Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 92

Wei Sun dared not nod, but blinked repeatedly: "I will see you off, I will see you off..."

Li Ji surmised that Li Guangbi genuinely didn't intend to kill him, nor did he want to arrest him and send him to Shanzhou in captivity. Otherwise, Wei Sun wouldn't have changed his story so quickly. Even if he was afraid of death, he would have negotiated other terms, perhaps even asking Li Guangbi to intervene and rescue him. Therefore, his last few words were true. Li Guangbi planned to secretly send him out of the Tang camp in Heyang, and then reply to Yu Chaoen, saying it was a pity his letter arrived too late…

For Li Guangbi, achieving this much was already quite remarkable. However, it was rather pathetic to think that one of the top generals in the land had to be so humble and subservient to a eunuch. Unfortunately, he didn't want the emperor to listen to Yu Chaoen again and send someone else to replace him in a couple of days.

Personal honor and disgrace are minor matters, but if the commander is changed again on the battlefield, Henan will truly be finished!

Li Guangbi felt guilty and dared not come to see him in person, so he instructed Wei Sun instead. Who would have thought that Wei Sun was a man of his own mind, and on his own initiative, he planned to capture him and hand him over to Yu Chaoen—of course, he could not be killed, but he could not be released easily either—so as not to cause his superior to incur Yu Chaoen's hatred.

Otherwise, if you spoke to me politely, would I really refuse to leave? Was it necessary to set an ambush and tie me up? Tying me up first and then releasing me, is that fun?

Therefore, Li Ji refused to let Cui Qi release Wei Sun. Firstly, he was worried that something else might happen, and he wanted to wait until he was safe after leaving the camp. Secondly, he thought, "You bastard, you've offended me. I'm petty, how can I let you off so easily?"

Wei Sun was a clever man, so he naturally dared not refuse and could only repeatedly say, "I will see you off, I will see you off..."

Li Ji stepped forward and grabbed Wei Sun's right hand, his fingers gripping it like steel clamps, making it difficult for Wei Sun to break free. At the same time, he took the shield knife from Cui Qi's hand, and although it was away from Wei Sun's neck, he didn't put it away, but instead placed it behind his elbow. Then he winked at the little girl: "Go and get our luggage, horses, equipment, and other belongings."

Cui Qi glared at Wei Sun, then darted out of the tent. Wei Sun lowered his voice and said, "To prevent unrest in the army, and to bypass the commander's tent and go around to the north of the camp... I know a relatively hidden route..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "No need."

Not long after, Cui Qi's voice rang out from outside the tent: "We can go now."

Li Ji then led Wei Sun out of the tent, and immediately glanced around: "Bring a horse for Judge Wei as well."

Wei Sun hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, quickly bring me my horse."

Finally, the three of them stepped onto the saddle bridge one after another. Li Ji was on the right, still holding Wei Sun's wrist, while Cui Qi was on the left, leading Wei Sun's horse. The three of them slowly rode out of the camp. He didn't try to avoid people at all, and naturally, soldiers and officers who recognized him would ask, "Where are Judge Wei and Erlang going?"

Before Wei Sun could speak, Li Ji laughed loudly, "Nothing much, the military inspector Yu Chaoen asked the Minister of Works to take my head because of a personal grudge. I don't want to die, and I can't stay in the camp any longer, so I have to leave!"

Wei Sun's face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The soldier asked in surprise, "What crime has Erlang committed that Commander Yu wants you dead?"

Li Ji spoke the truth: "I am not the only one who has been killed by eunuchs, but I have made meritorious contributions to the army. It was only because I chased Yu Chaoen with a knife back in Ding'an that he was forced to cry for help in front of the emperor and lost face. Yet he still holds a grudge to this day."

Someone noticed something was amiss: "Since Erlang has left, why is Wei Pan being held hostage?"

Li Ji replied, "Nothing much, I just fear that someone in the army might have a eunuch as his father, so I have to take precautions." He glanced sideways at Wei Sun, as if to say: I told you to set an ambush, and you still dare to tie me up!

Wei Sun was almost in tears.

Just as they were approaching the camp gate, a loud shout suddenly came from behind: "Li Ji, are you trying to disrupt the morale of our army?!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Good! I've finally forced Li Guangbi out of his shell." He immediately turned around and shouted, "Thousands of soldiers have fought bloody battles on the battlefield, yet they must obey the orders of eunuchs! The defeat at Xiangzhou serves as a warning. Doesn't the Minister of Works fear that this will disrupt the morale of the army?!"

"If you wish to punish Li Ji for disrupting the army, you may send the general to fight. I would rather die at the hands of my comrades than be harmed by a eunuch!"

Its sound was like thunder, and the entire army was terrified.

Li Guangbi's expression was uncertain for a long while before he sighed and said, "Release Judge Wei and let him go. Consider this my repayment for his help. From now on, we are even."

Li Ji then released Wei Sun's hand, bowed to Li Guangbi, and said, "The Minister of Works is capable of leading an army, but it's a pity he can't recognize talent." He then laughed loudly and rode away with Cui Qi.

Wei Sun's future in the army is now completely ruined—serves you right for taking matters into your own hands and adding unnecessary complications!

[Tip]: If you like this article, please recommend it to more friends! Sharing is a pleasure.

Chapter Thirty: An Old Friend Visits

Li Ji and Cui Qi swaggered away from the Tang camp. To show that he had no fear, Li Ji deliberately loosened the reins and walked on foot. Cui Qi tried to speed up several times, but Li Ji stopped him with his eyes.

In truth, Li Ji was also on tenterhooks. It wasn't until they were two or three miles away from the Tang camp that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to thank Cui Qi: "If it weren't for your rescue today..."

Cui Qi interrupted him directly, asking in return, "You shouted like that on purpose just now, weren't you really afraid of shaking the morale of the generals?"

"Does the master care?"

"Who do you think you are?!" Cui Qi glared at him. "If you don't care, why did you come to Heyang? Do you just enjoy fighting?"

Li Ji smiled slightly: "If the Tang camp were so easily thrown into chaos, how could I have been shouting today? Li Guangbi is no mediocre talent; he should be able to remain calm..."

Li Ji had virtually no enemies among these 20,000 men. Even valiant generals like Bai Xiaode and Hao Tingyu, while ambitious, harbored no resentment towards him. This was not only due to his renowned reputation as the "Defender of Longyou," but also because the main body of this Tang army was the Shuofang Army. Since Guo Ziyi's departure, the most prestigious general in the army was Pugu Huai'en. Given Pugu Huai'en's high regard for Li Ji, why would others easily harbor hostility towards him?

Therefore, his shouts just now could easily evoke sympathy from the generals, which would then lead to resentment towards Yu Chaoen, and they might even secretly criticize Li Guangbi for lacking responsibility and being afraid to offend the eunuch. But in any case, Li Guangbi had just led them to a victory, and it was impossible for him to become disloyal and refuse to follow orders because of this "trivial matter" that had nothing to do with his personal interests.

However—"Wei Sun is probably out of a position." Li Guangbi will definitely push him out as a scapegoat. In order to win people's hearts, even if the arrest of Li Ji was Li Guangbi's order, now Wei Sun can only be used as a scapegoat. Besides, it was that guy who made the decision on his own.

Li Ji first curled his lip and mocked Wei Sun, then raised his eyebrows, widened his eyes, and said viciously, "Yu Chaoen, one day I will personally take the head of this dog!"

Cui Qi asked, "Everyone else fears those powerful eunuchs, but aren't you afraid of them?"

Li Ji sneered, "They're nothing more than a few rootless...baseless villains. Once the Emperor's favor is gone, they'll fall into the abyss. What's there to fear? You haven't seen how I chased Yu Chaoen to the ends of the earth when I was in Ding'an..."

Cui Qi reminded him, "Shut up! You insist on recounting Yu Chaoen's past disgraceful behavior in front of the soldiers... Past? Back then, you had just left your hometown, held a title but no official position, gained nothing and lost nothing, so it was normal for you to have a bit of a rogue's temperament. Now that you have an official position, a salary, a house, and a concubine, can you really give all that up? Aren't you afraid that the eunuchs will retaliate against your little Xing?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was slightly taken aback, then smiled bitterly and said, "What you said makes sense... Alas, what men are most reluctant to part with in this world is women..." But he quickly added, "Starting from the parents."

After a pause, he finally sorted out his thoughts and replied to Cui Qi, "Old grudges have been sown. Since Yu Chaoen wants to kill me, do you think that if I struggle a few times, the situation will get worse? Why not fight to the death?"

Cui Qi looked at him and simply shook his head: "I have never seen anyone like you before..."

Li Ji laughed heartily and said, "Of course, I am no ordinary person!"

Cui Qi scoffed and turned his face away, refusing to look at him again. Li Ji, on the other hand, leaned closer and asked, "Do you know the way to Shanzhou from here?"

He had traveled back and forth through Henan several times, but always south of the Yellow River. Now that the rebels were pressing on the Heyang Bridge and even the Yeshuidu crossing had been threatened, he had no choice but to return west from the north bank of the Yellow River, but he was unfamiliar with the route.

Cui Qi asked, "Yu Chao'en is in Shanzhou, do you still dare to go?"

Li Ji replied, "Since you were sent by Consort Shen to look after me, shouldn't I send you back to see her first?"

Cui Qi shook his head: "That's not necessary." Then he pointed with his whip: "We can go west along the river, passing Heqing, Yuanxian, Hebei, and Ruicheng, and cross to the west bank at Pujin Bridge..."

Li Ji nodded: "Let's get to Dayang Bridge first."

In the section of the Yellow River east and south of the river, three pontoon bridges have been built, allowing for easy crossing. The easternmost one is naturally the Heyang Bridge, which was first built in the tenth year of the Tai Shi era of the Western Jin Dynasty; the westernmost one is the Pujin Bridge, which is said to have been built in the fiftieth year of the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. It has stood for a thousand years. After entering the Tang Dynasty, in the twelfth year of the Kaiyuan era, it was expanded and repaired by Zhang Yue, the Minister of War, who replaced the original wooden stakes and ropes with iron oxen and iron chains.

Between these two bridges, in the northeast of Shanxian County, there is another bridge called Dayang Bridge, which was first built in the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong.

Cui Qi asked him, "What are you going to Dayang Bridge for? Are you planning to risk going into Shaanxi? Could it be... that you're going to assassinate Yu Chaoen?!"

Li Ji smiled and said, "You're good at assassinations, but I'm not. That eunuch must have a lot of guards around him; it's not something that can be accomplished just by being skilled in archery and horsemanship. The reason I suggested going to Dayang first was to scout out the situation in the Luoyang palace..."

In the end, she still cares about Nan Jiyun and the others.

Cui Qi sneered, "Now there are only the two of us on horseback. Even if we encounter trouble in Luoyang, it will be difficult to come to our rescue. If you want to die for Nan Ba, I will not follow you."

Li Ji laughed and said, "How can that be? You still have to collect my body."

Cui Qi glared at him: "You remember those words so well! How can a man like you be so petty?"

Li Ji replied, "I will remember every word you have said..."

Chatting and laughing, they gradually increased their speed, covering fifty or sixty li in an instant. Fearing further misfortune, Li Ji did not enter Heqing City, but instead circled the city to the west for ten li before lodging at an inn.

However, he had an official certificate, while Cui Qi did not… Therefore, they could only obtain a small room and slept together. Li Ji was about to take his quilt and lie down on the veranda when Cui Qi tugged at his collar: “This is not like in Heyang City, where there is a courtyard outside the house, and soldiers sent by Pugu Huai’en guard the gate… In a post station, how can you, a dignified judge of the Imperial Guard, sleep on the veranda? I’ll go…”

Li Ji said sternly, "I have never treated you as a servant, so why belittle yourself?"

Cui Qi gritted his teeth and said with his head down, "Or... let's share a room then. Back in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang, it's not like we haven't slept in the same room before..."

Li Ji was overjoyed, but pretended to be troubled: "It's a pity there's only one set of bedding..."

Even with only one set of blankets, it was no use. In the end, the little girl wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and huddled in the corner of the room. Li Ji may have had the courage to steal, but unfortunately, his desire wasn't strong enough, and he couldn't do anything all night. The next day, he had just gotten up and dressed when he suddenly heard someone outside ask, "Is there an official named Li staying here?"

Li Ji recognized the voice. He had just stepped to the door and looked out when he saw the courier leading a burly man over. The man greeted him with a bow and a look of delight: "Ah, Brother Li, I've finally found you!"

Li Ji was taken aback. Considering the presence of outsiders, he could only return the greeting in a perfunctory manner, saying, "I didn't expect you to come here, brother. Please come inside and sit down." He then nodded to the courier, "It's an old friend—you can go and attend to your business now."

So the man took off his boots and went inside, and reached out to grab Li Ji's wrist. Li Ji twisted his wrist and grabbed it back. When their hands touched, both of them were startled—they had used all their strength.

Unable to catch Li Ji, the man chuckled and stepped into the room. His eyes swept around, and he saw another "man" sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back to him, gazing out the window. The man was slightly startled, looked at Li Ji, and asked, "And this is...?"

Li Ji stepped forward to block the man's view, waving his hand and saying, "It's alright." Then his expression darkened, and he asked in a low voice, "Why did you come looking for me?"

The man chuckled and said, "Why can't I come to see you? Now that Li Erlang is famous throughout the land, old friends have become estranged. Can't I visit you again?"

"Who said you're a friend?!"

The man then stopped smiling, frowned, and said seriously, "Hey, even if you don't remember the kindness of saving me in Tanshan in the past, you don't need to show this kind of face, do you? What have I done to wrong you?!"

It turns out that this person was none other than Zhen Sui, the bodyguard of Qianniu, who had a long period of interaction with the original owner of his body before Li Ji transmigrated and traveled with him for several months!

After transmigrating, Li Ji met Zhen Sui twice. The first time was in Ding'an City, where he tried to find her but lost track of her due to Cui Qi's obstruction. The second time was in Luoyang's Yeting Palace, where Zhen Sui, accompanied by Zhou Zhi, happened to pass by him...

However, both times Li Ji saw Zhen Sui, but Zhen Sui did not see him. The second time, Zhen Sui only saw Cui Qi beside Li Ji and came to visit him late at night. As for Li Ji, he shaved his beard, pretended to be a eunuch, and deliberately avoided the other party's gaze. It is estimated that Zhen Sui could not recognize him after just a quick glance.

So, the two of them actually only had a friendly relationship and no real animosity. But for some reason, Li Ji felt an immediate displeasure upon seeing Zhen Sui... Could it be because of the little maid Cui Qizhi? Zhen Sui was deeply surprised by this and questioned him directly: Have I offended you? Why do you turn your back on me now that you've risen in status?

Fortunately, Li Ji was quick-witted and immediately countered, "Weren't those rebel soldiers on Tanshan Mountain lured here by the secret marks you left along the way?"

Zhen Sui sighed, "So you already know the whole story..." He bent his knees, sat down cross-legged, and beckoned Li Ji to sit with him before slowly continuing, "I didn't mean to frame you, otherwise why would I have risked my life to cover your brother's retreat? It was all a twist of fate that led to this..."

He then recounted how he received instructions from Li Fuguo to leave a secret signal on the road in hopes of gaining Cui Guangyuan's assistance. However, Cui Guangyuan escaped Chang'an City ahead of time, and the spy was captured by Tian Qianzhen. Tian Qianzhen then gathered the warriors of the army and pursued him all the way up to Tanshan Mountain. He explained the whole story from beginning to end.

In fact, Li Ji had already pieced together the fragmented intelligence through Li Bi's relay of Tian Qianzhen's words, and it wasn't too different from what Zhen Sui was saying at this moment. However, he didn't interrupt, but silently let Zhen Sui explain the past, and then poured out his grievances—

"If it weren't for this, why couldn't I return to Tang? My promising future as a Qianniu Beishen has been ruined... In the Tanshan incident, you, my brother, escaped unscathed, but I was the one who suffered the most!"

Li Ji sneered, "What do you mean by 'no surprises or dangers'? My brother and I almost died at the foot of Tanshan Mountain!" Of course, the actual situation was much more serious than that. The real Li Ji could be said to have already passed away. However, it was neither necessary nor possible to tell Zhen Suiyan about his family's secrets.

Li Ji then glared at him again: "Besides, you have now joined the rebels, so you are naturally an enemy, not a friend!"

Zhen Sui was taken aback when he heard this: "You know that too?" Then he curled his lip: "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be here to save your life today."

"What do you mean by saving my life?"

Zhen Sui deliberately kept everyone in suspense, smiling and saying, "An old friend has come to visit, do you not even have a sip of water?" He glanced sideways at Cui Qi behind Li Ji and said, "That boy, go and get some hot water for me to drink."

He assumed Cui Qi was one of Li Ji's personal guards—because that was exactly how Cui Qi was dressed—but seeing that Li Ji didn't shy away from discussing some past secrets, he figured he was probably a confidant, so he followed suit, not afraid of offending him. Li Ji, however, couldn't help but feel anxious—he was well aware that Cui Qi harbored some ulterior motive, and he also understood that "the king may have intentions, but the goddess may not dream of them." Since Cui Qi didn't even want to mention this person, it was best for them to avoid each other.

He immediately ordered, "Go and fetch some hot water." Before Cui Qi could answer or get up, he suddenly swayed his body to block Zhen Sui's view and slammed his hand heavily on the floor, saying, "You're talking nonsense. Why would I need you to save my life? Just say what's on your mind, or I'll have to see you out!" to attract Zhen Sui's attention.

Zhen Sui indeed withdrew his gaze, focusing only on Li Ji's face. A sincere expression appeared on his face as he shook his head and sighed, "Alright, to make a long story short. I am indeed currently in the rebel army, but not willingly; I am acting under orders, as the saying goes, 'My body is in Cao Cao's camp, but my heart is with Han'... I cannot reveal who specifically ordered me. But you are different now, Li Er of Jingzhao. You fiercely defended against the barbarian bandits in Longyou, and have now come to Henan, where you captured Gao Tinghui and Yu Wenjing, two fierce generals under Shi Siming..."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cui Qi turned sideways, covered her face, and circled around behind Li Ji. With a leap, she quickly darted out of the house and closed the door behind her. The little girl was skilled at this kind of stealthy action. Her movements were swift and seemingly extremely natural, as if they did not arouse the slightest suspicion from Zhen Sui.

Zhen Sui continued, "...Shi Siming was furious and offered a huge reward for your head. Now that I heard you left the Tang camp and rode back to Chang'an alone, Zhou Zhi sent men to chase after you—that's why I came ahead to deliver the news. Wasn't I here to save your life?"

Li Ji frowned and asked, "Where did Zhou Zhi get this information?"

Zhen Sui scoffed, “How would I know? But it’s not surprising that there are Yan army spies and informants in the Tang camp, is it? Besides, Zhou Zhi is good at using Jianghu people. If he is paying attention to you, you probably won’t be able to hide your tracks.”

"The area north of the Yellow River is still occupied by government troops, so how could Zhou Zhi send someone to harm me?"

Zhen Sui laughed and said, "If I can get this far, what about Zhou Zhi's 'Divine Machine Guards' and those other strange martial artists?"

Chapter Thirty-One: Venting Anger

Zhen Sui was ordered to infiltrate the rebel army and serve under Zhou Zhi. He had been there for more than two years and gradually gained Zhou Zhi's trust and was given important responsibilities.

Zhou Zhi originally joined An Lushan's rebellion and was one of An Lushan's three chief strategists—the other two being Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang. Two years ago, the Tang army recovered the two capitals, and An Qingxu fled Luoyang. For a time, the people were in chaos. Yan Zhuang defected to the Tang before even reaching the river. Zhou Zhi also falsely claimed to be seeking reinforcements and ran all the way to Fanyang to join Shi Siming.

—As for Gao Shang, he remained loyal to An Qingxu and eventually died alongside him, being executed on Shi Siming's orders.

From the time of An Lushan's rebellion, years of warfare ensued, with the Tang and Yan armies locked in a protracted stalemate. Within the Yan state, a non-Han group gradually formed, centered around Shi Siming. Virtually no Han Chinese remained among the high-ranking officers—the Han Chinese had either defected to the Tang or been killed by non-Han generals in successive internal conflicts. Therefore, Shi Siming consistently sought to win over Zhou Zhi, a Han Chinese scholar.

When he proclaimed himself the Great Sage King of Yan, he appointed Zhou Zhi as the military commander. After he became emperor, he directly put Zhou Zhi on the throne of prime minister. There were few Hu people in Hebei. If he wanted to stabilize the situation in Hebei, he would not be able to do so without such a high-ranking "traitor".

Zhou Zhi thus gained immense power, much like Gao Shang during the time of An Lushan.

However, Zhou Zhi was ultimately just a scholar. Although he loved martial arts and enjoyed recruiting extraordinary individuals from the martial world, he was still somewhat of an amateur when it came to military campaigns. Therefore, he searched everywhere for fierce generals to serve him. That's how Zhen Sui caught Zhou Zhi's eye and was able to infiltrate his side.

Upon receiving news that Li Ji had left the Tang camp alone—though not entirely alone, as even the messenger hadn't counted the small, scrawny guard—Zhou Zhi summoned the old guard of the "Divine Machine Guard" and told them, "The Emperor greatly hates Li Ji and has offered a reward of a thousand gold pieces for his head. However, Li Ji is unparalleled in bravery, and it would be difficult to find him on the battlefield. Fortunately, he has left the Tang camp and is returning to Chang'an. With your skills, you will have the opportunity to strike along the way."

"If we can capture Li Ji alive, that would be best. If not, we can take his head. Not only will the Emperor reward us handsomely, but I will also be more favored by the Emperor. Go quickly and be careful not to fail!"

Zhou Zhi did not deliberately hide this matter from Zhen Sui, whom he already considered a confidant. So Zhen Sui pretended to go to find out the movements of the Tang army, and rode alone to find Li Ji to inform him.

This wasn't just because he was a Tang family spy, but also because he cherished his old friendship with Li Ji. Back then, he had traveled a long way to Yingyang to welcome Li Bi, and he and Li Ji had gotten along quite well. They were both fond of martial arts and had even sparred a few times, developing a mutual respect. At the time, Zhen Sui had even thought, "Li Ji is a prodigy; it's a pity he didn't receive a proper inheritance. Perhaps when I escort them to the imperial court, I'll have the opportunity to take Li Ji as my disciple and impart all my knowledge of warfare, archery, and horsemanship."

In this way, Li Ji will most likely have the opportunity to roam the battlefield and become a great general; and I can use this relationship to get closer to Li Bi, and my future will be incredibly bright.

However, things rarely go as planned. He was ambushed at Tanshan, and not only was he separated from the Li brothers, but he also almost lost all hope of returning to Tang. He wanted to go to Li Mi to explain, but because it involved powerful officials in the court, he was met with numerous obstacles... As a result, he was forced to go to Yan as a spy, while Li Mi almost became prime minister, but then resigned and went into seclusion...

Because of their clandestine connections with the Tang Dynasty, Zhen Sui had heard of Li Ji's role in defending Longyou against the barbarians—a fact far more perceptive than that of Wen Jing and Li Riyue. The moment Li Ji mentioned that Li Erlang was Li Changyuan's younger brother, Zhen Sui knew exactly who he was referring to. On one hand, he was pleased that he hadn't misjudged Li Ji; on the other hand, a pang of jealousy arose within him: Changwei had the potential for a meteoric rise, while his own future remained uncertain…

On the battlefield, Zhen Sui changed his name and identity to aid Yan in the fighting. In his heart, he hoped that the Tang Dynasty would eventually quell the rebellion, but he also hoped that the chaos would last a little longer. Because his status was not high enough, even if he assassinated Zhou Zhi and returned with his head, he probably wouldn't be promoted by many ranks, unless he could kill Shi Siming... that would be too difficult.

Now, Zhou Zhi regards Zhen Sui as a confidant and has entrusted him with several thousand troops. Zhen Sui hopes to use this opportunity to further elevate his official rank and power in Yan. "If I become a military commander or even a military governor in Yan, it would be embarrassing for Tang to give me only a minor fifth or sixth-rank post when I return. But if I can bring back tens of millions of troops and one or two prefectures, I might even be able to obtain a third-rank title, or even the highest rank of Yitong Sansi!"

However, mindful of their past friendship, he still made a special trip to remind Li Ji. Of course, finding that lone rider in the midst of two vast armies would be no easy task. If things went smoothly, at least he would have done his best and have no regrets. If he could find Li Ji, it would be a stroke of luck; if he couldn't, well, "man proposes, God disposes," and even if he became a ghost, he wouldn't be able to blame him.