Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 37

The Tang Dynasty had previously experienced numerous upheavals due to the struggle for the throne, with Emperor Li Heng nearly executing his own son, Li Tan. Of course, Li Tan had not actually shown any intention of vying for the throne, but it wasn't just based on the imaginations of Li Fuguo, Consort Zhang, and others that they repeatedly spoke ill of him to Emperor Li Heng.

Because Li Tan's virtue and prestige are no less than Li Chu's, and his talent far surpasses Li Chu's, he truly has the qualifications to contend for the throne. If he really sets his mind to it, it won't be easy to stop him. Li, Zhang, and the others are not afraid of the impossible, but they are afraid of the unforeseen—what if Li Tan gains power? When he was king, he strongly opposed the interference of eunuchs and palace women in politics, and he harbors resentment towards them. If he obtains the throne, or even ascends the throne himself, can they expect a good outcome?

Prevent

It's always better to nip problems in the bud than to strike first!

In contrast, the Uyghurs were truly engaged in a fierce struggle for the throne—the Crown Prince Yabghu, though the eldest son and the Yabghu himself, directly commanded a quarter of the tribe, but his father, the mighty Khan, was at odds with him and increasingly favored his second son, Yidijian, with the intention of making Yidijian the heir.

The key difference between Uyghur and Chinese customs lies in the absence of a clear primogeniture system. Tribal leaders, and even the Khan, could often freely appoint sons or even brothers from among their predecessors—of course, based on merit or ability. Therefore, figures like Li Mi of the Tang Dynasty wouldn't dare to step forward and argue that the Crown Prince, being the eldest, should not be deposed, and that Yidijian, being the second son, would not only be ineligible for the throne but also suppressed to prevent him from achieving great merit. Ministers from both sides could only use "strength" or "merit" as grounds to evaluate the two sons before the Khan.

So someone suggested to the Crown Prince Yabghu that the Khan was on good terms with the Tang Dynasty, and that joining forces with the Tang to resist the Tibetans was a national policy left by their ancestors. Now that the Tang people had asked for help, the Crown Prince should volunteer to lead the expedition. This would not only allow him to achieve great merit and enhance his own prestige, but also make the Khan consider the feelings of the Tang people and not dare to easily depose him. In this way, his position would be secure.

Therefore, the Crown Prince Yabghu repeatedly warned his subordinates, including Chebishi and Dide, along the way, saying that they must restrain their tempers and not cause any trouble with the Tang people. He also told them that if they had any needs, he should ask the Tang Emperor in person. In fact, if Li Heng had not taken the initiative to speak, the Crown Prince Yabghu would not have dared to make such an outrageous request as to have all the women of the two capitals.

The reason the Tanghe people were able to support each other and maintain such a close relationship was because both sides feared a complete falling out and creating an unnecessary negative situation for themselves. However, the Crown Prince of Yabghu was quite stubborn, so I didn't make excessive demands or take the initiative to back down; Li Heng, on the other hand, was soft-hearted at heart, and given the national crisis, he was afraid of angering the Uyghurs, which is why he eagerly offered the women from both capitals…

He failed to consider that the Uyghurs' peaceful relations with the Tang Dynasty were not due to any divine intervention, but rather to the gradual accumulation of their reputation for strength through repeated battles with the Turks and Tibetans since the reign of Emperor Taizong. Even if their national power was not what it once was, they could not afford to lose their dignity. Otherwise, while nomadic peoples might not bully the weak on an individual level, they generally preferred to enslave smaller peoples and were insatiable, inevitably pushing their luck further.

But Li Heng only cared about the emperor's personal reputation; he didn't care about the country's reputation at all.

To return to the point, it was precisely for the aforementioned reasons that Crown Prince Yabghu, after being punched in the face by Li Ji, swallowed his pride and blood, feigning magnanimity and enduring the humiliation. It was also because Emperor De persuaded Chebi Shi, acting on the Crown Prince's wishes, that Chebi Shi became more cautious and dared not act recklessly.

Because Chebishi was a confidant of the Crown Prince of Yabghu, he was perfectly aware of the Crown Prince's sincerity towards Tang, and more importantly, Tang's true intentions. If, because of him, Tang and Hege were to fall out—or even if the Tang people didn't even need to cool relations, but simply sent someone to speak ill of the Crown Prince to the valiant Khan, the Crown Prince of Yabghu would surely lose his throne—that would be an unforgivable sin…

So he asked Emperor De, "What should we do then? Why don't we just not go into this temple? Anyway, Luoyang is a big city, we can quickly scatter and continue looting. As for the one lying on the ground, I don't believe Li Ji would really dare to kill him. If Li Ji does make a move, we can demand the culprit from the Tang people, then it will be perfectly legitimate."

Di De said that was fine, but there was no need to rush. Let me ask Li Ji a few more questions first.

"Li Ji, you won't let us into the temple. Does that mean you have a woman in the temple?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "There are no women of mine in the temple, but there are women of your sworn brother, the Crown Prince Yehu!" However, it was not convenient to tell the Uyghurs this news yet, so he coldly retorted, "So what if there are women of mine?"

Di De's attitude was quite sincere—mainly because he genuinely admired Li Ji's wrestling skills—so he smiled and said, "You, my friend, your woman, we will never touch you."

Li Ji pointed and said, "In that case, let those women go."

Dide looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that he was referring to the Tang women who were tied up with the Uyghur troops. He couldn't help but ask in astonishment, "How could they all be your women?"

Li Ji replied solemnly, “It’s not just these women, but all the women in Luoyang, and even all the Tang women in the world, are my mothers and my sisters! I am different from you. I have received the teachings of the sages and consider all the billions of people of my people as one family. If a barbarian kills a Tang person, it is as if he has harmed my father; if he has raped a Tang woman, it is as if he has deceived my mother!”

He paused, then countered, "If someone were to abduct a Uyghur woman, wouldn't you be furious?!"

Di De exclaimed in astonishment, "It wasn't me who abducted them; it was the Tang Emperor who made the promise!"

Li Ji sneered, "If the Uyghur Khan demands that you give your mother and sisters away, what will you say?"

Di Decai thought to himself, "My status is noble; the Khan would not issue such a chaotic order." Fortunately, he was quite shrewd and didn't say anything foolish—it wasn't unheard of for the Khan to send women of his own tribe to other tribes. Were the women's sons and brothers not allowed to be angry? Their rebellion, even raising the banner of rebellion against the Khan, while deserving of suppression, was also worthy of sympathy. One could put oneself in their shoes.

So Li Ji disregarded his own safety and disobeyed the Tang emperor's orders... He truly is a brave man; I was right about him!

He then asked Li Ji, "What do you think?"

Li Ji replied, "I don't want anything, I only hope that you will not only stop looting, but also release all the captured Tang women. You may take the valuables in the city, but you must not harm my people!"

Of course, he knew this was unrealistic. Even if he maxed out his negotiation skills, it was unlikely he could get the Uyghur soldiers to give him all the women he had captured just by talking.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Redemption with Brocade

Emperor De ordered everyone to display their spoils, and then asked Li Ji, "What do you say we should do? In this situation, you still want us to release the Tang women? We came to help you fight, are we just doing this for nothing?"

Of course, he wouldn't work for nothing. Although the Tang court was financially strapped and couldn't reward all four thousand Uyghur soldiers, the wealth bestowed upon the Crown Prince and several generals like Di De and Che Bi Shi was enough for them to have a prosperous New Year. But if the soldiers didn't receive rewards, they would surely riot, and we couldn't possibly take out the treasures already in our bags and distribute them to the common soldiers...

Li Ji was speechless. Of course, he could give an example: if a neighbor is robbed and calls you to chase them away, and then you abduct their daughter as a concubine without their consent, is there any logic in that? No matter what, even if our Tang Dynasty has wronged the Uyghurs, we cannot pay with human lives!

However, it's impossible to reason with someone whose values ​​clash with yours using common sense. The Uyghur society was still very primitive, and they were accustomed to using people as commodities—especially people from other ethnic groups—especially since it was Li Heng who brought it up... That's how feudal society is; one person's will can determine the life and death of thousands. Throughout history, how many so-called "loyal ministers" dared not disobey orders even when they knew they were being ordered against their will? So, in this historical context, you're talking about human rights with the Uyghur barbarians? Is it meaningful?

So, following this line of thought, Li Jineng had said all he could. He had hoped that the Uyghur soldiers would be satisfied and stop coveting the women in the city once they had looted enough wealth. But who would have thought that they hadn't looted much money at all! Under these circumstances, what reason or logic, which is not outdated, could you possibly give them the Tang women they had abducted?

While pondering how to respond, Emperor De, seeing that Li Ji did not answer, said, "Bring your woman out. Anyone who dares to violate her will be killed. Go into the temple; if you have money, take it; if you don't, take your woman. It's fair."

He then repeated his words in Uyghur, and Chebishi nodded repeatedly, saying, "Fair, fair."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart stirred slightly—wait, so problems that can't be solved with fists can be solved with money? After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What if we use money to ransom the Tang women you've kidnapped?"

Dide frowned and asked, "You're very rich? A city full of women."

"I can try to raise the money, and I'll name a number."

Di De immediately turned to discuss the matter with the generals, including Che Bishi. Che Bishi said, "I told you to scatter and loot, but you insisted on talking to him for so long. If the Tang army enters the city, there might be some places that are inconvenient to loot—in that case, it would be better to ransom the women with money..."

He pondered, "I didn't expect the Tang women in Luoyang to be so delicate. They're very alluring, but I'm afraid most of them would die on their way back to the grasslands after such a long journey. It might be more cost-effective to exchange them for gold and silver jewelry, and then use that money to buy female slaves from the Turkic, Tongluo, and Khitan tribes at the border market."

The generals discussed the matter for a long time, and finally Di De turned to them and said, "Twenty thousand bolts of brocade can redeem the people." After a pause, he added, "They must all be of good quality; coarse brocade will not do."

The brocade from the Central Plains is a prized commodity, highly sought after on the grasslands—and can even be used as currency. So, with 20,000 bolts of brocade, each of the 4,000 Uyghur soldiers could get one or two bolts, enough to make them rich. As for the rest, naturally the Crown Prince and a few of us would receive them.

Having been in this world for so long, Li Ji had some understanding of its prices. He knew that brocade of medium to high quality was worth at least seven or eight hundred coins, and that grain prices in the Central Plains were currently soaring due to war, also around seven or eight hundred coins per bushel—refined rice and flour were even more expensive. Twenty thousand bushels of grain could feed five thousand people for a year, enough to supply this Uyghur army for a year and a half, in exchange for all the women in Luoyang. This deal seemed quite feasible.

Fortunately, the Uyghurs were generally poor, and even after storming into Luoyang, they didn't manage to loot anything of value, so their appetite wasn't too great yet.

In fact, Li Ji felt that his actions were like bowing down to criminals who had taken hostages in later generations. Not only did it fail to eliminate evil, it also made the other party's appetite grow more and more demanding... But there was nothing he could do. Human strength has its limits. No matter how good he was at fighting, he couldn't fight against four thousand Uyghur soldiers. On the contrary, there was a guy whose prestige allowed him to command thousands of troops with a single order, but he didn't care about ordinary people at all...

With the situation dire, let's focus on the immediate problem. I only hope that once the two capitals are recovered, the rebellion can be quelled as soon as possible, and the Tang Dynasty can be revitalized, so that we no longer need to lure the Uyghur troops into the interior. As for the periodic collapse of the dynasty, that will be a hundred years from now, which I won't live to see, so I won't worry about it.

He immediately nodded and said, "I grant your request."

Ded then asked, "When will it be delivered?"

Li Ji said, "Wait for me to go back to the temple to make some arrangements. I'll come out in a quarter of an hour or so and we'll discuss the handover time." He then sheathed his sword, turned around, and went back to the temple gate, calling for it to be opened.

However, Yu Ling inside strictly forbade opening the gates, fearing that the Uyghur soldiers would take the opportunity to rush in. Cui Qi then reached down with his right hand from the top of the wall, intending to pull Li Ji. Li Ji thought to himself, "Don't be too arrogant. I weigh 120 or 130 jin (Tang jin). Even if you are stronger than an ordinary woman, you probably can't pull me."

Fortunately, Chen Fu also climbed onto the wall and reached down. Li Ji then leaped up and grabbed the two of them from the left and right, flipped over the wall, and entered the temple.

Judging from the feel of his hands, although Cui Qi's palms are small and his wrists are thin, he seems to exert just as much force as Lao Chen...

But he didn't have time to gauge the little girl's abilities right now. As soon as he landed, he grabbed Yu Ling and asked, "What you just said..."

"Did you hear everything?"

Yu Ling said she heard him, but... she looked troubled: "Twenty thousand bolts of brocade, even if exchanged for other things at market price, this old man cannot afford it."

Actually, his wealth is far more than that, but if he agrees to it outright, wouldn't he be giving away one-fifth of his fortune for nothing? Why should he?! Li Ji, you honest kid, why didn't you think of bargaining with the Uyghurs?

"Your title is 'Millionaire,' so surely you don't have a million coins?" Well, twenty thousand bolts of brocade are worth over ten million on the market; you probably really can't afford that...

Li Ji naturally had no idea how much wealth Yu Ling actually had. In his opinion, the amount was indeed a bit too much for one family to pay... Seeing the other party's embarrassed expression and his attempt to explain, he waved his hand and said, "It's alright. Aren't there more than a dozen officials and wealthy merchants in the temple? If everyone pools their money, we can get out."

So Yu Ling sent someone to summon the heads of each household, as well as the abbot of Shengshan Temple—whose temple property was certainly considerable—to gather them all at the front. He then briefly explained the terms that Li Ji and the Uyghurs had agreed upon. The people looked at each other, all appearing somewhat reluctant. Among them, a retired Tang official boldly asked:

“Li Zhiguo, if you were to pay money to redeem the lives of a few men and women from my family, that would be perfectly acceptable. Even if it were to save the lives of the people in this temple, we would do so without hesitation. But… why should we have to pay money to redeem all the women in the city? It was originally the Emperor who granted them permission…”

Li Ji raised his eyebrows, glared at the other party, and shouted, "If you don't agree, I will let go and let the Uyghur soldiers come in!"

He was furious. "I risked everything and used all my words to save the women of Luoyang. All I asked you to do was chip in some money. Judging from your clothes and appearance, it's not like you can't afford it. Why are you all so selfish and only care about your own families?"

He immediately let out a loud shout, which startled the old official so much that he stumbled back three steps, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Li Ji then felt a pang of regret. He thought to himself that selfishness is human nature, and besides, the amount of money involved was considerable. Even in a fair trade, people would still haggle, so some reluctance was understandable. He should have reasoned with the old man, explaining the pros and cons, instead of getting angry and threatening to quit. Seeing how frail the old man was, if he had actually caused him harm, it would have been his fault…

The abbot of Shengshan Temple reacted quickly, grabbing the old official and calling over several young monks to carry him to the monks' quarters. They administered acupuncture and medicine in an attempt to revive him. The abbot himself chanted Buddhist prayers: "Amitabha, this old monk will naturally go and see for himself, lest someone die in this peaceful place..." He moved with the agility of a cat and took the opportunity to escape.

Yu Ling couldn't help but feel annoyed and turned to complain to Li Ji, "Twenty thousand bolts of brocade is no small sum. We need to plan carefully. Li Zhiguo, please step back. I'll explain to them..." Look at you, you've already scared away two people with just your words. With fewer people to share the burden, each family will have to take even more...

Li Ji waved his hand, saying no need, let me say a few more words. He then softened his tone and reasoned with the crowd: “Gentlemen, today you may offer two or three thousand bolts of brocade to plead with the Uyghur soldiers to spare the Shengshan Temple, sparing only your wives and daughters, and disregarding those captured outside the temple. But once the Uyghur soldiers retreat, how will those who have lost their wives and daughters view you when they see only your family safe?”

"When the government troops enter the city, they will surely search for and arrest the remaining members of the An Lushan rebels. Since you have been able to live peacefully in Luoyang for several years, you must have had some dealings with them, right? No one dares to say that they are completely innocent. If the people who have lost their wives and daughters resent you and report you, do you still have any hope of protecting your families? You will probably have your homes confiscated and even be executed. At that time, not only will all your wealth be put into the government treasury, but even your wives and daughters will be sent to the brothels, which is not as fortunate as being abducted by the Uyghurs."

"If you gentlemen are willing to contribute your wealth to save the women of this city, their fathers, brothers, and clansmen will surely be grateful for your kindness. From then on, they will be admired by thousands in Luoyang and even throughout Henan. How could anyone then report you? Even if someone does report you, the beneficiaries will petition the court to plead your case."

"Therefore, bribing the Uyghurs with a small amount of wealth today can only save my wife, daughters, and family for the time being; only by giving 20,000 bolts of brocade to save all the women in the city can I preserve my family and business in the long term. Please do not only consider the small gains in front of you, but think carefully about what I have said, whether it is reasonable or not?"

His words were logical and precise, leaving Yu Ling speechless. She thought to herself, "I didn't realize this Li Changwei was so shrewd. He seems rough, but he's actually quite intelligent and eloquent." Oh, right, he was quite articulate when he was arguing with the Uyghurs, but I was too nervous and flustered to react immediately.

Li Ji had no choice; he had been forced into this situation. The safety of all the women in Luoyang rested on his shoulders, and he certainly couldn't pretend to be stupid any longer.

Upon hearing this, the officials and wealthy merchants were all moved. After pondering for a while, someone finally stepped forward and said, "What Li Zhiguo said is true. Although my family is not very rich, I am willing to contribute 1,500 bolts of silk. The rest can wait for you, sir."

Yu Ling quickly chimed in, "The Yu family is willing to contribute three thousand bolts of silk..."

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, and the number gradually increased, though still somewhat insufficient, it was almost there. Li Ji had barely caught his breath when he heard Jia Huai's shout from the direction of the temple gate: "The Prince of Jianning has arrived!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "You've come at just the right time. I've basically finished everything, and now you're here to reap the rewards?" Although somewhat resentful, he quickly turned around and jogged to greet Li Tan.

Li Tan entered quickly. Li Ji hadn't gone far when he saw him leading a minor official in a blue robe, along with five or six guards, striding swiftly...

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Calamity of Later Generations

Li Ji looked at the minor official who had come with Li Tan. He was about thirty years old, tall and handsome, with a long beard that was as black as ink and as smooth as brocade, hanging down to his chest. He looked like Guan Yu incarnate, which made Li Ji quite envious. When will my beard grow long again?

Li Ji also found Li Tan's words rather inappropriate—since I've basically resolved the issue, all you need to do is politely praise those who contributed the money, and that's it, right? Why insist on interfering and offering your own estate and villa as compensation? That way, these people will surely be grateful to you, and once the news spreads, the people of Luoyang will regard you as a benefactor and a wise king…

This was originally a good thing, but the problem is, Li Tan, you're different from other princes. You still carry the suspicion of vying for the throne, and you haven't completely cleared your name yet! So, what will Li Heng and Li Chu think when this matter falls into their ears? Prince Jianning is trying to win people's hearts; he has great ambitions, and I'm afraid he has ulterior motives!

Even if Li Chu is close to you, and Li Heng, in his habitual foolishness, doesn't take it seriously, do you think Consort Zhang and Li Fuguo would let this golden opportunity pass? They will surely slander you again in front of Li Heng. I finally managed to save your life, and you don't appreciate it at all, instead walking right into the line of fire?

Should I praise you for being righteous, unlike your father and brother, or should I scold you for being stupid?

Li Ji, however, habitually maintained a boorish persona in front of Li Tan, making it inconvenient for him to offer advice—did he think everyone could see that? Only Li Ji, having read extensively in history and thoroughly familiar with past examples of succession struggles, could discern this. If even a fool could see it, that would be one thing, but this was something only a wise person could discern. Was it appropriate for him to tear off his mask and speak frankly to Li Tan in this setting? Even if he were to speak frankly, how could he say it in front of everyone?

Therefore, Li Ji was unable to dissuade him in time. However, the minor official seemed to be no ordinary person; he clearly understood the situation in an instant and was about to speak up to advise him, but was stopped by Li Tan. Judging from Li Tan's expression, he was not unaware that his actions were unnecessary and might bring him new trouble. However, his bastard father had given a chaotic order, and his foolish brother couldn't stop him. If he couldn't do his part to save the women of Luoyang, he would feel guilty and unable to have peace of mind.

Therefore, Li Ji and the minor official exchanged a glance simultaneously. Li Ji's gaze was purely curious—who was this person? He seemed quite shrewd. The other official, however, gave him a look tinged with resentment—it was all your meddling that caused Prince Jianning to bring this upon himself!

Li Tan then instructed, "Gongnan, I'll leave the matter of gathering the funds to redeem all the women in the city from the Uyghurs to you." He waved his hand at the officials and wealthy merchants he had just pulled up, implying that they should discuss the matter amongst themselves. The minor official hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, it's all on Yang Yan."

Turning to Li Ji, Li Tan spoke gently: "Guard, have you managed to lead me to pay my respects to Consort Shen? Are you satisfied now?"

Li Ji had nothing to say, so he bowed and said, "Your Highness, please follow me."

So they went together to the monks' quarters. Li Tan stood respectfully outside the door and bowed, saying, "Is Sister-in-law Wang inside? Jianning has come to greet you and will escort you to meet your brother Wang."

Consort Shen's voice rang out from inside the room: "How could I dare to trouble Your Highness?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tan couldn't help but beam with joy.

He had grown up with Li Chu since childhood, and since his father rarely paid attention to him, his elder brother was like a father to him, and his elder sister-in-law was like a mother to him. Naturally, he was very familiar with Consort Shen's voice. At first, he had some doubts. Li Ji had never seen his sister-in-law before. Could he have mistaken her for someone else? But upon hearing Consort Shen's words, he immediately realized—it was indeed her. He was greatly relieved and overjoyed.

"Back when we were in the Eastern Palace, my sister-in-law took good care of me. Now that we've been separated for so long, and the Marshal is busy with military affairs and it's not appropriate for him to move easily, she sent me to welcome him. It's only right and proper..."

Where is the Prince of Guangping?

"We will temporarily stay outside Xuanhui Gate. My younger brother has already driven here. I will now send someone to drive the carriage into the temple. Please wait a moment, Sister-in-law Wang."

Consort Shen said, "I am merely a concubine of the Prince of Guangping. Your Highness should not address me as your sister-in-law."

Li Tan raised his eyebrows: "In my heart, there is only one person who is the wife of the Prince of Guangping, namely, the biological mother of my son. That Cui woman relies on the power of the Yang family and is arrogant and domineering. How can she be worthy of being the rightful wife? Your brother keeps her in Lingwu because he is impatient to see her face—sooner or later he will depose her and let the wife of the Prince take the rightful place!"

Li Ji, who was listening nearby, thought to himself, what kind of woman is Consort Cui, the principal wife of Prince Guangping? Why do they all dislike her so much, from the old eunuch to Prince Jianning? If it were anyone else, Li Ji would suspect that they were just trying to curry favor and flatter him. But Li Tan has always been straightforward. When he said that he only recognized Lady Shen as his sister-in-law and not Lady Cui, he was probably telling the truth.

It's unclear whether the Cui family was truly despicable, or whether the brothers Li Chu and Li Tan, and even the old eunuch, all hated the Yang family and thus despised their servants.

Consort Shen, not wanting to respond to Li Tan's words, changed the subject, saying, "We were able to escape this time entirely thanks to Li Ji and the others."

Li Tan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Sister-in-law, the Marshal will definitely reward you according to your merits." As he spoke, he glanced at Li Ji beside him and said, "Changwei, you have made great contributions this time. It is no wonder that my brother and Shi'er value you so much. If you want any reward, you can tell me first, and I will go and ask my brother."

Li Ji let out a long sigh and said with a wry smile, "I have no other hope but to be able to unload this heavy burden and get a good night's sleep..."

Before long, the carriage entered the temple and stopped in front of the monks' quarters to welcome Consort Shen. Li Ji glanced sideways and saw that it was Yang Sichu pretending to help Consort Shen—

It's hard to say who helped whom—they got into the carriage. Then Li Tan told him to summon Chen Fu, Yu Ling, and other meritorious people as well, so they could go together to report to Li Chu.

Li Ji said, "Yu Lingfang and that other person... are raising the ransom. You can go see the Marshal later." He then summoned Chen Fu and the other two who had come from Fengxiang. As for the matter of Yu Xiuhe's death, Li Tan already knew about it and there was no need to explain.

He had also planned to look for Cui Qi, but the little girl was truly elusive, disappearing again without a trace. Li Ji was unsure whether she was willing to go with him to see Li Chu, and it was inconvenient to inquire with Consort Shen, who had already boarded the carriage, so he had to give up for the time being.

Back at the carriage, he was still somewhat uneasy, so he asked Li Tan, "Is the person Your Highness ordered capable of doing the job?"

Li Tan smiled and comforted him, saying, "Yang Gongnan is a rare talent in this era. You can rest assured when he does things—you won't let all your hard work go to waste."

He then introduced his resume. It turned out that the minor official in the green robe was named Yang Yan, courtesy name Gongnan, a native of Tianxing County, Fengxiang Prefecture. His father had passed the imperial examination, but due to illness, he was unwilling to serve as an official. The Emperor Emeritus once summoned him to serve as a remonstrating official, but he resigned and returned home to care for his parents after less than a year. Yang Yan originally intended to follow in his father's footsteps, but he failed the imperial examinations in both the fourteenth and fifteenth years of the Tianbao era.

The following year was the second year of the Zhide era. Despite the chaos and turmoil, Emperor Li Heng, while on the move, ordered the selection of scholars in Jianghuai, Jiangdong, and Fengxiang respectively, and the retired emperor also held examinations in Sichuan. Yang Yan naturally participated in the examination in Fengxiang Prefecture, but unfortunately, he failed and was ultimately unsuccessful.

Some seemingly astute people advised him, saying that his essays were excellent, his classical studies were second best, and his poetry was the worst; he should try to take the Mingjing exam, or wait for the Xiucai exam to be held someday. Yang Yan replied, "The Mingjing exam is nothing but rote memorization, and it only leads to the county level, making it difficult to advance to the imperial court. As for the Xiucai exam, it was abolished during the reign of Emperor Tianhuang (Li Zhi), and now that he is almost a hundred years old, how can it be reinstated?"

So, I either continue taking the imperial examination, or—I'll give up and just accept a hereditary title.

His father had once served as a senior official of the fifth rank, and according to the law, he could grant his son the privilege of serving as a senior official of the eighth rank. However, without passing the imperial examinations, he generally had no chance of being granted a position as a proofreader, corrector, or county magistrate in a prestigious county such as Wang, Jin, or Shang. Yang Yan himself was not willing to serve as a county magistrate in a middle or lower county.

Fortunately, the Marshal's Office was established at that time, and Li Tan was appointed as the military commander. He searched far and wide for talented people and, through an introduction, took the initiative to find Yang Yan. After a heartfelt conversation, Li Tan was deeply impressed by Yang Yan's talent and immediately appointed him as a military advisor.

Below the commander-in-chief or marshal, the main staff consisted of the chief clerk, the military advisor, the recorder, and the four military advisors of the granary, the military, the armor, and the cavalry. In addition, there were judges, clerks, and other officials, as well as unofficial military advisors without a fixed number of positions—similar to the staff officers of later times.