Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 168

Qin Rui stabilized the battle line and returned to his own camp triumphantly. He even shouted loudly in front of his soldiers, "Men, how many bandit generals have I killed today?" Some of his soldiers understood and shouted back at the same time, "General Qin is mighty! In a short time, he has killed more than forty bandits, if not fifty!"

In fact, Qin Rui only personally knocked down about ten Tianxiong cavalrymen in this charge—his hundred personal guards couldn't just stand by and watch, leaving the enemy all to face the commander—and most of them were ordinary cavalrymen, with very few officers or above.

The battle looked intense, but since neither side's formation collapsed, most of the wounded were able to be saved, so the number of people who died on the spot was not high. Of course, given the medical level of that era, it was hard to say whether the seriously wounded could survive for more than a few days even if they were carried back to the camp.

As dusk approached, the situation slightly favored the Tianxiong army, which had forced the Weibo army back over a hundred paces from the center of the battlefield. Immediately, the sound of metal clanging rang out from the Weibo camp, and two fresh troops charged forward on the flanks to cover the main force's slow retreat; almost simultaneously, Tian Chengsi ordered the striking of bronze gongs…

Both armies returned to their camps, and the casualties were only a couple hundred men each. If the fighting continued like this, even for ten days or half a month, either side could afford the losses, but for Tian Chengsi, he couldn't wait—who knew when the Zhaoyi and Hedong armies would arrive?

Once the enemy's reinforcements arrive, the balance of power will likely be reversed instantly.

Although Tian Chengsi looked down on both the Zhaoyi Army and Xue Song, the Hedong troops were a formidable force with many warhorses. Even if Xin Yunjing only sent two or three thousand elite cavalry, it would be enough to give him a hard time.

Therefore, upon returning to camp, he couldn't help but look somber. Xu Shi asked him, "Just now on the battlefield, the Weibo army was unable to hold out and was forced to sound the retreat. If I had taken the opportunity to pursue them, I could have directly reached the front lines. I wonder why Commander Tian ordered a retreat?"

Before Tian Chengsi could speak, Xing Caojun chimed in, "Although the enemy has retreated, their strength remains. Moreover, our army is not prepared for a night battle. Even if we are forced to the front of the fortress, we cannot charge into it and waste our troops. It would be a loss."

Tian Chengsi clenched his fists and slammed them in front of him, saying angrily, "I didn't expect Li Ji to be so difficult to deal with!"

Wang You hurriedly comforted him, saying, "On the first day of battle, the enemy's morale was still high, which prevented us from quickly defeating them. This is normal in battle, so Commander Tian need not worry. Let's wait until tomorrow to fight again..."

Tian Chengsi shook his head: "We cannot fight tomorrow."

Chapter Twenty-One: Too Intense

In those days, ordinary soldiers had limited protein intake. Even if they ate a lot of carbohydrates, they could hardly withstand long hours of labor and were easily fatigued. Today, the two armies had been fighting since dawn, with less than an hour of rest in between. Most of the officers and soldiers were already exhausted and would need several days of rest before they could possibly return to such a fierce battlefield.

Wang You, being accustomed to sitting in his study, didn't have a deep understanding of this, which is why he blurted out "Let's fight again tomorrow"; Tian Chengsi, having been in the military for a long time, wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

Because the government troops fought fiercely and refused to retreat during the day, but were ultimately outnumbered, and several times it seemed that they were just one step away from complete collapse, so Tian Chengsi was reluctant to give up early. As they fought, the whole day went by... How could they possibly send out their main force to fight tomorrow or even the day after tomorrow?

He then turned to Xing Caojun, Meng Xiyou, and other generals and asked, "What are your thoughts on today's battle?"

Xing Caojun said, "The soldiers of Wei Bo are in excellent physical condition. Even after fighting for a day, they seem to still have energy left... I really don't know how Commander Li trained them..."

If Li Jiruo were standing nearby, he would have answered his question directly: "It's simple. As long as you don't cut back on rations and pay, and give the soldiers some meat from time to time, that's fine. If you really can't afford to supply that, soybean protein will do."

"...In my humble opinion, Commander Li should place all his elite troops here, while the old and weak guard the city and transport supplies in the rear. Our elite troops number only twenty or thirty thousand, while Weibo has more than ten thousand. So, with two against one, the formation is not very wide, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to defeat them. Besides, there is also Wu Shun's army guarding the pontoon bridge and protecting the flanks."

On the battlefield, even if you outnumber the enemy by a hundred, your numerical advantage will be greatly diminished if you cannot spread out your troops completely—this is precisely why military strategy emphasizes defending strategic locations. In today's battle, the width between the two armies is only four or five li, and even with the left and right flanks, it doesn't exceed ten li. Wu Zetian's army cannot possibly stretch the enemy's formation too thin, and at least on the main battlefield, they cannot gain a significant advantage.

However, this was a last resort. Tian Chengsi could certainly divide his troops and continue to extend his forces northward—from the city of Hengshui to the border between Ji and Shen prefectures, which is mostly flat terrain, no less than forty miles long—but he wouldn't be able to manage it all. If the situation changed, the messengers would not be able to report the frontline battle situation to the central command in time, and by the time the central command issued the order, it would be too late...

This made Tian Chengsi stroke his beard and ponder, considering whether to send a detachment northward to Xing Caojun and entrust it with full authority before resuming the battle in a few days. However, before making a decision, he had to ask, "What about Wu Shun's army?"

Xing Caojun said, "Wu Shun's army is also quite physically fit..." This was actually redundant; Qin Rui and the others had rested for a long time before the actual battle—"Their bravery may not be as great as Wei Bo's, but their formation is extremely disciplined. Especially Qin Rui, whose bravery surpasses that of the entire army; this humble general is truly no match for him..."

Before he could finish speaking, Meng Xiyou suddenly remembered something and interrupted, "Just now General Xing said that all of Weibo's elite troops are here, so their grain escort troops must be few and weak. Our army should find an opportunity to cross the Zhang River and attack their rear. If the supply line is cut off and the grain is burned, they will not be able to hold out and will have to retreat."

Ultimately, the Zhang River is not wide, with many sections that can be forded, and its banks are flat terrain, which is advantageous for offense but not for defense. So, since the Tianxiong Army has a numerical advantage, why not take advantage of it and divide their forces to harass the enemy?

Tian Chengsi nodded slowly, but first sought Xing Caojun's opinion: "What do you think of this plan?"

Xing Caojun thought for a moment, then replied hesitantly, "It seems feasible, however... Li Ji is no novice, and he will most likely be on guard..."

Tian Chengsi was filled with resentment: "Hu E has followed me since An Lushan was still alive, but I never expected him to betray my trust and surrender—if Xindu were still in my hands, why would I have to worry about this?!"

Now that Xindu has fallen into the hands of the government troops, it will inevitably become the closest grain storage base to the front line. Moreover, with its strong city defenses, it can also blockade an area of ​​dozens of miles around, thus greatly limiting the operational range of the Tianxiong Army's forces that attempt to raid south of the Zhang River. If Xindu were still in Tian Chengsi's hands, the scope for strategic maneuvering in the surrounding area would be much wider.

Wang You suggested, "It's also because the Weibo army arrived too quickly, and the garrison in Xindu was insufficient. Perhaps Hu E had no choice but to surrender, but his heart still belongs to Commander Tian. I heard that Li Jijian escorted General Yang to Chang'an, but still appointed Hu E as the governor of Jizhou. We can send someone to sneak into Xindu. If we can persuade him to return, Weibo's food supply will be cut off." He paused, then added, "Commander Li may not be able to persuade him, but Commander Tian might as well offer some benefits to Commander Qin of Wushun's army. If we can get him to open the pontoon bridge, Weibo will surely be wiped out."

Tian Chengsi nodded: "Let's devise multiple plans simultaneously. You write to Hu E for me, saying that if he is willing to return, all his past transgressions will be forgiven; then write to Qin Rui, saying that if he withdraws... I will compensate him with 100,000 shi of grain and salt, and 50,000 bolts of silk." Then he looked at Meng Xiyou: "You then lead troops across the Zhang River for me, and try to raid the grain transport of Weibo..."

At the same time, in the Weibo camp, Li Ji, Tian Qianzhen, Lei Wanchun, and others were also summarizing the day's battle. Li Ji first asked Tian Qianzhen, "What does the deputy commander think of today's battle?" Tian Qianzhen shook his head: "It was a bit too intense..."

Gao Ying was puzzled, but given his temperament, he would immediately ask questions whenever he didn't understand something: "This humble official is not knowledgeable in military affairs, but I must ask you—today, only six or seven tenths of our army took turns fighting, including the general's personal guards. There are still many fresh troops that have not been used, and after a whole day of fighting, the casualties are only a few hundred. Can this still be called 'intense'?"

Lei Wanchun first explained: "In a battle between two armies, it is impossible to send out all of our forces. If we have to send our elite troops into battle, it means that defeat is already imminent. We can only hope to survive by fighting to the death." But he then expressed his surprise: "I, Lei, once followed the late General Zhang to defend Suiyang and Luoyang, fiercely resisting the powerful enemy. The situation there was extremely tragic, and I know that it cannot be compared to today's battle. However... the deputy commander said that it was 'too intense,' and I do not understand what he means."

Tian Qianzhen looked at Li Ji and saw Li Ji nod slightly. He then sighed and said, "Only today do I realize that the Weizhou defense army trained by Commander Li is truly one of the best in the world. Although the Tianxiong Army is also brave and fierce, it is far from being able to defeat them." He paused and began to explain, "However, the Tianxiong Army is still several times larger than us. If I were to send all my main forces, I could defeat them, but I would be powerless to break into their camp and inflict heavy casualties on the enemy."

"If Tian Chengsi were to retreat out of fear and hold fast to Wuqiang, then the armies of Zhaoyi and Hedong might come, and within a few months, they would be unable to breach the city, and their provisions might not be sufficient. The reason we have set up fortifications north of Zhang is to contain Tian Chengsi and prevent him from retreating, so that reinforcements can arrive and launch a full-scale attack, breaking his spirit and killing his troops. At that time, even if a few troops flee back to Wuqiang, it will not affect the overall situation."

"Therefore, I believe that today's battle was still too intense and might frighten Tian Chengsi away. Our army is ultimately outnumbered. If he retreats now, even if we pursue him, we will not be able to inflict heavy casualties on him, and the commander's plan will be in vain. Since our army is more than capable of holding the position, why not show the enemy weakness and fight more slowly?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "It's not easy to gauge the situation here. If we show too much weakness, Tian Chengsi is cunning and might see through our weakness. We need to make him think that we might be able to win before he will stay. If he retreats to Wuqiang, our army will be in trouble, but in fact, the Tian family will have basically lost the chance to turn the tide."

He then asked Tian Qianzhen, "From the deputy commander's perspective, if Tian Chengsi does not retreat, what strategy will he employ, and how should I respond?"

Tian Qianzhen said, “Tian Chengsi has only three strategies: first, to rest for a few days and then come to fight me again; second, to send troops north to bypass the border between Shenzhen and Hebei in order to encircle me; and third, to send an army across the Zhang River to the south to attack my grain transport. My idea is that if he requests battle again, the commander-in-chief should not respond. It is better to hold the camp and lure him to attack the stronghold; sending troops north is also fine. As long as I ensure that the pontoon bridge on the Zhang River is not lost, he will have no way to encircle me; if he attacks the grain transport to the south…”

He stroked his beard and said slowly, "I know the commander has already made plans, but we must still be cautious and not be too careless."

Li Ji nodded: "I understand."

Gao Ying warned, "I'm afraid Tian Chengsi might secretly send someone to persuade Commander Qin of Wushun Army..." There was widespread dislike for Weibo in Wushun Army, while people in Weibo Town generally distrusted Qin Rui.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji pondered for a long time before saying, "If you're talking about the idea of ​​'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' or about the camaraderie we shared under the An Lushan rebels, I can't do anything about it..." However, among everyone present, only he knew that Qin Rui was actually different from Tian Chengsi and the others, and could not be considered an old member of the An Lushan rebels—"If you offer a generous bribe... I might as well give Qin a blank check."

Everyone was bewildered: "What does the commander mean...?"

Li Ji pointed at Gao Ying: "You wrote a letter to Qin for me, promising that if he conquers Hengshui and Wuqiang, all the treasury's contents will not be contested by Wei Bo; if he ultimately fails to conquer them, I will compensate him with 100,000 bolts of brocade... no, 200,000 bolts, and the loan from the other day need not be returned!"

Just then, Yin Shen entered after registering. Upon seeing the group of people in the tent, he hesitated somewhat. Li Ji waved his hand at him: "It's alright. If you have any news, you can tell everyone."

Yin Shen then bowed and reported, "There is still no news from the Hedong army, but the vanguard of the Zhaoyi army has already entered Jizhou territory."

Li Ji was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "How many soldiers are there? Where have they arrived?"

Yin Shen replied, "The vanguard of four thousand will depart from Julu and head straight for Nangong..."

Li Ji frowned: "What are you going to Nangong for?"

Nangong County is located sixty li southwest of Xindu, west of the old canal, and is currently still under the control of the Tianxiong Army. However, because the city is small, after reconnaissance, the garrison is less than a thousand men, so theoretically it will not affect the government army's transport route. Li Ji only assigned half a battalion of soldiers to monitor the east of the canal and ignored it.

Even if we ignore the Zhaoyi Army, they are just a dead pawn, useless in any way. But no matter what, the county still has soldiers and a city. If the main force of the Zhaoyi Army passes through, it would be fine to just push through, but now the vanguard only has four thousand. Do you think you can take it in a day or two? What if the people refuse to surrender?

I'm here eagerly awaiting reinforcements, why are you wasting your time?

Most likely, they are greedy for the people in the city and the wealth in the treasury, or they covet the credit for taking the city... Perhaps the generals are cowardly, the main force is not here, and they dare not come to join our army first.

Just as he was feeling indignant, Yin Shen reported: "Chengde's troops are gradually gathering near Anping, I don't know why..."

Chapter Twenty-Two, Officials Who Guard the Selection

Crown Prince Li Shi's situation is extremely delicate.

Although not the legitimate son, he was the eldest son. While Li Miao was born to Consort Cui, she died young and was not posthumously honored as empress after Li Yu ascended the throne. Therefore, Li Miao, having lost his mother at a young age, theoretically had no chance of competing with Li Shi. During the reign of Emperor Suzong, Li Shi, as the eldest grandson, was greatly favored by his grandfather. Later, during a palace coup, when Li Heng died and Li Yu succeeded him, Li Shi made significant contributions. Therefore, in the minds of most officials, he was the only suitable candidate to succeed to the throne.

Since the first year of the Baoying era, officials have successively submitted memorials requesting the emperor to establish the foundation of the nation. Whether it was stated explicitly or implied, the only candidate was the emperor's eldest son, Li Shi.

Li Yu, however, kept delaying. He initially enfeoffed Li Shi as the Prince of Lu, then changed it to the Prince of Yong, and appointed him as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces to suppress Shi Chaoyi. This seemed reasonable—if Li Shi became the Crown Prince, he wouldn't be able to lead troops into battle. Therefore, letting Li Shi establish great merit and prestige beforehand was for his own good. Besides, didn't the current Emperor also serve as Grand Marshal for quite some time before becoming the Crown Prince during Emperor Suzong's reign?

However, when Shi Chaoyi was beheaded and Li Shi returned to the capital in triumph, Li Yu's series of actions became incomprehensible: he was appointed as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, a position that only Emperor Taizong Li Shimin held when he was still a prince, which seemed to imply that Li Shi should be the foundation of the country; but what did it mean that he was granted an iron certificate along with Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi and others, and his portrait was displayed in the Lingyan Pavilion?

Does the Crown Prince, the future emperor, need an iron certificate? Can he ascend to the Lingyan Pavilion and mingle with the meritorious officials, receiving the respect and remembrance of future generations?

Consequently, the court officials presented a multitude of memorials, all directly naming the Prince of Yong as His Majesty's eldest son and praising his great contributions to the state, requesting that he be established as Crown Prince. Li Yu delayed for several years, but under duress, he finally formally appointed Li Shi as Crown Prince in the second year of the Guangde era. However, he refused to allow Li Shi to move into the Eastern Palace, citing its desolation, and instead forced him to remain in the Sixteen Princes' Residence with his brothers.

Li Shi himself was quite happy about this; he didn't want to be imprisoned in the Eastern Palace like his father had been.

While residing at the residence of the Sixteen Princes, the Crown Prince was exceptionally cautious in cultivating relationships with court officials, building a strong faction and consolidating his power base. Yang Wan and Li Qiyun had advised him on this matter, and Li Bi had also hinted at it on several occasions, but Li Shi remained steadfast in his ways.

—I am the Crown Prince. What's wrong with associating with court officials? As long as it's not too excessive, it's not considered overstepping the bounds. Even Father Emperor hasn't said anything. Do you all need to keep advising me?

But now, he couldn't help but feel a little remorseful for his past behavior—had I provoked my father, causing him to suddenly and without warning appoint the second son as the Grand Marshal of the Army? Was my father giving me a warning, or did he truly intend to depose the eldest son and establish the younger one in favor of the younger?!

While he was pacing back and forth at home, unsure whether to change his ways or whether pretending to be stupid would win back his father's trust, a messenger suddenly came to announce, "Lu Qi, the envoy from Weibo, requests an audience."

Li Shi hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should meet Lu Qi. Upon further reflection, he realized that his frequent interactions with Lu Qi and his close relationship with Li Ji were common knowledge. If he were to suddenly sever these ties, wouldn't it arouse his father's suspicion? Especially since Li Ji was one of Li Shi's few trusted advisors, and he needed him to win over Li Mi. If this created a rift between them, it would be a terrible loss…

Therefore, after pondering for a moment, he ordered: "It seems that there is something important in Weibo that requires my assistance in speaking to the Emperor—let him in."

Before long, Lu Qi led one person to the outside of the hall, registered, and entered.

Every time Li Shi saw Lu Qi, he couldn't help but recall his first meeting with Li Ji when they were in the Ding'an imperial residence. Back then, Li Ji had escorted Li Mi from Yingyang, and Li Fuguo had led Li Mi to pay his respects to Li Heng, leaving Li Ji alone in the courtyard to wait. Li Shi, who had been with Li Heng, was also ushered out of the hall, and thus met Li Ji, and asked:

"The Sage and my father summoned Master Changyuan, but I was not allowed to sit in his presence. I heard that Master Changyuan had a brother, so I came to see him. Who would have thought... Hey, how could Master Changyuan, a man of divine stature, have such an ordinary-looking brother?"

Li Ji didn't know Li Shi at the time, and immediately asked him bluntly, "Have you been to school?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you not heard the saying, 'Judging people by their words, you will lose Zai Yu; judging people by their appearance, you will lose Zi Yu'?"

Actually, although Li Ji was only of average appearance, as his beard grew longer and his official rank rose, he diligently practiced archery and horsemanship and spent a long time on the battlefield. His dignified demeanor grew day by day. Combined with his robust physique, if Li Shi were to meet him again now, he would never say that Li Ji was "plain-looking".

However, Lu Qi, an official under Li Ji, was different. The birthmark on his face was a serious flaw; even if he were to one day rise to high office and wield power, he would likely still be considered "ugly." When Li Shi first met him, he felt somewhat uncomfortable, but considering that Lu was Li Ji's subordinate and Li Bi's brother-in-law, he tried his best to restrain himself and not show his dislike. However, after several meetings and conversations, he discovered that this Mr. Lu Ziliang was truly insightful and capable; no wonder Chang Wei had entrusted him with the important task of maintaining liaison in the capital—and their friendship grew stronger day by day.

Otherwise, Li Shi was at a critical juncture in reflecting on his past conduct. If Wei Bo had sent someone else, he might have truly refused them—leaving a message behind, as it was getting late, there was no need to see them.

But Lu Qi was followed by a person who, despite the cold weather and lack of rain or snow, was wearing a hood that covered half of his face—who was this person? What did this mean?

Before he could even ask a question, Lu Qi bowed and said, "Your Highness has important military intelligence to report. Please dismiss your attendants for now."

Li Shi was puzzled, but he still waved his hand, ordering all the servants and eunuchs to leave. Then he stared intently at the person behind Lu Qi: "Sir, shouldn't you reveal your true identity now?"

The man then lifted his hood and bowed with his hands clasped, saying, "It has been many years since we last met. Your Highness is still in excellent health. I am overjoyed."

Li Shi looked closely and was taken aback: "Sir, you've returned to the capital? When did you get back?"

"I returned to the capital three months ago after completing my term of office. I was assigned to the Ministry of Personnel for selection, but due to my special status, it was inconvenient for me to come directly to pay my respects to Your Highness. Therefore, I had no choice but to ask Mr. Lu to convey my request. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Li Shi narrowed his eyes slightly: "Sir, you must have come with something to teach me—please sit down." He then sighed softly: "A mere ninth rank is truly beneath you, sir."

The mysterious man who accompanied Lu Qi was indeed just a low-ranking official in a green robe, serving as the county magistrate of Nanjiang County in Jizhou. However, his original career was not bleak; he had served as the prime minister of the puppet Yan state, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Fengyi, and after surrendering to the Tang dynasty, he also served as the third-rank Minister of Agriculture—this man was named Yan Zhuang.

When Yan Zhuang served as Minister of Agriculture, he outwardly maintained a neutral stance, but secretly, through Cui Guangyuan, he cultivated a close relationship with Li Shi, even devising strategies to consolidate his power. Later, Li Shi and Li Fuguo joined forces, and in exchange for favors, dismissed Liu Yan, killed Kang Qian, and betrayed Yan Zhuang. As a result, Yan Zhuang was demoted to a mere county magistrate, almost at the bottom of the prestigious Tang Dynasty bureaucracy.

Li Shi once felt somewhat guilty towards Yan Zhuang, but as time passed and circumstances changed, he gradually forgot about the man completely. And even if he didn't forget, what could he do? Yan Zhuang's status was special, and Li Shi had to avoid suspicion; he could never speak well of him to his father or the court officials.

Although Li Shi claimed to cultivate relationships with court officials, he was actually quite cautious in his actions. There were three types of people he tried to avoid, lest he arouse his father's suspicion: First, the prime minister and powerful ministers of various ministries and departments. Let alone the crown prince, even ordinary members of the royal family could easily invite disaster if they got too close to these powerful ministers. Second, the officers and soldiers of the imperial guards. It was one thing for the crown prince to interfere in political affairs, but if he interfered in military affairs, he would surely be courting death. Third, those officials with bad reputations, which naturally included the vast majority of those who had surrendered during the An Lushan Rebellion...

It seems that Yan Zhuang was well aware of this as well, which is why, after returning to Chang'an, he did not dare to swagger over to Li Shi's residence, but instead went through Lu Qi to secretly meet him.

Yan Zhuang returned to the capital after completing his term as the county magistrate of Nanjiang, and was selected by the Ministry of Personnel. In theory, all officials in the Tang Dynasty had a term of office. When their term expired, unless there were special circumstances—such as being ordered to remain in office by the court or needing to be transferred to another official position urgently—they had to return to the capital to be selected. Between the two terms, there would be a period of "waiting for employment" where they held rank but no official position.

As for the length of this period, it ranges from one to twelve selections, with one selection lasting one year. Generally, the higher the rank, the fewer selections are made. For example, officials of the third rank and above often do not have to wait more than half a year before the court has to make a new appointment. As for minor officials of the eighth or ninth rank, they are generally selected between three and five times.

In addition, there are two special cases. First, the prime minister and the heads of various ministries and departments are not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel. Second, the staff of the military governors are theoretically only temporarily assigned and are not considered formal officials. Therefore, whether they move from one military governorship to another, or from a court official to a staff member, or from a staff member to a court official, they do not need to be selected. The former two are not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel. As for the latter, since they are staff members of the military governors, it is considered that they have already been employed.

Yan Zhuang's situation is rather unique. Based on his previous rank, he should have been appointed within one selection at most; however, considering his recent resignation as the county magistrate of Nanjiang, he might have to wait three to five years. But three to five years isn't the minimum; theoretically, the Ministry of Personnel could leave him idle for a full twelve years without violating regulations. Yan Zhuang, feeling helpless and without support, and with the stain of having served the puppet state of Yan, might truly have to wait ten years or more…

Will I still be able to hold office then? Shouldn't I retire by then?

He once considered retiring, but he was never willing to accept it—"I once served as the ruler of a country, so in the Tang Dynasty I should at least wear a red robe again, right? If I retire with only the ninth rank, I will have no honor in my later years."

Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard that Prince Zheng, Li Miao, had been appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army and Cavalry. Yan Zhuang couldn't help but laugh out loud – my chance has finally come! So he went to the Weibo Jinzouyuan to see Lu Qi, explained that he had a long-standing friendship with Li Ji, and then, through Lu Qi, secretly came to see Li Shi.

Li Shi knew that Yan Zhuang was, to put it bluntly, full of scheming and plotting, or to put it kindly, resourceful and cunning. Therefore, Yan Zhuang's visit at this time was most likely to offer advice on the matter of succession, in order to secure a bright future for Li Shi's family. So, after only a few words, they went straight to the point.

Yan Zhuang comforted him, saying, "Your Highness is troubled by the matter of Prince Zheng receiving the title, but there is precedent for appointing a prince as the Grand Marshal of the Army—when His Majesty was still the Crown Prince, Emperor Suzong appointed Li Xi..."

Li Shi interrupted the other party and said bluntly, "That is why the Li faction harbored rebellious intentions, colluded with the deposed Empress Zhang, and plotted a rebellion."

Yan Zhuang nodded: "This is precisely what I have been planning for Your Highness. In the past, when the Shi clan caused chaos in Guandong, the state gathered troops from various garrisons, numbering no less than 300,000, and issued an edict to suppress them. Li Linhuai (Li Guangbi was enfeoffed as the Prince of Linhuai) requested to be appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army of the Whole World, and Emperor Suzong then appointed Li Xi. However, now that the rebellion in the east has been quelled—although Tian Chengsi rebelled, it was ultimately a minor disturbance, and he did not usurp the title or cede territory—the nation's greatest enemy lies with Tibet. Even before the establishment of the state, Your Highness was already the Grand Marshal of the Army of Guanzhong. Therefore, now that you are being appointed as the Prince of Zheng, you should also command the various garrisons in Guanzhong. Why must you be called 'the whole world'?"

Li Shi wanted to ask: Does this mean my father intends to change the heir apparent? But he gritted his teeth and held back, simply nodding: "Please continue, sir."

"As Your Highness has worried, even if His Majesty's actions are merely to have the prince monitor the various towns and have no other deeper meaning, it is still difficult to guarantee that Prince Zheng will not suddenly develop a desire to seize the throne, and it is even more difficult to guarantee that those in the court who are plotting to advance their careers will attach themselves to Prince Zheng and expand their influence..."

"Then how should I respond?"

Yan Zhuang smiled slightly: "There are only two options: advance or retreat. The so-called retreat is for Your Highness to request to move into the Eastern Palace, thus isolating yourself from the outside world, closing your eyes and ears, only upholding filial piety, and not concerning yourself with state affairs, hoping for the sage's enlightenment. However, Emperor Suzong did just that in the past. If the Yang family had not been destroyed, how could there have been the ascension to the throne in Lingwu? The current emperor did the same in the past, but ultimately could not stop the Li faction from rushing into the fire like moths to a flame, causing brothers to turn against each other. Therefore, the retreat plan is to entrust the succession and even one's life to Heaven. If Heaven is unmoved and the ancestors are unforgiving, one will inevitably suffer disaster..."

Li Shi felt that the words of this former traitor were becoming increasingly dangerous, but he still couldn't help but want to continue listening: "What about the proposed strategy?"

Yan Zhuang lowered his voice slightly: "If you advance, you must contend! The thrones of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xuanzong cannot be obtained by retreating." Before Li Shi could refute him, he hurriedly explained: "Of course, my intention is not for Your Highness to go through the Xuanwu Gate or Tanglong incidents. Your Highness is already the Crown Prince. Just preserve your position and wait for the Emperor to live a long and prosperous life. Why take such risks?"

Li Shi thought to himself, "It's good that you're not trying to persuade me to stage a coup... To be honest, I have thought about this before, but given the current situation and environment, there's absolutely no chance. I don't want to add another line to the list of crown princes who were deposed for usurping the throne."

So he smiled and said, "I am not one to take risks, and I was just about to ask you for your prudent advice."

Yan Zhuang then said solemnly, "In the past, under the sage and the foundation of the state, the most important person was the prime minister. Now it is the regional military governors. If Your Highness has a powerful regional military governor to assist you, the Prince of Zheng will not dare to have any disloyal thoughts!" He only mentioned the Prince of Zheng, Li Miao, but everyone, including Lu Qi, knew that he was actually saying that the emperor would not dare to easily change the heir apparent.

Upon hearing this, Li Shi couldn't help but glance at Lu Qi sideways.

Seeing this, Yan Zhuang revealed his true intentions: "I know that Li Weibo and Your Highness are close friends, but unfortunately, he is too far away. If Li Weibo were to return west and guard Jingyuan and Binning, even if he were in Shuofang, he could lead a strong army to defend against the barbarians, which would be enough to be Your Highness's aid. I also know that Li Weibo deeply hates the barbarian bandits and has the ambition to pacify the western border. Why doesn't Your Highness help him achieve his wish? Even if Hebei is in ruins, it will only be temporary; if the foundation of the country is solid, it can lead to a hundred years of peace."

The implication is that if the country doesn't fall into your hands in the future, why should you care whether the towns in Hebei are arrogant or even separatist?

Chapter Twenty-Three: Favoritism and Inequality