Chapter 144: Meeting the Crown Prince

Crown Prince Li Hen had been living in the Eastern Palace for a full year. In June, he married Lady Zhang, a woman who was understanding, charming, and delicate. Under her careful care, Li Hen’s health improved day by day. Moreover, after Wang Zhongsì was demoted, Emperor Li Longji became somewhat more lenient toward him, allowing Li Hen to occasionally participate in decisions regarding military and state affairs and taste the sweetness of power. Gradually, a sense of urgency to take control of the realm arose in his heart.

Although Li Hen’s situation had improved significantly, one thing still depressed him greatly: his father still refused to allow him to meet foreign officials on his own, and the ten appointments granted for such meetings remained unchanged. Of course, Li Hen wasn’t completely barred from seeing foreign officials, but only within Xingqing Palace.

At dusk, Li Hen was still in his study in Mingde Hall of the Eastern Palace, reviewing memorials. Since July, with Emperor Li Longji’s tacit approval, Li Linfu would copy each day’s imperial edict issued by the Secretariat and send it to Li Hen. Though he had no decision-making power, Li Hen could still stay informed about matters across the realm.

The study was simply furnished, with soft lighting. In a corner, a large bronze pot emitted a gentle wisp of sandalwood smoke. It was very quiet there. Aside from Li Hen, Li Jingzhong, his personal eunuch, stood by the wall. In another corner, there was a small desk, behind which sat a secretary from the Chongwen Academy—a stern-looking man in his fifties. The three of them took turns on duty, responsible for recording every word and deed of the crown prince in the Crown Prince’s Daily Records, which were then handed over to the historical archives for future use in compiling the history of the Tang Dynasty.

The Crown Prince’s Daily Records were top-secret documents. The crown prince himself could not see them. Apart from historians, only the three tutors responsible for the crown prince’s education could access them to point out his shortcomings. Additionally, the emperor also had the right to review these records. Therefore, the secretary had to copy a copy daily and deliver it to Li Longji, so that the emperor could keep track of the crown prince’s words and actions at all times.

This was essentially a guise for surveillance, forcing Li Hen to rely on his trusted eunuch, Li Jingzhong, to handle many of his secret matters. In the future, Li Hen would do the same to monitor his sons, who would then monitor their grandchildren—creating a cycle in which crown princes relied on eunuchs. To some extent, this contributed to the rise of eunuch dominance in the mid-Tang period. Of course, there were many reasons for eunuch dominance, which need not be elaborated here.

At this moment, Li Heng was reading a memorial sent by Zhang Qiantuo, the governor of Yunnan. Last year, the king of Nanzhao, Piluoge, passed away, and his eldest son, Gelufeng, succeeded him as the king of Yunnan. Unlike the previous king, Gelufeng reorganized the military and pursued bold reforms, repeatedly crossing the limits set by the Tang court. Nanzhao’s power was growing rapidly. In the memorial, Zhang Qiantuo pointed out that if Nanzhao was not brought under strict control, and if Tubo allied with it, Jiannan would be in danger!

Li Heng shook his head gently. Ever since his father had appointed Yang Zhao as the governor of Yaozhou and the chief secretary of the Jiannan Military Command last year, Li Heng had realized that his father intended to use Yang Zhao to deal with the Nanzhao issue. He was somewhat worried—did Yang Zhao really have the ability?

Just then, a guard came in and said, “Your Highness, Li Qing’an, the lieutenant general of Anxi, requests an audience!”

Li Heng was overjoyed. “Call him in at once!”

Li Qing’an had come to see him right after returning, which showed his loyalty. So far, Li Heng was quite satisfied with him—young, capable, and having achieved many great feats. Especially after this campaign in Longyou, it was only a matter of time before he reached a high position. This man would surely become one of his right-hand men sooner or later.

A moment later, Li Qing’an entered. He knelt down and saluted militarily. “Your servant pays respects to the Crown Prince!”

“General Li, please stand up. Your injuries haven’t fully healed; there’s no need for such formalities.”

Li Heng quickly helped Li Qing’an up and looked him over before smiling. “You do look much paler. You performed exceptionally well in this campaign in Longyou.”

Li Qing’an sat down and glanced at Li Heng before smiling. “Your Highness looks much better now, full of energy.”

“I’ve been taking good care of myself over the past year, practicing swordsmanship every day early in the morning, which has gradually improved my health.”

After exchanging a few words, a palace maid brought over two bowls of ginseng tea. Li Heng picked up one bowl and said with a smile, “Here! Have some too. This is top-quality ginseng sent as a tribute from Silla. I’ll have someone send you some later to help you recover.”

“Thank you, Crown Prince, for your concern.”

Li Qing’an took the bowl and sipped slowly, but out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the secretary sitting in the corner. Li Heng understood and gave Li Jingzhong a subtle signal. Li Jingzhong immediately went out, brought another bowl of ginseng tea, and handed it to the secretary, saying, “Mr. Wang, please have some ginseng tea!”

The secretary was writing, “Li Qing’an of Anxi pays respects to the Crown Prince and shows concern for his health.” Suddenly, a bowl of ginseng tea was brought to him. He quickly stood up and thanked him, “I dare not! I dare not! Eunuch Li is too kind.”

He reached out to take it, but the tea was too hot. His hand trembled, and just as Li Jingzhong let go, the tea spilled, soaking the entire table. The secretary cried out in panic, “I deserve death! I deserve death!”

“Hurry up and clean up; don’t ruin the manuscripts.”
Li Jingzhong quickly waved at several eunuchs. “Damn it, come and help right away! Carry the tables outside and clean them up!”
The eunuchs immediately stepped forward to carry the tables away. The secretary, worried about his manuscripts, couldn’t bear to listen any longer to the prince and Li Qing’an’s brief discussion and followed them out.
At this point, only Li Heng and Li Qing’an remained in the study. Li Qing’an took out the invitation given to him by the Prince of Qing from his bosom and placed it on the table. “This is an invitation personally delivered by Li Qiu just now. It says it was written in the Prince of Qing’s own hand, inviting me to a banquet at his palace. I declined under the pretext of being unwell, and he suggested another day. I’m in a difficult position, so I’ve come to seek your advice, Your Highness.”
Li Heng flipped through it and immediately understood Li Cong’s intentions. He snorted inwardly—what ulterior motives! He smiled slightly at Li Qing’an and said, “You’ve done well. But you don’t need to be so cautious from now on. Go to the banquet. I know your character; I trust you.”
With that, he quickly wrote down an address and handed it to Li Qing’an. “Spilling a teacup can happen by chance. It’s not convenient to communicate in the Eastern Palace. For any secret matters in the future, you can go to this address. The gold plaque I gave you is the token—people there will surely pass my message on.”
“I understand, Your Highness.”
Li Qing’an put away the letter. Li Heng said to him again, “This afternoon, the emperor and several prime ministers held a formal meeting regarding rewards for the troops in Longyou. I attended as well. I might as well tell you now—you may have to leave Anxi.”
“What!” Li Qing’an was shocked. He quickly asked, “I wonder where I will be reassigned?”
Li Heng smiled slightly. “There’s no need to rush. A formal court meeting will be held early the day after tomorrow, and the court will officially announce it. I think you’ll be satisfied.”
At that moment, Secretary Wang rushed in, holding a stack of manuscripts, followed by several eunuchs carrying tables. He bowed to Li Heng in apology.
Li Heng smiled and said to Li Qing’an again, “General Li, you mentioned earlier that there are few Han people in Anxi, transportation is difficult, and it’s hard for the court to manage the region. I’ve noted all this. I’ll discuss your ideas with the emperor. Well! General Li, I know you’re injured, so I won’t keep you any longer. Go now!”
“I take my leave!”
Li Qing’an bowed and slowly stepped back. Secretary Wang sat down and immediately picked up his pen to write: “Li Qing’an from Anxi paid a visit to the prince. They discussed matters related to Anxi, such as the few Han people there and difficult transportation. The conversation was brief, after which he left.”
……

Since that day at the welcome ceremony when Li Longji gave Yang Zhao a disapproving glance, Yang Zhao had remained silent, not daring to speak further about matters in Longyou in the court. Currently, Yang Zhao served as the chief secretary of the Jiannan Military Governorship and the governor of Yaozhou. Yet at the end of last year, Guo Xu, the military governor of Jiannan, was transferred to serve as the governor of Annan and had already taken up his post in Jiaozhou, leaving the position of military governor of Jiannan vacant. The court had not appointed a replacement yet, and Yang Zhao grew eager—likely because the emperor intended to appoint him as the new military governor. These past few days, his thoughts had been fixed on this matter. His return to the capital was aimed at securing the position of military governor of Jiannan; the great victory in Longyou was not important to him, at least not for now. At this moment, he was discussing with his advisor Linghu Fei the possibility of taking control of Jiannan. “Sir, the issue in Jiannan mainly concerns Tubo and Nanzhao. After suffering defeats in the battles in Longyou, Tubo is at a disadvantage in the Hehuang region and likely has no time to attack Jiannan. Therefore, it seems that the top priority in Jiannan is dealing with Nanzhao. Especially since Nanzhao changed its king last year, and the new king is ambitious, which has worried the emperor. That’s why Guo Xu was transferred to Annan. This shows that the emperor’s intention in sending you to Bashu is also to help you make achievements in dealing with Nanzhao, laying the foundation for you to become prime minister in the future. As for the position of military governor of Jiannan, I believe it’s already in your hands.” Yang Zhao nodded. “You’re absolutely right. But handling matters with Nanzhao isn’t easy. Where should I start? The emperor will ask me about this tomorrow. How should I respond?” Linghu Fei stroked his beard and smiled. “Sir, dealing with foreign tribes has always relied on four words: ‘combine kindness with severity.’ Give them rewards if they obey, and punish them harshly if they don’t. As long as you mention these four words to the emperor tomorrow, the position of military governor of Jiannan will surely be yours.” “I understand. I’ll say that to the emperor tomorrow.” At that moment, a guard reported from outside, “Sir, Xianyu Shuming, the deputy head of Jingzhao Prefecture, has urgent matters to discuss.” Xianyu Shuming was the younger son of Xianyu Jian, a prominent family in Bashu. When Yang Zhao was in trouble, his elder brother Xianyu Zhongtong had done him a great favor. Now that Yang Zhao had risen to power, he promoted Xianyu Zhongtong to be an official in the Jiannan Military Governorship, making him one of his trusted aides. Yang Zhao was slightly surprised. What urgent matter could Xianyu Shuming have for him? He immediately ordered, “Let him in!” Linghu Fei quickly said, “Then I’ll step back.” “No! Please stay, sir.” These past few days, things in the court had been strange, and Yang Zhao dared not be careless at all.

After a moment, Xianyu Shuming hurried in. He was a middle-aged man with a purple complexion, a graduate of the imperial examinations, who had risen through the ranks to become the deputy governor of Jingzhao Prefecture. As soon as he entered, he bowed to Yang Zhao with a smile and said, “I’m sorry to disturb you, Governor Yang.” “Oh, no! I couldn’t even invite Deputy Governor Xianyu here. Please, come in and sit down.” Xianyu Shuming sat down and glanced at Linghu Fei. Yang Zhao smiled and said, “Mr. Linghu is my trusted confidant. You may speak freely, Deputy Governor.” With no choice, Xianyu Shuming said, “A friend of mine has asked me to ask you for a favor. If you help, he’s willing to offer ten thousand guan as a reward, plus a thousand acres of fertile land in Guanzhong.” Yang Zhao’s eyes lit up. Ten thousand guan! He almost laughed out loud. Linghu Fei quickly gave him a signal, and Yang Zhao finally realized what was going on. With a forced laugh, he said, “Tell me first—who wants my help? What’s the matter?” “It’s Dong Yanguang. He wants you to intercede with the emperor to spare him from punishment this time in Longyou.” Yang Zhao was shocked. He quickly waved his hands and said, “No! No! I can’t help with that.” He still remembered the angry look Li Longji gave him that day. Although ten thousand guan was tempting, he didn’t want any more complications now that he was about to be promoted to military governor of Jiannan. He knew clearly what was more important. Seeing that Yang Zhao had firmly refused, Xianyu Shuming’s eyes showed disappointment. He and Dong Yanguang were old friends with a very good relationship. When Dong Yanguang asked him to intercede, he agreed right away, but now that Yang Zhao had rejected him, how could he respond to Dong Yanguang? Xianyu Shuming sighed and was about to leave when Linghu Fei beside him said with a smile, “Deputy Governor Xianyu, my governor means he needs some time to think about it and will give you an answer early tomorrow morning.” Yang Zhao was stunned. He turned to look at Linghu Fei, noticing a strange smile on his face, so he laughed and said, “That’s exactly what I mean. It’s a serious matter, and I need to think carefully.” Xianyu Shuming was overjoyed. Fearing that Yang Zhao might change his mind, he quickly stood up and said, “Very well. I’ll come back early tomorrow to hear good news.” After Xianyu Shuming left, Yang Zhao’s expression darkened. He asked Linghu Fei, “Don’t you know about the matter in Longyou? Can’t I ask anymore? Why give him any hope?” “Don’t worry, Governor. Of course I know what’s important. I’m thinking about how to turn this situation to your advantage.” Yang Zhao was taken aback. Only then did he understand Linghu Fei’s intention. He apologized awkwardly, “I was rude just now. Please forgive me!” “I won’t take it to heart!”

Linghu Fei smiled and waved his hand, then suddenly lowered his voice and said, “Governor, since Li Qing’an did not attend the celebration that day, the Emperor rebuked you. This shows that the Emperor is determined to punish Dong Yan Guang. It is both a way for him to address the situation with the Anxi Army and a means to win over Geshu Han’s loyalty. Tomorrow morning, you might as well pretend to agree and let Dong Yan Guang bring the money. After that, report him to the Emperor, demonstrating your resolve to punish him severely out of a sense of justice. I think in this way, the Emperor will see you as someone who is impartial and fair in rewards and punishments, which will not only restore your reputation from the incident in Longyou but also increase your chances of becoming the military governor of Jiannan.” Yang Zhao nodded slowly and murmured to himself, “A true man must be unscrupulous; let Yang Xian collect this money. He will eagerly do anything that is detrimental to Li Qing’an.”