Chapter 526: Fated Cycle

Clang!

The door of the Imperial Study in Qinzhengwubenlou of Xingqing Palace was kicked open by some Qiu Bāyī.

The room inside was empty; the people had long since left.

Standing outside the door, Tang Emperor Li Chang's face turned ashen, his whole body trembling with anger.

That undying old fool ran so fast that even sealing off all of Chang'an didn't catch him!

At this moment Li Chang was not only extremely angry but also deeply worried.

That's Li Longji, the old emperor who reigned for decades and ushered in the Kaiyuan golden age!

Ji Ge's power can never be underestimated at any time.

As long as he doesn't die a natural death, he may continue to stir up trouble.

It's not just Li Chang; Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi, Gao Xianzhi and the others present all wore stone‑cold expressions. They all knew clearly that if Ji Ge rose to power again, people like themselves would most likely die.

Now it's no longer a question of which side to choose, but of snuffing out every threat in the cradle.

"Where is the retired emperor? Why isn't he here?"

Li Chang looked at the trembling eunuch kneeling on the ground, who was in charge of Xingqing Palace, and asked.

The unlucky temporary worker, who had only been appointed a few days ago, now faced a disaster.

"I don't know, death penalty, death penalty, please Your Majesty show mercy!"

The eunuch knelt on the ground, kowtowing like crushing garlic, already scared enough to wet his pants.

Li Chang shook his head in disappointment, waved his hand lightly, signaling the man to stay out of sight and get as far away as possible.

It's not that he's lenient; even if he were to tear this 'negligent' eunuch to shreds, he still couldn't retrieve Ji Ge.

Such impotent fury only redirects ugliness onto others, causing onlookers to despise him.

"General Fang, what should we do now?"

Li Chang turned his head and looked at Fang Youde, who was completely at a loss.

All the Central Administration Office that manages carriages, as well as the Imperial Stable Bureau that oversees palace horses and carriages, have been asked; the answer is that Ji Ge hasn't used a carriage.

So where has this dog emperor Ji Ge run off to now?

At this moment, the comeback Fang Youde became everyone's backbone.

If it weren't for his turning the tide, Ji Ge would still be issuing orders in Xingqing Palace, and Li Chang would likely already be a prisoner.

"No problem, I'll lead a hundred riders to chase him. Your Majesty still has many matters to attend to; first secure the overall situation in Chang'an."

Fang Youde gave a slight nod, looking confident.

His confidence was oddly inexplicable, baffling outsiders.

Sending a hundred men to pursue, not to mention whether they'd catch up. Even if they tracked his movements, splitting forces would make coordination difficult.

It was simply too much to entrust.

Li Chang hurriedly asked with concern, "General Fang, should we bring more men? A hundred is too few."

Everyone present thought the same, but out of respect for Fang Youde's face, they said nothing.

"No problem; I have it under control."

Fang Youde waved his hand lightly, indicating he could handle it without extra complications.

Raising an army to bring the retired emperor back to Chang'an would have undesirable repercussions; the fewer participants, the better.

Fang Youde took his leave from Li Chang, exiting through the Golden Light Gate on Chang'an's western side. At that moment, Li Huaiguang had already been waiting there with a hundred riders for some time.

Obviously, Fang Youde knew Ji Ge might flee early and had already prepared.

His earlier explanations to Li Chang were merely procedural, not pretentious.

"Father figure, shall we set out now?"

Li Huaiguang came over, clasped his fists in salute, and asked.

Fang Youde, with a calm expression, nodded and said, "Head west."

"West? Why?"

Li Huaiguang looked bewildered, not understanding why Fang Youde was so certain.

He knew this pursuit was to capture the retired emperor Li Longji.

But how could Fang Youde know Li Longji was heading west?

In fact, if Ji Ge wanted to flee, there were many theoretical options.

He could go east to Huazhou, then north to Hedong, or south to Tongguan and on to Luoyang.

He could head north to Yan Zhou (Yan'an), then further north to the steppe.

He could go south through Wu Guan to the Nanyang Basin; all these are possible routes.

Why must Ji Ge go west?

Li Huaiguang couldn't figure it out.

"Just follow the commander; enough with the nonsense!"

Fang Youde barked coldly, flipped onto his horse, and rode off.

Li Huaiguang had no choice but to ride after them; the hundred‑strong cavalry moved lightly, bearing no armor or long weapons.

After crossing West Wei Bridge and arriving at Jincheng (Xingping City, Shaanxi), Fang Youde ordered everyone to dismount and search for any trace.

Fang Youde seemed confident, already concluding that Ji Ge was somewhere nearby.

At that moment, a torrential downpour drenched everyone like a drowned chicken. It seemed even Heaven was protecting Ji Ge, preventing anyone from tracking his footprints.

The abandoned relay station, the desolate mountains, the barren fields—all were utterly lifeless.

The empty station's gate was tightly locked; on the post before it, a flag that once bore the three characters "Mawei Station" now lay broken on the ground, hard to read.

Even the plaque above the door had been taken down for some unknown reason. From a distance, it looked little different from the grand residence of a wealthy family.

At this moment, inside the station hall, Brother Ji—dressed in rough cloth clothes and covered in mud—was staring lifelessly at the wooden boards on the wall.

Many men of letters had left their fine compositions here.

However, ever since Huangfu Weiming raised an army and Li Chang declared himself emperor, the Tang dynasty's relay station system had suffered devastating destruction. Stripped of its fiscal appropriations, it was essentially in a state of abandonment.

Take Mawei Station, for instance—anything of even slight value here had long since been picked clean by all manner of bandits. Now not even a hair was left.

The wooden boards on the wall bearing inscribed poems had also mostly been taken down and chopped into firewood. Only a very few "survived the disaster."

"An eyesore."

After reading a few of the poems on the wall's wooden boards, Brother Ji could not help but offer a four-character appraisal.

Just then, someone came walking from the direction of the rear courtyard. Brother Ji turned around warily, and only relaxed when he saw it was Gao Lishi.

"Sire, the carriage has been dealt with and the horses fed. The previous occupant of this courtyard—no idea who—left behind a jar of stone-griddle cakes.

This slave thinks they are still edible. If it does not displease you, Sire, have a little."

Gao Lishi handed Brother Ji two cakes, looking at him with a pleading expression.

Brother Ji gave a slight nod, took the stone-griddle cakes, and bit into one. He found it dry and astringent, hard to swallow.

Stone-griddle cakes were popular in both the Guanzhong and Hedong regions. The taste of this kind of cake was only mediocre—nothing but salt had been added inside.

But it kept exceptionally well. As long as it was stored away from direct sunlight and damp conditions, it could easily last over half a year.

In ancient times, stone-griddle cakes were often used as military rations. Many people also made them after the autumn harvest when grain was plentiful, saving them to eat during the lean season before the next crop.

For this reason, the stuff was extremely common among the common folk—a dime-a-dozen existence. Those who knew how to make this kind of cake were also as numerous as cartloads.

If it were the past, Brother Ji would not have given this kind of food a single glance.

Yet now, fallen to such straits, he could not afford to be picky.

They had set out from Chang'an, and because secrecy was essential and their departure had been very hasty, they had not carried many belongings.

Brother Ji's original plan was to first find a government office, seize control of the officials there, and then make a grand procession to Shu. Of course, they had to run far—at the very least beyond the bounds of Guanzhong—before attempting this.

What Brother Ji had not anticipated was that he could still run, but on the road the horse dragging the carriage fell into a mud pit, and after that, running was no longer an option.

The carriage had fallen apart too.

Left with no choice, Gao Lishi led Brother Ji to the Mawei Station nearest to where the incident occurred, climbed over the wall to get in (the gate was already locked), and went into hiding there.

Mawei Station's plaque and other markers had all been taken by Gao Lishi and burned as firewood, to avoid drawing the attention of pursuers.

Brother Ji took two bites of the stone-griddle cake and choked. Gao Lishi hastily handed him a deerskin waterskin filled with well water.

After a bout of difficult swallowing, Brother Ji finally recovered.

"The common folk suffer in hardship, their daily sustenance being stone-griddle cakes like these. Alas!"

Brother Ji could not help but sigh with emotion.

Gao Lishi did not know what to say, because many of the poor had to sell their sons and daughters—how could they possibly afford stone-griddle cakes?

Though stone-griddle cakes did not taste good, in the Great Tang not everyone could afford them either.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, Brother Ji suddenly caught sight of a poem, and his brow immediately furrowed.

"Though jade beauty is buried beneath Mawei's dust, grievous spirit and smoke lock the Wei ford. Cicada-wing temples did not follow the imperial carriage away, to this day vainly stirring those who pass by."

Brother Ji read aloud softly.

For some reason, he felt that this poem seemed to be mocking him.

Brother Ji stepped forward, took the wooden board down, and handed it to Gao Lishi, saying, "Burn it. It's an ill omen to look at."

Gao Lishi did not understand where this sudden emotional shift in Brother Ji came from. He too looked at the poem.

How to put it—there was an indescribable awkwardness and eeriness to it.

"Understood. This slave will go dispose of it at once."

Gao Lishi walked out of the station hall and came to the rear courtyard. The station's grounds were still quite large, but at this point they were completely abandoned and looked especially dilapidated. When walking, the wooden floorboards creaked and groaned, making one's hair stand on end.

However, just as Gao Lishi casually tossed this wooden board into a storage room—

He suddenly heard, from the direction of the front gate, the sound of metal striking metal!

Clang!

It seemed the rust-covered lock on the gate had been severed by someone with a steel blade!

Immediately after, the gate was pushed open, and the rusted door hinges let out a grating, teeth-on-edge screech.

Rapid footsteps approached, with no attempt made to keep quiet—one could tell at a glance that the newcomers were not few.

Gao Lishi's heart had leapt into his throat. He rushed frantically toward the station hall, only to witness a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Fang Youde, leading several soldiers wearing Tang army uniforms but without armor, entered to the doorway of the station hall.

All of them looked at Brother Ji, who was caught in panic, yet not a single person spoke.

Time seemed to freeze.

"Retired Emperor, this subordinate has come to escort you back to the palace."

Fang Youde's expression was calm. Looking straight at Brother Ji, he spoke in an icy tone.

He raised his hand and waved it gently twice. Li Huaiguang beside him immediately led several personal guards and retreated ten paces.

"Quanzhong! Quanzhong, you cannot bring the Sire back to Chang'an!"

Gao Lishi rushed forward and dropped to his knees directly in front of Fang Youde, refusing to get up at all.

He kowtowed frantically to Fang Youde, as though the more he kowtowed, the greater the chance the other party would spare Brother Ji.

"Lishi, get up. Do not lose face for Us."

Brother Ji scolded Gao Lishi in a low voice.

Only then did the latter rise to his feet and return to Brother Ji's side. He drew his Tang saber and stood in front of Brother Ji like a clown, as if this small Tang saber could protect Brother Ji and help him escape to safety.

Brother Ji pushed Gao Lishi a step to the side, stepped forward, and stood face to face with Fang Youde, the two separated by the width of a table.

"Quan Zhong, I remember those events. Without you, I would have long ago died at my aunt's hands."

"The Divine Dragon incident, you also backed it with all your strength."

Ji Ge seemed to be recalling the past, and seeing Fang Youde unchanged in expression, as if unmoved. So he continued: "You have done many things for me, and I have given you high office and generous salary, given you power and trust. In the prosperous Kaiyuan era, you contributed greatly; I remember, and I even gave you the position at the Lingyan Pavilion!"

"But why did you betray me?"

Ji Ge's face twisted into a snarling grimace, his eyes stabbing straight at Fang Youde's.

He seemed to try to read some clue from that unruffled gaze.

Ji Ge's hatred toward Fang Youde almost overflowed from his eyes.

Without Fang Youde, there could be no Li Chang affair.

Even without Fang Youde, Li Chang would already have been captured and taken back to Chang'an for imprisonment.

All of this is Fang Youde's fault!

"Sanlang, my loyalty has always been to the Great Tang. Yet whenever I say that, you claim that I am the Great Tang.

But in my view, if you can sustain the Great Tang's prosperity, then you represent the Great Tang.

Then I would be loyal to you, facing knife mountains and fire seas, refusing a thousand deaths.

But if you cannot maintain the Great Tang's flourishing, then you cannot represent the Great Tang.

Why should I uphold a Son of Heaven who cannot bring prosperity to the Great Tang?

I have never changed; the one who changed is you."

Fang Youde let out a light sigh, his eyes filled with boundless regret.

He had never lied to Ji Ge, but each time Ji Ge acted presumptuously, he had no way to respond.

"I do not believe it! What benefit did Li Chang give you? You want to protect him so much? I am not convinced!"

Ji Ge was instantly broken, pointing at Fang Youde and shouting profanely.

"Since you are the Retired Emperor, stop calling me 'me'. The world has already descended into this chaos; tidying up the remnants is far from easy."

Fang Youde let out a long sigh, turned, and left.

Suddenly he heard a "thud" behind him; Fang Youde turned his head and saw Ji Ge kneeling on the ground, like a paper figure, his body trembling continuously.

"Quan Zhong, spare me! Let me go to the Shu region, any way is fine, just don't let me return to Chang'an!"

"You don't want to see me killed by that rebellious son, do you?"

Ji Ge knelt on the ground, wailing and crying; now the dust had settled, death was imminent, and he could no longer care about his dignity.

As long as he can pass today's trial, it means he can meet his end peacefully.

For that, not only is pleading on his knees acceptable, even letting him self‑harm is fine.

"Retired Emperor, a father's kindness, a son's filial piety, brothers' friendship and brothers' respect are the natural order of humanity. With the Retired Emperor in Chang'an, with the Son of Heaven present, the state will be stable.

Letting you go to the Shu region, I, the humble minister, cannot do that."

Having finished, he clapped his hands.

Li Huaiguang and others entered the Mawei Yi main hall, clasped fists and saluted Fang Youde.

"Bring the Retired Emperor back to Chang'an; there must be no mistake."

Fang Youde coldly issued the order.

Li Huaiguang did not hesitate, dragging Ji Ge and Gao Lishi out of Mawei Yi; the previously noisy station hall instantly fell silent.

"Mawei Yi, Mawei Yi, still this damned place."

Fang Youde couldn't help but let out a long sigh, then turned and walked out of the station.

At this moment, the horizon was already darkening, the setting sun like blood.