Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 83

Li Ji then said, “I expect that the Crown Prince of Yegu will most likely fail in his mission, but... we do not know much about the situation in the Uyghur Khaganate, and miracles... are still possible. I should hurry to the Uyghur Khaganate. If Princess Ningguo is still alive, I must find a way to protect her and prevent her from being caught in the chaos of war and unable to return to Tang.”

Li Tan couldn't help but tear up: "Whether my sister can escape this predicament depends on the mercy of our ancestors... And if she is not forced to commit suicide, whether she can return to her hometown safely depends entirely on Changwei!" As he spoke, he stood up and bowed deeply to Li Ji: "Changwei once rescued Consort Shen in Luoyang, and may be blessed with good fortune. I hope that this good fortune can be used to save my sister and bring her back."

Li Ji bowed to Li Tan, then immediately changed the subject, asking him about the defense situation in Longyou.

Li Tan replied, “Since the court sent Deputy Envoy Hun (Hun Shizhi), the heavy burden on my shoulders has been lightened, and I can entrust all military affairs to him. In particular, Deputy Envoy Hun said that he has summoned his son Rijin from Hedong. He is a young and fierce general who can fight ten thousand men—even if he is not as good as Changwei, I don’t think he is just making empty promises…”

Hun Shizhi had been in Longyou for more than half a month. Initially, he did not agree with the strategy of holding Shancheng and suggested that it would be better to abandon Shancheng and retreat to Xiaoxia. However, after conducting on-site inspections, repeatedly discussing with generals such as Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong, and inquiring in detail about the course of last year's battle, he felt that the risk was worth taking and that there was a good chance of winning.

However—"Unfortunately, there is no Li Erlang in Longyou. Unless there is a fierce general to guard Shancheng, the plan will not succeed!" Therefore, Hun Shi recommended his son Hun Rijin to Li Tan and requested that Hun Rijin be temporarily transferred from Li Guangbi's command to Longyou under the pretext of visiting relatives.

Li Ji said, "I have also heard of Hun Rijin's bravery, and he has fought against the barbarian bandits. I suppose his reputation is well-deserved. With the Hun family assisting Your Highness, I can be a little more at ease in the capital."

He only stayed in Shanzhou for one night and didn't see anyone else—including his deputy commander Hun Shizhi and his old friend Du Fu—before setting off again the next day, hurrying north to meet up with Li Chengcai. However, Li Ji specifically asked Li Tan for Ma Meng, the young soldier who had once guided him to the Uyghur camp—of course, he now held an official position, a ninth-rank official, leading fifty horsemen—to continue serving as his guide and interpreter.

They hurried north and arrived at Guzang to pay their respects to Zhou Ben, the deputy military governor of Hexi. However, upon inquiring, they learned that Li Chengcai had not yet arrived... Ultimately, the carriage traveled slowly, less than half the speed of Li Ji's non-stop journey. Li Ji could only patiently wait in Guzang, hoping for new news from the north.

It wasn't until five days later that Li Chengcai and his entourage arrived. Actually, Li Chengcai hadn't traveled particularly slowly—after all, it concerned the life or remains of the emperor's beloved daughter, so he dared not delay any longer—which resulted in them being exhausted and forced to rest for three more days upon entering Guzang City.

Then he set off with Li Ji, continuing their journey towards the grasslands and deserts.

The good news came along the way: according to merchants traveling from the south, Princess Ningguo was not forced to be buried alive with the emperor.

This matter caused quite a stir, and even merchants heard of it. It is said that not many days after the death of the valiant Khan, Yidijian hastily ascended the throne and immediately demanded that Princess Ningguo follow the custom of the Yaoluoge clan and commit suicide for her husband. However, the princess resolutely refused, saying:

“According to Chinese law, when a husband dies, his wife should mourn, weeping day and night for three years. Now that you Uyghurs have brought me into this world, you must admire Chinese customs and traditions. If you still want to follow old customs and traditions, why bother to bring me from thousands of miles away?!”

After repeated arguments, both sides eventually compromised. Yidijian no longer demanded that the princess be buried alive with him, while the princess, in accordance with Uyghur custom, had her face slashed and wept bitterly before the spirit of the mighty Khan.

The key issue is that although the old customs of the Uyghurs were barbaric, the Uyghurs, especially Yidijian, were not stupid. They knew that having a Tang princess buried alive with them could provoke resentment or even hostility from the Tang people. Although Yidijian did not value the friendship between the Tang and the Uyghurs as much as his father and grandfather, he had only recently ascended the throne and his power base was unstable. He was also worried that having a Tang princess buried alive with him would anger the pro-Tang chieftains and officials.

Especially since the eldest brother, Crown Prince Yabghu, is still alive, this matter will eventually be revealed to Yidijian. So, at this juncture, if some chieftains and officials are pushed away, Crown Prince Yabghu will surely embrace them. Isn't this like driving away birds to a thicket and fish to a deep pool?

Upon hearing this news, Li Ji finally calmed down a bit. Li Chengcai was even more delighted and ordered that they could finally slow down and not rush towards the grasslands any longer—the insides of my thighs were already chafed from riding horses these past few days.

Li Ji thought to himself, "You're not some pampered prince who doesn't have to worry about anything. This is your second time traveling to the Uyghur Khaganate. Why are you being so delicate?" He worried that the return of the Crown Prince of Yegu would trigger internal strife within the Uyghur Khaganate. Even if he ultimately failed, who knew what might happen in the chaos of war? He earnestly requested Li Chengcai not to delay and to continue advancing at the previous pace.

Li Chengcai naturally disagreed, but Li Ji was also reluctant to reveal anything about the Crown Prince of Yabghu—who knew how much this Prince of Dunhuang actually knew?—and in the end, he could only plead to let him go ahead and pave the way. Li Chengcai granted his request.

So Li Ji led Ma Meng and four Left Heroic Army knights, spurring their horses on, traveling day and night, and finally arrived at the Uyghur camp at the northern foot of Mount Wudejian half a month later. Upon arrival, they found the situation to be relatively stable, and it seemed that the Crown Prince Yabghu had not yet made a move.

He ignored Yidi Jian—because Yidi Jian was only a regent at the time and had not yet officially ascended the throne—and went directly to pay his respects to the Khatun, who was Princess Ningguo. Upon meeting her, he noticed that Princess Ningguo refused to reveal her true face, instead covering it with a piece of plain silk, presumably to conceal the scars on her face from the "scarring."

The thought of a beautiful and charming noblewoman who was disfigured and whose face was scarred countless times made Li Ji feel a pang of pain in his heart.

After paying his respects to the princess, he reminisced about their separation and discussed the current situation of the royal family. Afterward, Li Ji asked the princess to dismiss all other people, as he had a few words to say to her.

Although he hadn't yet decided whether to reveal the matter of the Crown Prince of Yehu to Princess Ningguo as a warning, Li Ji also wanted to inquire about the Uyghur situation in advance—whether things would descend into chaos, and when.

Princess Ningguo said, "Yidijian has not yet formally inherited the throne of Khan. In half a month, the leaders of all tribes must gather at the tent to elect a new Khan..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was taken aback—oh dear, the Uyghurs still use an election system? But if that's the case, how did the title of "Crown Prince" come about?

The Uyghur homeland was divided into nine clans, hence the name "Nine-Clan Uyghurs." Historically, the chieftain was elected by the clan elders. However, from the time Huai Ren Khan Guli Peiluo formally established the state and declared himself Khan, power gradually concentrated in the hands of the Yaoluoge clan, and the qualification to be a Khan gradually became the exclusive domain of the Yaoluoge clan.

To be more precise, the new Khan must be chosen from among the sons and nephews of the former Khan.

However, the Yaoluoge clan was a large clan, and even if the circle of successors was limited to the sons and nephews of the former Khan, the number was still considerable. Many of them had no chance of being elected, which would only dilute the votes and even cause political turmoil. Therefore, when the valiant Khan was alive, he devised a clever trick.

First, he abolished the left-right killing system inherited from the Turkic Empire. Although the Uyghur tribe and territory were still divided into three parts—the Khan leading the main tribe, and two of the four Yabghu (excluding the nominal fifth Yabghu, Li Chengcai) leading the eastern and western parts respectively—he specifically gave these two Yabghu positions to his own sons. Furthermore, he decreed that from then on, only the Khan's sons and nephews could lead the eastern and western parts.

Initially, he granted the position of Western Yabghu to his eldest son and the Eastern Yabghu to his second son. At that time, the eldest son was still favored, so the valiant Khan adopted the Tang Dynasty system and had people call him "Yabghu Crown Prince". This was tantamount to telling the leaders of various clans and tribes that after his death, the new Khan would be chosen from these two, and the "Yabghu Crown Prince" was the first in line.

In reality, this isn't much different from formally designating an heir; it's just a pretense of following old customs, using the guise of an election system. It's similar to having four presidential candidates: the incumbent president is the natural candidate, and the other three are also nominated by the incumbent president…

After his second son died young, the valiant Khan then placed his younger son, Yidijian, on the throne of the Eastern Yabghu. However, when the Khan began to consider deposing the eldest son and establishing the younger, it led to the Yabghu Crown Prince's rebellion, which failed and resulted in his escape. The valiant Khan then ordered Yidijian to be renamed "Crown Prince." But Yidijian, having long ruled the east, had no intention of relinquishing it and instead sought to take over his elder brother's western territories—even if he wanted to control both the east and west, he had to proceed gradually. Therefore, he retained control of the east, while the valiant Khan temporarily entrusted the west to his prime minister, Dunmohedagan.

—Dunmohedagan’s official title was “She”, which was one rank lower than that of Yehu.

Political system reform is never a matter of a single day or night, especially in the loosely organized Uyghur Khanate, where conservative forces were very strong. The valiant Khan's plan to change the tribal election system to a feudal succession system had not yet set a precedent. Therefore, after his death, although Yidijian immediately assumed the position of regent and claimed the title of successor Khan, he still had to summon the leaders and nobles of various clans and tribes to his tent to go through the motions.

However, in the name of the mighty Khan's dying wish, he limited the candidates for Khan to four people, including himself and his cousins, including Dunmohedagan.

Of the three, only Yidijian was the biological son of the valiant Khan, thus inheriting the former Khan's prestige and naturally surpassing Dunmohedagan. Dunmohedagan would never dare to compete with him. As for the other two, they were merely extras, playing supporting roles. Therefore, even before the Khan's election assembly was held, the result had already been predetermined.

However, Yi Dijian knew, and Li Ji also knew, that there was still an unstable factor, namely—the Crown Prince Yehu.

Although the Crown Prince Yabghu has been deposed, he has long ruled the west and has many supporters and sympathizers even in the Khan's own territory. If he were to suddenly return and compete with Yidijian, even if his chances of winning were slim, it would be enough to cause a great upheaval. This would be very detrimental to Yidijian's ability to secure the Khan's throne and unite the hearts of the Uyghurs.

The valiant Khan had taken this into consideration when appointing Dunmohedagan as the Western Chieftain; Yidijian even privately promised Dunmohedagan that once he formally ascended the throne, he would promote his cousin to Yabghu, and that the Western region would be truly governed for generations to come. Yidijian's descendants only held the position of Eastern Yabghu, meaning that only the one who held the position of Eastern Yabghu would be the true "Yabghu Crown Prince" and the heir to the Khanate.

However, Li Ji knew that Dunmohedagan actually sympathized with the Crown Prince of Yabghu... At least in terms of maintaining the friendship between Tang and He as an important national policy, Yidijian did not care, while Dunmohedagan fully supported it and judged that after returning from the Central Plains, the Crown Prince of Yabghu's political inclination began to shift towards his side.

So, if the Crown Prince of Yabghu suddenly appears in the west, who will Dunmohedagan support? If he changes his allegiance and supports the Crown Prince of Yabghu, will the power distribution within the Uyghur Khaganate be evenly split?

Li Ji naturally hoped that the Crown Prince of Yabghu would inherit the throne of the Uyghur Khan, because regardless of his actual political leanings, he had ultimately received favors from the Tang court, at least from Li Tan, and it would be inconvenient to quickly break ties with him—Yidijian might not be so. At the same time, however, he did not want the Uyghurs to be in complete turmoil or even split at this juncture.

In fact, the division of the northern nomadic states was highly beneficial to the Central Plains dynasties. The Sui and early Tang dynasties capitalized on the split between the Eastern and Western Turks, actively expanding their influence and ultimately eliminating the northern border threat. However, the problem was that the Central Plains were still in turmoil, the Tibetan Empire coveted the region, and the Uyghurs remained allies, not enemies. If the Uyghurs were to fall into internal strife, the Tang dynasty would not only be unable to expand its influence but would also lose a major ally. Furthermore, in the midst of internal strife, the various steppe tribes, lacking unified command, might very well launch southward raids!

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Chapter Fourteen: The Assassination Plot

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Li Ji felt deeply conflicted. He hoped that the Crown Prince Yabghu would eventually ascend to the throne of the Uyghur Khan, but he also hoped to limit the scale of this power struggle to a manageable level. However, given the Crown Prince Yabghu's abilities, it was estimated that it would be difficult for him to completely turn the tide in an instant...

In the end, he revealed all the relevant information to Princess Ningguo to seek her opinion—after all, as a Tang person, no one knew the inner workings of the Uyghurs better than the princess.

Princess Ningguo remained silent for a long time after hearing about this. Li Ji repeatedly asked her questions before she finally said slowly, "I am but a woman; how could I possibly understand such things?"

Li Ji hurriedly said, "So what if she's a woman? Didn't Empress Wu Zetian, a woman, rule from behind the throne and eventually become emperor? Besides, the customs of the Uyghurs are ultimately different from those of China. As the Khatun of the mighty Khan, the princess should have a certain say in political affairs. This matter concerns the relationship between the Tang and the Uyghurs, so I hope the princess will make her own decision."

Princess Ningguo thought for a moment before saying, "If it's for the sake of friendship between Tang and He... then in my opinion, it's best not to do anything."

"I humbly request Your Highness's guidance."

“Even if we help Prince Yehu, it will be difficult to succeed, and we might even offend Yidijian. If we help Yidijian, he is already certain of victory and may not appreciate our help. As Changwei said, fate is unpredictable and things are not always right. If we bet on the wrong horse, it will definitely damage our friendship with Tanghe.”

Li Ji remained silent, lost in thought.

The princess continued, “Rather than hastily getting involved in the conflict, it is better to observe from the sidelines. No matter which side wins, they will not blame me. If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, we can then use my authority as the Khatun, with the Tang Dynasty as our backing, to support the side that has the slight advantage, so that the turmoil will not last long and the Uyghurs can be restored to peace. This is a more prudent approach.”

Li Ji nodded and said, "Your Highness is right... However, Your Highness must also protect yourself and be careful not to be kidnapped by those who cause chaos."

Princess Ningguo smiled and said, "Originally there might have been some danger, but now that you, Changwei, are here, I have no worries." She immediately ordered Li Ji to temporarily serve as her bodyguard and set up a small tent next to the Khatun's sleeping tent so that he could be summoned at any time.

After bidding farewell to Princess Ningguo, Li Ji intended to visit Dunmohedagan to ascertain the prime minister's true intentions, but unexpectedly received a summons from Yidijian.

Upon entering the tent and looking up, I saw that this Yi Di Jian looked to be under thirty, not much older than me. He had a heroic appearance and deep eyes, and seemed to be someone not to be trifled with—he looked much more cunning than his brother.

Yi Dijian first inquired about the Tang envoy's situation, where he was currently, and how long it would take for him to reach the camp. Li Ji replied, "The journey is slow, and we cannot guarantee the time, but at most ten days, he should be able to arrive."

Yi Dijian frowned slightly: "It would be best to hurry—the election of the Khan will be held in six days. It would be an honor for the Uyghurs if the Tang envoy could come to attend the ceremony." Then he smiled: "I haven't seen my brother-in-law for a long time either, and I miss him dearly."

The "brother-in-law" he was referring to was naturally Li Chengcai, the Prince of Dunhuang. The valiant Khan married his daughter to Li Chengcai, who was then bestowed the title of "Princess Pijia" by the Tang Dynasty.

Then Yi Dijian asked Li Ji, "Did the Tang emperor send my brother-in-law here, besides to offer condolences, with an edict appointing the new Khan?"

Li Ji nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness will be conferred the title of Yingyi Khan." In his heart, he thought to himself, "Those muddle-headed officials, why didn't they do their research beforehand? Yidi Jian hasn't even officially ascended the throne yet, why are they in such a hurry to confer the title on him?" But then he thought again, perhaps the Uyghur messenger was sent by Yidi Jian himself, so he would definitely insist that Yidi Jian had already become the new Khan, and wouldn't mention the election meeting at all.

Upon hearing Li Ji's reply, Yi Dijian raised his eyebrows and his eyes lit up with joy. He then said, "You might have to go through some trouble to urge your brother-in-law to hurry up and get on the road."

Li Ji shook his head and said, "I have already accepted the appointment of the Khatun and will temporarily serve as his guard, so it is inconvenient for me to leave. You can send your troops to urge the Prince of Dunhuang." In fact, he intended to ask Li Chengcai to slow down and wait until things settled before coming to the Uyghur camp. As for whether the investiture decree would be read out at that time, it would depend on the situation.

Yidijian said unhappily, "Does my Uyghur tribe not have any warriors who can protect the Khatun? Why must you be left here?"

Li Ji replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, “I have heard that Di De is the greatest warrior of the Uyghurs, but I was fortunate enough to win a wrestling match against him outside Chang’an. Moreover, I have heard that many tribes do not approve of the marriage alliance between Tang and the Uyghurs. They are located on the frontier and are suppressed by the former Khan, so they naturally dare not act recklessly. However, their gathering at the royal tent may be detrimental to the princess. Therefore, the princess specially left me to protect her.”

Yi Dijian shook his head: "Dide is nothing compared to the top Uyghur tribe... at most, he's only the top in his own tribe..."

Li Ji immediately said, "Then it is even more worrying. Even Your Highness should not underestimate the importance of personal protection!"

These words left Yi Dijian speechless. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Very well, then you may go down and quickly send someone to urge your brother-in-law."

Just as Li Ji was about to take his leave, Yi Dijian called him back and said, "Please tell my brother-in-law that the Uyghur chieftain will always have a place; if I go to Chang'an to meet the emperor in the future, I will need him to be my guide."

This is a subtle way of saying that after he ascends the throne, he will never break the alliance between Tang and He, and may even lower himself to come to the court to pay homage directly—do you think Li Ji believed this?

He went out to find Dunmohedagan again, but was told that the prime minister was busy preparing the venue for the assembly to elect the Khan in six days and was temporarily unable to meet him. Helpless, Li Ji had no choice but to give up.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Tribal leaders from all directions arrived, and the foothills of Mount Udejian were packed with people, resembling a bustling marketplace. However, despite Li Ji's daily patrols and vigilance around the Khatun's tent, he always felt that while the defenses of each tribe appeared relaxed on the outside, they were tight on the inside. Although they weren't as on high alert as he was, they were still very cautious in monitoring and protecting the moving people. He couldn't help but secretly praise Dunmohedagan—what a talented man!

That evening, Princess Ningguo summoned Li Ji to her tent again and asked him, "These past few days, I have sent people to investigate in many ways, but there has been no news of the Crown Prince Yehu... Has he really returned to the Uyghur Khaganate?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "That's hard to say. Maybe the Crown Prince Yehu encountered some bandits on his way here and got killed... or maybe he was secretly arrested and executed by Yidi Jian... If even you can easily find out the Crown Prince Yehu's whereabouts, how could you possibly hide it from Yidi Jian?"

After a moment's thought, he said, "I've been pondering this for the past few days. If I were in your shoes, as the Crown Prince of Yehu, what would I do?"

The princess asked, "What would you do?"

Li Ji lowered his voice and replied, "If we were to rally our old troops to rebel and formally split the Uyghur Khaganate to fight against Yidijian, Di De once told me that the Crown Prince of Yabghu has less than a 20% chance of winning... Moreover, we must act before the assembly convenes, otherwise, once Yidijian is supported by the various tribes and formally ascends the throne of Khan, there will be even more officials and generals who will side with him. At that time, I'm afraid we won't even have a 10% chance of winning..."

"However, the Crown Prince of Yabghu is unwilling to give up, and it's unlikely he'll miss this opportunity to plan a later move. So, after much thought, I've come to only one method where I can hope for a stroke of luck..."

The princess's words clearly revealed a hint of curiosity: "What method?"

Li Ji gritted his teeth: "The only way is to kill Yi Di Jian at the conference!"

Upon hearing this, the princess shuddered slightly: "You mean, he will send someone to assassinate Yi Di Jian?!"

Li Ji said, “Exactly. Now that the conference is about to begin, everyone from Yidijian down to the rank of minister, including all the other officials, will be fully armored and surrounded by guards, making it difficult to find a good opportunity for assassination. But when the conference is held and all the dignitaries gather, the good and the bad will be mixed together, and order will be difficult to maintain. That might give Crown Prince Yehu a chance. However…”

"Just what?"

“If Dunmohedagan has already secretly colluded with the Crown Prince of Yabghu, there is no need to wait until the conference to assassinate Yidijian. If there is no collusion, even at the conference, one will still need to get past him first… I have repeatedly requested to see Dunmohedagan in order to find out his intentions, but I have always been blocked outside the tent.”

The princess said, "Yi Di Jian is no ordinary person. If you can think of this, he must also be on guard. I think the chances of Crown Prince Yehu are slim."

Li Ji nodded, thinking to himself, "After all, I'm not a Uyghur, nor have I ever risen to the ranks of the nobility. So I have no idea how the Uyghurs will resolve this issue—whether they'll resort to intrigue or ruthless measures." Moreover, logically speaking, the valiant Khan only has two sons left. With Yidijianruo dead, the Crown Prince of Yabghu is the natural choice for the new Khan; but he was once in exile. Does his right to succession and the order of succession still hold true for the Uyghurs?

He said, "Let's not worry about them. I will only protect Your Highness. Your Highness must also be careful. At tomorrow's assembly, do not act rashly and do not leave my sight." But he always felt that something bad would most likely happen at tomorrow's assembly.

Princess Ningguo nodded, and Li Ji immediately took his leave of the tent. However, someone came to call him: "The Prime Minister invites Mr. Li to come over for a chat."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Oh, he finally remembered to see me!" He immediately followed the messenger. Upon entering the tent, he saw that Dunmohedagan looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes—probably exhausted from arranging the conference these past few days. He asked Li Ji first, "You've wanted to see me so many times, what is it about?"

Li Ji could not directly admit that he "wanted to find out your intentions," so he could only say, "I have been ordered by the Khatun to temporarily serve as his bodyguard, so I request an audience with the Prime Minister. I wonder where the Khatun sits at the grand assembly according to custom? Is there anything he needs to do or say?"

Dunmohedagan shook his head and said, "No need, the Khatun can attend the ceremony." After a pause, he added, "The Khagan (referring to Yidijian, who, although not officially enthroned, is already referred to as such by many people) told me the other day that he hoped his seat could be placed next to the Khatun's.

Li Ji frowned slightly: "Are you trying to leverage the power of the Khatun?"

Dunmoheda chuckled dryly: "Actually, it's not just about relying on the Khatun, but also about relying on you!"

Li Ji was taken aback, but then he understood—it seemed that Yi Dijian had overheard his boasting a few days ago about defeating Di De and kept it in mind. He was also worried that there might be assassins during the conference, so he wanted to stay closer to him for protection.

Furthermore, if he were seated near Princess Ningguo, the assassin might accidentally injure her if he rushed in. Given the risk of harming her, he would be hesitant and his chances of success would be greatly reduced.

What a brilliant plan!

He replied coldly, "I only protect the Khatun."

Dunmoheda nodded: "Very well." Then he waved his hand and ordered his men to leave.

The tent flap had just fallen when suddenly footsteps sounded, and another person slowly emerged from behind the screen behind Dunmohedagan. Li Ji stared intently and couldn't help but gasp—it was the Crown Prince of Yabghu!

As expected, Dunmohedagan not only colluded with him, but also went directly to his side.

As soon as the Crown Prince of Yabghu came out, Dunmohedagan hurriedly stepped aside. The Crown Prince of Yabghu nodded to him, then walked up to Li Ji, sat down cross-legged, and grabbed Li Ji's wrist: "It has been a long time since we parted last year, and I have missed you very much."

Li Ji sighed softly and replied, "Your Highness, you shouldn't have returned to the grasslands."

The Crown Prince Yehu raised his eyebrows: "If I do not return today, I fear I will never have another chance in this life!"

“However, Dide told me that your chances of winning are less than 20%.” As he spoke, Li Ji glanced sideways at Dunmohedagan, thinking to himself that with this prime minister added to the mix, he wondered how high the odds would be.

Crown Prince Yabghu said, "It's not entirely hopeless. If I can kill Yidijian, the officials will naturally elect me as Khan!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Just as I expected—does the Crown Prince intend to send someone to assassinate Yi Di Jian at tomorrow's assembly?"

The Crown Prince sighed, “That was the original plan, but Yidijian insisted on sitting close to the Khatun, which means you, Li Ji, are right next to him… Dide once told me that your skills are unmatched among the Uyghur tribes, so if you were to help Yidijian, the assassins would have a hard time succeeding—but Dide isn’t here.”

Li Ji thought to himself, "Even if Di De is here, it won't work. He's a general, and too many people recognize his face. How could he possibly get into the meeting?" But he said aloud, "I just told the prime minister that I will only protect the Khatun."

A glint flashed in the eyes of the Crown Prince Yehu, and he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "If you are willing to lend me a hand, taking Yidijian's head will be a piece of cake! After it is done, I will keep my promise and appoint you as Right Assassin, giving you actual control of the western Uyghur region! I also promise that we will be friendly with Tang for generations to come and never break our alliance!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down and glanced sideways at Dunmohedagan. He saw that the prime minister had his eyes downcast, seemingly having heard nothing and showing no reaction.

Li Ji said, “I am a Tang person. If I were to harm the Uyghur Khan… or the prince, I would surely incur the hatred of the Uyghurs. Not only would it implicate the Khatun, but it would also leave a grudge. How could the Tang and the Uyghurs maintain harmony for long? Your Highness, please do not take such a drastic measure!”

The Crown Prince of Yabghu laughed and said, "Are you worried that I might harm you or even the Khatun afterward, and that I would hand you over to appease the anger of the tribal leaders? Rest assured, I am wholeheartedly committed to maintaining the Tanghe Alliance, how could I do such a thing?" As he spoke, he raised his right hand: "I swear to Heaven and all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that everything I have said today is true, and I will never break my promise, otherwise—I will surely be torn to pieces and die!"