Chapter 38: The Beginning of Chaos (IV)

The autumn wind was brisk, and the moon hung high in the sky.
After meeting Shi Siming, the second-in-command in the Fanyang region, he returned to his residence to rest. Yet this encounter did not bring him peace. After undressing, Lu Ji lay on his back on the bed, pondering everything that had happened since his arrival in Fanyang City.
It was all extremely suspicious!
It was already past November. If things continued like this, it would drag on until the New Year!
As an imperial envoy sent by the emperor, he should have received a warm welcome from An Lushan, the military governor of Fanyang. But ever since An Lushan sent his men to lead him to his residence, he had completely ignored him, refusing to give him any chance to deliver the imperial edict.
If his visit to Fanyang were for personal reasons, it might be acceptable, but he carried an imperial mandate. An Lushan was so arrogant as to dare refuse to accept it! In the world, only two kinds of people dare to confront the most powerful person in the realm—madmen or those who are fearless.
An Lushan was certainly not a madman; thus, he must belong to the latter category.
Could it be that he truly had rebellious intentions? If so, it would be better for him to find a chance to escape Fanyang. At worst, he could return to Chang’an and shift all the blame onto An Lushan. Surely the emperor would not investigate further…
The more Lu Ji thought about it, the angrier he became. He pulled the blanket over his head and fell into a deep sleep.
There was no conversation that night…
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lu Zhao, the bodyguard, prepared hot water for washing and woke his master.
Preoccupied with serious matters, how could Lu Ji sleep well? With sleepy eyes, he forced himself to sit up, feeling a headache, dizziness, and exhaustion throughout his body.
“What time is it?”
Lu Ji grabbed a cloth soaked in warm water, wiped his face, and asked softly.
Lu Zhao treated his master with utmost respect. He bowed slightly and said, “Sir, it’s already the hour of Chen.”
Hearing this, Lu Ji frowned unhappily. “The hour of Chen? Why didn’t you wake me earlier? Weren’t you supposed to wake me at the hour of Mao?”
Startled, Lu Zhao knelt down and said, “Sir, I thought you were too exhausted and didn’t want to disturb you. It’s all my fault. Punish me severely if you wish.”
Lu Ji didn’t really intend to punish Lu Zhao. He just waved his hand and asked, “Never mind. Did anyone come to see me while I was sleeping?”
After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhao replied, “Yes, General Tian, who is friendly with you, came around the hour of Yin. But perhaps he saw that the lights were out and didn’t enter. Later, near the hour of Mao, another general of unknown name came and knocked on the door.”

Lu Ji was greatly puzzled upon hearing this and said, “You didn’t invite them in?”
Lu Zhao replied, “My lord, as you well know, they are generals of the fourth or fifth rank in the court. I’m just a bodyguard—how could I even engage in conversation with them?”
“Hmm, that does make some sense.”
With a light response, Lu Ji continued, “But why would they come to see me at this time?”
It wasn’t strange that Lu Ji was suspicious—after all, at this moment, in this land of Youyan, probably no one would risk arousing An Lushan’s suspicion just to make friends with him, a court envoy.
Just as Lu Ji was still undecided, the door suddenly rang.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
Lu Ji’s heart leaped to his throat. With the help of his bodyguard Lu Zhao, he staggered toward the door.
“Creak!”
Along with a soft sound, the carved wooden door opened, revealing a strange face before Lu Ji.
“Are you Lord Lu, the vice minister of Rites and a court envoy?”
The man bowed to Lu Ji, but there wasn’t the slightest trace of respect in his expression.
Under normal circumstances, faced with such a rude person, Lu Ji would have already thrown a punch at him. But now, he had to watch An Lushan’s reactions—how could he dare to be aggressive?
“Hehe, this is indeed Lu Ji. May I ask your name, honorable sir?”
Lu Ji stroked his beard gently and smiled deeply.
“Oh, I’m not worthy of such honor!”
The man pushed his hands together and said, “I’m the head of General An’s personal guard. I’m here to inform you that our general wants to see you.”
His tone was extremely arrogant, leaving Lu Ji no chance to choose. Yet Lu Ji remained unfazed and said, “Oh? General An wants to see me? When and where? I’ll go right away after finishing my preparations.”
“No need! Our general isn’t asking you to act as a host. What’s the use of dressing up neatly? Come with me now!”
Without caring about Lu Ji’s feelings, the guard pulled him out of the hall forcefully…
Broad-shouldered, with a round waist, a full beard, phoenix-like eyes, and protruding ears—this was Lu Ji’s first impression of An Lushan, the military governor of the Pinglu, Fanyang, and Hedong regions.
To be honest, such an appearance often gave the impression of honesty and integrity. Yet it was precisely this seemingly honest man who was now causing turmoil in the Tang court!
Even the emperor, who had always favored An Lushan, now suspected him and was eager to summon him back to the capital to “report on his duties.”
Of course, the situation had reached this point partly because of An Lushan’s growing influence, but more so because he failed to restrain himself and used his position for personal gain.

Of course, Lu Ji would never dare say such things to An Lushan. In fact, ever since he entered An Lushan’s study, he had been holding his breath, waiting for An Lushan to speak first. As an old hand in the political arena, Lu Ji still possessed some basic skills in social interaction. In politics, sometimes going straight ahead doesn’t work; problems that seem incredibly complex can be solved easily with a slight detour. This is essentially what “solving problems indirectly” means. The more you want to accomplish something, the more you should appear indifferent, so as to gain the greatest advantage. Sure enough, it was An Lushan who spoke first. “Your Excellency, I’m sorry for the wait. I’ve been too busy with military affairs and couldn’t free myself; otherwise, I wouldn’t dare neglect you like this!” An Lushan’s lips curled slightly as he flashed his signature smile, though his cheeks were covered with fleshy protrusions, making the smile appear extremely insincere. Lu Ji was slightly taken aback and said, “How could Your Highness say that? It’s well-known to everyone that Your Highness is busy with military affairs. It doesn’t bother me at all.” He really didn’t expect An Lushan to use his status as a prince to pressure him, which significantly reduced the authority of his own position as an imperial envoy. Such psychological tactics were common in politics, but using them against an imperial envoy showed just how bold An Lushan was. “Lord Lu truly lives up to being an imperial envoy from Chang’an. I truly admire your magnanimity!” An Lushan said softly, nodding slightly. Note 1: Tu Ye Er: An ancient term referring to a male prostitute.