Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Li Ji pointed at Guo Ziyi, then at himself: "Our hearts are as one, and our intentions are clear without words. You must have heard about my beating and arresting of the Uyghur envoy in the main street the other day, and my subsequent impeachment of the Minister of Ceremonies and the Prefect of the Capital. So, in your opinion, would you be willing to do such things?"

Guo Ziyi laughed and said, "I am old, not as young and as fiercely opposed to evil as General Li..."

Li Ji interrupted him: "More importantly, the Sage has just handed the Shuofang Army over to me."

Guo Ziyi's eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly, saying, "Commander Li is young and promising, and his bravery surpasses that of the three armies. He will surely be able to lead Shuofang and serve as a bulwark for the country. I have been away from Shuofang for a long time and have no good ideas to offer."

This was a bit like keeping people at arm's length, and Li Ji couldn't help but feel anxious. He thought to himself, "I originally wanted to provoke the old man, but who would have thought that he would take the bait but not be provoked? Luckily, he has good self-control, otherwise he would have been kicked out on the spot... Lately, when I've been provoking the emperor or the prime minister, I've always been seemingly gentle but actually firm, and it's become a habit. Who would have thought that this trick wouldn't work on the old man?"

When one plan failed, he devised another. He looked around at everyone and slowly said, "The Crown Prince has a few words he wants me to ask you, sir. Please dismiss your attendants for now." He didn't dare to bring up Li Yu casually, but he figured that using Li Shi's name shouldn't be a problem.

Upon hearing this, Guo Ziyi hesitated slightly, but after a moment's thought, he waved his sleeve, and his son-in-law, servants, and others all bowed and took their leave. Turning to Li Ji, he asked, "What questions does His Highness the Crown Prince have?"

Li Ji stood up, flicked his robe, took a few steps, and unceremoniously rubbed his backside against Guo Ziyi's seat next to his couch. Then, leaning forward even closer, he whispered, "What truth is ever spoken by the emperor? Old General, don't try to imitate them..."

Chapter 51, The Outer Residence of Shuofang

Li Ji admitted that he had previously underestimated Guo Ziyi.

They thought the old man was old and frail, and also worried about slander and ridicule, which was why he was forced to sit on the sidelines in Chang'an, relying only on the reputation he had built up on the battlefield to protect his family. In other words, the old man's wings were broken and his limbs were severed. If Li Heng and his son Li Yu had been even slightly bold, they could have easily crushed him.

It wasn't until he was ordered to garrison Shuofang and secretly dispatched Lu Qi, Yin Shen, and others to investigate the situation within Shuofang, and with his own analysis and judgment, that Li Ji was shocked to realize that the one who could easily crush the other party was probably not the emperor, but Lord Guo!

When Li Heng ascended the throne in Lingwu, he was mainly supported by the Shuofang army. In order to counter the exiled emperor in Chengdu, he was forced to heavily rely on and reward the Shuofang generals and officials, which made the Shuofang army difficult to control in a short period of time.

In the central court, figures like Du Hongjian held high-ranking positions, including prime minister. The six armies of the Northern Army were mostly recruited from the Western Army, while military power in Longyou, Liangzhou, Anxi, Beiting, Guanzhong, and even Hedong gradually fell into the hands of the Shuofang generals. Locally, the initial plan was to replace Guo Ziyi with Li Guangbi to control Shuofang, but unexpectedly, the armies of Hedong and other regions merged with Shuofang, forming a powerful force. After Li Guangbi's death, all the generals looked up to Guo Ziyi…

It can be said that for the military governors and military commanders north of the Yangtze River, Guo Ziyi's orders were often more effective than imperial edicts, because the imperial court often made blunders, while the old general was almost invincible; the emperor once executed Lai Zhen, showing his harshness and lack of compassion, while the old general was known for his magnanimity.

Of course, more importantly, the central government had long intended to weaken the regional military governors, but there were not many conflicts of interest between Guo Ziyi and the various military governors.

By this time in the Tang Dynasty, the arrogance of the regional military governors was already gradually taking shape—at least in the north—and the governors themselves were becoming increasingly arrogant and prone to rebellion. These military leaders, large and small, were likely to completely transform into local warlords, and Guo Ziyi was the most powerful military leader of his time, as well as their representative of interests in the court.

The old man was sitting on a bench in Chang'an, but the bench wasn't cold at all; on the contrary, it was scorching hot, even hotter than the imperial bed. If the emperor dared to kill Guo Ziyi, or even just refuse to treat him with courtesy, he wouldn't just be branded as a villain who harmed a virtuous man. The various military governors would surely resent him, and even if they didn't raise the banner of rebellion on the spot, they would never obey the court's orders again.

On the contrary, if Guo Ziyi had any ulterior motives and secretly left Chang'an to raise his banner, the Shuofang army would surely follow him. At least half of the generals from Guanzhong and Hedong who came from Shuofang would also be willing to obey him. In comparison, Pugu Huai'en lacked prestige and popularity, and he almost caused a great disaster, let alone Guo Ziyi.

Pugu and his son harbored rebellious intentions, and Xin Yunjing, holding Taiyuan, refused to reconcile with them; but if it were Guo Ziyi who was plotting the rebellion, Xin Yunjing might have directly switched sides and joined forces.

Having figured this out, Li Ji had a deeper understanding of why Li Yu had sent him to guard Shuofang. Moreover, without Cui Ning's reminder, he knew that upon returning to the capital, he would have to pay respects to Guo Ziyi and get past the old man first.

Back when I was stationed in Weibo, Hebei was just pacified, and the old army was demoralized, yet they still dared to gather and threaten me. Now, the Shuofang army is strong and well-equipped, and Guo Ziyi is remotely controlling things from the capital. If they harbor hostile intentions, can I control them in a short time? In the past, I was angry that Li Guangbi was not sincere and only knew how to wield the butcher's knife. Now I understand the hardship of being an airborne commander...

Because what he was facing was not just tens of thousands of Shuofang soldiers, but a vast and incomparable Shuofang military force with deeply entrenched influence throughout northern China, and connections between the central government and the outer garrisons! He had no intention of shaking this edifice; he only wanted the 20,000 Shuofang soldiers stationed outside the garrison to obey his orders and fight. That's why Li Guangbi was so eager to kill generals and establish his authority in Heyang.

Would Li Ji today have done such a thing? Would he have dared to do it? Moreover, Li Guangbi's plan to kill Zhang Yongji was immediately thwarted by Pugu Huai'en's military remonstrance, thus rendering his entire scheme futile...

Therefore, Li Ji's plan was to persuade Guo Ziyi to agree to cooperation in order to gain control of Shuofang Town in a relatively short period of time. Otherwise, even with overwhelming force or clever tactics, it would take at least five to ten years to get the Shuofang army to work for him without suffering significant losses. If they waited five or six years, not only would Anxi and Beiting likely have fallen to the barbarians, but even Lingzhou, where Shuofang was located, might be facing the enemy's advance directly!

Therefore, he pretended to ask the Crown Prince a question, asked Guo Ziyi to dismiss his attendants, and then said, "What truth is ever spoken by the Emperor? You should not imitate them, General..." Guo Ziyi did not understand what he meant, but these words sounded particularly harsh, so he put on a stern face and asked, "What exactly is General Li's intention?"

Li Ji glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then lowered his voice and said in one breath, "If Your Excellency is willing, I am willing to follow you; if Your Excellency is not willing and needs to plan your future, I am the best choice."

Guo Ziyi's eyelids twitched, and he leaned back slightly, deliberately distancing himself from Li Ji, and slowly said, "I'm old and hard of hearing. Commander Li's words were too soft, so I couldn't hear you clearly. What do you mean by 'having a reason' or 'not having a reason'?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Of course you heard me clearly! If you didn't hear me clearly, or even understand me, you wouldn't react like this." He immediately smiled slightly and said directly, "Shuofang is a worry for both the Emperor and you, my lord. If you hold a fortune and sit in the hall, you fear others will covet it and bring ruin to your family, yet you are unwilling to let go. But if you are penniless, your family will also be difficult to protect. In that case, why not find a reliable person to hold it for you? Perhaps you can even make a profit?"

Guo Ziyi asked, "Is Commander Li skilled in management? How can you claim to be the best choice?"

Li Ji pointed to his chest: "I once fought under Li Wumu (Li Guangbi's posthumous title was Wumu) in Heyang, and I swore brotherhood with Pugu Yang. Most of the generals who went on the eastern expedition in Shuofang are familiar with me. Your subordinates are all generals of military governorships, who regard their governorships as their homes, but I, Li, have no home. I can barely be considered an outsider in Shuofang."

"Isn't General Li's family in Longyou or Beiya?"

"Longyou has already fallen into the hands of the rebels, and half of their troops have entered Guanzhong, making it practically an outlying residence for Shuofang—the same applies to the Northern Army. Moreover, it is precisely because I, Li, once commanded the Imperial Guards that His Majesty trusts me and has sent me to garrison Shuofang. To put it bluntly, with you here, the country is secure, and our family is safe; if you leave, Shuofang will surely descend into chaos, and it may even bring ruin to our family! So, in your opinion, among your sons-in-law and the current generals of Shuofang, who can you entrust with the affairs of the future?"

Guo Ziyi remained silent after pondering for a moment.

Li Ji added, “If you believe someone is suitable to succeed you, the Sage will not believe it; if the Sage believes someone is suitable to succeed you, it is only because I, Li, still have some connection with Shuofang. If I, Li, were to govern Shuofang, there would be peace both internally and externally, and both the family and the country would be well-off—do you agree, Your Excellency?”

Guo Ziyi turned his head away and gently tapped the couch with his hand, but still did not speak.

Li Ji continued, "Moreover, the court is now seizing territory from Shuofang, Binning, Fufang, and Jingyuan every day. The commanders-in-chief are mostly former generals from Shuofang, but the officers in charge of the troops come from the Northern Army..."

Shuofang Town once supported Li Heng's ascension to the throne in Lingwu. Its army marched south and spread throughout the Guanzhong Plain. At its peak, Shuofang's territory extended to the north of the capital, occupying nearly twenty prefectures. Thus, in the second year of the Zhide era, nine prefectures, including Bin, Ning, and Qing, were ceded to Shuofang to establish the Binning Military Governor. In the first year of the Shangyuan era, four more prefectures, including Fu and Fang, were ceded to Binning to establish the Weibei (Fufang) Military Governor. Then, in the first year of the Guangde era, two more prefectures, Jing and Yuan, were ceded to Shuofang to establish the Jingyuan Military Governor.

The current military governor of Binning is Bai Xiaode, the military governor of Fufang is Du Mian, and the military governor of Jingyuan is Ma Lin. All of them are former generals of Shuofang, or have served under Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi for a long time. However, the second-in-command of Binning is Li Sheng, the second-in-command of Fufang is Ma Sui, and the second-in-command of Jingyuan is Han Quanyi. All of them have served in the Six Armies of the Northern Army.

Of course, these three, in essence, also came from the Western Army, because whether it was Baoying, Shence, or Weiyuan, most of them selected elite soldiers from the Shuofang, Anxi, and Beiting armies to fill their posts. Therefore, Li Ji said, "The court, in response to the situation, will inevitably reclaim Shuofang, and once Shuofang is completely ceded, the government will naturally decline. Only because I have never served in the Shuofang army, and the Emperor trusts me, can I ensure that Shuofang will not be reclaimed..."

—In the past, he fought alongside Li Guangbi and Pugu Huaien in Heyang, which was a personal matter, and his organizational affiliation was never transferred.

"To say something disrespectful, Your Excellency can make the late Emperor and the current Emperor hesitate to act rashly, but what can be done about the Crown Prince? He is young and impetuous. If the current Emperor were to disobey orders, who can guarantee that he wouldn't take a risk? However, the friendship between the Crown Prince and me is known to everyone in the court and the public."

After much persuasion, Guo Ziyi finally turned his head slowly and looked at Li Ji: "General Li wants to relieve this old man of his burden. However, this burden is still manageable on my shoulders, but I am old and frail and my days are numbered; if it were to be transferred to General Li's shoulders, wouldn't it be even more dangerous for a man in his prime to wield such a heavy weapon?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "I am grateful for your consideration, Lord Li..." I will take it as you mean that the "danger" you mentioned does not refer to the country, but to myself. "Now I am under your protection, Lord Li, and I can enjoy the shade. In the future... I will control my own fortune and misfortune. Even if I am in trouble, your family will be safe and sound."

Li Yu is currently wary of you, so he's targeting the one who stands out. No matter how much I cause trouble, he won't blame me to weaken your power in Shuofang. But in the future, if I gain power, the court will have to rely on the Guo family to control me. Therefore, cooperation is mutually beneficial; if we go against each other, neither of us will likely end up well.

Guo Ziyi's white beard trembled slightly, and after a long while he said, "This burden is very heavy, is Commander Li so... eager to shoulder it?"

Li Ji replied, "The appointment to Shuofang was not of my own volition, but rather bestowed by the court." He then gave a wry smile, as if something was amiss, and added, "My original intention was to seek Fengxiang and Jingyuan..."

"Isn't Weibo good?"

Li Ji said solemnly, "If you had returned to the capital from Luoyang, wouldn't the Eastern Capital have been just as good?" Since he did not harbor any intention of holding military power and establishing a separatist regime, he naturally could not disobey the imperial decree. "Furthermore, I have old friends in Anxi and Beiting, who are constantly being invaded by barbarians. Their eagerness to see the imperial army is evident even without seeing it in person. Therefore, I have always aspired to defend against the barbarians, recover Longyou and Hexi, and secure the Western Regions. The Emperor knew of my aspirations and summoned me to the west, but ultimately placed me in Shuofang. Although this was not my original wish, I dared not refuse out of fear of difficulties."

Guo Ziyi nodded slightly: "I know of General Li's ambition, and I will do my best to help him if it is within my power. However, as General Li just said, it is not appropriate for us to get too close... General Li, please do as you please, and please forgive me for not keeping you for a meal."

Upon first hearing the phrase "I will lend a helping hand if I can," Li Ji thought he had finally persuaded Guo Ziyi. However, the old general then made no attempt to hide his intention to see him off... He even used Li Ji's words as a reason: "We can't get too close. We've already dismissed everyone and talked for quite a while. Aren't you going to leave?"

Li Yu appointed Li Ji as the military governor of Shuofang, hoping that he could control the military forces of Shuofang, thus cutting off one of Guo Ziyi's arms, or at least taking the opportunity to divide the Shuofang generals and weaken the semi-independence of the Shuofang army. As Li Ji said, because he had some personal connections with the Shuofang officers and soldiers, appointing him to the northern garrison might encounter less resistance; moreover, because he had never truly been a member of the Shuofang army but was a trusted confidant of the royal family, Li Yu entrusted him with this important task.

Guo Ziyi was the de facto leader of the Shuofang military group, so Li Ji couldn't possibly completely bypass him. Visiting him after returning to the capital to inquire about the town's internal affairs and personnel was perfectly normal, and the emperor wouldn't suspect anything from that. However, if Li Ji appeared too dependent on Guo Ziyi, or if Guo Ziyi deliberately tried to win Li Ji over, the emperor would definitely become suspicious—if Li Ji were thrown into that cesspool, wouldn't he really lose his head and turn into a lump of Shuofang soy sauce too…?

That's why Li Ji immediately reminded Guo Ziyi, "I can't get too close to you." Who would have thought Guo Ziyi would use this as an excuse—"Then why are you staying so long? Aren't you afraid the Emperor will reprimand you? You'd better leave quickly."

Li Ji hesitated, unsure whether to shamelessly insist on staying—"I haven't even asked about the situation in Shuofang yet, and you haven't mentioned it at all. What's the point of all my efforts? Did I come all this way for nothing?"

But then Guo Ziyi slowly added, "I know that General Li has few capable men under his command. I wonder if my son-in-law Lu Geng is suitable?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's worries finally turned to joy. He immediately got up from his bed and bowed deeply to Guo Ziyi, saying, "Thank you for your care, Lord Guo. I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Guo Ziyi then had his eldest son-in-law, Lu Geng (also known as Lu Rangjin), escort Li Ji out of the mansion. He himself remained seated in the hall. After a short while, a red-robed eunuch quietly entered and bowed deeply to Guo Ziyi. Guo Ziyi immediately returned the greeting from his couch, saying, "Lord Liu, there's no need for such formalities."

This eunuch was named Liu Qingtan. He had been ordered to travel north to seek aid from the Uyghurs to jointly attack Shi Chaoyi. Just then, Khan Dunmohedagan led his troops south, intending to invade the Tang Dynasty. Liu Qingtan hurried to catch up with him at Sanshoujiang City and informed Li Yu that he had successfully ascended the throne. Only then did Dunmohedagan retreat. For this merit, Li Yu rewarded Liu Qingtan handsomely and bestowed upon him the name Liu Zhongyi.

At that moment, Liu Zhongyi respectfully asked Guo Ziyi, "I did not know that His Highness the Crown Prince had sent Li Shuofang to inquire about your business, sir?"

Guo Ziyi smiled slightly: "Li Ji is just making a false statement, sending people away to persuade me. There's nothing wrong with it."

Liu Zhongyi seemed unconvinced and was about to press for more information when Guo Ziyi leaned forward slightly and asked in return, "Junshi told me, if Shuofang does not use Li Ji, then what general does the Emperor favor?"

Liu Zhongyi replied with his hands clasped: "Hun Shizhi, Lu Sigong, Chang Qianguang."

Guo Ziyi stammered, "In that case, it means we're going to divide it into three..." He then raised his voice and said to Liu Zhongyi, "You may reply to the Emperor that Li Ji actually has no interest in Shuofang; he considers his achievements in defending the barbarians to be the best place for him. Hexi and Liangzhou are the best places for him."

Chapter 52, Being an In-Law is Difficult

Li Ji persuaded Guo Ziyi and finally got a fairly good result—Guo Ziyi agreed to let Lu Geng join his staff.

Lu Geng and Lu Rangjin were Guo Ziyi's eldest son-in-law and were Jinshi graduates. Unfortunately, before they could be appointed to official positions, the rebel army of the pseudo-Yan army stormed into Chang'an. From then on, they could only work in their father-in-law's staff, and naturally, they were Guo Ziyi's confidants.

He is currently only a seventh-rank official with a nominal salary. Although he had many opportunities to be appointed to a higher post after the Bao Ying era, at least as the magistrate of a major province, Guo Ziyi always held back and refused to relinquish his position. It is said that the old general once said to his sons-in-law, "He is nominally a son-in-law, but in reality, he is like a son to us. How can we bear to send him far away to serve as an official? We must find him a long-term and stable place to settle him down."

No one could have predicted that Guo Ziyi would eventually recommend Lu Geng to Li Ji's staff.

Undoubtedly, Lu Geng's accompaniment of Li Ji to Lingzhou was as Guo Ziyi's representative. With him in charge, Li Ji would not dare to harm the Shuofang officials without cause. At the same time, with Lu Geng in charge, the Shuofang officials would not be able to openly oppose or outwardly comply with but inwardly defy Li Ji's policies. Li Ji was essentially carrying a handcuff-shaped talisman with him.

He didn't care about the handcuffs, because his goal wasn't to completely conquer Shuofang Town and replace Guo Ziyi as the leader of all the major and minor military forces in northern China, but simply to use the Shuofang army to build a completely new foundation for himself. With this goal in mind, the handcuffs were useless, but the protective charm was very real.

Riding high on the spring breeze, he swiftly returned to the Imperial Secretariat. As soon as he entered, Lu Qi leaned closer and whispered, "General, would you please stay in the study tonight?"

Li Ji glanced at him, understood what was going on, and nodded slightly.

Sure enough, in the dead of night, Li Shi arrived incognito. Upon meeting him, he first asked, "Changwei wanted to persuade Lord Guo to help him, but why did he use me as an excuse?"

Li Ji hurriedly apologized: "It's really hard to explain to the old general; he was almost completely unyielding. I had no choice but to bring up His Highness's banner..."

Li Shi said unhappily, "If the Emperor suspects me of colluding with you because of this, what should we do?"

Li Ji replied frankly, "Then if the sage had any other business, he wouldn't consult King Zheng first!"

Li Shi pondered for a long time before letting out a soft sigh: "It's difficult to be a sage..." He then lowered his voice: "The sage asks me to ask you, do you really dare to guarantee that the Uyghurs will not break their alliance?"

Li Ji replied, “Your Majesty, I dare to assure you. Moreover, I personally believe that the Uyghurs are not to be feared, but if the people’s hearts are unsettled, morale is low, and officials are all afraid of the Uyghurs, then that would be a great calamity for the country!”

Li Shi nodded and said, "I have the same thought... It's a pity that the Central Court lacks capable people. If Mr. Changyuan were here, he would surely be able to handle this matter well."

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji advised: "Your Highness can report to the Emperor that the current prime ministers are all mediocre and incompetent, lacking the ability to speak frankly and honestly. I'm afraid they will be unable to properly assist the Emperor and bring about peace."

"Are there any other candidates in the court suitable for entry into the Secretariat-Chancellery? Whom do you favor?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "I have been stationed in a remote area for a long time, and it is beyond my knowledge." He paused, but couldn't help but add, "In my humble opinion, Yang Gongquan (Yang Wan) and Li Zhenyi (Li Qiyun)..."

Li Shi interrupted him, saying, "These are all people who have a close relationship with Changwei."

Li Ji said solemnly, “Because of his uprightness, I have befriended him, but it is not because of our friendship that I have agreed to be prime minister. Moreover, in my opinion, Cui Yisun (Cui Youfu) is more capable than the current prime ministers.”

Li Shi nodded and said, "I will find an opportunity to speak to the Emperor." He then pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve: "I have recently found some talented people who can be recommended to the Chief Guard."

Li Ji took it with both hands, but before he could examine it closely, Li Shi asked again, "I heard that you intend to recall Yang Yan and others and bring them under your command. Is this true?"

Li Ji nodded: "Yuan Zai is arrogant and domineering, and he dictates the affairs of the court. However, his close associates are all capable officials, unlike the likes of Wang Xiaqing (Wang Jin) and Du Zhixun (Du Hongjian). Although they will not turn against their masters, they cannot guard their own positions. So, can the people they recommend still be used?"

Li Shi stared into Li Ji's eyes and said, word by word, "However, Yang Yan was a former official of the Prince of Qi..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "I am also a former official of the Prince of Qi. Moreover, I believe that although Yang Gongnan slandered Yuan Zai, there are some excusable aspects to his actions..." The implication was that Yang Yan was more of Yuan Zai's man than Li Tan's. You should worry about Yuan Zai's resurgence than Li Tan's.

Li Shi turned his face away and asked again, "Do you still plan to see Pugu Huai'en tomorrow?"

Li Ji shook his head: "I owe them a debt of gratitude for protecting my reputation and family, yet they regard me as an enemy, especially Pugu Yang, who is completely brainless... Now that Lord Guo has given his approval to take charge of Shuofang, I no longer need to see the Pugu family. However, I intend to hold a banquet for Hun Jian tomorrow..."

Hun Jian was the eldest son of Hun Shi, the acting governor of Shuofang. He had also dealt with Li Ji before. Li Ji hoped to establish a good relationship with his father through his son.

Li Shi nodded: "Hun Jian can go see him, but there's no need to visit Uncle Qi again." He then changed the subject, leaned closer to Li Ji, and whispered: "Recently, His Majesty has been wanting to take some measures, but he is still undecided and asked me to ask Changwei."

"Please speak plainly, Your Highness."

"Firstly, elite troops will be drawn from various garrisons to reinforce the Imperial Guard..."

Li Ji frowned slightly: "Strengthening the central region while weakening the external, and focusing on the core while weakening the branches—this is indeed a good strategy. However, is the capital's finances sufficient?" When he was still a commander of the Imperial Guards, he had hoped to significantly bolster the Northern Army. If 100,000 troops could be readily deployed from within and outside Chang'an, which regional military governor would dare to act rashly? Who would dare disobey imperial orders? The problem is that grain production in Guanzhong is already insufficient, and in Chang'an, a major grain-consuming city, grain prices are soaring daily. How could they possibly support 100,000 elite troops? What immense pressure would that place on the national treasury and the grain transport system?

Li Shi added: "Before leaving, Mr. Changyuan offered a suggestion to the emperor that the six armies of the Northern Army could be stationed in Guanzhong, Hezhong, and even Shuofang and Hexi, and rotated every year."