A live-streamed Chinese language lesson under the sky—the ancients were taken aback.

"Insolence!" Wei Zheng suddenly shouted in the Taiji Hall, his ceremonial tablet slamming against the table with a crisp sound.

"The border generals have become so arrogant that the court has done absolutely no checks and balances! Generals have been in charge of one place for so long, controlling both troops and finances; how is this any different from regional separatism!"

Li Shimin's hand rested on the imperial desk, his knuckles turning white.

During his tenure, border generals were rotated every three years, and were not allowed to serve for too long, to concurrently govern multiple towns, or to interfere in local civil affairs and finances.

They were both generals and prime ministers, mutually restraining each other; no other border general had ever risen to such a position of power.

He closed his eyes, his voice as cold as ice: "How foolish the rulers of later generations were!"

The sky seemed to be saying more than just answering his question.

"Why didn't the imperial court do anything? Because Emperor Xuanzong of Tang trusted An Lushan. Why did he trust him?"

Because An Lushan was good at interpersonal relationships, he always brought huge bribes with him when he went to court. Yang Guozhong, Yang Guifei, and even the palace eunuchs all received benefits from him.

He pretended to be simple-minded in front of Emperor Xuanzong, saying that he was a barbarian who knew nothing but loyalty.

Emperor Xuanzong actually believed it.

The long-silent comments suddenly burst out, unleashing a torrent of abuse.

[Li Longji, if you don't die, who will?!]

I think he has Alzheimer's disease.

[Li Longji, it would have been better for everyone if you had died 20 years earlier]

……

Ying Zheng and Liu Che looked at the sky with suspicion. Where was the military supervisor? With so many troops under their command, didn't they need a military supervisor to keep an eye on them?

When Meng Tian or Wei Qing went to war, they didn't send supervisors.

-

He paused, somewhat speechless, as if he had more to say than he could.

"We'll talk about Li Longji later. Now let's put the issues raised in the three poems together."

Three lines of text appeared on the sky:

Military: The Fubing system collapsed, the recruitment system led to the privatization of soldiers and generals, and the central government lost its military power.

Politics: The power of the military governors expanded, central supervision failed, warlords became autonomous, and there was no one to check and balance them.

Finance: People's livelihoods are in ruins, resources cannot be mobilized during wartime, and the people are alienated.

"These three are like three nooses, all around the neck of the Tang Dynasty."

When An Lushan raised the banner of rebellion in Fanyang, he had the following hand: 180,000 elite troops who obeyed only him, complete grain and military reserves in three towns, and the people of Hebei did not resist him even because the taxes he collected were relatively light.

Meanwhile, at the imperial court, the central imperial guards numbered only 80,000, and the granaries in Chang'an were only enough to feed the people for two months. The court was still debating whether to send troops, and if so, who to send.

"Therefore, in November of the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era, An Lushan raised an army in Fanyang and captured Luoyang, the eastern capital, in just over thirty days."

Six months later, Chang'an fell, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang fled in panic. At Mawei Slope, he was forced to order the death of Yang Guifei.

A golden age, with all nations paying tribute, crumbled within a mere six months.

In the Taiji Hall, Li Shimin slowly walked back to the throne and sat down. The shock on his face had faded, and he had regained the composure of an emperor.

"By imperial decree, effective immediately, conduct a thorough investigation of household registrations and land holdings throughout the empire, rectify the military system, clarify the powers and responsibilities of border generals, and strictly investigate official corruption."

The light on the sky gradually dimmed, as if it were organizing its thoughts, preparing for the next part of its story.

But in Chang'an, no one is destined to sleep at night.

The people of Chang'an fell into a strange, deathly silence.

The people who had been looking up and gazing around on both sides of Zhuque Avenue seemed to be frozen in place.

The old man selling flatbread still held a rolling pin in his hand. Several children who had just been chasing and playing were being held tightly in their mother's arms, whose hands were trembling slightly.

Someone let out a soft sob.

The crying was like a fuse, instantly igniting the entire street. Old people crouched down, burying their heads in their hands; women covered their faces, sobbing; even the men who usually loved to boast and exaggerate stared blankly, muttering, "...two-thirds of the population...half the country...all nations paying tribute...gone?"

"My son just joined the army last year, in Beiting. They said he'd be back in three years..." An old woman in a coarse linen short jacket grabbed the sleeve of the person next to her, her voice trembling. "The fire Tianmu mentioned... has it already started?"

No one answered her.

The colorful lights on both sides of Zhuque Avenue were still swaying in the wind. At this moment, the warm light shone on people's faces, but it did not bring any warmth.

The Imperial Guards patrolled from one end of the street on horseback, their hooves clattering on the bluestone slabs. Usually at this time, the patrols would shout for the people to make way, but tonight they simply reined in their horses and silently watched the panicked crowd.

A young patrolman whispered to the veteran beside him, "Uncle, what Tianmu said... is it true?"

The old soldier remained silent for a long time before speaking: "My grandfather's generation said that during the Zhenguan era, the Fubing (府兵) system was rotated every three years, and there were more than two hundred Zhechongfu (折冲府) in Guanzhong, capable of mobilizing tens of thousands of men at any time... But look at us now, how many Fubing units are left in Chang'an?"

He pointed to the blurry shadows on the distant wall: "Recruiting soldiers, soldiers who are recruited eat the governor's rations and receive his salary. My cousin is a soldier in Fanyang. Last year he wrote back saying that his family's general is surnamed An, and he treats his subordinates well and never delays their pay. Doesn't that sound like something he would say to the emperor?"

The young patrolman opened his mouth, but no words came out.

At this moment, the palace was quiet, a stark contrast to the streets and alleys of Chang'an.

At the edge of Taiye Pond, the night breeze blew across the surface, carrying the stench of decaying lotus leaves.

A man sat in the pavilion. He was slightly overweight and had a full, round face, but the rosy glow on his face had faded, replaced by a ashen pallor.

He heard every word Tianmu said.

Li Longji suddenly stood up, walked to the pavilion, and gazed at the moonlight over Taiye Pond with his hands behind his back.

"Gao Lishi," he began.

"This old servant is here."

"An Lushan...is he in Fanyang now?"

Gao Lishi hesitated for a moment, then answered softly, "Your Majesty, Governor An has indeed been in charge of Hedong since the ninth year of the Tianbao era, five years ago, and is indeed in Fanyang."

Li Longji remained silent for a long time, then slowly turned around, a strange smile appearing on his face.

"Tianmu said I trust him, and I do indeed trust him. He is a barbarian, without roots or power. What does he have in the court besides my favor? If he rebels, on what grounds? Just his soldiers?"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose: "I gave him the title of military governor, bestowed upon him wealth and honor, and even married a princess to his son! What right does he have to rebel!"

Gao Lishi bent down even lower and didn't reply.

The sky says that at Mawei Slope, Yang Guifei was forced to commit suicide.

He glanced back at the shadows outside the pavilion. Yang Guifei was someone he had only brought into the palace this year. She had just been persuaded by the palace maids to return to her bedchamber. When she left, she looked back at him, her eyes still filled with lingering fear.

He patted her hand and said it was alright, and that Tianmu's words were not reliable.

But now he stands here, the night wind blowing, his sweat-soaked undershirt clinging to his back, feeling icy cold.

"Gao Lishi..." His voice suddenly became hoarse, "Am I... getting old?"

Gao Lishi finally raised his head, revealing his perpetually submissive face, and said softly, "The sage is in the prime of his life, how can he be old? Such words are illusory and unpredictable, the sage need not..."

"That's enough." Li Longji waved his hand, sat back down, and closed his eyes.

He stopped speaking, but his hands were trembling.