Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

For example, Li Longji lived to be seventy-eight, and although Li Heng was bedridden for many years, he still lived past fifty. If Li Longji had died twenty years earlier, there probably wouldn't have been the An Lushan Rebellion, and his reputation might have even rivaled that of his grandfather, Li Shimin!

The second piece of bad news that Lu Qi reported was that the imperial court had officially issued an edict to punish Cui Gan in order to quell the rebellion in Sichuan.

It is estimated that the death of Princess Hezheng was a great blow to Li Yu. Just then, news of Guo Yingyi's murder arrived, and the emperor finally lost his temper. Moreover, the barbarian rebels, having failed to capture Guazhou, had begun to withdraw their troops, freeing the court to quell the internal strife.

Furthermore, Li Ji speculated that the killing of Zhou Zhiguang and the arrival of Liang Chongyi in court might have boosted Li Yu's confidence, making him unwilling to follow the examples of Bai Xiaode and Li Huaiyu and turn a blind eye to the turmoil within the regional military governorships, or even be forced to acknowledge the fait accompli.

—Incidentally, after Li Huaiyu expelled Hou Xiyi, the Tang court appointed Prince Zheng, Li Miao, as the military governor of Pinglu and Ziqing, but this was only a nominal position. Not only was Li Huaiyu allowed to actually govern the region and appointed as the acting governor, but he was also given the name Zhengji—from then on, he was called Li Zhengji.

To return to the point, under the instigation of Prime Minister Yuan Zai, who had a close relationship with Guo Yingyi, Li Yu finally issued an edict to launch a punitive expedition, appointing Du Hongjian as the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan and deputy marshal of Shannan Xidao, Jiannan Dongchuan, and Jiannan Xichuan, to lead troops from all directions south to quell the rebellion in Shu.

Lu Qi's investigation was very detailed. The court mainly mobilized troops from Shannan West Circuit and Jiannan East Sichuan, led by Zhang Xiancheng, a surrendered general from An Lushan, totaling about 30,000 men, to launch the first attack. Du Hongjian led a portion of the Imperial Guards and nearly 10,000 troops from Guanzhong to follow. Cui Gan's main force numbered 5,000, and even if they captured Chengdu, it was estimated that they would not exceed 10,000. Meanwhile, generals such as Bai Maolin and Yang Zilin would respond to the court's campaign, with a total force of around 10,000 men.

This means that Cui Gan is about to face an army five times his size, and his chances of winning are slim... Therefore, Lu Qi asked whether we should deal with Ya Xuan Tea House and completely cut ties with Cui Gan to avoid being implicated by him?

Li Ji thought to himself, "It seems Cui Gan is probably doomed..." Fearing that Cui Cuo would worry and it would affect her rest and pregnancy, he decided not to tell her. However, he also replied to Lu Qi, saying, "I have pleaded with the Crown Prince, hoping to spare Cui Gan's life. As for whether it will succeed, that's up to fate—first, even if Cui Gan becomes a prisoner, he must be able to be escorted back to Chang'an alive; second, it depends on whether Li Shi is willing to plead for him, and whether his plea will be granted."

It's a pity that there are no more Princess Hezheng these days—no one can guarantee that they can speak to the emperor.

As for the operation of Yaxuan Tea House, there is no need to make any changes for now. I never intended to hide my business partnership with Cui Gan. I reckon Li Shi must know about it. So it would be too petty of me to plead for him on one hand and cut ties on the other. If Cui Gan dies, I can take over his shares. If he doesn't die, I can help him rebuild his business.

Of course, this regrouping refers to redeeming oneself through meritorious service and climbing back up in the bureaucratic system, not recruiting troops again to fight the court to the end.

Li Ji urged Lu Qi to pay close attention to the war in Shu. He also told Lu Qi that if Cui Gan were to be beheaded, Lu Qi should ask him if he had any wives, children, or relatives left in the family, and that they should take them in.

Chapter Ten, The New Chapter of Jiannan

Cui Cuo was pregnant for ten months, and when she went into labor, Li Ji's bad premonition came true—his wife had a difficult childbirth.

Those few days, Li Ji was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, searching the entire city for midwives and gathering them at the government office for consultation. In truth, he had absolutely no trust in those women who roamed the streets, but the problem was that gynecologists were scarce in those days. Let alone childbirth, even for common gynecological ailments, one could usually only find those women to treat with largely unreliable folk methods…

But unexpectedly, the more people there were, the more ideas there were, and with everyone talking at once, no one could convince anyone else. Although Li Ji had eliminated the obviously unreliable bad ideas based on his knowledge from later generations, there were still seven or eight options left, all of which seemed to make some sense, and he was completely unable to make up his mind.

Cui Cuo lay stiffly, groaning in pain. Six or seven hours had passed, yet there was still no sign of labor. Her strength was rapidly waning, and if things continued like this, she feared she and her unborn child would die! Li Ji paced helplessly outside, even banging his head against the wall. The news of Princess Hezheng's death in childbirth had only recently arrived, and he couldn't imagine what he would do if his wife followed in her footsteps.

When a person reaches this point, they'll grab onto even a straw that falls from the sky. Li Ji couldn't help but clasp his hands together and pray to the heavens: "Taoist Ancestor, Buddha, I don't reject any deity, if you can save my wife, I, Li, will become a believer and worship you devoutly for the rest of my life... Even Jehovah or Allah will do, please, who among you will show your power and save Cuo'er?"

Just as things were getting chaotic, a messenger came to report: "There is a female Taoist priest at the door who says she can save the lady's life."

Without a word, Li Ji sprinted out of the main gate of the government office. There he saw a tall, slender female Taoist in a green robe, standing with her back to him. Li Ji cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask where you come from?"

The female Taoist suddenly turned around and smiled slightly at him: "General Li, how have you been?"

Li Ji looked closely and was greatly surprised: "So it's Jiao...it's Master Xie. Why are you here?"

It turned out that this female Taoist was none other than Xie Ziran, whom they had met on Mount Heng years ago—whose real name was Jiao Jingzhen. She was Jingjing'er's master and could be considered Cui Cuo's grandmaster.

Xie Ziran bowed to Li Ji: "This humble Taoist has been traveling through various prefectures and has just arrived in Yuancheng. I heard that your wife is having a difficult childbirth..."

"My wife is also a descendant of Master Xie, I beg you to help... But, do you know how to deliver a baby?"

Xie Ziran shook his head: "Of course I don't understand..." Then he smiled and said, "But I do have some life-saving methods."

Li Ji instinctively reached out to grab Xie Ziran, but Xie Ziran flicked his sleeve, and Li Ji grabbed nothing. Xie Ziran said, "General, there's no need to be anxious. Just lead the way."

He hurriedly led Xie Ziran to Cui Cuo's bedroom. Xie Ziran went in and pressed her pulse. Li Ji stared at her expression anxiously and asked repeatedly, "Is there any hope?" Xie Ziran slowly shook her head and said, "The chance of life is almost gone. If I had arrived a step later, the consequences would have been unimaginable... But the fetus, I'm afraid, cannot be saved."

Li Ji said it was alright, as long as you rescued the master.

Xie Ziran nodded: "If it is inconvenient, General, please wait in the outer room."

Li Ji was extremely anxious. He waited outside for almost half an hour—which felt like half a century to him—until finally, his wife's cries of pain subsided. Xie Ziran then stepped out and nodded to Li Ji: "She's been saved."

Cui Cuo gave birth to a stillborn baby—a girl—but thanks to Xie Ziran's treatment, the mother's life was barely saved. Li Ji was naturally extremely grateful, and Xie Ziran seized the opportunity to request, "I hope the general will grant me a request."

"Please speak, Master Xie, but I have everything I need, and I will grant it to you."

Xie Ziran smiled and said, "It does not belong to the general. I saw a girl in the state with excellent physique. She can teach me magic. I humbly request that the general go and tell her parents."

"I wonder whose daughter she is?"

"Daughter of General Nie Feng."

Nie Feng has a six-year-old daughter named Yinniang, a fact Li Ji knows. He naturally needs to be aware of the families and relatives of his generals to bestow favors and win their favors. He also knows that Nie Feng doesn't particularly cherish this daughter—because he longs for a son—but regardless, she is still his own flesh and blood, and so young; how could he bear to let her go with a Daoist nun?

Somewhat hesitant, he asked Xie Ziran, "Master Xie, when you mentioned imparting magical arts, I wonder which type you mean..."

"Those are the techniques your wife learned."

"That was a technique I used when I was a layman. Now that I have converted to Taoism, why should I teach others some minor skills?"

Xie Ziran sighed, "Alas, my worldly ties are not yet severed, and I cannot break free from illusions to attain the Dao. The root of this lies in these trivial arts. Therefore, I have been searching in various prefectures, hoping to find someone with similar bones to me to teach me the arts, and at the same time sever my worldly ties. Unfortunately, I have not seen anything since I traveled from Hengshan. I originally wanted to see if your wife could teach me—although she is a bit older, she has studied before. However, I had only just entered Yuancheng and had not yet learned of your wife's difficult childbirth when I saw that girl from the Nie family."

He bowed deeply to Li Ji and said, “I beg your help, General. I do not want the Nie family’s daughter to leave the secular world and join the Taoist sect. I only ask that you take her away when she is seven or eight years old and let her return home.”

Li Ji had no choice—the key was that Xie Ziran had saved his wife's life, and he couldn't help but do everything in his power to fulfill her wish—so he summoned Nie Feng and tried to reason with him. Nie Feng initially refused, but after Li Ji explained the reasons and repeatedly pleaded, even disregarding social hierarchy and nearly kneeling to kowtow, Nie Feng finally asked:

"If that woman only agreed to rescue Madam by threatening my daughter, then so be it; but since Madam is already safe, why did the commander grant her request?"

Li Ji said solemnly, “Master Xie saved people first and then made demands. His integrity is admirable. Since I have received his kindness, if I cannot fulfill his wishes, although it would not be considered a breach of trust, it would still be against the principles of being a human being. Although I have failed you, I should repay you in some way.”

Nie Feng sighed, "So be it. I'll only be raised by someone for a few years, and eventually I'll return home. The General has done me a great favor, so why should I begrudge a woman?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Your attitude is wrong. Doesn't your daughter matter?" But then he realized that he was being hypocritical, and his face turned red with shame—luckily, his face was dark, so it wasn't too noticeable.

A few days later, Xie Ziran led Nie Yinniang away, while Li Ji bestowed upon Nie Feng the title of Military Commander and added the position of Commander-in-Chief. He also intended to submit a memorial recommending Nie Feng for the rank of Fifth-Rank, Lower-Rank Imperial Guard, but Nie Feng only accepted the title, not the rank, saying, "I'm not selling my daughter..."

----------

Time flies, and soon it was the second year of Yongtai.

In February, Zhang Xiancheng led his troops into Sichuan and fought a major battle with Cui Gan at Zizhou. To everyone's surprise, Cui Gan defeated the government army with a smaller force, and Zhang Xiancheng barely escaped with his life. Even the imperial insignia was seized by Cui Gan.

Soon after, Du Hongjian entered Sichuan and, upon hearing of Zhang Xiancheng's defeat, was filled with fear. He sent someone to negotiate with Cui Gan, promising to plead for Du's life on his behalf to the court. Cui Gan, with humble words and generous bribes, respectfully welcomed Du Hongjian into Chengdu, and the two sides had a very pleasant conversation…

Of course, Chengdu and the surrounding counties remained under Cui Gan's control. Du Hongjian entrusted him with all the affairs of the prefecture and government, while he himself merely did nothing. Furthermore, he kept his promise and submitted a memorial to the court recommending Cui Gan and requesting that the position of Jiedushi (military governor) of Jiannan Xichuan be given to Cui Gan.

Li Ji, who was in Weibo, only heard about this in June. He was initially surprised: "Indeed, he is a famous general who defends against the barbarians. This Cui Gan is so capable in battle!" But then he sighed: "Lord Du's ambition has been worn down to this extent..."

Du Hongjian was originally the military governor of Shuofang and a great contributor to Li Heng's ascension to the throne. Could someone who was favored by Guo Ziyi and entrusted with the important task of military governor be incompetent? However, after being transferred from the outer garrison to the central government, Du Hongjian became increasingly decadent. Li Ji had heard in Chang'an that he spent his days chanting Buddhist scriptures and neglecting political affairs. Otherwise, Yuan Zai would not have been willing to introduce him to the Hall of State Affairs to help him become a figurehead. It was precisely because of this that Du Hongjian was thinking of returning to Chang'an to enjoy a peaceful life. Who would have the patience to deal with the mess in Shu?

Li Ji went to find Cui Cuo, who was still recovering and recuperating. The first thing he said to him was, "Your seventh brother has done a great thing!"

Cui Gan was thus saved from danger. Furthermore, Li Shi, at Li Ji's request, intervened on his behalf, leaving Li Yu with no choice but to appoint Cui Gan as the Prefect of Chengdu and Military Advisor of Xichuan. Other generals in Shu, such as Bai Zhenjie, Yang Zilin, and Li Changkui, were also appointed as governors of their respective prefectures. Only Han Cheng, the governor of Puzhou, the murderer of Guo Yingyi, was dismissed.

The rebellion in Shu was thus quelled—on the premise that the court took the initiative to compromise—but Li Yu still refused to allow Du Hongjian to return to the capital, saying, "Even if you are just a figurehead, you should stay in Chengdu for a few more years."

The news was then reported to Weibo through the official in charge of reporting to the emperor. Li Ji felt that the time was ripe, so he submitted another memorial, impeaching Tian Chengsi and pleading with the court to issue an edict to punish him.

Because when the memorial was submitted last year, Li Yu ignored it, merely replacing the military supervisor of Tianxiong Army and ordering him to persuade Tian Chengsi to demolish the ancestral hall of An and his four sons. However, Tian Chengsi, relying on the fact that the emperor was far away, remained unmoved.

Li Ji was also worried that if Tian Chengsi bowed down, he would not be able to persuade the court to launch a full-scale attack. Fortunately, the scoundrel was extremely arrogant and dared to stubbornly bear such a huge crime and stir up hatred.

When the memorial reached Chang'an, following the precedent of the previous year, Lu Qi again failed to report it to the Ministry of War and the Council of State Affairs, instead using Wang Jiahe to present the impeachment directly to Emperor Li Yu. At that time, Emperor Li Yu was entertaining the monk Zhizang at the Penglai Palace…

While the Tang Dynasty nominally adopted Taoism as its state religion, influenced by the Northern Dynasties, Buddhism consistently and comprehensively overshadowed Taoism. Especially after the An Lushan Rebellion, officials and common people endured immense hardship, even losing hope in this life. Naturally, they turned to Buddhism, which promoted the afterlife, leading to a surge in Buddhist activity in Chang'an. From the prime minister to ordinary citizens, the city was teeming with worshippers. Notably, Prime Minister Yuan Zai, along with Du Hongjian, who served as prime minister in Xichuan, and Wang Jin, who served in Huainan, were all devout Buddhists. Influenced by this, Li Yu gradually aligned himself with the prevailing trend, treating the foreign monk Amoghavajra (Zhizang) as an honored guest, even bestowing upon him the title of Duke.

Upon reading Li Ji's memorial, Li Yu's brows furrowed slightly, unsure of what to do. Zhizang clasped his hands together and asked, "What troubles Your Majesty? If it is not related to state affairs, perhaps this old monk can offer some guidance."

Li Yu, however, did not hide anything from him, and shook the memorial in his hand: "Tian Chengsi, the military commander of Tianxiong Army, has acted illegally. Li Ji of Weibo has submitted memorials many times, requesting that he be punished. What is the Master's opinion on this matter?"

Zhizang said solemnly, “Your Majesty should not ask me about such matters. In the eyes of Buddha, there is only worldly law, not national law. Weapons are instruments of violence, and it is best not to use them if possible.” He paused, then smiled and said, “However, I can only advise Your Majesty to use Buddhist teachings to guide the masses, but I cannot use Buddhist laws to govern the country. Since it concerns military matters, it is better to discuss it with the prime ministers.”

Li Yu pressed further, "Does the Master know Li Ji? Is he overly ambitious for fame and fortune?"

Zhizang replied, “This old monk has indeed met Benefactor Li several times, and I have seen that his eyes are clear and bright, and his heart must be pure as well. Moreover, what young man does not aspire to achieve great things? If the sage finds his temperament impatient and his proposals hasty, why not consult an experienced person?”

Li Yu adopted Zhizang's suggestion, and thus temporarily withheld notification from the Council of State Affairs, instead summoning Guo Ziyi, the Grand Minister of Works and Chancellor, to the palace to inquire about his opinion on the matter. Guo Ziyi initially declined, saying, "This old minister is in Guanzhong and is not very familiar with matters in the East. Your Majesty is asking a blind man for advice."

Li Yu urged, "My father-in-law is a general of the state and a pillar of the nation. Since it concerns military affairs, how can I not ask? And how can you not answer?"

Emperors Li Heng and Li Yu, two successive emperors, were quite wary of Guo Ziyi, because of his high prestige and strong abilities. They feared that if he raised an army, half the country would rebel—in a sense, the domineering An Lushan was far less terrifying than the loyal and prudent Guo Ziyi. But precisely because of this, while Yang Guozhong dared to advise Emperor Xuanzong to kill An Lushan, none of the ministers of Emperors Li Heng and Li Yu dared to lay a finger on Guo Ziyi. Especially since the old man was also quick-witted and adaptable, immediately returning to court upon imperial summons, comfortably sitting on the sidelines, there was even less reason to harm him.

Although Li Yu was wary of Guo Ziyi, he was generally at ease as long as the old Grand Tutor was kept under house arrest in Chang'an. Moreover, he was willing to consult with Guo Ziyi on important matters—as long as he wasn't allowed to escape his control. Ultimately, the old Grand Tutor was like a pillar of the Tang Dynasty, and after Li Guangbi's death, all the glory was focused on him; no court official disrespected him, and no foreign vassal dared to defy him—Li Ji was far from being comparable.

Moreover, in the eyes of most people at the time, Guo Ziyi was the only true commander-in-chief, while Li Ji was merely a fierce general.

Therefore, Li Yu both feared and valued Guo Ziyi, and tried his best to win him over. He not only bestowed upon him the title of prince and appointed him as Minister of Works and Grand Secretary, but also once wanted to grant Guo Ziyi the position of Grand Secretary, which was only occasionally held by the crown prince after Emperor Taizong. Guo Ziyi declined.

Last year, Li Yu married his sixteen-year-old fourth daughter (or second daughter if we exclude the prematurely deceased Princess Lingxian and Princess Zhending) Princess Shengping to Guo Ziyi's sixth son, Guo Ai. The two families formed a marriage alliance, and from then on, when they met in private, he only referred to Guo Ziyi as "father-in-law" and did not call him by name.

Li Yu insisted that Guo Ziyi express his opinion. After pondering for a long time, the old Minister of Works slowly asked, "I wonder what the military supervisors of the various towns in Hebei think about the current situation?"

Chapter Eleven, The Wise Man Returns to Court

Guo Ziyi inquired about the political situation in Hebei from Li Yu, the most important thing being the opinions of the military supervisors.

Li Yu understood and immediately summoned Wang Jiahe, ordering him to retrieve the memorials submitted by the military supervisors of various towns in Hebei over the past year and hand them over to Guo Ziyi for review.

—Now, the most favored person in the palace is Wang Jiahe, but his power is immeasurably less than that of Li Fuguo, Cheng Yuanzhen, and Yu Chaoen in the past. He only leads the Inner Palace Attendants Bureau and has no official position in the outer court, nor can he interfere in the affairs of the Imperial Guards. Li Yu handed over the Baoying, Shence, and Weiyuan Armies to three other eunuchs—Huo Xianming, Dou Wenchang, and Zhang Shangjin—to share Wang Jiahe's power.

Li Yu has learned his lesson... he's learned his lesson three times over.

Furthermore, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty established military supervisory offices in all the regions under the jurisdiction of military governors and regional military commissioners, appointing eunuchs as military supervisors. The primary function of the military supervisors was to relay imperial edicts to the various vassal states and report their movements to the central court. Their rank was often comparable to that of the military governors and regional military commissioners, and they commanded their own troops, sometimes even exceeding the number of soldiers under the regional military commissioners…

However, under normal circumstances, the military supervisor would not interfere with the military and political affairs of the regional military governors. The reason is simple: those regional generals who still cared about the prestige of the imperial court would certainly bribe the military supervisor to hope that the supervisor would speak directly to the emperor and say good things about them; as for those regional generals who did not care about the prestige of the imperial court, they were not even afraid of the imperial court, so why would they be afraid of the military supervisor who represented the imperial court? It would be easy for them to sideline or even isolate the military supervisor.

The military supervisor was not a single person; his subordinates, including deputies, judges, and junior officials, formed a complete system. When Li Ji entered Wei Bo, the military supervisor Jiao Xiwang's staff outnumbered his own men—facilitating the investigation of internal and external affairs and reporting to the court. Of course, this was ultimately a legitimate supervisory department, not a secret service, making it difficult to uncover the hidden affairs of the observers and military governors. However, the general civil administration, military, and financial situation within the town was difficult to conceal from the military supervisor.

Guo Ziyi quickly read through the memorials submitted by the military supervisors. After finishing, he handed the thick stack of documents back to Wang Jiahe, and then slowly said to Li Yu: "According to the memorials submitted by the military supervisors, there are currently 40,000 troops in Weibo, 30,000 in Wushun, 60,000 in Zhaoyi, 50,000 in Chengde, and 80,000 in Youzhou—and the Tianxiong Army also has 80,000 troops."

"Based on their population, only the garrisons of Zhaoyi and Chengde have an indiscriminate number of soldiers based on their household count—Youzhou needs to be guarded against the Eastern Barbarians, so we can disregard that for now. Therefore, it is clear that Xue Zhaoyi only seeks to stabilize the region for Your Majesty and has no arrogant intentions; although Li Chengde's troops are not indiscriminate, he has nearly 20,000 horses and is confident that he can defeat many..."

Li Yu nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself, "Impressive! They were able to glean so much intelligence from the memorial. I've already seen it, but I'm still completely clueless about the situation in Hebei..."

"If the military supervisor's report is correct, then Wei Bo's financial strategy is the best, and it is reasonable for Li Wei Bo to raise 40,000 soldiers..." As for Li Ji swindling 300,000 strings of cash from me, let's not mention that.

"Tianxiong Army recruits soldiers in the most indiscriminate way. In my opinion, its financial resources may not be sufficient to provide for them. Only about six or seven out of ten of them are capable of fighting. Therefore, if we send the three towns of Weibo, Wushun, and Zhaoyi to attack, we can use three forces against one enemy. In terms of overall situation, we still have a good chance of winning."

At this point, the old Minister frowned again: "However, apart from Tian Chengsi being truly arrogant and lawless, the reports submitted by the military supervisors of the various towns can only predict the size of their troops and finances, but not the hearts of the people. Li Weibo recommends Qin Wushun as usable, but I do not know why; Li Chengde and Li Youzhou are of unclear allegiance. If they collude with Tian Chengsi, their numbers will be comparable to the government troops, and the outcome will be unpredictable."

Li Yu couldn't help but frown: "Then what if we also issue an edict ordering Li Baochen and Li Huaixian to jointly attack Tian Chengsi? What do you think, father-in-law?"

Guo Ziyi shook his head and said, "This is not appropriate. The court is forcing them to openly declare their allegiance, which may easily lead to their rebellion. My suggestion is to secretly summon Xin Hedong to secretly observe Chengde's movements. In the past, when Li Baochen was under the command of the traitor Shi, it was Xin Hedong who led the troops out of Jingxing and forced him to surrender—this method can still be used."

Li Yu hesitated for a moment: "In the past, Xin Yunjing and Pugu Huai'en had a falling out and impeached each other. Although I changed the commander of Shuofang, I did not severely punish Pugu and his son. Therefore, Xin Yunjing cannot be doubted... What if he refuses to obey?"

Guo Ziyi smiled and said, “Xin Hedong is resolute and fearless of powerful forces. The real reason for his feud with Pugu lies with Pugu. In order to maintain local peace, the court has restrained Pugu and his son. Xin Hedong will surely understand the intention and will not be suspicious. As long as Pugu and his son do not lead troops out, I guarantee that Xin Hedong will not betray the court. Your Majesty need not worry.”

Li Yu nodded, then asked, "And what about Lulong?"

Guo Ziyi sighed: "Lulong is too far away to be of any use; we can only leave it to fate. In short, considering only Hebei, Li Weibo's suggestion to attack Tian Chengsi has a 70% chance of success..."

"What does it mean that my father-in-law is only referring to Hebei?"