Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

And: Let's just pretend I'm keeping watch, so you haven't had a chance to offend His Majesty yet...

After the commotion, Li Heng was slightly sober, but his eyes were still a little dazed. He didn't notice what had happened at all. He just pointed at Li Tan and said, "If your brother treats you like this, and you still dare to have any wild thoughts, you are worse than a dog or a pig!" Then he waved his hand and said, "Enough, enough. Let Guangping judge this. You may all leave. I am tired and want to sleep."

She stood up and walked towards the rear hall, with Consort Zhang quickly following.

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Everyone bowed their heads and watched him leave. Afterward, Li Bi reached out and gently brushed Li Ji's hand: "Aren't you going to let go?"

Li Jixian increased his strength before letting go, and at the same time, he gritted his teeth and smiled at Li Fuguo: "Today, thanks to Lord Li's protection, if such a thing happens again, I will definitely repay you!"

Once freed from his confinement, Li Fuguo turned ashen-faced and scrambled away as fast as he could.

Li Chu immediately ordered Lao Jing and others to escort him out of the palace and back to the commander's residence. Then, he closed the gates, leaving only five people surnamed Li—including Princess Ningguo who was waiting there—and personally untied Li Tan, sighing, "How could such a thing have happened..."

Having narrowly escaped death, Li Tan was in a terrible mental state, kneeling on the ground and weeping bitterly: "If it weren't for my brother's timely arrival, my brother and I would have been separated by death!"

Li Chu pointed: "It was Ning Guo who informed me, and it was Chang Yuan who devised the plan, that allowed me to temporarily save your life..." He then turned his attention to Li Ji: "And Li Ji, who dared to break into the palace and offend the emperor for your sake..."

Princess Ningguo was unaware of what was happening in the palace. Upon hearing this, she was greatly surprised and turned her head, her eyes fixed on Li Ji's face.

Li Ji hurriedly said, "I did break into the palace, but I did not offend His Majesty. Li Fuguo can testify to that." He then asked Li Tan, "Father and son are so close, why did things come to this? What did Your Majesty do to incur His Majesty's wrath?"

Li Tan shook his head blankly and said, "I don't know either... I was reading in the room when Yu Chaoen brought people to announce the imperial decree to arrest him..."

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The news of Princess Ningguo was relayed by Lao Jing. After all, Lao Jing had followed Li Chu for a long time and had protected Princess Ningguo for a period of time. He had heard her talk about matters between family members, so he knew that Li Chu and Princess Ningguo were both close to Li Tan. When he heard Yu Chaoen say that they were going to capture Li Tan, he secretly sent someone to inform him.

So even Princess Ningguo didn't understand why Li Heng would listen to the slander of Consort Zhang and Li Fuguo and actually intend to kill Li Tan. Although the subsequent decree of "immediate execution" was because Li Tan fell for Yu Chaoen's trap and argued with his father in the palace—he didn't believe his father would really have the intention to kill him at that time—Yu Chaoen had said before the arrest that he wanted to kill Prince Jianning.

Otherwise, Lao Jing wouldn't have needed to risk sending the message.

Li Bi analyzed, "His Majesty doesn't drink often. Tonight, he's not only drunk but also mentally impaired, listening to the words of women and eunuchs. There must be a reason for this. If we don't find the reason, we won't be able to help him..." So he asked Princess Ningguo to return to the palace and find someone to find out the exact news as soon as possible. As for Li Chu, he didn't go back but slept in the commander's mansion to protect Li Tan.

Li Bi pulled Li Ji along, saying, "If we all stay here, someone might accuse us of forming a faction and slander us to the Emperor."

Li Ji gestured with his eyes: "I made such a scene just now, won't it be dangerous for us to go back?" Li Bi glared at him: "If people are selfless, then the world will be vast." As long as we go back openly and honestly, why should we be afraid of the eunuchs slandering us?

He believed that Li Heng was truly exhausted after this commotion and would no longer tolerate the incessant chatter in certain people's ears. Moreover, Li Ji had caused too much trouble, and precisely because of this, the eunuchs dared not arrest him without imperial decree—at least not tonight.

After returning to his residence with a sullen face and closing the door, Li Bi finally couldn't hold back any longer and scolded, "How dare you! Aren't you afraid of death?!"

Having spent several months together, Li Ji had come to understand Li Bi's temperament. If Li Bi considered him an "old ghost," he would often address him humbly as "you," but if he considered him a brother, or at least an acquaintance or friend, he would certainly not do so. Hearing that the word "you" was not uttered, Li Ji felt relieved and immediately said with a wry smile, "It wasn't me who caused the trouble, it was your brother Li Ji..."

Upon hearing this, Li Bi flew into a rage and was about to slam his fist on the table and unleash a torrent of abuse when Li Ji bowed deeply to him and quickly explained, "Having inherited your younger brother's appearance, I inevitably picked up his habits. I have always been most intolerant of wicked people and the killing of family members. That is why, in my anger, I went against my own nature and caused this great calamity..."

This wasn't entirely a lie; Li Ji genuinely felt that certain characteristics of the original owner of his body had been implanted into his personality, or rather, that the two souls were now intertwined, inseparable.

In his previous life, he wasn't a reckless person. If he encountered such a situation, he would most likely not dare to step forward unless it concerned him directly. However, although the original Li Ji was somewhat cunning, he was essentially a hot-blooded young man. When anger flared up, he would inevitably act recklessly.

Afterwards, he asked himself honestly if he had acted according to his former nature, would he have been so enraged by the fratricide of the Li family father and son, or by the cruel schemes of the eunuchs? As for the anger that flared up, it goes without saying that the more gentle a person is, the more ferocious they often become—he was not someone who was used to swallowing his anger and never lost his temper in his previous life.

Li Bi heard

Chapter 42, The Deception of an Innocent Child

Princess Ningguo, having learned the truth from the palace, instructed Dou Wenchang to relay the message to Li Bi. Upon hearing this, Li Bi finally understood why Li Heng had been so troubled the previous night that he had drunk himself into a stupor, thus giving Consort Zhang and Li Fuguo the opportunity to try and kill Li Tan.

First of all, there is a saying that "misfortunes never come singly." Yesterday, Li Heng received two reports of defeats, and his originally good mood plummeted.

The first report of defeat came after a year-long siege by rebel forces. With reinforcements failing to arrive, Yingchuan fell, and the prefect, Xue Yuan, and his deputy, Pang Jian, were captured and sent to Luoyang. An Lushan, angered by their refusal to surrender, intended to dismember them. However, after being persuaded by his subordinates that "these are righteous men; each serves his own master, and killing them would be inauspicious," he temporarily imprisoned them on the banks of the Luo River. There, in the dead of winter, they all froze to death overnight…

Upon hearing the news, Li Heng was overcome with grief. Pang Jian was merely a name to him, but Xue Yuan was not only an acquaintance but also a relative—Xue Yuan's brother, Princess Yijun, daughter of Crown Prince Li Longye, was Li Heng's cousin-in-law; Xue Yuan's sister, married to the deposed Crown Prince Li Ying, was Li Heng's second sister-in-law… How could Li Heng not feel sorrow?

The second defeat came when the Tibetan army, taking advantage of the opportunity of reinforcements from the west bank of the Yellow River, launched a major offensive, defeating the armies of Weirong, Shenwei, Dingrong, Xuanwei, Zhisheng, Jintian, and Tiancheng, and capturing Shibao City, Baigu City, and Diaoke City.

Li Mi had previously mentioned the need to guard against a potential invasion by the Tibetans during the chaos, therefore it was not advisable to mobilize too many troops from the Hexi Corridor and even the Four Garrisons of Anxi. Unfortunately, Li Mi's advice came too late. By the time he arrived in Ding'an, the imperial edicts requesting reinforcements from the western armies and garrisons had already been sent out, and most of the reinforcements were already en route, making it inconvenient to ask them to turn back.

Moreover, the more troops gathered in Ding'an, the more at ease Li Heng felt. With the situation urgent, he had to deal with the immediate problem. As for Tibet... he would deal with it after he had recovered Chang'an.

Although he was somewhat prepared, Li Heng was still worried because he hadn't expected the Tibetan forces to act so quickly and with such ferocity. These two reports of defeats, being military intelligence, would naturally be submitted to the command headquarters, so Li Chu and Li Bi were aware of them—it was precisely to deal with the resulting new situation that they had worked so late last night—but there was a third matter, which, for Li Heng, would become the final straw that broke his spirits, and they were unaware of it.

It turns out that yesterday afternoon, an imperial edict arrived in Chengdu, appointing Li Lin, the Minister of Justice, as a Chancellor, placing him in charge of all officials—in other words, making Li Lin the Prime Minister.

The retired emperor was in Chengdu, so he sent the prime ministers to Lingwu and passed the throne to Li Heng. He still kept many members of the imperial family and ministers around him, forming his own system in Shu. Now he has appointed Li Lin, who was accompanying him, as prime minister... What is he trying to do? Does he want two governments to coexist so that he can compete with his son?

Upon seeing this, Li Heng could not help but be furious. But besides his anger, there was something else that deeply saddened him—the Emperor Emeritus had issued an edict stripping Li Lin of his title of Prince Yong and calling on all prefectures to launch a campaign against him.

Previously, although Li Heng had ordered Gao Shi and others to launch a multi-pronged attack on Li Lin, he had not formally issued an edict to strip Li Lin of his title. Frankly speaking, this made no sense and could only be explained by Li Heng's lingering affection for Li Lin, and his reluctance to execute him. If Li Lin were a commoner, a minor official could have beheaded him when he was defeated; but since he was still a prince, his life should be spared, and he should be brought here for the emperor to deal with.

But the Emperor Emeritus preemptively seized the title of Prince Yong!

Li Lin's recruitment of troops for the eastward campaign was likely instigated by the retired emperor's forces. This wasn't just something Li Ji suspected; most insightful officials in the court were aware of it. Li Ji couldn't report this to Li Heng, and Li Mi, to avoid suspicion among the imperial family and its members, remained silent. However, many ministers eager to curry favor with the new emperor and sever ties with Chengdu refused to remain silent. Li Heng, easily swayed, naturally believed it since it wasn't just one person saying so…

Upon receiving the Emperor Emeritus's edict, Li Heng couldn't help but cover his face and weep bitterly: "How could the Emperor Emeritus do this? How could he do this!"

First, you allowed me to recover Xijing, but then you established military governorships in various regions, intending to distribute military power among your sons; then you were dissatisfied with my ascension to the throne in Lingwu, and encouraged Li Lin to seize Jingxiang and even Wukuai; when you saw that I acted quickly and responded promptly, and estimated that Li Lin would not succeed, you simply kicked that unfortunate child aside...

Are there any fathers like you in this world?!

Overwhelmed with grief, Consort Zhang took advantage of the evening meal to order wine, which, fueled by sorrow, made Li Heng half-drunk. Then, Li Fuguo spoke up, saying that rumors were circulating that Prince Jianning was plotting to seize the throne and harm Prince Guangping. He added that assassins had previously broken through the palace walls to assassinate the Prince at his residence, and although no concrete evidence was obtained, the suspects were all close associates of Prince Jianning. Did His Majesty not understand their intentions? Consort Zhang chimed in, and Li Heng, in turn, vented all his resentment towards his father on his son…

Therefore, if Li Ji had only considered the father-son relationship, Li Heng, in his shame and anger, probably wouldn't have been moved. But Li Ji, by sheer coincidence, compared Prince Yong to Prince Jianning, and Li Heng immediately became filled with grief and rage, ordering his execution. Then Li Ji compared Li Heng to the retired emperor… Only then did Li Heng realize with horror: Could it be that blood ties remain unchanged, and I am just as scoundrel as my father?! Only then did he decide to temporarily hand Li Tan over to Li Chu for disposal.

It was only because Li Heng was drunk that he dared not execute Li Lin, even though Li Lin's rebellion was real; otherwise, given his personality, how could he bear to execute his own son, whom he had always valued and cherished? Therefore, after Li Ji's outburst last night, Li Heng went home and went to sleep. Upon waking this morning and reflecting on the events, he was drenched in a cold sweat and immediately berated Consort Zhang, who was attending him. Consort Zhang knelt and apologized, saying that the bad things said about Prince Jianning were all said by Li Fuguo; she had merely offered a few words of analysis regarding the situation, and that she was only acting in His Majesty's best interests!

Upon hearing this, Li Heng regretted his actions and helped Consort Zhang up, offering her kind words of comfort.

Li Heng still had some memory of Li Ji's storming into the palace, but due to the alcohol, his recollection was rather hazy. He had almost completely forgotten the unpleasantness of Li Ji confronting Li Fuguo and putting him in an awkward position. He only remembered that in a moment of folly, he had ordered Li Tan's immediate execution, and it was only thanks to Li Ji's intercession that a tragic human tragedy was averted…

So when Li Heng saw Li Bi bringing Li Ji to him bound and beg for forgiveness, he was greatly surprised and said, "Last night I was drunk and not paying attention. Fortunately, Li Ji was freed. Li Ji has done a great service. How can he be guilty?" He even got up himself and pretended to untie Li Ji.

Of course, the emperor only needed to make a show of it, and eunuchs like Cheng Yuanzhen would come over to help untie the ropes and release the bonds.

Li Bi quickly pressed Li Ji to kowtow to the emperor to express his gratitude. Li Heng laughed and said, "The emperor's might is unpredictable, and the emperor's countenance is not to be offended. Only a pure-hearted person like Li Ji can disregard his own safety and be single-minded in saving Jianning's life and fulfilling the bond between my father and son. Changyuan, you truly have a good brother."

In truth, Li Ji's actions last night were quite reckless, and his subsequent storming of the palace was also rather rude. However, although he spoke plainly, he subtly silenced Li Fuguo, Consort Zhang, and others. Anyone who heard or saw this would no longer believe that this young man was both rough and incompetent—at least Li Fuguo had already realized it. Only Li Heng, due to the effects of alcohol and amnesia, remained oblivious, believing him to be an honest man…

After releasing Li Ji, Li Heng immediately ordered him to sit down, then frowned and asked Li Bi, "Did Jianning truly have no ill intentions?"

Li Bi had already prepared a plan for this, and immediately replied, "Your Majesty, Prince Jianning has rendered great service in protecting you and urging you to ascend the throne. Moreover, he is Your Majesty's own son. Even if he has committed a minor offense, he should be pardoned. Furthermore, there is no concrete evidence to support the claim that he plotted to seize the throne. How can he be punished?"

Last night they questioned Li Tan, asking if he had really done something he shouldn't have, and if Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen had caught him red-handed. Li Tan immediately swore an oath to heaven, saying that if he had ever intended to harm his elder brother, may he be struck by lightning and reduced to ashes! Besides, if those eunuchs had any evidence, wouldn't they proudly show it to me? Would Yu Chaoen need to deliberately provoke him, making him argue and fight with the emperor in the palace?

Therefore, Li Bi suggested that there was no need to confront Li Fuguo and the others; they should simply tell the emperor that there was no evidence to support their claims.

"The assassin passed through the palace the other day. This was because Prince Jianning was negligent in his duties. Your Majesty has already punished him. Now that you have pardoned him, why bother to discuss it again? Moreover, if Prince Jianning intends to seize the position of Crown Prince, he should first take the position of Marshal. However, I advised Your Majesty to appoint Prince Guangping as Marshal instead. In that case, Prince Jianning will surely hate me. Even if he wants to assassinate me, he should assassinate me first."

“Last night, Prince Jianning was brought to the commander’s mansion. The brothers embraced and wept. Prince Jianning even swore a poisonous oath that he had no ill intentions. Your Majesty, even if there is the slightest clue, how could Prince Guangping tolerate him?”

"However, to nip this in the bud, I suggest that Your Majesty grant the Marshal's request and place the Prince of Jianning in the army, under his command. The Prince of Jianning has always wanted to share the burden with Your Majesty and the Marshal, to recover the two capitals and avenge his grandfather and father. Therefore, if he serves as an assistant in the army, he will surely be in your favor. Even if he achieves merit, it will belong to the Marshal, and he will not be able to rely on his merit to covet the position of heir apparent. This is a win-win solution, and only Your Majesty's decision is up to you."

Li Heng nodded, then picked up a scroll from the table and unfolded it: "This was just presented by Li Fuguo, I approve it." He immediately picked up a brush, signed his name, and then handed it back to Li Bi.

As Li Bi and his brother took their leave, they saw Princess Ningguo and the others waiting below the steps. She first bowed to Li Bi, then gave a deep curtsy to Li Ji. Li Ji quickly stepped aside, asking, "Why does the princess do this?"

Princess Ningguo said, "Last night I inquired with the palace servants and learned that Master Changwei risked his life to save my third brother. I will never forget this kindness and virtue!" Then she lowered her voice and said, "Hearing that Master Changwei had come to the palace to plead guilty, I waited outside the palace. If Father Emperor wants to punish Master Changwei, I will certainly risk my life to save him!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "You are still my own daughter, and the emperor needs you to marry into the Uyghur tribe. Why would you risk your life?"

Just as he was about to say a few words of humility, Princess Ningguo turned to Li Bi and asked in a low voice, "Master Changyuan, the Uyghur envoy is about to arrive, and I am about to be married. I wish to ask my father to order Master Changwei to escort me there. What do you think, Master?"

Li Bi smiled and shook his head, saying, "My brother and I are deeply grateful for the princess's kindness. However, there is no need for that; I have my own plans."

After bidding farewell to Princess Ningguo and arriving at the general's residence, Li Bi suddenly stopped in the corridor. Seeing that no one was around, he whispered to Li Ji, "The princess wants you to accompany her to the Uyghur Khaganate. Do you understand her intentions?"

Li Ji frowned slightly: "Could it be to save me?"

Li Bi nodded and said, “That’s right. Although the Emperor has pardoned your sins, you offended too many people last night—Consort Zhang, Li Fuguo, Yu Chaoen… How could they not harbor resentment? Once the storm has passed, they will surely plot against you…”

Li Ji hurriedly said, "Brother, why don't you devise a plan to eliminate those scoundrels because of this incident, cutting off the roots and preventing future troubles!"

Li Bi shook his head with a wry smile: "It's easier said than done... The Emperor truly trusts Li Fuguo and others, and because of their slander, he almost killed Prince Jianning. So how can I leave so easily? I can only devise a plan slowly and wait for another opportunity. As for Consort Zhang... how could I possibly touch her?"

Li Ji said, "Princess Ningguo is quite clever. She saw this and wanted to take me away from this troublesome place, right? Why won't you agree, brother?"

Li Bi's face darkened, and he said, "You are too audacious. If you can do such a thing in the palace, then if you were to accompany the princess to the Uyghur Khaganate, hehe... If this were to ruin our friendship and cause the Uyghur ruler to resent our Tang, it would surely lead to an even greater disaster!" Before Li Ji could retort, he continued, "I..."

Chapter 43, A Man's Words Are as Good as Gold

When Li Ji heard that An Qingxu had murdered his father and seized power, and that Yan Zhuang was now in charge of the rebel army, he asked Li Bi what kind of person Yan Zhuang was. Li Bi shook his head and said, "I don't know anything about him."

Of the scholars who genuinely followed An Lushan in his uprising, only Gao Shang and Zhou Zhi were truly prominent. In those days, scholars were either talented or distinguished by their family background, so they had all heard of each other and some were even related or close friends. As for Yan Zhuang, although he was theoretically a scholar, he was an unofficial scholar who had entered officialdom through the ranks. He had served in An Lushan's staff from the very beginning, so the court did not have a detailed understanding of his abilities and temperament.

Li Bi then said, "The rebel generals Shi Siming, Cai Xide, Ashina Congli, and others were all bound by loyalty and righteousness with An Ze when he was in the three towns. Now that Qingxu has murdered his father, the court has been able to ascertain the truth. How could the generals not know this? They will certainly not obey his orders..."

Li Ji interjected with a smile, "Even if An Lushan died a good death, we must insist that Qingxu murdered his father; even if the rebel generals are unaware of the truth, the court must still send people to spread the news everywhere."

Li Bi nodded and continued, "This will cause the army to hesitate and make it difficult to maintain morale. It is the perfect opportunity to recover the two capitals and completely quell the rebellion. Given the current situation, even if Yan Zhuang has extraordinary abilities, he is not a threat."

He then glanced sideways at Li Ji and said, "Now you understand my good intentions, don't you? If there were discord between the emperor's father and sons, or among the brothers, it might end up like the situation the rebels are in now..."

Li Bi consistently advised Li Heng to be a filial son and not to break ties with the ruler in Chengdu, thus preventing him from hastily establishing a crown prince. He also tried every means to support Li Chu and protect Li Tan, fearing that if the imperial family were to fall into internal strife, it would be unnecessary to go so far as to commit patricide, which would alienate the people and officials and be detrimental to the overall situation of suppressing the rebellion.

Li Ji complimented him, saying, "Brother, you have great foresight." But in his heart, he thought, "I'm the one who protected Li Tan. Don't take all the credit."

During his audience with the emperor during the day, Li Mi pointed out that the troops from various northwestern tribes were gradually gathering in Ding'an. Even those few that hadn't arrived yet, as well as the foreign troops from Ferghana and the Abbasid Caliphate who claimed to be coming to their aid, were not far away. Therefore, the date for our counterattack was fast approaching.

He suggested that, taking advantage of the internal strife among the rebels, Marshal Li Chu should lead the main force south to Fufeng County to join forces with Fang Guan and Xue Jingxian. This would create the appearance of an eastward advance to contain the rebels near Chang'an—staying in Pengyuan County would not work, as it was too far from the front lines. This would make it easier, as previously discussed, for Guo Ziyi to cross the river south after taking control of Hedong and attack Tongguan, thus completely encircling the rebels on the western front.

Li Heng agreed, but said, "Now that the Uyghur envoy has arrived, let's wait a few days. It won't be too late to send troops after I send Ningguo away for marriage."

That evening, Princess Ningguo suddenly sent a eunuch to the general's residence, saying that wine and dishes had been prepared and earnestly inviting her second and third brothers, as well as the Changyuan brothers, to dine at her residence. Li Chu immediately sighed, "This is Ningguo's farewell banquet..." He then asked the eunuch, "Has the Emperor been informed?"

"Of course I have reported this, and the Sage has already given his approval."

The separation of men and women in the Tang Dynasty was not very strict. In particular, although Princess Ningguo dressed as a young girl, she was actually a married woman, and no one really treated her like an ignorant little girl. However, in those days, the authority of parents was very strong, especially in the royal family. Since they lived together, if a daughter wanted to host a banquet—and she invited not only her two older brothers—she would have to ask her father for permission first.

However, Li Ji was not in the hall at the time. Afterwards, when Li Bi casually mentioned the matter, he couldn't help but think: his first reaction was to ask his father if he had agreed. This Prince of Guangping is really a "filial son"; Prince Jianning certainly wouldn't have thought of this, so he was talented but ultimately had no chance of becoming the crown prince.