Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 44

At the northeasternmost corner of Chang'an City was Yongfu Ward, and to its south was Xingning Ward. Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) originally built residences for the princes in these two wards. Later, to facilitate his travels between Daming Palace and Xingqing Palace, he constructed a passageway along the eastern city wall and built a secondary city wall east of Yongfu Ward as a resting place along the way, and also for convenient "prison visits." Therefore, today, the residences of the princes (including the residences of the sixteen princes and the residences of the hundred grandsons) almost entirely occupy the Xingning Ward, with one or two courtyards extending northward into Yongfu Ward.

In other words, both wards were royal properties, and the gates were guarded by the Northern Imperial Guards, so ordinary people dared not approach. If Li Ji had recklessly tried to sneak in, he would most likely have been driven away by the Imperial Guards, or even captured on the spot—of course, whether he could actually be captured was another matter—fortunately, he received guidance from Li Qiyun, who wrote a letter to clear a path for him.

Although the Palace Attendant Censor was only a seventh-rank civil official, while Li Ji himself was a seventh-rank military official, civil officials were valued more than military officials, and the official rank of a civil official was higher than that of a non-official official. In addition, the Palace Attendant Censor was commonly known as "Deputy Duan," which was an important and prestigious position. Therefore, as soon as the few lines of text were handed over, the guards immediately changed their expressions.

Of course, Li Ji's identity had to be verified—even a Palace Attendant Censor couldn't just introduce an ordinary commoner to see a prince—after checking his official credentials and confirming that he was indeed seeking an audience with Prince Cheng, Li Chu, they hurriedly reported it.

Li Ji tied his horse to a post at the gate, slung his luggage over his shoulder, and waited with his hands behind his back. After about a quarter of an hour, a general from the Imperial Guard called out from inside the gate: "Li Zhiguo? His Highness summons you."

Li Ji straightened his turban, dusted off his clothes, and then entered the gate with his hands tucked in. The general led the way, turning east and west, and after a short distance, they arrived in front of a large red-lacquered gate. Li Ji looked up and saw three large characters on the plaque: "Residence of the Prince of Qi".

Li Ji was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "I request an audience with King Cheng, how can I be led to the Qi King's residence?"

Before the words were even finished, a voice rang out from inside the door, "Changwei, you only think of your brother, have you forgotten me?" Then Li Tan, dressed casually at home, strode out and grabbed Li Ji's wrist, "Changwei, why are you so late?"

Li Ji took a half step back, broke free from Li Tan's hand, and bowed, saying, "How dare I disrespect Your Majesty? But there is an order of seniority, so I should first go and pay my respects to His Highness Prince Cheng."

Li Tan laughed and said, "What I said just now was just a joke." He grabbed Li Ji's arm and said, "I should go see my brother first, but he has just been summoned to Xingqing Palace. I was afraid that the guards would be waiting for too long, so I ordered someone to invite him. Why don't you come to my residence for a while and wait for my brother to return?"

Li Ji was still somewhat hesitant, but Li Tan feigned reluctance and said, "Does my residence not belong to a dragon's den or a tiger's lair? Even if it does, do you, Li Changwei, lack the courage to seek out pearls and retrieve tigers?"

Helpless, Li Ji had no choice but to slow his pace and was pulled into the Qi Prince's residence by Li Tan. Once inside the main hall, the host and guest took their seats. Li Tan asked Li Ji, "Would you like some tea?" Li Ji thought of his experience at the Lingxu Palace in Hengshan and couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile: "I'm a rough man, I'm not used to this taste."

"May I have some wine?"

"I dare not drink alcohol, for I fear I would be disrespectful in front of Your Highness."

Actually, he had already drunk quite a bit of wine at the banquet hosted by Li Qijun and his nephew at the East Market Restaurant, and he dared not drink any more for fear of making things worse.

Li Ji then ordered the eunuch, "Bring me the drink." He then leaned forward slightly, rested his right elbow on the table, and asked Li Ji, "Why does Master Changyuan refuse to stay in Yingyang and instead head south? Did Changwei escort him to settle down? Where exactly did he go?"

Before his departure, Li Bi left a letter for Li Heng, explaining that he would no longer stay at Jishan but would instead travel south to Hengshan, and requesting that His Majesty need not send anyone to visit him or bring any gifts. However, Li Heng did not tell anyone this news—at least not his sons—only saying that Changyuan had crossed the river.

Li Ji was unsure whether he should reveal Li Bi's whereabouts to Li Tan—he wasn't worried that Li Tan would harm Li Bi, but he feared that if too many people knew, the secret might slip up at some point. Look, Zhou Zhi had already gotten the information—he could only smile awkwardly and change the subject: "I didn't expect Chang'an to be so prosperous. I should have come to pay my respects to Your Highnesses much earlier, but I was too engrossed in admiring the beautiful scenery of the streets and alleys, which delayed me until now. I hope Your Highnesses will forgive me."

Li Tan understood that he was unwilling to reveal Li Bi's whereabouts, but he did not press the matter further. Instead, he directly steered the conversation toward Li Ji: "Now that Changwei has returned to Zhongjing, does he have a place to stay? What are his plans for the future?"

Li Ji thought for a moment and replied, "I have no place to live for the time being. As for the future... my elder brother instructed me to find a way to transfer to a clerical position..."

Li Tan clapped his hands and laughed: "This is the right path! How can a member of the Li family of Zhao County be relegated to the military?" He then asked: "With the merits and abilities of the chief guard, the emperor also appreciates him. I can try to speak on his behalf and offer him a civil post while he enters the Southern Army as a general in the Imperial Guard. What do you think?"

Li Ji pondered for a moment, then felt there was no need to hide certain things from Li Tan, and said, "I have discussed this with my elder brother repeatedly. Now that we have returned to Chang'an, I have heard that the Emperor is residing in the Forbidden City, and Li Fuguo... it would be best if he could avoid being transferred to a civil post by the Emperor, not enter the Southern Court, and not reside in the Central Capital..."

Upon hearing this, Li Tan's expression darkened: "Indeed, Changwei, you and that Li Fuguo... are not on good terms. Moreover, although Yu Chaoen has gone to Shaanxi to supervise the Shence Army, he still has many followers in the Southern Army... So if you don't stay in Zhongjing, where do you intend to go? Will you still return to the military headquarters?"

Li Ji had already prepared a plan for this, so he crossed his hands and asked, "My elder brother once said that he had suggested a way to persuade Shi Siming to surrender. I wonder how that went?"

Li Tan lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, the surrender document has already arrived in the palace and will be announced to the world soon."

Li Ji said that since that was the case, "Hebei is not worth pacifying. However, my elder brother and I have discussed it and we both believe that the enemy's strength is waning and will be annihilated soon. The real disaster for the country lies in the western border."

Upon hearing this, Li Tan's spirits lifted slightly: "You mean, Tibet?"

Li Ji replied, “Indeed. I’ve heard Chen Fu, Yi Tiechui, and others talk about the war against the barbarians, and it always gets my blood pumping. I don’t know any grand principles, but I feel that although there are barbarians among the rebels, most of them are still Chinese soldiers. It’s hard to bear seeing fellow countrymen kill each other. We should focus on winning hearts and minds. This is not a good battlefield for us to fight bloody battles. Only by going west to kill the barbarians and slaughter foreign tribes can we, as men of the Tang family, do our duty. In Your Highness’s opinion, is there an opportunity?”

Li Tan nodded: "What you and Mr. Changyuan are worried about is very true. Our Tang Dynasty had already broken into the Western Sea and was about to eliminate the border troubles, but due to the uprising of the An rebels, we were forced to summon troops from Longyou and even Anxi to defend the border. As a result, the power of the barbarians has been rekindled. They not only recaptured the Western Sea, but also crossed Menggu and Chiling and invaded Shanzhou, Kuozhou, Hezhou, Taozhou and other prefectures... Many military towns have fallen, half of the people have been relocated, and half have been captured by the barbarian rebels. It is heartbreaking to think about."

"If we do not strengthen our defenses immediately, the barbarian bandits will penetrate deeper into Lanzhou and Weizhou, and from their high ground, they can threaten the Western Capital... Fortunately, both capitals have been recovered; otherwise, with the An rebels in front and the barbarians behind, our Tang Dynasty would truly be doomed."

He then looked at Li Ji and praised him, saying, "A true man should be able to serve in the border regions, defend against invaders and protect the people. Your determination to uphold this ideal is truly commendable!"

Li Ji repeatedly said "I dare not," and was about to make his request when Li Tan said, "It would not have been difficult to place you in the Western Army, but I would like to transfer you to a civil post first, and it would be best if you were not controlled or hindered by people like Li Fuguo..." His eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, "How about becoming a judge or military advisor in my Qi Prefecture?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Here you come! I knew you'd say that!"

Regardless of whether Li Tan harbored ambitions to become the heir apparent, he was undoubtedly a man of great ambition and unwilling to spend his life idle in the Sixteenth Prince's residence. Therefore, he would inevitably try to recruit him. Li Ji had originally considered that serving as a judge or military advisor in the Prince's residence was a shortcut to a civil service position. Although it still required review by the Ministry of Personnel, the prince himself ultimately had considerable influence over the matter. As long as Li Tan insisted on recruiting him, it would be a sinecure under the prince anyway, so why would the Ministry of Personnel object for no reason?

Moreover, theoretically, Li Fuguo might not even notice these sinecure appointments of the seventh or eighth rank.

He could then use his position as a rebellious official in the Prince of Qi's mansion or as a military advisor to receive a salary, and then be sent to a western prefecture to lead troops to resist the Tibetans. This would allow him to leave the murky waters of the capital, making it impossible for Li Fuguo and others to reach him, while also accumulating merits and protecting the Tang people. It was truly a wonderful arrangement.

However, before his departure, Li Bi repeatedly warned him that he must never attach himself to Li Tan, even if it was only superficial. Once he became an official in the Prince's court, he would inevitably be drawn into the political vortex. After much deliberation, Li Ji had to admit that Li Bi was right—his older brother was much better at protecting himself than he was.

While it is true that "if I am found to be weak, I will go even if there are thousands of people against me," and there is no need to be too hesitant, it would be a great waste if I could not die on the battlefield but instead accidentally stumble into a political vortex and drown.

Therefore, he politely declined Li Tan's offer: "My elder brother once said that the positions of judge and military advisor in the Prince's Palace are considered to be of high moral character. With my qualifications, I am afraid I am not qualified to take the position. Even if I were to take the position, it would surely cause my colleagues to look down on me, which would be a disaster rather than a blessing."

Actually, these words were not spoken by Li Bi, but rather by Li Qiyun when he was helping Li Ji to transfer to a civil service position not long ago. Li Qiyun explained the distinction between "pure" and "turbid," which Li Ji remembered and used to cover up his mistake.

Li Qiyun stated that positions such as judge and military advisor in the Prince's Palace were also considered "pure stream" official posts. During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, an imperial edict was issued stating that positions including "prince's clerks, judges, military advisors, judges of Jingzhao, Henan, and Taiyuan, and county clerks and lieutenants" were all considered "pure stream" positions, and that "those from outside the official ranks or those of rank-based official origin" were not allowed to hold them. While we may not necessarily still accept the Wu Zhou edict, it was a common practice, and given your background, it would be difficult to obtain such a position. Even if you did, you would likely face criticism.

Li Tan insisted, but Li Ji simply waved his hand. In the end, Li Tan had no choice but to say, "Very well, I suppose my Qi family is too lowly, and the guards don't take it seriously. Let's wait until we meet Brother Wang, and perhaps there will be a better way to get you to remove this cross-legged turban and restore your status as a scholar."

Just as Li Ji was about to offer a few words of apology, he suddenly heard a eunuch outside the door announce: "The Prince of Fengjie has come to pay his respects."

Li Tan laughed loudly, "This must be because my brother has returned and sent Shi'er to welcome you." He then escorted Li Ji out of the mansion and handed him over to Li Shi.

When he returned to the main hall, he saw an official waiting with his hands clasped in front of him. Upon meeting him, the official asked, "Does Your Highness not wish to recruit Li Ji in order to seek out Mr. Changyuan? Why did you not mention the matter of leaving the town to serve him just now?"

Li Tan smiled and said, "Gongnan should have heard about our conversation just now. Li Changwei firmly declined to serve as a subordinate of my Qi government. If I were to bring up the matter of going to govern a town, he would definitely refuse, thus blocking his own way out. Judging from Changwei's intentions, he wants to see King Cheng first before he will decide on his course of action."

"Rest assured, I know how King Cheng will handle him. This pigeon will eventually fall into my trap!"

Chapter 43, Strategies for Defending Against Barbarians

Li Shi was overjoyed to see Li Ji. After his uncle Li Tan returned to the mansion, he took a step back, faced Li Ji, and bowed deeply with his hands clasped.

Li Ji quickly grabbed him—this crossed-hands salute is reserved for elders, let alone a deep bow—"Why is Your Highness doing this?"

Li Shi said, "Changwei, you kept your promise and indeed found my mother. This kindness is like being given a second life. How can I not accept such a great gift?"

Li Ji said, "This is the Emperor's command and my duty. Your Highness need not take it to heart. Besides, how can I accept Your Highness's courtesy on a main road? Find a secluded place where no one is around, and you can even kowtow to me. Although there are not many outsiders here, there are still guards in front of the Prince's Mansion. You are also followed by your subordinates. It would be very inappropriate for them to see you."

He then lowered his voice and asked, "Is Her Highness Consort Shen still residing in Luoyang?"

Li Shi's face darkened, and he nodded, saying, "Indeed... I have repeatedly pleaded with my father to go to Luoyang to visit his family, but my father said that he could not leave the capital without an imperial edict... I pleaded with the Emperor, but the Emperor only delayed... I even pleaded with the Retired Emperor, but the Retired Emperor could not make the decision..."

He first glared behind him, signaling his men not to follow too closely, then took Li Ji's hand and walked alongside him, lowering his voice to say, "I think Father is so happy in Zhongjing that he's forgotten all about home!"

Li Ji frowned: "Consort Cui?"

Li Shi curled his lip and said, "What is she? Since Father returned to Zhongjing, he has only seen her once. The other day, it was said that he was seriously ill and about to die. I don't know if it's true or not. When the eunuch came to report, Father refused to go and visit her..."

Li Ji suddenly realized that Consort Cui was actually quite pitiful...

Then Li Shi continued, "Do you remember I told you about a seventh brother named Li Jiong?" Li Ji nodded—the body he was inhabiting was not only strong and healthy, but also quite clear-headed and had a good memory.

“Li Jiong’s mother, Lady Dugu, was treated differently by my father since the time of Lingwu. After they returned to Zhongjing, she was loved and favored by him, just like my mother was back then…”

Li Ji thought to himself, "That's normal. After all, Li Chu and Consort Shen have been separated for several years, and their fates are unknown. He must find solace in other women, right? Since his first wife, Lady Cui, is repulsive to him, it's understandable that he would turn to Lady Dugu. Speaking of these nobles with their many wives and concubines, do you really expect them to be faithful to one woman until the end?"

Moreover, I reckon that Li Chu's decision to settle Consort Shen in Luoyang instead of bringing her back to Chang'an was ostensibly to avoid Consort Cui, but in reality, he probably already had little affection for her. Look at his current attitude towards Consort Cui, and with Consort Cui having lost the Yang family's backing, would she dare to treat her concubine poorly in front of her husband? If she dared to say or do anything, Consort Dugu's life would definitely not be easy now, so Li Shi doesn't need to complain to me.

It's just a pity for this child; although he knows his mother is still alive, they are so far apart that he still can't go to see her...

Li Shi had not yet undergone his coming-of-age ceremony—though it was said to be soon—so he was still living with his father, Li Chu, and had not yet moved to the Bai Sun residence. When he led Li Ji into the Prince Cheng's residence, Li Chu was not as enthusiastic as Li Tan; he refused to personally greet him, but simply sat in the main hall to receive him. Upon meeting, the first thing he asked was about Li Bi's whereabouts. Li Ji gave a vague answer, and Li Chu seemed displeased: "Does Changwei suspect me?"

Li Ji hurriedly replied, "I dare not. To tell you the truth, Your Highness, I was escorting my elder brother south to retire when we were attacked by assassins sent by Zhou Zhi..."

Li Chu was taken aback upon hearing this, and leaned forward involuntarily, asking, "Tell me the details quickly."

So Li Ji briefly recounted the incident of Jingjing'er's assassination attempt on Li Bi—the other party's target was definitely Li Bi, not himself. The reason she shot him with a dart first was just to eliminate the threat, but unexpectedly, the female Taoist next to her was the real threat—but he didn't mention the specific location or who the female Taoist who helped him was.

After finishing, he said, "Where my elder brother is, the Emperor knows. Your Highness may ask the Emperor. I truly dare not reveal it."

Although Li Chu was mediocre, he wasn't lazy either, and immediately nodded, "I know." Li Mi's whereabouts were only told to Emperor Li Heng, and even that information leaked out. How could Li Ji possibly trust someone so close to him? Since even his father hadn't explained Li Mi's whereabouts in detail, how could Li Ji dare to say anything?

Like Li Tan, he then asked Li Ji about his views on his future—he had promised Li Ji that he would help him get promoted and rewarded.

Li Chu said, “Jia Huai and Yun Lin have both been granted military ranks. Yun Lin is currently serving in the army of Pugu Huai En, but Jia Huai refuses to go and wants to wait for your return. Therefore, he is temporarily serving in my household. However, the Sage said that Li Ji’s future should be discussed with Master Changyuan. I wonder if Master Changyuan has made any plans for you?”

Li Ji then explained his plans to switch to a civil service position and to go west to join the army and fight against the Tibetans. Li Chu frowned and asked, "You just came from the Prince of Qi? What is his opinion on this?"

Li Ji replied, "The Prince of Qi wanted to hire me as a staff member in his palace, but I politely declined. As for the matter of resisting the Tibetans, I am quite supportive, but as for which route to take or which army to serve, I have no suggestions..." Perhaps he did, but Li Shi suddenly ran over and interrupted him.

Li Chu rested his hands on the table, lowered his head and pondered for a moment. After a while, he instructed his servant, "Bring me pen and ink."

The eunuch brought over a desk and placed it in front of Li Ji, along with writing implements such as brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Li Chu then asked, "How much do you know about the Western affairs? What do you think we should do to resist the Tibetan invasion, or even force them to retreat? Please write a policy essay for me to read."

Li Ji understood that this was a test of himself, and the test had two aspects. The first was his literary talent—if his handwriting was as bad as a dog's scribbles and his sentences were incoherent, it would be quite shameful to call him a scholar, let alone a civil official. If the dignified King Cheng, the future crown prince, recommended a semi-illiterate person to be an official, wouldn't he be criticized to death in the future?

Secondly, it's about one's understanding and thoughts on the current situation. It doesn't need to be too profound, but you should at least have some knowledge of it before being sent to the front lines. Ultimately, once you're transferred to a civilian post, you won't be a common soldier, or even a low-ranking officer; relying solely on military force would be of no benefit to the country.

Therefore, Li Ji no longer concealed his shortcomings, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and first wrote the three large characters "御蕃策" (Strategy for Defending Against Barbarians) on the paper in a fair and square manner.

Li Chu, who was six or seven feet away, saw this from a distance and couldn't help but stroke his beard and nod.

Because Li Ji's handwriting was quite good, even if his literary talent was lacking, in many situations, he could barely get away with it by relying on his handwriting.

In those days, scholars practiced calligraphy from the time they learned to read, as writing and literature were inextricably linked—it was unheard of for a literary genius to have calligraphy that was merely mediocre. Of course, ordinary people, mainly the urban class or merchants, would also read and write for the sake of livelihood, but they didn't value calligraphy much. But Li Ji was a scholar, and he aspired to be a civil official; how could his calligraphy be too poor?

Li Chu had no idea that Li Ji used to have terrible handwriting, and that Li Bi had criticized him countless times. The real Li Ji had absolutely no interest in learning, while the transmigrator, accustomed to penmanship in his previous life, had, especially after the widespread use of computers, forgotten most of his calligraphy skills from typing on a keyboard…

So Li Bi couldn't stand it anymore and forced Li Ji to learn calligraphy from him, mainly the regular script of Zhong Shaojing and Ouyang Xun. After more than a year of practice, Li Ji, who already had some basic skills, no longer wrote crooked or weak characters. His calligraphy was barely passable, and he could be considered to have grasped the basics of a middle-grade style.

Next came the essay, which posed no challenge for Li Ji. He had a foundation in classical Chinese from his previous life. While expecting parallel prose and elaborate verses was a stretch, a well-structured and fluent essay would suffice. Besides, Li Chu demanded a "policy essay," and although even policy essays in those days often emphasized parallelism and rhyme, if Li Chu set such high standards, there would be no need for an examination; Li Ji could simply be fired. Li Ji was certain Li Chu wouldn't ask for that, and thus answered without hesitation with a prose essay:

"Now, barbarian bandits are rampaging across the western borders, invading the royal lands and harming the royal people. It is not that the state is incapable of defending them, but it is preoccupied with affairs in the east and has no time to deploy a large army to fight them. As a result, the barbarians are becoming increasingly arrogant, and petty thugs are causing trouble. The western lands are being lost day by day, and many military towns are being destroyed. If we do not urgently devise a good strategy, not only will Longxi be difficult to defend, but I fear that the western capital will also be engulfed in flames..."

The text begins by discussing the dangers posed by the Tibetan Empire, and then incorporates Li Ji's own considerations. He argues that the Tibetan army is unlikely to penetrate deep into the Central Plains, and its furthest eastward advance would probably be towards Xijing (Xiangyang). The true aim of the Tibetan Empire, he believes, is to ravage the prefectures and counties of Longxi, forcing the Tang army to adopt a defensive posture, and then sweep northwards to isolate Liangzhou and Ganzhou, thereby enabling them to attempt an attack on the Anxi Protectorate and annex the Western Regions.

The Tibetans' mode of production was still a mix of pastoralism and agriculture, similar to the various prefectures of Longyou. Therefore, while Longyou was usable, it would be difficult to govern further into the purely agricultural Central Plains, and the gains would easily outweigh the losses. However, the Western Regions were also a mix of pastoralism and agriculture, and there were many kingdoms there. Dividing their strength would weaken them, making it the easiest territory for Tibet to seize and the most convenient to govern—their ambitions were undoubtedly in the Western Regions.

If we want to protect the Western Regions, we must first protect the four prefectures of Liang, Gan, Su, and Gua. If we want to protect the four prefectures, we must first protect Longxi. We cannot allow the Tibetan army to seize the Tao River or even advance towards the Wei River.

Given that most of the troops in Guanzhong have been transferred east to quell the rebellion, it is unrealistic to engage in a decisive battle with the main Tibetan force on the western front. Instead, strategic locations such as Lanzhou and Minzhou should be chosen to recruit civilians who have suffered greatly at the hands of the Tibetans, establishing more military garrisons and attempting defensive counter-offensives. The next step, after pacifying Hebei, capturing and executing An Qingxu, and with the main Western Army returning, is to gradually recover the lost territories of Shanzhou and Kuozhou, pushing the battle line back to the vicinity of Xihai—Qinghai Lake.

Li Ji actually had some ideas about where to build the new military town, and he had even discussed it with Li Bi. However, firstly, plans on paper are not necessarily reliable, and it is necessary to go there in person to observe the terrain in order to draw the most accurate conclusions; secondly, there is really no need to go into such detail in an examination essay.

The article could have ended here with a simple conclusion. However, Li Ji couldn't resist adding an extra paragraph, the main point of which was: Never even dream of destroying Tibet!

Although he had never been to Tibet in his previous life, he had read a lot of related materials and knew that even 1,500 years later, that place would still be sparsely populated, with poor transportation and relatively impoverished people. Therefore, in this era, let alone annihilating the Tubo Kingdom, even attempting to penetrate its territory would inevitably lead to a terrible military disaster.

In some ways, fighting on the plateau is more dangerous than fighting on the grassland.

Li Ji suggested pushing the border to the western shore of the Western Sea, where it would stop. He proposed establishing military garrisons near Fusi City and Dafeichuan, recruiting people to cultivate the land, as a long-term strategy. He reasoned that after suffering such a heavy blow, the Tibetan Empire would likely sue for peace—a scenario that had occurred several times during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras.

Peace was possible, but it couldn't be expected to last. Even without the Tang generals recklessly provoking conflict under pressure from the eunuchs, Tibet would inevitably break the peace agreement after recuperating. Therefore, during this brief and precious period of peace, the Tang Dynasty had to find ways to infiltrate Tibet and attempt to divide and weaken it.

Li Ji wrote: "The Tibetan system differs from that of China, but is similar to that of the Uyghurs. Each tribe is governed by its own ruler, and the king is merely a leader of the alliance. Furthermore, there is now a Chancellor, the Lun family, who effectively control the government. Therefore, based on the circumstances of each tribe, we can either appease them to form an alliance, entice them to submit, provoke them into war, or incite them to rebel, ultimately leading to the establishment of a new Zanpu by the Tang dynasty. In the past, the five Xiongnu Chanyu vied for power, causing Huhanye to flee south. This centuries-long calamity finally ended with Chen Tang's defeat of Zhizhi City. If Tibet were to disintegrate and its kings to govern separately, it would not pose a threat to China. Without Tibetan interference, the Western Regions could be secure; without Tibetan aid, Nanzhao could be pacified. Only in this way can the nation reap benefits for a century!"

He wrote over three thousand words in a long and flowing style. After finishing, he put down his pen, blew on the ink to dry it, and presented it with both hands to the eunuch, who then handed it to Li Chu. As usual, he added, "This is a humble opinion I came up with with my elder brother in the past. I hope Your Highness will take a look." Just assume that this was mainly Li Bi's idea; there's no need to be too surprised.

However, after reading it carefully, Li Chu couldn't help but be somewhat surprised. It wasn't because there were any profound insights in the text—frankly speaking, given Li Chu's level, this policy essay was like casting pearls before swine—but rather because he felt that Li Ji's thinking was very clear and his writing was well-organized.

China has historically lacked the concept of "logic." This isn't due to a lack of related ideas, but rather the absence of a suitable term or a rigorous system to guide planning and writing. Furthermore, the flourishing of poetry and prose since the Kaiyuan era led scholars to prioritize style over substance when writing policy essays or officials when writing judgments. Literature, especially poetry, has never been known for its adherence to logic…

Therefore, Li Chu, accustomed to ornate and parallel prose, initially found Li Ji's "Strategy for Defending Against the Barbarians" rather bland—fortunately, he hadn't held out high expectations to begin with—but as he read on, he gradually appreciated the text's rigorous logic. Sentences and paragraphs were tightly connected, progressing layer by layer without any digressions. Although lacking sufficiently brilliant parallelism and any aphorisms, it subtly displayed the style of strategists from the Warring States and Western Han dynasties who persuaded feudal lords and offered guidance on the political situation!

Such writing, of course, would not be suitable for passing the imperial examinations or the classics examinations, and would even fail the policy examinations, but it certainly wouldn't be considered inferior in daily official correspondence in the government office—at least it could clearly explain things.

To be honest, since Li Longji, the literary talents of the princes and grandsons have been declining with each generation. Therefore, when Li Heng gave Li Chu some policy essays, memorials, and official documents to study, Li Chu found it difficult to find the true meaning in those ornate and beautiful words. He often had to underline with his pen to say, "This sentence is useful, this sentence is just an analogy, this sentence is just an allusion, this sentence is just meaningless digression" in order to summarize the central idea.

On the contrary, reading Li Ji's policy essays today, I was able to read ten lines at a glance. The reasoning was smooth and unobstructed, and the meaning was clear and unambiguous. I felt an indescribable sense of joy and comfort in my heart and mind...

Chapter 44, Taking Direct Action

After examining Li Ji's writings and essays, Li Chu put down his policy essay and nodded slightly: "In that case, a civil service position is attainable."

He then suggested to Li Ji that he could write a few lines to ask the Ministry of Personnel to directly grant him a nominal official position, but this would not benefit his future.

The Tang Dynasty's system for selecting and appointing officials was relatively rigorous; it wasn't a matter of any powerful figure simply bestowing a position upon someone. Although Li Chu was no ordinary nobleman—he was a prince—even princes dared not overstep their bounds, lest they incur negative public opinion. Conversely, by being appointed to a position by the prince's decree, Li Ji would inevitably be labeled as someone who had "advanced by chance," which would be detrimental to his future development.

—The main reason is that Li Chu was at a crucial juncture in his bid for the crown prince position, and Ya was unwilling to cause trouble, fearing that the opposing faction might seize on some weakness or use it against him.

Furthermore, Li Chu could only transfer Li Ji to a civil post, not advance him further or appoint him to a specific official position. If it were merely a nominal or honorary post, that would be one thing, but once the file was in the Ministry of Personnel, a substantive position could be granted at any time. Now, Li Fuguo is in power, and his cronies are throughout the court. If he could discern Li Fuguo's intentions, he could directly offer Li Ji a minor post as a magistrate or lieutenant in a remote county. Would Li Ji accept it or not? If he didn't, obtaining a substantive position would be difficult; if he did accept, he would be sent directly to Lingnan, and wouldn't be able to return for five or seven years!

Therefore, Li Chu said, "The only suitable person is a clerk in the Prince's mansion—if I were to hire you as a military advisor in Prince Cheng's mansion, would you accept?"

Li Ji was already prepared for this, so he repeated his reasons for declining Li Tan's offer. He then clasped his hands in a pleading manner, saying, "Just now, while dining in the East Market, I happened to meet an elder of my clan who offered me some guidance..."

"Who?"

"Palace Attendant Censor Zhenyi".

Li Chu nodded: "Then how will he teach you?"

"Zhenyi said that if one wants to join the army as a scholar, there is only one way—to enter the military governor's office."

Since the Tianbao era, the power of the military governors had been expanding, and they often concurrently held the positions of supply commissioner and transport commissioner, taking charge of all local military and political affairs. They gradually began to emulate military campaigns and established their own subordinates, only needing to be registered with the Ministry of Personnel. Unless in certain extreme cases—for example, if the person was actually a criminal wanted by the emperor, or not a scholar at all—the court would not veto their decisions.

Li Qijun suggested that Li Ji simply give up his seventh-rank military post, start from scratch as a commoner, find a military governor, become his subordinate, and then seek an official position to earn a living.

The reason why he could come up with this idea while Li Bi did not is twofold: firstly, this trend had only recently begun and could not yet be considered a shortcut that everyone was eager to take; secondly, Li Qijun himself came from the military governor's office.