Tang Dynasty Swordsman

On the surface, Zhen Sui was a former member of the Eastern Palace and a favorite general of the emperor, but in reality, he was also secretly under the command of someone close to the emperor—this is quite possible! Therefore, on the way to Pingliang, while escorting Li Bi and his brother, he secretly leaked information to his accomplices and revealed the route.

Because along the way, Zhen Sui, acting as both guide and bodyguard, frequently said things like, "Mr. Changyuan and Changwei, please rest here for now. I'll go ahead and check the situation. If there's no alarm, we'll continue." He had plenty of opportunities to meet up with his comrades!

As for the siege on Tanshan Mountain, it's highly likely that Zhen Sui was unaware beforehand that his master intended to assassinate or merely kidnap Li Bi, nor did he recognize the person carrying out the mission. Ultimately, he was acting on the orders of the Crown Prince, and due to poor communication, he mistakenly identified the attackers as ordinary rebel soldiers, which is why he took up arms to resist. Only in this way could the assassins have refrained from using lethal force, allowing Zhen Sui to survive smoothly after the misunderstanding was cleared up.

These conclusions were mostly drawn by Li Shi; the child was indeed intelligent and had a very meticulous mind. In order to maintain his image as a rough and unrefined person, Li Ji basically only asked questions but rarely took the initiative to help with the analysis. He would often slap his forehead and pretend to suddenly understand after Li Shi had made his judgment.

So though he didn't say it aloud, he thought to himself: If I were the mastermind, I would definitely kill Zhen Sui to silence him—how could I let such a weakness, which is most likely to expose my treacherous schemes, continue to exist?

Of course, Shinsui is indeed very capable in combat, and it's possible that the mastermind behind the scenes isn't wealthy either, which is why they couldn't bear to kill him.

Analyzing this further, it's highly likely that Zhen Sui followed the emperor to Ding'an—because the mastermind is someone close to the emperor, currently residing in Ding'an—but he absolutely cannot go to see the emperor again. He must abandon his past and change his identity. The mastermind, fearing he would betray them, arranged for martial arts practitioners to secretly monitor and protect him. This led to Zhen Sui being unexpectedly discovered and forced to use his flying sword to cover Zhen Sui's escape.

Afterwards, once Li Shi and Li Ji confirmed that Princess Ningguo had left the cosmetics shop, they went back in to investigate. The shop assistant didn't seem to be a contact for any secret organization, because he quickly confessed that a burly man had indeed entered the shop. From his description, it seemed to be Zhen Sui, only without a beard—but beards can be shaved, so that was easy to handle.

It is said that the big man picked out a box of rouge worth thirty coins and then left in a hurry.

According to Li Shi's analysis: "As Chang Wei said, even if Zhen Sui had no wives, concubines, or sisters, he could still buy rouge to please prostitutes, which is not surprising. As far as I know, there are two brothels in Ding'an City, and there are many more private prostitutes."

At that moment, Li Ji glanced at Li Shi and thought to himself, "How old are you? You know so much... This must be a problem with your education!"

After Li Ji explained Li Shi's analysis and judgment to Li Bi in detail, before Li Bi could refute him, he asked, "Brother, if there are people in the palace who privately raise carrier pigeons, it is not surprising that they also privately raise a few extraordinary people or assassins, right? But in your opinion, who has this ability?"

Li Bi shook his head and said, "Even if it's true as you say, it might not have come from the palace; it could be some court officials..."

Li Ji said that the scope was too broad and it would be difficult to judge—"What if we only talk about the palace?"

Li Bi thought for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Below the sage, if we're talking about those with this ability, only the two kings and the two eunuchs are qualified."

The two princes naturally refer to Prince Guangping, Li Chu, and Prince Jianning, Li Tan. Only they have always followed the emperor, from Chang'an to Pingliang, from Pingliang to Lingwu, and now they have brought him to Ding'an. As for Prince Ying, Li Jiao, and the other two who had barbecue together that day, they had first followed the retired emperor to Shu, so they might not be able to remotely control their cronies who were far away in the capital region.

However, Li Bi immediately distanced himself from the two kings, saying, "My going to Pingliang to rely on the sage is beneficial to the country and the royal family. What harm does it do to the Prince of Guangping? Why would he need to plot such a cunning scheme?"

Li Ji understood his meaning. Since Li Chu was the eldest son of the emperor and favored by Emperor Li Heng, his ascension to the position of crown prince was only a matter of time. At least for the current stage, his stance was completely aligned with his father's. Therefore, Li Bi's allegiance to Li Heng was tantamount to allegiance to Li Chu. He really had no need to interfere and create so much trouble. On the contrary, if this matter were exposed even slightly, his previously favorable position would be completely ruined—what was the point?

However, this makes Li Tan a more suspicious candidate, because after Li Chu, he is the most qualified to contend for the throne. Naturally, what is beneficial to his elder brother is not so beneficial to him.

However, Li Mi said, "Prince Jianning has always been filial and fraternal. Although he and Prince Guangping are not from the same mother, they are as close as blood relatives..." Of course, this purely emotional analysis could not convince Li Ji, so he immediately said, "Even if he has any delusions, it is not the right time—the best opportunity is to obtain the marshal's position."

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Generals of the Shence Army

The next morning, Li Bi dressed neatly and was about to leave the hospital when Cheng Yuanzhen suddenly came over with a roll of yellow paper in his hand, stood at the gate of the courtyard, and said loudly, "There is an imperial edict. Li Ji, kneel down to receive it."

Li Ji thought he had misheard; this imperial edict was meant for Li Bi… but Li Bi dragged him out of the room and forced him down in front of Cheng Yuanzhen. Cheng Yuanzhen then unfolded the edict and loudly read it aloud. Li Ji, looking completely bewildered, turned to Li Bi for help: “What is this all about? I don’t understand…”

The imperial edict, written in parallel prose, was indeed difficult to understand, but Li Ji was not truly rude or uncultured. He could still understand the general meaning—the emperor issued an edict, in recognition of Li Ji's previous merit in protecting his elder brother Li Bi on his journey to the capital, awarding him the rank of Senior Colonel Xuanjie, a rank of eighth grade, and appointing him as the chief secretary of the marshal (that is, Li Bi) as his bodyguard.

He simply couldn't understand why the emperor had suddenly decided to offer him an official position. Was it because he felt Li Bi wouldn't refuse since Li Bi already held one? But why would the emperor allow him to continue protecting Li Bi while he was still in the palace? Was it to prevent him from getting bored and abducting his precious grandson out of the palace again...?

Before Li Bi could answer the questioning look Li Ji was giving him, Cheng Yuanzhen, all smiles, quickly explained, "Congratulations! The Emperor has appointed you Xuanjie Xiaowei and ordered you to continue protecting Changyuan... the safety of Chief Secretary Li."

He then ordered the young eunuch who had come with him to present him with a robe, and instructed Li Ji to put it on.

Seeing that Li Bi did not seem to want him to refuse, Li Ji kowtowed and accepted the imperial edict, then went back to his room to change his clothes.

The Xuanjie Xiaowei was a nominal official position, meaning it had no actual duties and only represented rank and salary.

In the Tang Dynasty, official ranks ranged from Zheng Yi (正一) to Cong Jiu Xia (从九下), totaling twenty-nine levels (ranks below Zheng Si Pin were further divided into upper and lower ranks). This applied to both civil and military officials, and their everyday attire was largely the same, except that civil officials typically wore their turbans with the ends extended, while military officials wore them with the ends crossed. So Li Ji put on the crossed-end turban, draped a blue robe over his shoulders, wrapped a silver-plated leather belt around his waist, and donned leather boots—looking in the mirror, he seemed much more dashing than before, though the blue robe certainly didn't have the same imposing presence as the scarlet or purple robes…

He thought for a moment, then hung the sword on his waist before striding back into the courtyard.

Cheng Yuanzhen looked Li Ji up and down, a fawning smile on his face: "The size is just right... Li Xuanjie looks even more dashing after changing his clothes." Of course, Li Ji knew that Cheng Yuanzhen was not trying to flatter him, but rather Li Bi standing next to him.

Immediately, Cheng Yuanzhen bowed to Li Bi with his hands clasped, saying, "This servant will now lead you two to the Marshal's residence."

The Prince of Guangping, who had only assumed the position of Military Marshal yesterday, had already determined his office location—the headquarters—today—quite swiftly. Guided by Cheng Yuanzhen, the two Lis exited through a side gate of the palace, walked a few steps, turned onto a side path, and arrived at the Marshal's residence. Li Ji looked around and realized that the so-called Marshal's residence was actually originally part of the Forbidden City, with a separate courtyard temporarily partitioned off. However, Li Bi, as the Chief Military Secretary of the Marshal's residence, had specific responsibilities and couldn't simply pass through the back gate from the Forbidden City directly to the headquarters; he had to go out first and then back in, taking a roundabout route, which was in accordance with the system.

If Li Bi lived and worked entirely within the Forbidden City, and even when he left the palace, he was always accompanied by the Emperor and surrounded by Imperial Guards, then there would indeed be no need to assign him another personal bodyguard. However, starting today, he would have to come to the Marshal's Mansion to work. Although the area around the palace and mansion was heavily guarded, with sentries every three or five steps, making the entire area as secure as an iron barrel, the distance between the palace and the mansion was less than thirty steps. Ultimately, it was not as safe as staying by the Emperor's side. That's why Li Ji was appointed as the personal bodyguard.

Li Ji thought it was good, at least he would have something to do to relieve his boredom—he couldn't possibly go out of the palace to wander around every day, and besides, how many days could he possibly wander around this tiny Ding'an County?

As soon as the group arrived at the gate of the general's mansion, a military officer in a green robe came forward to greet them—judging by his rank, he was slightly higher than Li Ji, probably a seventh-rank official, but strangely, he had an extra large red handkerchief wrapped around his head—and bowed to Li Bi with his hands clasped. Li Ji looked at him and exclaimed, "Hey, it's an acquaintance! Isn't this 'Old Jing' who I just fought with yesterday?"

"Jing Jiang, the Right Valiant Guard General, pays his respects to Chief Secretary Li. The Marshal has ordered me to wait here for Chief Secretary Li and to serve as his bodyguard."

Li Ji thought to himself, "So I'm not the only bodyguard... Is this guy called Jingjiang? Can I stir-fry shredded pork with him?"

Li Bi casually returned the greeting, and Lao Jing then bowed to Cheng Yuanzhen. Cheng Yuanzhen smiled and pointed to Li Ji: "This is Li Changshi's cousin, who also serves as a guard... Oh, you should recognize him..." Only then did Lao Jing nod to Li Ji in acknowledgment.

“I have already brought Chief Secretary Li here. The Emperor has other orders to give, so I will not pay my respects to Marshal Guangping. Old Jing, please apologize to the Marshal on my behalf.”

No sooner had Cheng Yuanzhen left than Old Jing respectfully invited the two Lis into the mansion. Li Bi had barely stepped through the gate when Prince Guangping, Li Chu, jogged over to greet him. This was the first time Li Ji had seen Li Chu. He found that this man and Li Shi were indeed father and son, practically identical, except that Li Chu was slightly taller and had a beard.

Comparing Li Chu and Li Tan's appearances, Li Ji couldn't help but sigh: When he first saw Prince Jianning, he thought he was dashing and heroic, but now, compared to his brother, his appearance isn't so good... He's too shrewd and outwardly intelligent, far less refined and reserved than Prince Guangping—of course, it's also possible that Prince Guangping simply doesn't have much brilliance in his bones...

It seems that Cao Cao's second and fourth sons—Cao Pi and Cao Zhi—were quite similar. Cao Zhi was said to be exceptionally handsome and dashing, while Cao Pi only pretended to be a filial son in front of his father. One wonders if the Prince of Guangping's talent can compare to Cao Pi's? But in the past, Cao Zhi missed out on the throne, while now…

Li Tan probably has no chance either.

To seize imperial power, he would need to be able to play dumb like me.

Li Chu held Li Bi's hand intimately, repeatedly saying that his marshal's mansion was still just an empty shell, and how to build it depended entirely on the chief secretary's assistance in planning. Li Bi naturally declined, offering a torrent of humble words—this Taoist priest was quite the actor; in private, he didn't speak to me like this at all, always so confident and assertive, as if the rebel army would vanish instantly the moment he stepped out of the mountain.

The Marshal's Mansion was not large, but the main hall was quite magnificent and imposing. Seeing Li Chu pulling Li Bi into the main hall, Li Ji was about to step in and follow, but was grabbed by the arm by Lao Jing.

Old Jing shook his head and said, "The Marshal and the Chief Secretary are discussing important military and national affairs. How could we be qualified to listen in?"

"But the Emperor's decree orders me to personally protect my elder brother..."

Old Jing laughed and said, "What do you mean by 'personal guard'? How could there be such vulgar language in an imperial edict? You must have misunderstood—we can just wait outside the hall."

Li Ji thought about it and agreed. Even a bodyguard wouldn't stay by the leader's side during a confidential meeting.

So he glanced at the guards standing at the gate with their halberds, and asked Lao Jing, "Where should we two stand? Are we going to have to stand guard every day from now on? That's exhausting! I think it would be better if Li Bi spoke to the emperor and we resigned from this post..."

Old Jing laughed and said, "No need to stand—come with me."

To the left and right of the main hall were corridors. Old Jing pulled Li Ji towards one of the corridors. He had been standing tall and taut like a strong bow, but once inside the corridor, he instinctively let his guard down, his waist slumped, and his large belly bulged out... He then sat down cross-legged under the corridor and patted the ground beside him: "Come sit down."

He pointed towards the main hall and said, "This place is excellent. It provides shelter from the wind and rain, and the situation in front of the hall is clearly visible. If the Chief Secretary comes out, we can run over to protect him in time."

Li Ji looked around, observing the surrounding environment, and couldn't help but nod—it was indeed a good place. The front hall was spacious, while the corridor was cramped. The front hall was bright and open, while the corridor was dark and dim. From the front hall, it was unlikely that one could clearly see what people were doing in the corridor, but from the corridor, one could have a clear view of the situation in the front hall. We were like sentries hidden here.

But Kyo-chan, did you choose this location really to make it convenient for security guards, or were you simply trying to be lazy?

So he rolled up his sleeves to dust himself off and sat down next to Lao Jing.

Old Jing cupped his hands and said, "I hope you will take care of me in the future. My name is Jing Jiang, Jing as in Jingzhou, Jiang as in crimson, and I am from Lintao County..."

Li Ji asked, "Aren't you a servant of Princess Ningguo? How did you enter the Marshal's Mansion and become a chief secretary and bodyguard?"

Old Jing shook his head and said, "I am not a princess's servant, but a bodyguard of the Prince of Guangping—who is now the Marshal of the Army."

Li Ji understood. So it was his older brother who sent someone to take his younger sister out to play yesterday. No wonder Lao Jing, before making a move against him, didn't turn around and ask the princess for her opinion, even though he received a hint from Li Shi—Li Shi was his young master, and although his seniority was lower, his status was higher than the princess's.

Then Old Jing continued, "The Prince of Fengjie naturally reported yesterday's events to the Marshal. The Marshal heard that there was an extraordinary person in the city, fearing it would be detrimental to Chief Secretary Li, so he ordered me to protect Chief Secretary Li. I reported to the Marshal that Chief Secretary Li's younger cousin, Li Ji, was skilled in martial arts and was no less than me..."

Li Ji secretly scoffed – I'm clearly stronger than you! If those patrolmen hadn't arrived so quickly, I might have knocked you down in a moment!

"...The Marshal therefore informed the Emperor, ordering the two of us to jointly protect Chief Secretary Li."

Li Ji gave a perfunctory bow: "Thank you for your recommendation." Then he pointed to Lao Jing's turban: "What does the red handkerchief wrapped around your hat mean?"

Old Jing reached out and touched the red handkerchief on his head, explaining, "Back in the Shence Army, when the soldiers of the seven armies of Ningbian, Weisheng, Jintian, Wuning, Yaowu, Tiancheng, and Zhenwei from neighboring prefectures fought against the Tubo, they all wore five-colored handkerchiefs to make it easier to identify each other and to boost morale. It had become a habit. So, look how imposing and fierce our Shence Army looks with red!"

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji asked, "It's said that the Tibetans are barbaric and fierce, is that true?"

From the early Tang Dynasty's defeat of the Turks until the current turmoil, although there have been constant external threats from the north and west, the Tang army has firmly held them off. Few nomadic armies have been able to penetrate deep into the interior, so the common people generally don't take it seriously—unless they are conscripted. Li Ji had previously inquired about Tibet from Li Mi, but Li Mi could only give a general overview—he only knew secondhand about Tibet's political system, military strength, the abilities of its generals, and the quality of its soldiers.

Upon hearing Li Ji mention Tibet, Lao Jing's expression darkened. He then slowly said, "The Tibetans are born on the plateau, with red faces and tall statures. They are capable of enduring hardship and fighting. Although their weapons are not very sophisticated, they are all incredibly brave and fearless, truly a great enemy of our Tang Dynasty... They have come down from the plateau and have repeatedly plotted to seize the Hexi Corridor. If the Hexi Corridor is lost, not only will the interior be threatened, but the Western Regions will also no longer belong to our Tang Dynasty. Previously, Generals Huangfu, Wang, and Geshu were in charge of military affairs in Longyou and Hexi, leading us to resist Tibet. We won more battles than we lost, but since the three generals left, I have heard that the situation is deteriorating day by day..."

So the phrase "it is said" is probably because he had already been transferred to the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard due to his merits at that time.

Once Lao Jing started talking about his battles on the battlefield, he couldn't stop talking. He talked so much that Li Ji had to pretend that his legs had gone numb and get up to move around, taking the opportunity to get away from him... But in the middle of the conversation, he suddenly stopped and then darted out of the corridor in two or three steps.

Li Ji thought Li Bi had come out, so Lao Jing

Chapter Thirty: The Shame of a Peace Marriage

Li Ji ate this meal with great relish.

He felt that even a hundred delicacies would be boring if enjoyed alone, and plain water and coarse rice... Forget it, four dishes and a soup would be better; it would be much more satisfying to fight over them. Although he used to invite those three eunuchs to dine with him at lavish meals in the palace, those three were not only big-eyed but also incredibly reserved, never daring to eat or drink freely. If he weren't allowed to take a bite of every dish, it would be no different from being served poison... What's the point of eating like that?

Today, his struggle with Lao Jing over food and drink truly whetted his appetite. The key was that both of them were big eaters, and official meals were rationed, not freely available. If they didn't fight for food, they'd only manage to get half-full. Lao Jing seemed surprised by Li Ji's appetite and his complete lack of courtesy and humility. He underestimated Li Ji and quickly fell into a disadvantageous position, his anger rising – "Damn it, I can't even beat you in a fight, and I even lost a food fight… Oh well, victory and defeat are common in war. I'll skip breakfast tomorrow and fight again when I'm full!"

However, this anger only briefly surfaced during the scramble. By the time the plates and bowls were empty, not a drop of soup remained, and all the utensils were as clean as if a cat had licked them, and after the soldier came to clean up, he felt an even stronger sense of kinship—yes, a real man is one who can fight and eat well. This Li Ji is someone worth befriending.

So the atmosphere was even more harmonious in the afternoon. Li Ji's legs ached from sitting, so he stood up and paced along the corridor; Old Jing, however, remained seated, seemingly having never gotten up except to run out and greet Wei Boyu once. Li Ji glanced at his large belly and thought to himself, "Eating all the time without any exercise, not even taking a walk after meals, no wonder he's so obese... You're like a royal horse, away from the battlefield for too long, thus pampered by the royal family and covered in fat. If you were sent back to the battlefield now, you probably wouldn't be able to fight much, would you?"

If Lao Jing were in his prime—for example, when he was still a member of the "Shence Army"—I might not be his match in a hand-to-hand combat.

After wandering around for a bit, he suddenly remembered the matter of Princess Ningguo and asked Lao Jing, "I heard that His Majesty is going to marry Princess Ningguo to the Uyghurs. I wonder when they will set off?"

As Lao Jing shaved his teeth with a bamboo skewer, he vaguely replied, "It's all under the sage's will; how could I possibly know?"

"Don't you feel ashamed that the princess is being sent to a foreign land?"

When I discussed this matter with Li Bi last night, Li Ji also brought up the same issue. Li Bi shook his head blankly and asked him, "What is there to be ashamed of?"

He said that the Uyghurs were originally friendly tribes who had always respected the emperor and admired the emperor's rule, unlike the Tibetans. If the two countries were enemies, and a princess had to be married off to the enemy to force them to withdraw and maintain peace—like the marriage alliance between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu in the early Han Dynasty—it might be a last resort and damage the prestige of the nation. But if the Uyghurs were to be married off to a friendly nation, it would be a pure act of imperial grace, and the Uyghurs would surely feel grateful. The Tang people would not be able to object either.

"When the previous emperor was in Lingwu, he enfeoffed Chengcai, the third son of the Prince of Bin, as the Prince of Dunhuang and sent him to borrow troops from the Uyghurs to quell the rebellion. The Uyghur Khan then married his daughter to the prince as his concubine, and the emperor bestowed upon her the title of princess. Now, the emperor has sent Princess Ningguo to marry him. With the Tang Dynasty and the Uyghurs exchanging marriages, and the Khan being the emperor's son-in-law, they will surely provide full assistance. With the Uyghur troops as reinforcements, we will be even more confident in defeating the rebels."

Li Ji was not satisfied with this explanation and asked in return, "Brother, has there ever been a case of a real princess being married off to a foreign country since ancient times?"

Li Bi paused for a moment upon hearing this, then replied, "Perhaps..."

Li Ji replied, “I do not know what happened afterward, but I do know that in the Former Han Dynasty, princesses were married to the Xiongnu, from Modu to Huhanye, and all of them were women of the imperial clan—Zhaojun was not even a woman of the imperial clan. After Emperor Gaozu of Han escaped the siege of Pingcheng, he followed Lou Jing's advice and originally wanted to marry his own daughter to Modu, but this was abandoned because Empress Lü opposed it. If our dynasty had married a real princess to a barbarian tribe at the beginning of the dynasty, would it have been ridiculed by later generations?”

Li Bi retorted dismissively, “What’s so laughable? The Uyghurs are not an enemy state, but rather a vassal state. Throughout history, countless princesses have married into other vassal states.”

Li Ji was still unable to let it go and questioned, "Although the Uyghurs are obedient, they are still barbarians. The customs of barbarian lands are very different from those of Han lands, and they live in remote northern deserts, eating raw and pungent food. How can you bear to send the princess a thousand miles to live with a cruel barbarian ruler and suffer humiliation at the hands of barbarians?"

Li Bi glanced at him with some surprise: "Who said the Uyghur Khan was cruel? Who dares to bully my Tang princess? And if you pity a weak woman and marry her off to a distant land for the country, do you think the imperial princess would have no complaints? Do you think Zhaojun would have no complaints?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was speechless... "I detest this kind of marriage alliance. Is it for the sake of the country's prestige or for the princess's personal sake? If it's for the sake of the country's prestige, Li Mi also said that the Uyghurs are different from the Xiongnu of the Han Dynasty or the present-day Tubo. Since the establishment of their state, they have been quite submissive and rarely disturb the borders. Even a scholar like him wouldn't feel ashamed of the princess marrying into the Uyghurs. Why should I worry about the ancients? Moreover, this can deepen the friendship between the Tang and the Uyghurs and help them quell rebellions, which would be of great benefit to the country."

If we consider the princess's personal situation, wouldn't replacing a real princess with a member of the imperial family be the same thing? Women, being vulnerable, had little say in their marriages, and marrying someone they didn't love was almost inevitable in that era. Although the Tang dynasty valued women's personal wishes relatively, how many princesses in the imperial family truly had the freedom to choose their husbands and achieve a happy marriage? Princess Ningguo's previous divorce from the man surnamed Xue is clear evidence of this.

What exactly is he struggling with? Is it because he has only met Princess Ningguo once, which is why he "sees the cow but not the sheep"?

Then Li Bi said, “I know that since you come from Jin, you must deeply dislike the Hu people. But although our Tang Dynasty has suffered from chaos, it is ultimately different from the Sima clan. The Uyghur ruler will not become Liu Yuanhai, so there is no need to be so concerned about this.”

But Li Ji still felt uneasy, so today he asked Lao Jing about it again, asking what the soldiers thought about it. Lao Jing replied, "The Uyghur soldiers are also good at fighting. They have helped the Longyou and Hexi armies fight against the Tubo before, and they have been quite helpful. If Princess Ningguo marries into the Uyghurs, it would be a good thing if they could send troops to help our Tang Dynasty quell the rebellion."

"What does the princess herself think?"

“The princess was naturally unhappy,” Old Jing said with a smile. “That’s why she asked the marshal to let her leave the palace yesterday so she could take one last look at the Han market. Of all the nations in the world, our Tang Dynasty is the most prosperous. The Uyghurs and Tibetans are naturally no match for it. Even if they were, it’s still not their homeland. What woman would be willing to leave her homeland to marry far away? But for the sake of the country, she had no choice but to comply.”

He paused for a moment, then said, "I heard that the Uyghurs have already sent troops to help Prime Minister Guo pacify the Hequ region, but I don't know when they will be able to reach Pengyuan."

Li Ji fell silent for a long while before saying, "I've heard that Emperor Taizong also made peace with Tibet through marriage, and Tibet ultimately became a scourge to our Tang Dynasty. Who knows if the Uyghurs of the future will not be like Tibet today?"

Old Jing laughed and said, "Who can predict what will happen in the future? Besides, these things are planned by the sage and the ministers. We can't even predict what will happen tomorrow, so how can we think so far ahead? Let's wipe out the An traitor first."

Li Ji, still not getting the answer he wanted, grew frustrated. He paced around, trying to find a topic to talk about. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a guard standing at the front of the hall, halberd in hand. He trembled, then collapsed to the ground.

What happened? Did I get sunburned? The sun wasn't even that strong today.

Looking closely, he saw a flash of white light, and the guard on the other side also collapsed without a sound. Li Ji was shocked and immediately shouted, "Assassin!" He darted out from the corridor.

He had already taken a step forward when the first guard who had been ambushed had just fallen to the ground, his halberd hitting the steps with a loud "clang".

When the military marshal's mansion was first built, the number of guards was not large, and the arrangement was tight on the outside but loose on the inside. Most of the guards were stationed outside the courtyard—which also meant guarding a corner of the palace at the same time—specifically, there were only four guards in front of the hall inside the courtyard, and two of them died in an instant.

Hearing Li Ji's shout and catching a glimpse of his fallen comrade, the two remaining guards snapped out of their daze. They hastily grabbed their halberds, looking around in panic, unsure where the enemy had come from. Then, two more flashes of white light appeared, and the two men followed in their comrade's footsteps.

Only after all four guards in front of the hall had perished did the assassins appear—five people leaped out from the corner of the wall in quick succession. Li Ji glanced at them hastily and saw two wielding knives, one wielding a sword, while the other two carried outer weapons—a copper hammer and a vajra—and rushed toward the hall.

Li Ji drew his sword and leaped forward. The man wielding the copper hammer, who had been running ahead, swung his hammer at Li Ji without a word. Li Ji had no experience dealing with such unorthodox weapons and dared not parry with his sword. He could only slightly sidestep and barely dodge the blow. He thought to himself: Where is the one who launched the flying sword? If he's not among these five men and is still hiding to the side, things will probably get more troublesome.

Seeing an assassin wielding a knife leap past his companions and ascend the steps, Li Ji quickly drew his sword and gave chase—he had to protect Li Bi and Li Chu first. If Li Chu were to perish, even with only a minor injury, none of the inner and outer guards would escape; they would all be killed. As for Li Bi, he was still his current support; how could he die?!

With a whoosh, the copper hammer came at his head again, and this time the wind was clearly stronger and the force more intense. Li Ji was forced to lean forward to barely avoid it, and then, because he lost his balance, he simply stretched out his left hand to brace himself against the ground, spun in mid-air, and leaped onto the steps.

Without turning his head, the assassin wielding the knife swung his blade backhand, but Li Ji parried it with his own horizontal saber, deflecting it with a "crack." Seemingly surprised by his strength, the assassin, though not stopping, instinctively twisted his body slightly. A green-robed military officer swung his sword with tremendous force, and Li Ji instantly reversed his own saber, striking the assassin's wrist with the iron ring on the hilt.

"What kind of unique skill is this now?" Li Ji was so shocked that he couldn't dodge in time and was struck hard on the wrist by the iron ring. His hand went limp, and the power of his blade vanished. After the strike, the assassin swung his blade in an arc, which Li Ji barely dodged. Then, he heard the whooshing sound of a copper hammer behind his head. This time, he couldn't dodge and was forced to parry with his own blade.

His wrist was already numb from being hit, and then he collided head-on with a bronze hammer bigger than his fist. With a "clang," the hammer bounced back, but Li Ji's sword slipped from his hand, spinning and falling to the ground...

Chapter Thirty-One: Life Hangs in the Balance