Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but turn my head and glance at Li Bi, who was already snoring softly—this guy falls asleep quickly. Right, he knows the methods of regulating breathing and calming the mind. Although I don't expect this person to be a reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, capable of shaking the world as soon as he steps out of his thatched hut—after all, even Kongming ultimately failed to revive the Han Dynasty—I do hope that he's not just a clever face with a stupid belly, or a theorist who only talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. I hope that once he arrives in Pingliang, he can truly be granted a prominent position by the Crown Prince and entrusted with important responsibilities. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to rise to prominence.

The surrounding area was desolate, with only the crackling of burning branches and the faint sound of a stream flowing nearby. Just a few feet away from the fire, it was pitch black. Although there were stars and a dark moon in the sky, they were not enough to provide illumination. For Li Ji, who was used to the urban life of his previous life, it was too quiet and too dark. An inexplicable fear would often rise in his heart.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind him. Li Ji couldn't help but shudder and hurriedly turned around. He saw a few faint red lights flashing in the darkness—what were those? Were they wolves, or wild dogs whose eyes were said to turn red after eating dead people?!

Since descending Tanshan Mountain, they had not encountered a single living person along their journey. However, occasionally at the bottom of the plateau or in the ravines, they would find the mutilated remains of the dead. Wild dogs would linger beside some of the remains, staring intently at the two passersby, baring their sharp teeth, and watching them go into the distance...

Li Ji instinctively drew his sword, then, after a moment's thought, placed it in front of him and picked up his bow and arrows. In truth, Li Ji in this life had never practiced archery, nor had he studied archery in his previous life; he had only used plastic bows to shoot at figurines at a few tourist attractions. But since the red dot hadn't gotten close yet, he felt more at ease having a long-range weapon in his hand.

He nocked the arrow to the left of the bow, hooked the string with his index, middle, and ring fingers, and tried to slowly pull it back.

Suddenly, Li Bi's whisper came from behind: "It's too dark, we won't be able to hit them. They're just some stray dogs. There's a fire here, they might not dare to come near."

Li Ji said "Oh," then relaxed his arm muscles and retracted the bowstring.

Then Li Bi asked again, "Have you really used a bow? What technique is this?"

Li Ji was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then chuckled and said, "Of course, as the Protector-General of the Great Jin, how could I not know how to use a bow?" It's normal for a soldier not to know how to use a bow—archers have never...

They all require specialized training and organization—it would be ridiculous for a non-commissioned officer of captain rank or above not to know how to use a bow.

He realized he had made a mistake in his haste and could only lie, saying, "This is a secret archery technique passed down in my family, so I don't need to wear a thumb ring."

His method of drawing the bow, later known as the "Mediterranean style," originated in the Western world. In contrast, the East Asian tradition is called the "Mongol style," where the arrow is nocked at the right hand (usually right-handed), and the thumb is used to pull the string with a thumb ring, allowing a relatively short recurve bow to be drawn to its fullest extent. However, this method of drawing the bow has become very rare in later generations. Professional archery competitions use the "Mediterranean style," and even in period dramas, it is often depicted incorrectly. Therefore, although Li Ji, as a historian, understood this, he still made an almost instinctive mistake when he picked up the bow.

In fact, there were quite a few similar mistakes in the conversations along the way. Fortunately, Li Ji reacted quickly enough, and Li Mi did not have any special knowledge of the living habits of the Jin people, so he was able to make up lies in time to cover it up each time.

Li Ji slowly lowered his bow and arrow, still gripping his sword tightly, thinking to himself: I must be careful. I must deeply hide many of the habits of later generations. To survive in this world, I must appear outwardly normal so that no one can see anything unusual about me.

Fortunately, after a short while, whether truly afraid of the firelight or not, the red dots gradually disappeared. Li Ji felt relieved and sat up for half the night, yawning repeatedly, but his heart was filled with anxiety and unease. To be honest, he wasn't optimistic about his future. Finally, when the moon was high in the sky, he casually picked up a small clod of earth and tossed it to Li Bi's side. Li Bi, however, was quite alert and immediately sat up, saying, "You go to sleep, I'll keep watch for the rest of the night."

Li Ji couldn't help but wonder if that guy was actually asleep.

After thanking Li Bi, he turned over and lay down. Fortunately, it was only early autumn, and even in the wilderness at night, it wasn't too cold. He moved slightly closer to the campfire, wrapped his clothes tightly around himself, and that was enough to ward off the chill. He was anxious and worried, and originally he couldn't sleep, but because of his injured leg, he dared not move at all after lying down, for fear of aggravating the broken bone. And if a person doesn't move for a long time, drowsiness will naturally arise.

So, in a daze, he seemed to fall asleep and began to dream. Li Ji vaguely felt that his body was being sawed in half, split into two pieces, and these two pieces could even communicate—

"Have you finally decided to show up again?"

"...You've taken over my body, and you still dare to say such things?"

"This wasn't my idea either... Anyway, you're still alive? Why didn't you show yourself sooner so your cousin could be at ease?"

"What is there to be at ease about? I am already dead, and my body is occupied by you—are the bustling cities and peaceful, prosperous worlds in your memories all real?"

"If it's my memory, how could it be fake?"

"Why would you give up such a carefree life to come to this world and seize my body?!"

"Do you think I wanted this...?"

"Why can't I possess your body? It's so wonderful—delicious food, beautiful women, games, movies, express delivery, airplanes... If I could live one day like that, it would be better than ten years in this world!"

"I promised to take over my body, so go ahead and do it... But my body is probably already shattered. You won't even get a single good second of peace if you go there..."

Although they were talking, the two versions of themselves were actually able to communicate. Li Ji learned from this that the original owner's soul was indeed fragmented and decaying, and probably wouldn't exist for much longer. Therefore, it wouldn't easily appear unless it was a matter of life and death, or in a dream at night. Of course, there was another factor at play, which was why the other soul remained silent for a long time after waking up, leading Li Ji to suspect that it was completely gone, and directly tell Li Bi: "Your brother is dead."

Because a simple (maybe) young man from ancient times was suddenly surrounded by memories of the dazzling world of the future, with countless almost incomprehensible messages flooding in at the same time, he was dumbfounded and crashed...

When Li Ji was awakened by Li Bi, only fragmented memories remained of that period—perhaps a dream, perhaps a subconscious recollection. He seemed to recall that the original owner's soul had entrusted him with protecting Li Bi—

"Now that you have taken my body, you should repay me. I ask for nothing more. Brother Changyuan has raised me with kindness, and our relationship is like that of father and son. You must protect him and ensure his safety and well-being for the rest of his life..."

I think I've agreed to it, but after sobering up and thinking about it again, protecting Li Bi and getting him to Pingliang safely is not only beneficial to me, but also a way of repaying him for taking my body. But... "a peaceful life"? Is my life, at least most of my life, going to be tied to Li Bi?

How are we supposed to compete for supremacy then?!

Well, since I've already promised, I should keep my word. At least until I understand the situation, I shouldn't break my promise—a gentleman's word is his bond, and I'm not a petty person. We can figure out what to do later, for the sake of the people.

----------

As before, Li Bi helped Li Ji walk forward, but Li Ji no longer used his long sword. He had the sword and its sheath tucked into his belt and cut off a tree branch to use as a walking stick.

The two waded across the stream and continued westward. After only seven or eight li, they reached the riverbank again. However, this river was not narrow; it was six or seven zhang wide, and its turbid waves were surging and its depths were unfathomable—it was definitely impossible to wade across, and given Li Ji's current condition, swimming was out of the question.

Li Ji pondered, "This must be the ancient Ishikawa River."

Not far across the river, a city rose from the ground, its banners fluttering atop its walls. Li Ji stared wide-eyed, then closed his eyes one by one, gazing intently with only one eye for a long time, except...

Chapter Seven: From Arrogance to Obsequiousness

It wasn't just one or two people who came, but a whole group.

Using the vegetation to conceal themselves, the two Lis slowly approached. They saw that these people were walking along the road towards the water. There were about seventeen or eighteen of them, surrounding a painted carriage. The pedestrians were all dressed as commoners, wearing short clothes, turbans, and hemp shoes. They varied in age, and many of the young and strong men were carrying sticks, and one even had a horizontal sword.

Judging from their demeanor, they were from a middle-class or higher family traveling west, and since they were heading west, it was highly likely they didn't want to become thieves. The two Lis exchanged a glance, their meaning clear: Should they go over and say hello, ask for a ride, or at least ask for directions? Was this risk worth taking?

Li Ji was still hesitating when Li Bi looked down at his injured leg and said, "You wait here, I'll go over and ask him a few questions."

"Brother, it's best not to take the risk..."

Li Bi ignored him, straightened up, straightened his headdress and clothes, and said, "If they are hostile to me, you must hide well and not make a sound." Li Ji couldn't hold him back, and he parted the tall grass and strode out.

The group noticed Li Bi at this point and immediately stopped their vehicle. Several young men, as if facing a formidable enemy, raised their weapons and pointed them at him. But upon seeing that there was only one person, dressed in a long robe and looking like a scholar, they all breathed a sigh of relief. An elderly man parted the crowd, stepped forward, and bowed, asking, "Where does this gentleman come from?"

After taking a dozen or so steps closer, Li Bi returned the greeting with a bow. Without announcing himself, he tentatively asked, "I come from Yingshang and am on my way west to visit a friend—I wish to see your esteemed master."

Since the other party has a nearly new carriage that, while not ornately decorated, is fully equipped, the person in charge is certainly not this elderly man in short clothes who is walking—he is most likely a steward or someone similar.

The old man turned to the side, seemingly saying something to someone inside the car. The car window rolled down, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with a round face. He called out, "May this gentleman come closer to speak?"

Li Bi regarded the knives, clubs, and weapons as if they were nothing, but he did not rush forward. Instead, he walked slowly with his hands clasped in front of him, and when he reached the carriage, he bowed slightly and asked, "May I ask your honorable name, where you come from, and where you are going?"

The middle-aged man said angrily, "If the guest refuses to register first, how can the host register?"

Li Bi smiled and said, “It was I who was rude. However, in these turbulent times, in the wilderness, I did not know your destination or purpose of travel, so I dared not reveal my name. I travel alone, while you are surrounded by servants. You did not dismount from your carriage upon seeing a guest from afar, nor did you introduce yourself. Are you perhaps afraid of me?”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man was slightly taken aback, and then said, "I am Xue from Fenyin."

The Xue family of Fenyin County was a prominent family since the Northern and Southern Dynasties. They served in the Tang Dynasty and produced many high-ranking officials. Therefore, when this person mentioned his family name and clan, he was telling Li Bi, "Do you think I am qualified to talk to you across the carriage?"

Li Bi maintained his calm and composed smile and replied, "I am from the Li family of Zhao County."

There are countless people with the surname Li throughout the world, but only two families are the most prestigious. The first is naturally the Li family of Longxi, which the Li Tang royal family claimed to be, and the second is the Zhao County Li family, a prominent family in Guandong. Compared to the Zhao County Li family, the Xue family of Fenyin is considered a minor family.

The middle-aged man was taken aback. He looked Li Bi up and down again and saw that although he was simply dressed, he had a very dignified demeanor. He moved with ease and composure, and his words were neither humble nor arrogant. He must have come from a scholarly family or an official family! So he quickly ordered the carriage to be opened, jumped down, and bowed deeply to Li Bi with his hands clasped, saying, "Please forgive my rudeness. I am Xue Jingyou. May I ask your name, sir?"

"I dare not, Li Bi of Jingzhao."

----------

Li Bi and Xue Jingyou stood in front of the carriage and talked for a short while, and they had a general understanding of each other's identities and the purpose of their trip.

Xue Jingyou was indeed from the Xue clan of Fenying. Although not from the main branch, his family was quite illustrious. His ancestor was Xue Guan, who served as the Minister of the Imperial Clan and General of the Left Imperial Guard during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He had also married Princess Chengyang, the daughter of Emperor Taizong. As for Xue Jingyou himself, although he passed the imperial examination, he was unable to take office due to illness. For several years, he lived in Chang'an with his elder brother, Xue Jingxian.

Several months ago, Tongguan fell. Xue Jingxian, then serving as a Palace Attendant Censor, was transferred westward with the imperial carriage, while Xue Jingyou fled with his family to Liangshan (in the northern part of Fengyi County) to avoid disaster. Not long ago, he received a letter from his elder brother, saying that he had been appointed as the Prefect of Fufeng County, leading troops to resist the rebels, but lacked manpower. He hoped that his brother could secretly travel west to Fufeng to help him.

The letter details his experiences since their separation. First, he followed the imperial carriage to Mawei Post Station, where the army clamored and refused to advance, ultimately leading to the execution of the Prime Minister Yang's entire family and even forcing the emperor to order the death of Yang Guifei—Xue Jingxian also participated in this "military remonstrance." Subsequently, the emperor fled west to Shu, and the crown prince went north by separate routes. Xue Jingxian was appointed magistrate of Chencang to gather local soldiers and righteous people to secure the rear.

In mid-June, Kang Jinglong and others from Fufeng gathered a crowd and killed An Lushan's envoy, welcoming Xue Jingxian into Fufeng. Xue Jingxian then raised several thousand soldiers and pacified the entire Fufeng prefecture within a month. Upon receiving the news, the Crown Prince reinstated him as the prefect of Fufeng.

Last month, in July, on the day of Jiaxu, the rebel army that invaded Fufeng was defeated by Xue Jingxian. Subsequently, his troops entered the capital region and captured Wugong and Fengtian counties. Having occupied a large territory, Xue Jingxian felt that he was short of manpower, so he sent someone to deliver a message, asking his brothers to come out of the mountains and come to help.

Upon learning this, Li Bi was overjoyed, but outwardly showed no sign of it. He did not mention that he had been summoned by the Crown Prince, but only said that he had previously served in the Eastern Palace and had heard that the Emperor...

During the Western Hunt, the Crown Prince was exiled. Because of past ties, he decided to go to Pingliang County to rely on and protect the emperor.

Xue Jingyou agreed to take Li Bi with him, saying they would go to Fufeng first. Li Bi then revealed Li Ji's identity, explaining that he actually had another brother who had been wounded by rebels and therefore dared not show himself. He then helped Li Ji over and pleaded with Xue Jingyou to allow him to board the carriage and sit next to the driver.

Xue Jingyou readily agreed. He had already been arrogant towards Li Bi because of his background, and now that he heard that Li Bi had once been an official and was a former associate of the Crown Prince, how could he not hurry to curry favor with him? Besides, his younger cousin was a bit dim-witted and limped around. If he walked, he might slow down my journey. Anyway, there was room next to the carriage shaft, so I could let him sit there.

However, there was no seat for Li Bi in the carriage. Since Xue Jingyou was traveling by carriage, he wouldn't be alone except for the servants who followed on foot—if it were him, he could have ridden a horse—in fact, there was a maidservant serving him inside the carriage. Given the impropriety of physical contact between men and women, it was inconvenient to invite Li Changyuan to ride with him.

However, Li Bi was on his feet, and Xue Jingyou dared not return to the carriage, so he had to walk a short distance as well to accompany his distinguished guest. The two then talked at length about current affairs, occasionally reminiscing about the prosperous scene and comfortable life in Chang'an during peaceful times.

Li Ji leaned against the carriage shaft, remaining silent, but listening intently to their conversation in order to gather useful information and broaden his knowledge of this life.

Only then did they realize that they had taken the wrong path. The city they had seen on the other side of the river that morning was not Tongguan, but Huayuan to its south.

Huayuan County is located directly north of Chang'an, the Western Capital, only a hundred li away. As for why Xue Jingyou and his party dared to swagger through this place without fear of the rebel attack, it was undoubtedly related to the fact that his brother Jingxian had repelled the rebels who invaded Fufeng County more than half a month earlier.

The Li brothers had already received some information about this, which is why they dared to leave Qingni Post Station, where they had been hiding for many days, under Zhen Sui's guidance, and cross the Wei River to the north, heading towards Tanshan. However, after Xue Jingyou's explanation, they gained a deeper understanding of the current situation around Chang'an.

When the imperial carriage hastily departed the capital, accompanied by numerous officials, the emperor appointed Cui Guangyuan, a close associate of Yang Guozhong and the Vice Prefect of Jingzhao, as the Prefect of Jingzhao, the Garrison Commander of Xijing, and the Investigating Commissioner, essentially placing him in charge of the rear guard. Upon hearing of the imperial family's escape, the city's inhabitants were thrown into chaos, with most fleeing the city. However, some petty criminals seized the opportunity to loot, even setting fire to the Left Treasury and the Great Treasury, vying for valuables. Cui Guangyuan temporarily assumed the position of acting prefectural and county official, dispatching troops to suppress the rebellion, and only with great difficulty did he manage to stabilize the situation.

But then came news of the approaching rebels, and Chang'an, already weakened by recent turmoil and demoralized, was no match for them. Left with no other option, Cui Guangyuan was forced to send his son east to surrender. An Lushan was overjoyed and immediately recalled Zhang Xiu, the former Prefect of Jingzhao, while appointing Cui Guangyuan to continue in his post.

However, An Lushan did not enter Chang'an. Although Tongguan had fallen and Chang'an had been captured, there were still tens of thousands of soldiers stationed in the cities of Guanzhong, and it was unclear where the emperor and the crown prince had gone or how far they had gone... He returned to Luoyang and ordered his generals Sun Xiaozhe and An Shenwei to lead troops to garrison the western capital.

After Sun Xiaozhe and other rebel generals entered Chang'an, they immediately launched a massive manhunt, killing everyone from princesses, imperial consorts, princes' sons-in-law, and princesses of prefectures and counties, to the followers of Yang Guozhong and Gao Lishi, and even the families of princes, generals, and ministers who remained in the capital. Even infants were among those killed. Afterwards, they indulged in drinking day and night, neglecting all ambition and development.

In fact, if they had pursued at full speed, they might have been able to capture the emperor alive, or at least catch up with the crown prince and his entourage. Since the emperor was the head of state, and he had abandoned the capital and fled, how could the soldiers and civilians of Guanzhong have any will to fight? In the Jingji Circuit and the southern part of Guannei Circuit, seven or eight out of ten county and prefectural officials abandoned their posts and fled.

It was only thanks to the Crown Prince's efforts to gather the remaining soldiers and refugees, and his subsequent execution of the prefects of Xinping and Baoding who had abandoned their cities, that the morale of the people was somewhat stabilized. At the same time, the Crown Prince appointed Xue Jingxian as the magistrate of Chencang County to secure his retreat.

The rebel army rested in Chang'an for nearly a month before attempting to advance westward, only to be met with a crushing defeat by Xue Jingxian, who had already pacified the entire Fufeng Commandery, suffering thousands of casualties. After their retreat, the Tongluo and Turkic troops, incited by Cui Guangyuan, mutinied, seizing over two thousand stable horses before fleeing north, causing renewed chaos in the city. An Shenwei, already wounded, died of shock, while Sun Xiaozhe escaped alone on horseback, fleeing back to Luoyang. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Cui Guangyuan, along with Chang'an Magistrate Su Zhen and others, gathered over a hundred strong men, seized the Kaiyuan Gate, and fled to join the Crown Prince.

Therefore, although Chang'an is still under the control of the rebels, it is leaderless and morale is low, so they dare not leave the city at all. This is why Xue Jingxian was able to advance on Fengtian and Wugong, and send someone to summon his brother Jingyou—if you don't set off in time, you might not be able to get here by the time the rebel reinforcements from Luoyang arrive.

Only then did Xue Jingyou dare to take some servants and travel by main road to Fufeng—there were carriages in the procession, so it was impossible for him to sneak west through the wilderness like the Li brothers had done a few days ago—and he also sent a message to Li Bi, saying that the Crown Prince was no longer in Pingliang, but had gone north to Lingwu to collect the soldiers from Shuofang.

Li Ji had no idea where Pingliang was, let alone where Lingwu was located—even his original soul was entering the pass for the first time in this life, and he had never been interested in geography—Li Bi knew this well, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but gasp.

Lingwu County is north of Pingliang County. Both counties are sparsely populated and their capitals are nearly a thousand miles apart. Luckily, we ran into Xue Jingyou. Otherwise, even if we struggled to reach Pingliang, we would have missed him. If we went north to Lingwu, we might have starved to death on the way! After all, although Li Bi practiced abstinence from grains, he was not truly abstaining from food and water. He still needed to eat something every day, especially after walking around.

Now that I've allied myself with Xue Jingyou, through his introduction I can meet Xue Jingxian. When I explain the Crown Prince's summons, he'll probably give me some travel expenses—it's just a pity the Crown Prince...

Chapter 8, This is a warning

The group that had been lurking in the bushes gradually emerged, appearing to be refugees but likely bandits. They were all dressed in tattered clothes, emaciated and pale, carrying no baggage but wielding clubs, knives, or swords. There were about twenty of them in total, more than the Xue family's group, and they slowly approached from one side of the road.

Xue Jingyou was terrified and exclaimed repeatedly, "What do we do? What do we do? You all hurry up and scatter them..."

Li Bi shook his head and said, "No." He then explained, "The tall grass is swaying, and there may be people hiding there. They outnumber us, and it will be difficult to win quickly..." After all, we only have two knives and one sword on our side, and most of our weapons are still wooden sticks. "If they manage to get to the front of the carriage, it may frighten Lord Xue."

In truth, Xue Jingyou was already quite shaken. Li Bi's real intention was this: if the bandits approached and "snap" you, then without a leader, could we still possibly win? Even if we ultimately fought a hard-fought battle to drive away the bandits, who knows if your servants are loyal enough to protect your body to Fufeng, or if they'll simply part ways and go their separate ways? What will we brothers do then? Even if the servants are willing to take your body to Fufeng, will my brothers still have the face to see Xue Jingxian?

What's even more frightening is that the thieves might not kill you right away, but instead use your life as leverage, which would mean utter ruin!

Xue Jingyou turned ashen-faced and dared not give any more orders to the servants. However, the old servant, who found Li Bi's analysis reasonable, crossed his arms and respectfully asked, "Please, Mr. Li, save my second son."

Li Bi sighed and said, "If my brother hadn't been injured in the leg, what would we have to fear from these scoundrels!" He frowned and carefully observed the bandits who were slowly approaching, seemingly about to rush over, yet hesitant. He had already made up his mind, so he turned his head slightly and whispered to Li Ji, "They are not resolute and are still hesitant. Quickly shoot one of them to frighten them."

Li Ji thought to himself: You want me to shoot arrows? Brother, you think too highly of me. Do you really think I'm a military general?