Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 199

Li Bi finally got a chance to interject: "Why go to such lengths? You're overthinking things..."

Li Ji waved his hand: "A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. Besides, I am still young and do not want to return to court to sit with Lord Guo. I often have trouble sleeping at night, thinking hard about how to please the people and fulfill their wishes, so as not to harm the country or fail the emperor, but also to display my talents and ensure the well-being of my family. To tell you the truth, brother, I can be a loyal minister, even a martyr, but I would never want to be like Zhang Xun, much less like Lai Zhen."

Li Bi said, "If you have such concerns, why not wait until the Western Regions are opened up, then you can resign your official post with me and go into seclusion to cultivate Taoism? After all, life is at most a hundred years, with more suffering than joy. Why not take good care of yourself and strive to live as long as the sun and moon? Even if you don't succeed, the rest of your life will not have been wasted."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji burst into laughter. Then, pointing at Li Ji, he said, "Let's not even talk about how I, your foolish brother, have never had any intention of cultivating Taoism. Now that I have wives, concubines, and daughters, how could I possibly give them up? As for you, elder brother, if it weren't for His Majesty's order for you to return to secular life, marry, and have children, I'm afraid you would have fled back to Hengshan as soon as you were dismissed from your post. How could you possibly travel thousands of miles to Zhejiang to suffer such hardship?"

Li Bi was speechless.

Li Ji said, “I think you understand very well, brother. Although you aspire to cultivate the Tao, you cannot truly sever your ties to worldly affairs. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have taken me westward with you when Emperor Suzong summoned you. If it were at the beginning of the dynasty, when the world was at peace and the court was flourishing, perhaps you could have followed in the footsteps of Marquis Liu. But now, even if I had driven out the barbarian bandits and recovered the Western Regions, the country has already declined from its peak and will certainly not be able to fully restore its former glory. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to become Marquis Liu.”

Li Bi remained silent for a long time before smiling bitterly and saying, "You are like a worm inside my belly. Even if you were here for a long time, you wouldn't see me as clearly as you do..."

Li Ji's expression changed: "Brother, you still refuse to accept me as your brother?"

Li Bi shook his head: "Although you are my brother's physical body, your soul... I might as well say you are my friend, and in some matters, you could even be considered my teacher." He then cupped his hands: "Therefore, I hope you will not hesitate to tell me what your plans are, how you intend to live up to the emperor's expectations, live up to the expectations of the common people, do no harm to the country, and also protect yourself—if you did not already have a plan, you would never have mentioned this to me today."

Li Ji nodded and said, "Indeed, I have some plans, but I have already told my brother about them."

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Long-lasting Relationship Between Ruler and Minister

In his private room, Li Ji laid out his thoughts to Li Bi in their entirety. He began by saying:

"The Western Regions were indeed the arm of China. Zhang Qian opened up the Western Regions, enabling Emperor Wu of Han to drive out the Xiongnu and bring the Han Dynasty to its peak. The Wei and Jin dynasties followed this path. However, during the great chaos at the end of the Jin Dynasty, the Zhang family established their kingdom based on this, and China was not in contact with the Western Regions for three hundred years. When the Sui Dynasty of the Yang Dynasty acquired Hexi, our Tang Dynasty used this to drive out the Turks and reappointed the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and re-established the Anxi and Beiting garrisons."

"It is evident from this that China can only gain control of the Western Regions when it is prosperous, and it will inevitably lose them when China is in turmoil; it is also evident that if China loses the Western Regions, it will inevitably decline. Because the Western Regions connect the East and the West, if they are under China's control, then merchants from the West can go directly to Chang'an and Luoyang to supply exotic goods, which will greatly benefit China."

"People at the time often thought that what was imported from the West was nothing more than pearls, glass, and gemstones, and even believed that it was of no benefit to small farmers and that it encouraged extravagance. But this is not the case. Today's cucumbers, sesame seeds, garlic, and grapes all came from the Silk Road, feeding countless farmers and satisfying countless gourmets; the pipa and erhu have brought joy to countless people and inspired countless literary thoughts—without grape wine, Li Bai probably wouldn't have become the 'Poet Immortal'!"

"Moreover, just as stagnant water stagnates and a malfunctioning pivot rots, only by continuously introducing Western ideas, culture, and technology—all the vital elements—can China become more prosperous and stand proudly at the top of the world! Take Buddhism, for example, which originated in the Western Regions. Although I don't believe in it, I cannot deny that it has played a certain role in supplementing and promoting the development of traditional Chinese thought and culture..."

Li Bi sat quietly listening, quite engrossed, not even noticing that Li Ji used several unfamiliar words and even inadvertently offended Li Shimin.

Li Ji continued, “Therefore, the Western Regions must not be lost, and the Silk Road must not be severed. Otherwise, it will be difficult for our Tang Dynasty to even maintain its current state, let alone to revive it. In terms of immediate benefits, when the Silk Road is open, the market tax revenue of the two capitals will be ten times that of today. Guzang will become the third most prosperous city in the world. If we can restore it to its former glory, how can the court be in dire straits? And the central government's treasury will be full. As long as the emperor and his ministers no longer indulge in a life of debauchery and neglect internal affairs for external ones, why should we fear the growing power of the regional military governors?”

Li Bi nodded and said, "I am already aware of this, therefore I absolutely support Changwei's desire to reopen the Silk Road. However, regarding Changwei's plans..."

Li Ji extended his right hand and pressed it down lightly, signaling Li Bi to calm down. He then said, "However, as my brother said, the court is currently in dire straits. Even Hebei can only be controlled remotely, let alone the Western Regions. Even if they are recovered, I'm afraid they cannot hold them for long and will inevitably have to be entrusted to others..."

Li Bi frowned: "You want to rule Hexi and also annex Anxi and Beiting, controlling the Silk Road?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "Why not? In the past, when the Zhang family was in Liangzhou, they were able to defend themselves with the benefits of the Silk Road and had no chance to compete for supremacy in the Central Plains. The Di, Qiang, Xianbei, and other Five Barbarian tribes came and went, and they were all pacified and controlled, and they were still able to gain some benefits. But if the Silk Road falls into the hands of barbarian bandits, the benefits will only be a small fraction. What will China gain then?"

"If the court could directly control the Silk Road, it would be best for China, but alas, it cannot. To cede it to Tibet would be to cut off our own arm. Therefore, the only way to benefit the court is to appoint an envoy and entrust him with both military and political affairs. Let me tell you, brother, I am truly worried about anyone else ruling the Western Regions alone. That is why I urgently sought to recover Hexi in order to launch a western expedition and support Guo Xin, Li Yuanzhong, and others. If I, your foolish brother, can drive out the Tibetan bandits and stabilize the western border, would the Emperor really send a mere envoy to replace the commander?"

Li Bi frowned even more deeply and asked directly, "Do you want to carve out a territory in Hexi and the Western Regions?"

“What do you mean by separatism?” Li Ji laughed loudly. “Only Geluofeng in Nanzhao could be called separatism; even Zhu Xicai in Youzhou and Li Baochen in Chengde could not be considered separatists.” He paused, then added, “When the state relocated the Qiang and Hu peoples and established many tributary states, allowing their governors to be hereditary, that was actually separatism.”

He then said solemnly, “To establish a separatist regime and isolate oneself from China is of no benefit to either the country or oneself. Therefore, I have been thinking about how to protect my own family and maintain my foundation without separatism. After much thought, I suddenly realized that all my previous concerns were nothing but needless worries.”

What are your thoughts that lead you to say this?

Li Ji replied, “When Yang Gongnan came to serve under me, I treated him as an honored guest, entrusting him with all financial and economic matters. However, he was never satisfied and was not content with his position, still longing to return to the central court every day. This shows that the regional military governors of today are not the feudal lords of Zhou. The staff they employ are not necessarily local scholars, much less family retainers from previous generations. Instead, they are all people from all over the country who have temporarily come to serve in order to achieve merit. Although they have come to serve, their hearts are mostly in the central court. They only seek to make merit in the border regions so that they can return to the court as generals and ministers—such as Feng Changqing, Gao Shi, and my cousin Li Zhenyi (Li Qiyun), all of whom are like this.”

"Firstly, with the Silk Road open, silk and porcelain can be traded to the far west, and exotic goods can be sold to the two capitals. Once the road is cut off, not only will China be in dire straits, but the Western Regions will also be unable to survive. They will inevitably be invaded by Hui and Tibetan tribes, and merchants and people from both the east and the west will lose their hope. So, how could those who have the Western Regions be willing to abandon China and establish themselves independently? Secondly, many of the staff members of the Western Garrison are from China, and they are eagerly awaiting the imperial edict to become governors of China, or even to become prime ministers. So, as long as the imperial court is not in a hurry, who would be willing to follow their master and betray the imperial court?"

"As in the chaos at the end of the Jin Dynasty, the Zhang family of Liangzhou repeatedly sent troops south to assist the Sima family. Their loyalty is still praised today. If the Jin Dynasty had not lasted, and the five horses had not gone south, the Zhang family might not have been able to succeed their brother, let alone establish a separatist regime."

"Wouldn't this be a good thing for the country—for my Tang Dynasty, for the people, and for my foolish brother's family?"

Li Bi pondered for a moment, then asked in return, "And what did An Lushan say?"

Li Ji curled his lip: "An Lushan is a rough barbarian who doesn't like to employ scholars. His staff only includes local scholars like Yan Zhuang and Gao Shang. How can they be compared to my foolish brother? Moreover, if he were in Youzhou, he could sweep through Hebei and advance on the two capitals if he had any rebellious intentions. I am in the Western Regions... no, even if I am only in Liangzhou, the roads are dangerous and the land is barren. How can I lead an army straight down to Guanzhong? Brother's concerns are too unreasonable."

"Even if I believe you have no other intentions, after you pass away, I don't know who will belong to Liangzhou and the Western Regions."

Li Ji laughed and said, "Brother, you are thinking too far ahead. If you had known that Youzhou would be in turmoil during the Kaiyuan era, would you have been able to advise Emperor Xuanzong not to establish a military governorship in Lulong? Would you have allowed the Eastern Barbarians to invade the south?" Then his expression turned serious: "Only by driving out the barbarian bandits, taking over the Western Regions, restarting the Silk Road, and connecting the East and West can China benefit for a hundred years! If we do not take over the Western Regions, China will surely decline; if you do not appoint me to govern the Western Regions, there will surely be a change within ten years!"

"Are you so confident in yourself?"

Li Ji smiled slightly: "Because now, the only one willing to focus on the Silk Road and take action without fear of risk is my foolish brother."

Li Bi stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then sighed, "These are not the words of a loyal minister..."

Li Ji said solemnly, "Brother, don't just think about the imperial family; you should focus on the word 'China'."

"What's the difference?"

Li Ji said sarcastically, "Go and ask the Yang family what the difference is."

"If you are not loyal to the Li family, then to whom are you loyal?"

Li Ji proudly declared, "What I am loyal to is the nation and its people, the common folk, and the thousands of years of etiquette and cultural heritage of the glorious Chinese nation!"

Seeing Li Bi remain silent again, Li Ji's eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled again, "Of course, these words can only be spoken to you in private, brother. You must not report this directly to the Emperor—when you return to the capital, just say that I am determined to expel the barbarians, defend against the invaders, open up the Western Regions, and restart the Silk Road." He paused, then suggested, "Some time ago, I borrowed money and grain from wealthy merchants in the two capitals through Yu Ling, promising them the profits from the Silk Road. But if the Silk Road is opened, won't all the profits go to the merchants, and I get nothing? Brother, you can hint that I am greedy for exotic goods and the profits from the Silk Road. Perhaps the Emperor will believe you."

Li Bi shook his head: "You underestimate the Emperor too much..."

Li Ji said, “It’s not that I underestimate His Majesty’s wisdom, but I really can’t think too highly of His Majesty’s ambition. In fact, many things are like eating a flatbread in silence. Everyone knows what’s going on. As long as it’s not exposed, everyone can save face, and it doesn’t matter. The Western Regions are remote and difficult for the court to control. If I get them, I will definitely have them. The Sage may not have been unaware of this. But as long as no trouble comes to him, he can deal with everything.”

"It is said that when the barbarian bandits sued for peace, the Emperor ordered Li Zhenyi to go and negotiate, subtly implying that he would agree to the barbarian's request—he could turn a blind eye to even the barbarian bandits as long as they did not cross Longdi, let alone you who are thousands of miles away?"

Li Bi slowly said, "You are a thousand miles away. As long as you are respectful, the Sage will have no worries. But I fear you will lead your troops towards Guanzhong..."

"Why should I go to Guanzhong when I am so happy here?"

Li Bi hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to tell the truth—"The Crown Prince's original intention was to settle you in Fengxiang, or at most Jingyuan..."

Li Ji curled his lip, thinking to himself, "I knew it—'It's really inappropriate for a subject to interfere in matters of the imperial family—it's best to stay as far away as possible.'"

Li Bi glanced at him and asked, word by word, "If... I mean, if the Crown Prince sends a secret edict summoning you to lead troops to court, would you go?"

"Even if it were the Emperor's decree, I might not be willing to go, let alone be summoned by the Crown Prince..."

"If you don't go, the Crown Prince's life will be in real danger. He treats you like a confidant, don't you have any regard for our past relationship?"

This time, it was Li Ji's turn to be speechless—he really didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the Li family father and son, but if Li Yu really intended to depose the heir apparent, or even harm his son, could he just stand by and watch Li Shi die? Besides, being in an outlying town, it was really difficult to know who was right and who was wrong.

Back then, when Li Heng was still clinging to his last breath, didn't I risk my life to protect Li Yu? Empress Zhang's rebellion is highly suspicious; who knows if it was instigated by Li Heng himself? If Li Yu falls seriously ill in the future, and the Dugu clan seizes power, and Li Shi or Consort Shen are in danger and summon me to their rescue, what choice should I make?

After a slight hesitation, he asked Li Bi, "How old is Li Hui, the Prince of Han, born to Consort Dugu?"

"Probably around ten years old."

Li Ji sighed, "It will be soon... But what is the reputation of Prince Zheng, Li Miao, in the capital?"

Li Bi replied, “Prince Zheng is just over eighteen years old, with a refined taste for reading and a reputation for Confucian conduct. The Emperor often summons him to the palace for personal instruction. However, although he has a good reputation and holds the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Army, he has actually accomplished nothing and has little interaction with court officials. He cannot be compared to the Crown Prince for the time being.” He deliberately used the word “for the time being” to remind Li Ji that no one can predict the future.

Li Ji suddenly laughed—"Why not petition the Marshal to release my Liangzhou from prison? Wouldn't that be better?" For Li Yu, this would be a good opportunity to give his favorite son a chance to build his reputation; for Li Shi, it would be a way to take his threatening brother away from his father…

Li Bi glared at him: "Then the Sage will use you as a hostage to force the Prince of Zheng, and the Crown Prince will suspect that you want to switch sides!"

Li Ji flicked his sleeves: "Just kidding." Then he said seriously to Li Bi: "The Crown Prince is the eldest son of the Emperor and has made great contributions to the country. Unless he commits a heinous crime, there is absolutely no reason to depose him..."

But then he suddenly stopped, thought for a moment, and said with a wry smile, "However, before the current emperor, there seems to be no precedent for the eldest son to succeed to the throne in our Tang Dynasty!"

Emperor Taizong Li Shimin was the second son of Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi was the ninth son of Emperor Taizong, Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian was the seventh son of Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Ruizong Li Dan was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji and Emperor Suzong Li Heng were both the third sons... The eldest son succeeding to the throne has become a rare event in the Li family!

Li Bi sighed, “There is nothing we can do about it. Once the emperor ascends the throne, he becomes the ruler and father of all people, not just his own children; while the crown prince is a subject to the emperor and a ruler to all officials, so the bonds of human relationships naturally become weak... In the past, when the crown prince was not yet in power, did he and his father ever have any grudges?”

But then he said seriously, "Just as Changwei said, the Crown Prince has made great contributions to the country and is virtuous. Now that he has been appointed, he must not be deposed unless he commits a heinous crime. If the Emperor issues a rebellious decree, all the officials of the court will fight to the death to change it!"

Li Ji shook his head: "What constitutes a heinous crime? Take Sima Yu, the Crown Prince Minhuai of Jin, for example. He committed a crime while drunk, and Empress Jia plotted to kill him. Even with the earnest remonstrances of Zhang Hua and Pei Wei, he could not escape being deposed. And then there is Li Xian, the Crown Prince Zhanghuai of this dynasty. His crime is also quite suspicious, yet he was deposed by his own mother, Empress Wu Zetian—if even one's own mother is treated this way, how much more so the current Crown Prince's mother is not the Empress, and the Emperor favors Lady Dugu exclusively..."

He then waved his hand, saying, "Who can predict what will happen in the future? Why worry unnecessarily? Let me tell you, brother, if the Emperor and the Crown Prince's relationship is truly broken, and none of the court officials can resolve the dispute, then either the Crown Prince or Consort Shen will send a letter. Unless I, your foolish brother, understand the cause and effect and believe the blame lies with the Crown Prince, I will most likely comply when the time comes. However, you need not report this to the Emperor, brother..."

At this point, he smiled and said, "However, if the Crown Prince wants to launch an attack, instead of following the precedent of building up the Imperial Guards, he will instead come to the outer garrisons to mobilize troops. This will be too slow and difficult to accomplish. Brother, you might as well use this to comfort the Emperor."

Li Bi considered it for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright."

Li Ji felt that Li Yu was only worried about these two issues, and the key wasn't his own attitude, but how Li Bi would craft his arguments for his report back to the capital. So he changed the subject, turning to Li Bi—"I heard that my brother has come to Guzang under the guise of inspecting various towns..."

Li Bi nodded and said, "Although the Emperor has some concerns, he is still very fond of you and hopes to make up for the discord and maintain a long-lasting relationship between ruler and subject. Therefore, he summoned me back from Zhejiang and ordered me to come to Liangzhou. However, this matter is not convenient to announce to the world. Therefore, after leaving the capital, I first visited Fengxiang and Jingyuan, and then successively went to Hexi."

"After my brother returns to court, is it possible for him to become prime minister again?"

Li Bi shook his head: "I suppose the Emperor has other appointments, and I cannot stay in the capital for long."

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Plan to Reclaim Gansu

Li Bi said that he would only return to the capital for a short visit and would probably be transferred to a remote post as a military governor or regional military commander. Li Ji couldn't help but retort angrily, "Is the Emperor's suspicion too excessive? Does he really worry that my brother and I are plotting against each other and forming cliques for personal gain?!"

Li Bi waved his hand: "If the Emperor doubted me, he would not have sent me to ask Changwei... But if I were to return to the Secretariat, I fear it would block the path of Duke Zhenyi—two prime ministers from one family, is that acceptable?"

Li Qijun was appointed Vice Minister of Works in the middle of last year. In the past, the fields in Guanzhong relied heavily on the Zheng and Bai canals for irrigation. However, since the Shangyuan era, wealthy and powerful families had successively built water-powered mills on the upper reaches of the two canals for their own profit, totaling nearly a hundred, which diverted seventy or eighty percent of the agricultural water use. After taking office, Li Qijun learned of this and petitioned to demolish all these mills and return the canal water to small farmers. According to statistics, this would generate an additional two million shi of rent and taxes annually, and the people would also be able to make a living.

Because of this incident, Li Qijun's reputation soared to unprecedented heights, and everyone in the court and among the people believed that he was capable of becoming prime minister.

So Li Bi said, "Li Qiyun is older and more senior than me, and he is my uncle in terms of seniority. How can I rush to re-enter the Council of State Affairs, blocking his way and taking his place?"

Li Ji was relieved and nodded, saying, "If Li Zhenyi and Yang Gongquan (Yang Wan) were both prime ministers, and Du Zhixun (Du Hongjian) and Pei Zhangfu (Pei Mian) were dismissed, the political situation might improve..." He paused, then smiled and said, "Actually, there's no need to dismiss them. Those two are just prime ministers who are just there to keep their positions. It's better for mediocre officials to occupy their positions than to bring in more treacherous officials."

Upon hearing him mention "treacherous officials," Li Mi slowly said, "Changwei does indeed trust Yang Gongnan quite a bit, but he once flattered Yuan Zai, so his virtue may not match his talent. If he were to return to the central court..."

Li Ji laughed and said, "Then let him go out and manage finances. He might be more capable than Liu Shi'an (Liu Yan)... He's definitely more talented than Han Taichong (Han Huang)."

He then sighed and said, "It's a pity that Gongnan is unwilling to help me anymore. If my brother could come to Liangzhou, we brothers would be of one mind and we would surely achieve great things—we could drive out the barbarian bandits sooner!"

Li Bi curled his lips slightly, as if to say, "Stop daydreaming."

Li Bi only stayed in Liangzhou for three days. Before Li Ji's wife, concubine, and three daughters could arrive from Lingzhou, he insisted on returning to the capital despite his brothers' repeated pleas to stay—the emperor was still waiting anxiously in the Daming Palace. Li Ji saw him off for thirty miles, and the two brothers bid each other a reluctant farewell.

Soon after Cui Cuo and his party arrived in Guzang City, Li Ji finally saw his two baby girls who were about to turn one year old. The third daughter, Li Yuan, was plump and chubby, with cheeks full of flesh, making anyone want to pinch her cheeks; the second daughter, Li Xiu, was thin and small, like a monkey—premature babies, it was already a miracle that they could be raised—it was truly heartbreaking.

But he didn't have much energy to take care of his three daughters every day, because it was almost harvest time and the Tibetans might launch some military action, which he had to be wary of.

Li Ji was busy preparing the army and managing agricultural affairs, while also sending people to gather intelligence on the situation in the Tibetan regions. This year saw changes in the central leadership of both the Tang and Tibetan governments. In Tang, Pei Mian finally retired due to old age, and Emperor Li Yu issued an edict appointing Li Qiyun and Cui Youfu as chancellors within the Chancellery. Shortly after returning to the capital, Li Bi was appointed as the military governor of Shaanxi and Guo; furthermore, Yang Yan was summoned back to the capital and appointed as the prefect of Chuzhou.

On the Tibetan side, the information was somewhat vague. It seemed that Ma Chongying had been reprimanded by the Tibetan king for his previous defeat, and his position as Grand Master had been stripped and given to Shang Jiexi... Li Ji was confused. Wasn't Shang Jiexi also a defeated general of the Tang Dynasty? Moreover, he had forced the Qiang and Hu tribes of Longyou to rebel, thus preventing Dazhen Pass from being under attack and allowing Li Sheng to successfully launch a surprise attack on Jinjiyuan. Wasn't that all his fault? Could it be that just because he won a small victory at the end, he could completely absolve himself of all his past transgressions?

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Actually, although Shang Jiexi left Longyou a day later than Ma Chongying and rushed back to Luoxie, he was lucky enough to arrive two days earlier. Then, instead of rushing to see Trisong Detsen to defend himself, he first secretly visited two other Shangluns—Shangxi Dongzan and Shang Zanmo—and made significant concessions on the future distribution of power, and laid out a comprehensive plan.

When Ma Chongying returned, he went to see Trisong Detsen to apologize. Trisong Detsen asked him, "Do you know why you were defeated?"

Ma Chongying prostrated himself on the ground and replied, "I was too hasty, vainly hoping to inflict a heavy blow on the Tang people in one fell swoop, so that the war in the Western Regions would not be hindered. Therefore, I devised a plan to seize Huizhou and Yuanzhou, but the Tang people saw through it... Da Shangjie failed to promptly deploy a feigned army in front of Dazhen Pass, which was also a reason for the defeat..."

Trisong Detsen waved his hand to interrupt him: "Don't shift the blame to others. After all, you are a great scholar." He paused and then said: "Recently, there have been many rumors, both inside and outside the country, that you did not devote your full strength to attacking Tang before, which allowed the Tang people to quell the chaos in the east first and recuperate. In the future, it will probably be even more difficult for them to be your enemy."

Ma Chongying hurriedly said, "If what they say is true, we could have marched a large army towards Fengxiang a few years ago, and even plotted to seize Chang'an. However, Tang is a great nation, spanning five thousand li in the east, west, north, and south. If the enmity is too deep to resolve, leading to endless wars, I fear that even if all the men of our tribe shed their blood, they would not be able to stain a corner of Tang soil red! This would be a great disaster for our tribe—Your Majesty, please listen carefully."

Trisong Detsen pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "In the end, you still admire the Tang Dynasty, and it is precisely because of this admiration that you cannot help but feel fear..." He then waved his hand and said, "Dazha Lugong, I am still willing to support you, but whether the noble chieftains of the various tribes support you is up to you."

After making some preparations, Ma Chongying finally convened a council of nobles in April—this was the duty and authority of the Grand Master; in the entire Tibetan Empire, only the Zanpu (King) and the Grand Master could convene all the nobles to discuss state affairs. However, at the meeting, the three Shang (monks) banded together to oppose Ma Chongying, engaging in heated debate and ultimately defeating him decisively.

The reason is quite simple. The noble chieftains originally supported Ma Chongying because he had won several battles under his leadership, expanded the territory by thousands of miles, and captured countless slaves and valuables. However, the defeat last autumn made the noble chieftains fear the giant from the East again. If you had focused all your efforts on attacking eastward two years ago, how could the strength of the Tang army have recovered to this level? Therefore, with Shang Jiexi and others secretly conspiring, they all criticized Ma Chongying and demanded his removal from office.

According to the institutional reform plan that Ma Chongying had long ago discussed with Trisong Detsen, seven to eight people would be elected from among the noble chieftains and given the title of "Co-Chancellor" to assist in the Grand Council and jointly manage state affairs. After more than ten days of meetings, a total of eight people were finally selected. Apart from the three Shangs, there were five others, none of whom were Ma Chongying's confidants or associates. Moreover, under the strong opposition of the crowd, Trisong Detsen had no choice but to temporarily revoke Ma Chongying's title of Grand Councilor and transfer it to Shang Jiexi.

However, Trisong Detsen gave Ma Chongying a new title, "Dainang Lun," meaning "Grand Minister of the Interior," and reassigned Shang Xi Dongzan as "Yu Hanbo," meaning "Minister of State Affairs." He then divided the nine chancellors, including Shang Jiexi and Ma Chongying, into three groups: the Dainang Lun system, the Dainang Lun system, and the Yu Hanbo system—similar to the division of the three departments (Zhongshu, Menxia, ​​and Shangshu) in the Tang Dynasty.

In this way, although Ma Chongying was forced to relinquish his position as Grand Chancellor, he was only slightly lower in rank than the new Grand Chancellor, Shang Jiexi, and still held the second or third position in this new government agency. However, the Grand Chancellor system included Grand Chancellor, Grand Chancellor Humang (Junior Chancellor, Deputy Prime Minister), and Protector-General, much like the Ministry of Personnel in the Tang Dynasty, overseeing all departments and including military affairs. Shang Jiexi thus replaced Ma Chongying as the main person in charge of the Tibetan government's policies and strategies.

After Shang Jiexi came to power, he immediately reorganized the army and prepared to attack the Tang Dynasty. His main strategic direction was to go straight east, heading towards the heartland of the Tang Dynasty.

Ma Chongying advised him: "Taking Anxi and Beiting first, and then holding them, would be most advantageous for our country. Of course, the Grand Master has his own considerations. If he seeks a decisive battle with the Tang people to force them to stop trying to recover lost territory, so that I can focus on the Western Regions, I will certainly comply. However, Li Ji is our country's greatest enemy, and having already obtained Liangzhou, he may invade Gansu and Su again. The Grand Master should focus his main force on the northern route."

Shang Jiexi immediately rejected Ma Chongying's suggestion, saying, "If I send my main force to take Liangzhou, it will be nothing more than a remote and insignificant prefecture to the Tang Dynasty. Even if I capture Li Ji alive, it may not truly inflict a heavy blow on the Tang Emperor. However, if we can successfully break through the Liupan Passes and enter Guanzhong, and even threaten Fengxiang and Chang'an, the Tang Emperor will surely be afraid. At that time, we will have a chance to force him to recall Li Ji and relinquish Liangzhou. Moreover, at that time, I will not want Liangzhou, but only Anxi and Beiting. If the Tang Emperor does not agree, I will attack Chang'an and use Tongguan as the boundary!"

So they gathered an army of 150,000 and advanced in separate routes, first heading towards Qin and Long.

Upon receiving the news, the newly appointed military governor of Longyou, Li Sheng, naturally dispatched a fast horse to Chang'an to request reinforcements. Li Yu urgently ordered the various towns in Guanzhong to send troops to the rescue, and unprecedentedly allowed Guo Ziyi to temporarily leave his sight and go to Fengxiang Prefecture as deputy marshal to take charge—this was the suggestion that Li Bi had repeatedly analyzed the gains and losses for him when he returned to the capital last time.

Then Li Yu sent an envoy to Liangzhou, requesting Li Ji to lead his army south to contain the Tibetan army from the side.

Before the angels even arrived in Guzang City, Li Ji had already mustered his troops and hurriedly headed west...

He received news of the dangers in Qin and Long earlier than those in Chang'an. After repeated discussions with his intelligence subordinates, including Yin Shen, and key advisors such as Gao Ying, he concluded that Shang Jiexi's forces were not a mere figurehead, and that the main direction of the Tubo's attack this autumn was indeed Longyou. He also anticipated that the court would issue an edict ordering him to send troops south to reinforce Li Sheng.

Li Ji and Li Sheng had a long-standing friendship and often exchanged letters. Originally, they only introduced each other's recent situations and did not discuss national affairs. However, when they were appointed as military governors of Hexi and Longyou respectively, they finally began to discuss strategic plans in their letters.

It's a rather frustrating situation. Theoretically, the military actions of the various garrisons should all be authorized by the imperial court. The problem is, from the emperor down to the ministers of the Secretariat and Chancellery, almost none of them truly understand military affairs. Du Hongjian might be more experienced, but his ambition has waned, and he's long since rendered unusable. Guo Ziyi, although still holding the title of deputy marshal, is hesitant to intervene without the emperor's consultation. As a result, each garrison acts independently. Even in the event of a major battle, the court can only offer general guidance, leading to poor coordination, an abundance of defensive capabilities, and a lack of offensive power…

Therefore, when Li Sheng finally received the title of military governor and gained the power to act expediently, he naturally wrote to Li Ji—"Let's discuss the war situation, even if we bypass the imperial court." The two agreed that if the barbarian invaders did not attack this autumn, they would join forces from the north and south to try to recapture Lanzhou and reopen communication channels.

Between Liang and Wei lies only Lanzhou, a long and narrow strip of land stretching nearly 500 li from north to south. For Li Ji to send a message to Li Sheng, he had to take a long detour, going around Huizhou, and Li Sheng did the same—making any cooperation impossible.

Once Lanzhou is secured, the three newly recovered prefectures of Liang, Wei, and Qin in the western frontier can be connected, making it much easier for the Hexi army to move south or the Longyou army to move north. Moreover, building fortifications along the Gemen River and Tao River will facilitate a long-term standoff with the barbarian bandits, allowing for the seizure of opportunities for battle once resources are accumulated.

However, Li Ji soon learned that Ma Chongying had "failed to be elected" and that Shang Jiexi had taken over. He wrote to Li Sheng, saying, "If Ma Chongying were still the Grand Minister of Tibet, knowing the strength of our Tang army after the previous defeat, he might have adopted a defensive posture in Longxi and would not have invaded again, while the main force would have attacked Anxi and Beiting. But now Shang Jiexi has seized power while the enemy is defeated, in order to consolidate his position and enhance his prestige, and to lay the foundation for long-term rule, he will most likely advance eastward again this autumn..."

Shang Jiexi will either attack my Liangzhou or your Qin and Long—to ensure victory, he most likely won't divide his forces—we two must prepare in advance.