Along the way, Lu Xuan drew upon his limited historical knowledge to summarize the current situation of the Tang Dynasty. The first year of the Tianbao era should have been during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. Relatively speaking, Emperor Xuanzong was well-regarded. At least in the first half of his life, he was diligent and hardworking, and both political and military affairs flourished, making the Tang Dynasty reach its zenith.
However, in the later stages, this guy started to get reckless. First, he heavily relied on Li Linfu, who was incompetent at everything and a master of internal strife (not entirely; one theory is that he suppressed An Lushan and prevented him from rebelling). Then, he appointed Hu generals from An Lushan's lineage in an attempt to pacify the Western Regions.
Employing generals from non-Han ethnic groups to strengthen control over the Western Regions was actually a good policy. However, the key was choosing the right people. The Tang Dynasty produced many loyal generals from other ethnic groups. While figures like Gao Xianzhi, Geshu Han, and Li Guangbi had their flaws, their loyalty was undeniable. However, Emperor Taizong of Tang had a keen eye for talent and immediately chose the least loyal of them all…
Li Linfu was even more formidable. In the research of many scholars in later generations, this man can be considered a key figure in the Tang Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline. Satirical idioms such as "honeyed words and a dagger in the heart," "one eagle, two rabbits," and "playing with a deer while carrying a staff" all originated from his life, demonstrating just how infamous Li Linfu was. Of course, perhaps "infamous for eternity" would be a more apt description.
In the first year of the Tianbao era, Li Linfu should have been appointed Right Chancellor and concurrently Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, with the additional title of Grand Master of the Palace. He already held real power. Anyone who displeased him was either demoted or imprisoned on various pretexts.
The prime minister at the time was Chen Xilie, whom he had personally promoted. However, the reason he promoted Chen was because he saw Chen's weak character and believed he could be easily manipulated. Later, he even stopped going to the Council of State Affairs and instead worked from his home. Officials could only wait outside his house for an audience. The real prime minister was in the Council of State Affairs, but no one paid him any attention.
At this time, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was infatuated with the beauty of the Daoist nun Taizhen (the early Daoist name of Yang Guifei), and had long since lost interest in state affairs. He even considered handing over power to Li Linfu and becoming a leisurely emperor (I've always felt this is a bit far-fetched. Only an idiot would make such a decision, right? Emperor Xuanzong couldn't possibly be an idiot).
After thinking for a while, I couldn't recall much. Anyway, the An Lushan Rebellion was still many years away, so there should be a few years of peace. I shouldn't think too much about it now; let's see what happens after Chang'an.
They certainly deserve credit, but not too much. Along the way, their group killed over two hundred Turkic soldiers. That's a real military achievement, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly how many.
Firstly, everything that happened on the way couldn't be verified. Secondly, after Lieutenant Li regained consciousness, he gave a suggestion: all the heads from the Battle of Xiaogucheng should be given to Cui Qi's team. Lai Xi and Lu Xuan had no objections to this. After all, Cui Qi had saved their lives, so it was only right to share some credit.
To be fair, Cui Qi was deeply moved upon learning of this. He was a man of rough exterior but meticulous interior, and overall, a man of great loyalty. Originally, he only wanted a few more heads to earn some credit for his brothers. However, the Secret Service was too prestigious, and he hesitated for several days before daring to speak up.
After all, the Turks had already lost several hundred men by the time they arrived. But Lai Xi's words, giving him all the credit, still moved him deeply. He realized that the people of the Secret Service weren't as difficult to talk to as the rumors suggested. He became even more determined to cultivate a good relationship with these officials.
Although neither Lu Xuan nor Li Xiaowei held official positions, judging from the Turks' demeanor, this mission was clearly a major undertaking. Once they returned to Chang'an, they would undoubtedly rise to prominence. Making connections beforehand would also help them establish relationships in Chang'an.
When Cui Qi told the brothers about it, they cheered. The whole team immediately became much more attentive to Lu Xuan and his group, treating them as one of their own.
Lieutenant Li was the most seriously injured and could only recuperate in the carriage the entire way. Lu Xuan, on the other hand, had an exceptionally strong recovery ability and was lively and energetic again in just a few days. Lai Xi, naturally, couldn't compare to him, but she could still move around without any problem. At this moment, Lu Xuan spoke up, hoping that Lai Xi could teach him swordsmanship.
"If we were to fight to the death, you could take my head within five breaths. What more do you want me to teach you?" Rachel said helplessly. This guy seemed oblivious to how intimidating his own fighting prowess was, shamelessly asking her to teach him swordsmanship.
"I know," Lu Xuan admitted without any modesty. After the continuous battles along the way, he felt his combat strength had improved again. Defeating Lai Xi within five breaths wasn't just talk, it was a fact. But he wanted to become even stronger. The key was that he felt he needed to systematically learn some swordsmanship. At least the techniques for generating power, and some killing moves, he needed to master them.
"My swordsmanship has a lineage, and I can't just pass it on to outsiders. But if you want to learn, I can teach you some basic techniques. Let's start with how to hold the sword..."
Swordsmanship can be simple in some ways, and complex in others. Simply put, it consists of the eight basic sword techniques: sweeping, chopping, deflecting, slicing, glancing, parrying, cutting, and thrusting. Even the most complex sword techniques cannot deviate from these eight fundamental movements.
However, to be truly complex, there's a vast amount of knowledge to master in the details. It ranges from the most basic way of holding a knife, to breathing techniques, to posture training. It extends to the different techniques required for different knives. Even choosing the right knife depends on individual factors such as physique, arm strength, arm length, and hand size. All of these require systematic learning and even in-depth research.
Having traversed three years, today marks the first time Lu Xuan has truly learned swordsmanship.
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Chapter Twenty-Three: A Failed Attempt to Show Off
The escort team traveled at breakneck speed for more than a month before finally entering the heart of the Central Plains and arriving outside Chang'an on the fortieth day.
Throughout the journey, Lu Xuan did not slacken his efforts in the slightest. He absorbed everything he could learn from Lai Xi and even Lieutenant Li. His learning speed was so fast that it made the two men, who could be considered experts in the military, feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"I was confident I could last five breaths under his blade, but now... I don't know if I have the courage to face him."
This is Lai Xi's explanation. Lu Xuan has exceptionally rich practical experience; all he lacks is some systematic guidance. The combination of these two factors instantly produced a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts. The only thing that bothered him was that his once-familiar horse-slaying saber was now in a terrible state of disrepair. Moreover, he felt his strength had increased, making the saber seem a bit too light.
"You don't need to worry about this. There are the best craftsmen in Chang'an. You can find them to forge the most suitable knife for you."
Upon hearing this, Lieutenant Li added from the side.
"The best craftsmen in Chang'an are named Mao Shun and Chao Fen. They are both top-notch craftsmen, but they have many rules. If you want them to work, you have to put in some effort."
After a few casual words, the messenger finally returned. Cui Qi belonged to the border army and naturally couldn't enter Chang'an at will. In fact, if it weren't for Lai Xi's token, his attempt to lead troops close to Chang'an would have been thwarted halfway there.
"We have received orders from above to set up camp where we are. The rest of us will immediately proceed to Chang'an to meet the Emperor."
The group that ultimately had the opportunity to meet the Emperor consisted of Lai Xi, Li Xiaowei, Lu Xuan, and Cui Qi. As for the old man and Xiao Si, they both considered themselves Lu Xuan's servants and were naturally not qualified to meet the Emperor.
The group entered through the West Gate, Jin Guang Gate (I don't know if there are any rules about these gates, such as which gate a person should use; if anyone knows, please let me know, as I really can't find any information on this). They passed through the Jude and Qunxian wards, then through the West Market, and entered the Imperial City.
It's hard to describe Lu Xuan's feelings at this moment. He had been hoping for three years to step into this city—the most glorious city in the history of China's feudal dynasties.
The planning of Chang'an City incorporated the architectural and feng shui expertise of various masters from the Sui and Tang dynasties. It is said that it combined the natural topography of the six slopes of Longshouyuan with the I Ching and Bagua (Eight Trigrams) to finally complete the city's plan.
Grand in scale, meticulously designed, rigorously organized, and ingeniously laid out, this city embodies every concept related to order. Decades from now, a great poet will use a few simple yet concise lines to describe the order and splendor of Chang'an.
Hundreds of houses resemble a game of Go, and twelve streets are like vegetable plots.
I can faintly see the morning fire in the distance, and a constellation of stars shines westward through the five gates.
Lu Xuan was moved and couldn't help but recite the poem. He had read so many time-travel novels, and he always fantasized about the scenes of time travelers copying poems, which always made him incredibly happy. This time, it was finally his turn to copy a poem. A certain desire to show off was now uncontrollable.
To his dismay, however, the few people present didn't react at all to Bai Juyi's poem "Ascending Guanyin Terrace to Gaze at the City Exit"... Lu Xuan was speechless. Li Xiaowei and Cui Qi were basically the rough-around-the-edges type, while Lai Xi, who admired Central Plains culture, had read quite a few poems. But they didn't show any particular reaction either.
Lu Xuan pondered for a moment and finally understood. Bai Juyi's poems aren't suitable for pretentious displays...
The poets of the Tang Dynasty each had their own unique style, yet Bai Juyi was perhaps the least distinctive. But that's not entirely accurate. More precisely, Bai Juyi embraced a populist style. He once vowed that his poems would be so easy for even an old woman in the fields to understand. His poetry is primarily realistic, simple, and straightforward, sometimes even a bit blunt. These poems require quiet contemplation and careful appreciation to truly grasp the genuine and delicate emotions hidden within the everyday world. Or perhaps, we should wait for time to settle and allow future generations to slowly savor their beauty.
Having failed to impress, Lu Xuan immediately deflated. Head down, he followed the Imperial Guards into the capital. Further ahead lay the Taiji Palace, then the Daming Palace. This wasn't a modern-day tourist attraction; they weren't allowed to wander around freely. Before entering the capital, all their weapons were confiscated. Only Lai Xi was allowed to carry a short sword, because it was an imperial sword bestowed by the emperor (a scene from a movie).
The emperor received them at the Taiji Palace. This was considered an extremely high honor, as it was the place where court officials discussed state affairs. Being received here meant that the emperor had formally recognized the matter as a political affair. Lu Xuan guessed that this was why they were able to have a direct audience. Since it was already afternoon, normally they would need to bathe and change clothes before the next morning's audience. However, this time, they were only given a quick change before being hastily brought here.
The accompanying eunuchs had instructed him beforehand that he should not look around aimlessly upon entering the Taiji Palace, but only walk with his head down. Lu Xuan didn't even have time to observe what the later famous Tang Dynasty Taiji Palace looked like before he was directly led to a grand hall.
As expected, there were already quite a few court officials in the main hall. Lu Xuan secretly glanced at them, but didn't recognize a single one. It seems TV dramas are all lies after all.
Standing at the very front was a handsome, middle-aged man with an elegant demeanor. Judging from his position, Lu Xuan guessed that he must be Li Linfu, the most powerful minister in the Tang Dynasty at that time.
Raixi parted ways with them halfway through the journey. He was a secret agent of the Emperor, able to travel within the palace and directly meet with him. In fact, several days earlier, he had informed the Emperor of what had happened along the way through the secret channels of the Secret Agents.
Those who arrived at the Taiji Palace at this time were undoubtedly high-ranking officials of the court. Most of them were unaware of the purpose of this visit, and thus whispered amongst themselves. Li Linfu, however, remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned. Or perhaps, he already knew what was happening.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the whispers in the hall suddenly ceased. Lu Xuan's heart skipped a beat; he knew they had arrived. There was no shrill announcement from the eunuchs in the TV dramas—the emperor had arrived… those period dramas really were misleading. He did hear a few drumbeats, seemingly some kind of warning. But the sound was low and deep, maintaining an overall quiet yet solemn atmosphere.