Chapter 59: Seeking a Way Across (1)

In life, things often go contrary to one’s wishes, and everyone has the right to make their own choices. Even if such a choice is hard for your brothers and family to accept, even if it may seem absurd at first glance—Li Kuo chose understanding and tolerance. This was not a pretense of goodwill but a sincere expression of gratitude. The departure of Sun Cheng and the others would not shake the young man’s resolve; on the contrary, it would strengthen it. He was simply too determined, too unwilling to accept fate—needing no disguise, nor able to conceal it.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Li Kuo put a lot of effort into preparing for Li Linfu’s birthday banquet. From the gifts to be presented to the bodyguards to accompany him, everything had to be carefully considered. He had no doubt that Li Linfu would invite him—firstly, because he was currently in high favor, and Li Linfu would surely take advantage of this to gain a reputation for mentoring the younger generation. Secondly, their secret rivalry had been widely discussed recently, and Li Linfu needed to prove through generous actions that their relationship was harmonious.

As expected, three days before the birthday, the young man received an invitation from Li Linfu’s residence. After discussing it with his brothers, he finalized his plan. Too many people would arouse suspicion in Li Linfu, while too few would hinder the execution of his plans. Seven people—just seven.

Zhang Yanji, Zhou Wucui, Dou Qing, Pu Dachui, Wang Xiaochun, Xianyu Yucheng… And who else? Naturally, the genuine Shen Er!

To carry out the plan perfectly, it was essential to know Li Linfu’s habits and routines. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can never be defeated. The banquet was merely a pretext, providing an excuse for everyone to get close to the old scoundrel. When and how to act depended on Li Linfu’s movements. His third brother had said that in a secret rivalry, it was clues and intelligence that mattered most.

What did Li Linfu like to do after the banquet? Would he go back to rest or do something else? Drunk, his nature would change—he might indulge with one of his wives or stay in a certain courtyard. How many guards did he have around him? Were there any weaknesses or gaps to exploit? These seemingly simple questions were crucial to the success of the operation, and Li Kuo dared not take them lightly.

All of this would naturally be handled by Shen Er.

In fact, when Shen Er delivered a letter to Li Kuo via a homing pigeon, the young man couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

It turned out that Li Linfu would act and think in such a way. But it was too late—he harbored an irreconcilable hatred toward this man, and only one of them could survive.
The young man smiled bitterly. Even a prime minister was human, after all, and everyone had their joys and sorrows!…
The final gift chosen was a poem titled “Songs of the Frontier” written by Zhang Xu, the sage of calligraphy. The poem itself was by Gao Shi, his uncle, while the calligraphy was by Zhang Jiu, the senior official in charge of calligraphy. Such a perfect combination of art and literature would surely delight even Li Linfu, who held supreme power and possessed everything. (Note 1) Thinking of his uncle’s pained expression, Li Kuo found it amusing. It was just a piece of calligraphy, yet what scholars truly valued was fame and prestige.
When the seven men and seven horses arrived at Pingkang Fang, the crowd celebrating the birthday had already surrounded Li’s residence tightly. There were high-ranking officials, ministers of various departments, as well as princes, dukes, and marquises. There were even barbarian military commanders and frontier generals.
It was a place of excess and luxury, filled with music and celebration—this was the residence of Li Linfu, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, funded by the people’s hard-earned money.
Illusions? Delusions?
No, this was indeed what was happening right before their eyes.
In this Tang court, where status was determined by seniority, Li Linfu seemed well-deserved in having so many officials and nobles support him.
Li Xiu stood at the entrance of the residence to welcome the guests. As Li Linfu’s favored son, he had already reached the position of head of the Honglu Temple and was seen as the future hope of the Li family. Aside from his second uncle, Li Linhe, almost no one could threaten his future position as head of the family. Although he wasn’t the legitimate son, what did that matter?
To speak disrespectfully, how many of the emperors sitting in the Daming Palace, facing north, were legitimate eldest sons?
Power was like roasted deer meat—always taken by those who were strong enough to claim it.
Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Li Xiu’s lips. The Li family would ultimately be in his hands!
“Young Master Li, what makes you so happy?”
Li Kuo dismounted from his horse and walked quickly toward the main entrance.
“Oh, it’s General Li! I’ve long heard of your fame!”
Seeing that it was Li Kuo, Li Xiu’s lips twitched slightly as he forced a smile.
“I’ve long heard of General Li’s reputation. You’ve made great contributions to expanding the country’s territory—truly a hero!”
Li Xiu really didn’t understand why his grandfather had invited him to the banquet. That man should have died long ago! If not for Gao Xiuyan’s incompetence, there wouldn’t be so many problems. As for that damned monk Wu Jie, whatever agreement he proposed was worthless. Did a defeated foreign country even deserve to negotiate terms?
Li Xiu sneered inwardly, but his expression remained smiling.

“My father often praises the general to me, saying we should learn from him more.”
“The Prime Minister truly serves the country wholeheartedly.”
Li Kuo generously showered him with compliments and nodded firmly.
“General, please forgive my boldness, but are your personal guards’ swords…”
Li Xiu, with keen eyes, had already noticed the swords at everyone’s waists and ‘kindly’ gave a reminder.
“Of course!”
Li Kuo smiled and first handed his black sword to a servant from the Li family. Seeing this, the others, though dissatisfied, also removed their weapons and handed them over to the Li family’s servants.
“General Li is truly reasonable. Come, please come inside!”
Li Xiu invited him with one arm, stepping ahead by half a pace to lead the way.
The young man smiled faintly in return.
He had arrived. He was finally here. Was it time to avenge family and country?
In front of the young man lay a rushing river, its surface covered in mist. Yet no bridge could be seen in the fog; to cross the river, he would have to find another bend. A floating bridge, two light boats, or a row of rafts seemed to be his only options.
Find a way to cross—where?
The young man had no other choice. Even if he had to swim alone, he must settle this matter today and save himself. (Note 2)
Note 1: Zhang Xu: A famous calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, known as the “Sage of Cursive Script.” He once served as the chief of the imperial guards and was one of the Eight Immortals of Wine.
Note 2: Crossing a river by swimming. It’s very dangerous and is rarely used in large-scale military campaigns unless absolutely necessary.