Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Li Bi and Emperor Daizong of Tang

Both the old and new Book of Tang describe Li Bi's deeds during the reign of Emperor Daizong in a very brief manner, with far less emphasis on his earlier deeds during the reign of Emperor Suzong or his later deeds during the reign of Emperor Dezong. Even the passionate dialogue between the two in the novel is not found in official history, but comes from the "Biography of the Marquis of Ye".

The author of *The Family Chronicle of the Marquis of Ye* is Li Fan, son of Li Bi. The *Old Book of Tang* describes him as "intelligent and quick-witted from a young age, with talent and a reputation, but lacking in moral character." The *New Book of Tang* offers a similar assessment, stating that he was "intelligent and quick-witted from a young age, but lacked moral character." In other words, he possessed ability, but his moral character was far inferior. As Li Bi's son, he should have been able to gather more secrets about his father's affairs, but he would inevitably have embellished or even fabricated some details. Therefore, the contents of *The Family Chronicle* should be compared with official historical records and should not be readily believed.

According to the family history, Li Bi was summoned to return from Hengshan shortly after Emperor Daizong ascended the throne, no later than the first year of Guangde (763). Then, on the Dragon Boat Festival in the third year of Dali (768), Emperor Daizong used the excuse of "why he alone offered nothing" to force Li Bi to "eat wine and meat, have a family, receive a salary and position, and become a common person." In other words, Li Bi lived in the palace for five to six years.

During this period, there were events such as the Tibetan capture of Chang'an and Emperor Daizong's escape, the uprising led by Pugu Huaien and the separatist rule of the Uyghurs, and the separatist regime of Zhou Zhiguang in Huazhou... Li Mi was nowhere to be seen in all these earth-shattering political upheavals. So where is the evidence to say that he was exceptionally talented and favored by Emperor Daizong? Moreover, it seems that Li Mi was not involved in the subsequent conspiracy between Emperor Daizong and Yuan Zai to strangle Yu Chaoen.

So, did Li Changyuan completely disappear into the shadows and become a behind-the-scenes manipulator, or was he just idle in the palace?

Oh, for a time, he also had to accompany Emperor Daizong to Shanzhou to eat idle meals in order to avoid the advance of the Tubo army.

When Sima Guang wrote the *Zizhi Tongjian*, he relied heavily on the *Yehou Family Biography* for Li Mi's deeds, in addition to the two *Tang Histories*. This was perhaps because the image of Li Mi in the biography closely matched Sima Guang's ideal of a loyal and wise minister. However, regarding the events of Emperor Daizong's reign, the old master probably felt vague and only recorded the word "initially."

"Initially, the emperor sent an imperial envoy to summon Li Bi from Hengshan..."

"初" means "initially," which must have been before the dialogue between the emperor and his ministers during the Dragon Boat Festival. But to which year exactly? I don't know, and I dare not speculate.

It is highly likely that Li Mi spent nearly half of Emperor Daizong's seventeen-year reign in the mountains, only returning to court after Zhou Zhiguang's execution. My copy of the "Chronology of Major Events in Chinese History" records that in the third year of the Dali era (768), "Emperor Daizong summoned Li Mi to the capital," and then, on the Dragon Boat Festival of that year, Li Mi returned to secular life. For the next few years, the court remained relatively stable until, due to Yuan Zai's slander, Li Mi was appointed as the judge of Jiangxi Province. He spent approximately two years by Emperor Daizong's side.

Frankly speaking, if Emperor Daizong and Li Bi truly had such a deep relationship, and had lived together in the palace for seven or eight years, even with Yuan Zai wielding immense power, it's unlikely he would have simply banished Li Bi from the capital. Even if he couldn't maintain his position in court, he should have been appointed as an Inspector General, not just a Judicial Officer...

Of course, elevating Li Mi's stature and highlighting his close relationship with Emperor Daizong was both Li Fan's and Sima Guang's wish, and it was also beneficial for me in writing this novel. Therefore, I even recount how Emperor Daizong summoned Li Mi immediately after his ascension to the throne, and not waiting five or six years until the Dragon Boat Festival, but instead taking Li Mi's body on the Double Ninth Festival that same year…

Chapter 45, The Turmoil in Xiangyang

Although Lai Zhen was in Xiangyang, he always kept an eye on the situation in the court, so it was reasonable for him to have spies in Chang'an.

Thus, Li Ji, Ran Mao'er, and their entourage left Chang'an City and went to Shangzhou to meet Li Qijun. They stayed there for several days before continuing their journey. Before they even reached Gucheng, Lai Zhen had already received the news and urgently summoned several trusted generals to discuss the matter.

Before the Kaiyuan era, in all military campaigns and camps, the most important positions under the general were the Chief Clerk and the Military Advisor. The Chief Clerk was in charge of civil affairs, while the Military Advisor was the deputy general. However, this system, which was also implemented in the military governor's office, gradually changed. The Chief Clerk was replaced by the deputy military governor, who instead took charge of military affairs—because most deputy military governors were sent by the court to counter the military governor—while the Military Advisor was transformed into a civil position.

Currently, the deputy military governor under Lai Zhen is named Xue Nanyang, and the military commander is Pang Chong. In addition, there are Li Zhao, the left military commander, and Liang Chongyi, the right military commander, all of whom obey Lai Zhen's orders. To put it bluntly, these four are all Lai Zhen's cronies, who are attempting to establish their own independent regime and resolutely refuse to return to the capital. They have even led troops to fight against Pei Bie. Without their support and even instigation, Lai Zhen might not have reached this point.

The imperial court had already issued two decrees summoning him back to court. Although the new emperor had allowed him to remain in his post, a third wave of summons would inevitably follow sooner or later. Lai Zhen was mentally prepared for this. Therefore, he asked Xue Nanyang and the others, "Now the emperor has issued another decree summoning me, and has ordered Li Ji to come with an imperial envoy to take over the military affairs of the four prefectures of Xiang, Deng, Sui, and Ying. What do you all think?"

Pang Chong clasped his hands and said, "This imperial edict is quite different from the previous two..."

Because Li Ji is also following along, and has been appointed as the defense commissioner of four prefectures, even if Lai Zhen still refuses to obey orders, Li Ji has a reason to take over all the military power of the four prefectures—the main force will be concentrated in Xiangyang, and if Lai Zhen listens to Li Ji's command, then even if he doesn't become a figurehead commander, he won't be far from it.

Therefore, Pang Chong analyzed: "It is clear that the Emperor's intention to recall the military commander is very firm and cannot be refused. This humble official believes that since the Prince of Lu has been appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army to attack Shi Chaoyi, the court will surely hope for a swift victory. The only fear is that the military commander will not obey orders, so it is necessary to replace the troops of Xiangzhou with others..."

Xue Nanyang countered, "If the Marshal issues an order commanding the General to march east and quell the rebellion, how could the General disobey? How could he possibly refuse to obey?"

Pang Chong glanced at him sideways: "You won't even accept the imperial edict, let alone the marshal's order?" Then he looked at Lai Zhen: "Undoubtedly, the emperor already has doubts about the general."

Lai Zhen tapped the table with his finger and slowly asked, "Then how should we deal with this?"

Xue Nanyang replied, "It's simply a matter of returning to court or not returning; there are only two paths. I told the General the other day that Cheng Yuanzhen's request should not be refused. Now that the eunuch is in power, if the General returns to court, he will surely be harmed by his underhanded tactics—those eunuchs have always been the most petty of all!"

"Then should we still order all the generals to jointly submit a memorial to persuade them to stay and not return to the capital? What should we do if Li Ji comes seeking military power?"

Li Zhao immediately shouted, "But with Lord Liang here, we will not let a single soldier fall into the hands of Li Ji!"

Xue Nanyang glanced at Li Zhao with an approving expression, then asked Lai Zhen, "I wonder how many men Li Ji brought? This man is known for his bravery, unlike Pei Bian. If he brings five thousand troops, I'm afraid it will not be easy for him to win completely."

When Pei Fen led 5,000 troops to attack, Xue Nanyang strongly advocated sending troops to repel the enemy. He and Lai Zhen then attacked from both sides, inflicting a great defeat on Pei Fen. However, this was because Xue Nanyang knew Pei Fen's true strength and capabilities. On the other hand, Li Ji's reputation for skill in battle was widespread throughout the two capitals. At least when Lai Zhen was still guarding Shanxian County, he had heard of him. When he arrived in Xiangyang, he had mentioned him to his generals. Therefore, Xue Nanyang dared not underestimate his enemy.

However, Li Zhao scoffed and said, "What is there to fear about Li Ji?"

He then explained, “I have heard a little about his deeds. He is skilled in archery and horsemanship, and can kill generals and capture flags. This is not an exaggeration. However, when he was in Longyou, he was just a minor general and official…” His achievements at that time were far inferior to mine. How many troops could he have commanded? “With the King of Qi strategizing above and Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong commanding the three armies below, how could Li Ji dare to claim the credit for defeating the barbarians as his own and refuse to accept it?”

"Later in Heyang, it is said that he captured Yu Wenjing alive, but he only relied on his strength. He was just a brave man. Because he was on good terms with the Prince of Lu, he was appointed to lead the imperial guards to help the current emperor quell the rebellion in the palace. He was able to rise to the fifth rank. Now he wants to take my Xiangyang troops. How ridiculous!"

He then puffed out his chest and declared, "If they send troops, I guarantee I will lead the army to defeat them; if they provoke us on the battlefield, I can capture Lord Liang alive!"

As he spoke, he turned his head to glance at Liang Chongyi.

This Liang Chongyi was originally a famous strongman in Chang'an. It was said that he could bend an iron rod as thick as a child's arm with his bare hands and then straighten it. Because of his humble origins, he could only do odd jobs in the West Market. When An Lushan's rebel army entered the city and Chang'an fell, Liang Chongyi fled east alone. He was introduced to the Palace Archery Corps, which was the predecessor of the Baoying Army.

However, Liang Chongyi never met Li Ji. He had been noticed by Lai Zhen early on and transferred to his own command, and followed him to Shannan East Circuit. Liang Chongyi was very capable in battle, but more importantly, he was always taciturn and seemed honest and unassuming. No one in the army disliked him, and no one ever had a conflict with him. As a result, he was highly valued by Lai Zhen, accumulated merits and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a lieutenant general.

Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi, serving as Right and Left Military Commanders respectively, directly controlled their armies and had been vying for supremacy. Even Li Zhao had to admit that if they were to face off against equally matched and well-trained troops in a direct confrontation, his chances of victory were slim; and if they were to engage in direct combat on the battlefield, he feared he wouldn't last ten rounds against Liang Chongyi's horse…

That's why Liang Chongyi was brought out to make a point. All eyes turned to Liang Chongyi, who nodded slightly: "If the commander commands, this humble general can capture Li Ji." He paused, then added: "I've heard the emperor bestow upon him the name 'Swordsman,' but what use is a sword on the battlefield?"

Swords were originally the best short weapons during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, but with the improvement of forging technology, by the Han Dynasty, long sabers had completely replaced them; nowadays, swords are just weapons for the martial arts world or decorations for scholars—because they are too narrow and thin, unable to penetrate armor, and easily broken.

Liang Chongyi's meaning is clear from his name: Li Ji's forte must be the sword, so his claims about defeating the barbarians in Longyou and fighting bravely in Hedong are mostly just empty talk. I have no problem dealing with this kind of person.

However, Lai Zhen said, "I saw Li Ji in Shanxian County before, but I didn't see him wearing a sword..." Then he changed the subject: "Moreover, this time he came with only three hundred soldiers with him."

Pang Chong frowned and exclaimed, "How strange!" He then explained, "Li Qijun of Shangzhou is of the same clan as Li Ji, and I've heard that Nan Jiyun and others are close friends with Li Ji. Since he stayed in Shangzhou, shouldn't he have asked Li Qijun to send more troops to accompany him? Why did he only bring three hundred men?"

Xue Nanyang laughed and said, "I suppose you're afraid of repeating Pei Bian's mistake."

Pei Fen led his army to attack directly, so we could naturally raise troops to defend ourselves; but now Li Ji has only brought three hundred men, merely guards to guard against bandits along the way. How can we possibly have the nerve to fight him? That would be too humiliating. Moreover, it would be difficult to explain to the imperial court.

Li Zhao immediately requested, "In that case, please ask Lord Liang to take action and capture Li Ji!"

What is the wording?

"Capture him first, then we'll talk!"

Lai Tian slammed his hand on the table: "Don't be reckless!"

Since arriving in Shannan East Circuit and stationing his troops in Xiangyang, he no longer had Yu Chaoen by his side—of course, there were still supervising eunuchs, but compared to Yu Chaoen, their influence was far too weak—and Yu Chaoen was a watchful eye, having an old acquaintance with Wei Zhongxi, the prefect of Xiangyang, with whom he cooperated tacitly. Both soldiers and scholars were willing to serve him. Therefore, Lai Zhen felt this place was truly wonderful; why should he be transferred to another garrison or return to the capital to sit on the sidelines?

Look at Guo Ziyi. He returned to the capital several times, but was kept there instead of being sent away. He was called prime minister, but in reality, he could never even step into the Hall of State Affairs. What fun is there in such a life?

However, he did not want to completely break ties with the court. Firstly, as a long-time subject of the Tang Dynasty, he dared not easily cross the hurdle of treason, at least psychologically. Secondly, the troops in Jing and Xiang had repeatedly rebelled, but all of them had been quelled, which showed that the local people's hearts were still inclined towards the court. If he were to raise the flag of rebellion, Wei Zhongxi would probably be the first to sever ties with him.

More importantly, the number of soldiers in Xiangyang was really not that large.

Shannan East Circuit comprises ten prefectures, bordering the two capitals to the north and the Yangtze River to the south, making its geographical location extremely important. However, precisely because of this, it has frequently suffered from warfare in recent years, and the imperial court has continuously drawn many strong and brave soldiers to guard Henan in the north. In addition, after Li Qijun took charge of Shangzhou, he also took away some of Lai Zhen's military power. Therefore, at this moment, there are only about 20,000 troops available in Xiangyang City.

If this were a rebellion, even if 20,000 men were willing to serve, after accounting for the old and weak, at most 15,000 would actually be able to lead them across the border. Li Guangbi was in Huainan, Wei Boyu had troops stationed in Shanxian, and Pugu Huaien was guarding Hedong. Any one of these forces was stronger than their own, plus Guo Ziyi, the old Grand Minister, was stationed in Chang'an... How could this rebellion be so easy to start?

Unless he goes to contact Shi Chaoyi in Luoyang himself... But if it were An Lushan or Shi Siming, that would be one thing, but Shi Chaoyi, that patricide—bah, he doesn't deserve it!

Therefore, Lai Zhen merely made various excuses to avoid leaving Xiangyang, without any intention of directly confronting the court. His previous battle against Pei Bian was only justified because he had received an imperial edict from the new emperor allowing him to remain in office, thus justifying his actions under the instigation of Xue Nanyang and others. Now, with Li Ji leading only a few hundred men, I feel threatened and want to capture him—I have absolutely no reason to do so!

Therefore, we finally decided to remain calm and wait for the right opportunity.

He first ordered Pang Chong: "You are in charge. Then, ask the generals to jointly submit a memorial urging me to stay." He recalled the excuse he'd made up before, saying the grain harvest in Huaixi hadn't been completed, hence his refusal to move the garrison. And now it was already September…

So he instructed Xue Nanyang: "You may secretly send someone to disguise himself as a thief and enter the border between Shen and An, so that I may not travel east for the time being, and find another excuse to come out."

Finally, he instructed Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi: "Do not act rashly. Wait for Li Ji to arrive. When he does, Liang Jun will serve as my bodyguard. If Li Ji forcibly demands military power and behaves rudely, it will not be too late to capture him."

The men bowed and withdrew. After leaving, Li Zhao privately said to Liang Chongyi, "When the commander sent Li Ji here, you were his bodyguard because you were worried that Li Ji might take advantage of his strength to rob us... Since he is known as the 'Swordsman,' he must be quite agile and skilled in close combat. If he really offends the commander, the commander will be humiliated, and that would be a disgrace to us all!"

Liang Chongyi did not reply, but only stared at Li Zhao.

Li Zhao continued, "Furthermore, if he doesn't pay homage to the commander-in-chief first, but instead comes to our camps to seize troops, do you think we should give in or not?"

"Nature does not grant it."

"The responsibility for our disobedience to our superiors and the imperial edict rests entirely on our shoulders. What can we do?"

Liang Chongyi frowned: "What plan do you have?"

Li Zhao suggested, "Why don't we wait until they arrive in Xiangyang, then lead our troops to surround them, pretending that the soldiers are making a fuss and refusing to let the commander leave? If the imperial envoy is frightened, he will most likely flee. Li Ji will be left to fend for himself and will naturally have no choice but to flee as well."

"What if he doesn't run away?"

"Then please ask Lord Liang to step forward and capture him... no, killing him would be best. Afterwards, send out a few scapegoats and execute them to uphold military law, and we can clear ourselves of any wrongdoing."

He then said solemnly, “The commander should have executed Pei Ji that day to establish his authority, and then no one would dare to ask the commander to move his garrison. However, he was captured and sent to Chang’an, and the court thought that the commander was afraid. If Li Ji can be killed now, the court will certainly not dare to mention the matter of moving the garrison again.”

Liang Chongyi thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright." Then he looked at Li Zhao: "At that time, Li Jun must come with me." This matter is not as simple as you think; there will be some risks involved. Don't push me ahead while you hide behind, and then push the blame onto me afterwards...

Ultimately, although the two were both Lai Zhen's confidants, they were not truly close and even harbored secret rivalries. Only by standing together through thick and thin could Liang Chongyi feel at ease.

Li Zhao nodded and said, "Alright. I will send someone to secretly observe the movements of the angel and Li Ji. Liang Jun, please wait for my report."

Xiangyang City is located south of the Mian River, but Lai Zhen's military headquarters was not located in the city, but in Anyang, north of the river. He also ordered Xiangcheng Town to besiege the town and set up camp. Li Ji and his group came along the main road on the south bank of the Mian River, passing through Wudang and Gucheng before approaching Xiangyang. However, when they arrived at Shili Pavilion, ten miles west of the city, it was already dark, so they had to stay at the post station for the night. They planned to set off the next day, first entering Xiangyang City, and then going to Anyang to invite Lai Zhen.

Upon confirming the information, Li Zhao was overjoyed and hurriedly went to inform Liang Chongyi. The two generals then secretly raised a thousand soldiers—more than that, lest they alert Lai Zhen—and crossed the Mian River that very night. They first set up false banners to make it appear as if there were several thousand men, and then, with a shout, they surrounded the post station.

The soldiers raised their torches high and shouted in unison, "Please let the angels speak!"

He cried out again, "Jingxiang cannot be without Commander Lai for even a day! The court should not listen to the words of treacherous officials and strip Commander Lai of his military power!" "We soldiers and the people of Jingxiang regard Commander Lai as our father, and we will never let him leave!"

Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi, after leading their troops, carefully observed the situation inside the post station. Li Zhao had given orders beforehand to leave one side open while surrounding the post station, thus forcing the angels to go back to where they came from!

Then someone inside the post station asked loudly, "Did the commander order you to surround the angel?"

The soldiers all said, "The commander did not give any orders; we acted on our own initiative..."

Before the words were finished, a loud shout rang out: "So they are mutinous soldiers! They should be killed!"

Chapter 46, A Heart Full of Mountains and Rivers

A loud shout rang out from inside the post station: "So they are mutinous soldiers! They should be killed!"

The post station gate opened with a sound, and a rider galloped out, his spear piercing through the air, and blood spurted out.

Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi were both startled. According to their original plan, the angel should have first sent someone out to talk to the troops and order them to disperse; but the troops not only did not obey, but instead confronted them with swords and spears. The messenger would have been frightened and would have gone back to report to the angel. Perhaps the angel would have fled back to Chang'an from the west of the post station in a panic.

Of course, this is the best possible outcome, but there could be some unforeseen circumstances. For example, the angel might flee back to Shangzhou, claiming that the Xiangyang troops are in rebellion, and then borrow Li Qijun's forces to return... If the Shangzhou troops number a thousand, then Li, Liang, and others could persuade Lai Zhen to raise an army to resist, replicating the battle against Pei Fen in the past.

It is also possible that if Li Ji, who is known as a capable fighter, speaks out, Li Zhao will incite Liang Chongyi to step forward and kill Li Ji. At that time, how could the eunuchs in the deep palace not be terrified and flee in panic?

But to his surprise, they had barely exchanged two words at the gate of the post station when someone on horseback galloped out. Li Zhao was taken aback, thinking that the envoy was frightened and trying to break out—but I've already cleared the west side for you, do you really have to escape to the east?

And once this rider came out, without another word, he thrust his spear and pierced through the heart of a soldier who was blocking his way.

By the firelight, they could see clearly that the man wore a phoenix-winged iron helmet and iron armor, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a round face, and a bushy beard. He rode a fine steed and held a lance, exuding an aura of power and menace. Li Zhao thought to himself, this must be Li Ji without a doubt. He quickly pointed and reminded Liang Chongyi, "I trouble you, Lord Liang, to slay this scoundrel!"

Liang Chongyi nodded and took the spear off the saddle bridge.

Seeing that the general was charging straight towards them, the Xiangyang soldiers, although they had surrounded the post station, were mainly there to intimidate rather than launch a surprise attack. Therefore, they had not arranged any battle formations, and there was no close coordination between the different types of soldiers. When they were suddenly attacked, they were all in a panic, and the general killed several of them and rode over.

—It is obvious that although Li Zhao and Liang Chongyi are hiding behind the troops, they have not made any effort to conceal themselves. Even if they were to peek through a crack in the door, let alone rush out, it would be clear that these two are military commanders, or even the masterminds behind this turmoil.

Li Zhao also reached for his spear, thinking to himself that Li Erlang of Longyou was indeed worthy of his reputation. His horsemanship and spearmanship were quite proficient... But it didn't matter. Liang, who was beside him, was a fierce general who could not defeat ten thousand men. Even if he couldn't defeat Li Ji for the time being, I could still attack from the side. I didn't believe I couldn't kill Li Ji.

As he was secretly plotting, he caught a glimpse of Liang Chongyi pulling the reins with his left hand, raising his spear with his right, and then, with a swift, sweeping motion, striking Li Zhao's horse squarely in the rump. Startled, the horse let out a whimper, spread its hooves, and bolted forward.

Li Ji killed several men, but because the Xiangyang soldiers were densely packed and caught off guard, they didn't have time to scatter, making it difficult for him to extend his lance. So he lowered his lance and drew his "Green Lotus Four-Sided Mace" from his back. Where the mace struck, armor shattered and bones broke, and the soldiers scattered.

This is how Li Zhao came to light.