Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

At the beginning of the An Lushan Rebellion, prices in the capital soared, with a dou (a unit of dry measure) of rice costing a thousand coins. Even the imperial kitchens lacked enough for a single season's supply. It was only through Liu Yan's tireless efforts that prices were managed to be brought down. Liu Yan's policies primarily involved reforming the salt monopoly and the Ever-Normal Granary system, and innovating the Grand Canal. While these measures couldn't fundamentally solve the problem, they minimized losses in the distribution sector and channeled some local revenues back to the court. However, the problem was that Li Yu was using money from the Imperial Treasury to reward the imperial guards, and now he was rewarding Li Ji. He wasn't using private royal funds, but rather state funds…

In the past, Fifth Qi was in charge of finance and managed the Left Treasury. Because many powerful figures in the capital sought rewards that he could not refuse, he suggested that taxes from various regions be directly deposited into the Emperor's private Great Treasury... From then on, public and private funds were no longer distinguished. If he encountered a spendthrift emperor, no matter how capable the financial officials were, they would inevitably be unable to make ends meet! Fortunately, it seems that Li Yu is somewhat more frugal than his father... However, he is never stingy when it comes to rewarding the Imperial Guards and his confidants.

Oh, this time the reward for Weibo is an exception...

Lu Qi wrote to Li Ji almost every month to report on the affairs of the central court, and would also send envoys temporarily in case of urgent matters. However, Li Ji was most worried about the defense of the western frontier against the Tibetans. He had told Lu Qi about this before he left. As a result, when the Tibetans invaded in the autumn, Li Ji already knew about it before the official document from the court arrived.

This time, Ma Chongying did not attack Longshang again—presumably not because he was frightened by Li Ji, but because he was disgusted by the two-faced Western Qiang—but instead sent a large force to attack Liangzhou.

Yang Wenlie, the deputy military governor of Hexi, sent his supervising officer Bai Wenda with more than 10,000 troops to defend against the enemy. The barbarian army launched a night attack, and the Tang army suffered a great defeat, with more than half of its soldiers killed or wounded. Bai Wenda led the remaining troops back to Guzang in tears. However, Yang Wenlie personally went to welcome him and comforted him, saying, "It is good that the supervising officer was able to retreat safely. What is the loss of a few soldiers?" The soldiers all resented his words.

The Tibetan army then captured several cities in succession and besieged Guzang. Yang Zhilie still wanted to hold the city, but his soldiers were unwilling to serve. In just ten days, Liangzhou fell. Yang Zhilie fled to Ganzhou, where he was killed by the Shatuo tribe.

By capturing Liangzhou, the Tibetan Empire not only completely severed the connection between the interior and the Western Regions, but also effectively opened the gates to Zhenxi and Beiting...

Fortunately, at the same time, Yan Wu, the military governor of Jiannan West Circuit, led his troops westward, defeated the barbarian army in front of him, and captured Danggou City and Yanchuan City, which saved face for the Tang court.

That autumn, the Tang court's main strategic objective was to eliminate the hidden dangers on its side. Guo Ziyi defeated the Western Qiang and, as he had previously said, moved the Dangxiang Qiang of the six prefectures of Jingbian to the north of Yinchuan and the west of Xiazhou, and moved the Tuyuhun of Ningshuo Prefecture to the west of Xiazhou—to prevent them from causing trouble again and colluding with the Western Barbarians.

Immediately, Li Yu summoned five people, including the chieftain of the Dangxiang tribe, the Left Feathered Forest General Tuoba Chaoguang, and Tuoba Qimei, to the court for an audience, and bestowed upon them generous rewards. From then on, Tuoba Qimei resided in Qingzhou and was known as the Dongshan tribe; Tuoba Chaoguang resided in Xiazhou and was known as the Pingxia tribe.

Because of this merit, Li Yu wanted to appoint Guo Ziyi as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, but Guo Ziyi declined, saying, "Since Emperor Taizong held this position when he was still a prince, successive emperors have not appointed him again. Recently, the Crown Prince (Li Shi) also held this position. This is not something that I, your humble servant, should be entitled to." He declined the position three times. It is said that Li Yu was deeply moved and ordered that this matter be recorded in the national history.

In preparation for the Western Barbarians, based on Guo Ziyi's suggestion, the four garrisons of Anxi and the Beiting military camp that had previously come from the east to defend the emperor—originally stationed in Hezhong, but now the Hezhong military governor and Yaode Army had been dismissed—were relocated to Jing and Yuan prefectures. The position of military governor and observer of the four garrisons of Jing and Yuan and the Beiting military camp was established concurrently with the position of prefect of Jing prefecture, and Ma Lin was appointed to the position.

With Longyou fallen and the Tang army defeated at Dazhen Pass, and the barbarian army once besieging Fengxiang, Liangzhou was left isolated and helpless, destined to fall sooner or later. This was within Li Ji's expectations, and although he sighed upon hearing the news, he was not greatly alarmed or angry. In the autumn and winter of that year, only two unexpected pieces of news deeply affected Li Ji.

First, Li Guangbi passed away.

Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi were two pillars of the Tang court, holding the rank of one of the Three Dukes and both having served as regional commanders, including deputy marshals. There was also Pugu Huai'en, but his political career, and that of his entire family, was essentially over. It's likely that two prestigious but ultimately unfilled positions were already prepared in Chang'an. However, Guo Ziyi immediately obeyed the imperial edict and returned to court, while Li Guangbi, holding troops in Xuzhou, resolutely refused to return.

Li Yu, knowing that Li Guangbi's mother was in Hezhong, repeatedly sent imperial envoys to inquire after her well-being. Later, he simply brought her to Chang'an, provided her with a residence and generous provisions, and put Li Guangbi's younger brother, Li Guangjin, in command of the Shence Army. However, Li Guangbi still refused to obey the imperial edict. People at the time said that this was because the death of Lai Zhen had served as a warning to him, and he feared that he would be framed by Cheng Yuanzhen after returning to the capital... Cheng Yuanzhen's downfall may not have been without this factor—if he could bring Grand Commandant Li back to the capital and prevent him from following in the footsteps of Pugu Huai'en, why would the emperor hesitate to sacrifice a eunuch?

However, although Cheng Yuanzhen was dismissed, Li Guangbi still refused to return—perhaps out of fear of Yu Chaoen—and eventually died of illness in Xuzhou in August of that year. Upon hearing the news, Li Yu suspended court for three days in mourning, posthumously awarded him the title of Grand Tutor, and the posthumous name "Wumu". He then appointed Wang Wei's younger brother, Wang Jin, to succeed him as commander of the Henan, Huaixi, and Shannan East Circuits.

Guo Ziyi is old and frail, Pugu Huaien is like a prisoner, and now Li Guangbi is dead. Li Ji seems to see the end of the old era... But can he lift the curtain on a new era? Who will fight alongside him to support this crumbling edifice?

As for the other matter, it was reported by Lu Qi. When Li Ji saw the letter, he slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "This treacherous Hui scoundrel and his old eunuch brother-in-law, I will never let him get away with this!"

The phrase "treacherous and wicked Taoist, old eunuch's brother-in-law" refers to Yuan Zai, the prime minister of the time. Because Yuan Zai came from a humble background and failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, he finally passed the examinations by appealing to Emperor Xuanzong's tastes and thus entered officialdom. Therefore, his enemies privately cursed him as "wicked Taoist." He had once curried favor with Li Fuguo and formed a kinship with the wife of an old eunuch, hence Li Ji's nickname "old eunuch's brother-in-law."

Yuan Zai sought to monopolize power in the court, but while he could make decisions with a single word in the Council of State Affairs, he was powerless to control the "Inner Chancellor" Li Bi. Therefore, he often plotted to expel Li Bi from Chang'an. Unfortunately, Li Bi not only enjoyed the deep trust of Li Yu and his son, but also knew how to protect himself, neither forming factions nor easily offending others. On the matter of peace talks with Tibet, he unusually refuted Yuan Zai's words, which further fueled Yuan Zai's resentment.

Ultimately, however, it was Li Bi himself who handed the excuse—not a handle—to Yuan Zai.

Furthermore, Li Yu was often troubled by the invasions of the Western Barbarians and consulted his ministers. Li Mi then presented a "Strategy for Confining the Barbarians," the main content of which was:

Every autumn, the state would gather troops from various towns in Guanzhong to defend places like Dazhen Pass and Fengxiang in the west, setting up dense fortifications to prevent the Tubo (Tibetan) forces from taking advantage of any openings. Especially now that the Qianxi Qiang had been defeated and Li Baoyu had quelled the bandits in the southern mountains, the Tang army could focus all its efforts on defending against the Tubo. Since the Tubo had captured Liangzhou and could not take Longxi, their main target would definitely be Guazhou, Shazhou, and other prefectures, as well as Zhenxi and Beiting.

We could request troops from the Uyghurs, urging them to march south and help defend the Western Regions, thus instigating several fierce battles between the Tibetans and the Uyghurs, forging an irreconcilable enmity. This would tie down the main force of the Tibetans in the north for a long time, while the imperial court would send envoys south to establish friendly relations with the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Initially, Zhang Qianda, the governor of Yunnan, failed to extort bribes and humiliated and falsely accused Geluofeng, the ruler of Nanzhao. This led Geluofeng to raise an army and kill Zhang Qianda. Xianyu Zhongtong led an army of 80,000 to the south. Geluofeng's surrender was refused, and he ultimately defeated the Tang army at the Xier River. This incident created enmity between the two sides, and Nanzhao sided with Tibet.

However, it is said that after defeating the Tang army several times, Geluofeng erected a stone tablet in his capital city of Taihe, explaining the reasons for his forced rebellion against the Tang Dynasty. He then told his attendants, "My family has served China for generations and has received numerous rewards. I hope that my descendants can return to the Tang Dynasty. If a Tang envoy arrives, you can point to this tablet to clear my name."

In particular, under the pretext of assisting Nanzhao in resisting the Tang Dynasty, the Tibetan Empire seized many strategic locations, stationed heavy troops there, and demanded military supplies and provisions. Nanzhao could no longer bear this burden, and Geluofeng truly harbored thoughts of returning to the Tang Dynasty. If we could persuade Nanzhao to drive out the Tibetan army and invade Tibetan territories in the south, then over a distance of thousands of miles, the Tibetan Empire would be forced to defend against Nanzhao in the south and fight against the Uyghurs in the north. Its army would be exhausted from running around and would inevitably become impoverished in the long run.

Furthermore, Li Mi suggested: "Currently, the barbarian bandits are in Longyou and Hexi, using oxen to transport grain. When the grain runs out, the oxen are useless. I propose to release the hidden inferior silk, dye it into colored silk, and trade it with them through the Dangxiang. Each ox would only cost two or three bolts of silk, totaling 180,000 bolts, which could yield more than 60,000 oxen. Then, order the forging of agricultural tools and the purchase of wheat seeds, distribute them to the border garrisons, recruit soldiers to cultivate the barren land. The soil in Guanzhong is fertile and has been barren for a long time, so the harvest will surely be plentiful. The soldiers will profit, and more and more people will cultivate the land. In this way, the border will be secured and agriculture will be facilitated. In five years, we can say that the barbarians have been defeated!"

Li Yu was overjoyed upon reading the plan and immediately recruited someone capable of being sent as an envoy to Nanzhao. Yuan Zai seized the opportunity to instruct his cronies to submit a memorial, saying that Nanzhao was far away and its situation was unclear, so only a highly capable and important minister could be sent to persuade them—the implication being that since Li Mi had come up with this idea, only he could convince Geluofeng!

This sparked a heated debate in the court and among the public, and Li Changyuan certainly couldn't withstand it—he still had his pride—so he was forced to volunteer to serve as the pacification envoy of Nanzhao.

Upon receiving the report, Li Ji was filled with resentment and worry—the transportation conditions nowadays are not like those of later generations. Not only is the Shu Road difficult to travel, but Yunnan is also a land of miasma. With your health, brother, wouldn't you be exhausted from this trip? I guess Yuan Zai was planning the same thing. A round trip would probably take more than a year, giving him the opportunity to completely eliminate Li Mi's influence in the court. Even if you return victorious, you will no longer have a position in the central government!

Li Ji thought to himself, "I've long suspected that Yuan Zai is a scoundrel. What good can a shameless guy like him, who clings to the leg of the old eunuch Li Fuguo, possibly do? Besides, his governance skills are only mediocre. He's supposedly good at financial matters, but he's never actually managed the Ministry of Revenue. You could say he's accomplished nothing. So why did two emperors allow him to monopolize power in the central government?"

In private conversations with his staff, Yan Zhenqing offered a relatively simple perspective on the issue. He said, "Yuan Zai entered the Council of State Affairs primarily through Li Fuguo's support, and he further relied on Fuguo's power to suppress other officials. Once Fuguo was removed, his influence became uncontrollable. Moreover, most of the ministers in the Council of State Affairs are mediocre and incompetent, only seeking to secure their positions and salaries, and are therefore unable to compete with Yuan Zai..."

On the contrary, Du Huangshang and Gao Ying had a deeper understanding—of course, they dared not say it in front of Yan Zhenqing.

Du Huangshang said, "When the current emperor first ascended the throne, there were almost no trustworthy officials in the court. Moreover, Li Fuguo was very powerful, so he tried to win over Yuan Zai to counter him..." Li Ji nodded slightly—back then, it was he who helped Li Shi and Yuan Zai to make connections and plot against Li Fuguo.

"...Although Li Fuguo was dismissed afterward, Cheng Yuanzhen and Yu Chaoen were appointed. How could the emperor not know that eunuchs were in power and wielding their power? However, fearing that the Council of State Affairs would become too powerful, the emperor had to strengthen the inner court to maintain a balance. Unless all eunuchs were dismissed and prevented from participating in politics and commanding the military, the Council of State Affairs would have to appoint Yuan Zai. Although Yuan Zai was treacherous, he was capable of handling affairs. People like Pei Mian, who were old and confused, were not as good as Yuan Zai."

Gao Ying added: "Only when the tripod is in place can it be stable. The tripod used by the sage is the tripod of the inner court, the outer court, and the various towns."

Li Ji nodded slowly: "What Gongchu said hit the nail on the head."

The three major forces supporting the Tang Dynasty today are the inner court, the outer court, and the various military governors. To be honest, the emperors of the first two are easy to control. At least replacing their leaders is something that can be done with a little thought, without causing a major disaster. Only the military governors are the ones that Li Yu dares not touch easily. He had only executed Lai Zhen before, which caused the military governors to become disloyal. But Lai Zhen was not yet the leader of the military governors. Would Li Yu dare to kill Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi, or Pugu Huai'en?

Therefore, in order to restrain the various military governorships, it was necessary to cultivate a strong central government. However, the military governorships were far away while the central government was close. If the Council of State Affairs became too powerful, although it would not threaten the emperor's throne, it could seize the emperor's power. Therefore, it was necessary to strengthen the inner court—including both the eunuch group and Hanlin scholars such as Li Bi. In this way, the three forces checked and balanced each other, maintaining a certain balance of power, so that the emperor could sleep soundly.

The key issue is that after the An Lushan Rebellion, the imperial family's prestige plummeted, and Li Yu himself was not a strong ruler. If it had been Emperor Taizong or Emperor Xuanzong in the early years, there would have been no need to erect a tripod; naturally, all directions would have paid homage to the emperor in the palace.

Then, returning to the point, the ministers that Emperor Suzong Li Heng left to his son, Miao Jinqing, Pei Mian, and Pei Zunqing, were all mediocre; Xiao Hua was driven out by Li Fuguo and died of illness in Xiazhou; Li Xian was old and no longer had the heroic spirit of his youth; Liu Yan, although appointed as prime minister, was only responsible for financial matters and had no time for anything else... Regardless of whether Yuan Zai was loyal or treacherous, whether he did good or bad, at least he was able to keep the huge court running normally. If Yuan Zai were dismissed suddenly, the outer court would be weak, and the tripod of the three would not be able to stand firm.

Li Shi once recommended Li Bi and Zhang Hao to his father, both of whom were capable of becoming prime ministers. However, Yuan Zai plotted against them, sending Li Bi to the inner court and preventing Zhang Hao from returning to Luoyang. As for Cui Youfu and Li Qiyun, whom Li Yu himself wanted to use, they were not yet qualified enough to become prime ministers.

Li Ji sighed, "This emperor is quite pathetic. A crippled emperor, no matter how talented or determined he is, will find it difficult to reverse the situation in a short time. Besides, Li Yu himself is weak and lacks strategic thinking..."

As a result, Yuan Zai abused his power, and Li Bi was forced to flee to Nanzhao. Li Ji hated Yuan Zai to the core, but currently, being stationed in a distant region, he was powerless to intervene. He could only gaze towards Jiannan and silently pray to Heaven for his brother. He then recited Li Bai's famous poem:

"Alas! How perilous and high! The road to Shu is harder than ascending to the heavens..."

(End of Volume 6, "Jade Tent and Tooth Banners Lead to the Upstream")

Chapter One: Submitting a Memorial to Investigate the Evil

In the spring of the first year of the Yongtai era of the Tang Dynasty, the two capitals held separate examinations to select officials. Yang Wan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was in charge of the examinations in Chang'an, while Jia Zhi, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was in charge of the examinations in Luoyang. They agreed to report to the palace on the same day and present the list of candidates to Emperor Li Yu for his review.

Li Yu unfolded the document and glanced at it. Twenty-eight people had passed the imperial examinations in both capitals. Huangfu Che topped the list in Chang'an, while Xiao Gou topped the list in Luoyang, followed by Xu Shen, Lu Qian, and others… He scanned the list quickly, then suddenly noticed one name that looked quite familiar—

He frowned slightly, then leaned forward and asked Yang Wan, "The eleventh place winner in the Chang'an division is actually named Li Ji?"

Yang Wan, holding his scepter, replied, "It is common for people to share the same name. This Li Ji is a nephew of Li Zhenyi (Li Qiyun), a native of Zanhuang County, Zhao Prefecture, whose courtesy name is 'Quiet'..."

"So, he's from the same clan as Li Changwei?"

Yang Wan nodded and said, "That's right. However, Li Changwei comes from the Liaodong branch, while Li Guayan comes from the Xizu branch. They have been living separately for a long time and did not know each other before, so they unexpectedly used the same name."

"Shall we get to know each other now?"

"Naturally, after Li Changwei followed Li Hanlin (Li Bi) to the capital, he recognized Li Zhenyi and continued the genealogy. Li Guayan also followed Zhenyi to Chang'an, studying hard to prepare for the examination. As far as I know, the two of them had quite a bit of contact."

Li Yu laughed and said, "Li Changwei is now a high-ranking official and the military governor of Weibo. It would be inappropriate for a newly appointed scholar to share the same name as him. Perhaps I should bestow upon this Li Guayan a different name..." But after thinking about it, he ultimately decided against it—he was too lazy to search through the genealogies of the various branches of the Zhao County Li clan. If there were another person with the same name, he would be ridiculed for being unlearned. Besides, if he suddenly issued an edict bestowing a name, he feared that his ministers might misunderstand that he intended to promote Li Guayan out of turn.

With a flourish of his pen, he approved the list and announced it that very day. He then returned to his inner chambers and was on his way to Chengxiang Palace to meet Consort Dugu when, as his palanquin reached the Taiye Pond, he suddenly saw a noblewoman with a large pregnant belly bowing to greet him from the roadside.

Li Yu hurriedly ordered the carriage to stop, leaped down, and reached out to help her: "Since you are pregnant, why do you keep coming to the palace? Be careful not to harm the fetus, or Prince Consort Liu will blame me."

The pregnant noblewoman was none other than Princess Hezheng, Li Yu's most beloved younger sister. Princess Hezheng smiled and said to her brother, "This isn't my first pregnancy, why should I stay home and rest? Your Majesty doesn't know that a woman's first pregnancy is like walking through the gates of hell, half-dead and half-alive, and the second pregnancy is like three deaths and seven lives... As for my sister, this is her fourth pregnancy, and she is fine."

“Your Majesty need not worry about Liu Tan. How can he possibly control my sister? I am worried that Your Majesty is lonely. Since returning from the country after her face was shaved, my elder sister from Xiao Kingdom has been living in seclusion and chanting Buddhist scriptures. She is unwilling to be close to Your Majesty anymore. Consort Shen has also moved away from the Crown Prince. Therefore, only my sister can come to the palace from time to time to talk to Your Majesty and perhaps relieve your worries.”

Li Yu thought to himself, "I'm not alone in the palace; why do you all dislike Dugu? Do you treat her like she doesn't exist?"

However, when they met, Dugu was only all tender and affectionate, talking about everyday matters. Since it was still early, it would be better to discuss matters of state with her younger sister—at least she would have something to say, unlike Dugu who had no interest in politics and was even less knowledgeable, only knowing how to hum and haw.

He then smiled and said, “In that case, sister, please accompany me for a walk by the pond—it is springtime, and all the flowers are in full bloom, which can soothe the mind.” He paused, then sighed, “It is a pity that I have not been to Luoyang for a long time and cannot admire the peonies of Luoyang again.”

The brother and sister walked side by side, chatting for a few moments. Suddenly, Li Yu remembered something: "I just learned that the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations in both capitals has been submitted. I was quite surprised when I read it..."

Princess Hezheng asked in surprise, "It's just a list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations. What could possibly surprise the Emperor?"

"It's because of the eleventh place winner in the Chang'an branch, who is an acquaintance of mine and my sister's..."

Upon hearing the story of the two Li Jis sharing the same name, Princess Hezheng couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh: "I've never heard Li Changwei mention this before. It's surprising that there's someone with the same name within the same clan. But I wonder how this Li Ji compares to the other one?"

Li Yu clapped his hands in sudden realization: "Yes, I should ask for Li Ji's examination paper to see." He then smiled and said: "If he is also a pillar of the country, it would be a wonderful story if two Li Jis, one civil and one military, stood side by side in the court to assist me."

Princess Hezheng reminded him, "Your Majesty, even Li Ji is a civil official!"

Li Yu laughed and said, "If we compare him to Pugu Huai'en, he is indeed a civil official—that old man Pugu has been getting fatter and fatter since he returned to Chang'an, and he still refuses to die—but Li Ji's literary talent is probably not even as good as Guo Situ's, is it?"

"I believe that Li Changwei is not lacking in literary talent; he simply does not wish to write in the style of classical Chinese prose. Moreover, he once wrote a poem..."

"'Hoeing the fields at noon,' I know it. The tone is indeed not low, it comes from the heart, and it sympathizes with the suffering of the peasants. However, the words are plain and do not conform to the rules of poetry. It can hardly be called literary."

Princess Hezheng laughed and said, "Why is 'The bright moonlight before my bed' considered a masterpiece, while 'Hoeing the fields at noon' is considered lacking in literary merit? Their wording and style are quite similar."

Li Yu frowned and thought about it carefully, but in the end he still shook his head: "Different, different."

Princess Hezheng did not intend to continue discussing literature with her elder brother, and took the opportunity to change the subject: "Speaking of Li Ji, I can't help but miss Mr. Changyuan, but I wonder where he is now... Has he entered Taihe City and met Geluofeng?"

Li Yu looked up at the sky and slowly said, "Yan Wu died last month. Some generals suggested that Guo Yingyi succeed him, while others suggested that Wang Chongjun succeed him. Mr. Changyuan has just passed away and has reconciled with him..."

Yan Wu, the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan, died at the beginning of the year at the young age of forty. When the news came, Li Yu was deeply saddened. Yan Wu had just launched a counterattack against the Tubo last autumn and captured Danggou City and Yanchuan City. The court and the public had high hopes for him, but who would have thought that he would die in his prime.

Since the An Lushan Rebellion, especially after Bai Xiaode gained the support of the soldiers and took command of the Zhenxi and Beiting military camps, the court often could not make decisions on the selection of military governors for the various towns and had to listen to the opinions of the generals. As a result, Du Ji, the military commander, and other generals Guo Yinggan and Guo Jialin jointly submitted a memorial requesting that Guo Yinggan's elder brother, Guo Yingyi, be appointed to guard Xichuan; while Cui Gan, a confidant of Yan Wu and the governor of Hanzhou, recommended the general Wang Chongjun. It is said that the two factions almost came to blows.

Fortunately, Li Bi was on a mission to Nanzhao and happened to pass through the area. He took the opportunity to offer condolences for Yan Wu's passing, offering kind words of comfort and mediating between the two sides, thus preventing an unnecessary conflict. Ultimately, the court appointed Guo Yingyi to go south to continue Yan Wu's work, guarding Xichuan against the Tubo (Tibetan) forces.

Li Yu thus estimated that Li Bi had probably only passed Jiaozhou at this moment—the further south one goes, the more difficult the road becomes—and was still a long way from Nanzhao.

He lamented, "I deeply regret that I granted Mr. Changyuan's request to go on a mission to Nanzhao. He is thin and only ate a little meat because I forced him. Now that he has left Chang'an, I fear he will revert to his old ways, continuing his vegetarian diet, or even abstaining from grains. I don't know if I will be able to see him go, or if I will ever see him return..."

Princess Hezheng comforted him, saying, "Mr. Changyuan is a divine being. Although he has been a vegetarian for many years, he is still very healthy. He will surely return to the capital safely. Your Majesty need not worry."

Li Yu shook his head: "If he were a god, he would not fear mountains and rivers, but alas, I have turned him into a mortal..."

A quick glance revealed a middle-aged eunuch standing with his hands clasped in the distance. Li Yu initially paid no attention, but after a few breaths, he glanced over again and saw that the eunuch not only didn't leave but seemed to have moved even closer. So he beckoned, "Your Majesty, come closer—do you have something to report?"

He thought to himself, “When I speak with Princess Hezheng, I never avoid discussing state affairs. Why are you so timid and hesitant to step forward?”

Upon hearing the summons, Wang Jiahe hurriedly stepped forward, clasped his hands in respect, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty, greetings, Princess." Then he pulled out a scroll of paper from his bosom and said, "Your Majesty, Lu Qi, the military governor of Weibo, has a document from his post to present to you."

Li Ji curled his lip: "'Blue-faced devil' is bothering me again. I don't want to see his ugly face." He didn't take the memorial, but turned to Princess Hezheng and asked: "'Acting Envoy' and such may be confused with the acting military governor. It would be best to order him to change his name—what do you think would be a good name, sister?"

Princess Hezheng glanced at Wang Jiahe and replied first, "Your Majesty, I believe that since the military governor is in charge of submitting memorials, he should be called the Memorial Official and his residence should be designated as the Memorial Court." Then she reminded him, "Since a memorial has come from Weibo, it must be an urgent matter. Your Majesty should read it immediately."

Judging from Li Yu's expression, he seemed rather impatient. He glanced sideways at Wang Jiahe and asked, "Since it's an official document from Weibo, why wasn't it presented to the Council of State Affairs first?"

Wang Jiahe hesitated for a moment, as if gathering his courage, before answering succinctly, "I fear I will be obstructed by Prime Minister Yuan."

Li Yu frowned: "Then there's no need for you to present it on my behalf..."

Wang Jiahe's answer was very direct: "I'm afraid it will be obstructed by Master Yu."

Li Yu hadn't dismissed Yu Chaoen in the past to restrain Cheng Yuanzhen, but after Cheng Yuanzhen left office, to prevent Yu Chaoen from becoming too powerful, he began to support Wang Jiahe. Wang Jiahe was well aware of this, and therefore did not hide his open and covert struggle with Yu Chaoen—the emperor was afraid that they wouldn't fight each other but instead form factions.

Incidentally, Cheng Yuanzhen was already dead by this time. Last year, Li Yu stripped him of all his posts and sent him back to his hometown—Sanyuan, Jingzhao. But Cheng Yuanzhen was unwilling to live out his days in this way, so he disguised himself as a woman and secretly entered Chang'an, staying at the home of Chen Jingquan, the Minister of Agriculture, plotting his reinstatement. This plot was discovered by Yu Chaoen, who instigated an imperial censor to impeach him. As a result, Chen Jingquan was demoted to the position of magistrate of Xinxing, and Yu Chaoen was exiled to Zhenzhou.

When he arrived in Jiangling, he was killed by assassins—one account says it was done by his enemies, another says it was sent by Yu Chaoen.

Li Yu finally received the memorial from Weibo Town. After unfolding it and glancing at it, he couldn't help but furrow his brows, his eyes revealing resentment—"Shameless thief, what audacity!"