Chapter Thirty-Five: Recommendation
Page (1/3)
Gao Xianzhi, described in the histories as “of handsome appearance,” is a phrase that appears often in the annals, but none so renowned as that applied to Zhou Yu, the Grand Commander of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era.
Following behind the palace attendant, he was preoccupied with the thought—had last year’s disastrous defeat reached the emperor's ears?
He could hardly be blamed for his anxieties. After fleeing from Talas, faced with the weeping of tens of thousands of military families, who could find rest? When the imperial decree finally arrived, he was not demoted but instead promoted to Hexi. For someone as proud as he, such an outcome was more unbearable than being called to account or sentenced to death.
So, overnight, his hair turned half white, giving him even more of the air of a foreigner.
“Gao Xianzhi, Right Feathered Forest Grand General, seeks audience.” At the sharp call, Gao Xianzhi steadied himself and, guided by the attendant, entered the chamber.
Unlike his previous expressionless demeanor, as Gao Xianzhi entered, Li Longji greeted him with a continual smile. For this frontier general who twice presented captured enemies at the palace and brought boundless glory, the emperor held him in high regard and was naturally less severe.
“Your subject, Gao Xianzhi, Right Feathered Forest Grand General, pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“Rise,” spoke Gao Lishi, standing at the emperor’s side. Gao Xianzhi’s rank was not yet high enough for the emperor to address him directly.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Gao Xianzhi straightened, eyes fixed ahead, hands respectfully at his sides. As a soldier, his posture was upright, wholly lacking the cautious demeanor of civil officials, which Li Longji admired greatly.
“Sir Gao, you’ve been in the capital for several months now. Are you adjusting well?”
Hearing the emperor’s gentle tone, Gao Xianzhi felt somewhat relieved. After all, Minister Li was present; whatever the matter, he could always cover for him. Clearing his throat, he replied,
“It is a world apart. Each time I return home, I linger for a moment, fearing I am within a dream.”
“Haha.” Li Longji laughed, pointing to his hair, “Then how did your hair turn white?”
“To have seen Your Majesty’s countenance is a lifelong comfort. To serve at your side—what more could I wish for? My joy has simply been too great.”
Li Linfu could not help but glance over, thinking to himself that he had never before realized this Korean slave possessed such eloquence, able to amuse the emperor.
Li Longji laughed heartily for a while. Though he knew it was flattery, hearing it from a foreigner’s lips always pleased him. For example, the renowned fat man far away in Fanyang, who always spoke plainly and asked for offices with justified confidence—unlike the Han officials, whose minds twisted in endless circles, exhausting him.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
“I summoned you to inquire about something.”
“Your Majesty, please ask. I will answer everything I know, withholding nothing.”
Gao Xianzhi was startled, nervous about the coming question.
“Wang Zhengjian, the commander of Anxi, is not doing well. You are from there; I wish to know, in your opinion, who might replace him?”
This question caught Gao Xianzhi off guard, as well as Li Linfu, who knew the inner workings. The emperor was not merely asking for advice, but testing him. Li Linfu looked at Gao Xianzhi, hoping he would not blunder.
Fortunately, Gao Xianzhi quickly composed himself and replied with deliberation, “If Your Majesty seeks someone from among the court officials, I dare not speak recklessly. But among the generals of Anxi, I have one person to recommend.”
“Who?”
“Deputy Director of Four Garrisons’ Finance and Agriculture, Acting Commander—Feng Changqing!”
Gao Xianzhi answered clearly and without hesitation.
Li Linfu breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, Li Longji glanced at him, exchanging a knowing look.
“Oh? Tell me more.”
“To be frank, Your Majesty, I personally promoted him. His origins are humble, but he acts decisively. Once, while I campaigned abroad, I entrusted him with command. My wet nurse had a son named Dequan, who often defied him, relying on my influence to act lawlessly. No one in the city dared speak against him, but Feng Changqing, invoking my name, summoned Dequan to his office, closed the doors, and when my wife tried to rescue him, she found no one. When I returned and learned of it, I knew something was amiss.”
“How did he handle it?” Li Longji, intrigued, pressed for details.
“He said, ‘Changqing rose from humble beginnings, served as assistant to the military commissioner, and if the commissioner refuses to accept him, how should the general respond? Now the commissioner appoints Changqing as acting commander; how can the general behave rudely and insult imperial envoys? He must die to restore military order.’ Then he had him flogged sixty times and dragged him out.”
“Did he die?” Li Longji was surprised. “And you still value him?”
“It is precisely his integrity that I value. Without discipline, the army loses its strength. Feng Changqing set an example with Dequan—even I could not save him. The generals now know not to cross him, so I recommend him for the command.”
So it was. Li Longji now had a plan and wanted to ask further.
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
“Since he is your man, is there any risk of bias?”
“I recommend talent for the nation, Your Majesty. I know his abilities. If he proves unworthy, please punish me for reckless speech.” Gao Xianzhi replied without hesitation, hands clasped in respect.
Li Longji and Li Linfu exchanged another glance, and the latter gave a slight nod. Thus, the appointment was settled.
For Li Linfu, who had remained silent throughout, this was merely a prelude. Whether Gao Xianzhi came or not, Feng Changqing’s succession was already decided—was there time to find someone else for Anxi? Not only was time short, but if the campaign failed, who would bear the consequences?
When the discussion ended, he drew another document from his sleeve but did not hand it to the attendant immediately.
“I have a proposal, inspired by seeing General Gao. Would Your Majesty care to hear it?”
After decades of harmonious service, Li Longji knew him well. At once, he sensed trouble brewing, yet his mood was good, so he let it pass.
“If the Prime Minister has something to say, please do.”
“Then I shall be bold. This time, with our five commanderies' armies, numbering over two hundred thousand, we have created a decisive force against Tibet. If we achieve victory, the threat to our heartland will be eliminated. Anxi is settled, and Longyou needs no further mention. Only Hexi remains—there, Commander An Sishun has never gotten along with Geshu Han. These two commanderies are our main force for the decisive campaign; if their leaders are not at peace, the campaign is endangered. Therefore, I propose, as previously discussed, that Gao Xianzhi take command of Hexi, leading its seventy thousand soldiers, standing alongside Geshu Han, to strike Tibet from both flanks at Qinghai.”
Li Longji never expected him to bring this up, especially before Gao Xianzhi, and for a moment was unsure of his intentions. The matter had already been settled. Now it was raised again—how could An Sishun be appeased?
The court had already lost face over this issue once; if mismanaged, it could provoke a mutiny, and would that not be courting disaster?
Li Longji glanced at Gao Xianzhi, who stood in astonished silence. His surprise seemed genuine, and with Li Linfu’s skills, there was no need for such clumsy theatrics. What was his purpose?
Each man harbored his own thoughts, and the chamber fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Page (3/3)