have noticed.

Tonight is no different. Even though the night is dark, there are always some stars in the sky and some lights in the mansion. Hongxian, dressed in white, is very conspicuous. Madam Cui is walking close by at night, so how could I possibly see her every move? Otherwise, even if her skills are indeed superior to mine, she wouldn't have been knocked off the roof in an instant.

Especially since Hongxian had started shouting, I thought the servants and guards would come at the sound, and the assassin would not dare to stay long and would flee immediately. So I relaxed my tense nerves a little. Who would have thought that everyone in the mansion had been instructed by Cui Cuo that even if they heard strange noises at night, they should not go out to look!

Hongxian was somewhat resentful, but then she saw Cui Cuo raise his eyebrows, his face darken, and he asked in a low voice, "You possess such strange skills, and you've come to my residence. Do you intend to assassinate my young master?!"

Upon hearing this, Hongxian was alarmed and hurriedly bowed, saying, "This servant had no such intention, Madam..."

Do you think I would believe that?

Hongxian took a deep breath, calmed herself slightly, and then continued to argue loudly: "This skill of mine is not only known to Madam, but General Xue must have already informed Commander Li..."

Xue Song genuinely had no intention of sending Hongxian to assassinate Li Ji. Since he was sending this woman into the Li family, he dared not conceal Hongxian's abilities and ordered Xue Ji to report them in detail to Li Ji. Of course, there was another ulterior motive: this woman possessed extraordinary skills, far beyond ordinary courtesans. "I'm giving you such a treasure," he thought, "Li Ji, are you willing to refuse? If you do accept it, you must repay me in some way."

Hongxian was a clever woman. She was initially taken aback by the fact that Madam Cui was also a master of this art, and was somewhat at a loss. However, after calming down a bit, her thoughts became much clearer, and her words became very organized: "Moreover, the Zhaoyi Army suffered a crushing defeat in Zhangbei, which offended Weibo. The court issued an edict to reprimand Commander Xue, and Commander Xue then offered a slave girl to come here, pleading with Commander Li to intercede. How could Commander Xue order a slave girl to assassinate Commander Li? What we fear now is the Emperor's face and the imperial edict, not Weibo. If the court does not severely punish Commander Xue, even though Weibo is strong, how dare it attack the Zhaoyi Army without an edict? If the court wants to severely punish Commander Xue, it will harm Commander Li and cause Weibo to fall into chaos. This will not lessen Commander Xue's fault at all, and may even lead to more severe punishment, and the Xue clan will be wiped out!"

Cui Cuo smiled coldly: "That's pure sophistry! Now that you're in my hands, if you utter a single falsehood, I'll kill you as easily as killing a dog—since Commander Xue has given you to me, you're now family. As the mistress, I can kill even a concubine at will, let alone you who haven't even entered the family yet. Tell me honestly, what exactly is Commander Xue's purpose in sending you here?"

Hongxian replied, “Before Madam, this servant dares not lie in the slightest. Commander Xue sent this servant here specifically to plead with Commander Li to intercede for him before the Emperor and the Crown Prince, to exonerate him and protect the Xue family; and instructed this servant to do everything in her power to serve Commander Li, so as to solidify the friendship between the Zhaoyi and Weibo families, to be neighbors for a year and friends for a hundred years, and to avoid any discord or disputes. Commander Xue has truly been very kind to this servant, and this servant could never repay him even with her life, so how could she dare to disobey Commander Xue’s orders and come here to assassinate Commander Li?”

"Then tell me honestly what great favor Xue Song has done for you."

It turns out that Hongxian's original surname was Xue, and her ancestral home was Qizhou—Xue Song was from Jiangzhou in Hezhong—her father was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the Tang Dynasty, and was appointed magistrate of Pingji County in Zhao Prefecture. In the fourteenth year of Tianbao (1281), An Lushan raised an army in Fanyang and marched south, sweeping across Hebei in an instant. Xue's father was killed by a stray arrow while defending the city, and Pingji fell. After the rebel army entered the city, they burned, killed, raped, and looted, committing all kinds of atrocities. At that time, Hongxian was only seven years old, and she and her mother were also captured by the rebel army, narrowly escaping a great disaster.

Just then, Xue Song happened to pass by. Hearing that she was a descendant of the county magistrate and shared the same surname as him, he felt compassion and immediately offered her help. He also gave her travel expenses and sent two old soldiers to escort her and her daughter across the river back to their ancestral home to rely on relatives. It was in Qizhou that Hongxian caught the eye of a neighboring scholar who thought she had good potential. He then spent a large sum of money to buy Xue's mother from a member of the Xue clan and took her as his second wife—his main purpose being to adopt Hongxian as his daughter and disciple.

In the second year of the Zhide era, Xue Song led his troops to fight Deng Jingshan in Henan and captured Qizhou. At that time, the scholar had just died of illness, and Hongxian and her son were left destitute and unwilling to return to the Xue family. Out of consideration for past favors, they went to Xue Song's residence. Not long after, her mother also died. Xue Song already knew of Hongxian's abilities and doted on her. He then gave her mother a grand funeral with the rites due to an official's family.

For this reason, Hongxian was grateful for Xue Song's great kindness—first, for saving her and her son, and second, for giving her mother a proper burial. She originally intended to serve Xue Song for the rest of her life, but Xue Song was facing a great calamity and she was afraid she could not escape, so she was forced to agree to come to Weibo.

But in truth, Hongxian carrying the dragon-patterned short sword might not be entirely without malice—if Commander Li is willing to live in harmony with the Zhaoyi Army, I will do my best to serve him; but if one day he intends to harm the Xue family, no matter how brave he is, he will not escape the wounds inflicted by my hidden sword.

However, now that he has learned that there is someone in Li Ji's household who is even more skilled in combat than himself, and who is also his bedmate... he probably has no chance left...

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Private Matters and Public Affairs

Cui Cuo returned to her room after a meal's time. Li Ji lay on the couch, not asleep, his eyes wide open, waiting for her.

Cui Cuo asked, "Young master, you work so hard during the day, why are you still up so late at night?"

Li Ji glared at his wife: "How can I sleep under these circumstances?"

Cui Cuo pursed his lips and said, "He's probably afraid I'll hurt that delicate beauty."

Li Ji smiled and said, "She is a beauty, but not delicate. Besides, if you really intend to kill, do you think I could stop you? Why worry?" He paused, then asked, "What about the red thread?"

Cui Cuo glared at him: "As expected, you're still concerned about the beauty, but you don't come to ask me how I am."

Li Ji was somewhat amused and exasperated: "You are right in front of me, with all your limbs intact and no sign of distress on your face, so why ask again? Hongxian is, after all, your fellow disciple... And even if it were a servant in the manor, if you wanted to beat or kill him, couldn't I at least ask him first?"

Cui Cuo sat down on the edge of the couch, shook his head, and said, "We should be of the same origin, but we can't be said to be from the same school. I've said it before, I don't consider my master my master. She only forced me to learn the art of thievery to save my life—so Jiao... Xie Ziran, I don't recognize her as my grandmaster either, I only remember her as my savior..."

Mentioning Xie Ziran inevitably brings to mind his miscarried daughter, and a sense of sadness inevitably arises.

Li Ji couldn't bear to see the baby's body that day and ordered it to be buried as soon as possible. He was also overjoyed that Xie Ziran had managed to save his wife's life and wept tears of happiness. Several months passed, and he became indifferent to the loss of his daughter, not feeling the same deep emotions as a mother. However, he could still sense his wife's inner sorrow, which was outwardly visible. He quickly got up, put his arm around Cui Cuo's shoulder, and gently comforted her, saying, "We are both young and will eventually have children. Cuo'er, there's no need to grieve over the past..."

Cui Cuo smiled bitterly, "I'm already a woman in my thirties, what's the point of talking about youth..." Then she raised an eyebrow, "Just now, after losing to Hongxian, she still looked unconvinced. If I hadn't lost my youthful vigor and hadn't suffered a miscarriage that damaged my bones, she would have been completely powerless to fight back in just one move!"

Li Ji hurriedly replied, "Indeed, indeed! My wife is unparalleled in the world! I don't know how many lifetimes I must have cultivated to enjoy such a blessing!"

Cui Cuo shoved him, saying, "You're talking nonsense again!" Only then did he tell Li Ji about his battle and exchanges with Hongxian.

Li Ji laughed and said, "What? I told you Xue Song wouldn't go so far as to send this woman to assassinate me—what good would killing me, Li Ji, do for the Xue family?"

Cui Cuo shook his head and reminded him, "Human hearts are unpredictable; we must be wary." He then asked Li Ji, "When does your husband plan to welcome her into the family?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji felt a slight chill run down his spine. He then focused intently on his wife's expression and slowly said, "Xue Ji sent me the red thread. If I don't accept it, he might suspect that I intend to annex the Zhaoyi Army and exterminate the Xue clan... However, I already have one wife and one concubine, which is excessive. I have no intention of taking any more..."

Cui Cuo retorted, "Even a young master in a crimson robe can have four concubines, let alone a mere concubine? How is that excessive?"

According to Tang law, the wives of princes and ministers could also be granted official ranks. Those with ranks were called concubines, while those without ranks were called concubines. For Li Ji, who held the rank of fourth grade, he could take four concubines, which was equivalent to the rank of eighth grade.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Wasn't I afraid you'd be unhappy? Actually, what man doesn't yearn for multiple wives and concubines, surrounded by beautiful women? But wives and concubines are, after all, human beings, not emotionless machines. And who would willingly share their husband with another woman? If I were to cause my beloved wife pain because of my own greed, that would be inappropriate."

Then Cui Cuo asked again, "So, does my lord truly have no intention of annexing the Zhaoyi army and exterminating the Xue clan?"

Li Ji replied, "It depends on the situation. Xue Song is currently in charge of five prefectures and is still obedient. Even if I had the right to lead troops to Fuyang, let alone the lack of a righteous cause, there would be no need for me to send troops to Fuyang. However, Xue Song is getting old and in the end. If Xue E succeeds him after his death... who knows if the Zhaoyi Army will become the Tianxiong Army, or if Xue E will become Tian Chengsi?"

Cui Cuo nodded: "That's right. No one can predict what will happen in the future. So if you take Hongxian as your concubine and you become bound by affection, even if you want to harm Xue in the future, she may not have any ulterior motives. Otherwise, if you keep a strange person in the house all the time, it is hard to guarantee that trouble will not arise."

Li Ji smiled and said, "Isn't it because you're here to protect me?"

Cui Cuo shook his head: "Although Hongxian's skills are not as good as mine, she is still younger than me. As I get older and my strength declines, I have no idea whether I can still control her."

Li Ji comforted her, saying, "You're only in your thirties, how can you be considered old? I'm in my thirties, am I already too old to lift a spear or go into battle?" It's true that people in ancient times generally had shorter lifespans and aged quickly, but that average was lowered by the vast majority of impoverished people who lacked food and clothing. For upper-middle-class officials and their families, who were well-fed and clothed, how could they age prematurely? Look at Guo Ziyi, he's almost seventy, yet he can still lead troops into battle; Tian Chengsi is over sixty, but he actually looks younger than Tian Qianzhen…

Cui Cuo said, "In short, since you, sir, are unwilling to break free from the red thread, it would be safer to take her as a concubine."

Li Ji replied, "Even if I don't expel her, I don't necessarily have to take her as a concubine. When she was in the Xue household, Xue Song never laid a finger on her. Do you think my willpower is inferior to Xue Song's? She can temporarily serve as a maid and find a good man to marry her..."

Cui Cuo glanced at him and said, "This has nothing to do with willpower. Xue Song is old and may no longer be able to do so. How can she compare to my husband? Since we have already set a red thread, if she remarries to someone else, Xue's family may become suspicious. If we wait a few years to remarry, she will be quite old by then."

Li Ji shook his head: "She's still too young. I've never liked young girls. Let's talk about it in a few years."

"You've already reached marriageable age, how can you still be considered young?"

Traditionally, men reached adulthood at the age of eighteen and women at the age of sixteen, and were considered adults ready for marriage. However, the problem is that, let alone eighteen for the coming-of-age ceremony and sixteen for the hairpin ceremony, even for Li Ji from later generations, these were considered children—just high school students! Moreover, in reality, to facilitate early marriage and childbirth, men often underwent the coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen or sixteen, and women at thirteen or fourteen. For example, Li Yu, who lived to the age of forty, had an eldest son, Li Shi, who was already twenty-five… Do you think Li Yu married in his teens?

In Li Ji's opinion, anyone under twenty is still young.

So they made an excuse for the time being, and only let Hongxian temporarily act as Cui Cuo's maid, serving her closely—so that his wife could control her.

----------

In November of that year, an imperial edict was issued throughout the empire, changing the reign title to Dali—thus, the second year of Yongtai became the first year of Dali. Upon hearing the news, Li Ji couldn't help but grumble to himself, "Why change the reign title every few days? It's so troublesome to calculate—why can't we just fix one year and leave it unchanged for a hundred or a thousand years?"

Even one emperor or one Yuan dynasty would be fine—I support Qin Shi Huang and hate Emperor Wu of Han!

Several days after Xue Ji returned to Fuyang, before the edict announcing the change of reign title had even reached Hebei, news arrived that Xue Song had been ordered to proceed to Chang'an. However, before his departure, Xue Song still appointed Xue E, not Xue Ji, to remain in charge of the prefecture. Li Ji was somewhat worried about this and ordered Yin Shen to secretly send a mysterious person to investigate the situation of the Zhaoyi Army. Another area requiring close attention was the Tianxiong Army, where a secret investigation was needed into Tian Qianzhen's various policies after he took office.

At the end of the year, before Xue Song had returned, Du Huangshang made a trip to Chang'an. He first accompanied the imperial envoy to issue an edict praising the generals and officials of Weibo. Li Ji was promoted to Inspector of the Ministry of Rites, officially crossing the threshold of the third rank, and was able to wear a purple robe, a gold and jade belt, and thirteen plaques.

This was perfectly reasonable, but what puzzled Li Ji was that the person who delivered the imperial edict was not a eunuch, but a court official with whom he had long been acquainted—Li Qijun, a supervising secretary.

Li Ji naturally hosted a banquet for Li Qijun and asked, "Although an imperial decree has been issued, sending a eunuch would suffice. Why must you trouble your uncle to travel all the way to Hebei? Uncle, is there some important mission you have come for?"

Li Qijun smiled and said, "Changwei is indeed wise. I have come here for a very important reason. It is not convenient to discuss official business during the banquet. Let's talk about it after the banquet."

After the banquet ended, Li Qijun requested a private conversation with Li Ji. Li Ji led him into an inner room and also ordered Cui Cuo and Qingluan to come and pay their respects. After the women had left, the two sat facing each other. Li Qijun began by asking, "This time, Commander Changwei personally led the troops and decisively defeated the rebels, capturing the head of the traitor Tian. His Majesty was overjoyed to receive the news. This also serves as a warning, deterring the regional military governors from harboring any further arrogance. However, I wonder, after this victory, Commander Changwei, do you have any further plans?"

Li Ji replied, “To be honest, Uncle, having pacified Tianxiong Army and quelled Wushun Army, the next step is Chengde Town. Xue Song of Zhaoyi Army is still relatively obedient. Among the powerful vassal states in Hebei, only Chengde and Youzhou disobey the imperial orders. Youzhou is still far away, and if we attack it, we must guard against the Eastern Barbarians taking the opportunity to invade, so we cannot take it lightly. Li Baochen of Chengde is also arrogant, and I am afraid that he has allied with Youzhou, making him powerful and difficult to control—we must take him first.”

Li Qijun asked, "How many years will it take to conquer Chengde?"

Li Ji thought for a moment and replied, "If the court is willing to increase the territory of Weibo, and can take advantage of Xue Song's visit to the court this time to completely control the Zhaoyi Army, then within three years, even Weibo alone can be conquered. However, it also depends on the situation. If Li Baochen does not commit any further rebellious acts, or if he has already formed a firm alliance with Youzhou, then..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Qijun interrupted, "I'm afraid the court can't wait three years."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was taken aback: "Could it be that an imperial edict is about to be issued to punish Li Baochen?" He thought to himself, "Could it be that my battle went too smoothly—actually it didn't go smoothly, but the victory report inevitably contained some exaggeration, so from the court's perspective, it might only be a minor alarm, not a major danger—causing Li Yu to become arrogant and plan to solve the Hebei problem in one fell swoop? Li Mi, why didn't you stop me?"

Li Qijun shook his head and said, “No. In the eyes of the court, Hebei is just a minor problem, and it is far from the central government; the Western Barbarians, on the other hand, are a major enemy in the heart of the country. Once they have captured Longyou, they can enter Dazhen Pass at any time and threaten Guanzhong. Once they have captured Liangzhou, they can annex Anxi and Beiting at any time. If a person is afflicted with a disease, the disease is in many places. Naturally, the heart and the heart should be treated first, and then the limbs can be treated.”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's brows furrowed: "Does the court want me to guard the Guanzhong Plain in the west?"

Li Qijun smiled and said, "Changwei is a smart man, so it is very easy to talk with him. Do you understand why the court sent me as an envoy?"

Li Ji did not answer, but simply spread his hands: "As my foolish nephew just said, although Tian Chengsi is dead, Li Baochen and Li Huaixian are still alive. If they collude, they are still enemies of the country. Since I have been ordered to pacify Hebei, I cannot completely eliminate all the hidden dangers. I fear that before I can finish my duties, they will become arrogant and unruly again after I leave office!"

With me, Li Jizhen, here, I believe Li Baochen and Li Huaixian, mindful of past mistakes, won't dare to act rashly. If I leave Hebei now, even if the Weibo army remains the same, they'll definitely feel much more at ease. Who knows what those guys, who harbor separatist intentions, might do if they feel safe? Give me some more time, at least let me stab Li Baochen in the back before we talk.

Li Qijun said, “So what if they are so arrogant and unruly? We can use Hedong and Xiangwei as a lock, and Weibo as a garrison, so that even if they rebel, they cannot cross the river to invade Henan and the capital region. However, since the barbarian bandits have occupied Longyou, it is like a sharp blade hanging over their necks. Who can sleep soundly? Even if they do not invade, we still have to use more than 100,000 troops every year to defend against the autumn, which consumes countless amounts of money and grain. If this continues, I am afraid that if Changwei wants to continue to fight against Li Baochen, the court will not be able to provide even a single grain of rice to help them.”

"Moreover, the barbarian bandits have been waging war in the north in recent years, capturing Guazhou and Shazhou, and heading straight for Anxi and Beiting. The Western Regions are home to many barbarians, skilled in riding and archery. If they were to be annexed by the barbarian bandits, their power would be immense and difficult to resist. If we had not allowed the Western Barbarians to annex the former territory of Tuyuhun, they would not have become a threat to our Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the court intends to stockpile grain and provisions, strengthen the army and prepare horses, and within two or three years, make every effort to recover Longyou and Liangzhou to aid Anxi and Beiting."

"Whether Anxi and Beiting can hold out for another two or three years is still unknown. Moreover, Changwei plans to attack Chengde after three years... The Emperor has high hopes for Changwei. He hopes that Changwei will not let personal feelings ruin public affairs and will take command of the Western Army as soon as possible."

Li Ji hung his head and remained silent.

He understood that Li Yu wanted to eliminate the threat from the Western Barbarians as soon as possible, and therefore wanted to transfer him to Guanzhong. Previously, when the chaos in the east had subsided but Hebei was still unsettled, there was neither enough money and supplies, nor the resolve, to launch a counterattack against Tibet. Furthermore, there was a fear that if the western campaign failed, the east would descend into chaos again, returning to the perilous situation of fighting on two fronts as during the reign of Emperor Suzong. That was why Li Yu had ordered Li Ji to garrison Weibo. Now that Tian Chengsi had been beheaded, the garrisons of Yan and Zhao should be able to remain quiet for a few years. Li Yu believed that Hebei was no longer a threat—at least temporarily—and that it was time to address the Tibetan problem.

Every autumn, over 100,000 troops gather in Guanzhong for defense. The grain production west of Tongguan is already insufficient to meet the needs of officials and the people—in the past, when there was a famine, the emperor had to lead the court to Luoyang to find food—how much more so to support over 100,000 soldiers? If the barbarian invaders come, everyone will be worried. Even if they don't come, they will still be upset that this year's military rations have been wasted... If things continue like this, how can we possibly accumulate enough strength to launch a counterattack?

Therefore, he wanted to transfer Li Ji to the western front. Although Li Ji thought it was a bit hasty and the timing was too early, he could understand this sentiment. After all, he was not necessarily right and the court was not necessarily wrong. After all, Li Bi was in power now.

However, Li Ji had just won a great victory and controlled six prefectures. Hebei was prosperous and had sufficient money and grain—at least a few more years of peace and accumulation would surely provide enough. He was riding high, ruling over powerful vassal states and commanding a large army. How could anyone be willing to give all of this up and go to the impoverished and dangerous western frontier? Therefore, Li Qiyun, who was both Li Ji's cousin and had always had a close relationship with him, was specially sent to give him a heads-up and try to persuade him.