Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 177

If Li Ji's understanding is not obtained beforehand, and an imperial edict is issued, what if Li Ji, like Lai Zhen and Li Guangbi in the past, fails to make excuses? Where will the court's face be? Moreover, the various garrisons will surely look down on the court even more because of this—look, even Li Ji, whom the emperor trusts the most, does not obey the king's orders, so is there any need for us to take the Chang'an regime seriously?

Li Ji was conflicted.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Poisonous Tongue

People change, and as their status and position change, their attitudes naturally shift—Li Ji was no exception.

Even when he was still serving in the central army, he considered all local warlords to be a bunch of bastards deserving of death. While he didn't appreciate this feudal bureaucratic system, a nation needs to be able to unite its people and ensure smooth communication between the top and bottom to concentrate its resources on major tasks—like defending against the Tibetans. If everything was left to local autonomy, with everyone pursuing their own interests, how could the nation possibly thrive? How could it possibly resist the ever-advancing Tibetans?

But when he was transferred to a local post and took charge of Weibo, his perspective inevitably became somewhat biased. He felt that local areas also had their own difficulties—the emperor was unreliable, the imperial court was not strong enough to control hundreds of prefectures across the country, and the level of transportation and communication was backward. If everything was remotely controlled by the imperial court, the local areas would inevitably descend into chaos.

Besides, I've worked tirelessly to establish myself in Hebei and finally enjoy the comfort of commanding a powerful army. Now you want to transfer me away, to start all over again... I'm a little reluctant. Furthermore, if I leave, who will be able to defend Weibo and govern Hebei? If my successor cannot maintain the status quo, and the vassal states of Yan and Zhao become even more arrogant and uncontrollable than before, how can I be at peace with that?

Although my ambition is to resist foreign aggression, and even if I cannot recreate a prosperous era, I should at least restore the nation's prestige. I must fight for the country and its people to make my time here worthwhile. But... I must also consider myself and those around me. Continuing to govern Weibo would create an unshakeable position. Even Xue Song is considering succession by his brother. Perhaps I can succeed my father and secure a peaceful future for my descendants. If I were to abandon all of this and be transferred to the western frontier, so close to the central government, I would find it difficult to protect myself. The best outcome would be like Guo Ziyi, returning to Chang'an to sit on the sidelines.

Guo Ziyi was incredibly shrewd; I could never match him. In the more than one hundred years of the Tang Dynasty, he was the only emperor who was a "father-in-law." And unless he died now, no one could predict what would happen tomorrow, what his final fate would be, or whether he would be a model for others.

Li Ji hesitated, stroking his beard, and remained silent for a long time. Seeing this, Li Qijun said, "I have said everything I need to say. If you are still hesitant, there is another old friend I would like to meet."

Li Ji was taken aback upon hearing this: "Who is this old friend?"

Li Qijun smiled and said, "You'll know once you come and see for yourself."

Li Ji had no idea that the imperial court would send two groups of envoys to persuade him to return west. One group was led by the official envoy, Li Qijun, and the other was an old friend who had disguised himself and mingled with the delegation.

Yan Zhuang, who once served as prime minister in the puppet state of Yan, later demoted to the position of Minister of Agriculture in the Tang Dynasty!

Li Qiyun took his leave, and Yan Zhuang came to see him. Li Ji was astonished: "The Sage actually sent Lord Yan to speak to me?"

Yan Zhuang smiled and shook his head, saying, "The one who appointed me is not a saint, but His Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Ji narrowed his eyes slightly: "When you were banished from the capital and demoted to a minor county magistrate, didn't you resent His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Yan Zhuang first expressed his loyalty: "The thunder and rain are all the Emperor's grace. The appointment of the Crown Prince was actually caused by Li Fuguo's covetousness of wealth and power. How could I dare to harbor any resentment?" But then he changed the subject and replied: "Moreover, the past is past. If I only dwell on personal grudges, I will find it difficult to move an inch in the officialdom. Now, if I wish to rise again, I can only seek help from His Highness the Crown Prince. Who else would care?"

Li Ji couldn't help but smile: "Yan Jun is indeed willing to speak the truth."

Yan Zhuang said solemnly, "I have never uttered a lie!"

Li Ji sneered and retorted, "If there were no lies, why did An Lushan rebel in the past, and why did he die?"

Yan Zhuang replied without changing his expression: "When I said An Lushan rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, I was thinking that with the strength of the three northeastern towns and 200,000 troops, he would be able to control the two capitals and rule the world. How could I have lied? It was An Lushan's own lack of virtue, his arrogance in victory and his discouragement in defeat that prevented him from achieving great things. How can you blame me? As for his death, I only failed to report An Qingxu's treasonous plot to his father. I never lied to An Lushan that his son had no intention of rebelling."

—I never lie, but that doesn’t mean I have to tell the truth.

These few words left Li Ji speechless. Ultimately, his understanding of Yan Zhuang's past experiences was limited, so he couldn't offer any concrete examples to directly criticize him. To be honest, Li Ji didn't necessarily harbor natural hatred for the generals and officers under An Lushan and Shi Xiangru, but he had always been quite disgusted with strategists like Yan Zhuang and valiant generals like Tian Chengsi.

If it weren't for the former's instigation, how could such chaos have arisen? If it weren't for the latter's burning and looting, which caused people to hate Yan but not turn against Tang, perhaps An Lushan and Shi Siming would have truly succeeded. In short, while the ordinary soldiers may have been lulled into complacency and coerced, every single one of the upper echelons of the rebel army was a bad person!

However, his attitude towards Yan Zhuang was somewhat contradictory. Yan Zhuang had surrendered to the Tang Dynasty earlier and, through Cui Guangyuan, had known him for a long time. He didn't initially hate Cui Guangyuan, and later even plotted against his maid, so he had no choice but to give Yan Zhuang face and appease him. But after all this appeasement, they had eventually become acquaintances. Moreover, in the past in Chang'an, he had relied on Yan Zhuang's scheme to have Kang Qian provide financial assistance to his family. As the saying goes, "He who takes a man's money is bound to be grateful," so how could he possibly be harsh and stern with Yan Zhuang?

Besides, people change, and we can't always look at them with old eyes. Yan Zhuang is wise and resourceful. If he can use his wisdom and resourcefulness for the right purpose, he can strengthen the country and nurture the people. Even poison can become a cure. There is no need to condemn him outright.

So he gave a fake smile and said, "That's perfect. I'm just looking forward to hearing your honest advice, Master Yan. Now, what can you teach me?"

Yan Zhuang sat upright and slowly asked, "General Li must have already heard about the Emperor's appointment of Prince Zheng as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces of the Realm."

Li Ji nodded and said, "I have heard about it..." Then he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is Your Highness the Crown Prince afraid because of this?"

Yan Zhuang replied, “Of course. In the past, the Li family was also appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army, but they harbored rebellious intentions and staged a palace coup. Moreover, if the late emperor had lived three or five more years, the throne might have really fallen into the hands of the Li family. Given this precedent, Your Highness cannot help but be alarmed.”

Li Ji understood the implied meaning behind the music, but still pretended to stroke his beard: "Imperial affairs are for the imperial family to manage; it is not appropriate for me to interfere..."

"Could it be that Commander Li did not intervene at all before and after the current emperor's ascension to the throne?" Yan Zhuang said with a smile, "I speak frankly, Commander Li, please don't take offense—if you hadn't intervened in the affairs of the imperial family and helped the current emperor ascend the throne, how could you, with your seniority, have been appointed as the governor of a major prefecture and the military governor of a town? The greatest merit has always been in supporting the emperor's ascension, and once it can be done once, it can be done again. Commander Li, do you have no interest in this?"

Li Ji didn't know how to respond, so he could only lower his head and remain silent.

Yan Zhuang continued to persuade him, "Although His Majesty is now dedicated to reorganizing the Imperial Guards, the Guanzhong region is barren and impoverished, and the national treasury is empty. In a year, he can only muster 20,000 to 30,000 men. Moreover, he does not trust the generals and relies solely on eunuchs. Furthermore, he rarely sends them to experience battle. If this continues, we will eventually fall into the same trap as at the end of the Tianbao era, when the six armies scattered at the first sign of trouble. Therefore, the only troops that can be used in the country are the regional military governors. The court cannot be without concern if the powerful regional military governors are in favor of the current Crown Prince. Even His Majesty would not dare to easily change the heir apparent."

"His Highness the Crown Prince trusts only Commander Li the most, but unfortunately he is far away and may not be able to handle emergencies. If he were to move to the western frontier, in Yuanzhou, his cavalry could reach Chang'an in five days and nights. In that case, His Majesty would have to consider this when choosing his sons."

Seeing that Li Ji remained expressionless and seemingly unmoved, Yan Zhuang paused for a moment before continuing, "It is widely rumored that I instigated An Qingxu's patricide, and I did not defend myself, even claiming to have rendered meritorious service to the Tang Dynasty. However, at that time I was still a subject of Yan. Did I not know that a conflict between father and son would inevitably disrupt the foundation of the state, cause the people to be divided, and bring disaster upon us? Moreover, given the lessons of the past, I cannot bear to see our Tang Dynasty repeat the same mistakes."

"His Highness the Crown Prince is intelligent and diligent, possessing the same brilliance as Emperor Xuanzong in his prime. If he were to succeed to the throne, the revival of the Tang Dynasty would be within reach. As for Prince Zheng, I do not know much about him, but I suspect he may not be as capable as the Crown Prince. He may have made a mistake in one or two matters, but he will ultimately be the second son. Deposing the eldest son and establishing the younger one is not only against the rules of propriety, but it will also easily disturb the hearts of the people. I do not ask General Li to protect the Crown Prince, but to move him to the western frontier and put him in charge of an important town. No special measures are necessary, but as long as the Crown Prince's favor is not severed, the foundation of the country will naturally be solid, and it will be difficult for unrest to arise."

Hearing this, Li Ji was slightly moved. He certainly hoped Li Shi could smoothly succeed him. Firstly, considering their personal relationship—he and Li Shi were very close—and secondly, from the perspective of national interests, although Li Shi was young and his future was uncertain, he was at least a barely qualified candidate for monarchy at present. The stability of a feudal society depended first on the completeness of the bureaucratic system, and second on the reliability of the emperor. Although placing the weight of the entire nation on one person's shoulders was inherently unstable, this was the reality, and there was no way to change it.

Even if Li Ji were to rebel and succeed by chance, he would ultimately only be changing the name of the emperor and becoming emperor himself. To think that a single generation could fundamentally change the social system and national institutions, allowing China to cross the threshold of democracy ahead of schedule, is pure fantasy. Furthermore, democracy needs to be compatible with an industrial society to be truly effective; if it's compatible with ancient slavery, the Roman Republic serves as a cautionary tale… and if it's compatible with feudalism, that's even more absurd.

Therefore, allowing Li Shi to sit securely on the throne and smoothly hand over power in the future is beneficial to the Tang Dynasty at present, and it is also a good choice for ordinary people.

Seeing that Li Ji's expression changed slightly, Yan Zhuang felt reassured and continued to persuade him, "The Crown Prince values ​​Commander Li highly. If he ascends the throne, he will surely appreciate Commander Li's loyalty and protection. It would be a natural thing for him to be granted a title and enter the hall of power in the future. But if Prince Zheng ultimately succeeds to the throne, will he be familiar with Commander Li? How can he gain his heart and be used by him?"

Li Ji even went so far as to feign detachment, saying, "My ambition is to protect the country and bring peace to the people; my own achievements are as insignificant as fleeting clouds."

Yan Zhuang smiled and said, "That would be best. If General Li has his own selfish motives, he might as well stay in Weibo for a long time. Perhaps after several years, he can conquer Chengde, annex Zhaoyi, head north to Youyan, and take over all the prefectures in Hebei. Even if he doesn't become like An Lushan, he can still carve out his own territory and become a king, just like Nanzhao..."

Before Li Ji could wave his hand in denial, he continued in one breath: "But if Commander Li is wholeheartedly devoted to the country, then he must plan to take up a post in the west. Firstly, to protect the capital region; secondly, to support the crown prince; and thirdly, to resist the invasion of the Western Barbarians. The Western Barbarians are a major threat to our Tang Dynasty. If the Western Barbarians are not driven out, Longyou will not be recovered, Liangzhou will not be accessible, and the court will ultimately be powerless to govern the world."

"If General Li has no selfish motives but is unwilling to go west, perhaps he is reluctant to give up the solid foundation he has built in Weibo over the years? If he moves west sooner or later, it is better to go sooner rather than later. If he waits a year or two, his foundation will probably be even stronger, and he will have even more things that are hard to give up."

Li Ji nodded in agreement: "You are right."

He was indeed reluctant to give up the situation that Weibo had painstakingly built up, and he was reluctant to give up the powerful army that he had painstakingly trained and cultivated—the soldiers of the Jiezhen (military districts). Most of them were locals, and it was impossible for them all to run to the western front with him. Moreover, if the Weibo army moved west, the situation in Hebei would definitely deteriorate; and with the sudden addition of 20,000 to 30,000 strong soldiers in Guanzhong, the funds and supplies would probably be even more strained—he was reluctant to abandon those precious resources.

But Yan Zhuang's words made sense. Since he was determined to defend the barbarians, he would have to go west sooner or later. Could he bear to leave Weibo now, but would he be able to in a few years? It was better to let go sooner rather than later, so that he would have fewer things to give up.

Upon hearing Li Ji's approval, Yan Zhuang couldn't help but smile. He then lowered his voice and reminded Li Ji, "Commander Li has just quelled the Tianxiong Army and beheaded Tian Chengsi, achieving great merit. At this moment, the court wants to send him to the west, but is hesitant and dares not issue an edict hastily. This is a good opportunity to ask the court for more benefits. This is a golden opportunity that should not be missed!"

Li Ji immediately waved his hand: "Nonsense, am I a greedy person? To use power to coerce the court is not the behavior of a loyal minister!"

But when he turned to Li Qijun and expressed his willingness to go west as ordered, awaiting the official imperial edict, he also showed a troubled expression: "Weibo is now well-equipped with soldiers and abundant provisions, which I, your humble nephew, built up single-handedly, expending countless efforts. If the successor cannot follow the established rules, I fear that chaos will break out again in Hebei, and even if I, your humble nephew, am in the west, I will not be at peace..."

Li Qijun couldn't help but smile wryly: "Changwei, don't be pretentious. If you have any requests, I can petition the Emperor on your behalf." I knew you were going to make demands, so please be frank.

Seeing that Li Qijun was so shrewd and seemed to have anticipated this, Li Ji didn't beat around the bush and directly said: "Yan Qingchen is an upright and loyal minister who is devoted to the country. He has worked with my nephew for several years and is well aware of the affairs inside and outside Weibo. If the court is willing to entrust him with the duties of observer and governor, then I will have no worries."

In truth, Li Ji's cooperation with Yan Zhenqing was far from seamless. The old gentleman would always find a way to argue with Li Ji's various policies, and if it were someone clumsy with words or lacking in conviction, they might have been hampered to the point of accomplishing nothing. However, Li Ji also recognized Yan Zhenqing's selfless dedication to the country and felt that he was better than most officials of that era.

If he were to simply walk away, and the court were to appoint another military governor of Weibo, who would know who would be sent? Who would know their abilities, temperament, or even character, and whether they would leave him with a mess? If Yan Zhenqing were to succeed him, he would certainly dismantle the textile workshops immediately, smash the looms, dismiss the weavers, and restore the original small-family production model. However, many other policies, including suppressing large households, curbing land annexation, distributing farm tools, and rewarding farming and weaving, would likely be retained.

In particular, these policies have been quite effective in recent years. Yan Zhenqing is not stupid, so why would he smash them and start from scratch?

Therefore, Li Ji could only be at ease with Yan Zhenqing succeeding him. In fact, Du Huangshang was also a good candidate, and he was more adaptable than Yan Zhenqing. However, his rank was too low, and he could not even become the acting military governor, let alone the military governor.

Chapter 40, The General's Journey West

In the spring of the second year of the Dali era, the imperial court officially issued an edict, transferring Li Ji to the position of military governor of Shuofang, Lingwu, Dingyuan and other cities, and commissioner to oversee and manage the local tribes, as well as the chief administrator of the Lingzhou Grand General's Office.

How this position came about, and whether it arose from a power struggle among various factions in the court, was unclear to Li Ji. He had originally thought he would be reassigned to guard Jingyuan, Binning, Fufang, or Fengxiang. Deep down, he preferred the position of military governor of Fengxiang, because it was not only close to the barbarian tribes, but also often served as the prefect of Fengxiang, making it the highest-ranking position. The position of military governor of Jingyuan would also be acceptable, as it would be convenient to take Liangzhou directly once he had sufficient strength.

As for Shuofang Town, it's quite far away. To the west of Lingwu are vast grasslands and deserts, making it inconvenient to travel directly. To reach Liangzhou, one must detour south of the Yellow River and pass through Huining Pass.

Moreover, Lingwu is far from Chang'an; even by straight-line distance, it's a thousand miles away. The same distance eastward would take you past Luoyang... no, to Xiangzhou. Could it be that Yan Zhuang's words have come true, and the emperor is worried that there's a loyal faction of the crown prince near Guanzhong, preventing him from hastily considering changing the heir apparent? Is that why he deliberately sent him further away?

Li Ji thought to himself, "When I made my demands, I should have specified that I wanted to be the military governor of Fengxiang. Who knew that I would be exiled to Shuofang instead... But Shuofang really does have no commander. Pugu Huaien, who used to sit on the sidelines, holds the empty title of military governor, while the real power is in the hands of the acting governor Hun Shizhi. Speaking of which, it was I who recommended Hun Shizhi to govern Shuofang!"

The imperial decree also reorganized the administrative planning of the Hebei region after the Battle of Jizhou, which was quite cunning and far-sighted. Even Li Ji had to secretly applaud it – it was probably mostly Li Bi's plan.

First, the Tianxiong Army was retained, but reduced by half, leaving only the Ji and Ying prefectures, with Tian Qianzhen succeeding as the military governor of the two prefectures; second, the Wushun Army was disbanded—however, after Qin Rui was escorted to Chang'an, Li Ji was unable to find out what happened to him, only knowing that he was not beheaded.

Most importantly, through Xue Song's audience with the emperor, the court seized the opportunity to strike a major blow against the Zhaoyi Army, ordering them to withdraw from Xiang and Wei prefectures and replace them with Beizhou. The two prefectures of Xiang and Wei were incorporated into Weibo, and Yan Zhenqing was appointed as the military governor of the region, while still concurrently serving as the prefect of Weizhou.

The remaining three prefectures of De, Cang, and Di were to be given the position of Military Commissioner of Heng Hai Army, appointed by the meritorious official Nan Jiyun. Compared to the military governor, the position of military commissioner was less prestigious and powerful, mainly responsible for military affairs, but with less say in civil administration. Furthermore, the edict specifically stated that the coastal salt fields of Cang and Di prefectures must be nationalized, with the profits transported westward to Guanzhong.

Upon hearing the news, Li Ji thought to himself, "It seems I can't take Generals Nan and Lei to the western frontier to defend against the barbarians... I originally planned to leave one of them behind to assist Yan Zhenqing in leading my Weibo army, while the other would accompany me westward. Now that Nan Jiyunhe has taken on an important mission, I must leave Lei Wanchun in Weibo, and both generals will have to be placed in Hebei."

On second thought, it's a good thing. With these two generals forming a pincer movement, the Yan and Zhao warlords will probably not dare to make any rash moves for at least a few years.

Li Ji had always felt that, in terms of controlling the river and monitoring and blocking the southward or westward routes of the Yan and Zhao vassal states, Wei and Bo were inferior to Xiang and Wei. Now, the court had simply merged the four prefectures into one and handed them all over to Yan Zhenqing. At the same time, the court also established the Heyang Three Cities Military Governor and the Huai Mengze Observation and Disposal Commissioner in Mengzhou to cooperate with Wei and Bo, forming a double gate to protect the safety of the Eastern Capital.

The newly appointed military governor of the three cities of Heyang is Ji Guangchen, the former military governor of western Zhejiang. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the twenty-third year of the Kaiyuan era. He once served as the chief administrator of Jingzhou. He outwardly obeyed Prince Yong, Li Lin, but inwardly defied him. In the end, he submitted to the court and was appointed military governor of five prefectures including Qing and Xu. He participated in the Battle of Yecheng, where the eleven military governors fought. After the defeat, he was demoted to military governor of western Zhejiang.

Since Ji Guangchen was transferred north, he naturally became the new Inspector General of Western Zhejiang, a position bestowed upon Li Bi...

Upon hearing the news, Li Ji was quite annoyed.

In fact, when Yan Zhuang came to persuade him last time, he had already given him a heads-up: "Now that General Li has been transferred to Guanzhong, I'm afraid your elder brother Yuan's position as prime minister won't last long..."

Although they were only cousins, Li Ji could be said to have been raised by Li Bi. The two were brothers in name but father and son in reality, with a very close relationship. They also supported each other in officialdom, which was common knowledge. How could the emperor trust a prime minister and a general who came from the same school? If Li Ji had been stationed in Hebei, it would have been fine. But now that he had entered Guanzhong, which was close to the capital, it would have been inappropriate for Li Bi to remain in the government office.

Li Ji's reaction at the time was: "If the sage suspects me of having a private matter, that's one thing, but how dare he... how could he suspect my elder brother?"

Yan Zhuang smiled and replied, "Only Changyuan is selfless; without the Emperor's instruction, he will surely request to resign and return to the mountains to live in seclusion. If the Emperor does not grant his request, then the most likely outcome will be an exile..."

Li Ji was already mentally prepared for this, but he was still indignant. First, wasn't he supposed to be sent to Guanzhong? He was sent to Lingwu, a place far and wide, and he still couldn't keep his brother's position? Second, even if he was to be sent out, he should have been given a major military governorship, not just the governorship of Zhejiang West.

It was Du Huangshang who spoke up to comfort him, saying, "After the Tianbao turmoil, Zhejiang and Jiangsu became increasingly prosperous. Half of the imperial tax revenue came from the Huai River region and half from the Jiangnan region. Therefore, appointing Li Xiang to this post is not an unimportant task. Moreover, western Zhejiang has never suffered from war and does not need a large army. It is only natural that no military governor has been appointed there..."

North of the Yangtze River, the military governors (Jiedushi) often concurrently held the title of military commander (Dufangshi). South of the Yangtze, however, apart from the Lingnan East Circuit which had an observational military governor (Guancha Jiedushi) and the West Circuit which had a military commander (Dufangshi Jinglue Shi), most regions only had observational military governors (Guancha Shi) – for example, Liangzhe, Fujian, Hunan, Xuanzhou, Shexian, and Chizhou, with at most a title of "Commander of the Militia" (Dutuanlian Shi). This is because, apart from the rebellions of Prince Yong (Li Lin) and Liu Zhan, the Jiangnan region had not experienced major military disasters for over a decade, and the recruitment of soldiers in various prefectures and counties was minimal, mainly for defense against bandits; therefore, the position of military governor was unnecessary.

Moreover, based on Li Ji's previous discussions with Li Bi, they hoped that even if the administrative structure were changed to a three-tiered system, most of the prefectures and towns in the country should only have an observer commissioner, while only the military governors and defense commissioners should be appointed along the border or at important passes. It would be best if they could not completely control the source of food and supplies. If they were like Shuofang, the local production could only provide half the food, and they still had to rely on the imperial order to supply other prefectures to have enough to eat. If they dared to rebel, the court would only need to cut off their food supply, and the rebel army would naturally collapse.

Li Ji simply sighed and said, "Why is the Sage in such a hurry? I should return to Chang'an first, and then send my brother to govern the region. What's the rush?"

Since he was changing positions, he naturally had to return to Chang'an to pay his respects to the Emperor and express his gratitude. Moreover, he had to pass through Chang'an on his way from Weibo to Shuofang—unless he planned to take a detour through Hedong via Taiyuan, deliberately choosing a mountainous and dangerous route—he would have had the opportunity to meet Li Bi again.

However, with such a huge change in the Hebei warlords and the imminent construction of the three cities of Heyang, Ji Guangchen should head north as soon as possible, and Li Ji should also leave the Council of State immediately and ride south to take over Zhejiang. There are many routes from Guanzhong to Zhejiang, and even if he went to Henan first and met Li Ji, he might not necessarily run into him.

This isn't the future, where you can just make a phone call anytime and say, "Brother, don't rush off. Wait for me in Luoyang for two days. I'll be there soon."

Li Ji could understand Li Yu's concerns about not allowing the Li brothers to serve as generals and ministers, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of unease. It was as if he thought that it would be more beneficial to the country and the nation for Guo Ziyi to return to Chang'an and sit on the sidelines than for Li Guangbi to stubbornly refuse to return. But at the same time, he couldn't help but lament that it was a pity that the old general, with his great skills, was not returning to the battlefield. If all the troops in Guanzhong could be handed over to Guo Ziyi, perhaps Longyou would have been recovered sooner, and Liangzhou might not have been lost.

The key issue is that in the feudal monarchical era, national interests and the monarch's own gains and losses were intertwined. Sometimes the two could be almost confused, while at other times they went in opposite directions. Without careful analysis and repeated calculations, it was really hard to tell whether an emperor's policy was for the public good or for private gain... In short, it made people uncomfortable!

Therefore, I made up my mind that after returning to Chang'an, while Li Shi was temporarily unable to leave me, I would have to ask for some more benefits in order to quell the hatred in my heart.

In fact, he had already asked for quite a few benefits. In addition to appointing Yan Zhenqing as the military governor of Weibo, he also requested that some of the surplus military provisions and supplies after the war be taken to Shuofang. I knew that the place was poor and could not be self-sufficient in food and fodder. Taking some supplies would not only make it easier for me to take control of the troops as soon as possible, but also reduce the burden on the court.

Naturally, they had to consult with Yan Zhenqing. Fortunately, Yan Zhenqing had already intended to transport the remaining grain bestowed by the court to the west. Li Ji further invoked the noble cause of reducing the burden on the central government, and the two sides quickly reached a consensus—to move 200,000 bushels of grain and 300,000 bolts of silk from the treasury and have them loaded onto carts for transport to the west.

Silk doesn't fetch a good price in Hebei, but it can be transported to Guanzhong and even Shuofang for double the profit—especially since I've heard that the Uyghurs have recently been trading horses at high prices, exchanging one horse for thirty bolts of silk. The court is weak and dares not refuse, which has caused the price of silk in Guanzhong to rise to a terrifying level.

However, Li Ji was also secretly annoyed. He had been forced to transport a batch of grain and silk to Guanzhong a while ago, saying that it was an advance payment for next year's tribute. Who knew that in the second year of Dali, he would no longer be in Weibo, and Yan Zhenqing would benefit from it for nothing!

Most of the troops in Weibo naturally remained in their home region. Only those with few family members or relatives, willing to travel with them on this long journey, and whose relocation would likely involve changing their registered residence, were selected as guards. The number of soldiers was actually quite important; taking too many would weaken Weibo's defenses, and Shuofang didn't have enough food to supply them...

In addition, Nan Jiyun pointed out: "When a guest general enters a town, there is no certainty in leading troops. If he sends many subordinates, they may be afraid that they will not be able to use them and may cause chaos."

Of course, one cannot bring too few troops. Otherwise, when one is new to the town and unfamiliar with both the people and the land, it will be difficult to maintain order and even ensure one's own safety. This was the case when Li Ji first entered Weibo. If he had brought thousands or tens of thousands of elite troops, would he have been afraid of Li Ziyi and his men gathering a crowd to ambush him? Given Li Ji's personality, there would be absolutely no possibility of compromise—even if, in the long run, compromise might not be a bad strategy for stabilizing the region.

Therefore, two thousand men were ultimately selected, comprising four battalions, half of whom were cavalry. Two battalions were drawn from the Weizhou garrison, and two battalions from the Weizhou volunteer army—those young soldiers who were most loyal to Li Ji. As for the generals, Xu Yu was brought along, since he was originally from Guanzhong.

Li Ji's advisors Gao Ying, Yin Shen, Jia Huai, Ma Meng, Liu Ji, and Luo Yiping also followed him. Li Ji also took Huang Tiexuan with him again, leaving only Du Huangshang behind. This was at Yan Zhenqing's request, who said that Du Zun was intelligent and skilled in civil administration, and that Weibo could not do without him for the time being. Having gained Du Huangshang's approval, Li Ji readily agreed.

However, he asked Yan Zhenqing, "I already lack talented people under my command. Your retention of Zunsu is like cutting off my arm. You have served in the court for many years. Don't you have any candidates to recommend in exchange?"

Yan Zhenqing spread his hands and said, "Now that Commander Li has taken most of his men west, Weibo is almost empty. I have some disciples, but they are not enough. How can I recommend them to Commander Li?" But then he smiled and said, "Why not ask Du Zunsu? He will surely have some answers."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Du Huangshang can recommend talented people to me? Why didn't he say so earlier? Why wait until today?" Half-believing and half-doubting, he went to ask him. Du Huangshang indeed had a brilliant plan: "General Li often laments that so-and-so has the talent for planning and the ability to manage, but unfortunately he was demoted because of a crime. Now that he is going to govern Shuofang, a little recommendation from him will surely be accepted by the court. Why not use him?"

Li Ji suddenly realized: "You mean Yang Gongnan?"

Yang Yan, also known as Yang Gongnan, was an old acquaintance of Li Ji. They had served together in Longyou, assisting Prince Qi, Li Tan, in managing state affairs and proving quite capable. Li Tan had repeatedly praised Yang Yan, saying he was a financial expert comparable to Fifth Qi and Liu Yan. After the fall of Longyou, Li Tan was forced to observe mourning for Emperor Suzong, and his advisors Yang Yan, Xue Yong, and Yuan Xiu were promoted to court officials—a form of compensation from Li Yu to his brothers. However, with Li Tan relinquishing power, Yang Yan and the others had no one to rely on but to curry favor with Chancellor Yuan Zai…

When Yuan Zai fell from power, Yang Yan and others were implicated and demoted—Yang Yan was demoted to Sima of Daozhou.

Yang Yan's misfortune wasn't solely due to his alignment with Yuan Zai; more importantly, it stemmed from significant disagreements with the two chief officials—Liu Yan and Wu Qi—regarding fiscal policy. He frequently submitted memorials offering advice, only to be refuted by Liu and Wu's sharp criticism. However, Li Ji agreed with Yang Yan's revolutionary ideas of "taxing based on expenditure" and "quantifying revenue based on expenditure"—although he didn't know if there were concrete implementation measures or if they would be feasible, at least theoretically, Yang Yan was far superior to Liu Yan, who only knew how to cut spending and make minor adjustments in the circulation sector, and Wu Qi, who was even less capable than Liu Yan.

However, since Yang Yan was demoted for a crime, it would be inappropriate for the military headquarters to offer him a position. Therefore, although Li Ji felt regretful that Yang Yan was implicated by Yuan Zai and could not realize his ambitions, and often talked about it with his staff, Du Huangshang did not dare to mention it: "Since the military commander loves his talent, why not summon him to his staff?"

The situation is now quite different. Li Ji made demands of the court, requiring Yan Zhenqing to succeed him and demanding that the wealth of Hebei be transferred to Shuofang. The court agreed to all of them without hesitation. Only then did Du Huangshang dare to propose that if Commander Li were to invite Yang Yan to join his staff, it would most likely be feasible.

Li Ji immediately nodded in approval. Actually, quite a few acquaintances had suffered misfortune around the same time as Yang Yan, but Li Ji couldn't see any special talent in people like Xue Yong and Yuan Xiu, and didn't intend to recruit them all into his staff. However, Li Ji did have designs on Han Hui, who had also been demoted to the position of Sima in Shaozhou, and thus summoned him back to his service.

He then asked Gao Ying to submit a memorial requesting that supplies be sent to Chang'an by express courier ahead of time. After packing his belongings, he himself set off in early February, leading two thousand elite soldiers, a long convoy of supplies, and his wives, concubines, and family, slowly heading east. At this time, Xiang and Wei prefectures had been incorporated into the jurisdiction of Weibo Town, but unfortunately, Weibo was no longer under Li Ji's control…

Chapter 41, Usable Materials

After Qin Rui was escorted to Chang'an by the Wei Bo army, he was sent to the Ministry of War for a joint trial. He was terrified, fearing that he would be tortured, so he requested to write to the prime minister to defend himself.

Knowing that the current prime minister was Li Bi, he was forced to reveal his identity and the reasons he had previously dared not expose himself in the letter. Upon receiving the letter, Li Bi was greatly surprised—"I did know that Zhen Sui was still alive; Li Ji had also mentioned seeing this person in the rebel army, perhaps acting as a spy for the court, but I never expected that he would actually be Qin Rui, the military governor of Wushun Army!"

He went to the Ministry of War to verify, and upon meeting him, he was indeed the same Qianniu Beishen from back then—although it had been ten years since they last met and their appearances had changed, they were able to confirm it through conversation.

So he asked Qin Rui, "My younger brother, Li Ji, does he know your true identity?"

Qin Rui nodded repeatedly: "Li Shuai naturally knows."

Li Bi thought about it and agreed. They might have rarely met before, but now that they were joining forces to attack Tian Chengsi, it was impossible for the two commanders not to meet. Li Ji was not face-blind, so how could he not recognize him? But Li Ji often wrote to me, explaining everything that happened in Hebei in detail, with little concealment. However, he deliberately did not mention that Qin Rui was Zhen Sui. Why was that?

Is he holding a grudge against Zhen Sui for giving Cui Guangyuan a message under Li Fuguo's orders, which resulted in the secret being leaked and causing us to be in danger at Tanshan? However, for Zhen Sui, this was an unintentional mistake, and he risked his life to cover the rear, so he should make amends for his mistake; moreover, apart from Li Fuguo, the other two important parties involved in this matter—Cui Guangyuan and Tian Qianzhen—have already turned enemies into friends, so he shouldn't harbor any more resentment.