Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 127

Sure enough, the next afternoon, Li Yu summoned Yuan Zai and asked him directly, "I wish to appoint Mr. Changyuan as the Vice Minister of the Chancellery and concurrently as the Chancellor. What do you think, Prime Minister Yuan?"

Yuan Zai first danced with delight, praising Li Bi's talent and saying he was qualified to be prime minister. But then he changed the subject: "If Mr. Changyuan were to become prime minister, he would have to move to live outside the palace. Would the Emperor be willing to do that?"

Li Yu said "Oh," and indeed hesitated.

Yuan Zai then said, "Why don't we appoint you as our 'Inner Minister'?"

The term "Inner Minister" was a common name for a Hanlin Academician. This position originated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. After the Tang Dynasty, the Hanlin Academy was established within the imperial palace, and later the Academy of Academicians was added. Outstanding scholars were selected to serve as Hanlin Academicians, serving directly in the inner court—equivalent to senior advisors and secretaries to the emperor. Because of their close proximity to the emperor, they frequently stayed overnight in the palace, drafting various important edicts. Furthermore, if they were given the title "Zhi Zhigao" (知詰), it was equivalent to a Zhongshu Sheren (中书舍人), thus wielding considerable power, hence the title "Inner Minister."

The Hanlin Academy within the Daming Palace was located west of the Linde Hall. To its south was the Academy of Academicians, and further south was the Right Silver Terrace Gate, followed by the Inner Palace Secretariat. This is why Li Fuguo often sat at the Right Silver Terrace Gate, controlling the Hanlin Academy and the Academy of Academicians with his left hand to manage the court affairs, and controlling the Inner Palace Secretariat with his right hand to suppress the palace.

Yuan Zai suggested, "Your Majesty, why don't you appoint Li Bi as a Hanlin Academician? That way, he can work in the palace, and even if you want to see him at night, you can keep him on duty overnight. It's only a few steps from Linde Hall." Li Yu was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Prime Minister Yuan's words are exactly what I wanted."

Yuan Zai's move was a strategic retreat. On the surface, he invited Li Mi to serve as a Hanlin Academician to strengthen the inner court and weaken the power of the outer court, headed by the Council of State Affairs. But in reality—did the ministers of the Council of State Affairs really enjoy it, living in the palace as a hermit and whispering in the emperor's ear all day? On the contrary, Li Mi's appointment as Hanlin Academician and his drafting of imperial edicts on white hemp paper, nominally "inner edicts," were less effective than the "outer edicts" drafted by the Secretariat Drafters and written on yellow hemp paper.

More importantly, this would allow Li Mi to be placed within the system. Although the Hanlin Academician held a special position, he was still one of the officials, and the prime minister had a certain degree of control over him.

As for the next step, it is to erase the unique aura surrounding Li Bi and make him just another ordinary person.

Yuan Zai then seized the opportunity to speak, saying, "In the past, Mr. Changyuan assisted the late emperor for just over a year before resigning and retreating to the deep mountains. Does Your Majesty think that your relationship with Mr. Changyuan is comparable to that of the late emperor? If Mr. Changyuan were to retire again, it would be a great loss to our dynasty."

Li Yu frowned and asked, "I am also concerned about this matter. Does Prime Minister Yuan have any plans to keep Mr. Changyuan in court for a long time?"

Yuan Zai reported, "I have a plan to keep Master Changyuan—the key is to completely eradicate his hermit mentality and desire for seclusion, and make him a minister of the state, obeying only Your Majesty's orders..."

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Li Fuguo had already committed suicide, and Li Mi had returned to Chang'an from Hengshan. Li Ji then seized the opportunity to hint to Li Shi: Shouldn't you move me to a different place? You've always been in the capital, commanding the Northern Army, but you've never had the chance to fight on the front lines.

I have no desire to become someone like Chen Xuanli, as Emperor Xuanzong wished!

Li Shi wrote a note to Li Ji, telling him to remain calm and not be impatient. He said that Master Changyuan had just returned to the capital, and he heard that the Emperor was in the palace, spending all his time with Master Changyuan, consulting him on the way to govern the country. No one could get involved these past few days. He suggested that when Master Changyuan had some free time, he would ask Master Changyuan to assist in devising a plan to quell Shi Chaoyi's rebellion. Once the plan for a full-scale counterattack was finalized, a suitable place could be found to settle Changwei, and a suitable army could be assigned to him.

Li Ji accepted this reason—after all, he had already waited so long, what did it matter if he waited another month or two? Especially since Qingluan had probably conceived at the end of last year and was due to give birth in September or October of this year. It was already mid-August, and the army would be sent to the east to attack by the end of next month at the latest. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to give birth in time for the child... If the little one was born first, and then he could leave the capital, that would be the best outcome.

Returning home from the government office that day, Li Ji inquired about Qingluan's condition. Cui Cuo replied, "The imperial physician has already examined her; she'll give birth within the next month or two." Li Ji blurted out, "Couldn't it be sooner?" Then, realizing his mistake, he quickly waved his hand, "Never mind, I didn't say that..."

Cui Cuo glanced at him, her face displeased, and said in a low voice, "I have heard that a woman's childbirth is on a fixed schedule. If it is three to five days early or late, it will be fine. But if it is too early or too late, it will harm her body, and even the baby may not be saved. Is this what you want, sir?"

Li Ji repeatedly said, "You misunderstood, I didn't say anything..."

Cui Cuo sighed softly, "I know what you mean, my lord. You fear that with the expedition imminent, you won't be able to see the baby's birth in time. Don't worry, I'll stay in the capital and take good care of Lady Zou..." However, as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it wasn't appropriate—such a heavy responsibility couldn't be taken entirely upon herself, so she added, "If it's destined, it will surely be alright; if it's not, even if my lord stays by my side, it won't make a difference..."

He quickly changed the subject: "By the way, the Su family mansion next door has already been sold."

Li Ji blinked, somewhat bewildered: "Who has such power to persuade Su Qing?"

His residence in Pingkang Ward, where he currently resides, was originally a villa belonging to the Cui family. In Chang'an, it was considered a second-class mansion in a prime location. There were only four such mansions on the entire street, all of which were ornately decorated and tall, belonging to prominent figures in the court. The largest of these was the Su residence to the west, as it originally belonged to Princess Changning.

Princess Changning was the daughter of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang and Empress Wei, and the younger sister of the famous Princess Anle. During the "Tanglong Coup," Empress Wei and Princess Anle were both executed, and Princess Changning was also implicated. Her husband, Yang Shenjiao, was demoted to the position of Prefect of Jiangzhou, and the princess accompanied him. She was forced to sell this residence and her villa in Luoyang, which is said to have yielded two billion coins.

A few years later, Yang Shenjiao passed away, and Li Longji arranged for Princess Changning to remarry Su Xing, the son of the former prime minister Su Liangsi. Upon returning to Chang'an, the princess's first act was to use her power to force the purchase of the residence in Pingkang Ward. Su Xing had no children, and after both he and the princess passed away, the residence was passed on to his nephew, Su Zhen.

Su Zhen married Princess Zhenyang, daughter of Emperor Xuanzong—who was also Li Yu's aunt—and fled to Lingwu with Emperor Suzong, thus becoming a meritorious official in supporting the ascension of the emperor. For this, he was given an important position. After the pacification of the two capitals, he was granted the title of Duke of Qiyang County and appointed Governor of Henan. However, after the defeat at Xiangzhou, Su Zhen voluntarily abandoned Luoyang and fled to Xiangdeng, which led to his demotion to Chief Secretary of the Prince of Ji, and later to Governor of Jiangzhou.

Just as Su Zhen was being transferred from the capital to a post outside the capital, Cui Guangyuan sent someone to discuss with him the possibility of buying Princess Changning's former residence and connecting it with his own villa. However, Su Zhen firmly refused, saying, "Although I am old, I will eventually return to the capital."

—It's not like I'm never coming back to Chang'an again. If I sell the mansion to you, where will I live when I return to the capital?

Subsequently, many prominent figures attempted to purchase the residence through various channels, but Su Zhen politely declined them all. This pursuit only ceased last year when Su Zhen returned to the capital to serve as Vice Minister of Revenue.

Currently, the new emperor has summoned Liu Yan back to court to serve as Vice Minister of Revenue, while Su Zhen has been reassigned as Minister of Ceremonies, remaining important ministers of the state. It is impossible for anyone to be so powerful as to force him to hand over the princess's old residence—unless the old eunuch Li Fuguo still holds power...

Chapter 43, The Mandate Received from Penglai

Li Ji was puzzled when he heard that the Su family's house was being sold separately, so he asked Cui Cuo, "Have you found out which family bought the house next door to the west?"

Cui Cuo smiled slightly and replied, "Such matters naturally cannot be hidden from me—this morning, Su Qing's family moved out and relocated to Guangfu Lane. I ordered someone to inquire about the origin of the new residence in Guangfu Lane, and it is said to be imperial property. Therefore, it is obvious who the princess's old residence has fallen into."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned: "You mean..."

Since the new Su residence in Guangfu Ward was originally royal property, it means it was a bestowed residence. Even if it was a bestowed residence, Su Zhen could have easily continued to live in the princess's former residence in Pingkang Ward—after all, it was closer to the capital—and used the bestowed residence as a separate residence. The fact that he moved there in such a hurry can only be explained by one thing: the princess's former residence had been exchanged for the royal family.

So what exactly did the royal family intend to do with this mansion? Whom did they plan to house? Li Ji could only think of two possibilities: one, Li Shi planned to move from Bai Sun's residence to become his neighbor; two…

The first possibility isn't very likely. Since Li Yu had already ascended the throne and Li Shi had been enfeoffed as Prince of Lu, according to custom, he should have moved to the Sixteen Princes' Residence, and it's unlikely he would reside in a separate ward. Even if Li Yu didn't want to confine his children and grandchildren like his grandfather and father, he had a large group of newly enfeoffed sons, including Prince Zheng Li Miao, Prince Bin Li Yu, Prince Han Li Jiong, and so on; it's impossible that only Li Shi would move. Furthermore, if all the princes intended to move out of the Hundred Grandsons' Residence, it would certainly be a large-scale undertaking, and Li Ji, being in court, wouldn't be completely unaware of this.

"The sage intends to take this house to settle his elder brother..."

Cui Cuo nodded and said, "That makes sense—in this way, my lord and brother can see each other day and night again."

Li Ji never expected that his trip to the Southern Palace's Hall of Diligent Governance would lead to the emperor abducting Li Mi, meaning he would be "once inside the deep palace, never to see spring again," and would never see him again. Therefore, upon hearing that Li Mi might be released from the palace and even become his neighbor, he should have been overjoyed, but—

"This must be because someone in the court has slandered my brother!"

Back in Ding'an, Li Yu and I were originally residing within the palace walls. However, after Li Bi officially received his official position as Chief Secretary of the Marshal's Office, he voluntarily left the palace and moved to the Marshal's Office, which was in accordance with etiquette and regulations. As for now, Li Yu certainly values ​​Li Bi more than just keeping him by his side as an advisor or even a Taoist priest. But since you've already brought him into the palace, you shouldn't have kicked him out after only two or three days. You should have kept him for at least ten days to half a month.

This must be because someone was worried that if Li Bi stayed by the emperor's side for too long, he would become an unknown prime minister and it would be detrimental to their own side, so they played some trick on Li Yu.

Cui Cuo, however, said, "Young master, your worries are perhaps too many..."

Once the house is bought, it needs to be renovated before it can be given to someone else. The emperor can't just kick Li Bi out of the palace so quickly.

Li Ji nodded: "That's true..." Then he added: "But I will not have peace of mind for a day if my brother does not become prime minister."

A few days later, on the first day of the ninth month, an imperial edict suddenly arrived, summoning Li Ji to the Penglai Palace. Li Ji went as ordered, only to find that in addition to Li Yu and Li Bi, Li Shi was also present—he knew that they were going to discuss military matters.

However, Li Yu's first words were: "Changwei, are you acquainted with Lai Zhen?"

Li Ji replied, "I've met him a few times in Shanzhou, but we're not close."

Li Yu sighed softly and said, "Lai Tian's actions have greatly disappointed me..."

Lai Zhen succeeded Cui Guangyuan as the military governor, observer, and administrator of ten prefectures in Shannan East Circuit, tasked with quelling the rebellion of Zhang Weijin and others. He later defeated the invading rebel army of Shi Siming twice, in Lushan and Ruzhou, capturing many enemy soldiers. However, in the third year of the Shangyuan era, Emperor Suzong summoned him to court, but he resolutely refused to return, even inciting his officers and soldiers to jointly submit a memorial urging him to stay…

This clearly shows a desire for separatism. Li Ji had mentioned this to Li Shi and Li Bi, and felt that this unhealthy trend was worth being wary of and must be stopped.

Emperor Suzong was weak and helpless that day, and could only order Li Qijun to govern the four prefectures of Shang, Jin, Jun, and Fang, and reappoint Lai Zhen as the prefect of Dengzhou and the military governor of the six prefectures of Shannan East Circuit—merely reducing his power. Later, Wang Zhongsheng, the military governor of Huaixi, was besieged by the rebel army. Because Wang Zhongsheng had submitted a memorial saying that Lai Zhen was hoarding troops and was not fit to remain in office, Lai Zhen harbored resentment and delayed in coming to his rescue, which led to Wang Zhongsheng being captured by the rebel army.

Pei Fen, the military commander of Huaixi, secretly submitted a memorial, saying, "Lai Zhen is strong and difficult to control. We request that we seize him by force; a single battle will suffice." Emperor Suzong agreed and immediately promoted Lai Zhen to Acting Minister of Revenue, concurrently serving as Grand Censor, Prefect of Anzhou, and Military Governor and Inspector of the sixteen prefectures of Huaixi and Henan. Ostensibly, he was given important responsibilities, but in reality, he wanted to drive Lai Zhen out of the firmly established Shannan East Circuit. At the same time, he secretly appointed Pei Fen as the Defense Commissioner of Xiangyang, Dengzhou, and other prefectures, ordering him to attack Lai Zhen.

After receiving his appointment, Lai Zhen, not being foolish, again urged his soldiers to submit a memorial requesting his retention, explaining to the court that "there is no grain in Huaixi, and we must wait until the autumn harvest before we can set off." He intended to delay for now. By this time, it was already April. Emperor Suzong had passed away, and Li Yu had ascended the throne. Not wanting to cause turmoil at this critical juncture, he issued an edict agreeing to allow Lai Zhen to remain in his post in Shannan East Circuit.

However, Li Fuguo was in power, and that old eunuch was still clinging to the despicable strategies he had employed when Emperor Suzong was still alive. He secretly ordered Pei Fen to attack Lai Zhen. In June, Pei Fen led an army of 5,000 men, sailing down the Han River from Junzhou, to attack Lai Zhen. However, he was utterly defeated by Lai Zhen on the north bank of the Gu River, who captured Pei Fen and sent him to the capital.

By this time, Li Fuguo had already fallen from power. Li Yu questioned Pei Fen in person and searched the archived documents. Only then did he understand the cause and effect. He was furious and exiled Pei Fen to Feizhou.

After Li Mi returned to the capital, Li Yu discussed the matter with him. Li Mi also felt that while Lai Zhen's decision to send troops to resist Pei Fen was reasonable—because he had an imperial edict from Li Yu allowing him to remain in office—his ambition to hold military power was also obvious, and he could no longer be left outside the capital. Soon, Li Shi was to be ordered to lead an army to attack Shi Siming. If chaos broke out in Shannan East Circuit at this time, cutting off the army's retreat and even invading the capital region, the consequences would be unimaginable.

What if an imperial edict is issued to summon Lai Zhen back to court? If he still refuses and continues to delay, what should be done then?

Li Ji was quick-witted and immediately understood when Li Yu mentioned Lai Zhen. He then asked, "Does Your Majesty want me to persuade Lai Zhen to return to court?"

Before Li Yu could speak, Li Shi interjected, "Indeed, Changwei is not only the bravest in the army, but also has a sharp tongue. He will surely be able to persuade Lai Zhen to return to the court. At that time, he can take command of the troops in Shannan and join forces with me to retake the Eastern Capital."

Li Ji couldn't help but glance at Li Shi, thinking to himself, "This 'sharp-tongued' assessment is probably because I recently killed Li Fuguo... I wonder if you've honestly explained it to Li Yu."

He had previously hinted to Li Shi that he wanted to go to Shannan East Circuit—serving in your command or as a vanguard would be too boring; it would be better to lead your own army—but his original intention was to go to Shangzhou to be Li Qijun's deputy, so he could fight alongside his good friends Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun. But now Li Shi said, "I can give you all the troops of the ten prefectures of Shannan East Circuit, but on the condition that you take them from Lai Zhen yourself."

That's a really big carrot hanging there!

He couldn't help but hesitate...

Li Fuguo was already in trouble and it would be difficult for him to rise again, so I was able to find an opportunity to persuade him to commit suicide so that he would not be beheaded in the future and could leave some property for his children and grandchildren. As for Lai Zhen, he was in the midst of his success with a strong army in Shannan East Road and had made outstanding contributions. The court could not simply wipe him out. How could I persuade him to return to court?

Should they make a move? Lai Zhen is not a scholar like Helan Jinming or Xu Shuji. Even if he has practiced archery and horsemanship for a few days, it's just for show. He comes from a family of generals and is a veteran of the battlefield. If it were a one-on-one fight, Li Ji is confident that he can capture Lai Zhen alive. But surrounded by soldiers, thinking that he can win in a few moves is pure fantasy.

While he was hesitating, Li Bi seemed to know what he was thinking and immediately warned him: "Changwei, you must not rely on your courage, but use your wisdom."

Li Ji smiled wryly and said, "How should I use my wisdom? I humbly request your guidance, elder brother."

Li Bi first bowed to Li Yu, then said to Li Ji, "There are three crucial points regarding Lai Zhen's return to court." He then raised a finger: "First, Pei Bian's previous military action was secretly orchestrated by Li Fuguo. Now that Li Fuguo is dead, it can be denounced as a forged edict, and all the blame can be placed on Li Fuguo's head..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu slowly stood up and said, "It's a bit stuffy inside the hall. Shall we go for a walk outside?" He then turned to Li Bi and said, "Teacher, you can instruct the guards here."

Li Ji thought to himself, "It seems the emperor still has some goodwill towards Li Fuguo. He can't bear to hear Li Bi speak ill of the old eunuch to his face. I guess Li Shi wouldn't dare mention the matter of Li Fuguo's death to his father at all."

After he and his son left the hall, Li Bi lowered his voice and continued, "Since the end of the Tianbao era, the state has always ordered eunuchs to supervise the various armies. The armies hate the eunuchs very much, so they attribute all the blame to Li Fuguo, who will surely be able to resolve Lai Zhen's inner conflict."

These words were spoken very bluntly, almost to the point of being rude. If it weren't for Li Ji, Li Bi would never have uttered them.

"I understand now, but what is the second point?"

"The rebellions of An and Shi were not committed by hereditary officials of the court, making it difficult for them to uphold loyalty and righteousness. Lai Zhen is different. His father, Lai Yao, rose from the ranks of the army and once fought against the Ten Tribes of Sulu, earning a reputation in the western frontier. Lai Zhen accompanied his father on campaigns from a young age. Therefore, even if he were to temporarily wield an army, his loyalty to the court would not easily change..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "That's not necessarily true. Who says that a family of generals can't produce traitors?" Not wanting to contradict Li Bi directly, he hurriedly asked about the third point.

Li Bi said, “The Emperor’s intention is that since Li Fuguo has left, the position of Minister of War is vacant. If Lai Zhen is willing to return to the court, he can be appointed as Minister of the Chancellery and concurrently serve as Chancellor. Given Lai Zhen’s background, this is an extraordinary promotion, and he may accept the appointment.”

According to the precedent set after the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, a military man like Lai Zhen would at most be given the honorary title of General of the Imperial Guards if he returned to the capital. It was truly an anomaly that he was able to serve as Minister of War and even become a prime minister. Only Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi had such an honor before him, so Lai Zhen could be on par with those two. Would he not be happy about it?

Li Ji thought to himself, "You mentioned three points, but only the third one is the most practical—if you want someone to do something, you must offer them sufficient compensation. If you want me to seize Lai Zhen's troops, you must promise me to lead the troops of Shannan East Circuit. Similarly, if you want Lai Zhen to return to the capital, you must offer him a sufficiently prestigious official title."

Well, the carrot of being the Minister of War and the Chancellor is big enough, which shows that Li Yu is quite determined to do so. With such a weighty offer, I finally have a little more confidence in my trip to Shannan East Circuit.

Of course, once summoned back to court, your official position could be stripped, or you could be relegated to a less important post like Guo Ziyi. It would all be a matter of time. It all depends on how Zhen weighs and decides.

The saying goes, "Fortune favors the bold," and this applies to Lai Zhen as well as myself. If I want to lead an army and conquer the battlefield, I must venture into the eastern part of Shannan. Fortunately, Lai Zhen's rebellious intentions are not yet clear. At worst, I can't persuade him and will have to slink back and serve as Li Shi's vanguard. Surely, my life won't be in danger.

So he bowed to Li Bi and said, "In that case, I am willing to travel south."

The two brothers discussed their plan and then walked out of the palace side by side. From afar, they could see Li Yu's face was somewhat gloomy, as if he were reprimanding Li Shi in a low voice. Li Shi stood with his hands clasped, repeatedly nodding in agreement. Hearing the noise behind him, Li Yu turned around and asked, "Would the guards be willing to speak to Lai Zhen on my behalf?"

Li Ji clasped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go—but I still need to make some preparations. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me a few days' grace."

Li Yu smiled and said, "There's no rush. The Double Ninth Festival is just a few days away. We can wait until after the festival before Changwei leaves the capital."

He then instructed Li Shi: "You escort Changwei out of the palace."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "Your subject takes his leave; I dare not trouble Your Majesty Lu to see me off."

Li Shi came over and put his arm around his shoulder: "I am also about to leave the palace, you may accompany me, Changwei."

Li Ji knew that Li Shi had something to say to him—most likely an instruction from Li Yu—so he did not take his leave. He then followed Li Shi, leaving Penglai Palace one after the other, and headed straight for Zichen Gate.

On the way, he asked Li Shi, "When will Your Highness lead the army on the expedition? Has the date been set?"

Li Shi replied, “This eastern expedition to quell the rebellion must be a success in one battle. The goal is not only to recover the eastern capital, but also to avoid repeating the mistakes of the defeat at Xiangzhou. Therefore, we must carefully plan our weapons, supplies and provisions. The Emperor has sent the imperial envoy Liu Qingtan to the Uyghurs to borrow troops, but he has not yet returned. I am afraid he will not be able to leave in September – we will have to wait until October.”

He then turned slightly, waved his hand, signaling Li Ji to catch up and walk alongside him, and said, "It is just right that after the Double Ninth Festival, Changwei will go to Shannan East Road. He must persuade Lai Zhen to return to the court, then reorganize his troops, leave Dengzhou, cross Funiu Mountain, and come to meet me."

Li Ji clasped his hands in response.

Li Shi suddenly changed the subject, saying, "Changwei, even if this expedition can truly pacify the north and south of the Yellow River in one fell swoop, the barbarian bandits are eyeing us covetously in the west, and the Dangxiang and Nuci are causing trouble... The country has been weak for a long time, plagued by a hundred diseases. It will probably be difficult to recover to the height of the Kaiyuan and Tiantong eras without five or ten years..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "The saying goes, 'Illness comes like a landslide, but goes like pulling silk.' The same goes for a country. Five or ten years, is that really enough?"

"...Therefore, the sage not only consulted Master Changyuan on military matters for quelling rebellions, but also sought his advice on strategies for governing the country..."

Li Ji nodded: "That's how it should be."

Li Shi suddenly stopped and turned around, looking at Li Ji: "I fear that Mr. Changyuan will be like the late Emperor, who, seeing that the chaos is about to subside, longs for the mountains and forests, and we will insist on inviting him to go. What should we do?"

Chapter 44, The Bromance Between Ruler and Subject

Li Shi worried that once the situation improved slightly, Li Bi would resign again and return to the mountains to live in seclusion. Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but smile bitterly, "This is indeed my brother's mistake..." If Li Bi hadn't been in such a hurry to retire to the mountains and had stayed by Li Heng's side a little longer, perhaps the defeat at Xiangzhou wouldn't have happened? Perhaps even if they had been defeated, it wouldn't have been such a devastating defeat, with Shi Siming pushing the battle lines back to Luoyang in one fell swoop.

But he immediately reminded Li Shi: "Brother, your request to leave the other day was truly out of necessity. Emperor Suzong favors Li Fuguo and is wary of Prince Qi. There are also many discords among the court officials. If you do not request to leave, you may end up like Zhang Congzhou (Zhang Hao)..."

Zhang Hao, as prime minister, was ordered to lead an expedition and successfully recovered Henan and Hedong provinces. However, shortly after returning to the capital, he was dismissed from his post due to repeated slander from eunuchs and sent to serve as the chief administrator of the Jingzhou Grand General's Office. A year later, he was reinstated as a tutor to the crown prince and then changed to Left Attendant Gentleman of the Palace. Not only did he hold a nominal title without real power, but he was also inexplicably implicated in the rebellion of Prince Qi, Li Zhen—because he had bought Li Zhen's house—and was demoted to the position of Registrar of Chenzhou, a mere seventh-rank official…

After Li Yu succeeded to the throne, he reinstated Zhang Hao, but so far there has been no intention to recall him to the capital; he has simply been transferred to the position of Prefect of Fuzhou.

According to Li Ji's observation, Li Mi's concern for the country and its people was not necessarily that profound. His departure from the mountains the day before was purely to repay Li Heng's high regard, and his return to court was also to maintain his friendship with Li Yu. Li Mi was a believer in Taoism and understood the principle of self-preservation. Therefore, he tried his best not to get too involved in the murky waters of the court, lest he be demoted or even harmed.

Therefore, Li Ji reminded Li Shi: Unless the emperor is truly courageous and responsible, and willing to protect Li Bi from harm, Li Bi might, at any time, have the idea of ​​retiring from public life again.

Li Shi pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Congzhou... well, I will find an opportunity to speak to the Emperor and summon Zhang Hao back to court." He paused, then added, "Now that Li Fuguo is dead, and the Prince of Qi and the Emperor... have no major grudges, then Mr. Changyuan need not worry about slander and ridicule anymore, right?"

Li Ji shook his head: "Although Li Fuguo is dead, Yu Chaoen is still alive, and Cheng... within the palace, there may be those who suspect my brother. Moreover, there are certainly those in the court who hope to expel my brother from the palace..."

Li Shi grinned: "You guessed it?" He then nodded: "That's right. The Sage bought the former residence of Princess Changning for Mr. Changyuan, which is right next to Changwei's residence. The Sage meant well. It's always more convenient for you brothers to visit each other since you live next to each other."

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji asked in a low voice, "Who exactly was it that spread your brother's slander?"

Li Shi shook his head: "I don't know either. However... it can't be considered that Master Changyuan was expelled from the palace, but rather that it is truly inappropriate for him to remain in the palace as a hermit for so long." As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Li Ji: "Does the Imperial Guard perhaps hope that you are like Fotucheng or Zhiyi?"

“Two monks…” Li Ji curled his lip. “Speaking of which, Taoism has never produced a national preceptor.”

Of course, he was just making a casual remark and wasn't actually happy to see Li Mi become some kind of "Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty." So he quickly steered the conversation back to Li Shi, asking, "What position will the Emperor bestow upon my elder brother? Is it possible for him to become a prime minister?"

Li Shi raised his eyebrows: "I don't know either." He paused, then asked: "But regardless of the position, I'm afraid you wouldn't accept it... Even the Sage wouldn't be able to force you."

Li Ji blurted out, "It doesn't matter if we force them."