Chapter 34: Passing Years (1)

Despite being prepared, Li Kuo was still shocked when Dong Zhongfu revealed the rebels’ plans in detail. According to Dong Zhongfu, the rebels did not intend to expand quickly south of the Huai River but would first capture Tongguan. This was understandable—after all, Chang’an was the heart of the dynasty, and capturing it would deal a severe blow to the Tang court’s confidence. Yet Dong Zhongfu also emphasized that the rebels would not send all their forces to attack Tongguan; instead, they would distract the Tang troops in Guanzhong while borrowing troops from the Uyghurs to put pressure on the Tang forces.
If what he said was true, the Tang Dynasty would face a life-or-death test!
Recently, news came that Yan Gaoqing and his sons, who had risen in rebellion in Changshan, were under fierce attack by the rebel general Shi Siming. The seventeen prefectures that had initially joined them surrendered one after another after Shi Siming claimed to return to the capital. Only Yan Gaoqing and his sons in Changshan continued to resist, with the rebels almost having regained all lost territory in Hebei.
In the capital region, major cities such as Luoyang, Dengfeng, Xingyang, and Gongxian had all fallen to the rebels. As for cities near the capital like Changshui and Yiyang, though still under the control of the court, An Lushan could easily march westward at any time to crush them.
Apart from Shi Siming’s 80,000 elite troops, An Lushan had another 120,000 troops near Luoyang. He had enough strength to seize more cities and exert pressure on the Tang court.
Li Kuo wasn’t worried that Dong Zhongfu was lying—after all, someone who valued his life above everything, like Dong Zhongfu, wouldn’t risk lying. However, whether the rebels had revealed their plans to Dong Zhongfu was another matter.
“Seventh Brother, still planning the next move?”
Zhou Wucui had somehow brought in two roasted chickens and handed one to Li Kuo. “A man should relax sometimes. We’ve just won a big battle; it’s time to take a break.”
Without hesitation, Zhou Wucui took a bite of his roasted chicken and began chewing it contentedly.
“As the old saying goes, there’s always a way out. Pressuring yourself like this isn’t helpful. After all, this war won’t end in a day or two.”
Zhou Wucui tried to speak in a gentle tone to keep both of them rational. But judging from what Li Kuo had done lately, he seemed to have gone too far.
“Do I not want to rest? It’s just that the rebels are currently very strong. I’m afraid the court might make a foolish mistake and let that bastard An Lushan take advantage of it.”

Li Kuo had no appetite to eat. He casually placed the roasted chicken on the tray and said, “I heard that Chang’an isn’t peaceful these days either. All those immortals are using An Lushan’s rebellion as an excuse to suppress those who oppose them, busy as ever.”

Zhou Wucui tore off a piece of chicken skin and sneered irritably, “You really care about too many things. Didn’t you say that the immortals in Chang’an are extremely busy? We mere insignificant people shouldn’t get involved in their nonsense. Even if An Lushan really captures Chang’an, it should be those immortals who suffer—what does it have to do with us? This tiny Tangzhou City probably isn’t even worth An Lushan’s attention.”

Li Kuo smiled and said, “What? Talking nonsense again? Although our family isn’t in Chang’an now, many of the brothers from the Copper and Iron Army still live in the capital area. Besides, after living in Chang’an for so many years, don’t you really have any feelings at all?”

Zhou Wucui ripped off a piece of chicken thigh meat angrily and said, “Immortals have their carefree lives, while us insignificant people have roasted chicken to eat. Since they can’t adapt to living only on roasted chicken, they have to scheme to maintain their comfortable lives—it’s their own fault! Unlike me, who has no great ambitions and is satisfied with just having roasted chicken and wine!”

Seeing his friend say such angry words, Li Kuo didn’t know what to say for a moment.

“Take Xingyang as an example. My Zhou family has been a prominent family in Xingyang since the Jin Dynasty. It thrived through previous dynasties like Sui and the current dynasty. Even now that Xingyang has been captured by rebels, they’re still living well, aren’t they? You don’t need to worry about those immortals. They have their own ways of surviving. Even if their masters change, they’ll still live comfortably.”

Li Kuo was both angry and amused. “Do you think I’m worried about those immortals? I’m just afraid that once Chang’an falls, the rebels will massacre the city in their fury. Then, with killing, looting, and destruction, the entire region of Qinchuan might turn into a hellish place. As for those immortals—whether they live comfortably or not, what does it have to do with me?”

“You’re so concerned about the country and its people. But I must remind you that even if the rebels don’t invade Chang’an, it’s not as perfect as you think. Do you think wider streets mean peace and prosperity? Do you think well-organized markets mean safety at night? Inside those luxurious homes, there’s still rotten food, and by the roads, there are still people dying of cold. The utopian world in your mind is just an illusion!”

As Zhou Wucui spoke, he too grew angry and sneered, “I almost forgot—your grandfather was once the Left Prime Minister of our Tang Dynasty court, and his ancestors were the eldest sons of Emperor Taizong. How could our humble status as children of common families compare to that? Even though your grandfather had his title stripped away back then, you must still be proud of having imperial blood in your veins, right? What do you say? Don’t get upset with me—aren’t you? If not, why would you willingly push Yanji to Anxi? If not, why have you completely forgotten the oath we made as brothers back then?”
He was no longer the naive youth of days; having thought more over the years, misunderstandings were inevitable. Over the years, they had endured countless hardships beyond what ordinary people could imagine, always supporting each other shoulder to shoulder. Now that one of them was suddenly gone, it was no wonder Zhou Wucui felt upset.
“If you’re upset, are you taking it out on me? Do you really think I wanted Yanji to leave? It was an imperial order, an order from the emperor himself. Do you expect me to become another An Lushan?”
Li Kuo’s pent-up anger flared up instantly as well, and he snapped, “Do you think I’m just a privileged scion who only cares about the royal court? Do you think I’m a selfish wretch? If that’s the case, why would you have approached me back then and sworn brotherhood with me? Did you, Young Master Zhou, go blind and take a fancy to me, a good-for-nothing?”
“You know the answer yourself—no need for me to say more!”
Feeling guilty, Zhou Wucui turned away and fell silent.
Of course, Li Kuo wasn’t a good-for-nothing, nor was he selfish—Zhou Wucui knew that. In fact, aside from that useless status as a member of the imperial family, Li Kuo had no connection to any noble families. It was precisely because he hadn’t received a single bit of favor from the court or noble families that he spoke in favor of them, which angered Zhou Wucui so much.
Zhou Wucui was defending Li Kuo, yet he couldn’t even see it himself!
Li Kuo and Zhou Wucui were close friends, and both knew each other’s temperaments well. But it was precisely because of this that some unresolved tensions arose between them.
Over time, these tensions would mold and, if not handled properly, could even lead to corruption.
Silence—silence wasn’t a solution, but it was the best delay when both sides were overheating with anger.
They just kept stalling, from afternoon to dusk, from dusk to late at night.
“It’s my fault regarding Yanji’s matter.”
In the end, it was Li Kuo who spoke first.

“Maybe I should have been firmer back then and found an excuse to turn down the Chinese envoy…” Li Kuo said painfully, supporting his forehead with one hand.
“Qilang, you don’t need to say more. I understand.” Zhou Wucui handed the half-eaten, cold roast chicken to Li Kuo and said, “Actually, the backgrounds and circumstances of the three of us are different. It’s really not easy for us to end up together. As for Yan Ji, he’s the typical son of wealthy parents. At first, I was extremely reluctant when you asked me to become sworn brothers with him, but in the end, didn’t we still make it through together, though with many difficulties? Brother, what is a brother? Isn’t a brother meant to ‘trap’ each other? (Note 1) That guy might be a bit arrogant sometimes, but overall, he’s becoming more manly. Well, I’m just not used to him not being around right now. Hmm, let’s eat the roast chicken. Look, because of our argument, we’ve wasted a whole roast chicken—what a shame!”
Li Kuo’s eyes reddened slightly. “Who said not? Back then, Yan Ji followed me like a shadow. When I wanted to enter the Imperial Academy, he followed in; when I wanted to join the army, he joined without hesitation. Now that he’s not around to annoy me, I really can’t get used to it.”
Zhou Wucui said, “So, it’s all because of that bastard An Lushan. If he hadn’t started a rebellion for no reason, the three of us might still be on our way to Laizhou to see the sea as per our ten-year promise. Damn it! For the sake of our promise, we can’t let that bastard An Lushan off easy!”
Li Kuo shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, I’ve kept that score with that An Lushan. Even for that promise, we have to do our part to suppress the rebellion, right?”
“Enough. Let the gods worry about these things. Why are you in such a hurry?”
Zhou Wucui spread his hands and laughed again, then didn’t forget to pat Li Kuo’s arm, urging him to eat the roast chicken faster.
“What’s the big deal? It’s only been ten years. At most, we’ll be delayed by another ten years. Consider it trapping you.”
Li Kuo didn’t hesitate and started biting into the roast chicken. Brothers, aren’t they meant to trap each other?…
Note 1: Here, “trap” means to annoy or cause trouble. It’s usually used among people who are closely related and has a positive connotation. My best friend often says to me, “Xiao Wu, you’re trapping me again!” Haha!