Chapter 162: The Prime Minister Withdraws the Marriage Proposal

Li Qing’an stepped out of Wuyi’s courtyard and stopped beneath a wintersweet tree. He turned to look at the window where Wuyi lived and caught a glimpse of her figure. Throughout the entire year, he had only seen her briefly once. There were so many things he wanted to say, yet they weighed heavily on his heart, filling him with a tender pity for her. He felt guilty for having made her suffer so much and hoped she could hold on, believing he would surely return.

Li Qing’an turned and hurried toward the side door of the Prime Minister’s residence. As soon as he stepped out, he was surprised to see a carriage parked at the door, surrounded by nearly a hundred guards on horseback. When Li Qing’an appeared, the carriage window was suddenly pulled open, revealing Li Linfu’s large nose and his signature broad smile. “General Li, why didn’t you come to see me when you were at my residence?”

Li Linfu’s sudden appearance took Li Qing’an by surprise. He quickly bowed and said with a smile, “I was afraid it would disturb the Prime Minister’s rest, so I didn’t dare interrupt.”

“I hardly have any time for rest. If you have no urgent matters, General Li, could we chat for a while?”

“If the Prime Minister asks, how dare I refuse?”

Li Qing’an got into the carriage, which slowly headed toward the Eastern Market area. Li Linfu’s carriage was spacious and comfortable, resembling a mobile study. There was a small table by the window, equipped with all the essentials for writing, while another table stood by the other window, with cushions on both sides. Li Qing’an sat across from Li Linfu, and a young page poured them tea.

Taking a sip of the hot tea, Li Qing’an asked, “Where is the Prime Minister heading?”

“I felt a bit unwell yesterday and stayed indoors. I’m feeling better today, so I want to go check on the preparations for the Shangyuan Festival.”

“Please take care of yourself, Prime Minister!”

Li Linfu sighed and said with a wry smile, “As one gets older, one’s energy declines, and one falls ill more easily. Unlike you, General Li, who are in the prime of your life. In the future, it will be young talents like you who will support the Tang Dynasty.”

“The Prime Minister worries too much. As the saying goes, ‘Old ginger is the spiciest.’ For strategizing and overseeing everything, the Prime Minister is indispensable. As for me, stationed at the northern borders, I also rely heavily on the Prime Minister’s support.”

Li Linfu chuckled and narrowed his eyes. “I wonder what plans General Li has in the north that might require my help.”

“Actually, it’s nothing serious. Beiting doesn’t have many troops, and it can produce some of its own food. When I was in Anxi, I learned that Beiting has several large copper mines. I wonder if the imperial court would permit me to mine and mint coins there to meet military needs. Additionally, Beiting is far away, making it difficult to transport military supplies. I also hope that the Military Equipment Bureau and the Craftsmen’s Bureau can establish offices in Beiting to produce military supplies locally for Anxi and Beiting.”

These were Li Qing’an’s conditions. The biggest problem in developing Beiting was the lack of supplies, as it relied almost entirely on the imperial court. If the court controlled this supply, it would be extremely disadvantageous. He wanted to mine and smelt iron to be self-sufficient. These weren’t impossible, but there was one prerequisite: the court’s approval. Otherwise, acting on his own would be considered treasonous, and such administrative matters were under Li Linfu’s direct control. With Li Linfu’s approval, these plans could be implemented.

Li Linfu nodded and smiled. “Actually, the court is already considering establishing craftsmen’s offices in Anxi. The Military Equipment Bureau and the Craftsmen’s Bureau will each send 500 craftsmen to settle there. The emperor has tasked me with arranging this. At the end of last year, Gao Xianzhi requested it be established in Kucha, and the court hasn’t given a formal response yet. If Beiting is also interested…”

Li Qing’an was overjoyed. It was fortunate he brought this up in time; otherwise, if Gao Xianzhi got there first, he would regret it deeply. He quickly bowed, showing deference to his superior, and said with a smile, “Beiting has better conditions than Anxi, with more Han people and sufficient labor for large-scale operations. Please help me, Prime Minister!”

Li Linfu didn’t reply. Suddenly, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. “I heard you visited Wei Huan’s residence the day before yesterday? Writing poems and dancing with a sword—quite talented!”

“That was at a friend’s invitation. In fact, I went to Wei Huan’s residence again this noon.”

Li Linfu nodded and said nothing more. After a while, he smiled and said, “Mining and minting coins in Beiting requires approval from the emperor. You can write a memorial. I’ll approve it here first. Adding a coin-minting furnace in Beiting shouldn’t be a problem. As for whether to establish offices for the Military Equipment Bureau and the Craftsmen’s Bureau in Anxi or Beiting, let me consider it for another day or two.”

Li Qing’an knew he was waiting to see the prince’s move, so he bowed and said with a smile, “Then I leave it to you, Prime Minister. I won’t disturb you any longer. Goodbye!”

“General Li, go ahead! Your appointment documents from the Ministry of War have been approved. In five days, you can go to Beiting to take up your post!”

“Thank you, Prime Minister. I’m already prepared.”

Li Qing’an took his leave. Li Linfu’s page came to clear the table. He glanced at Li Qing’an’s retreating figure and suddenly said, “That man is a heartless one.”
“What do you mean, Younger Brother Ying?” Li Linfu asked with a smile.
The page curled his lips in disdain and said, “He clearly came out of Miss Wu Yi’s courtyard, yet he didn’t mention her once throughout. If not heartless, then what is he?”
Li Linfu stared at Li Qing’an’s back, slowly closing his broad eyelids. His gaze was intense—seemingly able to see through Li Qing’an’s thoughts. With a faint smile, he said, “That man isn’t heartless. You don’t understand…”
At that, Li Linfu ordered the coachman, “Return to the mansion. Tell Li Xiu to come see me immediately!”
……
When Li Qing’an got off An Lushan’s carriage, they were not far from Hua Fang. He and a few bodyguards entered the district and walked a few hundred more steps before spotting Cui Qiao’s residence from afar. Compared to the Wei family’s mansion in Qu Chi Fang, Cui’s house appeared much less grand—this was because Cui Qiao was not from the main branch of the Cui family.
The Cui family had long been a prominent family in Hebei, with the Boling Cui family and the Qinghe Cui family being the most famous. Currently, the main branch of the Cui family in Chang’an resided in Cui Mansion in Guang Lu Fang, under the control of Cui Lin, a former imperial censor who had retired from office.
When Li Qing’an arrived at Cui Qiao’s house, just as he was about to present his name card, a man around thirty years old, full of energy, stepped out. Li Qing’an recognized him at once—it was Cui Ping, the governor of Si Zhou, his old friend.
“Brother Cui!” Li Qing’an called out, stepping forward quickly.
“Oh, it’s General Li!”
Cui Ping was overjoyed and quickly bowed, saying, “General Li, it’s been so long since we last met.”
The two hugged each other warmly. Li Qing’an said with emotion, “Indeed! It’s been almost a year since we last parted in Si Zhou. Congratulations, Brother Cui, on your promotion to governor.”
“Well, that’s thanks to you. So, when are you heading to the Northern Courts?”
“In five days. I came here especially to see you today.”
Li Qing’an glanced at Cui’s house and laughed, “Huh? Haven’t you bought a house yet?”
Cui Ping lowered his voice shyly, “To be honest with you, General Li, I have already bought one. It’s a ten-mu house in Xin Chang Fang. I’ve been busy moving these past few days, planning to return to Si Zhou once I’m done.”
Sure enough, the local areas were profitable! Just over a year into his official position, he could already afford a house. Li Qing’an smiled and bowed in congratulations, “Congratulations on buying a house for the New Year, Brother Cui. Are you free now? I’d like to treat you to a drink.”

Cui Ping was in high spirits now that he had his own house. He nodded and smiled, saying, “General Li is treating us—so even if I was busy, I’m not anymore. Come on! There’s a fine tavern nearby; I’ll take you there.”

The two arrived at a tavern called ‘Zuiwengju’, not far from Cui’s residence. They found a table by the window, ordered some small dishes and a pot of wine. Li Qing’an poured him a glass of wine and said, “To be honest, I originally came here hoping to ask Brother Cui for help.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

Cui Ping quickly took the wine pot and filled Li Qing’an’s glass, smiling, “General Li, please don’t hesitate. Just tell me what you need, and as long as it’s within my ability, I’ll definitely help you.”

“That’s right. Last time you told me that your cousin Cui Ming passed away on the eve of his marriage, leaving behind an unmarried fiancée, right?”

“You mean the daughter of the Jiang family? Yes. Actually, she should live in the Cui family, but due to Prime Minister Li’s influence, she’s allowed to stay at her parents’ home. Why did General Li bring her up suddenly?”

Li Qing’an raised his glass and smiled, “It’s nothing much. She’s in love with one of my good friends. My friend has asked me to help—what are the chances of the Cui family breaking off their engagement with her?”

“Almost impossible!”

Cui Ping shook his head gently. “It’s been so many years. If they wanted to break off the engagement, they could have done it years ago. Now, the Cui family will never allow her to remarry—it affects their reputation.”

Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before asking, “If I were to go straight to Vice Minister Cui, what do you think the chances are?”

Cui Ping realized it must be either Li Qing’an’s friend or Li Qing’an himself. He quickly thought of every possible way to help Li Qing’an, but the situation seemed highly unfavorable for him.

“General Li, your timing is really bad. If you had come a few days earlier, as the Commander of the Northern Garrison, and asked my uncle to break off the engagement, maybe he would have shown you some respect. But now, it’s difficult.”

“Why is it difficult now?”

Cui Ping sighed. “Our Cui family is in internal strife because of the Wei Huan case. This afternoon, the head of the Cui clan even went to my uncle and scolded him harshly, accusing him of siding with the Yang family and turning against the Wei family, thus ruining the Cui family’s centuries-old reputation. He warned him that if he dared to do anything further to harm the family’s reputation, he would be expelled from the Cui clan. Given that, I don’t think he’ll dare to break off the engagement casually. Besides, breaking off the engagement also requires the approval of our grandmother—she was the one who arranged this marriage, and she places great importance on the Cui family’s reputation.”

Things seemed difficult, but Li Qing’an still wanted to give it a try. He said, “Brother Cui, please do me a favor on this matter no matter what.”
Cui Ping thought for a moment before saying, “Alright! I’ll talk to my uncle properly tonight to see if we can find a compromise.”
Li Qing’an stood up, bowed, and smiled, “Then I leave it to you, Brother Cui!”
…
Cui Ping returned to the Cui family mansion and was surprised to find a carriage parked in front of it, with a lantern hanging behind it bearing the words “Prime Minister Li.” He was shocked—had Li Linfu actually come to his uncle’s house?
He quickly asked the gatekeeper, “Has Prime Minister Li arrived?”
The gatekeeper shook his head. “It’s not Prime Minister Li. It’s his eldest son.”
“Li Xiu?” Cui Ping frowned. What could he possibly want?
In the study of the Cui family mansion, the master, Cui Qiao, was receiving Li Linfu’s eldest son, Li Xiu, the deputy supervisor of crafts. Li Xiu was also in his forties. He had entered officialdom thanks to his family’s influence; his abilities were average, but he was humble and had his father’s strong backing, so his career had been relatively smooth, with gradual promotions. He had been the deputy supervisor of crafts for four years, and in April, he was set to be promoted to head of the Imperial Granaries, officially entering the upper echelons of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Xiu had come to the Cui family mansion at his father’s orders to cancel the marriage. But he couldn’t understand why his father would choose this time to do so. The Cui family was already divided over the alliance with the Yang family. Adding more chaos would surely lead to further split—could the marriage really be canceled?
Cui Qiao treated him with great courtesy. After Li Xiu explained his purpose, he placed a yellowed marriage contract on the table and said, “This is the marriage contract between my cousin and your family. Your son passed away almost five years ago, and my cousin is now twenty-one. If she doesn’t marry soon, her life will be difficult. Her parents are both dead, and she has only my father as a relative. That’s why my father sent me to discuss with you the possibility of canceling this marriage. I hope Deputy Cui will agree, and we will return all the betrothal gifts in full.”

Cui Qiao’s face immediately showed distress. It was an unchanging rule of the Cui family that their daughters-in-law could not remarry; even widows were not allowed to break off the marriage. This put him in a difficult position! The other party was sent by Li Linfu, the prime minister—a man Cui Qiao could not afford to offend. Under normal circumstances, he could simply cancel the marriage and explain the situation to his clan, accepting some punishment, rather than offending the prime minister. But this afternoon, the clan head, Cui Lin, had come to warn him sternly because his unauthorized alliance between the Cui and Yang families had angered the entire clan. Cui Qiao was truly afraid; being expelled from the clan over this matter would be a huge loss for him.

After pondering for a long time without finding a solution, Li Xiu gently tapped the marriage contract and said with a smile, “Minister Cui, before I left, my father told me this was a trivial matter and that you would surely agree. He also plans to recommend you as Minister of Works, showing great expectations for you!”

The words “Minister of Works” struck Cui Qiao deeply—that meant becoming prime minister! He became so excited that the clan head’s warning suddenly seemed unimportant.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’ll keep the marriage contract for now. I’ll verbally agree to cancel the marriage, but please give me some time. Please convey to the prime minister that I won’t disappoint him.”

“Very well! Since Minister Cui has agreed, I’ll ask my father to wait for good news.”

Li Xiu took his leave, and Cui Qiao picked up the marriage contract, lost in thought for a long time. How could he convince his clan? For now, the only option was to delay things further.

He stood up to return to his room when a cough came from the door. Several maids led an old woman with silver hair and a dragon-headed cane into his presence. Cui Qiao quickly bowed in fear, saying, “Your son greets his mother!”

He cursed inwardly—who the hell was so quick to bring his mother here?

The old woman was Cui Qiao’s mother, Lady Lu. She was from a prominent Lu family and had been married into the Cui family for nearly fifty years. Cui Qiao was her eldest son. Lady Lu glanced at the marriage contract in her son’s hand and asked slowly, “What is in my son’s hand?”

“Well…” Cui Qiao felt terrified but dared not lie. He forced himself to say, “It’s a marriage contract sent by Prime Minister Li, hoping to dissolve the engagement with the Cui family.”

“Prime Minister Li?” Lady Lu asked in confusion. “Since when has our Cui family been allied with Prime Minister Li?”

“Your son means that girl from the Jiang family, the one who hasn’t even married yet, Cui Ming’s fiancée.”

“Oh, so it’s her!” Lady Lu snorted. “What does that have to do with Prime Minister Li?”

Sweat had already appeared on Cui Qiao’s forehead. His mother was well aware of this; she had even brought it up a few days ago. Now, she deliberately asked again.
“Mother, Prime Minister Li…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. Lady Cui waved her hand to cut him off and asked coldly, “I’ll ask you just one thing: Are you about to get promoted?”
“Mother, I’m likely to be promoted to Minister of Works.”
“So that’s why you agreed to cancel the engagement, right?” The coldness in Lady Cui’s eyes deepened. Cui Qiao could tell. Gathering his courage, he said, “It’s true I agreed, but I aim to become a prime minister!”
“Damn you, wretched scoundrel!”
Lady Cui suddenly swung her walking stick and struck Cui Qiao hard. “The centuries-old reputation of our Cui family is about to be ruined by you!”
…
At the same time, Crown Prince Li Heng also arrived at Xingqing Palace. Last night, Emperor Li Longji had planned to go incognito to watch the lantern festival. But suddenly, Yang Guifei fell ill, forcing him to cancel his long-awaited night outing on Zhuque Street. She lay bedridden all day. Her condition didn’t improve—it seemed to worsen. Emperor Li Longji canceled all his engagements and stayed by her side wholeheartedly.
“Third Brother, go and take care of your duties! I’m fine. I just need to rest for a few more days.” Yang Yuhuan lay in the lotus-patterned bed. In just one day, she had become much paler and thinner, her usual glow and roundness gone. Her eye sockets were sunken, and her gaze lacked luster. Her voice was so faint that one had to listen carefully to hear her.
Emperor Li Longji sat beside the bed, gently stroking her fair, soft hands, filled with compassion. On the Lantern Festival, every family went out to watch the lanterns, but his beloved was sick and couldn’t even see the palace lanterns. The imperial physicians had repeatedly warned that she must not catch a chill again.
He comforted her softly, “Today is the 15th day of the first lunar month. It’s time for me to rest as well. Since there’s nothing urgent, I’ll stay with my beloved. I’ve already asked the physicians. My wife just caught a slight chill and needs careful care. With a few days of rest, she’ll recover.”
While sick, Yang Yuhuan felt Li Longji’s care and affection even more deeply. Her eyes were filled with indescribable tenderness, tolerance, and deep love. She smiled faintly and said, “But with you here, I can’t sleep. Go rest elsewhere! Maybe go to the study to read, or accompany another concubine. You have so many duties. Go now! I want to sleep for a while.”
Just then, a eunuch at the door reported, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience, saying it’s urgent!”
“Third Brother, go see the Crown Prince! Don’t let my sake delay important state affairs.”

Li Longji didn’t know when the crown prince wanted to see him, so he stood up and said with a smile, “Alright! My dear, rest well. I’ll be back soon.”