Chapter 160: Sesame Turns into Melon

At the very moment when the lantern festival was in full swing, a carriage stopped in front of Li Linfu’s residence. Two of Li Linfu’s sons rushed down the steps and respectfully helped a middle-aged man out of the carriage. “Vice Censor Wang, our father has been waiting for you for a long time.”

The middle-aged man was Wang Gong, the Vice Censor. He smiled slightly and said, “I’m sorry to disturb you on the Lantern Festival.”

“Vice Censor Wang, you’re too kind. Father says it’s he who should apologize for keeping you from resting.”

After exchanging a few words, Li Linfu’s two sons led Wang Gong inside, to the heavily guarded fortress-like residence of Li Linfu.

This year, Li Linfu did not go to the lantern festival as he had in previous years. A petition of impeachment sent by Wang Gong kept him at home. Right now, that thin petition lay on his desk. Its content was simple: Cui Yuan, the governor of Yizhou, accused Wei Huan, the prefect of Yizhou, of favoritism, as he promoted his nephew Wei Ming from a minor official to a military advisor. Frankly, such a promotion wasn’t really a problem—after all, it was quite normal for a prefect to promote a lower-ranking official. Even if it was a relative, it wasn’t a big deal. Wasn’t it precisely this practice that allowed prominent families to control local governance in the Tang Dynasty? The Cui family wasn’t any different. After Cui Qiao became the prefect of Sizhou, he quickly promoted his cousin Cui Yu to an official position there. So Wei Huan’s actions weren’t really anything unusual.

Yet Li Linfu took this petition very seriously, as it came at just the right time. While he was racking his brains over how to stir up conflict between Yang Zhao and the crown prince, this petition arrived. At a glance, Li Linfu saw through the underlying situation: Cui Yuan was working with Yang Zhao to get rid of Wei Huan. In other words, the Cui family had sided with Yang’s faction. What about Wei Huan? Li Linfu immediately thought of Wei Jian, the representative of the Wei family who he had once overthrown and who was a key figure in the crown prince’s faction. After Wei Jian was demoted, the Wei family was purged, and most of their local influence was removed. But now? With the rise of Wei Huan, Wei Tao, and Wei Jiansu—the “Three Weis”—was it possible for the Wei family to rejoin the crown prince’s faction? The answer was yes, but it depended on how Li Linfu manipulated the situation.

“Father, Vice Censor Wang has arrived.”

A voice from the door interrupted Li Linfu’s thoughts. He smiled and said, “Please invite Vice Censor Wang in!”

Wang Gong could be regarded as Li Linfu’s most trusted confidant and his most capable enforcer. In the past one or two years, many people had been appointed as Censor-in-Chief, even Li Qingan held that title. Yet the only one who truly held the position full-time and wielded real power over the Censorate was Wang Gong. It was Wang Gong who found Cui Yuan’s impeachment petition among nearly a hundred others, being the first to spot the irregularities hidden within it.

“Your humble servant pays respects to the Prime Minister!”

“Hehe! To trouble Censor-in-Chief Wang to come and discuss matters on the Lantern Festival night—I truly feel guilty,” Li Linfu said gently with a smile.

“What the Prime Minister discusses must be important; how could your humble servant refuse to come?”

Li Linfu nodded. “You’re right, Censor-in-Chief. I’ve read the petition you sent me yesterday, and I believe it is indeed a serious matter.”

Encouraged by Li Linfu’s approval, Wang Gong became more energetic and quickly said, “Your humble servant agrees. Wei Huan has been the governor of Yizhou for over a year now, and Cui Yuan has never had any issues with him. So why did problems arise only now that Yang Zhao has just become the military governor of Jiannan? Moreover, the Cui and Wei families have had a good relationship for centuries and are even related by marriage. To file an impeachment over such a trivial matter seems rather excessive.”

“For them, it may not be trivial, but for us either—it’s not something you understand.”

Seeing that Wang Gong still didn’t grasp it, Li Linfu spoke plainly, “This could become the catalyst for a feud between the Eastern Palace and the Yang family.”

Only then did Wang Gong realize. He inwardly praised the Prime Minister for his foresight. After thinking for a moment, he added, “But Wei Tao is the father-in-law of Prince Di. Your humble servant is worried it might escalate into a conflict between Yang Zhao and Prince Di.”

“That’s possible, but unlikely. As long as we push the Wei family slightly toward the Eastern Palace, it will naturally become a conflict between Yang Zhao and the Eastern Palace.”

“Does the Prime Minister mean for your humble servant to do this?”

“No! How could it be you?” Li Linfu waved his hand and laughed. “I’ve already arranged someone for this task. Have you forgotten? The Yangzhou salt case.”

“Li Qingan!” Wang Gong slapped his forehead. He was truly in awe of Li Linfu’s strategic thinking. Li Linfu had placed Li Qingan in the Eastern Palace for this very purpose.

“The Prime Minister is truly brilliant!”

Li Linfu smiled faintly. “I know he no longer obeys me, but I’m not worried. As long as I remain the Right Prime Minister and the military governor of Beiting, Li Qingan will have to cooperate with me.”

“Then should the Prime Minister invite him?”

Li Linfu shook his head. “He’ll naturally understand without me saying anything and know what to do.”

Li Linfu smiled as he handed the impeachment petition against Cui Yuan to Wang Gong. “I heard that Wei Ming is already on his way to the capital. This matter is urgent. You in the Censorate should submit this petition directly to the emperor. Also, prepare an extra copy for the crown prince.” Li Linfu walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and added, “Prepare another copy for Li Qingan as well—give it to him tonight.”

……

During the Shangyuan Festival, the city gates remained open. It wasn’t until the second watch of the night that Li Qingan sent the Mingyue and Mingzhu sisters back to the Du Gu family mansion. The shy expressions at parting, the gentle bowing, and those affectionate glances filled Li Qingan with longing for the day they would meet again.

Although it was past the second watch, Chang’an was still bustling with people. The tireless citizens sang and danced, welcoming this annual celebration of the Tang Dynasty with unprecedented enthusiasm.

Li Qingan walked slowly along Chunming Street with a dozen bodyguards. The bodyguards kept looking around, eagerly admiring the lanterns along the street, while Li Qingan was lost in thoughts of Mingyue’s tender affection.

Suddenly, a melodious piano tune came from afar. It was a lantern depicting a beautiful woman playing the piano, surrounded by hundreds of onlookers. Through the crowd, Li Qingan saw a delicate girl around fourteen or fifteen years old sitting under the lantern, playing the piano. Her white dress was like snow, and her hair flowed gently, reminding Li Qingan of Wu Yi—the dancer, that orphaned descendant of the Jiang family, the woman who had haunted his dreams.

Li Qingan sighed softly. He remembered what Li Linfu had said that night: “As long as you complete the second step for me, I’ll give you Jiang Wu Yi. The position of Governor of Anxi will also be yours. I’ll make you the youngest governor in the Tang Dynasty.”

Once upon a time, Jiang Wu Yi had become bait for Li Linfu’s schemes, a reward for Li Qingan to serve him loyally. But what if he refused to become Li Linfu’s lackey? Would Jiang Wu Yi then be forever out of his reach?

This was a question Li Qingan had always avoided thinking about or facing. Love might be precious, but he would never sacrifice his principles for a woman.

Entering Yishan Fang, he saw from afar Gao Lishi’s huge, dark mansion. After walking a bit more, Li Qingan arrived at Gao’s doorstep. At first glance, he saw a dark figure crouched under a tree. The figure immediately stood up and strode over. “General Li, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”

“What do you want?” Li Qingan asked with a smile.

Seeing him reach into his robe, the bodyguards surrounded him, gripping their swords and watching him warily.

To his surprise, the man took out a thin booklet and handed it to him with both hands, saying, “This was given to you by my master.” Seeing the words “Presented by Wang Zhongcheng” in the lower right corner, Li Qing’an smiled and asked, “Is it Censor Wang Zhongcheng?”
“That’s right!”
Li Qing’an took the booklet and asked further, “Did he say anything else?”
“General, nothing else,” the man replied.
The man bowed, turned, and ran toward the city gate, gradually disappearing into the darkness.
Li Qing’an flipped through the booklet—it turned out to be a copy of an impeachment petition. Without taking the time to read it carefully, he put it in his pocket and said to his guards, “Everyone has worked hard today. Go and rest!”
…
Early the next morning, Li Qing’an was awakened by knocking at the door. A guard reported, “General, Mr. Yan has recovered and is waiting for you.”
The previous night, he had instructed his subordinates to wake him immediately if Yan Zhuang was unharmed by morning. He sat up, quickly dressed, and headed to Yan Zhuang’s room.
After a day and night of careful care, Yan Zhuang had largely recovered. Though still unable to move much, he could now lean on soft cushions and drink porridge by himself.
Li Qing’an entered the room, glanced at him, and smiled, “It seems Mr. Yan has recovered even faster than I thought!”
Yan Zhuang quickly put down his bowl and bowed, saying, “It is thanks to your careful care that I was brought back from the brink of death. I cannot express enough gratitude; I will always remember this kindness.”
Li Qing’an smiled, waved his hand at those around him, and the guards and female attendants who had been caring for Yan Zhuang stepped back. Li Qing’an sat down beside his bed, pondered for a moment, then said, “Yesterday, Mr. Yan told me that An Lushan killed Dong Yan Guang to gain control of Abus’s cavalry. How likely do you think that is?”
Yan Zhuang smiled coldly and said, “In fact, it was I who planned everything regarding Abus’s cavalry. I followed three steps: first, I killed Dong Yan Guang to make Abus owe me a favor; third, I would attack the Khitans and request the imperial court to send cavalry from Shuofang to fight. By then, since Abus owed me a favor, he would naturally have to lead the troops himself. With a few manipulations among the supply providers, Abus would suffer a crushing defeat in the battle against the Khitans. After killing him in defeat, I would gather his remaining troops, and Abus’s cavalry would fall into An Lushan’s hands.”
Li Qing’an was shocked. If that were the case, Abus’s cavalry would indeed be in danger. But seeing Yan Zhuang’s cold smile, he knew he hadn’t finished speaking. So he said with a smile, “Please continue!”

“Actually, I didn’t even have time to tell him about the third step. After Abu Si left, I planned to reveal all the plans to him, but unfortunately, the Yang family arrived, leaving me no chance to mention the third step. He only knew about the second step, which was actually a feint meant to gauge the court’s attitude toward Abu Si’s tribe. My plan was to suggest that the Turkic Abu Si tribe move to Youzhou. I knew the court would surely refuse, but what mattered was to see how serious the court took Abu Si’s tribe and to test its bottom line, so as to make effective arrangements for the third step. Alas! An Lushan will never hear about my third plan.”
Li Qing’an nodded gently. Truly, he lived up to his reputation—an expert in scheming. An Lushan had discarded such a talented person just to avoid offending the Yang family; it was utterly foolish. Perhaps this was fate favoring him.
At that moment, he took out the memorial Wang Gong had given him the previous day and handed it to Yan Zhuang, saying, “Today, I’d like to discuss something with Mr. Yan. This was delivered to me by someone sent overnight by Wang Gong last night.”
Yan Zhuang took the memorial and glanced at it. It was a memorial from Cui Yuan, the governor of Yizhou, accusing Wei Huan, the prefect of Yizhou. He was stunned for a moment and muttered to himself, “Aren’t the Cui and Wei families friends for generations? How could they fall out over such a trivial matter? Could it be… related to Yang Zhao?”
Li Qing’an was impressed by his quick insight and smiled, saying, “You guessed it right. It is indeed related to Yang Zhao. Not only that, but it’s also related to the crown prince and Li Linfu as well. It’s a gamble in which Li Linfu is risking everything.”
He briefly explained Li Linfu’s strategy of pitting one group against another. Yan Zhuang stared at Li Qing’an in shock. He wasn’t just amazed by Li Linfu’s cunning but also by the fact that Li Qing’an had shared such a crucial matter with him.
After a long silence, he asked softly, “Does the governor truly trust Yan Zhuang?”
Li Qing’an nodded slightly and smiled, saying, “I, Li Qing’an, always trust those I employ and never doubt them. Since I’ve decided to take you on, from now on, you’re my advisor. Of course, I need to discuss such important matters with you.”
Yan Zhuang fell silent. What he felt was not only Li Qing’an’s trust in him but also respect and a grand vision. He thought of An Lushan’s slap—under that slap, he had been nothing but a dog, but under Li Qing’an’s leadership, he was a person. Suppressing his emotions, he slowly said, “Governor, my advice is to cooperate with Li Linfu.”

Li Qing’an let out a soft sigh and said, “I’ve thought about it too, but I’m worried that it’s easy to get in but hard to get out. Once you’re on his ship, it won’t be easy to get off.”
Yan Zhuang smiled and said, “If you were part of the Prime Minister’s faction, you would have such concerns. But since you’re part of the Crown Prince’s faction, on the contrary, as long as you’re clever, the Crown Prince will value you even more. Just be careful not to give Li Linfu any leverage over you—then he won’t be able to do much to you. That’s why I say it’s cooperation, not service. Just two words apart, but the meaning differs greatly. Cooperation means both sides benefit, with each getting what they need from this game.”
“So what benefits can I gain from this situation, according to that gentleman?”
“Li Linfu is the Prime Minister—he controls almost all of Tang Dynasty’s resources. What do you think you need most after taking control of Beiting? Food or military equipment?”
Li Qing’an stroked his chin and smiled. He already knew what he needed most—it wasn’t food nor military equipment.
……
At noon, significant news came from Xingqing Palace: the Censorate officially submitted a report to Emperor Li Longji, stating that it would thoroughly investigate Wei Huan, the governor of Yizhou, for favoritism in appointing officials. Emperor Li Longji immediately replied with orders to form a special tribunal: “Investigate to the end—show no leniency!”
The Censorate promptly sent out the order, notifying the Ministry of Punishments, the Dali Temple, and high-ranking officials above the third rank who were on leave. The news spread like wildfire throughout Chang’an in no time.
That afternoon, a special tribunal composed of Han Yuan from the Censorate, Zhang Jin from the Dali Temple, and Chen Yuzhi from the Ministry of Punishments began investigating the case. The three reviewed Wei Ming’s records from the Ministry of Personnel and went to Wei’s residence to speak with Wei Huan.
At that time, the Wei family received news that Cui Qiao, the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, visited Yang Zhao at noon. Yang Zhao’s family opened the gates to welcome Cui Qiao, indicating that Cui and Yang had openly allied themselves.
In Cui’s secret room, the three leaders of the Wei family—Wei Huan, Wei Tao, and Wei Jiansu—were urgently discussing strategies. Wei Huan looked grave, walking back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. He never expected that such a minor official of the seventh rank would cause such a big stir, even drawing the attention of the emperor and leading to the formation of a special tribunal. This was clearly aimed at the Wei family. It might even turn into a second “Wei Jian case.”
“Elder brother, is the Prince of Di still refusing to step in?”
Wei Tao sighed and said, “I tried to see him again just now. His attitude was the same as at noon. He said he’d do his best, but I can tell he doesn’t want to get involved in this matter.”

Wei Huan’s brows furrowed deeply. Even the King of Di recognized the seriousness of the situation and refused to get involved. Could his political career really come to an end here?

It wouldn’t matter much if he were removed from his position, but the Wei family’s newly revived fortunes would suffer a severe blow and never recover.

“If all else fails, I’ll resign as governor voluntarily. Isn’t that what they want?”

“No!” Wei Jiansu immediately objected. “Resigning before the case is formally recorded might work, but since the court has already initiated proceedings, resigning now means admitting guilt. Will they spare the Wei family? We’re in a difficult situation now; we have to take a risk.”

Wei Jiansu thought for a moment before adding, “It’s not necessarily about favoritism. Wei Ming’s father, Wei Yu, once held the position of Imperial Censor. Under the system of hereditary favor, he should be eligible for a seventh-rank position. The key is whether he had good moral character and any achievements before his promotion.”

With those words, Wei Huan reminded himself. He pondered for a while and said, “Before his promotion, Wei Ming was the chief clerk of Dongyang County. His evaluations over three years were merely average—neither outstanding nor faulty. But the man is quite lustful, often staying in brothels all night and not returning. This is also recorded in his evaluations. I’m worried the investigators will use this against him.”

Wei Tao shook his head and said, “It’s not about achievements. It’s clear that Cui and Yang are taking this opportunity to cause trouble. Even if he had great achievements, they would still turn them into nothing. What’s crucial now is to find a powerful backing—someone who can oppose the Yang family—to have a chance of survival.”

All three of the Weis fell silent. They almost simultaneously thought of Crown Prince Li Hen. But after the Wei Jian case, they had distanced themselves from the palace. Would the crown prince accept them returning now that trouble had arisen?

Just then, someone reported from the door, “My lord, Li Qing’an, the deputy commander of the Northern Frontier, requests an audience with you!”