Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 161

Upon hearing Chang Heng's revelation, the two exchanged a glance. Yao Huai then said, "We are willing to lead the charge for Commander Li and slay the tiger..." Li Yanjun replied, "Unfortunate Commander Zhou... Zhou Zhiguang is a match for ten thousand men; we are no match for him. Moreover, he has two sons, both brave and capable of drawing powerful bows..."

Li Ji reached out and raised his double maces, startling the two men who immediately recoiled. Fortunately, Li Ji did not immediately strike them down with the maces without a word. Instead, he coldly asked, "I heard that you two are soldiers under Zhou Zhiguang. If all the soldiers rebelled at once, surely you could subdue him and his two sons?"

Yao Huai boldly said, "Commander Li, please allow me to report. Although we are soldiers, we are merely guards of the military governor's office. We are only well-equipped, but in reality, most of us are incapable of fighting. Moreover, Judge Shao Ben and Deputy General Jiang Luohan are both in the office; they are Zhou Zhiguang's confidants..."

Li Ji raised his right mace and pointed it upwards: "Listen up, the army has entered the city, and Zhou Zhiguang is already trapped. If you don't turn against us now, you'll never have another chance. You might as well stick your heads out and let me kill you; at least you'll die a quick death."

The two were taken aback: "Where did this large army come from?"

The army Li Ji spoke of was neither the two thousand Baoying soldiers led by Guo Ziyi and Hun Jian, nor the one thousand soldiers under his command disguised as laborers. Even if they concealed their tracks and sneaked here, hoping to capture Zheng County in one fell swoop with three thousand men was nothing but a pipe dream—if the gatekeepers were attacked, troops from all over the city, including the imperial guards, would flock to the scene. Even if they couldn't gather thirty thousand troops at once, they would still have around ten thousand, and a fierce battle was inevitable.

What Li Ji was referring to was actually the Tongzhou Army.

He had long ago sent Yin Shen and others to infiltrate Tongzhou to persuade Li Hanhui, the garrison commander of Tongzhou. Because Zhou Zhiguang's promotion was too fast, he not only lacked truly loyal subordinates, but also his former colleagues who had become his advisors were somewhat resentful. They only obeyed him because they were intimidated by Zhou Zhiguang's strength.

Li Hanhui was one of them, ordered to guard Tongzhou. Previously, many scholars had gone west, but fearing Zhou Zhiguang, they took a detour north. Zhou Zhiguang ordered Li Hanhui to search for and kill them. Li Hanhui dared not disobey, but he was also deeply afraid. Scholars are the foundation of the country. Who knows which of my relatives and friends will hold power in the court? I owe this blood debt now, and I will surely suffer a terrible disaster in the future.

You, Zhou Jieshuai, are bold and strong-willed, able to handle things. I'm just a lowly general, and I haven't even gotten through to Yu Gong yet...

Yin Shen and others learned of the situation and went to persuade him. Soon after, Guo Ziyi received the imperial edict and went to Tongzhou to show it to Li Hanhui: "The sage has made it very clear that the ringleader should be arrested regardless of whether he is coerced or not; as long as you obey orders, your past misdeeds can be wiped clean."

So Li Han Hui led his core force of over two thousand men from Tongzhou to China. The garrison, unsuspecting, let him into Zheng County. By the time they saw that General Li's troops were growing larger and larger, seemingly endless, it was too late to take precautions. Moreover, Li Han Hui declared that he had come to collect his wages—you can't keep making us pretend to be bandits and fend for ourselves; you have to pay us! The garrison troops were all filled with unease and thus remained still.

They hoped that the Tongzhou army could really get money and supplies, then wouldn't we have a chance next?

—This plan was naturally Li Ji's scheme. In recent years, there have been frequent reports of internal strife in various towns, with soldiers rebelling against their superiors, driving out or even killing their officers. Since there has also been considerable internal conflict and resentment within the Hua Army, how could we not take advantage of it?

The Tongzhou army then surrounded the military governor's office and sent guides to direct Guo Ziyi and Hun Jian to seize the treasury and control the various camps.

It was only at this moment that Zhou Zhiguang received the report. He hurriedly summoned Yao Huai and Li Yanjun, but they were nowhere to be found. He then ordered his trusted general Jiang Luohan to lead his personal guards to protect them, while he himself led his two sons, Zhou Yuanyao and Zhou Yuangan, fully armored, to go out and scout.

Standing proudly on the steps, pointing his halberd at Li Han Hui, he shouted, "If you want money and provisions, you can take them yourself. Is the entire Tongzhou not able to supply your troops? Why do you come to ask me for them? And if you want them, you can just send a letter. How dare you come to Zheng County armed? Do you think my sword is not good enough? With your meager skills, do you think you can be a match for my great sword?!"

Li Hanhui sat upright on his horse, and upon hearing this, he hesitated and dared not answer. Seeing this, Zhou Zhiguang became even more arrogant and shouted, "Hurry up and leave the city. I will distribute some rewards to the Tongzhou army another day. If you delay even a step, not only will you not receive a single penny, but I will also personally take your head!"

Just then, a junior officer pushed through the crowd and approached Li Hanhui's horse. Li Hanhui bent down and exchanged a few words with him, his posture immediately hardening. He then faced Zhou Zhiguang directly and roared, "By imperial decree, Zhou Zhiguang is arrogant and lawless; seize him immediately!"

Zhou Zhiguang was taken aback: "Where did this imperial edict come from?"

Li Hanhui said no more, brandishing his sword and urging his troops to charge forward. Jiang Luohan hurriedly led his personal guards to meet the enemy. To be honest, Yao Huai and Li Yanjun's claim that the personal guards were incapable of fighting was a complete bluff. After all, their daily stipends were higher than those of other troops—though still insufficient—and they were physically strong and well-equipped. Once they blocked the entrance to the government office and engaged in a narrow battle, the Tongzhou troops were quickly forced to retreat.

Zhou Zhiguang drew his sword and charged straight at Li Hanhui.

Chapter Seven, Two Evils Receive Their Heads

Zhou Zhiguang was skilled in archery and horsemanship and wielded a broadsword, making him unparalleled in the Tonghua army. Otherwise, he would not have been chosen by Yu Chaoen. To be honest, several of Yu Chaoen's trusted generals, such as Liu Xixian, were not mediocre at all. Li Hanhui was definitely no match for him.

Therefore, seeing Zhou Zhiguang charging forward with his long sword, heading straight for him, Li Hanhui panicked on the spot. Just as he was about to abandon his army and flee, he suddenly heard someone shout behind him: "Soldiers, listen to our orders! Zhou Zhiguang's crimes are heinous, and we should obey the imperial decree. There is no need to die for him!" It was Yao Huai and Li Yanjun who had arrived.

Upon hearing this, the Tongzhou soldiers were thrown into chaos. Although none dared to defect in front of the enemy, seven or eight out of ten sought an opportunity to retreat, allowing the Tongzhou army to regain the upper hand. Zhou Zhiguang's two sons, Zhou Yuanyao and Zhou Yuangan, wielding powerful bows, shot and killed several men in succession, but ultimately felt outnumbered. They then heard shouts of battle behind them—presumably from the Tongzhou army scaling the wall and entering the government office—and became discouraged. They raised their voices and persuaded their father, "The government office is no longer defensible. Why don't we protect our father and charge out, then summon other troops to quell the rebellion?"

Before Zhou Zhiguang could answer, Li Hanhui heard this and immediately shouted, "General Guo has already entered the city with tens of thousands of imperial guards! Where do you think you can escape to?!"

Zhou Zhiguang was greatly surprised—in those days, soldiers and generals who were not afraid of Guo Ziyi were extremely rare—he instinctively drew his sword for self-defense, took a step back, and asked, "General Guo has actually come to Huazhou?!"

Li Hanhui raised his voice and said, "General's reputation is respected throughout the land, and his military tactics are unpredictable! Zhou Zhiguang, why don't you surrender and bind us?!"

Zhou Zhiguang frowned and asked, "What did the Emperor's edict say? Does it mean he wants to take my head?"

Li Hanhui hesitated for a moment, but still spoke frankly: "The sage only said that you are arrogant and domineering, and should no longer reside in the strategically important place of Huazhou, but did not mention execution..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiguang couldn't help but give a bitter smile: "Fine, fine, I hope we won't become another Lai Tian..." He knew that this time he was probably doomed—the Tongzhou army had already rebelled, the guards had turned against him, and Guo Ziyi had even come; how could they possibly win? He could only hope to offer the wealth he had accumulated over the years to Yu Chaoen and say a few good words to the emperor, which might save the lives of him and his two sons.

—Although he was arrogant, he was actually all bark and no bite, just as Li Ji said, nothing more than a “paper tiger”.

Just as he was about to put down his sword, a loud shout rang out: "Zhou Zhiguang disobeys the imperial order and resists with weapons; he may be killed!" Immediately, a burly man rushed out from the crowd, wielding two maces, and charged straight at Zhou Zhiguang.

This is naturally Li Ji. He really can't stand Li Yu. Where did your determination to kill Lai Zhen go? You killed those who shouldn't have been killed, but now that it's the turn of those who should be killed, you can't bring yourself to do it and even want to spare Zhou Zhiguang's life.

It is estimated that Li Yu has deeply reflected on his past mistake of executing Lai Zhen—Li Ji's previous advice and warnings may have had some effect—and dares not issue an edict to severely punish the Inspector and the Military Governor without going through the Secretariat and the Chancellery again, and may also be concerned about Yu Chaoen's feelings...

But Zhou Zhiguang is different from Lai Zhen; the difference is beyond comprehension. Lai Zhen ultimately rendered great service to the country. While guarding Shannan East Circuit, although he refused to return to the capital despite the imperial edict, he always had a pre-prepared excuse, and in the end, he did return. Can all his past merits be erased just because he refused to rescue his ally once out of personal resentment? Zhou Zhiguang, on the other hand, is far inferior to Lai Zhen in both seniority and merit. Moreover, he has committed numerous misdeeds and offended many officials both domestically and internationally—he even dared to curse the Prime Minister Yuan Zai—even if he were torn apart by five horses, no one would sympathize with him.

On the contrary, if even such treacherous officials are not willing to be killed, then every military governor would probably dare to become like An Lushan or Shi Siming.

Before Li Ji arrived, he told his subordinates, "I must take Zhou Zhiguang's head to vent my hatred!" Therefore, he could not allow Zhou Zhiguang to lay down his weapon and surrender. As soon as he saw Zhou Zhiguang's dejected expression, he roared and charged forward with his double maces.

If you've got the guts, put down your knife, give up the fight, and let me smash your dog's head in one blow!

Since Zhou Zhiguang was hoping for a lucky break, he naturally wouldn't be so fearless in the face of death. As soon as he saw Li Ji arrive, he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and was about to ask, "Who are you?" when, with a "whoosh," a mace came crashing down on his head.

Zhou Zhiguang hurriedly parried with his sword, but the impact made his wrist go numb. He wondered who this person was and how strong he was. He took a step back, only to see the opponent's left mace coming straight at him, aimed at his chest.

With his double maces exposed, Zhou Zhiguang had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on—"Could it be Li Weibo?!" He immediately regretted his actions. "Why did I have to provoke this tiger? The tribute from Weibo isn't worth millions of strings of cash; it's really not worth it..."

He hurriedly retreated several steps, trying to create distance between himself and Li Ji. Li Ji, of course, couldn't let him have his way—those two sons were still standing in front of the yamen with bows drawn, no more than ten steps away. If I couldn't get entangled with Zhou Zhiguang, two arrows would come flying at me, and I wasn't wearing armor!

He charged forward, his double maces striking down like a wheel, rising and falling. Jiang Luohan, eager to protect his master, hastily raised his sword to fight, but Li Ji struck him with his left mace, severing the sword in his hand. The mace grazed past him, and Jiang Luohan's arm was instantly crippled.

Almost simultaneously, the right-hand mace descended, and Zhou Zhiguang, protecting the back of his blade with his left hand, mustered all his strength to parry, barely managing to block it. But Li Ji's moves were swift; the left-hand mace had barely forced Jiang Luohan back when it came swooping in again. With a clang, a crack appeared on Zhou Zhiguang's horizontal blade. The left mace had barely been withdrawn when the right mace struck again. This time, Zhou Zhiguang could no longer withstand it; his left knee trembled, and he collapsed to his knees.

Seeing Li Ji's fourth mace strike, Zhou Zhiguang screamed, "Spare me!"

In truth, Zhou Zhiguang's bravery and strength overwhelmed the Tonghua army, earning him the favor of Yu Chaoen. His reputation was well-deserved, and even if he wasn't as good as Li Ji, the difference wasn't too great. The problem was that their weapons were incompatible. The iron mace struck with overwhelming force, something that ordinary swords couldn't withstand. Moreover, Li Ji suddenly closed in, and Zhou Zhiguang, caught off guard, lost the initiative and was forced to parry, with no chance to retaliate.

More importantly, Zhou Zhiguang was under pressure from the Tongzhou army from the outside and his own troops were causing trouble from within. It was also rumored that Guo Ziyi had led the Imperial Guards into the city. Zhou Zhiguang's morale was low and he had no will to fight anymore, so he was forced to beg for mercy.

But how could Li Ji let him off? As his left mace struck the horizontal sword, his right mace slightly retracted, then thrust forward with deadly force—

Both of his maces were pointed, though they couldn't be sharpened to the point of being like spears or lances. With enough force, they could pierce heavy armor. However, these weapons were more effective against the strong than the weak. If Zhou Zhiguang had worn heavy inner clothing and soft outer armor, he would at most suffer a bruise on his chest. But it was already summer, and Zhou Zhiguang, being of slender build, was extremely sensitive to heat. He wore only a thin linen lining and two layers of armor on top, the two chest plates being made of solid, polished iron—the hardest possible material…

Then, with a muffled thud, the mace tip pierced through the breastplate, shattered the ribs, and went straight for the heart. Zhou Zhiguang screamed again and fell backward.

On and below the steps, all the soldiers ceased their fighting, watching with trepidation. Zhou Zhiguang's trusted judge, Shao Ben, who had been forced to flee to the yamen entrance by the Tongzhou soldiers who had scaled the wall, witnessed this scene. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, a pool of muddy water gradually spreading beneath him...

After Li Ji killed Zhou Zhiguang, all the armies in Huazhou surrendered. Shao Ben, Jiang Luohan, and Zhou Zhiguang's two sons were all captured and bound. Soon after, Guo Ziyi rode up and, seeing the scene, was secretly alarmed. He asked Li Ji, "The Emperor did not say to execute, so why did Li Weibo resort to such a cruel method?"

Li Ji was wiping the blood off his mace when he heard this. He looked up and gave Guo Ziyi a bright and gentle smile: "Li Hanhui has already proclaimed the imperial decree, but Zhou Zhiguang refuses to lay down his weapon. I had no choice but to fight him. With the blade in front of me, how could I stop? Please forgive me, Your Excellency."

Guo Ziyi sighed softly, "Very well, I will report to His Majesty in this way." He then ordered Zhou Zhiguang's body to be collected.

Guo Ziyi then entered the military governor's office, took his seat in the main hall, and began to handle the aftermath. Not long after, Li Ji requested an audience, bowed to Guo Ziyi, and said, "The imperial edict was issued to you, sir, and is not my concern—Li Ji need not return to the capital to report. I fear that Weibo may be lost, so I will take my leave now."

Guo Ziyi tried to persuade Li Ji to stay, but Li Ji insisted on leaving, so Guo Ziyi had no choice but to let him go. However, before leaving, Li Ji made a request: "Previously, the tribute from Weibo was robbed by Zhou Zhiguang when it passed through Huazhou. I humbly request that you allow me to take the goods from the treasury as compensation."

Guo Ziyi nodded slightly and said, "That's fine—but what is its value?"

"Five hundred thousand strings of cash."

Guo Ziyi was taken aback: "How could there be so much?!" Let alone the fact that the towns in Hebei no longer pay tribute to the court according to custom, even before the turmoil, the annual tribute from Wei and Bo provinces was not that large, was it? Your inflated accounts are truly outrageous.

Li Ji smiled slightly and said, "Why are you so surprised by a mere 500,000 strings of cash? I just checked Zhou Zhiguang's private treasury, and his wealth is no less than 1.2 to 1.3 million. What is 500,000 worth to me?"

Guo Ziyi was less familiar with the inner workings of Tonghua than Li Ji was. Therefore, after entering Zheng County, he only sent troops to seize the treasury, and in total, he only managed to find miscellaneous grains and old silk, less than 100,000 strings of cash. However, after killing Zhou Zhiguang, Li Ji took Yao Huai and Li Yanjun to search several of Zhou's outer residences, and confiscated countless amounts of money and grain.

Zhou Zhiguang pocketed almost all the spoils from the two prefectures and the loot he had plundered. It's hard to understand how such a miserly nature could be so perfectly integrated with his inexplicable ambition.

Li Ji then reported that Zhou Zhiguang's private wealth amounted to 1.2 to 1.3 million taels of silver. Guo Ziyi was immediately shocked: "He has only been the governor of Tonghua for a little over a year. How could he have amassed such wealth?!"

Li Ji said, "I just transferred Zhou Zhiguang's private property to Hun Jian. You can ask Hun Jian yourself, sir—but please return my 500,000 strings of cash first."

Left with no other choice, Guo Ziyi was forced to negotiate with Li Ji: "The annual tax revenue of Tonghua and the two prefectures is less than one million, but we need to support 30,000 troops, which requires 600,000 to 700,000. I have come here to capture Zhou Zhiguang and pacify Tonghua. How can I give half of the prefecture's treasury to Changwei?"

Li Ji curled his lip: "I was referring to the Zhou family's private wealth. As for the official treasury, I will not take a single penny." How much money is in the official treasury? I don't even care about it!

After much persuasion, Guo Ziyi finally allowed Li Ji to take away money, grain, and silk worth 300,000 strings of cash. Li Ji then went on to collect vehicles and horses in Zheng County and the surrounding area, and escorted them eastward in a grand procession.

As for the news of Zhou Zhiguang's execution, it was delivered to Chang'an by fast horse early the next morning. As previously agreed, it was not reported directly to the palace, but Li Shi was notified first, and then Li Shi secretly reported to Li Yu. Upon receiving the report, Li Yu was speechless—I didn't say I wanted to kill Zhou Zhiguang, so how come Li Ji beat him to death?

Li Shi helped Li Ji defend himself: "Zhou Zhiguang was arrogant and disobedient to the emperor's orders. He resisted stubbornly with weapons, and Li Ji had no choice but to beat and kill him."

Li Yu held the secret letter in his hand, pondered for a long time, and then sighed, "The arrow is on the string, and it must be released..." He then ordered a move to the Hall of State Affairs, where he wanted to discuss important matters with the prime minister—and summoned Yu Chaoen to come along as well.

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, Chancellors Yuan Zai, Pei Mian, Du Hongjian, and Wu Qi respectfully welcomed the Emperor—Liu Yan was out of town and not in Chang'an—Li Yu sat at the head of the table, with the other chancellors seated to his left and right. Yu Chaoen followed, intending to squeeze to the next seat, but seeing that Yuan Zai had unceremoniously taken the second seat, he was filled with resentment; however, in front of the Emperor, he dared not contend, so he glared fiercely at Yuan Zai and was forced to move to the lower seat.

His buttocks had barely touched the low mat when he suddenly heard Li Yu calling from above: "Yu Chaoen."

Yu Chaoen hurriedly stood up, clasped his hands, and asked, "What are your orders, everyone?"

"Do you know why Your Majesty visited the Hall of State Affairs today?"

"This servant is unaware; please enlighten me."

Li Yu suddenly straightened his face and said in a deep voice, "The day before yesterday, I ordered Minister Guo to lead the Imperial Guards into Tonghua to eliminate the traitor Zhou Zhiguang. Private letters were found in his home, revealing that he colluded with Yu Chaoen to plot treason!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Chaoen was so shocked that her soul almost left her body. Her knees buckled and she knelt on the ground, crying out, "I'm innocent!"

Yu Chaoen was indeed wronged. He said he couldn't control Zhou Zhiguang and was just appeasing Li Yu. The two had broken off their friendship on the surface, but in reality, they were still connected and maintained a friendship in private. Although they colluded internally and externally, they didn't really have any ulterior motives—they were just trying to consolidate their power.

Zhou Zhiguang has been acting utterly outrageously lately. He not only cursed the court officials in front of the emperor, but also boasted that "only Zhou Zhiguang can use the emperor to command the princes." When Yu Yuanxian returned to court to report this, Yu Chaoen was terrified... He was just considering whether to completely sever ties with that madman when, unexpectedly, the emperor bypassed him and secretly ordered Guo Ziyi to eliminate Zhou Zhiguang, and then turned the tables on him! Yu Chaoen was so frightened that his soul almost left his body.

He hurriedly knelt down and repeatedly defended himself against the false accusations.

However, Li Yu remained unmoved.

To be honest, Li Yu had no good feelings towards Yu Chaoen. The fact that this scoundrel, along with Li Fuguo and Zhang Liangdi, had plotted to assassinate Li Tan, though several years had passed, was still vivid in his mind. Initially, Yu Chaoen was used to restrain Cheng Yuanzhen; after Cheng Yuanzhen stepped down, Yu Chaoen was transferred to Yu Chaoen to counterbalance the outer court—all calculated moves. However, Yu Chaoen, in order to consolidate his power, not only allied with Zhou Zhiguang but also attempted to extend his influence into the Imperial Guards, which finally pushed Li Yu to his breaking point.

Previously, out of fear of Zhou Zhiguang, Li Yu had only temporarily kept Yu Chaoen in reserve, merely to simultaneously support Wang Jiahe and divide his power. Now that Zhou Zhiguang had been beheaded, even the most timid Li Yu could see this as a golden opportunity to deal with Yu Chaoen. His only fear was that Yu Chaoen's cronies within the Imperial Guards might cause trouble, which was why he had brought him to the Hall of State Affairs…

Of course, this matter was discussed with Yuan Zai in advance through Li Shi, and Yuan Zai was naturally happy to see it happen.

Yu Chaoen was captured on the spot and hanged inside the Secretariat.

Chapter 8, The Aftermath

Li Ji, escorting the 300,000 strings of cash that had come from Bai Lai, was forced to travel slowly. When he passed through Luoyang, he handed over all the goods except for the grain to Yu Ling, also known as "Yu the Millionaire," and asked him to help sell them.

Because there was a lot of silk among the goods, firstly, silk could be used as currency in those days, and secondly, its quality was excellent and it must be valuable, so he collected it and brought it with him; the problem was that Weibo was a place where high-quality silk products were produced, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sell this silk for a high price if he brought it back. It would be better to exchange it for copper, iron, horses and other goods in Luoyang, the center of the world and a place where all the roads converge.

Therefore, he stayed in Luoyang for a few more days and took the opportunity to visit officials and old friends in the city. Suddenly one day, Yu Ling came to visit him and said that he had almost finished buying and selling the goods, but the commander needed several hundred fine horses, which he had to purchase from Shi and Lan prefectures. He was afraid that it would take more than ten days or half a month for the horses to arrive.

Li Ji waved his hand and said it was alright, he trusted him, and that he would return to Weibo first, and the horses could be sent over before autumn.

Yu Ling was overjoyed and bowed in thanks—keeping these goods in his possession for a while would make it easier to resell them and profit from the price difference—and then invited, "If the General has the leisure, would you be willing to revisit this place and reunite with old friends?"

Li Ji asked him, "What place is this? And who is this old friend?"

Yu Ling said, "It's quite a coincidence that the Venerable Amoghavajra just returned from Mount Wutai and is still staying at Shengshan Temple..."

"So it was Master Zhizang."

Eight years ago, Li Ji infiltrated the Luoyang Imperial Palace to rescue Consort Shen. Afterwards, he stayed at the Shengshan Temple and met the foreign monk, Amoghavajra—whose Dharma name was Zhizang—once. What impressed him most was that the monk had remarked that his eyes were clear and bright, and that—

"In my life, I have seen many people, but I have never seen such eyes. They are almost unlike those of people in this world. Alas, alas, a sage from beyond the world has been banished to this chaotic world and tainted by this mundane dust. I only hope that you, benefactor, will maintain your original heart, not be limited by cause and effect, and not be corrupted by defilement..."

Li Ji was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but ask, "In your opinion, Master, can I still go back?"

Zhizang told him, "Since you're here, make the best of it."

When Luoyang was restored, Emperor Suzong summoned Zhizang to Chang'an and had him stay at Daxingshan Temple. He was granted permission to repair and translate the Buddhist scriptures brought to China by eminent monks such as Xuanzang and Yijing from the Ci'en and Jianfu Temples in Zhongjing, the Shengshan and Changshou Temples in Dongjing, and other scriptures from various counties. Li Ji also occasionally interacted with Zhizang when he was in Chang'an.

According to Yu Ling, last year Zhizang instructed his disciple Han Guang to go to Mount Wutai to build the Golden Pavilion Temple, an important monastery for Esoteric Buddhism. Not long ago, Zhizang himself left Chang'an to inspect the progress of the project at Mount Wutai. On his return south, he first went to Luoyang and stayed at the Shengshan Temple. Yu Ling and Zhizang had a long-standing friendship; Yu Ling was a great benefactor. When Yu Ling visited him, Li Ji was mentioned, and Zhizang said, "This old monk has been acquainted with Benefactor Li for a long time. I wonder if it would be possible to invite him to meet me?"

Yu Ling hesitated for a moment: "General Li's current status is very different from before, and he has never been a Buddhist... It would be better if the Master went to pay his respects in person."

Zhizang smiled and said, "If he is unwilling to come, then it is not meant to be, and this old monk need not go to meet him in person."

Yu Ling had no choice but to go and inform Li Ji. Li Ji, however, didn't take it to heart: "How can I not go when an elder summons me?" He was never one to put on airs, and besides, the old monk was getting on in years. If he were to come in person with his cane, Li Ji would feel rather embarrassed. Although he was not a Buddhist, the other party was, after all, a famous religious figure, and in these times, could be considered a heretical thinker. Anyway, he had nothing better to do, so going over for a chat wouldn't hurt.

So he followed Yu Ling to Shengshan Temple, revisiting the place with a touch of melancholy. Upon entering the monks' quarters, he met Zhizang, who instructed a novice to serve him soup. Li Ji took a sip and casually asked, "Master, you are still so vigorous. I wonder how old you are?"

Zhizang smiled and said, "This old monk is sixty-one years old, and has been a monk for forty-one years."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I can't believe it! You're much more energetic than Yu Baiwan... By the way, is Yu Ling already sixty?"

"Li Jieshuai looks much older than before. Is he over thirty?"

Li Ji said not yet, but soon... He then sighed, "As I grow older, I have yet to achieve anything significant, which is truly shameful."

Yu Ling, who was listening nearby, couldn't stand it any longer and interrupted, "General Li is only in his prime, yet he commands thousands of troops and has been appointed to oversee two prefectures. He has besieged Jin and is dressed in scarlet robes. How can you say that he has not accomplished anything? If General Li is ashamed, wouldn't we all be ashamed to death?"

Li Ji's casual remark earlier had seemed somewhat pretentious, but when Yu Ling asked about it, it touched upon his innermost thoughts. He then smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Yu enjoys trading and accumulating wealth. He has already amassed millions and is rolling in money. He can be said to have achieved his ambitions. I, Li, seek to restore order, revive China, and pacify the people. However, after years of struggle, the country has shown no improvement. Although the rebels An Lushan and Shi Xiangshan have been defeated, Yan and Zhao are still divided, and the regional military governors are becoming increasingly arrogant. Barbarian bandits and the Western Qiang are eyeing our territory. I cannot wield my sword to sweep away... the evil forces that threaten the Emperor. This is why I sigh."

He had initially oversimplified things, believing that once Li Heng died and Li Yu ascended the throne, trusting virtuous ministers and distancing himself from treacherous officials, he could easily wipe out the bandits of Ping'an and Shi, revitalize the Tang Dynasty, and ensure the people's peace and prosperity. He thought he could then lead tens of thousands of troops to the western front to drive out the Tibetans… Who would have thought that the current emperor was only slightly better than his father? Eunuchs still held power, and Yuan Zai was jealous of the virtuous and committed evil deeds. In particular, the regional military governors and military commanders were becoming increasingly powerful and difficult to control. Just after eliminating Lai Zhen, the Pugu father and son emerged; just after dealing with the Pugu father and son, Zhou Zhiguang appeared… Not to mention the several surrendered vassal states in Yan and Zhao, which were essentially separatist regimes.

Even if everything goes smoothly after I pacify Yan and Zhao, how long will it take? With the Tang court's current financial resources, how long will it take to accumulate enough money and supplies to launch a full-scale counterattack against Tibet? Will I have to spend my whole life cleaning up the messes of the previous generations of lousy emperors? If it weren't for the concern for the common people and my inability to bear seeing them suffer from large-scale and widespread warfare again, it would be better to seek independence. At least then I wouldn't be hampered in every way, and it would be much less troublesome.

Nowadays, among local officials, including myself, probably less than one-tenth actually help repair leaky roofs; the rest are saboteurs. As for the imperial family and the court, they practically stand by and watch...

Upon hearing Li Ji's words, Yu Ling had no reply. Instead, Zhi Zang smiled slightly: "General, there is no need to be dejected. The world is vast and the affairs of the world are complex. How can one person alone be able to help? It is like repairing and translating Buddhist scriptures. But the Buddha's teachings are boundless and the scriptures are numerous. How can this old monk do everything by himself?"

He picked up the soup bowl in front of him, tilted it slightly, and a few drops of soup fell onto the table: "But drop by drop, they can eventually accumulate into rivers and oceans. If there were no righteous leaders in the world, the situation today would probably be even worse; since righteous leaders have emerged, they should do their best to act, and even a leaky room can be mended, and a collapsing building can be propped up. Why should we belittle ourselves?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "That's true. If I hadn't traveled through time, the Tang Dynasty might have been a completely different place... It's a pity we're not on the same timeline, so there's no way to compare."