Chapter 484: Who Is the Real Murderer?

A mourning pavilion had been set up in front of Li Yan’s residence. Over a hundred monks from Ciyun Temple chanted scriptures day and night inside, conducting rituals for 49 days to ease Li Yan’s soul. For three consecutive days, officials came in an endless stream to offer their condolences. Li Yan’s widow and son endured their grief, thanking each official who came to pay their respects.

At dusk, several officials, wearing white sashes around their waists, entered the mourning pavilion. The leader among them was Zhang Gao, the Deputy Minister. Also present were Lu Huan, the Left Minister, and Wang Wei, the Right Minister. Li Yan’s eldest son, Li Xiao, rushed forward and bowed deeply, saying, “Thank you, uncles, for coming to mourn my father. If our hospitality was inadequate, please forgive us!”

Zhang Gao sighed. “What more can be done regarding hospitality? In times of such misfortune, please bear it with grace, young man.”

“Thank you, uncles. But as long as the murderer isn’t caught, my father’s soul will remain restless. I implore you to help my widowed mother and me!”

With tears streaming down his face, Li Xiao knelt before them. Zhang Gao and the others quickly helped him up, saying, “Please rise, young man! Please rise!”

The three exchanged glances. Zhang Gao shook his head and said, “I went to the Jinwu Guard this afternoon. General Chen said he’s doing his best, but there’s still no news. Please be patient for a few more days.”

“Uncle Zhang, are you also turning a blind eye?” Li Xiao asked, his face filled with tears and anger. “My father had nearly forty servants, all armed with swords, yet they were all killed. Could this be the work of ordinary people? If someone has the ability to do such a thing, who do you think it was?”

“That’s right! Who else but the Guanzhong Army?”

Suddenly, a clear voice came from behind them. Everyone turned to see the young emperor, Li Shi, arriving. They immediately bowed, saying, “Your Majesty!”

Dressed in mourning clothes, Li Shi stepped forward slowly and said to Li Xiao, “I know why Minister Li was assassinated—it was over the imperial estates. Someone wanted to seize those vast fields, and Minister Li firmly opposed them. Not only that, but this person also wanted to abolish the previous emperor’s land reforms completely. Minister Li was the biggest obstacle, so they assassinated him so that no one else would dare to question land distribution. You must all know who this person is.”

After saying that, Li Shi glanced behind him. Hundreds of guards were escorting a carriage—Regent Li Heng had arrived. With a heavy sigh, Li Shi walked straight into the mourning pavilion.

At that moment, Li Heng got off the carriage and cried out from afar, “Brother Qiming, I arrived a step too late!”
Li Xiao flew into anger. He snatched up a mourning stick and charged at Li Heng with hatred in his eyes. Zhang Gao quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Nephew, don’t act recklessly. You have no evidence. If you offend the Regent, you’ll suffer consequences and upset your father in the afterlife.”
Saying this, he took the mourning stick from Li Xiao’s hands and whispered in his ear, “Hold back. The emperor is in the memorial hall. You must not disturb him.”
Perhaps reminded by Zhang Gao’s last words, Li Xiao subdued the hatred in his eyes. He stepped forward slowly, gave Li Heng a forced bow, and said coldly, “We dare not trouble the Regent. We appreciate your kindness. Please go back.”
“What are you saying, nephew? Qiming and I are not only relatives but also close friends for many years. How can I not offer incense at his grave to express my condolences when he suffers such misfortune?”
Li Heng had already seen Emperor Li Shi’s light carriage. He guessed that Li Shi was inside the memorial hall and needed to warn him not to make unfounded suspicions.
Ignoring Li Xiao, he strode straight into the memorial hall. Zhang Gao and the others stood aside and bowed, saying, “We pay our respects to the Regent.”
Li Heng nodded. By now, he had seen his grandson Li Shi offering incense at Li Yan’s grave. He slowly stepped forward, lit an incense stick, and placed it in the incense burner in front of the memorial tablet. He murmured to himself, “Brother Qiming, though we have different political views, we’ve been close friends since childhood. Your spirit in heaven must understand that your unfortunate death has nothing to do with me.”
“Hmph! The sun is bright, and everyone knows the truth. How can you deny responsibility with such a simple claim?” Li Shi said coldly from the side.
Li Heng narrowed his eyes, shooting a vicious glance. Without turning to look at Li Shi, he gritted his teeth and whispered, “Rebellious grandson! Are you talking nonsense again?”
“You’re heartless. First my father, now the prime minister—such a habit of killing. Aren’t you afraid of angering our ancestors?”
Li Heng tilted his head and sneered slightly. “Is an ignorant child even fit to be the emperor of Tang? If you ascend the throne, it will be a disaster for our Tang Dynasty. Fine! From today onward, we have no relation left. You are no longer my grandson.”

Before Li Heng could finish speaking, Li Shi snatched the jade pendant from his waist. It was a gift from Li Heng on his first birthday, and he had worn it on his waist for ten years. He had tried several times to take it off, but his mother had persuaded him not to, as it was also the emperor’s wish. At that moment, Li Shi’s blood surged to his head. Without hesitation, he threw the jade pendant hard onto the ground. With a crack, the pendant shattered into pieces, symbolizing that the relationship between them as grandfather and grandson was now reduced to dust.

Li Shi turned and strode angrily toward the outside of the memorial hall. “Let’s go back to the palace!”

Li Heng, his face ashen, stared at the shattered jade pendant on the ground. After a long while, he muttered to himself, “He’s only throwing the jade pendant for now. Tomorrow, he’ll draw his sword to cut off my head. Good! Very good!”

……

In the carriage, Li Heng remained silent, lost in thought. His gaze was dark, his expression grim. Even Li Fuguo, the eunuch who rode beside him and served him throughout the journey, did not dare to speak too much. He knew Li Heng was in a terrible mood, and provoking him would bring disaster.

At that moment, Li Heng was considering the impact of Li Yan’s death. Although many suspected him of being the culprit, the benefits brought by Li Yan’s death far outweighed those drawbacks. First, a position in the council became vacant, allowing him to escape the unfavorable situation in the council. Second, the land reform created an opportunity. With Li Yan’s death, he could take the chance to dissolve the temporary Land and Fields Department and seize tens of thousands of acres of land for himself, turning it into a bargaining chip so that the royal family would have to come to him for help.

Li Yan died at just the right time—his death opened up so many opportunities.

The carriage moved slowly along Zhuque Street when suddenly, the sound of a children’s song came from the roadside. It was a group of children singing.

“Father and son, chaos between ruler and subject; father kills son, ruler kills subject. The emperor dies, the minister dies—whose hand is behind this crime?”

Hearing the song, Li Heng flew into a rage. He pulled down the carriage window and pointed at the children, shouting, “Catch them!”

The guards rushed forward like wolves, catching the children in no time and tossing them in front of the carriage. The children cried out in fear. Annoyed, Li Heng gave Li Fuguo a signal. Understanding, Li Fuguo immediately took the children aside.

He soon returned and said, “Your Highness, I’ve already asked them.”

“Speak!”

“The children said it was a middle-aged scholar who taught them to sing, giving each of them ten coins and telling them to spread the song everywhere…”

Seeing Li Fuguo hesitating, Li Heng snapped, “Go on! What else?”

Li Fuguo had no choice but to continue, “They’ve been singing this song since yesterday. Not only them, but many beggars and performers are also singing it—some are being paid for it!”
“Those damned creatures!”
Li Heng cursed under his breath before immediately ordering, “There are two things you must handle right away! First, order Chen Xuanli to punish those who sing this song severely—if children sing it, their parents shall be beaten with a hundred strokes; if others dare to sing it, they’ll first be beaten with a hundred strokes and then imprisoned for a month. Second, send someone to bring An Lushan to me!”
After giving these orders, Li Heng waved his hand angrily and said, “Return to the Zichen Palace!”
He had originally intended to go back to his residence to rest, but now he had no desire to rest. He suspected that the person who assassinated Li Yan was likely An Lushan, who had 700 soldiers stationed outside the eastern city. Only he had the means to kill Li Yan and his 40 household members at once.
…
An hour later, the Jinwu Guard in Wannian County suddenly moved into action. Teams of soldiers rushed through the streets, searching for children and ronin singing obscure songs. Children singing nursery rhymes were constantly captured and taken home, where their parents were beaten until they cried out in pain. Dozens of beggars singing songs about fathers and sons killing each other for alms in the City God Temple were also found. The soldiers of the Jinwu Guard beat them mercilessly, killing eight of them on the spot, while the rest were severely beaten and thrown into the Jinwu Guard’s dark prison. The entire county was in chaos.
In sharp contrast to Wannian County was Chang’an County, where the Qianniu Guard remained completely silent. Groups of children were singing the latest nursery rhymes in various districts of Chang’an County: “Father and son in conflict, ruler and subject in chaos; father kills son, ruler kills subject. The emperor dies, the prime minister dies—whose hand is behind this crime?”
A single street, Zhuque Street, divided Chang’an into two worlds.
In the Zichen Palace, An Lushan, led by two eunuchs, entered Li Heng’s audience hall. It was indeed An Lushan who had killed Li Yan. His general Shi Siming had led 500 elite guards to ambush Li Yan in Xinfeng County and succeeded. This was his gift to Li Heng. An Lushan hadn’t realized what impact Li Yan’s death would have on land reform; he only considered the changes in the government. An Lushan’s visit to the capital had two purposes: first, to form an alliance with the regency party, allowing him to accelerate his military expansion under their cover without being suspected of rebellion, and second, to use the pretext of defending against the Khitans to obtain financial support from the court.

The second goal was to rebuild his intelligence network. Since Liu Luogu’s disappearance, his intelligence network in Chang’an had vanished without a trace, which was like losing one eye and greatly hindering his ability to understand the movements in Chang’an and among other forces. Therefore, rebuilding the intelligence network was his top priority.

He also had an ulterior motive for coming to Chang’an—namely, to find Yang Yuhuan, the woman he had long dreamed of. He had never had the chance before, and now that she was separated from Li Longji, it seemed fate had bestowed this beauty upon him. It was a pity that Liu Luogu had failed to fulfill his wish. The official version in Chang’an claimed that Yang Yuhuan had died in the fire at Huaqing Palace, but An Lushan knew she wasn’t dead; she must be hiding, likely right in Chang’an.

Unfortunately, after searching for two full days, there was still no sign of Yang Yuhuan. Yet he didn’t lose heart. He intensified his searches throughout Chang’an and offered a huge reward.

Lost in his thoughts, An Lushan soon arrived at the door of Li Heng’s audience chamber.

“General An, please come in! Your Highness is waiting for you in the audience chamber.”

Seeing no one around, An Lushan quickly took out a fine emerald from his waistband and handed it to the eunuch, saying, “Eunuch, take this and buy some wine.”

“This… how could I accept such a gift!” The eunuch laughed broadly. He knew his worth—this emerald was worth at least a thousand strings of coins.

An Lushan smiled and asked, “May I know your surname, eunuch?”

“Thank you, General An. My name is Cheng Yuanzhen. I have served Your Highness the Regent for many years.”

“Oh, it’s you, Eunuch Cheng. I hope to rely on your help in the future.”

“Of course! Please, General An, go in! Don’t keep Your Highness waiting.”

An Lushan nodded and entered the outer door of Li Heng’s audience chamber. A guard immediately reported, “Your Highness, General An has arrived.”

“Let him in!”

An Lushan entered the chamber and saw Li Heng writing at his desk. He immediately bowed and said, “An Lushan pays his respects to Your Highness the Regent!”

This was the second time An Lushan had met Li Heng. He had visited Li Heng the morning after arriving in Chang’an, but that had been a mere courtesy visit. Today was a substantive meeting.

“Please sit down, General An!”

Li Heng put down his pen and said with a smile, “General An, you must have accomplished something significant these past few days!”

An Lushan didn’t deny it and nodded, smiling. “I indeed did something small—a gift for Your Highness the Regent.”

Li Heng glanced at him and sighed. “Though your intentions are good, that person isn’t the gift I’m most hoping for. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I understand!”

An Lushan hurried forward and said with flattery, “The person the Regent Prince most wishes to kill should be Li Qing’an. Rest assured, Prince, given time, I will surely cut off this traitor’s head and present it to you.” Their eyes met, and both smiled knowingly.
…
As night fell, a small fishing boat loaded with firewood drifted into the Huangqu canal outside Qujiang Lake. There were two people on the boat: an old fisherman with gray hair who rowed the oar with a calm expression, and another man sitting at the bow wearing a conical hat pulled low. In the dim light of night, his face could not be seen clearly, but he kept his head bowed, looking worried.
The small boat entered Qujiang Lake, a waterway leading into Chang’an City. During festivals or when the emperor visited the gardens, outside boats were not allowed to enter Qujiang Lake, but usually there were no restrictions. After nightfall, small boats kept coming from the Huangqu canal into Qujiang Lake, most carrying goods bound for the Eastern Market.
But this boat did not head for the Eastern Market. It turned into Quchi Fang and continued for a while. The man in the conical hat pointed to a dock ahead and said in a low voice, “Uncle Lu, stop there.”
The old fisherman chuckled, put down the oar, and used a long pole to steady the boat beside the dock.
“Young Master Tian, you may go now.”
The young man suddenly knelt down and kowtowed twice to the old fisherman, his voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, old man, for saving my life! Tian Yunqing will repay your kindness generously.”
This young man was Tian Yunqing, an official from the Land Affairs Department who had gone on an inspection with Li Yan. He had been shot in the shoulder and pursued, falling into the river along with his horse. Driven ten miles downstream, he was on the verge of drowning when the old fisherman, who was setting nets by the river, saved him and treated his wounds.
Tian Yunqing stayed at the old fisherman’s house for two days. When the situation calmed down slightly, he secretly took a boat to enter the city.
The old fisherman quickly helped him up and said with a smile, “Young master, there’s no need to be polite. We’re fated to meet; remember to visit my house often!”
“I definitely will!”
Tian Yunqing bowed and stepped ashore. Under the cover of darkness, he hurried through a narrow alley and arrived at another main street. Not far away stood a huge mansion with two large red lanterns hanging above its door. Through the light, each lantern bore a black character: Wei Mansion.
This was Wei Tao’s residence. Tian Yunqing had once been Wei Tao’s disciple. After escaping a great disaster, the first person he went to see was Wei Tao.

Once, Wei’s residence was a deserted place in front of its gates. But ever since Wei Tao entered the government and was promoted to Minister of Works, the area in front of Wei’s residence became bustling. Relatives, friends, former students, and officials all came to visit. Many officials who wanted to join the Prince of Zhao’s faction also took Wei Tao as a path to success, so the Wei family’s influence in the court gradually grew.

That day, the area in front of Wei’s residence was lively all day long, but finally it quieted down. The last official who came to visit was also bidding farewell.

“I’m truly sorry for disturbing Minister Wei’s rest. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Wish you a safe journey, Young Minister Yang. I won’t see you off further.”

The visiting official got into his carriage, which then left Wei’s residence. Wei Tao watched the carriage go until it was out of sight before shaking his head with a smile and preparing to enter the house.

Just then, a faint voice came from the darkness: “Master!”

The voice sounded familiar. Wei Tao froze and looked around. A person wearing a conical hat appeared behind a large tree; his face couldn’t be seen in the darkness.

“Who are you?” Wei Tao asked, frowning.

“Master, it’s me!”

Tian Yunqing lifted his hat and rushed forward. “Master, don’t you recognize me?”

“You’re Yunqing?”

Tian Yunqing was the third-place winner in the imperial examinations in the ninth year of Tianbao. He was Wei Tao’s proud student. Wei Tao recognized him at once and was shocked. Pointing at him, he asked, “Yunqing, aren’t you dead?”

“Master, I luckily escaped. This isn’t a place to talk. If someone sees us, my life could be in danger.”

“Hurry! Go inside the house quickly.”

Wei Tao took Tian Yunqing into his study and ordered his servants, “No one is allowed to disturb us!”

He closed the door, asked Tian Yunqing to sit down, and poured him a cup of tea. “We all thought you were dead. Your wife even came to me and cried. I was very sad too. I never expected you to be alive. Tell me, how did you escape?”

Tian Yunqing’s wife was Wei Tao’s distant niece and also part of the Wei family. Concerned for his wife, Tian Yunqing said, “Master, could you bring my wife here later? I’m afraid she’s in danger too.”

Seeing his serious expression, Wei Tao sensed something and said, “Don’t worry about that. I’ll send someone to bring her right away. First, tell me what exactly happened.”

Tian Yunqing held the teacup in both hands, took a sip, and sighed. “Minister Li was assassinated. I’m probably the only one who escaped.”

He then recounted in detail what had happened. Finally, he untied the cloth covering his shoulder, revealing the arrow wound. “If it weren’t for Uncle Lu saving me, I would have drowned.”

Wei Tao frowned and asked, “You said the officer who shot you seemed familiar. Have you seen him before? Think carefully, who is he?”
Tian Yunqing sneered and said, “I already remembered him. I was there back then when he had a duel with Li Qingan using pots.”
“Si Siming!” Wei Tao exclaimed in surprise.
Tian Yunqing nodded firmly. “That’s right, it’s him!”