Chapter 396: The Refined Egoist

Boom—!

Spring thunder rolled as lightning tore across the sky. A bolt struck a large tree on Mount Li, where Huaqing Palace stood, instantly igniting a wildfire! In an instant the blaze became a textbook "wildfire sweeping across the plains," unstoppable.

The eunuchs, palace maids, and Divine Strategy Army soldiers inside Huaqing Palace were all mobilized to fight the fire. The great blaze burned for three days and three nights before it stopped. Nearly half of Huaqing Palace was burned to bare ground, and a vast hillside was charred to black cinders.

Quite a few people were burned or smoked to death while fighting the fire—truly a tragedy of the utmost degree.

A "heavenly punishment" this severe looked nothing like a good omen no matter how one viewed it, and people could not help but let their imaginations run wild. As the master of Huaqing Palace, Brother Ji of course felt that irresistible fear.

Back at Cuimei Palace, Brother Ji had not been worried at all, because the point of origin had been quite far from the palace halls. But this time was different—the wildfire's starting point was just a little north of Brother Ji's bedchamber, separated by no more than a dozen zhang or so!

If his reaction had been any slower, if Brother Ji had been in the bedchamber at the time, he might well have been killed by the wildfire in an instant.

What was more, when Cuimei Palace had been in danger back then, Brother Ji had known the arson was man-made. He believed he was "shepherding the world on heaven's behalf," and with heaven backing him up, Brother Ji feared nothing.

But this time was clearly different.

This wildfire was not only very close, it was a "heavenly punishment," which made Brother Ji feel guilty and uneasy.

He thought that perhaps this was some kind of warning from heaven, though for the moment he did not yet know exactly what it was.

In any case, no matter what, Huaqing Palace was no longer habitable; he had to move somewhere else.

Left with no choice, Brother Ji had no option but to order Cui Qianyou to lead a contingent of the Divine Strategy Army to escort him back to Xingqing Palace in Chang'an. He also withdrew all eunuchs and palace maids, citing the need for Huaqing Palace to be repaired.

However, Brother Ji had barely returned to Chang'an and had not even warmed his seat in Xingqing Palace when Zhang Jun, the Minister of Justice, came weeping and pleading, asking Brother Ji to uphold justice for him—to have Fang Chongyong, the Grand Envoy for Western Regions Affairs, along with several of his trusted subordinates such as He Changqi, Che Guangqian, Wang Nande, and Feng Changqing, arrested and brought to Chang'an, then handed over to the Court of Judicature for trial.

Brother Ji, who handled no government affairs at Xingqing Palace, had no idea what had happened. Seeing Zhang Jun kneeling before him and weeping as he pleaded, he thought he was hallucinating!

"Lishi, what is it that Minister Zhang is talking about?"

Brother Ji asked Gao Lishi beside him in a low voice. He had tossed all government affairs to Gao Lishi and was himself completely in the dark.

"To reply to the Sage: Zhang Jun's younger brother, the imperial son-in-law Zhang Ji, had gone to the Western Regions to replace Fang Chongyong as the Grand Envoy for Western Regions Affairs. As a result, at the post station in the Stone Kingdom, the entire mission was attacked by bandits. Only Guerrilla General Liu Xixian, thanks to his formidable martial skills, narrowly escaped with his life. He then wrote a memorial reporting the matter, and is currently still in Zhezhi City."

Gao Lishi recounted the matter concisely.

"With so many of my troops in the Stone Kingdom, there are actually still bandits?"

Brother Ji looked utterly baffled, because no matter how he looked at it, this seemed like something Fang Chongyong had done. Only someone of his stature would dare to do such a thing!

Otherwise, the other forces west of the Pamirs—not even the Arabs—would dare get so brazenly in the Great Tang's face like this!

Yet the problem was that while Fang Chongyong indeed had the guts and the ability to kill Zhang Ji and the others, he did not have the guts to defy an imperial edict, much less rebel—and no one would follow him in rebellion!

What benefit would killing Zhang Ji bring Fang Chongyong himself?

Kill Zhang Ji, and the court would simply replace him with someone else as the new Grand Envoy for Western Regions Affairs.

Or they might just remove the post altogether; after all, the Grand Envoy for Western Regions Affairs was not a permanent position anyway.

Fang Chongyong doing this was purely to sicken the Zhang clan, purely to embarrass the court—it did him no good at all.

Brother Ji could not figure out the motive.

Since there was no motive for murder, then at most it could only be called "dereliction of duty"—a token punishment, nothing more.

For Brother Ji, the truth of the matter was not important. What mattered was the intentions of the parties involved, and the intentions of himself, the Son of Heaven.

"Sage, Liu Xixian complained in his memorial that the Anxi Expeditionary Army was currently campaigning against Merv—the very lair of the Arabs.

Their defenses within the Stone Kingdom were far too lax. This clearly shows that Fang Chongyong was not in the Stone Kingdom at the time, and neither was the main force of the Tang army.

Besides, even if he truly had killed them, why leave a single survivor behind? Would it not be perfect to have no witnesses?"

Hearing Gao Lishi's explanation, Brother Ji nodded slightly—it was indeed a fair point.

The Protectorate General of Beiting had once had a Protector General (equivalent to a Military Commissioner) rebel, and the commotion was far greater than this one—all of them had simply and crudely risen in arms. He had truly never seen anyone pull the kind of elaborate stunt Fang Chongyong did; rough soldiers all preferred to just hack someone down and be done with it.

"Minister Zhang, could there be some misunderstanding here? Fang Guozhong doing this brings him no benefit either!

I intend to replace him as Grand Envoy for Western Regions Affairs, and killing one minister will not change that. I will say it right here: if he should be replaced, he will still be replaced."

Brother Ji put on a pained expression as he asked, but in truth felt nothing at all for this son-in-law of his! In fact, he had even forgotten what Zhang Ji looked like.

He was merely an imperial son-in-law. The princes and princesses of the Great Tang were only so-so, let alone a son-in-law!

So what if a son-in-law dies!

After weighing things in his heart, Brother Ji still felt that the tens of thousands of the Anxi Expeditionary Army, along with the several thousand elite soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, were more important. A son-in-law did not even have a single division. If he could not fight, he should go stand aside and cool off!

With his shrewd mind for power and intrigue, Brother Ji instantly assessed the current situation:

The dead cannot return to life, and dead people bring no benefit. All the theatrics are performed for the living.

Therefore, Zhang Ji's death was just a death in vain. Afterward, he could give Fang Chongyong a warning—and that was all he could do.

"Sage, our Great Tang is like a god among the nations of the Western Regions, and the envoys we send are like heavenly emissaries. Who would have the audacity to burn down a post station and murder an envoy?

Only Fang Chongyong would dare to do this, and only he is capable of it! Sage, if this goes on, he will surely rebel!"

Zhang Jun knelt on the ground and pleaded, his words accompanied by tears. Even a wild beast, upon seeing him, could not help but soften its heart.

Had it been a different emperor, he might have been swayed and found himself a way out—sending an imperial edict to smooth things over and have Fang Chongyong return to face questioning.

But Brother Ji was no ordinary man; he was an aging, top-tier refined egoist.

The angle from which Brother Ji considered problems was solely whether the matter benefited him personally—not whether it benefited the nation, the court, or anyone else.

Considering that the three thousand soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army under Fang Chongyong's command had already proven their peerless valor in the Western Regions and were extremely formidable in battle, Brother Ji instantly dismissed Zhang Jun's proposal.

Arrest him and bring him back to Chang'an for trial—you arrogant fool, aren't you afraid the wind will sprain your tongue! Are you truly not afraid that those rough soldiers might raise their arms and rebel!

Brother Ji understood conspiracy and power plays. Though his face remained impassive, in his heart he scoffed at Zhang Jun's proposal.

Whether this matter was true or false, it was not something Fang Chongyong alone could have accomplished. At the very least, a broad consensus had already formed within the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army. Otherwise, who would risk the extermination of three generations of their family to do such a thing?

The mission had its own guards; it was not entirely without defensive capability. To pull this off without a hundred or more elite soldiers was simply unimaginable.

Or, viewed from another angle, this was no longer just the will of Fang Chongyong alone, but the will of a group of men under his command. This group had even extended down to the rank-and-file soldiers.

To punish Fang Chongyong over this "minor matter" would be to humiliate the three thousand officers and men of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army. This army was about to be transferred back to Chang'an, to serve as the core backbone guarding Xingqing Palace.

If it provoked a military mutiny and endangered the life of the Son of Heaven himself, then even if he exterminated the entire Zhang Jun clan, how much of the situation could be salvaged?

Could severed heads grow back?

When it came to gains and losses, Brother Ji knew exactly where he stood.

"Absurd! You are the Minister of Justice — do you not know that false accusations incur reciprocal punishment? How dare you utter such irresponsible words? Do you truly think the court is your own household?"

Ji Ge slapped the desk in anger and cursed Zhang Jun, pointing at him: "Lord Zhang, if you have witnesses and evidence, then produce them at once! If you have nothing, Fang Guozhong still holds the title of Censor-in-Chief — is he someone you can slander at will!"

"Sage, as long as he returns to Chang'an, I am willing to confront him face to face! I will certainly catch him out! I beg the Sage to investigate clearly!"

Zhang Jun knelt on the ground and said, unwilling to give up, nearly gnashing his teeth!

"Enough! I do not wish to hear your clamor any longer! The court will give the Zhang clan an accounting of this matter — the court's official documents shall prevail. You may withdraw!"

Ji Ge waved his hand impatiently, signaling Gao Lishi to see the guest out.

"Minister Zhang, please."

Gao Lishi stepped forward and helped Zhang Jun, who was prostrate on the ground, to his feet.

"Your humble servant takes his leave…"

Zhang Jun did not dare look at the already furious Ji Ge, and had no choice but to follow behind Gao Lishi, being "politely escorted" out of Xingqing Palace.

After Gao Lishi returned, he found Ji Ge sitting at the desk in the imperial study, looking perplexed.

"Lishi, who do you think did this?"

Ji Ge could not help asking, his gaze fixed on Gao Lishi. The latter was startled in his heart, then bowed and said: "The Sage already has the answer in his heart — why should this slave show his incompetence?"

"Indeed, other than Fang Guozhong, it could not be anyone else."

Ji Ge sighed, but did not say there was anything wrong with this matter.

Seeing that the Son of Heaven seemed to have no intention of punishing Fang Chongyong, Gao Lishi offered a suggestion:

"Sage, Zhang Ji's succession as Grand Envoy for Western Regions Affairs was never your intention to begin with. It was forced upon you by the various chancellors and ministers of the court, and he only reluctantly went to take up the post.

The Sage need only issue another edict to the Hedong Protectorate, sending someone reliable who has no entanglements with Zhang Jun and his lot to take up the post.

If Fang Chongyong brings the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army back to Chang'an, then it shows he has no intention of defying the Sage. Zhang Ji handled matters improperly and offended those soldiers — he brought it upon himself.

If Fang Chongyong makes excuses and refuses to return, then… even if he is the son of Fang Quanzhong, he cannot be kept."

Gao Lishi suggested cautiously.

His meaning was very clear: what Zhang Jun thought did not matter; what mattered was what Fang Chongyong would do in the future. If Fang Chongyong brought his troops back to Chang'an, accepted the contents of the edict, handed over his duties, and followed Ji Ge's arrangements, then Zhang Ji's death would have been in vain anyway.

What was past had not caused any substantial loss — let it pass.

Because Ji Ge's strategic objective of personnel adjustment had already been essentially achieved.

But if Fang Chongyong was unwilling to return and refused to accept the edict, then he certainly had treacherous intentions — at that point the court would be in serious trouble!

Without dispatching troops to suppress the rebellion, it would not be enough to settle the situation. At that point, Zhang Jun could say whatever he pleased and simply sling mud at Fang Chongyong.

How could Ji Ge force Fang Chongyong to rebel before there was any proof that he had rebellious intentions?

And dragging the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army into rebellion along with him!

Gao Lishi cursed inwardly that Zhang Jun had read himself into stupidity! He was entirely thinking from his own perspective and utterly refused to think from the Son of Heaven's perspective.

Being chased out of Xingqing Palace and getting a bloody nose — he brought that upon himself too.

"A grand Minister of Justice whose judgment is inferior to General Gao's — what kind of useless lot fills the court these days!

Not a patch on Ge Nu!"

Ji Ge could not help sighing with emotion — he had to admit, Gao Lishi had hit upon what was in his heart.

Transferring Fang Chongyong away was simply because this man's abilities were too great, his drive too fierce — he already had the power to raise his arm and rally followers, capable of making a great upheaval.

This had already deviated from Ji Ge's original intention in sending him to the Western Regions.

Performing too well could also disrupt Ji Ge's arrangements.

As for who would succeed him, the key was to have Wang Zhongsi — Fang Chongyong's father-in-law — shoulder the burden.

And to send out a perceptive eunuch and a conflict-averse central minister as local officials to keep watch, so there would be no infighting. As for who exactly this eunuch and this literatus would be, Ji Ge did not care.

He knew the petty calculations of Zhang Jun's crowd, but could not be bothered to expose them.

Zhang Ji was already a high-ranking official in the central government, and also an imperial son-in-law, yet he fell one step short of chancellor.

This time he was sent out to the provinces precisely to accrue the credentials of a "frontier grandee." With those credentials, upon returning to Chang'an, Zhang Ji would be virtually certain to become chancellor — this was the standard way to play the Great Tang's famous rule of "going out as a general, coming back as a chancellor."

And Zhang Ji's accidental death, on the surface seemed like a small matter, but in reality it directly cut short the momentum of Zhang Jun's whole faction, directly eliminating a heavyweight central minister who was virtually certain to become chancellor!

Zhang Jun's visit to Xingqing Palace just now was not merely to seek justice for his brother — there was a deeper political aim: to recommend his own preferred candidate to fill the vacancy left by Zhang Ji!

As a result, he could not even finish the first step of "winning sympathy" before Ji Ge sent him packing. The subsequent maneuvers could not be raised at all! He had swallowed a silent loss!

In Ji Ge's view, these central court officials were not fit to even hold Li Linfu's shoes. The moment they opened their mouths, he could see right through their hearts and livers and lungs and kidneys!

"Is there anything else of late?"

Ji Ge asked with a face full of weariness — for a subject like Zhang Jun, he truly felt sick and tired.

"To reply to the Sage, there is indeed one more matter: the Military Commissioner of Youzhou, Huangfu Weiming, has submitted a memorial requesting to return to Chang'an and enter the chancellorship.

This slave thought it improper and did not intend to respond to this memorial, so he did not bring it up to spoil the Sage's mood."

Gao Lishi handed a memorial to Ji Ge and said.

"Let him stay in Youzhou.

Wang Zhongsi is Fang Guozhong's father-in-law, Fang Quanzhong is his father — Hexi and Longyou are covered with the old subordinates of these men.

Without a counterbalance, even if the father and son of the Fang family have no rebellious intentions, and Wang Zhongsi is utterly loyal to me, what of their successors? What of the local frontier generals?

Who can guarantee they will not cause problems?

I need a stone pressing down on the west."

Ji Ge sighed and said.

The Huangfu family had deep roots — before Ji Ge himself became emperor, one of his princess consorts was Huangfu Weiming's elder sister, though she had passed away long ago.

The current layout of the Great Tang was thus: the southeast was negligible, and the north was like a single carrying pole lifting two loads on either end.

In the south, Jiannan and Lingnan had few garrison troops covering large areas, and their influence was far inferior to the northern frontier commands.

The carrying pole was the two commands of Hedong and Shuofang; the two loads on either end were self-evident — on one side, the two commands of Hexi and Longyou plus the entirety of the Western Regions, and on the other, the two commands of Youzhou and Pinglu.

It's obvious that the power in the northwest is greater than that in the northeast; Ji Ge needs Huangfu Weiming to be able to stabilize the overall situation.

If he returns to Chang'an to become prime minister, then who will control the frontier garrisons?

Ji Ge couldn't find anyone for a while who was close to him and also at odds with the Hexi and Longyou faction.

The border troops aren't just the military governor! Locally there will be many entrenched local military families, as well as tribes attached to the Tang living near the cities. They all have their own interests, and sometimes they will kidnap and coerce the military governor.

Ji Ge isn't pinning his hopes on any one person, of course, and he also doesn't believe that any single person could incite the border troops to rebel.

This balance is extremely delicate; it cannot be easily disturbed.

Transferring Fang Chongyong back to Chang'an to entrust him with important duties, quickly promoting Wang Zhongsi's close aides but not promoting him himself, thereby diluting his power, as well as rejecting Huangfu Weiming's memorial requesting to become prime minister, all follow this line of thought.

The game of power politics—balance must not be disrupted!

"Sage, since that's the case, what should be done about Zhang Ji's matter? Sage, you give me a plan, and I will arrange it."

Gao Lishi asked in a low voice.

Wait until Fang Guozhong returns, then we'll talk.

Right, not rewarding great merit will surely cause many people to harbor complaints against me.

This time, after Fang Guozhong returns to Chang'an, I will grant him a princely title to show favor, just like the princely titles granted to Zhang Jianzhi and others during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong.

"What do you think would be a good title to grant him?"

Ji Ge stroked his long beard and asked with a smile.

For this strategy of bestowing a title without spending money to win people's hearts, he has always been very attentive!

"Sage, Fang Guozhong pacified the Western Regions and raised the prestige of our Tang; why not grant him the title of Prince of Pacifying the West?"

"If such a title doesn't exist, we'll just create one."

Gao Lishi had a flash of inspiration and almost blurted it out.

"Prince of Pacifying the West…… not bad!"

Ji Ge nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

(End of chapter)