Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 180

"However, Mencius said: 'The people are the most important, the state is next...'" Of course, in front of the emperor, the second half of the sentence, "the ruler is the least important," can be omitted—"Then without the common people, where would the state and the state come from? Now the Uyghurs are fierce and violent. If they are not punished, the people will all resent the court, and some will think that the Three Departments, the Six Ministries, the various courts and the Nine Ministers are not as good as the Uyghur camp. Is this what Your Majesty wants to see?"

"And let me ask you, is Tang a country of the Tang people or a country of the Uyghurs? If the court does not protect the Tang people but instead indulges the Uyghurs, then why should Your Majesty linger here? You should immediately head north and grovel before the court as a vassal!"

Can you say this to the emperor? You're protecting the Uyghurs instead of the Tang people. You might as well just submit to the Uyghur Khan!

Although Li Tan understood that Li Ji's words were actually addressed to the emperor, he was still deeply angered to be scolded to his face by an acquaintance. He immediately rebuked him, "If this leads to the Uyghurs breaking the alliance, or even joining forces with the Tibetans to invade the south, can you bear the responsibility?!"

Li Ji smiled and turned to Li Yu: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten the humiliation of kneeling before the Crown Prince Yabghu outside Chang'an in the second year of the Zhide era?"

When the Tang-Uyghur allied forces recaptured Chang'an, Li Heng promised to return the lands of the two capitals to the Tang, while the wealth and women would go to the Uyghurs. The Uyghur commander, the Crown Prince Yabghu, wanted to enter the city to collect these gifts. Li Yu refused, not out of concern for the Tang women, but because he feared that as the one carrying out the agreement, he would be tainted and unable to clear his name, and that it might even jeopardize his impending succession. Therefore, he knelt before the Crown Prince Yabghu, pleading for the release of the people of Chang'an, promising to fulfill the promise after the recapture of Dongjing (Kaifeng)...

Although both were sons of the rulers, the Tang people generally believed that the Uyghurs were subjects of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the Uyghur Khan was equivalent to a prince, while his crown prince was a rank lower than a Tang prince. This act of superiors belittling inferiors was inherently humiliating. Thus, after Li Yu ascended the throne, he specifically ordered all relevant written records to be erased, including the account of Li Ji beating the crown prince of the Yabghu…

Of course, even Li Miao, who was still a child at the time, had heard about this matter.

Li Ji continued, "I once punched the Crown Prince of Yabghu at the gates of Chang'an, unable to bear Your Majesty's humiliation. Not only was the Crown Prince spared, but even the Khan of the Righteous Khan did not use this as an excuse to break the alliance. Does Your Majesty think that Chixin's status is higher than that of the Crown Prince of Yabghu?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yu fell silent.

"Your Majesty, the alliance between the Uyghurs and our Tang Dynasty is a response to the current situation. The relationship between our two nations is not concerned with one or two individuals. Prince Qi is worried that the Uyghurs might join forces with the Tibetans to attack our Tang Dynasty. However, he does not realize that these barbarians are nomadic and would never coexist with us. China is primarily an agricultural society and not suited for nomadic life. They can only plunder people and goods, but dare not seize land. If two nomadic groups form an alliance, they can have both water and pasture. Who will then be in control? I assure you that if the Tibetans plot against the Western Regions, the Uyghurs will certainly fight them and will never agree to peace, let alone join forces against our Tang Dynasty."

"Therefore, the invasion of the Western Regions by the barbarians is not only a scourge to our Tang Dynasty, but also a great threat to the Uyghurs. This is why we requested the Khan to send troops south to rescue them. This was our original intention. However, many court officials are ignorant of the matter and fabricated dangerous arguments to obscure Your Majesty's wisdom. As a result, Your Majesty, moved by the kindness of the Uyghurs, has been quite lenient with their envoys' treachery and has been unwilling to punish them..."

This is a very artful way of putting it. In fact, what Li Ji was thinking was: You are afraid that the Uyghurs will break the alliance because you do not understand the interests of the Uyghurs, so you have indulged the Uyghur envoys so much. But you can't just openly criticize the emperor for being cowardly, can you?

"Moreover, the barbarians mostly fear power but do not cherish virtue. Does Your Majesty remember what happened in the first year of Baoying? Shi Chaoyi sent an envoy back to the capital, falsely claiming that after the late emperor's death, the Central Plains were without a ruler, and asked the Khan to come south to join him in seizing the treasury. The Khan did indeed go south. Fortunately, the imperial envoy Liu Qingtan caught up with him at the Three Surrender Cities, presented an imperial edict, and explained Your Majesty's ascension to the throne. Only then did the Khan retreat, and he ordered Di De and others to join forces with us."

"From this, we can see that if our Tang Dynasty is weak and the Central Plains are in turmoil, then the oaths and oaths are nothing but empty words; if our Tang Dynasty is strong and its army is powerful, even if I kill ten loyal subjects in the street, the Khan may not blame me, let alone break the alliance and attack us. Now, everyone is afraid of the Hui envoys, and even if they act violently in broad daylight, we dare not punish them. When the Hui envoys return to their camp, they will surely say that our Tang Dynasty is weak. If our generals were not foolish and our army weak, how could we endure such humiliation without retaliating? Therefore, the Khan knows that we are afraid and will break the alliance and attack us, so as to prevent our Tang Dynasty's wealth and children from falling into the hands of the Tibetans!"

These words were very clear, and they were something that the Li Tang imperial family had never considered, nor had any of the court officials had ever spoken of. The four men—father, son, uncle, and nephew—were filled with fear and trepidation.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Ji crossed his arms, raised his voice, and loudly proclaimed: "Therefore, in order to demonstrate the strength of our Tang Dynasty, and to ensure that our laws are strict and our government is well-ordered, so as to deter the Uyghurs from looking down on us and to quell the Khan's covetousness, I request that the Uyghur envoy Chixin and others be punished according to the law!"

"Those who break prisoners with weapons and injure prison guards should be beheaded! Even if a Uyghur kills someone in broad daylight in the marketplace, he should still be beheaded, not hanged. If this is not done, we will soon see the Khan's banners flying south again, and the Uyghur army approaching Shuofang and Hedong. The various garrisons, seeing the court's cowardice, will all sit on the sidelines and watch, and not a single soldier will come to the rescue. Then the events of Zhou You's breach of faith, and the Quanrong entering Haojing, will surely be repeated today! I implore Your Majesty to make a swift decision!"

The statement, "The story of King You of Zhou breaking his promise and the Quanrong invading Haojing will surely be repeated today," truly frightened Li Yu, who stammered, "How could it come to this..."

Li Ji retorted without hesitation: "If the supervising envoy were to submit a memorial stating that they could run rampant in Youzhou and Chengde, killing soldiers and humiliating generals, and that Li Huaixian and Li Baochen dared not question them, what would Your Majesty think? Soon, the memorials from the ministers urging an immediate attack on the two towns, plowing the court and sweeping away the villages, would flood Your Majesty's desk!"

The four men in the hall broke out in a cold sweat and exchanged bewildered glances. After a long while, Li Miao spoke first, bowing respectfully: "May I ask Li Shuofang, can you guarantee that the Uyghur Khan will not break the alliance and invade the south because of this matter?"

Li Ji slightly curled his lips, still facing Li Yu, his face full of passionate loyalty: "If Your Majesty severely punishes Chi Xin and the others, and the Khan is angered by this and breaks the alliance, and invades from the south, I request to lead the brave men of Shuofang to defend Your Majesty. Even if I die, I will not allow a single Uyghur horse to enter Guanzhong!"

Then his voice turned serious: "If Your Majesty continues to allow the envoys to return and let Chixin and the others go back to report to their lord, the Khan will think I am cowardly and launch an attack on the south. I am afraid that people will rebel and the soldiers will lose their fighting spirit. Not only the Shuofang army, but also the towns of Jingyuan, Binning, and Fufang will surely flee at the mere sight of the enemy!"

This was blatant intimidation, but Li Yu couldn't guarantee that the dire prospects Li Ji feared and envisioned wouldn't materialize... Moreover, it was clear that if the Hui envoy wasn't severely punished this time, and the Uyghurs broke their alliance and attacked, the fate of the Shuofang army was uncertain, and Li Ji, as the commander of Shuofang, would certainly resentfully abandon his post...

His face fell, and he put his hand to his forehead, slowly saying, "Let...let me consider this further...and discuss it with the prime minister and others..."

Li Ji, with his neck stiff, said, "If it weren't for the prime minister's incompetence, how would the Uyghurs dare to be so arrogant and unrestrained? How could Your Majesty endure such humiliation? Why bother consulting the prime minister!"

Li Shi swept his sleeves and rebuked, "The Emperor will make his own judgment. Changwei, do not say anything more—you must not be disrespectful before His Majesty!" At the same time, he kept giving Li Ji meaningful glances, meaning that you should know when to stop. Judging from the current situation, no matter how the Emperor ultimately deals with the returning envoy, he is unlikely to punish you. Isn't that enough?

Li Ji nodded and said, "I am merely offering honest advice; the decision should be made by His Majesty's own mind." But then he bowed again and said, "I hereby impeach Wei Shaohua, the Minister of Ceremonies, for his lack of self-discipline, disloyalty to the emperor, despicable and incompetent nature, and for holding a position without doing any work. I request that an edict be issued immediately to severely punish him!"

“Wei Shaohua has always been diligent and conscientious, how could he be as you say?”

Li Ji asked in a defiant tone, "Wei Shaohua is in charge of the Court of State Ceremonial, yet he failed to strictly guard the borders, allowing Uyghur envoys to repeatedly roam freely outside the temple. This time, they even gathered a crowd to break prisoners—why did no one from the Court of State Ceremonial follow or try to stop them?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shi and Li Tan exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves that this was a truly ruthless attack, and even if Wei Shaohua were present, he probably wouldn't be able to refute it.

Li Ji continued, “Chi Xin and his men committed violence and injury. I was assisting Wannian County in apprehending them when Wei Shaohua arrived. Without inquiring about the cause or the truth, he immediately sought to grant them leniency outside the law. The Tang Code is magnificent, established by our ancestors. Only Your Majesty can transcend the Tang Code based on reason and emotion, and pardon someone without guilt! Even the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi dare not violate the law, let alone a mere Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies? Does this mean that Wei Shaohua truly harbors the ambition to usurp the emperor's power and monopolize the court?!”

Li Shi and Li Tan exchanged glances again, thinking to themselves, "Could it be that serious? Is he trying to kill Wei Shaohua?"

"Moreover, the Uyghur envoy's flag can be obtained by a mere official of the Court of State Ceremonies. To carry it through the main streets in such a grand manner, with all the people watching, is no different from humiliating the Uyghurs. If the Khan were to question us, I'm afraid Your Majesty would have no choice but to behead Wei Shaohua to appease his resentment."

Li Yu was quick-witted and immediately questioned, "Zeqing, breaking the envoy's flag in the street, isn't that an insult to the Hui people?"

Li Ji was about to ask him this question when he immediately retorted, "Since the Khan bestowed upon me the title of Tutunfa, I claimed that the envoy's flag was fake, and no one would doubt it. I broke it in the street to show that it was not an envoy's flag, and the officials of the Court of State Ceremonies took it away without disgracing me. This cover-up was not to save Wei Shaohua, but to save our Tang Dynasty. It is clear to heaven and earth that my loyalty is beyond question—but Wei Shaohua must not be pardoned for his dereliction of duty and abuse of power just because of my quick thinking!"

Li Yu was speechless for a few seconds before suddenly raising his eyebrows and asking again, "What about when you broke the banner in Jizhou?"

Li Ji thought to himself that the emperor's imagination was quite rich... He had no choice but to kneel down and apologize, saying, "This was a desperate gamble. Although I have humbled myself, I have received the banner of the Tianxiong Army. I humbly beg Your Majesty to consider the difficulties I faced in battle and the merits I made in defeating the enemy, and to atone for my previous sins."

Seeing his expression and hearing his words, Li Yu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He immediately flicked his sleeve and said, "I know what you have said, and I will make a decision on it—you may leave now."

Author's note: Two updates today, keeping my promise.

Chapter 46, Self-satisfaction

Li Ji spoke eloquently before the emperor, his words defying common sense yet remaining logical, leaving Li Yu, his father and son, uncle and nephew, and the four men who listened in awe.

However, as the emperor, Li Yu had to find a way to back down. He had finally managed to salvage the situation by seizing the opportunity to have Li Ji break the military governor's insignia, thus regaining some ground in his words and maintaining his dignity as a monarch. He thought to himself, "I should stop here as soon as I can. I can't let Li Ji say anything more."

With a flick of his sleeve, he said, "I know of what you have said, and I will make a decision on it—you may leave now."

Li Ji stopped arguing, immediately crossed his hands in greeting, and bowed as he withdrew—he had said almost everything he needed to say. In the first half, he had almost completely overwhelmed the emperor, but let alone the distinction between ruler and subject, even in his previous life, there was no reason to completely defeat a leader and force him to admit defeat in person—Li Tan and Li Shi also took their leave.

Before leaving the hall, Li Shi glanced sideways at Li Miao, thinking to himself, "Why aren't you leaving? You were by the Emperor's side before we arrived, and you're still there now that we've left. I wonder what these two, father and son, are talking about? If I had known Li Miao wouldn't budge, I shouldn't have been in such a hurry to leave..."

Once only Li Yu and Li Miao remained in the hall, Li Yu's waist slumped, and he slumped onto the imperial couch. He immediately called out, "Bring water, and wring out another towel..." Although Li Ji did most of the talking and the emperor barely responded, he still felt parched and his forehead was covered in cold sweat...

The eunuch handed over warm water and a hot towel. Li Yu first wiped his forehead, then drank several mouthfuls of water before letting out a long sigh. He couldn't help but sigh, "Back then, Li Ji stormed the palace, grabbed Li Fuguo, and defied the late emperor, which saved the life of Prince Qi... I was not there at the time and felt quite regretful. Now... I understand how difficult it was for the late emperor."

Li Miao, emboldened, asked in a low voice, "What Li Shuofang said is not unreasonable, but... isn't he being a bit too arrogant and domineering? Your Majesty should give him a warning."

Li Yu, holding a bowl of water, stared blankly for a long while before a bitter smile appeared on his lips. He then leaned closer, avoiding the court attendant, and whispered a warning to Li Miao: "If you were in my position, you would know that it is common for an emperor to be contradicted—that's why Emperor Taizong did not dismiss Wei Zheng. On the contrary, some people, seemingly kind and mature, only express their loyalty before Your Majesty and do not utter any harsh words, but in reality, they resent being emperor. If they did not, I fear the country would not belong to my family..."

After Li Ji left Penglai Palace, he strode out of the palace. He hadn't gone far when Li Tan and Li Shi called after him and quickly caught up. Soon, Li Tan and Li Ji stood facing each other at the palace gate, chatting and laughing, recounting what had happened since they last met.

It was as if nothing had ever happened—that he had just reprimanded Li Ji on behalf of the emperor, and then Li Ji had pointed at him and cursed him.

Li Tan had a lot to say to Li Ji, and also wanted to take this opportunity to rekindle their somewhat strained relationship after several years apart. However, a glance out of the corner of his eye revealed Li Shi standing beside him with his hands at his sides, refusing to leave. With the Crown Prince watching, many things were inconvenient to say aloud. Helpless, Li Tan could only cup his hands and say, "Changwei, there's no need to rush to your post. Once you return to the capital, you can come to my residence for a chat when you have some free time."

Li Ji bowed and said, "It is inconvenient to trouble Your Majesty further, but now that I have returned to the capital, I must pay you a visit."

Li Tan smiled, bid farewell, and took his leave. Only then was Li Shi able to approach and whisper, "If I had known that Changwei was so eloquent that he could refute the Emperor... and leave Uncle Qi speechless, I wouldn't have needed to go and plead with the Emperor beforehand."

Li Ji understood that he was trying to curry favor, so he immediately bowed and said, "If Your Highness had not pleaded for me beforehand, even if I had spoken a little more eloquently, how could I have succeeded? I will never forget your deep kindness and virtue."

He then asked, “I have observed that the Uyghur Khan Changshou Tianqin actually harbored goodwill towards our Tang Dynasty. However, I never expected that in just a few years, the Uyghur envoys would act so wickedly, leading to this situation… Is it possible that not a single one of the high-ranking officials has dared to speak frankly and remonstrate with His Majesty?”

Li Shi understood what he meant and said, "When Master Changyuan was alive, things were alright, and the merchants' disputes were nothing for the prime minister to worry about. But the Hui envoys are arrogant and presumptuous. They took their loyalty for granted and actually brought ten thousand troops to exchange for four hundred thousand bolts of fine silk from our Tang Dynasty! This has led to the incident of arresting prisoners with weapons today..."

This is an attempt to whitewash Li Mi's policies. In reality, the Uyghurs were a crucial element in Li Mi's strategy to weaken the barbarians. Therefore, the leniency towards Uyghur envoys began with Yuan Zai and remained unchanged during Li Mi's reign. Li Shifang relied heavily on Li Ji and also hoped for Li Mi's support. Fearing that the two brothers might develop a rift over this matter, he simply shifted the blame onto the then-Prime Minister Li Xian and others.

After saying those words, Li Shi leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Was everything you said to the Emperor just now truly true?"

Li Ji first sighed softly, "If I didn't say this, I wouldn't be able to sway His Majesty's mind—that's a bit of an exaggeration." Then he said seriously, "However, if we don't investigate the details and are careless about the minor matters, it will eventually lead to a great disaster—such as the rise of regional military governors and the An Lushan Rebellion, which were also the problems of the policies during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao periods. They accumulated day by day until the country was like a chronic disease that it could not recover from. Moreover, I still have something to say that I have not yet had the chance to report to His Majesty."

What language is it?

Li Ji stared intently at Li Shi and said, word by word, "The Uyghurs are the outer vassals of our Tang Dynasty, while the various garrisons can be considered the inner vassals. If the court dares not punish the envoys of the outer vassals today, then if the officials from the various garrisons act tyrannically in the marketplace tomorrow, will the two counties of Jingzhao, and even the Three Departments and Six Ministries, be able to control them? We will soon see the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, and it will soon be seen again in our Tang Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shi felt a chill run down his spine.

----------

When Lu Qi left Li Shi's residence and rode back to the Jinzouyuan in Pingkangfang, Cui Cuo and the others had already entered the inner palace and were tidying up their furniture and belongings. Lu Qi went to the gate of the inner palace to pay his respects from afar and said that he had already informed the Crown Prince to intercede for the military commander, and that he would then send someone to Wannian County to investigate the situation.

A maid in red came out and returned Lu Qi's greeting through the courtyard gate, saying, "Madam sent me to convey that she admires Lu Jinzou's wisdom and is deeply grateful for his virtue. She will surely reward him when Commander Li returns."

Lu Qi smiled and waved his hand, "It's my duty as a lowly official; I dare not ask for any reward." Just as he was about to turn and leave, he was stopped by the maid—

"Madam has one more question for Lu Jinzhao."

"I dare not, please speak."

"When I came here, I saw that the plaque 'Weibo Jinzouyuan' was still hanging above the gate. Why wasn't it changed?"

Lu Qi gave a wry smile: "Shuofang has no academy, and Weibo has lost its academy and has nowhere to go... I have already informed the commander, and I will make some plans in a few days."

Originally, the various garrisons in Chang'an City did not have independent liaison offices. It was only after Li Ji converted his residence into an official residence, and soon after Li Yu personally bestowed upon it the name "Jinzouyuan" (academy for submitting memorials), that the practice gradually took hold. Including Luoyang, Jinzouyuan were successively opened in the two capitals.

However, not every town has established a Jinzouyuan (a place for reporting to the emperor). There are probably two reasons why not every town has one: First, the town is in dire financial straits, and land in Chang'an is extremely expensive, so it is impossible to buy a mansion. If they simply rent a few houses to serve as the town's Jinzouyuan, they are afraid of being ridiculed and losing face. Second, some towns are not yet stable, so it is not yet possible to put it on the agenda.

As for Shuofang Town, it suffered from both of these drawbacks. Shuofang was originally a large town with an authorized military strength of 65,000, but its territory was sparsely populated and lacked abundant resources, requiring the imperial court to supply provisions from Taiyuan. During the An Lushan Rebellion, many Shuofang troops migrated eastward, fighting not only in the areas north and south of the Yangtze River but also remaining in Taiyuan and Hedong. In a broader sense, aside from Youzhou and Hebei, most military garrisons north of the Yangtze River had intricate connections with Shuofang. However, this led to Shuofang's renewed recruitment of soldiers, further weakening agricultural production within its jurisdiction and exacerbating its financial and logistical shortages…

Currently, Shuofang is without a commander, with Hun Shizhi serving as the acting military governor. The town is rife with factions and fierce generals. In terms of prestige and ability, Hun Shizhi is no match for Guo Ziyi or Pugu Huaien. It is already quite an achievement that he can barely maintain order and prevent any unrest. How could he possibly have the mindset to set up an Imperial Secretariat or officials in Chang'an? He thought to himself that it would be better to wait until the court appoints a new military governor for Shuofang, or until he is lucky enough to be promoted to the position.

Therefore, if Li Ji had been transferred from Weibo to Shuofang, and if Shuofang already had a Jinzouyuan (a place for reporting official documents), then he could have simply moved back home, or even just changed the signboard. However, Shuofang didn't have a Jinzouyuan, so if Li Ji changed the signboard, what would happen to Weibo? Furthermore, all the officials below Lu Qi, the Jinzouyuan official, had previously been associated with Weibo. If the entire staff transferred to Shuofang, Weibo would be blind; if they remained with Weibo, how could they change the signboard?

Ultimately, Li Ji still had feelings for Weibo, and it was impossible for him to simply climb onto the roof and remove the ladder, thus embarrassing Yan Zhenqing.

Therefore, this matter needs to be discussed and handled gradually. At least first, a house should be purchased to serve as the Shuofang Jinzouyuan (a place for officials to report to the emperor), or at least the officials from Weibo should be able to move in. It was Hongxian who inquired about this matter with Lu Qi on behalf of Cui Cuo. She returned and reported the reply, and Cui Cuo's expression was slightly displeased.

“This is my private residence. How can it be returned to Weibo? And if a separate courtyard is to be purchased, shouldn’t Governor Yan pay for it?”

Meanwhile, Lu Qi had just returned to the front courtyard when a messenger came to report that someone had delivered a letter inviting the military governor and his wife to a banquet. Lu Qi took it and glanced at it, then sighed inwardly, "My legs are never idle." He was forced to go back to the inner quarters and hand over his visiting card at the courtyard gate.

The servant passed it to Cui Cuo, who took it and glanced at it. He saw that it was signed "Cui Gan, Military Governor of Jiannan Xichuan and Prefect of Chengdu." He couldn't help but be surprised: "Seventh Brother has actually come to the capital?"

Actually, Cui Gan had already come to Chang'an to pay his respects a month earlier than Li Ji.

This matter relates to the prime minister system of the Tang Dynasty. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, a system of multiple prime ministers was established, with the heads and deputy heads of the Three Departments serving as prime ministers. Later, this was gradually changed to officials of the fourth rank or above holding additional titles, who would sit in the Hall of State Affairs. Therefore, in a narrow and substantive sense, only those who held the title of "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi" (formerly also "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin") and resided in the central court, able to enter the Hall of State Affairs, were prime ministers; however, in a broader and nominal sense, the heads and deputy heads of the Three Departments could still be called prime ministers.

For example, Guo Ziyi, who served as both Minister of Works and Chancellor; Li Shi, who served as Chancellor for a year before being made Crown Prince; and Pugu Huai'en, who held the empty title of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works while serving in a military post, and was also appointed Chancellor...

Generally, those who served as military governors or regional military commissioners in other regions were given honorary titles such as the chief and deputy chief officials of the three provinces, or the title of Chancellor. They were respectfully referred to as "Envoy-Chancellor" by the people of the time. Although Li Bi was appointed as the military governor of Zhejiang West, he was not stripped of his titles of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Chancellor. He was still an Envoy-Chancellor. Therefore, when a prime minister was appointed as an Envoy-Chancellor, there would naturally be other Envoy-Chancellors returning to the capital to seek the position of prime minister to fill the vacancy.

In particular, in the past, there were often six or seven prime ministers sitting together in the Council of State Affairs. After Yuan Zai, there were fewer and fewer, at most four. If Li Bi is removed and no new prime minister is appointed, Li Xian will be able to monopolize the government. I'm afraid that before long, his power will be even greater than that of Yuan Zai or even Li Fuguo.

Therefore, Du Hongjian, the envoy of Xichuan, sought to return to the capital. He went to Cui Gan and said, "I have submitted a memorial many times requesting that you be appointed as the military governor of Xichuan. His Majesty hesitates, fearing that you will become arrogant and domineering. If you are willing to return to the capital with me to pay homage, His Majesty will surely be relieved of his worries, and the position of military governor can be obtained."

When Cui Gan first raised an army to rebel, it was out of necessity. He had no intention of separating himself from the court, unlike the other regional warlords in Hebei who had ambitions to establish semi-independent kingdoms. Now that he heard that the military governor was involved, he was overjoyed. He left his brother Cui Kuan to guard Chengdu, raised 500 cartloads of tribute, and followed Du Hongjian north to Chang'an.

After Du Hongjian returned, he was indeed able to relinquish his post as military governor and re-enter the Hall of State Affairs, while Cui Gan was also able to answer questions in the Hall of Martial Valor. Li Yu initially disliked Cui Gan—because the latter had caused great trouble in Shu, and the court had no choice but to pardon him—but seeing that Cui Gan had taken the initiative to come to the capital to seek an audience, and presented a considerable amount of tribute, and that he was respectful and humble during the audience with the emperor, his anger turned to joy. He immediately appointed Cui Gan as the military governor of Xichuan and granted him a residence, which Cui Gan renovated and converted into the Xichuan Jinzouyuan (Xichuan Memorial Hall).

Cui Gan's trip to the capital this time was not merely to pay homage to the emperor and seek the position of military governor. Lacking any real power base or influential support in the court, he spent lavishly on bribes to secure his position as military governor of Xichuan, cultivating connections and currying favor with powerful figures everywhere. As a result, he lingered in Chang'an for over a month, only catching up with Li Ji's return to the capital.

Cui Gan and Li Ji had long admired each other, initially only co-owning the Ya Xuan teahouse. Upon learning that Li Ji was Cui Guangyuan's son-in-law and held a high position in the Imperial Guard, Cui Gan sincerely sought to befriend him, hoping to gain his support. Unfortunately, Li Ji was soon reassigned to a post outside the capital. Even when the imperial army was pressing in, Cui Gan was forced to write to Hebei, pleading for help. Upon returning to the capital, he naturally went to pay his respects to Crown Prince Li Shi. Li Shi then produced Li Ji's letter from the previous day, saying that the Imperial Guard had pleaded on his behalf…

Although Cui Gan's position as the commander of Shu was earned through his own bloody battles and fierce fighting, if he hadn't defeated Zhang Xiancheng in one battle and terrified Du Hongjian, no amount of persuasive words from Li Ji would have mattered. Nevertheless, since the other party had shown sufficient goodwill, he couldn't remain indifferent. Moreover, his conversation with Li Shi had deepened his impression of Li Changwei—the Crown Prince held him in high regard, and this man's future was limitless.

Upon hearing that Li Ji had returned to the capital, Cui Gan quickly ordered someone to write an invitation and deliver it in person, sincerely inviting Li Ji and his wife to a banquet at the Xichuan Jinzouyuan the following afternoon. Upon receiving the letter, Cui Cuo instructed someone to verbally reply that his young master was still away on business and his schedule for the next few days was uncertain, but since it was his seventh brother's invitation, he felt it was inappropriate to refuse—he would wait until his young master returned before formally responding in writing.

Gao Ying and his staff returned to the Imperial Secretariat in the afternoon to report to Cui Cuo that the Wannian County interrogation had confirmed the facts, and they planned to execute Hui Jia, the murderer, by hanging. The military commander was originally going back with us, but halfway there, he received an imperial edict and went to the palace…

Cui Cuo felt uneasy and restless. Hongxian repeatedly reassured her, saying she believed Commander Li would be safe, at most receiving a few words of reprimand from the Emperor. It wasn't until 3:45 PM that a secret agent returned on horseback, reporting, "The Commander has emerged from Mingfeng Gate. Judging from his appearance, he is not only not upset or dejected, but seems rather smug..."

Chapter 47, The Secretariat and the Chancellery

The spies reported that Li Ji had indeed returned to the Imperial Secretariat shortly afterward—because he had spurred his horse and pushed it to the maximum speed he could travel within Chang'an City unless there was a major incident, and hurriedly returned home—the first thing he shouted upon entering was, "Boil water and make tea, and prepare something hot to eat... I'm starving!"

He entered Chang'an at noon, intending to have lunch after returning to the Jinzouyuan. However, he unexpectedly encountered the madmen Chixin and his gang, and was forced to escort them to Wannian County to judge their crimes. Then he was summoned to the palace to intimidate Li Yu... For ordinary people, it was already time to prepare dinner, but he hadn't even had lunch yet.

Fortunately, Qingluan was prepared and soon served hot tea, freshly reheated steamed bread, and a large plate of chopped braised mutton. Li Ji sat on the veranda, broke open the steamed bread with both hands, grabbed a handful of mutton, stuffed it into the bread, and hurriedly brought it to his mouth, taking a big "huff".

Cui Cuo, standing to the side, blew on the tea for a while before handing it to Li Ji, saying, "Be careful not to choke, eat slowly."

With his mouth full of bread and meat, Li Ji mumbled, "I can't wait, or I'll starve... This battle of wits with the emperor is truly exhausting..."

"What did you say, young master? What emperor?"

Li Ji chewed while looking around, then changed his tune, saying, "I mean, even if the sage doesn't offer food or drink, I've already recited the whole Empty City Stratagem in my belly."

"What complete version?"

Li Ji stopped explaining and simply ate and drank even faster. In no time, he had finished three steamed buns, a large plate of meat, and two bowls of tea. Only then did he pat his stomach contentedly and let out a long sigh. Cui Cuo noticed that Li Ji's beard was covered with crumbs and bits of meat, with juice dripping down his face... He frowned and turned to Hong Xian, who quickly brought him a handkerchief. Cui Cuo took it and wiped Li Ji's face.

Li Ji couldn't help but purse his lips: "The beard is really in the way... If it weren't for the current trend, I would have shaved off all this cumbersome hair long ago!"

Cui Cuo laughed and said, "It's not just the current trend; throughout history, what man doesn't grow a beard? Could it be that you, sir, intend to abandon us and castrate yourself again to enter the palace?"

Li Ji glared at her: "The word 'again' should always come after 'castration'! Do you think you're having a good time now that I've become a eunuch?"

Cui Cuo sighed softly: "It's better than staying at home, worrying about you, and fearing that what awaits me is an imperial edict to behead you..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "The emperor is reluctant to kill me... and he can't kill me for the time being." He then recounted the events of his audience with the emperor at Penglai Palace. Cui Cuo was alarmed and his eyes flickered. After thinking for a while, he took a scroll of paper from Hongxian's hand and handed it to Li Ji: "This is a memorial sent in by Gao Gongchu, impeaching Wei Shaohua."

Before Li Ji entered the palace by imperial decree, he had instructed Gao Ying, saying, "I am going to submit a memorial impeaching the Minister of Ceremonies, Wei Shaohua—I believe that fellow will also impeach me, so we'd better strike first—and trouble you with your powerful pen to draft the memorial for me." After returning to the Imperial Secretariat, Gao Ying pondered deeply for a full hour before finally drafting it and submitting it to the inner courtyard.

In truth, given Gao Gongchu's literary talent, he could have submitted a memorial immediately. The problem was that, due to the previous haste, he hadn't received Li Ji's instructions regarding the central idea and key points of the article. Therefore, he first had to guess the military commander's thoughts, and then weigh the pros and cons of a full-scale confrontation with the Minister of State Ceremonies. He wanted to absolve the military commander of responsibility as much as possible, while also worrying about making things too big and difficult to handle. As a result, the article was written haltingly and somewhat timidly. Li Ji was extremely dissatisfied with it.

So he stood up and said, "No, I must go and tell Gong Chu that the more scathing the memorial, the better. Do you think I'm afraid Wei Shaohua will bite me?"

Cui Cuo hurriedly said, "There's no rush—Seventh Brother just sent someone to deliver a letter..." He then took out Cui Gan's invitation from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

Li Ji glanced at it casually and nodded: "I also want to see what kind of person this new military governor of Xichuan is. If he can restrain the barbarian forces in Shu, my westward expedition from Shuofang will be easier." He instructed Cui Cuo, "I have accepted the invitation to tomorrow's banquet. You should write a reply and send it to the Xichuan Secretariat."

Li Ji then went to the front yard to find Gao Ying. Cui Cuo returned to her bedroom, prepared paper and pen, but hesitated, unable to write a single word... Her literacy level was actually quite low. In the past, her correspondence with Cui Gan was a private exchange between relatives, which did not require any particular format or careful consideration of words. However, this time, the Xichuan military governor had sincerely invited the Shuofang military governor and his wife to a meeting at the local Jinzouyuan, which was a semi-official matter. She couldn't just write a note saying "My husband has accepted" and get away with it.

Seeing this, Hongxian mustered her courage and volunteered: "When I was in the Zhaoyi Army, I was in charge of half of Commander Xue's documents, and I also helped draft official documents. If Madam is having trouble, I will write them for you."