Chapter 261: The King of Di Assassinated

The struggle for the Eastern Palace was like hidden currents beneath a calm surface—full of danger yet appearing peaceful on the surface. Li Qing’an’s return was like a stone thrown into the water, creating ripples, but no one knew whether these ripples would lead to turbulent waves or vanish silently.

As Li Qiu analyzed, the main contenders for the Eastern Palace were the King of Di, the King of Rong, the King of Yong, and the King of Ying. Although some proposed the idea of the emperor’s eldest grandson or the former crown prince returning, these were not the mainstream views. The mainstream candidates were just these four, among whom the King of Di was undoubtedly the most prominent. It was said that 70% of the court favored him for the position.

The King of Di, Li Yan, was the fourth son of Li Longji. His eldest son, Cong, was convicted and confined at home; his second son, Ying, was convicted and died while in charge of the Eastern Palace in the 25th year of the Kaiyuan era; his third son, Heng, was also convicted two years earlier, stripped of his title as crown prince, and demoted to the King of Liang.

Now that the first three sons had either been convicted, died, or demoted, Li Yan, as the eldest, became the strongest contender for the Eastern Palace. Tempted by the position and the throne of supreme power, Li Yan lost his usual grace and became consumed by ambition.

Just as Li Yan was ambitiously advancing toward the Eastern Palace, chaos suddenly erupted in his inner palace. Early in the morning, a woman in palace attire in her twenties, leading a group of maids and servants, rushed aggressively toward the western courtyard of the back palace. The young woman’s surname was Sun; she was one of Li Yan’s concubines, who served as the inner officials of the prince’s household.

Li Yan’s legitimate wife was the daughter of Wei Tao. Their relationship had been relatively harmonious, but after the Yangzhou Salt Scandal broke out, Wei Tao, who was then the chief secretary of the Yangzhou Governor’s Office, failed to implement Li Yan’s strategies effectively. This allowed the then-crown prince, Li Heng, to emerge victorious. As a result, Li Yan began to resent Wei Tao, believing he favored the crown prince, and their relationship grew distant. Later, the Wei family sided with the Eastern Palace, which enraged Li Yan, who began to treat his wife coldly. Although their relationship appeared outwardly harmonious, he still asked her to handle certain matters, such as trying to build a relationship with Du Gu Mingyue last year to win over Li Qing’an. But as he grew fonder of his two concubines, he completely ignored his wife, locking her in the inner palace and preventing her from showing herself in public.

The woman named Sun Ru who led a group of maids and servants to attack the Western Courtyard was one of his two favorite concubines. Li Yan favored two women at the same time, causing them to compete and be jealous of each other, constantly arguing. Last night, Sun Ru stayed with Li Yan in bed and learned that Li Yan had given Zhang Ru a pair of extremely valuable agate bracelets, while she only received a pair of agate earrings. This filled her with resentment. While Li Yan was receiving guests in the front hall, she led the maids and servants to cause trouble. Even before they reached the Western Courtyard, someone quickly reported Zhang Ru’s arrival there. Zhang Ru was also a formidable figure; she was dissatisfied with Li Yan favoring Sun Ru last night and leaving her alone in her room. Upon hearing that Sun Ru was causing trouble, she immediately gathered dozens of maids and servants in her room, armed with sticks and brooms, and rushed out to confront them. In the alley next to the Western Courtyard, the two groups of women met. With long-standing hatred between them, there was little cursing before they rushed at each other and started fighting fiercely. Each fought for her master, competing bravely and using every trick at their disposal—pulling hair, scratching faces, squeezing breasts. The alley was filled with screams and cries, in complete chaos. Servants rushed to the front hall to report the situation. Today, an important guest arrived at the Di Wang’s mansion: An Lushan, the Prince of Dongping. An Lushan was still the military governor of Fanyang and Pinglu. In the ninth year of the Tianbao era, he defeated the Khitans and flattered Emperor Li Longji effectively, earning him generous rewards and making him the first non-imperial prince in the dynasty. An Lushan entered the capital on the third day of the first lunar month, just like Li Qingan, to report on his duties. He had been in the capital for over a month but refused to return to Fanyang. He realized that the Eastern Palace was at a critical moment, and he needed to choose his side carefully, as it would determine his future. Initially, An Lushan supported the Prince of Shou, as the Prince’s mother, Empress Wu Hui, had shown him favor. But times changed, and he knew the Prince of Shou had no future. His attention then turned to Prince Qing, Li Cong, with whom he began to collude. However, Li Cong was demoted due to the witchcraft scandal in the Eastern Palace, rendering his support useless. After some time, his target shifted to Prince Di, Li Yan. As early as the second half of last year, An Lushan had made contact with Li Yan through his agents in the court, the Minister of War Ji Huan. Yesterday, Li Qingan’s arrival in the capital had a subtle impact on the political landscape, and An Lushan, unable to contain his anxiety, visited Li Yan early in the morning before Emperor Li Longji returned.

Li Yan also welcomed An Lushan’s visit with great enthusiasm. What he lacked most at the moment was external support. Among the various military governors, Geshu Han supported Prince Rong, Li Wan, while Zhang Jiqiu, the governor of Hedong, had yet to take a stance. Gao Xianzhi, the governor of Jiannan, had a good relationship with Prince Ying. As for Li Qing’an, needless to say, he remained a staunch supporter of the late crown prince Li Hen.

At present, Li Yan enjoyed high popularity in the court, even Yang Guozhong openly expressed his support for him. Yet, all he lacked was the support of a military governor. Although Ji Wen had visited him several times, his attitude remained ambiguous. Today, An Lushan’s visit was the best news he could have received.

Although Li Yan knew that his father strongly disapproved of forming close ties with foreign rulers, his father hadn’t expressed any dissatisfaction when Gao Xianzhi visited Prince Ying in January, nor had he objected when Geshu Han sent gifts from Helong to Prince Rong. If his father truly prohibited princes from associating with foreign officials, he should have issued a formal ban. Since nothing such as that had happened, Li Yan guessed that perhaps his father only strictly forbade close relationships between the eastern palace and regional princes, not princes themselves.

Therefore, Li Yan received An Lushan with the highest honors to show his sincerity.

In the guest chamber, Li Yan and An Lushan were chatting amiably. An Lushan brought some local products from Fanyang, including several pieces of top-quality green jade from Youzhou.

“I heard that Your Highness is interested in seal carving. These are a small token of my appreciation, along with items I’ve treasured for years. Please accept them.”

Seeing the smooth and flawless quality of the jade, Li Yan knew it was a rare treasure. Since An Lushan said it was something he had cherished for years, it showed how much he valued Li Yan. Though understanding, Li Yan still needed to maintain his dignity. Smiling, he pushed the jade back and said, “A gentleman does not take what others cherish. Since these are General An’s treasured possessions for so many years, how could I dare to accept them?”

An Lushan laughed heartily, his fat cheeks trembling. He pushed the jade back again. “I’m a simple man who only knows how to lead troops in battle. I’m not good at such refined things. I’ve long wanted to give them to someone who truly understands their value, so they can find their proper owner. I’ve heard that Your Highness is an expert in seal carving. Giving them to you would fulfill my long-held wish. Please accept them!”

“If that’s the case, then I must obey out of respect.”

Li Yan gladly accepted the jade and smiled, saying, “People in Chang’an say that the two An’s of our Tang Dynasty are the pillars of the country—Li Qing’an from the Western Regions and General An. I thought this was an exaggeration. Li Qing’an has only been in office for a few years; how can he be compared to General An? I believe the two pillars of the Tang Dynasty should be General An and General An Sishun from Shuofang.”

An Lushan smiled slightly and said, “Your Highness, don’t underestimate this Li Qing’an. He has also achieved many military successes—being able to defeat the Abbasid army is no easy feat for an ordinary general. I’ve heard from the Western Turks that the Abbasid army’s combat strength is on par with that of the Tibetans, especially their cavalry, which is extremely fierce. Therefore, I consider Li Qing’an a rising star of the Tang Dynasty. Though young, he can manage the Anxi and Beiting regions, which means he can rival me, An Lushan.”

Li Yan didn’t expect An Lushan to evaluate Li Qing’an in such a way. He felt somewhat embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly, saying, “Perhaps it’s easier for a military general to understand another military general. I don’t know much about this Li Qing’an.”

An Lushan smiled nonchalantly and said, “Is that so? I think Your Highness knows him quite well.”

There was an implied meaning in An Lushan’s words, and Li Yan’s expression changed slightly. Suddenly, he saw the butler waving at him outside, looking quite anxious. He was puzzled and asked, “What happened?”

The butler glanced at An Lushan and stammered, “Master, there’s an urgent matter in the inner chambers. It will be troublesome if we delay any longer.”

“What exactly is it?” Li Yan demanded angrily.

The butler stepped forward and whispered a few words to him. Li Yan flew into a rage, “How dare they act so recklessly!”

At that moment, An Lushan stood up and said with a smile, “I came today just to pay a brief visit to Your Highness. I can’t stay long. I’ll visit formally another day. I must take my leave now.”

Li Yan quickly said, “I’m sorry. The unrest in the inner chambers prevents me from properly entertaining General An.”

An Lushan laughed heartily. “It’s fine! It’s fine! My household never has such troubles. I’ll take my leave now.”

He bowed and strode out with his hefty frame. Li Yan escorted An Lushan to the gate before rushing back to the inner chambers.

Inside, the fight was still going on. Countless servants rushed in to stop it, but to no avail. Sun Ru was extremely fierce—she had Zhang Ru pinned to the ground, straddling her waist, pinching her body wildly with one hand while grabbing her hair with the other and scolding, “Witch! How dare you bully me?”

Zhang Ru remained silent, struggling desperately. Suddenly, Sun Ru noticed the agate bracelet on her wrist, her eyes turning red as she reached out to snatch it.

Just then, Li Yan’s furious shout came from behind, “Stop all of you at once!”

The master had arrived. The maids and servants were so scared that they stopped fighting. Only Sun and Zhang were still locked in a struggle over the bracelet. Li Yan rushed over and forcibly pulled them apart. As they stood up, they both threw themselves into his arms and cried.

Seeing both of them disheveled, with torn clothes and bruises all over their faces and hands, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Filled with anger and concern, Li Yan snapped, “Tell me, would you dare fight again?”
The two ladies wept bitterly, their shoulders shaking. Lady Sun sobbed, “My lord is unfair! He gave her a bracelet but not me.”
The other lady also cried, “Last night my lord promised to come see me. Why did he ignore me?”
Seeing that they had fought over such a trivial matter, Li Yan was both amused and exasperated. Though he doted greatly on both of them, he couldn’t really scold them, so he consoled them, “I understand. I’ll treat you fairly from now on, but you must not fight and put me in a difficult position. Do you hear me?”
The two ladies nodded, indicating they had heard him. Seeing their sorry state, Li Yan said, “Go back quickly and tidy yourselves up. I have important matters to attend to outside. We can talk at length when I return tonight.”
Realizing it was getting late, Li Yan quickly calmed them down and hurried out.
Last night, Li Yan had received news from Yang Guozhong: today was the day the emperor would return to the capital. He needed to rush to Lishan to welcome him, so he had to prepare everything carefully. Leading dozens of attendants, he rushed out of the city gate and headed toward Lishan.
…
Due to Li Qing’an’s arrival, Li Longji had to return to Chang’an ahead of schedule. Just the day after Li Qing’an’s audience at Huaqing Palace, Li Longji returned to Chang’an—a decision made on the spot.
To appease Li Qing’an and the Anxi Army, Li Longji had to make some sacrifices and return to Chang’an rather hastily. Fortunately, Lishan wasn’t far from Chang’an City, and it took only half a day to reach there. Early in the morning, Li Longji’s imperial carriage, accompanied by thousands of attendants, set off for Chang’an City, while the others stayed at Huaqing Palace to transport belongings.
Li Qing’an also brought his 300 fully armed bodyguards to guard around the imperial carriage. This was a sign of honor bestowed by Li Longji on the Anxi Army—few armies other than the Imperial Guards were allowed to carry weapons near him.
Li Qing’an hadn’t slept well last night. Several palace maids stayed by his side all night. He couldn’t get used to such excessive attention, nor the bedding, which was thick, soft, and so hot that it made it hard for him to sleep. He wandered in thoughts all night and only fell into a drowsy sleep near the third watch.

Despite poor sleep, he rode energetically beside the dragon carriage, also dressed in military attire, with a bow slung across his shoulder and a sword at his waist. The armor of him and his soldiers had lost their luster due to exposure to wind and sun and even showed signs of wear, standing in stark contrast to the shiny armor of the Imperial Guards. Yet the murderous aura they exuded made the surrounding Imperial Guards too fearful to approach, as if a fierce beast from the primeval forest had entered a herd of domesticated animals—muscle-worn and furless, but with a bloodthirsty presence unmatched by those domesticated beasts.

Li Longji sat in the dragon carriage, squinting slightly as he observed Li Qing’an and his bodyguards with mixed feelings. The murderous aura of the Anxi troops unsettled him. He silently made a comparison: if Li Qing’an’s 300 bodyguards were to fight against his 3,000 Imperial Guards on the battlefield, what would be the outcome? The result of this comparison left Li Longji disheartened—his Imperial Guards were likely to be defeated. The reason was simple: these Imperial Guards came from wealthy families or noble clans in Chang’an. Though they looked fine, their weapons had never seen blood. Would they face death and violence bravely and fearlessly?

Li Longji had no answer. He couldn’t help but recall Yang Guozhong’s blunt advice a few months earlier—that Li Qing’an had too many troops, exceeding even any other military governor. Seeing these fierce bodyguards, Li Longji also felt a hint of wariness. If even 100,000 troops were like these cavalrymen, who in the Tang Dynasty could resist them?

Li Longji’s gaze fell again on Li Qing’an. It could be said that this young general was somewhat reassuring to him. Rising from the Battle of Xiaobolü in the sixth year of Tianbao, he had become a regional warlord in just four years—a rapid promotion unmatched by any frontier official. Among all the civil and military officials, only Yang Guozhong could compare to him. Hadn’t he intended to support this man to counterbalance Yang Guozhong? After all, he was also a promising candidate to succeed as the ruler of the Tang Dynasty.

Although the strength of the Anxi Army made Li Longji uneasy, its commander, Li Qing’an, alleviated that concern. If there was anything Li Longji disliked about Li Qing’an, it was his excessive loyalty to the former crown prince, Li Heng—refusing to admit fault even while in prison. This loyalty had long troubled Li Longji, but as time passed and his hatred for Li Heng faded, it became an asset, at least ensuring that Li Qing’an had no intentions of rebellion. In the chaotic political landscape, few people seemed capable of maintaining such loyalty; it was said even Chen Xili had betrayed Li Linfu.

Thinking of the turmoil in the court, Li Longji felt a headache. He also sensed he had less and less energy to deal with these intricate web of interests. Was it true that his end was near? Though he refused to admit his aging, physical changes forced him to admit weakness. He glanced at the imperial concubine beside him, who was resting with closed eyes, and sighed secretly.

At that moment, an eunuch rushed over from afar and reported, “Your Majesty, Prince Di is waiting ahead to greet you and bring you water as a sign of respect.”

Li Longji was surprised—how did he know he was returning to the capital today?
“Call him here!”

The procession stopped. Li Qing’an was about thirty steps away from the imperial carriage. He also halted his warhorse and looked around. This was an official road, located on a low hill. The road was wide, and the imperial guards as well as the officials from Jingzhao Prefecture had cleared it in advance; there were no pedestrians. Dense forests bordered the road, stretching as far as the eye could see. Having come from a scouting background, Li Qing’an felt uneasy—this was not a suitable place for the imperial procession to stop.

Moreover, the imperial guards around seemed distracted, standing by their horses instead of patrolling the area. The nearest part of the forest was only about sixty steps away from the road, within range of crossbows. If assassins were hiding there, it would be highly advantageous, yet the guards didn’t seem to realize this. Li Qing’an turned to look for Changsun Quanxu, intending to warn him, but instead saw Pei Xiao staring at him. Pei Xiao had put on the armor of the Anxi Army and was following his troops. Li Longji’s orders left him with no choice, and since Yang Guozhong was not there, he had nowhere to complain.

Pei Xiao’s resentful gaze interrupted Li Qing’an’s thoughts. Li Qing’an smiled faintly at him—this man was his target. No matter how much Yang Guozhong pleaded, he would not yield.

In a moment, Prince Li Yan of Di was led to the dragon carriage. He bowed respectfully and said, “Welcome back to the capital, Your Majesty!”
“How did you know I was returning to the capital today?”
“Your Majesty, I was on my way to the Hot Spring Palace to pay my respects when I heard that You were returning.”
Li Longji nodded. “It’s rare to see such filial piety from my son. Rise! Come back to the capital with me.”
Li Yan stood up, but the moment he did, an arrow shot like lightning, hitting him squarely in the shoulder.
Li Yan let out a scream as he fell to the ground. The Imperial Guards immediately panicked, crowding around the dragon carriage. The palace maids screamed in terror, creating chaos.
Li Qing’an was also shocked. He turned to look at the direction of the arrow and saw two men in gray clothes emerging from behind a thick tree and running deep into the woods.
Li Qing’an reacted quickly. He removed his bow, nocked an arrow, drew it back fully, and focused on the back of one of the gray-clad men. The moment the man disappeared into the woods, Li Qing’an shot his arrow. The arrow flew swiftly toward where the man had vanished, and a scream came from within the woods.
Only then did the Imperial Guards regain their composure and rushed into the woods in pursuit.
Li Longji was both shocked and enraged. Trembling, he shouted, “There are assassins!”
Yang Guifei also turned pale with fear and collapsed in the dragon carriage, screaming, “Help! Save us!”
At that moment, Li Qing’an rushed over on horseback. He ordered sternly, “No one shall panic! The Imperial Guards, form a shield wall to protect the Emperor!”
He then told the eunuchs and maids around Li Longji, “Quickly help the Emperor back into the dragon carriage—no one must be seen.”
Following Li Qing’an’s orders, the Imperial Guards immediately formed a human wall, surrounding the dragon carriage with their large shields. The panicked eunuchs and maids also calmed down and hurriedly helped Li Longji and Yang Guifei back into the carriage.
Li Qing’an dismounted and rushed to Li Yan’s side. At a glance, he saw it was a crossbow arrow, with a faint green tint—an arrow laced with poison. He helped Li Yan up. Seeing his pale face and agony, he realized the poison was taking effect. He quickly tore open Li Yan’s clothes. The arrow was embedded in his right shoulder, and the wound had already turned black.
Li Qing’an pulled the arrow out with force and then used a dagger to remove the blackened flesh from the wound. Blood gushed forth, and Li Yan screamed in pain before fainting. Li Qing’an took out his medical supplies to dress the wound. Based on his experience, the poison in the arrow wasn’t very strong, and Li Yan could be saved. Just then, two imperial physicians rushed over and took over the treatment from Li Qing’an.

They quickly examined Li Yan’s injuries, removed the poison, pried open his mouth, and poured water into it.
“Is his injury serious?” Li Qing’an asked.
An imperial physician nodded and said, “The arrow wound itself isn’t a problem; the concern is the severity of the poison. But from what we see, it seems to be no highly potent poison—just an ordinary chronic toxin that can be antidoted.”
Li Qing’an stood up. By then, the first dozen soldiers from the Yulin Army who had rushed over had returned. He immediately asked, “Has the assassin been caught?”
A Yulin Army officer bowed and said, “Reporting to the general, the assassin was wounded by your arrow but committed suicide by taking poison. The other assassin hasn’t been caught. Before dying, we questioned him, and he only uttered the word ‘Xing’ before passing away.”
At that moment, a furious roar came from within the dragon carriage—Li Longji’s anger. “If that arrow had been aimed at me, would I still be alive? This is an attempt on my life! Send Longsun Quanxu here at once, and also summon the governor of Jingzhao—have them both come to me right away!”