Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Oh dear, I didn't know that Di De's rank was so high, and this Tu Tun Fa (whose real name is Che Bi Shi) seems to be no lower than Di De. If I can capture this person, I will have something to talk about with the Uyghurs."

He now firmly believes that problems that can be solved with fists are not problems at all.

He immediately reversed the horizontal sword in his hand and put it behind his back—for the sake of complete safety, he could not put the sword away for the time being—and raised his left hand with the five fingers together to the side at chest level, making a "please" gesture.

Che Bishi curled his lip, displaying an arrogant attitude, and was about to step forward to face Li Jifang. Di De was worried that he would be careless and lose, so he quickly reminded him: "Don't be fooled by his youth. He is strong and good at wrestling. I used to fight him and I was defeated in no time. Tu Tunfa, be careful."

Upon hearing this, Chebi Shi was slightly taken aback. He then turned to look at Dide, who was still on horseback, and asked, "Are you serious? He can actually defeat you?"

Di De nodded and said, “Absolutely true. On that day, when Tu Tunfa was guarding the main camp, I accompanied the Crown Prince to see the Prince of Guangping. I wrestled with Li Ji and the others and lost. When the Crown Prince heard about it, he also called him a brave warrior and rewarded him with the wolf pelt he had hunted a few days earlier.”

Che Bishi narrowed his leopard-like eyes slightly, stroked his beard, then turned around instantly and mounted his horse again.

Li Ji was puzzled and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by this? You don't mean to challenge me to a horse battle, do you? Let alone that I don't have a mount, even if I did, my skills would definitely not be as good as your nomadic tribes—this is an unfair victory for you!"

Di De coughed awkwardly and replied, "You're young, beardless, and don't bully children."

Li Ji couldn't help but find it amusing: "What did you just say to him? Is he scared?" He felt quite regretful.

To be honest, Li Ji wasn't confident of victory against the tall and imposing Chebishi before the actual fight. He just gritted his teeth and thought, "What's the worst that can happen? I'll fight to the death!" He believed that shamelessness was invincible, and if he didn't value his life, he was sure this Uyghur barbarian would fall into his hands. If he could defeat him, he could at least save the Tang women who had been kidnapped nearby; if he could completely suppress him, he might be able to negotiate more with Emperor De.

I'm so angry and hot-blooded right now. If I can save a few more people, I'll accept it even if I get hacked to pieces afterwards!

But who would have thought that Chebi Shi was a "clever man," of noble status, who avoided dangerous places. No one knows what Emperor De said to him, but he actually chickened out—it doesn't matter if you chicken out, but who am I supposed to vent my strength on?! If I lose my temper too, are the women in Luoyang supposed to expect the Crown Prince Yehu to have mercy, or for the Li brothers to take responsibility?

Li Chu is one thing, no one can count on him, but Li Tan, why haven't you shown up yet?!

Over there, Chebishi rattled off a long speech to Dide, who then replied to Li Ji, "Tutunfa is invincible in every battle. He has killed at least five hundred, if not a thousand, warriors. He is not afraid of you, but... he is not worth fighting." As he spoke, he turned his head slightly to avoid Chebishi's gaze and gave Li Ji a wink.

That means: He's scared, please help him out and save him some face.

Chebishi was indeed somewhat timid, because everyone knew that Dide was the tribe's number one warrior. Chebishi had fought him before, and had basically lost every time. So, how could he dare to go up and let the Tang man who could defeat Dide in just a few punches and kicks go? He needed to find a way to save face in time. Otherwise, if he was defeated, with so many subordinates around, would they still obey his orders without question? Moreover, there were quite a few people around who didn't get along with him, and they would definitely spread the word everywhere. Where would he put his old face then?

I discussed it with Dide, and we decided to swarm him and take him down—the guy at his feet is just an insignificant general, we don't need to worry about his life or death.

Di De shook his head and said, "No. He is a confidant of the Prince of Guangping. How can we arrest him without authorization? Moreover, if so many of us capture him, we will surely be looked down upon by the Tang people. He has a knife in his hand. If there is any injury among us, it will damage the friendship between our two families and may jeopardize the Crown Prince's important affairs."

Upon hearing this, Che Bishi was speechless.

The Tang Dynasty had previously experienced numerous upheavals due to the struggle for the throne, with Emperor Li Heng nearly executing his own son, Li Tan. Of course, Li Tan had not actually shown any intention of vying for the throne, but it wasn't just based on the imaginations of Li Fuguo, Consort Zhang, and others that they repeatedly spoke ill of him to Emperor Li Heng.

Because Li Tan's virtue and prestige are no less than Li Chu's, and his talent far surpasses Li Chu's, he truly has the qualifications to contend for the throne. If he really sets his mind to it, it won't be easy to stop him. Li, Zhang, and the others are not afraid of the impossible, but they are afraid of the unforeseen—what if Li Tan gains power? When he was king, he strongly opposed the interference of eunuchs and palace women in politics, and he harbors resentment towards them. If he obtains the throne, or even ascends the throne himself, can they expect a good outcome?

Prevent

It's always better to nip problems in the bud than to strike first!

In contrast, the Uyghurs were truly engaged in a fierce struggle for the throne—the Crown Prince Yabghu, though the eldest son and the Yabghu himself, directly commanded a quarter of the tribe, but his father, the mighty Khan, was at odds with him and increasingly favored his second son, Yidijian, with the intention of making Yidijian the heir.

The key difference between Uyghur and Chinese customs lies in the absence of a clear primogeniture system. Tribal leaders, and even the Khan, could often freely appoint sons or even brothers from among their predecessors—of course, based on merit or ability. Therefore, figures like Li Mi of the Tang Dynasty wouldn't dare to step forward and argue that the Crown Prince, being the eldest, should not be deposed, and that Yidijian, being the second son, would not only be ineligible for the throne but also suppressed to prevent him from achieving great merit. Ministers from both sides could only use "strength" or "merit" as grounds to evaluate the two sons before the Khan.

So someone suggested to the Crown Prince Yabghu that the Khan was on good terms with the Tang Dynasty, and that joining forces with the Tang to resist the Tibetans was a national policy left by their ancestors. Now that the Tang people had asked for help, the Crown Prince should volunteer to lead the expedition. This would not only allow him to achieve great merit and enhance his own prestige, but also make the Khan consider the feelings of the Tang people and not dare to easily depose him. In this way, his position would be secure.

Therefore, the Crown Prince Yabghu repeatedly warned his subordinates, including Chebishi and Dide, along the way, saying that they must restrain their tempers and not cause any trouble with the Tang people. He also told them that if they had any needs, he should ask the Tang Emperor in person. In fact, if Li Heng had not taken the initiative to speak, the Crown Prince Yabghu would not have dared to make such an outrageous request as to have all the women of the two capitals.

The reason the Tanghe people were able to support each other and maintain such a close relationship was because both sides feared a complete falling out and creating an unnecessary negative situation for themselves. However, the Crown Prince of Yabghu was quite stubborn, so I didn't make excessive demands or take the initiative to back down; Li Heng, on the other hand, was soft-hearted at heart, and given the national crisis, he was afraid of angering the Uyghurs, which is why he eagerly offered the women from both capitals…

He failed to consider that the Uyghurs' peaceful relations with the Tang Dynasty were not due to any divine intervention, but rather to the gradual accumulation of their reputation for strength through repeated battles with the Turks and Tibetans since the reign of Emperor Taizong. Even if their national power was not what it once was, they could not afford to lose their dignity. Otherwise, while nomadic peoples might not bully the weak on an individual level, they generally preferred to enslave smaller peoples and were insatiable, inevitably pushing their luck further.

But Li Heng only cared about the emperor's personal reputation; he didn't care about the country's reputation at all.

To return to the point, it was precisely for the aforementioned reasons that Crown Prince Yabghu, after being punched in the face by Li Ji, swallowed his pride and blood, feigning magnanimity and enduring the humiliation. It was also because Emperor De persuaded Chebi Shi, acting on the Crown Prince's wishes, that Chebi Shi became more cautious and dared not act recklessly.

Because Chebishi was a confidant of the Crown Prince of Yabghu, he was perfectly aware of the Crown Prince's sincerity towards Tang, and more importantly, Tang's true intentions. If, because of him, Tang and Hege were to fall out—or even if the Tang people didn't even need to cool relations, but simply sent someone to speak ill of the Crown Prince to the valiant Khan, the Crown Prince of Yabghu would surely lose his throne—that would be an unforgivable sin…

So he asked Emperor De, "What should we do then? Why don't we just not go into this temple? Anyway, Luoyang is a big city, we can quickly scatter and continue looting. As for the one lying on the ground, I don't believe Li Ji would really dare to kill him. If Li Ji does make a move, we can demand the culprit from the Tang people, then it will be perfectly legitimate."

Di De said that was fine, but there was no need to rush. Let me ask Li Ji a few more questions first.

"Li Ji, you won't let us into the temple. Does that mean you have a woman in the temple?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "There are no women of mine in the temple, but there are women of your sworn brother, the Crown Prince Yehu!" However, it was not convenient to tell the Uyghurs this news yet, so he coldly retorted, "So what if there are women of mine?"

Di De's attitude was quite sincere—mainly because he genuinely admired Li Ji's wrestling skills—so he smiled and said, "You, my friend, your woman, we will never touch you."

Li Ji pointed and said, "In that case, let those women go."

Dide looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that he was referring to the Tang women who were tied up with the Uyghur troops. He couldn't help but ask in astonishment, "How could they all be your women?"

Li Ji replied solemnly, “It’s not just these women, but all the women in Luoyang, and even all the Tang women in the world, are my mothers and my sisters! I am different from you. I have received the teachings of the sages and consider all the billions of people of my people as one family. If a barbarian kills a Tang person, it is as if he has harmed my father; if he has raped a Tang woman, it is as if he has deceived my mother!”

He paused, then countered, "If someone were to abduct a Uyghur woman, wouldn't you be furious?!"

Di De exclaimed in astonishment, "It wasn't me who abducted them; it was the Tang Emperor who made the promise!"

Li Ji sneered, "If the Uyghur Khan demands that you give your mother and sisters away, what will you say?"

Di Decai thought to himself, "My status is noble; the Khan would not issue such a chaotic order." Fortunately, he was quite shrewd and didn't say anything foolish—it wasn't unheard of for the Khan to send women of his own tribe to other tribes. Were the women's sons and brothers not allowed to be angry? Their rebellion, even raising the banner of rebellion against the Khan, while deserving of suppression, was also worthy of sympathy. One could put oneself in their shoes.

So Li Ji disregarded his own safety and disobeyed the Tang emperor's orders... He truly is a brave man; I was right about him!

He then asked Li Ji, "What do you think?"

Li Ji replied, "I don't want anything, I only hope that you will not only stop looting, but also release all the captured Tang women. You may take the valuables in the city, but you must not harm my people!"

Of course, he knew this was unrealistic. Even if he maxed out his negotiation skills, it was unlikely he could get the Uyghur soldiers to give him all the women he had captured just by talking.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Redemption with Brocade

Emperor De ordered everyone to display their spoils, and then asked Li Ji, "What do you say we should do? In this situation, you still want us to release the Tang women? We came to help you fight, are we just doing this for nothing?"

Of course, he wouldn't work for nothing. Although the Tang court was financially strapped and couldn't reward all four thousand Uyghur soldiers, the wealth bestowed upon the Crown Prince and several generals like Di De and Che Bi Shi was enough for them to have a prosperous New Year. But if the soldiers didn't receive rewards, they would surely riot, and we couldn't possibly take out the treasures already in our bags and distribute them to the common soldiers...

Li Ji was speechless. Of course, he could give an example: if a neighbor is robbed and calls you to chase them away, and then you abduct their daughter as a concubine without their consent, is there any logic in that? No matter what, even if our Tang Dynasty has wronged the Uyghurs, we cannot pay with human lives!

However, it's impossible to reason with someone whose values ​​clash with yours using common sense. The Uyghur society was still very primitive, and they were accustomed to using people as commodities—especially people from other ethnic groups—especially since it was Li Heng who brought it up... That's how feudal society is; one person's will can determine the life and death of thousands. Throughout history, how many so-called "loyal ministers" dared not disobey orders even when they knew they were being ordered against their will? So, in this historical context, you're talking about human rights with the Uyghur barbarians? Is it meaningful?

So, following this line of thought, Li Jineng had said all he could. He had hoped that the Uyghur soldiers would be satisfied and stop coveting the women in the city once they had looted enough wealth. But who would have thought that they hadn't looted much money at all! Under these circumstances, what reason or logic, which is not outdated, could you possibly give them the Tang women they had abducted?

While pondering how to respond, Emperor De, seeing that Li Ji did not answer, said, "Bring your woman out. Anyone who dares to violate her will be killed. Go into the temple; if you have money, take it; if you don't, take your woman. It's fair."

He then repeated his words in Uyghur, and Chebishi nodded repeatedly, saying, "Fair, fair."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart stirred slightly—wait, so problems that can't be solved with fists can be solved with money? After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What if we use money to ransom the Tang women you've kidnapped?"

Dide frowned and asked, "You're very rich? A city full of women."

"I can try to raise the money, and I'll name a number."

Di De immediately turned to discuss the matter with the generals, including Che Bishi. Che Bishi said, "I told you to scatter and loot, but you insisted on talking to him for so long. If the Tang army enters the city, there might be some places that are inconvenient to loot—in that case, it would be better to ransom the women with money..."

He pondered, "I didn't expect the Tang women in Luoyang to be so delicate. They're very alluring, but I'm afraid most of them would die on their way back to the grasslands after such a long journey. It might be more cost-effective to exchange them for gold and silver jewelry, and then use that money to buy female slaves from the Turkic, Tongluo, and Khitan tribes at the border market."

The generals discussed the matter for a long time, and finally Di De turned to them and said, "Twenty thousand bolts of brocade can redeem the people." After a pause, he added, "They must all be of good quality; coarse brocade will not do."

The brocade from the Central Plains is a prized commodity, highly sought after on the grasslands—and can even be used as currency. So, with 20,000 bolts of brocade, each of the 4,000 Uyghur soldiers could get one or two bolts, enough to make them rich. As for the rest, naturally the Crown Prince and a few of us would receive them.

Having been in this world for so long, Li Ji had some understanding of its prices. He knew that brocade of medium to high quality was worth at least seven or eight hundred coins, and that grain prices in the Central Plains were currently soaring due to war, also around seven or eight hundred coins per bushel—refined rice and flour were even more expensive. Twenty thousand bushels of grain could feed five thousand people for a year, enough to supply this Uyghur army for a year and a half, in exchange for all the women in Luoyang. This deal seemed quite feasible.

Fortunately, the Uyghurs were generally poor, and even after storming into Luoyang, they didn't manage to loot anything of value, so their appetite wasn't too great yet.

In fact, Li Ji felt that his actions were like bowing down to criminals who had taken hostages in later generations. Not only did it fail to eliminate evil, it also made the other party's appetite grow more and more demanding... But there was nothing he could do. Human strength has its limits. No matter how good he was at fighting, he couldn't fight against four thousand Uyghur soldiers. On the contrary, there was a guy whose prestige allowed him to command thousands of troops with a single order, but he didn't care about ordinary people at all...

With the situation dire, let's focus on the immediate problem. I only hope that once the two capitals are recovered, the rebellion can be quelled as soon as possible, and the Tang Dynasty can be revitalized, so that we no longer need to lure the Uyghur troops into the interior. As for the periodic collapse of the dynasty, that will be a hundred years from now, which I won't live to see, so I won't worry about it.

He immediately nodded and said, "I grant your request."

Ded then asked, "When will it be delivered?"

Li Ji said, "Wait for me to go back to the temple to make some arrangements. I'll come out in a quarter of an hour or so and we'll discuss the handover time." He then sheathed his sword, turned around, and went back to the temple gate, calling for it to be opened.

However, Yu Ling inside strictly forbade opening the gates, fearing that the Uyghur soldiers would take the opportunity to rush in. Cui Qi then reached down with his right hand from the top of the wall, intending to pull Li Ji. Li Ji thought to himself, "Don't be too arrogant. I weigh 120 or 130 jin (Tang jin). Even if you are stronger than an ordinary woman, you probably can't pull me."

Fortunately, Chen Fu also climbed onto the wall and reached down. Li Ji then leaped up and grabbed the two of them from the left and right, flipped over the wall, and entered the temple.

Judging from the feel of his hands, although Cui Qi's palms are small and his wrists are thin, he seems to exert just as much force as Lao Chen...

But he didn't have time to gauge the little girl's abilities right now. As soon as he landed, he grabbed Yu Ling and asked, "What you just said..."

"Did you hear everything?"

Yu Ling said she heard him, but... she looked troubled: "Twenty thousand bolts of brocade, even if exchanged for other things at market price, this old man cannot afford it."

Actually, his wealth is far more than that, but if he agrees to it outright, wouldn't he be giving away one-fifth of his fortune for nothing? Why should he?! Li Ji, you honest kid, why didn't you think of bargaining with the Uyghurs?

"Your title is 'Millionaire,' so surely you don't have a million coins?" Well, twenty thousand bolts of brocade are worth over ten million on the market; you probably really can't afford that...

Li Ji naturally had no idea how much wealth Yu Ling actually had. In his opinion, the amount was indeed a bit too much for one family to pay... Seeing the other party's embarrassed expression and his attempt to explain, he waved his hand and said, "It's alright. Aren't there more than a dozen officials and wealthy merchants in the temple? If everyone pools their money, we can get out."

So Yu Ling sent someone to summon the heads of each household, as well as the abbot of Shengshan Temple—whose temple property was certainly considerable—to gather them all at the front. He then briefly explained the terms that Li Ji and the Uyghurs had agreed upon. The people looked at each other, all appearing somewhat reluctant. Among them, a retired Tang official boldly asked:

“Li Zhiguo, if you were to pay money to redeem the lives of a few men and women from my family, that would be perfectly acceptable. Even if it were to save the lives of the people in this temple, we would do so without hesitation. But… why should we have to pay money to redeem all the women in the city? It was originally the Emperor who granted them permission…”

Li Ji raised his eyebrows, glared at the other party, and shouted, "If you don't agree, I will let go and let the Uyghur soldiers come in!"

He was furious. "I risked everything and used all my words to save the women of Luoyang. All I asked you to do was chip in some money. Judging from your clothes and appearance, it's not like you can't afford it. Why are you all so selfish and only care about your own families?"

He immediately let out a loud shout, which startled the old official so much that he stumbled back three steps, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Li Ji then felt a pang of regret. He thought to himself that selfishness is human nature, and besides, the amount of money involved was considerable. Even in a fair trade, people would still haggle, so some reluctance was understandable. He should have reasoned with the old man, explaining the pros and cons, instead of getting angry and threatening to quit. Seeing how frail the old man was, if he had actually caused him harm, it would have been his fault…

The abbot of Shengshan Temple reacted quickly, grabbing the old official and calling over several young monks to carry him to the monks' quarters. They administered acupuncture and medicine in an attempt to revive him. The abbot himself chanted Buddhist prayers: "Amitabha, this old monk will naturally go and see for himself, lest someone die in this peaceful place..." He moved with the agility of a cat and took the opportunity to escape.

Yu Ling couldn't help but feel annoyed and turned to complain to Li Ji, "Twenty thousand bolts of brocade is no small sum. We need to plan carefully. Li Zhiguo, please step back. I'll explain to them..." Look at you, you've already scared away two people with just your words. With fewer people to share the burden, each family will have to take even more...

Li Ji waved his hand, saying no need, let me say a few more words. He then softened his tone and reasoned with the crowd: “Gentlemen, today you may offer two or three thousand bolts of brocade to plead with the Uyghur soldiers to spare the Shengshan Temple, sparing only your wives and daughters, and disregarding those captured outside the temple. But once the Uyghur soldiers retreat, how will those who have lost their wives and daughters view you when they see only your family safe?”

"When the government troops enter the city, they will surely search for and arrest the remaining members of the An Lushan rebels. Since you have been able to live peacefully in Luoyang for several years, you must have had some dealings with them, right? No one dares to say that they are completely innocent. If the people who have lost their wives and daughters resent you and report you, do you still have any hope of protecting your families? You will probably have your homes confiscated and even be executed. At that time, not only will all your wealth be put into the government treasury, but even your wives and daughters will be sent to the brothels, which is not as fortunate as being abducted by the Uyghurs."

"If you gentlemen are willing to contribute your wealth to save the women of this city, their fathers, brothers, and clansmen will surely be grateful for your kindness. From then on, they will be admired by thousands in Luoyang and even throughout Henan. How could anyone then report you? Even if someone does report you, the beneficiaries will petition the court to plead your case."

"Therefore, bribing the Uyghurs with a small amount of wealth today can only save my wife, daughters, and family for the time being; only by giving 20,000 bolts of brocade to save all the women in the city can I preserve my family and business in the long term. Please do not only consider the small gains in front of you, but think carefully about what I have said, whether it is reasonable or not?"

His words were logical and precise, leaving Yu Ling speechless. She thought to herself, "I didn't realize this Li Changwei was so shrewd. He seems rough, but he's actually quite intelligent and eloquent." Oh, right, he was quite articulate when he was arguing with the Uyghurs, but I was too nervous and flustered to react immediately.

Li Ji had no choice; he had been forced into this situation. The safety of all the women in Luoyang rested on his shoulders, and he certainly couldn't pretend to be stupid any longer.

Upon hearing this, the officials and wealthy merchants were all moved. After pondering for a while, someone finally stepped forward and said, "What Li Zhiguo said is true. Although my family is not very rich, I am willing to contribute 1,500 bolts of silk. The rest can wait for you, sir."

Yu Ling quickly chimed in, "The Yu family is willing to contribute three thousand bolts of silk..."

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, and the number gradually increased, though still somewhat insufficient, it was almost there. Li Ji had barely caught his breath when he heard Jia Huai's shout from the direction of the temple gate: "The Prince of Jianning has arrived!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "You've come at just the right time. I've basically finished everything, and now you're here to reap the rewards?" Although somewhat resentful, he quickly turned around and jogged to greet Li Tan.

Li Tan entered quickly. Li Ji hadn't gone far when he saw him leading a minor official in a blue robe, along with five or six guards, striding swiftly...