The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 244 Compromise
Wang Daqing watched Yang Guozhong being dragged out and came to his senses a little.

Wang Daqing felt that, given his control over the tavern, it would be difficult for anyone to stealthily replace the original with the fake one right under his nose, but Qibi Zhong just happened to come in and mess things up.

It was precisely because of Qibi Zhong's interference that the attention of everyone in the tavern was attracted, and the person who was trying to replace the original with the fake was able to take advantage of this opportunity.

All of this was completely planned, and the only planner capable of mobilizing so many people was Li Heng.

This also means that Li Heng knew about his previous plan.

Wang Daqing, who understood everything, was very frightened and stood silently by the side waiting for Li Heng's revenge.

After Li Heng had Yang Guozhong taken away, he said to Li Jiuniang, "This matter still needs to be investigated in detail. I will ask those who know about this to keep it a secret and try my best to protect your reputation. You can choose to continue living here, or follow me back to the inn and wait for your grandfather to pick you up."

Li Jiuniang hesitated for a moment and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. I will go back with you."

Li Ying nodded, turned around and stared at Wang Daqing.

Wang Daqing lowered his head, not daring to look Li Ying in the eye, and was completely at a loss.

Li Heng stared at Wang Daqing for a long while, then suddenly turned to Qibi Zhong and said, "General Qibi, let's investigate the secret agent first."

"Yes." Qibi Zhong accepted the order and retreated.

Li Heng followed Li Jiuniang out of her room and came to the yard, waiting quietly for Qibi Zhong to interrogate him.

Qibi Zhong interrogated them for two hours until late at night, and then he came to report to Li Heng, saying, "Your Highness, I have checked carefully twice. These two people checked in yesterday. They have not left the house and have not seen anyone. The food they ate was delivered by the waiter of the wine shop."

"Has the tavern waiter asked?" Li Ying asked.

Qibi Zhong said: "I have asked and tortured them, but the waiters in the tavern insisted that they only delivered food and had no communication with these two people."

According to the results of Qibi Zhong's interrogation, the guy was not a suspect, which indirectly meant that Wang Daqing did not interfere in the matter.

Moreover, Wang Daqing would not be so stupid as to wait for Li Heng to arrive and then lure the thief into his own tavern.

Li Heng was silent for a while, then said, "These two people must have a special way to communicate with others."

There was no surveillance in the Tang Dynasty, so the two men went out in the middle of the night and put their things somewhere, waiting for others to pick them up, and no one would find out.

Qibi Zhong nodded and said, "Fortunately, these two people have intact faces and obvious physical features. After inspection by the judicial officer, they are Tibetans."

"Tibetan?" Li Heng was a little surprised.

Qibi Zhong said: "Many Tibetan soldiers surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, and some civilians also defected. It is usually difficult to distinguish between enemies and friends. After Wang Jieshuai took over as the governor of Hexi, he was worried about Tibetan looting and has strengthened the inspection of the passers-by. However, there are many caravans in Hexi and people from other countries come and go frequently, so it is not difficult to sneak in."

Li Heng heard the hidden meaning and asked, "Are you saying that they might be Tibetan scouts?"

"It's very likely," Qibi Zhong thought, "Every autumn harvest season, many Tibetan scouts come to Hexi to inquire and provide information for Tibetan looting."

Li Ying asked, "What is the mission that General Wang Zhongsi gave you?"

Qibi Zhong said: "People should not leave their armor and be ready for orders at any time."

"I see." Li Heng nodded.

As a looting party, Tubo could choose five roads to enter Hexi for looting. The Tang Dynasty set up military garrisons on the five roads, but the number of people guarding each road was not large.

There are two main reasons why the various military garrisons were unable to capture a large number of people.

First, the border policy of the Tang Dynasty was not defensive, but proactive offensive.

As the attacking party, the role of the various military garrisons on the road is not very significant, so it is better to concentrate the forces in the hands of a few people so that there will be less wrangling among the military leaders during the battle.

Second, there is the issue of cost.

In the Tang Dynasty, where transportation was not well developed, the logistical cost of supporting military garrisons was too high, and the court could not afford to support so many idle people.

Under such circumstances, the Hexi Jiedushi had three ways to prevent Tubo looting.

The first is to take the initiative to attack and prevent Tubo from plundering.

The second method was mobile defense. The strongest army in Hexi was the Chishui Army in Liangzhou. The Chishui Army would go to support the Tibetans wherever they concentrated their forces to plunder.

This method may seem passive, but if used well, the effect will be the best after comprehensive comparison.

After all, Tubo's long-distance looting also costs money. As long as the military garrisons on the Tang Dynasty roads can hold out for a while, when the Chishui Army arrives, Tubo will not only fail to rob much, but will also suffer heavy losses.

The third method is to anticipate the enemy's moves. Finding out the Tibetan looting routes in advance can not only avoid looting, but also set up an ambush. This method is the best, but it is not easy to achieve.

Wang Zhongsi is now adopting the second approach.

Li Heng thought for a moment and said, "If these two are really Tubo scouts, they can sneak into this tavern with the help of someone."

Qibi Zhong was embarrassed when he heard this. He hesitated for a while and said, "Although this wine shop is run by Governor Wang, based on my understanding of Governor Wang, he would never secretly communicate with Tubo. But..."

Qibi Zhong paused for a moment before continuing, "But Governor Wang should know who is secretly communicating with Tubo."

The reason why Qibi Zhong hesitated was that if he said this, he would basically reveal his true colors. But if he didn't say it, Li Heng would miss out on an important piece of information, thus losing an opportunity to counterattack Tubo.

After weighing the two options, Qibi Zhong finally decided to put national affairs first.

Li Heng was indeed a little surprised when he heard this.

Li Heng continued to look at Qibi Zhong by candlelight, pondered for a moment, and said, "If Governor Wang knew who was secretly communicating with Tubo, what do you think he would do next?"

Li Heng did not ask Qibi Zhong why he knew that Governor Wang knew who was secretly communicating with Tubo. Qibi Zhong was also a little surprised. After a pause, he replied, "He is very likely to have killed someone..."

Qibi Zhong originally wanted to say that Wang Daqing was murdered to silence him, but Wang Daqing did not participate in collusion with the enemy, so this word was not appropriate. Therefore, Qibi Zhong paused and changed the word: "He may choose to clean up the mess himself."

Li Heng said: "We must not let him kill anyone. Tubo has gone through so much trouble to send people here, and we cannot let them fail. It would be best if we could follow the clues and find out what Tubo is trying to do."

Qibi Zhong understood what Li Heng meant and said, "Then I will send someone to keep an eye on Governor Wang to see who he wants to kill, and then I will stop him from the dark."

Li Ying said: "That's great. Thank you, General Qibi Zhong."

"Yes."

Qibi Zhong took the order and retreated, but halfway through, he turned back and said, "Your Highness, can I have a word with you?"

"Of course." Li Ying nodded and went to the corner with Qi Bi Zhong.

Qi Bizhong asked, "Your Highness, aren't you curious about how I know all this?" Li Heng didn't expect Qi Bizhong to ask so directly, and asked, "Is this question important?"

Qibi Zhong knelt on one knee and said, "To be honest with you, Your Highness, I was once in cahoots with Governor Wang."

Li Ying was startled and asked, "Are you turning yourself in?"

Qibi Zhong said: "With your intelligence, it is only a matter of time to find out these things. Rather than letting your Highness waste time, I would like to take the initiative to explain. Please ask whatever you want to know."

Li Heng fell silent.

After a series of previous events, Li Heng roughly guessed the connection between Qibi Zhong and Wang Daqing.

However, Li Heng did not intend to settle accounts with Qibi Zhong.

Firstly, during the autumn harvest season, Tubo was very likely to plunder. To settle accounts with Qibi Zhong at this time would certainly cause shock to the army and would be detrimental to military arrangements.

Second, since Li Heng entered Hexi, Qibi Zhong had acted very loyally and uprightly, and even turned against Wang Daqing for Li Heng's sake.

Qibi Zhong did do a lot of bad things, but he was loyal. It is difficult to evaluate such a person as simply good or evil.

Most people are so complicated. Pure people like Wang Zhongsi and Gao Xianzhi are only a minority. If Li Heng only uses pure people, then there will be very few people he can use.

This is what is called "when the water is too clear, there will be no fish."

Third, the root of corruption in the Tang Dynasty lies in the court, in Li Linfu, and in Li Longji. If the root is not eradicated, no matter what Li Heng does, it will only be a temporary solution and not a fundamental solution. He kills a group of people, and a new group will come up. The result will only be that he will make more and more enemies, and the root of corruption cannot be solved.

If Li Heng's goal was small and he only wanted to be a loyal minister, he would have forged ahead and even treated the symptoms. However, today, Li Heng is not only seeking to be a loyal minister, he has a bigger goal.

For the sake of a greater goal and to cure the root cause, Li Heng could only choose to compromise temporarily.

Fourthly, Anxi and Beiting are Li Heng’s base. It will take some time for Li Heng to manage Hexi. He cannot make half of the civil and military officials in Hexi feel insecure before he arrives in Hexi.

Li Heng was silent for a long time before he said, "Since Emperor Taizong, the Qibi clan has been full of loyal heroes. Your grandfather Qibi Heli led the troops against Tuyuhun and made many military achievements. He later defeated Goguryeo and was promoted to the rank of General of the Zhen Army and General of the Left Guard. He was also granted the title of Duke of Liang. The Tang Dynasty will never forget such great military achievements, and neither will I. General Qibi inherited the aspirations of his ancestors and devoted himself to serving the country. He was occasionally seduced and took the wrong path. How can I blame him?"

When Li Ying said this, he thought of Pugu Huai'en.

Puguo Huai'en's family was also full of loyal heroes. In order to quell the Anshi Rebellion, dozens of family members died, but in the end they were forced to rebel.

When Pugu Huai'en's mother learned that Pugu Huai'en was planning a rebellion, she severely reprimanded him. Finally, Li Yu took Pugu Huai'en's mother to Chang'an and took care of her in her old age.

For a moment, Li Heng didn't dare to confirm whether his behavior was right or wrong, but he had to make a choice.

"Your Highness!" Qibi Zhong's eyes welled up with tears when he heard Li Ying mention the great achievements of his grandfather.

In fact, Qibi Zhong also wanted to be a loyal minister and an honest official, but the current situation in the court was like this. If he didn't take the lead, how could he explain to the soldiers under him?

If he doesn't give instructions to the soldiers under him, how can he enforce discipline?
As a military envoy, Qibi Zhong had to consider not only himself but also his brothers.

"I feel ashamed towards my ancestors, I have no face to face them, and I feel even more ashamed towards the Tang Dynasty." Qibi Zhong's voice trembled a little.

Li Heng said, "An ancient sage said, 'It is the greatest virtue to know one's mistakes and correct them.' If General Qibi can turn back, it will be a blessing for the Chishui Army, the people of Hexi, and even more so for the Tang Dynasty. I am willing to give General Qibi this opportunity, and my father must be the same. As long as General Qibi is determined to correct his mistakes, I will definitely forgive him."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Qibi Zhong changed from kneeling on one knee to kneeling on both knees, and kowtowed to the ground.

In Qibi Zhong's opinion, Li Heng hated evil and was extremely hostile to evil, so showing him some leniency was already an exception.

Li Heng helped Qibi Zhong up and said earnestly: "General Qibi, there is no need to be so polite. I just hope that we can work together to resist foreign enemies in the future."

Qibi Zhong said: "I will die to repay Your Highness!"

"I will never let you down, General." Li Ying responded.

"I ..." Qibi Zhong choked up a little, paused, and said, "There is no time to lose. I will send someone to keep an eye on Governor Wang."

"Okay." Li Ying responded.

Qibi Zhong retreated.

Li Heng watched Qibi Zhong leave. The high emotions he had just felt disappeared, and he looked a little confused.

Once upon a time, Li Ying also thought about clarifying the world by his own strength. Li Ying once thought that he could make the world clear with his own abilities.

In that world, officials are free from corruption, soldiers guard the borders, civil officials die for their advice and military officials die in battle, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, treating each other with respect.

However, it has been almost ten years since he traveled to the Tang Dynasty. During these ten years, he has been self-disciplined and polite, and has worked hard, but what he has been able to change is extremely limited. However, he was the first to learn to compromise.

Li Heng deeply realized that he had never been a pure person, and everything he did was for maximizing benefits.

Thinking of this, Li Heng sat on the ground in the yard and looked up at the bright moon in the sky.

Today people do not see the ancient times and the moon, this month once looked like the ancients.

Li Ying couldn't help thinking: "If the moon has consciousness, it should have witnessed my past and present lives. Mingyue, will you laugh at me?"

Li Ying was still thinking to himself when Aqisi came over.

Aqisi looked at Li Ying's dejected appearance and wanted to go forward to comfort him, but she had no idea why Li Ying suddenly became like this.

Aqisi couldn't help but think: "If the princess was here, he would know why His Highness is like this. I have always expressed my affection for His Highness without hesitation, but do I really know what His Highness wants? I don't know what His Highness wants, so will my affection become a burden to him? Is this what is called selfishness?"

When Aqisi thought of this, she became depressed and stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do.

Li Ying sighed to himself for a while before he realized that Aqisi was already beside him.

With the help of moonlight, Li Heng saw Aqisi's distressed look.

Li Heng thought that he was busy with work and neglected Aqisi. He felt a little guilty and took the initiative to say, "I'm sorry. I will deal with these things as soon as possible so that our wedding can go on as planned."

When Aqisi heard Li Ying's apology, she felt relieved all of a sudden.

Aqisi looked at Li Ying and thought to herself, "Is Your Highness taking care of my emotions? I am not a princess, I can't be like a princess, but I can be myself."

Thinking of this, Aqisi laughed heartily, then suddenly rushed over and sat on Li Heng's lap, saying with a smile: "Your Highness, please forgive me for not understanding romance, so I don't like to hear apologies. I only like actions."

Li Heng didn't expect Aqisi to be so bold. He frowned and asked, "What action do you want?"

Aqisi said: "I think Li Ling is very lovable, and I also want to give Your Highness a child like Li Ling."

(End of this chapter)