Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

In the blink of an eye, both sides drew their swords and began to fight. Crown Prince Yehu entered with only six trusted men and quickly found himself at a disadvantage, with the entrance to the venue blocked by guards... Left with no other choice, he fought bravely and charged towards Princess Ningguo.

He had intended to take Princess Ningguo hostage, hoping to find a glimmer of hope, but Li Ji took a step forward and stood in front of her, drawing his double maces from his waist and glaring angrily. The Crown Prince Yehu was forced to shout, "Li Ji, help me!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "If you hadn't shouted that, you might still have survived. But now that you've said that, you're doomed! What good is shouting Tang Yu? Many people here, including Yi Dijian and Dunmohedagan, understand what I'm saying. They already know what's going on, so it's fine. But if the other officials suspect me of participating in your treason, it will inevitably implicate Princess Ningguo, and they won't be able to clear their names even if they jump into the Yellow River!"

Enraged by the Crown Prince's deception, he immediately swung his right mace and struck at the head—"Step back! Do not harm the Khatun!"

With a sharp "crack," the weapon struck the helmet squarely. Although he had only used a fraction of his strength—after all, he was a Uyghur prince, and if anyone was to kill him, it should be the Uyghurs themselves—the blow still sent the prince reeling and staggering backward. Immediately, the surrounding Uyghur soldiers swarmed around him, hacking him to pieces with a flurry of blows.

Li Ji couldn't help but think to himself: Heaven is not to be trifled with! What did you say yesterday? If we break our oath, we will be torn apart by a thousand knives. Isn't this a self-fulfilling prophecy?

As for the six henchmen of the Crown Prince Yehu, they were all killed. None of them were willing to surrender, and no one was willing to accept their surrender—because Yidi Jian had said beforehand, "Chop them all down!"

In a matter of moments, the situation changed drastically, and Prince Yehu died a bloody death in the meeting hall... To be honest, many of the officials present were inclined to support Prince Yehu. If he had stormed into the meeting hall and raised his arms to call for action, they might have been able to say a few words in agreement, at least preventing Yidi Jian from being elected. However, he claimed to have "killed" Yidi Jian, but Yidi Jian suddenly appeared, clearly stating his crime. Immediately, swords clashed, and no one dared to step forward to help Prince Yehu.

Unless the Crown Prince Yabghu brought in not six people, but six hundred or six hundred... But in Li Ji's opinion, since Dunmoheda Ganshi helped Yidijian, how could such a situation have occurred?

With the matter settled, even the officials who were most inclined towards the Crown Prince of Yabghu had no choice but to make up their minds and recommend Yidijian as Khan—there was no one else to protect.

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh inwardly, put away his mace, and stood behind Princess Ningguo again.

However, the next scene was another shocking turn of events, which was unexpected by everyone—including Li Ji.

Suddenly, Yidijian removed his helmet, tossed it aside, and knelt before the corpse of the Crown Prince Yabghu, bursting into tears. Someone urged, "Khan, please rise! He has brought death upon himself..." Yidijian shouted, "I am not the Khan! The Khan has been murdered by traitors. I have avenged the Khan, and I die without regret!" With that, he drew his sword, slashed his own neck, and blood spurted out. He collapsed to the ground.

This time, the ministers were no longer just surprised; their faces turned green!

Dunmohedagan seemed relatively calmer. He immediately stepped forward to check and then sighed to the heavens, "This is indeed not the Khan, but his double..." Some generals and officials who were familiar with Yidijian also gathered around and testified one after another—this guy's face looked similar, and his accent was similar, but upon closer inspection of his facial features and certain physical characteristics, he was indeed not Yidijian.

Moreover, if he were truly a transgender person, how could he possibly commit suicide?

Just now, the Crown Prince Yehu entered, claiming that he had killed Yidi Jian. The officials were shocked and their hearts were wavering. In their daze, this guy suddenly stood up, and naturally no one thought to get closer to examine him carefully. Then he shouted, "Kill them all!" The guards in the venue and those officials who were already biased towards Yidi Jian, upon hearing the imperial decree, would certainly jump out to fight the Crown Prince Yehu for the sake of their own future.

Who would have thought it was actually a counterfeit...

This series of unpredictable events caused Princess Ningguo's heart to surge with turmoil. Her veil trembled, and she grabbed Li Ji's wrist with her hand, her voice clearly trembling with tears—"What...what's going on here? Where is Yi Di Jian?"

After his initial shock, Li Ji pondered the events leading up to him and sneered, "That's a question for Your Excellency, the Prime Minister."

----------

Not long after, in a secluded tent, the body of Yi Dijian was found. He had been stabbed in the heart from behind and died.

Thus, both of the Khan's sons perished, and the one most qualified to succeed him became his nephew, the Khanate's prime minister, and the western chieftain, Setun Mohedagan. The tribal leaders unanimously voted to support Setun Mohedagan as Khan—titled "Khagudulu Bilge Khan."

Five days later, Prince Li Chengcai of Dunhuang and his entourage finally arrived at the Uyghur headquarters.

Li Chengcai had already received a message from Li Ji, so he concealed the imperial edict of investiture and did not announce it, only saying that he had come to offer condolences and to welcome back Princess Ningguo. Dunmohedagan immediately agreed and hinted to Li Chengcai to petition the Tang court to grant him an official title as soon as possible.

Dunmohedagan also said, "Not only should Dunli return to Tang, but Yidijian's wife should also return with him."

This is the result of Li Ji's negotiations with Dunmoheda a few days ago.

On the day Li Ji sought an audience with Dunmohedagan, he first offered his congratulations, saying, "Khan, your wish has been fulfilled; this is truly a cause for celebration."

Dunmohedagan said with a bitter smile, "The two sons of the former Khan died on the same day. That's why I was elected Khan by the tribes and had no choice but to become Khan. What is there to celebrate?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Just keep pretending!"

Without your assistance, could Prince Yehu have killed Yidijian? You set a trap, killing both of them—what a cunning scheme! I never even suspected a thing beforehand. I wonder what tricks you would have played if I had agreed to help Prince Yehu that day.

He immediately sneered and asked, "In the midst of the chaos and fighting, I protected the Khatun unharmed. Do I deserve any credit for that?"

Although he knew it was all Dunmohedagan's conspiracy, and Dunmohedagan knew he knew too... he couldn't expose it, wouldn't that be suicide? Li Ji was actually asking: Did my failure to agree to the Crown Prince's request make your plan easier to execute? Does that count as a contribution?

Dunmohedagan immediately declared, "Of course, he has rendered great service and deserves a reward!" He then ordered his men to bring out precious items such as deer antlers and sable furs to thank Li Ji.

However, Li Ji was still not satisfied and requested, "I wish to be killed by the right."

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Chapter Sixteen, Changing Commanders in the Midst of Battle

Li Ji didn't hold back in praising his achievements to Dunmohedagan. Even though the other party rewarded him with a lot of money, he was still not satisfied and wanted to obtain the position of Right Killer. That was promised to me by the Crown Prince of Yehu. If I had accepted his invitation that day, or helped him at the meeting, you would have had to waste more brain cells to have any chance of succeeding.

Dunmohedagan, however, was not offended and smiled slightly, saying, "I have already decided to kill those around me, and given your status, even if you have rendered meritorious service to my Uyghurs, it is impossible for you to suddenly rise to a high position—how about I grant you the title of Tutunfa?"

"Tutunfa" can be translated as "supervisory official," ranking fifth among noble titles below Yabghu and She, with no fixed number of nobility and hereditary privilege. Li Ji made various demands to prevent Dunmohedagan from killing him to silence him—since I have made requests, I certainly won't spread your conspiracy around; Dunmohedagan gave him the empty title of Tutunfa to win over Li Ji.

The two reached a tacit understanding and couldn't help but smile at each other. Li Ji then earnestly requested that Princess Ningguo be sent back to Chang'an as soon as possible, and Dunmohedagan agreed. Li Ji then asked, "How are Yidi Jian's two wives doing?"

Upon hearing this, Dunmohedagan's expression changed slightly: "I will naturally take good care of him..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Judging from your expression, I know what you're planning. You'll probably find a chance to kill those two women once things calm down." He quickly replied, "I am a great general of our Tang Dynasty. The Emperor has shown me great favor. He has fought many battles over the years, and many of his sons and brothers have died. If I could have these two women serve me, I would surely be delighted and grateful to the Khan."

Previously, the valiant Khan had requested a marriage alliance with the Tang Dynasty, and also suggested that his youngest son, Yidijian, be given a good marriage. The Tang court then ordered Pugu Huai'en to marry his two daughters to Yidijian. Li Ji had a relationship with Pugu Huai'en, so after consulting with Princess Ningguo beforehand, he came to request that Dunmohedagan release his two daughters.

Dunmohedagan hesitated for a moment and said, "According to the custom of my Yaoluoge clan, the two women should be buried alive with me, but since they have been released... it is not impossible to allow Kudun to return to Tang and send the two women back. However, my inner chambers are still empty."

He originally intended to follow the old precedent and marry Princess Ningguo, but Yidijian had already made a promise to Shigui, and it was inconvenient to go back on his word—after all, he had only recently ascended to the throne, and his foundation was not stable, so it was not advisable to create unnecessary trouble—so he set his sights on Yidijian's two wives. Li Ji repeatedly pleaded and went back to discuss the matter with Princess Ningguo several times. Finally, they agreed to keep the daughter of Prince Rong, Li Wan, and give her to Dunmohedagan as Khatun.

That woman was originally part of Princess Ningguo's dowry—what the Han people called a "concubine"—and as the daughter of a vassal king, her status was actually higher than that of Pugu Huai'en's two daughters. But for some reason, Princess Ningguo disliked her very much, so she was ultimately sacrificed.

Li Ji still felt a pang of pity, but Princess Ningguo said, "I was forced to marry into a foreign land, and what I would not have wanted done to myself, I should not do to others. However, I came here for the sake of my country and to strengthen the friendship between the Tang and the He. If I do not keep this girl, the Emperor will surely send a real princess in the future..." As she said this, her eyes reddened, as if she was about to cry—"My sisters are still young, how can I bear to let them follow in my footsteps?"

Having said all that, Li Ji had no choice but to comply with their request and sacrifice the daughter of the Prince of Rong. However, since she had already come to the Uyghur Khaganate with Princess Ningguo, her fate couldn't be any worse. Becoming the new Khan Khatun might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Before his departure, Dunmohedagan summoned Li Ji again and said to him, "I know you are a confidant of the Tang Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi, so there are some things that are inconvenient to say to Li Yehu (Li Chengcai). I hope you can find an opportunity to convey them to the Tang Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi."

"I humbly accept your guidance."

Dunmohedagan slowly said, "Every word I said to you when we first met was from the bottom of my heart. As long as I am here, Tang will not deceive the Uyghurs, and the Uyghurs will never betray Tang. Now that the Tang family is still in great trouble, and as a friendly nation and a relative by marriage, I should send reinforcements to help Tang quell the rebellion or defend against the barbarians. However, I have just ascended the throne, and the internal situation is not yet stable, so I am afraid it is difficult to send troops..."

Li Ji nodded, indicating that he completely understood.

Dunmohedagan continued, “If the Tang family still cannot quell the rebellion in a few years, they can send envoys to the camp, and I will do my best to help them. As for the barbarian bandits… their target is not Longyou, but Hexi and Anxi. If they are allowed to enter the Western Regions, they will surely become powerful and difficult to control. Moreover, the region borders the Uyghurs, so I cannot but send troops to conquer them.”

"Please tell the King of Qi that it would be best if the Tang family could defend Hexi and Anxi. If they are forced to retreat, and the Uyghurs are left to defend the barbarians alone, then the land and people they have gained can only be kept by themselves. Otherwise, there will be no way to explain to the other tribes, and my position as Khan will be unstable. This is said in advance, so do not complain in the future."

Li Ji retreated hesitantly—to be honest, though he appeared neither humble nor arrogant, he was actually quite afraid of this new Uyghur Khan. He didn't know whether this man's control of the Uyghurs would be a blessing or a curse for the Central Plains... He could only hope that Li Tan wouldn't mess things up in Longyou, and even if he fought the Tibetans to a draw, he wouldn't end up doing all the work for others and falling into the hands of the Uyghurs.

The Uyghurs already controlled the vast desert; if they were to also control the Western Regions… their power would be even greater. Whether Dunmohedagan's promise today would still hold true is anyone's guess. Politics is a frivolous affair; even formal oaths can be torn up at any time, let alone mere verbal promises.

So, escorting Princess Ningguo and the others, they followed Li Chengcai away from the Uyghur camp and set off to return to the Central Plains. The journey was uneventful. Princess Ningguo often sought out Li Ji to talk during their encampments to alleviate her loneliness, and over time, their friendship deepened.

However, Li Ji knew that this development was extremely dangerous, so he deliberately made excuses to decline the princess's invitations to talk several times. Princess Ningguo seemed to have noticed this as well, so when they met again, she asked Li Ji, "Changwei is about twenty years old, why is he still not married? After I return to Chang'an, I will talk to the Emperor and the Crown Prince to find a good marriage for Changwei."

Li Ji thought to himself, "To show that we are selfless, there's no need to rush into marriage. It's true that you can't avoid being told this no matter where you go..." He hurriedly declined, saying, "As the saying goes, 'How can I think of a home when the Xiongnu have not been defeated?'"

Princess Ningguo laughed and said, "You shouldn't interpret the Champion's words that way. There are many virtuous and virtuous ladies in Chang'an. Does the Grand Commandant, so devoted to the king's affairs, have no time to seek them out? Every year on the Shangsi Festival, there are spring outings and pleasant excursions; on the Double Ninth Festival, there are mountain climbing, archery, and chrysanthemum appreciation; the Thousand Autumns Festival is also very lively, and the Imperial Guards do not prohibit it. These days are all great opportunities to meet ladies. The Grand Commandant should not miss them."

Li Ji could only nod and agree, offering a few perfunctory words.

It wasn't until August that the group finally arrived in Chang'an. Li Heng sent his fifth son, Prince Peng, Li Jin, to greet them outside the city. Princess Ningguo was clearly not very happy—Li Jin was not her half-brother, so why didn't she send Crown Prince Li Yu to meet her? She exchanged only a few words with Li Jin before lowering the carriage curtain and refusing to show herself.

Upon entering the city, they arrived at the Mingfeng Gate, the main gate of the Daming Palace, only to find it filled with crimson robes and a sea of ​​people—it turned out that Li Heng had issued an edict ordering all the court officials to gather and welcome Princess Ningguo. Princess Ningguo was both moved and overjoyed, and tears streamed down her face… However, looking around, she saw some close relatives and family members—such as her sister, Princess Hezheng, and her nephew, Prince Fengjie, Li Shi—but still no sign of Li Yu.

Leaving aside the princess's visit to her father, Li Heng, at the Daming Palace, a few days later, Li Heng issued an edict bestowing upon Dunmohedagan the title of Khan of the Uyghur Wuyi Chenggong, and granting Li Wan's daughter the title of Princess Yongning, betrothing her to Khan Wuyi Chenggong as his Khatun. The envoy for the investiture was, of course, the same Prince of Dunhuang, Li Chengcai. Li Chengcai couldn't help but complain to his colleagues, "I should have had my fortune told long ago! This year I'm cursed with bad luck, unable to rest at all..."

Actually, he wasn't the only one whose fate was afflicted by the Traveling Horse star.

Qingluan was quite depressed. Her husband had been away on official business for half a year. He had finally returned, but they couldn't even consummate their marriage that night—Li Ji had to wait for Li Shi to come to the study.

When Li Shi escorted the princess to Mingfeng Gate during the day, he discreetly gave Li Ji a wink amidst the officials and ministers. Li Ji understood. Sure enough, that evening, Li Shi visited and first inquired about the journey—"How come the Uyghur Khan is neither Yidijian nor the Crown Prince of Yabghu, but some Dunmoha Tagan..."

Li Ji corrected, "It is Dunmohedagan. This man was originally the nephew of the valiant Khan. He served as prime minister. His bloodline was noble and his power was immense. So when Yidijian and the crown prince of Yabghu died, he naturally succeeded to the position of Khan."

Li Shi's thoughts began to wander: "In our Tang Dynasty, if the Crown Prince is not to be implicated... could it be the Prince of Qi's uncle? If the Prince of Qi's uncle is also not to be implicated, could it be the Prince of Yue?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Are you cursing your own father to die? But you're so frank with me, which shows your sincerity, so I'm quite happy."

Li Shi inquired in detail about the Uyghur upheaval, and Li Ji, without any concealment, recounted the whole story in detail. Li Shi couldn't help but sigh, "Yidi Jian instigated his father to change the heir, and Qi Wang Shuhu kept the Yehu Crown Prince... In the end, all his schemes came to naught, while Dun Moha Tagan benefited!"

Li Ji sighed softly, "Yes, it's all 'making wedding clothes for others.'" Only after saying this did he realize that the poem "The Poor Girl" didn't seem to exist in this world.

Fortunately, Li Shi didn't seem to care. He simply stroked his newly grown beard, lost in thought for a long time. What was he thinking? He suddenly realized something: What if my father fights with Li Tong, and in the end, it benefits Uncle Qi? It would be one thing if Uncle Qi benefited, but I don't want my father to fight with Uncle Qi, and in the end, it benefits the Li family of Zhao!

Li Ji waited quietly for a while before Li Shi came to his senses and bowed to him, saying, "The Changwei has made a great contribution to safely welcoming back my aunt."

Li Ji waved his hand and said, "What merit have I made? Before we even arrived in the Uyghur territory, Yi Dijian had already granted the princess permission not to be buried alive with him and had even promised her return to Chang'an..."

"If Changwei had agreed to the Crown Prince's request and interfered in the Uyghur Khan's election, I'm afraid Agu would have had a hard time returning to Tang. Some things are meritorious if done, and some things are meritorious if not done."

"This is the princess's instruction; we can simply observe from the sidelines and not interfere."

Li Shi nodded, then sighed softly, "The guards are busy traveling, they probably don't know that another major event has occurred in the court!"

"I really don't know, what important matter could it be?"

The "major event" that Li Shi referred to was the change of commander at the front.

It's likely that Li Ji was away, and Yu Chaoen, wanting to deal with him but unable to catch him, was resentful. Therefore, he focused all his energy on slandering Guo Ziyi. Although Li Heng had already appointed Guo Ziyi as the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Capital, Shandong, and Hedong regions, effectively ceasing to pursue the responsibility for the defeat at Xiangzhou—

Because a scapegoat emerged on his own, Lu Jiong, the military governor of Huaixi, was the first to be defeated, and his defeated troops looted everywhere, causing great resentment among the people. Therefore, fearing slander and ridicule, Lu Jiong took the initiative to commit suicide by poisoning himself at the age of fifty-seven.

With Lu Jiong dead, the punishments for the other defeated generals could be lenient, serving as a minor deterrent. However, Yu Chaoen remained fixated on Guo Ziyi, so in the seventh month of autumn, Li Heng issued an edict summoning Guo Ziyi back to the capital and reappointing Li Guangbi as the military governor of Shuofang and the commander-in-chief of the army.

However, having learned from Guo Ziyi's experience, Li Guangbi dared not accept the position of marshal under any circumstances. He hurriedly submitted a memorial requesting that a prince lead the army, while he himself would serve as the deputy. Thus, Prince Zhao, Li Xi, was appointed as the marshal of all the armies, and Li Guangbi as the deputy marshal, in charge of all military commands and campaigns.

Upon hearing this news, Li Ji immediately jumped up and exclaimed, "While it is certainly a good thing to have a great general in charge of all the military commands, the rebels are about to invade from the south. How can we change commanders on the front lines?!"

Although Li Guangbi's rank was second only to Guo Ziyi, he was still considered one of the most capable generals in the Tang Dynasty. Sending either him or Guo Ziyi to guard Henan against Shi Siming's incursions would have been a very successful strategy. The problem is, if you're going to appoint Li Guangbi, you should have done it sooner. It's already autumn, and Shi Siming might launch a major attack any day now. Why change people now?

Even if Guo Ziyi's deployment is flawless, Li Guangbi, parachuted in, will still need time to integrate. In fact, the more effective Guo Ziyi's command of the armies, the longer the transition period for Li Guangbi will be. How can they possibly win battles under such circumstances?!

As expected, the emperor's intelligence knows no bounds; he was truly courting death...

Li Shi smiled wryly and said, "It's not just that. Just like Li Guang and Cheng Bushi of the Former Han Dynasty, although both generals were able to achieve great things, Guo Ziyi treated his subordinates leniently, while Li Guangbi was strict in managing them. Therefore, as far as I know, many soldiers in the Shuofang army were unwilling to obey Li Guangbi..."

Li Ji remained silent—the main force in Henan was originally the Shuofang troops commanded by Guo Ziyi. Now that they had suddenly changed to a commander with a completely different style of military administration, how long would it take for them to integrate? Shi Siming wouldn't wait for you!

Li Shi looked at Li Ji, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist: "Therefore, the situation in Henan is truly worrisome. Originally, I thought that with Guo Ziyi in charge, even if we couldn't win, we wouldn't suffer a major defeat, and Luoyang would certainly be safe. But now..."

Li Ji raised his head, glanced at the other person, and understood in his heart that Li Shi was worried about his mother, Shen, who was in Luoyang.

So he asked, "Would the Crown Prince... or the Emperor, permit Consort Shen to return to Chang'an?"

Li Shi didn't answer, but turned his face away, seemingly unwilling to let Li Ji see his expression. Li Ji understood and couldn't help but sigh, "What can be done in this situation?"

Li Shi then slowly turned his face back, and said sincerely to Li Ji, "The Emperor and the Crown Prince may not care, but I cannot turn a blind eye. I must save my mother from danger! Therefore, I have no choice but to ask the guards for help..."

Chapter Seventeen, Brother Li, Please Take Your Time

Li Shi suggested that Li Ji make another trip to Luoyang to bring Shen out, but without Li Yu's approval, they could not return to Chang'an and had to find a relatively safe place to settle down temporarily—for example, Shanxian.