Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Du Huangshang said, "If the military governor only seeks to coerce him into repentance through force, it would be better to ask the court to mobilize troops from the surrounding garrisons and launch a concentrated attack. However, this would inevitably consume a huge amount of money and supplies..."

Li Ji said with a wry smile, "That's precisely why the imperial court can't afford this expense. If it were to be levied on the various towns, I'm afraid they would all refuse to comply."

Gao Ying said, "Therefore, we should not rush to attack Tianxiong's army. We should gather our strength in Weibo and plan our attack slowly."

In any case, nothing could be agreed upon. Both of them had their own ideas and refused to act solely based on their superiors' wishes, leaving Li Ji helpless. In the end, he could only write down his thoughts on paper, saying that this was his intention in replying to the Crown Prince, and that they could help polish it—after all, it was just a private letter, meant to express his personal attitude and determination, not to make a pledge to the court, so there was no need for them to stop him.

In any case, the final decision rests with the imperial court, and I can't possibly launch a military campaign without an imperial edict.

Left with no other choice, the two bowed and accepted the order, taking the few lines of text written by Li Ji and going outside to polish them. However, not long after, Du Huangshang requested an audience again. After dismissing everyone else, he whispered to Li Ji, "I understand the commander's intention. I fear that Tian Chengsi's large-scale recruitment of soldiers will provoke the surrounding towns, exhausting their troops. With many soldiers but scarce supplies, they will ultimately have no choice but to fight. If Yan and Zhao fight amongst themselves, the war may be contained in Hebei. But if they join forces to invade, it will be another An Lushan Rebellion."

Li Ji nodded and said, "What you said is quite accurate. So what brings you here to teach me?"

Du Huangshang said, "If it's just the Tianxiong Army, then I'm not worried. But I fear they might collude with Chengde and Youzhou. If the commander hopes to use the elite troops of Weibo to win a single battle and force them to surrender, I'm afraid it won't be easy. I know Yin Shen is exceptionally talented, and he has many extraordinary people under his command. The commander could use them to scout inside and outside the territory, but I'm afraid that strategies of alliances and counter-alliances are not his forte..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's eyes lit up: "In the past, Li Si secretly persuaded the feudal lords for the King of Qin. He generously bribed those who could be bribed, and stabbed those who refused with a sharp sword. Can you handle this matter?"

Du Huangshang nodded and said, "I can agree to a deal involving inheritance; but if it comes to a fight, we still need to rely on Yin Shen."

Li Ji was overjoyed: "In that case, it all depends on Zunsu." After a pause, he asked, "How much will it cost?"

Du Huangshang said, "The town's wealth is not abundant and cannot compare with that of the powerful Qin. Moreover, if I were to take ten million strings of cash..." He smiled and said, "Sima Yan will certainly not let me off the hook. I will ask for five hundred strings of cash as a guide."

Li Ji said, "Okay, I'll approve five hundred strings of cash for you right away."

It is said that he had promised Du Huangshang that he could set his own salary, but after Du Huangshang entered the town, he only asked for 15,000 coins a month and refused to ask for more. Gao Ying, who was subordinate to him, received 12,000 coins a month. Li Ji felt a little bad about it, but the two said, "We came to the east alone from the military governor and do not plan to acquire property in Weibo. Even if we receive too high a salary, we will have nowhere to spend it."

Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the salaries of officials outside the capital have generally been higher than those of officials in the capital—because the court was poor—especially the staff of regional military governors, who often competed with each other for higher salaries, while the salaries of officials in the capital only increased slightly, not keeping up with the inflation. In addition, most officials in the capital no longer received guards or servants, and the amount they received in cash and silk was not much, while the staff of regional military governors had plenty of servants and attendants to do their bidding—otherwise, where would they have put the two thousand old soldiers of the old Weibo army? All things considered, what Du and Gao asked for was not much, but it was already two to three times the salary of officials of the same rank in the capital.

From this, Li Ji realized that the two men were not greedy for money, and that they followed him only to make achievements, gain fame and promotion. So when Du Huangshang asked for 500 strings of cash for activity expenses, Li Ji approved it without hesitation.

However, Du Huangshang then said, "This requires painstaking effort and cannot be accomplished in a day. As for the Northern Expedition, it is still as the Crown Prince said in his letter. We should wait until autumn to see the results of the defense against the barbarians before the military commander reports to the emperor. We should not rush things, lest the court become suspicious of the military commander."

Li Ji thought to himself, "So you were waiting for me here..." and had no choice but to agree for the time being.

Du Huangshang returned to the outer room and said to Gao Ying, "The commander-in-chief has heeded my advice, which will allow us to delay the situation for a while."

Gao Ying warned him, "I see that the General is determined to attack the Tianxiong Army. Although it is delayed now, it will not last long. Therefore, you must not slacken in your efforts to sow discord between Yan and Zhao, and you must work hard to do so." Du Huangshang nodded and said, "I understand. Gongchu, there is no need to urge me."

After Du Huangshang resigned, Li Ji felt somewhat powerless. It was like playing an online game in his past life: his own setup was perfect, everything was on track, but the opponent was recklessly amassing troops... If he didn't strike first and disrupt their rhythm early, it would be difficult to control them later. Unfortunately, not everyone was willing or dared to make that kind of decision...

What other strategies do I have to accelerate my own development and accumulation?

While Li Ji was pondering this, Yin Shen entered and reported something. Upon hearing it, Li Ji slammed his fist on the table in fury—"I will kill this scoundrel! Quickly summon Yan Sima, and Du, Gao, and other officials to come and discuss this!"

Chapter Four: The Great Bandit of Tonghua

The imperial court did not rely on the tribute from the various garrisons in Hebei—in fact, the same was true for Hedong, Guanzhong, and even Jiannan and Shannan—as tax revenue mostly came from the prefectures in the Central Plains that did not have military governors or inspectors, as well as the Jianghuai region. Therefore, overall, the annual revenue was less than 30% of what it was during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras when the dynasty was at its peak.

Li Ji, upon garrisoning Weibo, felt acutely constrained by financial and logistical constraints—the key issue being the need to support 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers. In the peaceful times before the chaos, the garrison in the two prefectures numbered only around 10,000, certainly providing a surplus—and he had no intention of paying a single penny in tribute to the court. Unfortunately, Yan Zhenqing disagreed, repeatedly pleading that they must contribute something, however small, to set an example for the other garrisons in Guandong. He argued that while things were fine when the military governor first arrived last year, the treasury wasn't overflowing, but if they lived within their means and practiced frugality, they could surely scrape together several thousand strings of cash.

In previous years, the tribute from Wei and Bo prefectures mainly consisted of silk fabrics and gromwell root. The accumulated amount couldn't be fully sold off (because trade wasn't yet booming), and Li Ji wasn't accustomed to using goods as rewards—fabricates were one thing, but giving gromwell root? He considered that purely perfunctory; it would be better to distribute grain and oil during festivals—that would leave a considerable surplus. Therefore, after Yan Zhenqing's repeated entreaties, Li Ji finally approved fifty shi (a unit of dry measure) of gromwell root and five hundred bolts of various silk fabrics, which were sent to Chang'an as tribute.

However, today Yin Shen reported that our tribute was stolen when it was transported to Huazhou... Li Ji was furious and invited Yan Zhenqing and other advisors to come and discuss the matter.

Jia Huai was also present. Upon hearing the news, he immediately jumped up and said, "I've long heard that Zhou Zhiguang is arrogant and lawless. He even dared to plot against the military supervisor of the town, and he dared to detain half of the tribute of Inspector Cui (Cui Yuan). Now he has even provoked my Weibo! Does he think that the mace of the military commander is not important?!"

Yan Zhenqing shook his head and said, "The news came that it was robbed by bandits, so it may not be related to Zhou Zhiguang."

Gao Ying retorted, “Zhou is accustomed to using soldiers as bandits, cutting off east-west trade routes; and with such a powerful bandit emerging in Huazhou, how can we say he has nothing to do with it? I personally believe that if it weren’t for Zhou Zhiguang’s instigation, he would have tacitly approved of it.”

Li Ji sneered, "The notorious bandit of Huazhou is none other than Zhou Zhiguang himself! It's one thing if he kills one or two eunuchs..." Anyway, Jiao Xiwang wasn't around—"Old man Cui Yuan can be bullied, but he dares to insult this town! This is intolerable!"

Du Huangshang hurriedly said, "I will draft a memorial for the military commander to impeach Zhou Zhiguang."

Li Ji waved his hand: "What's the use of impeachment? Everyone knows how wicked Zhou Zhiguang is. It's just that he's too close to Chang'an, so the court is hesitant to punish him..." As he said this, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly and seemed a little stunned.

Because he finally understood: Li Shi's letter was not very clear, but it was vaguely implying that the court had a hidden danger and could not exert its strength in Hebei; he originally thought it referred to the invasion of the barbarian bandits, but now he realized that it was probably referring to Zhou Zhiguang's plan to lie on his bed.

Most of the regional military governors in the world were arrogant and domineering. Li Ji initially resented this when he was still a general in the Imperial Guards, thinking it resembled the chaos at the end of the Han and Jin dynasties. However, as he saw and heard more, he became numb and accustomed to it. Especially after he became a military governor himself, his stance shifted, and he felt it was best for him to have complete control over his own territory, and the less the court interfered, the better. He even found some empathy for those arrogant regional military governors.

Although he knew his thinking was unacceptable and of no benefit to the country or its people, he considered the Tang Dynasty's current weakness and inability to govern the entire empire. While the various military governorships were practically independent, as long as they still adhered to the Tang calendar and their positions were not hereditary, they wouldn't descend into the turbulent chaos of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Moreover, the vast majority of soldiers and civilians were of the same ethnicity, using the same language and script. The central court officials and local advisors came from all over the country. Even if this situation persisted for a century or two, it wouldn't become a fragmented Germany under the guise of the Holy Roman Empire…

Therefore, although Li Ji had heard of Zhou Zhiguang's misdeeds, he didn't take it to heart. He was just annoyed that the fellow had risen through the ranks too quickly by clinging to Yu Chaoen's coattails. If he had served a few more years in Longyou, he could have been a promising military governor or even a regional commander. Instead, he had wasted years in the Imperial Guard protecting Li Yu and his son, only to rise through the ranks due to his service in protecting the emperor. He originally thought his promotion speed, while not befitting a transmigrator, was already quite fast compared to the natives of this era. Who would have thought that he'd barely boarded the helicopter when he saw Zhou Zhiguang strapped to a rocket and soaring into the sky…

Another one who rose to prominence was his former subordinate, Liang Chongyi, who was now the acting military governor of Shannan East Circuit, with no higher military governor above him, practically ruling over all eighteen prefectures of the circuit. Li Ji felt that these lucky individuals had lowered the overall quality of his observers and military governors. If this trend wasn't stopped quickly, he feared he would end up with a bunch of juniors and fools!

To get back to the point, he paid some attention to Liang Chongyi, after all, he was a general who had risen from his ranks. As for Zhou Zhiguang, he had no prior acquaintance with him, and the two towns were far apart, so even if that fellow's misdeeds were to resurface, it seemed to have little to do with him. Ultimately, he didn't have 100,000 troops under his command, and even if he ignored the imperial court, he couldn't truly dominate the world, and he certainly couldn't possibly fight his way from Hebei all the way to Tonghua, could he?

Who would have thought that by ignoring Zhou Zhiguang, that fellow would inadvertently become a stumbling block for him—if the imperial court couldn't even deal with Zhou Zhiguang, then it certainly wouldn't be in the mood to deal with Tian Chengsi.

He paused for a moment, which surprised his staff, who couldn't fathom what the general was thinking. So Gao Ying suggested, "We can send a letter to Tonghua, questioning Zhou Zhiguang and ordering him to send troops to capture the 'bandits' and return the tribute from Weibo."

Li Ji shook his head: "Given that fellow's past conduct, even writing a document would be of no use." He then looked around at everyone: "If we cannot curb his evil deeds, I fear that other towns will follow suit, and though the world is vast, it will soon be divided! So I intend to punish Zhou Zhiguang. Do any of you have a good plan?"

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Du Huangshang thought to himself, "I just stopped you from submitting another memorial, urging the court to punish Tian Chengsi, and now you want to attack Zhou Zhiguang... This military commander really can't sit still!" Gao Ying hurriedly said, "Even if Zhou Zhiguang's crimes are heinous, the military commander cannot attack without an imperial edict. Besides, the two towns are far apart; talking about attacking him is practically a pipe dream..."

Let's not even talk about the huge consumption of food and supplies during a long expedition, which we simply can't afford to supply. Even if we have a well-trained army and sufficient food, you leading thousands or tens of thousands of troops westward without orders will be seen as acting out of public anger, or perhaps to settle personal scores. Even if it is acting out of public anger, you will probably be charged with treason first!

Zhou Zhiguang is hateful, and the Tibetan bandits are even more hateful, but the imperial court's autumn defenses have only mobilized a portion of the Hedong army at most; I've never heard of them summoning Hebei troops—unless we can fly there.

Li Ji slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "There's no need to send a large army to suppress him. I will return to the capital to pay my respects. When I pass through Huazhou, I will confront Zhou Zhiguang in person. If he refuses to submit, I will break his back with a single mace!"

Everyone was shocked and tried to stop him. Li Ji glanced at the crowd and said, "Does Zhou Zhiguang's presence mean I can't even return to Chang'an? Does that fellow dare to turn his sword against me?"

Yan Zhenqing advised, "When the General returns to the capital, Zhou Zhiguang will certainly not dare to stop him. However, if you rebuke him to his face, he may take a risk, which would be detrimental to the General. I hope you will think it over carefully."

Li Ji asked, "How many soldiers does Tonghua have?"

"Twenty to thirty thousand."

Li Ji looked at Yan Zhenqing and said, “In the past, when An Lushan’s 200,000-strong army swept through Hebei, you, Lord Yan, guarded Pingyuan. In addition to the 3,000 Jing Sai soldiers, you recruited 10,000 new soldiers, so you were able to fight against 200,000 with one. Now, with Hua’s 40,000-strong army, I will send 2,000 men, and I will also fight against 200 with one. Do you think my ambition is not as good as yours, Lord Yan?”

Yan Zhenqing said these are two different things, how can they be confused? Besides—"When a military commander returns to court for an audience, a few hundred soldiers are enough to escort him. If there are two thousand men, what is the purpose of the name?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "Naturally, we will send tribute to the court again, and let's see if Zhou Zhiguang dares to come and snatch it this time!"

At first, he was simply indignant at Zhou Zhiguang, whose crimes were so heinous that the court dared not punish him. Because of the distance, he hadn't bothered with him. Who would have thought that Zhou would dare to provoke him and even block his path! But as he spoke, some immature ideas began to form in his mind. He dismissed all other people and discussed the matter privately with his advisors:

"The tribute we sent the other day was stolen by bandits while passing through Huazhou. I should send it again as a replacement. I will order two thousand elite soldiers to disguise themselves as laborers, secretly hiding weapons on the carts, and send them through Huazhou again. If any more bandits come to rob us, we will wipe them out and restore face to Weibo. If Zhou Zhiguang is wise enough not to do evil again, once we arrive in Zheng smoothly, we will invite him to a meeting, and capture him during the banquet..."

Du Huangshang asked, "What if they dare not come?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "Then I will send tribute to Chang'an so that the emperor will know of the loyalty of Weibo. Do not worry, do you think I would dare to lead two thousand men to attack Zheng County?"

Everyone thought to themselves, "I'm afraid you won't be able to control yourself and will definitely take Zhou Zhiguang's life... But then again, two thousand soldiers are just light infantry disguised as laborers, and they don't have any siege equipment. I don't believe you, Li Ji, would be so stupid as to attack a fortified city."

Yan Zhenqing advised, “If soldiers disguise themselves as laborers and secretly carry weapons, passing through Huazhou and entering Chang’an, and if this is discovered, the court will surely punish the military governor for disloyalty. Moreover, the tribute from Weibo is only a small amount of local specialties; why would it require two thousand laborers? If Zhou Zhiguang is willing to meet with the military governor, he can be reprimanded; if he is captured without orders, it is also a violation of the law. I earnestly request the military governor not to take such a rash action.”

His advisors also urged Li Ji to think things through more and to plan carefully before taking action.

Li Ji shook his head and said, "If the memorial is sent to Chang'an, Lu Qi may have already submitted it, but the tribute has been intercepted and cannot arrive. What will the court think of me then? We must send tribute again to demonstrate our integrity. If Yan Sima thinks two thousand soldiers are too many, then how about one thousand?"

Yan Zhenqing said that it was appropriate to send another batch of tribute, but the military commander did not need to go in person. Li Ji said, "If I don't go, who can guarantee that it won't be robbed by the bandits again?" He paused, then said, "If Zhou Zhiguang sees my banner, he won't dare to act recklessly, and the tribute can enter the capital smoothly."

He had made up his mind, and no one could dissuade him. Du Huangshang then volunteered, "I wish to return to the capital with the military governor." He thought to himself, "I must follow you, to stop your rash actions at any time." Li Ji refused, "I have just entrusted Zunsu with an important task; how can Zunsu leave Weizhou?" Of course, Yan Zhenqing, who was in charge of the administration of Weibo, couldn't leave either; as for Gao Ying, Du Huangshang didn't expect him to be able to stop Li Ji, hoping he wouldn't get angry and encourage Li Ji to act recklessly…

Li Ji specifically named Yin Shen and Yun Lin, ordering them to hand over their current duties and assist him in selecting one thousand elite troops to return to Chang'an. As for the elite troops, the elite guards would naturally be the main force, and a portion of them would be taken along; Yuan Jing'an would also have to go.

That evening, however, he summoned Yin Shen, Yun Lin, and Yuan Jing'an to his inner chambers and bluntly told them, "Yan Sima is prudent, and Du Zunsu and Gao Gongchu are both scholars, not worth discussing matters with. When I go there, I will definitely cut off Zhou Zhiguang's head to vent my hatred!"

These three were all Li Ji's confidants, unlike Du Huangshang, Gao Ying, and others. They were the type to do whatever their superiors said and dared not easily go back on their word, especially since they were all aware of the capabilities of Li Ji's subordinates. Therefore, they did not try to dissuade him, but simply asked, "What does the Commander intend to do?"

Li Ji instructed Yin Shen, "You should set off first, taking your martial arts experts with you, and infiltrate Tong and Hua prefectures to do these things for me... Then send a secret letter to Lu Qi by fast horse, asking him to respond in the capital."

The four of them discussed the matter head to head for half the night before Yin Shen and the others finally accepted their orders and left. Li Ji had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the sound of jade pendants. Cui Cuo slowly emerged from behind the screen, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, and scolded, "We've only had a few peaceful days, and you're already up to some danger again, sir!"

Li Ji smiled and said, "Fortune and honor are found in danger... As long as we plan carefully before acting, Zhu Hai's hammer blows will bring down 100,000 Wei soldiers into Xinling's hands—it's not really taking a risk."

Cui Cuo said, "Since you say there is no danger, I will go with you, my lord."

Li Ji stood up, stepped forward and embraced his wife, and said with a low laugh, "I know you're worried, but your husband is used to weathering many storms, he won't capsize in a small ditch—it's just Zhou Zhiguang, how does he compare to Xu Shuji? How does he compare to the Pugu father and son? Besides, if you weren't in this state, you could come back to Chang'an with me, just to relax and visit your family, there's nothing wrong with that..."

Thanks to Li Ji's hard work, Cui Cuo finally became pregnant. Although her belly wasn't very noticeable yet, Li Ji had heard in his previous life that miscarriage was most likely to occur in the first three months. How could he dare to take her on a long journey through mountains and rivers? The transportation conditions of those days were far superior to those of later generations, and carriages lacked effective shock absorption systems. Even with thick bedding, a healthy person could easily be jolted awake, let alone a pregnant woman...

Therefore, I told Cui Cuo that he should stay home and take good care of himself during his pregnancy. My main purpose in going to Chang'an is to pay tribute and have a good chat with Li Shi, hoping that he can support my campaign against the Tianxiong Army. As for Zhou Zhiguang, he is just a small pebble on the road and can be kicked away with one foot.

“Zhou Zhiguang was originally a close confidant of Yu Chaoen. Although we have severed all ties, I fear he may still be supported by both inside and outside the court. Now that Yu Chaoen is by the Emperor's side and Zhou Zhiguang is on the main road, if we do not eliminate him, and my brother is not in Chang'an, how can I live in peace in Weibo?”

He dared not say this to Yan Zhenqing and the others, because the old man would certainly consider the court first, then Weibo, and only then his own life and death, honor and disgrace. As for Du, Gao, and the others, they would most likely advise that as long as they were obedient, there would be no suspicion from the court. But Li Ji felt that, given Li Yu's character, he would not take the initiative to remove obstacles for him, so he had no choice but to seize the initiative and kick them himself!

Chapter Five, Acting as an Accomplice to a Tiger

Li Ji personally escorted dozens of cartloads of tribute to Chang'an. When the news reached Zheng County, the capital of Huazhou, Zhou Zhiguang paid no attention, but his subordinates Yao Huai and Li Yanjun panicked and hurriedly sought an audience to ask for advice.

Because the previous theft of tribute from Weibo was the work of these two generals.

Zhou Zhiguang ran rampant in Tongzhou and Huazhou, behaving more like a bandit gang than a high-ranking official. He frequently ordered his soldiers to impersonate bandits and rob traveling merchants. He even dared to rob tribute and grain transported from Guandong to Chang'an; many scholars were forced to detour through Tongzhou to the east, and Zhou Zhiguang ordered Li Hanhui, the garrison commander of Tongzhou, to ambush and arrest them along the way, executing them all.

—If you dare pass by my place without leaving any valuables, you've gone too far!

Why was he so reckless? First, the capital was so close, and he held military power, so he believed the court wouldn't dare to attack easily. Second, Zhou Zhiguang had pocketed all the revenue from the two prefectures and refused to share it with the soldiers. So what were the soldiers supposed to do if they wanted food or clothes? Go out and rob them! Leave half for me, and you can divide the rest among yourselves.

Even his thousand personal guards were insufficient to meet the required tribute, making them the main force for looting.

The day before yesterday, when news arrived that tribute from Weibo had arrived in China, Zhou Zhiguang ordered Yao Huai and Li Yanjun to intercept it. The two generals were somewhat hesitant and advised, "Li Weibo is a favorite general of the emperor and is known as the 'Key Hero.' He is extremely brave and fierce. If we intercept his tribute, what will happen if he questions us about it later? Besides, the report says that the tribute from Weibo is not much, just a little purple herbs and silk. It would be better to let it pass."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhiguang glared at him and shouted, "What is there to fear about Li Ji? I am as strong as ten thousand men, and both of you can draw a seven-stone bow. Even if Li Ji comes to fight, three against one, we will surely take his dog's life! Besides, Weibo is a thousand miles away. Does he really dare to bring his troops to attack us?"

“Last year, Cui Yuan passed through Hua. Out of respect for his service as a minister of three reigns, I only allowed him to keep half of the tribute. Can Li Ji compare to Cui Yuan? Everyone says that Hebei produces fine silk. Although it is only a few dozen cartloads, if we seize it, it will be enough for four or five hundred soldiers to change into new clothes. If you refuse to go, I will assign you to another unit. For the next three years, you will not be allowed to ask me for silk again!”

Left with no other option, the two generals led three hundred soldiers, disguised as thieves, and robbed all of Weibo's tribute. A little over a month later, news arrived that Li Ji had personally escorted the tribute into the pass. The two generals immediately went to Zhou Zhiguang for advice: "What should we do if Li Weibo questions the commander and demands the return of the previous tribute?"

Zhou Zhiguang curled his lip: "If they still dare to demand the previous tribute, we will not send any more tribute this time. Since they are sending tribute again, and even personally escorting it, it is clear that they dare not provoke us!"

"Then is our calamity not a calamity?"

Zhou Zhiguang glared at him: "If you want to rob me, go ahead! But if any of your troops are lost, I will not let you off the hook!"

Yao Huai and Li Yanjun thought to themselves, "You made quite a fuss, but you still backed down in the end... It's best not to try and steal it. Li Jiyong's name is known throughout the land, so you might not be afraid—but you'd have to bring your two young masters along—we're probably no match for him..."

Just as they were about to leave, Zhou Zhiguang stopped the two generals and asked, "How is the construction of my family ancestral hall progressing?"

It turned out that Zhou Zhiguang was very pleased with himself and planned to build a shrine for himself in Zheng County so that his soldiers would worship him during festivals and strengthen their loyalty to him. He estimated that this would be more effective and cheaper than paying the full amount of food and pay or giving generous rewards.

The two generals hurriedly said, "We've heard that the imperial court has already sent an envoy to promote the military commander. It would be inappropriate to build a shrine to him at this juncture..."

Zhou Zhiguang scoffed, "What's wrong with that? Even if the imperial envoy sees me, would he dare to go to Chang'an to file a complaint against me? I've killed more than one eunuch!" He ordered that the work be completed before the Dragon Boat Festival.

The following morning, as expected, the imperial envoy Yu Yuanxian arrived with an imperial edict appointing Zhou Zhiguang as Inspector of the Left Vice Minister—this was Princess Hezheng's scheme to lull Zhou Zhiguang into a false sense of security, hoping that he would dare to lead his troops westward during the autumn defense season, making him easier to capture. However, upon receiving the edict, Zhou Zhiguang did not express his gratitude but instead cursed, saying, "I have rendered great service to the nation and the world, why am I not appointed as a Chancellor but as a Vice Minister? Moreover, Tong and Hua are too small to fully utilize my talents. If I were given the five prefectures of Shan, Guo, Shang, Fu, and Fang, then the court would truly appreciate my abilities!"

He then enumerated the faults of the court officials, scolding more than twenty people from Yuan Zai down—excluding Yu Chaoen—and finally said harshly, "Only Zhou Zhiguang can hold the emperor hostage to command the princes!" Yu Yuanxian dared not retort and retreated trembling.

No sooner had Yu Yuanxian left than Yao Huai arrived with a letter, saying that Li Ji had arrived outside Zheng County but was not entering the city. He had also sent a letter requesting that the military commander come out of the city to meet him. Zhou Zhiguang ordered Judge Shao Ben to open the letter and read it aloud. The content was quite polite, and it did not mention the robbery of the tribute the day before. It only said that since he was passing through Zheng County, he should enter the city to pay his respects, but there were many bandits in Huazhou, and he was afraid that the tribute might be lost. He hoped that Commander Zhou could come out of the city to meet him.