Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 7

Chapter Fourteen, The Feast of Roasted Pears

The emperor actually came to Li Bi's residence in person to invite him to dine together, and even... wanted to eat barbecue! Li Bi was greatly surprised and hurriedly got off the bed, grabbed Li Ji, and went out to greet him.

But by this time, the emperor and his entourage had already entered the courtyard. Several eunuchs, under Li Fuguo's orders, were selecting a spot to set up charcoal stoves and grills. The Li brothers came out of the house to pay their respects. Li Bi bowed deeply, but glancing sideways, he noticed that Li Ji was still standing there in a daze, so he quickly tugged at his trouser leg.

Li Ji had no choice but to kneel down on the ground.

Li Heng came over, extended his hands to help Li Bi up, and said, "Tonight is just like when we were in the Eastern Palace, friends gathered together, why perform such a grand ceremony?"

Li Bi said, "Even when I was in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince was the ruler, and I was a subject. Although I am grateful for his kindness, I cannot abandon the proper etiquette. Moreover, Your Majesty has now ascended the throne as the Son of Heaven..." But Li Heng still forcibly pulled him up.

Li Heng then glanced sideways and asked, "Is this the younger cousin of the guard chief Yuan Zhi? What's his name?"

Li Ji immediately announced loudly, "This humble person...this humble person is Li Ji, courtesy name Changwei." He dared not mention the word "people," which stemmed from the memory of his original soul and was to avoid the taboo of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin.

According to etiquette, Li Bi should have answered on his behalf and introduced himself to the emperor, but Li Ji insisted on introducing himself first in order to leave a deeper impression on the emperor. If Li Bi had always answered on his behalf, he would have become invisible and the emperor would not have paid any attention to him.

Sure enough, Li Heng's first question was directed at Li Bi, but after hearing Li Ji's answer, his second question went straight to Li Ji himself—"Judging from your name, are you perhaps from Ji County?"

"Your Majesty is wise; the straw man was indeed born in Ji County."

With a smile, Li Heng slightly raised his left hand toward Li Ji and said, "Get up." Then he took Li Bi's hand and headed straight for the charcoal fire.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Why didn't they come to help me? What a difference in treatment!" He had no choice but to get up himself and follow behind Li Bi.

Only then was he able to observe the Tang Dynasty emperor—of course, he was looking down and peeking at him secretly—he saw that Li Heng was wearing a black gauze turban with drooping corners, a reddish-yellow robe embroidered with dragons, of medium height, with a round face, two upturned mustaches on his lips and a thick tuft of beard under his chin, all of which were neatly combed.

Judging from Li Heng's appearance, he was just a middle-aged man—over forty, not yet fifty. Li Ji thought to himself, "I thought Li Shi's grandfather would be an old man... Is it because both father and son married and had children early, in their teens, or does the royal family have some special preservation techniques that make them look so young?"

Li Heng did not come alone. When he greeted people outside, he said, "I have brought my brothers to dine with Changyuan." He brought three princes in total, whose attire was similar to that of Prince Jianning, Li Tan, and Prince Fengjie, Li Shi, whom he had met during the day—all wearing gold crowns, purple robes, gold belts, and black boots. Later, when Li Bi was questioned, it was learned that one of them was Prince Ying, Li Jiao; another was Prince Xin, Li Huang; and the third was Prince Yi, Li Zi.

Li Fuguo ordered people to place five small porcelain stools around the charcoal fire, with the emperor in the main seat, Li Bi in the guest seat, and the three princes sitting on either side.

Li Ji deliberately stood behind Li Bi, facing Li Heng directly, making himself very conspicuous. Sure enough, Li Heng saw him and immediately beckoned: "You are Changyuan's younger brother, not a servant, so you naturally have the right to sit down. You may come and sit next to him."

However, it's unclear whether the emperor hadn't given a clear order, so the servants dared not act on their own, or whether Li Fuguo was deliberately causing trouble. Li Ji waited for quite a while, but no one brought him a seat, so he could only squat down next to Li Bi, grumbling to himself. Li Bi, on the other hand, patted him on the shoulder, perhaps to comfort him, or perhaps to say—"You should know some manners and not speak or act recklessly!"

On the charcoal stove was a rather exquisite metal frame covered with an iron mesh, and next to it was an iron hook, just right for hanging a ceramic pot to heat wine. The eunuch served skewered pieces of meat, nothing more than beef, mutton, pork, and venison. Upon seeing this, Li Bi hurriedly clasped his hands and apologized, saying, "Your Majesty knows that I have been a vegetarian for many years and have not touched meat."

Li Heng smiled and said, "Of course I know. I specially prepared a few pears for Changyuan." The eunuch then handed several fragrant pears skewered on sticks to Li Bi. Before Li Bi could reach out to take them, Li Heng snatched them away and said, "Let me roast the pears for Changyuan."

Li Bi hurriedly waved his hand: "No, how could I dare to trouble Your Majesty!"

Li Heng ignored them and placed the two pears on the iron mesh to roast.

Helpless, Li Bi could only say that he would wait for His Majesty and His Highness to roast meat... Of course, Li Ji was not oblivious and quickly took over: "I will do it for you, brother."

"Li Bi can grill meat? Impossible! He never even touches the grill. If you burn it, none of us will get any. I'll do it. I used to eat at self-service barbecues all the time in my past life."

While roasting pears, Li Heng chatted idly, and Li Bi seized the opportunity to ask, "Did all three princes come from Lingwu to follow His Majesty?" He thought to himself, apart from Prince Ying, Li Jiao, who had some talent, the other two were just wastrel sons, practically useless. Why would the Emperor keep them by his side? He had brought Li Shi along, because of his favored status and being the eldest grandson, he was unwilling to be separated from him even for a moment, which was understandable…

Li Ji had been observing the expressions of everyone present with a sidelong glance. He noticed that when the emperor offered to roast pears for Li Bi, the three princes all showed a hint of jealousy; but after Li Bi asked that question, their expressions changed. Li Jiao then said, "I am ashamed, we all came from Chengdu and only recently paid our respects to Your Majesty in Shunhua..."

In fact, after the Mawei Post Station incident, the retired emperor only left behind the family of the then Crown Prince Li Heng.

All his other children and grandchildren were brought along to accompany him into Shu—even though they knew that covering the rear was a difficult task and that recovering Xijing was not feasible, Li Jiao and the others were unwilling to volunteer to stay and follow their third brother.

Li Jiao had been appointed beforehand as the Grand General of Shu Commandery and Military Governor of Jiannan—though this was a nominal position—and thus served as the Emperor's vanguard, arriving in Shu first. It is said that he governed Shu for two months, bringing peace and stability to the people, but was then slandered by Chancellor Cui Yuan and confined to his private residence. Subsequently, the Emperor abdicated and banished all his brothers to the north.

Originally, their father was the emperor, so it was only natural for them to follow him. But now that the emperor had become a prince, they didn't immediately follow, fearing that the prince might be displeased… Therefore, when Li Bi casually asked, all three princes looked ashamed. Li Bi knew he had asked the wrong question—during the daytime audience with the emperor, he hadn't even given prior notice—so he quickly changed the subject and asked, "Why hasn't Prince Yong come?"

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In Li Mi's eyes, Prince Yong, Li Lin, was dashing, brave, and talented, far surpassing Li Jiao and his contemporaries. Among the princes of the court, only Prince Jianning, Li Tan, could be compared to him. More importantly, although Li Lin and Li Heng were half-brothers, they had a very good relationship—Li Lin lost his mother at a young age and was basically raised by his third brother, Li Heng, who often slept with his younger brother. So why didn't the Emperor bring Li Lin along when he brought several brothers to meet me tonight?

As Li Heng flipped through the pear in his hand, he casually replied, "Prince Yong has gone to Jingxiang."

Li Jiao and others explained that during the Emperor's journey to Shu, when he passed through Hanzhong Prefecture, he issued an edict, seemingly on someone's advice, ordering his sons to take charge of military governorships throughout the empire. The remonstrating official Gao Shi earnestly advised against this, but to no avail. As a result, Li Jiao and the others either took charge of Shu before being dismissed, or were too cowardly to go to their posts, and were ultimately all brought to Li Heng's side. Only Li Lin, who harbored great ambitions, obeyed the edict and immediately set off eastward with his royal guards.

His new position was "Military Governor of the four circuits of Shannan East Circuit, Lingnan Circuit, Qianzhong Circuit, and Jiangnan West Circuit, and Grand Commander of Jiangling Prefecture". He was ordered to be stationed in Jiangling to coordinate military affairs and mobilize troops to resist the rebels.

Li Huang said somewhat sourly, "The Supreme Emperor really favors Li Lin, giving him four military governorships in one go... while we only got one each."

Li Ji stood by, listening intently as he served the roasted meat to the emperor and the three princes. Although he himself was drooling and his stomach was rumbling, he dared not eat first.

Li Bi then advised, "Your Majesty, as Gao Jianyi said, the Emperor Emeritus's decision to assign his sons to command the military governorships of the realm was not a wise one, but rather risked fragmenting the state. Now that the Emperor Emeritus has abdicated, Your Majesty should naturally be in overall command of the military forces of the realm, and it is inappropriate to further delegate command to Prince Yong—you should quickly issue an edict appointing Prince Yong..."

Li Huang interjected, "Summon him to Ding'an as well. If he refuses, he must be plotting a rebellion!"

Li Heng glared at him coldly, then his expression softened slightly as he looked at Li Bi, as if to say, "Go on, you can continue."

Li Bi cupped his hands and said, “How dare I say that Prince Yong has any rebellious intentions? If Your Majesty recalls Prince Yong because of my words, it will only cause discord between brothers, and I would be suspected of sowing discord among my own flesh and blood. Now the Emperor Emeritus has ordered all the princes to come and assist Your Majesty, but the Emperor Emeritus is old and living in seclusion in Shu. How can he be without children and grandchildren to serve him? Prince Yong should be ordered to immediately relinquish his military power and return to Chengdu in the west to temporarily serve the Emperor Emeritus in Your Majesty’s place, so as to fulfill Your Majesty’s filial duty.”

Li Ji glanced at Li Bi discreetly, thinking to himself, "Well done, this is a good idea. He really has strategy in his mind; he's no ordinary scholar."

Li Heng nodded and said, "Changyuan's words are reasonable. Among my brothers, Prince Yong is the closest to me. He should naturally fulfill his filial duties before the Emperor Emeritus on my behalf. Tomorrow, I will have the Secretariat draft an edict."

As he spoke, he handed two roasted pears to Li Bi. Li Bi quickly bowed slightly, accepted them with both hands, and said, "I have a small appetite, these two pears are enough for me."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Jiao cupped his hands and requested, "Your Majesty, please also cook a pear for your younger brother." Li Heng refused, saying, "You all have meat to eat, why do you need to eat pears? Changyuan not only eats vegetarian food, but also often abstains from grains. I was afraid that he would lose his spirit from hunger, so I personally cooked a pear and ordered him to eat it. You all have meat and that's enough, there's no need for me to persuade you."

Li Jiao smiled insincerely and said, "I don't want to eat pears. I was just testing Your Majesty's intentions. Why are you so biased? Otherwise, how about the three of us brothers share one pear?"

"He's a grown man with a long beard, yet he says this as if he's being coquettish." Li Ji couldn't help but laugh, and could only pretend to avoid the cooking fumes by turning his face to the side.

Li Heng still refused to agree and ordered Li Fuguo to bring other fruits to distribute among the princes—"Today, only Changyuan can eat these pears; none of you are qualified!"

Li Huang pursed his lips and said, "We are only requesting this because Your Majesty personally cooked the pears. What's the point of having other fruits?"

Li Zi quickly stepped in to smooth things over—"You two can fool around, but don't drag me into it—"Who among us wouldn't envy the Emperor's favor bestowed upon Master Changyuan? We request to compose a poem together to commemorate this event, so that it may become a beautiful story for all time."

Li Ji thought to himself, "That's good. This guy knows how to behave."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng became interested and pointed to Li Jiao, saying, "Prince Ying, please compose a couplet." Since Li Jiao was the eldest of the three princes, there had to be a ranking.

After a moment's thought, Li Jiao asked, "How old are you, sir? You look like a child."

Li Huangxiang

Chapter Fifteen, The Straw Man at the Banquet

Emperor Li Heng said he intended to appoint Li Bi as Right Chancellor, but Li Bi firmly refused. When Li Ji heard this, he was greatly surprised and stood there stunned.

Seeing his expression, Li Heng found it somewhat amusing and asked, "Could you persuade your brother to accept my appointment?"

Li Ji turned his head and glanced at Li Bi, only to see Li Bi slowly shaking his head and blinking his right eye slightly, as if conveying some message to him. Li Ji sighed and said, "How can I persuade my brother once he has made up his mind?" He paused for a moment, then turned to Li Heng, clasped his hands, and said, "Even His Majesty cannot sway his firm resolve. What can a straw man do?"

Li Heng showed a slight regret on his face, but then pointed at Li Ji and said, "By the way, you escorted your brother a thousand miles to see me. I heard that you even killed two assassins on Tanshan Mountain. That's quite an achievement—would you like to become an official?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart stirred slightly, but he only hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "I only wish to protect my brother's safety. In truth... I don't know many characters, nor can I wield a sword or spear. I only have strength in my arms. How can I be an official?"

Firstly, having only recently arrived in this world, I lack a clear understanding of the situation in the court and among the people—relying solely on Li Bi's account is too simplistic and requires a broader perspective—it's not advisable to enter the treacherous world of officialdom for the time being. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty is in decline, yet internal power struggles and infighting persist—Li Bi's assassination attempt reveals the undercurrents beneath the surface—whether or not to jump onto this precarious boat requires careful consideration.

Secondly, Li Bi, who was highly regarded by the emperor, was still a commoner, while his younger cousin had gone and obtained an official position. This was truly against morality and also a breach of faith with the original soul within the body—although that fellow had not shown up these days, he might still be alive! And once he became an official, would he have to leave Li Bi's side?

Li Mi's refusal to take office might truly be, as he himself claimed, stemming from a lack of ambition for officialdom and a single-minded pursuit of Taoism. However, it's also possible that he simply didn't want to get involved in the murky waters of officialdom for the time being. For a hermit in white robes to be appointed Right Chancellor so soon after ascending to the throne would inevitably arouse widespread suspicion from both the court and the public. How could he possibly accomplish anything under such circumstances, facing constant obstruction and sabotage from everyone?

Perhaps after some time, he will have demonstrated his talent not only to the emperor but also to the people of the world—if he truly possesses such talent—for example, by devising strategies for the emperor to successfully recapture the two capitals. If the emperor then bestows upon him the rank of first-grade official, Li Mi might accept. As long as he is associated with Li Mi, why fear not having an opportunity to become an official? Why rush things?

Based on the above considerations, Li Ji politely declined Li Heng's offer. However, he left a loophole in his reply, not saying he had no intention of becoming an official, but only that he felt his abilities were too shallow and he was unfit for office. Such humble words were just official rhetoric; who would take them seriously? Besides, if the emperor thought you were capable, then even if you weren't, you were still capable. He didn't believe that all officials in the Tang Dynasty were competent, and that there wasn't a single charlatan among them.

Li Ji's resignation seemed to be expected by Li Heng, so he smiled and said, "Those who have rendered meritorious service must be rewarded, and this must not be delayed. If you do not wish to serve as an official, you may express any other desires you have, and I will listen to them all."

Li Ji glanced at Li Bi again. On one hand, he genuinely wanted to know Li Bi's opinion; on the other hand, he wanted to show everyone present that he would temporarily follow his elder brother's lead—if Your Majesty truly values ​​Li Bi, this would surely leave a good impression on him as well. Li Bi narrowed his eyes slightly, as if to say: Think carefully before you speak, and don't make unreasonable demands!

Li Ji thought to himself, "Of course I know. Even though the emperor says things like 'I will listen to everything,' I can't take it seriously. For example, if I wanted to switch places with you and become the emperor, do you think he would slap me across the face?"

After a moment's thought, he replied, "The straw man is really hungry. If Your Majesty would allow him to eat some meat first, would that be alright?"

Upon hearing this, Li Heng and the three princes all burst into laughter. Li Bi, slightly embarrassed, explained, "My brother is a country bumpkin, uncouth and lacking in manners; I hope Your Majesty will forgive him. However, he is indeed different from me; he has a large appetite and has been cooking meat for Your Majesty and the princes for quite some time. He must have simply been unable to endure it any longer..."

Li Heng laughed and said, "I see that your younger brother is innocent and carefree, with the heart of a child." He then said to Li Ji, "I grant your wish. You don't need to cook meat for us anymore. Eat your fill first." He glanced at Li Fuguo and instructed him, "You help Li Ji cook the meat."

Li Fuguo approached with obvious delight, as if it were a great honor to grill meat for Li Ji. However, while Li Ji found the old eunuch endearing and friendly, as someone from a later era, he naturally harbored prejudice against eunuchs—especially those in power—and suspected Li Fuguo might be the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Li Mi. Therefore, the more the old eunuch smiled, the more suspicious he became…

But never mind that for now. Since the emperor has spoken, I'd better stuff myself first.

The aroma of the grilled meat filled my mouth, so fresh and delicious! I haven't eaten such good food since I transmigrated! I kept waving my hands and chewing, and ate more than twenty skewers. Li Fuguo didn't even have time to grill them all, and Li Heng and the three kings could only watch with their mouths open. Fortunately, they were already half full, so they didn't have to reach out to grab them.

Li Heng continued his casual conversation with Li Bi. Li Bi occasionally asked, "When I arrived, north of Xinping, I saw several thousand soldiers from Wuyuan and Ningshuo, who said they were ordered to garrison Fengtian. I wonder how many troops the court has gathered now, and when it plans to engage the rebels?"

Li Heng said, "Tonight we shall speak only of friendship, and state affairs..." Before he could finish, Li Huang, a hothead, interrupted, "Sixty to seventy thousand troops have already marched south and are stationed at Congfeng..."

"From the Tianluogu Pass line, a fierce attack will soon be launched against the rebels who occupy Xijing."

Li Bi then asked, "May I ask who will be the general? Will it be Guo Jiedu (Guo Ziyi) or Li Chaojian (Li Guangbi)?"

Since the matter had already been brought up, Li Heng did not object any further—besides, wasn't the matter of ordering Prince Yong to return to Chengdu also a matter of state? He casually replied, "The rebel general Ashina Congli led the Tongluo and Pugu troops to lure the tribes of the nine prefectures of Hequ and the six Hu prefectures, with tens of thousands of troops approaching Lingwu. Therefore, Generals Guo and Li were ordered to lead the expedition."

"That is why the elite troops of Shuofang and Hedong have not yet followed me south. Only the troops of the prefects of various counties, numbering sixty to seventy thousand, have entered the capital region ahead of time. The commander-in-chief is Fang Cilu."

Li Bi was taken aback for a moment, then crossed his hands and asked in return, "Although Lord Fang is loyal and upright, he has never led troops before. How can he be a general?"

Li Jiao interjected, "It was Lord Fang who volunteered, saying that the main force of the rebels was in Luoyang, leaving Xijing vulnerable. Xue Jingxian, with his newly recruited troops, had repeatedly repelled the enemy, so if he were to become a general, he would surely crush the rebels and return Xijing to His Majesty. His Majesty then appointed him as the Military Governor holding the Imperial Seal, Commander-in-Chief of Xijing and concurrently the Military Governor of Putong Pass..."

Li Bi advised, “Lord Fang is underestimating the enemy. When I arrived, I heard that the rebel An had sent his generals An Shouzhong and Li Guiren to guard Xijing. They are both veteran generals among the Hu people, and I am afraid that Lord Fang is no match for them. I hope Your Majesty will issue an edict immediately, ordering Lord Fang not to move for the time being, and to wait for the return of Generals Guo and Li.”

Li Heng thought for a moment and slowly said, "Changyuan's words make sense. However, if you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them. I have already promised Fang Cilu, how can I go back on my word? Moreover, I also know that Fang Cilu may not be knowledgeable in military affairs, so I sent Wang Sili, the Minister of War, as his deputy. Wang Sili once followed Wang Zhongsi and Geshu Han to conquer Tubo and capture Shibao City. He has experienced many battles and I believe he can certainly resist An Shouzhong and his ilk."

Li Bi wanted to say something more, but Li Ji, while still eating, wasn't idle either. He immediately pretended his legs had gone numb from squatting, stretched slightly, and secretly kicked Li Bi from below. Li Bi stopped talking, turned his head to glance at Li Ji, and said unhappily, "Haven't you eaten enough yet?"

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Li Ji's hunger was subsiding, but his palate was becoming picky again. He felt the roasted meat was just so-so; while tender, it wasn't quite perfect. Upon closer inspection, it seemed something was missing… That's right, no cumin, only black pepper. Could it be that cumin hadn't yet spread to the Central Plains? Or was it that certain ingredients were hard to find in this temporary capital?

With his mouth full of food, he mumbled a reply to Li Bi, "Seven or eight parts, still a little short."

Seeing his endearing simple-mindedness, Li Zi smiled and asked, "Mr. Changyuan's younger cousin certainly has a big appetite, but I wonder if he can drink too?"

Li Bi replied, "I usually only give him some country wine during festivals, which is enough to keep him from getting drunk. As for fine wine... I don't know either."

So Li Zi ordered someone to scoop out wine from a pottery jar placed on a charcoal fire and hand it to Li Ji, saying, "This is Fuping Shidongchun." Li Ji took the wine cup with both hands, blew on it slightly, and then drank it down in one gulp—it was rice wine, quite sweet, at most ten degrees.

He knew that the emperor and the three princes were watching him eat and drink in silence, essentially enjoying a monkey show. However, now that he was in this world, his status was vastly different from theirs. Unless they had obvious malice, he could only pretend not to know. Moreover, he had to eat and drink even more lavishly; if he made them happy today, he could find a way to climb the ranks in the future!

So the meat was gone as soon as it arrived, and the wine was gone in a flash. They ate about ten more skewers of roasted meat and drank about ten more cups of fine wine—the earthenware jar was almost empty. Li Bi couldn't stand it anymore and reached out to stop them, saying, "You are still young and should not drink so much—let's stop here." He was afraid that Li Ji might say something inappropriate and offend the emperor if he got drunk.

Li Ji knew what was going on, and, slightly intoxicated, stopped drinking. But, emboldened by the alcohol, he gestured to Li Heng with his hands clasped, saying, "This humble servant has no manners and must ask Your Majesty for two more things."

Upon hearing this, Li Bi's expression changed slightly—was this old devil really drunk? He quickly reached out and grabbed Li Ji's arm, making a gesture to stop him. Li Ji ignored him, only staring at Li Heng. Li Heng asked with a smile, "Tell me, what is it?"

"First of all, since we've eaten too much human flesh, I humbly request Your Majesty to grant us some fruit to cleanse our palates—it doesn't have to be pears, any kind of fruit will do."

Li Heng smiled and then ordered Li Fuguo, "Give him two peaches." Then he asked, "Is there one more thing?"

“The straw man has come from afar, covered in dust and mud—I suppose my brother is the same. During the day, I called…” After thinking for a moment, I decided not to mention the palace servants. What if the emperor punished them? Even if the emperor didn’t punish them, people like Li Fuguo would probably not let them off the hook—“Please, Your Majesty, grant some hot water so that the straw man and my brother can bathe.”

Li Heng said, "Alright, let's wait until we finish eating, then I'll order someone to prepare soup." He then looked at Li Bi: "I heard from Li Fuguo that Changyuan has driven away the palace maids I bestowed upon him?" Li Bi replied, "I have lived in the countryside for a long time, and I take care of my own food and clothing. I don't need palace maids to serve me." Li Heng laughed and said, "Changyuan is unwilling to be near women, perhaps because he fears it will affect his Daoist heart?"

He paused slightly, then said, "If those palace maids were still here, your brother would surely be able to order them to prepare bathwater..." Li Ji thought to himself, "No, what I said doesn't matter; nobody listens to me." "It's clear that Changyuan cannot be without servants. Since he doesn't wish to be near women, let Li Fuguo send a few eunuchs." Before Li Bi could refuse, he waved his hand and said, "Changyuan has come from afar to help..."

Chapter Sixteen, The Countryside Slingshot

When Li Ji transmigrated to ancient times, he naturally felt uncomfortable with various aspects of life. Fortunately, he had the support of his remnant soul from this life, so he didn't make any ridiculous mistakes.

One thing I'm not used to is the pillow.