Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

"However, the feudal lords are at war every day, causing immense suffering and death. The world longs for peace and unity—but where is the peace?!"

"Was it the Zhou dynasty that declined first and then the feudal lords fought, or the feudal lords that fought and then the Zhou dynasty declined? During the reign of Emperor Wu Cheng, how could the feudal lords have dared to annex and seize territory for themselves? Moreover, at the beginning of the Zhou dynasty, the territory was only a thousand li of the royal domain. The two dukes of Zhou and Shao still regarded themselves as small states. If there were no feudal lords, Longyou, Jiaodong, Youji, Bashu, Wuyue, and even the whole of Chu would be barbarians forever!"

Li Ji was somewhat speechless, thinking to himself, "Brother, your words weren't this sharp last time we debated. Did you figure things out while hiding in the mountains, or did you learn to be a troll from me?"

Li Bi spread his palms out and pressed them down slightly, meaning let's not go off-topic and get back to the topic—"The accumulated problems did not happen overnight, and it is now impossible to return to the state at the beginning of the dynasty—even if the current emperor has the talent of Emperor Taizong, it will be useless unless he personally leads the imperial guards and fights another rebellion at the end of the Sui Dynasty!"

"I know you privately compare me to Zhuge Liang. Let's not say I'm inferior; even if I had Zhuge Liang's talent, given the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, I would never have been able to restore the dynasty, and could only maintain a precarious existence in a corner of the land. It was the times, the circumstances, that were beyond human control..."

Li Ji remained silent.

He knew he was a "keyboard warrior," whose greatest skill was simplifying complex social realities to offer unsolicited advice, believing he had grasped the magic formula for governing and saving the world. In reality, however, any pragmatic person in any era needs to grope in the dark, even taking many detours and making numerous compromises, before they can possibly guide reality onto their ideal path—and even then, success is rare, while failure is rampant…

His original plan for the Tang Dynasty's current situation was quite simple: as long as the emperor didn't lose his mind, and there were virtuous ministers in the court and good generals leading the troops, they could first quell the rebellion in Guandong, then at least strip the military power of the regional military governors in the interior, turn swords into plowshares, and send the soldiers back to farming. After accumulating wealth for a few years, they could largely solve the financial crisis, and then force the Tibetans back to the plateau in one fell swoop.

By then, even if we can't return to our former glory, we can at least enjoy peace for several decades or even a hundred years.

However, today, Li Bi laid all the problems bare before him—the border garrisons could not be withdrawn, nor could the inland garrisons; hundreds of thousands of soldiers were unwilling to return to farming; and the national treasury was unlikely to see any significant improvement… What good was being invincible if he could only defeat one opponent in the world? Wouldn't he end up like Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu?

Li "Keyboard Warrior," if you don't approve of my plan, what's your solution? Tell me.

"Are you really going to officially appoint all the military governors?"

Li Bi shook his head: "Who said we need real fiefdoms? It's just as you said, changing to a three-tiered administrative system, giving local authorities more power, so the court can ease its burdens and reorganize the Imperial Guards in preparation for unforeseen circumstances. If we can resolve the external threats, we can gradually weaken the border garrisons; if we can train a combat-ready Imperial Guard directly under the Emperor, we can gradually weaken the inland garrisons. These are not things that can be accomplished in ten or twenty years, and adjustments may be needed depending on the changing situation. But for now, it's not as simple as you, Changwei, imagine. You can't just quell the rebellion in Guandong and then take back even just the military power of the various military governors and defenders in the interior."

He paused for a moment, then continued, “Since the various military governors wield great power, there are bound to be those who disobey the king’s orders, such as Lai Zhen today, or even An Lushan and Shi Siming in the past. The court should mediate and make the various military governors check and balance each other. Even so, it is impossible to guarantee that there will be no chaos. This is precisely the time for you, Changwei, to use your military skills.”

Li Ji waved his hand: "We'll talk about the future later. But in your opinion, brother, is there any chance of victory in this eastern expedition?"

Li Bi nodded: "In my opinion, Luoyang can definitely be recovered. The country's army is now stronger than during the Zhide and Qianyuan eras, and Shi Chaoyi is not only inferior to An Lushan and his father, but also to An Qingxu. The people of Hebei are scattered, and the various military governors are practically independent. He only truly commands Henan..."

Li Ji expressed his agreement: "I think so too. However, Luoyang is easy to recapture, but Hebei is difficult to conquer. As your elder brother is in court, I hope you will advise the Emperor not to be impatient and to urge the generals at the front. Perhaps after the army recaptures Luoyang, it can temporarily be stationed in Wei and Xiang prefectures to exert its power, and wait until next year to seek an opportunity to launch a major offensive."

"Hebei is a vast and flat region with a large population. It is said that Shi's various military governors in Hebei, plus the military governor of Youzhou, have gathered no less than 200,000 troops! If we rush to attack, we may suffer another defeat like that of Xiangzhou, and the restoration of Luoyang will once again be in vain."

Li Bi smiled slightly: "No. The court can hardly supply more than 100,000 troops to stay on the front line for a long time; moreover, the barbarian bandits are approaching Longshang, and the Dangxiang and Nuci are causing trouble. Fengxiang and even Chang'an may be threatened at any time. Even if Hebei is pacified, the army will still need to reorganize for one or two years before it can defend the west. How can we expect Hebei to be pacified?"

"Then what plan does my brother have to secure Hebei, or even Youzhou and Jizhou, in this battle?"

Li Bi slowly said, "This is what I told you before. You should think about it carefully."

Li Ji guessed that Li Bi's intention was to massively recruit and accept rebels, allowing the rebel military governors of Hebei and even Youzhou to retain their old troops and territories, maintaining a semi-separatist stance, in exchange for their temporary non-opposition to the court. But—

"Brother, aren't you afraid that another Shi Siming will emerge?"

"Shi Siming surrendered and then rebelled again because he held the major town of Fanyang and also had influence in Hebei. Wherever his banners pointed, all the counties in Hebei submitted to him, making him like another An Lushan. The government army would naturally find it difficult to control him. If we allow the surrendered generals to divide Hebei and check each other, and the court then shows them favor, perhaps the chaos will not occur. Moreover, as mentioned before, the towns within the territory should not be abolished, not only to resist the border but also to monitor Hebei."

"Most importantly, the imperial court relies heavily on the southeast for its wealth, so military governors must be stationed along the canal to guard it. In the past, if it weren't for Zhang Xun's foresight in fiercely resisting Suiyang and ensuring that supplies were not lacking, the imperial court would probably have collapsed long ago."

Finally, he also advised Li Ji: "I know that Changwei is most concerned about the western affairs and regrets that he could go to the western barbarians as soon as the eastern chaos was quelled. But I suggest that now that Hebei is pacified, Changwei can take a town in the Central Plains as his military governor, slowly accumulate and train troops, and then listen to the court's summons to gather and drive out the western barbarians."

These past few days, whenever Li Ji had a spare moment, he would repeatedly ponder Li Mi's parting words. The more he thought about it, the more he felt as if there was a tangled mess before him, impossible to untangle. He thought to himself, "The situation might not be as difficult or even pessimistic as Li Mi described. As long as I have troops in my hands and grain in my granary, I can cut through this mess with a single sword stroke; what about the Hebei rebels, what about the Western Barbarians, what about the Nanzhao? I'll wipe them all out for you to see—Li Shi promised me 100,000 troops!"

But then consider Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi. Their direct troops might not even reach 100,000, yet they still faced suspicion from two emperors. One is currently sidelined in Chang'an, while the other will eventually return to join him. But even with these two in retirement, battles still need someone to lead them, so the period of being sidelined might grow longer… Could there be a place reserved for me in this situation?

I don't want to end up like Guo Ziyi!

If that's the case, the army can't be large enough, and financial power will still depend on the court... How arduous and frustrating would those battles be! How can this problem be solved? Should we really implement a feudal system, as Li Mi suggested?

In this era, it is often impossible to have both oneself and the country. Being a loyal minister may mean being sidelined or even being eliminated by the emperor on the pretext of being slandered. Being a powerful minister... given the Tang Dynasty's current strict bureaucratic system, and the fact that it is not yet over, it is probably even more difficult.

Well, let's take it one step at a time. First, let's quell the rebellion in Hebei. As Li Bi suggested, let's get a military governorship first.

Speaking of Pugu Huai'en's strategy towards the surrendered generals in Hebei, it coincided with Li Mi's—he came from Hedong to gather the generals in Shaanxi. Neither Li Mi nor Li Yu had spoken to him directly, nor could they have issued any secret edicts behind the generals' backs; it was mostly a decision made by themselves. Was his aim to quickly pacify Hebei, and even Youzhou and Jizhou, so that the country could gain a precious respite, or did he harbor some other ulterior motive?

"When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked." He should leave more potential enemies to prevent the court from discarding him after he has served his purpose.

Regardless, Li Yu certainly hoped the war in Guandong would end as soon as possible—because the court could no longer afford the supplies—and if Li Mi were to offer further advice, he would most likely approve of Pugu Huai'en's approach. Li Baoyu and his ilk were merely playing the villains, yet they couldn't harm Pugu Huai'en in the slightest.

It is said that Li Baoyu, Xin Yunjing and others were all from Hexi and had been stationed on the northern border for a long time. In a broad sense, they could also be considered generals of the Shuofang Army. So, did they really intend to impeach Pugu Huaien out of public interest, or did they want to overthrow the Pugu clan so that they could take control of the Shuofang Army themselves?

----------

The Tang army remained on the south bank of the Zhang River and did not advance north.

This was partly because the transport route was too long and supplies were gradually running out. Pugu Huaien ordered the surrendered generals in the vicinity to empty their treasuries to provide for the army's needs. On the other hand, the elite troops of Youzhou numbered nearly 100,000. If they were to defend their positions in the mountains, the government troops would certainly find it difficult to defeat them. It was better to wait for them to rush south and then launch a head-on attack.

It wasn't until after New Year's Day, entering the second year of Baoying, that Pugu Huai'en ordered the various tribes to cross the river one after another and enter the territory of Shen and Ying prefectures. But before they even reached Mozhou, good news arrived—Shi Chaoyi had already been beheaded.

It turned out that Li Huaixian, the military governor of Fanyang (Youzhou) and a member of the rebel army, had long understood the situation and surrendered through his acquaintance, the eunuch Luo Fengxian. When Shi Chaoyi led his troops to flee to Fanyang County, Li Baozhong, the military commander of Fanyang, refused to let them in. As a result, Shi Chaoyi's troops scattered, and he fled eastward to Guangyang with only a few hundred Hu cavalry—but Guangyang City also refused to open its gates.

In the end, Shi Chaoyi had no choice but to flee north, intending to escape into the territory of the Khitan and Xi tribes. However, he was overtaken by Li Huaixian's troops when he reached Wenquanzha. With nowhere else to turn, Shi Chaoyi went into the forest and hanged himself. Li Huaixian cut off his head and presented it to the Tang army camp.

Just then, an imperial edict was issued—Li Baoyu and Xin Yunjing jointly impeached Pugu Huaien. This matter was not intended to be concealed, nor could it be hidden from Pugu Huaien at all. Huaien then submitted a memorial to defend himself. Li Yu issued an edict forbidding the impeachment by Li and Xin, and instead comforted and encouraged Pugu Huaien—just as Li Ji had predicted.

Furthermore, the edict reiterated: "Those who have accepted false officials in Tokyo, Henan, and the north will not be questioned."

Upon hearing the news, Li Ji thought to himself, "It's a good thing I killed Xu Shuji beforehand, otherwise, according to Li Yu's wishes, that guy would also be among those pardoned!"

Having obtained Shi Chaoyi's head, the three armies cheered and celebrated in Gaoyang City for several days before parting ways to return in triumph. Not long after, an imperial edict arrived, ordering Hebei and Youzhou to be at peace, and granting all former An Lushan and Shi Chaoyi generals who had surrendered local authority.

The surrendered generals were ranked, and Zhang Zhongzhi was the one with the greatest merit—he was the first to surrender in Hebei and opened the gates of Jingxing. He was then granted the surname Li, the name Baochen, and appointed as the Inspector of the Ministry of Rites and the Military Governor of Chengde, governing the five prefectures of Heng, Zhao, Shen, Ding, and Yi.

Secondly, there was Xue Song. Just as Qin Rui had predicted, Xue Song was, after all, the grandson of Xue Rengui, and the Tang court trusted him the most for his surrender. Xue Song was appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the Grand Censor, the Prefect of Xiangzhou, and the Military Governor of Zhaoyi Army, in charge of the five prefectures of Xiang, Wei, Ming, Xing, and Ci.

The third was Tian Chengsi, who was appointed as the Inspector of the Ministry of Revenue, the Governor of Jizhou, and the Military Commissioner of Four Prefectures, overseeing the four prefectures of Ji, Cang, Ying, and Di.

Finally, it was Qin Rui's turn. He got up very early but arrived late, only to be appointed as the Acting Vice Minister of Works, Prefect of Beizhou, and Defense Commissioner of two prefectures, overseeing Beizhou and Dezhou. Qin Rui was extremely frustrated, but what frustrated him most was that Tian Chengsi was actually ranked above him!

He secretly resolved to muster his troops and prepare for battle, to find an opportunity to unite with Xue Song, Zhang Zhong... no, Li Baochen, to completely crush Tian Chengsi and devour all his land and troops!

On their return journey, the armies received another imperial edict appointing Li Huaixian as the Chief Administrator of the Youzhou Grand General's Office, Inspector-General, and Military Governor of Youzhou and Lulong, effectively giving him control over the nine prefectures of You, Ji, Ying, Zhuo, Ping, Tan, Gui, Ying, and Mo.

As Li Mi pointed out, the armies of Youzhou and Lulong, being border towns, needed to be heavily garrisoned to defend against the incursions of the Khitan and Xi tribes. Furthermore, centralized command was essential. In addition, Li Huaixian presented Shi Chaoyi's head, thus receiving exceptionally generous rewards from the court. The establishment of the three towns in Hebei was not only to quickly stabilize the local situation and alleviate the court's concerns about the east, but also to monitor Youzhou; the towns in Henan and Hedong remained in place to monitor Hebei…

Chapter Ten, Singing in the Daytime

When Li Ji led his troops back to Luoyang, he received a letter from Cui Cuo saying that everything was fine at home and his wife and daughters were safe. Moreover, just a few days after New Year's Day, Li Yu personally officiated at the wedding, tying Li Bi and Lady Lu together. Li Bi had already moved next door, but although he had been appointed as a Hanlin Academician, he still spent most of his time in the palace...

In addition, there was a piece of paper attached. When Li Ji unfolded it, he was surprised to find that it was in Du Fu's handwriting...

Li Tan hastily left his post to attend the funeral that day, and his colleagues... oh, his advisors, were not able to go with him. He would only have the opportunity to recommend Yang Yan and others to the court after Li Yu ordered him to guard the mausoleum and wear mourning for Emperor Suzong for three years. It was also a condition, you could say, you took away my power as military governor, you should at least arrange a good place for my subordinates.

Because Li Tan recommended Yang Yan for his financial management skills, he was appointed as the Vice Minister of Revenue to assist Vice Minister Liu Yan in managing financial affairs; Xue Yong was appointed as the Right Remonstrance Official and Acting Assistant Minister of Rites; Zhang Zhu was appointed as the Prefect of Lizhou; and Yuan Xiu was appointed as the Prefect of Tanzhou.

As for Du Fu, he was appointed as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Works.

Du Fu sent a poem to Li Ji through Cui Cuo, titled "Hearing of the Recovery of Henan and Hebei by the Imperial Army, and Sending it to Li Erlang":

"Suddenly, news came from the capital that Jibei had been recovered; upon hearing it, tears streamed down my face. But where was my wife and children's sorrow? I rolled up my books and poems, overjoyed. In broad daylight, I sang and drank freely, my youthful dreams taking me home. I wonder, though I am far from home, awaiting the arrival of my troops; will they journey from Xingyang to Luoyang?"

—Du Fu was from Henan, and his hometown was in Gongxian, which happened to be between Xingyang and Luoyang. It was a crucial point on his return journey, hence these words.

Li Ji repeatedly recited the couplet, "Looking back, where is my wife's sorrow? I roll up my books and am overjoyed," and couldn't help but savor the lingering fragrance. He immediately ordered his personal guards, "Bring a jar of tea." It's a pity there's no wine in the army, otherwise I would also like to indulge in a drink.

In addition, Cui Cuo mentioned three important political matters in his letter.

Firstly, last autumn the Tubo invaded again. Lai Shi's troops were exhausted and unable to resist, leading to the fall of Lanzhou... The Tubo cavalry moved in and out between Qin and Wei, but fortunately, heavy snow fell and they retreated.

Secondly, Liu Yan was transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel and concurrently Chancellor, officially becoming the prime minister, but he still held the positions of Commissioner of Revenue, Salt and Iron, Coinage, and Transport as before—meaning he simultaneously controlled both financial power and the power to appoint and dismiss personnel.

Thirdly, Lai Zhen was killed...

The former traitor Xie Qinrang attacked Huaixi and besieged Wang Zhongsheng, the military governor of Huaixi, in Shenzhou. Wang Zhongsheng sought help from Lai Zhen, but Lai Zhen, harboring resentment for his past impeachment, delayed sending troops, leading to the fall of the city and Wang Zhongsheng's capture. Wang Zhongsheng feigned surrender and sought to survive. When he heard that Shi Chaoyi had been defeated at Zhaojue Temple, he hid in Luoyang through Yu Ling and did not flee east with Shi Chaoyi... He was then sent back to Chang'an by Pugu Huai'en.

Taking advantage of the situation, Wang Zhongsheng ingratiated himself with Cheng Yuanzhen and, through Cheng Yuanzhen, submitted a memorial claiming that Lai Zhen had conspired with the rebels in the past, which led to Lai Zhen's capture by the traitors. Li Yu was furious and stripped Lai Zhen of his official titles and ranks, exiling him to Bozhou. On the way, he issued an edict ordering Lai Zhen's execution…

To be honest, Li Ji didn't have a good impression of Lai Zhen to begin with, largely due to Wang Zhongsheng. Although Wang Zhongsheng was nowhere near as good as Zhang Xun, and Shenzhou wasn't Suiyang, given the precedents of Zhang Xun and Suiyang, Li Ji naturally despised, even hated, those who had the ability to rescue but instead watched their colleagues suffer defeat. Not to mention, Li Ji had already mentioned to Li Bi Lai Zhen's aggression in holding onto his troops and refusing to return to court several times; this guy had to be severely punished, otherwise, this unhealthy trend wouldn't be stopped!

However, people's thoughts often follow their own desires, and desires can change direction... Now that Li Ji commands a large army and is a regional general like Lai Zhen, rather than the commander of the Imperial Guards, he can't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow when Lai Zhen is killed.

The key point is that this fellow had only been back in the capital for a few months, and just because of his past actions, he was completely wiped out. That would have been one thing, but was it really necessary to take his life on the way? Given Lai Zhen's past achievements, shouldn't he have been spared the death penalty? Was it because the news of the pacification of the Guandong Rebellion reached Chang'an that Li Yu finally felt at ease enough to settle accounts with "Lai Chewing Iron" later?

But have you considered the feelings of the soldiers? You just pardoned the rebel generals of Hebei and Youzhou, appointed them all as military governors and defense commanders, and put them in charge of their old territories. But then you turn around and kill your own generals. How can the generals who went on the expedition not feel disheartened?

As expected, the news spread, causing a great deal of discussion in the army. However, no one dared to blame the emperor; instead, all the blame was directed at Cheng Yuanzhen, and—those eunuchs who had always disliked him. The first to approach Li Ji was Liang Chongyi, who stated his position directly, saying he was truly wronged…

However, I am now under Li Fangyu's command and must obey your orders. There are quite a few in the Xiangyang army who feel wronged for General Lai and are conspiring together, possibly planning to cause trouble. What do you think I should do, arrest them or not?

Li Ji smiled slightly: "Just prevent them from causing trouble; there's no need to arrest them."

The second person to come to us was Wang Jiahe. He first struck up a conversation with Li Ji about their past relationship—back when we jointly led the Yingwu Army, our relationship was quite harmonious, wasn't it? You almost dressed up as Weituotian shirtless, and it was I who helped inform Li Fuguo—then he mentioned that all the armies were both afraid of and contemptuous of the supervising eunuch, and that he felt very uneasy sitting in his position…

Could you please speak to Prince Yong and also mention it to Mr. Changyuan, earnestly requesting that His Majesty summon me back to the capital to resume my command of the Northern Imperial Guards? I do not intend to serve as the Military Inspector again. Otherwise, since Yu Chaoen has recovered from his illness, should we still let him come?

Li Ji thought to himself, "How could that be? I finally managed to remove Yu Chaoen's military power and weaken his influence. How could I let the tiger return to the mountain? Moreover, I reckon that with Cheng Yuanzhen blocking the way, Yu Chaoen will never have the chance to make a comeback in his former prominent position."

But he didn't want Wang Jiahe to go back and lead the Imperial Guards, feeling that if the Imperial Guards were controlled by these eunuchs, there would be endless troubles...

He casually joked, "Since all the armies have appointed military supervisors, why don't you come with me to the eastern route of Shannan?"

Wang Jiahe smiled mysteriously, with an air of smugness as if he had inside information: "I'm afraid Erlang won't be able to return to Shannan East Road." Then he pouted and leaned close to Li Ji's ear.

Li Ji thought to himself, "When we were in the Forbidden City, I thought this Wang was quite pleasing to the eye. Not only was he handsome, but he was also almost unsmiling. How come he turned out to be so effeminate and cunning after we got to know each other? Is this a common problem among you spineless cowards?"

Wang Jiahe whispered in his ear, "All the prefectures in Hebei have been granted fiefs to the surrendered generals, but two of them have been spared..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was somewhat surprised.

Currently, the region is in a semi-encirclement of Hebei and even Youzhou. To the northwest is Xin Yunjing, the military governor of Hedong stationed in Taiyuan; to the west are Wang Ang, the military governor of Hezhong Prefecture, and Li Baoyu, the military governor of Luze Prefecture, stationed in Heyang; to the southwest is Guo Yingyi, who is temporarily in charge of the Eastern Capital; to the south are Linghu Zhang, the military governor of Yicheng Army, and Neng Yuanhao, the military governor of Tianping Army—in fact, these two are also surrendered generals, only they surrendered a little earlier; to the southeast are Tian Shenggong, the military governor of Pinglu Army, and Hou Xiyi, the military governor of Ziqing Army.

Li Ji had also considered that Li Bi hoped to temporarily reside in Guandong, on the one hand to monitor the towns in Hebei, and on the other hand to prepare troops and horses, and then obey the imperial edict to go west to defend against the barbarians after a few years. Where could he possibly put himself?

He himself still hoped to stay in Shannan East Circuit, but preferably not in the east, but in the west, to succeed Li Xijun as the Jinshangdu Defense Commissioner. This way, he could defend the capital region to the north and assist Henan to the east. Even if he went west to Fengxiang and Longyou, the distance would not be too far...

If stationed in Guandong, he could either replace Wang Ang as the military governor of Hedong—Wang Ang was notorious for his corruption and lawlessness—or rebuild the Xuanwu Army to command Bian, Song, and Bo, or rebuild the Zhongwu Army to command Chen, Xu, and Cai, overseeing the grain transport along the Yangtze and Huai rivers. The Xuanwu Army's location, in particular, was near Suiyang, where Zhang Xun had fiercely defended it, making it a crucial point for maintaining the court's financial lifeline.

He never considered why, among all the prefectures in Hebei, those that had been granted titles to surrendered generals were left vacant, except for two prefectures...

These two prefectures, bordered by the Yellow River to the south and overlooking Ming and Bei to the north, resemble a sharp blade thrust out from Henan Province, poised precisely at the heart of the Hebei garrisons—truly a crucial strategic point. If they fall into the hands of surrendered generals, they could directly threaten Yun and Pu in Henan, creating a significant breach in the encirclement; but if they remain in the hands of the imperial court, they can be used to restrain the surrendered generals from making any rash moves.

Therefore, it seems quite likely that he will be granted these two states.

At this strategic juncture, a capable general is essential; simply picking a few insignificant officials from the court is certainly insufficient. However, the Li family has a tradition of distrusting their generals, so the emperor will not be at ease no matter who is appointed. Among the generals, I am considered one of the closer to Li Yu and his son, and having remained in a low-ranking position, I can be considered a regional general handpicked by Li Yu… Unless Li Yu has already made up his mind to change the heir apparent, he will most likely use me.

After seeing Wang Jiahe off, he summoned Yin Shen and ordered him to select several capable江湖异人 (jianghu yiren, people of different ethnicities) to "return to Hebei and survey the situation in Wei and Bo prefectures—the more detailed the information, the better, including geography, people, customs, and local specialties."

The army stayed in Luoyang for several days before splitting up and returning to their respective garrisons. Only a small number of soldiers remained to protect their commanders as they returned to Shanzhou, where they would then follow the marshal to Chang'an to report back and request rewards. Li Ji naturally also sent the Xiangyang troops back, temporarily placing them under the command of Liang Chongyi. Half of the Shangzhou troops were returned to Li Qijun, with only several hundred former Suiyang soldiers, including Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun, remaining by his side.

Upon arriving in Shanzhou, Li Shi personally greeted them outside the city and then held a grand banquet for his generals. Two days later, Li Shi led his troops in triumph, and incidentally, he also loaded Consort Shen onto a cart and brought her along with the army.

"Your Majesty promised that we would wait until the chaos in Guandong was quelled before discussing my mother's matter. But I cannot let you 'discuss it again.' This time, I must act unilaterally. Otherwise, I fear that after returning to Chang'an, I will find it difficult to leave again, and I will not know when I will be able to reunite with my beloved mother."

His move caught Li Yu completely off guard, and under the persuasion of his ministers, he reluctantly and formally conferred the title of Imperial Concubine on Lady Shen, welcoming her into the Daming Palace. However, Imperial Concubine Shen did not stay in the palace for long before she simply moved out to live with her son—but that's another story, so let's leave it at that.

In preparation for this victory celebration, as soon as news of Li Yu's recapture of Luoyang that winter arrived, he forced Liu Yan to rob Peter to pay Paul, squeezing out a sum of money to hastily repair the Xuanzheng Hall. He then held a grand court session in the Xuanzheng Hall, summoning his generals and receiving congratulations from his officials. Nearly a year had passed since Emperor Suzong's death, and only now did Li Yu finally show a hint of a smile on his face in formal settings, instead of his previous stern, almost menacing expression.