Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 206

The scholar dared not disregard etiquette like the other two, so he hurriedly dismounted, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply: "Pei Xiang greets the Grand Commandant." He then lifted his robe and was about to kneel down.

Li Ji quickly bowed and offered his hand in a gesture of support: "It's inconvenient to bow on the main road—please mount your horse, we'll talk after we enter the government office."

Upon returning to the government office, Li Ji did not go to the main hall, but instead led the two men to the study in the back courtyard. Before they were even seated, he impatiently asked Nan Jiyun, "Brother Nan, you didn't even send a message before rushing west. Has something happened in Hebei?"

Nan Jiyun waved his hand: "There is nothing to do in Hebei, and it is precisely because there is nothing to do that I feel restless, so I came to rely on the Grand Commandant—I wonder if the Grand Commandant would be willing to take me in?"

Nan Jiyun was not yet fifty years old and was still in his prime. Having fought half his life and been used to being busy, he found it very difficult to adjust to the sudden leisure after being appointed as the Military Commissioner of Heng Hai. Mainly, he was not a military governor and had limited power in civil administration, and he himself was unwilling to interfere in the administration of the prefect. Moreover, Heng Hai was a vast and sparsely populated region, so it was impossible to set up too many troops. His troops numbered only 6,500, and the soldiers were almost exhausted from training every day. However, Nan Jiyun still found it boring.

When Li Ji was stationed in Weibo, there was peace for the first two years, and everyone had a target for fighting—presumably the Tianxiong Army or the Wushun Army. But now, in the foreseeable future, war is unlikely. At first, he could still suppress bandits within the territory, but soon all the thieves and salt smugglers, any gangs with more than ten members, were wiped out by the Southern Defense Force. He could only go out hunting every few days to relax.

The problem is that in that area, there are only pikas in the grass and sparrows in the sky. You can't even see a fox normally. Wild geese fly south and north, as if they deliberately avoid these two coastal states...

Hearing that Li Ji had repeatedly fought fierce battles and defeated the barbarian bandits in Guanzhong, Nan Jiyun couldn't help but feel eager to join in. He wrote to Yan Zhenqing and Lei Wanchun for their opinions, saying, "I plan to resign and go to Liangzhou to assist Grand Commandant Li. What do you think?"

Yan Zhenqing disagreed, saying that the Hebei region was only superficially peaceful and that we still needed to guard it for the country. He said that the Wei Bo garrison relied on the Heng Hai Army as a strategic stronghold, so how could he have the thought of fleeing? Lei Wanchun, however, strongly encouraged him, saying that he now had many wives and concubines and a bunch of children, so he probably couldn't get away. As for Brother Nan, as long as you don't betray the court or violate the old admonition of Lord Zhang, you can do whatever you want. What is the purpose of a man in this world if not to seek "happiness"?

Thus, Nan Jiyun finally made up his mind and submitted a memorial requesting to resign from his post as the Military Commissioner of Heng Hai. He initially wanted to recommend Lei Wanchun to succeed him, but fortunately, he first sought Yan Zhenqing's opinion. Yan Zhenqing saw that there was no way to persuade him to stay, so he did not try to dissuade him, but only strongly requested: You must not recommend someone to replace yourself, you must allow the court to appoint a new military commissioner!

Yan Zhenqing believed that in recent years, many officials either died and were replaced by their confidants or even their sons, or were driven out by soldiers and generals and had their successors established separately. This led to the main positions being filled internally, rather than being appointed by the court. This was a trend of separatism, which was very harmful to the country! So, Lord Nan, you must not encourage this evil trend. After you leave, who will take over the Heng Hai Army? It would be better to hand it over to someone appointed by the court.

Actually, your willingness to resign is, in a sense, a good thing. It shows the surrounding towns that land and household registration belong to the imperial court, not to individual families, and shouldn't be controlled indefinitely. Yan Zhenqing said, "In two more years, I should also retire. I'd rather take a sinecure; I don't want the Yan family to become like the Tian or Xue families..."

As a result, Nan Jiyun submitted three memorials requesting to resign, which were finally approved. The court appointed Qu Huan, a special advisor and Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, to replace him as the Military Commissioner for the Defense of Heng Hai Army. When Nan Jiyun returned to the capital for an audience with the emperor, Li Yu immediately bestowed upon him the title of Right General of the Valiant Guard, a third-rank official, and granted him the privilege of wearing a purple robe and a gold fish-shaped pouch.

The Right Valiant Guard was originally one of the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Army, but it had long been abandoned, and its position as Grand General was merely a nominal title. Li Yu originally intended to relocate Nan Jiyun to another town, or to have him nominally join the Northern Army as a senior advisor, but Nan Jiyun requested to go west to assist Li Ji in defending against the barbarians.

To be honest, Li Yu was not happy about this—because Nan Jiyun was originally a general under Li Ji, and such a capable and valiant man, if he were to return to Li Ji's command, would inevitably greatly increase the strength of Hexi. Li Yu hoped that Li Ji would have enough power to defeat the Tubo as soon as possible and restore the Silk Road, but he was also afraid that if Li Ji's heart was not in the same place, what if raising a tiger would cause trouble later?

Especially given Nan Jiyun's current status, if he were to go to Hexi, he would definitely have to be given the title of Deputy Military Governor. Hexi Town currently does not have a Deputy Military Governor, or even a Military Advisor. Li Yu has been pondering whether he should send a trusted confidant to these two important positions to help him keep an eye on Li Ji. Because he has not been able to find a suitable candidate, he has not yet made any appointments, but he does not intend to let Nan Jiyun take the position.

In recent years, Li Yu, along with Li Qijun, Cui Youfu, and others, has discussed gradually having the imperial court appoint deputy military governors to various military districts. This would serve as the eyes and ears of the court, and in case of trouble, they could directly take over, preventing some military districts from relying on the old system of father-to-son or brother-to-brother succession. Although this system is currently only being implemented in the Guanzhong region—where almost all deputy governors are from the Northern Imperial Guards—and has not yet been extended to other areas, especially the Yan and Zhao regions, the appointment of deputy military governors will henceforth be extremely cautious, preferring to leave vacancies rather than appoint unqualified individuals.

Li Yu rejected Nan Jiyun's request, and Nan Jiyun was furious. "If you won't appoint me, then I'll go myself! I only have a nominal salary and no real position. Where I want to go and what I want to do, as long as I don't break the law, does the court have any reason to blame me?"

He left his wife and children in Chang'an and, under the pretense of visiting friends—which was actually the truth—went directly to Liangzhou.

Li Ji asked Nan Jiyun, "Brother, have you truly told me that there is nothing happening in Hebei?"

Nan Jiyun smiled and spread his hands: "The Grand Commandant's prestige is still intact, who would dare to cause trouble?"

He paused, then gave an awkward laugh: "Of course, it can't be said that everything is fine..."

Of the six garrisons in Hebei, Yan Zhenqing's Weibo Garrison and Nan Jiyun's recently retired Heng Hai Garrison were naturally obedient, needless to say. Yan Zhenqing now possessed the fertile lands of Xiang, Wei, Wei, and Bo prefectures, entrusting military affairs to Lei Wanchun while he focused on gathering refugees and developing production. As before, he continued to supply the two capitals with hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain and tens of thousands of bolts of silk every year, making him the only garrison in Hebei that paid tribute.

After Tian Qianzhen took over the Tianxiong Army, he outwardly remained obedient to the court. Although he claimed to be poor and did not perform his duties, he did not expand the army as much as Tian Chengsi had done when he was in power—it is estimated that the latter intended to stay comfortably in the position of military governor until he died.

The Xue family of Zhaoyi Army still frequently receives favors from the imperial court; not long ago, Xue Song was posthumously awarded the title of Right Vice Minister. However, according to Nan Jiyun, Old Xue's health has been poor in recent years, and he estimates that his days are numbered. He has petitioned to appoint his younger brother, Xue E, as acting governor, entrusting him with all military and political affairs. However, Xue E doesn't seem to be very popular…

As for the Lulong Army in Youzhou, a major incident recently occurred, which Nan Jiyun only heard about in Chang'an the month before last. The military governor of Youzhou is Zhu Xicai, originally a military commander. A few years ago, he launched a mutiny, killed Li Huaixian, and gained the court's recognition to take charge of the region, and was even granted the title of Prince of Miyun. However, this man was tyrannical and cruel in his governance, and not long ago he was killed by his subordinate, the clerk Li Huaiyuan.

—Li Huaiyuan was Li Huaixian's younger cousin; this was probably for revenge...

The soldiers of Lulong Army supported Zhu Ci, the Deputy Military Commissioner, as the Acting Military Governor. Zhu Ci submitted a memorial to the court, not only speaking with extreme deference but also expressing his willingness to send his brother, Zhu Tao, with two thousand cavalry westward to participate in this year's autumn defense. Two thousand cavalrymen were not many, but the problem was that they had to travel from Youzhou to Guanzhong in one go, providing for their own food and lodging, which demonstrated their loyalty; moreover, Zhu Tao's entry into Guanzhong would be tantamount to giving the court a hostage. From this, Nan Jiyun received the news that the court seemed to intend to approve his memorial and officially appoint Zhu Ci as the Military Governor of Youzhou.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but purse his lips: "Since the change of military governors in Zibo and Qingzhou, and the two changes of rulers in Youzhou, the court must be used to it... no, numb to it."

Nan Jiyun said that after this upheaval, Youzhou might be less separatist than when Li Huaixian and Zhu Xicai were in power, and would lean towards the imperial court; in recent years, the only place in Hebei that might be in trouble is Chengde Town.

Li Baochen of Chengde, possessing strategic geographical advantages, had a well-trained army, reportedly numbering 40,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry. He never paid tribute, refused to accept officials appointed by the court, and refused to return to court for audiences. Aside from not building a shrine for An Lushan and his son, he resembled Tian Chengsi in his time. However, the situation was different now than during the Yongtai era. Even if the armies of Chengde, Youzhou, and Tianxiong joined forces, they could not break through the semi-encirclement of defenses from Hedong, Heyang, Zhaoyi Army, Weibo Town, and all the way to Heng Hai Army. Without a stroke of luck, Li Baochen dared not act rashly.

However, the imperial court could not find a suitable excuse to attack Chengde Town, and since it was currently engaged in military operations in the west, it did not intend to touch Li Baochen. Therefore, Nan Jiyun felt idle in Heng Hai Army. Although he had trained his troops, he could foresee that he would have no use for his military skills for the next three to five years.

While Nan Jiyun and Li Ji were talking, Pei Xiang listened quietly with his hands clasped in front of him. After they had finally finished discussing the Hebei issue, Li Ji finally realized that treating a guest from afar in this way was far too disrespectful.

In truth, given Li Ji's current status, it's perfectly normal that a young man like Pei Xiang, even if he waited all day, wouldn't get a chance to speak with the Grand Commandant and would have to take his leave and wait until tomorrow. The problem is that Pei Xiang came with Nan Jiyun, and Li Ji has to give him face. Besides, according to Nan Jiyun, this is the son of "Young Master Pei."

Who is Pei Shaofu? Li Ji had to rack his brains to figure it out. It should refer to Pei Zunqing, the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and a scholar-official in the Jixian Academy. Back then, when they counterattacked Qin and Wei, Pei Zunqing was appointed by the court as the Deputy Marshal of the Army.

However, when he turned to look at Pei Xiang, he felt that it didn't look quite right... so he asked, "Is your father Shao Liang?" Shao Liang was Pei Zunqing's courtesy name.

"Exactly."

Li Ji was taken aback: "Then how young is Pei Jun?"

"At the tender age of twenty."

Li Ji was immediately shocked!

Chapter 49, Imperial Relatives

Pei Xiang said he was "just twenty years old," which shocked Li Ji on the spot.

My goodness! I remember Pei Zunqing is already in his eighties! How old was he when he had this son?

Pei Xiang understood what Li Ji was wondering about, and nodded slightly awkwardly: "Indeed, my father was sixty-one years old when he had me..."

"Then, which son is Pei Jun, the Junior Tutor?"

"eldest son."

This is truly a stroke of good luck! She was sixty-one years old when she finally had her first son... Li Ji couldn't help but secretly give a thumbs up to Pei Shaofu, whom he had always looked down upon.

With Nan Jiyun's explanation, Li Ji finally understood why Pei Xiang had come to Liangzhou with him.

Pei Zunqing was the prime minister during the reign of Emperor Suzong. After Emperor Daizong ascended the throne, he felt that the old man was not very capable, and also wanted to pave the way for Yuan Zai, so he promoted him to Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and Attendant of the Jixian Academy, and kept him in Luoyang for a period of time. That was eight years ago. At that time, Pei Xiang was still a boy, so he could not benefit from his father's position as prime minister. It was not until he was sixteen years old that he was able to enter officialdom through family connections. Now he has become the Assistant to the Crown Prince—a sixth-rank official, barely making it into the mid-level bureaucracy.

However, judging from the situation, this is probably the end of the road. Pei Zunqing is already over eighty years old, and there is basically no possibility of him returning to the position of prime minister. Moreover, he is gradually being marginalized in the court, and it will be extremely difficult for his son to take advantage of this to continue climbing the ranks. And if Pei Zunqing passes away, the relationship will be over, and Pei Xiang will have no chance of promotion.

Knowing that his days were numbered, the old and young Fu were eager to pave a path for his son—his only son born in his old age—to advance in his career. In recent years, the best way for non-Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) officials to get promoted was to first serve as a guest in the local military governor's office, accumulate experience and qualifications, and then return to the central government.

In the original civil service system, the most important positions were those that allowed one to accumulate seniority and prestige, and eventually enter the Hall of State Affairs. The best positions to be released from the lowest ranks were proofreader, corrector, or county magistrate or prefectural military advisor. After entering the middle ranks, one could become a remonstrator or fill vacancies, or enter the Censorate, or become a county magistrate or prefectural judge. The highest ranks were prefectural governors, or military governors, observers, defenders, or strategists, and then return to the central government to enter the Six Ministries, thus climbing the ranks step by step. There was no place for regional military governors or their staff in this system.

Of course, since important positions in the local military governorships were also filled by the officials themselves rather than appointed by the imperial court, this can be considered a new era and a new phenomenon after the Tianbao era.

After the reign of Emperor Suzong, things changed. First, there was Pei Mian, who was appointed as the military commander by Geshu Han, the military governor of Hexi. After Lü Yin was appointed as the county magistrate of Ningling, he took the initiative to serve in the staff of Wei Zhi and Geshu Han, and eventually both became prime ministers. Later, there was Li Qijun, who went to Anxi after serving as the county clerk of Guanshi County and joined the staff of Changqing, eventually becoming a high-ranking official.

Therefore, Pei Zunqing felt that his son's path of following the old ways was not going to work out, so through an introduction, he wanted to apply for a position in Hexi, and coincidentally, he came with Nan Jiyun.

Li Ji thought to himself, "This man's abilities are another matter. The fact that the prime minister's son is willing to serve under my command is far more impressive than Lu Lun's." So he turned to Pei Xiang and asked, "Why doesn't Pei take the imperial examination?" Although you have already been granted official rank through family connections, you can still take the exam to become a Jinshi.

Pei Xiang replied with his hands clasped: "Xiang's ambition is to disdain trivial matters."

In Liu Xie's "Wenxin Diaolong: Quanfu", he says, "This is why Yang Xiong regretted his trivial writings and was ridiculed for his superficiality." The "trivial writings" he refers to are poetry, prose, and rhapsodies, which were the subjects examined in the imperial examinations.

Li Ji thought to himself, "I like what you're saying. It's not that poetry and prose aren't important, but literary talent and the ability to be an official are two completely different things." However, he also thought that Pei Xiang might know his own limitations. Even as the son of a former prime minister and with some connections in the capital, he probably couldn't squeeze through that narrow bridge to success, hence his sour grapes remark…

After exchanging a few more casual words, Li Ji tentatively asked, "Who recommended you, sir?"

Nan Jiyun said you came to my Hexi Town through an introduction, but the introducer was most likely not Nan Jiyun himself—after all, civil and military careers are different, and Nan Jiyun has been stationed in the provinces for a long time and doesn't have any connections in the capital. His decision to resign and come to join me wouldn't be something everyone would know about. Why did you decide to come to my Hexi Town?

Pei Xiang did not answer, but turned his head slightly to look at Nan Jiyun. Nan Jiyun smiled and said, "It was recommended by Lu Ziliang."

Lu Qi had served under Li Ji, and although he was an official in Chang'an and hadn't met Nan Jiyun many times, there was still a connection between them. Therefore, Nan Jiyun would definitely pay him a visit after returning to the capital, and would also use Lu Qi to speak to Crown Prince Li Shi. Thus, when Lu Qi heard that Nan Jiyun intended to go to Hexi, he recommended Pei Xiang to him, for the following reason—

Nan Jiyun frowned slightly and said to Li Ji in a low voice, "Han Jun may not be suitable for this task..."

After Lu Qi left, Li Ji recruited Han Hui to serve as the official in charge of reporting to the emperor in Shuofang, and later to the official in charge of reporting to the emperor in Hexi. Originally, he thought that Han Hui had lived in the capital for a long time, and his father, Han Zhongqing, was a secretary in the court, so he believed that Han Hui had no shortage of connections in the court. However, Li Ji himself also felt that Han Hui's ability to gather information from the court and report the situation in the local area was far inferior to Lu Qi's, and he was not very suitable to use him - mainly because Han Hui was an honest man, even a bit pedantic, unlike Lu Qi who was shrewd and worldly.

Actually, Han Hui was barely competent as a memorial official, but it depends on who he was compared to. Even among the memorial officials of various garrisons, he was still far inferior to Lu Qi in the past!

Lu Qi, who was in the capital, was naturally aware of this situation. He wanted to offer some advice to Han Hui several times, but it was not convenient—after all, you have already resigned. If you speak kindly, will the other party take it as ill intent? Frustrated and at a loss, after Pei Zunqing asked him to help his son get in touch with Li Ji, Lu Qi discussed it with Pei Xiang several times and simply asked Nan Jiyun to pass on a message to Li Ji: You might as well replace him.

After hearing Nan Jiyun relay Lu Qi's words, Li Ji stroked his beard and pondered. He thought to himself, "No wonder Old Man Pei is over eighty years old and could die at any moment, yet he was willing to send his only son to the remote Liangzhou. It turns out he's just here to report for duty. I hope his work location will still be in the capital..."

He asked Pei Xiang, "If we replace Han with Pei Jun, how will you plan for the Hexi region?"

Pei Xiang replied respectfully, "In my humble opinion, we should first dispel the court's doubts for the Grand Commandant."

Li Ji smiled and asked, "Does the court suspect me?"

Pei Xiang replied, "I dare not doubt it." He then explained, "I have heard from Lord Lu and Lord Nan that the Grand Commandant's ambition is to expel the barbarians, recover Hexi, and rescue the Western Regions. However, the court is currently in dire financial straits and still needs to defend Longxi against the autumn harvest. It is impossible for the court to provide supplies to Hexi, let alone devote all its resources to supporting the Grand Commandant's western expedition. Liangzhou has just been recovered and Ganzhou has just been captured. I imagine that the military governors must also be struggling with both manpower and financial resources. Therefore, if the Grand Commandant wants to achieve his goal, he must be secretly contacting other military governors to request their support."

"Grand Commandant Wen is a close friend of Commander Li of Longyou and Commander Cui of Xichuan, and they are both on the front lines defending against the barbarians. They must frequently exchange letters. However, court officials forming factions will inevitably incur the emperor's suspicion, and alliances among vassal states are even more intolerable to the court. Previously, when Grand Commandant Wen and other garrisons privately formed an alliance in Pinggao, there were many dissenting voices in the court and among the people, who believed that the harm was no less than that of Yan and Zhao. So, Grand Commandant Wen holds a powerful fiefdom, wields heavy troops, and is colluding with other garrisons. How can he expect the court to have no suspicions or doubts about him?"

"Everyone says that the Tang Dynasty was in danger but was restored to peace, entirely thanks to Minister Guo and Li Linhuai (Prince Li Guangbi of Linhuai). Now that Minister Guo is in court, and when Prince Li Linhuai was alive, how could the court dare to doubt him?"

Li Ji nodded slightly, thinking to himself that this young man in his early twenties was quite knowledgeable—though it was possible that Lu Qi had taught him, it was still quite remarkable. "Then how will you, my lord, dispel the court's doubts for me?"

Pei Xiang smiled slightly: "It's easy. I dare to ask the Grand Commandant to take the initiative to submit a memorial requesting the appointment of the Deputy Military Governor, and to serve as the Acting Governor when he is away from Liangzhou while leading the army on the western expedition."

Doesn't the court distrust me? Fine, then please send someone trustworthy to be my deputy, and to oversee the affairs of the military region while I am on my expedition. If the court forces someone on me, it will not look good for anyone, and the mutual suspicion will only deepen. But if Li Ji takes the initiative to express his loyalty, he can demonstrate his loyalty and dispel the court's concerns to some extent.

Li Ji pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I hold many positions and work tirelessly day and night, and I feel exhausted. I long for the court to appoint someone to assist me..." But I have never expressed my opinion before. Why? "I fear that appointing the wrong person will only hinder me. What should I do?"

Pei Xiang smiled and said, "Does the Grand Commandant want his staff to be all his personal cronies? Whether the officials appointed by the court are competent can be investigated by His Highness the Crown Prince; as for whether they will hinder us after they arrive, that is up to the Grand Commandant."

If you truly harbor any disloyal intentions, then disregard what I said; but if you have no intention of rebellion or separatism, why would you stop the court from sending people to Hexi? Hexi is currently on the front line of the defense against the barbarians. If the court were to send someone over haphazardly, Crown Prince Li Shi could help stop them; but if this person is capable, and is suddenly parachuted into Hexi, are you not confident that you can control them? Why have so many concerns?

Upon hearing this, Li Ji burst into laughter and immediately asked Pei Xiang, "In that case, please draft a memorial for me and take it back to Chang'an." The implication was that as long as you can manage to write something, I'll give you the position of the Hexi Memorial Official. If we win a battle in the future, you can also share some of the credit, thus breaking through the glass ceiling above your head.

----------

Li Ji was indeed handling all military, political, and financial affairs in Ganzhou and Liangzhou, keeping himself extremely busy. Unfortunately, he still lacked capable people under his command, especially no one who could take charge of any particular area to share his burdens. He had intended to recommend Gao Ying as the deputy military governor or the military commander, but Gao Gongchu politely declined.

Li Ji originally thought that Gao Ying was afraid that his own rank and reputation were not high enough to be able to shoulder this important task. But now that Pei Xiang had enlightened him, he looked back at Gao Ying's words that day and realized that he was also implying that the important positions of deputy envoy and Sima should be appointed by the court.

Looking at the matter from a different angle, Li Ji realized he had been worrying unnecessarily. Back in Weibo, the court appointed Yan Zhenqing as Sima. Did that old man's governing philosophy really align with his own? They'd exchanged barbs more than once, but overall, their cooperation was still quite smooth. Now, Li Ji often missed Yan Zhenqing, thinking how wonderful it would be if that old man could come to Hexi as a deputy envoy… So, replacing him with someone else would at most require some time to readjust; how much trouble could he possibly cause in his own little territory?

Li Ji felt that, having been stationed in the provinces for so long, he had indeed developed a somewhat warlord mentality, hoping that all those under his command would be recruited by him, and that he could decide whether to use them or not without his own word, without having to consider the court's opinion. But this was ultimately against the national system and the court's regulations. If he insisted on going his own way, how would he be any different from Tian Chengsi in the past and Li Baochen today?

Even the dragon-slaying hero can become a dragon himself if he's not careful... and even if he does become a dragon, he'll have to solve the Tibetan problem first...

Therefore, Pei Xiang's suggestion was ultimately adopted. In his memorial to the throne, he requested the court to appoint a deputy military governor to serve as the acting governor during his campaign, citing the need to devote all his efforts to military preparations and the western expedition against Su and Gua. He also requested the appointment of the prefects of Liang and Gan prefectures.

Li Ji, as the military governor of Hexi and concurrently the prefect of Liangzhou—it was common practice for military governors to concurrently serve as prefects of the prefectures they governed, or for governors of military commands or chief administrators of the Grand Military Command—but Li Ji, lacking personnel in civil administration, simply broke this convention. Furthermore, although Ganzhou had been recovered, the court did not appoint a prefect—mainly because Li Ji had not mentioned it, and the court dared not appoint one hastily.

Upon reflection, Li Ji realized that the court, or Li Yu, genuinely suspected him. If there were no suspicion, there would be no fear; if there were no fear, why wouldn't they send officials to his jurisdiction? Did they think Hexi was Chengde, Zibo, or Zhaoyi Army?

At most, Li Yu and the prime ministers felt that Li Ji was not yet Li Baochen, but to prevent him from becoming Li Baochen in the future, they had to be extremely cautious about matters concerning Hexi...

Pei Xiang drafted a memorial for Li Ji, and after Li Ji reviewed it and found no errors, he affixed his seal and reassigned Pei Xiang as the official in charge of submitting memorials to the Hexi region. He also summoned Han Hui to bring the official documents from Guzang back to Chang'an.

Pei Xiang was overjoyed and respectfully took his leave—this memorial in his hand was extremely important. If he could accomplish this, he would not only gain the trust of Grand Commandant Li and be appointed to a position in Hexi, but the emperor and the prime minister would also be delighted and favor him from then on. Could there be no limit to his future prospects?

While Li Ji was in Guzang, he continued to plan the western expedition. Soon after, news came that the court approved the plan and, after repeated consultations, decided to appoint Wu Cou, the Duke of Puyang County and General of the Shence Army, as the Deputy Military Governor of Hexi, Guan Bo, the Military Officer of Henan Prefecture, as the Governor of Liangzhou, and Qiao Lin, the Palace Attendant Censor, as the Governor of Ganzhou.

Li Ji was not familiar with either of the two governors, but he had some dealings with Wu Cou. He knew that Wu Cou was the younger brother of Empress Zhangjing, that is, Li Yu's maternal uncle. Originally, he was just a sinecure. After Li Yu successively killed Li Fuguo, Cheng Yuanzhen, and Yu Chaoen, although Dou Wenchang, Huo Xianming and others took command of the imperial guards, he probably felt that he could no longer put all his eggs in one basket with eunuchs. So he ordered his uncles Wu Xu and Wu Cou to take command of the Northern Army with the rank of third-grade generals.

When Li Ji was in Chang'an, he met the two imperial brothers-in-law a few times, but he didn't have a deep impression of them. However, it was probably because they came from relatively low social status. Empress Zhangjing was originally confined to the inner palace because of her father's crime. She was taken to bed by Prince Zhong, Li Jun (later Emperor Suzong Li Heng), who was only fifteen years old at the time, and gave birth to their eldest son, Li Chu (Li Yu). The two of them were usually very humble and cautious, without the airs of imperial relatives, and had a good reputation.

I just hope this isn't a facade, and that they don't just come here and plunder without doing anything of substance, like the treacherous imperial uncles in many later plays...

Chapter 50, The Duty of a Prime Minister

In the early Tang Dynasty, the status of maternal relatives was quite prominent.

Many imperial relatives entered officialdom through hereditary privilege, meaning they benefited from the influence of their female relatives. According to the law, relatives within five degrees of kinship of the "three empresses" (Empress Dowager, Empress, and Crown Princess) could be granted hereditary titles, serving in the central government, governing prefectures and counties, wielding military power, or even aspiring to become prime minister. However, after the Jinglong era of Emperor Zhongzong, this was deliberately suppressed, with imperial relatives often given honorary titles like "Inspector General," effectively removing them from the political arena.

There are always exceptions. Yang Guozhong, as Yang Guifei's cousin, rose through the ranks to become prime minister, but this also triggered the An Lushan Rebellion, causing public opinion of the imperial relatives to plummet. Therefore, after Emperor Suzong ascended the throne, although he respected and feared Empress Zhang, he did not open the door to favors for Zhang's sons.

When Li Yu ascended the throne, he posthumously honored his mother, Lady Wu, as Empress Zhangjing, and subsequently bestowed numerous titles upon her maternal relatives—Lady Wu's father, Wu Linggui, was posthumously granted the title of Grand Commandant, and her mother, Lady Li, was posthumously granted the title of Lady of Qin; her uncle, Wu Lingyao, was appointed as the Crown Prince's Household Steward and enfeoffed as Duke of Fengyi, and Wu Lingyu was appointed as the Crown Prince's Right Tutor and enfeoffed as Duke of Jiyin. As for Lady Wu's three brothers—Wu Xu, Wu Cheng, and Wu Cou—they were also granted official positions, enfeoffed as county dukes, and given the additional title of Grand Master of the Palace, wearing purple robes and gold belts, ranking among the high-ranking third-grade officials.

In reality, although the Wu brothers held prestigious positions, their posts were either nominal or deputy positions, with little actual power.

It wasn't until Li Yu killed Yu Chaoen and demoted Yuan Zai that he began to heavily rely on his uncle. It is estimated that he was forced to eliminate Li Fuguo, Cheng Yuanzhen and Yu Chaoen one after another. From then on, he dared not fully trust the eunuchs, but he had no choice but to use them. He originally wanted to be "the ruler and his subject to each other until the end" with Yuan Zai, but he could no longer tolerate him and demoted him. As a result, he was also disappointed with the court officials, so he had no choice but to support his maternal relatives to balance the court.

Therefore, Wu Xu was appointed as the Grand General of the Baoying Army, and Wu Cou as the Grand General of the Shence Army, in charge of the Northern Imperial Guards. Unfortunately, the Wu brothers were cautious and humble by nature, and lacked experience in leading troops. As a result, real power remained in the hands of eunuchs such as Lieutenant Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming. Li Yu was just thinking about arranging more suitable positions for his uncles when Li Ji submitted a memorial requesting the appointment of Deputy Military Governor of Hexi. After repeated discussions with his ministers, Li Yu sent his most clever and capable third uncle to the position.

In fact, the prime ministers initially opposed it, but Li Yu brought up the precedents set by Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong. After considering the matter, the prime ministers also felt that the maternal relatives in the outer regions posed no real threat and were somewhat better than those in the central court who were seizing power from the officials. That's why they finally gave in.

Thus, Wu Cou, accompanied by the newly appointed Governor of Liangzhou, Guan Bo, and the Governor of Ganzhou, Qiao Lin, departed from the capital and embarked on a long journey, finally arriving at Guzang City in early August. At this time, Li Ji was planning his westward advance and intended to launch a campaign soon.

Li Ji welcomed the three into the main hall of the government office and held a banquet to welcome them. Guan Bo and Qiao Lin, whose ranks were slightly lower, dared not be presumptuous, which was fine. Even the emperor's brother-in-law, Wu Cou, lived up to the public's opinion and was just as respectful, with a dignified appearance and humble words, which made Li Ji feel somewhat uncomfortable.

He preferred spending time with military men like Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun; a few drinks would sway them away, and they would engage in lively, engaging conversations. Alternatively, he'd also appreciate the stern-faced old scholars like Yan Zhenqing and Yang Wan—after all, Li Ji was young, and as long as their opinions were purely public and without ulterior motives, he could patiently listen to their teachings. Ironically, it was precisely these seemingly upright but actually adept bureaucrats, skilled in official etiquette, ambiguous in their speech, and cunning in their behavior, who were the most tiresome.

So Li Ji ordered Hongxian to play the ruan as an assistant, and the staff took turns toasting them, one cup after another, until the three of them were all a little swaying. Only then did they get straight to the point and talk about official business—the so-called "truth comes out after drinking," and I wanted to see if any of them would show their true colors under these circumstances.

He first said to Wu Cou, "I will lead my troops westward today to retake Gua and Sha. I will trouble the deputy commander to stay behind. But I wonder how the deputy commander plans to govern Hexi?"

Wu Cou let out a burp, then covered his mouth with his sleeve in embarrassment, smiled apologetically, and replied, "What talk of 'command'? I have just arrived in Hexi and am unfamiliar with many things. I am afraid of disappointing His Majesty's expectations and the Grand Commandant's entrustment. Why is the Grand Commandant in such a hurry to attack Gua and Sha? Since taking charge of Shuofang, there has been no year without war. Why not rest your troops for a while and wait for next year?"

Li Ji shook his head: "The barbarian bandits failed to invade Longxi last year and retreated in disarray. They are at their weakest point. If we do not take this opportunity to fully recover Hexi, it will be difficult to defeat them when they recover in the next year or the year after. Moreover, Guo Xin, Li Yuanzhong and others are trapped in Anxi and Beiting, eagerly awaiting the help of the imperial army every day. How can I dare to sit idly by and not come to their aid?"

He paused for a moment, then continued, “Even if the court does not appoint a deputy military governor, and even if the deputy commander arrives late, I will still attack Guazhou and Shazhou this autumn. If we can recover all of Hexi and establish contact with the Western Regions, the barbarian bandits will be greatly weakened and will have no strength left to invade Longxi. The emperor can then sit comfortably in Chang'an.”

Wu Cou nodded and said to Li Ji, "Before the journey, the sage also said that he hoped the Grand Commandant could drive out the barbarian bandits, recover all the lost territories, and from then on, the four directions would be at peace, and the people would enjoy prosperity. However, the sage also instructed me to tell the Grand Commandant that he should not act rashly before the plan is finalized, and that he should not act hastily and tarnish the Grand Commandant's reputation and damage the prestige of the country."

Li Ji nodded: "You may submit a memorial to the Emperor, and I, Yun Ji, will certainly not fail His Majesty's grace."

Wu Cou smiled and said, "In that case, I will simply follow the old ways of the Grand Commandant in Liangzhou, hoping to give him no worries."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I hope so. The phrase 'following Xiao Gui Cao' isn't just a casual remark from you."