Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 509 Li Zhi's Murderous Intent

The group arrived at the entrance of an alley. Because the other party had a large number of people and weapons, Li Ji and Wu Minzhi waited at the entrance of the alley while Wei Chang led his men in to make the arrest.

The two waited at the alley entrance for a short while before they heard a loud "bang" from inside the alley. It must have been Wei Chang kicking open the door and leading his men into the kidnappers' hideout.

Soon after, shouts and the sounds of clashing weapons could be heard.

Suddenly, a dark figure flashed by and rushed towards the alley entrance.

It was a skinny young man dressed in hemp clothing, followed by two constables who shouted at the man, "Stop! Don't run!"

Seeing the man holding a knife and with a fierce look on his face, Li Ji took a step back.

A gentle breeze suddenly swept past, and Wu Minzhi rushed towards the person.

Li Ji was shocked and cried out, "Brother Wu, be careful!"

The skinny man thrust his knife at Wu Minzhi's chest, but Wu Minzhi dodged to the side and struck the man's wrist with his palm, knocking the short knife out of his hand.

Wu Minzhi raised her hand to block the punch that came sweeping at him, grabbed his wrist, twisted it behind his back, and pressed his back with her knee to subdue him.

At this moment, the two constables finally caught up. Wu Minzhi handed over the kidnapper to them and returned to Li Ji's side, where he saw Li Ji looking at him with a surprised expression.

"What, you think I'll fail at something as small as a petty thief?" Wu Minzhi laughed.

Li Ji exclaimed, "I never imagined you were so skilled!"

Wu Minzhi held up a little finger and laughed, "Compared to ordinary people, I'm alright. Among the inner guards, I'm this one."

The operation was a great success. Without anyone tipping them off, the traffickers fled like rats when they saw the government officials. The only one who managed to escape the encirclement was subdued by Wu Minzhi.

After this incident, Wu Minzhi's spirits were indeed lifted considerably, because he suddenly realized that he was at least much stronger than Li Ji.

The following afternoon, Helan Minrou came to the Wu Prince's residence to express her gratitude to Li Ji and asked him how Wu Minzhi had recovered.

Li Ji then recounted the story of the arrest of kidnappers in Baoningfang.

Helan Minrou smiled and said, "No wonder my brother suddenly brought up the matter of kidnappers during dinner last night. Thank you, Brother Ji'a."

Li Ji said, "He is my close friend, so it is only right that I help him."

Helan Minrou hesitated for a moment, then said, "Brother Ji'a, there's something else. Could you give me some advice?"

Li Ji asked, "What is it?"

He Lanminrou said, "Today, the Yang family sent a visiting card, hoping to pay their respects to my maternal grandmother, and my maternal grandmother has agreed."

Li Ji frowned and said, "A member of the Yang family? Could it be that they are here to plead for Yang Miao?"

Helan Minrou hurriedly said, "It is Scholar Yang and his daughter who are coming. Yang Miao's family also sent a visiting card a while ago, but it was chased away by my grandmother."

Li Ji breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that it wasn't about Yang Miao.

"The old lady is indeed reasonable."

He Lanminrou said softly, "Grandmother is a Buddhist and compassionate. When she heard that Yang Miao had done such a heinous thing, she thought it was Buddha's retribution for him and that he deserved it. She would not interfere."

Li Ji asked, "Is the Scholar Yang you mentioned Yang Sijian, the scholar of the Hongwen Academy?"

He Lanminrou said, "Yes, his daughter is one of the four candidates for Crown Princess."

Li Ji immediately understood.

Although Yang Miao's matter did not directly implicate the Yang family father and daughter, it certainly gave the Crown Prince a bad impression of the Hongnong Yang family.

It seems unlikely that the young lady of the Yang family will be able to secure the position of Crown Princess, which is why they came to Madam Yang for help.

"Minrou, do you hope to help that young lady from the Yang family become the Crown Princess?"

Helan Minrou gave a soft "hmm" and said, "I have a good relationship with the Yang family girl. She has been extremely troubled by this matter recently, so I want to help her."

Li Ji said, "It's a pity that I'm not very familiar with His Highness the Crown Prince, so I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to help."

Seeing this, Helan Minrou did not press the matter and smiled, "Then forget it. Marriage is preordained and cannot be forced."

In early October, foreign envoys began to arrive in Chang'an.

The number of envoys this year has returned to the level of previous years. Those countries west of the Abbasid Caliphate, seeing that the Tang Dynasty had made peace with the Abbasid Caliphate, no longer send envoys.

In late October, Liu Rengui finally returned to Beijing.

He originally planned to return to Chang'an in December, but Shangguan Yi wrote him a letter mentioning that the emperor seemed to have designs on Liaodong again and had issued an order to transport grain to Youzhou, so he rushed back.

Upon returning to the capital, Liu Rengui did not even go home but immediately went to the palace to request an audience with the emperor.

Li Zhi summoned him to his bedchamber and saw that his hair was gray and he looked travel-worn, and that he looked several years older than when they last met. Li Zhi couldn't help but sigh.

"Minister Liu, it's rare for you to return to the capital. Why not rest at home for a few days before coming to see me? There's no need to rush."

Liu Rengui said, "It is the same for this old minister to pay his respects to Your Majesty first and then return home."

Li Zhi had no choice but to order someone to bring him a seat and asked, "Has Minister Liu come to see me for something?"

"Is Your Majesty planning to wage war against Liaodong again?" Liu Rengui asked directly.

Li Zhi was silent for a while, then said, "It's just a concept for me right now, and I wanted to discuss it with you."

Liu Rengui asked, "Which country does Your Majesty intend to wage war against?"

Li Zhi said, "Mohe!"

Liu Rengui was slightly startled. He had guessed it was Silla or Shiwei, but he never thought it would be Mohe.

"The Mohe people have always been subservient and obedient to the court. Why does Your Majesty suddenly want to take action against them?"

Li Zhi looked at him and asked, "Do you really think the Mohe people are submissive?"

Liu Rengui said solemnly, "To be honest, Your Majesty, the Mohe people have long harbored the idea of ​​establishing a state. They have sent people to the Andong Protectorate several times to consult my opinion. Because I disagreed, they have never dared to establish a state. This shows that they are truly loyal to the Tang Dynasty."

Li Zhi asked curiously, "Why do you disagree?"

Liu Rengui said: "For the past two years, I have devoted myself to governing Goguryeo and mediating conflicts among various ethnic groups. The situation has just stabilized. If the Mohe suddenly establishes a state, it may cause Goguryeo to be thrown into turmoil again. Therefore, I did not agree."

Goguryeo was home to many ethnic groups, with the Buyeo people being the main group, along with other tribes such as the Khitan, Mohe, and Shiwei.

Because Goguryeo and the Mohe fought for a century, the Mohe were always at a disadvantage, so a large amount of Goguryeo's territory was occupied, and many Mohe people were captured and enslaved.

Therefore, there were many Mohe people in Goguryeo. If the Mohe had established a kingdom, it is hard to guarantee that these people would not have migrated to the Mohe.

After hearing this, Li Zhi nodded secretly.

Liu Rengui's decision not to allow the Mohe people to establish a state, solely for the sake of a small portion of the Tang Dynasty's interests, demonstrates that he was indeed a loyal and patriotic person.

Furthermore, the Mohe people were truly obedient; if Liu Rengui forbade it, they would not establish a state. From any perspective, there was nothing wrong with them.

Therefore, at this stage, the Mohe people indeed have no intention of rebelling against the Tang Dynasty. However, Li Zhi was well aware of the nature of the Jurchens, who would threaten the Central Plains multiple times in the future and had even established the Qing Dynasty to rule China.

This shows that they are by no means a people who easily submit to others; they are simply being patient and restrained.

The more the Mohe people could endure, the more it showed their resolute character. While the Tang Dynasty still existed, they might not have been able to cause any trouble, but when dynasties changed, they might have been able to threaten the Central Plains.

Li Zhi destroyed the Khitan in order to eliminate potential threats, and he will certainly not be lenient in dealing with the Mohe now.

However, the Mohe were different from the Khitan. After the Khitan submitted to the Tang Dynasty, they harbored rebellious intentions and constantly clashed with the Tang Dynasty. The court and the public were extremely dissatisfied with the Khitan.

The Mohe were the opposite; even someone like Liu Rengui believed that the Mohe posed no threat at present, and Li Zhi could not find a reason to persuade him.

We can't just say that the Mohe people will invade the Central Plains and establish a dynasty, so we need to take precautions, right?

"Very well, we'll discuss this later. Minister Liu, go back and rest first." Li Zhi waved his hand.

Seeing that the emperor seemed to have been persuaded, Liu Rengui breathed a sigh of relief, took his leave, and departed.

Another half month passed, and in early November, Liu Renyuan and Zhao Chiman returned to Beijing.

Unlike Liu Rengui, who immediately went to the palace to meet the emperor, the two returned home to reunite with their families.

Zhao Chiman brought Li Yizhen back with him this time, and even asked his parents to elevate Li Yizhen's status to that of his principal wife.

Although his mother, Lady Changsun, still disliked this woman of Hu origin, her son was now a general of the Twelve Guards and had been granted the title of Marquis of a County, so she dared not interfere too much and reluctantly agreed.

Zhao Chiman rested at home for one night, and early the next morning, a guard from the Imperial Guard came to deliver an imperial edict, summoning him to the palace for an audience.

Zhao Chiman encountered Liu Renyuan while walking on Chengtianmen Street.

Liu Renyuan said excitedly, "Brother Zhao, do you think His Majesty summoned us because he intends to let us stay in the capital like Pei Xingjian?"

Zhao Chiman asked in surprise, "Brother Liu, are you unwilling to serve in the Yingzhou Protectorate?"

Liu Renyuan said, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but there's no more fighting in Liaodong. If I return to Chang'an, perhaps I'll be lucky enough to catch up with a few battles."

Zhao Chiman replied, "That's not necessarily true. Half of Japan is occupied by the Mohe people. We'll have to drive them out sooner or later. How can you say there won't be any war?"

Liu Renyuan had once been saved by the Mohe people, and upon hearing this, he immediately frowned.

"When the Mohe people attacked Japan, we didn't stop them. They even helped us draw away some of Japan's troops, which was quite helpful. How can we attack them now?"

Zhao Chiman said in a deep voice, "I observe that the Mohe people have great ambitions. They are ruthless and cruel in dealing with the Japanese. We must be wary of them."

Liu Renyuan laughed and said, "Brother Zhao, you're overthinking it. They're ruthless towards the Japanese, but that's just their nature. They're very respectful towards us."

Zhao Chiman shook his head and said no more.

Before long, the two arrived at Ganlu Hall. After announcing their arrival, they entered the hall to pay their respects to Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi).

"Your subject Liu Renyuan (Zhao Chiman) pays his respects to Your Majesty." The two bowed in greeting.

Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) disliked the ritual of dancing, so officials no longer dance to greet each other.

Li Zhi raised his hand and said, "My two ministers, you may rise. Over the past few years, I am grateful for your hard work in guarding the Yingzhou Protectorate."

The two replied in unison, "This is our duty, and we dare not complain."

Li Zhi said slowly, "I have summoned you to an audience this time to learn about the situation of the Mohe people."

Upon hearing this, Liu Renyuan was startled, thinking to himself, "Does His Majesty really intend to take action against the Mohe?"

While he was still in a daze, Zhao Chiman had already spoken: "Your Majesty, I humbly await your inquiry."

Li Zhi said, "I have already seen your report on the governance of Yingzhou, so there is no need to repeat it. What I want to know now is the governance of the Wa (Japanese) by the Mohe people."

Zhao Chiman pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the Mohe people use an iron fist to govern the Japanese. They regard the Japanese as inferior people and impose heavy taxes on them. As long as the Japanese resist in the slightest, they will be ruthlessly slaughtered and cruelly suppressed."

How did they suppress it?

Zhao Chiman said, "Among the Japanese regions they ruled, the most intense resistance was in the Mino area. This is because the land there is fertile and has large tracts of farmland, so the Mohe people levied extremely high taxes, which the Japanese could not tolerate, so they rebelled one after another."

"The Mohe people sent troops to suppress the Japanese, massacring more than 100,000 people in Mino. The killing lasted for ten days, and it is said that the corpses were piled up into a small mountain. All the Japanese who dared to resist died, and the remaining Japanese no longer dared to resist."

After listening, Li Zhi remained silent.

He didn't care that the people killed were Japanese, but this incident reminded him of the Chinese descendants who would be slaughtered in the future, so the Mohe people had to be exterminated!
Seeing the emperor's unfriendly expression and murderous intent, Liu Renyuan quickly said, "Your Majesty, they just don't treat the Japanese as human beings. They are still respectful to our Great Tang Dynasty and will send people to the Yingzhou Protectorate to consult on matters big and small."

Li Zhi glanced at him and said, "The way the Mohe people treat the Japanese shows how fierce they are, yet they are so respectful to our Great Tang. Doesn't Protector Liu feel a chill down his spine?"

Liu Renyuan did indeed begin to feel a chill down his spine, but not because of the Mohe people, but because of the emperor's tone, which seemed to indicate some dissatisfaction with him.

Under these circumstances, he naturally dared not speak up for the Mohe people anymore.

"Your Majesty is right. I was blind to the truth and beg Your Majesty to punish me."

"That's enough." Li Zhi waved his hand and asked Zhao Chiman, "What else did the Mohe people do?"

Zhao Chiman said, "The Mohe people initially allied with the Ainu people to attack Japan. Later, they launched a surprise attack on Ainu and almost wiped out all the Ainu people in the Japanese region. Now the Ainu people have fled back to Kuyi Island."

"Where is Silla?"

“When Silla fought against the Mohe, it suffered repeated defeats and now only occupies a small area in Noden.”

Li Zhi stared at Zhao Chiman and asked, "Does Minister Zhao believe that the Mohe people will rebel against the Tang Dynasty?"

Zhao Chiman thought for a moment and said, "No. However, I believe the Mohe people should not be underestimated. We should force them to withdraw from Japan and not give them the opportunity to become powerful!"

Li Zhi asked, "Under what pretext should we get them to withdraw from Japan?"

Zhao Chiman hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer.

As Liu Renyuan said, the Mohe people consulted the Yingzhou Protectorate on everything, leaving no room for any incriminating evidence.

Moreover, they have occupied Japan for so long without any objection from the Tang Dynasty. It is hard to believe that they would be asked to withdraw now.

Seeing this, Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "You may all leave. We will discuss this matter another day."

The two of them took their leave and departed together.

Li Zhi sat on the dragon throne, closed his eyes to rest, his mind churning. After a long while, he asked Wang Fusheng, "Have the Silla envoys arrived in Chang'an?"

Wang Fusheng replied, "Your Majesty, the Silla envoys arrived very early this year, last month."

"Has the Ezo (Japanese) sent an envoy to the capital?"

Wang Fusheng said, "No, that's not the case."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Issue my decree that the Silla envoys be summoned to the palace for an audience tomorrow afternoon."

(End of this chapter)