Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Therefore, as soon as he left Chang'an, Li Ji went to bid farewell to Li Chengcai. Li Chengcai must have been informed by Li Shi beforehand, so he did not ask any questions and only said, "Do not delay any longer. I will rest in Liangzhou and wait for you to come and meet me."

As for where Li Chengcai was going after taking leave, what he was going to do, and even how much he knew about the matter concerning the Crown Prince Yehu, Li Ji did not intend to inquire. Not only was it meaningless, but it would also easily reveal secrets.

So he led only two soldiers, spurred his horse, and galloped westward for seven days and seven nights, barely finding lodging or unsaddled his horse, finally arriving in Shanzhou City. He then hurriedly went to pay his respects to Li Tan, asked him to dismiss his attendants, and explained his purpose.

Unexpectedly, Li Tan smiled wryly and said, "The guard is late..." Then he shook his head and said, "No, it has nothing to do with the guard, nor is it my mistake..."

Li Ji asked in surprise, "Has Your Highness already sent Prince Yabghu away?"

Li Tan replied, “In Changwei’s eyes, am I so foolish and incompetent? The day before yesterday, as soon as I learned of the passing of the valiant Khan, I immediately summoned Di De and asked him to convey to the Crown Prince of Yabghu that he should not return to the Uyghur Khaganate at this time. However, Di De said, ‘How can a son not return when his father is dead?’ He also told me that the Crown Prince of Yabghu had secretly returned north two days ago…”

Although the Crown Prince Yabghu had long ruled the western Uyghur region and was deposed and expelled, he still had many potential supporters within the country. Furthermore, his presence in Longyou wouldn't have meant simply sitting idly by and waiting for the situation to change; he must have maintained contact with his remaining allies within the country. Therefore, he learned of the Khan's death a few days earlier than Li Tan.

They immediately wanted to return to the grasslands to seize the Khan's throne. Dide and others earnestly advised against it, saying that preparations were not yet complete and that returning now would offer little chance of victory. The Crown Prince of Yabghu, however, said, "I thought that Father Khan was still in good health, and if he could live another three to five years, I could devise a plan and have a chance to turn the tide. But alas… could it be that Father Khan's fall from his horse while hunting was a conspiracy by Yidijian or his cronies?!"

"Therefore, I have no choice but to take a risk and hope for the best. If I return to the Uyghurs now, I still have a 10-20% chance of overthrowing Yidijian. But if Yidijian is allowed to formally sit on the throne of Khan, and even be granted a title by the Tang court, then I fear there will be no more chance. Consider this: the Prince of Qi is working hard to defend against the barbarians in Longyou, and is hoping for the Uyghurs' help. How could he possibly let me go back and cause temporary chaos among the Uyghurs? Fortunately, the Prince of Qi is still unaware of the Khan's death. If he knew, he would most likely send someone to detain me under the guise of protection!"

In fact, there are quite a few people sent by Li Tan outside his house, monitoring him openly or secretly. However, judging from the previous situation, the Crown Prince of Yabghu had no intention of leaving Longyou, so the precautions were not very strict; but later, especially after Li Tan learns of the death of the Martial Khan, he will certainly not be so lax.

Therefore, Crown Prince Yabghu insisted on immediately sneaking out of Tang territory and returning to the Uyghur Khaganate. Emperor De wanted to follow, but was dissuaded by Crown Prince Yabghu. The Crown Prince said, "You are currently under the command of King Qi. If you rush out, King Qi will surely find out. If he sends a fast horse to chase after us, I'm afraid none of us will be able to leave Tang territory. You should go back and continue to appease King Qi, buying me time to sneak back."

Left with no other choice, Emperor De could only bid farewell to Crown Prince Yabghu in tears. Immediately afterward, the Crown Prince sent someone to impersonate him, feigning illness and refusing to show himself. In secret, he changed his clothes, sneaked out of his hiding place that very night, and, together with three riders, galloped north.

Dide hadn't expected that just three days later, Li Tan would summon him, ordering him to warn the Crown Prince of Yabghu against returning to the Uyghur Khaganate at this time. Dide intended to continue concealing the truth, but given his nature, he was incapable of lying, and Li Tan easily uncovered the truth in a few words. Li Tan was furious and immediately arrested Dide, then sent men to pursue him.

But judging from the current situation, the chances of catching up are extremely slim...

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but sigh, "Truly, 'Man proposes, God disposes'... If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have kept the Crown Prince alive!"

He then requested to meet with Dide.

Di De had been imprisoned in a small, dark room for several days. He was disheveled, filthy, and a far cry from the valiant general he once was. Upon seeing him, Li Ji asked, "The Crown Prince Yegu's journey is fraught with peril. As his subject, why don't you advise him against it?"

Di De smiled bitterly and said, "Because what the Crown Prince said makes sense. If we do not resign today, we may never have any hope of returning home in the future—let alone regaining the Khan's position. Li Ji, think about it carefully. For the sake of our friendship with Tang He, once Yi Di Jian has secured the Khan's throne, do you think the Tang court... or the Prince of Qi, will still support the Crown Prince?"

Li Ji replied, “No one can predict what will happen in the future, but as long as we have our strength, we can always fight another day. I have heard that Yidi Jian does not value the friendship between Tang and He. So one day in the future, he may break the alliance and invade our Tang. At that time, not only His Highness Prince Qi, but also the court will be willing to support Crown Prince Yabghu to oppose Yidi Jian.”

Di De shook his head: "The century-old friendship between Tang and He is not so easily broken. Even if Yi Di Jian has such intentions, he must consider the thoughts of the various tribal leaders. If Yi Di Jian does not betray Tang, the Crown Prince will never return; if Yi Di Jian betrays Tang, it means that his foundation is solid and his wings are strong. At that time, even if the Tang court supports the Crown Prince, what use will it be?"

Li Ji asked, "Now that the Crown Prince Yabghu has returned and is gathering his supporters, he hopes to replace Yidijian and establish himself as emperor. Tell me honestly, what are his chances of success?"

"At most 20%."

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Chapter Thirteen: Uyghur Internal Strife

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Di De said that the Crown Prince of Yabghu had returned to the Uyghur Khaganate to seize power, and that he had at most a 20% chance of winning. Upon hearing this, Li Ji immediately raised his eyebrows and said, "You are also a commander. On the battlefield, can you really fight the enemy with only a 20% chance of winning?"

Dide replied, "If there is no way out, even if there is only a 10% chance of victory... no, even if there is no chance of victory at all, I would rather die on the battlefield than live a life of dishonor!"

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh. Through his conversation with Di De, he basically agreed with the Crown Prince Yabghu's decision. Even if he were in the same situation, he believed he would have done the same—better to fail in his attempt to seize power and die in his hometown than to spend his life as a recluse in another country. And who knows, one day he might even be captured by the Tang court and sent back to the grasslands to be dealt with by Yi Di Jian…

After sighing, he asked Di De, "Now that the Crown Prince of Yegu has left, what are your plans?"

Emperor De clasped his hands together and said, "I can only pray to Heaven and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, begging for mercy, hoping that the Crown Prince's wish will be granted..."

"If the Crown Prince of Yabghu wins, will you return to the Uyghur Khaganate?"

Di De nodded: "That's for sure, but if there's an opportunity, I must return to assist the Crown Prince."

"And if the Crown Prince of Yabghu is defeated and killed, what will you do?"

Dide sighed deeply: "Then I'll only be able to wander abroad for the rest of my life, a ghost in a foreign land..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "If you don't intend to die for the Crown Prince of Yabghu, then things will be easier—would you be willing to settle down, submit to my Tang, and fight for my Tang on the battlefield?"

Without hesitation, Di De replied, “I do not wish to be a general of the Tang Dynasty—back in the Uyghur Khaganate, I commanded a thousand troops and had my own tribe and tents. Would the Tang Dynasty grant me that? In the Tang, I am but a lowly soldier, and I must endure countless battles to hope for promotion and ennoblement. Moreover, since the Tang and Uyghur Khaganates maintain their friendship, a deserter like me is likely not worthy of respect…”

However, after a pause, he continued, "But you, Li Ji, and His Highness Prince Qi, have shown the Crown Prince the kindness of taking him in. If the Crown Prince cannot repay this kindness, then I will repay it for him. You and Prince Qi need only do what is necessary for me; I will gladly die a hundred times for you!"

Li Ji returned to see Li Tan and said to him, "I went to inquire about Emperor De's intentions. If the Crown Prince of Yehu is defeated and killed, he is willing to stay in our Tang Dynasty and be at Your Highness's beck and call. Your Highness should calm down for now and give him better treatment. Don't let him die in captivity and lose a great general in vain."

Li Tan nodded.

Li Ji then said, “I expect that the Crown Prince of Yegu will most likely fail in his mission, but... we do not know much about the situation in the Uyghur Khaganate, and miracles... are still possible. I should hurry to the Uyghur Khaganate. If Princess Ningguo is still alive, I must find a way to protect her and prevent her from being caught in the chaos of war and unable to return to Tang.”

Li Tan couldn't help but tear up: "Whether my sister can escape this predicament depends on the mercy of our ancestors... And if she is not forced to commit suicide, whether she can return to her hometown safely depends entirely on Changwei!" As he spoke, he stood up and bowed deeply to Li Ji: "Changwei once rescued Consort Shen in Luoyang, and may be blessed with good fortune. I hope that this good fortune can be used to save my sister and bring her back."

Li Ji bowed to Li Tan, then immediately changed the subject, asking him about the defense situation in Longyou.

Li Tan replied, “Since the court sent Deputy Envoy Hun (Hun Shizhi), the heavy burden on my shoulders has been lightened, and I can entrust all military affairs to him. In particular, Deputy Envoy Hun said that he has summoned his son Rijin from Hedong. He is a young and fierce general who can fight ten thousand men—even if he is not as good as Changwei, I don’t think he is just making empty promises…”

Hun Shizhi had been in Longyou for more than half a month. Initially, he did not agree with the strategy of holding Shancheng and suggested that it would be better to abandon Shancheng and retreat to Xiaoxia. However, after conducting on-site inspections, repeatedly discussing with generals such as Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong, and inquiring in detail about the course of last year's battle, he felt that the risk was worth taking and that there was a good chance of winning.

However—"Unfortunately, there is no Li Erlang in Longyou. Unless there is a fierce general to guard Shancheng, the plan will not succeed!" Therefore, Hun Shi recommended his son Hun Rijin to Li Tan and requested that Hun Rijin be temporarily transferred from Li Guangbi's command to Longyou under the pretext of visiting relatives.

Li Ji said, "I have also heard of Hun Rijin's bravery, and he has fought against the barbarian bandits. I suppose his reputation is well-deserved. With the Hun family assisting Your Highness, I can be a little more at ease in the capital."

He only stayed in Shanzhou for one night and didn't see anyone else—including his deputy commander Hun Shizhi and his old friend Du Fu—before setting off again the next day, hurrying north to meet up with Li Chengcai. However, Li Ji specifically asked Li Tan for Ma Meng, the young soldier who had once guided him to the Uyghur camp—of course, he now held an official position, a ninth-rank official, leading fifty horsemen—to continue serving as his guide and interpreter.

They hurried north and arrived at Guzang to pay their respects to Zhou Ben, the deputy military governor of Hexi. However, upon inquiring, they learned that Li Chengcai had not yet arrived... Ultimately, the carriage traveled slowly, less than half the speed of Li Ji's non-stop journey. Li Ji could only patiently wait in Guzang, hoping for new news from the north.

It wasn't until five days later that Li Chengcai and his entourage arrived. Actually, Li Chengcai hadn't traveled particularly slowly—after all, it concerned the life or remains of the emperor's beloved daughter, so he dared not delay any longer—which resulted in them being exhausted and forced to rest for three more days upon entering Guzang City.

Then he set off with Li Ji, continuing their journey towards the grasslands and deserts.

The good news came along the way: according to merchants traveling from the south, Princess Ningguo was not forced to be buried alive with the emperor.

This matter caused quite a stir, and even merchants heard of it. It is said that not many days after the death of the valiant Khan, Yidijian hastily ascended the throne and immediately demanded that Princess Ningguo follow the custom of the Yaoluoge clan and commit suicide for her husband. However, the princess resolutely refused, saying:

“According to Chinese law, when a husband dies, his wife should mourn, weeping day and night for three years. Now that you Uyghurs have brought me into this world, you must admire Chinese customs and traditions. If you still want to follow old customs and traditions, why bother to bring me from thousands of miles away?!”

After repeated arguments, both sides eventually compromised. Yidijian no longer demanded that the princess be buried alive with him, while the princess, in accordance with Uyghur custom, had her face slashed and wept bitterly before the spirit of the mighty Khan.

The key issue is that although the old customs of the Uyghurs were barbaric, the Uyghurs, especially Yidijian, were not stupid. They knew that having a Tang princess buried alive with them could provoke resentment or even hostility from the Tang people. Although Yidijian did not value the friendship between the Tang and the Uyghurs as much as his father and grandfather, he had only recently ascended the throne and his power base was unstable. He was also worried that having a Tang princess buried alive with him would anger the pro-Tang chieftains and officials.

Especially since the eldest brother, Crown Prince Yabghu, is still alive, this matter will eventually be revealed to Yidijian. So, at this juncture, if some chieftains and officials are pushed away, Crown Prince Yabghu will surely embrace them. Isn't this like driving away birds to a thicket and fish to a deep pool?

Upon hearing this news, Li Ji finally calmed down a bit. Li Chengcai was even more delighted and ordered that they could finally slow down and not rush towards the grasslands any longer—the insides of my thighs were already chafed from riding horses these past few days.

Li Ji thought to himself, "You're not some pampered prince who doesn't have to worry about anything. This is your second time traveling to the Uyghur Khaganate. Why are you being so delicate?" He worried that the return of the Crown Prince of Yegu would trigger internal strife within the Uyghur Khaganate. Even if he ultimately failed, who knew what might happen in the chaos of war? He earnestly requested Li Chengcai not to delay and to continue advancing at the previous pace.

Li Chengcai naturally disagreed, but Li Ji was also reluctant to reveal anything about the Crown Prince of Yabghu—who knew how much this Prince of Dunhuang actually knew?—and in the end, he could only plead to let him go ahead and pave the way. Li Chengcai granted his request.

So Li Ji led Ma Meng and four Left Heroic Army knights, spurring their horses on, traveling day and night, and finally arrived at the Uyghur camp at the northern foot of Mount Wudejian half a month later. Upon arrival, they found the situation to be relatively stable, and it seemed that the Crown Prince Yabghu had not yet made a move.

He ignored Yidi Jian—because Yidi Jian was only a regent at the time and had not yet officially ascended the throne—and went directly to pay his respects to the Khatun, who was Princess Ningguo. Upon meeting her, he noticed that Princess Ningguo refused to reveal her true face, instead covering it with a piece of plain silk, presumably to conceal the scars on her face from the "scarring."

The thought of a beautiful and charming noblewoman who was disfigured and whose face was scarred countless times made Li Ji feel a pang of pain in his heart.

After paying his respects to the princess, he reminisced about their separation and discussed the current situation of the royal family. Afterward, Li Ji asked the princess to dismiss all other people, as he had a few words to say to her.

Although he hadn't yet decided whether to reveal the matter of the Crown Prince of Yehu to Princess Ningguo as a warning, Li Ji also wanted to inquire about the Uyghur situation in advance—whether things would descend into chaos, and when.

Princess Ningguo said, "Yidijian has not yet formally inherited the throne of Khan. In half a month, the leaders of all tribes must gather at the tent to elect a new Khan..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was taken aback—oh dear, the Uyghurs still use an election system? But if that's the case, how did the title of "Crown Prince" come about?

The Uyghur homeland was divided into nine clans, hence the name "Nine-Clan Uyghurs." Historically, the chieftain was elected by the clan elders. However, from the time Huai Ren Khan Guli Peiluo formally established the state and declared himself Khan, power gradually concentrated in the hands of the Yaoluoge clan, and the qualification to be a Khan gradually became the exclusive domain of the Yaoluoge clan.

To be more precise, the new Khan must be chosen from among the sons and nephews of the former Khan.

However, the Yaoluoge clan was a large clan, and even if the circle of successors was limited to the sons and nephews of the former Khan, the number was still considerable. Many of them had no chance of being elected, which would only dilute the votes and even cause political turmoil. Therefore, when the valiant Khan was alive, he devised a clever trick.

First, he abolished the left-right killing system inherited from the Turkic Empire. Although the Uyghur tribe and territory were still divided into three parts—the Khan leading the main tribe, and two of the four Yabghu (excluding the nominal fifth Yabghu, Li Chengcai) leading the eastern and western parts respectively—he specifically gave these two Yabghu positions to his own sons. Furthermore, he decreed that from then on, only the Khan's sons and nephews could lead the eastern and western parts.

Initially, he granted the position of Western Yabghu to his eldest son and the Eastern Yabghu to his second son. At that time, the eldest son was still favored, so the valiant Khan adopted the Tang Dynasty system and had people call him "Yabghu Crown Prince". This was tantamount to telling the leaders of various clans and tribes that after his death, the new Khan would be chosen from these two, and the "Yabghu Crown Prince" was the first in line.

In reality, this isn't much different from formally designating an heir; it's just a pretense of following old customs, using the guise of an election system. It's similar to having four presidential candidates: the incumbent president is the natural candidate, and the other three are also nominated by the incumbent president…

After his second son died young, the valiant Khan then placed his younger son, Yidijian, on the throne of the Eastern Yabghu. However, when the Khan began to consider deposing the eldest son and establishing the younger, it led to the Yabghu Crown Prince's rebellion, which failed and resulted in his escape. The valiant Khan then ordered Yidijian to be renamed "Crown Prince." But Yidijian, having long ruled the east, had no intention of relinquishing it and instead sought to take over his elder brother's western territories—even if he wanted to control both the east and west, he had to proceed gradually. Therefore, he retained control of the east, while the valiant Khan temporarily entrusted the west to his prime minister, Dunmohedagan.

—Dunmohedagan’s official title was “She”, which was one rank lower than that of Yehu.

Political system reform is never a matter of a single day or night, especially in the loosely organized Uyghur Khanate, where conservative forces were very strong. The valiant Khan's plan to change the tribal election system to a feudal succession system had not yet set a precedent. Therefore, after his death, although Yidijian immediately assumed the position of regent and claimed the title of successor Khan, he still had to summon the leaders and nobles of various clans and tribes to his tent to go through the motions.

However, in the name of the mighty Khan's dying wish, he limited the candidates for Khan to four people, including himself and his cousins, including Dunmohedagan.

Of the three, only Yidijian was the biological son of the valiant Khan, thus inheriting the former Khan's prestige and naturally surpassing Dunmohedagan. Dunmohedagan would never dare to compete with him. As for the other two, they were merely extras, playing supporting roles. Therefore, even before the Khan's election assembly was held, the result had already been predetermined.

However, Yi Dijian knew, and Li Ji also knew, that there was still an unstable factor, namely—the Crown Prince Yehu.

Although the Crown Prince Yabghu has been deposed, he has long ruled the west and has many supporters and sympathizers even in the Khan's own territory. If he were to suddenly return and compete with Yidijian, even if his chances of winning were slim, it would be enough to cause a great upheaval. This would be very detrimental to Yidijian's ability to secure the Khan's throne and unite the hearts of the Uyghurs.

The valiant Khan had taken this into consideration when appointing Dunmohedagan as the Western Chieftain; Yidijian even privately promised Dunmohedagan that once he formally ascended the throne, he would promote his cousin to Yabghu, and that the Western region would be truly governed for generations to come. Yidijian's descendants only held the position of Eastern Yabghu, meaning that only the one who held the position of Eastern Yabghu would be the true "Yabghu Crown Prince" and the heir to the Khanate.

However, Li Ji knew that Dunmohedagan actually sympathized with the Crown Prince of Yabghu... At least in terms of maintaining the friendship between Tang and He as an important national policy, Yidijian did not care, while Dunmohedagan fully supported it and judged that after returning from the Central Plains, the Crown Prince of Yabghu's political inclination began to shift towards his side.

So, if the Crown Prince of Yabghu suddenly appears in the west, who will Dunmohedagan support? If he changes his allegiance and supports the Crown Prince of Yabghu, will the power distribution within the Uyghur Khaganate be evenly split?

Li Ji naturally hoped that the Crown Prince of Yabghu would inherit the throne of the Uyghur Khan, because regardless of his actual political leanings, he had ultimately received favors from the Tang court, at least from Li Tan, and it would be inconvenient to quickly break ties with him—Yidijian might not be so. At the same time, however, he did not want the Uyghurs to be in complete turmoil or even split at this juncture.

In fact, the division of the northern nomadic states was highly beneficial to the Central Plains dynasties. The Sui and early Tang dynasties capitalized on the split between the Eastern and Western Turks, actively expanding their influence and ultimately eliminating the northern border threat. However, the problem was that the Central Plains were still in turmoil, the Tibetan Empire coveted the region, and the Uyghurs remained allies, not enemies. If the Uyghurs were to fall into internal strife, the Tang dynasty would not only be unable to expand its influence but would also lose a major ally. Furthermore, in the midst of internal strife, the various steppe tribes, lacking unified command, might very well launch southward raids!

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Chapter Fourteen: The Assassination Plot

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Li Ji felt deeply conflicted. He hoped that the Crown Prince Yabghu would eventually ascend to the throne of the Uyghur Khan, but he also hoped to limit the scale of this power struggle to a manageable level. However, given the Crown Prince Yabghu's abilities, it was estimated that it would be difficult for him to completely turn the tide in an instant...

In the end, he revealed all the relevant information to Princess Ningguo to seek her opinion—after all, as a Tang person, no one knew the inner workings of the Uyghurs better than the princess.

Princess Ningguo remained silent for a long time after hearing about this. Li Ji repeatedly asked her questions before she finally said slowly, "I am but a woman; how could I possibly understand such things?"

Li Ji hurriedly said, "So what if she's a woman? Didn't Empress Wu Zetian, a woman, rule from behind the throne and eventually become emperor? Besides, the customs of the Uyghurs are ultimately different from those of China. As the Khatun of the mighty Khan, the princess should have a certain say in political affairs. This matter concerns the relationship between the Tang and the Uyghurs, so I hope the princess will make her own decision."

Princess Ningguo thought for a moment before saying, "If it's for the sake of friendship between Tang and He... then in my opinion, it's best not to do anything."

"I humbly request Your Highness's guidance."

“Even if we help Prince Yehu, it will be difficult to succeed, and we might even offend Yidijian. If we help Yidijian, he is already certain of victory and may not appreciate our help. As Changwei said, fate is unpredictable and things are not always right. If we bet on the wrong horse, it will definitely damage our friendship with Tanghe.”

Li Ji remained silent, lost in thought.

The princess continued, “Rather than hastily getting involved in the conflict, it is better to observe from the sidelines. No matter which side wins, they will not blame me. If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, we can then use my authority as the Khatun, with the Tang Dynasty as our backing, to support the side that has the slight advantage, so that the turmoil will not last long and the Uyghurs can be restored to peace. This is a more prudent approach.”

Li Ji nodded and said, "Your Highness is right... However, Your Highness must also protect yourself and be careful not to be kidnapped by those who cause chaos."

Princess Ningguo smiled and said, "Originally there might have been some danger, but now that you, Changwei, are here, I have no worries." She immediately ordered Li Ji to temporarily serve as her bodyguard and set up a small tent next to the Khatun's sleeping tent so that he could be summoned at any time.