Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

He learned archery from Chen Fu, horsemanship from Yi Tiechui, and spearmanship from Lao Jing.

So, you're my master in spear fighting, and you've only taught me for less than two or three months—everyone's busy, so the actual teaching time was even shorter—yet you dare to challenge me?! Have you no shame?!

Although he was inwardly grumbling, he didn't show it on his face. He simply tossed aside one spear and gripped the other firmly with both hands—one spear against one spear, I can't take advantage of you, besides, I can't use two spears—facing Lao Jing: "Alright, come on."

Old Jing raised his eyebrows, immediately thrusting his long spear straight at Li Ji's center with the grace of a dragon. Li Ji dodged to the side, but instead of turning the spear shaft, he gripped one end with both hands, raising it high and bringing it down with the force of a mountain crashing down. Old Jing ducked, parrying with his spear, but before Li Ji could fully execute his move, he twisted his wrist, and the spear shaft swept sideways towards Old Jing's waist and hips.

Old Jing was forced to take a step back, his face showing anger: "This is not right!"

That's not right. He was using a spear, while Li Ji was actually using a stick...

Li Ji thought to himself, "How can I possibly compete in spear fighting?"

Who could possibly be your match? All I'm good at are sticks and clubs; I might as well use the spear shaft as a club.

However, the wooden sticks commonly used by civilians were mostly eyebrow-length, about six or seven feet long, while the shortest spears used in the army were over twelve feet long, a difference of two times. It was only because Li Ji was strong that he could use such a long spear shaft as a stick; anyone else would definitely not have been able to handle it.

Enraged, Lao Jing unleashed his full power, thrusting his spear repeatedly towards Li Ji's chest and abdomen. Li Ji, in turn, swung his spear in wide, sweeping motions, parrying back with equal force. The fight created a dense forest of spear shadows and a gust of wind like knives within a radius of two or three zhang (approximately 6-6 meters). Even Wei Boyu and the others were forced to retreat hastily, daring not to approach any closer.

Yu Chaoen was so anxious that he stamped his feet repeatedly at the courtyard gate: "Why aren't you all going up? Why aren't you all going up?! Why aren't you taking down Li Ji right now?!"

Ultimately, Old Jing was a seasoned warrior, and accustomed to wielding a spear. Li Ji, using a spear instead of a staff, found it less comfortable. Furthermore, the spear primarily relies on thrusting, a point attack, while the staff requires sweeping and striking, a surface attack. Comparatively, the staff made it easier to expose weaknesses on the front. After several more exchanges, Old Jing seized the opportunity when Li Ji's spear shaft missed its mark, swinging it to the outside, exposing an opening in his chest. He immediately thrust his spear straight at Li Ji.

However, the spear tip only aimed at Li Ji's chest and did not thrust forward any further. Old Jing himself, on the contrary, was like a fish swimming—it was hard to believe that such a muscular body could be so agile—his body followed the spear forward. Originally, his left hand was holding the middle of the spear and his right hand was holding the near-cap. In an instant, he fell down, his right hand close to the spear tassel, and his huge body crashed into Li Ji's arms.

Li Ji swung his spear back, but missed. He reacted quickly, immediately releasing his right hand and blocking in front of his chest, only to have his wrist firmly grabbed by Lao Jing.

As the two drew near, Old Jing lowered his voice and advised, "While you've forced the soldiers away, you should run away!"

Li Ji simply threw down his spear, grabbed Lao Jing's wrist with his left hand, and twisted his knuckles, while whispering, "Why should I run away?"

Old Jing also dropped his spear, and the two of them, with their hands entangled, wrestled together—"You struck the Crown Prince Yehu, and the Emperor may kill you, which is why he sent the Imperial Guards to bind you—only by escaping can you survive!"

He was so anxious, thinking to himself, "I pretended to fight you, but actually I was giving you a chance to escape. We've come this far, how can you not understand? Have you lost your mind, or is there shit in your head?!"

In the rush, he was caught off guard and tripped by Li Ji's outstretched leg, immediately falling to the side. Li Ji then freed his hands, grabbed his neck and supported his waist, and hurled Old Jing's nearly 300-pound body towards the courtyard gate. Fortunately, because the area of ​​the spear exchange was too large, the guards holding the spears retreated and even stood them upright; if they had been held at an angle as before, Old Jing would probably have been pierced with several transparent holes on the spot…

Li Ji used the old thorn to force the crowd aside, then seized the opportunity to run wildly towards the courtyard gate. Yu Chaoen was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he instinctively turned and fled.

I thought Li Ji wanted to break out of the encirclement and escape from the palace—just what I wanted! But to my surprise, when he dodged to the left, Li Ji chased him to the left; when he circled to the right, Li Ji chased him to the right, shouting, "Didn't you want to bind me, Lord Yu? Then come and bind me yourself!"

Yu Chaoen thought to himself, "Damn it, why is this guy specifically coming for me? Did I misjudge him before? Is he really just a reckless brute... or does this guy know that he can't leave the palace alone, so he wants to take someone down with him before he dies?"

No! I've made all the arrangements, just hoping you'll escape! But I can't say this to Li Ji directly, and besides—I don't have a chance to say it! That guy may not have a knife, but he's incredibly strong; he could probably kill someone with his bare hands—I've already experienced that firsthand—if he catches up to me, a couple of punches to the face might be the end of me!

Let's run away quickly... Oh right, let's go ask the sage for help!

----------

Li Ji's prediction was correct; Li Heng indeed did not order him to be bound and brought before him.

The emperor, believing himself to be the most powerful and respected by all, was completely unaware that Li Ji had once harbored rebellious intentions—in fact, one could argue that he had indeed committed such an act, but Li Heng was too drunk that night to remember clearly—so he summoned Li Ji to question him, ready to beat or kill him at will. Surrounded by imperial guards in the main hall, how could he possibly resist? Why bind him?

Moreover, Li Bi is right there. If his brother is guilty, he can be publicly announced and punished. If he is brought here bound hand and foot, it will not look good for Changyuan.

Li Heng summoned Li Bi back to Fengxiang not only to inquire about the battle situation and the ceremony of his return to the capital, but also to properly thank his old friend—because of your assistance, I was able to return to Chang'an. Furthermore, the recent military expenditures have been too great, and several prime ministers are overwhelmed and clearly unable to manage them. Now that Changyuan has rendered meritorious service in the recapture of the capital, would you be willing to serve as prime minister? The three provinces' chief and deputy ministers are at your disposal.

As for Li Ji striking the Crown Prince of Yehu, Li Heng originally did not intend to punish him—it was a rather troublesome matter, and it was inconvenient to announce his promise to the Crown Prince of Yehu to the public. So, if the Uyghurs harbored resentment, let Li Chu handle it; I will pretend I did not hear about it.

It was Li Fuguo who repeatedly advised that Li Ji's actions, on the surface, were out of resentment towards the Crown Prince Yehu, but in reality, they were a sign of disrespect for His Majesty's authority. Even if he wasn't killed, he should be summoned back and severely punished to demonstrate the Emperor's might and prevent the child from becoming arrogant because of his achievements. Only then did Li Heng summon Li Ji at the same time as Li Bi.

In truth, Li Fuguo very much wanted to take this opportunity to kill Li Ji, but his previous attempt to murder Li Tan had ended in failure, so he was inevitably extremely cautious about doing anything wicked again—especially since Li Ji's fierce glare at him in the palace that day still lingered in his mind, making him restless and unable to eat or sleep. He realized that Li Heng had not executed Li...

Chapter 54, A Parent in Trouble

Li Ji never even considered escaping.

—If I wanted to escape, I would have bid farewell to Li Bi and fled on the way. Why would I come back to Yong County? Why would I join this business and walk into their trap?

His reason for returning so calmly was twofold. First, he felt I had acted uprightly and honestly, so he feared only hidden attacks, not open ones. Since he had prevented the Uyghur soldiers from abducting women from Chang'an, if the scoundrel emperor dared to use this crime to kill me, it would only confirm his treasonous act. Second, he needed to protect Li Bi and didn't want Li Bi to be implicated because of his escape. He also hoped that Li Bi would plead for his life, as Li Bi had promised.

Although the emperor is a scoundrel, whether it's reform or revolution, with my current abilities, I have to continue to infiltrate the system and wait for a better opportunity. If I run away, all my previous efforts—perhaps some—will be in vain. Could I really go and surrender to Luoyang? As for that patricide-like beast An Qingxu, I'd rather be a Tang ghost than a Yan subject!

So the Imperial Guards surrounded him, intending to capture or bind him. Li Ji initially planned to grit his teeth and endure it, waiting to see Li Heng and then see how Li Bi would plead for him. However, first Wei Boyu played tricks, infuriating him, and then he discovered that the one leading the troops was not the deputy Wei Boyu, but the head officer Yu Chaoen…

How could I possibly be bound by eunuchs?!

He had a grudge against Yu Chaoen, and knowing Yu's petty nature, he believed Yu wouldn't obediently tie him up and take him to Li Heng; he would definitely try some tricks—just like the evil deeds Yu had committed when he captured Li Tan. If it was merely verbal provocation, Li Ji thought, "No problem, I'm shrewd enough not to be fooled like Li Tan." But if Yu Chaoen realized he couldn't provoke him, would he let it go? Heaven knows what other wicked schemes he might devise!

So I won't run away. Even if Lao Jing risked his life to give me a chance, I can't escape—once I leave the palace, I can forget about coming back in, and even Li Bi's pleas for mercy might be in vain—at the same time, I can't be bound. So after throwing Lao Jing away, he immediately set off at full speed, dodging the soldiers, heading straight for Yu Chaoen.

At first, he wanted to use the same trick again, and take a hostage first. But Li Fuguo was not there, so he had to settle for second best and let Yu Chaoen fill in for him. But he saw Yu Chaoen dodging and weaving and running straight towards the main hall. Li Ji thought to himself that this was interesting, so he deliberately kept two steps away and did not exert any force, but just followed closely behind that guy.

Yu Chaoen, thinking Li Ji intended to kill him, panicked and sought Li Heng's help. He was responsible for guarding the palace, and as a palace eunuch rather than an ordinary official, the guards dared not stop him. They watched helplessly as he rushed into the hall, shouting and yelling, and immediately knelt down, sliding forward to grab Li Heng's leg…

Then, Li Ji followed him in.

Li Ji kept Yu Chaoen hanging on, and only when Yu Chaoen stepped over the threshold of the main hall with one leg did he suddenly accelerate. Before the guards could react, he rushed into the main hall as well. He glanced at Li Bi, knelt down, and grabbed Yu Chaoen's ankle with a forceful pull—"Come back!" Yu Chaoen's right middle finger had already touched Li Heng's trousers, but it was pulled back.

Everyone in the hall was shocked. The first to ask was Li Bi: "Li Ji, what are you doing now?!"

—Wait, why did I say "again"?

Before Li Ji could answer, Yu Chaoen screamed like a pig being slaughtered, "Help! Li Ji is going to kill me!"

He was immediately dragged back by Li Ji and pressed down beside him. Li Ji gently advised him, "Lord Yu, you must bow when entering the palace, you cannot slide around. Moreover, you were shouting and yelling. This is disrespectful before His Majesty. What kind of behavior is this?"

He reached out and patted Yu Chaoen on the back of the neck. Yu Chaoen immediately trembled and dared not speak again. He just kept kowtowing to Li Heng.

—This guy is usually quite tough, but when Li Ji stormed the palace last time, he almost kicked down his defenses. He finally understood why the assassin Zhu Fei, who was initially unwilling to confess, broke down the moment he saw Li Ji…

Li Heng slammed his hand on the table: "Li Ji, why did you pursue and kill Yu Chaoen?!"

Li Ji slightly raised his head, his face full of innocence: "When did I ever pursue and kill Lord Yu? Lord Yu and I served in the same court and had no grudges against each other. Why would I want to kill him? And do I have the guts of a leopard to dare to kill someone in the palace?"

Li Fuguo thought to himself, "Not bad, kid. You're even better at lying through your teeth than I am..."

Li Ji then explained: "Lord Yu came to deliver the imperial edict, saying that he wanted to bind me and bring me before His Majesty. I felt I was innocent and did not know why I needed to be bound... Although I am of low rank and position, my brother is His Majesty's favorite minister. I was unwilling to be bound by some lowly soldiers, so I asked Lord Yu, since you are of noble status, to bind me. But as soon as I approached, Lord Yu turned around and ran away as if he had seen a ghost. I followed him all the way to the palace."

"I truly had no intention of killing anyone, and I don't know what evil spirit has befallen you, Lord Yu. Could it be that I fought fiercely with the rebels under the walls of Chang'an a few days ago, and my battle aura carried the killing intent of battle, thus frightening you, Lord Yu?"

He casually patted Yu Chaoen on the back of the neck: "Lord Yu, with such a small amount of courage, how can you shoulder the heavy responsibility of guarding the palace?"

His explanation made everyone in the hall understand.

Li Heng thought to himself, "I didn't have Yu Chaoen bring Li Ji here bound. This eunuch must have been presumptuous in his understanding of the Emperor's will, taking the opportunity to act arrogantly. As a result, he angered Li Ji, who then pretended to hit him, which is why Li Ji was so frightened that he fled to me... That's true, Li Ji is too audacious. He even dared to beat up the Uyghur Crown Prince. Would he take a mere eunuch seriously? This kid is really a headache when he gets reckless..."

Li Fuguo glared at Yu Chaoen, his eyes flashing with anger, thinking to himself, "If Li Ji refuses to be bound and charges straight at you, you'll be so scared you'll turn and run away."

You could say—if it were me, I would definitely run away too—but why didn't you take the opportunity to lure him out of the palace gates? Why did you have to come up to the palace? Putting aside ruining our plans, aren't you ashamed of yourself?!

Yu Chaoen didn't need to look up to know what Li Fuguo was thinking, but unfortunately, there was no way to explain for the time being—leading Li Ji out of the palace? Are you kidding me? Walking through the deep courtyards and winding roads, I barely managed to avoid being caught by him. Once outside the palace gates, there would be a main road. With that young man's speed, how could I possibly escape?!

Then Li Heng slammed his hand on the table again and shouted, "You worthless servant, get out of here!"

Li Heng wasn't angry with Li Ji, because Li Ji's image as a reckless person was already deeply ingrained in his mind. So as long as he didn't offend him or pursue him, he could tolerate it... no, it's that His Majesty is magnanimous and will pardon him. Besides, even though Li Ji barged into the palace, wasn't his attitude towards him still extremely respectful?

He was furious with Yu Chaoen. "You know perfectly well that I favor Li Bi, yet you dare to act arrogantly in front of his cousin. Is this servant out of his mind? Especially since Li Ji's words make sense. You claim to be knowledgeable in military affairs, and I thought you were not only loyal but also brave. That's why I entrusted the Imperial Guard to you. I hoped you would lead the Imperial Guard to protect me, but instead you came here asking me for protection!"

Get out of here right now, don't offend my eyes!

Yu Chaoen was filled with fear, grievance, and a touch of regret—"I shouldn't have listened to Li Fuguo's instigation! That bastard Li Fuguo only offers advice when things go wrong, but he always pushes others to the top. Why didn't I learn my lesson?" But he dared not retort to the emperor, so he could only kowtow again and retreat to the outside of the hall with a mournful face.

Li Heng deliberately glared at Li Ji and demanded, "Li Ji, do you know your crime?"

Li Ji looked bewildered, yet innocent: "Your Majesty, I know no guilt... Your Majesty has only rendered meritorious service by capturing Tian Qianzhen alive."

"Did you really beat the Uyghur prince without cause?"

Li Ji nodded and said yes, but—"It wasn't without reason. Those barbarians instigated their subordinates to rush into Xijing and plunder. The marshal condescended to kneel and beg for mercy, but he dared not dismount! Your Majesty, the marshal is Your Majesty's own son, so if the marshal is humiliated, it is Your Majesty's humiliation. If Your Majesty is humiliated, how dare I turn a blind eye?"

In fact, Crown Prince Yehu wanted to dismount and pay his respects to Li Chu, but he had just shifted his leg when Li Ji pulled him to the ground... Even if you witnessed such a sudden incident, no one could guarantee that Crown Prince Yehu had no intention of being impolite—are you a mind reader? Therefore, whether Li Ji's punch was justified or appropriate is impossible to determine without video replay.

Moreover, Li Ji was cunning. He didn't mention that he beat the Crown Prince of Yehu because of the emperor's chaotic orders—he didn't say a word about the matter—he only said that the Crown Prince of Yehu had insulted Li Chu, which was tantamount to giving the emperor a way out. Li Heng couldn't help but glance sideways at Li Bi, as if to say: Changyuan, did you teach this?

Li Bi lowered his head and remained silent, thinking to himself: It really isn't that...

Li Heng then glanced at Li Fuguo. At this point, Li Fuguo could only shake his head at the emperor with a wry smile. Li Heng then said, “Regardless, beating the Uyghur crown prince is a serious crime—what if it damages the friendship between the Tang and Uyghurs? Your capture of Tian Qianzhen is enough to offset the crime. Guangping submitted a memorial requesting a promotion for you, but I will not allow it!”

Forget it, I was just being unreasonable to listen to Li Fuguo and call you here. You and Changyuan are like blood relatives. Do you think he would just stand by and watch you suffer? He would definitely devise a plan to get you out of trouble—for example, teaching you how to defend yourself in front of the emperor—and I am grateful for Changyuan's merits and virtues, so how could I not let him have his way?

So he flicked his sleeve, intending to end it there—"Li Ji, step back..."

Before the words were finished, a pitiful cry of "Your Majesty..." was heard, and another figure rushed straight into the hall.

Li Heng was furious. What was wrong with these people today? What did they think this place was, that they could just walk right in? Even in the main hall of an ordinary official's house, let alone the palace, they wouldn't be so unruly!

But upon closer inspection, his anger dissipated. It turned out that the one who had stormed the palace was none other than his most beloved eldest grandson—Prince Li Shi of Fengjie.

Li Shi rushed into the main hall in tears, running all the way to the imperial desk before kneeling down. As he passed Li Ji, he deliberately stretched out his leg and gently kicked him, as if to say: Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you.

Li Ji was both amused and exasperated. "Young master, if you want to save me, please come sooner rather than later. I'm already fine, why are you jumping out here pretending to be a benefactor?"

Li Heng asked his grandson, "Why are you crying? Has someone bullied you? Who dares to be so bold? Let your grandfather deal with him!"

Li Shi replied, sobbing, "Just now, the Li family steward (referring to Li Fuguo, the Crown Prince's steward) sent someone to deliver a message saying that he had received news of my mother—he earnestly begs Your Majesty to save my mother!"

Upon hearing this, Li Heng couldn't help but feel a little sad. He quickly got up, pulled Li Shi up, and held him in his arms, saying, "I have also heard about the matter of Lady Shen. It is said that someone saw her in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang, but we do not know if it is true or not. Your father has just taken over Xijing. After a little reorganization, he can lead his troops to Dongjing again. At most, you and your son will be able to see each other in half a year. Do not worry."

Li Shi wiped away his tears and said, "Mother and son are the closest of kin, bound by blood. How can we wait another six months? We have had no news for two years. Now that we have news of my mother, even if it is false, we must come to her rescue. And Your Majesty, what if the rebels secretly harm my mother during these six months? What if the army conquers Tokyo and the rebel An takes my mother away? What then?"

"Furthermore, since my father is the Grand Marshal of the Army, will the traitor An use my mother as a hostage to blackmail him? My father carries the weighty mandate of His Majesty and will certainly not be coerced. I fear..."

Chapter 55, Five Things That Should Not Be Left Behind

Li Shi's biological mother's surname was Shen. She was originally from Wuxing and came from an official family. Later, she was selected into the Eastern Palace as a daughter of a good family and was given by Li Heng to Li Chu, who was still the grandson of the emperor at the time, to be his concubine.

Coincidentally, Li Chu was capped at the age of fifteen and enfeoffed as the Prince of Guangping, while Shen Bodao (Shen's paternal uncle), the most distinguished member of the Shen family, had served as the Prefect of Guangping Prefecture...

Not long after following Li Chu, Lady Shen became pregnant and gave birth to the eldest son, Li Shi, before the principal wife, Lady Cui. As a result, she not only won Li Chu's favor, but Li Chu even wanted to depose Lady Cui and make her the principal wife. In particular, although Lady Cui gave birth to the second son, Li Miao, her grandfather, Li Heng, did not consider him the eldest son of the legitimate wife, but preferred the grandson of the concubine, Li Shi.

The reason for this is probably because Lady Cui was born to Lady Yang, the wife of Lady Han, and was the niece of Consort Yang. Li Heng suffered a lot of mistreatment from the Yang family when he was the Crown Prince.

On that day, the Emperor Emeritus and Consort Yang fled Chang'an in a panic, followed by the princes. Consort Cui also accompanied Li Chu. As for Lady Shen, since she was a concubine, no one went to inform her... It's possible that the Yang family deliberately left her behind.

The group fled Chang'an in haste, only to be met with the Mawei Post Station Incident. Li Heng then parted ways with the retired emperor, heading to Lingwu to ascend the throne. Li Chu, having lost his beloved, and Li Shi, having lost his mother, were adrift and unable to send anyone to inquire about their whereabouts. It wasn't until after Li Heng's ascension, and thanks to the valiant efforts of Xue Jingxian and others, that the Tang army finally re-established its defenses just two days' journey from Chang'an, temporarily stabilizing their position. Only then did Li Chu and his son Li Shi plead with Li Heng to send someone to inquire about Shen's whereabouts—they desperately needed to see her alive or dead.

Naturally, Li Heng assigned this task to Li Fuguo.

After Li Shi dragged Li Ji down from the hall and recounted the whole story, Li Ji couldn't help but nod in agreement—Li Fuguo was indeed the most likely mastermind behind a series of conspiracies!

As Li Shi explained, Li Fuguo's influence was not limited to Emperor Li Heng, nor was he limited to managing the palace eunuchs and servants, nor was he limited to controlling the palace gates. Since he was under the emperor's command, he could certainly mobilize more manpower and resources, and under the pretext of searching for the Shen family, he secretly cultivated his own power.

Therefore, it's entirely reasonable that he could command the elite cavalry and even mobilize some elite soldiers to ambush at Tanshan. As for Li Heng's order for Li Fuguo to recruit martial arts experts after the assassination attempt on the commander's mansion, who knows if he had already secretly started doing so beforehand?