dmims Page 4
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"I dare not, Li Bi of Jingzhao."
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Li Bi and Xue Jingyou stood in front of the carriage and talked for a short while, and they had a general understanding of each other's identities and the purpose of their trip.
Xue Jingyou was indeed from the Xue clan of Fenying. Although not from the main branch, his family was quite illustrious. His ancestor was Xue Guan, who served as the Minister of the Imperial Clan and General of the Left Imperial Guard during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He had also married Princess Chengyang, the daughter of Emperor Taizong. As for Xue Jingyou himself, although he passed the imperial examination, he was unable to take office due to illness. For several years, he lived in Chang'an with his elder brother, Xue Jingxian.
Several months ago, Tongguan fell. Xue Jingxian, then serving as a Palace Attendant Censor, was transferred westward with the imperial carriage, while Xue Jingyou fled with his family to Liangshan (in the northern part of Fengyi County) to avoid disaster. Not long ago, he received a letter from his elder brother, saying that he had been appointed as the Prefect of Fufeng County, leading troops to resist the rebels, but lacked manpower. He hoped that his brother could secretly travel west to Fufeng to help him.
The letter details his experiences since their separation. First, he followed the imperial carriage to Mawei Post Station, where the army clamored and refused to advance, ultimately leading to the execution of the Prime Minister Yang's entire family and even forcing the emperor to order the death of Yang Guifei—Xue Jingxian also participated in this "military remonstrance." Subsequently, the emperor fled west to Shu, and the crown prince went north by separate routes. Xue Jingxian was appointed magistrate of Chencang to gather local soldiers and righteous people to secure the rear.
In mid-June, Kang Jinglong and others from Fufeng gathered a crowd and killed An Lushan's envoy, welcoming Xue Jingxian into Fufeng. Xue Jingxian then raised several thousand soldiers and pacified the entire Fufeng prefecture within a month. Upon receiving the news, the Crown Prince reinstated him as the prefect of Fufeng.
Last month, in July, on the day of Jiaxu, the rebel army that invaded Fufeng was defeated by Xue Jingxian. Subsequently, his troops entered the capital region and captured Wugong and Fengtian counties. Having occupied a large territory, Xue Jingxian felt that he was short of manpower, so he sent someone to deliver a message, asking his brothers to come out of the mountains and come to help.
Upon learning this, Li Bi was overjoyed, but outwardly showed no sign of it. He did not mention that he had been summoned by the Crown Prince, but only said that he had previously served in the Eastern Palace and had heard that the Emperor...
During the Western Hunt, the Crown Prince was exiled. Because of past ties, he decided to go to Pingliang County to rely on and protect the emperor.
Xue Jingyou agreed to take Li Bi with him, saying they would go to Fufeng first. Li Bi then revealed Li Ji's identity, explaining that he actually had another brother who had been wounded by rebels and therefore dared not show himself. He then helped Li Ji over and pleaded with Xue Jingyou to allow him to board the carriage and sit next to the driver.
Xue Jingyou readily agreed. He had already been arrogant towards Li Bi because of his background, and now that he heard that Li Bi had once been an official and was a former associate of the Crown Prince, how could he not hurry to curry favor with him? Besides, his younger cousin was a bit dim-witted and limped around. If he walked, he might slow down my journey. Anyway, there was room next to the carriage shaft, so I could let him sit there.
However, there was no seat for Li Bi in the carriage. Since Xue Jingyou was traveling by carriage, he wouldn't be alone except for the servants who followed on foot—if it were him, he could have ridden a horse—in fact, there was a maidservant serving him inside the carriage. Given the impropriety of physical contact between men and women, it was inconvenient to invite Li Changyuan to ride with him.
However, Li Bi was on his feet, and Xue Jingyou dared not return to the carriage, so he had to walk a short distance as well to accompany his distinguished guest. The two then talked at length about current affairs, occasionally reminiscing about the prosperous scene and comfortable life in Chang'an during peaceful times.
Li Ji leaned against the carriage shaft, remaining silent, but listening intently to their conversation in order to gather useful information and broaden his knowledge of this life.
Only then did they realize that they had taken the wrong path. The city they had seen on the other side of the river that morning was not Tongguan, but Huayuan to its south.
Huayuan County is located directly north of Chang'an, the Western Capital, only a hundred li away. As for why Xue Jingyou and his party dared to swagger through this place without fear of the rebel attack, it was undoubtedly related to the fact that his brother Jingxian had repelled the rebels who invaded Fufeng County more than half a month earlier.
The Li brothers had already received some information about this, which is why they dared to leave Qingni Post Station, where they had been hiding for many days, under Zhen Sui's guidance, and cross the Wei River to the north, heading towards Tanshan. However, after Xue Jingyou's explanation, they gained a deeper understanding of the current situation around Chang'an.
When the imperial carriage hastily departed the capital, accompanied by numerous officials, the emperor appointed Cui Guangyuan, a close associate of Yang Guozhong and the Vice Prefect of Jingzhao, as the Prefect of Jingzhao, the Garrison Commander of Xijing, and the Investigating Commissioner, essentially placing him in charge of the rear guard. Upon hearing of the imperial family's escape, the city's inhabitants were thrown into chaos, with most fleeing the city. However, some petty criminals seized the opportunity to loot, even setting fire to the Left Treasury and the Great Treasury, vying for valuables. Cui Guangyuan temporarily assumed the position of acting prefectural and county official, dispatching troops to suppress the rebellion, and only with great difficulty did he manage to stabilize the situation.
But then came news of the approaching rebels, and Chang'an, already weakened by recent turmoil and demoralized, was no match for them. Left with no other option, Cui Guangyuan was forced to send his son east to surrender. An Lushan was overjoyed and immediately recalled Zhang Xiu, the former Prefect of Jingzhao, while appointing Cui Guangyuan to continue in his post.
However, An Lushan did not enter Chang'an. Although Tongguan had fallen and Chang'an had been captured, there were still tens of thousands of soldiers stationed in the cities of Guanzhong, and it was unclear where the emperor and the crown prince had gone or how far they had gone... He returned to Luoyang and ordered his generals Sun Xiaozhe and An Shenwei to lead troops to garrison the western capital.
After Sun Xiaozhe and other rebel generals entered Chang'an, they immediately launched a massive manhunt, killing everyone from princesses, imperial consorts, princes' sons-in-law, and princesses of prefectures and counties, to the followers of Yang Guozhong and Gao Lishi, and even the families of princes, generals, and ministers who remained in the capital. Even infants were among those killed. Afterwards, they indulged in drinking day and night, neglecting all ambition and development.
In fact, if they had pursued at full speed, they might have been able to capture the emperor alive, or at least catch up with the crown prince and his entourage. Since the emperor was the head of state, and he had abandoned the capital and fled, how could the soldiers and civilians of Guanzhong have any will to fight? In the Jingji Circuit and the southern part of Guannei Circuit, seven or eight out of ten county and prefectural officials abandoned their posts and fled.
It was only thanks to the Crown Prince's efforts to gather the remaining soldiers and refugees, and his subsequent execution of the prefects of Xinping and Baoding who had abandoned their cities, that the morale of the people was somewhat stabilized. At the same time, the Crown Prince appointed Xue Jingxian as the magistrate of Chencang County to secure his retreat.
The rebel army rested in Chang'an for nearly a month before attempting to advance westward, only to be met with a crushing defeat by Xue Jingxian, who had already pacified the entire Fufeng Commandery, suffering thousands of casualties. After their retreat, the Tongluo and Turkic troops, incited by Cui Guangyuan, mutinied, seizing over two thousand stable horses before fleeing north, causing renewed chaos in the city. An Shenwei, already wounded, died of shock, while Sun Xiaozhe escaped alone on horseback, fleeing back to Luoyang. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Cui Guangyuan, along with Chang'an Magistrate Su Zhen and others, gathered over a hundred strong men, seized the Kaiyuan Gate, and fled to join the Crown Prince.
Therefore, although Chang'an is still under the control of the rebels, it is leaderless and morale is low, so they dare not leave the city at all. This is why Xue Jingxian was able to advance on Fengtian and Wugong, and send someone to summon his brother Jingyou—if you don't set off in time, you might not be able to get here by the time the rebel reinforcements from Luoyang arrive.
Only then did Xue Jingyou dare to take some servants and travel by main road to Fufeng—there were carriages in the procession, so it was impossible for him to sneak west through the wilderness like the Li brothers had done a few days ago—and he also sent a message to Li Bi, saying that the Crown Prince was no longer in Pingliang, but had gone north to Lingwu to collect the soldiers from Shuofang.
Li Ji had no idea where Pingliang was, let alone where Lingwu was located—even his original soul was entering the pass for the first time in this life, and he had never been interested in geography—Li Bi knew this well, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but gasp.
Lingwu County is north of Pingliang County. Both counties are sparsely populated and their capitals are nearly a thousand miles apart. Luckily, we ran into Xue Jingyou. Otherwise, even if we struggled to reach Pingliang, we would have missed him. If we went north to Lingwu, we might have starved to death on the way! After all, although Li Bi practiced abstinence from grains, he was not truly abstaining from food and water. He still needed to eat something every day, especially after walking around.
Now that I've allied myself with Xue Jingyou, through his introduction I can meet Xue Jingxian. When I explain the Crown Prince's summons, he'll probably give me some travel expenses—it's just a pity the Crown Prince...
Chapter 8, This is a warning
The group that had been lurking in the bushes gradually emerged, appearing to be refugees but likely bandits. They were all dressed in tattered clothes, emaciated and pale, carrying no baggage but wielding clubs, knives, or swords. There were about twenty of them in total, more than the Xue family's group, and they slowly approached from one side of the road.
Xue Jingyou was terrified and exclaimed repeatedly, "What do we do? What do we do? You all hurry up and scatter them..."
Li Bi shook his head and said, "No." He then explained, "The tall grass is swaying, and there may be people hiding there. They outnumber us, and it will be difficult to win quickly..." After all, we only have two knives and one sword on our side, and most of our weapons are still wooden sticks. "If they manage to get to the front of the carriage, it may frighten Lord Xue."
In truth, Xue Jingyou was already quite shaken. Li Bi's real intention was this: if the bandits approached and "snap" you, then without a leader, could we still possibly win? Even if we ultimately fought a hard-fought battle to drive away the bandits, who knows if your servants are loyal enough to protect your body to Fufeng, or if they'll simply part ways and go their separate ways? What will we brothers do then? Even if the servants are willing to take your body to Fufeng, will my brothers still have the face to see Xue Jingxian?
What's even more frightening is that the thieves might not kill you right away, but instead use your life as leverage, which would mean utter ruin!
Xue Jingyou turned ashen-faced and dared not give any more orders to the servants. However, the old servant, who found Li Bi's analysis reasonable, crossed his arms and respectfully asked, "Please, Mr. Li, save my second son."
Li Bi sighed and said, "If my brother hadn't been injured in the leg, what would we have to fear from these scoundrels!" He frowned and carefully observed the bandits who were slowly approaching, seemingly about to rush over, yet hesitant. He had already made up his mind, so he turned his head slightly and whispered to Li Ji, "They are not resolute and are still hesitant. Quickly shoot one of them to frighten them."
Li Ji thought to himself: You want me to shoot arrows? Brother, you think too highly of me. Do you really think I'm a military general?
He immediately picked up the bow and arrow, but instead of shooting, he handed it to Li Bi, saying, "This bow is unfamiliar to me, and I'm not used to using it—why don't you try shooting, brother?" Li Bi glared at him and said, "If I could shoot, why would I need to order you to shoot? It's only twenty or thirty paces to you. Even if you're not used to it, how could you possibly miss?"
Twenty to thirty paces, which is about thirty meters in modern terms, theoretically speaking, using this type of standard military bow and arrow, anyone who has practiced archery for a few months would indeed have a hard time missing. However, Li Ji hadn't actually practiced for even a single day…
But he knew that this was a critical moment, and he couldn't help but refuse again—with his fighting skills, if his legs weren't injured, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to defeat these physically weak bandits. Even with his injuries, he could barely protect himself and Li Bi from death. But... he would be immobilized. What if the bandits captured Xue Jingyou first and used him as leverage to order Xue's servants to gang up on him? Did they really think there was such a thing as a "warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men"?
Forced to raise the bow, nock the arrow on the right side, and pull back with his thumb, he had tried drawing the bow last night when facing what he couldn't tell was a wolf or a dog lurking in the darkness. It didn't seem difficult. Now, however, he worried that with his... other Li Ji's strength, he might break the bow, and thus dared not use his full strength. There's an old saying, "A hundred paces to hit a willow leaf," so even an ordinary archer with an ordinary war bow should be able to hit it at forty or fifty paces. Now, the target was only twenty or thirty paces away, so not drawing it all the way back shouldn't be a problem, right?
He aimed at a nearby, larger bandit and shouted, "Aren't you going to scatter? Take this!" He then released his thumb, the bowstring taut, and the arrow flew with a "whoosh," passing the target about four or five feet away, nearly hitting one of his accomplices to his side and behind...
Upon seeing this, the bandits were all startled, and they all stopped in their tracks. Several of them even took several steps back.
Because they were unarmored and shieldless, they were in a hopeless situation against archers; it all depended on which archer to shoot and how many arrows they carried. Ultimately, they were just a hastily assembled band of small-time thieves, without leadership or command, and none of them were willing to die for the greater good.
But in Li Ji's heart, a thousand crows were flying.
Before Li Bi could question him, he shouted, "This is a warning! Everyone is born of parents, and life is not easy. You should all retreat quickly to save your lives, otherwise, I will kill you with my next arrow!"
Although the bandits were terrified, they still refused to disperse. Several of them quickly held their weapons to their chests, trying to block any arrows that might be shot at them.
Li Bi whispered, "What warning? Kill one quickly to save the rest!" Li Ji had no choice but to nock another arrow, have someone else aim, and then with a "bang," he missed again.
"Second warning!"
Li Bi couldn't help but glance at him sideways: "Are you really good at archery?"
Li Ji quickly explained, "Brother, my legs can't touch the ground, so it's difficult for me to exert force and it's normal that I missed the target..."
Why not use your ancestral secret technique?
Li Ji thought to himself that he didn't actually know any of the techniques; he only knew the principle and was just imitating. He reasoned that the "Mongolian" shooting method was used throughout the vast East Asia in ancient times, and there must be a reason for it—perhaps it was more in line with the mechanics of commonly used weapons. If he used the "Mediterranean" method, things might get even worse.
“The bow is different. I tried it last night, and it doesn’t work with my secret technique.”
Li Ji thought to himself, "There are so many people in the Xue family, does anyone know how to shoot an arrow? Why don't they come and snatch my bow?" But he couldn't very well ask them directly—it would be too embarrassing!
Saying it aloud, thinking it in my heart
Thinking it over, he had no choice but to steel himself and draw his bow for the third time. In fact, Li Bi had only picked up four arrows from the assassin yesterday—in his haste, he dared not waste time removing his helmet, and fearing that more arrows would be difficult to carry—and that was already half of them wasted.
The arrow flew swiftly, and Li Ji shouted, "Third warning! Never again could it be the first or the second..." He swallowed his words before he could finish, for by divine intervention, this time the arrow hit its target, piercing right through a bandit's heart. The arrow was so powerful that it went straight to the fletching, and it even knocked the man backward, sending him crashing to the ground.
The bandit screamed and died on the spot.
Li Ji thought to himself: You're out of luck. Actually, I was eyeing that big guy next to you...
After the first two shots missed, the bandits were indeed hesitant. The bolder ones cautiously tried to move forward again—was it really a warning? Or was it that the opponent's shooting skills were poor and could not actually hurt anyone? It wasn't until the third arrow actually took a life, and with astonishing force, that they finally stopped in horror.
Li Bi lowered his voice and said, "Ten steps at most, don't go too far." Then he shouted, "Charge! Slaughter all those barbarians, leave no one alive!"
The bandits were terrified at the sound. Several of the more timid ones immediately turned and fled, even throwing away their clubs. As for those wielding knives and swords, they were still on guard, but seeing their companions flee and the tide of battle about to turn, they were forced to turn and retreat back into the bushes.
But in reality, the Xue family servants did not launch an attack—there was no need for Li Bi to give prior instructions. Without their master's orders, who would dare to advance on their own? Li Bi was not their master.
Seeing this, Li Bi hurriedly said, "Hurry, hurry! Before they regain their strength, let's get out of this dangerous place as soon as possible!"
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That night, while they camped out, Li Bi leaned closer and whispered to Li Ji, "Since you are a military general, why is your archery so bad? Were you lying to me before?"
Li Ji feigned displeasure and said, "Brother, you have already asked many questions. Don't you believe me?" He paused slightly and then said, "If we both put aside our suspicions, we can both live. But if we are wary of each other, I'm afraid neither of us will survive."
These were the words Li Bi had spoken last night, and Li Ji returned them to him. Everyone has their own little secrets, and what they say may not be entirely true or true; that's normal. Why do you keep asking? Anyway, we're practically bound together now. You can't bear to harm your own brother's body, and you need me to protect you... Alright, you'll rely on me for help. And I, being alone and helpless in this world, will have to rely on you for the time being—it's a win-win situation, brother.
Upon hearing this, Li Bi fell silent and did not ask any further questions. However, he remained puzzled.
I once suspected that this old ghost was just a lowly soldier in the Jin army, at most a squad leader or platoon leader. So, if he wasn't part of the archers, it was normal that he couldn't draw a bow and shoot arrows. Most people are used to boasting and exaggerating their status, especially when there's no way to verify it. It's perfectly understandable that a lowly soldier would lie and claim to be a military officer.
However, upon further reflection, could an ordinary soldier possibly know so much? Not only did he know the situation in Guanzhong that day, as well as the names and even courtesy names of the main generals, but he also knew the names and even the resumes of Sima Rui, Wang Dao, and others thousands of miles away in Jiangdong—at least more than I, who was well-versed in history books.
What is this guy's background? Was he originally a civil official? But civil officials are valued more than military officials, which has always been the case—except for the Five Barbarian regimes and the Northern Dynasties—so what is there to hide? What secrets is he hiding?
Just then, servants from the Xue family came over and invited the two Lis to have a meal. Xue Jingyou spread out a felt rug and invited Li Bi to sit opposite him, while Li Ji had to join the servants. The host's meal was quite simple, with sesame cakes baked over the campfire as the staple food, accompanied by dried meat and pickled scallions. Xue Jingyou repeatedly apologized, saying that the food was simple for a traveler and hoped that Mr. Changyuan would forgive him.
It is said that he originally planned to bring more grain, vegetables, and meat, and even prepared several jars of wine, but was persuaded by the old servant who kowtowed and pleaded with him. The old servant said that from Liangshan to Fengtian, it was more than 500 li, and even if they traveled 60 li a day at a fast pace, they would only have to endure ten days of hardship. The servants could provide their own food and water, and the carriage could hold everything that Erlang and his concubines needed. If they brought excessive amounts of grain, meat, vegetables, and even wine, they would need to hitch another carriage, which would not only increase the number of donkeys, horses, and drivers, but might also slow down the journey.
Furthermore, with the current chaos of war and the widespread displaced people, if they see the grain we're carrying, they're bound to be tempted. If they decide to rob us, we'll have to protect both the oil-painted cart and the grain cart, while also looking after you, Erlang, and the food. Our manpower will likely be stretched thin. It's better to carry less, stuffing the grain into bundles and the oil-painted cart, where outsiders won't see it. Naturally, their greed and murderous intent will be less likely to arise.
Xue Jingyou initially refused, but his wife, finding the old servant's words reasonable, also persuaded him. In the end, they simply confiscated the grain cart that had already been harnessed to the donkey. When Xue mentioned this incident today, he still felt regretful, saying, "If it weren't for this ignorant woman and this old man's obstruction, how could I have served you, Mr. Changyuan, such unseemly food?" The old servant, who was listening nearby, did not argue but only apologized repeatedly.
Li Bi couldn't help but look at the old servant with newfound respect—at the same time, he felt even more contempt for the fat, brainless Xue Jingyou before him. So he cupped his hands and said, "I am grateful to Lord Xue for taking me in and providing me with food and water. I am content with just enough to fill my stomach; how could I possibly hope for anything else? Moreover, the country is currently in turmoil, and it is not appropriate for us to do so... I have been a vegetarian for many years and have recently stopped eating grains, so I really don't need much." He ate only half a pancake and a few pieces of pickled celery, without touching any of the dried meat.
The servants ate even simpler food: coarse flatbread without oil or sesame seeds and a little bit of pickled vegetables. (Li Ji)
New Book Description
I'm not putting it at the beginning because you haven't read anything yet, so you definitely won't understand what I'm talking about.
The initial inspiration for this novel, "The Swordsman of the Tang Dynasty," actually came from two dreams from the era of "Lehuma"—you see, in recent years, my sleep quality has been extremely poor, and I dream almost every night, with each dream more absurd than the last.
In my first dream, I only remember someone lecturing me, using the ancient proverb "You can't step into the same river twice," saying, "The same goes for the flow of time. You can't step into the same flow of time twice. So, you thought you traveled to ancient times, but it was just a similar parallel world." After waking up, I felt that it made a lot of sense—anything that can be falsified is science, and anything that can't be falsified... it all seems to make some sense.
In my second dream, I was a remarkable figure in the Tang Dynasty. On a mountain path, I single-handedly killed two assassins and rescued a military commander who was traveling incognito. The commander admired my martial arts and immediately offered me a high-ranking position. I couldn't help but sneer inwardly: I am already an official of the court, albeit only a sixth-rank one, which is better than going to Hebei with you—unless you adopt me as your son and appoint me as your heir!
These two dreams, taken together, formed the initial concept for "The Great Tang Swordsman". In the book, the protagonist comes from the future in "Lehu Horse" after it has been altered by Pei Gai, but travels to the real timeline that has not been changed, just as the saying goes, "one cannot step into the same time stream twice".
—What? You're asking why Pei Gai's time travel doesn't fit this "logic"? Please, we're talking about the new book, let's put the old one aside for now.
Therefore, the protagonist possesses the knowledge and experience of the information age, and as a professional historian, he understands the inevitability and complexity of historical development. However, he is completely ignorant about the Tang Dynasty, having heard of virtually no one there. This abandons the common trope in time-travel novels of using historical knowledge from a previous life as a "golden finger," forcing him to learn about people, society, and interpersonal relationships entirely through his own exploration. Between these resemblances and dissimilarity, readers should be able to discover some interesting details.
I'm not putting it at the beginning because you haven't read anything yet, so you definitely won't understand what I'm talking about.
The initial inspiration for this novel, "The Swordsman of the Tang Dynasty," actually came from two dreams from the era of "Lehuma"—you see, in recent years, my sleep quality has been extremely poor, and I dream almost every night, with each dream more absurd than the last.
In my first dream, I only remember someone lecturing me, using the ancient proverb "You can't step into the same river twice," saying, "The same goes for the flow of time. You can't step into the same flow of time twice. So, you thought you traveled to ancient times, but it was just a similar parallel world." After waking up, I felt that it made a lot of sense—anything that can be falsified is science, and anything that can't be falsified... it all seems to make some sense.
In my second dream, I was a remarkable figure in the Tang Dynasty. On a mountain path, I single-handedly killed two assassins and rescued a military commander who was traveling incognito. The commander admired my martial arts and immediately offered me a high-ranking position. I couldn't help but sneer inwardly: I am already an official of the court, albeit only a sixth-rank one, which is better than going to Hebei with you—unless you adopt me as your son and appoint me as your heir!
These two dreams, taken together, formed the initial concept for "The Great Tang Swordsman". In the book, the protagonist comes from the future in "Lehu Horse" after it has been altered by Pei Gai, but travels to the real timeline that has not been changed, just as the saying goes, "one cannot step into the same time stream twice".
—What? You're asking why Pei Gai's time travel doesn't fit this "logic"? Please, we're talking about the new book, let's put the old one aside for now.
Therefore, the protagonist possesses the knowledge and experience of the information age, and as a professional historian, he understands the inevitability and complexity of historical development. However, he is completely ignorant about the Tang Dynasty, having heard of virtually no one there. This abandons the common trope in time-travel novels of using historical knowledge from a previous life as a "golden finger," forcing him to learn about people, society, and interpersonal relationships entirely through his own exploration. Between these resemblances and dissimilarity, readers should be able to discover some interesting details.
After posting a few chapters yesterday, some readers pointed out that, based on the protagonist's inner thoughts, it wasn't clear that Pei Gai made many changes to history, which diminished the enjoyment of *Le Huma*. My response is that, firstly, Pei Gai will certainly change history to a considerable extent, but at the same time, historical development has its own inevitable laws. By the 21st century, the political system has inevitably entered a capitalist society or even a socialist society, and social production has inevitably entered the information age. Therefore, on a large scale, it is the same as reality, and there is nothing to question.
Of course, the specific details will certainly differ greatly. For example, given the incomplete Westernization and rising nationalism, the Chinese might create new calendars like the "Xuanyuan Calendar" or the "Zhuanxu Calendar" instead of using the Western calendar. However, if too many settings about the society before the protagonist's time travel are different from reality, it will not only make the reading experience more difficult to understand, but also dilute the theme after the time travel. Therefore, let's assume that the two futures are not too different, or even that the protagonist traveled back from the present but just didn't know that the Tang Dynasty was better. This way, it will be easier for readers to relate to the story.
The second dream, which I'm using in this book, refers to the protagonists I created in my previous two historical time-travel novels. They were basically weak scholars, unable to fight, or at least not good at it. The protagonist of this book, "The Great Tang Swordsman," is much more physically strong. I think it's quite satisfying to solve problems not only with your brain but also with your fists... Courage and wisdom can coexist perfectly well.
In a sense, this new book is a bold attempt for me. Whether it succeeds or not depends not only on my personal efforts, but also on the support and suggestions of my readers. I hope everyone will share their thoughts and comments, and if you find any errors, please point them out to me in a timely manner.
As my regular readers know, I'm a stickler for detail and a bit slow at writing—to ensure my work isn't sloppy—so starting today, we'll stick to the old routine: one chapter every evening, and I'll try my best to maintain consistency. If you find that too slow, you can accumulate chapters and read them all at once, but please bookmark this page first, please!
Chapter Nine, Heaven Covers Earth
The group traveled for four days, covering more than two hundred li (approximately 100 kilometers), and encountered no further dangers along the way, finally arriving safely at Fengtian County, northwest of Chang'an.
For the past two days, Li Ji had been listening to Li Bi and Xue Jingyou's conversation. When Xue Jingyou returned to the carriage to rest, Li Ji took the initiative to ask Li Bi and the team's guide about the nearby geography and to estimate the distance. Comparing this with his memories from his previous life, he estimated that Fengtian should be near Qian County in Shaanxi Province in his later life.
On the walls of Fengtian, the large banner with the character "Tang" fluttered in the wind, with guards every three steps and sentries every five steps, making the defense quite strict—but there were not many armored men, and most of their weapons were crude. It was estimated that the main body of guards were so-called "righteous men" and young and strong civilians from within the city who were helping with the defense.
The west gate was half-open, with deer antlers surrounding it, its main purpose being to receive the scholars and commoners fleeing from the east. Upon seeing Xue Jingyou's large entourage, the guards all became vigilant. The old servant went first to speak, returning with a joyful expression, saying, "According to the soldiers, the eldest son is in the city!"
The guards then allowed the group to enter the city, but only permitted them to rest temporarily inside the gate. They would have to report to the magistrate and verify their identities before making a decision. Li Bi then whispered to Li Ji, "Although the rebels have retreated and dare not come back, the city's defenses are very tight. It is evident that Xue Jingxian is a man of great vision, and he and his brother... No wonder they were able to thwart the rebels and protect Fufeng County."
After a short wait, a troop of men galloped towards them. The lead general was clad in heavy armor but without a helmet, only wearing a turban. Xue Jingyou was overjoyed upon seeing him and hurried forward, bowing and calling out, "Brother!" But the man, upon reaching him, reined in his horse, dismounted, and merely nodded slightly. His gaze passed over Xue Jingyou, remaining fixed on Li Bi, before he bowed again and asked, "Are you Mr. Li Changyuan of Jingzhao?"
Li Bi stepped forward and returned the greeting, saying, "I dare not accept such a greeting. It is indeed Li Bi—I have met Your Excellency."
During the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty, prefectures were changed to states, and prefectural governors were changed to state governors, hence they were often respectfully addressed as "Lord Envoy." Although in the first year of the Tianbao era, states were changed back to prefectures, and governors were changed back to prefects, everyone was already used to it—moreover, according to the system of the Former Han Dynasty, states were larger than prefectures, and governors were higher than prefects, so who would be willing to abandon the title of "Lord Envoy" and order their subordinates to call them "Lord Prefect" instead?
Li Ji observed Xue Jingxian carefully from the side. He noticed that his appearance was similar to his brother's, but their statures were quite different. Xue Jingxian was more than half a head taller than Xue Jingyou, and his figure was strong and well-proportioned, unlike his brother who had a big belly.
Li Bi asked, "Does Your Excellency recognize me?"
Xue Jingxian took two steps forward and grabbed Li Bi's wrist affectionately, laughing loudly, "Although we have no chance to meet, I have long admired you, sir. I have copied your poem 'Heaven Covers and Earth Supports' and keep it on my desk as my motto..."
Li Ji naturally knew the poem Li Bi had written, and could even recite it—of course, he had inherited the memories of this life—but he had never actively thought of it before. Now, hearing Xue Jingxian mention it, the poem's lines couldn't help but linger in his mind.
"Heaven covers me, earth sustains me, did heaven and earth give me life with a purpose?"
Otherwise, one will abstain from grains and ascend to the heavenly path; otherwise, one will ride in a carriage to the capital.
How could I not be noble and yet not leave, thus wasting my proud and unyielding spirit!