Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 181

So he drafted a reply for Cui Cuo. After reading it carefully, Cui Cuo couldn't help but sigh, "You were born at the wrong time. If you were in the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, even a female scribe could have a job..."

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Seventy percent of the central government offices in Chang'an were concentrated in the Imperial City south of Taiji Palace. However, the Secretariat, the Chancellery, the Palace Attendants, the Palace Attendants, the Palace Ladies, and the Censorate were moved to Daming Palace during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. They were located between Hanyuan Hall and Xuanzheng Hall, which is known as the "Central Court".

The Secretariat was located in the east, adjacent to the Sunflower Gate, and was therefore commonly known as the "Eastern Secretariat"; the Chancellery was located in the west, adjacent to the Moonflower Gate, and was commonly known as the "Western Secretariat". The Hall of State Affairs was originally located in the Secretariat, but after Emperor Zhongzong Li Dan ascended the throne, it was moved to the Chancellery, thus establishing the Chancellery's core position.

—Actually, the Zhengshitang was just an old name. In the eleventh year of the Kaiyuan era, at the suggestion of Chancellor Zhang Yue, it was renamed "Zhongshu Menxia" and the seal of Zhengshitang was also changed to the seal of Zhongshu Menxia.

The Central Court, with its numerous government offices clustered together in an area less than one-eighth the size of the Imperial City, was already quite cramped. The Hall of State Affairs, though the central hub of the state, occupied only a courtyard of the Secretariat, making it even more cramped. Behind the main hall were five offices—the Office of Personnel, the Office of the Privy Council, the Office of Military Affairs, the Office of Revenue, and the Office of Justice and Rites—where dozens of officials often had to work side-by-side; even when the prime ministers sat separately in the main hall, their breaths could be heard between them…

Fortunately, there are not many prime ministers nowadays, only Li Xian, Wang Jin, and Du Hongjian. There is also Liu Yan, who is often busy on the road and does not attend meetings. Even with the clerks and officials serving him, it is not too crowded and there is room to move around.

Therefore, after Li Bi left the capital, Li Xian proposed that they discuss with the Secretariat about expanding the size of the Council of State Affairs. He hadn't dared to suggest it while Li Bi was still alive, because that Mr. Changyuan had such an aloof and indifferent attitude; he seemed to think that even sitting at the bottom of a well, he was as if he were in a vast ocean, with an open sky and a boundless world. Li Xian, however, was ultimately a member of the imperial family, accustomed to a life of luxury, and found such a cramped office space unbearable.

However, his motion failed to gain the support of the other two prime ministers. Wang Jin said, "This hall has been in disrepair for many years and often leaks when it rains. It should be repaired. However, the national treasury is in dire straits. Even the Xuanzheng and Hanyuan Halls have not been repaired, only given some new paint. How can we possibly repair this hall alone, let alone expand it?"

Du Hongjian also said, "Before the Tianbao era, there were often six or seven ministers sitting in this hall. Our predecessors never mentioned expanding it. How can we go against the precedent?"

Actually, repairing or even expanding the Hall of State Affairs wouldn't cost that much money. The problem was that there was a bad habit in those days: royal palaces and court halls were made as magnificent as possible to display power and subdue distant peoples, while government offices were simply used to house people—to avoid being impeached by censors for extravagance and wasting public funds. This didn't exist in other cities; if government offices were grand, that was part of the nation's image. As for Chang'an itself, the nation's image was already supported by the palace complex.

Of course, no one cares how luxurious the officials' private residences are or how lavish the prime ministers' meals are... In short, everything is tradition, good or bad. Most people would rather be inconvenient than break with tradition and never take the lead in destroying or innovating.

The two ministers refused, and Li Xian was about to persuade him again when Du Hongjian promptly changed the subject: "Now, Li Ji, the military governor of Shuofang, has submitted a memorial impeaching Wei Shaohua, the Minister of State Ceremonies. Have you all read the memorial?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jin angrily said, "Li Ji fabricated charges and framed loyal officials. His arrogance is evident on the paper! This memorial should be rejected directly."

Li Xian quickly waved his hand: "Prime Minister, please wait—I heard that yesterday Li Ji entered the palace and met with the Emperor in Penglai. He impeached Wei Shaohua in court, but the Emperor neither agreed nor disagreed..."

When Li Yu summoned Li Ji to the Penglai Palace, it wasn't just Li Tan and his two nephews present; eunuchs and palace maids were also there, and a court historian was diligently recording the emperor's words and actions for the imperial archives. Therefore, it was impossible to keep the situation completely secret; some information was bound to leak out. As a member of the royal family and the prime minister, Li Xian was likely able to obtain the news promptly.

Upon hearing Li Xian's words, Wang Jin was speechless, while Du Hongjian frowned and asked, "How should we judge this?" Even if such an important impeachment is ultimately sent to the palace for the emperor's decision, shouldn't the prime ministers first draft an opinion? So how should we judge it?

Li Xian stroked his beard and pondered, "Wei Shaohua's actions were indeed flawed... When the envoy returned from the Court of State Ceremonial, not a single person from the court accompanied him. This cannot be said to be anything other than a dereliction of duty on Wei Qing's part..."

Du Hongjian said, "Wei Shaohua also submitted a memorial to defend himself. He said that Hui Jia was arrested by Wannian County, and Chi Xin and others were eager to rescue him. Without informing the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, they rode out of the temple on horseback and left without permission, and he could not catch up with them..."

Li Xian shook his head and said, "Isn't this still dereliction of duty? If it's because the incident happened suddenly and was beyond our control, then we can use this as an excuse for everything." He paused, then said to his colleagues, "I intend to petition the Emperor on this matter, and have him issue an edict reprimanding Wei Shaohua, and making this a one-time exception..."

Wang Jin nodded and said, "That will suffice. Minister Wei's mistake was unintentional, and we should not punish him further as Li Ji suggests."

Taking the opportunity, Du Hongjian asked again, "What should be done with the Hui envoys, such as Chixin?"

"Are they still imprisoned in the eternal prison?"

Du Hongjian smiled bitterly, “That’s right. Both the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Court of State Ceremonies have submitted memorials… The Jingzhao Prefect originally sent an official to Wannian County, intending to release Chi Xin and return him to the Court of State Ceremonies, but the returning envoy said that unless a high-ranking official of the court went to apologize and severely punish the Wannian magistrate… and Li Shuofang, he would absolutely not leave…”

Li Xian couldn't help but exclaim angrily, "These barbarians are truly hateful!" He paused, then slowly said, "Li Ji, in the Penglai Palace, requested His Majesty to issue an edict to execute the entire envoy entourage for the crimes of breaking into the prison and injuring officials..."

Wang Jin scoffed, "Li Ji is truly insane! If we grant his request, the Khan will surely break the alliance. What will we do if he sends troops to attack?"

Li Xian asked hesitantly, "Why don't we summon Li Ji and ask him if he can go and apologize to the returning envoy..."

As if speaking of the devil himself, no sooner had the words left his mouth than a clerk in the hall reported: "Li Ji, the military governor of Shuofang and acting minister of rites, requests an audience."

Upon hearing the news, the three ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Author's note: Two more updates today, I guess I've made up for it?

Chapter 48, Peace and Prosperity as Prime Minister

The three ministers of the Council of State Affairs had just been talking about Li Ji, considering whether to summon him for questioning, when Li Ji unexpectedly came to their door—this changed the nature of the matter considerably.

If the Council of State Affairs were to issue a summons to Li Ji for questioning, we would have the upper hand and could compel him to at least propose a solution. However, he has come here on his own initiative without waiting for orders, which is certainly not out of a change of heart or an attempt to apologize. Moreover, the Emperor did not summon him to the Council of State Affairs when he presented his memorial to the Emperor yesterday, so he most likely has no good intentions.

They might insist on severely punishing the Hui envoys and force the prime ministers to punish Wei Shaohua.

The idea of ​​"forcing the prime minister" used to be a joke. Even though the prime minister was no longer the head of the three provinces, once he entered the Secretariat and the Chancellery, he was the head of the court. When he sat in court, dukes and marquises would bow first, and when he walked on the road, princes and nobles would give way. Apart from the emperor himself, who would dare to contradict him to his face? However, after the reign of Emperor Zhide, the world was turned upside down. First, the powerful eunuchs led by Li Fuguo drove the prime ministers like servants. Then, military men like Guo Ziyi rose to the rank of dukes and openly challenged the prime minister.

Subsequently, when the regional military governors and military commanders came to court, they would often step into the Hall of State Affairs and treat the prime minister with only the same courtesy—even if they were not yet prime ministers and their official rank was not even third grade—even when Yuan Zai held power, he had no way to deal with those military commanders.

On the contrary, when Li Mi was prime minister, Liang Chongyi returned to the capital to pay his respects. On one occasion, he was summoned for questioning. He strode confidently into the Hall of State Affairs, and Li Mi immediately ordered, "Get him out of here! Does he think the Secretariat and Chancellery are a marketplace? He should register before entering!" Liang Chongyi was quite indignant and asked a minor official, "Who is this prime minister in the hall? He has a lean appearance, yet he is so stern?" The official replied, "It is Prime Minister Li Changyuan." Liang Chongyi was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Could it be Li Weibao's cousin, that Mr. Changyuan?" After receiving an affirmative answer, he immediately lowered his head, tucked his hands in, and obediently registered before entering. He stood and answered Li Mi, not daring to sit down even for a moment…

Liang Chongyi's sudden change from arrogance to obsequiousness wasn't out of fear of Li Bi, but rather Li Ji; so how could the prime ministers not panic now that Li Ji had come in person? Wang Jin immediately said, "I urgently need to relieve myself, so I'll take my leave for now." He didn't even have time to put on his shoes before dashing out the back door.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Going to the toilet through the front door is closer... Wang Xiaqing, a high-ranking official for nearly ten years, why are you so afraid? Besides, you rebuked Li Ji for 'fabricating charges and framing loyal officials, his arrogance is vividly portrayed,' and it was only a moment ago..." He looked at Du Hongjian. Du Zhixun, after all, was a military commander who had led troops and fought battles, so his expression remained relatively calm. He just smiled bitterly and said, "I heard that yesterday in Penglai Palace, Li Ji confronted Prince Qi, and Prince Qi was helpless... It seems that we will also suffer the same fate as Prince Qi."

Li Xian thought to himself, "You've heard about it too—"Then shall we allow him to enter?"

Du Hongjian spread his hands: "It is already rare that he is willing to register before entering. How can we refuse him entry?" He instructed the clerk: "Please invite Li Shuofang in."

So Li Ji, carrying a thick stack of documents, entered with his head held high.

Li Xian had imagined that Li Bi would treat Liang Chongyi the same way, scolding him for his rudeness and ordering him to be dragged out… but his lips only parted slightly, and he ultimately didn’t dare to say it. Fortunately, after Li Ji entered the hall, he first casually placed the stack of papers he was carrying under his arm on the clerk’s desk, then pretended to dust off his clothes, straighten his turban, and bowed deeply with his hands clasped above his head: “Greetings, Prime Minister Li, greetings, Prime Minister Du.”

Not bad, not impolite. Li and Du exchanged a glance, feeling slightly relieved.

Li Ji asked, "Where are the other two ministers?"

Li Xian coughed lightly and replied simply, "Prime Minister Wang and Prime Minister Liu have other official business to attend to... What important matter brings Li Shuofang to the hall today?"

Li Ji pointed to the stack of papers he had just put down, indicating to the clerk to present them to the two prime ministers—"I have come here today to submit this petition on behalf of the people of Chang'an, accusing the Court of State Ceremonies and the Prefectural Government of the Capital of corruption and abuse of power, turning our glorious capital of Tang into a filthy and violent land of foreigners. If they are not punished, the country will cease to exist!"

Actually, Li Ji got up early this morning and planned to visit Li Qiyun first—after all, he was his uncle and had been of great help to him, so now that he had returned to Chang'an, the first person he should visit was definitely Li Qiyun—although Li Qiyun might be at work and not at home, I still had to show my respect first.

If we really don't run into her, then Yang Wan will be the next one to deliver the message... Let's wander around until the afternoon, then meet up with Cui Cuo and go to the Xichuan Jinzouyuan for a banquet.

However, just as he was tidying his clothes, a messenger came to report that countless people were crowding in front of the main gate of the Jinzouyuan, kowtowing and requesting an audience.

Li Ji was completely bewildered. He went outside to investigate and saw—while saying "countless" was an exaggeration—there were certainly a couple hundred people, almost completely blocking the already narrow road in front of the gate. When the people saw an official in purple robes emerge, they recognized Li Ji and hurriedly bowed, crying out, "Please, Li Shuofang, do us justice!"

Upon inquiry, it was discovered that these were all citizens of Chang'an who had suffered mistreatment and even beatings at the hands of the Uyghurs. Among them were wealthy merchants from the West Market and ordinary people from the streets. In the past, when they were wronged, they would naturally file complaints with the counties of Chang'an and Wannian, or the Jingzhao Prefecture. Some merchants, relying on their connections, even went directly to the Court of State Ceremonial to demand justice, but they were all reprimanded and driven away, and no one was willing to accept their petitions.

Yesterday, Li Ji arrested Shi Chixin and others in the street and personally escorted them to Wannian County for trial. The news spread instantly, and these victims saw a glimmer of hope. So they rallied together and rushed to the front of the Jinzouyuan early this morning, kneeling and crying for help.

Li Ji ordered Lu Qi, Gao Ying, and others to take the petition. After glancing through it, he was so enraged that he didn't even bother to visit Li Qijun's residence. Instead, he grabbed the petition, mounted his horse, and rode straight to the Hall of State Affairs.

After entering the court, the petition was presented to the two prime ministers. Li and Du, upon reading it, couldn't help but exchange wry smiles—this Li Ji was truly determined to pursue this matter relentlessly! Du Hongjian replied dismissively, "Since it's such a petty petition, it should be sent to the relevant authorities, not directly submitted to the Secretariat and Chancellery..."

Li Ji bowed and said, "Since the complaint involves Chang'an and Wannian counties as well as the Jingzhao Prefecture, it cannot be appealed step by step according to procedure. Does Prime Minister Du expect me to go and bang my head on the Dengwen Drum and strike my lung stone?"

"It can be presented to the Censorate..."

Li Ji casually replied, "Because the censors are ignorant, I had no choice but to come and trouble you two gentlemen."

"How can the censors be so ignorant?"

Li Ji's mind raced, and he quickly fabricated a reason. He bowed to the emperor and said solemnly, "Most censors are scholars who are unaware of the dangers facing the nation and the suffering of the people. Only you two gentlemen have served as ministers and led troops..."

Du Hongjian once served as the acting military governor of Shuofang Army, and not long ago he was appointed as the deputy marshal of Shannan West and Jiannan East Sichuan Circuits and the military governor of Jiannan West Sichuan, leading an expedition to Sichuan. As for Li Xian, in the later years of Emperor Suzong's reign, he was dismissed from his post as prime minister due to slander by Li Fuguo and was appointed as the military governor of Jingnan and the commissioner in charge of military farms. After Li Yu succeeded to the throne, he was briefly reassigned as the military governor of Jingnan and the prefect of Jiangling...

Even Wang Jin, who escaped, had served successively as the Deputy Marshal of Henan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Henan, Huaixi, and Shannan East Circuits, and the Military Governor of Hedong. Only Liu Yan had held the only official positions in charge of finance, minting coins, salt and iron, and transportation in the Jianghuai region; he had never led troops.

Therefore, Li Ji said, “You two ministers should know that if soldiers are cowardly, they are unusable. Even a thousand horses and a thousand soldiers can be easily defeated by a hundred cavalry. Now that you have entered the Hall of State Affairs, you should also know that the common people are the same. If they are cowardly, they will not trust the government and will not obey the law, and the country will be in imminent danger. Now the Uyghurs are rampaging in the city and the market. The aggrieved people have nowhere to appeal. All the merchants in the two markets are weeping and saying that they should leave. If merchants do not stay, the prices of everything in the city will skyrocket, and the people will be unable to make a living. They will have no choice but to flee to the countryside. Then Chang'an will soon become a ghost town! If Chang'an falls, the world will be in chaos. How can such a major matter not be directly addressed to the prime ministers, and we beg you ministers to make a fair judgment?”

Du Hongjian instinctively countered, "How do you intend for us to make a decision?"

Li Ji answered loudly, "Please punish all the Hui people according to the law, and dismiss the Minister of Ceremonies and the Prefect of the Capital, etc., to appease the people!"

Du Hongjian naturally refused to agree, but dared not refute it either, so he could only glance sideways at Li Xian.

In truth, although Li Xian and Wang Jin had served as military governors and even deputy marshals, they merely used their prestige to suppress other generals; they themselves had never actually seen battle. Only Du Hongjian could be considered both a scholar and a warrior, possessing considerable military talent. However, that was all in the past. After supporting Emperor Suzong's ascension to the throne in Lingwu and regaining his place in the central court, Du Hongjian's ambitions gradually faded, and he became obsessed with Buddhism and Taoism. He no longer sought to be a prime minister for peace, but only for peace to prevail, and dared not openly contradict Li Ji.

Li Xian is the only choice for prime minister, both in terms of seniority and background—even when Li Bi was in office, Li Xian was always given the seat of honor—so this matter still needs to be decided by you, Prime Minister Li.

Li Xian was also at his wit's end. After hesitating for a while, he gently advised Li Ji, "I know that you and Wei Honglu had quite a disagreement yesterday on the main street. We just discussed that we should punish him a little. However, yesterday the envoy escaped from the Honglu Temple, and Wei Honglu was unable to stop him, which was truly unexpected..."

Li Ji sneered: "This is probably no accident—this morning, another Uyghur sneaked out of the Honglu Temple, intending to go north to deliver a message!"

Yesterday, Chi Xin broke into the prison, but he didn't take all his followers with him; four or five remained at the Court of State Ceremonial. When Wei Shaohua returned in anger, he personally wrote a memorial impeaching Li Ji. The news spread, and the Uyghurs immediately gathered, blocking the gate demanding an explanation. Wei Shaohua tried to appease them, saying, "I have submitted my memorial, and the Emperor will surely intervene personally. Your companions will be released soon..."

However, even after the drums sounded in the quiet streets, Chixin and the others did not return. Moreover, the officials of the Court of State Ceremonies took away the envoy's flag and made up excuses to refuse to return it. By this time, the news that more than a dozen Uyghurs had been detained in the Wannian County prison had spread like wildfire throughout the city. The Uyghurs who remained discussed their options and decided that they should return immediately to report to the Khan.

Early that morning, a Uyghur left the Court of State Ceremonial—which dared not stop him—and rode westward, intending to leave the city through the Golden Gate. However, Li Ji had foreseen this and ordered Yin Shen to send men to lie in ambush near the Court of State Ceremonial. The Uyghur had not gone far when he was captured and taken directly to Wannian County to serve time in prison with Chi Xin.

Therefore, Li Ji said to Li Xian, "When the envoy left the city, did the Court of State Ceremonial report it? Was Wei Shaohua simply negligent and derelict in his duties, or was he acting as a spy for the Uyghur Khan?! I implore you, sir, to investigate thoroughly and not to let barbarian spies and Han traitors go unpunished!"

With this heavy accusation pinned on him, Li Xian couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Wei Shaohua is finished... Even if the Tang and Hui are friends rather than enemies, they are still two countries. As an important official of the Tang Dynasty, if he is suspected of secretly colluding with the Uyghurs, how can he expect to have a good outcome?

He exchanged a brief glance with Du Hongjian, then nodded and said, "Very well, leave the petition here for now. We will have someone check it ourselves. As for Wei Honglu and the Prefect of the Capital... we should leave it to His Majesty to decide."

In any case, it's best to just get rid of Li Ji for now.

Li Ji smiled slightly and asked, "I see that both of you gentlemen look troubled. Are you worried that the Uyghur Khan will be angered upon hearing the news and break the alliance to invade?"

He was actually waiting for the prime ministers to ask, so he could repeat what he had said to Li Yu and the others yesterday. But to his surprise, Prime Ministers Li and Du didn't ask and just wanted to get rid of him—so let me ask you the questions myself.

Upon hearing the question, Du Hongjian's left eyebrow twitched slightly, and he asked, "I have some concerns... Does Li Shuofang have some good plan to deal with this?"

Li Ji replied loudly, "I dare not offer a good strategy—my idea is that upon arriving in Shuofang, we should immediately dispatch a large force to block the three surrendered cities!"

With a loud crash, Li Xian's hand trembled, and he knocked over the porcelain cup on the table; Du Hongjian also couldn't help but tremble...

The three cities of Dong, Zhong, and Xi, which received the surrender, were located south of Yinshan Mountain and north of the Hetao region. They were important military towns on the northern border of the Tang Dynasty.

Eight hundred years ago, Han general Gongsun Ao built the Surrender City on the southern grasslands outside the Great Wall to accept the surrender of the Xiongnu Left Grand Commandant. This city, far from Han territory and isolated beyond the Great Wall, was clear evidence of the Han Dynasty's strength and its ability to launch offensive actions against the Xiongnu. The Tang Dynasty's Surrender City also derives its name from this, but its purpose was not to accept surrenders, but rather to defend against incursions from the Later Turkic Khaganate.

The Western Surrender City was located in the Hetao region and was once home to the Hengsai Army; the Central Surrender City was located on the north bank of the Yellow River south of Huyan Valley and was under the jurisdiction of the Tiande Army; the Eastern Surrender City was located on the opposite bank of the Shengzhou prefecture seat, Yulin, and was home to the Zhenwu Army; the Anbei Protectorate (originally named the Yanran Protectorate and the Hanhai Protectorate), one of the nine protectorates of the Tang Dynasty, was successively located in the Central and Western Surrender Cities.

The establishment and garrisoning of the three surrender cities controlled the Hetao and Yinshan regions, dominating southern Mongolia. This prevented the Later Turkic Khaganate from invading southward, causing it to gradually weaken and eventually be destroyed by the Uyghurs. Although the northern border troops were subsequently reduced in size, the three surrender cities were not abandoned and could still be used to defend against the Uyghurs. Moreover, the garrisoning of troops in Hebei and southern Mongolia, like the surrender cities of the Han Dynasty, placed them in an offensive strategic position. This is why, unlike the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Tang Dynasty never built the Great Wall, yet the northern border remained secure.

If there were a Great Wall blocking the way, Li Ji's statement that he would send a large force would still be a defensive posture. Relying solely on Shuofang with tens of thousands of troops, and without full support from the central government, the possibility of attacking the Uyghurs beyond the Great Wall would be very small. But now Li Ji says he intends to station a large force at the Three Surrender Cities. Whether this is a genuine attack is debatable, but at least from the Uyghur perspective, it seems the Tang army is about to march north into the grasslands and deserts…

Li Xian and Du Hongjian were horrified, thinking to themselves, "Li Ji, have you really gone mad? Are you planning a full-scale war with the Uyghurs? Before the Khan even invades the south, you've already created the impression of a massive military buildup..."

"Li Shuo, Shuofang, stop joking! The affairs of state are matters of great importance; you cannot speak carelessly about them!"

Chapter 49, Utterly Unreliable

Li Ji's threat to send troops to the three surrendered cities startled the two prime ministers, who hurriedly stopped him, warning him not to deceive them with falsehoods.

Li Ji curled his lip, revealing a confident smile: "I am not lying, nor am I joking. Now that spring has returned, the horses are thin after a winter's rest, which is not a good time for the Uyghurs to launch an attack. If the Khan breaks the alliance and marches south, it will be at least until the end of summer. If I send my troops north first and enter the three surrendered cities, the Khan will surely be afraid and will send an envoy to ask my intentions..."

The two ministers nodded slightly, thinking that the way things had developed was quite reasonable.

Li Ji continued, “I then clearly informed the Khan that the envoy Chixin and others were acting tyrannically in Chang'an, injuring my officials, killing my people, and violating my royal laws. Our Tang Dynasty wanted to punish them slightly, but they claimed that the Khan had already intended to make peace with the barbarians and betray the Tang Dynasty, and that he would soon lead a large army south to ambush Chang'an. Therefore, the Emperor urgently dispatched our Shuofang Army northward to defend against them.”

"If the Uyghur Khan has no intention of breaking the alliance, he will surely hate Chixin for lying and ruining the friendship between our two countries; even if he does intend to break the alliance, he will resent Chixin for leaking military secrets, which made our Tang Dynasty take precautions. In this way, even if the Khan is angry, he will be angry at Chixin, not at our Tang Dynasty. I will then kill Chixin and his subordinates at the Three Surrender Cities, renew the alliance with the Khan, and return home—the country will be safe!"

Upon hearing this, the two ministers exchanged bewildered glances.

Li Ji's words were not unreasonable, but could things really develop as smoothly as he envisioned? Du Hongjian couldn't help but ask hesitantly, "If the Khan harbors resentment and attacks again in the autumn, how will we deal with it? And can you guarantee that you can make the Khan take his anger out on Chixin?"

Li Ji said solemnly, "The imperial court ordered me to garrison the northern frontier, but its intention was to govern the Uyghurs, not the Tibetans..."

The establishment of the Shuofang Military Governor was originally intended to "defend against the Northern Barbarians," and it wasn't until the fall of Liangzhou that they could directly confront the Tubo (Tibetan) forces. This military governorship was established in the ninth year of the Kaiyuan era, but in the third year of the Tianbao era, the Uyghurs defeated Basimi, essentially unifying the grasslands and deserts. Soon after, the Huai Ren Khan sent envoys to pay homage, and the Tang-Uyghur alliance was initially formed. From then until the Tubo captured Longyou and invaded Liangzhou, the Shuofang Military Governorship remained in place. Everyone knew it was there to guard against the Uyghurs.

Does that mean that once two countries become friendly, they can withdraw from important border towns and leave only a few patrolling soldiers? Unless one is a complete political idiot, no one would dare to suggest such a thing.

Therefore, Li Ji said that the court appointed him as the military governor of Shuofang, firstly to guard against the Uyghurs, and secondly to the Tubo. He said, "If you think I am not competent, I humbly request that I be transferred to another post. I am quite fond of Fengxiang, where I can serve as the prefect."

The appointment of Li Ji as the military governor of Shuofang was originally decided by Li Yu himself, and the two prime ministers had no right to change it on their own... Helpless, Li Xian had no choice but to request: "Then you should write down the plan you just presented regarding the matter of the emperor's return and present it to the emperor."

Li Ji nodded and said, "Of course, I will go back and write a report now—what I just said concerns matters of great importance to the military and the state. I implore you two gentlemen to carefully instruct your subordinates not to leak it out. If the Hui people find out about it, my plan will fail, and I fear that the two families will become enemies, endangering the Tang dynasty. In that case, the person who leaked the secret should be executed along with their entire clan!"

Both ministers said that was natural and that there was no need for Li Jun to remind them.

But Li Ji immediately raised his eyebrows and made another request: "In that case, if the envoys Chixin and others are temporarily detained in Wannian County, those left behind must not step out of the Honglu Temple again. If they are allowed to do so, it would be tantamount to treason and aiding the enemy! As for Wei Shaohua and Li Gan (then the Prefect of Jingzhao), I suspect they have been bribed by Chixin to act as spies for the Uyghurs. Please monitor them as well to prevent them from leaking secrets. If I have not yet gone north, but the Khan goes south first, or sends an envoy directly to Chang'an to question me, it must be because Wei Shaohua is secretly colluding with the Hu!"

It seemed like he was shirking responsibility, but in reality, he was pinning Wei Shaohua down with his life—if my plan fails, someone must have leaked it; and if someone leaked it but we can't find the culprit, then it must be Wei Shaohua who did it, and we'll definitely kill his whole family!

Li and Du were speechless and could only offer bitter smiles.

Li Ji had frightened the Emperor and the Crown Prince yesterday, and today he had intimidated the Prime Minister. He left the central court in a smug manner. His advisors, Lu Qi and Gao Ying, were waiting at the Mingfeng Gate. Seeing the general leave the palace, they hurriedly surrounded him, repeatedly asking, "How did it go?"

Li Ji spread his hands: "These days, prime ministers are all incompetent..."

If they think my words are inappropriate, then they should debate them in court, or, relying on the prime minister's authority, order me to be thrown out. If they are convinced by me, then they should present my words to the emperor on my behalf, or directly lead me to the emperor's presence. Instead, they remain noncommittal, merely giving perfunctory answers, and telling me to quickly write a memorial. Clearly, they are indecisive and dare not make a decision, so they are simply passing the buck to the palace.

Du Hongjian's true character can be seen from his indulgence of Cui Gan; as for Li Xian, he used to have a reputation for integrity, but now it seems he's nothing special. I seem to recall someone saying that Li Yanjian has risen and fallen several times, his sharpness has faded, his edges have smoothed, and he's become no different from a common, mediocre official.

With this group of bureaucrats controlling the Secretariat and the Chancellery, the state of the nation is predictable—they're not even as good as Yuan Zai, at least he dared to make decisions.

Li Ji then spoke with his advisors, recounting in detail what he had said to the prime ministers. Lu Qi was alarmed: "It was one thing for the military governor to impeach Wei Honglu, but how did it also implicate Li Jingzhao?"

Li Ji sneered: "If it weren't for Li Gan's indulgence, how dare the Uyghurs run rampant in the markets of Chang'an?!"

These are all public security cases, which should be handled by Wannian and Chang'an counties. However, because the case involves Uyghur envoys, the officials of the two counties are of low rank and lack the authority to handle the situation. Therefore, the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Court of State Ceremonial should negotiate a solution. So, Li Gan, if you had any guts, would things have escalated to this point? If I don't bite you, who else should I bite?!

Gao Ying clapped his hands and said, "Although the general's plan is a bit too simple, it is reasonable. I will draft a memorial for the general and submit it directly to the Secretariat."

Li Ji nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Gongchu. In the current situation, you need not hold back in the slightest. Just do and say whatever I say, and please do not hesitate like yesterday, fearing that you might make a mistake."

Gao Ying smiled and cupped his hands: "I understand the General's intentions and instructions from last night. Now that the matter has been settled, we are like two armies arrayed in perfect formation. We must fight on with all our might and fight to the death. We must not have the slightest thought of retreating. This time, if we don't tear a hole in the sky, we will not see the General's ability and the might of our Tang Dynasty!"