Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 194

Meanwhile, Tang reinforcements arrived at the front lines one after another, including troops from Binning and Fuyan garrisons, as well as a 3,000-strong Northern Imperial Guard. This was only because Li Ji, Ma Lin, Li Sheng, and others won quickly enough and sent back timely reports of victory, which prevented the Tang court from having to use troops from Tongguan or even Hezhong.

When news of the attack on Huining Pass reached Chang'an, Li Yu initially dismissed it, saying, "This must be a feint; the main force of the barbarian rebels is clearly heading to attack Shuofang." However, news of the fall of Huining Pass and the siege of Huining City soon arrived. Furthermore, according to Bai Xiaode's report, the barbarian army numbered no less than 50,000, and Ma Chongying's banners were seen among them. Li Yu panicked, carefully examining the map, seemingly understanding it but not quite, for a long time before suddenly stamping his foot in frustration, exclaiming, "Li Ji has misled me!"

An urgent order was issued to dispatch troops from all directions in Guanzhong to the rescue. Although food and provisions were in short supply and funds for the expedition could not be distributed in time, Huizhou was in grave danger, and Yuanzhou might become the front line. If Yuanzhou fell, Fengxiang and Chang'an would also be in peril. Any garrison that dared not to come to the rescue would be beheaded!

Moreover, the imperial edict was sent in advance by carrier pigeon to the military supervisors of each garrison, instructing them to urge their generals to prepare for troop deployment. Upon receiving the official edict, they were to set off immediately without delay. Although the garrisons in Guanzhong were also governed by military governors, the court maintained a relatively firm grip on their power—especially after Li Ji executed Zhou Zhiguang. The military supervisors usually did not participate in actual operations, only supervising and reporting, but their prestige within the army was often enough to rival that of the military governors. To put it bluntly, in times of crisis, the military supervisors could completely sideline or even imprison the military governors, stripping them of their military power and forcing them to obey the emperor's orders.

—In other places, especially in the towns of Yan and Zhao, even if the military supervisor had the courage, he would basically not be able to accomplish anything.

Therefore, the military governors of each town had to provide their own money and provisions, and muster their troops to set off. Fortunately, just a few days later, while Li Yu was still anxiously inquiring daily about whether the towns of Binning and Fufang had already dispatched their troops and where they were, a report suddenly arrived that Li Ji had led a light cavalry south and annihilated a massive Tibetan army of ten thousand men at Shimen Pass…

Well, it's common for good news to be exaggerated, and even Li Ji is no exception—why can you all exaggerate, but I can't?

However, Li Ji immediately submitted a personal memorial to the palace, telling the truth. He first examined his own misjudgment of the enemy, and then went on to boast about how he saw through the barbarian bandits' intentions. In order to make amends, he quickly led his cavalry south, set a trap, and annihilated the barbarian army of five thousand with a small force.

—Although they numbered only five thousand, their willingness to risk their lives and cross the mountains in a surprise attack on Pinggao indicates they were no ordinary barbarian. After capturing the prisoners and interrogating them repeatedly, I learned they were indeed elite troops among the barbarians, and their general was Mangremolongqixibi, the military governor of Yemaochuan, and the chief general under Ma Chongying. It's a pity that because the barbarian rebels broke through Shimen Pass and pursued them to Xiaping, there was no time to examine the corpses; it is estimated that the bodies were taken back by the barbarians.

Li Yu summoned Guo Ziyi for discussion. Guo Ziyi said, "If what Li Shuofang said is true, that the attacking bandits numbered five thousand and were all wiped out by Qi—which makes sense—then I predict that the morale of the barbarian bandits has been dampened, and this year's war will soon come to an end."

Li Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that no matter who wins or loses this battle, it's best to finish it as soon as possible. The past few days have been too agonizing... So he asked, "In that case, should we recall the troops from Binning and Fufang?"

Guo Ziyi shook his head and said, “No. First, although the barbarian bandits are exhausted, we must guard against them using their remaining strength to launch a counterattack. Moreover, Huizhou is in ruins and must be defended. Second, the court has just urgently ordered the various garrisons to send troops, but recalling them halfway would damage His Majesty’s trust and reputation.”

Li Yu asked with a bitter face, "What if they come to demand military pay and provisions in the future?"

Guo Ziyi refused to comment on this matter, only saying, "Regarding matters of money and provisions, I hope Your Majesty will consult your financial advisors."

Thus, the armies of the two garrisons marched up Longxi. The Binning army, being closer in distance and under the command of Jiedushi Li Baoyu, arrived at Huizhou first and took control of Huining City. At this time, Bai Xiaode had already led the remaining troops of the Anxi and Beiting armies back from Wulan. Li Baoyu, having usurped the position, directly sent him to the south to assist in the defense of Huining Pass.

The second Battle of Huining Pass lasted for seven days. The Tang army that had gathered behind the pass gradually increased from 10,000 to over 20,000, most of them with high morale due to their victory—excluding the newly arrived Anxi and Beiting troops—and they were constantly receiving reinforcements. Li Ji even said, "So what if Huining Pass falls again? The valley is narrow, and we will build layers of fortifications to defend it. We will surely inflict heavy casualties on the barbarian rebels and not allow them to take a single step!"

In contrast, Shang Jiexi's force of about 40,000 men consisted mostly of newly recruited Qiang and Hu soldiers. They were already disunited and lacked fighting strength. Furthermore, after hearing that Mang Re's entire army had been wiped out, everyone was filled with fear. Not only was it impossible for them to break through the pass, but they also suffered heavy casualties. Their exchange ratio with the Tang army remained at a high level of five to one.

Li Ji then had his men shout from time to time on the pass—sometimes in Tibetan language, sometimes in the Qiang and Hu dialects—saying: "Li Erlang from Shuofang has come to rescue Huizhou. He has killed no less than ten thousand genuine Tibetans before. Now he will kill all the real and fake Tibetan bandits and recover Longyou in one fell swoop!" The Tibetan army's morale then collapsed even further.

Left with no other option, Shang Jiexi ordered a retreat. Li Ji seized the opportunity to break through the pass and launched a fierce attack, pursuing the enemy relentlessly for three days through the valleys, killing countless enemies. Shang Jiexi finally escaped into Chengji City, where he could catch his breath. Upon reassessing his troops, he found that the number of barbarian soldiers was less than three thousand, while the Qiang and Hu tribes had almost all been wiped out.

—Ma Chongying did not follow Shang Jiexi to attack Huining Pass again. He knew that since the situation had developed to this point, there was no choice but to accept the defeat. Trying to turn the tide might result in losing all his resources. Therefore, after his earnest advice was ignored, he had already led the remaining troops to retreat to Xiangwu to protect Longyou.

He had barely settled into his position in Longyou City, and Shang Jiexi was still plotting to seize Huining Pass out of resentment, when news arrived that the northern route had suffered a major defeat...

Meanwhile, Qilibuzang launched sporadic attacks on Feng'an Army, merely to tie down the forces of Shuofang Army. Bai Yuanguang initially treated this as a major threat, repeatedly sending envoys to Li Ji for help. When Hou Zhongzhuang arrived first with two battalions and informed Li Ji of the new plan, Bai Yuanguang initially disbelieved it. However, after waiting two more days and repeatedly sending men out to spy, he discovered that the barbarian army was indeed not very strong in combat, and most of them were newly allied Qiang and Hu people.

Bai Yuanguang couldn't help but start thinking. He felt that if he stayed here and held out, he wouldn't gain any merit. On the contrary, if Commander Li went south and the enemy situation was as he predicted, it would definitely cause great damage. Compared with that, his defensive battle would be even more insignificant... No, I must launch a counterattack!

So they contacted Xu Yu, the Left Wing Army Commander—who, following Li Ji's instructions, had encamped a day's journey west of Feng'an Army, gradually reinforcing the front lines—urging him to come to their aid under cover of night. Then, the next day, taking advantage of the weakening of the barbarian army's offensive, they would suddenly open the gates and launch a surprise attack. The Qiang and Hu armies were immediately thrown into chaos; even the five thousand genuine barbarians could not hold their positions, and the Tang army slaughtered them, leaving corpses strewn for miles. Qilibuzang barely escaped with his life…

After the battle, Bai Yuanguang presented two thousand heads to Chang'an. Gao Ying changed the report of victory to five thousand beheadings and five thousand prisoners, claiming an unprecedented victory.

In previous autumn defense campaigns, the Tibetan army would either not send a large army, but only use small units for guerrilla warfare and harassment. However, when they sent a large army, they would fight until heavy snow fell, or even until the following spring, before they would withdraw. This war in the third year of the Dali era, however, ended in less than 11 months with the Tang army achieving complete victories on two fronts.

The Tibetan army retreated in droves, and the Tang army returned in triumph. Huizhou was temporarily entrusted to the garrison of the Fufang army, which had come from afar without achieving any success. Li Ji, the military governor of Shuofang, Ma Lin, the military governor of Jingyuan, Li Baoyu, the military governor of Binning, Ma Sui, the deputy military governor of Fufang, and Xing Junya, the military commander of the Shence Right Army, rode back to Yuanzhou together and temporarily camped outside Pinggao City. Han Quanyi and Duan Xiushi opened the gates to welcome them, and Ma Lin, as the host, immediately prepared a grand banquet to entertain the generals.

The four military governors, along with Wang Xiqian, the military supervisor of Jingyuan, held the highest positions, and Xing Junya, a general of the imperial guards, were all treated with utmost respect. They were seated in a row at the head of the table, and the other officers and soldiers below them came up one after another to offer toasts. The main figures being toasted were Ma Lin—after all, he was the host—and Li Ji, as everyone said that this great victory was entirely due to Commander Li's shrewdness in uncovering the barbarian rebels' treachery.

Li Ji waved his hands repeatedly, saying modestly, "I was also almost misled by Ma Chongying. I only came here to make up for the shortcomings... If you ask me, the greatest credit for this battle belongs to Vice Envoy Li of Binning. If it weren't for him discovering the movements of the Longyou barbarians and burning and killing them at Jinjiyuan, how could we have gathered so many troops here and defeated the barbarian bandits?"

He raised his wine cup to Li Baoyu and said, "It is a pity that Li Liangqi is not here. I can only ask General Li to accept my respect on his behalf."

Li Baoyu accepted the offer without hesitation, drank the wine in his cup, and then laughed heartily, saying, "There were originally two Marshal Lis in this place, and if you include Liangqi, there are three Marshal Lis—all of whom share the imperial surname, so why be so formal? You may simply call me by my name, and I will call you Erlang, is that alright?"

Li Ji laughed and said, "Why not? But it would be too disrespectful to call you by your name, Commander Li... You are my senior, may I humbly call you brother?"

To be honest, it's your "Li" that was bestowed with the imperial surname; none of us are even close to it... Li Baoyu's real name is An Chongzhang. He is a Hu person from Hexi, so he has neither a courtesy name nor the custom of addressing people by their birth order like the Tang people. Li Ji really doesn't know which son to call him, so he simply calls him "brother".

In terms of age, Li Baoyu is old enough to be Li Ji's uncle, but since their positions are similar now, it's not appropriate to differentiate them by seniority.

As the generals offered toasts in turn, one of them suddenly stepped forward, knelt before Li Ji, raised his wine cup high above his head, and loudly proclaimed, "This humble general may have offended Commander Li in the past. This time, I originally intended to be driven by Commander Li to kill the enemy and atone for my mistake, but I have a duty to defend the territory and dare not leave without permission... I humbly beg Commander Li to be magnanimous and forgive this humble general!"

Li Ji looked closely and exclaimed, "So it's Brother Qin..."

It turned out that this person was none other than Qin Rui, the former military governor of Wushun Army, who is now merely the magistrate of Yuanzhou.

Li Jixian, feeling disrespected, frowned and asked Qin Rui, "Brother Qin said you had offended me, but you added the word 'or,' I wonder why?"

Qin Rui replied with a face full of shame, "Back then at the walls of Hengshui, I suffered a crushing defeat and nearly put Commander Li to death... However, it was truly due to the chaos within the army that I failed to reorganize, and I did not intend to harm my comrades. Therefore, it is true that I offended Commander Li, but it was not my intention..."

Li Ji then asked, "Then what about your Wu Shun army cutting off the north-south routes, isolating communication, and disrupting our supply lines?"

"This was all done by my staff, Guo Mo and others. I was imprisoned in Xindu City by Commander Li at the time, and I truly knew nothing about it..."

"Jingjing'er once tried to kidnap you from prison, where is that person now?"

"Since we parted that day, we have never met again, and I dare not associate with them again."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You're making a clean shrug, aren't you? On the battlefield, victory and defeat are commonplace. Among all the generals here, who hasn't suffered a defeat? If I were to fixate on this point and refuse to forgive Qin Rui, it would easily provoke resentment from the other generals, making them feel that I'm being too petty..." So, feigning anger, he turned to joy, rose from his seat, and reached out to help Qin Rui up, saying:

"We were originally friends, but a misunderstanding led Brother Qin to suspect that I resented the emperor—how could I harbor the slightest hatred or anger? Being demoted after the defeat in battle is an official matter, an order from the court, and it naturally has no bearing on our private relationship."

He pulled Qin Rui up and accepted his toast.

Duan Xiushi, standing to the side, exchanged a cold glance, thinking to himself, "Today I've finally seen Qin Rui's true colors—this guy is flexible and resourceful, not a reckless fool. From now on, I'll have to be careful when working with him in the same office..."

After several rounds of drinks, everyone was somewhat tipsy. Li Ji suddenly stood up, raised his wine cup, and asked loudly, "Is everyone happy at today's victory banquet?"

"We are happy and the joy is endless."

"If that's the case, is there still any courage left to be gained?"

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Alliance of Regional Military Governors

Li Ji suddenly spoke up and asked, "Do you gentlemen still have any courage left to offer?"

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled. Only Ma Sui, the deputy military governor of Fufang, had a good relationship with Li Ji in the past and knew him well. He was the first to realize that this guy was planning to act recklessly again.

However, Ma Sui personally did not intend to object, because so far, the seven thousand Fufang soldiers he brought had not encountered the enemy or seen battle. If they were to turn back without achieving anything, Ma Xunmei would lose face. So he spoke first and asked, "May I ask, where does the Commander intend to use our remaining strength?"

In fact, Ma Sui was just chiming in. Since Li Ji had posed a question, someone had to cover for him so that the conversation could continue.

Li Ji smiled, looked around at everyone, and said slowly and deliberately, "I dare not lie, but tell you the truth. At Shimen Pass, I wiped out five thousand elite troops of the barbarian rebels. Afterwards, I joined forces with General Ma Zhenxi and General Xing..." He nodded to the two men, "We recovered Shimen Pass and Huining City, and killed more than two thousand prisoners. We also defeated Shang Jiexi's tribe at Huining Pass, killing no less than four thousand prisoners. Now, according to the reports from the scouts, Ma Chongying is demoralized and has retreated to Xiangwu; Shang Jiexi has fled to Chengji, and the Qiang and Hu tribes have almost all fled, with only a few thousand remaining."

He then looked at Ma Sui and asked with a smile, "What if the elite troops of Fufang Army lose five thousand in a single battle?"

Ma Sui chimed in, "Then they are almost completely wiped out. The remaining troops still have some fighting spirit, but they are just retreating to defend."

The total strength of the Tibetan army was around 80,000, and if you include the Qiang and Hu tribes who were allied with them, it would be nearly 200,000. Five thousand men were nothing more than a drop in the ocean for them. But you have to consider the quality of those five thousand men. For example, the elite troops under Mang Re were perhaps only comparable to the main force of the "Three Shangs and One Lun." In other words, they lost nearly one-fifth of their forces in one battle. Furthermore, the Tibetan army's defensive range and attack direction were not limited to the eastern front. In recent years, their main forces had been deployed north to conquer Anxi and Beiting. Therefore, this battle effectively wasted at least 40% of their elite troops on the eastern front.

The loss of 5,000 troops, if the Qiang and Hu tribes were to submit, would not significantly impact the overall strength of the Tubo (Tibetan) forces. However, if the Tubo's elite troops were to fall, it would not only cripple them but also severely damage their morale. Therefore, Ma Sui said, "Although my Fufang army has a total strength of over 30,000, the truly elite force is probably only around 5,000. If we are annihilated in one battle… that would mean the Fufang army is finished!"

Li Ji nodded slightly, casting a grateful glance at Ma Sui, and then continued, "Moreover, I just received a report that our valiant general Bai Yuanguang has once again defeated 50,000 barbarian troops at Feng'an Army..." Since they were far apart, we could add some exaggeration—"Based on this calculation, this autumn Ma Chongying, Shang Jiexi, and others actually swept away all the troops from Longyou and Hexi, along with their own barbarian soldiers, totaling about 130,000 in three routes. Our army killed or wounded more than 30,000, many of whom were truly elite barbarian soldiers."

"The remaining forces of the barbarians are full of vigor and will surely want to return. The Qiang and Hu tribes will submit and almost all flee. Then the barbarian bandits' troops in Longyou and Hexi will be almost completely wiped out. Such an opportunity is excellent. If you gentlemen still have the courage to fight, why not take this opportunity to break through the Liupan Pass and plan to recover Longyou? If we retreat now, next year the barbarian bandits will gradually win over the hearts of the Qiang and Hu tribes and reorganize their morale. By next autumn, they will have formed an unshakeable position. Wouldn't that be a pity?"

After listening to Li Ji's analysis, all the generals nodded in agreement. They were all seasoned veterans, and they didn't need Li Ji to break it down and analyze it repeatedly. They all understood the situation perfectly well.

But while there were plans, none of them had considered taking advantage of this opportunity for a full-scale counterattack like Li Ji had. They only intended to return to their own towns and rest easy. Why was that? Li Baoyu was the first to raise his concerns: "The imperial court's order is only for us to rescue Huizhou and drive out the barbarian bandits. There is no intention to recover Longyou..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "We can jointly submit a memorial to the emperor, earnestly requesting that he issue an edict for the western expedition. I am sure that the emperor is wise and intelligent and will surely grant it."

Everyone thought to themselves, "Is there any need to say more? Now that the three military governors are here, there is also Ma Sui, the deputy governor who comes from the Imperial Guard and whose prestige is no less than that of the military governor of this town. If we can persuade Fengxiang, then the five towns will be united. As long as they do not intend to rebel, what can the court do but listen to them?"

Xing Junya hesitated for a moment, then boldly asked, "With all the generals here, I have no reason to offer any advice, but I must ask General Li for your opinion. With the combined forces of all the garrisons numbering no less than 40,000, such a large-scale battle requires careful planning to have any chance of victory. Now, without the overall coordination of the imperial court, and with this hasty action, can we guarantee the recovery of Longyou? How much of a plan do you have, General Li?"

Li Ji nodded to Xing Junya: "Plan before you act. What you said, Xing Junya, is the common sense of military strategy. However, the form of troops is like water, ever-changing and unpredictable. Opportunities are fleeting. If we delay everything and only seek perfection, how can we hope to win? You are all veteran generals who have fought many battles. I believe you can understand this principle."

Xing Junya was speechless. The next question came from Ma Lin: "What Erlang said is in line with military strategy and is also what I thought. However, when a large army sets out, supplies must go first. Our Guanzhong towns prepare for autumn every year, and it is difficult to accumulate enough supplies. The granaries are empty, and we are short of money and silk. We must rely on the court for supplies. Now that we are embarking on a hasty western expedition, if the court is unwilling to provide money and grain, I am afraid we will be in a difficult situation..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "General Ma, everyone can say this, but you cannot."

Why can't I say it?

"This autumn, it was originally predicted that the barbarian rebels would launch a major offensive towards the north, so the autumn defenses were somewhat relaxed, and only your town (Jingyuan) and Fengxiang were ordered to guard the passes of Liupan. Therefore, I, Li, requested money and grain from the court, but the court said that it would be allocated after the victory, after calculating the losses; as far as I know, the Binning and Fufang armies came to rescue Huizhou and urged for supplies, but no money or grain has been allocated yet..."

As Li Ji spoke, he glanced at Li Baoyu and Ma Sui, who nodded almost simultaneously—that's right, they haven't given us the money yet!

"Only your town and Fengxiang have the responsibility of guarding the passes of Liupan, and the court has made prior arrangements. In previous years, the barbarian bandits usually retreated at the end of the year or even at the beginning of spring, so the funds and provisions for the garrison troops would naturally be calculated until February or March of the following year. Now it is only November, so how can Ma Zhenxi say that there is no money?"

Ma Lin smiled and distanced himself, saying, "I am indeed planning for you all."

Li Ji did not answer, but suddenly raised his cup and turned to Wang Xiqian, the military supervisor of Binning: "Lord Wang, I, Li, would like to offer you a toast."

Wang Xiqian quickly stood up and raised his wine cup: "How dare I? Commander Li, please speak frankly about what you have to say." He thought to himself, "Although I am a close minister of the emperor and bear the important responsibility of supervising the army, I am still only a fourth-rank official. Everyone in the seat of honor is wearing purple, while Xing Junya and I are wearing red. Yet you address all of them as 'gentlemen,' but you call me 'Prince'... This is too humiliating. Commander Li, please speak frankly."

Li Ji and Wang Xiqian drank a cup of wine together, and then Li Ji laughed and said, "I know that Your Excellency bears a heavy responsibility, overseeing the foreign troops and the movements within the town, all of which must be reported to the Emperor. However, at this moment I am drunk and may utter some absurd words. I humbly request that Your Excellency let them go in one ear and out the other, and need not trouble the Emperor to listen to them any further."

Before Wang Xiqian could react, he turned to Ma Lin and said loudly, "You are the military governor of Jingyuan, yet many respectfully call you Ma Zhenxi. Why? Because your duties in Anxi and Beiting are heavy and prestigious. However, you have the title of Zhenxi, but not the power. Even the troops of the four garrisons and three prefectures are not under your command. Are you content with this? Since there is still a surplus of money and provisions, and the morale of the Jingyuan army is high, why not lead us to break through the Liupan Passes and achieve more merits?"

Then he turned to Li Baoyu and advised, “Brother, you are renowned throughout the land. You have led the Binning Army to Yuan and Hui, but you have only fought one battle in front of Huining Pass. Your achievements are limited. Compared with Vice Envoy Li Liangqi, are you not ashamed? Do you not wish to have the great achievement of recovering lost territory and the glorious reputation of pacifying the barbarians?”

Finally, turning to Ma Sui, he said, "Xunmei, the Fufang army arrived last and achieved nothing. This is not your fault, but simply bad luck. If you were to raise your banners westward, there would still be hope of achieving merit. However, if you were to return to your post now, it would be a waste of effort. Moreover, the Anxi and Beiting military camps are now in ruins, and the court has ordered a part of the Fufang army to assist in the defense of Huining. We all know that Huizhou is a double-edged sword; it is vulnerable to the enemy, yet it cannot be abandoned. Fufang has been burdened with a heavy load. If we can recover Longyou and prevent the barbarian bandits from ever invading Huizhou again, then naturally there will be no need for the Fufang soldiers to be stationed elsewhere."

Ma Sui nodded slightly, deeply agreeing.

Li Ji then glanced at Wang Xiqian and lowered his voice, saying, "The Emperor has painstakingly accumulated money and grain, naturally for the purpose of recovering Hexi and Longyou, ensuring the integrity of our Tang Dynasty. If the armies retreat now, the Emperor, constrained by the grand plan, will be reluctant to contribute more money and grain, as the various garrisons can barely sustain themselves. However, if we can recover Longyou and even Hexi this year, the Emperor will be overjoyed. What's the point of keeping those surplus money and grain then? We can only ask for them when we are rewarded for our achievements!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiqian breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "I thought you, Li Shuofang, were going to say something outrageous and treasonous, but it turns out it's just this... It's common for the various garrisons to have ulterior motives and play tricks to siphon more money and grain from the imperial treasury. Even if they falsely report their war achievements and embezzle funds, the emperor often turns a blind eye when we, the supervising military officers, report it. Besides, this is about prioritizing national affairs, and you're even making contributions first before asking for rewards."

Hearing this, the generals were somewhat moved. Li Ji pressed his advantage, raising his voice again: "The barbarian bandits are cruel and tyrannical. Having seized Longyou and Hexi, they have captured many of our Tang people. We see cities reduced to ashes, and women and children drowning in ditches. As generals of the nation, how can you not feel grief and shame? If we fail to recover these two regions soon, they will become even more devastated. Even if we recover them in the future, they will not be easy to defend. Moreover, the barbarian bandits are plotting in the Western Regions. If they destroy the Four Garrisons of Anxi and the Three Prefectures of Beiting, they will surely move their main force eastward again, leaving us no opportunity to exploit."

"War has always been dangerous, and there is no such thing as a sure thing. If we do not take advantage of the enemy's weakness and attack them while they are recovering, I am afraid that we will not only fail to recover Longyou and Hexi, but also lose our army and territory if we are not careful. All the achievements of the past half of our lives will turn into nothingness!"

"Now that the opportunity is great, I intend to join forces with you all in Fengxiang to jointly submit a memorial, earnestly requesting His Majesty to make the decisive decision and issue an edict for a western expedition. Moreover, as the saying goes, 'A general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders,' even if the edict is not issued immediately, the military opportunity cannot be missed. We should join forces to march west. Even if we cannot recover all of Longyou and Hexi, taking back a few prefectures would be enough to boost morale and morale, and also to dampen the momentum of the barbarian rebels. At worst, if His Majesty truly does not wish to recover Longyou this year, we can retreat and return, which will not be too late."

"But Yun pursued the fleeing enemy deep into enemy territory; surely the court can't blame him for that?"

With a glance, Li Ji saw that most of the generals were moved. He then took a large bowl from the table, emptied the food inside, filled it with wine, and presented it to Ma Lin with both hands: "If you gentlemen are willing to follow me, then we shall swear an oath in blood and agree to take Commander Ma as our leader!"

Everyone understood Li Ji's meaning: he wanted all the towns to swear an oath to advance and retreat together—the so-called "the law does not punish the masses," so who could the court punish for arbitrarily deploying troops in the future? If they won, the benefits would be shared equally, even the Fufang army that had just arrived would not be left out; even if they lost, the punishment from the court would be a drop in the ocean for each town.

In particular, Li Ji was the emperor's favorite general, holding the most powerful Shuofang Town, and was also the initiator. Yet he did not take the position of leader of the alliance, but wanted to give it to Ma Lin. Firstly, Ma Lin had a high rank and seniority, second only to Li Baoyu. Secondly, he was the host after all. Ma Lin thought to himself, "The leader of the four towns (if Fengxiang also joins, then it will be five towns) is a good thing that has unexpectedly fallen on my head. How can I turn a blind eye to it?"

—The Anxi and Beiting military camps were already in ruins, and Bai Xiaode was still guarding Huining, so no one included this town in their calculations.

Ma Lin hesitated for a moment, then bit his index finger and dripped blood into the bowl. Li Ji then handed the blood-stained bowl to Li Baoyu, saying, "Brother, please have a drink next."

Now that someone had taken the lead, everyone lowered their guard, and Li Baoyu followed suit, dripping his blood. The third person to be treated was Li Ji, who offered his blood to Ma Sui, but Ma Sui refused—"Chief Guard…no, Commander Li should go first. I am the deputy envoy; how dare I overstep my bounds?" Li Ji understood and didn't press further, dripping his blood first, followed by Ma Sui…

Finally, he raised his wine bowl high, gesturing to Wang Xiqian and Xing Junya—"You two are seated in the chief seat, why don't you come?" Wang Xiqian waved his hands repeatedly: "I am the military supervisor, I should not interfere in military affairs, and... since the garrison commander has already agreed to the alliance, why bother with such trivial matters?" His words made sense, but in reality, this eunuch was afraid of pain.

Xing Junya was so happy he could barely keep his eyes open—he relied on the oath of the four military governors, how could he possibly get involved? Commander Li was really giving him too much face. He rushed over and dripped his blood.

Li Ji handed the wine bowl back to Ma Lin, who took it, raised it above his head to show everyone at the banquet, then took a big gulp and passed it to Li Baoyu; Li Baoyu did the same, followed by Li Ji, Ma Lin, Xing Junya...

Actually, according to ancient tradition, a true blood oath involves taking the blood of livestock such as chickens, dogs, and horses, holding it in one's mouth, or smearing it on one's lips. As for mixing blood with wine, this custom originated from the nomadic tribes of the grasslands and has only recently spread to the Central Plains, mainly among the common people. Li Ji, fearing that things might change over time, wanted to force his generals to make their oaths on the spot, so he adopted the latter method.

After Ma Lin finished the blood oath, his spirits suddenly lifted, and he immediately shouted, "Clear the banquet! All irrelevant people, please leave. We need to discuss military strategy." Ma Sui, ever the astute one, suggested that the local military commander, Zhang Yi, was in the army. He was a skilled writer and should be tasked with drafting a memorial to the court. Li Ji nodded, "Then let's also have that Commander Zhang handle the letter to Magistrate Gao of Fengxiang Prefecture… no, to Zang Xirang and Li Liangqi as well."

He knew what kind of person Gao Sheng was, so he naturally couldn't trust him. It was better to let Zang Xirang, the deputy military governor of Fengxiang, make the decision.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Doubts about the Emperor's Heart

Before the joint memorial from the four garrisons requesting to pursue the defeated enemy and seize the opportunity to recover Longxi could reach Chang'an, a messenger report from Wang Xiqian, the military supervisor of Jingyuan, arrived first.

Wang Xiqian understood that this matter was time-sensitive, so he took the initiative to leave, refusing to participate in the military meeting of the four military governors—plus Xing Junya—and hurriedly returned to the military supervisor's office. As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Prepare paper and pen, grind ink!" He had already prepared the draft on the way, so he laid out the paper, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote hundreds of words in one go without making any revisions—after all, the emperor didn't care about the eunuch's writing skills—and immediately sealed it and sent it to Chang'an by fast horse.

Of course, Ma Lin was no pushover either. He had confidants lurking near the military supervisor's office to observe the situation and report to the commander-in-chief. Ma Lin was still somewhat worried, but Li Ji smiled and said, "Let him go. I'm not afraid, so why should Commander Ma be afraid?" As a result, the guards at the city gate did not stop them, and the officers and soldiers of the military supervisor's office smoothly spurred their horses out of Pinggao City and galloped westward.

This memorial bypassed the Secretariat and was presented directly to the Emperor by the eunuch Wang Jiahe. Upon reading it, Li Yu flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and exclaiming, "Li Ji is so disrespectful, so arrogant because of my favor! I have truly misjudged him!"

You wish to launch a counterattack and reclaim lost territory, fine; you may jointly submit a memorial requesting my decision, fine too; but why swear a blood oath? The saying goes, "A gentleman is dignified but not contentious, sociable but not partisan." What exactly are these regional military governors planning by forming a secret alliance, advancing and retreating together? Where do they place the court? And where do they place me?!

When Li Yu was enraged, Prince Zheng, Li Miao, happened to be beside him. Seeing this, he spoke up to comfort him, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your thunderous anger. You often say that Li Ji is loyal and devoted to the emperor and the country. Today, at the banquet, he swore an oath of blood, which was probably due to two reasons: first, he was drunk and confused; second, he was eager to unite the various garrisons to attack the barbarians and feared that others would not follow him, so he forced them to form an alliance. If Li Ji had forgotten Your Majesty's grace and harbored selfish intentions, how could he have allowed Wang Xiqian to be by his side and report his words and deeds directly to Your Majesty?"

In fact, Li Yu didn't need Li Miao's reminder; he quickly realized what was going on. He snorted coldly, sat back on the couch, pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned to Li Miao and asked in a low voice, "Was Li Ji's action at the behest of the Crown Prince?"

Li Miao was taken aback. He looked around and quickly defended Li Shi, saying, "The armies had just driven out the barbarians at Huining Pass and returned to Pinggao. The plan was made on the spot during the banquet. How could His Highness the Crown Prince have known the military situation in advance and instructed Li Ji? Your Majesty's concerns may not be true."

Li Yu scratched the back of his head through his turban, as if talking to himself, and slowly said, "Military situations change in an instant, and that fool is indeed unpredictable, but... what about the Prince of Qi?" He then glanced at Li Miao and said, "You are willing to protect your brother. If all my children and grandchildren were as filial and fraternal as you, there would be no trouble in the world."

He then ordered, "Summon the Crown Prince to an audience."

When Li Shi entered the palace to see the emperor and heard about this, he was greatly surprised, thinking to himself, "Changwei, have you gone mad?!" Officials forming factions has always been the most taboo subject to the emperor, especially since those you've allied with are powerful generals and military leaders from Guanzhong! However, although he disapproved of Li Ji's actions, Li Ji ultimately bore the mark of the Crown Prince's faction, and he couldn't simply sever ties with him...

Besides, the four towns have now sworn an oath of blood and are united as one. We are too busy trying to win them over to us, so how can we push them away to the outside world?

His eyes darted around, and he had an explanation in mind. So he knelt down and said to the emperor, "Changwei's actions were truly ill-considered, and I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness on his behalf. However, in my opinion, Changwei probably had other concerns and had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure..."

What are their concerns?

"Chang Wei has always been loyal and devoted to defending against the barbarians, as Your Majesty knows well. Moreover, he once served under the Prince of Qi in guarding Longyou, and he could not bear to see that land fall into the hands of the barbarians for long. Furthermore, he was on good terms with Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong, and he could not bear to see Anxi and Beiting fall to the barbarian bandits again. Therefore, he incited the generals to take advantage of this victory and join forces to advance westward. However, the movement of a large army must first be approved by the court. If we follow the proper channels to report, I fear that the Secretariat and the Chancellery will not allow it. The other day, because of the capture of the Uyghur envoy, Chang Wei had many complaints about Li Xiang and Du Xiang, saying that they were cowardly and not pillars of the state."

"Therefore, we deliberately swore an oath of blood, and with Wang Xiqian by our side, Wang Xiqian, as the military supervisor, will surely report to Your Majesty immediately. Such an important matter requires Your Majesty's wise decision alone, and cannot be hindered by the Secretariat and Chancellery... Even if Your Majesty does not trust Changwei, Ma Sui, Xing Junya, and others are all from the Northern Army, whom Your Majesty has always favored. Are they all disloyal?"

Li Yu curled his lip: "You seem to know Li Ji's heart very well."