Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

I really hope I don't run into a talented woman who can shut me up with just a few words... But it's not that bad, I do have some talent in my own mind. As long as I don't have to compose a poem on the spot, especially one on a given topic, I'll be fine.

Having made up his mind—and having no other options, he needed to find a place to sleep—he smiled at Lü Miaozhen, then turned to the maid carrying the lantern: "Lead the way."

Jia Huai seemed to want to follow as well, but Lü Miaozhen stepped in between them and said with a smile, "Young Master Jia, please come this way." Jia Huai could only wave to Li Ji and say, "Brother Li, let's meet again at dawn."

Li Ji thought to himself, "This guy patted his chest and said he'd treat us, but he ended up spending all my money. And he even got the chance to patronize underage girls... In later years, that would be a serious crime! I'm never going out with this guy again."

He followed the maid, winding his way through the courtyard to the back. He had assumed Su Su's residence was in the courtyard, but the maid led him to the back door instead. She then handed the lantern to another maid who was already waiting there, turned around, and hurried away. The new guide didn't even look at Li Ji; she simply waved to him before pushing open the back door and walking down the main street.

—Although we left the Lü family compound, we were still within the neighborhood. Even after the streets were quieted, we could still move freely within each neighborhood. Although there were soldiers patrolling, they would not bother us unless they witnessed someone committing a crime.

The two walked south along the street, one after the other, and passed two more intersections. Li Ji couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going? How much further?" The maid didn't answer, but simply pointed ahead.

Li Ji clicked his tongue and stopped in his tracks: "Does Minister Cui also have such refined tastes that he's staying overnight in Pingkang? I wonder if he'll be able to get to his office in time tomorrow morning?"

Upon hearing this, the maid's back trembled slightly.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Stop pretending. Even though you deliberately turned your face away and refused to speak, I have a very deep impression of your back."

The maid slowly turned around, revealing half of her face in the lamplight. She glanced briefly at Li Ji—it was indeed that little girl Cui Qi—before speaking, she said, "My master has a villa in Pingkang Ward."

In the vast Pingkang Ward, only the three bends eastward inside the North Gate were the red-light district; the other bends were mostly occupied by ordinary families. Therefore, it was quite reasonable for Cui Guangyuan, the then Minister of Rites, to have a residence there. Ever since seeing through Cui Qi's disguise, Li Ji knew that she would definitely lead him to see Cui Guangyuan, which conveniently saved him from the embarrassing situation of facing that prostitute, Su Su.

Although Cui Guangyuan was considered a henchman of Li Fuguo, Li Ji wasn't really afraid that he would set a trap for him. If he had any ill intentions, he shouldn't have sent Cui Qi. That fellow had other extraordinary people or ordinary servants under his command. If it were a stranger who insisted that Susu didn't live in the Lü family's residence and that her house was quite far away, he probably wouldn't have any suspicions.

As they continued south, Li Ji assumed that Cui Guangyuan was also there to patronize prostitutes. He found him in a brothel in Nanqu, but little did he know that Cui Qi was leading him to the Cui family's villa further south.

Now that he had revealed the other party's identity, Li Ji stopped pretending and took the lantern from Cui Qi's hand. He didn't mean anything by it, but in his previous life, whether they were boyfriend and girlfriend or not, helping women carry their bags and light their way when they went out together was a habit ingrained in his bones. In the end, Li Ji didn't have any distinction between master and servant, and he never regarded Cui Qi as a servant inferior to himself.

The two then changed from leading and following each other to walking side by side, and Li Ji asked, "Why did Minister Cui summon me?"

Cui Qi shook his head: "How would I know? You should ask my lord yourself."

Li Ji then asked, "When did you find out that I had returned to the capital?"

Cui Qi didn't hide anything and replied, "You found out as soon as you entered the Sixteenth Prince's residence."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Just as I expected. I had anticipated that Li Fuguo's spies would be everywhere inside and outside the Sixteenth Prince's residence—was his 'Inspection Hall' just for show? Was it only for targeting officials and commoners, and would he easily let the imperial family go? However… Cui Guangyuan is a man of great ambition, and he habitually 'goes alone'—for example, he sent Cui Qi to infiltrate the Luoyang Imperial Palace without informing Li Fuguo before—perhaps he also has spies near the Sixteenth Prince's residence, and this summons of me might not necessarily be at Li Fuguo's behest…"

Li Ji originally thought that Li Fuguo wanted to warn him but didn't dare to confront him directly, so he sent Cui Guangyuan instead. But if it was still Cui Guangyuan acting on his own initiative, why would he want to see him? This mystery is quite worth exploring.

I asked casually, "It's been several months since we last met. How have you been?"

Cui Qi seemed surprised that Li Ji would greet him, and was slightly taken aback before nodding: "It's alright."

"But you rushed back to Chang'an immediately after we parted in Luoyang?"

Cui Qi did not answer, but instead quickened his pace.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Maybe you were ordered by Cui Guangyuan to carry out some special mission, and you dare not reveal it?" But at least you could have made some attempt to smooth things over, said a few perfunctory words, and the conversation could have continued. What kind of nonsense is this, cutting off the conversation like this? It makes it impossible for me to speak anymore; it's so awkward…

Silently, they walked several dozen steps and finally arrived at a large house. Cui Qi knocked on the side gate, led Li Ji inside, circled around twice, and arrived at a corridor. Then he reached out and snatched the lantern from Li Ji's hand, bowed to the inside and reported, "Young Master Li has arrived."

Inside the corridor was a two-story building. A middle-aged man's voice rang out from upstairs: "Please invite Li Zhiguo upstairs."

Li Ji winked at Cui Qi, as if to say, "Aren't you going to lead me in?" Cui Qi, however, didn't even look at him, simply raising his hand in a "please" gesture. Helpless, Li Ji had no choice but to take off his boots and climb onto the veranda, then enter the small building through the half-open door.

The first floor was dimly lit, with several maids sitting there. Upon seeing Li Ji enter, they all bowed and then pointed to the side. There was a wooden staircase to the side of the room. Li Ji climbed the staircase and reached the second floor, where the room instantly brightened up.

The main room upstairs had its doors wide open, revealing an elegant interior. Although there weren't many decorations, they were all clearly expensive and exquisite. Directly opposite the door were carved window frames, and to the side stood a landscape screen—it seemed there was no place to hide behind it. In front of the screen was a large couch, on which sat a man, with two maids in brocade robes kneeling and serving him below.

This was the first time Li Ji had seen Cui Guangyuan, the Minister of Rites and newly enfeoffed Duke of Ye. The man appeared to be in his forties, with refined features, a vigorous spirit, and a flowing beard. Cui Guangyuan was dressed in casual attire, wearing a black gauze square hat, a blue short-sleeved shirt, and a plain brocade half-sleeved garment. He was leaning against a couch, his right knee bent, and his right arm resting on his knee.

Frankly speaking, this kind of attire and posture is extremely impolite for entertaining guests.

But as soon as Li Ji frowned, Cui Guangyuan smiled at him and said, "I have long heard of Li Changwei's name. Today I finally meet you. You are indeed extraordinary and heroic." He patted the edge of the couch and said, "Please come up and sit down."

If he were to point to the low table beside him and order Li Ji to sit, or even make him stand while he speaks, Li Ji would immediately leap up in anger—even though our statuses are vastly different, I am still wearing a ceremonial robe, and there is no one in the world so rude! He could even leap over and punch Cui Guangyuan in the face a couple of times without fear of causing any trouble—after all, it is the other party who is in the wrong.

However, when Cui Guangyuan disregarded the difference in status and invited Li Ji to his bed, the situation changed. It went from being improper to being unrestrained by etiquette. Unrestrained means not being bound by rules, because I am close enough to you that I don't need to put on airs in front of you. Similarly, you don't need to keep the hierarchy in mind. Just do whatever makes you comfortable.

Therefore, Li Ji did not refuse and stepped into the room. He approached in a few steps and sat down directly beside the couch with his legs hanging down. Upon seeing this, Cui Guangyuan nodded slightly, then reached out and pulled over a small table from the couch, placed it between the two of them, and pointed to the table: "The drink is still warm, please eat, no need to be polite."

Then he waved to the two maids, who bowed and backed away to leave the room, closing the door behind them.

Li Ji was indeed a little thirsty, and without any ceremony, he picked up the porcelain cup and drank it all in one gulp.

The term "yinzi" originally referred to a decoction of traditional Chinese medicine, but it gradually took on a food-like form, similar to the herbal teas and health drinks of later generations. The yinzi that Cui Guangyuan bestowed upon him had almost no herbal taste and contained a large portion of goat milk, making it resemble milk tea in later generations—much tastier than real tea of ​​this era.

Li Ji had considered the possibility that Cui Guangyuan might poison him—after all, given the current situation, although he had fought alongside Zeng Cuiqi, he couldn't really call himself friends with her master—but considering that the other party had called him over in the middle of the night and tried to poison him before even getting to the point, the possibility was extremely small. Besides, if he were suspicious and dared not touch the food, it would seem too cowardly and beneath him.

After setting down the porcelain cup, Li Ji turned slightly to face Cui Guangyuan, clasped his hands, and asked, "I didn't expect to be summoned by you, Master Cui. May I ask what your instructions are?"

Cui Guangyuan smiled and said, "I didn't give any instructions. It's just... my intention to turn enemies into friends."

Before Li Ji could answer, he waved his hand and said, "Actually, we can't be called enemies, but there are some misunderstandings. If we don't clear them up, they might cause a rift. Since Tian Qianzhen has already told your elder brother Changyuan about what happened at Tanshan, I'm sure your elder brother has also told you about it, right?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "That's quite straightforward," and immediately nodded.

Cui Guangyuan said, “I didn’t mean to hide this matter. When the Duke of Cheng (Li Fuguo) sent the message, I had already left Chang’an. So I had my servants torture Tian Qianzhen, and he confessed to your brothers’ whereabouts. I heard that they were in danger at Tanshan and almost died… It’s just that I was busy with state affairs at the time and didn’t have time to apologize to your brother in person…”

Li Ji thought to himself, "Go ahead and make this up. If you weren't deliberately hiding it, you two were once courtiers; surely you had time to even meet and say hello? At the very least, you could have written an apology letter. You clearly know you've been exposed, so you're just rushing to make amends."

But since the other party had adopted this attitude, he couldn't very well confront them directly, so he could only say, "This is the will of Heaven, not the fault of Master Cui."

Cui Guangyuan smiled and said, "You might think that I conspired with the Duke of Cheng to kidnap or even harm your brother, right?" He then pointed his finger like a knife and swung it forcefully from top to bottom: "Absolutely not! Even the Duke of Cheng had high hopes for your brother back then, and couldn't wait to bring him here to assist the emperor and quell the rebellion. As for your subsequent offense against the Duke of Cheng... it has nothing to do with me."

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly and looked at Li Ji: "I am a court official, how could I have any connection with the eunuchs? My relationship with the Duke of Cheng is just an old acquaintance. Since he is in charge of internal affairs, I should naturally avoid suspicion."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat—was this a plan to sever ties with Li Fuguo? But what business was it of mine whether you colluded with Li Fuguo? Why did Cui Guangyuan specifically call me over to discuss this matter?

Cui Guangyuan stared at him for a while without responding, then leaned back again and slowly said, "Although the abandoned child is a maid, I have always raised her as my own daughter. According to her, she was well taken care of by the guards in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang. I am grateful for Your Majesty's kindness and cannot help but express my gratitude."

"However, offering gold or silver would treat your relationship as a business transaction, which I'm sure Changwei will refuse..."

Li Ji thought to himself: That's not necessarily true. Unable to figure out the other party's intentions, he could only remain silent.

Then Cui Guangyuan continued, "I heard that Changwei wants to transfer to a civil post? That's a good thing. As a member of the Li family of Zhao County, how can I be reduced to a crude and uncouth man, mixed among the soldiers? But I wonder if there are any connections? Perhaps I could give you some pointers?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Just say what you have to say, or shut up! Why are you beating around the bush?"

He had only mentioned his intention to switch to a clerical position, following Li Bi's advice, to four people: Li Qiyun, Li Guayan, Li Tan, and Li Chu. Therefore, Cui Guangyuan could only have known about this by having informants in the East Market tavern or at the Sixteen Princes' residence—the latter being more likely, since Cui Qi had mentioned being watched by Cui Guangyuan at the Sixteen Princes' residence. Given this, it was obvious to Cui Guangyuan that he wanted to use the Li brothers' connections to switch positions; why bother asking "if there are any connections?"

The key lies in the following sentence, "Perhaps I, Cui, need some guidance"—so, does he genuinely want to point out the direction he should take? What exactly does he intend to say?

Li Ji's curiosity was piqued, so he cupped his hands and said, "Lord Cui is an important minister of the country and a senior, so I naturally hope for your guidance on how to act—how can Lord Cui teach me?"

Cui Guangyuan smiled slightly, as if to say: "Good question! Now that you've asked, I can continue."

Chapter 50, An Uncertain Future

Facing Li Ji, Cui Guangyuan slowly said, "The Emperor summoned me last night to inquire about the matter of establishing an heir. Naturally, I, Cui, wholeheartedly recommended Prince Cheng. Prince Cheng is the Emperor's eldest son, renowned throughout the land for his loyalty and filial piety. He also served as the Grand Marshal, recovering the two capitals and rescuing the people and women of the two cities. The court and the public alike praise him as a virtuous king. So, after the Emperor's passing, who else but Prince Cheng can be entrusted with continuing his legacy?"

“I believe the Emperor also favors King Cheng, and will soon issue an edict inviting him to the Eastern Palace. Since Changwei was once a subordinate of the Commander-in-Chief, following King Cheng is the best way to secure his future—such a golden opportunity must not be missed!” He paused, his expression suddenly darkening: “However…”

Li Ji thought to himself that it was all a bunch of nonsense, and finally it came to "however," so he quickly perked up his ears.

"However, I have heard that many ignorant people are planning to bother Xingqing Palace and ask the Emperor Emeritus to persuade the Emperor to establish Prince Cheng as the heir apparent—I believe this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Why not?

Cui Guangyuan did not answer, but stared at Li Ji for a long time before asking in return, "What do you think, Changwei?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "I also think it's absolutely unacceptable, but I can't possibly say the reasons why—I guess you have the same concerns as me."

Seeing that he wouldn't respond, Cui Guangyuan didn't press the matter and quickly changed the subject again—

"There is another matter. During the audience with His Majesty the other day, I heard that His Majesty intends to appoint the Prince of Qi as the military governor of Longyou and Hexi, to be stationed there to defend against the barbarians..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat. Considering the attitudes of Li Tan and Li Chu towards him, he vaguely grasped some immature guesses. While pondering, he interjected, "Is there any precedent for a prince being sent to a military post rather than being appointed as a remote military governor?"

Cui Guangyuan scoffed, "Since the Tianbao Rebellion, the state has nearly collapsed, and the world has undergone tremendous changes. What precedent are we talking about?" He paused, then slowly said, "If we follow precedent, military governors often concurrently hold the positions of observer, pacification commissioner, and financial commissioner. But if Prince Qi were to follow this precedent and take full control of the military and political power of the two military districts, it might be detrimental to Prince Cheng..."

Like the military governor, the positions of observer, pacification commissioner, and finance commissioner were all temporary appointments. The observer was responsible for assessing official conduct and overseeing criminal justice; the pacification commissioner was responsible for stabilizing public morale and restoring social order in war-torn or disaster-stricken areas; and the finance commissioner was responsible for managing and compiling military expenditures. In short, the military governor was merely a local military leader, but for the smooth operation of military campaigns, he often concurrently held the positions of observer, pacification, finance, transport, agricultural administration, and military governor. Cui Guangyuan pointed out the three most crucial roles, thus granting the military governor simultaneous judicial, civil, and financial power, making him the top military and political leader within his region—essentially a de facto ruler who divided the land into separate territories.

Cui Guangyuan outwardly expressed concern that Li Tan's departure to govern might threaten Li Chu's position as crown prince. In reality, he suggested overturning precedent and granting Li Tan only military power, without judicial, civil, or financial authority. In this way, Li Tan's power would be weakened, yet firmly held in the hands of the central government, thus posing no threat.

"If Changwei can advise King Cheng on these two matters, it will not be difficult for him to become a civil official and serve in the royal court. I am now passing on this plan to repay the kindness of the women in the Luoyang inner palace who protected the abandoned children."

Having finished discussing the important matters, and exchanging a few more casual words, Cui Guangyuan then hinted that he should see the guest out. However, he asked Li Ji, "Does Changwei still intend to return to Lü Miaozhen's house?" Before Li Ji could answer, he grinned and said, "A vulgar courtesan from the Central Opera, pretending to be a disciple of Wang Wei, such a common and vulgar woman, how could Changwei possibly deign to look at her? It's already late, why not stay at my detached residence for the time being? The courtesans of the Cui family, in terms of beauty and talent, cannot be compared to any courtesan from the Southern Opera."

Li Ji thought to himself, "That makes sense. A high-ranking official like Cui Guangyuan would theoretically never visit a brothel; it would be beneath his dignity." Wealthy families often keep courtesans to provide companionship. No matter how alluring or talented a woman is, as long as she isn't from an official family, they can find ways to bring her into their household for their own enjoyment and the pleasure of their distinguished guests. At first, I doubted Cui Guangyuan's decision to stay overnight in Nanqu; that seemed too much like the thinking of a commoner.

It's as ridiculous as the local operas of later generations, where "the Empress of the East Palace makes pancakes while the Empress of the West Palace peels scallions."

Since Cui Guangyuan had invited him to stay, Li Ji couldn't refuse—firstly, the other party's attitude was quite sincere, and he wouldn't refuse someone who was smiling; secondly, he didn't really want to spend the night in a brothel. Besides, it must have been Cui Guangyuan's doing that Lü Miaozhen had feigned appreciation for the poem "Sympathy for the Peasants" and his own poetic talent, luring him here. And now that he had already left, it was highly likely that Miss Susu had already led another guest into her boudoir. Why should he go back? To compete with her? How embarrassing!

So he clasped his hands in thanks to Cui Guangyuan for his kindness: "Since you, Lord Cui, have invited me to stay, it would be impolite of me to refuse. I have only just arrived in Chang'an and am still quite tired. There is no need for my maids to accompany me."

Cui Guangyuan neither pressed nor agreed, but simply ordered the maid waiting outside the door to lead Li Ji to rest.

Upstairs in this small building, to the left and right of Cui Guangyuan's main room, there were two side rooms. Li Ji had just stepped downstairs when a man strolled out of the east side room, put his hands behind his back, and casually entered the main room. He then sat down on the couch in the same unceremonious manner, facing Cui Guangyuan directly.

Cui Guangyuan asked the man, "How is it?"

The man stroked his beard and asked in return, "Junyun, did this boy once impersonate a eunuch and sneak into the inner palace of Luoyang?"

Cui Guangyuan nodded.

“What a pity,” the man sighed, shaking his head. “In the past, I frequented the Luoyang Palace and even stayed there two out of three days, yet I never noticed such a person among the eunuchs… Cui Qi is right. This young man appears honest and kind, but his eyes are extraordinary, indicating inner wisdom. Although he is currently a commoner, he has been kind to Prince Cheng and Prince Qi, is Li Bi’s cousin, and is also skilled in martial arts. He will surely rise to prominence in the future.”

“Li Bi once said that his own achievements were too great and his deeds too extraordinary. I think Li Ji’s extraordinary circumstances are no less than his brother’s.”

Cui Guangyuan nodded and said, "I hope he truly understood what I meant tonight."

The man in the same bed smiled slightly and asked Cui Guangyuan, "Since you intend to win this person over, why did you only order one prostitute to serve him?"

Cui Guangyuan frowned: "Are we going to give him money or silk? That would be too obvious."

The man said, "No." He then leaned closer and whispered, "When Li Ji came, I looked out the window and saw that he was actually your Cui Qi holding the lamp..."

Upon hearing this, Cui Guangyuan was slightly taken aback, then shook his head: "Cui Qi is not yet fully grown, and his physique is rather thin..."

"Some people just like to be thin."

Cui Guangyuan shook his head: "What I said to Li Ji just now was not false. I did indeed regard Cui Qi as a fake woman."

"In the end, she is a maid, not a fake woman. Even if she is a fake woman, she is not a real woman. Even if she is a real woman... is the Zhao County Li family of Fanyang branch not good enough for your Boling Cui family's third branch?"

Cui Guangyuan waved his hand, his expression slightly changed, and said, "Even if it is a phoenix chick, it is not a true phoenix. Why invest so much? Lord Yan, do not try to play games with me!"

----------

Li Ji followed the maid out of the small building. Looking around, he saw only darkness and could not find Cui Qi. He then followed the maid through the corridor to a bedroom on the side of the courtyard. Bathing utensils and bedding had already been prepared in the room, and a woman in yellow was kneeling to greet him.

Li Ji looked the woman in yellow up and down under the lamplight. She was probably around twenty years old, with a graceful figure and snow-white skin. Of course, you can't look at her face, as it was covered in makeup. You have to look at her wrists. Her features were delicate, and he believed that she would be quite beautiful even without makeup.