Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Li Ji was already mentally prepared for this, but he was still indignant. First, wasn't he supposed to be sent to Guanzhong? He was sent to Lingwu, a place far and wide, and he still couldn't keep his brother's position? Second, even if he was to be sent out, he should have been given a major military governorship, not just the governorship of Zhejiang West.

It was Du Huangshang who spoke up to comfort him, saying, "After the Tianbao turmoil, Zhejiang and Jiangsu became increasingly prosperous. Half of the imperial tax revenue came from the Huai River region and half from the Jiangnan region. Therefore, appointing Li Xiang to this post is not an unimportant task. Moreover, western Zhejiang has never suffered from war and does not need a large army. It is only natural that no military governor has been appointed there..."

North of the Yangtze River, the military governors (Jiedushi) often concurrently held the title of military commander (Dufangshi). South of the Yangtze, however, apart from the Lingnan East Circuit which had an observational military governor (Guancha Jiedushi) and the West Circuit which had a military commander (Dufangshi Jinglue Shi), most regions only had observational military governors (Guancha Shi) – for example, Liangzhe, Fujian, Hunan, Xuanzhou, Shexian, and Chizhou, with at most a title of "Commander of the Militia" (Dutuanlian Shi). This is because, apart from the rebellions of Prince Yong (Li Lin) and Liu Zhan, the Jiangnan region had not experienced major military disasters for over a decade, and the recruitment of soldiers in various prefectures and counties was minimal, mainly for defense against bandits; therefore, the position of military governor was unnecessary.

Moreover, based on Li Ji's previous discussions with Li Bi, they hoped that even if the administrative structure were changed to a three-tiered system, most of the prefectures and towns in the country should only have an observer commissioner, while only the military governors and defense commissioners should be appointed along the border or at important passes. It would be best if they could not completely control the source of food and supplies. If they were like Shuofang, the local production could only provide half the food, and they still had to rely on the imperial order to supply other prefectures to have enough to eat. If they dared to rebel, the court would only need to cut off their food supply, and the rebel army would naturally collapse.

Li Ji simply sighed and said, "Why is the Sage in such a hurry? I should return to Chang'an first, and then send my brother to govern the region. What's the rush?"

Since he was changing positions, he naturally had to return to Chang'an to pay his respects to the Emperor and express his gratitude. Moreover, he had to pass through Chang'an on his way from Weibo to Shuofang—unless he planned to take a detour through Hedong via Taiyuan, deliberately choosing a mountainous and dangerous route—he would have had the opportunity to meet Li Bi again.

However, with such a huge change in the Hebei warlords and the imminent construction of the three cities of Heyang, Ji Guangchen should head north as soon as possible, and Li Ji should also leave the Council of State immediately and ride south to take over Zhejiang. There are many routes from Guanzhong to Zhejiang, and even if he went to Henan first and met Li Ji, he might not necessarily run into him.

This isn't the future, where you can just make a phone call anytime and say, "Brother, don't rush off. Wait for me in Luoyang for two days. I'll be there soon."

Li Ji could understand Li Yu's concerns about not allowing the Li brothers to serve as generals and ministers, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of unease. It was as if he thought that it would be more beneficial to the country and the nation for Guo Ziyi to return to Chang'an and sit on the sidelines than for Li Guangbi to stubbornly refuse to return. But at the same time, he couldn't help but lament that it was a pity that the old general, with his great skills, was not returning to the battlefield. If all the troops in Guanzhong could be handed over to Guo Ziyi, perhaps Longyou would have been recovered sooner, and Liangzhou might not have been lost.

The key issue is that in the feudal monarchical era, national interests and the monarch's own gains and losses were intertwined. Sometimes the two could be almost confused, while at other times they went in opposite directions. Without careful analysis and repeated calculations, it was really hard to tell whether an emperor's policy was for the public good or for private gain... In short, it made people uncomfortable!

Therefore, I made up my mind that after returning to Chang'an, while Li Shi was temporarily unable to leave me, I would have to ask for some more benefits in order to quell the hatred in my heart.

In fact, he had already asked for quite a few benefits. In addition to appointing Yan Zhenqing as the military governor of Weibo, he also requested that some of the surplus military provisions and supplies after the war be taken to Shuofang. I knew that the place was poor and could not be self-sufficient in food and fodder. Taking some supplies would not only make it easier for me to take control of the troops as soon as possible, but also reduce the burden on the court.

Naturally, they had to consult with Yan Zhenqing. Fortunately, Yan Zhenqing had already intended to transport the remaining grain bestowed by the court to the west. Li Ji further invoked the noble cause of reducing the burden on the central government, and the two sides quickly reached a consensus—to move 200,000 bushels of grain and 300,000 bolts of silk from the treasury and have them loaded onto carts for transport to the west.

Silk doesn't fetch a good price in Hebei, but it can be transported to Guanzhong and even Shuofang for double the profit—especially since I've heard that the Uyghurs have recently been trading horses at high prices, exchanging one horse for thirty bolts of silk. The court is weak and dares not refuse, which has caused the price of silk in Guanzhong to rise to a terrifying level.

However, Li Ji was also secretly annoyed. He had been forced to transport a batch of grain and silk to Guanzhong a while ago, saying that it was an advance payment for next year's tribute. Who knew that in the second year of Dali, he would no longer be in Weibo, and Yan Zhenqing would benefit from it for nothing!

Most of the troops in Weibo naturally remained in their home region. Only those with few family members or relatives, willing to travel with them on this long journey, and whose relocation would likely involve changing their registered residence, were selected as guards. The number of soldiers was actually quite important; taking too many would weaken Weibo's defenses, and Shuofang didn't have enough food to supply them...

In addition, Nan Jiyun pointed out: "When a guest general enters a town, there is no certainty in leading troops. If he sends many subordinates, they may be afraid that they will not be able to use them and may cause chaos."

Of course, one cannot bring too few troops. Otherwise, when one is new to the town and unfamiliar with both the people and the land, it will be difficult to maintain order and even ensure one's own safety. This was the case when Li Ji first entered Weibo. If he had brought thousands or tens of thousands of elite troops, would he have been afraid of Li Ziyi and his men gathering a crowd to ambush him? Given Li Ji's personality, there would be absolutely no possibility of compromise—even if, in the long run, compromise might not be a bad strategy for stabilizing the region.

Therefore, two thousand men were ultimately selected, comprising four battalions, half of whom were cavalry. Two battalions were drawn from the Weizhou garrison, and two battalions from the Weizhou volunteer army—those young soldiers who were most loyal to Li Ji. As for the generals, Xu Yu was brought along, since he was originally from Guanzhong.

Li Ji's advisors Gao Ying, Yin Shen, Jia Huai, Ma Meng, Liu Ji, and Luo Yiping also followed him. Li Ji also took Huang Tiexuan with him again, leaving only Du Huangshang behind. This was at Yan Zhenqing's request, who said that Du Zun was intelligent and skilled in civil administration, and that Weibo could not do without him for the time being. Having gained Du Huangshang's approval, Li Ji readily agreed.

However, he asked Yan Zhenqing, "I already lack talented people under my command. Your retention of Zunsu is like cutting off my arm. You have served in the court for many years. Don't you have any candidates to recommend in exchange?"

Yan Zhenqing spread his hands and said, "Now that Commander Li has taken most of his men west, Weibo is almost empty. I have some disciples, but they are not enough. How can I recommend them to Commander Li?" But then he smiled and said, "Why not ask Du Zunsu? He will surely have some answers."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Du Huangshang can recommend talented people to me? Why didn't he say so earlier? Why wait until today?" Half-believing and half-doubting, he went to ask him. Du Huangshang indeed had a brilliant plan: "General Li often laments that so-and-so has the talent for planning and the ability to manage, but unfortunately he was demoted because of a crime. Now that he is going to govern Shuofang, a little recommendation from him will surely be accepted by the court. Why not use him?"

Li Ji suddenly realized: "You mean Yang Gongnan?"

Yang Yan, also known as Yang Gongnan, was an old acquaintance of Li Ji. They had served together in Longyou, assisting Prince Qi, Li Tan, in managing state affairs and proving quite capable. Li Tan had repeatedly praised Yang Yan, saying he was a financial expert comparable to Fifth Qi and Liu Yan. After the fall of Longyou, Li Tan was forced to observe mourning for Emperor Suzong, and his advisors Yang Yan, Xue Yong, and Yuan Xiu were promoted to court officials—a form of compensation from Li Yu to his brothers. However, with Li Tan relinquishing power, Yang Yan and the others had no one to rely on but to curry favor with Chancellor Yuan Zai…

When Yuan Zai fell from power, Yang Yan and others were implicated and demoted—Yang Yan was demoted to Sima of Daozhou.

Yang Yan's misfortune wasn't solely due to his alignment with Yuan Zai; more importantly, it stemmed from significant disagreements with the two chief officials—Liu Yan and Wu Qi—regarding fiscal policy. He frequently submitted memorials offering advice, only to be refuted by Liu and Wu's sharp criticism. However, Li Ji agreed with Yang Yan's revolutionary ideas of "taxing based on expenditure" and "quantifying revenue based on expenditure"—although he didn't know if there were concrete implementation measures or if they would be feasible, at least theoretically, Yang Yan was far superior to Liu Yan, who only knew how to cut spending and make minor adjustments in the circulation sector, and Wu Qi, who was even less capable than Liu Yan.

However, since Yang Yan was demoted for a crime, it would be inappropriate for the military headquarters to offer him a position. Therefore, although Li Ji felt regretful that Yang Yan was implicated by Yuan Zai and could not realize his ambitions, and often talked about it with his staff, Du Huangshang did not dare to mention it: "Since the military commander loves his talent, why not summon him to his staff?"

The situation is now quite different. Li Ji made demands of the court, requiring Yan Zhenqing to succeed him and demanding that the wealth of Hebei be transferred to Shuofang. The court agreed to all of them without hesitation. Only then did Du Huangshang dare to propose that if Commander Li were to invite Yang Yan to join his staff, it would most likely be feasible.

Li Ji immediately nodded in approval. Actually, quite a few acquaintances had suffered misfortune around the same time as Yang Yan, but Li Ji couldn't see any special talent in people like Xue Yong and Yuan Xiu, and didn't intend to recruit them all into his staff. However, Li Ji did have designs on Han Hui, who had also been demoted to the position of Sima in Shaozhou, and thus summoned him back to his service.

He then asked Gao Ying to submit a memorial requesting that supplies be sent to Chang'an by express courier ahead of time. After packing his belongings, he himself set off in early February, leading two thousand elite soldiers, a long convoy of supplies, and his wives, concubines, and family, slowly heading east. At this time, Xiang and Wei prefectures had been incorporated into the jurisdiction of Weibo Town, but unfortunately, Weibo was no longer under Li Ji's control…

Chapter 41, Usable Materials

After Qin Rui was escorted to Chang'an by the Wei Bo army, he was sent to the Ministry of War for a joint trial. He was terrified, fearing that he would be tortured, so he requested to write to the prime minister to defend himself.

Knowing that the current prime minister was Li Bi, he was forced to reveal his identity and the reasons he had previously dared not expose himself in the letter. Upon receiving the letter, Li Bi was greatly surprised—"I did know that Zhen Sui was still alive; Li Ji had also mentioned seeing this person in the rebel army, perhaps acting as a spy for the court, but I never expected that he would actually be Qin Rui, the military governor of Wushun Army!"

He went to the Ministry of War to verify, and upon meeting him, he was indeed the same Qianniu Beishen from back then—although it had been ten years since they last met and their appearances had changed, they were able to confirm it through conversation.

So he asked Qin Rui, "My younger brother, Li Ji, does he know your true identity?"

Qin Rui nodded repeatedly: "Li Shuai naturally knows."

Li Bi thought about it and agreed. They might have rarely met before, but now that they were joining forces to attack Tian Chengsi, it was impossible for the two commanders not to meet. Li Ji was not face-blind, so how could he not recognize him? But Li Ji often wrote to me, explaining everything that happened in Hebei in detail, with little concealment. However, he deliberately did not mention that Qin Rui was Zhen Sui. Why was that?

Is he holding a grudge against Zhen Sui for giving Cui Guangyuan a message under Li Fuguo's orders, which resulted in the secret being leaked and causing us to be in danger at Tanshan? However, for Zhen Sui, this was an unintentional mistake, and he risked his life to cover the rear, so he should make amends for his mistake; moreover, apart from Li Fuguo, the other two important parties involved in this matter—Cui Guangyuan and Tian Qianzhen—have already turned enemies into friends, so he shouldn't harbor any more resentment.

—Li Ji tells Li Bi a lot of things, but he can’t very well mention that Zhen Sui once coveted and flirted with my wife, which my wife resents, and therefore I also dislike him, can he? There’s no reason to discuss all matters of the household with one’s elder brother.

Moreover, Li Ji had never mentioned Qin Rui to Cui Cuo—he had once had the chance, but when he uttered the name "Zhen Sui," Cui Cuo became furious, saying that he did not want to hear the name of this person, so Li Ji had to shut his mouth.

Li Bi didn't understand why Li Ji had kept such a big matter from him—in his mind, it was a major matter. If he had known earlier that the military governor of Wushun Army might be a former general of the Tang Dynasty who was loyal to the court, he might have had to make some adjustments to the policies toward the various vassal states in Hebei—but now that he knew, he couldn't just ignore it.

So he went to the palace to pay his respects and reported the whole story to Li Yu without concealing anything—except that he didn't mention that Li Ji knew about it. As long as Li Yu didn't recall this incident and didn't ask, he could get away with it. Li Yu frowned upon hearing this: "So, this scoundrel was originally Li Fuguo's personal servant?"

Li Bi quickly shook his head: "No, Zhen Sui was a Qianniu Beishen (a military officer), and was trusted by the late emperor, who sent him to Yingyang to welcome me and escort me to the temporary capital. At that time, Li Fuguo was by the emperor's side and held power. If he gave any instructions, how could Zhen Sui dare to disobey?"

"After Hebei was pacified, they refused to inform the court openly and even changed their names, which may indicate that they have ulterior motives."

"At that time, Li Fuguo and Cui Guangyuan were both dead. He was afraid that no one could verify his identity, so he did not speak out, which is understandable. In fact, he did not rebel against the court when he led the Wushun Army. Moreover, he fought bravely on the battlefield when he first joined the campaign against Tian Chengsi. Later, the army was in chaos and scattered. It was because he was not strong enough, but because he had no intention of rebelling."

Li Yu disliked this guy because he had no good feelings towards Li Fuguo and Cui Guangyuan, and they were merely using each other for political purposes. However, judging from Li Bi's tone, it seemed that he intended to plead for Qin Rui, so he asked, "What do you think should be done with this person?"

Li Bi said, "Qin Rui's army was defeated and almost trapped Weibo in a dangerous place. He should be punished. Since it has been decided to abolish Wu Shun's army, his position as military governor will naturally be removed. However, victory and defeat are common in war. We cannot kill a general because of a single defeat. I think it is better to demote him and let him serve in the army."

Li Yu frowned and asked, "Is this person truly usable?"

In fact, he hadn't originally planned to kill Qin Rui. Even after the Ministry of War reviewed the case, it was impossible for him to make such a suggestion, because since the Zhide era, apart from Zhou Zhiguang, who was truly intolerable, there had been no precedent for executing a garrison commander or military governor—Lai Zhen had entered the court as an official before being murdered on his way to exile; even with Zhou Zhiguang, Li Yu hadn't originally planned to kill him, it was purely because Li Ji acted quickly…

For example, Zhou Zhiguang should have been demoted to the position of prefect of a state, thus distancing himself from military power; or, like Pugu Huai'en, he should have been relegated to a lowly post in the capital. However, Li Mi said that Qin Rui could still "serve at the front lines," which made Li Yu wonder, is this person truly still usable?

Li Bi was mainly concerned about Zhen Sui's past service in risking his life to cover the rear, and he couldn't bear to see him sitting on the sidelines until his death before he was even forty. So he reported, "Qin Rui is indeed as brave as Ben and Yu. If he is dismissed and not used, I will regret it for the country. Now the various towns in Guanzhong are facing the Western Barbarians and are looking for good generals. If Your Majesty would release him, just as Qin Mu did not replace Meng Ming in the past, he would surely be willing to fight to the death for Your Majesty."

Li Yu had already decided that once Li Ji agreed to abandon Weibo and come west to defend against the barbarians, he would send Li Mi out to serve. A few years ago, he certainly wouldn't have been willing to part with him, but now that his throne was secure and his power base was strong, Li Mi was no longer the only person he could rely on as a trusted advisor. Therefore, he didn't want to reject Li Mi's various memorials before his departure, as long as they weren't too outrageous. He approved them and ordered the Ministry of War to demote Qin Rui to the position of Sima of Yuanzhou for the crime of defeating the army.

Unlike the military governor's Sima, the prefectural Sima was in charge of military affairs. The military governor's Sima was responsible for military matters because the chief secretary in charge of civil affairs was replaced by the deputy military governor, so the Sima, who was in charge of military affairs, had to switch to civil affairs, as exemplified by Yan Zhenqing—who, along with the deputy chief secretary and the vice-chief, was called "superior assistant." While since the Zhide era, the power of the prefectures gradually shifted to the military governors, and the civil and military power within the prefectures was also divided among the judges, the Sima became a sinecure, mostly used to house officials demoted to other central government posts—such as Yang Yan, who was appointed Sima of Daozhou—there were always exceptions.

First, in remote areas, even though governors were appointed, they often refused to take office, or the governors died in office, making it difficult to fill the vacancies in a short time. Therefore, the Sima (military officer) was often appointed to "manage the affairs of a certain prefecture," thus wielding real power. Second, the prefectures in Guanzhong needed to guard against Tibetan invasions, so in addition to the garrison troops, the number of garrison troops in each prefecture was greater than in other places, and the Sima could effectively control them. Therefore, appointing Qin Rui as the Sima of Yuanzhou placed him on the front line of defending against the Tibetans. In times of war, he would often have to go to the battlefield, which would allow him to make full use of his talents.

After the imperial edict was issued, Qin Rui knelt to receive it and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, he had been stationed in a remote town for a long time and was not familiar with the situation in the central court. He had thought that the court might make an example of him and take his life, or strip him of his official title and never be employed again... The fact that he was able to live and continue to hold an official position must be because Li Changyuan had extended a helping hand.

So he went to Li Bi's residence to express his gratitude for his kindness.

Li Bi, who was usually a recluse and rarely received outsiders, made an unprecedented exception and let Qin Rui in. He gave Qin Rui earnest advice and encouragement, urging him to make contributions to the country, saying that there might be a day when Qin Rui would be rewarded with great honors.

Immediately afterward, Qin Rui left Chang'an and hurriedly went to Yuanzhou.

He was being escorted westward alone, with no relatives to wait for him—he had no wife or children, and although he had several women in his household in Qinghe, none of them had been given official status—he was penniless, and Chang'an was not a safe place to live. Before, when he was detained in the Ministry of War, he at least had food to eat, but now that the court had officially appointed him, the Ministry of War certainly wouldn't care anymore. Staying in the capital any longer meant he'd have to beg on the streets, wouldn't it? Even the travel expenses to Yuanzhou were a gift from Li Bi before his departure…

Fortunately, as a senior official in the prefecture, Sima's salary is quite generous, twice that of officials of the same rank in the capital. I believe that once he arrives in Yuanzhou, he will have plenty of good wine and meat to eat.

He left in a hurry and did not meet with Li Ji who had returned. Li Ji entered the pass in mid-March, and then temporarily stationed his troops at Baqiao. He himself, along with his family, staff, and more than ten personal guards including Yuan Jing'an, entered Chang'an City through Chunming Gate.

Along the way, they neither encountered Li Bi, who was heading west to take up his post, nor Xue Song, who was returning to his hometown after the emperor's departure.

The official in charge of reporting to the emperor, Lu Qi, had already received the news and specially came to the city gate to greet him. Li Ji took Lu Qi's hand and praised him kindly, saying, "You've really worked hard these past few years. I was able to defeat the powerful enemy in Hebei without any worries about the rear, all thanks to you, Ziliang, who liaised between the upper and lower levels, ensuring that there was no doubt about the situation inside and outside the capital." This was the truth. If it weren't for Lu Qi's role as a middleman and his timely transmission of intelligence from the central government to Weibo, the many conditions Li Ji had proposed to the court for this westward relocation might not have been approved so quickly.

Lu Qi humbly replied, "This is my duty. Having received the salary of a military commander, how could I not serve wholeheartedly?" Riding alongside Li Ji into the city, as they walked along Chunming Street, Lu Qi seized an opportunity to ask, "Now that the military commander has been transferred to Shuofang, I have been estranged from the area for a long time and am not very familiar with the current situation in Shuofang. I fear I will be of little help..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "What does this mean? Did you know so much about the situation in Weibo before? I appointed you as the 'Memorial Official' because I value your intelligence and influence in the capital. What business is this outside the pass?" Lu Qi's words seemed to imply his resignation. Had he wronged him in some way? Or was he subtly asking for a raise?

When asked, Lu Qi refused to give a direct answer, instead beating around the bush. However, after talking for a while, Li Ji roughly figured out what the other party was thinking—

The saying goes, "People strive to rise higher, and water flows downhill." The position of a staff member is ultimately an outsider to the central government. A military man might be willing to do it for a lifetime, but for most scholars, it is merely a shortcut to becoming an official in the central government. No one wants to be a staff member for long—why can't I be the head of a region or a government office?

Lu Qi was in the same boat. Although he had only been the official in charge of reporting to the emperor in Weibo for two years, he had served as the chief secretary in the Shuofang Army for no less than five years before that. Counting the time he spent in mourning after leaving his post, he was almost ten years old. How many decades does one have in a lifetime? During this time, he worked hard in the capital for Weibo and made a lot of connections. He also got on the good side of the crown prince, Li Shi, hoping to resign from his post and transfer to the central court.

Having discerned the other party's true intentions, Li Ji ceased his formalities and asked directly, "What position has the Crown Prince promised to Lord Lu?"

Lu Qi hesitated for a moment, but finally told the truth: "His Highness said that the position of Assistant Minister of the Left and Right Offices can be filled immediately. If we wait a few more days, there is hope that the position of Physician will be filled."

The Ministry of Personnel comprised six ministries and twenty-six departments, each headed by a Director (郎中) and assisted by an Assistant Director (员外郎). These were considered the most powerful positions among mid-level officials, and were considered "honest officials." However, even among the Directors and Assistant Directors of these departments, though of the same rank, there were distinctions in rank. The Ministry of Personnel was generally considered the most prestigious—because it directly controlled the appointment and dismissal of civil officials—followed by the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel Examinations, and the Left and Right Ministries. When Du Fu served as an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Works, his rank was relatively low. As for departments like the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Forestry, and the Ministry of Water Resources, their power was largely usurped by various ministries and bureaus, making their positions lowly and generally undesirable.

Lu Qi was transferred from a staff position to a court position. He entered officialdom through hereditary privilege and was not a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). It would have been reasonable for him to directly enter one of the Six Ministries as a head or assistant. However, Li Shi directly offered him the position of assistant director or even director of the Left and Right Ministries. No wonder this ugly servant was eager to try and was not content with his position.

The position of military advisor is essentially a semi-contractual one; if it suits one's needs, one stays, and if it doesn't, one leaves. There is absolutely no reason to force one to stay. Therefore, when Yan Zhenqing asked Du Huangshang to stay, Li Ji learned that Du Huangshang also had this intention. Although reluctant, he could only grant Du Huangshang's wish. Since Lu Qi had the intention to leave and a brighter future awaited him, Li Ji could not say anything more.

He could only plead, "I have no one to replace Ziliang, and I have no one else who can do this job. Please ask Ziliang to stay a few more days, at most half a year, until I find a successor, and then he can return to the court to serve as an official."

Lu Qi agreed—because he knew Li Ji was a man of his word.

The group passed through the East Market and Daozheng Ward, heading straight for Pingkang Ward. They had barely glimpsed the ward walls when a commotion erupted, and soon a large number of people surged from the north side of the main street. Yuan Jing'an immediately put his hand on his sword, stepped forward, and shouted, "The newly appointed Shuofang Military Governor, Commander Li, is here! Anyone who dares to offend him will die!"

Li Ji cracked his whip on his horse: "Don't yell at the people, go and ask them what happened!" In broad daylight, why are people running rampant in Chang'an? Could it be that a frightened horse has come after them?

Yuan Jing'an grabbed a man who looked like a peddler and asked sternly, "What's the matter? It's as if a wild beast is chasing you!" The man shouted, "It's not a wild beast, but it's fiercer than a wild beast!"

Sure enough, the sound of horses' hooves was heard immediately, and it seemed to be more than just one or two. Li Ji thought to himself that this was strange. After all, the market next door was the West Market, not the East Market. Horses were usually sold in the East Market. So if something went wrong, a large group of horses would be startled and trample the people. Although this was not common, it was still reasonable. Where did so many startled horses come from?

He straightened up in the stirrups and looked into the alley. He saw a dozen or so riders galloping towards him—they weren't startled; each horse had a rider on its back.

These riders, all dressed in felt hats and fur coats, with slightly curly hair and beards, were clearly Hu people. They galloped and shouted, completely ignoring the panicked, fleeing civilians. Li Ji, seeing this, was immediately enraged. He thought to himself, "In broad daylight, amidst the surging crowds, how dare you race on carriages… on horseback? People will die! This is far too dangerous!"

His entourage was originally heading to the Imperial Secretariat in Pingkang Ward. Upon arriving, seeing the people fleeing in panic, Li Ji instinctively reined in his horses, intending to question them. His entourage and carriages also stopped, blocking the main thoroughfare. The fleeing people, seeing the group dressed in official robes and protected by soldiers, dared not rush forward and scattered to the left and right, desperately trying to escape. But the barbarian cavalry refused to detour—besides, galloping horses couldn't turn instantly—and charged straight at them.

The first rider, seeing someone blocking his way, slightly tightened his reins to slow down, then raised his whip and pointed it at Li Ji: "You bastards, get out of the way right now!"

Without a word, Yuan Jing'an leaped forward and grabbed the Hu man's leg tightly with both hands: "You rude scoundrel, get down here!" -----PV1 reader

Chapter 42, The Uyghur Envoy

Yuan Jing'an was a native of the capital and had seen many high-ranking officials. He was not afraid of anyone except the prime minister or the prefect of the capital. Generally speaking, court officials were unwilling to bother with the rogues in the capital. Who knew who was behind those rogues? Only the authority of the prime minister was not to be offended, and the prefect of the capital was also responsible for punishing rogues. That was why he had to go around them.

Therefore, he didn't take a few mere barbarians seriously. Fortunately, this was the capital. If it were in Weibo, anyone who dared to charge at the commander's carriage, or even point a whip at him and shout, would be swarmed by his soldiers and hacked to pieces. On the streets of the capital, brawls were acceptable, but without the commander's orders, it was best to avoid bloodshed for the time being.

So he rushed forward, grabbed the Hu man's thigh, and pulled him down with all his might. He intended to drag the man off the saddle bridge, but although he was quite strong, the other man was also strong. He held onto the horse's neck with both hands, swayed a couple of times, but still managed not to fall. Instead, he dragged Yuan Jing'an a few steps off balance.

The horse immediately charged straight at Li Ji. Li Ji remained calm, raised his whip, and lashed the beast hard across the nose. The horse, in pain, tilted its head and arched its back. The rider, jolted from the impact, could no longer sit still and was dragged off by Yuan Jing'an and pinned to the ground.

Ma Meng came over and easily pulled on the reins, stopping the empty horse.

In a split second, the remaining Hu cavalry, seeing this, quickly reined in their horses and glared angrily at Li Ji and his group. One of them shouted, "Who are you people, daring to obstruct me? Don't you want your lives?!"

Li Ji took a closer look and saw that the man was around forty years old, tall with long legs, and had a rather fierce appearance; he seemed to be the leader of this group of Hu people. He immediately shouted, "And who are you? How dare you ride your horse so recklessly on the main road?"

Before the other party could answer, someone shouted from afar, "Stop them up ahead! Don't let these Uyghurs who are trying to break up the prisoners get away!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji narrowed his eyes: "Are they Uyghurs? And in broad daylight, they dare to break prisoners?!"

The so-called "Huihu" is actually the same as "Huihe," with similar pronunciations but different characters. It is unknown who told Dunmohedagan that "he" was not a good character—it refers to a relatively inferior silk fabric—and therefore he petitioned to change the tribal name to "Huihu" to show that our tribe is as strong as a falcon, like an eagle or a falcon.

After the An Lushan Rebellion, relations between the Tang Dynasty and the Uyghurs grew increasingly close. Especially after the Tibetan Empire captured Liangzhou and set its sights on the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty repeatedly sent envoys to the Uyghurs, bestowing upon the title of Wuyi Chenggong Khan Dunmohedagan the new title of Miluolu Changshou Tianqin Bilge Khan, requesting that he send troops south to aid Anxi and Beiting, and to defend against the Western Tibetans. Changshou Tianqin Khan readily agreed, but made a condition: the Uyghurs lacked fine brocade and were willing to trade it for good horses.

The Tang Dynasty was indeed short of good horses—because Liangzhou had been seized by the Tibetans—but the Uyghurs took the opportunity to raise horse prices, with one horse fetching up to forty bolts of silk, more than five times the usual price. The Tang court, fearing the Uyghurs, dared not refuse.