Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 178

—Li Ji tells Li Bi a lot of things, but he can’t very well mention that Zhen Sui once coveted and flirted with my wife, which my wife resents, and therefore I also dislike him, can he? There’s no reason to discuss all matters of the household with one’s elder brother.

Moreover, Li Ji had never mentioned Qin Rui to Cui Cuo—he had once had the chance, but when he uttered the name "Zhen Sui," Cui Cuo became furious, saying that he did not want to hear the name of this person, so Li Ji had to shut his mouth.

Li Bi didn't understand why Li Ji had kept such a big matter from him—in his mind, it was a major matter. If he had known earlier that the military governor of Wushun Army might be a former general of the Tang Dynasty who was loyal to the court, he might have had to make some adjustments to the policies toward the various vassal states in Hebei—but now that he knew, he couldn't just ignore it.

So he went to the palace to pay his respects and reported the whole story to Li Yu without concealing anything—except that he didn't mention that Li Ji knew about it. As long as Li Yu didn't recall this incident and didn't ask, he could get away with it. Li Yu frowned upon hearing this: "So, this scoundrel was originally Li Fuguo's personal servant?"

Li Bi quickly shook his head: "No, Zhen Sui was a Qianniu Beishen (a military officer), and was trusted by the late emperor, who sent him to Yingyang to welcome me and escort me to the temporary capital. At that time, Li Fuguo was by the emperor's side and held power. If he gave any instructions, how could Zhen Sui dare to disobey?"

"After Hebei was pacified, they refused to inform the court openly and even changed their names, which may indicate that they have ulterior motives."

"At that time, Li Fuguo and Cui Guangyuan were both dead. He was afraid that no one could verify his identity, so he did not speak out, which is understandable. In fact, he did not rebel against the court when he led the Wushun Army. Moreover, he fought bravely on the battlefield when he first joined the campaign against Tian Chengsi. Later, the army was in chaos and scattered. It was because he was not strong enough, but because he had no intention of rebelling."

Li Yu disliked this guy because he had no good feelings towards Li Fuguo and Cui Guangyuan, and they were merely using each other for political purposes. However, judging from Li Bi's tone, it seemed that he intended to plead for Qin Rui, so he asked, "What do you think should be done with this person?"

Li Bi said, "Qin Rui's army was defeated and almost trapped Weibo in a dangerous place. He should be punished. Since it has been decided to abolish Wu Shun's army, his position as military governor will naturally be removed. However, victory and defeat are common in war. We cannot kill a general because of a single defeat. I think it is better to demote him and let him serve in the army."

Li Yu frowned and asked, "Is this person truly usable?"

In fact, he hadn't originally planned to kill Qin Rui. Even after the Ministry of War reviewed the case, it was impossible for him to make such a suggestion, because since the Zhide era, apart from Zhou Zhiguang, who was truly intolerable, there had been no precedent for executing a garrison commander or military governor—Lai Zhen had entered the court as an official before being murdered on his way to exile; even with Zhou Zhiguang, Li Yu hadn't originally planned to kill him, it was purely because Li Ji acted quickly…

For example, Zhou Zhiguang should have been demoted to the position of prefect of a state, thus distancing himself from military power; or, like Pugu Huai'en, he should have been relegated to a lowly post in the capital. However, Li Mi said that Qin Rui could still "serve at the front lines," which made Li Yu wonder, is this person truly still usable?

Li Bi was mainly concerned about Zhen Sui's past service in risking his life to cover the rear, and he couldn't bear to see him sitting on the sidelines until his death before he was even forty. So he reported, "Qin Rui is indeed as brave as Ben and Yu. If he is dismissed and not used, I will regret it for the country. Now the various towns in Guanzhong are facing the Western Barbarians and are looking for good generals. If Your Majesty would release him, just as Qin Mu did not replace Meng Ming in the past, he would surely be willing to fight to the death for Your Majesty."

Li Yu had already decided that once Li Ji agreed to abandon Weibo and come west to defend against the barbarians, he would send Li Mi out to serve. A few years ago, he certainly wouldn't have been willing to part with him, but now that his throne was secure and his power base was strong, Li Mi was no longer the only person he could rely on as a trusted advisor. Therefore, he didn't want to reject Li Mi's various memorials before his departure, as long as they weren't too outrageous. He approved them and ordered the Ministry of War to demote Qin Rui to the position of Sima of Yuanzhou for the crime of defeating the army.

Unlike the military governor's Sima, the prefectural Sima was in charge of military affairs. The military governor's Sima was responsible for military matters because the chief secretary in charge of civil affairs was replaced by the deputy military governor, so the Sima, who was in charge of military affairs, had to switch to civil affairs, as exemplified by Yan Zhenqing—who, along with the deputy chief secretary and the vice-chief, was called "superior assistant." While since the Zhide era, the power of the prefectures gradually shifted to the military governors, and the civil and military power within the prefectures was also divided among the judges, the Sima became a sinecure, mostly used to house officials demoted to other central government posts—such as Yang Yan, who was appointed Sima of Daozhou—there were always exceptions.

First, in remote areas, even though governors were appointed, they often refused to take office, or the governors died in office, making it difficult to fill the vacancies in a short time. Therefore, the Sima (military officer) was often appointed to "manage the affairs of a certain prefecture," thus wielding real power. Second, the prefectures in Guanzhong needed to guard against Tibetan invasions, so in addition to the garrison troops, the number of garrison troops in each prefecture was greater than in other places, and the Sima could effectively control them. Therefore, appointing Qin Rui as the Sima of Yuanzhou placed him on the front line of defending against the Tibetans. In times of war, he would often have to go to the battlefield, which would allow him to make full use of his talents.

After the imperial edict was issued, Qin Rui knelt to receive it and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, he had been stationed in a remote town for a long time and was not familiar with the situation in the central court. He had thought that the court might make an example of him and take his life, or strip him of his official title and never be employed again... The fact that he was able to live and continue to hold an official position must be because Li Changyuan had extended a helping hand.

So he went to Li Bi's residence to express his gratitude for his kindness.

Li Bi, who was usually a recluse and rarely received outsiders, made an unprecedented exception and let Qin Rui in. He gave Qin Rui earnest advice and encouragement, urging him to make contributions to the country, saying that there might be a day when Qin Rui would be rewarded with great honors.

Immediately afterward, Qin Rui left Chang'an and hurriedly went to Yuanzhou.

He was being escorted westward alone, with no relatives to wait for him—he had no wife or children, and although he had several women in his household in Qinghe, none of them had been given official status—he was penniless, and Chang'an was not a safe place to live. Before, when he was detained in the Ministry of War, he at least had food to eat, but now that the court had officially appointed him, the Ministry of War certainly wouldn't care anymore. Staying in the capital any longer meant he'd have to beg on the streets, wouldn't it? Even the travel expenses to Yuanzhou were a gift from Li Bi before his departure…

Fortunately, as a senior official in the prefecture, Sima's salary is quite generous, twice that of officials of the same rank in the capital. I believe that once he arrives in Yuanzhou, he will have plenty of good wine and meat to eat.

He left in a hurry and did not meet with Li Ji who had returned. Li Ji entered the pass in mid-March, and then temporarily stationed his troops at Baqiao. He himself, along with his family, staff, and more than ten personal guards including Yuan Jing'an, entered Chang'an City through Chunming Gate.

Along the way, they neither encountered Li Bi, who was heading west to take up his post, nor Xue Song, who was returning to his hometown after the emperor's departure.

The official in charge of reporting to the emperor, Lu Qi, had already received the news and specially came to the city gate to greet him. Li Ji took Lu Qi's hand and praised him kindly, saying, "You've really worked hard these past few years. I was able to defeat the powerful enemy in Hebei without any worries about the rear, all thanks to you, Ziliang, who liaised between the upper and lower levels, ensuring that there was no doubt about the situation inside and outside the capital." This was the truth. If it weren't for Lu Qi's role as a middleman and his timely transmission of intelligence from the central government to Weibo, the many conditions Li Ji had proposed to the court for this westward relocation might not have been approved so quickly.

Lu Qi humbly replied, "This is my duty. Having received the salary of a military commander, how could I not serve wholeheartedly?" Riding alongside Li Ji into the city, as they walked along Chunming Street, Lu Qi seized an opportunity to ask, "Now that the military commander has been transferred to Shuofang, I have been estranged from the area for a long time and am not very familiar with the current situation in Shuofang. I fear I will be of little help..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "What does this mean? Did you know so much about the situation in Weibo before? I appointed you as the 'Memorial Official' because I value your intelligence and influence in the capital. What business is this outside the pass?" Lu Qi's words seemed to imply his resignation. Had he wronged him in some way? Or was he subtly asking for a raise?

When asked, Lu Qi refused to give a direct answer, instead beating around the bush. However, after talking for a while, Li Ji roughly figured out what the other party was thinking—

The saying goes, "People strive to rise higher, and water flows downhill." The position of a staff member is ultimately an outsider to the central government. A military man might be willing to do it for a lifetime, but for most scholars, it is merely a shortcut to becoming an official in the central government. No one wants to be a staff member for long—why can't I be the head of a region or a government office?

Lu Qi was in the same boat. Although he had only been the official in charge of reporting to the emperor in Weibo for two years, he had served as the chief secretary in the Shuofang Army for no less than five years before that. Counting the time he spent in mourning after leaving his post, he was almost ten years old. How many decades does one have in a lifetime? During this time, he worked hard in the capital for Weibo and made a lot of connections. He also got on the good side of the crown prince, Li Shi, hoping to resign from his post and transfer to the central court.

Having discerned the other party's true intentions, Li Ji ceased his formalities and asked directly, "What position has the Crown Prince promised to Lord Lu?"

Lu Qi hesitated for a moment, but finally told the truth: "His Highness said that the position of Assistant Minister of the Left and Right Offices can be filled immediately. If we wait a few more days, there is hope that the position of Physician will be filled."

The Ministry of Personnel comprised six ministries and twenty-six departments, each headed by a Director (郎中) and assisted by an Assistant Director (员外郎). These were considered the most powerful positions among mid-level officials, and were considered "honest officials." However, even among the Directors and Assistant Directors of these departments, though of the same rank, there were distinctions in rank. The Ministry of Personnel was generally considered the most prestigious—because it directly controlled the appointment and dismissal of civil officials—followed by the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel Examinations, and the Left and Right Ministries. When Du Fu served as an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Works, his rank was relatively low. As for departments like the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Forestry, and the Ministry of Water Resources, their power was largely usurped by various ministries and bureaus, making their positions lowly and generally undesirable.

Lu Qi was transferred from a staff position to a court position. He entered officialdom through hereditary privilege and was not a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). It would have been reasonable for him to directly enter one of the Six Ministries as a head or assistant. However, Li Shi directly offered him the position of assistant director or even director of the Left and Right Ministries. No wonder this ugly servant was eager to try and was not content with his position.

The position of military advisor is essentially a semi-contractual one; if it suits one's needs, one stays, and if it doesn't, one leaves. There is absolutely no reason to force one to stay. Therefore, when Yan Zhenqing asked Du Huangshang to stay, Li Ji learned that Du Huangshang also had this intention. Although reluctant, he could only grant Du Huangshang's wish. Since Lu Qi had the intention to leave and a brighter future awaited him, Li Ji could not say anything more.

He could only plead, "I have no one to replace Ziliang, and I have no one else who can do this job. Please ask Ziliang to stay a few more days, at most half a year, until I find a successor, and then he can return to the court to serve as an official."

Lu Qi agreed—because he knew Li Ji was a man of his word.

The group passed through the East Market and Daozheng Ward, heading straight for Pingkang Ward. They had barely glimpsed the ward walls when a commotion erupted, and soon a large number of people surged from the north side of the main street. Yuan Jing'an immediately put his hand on his sword, stepped forward, and shouted, "The newly appointed Shuofang Military Governor, Commander Li, is here! Anyone who dares to offend him will die!"

Li Ji cracked his whip on his horse: "Don't yell at the people, go and ask them what happened!" In broad daylight, why are people running rampant in Chang'an? Could it be that a frightened horse has come after them?

Yuan Jing'an grabbed a man who looked like a peddler and asked sternly, "What's the matter? It's as if a wild beast is chasing you!" The man shouted, "It's not a wild beast, but it's fiercer than a wild beast!"

Sure enough, the sound of horses' hooves was heard immediately, and it seemed to be more than just one or two. Li Ji thought to himself that this was strange. After all, the market next door was the West Market, not the East Market. Horses were usually sold in the East Market. So if something went wrong, a large group of horses would be startled and trample the people. Although this was not common, it was still reasonable. Where did so many startled horses come from?

He straightened up in the stirrups and looked into the alley. He saw a dozen or so riders galloping towards him—they weren't startled; each horse had a rider on its back.

These riders, all dressed in felt hats and fur coats, with slightly curly hair and beards, were clearly Hu people. They galloped and shouted, completely ignoring the panicked, fleeing civilians. Li Ji, seeing this, was immediately enraged. He thought to himself, "In broad daylight, amidst the surging crowds, how dare you race on carriages… on horseback? People will die! This is far too dangerous!"

His entourage was originally heading to the Imperial Secretariat in Pingkang Ward. Upon arriving, seeing the people fleeing in panic, Li Ji instinctively reined in his horses, intending to question them. His entourage and carriages also stopped, blocking the main thoroughfare. The fleeing people, seeing the group dressed in official robes and protected by soldiers, dared not rush forward and scattered to the left and right, desperately trying to escape. But the barbarian cavalry refused to detour—besides, galloping horses couldn't turn instantly—and charged straight at them.

The first rider, seeing someone blocking his way, slightly tightened his reins to slow down, then raised his whip and pointed it at Li Ji: "You bastards, get out of the way right now!"

Without a word, Yuan Jing'an leaped forward and grabbed the Hu man's leg tightly with both hands: "You rude scoundrel, get down here!" -----PV1 reader

Chapter 42, The Uyghur Envoy

Yuan Jing'an was a native of the capital and had seen many high-ranking officials. He was not afraid of anyone except the prime minister or the prefect of the capital. Generally speaking, court officials were unwilling to bother with the rogues in the capital. Who knew who was behind those rogues? Only the authority of the prime minister was not to be offended, and the prefect of the capital was also responsible for punishing rogues. That was why he had to go around them.

Therefore, he didn't take a few mere barbarians seriously. Fortunately, this was the capital. If it were in Weibo, anyone who dared to charge at the commander's carriage, or even point a whip at him and shout, would be swarmed by his soldiers and hacked to pieces. On the streets of the capital, brawls were acceptable, but without the commander's orders, it was best to avoid bloodshed for the time being.

So he rushed forward, grabbed the Hu man's thigh, and pulled him down with all his might. He intended to drag the man off the saddle bridge, but although he was quite strong, the other man was also strong. He held onto the horse's neck with both hands, swayed a couple of times, but still managed not to fall. Instead, he dragged Yuan Jing'an a few steps off balance.

The horse immediately charged straight at Li Ji. Li Ji remained calm, raised his whip, and lashed the beast hard across the nose. The horse, in pain, tilted its head and arched its back. The rider, jolted from the impact, could no longer sit still and was dragged off by Yuan Jing'an and pinned to the ground.

Ma Meng came over and easily pulled on the reins, stopping the empty horse.

In a split second, the remaining Hu cavalry, seeing this, quickly reined in their horses and glared angrily at Li Ji and his group. One of them shouted, "Who are you people, daring to obstruct me? Don't you want your lives?!"

Li Ji took a closer look and saw that the man was around forty years old, tall with long legs, and had a rather fierce appearance; he seemed to be the leader of this group of Hu people. He immediately shouted, "And who are you? How dare you ride your horse so recklessly on the main road?"

Before the other party could answer, someone shouted from afar, "Stop them up ahead! Don't let these Uyghurs who are trying to break up the prisoners get away!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji narrowed his eyes: "Are they Uyghurs? And in broad daylight, they dare to break prisoners?!"

The so-called "Huihu" is actually the same as "Huihe," with similar pronunciations but different characters. It is unknown who told Dunmohedagan that "he" was not a good character—it refers to a relatively inferior silk fabric—and therefore he petitioned to change the tribal name to "Huihu" to show that our tribe is as strong as a falcon, like an eagle or a falcon.

After the An Lushan Rebellion, relations between the Tang Dynasty and the Uyghurs grew increasingly close. Especially after the Tibetan Empire captured Liangzhou and set its sights on the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty repeatedly sent envoys to the Uyghurs, bestowing upon the title of Wuyi Chenggong Khan Dunmohedagan the new title of Miluolu Changshou Tianqin Bilge Khan, requesting that he send troops south to aid Anxi and Beiting, and to defend against the Western Tibetans. Changshou Tianqin Khan readily agreed, but made a condition: the Uyghurs lacked fine brocade and were willing to trade it for good horses.

The Tang Dynasty was indeed short of good horses—because Liangzhou had been seized by the Tibetans—but the Uyghurs took the opportunity to raise horse prices, with one horse fetching up to forty bolts of silk, more than five times the usual price. The Tang court, fearing the Uyghurs, dared not refuse.

As a result, Uyghur delegations and caravans frequently came to Chang'an. These Hu people were not well-versed in etiquette, and they took advantage of the fact that the Tang people needed their help to often engage in forced buying and selling, which was quite outrageous. Lu Qi also mentioned such matters in an official document sent to Weibo, which greatly angered Li Ji.

But he never expected to witness this scene so soon after returning to Chang'an, especially since these Uyghurs dared to break prisoners! This was utterly outrageous! Did they really think the Tang Dynasty was without its men?!

He immediately demanded an explanation, to which the Uyghur leader replied, "What prisoner rescue? I am a Uyghur envoy. My subordinate was unjustly detained in Wannian County, so I went to rescue him. I am on my way back to the Court of State Ceremonial to appeal to the Tang Emperor and punish the magistrate of Wannian. Seeing that you are wearing a purple robe but look unfamiliar, I suppose you are some prince or grandson of the emperor. This is none of your business, so get out of the way immediately." He glanced sideways at Yuan Jing'an and said, "Your men have offended me; bind them as well and take them to the Court of State Ceremonial!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Are you blind? As a Uyghur, how can you not recognize me!"

Seeing several Uyghurs draw their swords to rescue their companion who was being held down by Yuan Jing'an, he immediately shouted, "Take them all down and hand them over to the Wannian County Court!"

This isn't the future, and there's no such thing as "diplomatic immunity." Even if Wannian County unjustly arrested the Uyghur delegation members, you shouldn't have gone there yourself to seize them. Riding horses in the streets, disregarding the safety of my Tang people—just that alone is enough for me to tolerate. I've captured them all, and I'll personally go to the Wannian County government office to get a clear answer.

Despite facing a dozen or so strong Uyghur riders, Li Ji was not afraid of them at all—you should know that the soldiers around me are different from the soldiers of other military districts; they have all been on the battlefield and seen blood!

At the commander's order, a dozen soldiers immediately drew their swords and surrounded the enemy from both sides.

The Uyghur leader was filled with rage, his eyes blazing with fury. He roared, "Who dares?! Even your Tang Emperor wouldn't dare offend my Uyghur envoy! If you offend me, I will report back to the Khan, and 100,000 cavalry will march south in an instant, crushing Chang'an, killing the old and young, and taking all their children!"

Upon hearing the words "all children taken away," Li Ji was enraged and immediately spurred his horse, ready to charge at the enemy. However, a clear voice suddenly rang out behind him: "My lord, wait!"

He could tell it was his wife speaking up... Li Ji turned his head slightly and saw Cui Cuo lift the carriage curtain, hand out a flag, and give it to a soldier.

The banner was unfurled, with a black background and an extremely abstract eagle painted on it... or maybe a sparrow or a crow? In any case, you could barely make out the shape of a bird.

When the Uyghurs saw this banner, they were all astonished: "Who are you, and how did you obtain this banner?!"

Li Ji felt ashamed. He had such a thing at home, but he had completely forgotten about it. He guessed that even Cui Cuo might not have thought of this if he hadn't packed his bags to come west.

He immediately sneered at the leader, "This was bestowed by the Khan himself, who appointed me as Tutunfa—how can you not bow before this flag?"

The Uyghurs exchanged bewildered glances, and their leader gritted his teeth: "Who knows if it's true or false? Even if Tutun were to spread his word, it might not be able to affect me!"

Tutunfa was the fifth rank of nobility among the Uyghurs, and also an official title, which could be translated into Chinese as "supervisory official". However, just like the censors in the Tang Dynasty who were in charge of supervision, there were also different types of censors, such as Attendant Censor, Palace Attendant Censor, and Supervising Censor, each with different duties. Therefore, without an actual appointment, Tutunfa was just an empty title and could not really supervise the dispatched missions.

However, Li Ji resolutely shouted, "I am heading north to Shuofang, near the grasslands and deserts. Whether this flag is real or fake, I will take you all to ask the Khan! What rank do you hold that you dare to offend me, Tutunfa? Why don't you dismount, kneel down, and apologize? What are you waiting for?!"

The structure of the Hu tribes was simple, and the hierarchical system was not as strict as that of the Central Plains dynasties. However, they often placed greater emphasis on the hierarchy, and subordinates were sometimes almost like servants to their superiors. Since Zetu Tunfa was ranked fifth in nobility, he was already among the high-ranking officials. Li Ji did not believe that the leader of the delegation opposite him was of a higher rank than himself—at this age, if he were a high-ranking Uyghur from the military headquarters, he would have met him most likely during his two trips to the Hui region.

If you were a high-ranking official from another tribe, this is a Tu-tunfa bestowed upon you by the Khan himself. You wouldn't dare to act arrogantly in front of me, would you? Besides, it's impossible for all your companions and subordinates to be high-ranking officials, would they?

In fact, Li Ji's understanding of Uyghur customs, folkways, and official ranks was quite limited. However, in his previous life, he had specialized in studying ancient history and knew that most nomadic peoples were still subject to slavery, and it was common for higher-ranking people to beat, scold, or even kill lower-ranking people. He figured the Uyghurs were no exception and couldn't be too advanced.

He hadn't expected that what truly alarmed the other side was the phrase "heading north to Shuofang." The Uyghur leader frowned and glared, "Could it be... that you are the newly appointed military governor of Shuofang, Li Ji?"

Since he was sent as an envoy to Chang'an, he naturally bore the heavy responsibility of gathering intelligence on the inner workings of the Tang Dynasty. In particular, he couldn't possibly be indifferent to the transfer of officials in Shuofang, a region close to the Uyghurs and which had originally intended to defend against them. The imperial edict ordering Li Ji to transfer from Weibo to Shuofang had barely been issued when he received the news in the Court of State Ceremonies.

At first glance, Li Ji didn't seem old, yet he wore a purple robe and was surrounded by many guards, so I assumed he was some prince or grandson of the emperor... If he were a high-ranking official, I'd probably seen most of them before. Only princes and grandsons of the emperor would be confined to the Sixteen Princes' Residence or the Hundred Grandsons' Residence, rarely venturing out into the streets, hence the unfamiliar face. It wasn't until I heard phrases like "heading north to Shuofang" that I finally connected him to Li Ji.

However, the fact that Dunmohedagan bestowed the title of Tutunfa upon Li Ji was not widely publicized; he had never heard of it before. But judging by common sense, Li Ji had twice visited the Khan's camp, and was said to be quite favored by the current Khan, and also had a close relationship with General Dide. Therefore, it wasn't entirely impossible that the Khan, in a moment of pleasure, would bestow upon him the banner of Tutunfa…

"I am Li Ji, why aren't you dismounting?!"

Forced into a corner, the Uyghur chieftain dismounted, but refused to kneel. Instead, he raised his fist to his chest and bowed, saying, "I was unaware before and offended Tutunfa. I hope you will forgive me. However..." He stiffened his neck and stared at Li Ji: "Are you speaking to me as Tutunfa or as a Tang official?"

"What's the difference?"

“If you speak as a Tang official, you are the military governor of Shuofang, and the affairs of Chang'an are none of your concern; but if you speak as a Uyghur, Tutunfa, how could you possibly side with outsiders and stop us for the sake of the Tang people?”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was so angry that he laughed: "As a Tang official, how could I possibly shirk my duty when I see violent criminals robbing prisoners? As a Uyghur Tu-tunfa, my people are committing atrocities in the Celestial Empire and maliciously damaging the friendship between our two countries, so naturally I must also arrest and question them!"

The chieftain, with his neck stiff, said, "I'm afraid that if you capture me, it will damage the friendship between our two families—and if you anger the Khan, he will surely send troops south!"

Li Ji sneered, "Would the Khan break the alliance between our two families for a bird like you? You overestimate yourself."

"I have an envoy's flag, which is as if the Khan himself were here. Even Tutunfa cannot control me!"

Where is the envoy's flag?

The other party was speechless for a moment.

Not to mention that Li Ji almost forgot about the flag of Tutunfa, even if it was a banner issued by the Tang court, it was impossible to carry it with him at all times - the banner should be kept in the government office and only brought out when going out on official business or going to war - so the Uyghur leader, who lived in the Honglu Temple, did not think of bringing out the flag when he went to Wannian County to rescue his people.

Actually, given the current relationship between the Tang and the Uyghurs, and the fact that the court often turns a blind eye to Uyghurs breaking the law and causing trouble in the capital, if he were to actually go to Wannian County carrying a Uyghur envoy's flag, the magistrate would surely be terrified and would probably obediently hand over the criminals. The problem is that this Uyghur leader is used to being flattered and has never really looked down on the Tang people. Moreover, he also has the intention of hurting someone to vent his anger. Therefore, he rode off on horseback with a sword, but did not display his envoy's flag.

In the short time they were talking, most of the people had scattered, with only a few bold idlers still huddled in the corners, watching from afar. But the officials from Wannian County who were chasing the Uyghurs had caught up, all on foot, none of them on horseback, carrying only some sticks, iron rulers, and ropes, trembling with fear, blocking their retreat.

They didn't dare charge forward, because the Uyghurs were all armed with sharp weapons. While Li Ji's personal guards weren't afraid, these officials didn't dare to confront them directly. Even if they pretended to block their path, they figured if the Uyghurs spurred their horses and charged back, they would instinctively scatter to the left and right, making way…

It wasn't until Li Ji revealed the banner of the Uyghur Tutunfa that the Uyghurs followed their leader and were forced to dismount and pay their respects—though none of them dared to kneel—that the officials of Wannian County mustered their courage and dared to take a couple of steps forward.

Just as Li Ji was demanding to know where the envoy's flag was, and the Uyghur chief was unable to answer, Wannian Ling finally appeared—one hand on his turban, the other lifting his red robe, sweating profusely and panting heavily, he came running. The officials whispered to him for a moment, and he immediately straightened his clothes, clasped his hands in greeting to Li Ji from afar, and said loudly, "Wannian Ling Wei Tan greets Minister Li."

— Li Ji's titles of Shuofang Observer and Jiedushi were merely temporary appointments, not official titles. His formal official position was still Inspector of the Ministry of Rites, which is why Wei Tan called him that.

The two men were flanked by a dozen or so Uyghurs, about twenty paces apart. Li Ji was forced to raise his voice and ask, "These people claim to be Uyghur envoys. Why is Commander Wei pursuing them so relentlessly?"

Wei Tan hurriedly said, "Minister, please allow me to explain, it was originally because..."

To put it simply!

"A Uyghur killed someone in broad daylight in the East Market. The people arrested him, but before he could be interrogated, he was detained in my Wannian County. However, he was abducted by these people, who also injured the prison guards. We really didn't know that they were Uyghur envoys..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Okay, he's quite eloquent and loud; I can hear him clearly from a distance." He then glanced at the Uyghur leader and asked again, "Now that we know he is an envoy of the Uyghurs, what will Commander Wei do with him?"

The Uyghur chieftain turned around and glared fiercely at Wei Tan. Wei Tan involuntarily took two steps back and hid behind a burly constable... He then reported in one breath, "Even Uyghur envoys cannot wantonly kill and kidnap prisoners in this county... As I am in charge of the capital, I will not mistreat widows and orphans nor flatter the powerful. Unless the Prefectural Court of the Capital or the Court of State Ceremonies comes to arrest them, they should still be detained and interrogated..."

Li Ji nodded slightly, thinking to himself that this Wan Nianling was not only quick-witted but also quite opinionated. He then looked at the Uyghur leader and coldly ordered, "Since there's no envoy flag, we have no choice but to take him down!"

The soldiers were about to step forward when they suddenly heard someone shout, "Minister Li, wait! The Uyghur envoy's banner will arrive soon. Please wait a moment, Minister Li!"

Li Ji frowned and turned to look. He saw an official in purple robes hurriedly riding up on horseback. The official dismounted and bowed to Li Ji, saying, "The friendship between our two countries is of great importance. Minister Li, please do not be rash and offend the Uyghur envoy!"

Author's note: I'm back!

Chapter 43, Resentful Repentance

The purple-robed official who hurriedly rode up was someone Li Ji had met once before. He immediately dismounted and greeted him with courtesy: "Secretary Wei, how have you been?"

This man was named Wei Shaohua, a member of the prestigious Wei clan of Jingzhao. He had served as a drafter in the Imperial Secretariat and was ordered to serve as the chief secretary under Li Shi when Li Shi was appointed Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces to conquer Shi Chaoyi. This is how he became acquainted with Li Ji. However, the position of drafter in the Imperial Secretariat was powerful but lowly, only a fifth-rank official. Theoretically, he shouldn't be wearing a purple robe, so this must be a promotion. Li Ji didn't know the specific promotion and dared not address him rashly, so he temporarily referred to him as "Chief Secretary Wei" based on his previous position.

He thought to himself that if in my timeline, in the future, all officials could be addressed as "Sir," it would be much more convenient... In this era, "Sir" is just a respectful term for elders.

Wei Shaohua replied, "I am now in charge of the Court of State Ceremonial..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "No wonder. So he's become the Minister of Ceremonies, which is why he rushed over to get involved in this matter."

"What advice does Li Honglu have?"