Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

The hall was filled with the scent of fine agarwood incense, the wisps of smoke rising gently, yet they couldn't mask the musty smell that permeated the very bones of this old house.

Several eunuchs stood at the corner of the hall with their hands at their sides, not daring to breathe loudly, for fear of offending the young emperor.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

A middle-aged eunuch stepped in. He was fair-skinned, beardless, and slightly plump. He wore a purple robe and had a gold fish pouch tied around his waist.

He was none other than Tian Lingzi, the most trusted eunuch of the current emperor, and the commander-in-chief of the Eight Garrisons and the various military forces of the Left and Right Divine Strategy Army.

"Everyone."

Tian Lingzi walked to the emperor's presence, bowed, and paid his respects.

"A secret envoy has come from Fengxiang, saying that he has a memorial to present to Zheng Tian."

Upon hearing this, Li Xuan placed the silver incense ball he was holding on the table, sat up straight, and said:

"Zheng Tian? Isn't he guarding Fengxiang? Why has he sent an envoy here? Has Fengxiang fallen too?"

When he said the last sentence, his voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

Tian Lingzi quickly said:

"Don't worry, everyone. Although the messenger seemed hurried, he wasn't panicked, so it doesn't seem like he has any bad news. Why don't we bring the letter in and take a look?"

Li Xuan then composed himself and waved his hand, saying:

"Father is right, bring it in."

Tian Lingzi accepted the order and left. Not long after, he returned, holding the secret memorial sealed with wax and Zheng Tian's seal in both hands, and presented it to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan took the memorial, opened the seal, and unfolded it to examine it closely.

The hall was silent, with only the rustling sound of papers turning over.

At first, Li Xuan's expression was relatively calm.

But as he looked at it, his brows furrowed, and then he slammed his palm on the imperial desk, causing the silver incense ball to roll to the ground with a crisp sound.

"What a remarkable Peng Jingrou!"

Li Xuan suddenly stood up, his face full of anger, his eyes almost spitting fire.

"I sent him to Fengxiang to supervise the army, but he actually colluded with Huang Chao behind my back and even wanted to surrender Fengxiang! How can I appease the world if I don't kill such a heartless scoundrel!"

Tian Lingzi, who was listening nearby, also changed her expression.

Peng Jingrou was a palace attendant, and his appointment as military supervisor in Fengxiang was undoubtedly due to Tian Lingzi's recommendation.

At that time, Zheng Tian was appointed as the military governor of Fengxiang and Longyou, and according to regulations, he was required to have a military supervisor accompany him.

Tian Lingzi then selected Peng Jingrou from among the palace eunuchs.

This man usually seemed honest and reliable, had a sweet tongue, and was perceptive. Tian Lingzi thought he was a useful person, so he recommended him to the emperor.

Who would have thought that this fellow would dare to do such a treasonous thing!

Tian Lingzi was both shocked and angry, but more than anything, a chill ran down her spine.

It is true that he was the emperor's most trusted eunuch and held great power, but precisely because of this, countless eyes throughout the court and the country were watching him, waiting for him to fall out of favor.

It should be understood that while the forefront of the tide may seem glamorous, it is also fraught with risks.

Now, the person he recommended has secretly colluded with Huang Chao and intends to surrender the city. If the emperor takes this matter seriously, he will inevitably be punished for "negligence in recommending the wrong person."

With this in mind, Tian Lingzi no longer hesitated and immediately decided to retreat in order to advance.

He suddenly knelt down, his forehead touching the ground, his voice tinged with fear, self-reproach, and a perfectly timed tremor:

"Everyone! This old servant is guilty!"

Li Xuan was still furious when he suddenly saw Tian Lingzi kneeling down to beg for forgiveness. He was taken aback and said:

"Father, what are you doing?"

Tian Lingzi lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise her head, her voice choked with sobs:

"That Peng Jingrou was recommended to Fengxiang by this old servant. I initially thought he was honest and reliable, but who knew he was such a wolf in sheep's clothing! This old servant misjudged people and made a wrong recommendation, almost ruining important matters of the court, and has failed everyone's trust. Please punish this old servant!"

After saying that, he kowtowed heavily again, his forehead hitting the blue brick floor with a dull thud.

Seeing this, Li Xuan's anger subsided somewhat.

His "father" had looked after him in the palace since he was a toddler, from when he was just learning to speak to when he became the emperor. Tian Lingzi had always been by his side, loyal and devoted, and never had any other thoughts.

Over the years, Tian Lingzi has shielded him from countless storms in the court.

To put it bluntly, in his heart, this old servant was much closer to him and much more trustworthy than those prime ministers who only knew how to point fingers.

Seeing Tian Lingzi so fearful and apologetic over something that wasn't directly his fault, Li Xuan felt a pang of pity.

He stepped forward and personally helped Tian Lingzi up, saying:

"Father, there's no need for this. Peng Jingrou committed treason himself; what does it have to do with you? When you recommended him, he didn't have the word 'traitor' written on his face. How could you have known this beforehand? Stand up and speak."

Tian Lingzi was helped to her feet, but she kept her head down, looking extremely apprehensive, and said:

"I am deeply grateful for your forgiveness. However, this matter was ultimately due to my oversight, and I am truly uneasy about it..."

Li Xuan waved his hand, interrupting him:

"I said I don't blame you, and that's it. I remember everything you've done for me over the years. What is Peng Jingrou compared to that? Father, there's no need to mention him again."

Upon hearing this, Tian Lingzi finally felt relieved.

His face showed gratitude, his eyes slightly reddened, and he bowed again, saying:

"Everyone has treated this old servant so kindly; even if I were to give my life, I could never repay even a fraction of their kindness."

Despite saying that, his anger only grew stronger.

He wasn't angry at Peng Jingrou; that guy brought this on himself, so he had no one else to blame.

He was annoyed by Zheng Tian.

This Zheng Tian is truly ignorant!

Peng Jingrou is your military supervisor in Fengxiang. He committed a crime. Shouldn't you, Zheng Tian, ​​have informed me beforehand?

As the head of the eunuchs, and Peng Jingrou being someone I recommended, you should have informed me first, both out of courtesy and reason.

Let's discuss this privately and come up with a foolproof plan to cover this up or find another excuse to deal with it, so that everyone can save face.

But what about you!

Without uttering a word, he sent a secret memorial directly to the emperor, revealing everything!

You, Zheng Tian, ​​have made a name for yourself and shown your loyalty, but what about me?

I was caught off guard by your sudden attack and almost lost face in front of the Emperor!

Tian Lingzi grew increasingly angry, but he dared not show it in front of the emperor.

His thoughts raced for a moment, and then he suddenly spoke again:

"Everyone, may I also take a look at Zheng Tian's memorial? I want to know what Peng Jingrou has done to be so audacious."

Li Xuan's anger had subsided considerably by this time. Upon hearing this, he handed over the memorial and said:

"You can see for yourself."

Tian Lingzi took it with both hands, unfolded it respectfully, and read it carefully word by word.

In his memorial, Zheng Tian clearly and explicitly described his own stroke and fainting spell, Peng Jingrou's collusion with Huang Chao, the banquet he hosted for the rebel envoy, and his attempt to coerce the generals into surrendering the city.

He also truthfully reported how the resolute and courageous Captain Li Cenji made a decisive move, killing the envoy, capturing the traitorous eunuch, and stirring people's hearts with a song, "The Qin King's Battle Song."

As Tian Lingzi looked at it, her brows furrowed.

But as he looked at it, a thought suddenly struck him.

A single thought, like a venomous snake, crawled out from the depths of my heart.

Zheng Tian, ​​you don't give me face, so don't blame me for not giving you face in return.

He quickly bowed and said:

"Please calm down, everyone. Where is Peng Jingrou now?"

Li Xuan glanced down at the memorial again, gritting his teeth as he said:

"He was captured on the spot by Li Cenji, a brave captain under Zheng Tian, ​​and is now imprisoned in Fengxiang City. Zheng Tian submitted this memorial for three reasons: first, to inform me of this matter; second, to request me to issue an edict to bring Peng Jingrou to the imperial court for punishment; and third, to request me to issue an edict to order troops from all regions to attack the capital and recapture Chang'an."

He paused, then took the memorial from Tian Lingzi and read aloud the last few sentences:

"Though I am gravely ill, I still have a breath left and will do my utmost to hold on. The generals and soldiers of Fengxiang and Longyou have sworn an oath of blood to punish the rebels and never surrender. I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict throughout the land, ordering all armies to converge in Guanzhong and jointly recapture the capital."

After reading it, Li Xuan threw the memorial onto the table and let out a long sigh of relief.

Tian Lingzi rolled her eyes and said:

"Everyone, Zheng Tian is indeed a loyal man. He has stabilized Fengxiang and captured Peng Jingrou, which is a great thing for the court. In my opinion, we should follow his suggestion and issue an edict to bring Peng Jingrou to the imperial court for a thorough interrogation. If the allegations are true, he should be executed in accordance with the law to serve as a warning to others. As for ordering troops from all the provinces to be dispatched—"

He hesitated for a moment, then said:

"This matter is indeed timely. In recent days, many military governors from various regions have sent memorials, some saying they want to raise troops to defend the emperor, and others saying they are preparing for war. If Your Majesty could issue a decree ordering them to join forces on a certain day to attack Huang Chao, it would not only demonstrate the majesty of the court, but also boost the morale of the people."

After listening, Li Xuan nodded and said:

"Father, you are right. Draft the edict."

He immediately summoned Hanlin scholars to draft the imperial edict in a side hall.

One of them was sent to Fengxiang.

Zheng Tian was ordered to immediately escort the traitorous eunuch Peng Jingrou to the imperial court for interrogation and punishment by the relevant authorities.

He also commended Zheng Tian and the soldiers of Fengxiang and Longyou for their loyalty to the country.

Zheng Tian, ​​the military governor of Fengxiang, was appointed as the Minister of Works, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, and the Chancellor, and was also appointed as the commander-in-chief of all the military camps around the capital.

In his letter, Zheng Tian expressed his intention to promote Li Cenji, the brave captain who had rendered meritorious service in capturing Peng Jingrou, to the position of commander of the Fengxiang cavalry.

Li Xuan then appointed him as General Xuanwei (a fourth-rank military officer), Commandant of the Shence Army (a fourth-rank officer), and Commander-in-Chief of the Fengxiang Cavalry, and bestowed upon him a scarlet fish-shaped pouch.

The other document was issued to the military governors of all the provinces.

An imperial edict ordered the troops of Li Keyong of Hedong, Cheng Zongchu of Jingyuan, Tang Hongfu of Shuofang, Wang Chucun of Yiwu, Li Xiaochang of Fuyan, Tuoba Sigong of Xiasui, and others to join forces in Guanzhong on an appointed day to jointly attack Huang Chao and recover the capital.

Whoever is the first to enter Chang'an will be rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces and granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households.

The two imperial edicts were written, sealed with the imperial seal, and then sent out by envoys separately.

Zheng Tian's servant received the reply, kowtowed to express his gratitude for the emperor's favor, and then hurried off to Fengxiang.

Once those two imperial edicts were issued, the morale of the court and the people was indeed boosted.

The military governors who were originally still observing saw that the emperor's edict had been issued and Zheng Tian had raised the banner of loyalty to the emperor in Fengxiang, so they could no longer delay and began to muster their troops and march towards Guanzhong.

-----------------

In the first year of Zhonghe, the first month was coming to an end, and the spring chill was still in the air; it was far from the time when all things would begin to revive.

Fengxiang, Yacheng, Jiaochang.

Li Cenji was watching the newly recruited cavalrymen practice horseback thrusting.

The wooden stakes were knocked askew, and several new recruits fell off their horses, bruised and battered, but they grimaced as they got up, dusted themselves off, and mounted their horses again.

Li Cenji stood on the earthen platform with his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over each soldier, occasionally offering a few words of instruction.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside the camp gate, and a guard came running up to the earthen platform, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Commander, Commander Wang has arrived."

Li Cenji was taken aback.

Wang Sima?

Wang Chu?

This Sima is usually very busy with official duties and rarely comes to the military camp in person. Why did he suddenly come today?

He dared not slack off, and instructed Zhou Ping to continue to oversee the training. He straightened his armor and strode toward the camp gate.

Upon arriving at the camp gate, they saw Wang Chu in his official robes, riding a green horse, with an oxcart following behind him.

The cart was piled high with goods, covered with red silk, and it was unclear what was inside.

Four servants followed beside the carriage, all dressed neatly, clearly having been specially groomed.

Li Cenji stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Wang Sima, what is this—"

Wang Chu dismounted and looked him up and down.

Seeing that his armor was covered in dust and beads of sweat clung to his forehead, indicating that he had just been overseeing the drills on the training ground, he couldn't help but stroke his beard and chuckle:

"Jingzhi, you are indeed diligent. However, it seems we will have to postpone the training for now."

Li Cenji asked in confusion:

"What do you mean by that, Wang Sima?"

Wang Chu did not rush to answer, but turned around and walked to the oxcart, reaching out to lift the red silk covering it.

Li Cenji then saw clearly that the cart was loaded with celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, longan, and dried meat, all neatly arranged on red lacquered wooden trays.

There were also several bolts of silk and a jar of wine, all of which were of the highest quality.

Although Li Cenji was a transmigrator, the original owner's memories contained information about the uses of these items.

He was stunned for a moment, then realized—this was the six rites of apprenticeship.

Celery symbolizes "diligence in learning"; lotus seeds symbolize "hard work"; red beans symbolize "good fortune"; red dates symbolize "early success"; longan symbolizes "completeness"; and dried meat is a gift from disciples to their teachers in ancient etiquette.

Wang Chu laughed and said:

"Master Zheng said some time ago that he wanted to take you as his disciple, but he was still ill and had to postpone it. Now that Master Zheng is much better, he has chosen today to hold the apprenticeship ceremony. I have come to welcome you on Master Zheng's orders."

As he spoke, he pointed to the oxcart and said:

"Zheng Gong originally said that you didn't need to bother with these six gifts for the ceremony. But I thought that taking a master is a big deal, and you should present them to him personally to show your sincerity. So I prepared these for you. Now you can drive the carriage yourself and come with me to the governor's mansion."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He had only known Wang Chu for a few months, yet this old Sima always thought of him. Such friendship was truly rare.