Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

This is equivalent to a middleweight fighting a heavyweight; they can only temporarily abandon conventional wrestling techniques and try joint locks and body control—so sir, how about learning about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu?

Using his joints to lock down the opponent and his own weight, Li Ji pinned Dide firmly to the ground. He estimated that after a couple more rounds of this, Dide would be completely incapacitated, and might even have his spine cracked... This won't do. I just want to win; I don't want to hurt anyone.

So he stopped and looked at Di De. The two of them could hear each other breathing. Suddenly, Li Ji smiled and asked, "It's a draw, how about it?" Di De let out a long breath, shook his head and said, "You win, let go."

Li Ji then released Di De and leaped into the air. The Tang soldiers shouted in unison, when suddenly the curtain beside them was lifted, and Li Chu and the Crown Prince of Yehu emerged hand in hand. Upon seeing this, they were furious and shouted, "What are you doing?!"

Li Ji quickly clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Nothing much, the soldiers just drank some wine and were testing their strength."

Di De quickly got up, approached the Crown Prince Yabghu, and said a few words loudly. At this moment, Li Bi and Li Chengcai also came out, and Li Chengcai helped translate: "He said that he was playing wrestling with Li Ji for fun and lost completely."

The Crown Prince of Yabghu looked at Li Ji with some surprise, and then said a few words in Uyghur. Li Chengcai translated: "He said that this Di De is one of the top warriors of the Uyghurs, and his strength is rarely matched. Unexpectedly, he was defeated by Li Ji, who is half a head shorter than him. So he asked who Li Ji is."

Li Chu immediately laughed and said, "This is Chief Secretary Li's cousin, and he is the fiercest warrior among my guards."

The Crown Prince Yehu said—of course, Li Chengcai had to translate for the Tang people to understand—"With such brave warriors in the Great Tang, why should we worry about losing the two capitals or destroying the rebels?" He paused, then added, "In military competitions, there must be some excitement. The other day, I hunted a killer wolf and gave its pelt to Li Ji."

Once, a soldier brought a smelly wolf pelt and handed it to Li Ji. Li Ji held his breath, accepted it with both hands, and then bowed to the Crown Prince of Yehu in gratitude. He thought to himself, "You, the crown prince of a noble clan, don't you have anything of value to offer? This crudely tanned hide—you actually have the nerve to present it..."

Li Chu was overjoyed and immediately announced, "I have become close friends with Prince Yehu at first sight. We are now sworn brothers. We will offer a sacrifice to Heaven in front of everyone and from now on we will share life and death."

The Crown Prince Yehu, imitating Tang Dynasty etiquette, crossed his hands—though far from standard—and bowed to Li Chu, uttering two awkward Tang characters: "Brother." Li Chu, in turn, grasped his hands, his face full of sincerity—"My dear brother..."

The two then swore brotherhood, referring to each other by age. Li Chu, at thirty-one, became the elder brother, while the Crown Prince Yehu, five years his junior, became the younger brother.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was astonished—Li Chu, you're only thirty-one, yet you already have such a grown son… You must have worked very hard in your youth. As for the Crown Prince of Yehu, he's only twenty-six… Judging by his appearance, people would believe he's thirty-six or even forty-six!

You really can't judge a book by its cover...

That night, they drank and made merry. Li Chu and the Crown Prince of Yehu were both drunk. If Li Chengcai hadn't helped with the translation, he probably would have been carried back to his tent. Only Li Bi, who ate little and drank little, remained clear-headed. He took a moment to come out of his tent and warn Li Ji: "Keep the soldiers in check. Do not let them get drunk and neglect their duties."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked in a low voice, "Brother, are you worried that the Uyghur soldiers will raid our camp?!"

Li Bi shook his head and said, "The two families are on good terms, and their crown prince is in my camp. How could there be any raid on the camp?" Then he added, "However, things in this world are often unpredictable and treacherous. If we are not on guard, we will suffer disaster sooner or later. We must be careful."

Li Ji bowed and agreed. Upon returning, he privately warned Chen Fu, Yi Tiechui, and others, taking advantage of their unpreparedness. He had all the Uyghur generals, including Di De, drunk, while most of the Tang soldiers remained clear-headed. Di De, on the other hand, seemed completely unsuspecting, even holding Li Ji's hand and praising his strength and resourcefulness—that guy could only speak a few words of Tang language, so his compliments were hardly impressive.

Li Ji ordered all the Uyghur soldiers to be dragged into the tent, with two Tang soldiers flanking each Uyghur soldier, to sleep together. He himself lay down with Emperor De, fully clothed.

Fortunately, nothing happened that night, and the next day both armies broke camp simultaneously and returned to Yong County. The Uyghur army was stationed outside the city, while Li Chu and others accompanied the Crown Prince of Yabghu into the city to pay homage to Emperor Li Heng. From then on, Li Heng hosted a small banquet every three days and a large banquet every five days to entertain the Crown Prince of Yabghu, and the Uyghur army's provisions were also more generous than those of other soldiers. The Crown Prince of Yabghu felt somewhat apologetic and asked, "The country is in great trouble. I have come to help fight the rebels; how can I indulge in food and drink? When will we raise an army to recapture Chang'an?"

Finally, in the intercalary eighth month, Li Heng summoned all the generals to plan an attack on Chang'an. Li Heng said to Guo Ziyi, "Success or failure depends on this campaign." Guo Ziyi prostrated himself and kowtowed, vowing, "If this campaign fails, I will die!" He then led the Shuofang army eastward and successfully recaptured Wugong.

Immediately, Marshal Li Chu, along with his Chief Clerk Li Bi, Military Advisor Li Tan, and others, bid farewell to the emperor and set off to join Guo Ziyi. The assembled Tang army, including the Uyghurs and troops from the Western Regions, numbered 150,000, though claimed to be 200,000, and marched in a mighty force towards Chang'an. Li Ji naturally followed in the army. As he rode, he saw Tang army banners everywhere—before and behind him, south and north of the mountains and rivers—like unstoppable torrents.

What a grand spectacle! In later generations, even if the national population and armed forces were ten times larger than they are now, it would be difficult to put on such a grand display. You wouldn't even see such a magnificent scene on television—how many troops marched through the square during the National Day parade that year?

Oh, if we include the spectators and the marchers, perhaps that would be enough...

In short, Li Ji felt a surge of excitement, as if he were living in a great era. Even his breathing became slightly uneven, and his cheeks flushed. For some reason, for a moment, he felt proud to have transmigrated into a Tang Dynasty person, hoping that this battle would be a swift success, that the two capitals would be recovered, and that a new golden age would be rebuilt.

But thinking about it before going to sleep that night, I realized it was probably just the atmosphere that had ignited a fire within me, fueled by a sense of collective consciousness. Leaving aside the so-called "golden age" of feudal times, which was merely a superficial phenomenon of scholar-officials indulging in leisure and pleasure, with such a foolish ruler on the throne, even without loyal advice, winning battles would be a blessing from our ancestors. What possibility was there of universal peace? And even if we could quickly quell An Qingxu's rebellion, there was still Tibet behind us…

Li Ji initially didn't think much of Prince Guangping, Li Chu, feeling that his only redeeming quality was "loyalty and honesty," and that in terms of talent and ambition, he was incomparably inferior to his younger brother, Li Tan—perhaps in a few years, Li Shi would grow up and surpass his father. However, comparing him to Li Heng... at least Li Chu had been diligently working at the Marshal's Mansion these past few months; regardless of his achievements or efficiency, his hard work was commendable. Li Heng, on the other hand, spent his days in the deep palace, listening to the opinions of women and eunuchs, leaving most political affairs to the prime minister and military matters to the Generalissimo's Office...

Moreover, if he really "ruled by doing nothing," that would be fine, but he also frequently interfered in military affairs. Without his orders, Li Chu would never dare to lead his troops into battle... This bastard would have been better off dying sooner and Li Chu becoming emperor. At least so far, Li Chu has not rejected Li Bi's suggestions.

However, it's hard to say. Perhaps once a person becomes a tyrant and holds absolute power, he will change. Who knows what will happen after Li Chu ascends the throne? The drawbacks of the monarchy are deeply ingrained and truly incurable. Yet, given today's social productivity, China's traditional monarchy is one of the most advanced systems.

Only Li Ji's soul, coming from a later era, could see through its flaws; someone from that era would certainly not have been able to see it clearly.

Chapter 48, The Battle of Xiangji

Within a few days, the army advanced to the southern suburbs of Chang'an and arrayed itself north of Xiangji Temple, east of the Feng River. The rebel army also mobilized its troops and went out of the city to meet them in battle, numbering 100,000, and arrayed itself to the north of the city.

Xiangji Temple is located west of Shenhe Plain, on relatively high ground, so Li Chu placed his commander's banner inside the temple. Li Tan requested to personally lead an army as the vanguard, but Li Chu immediately refused—"War is dangerous and perilous. My brother, your status is too high. You should not go forward. You can stay and sit beside me."

Seeing the discontent on Li Tan's face, Li Bi tried to persuade him, saying, "The Marshal has already entrusted the heavy responsibility of leading the troops to the Vice Marshal (Guo Ziyi), and the Vice Marshal has also sworn an oath before His Majesty that if we fail in this battle, we will die. Your Majesty is a member of the imperial family and it is inappropriate for you to be subordinate to him. If you were to take command of the troops in his place, what would he think? If he feels ashamed and resentful and refuses to fight, it could lead to defeat—this is something we must be concerned about."

"Your Majesty is now the military commander, assisting the marshal and residing in the central command. You must not go forward to brave arrows and stones or engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. If Your Majesty were to encounter danger, the marshal would surely be worried. If Your Majesty were to personally go to the rescue, it might shake the central army. Your Majesty, please consider the marshal's situation more carefully."

Li Tan had nothing to say, so he could only plead, "I wish to leave the temple and stand on a high mound to observe the military situation for the Marshal and respond to any changes." Li Chu then agreed and immediately pointed, "Li Ji, you will escort Prince Jianning out of the temple."

So Li Ji led the fifty valiant Shence Army soldiers he had been commanding for some time, protecting Li Tan, as they left the temple, mounted their horses, and climbed a nearby hill. Some time ago, taking advantage of a patrol in Yong County, he had secretly sought advice from his subordinates on horseback riding and archery—since he called himself a general of Jin, he had to quickly improve these two weaknesses. Having finally escaped Li Bi's sight for a while, when else would he practice if not now?

All the troops gathered in Fengxiang. Although they hadn't advanced for months, they all knew a formidable enemy lay ahead, and most dared not slacken their training. Li Ji was no exception. After practicing for some time, he felt that his horsemanship and archery skills had greatly improved. He wouldn't say he was an expert, but he had at least grasped the basics. However, while marching on foot was fine before, today Li Tan was impatient. As soon as he left the temple gate, he saddled his horse and immediately galloped away. Li Ji almost couldn't catch up with him…

This Prince Jianning is indeed skilled in archery and horsemanship; he is a capable man.

If Li Tan had disobeyed orders and charged straight to the front lines, Li Ji certainly wouldn't have been able to stop him—he could only hope that the Shence Army soldiers not only possessed martial skills but also enough courage. Fortunately, Li Tan didn't go far, stopping only after reaching a high mound, so Li Ji's weakness wasn't apparent. To outsiders, it seemed normal for the king to lead and for Li Ji and the others to follow behind, but only Li Ji himself knew the truth—his skills were lacking, causing him to start the "fire" late.

Although it was called a high mound, it was actually only about ten meters higher than flat ground. Looking into the distance, the field of vision was still quite limited. Basically, one could only see the rear guard and central army of the Tang army. As for the front line and even the rebel army, one could only occasionally catch a glimpse of the colors of their flags through gaps. Li Tan observed for a while, then turned his head slightly and saw Li Ji simply stand up upright in the stirrups, craning his neck to look into the distance. A mischievous thought arose in Li Tan's mind, and he immediately raised his whip and cracked it in front of Li Ji's mount with a "snap".

The horse was startled, shook its head, and stomped a few steps, causing Li Ji to lose his balance and fall back onto the saddle. Li Tan couldn't help but laugh, "Changwei, although you are incredibly strong and unmatched in sumo wrestling, your horsemanship is still not proficient enough. Do you intend to be a bodyguard for the rest of your life? Don't you want to go into battle yourself, fight with sword and spear, and make a name for yourself in history? If you want to join the army, you should practice your archery and horsemanship diligently."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I can't hide it from you after all..." He casually replied, "I am Benshezi. My elder brother lives in seclusion. We don't even have a donkey at home, so where would I find a horse to ride? I only learned horsemanship after becoming a military officer, so I am not very skilled. Your Highness, please forgive my ignorance."

Li Tan frowned slightly: "Oh, Mr. Changyuan, are you so stingy with your offerings?" But that was all he said; with the great battle about to begin, his main focus was still on the front lines. He immediately pointed with his whip: "Changwei, can you even see the various army flags?"

Li Ji shook his head: "My eyesight is poor, I can't see clearly."

Li Tan laughed and said, "Actually, I can't see it clearly either—it's too far away. But yesterday, Guo Ziyi presented the battle formation diagram, so I know—" He then pointed with his riding whip, "The vanguard is Li Siye, the rearguard is Wang Sili, and Guo Ziyi himself will lead the central army. As for the rebel army, An Shouzhong is the commander-in-chief, and Li Guiren is the vanguard."

Li Ji understood his meaning. The battle hadn't even started yet, and just sitting here watching in silence would be too boring. So he wanted to find someone to talk to and analyze the situation. Therefore, he cupped his hands and asked, "I heard that Li Siye once fought alongside Gao Xianzhi against the Tubo, repeatedly serving as the vanguard. He was skilled with the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) and possessed extraordinary strength, earning him the title of 'General of Divine Power.' Is that true?"

Li Tan nodded and said, "That's right..." He then introduced Li Siye's resume to Li Ji, including the battles he had participated in and the merits he had made.

But before he could finish his introduction, the sound of drums and shouts could be heard from afar. Li Tan immediately stopped talking and stared intently at the battlefield. Li Ji also watched intently, but... how could they possibly understand from so far away? In those days, there weren't even telegrams. Even if the front lines were defeated, the news probably wouldn't get back quickly.

However, given the atmosphere and Li Tan's complete silence, Li Ji felt it inappropriate to speak again and could only pretend to keep watching. He was mainly focused on Guo Ziyi's deputy marshal's banner, thinking that as long as the banner didn't retreat, it meant they hadn't lost; if the banner moved forward, then there was hope of victory.

Faintly visible, the banners of the vanguard clashed, suggesting a fierce battle was underway, but the central army's banner remained unmoved. About fifteen minutes later, a messenger arrived with news: "The rebel general Li Guiren has gone out to challenge them, and General Li (Li Siye) has led his troops in pursuit."

They pressed straight towards the enemy's formation.

Li Tan nodded and said, "Understood, inform the Marshal immediately."

After some time, the second group of knights arrived to report on the battle situation. They crossed their arms on horseback and said, "We are closing in, but the enemy is advancing with their elite troops. The government troops retreated slightly, which allowed the enemy to take advantage of the situation, causing panic and chaos..."

Upon hearing this, Li Tan frowned, glanced around, and then waved his hand, saying, "Let's stop here for now. There's no need to inform the Marshal."

As if to explain to Li Ji, or perhaps to himself, he quickly added, "On the battlefield, advances and retreats are common occurrences..."

Li Ji chuckled inwardly: You're afraid of scaring your brother and causing that mediocre talent to panic, aren't you?

The third report stated: "Our army retreated slightly, and our supplies were left on the ground. The enemy scrambled to seize them, causing chaos in our formation. Li, the General of the Cavalry, said: 'If we don't sacrifice ourselves to the enemy today, our army will be wiped out!' He then bared his chest, took up a long sword, and charged forward on horseback. Those who faced his sword were killed, both man and horse, and dozens of people were killed before the government troops were finally brought to order."

Li Ji couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Going shirtless? Do you think you're Xu Chu... Xu Chu was ultimately defeated by Ma Chao!" Li Tan, however, breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered: "Report this to the Marshal immediately."

Li Siye fought desperately and finally reversed the defeat, gradually pushing the battle lines forward. At this critical juncture, it is said that even Wang Nan, who had previously been cowardly and refused to rescue Guo Yingyi, and was almost wiped out by Li Chu, became anxious. In order to save his subordinate, he was shot in the eyebrow by an arrow, and the skin on his eyebrow was obscured. He actually pulled out the arrow with his own hands, tore off the skin from his eyebrow, and fought fiercely without retreating, even with blood streaming down his face.

An Shouzhong secretly ambushed elite cavalry to the east of the formation, letting Li Siye's vanguard pass, intending to outflank them from the rear. However, Guo Ziyi sent scouts to discover this, and ordered Pugu Huai'en, the commander of the left wing of the Shuofang army, to lead Uyghur troops in a swift attack, scattering them almost entirely. The rebel army was thus demoralized, and Li Siye seized the opportunity to coordinate with the Uyghur army, advancing directly to the rear of the formation—

The battle raged from noon until dusk. An Shouzhong fought tenaciously, holding out until twilight fell before leading his central army in a hasty retreat back into the city. Guo Ziyi ordered the execution of all the captured rebel soldiers. That evening, he reported that 60,000 had been beheaded—more than half of the rebels who had left the city were gone. Theoretically, this force had been completely crippled.

Guo Ziyi argued that Chang'an's walls were high and heavily fortified, and the rebel army still numbered in the tens of thousands. It was unwise to attack the city that night; instead, they should rest outside the city for the night, regroup, and attack again the next day. Li Chu agreed. Although alcohol was forbidden in the army, that evening Li Chu ordered four cups of wine to be heated. He summoned not only Li Tan and Li Bi, but also Li Ji, saying to them, "Now that the rebels have suffered a major defeat, their morale is surely low. At most half a month, Xijing can be recovered. Come, let us drink this cup to celebrate today's victory and to congratulate His Majesty on his imminent return to the capital!"

Li Tan downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, his heart pounding with emotion, and said, "It's a pity I couldn't be on the front lines... but I'm very gratified that I contributed to the Marshal's recapture of Xijing." Li Bi still refused to drink, only lightly touching his lips to the wine as a gesture, and then pushed it to Li Ji.

But just as they finished drinking and were having their meal, a guard suddenly came to report: "Pugu Huai'en, the military commander of the left wing of Shuofang, has an urgent matter to report!"

----------

Pugu is the same as Pugu, originally from the Gaoche, and of the same origin as the Uyghurs. Pugu Huaien came from the Pugu tribe and took the tribe name as his surname.

He inherited the title of Commander of Jinwei and later joined the Shuofang Army, following Guo Ziyi in his campaigns across the north and south, where he made great contributions and was highly regarded. Now that he had come in the dead of night, Li Chu was worried that something had changed in the situation below the city, so he quickly ordered: "He may enter."

Li Bi gave Li Ji a wink, and Li Ji understood. He immediately stood up, placed his hand on his sword, and stood to Li Chu's side.

After all, he was just a minor seventh-rank military officer. To be honest, it was against etiquette for him to dine with the marshal, chief secretary, and military commander. Li Chu and Li Tan regarded Li Ji as their benefactor who had saved their lives, so they made an exception and invited him as well. But such a thing was not suitable for outsiders to see, and it was difficult to explain.

Li Ji had barely settled in when Pugu Huai'en immediately registered and entered. Li Ji examined him closely and saw that the man seemed to have Caucasian ancestry, similar to the Uyghurs, but his skin color resembled that of a Black person. Moreover, his face was deeply lined with wrinkles and scars, and with his gray beard, it was impossible to determine his age—he could be in his thirties, or even forty or fifty.

To guess any higher would be incorrect, since this person has a straight back and shows no signs of hunching or aging.

After Pugu Huai'en entered the tent, he greeted Li Chu and the other two. Li Chu asked him, "Did the Deputy Marshal send you? What military intelligence do you have to report?"

Pugu Huaien said no—"The deputy marshal has just gone out to inspect the camp. I was afraid that I would not be able to find him in time and would delay the military operation, so I came here quickly to ask the marshal for instructions."

"Oh, what military intelligence is it?"

Pugu Huaien said, “I was observing the situation in the city from below. Since the hour of You (5-7 PM), there has been constant commotion. I suspect that the enemy knows the city is indefensible and has already abandoned it. I request to lead two hundred cavalry to pursue them and capture An Shouzhong, Li Guiren, and others.”

Li Chu smiled and said, "I see. During the daytime battle, General, you must be exhausted from your bravery. Rest now and we'll plan for tomorrow."

Pugu Huaien earnestly pleaded, “Li Guiren and An Shouzhong are both valiant generals of the rebels. Today’s defeat is a gift from heaven to our Tang Dynasty. How can we let them go? If they escape unscathed and gather their remaining troops, they will become a threat to the country again. At that time, it will be too late to regret! In battle, we must plan swiftly. How can we wait until tomorrow? I urge the Marshal to make a decision quickly.”

Li Chu frowned and said, "They still have fortified cities to rely on, why would they flee at night? Even if they do flee at night, they will surely have brave warriors to follow them, but our army is exhausted from fierce fighting, how can we pursue them? If we suffer a setback, wouldn't that be adding insult to injury? General, you should rest." He forcefully kicked Pugu Huai'en out the door.

After finishing, he told Li Ji, "You can sit down and continue eating." His eyes flickered, but...

Chapter 49, Light Cavalry Pursuit of the Bandits

Li Tan pulled Li Ji out the door and asked him in a low voice, "How is it?" Li Ji knew what was going on, but pretended not to understand and asked in return, "How is what?"

Li Tan lowered his voice and said, "I want to go after Pugu Huaien and go with him to capture Li Guiren, An Shouzhong and others. Changwei, are you willing to come?"

Li Ji also whispered, "But the Marshal won't allow it..."

Li Tan said, “I am the military commander and a guard of the general’s mansion. I can be mobilized at will without the marshal’s order. I am afraid that if this gets out, the marshal will find out early and send men to chase after us. Therefore, I am only taking fifty riders under your command—do you dare to go?”

Li Ji had long anticipated this turn of events, and to be honest, he was somewhat eager to try it out himself—such a massive battle, and he was always just watching from afar; how boring! If the rebels hadn't fled in the night, he could treat it as a night out to ride horses and enjoy the breeze—it was still the intercalary eighth month, the days were quite warm, but the evenings were a bit chilly, quite pleasant to the touch—but what if he really encountered the rebel army? How much fighting power could those guys, busy fleeing for their lives, possibly have?

However, he couldn't bring it up before, as he had to maintain his persona... Now that Li Tan had brought it up, he even asked, "Do you dare to go?" Li Ji didn't even think about it anymore, and followed his persona's first reaction—"Why wouldn't I dare?!" He then said, "These Shence Army soldiers in the Guard Command are all eager to go into battle. I only need to go and say a word, and I can get three to five hundred cavalry immediately."

Li Tan said it was better not to, because mobilizing too many troops would cause a great disturbance, and the marshal had not yet rested. If he became aware of the situation, it would be difficult to escape. "Quickly bring your fifty riders. I will wait for you in front of the temple."

As a result, Li Ji not only summoned his fifty riders, but also secretly informed Chen Fu and Yi Tiechui. He didn't waste any words, neither explaining the situation nor conveying the orders of the military commander, but simply said: "Do you want to fight? If so, come with me quietly. If you dare to leak this out, we are no longer friends!"

Yi Tiechui responded immediately, but Chen Fu hesitated and said, "We are ordered to protect the marshal, how can we move lightly? Where are we going?"

Li Ji glared at him and said, "Go to sleep, it's none of your business." He then grabbed Yi Tiechui and turned to leave.

But Chen Fu eventually followed, along with his men and comrades, totaling nearly a hundred riders. They donned their armor, carried their weapons, and pretended to patrol the surrounding area. They led their horses out of the temple gate to meet up with Li Tan.

After the hundred or so people quietly left Xiangji Temple and traveled about two arrow-lengths away, they lit torches, spurred their horses, and galloped away. Before long, they could see figures in the distance ahead. Li Tan waved and called out, "General Pugu, slow down."

In the dead of night, with the battle just over, only Pugu Huai'en and his entourage were still on the road. Hearing the call, they turned to look and saw a troop of cavalry approaching in a long procession, torches held high. In the torchlight, they could clearly see that the leader was none other than the Marshal's Chief of Staff, Prince Jianning, Li Tan. Pugu Huai'en was both surprised and delighted. He quickly dismounted, clasped his hands in respect, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness." He then asked eagerly, "Has the Marshal granted my request and specially ordered Your Highness to summon... or to deliver a command?"

Li Tan approached, reined in his horse with a "whoosh," and without dismounting, simply leaned down slightly and extended his hand to Pugu Huai'en: "General's plan is extremely risky, and the Marshal is truly unwilling to allow it. I have come here only to wish to accompany you in pursuing the enemy. Does General dare?"

Pugu Huai'en had just grasped Li Tan's hand when he heard this and was taken aback: "So the Marshal still forbids it... then there is no imperial decree..."

Li Tan suddenly raised his eyebrows and angrily shouted, "Since you have this intention and this plan, why did you not report it to the Deputy Marshal, but instead come to Xiangji Temple to ask the Marshal for orders? Although the Marshal has not agreed, if the enemy does escape in the night, the blame will fall entirely on you, General!"