Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 183

Of course, these three, in essence, also came from the Western Army, because whether it was Baoying, Shence, or Weiyuan, most of them selected elite soldiers from the Shuofang, Anxi, and Beiting armies to fill their posts. Therefore, Li Ji said, "The court, in response to the situation, will inevitably reclaim Shuofang, and once Shuofang is completely ceded, the government will naturally decline. Only because I have never served in the Shuofang army, and the Emperor trusts me, can I ensure that Shuofang will not be reclaimed..."

—In the past, he fought alongside Li Guangbi and Pugu Huaien in Heyang, which was a personal matter, and his organizational affiliation was never transferred.

"To say something disrespectful, Your Excellency can make the late Emperor and the current Emperor hesitate to act rashly, but what can be done about the Crown Prince? He is young and impetuous. If the current Emperor were to disobey orders, who can guarantee that he wouldn't take a risk? However, the friendship between the Crown Prince and me is known to everyone in the court and the public."

After much persuasion, Guo Ziyi finally turned his head slowly and looked at Li Ji: "General Li wants to relieve this old man of his burden. However, this burden is still manageable on my shoulders, but I am old and frail and my days are numbered; if it were to be transferred to General Li's shoulders, wouldn't it be even more dangerous for a man in his prime to wield such a heavy weapon?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "I am grateful for your consideration, Lord Li..." I will take it as you mean that the "danger" you mentioned does not refer to the country, but to myself. "Now I am under your protection, Lord Li, and I can enjoy the shade. In the future... I will control my own fortune and misfortune. Even if I am in trouble, your family will be safe and sound."

Li Yu is currently wary of you, so he's targeting the one who stands out. No matter how much I cause trouble, he won't blame me to weaken your power in Shuofang. But in the future, if I gain power, the court will have to rely on the Guo family to control me. Therefore, cooperation is mutually beneficial; if we go against each other, neither of us will likely end up well.

Guo Ziyi's white beard trembled slightly, and after a long while he said, "This burden is very heavy, is Commander Li so... eager to shoulder it?"

Li Ji replied, "The appointment to Shuofang was not of my own volition, but rather bestowed by the court." He then gave a wry smile, as if something was amiss, and added, "My original intention was to seek Fengxiang and Jingyuan..."

"Isn't Weibo good?"

Li Ji said solemnly, "If you had returned to the capital from Luoyang, wouldn't the Eastern Capital have been just as good?" Since he did not harbor any intention of holding military power and establishing a separatist regime, he naturally could not disobey the imperial decree. "Furthermore, I have old friends in Anxi and Beiting, who are constantly being invaded by barbarians. Their eagerness to see the imperial army is evident even without seeing it in person. Therefore, I have always aspired to defend against the barbarians, recover Longyou and Hexi, and secure the Western Regions. The Emperor knew of my aspirations and summoned me to the west, but ultimately placed me in Shuofang. Although this was not my original wish, I dared not refuse out of fear of difficulties."

Guo Ziyi nodded slightly: "I know of General Li's ambition, and I will do my best to help him if it is within my power. However, as General Li just said, it is not appropriate for us to get too close... General Li, please do as you please, and please forgive me for not keeping you for a meal."

Upon first hearing the phrase "I will lend a helping hand if I can," Li Ji thought he had finally persuaded Guo Ziyi. However, the old general then made no attempt to hide his intention to see him off... He even used Li Ji's words as a reason: "We can't get too close. We've already dismissed everyone and talked for quite a while. Aren't you going to leave?"

Li Yu appointed Li Ji as the military governor of Shuofang, hoping that he could control the military forces of Shuofang, thus cutting off one of Guo Ziyi's arms, or at least taking the opportunity to divide the Shuofang generals and weaken the semi-independence of the Shuofang army. As Li Ji said, because he had some personal connections with the Shuofang officers and soldiers, appointing him to the northern garrison might encounter less resistance; moreover, because he had never truly been a member of the Shuofang army but was a trusted confidant of the royal family, Li Yu entrusted him with this important task.

Guo Ziyi was the de facto leader of the Shuofang military group, so Li Ji couldn't possibly completely bypass him. Visiting him after returning to the capital to inquire about the town's internal affairs and personnel was perfectly normal, and the emperor wouldn't suspect anything from that. However, if Li Ji appeared too dependent on Guo Ziyi, or if Guo Ziyi deliberately tried to win Li Ji over, the emperor would definitely become suspicious—if Li Ji were thrown into that cesspool, wouldn't he really lose his head and turn into a lump of Shuofang soy sauce too…?

That's why Li Ji immediately reminded Guo Ziyi, "I can't get too close to you." Who would have thought Guo Ziyi would use this as an excuse—"Then why are you staying so long? Aren't you afraid the Emperor will reprimand you? You'd better leave quickly."

Li Ji hesitated, unsure whether to shamelessly insist on staying—"I haven't even asked about the situation in Shuofang yet, and you haven't mentioned it at all. What's the point of all my efforts? Did I come all this way for nothing?"

But then Guo Ziyi slowly added, "I know that General Li has few capable men under his command. I wonder if my son-in-law Lu Geng is suitable?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's worries finally turned to joy. He immediately got up from his bed and bowed deeply to Guo Ziyi, saying, "Thank you for your care, Lord Guo. I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Guo Ziyi then had his eldest son-in-law, Lu Geng (also known as Lu Rangjin), escort Li Ji out of the mansion. He himself remained seated in the hall. After a short while, a red-robed eunuch quietly entered and bowed deeply to Guo Ziyi. Guo Ziyi immediately returned the greeting from his couch, saying, "Lord Liu, there's no need for such formalities."

This eunuch was named Liu Qingtan. He had been ordered to travel north to seek aid from the Uyghurs to jointly attack Shi Chaoyi. Just then, Khan Dunmohedagan led his troops south, intending to invade the Tang Dynasty. Liu Qingtan hurried to catch up with him at Sanshoujiang City and informed Li Yu that he had successfully ascended the throne. Only then did Dunmohedagan retreat. For this merit, Li Yu rewarded Liu Qingtan handsomely and bestowed upon him the name Liu Zhongyi.

At that moment, Liu Zhongyi respectfully asked Guo Ziyi, "I did not know that His Highness the Crown Prince had sent Li Shuofang to inquire about your business, sir?"

Guo Ziyi smiled slightly: "Li Ji is just making a false statement, sending people away to persuade me. There's nothing wrong with it."

Liu Zhongyi seemed unconvinced and was about to press for more information when Guo Ziyi leaned forward slightly and asked in return, "Junshi told me, if Shuofang does not use Li Ji, then what general does the Emperor favor?"

Liu Zhongyi replied with his hands clasped: "Hun Shizhi, Lu Sigong, Chang Qianguang."

Guo Ziyi stammered, "In that case, it means we're going to divide it into three..." He then raised his voice and said to Liu Zhongyi, "You may reply to the Emperor that Li Ji actually has no interest in Shuofang; he considers his achievements in defending the barbarians to be the best place for him. Hexi and Liangzhou are the best places for him."

Chapter 52, Being an In-Law is Difficult

Li Ji persuaded Guo Ziyi and finally got a fairly good result—Guo Ziyi agreed to let Lu Geng join his staff.

Lu Geng and Lu Rangjin were Guo Ziyi's eldest son-in-law and were Jinshi graduates. Unfortunately, before they could be appointed to official positions, the rebel army of the pseudo-Yan army stormed into Chang'an. From then on, they could only work in their father-in-law's staff, and naturally, they were Guo Ziyi's confidants.

He is currently only a seventh-rank official with a nominal salary. Although he had many opportunities to be appointed to a higher post after the Bao Ying era, at least as the magistrate of a major province, Guo Ziyi always held back and refused to relinquish his position. It is said that the old general once said to his sons-in-law, "He is nominally a son-in-law, but in reality, he is like a son to us. How can we bear to send him far away to serve as an official? We must find him a long-term and stable place to settle him down."

No one could have predicted that Guo Ziyi would eventually recommend Lu Geng to Li Ji's staff.

Undoubtedly, Lu Geng's accompaniment of Li Ji to Lingzhou was as Guo Ziyi's representative. With him in charge, Li Ji would not dare to harm the Shuofang officials without cause. At the same time, with Lu Geng in charge, the Shuofang officials would not be able to openly oppose or outwardly comply with but inwardly defy Li Ji's policies. Li Ji was essentially carrying a handcuff-shaped talisman with him.

He didn't care about the handcuffs, because his goal wasn't to completely conquer Shuofang Town and replace Guo Ziyi as the leader of all the major and minor military forces in northern China, but simply to use the Shuofang army to build a completely new foundation for himself. With this goal in mind, the handcuffs were useless, but the protective charm was very real.

Riding high on the spring breeze, he swiftly returned to the Imperial Secretariat. As soon as he entered, Lu Qi leaned closer and whispered, "General, would you please stay in the study tonight?"

Li Ji glanced at him, understood what was going on, and nodded slightly.

Sure enough, in the dead of night, Li Shi arrived incognito. Upon meeting him, he first asked, "Changwei wanted to persuade Lord Guo to help him, but why did he use me as an excuse?"

Li Ji hurriedly apologized: "It's really hard to explain to the old general; he was almost completely unyielding. I had no choice but to bring up His Highness's banner..."

Li Shi said unhappily, "If the Emperor suspects me of colluding with you because of this, what should we do?"

Li Ji replied frankly, "Then if the sage had any other business, he wouldn't consult King Zheng first!"

Li Shi pondered for a long time before letting out a soft sigh: "It's difficult to be a sage..." He then lowered his voice: "The sage asks me to ask you, do you really dare to guarantee that the Uyghurs will not break their alliance?"

Li Ji replied, “Your Majesty, I dare to assure you. Moreover, I personally believe that the Uyghurs are not to be feared, but if the people’s hearts are unsettled, morale is low, and officials are all afraid of the Uyghurs, then that would be a great calamity for the country!”

Li Shi nodded and said, "I have the same thought... It's a pity that the Central Court lacks capable people. If Mr. Changyuan were here, he would surely be able to handle this matter well."

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji advised: "Your Highness can report to the Emperor that the current prime ministers are all mediocre and incompetent, lacking the ability to speak frankly and honestly. I'm afraid they will be unable to properly assist the Emperor and bring about peace."

"Are there any other candidates in the court suitable for entry into the Secretariat-Chancellery? Whom do you favor?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "I have been stationed in a remote area for a long time, and it is beyond my knowledge." He paused, but couldn't help but add, "In my humble opinion, Yang Gongquan (Yang Wan) and Li Zhenyi (Li Qiyun)..."

Li Shi interrupted him, saying, "These are all people who have a close relationship with Changwei."

Li Ji said solemnly, “Because of his uprightness, I have befriended him, but it is not because of our friendship that I have agreed to be prime minister. Moreover, in my opinion, Cui Yisun (Cui Youfu) is more capable than the current prime ministers.”

Li Shi nodded and said, "I will find an opportunity to speak to the Emperor." He then pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve: "I have recently found some talented people who can be recommended to the Chief Guard."

Li Ji took it with both hands, but before he could examine it closely, Li Shi asked again, "I heard that you intend to recall Yang Yan and others and bring them under your command. Is this true?"

Li Ji nodded: "Yuan Zai is arrogant and domineering, and he dictates the affairs of the court. However, his close associates are all capable officials, unlike the likes of Wang Xiaqing (Wang Jin) and Du Zhixun (Du Hongjian). Although they will not turn against their masters, they cannot guard their own positions. So, can the people they recommend still be used?"

Li Shi stared into Li Ji's eyes and said, word by word, "However, Yang Yan was a former official of the Prince of Qi..."

Li Ji smiled and said, "I am also a former official of the Prince of Qi. Moreover, I believe that although Yang Gongnan slandered Yuan Zai, there are some excusable aspects to his actions..." The implication was that Yang Yan was more of Yuan Zai's man than Li Tan's. You should worry about Yuan Zai's resurgence than Li Tan's.

Li Shi turned his face away and asked again, "Do you still plan to see Pugu Huai'en tomorrow?"

Li Ji shook his head: "I owe them a debt of gratitude for protecting my reputation and family, yet they regard me as an enemy, especially Pugu Yang, who is completely brainless... Now that Lord Guo has given his approval to take charge of Shuofang, I no longer need to see the Pugu family. However, I intend to hold a banquet for Hun Jian tomorrow..."

Hun Jian was the eldest son of Hun Shi, the acting governor of Shuofang. He had also dealt with Li Ji before. Li Ji hoped to establish a good relationship with his father through his son.

Li Shi nodded: "Hun Jian can go see him, but there's no need to visit Uncle Qi again." He then changed the subject, leaned closer to Li Ji, and whispered: "Recently, His Majesty has been wanting to take some measures, but he is still undecided and asked me to ask Changwei."

"Please speak plainly, Your Highness."

"Firstly, elite troops will be drawn from various garrisons to reinforce the Imperial Guard..."

Li Ji frowned slightly: "Strengthening the central region while weakening the external, and focusing on the core while weakening the branches—this is indeed a good strategy. However, is the capital's finances sufficient?" When he was still a commander of the Imperial Guards, he had hoped to significantly bolster the Northern Army. If 100,000 troops could be readily deployed from within and outside Chang'an, which regional military governor would dare to act rashly? Who would dare disobey imperial orders? The problem is that grain production in Guanzhong is already insufficient, and in Chang'an, a major grain-consuming city, grain prices are soaring daily. How could they possibly support 100,000 elite troops? What immense pressure would that place on the national treasury and the grain transport system?

Li Shi added: "Before leaving, Mr. Changyuan offered a suggestion to the emperor that the six armies of the Northern Army could be stationed in Guanzhong, Hezhong, and even Shuofang and Hexi, and rotated every year."

Li Ji thought for a moment, then clapped his hands and said, "Brother, you have a brilliant plan—this is feasible."

Li Bi's idea was to draw elite troops from various garrisons—primarily from the central and western regions—to reinforce the Six Armies of the Northern Army. Then, a portion of these Six Armies would not be stationed in Chang'an, but rather dispersed to Guanzhong, Hezhong, and other areas to control strategic locations and oversee the troops of the regional military governors. This annual rotation, as long as the deployments were not too far, would keep expenditures within a barely tolerable range.

Li Ji offered two supplementary suggestions. First, “The Imperial Guards stationed in the outer garrisons must also participate in the annual autumn defense and the suppression of local bandits. We should not worry about losses and leave them idle. In the past, elite troops were forged in battle, not supported by the East and West Markets.”

Secondly, "The provisions and equipment of the Imperial Guards stationed outside the capital should be higher than those of the garrison troops, so that they may see the honor of protecting the emperor and be happy to serve him; however, the difference should not be too great, so as not to cause unnecessary discord or even hostility between the Imperial Guards and the garrison troops."

In conclusion, he said, "This plan is excellent, but we must find a capable person to implement it and proceed gradually to avoid provoking the other garrisons. Moreover, with the elite troops being transferred to the Northern Army, the responsibility for provisions and pay will also fall on the central government. Given the current reserves in the treasury, I'm afraid we can't implement it freely yet."

Li Shi immediately took paper and pen from the table and roughly wrote down what Li Ji had said. Afterwards, he said, "The sage wishes to do the second thing—divide the northern region..."

Li Ji couldn't help but smile slightly: "It seems that General Guo also heard about this matter, which is why he was finally forced to extend an olive branch to me..."

Li Shi asked, puzzled, "What is the story behind the olive branch?"

Li Ji quickly brushed it off: "That's not important. What's important is that Shuofang is a vast area with Han and Hu people living together. The situation is complicated and serious. Previously, we were only able to focus on defending against the Northern Barbarians, but now we also have to face the Western Barbarians. Moreover, if I want to lead the troops from Shuofang out of Huining Pass to recover Liangzhou and rescue Anxi and Beiting, I will definitely be too busy."

Li Shi nodded and said, "That is precisely why the Sage intends to cede the four prefectures of Xia, Sui, Yin, and Sheng, establish the Xia-Sui Military Governor, and also establish the Zhenwu Military Governor, concurrently serving as the Protector-General of Anbei and the Protector-General of Shanyu, and in charge of the three surrendered cities—Does Changwei think this is feasible?"

Li Ji hesitated for a moment: "It is feasible, but we should not be hasty... When we were stationed in Shuofang, the court did not distinguish between different regions, in order to reassure Lord Guo... Let me be settled in Lingzhou before we take action."

Li Shi smiled and said, "Changwei still has a large force stationed at Sanshoujiang City, so it's impossible to hastily divide up Shuofang at this time. I'm afraid that apart from Changwei, no one dares to go to the Hetao region now, in order to face the wrath of the Uyghur Khan." He then asked seriously, "So you really want to go to Sanshoujiang City?"

Li Ji first nodded, then shook his head: "Since I am stationed in Shuofang, I will definitely have to deal with the Uyghurs. It is only natural that I would make a trip to the Hetao region. However, the idea of ​​stationing heavy troops in Shoujiang City is, to be honest, a way to intimidate the Prime Minister—in any case, even if the Khan wants to launch a military invasion to the south, he will have to wait until autumn, when envoys travel back and forth to negotiate. There is no need to delay for so long..."

Li Shi said with a wry smile, "As long as the matter of the Uyghurs remains unresolved, I'm afraid even the Emperor cannot sleep soundly for a single day!"

Li Ji advised, “One should be bold in making decisions, but cautious in planning. If Your Majesty has any fear of difficulties regarding the Uyghurs, the regional military governors, or Lord Guo… then no matter how loyal your officials are, they will ultimately find it difficult to secure the country and resolve the crisis.” He paused, then asked in a low voice, “If the problem of Shuofang can be resolved, how does Your Majesty intend to deal with Lord Guo?”

Li Shi glanced at him: "Changwei, don't overthink it. The Emperor has always been magnanimous. How could he have any intention of harming you, Lord Ling? Even when Yuan Zai held power, the Emperor didn't question him because he appreciated his great achievements and hoped that he could remain a loyal subject to the Emperor. If Yuan Zai had been a little more restrained and had been more tolerant of Mr. Changyuan and Li Yanjian (Li Xian), he wouldn't have ended up like this. The Emperor is uneasy because Shuofang is powerful. Only when its power declines can this relationship between the two families last."

At this point, she sighed softly, "It's a pity that Changwei already has a wife..."

Li Ji hurriedly waved his hand: "I absolutely refuse to marry a princess—I would rather not!"

----------

The following day, an imperial edict finally arrived from the palace, stating that because the Hui envoys had acted arrogantly and violently, assaulting Tang officials, Li Ji, the military governor of Shuofang, was appointed as the envoy to the grasslands to discuss with Changshou Tianqin Khan and properly resolve the dispute. Therefore, all Hui envoys, including Chixin, were taken from the Wannian County prison and the Honglu Temple and escorted to Li Ji's military camp at Baqiao.

In other words, the imperial court can't handle this matter; it's all up to you, Li Ji—I only care about the final result.

At the same time, an imperial edict was issued urging Li Ji to leave the capital as soon as possible and head north to Lingzhou.

However, Li Ji deliberately delayed his departure, first hosting a grand banquet for his former officials from the Northern Army at Lü Miaozhen's house—primarily to win over Hun Jian—and then visiting his old friends and relatives in the capital one by one. The court, left with no other option, dismissed Wei Shaohua from his position as Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies and transferred him to the post of Deputy Military Commissioner of Qianzhou, while simultaneously reprimanding Li Gan, the Prefect of Jingzhao, and cutting his salary…

Five days after Li Shi's late-night visit, Li Ji finally left Chang'an with his family and staff in haste. His entourage had grown considerably since their departure, including Lu Geng, Yan Zhuang, Wei Tan, Li Fengguo, Lü Xiqian, and Wei Gao.

Yan Zhuang had previously persuaded Li Shi and Li Ji, ultimately leading to Li Ji's appointment as governor of the Western Regions. His primary objective wasn't to curry favor with the Crown Prince, but rather to join Li Ji's inner circle. He knew that given his past transgression, even the Crown Prince wouldn't dare recommend him to the central court easily. And if Li Shi were to ascend the throne… who knew how long that would take? By then, he'd likely be dead!

Only by leaving Chang'an and joining the ranks of military governors could he hope to steadily rise through the ranks by accumulating merits and sharing in battle achievements. Even if he never returned to the central court, he could still exchange his official robes for a red one in five to ten years—if he couldn't wear purple and crimson robes and have a grand funeral in the future, he wouldn't be able to die in peace!

Now that Li Shi had recommended him and that he had gained merit through persuasion, Li Ji could not refuse him outright and had no choice but to bring him under his wing and appoint him as a judge.

As for Wei Tan, the magistrate of Wannian, he was forced onto Li Ji's "pirate ship," which resulted not only in the dismissal of his own family's Minister of Ceremonies, Wei Shaohua, but also in the reprimand of his superior, the Prefect of Jingzhao, Li Gan. Could Wei Tan still remain in Chang'an? It's likely that as soon as Li Ji left, Prefect Li would dismiss him for a minor offense, and he might even be unable to secure a proper appointment...

Rather than doing that, it would be better to curry favor with Li Ji, voluntarily resign from the post of Wannian Magistrate, and join the Shuofang Army.

The other three, Li Fengguo, Lü Xiqian, and Wei Gao, were recommended to Li Ji by Li Shi.

Li Fengguo was a Uyghur, originally named Sheligezhan. He migrated south due to internal strife within his tribe and briefly served under Xin Yunjing, the military governor of Hedong. Later, Xin Yunjing became a subordinate of Li Shi. Lü Xiqian, on the other hand, was originally a retainer of Li Shi.

Wei Gao was born into the Wei clan of Jingzhao, specifically the Mei Cheng branch, and was the twenty-third son. At the age of eighteen, he became a mourner at the Jianling Mausoleum. The position of mourner was a custom since the Wei and Jin dynasties, where young men of the sixth rank or above were selected during national mourning periods to be taught etiquette and participate in funeral activities, thus gaining eligibility for official selection. In short, Wei Gao rose to prominence by carrying the coffin and singing dirges for Li Heng (Jianling being Li Heng's mausoleum).

He was later appointed as a military advisor in Huazhou, and then entered the Court of Imperial Sacrifices as a chief clerk, becoming an official under the Crown Prince. Li Shi observed that although he was young, he had great ambitions and was fond of discussing military affairs, so he recommended him to Li Ji's staff—"If you stay under my command, you will never get ahead!"

Li Ji's staff expanded rapidly. He also awaited news of Yang Yan and Han Hui's arrival—the court had essentially given their approval, and the Ministry of Personnel had registered them. Unless they themselves refused to join his staff, they would eventually reunite. Li Ji intended to ask Yang Yan to help manage Shuofang's finances, and even to appoint him as the Director of Finance, Salt Lake, or Water Transport Commissioner of the Six Cities; while if Han Hui returned to Chang'an, he could replace Lu Qi as the Shuofang Advisor.

In terms of practical ability, Han Hui is naturally far inferior to Lu Qi—it's true that someone with Lu Qi's talent is hard to find—fortunately, he had lived in the capital for a long time and knew many people in all walks of life. He could make friends with officials and gather information on a daily basis, so he should be able to handle the task.

In addition, Gao Ying recommended his cousin Gao Chongwen to Li Ji. Gao Chongwen had served in the army in Pinglu and was appointed as the garrison commander of Huaixi, but he was not favored by his superiors and had no hope of promotion.

Because of the repeated urging from the imperial court, Li Ji left in a hurry and was unable to build the Weibo Jinzou Academy upon arrival. He had no choice but to entrust the entire project to Lu Qi. He hoped that Lu Ziliang would first purchase a suitable house in the capital, then contact Yan Zhenqing for reimbursement. After the Weibo Jinzou Academy was finalized, the plaque of the Shuofang Jinzou Academy could be hung grandly in his own residence in Pingkangfang.

Cui Cuo was quite displeased and complained to Li Ji, "The Zhen Jinzouyuan uses public funds, but my family has been using the Jinzouyuan for so many years..." Li Ji could only reply to her, "We will gradually make up for the deficiencies after we take over the Shuofang Treasury. Don't be impatient."

(End of Volume 7, "The Sword Was Drawn and the Arm of the Proud One Was Severed")

Author's Note: Volume 7 is now finished. As usual, there will be a break tomorrow, and Volume 8 will begin serialization the day after tomorrow.

In addition, my old novel, "Life, the Divine Scepter," has been re-uploaded on this site. It represents my youth and can be considered one of the first works in the domestic fantasy genre. The beginning is a bit immature, but it gets much better after the first volume. I hope both new and old friends will visit and add it to their collections. Thank you.

Chapter 1, The Eagle Shooting on the Grasslands

In the vast, high sky, eagles soar.

With a "whoosh," an arrow, accompanied by a terrifying whistling sound, shot almost straight toward the eagle, which was over a hundred feet above the ground, like a powerful crossbow bolt. The eagle cried out in alarm, flapping its wings sharply to barely dodge the arrow...

Shot empty.

Li Ji glared angrily at the eagle as it gradually disappeared into the distance, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

Dunmohedagan, stroking his beard, laughed loudly, "General Li, you are confident in your unparalleled archery skills and your perfect aim. How are you this time?"

Li Ji said angrily, "That feathered beast dares to embarrass me! If it were a pigeon, I would have shot it down long ago..."

Dunmohedagan suppressed his smile and said seriously, “You don’t need to be too disappointed. On the grasslands, skilled archers are called ‘eagle shooters,’ and they have always been the chief’s personal guards—from the Turks to the Turgesh to our Uyghurs, it has always been the same. Shooting an eagle is different from shooting a person. It not only requires bow strength, eyesight, and accuracy, but also familiarity with the habits of eagles and the ability to predict their flight direction. Without the experience of missing ten times, it is impossible to master the skill of shooting down an eagle.”

Li Ji nodded and said, "The Khan is right. I have oversimplified this matter..." He then handed the powerful bow to the soldier beside him, turned his head and glanced at Chi Xin, who was kneeling beside him with a face ashen, and said, "In this round, the Khan has won. I accept my defeat."

Dunmoheda immediately ordered, "Push Chixin far away and kill him."

"Wait a minute," Li Ji suddenly realized, "Why did I pardon Chixin when I shot the eagle, but kill him when I missed... Shouldn't it be that the Khan would rather spare Chixin's life?"

Dunmohedagan shook his head: "He did something wrong, so of course he should be killed. Why should I spare him?" Then he glared at Chixin and asked angrily: "Do you know where you went wrong?"

Chi Xin bowed his head and said, "I shouldn't have acted so violently in Chang'an, injuring Tang officials and almost ruining our relationship... but it was all to save my Uyghur merchants, protect my Uyghurs... and also to save the Khan's face..."

Dunmoheda coldly interrupted him: "Making mistakes is not terrible, what is terrible is not knowing you are wrong—you are my Uyghur envoy, holding my flag, you can roam freely throughout the world, so what's wrong with killing a few Tang people? Do you think the Tang family would break the alliance between our two countries over such a trivial matter?"

"That……"

"Your biggest mistake was actually running into General Li!"

Chi Xin was speechless. Li Ji, however, smiled and said, "If you were to say that you bumped into me, it might actually be a merit for Chi Xin."

Dunmoheda glanced at him: "General Li seems to have great confidence in himself and the Shuofang Army."