“They’re just material possessions. As long as everyone is safe, that’s what matters. Come, let’s go meet up with Shimin.” Seeing him say this, Li Yuanji had no choice but to follow him to where Li Shimin was. The latter was also ordering soldiers to regroup the troops. Seeing them approach, he asked urgently, “Elder Brother, Fourth Brother, are you both alright?”

“We’re fine. Thanks to your timely arrival, otherwise we would have been in real trouble.” Li Jiancheng said with lingering fear, “Though I knew the situation in Hedong was much more chaotic than Honghua Commandery, I never imagined it would be this bad!”

Li Yuanji looked in the direction the rebels had fled, saying indignantly, “Second Brother, whose men were those? They’re so detestable!”

Li Shimin recognized the clothing those people wore and said, “They’re Mu Duan’er’s subordinates. This man is ruthless and has recruited a group of capable people. Among all the forces in Hedong, his power is the greatest, and he’s also Father’s primary target!”

Li Yuanji waved his hand and said fiercely, “When the time comes, I must join the army and crush them completely.” Though he was several years younger than Li Xuanba, his ferocity was even greater.

Li Shimin smiled, “You’re quite eager. Don’t worry, there will be opportunities. For now, let’s return to the residence first. Father is probably getting anxious waiting.” He then walked to Wan Shi and the other women, bowing and saying, “Shimin arrived late and frightened Second Mother, Third Mother, and Fourth Mother. Please forgive me.”

Wan Shi said gently, “If Second Young Master hadn’t arrived in time, we would have been captured by the rebels by now. We should be thanking Second Young Master instead.”

Cui Shi smiled, “Elder Sister is right. Second Young Master saved us. What fault could there be?”

Li Shimin smiled and, after helping them board the carriages, ordered an escort to the Hedong Protectorate. Upon seeing Li Yuan, everyone felt like they had survived a disaster.

After recounting their experiences, Li Yuan ordered people to take Wan Shi and the others away to settle them in, while keeping Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin behind. Although he had already learned the general situation from Li Shimin’s carrier pigeon message, only now did he learn the specific details. Hearing that they had been imprisoned by Yang Guang and had nearly been beheaded, he was also frightened, saying, “It was truly dangerous, but Father surviving this great calamity will surely bring boundless good fortune.”

“I hope so.” After saying this, Li Yuan continued, “The most urgent matter now is quelling the rebellion. Shimin, tell Jiancheng about Mu Duan’er’s situation and see what methods he might have.”

“Yes.” Li Shimin carefully explained the intelligence gathered about Mu Duan’er to Li Jiancheng, then said, “Father currently has over seventy thousand soldiers under his command, roughly equal to the number under Mu Duan’er. If we commit all our forces, victory isn’t impossible, but doing so would leave Hedong empty. If other rebels took advantage to rise up, we’d face enemies on both fronts. It’s precisely this consideration that prevents Father and me from committing all our forces.”

Li Jiancheng nodded slightly and said to Li Yuan, “Father, forgive your son’s directness, but you seem to have forgotten something. We came to Hedong to gather forces for the court and prepare for future uprising. Mu Duan’er… isn’t our enemy.”

Li Yuan frowned, “Are you suggesting I should form an alliance with Mu Duan’er?”

Li Jiancheng said, “Exactly. This way, we could quell the rebellion without losing a single soldier, which is better than military confrontation.”

Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then shook his head, “But if we do this, the court will know our intentions. I’m afraid within a month, they’ll send troops to suppress us. What would we do then?”

“First, whether the court has the military strength for suppression is questionable. Second, we could secretly negotiate with Mu Duan’er and draw up an alliance, having him pretend to be defeated by us. This way, not only would the court remain unaware, but they would think Father exceptionally capable and trust and rely on him even more.”

Hearing this explanation, Li Shimin also found it quite reasonable and looked toward Li Yuan. The latter paced around the study with his hands behind his back several times, then shook his head, “No good!”

Li Jiancheng was stunned and blurted out, “Why?”

“Though I haven’t yet fought with Mu Duan’er, from what we’ve learned so far, this man is ruthless and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Jiancheng, do you think such a person can be trusted?”

Li Jiancheng shook his head, “Your son never planned to trust Mu Duan’er, but rather…”

“To use him, right?” After Li Jiancheng nodded, he continued, “You use him, and he’ll use you equally. What if he pretends to ally with us while secretly sending messages to the court, making us fight with the court while he reaps the benefits? What then?”

Li Jiancheng was stunned, clearly not having considered this problem. After a while, he frowned and asked, “Does Father believe Mu Duan’er wouldn’t honor the alliance?”

“According to what I know, when the uprising began, Mu Duan’er was only ranked third. Yet in just two short years, he became number one, and the two above him both died by his hand. Jiancheng, do you think such a person would be kindhearted? As for alliance documents, if the other party is trustworthy, they can naturally constrain both sides. Otherwise, they’re just waste paper that won’t be taken seriously.”

Li Jiancheng broke out in a cold sweat from his words and bowed his head, saying, “Your son was careless. Please forgive me, Father.”

“You’re still young, so it’s natural to have oversights.” Li Yuan then added, “Remember this: to use someone, you must first consider the consequences of being used by them. If you can’t bear those consequences, don’t do such things.”

“Your son understands.” Li Jiancheng responded, then asked, “Then according to Father’s intention, since we can’t negotiate peace, we can only resort to military confrontation?”

“Military confrontation is inevitable. The key is how to fight.” Li Yuan frowned, “I’ve been thinking for many days but can’t come up with a suitable method.”

Li Jiancheng was silent for a moment, then asked, “Are Mu Duan’er’s subordinates so arrogant and lawless even in their own territory?”

“Is Elder Brother referring to the robbery incident?” After Li Jiancheng nodded, he said, “I’ve heard that after Mu Duan’er declared himself king there, his actions became increasingly outrageous. He’s forgotten his origins and will stop at nothing to expand his power. The people under his rule are already complaining, but they’re intimidated by his power. Plus, the situation is roughly the same everywhere, so they dare to be angry but not speak out.”

“Excellent!” Li Jiancheng’s face showed joy as he said to Li Yuan, “Father, this is a good opportunity for us.”

Li Yuan understood his meaning and asked, “You want to divide them from within?”

“Yes. Father has always been benevolent and kind to the people. If we send people to spread word in Longmen and the surrounding areas, it will surely move those people. Actually, for common folk, who rules doesn’t matter – court or rebels are all the same. What they care about is whether they can live good lives.”

Li Shimin frowned, “But with just empty words, I’m afraid those people won’t believe us.”