Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 162

He then asked Zhizang, "In your opinion, Master, is it possible for this country to return to its former glory during the Kaiyuan era?"

Zhizang answered directly, "No."

"Will we ultimately perish?"

Zhizang smiled and explained, “Only the Buddha is immortal, only the Dharma is immortal. Sentient beings in the world are always born and die, dwell and pass away, and so is the state. But even though there is death, does that mean we should not cherish life? Even though there is passing away, does that mean we are not permanent? For an old monk over sixty to wish to return to youth is truly a fool's dream. In the past, when I was ordered to deliver a letter to the Lion Kingdom, the distance of ten thousand miles was easily traversed; the arduous journey was like a smooth road. Now, on my journey to Mount Wutai, a mere thousand miles, I feel physically exhausted and mentally weary, and am forced to rest in Luoyang for some time…”

"Even so, youth is gone, and death looms ahead. Should we simply let life pass by in emptiness? I am ill, and I must seek medical treatment. I cannot remain bedridden, passively awaiting my end..."

Yu Ling interjected, "The Dharma Master possesses great wisdom and is destined to attain Buddhahood on the spot."

Zhizang smiled, ignoring his words, and simply pointed to the novice monk standing beside him: "If I waste time, squander my life, and ignore my illness, in the end, it will only make them suffer. Would the General be willing to let the people suffer?"

Li Ji couldn't help but put his palms together and said, "The words of the Dharma Master are unfathomable. I, Li, bow down in reverence."

"If that's the case, why not take refuge in the Buddha?"

"That's not necessary..."

After a heartfelt conversation with Zhizang, Li Ji felt much better and was no longer willing to stay idle in Luoyang. He set off the next day to continue his journey eastward and finally returned to Yuancheng in mid-May.

Lu Qi, the official in charge of reporting from Chang'an, arrived in Weibo before Li Ji. Li Ji received the report as soon as he returned to his office, and upon unfolding it, he was both surprised and delighted.

He originally intended to kill Zhou Zhiguang as a warning to Yu Chaoen, but he didn't expect the emperor to act so quickly this time, directly killing the powerful eunuch with whom he had a long-standing feud. Li Ji couldn't help but clap his hands in delight and ate an extra bowl of mutton soup that day.

In his official document, Lu Qi elaborated on the cause and effect in great detail. In particular, he used Li Ji's influence to recently establish a connection with Crown Prince Li Shi, visiting him frequently and thus uncovering many secrets. According to his writings, Li Ji estimated that Li Yu's original plan was to capture Zhou Zhiguang and demote him to the position of governor of a border prefecture—he would no longer dare to kill a garrison general without authorization—but since he had killed Zhou Zhiguang with his mace, he might as well use the Secretariat and the Chancellery to publicly declare his crimes and order Guo Ziyi to bring Zhou Yuanyao, Zhou Yuangan, Shao Ben, Jiang Luohan, and others to Chang'an for execution.

He then beheaded Zhou Zhiguang and his two sons, and displayed their heads on the south street of the imperial city.

As for Yu Chaoen, although he hanged himself, in consideration of his past merits, he was still allowed to be buried with the rank of a third-grade official.

Some of the positions held by Yu Chaoen were abolished, and his authority was returned to the outer court. The rest were given to eunuchs such as Wang Jiahe, Dou Wenchang, Huo Xianming, and Zhang Shangjin.

First came Li Fuguo, then Cheng Yuanzhen, then Yu Chaoen. Although Li Yu is still unwilling to abolish the eunuchs' participation in politics, he probably wouldn't dare to put the heavy burden of resisting the outer court on one or two people again.

Lu Qi was very diligent in his work, never missing a beat, submitting a report every month, and the following month's report always brought more good news. The matter, upon closer examination, stemmed from Li Ji's killing of Zhou Zhiguang, a lingering effect and an unexpected stroke of good fortune.

When the news spread, another ferocious tiger trembled in fear—that was Liang Chongyi, the acting military governor of Shannan East Circuit. Upon hearing this news, Liang Chongyi was immediately reminded of the past—when Li Ji, right before his eyes, killed Li Zhao with a single blow…

He then smiled bitterly and said to those around him, "General Li's mace is extremely heavy. He killed Li Zhao in the past, and he killed Zhou Zhiguang today. Who knows if he won't come to kill me tomorrow..."

Therefore, he took the initiative to request an audience with the emperor. Li Yu was overjoyed upon receiving the memorial. In June of that year, Liang Chongyi entered the court and was appointed as the Military Governor of Shannan East Circuit and concurrently the Prefect of Xiangzhou. He was also granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace and concurrently the Acting Minister of Justice.

Because Liang Chongyi was beheaded, under the planning of prime ministers such as Yuan Zai, the Tonghua Jiedushi (military governor) was abolished and replaced by the Tongguan Defense Commissioner, who only governed Huazhou and was appointed by Luo Yuanguang. Because Liang Chongyi entered the court, the Tang court, while actually granting him the title of Jiedushi, also divided the vast Shannan East Circuit. In the north, the Jinshangdu Defense Commissioner was re-established and appointed by Wei Boyu, while in the south, the Jingnan Jiedushi was established and appointed by Li Xian. Liang Chongyi only governed seven prefectures.

The situation near the capital region has thus changed dramatically, allowing all the troops within the Great Wall to be concentrated to defend against the Tibetan Empire in the west.

Furthermore, Li Ji, having made a trip to Chang'an, knew that a campaign against the Tianxiong Army this year was impossible; the time was not right, and the mission wouldn't start prematurely. The best time for military action was generally in the autumn when horses were fat and strong—without interfering with farming—but the Tang court still had to defend against the Tubo in the autumn, leaving no spare capacity for a two-front war.

Therefore, he could only watch the situation on the western front with his eyes wide open, silently praying that nothing else would go wrong this year...

This year, for the autumn defense, the Tang court concentrated an army of 120,000, with Guo Ziyi still serving as the deputy commander within the pass, stationed in Chang'an, and Ma Lin, the military governor of Jingyuan, as the frontline commander. However, Ma Chongying still directed his main attack northward, successively capturing Gansu and Suzhou, and ravaging Guazhou. The Tang army marched out of Longshan Pass to try and contain them, but was harassed by former Tuyuhun troops who had surrendered to Tibet, and suffered a setback.

The Tang court hoped to launch a counterattack in Xichuan, just as Yan Wu had done during his lifetime, but unexpectedly, chaos broke out in Xichuan once again...

On this day, Li Ji returned to his quarters after sitting in the government office, and Cui Cuo, heavily pregnant, came to greet him—she was eight months pregnant. To be honest, Li Ji was quite worried because his wife had small hips and a narrow pelvis, and he didn't know if she could have a natural birth…

Cui Cuo wanted to help Li Ji undress, but Li Ji quickly stopped him—"Don't move, I have hands and feet, do it yourself." After removing his robes and turban, and changing into loose-fitting home clothes—the brazier in the bedroom was burning brightly, so there was no chill—he had barely settled on the couch when Cui Cuo pulled a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Li Ji:

"My seventh brother has sent a letter, earnestly requesting your assistance, sir."

Li Ji was taken aback upon hearing this: "Which Seventh Brother?"

Cui Cuo said unhappily, "Young master, you've drunk so much of their tea, and you've only recently switched to tea from Huainan. Are you already pretending not to recognize it?"

Li Ji then suddenly realized: "So it's Cui Gan... You don't seem to have mentioned his seniority before..."

Cui Gan owned 40% of the shares in Ya Xuan Tea House, which was considered a business partnership with Li Ji. However, what Li Ji valued more was that the other party could send him some roasted loose tea from Shu. Since he had come to Weibo, there was no need to send tea all the way from Shu through Chang'an to Hebei. Instead, he used Huoshan Huangya from Huainan.

He was now a military governor, so sending Bao Zitian to negotiate with the Huozhou government to purchase a batch of simply roasted loose tea was a piece of cake.

In addition, to investigate the situation in Sichuan, Li Ji also instructed Cui Cuo to maintain frequent contact with Cui Gan. The siblings, being from the same clan, corresponded often—more frequently than with their two legitimate "brothers," Cui Gou and Cui Ju. However, Li Ji generally did not read Cui Gan's letters. He only needed his wife to inform him of the military and political affairs in Sichuan—they would certainly discuss the domestic affairs of the Cui family of Boling, so why waste time reading them? Cui Cuo directly handed him letters from Sichuan, which was unprecedented.

Since it said, "I earnestly request your help, sir," Li Ji took the book and read it carefully. He had only read half of it when he slapped his thigh and exclaimed angrily, "Damn it, this brother-in-law is no pushover either!"

Chapter Nine, The Seven Brothers of the Cui Family

Cui Gan was originally the prefect of Lizhou, but later he was valued by Yan Wu, the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan, and was reassigned as the prefect of Hanzhou and the military commander of Xishan, where he was stationed on the front line of defending against the barbarians.

At the beginning of the year, Yan Wu died, and his troops split in two. Cui Gan recommended General Wang Chongjun to succeed him as the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan. However, the court, heeding the advice of the military commander Guo Yinggan and the military advisor Guo Jialin, appointed Guo Yingyi instead. Guo Yingyi harbored resentment towards Wang Chongjun for this. After only a few days in Chengdu, he falsely accused Wang Chongjun of a crime, had him bound and executed, and then summoned Cui Gan back to Chengdu to report on his duties. Cui Gan, of course, dared not return, citing preparations against the Tubo (Tibetan) forces, and delayed his return. Guo Yingyi was furious, so he first cut off Cui Gan's supplies and then personally led a large army to attack him.

Just as autumn and winter were approaching, heavy snow fell in the mountains. Guo Yingyi was unprepared, and many of his soldiers froze to death. Cui Gan seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, and Guo Yingyi suffered a great defeat. In the end, he only led a thousand or so remaining troops back to Chengdu.

Once upon a time, during the An Lushan Rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong fled to Shu (Sichuan). Upon returning to Chang'an, he converted his temporary palace into a Taoist temple, where Taoist priests cast a golden portrait of Xuanzong, which they worshipped day and night. Guo Yingyi, who was stationed in Xichuan, loved the lush bamboo groves of the area. He petitioned to have the temple converted into a military camp and removed the portrait of Xuanzong, moving in himself. Cui Gan used this as a pretext to impeach Guo Yingyi, accusing him of treason—"How dare you touch the golden statue of the late emperor?!" He then personally led his 5,000 troops to counterattack Chengdu. Guo Yingyi was defeated and fled alone to Jianzhou, where he was killed by Han Cheng, the prefect of Puzhou, who sent his head to Cui Gan.

Bai Zhenjie, a military commander in Qiongzhou, Yang Zilin, a military commander in Luzhou, and Li Changkui, a military commander in Jianzhou, each raised troops to attack Cui Gan, causing great chaos in Shu.

Cui Gan knew he had gotten himself into a terrible mess, but he had no powerful backing. He had originally relied on Yan Wu, but Yan Wu was dead; he had once gone to the capital to establish a clan alliance with Cui Guangyuan, but Cui Guangyuan was also dead. Although he had repeatedly submitted memorials to the emperor explaining that he had no choice but to launch a counterattack on Chengdu and that he had not killed Guo Yingyi himself, he figured the court would not believe him, or even if they did, they would never forgive him.

In desperation, he traveled a great distance to Hebei to send a letter, pleading with his brother-in-law Li Ji, with whom he had a distant but ambiguous relationship—"Please put in a good word for me with the Emperor and the Crown Prince."

Li Ji felt deeply troubled upon receiving the letter forwarded by Cui Cuo.

He had never liked Guo Yingyi—because he was too greedy—and if what Cui Gan said in his letter was true, Guo Yingyi had only himself to blame. The problem was that the laws of the court were there; Guo Yingyi, as an official, used his position to disobey orders and lead troops to attack Cui Gan. While this was morally wrong, it wasn't legally wrong. Conversely, Cui Gan, to save his life, could have easily resisted, but to launch a counterattack on Chengdu was tantamount to rebellion.

And that Han Cheng, he dared to kill the military governor of this town without permission, he is truly guilty of a heinous crime!

However, Cui Cuo said, "Guo Yingyi brought this upon himself. If the situation were reversed, and the superior official fabricated charges against you out of personal resentment, would you have simply stood your neck and endured it?"

Li Ji frowned and said, “The laws of the court must not be abolished… No matter how many faults Guo Yingyi has committed, he has not violated the law in the end—unless the court approves Cui Gan’s impeachment against him for removing the golden statue of Emperor Xuanzong—and the generals and soldiers of various garrisons are gradually becoming accustomed to insubordination. If this trend is not stopped, there will never be peace in the world. Am I not allowed to punish my generals for disobeying orders?”

Cui Cuo said, “Young master, you may not always follow the law, but you never fail to uphold the principles of reason and compassion. If your subordinates disobey your orders, with your abilities, can’t you quell the rebellion in one fell swoop? If you act recklessly without regard to reason and compassion, and fail because you don’t understand who is on your side, can you blame others?”

Li Ji clicked his tongue: "When Lai Zhen defied the imperial edict, I went to persuade him; when Pugu and his son rebelled, I went to abduct them; when Zhou Zhiguang committed evil, I went to kill him... Now I have to speak up for Cui Gan. How will the court view me?"

Cui Cuo scoffed, “Lai Zhen has no relation to you, yet you respectfully saw him off from Xiangyang; the Pugu father and son have a past relationship with you, yet you protect their wealth and status; Zhou Zhiguang robbed the tribute from Weibo and had a grudge against you, yet you killed him out of the blue—that’s just how human relationships are! Cui Gan is my kinsman and has served you tea for years, so can’t I say a few words for him?”

Li Ji thought to himself, "Oh dear, you've hit the nail on the head..."

Cui Cuo was right. If Li Ji hadn't received favors from Pugu and his son, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to persuade them to return to court, ultimately being forced to take action. If Zhou Zhiguang had offended everyone but not Li Ji, he might not have left Weibo that day, using his return to court as an opportunity to persuade the court to launch a large-scale attack. Although they claim to be upright and virtuous, people are ultimately emotional beings. No one can claim that their actions are purely for the sake of the country, without any selfish motives.

Moreover, Li Ji originally commanded the Imperial Guards, but felt that almost none of the regional military governors were good people. He believed that only those who were like Guo Ziyi, who could be summoned at a moment's notice and sit quietly on the sidelines in Chang'an, could be considered loyal ministers. However, when he himself became a regional military governor, he felt that the imperial court was too difficult to deal with, and he had to navigate the gaps in the law and make his own decisions on many matters.

For example, kidnapping Hwang Cheol-hyun.

Now, put yourself in his shoes. If you were Cui Gan, and Guo Yingyi led his troops to attack, would you have surrendered without a fight? Afterwards, Chengdu would be vulnerable, morale would be low, and could you resist the urge to counterattack? Even if you won a battle, if you didn't drive Guo Yingyi out, forget about wealth and honor; your life would be in danger...

Ultimately, Cui Gan had rendered meritorious service in resisting the Tibetan rebels under Yan Wu's command, and he had not surrendered to the Tibetans or become a traitor when he was desperate, which could be considered a matter of integrity... Most importantly, the person had come to him for help, so how could he ignore him? In any case, he was a distant relative, albeit indirectly.

Seeing that Li Ji seemed somewhat interested, Cui Cuo added, "My seventh brother is in Xichuan, where he fiercely defends against the barbarian bandits. Last year, he distinguished himself in the battles of Goucheng and Yanchuancheng. He mentioned this in his letter, and I also mentioned it to you, my lord..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but sigh softly, thinking to himself: Wife, how do you know me so well?

Although he was dissatisfied with Lai Zhen's arrogance and disobedience, and even his failure to aid his colleagues in times of trouble, he did not believe Lai Zhen deserved to die. This was because Lai Zhen had rendered great service to the country—he had once defended Yingchuan, inflicting a major defeat on the An Lushan rebellion, earning him the nickname "Lai the Iron Chewer"; later, he defended Tongguan, preventing Shi Siming from easily venturing into the capital region; and subsequently, he quelled the rebellions of Zhang Weijin and Cao Jie in Xiangzhou…

As for his risky journey to Fenzhou to persuade Pugu and his son to return to the court, besides personal friendship, it was also because the Pugu family had been loyal to the Tang Dynasty, with forty-six members dying in service to the king; Pugu Huai'en had followed Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi in suppressing rebellions, always leading from the front in every battle; and finally, as the deputy marshal of Hebei, he commanded the troops of various garrisons, recovered Luoyang, and drove out Shi Chaoyi...

Li Ji disliked Zhou Zhiguang because that guy only knew how to act recklessly and had no merit for the country. He also disliked Guo Yingyi for basically the same reasons; and although Guo Yingyi did not have the same evil deeds as Zhou Zhiguang, apart from killing Wang Chongjun and fighting against Cui Gan, he was extremely greedy and had built a luxurious mansion in Chang'an; in addition, Guo Yingyi was also a close friend of Yuan Zai.

Then, one's attitude towards others becomes clear. First, one looks at whether someone has talent and whether they are willing to use their talent to protect the country and its people—for military generals, this means whether they fight bravely against rebels and foreign invaders—thus achieving outstanding merit. Second, one looks at integrity, and as long as one's major principles are not compromised, that is sufficient. Li Ji was not a person who was discerning and discerning.

Li Ji, in particular, valued resisting foreign aggression more than quelling internal rebellions—even though the An Lushan Rebellion's harm to the common people was probably no less than that of the Western Barbarian invasions—he would instinctively consider those willing to defend against the barbarians as like-minded companions. That's why Cui Cuo reminded him, saying, "My seventh brother has repeatedly distinguished himself in defending against the barbarians in Xichuan. If he were to be executed by the court due to the coercion of people like Guo Yingyi, wouldn't you think it a pity, my lord?"

Li Ji, his sore spot hit, could only manage a helpless, bitter smile. He then said to Cui Cuo, "It is inconvenient for me to submit a memorial on this matter to plead Cui Gan's innocence—after all, we are too far apart, and his one-sided account is not reliable. But I can write to the Crown Prince to intercede on his behalf, hoping the court can show leniency and allow him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service..."

So he spread out a sheet of hemp paper, picked up his pen, and began to draft a letter to Li Shi—Cui Cuo helped grind the ink, watching intently from the side.

Li Ji gets straight to the point without any embellishment, stating directly that he received a letter from Cui Gan in Shu—"because the Cui family of Boling is his wife's cousin." He then recounts Cui Gan's one-sided defense, concluding that he doesn't know whether it's true or false, but if his words aren't overly embellished, then it's indeed a helpless act, and somewhat pitiful...

Finally, I say that I know Your Highness has always valued Duke Yan Zheng (Yan Wu was enfeoffed as Duke of Zheng), but it is a pity that he died young. Duke Zheng greatly valued Cui Gan during his lifetime, appointing him as the Military Commander of Xishan, where he stood at the forefront of the resistance against the Western Barbarians, demonstrating his ability. Now, with chaos in Sichuan and Wang Chongjun already killed by Guo Yingyi, if Cui Gan is also executed, it will likely severely weaken the western region, and the Western Barbarians may take advantage of the situation to attack, which would be detrimental to the country. Therefore, I am trying to appeal to Your Highness to plead with the Emperor to pardon Cui Gan's death sentence and allow him to continue leading troops to resist the Western Barbarians, thus redeeming himself through meritorious service—I humbly request your permission.

The letter had barely been written when Cui Cuo snatched it away, saying there was no need to copy it neatly, and that he should send it out immediately by fast horse. Li Ji glanced at his wife: "Brothers Yu Gou and Ju, don't you seem to care about this much?"

Cui Cuo replied, "Those two are neither talented nor virtuous, nor courageous. They are incapable of accomplishing great things or causing great disasters. Why bother with them?" As he spoke, his expression darkened slightly. "As for my seventh brother, although I have not yet had the chance to meet him, we have exchanged letters, which makes me feel closer to him. How can I bear to see him die?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "I let you correspond with Cui Gan, and you've actually become pen pals. How is this possible...?"

Weibo to Chang'an was still two thousand li away; even with the fastest horse, a letter wouldn't arrive in less than ten days. Just as Li Ji sent his letter, Lu Qi's new report arrived, bringing two pieces of bad news:

Firstly, Princess Hezheng passed away...

Li Ji had always observed that Princess Hezheng did not appear to be destined for longevity, as her figure was excessively plump, with a pear-shaped body that was wider at the bottom than the top… According to later knowledge, such a physique would not indicate good health. The princess was already pregnant, yet she disregarded her husband Liu Tan's advice and went to the palace every few days to discuss state affairs with Li Yu and dispel his worries. This autumn, the Tubo attacked Gansu and Suzhou, and the Tang court was powerless to aid them, yet dared not launch a full-scale attack beyond Dazhen Pass to reclaim Longyou. They could only helplessly await the arrival of one piece of bad news after another. Li Yu fell ill with worry and fear, and the princess visited the palace daily to comfort him…

So, the day after news of the fall of Suzhou arrived, the princess, exhausted, suffered a difficult childbirth and eventually passed away.

Upon reading the letter, Li Ji couldn't help but feel sorrow. In truth, he didn't have a deep relationship with Princess Hezheng, far less so than with Princess Xiao; however, Princess Hezheng had once disrupted his wedding night and subsequently helped him on numerous occasions—a kindness he would never forget. Judging by her appearance, the princess should only be in her early thirties, yet she had died in childbirth… Why did the useful members of the Li family always die young, while the useless ones often lived long lives?

For example, Li Longji lived to be seventy-eight, and although Li Heng was bedridden for many years, he still lived past fifty. If Li Longji had died twenty years earlier, there probably wouldn't have been the An Lushan Rebellion, and his reputation might have even rivaled that of his grandfather, Li Shimin!

The second piece of bad news that Lu Qi reported was that the imperial court had officially issued an edict to punish Cui Gan in order to quell the rebellion in Sichuan.

It is estimated that the death of Princess Hezheng was a great blow to Li Yu. Just then, news of Guo Yingyi's murder arrived, and the emperor finally lost his temper. Moreover, the barbarian rebels, having failed to capture Guazhou, had begun to withdraw their troops, freeing the court to quell the internal strife.

Furthermore, Li Ji speculated that the killing of Zhou Zhiguang and the arrival of Liang Chongyi in court might have boosted Li Yu's confidence, making him unwilling to follow the examples of Bai Xiaode and Li Huaiyu and turn a blind eye to the turmoil within the regional military governorships, or even be forced to acknowledge the fait accompli.

—Incidentally, after Li Huaiyu expelled Hou Xiyi, the Tang court appointed Prince Zheng, Li Miao, as the military governor of Pinglu and Ziqing, but this was only a nominal position. Not only was Li Huaiyu allowed to actually govern the region and appointed as the acting governor, but he was also given the name Zhengji—from then on, he was called Li Zhengji.

To return to the point, under the instigation of Prime Minister Yuan Zai, who had a close relationship with Guo Yingyi, Li Yu finally issued an edict to launch a punitive expedition, appointing Du Hongjian as the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan and deputy marshal of Shannan Xidao, Jiannan Dongchuan, and Jiannan Xichuan, to lead troops from all directions south to quell the rebellion in Shu.

Lu Qi's investigation was very detailed. The court mainly mobilized troops from Shannan West Circuit and Jiannan East Sichuan, led by Zhang Xiancheng, a surrendered general from An Lushan, totaling about 30,000 men, to launch the first attack. Du Hongjian led a portion of the Imperial Guards and nearly 10,000 troops from Guanzhong to follow. Cui Gan's main force numbered 5,000, and even if they captured Chengdu, it was estimated that they would not exceed 10,000. Meanwhile, generals such as Bai Maolin and Yang Zilin would respond to the court's campaign, with a total force of around 10,000 men.

This means that Cui Gan is about to face an army five times his size, and his chances of winning are slim... Therefore, Lu Qi asked whether we should deal with Ya Xuan Tea House and completely cut ties with Cui Gan to avoid being implicated by him?

Li Ji thought to himself, "It seems Cui Gan is probably doomed..." Fearing that Cui Cuo would worry and it would affect her rest and pregnancy, he decided not to tell her. However, he also replied to Lu Qi, saying, "I have pleaded with the Crown Prince, hoping to spare Cui Gan's life. As for whether it will succeed, that's up to fate—first, even if Cui Gan becomes a prisoner, he must be able to be escorted back to Chang'an alive; second, it depends on whether Li Shi is willing to plead for him, and whether his plea will be granted."

It's a pity that there are no more Princess Hezheng these days—no one can guarantee that they can speak to the emperor.

As for the operation of Yaxuan Tea House, there is no need to make any changes for now. I never intended to hide my business partnership with Cui Gan. I reckon Li Shi must know about it. So it would be too petty of me to plead for him on one hand and cut ties on the other. If Cui Gan dies, I can take over his shares. If he doesn't die, I can help him rebuild his business.

Of course, this regrouping refers to redeeming oneself through meritorious service and climbing back up in the bureaucratic system, not recruiting troops again to fight the court to the end.

Li Ji urged Lu Qi to pay close attention to the war in Shu. He also told Lu Qi that if Cui Gan were to be beheaded, Lu Qi should ask him if he had any wives, children, or relatives left in the family, and that they should take them in.

Chapter Ten, The New Chapter of Jiannan

Cui Cuo was pregnant for ten months, and when she went into labor, Li Ji's bad premonition came true—his wife had a difficult childbirth.

Those few days, Li Ji was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, searching the entire city for midwives and gathering them at the government office for consultation. In truth, he had absolutely no trust in those women who roamed the streets, but the problem was that gynecologists were scarce in those days. Let alone childbirth, even for common gynecological ailments, one could usually only find those women to treat with largely unreliable folk methods…

But unexpectedly, the more people there were, the more ideas there were, and with everyone talking at once, no one could convince anyone else. Although Li Ji had eliminated the obviously unreliable bad ideas based on his knowledge from later generations, there were still seven or eight options left, all of which seemed to make some sense, and he was completely unable to make up his mind.

Cui Cuo lay stiffly, groaning in pain. Six or seven hours had passed, yet there was still no sign of labor. Her strength was rapidly waning, and if things continued like this, she feared she and her unborn child would die! Li Ji paced helplessly outside, even banging his head against the wall. The news of Princess Hezheng's death in childbirth had only recently arrived, and he couldn't imagine what he would do if his wife followed in her footsteps.

When a person reaches this point, they'll grab onto even a straw that falls from the sky. Li Ji couldn't help but clasp his hands together and pray to the heavens: "Taoist Ancestor, Buddha, I don't reject any deity, if you can save my wife, I, Li, will become a believer and worship you devoutly for the rest of my life... Even Jehovah or Allah will do, please, who among you will show your power and save Cuo'er?"

Just as things were getting chaotic, a messenger came to report: "There is a female Taoist priest at the door who says she can save the lady's life."

Without a word, Li Ji sprinted out of the main gate of the government office. There he saw a tall, slender female Taoist in a green robe, standing with her back to him. Li Ji cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask where you come from?"

The female Taoist suddenly turned around and smiled slightly at him: "General Li, how have you been?"

Li Ji looked closely and was greatly surprised: "So it's Jiao...it's Master Xie. Why are you here?"

It turned out that this female Taoist was none other than Xie Ziran, whom they had met on Mount Heng years ago—whose real name was Jiao Jingzhen. She was Jingjing'er's master and could be considered Cui Cuo's grandmaster.

Xie Ziran bowed to Li Ji: "This humble Taoist has been traveling through various prefectures and has just arrived in Yuancheng. I heard that your wife is having a difficult childbirth..."

"My wife is also a descendant of Master Xie, I beg you to help... But, do you know how to deliver a baby?"

Xie Ziran shook his head: "Of course I don't understand..." Then he smiled and said, "But I do have some life-saving methods."

Li Ji instinctively reached out to grab Xie Ziran, but Xie Ziran flicked his sleeve, and Li Ji grabbed nothing. Xie Ziran said, "General, there's no need to be anxious. Just lead the way."

He hurriedly led Xie Ziran to Cui Cuo's bedroom. Xie Ziran went in and pressed her pulse. Li Ji stared at her expression anxiously and asked repeatedly, "Is there any hope?" Xie Ziran slowly shook her head and said, "The chance of life is almost gone. If I had arrived a step later, the consequences would have been unimaginable... But the fetus, I'm afraid, cannot be saved."

Li Ji said it was alright, as long as you rescued the master.

Xie Ziran nodded: "If it is inconvenient, General, please wait in the outer room."

Li Ji was extremely anxious. He waited outside for almost half an hour—which felt like half a century to him—until finally, his wife's cries of pain subsided. Xie Ziran then stepped out and nodded to Li Ji: "She's been saved."

Cui Cuo gave birth to a stillborn baby—a girl—but thanks to Xie Ziran's treatment, the mother's life was barely saved. Li Ji was naturally extremely grateful, and Xie Ziran seized the opportunity to request, "I hope the general will grant me a request."

"Please speak, Master Xie, but I have everything I need, and I will grant it to you."

Xie Ziran smiled and said, "It does not belong to the general. I saw a girl in the state with excellent physique. She can teach me magic. I humbly request that the general go and tell her parents."

"I wonder whose daughter she is?"

"Daughter of General Nie Feng."

Nie Feng has a six-year-old daughter named Yinniang, a fact Li Ji knows. He naturally needs to be aware of the families and relatives of his generals to bestow favors and win their favors. He also knows that Nie Feng doesn't particularly cherish this daughter—because he longs for a son—but regardless, she is still his own flesh and blood, and so young; how could he bear to let her go with a Daoist nun?

Somewhat hesitant, he asked Xie Ziran, "Master Xie, when you mentioned imparting magical arts, I wonder which type you mean..."