Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 86

Li Ji smiled and said, "I suppose you haven't mentioned it. Actually, Jiao Jingzhen's current name is Xie Ziran..."

He then gave Cui Qi a general account of how he escorted Li Bi to Hengshan—of course, without mentioning the specific place name—and how they met Xie Ziran and narrowly escaped being assassinated by Jingjing'er.

Cui Qi seemed quite serious while listening, but after Li Ji finished speaking, she gently shook her head: "I have never formally become a disciple, so Xie Ziran... or Jiao Jingzhen, are not my grandmasters. What she is like now is none of my business."

Li Ji asked, "Where is your master... the one who taught you the art of leaping and flying swords?"

Cui Qi casually replied, "Dead."

He glanced sideways and saw that Li Ji couldn't keep up with the conversation, so he slowly explained, "He was originally a thief, and he was involved with Zhou Zhi. So after he passed on his life's skills to me, the patriarch sent him to the Western Paradise."

Li Ji felt a chill run down his spine, thinking to himself, "Cui Guangyuan, you're really ruthless—doesn't he have a few secret skills he doesn't want to teach, in order to save his own life?"

Cui Qi coldly curled his lip: "Who knows? Anyway, the patriarch doesn't care."

"Do you care? Even without the title of master and disciple, there is still the relationship between them."

"Why should I care?" Cui Qi raised an eyebrow. "If he hadn't taken a liking to me, I would have been content to be a maid in the Cui household. Why would I have to suffer this hardship of running around? Do you think I would be happy to travel with you?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "How can you talk like that? You've killed the conversation!" Looking into the distance, he realized the hostel was still far away and was forced to change the subject: "Do you know Kang Qian, the foreign merchant from the West Market? Do you know who his backer is?"

Cui Qi said with a straight face, "Since you have accepted the gold, pearls and jewelry he gave you, why bother about who is behind him?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "As expected, Cui Guangyuan must still be watching my every move. Perhaps he is about to be transferred to Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and he specially sent Cui Qi to accompany me on my eastward journey, also to continue to monitor me..." So he replied, "I must repay the kindness I have received. How can I not know who instructed me? If you know, I hope you will tell me the truth."

"you guess?"

"This... I really can't guess."

Cui Qi curled his lip: "The patriarch also said that Li Changwei is quick-witted and has a very accurate mind." He paused and prompted: "If Kang Laohu wants to find a backer, he must be someone in charge of the finance department. Which of those clerks and remonstrance officials would bother with him? But if it's not Fifth Minister (Fifth Qi), then guess who it is?"

When merchants seek a patron, they should ideally possess his wealth and business acumen, something that can help him in his work. Simply offering lavish gifts and financial investments will inevitably result in more expense than profit. Back then, Kang Qian sought to curry favor with Yang Guozhong not only because Yang was the powerful prime minister, but also because Yang held over forty official positions and was in charge of the national treasury.

Currently, the Tang court's financial power is held by Fifth Qi, the Vice Minister of Revenue and concurrently Chancellor. Furthermore, the financial control of the southeast is handled by Yuan Zai, the Censor-in-Chief and Transport Commissioner of Jianghuai. However, Kang Qian is based in Chang'an, and his main trade routes are westward, northward, or southward to Jingzhou and Xiangyang, meaning he has no connection with Yuan Zai. So, if Fifth Qi isn't Kang Qian's patron, then who else could it be? And after Fifth Qi was promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue, to whom was the position of Director of the Revenue Department given?

Li Ji frowned in thought, and after a long while, he finally remembered—there was one more person! Damn it, how could I have forgotten about the guy right in front of me…

Although the main body of the Tang Dynasty's official system consisted of the Three Departments and Six Ministries, many old departments from the Qin and Han dynasties remained, such as the "Nine Ministers," which are now the various temples. Among the ministers of the Han Dynasty, the Shaofu and Zhisu Neishi were responsible for financial affairs. The Zhisu Neishi was later renamed Da Nong Ling and Da Sinong. In the Tang Dynasty, his office was renamed Sinong Temple.

The Ministry of Agriculture was in charge of the storage and storage of grain, and led the Shanglin, Taicang, and Gou Dun departments, as well as the supervisory offices of various granaries, soup gardens, palace gardens, and salt ponds. Like the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, it managed agricultural and industrial affairs and commercial circulation, but its scope of authority was smaller, and it was not responsible for the whole country, but mainly for the royal property.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Kang Qian to establish the Ministry of Agriculture as his new backing. This also explains why he was able to request the repair of post stations and roads, thereby reaching the Emperor's ears and receiving Li Heng's commendation. So, what is the title of the head of the Ministry of Agriculture? The Minister of Agriculture! And who is the current Minister of Agriculture? Yan Zhuang!

Yan Zhuang had a meal with Cui Guangyuan to try and get closer to him, but perhaps he felt that wasn't enough, so he indirectly instructed Kang Qian to give him a gift—that makes sense!

Li Ji couldn't help but ask, "Are Yan Qing and Cui Gong very close friends?"

Cui Qi didn't answer, but just pursed her lips. Li Ji guessed that she meant something like: In officialdom, everything is based on interests, so what's the point of talking about "friendship"?

Li Ji couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Since it's his gift, I should find a chance to return it..." Of course, he was just saying it; it's been almost half a year now, and Qingluan still occasionally wears it when she goes out, so how could he return it?

Cui Qi asked, "Are you worried about his status as a surrendered official?"

Li Ji shook his head: "I'm worried that this person is very cunning and treacherous. Getting too close to him might bring disaster..."

"Since these are gifts from Kang Laohu, why should we worry about the Minister of Agriculture?" Cui Qi seemed to want to laugh, but he held back. "Besides, if you want to send those jewelry back, do you think Madam Ru would be willing to do that? Won't she come after you and fight with you?"

Li Ji scoffed, "It's not you, why would I be afraid of a fight?" Only after the words left his mouth did he realize how inappropriate they were… But, theoretically, there aren't many men who, when faced with a young woman they have feelings for and who is still unmarried, can remain silent and refrain from making flirtatious remarks. Besides, Cui Qi is not Princess Ningguo after all; Li Ji never intended to treat her with utmost respect or maintain a safe distance.

Fortunately, Cui Qi didn't seem to mind, and even said, "If it were me, and my husband took away my headdress and jewelry, I would give him a flying sword!"

Li Ji said, "But I've never seen you wear any jewelry or headwear before..."

Cui Qi coldly replied, "How many times have we met? What do you mean by 'usually'? I may not have nice jewelry or headwear, but it's not like I don't like them."

"But Master Cui is stingy!"

“I am but a maid after all,” Cui Qi sighed softly. “The master of the family would never be stingy with money for his wives and concubines. But speaking of which, the master of the family has spent an unknown amount of money to raise me from infancy and to teach me martial arts… How can one be so greedy as to have further desires?”

Li Ji laughed and said, "I've been promoted now, and my salary has doubled. How about I buy you some jewelry when I return to Chang'an?"

Cui Qi glanced at him sideways again: "Forget it, how can you not dress up your own concubines but give them to others? If Madam really wants to fight you."

"How many officials have wives and concubines at home, yet they send money to Pingkangfang? Isn't that a strange thing?"

Cui Qi raised an eyebrow: "Do you take me for a prostitute?!"

Li Ji waved his hands repeatedly: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. You are a spirit of the wind, a trendsetter on the crest of the wave, a remarkable woman of our time. How could I dare to show the slightest disrespect? But you accepted Zhen Sui's rouge back then, so why won't you accept my jewelry?"

Cui Qi roared angrily, "Don't mention him!" He whipped his horse and charged ahead.

Chapter Nineteen, The Lord Kneels

Li Ji chatted idly with Cui Qi on the road, occasionally uttering a few crazy words, but ultimately dared not delve too deeply, only scratching the surface. However, he found it quite interesting and was not lonely at all.

He just couldn't understand why Cui Qi disliked Zhen Sui so much. Logically speaking, although Zhen Sui wasn't as handsome as himself, he was still quite dashing and talented, and seemingly unmarried. Even if a woman didn't like someone who admired such qualities, she wouldn't hate him so much, right? Besides, Cui Qi had even received gifts from Zhen Sui in the past…

So what exactly happened on the way from when she rescued Zhen Sui on Tanshan Mountain until she was sent to the imperial court? It's impossible that Cui Qi was unwilling to become his concubine just because Zhen Sui was also an official, which is why she always treated him with a cold face, right?

Look at me, I'm the same. Although I occasionally say a few hurtful things, the little girl will quickly calm down after her feigned anger. She won't keep a cold face and ignore me for a long time, let alone get embarrassed and angry just from mentioning my name.

However, it was not easy to inquire about the truth. If the conversation touched on the slightest hint of the truth, Cui Qi would turn hostile. Li Ji had no choice but to find other topics, such as his experiences in Longyou and the Uyghur region, or his living environment and daily life in Chang'an. Cui Qi listened attentively and occasionally chimed in, but rarely revealed anything about his own life or situation.

They traveled in silence and soon arrived at Luoyang. Banners fluttered on the city walls, soldiers stood guard on the ramparts, and the checks at the city gates were very thorough. Fortunately, both Li Ji and Cui Qi carried their travel documents, which the guards checked and asked what brought them to Luoyang. When they replied, "We've come to visit relatives," they were let go.

However, he warned them: "You who came from the east are fine, but do not go west lightly. The checks at the west gate are strict, and people are not allowed to enter or leave easily."

The two entered through Huian Gate in the north of the city and headed south, their destination being Xuanfeng Ward south of the Luo River—the place where Consort Shen was currently staying was Chongyin Temple within the ward.

This place was originally the residence of Yang Wensi, a minister of the Sui Dynasty. Later, it belonged to Fan Zigai, the governor of Luoyang. After the Tang Dynasty came to power, it changed hands several times before ending up in the hands of Zong Chuke, the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Zong Chuke was once exiled to Lingnan, and the residence then became the property of Li Chongjun, the crown prince of Emperor Zhongzong. In the first year of Jinglong, Li Chongjun launched a coup, killing Wu Sansi, Wu Chongxun, and others. He then plotted against Empress Wei and Princess Anle, but failed. He was killed while fleeing, and his family property was confiscated. This luxurious mansion in Xuanfeng Ward was then converted into a royal nunnery and named Chongyin Temple.

Logically speaking, since it was both royal property and a nunnery, it was perfectly reasonable for Consort Shen to reside there. However, Li Shi was very unhappy and often said, "My mother has no intention of becoming a nun, so why is she being sent to a nunnery?!" He always suspected that his father was implying to Consort Shen that she should simply become a nun, which would be more convenient for everyone...

Within Luoyang city, order was strictly maintained, but this was clearly not due to security, but rather the result of high pressure—patrol soldiers passed by frequently, and soldiers with spears guarded the gates of each ward; it was essentially a state of "military control." Therefore, Li Ji and Cui Qi could not gallop freely and were forced to lead their horses forward on foot. After stepping onto the Xinzhong Bridge, they looked left and right; the Luo River flowed eastward relentlessly. Li Ji then asked, "Should we go east or west?"

Cui Qi glanced at him, puzzled: "Chongyin Temple is to the west, what are you doing going east?"

Li Ji smiled wryly and said, "It's almost noon. Do you really want to go to a nunnery for a vegetarian meal?"

Last time in Luoyang, he protected Consort Shen and fled to Shengshan Temple, which forced him to eat vegetarian meals for several days in a row. Thinking back on it now, he still feels a bitter taste in his mouth, so naturally he is not willing to repeat the same mistake.

Cui Qi sneered, "Brother Li has now been promoted to the seventh rank, so naturally he lives a life of luxury and can't even get used to vegetarian food anymore."

Li Ji glared and said, "I am a martial artist, how can my diet be without meat? There isn't enough protein... this fish is not enough to build up strength."

Cui Qi said, "I rarely eat meat, but I'm still good at fighting, aren't I?"

Li Ji was greatly surprised upon hearing this, and then repeated, "Master Cui is indeed stingy!" He then instructed Cui Qi, "Those monks and nuns, who do little all day but sit and chant scriptures, can be vegetarian without any problem; but for people like you and me who practice martial arts and travel around, it's best to eat more meat. Among meats, chicken and duck are not as good as pigs and dogs, pigs and dogs are not as good as cattle and sheep, and cattle and sheep are not as good as fish and shrimp, but the best food for the body is still chicken eggs... If you eat more meat, you won't be so thin..."

Cui Qi rolled his eyes: "It's just for his own appetite, yet he has so many excuses." After crossing the bridge, he naturally turned east, which was tantamount to agreeing with Li Ji's suggestion.

Originally, heading southeast from Xinzhong Bridge, passing Anzhongfang and Huihefang, one could reach the South Market—one of the two major market areas in Luoyang. Li Ji planned to find a tavern first, have a hearty meal, and then go to pay his respects to Consort Shen.

As they were walking, they suddenly heard a commotion behind them. Li Ji turned around slightly and saw a group of soldiers rushing towards them with hurried steps. He and Cui Qi both slightly spurred their horses and moved aside. When they looked up again, they saw a soldier also turning to look at them. Their eyes met, and both of them couldn't help but exclaim "Eh!"

The general immediately darted forward, grabbed Li Ji's arm, and shouted, "Isn't this Changwei? What brings you to Luoyang?"

Li Ji was overjoyed and hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Brother Nan."

It turned out that this general was none other than Nan Ba, Nan Jiyun, a general under Zhang Xun. Li Ji thought to himself, what a coincidence! I was just wondering if I would have a chance to meet Nan Ba ​​since I came to Luoyang, but who would have thought that I would bump into him on the street.

Someone nearby asked, "Brother Nan, is this your friend?"

Nan Jiyun laughed loudly and pointed at Li Ji: "Not a friend, but a benefactor! Gentlemen, this is Li Ji, the second son of the Capital Prefecture!"

"Could it be Li Erlang, the commander of the Longyou tribe?"

"Besides him, which other Li Er could I sincerely admire?"

Upon hearing this, the generals immediately swarmed forward, surrounding Li Ji. Cui Qi seemed to want to dodge, but Li Ji reached out and grabbed her arm. Only then did Nan Jiyun notice her and asked Li Ji, "And this gentleman is...?"

Before Li Ji could even utter a sound, Cui Qixian cupped his hands and said, "I am Cui Cuo from Shuzhou, and my acquaintance with Brother Li is merely a casual acquaintance."

Li Ji exerted a force, and Cui Qi, caught off guard, stumbled and was pulled to stand beside him. Li Ji laughed and said, "Brother, don't be angry with me..." He then turned to Nan Jiyun and said, "This Brother Cui is my closest friend, and I treat him like family."

Cui Qi immediately rolled his eyes at him. Nan Jiyun, however, didn't notice and reached out to pat Cui Qi on the shoulder: "Changwei's friend is my friend, Nan Ba's friend. Let's go eat together!" Then he let out a "Huh".

He was naturally strong and didn't know his own strength. Only after slapping down with his huge hand did he realize something was wrong—this Cui fellow has such small arms and legs, I hope I don't hurt him. But to his surprise, Cui Qi simply tilted his shoulder slightly, dissipating most of the force. He took the remaining 30% solidly, seemingly unconcerned.

"As expected of Changwei's good friend, this young man has excellent potential and great skills!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "What kind of eyesight do you have? You're so close, with your hand on someone's shoulder, and you still can't tell if it's a man or a woman? Costume dramas always use that clichéd trope of women disguised as men, and nobody can tell the difference. I used to scoff at it, but now I can't help but believe it..."

He asked, "Where are you all headed?"

Nan Jiyun laughed and said, "Luoyang City is under martial law now, and the general's (Zhang Xun's) orders are strict, forbidding drinking. It's rare that today is Lao Lei's birthday, so he's made an exception and allowed us to gather in the South Market for a good drink—we just happened to run into Changwei, so let's go have some drinks together!"

"Is it General Lei of Zhuozhou?"

"It is indeed Lei Wanchun."

Li Ji had long heard of Zhang Xun's two generals, Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun, both renowned for their unparalleled bravery and ability to fight to the death to defend Suiyang. It was said that during the siege, Lei Wanchun was struck by six arrows in the face, yet he stood motionless atop the city wall, his expression unchanged. This was because Zhang Xun had previously used straw figures and wooden puppets to lure the rebels into firing arrows, leading them to mistakenly believe that Lei Wanchun was also a wooden figure… Afterwards, the rebel general Linghu Chao remarked to Zhang Xun, "Having met General Lei, I now know how strict your military discipline is!"

He was a fierce general in the army and a hero of the world. Li Ji had long wanted to find an opportunity to get to know him, so he immediately took Nan Jiyun's arm and said, "I was just about to pay my respects to General Lei. I hope Brother Nan can introduce me."

Cui Qiyi tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Remember your mission, don't cause any trouble." Li Ji smiled and said, "I'm going to eat in Nanshi anyway, so I might as well join the banquet. It won't delay anything."

Cui Qi said, "Why don't I go to Chongyin Temple first..." But Li Ji, without any hesitation, put his arm around her shoulder and said, "This is a rare opportunity, Brother Cui, come with me, come with me!"

So a group of people escorted Li Ji and the reluctant Cui Qi towards the South Market, arriving at the entrance of a tavern. An officer was already waiting at the door with his hands clasped in front of him, and called out from afar, "General Nan, why are you so late? General Lei is getting impatient."

Nan Jiyun said, "Let him wait. Introduce him to a good friend." He then slightly stepped aside, making way for Li Ji: "Take a look and see who this is?"

After observing for a while, the general couldn't help but shout, rushed forward a few steps, and knelt down: "Greetings, Li Zhiguo! I never expected to see your esteemed face again today!"

Li Ji quickly helped him up with both hands: "You... are you Chen Ruo? It's been so many years, your beard has grown so long."

Chen Ruo was originally a subordinate of Nan Jiyun. He followed him through the encirclement to seek reinforcements. Later, when Li Ji went to Linhuai to see Helan Jinming, Nan Jiyun ordered Chen Ruo to accompany him as a guide. Actually, no guide was needed. However, Nan Jiyun did not believe that Li Ji could bring reinforcements. He had thirty riders when he broke through the encirclement, but only eleven returned. He did not want all his men to perish with him, so he specially chose the youngest, Chen Ruo, to be taken away by Li Ji in order to spare his life.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ruo returned quickly, bringing with him Xu Shuji's army, which lifted the siege of Suiyang and saved the lives of Zhang Xun, Xu Yuan, Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others. The exact details of how these reinforcements arrived were unclear to others, but Chen Ruo, having been by Li Ji's side, although he hadn't witnessed Li Ji intimidating Helan Jinming or taking Xu Shuji hostage, could roughly guess the situation.

Therefore, after the siege of Suiyang was lifted, Zhang Xun summoned Chen Ruo and asked him in detail about the cause and effect. He then praised him, saying, "I never expected Li Changyuan to have such a brother. He is truly a peerless national hero, with the spirit of a chivalrous knight-errant from the Warring States period!" He then spread the news throughout the army, telling the soldiers to remember that their benefactor was not Xu Shuji, nor Helan Jinming, but Li Changwei.

Zhang Xun is now the military governor of Zheng and Cai, and the acting governor of Tokyo. He has seven or eight thousand soldiers under his command, but of those who initially followed him in the battles of Yongqiu and Ningling and defended Suiyang, less than three hundred remain. Including Chen Ruo, they have all been promoted to officers and become the backbone of his troops.

Meanwhile, Li Ji pulled Chen Ruo aside, and Chen Ruo burst into tears of joy. Li Ji stopped to reminisce with him about their separation. Just then, the curtain on the second floor of the tavern was lifted, and a head covered in scars popped out, shouting, "What kind of good friend are you? You just keep talking downstairs and won't come up. Do you think I, Old Lei, am dead?!"

Nan Jiyun raised his head and said loudly with a laugh, "He's a good friend who can make you, Old Lei, kneel down!"

The one upstairs, naturally, was the old man Lei Wanchun. He immediately curled his lip and said, "I, Old Lei, bow to Heaven above, to Earth below, and to my parents in between. At most, I'll add the Sage and Doctor Zhang. Even gods and Bodhisattvas cannot make me kneel. What kind of filthy man could make me bow?"

Li Ji smiled and crossed his hands, saying, "I am Li Ji from Jingzhao. I have long admired your name and have come to pay my respects to General Lei, who remains unmoved even when struck by six arrows."

Upon hearing this, Lei Wanchun paused for a moment, then cried out "Ouch!" and pulled his head back. A thunderous footstep followed, and a burly man practically leaped from the second floor to the first, rushing out and, before reaching even a foot in front of Li Ji, bending his knees and practically sliding to his knees. Li Ji was startled and quickly knelt down in return.

Lei Wanchun slapped himself in the face with his right hand, saying, "I apologize for my rudeness earlier!" He then raised his left hand, but Li Ji grabbed it and said, "General Lei, why bother? It was just a joke, I don't mind." Lei Wanchun struggled and said, "Indeed, Li Erlang is quite strong."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You really have considerable strength. None of the opponents I've faced before could compare to you. Judging from the feeling in my hand, if you insist on finishing this slap, I doubt even both of my hands could stop you..."

Nan Jiyun laughed and said, "How about it? Didn't I tell you I'm a good friend who can make you kneel down?"

Lei Wanchun glanced at him sideways: "It's not just me—have you bowed yet?"

Upon hearing this, Nan Jiyun immediately grabbed Li Ji's arm and pulled him up, then, like Lei Wanchun, kowtowed. Chen Ruo naturally followed suit. As for the other generals, those from Suiyang need not be mentioned, but even the newly promoted ones, seeing that Generals Nan and Lei had both bowed, felt embarrassed to stand still. They immediately knelt down one after another, surrounding Li Ji and bowing in a circle.

Li Ji hurriedly tried to kneel down to return the greeting, but Lei Wanchun jumped up, grabbed him, and forced him to accept the three bows from the crowd—in the main street of the South Market, everyone turned their heads, wondering what had happened...

The two men in the middle (the other being Cui Qi, who was trying to hide but had nowhere to retreat) didn't look very old. Could they be high-ranking officials traveling incognito? Someone whispered, "They're probably from the imperial family. Didn't you see that the short guy doesn't have a single hair on his lip? He's probably a eunuch!"

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Chapter Twenty: The Crisis of the Eastern Capital

After everyone bowed in greeting, they put their arms around each other's shoulders and rushed up to the second floor of the tavern, shouting and celebrating with a feast.

Nan Jiyun asked first, "Is Changwei's visit to Luoyang on official or private business?"

Not wanting to reveal his mission, Li Ji casually replied, "It's a private matter; I've come to visit relatives."

Nan Jiyun said, "Private matters are fine..." He immediately picked up his wine cup and said, "I toast Changwei, and I'll drink more."

He had barely put down his wine cup when Lei Wanchun picked it up again: "I also toast you, Li Erlang, firstly for the kindness of Suiyang, secondly for your defense of the barbarians in Longyou, and thirdly for meeting you today—three cups of wine, let's drink to our hearts' content!"

Cui Qi, standing to the side, kicked Li Ji, who hurriedly said, "My alcohol tolerance is limited, I'm afraid I can't drink much." He then picked up his cup and said, "I heard that today is General Lei's birthday, so we should first offer our respects to the old man."

Lei Wanchun laughed and said, "What General Lei? Just call me Old Lei. Birthdays come every year, but heroes are rare. Just treat me as Erlang."

The group toasted and drank, the atmosphere quite lively. Li Ji took the opportunity to inquire about the defenses of Henan, and Nan Jiyun sighed, "The situation is not very encouraging... Originally, Marshal Guo was doing a good job, but I don't know why the Emperor replaced him with Minister Li, and it almost caused a military coup..."

Last month, an imperial envoy arrived in Luoyang to summon Guo Ziyi back. Upon hearing the news, the various armies clamored and surrounded the envoy, demanding that he return to report to the emperor and that Guo Ziyi be detained. Knowing that he could not escape, Guo Ziyi deceived his subordinates, saying, "I am going to see the imperial envoy off; I will not leave now." But he immediately rode away on horseback, heading west to Chang'an.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was very dissatisfied with Guo Ziyi—"You're only thinking about how to avoid disobeying the imperial edict and arousing suspicion in the court, completely neglecting the feelings of the soldiers! Even if they absolutely had to leave, you could have gently persuaded them, explaining the greater good before they left. Just lying and running away like this only demoralizes your subordinates. If everyone resents the court, how can Li Guangbi quickly win over the hearts of the people and solidify the defenses when he arrives?"

It seems that in Guo Ziyi's mind, the emperor was more important than the country, and his own reputation and favor were more important than the morale of the army...