Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 38

Yang Yan was initially reluctant, but Li Tan persuaded him, saying, "Are you making a light decision about the matter? Wei Huiwei was just a military advisor in the Prince's mansion..."

Wei Huiwei was Wei Jiansu, who had served as prime minister. After Li Heng arrived in Fengxiang, he was reassigned as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. He had entered officialdom by serving as a military advisor in the Prince of Xiang's residence. Upon hearing this, Yang Yan was overjoyed and knelt down to pay his respects. He then entered the commander's residence and was regarded as a confidant by Li Tan.

As Li Tan escorted Consort Shen's carriage out of the city, he tirelessly recounted Yang Yan's background to Li Ji, his words tinged with a hint of boasting—"Look, such a talented person, I summoned him with just a few words, and arranged everything perfectly." Li Ji feigned ignorance and asked, "Is a military advisor in the commander's office comparable to a military advisor in the prince's office?"

Li Tan opened his mouth as if to explain, but after thinking for a moment, he smiled and swallowed his words.

Li Ji chuckled inwardly. "You really think I don't understand?" Li Mi had once given me a general overview of the Tang Dynasty's official selection and promotion system. The most direct path was to pass the imperial examinations (Jinshi or Mingjing, though the Mingjing examination had declined since the Kaiyuan era, making the Jinshi examination the dominant one) and then be selected as a proofreader, corrector, or county magistrate in a prestigious, close, or superior county. Those who started through unofficial channels like hereditary privilege were already at a disadvantage, let alone those who started as advisors—military officers, camp staff, or military advisors in various prefectures and states. To rise to the highest ranks of officialdom was an impossible task.

Besides, Wei Jiansu first passed the imperial examination and then entered the Prince Xiang's mansion as a military advisor. How can you, Yang Yan, compare to him?

The key point is that Wei Jiansu entered not some other prince's mansion, but the "Prince Xiang's mansion"!

Emperor Ruizong, Li Dan, was twice granted the title of Prince Xiang—a title that originally meant a prince with the power of a prime minister, something that was not something an ordinary prince or grandson of the emperor could do. Since Wei Jiansu had accompanied Li Dan in his pre-imperial residence, he naturally had a head start over others.

As for Yang Yan, although he was invited by Li Tan, he was actually joining Li Chu's staff. Although Li Chu had not yet been formally appointed as the Crown Prince, everyone knew that the Emperor favored him and the position was unlikely to change. Therefore, if he could immediately serve under the next Emperor, why would he worry about his career not being smooth enough, or that he would be unable to attain the rank of a third-grade official in the future?

Haha, in these turbulent times for the nation, instead of thinking about joining the army to save the country, he's only thinking about how to get started and climb higher in the officialdom... This Yang Gongnan, his talent is still unknown, and his virtue... is probably just so-so.

But why would Li Tan say all this to me? Was it merely to introduce Yang Yan? It doesn't seem like it...

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Inside the main camp outside Xuanhui Gate in Luoyang, Li Chu was reunited with Consort Shen. Their reunion was bittersweet, needless to say—and of course, they couldn't be affectionate in front of Li Ji and the others. He simply led Consort Shen into the inner tent, and upon exiting, said to Li Tan, "A letter has arrived from Chang'an; the Emperor has already returned..."

Li Tan was overjoyed, but then heard Li Chu say, "However, the Cui family came from Lingwu and followed the Emperor to the Western Capital, so it is not convenient to expel them..."

李倓

Chapter Thirty, A Moment in Astronomy

As Li Ji's thoughts wandered, Li Chu suddenly turned to speak to him. He quickly composed himself, clasped his hands, and replied, "It is all thanks to the Emperor's virtuous influence and the Marshal's boundless good fortune. I only did a small part..." He understood that Li Chu had brought up the topic because he wanted to hear a detailed account of what had happened. So he recounted in detail everything he had experienced since leaving Chang'an... no, since killing Yu Xiuhe.

While he certainly wouldn't dare to conceal anything on the surface, he glossed over every detail involving his own thinking, even implying that it was actually Li Bi's secret instruction. As for the scenes involving fists, he went into great detail, even standing up and demonstrating punches and kicks for others to see.

Although I know that my image has already been ruined by Cui Qi, and then Shen Fei has managed to get the truth out of me through her words—the key is that the two of them didn't have any preconceived notions—Shen Fei is likely to report to Li Chu, and Li Chu may also tell Li Tan... However, Shen Fei has only just entered the camp and hasn't even had a chance to say a few words to Li Chu yet, so it would be embarrassing and difficult to explain if I were to reveal my true identity here.

Furthermore, most men of this era look down on women's insight. Consort Shen may trust Cui Qi, but Li Chu may not necessarily trust Consort Shen. I have known Li Ji longer than you and have seen it with my own eyes. Is it not as good as you sitting and talking for a while? When it comes to recognizing and employing people, do you, a woman confined to your chambers, really think you are better than me? Even if you have doubts, you probably won't completely believe me.

So I'll just stick to my persona. When it's time to break down, it will break down naturally. There's no need to actively push it.

He spoke for over half an hour straight, leaving the Li brothers speechless. Li Ji seized the opportunity to add his own opinion, saying, "In my opinion, that Xu Shuji is utterly despicable, utterly lacking in loyalty and courage, and showing signs of being two-faced. The Marshal should strip him of his military power, investigate his past misdeeds, and punish him severely—most of the soldiers and civilians of Suiyang can be considered dead at his hands! As for General Helan, he is also quite incompetent and cowardly, unfit for such a great responsibility..."

Li Tan nodded first, "What you say is exactly what I thought." He then turned to look at Li Chu. Li Chu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Henan is not yet pacified. Prime Minister Zhang (Zhang Hao) is currently leading the armies to quell the rebellion, and will then cross the river north to take Hedong—it is not advisable to dismiss Xu Shuji for the time being. Let's wait until after the war..."

"As for Helan Jinming, since the Emperor has appointed Zhang Xiang to govern Henan, he will soon be summoned back to the capital. It is unlikely that he will be given any more important positions."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You just want to play it safe and don't want to take responsibility. I think Xu Shuji will make you suffer sooner or later!"

Since he had already inserted the needle, he couldn't keep rambling on, lest he annoy others. So he changed the subject and asked, "During my trip to Suiyang, I was deeply impressed by Zhang Zhongcheng's unparalleled loyalty and Nan Jiyun's unmatched bravery—in a one-on-one fight, Li Ji considered himself no weaker than anyone else, yet he couldn't defeat Nan Ba. I wonder if the two of them are still well?"

Li Tan helped Li Chu reply, “Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan have both fallen ill from prolonged hunger and have been transported back to Chang'an for treatment. Their lives are not in danger, and the Emperor will surely bestow generous rewards upon them. As for Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others, they have already transferred to Zhang Xiang's command and are pacifying Pu and Cao in the north—I have heard what you just said and deeply admire the bravery of the generals of Suiyang, hoping to meet them someday. However, I have seen the name of Lian Tan, the envoy of Ningling City, in the list of meritorious officials who died in battle reported by Zhang Xun…”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was overcome with sadness and lowered his head. Li Tan then urged, "After returning to Luoyang, how did you sneak into the inner palace? Tell me in detail."

Li Ji said, "It was Yu Ling who arranged for an old eunuch in the palace to lead the way..."

After a few words, before Li Chu could express his opinion, Li Tan spoke first: "In that case, this old eunuch has also done me... and my brother Wang a great favor. We should have Yu Ling find him and bring him into the manor to support him for the rest of his life." Turning his head, he looked at Li Chu questioningly, and Li Chu nodded: "What my brother says makes sense."

When it came to Cui Qi's appearance, it was finally Li Chu's turn to interject: "And who is this woman?"

Li Ji thought for a moment and replied vaguely, "I don't know either... It's probably sent by some high-ranking official in the court who is an old acquaintance of Consort Shen. Marshal, you can ask Her Highness Consort Shen after you return to your tent."

When it came to the Uyghur soldiers entering the city and plundering women from Luoyang, Li Chu couldn't help but sigh: "Yagu acted on his own whims, how could he treat me like a brother..." He was quite regretful in his words, but what he regretted was not that the Uyghur soldiers still wanted to take people, but that they didn't even come over to greet him first!

Seeing that Li Ji's expression was a bit off, Li Tan quickly covered for him: "If Yehu reports to the Marshal, how can the Marshal allow him to act recklessly? That's why he sent an order overnight to send the Uyghur troops into Luoyang first. Fortunately, Li Ji has a compassionate heart and has already solved this problem for the Marshal..." He then recounted the story of redeeming the Tang girl with brocade, and concluded by saying, "I have already ordered Yang Gongnan to handle this matter, and I will certainly not fail my brother's trust."

Li Chu nodded: "That's very good." He didn't say anything else.

Li Ji thought to himself, "The difference between you and your brother is now clear!" But this is also good, since Li Tan spoke for me, I don't need to think about how to reconstruct my words and arguments with Di De and the others.

The Marshal and Sima, busy with military affairs, made a special effort to listen to Li Ji's report because it concerned the situation in Luoyang. They needed to hear it first to feel confident before Li Chu dared to enter the city. Therefore, after Li Ji finished recounting the events, Li Chu ordered him out of the tent—"You've been exhausted for a month; go and rest well. Having achieved such a great feat, when I enter the Eastern Capital, I will order you to accompany me." He wouldn't leave him outside the city like he did when entering Chang'an.

Li Tan offered to see Li Ji out of the tent, and Li Ji seized the opportunity to ask—in fact, he had wanted to ask for a long time but had never had the chance—"Where is my elder brother?"

Li Tan told

Not long after capturing Chang'an, Li Bi, despite Li Heng's repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, resigned and returned home.

This was expected, but what Li Tan said next was something Li Ji hadn't anticipated—

"It is said that the Sage once consulted Mr. Changyuan about how to reward the meritorious officials after the rebellion was quelled, and Mr. Changyuan proposed a feudal strategy..."

Hearing this, Li Ji glanced slightly to observe Li Tan's expression, but couldn't discern any possible attitude—neither praise nor opposition. Li Tan continued:

The sage then asked, "If it were Changyuan, how should he be granted a title and fiefdom?" Master Changyuan replied, "I have abstained from grains to cultivate the Dao, and I have no family burdens. I have no need for official rank or fiefdom. I only wish that after I have accomplished my mission, I may be able to sleep with my head on the emperor's lap, and that the officials may report that a guest star has invaded the imperial throne, causing an astronomical disturbance. That would be enough for me."

Li Ji chuckled inwardly. "Don't even mention resting your head on the emperor's lap; even if you were to defecate on the emperor's head, the celestial phenomena wouldn't change," he thought. "Has Li Bi truly gone mad from cultivating immortality, or is he using this as an excuse to demonstrate his lack of desire and thus dispel any suspicion the emperor or his ministers might have towards him?" Most likely, it was the latter.

"Shortly after you left the other day, Mr. Changyuan was still in Yong County. The Sage secretly entered his bedroom, climbed onto the bed, and placed his head on his lap. Mr. Changyuan was startled and took the opportunity to leave."

Li Ji thought to himself: Li Heng, you've gone a bit too far!

On the surface, Li Heng knew he couldn't keep Li Bi, so he did as he wished. But if you were determined to keep him, you could have used this as an excuse to refuse to let him go. I don't believe the emperor can't keep someone's heart or form if he wants to. You're clearly urging him: the great task is almost accomplished, your long-cherished wish has been fulfilled, Changyuan, you can leave now.

I knew that guy was a scoundrel a long time ago!

Then there's Li Chu, who, though residing deep within the palace, displayed loyalty and filial piety, was respectful and courteous to scholars, and possessed the demeanor of a true gentleman. Aside from being slightly strict with his son and rarely advising his father against his reckless behavior, he seemed to have no major flaws. I even secretly compared him to Cao Pi back then. Who would have thought that after assuming the post of marshal and leading the army into battle, all his weaknesses and incompetence would be exposed? After the Battle of Xiangji, he ignored Pugu Huai'en's advice, only daring to kneel and beg the Crown Prince of Yehu under the walls of Chang'an. Upon arriving in Luoyang, when the Uyghur troops entered the city to plunder, he turned a blind eye—or at least was slow to realize it and didn't seem to care much.

Consider Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi. Although he wasn't a first-rate emperor, he was competent in governing counties and serving as a garrison commander—and crucially, he was also an excellent writer—Li Chu couldn't even come close! Li Chu's position as military commander was completely nominal; the recapture of the two capitals was entirely due to the work of Heaven!

In short, Li Chu was just as useless as his father, only not as inherently evil as his father—but it's hard to say how degenerate he would become once he became emperor.

On the contrary, Li Tan, although born into an imperial family, was naturally extravagant and looked down on commoners, was more responsible than his father and brother, and his talent was also above average...

Indeed, feudal emperors, with all under heaven serving one person and ruling the world with that one person, cannot produce good fruit from rotten branches; the only difference is whether the rotten part is just the skin or the whole thing is rotten. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the environment, if one wanted to make a difference in this era and benefit the country and its people, one had to rely on these isolated figures... Now I understand why Li Mi was determined to live in seclusion and did not want to get too involved in court politics.

So what should I do?

Forget it, thinking about it too much will only give me a headache. I'd rather go to bed early.

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The following morning, upon receiving news that the rebel army in Luoyang had been completely captured and that the Uyghur soldiers, after receiving the promised brocade, had also released the captured women—whether they had released them all or not, no one knew—Li Chu then retreated outside the city with a grand procession and entered the Eastern Capital, ordering Li Ji to follow closely on horseback, which was considered a great honor for Li Ji.

Although Li Ji didn't care.

The main streets and thoroughfares had been swept clean overnight, and the people had been driven out to kneel by the roadside. Many held incense tables in their hands, kowtowing and shouting, "Long live the King! Long live the King! The wise king has saved the lives of my city!"

Li Chu rode leisurely, his smug satisfaction evident in his every word. Li Ji followed behind, but couldn't help but let his mind wander—was the "wise king" whom the people were grateful to one person or two? If it was one person, which one was it?

After the entry ceremony, Chen Fu, Jia Huai, and other companions from the east sought out Li Ji and invited him to a gathering. Luoyang had just been ravaged by war and had been looted twice by rebel and Uyghur troops, so supplies were extremely scarce and had to be transported from surrounding counties. Therefore, they finally found a seemingly high-end tavern in the southern market. Chen Fu pointed to the red handkerchief on his head and, as a Shence Army general, reserved a large private room. The host, with a pained expression, served them only some coarse food and thin wine.

Jia Huai slammed his fist on the table and cursed loudly. Chen Fu threw out a string of coins, and only then did the kitchen staff finally slice a few more pieces of cured meat, steam them, and serve them. They were following the new custom of sitting together around a wide table, so only one plate of cured meat was served, placed in the center of the table. Li Ji had been eating vegetarian food these days and rarely saw meat, so he didn't stand on ceremony. He grabbed most of it with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, then drank wine repeatedly because it was so salty.

Fortunately, Pugu Huai'en somehow found out where everyone was and suddenly appeared. He ordered his soldiers to carry half a carcass of a newly hunted wild dog to the kitchen, and placed a bottle of liquor on the table, saying, "Drinking is forbidden in the army. I have been hiding this liquor for half a month. Today, I will drink with you all!"

Jia Huai and Yun Lin were both somewhat afraid of him, not daring to speak, or even look him in the eye; Chen Fu, however, hurriedly emptied the shop's inferior wine, picked up the bottle of spirits, first refilling the cup in front of Pugu Huai'en, then filling the cups of Li Ji and himself—those two are no good, not worth the master's service—then

Chapter Thirty-One, The Sixteen Princes' Residence

Pugu Huaien cursed An Lushan, instantly ruining the improving national defense situation. But then he sighed and said, "However, if we cannot completely annihilate that patricide dog An Qingxu, I'm afraid the court will not allow you western soldiers to return."

Chen Fu hurriedly said, "In the Battle of Xiangji, we killed 100,000 enemy soldiers, and in the Battle of Cijian, we killed tens of thousands more. How many troops does the An rebels still have? The troops in the two capitals and Henan are enough to suppress them, aren't they? Moreover, yesterday I visited old comrades in the army. The soldiers from Shenwei, Jintian, Wuning and other garrisons all longed to return home. Their hearts were scattered. They can't fight a war like this... Unless we send them back to kill the barbarian rebels, they will definitely fight to the death!"

The armies he mentioned were all located west of Menggu and Chiling, originally outside the Tang Dynasty's early territory. They were seized from the Tibetans around the twelfth year of the Tianbao era and immediately established military garrisons there. These so-called "armies" did not simply refer to a garrison force; they also managed the surrounding land and households. Of course, there were not many households to begin with, and most of them were Tibetans. Therefore, the soldiers recruited from various parts of Longyou, after joining these armies, often brought their families and relatives to find land to cultivate in order to assist in military operations.

Therefore, many soldiers in the garrison considered their home after three to five years, with their relatives and friends still there. Now, they were ordered to come east to defend the king, but suddenly heard that their hometown had been lost and had fallen back into the hands of the Tibetans. Who wouldn't be worried? Who would still have the heart to continue fighting the rebels?

The Dingrong and Xuanwei armies within Xiping Commandery, and even the Zhenwei and Tiancheng armies on the border, were relatively safe, as there were nearby prefectural cities and counties. Although the armies were captured by the enemy, as long as timely warnings were given, their families and friends had a good chance of escaping. However, the people under the jurisdiction of the armies outside the border were not so lucky. The reason why the Tang and the Tibetan Empire were once locked in a standoff at Menggu and Chiling was because those places were strategically important and formed natural borders. It was extremely difficult for ordinary people to travel hundreds of miles across these dangerous terrains to return to their homeland while being pursued by enemy troops.

Let alone ordinary civilians, even among the comrades who stayed behind in their own army, it's hard to say how many will be able to escape...

Adding to the fact that the Tang and Tibetans had been at war for over a hundred years, even counting from the time the war resumed in the first year of the Qianfeng era after Songtsen Gampo's death, it had been nearly a hundred years. Almost five generations had formed a deep-seated grudge. The Tang army had killed Tibetans all over the mountains, and the Tibetan army had killed Tangs all over the valleys. So, if Tang people were captured by the enemy, could they expect a good ending?

When the Tang people occupied Tibetan lands, they merely killed their rulers and forced their people to cultivate the land; treating them kindly was impossible, but for that era, it was considered the most civilized method in the world. Tibet, on the other hand, was still a slave society. The vast majority of the Tang people they captured were distributed among the nobles and enslaved, with no guarantee of their lives, let alone personal freedom.

—In fact, if the Tang woman from Luoyang had been abducted to the Uyghurs, her fate probably wouldn't have been much better.

Therefore, how could the troops summoned from those military towns to serve the emperor still have the will to continue fighting in the Central Plains? Chen Fu heard that quite a few deserters had already appeared.

Upon hearing this, Pugu Huai'en nodded and said, "What you say makes a lot of sense. The other day, the deputy commander (Guo Ziyi) also suggested to the marshal that the cities and armies that have fallen should be sent back to guard the remaining lands, which would also stop the barbarian bandits from continuing their advance." Then he curled his lip and said, "If the main army is suppressing the bandits in Hebei, and then barbarian cavalry appear at Dazhen Pass, threatening Jing and Long, then that would be laughable..."

Chen Fu's eyes lit up, but Pugu Huai'en immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm: "However, there is still no alarm in Lintao, and the Shence Army is just returning to Xijing with the Emperor to help guard the palace. They are most likely unwilling to let him go."

Chen Fu spread his hands and lamented, "Even if you refuse to let them go, you should at least put them at the forefront. Our Shence Army has fought against the barbarian bandits for many years, and our soldiers are all elite. We regard the rebels as nothing, yet we send them to guard the capital... Are the Imperial Guards just scavengers? Are the Ten Thousand Cavalry just corpses?!"

Pugu Huai'en sneered, "Where are the Imperial Guards and the Ten Thousand Cavalry? They're long since exhausted and unusable. The remaining old and weak mostly followed the Emperor to Shu; whether they'll return is uncertain." He then leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "I've heard that His Majesty intends to recruit brave warriors from among the soldiers of Fengxiang, Xingde, and Fengyi to reorganize the Imperial Guards, and has placed the Shence Army in Shan County in preparation for the rebels' return via indirect routes..."

Chen Fu's spirits lifted slightly: "If we don't have to guard the palace with halberds every day, that's a good thing, but... what kind of rebel army would dare to launch a surprise attack on Shaanxi and then try to take Xi'an? They'd just sit around eating and playing football and slingshots in their spare time." Having said this much, he felt the atmosphere between him and Pugu Huai'en was quite harmonious, and then he clasped his hands and pleaded, "I wonder if the general would be willing to accept my service and ask the military commander for my services..."

Yesterday, while Li Ji was giving a lengthy report to the Li brothers, Chen Fu went to visit old acquaintances in the camp and inquire about their current situation. Half of the elite Shence Army followed Wei Boyu into Wei, while the less elite were temporarily placed under the command of the Momen Army, which was based in the same prefecture. Yi Tiechui belonged to the former group, but instead of guarding the palace, he served as the marshal's bodyguard.

As soon as Yi Tiechui met Chen Fu, he poured out his grievances, saying that ever since that night when he chased the traitorous general who had fled from Chang'an, he had not only never had the chance to fight on the front lines, but he was also always six or seven miles away from the front lines—how could Li Chu dare to go to the front lines himself? Li Tan wanted to go, but his brother wouldn't let him—he was standing guard all day, and his knees were almost too stiff to bend, and the muscles in his arms seemed to have lost a third of their shape…

Of course, this is not the worst situation. The worst situation is that of Lao Jing. His organizational affiliation has long been transferred to the Right Valiant Guard. Although he is a general without any troops, he still has to stand guard for the emperor every day. He is even more far away from the front line.

So Chen Fu was frustrated. He thought to himself, "Now that the matter in Luoyang is settled, and I'm returning to my post, I'll still have to accompany Yi Tiechui to stand guard for the marshal. Even if, as Pugu Huai'en just said, I might be reassigned to Shanxian in the future, I still won't get a chance to fight—well, being reassigned to Shanxian is probably..."

The military commander Wei Boyu and his group are currently in Chang'an, while as for myself and Yi Tiechui, as long as the military marshal's office remains operational, we will continue to accompany the Prince of Guangping.

As soon as Pugu Huaien appeared, he realized that the other party was after Li Ji. But did he have a chance to approach him and beg him to take him in? Although he couldn't return home, he would at least be following a fierce general like Pugu and would surely fight and make contributions. Even if he returned to Shuofang in the future, or if Pugu Huaien was appointed as some other military governor, he could still bring his relatives and friends from Lintao.

He joined the army as a young boy, accumulated merits and became a general. He has been in the army for almost twenty years. Putting aside the worry that he cannot be promoted without military merits—this time he was doing private business for the royal family. Even if he is promoted afterward, it will not be well-known in the army—he has not been able to go to the battlefield for a long time. He doesn't know how he can continue to live.

So he pleaded earnestly. Pugu Huai'en glanced at him, then turned to look at Li Ji, asking him with his eyes. Li Ji hurriedly said, "Old Chen is excellent in both archery and horsemanship—he taught me archery—and he is also honest and reliable..." As he spoke, he patted Chen Fu on the shoulder: "I have always regarded Old Chen as my elder brother."

Chen Fu quickly said modestly, "Changwei, you flatter me. Your archery skills must have already surpassed mine long ago."

Pugu Huai'en then stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "In that case, I agree. I'll go back and ask the Marshal for it." He then looked at Jia Huai and Yun Lin, asking, "What do you two have to say?"

Anyway, you can't go back to Li Fuguo's side. Besides, when I lured you back then, I said that at worst you could follow me and serve in the army.

Yunlin quickly clasped his hands and said, "I am willing to follow the general."

Jia Huai hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Li Ji and said, "This humble man... is only willing to serve Li Zhiguo..."

Li Ji laughed and said, "I only have a nominal official position and no official rank, how can I command people to serve me? Brother Jia is joking."

Pugu Huai'en said, "Li Ji will naturally come here as well; he promised." He glanced sideways at Li Ji: "A true man keeps his word..."

Li Ji replied dismissively, "Let's see what the Marshal decides."

Pugu Huai'en misunderstood, and said, "Very well, let's see how the marshal rewards you first..."

Li Ji has rendered great service in both relieving the siege of Suiyang and rescuing Consort Shen, and Li Chu will surely reward him handsomely, perhaps even promoting him three ranks. Pugu Huai'en thought that Li Ji was worried that if he joined his ranks as a seventh-rank official, his position wouldn't be high enough, so he wanted to wait until the new official appointment was issued.

As they spoke, the fragrant dog meat was finally served. Li Ji sniffed, his mouth watering. He watched as Pugu Huai'en took a bite first, then excused himself and began to devour the meat. Pugu Huai'en only ate a couple of bites before someone from the army came to summon him, and he took his leave. Li Ji and the others saw him off at the tavern. When they returned, the atmosphere was even more relaxed, and everyone toasted and ate to their hearts' content.

However, most of the dog meat ended up in Li Ji's stomach, and he even downed half a bottle of liquor on his own.

The liquor wasn't very strong, but it had a powerful aftereffect. Li Ji had drunk quite a bit, and by the end of the banquet he was already a little tipsy. Since he had nothing else to do, he simply went back to sleep. He didn't get up until the next morning before he went to see Li Chu.

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After entering Luoyang, Li Chu temporarily set up his headquarters in Chengfu Ward, north of Xinzhong Bridge.

In truth, given his status, he could easily have secured a place within the palace. As long as he didn't occupy the main halls or prematurely take over the Eastern Palace, no one could find fault with him. At the very least, he should have chosen an old government office within the imperial city; the buildings there would be much larger, and the surrounding streets and alleys would be more spacious.

If he were a prince from a previous generation, he would most likely have gone straight to the capital or even the palace. Unfortunately, Li Chu was incredibly unlucky from the moment he was born, being the grandson of Li Longji...

Before reaching adulthood, princes naturally resided in the palace, depending on their birth mother or legal mother. In the early Tang Dynasty, princes were released from the palace upon reaching adulthood, often being granted the titles of Prince or Prince of the Second Rank, and appointed as governors of a prefecture. This allowed them to gain experience without interfering with or influencing the central government. As for the crown prince, regardless of his age, he moved to the Eastern Palace from the day of his investiture and was given an official residence.

But when it came to Li Longji, he had too many children and grandchildren, and he himself was old and still alive. He always felt that his sons and even grandsons were eyeing his throne with wide eyes, and he was afraid that they would collude with court officials and shake his own foundation. Therefore, although his sons and grandsons were granted the title of prince and had come of age, he refused to place them in any prefecture outside the capital. Not only that, the old man also came up with a unique idea, building the "Ten Princes' Residences" in the Yongfu and Xingning wards in the southeast direction of Daming Palace and the northeast corner of Chang'an City, enclosing all his adult sons within them.

In other words, although the brothers lived separately, they did not reside in separate houses, but were separated by walls. Furthermore, the daily needs of the princes were still provided by the palace. Not only were they not allowed to leave the residences of the ten princes without reason, but even their subordinate eunuchs and palace servants were not allowed to go to the east and west markets in the city to purchase goods on their own.

To be honest, it's no different from being in prison, and even the emperor might not necessarily come to visit you...

Gradually, more and more sons came of age, and the "Ten Princes' Residence" was renamed the "Sixteen Princes' Residence." Even the Crown Prince was no longer allowed to live in the East Palace—a spacious East Palace, larger than the Sixteen Princes' Residence, was originally built to the east of the Taiji Palace—and had to squeeze in with his brothers. From then on, the "East Palace" was just a noun and no longer represented a specific location.

Then, when his grandsons all came of age, Li Longji ordered the construction of the "Hundred Grandsons' Courtyard" near the "Sixteen Princes' Residences"—meaning that all the grandsons would have to go to jail.

Therefore, before Li Heng fled Chang'an with his father, whether as the Prince of Zhong or the Crown Prince, his main life was spent in the "Ten Years" period.

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Journey Home

Li Ji ran to bid farewell to Li Chu. Upon hearing this, Li Chu and Li Tan, who was sitting next to him, were both taken aback—"Where is Changwei going?"

"I went to Yingyang to visit my elder brother."

Now that Li Bi has returned to his hometown, it is only right and proper for Li Ji to go back to Yingyang. I promised Yuan Hun that I would protect Li Bi for the rest of my life. Even though he is no longer in danger, I think we should at least say goodbye before parting ways. Besides, I am still a little hesitant about my own future and would like to ask Li Bi for advice.