Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Li Bi said, “The Emperor’s intention is that since Li Fuguo has left, the position of Minister of War is vacant. If Lai Zhen is willing to return to the court, he can be appointed as Minister of the Chancellery and concurrently serve as Chancellor. Given Lai Zhen’s background, this is an extraordinary promotion, and he may accept the appointment.”

According to the precedent set after the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, a military man like Lai Zhen would at most be given the honorary title of General of the Imperial Guards if he returned to the capital. It was truly an anomaly that he was able to serve as Minister of War and even become a prime minister. Only Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi had such an honor before him, so Lai Zhen could be on par with those two. Would he not be happy about it?

Li Ji thought to himself, "You mentioned three points, but only the third one is the most practical—if you want someone to do something, you must offer them sufficient compensation. If you want me to seize Lai Zhen's troops, you must promise me to lead the troops of Shannan East Circuit. Similarly, if you want Lai Zhen to return to the capital, you must offer him a sufficiently prestigious official title."

Well, the carrot of being the Minister of War and the Chancellor is big enough, which shows that Li Yu is quite determined to do so. With such a weighty offer, I finally have a little more confidence in my trip to Shannan East Circuit.

Of course, once summoned back to court, your official position could be stripped, or you could be relegated to a less important post like Guo Ziyi. It would all be a matter of time. It all depends on how Zhen weighs and decides.

The saying goes, "Fortune favors the bold," and this applies to Lai Zhen as well as myself. If I want to lead an army and conquer the battlefield, I must venture into the eastern part of Shannan. Fortunately, Lai Zhen's rebellious intentions are not yet clear. At worst, I can't persuade him and will have to slink back and serve as Li Shi's vanguard. Surely, my life won't be in danger.

So he bowed to Li Bi and said, "In that case, I am willing to travel south."

The two brothers discussed their plan and then walked out of the palace side by side. From afar, they could see Li Yu's face was somewhat gloomy, as if he were reprimanding Li Shi in a low voice. Li Shi stood with his hands clasped, repeatedly nodding in agreement. Hearing the noise behind him, Li Yu turned around and asked, "Would the guards be willing to speak to Lai Zhen on my behalf?"

Li Ji clasped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go—but I still need to make some preparations. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me a few days' grace."

Li Yu smiled and said, "There's no rush. The Double Ninth Festival is just a few days away. We can wait until after the festival before Changwei leaves the capital."

He then instructed Li Shi: "You escort Changwei out of the palace."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "Your subject takes his leave; I dare not trouble Your Majesty Lu to see me off."

Li Shi came over and put his arm around his shoulder: "I am also about to leave the palace, you may accompany me, Changwei."

Li Ji knew that Li Shi had something to say to him—most likely an instruction from Li Yu—so he did not take his leave. He then followed Li Shi, leaving Penglai Palace one after the other, and headed straight for Zichen Gate.

On the way, he asked Li Shi, "When will Your Highness lead the army on the expedition? Has the date been set?"

Li Shi replied, “This eastern expedition to quell the rebellion must be a success in one battle. The goal is not only to recover the eastern capital, but also to avoid repeating the mistakes of the defeat at Xiangzhou. Therefore, we must carefully plan our weapons, supplies and provisions. The Emperor has sent the imperial envoy Liu Qingtan to the Uyghurs to borrow troops, but he has not yet returned. I am afraid he will not be able to leave in September – we will have to wait until October.”

He then turned slightly, waved his hand, signaling Li Ji to catch up and walk alongside him, and said, "It is just right that after the Double Ninth Festival, Changwei will go to Shannan East Road. He must persuade Lai Zhen to return to the court, then reorganize his troops, leave Dengzhou, cross Funiu Mountain, and come to meet me."

Li Ji clasped his hands in response.

Li Shi suddenly changed the subject, saying, "Changwei, even if this expedition can truly pacify the north and south of the Yellow River in one fell swoop, the barbarian bandits are eyeing us covetously in the west, and the Dangxiang and Nuci are causing trouble... The country has been weak for a long time, plagued by a hundred diseases. It will probably be difficult to recover to the height of the Kaiyuan and Tiantong eras without five or ten years..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "The saying goes, 'Illness comes like a landslide, but goes like pulling silk.' The same goes for a country. Five or ten years, is that really enough?"

"...Therefore, the sage not only consulted Master Changyuan on military matters for quelling rebellions, but also sought his advice on strategies for governing the country..."

Li Ji nodded: "That's how it should be."

Li Shi suddenly stopped and turned around, looking at Li Ji: "I fear that Mr. Changyuan will be like the late Emperor, who, seeing that the chaos is about to subside, longs for the mountains and forests, and we will insist on inviting him to go. What should we do?"

Chapter 44, The Bromance Between Ruler and Subject

Li Shi worried that once the situation improved slightly, Li Bi would resign again and return to the mountains to live in seclusion. Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but smile bitterly, "This is indeed my brother's mistake..." If Li Bi hadn't been in such a hurry to retire to the mountains and had stayed by Li Heng's side a little longer, perhaps the defeat at Xiangzhou wouldn't have happened? Perhaps even if they had been defeated, it wouldn't have been such a devastating defeat, with Shi Siming pushing the battle lines back to Luoyang in one fell swoop.

But he immediately reminded Li Shi: "Brother, your request to leave the other day was truly out of necessity. Emperor Suzong favors Li Fuguo and is wary of Prince Qi. There are also many discords among the court officials. If you do not request to leave, you may end up like Zhang Congzhou (Zhang Hao)..."

Zhang Hao, as prime minister, was ordered to lead an expedition and successfully recovered Henan and Hedong provinces. However, shortly after returning to the capital, he was dismissed from his post due to repeated slander from eunuchs and sent to serve as the chief administrator of the Jingzhou Grand General's Office. A year later, he was reinstated as a tutor to the crown prince and then changed to Left Attendant Gentleman of the Palace. Not only did he hold a nominal title without real power, but he was also inexplicably implicated in the rebellion of Prince Qi, Li Zhen—because he had bought Li Zhen's house—and was demoted to the position of Registrar of Chenzhou, a mere seventh-rank official…

After Li Yu succeeded to the throne, he reinstated Zhang Hao, but so far there has been no intention to recall him to the capital; he has simply been transferred to the position of Prefect of Fuzhou.

According to Li Ji's observation, Li Mi's concern for the country and its people was not necessarily that profound. His departure from the mountains the day before was purely to repay Li Heng's high regard, and his return to court was also to maintain his friendship with Li Yu. Li Mi was a believer in Taoism and understood the principle of self-preservation. Therefore, he tried his best not to get too involved in the murky waters of the court, lest he be demoted or even harmed.

Therefore, Li Ji reminded Li Shi: Unless the emperor is truly courageous and responsible, and willing to protect Li Bi from harm, Li Bi might, at any time, have the idea of ​​retiring from public life again.

Li Shi pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Congzhou... well, I will find an opportunity to speak to the Emperor and summon Zhang Hao back to court." He paused, then added, "Now that Li Fuguo is dead, and the Prince of Qi and the Emperor... have no major grudges, then Mr. Changyuan need not worry about slander and ridicule anymore, right?"

Li Ji shook his head: "Although Li Fuguo is dead, Yu Chaoen is still alive, and Cheng... within the palace, there may be those who suspect my brother. Moreover, there are certainly those in the court who hope to expel my brother from the palace..."

Li Shi grinned: "You guessed it?" He then nodded: "That's right. The Sage bought the former residence of Princess Changning for Mr. Changyuan, which is right next to Changwei's residence. The Sage meant well. It's always more convenient for you brothers to visit each other since you live next to each other."

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji asked in a low voice, "Who exactly was it that spread your brother's slander?"

Li Shi shook his head: "I don't know either. However... it can't be considered that Master Changyuan was expelled from the palace, but rather that it is truly inappropriate for him to remain in the palace as a hermit for so long." As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Li Ji: "Does the Imperial Guard perhaps hope that you are like Fotucheng or Zhiyi?"

“Two monks…” Li Ji curled his lip. “Speaking of which, Taoism has never produced a national preceptor.”

Of course, he was just making a casual remark and wasn't actually happy to see Li Mi become some kind of "Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty." So he quickly steered the conversation back to Li Shi, asking, "What position will the Emperor bestow upon my elder brother? Is it possible for him to become a prime minister?"

Li Shi raised his eyebrows: "I don't know either." He paused, then asked: "But regardless of the position, I'm afraid you wouldn't accept it... Even the Sage wouldn't be able to force you."

Li Ji blurted out, "It doesn't matter if we force them."

He then explained, “My elder brother’s ambition is to be like Yan Ziling, so that when the country is in trouble, he can be consulted by the sages, but he himself does not want to be constrained. Although as brothers we should not force our elder brother’s ambitions and burden him with heavy affairs, it would be a great pity if my elder brother’s talents were only used as advisors, or even as the national teacher.”

“My brother should be prime minister. Even if he is not as good as Zhuge Liang, he can still rival Xun Yu. But if the sage does not force him, he will absolutely not willingly fall into the trap…”

Upon hearing this, Li Shi's eyes lit up slightly: "Does Changwei also approve of the sage's use of force?"

Li Ji smiled wryly: "Back in Ding'an, if Emperor Suzong hadn't insisted on draping the purple robe over my brother's shoulders, he probably wouldn't have even obeyed the order to become the Chief Secretary of the Marshal's Office, would he?"

Li Shi nodded repeatedly: "What you say makes sense. I will speak to the sage about it."

Li Ji thought to himself, "What advice? It was clearly Li Yu who sent you to ask me about this." He continued, "That's fine too. I hope Li Bi can become prime minister, so he can rectify the court and revitalize the country. Also, when I lead troops in the future, the two brothers can support each other remotely, preventing any treacherous officials from taking advantage of the situation. For this reason, I've often wanted to tear off Li Bi's hermit-like robes and rip them to shreds right in front of him."

Now that Li Yu is playing the villain, it won't hurt my brotherly feelings, isn't that great?

He parted ways with Li Shi at the Imperial Bridge and returned to the Baoying Military Office. He sat there in silence until the office closed. Upon returning home, his first words were to instruct Cui Cuo: "Gather as much information as possible about Lai Zhen and submit it to me."

Not only did Li Ji gather intelligence on Lai Zhen, but he also took leave the next day to go to the Ministry of War. His position as a secretary in the Ministry of War was merely nominal, without actual authority, but no one dared to stop him from going to examine some documents. He then ordered a minor official to bring out files concerning the geography, roads, and garrison situations of the various prefectures in Shannan East Circuit, as well as the generals under Lai Zhen's command, for careful study.

If he manages to persuade Lai Zhen to return to the capital, his next step will be to take command of the troops in the ten prefectures of Nandong Road. If he doesn't make some preparations beforehand, he might not be able to win over the hearts of the soldiers.

Before long, it was the Double Ninth Festival, and as was customary, officials would be dismissed for the holiday. Li Ji once again gathered his friends for a banquet at Lü Miaozhen's house—mainly to bid farewell. After the festival, in just a few days, I would be leaving the capital. However, since the imperial edict had not yet been issued, I could not reveal my specific destination or post.

Li Sheng and Ma Sui, both present, were quite envious upon hearing the news and earnestly requested Li Ji to find an opportunity to speak to the Marshal and have them also sent out to serve. Li Ji smiled and said, "I was just talking to Prince Lu the other day about Xun Mei's talent; he could be a judge in the Marshal's office, or even a chief clerk. As for Liang Qi..." He raised his cup to Li Sheng and said, "With Liang Qi's rank and prestige, he would surely be appointed as a military governor of a garrison, which is beyond my opinion."

After chatting for a while, feeling quite tipsy, Li Sheng stood up, looked around the courtyard, and shook his head, saying, "What a pity, what a pity. It's just a courtesan's courtyard, not spacious enough. Otherwise, we could have had an archery competition..."

Seeing Li Ji's somewhat bewildered expression, Ma Sui explained, "In the early years of the dynasty, to promote martial spirit, the emperor would bestow upon princes and officials a competition of archery every year on the Shangsi and Double Ninth Festivals, with the winners receiving generous rewards. Until the eighth year of the Kaiyuan era, the Imperial Censor Xu Jingxian reported that this practice was a waste of the national treasury and had no real benefit, and requested that it be abolished, which Emperor Xuanzong granted..."

Li Ji curled his lip: "At the beginning of the dynasty, when everything was in ruins, people still competed in archery and martial arts. But during the Kaiyuan era, they were worried about depleting the national treasury? As a result, the officials became lazy and talked about military affairs in vain, which led to the rise of powerful regional garrisons and the An Lushan Rebellion..."

Ma Sui hurriedly waved his hand: "Chang Wei, be careful what you say."

Li Sheng chuckled from the side, "Actually, even in the early days of the dynasty, it was impossible for all officials to be skilled in archery. I once heard a poem by Ouyang Xun mocking Duke Xiao Yu of Song for his inability to shoot..."

Then he recited in a long, melodious voice: "A swift wind blows a slow arrow, a weak hand wields a strong bow. It soars high and then falls low, it should go west and then east. Ten times it hits the ground, both hands hold it up in the air. May I ask who did this? It should be Lord Song."

Everyone laughed. Li Ji pointed to the courtyard and said, "If everyone present today were like Duke Xiao Song, then this courtesan's courtyard would be perfect for archery competitions."

The following day, an imperial edict was issued, appointing Li Ji as the Prefect of Xiangzhou and concurrently the Defense Commissioner of Xiang, Deng, Sui, and Ying prefectures, ordering him to leave the capital and take up his post within a specified period.

Li Ji received his appointment at the Baoying Military Office. In addition to the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, Li Shi also came along and stood by with his hands in his sleeves. On the surface, it was just a coincidence that he was going to the capital and came out with him, but Li Ji knew that Li Shi had something to say to him.

After receiving the imperial decree, he asked Li Shi in a low voice, "Wasn't it said that I would be given military power over ten prefectures? Why only four?"

Li Shi explained, "Changwei is only a fifth-rank official, and it's really inconvenient to appoint him as the military governor of ten prefectures—the Council of State Affairs certainly wouldn't approve it..."

"Then the ten prefecture defense commissioners will also be acceptable."

Li Shi smiled and said, "Actually, the troops of Shannan East Circuit are all gathered in Shang and Xiang prefectures. The few garrison soldiers in other prefectures are not worth Changwei's attention. After a short rest, there will be a secret order for Li Qijun to send elite troops to Xiang prefecture at Changwei's command..."

This was in case Lai Zhen refused to accept the imperial decree and return to the capital, or even harbored any disloyal intentions, so that Li Ji would not be left empty-handed and isolated.

"...If we can truly seize Lai Zhen's military power, then the main force of Shannan East Circuit will be entirely in Changwei's hands, and they can then come north to join me and jointly recapture Luoyang. Let's wait until we quell the rebels and achieve great merit, and the entire circuit's governorship will naturally be ours—Changwei, don't be hasty."

Li Ji nodded: "That's fine then." He then clarified: "I am not greedy for official positions or power, but I am afraid that I have too few troops to be Your Highness's assistant."

Li Shi nodded and said he knew, then tugged at Li Ji and whispered, "Yesterday was the Double Ninth Festival. The Emperor was in the palace and had already decided on the official position for Mr. Changyuan..."

At that time, Li Shi also went to the palace to present gifts to his father and congratulate him on the Double Ninth Festival. Therefore, he overheard the conversation between Li Yu and Li Bi, and then described it in detail to Li Ji.

It is said that Li Yu had repeatedly hinted to Li Bi that he would give him an official position, but Li Bi declined. So Li Yu took advantage of the festival to decide to take a hard line.

Yesterday, I summoned Li Bi, and together we wore dogwood and drank chrysanthemum wine. I seized the opportunity to ask, "On this auspicious day, princes, dukes, concubines, and princesses have all presented me with clothing and trinkets. Why have you alone not presented anything?"

Li Bi replied, "I reside within the palace, and everything from my headdress to my shoes was bestowed upon me by Your Majesty. I have only this one garment left; what else could I possibly offer?"

Li Yu patted Li Bi on the back and said, "What I seek is precisely you, sir."

Li Bi hurriedly replied, "If my body does not belong to Your Majesty, then who does it belong to?"

Li Yu seized the opportunity: "The late emperor once wished to appoint you as prime minister, but could not; now that you are willing to dedicate yourself, you should be at my disposal. This body no longer belongs to you."

Li Shi relayed these few sentences of conversation, which gave Li Ji goosebumps.

"I only have this body..." "I want your body!" "If my body isn't yours, whose is it?" "Since you're willing to offer your body, then it no longer belongs to you. I can do whatever I want with it..."

Holy crap, could you guys be any more gay?!

However, judging from Li Shi's expression, he only seemed to envy the close relationship between the ruler and his subject, as if he was the only one who had the wrong idea...

Then Li Shi continued speaking—Li Yu said, “Master Changyuan, your body now belongs to me.” Li Bi then asked, “What does Your Majesty wish for me?” Li Yu replied, “I wish that you, Master, could eat meat and drink wine, have a family, receive an official position, and live the life of an ordinary person.”

Li Bi couldn't help but shed tears and said, "I have abstained from food for more than twenty years. Why must Your Majesty order me to abandon my aspirations?"

Li Yu then said, "What good is weeping? You are now in the highest palace; where else can you go?"

Li Ji mentally translated, "What's the use of crying? Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you. Where can you run to? Just give in to me, my beauty..."

I couldn't help but shudder.

I thought Li Yu would do what his father did and simply drape the official robes over Li Mi to force him to comply, but I didn't expect him to pull this stunt... and not only did he want Li Mi to become an official, he also wanted to find him a wife!

"Brother, will you agree?"

Li Shi laughed and said, "Just as the sage said, being in the ninth heaven, Master Changyuan has nowhere to hide." He then explained, "The sage said that even Changwei had to marry a daughter of the Cui family, so how could Master Changyuan be any different? So he told me about a daughter of the Lu family."

The Lu family of Fanyang was one of the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families. Lu Chengqing, the eldest son of the northern branch, served as Minister of Revenue during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, with the additional title of Vice Chancellor. Lu Huaizhen, the third son of the northern branch, served as Attendant-in-Ordinary and Minister of Personnel during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, with the additional title of Chancellor. Both were prime ministers. The woman Li Yu chose for Li Bi this time was Lu Huaizhen's granddaughter.

Li Shi introduced, "Lu Huaizhen had two sons. The eldest son, Huan, once served as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, but has passed away. The second son, Yi, served as the Vice Censor-in-Chief and died in the rebellion. Lu Huan's two sons, Lu Zhen, served as the Chief Clerk of the Imperial Academy, and Lu Jun served as the Military Advisor of the Left Guard. His daughter is a widow, not yet thirty years old, and is a good match for Mr. Changyuan..."

Li Ji nodded, thinking to himself that the Tang Dynasty's policy of not opposing widows remarrying was a good custom.

"Lu Yi also has a son named Lu Qi, who is now the chief secretary of the Shuofang government, under the command of Pugu Huai'en. Have you seen him before, Changwei?"

Li Ji thought back for a moment, and seemed to have some recollection—"Could it be that ugly-looking guy, known in the army as 'Blue-Faced Ghost'?"

Li Shi frowned: "I do not know what he looks like—since Pugu Huai'en has been appointed as my chief secretary, he must have some talent. I can summon him to meet him after the troops are dispatched—perhaps he can be like Changwei and assist me."

Now that the imperial decree had been issued, Li Ji could no longer delay. Although Qingluan was not yet due to give birth, he had no choice but to hold her hand and part with tears in his eyes. He selected thirty elite soldiers from the Baoying Army to accompany him. In addition, based on Cui Cuo's suggestion, he also brought along many of those Jianghu eccentrics—including Yin Shen, Yin Zishu, and that Qingyuan gentleman Chang Heng.

Cui Cuo longed to accompany her husband, but with Qingluan about to give birth and the household needing a head, she was forced to remain patient and stay in Chang'an. Li Ji then exited through the Mingde Gate in the south of Chang'an and met up with the eunuchs who were on their way to Xiangyang to deliver an imperial edict—and recognizing one of them, he recognized him as Ran Mao'er.

Li Ji stared at Ran Mao'er for a long time and couldn't help but frown: "Since we met in Ding'an, several years have passed in the blink of an eye. How come you haven't aged at all, Mao'er? You still have such a youthful appearance..."

Ran Mao'er crossed her hands and said, "Actually, if Erlang shaved off all his beard, he wouldn't look old just by looking at his face."

"What do you mean by shaving off your beard? Don't talk nonsense!"