Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 149

Li Yu slowly turned around and stared at Li Ji: "Are you saying that even Xu Shuji cannot be killed without trial?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, merely lowering his head slightly: "Xu Shuji has indeed surrendered to the rebels, but how can he be compared to Lai Zhen? Moreover, in my humble opinion, it is sufficient to remove certain people from their posts and weaken their power; there is no need to take their lives. Lai Zhen is merely a military man, but without command of troops, he is incompetent. Human life is ultimately only one; once it is dead, it cannot be brought back to life. Your Majesty holds the reins of power over the world; you must be cautious in killing people."

The more someone like you can be ordered to kill someone at any time, the more careful you need to be. I'm different; sometimes I can only resort to tricks in private. Whether you really know that Xu Shuji was killed by me or you're just guessing, I will never admit it without evidence.

“For some people, simply removing them from their posts and weakening their power is not enough; their lives need not be taken,” Li Yu slowly repeated Li Ji’s words, then asked, “But for others, even removing them from their posts and weakening their power is not enough; only suicide can ensure peace of mind both inside and outside the country? Like Li Fuguo?”

Li Ji thought to himself, "Emperor, do you have to be so shrewd? Just be a decent, incompetent emperor, why act like you have everything under control? Did you rebuild the 'Hall of Inspectorate Affairs' or something?"

But thinking about it again, Li Yu had been the crown prince for many years and had seen countless intrigues and schemes. He should have accumulated some experience by now. So, it's not impossible that I had some involvement in Li Fuguo's suicide. Besides, I didn't really intend to hide it. Even if I explicitly said that I persuaded Li Fuguo to commit suicide, there was no corresponding provision in the Tang law that could punish me, right?

“Your Majesty, Lai Zhen was executed without his crimes being clearly stated, which inevitably caused the generals to feel a sense of shared sorrow; even if Li Fuguo was executed rather than committed suicide, most of the palace eunuchs would be happy to see it happen…” For example, Cheng Yuanzhen would certainly be pleased—“Lai Zhen only implicated Wang Zhongsheng and had no grudges against the generals, while Li Fuguo had been in power for several years and committed many illegal acts, which were hated both inside and outside the court. Although the deaths of these two men are pitiable, their impact on the court cannot be compared.”

Li Yu hesitated for a moment before finally explaining, "There are many things that Shi'er dares not hide from me..." He then sighed, "Alas, killing Lai Zhen was indeed a bit hasty."

He waved his hand, ending the topic: "Let's not talk about Lai Zhen. As for Yu Pugu and his son, do you really think they won't rebel?"

"I dare not make any guarantees... Everyone has seven emotions and six desires, joy and sorrow, hatred and resentment. If we can prevent the generals from harboring resentment in the court, then even if they do, we can take away their military power to prevent chaos. If Pugu and his son rebel, it will be a great harm to the country, but it will also be of no benefit to their family. However, if we push them too far... even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone the barbarians."

Li Yu stared intently at Li Ji and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "If Changwei were to place Pugu and his son in a dangerous location, what decision would you make?"

Chapter Thirty-One: The Princess's Recommendation

Li Ji's view of Li Yu was complex, even contradictory. On the one hand, he disliked Li Yu's weakness, but at the same time, he deeply appreciated Li Yu's loyalty. Then, he was more or less worried that Li Yu would follow in his father's footsteps, being weak to barbarians but cold-blooded to his own people—even his father and son—appearing loyal on the surface but harboring deep resentment.

However, for now, he felt that the emperor could still be saved, as long as Li Bi could stay by his side and guide him properly. After all, since ascending the throne, apart from the arbitrary killing of Lai Zhen, Li Yu had not made any major mistakes, unlike Li Heng, who had already failed from the moment that scoundrel trusted Fang Wan and failed to punish him after the defeat.

Not to mention listening to the words of eunuchs and concubines, he was even willing to be ruthless to his own son!

Therefore, Li Ji always pretended to be an "innocent child" in front of Li Heng, seemingly without any guile, in order to lull the emperor into a false sense of security and avoid his suspicion. With Li Yu, however, things were different. They had worked together in the military headquarters, and Li Ji had even helped Li Yu when he was appointed crown prince; the two were much closer in spirit.

Li Ji's soul ultimately came from 1,500 years in the future, lacking reverence for imperial power. Whether facing Li Heng or Li Yu, he treated them only as his superiors, not as feudal monarchs who could decide life and death with a single word—of course, the proper etiquette still had to be observed. However, ultimately, his superiors held his livelihood in their hands, and he couldn't switch jobs, nor did he have the opportunity to start his own business for the time being. So, many times, he had to endure what he had to endure and pretend what he had to pretend.

Compared to his father, Li Ji didn't need to pretend as much in front of Li Yu, and he dared to speak more frankly—this leader had just taken office and lacked prestige, and seemed easier to talk to than his father, plus he himself was a major contributor to Li Yu's rise to power…

Therefore, Li Yu directly questioned him: "If Changwei were to place Pugu and his son in a similar situation, how would you decide?" Li Ji hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose his words carefully, deciding to say a few more words—

"If my words are disrespectful, I hope Your Majesty will not punish me."

"I pardon you from all guilt, but you may speak freely."

"In the past, during the Tianbao era, the country was strong on the outside but weak on the inside. The civil officials were complacent and the military was idle. An Lushan rebelled in Fanyang and swept through Hebei. He truly had the hope of the world—if he could have treated the people well and if there had been no discord between father and son. Now it is different. The great chaos has just been quelled, and people yearn for stability. Would it not be difficult to shake the state with a single army from Shuofang? If I were Pugu and his son, I would not dare to harbor any rebellious thoughts. I would only seek to preserve my position and salary, and secondly, to live."

"However, there are three examples before the Pugu father and son: Guo Situ entered the court but was relegated to a life of leisure; Lai Zhen returned to the court but died soon after; and Li Taiwei was in Xuzhou but was repeatedly summoned but did not come..."

In April of that year, Li Guangbi completely suppressed Yuan Chao's rebel army. The court summoned him back to the capital, but he made excuses and refused to go. So Li Yu issued an edict, increasing his fief by two thousand households, granting one of his sons the rank of third grade, bestowing upon him an iron certificate, having his name enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and having his portrait painted in the Lingyan Pavilion—the conditions were already very generous, but he still refused to return.

"If the generals outside have any other options, they are unwilling to become Minister Guo; even if they were willing to become Minister Guo, they fear the calamity that would befall them. Therefore, the only one they can emulate is Grand Commandant Li. If they harbor rebellious thoughts, they will be walking down a dead end."

Ultimately, it's because your killing of Zhen has chilled the hearts of all the townsmen. Even Li Guangbi didn't dare to return to the capital, let alone others.

“This precedent must not be set. If all the garrisons dare not return to the capital and remain abroad for too long, they will become increasingly estranged from the court and Your Majesty, and the trend of separatism will not only fail but will become a reality. Therefore, I believe that we must summon Pugu and his son back to the capital, but we must give them a way to live and make it clear that they will not be killed, so as to set an example for the world for all the garrisons.”

"I have served Your Majesty for a long time. If I were in the same position as those father and son, I would surely be willing to return to the court..." He thought to himself, "But that might not be the case. If those father and son do not receive good advice and persuasion, I'm afraid they will be in a difficult position."

Li Yu smiled bitterly and said, "You have also read Pugu Huaien's memorial. Even if he is not punished for his arrogance, he still makes me deeply suspicious—who can explain this?"

"Therefore, I recommend Minister Guo."

Li Yu gently shook his head: "I am not suspicious of Minister Guo. I want to ensure his lifelong wealth and honor, which is why I dare not send him to Fenzhou..." He turned halfway around, gazing at the dark Taiye Pond, but suddenly changed the subject: "Changwei, what do you think of Minister of Hebei?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's spirits lifted, thinking to himself, "I was just about to have a proper talk with you about the situation in Hebei—"The surrendered generals in Hebei are gradually establishing their own separatist regimes, which will inevitably become a threat to the country in the long run. They should be gradually eliminated..."

"I appointed you to govern Weibo with this intention in mind. However, how should we eliminate you?"

"If Yan and Zhao unite, they will become another Shi Siming; if Yan and Zhao separate, it will not be difficult for the court to destroy them. While I am in Weibo, I will help Your Majesty sow discord among the surrendered generals, and then deal with them one by one."

"Do you have a plan in mind regarding which should come first?"

"Youzhou is to defend against the Khitan and Xi people, so it cannot be touched for the time being; Xue Song is old, so in a few years, Your Majesty can try to summon him to court. If he comes, then there will be no worries; Chengde relies on its strategic location, so it is not convenient to take it lightly; the one who plans first is either Tian Chengsi or Qin Rui!"

"Once I have trained a strong army and established a foothold on the western front, I can seek an opportunity to attack Ji Province or Wu Shun Army. Although I have only been stationed here for a short time, I already know that those two forces have some animosity. I dare to request permission to grant Your Majesty a passage to conquer Guo. Once the two garrisons are secured, Your Majesty can appoint trusted ministers to jointly attack Chengde. After Chengde falls, Zhaoyi Army and Fanyang are separated by a thousand miles and cannot coordinate their attacks. It will not be difficult to eliminate them."

Li Yu nodded slowly: "With your plan, I am at ease."

He then turned to Li Ji and continued to look at him: "If it weren't for your selfless battle in the past, I would have been killed when I was in Ding'an. As for the palace turmoil last year, there's no need to mention it. You saved my life, so I treat you differently from others and have no doubts about you. You should also have no doubts about me..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I'd be a fool to believe you! Even if you trust me now and have no suspicions, what will happen when I reach a position equal to Pugu Huai'en, or even approach the level of Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi? Will you still let me hold a large army in the field? If you don't consider human feelings in politics, then don't lie through your teeth."

On the surface, however, he appeared deeply grateful, crossing his arms and bowing profoundly: "Your Majesty, my loyalty is as clear as day and night, how could I dare to doubt you..."

Li Yu reached out and patted Li Ji on the shoulder: "I am not lying to you. Minister Guo is old. In the past, when he came to pay his respects, although I wanted to show him my closeness, I had nothing to say. But I hope that when I am old in the future, my guards will also be able to wear purple robes and gold belts, be granted the title of king, have their portraits painted in the Lingyan Pavilion, and have their sons and sons-in-law all ranked in high positions, and come to the palace to chat with me."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Wow, the emperor's quite frank, implying he's already destined for a cold shoulder." Should I admire his willingness to speak the truth, or despise his lack of leadership skills and tendency to spout nonsense?

Suddenly, Li Yu asked again, "Do you know why I summoned you to the palace so urgently tonight to inquire about the affairs of Hedong?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, I truly do not know. Please enlighten me."

"It was He Zheng who said that he wanted to summon Pugu and his son to court. If it weren't for Minister Guo, then only you, Li Changwei, would have been able to do it."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Princess, I haven't offended you! Fenzhou isn't exactly a den of dragons and tigers, but persuading the Pugu father and son is an incredibly difficult task. Guo Ziyi would have been the best choice, so why me? Just because I have some personal connections with those two? There are plenty of civil and military officials who have connections with them. Besides, to be honest, I've already developed a grudge against them while I was in Luoyang..."

To be honest, Li Ji had already been somewhat prepared for this situation when Li Yu summoned him alone to accompany him to the Taiye Pond. Unless Li Yu immediately inquired about the affairs of Hebei, dismissing everyone else meant he was being instructed to take charge. Now, the Pugu father and son were already on the edge of a precipice; if no one pulled them back, they would surely plunge down and die without a burial, potentially ruining the hard-won stability of the situation. The father and son were unjust, and Li Ji could not be unjust either; even for Zhang Liangong's sake, he was unwilling to stand by and watch the spectacle.

The key question is whether Guo Ziyi will be detained by Pugu and his son if he arrives in Fenzhou, and used as a banner for an uprising. Li Ji is not sure about this either...

Therefore, it is best to keep this matter under one's own control. If things still don't work out after all efforts, then so be it; but if others mess things up and the world—at least Hedong—is thrown into chaos again, affecting the war against Tibet, Li Ji will never be at ease.

Unexpectedly, it was Princess Hezheng who advised Li Yu to send him to Hedong… Li Ji originally thought that if Li Yu hadn't made his own plan and adopted his minister's advice, it would have been one of the other three present. Li Shi and Li Bi's recommendation of him was mostly out of public interest rather than goodwill—if given a choice between the country and Li Ji, Li Bi might hesitate, but Li Shi would definitely choose the country, because it might fall into his hands in the future… If it was Cheng Yuanzhen's recommendation, then whether there was a hidden conspiracy was something he needed to think about carefully.

Li Ji has no conflict with Cheng Yuanzhen for the time being, and they used to get along well, but... he naturally distrusts eunuchs, especially those in power.

However, the idea of ​​having Princess Hezheng come up with it was somewhat unexpected.

Seeing that Li Ji seemed to be hesitating and did not agree immediately, Li Yu couldn't help but ask, "Well, are you willing to go to Fenzhou to summon Pugu and his son back to court for me?"

Li Ji crossed his hands and retorted, "Since I came from Weibo, the secret edict and the message relayed by Yan Sima both state that Your Majesty will be stationed in the capital, commanding the imperial guards to protect you. With a major battle against the barbarian rebels imminent, what will become of the capital if you go to Hedong at this time?"

Li Yu replied, “I summoned you back to court because I fear the war with the Western Barbarians is so close at hand. If anything goes wrong, Chang’an will be alarmed and the people will be uneasy… I am worried about the people of Chang’an, not about my own safety. However, if chaos breaks out in Hedong at the same time, we will be caught in a pincer movement with the Western Barbarians, making the situation even more perilous. Therefore, I had no choice but to appoint you. I have decided to appoint Shi’er as the commander-in-chief within the pass and Guo Situ as the deputy commander-in-chief to assist him. Besides him, who else in the Imperial Guards can be used? Tell me.”

Li Ji thought to himself, "If you are really willing to employ Guo Ziyi, then there won't be much of a problem." He continued, "Hun Jian is the eldest son of Hun Shi. Although he is young, he has been on the battlefield for a long time. My comrades from my time in Longyou all praise his abilities. Your Majesty can give him a try."

Li Yu nodded, then asked for the third time, "In that case, would you be willing to go to Hedong?"

Li Ji thought for a moment and replied, "Since it is the princess's recommendation and Your Majesty's order, how dare I disobey? I only ask Your Majesty to grant me two requests..."

"You said."

"Firstly, Minister Guo is, after all, the former commander of Shuofang and the benefactor of Pugu and his son. We can ask Minister Guo to write a letter to comfort Pugu and his son, which I will take to Fenzhou."

"Your words are reasonable. I will immediately issue the edict to the Minister of Works. What is the second one?"

"Your Majesty, please appoint a trustworthy general to rush north to Lingwu and serve as the acting military governor of Shuofang."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu frowned: "I was just about to comfort and persuade Pugu and his son. If I were to suddenly appoint another general as the acting governor of Shuofang, wouldn't they become even more suspicious?"

Li Ji smiled bitterly and said, "This is a matter of no choice. Although the princess recommended me and His Majesty entrusted me with an important task, I am of meager virtue and shallow knowledge, and I fear that I will fail in my duty. If things fail and my father and I betray each other, if we remain in Hedong, we can still order the various garrisons to suppress us; but if we cross the river to the west and return to Shuofang, colluding with the Western Qiang or even the Tubo, then we will be uncontrollable. All things are accomplished if we are prepared, and fail if we are not prepared."

Li Yu nodded slowly: "Enough. Man proposes, God disposes. Do your best, and I will not force you to succeed or fail... Hun Shizhi is a former general of Shuofang. Order him to return to Lingwu immediately..."

After leaving the palace, Li Ji returned home. Cui Cuo had already prepared food and wine, but noticed that her husband seemed rather absent-minded, even eating a bowl less than usual. She couldn't help but wonder. So, after clearing away the leftovers, she leaned closer and whispered her question to him.

Li Ji did not hide anything from her and explained the whole story. Cui Cuo said, "The affairs of the world are complicated and cannot be decided by one person alone. Why do all the heavy responsibilities fall on your shoulders, my lord? You were summoned to fight the bandits, you were tasked with suppressing the bandits in Shi, you were tasked with pacifying Hebei, and now you are being summoned back to defend against the western barbarian bandits. When chaos breaks out in Hedong, you are asked to go there again... Isn't the imperial family being a bit too demanding? Are all the officials in the court, except for you, just clay figures, and is there really no one else who can be used?"

Li Ji said with a wry smile, "There are many capable people, but alas, even the sage dares not trust them..."

The key issue is that since Li Yu was made crown prince, he has been confined to the Eastern Palace for many years, with almost no contact with court officials. Over time, even his former advisors during the reigns of Prince Guangping, Prince Chu, and Prince Cheng, such as Chang Gun and Cui Youfu, have gradually become estranged from him. Therefore, the only people Li Yu can trust now are those who stood by his side during the palace coup—Cheng Yuanzhen, Li Ji, Li Sheng, and Ma Sui.

—Leaving aside Li Fuguo, it's hard to say whether Li Yu used him or he used Li Yu during that palace coup…

Therefore, after Li Yu ascended the throne, Li Ji became like a brick—moved wherever needed. In fact, in terms of seniority and even ability, summoning Lai Zhen and garrisoning Weibo might not have been entirely impossible without Li Ji, but given the trust placed in him, the heavy responsibility fell entirely on his shoulders. The same applies to ordering him to persuade the Pugu father and son.

Cui Cuo reminded Li Ji: "If you place too much trust in someone, you must guard against jealousy; if you achieve too much merit, you must prevent your master from becoming suspicious."

Li Ji nodded and said, “Don’t worry, I understand. Actually, I have no other wish than to personally lead a strong army to drive out the barbarian bandits. After all, when I was in Longyou, I saw so many comrades and civilians die at the hands of the barbarian bandits, and my heart is not at peace. After the barbarians are pacified, I will honestly return to Chang’an and live a peaceful life like Minister Guo, waiting for my death.”

Cui Cuo sneered, "We'll have to see if Minister Guo gets a good death in the end!"

He then asked, "Summoning Pugu and his son this time will not be easy... Would you like me to accompany you, sir?"

Li Ji waved his hand: "No need. It is indeed not easy to do, and I have no plan in mind for the time being. I can only take it one step at a time... But considering our past friendship, the father and son should not harm me or detain me—I can still get a sense of what those two scoundrels are thinking."

Cui Cuo pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "I saw someone in the Shuofang army, do you remember him, sir?"

Chapter Thirty-Two: Reunion with Yunlin

In July of the second year of the Baoying era, an imperial edict was issued to change the era name to Guangde.

Li Ji only stayed in Chang'an for one night. The next day, carrying the imperial edict and Guo Ziyi's letter of advice to Pugu and his son, he hurriedly left the city and headed north to Hedong.

The journey took more than a day, and they finally arrived at Xicheng, the seat of Fenzhou. Instead of going to find Pugu Huaien, he disguised himself and stayed at an inn, ordering Yuan Jing'an to secretly invite Li Baozhen, the Prefect of Fenzhou, to meet him.

Li Baozhen's original name was An Taixuan, a descendant of An Xinggui, a Sogdian meritorious official in the early Tang Dynasty. In the second year of the Zhide era, his elder brother An Chongzhang submitted a memorial stating that he was ashamed to share the same surname as An Lushan and requested to change his name. Emperor Li Heng then bestowed upon him the imperial surname and changed his name to Li Baoyu—and An Taixuan was subsequently renamed Li Baozhen.

The An brothers were not part of the Shuofang Army system, and Li Baozhen was a former official of Hedong. Li Bi felt that Li Baozhen might be trustworthy and unlikely to have much dealings with the Pugu father and son, and he told Li Ji his judgment. To be honest, the statements of Xin Yunjing, Luo Fengxian, and the Pugu father and son were all contradictory and unreliable. Therefore, Li Ji wanted to find Li Baozhen first to inquire about the details.

Li Baozhen, dressed in plain clothes, visited and had a private conversation with Li Ji that afternoon. According to him, the conflict between Pugu and his son and Xin Yunjing was deep. Currently, the Shuofang Army was stationed in key passes around Taiyuan, threatening the prefectural government. Xin Yunjing was hiding in the city and dared not show his face at all. He believed that if the court could clearly state Xin Yunjing's crimes, Pugu and his son would surely release their troops.

To this, Li Ji smiled wryly and said, "It's difficult."

Xin Yunjing was also a great contributor to the suppression of the An Lushan Rebellion. Moreover, when Deng Jingshan was killed, the generals pleaded to support Xin Yunjing as their leader, which shows that he had a high reputation and deep roots in Hedong. The court really could not punish him lightly. What crime was he charged with? Was it because he refused to open the gates to let the Uyghur army into the city, or because he impeached Pugu Huaien? These were not serious crimes.

Ultimately, Xin Yunjing did not explicitly state in his memorial that Pugu and his son were plotting a rebellion—it was Luo Fengxian, who was terrified and hurriedly fled back to Chang'an, who insisted that the rebellion was real—so it was not considered a false accusation and he did not have to be punished.

Li Yu hoped to resolve the dispute peacefully, neither severely punishing Xin Yunjing because of Pugu Huai'en's accusation, nor severely punishing Pugu and his son because of Xin Yunjing's accusation—the former might incite a rebellion in the Shuofang army, and the latter might destabilize the Hedong army. If Li Yu were willing to punish one side of the conflict to appease the other, he could first take down Luo Fengxian, but Luo Fengxian was a close ally of Cheng Yuanzhen…

Therefore, Li Baozhen said, "If Luo Fengxian and Xin Yunjing are not punished, I'm afraid Pugu will never be able to let it go." After a pause, he added, "In fact, the Shuofang army hates Luo Fengxian even more."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Of course that's true. All the military governors have always disliked the eunuch supervisors, especially since this one is from another family. He's always had a good relationship with my commander, but suddenly he's turned on me. No one could tolerate that."

He asked Li Baozhen, "Does the Shuofang Army intend to attack Taiyuan?"

Li Baozhen shook his head and said, "No, not really. They just repeatedly besieged the city and demanded that Xin Yunjing come out to apologize. As far as I know, Pugu Huai'en is only concerned about saving face. He restrained his generals from attacking Taiyuan, as if he was waiting for something..."

Li Ji nodded slightly, thinking to himself that he wanted to first gauge the court's attitude and find a suitable way to back down.

"However, there were two main people who were clamoring to attack Taiyuan and capture and kill Xin Yunjing."

"Which two people are they?"

"One is Pugu Yang, and the other is Fan Zhicheng."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I only knew of Pugu Yang, that's a politically clueless and extremely impulsive scoundrel!" "And who is Fan Zhicheng?"

Fan Zhicheng was the deputy general of the Shuofang Army, effectively commanding the personal guards—which shows how much Pugu Huaien trusted him. It is said that he complained to Pugu Huaien many times, saying that if the court did not severely punish Luo Fengxian and Xin Yunjing, it would be letting down the Pugu family, which had made many military achievements, and the Shuofang Army soldiers who had helped Emperor Suzong ascend the throne.

After saying this, Li Baozhen leaned closer and lowered his voice to ask Li Ji, "Recently, there have been rumors in the army that Minister Guo has been driven to a serious illness by Cheng Yuanzhen and Yu Chaoen and will soon die—is this true?"

Li Ji immediately took out Guo Ziyi's letter from his pocket and handed it to Li Baozhen: "Take a look, is this really the handwriting of someone who is seriously ill and unable to get out of bed?"

Persuading the Pugu father and son was a matter of great importance, and Guo Ziyi could not possibly not write it himself—naturally, the words were mostly polished by his staff—although the old Minister was already seventy years old, he was still very healthy, and his calligraphy was so powerful that it seemed he could live for another five or six years.

Li Baozhen was not familiar with Guo Ziyi's handwriting, but he believed that Pugu and his son would definitely recognize it, and that the letter could not be forged. After reading the letter quickly, he handed it back to Li Ji, who took the opportunity to ask, "Could you perhaps spread the word among the Shuofang army about the Minister of Works' personal advice to Pugu and his son, so as to reassure the soldiers?"

Li Baozhen patted his chest and said, "This is easy; leave it to me. But I wonder when Commander Li will go to see Pugu Huai'en?"

Li Ji smiled bitterly and said, "I'm afraid that by now, the armies inside the pass have already engaged in battle with the vanguard of the barbarian bandits... The situation in Hedong is unsettled and Shuofang is unstable, causing widespread panic and which is not conducive to the war. How can I dare to delay? I need to rest for a while before meeting another person. I will go to meet Pugu tomorrow morning."

Who else would he need to see? It was someone Cui Cuo had reminded him of before his departure: Yun Lin was in the Shuofang army, serving as an important member of Pugu Huai'en's military staff.

Yunlin, courtesy name Tiangai, was skilled in swordsmanship and claimed to have studied magic in the Kunlun Mountains. He had previously served under Li Fuguo, who sent him, along with Jia Huai and Yu Xiuhe, to accompany Li Ji to Luoyang to rescue Consort Shen, secretly ordering them to assassinate Li Ji en route. However, Li Ji, with the help of Pugu Huaien's Shuofang troops, captured the three alive and drowned Yu Xiuhe in the Ba River. After the recapture of Luoyang, Jia Huai stayed with Li Ji and then went with him to Longyou. A letter recently arrived that he had been incorporated into the Fengxiang army; Yunlin, on the other hand, joined the Shuofang army and followed Pugu Huaien.

During the previous battles of Heyang and the second recapture of Luoyang, Li Ji either served under Pugu Huai'en or fought alongside him. He had also met Yun Lin several times and knew that he was a key member of Pugu Huai'en's army. This key position was a low-ranking staff post with no actual duties, entirely at the command of the commander-in-chief—considered a trusted confidant. Jia Huai had held this position in the Longyou military headquarters. Crucially, Yun Lin had no skills other than swordsmanship, and his so-called "magic" was of little use in the face of a large army. Therefore, Pugu Huai'en treated him as a bodyguard.

Yunlin felt inadequate about his position but was powerless to change it, especially ashamed to face Li Ji. Therefore, when they met before, they would only exchange a bow and a few words, without any deep connection. Li Ji was familiar with most of the Shuofang generals—except for the newly promoted deputy general Fan Zhicheng—but unsure of their intentions, he didn't want to make contact beforehand. Only Yunlin, being an old acquaintance yet lacking real power, held a relatively more detached position, allowing him to probe further.

Most importantly, since he was dissatisfied with the status quo and had no hope for the future, Li Ji had an opportunity to take advantage of him.

Therefore, Li Ji ordered Yuan Jing'an to secretly summon Yun Lin. Upon meeting him, Yun Lin asked, "I heard that Jia Huai was already a deputy general in the Fengxiang army, with the rank of seventh grade. How are you doing now?"

Yunlin sighed, "I've only been promoted to the eighth rank... This place is not where I can make a name for myself..."

Li Ji asked him, "I am currently stationed in Weibo, and my staff is short of capable people. I am willing to offer you a seventh-rank official position as my advisor. Are you interested?"

Upon hearing this, Yunlin was overjoyed—the seventh rank was a hurdle, and if one could attain it, there would be room for further advancement—but he was also quick-witted, and immediately bowed and said, "I am deeply grateful for General Li's kindness, may I ask what you wish to do?"

Li Ji smiled slightly and asked, "There's no need to elaborate on recent events. But what did you see and hear while you were in the Shuofang army, by Commander Pugu's side? Could you please tell me?"

Yunlin hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and answered, "The Pugu father and son are plotting a rebellion!"

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Li Ji arrived at the Fenzhou government office early the next morning—Pugu Huai'en, having occupied Fenzhou, had unceremoniously taken over the main hall of the government office, while squeezing the prefect and his deputy, Li Baozhen, into the side courtyard—he had registered to see them, but had not yet stated his purpose.