Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Especially without removing the old eunuch, it would be difficult for the court to get back on track. Li Fuguo was indeed quite talented and resourceful, but unfortunately, he used all his strengths for power struggles, which did nothing to benefit the country. Moreover, although Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen had their disagreements, they were fundamentally mutually supportive. Therefore, as long as Li Fuguo didn't fall, Yu Chaoen couldn't be removed either—with Yu Chaoen controlling the foreign armies, could the world truly be at peace?

Since Li Ji had boarded the sinking ship of the Tang Dynasty because of Li Bi, unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want the ship to sink immediately. So, seeing that the person in charge was disorganized and acted recklessly, what he wanted to do most was to kick that guy overboard.

Even if Li Fuguo were to govern well, Li Ji would still have to remove him to make way for Li Bi. Firstly, he was convinced that Li Bi's talent surpassed that of the old eunuch, and secondly, he was certain that with Li Fuguo in the lead, Li Bi would not be able to fully utilize his abilities.

However, Li Fuguo was not an easy target to kill. Although the old eunuch had committed crimes such as eliminating dissidents and framing loyal officials, he also had merits in quelling rebellions and supporting the emperor, which could offset these crimes. Therefore, although Li Ji hoped that Li Yu would be ruthless and publicly declare Li Fuguo's crimes, executing him to deter others, merely removing him from his post and sending him out of the palace to live in seclusion was theoretically justifiable and emotionally acceptable.

However, directly bestowing the title of king upon the old eunuch was unacceptable; in Li Ji's view, it was not the right way to do so while simultaneously plotting to kill him.

However, in response to Li Ji's question, Li Shi said, "The sage is benevolent and kind; in truth, he cannot bear to do it." He paused, looked at Li Ji, and asked in return, "But doesn't Chang Wei want to get rid of him as soon as possible?"

Li Ji shook his head slightly: "Since he has been stripped of his real post and banished from the palace, the old eunuch is nothing more than a stray dog. What is there to worry about?"

Li Shi was quite surprised by this answer, and after a long pause, he smiled slightly: "I didn't expect that even Changwei would have such a womanly sentimentality..."

Li Ji said solemnly, “This is not the benevolence of a woman, but the virtue of a gentleman. In the past, when Duke Xiang of Song was defeated at Hongshui, he said, ‘A gentleman does not inflict further injury, nor does he capture the elderly.’ People laughed at him. However, if one says, ‘After winning a battle, one should not kill the wounded enemy or the elderly, even if one has captured them,’ then that is the quality of a hegemon.”

The implication was that since the old eunuch was no longer a threat, there was no need to exterminate him completely.

Li Shi gently patted Li Ji's back and whispered a reminder: "Changwei, things are unpredictable. If the emperor has the heart to be compassionate and yet he has overruled the objections of the masses to make the old eunuch a king, then who knows if he will not be able to return to power in the future? If he does return, we will be doomed!"

The fact that Li Fuguo framed Li Tan but protected Li Yu shows that the old eunuch wanted to install a ruler he could control—although he underestimated Li Yu. Now that Li Yu had ascended the throne, would he approve of Li Shi, who had been secretly stirring up trouble? It was for this reason that Li Shi was more eager than Li Ji to bring down the old eunuch.

At that time, Li Fuguo was in the open while Li Shi was in the shadows, which enabled them to conspire and succeed in one fell swoop. However, once Li Fuguo left the central government, Li Shi would be in the open while Li Fuguo remained in the shadows. If he were to launch another conspiracy, it would be difficult to prevent. If, in a few years, the old eunuch had the opportunity to make a comeback, the first person he would definitely target would be Li Shi, and the second might be Li Ji or Li Bi.

Therefore, Li Shi decided to go all the way and kill Li Fuguo—only the dead are truly no longer a threat!

Hearing Li Shi's words, Li Ji couldn't help but hesitate. Although he felt that at Li Fuguo's age, once he stumbled, the possibility of a comeback was extremely slim, but... the political situation was unpredictable and treacherous; who knew what strange things might happen in the future? For example, Li Heng's foolish actions back then caused a great situation to collapse instantly. If he hadn't been in the thick of it, Li Ji would never have believed it!

If this were written as a novel, readers would definitely criticize it for making important characters seem less intelligent, since it's completely illogical. But history is often more absurd than fiction...

Therefore, he suggested to Li Shi: "In that case, Your Highness can secretly collect evidence of the old eunuch's crimes in order to persuade the Emperor to execute him."

Li Shi smiled slightly: "Changwei once told me that if we wanted to deal with the crimes of eunuchs, 'one jailer would be enough,' so why bother with more effort?"

Li Ji had initially presented Li Shi with a quote from Cao Cao in the *Wei Shu*, cited in the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*: "The office of eunuchs has existed throughout history, but rulers should not bestow power and favor upon them, allowing them to fall to this state. Having punished their crimes, the ringleader should be executed; a mere jailer is sufficient..." He later mentioned this to Li Qiyun as well. Now, thinking back... it seems he had violated the taboos of both "worldly" and "governing" (世、治). Fortunately, those who listened did not correct him or report him...

Li Ji couldn't help but smile bitterly: "What kind of prison guard dares to offend the Prince?" Li Fuguo is no longer an ordinary disgraced eunuch or a retired official. He wears the crown of the Prince of Bolu. Without solid evidence and without the emperor's order, who can easily touch him?

Li Shi sneered, "If they are officials from the underworld, then it's acceptable."

Li Ji then understood why Li Shi had come all this way to discuss Li Fuguo's fate with him.

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Sneaky Thieves

Li Shi's thinking was simple and direct—Li Fuguo was not easy to overthrow while he was still in power, but now that he had stepped down, leaving only the empty title of Prince, there was no need for prison officials to take action; an assassin would suffice.

That's why he rushed to find Li Ji, hoping to use the martial arts masters left behind by Cui Guangyuan to infiltrate Li Fuguo's country and kill the old eunuch.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned slightly, thinking to himself: "I didn't realize the little guy was so ruthless... He's been scheming and plotting lately, which has gradually warped his personality. He's become so ruthless, only caring about the outcome, regardless of the legitimacy of the process. While it's true that neither military strategy nor governance can always follow the righteous path and must involve conspiracies and schemes, as the prince most likely to inherit the throne, and potentially ascend to the throne himself, maintaining this mindset will certainly be detrimental to the country and its people."

Therefore, he solemnly advised, "Your Highness, the law is the foundation of the state. If the imperial family first disregards the law and sends assassins to kill dissidents, what about you, sir? Moreover, in times of turmoil, ministers rebel against their rulers and soldiers kill their generals. As the eldest son of the sage, how can Your Highness set such an example? Since ancient times, has there ever been a monarch who did not follow the righteous path but instead took the wrong path and was still able to bring peace and stability to the country?"

Li Ji knew that Li Shi loved hearing his hints that he was destined for the throne, so he deliberately used the high standards he would apply to a monarch to demand more from him.

Unexpectedly, Li Shi didn't take it seriously and even curled his lip, saying, "Did Emperor Taizong practice the righteous path, which prompted Emperor Gaozu to change the heir? This is what is meant by 'taking what is contrary to the truth and maintaining what is right, using both civil and military means.'"

Li Ji couldn't help but think to himself: Li Shimin, look what a fine example you've set for future generations!

He knew Li Shi was determined to use assassins. Even if he firmly refused, the young man might go to someone else. If it turned out that a prince was secretly raising assassins, the trouble would be immense. Therefore, after a moment's thought, he replied perfunctorily to Li Shi, "This matter is of great importance and must be carefully considered before action. Moreover, the old eunuch is the target of everyone's criticism and will surely be on guard. Your Highness, please do not rush. Allow me to proceed slowly."

Li Shi said, "Alright, then I'll entrust this matter to you, Changwei. Don't make me wait too long. When autumn comes, I will lead my troops on an expedition, and Changwei also requests to lead an army himself to fight on the battlefield. If neither of us is in Chang'an, and the old eunuch has any more treacherous schemes, it will be difficult to guard against."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Fine, you've got me covered here." — This is a trap. Li Shi won't be at ease until Li Fuguo is killed, and he'll still be sending me to lead troops to an outer garrison.

Several days later, Cui Guangyuan was buried—he did not intend to be buried in the ancestral cemetery in Boling, but had already prepared a good burial site for himself in the suburbs of Chang'an—Cui Gou and Cui Ju built a hut in front of the grave to guard it.

According to the rules of etiquette, one must observe a 27-month mourning period for one's father, during which time one cannot remove mourning clothes, take office, marry, or even engage in sexual relations, listen to music, or laugh. Although this was formally written into the law, with violators subject to caning or imprisonment (up to three years), the vast majority of normal people simply cannot comply. Especially since the mourning period for one's mother is the same as for one's father, nearly three years, how many three-year periods does one have in their prime?

As scholars, Cui Gou and his brothers could not be released from mourning early, nor could they seek reinstatement or take the imperial examinations within twenty-seven months—it would be best if they did not openly marry wives and concubines, and did not cause any deaths during this period.

As a married woman, Cui Cuo was required to wear mourning clothes of equal severity during her father's death, which meant she had to wear mourning attire for a full year. However, unlike her brothers, she was not required to stay at the grave or at her parents' home for that entire year; she could return to her husband's home after the burial. Therefore, when she returned to the Li residence in Pingkang Ward, Li Ji privately explained Li Shi's request and his own concerns to his wife.

Cui Cuo did not respond to Li Ji's words at first, but said, "I was just about to discuss this with you, sir. Now that my father has passed away, the strange people he raised in the Jianghu can no longer live in the Cui residence, but should move to my house."

Li Ji asked her, "Were they originally all in the Cui family's residence?"

Cui Cuo shook his head: "Some of them have their own homes, so even the Cui brothers don't know about them; but there are also quite a few who are indeed in the Cui household, pretending to be servants."

Li Ji suddenly remembered something and asked, "The other day when I went out of the city with you to rescue me and Qingluan, we met a person at the foot of Wangchun Tower. He used to be dressed as a scholar and met me at Lü Miaozhen's house—what was that person's name?"

Cui Cuo replied, “His name is Yin Shen, courtesy name Zishu, the ninth in his family. His ancestral home is Liaodong, but he later moved to Sichuan. He is skilled in swordsmanship, fluent in literature, and shrewd and resourceful—he is the so-called ‘Swordsman of Sichuan.’” At this point, he couldn’t help but cover his mouth and laugh, “It sounds the same as your ‘Keyboard Warrior,’ but it’s completely different.”

Li Ji said, "Don't mention 'keyboard warrior' anymore—'Du Zimei knew this person, saying he was a minor official in the Censorate. Does that mean he still holds an official position?'"

Cui Cuo nodded: "Yin Shen entered officialdom last year and was appointed as a ninth-rank official in charge of hooks and shields."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned and inquired, "The Shield Attendant? Is he going to assist Yan Zhuang or to monitor him?" He asked this because the Shield Attendant was a subordinate agency of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Cui Cuo smiled and said, "These two matters can be handled together. Originally, after Yan Zhuang was dismissed, Yin Shen should have been transferred to another post, but unfortunately my father was nearly destitute at that time, making it difficult for him to take action."

"Then how many more scholars like these are acting as eyes and ears?"

"Not many, only six or seven people, most of them are outside the official ranks, only Yin Shen is a ninth-rank official."

Li Ji thought to himself that it was alright. If Cui Guangyuan could plant his own spies—not his cronies—in various government agencies, and have them all rise to the sixth or seventh rank or even higher, that would be terrifying! He also needed to seriously consider whether, if he didn't intend to usurp the throne, he should keep these potentially self-destructive weapons in his hands...

"So how many of these people living abroad are there in total?"

Sixteen people.

"How many are pretending to be servants?"

"Twenty-eight people."

Li Ji lowered his head in disappointment: "I can't afford to support so many servants..."

Are you kidding me? The twenty-odd people I'm currently receiving from the Cui family are already making a mess of my own paychecks. Double that? Even with a dowry of ten thousand taels of silver, they'd bankrupt me in no time!

Cui Cuo laughed and said, "Young master is too petty. These people are all useful. Since they have been promised the inheritance, how can you refuse to accept them? Besides, if young master can get a governorship in an outer region, at least a prefecture governorship, he can certainly support them."

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh, "If that old eunuch doesn't die, I'm afraid I'll never get a post outside the capital!"

Cui Cuo was equally decisive, gesturing with his hand: "In that case, killing him is acceptable." He then reminded Li Ji: "The Shi family is rife with suspicion among its members, and its days are numbered; with Prince Lu as marshal, commanding tens of thousands of troops, and Generals Guo and Li at the same time, they will surely pacify Guandong by next year at the latest. If you do not seize this opportunity to establish your merits, once the world is at peace, you may find it difficult to find a place to use your talents—do you really intend to remain in the civil service, idly indulging in poetry and prose with those who came from the imperial examinations?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "That's alright. The Guandong region is easy to pacify, but the Western Barbarians are difficult to deal with. Even if the army can wipe out Shi Chaoyi and take over all the western garrisons, it will take two or three years to recover all the lost territories and force the barbarian bandits back to their lair."

Cui Cuo said, "There is no such thing as too much merit or too high an official position. It would be better to complete the entrustment of the Prince of Lu as soon as possible and take up the post in the outer town."

Li Ji shook his head and said, "Petty thievery is something I have to do, but as for burglary, I would never stoop to such a thing!"

Cui Cuo rolled his eyes: "You don't need to do it yourself. Just tell Yin Shen and the others."

"Sending assassins to kill court officials is a precedent that must not be set, lest it lead to endless trouble..."

"Li Fuguo has many enemies. As long as the plan is well-planned, who will know it was you who did it? Who will know it was at the behest of the Prince of Lu?"

Li Ji sneered, "Don't think everyone in the world is stupid. I predict that the glorious history books will record that it was ordered by the sage!"

"That's a saint bearing the infamy, what does it have to do with you, young master?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "This little girl is still so narrow-minded. She can't understand matters of state… If Li Bi were here, he would definitely agree with my idea." Then, however, he was slightly startled. He thought, "I'm still hesitating, wondering whether to follow Li Shi's instructions. If I delay too long, by the time Li Bi returns, this matter will definitely be revealed to him. Then I'll be forced to disobey Li Shi's orders, without even a choice…"

After pondering for a long time, he finally instructed Cui Cuo: "Summon all the strange people in the Cui residence. This mansion is so large, we must be on guard to prevent any more 'spirits' from taking advantage of us. As for Li Fuguo's matter... find an opportunity to summon Yin Shen, and I will discuss it with him again."

Cui Cuo laughed and said, "What's the point of looking for an opportunity? I'll just call him to come tomorrow."

So the next day, when Li Ji was leaving the office and returning home, Yin Shen had already arrived at Li's residence and was waiting for him in the courtyard. Li Ji unfastened his double maces from his waist and handed them to Cui Cuo—only his wife in the whole family could easily lift his iron maces—while casually saying to Yin Shen, "No need to rush, lest you delay your official business..."

The Hook and Shield Bureau, an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, was located north of the Imperial City, west of Chengtianmen Street. It was slightly closer to Pingkang Ward than the Yingwu Army Office outside the Daming Palace where Li Ji worked, but the difference was minimal. Li Ji, riding a fine horse, dressed in a crimson robe and carrying double maces, was unhindered along the way; while Yin Shen, a ninth-rank official, was absolutely forbidden from riding within the Imperial City, and with his official robes blocking the way, he could only wait in line behind, never daring to overtake. The fact that he arrived before Li Ji indicated he had likely left early.

However, Yin Shen cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Since the physician has summoned me, how could I dare not come immediately? Besides, the power of the Ministry of Agriculture is mostly in the hands of various officials, and I don't usually have much official business to do."

When Yan Zhuang was still serving as Minister of Agriculture, he complained to Li Ji that most of the powers of the various departments under his jurisdiction had been usurped by the imperial eunuchs appointed by the emperor, which caused his power to gradually shrink despite his rank of third grade.

Li Ji felt at the time that the Ministry of Agriculture was redundant and should be merged with the Ministry of Revenue to unify financial power. However, among the Three Departments and Six Ministries, the Ministry of Revenue had the broadest jurisdiction, supposedly "managing the affairs of land, people, money, and grain, as well as the differences in tribute," equivalent to the later Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, plus the State Administration of Taxation. The organization was already bloated, and it probably couldn't absorb the Ministry of Agriculture. It was just that the emperor, for the sake of his own wealth accumulation and spending, gradually transferred the power of the Ministry of Agriculture to eunuchs, which was not a good sign.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Yin Shen, Li Ji said, "Don't use my official title anymore, just call me 'Erlang'."

He now holds the official title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, so people often address him as "Vice Minister Li" rather than "Chief Secretary Li," which he finds awkward—because in Li Ji's original timeline, at some point, the title of "Vice Minister" inexplicably became a synonym for "doctor"...

To show his closeness, Li Ji did not call Yin Shen by his given name, but instead addressed him as "Ninth Brother" according to their birth order. Yin Shen was quite flattered—because in terms of rank and status, he was far inferior to Li Ji, and Li Ji was also the son-in-law of his former master.

It had been agreed beforehand that since Yin Shen had been summoned, he had to prepare the meal. Therefore, they were led into the hall, where the maids brought out a food table and placed it in front of the two of them. This meal was not prepared by Qingluan. In fact, Cui Cuo had just entered the house when he ordered her to stay away from the kitchen, fearing that the slightest carelessness might harm the fetus.

The Cui family of Boling was one of the most prominent families in the world. Even though Cui Guangyuan's third wife was declining, she was still a force to be reckoned with. Before the marriage, she had many reputable women from the clan instruct Cui Cuo, including on how to treat her husband's concubines, when to openly suppress them, and when to subtly sabotage them. The main concern was that Qingluan was pregnant. Although the child wasn't hers, it was still her husband's. If she wasn't properly cared for, resulting in a miscarriage or the baby's early death, her husband could easily shift some of the blame onto his wife—"You're in charge of the household; how could you be without fault?"

Therefore, Cui Cuo strictly forbade Qingluan from cooking again, and her daily activities were confined to the inner chambers. Even if a cook did not know how to make a dish that her husband liked, she had to go to the inner chambers to ask for instructions in person, and Qingluan would verbally teach her. The pregnant woman was never allowed to do it herself.

Li Ji was rather dismissive of this, but he couldn't very well refute it. Fortunately, the cook had learned most of Qingluan's cooking skills after working with her for many days, and although there were still some slight differences in taste, they were not unpalatable.

Li Ji and Yin Shen chatted as they ate. Li Ji first asked, "In which year did Jiu Lang begin serving under Master Cui?"

Yin Shen thought for a moment and replied, "It was in the eleventh year of the Tianbao era..."

Cui Guangyuan initially served as the magistrate of Tang'an County in Shu Prefecture, later rising to the position of governor of Qiong Prefecture, then governor of Han Prefecture, and finally governor of Yi Prefecture—at that time, prefectures had been changed to commanderies, making him the prefect of Shu Commandery—and then, on the recommendation of Yang Guozhong, he was appointed as the vice magistrate of Jingzhao Prefecture. It was while serving as the prefect of Shu Commandery, just as he was about to be promoted, that Yin Shen joined his inner circle.

Yin Shen was skilled in poetry and prose from a young age and also loved swordsmanship. Since Shu (Sichuan) was known for its many swordsmen, he became an apprentice of one of them. Although his family background wasn't high, they were still considered part of the landlord class, and his family strongly opposed his decision to abandon literature for martial arts. However, Yin Shen knew his own talent and abilities; entering officialdom through the imperial examinations was virtually impossible. If he wanted to become an official, he could only rely on a powerful official for a recommendation—of course, unless he became a military governor and distinguished himself in battle, this path to officialdom was very narrow, mostly limiting him to ranks below the seventh grade.

Not long after entering the Cui family, Cui Guangyuan went to the capital to serve as the Vice Magistrate of Jingzhao. He began to place spies throughout Chang'an, mainly to find out the preferences of important officials in order to expand his network. Yin Shen, because he was literate, was recommended to the Ministry of Works as a low-ranking official. Later, he was transferred to the Secretariat—the Left Advisor was under the Secretariat, which is how he met Du Fu—who had only entered officialdom the previous year as the Assistant Advisor.

Yin Shen briefly explained his resume, and Li Ji then asked, "I once met Jiu Lang at Lü Miaozhen's house..." As for whether Cui Guangyuan had specifically sent him to monitor him, there's no need to mention it; let's just consider it a chance encounter—"Jiu Lang's poems are quite exquisite; they often echo in my ears..."

Chapter Thirty-Six, A Basket of Cherries

That day at Lü Miaozhen's house, a friend of Yin Shen's—whom he now considered no more than a colleague—wished to become a guest in his entourage. He had asked someone to compose a poem for him beforehand, but was completely stumped because the topic had changed. Yin Shen, on a whim, immediately composed a quatrain to relieve his predicament. The poem reads:

"The meat is tender and the bones are soft, the flavor is delicious, and the pepper seasoning enhances the rich aroma. Who has taken the loyal servant from the North Sea and given him to the cook to eat with millet?"

At the time, Li Ji thought the poem was good, at least much better than the empty and meaningless dregs before. Now that he knew Yin Shen's identity, he understood it even more deeply.

Yin Shen was lamenting his fate: Although I am not a pillar of the state, I am still a henchman of an important minister, but I am only assigned some petty thievery. Not only is it difficult to talk to others, but if I make a mistake, I may be pushed out to be the scapegoat—that is, to become this pepper-roasted lamb chop on the table.

Li Ji praised Yin Shen's poem, to which Yin Shen hurriedly replied, "This is merely a playful piece, hardly worthy of serious consideration, far inferior to Erlang's 'Hoeing the Rice at Noon'—I wonder if it has been named yet?"

Li Ji casually replied, "It is called 'Sympathy for the Farmers'." He then waved his hand and said, "The rhyme and rhythm are not harmonious. It is just a farmer's field song. It does not deserve Jiulang's praise."

During the Tang Dynasty's imperial examinations, composing poems was required, with strict rules governing tone patterns and rhymes. This led to the gradual formalization of everyday poetry and prose—for example, Yin Shen's poem "Ode to Roasted Lamb Chops" conforms to these rules. In contrast, "Sympathy for the Peasants" belongs to the ancient style and doesn't adhere to strict tonal patterns or sentence structures. Coupled with its simple and colloquial language, although it has been passed down through the ages, it was not appreciated by certain pretentious individuals according to the aesthetic standards of that era.

Yin Shen said seriously, "The so-called 'Guofeng' is nothing more than the work of farmers. The 'Yuefu' of the Han Dynasty also contains many field songs. Although the language is not elegant, it can express true feelings, unlike the poems of today, which are mostly affected and sentimental. Beneath the embellishment, there is actually a false heart." He looked up at Li Ji again, but he seemed not to agree with his words.

In fact, Li Ji didn't disagree; he completely agreed! But having heard Du Fu discuss poetry before, he found Yin Shen's words somewhat superficial and insincere, which was reflected in his expression, as if he didn't take them seriously.

Yin Shen, being quick-witted and perceptive, immediately changed the subject, saying, "As for whether the sounds are harmonious or not, I suddenly remembered a joke. Would you be willing to listen to it, Erlang?"