Chapter 4: Chaos in Times of Turmoil (IV)

Eunuch Zhu Gui arrived in Yangzhou last night. After resting for a night, he rushed to the residence of the military commander early this morning to deliver the imperial edict issued by the emperor. Yet, General Li, the military commander, somehow refused to meet with him, which greatly annoyed Zhu Gui.

It wasn’t a big deal if he didn’t show respect—after all, Zhu Gui was just an eunuch. But Zhu Gui was there to deliver an imperial order, meaning he could be considered half an imperial envoy. Wasn’t General Li’s behavior disrespectful to the emperor?

The more Zhu Gui thought about it, the angrier he became. He pulled out the tea leaves stuck between his teeth, snorted coldly, and said sarcastically, “Your General Li truly has a high status—yet it’s so difficult for him to meet such a lowly eunuch as me. I’ve served the emperor for many years and met countless famous ministers and generals, but I’ve never seen anyone as outstanding as General Li.”

Dou Qing, who was standing by, quickly tried to appease him with a smile, saying, “Oh, Eunuch Zhu, don’t say that. Our general is just very busy with military affairs. He’s been working all night without even washing up. I’m sure he’ll come to see you soon!”

Dou Qing was quite cunning. Seeing Zhu Gui getting angry, he quickly handed over a basket of flattering words to temporarily calm his fury. These eunuchs were truly hard to deal with! Though their status was low, they were close to the emperor. Offending them could lead to constant complaints from the emperor—just that alone would be enough to trouble one!

These eunuchs, lacking physical completeness, often had extremely volatile temperaments and would get angry over trivial matters. One must not take them seriously and should proceed slowly when dealing with them.

“It’s not that I’m being sensitive. It’s just that General Li’s behavior goes against the duties of a loyal subject!”

Seeing Dou Qing’s skillful words, Zhu Gui’s anger subsided a bit. He continued, “Regardless of anything else, isn’t your general’s current position thanks to the emperor’s favor? One should know how to repay kindness and not wait until they’re on the brink of disaster to remember their benefactors!”

Zhu Gui gently scraped the foam off his tea with the lid and said, “I’m just a beggar in the palace. It’s easy to tell who can become high-ranking officials and who isn’t favored. Believe me, sometimes even a small action can change a person’s fate.”

Though impatient, Dou Qing still smiled and bowed, saying, “Indeed. One must remain humble. To be honest, our general has a very kind nature. Everyone, from his soldiers to his friends, praises him highly.”

“Hey, look, look! I told you you’d misunderstand, didn’t I? The most important thing for an official is to assess the situation and seize opportunities—not to act nice everywhere.”
Zhu Gui waved his hand and said, “Forget it. You won’t understand even if I explain more. When your general arrives, I’ll talk to him personally. Tsk tsk, such a promising general—I don’t want to see him fail like this.”
Dou Qing was already furious, wishing only that this talkative eunuch would finish delivering the decree and leave quickly.
At that moment, footsteps were heard outside the flower hall—it must be Li Kuo…
“I’m going to die! I’m really going to die!”
Zhu Gui, holding his fingers together like a lotus shape, complained to Li Kuo, “It’s almost the twelfth lunar month, and the weather is getting colder. I’ve traveled thousands of miles from Chang’an and spent over ten days to reach Yangzhou. I’m almost frozen solid. And you, General Li, just leave me here alone.”
As soon as Li Kuo arrived outside the flower hall, he heard Zhu Gui and Dou Qing’s conversation. He could only smile helplessly and say, “Eunuch Zhu is right. I was resting just now, which is why I neglected you. I hope you won’t mind.”
Zhu Gui didn’t intend to trouble Li Kuo, so his tone softened upon seeing Li Kuo’s polite attitude. But after such a long journey, he felt he deserved some compensation for his exhausted body.
“I told you! General Li is sensible!”
Zhu Gui somehow produced a white handkerchief and waved it in the air. “General Li, um, I’ve recently encountered some…”
Before he could finish, Li Kuo interrupted with a smile, “Eunuch Zhu, you’ve traveled so far to deliver the decree—I’m deeply grateful. I’ve prepared a small gift for you. Please accept it.”
With that, he took a brocade box from Dou Qing and handed it to Zhu Gui.
Seeing Li Kuo’s gesture, Zhu Gui was overjoyed, his eyes narrowing almost to slits.
“Oh, oh, General Li, why go to such lengths? I’m just an ordinary person—what use is all this for me?”
Though he said that, Zhu Gui quickly snatched the brocade box and opened it.
“Hiss!”
As soon as he opened the box, a green glow blinded him. Inside was a beautifully shaped jade ruyi made of top-quality material. Having served the emperor in the palace all his life, Zhu Gui had seen many rare treasures, but this jade ruyi was truly exceptional.
And it was meant for him—for Zhu Gui himself.
“General Li, you’re too kind!”

Zhu Gui’s worried expression vanished instantly, his eyes forming a crescent shape: “If there’s anything you need help with in the future, General Li, just speak up. You’ve made a friend now!”
“A mere small gift—just as long as Eunuch Zhu likes it.”
Li Kuo nodded slightly and said, “I heard Eunuch Zhu is here to deliver an imperial edict?”
“Ah, isn’t that right? If not for this matter, I could wait forever.”
Zhu Gui sighed, glanced around, and seeing that all the preparations for receiving the edict were in place, he cleared his throat a few times and said, “How about I read out the Emperor’s decree first? That way, you’ll have a clear idea, and I’ll have completed my task.”
“Please do!”
Li Kuo extended his arm in a gesture of respect toward Zhu Gui and smiled gently.
“Cough, cough!”
Zhu Gui cleared his throat and suddenly became solemn, declaring, “Li Kuo, Commander of the Jianghuai Troops and Governor of Shule, receive the imperial edict!”
Hearing this, Li Kuo solemnly lifted the hem of his robe and knelt down, saying, “Your servant Li Kuo receives the edict!”
“The barbarian rebel Lu Shan has risen in rebellion, and the counties in Hebei have all defected at his approach. Within ten days, his army has reached the Eastern Capital. Now, his 200,000 troops are besieging the Eastern Capital. Deeply concerned, I have sent Bi Sichen to Luoyang to recruit troops for defense, to work alongside Generals Gao and Feng… Yet Lu Shan is cunning and adept at devising stratagems. To ensure the safety of the capital, Chang’an, I hereby appoint you as General for Suppressing the Barbarians and Duke of Protecting the Nation. You are ordered to lead the troops of Jianghuai at once to the capital to assist in defending it—no delays allowed. So be it!”
With a resonant and authoritative tone, this imperial edict embodied the supreme dignity of the Tang Emperor, allowing no room for doubt.