vncnus Page 148
Page 148
In Lhasa, Ma Chongying, intending to prepare his troops for another invasion of Longshang, came to report this to the Zanpu in person.
Trisong Detsen listened to Ma Chongying's report with a blank expression, remaining silent for a long time. Ma Chongying knelt on the ground, his heart filled with unease—although the emperor was young, his prestige had grown daily since he plotted to eliminate the powerful minister Xiangzhong Bajie, and he was praised as the resurrected emperor who had abandoned the Zanpatriarch. Even Ma Chongying often felt uneasy and breathless in his presence, as if walking on thin ice.
Crucially, Ma Chongying had no ambition and did not want to become a powerful minister like Xiangzhong Bajie, who controlled the Zanpu (Tibetan king) and commanded the entire Tibetan kingdom. In a sense, Ma Chongying was indeed a loyal minister of Tibet. Because Tibet's political system was relatively primitive, he regarded Trisong Detsen not only as a king but also as a lord, and he was afraid that a careless word might displease his master.
But Trisong Detsen remained silent, and Ma Chongying dared neither ask nor urge him, so he could only bow his head before the emperor and wait quietly. Finally, a soft sigh was heard from the throne.
"What worries does the King have? Your Majesty, I will share your burdens."
Trisong Detsen then slowly said, “The world is full of troubles and afflictions, which cannot be overcome without great wisdom. Ordinary people often cannot see their own true nature. Even if they once attain wisdom and see it, they will be deluded by karmic obstacles and fall into the sea of suffering. Great treatise, do you still remember your original vow? What was it all about?”
"Your Majesty, I only wish for your health, prosperity, and the continued success of Tibet for generations to come..."
"These are all empty words, distant dreams. But how can we turn dreams into reality?"
Ma Chongying roughly guessed what Trisong Detsen wanted to say, and a wave of sorrow welled up in his heart: "Your Majesty, I am guilty... My original wish was to take advantage of the decline of the Tang Dynasty to seize Anxi and Beiting, to spread Buddhism and teach its teachings, to repel evil spirits in Lingxi, to let the Tsangpo (Tibetan king) be bathed in the golden light of the Buddha, and to let all the people of Tibet be free from karma and bathed in auspiciousness..."
Trisong Detsen interrupted him: "You originally told me that we should advance into Longyou, cut off the connection between Chang'an and Hexi, and then we could pacify Anxi and Beiting, and divide the area between the Tang and the Tibetans into Longyou as the boundary, making the east and west into one great power. Now Longyou is in sight, and the Tang has quelled the rebellion in the east, yet you come to advise us to advance eastward... Why not northward?"
Ma Chongying stammered in his defense, "I have not forgotten my long-cherished ambition, but the officials have earnestly requested that we take Fengxiang directly..."
Trisong Detsen's lips curled slightly: "Yes, we fought a hundred battles to gain control of Longyou, and acquired many Tang people. The tribes divided the spoils equally, and the officials are all well-fed and clothed. But people's hearts are always greedy and insatiable. In the end, Longyou is much easier to travel than Anxi, and its population is also more prosperous." He paused slightly, then his voice deepened: "But are you the Grand Secretary appointed by me, or the Grand Secretary jointly recommended by the officials of the various tribes?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Chongying trembled, his face turned pale, and he hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "Your subject has something to report."
“I’m eager to hear your account; speak now.”
"With the Tang army pacifying the eastern rebellion and the western troops gradually returning to their posts, they will surely seek to recover Longyou. I fear that the main force will advance northward, and Longyou will be lost. Therefore, I hope to break through Dazhen Pass in one battle, threaten Fengxiang and even Chang'an, and force the Tang emperor to send envoys to negotiate peace—either to demarcate Longyou as the eastern and western borders, or for our Tubo to withdraw from Longyou in exchange for Anxi and Beiting."
Trisong Detsen shook his head: "Impossible. The Tang people are very resilient, and the Tang emperor also cares about his reputation. He might be willing to cede territory and make peace, but Anxi and Beiting are too vast, and they would never easily give them to me."
"I wish to give it a try. If it succeeds, then there will be fifty years of peace between Tibet and Tang, and Tibet can also become strong and powerful."
Trisong Detsen's eyes flashed, and he suddenly asked, "Are you planning to betray the Zanpu Bell?"
Ma Chongying nodded and said, "Your Majesty, you have a keen eye for the future—in the past, when our Tubo made peace with Nanzhao, the first Zanpu addressed Geluofeng as Zanpu Zhong, originally to resist the Tang. However, if Tubo and Tang can be at peace, Nanzhao will be useless. That land is deep and dangerous, with dense forests and difficult roads. Even if the Tang people get it, they cannot threaten our Tubo. Therefore, it would be better to give up Longyou and Nanzhao in exchange for Anxi and Beiting. In my opinion, as long as the Tang emperor agrees, even if it requires our Tubo to send troops to attack Nanzhao from both sides, it is negotiable."
Trisong Detsen pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Very well, you have your strategy, and I won't hinder you. Let's see how things go this autumn. I will pray to Buddha in Lhasa for your blessing, hoping for a successful start..."
Having finally gained the king's understanding, Ma Chongying left the palace, only to find his back drenched in cold sweat. A mountain breeze swept by, and he couldn't help but shiver again. Just as he was about to return home to attend to his affairs and muster his troops, a minor official suddenly rushed over, prostrated himself before him, and paid homage with great respect.
"what's up?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, an envoy from the Tang Dynasty has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Ma Chongying frowned slightly: "Are they from Chang'an? Seeking peace or a challenge?"
"They were not sent from Chang'an, but... from the Shuofang Army. They say they have a matter of utmost urgency and request an audience with the Grand Master to report it in person..."
----------
Li Ji received a secret imperial edict and rushed back to Chang'an, entrusting all the affairs of the military governor's office to Yan Zhenqing. He was also quite looking forward to it, hoping that when I returned, this Yan Sima would be able to successfully collect this year's taxes and fill the treasury at least halfway.
He led only twenty horsemen, including Yuan Jing'an, and traveled non-stop, arriving in Chang'an in just half a month. It was already afternoon when they entered the city, so they were not in a hurry to pay their respects and instead returned to their residence in Pingkang Ward.
Cui Cuo welcomed him in, but said, "An imperial envoy came this morning. If you, Young Master Yun, return to the capital in the next day or two, please go to the Daming Palace to pay your respects at any time."
Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned and asked, "What's the rush? Have the armies within the capital region been dispatched yet?"
Cui Cuo said that, as far as he knew, the armies of Fengxiang, Binning, Fufang, and Tonghua had all received imperial edicts and were gradually assembling towards Longguan, but the Emperor was in a hurry to summon the young master, seemingly for some other matter...
As she spoke, she pulled a slip of paper from her sleeve: "This was secretly sent by my elder brother, who wants me to give it to my husband."
Li Ji took it and glanced at it, only to see a line of words hastily written on it:
"Upon returning, you should immediately go to the palace to see the Emperor. Do not mention Lai Zhen or the eunuch in charge of military affairs to him. We will discuss it later."
Li Ji was completely bewildered, not understanding what message Li Bi was trying to convey... Could it be that what he feared most had come to pass, and Lai Zhen's death had triggered some kind of chain reaction? Was a certain military governor harboring rebellious intentions? Or did the emperor intend to eliminate Liang Chongyi at this critical juncture?
With war about to break out with Tibet, it is really not advisable to draw another front.
He returned in plain clothes, so he quickly changed into robes and, accompanied only by Yuan Jing'an, rode to the Mingfeng Gate of the Daming Palace to pay his respects. Soon after, a young eunuch came out to greet him and led Li Ji through the Hanyuan Hall and Xuanzheng Hall, directly to the inner court. It wasn't until dusk that he was finally seen by the emperor in the Penglai Hall.
Upon entering the hall, Li Ji saw Li Yu sitting cross-legged on the couch, looking worried. There was also a woman sitting on the couch with him... Li Ji assumed she was a concubine, most likely Consort Dugu, and unlikely to be Consort Shen, so he didn't dare to look closely. To the left and right of the imperial couch were several low stools, where Li Bi, Li Shi, and Cheng Yuanzhen were sitting.
Li Ji bowed deeply, but Li Yu raised his hand and said, "My dear minister, there's no need for such formality—please take a seat." A eunuch then brought over a low stool and placed it below Li Bi. Li Ji sat down sideways, clasped his hands, and asked, "Your Majesty summoned me to the palace so urgently; may you have something to ask?"
Li Yu glanced sideways at Cheng Yuanzhen, who understood and immediately stood up, handing a scroll of memorial to Li Ji. Then, he spoke, his words like a thunderclap: "Pugu Huai'en is plotting a rebellion!"
Li Ji was greatly alarmed—he had anticipated that there might be signs of instability in a certain town, but he never imagined it could be Old Pugu! He hurriedly unfolded the memorial to read it. Li Bi, who was beside him, took the opportunity to briefly recount the cause and effect in the simplest terms—Li Ji only gradually learned the details afterward.
After Pugu Huai'en returned to the capital in triumph, he did not immediately lead the Shuofang army back to its garrison. Instead, he was ordered to first send the Uyghur reinforcements out of the pass. Thus, he traveled from Jiangzhou through Jin, Fen, Taiyuan and other places, and finally parted ways with Emperor De in Xinzhou.
The original plan was to turn southwest and cross the river at Shizhou, so that Hexi would be Yinzhou, which was under the jurisdiction of Shuofang. However, Pugu Huaien had a conflict with Xin Yunjing, the military governor of Hedong and the prefect of Taiyuan, and they almost came to blows.
Xin Yunjing had a past grudge against Pugu Huaien. He and Li Huaiguang had jointly submitted a memorial impeaching Pugu Huaien. Although Li Yu ultimately approved Pugu Huaien's strategy of controlling the surrendered generals in Hebei and did not approve Xin and Li's memorial, it is said that Pugu Yang declared in the army: "I must cut off the head of that Hexi bandit to relieve my hatred!"
Xin Yunjing was originally from Lanzhou, but his hometown was in Hexi, hence he was called "Hexi Bandit". To be honest, Li Huaiguang was also a member of the Shuofang faction. Afterwards, he went to Pugu Huaien to explain that his actions were all for the sake of the country and that he had no intention of disrespecting the deputy commander. However, Xin Yunjing never expressed any opinion, which made Pugu Yang resentful.
Therefore, Xin Yunjing, fearing that Pugu and his son might use public office to settle personal scores and return to Taiyuan first, used the pretext of guarding against the Uyghur army looting the city—such situations were quite common, and Li Ji's warnings outside Luoyang were utterly ineffective—to keep the four gates tightly closed and refuse to let Pugu and his party in. Later, Pugu Huaien parted ways with Di De and returned south from Xinzhou. This time, Xin Yunjing had no excuse, but the gates of Taiyuan were still tightly closed as soon as news of the Shuofang army's arrival was heard.
Pugu Huaien was furious. He was in no hurry to return to his town. He personally led tens of thousands of Shuofang troops to garrison Fenzhou, ordered Pugu Yang to garrison Yuci, and sent other troops to garrison Qixian and Jin and Qingzhou, threatening Taiyuan from afar. At the same time, he submitted a memorial to impeach Xin Yunjing.
Xin Yunjing naturally wanted to retaliate, so he summoned the supervising eunuch Luo Fengxian and told him that Pugu Huaien was colluding with the Uyghurs and even the Tibetans, and had already harbored rebellious intentions. However, Luo Fengxian and Pugu Huaien were old acquaintances, so he volunteered to go to Fenzhou to resolve the conflict between the two families—the key was that he had to pass through Fenzhou to return to the capital to report, so there was no way to avoid it.
Pugu Huaien hosted a banquet for Luo Fengxian in Fenzhou, and even invited his own mother to play the bad cop, scolding him to his face: "You and my son swore brotherhood, but now you are close to Yunjing. Why are you trying to please both sides?" Luo Fengxian repeatedly stated that this had nothing to do with him. He was just returning to the capital to report and was passing through this place. He said that if they had any conflicts, they should talk it out for his sake.
The atmosphere at the banquet that day was quite harmonious. Pugu Huai'en drank a few more cups and then stood up to perform a dance for Luo Fengxian. Luo Fengxian didn't know how to dance, so he gave Pugu Huai'en a headscarf in return. Afterwards, Pugu Huai'en said, "You don't need to rush. We can have another feast and enjoy ourselves on the Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow."
However, Luo Fengxian was somewhat flustered by Pugu Huai'en's mother's scolding and dared not linger, insisting on leaving. Relying on their old friendship, Pugu Huai'en simply hid Luo Fengxian's horse. Luo Fengxian said to his attendants, "My mother scolded me during the day, and now she's hiding my horse at night; she's trying to kill me!" He then fled over the wall that very night.
Upon arriving in Chang'an, Luo Fengxian submitted a memorial accusing Pugu Huai'en of plotting a rebellion. At the same time, a false accusation by Pugu and his son, claiming that Xin Yunjing and Luo Fengxian were also plotting a rebellion, was also delivered. Li Yu was greatly alarmed upon reading the memorial and hurriedly asked Li Bi to draft a resolution to settle the feud between the two families. However, Pugu Huai'en was relentless and submitted another memorial—the very one in Li Ji's possession.
The memorial first recounted the previous events, explaining how Xin and Luo closed the gates of Taiyuan, preventing the Uyghur soldiers from entering, which angered the Uyghurs who planned to plunder. It was only after my repeated persuasion that they agreed to peacefully cross the border. Then, fearing that I would impeach them to the court, those two actually filed a false accusation...
"After careful consideration, I find six faults: First, when Tongluo rebelled, I quelled the rebellion in the Hequ region for the late Emperor; second, my son Bin was captured by Tongluo but escaped and returned home, and I executed him to set an example for the soldiers; third, I have two daughters who were married off to foreign tribes, and they helped to maintain peace and quell the enemy; fourth, my son Yang and I risked our lives to serve the country; fifth, Hebei had recently submitted, and the military governors all held powerful armies, so I pacified them to quell their unrest; sixth, I persuaded the Uyghurs to come to my aid in times of crisis, and after the country was at peace, I sent them back to their country… I have received immense favors from the Emperor and think of serving him day and night, but since Lai Zhen has been executed and the court has not revealed his crimes, which military governor is not filled with suspicion and fear…"
Li Ji skimmed through it, cursing inwardly, "Who wrote this memorial for you, you old bastard? You're asking for it!"
Faced with the court's suspicion and colleagues' impeachment, one should adopt the correct attitude and honestly submit a memorial to express loyalty. How dare you be so sarcastic and speak the opposite of what you mean? Let alone Li Yu, even if Li Ji wanted to punish someone under his command, that person would pat his chest, first boast about his merits, and then say that he was guilty and deserved to die because of these merits... Li Ji would not tolerate that!
Moreover, Pugu Huai'en openly questioned the emperor why he wouldn't publicly declare Lai Zhen's crime before executing him. This will chill the hearts of all the regional military governors, do you know that?
Li Ji finally understood why Li Bi had passed him that little note.
Pugu Huaien was so enraged that he rolled his eyes at the emperor and blurted out this memorial without thinking. It did not solve the problem at all, but instead added fuel to the fire. The root cause was actually a minor matter, as the court was actually happy that the military governors of the various towns were not on good terms. The two key points were the death of Lai Zhen and the eunuch supervisor.
The former caused Pugu and his son to lose trust in the court, while the latter was due to Luo Fengxian deliberately exacerbating the conflict.
Li Ji wanted to tell Li Yu: This matter is easy to resolve. Just give the regional military governors an explanation for Lai Zhen's death, severely punish Luo Fengxian, and even abolish the eunuch-supervised military system. This will naturally restore the trust of the Pugu father and son in the court, and the Shuofang army will never rebel. However, Li Bi had warned him beforehand: Don't mention these two matters!
Because bringing up these two matters clearly indicates that the responsibility lies entirely with the court, or even the emperor. In that case, one's actions would be no different from those of Pugu Huai'en—purely stirring up trouble, and would absolutely not help to resolve the matter satisfactorily.
How should he phrase it? Li Ji was pondering when he suddenly heard the woman on the imperial couch ask, "I've heard that Minister Li is well acquainted with the Pugu father and son. Can you ascertain whether the Shuofang army will rebel or not?"
Li Ji recognized the voice and looked up to see—wait, it was her!
Chapter Thirty: Questioning the Emperor at Taiye Lake
Li Ji had received help from Pugu Huai'en when he was in dire straits, and had even been given a fine bow as a gift. He couldn't help but remember the kindness shown to him. Although after several interactions, he grew somewhat disgusted by Pugu Huai'en's arrogance and Pugu Yang's rudeness, who is without fault? Between friends, minor flaws can be overlooked.
This is how it used to be...
However, outside Huian Gate in Luoyang, Li Ji almost broke ties with Pugu and his son in order to protect the people of the city. Pugu Yang openly declared that he wanted to sever ties, but Pugu Huai'en stopped him. After that, he would only nod politely when he met Li Ji and refused to exchange another word.
As a result, Pugu Huaien sidelined Li Ji, preventing him from facing strong enemies head-on and gaining more opportunities to make merit in the Hebei campaign.
To say that Li Ji did not resent Pugu and his son because of this would be a lie—Li Erlang also had a temper!
When Lai Zhen was executed, Li Ji merely lamented that the court had acted too hastily in this matter, which was of no benefit to the overall situation. He did not sympathize with Lai Zhen—that guy deserved it! But if Pugu and his son were to be imprisoned or even killed for treason, he would never remain indifferent and would definitely lend a helping hand.
He used to want to help even Kang Laohu, so how could his relationship with Pugu and his son be worse than that with Kang Qian?
Considering the bigger picture, it is crucial to stabilize the Pugu father and son at this juncture and absolutely not to force the Shuofang army into rebellion. Leaving aside the fact that Shuofang is a powerful military force and a vital northern stronghold, the relationship between the Pugu father and son and the Uyghurs and other Hu tribes means that any unrest would inevitably lead to unpredictable and perilous situations. Furthermore, with a fierce battle looming between us and the Tibetans, neither Shuofang nor Hedong can afford any further major unrest.
Just as Li Ji was pondering how to persuade Li Yu to pardon Pugu and his son, he heard a woman on the imperial bed asking him a question. Li Ji looked up—wait, I thought it was a concubine, and I was even thinking to myself, Li Yu, don't you learn from Empress Zhang's lesson? Are you still planning to let the harem interfere in politics? It turned out to be Princess Hezheng, whom I had met a few times before!
The last time they met was when Li Ji got married. Princess Ningguo and Princess Hezheng came to his residence, posing as relatives of the groom, and caused trouble for the bride. Cui Cuo later said, "If I had known that you could get the princesses to come to your residence, I wouldn't have married you—especially Princess Hezheng, I don't know where she got so many tricks up her sleeve, she was exhausting, but I dared not disobey..."
Li Ji had heard before that Princess Hezheng possessed a strong, masculine spirit, and that Li Heng praised her as the reincarnation of Princess Pingyang (Li Yuan's daughter). There were even rumors that when Li Heng scolded his sons, he said, "If Hezheng were a boy, I would have made her the crown prince immediately; there would be no need for you useless lot!"
In Li Ji's imagination, Princess Hezheng should be seven feet tall, with a healthy and beautiful physique, a neutral appearance, and an imposing demeanor... Unfortunately, she was not as famous as she was in person. She was just an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman with a rather haggard appearance. Moreover, she may have given birth too many times, as she was too plump and had a thick waist.
Of course, appearances can be deceiving. Just look at Princess Ningguo's appearance; no one could have predicted that she possessed a gentle yet firm nature, daring to speak her mind. Therefore, it was only natural for Li Yu to invite his sister, who was far more capable than himself, to advise him on state affairs.
Anyway, it's better than calling out his concubines. Li Ji disliked the interference of the harem in politics because it was uncontrollable, but he didn't dislike women participating in politics. Besides, judging from the current situation, it was unlikely that another Princess Taiping would emerge.
After the initial shock, he quickly regained his composure, slightly lifted his buttocks off the wooden block, and replied to Princess Hezheng with his hands clasped, "Your subject guarantees that the Shuofang army will not rebel."
Upon hearing this, Li Yu's spirits lifted slightly, and he hurriedly asked, "Could you elaborate?"
Li Ji said, "The Shuofang army is full of fine men of our Tang Dynasty, who have fought countless battles to defend against invaders. The late emperor's ascension to the throne in Lingwu was also due to the support of Shuofang. How could they betray the court because of a temporary grievance? However, if the court does not handle this matter properly, a rebellion like the one in Jiangzhou may very well occur..."
Li Yu frowned and asked, "The court is about to engage in a fierce battle with the Western Barbarians. If the riots in Jiangzhou recur, it could ruin the overall situation. What do you think is the best course of action?"
Li Ji looked around and said, "As a general in the field, I cannot say much—I wonder how the Chancellor plans for Your Majesty?"
Li Shi seized the opportunity to continue the conversation: "This matter has not yet been brought before the Council of State Affairs. Lord Cheng's idea is to urgently summon Pugu and his son back to court to defend themselves. If they do not return, they must be truly rebelling, and Xin Yunjing and others can be ordered to suppress them. However, Mr. Changyuan and I believe that we should not push them too far. Changwei should agree with my opinion, right?"
Li Yu waved his hand: "Stop talking. I want to hear Changwei's opinion."
You little rascal, I know you're close to Li Ji, and Li Ji is Li Bi's cousin. If you just lay out your and Li Bi's ideas first, how could Li Ji dare to say no?
"Changwei, you once fought alongside Pugu and his son, what kind of people do you think they are?"
Without hesitation, Li Ji replied directly, "Barbarians."
Li Bi interrupted, "Don't speak recklessly! Pugu and his family have long been loyal to the Tang Dynasty. How can you still regard them as barbarians? I haven't heard of any deep-seated hatred between you and them. Are you trying to kill him and his son by saying this? You should consider the bigger picture..."
Li Yu, not wanting to reprimand Li Bi, simply continued to ask Li Ji with apparent interest, "And what about the barbarians?"
Li Ji replied, “The Hu are Hu, ignorant of national righteousness, only clinging to personal grudges. Pugu and his son rose from minor chieftains of the Hu tribes, joined the Shuofang army during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, and followed Minister Guo in suppressing rebellions. They survived hundreds of battles, with over forty members of their family dying in the process. Their contributions to our Tang Dynasty were immense. Yet Your Majesty rewarded them with high titles, appointing them as the military governor of Shuofang, deputy marshal of Hebei, and the Prince of Daning, placing them in high office and making them famous throughout the land. They regard our Tang Dynasty as their homeland and Your Majesty as their parents. It is common in China for rulers to doubt their subjects and for parents to doubt their children. Subjects should be honest and not harbor any resentment. But it is different for the Hu. They have not received the teachings of the sages, and they only express their feelings from the heart. Thus, when parents doubt their children and rulers doubt their subjects, the subjects suffer twice the pain and utter disrespectful words.”
Cheng Yuanzhen pointed at the memorial that Li Ji had just put down, written by Pugu Huaien, and said with displeasure, "His words are not only insolent, but downright rebellious!"
Li Ji turned to Cheng Yuanzhen and said, “Master Cheng, you are like a son who has served his parents for a long time, familiar with their temperament, and you have also studied the classics, knowing filial piety and how to conduct yourself properly. My father and I are like sons who have been away from home for a long time, and we have not studied or understood reason. But as human beings, we are not necessarily without filial piety. Rebellious words are common in the family. Should our parents just abandon us because of this?”
He then turned to Li Yu and said, “Your Majesty, the Pugu family has been loyal to the king and has lost more than forty men for the country. If you were to expel them hastily, it would not only be like cutting off your own arm, but it would also chill the hearts of the other military governors. Even though I am loyal to Your Majesty, I have no more than forty men in my family who are worth dying for. Among the military governors of the empire, no family has surpassed the Pugu family in terms of merit. If the Pugu family had any rebellious intentions, they could have rebelled when they were fighting against the An Lushan rebels. Who could have stopped them? If they did not rebel during the chaos, but rebelled after the chaos was quelled, then they would be in the wrong. How can this be shown to the people of the empire? I implore Your Majesty to make a wise decision.”
Li Yu leaned back slightly, resting against the low table beside the couch, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and slowly said, "Your meaning is that the Pugu father and son may not have any rebellious intentions, but they dislike Xin Yunjing and fear the court's suspicion... Moreover, if we force them to rebel, it will greatly shake the court's prestige." He paused, then asked, "So, what do you think we should do? Should we just ignore it?"
Li Ji turned to Cheng Yuanzhen and bowed, saying, "What you say is true, Master Cheng. We should summon Pugu and his son back to court to defend themselves..." He then turned to Li Shi, saying, "The words of the Prince of Yong are also reasonable. The key is for the envoys we send to understand the general situation and know how to adapt. We should not push the father and son too far."
Li Yu chuckled: "You're good at playing the good guy, not offending either side."
Princess Hezheng interjected, "In Li Qing's opinion, who should be sent to summon Pugu and his son?"
"Naturally, it's Minister Guo."
Li Ji then explained: "Minister Guo has long been in charge of Shuofang and is also the benefactor of the Pugu clan. If he orders them to go to Fenzhou, the Shuofang army will follow suit without hesitation. Even if the Pugu father and son already harbor rebellious intentions, it will be difficult for them to plot a rebellion again. If Minister Guo summons them back to the capital to plead guilty, there will be no need to worry about Hedong and Shuofang."
I could think of such a suitable candidate even though I just returned to Beijing. You must have a good idea, right?
Li Shi habitually interjected, "That's what I thought too."
Cheng Yuanzhen waved his hand and said, "That's not a good idea. Situ is old and has long been estranged from his old troops in Shuofang. What if he is instead held hostage by the Pugu clan?"
Li Ji glanced at him, thinking to himself, "Is this your opinion, or the Emperor's intention? I know that both emperors have always been wary of Guo Ziyi, fearing his growing power and potential threat, thus stripping him of his military command and confining him to Chang'an. Are you worried that if Guo Ziyi were to join forces with the Pugu father and son—whether willingly or unwillingly—the old Minister of Works could rally the troops and cause an even greater upheaval than the An Lushan Rebellion?"
To be honest, I didn't have much contact with Guo Ziyi. Although I respect his achievements and feel sorry for him, I really wouldn't dare to give him any guarantees...
Ignoring Li Shi and Cheng Yuanzhen, he simply clasped his hands in front of Li Yu and said, "As an official in an outlying region, I am not very familiar with the talents of the central court. The only envoy I can think of to go to Fenzhou is Minister Guo. Your Majesty's decision is wise."
Anyway, I'll answer your questions, but the final decision is none of my business—I'm not a powerful minister, and my words don't count.
Li Yu pondered for a long time, then suddenly stretched out his legs as if to get down, saying, "My legs are numb from sitting for so long—I can get a cane."
Princess Hezheng wanted to help her brother, but Li Yu waved her hand to stop her. Then a eunuch handed over a rosewood cane that was shoulder-high, and Li Yu leaned on it to support himself.
Li Ji thought to himself, "You're not even forty yet, and you already need a cane? Looks like you're not going to live a long life..."
He hurriedly stood up with everyone. But then he saw Li Yu leaning on his cane, slowly walking towards the outside of the hall. He then waved his hand and said, "I'm tired. I'll go outside and get some fresh air... Li Ji, you may walk with me for a few steps."
This meant they were to speak with him alone. Li Ji understood and hurriedly followed, while the others bowed deeply in farewell. Immediately afterwards, Cheng Yuanzhen called to several junior eunuchs to light lanterns and follow the two at a distance.
Not far north of Penglai Palace lies Taiye Pond. Li Yu slowly approached the pond's edge, and, perhaps having finally warmed up his legs, he put away his cane, holding it with both hands behind his back. Li Ji took a few steps closer and stood to his side and slightly behind him.
Li Yu slowly said, "I killed Lai Zhen because I hate him..."
Li Ji dared not say much, but simply listened attentively.
"Wang Zhongsheng was besieged in Shenzhou, but Lai Zhen refused to come to his aid due to personal resentment, which led to Zhongsheng's capture by the enemy. This is similar to the siege of Suiyang in the past. Changwei, you must also deeply hate Helan Jinming and Xu Shuji, right? You should be able to understand my feelings."
Li Ji thought to himself, "I didn't mention Lai Tian. You brought it up first. Since you've brought this up, I'll have to say something about it."
"Your Majesty, Lai Zhen has ultimately rendered service to the country and his crimes can be redeemed. Even if his crimes are unforgivable, he should be dealt with according to the law at the Imperial Secretariat, rather than being forced to commit suicide by imperial decree, which would cause public outcry."