Chapter 117: Brother Ji on the Move

In the early spring of the first year of the Tianbao era, Qinghai Lake remained bitterly cold, the climate harsh. Spring here arrived more than a month later than in Chang'an, and winter set in earlier.

Yet on this day when everyone believed no war would break out, Xiao Jiong, the Military Commissioner of Hexi, and Du Xiwang, the Military Commissioner of Longyou, dispatched troops from the north and the east respectively, their target the shores of Qinghai Lake occupied by the Tibetans.

The Tibetans, unable to look after both ends, could only send their main army north to resist the Hexi army's invasion. South of the old New City, in a valley, they encountered the Chishui Army led by Wang Zhongsi, and a fierce battle erupted. The Chishui Army, well-rested and having accumulated strength for months, was unstoppable like a tiger descending the mountain.

The Tibetan army, meanwhile, had been campaigning across various regions for months without proper rest, showing a clear disadvantage in stamina.

In this battle the Tibetan army suffered a crushing defeat, over a thousand beheaded, and the rest retreated. Only because heavy snow suddenly fell did Wang Zhongsi worry that the Tang army might get lost in the mountains and suffer unnecessary losses, so he did not pursue.

He had no choice but to follow the route they had come by, retreating to the Dadouba Valley to set up camp and guard against a Tibetan counterattack.

But Du Xiwang, setting out from Guozhou, repeatedly achieved results.

With the cooperation of the Jishi Army on the Guozhou front, Du Xiwang led the Lintao Army, the main force of the Longyou border army, and broke through three Tibetan defense lines in succession, recapturing the former garrisons of the Jintian Army, the Weisheng Army, and the Wuning Army.

At the time, all three garrisons were small cities of one thousand men each, and under the Tibetan surprise attacks, they could barely hold out for a single day.

Now when they were recaptured, it caused no stir at all. The Tibetans' shoddy defense clearly showed they had not expected the Tang army to counterattack from here.

Du Xiwang continued to lead his forces westward, and taking advantage of the frozen Yellow River during the harsh winter, led troops to capture Stone Bridge City on the opposite bank of the Yellow River from the Tibetans!

Caught off guard, this strategic stronghold—seized by the Tibetans during the Wu Zhou era—was captured by the Tang army, and the Tibetans were once again forced into a strategic defensive!

Reports of victory flew to Chang'an like snowflakes. Yet by this time, Li Longji had already departed Chang'an with the Minister of Rites and numerous court officials, and escorted by five thousand troops of the Dragon Martial Army, set out in grand procession toward Shuofang, heading straight for Lingzhou City!

For someone to write poetry and flatter him, Brother Ji not only kept He Zhizhang constantly at his side, he even brought along Li Bai! How could he bother with other affairs of state? Right now, in Brother Ji's eyes, there was only the glory of the "Tian Kehan"!

All the victory reports against the Tibetans were kept in Chang'an by Li Linfu, who did not send anyone to inform Li Longji at the first opportunity.

Li Linfu decided to stall for a few days, and only deliver the news on the day Brother Ji held his alliance ceremony at Lingzhou. This way, Brother Ji could receive two pleasant surprises on the same day.

Double the joy—was that not wonderful?

……

The emperor's touring procession naturally could not travel very fast. On the day the procession departed Chang'an City, the spectacle was unprecedented. The common people of Chang'an all lined both sides of the road to watch, and quite a few enthusiastic onlookers shouted "Long live!" Brother Ji's vanity was immensely satisfied; he actually got down from his carriage to walk, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with the people along the way.

Brother Ji felt the satisfaction and glory of being the master. Chang'an was his home, this was his domain. Here, he could have everything he wanted, with absolutely no restraints.

With excitement he could barely contain, Brother Ji headed west after leaving Chang'an, his mind filled with the scene of the various Tiele tribes of the grasslands submitting to him at Lingzhou City.

Four words summed it up: indescribably beautiful.

The grand procession arrived at Mawei Post Station, not far from Chang'an, which had long since been cleared.

All the miscellaneous people previously living here, no matter how high their official rank, had been "invited" out. Even the station attendants had been replaced with palace eunuchs.

In Chang'an, Brother Ji's prestige knew no bounds; no one dared do anything to him. But outside Chang'an, that was not necessarily the case.

General Chen Xuanli of the Dragon Martial Army was extremely cautious, and even the most minor and inconspicuous security measures were carried out thoroughly.

On the walls of the main hall at Mawei Post Station hung many wooden boards. Written on those boards were works left by poets of the Great Tang from various places.

It was not yet dark. Brother Ji, in high spirits, brought He Zhizhang, Li Bai, and others to admire these works and offer commentary.

It must be said that Brother Ji's literary refinement was quite high, and with masters of poetry like He Zhizhang and Li Bai by his side, he naturally did not think much of the wooden boards hanging on the wall.

What good poetry had Brother Ji not seen?

For instance, that poem by Zhang Shuo—Brother Ji did not think much of it. It was true that Zhang Shuo was a chief minister, but his poetry was indeed quite mediocre.

"Though a jade face is buried beneath the dust of Mawei, a spirit of grievance and mist locks the Wei ferry. The cicada-wing temples did not follow the imperial carriage, and to this day vainly move those who pass by."

"Who wrote this poem? It doesn't make any sense. How could such a work be hung on the wall?"

Brother Ji had finally discovered the poem that Fang Chongyong had left when departing Chang'an for Hexi. Unfortunately, the signature read "Anonymous," and for the moment he could not find out who had written it.

Brother Ji vaguely felt that this poem was covertly mocking him, but he had no proof.

The two characters "imperial carriage" alone could not prove anything. One could not say it referred to the current dynasty's emperor, much less that it was alluding to himself.

But for no reason at all, the moment he saw this poem, he felt particularly uncomfortable in his heart!

"Someone, take this wooden board down for Us."

Li Longji spoke in a displeased tone, instructing Gao Lishi, who was not far from his side.

Just then, Li Bai stepped forward, clasped his hands in salute, and said to Li Longji: "Sage, this poem is too heavy with gloomy energy. Hanging it here is inauspicious. Why not let your humble servant compose a poem to suppress its gloom?"

Hearing this, He Zhizhang also chimed in: "The world does not know that this poem has given offense to the Sage. Leaving it here for people to appreciate—so-called justice resides in people's hearts."

"If it were removed, those who do not know the truth would likely criticize the Sage for being narrow-minded and unable to tolerate others."

When Brother Ji heard both poetry masters say so, his anger subsided by half. He looked at Li Bai half-jokingly and 'threatened': "Li Taibai, write well. If it is not good, We will have you punished!"

"Please rest assured, Sage."

Li Bai bowed in salute, then took up a brush and wrote a poem on a blank wooden board.

"The white sun of Chang'an shines upon the spring sky, green willows form mist and droop in the gentle breeze.

Before the Fragrance Pavilion the flowers first turn red, their fragrance and colors emanating through embroidered doors.

Through embroidered doors, passing to and fro.

Empress Flying Swallow dances with a light body, the Lady of the Purple Palace sings a song unmatched in the world.

The sage lord's thirty-six thousand days, year after year, what joy is there to match."

The title was "Recalling the Spring of Chang'an at Mawei Post Station."

This atmosphere was far more cheerful than "to this day vainly move those who pass by," and it was unreserved flattery of Brother Ji.

Though we are now at Mawei Post Station, our minds are filled with the beautiful scenery of Chang'an! Filled with the boundless joy of the sovereign!

"Not bad. Leave this poem here, and let the world see it."

Li Longji laughed heartily and left the main hall, thoroughly satisfied, heading to his temporary lodgings to rest.

Yang Yuhuan had also come along on this journey to Shuofang as a Daoist nun "praying for blessings." Worn out from the journey, the delicate Yang Yuhuan had felt unwell not long after leaving Chang'an and was now already asleep.

Of course, Li Longji would not let her rest. Tonight, they would be very busy.

Brother Ji, his vanity immensely satisfied, now seemed to have grown twenty years younger!

The next day, Brother Ji, who had spent the night exhausting himself on Yang Yuhuan, dozed in his carriage, utterly devoid of energy. The next stop was Jingyuan, still within the Guanzhong region. Nothing could happen, and he was not worried at all.

Last night's excesses had drained Brother Ji's body, leaving his mind empty and hollow. The glory he was about to obtain at Lingzhou City seemed to have become irrelevant as well.

Brother Ji right now only wanted to find a place to get a good night's sleep.

……

Before the Yellow River had yet to thaw, Fang Youde led five thousand elite soldiers from Youzhou, along with some envoys from the Tiele tribes, southward to the Hetao region, entering the territory of Lingzhou.

Speaking of Lingzhou, one must also speak of Lingzhou Isle.

The addition of the three-dot water radical makes the meaning entirely different.

Lingzhou Isle was an islet on the Yellow River in ancient Ningxia, surrounded by water on all sides, with superior geographical conditions. The Tang dynasty scholar Yan Shigu annotated: "A place in the water where people can dwell is called a zhou (islet). This place is an islet in the river, rising and falling with the water, never submerged, hence called Lingzhou Isle, also called Heqi."

Therefore, Lingzhou Isle was a geographical unit that existed as early as before the Western Han dynasty. It was an islet approximately 90 kilometers long from north to south and 30 kilometers wide from east to west, with an area of nearly 3,000 square kilometers!

However, "Lingzhou Isle" existed before the Northern Wei dynasty, but during the Northern Wei, because the "Eastern Branch" (also called the "Branch Channel") dried up, this enormous islet had already merged with the Hedong Ordos Platform, and Lingzhou Isle in a topographical and geographical sense no longer existed.

Simply put, Lingzhou City, located within the former bounds of Lingzhou Isle, now sat at the lower-left corner of the L-shaped bend of the Hetao region, at the confluence of the Yellow River and Anle River, on the southeastern bank of the Yellow River; crossing the Yellow River to the northwest lay the grasslands.

From this one can see that Lingzhou City's strategic position was extremely important, and the surrounding area had abundant water sources, suitable for developing agriculture... as well as animal husbandry.

Fang Youde's reputation preceded him; even among fellow Jiedushi, no one dared to cross him.

The newly appointed Shuofang Jiedushi, Zhang Qiqiu, specifically ordered men to build a sturdy wooden bridge at a certain point along the Lingzhou stretch of the Yellow River, and personally waited on the opposite bank of the Yellow River, bringing along the senior generals of the Shuofang Army and the prefectural inspector from Lingzhou City to receive them.

The spectacle could not be called anything less than grand!

They had already learned of the Lingzhou alliance through the imperial court gazette. One could imagine what sort of status Fang Youde now held in the Tang Emperor's heart. To describe him as red-hot to the point of purple would not be the least bit exaggerated.

The Shuofang Army itself had not participated in this operation, and even their former Jiedushi, Wei Guangcheng, had been dismissed. These vexing matters were truly hard to sum up in a word for the people of the Shuofang Jiedushi's office.

What should have been the affair of their own defense area had been snatched away by the Youzhou Jiedushi, yet they surprisingly had nothing to say about it!

Brother Ji only wanted to hear who had earned merit and did not care about these trivial matters. Therefore, within the Shuofang Army, an atmosphere of fear was spreading, as people believed they might face retroactive reckoning.

Many people in Lingzhou City thought the same, but Zhang Qiqiu had just been "parachuted" in, so he did not mind; he only needed to do a good job of reception and security.

Receiving the envoys from the various Tiele tribes, receiving the Tang Emperor Li Longji, and receiving the victorious returning Youzhou Army. Letting this matter, which was extremely detrimental to the Shuofang Army's reputation, pass as quickly as possible without any mishaps would be enough.

"Jiedushi, someone from the Youzhou Army has come to deliver an official letter."

A personal guard walked to Zhang Qiqiu's side and handed him a sealed official letter.

When Tang armies passed through, handed over defense duties, or jointly defended against enemies, all such affairs required official letters as a written means of communication, and they were filed for the record.

So that after the war, matters could be traced back—whether one had earned merit or committed offenses, there would be written evidence in black and white, absolutely not relying on empty words and mere verbal disputes.

"Jiedushi Fang is quite courteous."

After reading the official letter, Zhang Qiqiu felt moved and could not help but sigh.

Fang Youde stated in the official letter that the Youzhou Army would camp on the opposite bank of the Yellow River and would not enter Lingzhou City. If any members of the Youzhou Army needed to enter, everything would proceed according to regulations.

Zhang Qiqiu felt that Fang Youde did not seem as domineering and willful as the rumors suggested.

He had heard that this gentleman did not seem to take the imperial court's military orders very seriously at crucial moments, generally doing things first and talking later.

If Fang Youde were not highly capable and had never botched anything, his position as Jiedushi would have been untenable long ago!

"Pass down the order: have Duan Xiushi set up camp right where this Jiedushi is standing, and guard the wooden bridge well. Arrange for the Youzhou Army to be stationed outside the suburbs of Lingzhou City, and permit Jiedushi Fang to bring five hundred men into Lingzhou City."

Zhang Qiqiu ordered in a low voice.

The personal guard received the order and departed; only then did he helplessly breathe a sigh of relief.

Courtesy demands reciprocity, after all. Fang Youde saying the Youzhou Army should camp on the opposite bank of the Yellow River was mere politeness. If they actually did so, the Shuofang Army would never be able to hold its head up in the Great Tang again!

This time, Fang Youde had single-handedly brought about the alliance of the Tiele tribes on the grasslands; for his triumphant return to be left stranded on the opposite bank of the river—what would that look like if word got out?

Zhang Qiqiu had exceedingly high emotional intelligence and knew that many great matters were often triggered by small ones. The Shuofang Army was now in an unfavorable position, and the Emperor was coming to Lingzhou City; even a minor conflict would be magnified countless times.

Before long, the messenger soldier came running back again, and said to Zhang Qiqiu while panting heavily: "Jiedushi Fang on the Youzhou Army side is very insistent—he simply will not cross the Yellow River. He also said that this attitude is for the many envoys of the Tiele tribes to see, and he asks Jiedushi Zhang to demonstrate the strict military discipline of the Great Tang's border army."

Hearing this, Zhang Qiqiu no longer knew what to say.

"That's fine then, but the matter of bringing five hundred Youzhou Army soldiers into Lingzhou City need not be disputed further. The procedures for entering and exiting the city gates, getting approvals one by one, would also be troublesome. The Sage is coming to Lingzhou City; as the local Jiedushi, one naturally must prioritize the Sage, and cannot possibly manage all these trivial matters.

Deliver this Jiedushi's words, then come back to report."

Zhang Qiqiu said to that personal guard with a displeased expression.

"Understood..."

This personal guard looked unhappy but did not dare to object, completely baffled as to what on earth these two Jiedushi were going back and forth about!

Only Zhang Qiqiu understood that soon Lingzhou City would become the most conspicuous stage in all the Great Tang. And the lead actors on this stage would be the Tang Emperor Li Longji, along with many supporting roles—such as Fang Youde, such as himself, and such as those Tiele tribe envoys, and so on.

At this critical juncture, he was also quietly competing with Fang Youde; neither wanted to lose face.

If possible.

Finally, Fang Youde agreed to Zhang Qiqiu's conditions, and had Yan Gaoqing draft another official letter, which was sent to Zhang Qiqiu's hands. After confirming it was correct, Zhang Qiqiu also signed his name on it and affixed his seal.

This matter was thus concluded for the time being.

Zhang Qiqiu felt a faint sense of worry.

Before the Youzhou Army had even entered the city, Fang Youde's incongruously tough character was already on display. Once he entered Lingzhou City, would he... stir up some major incident?

Just then, a cavalry unit appeared within view; each person led at least three horses. From a distance, there were far more horses than people in the column, making the soldiers on the Shuofang Army's side both angry and jealous.

"Is that Jiedushi Fang ahead?"

Zhang Qiqiu called out toward the Youzhou Army's column.

Soon, a tall and lean middle-aged man walked out from the column, with an imposing presence that commanded awe without even needing anger. He came over, grasped Zhang Qiqiu's hand, and said steadily: "It is indeed I. Please have Jiedushi Zhang send someone to guide us into the city. I will bring only the Youzhou Army generals and one hundred personal guards; with more men, the lads would be hard to manage. If they behave lawlessly, I will certainly behead them to consecrate the banner, and I would find that somewhat hard to bear."

Fang Youde nodded slightly and said.

"That works too; this way, please."

Zhang Qiqiu did not say much more. With Li Longji not yet arrived, neither he nor Fang Youde would embarrass the other. The "shadow war" between the two armies would only get lively enough once the Emperor came.

He could fully anticipate that the men under his command would surely step forward to claim credit.

(End of this chapter)