Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 42

Li Ji thought to himself, "What? I could have learned this twenty years ago? How old do you think I am this year...?"

Left with no other choice, he abandoned his hopes and stayed overnight at Lingxu Palace. The next day, he and Li Bi brought their families over and temporarily settled them in the palace. On the third day, he took his leave. As the two brothers parted, Li Bi brought up two matters to inform Changwei: "I have two things to discuss with Changwei..."

Li Ji listened attentively to Li Bi's teachings, but he never expected that the first thing Li Bi mentioned would be urging him to get married...

Li Bi said, "Although your soul is different, your body is still my brother Changwei's. You must use this body to leave offspring for Changwei. Otherwise, I will be letting down my deceased uncle, and you will be letting down the real Changwei, won't you?"

Li Ji replied vaguely, "I'll keep it in mind, but I'm not in a hurry..."

Li Bi said, "Why aren't you in a hurry? You've already had your coming-of-age ceremony for many years. If you don't take advantage of your prime and strength to get married, when are you planning to delay?"

Li Ji countered, “The Book of Rites says: ‘At ten years old, a man is called a child and begins to learn; at twenty, he is called a young man and begins to mature; at thirty, he is called a man and begins to have a wife…’ This shows that according to the rites, a man should only marry at the age of thirty.”

Li Bi was taken aback: "You can actually recite the classics?" He then smiled and said, "The next line is 'At forty, one is strong and can serve in office.' Since you adhere to the Zhou rites so much, why don't you live in seclusion with me for twenty years before seeking an official position?"

"...Brother is joking..."

Li Bi admonished him, saying, "The saying in the Zhou Rites is explained in the *Kongzi Jiayu*. At that time, Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius, 'A man at sixteen is fully accomplished, and a woman at fourteen is ready to give birth. Yet, according to the rites, a woman should have a wife at thirty and a husband at twenty. Isn't that too late?' Confucius replied, 'The rites refer to the ultimate, not to excess. A man at twenty is capped and has the beginning of fatherhood; a woman at fifteen is betrothed and has the way of becoming a father.'"

In other words, the saying that men should marry at thirty and women at twenty is an upper limit, not a lower limit.

So what was the lower limit? It wasn't even twenty or fifteen, as Confucius said. According to the common customs of scholars in those days, men could marry at sixteen or seventeen, and women at thirteen or fourteen—Li Chu married even earlier, his eldest son Li Shi was fifteen…

Based on his modern physiological knowledge, Li Ji understood that marrying too young was detrimental to physical development, especially for women who became pregnant and gave birth before the age of eighteen, as the chances of a difficult childbirth were high. However, he couldn't explain this to Li Bi, especially since Li Bi was a studious man. If he were to ask where Li Ji had heard this from, and what evidence he had of it in specific individuals, how could Li Ji answer? Therefore, he could only clasp his hands and say, "Brother's advice is correct, however..."

“Brother, I have not yet established my career, so how can I talk about marriage? Besides, I am just a seventh-rank military officer, so I can’t marry a woman from a high-ranking family, can I? Just as you said the other day, I cannot disgrace the Li family of Zhao County.”

Li Bi said, "If you were to plead with the King of Chu or the King of Jianning in Guangping, they would surely act as matchmakers for you and find you a good family. Do you really expect the help of the Cui, Lu, Wang, or Zheng families?"

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji asked, "Isn't it said that the imperial family strictly forbids marriage between people of the five surnames and seven noble families?"

Li Bi laughed and said, "This is old policy, nothing more than a piece of paper..."

Among the five prominent families and seven powerful clans, especially the four Shandong families of Cui, Lu, Wang, and Zheng, who considered themselves superior, they looked down not only on commoners but also on those of lower rank such as Xue, Wei, Pei, and Liu. Consequently, during the early Tang Dynasty, they often intermarried with each other rather than marrying outside the family. Even when the imperial family wanted to marry off a princess or take a wife, these four families were unwilling to comply.

Emperor Taizong was furious and repeatedly said, "I truly do not understand why these four families of Shandong are so arrogant, and why people value them so highly." During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, in order to suppress these powerful families, he simply issued an edict: "The descendants of Li Bao of Longxi of the Later Wei Dynasty, Wang Qiong of Taiyuan, Zheng Wen of Xingyang, Lu Ziqian, Lu Hun, and Lu Fu of Fanyang, Cui Zongbo and Cui Yuansun of Qinghe, Cui Yi of Boling of the Former Yan Dynasty, and Li Kai of Zhaojun of the Jin Dynasty are not allowed to arrange their own marriages."

However, this imperial edict could not be implemented at all. Especially after Wu Zetian, the power of the five surnames and seven clans shrank, and they were willing to intermarry with other surnames—of course, they had to be from large families—so the court turned a blind eye to their intermarriages and no longer pursued them.

Furthermore, Li Mi said, "We are ultimately a minor branch of the Li family of Zhao County, and are not subject to the prohibition."

Li Ji chuckled inwardly. What minor branch? It's just an attempt to curry favor, isn't it? He had already figured it out. His ancestor Li Bi claimed to be one of the six branches of the Zhao County Li clan, specifically the Liaodong branch, just like Li Gao, the King of Western Liang, claimed to be a descendant of Li Guang, and the Li Tang royal family claimed to be descendants of Li Gao. None of it was reliable.

"In that case, my brother is well able to marry the daughters of Cui, Lu, Wang, and Zheng."

"Don't be so ambitious, given your status..."

"That's why you should establish your career first, then find a partner. My brother has ordered me to switch to a civil service position. Even if I can't become a prime minister in the future, I can still hope to become an observer, a military governor, or a censor-in-chief, right? Anyway, I'm still young. Since the law stipulates that the maximum age is thirty, I can still work hard for another ten years."

Li Bi scoffed dismissively, "You still dream of becoming a military governor before you're thirty? What a pipe dream!" He then sighed, "However, if one enters officialdom through the imperial examinations, and becomes the top scholar, perhaps four powerful families will be willing to offer their daughters in marriage..." (This website's domain name has changed.)

Li Ji thought to himself, "Stop talking nonsense. I'm almost twenty and I'm only starting to prepare. I want to pass the imperial examination before I'm thirty, and even be the top scholar that year. That's no easier than marrying a woman from a powerful family!" However, he never intended to marry into a wealthy or influential family. He was just changing the subject to gloss over the important matter of marriage. He took the opportunity to change the subject: "Passing the imperial examination or becoming a Mingjing (a scholar who has passed the highest level of the imperial examination) is not for me, brother, there's no need to persuade me anymore; however, brother has ordered me to switch to a civil service position, and I will remember this..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, his brows furrowing slightly as if deep in thought. Li Bi asked what he was thinking about, and after a moment's hesitation, Li Ji said, "I recall the Prince of Jianning patiently explaining Yang Yan's background to me... Could it be that the Prince of Jianning was subtly implying that I could emulate Yang Gongnan?"

Li Bi nodded: "Prince Jianning must admire your talent and not want you to pursue only a military career, which would limit your future prospects." He paused, then sighed: "What a pity you didn't understand. If you had pleaded with the Prince of Chu back then, you would surely have been appointed as a military judge or advisor (a high-ranking advisor with a fixed scope of authority). Now that the Prince of Chu has been recalled to Chang'an, this path is most likely closed..."

Although there's no news yet about the abolition of the military campaign, with Li Chu gone, it's uncertain who will succeed him as marshal. It's highly likely that Deputy Marshal Guo Ziyi will temporarily assume the position. Li Ji has no close relationship with Guo Ziyi, and Guo Ziyi is known for his caution, making it very difficult for Li Ji to obtain a position as military advisor or military counsel through him. Furthermore, what would Li Chu think if Li Ji went to ally himself with Guo Ziyi?

Li Ji then asked, "What about the judges and military advisors in the Prince's Palace?"

Li Bi shook his head: "Not as good as a prefectural judge or military advisor. As for prefectural judges and military advisors, Shi Baozhong, the Imperial Attendant of Empress Wu, once wrote a poem about them:"

"At dawn I set out from Shiping, and at dusk I arrived at Hecheng. The clouds rose above Kuta, and the moon shone brightly over Huangchi. I met the Chief Clerk at the Luechi Bridge, and greeted the soldiers outside the Linxing Gate. A group of county lieutenants on donkeys and mules galloped by, while several military advisors walked like geese and ducks."

His mockery of joining the army as "geese and ducks" was clearly a contemptuous remark, which left Li Ji stunned.

Li Bi continued, "Han Wan, the Palace Attendant Censor during the Kaiyuan era, once discussed six paths to promotion for the position of Commandant of the Capital Region: becoming a Censor is the path of Buddha, becoming a Judge is the path of Immortals, becoming a Commandant of the Capital Region is the path of Humanity, becoming a Vice Commandant of the Capital Region is the path of Suffering, becoming a County Magistrate is the path of Animals, and becoming a Judge is the path of Hungry Ghosts..."

Li Ji spread his hands: "Moving from a county magistrate to a prefectural judge is supposed to be a promotion, so why are you mocking me as a hungry ghost? Why is the position of judge so unworthy?"

Li Bi replied, "The duties of judges and military advisors in prefectures and counties are numerous and demanding, yet their salaries are meager. They are subject to the will of their superiors and the control of powerful local gentry. Their work is extremely difficult..."

Li Ji secretly curled his lip, thinking to himself, "Isn't it because the prefectural and county judges and military advisors are people-oriented officials who need to handle specific affairs, with a relatively large workload and high difficulty, and unlike the second or third-ranking officials of the same level in the county, they don't have much independence and are easily used as scapegoats by their superiors? Compared to the so-called 'refined' positions of proofreader and scribe, the prefectural and county judges and military advisors are the truly key positions in the state apparatus, yet the scholars regard them as daunting paths..."

The fact that such a corrupt atmosphere in officialdom can be allowed to spread and become rampant shows that this country is beyond saving...

Then Li Bi continued, "If even the prefectural and county judges are like this, what about the judges of the royal courts? Only the Sixteen Guards and the Crown Prince's Office are somewhat better, but it's a pity you have no chance to enter..."

While princely residences also had officials such as judges and military advisors, most princes and dukes in the Tang Dynasty were essentially kept in captivity and held little real power. Therefore, even if these positions were considered honorary titles, they would inevitably be looked down upon. Don't underestimate the importance of others' opinions; in the context of officialdom, officials of this background would have extremely limited opportunities for advancement.

The Sixteen Guards and the Crown Prince's Palace also had judges and military advisors, but the former were only in the framework and almost abolished. As for the low-level auxiliary positions such as judges and military advisors, there were no quotas for them long ago. As for the latter... since the Crown Prince has not yet been appointed, where does the Eastern Palace come from? Even if Li Chu is established in the future, judging from the suspicion that his father inherited from his grandfather, he may still be confined to the Sixteen Princes' residence. The title of Eastern Palace is just an empty name, and he may not be well received.

The difference lies in the positions of judges and military advisors in military campaigns or camps. Because these were temporary, dispatched agencies, their chief and deputy officers possessed considerable autonomy. Lower-ranking assistants could often be appointed independently, rather than by the court. Since these appointments were self-selected, the relationship was not merely one of superior and subordinate, but closer to that of host and guest. Superiors treated subordinates with respect, and subordinates stayed if they were agreeable to their superiors, and left if not. Therefore, although judges and military advisors in the shogunate held low ranks, they were highly respected, and their future careers were generally broader and smoother.

Especially since the commander of the army was the designated crown prince...

Unfortunately, Li Ji missed such a good opportunity. Since Li Chu had already returned to Chang'an, it was unlikely that he would hire him as a staff member again. Li Bi explained the situation to Li Ji in detail, and Li Ji couldn't help but smile bitterly, "In that case, there is no way out." Actually, he was quite willing to start from the bottom as a practical official, but he wouldn't rule out a shortcut that would be easier to get promoted.

Li Bi said there was a way, you can stay and study for the exam... Then he said seriously, "After you return to Chang'an, you can ask the King of Chu for advice on this matter, there may be something that I have not thought of..." In the end, he had already resigned from his post and gone into seclusion, and could not keep up with the developments in the court. Maybe he had inadvertently missed some good opportunities and ways?

"However, never enter the Prince Jianning's residence, never!"

Li Bi's vehement denigration of the positions of judge and military advisor in the Prince's court was largely to prevent Li Ji from currying favor with Prince Jianning. Even if Li Ji had no intention of supporting or currying favor with Li Tan, simply being appointed to these positions would naturally lead others to perceive him as part of Prince Jianning's faction, which would not only be detrimental to his future prospects but could also potentially endanger his life…

Li Ji bowed respectfully to receive the instruction, and then asked, "Brother, is there anything else you would like to instruct me on?" You only urged me to get married; as for how to switch to a clerical position, that was a digression. It seems you have something else to tell me.

After gazing at Li Ji for a long time, Li Bi sighed and said, "Your insight and talent are unknown to others, but how could I not know them? You often discuss the world and make astonishing remarks, which I cannot refute. However, much of it is like Zhao Kuo talking about military strategy; even if it can bring something back to life, it is ultimately of no practical use. Compared to those who engage in empty talk, you are not much better..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "There's nothing I can do. In my previous life, I was just a half-baked 'keyboard warrior.' Although I was knowledgeable, I didn't have much practical experience. After transmigrating to this world, I've been working hard to learn, but it's impossible for me to become a capable person in just two or three years."

Then Li Bi continued, "Especially in your actions, you have relied on force several times..."

Li Ji couldn't help but argue, "Brother, I am not a civil servant and my rank is low. Even if I have a wealth of knowledge, it is useless. If I don't rely on force, what else can I rely on?"

Li Bi raised his hand, pointed his fingers like a knife, and gestured forward, explaining: "For example, if there is a huge rock blocking the road, one could be a hero if one took up a three-foot sword and split the rock to clear the way. However, upon closer examination of your past actions, you have merely used your sword or your words to coerce others into clearing the way for you. This is not your own ability, but merely borrowing the power of others, and is ultimately not the right path."

Li Ji thought for a moment, and his expression changed drastically.

After he transmigrated to this world, he boasted that he had done many great things. He had once saved the life of Prince Jianning, Li Tan, captured Tian Qianzhen alive, helped lift the siege of Suiyang, protected Consort Shen, and saved all the women in Luoyang. What ordinary low-ranking military officer could do that?

However, after Li Bi's guidance and reflection, he realized that he not only acted like a reckless man in public, but also did things that were indeed reckless. Li Bi used the analogy of "a huge rock blocking the road" to illustrate that when Li Ji encountered problems, how did he solve them? He merely used force or words to force someone with real ability to solve the problem; it wasn't necessarily his achievement, and it certainly didn't rely on his own ability.

If Li Heng insists on killing Li Tan, do you think taking Li Fuguo hostage will save his life? If the Crown Prince of Yehu insists on abducting women from the two capitals, do you think giving him a punch will make him repent? Do you really think you can kill the Crown Prince of Yehu? If that happens, the first problem won't be solved before a new and bigger problem arises.

You pride yourself on your vast knowledge and often talk eloquently with me. Regardless of whether this knowledge and talent can solve problems, have you actually used it? You're merely pushing the people who can truly solve problems to the forefront and prompting them to solve them—the so-called "getting things done by relying on people"!

Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Mighty City Under Heaven

Li Bi said that Li Ji's past actions were all due to others; he neither solved problems through his own abilities nor gained any real benefit from them. Upon hearing this, Li Ji felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and was utterly bewildered.

Li Bi knew that he had already come to some understanding, or even repented, so he comforted him, saying, "As you said, being in a lowly position and having little influence, one often encounters situations hastily without time to think things through, and this is the only way. However, such behavior is ultimately not the way to go, and you must never indulge in repeated strokes of luck, thinking that it is easier to do things by relying on the strength of others rather than your own."

"This is my advice to you. You must carefully consider how you should conduct yourself and act in your future official career. Otherwise, you will surely suffer setbacks—you often laugh at Prince Jianning for not knowing how to protect himself, but is this really the way to protect yourself?"

After the breakup, Li Ji rode off, recalling his earlier words, feeling somewhat lost and dejected...

Li Bi was right. Apart from capturing Tian Qianzhen alive—which was something that could only be accomplished by force on the battlefield—these few achievements that he was once complacent about were not actually the ones that solved the problems.

Only Li Heng could pardon Li Tan; the reason why the Crown Prince Yehu did not plunder Chang'an was because Li Chu knelt and begged; the release of the women of Luoyang was due to Yu Ling and others contributing money; in the siege of Suiyang, it was Xu Shuji who truly led the troops to relieve the siege; as for protecting Consort Shen, he only fought bravely with his sword, and the brain cells he used were probably less than those of the little maid Cui Qi...

Why is that? Is it simply because they possess a relatively strong body that they are unwilling to use their brains? Is it because they have successfully taken hostages once or twice that they think it is the most convenient way to solve problems? As for engaging in verbal sparring in the process, that is even less justifiable.

How many of the world's problems can be solved with just words? If Lu Su hadn't offered his advice on the toilet, and Zhou Yu hadn't led his troops into Wei, could Zhuge Liang have achieved the Sun-Liu alliance simply by debating with the Confucian scholars? Famous strategists of the Warring States period were often also adept at governance and military strategy, such as Xi Shou who traveled between Qin and Wei, Zhang Yi who served as Qin's prime minister three times, and Su Qin who held the seals of prime minister of six states... To think that one could move the world with just words is ultimately just the fantasy and fiction of artists.

In particular, this approach tantamount to placing one's hopes for solving the problem on others. If the person who solves the problem is not acting out of genuine desire but is merely being coerced, they are unlikely to truly and thoroughly resolve the issue and will inevitably leave behind endless troubles. As for oneself, offering a helping hand is not a merit, but rather easily invites resentment.

For example, although he once saved Li Tan's life, he could not truly mend the rift between father and son, nor could he take the opportunity to eliminate unstable factors such as Li Fuguo and Consort Zhang. As a result, Li Tan might lose his head one day—could he really protect him for life? Instead, he would bring himself two great enemies... no, with Yu Chaoen, at least three.

Take, for example, the incident outside Chunming Gate in Chang'an. Although Crown Prince Yehu stopped at one point, he still wanted to seize the Tang woman once he arrived in Luoyang, so he ordered Emperor De and others to advance overnight… I was just lucky to be in Luoyang at the time, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to stop him at all. Was the problem solved? The problem was only temporarily delayed.

As a result, he brought himself a fourth major enemy.

Since a problem has arisen, one should try to solve it oneself. Even if one cannot solve the problem, eliminating the person who caused it would be acceptable. However, one cannot kill Li Heng, nor can one kill the Crown Prince of Yehu, and even Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen can only be intimidated. This will inevitably cause the problem to accumulate gradually, like a snowball, until no one in the world can solve it. What should one do then? Holding someone hostage or persuading anyone will be useless.

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh, "Li Bi truly understands me!" It's a pity that this guy ran away and went into seclusion in the mountains. I have lost such a great backer and assistant. From now on, I must venture into this world alone. I really need to think carefully about how to do things.

With nothing else on his mind, Li Ji, riding on horseback, covered more than two thousand li in just over half a month, finally arriving in Chang'an in early April. Upon entering the city and observing the street scene, Li Ji couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

This wasn't his first time in Chang'an, but he had stopped there on his way from Fengxiang to Luoyang. During that time, he asked Li Tan to devise a plan, which Pugu Huai'en then carried out, to get rid of Yu Xiuhe and intimidate Jia Huai and Yun Lin. At that time, Chang'an had only recently been restored to its former glory, and the city was still quite desolate.

His only impression at the time was that Xijing was very well-organized, with wide main roads. As for the overall size of the city… it was about the level of a second-tier city in his previous life. Of course, the central area of ​​a second-tier city might not be as large as Chang'an, but even within the walls of Chang'an, there were many slums with low-rise houses and overflowing sewage. The truly prosperous areas were actually only about two-thirds or one-third of the total area. Besides, the imperial palace occupied a large part of it…

The reason it is described as "a place that could truly be prosperous" is that after the rebel army captured Chang'an, they looted it many times, and most of the residents either perished or fled. When the city was restored, it was desolate, and there were more soldiers than civilians on the vast streets. Therefore, Li Ji did not feel the grandeur of the capital city and the great city of the country at that time.

After that, I sneaked into Luoyang, the eastern capital, and my experience was pretty much the same.

Who would have thought that Chang'an City could recover to such a state in just half a year—whether it could compare to the peak of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, he didn't know. As soon as he arrived at the city gate, he was forced to stand in a long queue. Not only were there many commoners and scholars in front of him, but there were also several caravans with hundreds of cattle, horses, and even camels.

It is estimated that the rebellion made it difficult for Western merchants to enter the two capitals. Now that the two capitals have been restored, those who were forced to stay in the border areas have come in droves. Li Ji saw many foreigners with high noses and deep eyes and strange clothes in the caravan, and even some black people!

Of course, he's not an African man; he's probably from South India.

After finally passing through the official gate and entering the city, they saw that many of the houses that had been burned down had been completely renovated and stood side by side with walls, stretching as far as the eye could see. The streets were teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder, and nearly 40% of them were dressed in fine silks and satins. There were also many horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts, and even though the roads were wide, traffic jams were frequent, forcing servants to step forward and exchange identities to decide who should give way first.

Although it was a neighborhood system, the streets were lined only with neighborhood walls, without shops—theoretically, there were shops within the neighborhoods, but their doors generally faced inwards—but colorful lanterns often hung from the walls, adding a touch of brightness to the entire street. Li Ji could imagine that when night fell and the neighborhood gates were just closing, but before everyone had settled down, the streets would be ablaze with lights, like a sky full of stars, almost comparable to the light pollution of a modern city center…

So ancient cities could be this prosperous? Apart from the different clothing and the fact that oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages instead of cars and motorcycles were used on the roads, they were almost no different from those of later times!

Li Ji couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for the Tang Dynasty, even a sense of pride in having transmigrated to be a Tang person... A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: How could such a magnificent city, such a prosperous place, be destroyed by war again? Could I contribute my efforts to at least maintain this scene?

He certainly knew, and had witnessed firsthand along his journey, that the villages and remote towns of that era were extremely poor and backward, incomparable to those of later generations. It was likely that the very essence of the Tang Dynasty was concentrated in Chang'an, the western capital—and perhaps also Luoyang, the eastern capital—where even the lowest-ranking citizens probably lived better lives than farmers in the countryside. This prosperity of one or two giant cities was a result of the ruling class's exploitation of the entire nation.

Even so, with such a magnificent sight before them, who could bear to destroy it? Even if distributing the wealth of Chang'an could feed more people in the countryside, they themselves might not truly be willing, emotionally speaking...

Although he had traveled to many bustling cities in his later years and had seen a lot, Li Ji still couldn't help but look around and admire the scenery after entering Chang'an. Perhaps in the eyes of the people of Chang'an, this was just another country bumpkin... He walked all the way from Anhua Gate to Tongyi Ward before he could calm his mind. Seeing the majestic high walls of the imperial city in the distance, he began to wonder: Where should I go?

He currently holds no official position or power, merely a nominal seventh-rank official. Logically, despite the vastness of Chang'an, there's only one place he could go: the Ministry of War's Military Department—to register and wait in line for a substantive appointment. Of course, that's absurd. Li Heng has already granted countless nominal civil and military positions in Lingwu, Pengyuan, and Fengxiang; the queue would probably stretch for seven or eight miles. Who knows when it will be his turn!

He could only turn to Li Chu and ask him to pull some strings. As for his ambition of transferring to a clerical position, Li Chu would have to point him in the right direction. The problem was, where was Li Chu? Was he in the palace or at the Sixteenth Prince's residence? With Li Bi gone, he could no longer easily enter and leave the palace. As for the Sixteenth Prince's residence, in the vast city of Chang'an, he only knew it was in the northeast, but its exact location was unclear…

Especially after Li Bi's reminder, Li Ji realized that he had many enemies both inside and outside the court. If his whereabouts were exposed and he was still unable to contact Li Chu, he might be framed or even directly hunted down—even if Li Fuguo didn't have the guts, Yu Chaoen probably did.

Therefore, it is necessary to plan carefully before taking action in order to succeed.

Looking up, he saw that it was past noon and felt a pang of hunger in his stomach. He had some dry rations in his pack, but now that he was in Chang'an, there was no reason for him to eat dry bread and pickled vegetables again.

Shops in Chang'an, including taverns and restaurants, are mainly concentrated in the East and West Markets. Although each neighborhood has one or two, newcomers might not be able to find them. Li Ji had passed through Chang'an briefly the last time and was unfamiliar with the roads and streets. He had only heard of two neighborhoods from Lao Jing and others:

First is Chongrenfang, which is said to have many inns. If you can't find a way around today, you'll be forced to stay there for the night. Second is Pingkangfang... This place must be very expensive for drinking and carousing, so it's not worth going there just to fill your stomach.

Then I can only try my luck at the East and West Markets. Although I am currently in the western half of the city, which is theoretically closer to the West Market, I need to go to the Sixteen Princes' Residence after dinner. It seems that the Sixteen Princes' Residence is in the northeast of Chang'an City, so I might as well head to the East Market first.

So he found a man on the street who looked like a local and asked for directions and directions. The man initially looked slightly disdainful, but when he heard that Li Ji was speaking proper Mandarin—perhaps with a slight Dongdu accent—he immediately became enthusiastic. He then pointed out, "Guest, you can go east from the north of Tongyi Ward. After passing Tonghua Ward, you will reach Zhuque Avenue. Continue east, passing through Kaihua, Chongyi, and Xuanyang Wards, and you will arrive."

According to the introduction, it seemed to be not far away, but in reality, Li Ji mounted his horse and walked for a full hour before he saw the East Market wall and more than three to five times more flags than elsewhere—his stomach was almost empty.

Therefore, upon entering the shop, he didn't bother with any selection; seeing wine flags fluttering, he immediately spurred his horse onward. A shopkeeper inside saw this and quickly came out to greet him.

Li Ji wasn't wearing a robe, just white, but even if he wore a turban and a green robe, he probably wouldn't be any more respected. Along the way, he'd seen countless people in blue and green robes walking with their hands behind their backs, and even several in red robes—but the officials in red robes were either on horseback or in carriages, none of them on foot. The innkeeper's beaming smile as he greeted him at the door was entirely due to his years of experience; he could tell from afar that this customer's mount wasn't a drudge.

Those who can ride such fine steeds are either officials or wealthy.

So he came out, grabbed the reins, and with a fawning smile, introduced his shop, his words flowing endlessly. Anyway, bragging is free, and from his words, it was as if this tavern was the most famous in Chang'an, if not the best in the whole city, then the best in the East Market.

Li Ji naturally didn't believe it—if it really was one of the top taverns in Chang'an, he wouldn't dare go in; who knew how high the prices would be?—but after hearing the waiter rattle off a long list of wine names, such as Fuping Shidongchun, Jiannan Shaochun, Xishiqiang, and Xinfengjiu… he couldn't help but drool a little. Especially since the waiter also said that his backyard was piled high with the finest hay, which he could feed the horses for free.

Li Ji dismounted, picked up his bundle, and handed the reins to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper quickly called out to the shop, then led the horse to the back. Li Ji stepped into the shop, and another shopkeeper rushed over, bowing deeply, and invited him upstairs.

Looking around, Li Ji found the shop's furnishings to be fairly tidy, though not particularly luxurious, which put him at ease. Since leaving Luoyang, he had mostly stayed in inns and eaten free government meals. Although the accommodations weren't high-class, fine wine and delicacies were hard to come by in those rural areas, so he hadn't spent much money. He had originally intended to leave some money for Li Bi, but Li Bi flatly refused, saying, "I'm in the mountains; I have nowhere to spend money. What use is it for me? But you're returning to Chang'an; your future is uncertain, so it's good for you to have some money to fall back on."

So I had 2,500 left out of the 3,000 coins. I had never heard that rice was expensive in Chang'an, so I didn't care at first. But when I entered the city and saw the magnificent scenery... How could prices not be high in such a beautiful and developed place (at this point in time)? If I really went into a high-class tavern, I might only dare to order a small dish and a big bowl of white rice to fill my stomach. That would be so embarrassing.

The tavern had two floors, and the waiter gestured for Li Ji to go upstairs—firstly, because the upstairs had better lighting and a wider view, and naturally, the prices were higher; secondly… it was past lunchtime, and there weren't many customers. Just as Li Ji was about to take a step, he suddenly heard a cold snort behind him: "This is all the evil done by that Cui Qi!"

Chapter 40, Not Really the Same

Li Ji had just entered the tavern and hadn't even gone upstairs when he suddenly heard someone behind him cursing, "This is all the evil done by that Cui Qi!" He was startled.

He thought to himself, "That little girl is so mysterious. What a coincidence! Could she have run into someone she knows? And judging from her words, she seems to harbor a lot of resentment and hatred towards Cui Qi. Who could it be? Could it be someone from Cui Guangyuan's household?"

He immediately turned his head and saw two civil officials in green robes sitting in a cubicle near the door, but the bamboo curtain was not drawn. Upon closer inspection, he naturally did not recognize them. The two civil officials also noticed Li Ji, and one of them hurriedly waved his hand: "You must be careful with your words." He then stood up and lowered the curtain.

Li Ji immediately stepped forward—of course, he wouldn't just barge in to ask, but simply entered the adjacent cubicle. The waiter was still calling out from behind, "Sir, the upstairs is brighter and more airy..." Li Ji just waved his hand, then took off his boots and sat down.

He deliberately lingered, first taking off his left boot and gently placing it down, then his right boot and gently placing it down as well. He turned and sat down at the table, then gently placed the bundle he was carrying beside him, even pretending to tidy it up. In reality, he was eavesdropping on the conversation next door, and also delaying the waiter from coming over to ask what they wanted to order.

His hearing was excellent, and although the two civil officials lowered their voices slightly, he could hear most of what they were saying. He then realized that they were not talking about the little girl Cui Qi, but another person with the same name.

The waiter approached and asked, but Li Ji was too lazy to order carefully. He simply asked, "How much does a meal cost here?" The waiter smiled and said, "It depends on what you want to eat, sir. It can be fifty or a hundred, or even a banquet costing two or three hundred, my family can provide it."

Li Ji thought to himself, "This is so expensive... but I can still barely afford it." He then said, "Bring two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, as well as wine and rice, within a hundred coins. You decide."

The shop assistant left as instructed, and Li Ji listened intently once more.