Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 40

Li Ji stroked his newly grown beard, lowered his head and pondered for a long time before saying, "If the robbery is indeed unrelated to Zhen Sui... no, it can only be said that it was not his intention, then he only needs to hurry up and catch up with us, and he will be able to clear up the misunderstanding and avoid any misunderstandings..."

Li Bi interjected, "I fear that if things had truly gone as planned, we might not have known that it was he who revealed our whereabouts, which led to the rebels' ambush. Even if they had caught up with us, there would have been no misunderstandings to clear up, and no grudges to be formed."

Li Ji said, "I suspect that Zhen Sui, surrounded by soldiers on Tanshan that day, might not have been able to escape unscathed... Perhaps she was rescued by Cui Qi... that woman who used the pseudonym 'A Cuo,' and then recuperated from her injuries until her brother visited the Emperor in Ding'an before returning home. Perhaps Li Fuguo or Cui Guangyuan, fearing that the matter would implicate them, hid her from view..."

Why wouldn't Zhen Sui meet with Li Heng to clarify the matter? Firstly, Li Fuguo shouldn't have interfered in Li Heng's summons of Li Bi, but he almost ruined the whole thing, so how could he dare to tell Li Heng and Li Bi directly? Secondly, Cui Guangyuan's private keeping of wandering martial arts masters, and Li Fuguo's association with Cui Guangyuan, an official outside the capital, as an eunuch, were things that were inconvenient for the emperor to know.

They weren't like Tian Qianzhen, who had just surrendered, had no relatives or friends, and was walking on eggshells, not daring to conceal any old grudges. In the eyes of people like Li Fuguo and Cui Guangyuan, even if the matter were exposed, it wouldn't be fatal; in fact, keeping it a secret would be more advantageous to them. So, Your Majesty, why do you know so much? Let's stick to the story we told when we first met Li Bi, and insist that Zhou Zhi did it.

"However, Zhen Sui was restless and went to Ding'an City to buy rouge for Cui Qi, and unfortunately I ran into him..." Li Ji continued to ponder, "The next day, an assassin broke into the palace and attacked the marshal, which seemed rather strange..."

He heard Li Bi shout, "Stop! Do you want to trap me in a ravine?!"

Li Ji suddenly snapped out of his reverie, realizing he had been so engrossed in his thoughts that his right foot was already by the roadside, and he almost pulled the horse straight into the drainage ditch...

His train of thought was interrupted, and when he looked up again, Liang County was already in sight. However, it was already dark, and the county town must have closed its four gates, making it difficult to enter. Fortunately, there was still a post station outside the city, so Li Bi used his official document to obtain a superior room. After having dinner with Li Ji, they slept together again.

Li Ji, who was on the couch, explained everything that had happened. Li Bi then asked, "Since the Prince of Guangping wanted you to stay, why did you leave Luoyang?"

"Naturally, I've come to visit my elder brother."

"Although I have destroyed my dwelling and left, my life is safe. However, it is not advisable for you to leave Luoyang at this time. When His Majesty took his leave the other day, the Emperor sent envoys to Shu to welcome the Retired Emperor back to the capital. Once the Retired Emperor arrives, he will surely appoint the Crown Prince, and the end of the military campaign will likely not be far off. If you come with me to Hengyang, traveling thousands of miles, the bright future you have created will probably become overgrown with thorns again."

As Li Chu said before Li Ji left, it would be more convenient to arrange a good position and a good place for Li Ji while he was still the military commander-in-chief—of course, this would have to wait for Li Heng to approve the request for merit first—but if the military campaign was abolished or the commander-in-chief was replaced, he would be a prince in name only, and even if he were the crown prince, he might not be able to directly intervene in the promotion and demotion of officials.

Li Ji only held the title of a seventh-rank official, and according to regulations, he could only submit his application to the Ministry of War for selection—that is, first pass the examination, and then wait for a vacancy to be filled with a substantive post. However, without the help of money or the support of powerful officials, the waiting period for an official position could very well be—ten thousand years.

After the Kaiyuan era, most of the princes and grandsons of the emperor had little presence. Neither the Prince of Guangping nor the Prince of Jianning would likely send a message to the Ministry of War requesting that Li Ji be taken care of. If Li Chu were to be made crown prince, then he would have to avoid suspicion and could not easily interfere in the appointment of officials. Furthermore, Li Bi had already resigned from his post and gone into seclusion, so Li Ji could be said to be all alone and without any support.

On the contrary, Li Fuguo, Yu Chaoen, and others might send a message to the Ministry of War, suggesting that Li Ji be left out of the picture for life.

That's why Li Bi said, "At this critical juncture, for the sake of your own future, you really shouldn't leave the Luoyang Commander's Mansion—"Or let's part ways tomorrow. I'll go to Hengshan, and you can go back to Luoyang."

Li Ji quickly replied, "Now that I'm here, I naturally want to escort you safely to Hengshan before I can be at ease." He paused, then couldn't help but ask, "You just said that the military campaign is about to be discontinued. Does this mean that An Qingxu has fled back to Hebei and is indeed like a fish in a pot or a turtle in a jar, to be captured soon and no longer a threat? However, it seems that your plan for the Emperor is not like that..."

Didn't you say that we shouldn't rush to recover the two capitals, but should first attack Fanyang and seize the rebels' stronghold so that the rebellion could be quelled as soon as possible? The emperor didn't listen to you. Didn't you also lament that the chaos might continue for quite some time?

Li Bi gently shook his head and said, "Times change and circumstances shift, so strategies should also be adjusted. An Qingxu has fled back to Hebei, and the government troops have just recovered the two capitals and pacified Henan. They must be exhausted and unable to pursue him quickly, which may give them the opportunity to regroup and cause trouble again. I have pondered this matter repeatedly and finally came up with a plan, which I will present to Your Majesty before I leave..."

"May I ask what your plan is?"

Li Bi said, "Now, An Qingxu has lost five or six out of ten of his elite troops in the battles of Xiangji and Cijian. Although he can rely on the troops he has gathered in Hebei, it will not be an achievement in just a few years. However, while most of his tribes are devastated, one tribe remains completely unscathed..."

Li Ji suddenly realized: "Shi Siming!"

Li Bi nodded and said, "That's right. After An Lushan was killed, Shi Siming abandoned the siege of Taiyuan and returned to Fanyang. He consolidated his forces internally and allied with the Khitan externally. His power was almost no less than that of An Qingxu's own troops. An Qingxu was also unable to control him, so he enfeoffed him as the Prince of Guichuan to keep him in check. If Shi Siming goes south to rescue An Qingxu, I'm afraid the government army will find it difficult to win, and the rebels' power may be rekindled. But if he betrays the rebels and joins the rebellion, then Hebei will be easy to conquer!"

"Therefore, the key to breaking the deadlock lies with Shi Siming of Fanyang. I have already offered a plan to the Emperor, and sent someone north to persuade Shi Siming to surrender..."

Li Ji interjected, asking, "Brother, what are your chances of winning?"

Li Bi shook his head: "It's uncertain—although judging from Shi Siming's past actions, he seems quite dissatisfied with An Qingxu and might defect. However…" He paused before continuing, "This man has great ambitions and a strong army. Unless the court, though not officially ceding territory, effectively grants him a fiefdom, allowing him to command the three towns…"

Since Shi Siming was key to quelling the rebellion, given his character, he would inevitably make exorbitant demands on the court, otherwise, who would surrender? Furthermore, the benefits he sought would be substantial, not merely a pardon or a few empty titles. It's highly likely that the final negotiation result would be that the court would allow Shi Siming to continue leading his army and occupying his territory, perhaps even granting him the dual status of military governor of Pinglu, Fanyang, and Hedong, without the need for tribute—essentially a separatist regime.

Li Ji exclaimed in astonishment, "In that case, we are creating another An Lushan!"

Li Bi said that there was no other way; only in this way could An Qingxu be captured and killed as soon as possible, the rebellion be quelled, and the country's politics be restored to normal. As for Shi Siming's problem, it could only be addressed gradually over a period of five years or even longer.

"Aren't you afraid that Shi Siming will follow An Lushan's example, seize Fanyang, and rebel again?"

“If Shi Siming refuses to surrender, he may either aid An Qingxu or establish himself as emperor. The outcome will be no different than if he surrenders and then rebels again,” Li Bi said with a wry smile. “That’s why I said the odds of this plan succeeding are hard to predict. As long as Shi Siming shows even the slightest sign of surrender, the military campaign will surely be halted; even if he doesn’t surrender, I doubt the Emperor will allow the Prince of Guangping to succeed him as commander-in-chief…”

A clever person understands immediately, and Li Ji angrily retorted, "Between father and son, such suspicion—how is this any different from An Lushan and his son?!"

Li Heng had always favored his eldest son, Li Chu. Although he hadn't formally appointed him as emperor, he had essentially designated Li Chu as his successor. That's why, at Li Bi's request, he established an army and appointed Li Chu as its commander-in-chief. However, although Li Chu was merely a figurehead and didn't actually command the battles, with the recapture of the two capitals, his prestige as commander-in-chief naturally rose, inevitably arousing Li Heng's suspicion...

There was a tradition in the Tang Dynasty for crown princes to plot rebellion and force abdication. The second crown prince, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, killed his brother and seized his sister-in-law, forcing Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan to abdicate. Then, during Emperor Taizong's reign, Crown Prince Li Chengqian plotted a rebellion and was deposed. During Emperor Gaozong's reign, Crown Prince Li Xian was falsely accused of plotting a rebellion and was deposed. During Empress Wu Zetian's reign, Crown Prince Li Xian came to power due to the "Shenlong Coup". During Emperor Xuanzong's reign, Crown Prince Li Ying followed in the footsteps of his great-uncle Li Xian.

Therefore, Li Longji "imprisoned" the new Crown Prince Li Heng in the Sixteen Princes' Courtyard, where his true situation was the same as his brothers, lacking any real power or authority as heir apparent. Even so, Li Heng ultimately seized the throne in Lingwu without an imperial edict while his father fled to Shu…

Basically speaking, in the more than one hundred years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there have been almost no examples of filial piety and parental love among the royal family...

Li Ji was therefore indignant—the key point being that a power struggle between a royal father and son would inevitably cause turmoil in the court and among the people, which would be bad for the country and the common people. Li Mi couldn't help but smile bitterly and wave his hand, saying, "Some people in the world fight for profit, some fight for power, but in indulging in their desires, even the bond between father and son cannot end well. Is it only the imperial family that is like this? That is why I am determined to cultivate the Tao and escape this turbid mortal world."

Since the matter of Li Heng and his son had been brought up, Li Ji couldn't help but recall what Li Tan had said to him before his departure, and he immediately relayed it to Li Bi. Li Bi stroked his long beard and slowly said, "The Prince of Jianning did not say these words to you, but rather wanted to ask me for advice through you."

Li Ji then asked, "Brother, do you have a plan?"

Li Bi glanced at him and replied, "Even if I had a plan, I could not offer it."

You want me to find a way to save Li Tan's life? Fine—I don't want internal strife within the imperial family, which would not only hurt the emperor's feelings but also cause political instability. But if you want me to point out a smooth path for Li Tan to continue to display his talents and even seize power... forget it!

"Previously, I suggested placing Prince Jianning in the army camp, so that he could be protected and controlled by Prince Guangping. If the army camp is disbanded, Prince Guangping will either return to the residence of the Sixteen Princes or enter the Eastern Palace, and Prince Jianning will naturally resign. How can he be any different from the other princes?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji felt quite helpless—what a pity for Li Tan! Even a sharp sword, being in the imperial family, can only be sheathed and hidden away… He then changed the subject and asked Li Bi, “So, brother, do you have any advice for my future?”

Upon hearing the question, Li Bi abruptly sat up, and Li Ji could only scramble to his feet as well. In the dim candlelight, Li Bi's eyes shone brightly as he stared at him for a long time before finally saying, "Regarding your future, I have three strategies: superior, middle, and inferior. Would you like to hear them?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Three strategies again. Why do strategists throughout history always like to use this kind of approach?" He immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Please enlighten me, elder brother."

"The best course of action is for you to abandon the mundane world and return to the mountains with me to live in seclusion. Even if you cannot cultivate the path of immortality, I can still ensure your safety for the rest of your life."

Li Ji couldn't help but smile wryly: "Brother, everyone has their own ambitions..."

Looking at Li Bi's pursed lips and twitching beard, it was as if he were saying: I knew you were too attached to worldly affairs and wouldn't accept this superior strategy.

"May I ask, what is the middle strategy?"

Li Bi said of this middle strategy: "You have lived two lives, with extraordinary experiences and broad knowledge, and you are also quick-witted. Although you have not memorized the classics, you have a basic understanding of their general principles. Why don't you come with me to Hengshan and live in seclusion for three years to memorize the texts and study policy essays? Then you can try to enter officialdom by studying the classics. If you truly have a talent for poetry and prose, you can go even further in three years and enter officialdom as a Jinshi in the future."

Li Ji was taken aback and asked, "Brother, since I am already an official, why do I need to retire and study again to try to pass the imperial examination?"

Li Bi replied, “If you have no interest in an official career, you might as well retire with me; if you do have an interest in an official career, are you willing to spend your whole life as a minor official, perhaps to be promoted to a county magistrate in your old age? If you have lofty ambitions, then the imperial examination is the only proper path. Without passing the Jinshi and Mingjing examinations, you will certainly have no chance of entering the imperial court.”

Li Ji first nodded—that made sense—but then shook his head and asked Li Bi, "May I ask, in which year did you pass the imperial examination, brother?"

Li Bi shook his head slightly embarrassed: "I was appointed to serve in the Eastern Palace as a Hanlin Academician, and I never took the imperial examinations..." He then reminded Li Ji: "That's why I said to the Emperor: 'Your Majesty, I met you too early, Your Majesty has entrusted me with too much responsibility and favored me too much, my achievements are too great and my deeds too extraordinary...' This is an unusual matter and cannot be taken as a model." You cannot learn from my experience.

Li Ji countered, "I met Prince Guangping when I was just over twenty, can that be considered early? And I found Consort Shen for Prince Guangping, can that be considered a great achievement?"

Li Bi shook his head: "Unless there is another cataclysmic event that threatens the very survival of the nation, how can your achievements be considered great? Besides, you have never been willing to see people for who they truly are. Even if you had known Prince Guangping earlier, what good would it have done?" I have always presented myself as a child prodigy to Li Heng since childhood, which is why he would think of me in times of trouble. You, on the other hand, have always displayed the appearance of a fool. Even if Prince Guangping thinks of you in the future, he would only want you as a bodyguard. Would he be willing to entrust the important military and national affairs to your shoulders?

Li Ji was speechless.

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Land Issue

Li Ji knew that Li Bi's words made sense; his experience was unique and could not be replicated. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to flee the court so quickly because of the "five things that cannot be kept."

For someone like Li Mi to rise from humble beginnings to the third rank of official, serving the emperor from a lowly position and then leaping to such a high rank, was not the proper path to officialdom in the Tang Dynasty. To put it bluntly, this was called "advancement by chance." Since the formation of the bureaucratic class, people have generally despised those who advance by chance, and perhaps Li Mi was an exception.

Therefore, Li Bi's experience was truly unique, and there was no way to emulate it.

Unless... I take advantage of Li Tan's hesitation, attach myself to him, and ultimately help him change the world and ascend to the throne.

However, Li Ji hadn't yet decided whether or not to help Li Tan, or how to do so. Moreover, judging from Li Bi's attitude, he was undoubtedly opposed, so he couldn't openly discuss the matter and ask for guidance. Thus, he politely declined Li Bi's so-called middle-ground strategy.

"No... what I mean is, every year hundreds or even thousands of scholars take the imperial examinations, but only a handful can pass and become Mingjing or Jinshi. Even someone like Yang Yan, with his family's scholarly background, failed the exams several times and could only accept the invitation from Prince Jianning. Since you, my brother, have never taken the exams, how can you recommend me to the top?"

You haven't even taken the college entrance exam yourself, yet you claim you can teach top scorers? Who would believe that?!

Before Li Bi could become enraged and his expression would change, he quickly bowed and asked, "What about the worst option?"

Li Bi forced himself to suppress his displeasure—how dare you doubt my talent! This is intolerable! He thought to himself that this kid had made up his mind. He was neither willing to retire with me nor to follow the proper path to officialdom. Oh well… After catching his breath, he replied to Li Ji: “The worst option is: if you want to serve in the government and are unwilling to be a low-ranking official and live a mediocre life, then you must first find a way to change to a civil service position.”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned. He knew that the Tang Dynasty had a tendency to favor civil officials over military ones. While An Lushan wielded immense power and Guo Ziyi rose to the position of prime minister, these were ultimately exceptions. If the entire civil service was compared to the military, the chances of promotion and the potential heights for civil officials were far greater than those for military officials. Furthermore, even within the same rank, An Lushan had been controlled by Li Linfu and, in a sense, was forced into rebellion by Yang Guozhong…

However—"Brother, I have no interest in poetry and literature. I am only interested in martial arts, and lately I have been seeking out many teachers and practicing diligently..."

If Li Ji had lived in the early Tang Dynasty, he could have easily become a civil official by spending a few months practicing calligraphy and memorizing some classic texts, given his foundation in classical Chinese. However, since the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, the court has increasingly valued literary talent, the Xiucai examination has been suspended for a long time, and the Jinshi examination has far surpassed the Mingjing examination. To become a civil official, one must be able to write poetry, and I certainly don't have that talent.

Even if I do, I'm almost twenty, and you expect me to learn the basics of level and oblique tones on the spot?

Li Bi reminded him: "Although Guo Ziyi was appointed as prime minister, he could not interfere in the affairs of the court; while Fang Cilu was a scholar, he was once ordered to command various armies—the path of a civil official is actually broader than that of a military general."

The true top-ranking military officers in the Tang Dynasty were originally the Grand Generals of the Sixteen Guards. Although their rank was prestigious, they were not allowed to interfere in political affairs. Later, the Fubing system collapsed, and recruits were mostly used on the borders. The earliest batch of Jiedushi (military governors) were mostly civil officials, such as Xianyu Zhongtong and Zhangchou Jianqiong—Xianyu Zhongtong was even a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Even Guo Ziyi, although he came from a military background, had served as the Chief Clerk of local prefectures or governor's offices on several occasions. Theoretically, all positions such as Chief Clerk, Sima (military officer), Guanji (registrar), and even Canjun (military advisor) were all civil positions.

Li Mi said: "Most of the pure military men who were able to rise to the high position of Jiedushi were foreigners, such as An Sishun, Geshu Han, Gao Xianzhi, and An Lushan. The Emperor Emeritus used many foreign generals, and the country almost collapsed. I have repeatedly advised the Emperor against this, and it is certainly not a model for future generations."

In other words, once the rebellion is basically quelled and the country is restored to safety, Li Heng will definitely change the policies of the retired emperor. He will most likely restrain the barbarian generals and continue to appoint civil officials to important local military and political positions such as regional inspectors and military governors. If you only pursue a military career, your path will definitely become narrower and narrower.

Li Ji frowned, but finally couldn't help but retort, "I believe that the real reason for this rebellion is not that the Emperor Emeritus is favoring foreign generals..."

Li Bi glared at him: "What do you mean?"

Li Ji then launched into a lengthy discourse, elaborating on his views:

"An Lushan's rebellion was caused by the concentration of heavy troops on the border, resulting in a strong exterior but a weak interior. Otherwise, even if he dared to harbor rebellious intentions, how could he have advanced so quickly and captured both capitals? The reason for this weakness was the collapse of the Fubing system (a military system based on military strength), which forced the recruitment of soldiers for long marches to defend against the Khitan and Tibetans. Why did the Fubing system collapse? It was because after a long period of peace, land consolidation became increasingly serious. Nobles and officials owned thousands of acres of land, while ordinary people had no land to be given. How could people with no land be expected to serve in the military as Fubing soldiers?"

"Therefore, the root of all problems is the land issue, which is the result of a severe imbalance in the distribution of wealth, thus triggering a chain reaction. As a result, scholars mostly pursued literary careers and rarely engaged in military affairs. The Mingjing (a classic text) became rigid and the Jinshi (a degree in the imperial examination) became trivial. After the decline of families with military merits, only foreigners were willing to advance through military skills—and they could only advance through military skills."

"Xianyu Zhongtong was defeated by Nanzhao, and Zhangchou Jianqiong's achievements were truly due to his civil administration. Could it be that civil officials such as the Investigating Commissioner and the Military Governor could really defeat the enemy on the battlefield and expand the territory? This is why people like An Sishun, Gao Xianzhi, and Geshu Han were able to be promoted."

"However, the three mentioned above were ultimately loyal ministers. Even among the barbarian generals, only a handful, such as An Lushan and Shi Siming, eventually raised the banner of rebellion. With the interior weakened and the exterior strengthened, the large-scale recruitment of troops on the borders would inevitably threaten the central government. Even if their leaders were not barbarian generals, they would eventually cause chaos. Therefore, the rebellion did not originate from the Emperor Emeritus's reliance on barbarian generals—and as you said, the Emperor Emeritus only had barbarian generals he could use. How many like Wang Zhongsi and Guo Ziyi could there be?"

"And weren't Li Guangbi and Pugu Huai'en also barbarian generals?"

Upon hearing these words, Li Bi lowered his head and pondered for a long time without speaking. After a while, he sighed and said, "Changwei is indeed a man of great wisdom and insight into the ways of the world. What you say makes a lot of sense, however—if you were in power, would you have a solution?"

Li Ji smiled bitterly and spread his hands: "The situation is already like this, and I'm afraid it's hard to find a fundamental solution. In an agrarian society, land annexation is an inevitable trend..." Unless we break the feudal shackles and enter a modern industrial society—"Only when the world is in great chaos can it be stabilized, like in the early Tang Dynasty, which may temporarily resolve the disaster."

Even with the knowledge of the future, he couldn't completely solve the problem of land annexation after transmigrating here. Theoretically speaking, it's simply impossible to completely suppress annexation within the feudal framework, or to achieve a large-scale redistribution of arable land without the chaos of a dynastic change.

In terms of specific policies and measures, let alone the fact that Li Ji might not have had the talent to govern the country, he certainly didn't have enough experience. Even if Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were reborn, or Yao and Song Qiren were reincarnated, they would probably only be able to act as patchers, repairing here and there, just to keep the Tang dynasty from collapsing immediately.

So when Li Mi asked for advice, Li Ji had no answer, only saying, "Only when the world is in great chaos can there be great order, like in the early Tang Dynasty, which might temporarily avert disaster." I'm just a keyboard warrior; I can raise questions, but I can't offer any solutions—you can't expect too much.

Li Bi narrowed his eyes slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them, and stared directly at Li Ji, asking sharply, "Do you intend to incite chaos throughout the land in order to usurp the throne?!"

Li Ji quickly waved his hand: "Brother, you misunderstand me. I can discern the ills of the nation and hope to save the country from disaster, but Mencius said: 'The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important.' The essence of saving the country is saving the people. If the people cannot even survive, and have nothing to eat even in the most barren places, they will naturally rise up and change the fate of the nation. Can one person's wish drive or stop them? And if the people still have a grain of rice left in their homes, who would have the heart to harm their lives and drive them into rebellion? Only when a person is about to die can a strong medicine be used in the hope of saving them; when they can still prolong their lives, who would dare to risk killing just to remove a boil?"

He originally intended to explain to Li Mi that while great chaos is necessary for great order, the world hadn't yet reached the point where chaos was inevitable. Therefore, "it's better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos," and anyone with a conscience wouldn't hope to incite widespread social upheaval. Unexpectedly, Li Mi seized upon one of his slips of the tongue and retorted:

"You believe that the people are more important than the ruler, and that's why you've decided to change the heir apparent. Is that true?"

Li Ji clicked his tongue, then reached out and grabbed Li Bi's wrist, trying to soften his tone as he slowly said, "In the bedroom, between brothers, it's just idle talk; brother, you don't need to take it seriously. However, I would never do anything to bring great chaos to the world in order to achieve great order, but if it's just internal strife within the imperial family to slow down this decline, it might not be out of the question. But speaking of idle talk—brother, is it really true that the Prince of Jianning is unsuitable to contend for the throne?"

Li Bi sighed and replied, "As you say, the country is now afflicted with a serious illness. Although it is not yet dead, it is unlikely to return to the glory of the Kaiyuan era. Since it is not going to die immediately, we should not use strong medicine, but rather treat it with gentle methods to strengthen its bones and muscles, and regulate its stomach and intestines with porridge. Perhaps this can prolong its life."

"At this juncture, there is no better way to govern internally than Huang-Lao philosophy; only through non-action can the people be spared harm... or at least suffer minimal harm. If a ruler has grand ambitions, he will inevitably become anxious when faced with an intractable situation. He will resort to drastic measures for the country, impose strict supervision on his ministers, impose heavy taxes on the people, and wage war against foreign invaders. Excessive measures are as bad as insufficient ones, and will only hasten national chaos and death. In this regard, which is better, the King of Guangping or the King of Jianning, Changwei?"

Li Ji remained silent.

Then Li Bi said, “An ancient saying goes: ‘If the benefit is not a hundredfold, do not change the law; if the merit is not tenfold, do not change the tools.’ While this saying is somewhat timid, if one does not know that the law one wishes to change will be stronger than the old law, and the tools one wishes to change will be greater than the old tools, is it acceptable to change the law and change the tools in the hope of achieving even a fraction of the benefit?”

I don't think that Prince Jianning would necessarily be better than Prince Guangping if he came to power. So, under this premise, is it necessary to risk turmoil by changing the crown prince?

Li Ji was speechless.

Moreover, after listening to Li Bi's words, he finally understood why he had hesitated and couldn't make up his mind to support Li Tan. The root cause was that he couldn't be certain that replacing Li Chu with Li Tan would bring immense benefits to the country and its people. Li Tan was upright but lacked self-preservation skills; this weakness could be amplified once he became crown prince or even emperor, potentially bringing disaster not only to himself but also to the nation.

Furthermore, it's said that when Li Heng was the crown prince, he was an utterly honest man—at least that's what Li Mi said—but after ascending the throne, he recognized Li Mi's wisdom but ultimately didn't use his schemes, listened to slander and tried to kill his own son, plotted to recover the two capitals but handed over his children... He completely turned into a scoundrel! Who knows what will happen if Li Chu or Li Tan comes to power? Will they be able to maintain their integrity, or will they be corrupted by power and slide into the abyss of tyranny and traitors?

For example, during the chaos of the Qin Dynasty, everyone longed for Fusu. But before that, Zhao Gao was merely the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, and Li Si was not the Prime Minister. Yet they were able to forge an imperial edict and install Huhai. Why couldn't all the officials in the Qin court stop them? Perhaps it was because Huhai was always loyal to the emperor and respectful to his parents, and was deeply favored by the First Emperor. So no one could have imagined that he was actually a complete scoundrel at heart, and that he would reveal his true colors once he ascended the throne.

Li Tan is extravagant and ambitious; who knows, if he were to seize power, he might become like Yang Guang? It's not entirely impossible. Given this uncertainty about his future, is it worth risking royal turmoil by pushing him to the throne?

Although Li Chu was weak and showed no outstanding talent, he seemed at least honest and diligent, and able to treat scholars with respect and listen to good advice—except for that time when he refused to let Pugu Huai'en pursue the rebel general. Perhaps he would eventually become a second father, or perhaps he would become a mediocre ruler; no one could say for sure. In the minds of traditional bureaucrats like Li Mi, an emperor only needed to be benevolent and filial, not necessarily wise; a mediocre ruler could rule from above, but the best strategy to ensure long-term stability was to employ virtuous ministers to govern the country.

In Li Ji's view, if the monarch's power is too strong, the power of the prime minister will inevitably weaken, thus lacking checks and balances... This may be beneficial in the early days of the country, but it is absolutely not beneficial in the later stages of a dynasty.

To put it bluntly, none of these young masters from the Sixteen Princes' Residences and the Hundred Grandsons' Residences could truly reassure Li Ji, nor could he be certain that any of them, once enthroned, would save the country. Therefore, it was better to maintain the status quo. Ultimately, the people were suffering greatly from war, and at this time, inaction was preferable to action.

Li Ji couldn't help but release Li Bi's wrist and rub his forehead: "Brother's words, I still need to think carefully... It's late, and we have to set off tomorrow, so let's get some sleep."

Unexpectedly, Li Bi suddenly flipped his wrist and grabbed Li Ji's hand, saying, "You should heed my good advice and return to Luoyang tomorrow. I also have a few words to say to you, so please keep them in mind."

Li Ji smiled and pulled his hand away: "My mind is made up. I will not return until I see my brother settled in Hengshan. There is no need for my brother to persuade me any further. As for the few words I sent, it is not too late to say them when we officially part ways."

Chapter Thirty-Six: Saving the Lion by Holding a Fish

They set off the next day, first passing through Luyang Pass and entering the Shannan East Road, passing through Nanyang, Xiangyang, Jiangling and other counties to reach the north bank of the Yangtze River.

At the foot of Zigai Mountain, south of Dangyang, they finally caught up with their relatives who had set off three days earlier. They recounted their parting sorrows, and inevitably, each shed a few tears. Li Bi's two stepmothers, who were also Li Ji's aunts, looked Li Ji up and down, his beard now quite long, and couldn't help but sigh, "More than a year has passed since we last met, and Changwei has finally grown into a man, and his demeanor is so different from before—is it that officials are naturally different from ordinary people?"

They (including one of Li Bi's half-brothers and several servants) were never as close as Li Bi and Li Ji were to begin with—during the four years they lived together, Li Bi and Li Ji shared a room, and Li Bi often supervised Li Ji's reading and writing—so it was not obvious that Li Ji's body had already been replaced by a different soul.

More importantly, after more than a year apart, in their eyes, a half-grown child changes every day. Li Ji stepped out of his secluded thatched hut, went out to gain experience, saw more, and even obtained an official position, so it's perfectly normal for his speech and behavior to be different from before. They'll get used to it.

Li Bi naturally didn't reveal it—this was a secret between him and Li Ji.

The two aunts repeatedly urged Li Ji: "Now that you have obtained an official position, you should get married and have children as soon as possible."

She even wept and said, “Changyuan has no heir and refuses to remarry. He is obsessed with the ethereal Taoism. We have tried to persuade him for many years, but he will not listen. So the continuation of the Li family line can only be hoped for by you, Changwei. If you have two sons in the future, you can adopt one of them to your elder brother to worship our ancestors.”