Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 70

Qingluan, naturally, didn't eat as heartily as him. She would pick up a dumpling, dip it in a little vinegar, and then gently bite a small hole in it to suck out the delicious juice before taking a few bites, chewing carefully, and swallowing. She couldn't help but exclaim, "My lord, the mutton filling is so flavorful... and I often worry that the crescent-shaped wontons lack broth and are a bit bland. How did you think of eating them with vinegar? It really has a unique flavor."

But as she ate, she suddenly frowned, then turned her face to the side, covering her mouth with her sleeve. Li Ji laughed loudly, "Have you eaten anything yet?"

Qingluan initially suspected that the broken bones hadn't been completely removed, which was Li Ji's responsibility. She didn't want to say it out loud, fearing that her husband would lose face, so she planned to vomit it out quietly. But after hearing what Li Ji said, it seemed... he knew beforehand? Only then did she carefully reach into the mouth and gently feel around, and there was a large, hard object.

He took it out and looked at it, and lo and behold, it was a copper coin.

Li Ji clapped his hands and said, "You found it! You found it!" He then explained, "This is a local custom. A few coins are hidden inside the dumplings. Whoever finds it will surely have good fortune in the coming year."

Qingluan tossed the copper coin onto the table and laughed, "What good fortune could I possibly have? It should have been my lord who ate it; the military governor will surely increase his salary next year." She glanced at the plate, wondering which dumpling still had a coin inside. "I hope I don't find one and upset my lord..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "We made dumplings together. I managed to squeeze in one, how could I possibly have a chance to squeeze in a second? This one dumpling is all I have. If you get to eat it, then it's my family's fortune." He paused slightly after saying this.

Wow, "my home"! I've actually started a home! Apart from Li Bi, I can say I have family in this world!

----------

After New Year's Day, the offices of the military governors and the provincial governors reopened. The newly hired staff gradually became familiar with the politics of Longyou and started working. Both Yang Yan and Li Ji had much lighter burdens on their shoulders.

Li Tan drastically reformed the system of the military headquarters. The four departments of granary, military, cavalry, and armor no longer had military advisors—because most of their powers had been usurped by Yang Yan, the judge of the Ministry of Revenue—instead, judges were appointed to oversee the affairs of the four departments, and Xue Yong was appointed to do so; a judge was also appointed to handle all affairs of the general headquarters, and Zhang Zhu was appointed to do so; Du Fu was appointed as the chief secretary, and Yuan Xiu was appointed as the investigating official.

As for Yang Qing, the military advisor who resolutely refused to resign, he was reassigned as a clerk.

If we were to explain their roles in terms of later generations, Yang Yan was in charge of finance and logistics, Xue Yong assisted the military governor in controlling the armed forces, Zhang Zhu was the office director, Du Fu was the leader's secretary (actually responsible for paperwork), Yuan Xiu was in charge of the judiciary (of course, only a military judge, not handling civil litigation), and Yang Qing was responsible for organizing and archiving files and documents.

As for Li Ji, he was promoted from inspector to staff officer, serving as the military governor's main assistant in military strategy.

After working and observing them for a period of time, Li Ji had gained some understanding of Xue Yong and his associates. They were indeed a bunch of scoundrels, a den of snakes and rats… ah, no, it should be said they shared the same ideals. Since they were Yang Yan's friends, their knowledge and abilities might differ, but they were all willing to work diligently and were not just empty talkers. Among them, Xue Yong was strict and upright, Zhang Zhu was honest and simple, and Yuan Xiu had lofty ambitions; they all seemed to be outstanding talents and outstanding individuals of their time.

Yang Qing, however, seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Li Ji. It was probably because the two had a falling out before and he didn't know how to face him. Therefore, Li Ji's understanding of him was quite limited, and he couldn't see what kind of person Yang Qing was.

Finally, let's talk about Du Fu. Because Li Ji praised his poetry, they considered each other kindred spirits. After Du Zimei (Du Fu's courtesy name) finished his official duties, he often came to drink and chat with Li Ji. Since reading Du Fu's thick volume of poems, Li Ji also greatly admired him—a fine jade cannot remain hidden forever; perhaps one day, this fellow's talent will be recognized by the world, and he will become a master of his generation. It's just unclear whether this recognition will only come after Du Fu's death…

Therefore, he treated Du Fu with great respect. Although he was a little annoyed that the skinny old man would come over every few days to freeload and disrupt his time with Qingluan, he couldn't bring himself to turn him away. Fortunately, Du Fu was experienced and well-traveled, and had a wide range of knowledge. Whenever they were in high spirits after drinking, he would talk about court secrets, rural anecdotes, or scenic spots around the country. Li Ji could still learn a lot from these conversations, and they weren't unpleasant or like the cawing of crows.

However, Li Ji always felt that this Mr. Du was just a literary scholar, and his actual political ability was probably not that great... So Li Tan appointed him as the chief secretary, mainly to help draft official documents and decrees - even these tasks used to be handled by Yang Gongnan - which can be considered to make the best use of him.

Du Fu himself accepted the appointment without question and had no desire for power. Li Ji believed that the reason he was willing to come to Longyou was probably because of the dowry...

Du Fu came from a distinguished family. His grandfather, Du Shenyan, was a renowned poet who rose to the position of Assistant Minister of the Imperial Kitchen, and his father, Du Xian, served as the Prefect of Yanzhou. His family was well-off in his youth, which allowed him to travel extensively, often accompanied by Li Bai. His most representative work from that period is probably "Looking at Mount Tai," arguably the only one Li Ji particularly liked among Du Fu's early poems, especially the concluding lines, "I will climb to the summit, and survey all the mountains below." The youthful spirit leaps off the page.

Unfortunately, he failed the imperial examination on his first attempt and lost interest in an official career. Having no other source of income, his family's circumstances worsened after his father's death. In his thirties, he finally resolved to take the examination and become an official, thus becoming trapped in Chang'an for ten years… At that time, Li Linfu was in power and deliberately refused to admit any successful candidates, reporting to the emperor that "there are no worthy men left in the countryside." Du Fu, without any powerful connections, how could he possibly become an official?

Therefore, one should start working hard early and be diligent in youth, because no one knows whether the examination system will change next year...

During this time, Du Fu shamelessly flattered the emperor, and taking advantage of the opportunity of the grand sacrificial ceremony to be held in the first month of the tenth year of the Tianbao era, he presented the "Three Great Rites Rhapsodies" in advance. Only then did he gain the emperor's appreciation and be appointed as a waiter in the Jixian Academy, awaiting assignment. Unfortunately, Li Linfu was still in power, and due to various obstacles, Du Fu sat on the sidelines for four whole years before finally being appointed as the magistrate of Hexi.

Du Fu disliked the low rank of the official post and was unwilling to accept it—"I will not serve as the Commandant of Hexi, for I am forced to bow my head in despair"—so he was transferred to the position of Military Advisor in the Right Guard's Office. This was also a low-ranking post, but he could no longer endure it and was forced to accept the assignment. In November of that year, Du Fu requested leave to visit his family in Fengtian. Upon entering his home, he heard cries of anguish; his youngest son had starved to death…

In the same month, An Lushan rebelled, and the emperor soon went on a western hunt, leading to the fall of Chang'an. Du Fu had intended to seek refuge in Lingwu, but was captured by the rebels en route and taken back to Chang'an. Fortunately, "misfortune may be a blessing in disguise," because of his low rank, he was not only spared imprisonment, but no one forced him to take a false position, allowing him to escape when Guo Ziyi's army besieged the city. Li Heng praised his refusal to join the rebels and appointed him as Left Reminder.

Du Fu had only been a good official for a few days when he was imprisoned for writing a letter to plead for Fang Guan. If it weren't for Zhang Hao's rescue, he probably wouldn't have been released. He was then demoted to the position of Military Advisor in Huazhou. Only then did he resign and go to the Longyou Military Headquarters.

The position of County Magistrate was a minor official, a ninth-rank position, and unless one passed the imperial examination and was granted this post, it was unlikely one would ever return to the central government. Therefore, Du Fu refused the position. As for the Military Advisor of the Imperial Guard, he was a lower eighth-rank official, and the Military Advisor of the Upper Prefecture was a lower seventh-rank official, with a monthly salary of about 1,500 to 2,000 coins—far from enough to support his wife and children back in his hometown. The Left Remonstrance Official, although only a lower eighth-rank official, was a close advisor to the emperor, holding a prestigious position with considerable under-the-table income—unfortunately, such positions were short-lived.

Therefore, when Li Tan offered Du Fu a monthly salary of six thousand, he immediately rushed over to Longyou. Li Ji was somewhat resentful, as the monthly salary he was originally offered was only five thousand...

So Du Fu came here for the money, not for the work. He was already quite good at doing his job well and not being lazy.

Li Ji completely understood this—if one were like Yang Yan and Xue Yong, working themselves to the bone all day, how could they possibly have the mood to write poetry? However, the saying goes, "Poetry flourishes in poverty," and Mr. Du now earns quite a bit, doesn't spend much, and eats either at the government canteen or with Li Ji's meals every day. He's sure his son won't starve again. With such a comfortable life, will he be unable to write good works anymore?

At least he probably wouldn't be able to write "A Five-Hundred-Word Poem Written on the Way from Beijing to Fengxian County" or "Qiang Village."

However, Li Ji's burden was only lightened for a few days before he was forced to get busy again, mainly because the Hebei government troops were in grave danger!

Just as Li Ji feared, the government troops were likely to be defeated by Shi Siming.

Meanwhile, Guo Ziyi and eleven other military governors besieged Xiangzhou, building fortifications and digging trenches, diverting the Zhang River to flood the city, causing the water to reach a depth of three feet. Both soldiers and civilians were forced to build wooden scaffolds, emulating the legendary Youchao Shi who lived on high ground. Left with no other option, An Qingxu was forced to send men to break through the siege and seek help from Shi Siming again, expressing his willingness to offer the throne and abdicate in favor of Shi Siming—he himself would abdicate and become the Retired Emperor.

Shi Siming finally dispatched troops and marched straight to Weizhou.

Weizhou is located east of Xiangzhou. Last November, Cui Guangyuan captured it and concurrently assumed the position of Prefect of Weizhou. Taking advantage of Cui Guangyuan's initial arrival and unstable foothold, Shi Siming launched an attack. Cui Guangyuan dispatched General Li Chuyin to lead the defense. Li Chuyin suffered repeated defeats and was forced to retreat. The rebel army pursued him to the city walls, shouting, "It was Chuyin who summoned us, why won't you open the gates?" Cui Guangyuan actually believed him and had Li Chuyin cut in half at the waist, causing chaos in the army and the fall of Weizhou.

Cui Guangyuan fled alone to Bianzhou.

The following year, the valiant general Li Siye was killed by a stray arrow during the siege, severely demoralizing the government troops. Furthermore, after Shi Siming occupied Weizhou, he seemed to fear the power of the government army, hesitating to attack. Meanwhile, the city was running out of food; it was said that even a single rat could fetch four thousand coins—everyone believed the city would fall soon, leading to complacency and carelessness both inside and outside the city…

Li Guangbi, with his keen insight, saw the danger and said, "Siming has captured Weizhou but is not advancing, intending to make me complacent so that he can launch a surprise attack with his elite troops!" He suggested that Li Guangbi lead the troops with Guo Ziyi towards Weizhou. He reasoned that Shi Siming's chances of victory would be slim, and he would certainly be reluctant to advance. If the two armies were to engage in a protracted stalemate, Xiangzhou would undoubtedly fall first. Once Xiangzhou fell and An Qingxu was dead, would Shi Siming dare to linger and refuse to retreat?

Li Tan, true to form, to avoid unsettling the morale of the Longyou region, never reported bad news about the Hebei campaign, only sharing negative information with his two trusted confidants, Yang Yan and Li Ji. Li Ji immediately pointed out, "What Minister Li says is true; otherwise, the government army would surely be defeated!"

Li Tan said with a wry smile, "Unfortunately, Yu Chaoen refuses to listen..."

After the march was halted, did the eleven military governorships really lack a commander-in-chief? Not entirely. Any large-scale military operation still required the approval of the supervising officer, Yu Chaoen, who was essentially a half-marshal.

Upon hearing that Yu Chaoen refused to adopt Li Guangbi's correct advice, Li Ji immediately flew into a rage: "I should have personally killed that eunuch traitor the day before!"

Li Tan shook his head: "If Changwei had killed Yu Chaoen that day, it would have incurred the wrath of the Emperor. Not only would I have been unable to save him, but Changwei himself would have been in grave danger—even Master Changyuan could not have saved you!"

Li Ji stroked his beard, deep in thought: If the government troops aren't defeated, and the war ends sooner, which is more important, Your Highness Prince Qi's life? It's hard to weigh…

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Chapter Thirty-Two: The Six Armies Remain Unmoved

Whether it was Li Tan, Li Ji, or Yang Yan, none of them were optimistic about the war in Hebei. As the saying goes, Shi Siming had hundreds of thousands of troops. Now that he had come, the government army could at best be evenly matched with him, and might even suffer a narrow defeat or a crushing defeat. The possibility of gradually transferring the troops from Guanzhong to Longyou and Hexi within the year was very small.

Li Ji thought to himself, "If I were Shi Siming, I would definitely stay in Weizhou to observe the situation, waiting for the government troops to besiege Xiangzhou, when they are on the verge of falling, and when their vigilance is at its lowest, before launching a full-scale attack. If I could not only repel the government troops, but also starve An Qingxu to death, that would be best—who would have the patience to serve an emperor emeritus again?"

Consider that Li Heng and Li Longji were father and son, yet Li Longji was so wary of Li Heng. After Li Heng secured his throne, he kept Li Longji confined to the Southern Palace, rarely visiting him—publicly, everyone said it was Li Fuguo who was obstructing him, but that's a lie! How could a mere eunuch stop the emperor from seeing his father? In the end, Li Fuguo only had the power of Hong Gong and Shi Xian of the Former Han Dynasty, or Zhang Rang and Jian Shuo of the Later Han Dynasty, not Wang Mang or Cao Cao.

Thus, the Longyou region was left to rely solely on its own strength to deal with any potential further incursions by the Tibetan army. Li Ji therefore advised Li Tan that since reinforcements were out of the question, they should abandon Shancheng. Li Tan, however, refused, saying, "Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong have just reported that seeds have been distributed and the people of Shancheng are allowed to return home for spring planting… If we abandon the city now and recall them, it will only demoralize the army and dampen their spirits; I fear the losses will outweigh the gains…"

Left with no other choice, Li Ji had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of training the army, putting the four thousand newly recruited soldiers to drills every day. Unfortunately, the treasury's grain reserves were limited, and Yang Yan, for the sake of long-term considerations, refused to allocate more. With soldiers barely having enough to eat, how could they possibly endure such strenuous exercise?

Li Ji insisted on daily training, simply to make them form a habit. In reality, it was just lining up, recognizing left and right, and flags; it wouldn't take more than an hour...

Even so, the soldiers were still complaining bitterly and came to plead with Li Ji to reduce the number of drills. Li Ji glared at them and said, "You farmers in the countryside, isn't working in the fields harder than drills?" The soldiers replied, "From winter to spring, we don't work in the fields for those three months..." Li Ji angrily rebuked them, "Even working on your wives isn't necessarily less strenuous than drills! Anyone who dares to disobey will be punished according to the merciless military law!"

He thought to himself, "You guys are lazy, but am I really that diligent? Sure, exercising every morning has become a habit, but I'd rather just collect my salary, stay home all day cuddling with Qingluan, and maybe even try out some new recipes. The problem is, if I don't train hard during peacetime, you'll be in for a world of hurt when I get to the battlefield!"

Time flies, and it's already February. Spring comes exceptionally late to Longyou, and the snow in the fields hasn't melted yet. Li Ji goes to the military governor's mansion every few days to inquire about the progress of the war in Hebei. He always suspects that the government troops have already been defeated, but because of the distance, the news hasn't come yet...

I heard last time that Xiangzhou City had run out of food and people were digging for rats to eat. How could they possibly survive for much longer? Zhang Xun isn't in that city!

On the contrary, Zhang Xun was outside the city and belonged to the attacking side. How to attack a city that was starving and freezing was like a doctor who had been sick for a long time. Wouldn't he come up with a good plan?

Moreover, after winning consecutive battles at Shancheng and forcing back the barbarian rebels, Li Tan submitted a petition to the court requesting a reward. Surely the imperial edict should have been issued by now.

One day in mid-February, Li Ji had just returned from the drill ground. Looking at the sky, the sun had not yet reached its zenith. He was pondering whether to go home for a good meal and then take a nap, or to go and beg Yang Gongnan for some supplies again. Suddenly, Jia Huai came galloping up and stopped his horse, saying, "The commander invites you."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat—could it be news of the war in Hebei? He hurriedly went to the government office to see Li Tan.

Li Tan handed him an official document and got straight to the point: "There is an imperial edict from Chang'an summoning Chang Wei back to the capital to assume the post of Military Advisor and Registrar of the Left Yingwu Army."

Li Ji looked completely bewildered: "Where is Zuo Yingwu's army?"

Li Tan curled his lip: "Naturally, it's within the Forbidden City..."

It turns out that Zuo Yingwu Army was not the name of a military town, but merely represented a single unit. In the early Tang Dynasty, all the troops in the country were under the jurisdiction of the Sixteen Guards. Among them, twelve guards were the leadership of the Fubing (府兵) system, while the Left and Right Jianmen Guards were in charge of the Imperial Guards, and the Left and Right Qianniu Guards were responsible for the royal procession—collectively known as the Southern Army. Later, the Fubing system gradually collapsed, and the Six Northern Armies were established to guard the imperial city and the palace. They were: Left and Right Yulin, Left and Right Longwu, and Left and Right Shenwu.

When Li Heng was in the imperial camp, most of the Imperial Guards had deserted, and the remaining ones were unusable. Therefore, he selected the elite troops from the Shence Army to serve as guards. However, this was not a long-term solution. Especially since the Shence Army came from the Shence Army Garrison and were mostly from the same hometown, soldiers from the same source would inevitably form cliques. Even with eunuchs like Yu Chaoen supervising them, the emperor could not be at ease. So, he eventually placed the Shence Army in Shanzhou and selected soldiers from various armies to fill the six armies of the Northern Army. He also selected a thousand brave warriors skilled in riding and archery to be called "Archers in Front of the Palace," or "Official Archers" or "Palace Archers."

The scale of this "Shooting Animals Before the Palace" gradually expanded, growing from one thousand to two thousand people. It was then divided into left and right wings. After returning to the capital, it was simply given a military title, which became the Left and Right Heroic Armies.

Li Tan explained to Li Ji in detail that the predecessor of the Six Armies of the Northern Army was the "Yuan Cong Jin Army" that followed Emperor Gaozu in raising an army, as well as the "Flying Cavalry" and "Hundred Cavalry" established by Emperor Taizong (Empress Wu expanded "Hundred Cavalry" to "Thousand Cavalry", and Emperor Zhongzong expanded "Thousand Cavalry" to "Ten Thousand Cavalry"). During the Kaiyuan era, the six armies were fully equipped, and at their peak, they numbered forty to fifty thousand men.

However, as the number of the six armies of the Northern Army expanded, their quality declined sharply. Firstly, many of them selected sons of meritorious officials as generals, but a dragon may not beget a dragon, and a phoenix may not beget a phoenix; only a rat's offspring might actually know how to dig a hole... Secondly, good families within the capital region often schemed to join the Northern Army in order to avoid conscription—because the soldiers of the Northern Army were to protect the emperor, and it was unlikely that they would actually send you to the battlefield.

Thus, when An Lushan rebelled, the six armies of the Northern Army were essentially useless. When the retired emperor went on his western hunt, only a few thousand imperial guards followed him, and they even caused a disturbance at Mawei Post Station. Afterwards, fewer than a hundred men followed the current emperor to Lingwu. Although they were gradually replenished and retrained, the army was still largely an empty shell. The six armies combined numbered less than three thousand, and most of them were only used as ceremonial guards.

Therefore, the only truly combat-capable members of the Imperial Guards at present are the "Palace Archers," namely the Left and Right Heroic Guards.

Li Tan said, "I am of one mind with Changwei to defend against the barbarians, how could I let you return to the capital? However, since the imperial decree has been issued to appoint you as the military advisor of the Left Heroic Army, I cannot stop you."

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "Not long ago, the officials submitted a memorial requesting that the Empress be given the title 'Assistant Sage.' It was only thanks to Li Duanqing's advice to the Emperor that this proposal was shelved. He said, 'Since ancient times, Empresses have never had an honorary title. Only Empress Wei had one. How can that be a model?'"

The so-called "Empress Wei" refers to the second empress of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. After Zhongzong's restoration to the throne, she participated in politics and wielded power, receiving the honorific title "Yisheng" from her ministers. Later, Zhongzong died—reportedly poisoned by Empress Wei and her daughter, Princess Anle—and the former Prince of Linzi, now the Retired Emperor, launched the "Tanglong Coup," executing Empress Wei and her daughter. Therefore, throughout history, only Empress Wei held an honorific title for an empress, yet she met a tragic end, her head severed from her body. This is truly unlucky! Your Majesty, do you intend for your wife to follow suit?

"...Moreover, Li Fuguo has become increasingly arrogant, and everyone inside and outside the court calls him 'Fifth Brother' instead of by his real name. Even Li Duanqing calls him 'Fifth Father'..."

—Li Duanqing was Li Kui, a member of a collateral branch of the Longxi Li clan. He passed the imperial examination in the 29th year of the Kaiyuan era and rose to the position of Zhongshu Sheren (Secretariat Secretary) and concurrently served as the Vice Minister of Rites, overseeing the imperial examinations. His background was undeniably high, his official career undeniably righteous, his position undeniably prestigious, and his reputation undeniably great. Yet, he dared to block Empress Zhang from bestowing upon him an honorific title, and when he met Li Fuguo, a eunuch, he addressed him as "uncle" (his fifth father was equivalent to his fifth uncle). If Li Kui acted this way, one can only imagine the behavior of other court officials.

It's estimated that only Prime Minister Li Xian would dare to defy Li Fuguo's "tiger-like might".

"...Since the Sage is unwilling to personally attend to state affairs, and the Crown Prince has written to say that His Majesty has been ill recently and is not in good health..."

After working with Li Ji for a while, Li Tan realized that although the young man lacked literary talent, he was certainly not stupid. In fact, his understanding of the ways of the world was completely unlike that of a country boy who had only recently become an official—it was probably all taught by Li Bi. Therefore, there was no need to spell things out too clearly; he believed that Li Ji would understand the deeper meaning.

As expected, upon hearing these words, Li Ji immediately asked, "Is it the Crown Prince's will to recall me to the capital?"

Li Tan's implication was that Empress Zhang and Li Fuguo were becoming increasingly arrogant and uncontrollable, and Li Heng was in poor health. He feared that something might happen, like Empress Wei's regicide. It's understandable that Li Tan was overthinking things; after all, Empress Zhang also planned to receive an honorific title like Empress Wei, so naturally, comparisons to her would be made.

Back then, there was the "Tanglong Coup," which saved the country from danger and prevented the emergence of a second female ruler. But what about today? The abilities and prestige of Crown Prince Li Yu are nowhere near those of his grandfather in his youth.

If the leader is unreliable, one can only rely on the subordinates. Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) first befriended the heroes among the cavalry, then controlled the Left and Right Imperial Guards, enabling him to successfully storm the Forbidden City and eliminate Empress Wei's faction. Therefore, it is essential to place trustworthy warriors within the Imperial Guards, especially the Left and Right Heroic Guards, to guard against unforeseen events.

However, this idea certainly couldn't have come from Li Heng, and besides, the warriors Li Heng trusted wouldn't first think of Li Ji—it was most likely Yu Chaoen… that bastard only trusted eunuchs. Therefore, Li Ji asked, "Is this the Crown Prince Li Yu's idea?"

Li Tan nodded slowly, then said, "Therefore, I cannot force Changwei to stay."

On the one hand, the brothers Li Yu and Li Tan, though seemingly not on good terms, are actually still very much in cahoots. Therefore, Li Yu's invitation makes it difficult for Li Tan to refuse. On the other hand, if something truly major happens in the Forbidden City, allowing Empress Zhang to seize complete power, and even Li Fuguo to side with her, then Li Yu will most likely fall from power, and it will certainly not be Li Tan who takes advantage of the situation!

Li Tan had considered sending troops from Hexi and Longyou to the capital to defend the emperor should a major upheaval occur in the court. The problem was that both regions were currently vulnerable; he was barely able to defend against the Tibetans, let alone have the strength to quell the unrest and secure the nation.

Therefore, he could not do without Li Ji in Longyou, but after weighing the options, he still suggested that Li Ji accept the imperial edict, return to Chang'an, and serve as a member of the Imperial Guard.

Li Ji frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then raised his concerns: "I have a grudge against Li Fuguo..."

Li Tan said, "The Crown Prince will take good care of you. Besides, since this order has been issued by the Ministry of War, Li Fuguo will not dare to do anything to you unless you make a major mistake."

Li Ji smiled bitterly to himself, thinking that with Li Fuguo's current power, finding fault with him would be easy. As for Li Yu... could he really protect himself?

Seeing that Li Ji did not reply, Li Tan stepped aside from his seat, bowed deeply, and said, "I am also aware of this matter, which is quite dangerous for Changwei. However, how is Li Fuguo compared to Ma Chongying? Changwei has always been at risk when leading the charge into enemy lines. Why should a great man fear such petty people?"

Li Ji thought to himself: How does Li Fuguo compare to Ma Chongying? When it comes to treachery and cunning, Ma Chongying is probably no match for that old eunuch. On the battlefield, I am naturally not afraid of open attacks, but in the infighting of the court, these hidden arrows... are a hundred times harder to defend against than open attacks.

Li Tan, however, thought he had found Li Ji's weakness, concluding that the boy was not only soft-hearted but also easily provoked. Therefore, he immediately said, "Changwei, there's no need to make things difficult. If you truly dare not go, I will write a letter to refuse the Crown Prince..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I'm not afraid of your provocation. The problem is, since I'm under your command, and you give me orders, not for personal reasons but for the sake of the country, how can I refuse because of my personal safety? The Tang Dynasty is in chaos right now, the war in Hebei has not ended, the winds of war are rising again in Youzhou and Jizhou, and the barbarian bandits are taking advantage of the situation from behind... If the capital is thrown into chaos again, then we will be completely finished!"

Whether the Li Tang dynasty lived or died was none of my business. It was just that I had discussed with Li Mi that there was no other force that could quickly take over the Li family's power. If the dynasty collapsed, it would inevitably lead to years of war and chaos—and who knows, the Tibetans and Uyghurs might even launch a large-scale invasion of the Central Plains!

Du Fu's poem "Spring View" echoed in my ears: "The country is broken, but the mountains and rivers remain; in the spring city, grass and trees grow deep. Moved by the times, flowers shed tears; grieving for separation, birds startle the heart. War fires have raged for three months; a letter from home is worth ten thousand pieces of gold. My white hair grows even shorter from scratching; it can hardly hold a hairpin!"

With the country in ruins, it is the common people who suffer the most. Thinking back to the beginning of his transmigration, just after leaving Tanshan, he saw desolate villages, roads littered with corpses, and wild dogs running rampant... If it weren't for these chaotic disasters that he could never have personally experienced in his previous life while sitting in front of a computer, why would he have joined the army and come to Longyou? Why would he have wielded a spear and a sword, fighting bloody battles? With Li Bi's recommendation and his friendship with Li Yu and Li Shi, he could have easily obtained a minor local official position, enough to live a life of comfort and ease.

Even if you went into seclusion with Li Bi, was life really that hard? No one in his family ever starved to death!

Therefore, he finally sighed and said, "Since it is His Highness's order, how dare I disobey?" Although he had made up his mind, he still had to put on a reluctant attitude - this is my way of doing favors for you Li brothers.

He then asked, "Since I have been ordered to join the Left Heroic Army, who is the commander?" Is that superior easy to deal with? It would be best if he were not one of Li Fuguo's cronies.

Li Tan smiled enigmatically: "It is an old friend of yours..."

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Great Work Is Not Yet Done

The armies of the Northern Army were organized in the same way as the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Army. The commanders were generals of the second rank, followed by generals of the third rank and generals of the third rank. Then came chief clerks of the sixth rank, military advisors of the eighth rank, and military advisors of the eighth rank, such as military advisors of the granary and cavalry.

However, Li Tan explained that nowadays, all six armies of the Northern Army are appointed as generals or grand generals (it is normal for the position of supreme general to be vacant), and their subordinate teams are often understaffed because of insufficient troops; only the Left and Right Heroic Armies have a complete subordinate team, but they have not appointed a general.

It's probably because they were worried that the Yingwu Army would monopolize the Northern Army without any checks and balances, so they bestowed the titles of General, Grand General, and General of the Left and Right Yingwu Army as their own official ranks and additional titles upon the generals at the front. The one who actually commanded the two armies was just the Chief Clerk.

—“The chief secretary of the Yingwu Army on the left is Dou Wenchang, and the chief secretary of the Yingwu Army on the right is Huo Xianming.”

Li Ji burst out laughing on the spot. It was those two guys! They were indeed old acquaintances…

Back when he and Li Bi were in Ding'an, living in the palace, Cheng Yuanzhen sent three low-ranking eunuchs to serve them. These were Dou and Huo, and Ran Mao'er.

"Does the emperor really trust eunuchs so much? He always appoints eunuchs to command troops? And one Yu Chaoen alone isn't enough..."

Li Tan shook his head slightly: "It's different. Dou and Huo were actually students of Cheng Yuanzhen, and Cheng Yuanzhen..." He lowered his voice and said, "Recently, he has been frequently visiting the Eastern Palace."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned.