Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

What's the difference?

Li Ji said sarcastically, "Go and ask the Yang family what the difference is."

"If you are not loyal to the Li family, then to whom are you loyal?"

Li Ji proudly declared, "What I am loyal to is the nation and its people, the common folk, and the thousands of years of etiquette and cultural heritage of the glorious Chinese nation!"

Seeing Li Bi remain silent again, Li Ji's eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled again, "Of course, these words can only be spoken to you in private, brother. You must not report this directly to the Emperor—when you return to the capital, just say that I am determined to expel the barbarians, defend against the invaders, open up the Western Regions, and restart the Silk Road." He paused, then suggested, "Some time ago, I borrowed money and grain from wealthy merchants in the two capitals through Yu Ling, promising them the profits from the Silk Road. But if the Silk Road is opened, won't all the profits go to the merchants, and I get nothing? Brother, you can hint that I am greedy for exotic goods and the profits from the Silk Road. Perhaps the Emperor will believe you."

Li Bi shook his head: "You underestimate the Emperor too much..."

Li Ji said, “It’s not that I underestimate His Majesty’s wisdom, but I really can’t think too highly of His Majesty’s ambition. In fact, many things are like eating a flatbread in silence. Everyone knows what’s going on. As long as it’s not exposed, everyone can save face, and it doesn’t matter. The Western Regions are remote and difficult for the court to control. If I get them, I will definitely have them. The Sage may not have been unaware of this. But as long as no trouble comes to him, he can deal with everything.”

"It is said that when the barbarian bandits sued for peace, the Emperor ordered Li Zhenyi to go and negotiate, subtly implying that he would agree to the barbarian's request—he could turn a blind eye to even the barbarian bandits as long as they did not cross Longdi, let alone you who are thousands of miles away?"

Li Bi slowly said, "You are a thousand miles away. As long as you are respectful, the Sage will have no worries. But I fear you will lead your troops towards Guanzhong..."

"Why should I go to Guanzhong when I am so happy here?"

Li Bi hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to tell the truth—"The Crown Prince's original intention was to settle you in Fengxiang, or at most Jingyuan..."

Li Ji curled his lip, thinking to himself, "I knew it—'It's really inappropriate for a subject to interfere in matters of the imperial family—it's best to stay as far away as possible.'"

Li Bi glanced at him and asked, word by word, "If... I mean, if the Crown Prince sends a secret edict summoning you to lead troops to court, would you go?"

"Even if it were the Emperor's decree, I might not be willing to go, let alone be summoned by the Crown Prince..."

"If you don't go, the Crown Prince's life will be in real danger. He treats you like a confidant, don't you have any regard for our past relationship?"

This time, it was Li Ji's turn to be speechless—he really didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the Li family father and son, but if Li Yu really intended to depose the heir apparent, or even harm his son, could he just stand by and watch Li Shi die? Besides, being in an outlying town, it was really difficult to know who was right and who was wrong.

Back then, when Li Heng was still clinging to his last breath, didn't I risk my life to protect Li Yu? Empress Zhang's rebellion is highly suspicious; who knows if it was instigated by Li Heng himself? If Li Yu falls seriously ill in the future, and the Dugu clan seizes power, and Li Shi or Consort Shen are in danger and summon me to their rescue, what choice should I make?

After a slight hesitation, he asked Li Bi, "How old is Li Hui, the Prince of Han, born to Consort Dugu?"

"Probably around ten years old."

Li Ji sighed, "It will be soon... But what is the reputation of Prince Zheng, Li Miao, in the capital?"

Li Bi replied, “Prince Zheng is just over eighteen years old, with a refined taste for reading and a reputation for Confucian conduct. The Emperor often summons him to the palace for personal instruction. However, although he has a good reputation and holds the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Army, he has actually accomplished nothing and has little interaction with court officials. He cannot be compared to the Crown Prince for the time being.” He deliberately used the word “for the time being” to remind Li Ji that no one can predict the future.

Li Ji suddenly laughed—"Why not petition the Marshal to release my Liangzhou from prison? Wouldn't that be better?" For Li Yu, this would be a good opportunity to give his favorite son a chance to build his reputation; for Li Shi, it would be a way to take his threatening brother away from his father…

Li Bi glared at him: "Then the Sage will use you as a hostage to force the Prince of Zheng, and the Crown Prince will suspect that you want to switch sides!"

Li Ji flicked his sleeves: "Just kidding." Then he said seriously to Li Bi: "The Crown Prince is the eldest son of the Emperor and has made great contributions to the country. Unless he commits a heinous crime, there is absolutely no reason to depose him..."

But then he suddenly stopped, thought for a moment, and said with a wry smile, "However, before the current emperor, there seems to be no precedent for the eldest son to succeed to the throne in our Tang Dynasty!"

Emperor Taizong Li Shimin was the second son of Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi was the ninth son of Emperor Taizong, Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian was the seventh son of Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Ruizong Li Dan was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji and Emperor Suzong Li Heng were both the third sons... The eldest son succeeding to the throne has become a rare event in the Li family!

Li Bi sighed, “There is nothing we can do about it. Once the emperor ascends the throne, he becomes the ruler and father of all people, not just his own children; while the crown prince is a subject to the emperor and a ruler to all officials, so the bonds of human relationships naturally become weak... In the past, when the crown prince was not yet in power, did he and his father ever have any grudges?”

But then he said seriously, "Just as Changwei said, the Crown Prince has made great contributions to the country and is virtuous. Now that he has been appointed, he must not be deposed unless he commits a heinous crime. If the Emperor issues a rebellious decree, all the officials of the court will fight to the death to change it!"

Li Ji shook his head: "What constitutes a heinous crime? Take Sima Yu, the Crown Prince Minhuai of Jin, for example. He committed a crime while drunk, and Empress Jia plotted to kill him. Even with the earnest remonstrances of Zhang Hua and Pei Wei, he could not escape being deposed. And then there is Li Xian, the Crown Prince Zhanghuai of this dynasty. His crime is also quite suspicious, yet he was deposed by his own mother, Empress Wu Zetian—if even one's own mother is treated this way, how much more so the current Crown Prince's mother is not the Empress, and the Emperor favors Lady Dugu exclusively..."

He then waved his hand, saying, "Who can predict what will happen in the future? Why worry unnecessarily? Let me tell you, brother, if the Emperor and the Crown Prince's relationship is truly broken, and none of the court officials can resolve the dispute, then either the Crown Prince or Consort Shen will send a letter. Unless I, your foolish brother, understand the cause and effect and believe the blame lies with the Crown Prince, I will most likely comply when the time comes. However, you need not report this to the Emperor, brother..."

At this point, he smiled and said, "However, if the Crown Prince wants to launch an attack, instead of following the precedent of building up the Imperial Guards, he will instead come to the outer garrisons to mobilize troops. This will be too slow and difficult to accomplish. Brother, you might as well use this to comfort the Emperor."

Li Bi considered it for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright."

Li Ji felt that Li Yu was only worried about these two issues, and the key wasn't his own attitude, but how Li Bi would craft his arguments for his report back to the capital. So he changed the subject, turning to Li Bi—"I heard that my brother has come to Guzang under the guise of inspecting various towns..."

Li Bi nodded and said, "Although the Emperor has some concerns, he is still very fond of you and hopes to make up for the discord and maintain a long-lasting relationship between ruler and subject. Therefore, he summoned me back from Zhejiang and ordered me to come to Liangzhou. However, this matter is not convenient to announce to the world. Therefore, after leaving the capital, I first visited Fengxiang and Jingyuan, and then successively went to Hexi."

"After my brother returns to court, is it possible for him to become prime minister again?"

Li Bi shook his head: "I suppose the Emperor has other appointments, and I cannot stay in the capital for long."

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Plan to Reclaim Gansu

Li Bi said that he would only return to the capital for a short visit and would probably be transferred to a remote post as a military governor or regional military commander. Li Ji couldn't help but retort angrily, "Is the Emperor's suspicion too excessive? Does he really worry that my brother and I are plotting against each other and forming cliques for personal gain?!"

Li Bi waved his hand: "If the Emperor doubted me, he would not have sent me to ask Changwei... But if I were to return to the Secretariat, I fear it would block the path of Duke Zhenyi—two prime ministers from one family, is that acceptable?"

Li Qijun was appointed Vice Minister of Works in the middle of last year. In the past, the fields in Guanzhong relied heavily on the Zheng and Bai canals for irrigation. However, since the Shangyuan era, wealthy and powerful families had successively built water-powered mills on the upper reaches of the two canals for their own profit, totaling nearly a hundred, which diverted seventy or eighty percent of the agricultural water use. After taking office, Li Qijun learned of this and petitioned to demolish all these mills and return the canal water to small farmers. According to statistics, this would generate an additional two million shi of rent and taxes annually, and the people would also be able to make a living.

Because of this incident, Li Qijun's reputation soared to unprecedented heights, and everyone in the court and among the people believed that he was capable of becoming prime minister.

So Li Bi said, "Li Qiyun is older and more senior than me, and he is my uncle in terms of seniority. How can I rush to re-enter the Council of State Affairs, blocking his way and taking his place?"

Li Ji was relieved and nodded, saying, "If Li Zhenyi and Yang Gongquan (Yang Wan) were both prime ministers, and Du Zhixun (Du Hongjian) and Pei Zhangfu (Pei Mian) were dismissed, the political situation might improve..." He paused, then smiled and said, "Actually, there's no need to dismiss them. Those two are just prime ministers who are just there to keep their positions. It's better for mediocre officials to occupy their positions than to bring in more treacherous officials."

Upon hearing him mention "treacherous officials," Li Mi slowly said, "Changwei does indeed trust Yang Gongnan quite a bit, but he once flattered Yuan Zai, so his virtue may not match his talent. If he were to return to the central court..."

Li Ji laughed and said, "Then let him go out and manage finances. He might be more capable than Liu Shi'an (Liu Yan)... He's definitely more talented than Han Taichong (Han Huang)."

He then sighed and said, "It's a pity that Gongnan is unwilling to help me anymore. If my brother could come to Liangzhou, we brothers would be of one mind and we would surely achieve great things—we could drive out the barbarian bandits sooner!"

Li Bi curled his lips slightly, as if to say, "Stop daydreaming."

Li Bi only stayed in Liangzhou for three days. Before Li Ji's wife, concubine, and three daughters could arrive from Lingzhou, he insisted on returning to the capital despite his brothers' repeated pleas to stay—the emperor was still waiting anxiously in the Daming Palace. Li Ji saw him off for thirty miles, and the two brothers bid each other a reluctant farewell.

Soon after Cui Cuo and his party arrived in Guzang City, Li Ji finally saw his two baby girls who were about to turn one year old. The third daughter, Li Yuan, was plump and chubby, with cheeks full of flesh, making anyone want to pinch her cheeks; the second daughter, Li Xiu, was thin and small, like a monkey—premature babies, it was already a miracle that they could be raised—it was truly heartbreaking.

But he didn't have much energy to take care of his three daughters every day, because it was almost harvest time and the Tibetans might launch some military action, which he had to be wary of.

Li Ji was busy preparing the army and managing agricultural affairs, while also sending people to gather intelligence on the situation in the Tibetan regions. This year saw changes in the central leadership of both the Tang and Tibetan governments. In Tang, Pei Mian finally retired due to old age, and Emperor Li Yu issued an edict appointing Li Qiyun and Cui Youfu as chancellors within the Chancellery. Shortly after returning to the capital, Li Bi was appointed as the military governor of Shaanxi and Guo; furthermore, Yang Yan was summoned back to the capital and appointed as the prefect of Chuzhou.

On the Tibetan side, the information was somewhat vague. It seemed that Ma Chongying had been reprimanded by the Tibetan king for his previous defeat, and his position as Grand Master had been stripped and given to Shang Jiexi... Li Ji was confused. Wasn't Shang Jiexi also a defeated general of the Tang Dynasty? Moreover, he had forced the Qiang and Hu tribes of Longyou to rebel, thus preventing Dazhen Pass from being under attack and allowing Li Sheng to successfully launch a surprise attack on Jinjiyuan. Wasn't that all his fault? Could it be that just because he won a small victory at the end, he could completely absolve himself of all his past transgressions?

----------

Actually, although Shang Jiexi left Longyou a day later than Ma Chongying and rushed back to Luoxie, he was lucky enough to arrive two days earlier. Then, instead of rushing to see Trisong Detsen to defend himself, he first secretly visited two other Shangluns—Shangxi Dongzan and Shang Zanmo—and made significant concessions on the future distribution of power, and laid out a comprehensive plan.

When Ma Chongying returned, he went to see Trisong Detsen to apologize. Trisong Detsen asked him, "Do you know why you were defeated?"

Ma Chongying prostrated himself on the ground and replied, "I was too hasty, vainly hoping to inflict a heavy blow on the Tang people in one fell swoop, so that the war in the Western Regions would not be hindered. Therefore, I devised a plan to seize Huizhou and Yuanzhou, but the Tang people saw through it... Da Shangjie failed to promptly deploy a feigned army in front of Dazhen Pass, which was also a reason for the defeat..."

Trisong Detsen waved his hand to interrupt him: "Don't shift the blame to others. After all, you are a great scholar." He paused and then said: "Recently, there have been many rumors, both inside and outside the country, that you did not devote your full strength to attacking Tang before, which allowed the Tang people to quell the chaos in the east first and recuperate. In the future, it will probably be even more difficult for them to be your enemy."

Ma Chongying hurriedly said, "If what they say is true, we could have marched a large army towards Fengxiang a few years ago, and even plotted to seize Chang'an. However, Tang is a great nation, spanning five thousand li in the east, west, north, and south. If the enmity is too deep to resolve, leading to endless wars, I fear that even if all the men of our tribe shed their blood, they would not be able to stain a corner of Tang soil red! This would be a great disaster for our tribe—Your Majesty, please listen carefully."

Trisong Detsen pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "In the end, you still admire the Tang Dynasty, and it is precisely because of this admiration that you cannot help but feel fear..." He then waved his hand and said, "Dazha Lugong, I am still willing to support you, but whether the noble chieftains of the various tribes support you is up to you."

After making some preparations, Ma Chongying finally convened a council of nobles in April—this was the duty and authority of the Grand Master; in the entire Tibetan Empire, only the Zanpu (King) and the Grand Master could convene all the nobles to discuss state affairs. However, at the meeting, the three Shang (monks) banded together to oppose Ma Chongying, engaging in heated debate and ultimately defeating him decisively.

The reason is quite simple. The noble chieftains originally supported Ma Chongying because he had won several battles under his leadership, expanded the territory by thousands of miles, and captured countless slaves and valuables. However, the defeat last autumn made the noble chieftains fear the giant from the East again. If you had focused all your efforts on attacking eastward two years ago, how could the strength of the Tang army have recovered to this level? Therefore, with Shang Jiexi and others secretly conspiring, they all criticized Ma Chongying and demanded his removal from office.

According to the institutional reform plan that Ma Chongying had long ago discussed with Trisong Detsen, seven to eight people would be elected from among the noble chieftains and given the title of "Co-Chancellor" to assist in the Grand Council and jointly manage state affairs. After more than ten days of meetings, a total of eight people were finally selected. Apart from the three Shangs, there were five others, none of whom were Ma Chongying's confidants or associates. Moreover, under the strong opposition of the crowd, Trisong Detsen had no choice but to temporarily revoke Ma Chongying's title of Grand Councilor and transfer it to Shang Jiexi.

However, Trisong Detsen gave Ma Chongying a new title, "Dainang Lun," meaning "Grand Minister of the Interior," and reassigned Shang Xi Dongzan as "Yu Hanbo," meaning "Minister of State Affairs." He then divided the nine chancellors, including Shang Jiexi and Ma Chongying, into three groups: the Dainang Lun system, the Dainang Lun system, and the Yu Hanbo system—similar to the division of the three departments (Zhongshu, Menxia, ​​and Shangshu) in the Tang Dynasty.

In this way, although Ma Chongying was forced to relinquish his position as Grand Chancellor, he was only slightly lower in rank than the new Grand Chancellor, Shang Jiexi, and still held the second or third position in this new government agency. However, the Grand Chancellor system included Grand Chancellor, Grand Chancellor Humang (Junior Chancellor, Deputy Prime Minister), and Protector-General, much like the Ministry of Personnel in the Tang Dynasty, overseeing all departments and including military affairs. Shang Jiexi thus replaced Ma Chongying as the main person in charge of the Tibetan government's policies and strategies.

After Shang Jiexi came to power, he immediately reorganized the army and prepared to attack the Tang Dynasty. His main strategic direction was to go straight east, heading towards the heartland of the Tang Dynasty.

Ma Chongying advised him: "Taking Anxi and Beiting first, and then holding them, would be most advantageous for our country. Of course, the Grand Master has his own considerations. If he seeks a decisive battle with the Tang people to force them to stop trying to recover lost territory, so that I can focus on the Western Regions, I will certainly comply. However, Li Ji is our country's greatest enemy, and having already obtained Liangzhou, he may invade Gansu and Su again. The Grand Master should focus his main force on the northern route."

Shang Jiexi immediately rejected Ma Chongying's suggestion, saying, "If I send my main force to take Liangzhou, it will be nothing more than a remote and insignificant prefecture to the Tang Dynasty. Even if I capture Li Ji alive, it may not truly inflict a heavy blow on the Tang Emperor. However, if we can successfully break through the Liupan Passes and enter Guanzhong, and even threaten Fengxiang and Chang'an, the Tang Emperor will surely be afraid. At that time, we will have a chance to force him to recall Li Ji and relinquish Liangzhou. Moreover, at that time, I will not want Liangzhou, but only Anxi and Beiting. If the Tang Emperor does not agree, I will attack Chang'an and use Tongguan as the boundary!"

So they gathered an army of 150,000 and advanced in separate routes, first heading towards Qin and Long.

Upon receiving the news, the newly appointed military governor of Longyou, Li Sheng, naturally dispatched a fast horse to Chang'an to request reinforcements. Li Yu urgently ordered the various towns in Guanzhong to send troops to the rescue, and unprecedentedly allowed Guo Ziyi to temporarily leave his sight and go to Fengxiang Prefecture as deputy marshal to take charge—this was the suggestion that Li Bi had repeatedly analyzed the gains and losses for him when he returned to the capital last time.

Then Li Yu sent an envoy to Liangzhou, requesting Li Ji to lead his army south to contain the Tibetan army from the side.

Before the angels even arrived in Guzang City, Li Ji had already mustered his troops and hurriedly headed west...

He received news of the dangers in Qin and Long earlier than those in Chang'an. After repeated discussions with his intelligence subordinates, including Yin Shen, and key advisors such as Gao Ying, he concluded that Shang Jiexi's forces were not a mere figurehead, and that the main direction of the Tubo's attack this autumn was indeed Longyou. He also anticipated that the court would issue an edict ordering him to send troops south to reinforce Li Sheng.

Li Ji and Li Sheng had a long-standing friendship and often exchanged letters. Originally, they only introduced each other's recent situations and did not discuss national affairs. However, when they were appointed as military governors of Hexi and Longyou respectively, they finally began to discuss strategic plans in their letters.

It's a rather frustrating situation. Theoretically, the military actions of the various garrisons should all be authorized by the imperial court. The problem is, from the emperor down to the ministers of the Secretariat and Chancellery, almost none of them truly understand military affairs. Du Hongjian might be more experienced, but his ambition has waned, and he's long since rendered unusable. Guo Ziyi, although still holding the title of deputy marshal, is hesitant to intervene without the emperor's consultation. As a result, each garrison acts independently. Even in the event of a major battle, the court can only offer general guidance, leading to poor coordination, an abundance of defensive capabilities, and a lack of offensive power…

Therefore, when Li Sheng finally received the title of military governor and gained the power to act expediently, he naturally wrote to Li Ji—"Let's discuss the war situation, even if we bypass the imperial court." The two agreed that if the barbarian invaders did not attack this autumn, they would join forces from the north and south to try to recapture Lanzhou and reopen communication channels.

Between Liang and Wei lies only Lanzhou, a long and narrow strip of land stretching nearly 500 li from north to south. For Li Ji to send a message to Li Sheng, he had to take a long detour, going around Huizhou, and Li Sheng did the same—making any cooperation impossible.

Once Lanzhou is secured, the three newly recovered prefectures of Liang, Wei, and Qin in the western frontier can be connected, making it much easier for the Hexi army to move south or the Longyou army to move north. Moreover, building fortifications along the Gemen River and Tao River will facilitate a long-term standoff with the barbarian bandits, allowing for the seizure of opportunities for battle once resources are accumulated.

However, Li Ji soon learned that Ma Chongying had "failed to be elected" and that Shang Jiexi had taken over. He wrote to Li Sheng, saying, "If Ma Chongying were still the Grand Minister of Tibet, knowing the strength of our Tang army after the previous defeat, he might have adopted a defensive posture in Longxi and would not have invaded again, while the main force would have attacked Anxi and Beiting. But now Shang Jiexi has seized power while the enemy is defeated, in order to consolidate his position and enhance his prestige, and to lay the foundation for long-term rule, he will most likely advance eastward again this autumn..."

Shang Jiexi will either attack my Liangzhou or your Qin and Long—to ensure victory, he most likely won't divide his forces—we two must prepare in advance.

Li Sheng's view was no different from Li Ji's. They both believed that if the Fan army attacked Liang, then Qin and Wei would not need to be rescued; if they attacked Longyou, then Liangzhou would not need to be rescued. How should they rescue it? Should they take a long detour, causing the army to become exhausted, or should they first break through Lanzhou? If Longyou was attacked, they could only hope for help from within the pass; and if Liangzhou was attacked, they could only hope for help from Shuofang.

For example, if Liangzhou wanted to go south to provide relief, there were three routes they could take: the eastern route, first heading towards Shuofang, then west through Yuanzhou and the Liupan Passes—the first half of which was the same route Li Ji had taken with his light cavalry to relieve Pinggao last time—more than a thousand li away, by the time they arrived, it would be too late; the central route, going south through Huizhou and out of Huining Pass, was a treacherous and narrow road, difficult for a large army to traverse; the western route was an attempt to break through Lanzhou.

But Shang Jiexi wasn't stupid; he must have foreseen this. He figured that if he used a few thousand men to block the border at Pipa Mountain and Wucheng, even a massive army would find it difficult to cross. Li Ji wasn't afraid to test his troops' ability to attack fortified positions. The problem was that after breaking through this line of defense, there was still a 300-mile stretch to Lanzhou's capital, Jincheng, and further ahead were Kanglang Mountain, Changcheng Castle, and Didao City… Moreover, the barbarian armies from Shanzhou and Hezhou to the west could attack at any time and cut off their retreat.

Therefore, since they can't help each other, they shouldn't cause trouble and needlessly lose troops without helping the overall situation. Li Ji suggested that if Longyou was attacked, he would march west to Gansu and Su; if Liangzhou was attacked, he should ask Li Sheng to try crossing the Tao River. In short, the side with the free time should keep the initiative in the battle in its own hands and should not rush to the rescue, nor should it sit idly by and watch the outcome.

However, it is estimated that the court will not be so wise. The senior officials of the Council of State Affairs may simply measure the distance on the map with a ruler and then make a strategy. Currently, only Li Qiyun has served in the military, but Li Ji is not optimistic about this uncle's military ability because he has no real achievements in the army in the past ten years. It is very likely that the court will ask Liangzhou to send troops to aid Qin and Long.

Li Ji was unwilling to send troops, yet he was also unwilling to bear the name of disobeying the imperial order. Therefore, he thought, "I'd better leave first." When the imperial envoy arrived, he found that Guzang was already deserted. After the army had traveled hundreds of miles, he could only return to the capital in disappointment to report to the emperor.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Autumn Arrives Beyond the Great Wall

In October of that year, a young scholar traveled from Chang'an, a thousand miles away, to Liangzhou.

He set off from Chang'an in March, first heading west to Fengxiang, then north through Jingyuan, and then detouring through Huizhou. The journey took four months, during which he fell ill in Huating, delaying him by more than two months. He finally arrived at his destination with great difficulty. The scholar rode a lame donkey at a slow pace, enjoying the grassland scenery along the way. It wasn't until he passed Gansong County that he saw crisscrossing ditches and interconnected fields, with many farmers working diligently in the fields.

He couldn't help but sigh: "The champion conquered the northern deserts, and Emperor Wu of Han displayed his might—it has been eight hundred years since the Former Han Dynasty drove out the Xiongnu and established Wuwei Commandery. Hui and Ling are mostly inhabited by Hu people, but only the scenery here is so similar to that of the Central Plains..."

This scholar came from a poor family when he was young, and at one point he was so destitute that he had to live with his maternal uncle. Although he had never worked in the fields himself, he was not so lazy as to be ignorant of farming. Because the climate in the north is cold, the wheat ripens late. Even though it was October, there were still many golden ears of wheat in the fields that had not been harvested. He dismounted and picked up a handful of wheat, and the grains were quite plump.

Seeing this, several farmers nearby approached cautiously, sickles in hand—after all, the other party was wearing a long gown and didn't seem to be an ordinary person, so they dared not act rashly, but they thought, "Just take a handful, don't waste my grain too much."

The scholar smiled at them, then waved and asked, "I am a scholar from Hezhong, who has come from afar. May I ask how the harvest is in Liangzhou this year?"

A rather bold farmer, holding his sickle upside down, bowed deeply and replied, "Thank you for your advice, sir. This year the weather has been favorable, and the harvest is quite good—we expect several snowfalls before spring, which will moisten the soil." He then pointed eastward and said, "I heard that there was no rain in Baishan Garrison this summer, which may have harmed the crops. However, there isn't much fertile land there to begin with, so even if there is a complete crop failure... it has nothing to do with us."

The scholar understood his meaning: if the area around Baishan Garrison was an important grain-producing area with many farmers, then if there was a crop failure, tens of thousands of starving people would flock to the area around Guzang and Changsong, which would naturally affect the lives of the local people.

Then he asked, "Are the taxes levied on the regional governors still heavy?"

The farmer instinctively replied, "Quite heavy..."

His companion quickly reached out and nudged him, but the farmer flicked his sleeve and said impatiently, "Heavy is heavy, can't people even say it?" He then turned to the scholar and explained, "But under heavy taxes, we might not necessarily be unhappy."

"Oh?" The scholar raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's the reason for that?"