Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 182

Li Ji still trusted Gao Ying. Yesterday, he drafted the initial impeachment memorial, but because he was not clear about his own thoughts, he was inevitably somewhat constrained. Later, he explained his specific ideas and plans to Gao Ying in detail. In short, retreat would not bring peace, and weakness would only make enemies. Gao Ying understood this very quickly. This morning, he submitted the impeachment memorial against Wei Shaohua to the Council of State Affairs. The words were extremely vicious and harsh, which greatly exceeded Li Ji's expectations.

Ultimately, Gao Gongchu was a tough guy with a bad temper, and Li Ji's actions of "reflecting on himself and admitting his mistake, even if there are thousands of people, I will go" and his confrontation with the two major government offices of the Court of State Ceremonies and the Capital Prefecture were exactly in line with his temperament.

The group returned to the Jinzouyuan together. Gao Ying drafted a memorial, which Li Ji reviewed and found to be correct. He then ordered it to be presented directly to the Zhengshitang (Hall of State Affairs). Lu Qi also suggested that he make another trip to speak with His Highness the Crown Prince, and Li Ji agreed. The morning passed quickly, and as the sun reached its zenith, after lunch, Li Ji packed up, mounted his horse in front, and Cui Cuo followed in a carriage, heading straight for Yanfufang—the Xichuan Jinzouyuan was located within Yanfufang, adjacent to the Yuzhi Temple.

Pingkang Ward was located in the north-central part of Wannian County, while Yanfu Ward was in the south-central part of Chang'an County. The distance between them was not very close. With flags leading the way and a large entourage following behind, they finally arrived after nearly half an hour. At that time, the main gate of the Xichuan Jinzouyuan was wide open. A green-robed official stood solemnly in front of the gate with his hands in his sleeves. Upon seeing Li Ji and his party from afar, he hurried over and asked with his hands clasped, "Are you the virtuous couple, Commander Li of Shuofang?"

Li Ji nodded: "I am indeed Li Ji, and my wife is in the carriage..."

The official bowed deeply and said, "General Li, please follow me."

Seeing this, Li Ji was quite displeased—Cui Gan, you are so rude!

We are both military governors of the same town, of equal rank—in fact, I am slightly higher than you by a hair's breadth—so since you are hosting this banquet today, and I am the guest, I should personally go out to greet you. I was planning to wait for this minor official to turn back and call you out, so why do you expect me to come in with you while you wait inside? Are you looking down on me or something?!

He gave a cold laugh and questioned, "Does Commander Cui have a leg ailment?"

The official hurriedly took two steps closer and bowed again: "This humble official is Cui Mi, and Cui Gan is my elder brother..."

Cui Gan had three brothers. He was the eldest, followed by Cui Kuan and Cui Shen. All of them were ordered to stay in Chengdu. This time, when they went to the capital, they brought their fourth brother, Cui Mi, with them. Li Ji knew about this. Cui Cuo had also mentioned that this Brother Mi—Cui Gan had joined the clan to curry favor with Cui Guangyuan, forcibly squeezing into the third branch of the Boling Cui clan. In the genealogy, he was ranked seventh by age, but his brothers were not included—was quite talented in literature. He served as the seventh brother's secretary, and many of my previous correspondence was also written by Brother Mi.

So, although Cui Mi was not of high rank and only wore a green robe, he was still Cui Gan's brother. So, it was theoretically justifiable for him to send his own brother out to greet the guest. However, Li Ji was still indignant. "Is it so hard for you to come to the door to greet me?"

Before anything could happen, Cui Mi lowered his voice and said, “My elder brother has urgent business to attend to in the palace to see the Emperor, so he sent me here to greet General Li and his wife. There is a reason for this, and I would not dare to neglect our distinguished guests. This is not the place to talk. I humbly request that General Li come with me into the courtyard so that I may apologize on behalf of my elder brother.”

Li Ji wondered what this meant. He was invited to a banquet, but the host had run away first? But seeing Cui Mi's sincere expression and repeated bowing, he didn't seem to be deliberately trying to embarrass him. Since he was already there, he didn't want to leave without understanding the reason. So he didn't dismount, but with a stern face, he cracked his whip and said, "Lead the way."

Once all the carriages and horses had entered the Xichuan Jinzouyuan and the gates were closed, Li Ji dismounted and immediately asked Cui Mi, "What important matter does your brother have that compels him to enter the palace to meet the Emperor at this moment?"

Cui Mi looked around, dismissed the bystanders, and then whispered, "This matter cannot be kept from Commander Li—there is trouble again in Shu!"

Cui Gan was preparing food and drink at the Jinzouyuan, waiting for Li Ji and his wife to arrive, when he was suddenly struck by alarming news—Yang Zilin, the governor of Luzhou, had personally led several thousand elite troops in a surprise attack on Chengdu. Cui Kuan, who was left to defend the city, was caught off guard and was defeated, fleeing to Shu County…

When Cui Gan attacked Chengdu and drove out Guo Yingyi, Bai Zhenjie, the military commander of Qiongzhou, Yang Zilin, the military commander of Luzhou, and Li Changkui, the military commander of Jianzhou, raised troops to support Zhang Xiancheng's government forces in attacking Cui Gan. After Zhang Xiancheng was defeated, Du Hongjian reconciled with Cui Gan, and the court ordered Bai, Yang, and Li to each take up the post of prefect of their respective prefectures and return to their prefectures.

While in Chengdu, Cui Gan presented tribute to the emperor and lavishly bribed Du Hongjian. He also worked to win over former Shu generals like Bai and Yang, hoping to turn enemies into friends. He believed his power base was secure, so he confidently left his brother Cui Kuan to guard the city while he followed Du Hongjian back to the capital for an audience. However, Yang Zilin, harboring treacherous intentions, outwardly complied but inwardly waited for an opportunity. Taking advantage of Cui Gan's absence, Yang Zilin launched an attack from Luzhou, marching hundreds of miles in a single battle and storming into Chengdu…

Cui Gan was shocked upon receiving the news. He hurriedly ordered his brother Cui Mi to greet Li Ji and his wife on his behalf, while he himself rushed into the palace to see the emperor. He was afraid that if he was a step too late, Li Yu would get the news first and might try to use Yang Zilin to uproot his family from Shu. Even if it might offend Li Ji, he didn't care!

Of course, it would be best not to offend Li Ji... That's why I told Cui Mi that you and Li Shuai and his wife can speak the truth, but you must first welcome them into the Jinzouyuan, and the news must not be leaked.

After listening to Cui Mi's detailed explanation, Li Ji finally felt relieved—it was understandable. If it were me, upon hearing of any trouble in Shuofang or Weibo, would I not be busy dealing with it, instead of rushing to eat at the Cui family's banquet? So he cupped his hands and said, "In that case, I shall take my leave for now, and wait for another time..."

Cui Mi grabbed Li Ji's sleeve and said, "Please don't be like that—my elder brother went to the palace to meet the Emperor, hoping that the court would issue a decree to punish Yang Zilin and allow him to return to Sichuan immediately to quell the rebellion; however, the battle is a thousand miles away, and Chengdu has already fallen, so even if he returns, it won't be in a hurry for a day or two. I implore Commander Li to rest a little longer and wait for news from my brother." He waved his hand and said, "The banquet has been prepared. This humble official should first offer a toast to the virtuous couple and apologize on behalf of my brother."

Li Ji turned to look at the carriage—Cui Cuo hadn't gotten out, but since his conversation with Cui Mi had been right next to the carriage, he was sure she couldn't have missed it—the curtain was lifted, and Hong Xian helped Cui Cuo down. Clearly, his wife intended to wait for Cui Gan there, as Cui Mi had requested.

Li Ji couldn't help but think to himself: You really care about your seventh brother... He had no choice but to comply and follow Cui Mi up to the hall. After the host and guests took their seats, Cui Mi then toasted the couple with a cup of wine as an apology.

Cui Mi was not only a man of great literary talent, but also quite eloquent. He spoke fluently about the customs and situation in Sichuan, and Li Ji, though unable to meet the main character, did not find it boring.

It wasn't until late afternoon, when the sun was setting, that someone announced, "The General has returned from the palace." Li Ji and his wife immediately stood up, craning their necks to look. They saw a red-robed official, left hand on his belt, right hand lifting his robe, trotting quickly to the front of the hall. He immediately kicked off his boots, leaped forward, and without entering the hall, knelt and prostrated himself on the veranda: "I failed to properly welcome our distinguished guest; it is my fault. I humbly beg your gracious forgiveness..."

Cui Cuo hurriedly raised his hands, offering a perfunctory helping hand: "Is it Seventh Brother in person? Why such a grand gesture between relatives?"

Chapter 50, Referring to Comrades

Cui Gan was born in the eleventh year of the Kaiyuan era. He was in his early forties this year, more than a full twelve years older than Li Ji.

Li Ji stared intently and saw that this Sichuan general was tall on top and short on the bottom, with broad shoulders and a rather thin waist, resembling an inverted triangle... He had a yellow face, a square face, and a long beard, and his expression was dignified without being angry.

Cui Gan was originally from a distant branch of the Cui clan of Boling. His ancestors moved to Weizhou—he was practically a fellow townsman of Li Ji—his family had been Confucian scholars for generations, but he preferred the ways of the School of Diplomacy. As a young man, he left his parents and went to Shu to join Xianyu Zhongtong's army, starting as a common soldier...

This is also one of the reasons why Li Ji sympathized with Cui Gan. After all, in these days, generals were either scholars who had changed their professions or from military families. It was truly rare for someone to become a general by relying solely on personal efforts and fighting on the battlefield for decades without any foundation. Of course, if Cui Gan had not been surnamed Cui and had been a complete commoner, he probably wouldn't have had many opportunities for promotion.

After exchanging greetings and taking their seats, Li Ji immediately asked, "Your brother has briefly mentioned the affairs of Shu, but I wonder if Commander Cui's visit to the palace went smoothly?"

Cui Gan replied, "Thanks to Commander Li and the Emperor's great virtue, I have been granted permission to return to Xichuan immediately to attack Yang Zilin. Moreover..." Unable to hide his joy, he said in one breath, "Commander Li, there is no need to be formal. Since we are relatives, you can call me by my name. However, I am no longer called Cui Gan. The Emperor has just bestowed upon me the name Cui Ning."

Li Ji immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "Congratulations, Commander Cui... The Sage bestowed this name upon you in the hope that you can bring peace to the Shu region. He truly has high hopes for you."

However, I was also wondering to myself, your brothers are named Cui Kuan, Cui Shen, and Cui Mi, all of which have the radical for "roof" (宀), but your name has the radical for "sun" (日). Is it possible that Li Yu has some kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder that made him change your name to "Cui Ning"?

Then Cui Gan... no, Cui Ning turned around and instructed his younger brother Cui Mi: "I intend to leave the capital tomorrow, or at the latest the day after tomorrow, and rush back to Shu. You may go and make preparations immediately." Cui Mi bowed and took his leave.

In fact, Cui Ning was telling Li Ji: "Let my brother handle all the preparations for leaving Beijing. I will do my best to be a good host and stay here to entertain you both."

This marked the official start of the banquet. Fine wines and delicacies were served in a continuous stream. Li Ji, upon seeing this, secretly envied: It seems that this Cui fellow is quite wealthy!

With Lu Qi remaining in the capital, Li Ji could easily uncover most of the court officials' dealings if they so desired. He had already questioned Lu Ziliang in detail last night about Cui Gan's activities since arriving in the capital; basically, he had been sending gifts everywhere, amounting to no less than 300,000 strings of cash—Sichuan was originally a wealthy region, especially the area around Chengdu; who knew just how much this Cui fellow had amassed…

From Cui Ning's perspective, this was an unavoidable situation. However, Li Ji hoped that he could use more money and resources to recruit and train soldiers in order to resist the invasion of the Western Barbarians and protect the southwest, this major granary.

He then inquired about the situation in Xichuan. According to Cui Ning, Xichuan in Jiannan had a population of nearly three million, half of whom lived in Chengdu Prefecture and nearby prefectures such as Peng, Shu, Han, and Mei. The main direction of the Tubo invasions over the years was the Xishan area, three or four hundred miles northwest of Chengdu.

The Xishan region is home to eight Qiang tribes, commonly known as the "Eight Kingdoms of Xishan," such as Gelin, Baigou, and Nanshui. If their hearts and strength could be won over and their power gained, they could serve as a shield for Sichuan. However, if they were annexed by the Tubo, the Chengdu Plain would have no natural defenses to rely on. Therefore, the Jiedushi of Jiannan often stationed a large number of troops in Xishan. Cui Ning himself rose to power as the military commander of Xishan.

"At the beginning of the Zhide era, Jiannan was divided into East and West Sichuan. When Lord Yan (Yan Wu) was alive, he believed that the two Sichuan were one entity and that their authority should be unified. He petitioned the emperor and the plan was approved. I was then ordered to lead troops to the Western Mountains to expand our territory by a hundred li, temporarily relieving the threat from the Western Barbarians. Unfortunately, Lord Yan died young, and the court divided Jiannan twice more, and appointed Guo Yingyi to guard the Western Sichuan... Well, let's not dwell on the past. Now I am in the Western Sichuan, which strengthens the defense of the Western Mountains, but I regret that I do not have a good general..."

Cui Ning meant that when he was under Yan Wu's command, he was stationed in Xishan and could protect the barbarian bandits from invading. Now that Yan Wu is gone and he has taken control of Chengdu, he can no longer stay on the front line. However, he no longer has a capable general like himself who can be relied upon.

"The main force of the barbarian rebels is now heading north, plotting to seize Anxi and Beiting. As for Xishan, they can only secretly send envoys to persuade the eight kingdoms. I, in Shu, only seek peace and tranquility, pacify the people and store grain, hoping that in a few years, when our army is strong enough, we can once again press Xishan. Then the eight kingdoms will not dare to rebel, and Jiannan can be guaranteed peace. If the court intends to use troops in the north to recover Longyou and Liangzhou, we can also take the Qiang tribes to send troops to Dengyuan to contain a part of the barbarian rebel forces..."

At this point, he slapped his thigh in resentment: "That Yang Zilin is causing trouble again!"

Li Ji asked him, "How many soldiers does Xichuan actually have?"

Cui Ning said, "Ma Shao's forces are mostly infantry. I can control about 30,000 men, of which 15,000 are in Xishan, and the rest are scattered in various prefectures. Only a few thousand remain in Chengdu Prefecture, which is why Yang the bandit took advantage of the situation to invade..."

"Brother Cui, are you confident in pacifying Shu?" As the conversation between the two became more lively, Li Ji simply followed his wife's lead and called Cui Ning "brother".

Cui Ning patted his chest: "I consider Yang Zilin nothing more than a chicken or a dog. But once he returns to Shu, I can wipe him out in less than half a year!" He paused, then added: "We must quell the rebellion before autumn, otherwise the barbarian bandits will take the opportunity to invade. If they annex Xishan, not only will Yang Zilin become a traitor, but I will also become a national traitor..."

Li Ji nodded and said, "Since Brother Cui is willing to defend our territory and resist foreign invaders, then we can be considered comrades."

"Comrade" was still a new word at this time, but Cui Ning could understand it by recognizing the words and meanings. He immediately raised his glass and said with a smile, "It is my honor to be comrade with Commander Li!" Li Ji accepted the toast from him, smiled and said, "Since we are relatives and comrades, there is no need to be formal. Since I regard Brother Cui as my elder brother, then Brother Cui should regard me as his younger brother."

The two men found themselves increasingly congenial, both veterans of countless battles. They recounted their past exploits and engaged in in-depth discussions. Before they knew it, night had fallen, and they had drunk their fill. They then agreed to gather their strength for a few years and launch a simultaneous attack on the northern and southern barbarians, determined to exhaust the likes of Ma Chongying and render them powerless to resist.

As they were talking, Cui Ning suddenly remembered something, so he ordered his men to bring a document and handed it to Li Ji with both hands. Li Ji took it and looked at it, and lo and behold, it was the ownership contract for Ya Xuan Tea House...

"Brother Cui, what do you mean by this?"

Cui Ning said solemnly, "I have been pardoned by the court for my past crimes and given the position of governor of Xichuan. How could I forget your kindness, my virtuous brother? This small amount of money is nothing but a token of my respect... We are relatives and comrades, so why should we run a teahouse together to maintain our relationship?" There is no need for any financial entanglements; we value our feelings.

Li Ji naturally declined, but Cui Ning said, "Shu is rich, while Shuofang is poor. My brother will need money and goods everywhere he goes to Shuofang. If you have any spare money, I should provide it. Besides, this property... originally belonged to your father-in-law and should be passed on to my sister. My brother, please do not refuse."

Li Ji pretended to decline, but when he couldn't refuse, he accepted it and casually handed it to Cui Cuo, who was standing next to him, to put away. Cui Ning then steered the conversation to Shuofang: "Shuofang is a vast place with many mixed Hu people. Their generals are arrogant and their soldiers are fierce, so they may not be easy to control. My brother, you must be careful on your journey."

"I was just about to ask Brother Cui for advice on matters concerning Shuofang. Do you have any insights to share with me?"

Cui Ning shook his head: "I grew up in the southwest, how would I know about things in the northwest? But judging from common sense, if you want to take charge of the north, there is one person you must visit..."

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The following afternoon, the Cui brothers took their leave of the capital and rushed to Shu to quell the rebellion. Li Ji, as planned, visited Li Qiyun and Yang Wan in the morning—as expected, he was unable to meet them, only leaving his name card—and then went to the Prince of Fenyang's residence in Qinrenfang in the afternoon to request an audience with Guo Ziyi.

Cui Ning told him last night that if he wanted to take control of Shuofang, there was one person he couldn't bypass, and that was naturally Guo Ziyi. Guo Ziyi was someone who sat on the sidelines; although he held the title of "Chancellor of the Secretariat," he certainly didn't need to clock in at the Secretariat. He spent most of his time sitting idly in his own residence, so theoretically he should be able to meet him in person.

Guo Ziyi's relationship with Li Ji was not deep—not even as deep as that with the deceased Li Guangbi—but given Li Ji's rank and position, and his impending departure to govern Shuofang, he could not refuse to see him. Thus, he ordered his eldest son, Guo Yao, the Minister of the Imperial Guard and Duke of Taiyuan, to personally greet him at the gate. The old general himself did not come out, but unlike Cui Ning, who held a banquet but did not personally greet him, Li Ji could not possibly harbor any resentment.

Upon entering the hall to meet, Li Ji performed the courtesies due to a son and nephew. Guo Ziyi then summoned all his brothers, sons, and sons-in-law to greet Li Ji. The large crowd nearly filled the spacious main hall. Seeing this, Li Ji couldn't help but sigh, "Everyone says that Your Excellency has six sons and five sons-in-law, and a bed full of official tablets. If I could acquire even half of that inheritance, I could die in peace!"

In fact, Guo Ziyi had a total of eight sons and eight daughters. However, his two youngest sons, Guo Shu and Guo Ying, were still very young, and even his sixth son, Guo Ai, was only sixteen years old, yet he had already married Princess Shengping, daughter of Li Yu, and been appointed as a驸马都尉 (Imperial Son-in-Law). Perhaps in a few more years, he would have eight sons and eight sons-in-law filling his bed…

Guo Ziyi waved his hand humbly and said, "My son-in-law's fame and achievements are all his own doing..." He glanced at Guo Ai, and thought, "Okay, only you, Sixth Brother, are not one of them." He continued, "Although I bear the responsibility of the General-in-Chief and hold the rank of a high-ranking official, I have failed to quell the rebellion in Hebei and have failed to drive the barbarian bandits back to the plains. I have spent half my life in a hurry and have accomplished nothing. I am truly ashamed."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji blurted out, "Does Your Excellency still harbor some resentment about abandoning Luoyang and returning to the capital that day?"

The Tang Dynasty had two major enemies: the Western Barbarians and the An Lushan Rebellion. The Western Barbarians were at the height of their power, and the general who ultimately pacified Hebei and Youzhou and annihilated Shi Chaoyi was neither Guo Ziyi nor Li Guangbi, but Pugu Huai'en. After the defeat at Xiangzhou, Guo Ziyi led the Shuofang Army to retreat to Luoyang, but because of Yu Chao'en's slander, he was recalled to the capital and began his long period of being sidelined. As a result, his subordinate Pugu Huai'en was able to achieve the complete success in suppressing the rebellion. It would be impossible for him not to feel any resentment.

No matter how rebellious or usurping the throne, the pseudo-Yan was still a state, having captured two capitals and nearly overthrown the Tang dynasty, causing eight years of continuous warfare in the Central Plains. Its contribution to the destruction of a state was immense, unmatched by any other campaign. So, someone with prestige and power, capable of seizing this achievement and securing a place in history, was sidelined due to the emperor's suspicion. Li Ji thought to himself, "If I were in that situation, I certainly wouldn't tolerate it!"

However, given their limited acquaintance, even though Guo Ziyi still harbored resentment, he wouldn't openly reveal it to Li Ji. His earlier statement, "I was unable to quell the rebellion in Hebei, nor could I drive the barbarian bandits back to the plains; I've wasted half my life, accomplishing nothing," was merely a display of humility. Unexpectedly, Li Ji seized upon this flaw in his words, bluntly asking, "I didn't expect that you, old general, still harbor resentment about being forced to return to court?"

One was a thoughtless remark, the other a deliberate question—the latter, while speaking, also secretly glanced around and saw that the expressions of Guo's sons-in-law had all changed, some were alarmed, some were angry, some had a slight bitter look, and some simply turned their heads away—a thousand people, a thousand faces, each different.

After scanning the area, he looked at Guo Ziyi again. The old general remained calm and composed, and simply smiled: "General Li, please don't make fun of me. Such elaborate and scathing arguments are the responsibility of the censor. You are a seasoned warrior, so there's no need for you to harbor such thoughts."

First, I warn you that you're nitpicking and deliberately finding fault, and I will never admit it. Then I persuade you that we are both military commanders, so there's no need for us to trip each other up.

Li Ji thought to himself that the old man was indeed shrewd. Although he had misspoke, his subsequent words were watertight. However, the old man was clearly unhappy because he had deliberately teased him. Just now he had been calling him by his courtesy name, but this time he coldly changed it to "General Li".

He bowed and said, "I have spoken inappropriately, please forgive me, Your Excellency. I have been ordered to guard the northern frontier, and all those under my command are your old friends. Therefore, I dare not fail to come to your residence to respectfully seek your guidance. However... it is truly inappropriate for me to become too close to Your Excellency."

Guo Ziyi curled his lip: "General Li's words are quite intriguing—why is it not advisable for him to be close to me?"

Li Ji pointed at Guo Ziyi, then at himself: "Our hearts are as one, and our intentions are clear without words. You must have heard about my beating and arresting of the Uyghur envoy in the main street the other day, and my subsequent impeachment of the Minister of Ceremonies and the Prefect of the Capital. So, in your opinion, would you be willing to do such things?"

Guo Ziyi laughed and said, "I am old, not as young and as fiercely opposed to evil as General Li..."

Li Ji interrupted him: "More importantly, the Sage has just handed the Shuofang Army over to me."

Guo Ziyi's eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly, saying, "Commander Li is young and promising, and his bravery surpasses that of the three armies. He will surely be able to lead Shuofang and serve as a bulwark for the country. I have been away from Shuofang for a long time and have no good ideas to offer."

This was a bit like keeping people at arm's length, and Li Ji couldn't help but feel anxious. He thought to himself, "I originally wanted to provoke the old man, but who would have thought that he would take the bait but not be provoked? Luckily, he has good self-control, otherwise he would have been kicked out on the spot... Lately, when I've been provoking the emperor or the prime minister, I've always been seemingly gentle but actually firm, and it's become a habit. Who would have thought that this trick wouldn't work on the old man?"

When one plan failed, he devised another. He looked around at everyone and slowly said, "The Crown Prince has a few words he wants me to ask you, sir. Please dismiss your attendants for now." He didn't dare to bring up Li Yu casually, but he figured that using Li Shi's name shouldn't be a problem.

Upon hearing this, Guo Ziyi hesitated slightly, but after a moment's thought, he waved his sleeve, and his son-in-law, servants, and others all bowed and took their leave. Turning to Li Ji, he asked, "What questions does His Highness the Crown Prince have?"

Li Ji stood up, flicked his robe, took a few steps, and unceremoniously rubbed his backside against Guo Ziyi's seat next to his couch. Then, leaning forward even closer, he whispered, "What truth is ever spoken by the emperor? Old General, don't try to imitate them..."

Chapter 51, The Outer Residence of Shuofang

Li Ji admitted that he had previously underestimated Guo Ziyi.

They thought the old man was old and frail, and also worried about slander and ridicule, which was why he was forced to sit on the sidelines in Chang'an, relying only on the reputation he had built up on the battlefield to protect his family. In other words, the old man's wings were broken and his limbs were severed. If Li Heng and his son Li Yu had been even slightly bold, they could have easily crushed him.

It wasn't until he was ordered to garrison Shuofang and secretly dispatched Lu Qi, Yin Shen, and others to investigate the situation within Shuofang, and with his own analysis and judgment, that Li Ji was shocked to realize that the one who could easily crush the other party was probably not the emperor, but Lord Guo!

When Li Heng ascended the throne in Lingwu, he was mainly supported by the Shuofang army. In order to counter the exiled emperor in Chengdu, he was forced to heavily rely on and reward the Shuofang generals and officials, which made the Shuofang army difficult to control in a short period of time.

In the central court, figures like Du Hongjian held high-ranking positions, including prime minister. The six armies of the Northern Army were mostly recruited from the Western Army, while military power in Longyou, Liangzhou, Anxi, Beiting, Guanzhong, and even Hedong gradually fell into the hands of the Shuofang generals. Locally, the initial plan was to replace Guo Ziyi with Li Guangbi to control Shuofang, but unexpectedly, the armies of Hedong and other regions merged with Shuofang, forming a powerful force. After Li Guangbi's death, all the generals looked up to Guo Ziyi…

It can be said that for the military governors and military commanders north of the Yangtze River, Guo Ziyi's orders were often more effective than imperial edicts, because the imperial court often made blunders, while the old general was almost invincible; the emperor once executed Lai Zhen, showing his harshness and lack of compassion, while the old general was known for his magnanimity.

Of course, more importantly, the central government had long intended to weaken the regional military governors, but there were not many conflicts of interest between Guo Ziyi and the various military governors.

By this time in the Tang Dynasty, the arrogance of the regional military governors was already gradually taking shape—at least in the north—and the governors themselves were becoming increasingly arrogant and prone to rebellion. These military leaders, large and small, were likely to completely transform into local warlords, and Guo Ziyi was the most powerful military leader of his time, as well as their representative of interests in the court.

The old man was sitting on a bench in Chang'an, but the bench wasn't cold at all; on the contrary, it was scorching hot, even hotter than the imperial bed. If the emperor dared to kill Guo Ziyi, or even just refuse to treat him with courtesy, he wouldn't just be branded as a villain who harmed a virtuous man. The various military governors would surely resent him, and even if they didn't raise the banner of rebellion on the spot, they would never obey the court's orders again.

On the contrary, if Guo Ziyi had any ulterior motives and secretly left Chang'an to raise his banner, the Shuofang army would surely follow him. At least half of the generals from Guanzhong and Hedong who came from Shuofang would also be willing to obey him. In comparison, Pugu Huai'en lacked prestige and popularity, and he almost caused a great disaster, let alone Guo Ziyi.

Pugu and his son harbored rebellious intentions, and Xin Yunjing, holding Taiyuan, refused to reconcile with them; but if it were Guo Ziyi who was plotting the rebellion, Xin Yunjing might have directly switched sides and joined forces.

Having figured this out, Li Ji had a deeper understanding of why Li Yu had sent him to guard Shuofang. Moreover, without Cui Ning's reminder, he knew that upon returning to the capital, he would have to pay respects to Guo Ziyi and get past the old man first.

Back when I was stationed in Weibo, Hebei was just pacified, and the old army was demoralized, yet they still dared to gather and threaten me. Now, the Shuofang army is strong and well-equipped, and Guo Ziyi is remotely controlling things from the capital. If they harbor hostile intentions, can I control them in a short time? In the past, I was angry that Li Guangbi was not sincere and only knew how to wield the butcher's knife. Now I understand the hardship of being an airborne commander...

Because what he was facing was not just tens of thousands of Shuofang soldiers, but a vast and incomparable Shuofang military force with deeply entrenched influence throughout northern China, and connections between the central government and the outer garrisons! He had no intention of shaking this edifice; he only wanted the 20,000 Shuofang soldiers stationed outside the garrison to obey his orders and fight. That's why Li Guangbi was so eager to kill generals and establish his authority in Heyang.

Would Li Ji today have done such a thing? Would he have dared to do it? Moreover, Li Guangbi's plan to kill Zhang Yongji was immediately thwarted by Pugu Huai'en's military remonstrance, thus rendering his entire scheme futile...

Therefore, Li Ji's plan was to persuade Guo Ziyi to agree to cooperation in order to gain control of Shuofang Town in a relatively short period of time. Otherwise, even with overwhelming force or clever tactics, it would take at least five to ten years to get the Shuofang army to work for him without suffering significant losses. If they waited five or six years, not only would Anxi and Beiting likely have fallen to the barbarians, but even Lingzhou, where Shuofang was located, might be facing the enemy's advance directly!

Therefore, he pretended to ask the Crown Prince a question, asked Guo Ziyi to dismiss his attendants, and then said, "What truth is ever spoken by the Emperor? You should not imitate them, General..." Guo Ziyi did not understand what he meant, but these words sounded particularly harsh, so he put on a stern face and asked, "What exactly is General Li's intention?"

Li Ji glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then lowered his voice and said in one breath, "If Your Excellency is willing, I am willing to follow you; if Your Excellency is not willing and needs to plan your future, I am the best choice."

Guo Ziyi's eyelids twitched, and he leaned back slightly, deliberately distancing himself from Li Ji, and slowly said, "I'm old and hard of hearing. Commander Li's words were too soft, so I couldn't hear you clearly. What do you mean by 'having a reason' or 'not having a reason'?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Of course you heard me clearly! If you didn't hear me clearly, or even understand me, you wouldn't react like this." He immediately smiled slightly and said directly, "Shuofang is a worry for both the Emperor and you, my lord. If you hold a fortune and sit in the hall, you fear others will covet it and bring ruin to your family, yet you are unwilling to let go. But if you are penniless, your family will also be difficult to protect. In that case, why not find a reliable person to hold it for you? Perhaps you can even make a profit?"

Guo Ziyi asked, "Is Commander Li skilled in management? How can you claim to be the best choice?"

Li Ji pointed to his chest: "I once fought under Li Wumu (Li Guangbi's posthumous title was Wumu) in Heyang, and I swore brotherhood with Pugu Yang. Most of the generals who went on the eastern expedition in Shuofang are familiar with me. Your subordinates are all generals of military governorships, who regard their governorships as their homes, but I, Li, have no home. I can barely be considered an outsider in Shuofang."

"Isn't General Li's family in Longyou or Beiya?"

"Longyou has already fallen into the hands of the rebels, and half of their troops have entered Guanzhong, making it practically an outlying residence for Shuofang—the same applies to the Northern Army. Moreover, it is precisely because I, Li, once commanded the Imperial Guards that His Majesty trusts me and has sent me to garrison Shuofang. To put it bluntly, with you here, the country is secure, and our family is safe; if you leave, Shuofang will surely descend into chaos, and it may even bring ruin to our family! So, in your opinion, among your sons-in-law and the current generals of Shuofang, who can you entrust with the affairs of the future?"

Guo Ziyi remained silent after pondering for a moment.

Li Ji added, “If you believe someone is suitable to succeed you, the Sage will not believe it; if the Sage believes someone is suitable to succeed you, it is only because I, Li, still have some connection with Shuofang. If I, Li, were to govern Shuofang, there would be peace both internally and externally, and both the family and the country would be well-off—do you agree, Your Excellency?”

Guo Ziyi turned his head away and gently tapped the couch with his hand, but still did not speak.

Li Ji continued, "Moreover, the court is now seizing territory from Shuofang, Binning, Fufang, and Jingyuan every day. The commanders-in-chief are mostly former generals from Shuofang, but the officers in charge of the troops come from the Northern Army..."

Shuofang Town once supported Li Heng's ascension to the throne in Lingwu. Its army marched south and spread throughout the Guanzhong Plain. At its peak, Shuofang's territory extended to the north of the capital, occupying nearly twenty prefectures. Thus, in the second year of the Zhide era, nine prefectures, including Bin, Ning, and Qing, were ceded to Shuofang to establish the Binning Military Governor. In the first year of the Shangyuan era, four more prefectures, including Fu and Fang, were ceded to Binning to establish the Weibei (Fufang) Military Governor. Then, in the first year of the Guangde era, two more prefectures, Jing and Yuan, were ceded to Shuofang to establish the Jingyuan Military Governor.

The current military governor of Binning is Bai Xiaode, the military governor of Fufang is Du Mian, and the military governor of Jingyuan is Ma Lin. All of them are former generals of Shuofang, or have served under Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi for a long time. However, the second-in-command of Binning is Li Sheng, the second-in-command of Fufang is Ma Sui, and the second-in-command of Jingyuan is Han Quanyi. All of them have served in the Six Armies of the Northern Army.