Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 71

Li Tan added, "When the army was established, Mr. Changyuan became the chief clerk of the marshal's army and moved into the marshal's mansion with you. Do you know where Dou and Huo were transferred to?"

"I truly do not know, Your Highness, please enlighten me."

"They have all gone to serve Prince Fengjie."

Li Ji suddenly realized. It seemed that not all the eunuchs were of one mind. For example, he had noticed before that Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen were mutually exploiting each other. As for Cheng Yuanzhen, although he had met him a few times, he didn't have a deep impression of him. Now, listening to what Li Tan said, he probably wanted to curry favor with Li Yu—just like how Li Fuguo, who was originally a disciple of Gao Lishi, meticulously plotted for Crown Prince Li Heng, hoping that "a new emperor brings a new court" and that one day he would rise to power.

Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming were both students of Cheng Yuanzhen. Just as Gao Lishi placed Li Fuguo next to Li Heng, Cheng Yuanzhen also placed two eunuchs with Li Shi. As for whether they would become a threat in the future—it is said that Li Fuguo is not friendly to Gao Lishi now—or whether they could rely on their teacher-student relationship to secure a happy old age, that was purely a matter of luck, and no one could say for sure.

Currently, Li Yu and his son Li Shi are still on the same side, and Cheng Yuanzhen and the two eunuchs Dou and Huo are also on the same side. The two eunuchs taking charge of the Left and Right Heroic Armies was probably Cheng Yuanzhen's idea to Li Yu. However, the two eunuchs are too inexperienced and do not seem as easy to deal with as Yu Chaoen—of course, for Li Ji, he could easily defeat ten Yu Chaoens—therefore, they need the help of brave warriors.

Although Li Ji agreed to return to the capital, he still had official business to organize and hand over, making it impossible for him to leave immediately. In fact, since the arrival of Xue Yong and others, the daily work of the headquarters had gradually gotten back on track, unlike last year when only Yang Gongnan was working himself to the bone to keep things running. However, Xue Yong and the others were all scholars, and they had no experience in recruiting and training soldiers. If Li Ji left, this part of the work might come to a standstill.

On the one hand, Li Ji recommended Chen Fu to Li Tan—mainly because Chen Fu was mature enough and unlikely to make any major mistakes—and asked Li Ji to summon him back to Shanzhou. On the other hand, he temporarily handed over his work to Jia Huai.

Jia Huai had always wanted to curry favor with Li Ji, but the problem was that he also wanted to become an official, so it was impossible for him to always advance and retreat with Li Ji. For officials to maintain a superior-subordinate relationship for a long time, it was only possible for Li Ji to become a prefect or even a military governor and to appoint his own subordinates. Therefore, although he felt depressed this time, he could not resign from his position as a staff member and return to the capital with Li Ji.

During this time, Li Ji trained his troops, and Jia Huai was his assistant. He had basically figured out Li Ji's skills. Li Ji then spent half a day teaching him all the techniques he had learned from books in his previous life and from secretly observing and learning them in this life.

Li Ji said, "Brother Jia, a real man should have lofty ambitions. How can you spend your whole life as a lowly soldier?" Although Jia Huai was nominally a key member of the military staff, his only real skill was running. So Li Tan often sent him to deliver messages over short distances—long distances were unnecessary, since there were horses. Li Ji said, "If you indulge in this, you'll at most reach the seventh or eighth rank; you can't rise any higher."

"Once you are proficient in martial arts, you can diligently learn military equipment and training methods. If you succeed in training, it will not be difficult for you to attain the rank of fifth or sixth grade in the future."

In addition, Li Ji wrote several letters and sent them to Shancheng to bid farewell to Guo Xin, Li Yuanzhong, Chen Fu, Yi Tiechui and others one by one. After all, they were comrades who had fought side by side, and it would be really hard to leave without saying goodbye. He also hinted that the war in Hebei might not go well and that the main force of the Western Army might not be able to return quickly. If the barbarian bandits came to harass them again in the future, they should be careful.

Yang Yan and others held banquets to bid farewell to Li Ji, but it was clear that these were just perfunctory gestures. Only Du Fu expressed his true feelings and even presented him with a poem: "The imperial edict dispatched the general from Dongshan, and the troops were stationed in Longyou in the autumn. He led his troops with high spirits, and continued the family's glorious reputation. In three months, the army was more organized, and the barbarian tribes were ready to be cooked. This achievement was not yet completed, and I held back my tears and felt deeply moved."

When Li Ji arrived in Longyou, although he was with Li Tan and accompanied by a large army, he was actually alone. This time, however, he was returning to the capital with a family member—his concubine, Qingluan. Qingluan was quite happy to hear that she was going to Chang'an, but also somewhat apprehensive. While packing her belongings, she whispered to Li Ji, "My lord, I've heard that Zhongjing (Chang'an) is far more prosperous than Shanzhou, a hundred times more so. I wonder what it's like? I know nothing of the customs of the capital; will I be ridiculed? If I embarrass you..."

Her ancestral home was Guangwu County in Lanzhou. Before she reached adulthood, her father died in the Battle of Shibao. She and her mother were implicated and demoted to prostitutes, then sent to Shanzhou. For ten years, they never left. So Chang'an was like another world to her, or even a dream world.

Li Ji smiled and comforted her, "I'm not from Chang'an either, so how would I know about the customs of the capital? But in the capital, officials from all directions flock here, and visitors from the north and south gather. How many are truly local natives? Who would laugh at you?" He then puffed out his chest, "And you're my woman, Li Ji's woman! Who dares to laugh at you? I'll twist their head off!"

But thinking about returning to Chang'an soon, Li Ji felt a little uneasy. It wasn't that he was afraid of Li Fuguo, nor did he know what tricks that eunuch would play. Worrying was useless; he would just deal with whatever came his way. Rather, it was because rice was expensive here, and it was not easy to live in Chang'an.

Previously in Chang'an, he had stayed at Jia Huai's house, a place arranged by Li Yu. If he had to rent a place himself, his meager salary wouldn't even cover a fraction of the cost. While serving in the Longyou military headquarters, he received five thousand coins a month, which should have been enough to rent a small house in Chang'an. The problem was, being transferred to the Left Heroic Army as a military advisor—his rank had improved, but his salary had been reduced by more than half…

Besides, now that she has a family, she can't possibly share a rental with someone, can she? And if the house is too small, it would be embarrassing for Qingluan.

I might have to go and beg Li Yu and his son Li Shi for help – you forced me to return to Beijing, so you have to solve my housing problem perfectly!

However, during his six months in Shanzhou, Qingluan managed the household well, and their daily expenses were minimal, allowing him to save over 20,000 coins. Furthermore, before his departure, Li Tan, as was customary, gifted him another 10,000 coins as a farewell present. However, his mount was a military horse, and his armor and weapons were also military equipment. Even though he could have purchased them privately due to his proximity, he would still have to pay for them himself—Yang Yan was very stingy in this regard and resolutely refused to violate the rules—but Li Ji was unwilling to relinquish his fine steed and sharp sword, ultimately estimating their value at over 6,000 coins…

Then he bought a carriage for Qingluan to ride in, hired a driver, and prepared food and supplies for the journey—because of the war, many post stations along the road had been abandoned and had not yet been fully restored, so it would be difficult to travel long distances relying solely on government funds. He gave the remaining money to Qingluan for safekeeping, and exchanged the 20,000 coins for flying coins at a merchant's shop.

Flying money was similar to modern-day bills of exchange. Because copper coins were too heavy to carry around—20,000 coins would weigh 125 jin (Tang dynasty jin), even exceeding Li Ji's weight—merchants in some large cities would issue these bills in exchange for money, which could be redeemed in other cities. A handling fee of 10 to 30 wen was typically charged per 1,000 coins. It is said that an official once submitted a memorial suggesting that the profits from this flying money should be centralized under the imperial court, allowing only local government offices to operate it. However, charging only 1% to 3% in fees would be inconvenient for the government, while charging more would be inconvenient for merchants and ordinary people. The censor strongly opposed this, and the proposal was abandoned.

At the end of February, after bidding farewell to his friends, Li Ji left Shanzhou with Qingluan, traveling day and night for more than half a month before finally arriving outside Chang'an. While resting at Bianqiao, a courier came and asked, "Are you Li, the Left Heroic Army Advisor, from Longyou?" Li Ji nodded, "I showed you at the station just now, why ask?"

The courier said with a fawning smile, "It's just to confirm—reporting to the military advisor that someone is requesting an audience."

Li Ji was quite puzzled—I haven't even entered Chang'an yet, how could I run into an acquaintance?

"Please come in."

The courier bowed and withdrew outside the door. Soon, a young man in white entered with his hands clasped. Upon seeing Li Ji, he bowed deeply and said, "My lord specially sent me here to welcome Military Advisor Li—I have been waiting at Bianqiao for seven whole days. Why has it taken you so long to arrive, Military Advisor?"

Li Ji helped him up with both hands. He saw that the boy looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, not very tall, with a round face and delicate features—he seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.

"Please forgive my poor eyesight, but is this...something we've never seen before?"

The young man laughed and said, "Don't blame me, Military Advisor Li. I am still young and my appearance changes every three days. Moreover, it has been more than a year since we last met. Do you still remember me, Military Advisor Li and Mr. Changyuan, who served you in Ding'an?"

Li Ji then suddenly realized—"You are Ran...Ran Cat!"

He thought to himself, "No wonder. A seventeen or eighteen-year-old lad with not a single hair on his lips. So he's a eunuch."

She then pulled Ran Mao'er to sit beside her, but Ran Mao'er waved her hands repeatedly, indicating that she dared not, and asked Li Ji to sit down, while she stood by his side. Qingluan knew that the two had something to say, so she gave a slight bow and then left. After she left, Ran Mao'er smiled and said, "So Li Ji already has someone serving him, no wonder you are late... If you had traveled alone on horseback, you wouldn't have only arrived today—"My lord has been waiting for your arrival as long as a drought has longed for rain."

Li Ji confirmed, "The 'my superior' you mentioned refers to... I heard you went to serve the Prince of Fengjie?"

Ran Mao'er nodded: "It is indeed His Highness the Prince, who specially sent this servant to welcome Military Advisor Li..."

Li Shi had already undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, and Li Heng had arranged for a woman from the Zheng family of Xingyang to be his eldest grandson's principal wife. According to Ran Mao'er, Li Shi was still living in the Hundred Grandsons' Courtyard, but Li Yu had finally escaped the Ten Princes' Residence and been moved into the Eastern Palace.

However, the Crown Prince's staff was still incomplete, and the Crown Prince's Left and Right Guards were merely empty shells. Moreover, the Crown Prince's palace was located to the east of the Taiji Palace in the Western Inner Palace, while the emperor resided in the Daming Palace in the Eastern Inner Palace. Therefore, Li Yu still found it difficult to get close to the emperor and the central government, effectively placing him under house arrest—only the cage was larger and more ornate than the residences of the Ten Princes, and living alone only made him appear more isolated and lonely…

Then Ran Mao'er pulled out a four-folded piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Li Ji with both hands. Li Ji took it, unfolded it, and exclaimed, "Oh my, it's a house deed!"

The father and son were quite nice. Before I even arrived in Beijing, and before I even asked for anything, they took the initiative to arrange a house for me. That's right, if you want people to work hard, you have to let them settle down and start a family first.

He then asked, "Was this a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince?" Ran Mao'er shook her head: "It was given to me by the Prince of the County to the military advisor—to avoid attracting attention."

Seeing the puzzled look on Li Ji's face, he explained in detail: "This residence is located northeast of Anxing Ward, not far from Baisun Courtyard. All the household items and servants are already prepared. After you enter the city tomorrow, you can stay there. Do not go out in the evening, as the Prince will come to visit you in person."

"Making connections with officials solely for the sake of the Prince might invite gossip, so we mostly arrive secretly at night. Advisor, be careful not to tell anyone..."

Li Ji asked him with a smile, "Why be so cautious? When I was in Chang'an last year, I frequently visited the residences of the Kings of Chu and Qi."

Ran Mao'er said, "Times have changed..."

When Li Ji entered Chang'an last year, although he held a rank and a nominal official position, he did not hold any real power and was essentially no different from an ordinary citizen. Therefore, neither Li Yu and his son nor Li Tan could offend him by associating with him or interacting with him regularly. Now, however, things are different. Li Ji not only holds a real position but also serves in the Imperial Guard. Therefore, it is necessary to be wary of certain people with ulterior motives—what is the purpose of the Prince of Fengjie deliberately befriending officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard?

Actually, there weren't so many troubles before; after all, Li Ji was just a minor official in a blue robe. But now, with Li Fuguo in charge of "inspection," who was used to prying into people's privacy, and given Li Shi's rather sensitive status, it was natural to act with caution.

After listening to Ran Mao'er's explanation, Li Ji nodded in understanding. Ran Mao'er then took her leave—"This servant will hurry back to the city to inform the Prince that the military advisor has arrived."

After resting for the night at Bianqiao Post Station, Li Ji mounted his horse the next morning and led Qingluan's carriage straight towards Chang'an City.

Chapter 44, Reading Poetry and Books at Night

Bianqiao, also known as Xiweiqiao, is located more than 30 li east of Zhongweiqiao. Further east, there is another bridge, Dongweiqiao, situated directly north of Chang'an. It was the most important rest stop in the northwest of Chang'an. Both ends of Bianqiao had market towns, while the post station was located on the south bank of the Wei River, with a main road leading directly to the north gate of the city—Kaiyuanmen. At an average walking pace, a journey of over 40 li, starting in the morning, should be manageable to reach Kaiyuanmen by late afternoon.

Li Ji and his companions, with horses and carriages, traveled much faster on the main thoroughfare, arriving at the city walls before noon. A long queue stretched before the gates, waiting to have their credentials checked before being allowed into the city—those leaving the city were mostly unaware and could pass without hindrance. While waiting in line, Li Ji turned his horse around and went to his carriage, gently knocking on the side curtain. Qingluan heard him and quickly lifted the curtain, revealing half her face: "What are your orders, my lord?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "I was planning to take you to a tavern for a good meal once we entered Chang'an, but due to certain reasons, we can only wait until tomorrow or the day after." He was worried that he might run into someone unexpectedly, just like last time, which would lead to him being watched by the censorate. In that case, Li Shi's visit in the evening would most likely not be kept secret from Li Fuguo.

Qingluan didn't ask why, but smiled and said, "My lord often says that rice is expensive in Chang'an, so now that we have a place to stay..." Li Ji had shown Qingluan the house deed last night after Ran Mao'er left, and Qingluan was overjoyed—"I can cook for my lord, why go to the tavern?"

Li Ji chuckled, "It's never good to work in isolation. Eating out more will improve your skills." He thought to himself, "No way, is he already going to dictate my eating out?" Indeed, having a woman by your side brings pleasure, but also a certain amount of freedom in exchange…

With his official credentials from the Ministry of War, the guards at the gate not only didn't stop him, but also dared not search him carefully, and simply waved him through—other government offices were one thing, but the Imperial Guards were not to be trifled with! So before noon, he arrived at Anxing Ward without incident, entered the ward gate, and found his home.

This residence was located in the northeast corner of Anxing Ward, next to the ward wall. Li Ji suspected that there must be some hidden door or secret passage next to the wall, otherwise it would be inconvenient for Li Shi to swagger over from the west side through the main gate when the quiet drum sounded in the middle of the night and the ward gates were closed.

He dismounted and knocked on the door. An old man answered, sizing Li Ji up and down—Li Ji wasn't wearing official robes, just a white robe, and a short one at that—and then he noticed the military-style sword at his waist. Looking behind him, he saw a carriage with its curtain half-drawn, suggesting a woman inside. The old man, quick-witted, hurriedly clasped his hands and asked, "Has Young Master Li arrived? Please forgive my rudeness, but I need official credentials or a house deed to verify this."

Li Ji didn't take it seriously, took out the house deed from his bag and handed it over. The old man unfolded it, glanced at it quickly, and then returned it with both hands. He then opened the door, bowed, and called out loudly, "Welcome, host!"

Li Ji waved his hand: "Why call me master?" I felt uncomfortable with this tone that clearly distinguished between superiors and inferiors.

The old man smiled and said, "Yes, yes, young man, please come in—but may I ask what's inside the carriage?"

Li Ji casually replied, "It's Xiao Xing." He then strode across the threshold.

Actually, the old man's shout was a call to his companions. Upon hearing it, the servants rushed to the front yard to welcome their master. After entering the courtyard, Li Ji looked around and saw that the size and layout were not much different from his residence in Ding'an, which also had two courtyards and eight or nine rooms.

This is certainly not a mansion, but in Chang'an, right under the emperor's nose, it is quite difficult to obtain such a residence—ordinary officials of the seventh or eighth rank could not even dream of it.

Just as Ran Mao'er had said, all the furniture and supplies were complete, and there was a doorman (the old man from earlier), two male servants, one female servant, and a cook. Ran Mao'er had already informed Li Shi that Li Ji would be able to enter the city today, and Li Shi had sent someone to inform him, so the cook had prepared the meal and was keeping it warm on the stove, in case the master of the house had not eaten by noon and just wanted to come in for a hot meal.

Li Ji inquired about their names and backgrounds one by one—most of them were former servants of the Cui family, Li Shi's stepmother's household—and introduced Qingluan to them. After dinner, he spent the afternoon at home, familiarizing himself with the surroundings and instructing the servants to rearrange the room according to his own habits and preferences. After dinner in the evening, he sat in the room, lit a lamp, read, and quietly waited for Li Shi to arrive.

Before he knew it, darkness had fallen, and the drums of the quiet street began to beat. Li Ji, preoccupied with his thoughts, couldn't concentrate on his reading, so he took out Du Fu's poems, attempting to calm his mind and savor them. Gradually, his emotions became completely absorbed in the beautiful verses, and unconsciously he began to recite them aloud:

"When drawing a bow, draw a strong one; when using an arrow, use a long one. Shoot the horse before shooting the man; capture the king before capturing the thief. Killing should have its limits; each nation has its own borders. If we can control aggression, why resort to excessive killing?"

Speaking of the first four lines of this poem, he had heard Yi Tiechui mention it when he first arrived in Shancheng, went out to survey the area, and suddenly killed a barbarian general. At that time, he even praised Tiechui for his literary talent. Yi Tiechui replied, "How could I write poetry? I heard it was written by an official surnamed Du..." Little did he know that it was Du Fu, Du Zimei.

I have been eating this delicious egg for several months now, and I have been fortunate enough to see the hen that laid it. But I wonder if I will ever have the chance to drink and chat with Du Fu again in this lifetime?

Suddenly, a voice chuckled outside the window: "I didn't expect that after several months, Changwei could actually compose poetry."

Li Ji recognized Li Shi's voice clearly and quickly got up to greet him. He thought to himself, "No way! Could it be that some secret door or passage isn't in the wall but in my house? How did you get in so quietly?"

Of course, the most likely scenario is that the old gatekeeper let Li Shi in without reporting first... Although it was a gift from the other party, Li Ji had already moved in and treated this place as his own home, so the original owner could come in at any time, which made him feel a little uncomfortable—even if you're the landlord, you should knock on the door first.

However, he dared not question him, but hurried to the corridor to respectfully welcome Prince Fengjie. He saw that Li Shi's hair was all combed up, and he was dressed as a grown man. There was also a thick layer of down on his lips. Compared to what he had seen before, he seemed to have a more composed demeanor.

Li Shi made no attempt to stand on ceremony, immediately removing his boots and stepping onto the veranda before entering the room. Because Li Ji knew he was coming, he had sent Qingluan away beforehand, leaving Li Shi alone inside. Looking out, he saw shadowy figures in the dark courtyard, presumably Li Shi's guards; he heard Li Shi say, "Close the door." He figured none of his attendants were qualified to come in and eavesdrop.

Li Ji closed the door as instructed, then turned around and saw Li Shi leaning slightly forward, gazing at the table—"What other great works does Changwei have that I may read?"

Li Ji laughed and said, "Your Highness is joking. How could I possibly write poetry? This is a masterpiece by Du Fu."

Li Shi suddenly realized: "So it was him. The words sounded simple and unadorned; I thought you had started learning poetry..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "What? You think Du Fu's poems aren't beautiful enough? Your appreciation level is just so-so. You really inherited your father and grandfather's inferior artistic talent..." However, Li Shi was, after all, a nobleman living a life of luxury in the royal palace. Although he had experienced turmoil, he had never been on the battlefield. Even if he had his great-grandfather's talent, it was unlikely that he could appreciate the charm of this Du Fu poem.

He can only appreciate the beauty of "clouds reminding one of clothes, flowers reminding one of beauty".

I need to talk to him when I have time. It's one thing if he doesn't appreciate the charm of "drawing a strong bow and using a long arrow," but he must understand the principle that "there are limits to killing, and each country has its own borders." Otherwise, if you become emperor in the future, you will most likely follow in your great-grandfather's footsteps and cause another great disaster!

Of course, now was not the time to discuss poetry. Li Ji cupped his hands and invited Li Shi to take a seat. Li Shi also invited him to sit opposite him, and then continued the previous topic, asking, "I heard that Du Zimei accepted the invitation of the Prince of Qi to join the Longyou military headquarters. Is this true?"

Li Ji nodded and said, "That's right. I met Mr. Du in Shanzhou and got his old works from him. I can't write poetry, nor do I want to learn it, but that doesn't stop me from reading poetry to enjoy myself."

Li Shi laughed and said, "It doesn't matter if you can't write poetry, but when interacting with colleagues, you should be able to recite a few lines—even if it's someone else's poem. However, I don't recommend that you read Du Fu's poems. If you have some free time, you might as well read more of Li Bai, Wang Weijie, or He Zhizhang, Li Qiao, or even Du Zimei's grandfather, Mr. Bijian (Du Shenyan)."

Li Ji casually replied, "Then I'll trouble Your Highness to help me collect some."

Li Shi waved his hand: "That's easy—now that I'm back in Chang'an, unlike when I was in the imperial camp, the classics are scattered and the poems are hard to find." He then looked at Li Ji and smiled: "Changwei, it's been half a year since I last saw you. Your beard has grown longer and you've gotten a bit darker. Now, Li Erlang's heroic feat of breaking through the enemy lines has spread throughout both capitals. It's just a pity that everyone thinks of you as Qin Shubao or Yuchi Gong, but no one thinks of you as Pei Xian Gong..."

The "Pei Xian Gong" mentioned refers to Pei Xingjian, a famous general during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, who was enfeoffed as Duke of Wenxi and posthumously honored with the title "Xian". Unlike the founding generals Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong, Pei Xingjian came from a prominent family in Hedong, with generations of high-ranking officials. He was also skilled in calligraphy and reformed the selection system. In short, Pei Xingjian was a scholar-official, a model of someone who could rise to both military and political power, while Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong were merely military men.

Li Shi was reminding Li Ji that he was currently in a civil post. Even if he joined the staff and went to the battlefield, he should be in charge of the army and command it with great skill. How could he always ride to the front line and fight with his sword? If the world saw him as a warrior, it would be detrimental to his future.

Of course, Li Shi knew Li Ji's abilities and temperament all too well—or rather, he thought he knew the truth—so he only gave him a slight nudge and didn't want to teach him a lesson, lest it provoke Li Ji's resentment. Li Shi simply sighed softly, "It's a pity that I can't be like Changwei, riding across the battlefield to the vast and open lands, but can only be confined to the small Baisun Courtyard..."

Li Ji comforted him, saying, "Your Highness, why sigh? Even if Prince Qi were to govern Longyou, no one would dare send him to the battlefield. Besides, Baisun Courtyard is so small, my residence is truly cramped..." Then he thought, "Wouldn't this make him misunderstand that I'm complaining about the house being too small?" He quickly added, "I haven't yet thanked Your Highness for finding such a house for me in Chang'an, where land is so precious. Li Ji is all alone... with only a small star, how could I possibly live in such a large house?"

Ran Mao'er must have already reported to Li Shi about bringing a woman back from Longyou, so there's no need to hide it.

Li Shi leaned slightly to the side and said, "What does a great man have to worry about not having a wife? How can one concubine be enough? Now that I have already married a concubine, you, Changwei, should also settle down and start a family as soon as possible. If you take a fancy to any woman, just tell me. Unless she is a member of the imperial family or one of the five noble clans, I can make it happen for you."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Why can I only marry women from ordinary families? Why are I excluded from the ranks of royalty and the most prestigious families? I refuse to accept this! Oh, actually, it's because your own abilities are limited..."

The two chatted idly, and the atmosphere gradually became more harmonious—after all, they had been separated for a long time, and the distance between people would instinctively grow. Without closing the gap first, they could not get to the point—only then did Li Ji ask, "Your Highness came in the dead of night. Are you so afraid of Li Fuguo's office?"

Li Shi curled his lip: "I expect there will be people watching me closely behind me—although their abilities are limited, they will still keep a close eye on me. I'm just giving that old servant face, which is why I'm not making a big fuss about it."

Li Ji frowned slightly: "Your Highness's words have a profound meaning, which I cannot understand." Hearing this, you're not afraid of Li Fuguo at all? Why? Because you enjoy the emperor's grandfather's exclusive favor?

Li Shi countered, "When we parted, Changwei said a few words to me. Do you still remember them?" Li Ji nodded, "Of course I remember."

What he said at the time was, "A message to the Crown Prince: If one cannot manage one's own family, how can one bring peace to the world? It is easy to deal with the overbearing servants outside, but it is difficult to manage the arrogant servants inside. However, if one does not win the favor of the mistress, would the servants inside dare to act recklessly?" He reminded Li Yu that he should first divide and sow discord between Li Fuguo and Empress Zhang before he could take the opportunity to act and consolidate his power.

Li Shi said, "Not long ago, the court officials requested that the Empress be given an honorific title. Do you know who opposed this?"

Li Ji replied, "Could it be Li Sheren?"

Li Shi smiled enigmatically: "Li Kui is a man who chases fame and fortune. If no one were to instruct him, how would he dare to offer loyal advice? Do you know who is behind him?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's eyes widened in surprise: "Could it be Li Fuguo?!"

Li Tan once said that Li Kui addressed Li Fuguo as "Fifth Father" to his face—others would simply call him "Fifth Son"—so Li Fuguo could certainly use him as a tool. Although Li Kui had once rejected Li Fuguo's suggestion to select 500 Imperial Guards to patrol the streets, that was ultimately a minor matter; who knows if the "uncle and nephew" were putting on a show?

Li Shi nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "Cheng Yuanzhen came specifically to tell me this, and Li Kui was acting on Li Fuguo's instructions."

Li Ji understood. Just as he had predicted, although Li Fuguo and Empress Zhang were in cahoots on certain matters, their ideas about changing the heir apparent were completely different. Empress Zhang naturally wanted to overthrow Li Yu and install her own son as the crown prince, while Li Fuguo wanted to support Li Yu's future ascension to the throne—presumably because he thought the honest boy was easier to control—so he secretly wanted to prevent Empress Zhang from adding an honorific title, thereby extending his power into the outer court and plundering his own territory.

Moreover, Li Fuguo also specifically conveyed this goodwill to Li Shi through Cheng Yuanzhen... As things stand, it's hard to say whether Cheng Yuanzhen can be considered a henchman of Li Yu and his son, or a spy specially planted by Li Fuguo.

Chapter 45, Left and Right Heroes

Li Shi casually told Li Ji about the current situation in the court, as if it were a casual conversation—because he tried his best to show that he regarded Li Ji as a friend rather than a confidant, so some things could not be said too clearly or in too much depth, and besides, it would be of no benefit for Li Ji, who was of lowly status, to speak systematically.

Li Ji responded with "uh-huhs" as if he were just listening to a joke, but in reality, he kept every word to himself. He planned to visit Li Qiyun in a couple of days to find out more details about what he was missing.

The current political situation is a complete mess—the emperor barely manages affairs, eunuchs decide government matters, and the prime ministers, except for Li Xian, are merely figureheads. How can things possibly improve? Nearly half of the high-ranking officials are driven by self-interest, and the greed of various factions is intertwined like a tangled mess, impossible to untangle. Li Ji even considered what would happen if he or Li Mi were in power. After much deliberation, he concluded that unless a large portion of the officials below Li Fuguo, whether powerful eunuchs or court officials, were eliminated and replaced with new, more capable personnel, there would be no chance of improvement.

However, he basically understood the circumstances surrounding Li Yu and his son Li Shi.

After Li Yu moved into the Eastern Palace, although the birdcage was a bit larger and more luxurious, his situation only became more precarious and impoverished. Most importantly, there was no one to talk to or discuss matters with. Originally, as a prince, he had a certain degree of autonomy in appointing his own officials, but now that he had been promoted to Crown Prince, the officials of the Eastern Palace were appointed by the court, and he couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Whether at Li Heng's behest or Li Fuguo's scheme, the Eastern Palace was deliberately left unfilled, as required by law. As for the Crown Prince's left and right guards, the prince's personal guards, the meritorious officials' guards, and the assistant officials' guards, there wasn't even a trace of them. Moreover, the newly appointed officials of the Eastern Palace were mostly learned scholars who had spent their lives studying—in other words, they possessed a wealth of knowledge but lacked practical skills, and were not doing well in officialdom—they spent their days supervising Li Yu's reading…

Perhaps they think that the most important thing for the crown prince is to understand the great principles of loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness. As for policies for governing the country... the emperor is still here, what business is it of yours? Moreover, even if Li Yu ascends the throne after Li Heng's death, he doesn't need to really govern the country, because there is still Li Fuguo.

As a result, Li Yu could only confine himself and his wife and children within the confines of the Eastern Palace.

When these matters were brought up, Li Shi couldn't help but complain, because the Crown Prince's principal wife, Lady Cui, had recently passed away from illness...

The Cui family thus completely lost its support—Cui Fei's father was Cui Xun from Anping, Boling, and her mother was Yang Guifei's elder sister, who was granted the title of Lady of Han. Both of them were wiped out at Mawei Post Station. Although Cui Fei gave birth to a son, Li Miao, he was underage and did not win his father's favor.