Chapter 267: Changing Circumstances (Part 1)

Cui Guangyuan did not rush to the county government immediately but returned to his own home. Cui Guangyuan’s grandfather, Cui Jingsi, had originally been the governor of Fangzhou. Before Emperor Zhongzong of Tang ascended the throne, he was demoted to Fangzhou to serve as the prince of Luling. While other officials treated him rudely, only Cui Jingsi showed him respect and provided him with generous sustenance. Emperor Zhongzong greatly appreciated this kindness. After ascending the throne, however, he mistook another man with the same name and surname, the governor of Yizhou, for Cui Jingsi. Only after meeting the real Cui Jingsi did he realize his mistake. By then, Cui Jingsi had already passed away. Later, Cui Guangyuan’s father, Cui Wang, was appointed to an official position, but due to his frequent indulgence in alcohol and poor performance, he was dismissed.

Cui Guangyuan was Cui Wang’s son. From a young age, he was uneducated and a well-known rogue in the streets of Chang’an. He loved martial arts and was bold, yet he was also fond of drinking and gambling. At the end of the Kaiyuan era, he obtained an official position through his family connections as the magistrate of Tang’an County in Shuzhou. He became friends with Yang Zhao, who was then in distress—later to become Yang Guozhong. After Yang Guozhong rose to power, he transferred Cui Guangyuan to Chang’an to serve as a high-ranking official in the Eastern Palace. At the beginning of the following year, he was appointed magistrate of Chang’an County.

Although he was part of Yang Guozhong’s faction, he differed from Yang’s other confidants as he had his own opinions. In particular, he knew Yang Guozhong’s true nature well and disdained him, though he relied on him out of necessity.

Cui Guangyuan was not foolish; on the contrary, he was very shrewd. When Yang Guozhong gave him a letter, he immediately guessed something was amiss—they were already doing their utmost to find the assassin. How could Yang Guozhong possibly uncover another assassin, that mysterious “Xing”? There was only one possibility.

Back at home, he locked himself in his study. He had not slept all night before and was quite tired, yet he couldn’t fall asleep. He paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

He had already guessed the truth: the assassination of Prince Di was likely part of a huge conspiracy, and he would be drawn into it. Although he didn’t know the specifics of the conspiracy, Cui Guangyuan was deeply anxious. It was clear that Yang Guozhong intended to target Xing Su. Xing Su was a famous hero in Chang’an. When Cui Guangyuan was still roaming the streets of Chang’an, he had offended many powerful figures, and it was Xing Su who had helped him out on several occasions—showing him old kindness. If Yang Guozhong really went to Chongsheng Temple to arrest someone, the outcome would likely be unfavorable for Xing Su. But if he refused to act, it would be seen as dereliction of duty, leaving him in a difficult position.

At that moment, the door opened. Cui Guangyuan’s wife brought in a bowl of ginseng tea. Her name was Luo Ziyun, daughter of a prominent family in Shu. She was educated, sensible, gentle, and virtuous. She had given birth to a son and a daughter, and their marital relationship was very strong.

“Husband, I heard you didn’t sleep all night. I’ve prepared some tremella ginseng tea for you. Please drink it!”

Cui Guangyuan was upset and said, “Put it aside. I don’t want to drink it now!”
“But you haven’t slept all night…” Luo Ziyun still held the ginseng bowl in front of him.
“Annoying!” Cui Guangyuan waved his hand, sending the bowl flying. With a ‘bang!’ it shattered into pieces.
Luo Ziyun stepped back in shock. She stared at her husband blankly for a while, then sighed and knelt down to pick up the fragments.
Cui Guangyuan sat down heavily. Watching his wife clean up the broken ginseng bowl and scattered pieces of ginseng and tremella, he felt some guilt and said, “I’m sorry! I’m just too irritable.”
Luo Ziyun smiled gently and continued gathering the pieces. “Husband, I’ll go make you another bowl.”
As she turned to leave, Cui Guangyuan called out, “My wife!”
“Is there anything else, husband?”
“Wife, I have a dilemma in my heart. Can you help me resolve it?”
Luo Ziyun stopped and turned around. “Husband, please speak.”
Cui Guangyuan sighed and said, “There is someone who once did me a favor, but he also violated the laws of the Tang Dynasty. Do you think I should act impartially or out of personal bias?”
Luo Ziyun replied without hesitation, “As an official of the state, you should put duty before personal interests. First capture the person, and then we can take care of his wife and children to repay the favor.”
“But what if he didn’t break the law and is merely a victim of power struggles? If I don’t arrest him against my conscience, I might lose my position. What should I do in such a case?”
Luo Ziyun pondered for a moment before raising her head and saying, “The sky is clear and just. A true man should act with a clear conscience. Repaying kindness with hatred is the behavior of a petty person. Husband, don’t fear losing your position. At worst, we can return to the countryside and farm.”
Her words were like a sudden thunderclap, enlightening Cui Guangyuan. Indeed! Even beasts know how to repay kindness. If a man repays kindness with hatred, isn’t he worse than beasts? Yang Guozhong played political games—how could he be unjust like him? At that moment, he made up his mind firmly.
…
Chongsheng Temple was located in Chongde Subdistrict. It was one of the famous temples in Chang’an. During Wu Zetian’s reign, it was once very prominent. After Li Longji came to power, Buddhism gradually lost its former glory, and Chongsheng Temple also began to decline. However, its decline was only relative to its peak days. It still had hundreds of buildings, over 500 monks, and thousands of acres of land outside the city, making it one of the largest temples in Chang’an.
The most notable feature of Chongsheng Temple was its open doors, welcoming monks from all social classes. As a result, the temple had a mixed crowd with a complex composition.

In the afternoon, a large group of officials suddenly arrived in front of Chongsheng Temple—over a hundred of them. Cui Guangyuan, the magistrate of Chang’an County, and Jia Jilin, the county captain, hurried into the temple, and the abbot of Chongsheng Temple quickly came out to greet them.
“Amitabha. Magistrate Cui, what brings you to our humble temple?”
“We’re here to arrest a fugitive wanted by the imperial court. Gather all the monks immediately; we’ll search the temple.”
The abbot was shocked and quickly said, “Magistrate Cui, our Chongsheng Temple has always abided by the law. How could we possibly hide a fugitive?”
“Hmph! Your temple accepts monks regardless of their background or registration, welcoming anyone who comes. How can you claim there are no criminals among you?”
“Well…” The abbot was stunned. Seeing the officials’ fierce demeanor, he grew anxious—could there really be fugitives hidden in his temple?
Not daring to argue further, he immediately ordered the monks around him, “Call everyone out right away!”
“Dong! Dong!”
Loud bell sounds rang, and groups of monks rushed out of their quarters. All of them were bald and wore identical robes, creating a dazzling sight. Jia Jilin whispered, “Magistrate Cui, it seems we don’t have enough men. Perhaps we should report this to the governor of Jingzhao.”
“No! This matter must not spread.”
Cui Guangyuan glanced at Jia Jilin. He knew this man was Wang Gong’s confidant, eager to prove himself to Wang Gong. Cui Guangyuan wasn’t concerned about gaining credit but worried that Wang Gong’s involvement would complicate things further. Perhaps sensing his tone had been too harsh, he softened it and said, “County Captain Jia, I only have hearsay—no solid evidence. If we disturb Lord Wang and fail to catch the suspect, we’ll be in trouble.”
“The magistrate is right!” Jia Jilin chuckled nervously, though he was already thinking of sending someone to deliver a message.
By then, over five hundred monks from Chongsheng Temple had gathered in the square. The abbot stepped forward with a smile, “Magistrate Cui, they’re all here.”
Cui Guangyuan waved his hand and ordered, “Search them!”
Over a hundred officials rushed into the temple. Seeing Jia Jilin enter as well, Cui Guangyuan called over the chief officer and instructed him, “I think this man will come out on his own. Without questioning anything, kill him with a sword. I’ll take full responsibility for the consequences.”
“Understood!”
The chief officer was Cui Guangyuan’s confidant. After nodding, he rushed in as well. Cui Guangyuan grew nervous. He had decided that the best solution was to kill the assassin outright, thus resolving everything. If that happened, Yang Guozhong’s plot would fail, and Cui Guangyuan wouldn’t be seen as derelict in his duty.

The bailiffs had all gone searching. There were still over a dozen people around Cui Guangyuan. At that moment, his gaze fell on the group of monks standing in the square. Cui Guangyuan suddenly had an intuition—that the assassin he was after was likely among these monks.
“Reporting to the county magistrate, no one was found in the front hall!”
“Reporting to the county magistrate, no one was found in the monks’ quarters!”
The bailiffs returned one after another. Then, Cui Guangyuan’s eyes fixed on a tall monk in the first row. All the monks kept their heads bowed, except for this one, who was sneering at him.
Cui Guangyuan suddenly pointed at him and ordered, “Arrest him!”
“Ha! Ha! County Magistrate Cui truly has good eyesight.”
The monk laughed loudly. He slowly stepped forward and said with a sneer, “That’s right. The person you’re after is me. I am Ren Haichuan, Liu Yun’s loyal brother.”
Dozens of bailiffs rushed forward, pressing Ren Haichuan to the ground and tying him up. Cui Guangyuan gave a subtle signal to the chief constable, who understood and secretly drew a dagger before walking into the crowd.
Just then, the temple gates burst open with a loud noise as a large group of cavalry rushed in. The neighing of the horses left everyone stunned.
Someone laughed and stepped in, saying, “I heard that County Magistrate Cui has captured the assassin Ren Haichuan. I came here to offer my congratulations!”
Cui Guangyuan’s heart sank. Yang Guozhong strode in, followed by Zhao Meng, the head of the Dali Temple. At Zhao Meng’s command, dozens of Dali Temple bailiffs rushed forward with knives, taking Ren Haichuan away from the Chang’an County bailiffs.
Cui Guangyuan suddenly realized that Yang Guozhong didn’t trust him at all. He was just used as a figurehead to make it seem like Chang’an County had captured the criminal, which would then be handed over to the Dali Temple. They had been preparing for this all along. Cui Guangyuan felt betrayed as he watched the bailiffs take the prisoner away.
“What should I do?” Cui Guangyuan was anxious. The assassin’s accomplices would surely confess to Xing Xu, and trouble might arise tonight.
Yang Guozhong patted his shoulder smilingly and praised, “County Magistrate Cui has done well in capturing this criminal. I will surely petition the emperor to recognize your merits.”
“Thank you, Minister Yang!” Cui Guangyuan had no choice but to bow in gratitude.
Yang Guozhong, extremely pleased, waved his hand and ordered, “Take him back for interrogation!”
The large group headed out of the temple, leaving nothing behind. Jia Jilin looked uneasy and slipped away unnoticed.
“County Magistrate Cui, what should we do now?” the constable asked in a low voice.

Cui Guangyuan gritted his teeth. At this point, there was no other choice but to take a risk. He took out his name card, picked up a black stone from the ground, wrote the words “Flee quickly” on it, and handed it to the patrolman, saying, “Go to Xing Si’s mansion at once, give this to him, and tell him that if he doesn’t leave now, his life will be in danger.” The patrolman nodded and left the temple swiftly.

……

Xing Si was a renowned powerful figure in Chang’an, with vast wealth and extensive lands in Guanzhong. He employed a thousand strong servants. On one hand, he helped the poor and weak, made many friends, and was generous in his acts of kindness, earning a high reputation among the people. On the other hand, he was skilled at navigating political intrigues and had a close relationship with Wang Gong’s brother, Wang Xuan. With Wang Gong as his backing, he thrived in both the legitimate and illegal worlds.

Yet Xing Si was also someone best not to provoke. Those who offended him would face his merciless revenge. He had already taken several lives, covering them up with Wang Gong’s power, which made him known as a murderer in the eyes of many.

Xing Si’s mansion was located in Jincheng Fang of the West Market. As darkness fell, a large group of soldiers—thousands strong—stormed into Jincheng Fang. Fully armed and radiating murderous intent, they terrified the people in the streets, causing everyone to shut their doors. In moments, thousands of soldiers surrounded Xing Si’s mansion. Dozens of soldiers kicked down the doors, and the crowd rushed in. Soon, screams and pleas for mercy came from inside.

In a narrow alley about a hundred steps away from Xing Si’s mansion, a man wearing a bamboo hat stared fiercely at the soldiers entering the mansion. Gritting his teeth, he said, “What a shameless Yang Guozhong! I have no grudges against you, yet you still want to kill me. We’ll see who wins.”

He pulled down his bamboo hat to cover his face, turned around, and left, disappearing into the darkness shortly after.

……

As the night deepened, soldiers marched past in groups throughout Chang’an, creating a tense atmosphere. Although it wasn’t yet time to close the city gates, there were hardly any pedestrians left in the streets and alleys. At that moment, a carriage entered Kaihua Fang and soon drove away.

The carriage stopped in front of Wang Gong’s mansion. A man got off, looking worried. He was Wang Gong’s brother, Wang Xuan. Without waiting for an announcement, he entered Wang Gong’s residence directly.

……

“What!” Wang Gong stood up in shock, unable to believe his ears. He stared at his brother and asked, “Are you saying Xing Si hired assassins to kill Prince Di?”

Wang Xuan nodded and sighed, “In fact, the assassination has nothing to do with Xing Si. It’s Yang Guozhong’s frame-up. He knows I have a close relationship with Xing Si, so he’ll make me seem like the mastermind and then use my brother as a scapegoat. Their real target is my elder brother—they want to get rid of him.”

Wang Gong slowly sat down. That afternoon, he had received news from Jia Jilin that the assassin accomplice had been captured but then seized by Yang Guozhong. He had planned to go to the Dali Temple the next day to demand the release of that person, but never expected it to turn out to affect him instead. Suddenly, he remembered something and quickly asked, “That captured assassin’s name is Ren Haichuan. Are you familiar with him?”
“It’s him!” Wang Xuan’s face turned pale instantly, fear showing in his eyes.
“How? You know him?”
Wang Xuan nodded slowly and said shamefully, “I didn’t tell our elder brother about this. Ren Haichuan was originally a sorcerer. I brought him here to have his fortune told, but I accidentally said something that scared him away. So I asked Xing Si to kill him, but he somehow hid and his whereabouts remain unknown.”
“What did you say that was wrong?” Wang Gong sensed something bad was coming.
Wang Xuan moved his lips slightly before lowering his head and saying, “I asked him if I had the appearance of an emperor.”
“What!” Wang Gong flew into a rage. He slapped Wang Xuan, knocking him to the ground, and cursed at him, “Such a serious matter, and you didn’t tell me? You really almost killed me!”
“Elder brother, I know I was wrong. But I never expected things to turn out like this. I’m sorry, elder brother.”
Wang Gong stood there for a long time before sighing deeply, sitting down dejectedly with his head bowed, silent. Yang Guozhong was too cruel, plotting step by step to kill him. Once he died, Li Linfu would also be finished. What should he do now?
At that moment, Wang Xuan stood up and said angrily, “One must take responsibility for their own actions. I’ll go and surrender myself. Whether I’m executed or punished, I’ll bear it alone. I won’t drag our elder brother down with me.”
“Idiot!” Wang Gong cursed. “If you get caught, how can I stay out of it?”
Wang Xuan sat down helplessly, staring at his elder brother. Wang Gong had calmed down. It seemed Yang Guozhong hadn’t succeeded completely—at least they hadn’t captured Xing Si, the most crucial figure. Maybe there was still a chance to turn things around.
He paced back and forth in the room, holding his head, carefully considering possible loopholes. Since they had Ren Haichuan, they could easily accuse the brothers of speaking of becoming emperors and arrest them. But why go through such a complicated route, using the pretext of assassinating Prince Di to attack him? Of course, this self-sacrificing tactic could help Prince Di enter the eastern palace, and in the end, Li Linfu would also not be able to escape suspicion. What else could it be?

Wang Gong gradually realized that it was probably because Ren Haichuan’s single account wasn’t sufficient as evidence, so they had to exaggerate the situation, eventually turning it into the case of Prince Di’s assassination. In other words, Ren Haichuan’s accusations weren’t really important; what mattered was Xing Si. Since Xing Si wasn’t in their grasp yet, it would be difficult for them to accuse their brother of instigating it—the chain of evidence was broken.

Thinking of this, Wang Gong immediately asked, “Where is that Xing Si hiding now?”

Seeing that his elder brother seemed to have a plan, Wang Qiang immediately felt hopeful and hurriedly said, “I’ve already sent Xing Si out of the city and hidden him in my estate. They probably can’t find him.”

“No!” Wang Gong said firmly. “Since they haven’t caught Xing Si, they’ll surely guess that you hid him. Hiding him in your estate is too dangerous; they’ll search there. Go and move him away quickly.”

Wang Qiang was shocked and stammered, “Elder brother, they probably wouldn’t dare to search my estate!”

“You idiot!” Wang Gong cursed angrily. “Do you think Yang Guozhong wants to deal with us brothers? This is his last battle for power against Li Linfu—it’s a matter of life and death. Assassinating Prince Di in front of the emperor is the same as assassinating the emperor himself. If Xing Si is caught, not only will Li Linfu be removed from office, but our Wang family will also face extinction. Don’t you understand?”

Wang Qiang turned pale with fear, too scared to speak. He turned around and ran. The city gates were about to close, and if he didn’t leave now, it would be too late.

Wang Gong’s mind was in chaos as well. This matter was extremely serious. He needed to inform Li Linfu right away. He put on a coat and rushed out.