Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

In the first year of Guangming of the Tang Dynasty, the year was Gengzi, in the middle of winter.

Inside the military governor's office in Fengxiang Prefecture, Shaanxi, the atmosphere was as somber as frosty.

In the head seat of the hall sat an old man, over fifty years old, with a head full of snow-white hair.

This man's surname was Zheng, given name Tian, ​​courtesy name Taiwen. He was a member of the Zheng family of Xingyang, a family with a long history of official service and a distinguished lineage.

Once upon a time, this Zheng Gong was appointed as the Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, a position second only to the emperor.

He was demoted to a sinecure in Luoyang, the eastern capital, simply because he had behaved improperly in front of the emperor several years ago and offended the emperor.

In truth, this breach of etiquette was merely a pretext. In the midst of factional strife and infighting at court, who really cared about etiquette?

When Huang Chao gathered his followers and started a rebellion, his momentum was unstoppable, and he marched all the way to Chang'an.

The emperor panicked and then remembered Zheng Tian. He issued an edict appointing him as Minister of Rites and Military Governor of Fengxiang and Longyou.

The court and the public all believed that the emperor was determined to defend Guanzhong to the death, to stop the bandit Huang Chao outside Tongguan, so that the ancestral temples and the state would not be destroyed.

Zheng Tian received the imperial decree and dared not delay. After taking office, he immediately organized his troops and trained them day and night, determined to fight the bandits to the death.

But fate had other plans.

Huang Chao's army came with great force. In November, Guang Prefecture fell, and in December, Deng Prefecture was lost. The garrison at Tongguan collapsed without a fight.

When the news arrived, the entire court was terrified.

Now, this polo emperor made a decisive move, abandoning Chang'an and heading west to Chengdu with a few trusted eunuchs and the Shence Army.

Such a large capital city was handed over to Huang Chao so easily.

Zheng Tian received news a few days ago that the emperor was on a western hunt, so he quickly mustered his troops to go and welcome him.

After a long and arduous journey, we finally met the Emperor.

Finally, he obtained the task of resisting Huang Chao's westward advance from the emperor, and because "the roads are difficult and the reports are obstructed," he was given the authority to act expediently.

Then, under the emperor's repeated urging, he returned to Fengxiang to cover the retreat for the emperor.

On this journey, the cold wind and the resentment in his heart aged him considerably.

Sitting in the hall, he stroked his beard, his brows furrowed, and his once bright and piercing eyes were now bloodshot and weary.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from under the corridor.

A junior officer trotted in, bowed, and reported:

"General, all the officers and soldiers in the mansion have arrived and are waiting in the side hall."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tian took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his grief and indignation.

He straightened up, straightened his clothes, smoothed out the wrinkles on his robe sleeves, and tidied his white hair with his hands, trying to make himself look more energetic.

He cleared his throat and gave the order:

"Please let them in."

The assistant envoy responded and left.

Before long, the sound of boots clattering and armor clanging could be heard as a group of civil and military officials filed in.

Leading the way were several veteran generals, their bellies bulging, their faces plastered with worldly smiles. Upon seeing Zheng Tian, ​​they clasped their hands in a salute.

Most of these people were former generals from Fengxiang and Longyou towns. They had been operating in this border region for many years and each held military power. They appeared respectful, but what they really thought was hard to say.

Following him were some civil officials and staff, such as chief clerks, military officers, and judges, all with solemn expressions, clearly having also heard the news of the emperor abandoning the capital and fleeing west.

At the very back of this group, a young man stood out.

His attire differed from that of the other officers; he was currently wearing simplified bright armor, a sword at his waist, and combat boots.

That face, however, had striking features: sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and an imposing, heroic air.

Yet his demeanor was not that of a valiant warrior, but rather that of a well-read scholar, exuding a calm and composed air in every gesture.

This man's surname was Li, given name Cenji, courtesy name Jingzhi. He was a member of the imperial family, and in terms of seniority, he was a distant great-uncle of the current emperor.

Li Cenji, relying on the influence of his ancestors, originally held the position of Guoyi Duwei in the Imperial Guard, a fifth-rank official position that was neither high nor low, an awkward position that was neither here nor there.

Several months ago, when Zheng Tian was appointed as the military governor of Fengxiang and Longyou, he knew that the troops in these two towns were arrogant and difficult to control. He was afraid that he, a civil official, would not be able to control those arrogant and fierce soldiers.

So he wrote to the emperor, requesting that they select the best from the Northern Imperial Guards, choosing the most capable among the worst. They managed to pick out a few barely presentable Imperial Guards from a group of rotten and crooked men, half of the Zhechong Prefecture, totaling more than 500 men, to accompany Zheng Tian to his post.

Li Cenji was then chosen as the commander of these five hundred imperial guards.

Zheng Tian's gaze swept across everyone's faces, and he suddenly noticed Li Cenji, who was about to close the door and leave. His expression softened slightly, and he asked:

"Jingzhi, are you feeling any better? Are you still experiencing dizziness and vertigo?"

Upon hearing the sound, Li Cenji stopped what he was doing, clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Zheng Tian, ​​and said in a respectful voice:

"Thank you for your concern, General. I am fully recovered. My dizziness has subsided, my vision is clear, and I am ready to mount my horse and go into battle at any time."

He said this, but in his heart he was thinking:

That's not an illness at all. It's just a side effect of being transmigrated here.

It turns out that this Li Cenji, who appears to be a member of the Tang Dynasty imperial family and a brave and resolute military officer, is actually from a later era more than a thousand years in the future.

His experiences are quite remarkable:

That day, the sky was overcast, with lightning and thunder. He was sitting in front of his computer typing away at his new book, outlining the novel.

Unexpectedly, a bolt of lightning struck, hitting the roof squarely. The current traveled along the wires, causing the keyboard to short-circuit instantly. He felt a tremendous force hit him, his vision went white, and he knew nothing more.

When he opened his eyes again, he had become Li Cenji of the Tang Dynasty. His mind was also filled with the original owner's memories, which seemed to have been forcibly inserted into his head, causing him a headache that lasted for ten days before gradually subsiding.

In the first few days after his transmigration, Li Cenji felt quite lost and confused.

Although the original owner's family was not bad, and they were legitimate members of the royal family, although not from the close branch and born out of wedlock, they still bore the surname Li and had a grandfather to support them.

When traveling in this great Tang Dynasty, one must be given some respect by others.

The problem is, where is the glorious Tang Dynasty now?

There was no grandeur of China under the rule of the Heavenly Khan, with all nations paying tribute; there was no prosperity and poetic elegance of the Kaiyuan era.

In the present situation, Huang Chao has occupied Chang'an, Emperor Xizong has fled to Chengdu, the world is in chaos, regional warlords are in power, and it seems that the fate of the Tang Dynasty is about to end.

In his previous life, he was at least a history enthusiast, and he knew that the Tang Dynasty wouldn't last long.

Twenty-seven years later, Zhu Wen will force Emperor Ai to abdicate, and the 289-year-old foundation of the Tang Dynasty will vanish into thin air.

What kind of bloody storms will the Central Plains experience during these twenty-seven years?

Li Keyong, Zhu Wen, Li Maozhen, Wang Jian...

One after another, powerful figures rose and fell, slaughtering countless people and causing rivers of blood to flow.

How can a transmigrator without any special abilities survive in this chaotic world?

However, after hesitating for several days, he gradually came to his senses.

Since we're already here, let's make the best of it. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up.

If all else fails, they can trick their five hundred brothers into going overseas. Five hundred armored Tang soldiers are nothing in the Central Plains, but in the islands of Southeast Asia, they will be invincible.

When the time comes, find a wealthy island to occupy. If you can't establish a country and become a king like Qiu Ran Ke, can't you at least become a pirate?

They ruled the mountains, plundered passing merchant ships, and lived a comfortable life.

Li Cenji was planning to make a name for himself.

He knew that things would always go unexpectedly, and it was impossible for everything to go according to his plan, but he still needed to make the plan in advance, just in case something unexpected happened.

Seeing that his complexion was indeed much better than a few days ago, Zheng Tian nodded in approval:

"Good, good. Jingzhi is loyal to the country and devoted to the people. Even after recovering from his illness, he is already thinking about war. It is truly admirable."

Li Cenji quickly bowed and said:

"General, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise."

After saying this, he bowed and stepped out of the door, closing it behind him.

I walked to the corridor, found a sheltered spot, and stood there, gazing at the old locust tree in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Frankly speaking, his rank of Guoyi Duwei (貞毅都尉) is really not enough to be considered under the jurisdiction of the Fengxiang Longyou Jiedushi (銀翔龍右節度使).

Those sitting in the hall, aren't they all military commanders, military officers, or registrars?

Their ranks were all above his, not to mention their seniority.

The fact that he was able to bring five hundred imperial guards with him was already a sign that Zheng Tian valued him highly, wanting to use this personal guard of the Northern Army to keep order.

As for participating in military discussions, that's out of the question.

According to the original owner's memories, in such situations, he only needed to wait outside the door until the meeting was over and then be ready to be ordered around.

The Imperial Guards standing on both sides straightened their backs when they saw him, the captain, standing with them under the eaves.

Each of them stood tall and proud, eyes fixed straight ahead, gripping their spears tightly, their armor plates jingling as they shook, as if they wanted to unleash every last drop of energy and spirit.

Upon seeing this, Li Cenji couldn't help but smile and waved his hand, saying:

"Relax a bit. This is a meeting of the military governor, not a military parade. Why are you all so tense? Even a fully drawn bowstring needs to be loosened after a while. Just continue your duties as usual and don't put on this show."

Upon hearing this, the imperial guards finally breathed a sigh of relief, straightened their backs slightly, slumped their shoulders a bit, and put on simple, honest smiles.

At this moment, an older soldier with a gray beard looked around and, seeing only his fellow Imperial Guards, cautiously approached and asked in a low voice:

"Captain, if I may be so bold as to ask... is war about to break out?"

Li Cenji glanced at him, but instead of answering, he asked:

How do you know?

The old soldier swallowed hard and said:

"Though I am foolish, my eyes are not blind. That Huang Chao rebel has occupied Chang'an, and the Emperor has fled west... cough, he's gone on a western hunt. Duke Zheng went to meet the Emperor a few days ago, and upon his return, he hurriedly summoned all the generals for a meeting. I've been in the army for twenty years and have seen this kind of scene countless times. It's always like this before every major battle. Moreover..."

He paused, lowering his voice even further.

"Besides, even the emperor has fled. If this battle were small, why would it have come to this?"

Li Cenji listened to his eloquent explanation and nodded. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"It will be soon. Once the troops from all directions who come to the aid of the king have arrived, that will be the day we set out."