Chapter Fifty: I’ve Been Contemplating This for Five Years

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A change of heavens—what kind of change was this? It was not a mere military rebellion, which in the grand Tang Dynasty was little more than routine and hardly worth mentioning. What Wu Ning spoke of was a shift in the great order, a transformation in the grand strategy.

Since the founding of the Tang, the exhaustion of meritorious lands, the encroachment upon public lands, the uselessness of military merit, and the lack of advancement for soldiers—coupled with the ever-improving livelihood of the people—had all contributed to a Tang Dynasty that could no longer muster its former might. No one wished to become a soldier any longer.

Yet, consider the vast expanse of the Tang realm: North to the shores of Lake Baikal, south to central Vietnam, east to the Korean Peninsula, and as far west as nearly reaching the coastline of the Arabian Gulf. Such a sweeping domain—if one excludes the Mongol khanates of the Yuan Dynasty—is, in all of history, unparalleled.

The Tang was ever advancing, always forging ahead.

But here lay the problem: When the court could no longer recruit soldiers, where would the defenders of the Tang’s borders and the troops of the protectorates come from? If men could not be found for the army, how could such a world be held, how could this golden age be maintained?

And moreover, the Tang’s dominance was undiminished. Should any foreign state dare cause trouble, the response was immediate and forceful. But with the exhaustion of recruits, how could this dominance be sustained?

In truth, during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, the last vestiges of Tang’s imperial swagger remained. Her son Li Xian succeeded her but accomplished nothing before his death. When Ruizong Li Dan ascended the throne, the Tang could no longer maintain its sweeping dominance.

Thus, the empire was compelled to shift from strategic offense to strategic defense, transforming the governance of the border protectorates into the system of regional military governors.

Many later generations would claim that the Tang fell because of the rise of these regional powers. Indeed, it was the unchecked power of the military governors that plunged the Tang from prosperity into decline—there was truth in this.

But let us consider: Did Ruizong, or his son Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji, not see the hidden dangers of the regional governors? They had no choice; the circumstances forced their hand.

Yet even setting aside the perils of the regional system, let us speak only of its effect on military merit. The most immediate result was that the military governor held both civil and military power in their region, deciding the fate of officers. In such a world, how could a “civilian player” like Wu Ning, with neither connections nor family fortune, possibly hope to advance?

The capital’s imperial guards were the exclusive domain of the aristocratic clans of Guanlong and the military nobility. The regional armies were filled with the governor’s own retainers. There was simply no room for promotion for commoner officers.

And even if one or two slipped through by luck, that was an anomaly—a rare chance, with no real future.

At this moment, Wu Ning sat cross-legged, eloquently gesturing as he spoke, a veritable master instructing his disciple.

“Unless, within twenty years, I can rise to the rank of Commander of the Palace Guard, then with this shift in strategy from offense to defense, the first to be buried will be the commoner officers.”

The Ugly Uncle bowed his head in thought, turning over Wu Ning’s words, unable to find any flaw. At last, he said, “You could enter officialdom.”

“Become an official?” Wu Ning curled his lips even further. “Even less of a future!”

“Why?”

“It’s simple!” He spread his hands. “That old woman wants to be emperor—you don’t doubt that, do you, Uncle?”

The Ugly Uncle shook his head; given the current circumstances, it was inevitable.

“Then, Uncle, what do you think is the greatest obstacle before her?”

“Is it the former Crown Prince Li Xian? Or the deposed Emperor Li Xian?”

“Neither!”

“It’s the Guanlong aristocracy—the Seven Surnames and Ten Great Clans!”

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The Ugly Uncle fell silent.

Wu Ning continued his analysis.

“These two great powers of the court are the greatest obstacles to Empress Wu’s ascension and her future governance.”

“How to balance them—I need not trouble to explain it to you, Uncle.”

He counted on his fingers. “On one hand, she relies heavily on the likes of Lai Junchen, Zhou Xing, and that Qiu Shenji whom you and Brother Meng released—harsh officials who intimidate the aristocracy with their cruelty.”

“On the other, she nurtures her own Wu faction, using the imperial examination system to promote her allies. The Examinations for the Classics and for the Presented Scholar are flooded with protégés of Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi.”

“In such a climate, Uncle, you tell me—if I were to become an official, which side would I serve?”

“We are not of the great clans; we can’t cross that threshold. Either I learn from Zhou Xing and his ilk, only to be discarded by the Empress once I’m spent—guaranteed an unhappy end.”

“Or, I become a dog for the Wu clan!”

He did not add that even as a lackey for the Wu clan, the outcome could be even worse.

Later, in order to further counterbalance the clans, the Empress even fostered the Li faction and indulged the Di Renjie group. Yet neither side was easy to navigate!

Look at history—who among them, which family, met a good end? Taiping, Li Xian, Empress Wei—not only did those who followed them suffer disaster, they themselves were not spared.

Di Renjie himself died in his bed, it’s true, but only after many ups and downs, having been through much tribulation.

Moreover, those who accomplished great deeds with Di Renjie—Zhang Jianzhi, Jing Hui, Cui Xuanwei, and their disciples—were all exiled, without exception dying on the road to exile.

Wu Ning might not have been a scholar of history, but this much was clear: From Wu Zetian’s reign to the early Tang Xuanzong years, court politics were at their most perilous and brutal—ranking among the most dangerous periods in all of Chinese history.

Put simply, it was a recipe for disaster.

“In such an environment, what’s the point of getting involved?”

“Patriotism?” Wu Ning scoffed.

“You’re either cannon fodder or courting death—and even if you do manage to rise, you spend your days in constant fear.”

“What’s the point? Whoever volunteers is a fool!”

“So, you see…” He leaned back, appearing the master strategist.

“The best path now is to become a wealthy landowner—there is no second choice!”

The Ugly Uncle fell silent—not because Wu Ning had convinced him, but because he had never imagined Wu Ning would analyze the affairs of the court with such clarity. So clear, in fact, that even he—who fancied himself all-knowing—could not keep pace.

In his heart, he thought: This child is truly remarkable!

Heh. Of course he’s remarkable.

You think Wu Ning was just making this up as he went?

Wrong!

He’d been turning these questions over in his mind for five years now.

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From the very day he crossed over, these thoughts had never left his mind.

To put it plainly, as a “chosen one,” a traveler from thirteen or fourteen centuries in the future, Wu Ning never intended to spend his life quietly as a modestly prosperous man.

He, too, wished to accomplish something grand, to leave a name in the annals of history, to prove—at the very least—that he had truly been here.

So—how to live? How to forge ahead? Every possible path, whether as a soldier, an official, a merchant, or a great landowner, he had considered in detail over the years.

The conclusion:

No future on the battlefield, too dangerous in officialdom. I’d best…

Just muddle through!

...

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At this moment, the Ugly Uncle had been utterly overwhelmed by Wu Ning’s words, sitting there in a daze.

Wu Ning let him digest it in peace.

After a while, seeing his uncle’s expression soften, Wu Ning asked languidly, “Well? Am I qualified enough?”

Qualified…

The Ugly Uncle wanted to say, more than enough! Yet, looking at Wu Ning—with such intellect, to merely become a wealthy landowner… what a waste.

“Go back and get some sleep.”

“What?” Wu Ning was surprised. “That’s it? You’re not telling me?”

The Ugly Uncle gave a bitter smile. “When the time is right, I will tell you.”

This time, he did not say Wu Ning was unqualified.

Fine then!

Wu Lao Jiu rolled his eyes. If this was going to be the result, why did I waste so much breath?

“I’m leaving, Uncle. Rest early!”

...

After Wu Ning left, the Ugly Uncle sat in silence for a long time.

At last, he took out a letter he had written earlier, stared at it blankly for a while, and finally brought it to the oil lamp, slowly lighting it.

He spread out new paper, ground his ink, and took up his brush:

“To my brother Boyu, with utmost respect.”

...

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