Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 99

The earthen stove used by Li Ji in his Chang'an residence was quite advanced for its time—compared to his hometown of Ji County, Yingyang, and Longyou, its heat output was generally sufficient. Vegetable oil—mainly sesame oil and rapeseed oil—was also widely available; the prevailing cooking methods at the time mostly involved using animal fat for frying vegetables and vegetable oil for frying meat. As for concave iron pots, they were not uncommon, although most had legs, which did not meet Li Ji's requirements—technically, there was certainly no problem with that.

So why isn't stir-frying a common cooking method? Or rather, why isn't stir-frying a widespread practice?

Perhaps it's related to the fact that the Tang people, especially those in the Central Plains region centered around the two capitals, preferred to eat fish and vegetables raw...

To be honest, Li Ji really didn't care for the fish sashimi that the Tang people talked about so much, because inland areas only had river fish, and eating freshwater fish and shrimp raw was too easy to get infected with parasites—people at the time had probably forgotten how Chen Yuanlong died.

So Li Ji went to the market to find a blacksmith who sold pots, wanting to make a footless iron pot with two handles. A wok was easy to solve, and a wooden one would do. He went from the East Market to the West Market, but unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

—It was Huang Tiexuan, the Cantonese barbarian known as "Old Huang," who was skilled in weapon crafting at the crossbow workshop. He was the one who had crafted my pair of "Azure Lotus Four-Sided Maces."

Li Ji asked Lao Huang, "You are a master craftsman of weapons, why are you also casting pots?"

Old Huang smiled bitterly and said, "With the meager salary in the government office and the high price of rice in Chang'an, how can we possibly eat our fill? I have a disciple who makes cooking utensils, so I give him some pointers in my spare time, or help him sell them to earn a few coins for expenses. Erlang, please help me cover this up and don't spread it around, lest we be punished by our superiors."

Li Ji smiled and said, "I'm going to make a pot. If it's done well, I'll naturally cover for you—don't worry, you'll get your money back."

They described the pot's shape and quality in general and agreed on a price of one hundred coins. Sure enough, three days later, Old Huang personally delivered a pot to Li Ji's door. Li Ji took it and examined it closely. Good heavens, it wasn't an ordinary iron pot! By the standards of that era, it could be considered a "steel pot"...

Old Huang said, "I used the finest iron from the government and repeatedly forged it. Second Brother, please take a look and see if it's suitable."

Li Ji asked in astonishment, "I asked you to make a pot, but you made me a steel helmet instead!"

Old Huang laughed and said, "Since Erlang needs it, and might even take it to the battlefield, how can it not be made of fine iron? Originally, soldiers' helmets could be used for cooking during marches, and were originally part of the same system as pots and cauldrons..."

Li Ji couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly: "Luckily you didn't gild it, inlay silver, paint it, or add phoenix wings..."

Old Huang replied solemnly, "If I make a pot for Erlang to use as a helmet, then it's the price of a pot; if I make a helmet for Erlang to use as a pot, then it's the price of a helmet!"

Li Ji, not wanting to take advantage of Lao Huang, offered two hundred coins as a reward. Although Qing Luan felt the pinch—good heavens, two hundred coins for an iron pot that's only two feet in diameter! My family will starve sooner or later—she dared not stop him.

Li Ji then personally cooked for himself, starting with the simplest dish: frying four eggs in rapeseed oil, sprinkling them with chopped scallions, and eating them with three bowls of rice until he was stuffed. After eating his fill, he rubbed his belly, jumped up, and laughed loudly, "Alright, my illness is cured!"

Once he recovered from his illness, he naturally had to return to work. The next morning, he went to the palace and spent the morning reviewing official documents. Normally, his daily work wasn't too demanding, but after accumulating for more than half a month, there were several stacks of them, which made his eyes dizzy just looking at them. Fortunately, Ma Sui could help him with most of the documents, and he only left the ones that required the Chief Secretary's signature to Li Ji.

During the lunch break, a soldier served the official meal: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, four dishes and a soup, plus three sesame cakes. Just as he finished eating, he heard a commotion outside. Li Ji put down his chopsticks, stood up, and curiously went out to see what was happening. He saw many guards craning their necks, gazing towards the direction of Hanyuan Hall. Li Ji walked over, and about half an arrow's distance away, he saw a dozen or so officials surrounding a purple-robed civil official in front of the steps of Hanyuan Hall, bowing and trying to persuade him. The official, however, knelt on the ground, pounding his fists, and wailing loudly.

Given Li Ji's status, this was the most he could do; it wasn't appropriate for him to go closer to watch the commotion. Fortunately, Ma Sui quickly found out the truth and ran over to tell him, "It's Commandant Xu..."

Li Ji was taken aback upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "What brings Lord Xu to kneel before the palace gates and weep?"

Ma Sui sighed, "Naturally, it's for Physician Zhang, who is in the palace in Luoyang..."

The so-called "Xu Weiwei" refers to Xu Yuan (Xu Lingwei), who was then serving as the Minister of the Imperial Guard. He had previously defended Suiyang with Zhang Xun. Although the siege was lifted, Xu Yuan's health deteriorated, and he was forced to take a sinecure and reside in Chang'an to recuperate. It wasn't until the end of last year, when his health improved and his spirits were somewhat restored, that he was reinstated as the Minister of the Imperial Guard, a third-rank official.

Li Ji inquired in detail about the reasons and learned that not long ago, while he was still ill, an urgent messenger had rushed from the Luoyang palace to plead for reinforcements from the court. According to Zhang Xun's memorial, Shi Siming had ordered Zhou Zhi to repeatedly attack the palace, but he had defended it firmly and seized opportunities to counterattack, repeatedly thwarting the enemy's advance and beheading no fewer than a thousand. However, unfortunately, the army's food supplies were limited and about to run out... Therefore, he did not request reinforcements, but only the supply of provisions.

The prime ministers discussed that the task of supplying grain to Luoyang had already been entrusted to the military governor of Shaanxi and Guo. Now that Lai Zhen had been transferred to the position of military governor, observer, and administrator of ten prefectures in Shannan East Circuit, Wei Boyu was the one shouldering the heavy responsibility of Shaanxi and Guo. So they decided to continue urging Wei Boyu.

Seeing that the court was still stalling and refusing to give a definite answer, the envoy went to visit his former superior, Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan then reported that the prefectures of Chen, Shan, and Guo also had no surplus grain, and that Zhang Xun of Chen had repeatedly sent envoys to Shan Prefecture to urge for grain, but was obstructed by Yu Chaoen…

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was filled with rage and gritted his teeth, cursing loudly, "That dog Yu Chaoen, who disregards the state and betrays the emperor's favor, I will surely kill him one day!"

Ma Sui quickly reached out to cover Li Ji's mouth: "Changwei, be careful what you say!" Then he lowered his voice and said: "Actually, we can't blame Yu Junrong entirely. He has no surplus grain, and even if he did, it would be difficult to supply Luoyang. Shi will definitely send heavy troops to guard the western pass. How can it be easy to get through?"

This was indeed a plausible reason, so Xu Yuan repeatedly petitioned the court, but the Council of State Affairs could not come up with any solutions. Xu Yuan then gathered some friends from the court to discuss the matter, saying, "I know nothing of military affairs, but I know that an army without food will inevitably descend into chaos, and even if it doesn't, it will lack fighting strength. I truly cannot bear to see the events of Suiyang of the past repeat themselves in Luoyang today—therefore, I wish to rescue General Zhang. Do any of you gentlemen have any good strategies to advise me?"

Someone said, "The current Luoyang palace is no longer worth defending; we should ask Doctor Zhang to abandon it and retreat..."

When Zhang Xun first proposed defending Luoyang, he elaborated on his reasons in his memorial to the throne: First, since Shi Siming could not completely capture Luoyang, he would not dare to divide his troops to plunder in the Henan region, giving Li Guangbi in Heyang and Lai Zhen in Shanzhou time to stabilize the situation and build defenses. Second, with the palace in hand, Luoyang would not be completely lost, thus not greatly damaging the prestige of the court, and preventing a decline in public morale and morale.

There was actually a third reason, which Zhang Xun only briefly mentioned to Li Ji: If Luoyang were to fall, it would be a huge political setback. The emperor might become impatient and force Li Guangbi to launch a counterattack before the time was right—just like the emperor in the past who forced Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing to recover Luoyang and forced Geshu Han to leave Tongguan. This would probably lead to a complete collapse of the overall situation!

Li Ji's reaction at the time: Hmm, that kind of foolish move, that bastard emperor could indeed do it... In a sense, he and his father are indeed cut from the same cloth, brothers in misfortune.

Chapter 44, The Collapse of Hanyuan Hall

Last autumn, Shi Siming launched a major invasion of Henan, and Luoyang was indefensible. In order to give Li Guangbi, Lai Zhen and other generals enough time to set up defenses and to maintain the prestige of the court, Zhang Xun led his troops to retreat into the Luoyang palace. It has been almost ten months since then.

However, times have changed, and the current situation is quite different from that of half a year ago. Therefore, Xu Yuan gathered his friends to discuss the matter. Among them, a few who had some knowledge of military strategy and tactics advised him: "Now, Minister Li has established a firm foothold in Heyang and has the strength to advance eastward to Huaizhou..."

— Li Guangbi attacked Huaizhou in February of this year. Shi Siming went to its aid upon hearing the news but was defeated on the Qin River, and the Tang army beheaded 3,000. Then in March, Li Guangbi again defeated An Taiqing's troops under the city of Huaizhou, and then defeated Shi Siming at Xizhu in Heyang, beheading more than 1,000 more.

"...In Shanzhou, Wei Yuan (Wei Boyu) also fought against several thousand at Jiangzi Slope with only a few hundred men, forcing Li Guiren to retreat. Thus, the northern and western routes are now secure. The only concern is the southern route..."

"However, with Minister Li guarding Heyang, the bandit Shi dares not launch a large-scale southward offensive to invade the Jianghuai region. The Luoyang Palace, as a key outpost to contain the bandits, is no longer of much use. This is unlike when Lord Xu and Doctor Zhang were in Suiyang. To protect the Jianghuai region, Suiyang could not be lost, for if it were lost, the southern taxes and tributes would be cut off, and the country would be on the verge of collapse. Now, it is of no use to hold Luoyang Palace. It would be better to tell Doctor Zhang to break the siege and return west before the food supplies run out."

Xu Yuan immediately smiled wryly and said, "I know Zhang Jun. Since he volunteered to guard the Luoyang Palace, he will never give up halfway."

Friends suggested, "If the imperial court issues an order for him to abandon his post, I'm sure Doctor Zhang wouldn't dare to disobey."

Xu Yuan thought this was a good idea, so he submitted another memorial, earnestly requesting a formal order to recall the garrison troops of Luoyang Palace. However, the prime ministers discussed the matter for days, but none dared to make such a decision—issuing such an edict would mean voluntarily abandoning Luoyang, the eastern capital. What would the soldiers and civilians think? What would the emperor think? Whoever signed the edict would surely be condemned and subsequently lose their position as prime minister…

So someone subtly mocked Xu Yuan: "We have our difficulties too, please be understanding and stop submitting memorial after memorial." Fortunately, Xu Yuan held a high position and was a meritorious official in suppressing the rebellion, and he was well-liked in court; otherwise, the prime ministers would have definitely rejected the memorials outright without even giving them a second thought.

If it were someone strong-willed and hot-tempered, such as Li Xiyun or Cui Youfu, they might have made a scene in the Council of State Affairs and slapped their own memorials in the prime minister's face—if you want to refute my memorial, then please give a clear reason. Otherwise, is the state supporting you just so you can come here and eat for free?

"Without Yao Wenzhen (Yao Chong) in this world, are you all just sitting idly by, serving as mere figureheads to the prime minister?!"

In any case, the current prime ministers, such as Miao Jinqing and Li Kui, do not have enough prestige to command respect—at least the court officials' fear of them is not even half as great as their fear of Li Fuguo.

However, Xu Yuan was ultimately an honest and kind man, and he knew that this matter was indeed a bit difficult for the prime ministers, so he earnestly requested to be summoned to the palace, intending to plead directly with Li Heng. Unfortunately, Li Heng was said to be in poor health again, and for three consecutive days, he refused to summon Xu Yuan to the palace.

It is probably for this reason that Xu Yuan, having no other choice but to risk his life to rush to the Hanyuan Hall and weep bitterly in order to save his comrade-in-arms Zhang Xun, risked his life to reach the emperor's ears and move him.

However, Li Ji estimated that the scoundrel emperor would be hard to move. Based on his observations and analysis over this period, although Li Heng lived deep within the palace and frequently missed court audiences due to health issues, he hadn't completely abandoned his duties. While major policies appeared to be decided by Li Fuguo to outsiders, they were actually largely at Li Heng's behest—he was simply too lazy to deal with the minutiae. Xu Yuan's memorial concerned whether to abandon Luoyang, the eastern capital; the prime ministers would certainly not dare conceal it and would have reported it to the palace. If Li Heng were willing to agree, he would have already issued an edict or summoned him.

The key issue is that such a heavy responsibility is something that the prime ministers dare not take on, and Li Heng is also unwilling to take on.

Li Ji, moved by Xu Yuan's advice and worried about his friends in Luoyang, immediately lifted his robe and was about to step forward, but was stopped by Ma Sui. Ma Sui advised, "This is not something you or I can comment on. If you insist on stepping forward, you will only ruin Lord Xu's plans—Changwei, think twice before you act."

Li Ji took two deep breaths to calm himself down a bit, then turned to Ma Sui and said, "I'd like to take my leave first. All matters in the yamen will still be handled by Xunmei... I'll leave my seal here; Xunmei can use it on my behalf." Anyway, there wasn't anything important, so there was no need for him to sign everything himself.

Although Chen Xianfu was the military inspector of the Shence Army, his actual post was still in the Inner Palace. He did not often come to the outer court to supervise military affairs, and the daily affairs were still handled by Liu Xixian, the commander of the Imperial Guard. The same was true for the Yingwu Army. Wang Jiahe basically did not take charge, and after Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming were promoted, they also focused their main energy on the inner court. The general affairs of the army were all left to Li Ji.

The main reason is that these eunuchs are still relatively inexperienced and dare not act like Yu Chaoen, who, even after being released from the capital and not returning for several years, still enjoyed the emperor's favor. They need to show their faces in front of the emperor (or empress) and seek opportunities to flatter him in order to consolidate their power and seek promotion.

Furthermore, although Empress Zhang wanted to control the Shence Army and Li Yu and his son wanted to hold onto the Yingwu Army, those eunuchs could not have accumulated experience and grown up without spending several years in the army. How could they know how to win over the hearts of the generals and soldiers? At most, they could only deliberately win over and keep an eye on a few mid- to high-ranking officers, such as Liu Xixian and Li Ji.

Therefore, on days when those eunuchs didn't come out to sit in the government office, Li Ji was the one who called the shots in the Yingwu Army. If he wanted to leave early, did he need to ask anyone for permission? He then said a few words to Ma Sui and prepared to pack his things and leave the palace—he planned to visit Li Shi and persuade the young man to help out in this matter.

Just as he turned around, a deafening roar erupted, almost shaking the earth. Li Ji turned back in astonishment to see dust billowing up and a corner of the double-eaved roof on the east side of Hanyuan Hall collapsing! Broken rafters and shattered tiles tumbled down the steps, startling several officials who were surrounding Xu Yuan, causing them to stumble backward. One of the incompetent officials, who had just turned around, even tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face.

Only Xu Yuan lay motionless on the ground. Li Ji panicked and, disregarding etiquette, was about to rush forward to help him when Xu Yuan let out a long howl, then straightened up, raised his hands above his head, and shouted, "Even Heaven has feelings, and pities the loyal and distressed—Hanyuan Palace has collapsed! This is a warning from Heaven; how can the ruler ignore it?!"

Actually, the collapse of Hanyuan Hall is not surprising at all.

Hanyuan Hall is the main hall of the Daming Palace, originally built in the third year of the Longshuo era, and has stood for over a hundred years. Its main hall is a single-unit building, situated on a three-tiered platform, thirteen bays wide and six bays deep. If the Xiangluan and Qifeng towers on either side are included, by modern standards, it is nearly two hundred meters wide from east to west, and the platform alone reaches a height of forty meters! Even Li Ji, whose soul originated in the future, couldn't help but feel awe and reverence upon first seeing this hall—

Good heavens, many national-level buildings in later generations are no better than this. In my timeline, during the same era, I don't recall ever seeing such a magnificent palace!

The key point is that this grand hall is not made of steel and cement, nor is it made of bricks and stones—of course, the high platform that forms the foundation is made of stone—the structure is entirely made of wood, covered with blue tiles. In those days, this was considered the most advanced technology in the world. This made construction difficult and repairs not easy either, and both required huge sums of money.

Li Ji had heard that from the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, the retired emperor had been holding court in the Xingqing Palace in the Southern Palace, often not even thinking to use the Hanyuan Hall once a year. As a result, the hall gradually decayed and could not be repaired. When the rebel army stormed Chang'an, setting fires and looting everywhere, the Hanyuan Hall also suffered devastation, with many parts damaged. After the Tang dynasty recovered Chang'an, theoretically, the entire Daming Palace should have been renovated, but unfortunately, the treasury was empty, and they simply couldn't afford such a large sum of money…

Left with no other option, Li Heng ordered the Hanyuan, Xuanzheng, and Zichen Halls, as well as the Linde Hall, to be roughly repainted, just enough to make a superficial appearance and avoid embarrassment. The only things that needed to be thoroughly repaired were the dozens of imperial and empress's sleeping quarters in the inner court. After Li Ji entered the Forbidden City, he had seen tiles falling off the roof of the Hanyuan Hall many times... so it was only a matter of time before one of its eaves collapsed.

But why did it have to collapse at this crucial moment of all times? Could it be that Xu Yuan's wailing and pounding of his fists on the ground created a resonance? This is getting interesting!

Seeing that the officials finally reacted and rushed forward to lift Xu Yuan up and drag him backward, the rafters and tiles on the palace roof fell for a while, then stopped, and it seemed that they did not roll all the way down to the steps. Li Ji was relieved that he did not need to rush over to save him anymore, so he hurriedly returned to the yamen, wrote a note, and ordered a clerk to pass it on to Li Qijun.

The note was brief, simply stating: "Xu Weiwei requested the recall of Zhang Dafu, knelt before the palace gate and wept, causing a corner of the Hanyuan Hall to collapse." Given Li Qiyun's political acumen, he should have been able to seize this opportunity.

Then Li Ji left Daming Palace and went to Baisun Residence to pay his respects to Li Shi.

Although Li Shi summoned him, his expression suggested he was not very pleased. Upon meeting him, he said, "If the guard has nothing important to discuss, it is not appropriate for him to come to see me during the day..."

Li Ji hurriedly replied, "I have urgent business to discuss with Your Highness—I have just come from the palace. As Your Highness knows, Hanyuan Palace has collapsed!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shi was naturally taken aback: "How could the palace collapse only today... no, why did the palace collapse today?"

Li Ji then recounted in detail the events surrounding Xu Yuan's kneeling before the palace gates and weeping in remonstrance. Li Shi stroked his beard, lost in thought and remained silent.

Li Ji didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "Your Highness should know that I have close ties with General Zhang's fierce generals Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun. How can I sleep soundly when my friends are trapped in the siege? I am happy to see Lord Xu's request to abandon Luoyang Palace and recall General Zhang. Today, a corner of Hanyuan Hall has collapsed, which is just the right opportunity..."

Li Shi slowly said, "However, how can we easily abandon the Luoyang Palace? It is understandable that even the sage cannot make a decision."

Li Ji's mind raced, and he immediately asked Li Shi in a low voice, "If it were Your Highness, would you be willing to grant Lord Xu's request?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shi's spirits lifted, but he remained hesitant and unable to give a clear answer.

Li Ji advised, “Prefect Zhang defended Luoyang Palace in the past, which was in accordance with the essentials of military strategy. Now, abandoning the city will not harm the overall situation. The key is that Prefect Zhang’s loyalty is known throughout the land, and the bravery of Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun is no less than mine. Such excellent commanders and valiant generals are useful if they are kept, but losing them would be a great harm to the country, a hundred times worse than losing Luoyang. Your Highness, you must know that if you save the people but lose the territory, you can still make a comeback, but if you save the territory but lose the people, you will surely lose both!”

Upon hearing this, Li Shi raised his eyebrows, seemingly quite moved. He then leaned closer and said to Li Ji, "Actually, the key to this matter lies with Li Fuguo... Changwei should know that although Li Fuguo doesn't command troops, half of the military governors in the empire are under his command..."

Li Ji had heard Li Qiyun say this several months ago, and soon after, he saw an example of it.

Meanwhile, when Jingxiang was in turmoil again, Cui Guangyuan recommended Wei Lun to take over as the military governor of Shannan East Circuit. However, before Wei Lun even reached Dengzhou, he was summoned to change his position to the defense commissioner of Qinzhou, and Lai Zhen was given full authority to handle the affairs of Jingxiang.

Fortunately, Lai Zhen was no ordinary general, and his reputation was well-established. As soon as he arrived in Xiangzhou, Zhang Weijin and others surrendered.

Li Ji, being close to the central government, naturally found out the reason behind it. It was said that when Wei Lun was initially appointed, the prime ministers did not consult Li Fuguo. Then, when Wei Lun returned to the capital, he did not visit Li Fuguo again. So, at Li Fuguo's behest, the appointment of the military governor of Shannan East Circuit was directly changed.

Li Shi continued, "...It is said that Doctor Zhang also dislikes Li Fuguo and is unwilling to compromise, therefore Li Fuguo has remained silent on the matter of recalling him. If he were to agree, how could the prime ministers dare to disobey? Even the emperor might give it a second thought..."

Li Ji advised, "Your Highness, that old man... Li Fuguo does indeed intend to support the Crown Prince. Your Highness can temporarily win him over as an ally. However, a person without foresight will surely have immediate worries. Does Your Highness wish to see all the military governors of the realm under Li Fuguo's patronage?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shi was startled and alarmed. He finally made up his mind and promised, "As you say, the collapse of Hanyuan Palace today is indeed a great opportunity—it all rests on my shoulders. Guard, please rest assured."

Li Ji bowed deeply in thanks, but then made a request: "If the court can issue an edict, I expect that Doctor Zhang will not hold out. However, if we retreat to Heyang, the provisions and fodder at Li Sikong's place may not be sufficient. If we retreat west to Shaanxi, the enemy will definitely send troops to intercept us. We need to send a detachment to meet them."

"I will find a way to get Wei Boyu to send troops from Shaanxi and Guo to meet us."

Li Ji smiled slightly: "What I mean is, Your Highness, is to devise a plan that will enable me to command an army..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Shi already understood—this guy had only just recovered from his illness and was already itching to get his hands dirty again—and hurriedly interrupted Li Ji: "You still dare to go to Shanzhou? With Yu Chaoen in Shanzhou, aren't you afraid he'll find an opportunity to harm you?!"

Li Ji laughed and said, "If I go alone, I will surely be killed by him. But what if I send several thousand imperial guards? If Yu Chaoen dares to make things difficult, I will lead my troops into his camp and take that bastard's head first!"

Li Shi glanced at Li Ji sideways: "You volunteered to go east to save your friends, or to settle a personal score?"

Li Ji scoffed, "Why can't one arrow kill two birds with one stone?"

Li Shi shook his head repeatedly: "The Imperial Guards cannot be moved lightly..."

Li Ji immediately reminded him, "Does Your Highness not remember the Mawei Incident of the past?!"

Chapter 45, Changing Orders Every Day

Li Ji mentioned the "Mawei Incident," which occurred just a few years earlier, a near-spontaneous military coup by the imperial guards.

In fact, there are many precedents of the Imperial Guard staging coups, but in most cases, one or two princes or nobles first form an alliance based on mutual interests, and then, driven by a sense of righteousness, overthrow the unqualified rulers so that their own family can seize power. In other words, in those coups, the Imperial Guards were merely tools in the hands of others, lacking not only sufficient autonomy but also the ability to be whitewashed as "righteous men" afterward.

This is unlike the case at the end of the Sui Dynasty, when Xiaoguo murdered Yang Guang in Jiangdu, a case that was recorded in history and could never be overturned.

The only event in the Tang Dynasty comparable to the death of Emperor Yang of Sui was the "Mawei Incident." Although there were rumors that Li Fuguo or even Li Heng instigated it, those two would never admit it. Instead, they insisted that the nature of the incident was that the imperial guards hated the Yang family's chaos in the country and launched a "military remonstrance." Although the imperial guards were later pardoned, they would never have been proclaimed as "righteous men."

Now that Li Ji suddenly brought up the "Mawei Incident," Li Shi was startled, and then his eyes narrowed slightly: "Is Changwei still suspicious of Li Fuguo? Or Yu Chaoen?" Are you worried that those eunuchs, Li and Yu, might rebel if they gain military power? But didn't I just promise you that I would try my best to protect Zhang Xun, who refused to flatter Li Fuguo? Why are you still nagging?

Li Ji smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness has misunderstood. I had no such intention. The reason I mentioned the Mawei Incident was because I was disgusted by the incompetence of the Imperial Guards—the six armies of the Northern Army, along with the left and right gatekeepers and left and right cavalry of the Southern Army, totaled no less than 20,000. If they had the fighting strength, they could have held their ground and stopped the rebels. Why did the Emperor Emeritus have to rush to the west? It was only because the Imperial Guards were so corrupt and unusable that we had no choice but to abandon Chang'an. However, the Imperial Guards gradually scattered, and by the time they reached Mawei Post Station, there were only a little over 10,000 left. The Emperor Emeritus assigned 2,000 men from the rear guard to the Emperor, and by the time they reached Xinping, more than half of the soldiers and weapons had been lost..."

"Previously, there were only ten military governors along the border. Today, most of the prefectures and counties in the country are governed by military governors, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands. They are either heading east to quell bandits, or heading west to defend against barbarians, or fighting against the Qiang, Hu, Hun, and Man tribes. Their numbers are countless. The generals outside are unruly. Only now, when we are united to resist the enemy, do they still obey the orders of the court. If we wait until the chaos is quelled, how can we restrain these six or seven thousand Northern Army soldiers in Chang'an today?"

"Moreover, although Yingwu, Shence, and Weiyuan are all selected from the bravest warriors of the four directions, they have been living in the capital for a long time, enjoying peace and tranquility, and it is inevitable that they will become lazy. Although we teach them to fight every day, true strong soldiers are forged in battle, not trained. Even if each of them has the courage of Li, if they are not familiar with the battle formation and do not have the will to fight to the death, they will surely collapse at the first contact."

"Your Highness, did the Imperial Guards at the beginning of the dynasty never lightly leave Chang'an to fight against invaders? Since the Kaiyuan era, the defense against invaders has relied solely on recruiting brave men along the border, while the Imperial Guards selected men from good families in the two capitals. They were trained in warfare but not in actual combat, which led to the Emperor Emeritus's western hunt and the subsequent Mawei Incident—should we not take this as a warning?"

To put it bluntly, the Imperial Guards can't just stay in Chang'an City forever, just raising flags, standing guard, patrolling the city to maintain order, catching thieves, and so on. They also need to go out into battle and prove themselves. Otherwise, how will they be able to keep those foreign troops who have fought countless battles in check in the future?

Li Shi pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "What Changwei said is indeed reasonable... However, this matter still needs careful planning, to see who should submit the memorial and who should provide support..."

Li Ji certainly didn't expect Li Shi to give an immediate promise. Even for Li Shi, who was both the eldest grandson of the emperor and had recently cultivated a faction among the high officials, and who was also colluding with Li Fuguo, this was quite a heavy burden. He could only be sure that Li Shi had been moved by his words, and then he could only go home and wait for news.

Just as Li Ji had predicted, the collapse of Hanyuan Hall was a momentous event. In those days, most people believed in the "interaction between Heaven and Man," viewing eclipses, falling stars, landslides, and epidemics as warnings from Heaven to the rulers, which could not be taken lightly. While the collapse of houses was usually a minor matter, this time it wasn't a commoner's house or a government office that collapsed, but a palace—and not just any palace, but the grand Hanyuan Hall, a symbol of imperial power. How could the palace and the court possibly remain indifferent?

If we follow the custom since the Han Dynasty, the Three Dukes should submit a memorial to apologize and resign. If the emperor does not grant their resignation, they might even have to take the blame themselves and issue an "edict of self-reproach"...

So as long as the collapse of Hanyuan Hall is closely linked to Xu Yuan's kneeling and weeping remonstrance at the palace gate, the emperor and the prime minister will no longer be able to turn a blind eye.

Thus, through the clandestine collusion of court officials, Li Qiyun and others successively submitted memorials, earnestly requesting the court to take Heaven's warning seriously and issue an edict as soon as possible to recall Zhang Xun's troops, in order to preserve a crucial military force. The prime ministers, left with no other option, consulted Li Fuguo. Li Fuguo was reluctant, but having already received signals from the Crown Prince's side, he could not easily obstruct the process. Therefore, he could only hint to the prime ministers to directly consult Li Heng.

Upon hearing the news of the collapse of Hanyuan Hall, Li Heng collapsed on the spot, falling ill from the shock even though he was not ill before. As memorials from all sides poured in, the more he read, the more distressed he became. Left with no other choice, he met with Xu Yuan and gave him a vague promise. Immediately afterwards, Li Heng issued an imperial edict, which was sent to the Hall of State Affairs, ordering the prime minister to issue a decree to withdraw the troops.

Theoretically speaking, for such important matters, the emperor cannot simply write a few words and expect the prime minister to obey. The Secretariat has the authority to reject such orders without even opening the seal. Even if the emperor receives the imperial decree and follows it, the responsibility afterward lies with the prime minister, not the emperor—everyone has moments of folly; if you don't reject them, what's the point of having the Council of State Affairs and the Secretariat?

The problem was that the prime ministers knew the emperor wanted to find a scapegoat, but they dared not disobey—if they obeyed, they would pack their bags and prepare to step down; if they disobeyed, they would lose the emperor's favor and also be dismissed.

In the former case, at least the emperor will still remember your good deeds, and after a period of time, there is hope for a comeback; if you do not obey the imperial decree, then you will likely be completely wiped out, with no chance of returning to court.

As a result, the ministers of the Council of State jointly issued an edict—the responsibility for the loss of Luoyang should be borne by everyone, and no one should be allowed to escape—ordering Zhang Xun to abandon the Luoyang Palace and retreat westward to assist in the defense of Shanzhou.

Naturally, troops needed to be dispatched to provide support, so a second imperial edict was issued to the newly appointed military governor of Shaanxi and Guo, Wei Boyu.

Li Ji did indeed learn that while pleading for the recall of Zhang Xun's troops, there were also many memorials from the Ministry of War and other government offices requesting the transfer of some imperial guards out of the capital for training. He was eager to try, sharpening his double maces every day, but in the end, it all came to nothing...