Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Since the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, the palace has often sent eunuchs to supervise the troops outside the capital. Moreover, those supervising eunuchs have repeatedly slandered the generals, causing the deaths of high-ranking officials such as Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing, and forcing Geshu Han to leave Tongguan to fight the enemy, resulting in his capture. Therefore, nowadays, no one among the generals outside the capital, including Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, dares to offend this scoundrel. As a result, Yu Chaoen sent a note, and Li Guangbi had no choice but to obey and take action against himself.

It's likely that Li Guangbi was too ashamed to face him, which is why he sent Wei Sun to do it. Wei Sun was a scoundrel; fearing that he would resist and not be captured, he secretly set up an ambush in the commander's tent!

I came here full of excitement, thinking I had some special mission to be assigned to me. Who would have thought there was a trap or an ambush here?

Li Ji's mind worked quickly. He immediately sneered and said to Wei Sun, "I'm afraid the Commander-in-Chief can't kill me. I am the Military Advisor of the Left Heroic Army, while the Commander-in-Chief is the Deputy Commander-in-Chief and has no authority over the Imperial Guards!"

Two systems, belonging to different departments. Even if you are the top two leaders of Department A, you don't have the right to kill a civil servant of Department B, right? Unless I committed some heinous crime that is not pardonable—for example, secretly colluding with the rebels—you would inevitably have to deal with a legal battle with Department B afterwards. Now it's just a crime of "absenteeism." At most, you can arrest me, but you would never execute me.

Well, I reckon Yu Chaoen couldn't devise a more serious charge in his haste, otherwise, if he really framed me for colluding with Shi Siming, Li Guangbi would have a reason to kill me on the battlefield.

Even so, if he were really escorted to Shanzhou and handed over to Yu Chaoen for judgment, he probably wouldn't be able to save his life...

Guo Tingwei said, "Sikong naturally has no right to kill you, he can only send you to Shanzhou in prison, where Yu Junrong can decide your fate... What a pity, how did you offend Yu Junrong?"

Now that things had come to this, Li Ji neither dodged nor pleaded—among this army of ten thousand men, I certainly couldn't escape. I could only make plans during the escort or after I saw Yu Chaoen—and immediately gave a cold smile: "It's nothing more than when I chased after Yu Chaoen with my sword in the imperial court, forcing him to cling to the emperor's leg and beg for his life."

Upon hearing this, Wei Sun was speechless with astonishment—he wanted to disbelieve it, but who could come up with such an unreliable reason so easily? Just as he was about to explain a few more words, hoping that Li Ji wouldn't resent Li Sikong—Sikong was in a difficult position too—he suddenly saw a figure flash to his side, followed by a cold light aimed straight at his neck!

Li Ji shouted, "Don't hurt anyone, just capture him!"

Li Ji hadn't forgotten that Cui Qi was outside the tent, but he hadn't expected the little girl to be so perceptive, able to sense his perilous situation and sneak in quietly—probably from those shouts earlier; his voice was indeed loud. Catching a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye, Li Ji knew it was Cui Qi. Seeing him head straight for Wei Sun, he immediately offered guidance.

The little girl is clever; she knows it's impossible to escape while surrounded by soldiers. The only way is to eliminate Wei Sun first—but you mustn't kill him. If you kill Wei Sun, I'll be guilty even if I'm innocent. Do you think the two of us can fight our way out of the Tang camp? It's better to subdue Wei Sun first and take him hostage.

Cui Qi coldly said, "No need for orders." His shield knife was already pressed against Wei Sun's neck. Wei Sun was so startled that he tilted his head back, but Cui Qi grabbed him from behind with his other hand, rendering him unable to move.

The soldiers were shocked and wanted to rush to his aid, but they hesitated, fearing they might hurt Judge Wei.

Li Ji coldly stared at Wei Sun: "Excuse me, but when it comes to life and death, I like to have someone to take me down with me, so I won't be lonely in the underworld. I wonder if Yu Chaoen sends a letter requesting that the Minister of Works execute Judge Wei, would the Minister of Works obey?"

Wei Sun cried out repeatedly, "Let go! I haven't finished speaking..."

Li Ji, with his hands behind his back, struggled to get up, then took a step forward, less than three feet away from Wei Sun—at this distance, even if Cui Qi let go, I could just headbutt you to death, believe it or not.

Wei Sun quickly said, "How could the Minister of Works bear to harm Military Advisor Li?" He looked around and gestured to the soldiers, "Quickly, quickly, untie Military Advisor Li—the Minister of Works intends to treat it as if Military Advisor Li had already resigned before Yu Junrong's letter arrived. The grudges between the two parties need not go through the Minister of Works; let them be settled privately."

The soldiers were completely bewildered, but they had no choice but to come forward and untie him. Li Ji rubbed his slightly sore wrists and sneered, "So that's how it is. But I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the roads, so it would be best if Judge Wei escorted me for a while."

Wei Sun dared not nod, but blinked repeatedly: "I will see you off, I will see you off..."

Li Ji surmised that Li Guangbi genuinely didn't intend to kill him, nor did he want to arrest him and send him to Shanzhou in captivity. Otherwise, Wei Sun wouldn't have changed his story so quickly. Even if he was afraid of death, he would have negotiated other terms, perhaps even asking Li Guangbi to intervene and rescue him. Therefore, his last few words were true. Li Guangbi planned to secretly send him out of the Tang camp in Heyang, and then reply to Yu Chaoen, saying it was a pity his letter arrived too late…

For Li Guangbi, achieving this much was already quite remarkable. However, it was rather pathetic to think that one of the top generals in the land had to be so humble and subservient to a eunuch. Unfortunately, he didn't want the emperor to listen to Yu Chaoen again and send someone else to replace him in a couple of days.

Personal honor and disgrace are minor matters, but if the commander is changed again on the battlefield, Henan will truly be finished!

Li Guangbi felt guilty and dared not come to see him in person, so he instructed Wei Sun instead. Who would have thought that Wei Sun was a man of his own mind, and on his own initiative, he planned to capture him and hand him over to Yu Chaoen—of course, he could not be killed, but he could not be released easily either—so as not to cause his superior to incur Yu Chaoen's hatred.

Otherwise, if you spoke to me politely, would I really refuse to leave? Was it necessary to set an ambush and tie me up? Tying me up first and then releasing me, is that fun?

Therefore, Li Ji refused to let Cui Qi release Wei Sun. Firstly, he was worried that something else might happen, and he wanted to wait until he was safe after leaving the camp. Secondly, he thought, "You bastard, you've offended me. I'm petty, how can I let you off so easily?"

Wei Sun was a clever man, so he naturally dared not refuse and could only repeatedly say, "I will see you off, I will see you off..."

Li Ji stepped forward and grabbed Wei Sun's right hand, his fingers gripping it like steel clamps, making it difficult for Wei Sun to break free. At the same time, he took the shield knife from Cui Qi's hand, and although it was away from Wei Sun's neck, he didn't put it away, but instead placed it behind his elbow. Then he winked at the little girl: "Go and get our luggage, horses, equipment, and other belongings."

Cui Qi glared at Wei Sun, then darted out of the tent. Wei Sun lowered his voice and said, "To prevent unrest in the army, and to bypass the commander's tent and go around to the north of the camp... I know a relatively hidden route..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "No need."

Not long after, Cui Qi's voice rang out from outside the tent: "We can go now."

Li Ji then led Wei Sun out of the tent, and immediately glanced around: "Bring a horse for Judge Wei as well."

Wei Sun hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, quickly bring me my horse."

Finally, the three of them stepped onto the saddle bridge one after another. Li Ji was on the right, still holding Wei Sun's wrist, while Cui Qi was on the left, leading Wei Sun's horse. The three of them slowly rode out of the camp. He didn't try to avoid people at all, and naturally, soldiers and officers who recognized him would ask, "Where are Judge Wei and Erlang going?"

Before Wei Sun could speak, Li Ji laughed loudly, "Nothing much, the military inspector Yu Chaoen asked the Minister of Works to take my head because of a personal grudge. I don't want to die, and I can't stay in the camp any longer, so I have to leave!"

Wei Sun's face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The soldier asked in surprise, "What crime has Erlang committed that Commander Yu wants you dead?"

Li Ji spoke the truth: "I am not the only one who has been killed by eunuchs, but I have made meritorious contributions to the army. It was only because I chased Yu Chaoen with a knife back in Ding'an that he was forced to cry for help in front of the emperor and lost face. Yet he still holds a grudge to this day."

Someone noticed something was amiss: "Since Erlang has left, why is Wei Pan being held hostage?"

Li Ji replied, "Nothing much, I just fear that someone in the army might have a eunuch as his father, so I have to take precautions." He glanced sideways at Wei Sun, as if to say: I told you to set an ambush, and you still dare to tie me up!

Wei Sun was almost in tears.

Just as they were approaching the camp gate, a loud shout suddenly came from behind: "Li Ji, are you trying to disrupt the morale of our army?!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Good! I've finally forced Li Guangbi out of his shell." He immediately turned around and shouted, "Thousands of soldiers have fought bloody battles on the battlefield, yet they must obey the orders of eunuchs! The defeat at Xiangzhou serves as a warning. Doesn't the Minister of Works fear that this will disrupt the morale of the army?!"

"If you wish to punish Li Ji for disrupting the army, you may send the general to fight. I would rather die at the hands of my comrades than be harmed by a eunuch!"

Its sound was like thunder, and the entire army was terrified.

Li Guangbi's expression was uncertain for a long while before he sighed and said, "Release Judge Wei and let him go. Consider this my repayment for his help. From now on, we are even."

Li Ji then released Wei Sun's hand, bowed to Li Guangbi, and said, "The Minister of Works is capable of leading an army, but it's a pity he can't recognize talent." He then laughed loudly and rode away with Cui Qi.

Wei Sun's future in the army is now completely ruined—serves you right for taking matters into your own hands and adding unnecessary complications!

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Chapter Thirty: An Old Friend Visits

Li Ji and Cui Qi swaggered away from the Tang camp. To show that he had no fear, Li Ji deliberately loosened the reins and walked on foot. Cui Qi tried to speed up several times, but Li Ji stopped him with his eyes.

In truth, Li Ji was also on tenterhooks. It wasn't until they were two or three miles away from the Tang camp that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to thank Cui Qi: "If it weren't for your rescue today..."

Cui Qi interrupted him directly, asking in return, "You shouted like that on purpose just now, weren't you really afraid of shaking the morale of the generals?"

"Does the master care?"

"Who do you think you are?!" Cui Qi glared at him. "If you don't care, why did you come to Heyang? Do you just enjoy fighting?"

Li Ji smiled slightly: "If the Tang camp were so easily thrown into chaos, how could I have been shouting today? Li Guangbi is no mediocre talent; he should be able to remain calm..."

Li Ji had virtually no enemies among these 20,000 men. Even valiant generals like Bai Xiaode and Hao Tingyu, while ambitious, harbored no resentment towards him. This was not only due to his renowned reputation as the "Defender of Longyou," but also because the main body of this Tang army was the Shuofang Army. Since Guo Ziyi's departure, the most prestigious general in the army was Pugu Huai'en. Given Pugu Huai'en's high regard for Li Ji, why would others easily harbor hostility towards him?

Therefore, his shouts just now could easily evoke sympathy from the generals, which would then lead to resentment towards Yu Chaoen, and they might even secretly criticize Li Guangbi for lacking responsibility and being afraid to offend the eunuch. But in any case, Li Guangbi had just led them to a victory, and it was impossible for him to become disloyal and refuse to follow orders because of this "trivial matter" that had nothing to do with his personal interests.

However—"Wei Sun is probably out of a position." Li Guangbi will definitely push him out as a scapegoat. In order to win people's hearts, even if the arrest of Li Ji was Li Guangbi's order, now Wei Sun can only be used as a scapegoat. Besides, it was that guy who made the decision on his own.

Li Ji first curled his lip and mocked Wei Sun, then raised his eyebrows, widened his eyes, and said viciously, "Yu Chaoen, one day I will personally take the head of this dog!"

Cui Qi asked, "Everyone else fears those powerful eunuchs, but aren't you afraid of them?"

Li Ji sneered, "They're nothing more than a few rootless...baseless villains. Once the Emperor's favor is gone, they'll fall into the abyss. What's there to fear? You haven't seen how I chased Yu Chaoen to the ends of the earth when I was in Ding'an..."

Cui Qi reminded him, "Shut up! You insist on recounting Yu Chaoen's past disgraceful behavior in front of the soldiers... Past? Back then, you had just left your hometown, held a title but no official position, gained nothing and lost nothing, so it was normal for you to have a bit of a rogue's temperament. Now that you have an official position, a salary, a house, and a concubine, can you really give all that up? Aren't you afraid that the eunuchs will retaliate against your little Xing?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was slightly taken aback, then smiled bitterly and said, "What you said makes sense... Alas, what men are most reluctant to part with in this world is women..." But he quickly added, "Starting from the parents."

After a pause, he finally sorted out his thoughts and replied to Cui Qi, "Old grudges have been sown. Since Yu Chaoen wants to kill me, do you think that if I struggle a few times, the situation will get worse? Why not fight to the death?"

Cui Qi looked at him and simply shook his head: "I have never seen anyone like you before..."

Li Ji laughed heartily and said, "Of course, I am no ordinary person!"

Cui Qi scoffed and turned his face away, refusing to look at him again. Li Ji, on the other hand, leaned closer and asked, "Do you know the way to Shanzhou from here?"

He had traveled back and forth through Henan several times, but always south of the Yellow River. Now that the rebels were pressing on the Heyang Bridge and even the Yeshuidu crossing had been threatened, he had no choice but to return west from the north bank of the Yellow River, but he was unfamiliar with the route.

Cui Qi asked, "Yu Chao'en is in Shanzhou, do you still dare to go?"

Li Ji replied, "Since you were sent by Consort Shen to look after me, shouldn't I send you back to see her first?"

Cui Qi shook his head: "That's not necessary." Then he pointed with his whip: "We can go west along the river, passing Heqing, Yuanxian, Hebei, and Ruicheng, and cross to the west bank at Pujin Bridge..."

Li Ji nodded: "Let's get to Dayang Bridge first."

In the section of the Yellow River east and south of the river, three pontoon bridges have been built, allowing for easy crossing. The easternmost one is naturally the Heyang Bridge, which was first built in the tenth year of the Tai Shi era of the Western Jin Dynasty; the westernmost one is the Pujin Bridge, which is said to have been built in the fiftieth year of the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. It has stood for a thousand years. After entering the Tang Dynasty, in the twelfth year of the Kaiyuan era, it was expanded and repaired by Zhang Yue, the Minister of War, who replaced the original wooden stakes and ropes with iron oxen and iron chains.

Between these two bridges, in the northeast of Shanxian County, there is another bridge called Dayang Bridge, which was first built in the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong.

Cui Qi asked him, "What are you going to Dayang Bridge for? Are you planning to risk going into Shaanxi? Could it be... that you're going to assassinate Yu Chaoen?!"

Li Ji smiled and said, "You're good at assassinations, but I'm not. That eunuch must have a lot of guards around him; it's not something that can be accomplished just by being skilled in archery and horsemanship. The reason I suggested going to Dayang first was to scout out the situation in the Luoyang palace..."

In the end, she still cares about Nan Jiyun and the others.

Cui Qi sneered, "Now there are only the two of us on horseback. Even if we encounter trouble in Luoyang, it will be difficult to come to our rescue. If you want to die for Nan Ba, I will not follow you."

Li Ji laughed and said, "How can that be? You still have to collect my body."

Cui Qi glared at him: "You remember those words so well! How can a man like you be so petty?"

Li Ji replied, "I will remember every word you have said..."

Chatting and laughing, they gradually increased their speed, covering fifty or sixty li in an instant. Fearing further misfortune, Li Ji did not enter Heqing City, but instead circled the city to the west for ten li before lodging at an inn.

However, he had an official certificate, while Cui Qi did not… Therefore, they could only obtain a small room and slept together. Li Ji was about to take his quilt and lie down on the veranda when Cui Qi tugged at his collar: “This is not like in Heyang City, where there is a courtyard outside the house, and soldiers sent by Pugu Huai’en guard the gate… In a post station, how can you, a dignified judge of the Imperial Guard, sleep on the veranda? I’ll go…”

Li Ji said sternly, "I have never treated you as a servant, so why belittle yourself?"

Cui Qi gritted his teeth and said with his head down, "Or... let's share a room then. Back in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang, it's not like we haven't slept in the same room before..."

Li Ji was overjoyed, but pretended to be troubled: "It's a pity there's only one set of bedding..."

Even with only one set of blankets, it was no use. In the end, the little girl wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and huddled in the corner of the room. Li Ji may have had the courage to steal, but unfortunately, his desire wasn't strong enough, and he couldn't do anything all night. The next day, he had just gotten up and dressed when he suddenly heard someone outside ask, "Is there an official named Li staying here?"

Li Ji recognized the voice. He had just stepped to the door and looked out when he saw the courier leading a burly man over. The man greeted him with a bow and a look of delight: "Ah, Brother Li, I've finally found you!"

Li Ji was taken aback. Considering the presence of outsiders, he could only return the greeting in a perfunctory manner, saying, "I didn't expect you to come here, brother. Please come inside and sit down." He then nodded to the courier, "It's an old friend—you can go and attend to your business now."

So the man took off his boots and went inside, and reached out to grab Li Ji's wrist. Li Ji twisted his wrist and grabbed it back. When their hands touched, both of them were startled—they had used all their strength.

Unable to catch Li Ji, the man chuckled and stepped into the room. His eyes swept around, and he saw another "man" sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back to him, gazing out the window. The man was slightly startled, looked at Li Ji, and asked, "And this is...?"

Li Ji stepped forward to block the man's view, waving his hand and saying, "It's alright." Then his expression darkened, and he asked in a low voice, "Why did you come looking for me?"

The man chuckled and said, "Why can't I come to see you? Now that Li Erlang is famous throughout the land, old friends have become estranged. Can't I visit you again?"

"Who said you're a friend?!"

The man then stopped smiling, frowned, and said seriously, "Hey, even if you don't remember the kindness of saving me in Tanshan in the past, you don't need to show this kind of face, do you? What have I done to wrong you?!"

It turns out that this person was none other than Zhen Sui, the bodyguard of Qianniu, who had a long period of interaction with the original owner of his body before Li Ji transmigrated and traveled with him for several months!

After transmigrating, Li Ji met Zhen Sui twice. The first time was in Ding'an City, where he tried to find her but lost track of her due to Cui Qi's obstruction. The second time was in Luoyang's Yeting Palace, where Zhen Sui, accompanied by Zhou Zhi, happened to pass by him...