Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

"The funds and provisions of all the garrisons are generally insufficient. If a large army is to be mobilized, it will be necessary to obtain supplies from other garrisons. I wonder if the national treasury can support this?"

Li Yu pondered for a moment and then said, "I should consult Wu Qi and Liu Yan again."

Guo Ziyi said, “According to Li Ji’s report, this autumn the barbarian bandits will continue to invade Guazhou and will not attack Longshang. If his prediction is correct, the court should be able to raise an army in Hebei, but it cannot be done for long. If we cannot advance directly into the region, then we should not talk about sweeping away the enemy, but severely punish Tian Chengsi and force him to submit. However, if the barbarian bandits attack Longshang, I am afraid the court should not issue an edict to conquer Tianxiong Army. It is a pity that the two places are far apart. If we wait until this autumn to find out the movements of the barbarian bandits before issuing an edict to Hebei, it will probably be too late.”

"This is merely my humble opinion, and Your Majesty shall decide."

Just as they were talking, a young eunuch came to report something. Wang Jiahe went over to listen in, then hurriedly returned to report: "A report has been submitted from Chengdu..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu was taken aback: "Could it be that chaos has resurfaced in Shu?!"

Wang Jiahe laughed and said, "Look at my face, does it look like I'm here to deliver bad news? It is Du Zhongshu (Du Hongjian) who reported that Mr. Changyuan has returned from Nanzhao and is now heading north through Chengdu."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "When can we arrive in the capital?"

"In my estimation, it will take no more than ten days."

Li Yu said, "Whether or not we should follow Li Ji's suggestion to attack Tian Chengsi, let's wait until Mr. Changyuan returns and then I will consult him."

Li Bi arrived in Chang'an seven days later. Upon hearing the news, Li Yu wanted to go out of the palace to personally welcome him, but was stopped by Wang Jiahe. Wang Jiahe said, "In the past, when Mr. Changyuan was a man from the mountains and did not receive a salary from the court, everyone could personally welcome him to show respect for his virtue; now that he has become a Hanlin Academician and the relationship between ruler and subject has been established, it is not appropriate for everyone to show excessive closeness, and Mr. Changyuan would not be able to accept it." Li Yu agreed and ordered Wang Jiahe to summon Li Bi to the palace.

Upon arriving at the Linde Hall, Li Yu impatiently asked, "Sir, how was your mission to Nanzhao this time?"

Li Bi smiled and bowed with his hands clasped: "Your Majesty, I stayed in Dahe City, the capital of Nanzhao, for more than a month, but was eventually expelled by Geluofeng..."

Li Yu wasn't stupid either. He said, "Sir, don't try to deceive me. If I were to be driven away, would you still be able to show a happy face and return to Chang'an to report back?"

Li Bi then bowed deeply: "Your Majesty's virtue is a blessing to China. Geluofeng is willing to sever ties with Tibet and return to our Tang Dynasty. The reason for expelling me is to deceive the Tibetans."

Only then did he present Geluofeng with a letter of apology and report to Li Yu in detail about his mission.

The prior reports from all sides were indeed accurate. King Geluofeng of Nanzhao deeply regretted going to war with the Tang Dynasty and secretly resented that although the Tibetans nominally treated Nanzhao like brothers, they actually treated him like a servant. He had long harbored the desire to return to the Tang Dynasty. In particular, Li Bi's mission to Nanzhao was aided by two important figures, and he finally persuaded Geluofeng to sever ties with the Tibetans.

An important figure was Feng Jiayi, the crown prince of Geluofeng, who, according to the Nanzhao Kingdom's system, was addressed as "Deputy King." Feng Jiayi had been sent to Chang'an as a hostage during the reign of his grandfather, Piluoge, and gained the favor of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who appointed him as Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and married him to a woman from the imperial clan. Later, Yanggua Prefecture was established in Mengshechuan, and Feng Jiayi was appointed its prefect. Therefore, emotionally, this "Deputy King" was inclined towards the Tang Dynasty.

Another was Manli, one of the six "Qingping officials" (prime ministers) of Nanzhao. His original name was Zheng Hui, a Tang dynasty scholar who served as magistrate of Xilu County in Xizhou. At the end of the Tianbao era, Nanzhao troops captured the city and took him to Dahe City. Geluofeng valued Zheng Hui's scholarship, entrusted him with important responsibilities, and appointed him as the tutor of Crown Prince Feng Jiayi, granting him the authority to discipline Feng Jiayi. Zheng Hui repeatedly urged Geluofeng to sever ties with the Nanzhao and return to Tang, but Geluofeng remained hesitant due to the unfavorable timing.

Li Bi arrived in Dahe City and, through Feng Jiayi and Zheng Hui, repeatedly persuaded Geluofeng. Geluofeng asked, "We are located in the southwest and are unaware of the situation in the Central Plains. We have heard that the border generals rebelled and the Emperor fled to Shu. We do not know if the rebellion has been quelled yet. If we cut off the barbarians, they will surely attack us. Will the Tang Dynasty have the resources to help us defend against them?"

Li Mi gave Geluofeng a general account of the situation in the Central Plains without any concealment, and then said: "Nanzhao previously severed ties with Tang and allied with the barbarians. If Tang is powerful, it will surely launch a major attack. Even if Your Majesty wins, the war will continue and Nanzhao will not be safe; if you lose, you will be captured and sent back to Chang'an. Why bother Li Mi to tell you this? Now that our Tang has just established a stable empire, we are about to mobilize our troops to defend against the barbarians. If Your Majesty surrenders now, you will surely be valued by the Emperor, and your past mistakes will be forgiven."

"Our Tang Dynasty is fighting the barbarian bandits on the western frontier. Tang is plotting to retake Longyou, while the barbarians intend to invade Gansu and Suzhou from the north, each amassing heavy troops thousands of miles away. If Your Majesty were to sever ties with the barbarians at this time, they would be powerless to invade. Furthermore, Tang would offer Your Majesty generous gifts—Heaven has bestowed this excellent opportunity upon Nanzhao. Your Majesty must not miss it!"

Geluofeng gladly accepted the order and immediately wrote a letter of apology, along with tribute, asking Li Bi to take it back to Chang'an. The amount of tribute was not high, mainly consisting of gold and cinnabar. Geluofeng said, "The gold I offer is to symbolize my intention to go north, which is as precious as gold; the cinnabar is to show my loyal heart."

However, he was still worried about Tibetan incursions, especially since many Tibetan armies occupied key locations in Nanzhao, making it difficult to expel them all at once. So he pretended to disagree and expelled Li Bi from Dahe City, while secretly promising that since the Tibetans often invaded Tang in the autumn and winter, he would wait until the following autumn—the autumn of the year Li Bi returned to Chang'an—when the main force of the Tibetan army left Lhasa, before he could take action.

Li Yu, still somewhat skeptical after hearing Li Bi's report, asked, "Can you guarantee that Geluofeng will keep his promise? If we fight the barbarians this autumn, and Nanzhao does not quell the barbarians' rebellion, what will we do?"

Li Bi, being quick-witted, immediately sensed there must be more to the story. He then asked, "Nanzhao has long been allied with the barbarians, so why is Your Majesty only now considering this? Could it be that this autumn, during our war with the barbarians, there will be some major action?"

Li Yu then ordered Li Ji's memorial to be handed to Li Bi, and asked him: "Your brother requests to attack Tian Chengsi. If Nanzhao is indeed cut off from the barbarians, the barbarian bandits will not dare to linger in Tang territory for long, and I can safely wage war in Hebei; if they are not cut off, there may be a fierce battle this autumn, and with the national resources, we cannot do as your brother wishes."

After carefully reading Li Ji's memorial, Li Bi replied to Li Yu: "I can assure you that when Geluofeng left Dahe City, his desire to return to Tang was genuine and very strong; however, they are ultimately separated by thousands of miles, and no one can predict whether any further setbacks will occur within a few months. But nothing in this world is ever perfect; if we wait for perfection, everything will be delayed..."

"Does the gentleman mean that we can attack the Tian family this year?"

Li Bi shook his head: "In my opinion, my younger brother's proposal seems hasty. However, I have been away from Zhongzhou for more than a year and am not clear about many things, so it is difficult for me to make a conclusion. Please allow me to return to the academy, check the official documents, and then make a plan for Your Majesty."

Li Yu said, "Alright, there's no rush. You don't need to go back to the Hanlin Academy. You've come a long way and must be tired. Why don't you go home and rest for a few days first?"

As Li Bi took his leave, Li Yu watched his departing figure and muttered to himself, "Now that Changyuan has returned, I wonder if he will be willing to serve as prime minister?" Wang Jiahe quickly chimed in from the side, "It all depends on Your Majesty's will—Master Changyuan initially said he did not wish to be an official, and then said he wanted to return to the mountains to cultivate Taoism. Wasn't he moved by Your Majesty's wishes?"

Li Yu glanced at him: "How could a mere servant understand my thoughts?" Then he sighed: "It's a pity that my sister Hezheng is no longer here!"

After Li Bi left the palace, he returned to his home in Pingkang Ward. Lady Lu greeted him, prepared a fragrant bath for him, and ordered the kitchen to prepare food and wine. Li Bi said it wasn't necessary, as he had already eaten on the way. Lady Lu, however, did not believe him: "My lord is clearly much thinner than when he left. He must not have eaten properly on the journey. Now that you are home, how can you not eat? You have certainly been a vegetarian for over a year. We have been husband and wife for more than a day or two; do you think I don't know you?"

Li Bi thought for a moment and then said, "Very well, let's prepare some good food and wine and invite your younger brother over..."

The "younger brother" he was referring to was naturally his cousin Lu Qi. Li Bi wanted to ask him about the situation in Weibo Town and—what exactly were his brother's plans? Had he informed him?

Li Ji could not possibly tell Lu Qi, who was thousands of miles away, all of his plans. But Lu Qi was always shrewd and could not possibly be completely unaware. So, during the banquet, he explained to Li Bi, "Your brother requested to attack Tianxiong Army because Tian Chengsi is draining the pond to catch fish and is indiscriminately recruiting soldiers. I fear that if this drags on, it will become even more difficult to control."

Li Bi smiled and said, "Chang Wei is preoccupied with matters in the west. He is probably getting impatient staying in the east and wants to first attack Tian Chengsi to warn the other vassal states between Yan and Zhao, so that they will reduce their troops and pay tribute, thus relieving the court of any worries. Then he can request to move to the western border." Then his expression turned serious: "But I wonder what his chances of success are?"

Lu Qi replied, "I am not knowledgeable in military affairs, but I have heard that your younger brother attacked and killed Zhou Zhiguang last summer. He is both intelligent and brave, so he should not have done something reckless, right?"

Li Bi asked, "Regarding the killing of Zhou Zhiguang, I would like to ask General Ziliang to tell me everything you know..."

Chapter Twelve: Dramatic Changes in the Political Situation

In the following two days, Li Bi visited several prime ministers, as well as relatives and friends such as Li Qiyun, to get a general understanding of the internal and external situation during his year away from the central government. Only then did he enter the palace to take up his post and request an audience again.

He was a Hanlin Academician, and his office was located in the palace, next to the Linde Hall. Therefore, Li Yu summoned him again to the Linde Hall. Li Bi first asked, "I wonder how much grain and money the court has stored this autumn?"

Li Yu said, "I have already questioned Wu Qi and Liu Yan..."

Fifth Qi was able to return to the capital through Yu Chaoen's connections. He initially served as the Prefect of Jingzhao and concurrently as the Grand Censor. Later, because Liu Yan was burdened with financial and economic affairs, holding the empty title of Prime Minister but unable to actually govern the government, and also at odds with his main assistant Yang Yan, Yu Chaoen requested that Fifth Qi be appointed to share the burden. Thus, the previous year, the court appointed Liu Yan, the Minister of Revenue, as the Transport Commissioner, Granary Commissioner, Coinage Commissioner, and Salt and Iron Commissioner of the Capital Region, Henan Region, Huainan Region, Jiangnan Region, Hunan Region, Jingnan Region, and Shannan East Region, and appointed Fifth Qi as the Vice Minister of Revenue, as the Transport Commissioner of the Capital Region, Guannei Region, Hedong Region, Jiannan Region, and Shannan West Region.

In other words, during the Tang Dynasty, the finances of the western half of the country were the responsibility of Fifth Qi, while the finances of the eastern half were the responsibility of Liu Yan.

Li Yu consulted with two ministers of the Ministry of Revenue about the state's financial situation. Wu Qi seized the opportunity to submit a memorial requesting the cessation of all affairs of the Tax and Labor Commissioner, and the dispatch of only one judge and two inspectors to collect taxes, with a levy of one mu of the harvest for every ten mu of land—"this is the ancient method of tithe." He said that if this policy were feasible, the capital region, Guanzhong region, Hedong region, and other areas could collect 1.5 million shi of grain this autumn, which would be enough for the court's needs and for the gathering of hundreds of thousands of troops for autumn defense.

When asked again, Liu Yan strongly argued that the tithe tax system was unacceptable—"Yan Hui and Mencius both said that a tithe tax was in accordance with the ways of Yao and Shun. However, the state has always levied taxes and levies, and to suddenly change to a new system would leave officials at a loss and the people inconvenienced. Moreover, the so-called tithe tax should be levied on each household's autumn grain, but now the household registration has not been verified for a long time, and the land has not been measured for a long time. If we simply levy one mu's worth of income for every ten mu, it will inevitably lead to large households evading the tax, and the tax will fall on small farmers."

"Furthermore, if the country desires stability, it must first achieve equality. This is why I have established salt officials, grain transport officials, and ever-normal grain officials. Now, the Fifth Vice Minister wants to implement new policies, but says that it can be done by entrusting only one judge and two inspectors. This will inevitably lead to great oversights and abuses—I firmly believe that this is unacceptable."

Regarding the state's financial situation, Liu Yan said he was not clear about the Guanzhong region, but as for the Guandong, Huainan, and Jiangnan regions, as long as there were no major natural disasters, they could still supply the capital with 400,000 shi of rice and 1 million strings of cash and silk in the autumn, just as before.

Li Yu relayed all the reports submitted by the two men to Li Bi. After a quick mental calculation, Li Bi said, "I believe that the fifth Yu Gui's one-tenth tax is feasible. However, as Liu Shi'an has suggested, it should not be implemented hastily, lest it harm small farmers. We should establish a special office to conduct a trial run in one area first and observe its effectiveness. If this autumn's harvest is equal to last year's, we can send 80,000 troops from Guanzhong for autumn defense, and there will be no shortage of supplies. As for the grain from Huainan and Jiangnan, if it is transported to Hebei, it will be convenient because it is close to the capital. 700,000 shi and 150 strings of cash can be easily supplied."

Li Yu asked, "Isn't 80,000 troops too few to defend against the autumn harvest?"

Li Bi smiled and said, "I still think it's too much. Now that the passes of Dazhen and Longshan have been repaired, even if the barbarian bandits launch a large-scale attack, the Jingyuan Army alone can hold out for more than a month. If things don't go well, it's not too late to transfer other troops. Even if Nanzhao refuses to sever ties with the barbarians, I believe that the main force of the barbarian bandits will still head north to plot against Gua and Sha. We should order the Shuofang Army to go west of the Yellow River to contain them. If we only supply the Jingyuan and Shuofang armies, the state's reserves are more than enough."

"The time is ripe to launch a campaign against Tian Chengsi this autumn. I dare not guarantee victory, but there should be no risk of defeat. If we can force Tian to submit, not only will Yan and Zhao be terrified, but all the military governors in the land will not dare to underestimate the court. They will surely come to pay tribute one after another—just as Liang Chongyi was frightened after Zhou Zhiguang was killed. If we wait until the barbarian bandits have taken Guazhou and Shazhou, and Anxi and Beiting are left isolated, we can deal with them slowly. Or they may send a large army to invade Longxi, at which point the court will be too busy to deal with them."

Li Yu smiled slightly: "Sir, you seem to trust your younger brother quite a bit."

Li Bi said solemnly, “It is not that I trust Li Ji, but that Your Majesty trusts Li Ji. Otherwise, why would you have appointed him to guard Weibo? However, Li Ji is ultimately young and inexperienced, and cannot command all the garrisons. My only concern is that if only the troops of Weibo are willing to fight, while the other garrisons linger and wait, then the situation in Guandong will be hopeless. Therefore, I earnestly request that the money and grain transported to the capital in the southeast be used to supply Hebei, benefiting all the garrisons. Perhaps they will then be willing to serve.”

Li Yu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "I previously discussed this with Minister Guo, and he was quite worried about Chengde and Youzhou..."

Li Bi suggested, "Why not order a contingent of the Hedong army to cross the Taihang Mountains, pass through Chengde Town, and flank the Tianxiong army? Then Li Baochen will certainly not dare to collude with the Tian family. As for Youzhou... Your Majesty can send someone to appease its military commander Zhu Xicai and deputy military commissioner Zhu Ci. According to the report of the supervising envoy, the two generals are quite popular in the army, and may be able to stop Li Huaixian from resisting the imperial order."

Li Yu was delighted upon hearing this: "It is all thanks to your planning, sir." He paused, leaned forward slightly, and asked: "Now that you have returned, you have spoken of your merit in eliminating the barbarians from Nanzhao. I wonder if you would be willing to grant my wish and make me prime minister?"

Li Bi quickly declined, saying, "There is no place for me in the Hall of State Affairs."

Li Yu waved his hand and said, "With Wang Jin and Du Hongjian away, Liu Yan is already overwhelmed with half of the financial and economic affairs and cannot share my burdens in both military and political matters. Pei Zhangfu (Pei Mian) is too old... The Prime Minister alone is holding the overall situation together. How can it be said that there is no place for you, sir?"

Li Bi thought to himself, "It's because Yuan Zai is here that I don't have a position... Even when I'm in the inner court, he always tries to find a way to kick me out. If I were to enter the Council of State Affairs, wouldn't he hate me to death?" But he couldn't say this outright, so he could only decline, saying, "I was originally a commoner from the mountains. It is already beyond my ability to be promoted by Your Majesty to a high-ranking position. How could I dare to hope to become prime minister?"

Li Yu smiled slightly: "But what I command, who says is 'unreasonable'? If you find the State Affairs Hall too cramped and leaky, making it inconvenient to stretch your legs, I can clean it up for you."

Upon hearing this, Li Bi was taken aback, thinking to himself: Something terrible is about to happen...

This is indeed a major event. Since Yu Chaoen was killed, the power of the inner court has been waning day by day, while the power of the outer court has been growing, and the prime minister wields great power. This has greatly displeased Li Yu. However, with three generations of powerful eunuchs before him, he dares not place all the power of the inner court on the shoulders of one or two people again. Therefore, if he cannot restore the balance by revitalizing the inner court, then the only option is to weaken the outer court.

Yuan Zai had served as chancellor for many years, and Li Yu hoped to maintain a good relationship with him until the end. The problem was that Yuan Zai was too ambitious, always clinging to power and turning the Council of State Affairs into his personal fiefdom. He even submitted a memorial requesting that the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War approve all appointments of civil and military officials below the sixth rank without verification. At the time, Li Yu reluctantly agreed to counter the influence of Yu Chaoen; however, Yu Chaoen was soon removed from office, leaving Li Yu filled with regret—"I agreed too quickly; if only I had delayed a bit longer..."

After Yu Chaoen's execution, Yuan Zai became even more arrogant and autocratic. He even planned to demote Wu Qi—because he was a follower of Yu Chaoen—and appoint himself as the Director of the Revenue Department, but Li Yu stopped him. Regarding the autumn defense, Yuan Zai and Wang Jin jointly submitted a memorial requesting that Hezhong be designated as the central capital, with 50,000 troops stationed there. The emperor would travel there every autumn and return to Chang'an in the spring to avoid the Tibetan army's advance. Li Yu initially thought this was a good idea, but fearing that the ministers might criticize the emperor for being cowardly and wanting to flee, he temporarily shelved it. Unexpectedly, Yuan Zai, confident that his memorial would be approved, ordered the construction of palaces and his own private residence in Hezhong ahead of time. Li Yu was furious and refused to approve it.

In short, Yuan Zai's actions, one after another, challenged the emperor's bottom line. If the three-legged cauldron cast by Li Yu remained stable, he would have had to accept it for the sake of the "big picture." The problem was that the inner court's leg was shorter than expected. Instead of obediently requesting to reduce its power, the outer court wanted to lengthen it. Could Li Yu tolerate that?

I was initially worried that dismissing Yuan Zai would leave me without anyone to take charge, but now Li Bi is back. To be honest, the initial enthusiasm of Li Yu for appointing Li Bi has worn off, and there's no need to keep him in the palace all the time—didn't I manage to get by during his year-long absence? I even got rid of Zhou Zhiguang and Yu Chaoen—it's better to place him in the Hall of State Affairs and re-establish the proper relationship between ruler and subject. From now on, I can call him "Prime Minister Li" instead of always addressing him as "Sir."

Therefore, in May of that year, Li Yu personally went to Yanying Hall and ordered Wu Cou (the younger brother of Empress Zhangjing and Li Yu's maternal uncle) to arrest Yuan Zai and imprison him in the Hall of State Affairs. He then ordered Liu Yan, the Minister of Revenue, Li Han, the Grand Censor, Yang Wan, the Vice Minister of Rites, and others to conduct a joint trial. In the end, Yuan Zai was demoted to the position of Prefect of Feizhou.

The search of Yuan Zai's residence yielded valuables worth over a million strings of cash—including eight hundred shi of pepper alone!

In addition, more than twenty of Yuan Zai's cronies were also demoted and sent out of the capital to take up posts elsewhere—including two acquaintances of Li Ji, one being Yang Yan, a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, and the other being Han Hui, a court attendant.

With this, the Council of State Affairs was finally cleared out, and a position became available. Li Mi was then forcibly appointed as chancellor—as Left Vice Minister and concurrently Chancellor. Li Xian was also reinstated as chancellor at the same time. As for Zhang Hao, whom Li Ji had mentioned to him long ago and whom Li Shi had recommended many times, he unfortunately had died of illness the previous year while serving as the Inspector of Jiangnan West Circuit.

Everyone went to Li Bi's residence to congratulate him, but Li Bi kept the gates closed and refused to see anyone. It wasn't until Li Shi arrived that he was forced to open the gates and let him in. Li Shi then brought in the congratulatory invitations from all the officials and said to Li Bi, "It is customary for officials to congratulate one on becoming prime minister. Sir... why does Prime Minister Li have to keep people at arm's length?" He casually flipped through the invitations and realized, "Hey, where is so-and-so's invitation?"

Upon returning to his residence, Li Shi summoned the man for questioning. The man was Chang Gun, a native of Wen County and the newly appointed Hanlin Academician. Li Shi had always held this man in high regard, regarding him as his own Zhang Liang. Chang Gun said to Li Shi, "I believe that Li Changyuan's position as prime minister will not last long, therefore I will not offer my congratulations."

Why do you say this?

“Li Weibo is commanding a large army, while his brother is serving as prime minister. If he receives support from both inside and outside the court, how can the emperor not be wary? Everyone in the court knows that the emperor treats Li Changyuan well. If he cannot appoint him as prime minister, he might be criticized for being like Lord Ye who loved dragons but was terrified. That is why Yuan Zai was dismissed and Li Bi was appointed instead. However, he will surely be sent to the outside world in two years at most.”

Li Ji's request to attack Tianxiong Army is currently a secret; Chang Gun may not know about it, or even if he does, he wouldn't dare mention it. Li Shi, however, thought to himself: "Oh, it seems Father intends to approve Li Ji's impeachment and appoint Changyuan as Prime Minister to win Li Ji over, hoping he'll fight the Hebei battle well? Whether we win or lose, I'm afraid that once the battle is over, Changyuan won't be able to stay in the Council of State anymore… Father's intentions are quite cunning!"

He hurriedly instructed Chang Gun: "Do not tell anyone else what you have said."

Chang Gun smiled and said, "I know." He paused for a moment, then added, "I was just about to go to the residences of the two imperial brothers to offer my congratulations."

Li Yu's two maternal uncles—Wu Xu, the Right General of the Golden Guard, and Wu Cou, the Left General of the Golden Guard—were also promoted. The former was appointed Minister of Ceremonies, and the latter was appointed Prefect of the Capital. This seems to indicate that after the emperor slightly suppressed the power of the eunuchs and changed the prime minister's team, he began to place his hopes on his maternal relatives...

----------

With the political situation changing so rapidly, Lu Qi naturally sent someone to Weibo immediately to deliver the intelligence. Li Ji was delighted after reading it, and his opinion of Li Yu improved slightly.

Ultimately, this emperor still has a chance to recover, quite different from his father. Yuan Zai was dismissed, and Li Mi became prime minister, which could hopefully improve the administration. Regardless of their abilities, at least Li Mi was not as power-hungry and greedy as Yuan Zai, and he was also good at uniting his colleagues. If the court could stand up straight, I would feel much more at ease working in the outposts.

Li Ji had great faith in Li Mi's abilities. While not a genius for all time, at least in his own era, no one in the bureaucratic class could rival Li Mi in terms of vision and wisdom. Of course, Li Mi also had many shortcomings. For example, his political leanings towards Huang-Lao philosophy led him to be good at maintaining the status quo but lacking in ambition and drive. Furthermore, in matters of national finance, Li Mi was not only inferior to Liu Yan and Yang Yan, but perhaps even less capable than Wu Qi. In terms of integrity and discipline, he was not as good as Yang Wan; in terms of uprightness and incorruptibility, he was not as good as Li Qiyun and Cui Youfu…

However, as prime minister, Li Bi could unite all the talented individuals from the aforementioned fields to his side, ensuring the stability of the court and the smooth flow of government affairs, unlike Yuan Zai, who sat alone in the Hall of State Affairs and needed lackeys rather than colleagues.

Furthermore, Li Ji also sensed something unusual in Lu Qi's report—since Li Bi had successfully returned to the court and been appointed prime minister, although the court had not yet made a big fuss about it, Nanzhao probably already intended to abandon its allies and submit to Tang; with Nanzhao as a constraint, the Tibetan offensive against Longxi and the Hexi Corridor would definitely weaken and slow down, allowing the Tang court to free up its resources to take the opportunity to resolve the Hebei issue...

Having already submitted his impeachment memorial, if Li Yu still refused to issue a formal order to punish Tian Chengsi, Li Bi, having already returned to the capital, would certainly have to discuss it with him; and Li Bi, knowing the emperor's intentions, would not fail to send a private letter to remind him—most likely, directly pointing out the oversights in his plan.

Therefore, it seems that within two or three months at most, an edict for conquest will be issued!

Therefore, Li Ji summoned several trusted generals and staff to review the military preparations and deployments. Although he had submitted a memorial last year hoping to lead troops on a northern expedition, and related work had already begun, war preparations were never 100% perfect, given the changing situation. It was best to consult with others, identify and address any shortcomings, to avoid unnecessary losses when the time came.

The main force of the Weizhou army was under the command of Lei Wanchun, the military commander. According to him, his thirty battalions of garrison troops were ready to be deployed to the battlefield at any time. "With sufficient supplies for the commander, everyone is happy to fight for him; with excellent training, we are not afraid even if we are twice as many as the enemy!"

Li Ji thought to himself that it was fortunate he hadn't called Yan Sima along, otherwise, with that line "Everyone is happy to fight for the general," Yan Sima would have spat all over his face on the spot...

Chapter Thirteen: Pre-War Preparations

In mid-July, Li Ji and Qin Rui secretly met in Jieshang.

Although ostensibly a clandestine meeting, each side brought several hundred soldiers for protection, making them much more relaxed than their unexpected encounter in Dezhou. Li Ji informed Qin Rui that the imperial court anticipated issuing an edict this autumn to punish Tian Chengsi, and hoped that his lord would prepare in advance.

"The key to military strategy lies in catching the enemy off guard. If we wait for the imperial court to issue a formal edict, Tian Chengsi will surely be prepared. In that case, it would be disadvantageous for us to send troops from afar against an already fortified formation. If our two families plan ahead and act immediately upon receiving the edict, we will surely achieve a great victory in the first battle, and capture many prisoners as well."

Qin Rui agreed with Li Ji's view, but at the same time doubted whether the court truly had enough resolve to punish the Tianxiong Army—"If I prepare troops, but the imperial edict does not arrive, wouldn't it be all for nothing? Our Wushun Army is really short of money and provisions, and cannot afford to waste them..."

Li Ji was quite familiar with the situation in De and Bei prefectures, and understood that Qin Rui was not making excuses; the other party was genuinely short of funds. These two prefectures, if placed elsewhere, would be considered upper-middle-class prefectures with abundant land and numerous households, but in Hebei they were relatively barren, and like Weibo, lacked any particularly noteworthy resources. Furthermore, Qin Rui's governance was essentially laissez-faire; he could neither curb land annexation nor confiscate the property of wealthy households, leaving the annual revenue from taxes and provisions stretched thin.