Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

This is tantamount to entrusting all the wars south of the Yellow River to them.

However, due to his previous defeat, Li Guangbi had no place to stand in Henan—unless he went to Shanzhou to compete with Yu Chaoen for command—so he had no choice but to lead his troops eastward to Sizhou and set up camp in Linhuai.

This was also because of the Liu Zhan Rebellion in Jiangnan. Although it was quelled, the original peaceful and stable situation was broken. Mutinous soldiers and bandits ran rampant. Li Guangbi was worried that Shi Chaoyi would take the opportunity to advance into the Jianghuai region, so he went to the southeast to garrison.

At that time, although Tian Shenggong, the military governor of Yanzhou and Yunzhou, had defeated Liu Zhan, he lingered near Yangzhou and refused to return to his post. Shang Heng, the tutor of the crown prince, and Yin Zhongqing, the general of the Left Feathered Forest Army, were also fighting each other in Yanzhou and Yunzhou. After Li Guangbi arrived, he sent an envoy to summon Tian Shenggong. Overwhelmed by his prestige, Tian Shenggong returned to Henan, and Shang and Yin went to court one after another.

Shortly before Li Heng's death, Shi Chaoyi besieged Songzhou for several months. The city ran out of food and nearly fell. Li Guangbi, stationed in Linhuai, was told by his generals that the rebels were powerful and would surely attack after capturing Songzhou, and they requested permission to defend Yangzhou to the south. Li Guangbi retorted sharply, "The court relies on me for its safety. If I retreat, what hope will the court have? Moreover, I will strike unexpectedly; how will the rebels know our strength?" He then led his troops straight to Xuzhou, ordering Tian Shenggong to advance first and ambush the rebels. Shi Chaoyi, caught off guard by the sudden arrival of the Tang army, suffered a crushing defeat and fled—thus, the siege of Songzhou was lifted.

The two physicians briefly recounted the victory report. Li Ji nodded in understanding and then turned his gaze to Li Shi. Li Shi said, "I have been appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces. Once all military preparations are complete and sufficient personnel are available, I will leave the capital to suppress the rebels. Given the current situation, how to procure and allocate provisions and supplies requires the advice of the two physicians." He paused, then added, "Having been in the capital for a long time, this is my first time leading troops, and I am not very familiar with military affairs. Therefore, I have requested Physician Li's assistance."

Li Ji, after all, held the title of Assistant Minister of War. So, while consulting with the official Assistant Minister, asking him to come and offer advice would not violate the court's regulations and would not risk leaking secrets.

The two physicians bowed together and said, "Your Highness, if you have any questions, we will answer them in detail." They then bowed to Li Ji, who quickly returned the bow.

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Old Servant's Punishment

Li Shi was nominally the Grand Marshal of the Army, but in reality, he was only responsible for suppressing the rebellion of Shi Chaoyi in the east. He could intervene in other areas, such as Longyou and Jiannan, but he feared that if he did, he would incur the emperor's wrath—"Do you really want to control all the troops in the world? What are you trying to do?"

Regarding the related eastern wars, at present, the Tang Dynasty has three major armies: the first is the Shaanxi-Guo army led by Yu Chaoen and Wei Boyu, which is blocking the capital; the second is the Henan and Jianghuai army led by Li Guangbi, which is located in the south; and the third is the Hedong army led by Guo Ziyi, which is located in the north.

Li Shi was only a theorist; his initial strategy was simple: three armies would support each other, launch a pincer attack, and march straight for Luoyang, aiming to eliminate the main rebel force in Henan before launching a counterattack on Hebei. He wanted to first determine the necessary supplies, the routes for transporting them, and the final assembly point.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Aren't you being a bit too hasty? Shi Chaoyi has just suffered a defeat at Songzhou, and it's unlikely he'll be able to invade again anytime soon. As for the various Tang armies, apart from the Shaanxi-Guo army which suffered slightly fewer losses last year, they've all been severely weakened and need to recuperate. Considering both the timing and the people involved, a full-scale offensive can only be launched after autumn at the latest."

If everything goes smoothly, Li Bi should be back from Hengshan before August. When that happens, you can just consult my brother about how to deploy troops and how to attack. Just like when your father was a marshal, you can delegate all authority to my brother. It would save you a lot of trouble and prevent any major problems from arising.

But young people, once they hold great power, are bound to be excited and eager to prove themselves, which is understandable. Li Ji thought to himself, "Alright, I'll help you plan things out. But I must advise you not to act rashly. It's best to wait until my brother returns and refines the plan."

The four men discussed the matter for two full hours, during which Li Shi even treated them to lunch. Around noon, they finally finished their discussion, and the two physicians took their leave. Li Shi kept Li Ji behind, saying, "There are still some things I don't quite understand. Changwei, please explain them to me again."

But after the two left, Li Ji returned to the table, holding the map, about to ask: Is there anything you don't understand? Li Shi took two steps back, sat on the couch, and then waved his hand, ordering all the serving eunuchs to leave.

Li Ji understood. "You summoned me today for something else. The talk of discussing strategies to suppress the bandits is just an excuse." He guessed Li Shi had something to attend to and didn't want to wait until evening, so he was eager to speak privately with Li Ji—besides, Li Ji had to be on duty tonight and couldn't possibly leave the Daming Palace—hence the extra two physicians he summoned as a cover. After all, summoning a commander of the Imperial Guard like Li Ji to his residence in broad daylight required a plausible reason.

Therefore, after all the eunuchs had left, Li Ji approached Li Shi and asked in a low voice, "Why is this necessary? Is it a tradition in your family for fathers and sons to be jealous of each other?"

Li Shi rolled his eyes: "Not your family, but the imperial family—Chang Wei is well-versed in history, surely he has no doubts? How was Emperor Suzong when he was the Crown Prince? How was the current Emperor when he was the Crown Prince? I am not yet able to enter the Crown Prince's palace, how dare I not take precautions against any potential threats?" He paused, then continued: "Moreover, what I wish to avoid is not the sage, but..."

Suddenly his face darkened, his eyebrows shot up, and he said viciously, "That old eunuch is becoming more and more arrogant and domineering, and has no manners as a subject!"

It turns out that Li Yu had indeed been ill these past two days. His illness wasn't serious, but he was experiencing some dizziness, blurred vision, and a sore throat. He didn't plan to see the court officials and was reluctant to speak much.

To be honest, Li Yu was bound to fall ill. His health had never been particularly robust to begin with, and then came the successive deaths of his grandfather and father, compounded by the chaos within the palace, nearly costing him his life by his own brother. For most people, this would have at least triggered depression, if not a serious illness. Because of the political instability, Li Yu ascended the throne before the coffin, which was why he managed to stay upright; but once everything seemed to be back on track, he finally couldn't hold on any longer, thinking, "I'd better rest for a few days, otherwise the country might have to go through another period of national mourning."

So he summoned Li Fuguo and informed him that he was unwell and would be skipping morning court for a few days.

Li Fuguo immediately declared: "Everyone should remain within the palace walls; leave external affairs to this old servant."

Li Yu didn't react at the time, only nodding and ordering him to leave. But later, when Li Shi came to inquire, Li Yu, in a hoarse voice, deliberately repeated Li Fuguo's words to his son, which angered Li Shi on the spot.

Actually, if Li Fuguo was arrogant and domineering, it was only towards court officials. The old eunuch always had a clear understanding of his own position: I am just a dog of the imperial family. My wealth, honor, and disgrace are all dependent on the emperor. At least for now, I must keep my tail between my legs in front of the emperor. Therefore, his words at the time were not malicious.

It's like a leader feeling unwell, calling over their confidential secretary and saying, "I won't see anyone for the next couple of days, and I won't approve any official documents. Can you handle anything I need?" The secretary immediately replies, "Sir, you're new here, and you don't know many people in the department. It's indeed very tiring to get things done. Since you're not feeling well, you should rest in your office. I'll take care of everything outside for you."

The problem is that if you choose the wrong words, it can cause ambiguity, and others may not understand your true thoughts. If Li Fuguo had said, "Everyone should stay in the palace and leave external affairs to this old servant," Li Yu would certainly have been unmoved. Unfortunately, Li Fuguo had just encouraged the officials to submit a memorial, forcing the emperor to appoint him as prime minister. Once this man got carried away, he didn't know the gravity of his words.

The term "old servant," in particular, sounded like a coquettish tone to Li Heng, as if to say: I've been with you for a long time, and I'm not young anymore, so please be understanding if I'm not up to par. But the same word, to Li Yu, sounded like he was condescending, as if to say: I'm very senior; when I was serving the late emperor, you were still breastfeeding, so shouldn't you listen to my opinions more often?

Li Yu was very unhappy about this, and then he took it out on his son. After Li Shi left, he became increasingly angry, so he found an excuse to summon Li Ji, partly to vent his frustration and partly to devise a plan to deal with the situation.

"I will surely eliminate this old eunuch—Does Changwei have any good ideas?"

Li Ji nodded and said in a low voice, "First, the sage must establish a firm foothold; second, he must find a powerful ally—as for who that ally should be, I mentioned it to Your Highness the other day."

It turned out that as soon as Li Yu ascended the throne, due to Li Shi's advice, he not only recalled Li Mi, but also Liu Yan, and reinstated him as Vice Minister of Revenue and concurrently Prefect of Jingzhao, in charge of expenditures, transportation, salt and iron, and minting. Of course, such an important position had to be discussed with the prime ministers, and unexpectedly, it received Yuan Zai's approval.

After entering the Council of State Affairs, Yuan Gongfu quickly used his exceptional wisdom—or rather, cunning—to take control of the government. In particular, he sent the Chamberlain Miao Jinqing to be the envoy for Li Longji's mausoleum, and the Left Minister Pei Mian to be the envoy for Li Heng's mausoleum, thus completely controlling the court and becoming the most powerful person in the Council of State Affairs, second only to Li Fuguo. He felt that holding onto financial power would be too much of a burden, especially given the difficulty of managing the national finances in recent years; any mistakes could damage his reputation. Therefore, he agreed to let Liu Yan return to share the workload, while he himself would only serve as Minister of Revenue, overseeing the overall situation.

Li Fuguo initially disagreed, but Liu Shi'an had insisted on not yielding while he was alive, which was why he had devised a plan to drive him out of the capital. How could he be recalled so soon? Yuan Zai personally visited him and repeatedly persuaded him before Li Fuguo reluctantly agreed.

Li Ji saw through this and reminded Li Shi, "Prime Minister Yuan may not be willing to be subordinate to this old eunuch." Originally, he could only climb the ranks by clinging to Li Fuguo's coattails, but now that he himself is prime minister, is that coattail still useful? It might even become a stumbling block. Li Shi understood and said, "I will find an opportunity to secretly speak to the Emperor."

So today, Li Shi is determined to eliminate Li Fuguo, and Li Ji brings up the previous matter again—you'd better go and discuss it with Yuan Zai.

As prime minister, Yuan Zai became the target of court officials to curry favor and attach themselves to. His power grew day by day, and he was almost able to rival Li Fuguo. With the emperor's authority and the prime minister's assistance, it was hoped that the old eunuch could be removed in a short time.

Upon hearing this, Li Shi nodded slightly and said, "I have also been considering this matter, but unfortunately, the old eunuch's cronies are all over the capital, making it difficult to have a secret discussion with Yuan Zai." He beckoned Li Ji to come and sit on the couch with him, then lowered his voice even further: "Could it be that the guards are secretly observing Yuan Zai's movements, and have found out his daily schedule, where he lives, and where he goes, and have informed me of all that?"

Li Ji frowned: "Your Highness, is there no one you can use in your residence?" I am an official, not a true knight-errant, and my subordinates are all Imperial Guard officers, none of whom are suitable spies. Have you come to the wrong person for this matter?

Li Shi smiled slightly: "Don't we have capable people in the inner palace?"

Li Ji was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head: "Now that Cui has married and is my wife, how can I order her to do petty theft?"

"I don't need your wife to be a scoundrel or a petty thief, but she does know many extraordinary people and talents. Would Changwei be interested in that?"

Cui Guangyuan is almost dead. Do you think his two sons are capable of inheriting his spy ring? Don't you want to take control of this force yourself as his son-in-law?

Upon hearing these words, Li Ji stroked his beard and remained silent for a long time.

Cui Ju was nothing more than an arrogant and spoiled brat; and a few days ago, Cui Gou had also returned from Shu. Li Ji met with this brother-in-law and felt that he had only inherited Cui Guangyuan's outward appearance, but was completely unlike him in terms of shrewdness and intelligence. Li Ji even thought to himself, no wonder Cui Guangyuan was so eager to win him over, because he knew that neither of his sons was capable enough to support the family business, let alone revitalize it.

While others would be overjoyed to marry a woman from one of the five prominent families and thus attach themselves to a prestigious clan, Li Ji remained largely indifferent. Firstly, he had no intention of using marriage to gain political advantage; secondly, his ancestral home, the Zhao County Li clan, was one of the seven most prestigious clans, not much inferior to the Boling Cui clan. On the contrary, Li Ji worried about potentially becoming a burden on the third branch of the Boling Cui family—he couldn't very well ignore his two brothers-in-law if they needed anything; and judging by their character, they would inevitably come to him for help sooner or later…

—As for how much betrothal gift the Cui family gave, I'll accept it if you're willing to give it to me, and I won't care if you don't.

So he had never even considered trying to extract anything from the Cui family through this marriage, except for Cui Cuo himself. Only today, after Li Shi's reminder, did he begin to think about it—if his brothers-in-law could use it, he absolutely couldn't ask for it; but things that you not only can't use, but might even be wasted, I could at least consider them.

So he made up his mind, bid farewell to Li Shi, and stopped going to work in the palace. Instead, he went directly to the Cui residence under the pretext of visiting the sick.

The Cui brothers welcomed them in, saying that their younger sister was attending to their father at his bedside, and they would then lead their brother-in-law there. Upon arriving at the bedside, they saw that Cui Guangyuan was still the same as the day before, his condition showing no improvement, but he also showed no signs of dying immediately.

Let's chat a bit and talk about matters of the court. Although Cui Guangyuan was bedridden with illness, he had heard about the major events such as the deaths of the two emperors and the coup in the palace, and he also knew that Li Ji had been promoted again—otherwise, this marriage would probably have been delayed further due to his second son's resistance. So he instructed Li Ji: "Your two brothers' futures will require your good son-in-law to pay close attention to them."

He turned around and scolded Cui Gou: "I may not die anytime soon, so why did you resign from your post to come to the provincial government? Are official positions easy to obtain these days? I'm afraid it's easy to resign but difficult to reinstate them!"

The Cui brothers exchanged glances, only able to manage a bitter smile. Cui Ju thought to himself, "You weren't like this just two months ago. You seemed about to die, even summoning Li Ji and ordering me to serve him—it was practically an entrustment of your son to someone else!" Cui Gou, on the other hand, thought, "I also hope you, Father, live a long and healthy life, but in your current state, even if you don't die immediately, how long can you last? Once you pass away, I'll have to abandon my official post and return to Chang'an for the funeral sooner or later. What's the harm in leaving a few months earlier?"

After speaking for a while, Li Ji lowered his voice slightly and said to Cui Guangyuan, "Although the current emperor has ascended the throne, the four directions are still not peaceful. Today, the Prince of Lu summoned my son-in-law to learn about governance. As you know, my son-in-law is still relatively inexperienced in leading troops and defending against enemies, but he is not very knowledgeable about political affairs. Therefore, I have come here specifically to seek your advice." As he spoke, he glanced sideways at his two brothers-in-law.

Cui Guangyuan understood, and waved his hand, ordering Cui Gou and his two siblings to all leave.

Once only the father-in-law and son-in-law remained in the room, Cui Guangyuan turned his questioning gaze to Li Ji, who then asked indirectly, "Taishan, I've heard that if a child carries a thousand pieces of gold through a bustling market, he will surely suffer misfortune—I wonder why?"

Cui Guangyuan was a shrewd man. Even though he was ill, his intelligence did not decline. He immediately asked in return, "When you say 'young son,' you must be referring to my two good-for-nothing sons. But what do you mean by 'a thousand pieces of gold'?"

You mean my Cui family's vast estate? No way! Although the Cui family of Boling has temporarily fallen from grace, its foundation is still very deep. As the saying goes, "An old tiger doesn't fall, so who would dare to seize the family fortune?" As for those two boys, although they are still young, carrying a thousand taels of gold through the bustling market means that most of the people in the market are acquaintances who would surely lend a helping hand in times of crisis. They are unlikely to really attract any disaster.

Li Ji replied, “With your eldest brother’s talent, becoming a prefect is not difficult; if your second brother can pass the imperial examination, he too can rise from a lowly post and be granted a red robe…” The implication was that without special opportunities, your two sons would likely only reach the very top of the social ladder after a lifetime of struggle—“While they may not be able to carry on the family’s ambitions and expand its influence, they can still maintain its prosperity. However…”

After a pause, he decided to cut to the chase and say it directly: "Mount Tai is good at nurturing extraordinary people from the martial world. These people can be worth a fortune, but they can also be compared to jackals and tigers. If the wrong person is involved, they will surely suffer a backlash—you must be careful!"

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Virtues of a Gentleman

Li Ji and Cui Guangyuan had a long private conversation before Li Ji took his leave. He stood in the courtyard and called Cui Cuo over. The couple then whispered to each other side by side.

As for his wife, there was no need for any beating around the bush. He simply told her, "The martial arts masters raised by Mount Tai are now in your care. Go and do something for me."

Cui Cuo frowned slightly: "How can I inherit it? Besides, he hasn't even..."

Li Ji interrupted her and explained, "Such a powerful weapon should be passed down to sons, not daughters. But are those two capable of wielding it? If they possess it, they will inevitably attract covetous eyes; if they were to use it carelessly, they would only harm themselves. It is better to entrust it to you, so that you can protect those two in times of emergency, and only then can Taishan be at ease."

Cui Cuo nodded: "I thought I brought enough dowry, but I didn't expect my husband to still be so greedy..."

Li Ji was used to his wife's sharp and sarcastic remarks, so he immediately put on a serious face and said, "What are you saying? I'm doing this for the good of the old man and his two silly sons!" He paused, then added, "Whether you are his daughter or not, since you have his name, you must bear the consequences. I will never refuse—you wouldn't think so, would you?"

Cui Cuo sighed softly, "That makes sense." Then he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Li Ji whispered, "Don't do it yourself. Tell someone else to do it—find out everything about Yuan Gongfu's household situation, his daily activities, hobbies, and so on, and then hand it over to me."

Cui Cuo glanced at him but didn't ask any further questions, simply replying, "Yes."

Li Ji hadn't expected that Cui Cuo, or rather the Cui family's secret meeting group, would act so quickly. Just two days later, an extremely detailed intelligence report concerning Yuan Zai was delivered to him. He couldn't help but suspect that Cui Guangyuan couldn't possibly be supporting so many martial arts experts for nothing. Even without his orders to Cui Cuo, he figured that information on high-ranking officials like Yuan Zai would probably have already begun to be collected comprehensively.

Li Ji carefully reviewed the intelligence report and felt that Yuan Zai's recent actions were highly unusual—he seemed to be recruiting followers on a large scale to strengthen his own power.

It seems this Prime Minister Yuan is quite ambitious and certainly not a gentleman—but the latter is evident from his shameless embrace of Li Fuguo's coattails—perhaps he's trying to keep a tiger out the front door only to let a wolf in the back…

Upon further consideration, he realized that with the situation urgent, he should prioritize eliminating Li Fuguo first. Besides, Yuan Zhen had ultimately failed to seize military power, and being a traditional scholar-official, he was still easily overthrown if he harbored rebellious intentions. Therefore, he secretly passed this intelligence to Li Shi through an old gatekeeper.

The specifics of how Li Shi orchestrated the events and how he negotiated with Yuan Zai are unknown. However, just over a month later, on the day of Jiwei in June, when Li Yu summoned the prime minister, he suddenly and without prior notice issued an order to relieve Li Fuguo of his posts as military commander and minister of war, and to transfer the military commander position to Cheng Yuanzhen. Immediately afterward, citing Li Fuguo's advanced age, he was ordered to relocate outside the palace.

Li Fuguo had a private residence outside the palace and kept more than a dozen wives and concubines. However, he himself spent about twenty days a month in the palace, serving the emperor at all times. This was partly because he was still a eunuch, and partly because he was worried that if he became estranged from the emperor, he would lose his power and position.

Li Fuguo understood his own position; he was nothing more than a royal dog, his honor and disgrace tied to the emperor alone. If the emperor disliked him, punishing a eunuch was just a matter of a word. Therefore, he used to do everything he could to accumulate official positions and recruit followers, so that the emperor would be less likely to deal with him due to concerns about political instability.

However, this time Li Yu bypassed Li Fuguo and issued an edict directly to the prime ministers. The ministers, led by Yuan Zai, not only did not object, but before Li Fuguo could react, they directly transformed the imperial edict into a court decree. Li Fuguo understood that he had been betrayed by his good "brother-in-law" Yuan Zai, but he was helpless.

—If there is even one person who can absorb some of the old eunuch's cronies and hold a position in the court to make decisions, then the brilliance of Li Fuguo as a court official will be dimmed, thus giving the emperor an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Li Fuguo then felt frightened and submitted a memorial to resign, saying, "I am old and can no longer assist the emperor in governing the country. I humbly request to retire." In fact, this was also a way of retreating to advance and testing the emperor's mind. Unexpectedly, Li Yu received the memorial and immediately dismissed Li Fuguo from his concurrent post as Chancellor.

However, to everyone's surprise, Li Yu actually bestowed upon Li Fuguo a prestigious title—promoting him to the rank of Prince of Bolu.

There were many princes of different surnames in the Tang Dynasty, the most recent one being Guo Ziyi, the Prince of Fenyang. However, it was not only unique for a eunuch to be granted a princeship, but also the only other instance in history where only Zong Ai of the Northern Wei Dynasty had done so. The officials were in uproar and submitted memorials pleading with the emperor to rescind the decree, but Li Yu ignored them all.

Li Fuguo entered the court to express his gratitude, and knelt before Li Yu with tears in his eyes, saying, "This old servant can no longer serve my lord. Please return to the underworld to attend to the late emperor!" Li Yu comforted him for a long time before resolutely letting him leave.

Around the time Li Fuguo went to live elsewhere and before and after being enfeoffed as a prince, Li Ji happened to be away from the court, having taken a long leave. This was because Cui Guangyuan had finished all his affairs and finally passed away, and as his son-in-law, Li Ji had to assist in the funeral arrangements. During the funeral process, it finally became clear that Cui Gou's haste to return to Chang'an was the right thing to do. After all, he had served as an official in Shu—the Prefect of Hanzhou—and had accumulated some practical experience, unlike his younger brother Cui Ju, who was basically just running around like a headless fly.

Friends and relatives from Chang'an all came to offer their condolences. On the third day of the mourning period, news suddenly came that His Highness Prince Lu had arrived. Li Ji hurriedly followed the Cui brothers to greet him at the mansion. Li Shi then expressed his condolences before the coffin, comforted the two Cui brothers, and before leaving, called Li Ji aside for a private conversation.

Li Ji understood immediately—although Cui Guangyuan was the Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, it was merely a sinecure and he was not a high-ranking official in the court. In theory, he could not persuade His Highness Prince Lu to come down to him. Li Shi had come to see me specifically.

Li Shi asked Li Ji in a low voice, "Have you heard about Li Fuguo's matter?"

Li Ji nodded: "I've heard quite a bit about it..." This is a major event in the court; who in and out of Chang'an isn't talking about it? Of course, most of them are congratulating each other on the road, praising the emperor's wisdom—"I know the emperor's intentions, which is why Li Fuguo served the late emperor for many years and has rendered meritorious service in protecting him, so I can't bear to kill him. However, dismissing him is enough; why grant him a princely title?"

Li Shi sneered, "Eunuchs becoming kings? Only Zong Ai has done so before. What was Zong Ai's fate?"

Li Ji was taken aback upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Does the Sage truly intend to kill him?"

Zong Ai first murdered Emperor Taiwu of Wei, Tuoba Tao, and installed Tuoba Yu, the Prince of Wu. However, just a few months later, he killed Tuoba Yu as well. Therefore, after Emperor Wencheng, Tuoba Jun, ascended the throne, he executed Zong Ai, subjecting him to the five punishments and exterminating his three clans.

If we were to create a list of powerful eunuchs throughout history, ranking them by their misdeeds, Zong Ai would be on par with Zhao Gao at the top (although some argue that Zhao Gao wasn't actually a eunuch). In comparison, Li Fuguo might not even crack the top ten. The Western Han Dynasty had Hong Gong and Shi Xian, who slandered the imperial tutor Xiao Wangzhi; the Eastern Han Dynasty had Hou Lan, Cao Jie, and Wang Fu, who instigated the "Disaster of the Partisan Prohibitions," and Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, who plotted to assassinate General He Jin. In contrast, what about Li Fuguo? Although he manipulated power and acted arrogantly, he merely banished Chancellors Li Xian and Xiao Hua, as well as Vice Minister of Revenue Liu Yan, from the capital to remote areas; he didn't shed a drop of blood on his hands.

Of course, his establishment of the "Investigation Hall" to secretly investigate the private affairs of officials and commoners, fabricating charges, and indeed harmed many people, causing countless families to be ruined and lives lost—like the old eunuch Kang Qian, whose crimes were deemed unworthy of execution—but many of these actions were not necessarily directly instigated by the old eunuch. Although he was infamous, that was only in comparison to other treacherous officials and evil eunuchs of his time. If compared longitudinally to his historical "predecessors," such as Zong Ai, he was utterly insignificant.

Li Fuguo has rendered meritorious service, but his merits are not unparalleled, so why should he be made a king? He has committed crimes, but his crimes are not heinous, so why should he be executed?

Li Ji himself naturally loathed Li Fuguo. Firstly, Li Fuguo had plotted to murder Li Tan, and secondly, Li Bi's resignation and seclusion may have been motivated by his fear of Li Fuguo. As Li Tan's friend and Li Bi's cousin, Li Ji must have been on the opposite side of the old eunuch. He had only pretended to be compliant with the situation before.

The temporary alliance was formed to counter Empress Zhang, but now that she has been deposed, the alliance must end. Previously, Li Yu intended to summon Li Bi to the capital, but Li Fuguo had tried to obstruct this. Furthermore, his scheme to control the Imperial Guards was exposed by Li Ji, and he is likely to frame Li Ji next. Li Ji cannot simply wait for the enemy to come to him; his personality leans towards proactive action, so he must strike first and eliminate this old eunuch.