Chapter 430: The Yang Family’s Resentment

Huaqing Palace in Lishan was the winter retreat and administrative center for the Tang emperors. In the history of the mid-Tang dynasty, it played a prominent role in legendary tales such as “The emperor granted baths in Huaqing Pool on a cold spring day, with its warm waters washing away the frost from his skin.” With the end of that era of romance, Huaqing Palace fell into disuse. It no longer held any political significance, nor did court officials gather there to discuss state affairs; it was gradually forgotten.

At that time, aside from a dozen eunuchs and maids tasked with guarding the palace, only one person lived in this vast complex—someone whose fate was closely tied to it: a weak woman whose life had been shattered by the changes imposed by Li Yu.

There was only one military camp nearby, with less than five hundred soldiers.

That morning, two carriages appeared in the distance on the official road, followed by dozens of riders. As the carriages drew closer to Huaqing Palace, the curtains were drawn back, revealing Yang Huahua’s still-beautiful face. Yet upon closer inspection, her appearance appeared greatly wasted. Li Yu’s land reforms had dealt her a severe blow; the 1.5 million strings of coins she had hidden in her estate were all taken away by him. She didn’t care about the fate of the Yang family, but she couldn’t accept such a huge loss of wealth. She might give up her title as Lady of Guo State, but money was her lifeline.

At that moment, Yang Huahua gazed complexly at the palace rooftops hidden among the trees in the distance. Though she wasn’t very confident about this journey, she had to try anyway.

Sitting across from her was her second sister, Yang Yupai—once Lady of Han State. She had lost her title and her husband had lost his position. Moreover, the 100,000 strings of coins she had hidden in Yang Huahua’s estate had also been stolen by the soldiers. Yang Yupai was utterly devastated. Those coins were the savings she had accumulated through hard work for her old age, and now they were gone. It nearly broke her. She had originally planned to go see her daughter, who was the daughter of the imperial concubine, but news from the palace suggested that her daughter might be deposed due to the Yang family’s involvement. Frightened, she dared not enter the palace to see her daughter. With no other choice, she followed her third sister, who happened to be heading to Huaqing Palace.

“Third sister, do you think Yu Huan will stand up for us?”

Yang Yupai was worried. Intuitively, she felt this journey wouldn’t yield much. If their fourth sister was willing to abandon even the imperial concubine, would she still help them?

“It’s not a matter of whether she wants to or not. It’s something she must do.”

Yang Huahua thought of her wealth and farmland being taken away, and she felt such hatred that she gritted her teeth and said, “As long as she remains part of the Yang family, she must stand up for us. It was because of her that we became wealthy, and now that our Yang family has declined, how can she stay indifferent?”
“But…”
Yang Yupai wanted to say more, fearing that even Li Longji might be helpless. Seeing Yang Huahua’s increasingly gloomy expression, she swallowed back what she wanted to say.
By then, their butler had already negotiated with the soldiers stationed at Huaqing Palace, and the soldiers allowed their carriage to pass. Yang Huahua stared at a figure on a large tree for a long time before saying indifferently, “As long as she wants to intervene, there’s nothing she can’t do.”
…
In a Taoist temple in the northeast corner of Huaqing Palace, Yang Yuhuan was feeding a dozen magpies with a handful of wheat. Two squirrels were anxiously jumping up and down on a large tree near the window, waiting for the two dried corn cakes behind Yang Yuhuan.
“Don’t rush. I’ll feed you after I finish feeding the magpies,” Yang Yuhuan said to the squirrels with a smile.
She was dressed in a white Taoist robe, her black hair flowing over her shoulders. Without any makeup, her skin remained fair, delicate, and her appearance was beautiful and charming. Free from artificial adornments, she exuded an air of purity and elegance.
Having been in Huaqing Palace for over a year, Yang Yuhuan had grown accustomed to its tranquility and serenity. Treating the squirrels as her brothers and the magpies as her children, she led a simple life. Although Li Yu had given her the entire Huaqing Palace as a place for rest, she never left the temple. Those hot spring pavilions were now distant memories to her. She only wanted to spend the rest of her life in peace here, without getting involved in any more grudges or conflicts.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Xue Niang, the maid who had always followed Yang Yuhuan, rushed in quickly. “Elderess!”
Her cry startled the dozen magpies, causing them to fly away in panic. Yang Yuhuan complained, “Why are you in such a hurry? You scared them all away.”
Xue Niang smiled helplessly and said, “There are guests looking for you.”
“Guests?” Yang Yuhuan shook her head. “Didn’t I say I won’t see anyone except Li Qing’an?”
“Elderess, it’s the second and third concubines.”
Yang Yuhuan hadn’t seen her sisters in nearly two years. She hadn’t even attended her eldest sister’s funeral. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, “Take them to wait in my outer room.”
After all, they were sisters, and she couldn’t ignore them. Yang Huahua placed the wheat and corn cakes on a large wooden plate outside the window, washed her hands, and hurriedly went to the outer room.

Yang Huahua and Yang Yupai had been led inside the house. They were looking around the room, which was extremely simple—just a statue of Laojun and a few mats for sitting; nothing else. Xue Niang brought out a small table from the inner room, arranged the three mats on either side of it, and then smiled at them, saying, “Ladies, please sit! I’ll go get you some tea.”
Yang Yupai frowned and said, “This place of our fourth sister is a bit too simple! It’s truly detached from the world.”
Yang Huahua seemed to have sensed something. Her gaze wandered around until she spotted a vase on the windowsill, filled with several fragrant jasmine flowers. She coldly said, “Though she may be detached from the world, her heart may not be.”
At that moment, footsteps were heard outside the courtyard. Yang Huahuan walked in, smiling and saying, “Sisters, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other.”
“Fourth sister!”
Yang Yupai’s eyes reddened as she stepped forward, took Yang Huahuan’s hand, and said with a choked voice, “Fourth sister, you must help me.”
“Second sister, third sister, please sit down first. We can talk slowly.”
The three sisters sat down. Xue Niang brought out three cups of plain tea and served it to them. Yang Huahuan glanced at Yang Huahua and said with a smile, “Third sister, why haven’t you said anything?”
Yang Huahua smiled faintly and said, “I’m envying your peaceful and leisurely life. Unlike us ordinary people, who are constantly busy struggling just to survive.”
“Third sister, you really know how to joke. You’re the Lady of Guo State, with vast wealth—how could you worry about food and shelter?”
Yang Huahua and Yang Yupai exchanged a glance. It turned out their fourth sister had no idea what had happened to the Yang family. Yang Huahua shook her head and said, “Since ten days ago, I’m no longer the Lady of Guo State. Your second sister is no longer the Lady of Han State either. The tombstone of the Lady of Qin State was smashed as well. We’re just three ordinary women now. Your second brother has gone to see the King of Hell. The only one in our family who’s still an official is your third brother, Guozhong. But he’s been demoted from Yang the Right Minister to Yang the Military Officer and is preparing to return to his hometown to take up his post. All our wealth has been taken away. Just now on the road, I was discussing with your second sister how to make a living. Your second sister plans to do laundry for others, while I, Yang Huahua, will return to my hometown to farm and become a peasant woman.”
Yang Huahuan remained silent for a long time. Her eyes grew gloomy as she said, “I didn’t expect my second brother to be dead. I’ll pray for him.”
“Fourth sister!”
Yang Huahua became annoyed. After all she had said, she was only concerned about the dead and ignored the living?
“Stop pretending to be clueless. We came to see you today—you know better than anyone what’s going on.”

Yang Yuhuan shook her head. “I truly don’t know what else you need from me. It’s been almost two years since the three of us sisters last saw each other. Do you really only come to see me when there’s something important?”
At that moment, Yang Yupei couldn’t hold back either. “Fourth sister, our Yang family has fallen. We’ve lost our titles and positions, and our wealth has been seized. The once-proud Yang family has ended up in such a miserable state. Are you really indifferent and staying out of it?”
Yang Yuhuan’s gaze fell on the apricot trees in the yard, staring at the small green apricots on the branches. After a while, she spoke softly, “Flowers bloom in spring and wither in autumn. Flowers never remain in full bloom, nor do people remain noble forever. Though the flowers are gone, the trees still bear green apricots. Though wealth is lost, we remain safe and sound. The Yang family continues to thrive—this is, in my view, a blessing for our family. I’ve longed for this for years, and now it’s finally come true. It should be a great joy.”
The conversation didn’t go as expected. Yang Huahua’s anger rose. She held back her breath and said, “Whether or not you become a noblewoman is one thing, but we can accept having our farmland taken away by the government and given to commoners. But they seized millions of strings of coins from our family. That wealth wasn’t stolen—it was granted by the late emperor or earned through business. It was all legitimate money. The government should return it to us! Fourth sister, whether you become a nun or a female Taoist priest, you’re still part of the Yang family. Everyone in our family is counting on you. Can you really bear to abandon the family that gave you life?”
Yang Yupei also pleaded, “Yes! Fourth sister, just go to Xingqing Palace and see the late emperor. Ask him to remember our old friendship and speak on our behalf to get back what belongs to us. After that, you can leave your family, and we’ll never bother you again. Fourth sister, I’m begging you.”
Yang Yuhuan remained silent for a long time before slowly shaking her head. “I have no connection left with Xingqing Palace. Even if I did, the late emperor can’t help you. If the current emperor still had any regard for him, you wouldn’t be in such a dire situation. Can’t you understand this simplest truth?”
Disappointment filled Yang Yupei’s eyes. In fact, she had thought of this when discussing it with her husband last night. If the current emperor still remembered the late emperor’s kindness, he would never touch the Yang family. Since the Yang family had fallen, what use was seeing the late emperor? Her hundred thousand strings of coins!
Yang Huahua, however, remained calm. She knew better than anyone what that old man was still capable of. She hadn’t come to Yang Yuhuan to ask her to go see Li Longji.
“Fourth sister, I’ll ask you just one question: Are you willing to help the Yang family once more? For the last time.”

Yang Yuhuan gave a bitter smile and said, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to help you, but I’m powerless to do so.”
“Does that mean you’re still willing to help the Yang family once?” Yang Huahua pressed further.
Left with no choice, Yang Yuhuan nodded and said, “I have now taken monastic vows. The only way I can help the Yang family is by praying for them day and night.”
“No! You still have the ability to help us; it just depends on whether you’re willing to do it. I’m not talking about Xingqing Palace—I have no hope in that heartless old man at all. I’m referring to someone else.”
After saying this, Yang Huahua stared intently at Yang Yuhuan. Seeing a hint of unease in her eyes, she felt secretly pleased. How could Yang Huahua do something she wasn’t sure about?
Yang Yupei, standing nearby, was stunned. Who was her third sister referring to? Could it be her own daughter?
Yang Yuhuan gently bit her lip and said, “Third sister, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“You do understand. You know better than anyone else.”
With that, Yang Huahua drained the tea in her cup, stood up, and said, “Well, we won’t disturb your meditation anymore. Whether you help the Yang family or not is up to you. It was you who brought us to the capital and elevated us, only to make us fall hard again. If you refuse to take responsibility, that’s your choice. It’s just our fate. Second sister, let’s go!”
Yang Huahua pulled Yang Yupei along and headed outside. From afar, she called out loudly, “Second sister, do you know someone is watching us? If we show the slightest disrespect, we’ll both be executed on the spot. Do you believe that?”
“Third sister, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“You don’t understand, but someone else does!” Yang Huahua laughed and left like the wind.
Yang Yuhuan suddenly felt extremely exhausted. She waved her hand lightly and said to her maid, Xue Niang, “Go ahead! Close the door and don’t disturb me.”
She let out a soft sigh.
……
At noon, astonishing news spread throughout Daming Palace: Emperor Li Yu officially issued an edict appointing Zhao Wang Li Qing’an, the Anxi Jiedushi, as the Right Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty, in charge of governing affairs, while also serving as the Minister of Personnel, officially replacing Yang Guozhong. Li Qing’an would still remain the Grand Protector and Jiedushi of Anxi, with his military powers intact.
This news shocked the entire court. It wasn’t that officials from the frontier couldn’t serve as chancellors—back then, Niu Xianke, the Jiedushi of Hexi, had served as Left Chancellor. When Li Linfu was Right Chancellor, he also held the positions of Jiedushi of Shuofang and Anxi. The distinction between civil and military officials in the Tang Dynasty wasn’t that strict, and there were countless examples of civil officials who could fight.

The key point was that while serving as Right Prime Minister, Li Qing’an also actually held the position of Governor of Anxi. In other words, not only did he retain military power, but he also held executive authority, thus wielding immense power over both the government and the military. Such a concentration of military and political power had never occurred since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

There was much discussion among the people in the court and among the general public. There were opponents, but many supporters as well. The opponents were mainly high-ranking officials and nobles. Li Qing’an’s policies of restricting land use and abolishing slavery in Anxi left them with no illusions about him. The supporters, on the other hand, were primarily middle and lower-ranking officials and ordinary people. They didn’t care who held power; they were only concerned whether their salaries and rations would be paid in full and whether grain prices in Chang’an would remain stable. With Li Qing’an in power, silver from Anxi would surely flow in, and Anxi’s troops would undoubtedly be stationed in Guanzhong—this was an excellent thing.

As dusk approached, in Dàyè Fang of Chang’an, a carriage entered the district under the protection of a hundred guards. It traveled several miles before stopping in front of a large mansion. This mansion belonged to Linghu Fei, the former Deputy Minister of Personnel. Linghu Fei was Yang Guozhong’s most trusted confidant and chief advisor. Ten days earlier, when Yang Guozhong was demoted from Right Prime Minister, Linghu Fei was also removed from his position and left idle at home. The area in front of his mansion, once bustling with activity, was now quiet.

The carriage stopped in front of Linghu Fei’s mansion. A guard rushed up the steps and bowed to the gatekeeper, asking, “May I ask if Lord Linghu is at home?”

The gatekeeper glanced doubtfully at the carriage with its closed curtains and asked, “My master is at home. Who may I say is here?”

The guard whispered, “Hurry and inform your master that the Retired Emperor has come with urgent matters.”