Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 217

Yan Zhuang sighed softly: "In this respect, it is superior to my Tang Dynasty." He was, after all, a scholar-official, and no scholar-official liked eunuchs. Although he insisted that the inner palace could not do without eunuchs, he never wanted them to be able to hold power, or even military power, as they do today.

As they were talking, a messenger suddenly came to report: "The military supervisor requests an audience."

Li Ji laughed and said, "It really is a cat. I can smell the aroma of meat even through several courtyards. Please come in and have a meal with us."

The military supervisor of Zhenxi was none other than Ran Mao'er, an old acquaintance of Li Ji. This guy was now in his late thirties or early forties. He no longer had a baby face; the baby fat on his cheeks had turned into thick flesh, making him look more mature than before.

When Li Ji was appointed as the military governor of Zhenxi, he naturally needed to set up a military supervisory office in Dunhuang. However, such a remote place was considered a daunting destination by the eunuchs in the capital, and no one was willing to take up the post. Wang Jiahe and other powerful eunuchs picked and chose, and thus collected a lot of money and valuables—all of which were requested to be passed through their own hands—and finally had to appoint Ran Mao'er.

Ran Mao'er lacked ambition, talent, and power. He relied solely on his years of service to Crown Prince Li Shi, without making any major mistakes, and his familiarity with Dou Wenchang, Huo Xianming, and others to rise through the ranks and secure a sinecure of the sixth rank. Li Yu and Wang Jiahe both considered that previously, ordering Jiao Xiwang and others to supervise Li Ji had been ineffective. However, if they were to appoint someone who liked to curry favor, they feared offending Li Ji. It would be better to send Ran Mao'er, who was familiar with him... Therefore, they promoted Mao'er two ranks and appointed him as the Military Supervisor of Zhenxi.

Ran Mao'er was honest and didn't dare to say anything, so she accepted the order and went.

Once in Dunhuang, Ran Mao'er basically didn't care about anything else, only eating and drinking, occasionally chatting with Li Ji and reminiscing about their past friendship. As for the internal affairs of Zhenxi, which needed to be reported to Chang'an monthly, that was handled by the staff in the Imperial Guard; if the imperial decree was sent to the Military Supervisor's Office first, Ran Mao'er would report it directly to Li Ji, daring not to conceal anything. Therefore, the two got along quite well, and the officers and soldiers of Zhenxi basically treated this Military Supervisor as a clay puppet, only paying a perfunctory bow when passing by.

When Ran Mao'er requested an audience, Li Ji assumed he was just there to freeload. However, Mao'er rushed in, sweating profusely, and without regard for Yan Zhuang, Du Huan, or even the female relatives and servants present, grabbed Li Ji's collar and exclaimed, "Grand Commandant, I have just received urgent news that the Crown Prince has summoned you to return to Chang'an!"

Chapter Two: Turning Swords into Plowshares

Ran Mao'er said that Li Shi had sent a letter summoning Li Ji back to the capital. Li Ji and Yan Zhuang couldn't help but exchange glances, and their hearts skipped a beat.

Du Huan hurriedly got up and left the bed. He first bowed to Ran Mao'er, then bowed deeply to Li Ji: "This humble official takes his leave." Damn it, I'd rather not have heard this. I can't afford to get involved. I'd better get out of here quickly!

After Du Huan escaped outside, Li Ji handed the freshly grilled meat skewers to Ran Mao'er, then snorted, "What a spoilsport!" While rolling up his sleeves, he instructed Qingluan, "Clean up." He then nodded to Yan Zhuang, "Lord Yan, you may come with me to the study to discuss this."

Following them into the study were not only Yan Zhuang and Ran Mao'er, who was eating skewers, but also Cui Cuo and Hong Xian—Li Ji had given them a signal. Hong Xian entered last, cautiously closing the door behind her. Li Ji sat down in the center and asked Ran Mao'er, "How is the Sage's health?"

Zhenxi not only established the Jinzouyuan (a bureau of memorial services) in Chang'an, and successively appointed Pei Xiang, Lu Mai (a member of the Lu clan of Fanyang, a cousin of Lu Qi, and a nephew of Cui Youfu), and Zheng Yuqing (a member of the Zheng clan of Xingyang, who passed the imperial examination in the twelfth year of the Dali era) as Jinzou officials, but also ordered Yin Shen to recruit extraordinary individuals from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) to infiltrate Chang'an and gather intelligence on the movements of the court and the public. Therefore, Li Ji was well aware that Crown Prince Li Shi's days had become increasingly difficult recently, and he was under immense pressure.

Li Shi's pressure didn't come from Prince Zheng, Li Miao, because Li Miao had died young in the eighth year of the Dali era at the age of twenty-eight. Li Yu wept bitterly and posthumously granted him the title of Crown Prince Zhaojing. When the news arrived, Li Ji thought to himself that Li Shi must be overjoyed. Although his brother had been posthumously granted the title of Crown Prince, a dead Crown Prince posed no threat to the throne.

But then, King Han, Li Hui, also grew up...

Li Hui was born to Consort Dugu, Li Yu's most favored concubine. As the saying goes, a son's status rises with his mother's, and because of her favor, Li Yu often kept Li Hui by his side after losing Li Miao. However, the year after Li Miao's death, Li Hui's younger sister, Princess Huayang, passed away. This princess had been sickly since childhood and was forced to become a nun, studying under the monk Amoghavajra and calling herself "Qionghua Zhenren." Unfortunately, even chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha could not save her life, and she ultimately died young.

Consort Dugu was naturally heartbroken, spending her days in tears, and just a year later, she too passed away, following her daughter. Emperor Li Yu immediately posthumously granted her the title of Empress Zhenyi, and kept her coffin in the palace, unwilling to let her be buried…

Li Ji thought to himself, "This is true love!" Li Yu is better than his father in this respect, and by more than a hundred times! How could the Li family produce such a devoted lover?

Thus, King Li Hui of Han first lost his younger sister, then his birth mother, leaving the fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy orphaned. Li Yu then devoted all his energy to this seventh son. Li Ji felt that if he had such a child, he would certainly cherish and protect him the most, and it would be impossible to treat all his sons equally—of course, the matter of succession is another matter.

However, Li Yu clearly harbored some dissatisfaction with Crown Prince Li Shi—presumably due to personality clashes. Li Shi resembled his grandfather, or even his great-grandfather, more. When he favored Prince Zheng, Li Miao, he had subtly hinted at changing the heir apparent. Now, with his favor shifted to Li Hui, Li Shi naturally felt threatened. Furthermore, the presence of many ambitious individuals in the court seeking to curry favor with Prince Han created a treacherous undercurrent.

Last year, in the twelfth year of the Dali era, Chancellor Yang Wan died of a stroke at the age of sixty. Chang Gun, a scholar of the Jixian Academy, was appointed to the Zhongshu Menxia (Secretariat and Chancellery). Chang Yifu was originally a confidant of Li Shi, but after becoming chancellor, he no longer maintained private relations with the Crown Prince. Perhaps this was to avoid suspicion, but it inadvertently caused Li Shi's power to shrink further. Lu Qi once wrote to Li Ji, indirectly suggesting: the situation is dire; Grand Commandant, you must find a way to help the Crown Prince!

Li Ji thought to himself, "How could I possibly help Li Shi when I'm so far away?" However, although Yang Wan was dead, Li Qiyun and Cui Youfu were still alive. Even if Chang Gun was no longer on Li Shi's side, and after Wang Jin was dismissed and replaced by Qiao Lin, whose allegiance was unclear, it was still a two-to-two situation. Li Yu's attempt to depose the eldest son and install a younger one would face considerable resistance; given that emperor's courage and ability, it would most likely fail. Therefore, Li Shi, as long as you behave yourself and don't cause any trouble, and wait until your father dies, you will surely ascend to the throne.

However, Lu Qi stated in his letter that his concern lay with Guo Ziyi and Zhu Ci…

Although Guo Ziyi was only the nominal prime minister, he wielded considerable influence not only in the outlying regions but also in the court. The old man always maintained a certain distance from Li Shi, keeping a respectful distance, making his intentions difficult to fathom.

As for Zhu Ci, he led the Youzhou troops to the capital to pay homage in the ninth year of the Dali era and assisted in the war against the Tubo, for which he was commended by Li Yu—the three towns of Hebei had come to the capital voluntarily, which was unprecedented—and was granted the title of Pingzhangshi and the title of Jianxiao Sikong. However, Zhu Ci soon discovered that his power in Youzhou had been usurped by his younger brother Zhu Tao... He was thus forced to reside in Chang'an, was granted the title of Suining Prince, and frequently led troops in Hexi, Bianjing, and Songjiang to fight.

Guo Ziyi and Zhu Ci are the two major military leaders in the court. If they refuse to support Li Shi, the problem will be quite serious.

Therefore, Lu Qi suggested that Li Ji find a suitable opportunity to request an audience with the emperor and return to Chang'an to have a chat with Guo and Zhu, and even if he couldn't persuade them, at least he could quiet down those opportunists a little.

To be honest, Li Ji was considering this matter, but he needed a suitable excuse to request an audience with the emperor—for example, Zhu Ci went to Chang'an under the pretext of assisting with autumn defense—and he also needed the court's approval before he could go. Unexpectedly, before he could even submit his memorial, Li Shi hurriedly wrote to Dunhuang, through Ran Mao'er, requesting that Li Ji be summoned back to the capital!

Li Ji wondered what had happened to make him so impatient. There was only one possibility: Li Yu was unwell and might die soon. In that case, the emperor wouldn't dare to directly confront his court officials. If he were to issue a will on his deathbed, bequeathing the throne to the Prince of Han, Li Shi's chances of a smooth succession would be greatly reduced. What if some blindly loyal and pedantic person, or even an ambitious opportunist, jumped out and decided to take on this chaotic mandate? His biggest worry was that if the Northern Imperial Guards didn't side with Li Shi, then things would be much more complicated.

Only in this way would Li Shi urgently request to return to the capital region. However, with tens of thousands of troops stationed outside Chang'an, the outcome of the battle was clear on the spot. I don't believe anyone would dare to defy the world and carry out the act of deposing and installing emperors!

Therefore, the first thing he asked Ran Mao'er after entering the room was: "How is the Sage's health?"

Ran Mao'er, her mouth full of mutton, was swallowing hastily and couldn't answer for a moment. Yan Zhuang, standing beside her, hurriedly dissuaded her, "Grand Commandant, you mustn't..." Hearing Li Ji's question, she understood what he was thinking—"You must know that Jiayu Pass is difficult to cross!"

Previously, the Tang Dynasty adjusted the administrative divisions in the northwest, merging Anxi and Beiting into Zhenxi, and assigning the land west of Jiuquan, the seat of Suzhou, which originally belonged to Hexi—including half of Suzhou and all of Guazhou and Shazhou—to Zhenxi. The border was drawn at Jiayu, where Mang Re had once stationed troops. Not long after, the prefect of Suzhou built a city and a pass in Jiayu, which was named Jiayuguan.

Given the financial resources of Suzhou and the capabilities of its prefect, it's impossible that they would have built this pass on their own initiative; they must have been instructed by the central government. Furthermore, it's self-evident who this Jiayuguan Pass was built to defend against…

Li Ji himself had no greater ambitions, so he didn't take this seriously. But now Yan Zhuang had warned him that if he returned to court without an imperial edict, he should be wary of the difficulty of passing Jiayuguan. Although Li Ji was confident of conquering Jiayuguan, he certainly couldn't do so with the mere one or two thousand soldiers he was required to bring to the capital for an audience. And if he were to raise a thousand troops to attack Jiayuguan... that would be tantamount to rebellion, and there was no other explanation.

Li Ji frowned and lowered his head in deep thought.

Ran Mao'er finally managed to swallow a mouthful of mutton, then held up the bamboo skewer upside down, clasped her hands in a gesture of respect towards Li Ji, and said, "Your Majesty's health is impeccable..."

Li Ji glanced at him: "Then why did His Highness the Crown Prince order me to lead troops back to the capital without waiting for the imperial decree?"

Ran Mao'er looked somewhat bewildered: "It was not said that the Grand Commandant was to lead troops back to the capital. It's just that the situation in the Central Plains is not very stable. The court wants to summon the Grand Commandant to consult on quelling the rebellion. His Highness the Crown Prince sent a letter to me in advance, asking the Grand Commandant to make preparations as soon as possible."

Li Ji was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then became furious and cursed, "You little cat, you almost scared me to death!"

Ran Mao'er clearly didn't understand how she had frightened Li Ji, and hurriedly explained, "Because Your Highness's letter contained the words 'urgently inform the Grand Commandant,' that's why I came in such a hurry..."

"You claim that the Crown Prince summoned you!"

"It's not wrong. There's no difference between being summoned by the imperial court and being summoned by the crown prince."

Li Ji thought to himself, "This is a huge difference!" However, Ran Mao'er had always been oblivious—to put it kindly, naive; to put it bluntly, lacking common sense—leaving him with nowhere to vent his anger—"What's the point of arguing with a scoundrel?" Just then, Cui Cuo, covering his mouth and smiling, said, "Young master has been quite leisurely lately. Perhaps deep down, he's hoping for trouble, so much so that he's unknowingly straying onto a wrong path, going further and further astray..."

Li Ji faced his wife, pointed at Ran Mao'er, but couldn't say a word—I am a bit stubborn, but even if it were someone else, who wouldn't think the wrong thing after hearing what this stupid cat said?

Yan Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief—but Li Ji felt that there seemed to be a hint of disappointment and dejection hidden in the man's expression—and then waved his hand: "In that case, there is no need to rush. Lord Ran, please sit down. You said that the situation in the Central Plains is not very stable. What exactly is the situation? Did His Highness the Crown Prince mention it in his letter?"

Ran Mao'er hurriedly wiped her oily hands on her clothes, then pulled a letter from her bosom and handed it to Li Ji with both hands: "Grand Commandant, please read it yourself, so that I won't say anything wrong again..."

In the past two years, many regional military governors in the Central Plains have shown signs of instability, which Li Ji was well aware of. The key reason for this was that the war against the barbarians had ended, and the Tang court planned to reduce its military strength for the sake of revenue.

After Li Ji was appointed to guard Zhenxi, he recovered Shazhou the following year and moved his military governor's office from Jinchang to Dunhuang—primarily to block the Dangjin Pass to prevent a Tibetan counterattack. He then spent three years enlisting the help of the Uyghurs, defeating and subjugating the Karluks and Turgesh. Finally, he sent Wei Gao south to the west of Tulunqi to reclaim Khotan. Thus, all the lands east of the Pamir Mountains in the Western Regions, except for the pastures east and north of Yibohai used as a reward to the Uyghurs, returned to the Tang Dynasty.

As for the land west of the Pamir Mountains, the former Tang Dynasty's Mengchi Protectorate and more than ten other prefectures, including Kangju, Zhiba Prefecture, Gumo Prefecture, and Daqin Prefecture—what the Abbasids called the lands of Central and Eastern Europe—had long been annexed by the Abbasid Caliphate after the Battle of Talas, and were now under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Khorasan. Li Ji had no intention of, and indeed lacked the strength, to wage a full-scale war against the Abbasids. Moreover, even if war were to break out, he would first need to spend several years enjoying smooth Silk Road trade and consolidating his foundation and strengthening his dynasty.

In Longyou, the war between the Tang and Tibetan forces continued for another six years after Li Ji's westward campaign, until the eleventh year of the Dali era, when the Tang army finally advanced the battle line to Menggu and Chiling. Meanwhile, Cui Ning repeatedly led the Jiannan army to repel Tibetan incursions in the Xishan region, then marched south to provide reinforcements, decisively defeating the Tibetan general Lun Qizang at Taihe City, thus saving the Nanzhao Kingdom from destruction. Under these circumstances, the Tibetans finally agreed to the Tang's terms for peace, and Li Yu promised to send a princess to marry the Tibetan king within three years, renewing the fraternal relationship between the two families.

The long-term war with the barbarians led to a rapid expansion of the Tang Dynasty's military strength in Hexi, Guanzhong, and Longyou, from less than 200,000 to nearly 300,000—including troops from other garrisons led by Zhu Ci and others—resulting in financial exhaustion. Even though the Silk Road was open and the commercial tax revenue from Chang'an alone was more than five times that of the early Dali period, the Tang Dynasty still could not make ends meet.

As a result, Han Huang was dismissed from his post as Vice Minister of Revenue and reassigned as Governor of Jinzhou. Through Li Shi's machinations, Yang Yan was reassigned to this position. Because of their past animosity, the two financial advisors—Yang Yan and Liu Yan—began to attack each other day and night, their disputes incessant. Soon after, Yang Yan, drawing on his experience in managing finances in Shuofang, compiled his findings into a document and presented it as the "Two-Tax System." At the same time, he requested the reorganization of military affairs and the reduction of redundant officials to facilitate national accumulation.

The "Two-Tax System" was still under discussion and faced significant resistance—at least Yang Wan and Liu Yan had strongly opposed it initially—but the reduction of troops received unanimous approval from the central court and its officials. After all, peace had been negotiated with Tibet, and the newly drawn border would facilitate defense; why keep so many soldiers? They should simply forge swords into plowshares and enjoy peace.

But how should the army be reduced? Cui Youfu suggested sending officials to tour the various regions, count the households, and determine the number of soldiers—I don't care how many soldiers each town actually has or how much salary is being paid without actual service; I just set a number, and from then on, unless there is war, the court will only allocate money and provisions according to this number. Of course, this mainly applies to the towns in Guanzhong, Longyou, and Hexi, because Henan, Jianghuai, and other places have always been the ones contributing to the court, and there is no reason for the court to allocate money and provisions to them; as for the three towns in Hebei and Ziqing and Shannan East Circuit, they have always been self-governing, neither paying tribute nor requesting provisions.

However, the court must treat everyone fairly; otherwise, if it only reduces the number of troops in the nearby areas without reducing the number of troops in the outer garrisons, it will result in a situation where the outside is strong but the inside is weak. Moreover, if the Hebei and Zibo-Qingzhou regions are not affected, the Guanzhong region and other areas may not be willing to obey orders.

As a result, even the Zhenxi region received an inspector, Han Gao, the Assistant Minister of Personnel Evaluation—son of Han Huang—who, after repeated discussions and bargaining with Li Ji, tentatively set the troop strength at 50,000. This number actually far exceeded the actual troop strength of Anxi and Beiting during the Tianbao era, but considering that Li Ji now also governs Sha and Gua prefectures, it was considered relatively fair.

As for the true standing army of Zhenxi, it only numbered 40,000, but if the troops of the affiliated kingdoms and tribes were added, Li Ji could raise nearly 100,000 troops at any time.

Then, because of the downsizing, something went wrong...

Chapter Three, Carbuncles and Ulcers Spread

The Hebei Rebellion began in the seventh year of the Dali era (1418). Tian Qianzhen, the military governor of Tianxiong Army, died, and the people supported his grand-nephew, Tian Yue, as acting governor. Tian Yue allied with Zhu Tao in the north and Li Baochen in the west, gradually developing rebellious intentions. Crucially, the year before, Yan Zhenqing was transferred to the position of military governor of Fengxiang, then entered the capital as Minister of Justice, and shortly after, became Minister of Personnel, succeeding Li Huaiguang as military governor of Weibo.

Then, in the eighth year of the Dali era, Xue Song, the military governor of Zhaoyi Army, also died, and his younger brother Xue E became the acting governor. Tian Yue then slowly extended his reach towards the Zhaoyi Army…

Li Ji took the letter from Li Shi from Ran Mao'er and read it quickly, only to find out that the trouble originated from Tian Yue.

At the end of last year, Pei Zhiqing, the military commander of Zhaoyi Army, used the pretext of dissatisfaction with Xue E accepting the court's mandate of 45,000 troops—which was obviously a pretext, since the army didn't require any government funding or supplies—to launch a rebellion. Just like drawing salaries without working, hiding troops was incredibly easy, and the court wouldn't actually conduct annual reviews. Tian Yue seized the opportunity, using the pretext of providing aid, to attack Xing and Ming prefectures, and surprisingly, successfully drove out Xue E…

Li Ji had already received intelligence about this matter. On one hand, he pondered, "The name Pei Zhiqing seems familiar..." On the other hand, he informed Hong Xian about it. Hong Xian immediately stamped his feet in anger, "Xue Si (Xue E) is all talk and no action, but he is actually incompetent. I told Commander Xue about this long ago, but the Xue family has no one else to rely on... Sure enough, the Xue family was ruined by this man!"

The Xue family managed to escape back to Chang'an safely, their lives no longer in danger. Otherwise, Hongxian might have impulsively begged Li Ji to avenge the Xue family. However, the east and west are separated by thousands of miles, and even if the Zhenxi Army were highly skilled, Li Ji couldn't fly there.

At the time, I thought the court would definitely send troops to punish Tian Yue, just like I had volunteered to suppress Tian Chengsi. It would also be a good opportunity to give Chengde and Youzhou a good warning. But now, after reading the letter, I learned that Li Yu had ordered the eunuch Sun Zhigu to admonish Tian Yue, ordering him to withdraw his troops immediately and defend his territory, but Tian Yue refused. The court was discussing sending troops to punish him when, unexpectedly, chaos suddenly broke out in Bian and Song.

After the death of Tian Shenyu (Tian Shengong), the military governor of Xuanwu in Bianjing (Kaifeng), Li Lingyao, the military commander, seized the opportunity to rebel, killing Meng Jian, the military commissioner and prefect of Puzhou. He then allied with Tian Yue in the north, intending to emulate the self-government of the three towns in Hebei. Bianjing was situated at a crucial point in the Grand Canal transport, and the court could not allow it to continue. It had to launch a preemptive strike, and thus ordered the towns of Huaixi, Weibo, and Heyang to advance and suppress the rebellion. Tian Yue sent troops to the rescue, but they were blocked by the Weibo army north of the Yellow River. However, this also made it difficult for the Weibo army to extricate itself. Ma Sui, the military governor of the three towns of Heyang, and Li Zhongchen, the military governor of Huaixi, then requested Li Zhengji, the military governor of Ziqing and Pinglu, to send troops to attack Bianjing from the east.

The battle continued until May of this year, when Li Lingyao was finally defeated, captured, and taken to Chang'an to be executed. However, because Ma Sui avoided Li Zhongchen and Li Zhengji, Bianzhou fell to Li Zhongchen after the battle, while Cao, Pu, Xu, Yan, and Yun prefectures were occupied by Li Zhengji, leaving the imperial court powerless to stop it...

Li Zhongchen was known for his greed, cruelty, and lust for women. He even frequently raped the wives and daughters of his subordinates. His brother-in-law, Zhang Huiguang, served as a military officer and abused his power, yet he was appointed as the deputy military governor, causing resentment among his superiors and subordinates. Taking advantage of Li Zhongchen's campaign against Bian and Song, Li Xilie, the military commissioner, colluded with other generals, raised an army, killed Zhang Huiguang and his son, and then expelled Li Zhongchen, seizing Huaixi.

It is alleged that Li Xilie, Li Zhengji, Tian Yue, Li Baochen, and possibly Zhu Tao and Liang Chongyi, the military governor of Shannan East Circuit, secretly colluded and formed a defensive alliance... Upon reading the letter, Li Ji slammed his fist on the table and cursed: "How can military governors form a secret alliance? What about the imperial court? They should be executed!"

He had just finished cursing when he sensed something was off about the atmosphere in the room. He looked up and glanced at Yan Zhuang, who turned his face away. He then turned to his wives and concubines and saw Cui Cuo with his head down, secretly laughing, while Hong Xian winked and made a face at him.

Li Ji then realized that he had also been involved in the secret alliance of the town... How could that be the same? I did it for the sake of the country! For the sake of the country!

He could only cough once to ease the awkward atmosphere slightly, then quickly changed the subject: "If we don't beat him for a few days, will Liang Chongyi dare to climb onto the roof again?!"

This situation is indeed quite perilous. If the aforementioned towns were to join forces, their combined forces would number no less than 200,000, and the disaster would be even greater than that caused by An Lushan. Even if Zhu Tao and Liang Chongyi were not among those in the secret alliance, Tian Yue and Li Baochen would be able to restrain Weibo and Henghai, and Li Zhengji and Li Xilie could cut off the canal transport in the Jianghuai region. The area east of Luoyang would inevitably be torn apart!

He then forwarded the letter to Yan Zhuang and his wives and concubines, and asked, "What do you have to say about this situation?"

Yan Zhuang stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before replying, "The regional military governors, especially those in Hebei and Zibo, have always acted as their own governors, which is tantamount to separatism. It is no wonder that they will inevitably cause trouble in the long run. The court should first pacify the western border, then gradually weaken them, and then conquer them one by one. This is the national policy. How could they not know this? Therefore, Tibet made peace and the regional military governors were afraid, so they will naturally join forces to resist the court."

There's something I can't say out loud—this secret alliance in the town, which is forcing the court to act, was started by you, Grand Commandant; they were just copying you.

Hongxian said, "The letter says that due to the approved troop quotas, the armies in Guanzhong and Longyou are showing signs of instability, with soldiers becoming increasingly panicked and causing unrest. It can be said that this is precisely when the court is at its weakest. If the garrisons in Guanzhong and Longyou are stabilized, their strength will still be able to restrain Guandong, and Hebei and Zibo will not dare to rebel..."

Li Ji also understood that after the cessation of hostilities and the making of peace with the Tubo, the Tang Dynasty would have enough financial and military resources to resolve the problems of the various towns in Guandong after a period of chaos involving troop reduction and reorganization. Therefore, Tian Yue was eager to annex Zhaoyi Army, Li Lingyao was eager to seize power in Bian Song, and Li Xilie was eager to seize power in Huaixi. The purpose of the various towns uniting was to undermine the court's confidence and prestige and delay its pace in resolving the regional separatism.

To use an analogy, the Tang Dynasty and Tibet were like two heavyweight boxers. While they were locked in a fierce battle, a traitor behind the scenes feigned support, secretly plotting to reap the benefits. The Tang Dynasty, however, wasn't foolish. It temporarily stalled, waiting to defeat Tibet before turning its attention to the traitor. Thus, seeing Tibet withdraw and the Tang Dynasty rest, weakened and dizzy, the traitor seized the opportunity to strike. Consequently, the festering wounds in the various towns of Guandong erupted simultaneously.

In his letter, Li Shi wrote that in response to this situation, two distinct voices emerged in the court. Some officials believed that the Guandong garrison was too powerful and should only be appeased and kept in check, rather than being attacked or even reprimanded. On the other hand, some senior officials, led by Cui Youfu and Yan Zhenqing, advocated a hardline approach—the court absolutely could not back down, otherwise, what would become of its authority? Moreover, if they were to retreat now, the Guandong garrison would only press on, making it even more difficult to resolve the problem in the future.

As for Li Shi himself, he also agreed with the proposals of Cui, Yan and others.

Ultimately, Li Yu, having no other choice, decided to first target Li Xilie, who was nearby. He appointed Zhu Ci, the Minister of Works, as the Deputy Marshal of Henan, concentrating troops from the capital region, Tongguan, and Heyang to suppress him. The Weibo and Heng Hai armies were tasked with monitoring Zibo, Qingzhou, and Pinglu to prevent Li Zhengji from aiding Li Xilie. Guo Ziyi, the Minister of Works, was appointed as the Deputy Marshal of Hebei, stationed in Hezhong, ready to mobilize troops from Hezhong, Hedong, and Shuofang to block or contain the three towns of Hebei.

The remaining problem was Liang Chongyi of Shannan East Circuit. The troops of Fengxiang and Jinshang could barely block Liang Chongyi's northward advance into the capital region, but unfortunately, they lacked a general of sufficient caliber—like the two deputy commanders Guo and Zhu—to oversee the situation. Therefore, Li Shi recommended Li Ji to his father.

Li Ji was Liang Chongyi's former master, and Liang Chongyi had always been afraid of Li Ji. So, as long as Li Ji returned to Chang'an, would Liang dare to act rashly?

After repeatedly weighing the pros and cons, Li Yu finally agreed and sent an envoy westward at full speed to summon Li Ji back to the capital for an audience with the emperor. However, it was a return visit, not an aid mission, so only a ceremonial guard befitting a Grand Commandant or Military Governor, along with a small number of personal guards, was needed; there was no need to mobilize a large army.

However, Li Shi sent an urgent letter in advance, relaying it to Li Ji through Ran Mao'er, saying that the recent situation was very dangerous, and the towns in Guanzhong were not very stable, so their troops might not be usable. If you, Changwei, were to be stationed in Chang'an, Liang Chongyi would be fine if he knew what to do, but if war really broke out, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to control it on your own. Don't be too constrained by the imperial orders. It would be better if you brought several thousand or even ten thousand Zhenxi soldiers with you.

Li Ji felt that Li Shi's actions were clearly motivated by ulterior motives. Even if the troops in Guanzhong, Longyou, and Hexi were all unusable, weren't there still tens of thousands of Imperial Guards from the Northern Army inside and outside Chang'an? The Northern Army wasn't included in the troop reduction, so there wouldn't be any chaos. If I had one or two thousand Imperial Guards at my disposal, why would I fear Liang Chongyi?

Li Shi specifically requested his father to summon me back to the capital, and also hoped that I would bring troops with me. This was clearly intended to intimidate the emperor! To put it another way, even if Li Yu is not afraid and believes that I have no other intentions, as long as the Zhenxi Army arrives near Chang'an, and the Crown Prince comes out and holds my hand to have a few earnest words, all the officials in the central court will be terrified. I reckon that there won't be many bold ones left who would dare to approach Li Hui.

Now that the garrison in the west has just been pacified, and the generals are deployed to key positions, and the subordinate officials are also quite capable, I have some free time. It would be perfectly acceptable for me to return to Chang'an to help the Li family, father and son, to maintain order and boost morale. However, how should I return? Should I obey the imperial order and return alone, or should I truly listen to Li Shi and lead the troops back to the capital?

While he was pondering, Yan Zhuang said, "The Crown Prince's concerns are reasonable. If the Grand Commandant returns alone, in case of an emergency, Zhenxi is thousands of miles away and cannot come to his aid. I think it would be better to bring some soldiers with him."

Cui Cuo agreed with his words, saying, "Minister Guo is old, and Minister Zhu may not be trustworthy. If the war in Henan goes badly, and even the east and west of Hezhong hear the alarm, then if you return to Chang'an, you will only be putting yourself in danger. Do you intend to fight your way out of the encirclement alone, like you did when you were young, or even protect the Emperor and the Crown Prince?"

Li Ji laughed and raised his arm: "Do you think my strength has declined?"

Ran Mao'er interjected, "The saying goes, 'A son of a wealthy family should not sit under a dangerous roof.' How could the Grand Commandant, with his noble status, possibly go to the battlefield to fight?"

"So, Cat, are you advocating that I lead the troops back to the capital?"

Ran Mao'er shrank her neck: "This servant had no such intention, but I did not wish for the Grand Commandant to be in danger... However, if the Grand Commandant were to truly return the entire army to the capital, it would be against the Emperor's will, and I fear that would not be entirely appropriate..."

Hongxian asked, "If we obey the imperial decree, what is the maximum number of soldiers you, sir, can take to where?"

Li Ji did some quick calculations: "Even if all the laborers transporting grain and supplies were replaced with soldiers, the ceremonial guard and attendants would only amount to two thousand men..."

Yan Zhuang's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "The Grand Commandant's concern is that if he disobeys the imperial order and leads his troops back to the capital, he may arouse suspicion among the officials, who may think that the Grand Commandant has ulterior motives. At that time, the public opinion will be in turmoil, and the rumors will damage the Grand Commandant's reputation for loyalty..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I really don't care about reputation or anything like that. Besides, legends and stories about me are spreading all over the world, so even the worst things can be easily whitewashed." But if there's a way to have the best of both worlds, then I might as well use it—"How should Lord Yan teach me?"

Yan Zhuang smiled and said, "The Grand Commandant can transport their baggage, and use horses and camels to carry the special products of the western region, pretending to offer them as tribute, while actually using soldiers as laborers in preparation for any eventuality..."

Having spent years in the outlying towns, I've finally been summoned back to the capital. So, I'll bring some extra tribute to express my gratitude to the Emperor. Surely no one can say anything about that?

Li Ji frowned slightly: "But it's only eight hundred or a thousand people at most..." Unless I move everything in the Dunhuang Treasury to Chang'an, I can't take more than a few people with me.

Yan Zhuang laughed and said, "I was merely trying to provoke the Grand Commandant's thoughts, but it's a pity he didn't understand. It just so happens that the Arab envoy is coming to Chang'an to pay homage, so shouldn't the General of the West send troops to escort him? Zhu Xie Jinzhong will also be going to pay homage, and a thousand cavalrymen are always needed. These three things can be combined into one, with the three armies advancing one after the other, half a day apart. If the Grand Commandant doesn't need them, then so be it; if he does need them, they can be summoned to his command in no time."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji burst into laughter: "In that case, the arrival of the Arab envoy is perfectly timed."

----------

Several days later, the envoy finally arrived in Dunhuang. It was Dong Xiu, a eunuch who had recently become Li Yu's favorite. Moreover, Dong Xiu specifically hinted to Li Ji that he should go back by himself and not bring too many soldiers, lest the court become suspicious and it would be detrimental to his reputation.

But Li Ji had already made all the preparations, bringing with him 500 ceremonial guards, 500 personal soldiers, 2,000 horses and camels, and an equal number of laborers, before setting off eastward. Furthermore, for the safety of the Abbasid envoy, he ordered General Gao Chongwen to lead 2,000 elite troops to escort him. Zhu Xiejinzhong of the Shatuo tribe had also sent messengers to inform him, instructing him to select 1,000 elite cavalry from his tribe to accompany Li Ji near Jiayuguan.

He then bid farewell to his wives, concubines, and staff, arranged a grand procession, left the government office, and headed towards the east gate of Dunhuang.

Dunhuang was originally the seat of Shazhou Prefecture. The city, situated between the Mingsha Mountains and Dajingze, was quite high and fortified. It housed over a thousand households of both Han and non-Han residents—well, the surrounding agricultural population numbered only about three thousand households, so it wasn't particularly prosperous or wealthy. However, after Li Ji took over the prefecture, he expanded the city, continued to accept prisoners from the Central Plains, and took women from surrounding nomadic tribes as wives for his soldiers. This brought Shazhou's registered households to over seven thousand and its population to over thirty thousand. While still not significant compared to the Central Plains, it was twice the size of the Tianbao era.

In fact, there was another major reason for Dunhuang's increasing prosperity, which Li Ji did not like—in a sense, the Mingsha Mountain could be considered a major Buddhist holy site in the Hexi Corridor…

Author's note: I have to go out tomorrow night, so there will be one update paused. Sorry.

Chapter Four: The Rebellion of Huaixi

During the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period, in the second year of the Jianyuan era of the Former Qin dynasty, a monk named Le Zun traveled to Dunhuang. It is said that when he looked up, he suddenly saw golden light shining on the Singing Sand Dunes, as if ten thousand Buddhas had appeared. Therefore, Le Zun commissioned people to carve caves into the mountain and have Buddha statues engraved there…