Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Cheng Yuanzhen understood, apologized, went out to inquire, and then rushed back in, loudly proclaiming, "Congratulations everyone! Congratulations to everyone!"

Li Yu raised an eyebrow: "What's so good to hear? Has the barbarian bandits retreated?"

"Although the bandits have not retreated, they are probably not far away—a messenger from Fengxiang reports that the barbarian envoy has come to sue for peace."

Ma Lin and Li Ji repelled the Tibetan army twice at the walls of Yong County, but the number of casualties was limited and did not cripple the Tibetan army. However, Ma Lin's victory was one thing, but Li Ji's victory dealt a great psychological blow to the Western Qiang allied forces.

In particular, Li Ji relayed Li Bi's plan to Ma Lin and Gao Sheng, including ordering the Shuofang army to march south to Yuan and Jing prefectures to seize the opportunity to attack the strongholds of the various Qiang tribes. Ma Lin immediately sent someone to secretly inform Tuoba Chaoguang, with whom he had previously been in contact, and spread the word among the Qiang tribes. As a result, the Dangxiang Qiang left without prior notice, and other tribes such as the Tuyuhun and Nuci also dispersed one after another...

Having gained such a favorable position, Ma Chongying finally persuaded the various tribal leaders to temporarily hold back their troops, send envoys back the captured Tang general Lü Yuejiang, and take the opportunity to negotiate peace with the Tang.

Four days later, the envoy arrived in Chang'an. It was the same envoy who had come a few years before—Qilibuzang, a trusted general of Ma Chongying.

The conditions proposed by the Tibetan side were that both sides agree to take Longdi as the boundary, with the west belonging to Tibet and the east belonging to Tang, and request that the Tang emperor marry Princess Yizhen to Trisong Detsen, so that the two families could form a marriage alliance again.

Chancellor Yuan Zai and others advocated accepting the conditions offered by the Tibetans. They argued that since the prefectures of Longyou had already fallen to the rebels, why cling to empty promises? They suggested waiting until the Tang Dynasty had accumulated strength for several years and the troops in Guanzhong were strong before launching a campaign to retake Longyou through Dazhen Pass.

Alliances are just that—alliances. They can be torn up at any time given the right excuse.

Li Mi, however, held a dissenting opinion, saying: "If the Tibetans gain control of Longyou, they will cut off the Hexi Corridor, leaving Anxi and Beiting isolated. The people in those two places are fierce and control fifty-seven kingdoms in the Western Regions and the Ten Tribes of the Turks, which can restrain the Tibetans. If the court does not abandon Longyou, everyone will look forward to the imperial army's expedition, and they will surely sharpen their swords and take up their bows to fight against the Tibetans. If the court allies with the Tibetans and abandons Longyou, it will be tantamount to abandoning Anxi and Beiting. Those people will deeply resent China, and one day they will invade with the Tibetans as if to settle a personal score."

He suggested that at the negotiating table, the two countries should insist on using Menggu and Chiling as the border, and then retreat eastward mile by mile, with the bottom line being to retain Lanzhou and Weizhou. As for "rewarding" Tibet with some money and silk, that would not be a problem.

The Tang court generally found the marriage proposal acceptable, but Li Yu's desire to marry a daughter of the imperial family was rejected by Qilibuzang—"My family seeks a true princess, why offer a false one?" The negotiating officials explained to him that there was no difference between a true and a false princess, but Qilibuzang simply shook his head: "Li Erlang once said that even Princess Wencheng and Princess Jincheng were false princesses. Why does the Tang family marry a true princess to the Uyghurs, but refuse to marry a true princess to our Tibetan king?"

Li Yu then summoned Li Ji to ask him about it. Li Ji spread his hands and said, "It was just some cursing on the battlefield. There are never any nice words when people curse each other. How could that barbarian have taken it seriously?"

Li Yu said with displeasure, "If you were still a minor general in Longyou, your words could be laughed off. But now that you have become a military governor, how can you defend yourself if the barbarians seize on this as an excuse?"

Otherwise, you should go to the Court of State Ceremonial and explain to them in person.

Li Ji clicked his tongue softly, thinking to himself, "How am I supposed to explain this?" But the emperor's refusal to marry off his daughter showed a bit more humanity than his father's... After thinking for a moment, he crossed his hands and asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, is it truly necessary to negotiate peace with Tibet?"

Li Yu glanced at him in surprise: "If we don't make peace with the barbarians, do you have a plan to repel the enemy?"

Li Ji replied clearly and logically: "The barbarian thieves are insatiable. Having already taken Longyou, they have invaded Fengxiang and now they want the real princess. If we give in too easily, who knows if they won't take advantage of us further? Our Tang Dynasty has negotiated peace with the barbarians more than once, yet war has never ceased. This shows that the Yuan ministers and others have suggested giving in to the barbarians first, and then pursuing Longyou after our national strength has recovered. Even our nation of propriety holds this intention, let alone the barbarian thieves. Even if they achieve their goal this year and retreat, they will surely come back next year."

"The barbarian bandits occupy Longyou and demand that Longdi be used as the boundary, but this is merely to cut off the western route so that they can take Zhenxi and Beiting. Therefore, when my elder brother suggested using Qin and Wei as the boundary, they would certainly not agree. Since they have already seized the land, how could they possibly redeem it with a little wealth? So if they will not agree to use Longdi as the boundary, why would they agree to marry off the princess? Regardless of whether it is true or not."

"Your Majesty's current concern is that the Tibetan rebels still occupy Longshang and are unwilling to retreat hastily. There is a fear that if the peace negotiations fail, they will invade Fengxiang again, threatening Chang'an. However, this time it was not us who sought peace; it was the Tibetans who first sent envoys to request peace. This shows that the rebels have no intention of lingering. Regardless of whether the peace negotiations succeed or fail, they will retreat this year and there will be no further large-scale invasions..."

Li Yu frowned slightly: "Can you guarantee that the barbarian bandits will retreat?"

Li Ji shook his head: "This is my guess, but I dare not say for sure. I only want to remind Your Majesty that what Your Majesty seeks is the retreat of the rebels, not the completion of the agreement."

Li Yu stroked his beard, pondered for a long time, and then said, "The envoy from the barbarian tribe said that as long as the agreement is reached, the army will withdraw, and all the officials agree with this. Only you have a different view... But what plan do you have to make the enemy withdraw their army even if the agreement fails?"

Li Ji pleaded, "Please allow me to discuss this with my elder brother before reporting back to Your Majesty."

He then went to the Hanlin Academy to discuss the matter with Li Mi. Li Mi said, "I also believe that the barbarian bandits have already decided to retreat. Their request for peace is merely a formality. However, the Emperor does not believe it. Therefore, he is willing to defy the Prime Minister and oppose the cession of Longyou, just to delay the time. It is common for peace negotiations to take three to five months to be completed. But can the barbarian bandits really stay for three to five months and not leave by next spring?"

Li Ji advised, "We still need to use some means to hasten the thief's departure and put the emperor's mind at ease."

So he discussed it with Li Bi for a long time, and the next day he went to the Honglu Temple to see Qilibuzang.

However, Li Ji did not go alone; he also brought along two senior military officers—Guo Ziyi and Pugu Huai'en. Meanwhile, Qilibuzang was arguing with the Imperial Censor Xue Jingxian and others, insisting on using Longdi as the boundary and demanding the true princess, when a minor official suddenly reported in. Xue Jingxian immediately got up, straightened his clothes, and went out to greet him.

Qilibuzang was quite puzzled, wondering what was going on. Could it be that the Tang Emperor himself had come to negotiate with him? Probably not... It was most likely the Prime Minister who had come.

He then rose to wait respectfully. Before long, Xue Jingxian led in three people. The first two were dressed in purple robes, at least fifty years old, with robust physiques and vigorous spirits. The last one was an official in a red robe, with a thick beard, but his face looked quite young.

The official in purple robes who was in the lead said, "The Emperor has sent us here to listen to his discussions so that we can report back." He then sat down at the head of the table, waved his hand to signal everyone to sit down, and said, "You gentlemen, please discuss this. We are just here to listen and will not interrupt." Only the official in red robes did not sit down. Instead, he glanced at Qilibuzang with a malicious smile and asked, "Does the envoy recognize me?"

Qilibuzang examined him closely and replied, "You seem somewhat familiar. May I ask who you are...?"

The other party laughed loudly and said, "Of course you look familiar. I have ridden my horse and brandished my spear on the battlefield many times, killing countless of your soldiers and generals. In the Shanxi Valley, I almost captured Ma Chongying, but I was just one step away from erecting the 'Monument to Kill Ma'!"

Qilibuzang was greatly surprised: "You are Li Erlang!"

Li Ji reached out and patted him hard on the shoulder: "You are a famous general of Tibet, yet you escaped on the battlefield. Unexpectedly, you have delivered yourself to our doorstep today..."

Qilibuzang felt a jolt in his heart, and then heard the old man in purple robes at the head of the table reprimand him: "This is the Court of State Ceremonial, Li Weibo must not be disrespectful to the foreign envoys." He then smiled at Qilibuzang: "I have not yet been introduced. I am Guo Ziyi." He pointed to the purple-robed official next to him, who seemed somewhat listless: "This is Pugu Huai'en."

"Greetings to Minister Guo, and Minister Pugu..."

Pugu Huaien shook his head: "I have just received the order to relinquish my position as Left Minister of Works and assume the post of Minister of Agriculture..."

"Congratulations on your promotion, Minister of Works Pugu." Qilibuzang was somewhat knowledgeable about China, which was why Ma Chongying sent him to negotiate peace time and time again. He naturally knew that Minister of Works was one of the Three Dukes, and his position was on par with Grand Commandant Li Guangbi and Minister of Works Guo Ziyi. However, this was just an honorary title given to a military man, and he could not really participate in important military affairs.

Guo Ziyi pointed again: "You recognize Li, the military governor of Weibo." Li Ji smiled sinisterly: "Of course I recognize him, otherwise I wouldn't remember my words on the battlefield the other day, that I would definitely ask for my Tang Zhen princess for the Tibetan king."

Chapter 40, Dong Zhuo's Old Tricks

Several generations of Tang emperors were prolific fathers. Li Yu alone had eleven sons, three of whom were granted the title of prince. As for daughters, he had seven. Moreover, from Princess Yongqing, who was the third in line, all of them were still minors. Princess Lingxian and Princess Zhengding, who were above him, died young. Princess Yongqing had already married Pei Fang.

Therefore, he was unwilling to marry the "real princess" to the Tibetan king—my daughters are all still young, how could I bear to send them to a foreign land and live there forever? He did have a younger sister, Princess Yongmu, whose husband, Wei Hui, had died and she was a widow… but Li Yu still couldn't bear to part with her!

Compared to his father, Emperor Suzong Li Heng, Li Yu still values ​​kinship more—at least so far.

That's why he asked Li Ji to explain to the foreign envoys that in Tang Dynasty, there is only the distinction between princesses and county princesses, not between real princesses and fake princesses. Anyway, there are a lot of women in the imperial family, so we can just confer a princess title and marry her off to Trisong Detsen.

Chancellor Yuan Zai also suggested: "Our Tang Dynasty married the two Ningguo princesses to the Uyghurs, and the Uyghurs twice sent troops to help quell the An Lushan Rebellion; if we could marry the princess to the Tibetan king, it would surely resolve the long-standing feud between the two families, and perhaps even make Tibet no longer our enemy."

Li Mi, however, retorted: "Our Tang dynasty originally married Princess Wencheng and Princess Jincheng to the former Zanpu of Tibet, but the two sides were constantly at war, which shows that marriage alliances could not quell the greed of those barbarians. Marrying princesses to the Uyghurs is a gesture of good neighborliness from the Uyghurs, hence this reward to solidify our friendship; if Tibet is willing to first return Longyou, with Menggu and Chiling as the border, and agree to a peace treaty and cease hostilities, then we can discuss marriage alliances. If they do not agree, and after marrying the princesses, the Yuan prime minister still intends to reclaim Longyou in the future, wouldn't that be untrustworthy, unjust, and damaging to the prestige of our Tang dynasty?"

Actually, Li Mi didn't oppose the Tang-Tibet peace treaty involving marriage alliances, or the marriage of a princess—regardless of whether she was the emperor's own daughter. If a woman could bring an end to the war, that would be incredibly beneficial and cost-effective. The words he used to refute Yuan Zai were ones he had learned from Li Ji during a previous debate.

Li Ji believed that whether two countries went to war or made peace was always determined by the relative strengths of both sides, not by marriage alliances—in political matters, no one truly considers feelings. For example, in the early Han Dynasty, princesses were sent to the Xiongnu for generations, and the Xiongnu invaded year after year. If the son-in-law was powerful, he would still beat his father-in-law. As for Wang Zhaojun's marriage to the Xiongnu, it was only because Huhanye was first driven to desperation that the marriage alliance was used to strengthen the bond between the two families.

Princess Wencheng's marriage to the Tibetans was predicated on the Tibetan invasion, which was soundly defeated by the Tang army. However, the Tang could not launch a full-scale attack on Lhasa and wipe out the entire region. Both sides had the intention to make peace before the marriage was agreed upon. The marriage of Princess Xiao Ningguo to the Uyghur Khan was based on the same principle.

Therefore, marriage alliances are merely icing on the cake; they can bring friendly nations closer, but they cannot turn enemies into friends. If we apply Li Ji's theory to today, then Tibet is unwilling to return Longyou, nor is it willing to withdraw its troops immediately. Its hostility remains deep, and its ambitions remain fervent. So what good would simply marrying a princess do?

Li Bi felt that Li Ji's words seemed to make some sense... but he wasn't completely convinced. Ultimately, for these ancient scholar-officials, regardless of whether it was useful or not, for the sake of the country, what did it matter if a woman's happiness was sacrificed? As for refuting Yuan Zai, he was certain that regardless of whether the peace treaty succeeded or not, the Tibetans would inevitably withdraw their troops. Therefore, it was best to drag out the negotiations and not agree to any of their conditions. Besides, if the princess were really married off, would we still have a legitimate reason to recover Longyou in the future?

Yuan Zai deeply resented Li Bi for this reason, but let's leave that aside for now. After Li Ji and Li Bi made their decision, they reported back to Li Yu. The next day, Li Ji dragged Guo Ziyi and Pugu Huai'en to the Honglu Temple to see Qi Libuzang. The purpose was to show that the Tang Dynasty had gathered many good generals. If you linger and do not leave, you should think carefully about the future war.

He further questioned Qilibuzang: "When I was on the battlefield, you actually believed the real Princess Yunzhen and the fake Princess? If that's the case, I also said that you are all beasts with fur and horns, and that the Tibetan king is a gorilla king. Would you admit that too?!"

Guo Ziyi naturally rebuked him: "Li Weibo, watch your mouth!"

Li Ji rolled his eyes: "I don't know what the sage wants us to hear. Land and population have always been seized by the knife, how can they be settled by negotiating at the dinner table? At the meeting at Mianchi, if Lian Po hadn't deployed his chariots on the border, I bet Lin Xiangru would not have been able to escort King Zhao back to Handan alive!"

"The day before yesterday, before the royal army had assembled, we still had to appease the foreign envoys; now that..."

Guo Ziyi frowned, slapped his thigh, and shouted, "Li Weibo, if you are impatient to listen, you may leave. We will report back to the Emperor afterward!" He abruptly interrupted Li Ji.

Li Ji, looking indignant, bowed to Guo Ziyi, Pugu Huai'en, and the others, then strode away. Qilibuzang, however, couldn't help but wonder: What was Li Ji trying to say? What was this "the royal army hadn't assembled the day before yesterday," and "now..." What does "now" mean?

His mission to sue for peace naturally included the important task of observing the Tang court's movements. Along the way, west of Fengtian, he still saw some fleeing soldiers and civilians, but the closer he got to Chang'an, the more stable the situation became. Especially within Chang'an itself, the markets were prosperous and orderly, much more bustling than on his last trip… It seemed they weren't under much pressure from war.

However, they did find out along the way that Li Ji was heading to Fengxiang with only a thousand cavalrymen, and no infantrymen followed behind. Moreover, it was very likely that they were just imperial guards, not troops from Hebei.

But when Guo Ziyi met Li Ji today, he still referred to him as "Li Weibo," indicating that Li Ji was indeed the military governor of Weibo and had not been transferred to another post. So why would the military governor of Weibo return to the capital at this critical juncture? Did the Tang court actually send troops from Hebei to defend the emperor?

In those days, state institutions generally lacked a sense of secrecy. Unless strictly ordered by their superiors, low-ranking officials and clerks would not know to keep their mouths shut. Therefore, as soon as Qilibuzang entered Chang'an, he ordered his subordinates to find various opportunities and channels to inquire about the movements of the Tang court. Just yesterday, they received a report that a troop of soldiers came from the southeast, rested briefly south of Chang'an, and then set off westward.

The number of soldiers was small, only three or four thousand, and their equipment was incomplete. They were operating under the banner of "Shannan East Circuit".

—In fact, Li Qijun had just gathered the defeated soldiers who had fled to Shangzhou and arrived in Chang'an when he was ordered to go west to aid Fengxiang.

Qilibu Zang thought to himself, "If it were just these loyal troops, I would have no fear." But upon meeting Li Ji today, that burly man, in a moment of carelessness, seemed to have revealed some heavenly secret… That evening, upon returning to the inn, a servant secretly reported—

“Last night a Tang army came from the northeast, crossed the Wei Bridge and headed west.”

"Where are the flags, and how many soldiers are there?"

"There were no fewer than ten thousand men. It was too dark to see the flags clearly, but there were many cavalrymen among them."

Qilibuzang couldn't help but feel suspicious. Then, the following evening, he received another report: "Another Tang army is coming from the east, bypassing the city from the north and heading west to the Three Bridges. There are also 10,000 troops, with many cavalry. The banners of 'Weibo' and 'Zhaoyi' can be vaguely seen."

Qilibuzang was shocked: "They really are Li Ji's Hebei soldiers!"

In reality, there were hardly any Hebei soldiers. This was a plan Li Ji devised for Li Yu, imitating Dong Zhuo's strategy of controlling the capital at the end of the Han Dynasty. The plan involved ordering the Northern Imperial Guards to feign an attack, fly flags, and sneak out of the north of the city. They would then bypass Chang'an from different directions, pretending to head west. Although Qilibuzang was quite shrewd, he had never seen such a trick before and fell for it.

Hmm, that makes sense. Hebei and Chang'an are a long and arduous journey, thousands of miles apart. Li Ji must have been eager to serve the emperor, so he rode ahead at full speed while his main army followed behind...

So he hurriedly sent someone back to report to Ma Chongying, saying that the Tang army that came to the aid of the emperor had gathered, and that no fewer than ten thousand of them passed through Chang'an every night! Ma Chongying thought to himself, "Really? I haven't seen any of them. Since Qilibuzang said that the Tang army bypasses Chang'an at night, they must have secretly gathered somewhere beforehand and planned to attack me together!"

My location is quite strategic; even if the Tang army numbered 100,000, I would have nothing to fear. My only concern is that they might split up and try to outflank me again… So I discussed this with the other officials. They had already plundered enough, and all their wealth had been transported back to the plateau via Longyou, which somewhat diminished their fighting spirit. They had originally hoped to capture Chang'an and plunder it, but hearing that Tang armies from all directions were coming to the emperor's aid was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing their greed. Therefore, they all suggested that we withdraw our troops.

So Ma Chongying ordered Qilibuzang to continue negotiating with the Tang people—you must stick to your terms, even though the chances of reaching an agreement are slim, just in case—and then he led his army away overnight. Several days later, when the news reached Chang'an, the emperor and his ministers, from Li Yu down, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, we can enjoy a peaceful and uneventful New Year.

In about half a month, it would be the second year of Guangde. A letter arrived from the east, saying that under Yan Zhenqing's coordination, the autumn grain had been stored, the military supplies were sufficient, and the local area was relatively peaceful. Therefore, Li Ji was not in a hurry to return to the town and reported to Li Yu, asking him to leave after the New Year. Li Yu agreed.

Before the New Year, several riders came from the west and entered Chang'an City, seeking refuge at Li Ji's residence in Pingkang Ward. Li Ji welcomed them in, overjoyed.

He was short of men, so when he rushed to the rescue of Fengxiang the day before, Gao Sheng hosted a banquet to welcome him. Li Ji, hiding his face with wine, made an "unsolicited request" to Gao Sheng. He considered that he had served under Li Tan, the military governor of Longyou, and was familiar with most of the generals in Longyou. After the fall of Longyou, some of his troops followed Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong to Hexi. Soon after, the two generals were given important positions in Zhenxi and Beiting, while some returned east and were incorporated into the Fengxiang army. Therefore, he discussed with Gao Sheng, "I am short of men under my command. Could you spare a few of my former generals from Longyou?"

Gao Sheng initially agreed readily, but the next day, when Li Ji presented the list, he changed his mind. However, Gao Sheng's reasons were quite valid: Now that Longyou has fallen and Fengxiang Prefecture is directly facing the enemy, its soldiers and generals are already in short supply; how could there be any reason to weaken them further? Besides, even if I agree to your request, I might not be able to get past the imperial court.

Therefore, Gao Sheng agreed to allocate a few officers and soldiers below the sixth rank to Li Ji. As for those above the sixth rank—that would have to go through the Ministry of War, which would be a big problem, so let's talk about it another day.

As a result, Chen Fu, Yi Tiechui, and others who had fought alongside Li Ji in Longyou were removed from the list. In the end, Li Ji only managed to get three people: Jia Huai, Ma Meng, a young general brought back from Hexi, and Xu Yu, a former Shence Army general who had been demoted for offending Liu Xixian and whom Li Ji had introduced to Longyou.

Actually, Xu Yu had originally reached the rank of a sixth-grade junior officer, but after his defeat and abandonment of Fuqiang County, he was demoted to the seventh grade, which was just the right position.

The three arrived in Chang'an before the new year and temporarily stayed at Li Ji's residence.

Author's note: There will be two updates today, please look forward to it.

Chapter 41, Attire of All Nations

The New Year's Day holiday was seven days long. Even Li Bi, who was often away from home, returned from the palace to celebrate New Year's Eve. Qingluan, Cui Cuo, and Li Bi's wife, Lady Lu, gathered in the kitchen from the afternoon and were busy all day long. However, the latter two probably only talked and did not lift a finger. At night, they held a grand banquet at Li Bi's residence to entertain the guests.

We don't need to invite relatives and friends; everyone has their own family, and everyone needs to go home to reunite.

That night, the imperial guards did not enforce the curfew. At midnight, Li Bi ordered a ten-foot-long bamboo pole, prepared beforehand, to be placed at the entrance and set ablaze from bottom to top. Immediately, smoke and flames billowed, crackling loudly—this was called firecrackers, or exploding poles. Li Ji asked, "Brother, what if there's no bamboo to be found in the north?" Li Bi glanced at him: "Customs vary across the hundred states of the world; where there's no bamboo, there are no exploding poles. The *Jingchu Suishi Ji* (Chronicle of Seasonal Customs in Jingchu) first recorded this custom, saying that its loud explosions could ward off evil spirits. Whether it's effective or not, we don't know—you don't seem afraid at all."

Li Ji smiled and said, "Brother, do you think I'm some kind of evil spirit?" In his heart, he thought, "Just hearing the crisp sounds but not smelling the gunpowder doesn't feel like the New Year's spirit is quite lacking..."

As the night deepened and the drums sounded, it was already the new year. Brothers, relatives, and friends exchanged greetings and salutations. Immediately afterwards, the Li brothers bathed in fragrant water, changed into new clothes, and rode out on horseback—they had to go and pay their respects to the emperor for the New Year.

On the morning of New Year's Day, all officials in Chang'an, whether from the capital or temporarily residing outside the capital, were required to attend the morning court ceremony to celebrate the New Year. Among them, the Three Dukes, the Prime Minister, and the Grand Guard, among others, used birch wood to light torches, with hundreds of torches following them. For a time, Chang'an was ablaze with red, earning it the nickname "Fire City." Li Ji rode his horse among the crowd, thinking to himself that this custom had supposedly continued for decades, and it was fortunate that it hadn't burned down Chang'an.

Li Bi enjoyed the emperor's deep favor and was appointed a Hanlin Academician, commonly known as the "Inner Chancellor," wielding considerable power. Emperor Taizong initially appointed Yu Shinan and others as Academicians of the Hongwen Pavilion to participate in important matters; Emperor Gaozong shared the power of the prime minister with Liu Yizhi, Yuan Wanqing, and others, who were then called "Northern Gate Academicians"; Emperor Xuanzong initially established the Hanlin Academy, appointing Zhang Yue, Lu Jian, Zhang Jiuling, and others to manage it, acting as deputies to the prime minister. This was entirely different from Li Bai, who was merely a "waiting-for-orders Hanlin Academician," only responsible for writing poetry and prose—all officials bowed to him along the way. As for Li Ji, a favorite general of the current emperor and a regional military governor, he was also highly regarded, and through this, he met many new faces.

—In the later years of Emperor Suzong's reign, Li Fuguo was in power and he demoted many loyal and virtuous officials. After Li Yu ascended the throne, he recalled them one by one. Among them were many people whom Li Ji had only met once or twice several years ago when he was guarding the palace, and had long forgotten about them.

For example, when Li Bi encountered a middle-aged official in a red robe, he introduced him as Jia Zhi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Jia Zhi had passed the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong and was appointed magistrate of Shanfu County. Later, he followed Emperor Xuanzong to Sichuan, rose to the position of Imperial Secretary and Drafter of Imperial Edicts, and was demoted to Prefect of Yuezhou during the Zhide era. He only returned last year. Li Ji thought for a moment, seemingly remembering him, and asked, "Isn't this the Jia Zhi, the one who wrote 'Silver candles illuminate the long purple road'?"

Li Bi smiled and said, "It is indeed this person."