Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 17

—This Khotanese army was not originally under the jurisdiction of the Four Garrisons. Rather, it was led by King Yuchi Sheng of Khotan, who, upon hearing of the turmoil in the Central Plains and the emperor's plight, mobilized all the troops in the kingdom and personally led them to protect the emperor. Li Heng was naturally overjoyed at this and welcomed them with the grand ceremony befitting a vassal king.

Although Yuchi Sheng was the ruler of Khotan, this was a remote and small kingdom, which the Tang Dynasty at most treated as a prefecture. His lord's title was far from that of a true king or marquis. Yuchi Sheng had visited the Tang court during the Tianbao era, and although he was given a woman from the imperial clan as his wife, his official rank was only Right General of the Imperial Guard and Governor of Bisha Prefecture. Later, he was promoted to Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Purple Ribbon—the same rank as Li Bi in the present day.

However, Yuchi Sheng's loyalty in leading troops to the rescue truly moved the entire court. As a result, Li Heng promoted Yuchi Sheng to the rank of Special Envoy of the Second Rank and appointed him as the Palace Attendant.

Upon hearing this joyous news, Li Heng, who had been frowning ever since the news of Li Lin's rebellion arrived, finally smiled again. Seeing this, Li Bi believed the time was ripe and urged Li Chu to speak to Li Tan, requesting his release...

After being released from confinement for several days, Li Tan welcomed the new year—the second year of the Zhide era. According to custom, three days before the festival, all departments would close, and then on New Year's Day, all officials would gather at the Hanyuan Hall to offer New Year's greetings to the emperor. After a banquet, they would disperse, and then enjoy another three days of holiday—a total of seven days including the greetings. However, given the difficult state of affairs, certain important departments, especially the newly established Military Marshal's Office, had absolutely no time for holidays. Li Bi worked continuously until New Year's Eve, and Li Ji, as his bodyguard, had no choice but to work alongside him.

He didn't just escort Li Bi to work every day and then while away the time in the corridors of the general's mansion. Li Bi also frequently assigned him tasks, such as delivering official documents to the palace or the barracks outside the city, summoning certain generals to come and receive orders, and so on. Through this, Li Ji interacted with many officers and soldiers, becoming increasingly familiar with them, and even getting to know many of the palace guards and eunuchs.

While in the army, some brave warriors, having heard of Li Ji's past exploits in battle and his capture of assassins, would request to spar with him. Li Ji was adept at concealing his true abilities; he would never touch anything like long spears, halberds, fierce horses, or powerful bows. Instead, he would compete in hand-to-hand combat and wrestling, and he was virtually unbeatable in every battle, earning the utmost respect from the entire Tang army.

On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, at the hour of Yin, Li Chu suddenly said, "Chief Secretary, you have been working hard for several months. With the New Year approaching, how can you not take a break? The troops and provisions are mostly ready. We are just waiting for the Uyghur army to arrive. Moreover, the news of the victory in Hedong has also arrived. Then we can plan to retake Xijing. The rest is not urgent and can be done in a day or two. Chief Secretary, you should go back to the palace to rest. I should also pay my respects to the Emperor and keep you company on New Year's Eve."

—The Spring Festival is a time for families to reunite and eat New Year's Eve dinner. This custom has been passed down for thousands of years in China.

So Li Bi, under the protection of Li Ji and others, returned to the palace, and then went back to the small courtyard where he was staying with Li Ji.

Tell the eunuchs to prepare some fine wine and food so we can celebrate the New Year together. Although you've been a vegetarian for many years, even fasting, could you perhaps have a drink with me tonight for the New Year's Eve dinner?

Before Li Bi could answer, someone called from outside the door: "The Emperor requests that Mr. Changyuan bring Li Zhiguo to an audience."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Why doesn't he just call me 'Mr. Changwei'? This Cheng Yuanzhen is so clueless."

So the two brothers straightened their clothes and followed Cheng Yuanzhen out of the courtyard. They wandered east and west until they arrived at the courtyard next to the main hall. Upon entering, they saw lanterns and decorations everywhere, drums and music playing under the eaves, and a large area covered with over a dozen carpets, upon which were placed tables and chairs. Li Heng sat in the center, flanked by princes and dukes such as Li Jiao, Li Huang, Li Zi, Li Chu, Li Tan, and Li Shi…

What surprised them most was that there were quite a few women present, some by the emperor's side and some by the princes' side!

Li Bi quickly apologized, saying, "I thought His Majesty had summoned me to discuss state affairs, but I did not expect to intrude into the imperial banquet. I am guilty." As he spoke, he tried to back out the door.

Li Heng quickly raised his hand to beckon: "Changyuan, don't leave. I summoned you here not for state affairs, but to invite you to share the New Year's Eve banquet with me."

Li Bi declined, saying, "This is His Majesty's family banquet. How dare I participate? It would be against the proper etiquette between ruler and subject."

Li Heng stood up, and Li Chu also stepped forward quickly, putting his arm around Li Bi's shoulder. Li Heng said, "Since this is a family banquet, why bother with the formalities between ruler and subject? Although Changyuan and I are nominally ruler and subject, we are actually close friends. It is only reasonable to hold a banquet tonight to celebrate the New Year, inviting friends in addition to our closest relatives. Changyuan, please do not refuse, you can come and sit with me."

Li Bi waved his hands repeatedly, firmly refusing to stay. His son, Li Tan, bowed to his father and suggested, “Your subject believes that since this is a family banquet, regardless of the formalities between ruler and subject, we should not meet in official attire. Your Majesty is wearing ochre, we are wearing purple, and Li Ji is even wearing a green robe. With everyone sitting together, how can Master Changyuan not consider etiquette? It would be better if we all wore official attire and dressed as commoners; that would truly be a family banquet, and I believe Master Changyuan would not refuse.”

Li Heng nodded and said, "You are indeed astute; what you say makes perfect sense." He waved his hand and said, "That's settled then. Cheng Yuanzhen, go and fetch Changyuan and Li Ji's everyday robes. Let's change in the side hall, and we'll all change our clothes as well."

So Li Bi and Li Ji put their white clothes back on. Li Bi tied his hair up with a bamboo crown, while Li Ji wore a cloth turban. When they came out after changing their clothes, they found that everyone had indeed changed—except for the women.

The princes all removed their purple robes and gold crowns, but they also didn't wear white; instead, they wore either blue or cyan, as long as the colors didn't clash with their official robes. Most of them changed into turbans, while a few wore cloth crowns. Li Heng, on the other hand, was dressed entirely in yellow.

—The colors of clothing for commoners in the Tang Dynasty were originally yellow and white. Later, Emperor Gaozong set the emperor's everyday clothes to be ochre yellow, and to prevent commoners from wearing the same colors—in those days, dyeing technology was not up to par, and light yellow could easily be dyed too dark—commoners were forbidden from wearing yellow.

After changing out of the ochre yellow, Li Heng put on a light yellow satin robe. The weaving was excellent and the dyeing technique was superb, making the color extremely bright and vivid. In Li Ji's opinion, it looked a bit like bright yellow.

Immediately, Li Heng personally came over and invited Li Mi to sit to his side. Li Mi declined, saying, "With all the princes present, how dare I sit above them?" Li Heng said displeased, "Now that we have changed our clothes, we are all relatives and friends. Why talk about princes and ministers?"

It is estimated that after Li Tan was released, he racked his brains to regain his father's favor, so he once again tried to please him, clasped his hands and said, "Father is the head of the family, so he should sit in the seat of honor. Mr. Changyuan is a close friend of my family and also a close friend of Father, so he should also sit in the seat of honor so that he can receive the congratulations and greetings from the younger generation."

Li Jiao quickly interjected, “Indeed, my Longxi Li clan and Mr. Changyuan’s Zhaojun Li clan are both descendants of Gao Yao. Although we later separated, during the Western Wei Dynasty, our ancestors were both ranked among the Eight Pillars of State. We have a deep and tacit understanding, and it has been more than two hundred years since then. Your Majesty… my elder brother treats you as a younger brother, and I treat you as an elder brother. Therefore, I should sit in the seat of honor.”

Li Ji curled his lip behind him, thinking to himself, "I guess you're not necessarily younger than Li Bi, yet you say you treat him like an elder brother... How shameless!"

Li Bi had no choice but to say, "Your subject has overstepped his bounds." Li Heng said, "You may use my name, why say 'your subject'?" After thinking for a moment, he said, "I will call you Changyuan, and you can call me Sanlang, is that alright?"

Without allowing Li Bi to refuse, he immediately took his hand and introduced him in a pretentious manner: "These are my younger brothers, Thirteenth Brother (Li Jiao), Twenty-Third Brother (Li Huang), Twenty-Fourth Brother (Li Zi)... These are my sons—Eldest Brother (Li Chu), Second Brother (Prince Zhao, Li Xi), Third Brother (Li Tan), Fifth Brother (Prince Xincheng, Li Jin)... and my grandson, Li Shi."

After introducing the men, he introduced the women, first pointing to the concubine beside him: "This is Zhang Shi—why don't you come and pay your respects to Changyuan?"

Li Ji stood to the side, thinking to himself, "This must be Consort Zhang." He mustered his courage and looked up. Zhang appeared to be in her thirties, with delicate eyebrows, large eyes, a straight nose, and red lips—indeed beautiful, though perhaps a little too plump… The Tang people considered plumpness beautiful; it was said that Yang Guifei, once deeply favored by the Emperor, was a rather plump woman, and was even called a "fat maid" by jealous people. Legend has it that in Lingwu, Consort Zhang rose three days after giving birth to mend clothes for the soldiers, thus gaining even more favor from Emperor Li Heng—it seems unlikely that someone with a slender, willow-like figure could have done such a thing.

Consort Zhang readily bowed to Li Bi upon hearing Li Heng's instructions, showing no sign of reluctance or grievance. Li Bi hurriedly rose to return the bow.

Then Li Heng gave a brief introduction to the other female relatives, who were basically the principal wives of the princes—except for the Prince of Guangping and the Prince of Jianning, who were alone—and finally pointed to a corner: "This is my daughter, Ningguo—don't be shy, come over and greet your Uncle Changyuan."

Li Ji thought to himself that although it was a family banquet and a gathering of relatives and friends, he still couldn't mention the girl's given name, so he could only refer to her by her title.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Emperor is a Bastard

During the royal family's New Year's Eve banquet, Li Shi privately asked Li Ji if he was content being an official.

Li Ji shrugged and replied, "Being an official is so restrictive, what's so pleasant about it? If it weren't for protecting my brother..." Li Shi interrupted him, saying, "A great man should not lack ambition. You should work hard, and when you become a high-ranking official, you won't be so restrictive anymore." He then leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "It's inevitable to be restrictive here, but if you can be sent out to a remote area, even if it's just as a marquis of a hundred li, no one will dare to control you anymore."

Li Ji feigned impetuosity and asked, "Your Highness... is your brother also reserved? Would you be willing to be sent to serve as an official in a remote area?"

Li Shi shrugged his shoulders in imitation of him and replied in a low voice, "It's impossible for me to be sent away..." He paused, as if trying to make amends, "With parents alive, one should not travel far."

Li Ji wanted to reply with "There must be a plan for the trip," but ultimately held back. He thought to himself that no matter what, he was having dinner with his superiors, and even if they said, "Everyone, have a good time and don't be shy," he couldn't take it seriously. Fortunately, these days, the mainstream is still individual dining, so there's no need to sit around a table together, and no need to shield his superiors from drinking... He should just pick up his chopsticks and start enjoying his meal first.

After several rounds of drinks, the princes of Li Heng's generation finally let loose. They first came down to offer toasts a few times, and then Li Huang stared at a dancing palace maid, seemingly drooling. After being reminded by Li Zi, he simply stood up and danced with the palace maid. Li Heng scoffed, "Twenty-Third Prince, you've had too much to drink. Is this what you call dancing?" He pointed at Li Jiao, "Thirteenth Prince has always been good at dancing. You can go down and set an example for him."

So Li Jiao also went to dance a round, which made Yuchi Sheng itchy, so he asked Li Heng, "Heavenly Khan..." Li Heng said with a straight face, "You can call me Sanlang."

"Sanlang, may I also go and dance?"

Li Heng was overjoyed and slapped the table, saying, "Excellent! Excellent! You people from the Western Regions are skilled in singing and dancing. In the past, the Hu girls in the East Market of Chang'an were the most famous. Tonight is the most joyous night. Let us enjoy Mr. Yuchi's dance."

Yuchi Sheng hurriedly said, "If Sanlang likes Hu dance, when I return to my country... I will select some Hu women who are good at dancing and give them to Sanlang to entertain him." Then he stood up with a "whoosh," took two steps into the arena, and began to perform.

Although Li Ji was busy eating and drinking, his ears and eyes were not idle either. He noticed that the Tang Dynasty dance was quite different from the court music and dance he had seen in period dramas in his previous life. The movements were very large and had a somewhat exotic feel. When Yu Chisheng appeared, he danced wildly with leaps and turns, his large body as light and agile as a bird.

Li Ji thought to himself, "I did try street dance for a few days when I was in school, but I've basically forgotten it all, and my sense of rhythm has never been very good... Otherwise, I could show you a completely different kind of dance style from later generations." Just as he was pondering this, he heard Li Heng raise his voice and ask, "Li Ji can eat, drink, and fight, can he dance?"

Li Ji, unwilling to embarrass himself, replied directly, "I only know how to use fists and feet, not how to dance. Besides, with wine and meat in front of me, how can I have time to dance?" This caused the emperor and the princes to burst into laughter.

Before long, even Li Heng jumped up from the stage, raising his hands to the sky and shouting wildly, "What a night this is! What boundless joy this is! I hope that next year on this day, I can experience this joy again in the Daming Palace!"

Li Ji was engrossed in his meal, occasionally exchanging a few words with Li Shi, when suddenly Princess Ningguo gracefully approached, carrying a golden goblet, to offer him a toast. Li Ji quickly stood up, cup in hand, and heard Princess Ningguo give a slight bow and say softly:

"This cup of wine is to thank you for your selfless and courageous fight in the Marshal's Mansion, which saved my brother's life."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare." Suddenly, he heard Li Shi beside him exclaim, "Oh!"

Princess Ningguo glared at her nephew: "What are you groaning about? You haven't even thanked Mr. Changwei for saving your father yet, have you? You're the worst of all unfilial sons!"

Li Shi stood up with an awkward smile, and casually picked up the wine pot: "Let me refill your and Aunt's cups. Aunt doesn't know, but Mr. Changwei and I are very compatible. I regard him as an older brother. With such a friendship, why is it necessary to say thank you so easily? Besides, I will remember the great kindness of saving my father and look for an opportunity to repay it. What good is it to just say it?"

Princess Ningguo rebuked, "What do you mean by treating Mr. Changyuan as an elder brother? My grandfather and Mr. Changyuan were equals, while Mr. Changwei was Mr. Changyuan's cousin—you should address him respectfully as 'Sir'."

Judging from Li Shi's expression, he seemed somewhat embarrassed. He pursed his lips and retorted, "If I were to call you 'sir,' then my aunt would also..." Before he could finish speaking, Princess Ningguo first bowed deeply to Li Ji, and at the same time raised her cup to her eyebrows, saying, "Sir, please drink."

Li Ji dared not accept this and quickly stepped aside, saying, "My elder brother and I are far apart in age, and I have always treated him like a father. He should be treated as an equal to the princess..." Upon further reflection, he realized that he was still a generation older than Li Shi. Would the little fellow be happy? He quickly changed his words, saying, "It is clear that there is no need to discuss seniority, but only age." He put his arm around Li Shi's arm and asked, "Does my brother agree?"

Li Shi hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, that's perfect—brother, please drink the toast offered by my aunt, and I'll fill your cups again."

Li Ji tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp. When he looked down, he saw a slight look of melancholy on Princess Ningguo's face. She then slowly said, "I forgot to mention, this second cup of wine is to thank Mr. Changwei for protecting Mr. Changyuan and helping my father. When we first left Chang'an, my father and my brother would often embrace and weep. Only after we met Mr. Changyuan did they gradually show joy—this is also thanks to Mr. Changwei."

Li Ji waved his hand and said, "It is my elder brother's skill, and also the skill of the saint."

"...What merit have I made to earn your father's appreciation?"

Li Shi helped the two refill their wine cups, and then Princess Ningguo said, "The third cup of wine is for a request you make to me, sir."

"Please say."

"I am about to be married off to a distant land, and the only ones I cannot let go of are my father and brothers. I hope that Mr. Changwei can continue to protect my father and brothers so that even in a remote and desolate place, I will remember your kindness and pray to Heaven day and night for your good health and prosperity for generations to come."

“This is Li Ji’s duty; there is no need to plead or pray.”

“Actually,” Princess Ningguo suddenly smiled slightly, lowered her voice even more, and slowly said, “My father and elder brother are protected by our ancestors and will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. My only worry is…” She glanced at Li Shi, who was listening intently beside her, and then looked around to make sure no one else was there before revealing the truth—

"The only one I'm worried about is Jianning... and my third brother. My third brother is the most upright and hates evil as if it were his enemy. Because of this, he inevitably incurs the hatred of petty people. However, he is diligent in planning for the country but clumsy in planning for himself. I heard from Shi'er that my third brother and the teacher are quite compatible. He even gave the teacher wine and food. I hope that the teacher can also protect him and prevent my third brother from encountering any misfortune."

As he spoke, he knelt down deeply again, raising his cup to his brow.

After offering three cups of wine, Princess Ningguo departed. Li Ji watched her retreating figure and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: This princess is dignified and elegant, and beautiful, yet she was born into the royal family. Not only can she not choose her own marriage, but she also has to travel far to the grasslands and deserts to become a concubine for a barbarian chieftain. How pitiful…

Unfortunately, the Tang people did not consider this shameful, and they were powerless to stop it.

As he was pondering, Li Shi gently tugged at his collar. Li Ji turned around and saw the little fellow lean closer, asking in a low voice, "Brother, Aunt has left, yet you gaze at her retreating figure, your mind elsewhere. Could it be that you have developed feelings for her?"

Li Ji immediately widened his eyes: "How could this be?!"

Li Shi laughed and said, "Auntie is naturally beautiful. Although she has been married twice, she is still as beautiful as a virgin. What man wouldn't admire her? Why are you in such a hurry to clear your name..." Before Li Ji could refute, he suddenly changed the subject: "Brother, you are not married yet, are you? Should I inform my father and find you a good marriage? With Mr. Changyuan as your backer, you can even speak to the families of prime ministers."

Li Ji rolled his eyes: "Does that mean your family's affairs can't be discussed?"

Li Shi scratched his head: "I can't guarantee that, I have to ask my father first..." Then he realized: "No, we have the same surname, how can we marry?"

Li Ji thought to himself that although the Li families of Longxi and Zhaojun both claimed to be descended from the ancient sage Gao Yao, the larger the family, the more complex and difficult to trace their origins. This might even extend back to the Spring and Autumn Period, and they might not even have shared the same surname. Furthermore, since the merging of surnames and clan names, who would still adhere to the ancient custom of not marrying someone with the same surname? Mainly because it's difficult to determine—as long as they weren't within the five degrees of kinship, intermarriage was commonplace.

This was a rather profound question, one that his own persona made it absolutely impossible for him to understand, so there was no need to explain it to Li Shi. He simply said, "It was just a joke. My elder brother is still single, so how could I have any intention of getting married?"

Li Shi said, "That's right, I was just about to ask that—'Mr. Changyuan is over thirty, is he still unmarried?'"

Li Ji pulled Li Shi back to sit at the table and explained to him simply: "When my elder brother was young, he also married a woman at the behest of his elders. It is said that she passed away from illness after only two years in the household. After that, my uncle and aunt (referring to Li Bi's biological parents) passed away, and my elder brother became devoted to cultivating Taoism, so he never had the intention of marrying again."

Li Shi asked, "Cultivating Taoism and getting married are not contradictory, are they? Even the Taoist patriarch (Lao Tzu) had a wife and children..."

Li Ji asked in surprise, "The Dao Ancestor also had a wife and children? I didn't know that—I don't know which book mentioned it?"

Li Shi glared at him: "If the Dao Ancestor has no descendants, where would we come from?!"

Li Ji suddenly realized—after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the emperor claimed to be a descendant of Laozi, attaching himself to the ancient sages. Emperor Gaozong of Tang first posthumously conferred upon Laozi the title of "Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin." The current emperor had also posthumously conferred upon him the temple name "Great Sage Ancestor," and successively bestowed upon him the honorific titles of "Sage Ancestor, Great Dao, Mysterious Origin Emperor" and "Great Sage Ancestor, High and Great, Vast Dao, Golden Palace, Mysterious Origin Heavenly Emperor"... So, how could Laozi not have a wife?

—Speaking of which, Li Ji only recently learned this knowledge after "reading extensively" these past few days...

He didn't want to continue discussing with a child whether his father had married, whether Li Bi could marry, or whether he himself should marry. So he changed the subject and asked, "Just now, your aunt asked me to protect Jian... your third uncle. But according to what you said the other day, they are not from the same mother. Why are they so close?"

Li Shi replied, “My father and my third uncle are not from the same mother, yet they are so close. So what is so strange about my aunt’s attitude?” He then introduced his maternal grandmother, saying that her surname was Wu. After my grandfather gave birth to one son and two daughters, she passed away. The son was Prince Li Chu of Guangping, and the two daughters were Princess Ningguo and Princess Hezheng.

"Hezheng...where is your aunt?"

Li Shi said, "My aunt married the Crown Prince's tutor, Liu Tan. When she left Xijing, she abandoned her three sons and carried her eldest... aunt..." In fact, Princess Ningguo was the second among her sisters, and Princess Hezheng was the fourth, and not the youngest, so Li Shi's description was somewhat vague—"She carried her in a carriage, and then walked with Liu Tan, managing to catch up with our grandfather. Because of this merit and virtue, the Emperor Emeritus sent an edict from Shu to bestow upon her the title of princess..." Based on this, Li Ji estimated that Princess Hezheng was previously only a county or prefectural princess.

"She and Liu Tan both stayed in Lingwu—Ding'an is close to the front line, not..."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Struggle for the Crown Prince and Vice-Chancellor

Li Tan said he had three things to thank Li Ji for. The first was naturally that Li Ji saved his brother Li Chu. The second probably referred to teaching his cook how to make "Beggar's Chicken". So what was the third thing?

Li Tan, with his back to everyone, quietly lifted his robe and showed Li Ji what was tucked into his belt, then quickly covered it up and smiled.

Li Ji saw it clearly and couldn't help but think to himself, "Damn it, Li Tan really did manage to copy this futuristic slingshot..."

He immediately glanced at Li Shi, who quickly explained, "Brother, a few days ago I was hunting birds in the yard when my third uncle saw me and started interrogating me about the reason and method... I had no choice but to comply."

Li Ji, of course, couldn't discuss patent issues with these uncle and nephew, so he casually asked, "Did you manage to shoot the bird?"

Before Li Shi could answer, Li Tan smiled and pointed at him, saying, "Shi'er, you didn't even manage to shoot down a single sparrow, let alone pigeons. You've wasted so many of my bullets."

Li Ji asked cryptically, "And you, sir? Did you manage to catch the pigeon?"

Li Tan seemed genuinely unaware of the meaning behind his words, and simply shook his head: "No, I only caught two sparrows, they were too small to eat, only fit to feed the dogs."

Li Ji then asked, "Why did you bring this item to the banquet today?"

Li Tan said solemnly, "Why be so formal, addressing me as 'Your Excellency'? We are family friends, so please call me Sanlang... Third Brother." He and Li Heng were both the third sons, but the habitual address of "Sanlang" had already been taken by Li Heng, so to avoid confusion, he had to avoid mentioning it. He then lowered his voice and said, "We must always be on guard against assassins infiltrating the palace again."

Looking around and seeing that no one seemed to be paying attention, Li Tan leaned closer to Li Ji and said slowly, "When I was ordered to guard the palace, I was always cautious and careful, as if walking on thin ice, and dared not slack off in the slightest. Yet, I still fell victim to thieves. Now, with Yu Chaoen... I am really worried about him."

Li Ji comforted him, saying, "Now that the Shence Army has entered the palace, the area is under tight security, like an iron barrel. I don't believe those assassins would dare to come." He then raised his cup and said, "I envy my third brother. You are a prince, living a life of luxury and ease. Why worry so much?"

Li Tan observed Li Ji's expression and shook his head slightly: "Changwei, you have followed Master Changyuan for a long time, have you also picked up the Taoist escapist habits? Even if a great man does not seek to make meritorious achievements, he should still do his part for the stability of the world. How can he be idle all day long and indulge in fine clothes and delicacies?" As he spoke, he patted Li Ji's shoulder: "Now that you have entered the officialdom, do not be lazy. Read more books and study archery and horsemanship so that you can earn a title and a place for your wife and children on the battlefield in the future."

Li Ji smiled wryly, pretending he hadn't heard a word of it.

In truth, he had been pondering his future day and night, yet he still couldn't find a direction. When he first transmigrated to this world, he had harbored ambitions of dominating, but through these days of observation and understanding, he had basically dispelled that delusion.

As an ancient feudal dynasty, the Tang Dynasty at this time was relatively prosperous and flourishing. Based on Li Ji's historical knowledge from his previous life, it might even rank first in the world in terms of historical comparison. But most importantly, the Tang Dynasty had been established for a long time and was deeply rooted. Its economic and military strength reached its peak twenty years earlier—during the Kaiyuan era—and only began to decline after the Tianbao era. As the saying goes, "Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't fall down when dead," how could it possibly collapse completely in just a few years or a decade? This doesn't conform to the general laws of historical development.

An Lushan's rebellion, though seemingly fierce, was ultimately unsuccessful after numerous earnest discussions with Li Mi. It was merely a matter of how long the rebellion would last. If the turmoil could be completely quelled within two or three years, as Li Mi predicted, the Tang Dynasty might have a chance to recover and reach new heights. If it dragged on longer, while the Tang Dynasty would certainly lack the strength to recover, theoretically it wouldn't collapse quickly.

The subsequent political situation was likely similar to King Ping of Zhou's eastward relocation or the chaotic rule of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of Han. However, from the time King Ping of Zhou ascended the throne to the time Duke Zhuang of Zheng achieved minor hegemony, there was still a gap of more than fifty years. Moreover, the Li Tang dynasty did not actually enfeoff princes, and the royal power was far greater than that of the Zhou dynasty. The reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of Han lasted for more than forty years, and even after Dong Zhuo entered the capital, the dynasty lingered on for another thirty years...

So how could I possibly vie for supremacy? Why would I? It's impossible to overthrow the old dynasty and rebuild it in the short term; the more fervent my ambition, the more devastating the war and disasters I would inflict on the common people. Having finally traveled through time, I can do nothing, but I absolutely cannot become a sinner against history!

So why bother supporting the Tang dynasty? With Li Bi around, when will it be my turn?

After months of contact, Li Ji had to admit that Li Bi indeed possessed extraordinary talent and the ability to govern the country. Even if he couldn't compare to Zhou Gong, Lü Wang, Yi Yin, or Zhuge Liang, he was probably not far off. More importantly, he was highly regarded by the emperor, and even if that was just a facade, it was enough for him to achieve great things. Despite his nightly earnest discussions with Li Bi, some of which even surprised the latter, he knew only himself; it was all just theoretical talk, fueled by years of experience as a keyboard warrior in his previous life…

Putting everything else aside, Li Bi handles official business every night, big and small. His control over general affairs and many details is something I probably couldn't catch up to even after ten more years of practice!

Unfortunately, Li Mi was highly regarded by the emperor and even by three generations of his family, such as being invited to the royal New Year's Eve banquet tonight. Li Mi was a good man, and if the emperor treated him as a national hero, he would repay him as a national hero. It was impossible for me to undermine him—even if the matter of his soul being transferred to another person was not discovered.

With Li Bi as a formidable obstacle in their path...

What can I do? Perhaps all I can do is keep my promise and try my best to ensure his lifelong safety. I always worry that Li Mi will become Chao Cuo, and Li Heng will become King Jing of Han, or that Li Mi will become Shang Yang, and Li Chu will one day emulate King Huiwen of Qin…

So for now, all I can do is observe, learn, and think, trying my best to improve my skills and expand my network. As for the future, I can only wait and see.