Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Tang Hongfu's old face turned red from the teasing, his lips trembled a few times, and suddenly he slammed his hand on the table, causing the string of prayer beads to jump up and roll to the ground.

He abruptly stood up and said sternly:

"Li Cenji! Don't think that just because you've done some good deeds at Longwei Slope, you can boss this old man around! When I was leading troops in Shuofang, you weren't even born yet! I'm of the same generation as Prime Minister Zheng Tian, ​​and he's your elder! How dare you, a junior, be so insolent in front of me—"

Li Cenji also stood up.

He was a head taller than Tang Hongfu, and looking down at the trembling old general, his expression calm as still water, he said, word by word:

"General Tang, it's true you were once the military governor of Shuofang, but that was in the past. Now you've long since relinquished your post, holding neither official appointment nor any other title. As for me, Li Cenji, I was appointed by Prime Minister Zheng, acting on behalf of the Emperor, as the acting military governor of Fengxiang and Longyou. With Prime Minister Zheng gone, I am merely the acting military governor of Fengxiang and Longyou. In terms of official rank, do you, a retired old man, have the audacity to use your rank and seniority to intimidate me?"

Tang Hongfu was choked by his words and trembled all over. He pressed one hand tightly to his chest and pointed at Li Cenji with the other. His lips trembled for a long time, but he could not utter a word of rebuttal. He could only shout for the soldiers to enter the tent.

Upon hearing the commotion, the soldiers outside the tent rushed in and, seeing that their commander looked unwell, quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Tang Hongfu clutched his chest and slumped back onto the couch, his face ashen and cold sweat pouring down his forehead, clearly furious.

Li Cenji had not yet finished speaking.

He stood there, looking down at Tang Hongfu, his voice still not loud, but each word as sharp as iron:

"You want to talk about seniority and seniority? Fine, I'll discuss it with you then. I am a descendant of Prince Zheng Yuanyi, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Gaozu, a great-nephew of Emperor Taizong, a grandson of Li Kuangyi, and a son of Li Yihuai. In terms of seniority, the current emperor should address me as Imperial Uncle. The family genealogy is in my grandfather's house; you are welcome to check it. How dare you, old man, wag your tail and bark so arrogantly in front of me?"

Tang Hongfu's fingers trembled as he pointed at Li Cenji: "You brat, how dare you..."

Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu stood aside, looking at each other blankly.

Just now, Li Cenji and Tang Hongfu exchanged words in a rapid and intense manner. First, Li Cenji listed his crimes, then Tang Hongfu used his seniority to intimidate him, and then Li Cenji revealed his status as a member of the imperial clan to counterattack.

One wave after another, one sentence after another, so fast that it was impossible to even think straight, let alone interrupt.

Cheng Zongchu opened his mouth twice, but each time he was overwhelmed by even stronger words as soon as he managed to utter the word "this".

Qiu Gongyu was usually calm and taciturn, and at this moment he was even more speechless.

The two men simply stood there, watching the young man, who was usually humble and polite, with a smile as warm as a spring breeze, suddenly become as cold and sharp as a drawn sword, pointing his finger at Tang Hongfu's nose and scolding the old general until his face turned ashen.

The same thought simultaneously popped into their minds:

Just how much talent has this kid been hiding all this time?

Seeing Tang Hongfu clutching his chest and collapsing onto the couch, his face ashen and his lips trembling as he couldn't speak, Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu finally came to their senses and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

Cheng Zongchu stood in front of Li Cenji and lowered his voice, saying:

"Jingzhi, calm down. Let's talk this out. The rebel army is besieging our camp outside. We absolutely cannot afford to lose our composure!"

Qiu Gongyu then walked to Tang Hongfu's side, reached out to help him up, and said gently:

"General Tang, Li Liuhou were just acting out of anger. Everyone is thinking of the allied forces, why did it have to come to this—"

Tang Hongfu suddenly shook off Qiu Gongyu's hand.

He caught his breath, and his ashen old face flushed red again, his eyes wide and bulging, as he gritted his teeth and said:

"General Qiu, there's no need to persuade me! Today, I was brutally insulted by a junior who barged into the central army. If word gets out, how will I ever face anyone again? How will I ever be able to command the entire army? I've served in the military for decades, and even Lord Zheng Tian would address me respectfully as 'General Tang.' Yet today, I've been insulted by a mere brat like you—"

"face?"

Li Cenji's voice coldly cut him off.

"General Tang drove his soldiers out into the open just to make room for the looted silk. Do you think that makes you look good? What about the soldiers who are shivering in the cold, huddled in the mud wrapped in tents to spend the night? How can you command them?"

Tang Hongfu's chest heaved violently from the bump, and he suddenly kicked over the table in front of him.

The desk overturned, teacups and inkstones scattered everywhere, and the scroll of the Diamond Sutra fell into the dust, its pages strewn about.

He said sternly:

"Li Cenji! What exactly do you want?!"

Li Cenji gently pushed Cheng Zongchu, who was blocking his way, aside, and stared calmly at Tang Hongfu, saying each word clearly:

"Today I will capture you. After the Emperor returns to the capital, I will ask him to punish you."

Upon hearing this, Tang Hongfu's beard and hair stood on end, and he shouted sternly:

"How dare you! Men! Seize this madman!"

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers supporting Tang Hongfu in the tent drew their swords and approached Li Cenji.

Outside the tent, a series of chaotic footsteps approached from afar, and a dozen or so Shuofang soldiers rushed in, their swords flashing wildly in the lamplight.

Xu Tai and several Fengxiang soldiers behind him also drew their swords and stood guard beside Li Cenji. The two sides faced each other with their blades facing each other, only a few steps apart, and the atmosphere in the tent instantly became extremely tense.

Li Cenji didn't even frown.

He gripped the hilt of the horizontal sword at his waist with his right hand and slowly drew the sword out.

The blade rubbed against the scabbard, producing a deep, metallic sound that was particularly clear in the suddenly quiet tent.

He held the sword horizontally in front of him, its blade reflecting the candlelight and gleaming with a cold, eerie light.

Then he raised his eyes and stared directly at the Shuofang soldiers who were pouring into the tent.

"This general is Li Cenji, the military governor of Fengxiang and Longyou."

He roared, like a tiger's howl, and it could be heard clearly in every corner of the tent.

"Who dares to step forward?"

The soldiers from Shuofang stopped in their tracks as soon as he swept his gaze over them.

They had naturally heard of Li Cenji's name:

A hundred cavalrymen charged into the enemy lines at Longweipo, and Shang Rang was killed by a single spear amidst the vast army. It is said that last night, he also single-handedly scattered several groups of rebel soldiers in Chang'an. These events have already spread like wildfire throughout the army.

At this moment, this god of death stood before him, alone with his sword, his gaze deep and unfathomable, his eyes calm and indifferent, as if the dozen or so armored soldiers before him were no different from wooden stakes or straw men.

No one dared to move.

The soldiers beside Tang Hongfu who had drawn their swords first had already approached, but Xu Tai and several Fengxiang soldiers bumped into them head-on.

Although Xu Tai was foul-mouthed, he was quite skilled. With a flick of his blade, he felled one of them, and the others were knocked to the ground by the Fengxiang soldiers with a few punches and kicks, their swords clattering all over the ground.

Tang Hongfu lost his guard and retreated hastily, but tripped over a table and almost fell.

He turned around and saw Xu Tai striding towards him. He didn't care about appearances anymore and instinctively dodged around Qiu Gongyu and Cheng Zongchu.

Xu Tai reached out to grab him, and Tang Hongfu shrank behind Cheng Zongchu; Xu Tai went around him, and Tang Hongfu hid next to Qiu Gongyu.

The three of them then played a game of tag in the tent, with Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu caught in the middle, neither able to move left nor right, their old faces extremely embarrassed.

Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu's guards rushed into the tent, but as soon as they lifted the tent flap, they were met with Li Cenji's horizontal sword and his cold, lightning-like gaze.

These soldiers were all elite troops carefully selected from the towns of Jingyuan and Qinzhou, but now that Li Cenji had blocked their tent entrance with a single sword, none of them dared to take the first step.

A dozen or so people were crammed inside and outside the tent, unable to move forward or backward.

Amidst his busy schedule, Tang Hongfu glanced towards the tent entrance and saw that his personal guards were being blocked at the door by Li Cenji alone. He was so angry that he almost fainted and shouted angrily:

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! What are you all standing there for? If you don't step forward, I'll kill your whole family!"

His attention wavered, and he slowed down half a beat.

Xu Tai stretched out his long arm, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and pulled him over like a chick.

Tang Hongfu tried to struggle, but Xu Tai pressed his other hand down on his shoulder, pinning him to the ground.

At the same time, Xu Tai tore a strip of cloth from Tang Hongfu's undergarment and stuffed it into his mouth, which was still cursing incessantly.

Tang Hongfu struggled a few times, his bones creaking, but he couldn't break free from Xu Tai's iron-like grip. He could only lie on the ground, panting heavily, looking extremely disheveled.

Li Cenji then withdrew his gaze, and slowly lowered the horizontal sword in his hand to the ground.

He glanced at the Shuofang soldiers and slowly said:

"Tang Hongfu twice allowed his troops to raid the city, and for his own personal gain, he drove his soldiers to sleep outside their tents. Today, I will only pursue the ringleaders, and will not question those who were coerced. Those who lay down their weapons will not be investigated."

The soldiers from Shuofang looked at each other in bewilderment.

They were all well-fed personal guards, who had just been wiping their armor and enjoying their evening meal in the warmth of their tents. Naturally, they could not empathize with their comrades huddled in the open and the people being robbed and humiliated.

But at this moment, the commander-in-chief was being pressed to the ground, and standing in front of him was Li Liuhou, who had gone in and out of Longwei Slope three times and pierced through the false Qi Grand Commandant with a spear.

What else can they say?

It's simply a matter of being hesitant to act for fear of harming the innocent.

The knife hilt was squeezed and squeezed in the palm of someone's hand until finally someone let go.

The first knife fell to the ground, followed by the second, the third...

A series of crisp clanging sounds rang out as more than a dozen horizontal swords were piled up at the entrance of the tent.

Li Cenji glanced at the remaining soldiers whose swords were already drawn. These were Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu's personal guards, who had been blocked at the tent entrance and dared not come in.

He stepped aside, sheathed his sword, and said calmly:

"Commanders Cheng and Qiu, you may come in."

The dozen or so soldiers from Jingyuan and Qinzhou, as if granted a pardon, filed in and immediately surrounded their commander.

Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

The moment Li Cenji drew his sword, the two of them simultaneously fell silent.

It's not that I don't want to advise, it's that I'm afraid to.

They had all witnessed Li Cenji killing people at Longwei Slope, and knew that once this young man got serious, not even the Heavenly King himself could stop him.

Didn't you see that Shang Rang was protected by ten thousand soldiers in the central army, but he still got his head chopped off?

Therefore, when Tang Hongfu and Xu Tai circled around them like tree stumps, the two of them just stood there motionless, not daring to utter a single word of advice.

The glint of swords in the tent vanished. The Shuofang soldiers looked at each other in dismay, dropped their weapons, and were then pushed and shoved out of the tent by Xu Tai.

Li Cenji sheathed his sword, turned around, bowed deeply to Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu, and said:

"Commander Cheng, Commander Qiu, I drew my sword in a moment of panic, causing you both to be frightened. This is my fault, and I apologize to you both."

As he spoke, he actually lifted his robe and was about to kneel down.

Cheng Zongchu reacted quickly, grabbing his arm and helping him up.

"Get up, get up. What are you talking about, apologizing or not?"

Cheng Zongchu's old face displayed a complex expression, a mixture of surprise and anger, yet also a subtle, indescribable feeling.

"I cannot accept your kneeling."

Qiu Gongyu didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly, acknowledging the apology.

Li Cenji straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the two faces, and said seriously:

"I have invited you two generals here tonight not for any other reason than to ask you to be my witnesses."

"witness?"

Cheng Zongchu raised an eyebrow.

"Witness what?"

Li Cenji raised his hand and pointed at Tang Hongfu, who was being held down on the ground, and said:

"As I said before: I have witnessed Tang Hongfu's crimes of letting his troops plunder the city and mistreating his soldiers. After the rebel army retreats, I will personally report to Lord Zheng and request the court to handle the matter."

Cheng Zongchu didn't reply, but just stared at Li Cenji for a long time.

The candlelight in the tent flickered, casting his rough, rugged face in intermittent light.

He suddenly waved his hand, addressing the guards behind him who were still gripping their sword hilts:

"Put them all away. What are you still holding onto? If Li Liuhou wanted to chop off my head, he wouldn't have waited until now."

Qiu Gongyu waved his hand, and the soldiers on both sides looked at each other before sheathing their swords and taking a few steps back, but still refusing to go too far away from Cheng and Qiu.

Cheng Zongchu swaggered to a stool to the side, took off his sword and placed it on his lap, raised his hand and pointed at Li Cenji's nose, and began to curse:

"You, Li Jingzhi! Are you trying to scare this old man half to death before you'll stop? The way you pulled that knife just now, I thought you were going to wipe us old folks out of the water! Do you know how fast my heart is still pounding in my throat?"

As he spoke, he patted his chest, spittle flying everywhere, his voice so loud it could be heard outside the tent.

Li Cenji stood with his hands at his sides, head bowed, obediently listening to the scolding, without the slightest hint of rebuttal on his face.

Cheng Zongchu cursed a few times, but seeing his expression, he couldn't continue. He turned to Qiu Gongyu and said:

"Commander Qiu, why don't you give him a piece of your mind? That kid is such a handful."

Qiu Gongyu shook his head, stroked his beard, and said:

"I am not good at cursing. I only have one question for Li Liuhou."

His gaze fell on Li Cenji's face, his voice was not loud, but his tone had become serious:

"Li Liuhou, let me ask you a question. Tonight you captured Commander Tang, and my troops, along with Commander Cheng's troops, also looted when we entered Chang'an. Are you also going to capture me and Commander Cheng as well?"

That's a direct and sharp question.

The tent immediately fell silent.

Cheng Zongchu stopped cursing and looked at Li Cenji, waiting for his reply.