Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 10

Li Ji looked closely and saw that it was a flat, round dough ball, about the size of a watermelon, baked until golden brown. He immediately picked up a knife and dagger, cut open the dough, and sure enough, inside was a lotus leaf. Lifting the lotus leaf, steam rose, and a wonderful aroma wafted out; inside was a whole chicken…

Oh my, Li Tan really did go back and ordered his men to follow my line of thought and decipher the "Beggar's Chicken" recipe in reverse!

More than ten delicious dishes, each with its own unique color and aroma, made Li Ji's mouth water. He immediately called out to Huo Xianming and the others, "Come and eat with us!"

Huo Xianming said with a fawning smile, "This was specially bestowed upon Mr. Changwei by the King of Jianning. How could we possibly have such a good fortune?"

Chapter Twenty: Housewives

Before the eunuchs could finish cleaning up the leftovers, Prince Li Shi of Fengjie came over for another visit. Upon seeing the food, he asked, "Was this a gift from Uncle Prince Jianning? Li Ji, why didn't you finish it?"

Li Ji quickly got off the bed and bowed, then pouted and said, "So much food, how can we finish it all!" Especially that big bowl of white rice, it must weigh at least three pounds, what big eater could finish it in one meal? Are you trying to feed an elephant?

Li Shi scoffed, “You claim to have a large appetite? I thought you had an even larger one… In the past, Lian Po ate a peck of rice and ten pounds of meat in one meal, that was what you called a large appetite. Your appetite… tsk tsk.”

Li Ji couldn't help but glare at the young prince: "The so-called Lian Po eating a peck of rice and ten pounds of meat in one meal, if not an exaggeration by historians, must be due to the difference in measurement between ancient and modern times, how can it be taken as true?!"

Li Shi was taken aback and said, "What you say makes sense, and I have no way to refute it. But... you actually understand these principles?"

Li Ji quickly distanced himself: "Naturally, my elder brother told me..."

Li Shi was relieved, then turned his head and saw the books that he had temporarily put back in the bamboo box during the meal—"I heard that Mr. Changyuan asked the sage for some books to read. How could you have opened the box without permission? Do you not know how to read?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Look at my face, do I look like a natural illiterate?"

He pretended to raise his head and said, "Of course I can read—I am, after all, Li Changyuan's younger brother, a descendant of the Li family of Zhao County!"

In the early Tang Dynasty, there was a saying of "Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families," representing the seven most prestigious families: the Li of Longxi, the Li of Zhaojun, the Cui of Boling, the Cui of Qinghe, the Lu of Fanyang, the Zheng of Xingyang, and the Wang of Taiyuan. Li Hu's association with the Li of Longxi and Li Bi's with the Li of Zhaojun may have been based on patronage, but these seven families were all distinguished through their scholarship in classical studies, not through military prowess. Conversely, the later-rising Xue family of Hedong, who were primarily known for their military achievements during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, continued to produce renowned generals even after the Tang Dynasty took over.

So you're saying a member of the Li family of Zhao County is illiterate? Are you insulting me?

However, Li Shi didn't believe it and specially took out a scroll and handed it to Li Ji, asking him to read it aloud. Li Ji unfolded it and saw that it was the sixth volume of the Records of the Three Kingdoms. He was familiar with this stuff—"Dong Zhuo, courtesy name Zhongying, was a native of Lintao in Longxi. In his youth, he was fond of chivalry and once traveled to this...Qiang, among the Qiang people, he all made alliances with the...chieftains..."

He deliberately read it haltingly, and Li Shi couldn't help but chuckle and say, "Hmm, you do know a few characters, worthy of being a descendant of the Li family of Zhao County."

Li Ji's mind raced, and he seized the opportunity to complain: "To be honest, my elder brother found these books so that I would read them. Back in Yingyang, he always supervised my studies, but I really don't like these poems and essays, and the classics are even more tedious. Only certain ancient events in historical books seem somewhat interesting. But even though I haven't read the Records of the Grand Historian or the Records of the Three Kingdoms, my elder brother often tells me about what's said in them. Now, reading these again is really tiresome..."

Li Shi then asked, "What do you remember?"

“I remember it all, for example, Zhang Yide’s shout that broke the bridge, Zhao Zilong’s unparalleled courage, Lü Bu’s mansion gate… shooting the halberd at the gate…”

Li Shi couldn't help but laugh out loud: "These are all stories of fierce generals, just the kind you'd like to hear. Since Mr. Changyuan is accompanying the Sage and has no time to tell you, why don't I tell you some myself?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "How can such a young child be so eager to teach others?" He quickly replied, "Your Highness has his own studies to attend to. How can you come to this secluded courtyard so often?" Upon hearing the words "studies," Li Shi's face immediately darkened.

"It would be best if you could find some books for me to read myself. If there's anything I don't understand, I can ask Your Highness for help later. However, my elder brother has already covered most of the history before the Western Jin Dynasty. But after the Eastern Jin Dynasty moved south, what battles were fought and what fierce generals emerged? My elder brother hasn't had a chance to mention that yet... I wonder if Your Highness could find some historical records about the period after the Jin Dynasty for me?"

As he spoke, he repeatedly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Li Shi sighed softly, "Alright, I'll go find some history books for you. From the Book of Jin and the History of the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Book of Sui, Father and Uncle Jianning have most of them..."

He casually pulled out a slingshot and a bag of bullets from his waist and handed them all to Li Ji: "Here's a bag of bullets for you as a thank you."

"We haven't made a slingshot for Your Highness yet..."

Li Shi laughed and said, "No need. I have already ordered my servant to make a replica. It is the right size and even more convenient to use."

Li Ji thought to himself, "So this is a blatant copycat? You two, uncle and nephew, are both shameless and have absolutely no idea what 'patented technology' is..."

----------

As dusk fell, Li Bi returned, and Li Ji brought up the day's events. Li Bi frowned slightly and quietly asked, "You merely offered a few pieces of pigeon meat, yet the Prince of Jianning presented you with royal cuisine, receiving a large sum despite a small expenditure... Do you understand why?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "I understand. My brother is now highly regarded by the Emperor and is treated with more favor than several princes. Who wouldn't want to curry favor with him? Even the Prince of Jianning is probably no exception. However, if the Prince of Jianning openly tries to get close to and win over my brother, he might incur the wrath of the Prince of Guangping, and the Emperor would not doubt him either. Therefore, he cannot take the direct approach and has to resort to a roundabout way, bribing my brother instead."

Li Bi nodded, then pointed out, "Even if it is the Prince of Fengjie, who often comes to see you, the Prince of Guangping would not be unaware of it. The fact that he does not prohibit the interaction between the imperial family and commoners is probably because he also intends to harm his elder brother."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was slightly taken aback—he hadn't really thought of that, after all, Li Shi was still only a teenager.

The child doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives. But upon closer examination, just because Li Shi is guileless doesn't mean his father, Li Chu, is. Besides, if I can pretend to be an uneducated bumpkin, Li Shi can certainly pretend to be an innocent child...

In the palace and on the field of power, even a child cannot remain uninvolved. It's truly pitiful... and despicable!

After recounting his day's activities, he turned to Li Bi and asked, "Where did you go with the emperor today, and what did you see and hear?" Li Bi replied, "The troops from Zhangye, Jiuquan, and other prefectures in Longyou came to join the emperor for inspection and rewards."

He then sighed softly and said, "The soldiers I've seen these past two days who came to the aid of the emperor, though mostly veterans, are exhausted from their long journey, hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Unless they have a dozen days of rest and reorganization, I'm afraid they won't be able to fight. That's why I advised the emperor that the rebels in Yun'an are in Luoyang. If they learn that the emperor is stationed in Pengyuan, they will surely strengthen the defenses of the western capital, and may even order their troops to march west and actively seek battle. Fang Cilu's forces number only sixty or seventy thousand, and are mostly new recruits from Guanzhong. They may not be a match for the rebels. It would be better to wait until the Longyou army has rested, then march south to reinforce them, and then plan to retake the capital..."

Li Ji said unhappily, “Brother, I have already reminded you that the Emperor is eager to restore the capital, and Fang Guan has already made some boastful remarks. I am afraid this matter will be difficult to stop. It is not advisable to speak to the Emperor again.”

Li Bi sighed and said, "How could I not know? However, the situation is critical. How could I bear to send these tens of thousands of government troops into the jaws of wolves and tigers? Rest assured, I know what is important. My words are fair and reasonable and will not offend the Emperor."

Li Ji thought to himself that even if he didn't offend Li Heng, he was afraid that if the words were leaked, Fang Guan would be detrimental to him in the future... After all, he was the prime minister. He had the opportunity to rise to the position, but he refused to agree.

But Li Bi immediately comforted him, opened a map, and pointed, saying, "According to reports, Fang Cilu has divided his army into three, ordering his subordinate general Yang Xiwen to garrison Yishou, Liu Guizhe to garrison Wugong, and Li Guangjin to garrison Fengtian, to control the passageway from the Wei River..."

Li Ji examined the map and found that the terrain was basically arranged in a straight line from south to north. Not far south of Yishou County was the Nanshan Mountains, with the strategic Luogu Pass, while not far north of Fengtian County was the Loess Plateau. Thus, the government troops had essentially cut off the Wei River Valley. Li Bi then continued:

"If we were to take an offensive and attempt to retake Xijing, we would have to unite our forces into one. How could we possibly divide our troops and station them in three separate counties? This is clearly a temporary defensive posture, waiting for the situation to change. Perhaps Fang Cilu is just boasting, but when he arrives at the front and sees that the Guanzhong army is unusable, he will listen to the advice of Wang Sili and others, first consolidate his own position so that the enemy cannot take advantage of the situation, and then devise another strategy."

"This stalemate shouldn't last too long. Even if Generals Guo and Li don't manage to march south and gather troops in Longyou, after resting and reorganizing, they will have another 20,000 to 30,000 strong soldiers who can serve as the vanguard. We can wait until the end of this month or the beginning of next month to launch another offensive against the rebels in the capital region, and perhaps we will have a chance of winning. That's why I subtly suggested this to the Emperor. After a few days, we can persuade the Emperor to appoint Wang Jia as the commander-in-chief, with me as his assistant, and march south to seize Fang Cilu's military power. This would greatly increase our chances of victory."

Li Ji finally spoke up: "Brother, I'm afraid your actions will offend Fang Guan."

Li Bi smiled and said, "If the Emperor appoints me as general to replace Fang Cilu, he will surely hold a grudge and we will likely become irreconcilable enemies. But if the Prince is appointed as the marshal to command the armies, then Fang Cilu will be powerless to do anything about it and will not be jealous of me."

He then envisioned, "If we can successfully recapture Xijing, we can control the Tong and Pu passes in the east. The Shuofang army will not need to march south. They can immediately cross the river to the east, use Taiyuan as a base, and then plan to advance into Hebei. In this way, the enemy will surely be defeated!"

In high spirits, he pointed to the map and asked Li Ji, "You were also a military general, so what are your thoughts on the current situation?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "In my past life, I was practically a keyboard warrior. I have absolutely no experience in warfare. Although I'm well-versed in history and can analyze past battles fluently... no, I mean, I can type on the keyboard with lightning speed. But what insights could I possibly have about a battle that hasn't even started yet?" He immediately clarified, "Brother, I'm just a military commander. I only know how to obey orders and advance. As for planning and strategy, that's not my forte..."

But then he looked at the map and slowly analyzed, “I have heard that the main force of the An rebels is the troops of the three northeastern towns, many of whom are barbarian soldiers. They must be longing for the grasslands and unwilling to stay south of the Yellow River for long—the previous rebellion by the Luo and other tribes after seizing horses is clear evidence of this. If we can do as you say, brother, and first recover Xijing and then take back Hebei, cutting off the barbarian cavalry’s route back north, the rebels’ hearts will surely be thrown into chaos!”

Whether they understand or not, they still have to grit their teeth and express their opinions—a habit that keyboard warriors can't shake. To be honest, although Li Ji's soul comes from that information age and he often goes online, he inevitably picks up this bad habit, but it's not ingrained in his bones. He knows how to conceal his ignorance and that for certain topics, a mysterious emoticon is enough; he must not delve too deeply, lest he make a fool of himself in front of experts.

So when he transmigrated to this world, completely clueless, he preferred to listen more and speak less. However, when facing Li Bi, he couldn't stop talking. Firstly, pretending to be a roughneck was exhausting… well, not really. Later generations didn't have as many etiquette rules; most ordinary people in ancient times would probably be ignorant of manners and social norms. But pretending to be innocent and naive was equally frustrating. Therefore, since he didn't need to pretend in front of Li Bi, his thoughts naturally flowed freely, and he simply couldn't suppress the urge to speak.

Secondly, he also had a slight urge to show off his extensive knowledge and meticulous thinking in front of Li Bi—others may treat me like a fool, but you must not! Now that Li Bi has met the emperor, he no longer needs to be Li Bi's personal bodyguard. If Li Bi deems him worthless, what would he do if he were to be kicked aside?

I don't yet have the resources to fight on my own in this world.

Therefore, Li Ji racked his brains and pretended to help analyze the situation—"However, I fear that the rebels, cornered like dogs, will turn to the south and ravage the country's fertile lands, spreading and devastating them."

Chapter Twenty-One: The Selection of the Marshal

Since the *Records of the Grand Historian* established the basic format of biographical history, most official histories of successive dynasties followed it, beginning with the "Basic Annals," focusing on the "Biographies," and interspersed with "Treatises" and "Tables." Many "Biographies" are quite narrative, while the "Basic Annals" are, in comparison, merely chronological accounts and not at all engaging.

However, the "Annals" are the outline, in the form of a chronicle, and are the most convenient way to sort out the major events of a dynasty. In particular, when Li Ji was reading through the "Annals" of previous dynasties, he specially prepared paper and pen to record the reign years of each emperor. Finally, he added them up and finally realized that from the second year of Jianxing of the Western Jin Dynasty, when he claimed to have died in battle, to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, a total of 304 years had passed.

So he took another opportunity to ask Li Shi, "I wonder how many years have passed since the founding of our Tang Dynasty?"

Li Shi calculated with his fingers: "Emperor Gaozu reigned for eight years, Emperor Taizong for twenty-three years, Emperor Zhongzong..." He finally concluded: "It has been one hundred and thirty-eight years since then."

304 plus 138 equals 442... Who said it's been 500 years? Li Bi fooled me! Even if you round up, you should still round down; you can't get 500.

Thinking back on my own timeline, what famous figures existed during the same period? I realized that although history diverged, many outstanding individuals faded into obscurity while numerous new figures emerged, a few still existed in both worlds and managed to rise to prominence, such as Wang Meng, Huan Wen, and Xiao Daocheng…

The extra people were mostly non-Han people who invaded northern China, or Han people who had been assimilated by non-Han cultures.

In the realm of literature, since Tao Yuanming and Xie Lingyun still exist—although their circumstances were vastly different, and many of their surviving works were ones that Li Ji had never read in his previous life—would this era produce Wang Changling and Wang Wei? It is not appropriate to inquire with Li Shi or Li Mi for the time being.

A few days later, the imperial court indeed received news that Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi had decisively defeated Ashina Congli, pacified the Hequ region, and were about to lead their troops south to meet them. Li Heng was overjoyed upon hearing the news. That day, he kept Li Bi with him until late afternoon or early evening, discussing future strategic plans—Li Ji, waiting anxiously at home, was worried something had happened to Li Bi…

When Li Bi returned, he mentioned the matter and said, "Therefore, the Emperor agreed not to launch the campaign to retake the capital for the time being, but to wait for the two generals to lead their troops south, and then gather the troops for a thunderous attack." Even Li Bi himself couldn't help but beam with joy. His already very thin physique made his steps even lighter, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.

However, before the main force of the Shuofang army could arrive, even worse news came...

That evening, Li Ji ate the leftovers from lunch, while Li Bi, upon returning, only drank a bowl of porridge. The two brothers recounted their day's events. Having largely grasped the situation, Li Bi had little more to say to Li Ji, and Li Ji, whose daily routine consisted of exercise and history reading without fail, had no more pigeons to kill or trouble to cause. Therefore, their evening conversations grew increasingly shorter. Li Ji couldn't help but think—

Like an old married couple, the novelty has worn off, and they have nothing left to say to each other...

Just as he was about to settle down for bed, he suddenly heard voices outside the courtyard gate. Li Heng hurriedly stepped in. Li Ji thought it was another barbecue party—Your Majesty, you're late, we've already eaten!—but to his surprise, when the two Li brothers came out to greet him, Li Heng looked sullen. He waved away the others, leaving only the Li brothers and Li Fuguo by his side, and then said bitterly, "Just as Changyuan predicted, Fang Guan's rash advance has indeed led to the loss of troops and the disgrace of the country!"

On the 20th, Fang Guan personally led the Northern and Central armies out of Fengtian and Wugong, advancing along the north bank of the Wei River to the West Wei Bridge. The following day, the government troops encountered the rebel army under An Shouzhong at Chentao Slope, east of Xianyang. After a fierce battle, the government army suffered a crushing defeat, with casualties and escapees reaching 40,000, almost total annihilation. Fang Guan dared not report this to the emperor, and on the 23rd, he led the Southern army into battle again, only to be defeated once more. His subordinate generals Yang Xiwen and Liu Guizhe surrendered to the rebels…

The Tang army in Guanzhong, which had just been assembled, was thus completely wiped out.

Upon hearing this, Li Bi was greatly alarmed and hurriedly asked, "Didn't His Majesty issue an edict ordering Fang Cilu to temporarily suspend the advance?"

Li Fuguo interjected, "Perhaps that's why Lord Fang somehow received advance warning and, fearing he wouldn't be able to achieve anything, rushed to lead his army to retake Xijing before the imperial edict arrived, which led to this defeat..."

Hearing this, Li Ji felt a surge of resentment, and his dislike for the old eunuch intensified.

Because Li Fuguo's words were meant to attack the enemy's intentions and could not be verified, Fang Guan was afraid of losing the opportunity to make a great contribution, which is why he hastily sent out troops. Moreover, if what he said was true, then a considerable part of the responsibility for the defeat would fall on Li Bi's shoulders. If you hadn't spoken up, the emperor wouldn't have issued an edict, and if the emperor hadn't issued an edict, Fang Guan wouldn't have been in such a hurry. If he had planned carefully before acting, he might not have suffered a defeat.

Li Bi pretended not to notice the malice in Li Fuguo's words, and simply asked with his hands clasped, "What exactly caused the defeat? Does the military report provide a detailed account?"

Li Heng immediately ordered Li Fuguo to present the report to Li Bi. By this time, everyone had already entered the room, and Li Bi leaned closer to the dim candlelight to read it carefully—Li Ji also wanted to join in and take a look, pondering his own position and persona, but he forcibly suppressed his curiosity.

Only afterward, upon hearing Li Bi's detailed account, did Fang Guan realize that he had completely brought this upon himself. He had received a promise from Li Heng beforehand that he could appoint his own officials and generals, appointing Deng Jingshan, the Imperial Censor, as Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Li Yi, the Vice Minister of Revenue, as Military Advisor, and Liu Zhi, a Supervising Secretary, as Staff Officer. Among them, Li Yi and Liu Zhi were both scholars who had never fought in a battle, yet Fang Guan relied heavily on them, entrusting them with all military affairs, even saying, "The rebels have been dragged down the river..."

"Though the cavalry is strong, how can they be a match for Liu Zhi?" He completely ignored the advice of veteran generals like Wang Sili.

Then the two armies faced off diagonally at Chentao. Fang Guan actually wanted to revive the chariot warfare tactics of the Spring and Autumn period, leading with two thousand oxcarts, flanked by cavalry and infantry. As a result, An Shouzhong took advantage of the wind, setting fires with the wind at his back, which startled the oxen and horses, causing the entire army to collapse... Even after suffering such a great defeat, Fang Guan, like a gambler eager to recoup his losses, led less than 20,000 southern troops forward towards Xijing, and as expected, his army was once again completely annihilated.

Having no other choice, he had to report the truth and ask to be punished.

Li Heng sat cross-legged on the couch, twisting his hands, and said fiercely, "Fang Guan has ruined the country and deserves to die!"

Li Bi and Li Fuguo exchanged a glance. Then Li Bi put down the military report, clasped his hands, and advised, "Your Majesty, Fang Cilu is indeed guilty. However, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. How can we kill the prime minister just because of a defeat? Moreover, he has now gathered his remaining troops and retreated to cities such as Fengtian, which is actually a guarantee for the imperial court. If we replace him with a different general or even kill him, the morale of the army will be in chaos. If the Shuofang army has not arrived and the Longyou army is not yet assembled, and the rebels march north, it may be detrimental to Your Majesty. I urge you to think it over carefully."

At first, Li Heng merely pursed his lips in annoyance, but upon hearing Li Bi's last few words and recalling the formidable and unstoppable Hu cavalry, his expression changed drastically, and he felt a slight chill. He then asked, "In Changyuan's opinion, how should this be handled?"

Li Bi offered no advice, but simply bowed and said, "It is all up to His Majesty's discretion."

He truly hadn't anticipated Fang Guan's crushing defeat. He'd received reports that the Guanzhong army was stationed in three cities—a clearly defensive posture, nothing to worry about. Why had that fellow suddenly decided to switch to offense? However, he was fully prepared for Fang Guan's fruitless campaign and inability to retake the capital, and he had already offered strategies on how to proceed. Therefore, Fang Guan shouldn't be killed for now. As for what else to do, I've already said it. I believe Your Majesty only needs a little reflection to devise a solution; why ask again?

To repeat what I said before would be meaningless and would also steal the emperor's thunder—as if you yourself had no ideas and had to listen to me in everything; it would be better to pass the buck back to Your Majesty and ask you to use your own brain and agree with what I said the other day, which would make it seem as if Your Majesty had made the decision unilaterally.

Sure enough, Li Heng thought for a moment and then sighed, "Wang Zhongsi is dead, Geshu Han surrendered to the enemy, and Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing were framed and killed... Now, among the generals, only Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi are still capable of fighting. However..."

"The two generals were originally just minor officers, but because the country was in great turmoil, they accumulated merits and became generals in just one year. When I was in Lingwu, I was looking for good generals, so I appointed Guo Ziyi as Minister of War and Li Guangbi as Minister of Revenue, and also gave them the title of Prime Minister, making them extremely honored. However, when asked about their strategies for suppressing the rebellion, the two generals both looked hesitant and made excuses... Previously, when Ashina Congli invaded Shuofang, I thought it was just a minor disaster, and the Shuofang army should have followed me south to first recover Xijing. But the two generals did not agree, saying that in order to protect the rear, they insisted on advancing eastward."

"If it weren't for this, why would I have appointed Fang Cilu? If the elite troops of Shuofang were here, we wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat!"

Li Ji, listening intently, couldn't help but chuckle inwardly—the emperor was shifting the blame. This crushing defeat wasn't due to his poor judgment in choosing his men, but rather the refusal of Generals Guo and Li to obey orders. Sure enough, feudal monarchs… no, leaders are all cut from the same cloth.

Li Heng continued, “I know Changyuan’s intention. He is eager for the two generals to go south and replace Fang Cilu in command of the army. However, I fear that they will not obey orders or will outwardly comply but inwardly defy them. What should I do? In the end, I am not skilled in military affairs, nor can I, like Emperor Taizong, personally brave arrows and stones to command the three armies. So, who should be the commander?”

"Originally, I thought that Fang Cilu, with his high position as prime minister, could be the commander-in-chief and supervise the two generals. However, he was arrogant and reckless, and he wouldn't even listen to Wang Sili's advice, let alone Guo and Li..."

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly and looked at Li Bi: "How about we dismiss Fang Guan and replace him with Changyuan to command the two generals?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's spirits lifted, and he immediately looked at Li Bi, thinking to himself, "Brother, this is a great opportunity! Don't refuse anymore, just agree!"

However, Li Bi said, “Your Majesty’s trust in me is something I can repay with my life. However, I am a recluse from the mountains and fields, not a general, nor am I as renowned as Fang Cilu. Even if I were to become prime minister, I would probably not be able to command respect or control the generals. As I said the other day, I would only appoint a prince as commander-in-chief. This way, he can command the three armies, and the power will not be transferred to others, and the supreme authority will not be overturned. I humbly request Your Majesty to consider this carefully.”

Li Heng nodded and tentatively asked, "Among the princes, Jianning is the most virtuous. I wish to appoint him as commander. What does Changyuan think?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fuguo was greatly alarmed and hurriedly advised, "Everyone, you mustn't..."

Li Heng glared at him: "I was just discussing things with Changyuan, how dare you, you old cod, interrupt?!"

Li Fuguo bowed repeatedly in apology, then fixed his gaze on Li Bi, as if afraid that Li Bi would agree with the emperor's idea. Li Ji, observing this, couldn't help but think: Is this old man so afraid of Li Tan? What is it about?

Li Bi also disagreed with letting Li Tan lead the army, and said: "Your Majesty, Prince Jianning is indeed a talented marshal, but Prince Guangping is the eldest. If Prince Jianning establishes a great achievement in the restoration of the dynasty, I'm afraid he will only be able to become a Wu Taibo in the future."

Li Heng said, “Guangping is my eldest son. He has always been loyal, kind, and filial, and I love him dearly. Although I have not yet established him as crown prince, I will certainly make him my heir in the future. This is known both inside and outside the court. Since he already has the title of crown prince, why should I care about the title of marshal?”

Li Bi advised, "At this critical juncture, the people's hearts are with the Marshal. If the Prince of Jianning is appointed Marshal and fails, what good will His Majesty's appointment do? If he succeeds, his prestige will surely soar. Even if His Majesty does not wish to appoint him as Crown Prince in the future, the civil and military officials who follow him to achieve merit will likely still be eager to do so."

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Prince's Adorable Act

Li Heng was the third son of the retired emperor, and of relatively humble birth. His mother, Lady Yang, wasn't even a concubine, only a lowly consort. From a young age, he never dreamed of becoming crown prince; he was content to live a peaceful life as a prince, avoiding trouble and disfavor. However, his eldest brother, Li Cong, died inexplicably, and his second brother, Li Ying, was deposed and subsequently executed due to the machinations of Consort Wu Hui. At the time, the most popular candidate was Prince Shou, Li Mao, son of Consort Wu Hui; even the powerful minister Li Linfu rushed to curry favor with him…

Then a miraculous thing happened. Not long after Li Ying was murdered, Consort Wu Hui died of fright—it is said that she was taken away by a vengeful spirit. Then, at Consort Wu Hui's funeral, the emperor took a fancy to Princess Yang of Prince Shou and forced his son to divorce her. He then found an opportunity to bring Yang into the palace—that was the famous Yang Guifei.

Since he had taken his son's wife, the father could not be without guilt in his heart, and he was even more worried that his son would hold a grudge and cause him harm in the future. Therefore, Li Mao had no chance of becoming the crown prince! Thus, the 28-year-old third son, Li Yu, was inexplicably made crown prince, and then changed his name to Li Shao, and then to Li Heng.

Li Heng held the position of Crown Prince for a full eighteen years, growing from a promising young man into a middle-aged man. He faced internal suspicion from the emperor and external sabotage from treacherous ministers like Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong. Yet, he remained steadfast, primarily by avoiding involvement in state affairs and refraining from criticizing politics, always keeping a low profile. Some people, after a long period of dormancy, suddenly rise to power and completely reverse course, transforming from respectful to arrogant, from frugal to extravagant, from benevolent to cruel, and becoming vindictive—like Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. But Li Heng was different; he had long been accustomed to keeping a low profile…

Especially given that he's in the midst of such a mess, would he still dare to act recklessly?

Therefore, beneath the emperor's honest face lay a bloated layer of weakness and fat. Generals like Guo and Li dared not disobey orders, and Fang Guan had no choice but to agree to his request to fight. Li Heng instinctively felt that none of the court officials took him seriously, and that he only had Li Bi, Li Fuguo, and... well, there was also Consort Zhang. The three of them were trustworthy.

That's why he went to great lengths to win over Li Mi, not only relying on him as a confidant but also showing great favor to his cousin Li Ji. Do you think only Li Chu and Li Tan knew how to "save the country through indirect means" and win over Li Mi by currying favor with Li Ji, while Li Heng didn't understand this principle?

Moreover, regardless of their true thoughts, the officials outwardly remained respectful to the emperor, addressing him as "Your Majesty" repeatedly. This made Li Heng, who had spent half his life keeping a low profile and had been treated as if he were nothing by Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong, feel very uncomfortable and disgusted. On the other hand, this Li Ji, a simple-minded country bumpkin, although not very knowledgeable about etiquette, dared to speak frankly to him and had not made any unreasonable demands, relying on Li Bi as his backer. Therefore, Li Heng had a good impression of him from their very first meeting that night.

At that time, he spoke with absolute certainty, saying that Li Ji was "innocent and carefree, with the heart of a child." You see, this is a truly honest person; I doubt I could find another like him by my side. Changyuan's visit this time was far more affected than when he was in the Eastern Palace. Although Li Fuguo is loyal, that old servant has his own ulterior motives, hiding them from me. Does he think I don't know?

Therefore, after finishing his business tonight, Li Heng asked Li Ji before leaving, "I've heard that Jianning often bestows delicious food upon you, and now that my son has become your friend, are you enjoying your stay here?" He was genuinely concerned about this delightful young man, and also subtly reminding Li Bi: Guangping and Jianning are both trying to please you, I know that, but you should still focus your attention on me.