Chapter 450: Bitter Medicine Wine

Night fell quietly. The Jiannan army retreated ten miles and camped in an open area. Gao Xianzhi, being cautious, sent many scouts to patrol around the camp. His heart was filled with melancholy as he paced back and forth around the main tent with his hands behind his back.

During the day, he had dared to defy Li Longji, and although Li Longji eventually agreed to his suggestion, Gao Xianzhi felt heavy-hearted. He knew Li Longji had not truly been persuaded but had agreed out of necessity because he commanded the army. Gao Xianzhi was also well aware that it was very likely today that the seeds for Li Longji to kill him were sown. Given Li Longji’s nature, how could he tolerate someone who dared to defy him on the battlefield?

This realization filled Gao Xianzhi with an inexplicable fear, yet he was helpless, unable to think of any way to make amends. He even considered begging Li Longji, but he knew it was pointless. Since it had already happened, he could only try to make things right over time.

Gao Xianzhi looked up at the crescent moon and sighed deeply. Why couldn’t the old emperor understand? They had no chance of winning this battle. That stubborn old emperor!

“General Gao!” A lieutenant rushed over, interrupting his thoughts.

“What is it?”

“The scouts captured a man—it’s Yang Xuan, the son of Yang Guozhong.”

“Then release him. What’s there to capture?” Gao Xianzhi said irritably.

Yang Xuan used to be a minister in the Ministry of Revenue and was dismissed during Li Yu’s purge of the Yang family. But since he had once been an official of the court, he couldn’t possibly be a spy. Moreover, Yang Guozhong was right here in the camp, as the right chancellor—there was no need to capture his son.

“But this man came from the north.”

“The north?” Gao Xianzhi was stunned. The north was Luogu Pass. It was wartime—how could Yang Xuan have come here? Something was definitely wrong.

“General Gao, what should we do? Should we release him or not?”

Gao Xianzhi pondered for a moment before saying, “Take him straight to Yang Guozhong’s tent.”

“Yes! I’ll obey orders.”

The lieutenant hurried off. Soon after, several soldiers brought in a man and took him directly to Yang Guozhong’s tent. Gao Xianzhi watched from a distance, sighing secretly. He didn’t know what Yang Xuan’s arrival meant…

The grand tent of Yang Guozhong was brightly lit. His son’s sudden arrival filled him with both joy and surprise. When he fled Chang’an, his son was on his way back from Luoyang. Time was of the essence, and he couldn’t wait for his son to return—a matter that had long troubled Yang Guozhong. His wife, Pei Rou, also harbored concerns about this and had scolded him several times. Now that his son was back, how could he not be overjoyed?

Yang Xuan was Yang Guozhong’s eldest son, thirty years old this year. He was quite handsome, with thick brows, large eyes, and a robust build, much resembling Yang Guozhong in his youth. When Yang Guozhong served as Right Chancellor, Yang Xuan had already become a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue, holding considerable power.

At that moment, though he saw his father, his face showed no signs of joy; instead, it appeared troubled. Noticing a few guards in the tent, he gave his father a subtle signal.

Yang Guozhong immediately ordered, “All of you, leave!”

The guards left, leaving only the father and son in the tent. Yang Guozhong frowned and reproached his son, “Why did you come from the north? If the Emperor finds out, how can I explain this?”

“Father, rest assured. Since Gao Xianzhi sent me to your tent, he certainly won’t tell the Emperor. Don’t you understand Gao Xianzhi’s intentions?”

“Of course I do!”

Yang Guozhong drew out his words, “But this is just luck. If it weren’t for Gao Xianzhi offending the Emperor today, how would he have let you go? You shouldn’t have taken the Luogu Road; you should have taken the Ziwu Road to Hanzhong.”

“Father, I have something to discuss with you.”

Seeing his son’s serious expression, Yang Guozhong slowly sat down. “Speak then! What is it?”

“Do you know why I was able to pass through Luogu Pass?”

“Just tell me directly! Don’t play games with me. Come, sit down and talk.”

“Yes!” Yang Xuan sat down and took another sip of tea before saying, “The reason I was able to pass through Luogu Pass is because I have a token from Li Qing’an.”

“What?” Yang Guozhong was shocked. “Where did you get Li Qing’an’s token?”

He found it hard to believe—how could Li Qing’an give his token to his son? The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed, so he urged, “Hurry up and tell me what’s going on.”

“Father, the token was actually given to me by my third aunt. You may not know this, but now it’s impossible to pass through the Ziwu Valley either—the army has blocked it. To go to Shu, we must take the route via Jingzhou. I originally planned to stay in Chang’an, but my third aunt found me, talked to me for a long time, and gave me this token so I could pass through Luogu Pass.”

The “third aunt” Yang Xuan mentioned was Yang Huahua. Yang Guozhong knew a little about this—Yang Huahua had always had ambiguous feelings for Li Qingan. This time, since Li Qingan had entered the court openly, Yang Huahua’s refusal to go south must be related to Li Qingan; otherwise, why would Li Qingan give her a token?
“That shameless woman!” Yang Guozhong cursed under his breath.
But Yang Xuan shook his head and said, “Father, you’re wrong. The token wasn’t meant for the third aunt—it was for me, through her. And I think her plan isn’t wrong at all.”
Yang Guozhong sensed there was more to his son’s words, so he narrowed his eyes and asked, “Have you also turned to Li Qingan?”
“Father, I haven’t turned to Li Qingan. I just want to have an alternative plan. It’s good that you serve the retired emperor as the Right Chancellor, but you also need to think about the future. The retired emperor is old—how many more years will he live? If he passes away, will his successor still need you? And if the retired emperor can’t overcome the court and is eventually overthrown, what will you do? Can you survive that? That’s why the third aunt advised me to prepare an alternative plan. I think she’s right. If I can work for Li Qingan, at least my family and I can save our lives. Even if we can’t become officials, it’s fine to be wealthy. I know your relationship with Li Qingan isn’t good, but please think about me and my brothers too, Father. I beg you!”
After saying this, Yang Xuan knelt in front of Yang Guozhong and kowtowed twice. After a long while, Yang Guozhong sighed and said, “Back then, Li Qingan was just a minor general, and I was just a minor county magistrate. Who would have thought I’d end up like this? Who would have thought Li Qingan would have such great power? Well, I’m nearly fifty and won’t be able to thrive much longer. For the sake of my sons, I’ll sacrifice myself!”
In truth, Yang Guozhong fled Chang’an not because he favored Li Longji, but because he couldn’t trust Li Heng. Ever since Li Heng poached his confidant Linghu Fei, he knew Li Heng would soon replace him with Linghu Fei. Yang Guozhong began to feel uneasy. But if he turned to Li Qingan, he couldn’t bear the loss of face. He would rather stay idle at home than become someone like Li Qingan. He also knew Li Qingan disdained him.

Of course, he also understood why Li Qing’an had come looking for his son. If it weren’t for him becoming the Right Chancellor under Li Longji, Li Qing’an would never have paid any attention to his son. Li Qing’an’s intention was clear—he wanted him to stay by Li Longji’s side and handle tasks for him. Yang Guozhong sighed secretly; for the sake of his son, he had even become Li Qing’an’s tool.

“Speak then! What brings you here this time?”

Seeing his father agree, Yang Xuan was overjoyed. He had never had high hopes for Li Longji; on the contrary, he favored Li Qing’an. But because of his father, it was impossible for him to be used by Li Qing’an. However, if his father were willing to do something for Li Qing’an, then he might have a chance in the future.

Yang Xuan quickly whispered, “There’s something I need to tell Father—Geshu Han…”

……

Li Longji’s tent was located in the center of the camp. Aside from the largest white tent, there were five smaller tents surrounding it, resembling a blooming flower when viewed from above.

Just like on the Baoxie Road, the nights on the Luogu Road were also unbearably hot. Although it was slightly better than a few days earlier, it was still July, and for the elderly Li Longji, it was unbearable. The harassment from mosquitoes and the heat made him extremely irritable.

He had lived in comfort for decades and had never endured such hardships. If it weren’t for his concern that Gao Xianzhi and Geshu Han might not work hard enough, he would never have come personally to serve as the military supervisor.

Li Longji’s irritation was also fueled by Gao Xianzhi’s outright defiance. A few years earlier, he would have killed this presumptuous minister on the spot. But now that his authority had waned, he feared that killing Gao Xianzhi might lead to rebellion among his subordinates. So, he had to hold back his anger, venting it instead in his own tent upon returning. He had already smashed three teacups and beaten several eunuchs who served him under pretense of finding fault with them, which slightly relieved his anger. But this wasn’t a solution. After dinner, he stayed in his tent, pondering how to take away Gao Xianzhi’s military power.

Li Longji had been harmed by An Lushan and had taken aphrodisiacs for years, which eventually ruined his health. He remained unconscious for months before slowly recovering. As his body gradually healed, his mind returned to its state before the coma. Yet the aphrodisiacs left permanent damage—he had completely lost his normal male functions, and his back became hunched, leaving him with a hunchback.

Although he had lost his desire for women, his desire for power had not diminished at all; instead, it grew even more intense. He dreamed of returning to Hanyuan Hall, taking control of the vast lands of the Tang Dynasty, and receiving envoys from all nations. For this purpose, he killed his thirteen sons and, relying on his decades of prestige, subdued Gao Xianzhi and others, amassing an army of nearly 300,000 men. He refused to acknowledge Li Shi as emperor and declared his own restoration, attracting many nobles and members of the imperial family to join him. Li Longji became somewhat confused again, and he eagerly wanted to enter Guanzhong to reclaim his throne.

But now, the setbacks at Luogu Pass and Gao Xianzhi’s direct defiance were like buckets of cold water thrown on him, making Li Longji somewhat sober. He finally realized that his power was not yet secure.

As for how to take control of Gao Xianzhi, the best way was obviously to buy over his subordinates. But Li Longji knew it would be difficult to do so now. It would be better to separate Gao Xianzhi from his men—for example, having Gao Xianzhi stationed in Chengdu while his men were scattered across other provinces. With distance between them, it would be easier to buy them over.

As he pondered this, a guard came in and reported, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Yang has arrived, saying he has important matters to report!”

“Let him in.”

Li Longji still valued Yang Guozhong greatly. On one hand, he was loyal to him, even abandoning his position as prime minister to join him. On the other hand, Yang Guozhong had served as right prime minister for two years. Though his abilities were somewhat limited, he was familiar with government affairs and could quickly get his new court functioning. Moreover, he had considerable influence—most of his supporters had gathered in Hanzhong. Cui Yuan, the governor of Yizhou, was also promoted by him. With Yang Guozhong around, it would be possible to stabilize the local officials in the provinces of Bashu. So as soon as Yang Guozhong fled to Hanzhong, Li Longji immediately appointed him as right prime minister and head of the Secretariat.

The curtain was lifted, and Yang Guozhong hurried in, kneeling respectfully before Li Longji and saying, “Your servant Yang Guozhong pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

This was also one of the reasons Li Longji liked Yang Guozhong. All other officials would greet him without kneeling, forcing him, who was already hunched over, to look up at them, creating a sense of pressure in his heart. But when Yang Guozhong knelt before him, that pressure disappeared, allowing him to look down on Yang Guozhong and feel a sense of satisfaction.

“Prime Minister, rise from your bow.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Yang Guozhong stood up, still bending slightly. “Your Majesty, my son Yang Xuan came from Hanzhong and brought me an important message. I was anxious, but I dared not hide it from you, so I came to see you.”

“Young Master Yang has also arrived. Congratulations, Prime Minister. Now your family is reunited.”

Li Longji smiled and congratulated Yang Guozhong, then asked, “Go on! What happened?”
Yang Guozhong stepped forward and whispered, “Your Majesty, my son heard something in Hanzhong. It was brought by those transporting food and supplies. It seems that Geshu Han and Li Qing’an exchanged letters, and Li Qing’an gave Geshu Han medicinal wine for foot pain several times, which he accepted gladly.”
“What?”
Li Longji was shocked and immediately showed anger. “Is this really true?”
Yang Guozhong knew Li Longji’s temperament very well. Speaking like this was actually risky. If it were someone else, they would definitely investigate who told Yang Xuan and how that person knew, eventually tracing it back to Geshu Han. Under such investigation, Yang Xuan would surely be in trouble. He had just arrived in Hanzhong—how could he know what was happening on the front line? Thus, Yang Xuan’s source of information became suspicious, leading to doubts about his true identity.
But with Li Longji, Yang Guozhong had no such concerns. Li Longji never cared about the source of information; he only cared whether it was true or not. As for whether it was true in the end, Yang Guozhong wasn’t worried either. He knew Li Qing’an would take care of everything.
Yang Guozhong also didn’t have a good impression of Geshu Han. Initially, he had hoped Geshu Han would support Prince Shou, Li Mao, and had even written to him twice. But unexpectedly, Geshu Han ended up supporting Li Heng, making Yang Guozhong feel deceived. Now, for the sake of his son, Yang Guozhong no longer cared about Geshu Han’s life or death.
“Your Majesty, I think something is off. Geshu Han arrived earlier than us, yet so far he hasn’t fought Li Qing’an once. He just keeps urging for military supplies, and Li Qing’an doesn’t attack him either. What’s this? Could it really be that there’s no understanding between them? This reminds me of an incident from last year.”
Li Longji’s expression darkened greatly. Even Gao Xianzhi dared to defy him face to face, let alone Geshu Han? Without any evidence, he already believed to some extent that Geshu Han indeed suffered from foot pain.
“Go on. What happened last year?”

“Last year, the crown prince, in order to issue silver coins, fell out with Li Qing’an, took back his control over Hexi, and prevented Anxi silver coins from flowing into the Central Plains. But later we found that a large amount of Anxi silver coins still flowed into Chang’an—not from Hexi nor from Shuofang. So where did these coins come from? I now realize they must have come from Longyou. Back then, when Li Qing’an participated in the Shibao City battle, he went straight from Anxi to Longyou; he was very familiar with this route. I’m sure Li Qing’an used the same route to transport large amounts of silver coins to Longyou, and he reached a secret agreement with Geshu Han to get these coins into Guanzhong. Otherwise, how could Geshu Han have the money and supplies to recruit soldiers? It must be that Li Qing’an gave him some benefits.”
Yang Guozhong’s words were well-founded, and Li Longji believed them to a large extent. He couldn’t help but curse angrily, “That damned Geshu slave! I trusted him so much, yet he dared to betray me!”
At that moment, Yang Guozhong played his trump card. “Your Majesty, the reason I’m sure this is true is that Geshu Han must please Li Qing’an.”
“Why?”
Yang Guozhong replied slowly, “The reason is simple: the families of Geshu Han’s subordinates are now in Li Qing’an’s hands. He doesn’t dare to anger him.”
“Ah!”
Li Longji suddenly understood.