Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 214

Guo Xin said: "Since the Han Dynasty, those who went to the Western Regions mostly traveled through Shazhou, either heading north to Yanqi or south to Khotan. However, over the past few hundred years, the weather has become increasingly dry, the deserts have expanded, and the oases have shrunk, making these two routes increasingly difficult to travel. Therefore, since the Yang and Sui Dynasties, merchants have mostly taken the new northern route, which bypasses the area north of the Tianshan Mountains and goes west from Beiting—which is exactly the route the Grand Commandant took—and even when the barbarian bandits invaded, they never crossed the Tulun Desert north of it."

Li Ji pondered for a moment, then asked him, "Is it really impossible to go from Yanqi to Dunhuang?" After a pause, he asked again, "The Tang army in the town is less than ten thousand. Can't the Hu people be commanded?"

Guo Xin shook his head with a wry smile: "Difficult, very difficult. Since the Qian Yuan and Shang Yuan eras, barbarian bandits have repeatedly invaded Anxi. The barbarians have always been fearful of power but not grateful, and most of them are waiting to see what happens. If the barbarians were usable, we could conscript them all and Anxi could have twenty or thirty thousand men. Why are we in such a predicament now?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "If the Hu people are merely afraid of the Barbarians and not actually allied with them, then things will be easier. Now that I'm here, Commander Guo can spread the word that our Tang dynasty has already defeated the Barbarians and reinforcements are on their way. Upon hearing this, the Hu people will no longer dare to shirk their duties as military governors..."

He used a trick that was widely known in the Central Plains: he led his 1,500 soldiers out of Yanqi overnight, then returned the next day, repeating this process for three days, seemingly endlessly. Sure enough, the local people were terrified. Several chieftains even approached Guo Xin, asking, "Now that the army has arrived, shouldn't you launch a counterattack against Tibet and recapture Shule and Khotan? I wonder if Commander Li has any plans for us?"

Even though it took three days to make the rounds, the number of Tang troops that pretended to enter the city was not large. However, firstly, they were all Li Ji's elite soldiers, well-equipped and highly motivated, looking like a formidable force capable of taking on ten men each; secondly, the Yanqi people, who could only field two thousand victorious soldiers, didn't have much insight to begin with.

Therefore, Li Ji ordered Guo Xin to send out 500 cavalry, while he himself left 500 cavalry. They also recruited another 1,000 Hu cavalry, led by Lao Jing, and with sufficient supplies, set off westward from Yanqi. Their destination was some oases further west of Shouchang City, west of Dunhuang... or even, if they dared not venture too far, they could at least make a stop at Puchanghai, which was located in the very middle of this 1,500-mile journey.

Li Ji took a shortcut, passing through Xizhou and Yizhou, then turning back to Guazhou and entering Jinchang City. The round trip was over four thousand li, and even after leaving supplies in Tingzhou, his elite cavalry, capable of traveling a hundred li a day, still took nearly three months.

He couldn't help but sigh, "The Western Regions are so vast! I've only traveled through less than a fifth of them... Plus, there are many deserts and Gobi along the way, the roads are rugged, and military operations are difficult. It's really not an easy task to firmly control them."

During these three months, Shang Jiexi personally led the main force or sent a portion of his troops to attack Changle four times. Nan Jiyun defended the city firmly with the help of its fortifications and surrounding walls. In dozens of battles, he killed or wounded no less than four or five thousand Tibetan soldiers, but the Tang walls remained steadfast. There were two opportunities during this period when the Tibetan army suffered a major defeat at the foot of the walls. Wei Gao and others requested permission to pursue them far away, and even to take advantage of the victory to directly attack Dunhuang, but Nan Jiyun rejected both of these requests, fearing an ambush.

On the one hand, Nan Jiyun's mentality was always somewhat improper. When he was in Suiyang, he only knew how to follow Zhang Xun's military orders and rarely took charge on his own. Later, although he was stationed in Bozhou and then served as the commander of Heng Hai Army, he rarely encountered strong enemies. Therefore, he always regarded himself as a subordinate general. If Li Ji ordered him to defend, he would defend it firmly and dared not act on his own initiative.

On the other hand, he also had a clear understanding of his position—I am not a general of Hexi, much less the deputy military governor of Hexi. I am just a guest general who came to help on my own initiative. How can I make decisions on my own? If we lose the pursuit of the defeated enemy, we will fail Li Ji's high expectations. If we win... I will take some of the credit from the generals of Hexi. Chen Lizhen, Gao Chongwen and others will obviously not be happy. If I take Li Ji's credit as well, thereby damaging our friendship, wouldn't that be a loss?

Anyway, Li Ji said before he left that as long as Guazhou is held, the Tubo will be like grasshoppers in autumn, they won't be able to jump around for more than a few days, so why be in a hurry?

It was now the first month of the sixth year of the Dali era, the coldest time of the year, with snow falling in many areas. The Tibetan forces had suffered repeated defeats, failing to gain an inch of ground in their counterattack on Guazhou, and instead incurring heavy losses, their morale plummeting to rock bottom. Shang Jiexi, in particular, was greatly alarmed to hear that Ma Chongying, for reasons unknown, had managed to escape from Zhangsancheng's garrison and return without even coming to see him, instead heading back to his homeland via Shouchang. He pointed his finger and cursed day and night – "Li Ji is incompetent!"

If you send just one or two thousand troops to aid Beiting, I don't believe we can't capture Enlandazalgong. Have you really put all your attention on me and forgotten about that old rival?

When Shang Jiexi heard that Tang troops were active near Puchanghai, he knew that Wuyi should be left behind. So he divided his troops to garrison Dunhuang and Shouchang, and led the main force back to the country from Dangjinkou, between the Qilian and Altun Mountains.

Upon receiving the report from the scouts, Li Ji ordered a retreat. In fact, after a long campaign and transporting supplies over a thousand miles, as well as supplying some provisions to the Northern Court, his own provisions were running low. Although Dunhuang was only a stone's throw away, he was powerless to take it.

When he returned to Liangzhou, it was already springtime and flowers were in bloom. Suddenly, he received an imperial edict ordering him to return to Chang'an to present the captives and have an audience with the emperor.

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When the news of Li Ji's victory over Shang Jiexi and the recapture of Guazhou reached Chang'an, Li Yu was naturally overjoyed. However, after the initial excitement, he also felt some lingering worries.

To be honest, in recent years, the counterattacks in Longyou and the recovery of Hexi have yielded remarkable results for the various Tang armies, which naturally pleased Emperor Li Yu. However, the repeated demands for money and provisions from various garrisons have left the imperial treasury empty, forcing the court to seek payment from the garrisons in Guandong and Jianghuai. This has led to several incidents of garrison soldiers clamoring for pay and the people rising up in rebellion—though none of them were large and were quickly suppressed.

Prime Minister Yang Wan submitted a memorial requesting that, in order to support the war on the western front, the food and clothing of officials in the capital be reduced, extravagance be eliminated in all government offices, and expenses be minimized. Even the Prime Minister's own meals were only allowed one meat dish. As a result, everyone hated this old man to the bone. Unfortunately, Mr. Yang was naturally frugal and very careful in his conduct. He did not wear bright clothes or eat two different dishes. Even after becoming Prime Minister, his entire family of more than ten people were still crammed into a small two-courtyard house. It was impossible to impeach him.

Therefore, Li Yu truly did not want to fight anymore. He was content with temporarily stabilizing the situation in the west, maintaining the current defensive line, and ensuring that Fengxiang and Chang'an remained free from alarm. As for recovering lost territory, he would leave that to the next generation.

Thus, despite receiving little support from the central government and repeatedly failing to obtain funds and provisions, Li Ji was still able to advance rapidly and repeatedly defeat the barbarian rebels, making him stand out among the generals. While Li Yu was pleased, he couldn't help but feel a little worried—this child's reputation is now almost... perhaps even surpassing that of Guo Ziyi!

Besides, I have already appointed him as Grand Commandant and granted him the title of Prince of Wuwei. How else can he be promoted? The phrase "no reward for great merit" kept popping into Li Yu's mind, and each time it would startle him into a cold sweat.

So the prime ministers were summoned to discuss the matter. Li Ji had also recovered Su and Gua prefectures, thus securing Beiting and Anxi. How should he be rewarded for such a great achievement? "Should we recall him to the capital and appoint him to the Secretariat?"

At this time, there were four actual prime ministers. Li Xian had passed away not long ago, and the prime minister in terms of seniority became Yang Wan, followed by Wang Jin, Li Qiyun, and Cui Youfu. In addition, the nominal prime minister, Grand Minister Guo Ziyi, and the two finance ministers Liu Yan and Han Huang were also present.

Before Li Yu could finish speaking, Wang Jin hurriedly said, "Although Grand Commandant Li has recovered Su and Gua, Shazhou is still in the hands of the rebels. If we summon him back to court immediately, I'm afraid the efforts to recover Hexi and Zhenxi will be in vain. Your Majesty, please think it over."

It's estimated that Yang Wan and Li Qiyun, being on good terms with Li Ji, are happy, or at least don't object to his return. As for the others, everyone has their own position, and they naturally don't want others to take their place. Wang Jin, in particular, has never gotten along with Li Ji and is deeply afraid that Li Ji's return to the capital as prime minister will suppress or even humiliate him, so he quickly spoke up to stop him.

Most of the crowd agreed, but Li Yu frowned and asked, "Then how should we encourage them?"

Yang Wan clasped his hands and said, “Li Ji once said that his ambition was to recover the Western Regions and open up the Silk Road. His ambition was not fulfilled, and even with Your Majesty’s decree, he probably would not be willing to return. In my opinion, it is enough to issue an edict to commend him and increase his fief. There is no need to let him enter the Secretariat and the Chancellery. Although Li Ji came from a literary background, he has never governed the people. When he was in Weibo, his policies were also based on the example of Qingchen. Our dynasty has been established for a long time. Although we have experienced chaos, our system is still intact. There is no need for Zhou Bo in the court. Moreover, Zhou Bo would certainly not be able to stay in his position.”

To put it bluntly, Li Ji has more of a military temperament than a civil official. He is not suited to be a prime minister. Entering the Secretariat-Chancellery may not be a good thing for the country or for him personally.

In truth, Yang Wan knew that if Li Ji were to return to the court, Guo Ziyi would serve as a model, and it was impossible for him to truly hold power in the Secretariat.

Cui Youfu said, "Even if he does not enter the Secretariat, we should still order Grand Commandant Li to present the captives to the capital to show the power and prestige of our Tang Dynasty and to demonstrate Your Majesty's power and virtue." He understood that Li Yu was already wary of Li Ji, so he hoped to use the pretext of presenting the captives to summon Li Ji back to the capital, thereby ascertaining Li Ji's true intentions—whether he had any ambition to establish his own independent regime and not follow the king's rule.

Li Yu readily agreed, nodding and saying, "Alright." But he immediately asked, "What if they say the war is raging and it's not appropriate to return immediately, and they disobey the imperial edict? What then?"

Li Qijun chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself, "Your Majesty, your concerns are quite reasonable, but you shouldn't have asked that question; it makes you seem petty." So he offered his suggestion: "I am willing to go to Hexi and persuade Li Ji to return to court."

Yang Wan immediately rejected the idea: "Although Grand Commandant Li holds a high position, he is still an official outside the capital. How can the prime minister personally go to summon him?" You once went to Weibo to persuade Li Ji, but what was your status then, and what is your status now? Although our rank is not as high as Li Ji's, the prime minister's status is above all other officials, and even the Three Dukes can be treated with respect. How could the court possibly lower itself to send a prime minister out to summon him?

Li Qijun said, "Otherwise, we can send Li Changyuan to summon him."

Yang Wan shook her head again: "There's no need for that. Just have the Hanlin Academy draft the edict and have the palace officials summon him."

"What if they don't come?"

Yang Wan raised his two white eyebrows: "If he doesn't come, summon him again. If he doesn't come after the second summons, summon him a third time. If he doesn't come after the third summons, his unreasonable behavior is even worse than that of Lai Tian in the past. His intentions are beyond words. The court can make preparations in advance!"

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, thinking to themselves, "Sir, did you really have to be so blunt? How embarrassing!"

Who would have thought that Yang Gongquan was upright and outspoken, and he always disliked underhanded tactics. He dared to speak his mind directly to Li Yu, and then launched into another long speech:

"Recently, many local inspectors and military governors have refused to come to court, which has caused Your Majesty concern. However, the reasons for not coming to court vary. Some are too remote to travel to, some the court does not want them to be absent from their duties, and some harbor rebellious intentions. Among the latter, only Zibo, Qingzhou, Youzhou, and Chengde are exceptions. Those places have long been under the control of the false Yan state, and the people have received little favor from the court. Their staff are mostly local people who have established their own power, so they dare not come to court. Is Hexi any different?"

"The fall of Hexi to the barbarian rebels was only a few years ago. Everyone was hoping that the royal army would march west. Most of the soldiers were former troops from Guanzhong and Shuofang. Even Li Ji's staff were mostly officials from the central court or former Jinshi graduates. So, in terms of theory, how could Li Ji dare to be outside the court? Furthermore, in terms of personal feelings, I have a gentlemanly friendship with Li Ji. I even acted as a matchmaker for him. I know that he is loyal and devoted to the country. He would never do what Li Baochen, Li Zhengji, and others did!"

“A benevolent emperor should not be wary of virtuous ministers, and we, as prime ministers, should not stand between the emperor and his ministers, causing them to doubt each other—this is not what a gentleman should do!”

After a series of public pronouncements, everyone was left speechless.

Chapter Sixty-Six, Yan Ying's Questions and Answers

The eunuch arrived in Guzang City with an imperial edict, which was read aloud to the public. The eunuch ordered Li Ji to return to the capital to present the captives, and also requested the emperor to consult on the war against the barbarians this autumn.

Li Jigong received the imperial decree and hosted a banquet for the envoy, but said that he had just returned from defeating the barbarians and was too busy with military and political affairs to travel immediately. However, he did not refuse and asked the envoy to stay in the city for a few more days to await his news.

Turning to his officers, Li Ji asked, "Should I go back?" Gao Ying replied, "Although Shang Jiexi has retreated, he may return this autumn. However, our troops are few, and we are divided among four prefectures. We have just recovered the armies of Yumen and Moli, and we will inevitably be stretched thin. Since the Emperor has summoned you, Grand Commandant, you must return. But please do not linger and return to Hexi as soon as possible."

Nan Jiyun also said, "The Grand Commandant should go and return as soon as possible." Everyone agreed.

Li Ji stared at Yan Zhuang, who narrowed his eyes and gave him a meaningful look, as if to say: Let's talk privately later.

After the meeting, Li Ji invited Yan Zhuang into his study, dismissed everyone else, and asked for his opinion. Yan Zhuang said, "I know that the Grand Commandant intends to stay in Hexi and guard the west for a long time. Although the barbarian bandits have retreated, their strength still remains. The western border really cannot do without the Grand Commandant. Is the Grand Commandant afraid that if he goes to Chang'an, he will not return, and his efforts will be in vain? Actually, there is no need to worry."

Li Ji didn't speak, he just stared at him.

Yan Zhuang said, "In my opinion, the current emperor is more sensible than the late emperor in knowing when to advance and retreat. Moreover, when he first ascended the throne, he lured and killed Lai Zhen, which caused chaos in Jingzhou and Xiangyang. Subsequently, Liang Chongyi seized control of Shannan East Circuit, and the regional warlords distrusted the central government. The emperor deeply regretted this and must have taken it as a warning. Even Guo Linggong's resignation as deputy marshal was during the late emperor's reign. If it were the current emperor, he would not have done such a thing..."

Li Ji curled his lip slightly and said with audacity, "In terms of methods, the current emperor is far inferior to the late emperor, and in terms of courage, he is even further behind."

Yan Zhuang was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and instinctively looked around. Hmm, there was no one there, and there was no screen either... Then he smiled and said, "The late emperor certainly had the means and the courage—he blamed Guo Linggong for the loss of Luoyang, and blamed Li Fuguo for the demotion of loyal ministers. He thought he was unscathed, but everyone knew the truth but kept quiet. It was just self-deception."

Li Ji snorted coldly: "Hmm, if you want to kill his own son, you can use being drunk as an excuse, and blame it on Empress Zhang." He paused, then asked in return: "Does Mr. Yan mean that His Majesty dares not let me become a second Guo Linggong, so I can return to Chang'an with peace of mind?"

Yan Zhuang nodded and said, “The situation today is different from the past. Zibo, Qingzhou, and Chengde refuse to pay tribute, and the state can do nothing about it. If the Grand Commandant returns to the court and is instead allowed to stay, I fear the world will be in turmoil, and no one will respect the court anymore. Moreover, the Hexi region was personally recovered by the Grand Commandant; generals and officials such as Wei Chengwu and Gao Chongwen were all selected by the Grand Commandant; provisions and supplies do not need to be provided by the court, as the Grand Commandant provides them himself; soldiers and civilians all regard the Grand Commandant as a god… If someone else were replaced, who could keep the people at peace and defend the region? What would we do if the barbarian bandits came again?”

"Moreover, since the reign of the late Emperor Zhide, the Secretariat and the Chancellery have been blessed with a rare gathering of wise men—of course, Wang Xiaqing (Wang Jin) was merely there to make up the numbers—Yang Gongquan set an example by his own conduct, Li Zhenyi was upright and incorruptible, and Cui Youfu was lenient and discerning. Even if the emperor issued a chaotic decree, how could they not offer advice? Who would blindly follow it? Therefore, the Grand Commandant's return to court was merely to save face for the court—if the Grand Commandant did not attend court, how would he be any different from Li Baochen and Li Zhengji?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "Yes, even Xue Song, Zhu Ci, and Liang Chongyi have paid homage. Am I not as good as those guys?"

Yan Zhuang then advised, "Look at the court today. No one spoke up to stop the Grand Commandant from returning to the capital. This shows that the people's hearts are with the central government. The Grand Commandant should not go against the tide."

Li Ji was also considering this question, so he asked Yan Zhuang, "When you were under An Lushan's command, what were the views of the officers and soldiers towards the central government?"

Yan Zhuang smiled wryly and said, "Most of them are barbarians. They only know Prince An, but who knows the Tang Emperor? Only Gao Shang, Zhou Zhi, and I can be considered scholars, but we have never taken the imperial examinations or entered officialdom. We only recognize the traitor An as our master..."

"And how are you now, sir?"

Yan Zhuang smiled slyly: "To tell you the truth, if Hexi can become independent, wouldn't I want to be the prime minister again?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Yes, I made it very clear to Li Bi that since the time of Weibo, all the way to Shuofang and Hexi, my staff has been recruited from all over the Central Plains, and many of them are scholars who are loyal to the central government. This is completely different from An Lushan in the past, and from Youzhou, Chengde and Zhaoyi Army in the present."

The reasons are quite simple. First, when I first took control of Weibo, I was essentially parachuted in, with no one under my command. I had to beg and plead with friends in the court for recommendations. Second, scholars were happy to use their positions as subordinates in regional military governorships as stepping stones to accumulate merit and then directly enter the central government. This trend only became prevalent after the An Lushan Rebellion; An Lushan did not have this advantage before.

As for Xue Song, Li Baochen, and others, they essentially inherited the legacy of the An Lushan Rebellion, including territory, army, and staff, leaving no room for scholars from other regions.

Therefore, my relationship with the imperial court is unbreakable. It's one thing to hold military power and be self-reliant, but if I intend to carve out a territory, or even divide the land and raise the banner of rebellion, few under my command would be willing to follow me—at least Nan Jiyun, who always remembered Zhang Xun's dying wish, would absolutely refuse. Only in this way can I, under the premise of ensuring that the country does not split and the nation does not suffer calamity, attempt to exploit the loopholes in the system of regional military governors to pursue my own career and the peace and well-being of my family.

Otherwise, Li Bi wouldn't have helped me gain control of Hexi; and I myself couldn't overcome a certain hurdle in my heart.

It's a pity this isn't the future; otherwise, if someone had just recorded the scene of the generals and officials in the hall asking me to return to the capital by imperial decree, created a small account, and posted it online, it would have been very likely to dispel Li Yu and the prime ministers' unnecessary concerns.

So he bowed to Yan Zhuang and said, "Thank you for your guidance, sir. Would you be willing to come with me on this trip back to the capital?"

Yan Zhuang shook his head: "If I don't return today, the court will summon me sooner or later; if I return today, the court will no longer remember me..."

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In early March, Li Ji, along with his staff Lu Lun and Lü Xiqian, led 500 elite soldiers and escorted Mang Re and more than 40 captured Tibetan generals on their journey south. When passing through Jingyuan and Binning, they held banquets and drank merrily with the military commanders and officers of the region, staying for several days to make a great show of their power.

— He didn't leave Fengxiang because he had a past feud with Gao Sheng, the prefect and military governor, and they didn't get along well.

After nearly two months of travel, they finally arrived near Chang'an a few days before the Dragon Boat Festival. Li Yu ordered Prince Zheng, Li Miao, and Chancellor Li Qiyun to prepare a grand procession and personally greet them at the Golden Light Gate. Immediately afterwards, the captives were presented in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The citizens of Chang'an lined the streets to watch, and Li Ji deliberately had his troops shout: "Thanks to the might of the Sage, Grand Commandant Li has driven the barbarians back! This battle has opened up the Western Regions, and soon we will see exotic goods from far and wide, filling the markets and the imperial treasury. The soldiers of the capital region will all enjoy peace and prosperity—are you not happy?!"

The people all bowed and exclaimed, "The sage is virtuous, the Grand Commandant is brave, he has restored peace, and all are happy!"

Li Qiyun lowered her voice and said to Li Ji, "Isn't this a bit too ostentatious?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "This might boost our popularity, making us stronger than a million soldiers."

At the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the captives were presented. Emperor Li Yu, Crown Prince Li Shi, and others, all dressed in ceremonial robes, received congratulations and salutations from Li Ji and other officials, as well as the captives prostrating themselves in obeisance. Immediately afterwards, Li Yu issued an edict pardoning all the barbarian tribes, especially rewarding Mang Re for his meritorious service in reporting the situation of the barbarians, and granting him a residence in Chongrenli.

Next, the prime ministers hosted a banquet to welcome the soldiers who had traveled from afar. Li Ji had only drunk a few cups of wine when a eunuch came running up to him, urging him to enter the palace to receive the emperor's questions.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Li Yu, you're really in a hurry." He pretended to tidy his clothes, bid farewell to the officials, and headed straight for the Daming Palace. As soon as he entered the Mingfeng Gate, two eunuchs in red robes came forward, clasped their hands, and bowed deeply: "Greetings, Grand Commandant."

Li Ji looked closely and recognized them all. Weren't they Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming? He quickly returned the greeting and said, "We are all old friends, there's no need for such a grand ceremony—but you two have led the Imperial Guards for many years, surely you should wear a purple robe?"

Huo Xianming said with a fawning smile, "How dare I wear the same clothes as the Grand Commandant?" Dou Wenchang said, "But since the Emperor favors us, it doesn't matter what we wear." Li Ji thought to himself, "Don't talk nonsense. You two are both obsessed with official positions. Back in the day, you often drooled over the backs of Li Fuguo, Cheng Yuanzhen, and Yu Chaoen. Do you think I didn't know?"

Two eunuchs led Li Ji into the Xuanzheng Gate, where a purple-robed eunuch was already inside, bowing to greet him—it was naturally Wang Jiahe. Li Ji bowed and asked, "Where does the Emperor see me?" Wang Jiahe replied with a beaming smile, "Yanying Hall."

Li Ji laughed and said, "But I am not old."

Yanying Hall was located inside Yanying Gate, separated from the inner court by only a wall. During the reign of Emperor Suzong of Tang, because Chancellor Miao Jinqing was old and had difficulty moving around, whenever he needed to consult with the emperor, he was not allowed to go deep into the inner court to Penglai, Jinluan, or Linde Hall, but instead waited for him at Yanying Hall—the Yanying audience became a well-known story. Li Ji then jokingly said, "I'm not old, I can still walk, why should the emperor have to come to Yanying Hall to wait for me?"

Wang Jiahe explained, "In recent years, the prime minister's audiences with the emperor, or the emperor's inquiries, have all taken place in the Yan Ying Hall." Li Ji felt a slight chill, thinking, "Li Yu, what do you mean? Is this merely a show of closeness, or do you intend to keep me in the Secretariat-Chancellery? I won't go to the Council of State Affairs; my abilities are limited, I can't manage the entire Tang Dynasty, and most importantly, I can't make all the decisions myself..."

Li Yu summoned Li Ji to the Yan Ying Hall. Unusually, not only was Prince Zheng, Li Miao, present, but also Crown Prince Li Shi, each sitting on either side of him. After the meeting, he inquired about the war at the front and the current situation in Hexi and the Western Regions. Li Yu then got to the point: "The Tibetans have sent an envoy to Chang'an to request peace. What do you think? Should we grant it?"

Li Ji clasped his hands and asked, "What kind of method of requesting peace is this?"

Li Shi interjected from the side: "The envoy from the barbarian tribe requests that the current border be designated as the permanent border, and also requests that our Tang Dynasty send another princess to us so that the two families can renew their kinship."

Li Ji immediately declared: "Absolutely not!"

He immediately explained, “Lanzhou and Shanzhou are still in the hands of the rebels, and Shazhou has not been recovered either. How can we talk about peace? If the Tibetans really intend to build cities, then we should retreat, and the two sides should still take Menggu, Chiling, Qilian Mountain and Altun Mountain as the boundary.”

Li Yu sighed and said, "Years of war have exhausted our soldiers and displaced our people. I cannot bear it... Why not grant them permission for now and wait until we have accumulated enough resources before making further plans? What do you think?"

Li Ji shook his head directly: "No. Please speak of Longyou first. If Lanzhou is lost, Liangzhou will be attacked from both sides, and Qin and Wei will have no natural defenses. Once the barbarian rebels break their alliance and launch a large-scale invasion, our Tang will probably have to retreat to the Liupanshan line, just a stone's throw away from Fengxiang. Then speak of Shazhou, which controls the Dangjin Pass. If we get it, we can block the barbarian rebels' way north. The Western Regions will be at peace. If the barbarians occupy it, they can threaten Gua and Su in the east and harass Anxi in the west. This is a strategic location that military strategists must fight for. We cannot allow it to fall into enemy hands for long."

"The barbarian invaders have occupied Longyou and Hexi in just a few years. The Tang people, including the Hu people, all hate the barbarians and look eastward every day, yearning for the rescue of the royal army. If the country agrees to peace, with the Tao River as the boundary and Shazhou not to be recovered, the people will be disappointed and think that the country has abandoned them. They will then willingly submit to the barbarians, and it will be a hundred times more difficult to recover in the future! Moreover, the Tibetans are barbarians and have no integrity. How can our Tang Dynasty, the Celestial Empire, break its promise and plot against them after making an alliance? Your Majesty's virtuous character will be tarnished. I urge you to think twice."

Li Yu frowned slightly: "After a hundred battles, does my Tang Dynasty still have the strength to recover lost territory?"

Li Ji said, "The Tibetan envoy's request for peace is merely a delaying tactic..." He wasn't sure if Ma Chongying had already overthrown Shang Jiexi or persuaded the Tibetan king to change his strategy towards Tang; but he knew that even if they genuinely sought peace, the land they had already occupied wouldn't be so easily returned.

"Since the enemy's plans are slow, we must act quickly to avoid falling into their trap. My original intention was to attack Shazhou this autumn, hoping to recover it. The troops in Longxi can temporarily maintain a defensive posture. If the barbarian bandits launch a large-scale attack, we should defeat them under the cover of strong walls and then try to counterattack. If the barbarian bandits do not come, we can take one fort today and one city tomorrow, slowly. The key is to let the barbarians know that we have no intention of making an alliance in a hurry, and to let the people know that the country will not abandon them and that they are willing to respond."

He paused, then continued, “Is Your Majesty perhaps worried that the nation’s strength is still insufficient and that funds and provisions are lacking? I have already recovered Guazhou, which borders Beiting and Anxi. After recovering Shazhou and blocking the northward route of the barbarian bandits, I will go west to subdue the Karluks and Turgesh—these are all cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong, and are indecisive and easily defeated. Thus, the Silk Road will be open. Within three years at most, Western merchants will be carrying exotic goods across the Pamir Mountains, through the Western Regions, to Liangzhou, and even to Chang’an. Our Tang merchants will also be trading silk and porcelain in the far west.”

"With the flow of goods and trade continuing uninterrupted, the market in Chang'an will surely prosper, the state will collect market taxes, and the treasury will be full; furthermore, money and silk will be used to settle the refugees, allowing them to cultivate the land in Guanzhong with peace of mind, and the granaries will also be full. At that time, Your Majesty can issue an edict, and the armies in Guanzhong will be well-fed and clothed and will surely be able to recover Longyou! In the meantime, we should just hold our ground. With the abilities of generals like Li Sheng and Ma Sui, and with me holding them back on the northern front, there will be no fear of defeat. As for the foreign envoys, we can deal with them temporarily, but we must never grant them permission."

"In your opinion, how many years will it take for Longyou and the Western Regions to be fully recovered by the time of the Tianbao era?"

Li Jixian shook his head: "The country is still poor and weak, and I am afraid it will be difficult to restore the old borders before and after the fifteenth year of Tianbao. I think that in the Western Regions, we should only go as far as the Pamir Mountains, and in Longyou, we should only go as far as Menggu and Chiling. We can then form an alliance with the Tibetans. This can be done within ten years. If we want to go deeper and even destroy the Tibetans, we can only hope for the future."

Li Yu looked at Li Ji and slowly asked, "So, are you going to stay in Hexi for another ten years?" He then added to his words, "I really miss you and hope to see you day and night to ease my longing."

Chapter Sixty-Seven: A Thousand Miles of Sorrowful Autumn

Li Ji left the Forbidden City and returned to the Hexi Jinzouyuan—the former residence of the Cui family in Pingkangfang.

The area in front of the Imperial Secretariat was packed with people. Upon seeing the Grand Commandant's procession arrive, they hurriedly parted to the left and right, bowing in respect. Li Ji glanced around and knew that most of them were scholars in white robes, with a few minor officials in blue and green robes, probably waiting for the selection process.

It's obvious without asking that they've come to pay their respects and request a recommendation—they don't necessarily want to serve under the military governor of Hexi and endure the hardships of the frontier.

Formal court officials would not come to pay their respects in person as soon as Li Jifu returned to the capital. Under normal circumstances, they would first send a servant to deliver a visiting card, arrange a date for the meeting, and then visit him on time.

Li Ji paid little attention to the people at the gate, merely nodding slightly in acknowledgment, and the carriage proceeded directly into the audience hall. This wasn't because he was putting on airs, but rather—he simply couldn't attend to so many people. It was better to have his subordinates receive them first, quickly selecting a few who needed to be met before inviting them into the hall.

The generals and officials who had returned earlier, as well as the staff of the Imperial Secretariat, all bowed to greet him inside the gate. Li Ji dismounted and met with those who remained behind, offering them words of encouragement and comfort. Immediately, Pei Xiang, the Imperial Secretariat official, handed over several sheets of paper, saying, "We have already drafted the list of officials to be invited to the banquet in the coming days. Once the Grand Commandant has made his decision, we will send out the invitations."

Li Ji had many relatives and friends in Chang'an, so now that he was back, he naturally wanted to see them and catch up. He had already instructed his staff to consult with Pei Xiang and finalize the guest list and the location of the banquet.

There were many relatives and friends of varying statuses, so it was impossible to gather them all together. They had to be invited to separate banquets. The guests were basically divided into three groups: first, former advisors such as Lu Qi and Han Hui, plus some friends from his humble beginnings, with Lu Lun assisting Pei Xiang in selecting the participants; second, high-ranking officials and scions of prominent families in the court, with Lü Xiqian assisting in the selection; and third, military officers and generals in the Imperial Guards, with Yuan Jing'an assisting in the selection.

This does not include Guo Ziyi and several familiar prime ministers—although Li Ji was the Grand Commandant, he was ultimately inexperienced and young, so he should have personally visited the mansion.

Pei Xiang handed over the list, which Li Ji casually took. He then instructed Lü Xiqian and the others, "You must be tired from traveling with me all this way. Please rest first. If any of you have families in the capital, please come with us." Then he called to Pei Xiang, "You may come with me."