Chapter 192: Yang Zhao Becomes Prime Minister

Good news from Yang Guozhong, the military governor of Jiannan, reached Chang’an at an unprecedented speed. Early in the morning, triumphant laughter from Xingqing Palace could be heard.
“Excellent! Well done!”
Li Longji walked back and forth in his bedroom, holding Yang Guozhong’s battle report. Just a few days earlier, he had been worried about the sudden rebellion of Nanzhao, but just one month later, Yang Guozhong brought the best news: the Tang army had defeated the Nanzhao forces, and Nanzhao had surrendered.
What excited Li Longji was not only the suppression of the Nanzhao rebellion but also Yang Guozhong’s decisive actions and abilities shown in this battle, which impressed everyone. With this victory as a foundation, he could rightfully appoint Yang Guozhong as a high-ranking official and bring him into the group of prime ministers. Li Linfu was getting older, and lately he seemed to favor the crown prince, which displeased Li Longji.
“Third brother, why are you so happy?”
Yang Yuhuan came out of the inner room after finishing her hair. Li Longji, filled with excitement, wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her softly on the cheek. “My wife’s brother has brought me good news.”
“Third brother!” Yang Yuhuan was slightly reproachful of Li Longji’s behavior. She quickly took out a mirror to tidy her makeup before asking, “Is it my third brother? What good news does he have?”
“He has suppressed the Nanzhao rebellion. I intend to promote him to prime minister.”
Yang Guifei was stunned. While suppressing Nanzhao was indeed pleasing, being promoted to prime minister seemed…
She quickly knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, please reconsider your decision.”
Li Longji was puzzled. “Why?”
“Your Majesty, I know very well who my third brother is. You favor the Yang family greatly, bestowing wealth and honor upon them. I am deeply grateful, but the prime minister is the pillar of the state, responsible for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Only those with administrative talent can hold this position. No one from the Yang family is qualified for it. I certainly do not want you to neglect state affairs because of me.”
“Who says my third brother can’t be prime minister?”
Suddenly, Yang Huahua’s voice came from outside the door. She walked in slowly and said, “My third brother may have been unrestrained in the past, but that was because he lacked opportunities. Since he entered the capital to serve as an official, he has worked diligently for the emperor, always thinking of his interests. The emperor needs a capable and obedient prime minister. Li Linfu is old, while my third brother is at the peak of his strength. Should we not use him instead of looking for someone else?”

Yang Yuhuan was somewhat displeased. This was her own bedroom—how could her third sister enter without saying anything? Suppressing her annoyance, she said, “Third sister, being a prime minister isn’t about just obeying orders. It requires knowledge and experience. My third brother lacks both. If he fails, everyone will blame us Yang family as the backbone of the nation.”
Yang Huahua refused to back down. “How can you know you can’t do it unless you try? Li Linfu also had no real talent, yet he served as prime minister for over a decade. Li Bai and Wang Wei were famous for their poetry and highly learned, but could they handle state affairs? Clearly, talent isn’t the deciding factor.”
“Enough! Enough! Stop arguing, sisters.”
Li Longji helped Yang Yuhuan up and said, “As for whether to appoint Yang Guozhong as prime minister, I will discuss it with the ministers. My wife needn’t worry about it—just manage the harem well for me.”
He then smiled at Yang Huahua and said, “I heard your new house is ready. Are you planning to invite us for a meal?”
Yang Huahua pouted. “My household is so poor that we don’t even have rice to cook. How could I possibly invite Your Majesty and the Concubine? Unless Your Majesty arranges a few banquets for me, I might be able to invite everyone over for some fun.”
“Third sister! Stop asking for money.”
Yang Yuhuan could no longer contain her frustration. To build this house, her third brother had already given her three gifts, totaling nearly 200,000 guan. Now she was asking for more—it was too much.
“Hmph!” Yang Huahua snorted. “I’m not asking for your money. Why are you in such a hurry?”
She then turned to Li Longji and pleaded in a sweet voice, “My dear brother-in-law, my good emperor, you can’t let your third concubine not even have money for rice, can you?”
Li Longji felt awkward and quickly said, “How about this? I won’t give you any money. I’ll arrange a banquet for your new house’s completion, so you can move in splendidly. What do you say?”
Yang Huahua gave him a flirtatious glance, delighted. This was exactly what she wanted—if the emperor hosted a moving banquet for her, wouldn’t the gifts pour in?
Just then, a eunuch reported from the door, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li requests an audience!”
“I was just about to see him! Send him to the imperial study.”
He turned to the two women and said, “You two sisters, go and chat. I need to handle some official matters. I’ll be back soon.”
With that, he left the bedroom with his hands behind his back.
“Your Majesty, please proceed to the imperial study!”
……

Inside the Dadao Hall, Li Linfu walked back and forth anxiously with his hands behind his back. He had also heard the news of Yang Guozhong’s great victory over Nanzhao. The thing he feared the most had finally happened—Yang Guozhong was very likely to become prime minister because of this. Everything seemed to be going as planned; the emperor’s intention to replace him with Yang Guozhong became increasingly clear. Li Linfu sighed as he gazed at the sky outside the hall. He felt somewhat overwhelmed; his health really couldn’t handle the heavy responsibilities of state affairs. He had fallen ill three times since the beginning of the year. Although the emperor would send Gao Lishi to visit him each time, saying that the state couldn’t do without him, he knew that with each illness, the emperor’s determination to replace him grew stronger.

“Your Majesty has arrived!”

An eunuch’s loud shout came from afar. Li Linfu quickly composed himself and stood with his hands at his sides. Moments later, Emperor Li Longji walked in briskly, full of energy.

“Your servant pays his respects to Your Majesty!”

“Prime Minister, there’s no need for formalities. Please come inside for a detailed discussion.”

Li Longji entered the study, which was already tidy and clean, with fresh air. He nodded in satisfaction and sat down.

“Prepare a seat for the prime minister as well.”

“Your servant thanks Your Majesty.”

Two eunuchs brought in a small wooden couch and laid a mat on it. Li Linfu sat down and immediately said, “I have come to see Your Majesty regarding the matter of Nanzhao.”

Li Longji glanced at him and smiled, “My dear minister, if you have any suggestions, please speak.”

“Your Majesty, I do not approve of making peace with Nanzhao. I believe that Nanzhao’s growing power has become a serious threat to our Tang Dynasty. This rebellion by Nanzhao seems to have been triggered by Zhang Qiantuo insulting Ge Lufeng’s wife, but it was merely an accidental incident. However, I believe that Ge Lufeng had long intended to rebel. Your Majesty, to eliminate evil completely, we should take this opportunity to thoroughly deal with Nanzhao’s growing power.”

“Prime Minister, I differ from you on this matter. Although Nanzhao’s growing power is indeed a concern for the Tang Dynasty, Tubo is the real threat. Nanzhao is just a small border country. Its existence can still help the Tang Dynasty resist Tubo’s expansion. There’s always a trade-off. As long as we keep it under control and make it serve us loyally at the borders, that’s sufficient. Moreover, Yang Guozhong also mentioned in his military reports that if we press Nanzhao too hard and it turns to Tubo, it will be counterproductive. Prime Minister, Yang Guozhong sees things more deeply than you do this time!”

When Li Linfu heard that the emperor had demoted him while praising Yang Guozhong, he was filled with anger and said, “Your Majesty, I have carefully studied the military reports. The Tang army suffered a crushing defeat of the Nanzhao forces in Yaozhou. They could have seized the opportunity to advance toward Erhai Lake. By then, Nanzhao wouldn’t even have time to seek aid from Tubo. Yet the Tang army stayed in Yaozhou for half a month, missing the chance to strike. I believe there must be a reason for this. I suggest sending censors to investigate thoroughly…”

Before he could finish, Li Longji impatiently interrupted him, “The Prime Minister is overthinking things. War isn’t as simple as you think. The military reports state that Nanzhao is plagued by miasma and epidemics, which is why they hesitated to attack. There’s a reason for that. It’s not easy for generals fighting abroad. Don’t keep sending censors to investigate every issue. Besides, when An Lushan and Geshu Han are fighting abroad, I haven’t seen you suggest sending censors either. Why are you so harsh on my maternal uncle? Do you have some ulterior motives?”

Frightened, Li Linfu quickly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, “Your Majesty, I have no ulterior motives. It’s just that Your Majesty has been worried about Nanzhao for decades. Now that an opportunity has finally arisen, I wish to resolve this issue once and for all.”

Li Longji’s expression softened slightly, and he waved his hand, saying, “The Prime Minister always thinks of me. I appreciate that. Recently, your health hasn’t been good. I suppose it’s because of the heavy burden of state affairs. I’m considering appointing two or three more ministers to share the burden with you. What do you think?”

Li Linfu was shocked. It had come to this. He quickly said, “Your Majesty, I have an idea. Perhaps we should let the crown prince participate in some decision-making regarding state affairs, so he can gain more experience in governance and lay the foundation for the continued prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. What do you think?”

As he spoke, Li Linfu kept his head lowered and didn’t see Li Longji’s expression. But Gao Lishi, who was nearby, saw clearly a faint murderous intent flash in Li Longji’s eyes. He grew anxious—how could Li Linfu be so foolish as to suggest letting the crown prince handle state affairs? Didn’t he know that was a grave taboo for the emperor?

The murderous intent in Li Longji’s eyes vanished quickly. He smiled faintly and said, “I’ve also thought of having the crown prince share the burden with me. But I know he’s weak and shouldn’t be overworked. That’s why I haven’t brought it up. Let him rest for another two years to recover his health first.”

“Yes! I shall obey your orders.”

Li Linfu secretly sighed. It seemed using the crown prince to deal with Yang Guozhong wouldn’t be that easy after all.

At this moment, Li Longji took another memorial from the imperial desk and said with a smile, “This is a memorial submitted by Gao Xianzhi. The Kingdom of Tokharistan has colluded with Tubo, cutting off the grain supply route to Khotan. Gao Xianzhi intends to attack Tokharistan to completely drive out Tubo’s forces. Now that the rebellion in Nanzhao has been quelled, I no longer have to worry about backlashes. I have decided to approve Gao Xianzhi’s request to send troops to Tokharistan. Additionally, Li Qing’an should also be urged to prepare for war as soon as possible.”
“I shall obey your orders!”
……
After Li Linfu left, Li Longji sat in the imperial study with a gloomy expression. This Li Linfu was becoming increasingly bold—daring to suggest that the crown prince rule as regent. After fighting against the crown prince for so many years, had he finally changed his attitude? All his hopes for him had been in vain. It seemed this dog had truly grown old. As the saying goes, even when hunting tigers, one relies on one’s own brothers—true enough! Only the imperial uncle is trustworthy!
Li Longji picked up a pen and wrote the character “approved” on Gao Xianzhi’s memorial. Suddenly, with a sharp twist, the red ink pen broke in two in his hand.
Gao Lishi was shocked. He didn’t dare say a word. There were things he could advise on, but not now—even the slightest provocation could ignite the emperor’s furious anger.
Just then, Yang Huahua’s charming voice came from outside the door, “Is Your Majesty here?”
Gao Lishi’s heart instantly relaxed. She had arrived at just the right time—more precious than rain after a drought. Indeed, as soon as Yang Huahua’s voice was heard, Li Longji’s stern frown softened, and a hint of joy appeared on his face. Gao Lishi understood immediately and rushed outside, saying, “Your Majesty is here. Madam, please come in.”
Yang Huahua rushed in like the wind. Her peach-blossom eyes glanced at Li Longji as she said coquettishly, “There’s no rice left at home. My family is starving and emaciated. I’ve come to beg you, yet you only care about feeding me. What am I supposed to do from now on?”
Li Longji quickly raised his hand and laughed, “I know! I know! Wasn’t the Concubine here just now? There are some things better left unsaid.”
Yang Huahua raised her eyebrows in displeasure, “Hmph! You only have her in mind. What am I then?”
Gao Lishi quickly waved his hands, called out the two eunuchs serving as attendants, and quietly left, closing the door softly.
……
The carriage rolled along. Li Linfu lay exhausted inside, pondering strategies. But no matter what he thought, he couldn’t stop Yang Guozhong from becoming prime minister. Today, the emperor didn’t even want to discuss it with him. If two or three prime ministers were to be appointed, Yang Guozhong would surely be among them. What to do? Having the crown prince deal with Yang Guozhong was the best solution—letting them both suffer. But bringing this up himself might violate the emperor’s strict taboos.

Li Linfu closed his eyes, sorting through his thoughts again. The strategy he had devised—to ease tensions with the crown prince and provoke a confrontation between the Eastern Palace and the Yang family—was indeed correct. Yet the crown prince seemed too weak, unable to handle even a minor incident like the Wei Huan case. If Yang Guozhong became prime minister, the crown prince would be even less of a match. Suddenly, a name popped into Li Linfu’s mind, and he slapped his forehead in laughter—how could he have forgotten him?

At that moment, his young scribe, Ying Ge’er, suddenly pointed outside the window and whispered, “Prime Minister, look! It’s Minister Pei.”

……

On Chunming Street, Minister of Rites Pei Kuan rode a donkey at a leisurely pace. The street was bustling with people, a lively scene. It had long been a common sight in Chang’an for prime ministers to ride donkeys across the street—both to understand the people’s livelihoods and to reflect the elegance of the Tang Dynasty. But with Li Linfu in power, this tradition disappeared, replaced by strict security.

Today, Pei Kuan broke with tradition by riding a small donkey, dressed in dark gray robes and a tall hat, strolling leisurely. Passersby would bow to him from time to time, to which he would respond with a smile.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid horse hooves came from behind him, followed by the creak of carriage wheels as a carriage stopped beside him.

“Minister Pei, what a pleasant outing!”

Li Linfu’s signature smile appeared at the window. Although Pei Kuan had a poor relationship with Li Linfu, he didn’t want to lose face in public, so he stopped his donkey and asked, “Prime Minister, are you coming from Xingqing Palace?”

Li Linfu sighed. “Indeed. I came from Xingqing Palace. I advised the emperor not to accept Nanzhao’s peace offer but to take the opportunity to completely eliminate them and put an end to their growing power.”

Pei Kuan had been thinking about this too. Though he was Li Linfu’s political rival, he agreed with him on the matter of Nanzhao—there should be no leniency toward them. He quickly asked, “So what did the emperor say?”

“The emperor accepted Yang Guozhong’s advice and allowed Nanzhao to seek peace. Alas! This will only lead to future troubles and chaos.”

Li Linfu sighed again. “There are many doubts about Yang Guozhong’s plan to attack Nanzhao. I suggested sending censors to investigate, but the emperor scolded me.”

With that, he glanced at Pei Kuan and said with a smile, “I think we should gather some other prime ministers to persuade the emperor together. What do you think, Minister Pei?”

Pei Kuan smiled and replied, “If Prime Minister Li is willing to take the lead, I’ll accompany you!”

Li Linfu merely wanted to drag Pei Kuan down with him so that Pei Kuan could go persuade the emperor again. How could he possibly take the lead in angering the emperor? Seeing that Pei Kuan had seen through his intentions, Li Linfu forced a laugh and said, “It’s probably useless to persuade anymore. The emperor has made up his mind. Sigh!”
Pei Kuan, however, bowed and said, “Prime Minister Li is criticizing a person rather than the matter itself, which is why he was reprimanded by the emperor. I will also go persuade the emperor, focusing on the matter rather than the person—that is the proper way for a minister. Prime Minister, I must take my leave now.”
With that, he turned his donkey and headed toward Xingqing Palace. Li Linfu watched his back disappear before letting out a deep sigh and ordering his guards, “Send my letter to Beiting immediately!”