Chapter 252: Those Who Don't Want Dignity Shall Be Given Dignity

"What do you mean by that?"

The Prince of Yong, Li Lin, gazed intently at Gao Shang. Though he tried his best to appear as though nothing had happened, the irrepressible surprise and confusion on his face still betrayed his inner thoughts.

"I did not become a eunuch of my own will, but was forcibly castrated by the Son of Heaven. I assist the Prince of Yong only to avenge the enmity of being cut off from posterity. I beg Your Highness not to doubt my sincerity and resolve."

Gao Shang performed a full prostration before Li Lin.

Hmm, that did seem somewhat justifiable.

The Prince of Yong, Li Lin, gave a slight nod, neither affirming nor denying. Gao Shang's words could not be said to be unreasonable, but neither could the possibility be ruled out that Brother Ji had arranged a scheme of self-inflicted hardship to "fish." Of course, listening to one's words and observing one's actions was never wrong.

"Does Your Highness know that the Son of Heaven in fact has no intention of naming the Prince of Shou as Crown Prince? Forcing his appointment as Crown Prince is clearly only a stopgap measure."

Gao Shang said to Li Lin without batting an eye.

He had expected the other party to be astonished, but to his surprise Li Lin wore a look of disdain and said mockingly, "Of course, who doesn't know that? On the day of Li Heng's mutiny, our good Sage was humiliated by the Prince of Shou to such a degree. Right now he even has the heart to kill Li Chang, so how could he possibly sincerely appoint him as Crown Prince!"

The guileless Li Lin had actually spoken aloud of something that must never be mentioned to outsiders under any circumstances!

"Your Highness, could you tell me a bit about the inside story? I can serve as Your Highness's strategist."

Upon hearing that there was actually an inside story, Gao Shang trembled with excitement.

"Uh, actually..."

Li Lin immediately realized he had let something slip, but since he had already gone this far, he also felt that Gao Shang did not seem like a lackey devoted solely to serving Brother Ji. So he sighed helplessly and said, "This matter can be traced back to the first Princess of Shou, Yang Yuhuan. The hatred between the current Crown Prince and the Son of Heaven is beyond what an ordinary person can imagine."

So Li Lin recounted everything in full—how Brother Ji had seized Yang Yuhuan by force, how he had attempted to violate the second Princess of Shou but failed, driving her to leap to her death, and how the Prince of Shou had unexpectedly struck back. After hearing these secret tales, Gao Shang was so astonished that for a moment he could not speak.

He had never expected that the sordid affairs within the Li imperial clan would far exceed his imagination.

The Prince of Shou, Li Chang, was truly a ruthless man—he killed not only the body but also the heart. No wonder the Son of Heaven had driven all the imperial princes out of Chang'an and settled them in the suburban counties near the capital, precisely to guard against these princes rebelling in the city of Chang'an!

After the uproar Li Chang had caused that time, the Son of Heaven now no longer trusted any of his adult sons!

Elevating Li Chang to Crown Prince was merely turning him into a target to draw the attacks of the other princes.

Now that he had filled in every piece of the "puzzle," Gao Shang finally understood why Brother Ji had sent him to the Prince of Yong's residence to serve as a "mole."

"Your Highness, since matters have come to this, why not turn their scheme to our advantage?"

"The Son of Heaven had me urge Your Highness to attack the Crown Prince, so as to support Your Highness in standing against the Crown Prince in the ring."

"Since that is the case, why doesn't Your Highness openly feign attacking the Crown Prince to gain a measure of authority, while secretly allying with the Crown Prince to grow stronger together?"

"When the time comes, as long as there is an opportunity to bring down the Son of Heaven... wouldn't Your Highness's chance to ascend the throne present itself?"

Gao Shang took the opportunity to persuade Li Lin.

Pretend to fall for the scheme, while in reality secretly building up his own strength, help Li Chang ascend the throne, and then find an opportunity to eliminate Li Chang.

Li Lin silently pondered Gao Shang's plan. He had to admit, this was indeed a brilliant stratagem!

Though there were still some details that needed to be refined and deliberated, it sounded at least somewhat feasible.

It was certainly far better than being trapped to death in the suburban counties around Chang'an!

"Hmm, not bad. You do possess a measure of talent."

The Prince of Yong, Li Lin, gave a slight nod and spoke in approval.

"Your Highness praises me undeservedly. I will certainly do my utmost to devise strategies for Your Highness. I beg Your Highness to rouse yourself and not give up in despair."

Gao Shang said with a respectful expression, cupping his hands in salute.

Seeing that Li Lin's face still showed some hesitation, he asked softly, "Does Your Highness still have some concerns?"

"Gao Shang, let me ask you: Fang Youde by the Son of Heaven's side is utterly loyal, skilled in battle, and holds heavy military authority, while also being responsible for training the new army."

"If we are to rise up, having no military power means we cannot take a single step. Where am I to obtain military authority?"

Li Lin's face was full of conflict, and he asked with some unwillingness.

"The possibility of Your Highness getting your hands on the Chang'an imperial guards is close to nil. You might as well cast your gaze further afield."

"If an elite border army were to pledge allegiance to Your Highness, then achieving great things would not be difficult."

Gao Shang said unhurriedly, looking as though he had a well-thought-out plan.

"Which border army?"

Li Lin asked in a deep voice. He already knew the answer was a border army; the only question was: which one!

"The Military Governors of Longyou and Hexi—Fang Youde's son Fang Chongyong, and his father-in-law Wang Zhongsi—have deep networks of connections in those regions. These two military commands cannot be used by Your Highness."

"Jiannan is far from the emperor and mountain roads are difficult to traverse; a single mountain pass can block an army of a hundred thousand. You cannot count on them. Even if the Jiannan army pledged allegiance, it would be better than nothing."

"The military governors of Shuofang and Hedong have historically had dispersed authority, with many factions among them. Even if a certain unit obeyed Your Highness's commands, the others would not easily follow blindly, making it difficult to form a united force."

"Only the two military commands of Youzhou and Pinglu can serve as Your Highness's backing, but Your Highness will need to wait for the right moment."

"Once there is upheaval in the realm, and Your Highness obtains the allegiance of the Youzhou army—you can advance by summoning the troops of Youzhou into Chang'an to aid the emperor, or retreat by carving out a corner of Hebei and quietly observing how things unfold."

"This strategy, which allows for both advance and retreat—would it not be splendid for Your Highness to pursue?"

"An Lushan, the Pinglu Military Governor?"

The Prince of Yong, Li Lin, murmured to himself. He had to admit, Gao Shang had indeed swayed him.

The current Military Governor of Youzhou, Huangfu Weiming, was clearly not someone Li Lin could win over.

Huangfu Weiming had an elder cousin in the family who was Brother Ji's imperial consort, and he had risen to high office as a result. But precisely because of this, this man's movements were closely tied to how his family chose sides.

Once Li Lin tried to win over Huangfu Weiming, Brother Ji would surely detect his movements. In the end, he would certainly fail to steal the chicken and instead lose the rice.

"An Lushan is of low birth, and as a Hu man he cannot be appointed chancellor. There are many things the Son of Heaven cannot give him, but the Prince of Yong can."

Gao Shang whispered enticingly.

Li Lin nodded. Though he still felt there were quite a few variables in the plan Gao Shang had laid out, he seemed unable to think of a better approach either.

Having an answer—even an imperfect one, even a wrong one—was still better than doing nothing and turning in a blank page. At least he would have struggled and fought.

"Good, then... report to the Son of Heaven as quickly as possible. Tell him that I have completely trusted you and have been following your advice to the letter."

Li Lin said, trying his best to suppress the excitement in his heart.

"That is only natural. In addition, I must also request some official post for Your Highness. Without an official title, nothing can be accomplished."

Gao Shang clasped his hands in a bow to the Prince of Yong, Li Lin, and spoke, his expression most respectful.

"Good, good, good! You are truly this prince's right-hand man. Write the letter—write it quickly, write it right now."

Li Lin said with an excited expression, having already forgotten the distinction between superior and subordinate.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. This slave will write it first, and after it is finished, present it to Your Highness for review. If Your Highness deems it acceptable, then we shall dispatch someone to deliver it to Chang'an."

Gao Shang said with a smile on his face.

……

"Judge Cen, did Fang Guozhong say anything else?"

In the great hall on the first floor of the Qinzhengwubenlou, Gao Lishi held a thick letter in his hand, reading it while asking without lifting his head.

"In reply to Eunuch Gao, Jiedushi Fang had no other instructions. He only said that this letter must be delivered to Eunuch Gao."

Cen Shen bowed respectfully and said.

"Understood. Then I shall go speak with the Sage."

Finishing the letter at a glance, Gao Lishi nodded slightly and said, noncommittal.

"This humble official takes his leave."

Cen Shen bowed in thanks and departed, crisply and neatly.

After he left, Gao Lishi hurried to a certain room in the Hua'e Xianghui Tower, where the Tang Emperor, Li Longji, was playing the qin. Several musicians from the Pear Garden were accompanying him, the sounds of "High Mountains and Flowing Water" seeming to wash over one, lifting the spirit and delighting the heart.

Fairly speaking, the profession of emperor did not suit Brother Ji. His talents were misplaced in the wrong field; in truth, he would have been more suited to being a musician.

Seeing the letter in Gao Lishi's hand, Brother Ji gently waved his hand. The Pear Garden musicians nearby quietly withdrew from the room, leaving the space to Gao Lishi.

"What is that in Lishi's hand?"

Brother Ji leisurely tied back up his already loosened hair and asked in an unhurried manner.

"In reply to the Sage, a letter delivered by someone sent by Fang Guozhong. He recommends that the common soldiers at the border garrisons begin rotating their stations in succession starting this year, to prevent border army commanders from using their troops to entrench their own power.

He proposes starting with the Hexi army first. The letter is here."

Gao Lishi handed the thick stack of letter pages to Brother Ji, then stepped to one side.

For ordinary minor matters, Gao Lishi made the decisions himself and would not trouble Brother Ji at all. But when it came to matters like the deployment of border garrison troops and horses, Gao Lishi did not dare make the decision on his own.

"The father and son of the Fang family are both loyal subjects. What does Lishi think?"

Brother Ji casually glanced through the letter, then set it aside and asked.

"In reply to the Sage, Fang Guozhong's words are a strategy for long-term stability. This slave believes it can be implemented."

Gao Lishi bowed and said, stepping forward at the same time to help massage Brother Ji's slightly stiff shoulders.

"For trivial matters, you may decide on your own from now on."

Brother Ji waved his hand gently and said.

In fact, Fang Chongyong's suggestion was neither baseless nor unprecedented. Many years ago, the Tang had already implemented such a practice. It was only that over the past dozen years or so, Brother Ji had grown lazy in governance and no longer wished to stir things up.

For example, Li Guangbi, who was like an adopted son to Wang Zhongsi, originally had his core personal troops come from the Liu clan of Liucheng, people of Khitan origin who had submitted in Youzhou. Then the Li clan's troops did not serve under the Youzhou Jiedushi, but were transferred en masse to the Hedong region, becoming part of the Hedong Border Army.

And now, it was even more so a case of personal troops separated from their commander—Li Guangbi's core troops were in Hedong, while he himself had gone to Longyou!

Similarly, there was the Lun clan of Liangzhou.

It was just that at the time, such matters had not yet been institutionalized, and were more aimed at the Hu tribes that had submitted to the empire.

What Fang Chongyong now proposed—"mutual rotation of border army rank-and-file garrison stations"—was in fact institutionalizing this situation. It was not some "whimsical" reckless upheaval, but rather a consideration of the Tang border army's longstanding conventions, with slight modifications built upon that foundation.

Border troops and horses swapping stations, and being separated from the commanders they were familiar with. One had to admit, this was a clever move to prevent border army commanders from growing too powerful. Doing so was certainly better than not doing it!

Of course, a military deployment of such magnitude would inevitably require additional expenses. It all came down to whether the court was willing to spend the money.

On the one hand, it was spending money to buy peace of mind; on the other, it was draining the people and wasting wealth. In short, no matter how Brother Ji chose, there were advantages and disadvantages for him. There was no perfect policy—it all came down to Brother Ji's own choice.

"If money is gone, I can have Ge'nu figure something out. If the borders fall into chaos, we would still have to spend wealth to pacify them, far exceeding this modest resettlement cost.

Fang Guozhong's words are prudent and steady. Let it be done as he says."

After thinking it over again and again, Brother Ji sighed softly and said.

It was true that he loved hoarding wealth, but he feared border army commanders entrenching themselves with their own troops even more! As for having to spend more money—well, couldn't he just collect a bit more in taxes to make it back?

Oh right, making money!

Brother Ji suddenly recalled that matter, and his expression darkened sharply.

"Go, fetch Zheng Shuqing for Us, and fetch Liu Yan as well. Have them present themselves before Us at once!"

The moment he thought of how many treasures had failed to sell at the last "charity auction," a wave of vexation rose in Brother Ji's heart.

Indeed, those so-called "treasures"—apart from the pair that Zheng Shuqing bought for ten thousand strings of cash—were genuinely quite poor. It was perfectly normal that the Chang'an aristocrats, who were accustomed to fine things, looked down on them.

But could those bastards truly not understand what the Tang Emperor meant by putting on such a show?

Not giving a single shred of face to an old man of over sixty!

So many noble families and powerful clans in Chang'an actually had no desire whatsoever to let him, the Sage of the Tang, keep his dignity!

Since these people did not want to give him face, then We shall deliver them a round of "face"!

Brother Ji thought bitterly in his heart.

For people who were given face yet refused to take it, Brother Ji never minded using the cruelest heart and the most ruthless hand.

Sensing Brother Ji's anger, Gao Lishi hurriedly clasped his hands in a bow and urged, "Sage, do not be anxious. This slave will go summon them at once."

Gao Lishi hurried out of the Hua'e Xianghui Tower and instructed the palace eunuchs to quickly go to the offices of the Department of State Affairs in the Imperial City to summon the men. The offices where Zheng Shuqing and Liu Yan worked were both not far from this place.

Before long, Zheng Shuqing and Liu Yan, who had rushed over by carriage, were brought by Gao Lishi to the study in the Qinzhengwubenlou. At this time, Brother Ji's mood was still overcast with dark clouds—even a blind man could see the displeasure in his heart.

After bowing in thanks, Zheng Shuqing asked softly, "May I ask for what reason the Sage has summoned this humble official, and what commands you have?"

"Can We not call you here to chat if there is nothing the matter?"

Brother Ji scolded with a displeased expression.

"We beg the Sage's forgiveness."

Zheng Shuqing hurriedly knelt and performed the salute, having no integrity.

"Enough, enough, I'm not here to watch you kowtow and kneel! Get up!"

Ji Ge impatiently waved his hand.

"Liu Yan, the prices at the last auction were set by you. Many items went unsold—what punishment do you deserve?"

Ji Ge glared, his face grim, staring at Liu Yan as he asked; this is purely finding fault.

"Your Majesty, the treasures went unsold; I am willing to accept blame. However, in pricing the items, I have made no mistake."

Liu Yan clasped his hands in salute and said.

"What you say is correct, but the matter ahead will not be easy."

Ji Ge let out a long sigh, turned his head to Zheng Shuqing and said:

"My original intention was to have Liu Yan raise funds by auctioning treasures for the northwestern military expenses. Yet the proceeds from selling the treasures fall far short of what is needed."

"Now I wish to issue bonds, to be repaid interest-free by the treasury in ten years, raising funds for the border troops' needs. What do you two think?"

"Not good—it's practically extortion!"

Liu Yan muttered a complaint inwardly, yet still clasped his hands and said: "Your words are not empty, Your Majesty; we have no objections."

"Hmm, the bond issuance will be handled by you. When the time comes, there will be a fundraising minimum; if you cannot raise that much wealth, you need not remain in office—return home to farm."

"In short, the more money raised from the bonds, the better—no upper limit. You may return to the office to attend to matters; I will send someone to assign you a post as bond issuer. Go."

Ji Ge waved his hand; Liu Yan wanted to say something, but seeing the solemn expression of the Tang Emperor, he swallowed his words and promptly departed after receiving the order.

After he left, Ji Ge then said to Zheng Shuqing: "Beloved minister, did you record the list I asked you to keep last time? Especially those who didn't spend a penny at the auction."

"Your Majesty, I have recorded it."

Zheng Shuqing said cautiously.

"Hmm, do it this way..."

Ji Ge beckoned to Zheng Shuqing; after the latter approached, he muttered for a while, then emphasized: "In short, if the bonds don't sell, I will hold you responsible."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty; I will certainly have a way."

Zheng Shuqing, frightened, hastily confessed his guilt and performed the salute; only then did Ji Ge nod in satisfaction and let him leave the Qinzhengwubenlou.

My cold is much better; I'll save the monthly tickets for now and support the end-of-month event.

(End of chapter)