Chapter 579: Burning the Eastern Market

Pingkang Fang in Chang’an was famous as a settlement for immigrants. It was also the largest entertainment district in Chang’an, boasting hundreds of brothels and inns. Tens of thousands of scholars from across the country gathered here every year during the imperial examinations. Even at ordinary times, it had a population of over a hundred thousand, making it the most populous district in Chang’an. The area was a mix of all sorts of people, making it extremely difficult for the authorities to manage. Within Pingkang Fang stood a brothel named Qiancui Lou, an established establishment with a history of nearly a hundred years, renowned for its excellent reputation and ranking among the best in the district. Yet this spring, its owner was secretly changed.

As evening fell, the crowd in Pingkang Fang surged, and business in the various brothels picked up. In front of Qiancui Lou, there was a steady stream of people, mostly wealthy youths in bright clothes. Several brothel owners greeted them warmly at the entrance. Inside Qiancui Lou, the lights were bright, and the halls were filled with lively chatter.

On the fifth floor of Qiancui Lou, the curtain of one window was slightly drawn back. A middle-aged man was watching the scene below. The main building of Qiancui Lou was very tall, a distinctive feature that allowed one to see far distances from its top, enabling clear observation of everything happening in Pingkang Fang.

The man pulled back the curtain and turned, saying slowly, “This is the general’s order. How dare you disobey?”

This middle-aged man was Zhang Tongru, who had just arrived from Youzhou. He had originally been An Lushan’s chief intelligence officer but was dismissed by An Lushan after the explosion at the gunpowder factory. He was then sent to Chang’an to carry out a plan to retaliate against Li Qing’an. Zhang Tongru had already carried out a daring act before—setting fire to the armory storage in Chang’an in the 12th year of the Tianbao era, destroying hundreds of thousands of weapons.

Thanks to this success, Zhang Tongru was promoted by An Lushan to become the head of intelligence, one of his most trusted men. Although Zhang Tongru had been replaced by Gao Shang, An Lushan still gave him a chance, ordering him to go to the capital to plan a retaliatory action against Li Qing’an. An Lushan was filled with anger, and failing to take revenge would surely affect the morale of the Yan army. He attached great importance to this matter and sent Zhang Tongru to Chang’an to take full responsibility for it.

There were two other people in the room. One was named Xu Yingjie, An Lushan’s intelligence chief in Chang’an. In his thirties, with a square face and large ears, he still had a military appearance and looked quite imposing. He had originally been An Lushan’s personal bodyguard officer and was appointed to Chang’an at the end of last year. Zhang Tongru’s arrival in Chang’an was essentially to take his place, though temporarily. This situation made Xu Yingjie extremely uncomfortable. He had always had a poor relationship with Zhang Tongru, and now his direct superior had changed to Gao Shang, who was even less inclined to support Zhang Tongru. As soon as Zhang Tongru arrived, he acted like a superior, using An Lushan’s authority to pressure others and ordered him to plan a retaliatory action immediately. Although Xu Yingjie didn’t dare to openly oppose him, he resisted by remaining silent. He sat in a corner by the wall, looking gloomy and saying nothing.

The other was Gu Daowang, the owner of the Qiancui Brothel. In his early forties, he was fair-skinned and plump, with a kind face. He didn’t come from a military background nor the official system of Fanyang; instead, he was An Lushan’s personal advisor. An Lushan had opened a large bank in Luoyang, which was managed by Gu Daowang. This time, An Lushan acquired the Qiancui Brothel partly for profit and partly as an intelligence base in Chang’an, with Gu Daowang responsible for both aspects.

Because Gu Daowang didn’t belong to either the military or political systems, he became a buffer between Zhang Tongru and Xu Yingjie. Seeing the tense atmosphere in the room, he laughed cheerfully and tried to defuse the situation: “General Zhang, you may not be aware, but Chang’an is no longer as easy to operate in as it was a couple of years ago. Besides the Qianniu Guard, an Inner Guard has also been established, making it almost impossible to enter the imperial palace. Commander Xu is worried that if we fail, we might destroy the intelligence network we’ve worked so hard to build, which would be a great loss.”

Zhang Tongru didn’t buy this explanation. He snorted loudly and said, “Hmph! Was it that difficult to burn down the armory back then? If I could do it, why can’t you?”

“Is that so?” Xu Yingjie, who had remained silent until then, sneered, “Then I don’t know. During the attack on Huaqing Palace, hundreds of elite soldiers were killed or injured. I wonder whose masterpiece that was?”

The disastrous defeat at Huaqing Palace had always been a great shame for Zhang Tongru, and he forbade others from mentioning it. Xu Yingjie’s words hit right at his sore spot. Zhang Tongru immediately flew into a rage, stepped forward, and glared fiercely, saying, “Xu, this was the commander-in-chief’s order. You had to do it whether you liked it or not. If you dare refuse again, I’ll have your head cut off right away!”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it, but if you want me to do it, it must be done according to my terms. You must not interfere; otherwise, I can give my place to you, and if it fails, it has nothing to do with me.”
“You…”
The two stubbornly refused to yield to each other, reaching a stalemate. This was actually a misstep by An Lushan—he appointed Zhang Tongru to take full control of the revenge operation in Chang’an, but at the same time he did not remove Xu Yingjie from his position or secretly order him to cooperate fully. Without such an order, two intelligence leaders emerged in Chang’an, neither respecting the other.
However, An Lushan gave Gu Daowang a secret order to monitor Zhang Tongru’s actions. Gu Daowang knew that An Lushan had assigned this task to Zhang Tongru, and if things really escalated, it would likely harm Xu Yingjie. Since he had a good personal relationship with Xu Yingjie, he stepped forward and suggested, “How about this? Since General Zhang has come under the orders of the Prince of Yan, Commander Xu should temporarily step back. For the greater good, let’s both take a step back!”
Seeing Gu Daowang signaling to him, Xu Yingjie sighed inwardly, realizing he had lost this time. He took out the authorization token from his pocket, slammed it hard on the table, and left the room.
Zhang Tongru casually picked up the token and examined it carefully before laughing triumphantly. With this token, the three hundred spies in Chang’an would all be under his control.
Gu Daowang bowed and said with a smile, “Congratulations, General Zhang, on regaining control. Do you have a specific plan?”
“Yes!”
Zhang Tongru took out a booklet and sighed, “The commander ordered me to achieve results within three days. The pressure is huge. I already have some initial ideas. Manager Gu, why don’t you discuss them with me?”
……
After handing the authorization token for mobilizing troops to Zhang Tongru, Xu Yingjie immediately left Qiancui Tower. He rode his horse slowly down the street, feeling extremely disappointed. He knew that An Lushan had given full control of this operation to Zhang Tongru. Although An Lushan hadn’t ordered him to relinquish power, the word “full control” in the order said it all—that full control included Zhang Tongru’s authority to kill him.

Xu Yingjie wasn’t reluctant to give up this power; rather, he opposed An Lushan’s plan. Making such a decision merely for revenge would be too hasty. More importantly, it might expose their forces in Chang’an and allow Li Qing’an to eradicate them completely. Xu Yingjie was filled with concern. Zhang Tongru was arrogant and self-important; his incompetence had been fully revealed after the failure at Huaqing Palace. How could he possibly compete with the Northern Tang Intelligence Agency, which had now been upgraded to an internal security force?

Zhang Tongru’s boasts about burning down the armory were nothing but delusions, thanks to Li Longji’s rule. Moreover, without the help of Ji Wen, the Deputy Minister of War, how could they have entered the imperial city? Now he still used this as a pretext to show off. The commander-in-chief was truly foolish—how could he fail to see through this incompetent Zhang Tongru?

Xu Yingjie was from Yizhou in Hebei Province. His family was poor, and he joined the army at the age of sixteen. During a battle against the Khitans in the third year of Tianbao, he saved An Lushan’s life, and An Lushan incorporated him into his personal guard. By the tenth year of Tianbao, he became a captain in An Lushan’s personal guard. He was utterly loyal to An Lushan, but two years ago, he was sidelined by another of An Lushan’s confidants, Li Zhuer, and lost An Lushan’s complete trust. In February this year, he was sent to Chang’an to establish An Lushan’s intelligence network. After over half a year of effort, the network had taken initial shape, with 350 members.

Now, with just An Lushan’s order, he had lost everything. Xu Yingjie was filled with resentment and disappointment.

He lived in Jing’an Fang, about seven or eight li away from Pingkang Fang. Worried that Zhang Tongru might target him once in power, he decided to leave Chang’an temporarily to avoid attention. He rushed back to his residence, a small house with four or five rooms. Apart from him, there was only an old servant who helped keep the place tidy. Xu Yingjie was unmarried, and his only family member was his elderly mother living in his hometown.

He pushed open the courtyard gate. It was quiet inside. He used to see the old servant working in the courtyard when he returned, but he wasn’t there today.

“Uncle Xia! Uncle Xia!”

He called out twice, but got no reply. Logically, his servant should have gone shopping and hadn’t returned yet. But his keen instincts made him sense something was wrong. He turned to run, but at that moment, he felt a severe headache. He sensed someone behind him, then everything went dark, and he collapsed to the ground.

After what seemed like an eternity, Xu Yingjie finally woke up. The blinding light made it impossible for him to open his eyes fully; he could only keep them narrowed. Vaguely, he realized he was in a large room, tied to a wooden pillar with thick iron chains. His upper body was naked, and iron rings were on his feet. A group of burly men stood around him, arms crossed over their chests, staring at him coldly.

“Commander Xu, have you woken up?”

The voice came from above him. He struggled to lift his head, feeling severe pain. Then he noticed there was a second floor above him. Someone was sitting by the stairs, around the same age as him, in his thirties, holding a cup of tea, looking at him with a smirk.

“What, Commander Xu, don’t you recognize me?”

Xu Yingjie suddenly recognized this person—Hu Peiyun, the head of the Imperial Guard’s intelligence department and once the intelligence chief of the Anxi Army. “So it’s you!”

“It is I!” Hu Peiyun put down his teacup and stepped down slowly until he stood in front of him. In a pitying tone, he said, “Poor man! Just one Zhang Tongru defeated you completely, forcing you to hand over military power. How can your 350 subordinates bear this?”

Hu Peiyun’s words made Xu Yingjie feel as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. He had only handed over military power to Zhang Tongru an hour ago—how did they already know? It seemed every move he made was under their control.

Xu Yingjie closed his eyes in pain. A deep sense of failure pierced his heart. The intelligence network he had painstakingly built with 350 people turned out to be mere prey on someone else’s chopping board all along.

“Commander Xu, do you want to know who betrayed you?”

Xu Yingjie asked in a deep voice, “Is it Wang Hong, Zhang Liubo, or Xu Le?”

These three were his key subordinates. In such a short time, Zhang Tongru could only have consulted them. “Clap, clap!” Hu Peiyun clapped his hands lightly and laughed. “Smart! You quickly narrowed it down. That’s right, it’s one of them. But he didn’t betray us—he’s been one of ours from the start.”

“It must be Zhang Liubo!”

Xu Yingjie guessed right away. This man had originally been a spy left behind in Chang’an by Geshu Han but later joined him. Due to his intelligence and competence, he was promoted to a key position. The other two were people he brought from Youzhou, whom he trusted greatly.

“Mm! Basically correct.”

Hu Peiyun nodded and smiled faintly. “Commander Xu, do you want to know where Zhang Tongru plans to strike next?”

Xu Yingjie gave a bitter smile. Did Zhang Tongru still want to discuss further actions? Everything had already been figured out by the enemy. He shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.
“Let’s put it this way! If it were Commander Xu, where would you strike?”
“The Xianyang grain stores!” Xu Yingjie said in a low voice.
“As expected, great minds think alike!”
Hu Peiyun gave a thumbs up in approval. “If it were me, I’d choose that place too.”
The Xianyang grain stores held two hundred thousand dan of grain, and they weren’t as well guarded as those in Chang’an. It would be easy to seize them. Moreover, the Anxi Army’s camp was located in Xianyang. If a fire destroyed those grain stores, it would deal a severe blow to morale.
Hu Peiyun shook his head and sighed. “It’s a pity! An Lushan appointed the wrong person. Instead of letting Commander Xu handle this, he handed it over to that fool Zhang Tongru. In the end, he’ll surely destroy An Lushan’s last remaining strength in the capital. Does Commander Xu know? Zhang Tongru’s plan is to set fire to the East Market.”
Xu Yingjie inwardly sighed. That idiot Zhang Tongru actually wanted to set fire to the East Market. After all, the Qianniu Guard had two thousand soldiers each stationed in the East and West Markets, keeping them tightly protected. Not only would it be difficult for them to carry out such an act, but even if they started a fire, it would be quickly extinguished by the soldiers. Perhaps Zhang Tongru thought setting fire to the East Market would have a huge impact, but in reality, it wouldn’t affect the army at all—only some merchants would suffer.
“Enough. I won’t beat around the bush. I want the complete list of your 350 men. I’ll spare your life afterward. Otherwise, I’ll make your life worse than death!”
Hu Peiyun had planted an important informant in An Lushan’s intelligence network in Chang’an. This person was named Zhang Liubo, who served as the head of the second team and had eighty spies under him. Hu Peiyun had the list of these eighty men, but not the list of the other 270. If those 270 weren’t captured all, it would cause endless trouble. To catch them all, he had to start with Xu Yingjie.
But Xu Yingjie sneered and said, “Do you really think I’ll tell you?”
“You will. You definitely will. I know your limits. Let’s see…”
Hu Peiyun gave a signal to several burly men and left the room. From a distance, he heard Xu Yingjie’s scream. He shook his head and walked away quickly.
……
Two hours later, a chief interrogator hurried to Hu Peiyun’s door and bowed to him. “Reporting to Master Hu, he’s confessed!”
“Hmm!” Hu Peiyun stopped writing and asked, “Did you beat him into it? Or did you threaten his mother?”

“Reporting to the hall master, this man is extremely tough and unafraid of our torture. But after we showed him his mother, he collapsed and confessed to all our questions.”
“And the roster?”
“It’s in his residence, hidden very well.”
“Go! Send people there immediately to get it.”
……
Fifteen minutes later, dozens of Tang soldiers arrived at Xu Yingjie’s house. They had searched it three times with no results. Only now did they find out where the roster was hidden.
They headed straight to the study, found the table by the window, turned it over, and used knives to pry off the entire tabletop. Behind it, they carefully cut open the layer beneath and found five white cloth strips, each covered in dense writing—this was the list of all members, including their names, addresses, and identities.
Hu Peiyun took the list and rushed to the Grand Marshal’s headquarters in the imperial city. Originally the headquarters of the Jinyiwei General, it had been converted into Li Qingan’s command center for coordinating military operations across the country. Li Qingan worked there, with thousands of guards inside and outside, ensuring strict security. Hu Peiyun, carrying an identity plaque issued by Li Qingan, could enter without reporting and was unimpeded as he made his way to Li Qingan’s office door. However, he was stopped by Li Qingan’s personal guards. “Hall master Hu, please wait a moment!”
Li Qingan’s office consisted of five rooms: a library, a map room, a meeting room, a bedroom, and an office. There was also a staff room where his aides sorted through documents sent from various places.
At that moment, a guard entered and reported, “General, Hall master Hu has arrived!”
“Let him in!”
Hu Peiyun hurried in, knelt on one knee, and bowed. “Hu Peiyun pays his respects to the general!”
Li Qingan, who was writing a letter to Li Guangbi, put down his pen and smiled. “Has An Lushan’s intelligence network been cracked?”
“Yes! I have obtained the complete list and can arrest them at any time. I’ve come to ask whether to arrest them now or wait until they set fire to the East Market.”
As he spoke, Hu Peiyun handed Li Qingan a thick copy of the roster. Li Qingan flipped through it and laughed mockingly, “They think they can set fire to the East Market? It’s time for them to wake up from their dream.”
He returned the roster to Hu Peiyun and said, “I plan to use these people to exchange for the members of the Hebei Intelligence Hall captured by An Lushan. Time is of the essence—arrest them right away!”
“As you command!”

Chang’an suddenly became tense. All the city gates and district gates were temporarily closed. Tens of thousands of imperial guards rushed into the streets and captured An Lushan’s spies, who were hiding under the identities of merchants, soldiers, residents, and others. In less than an hour, all 353 members were captured. Meanwhile, about three thousand soldiers rushed into Pingkang District and quickly surrounded Qiancui Tower, causing chaos inside. The soldiers stormed into the brothel and began searching for people.

Hu Peiyun personally led hundreds of soldiers to swiftly and quietly ascend to the fourth floor. At that moment, a servant nervously pointed at a small door. Several soldiers armed with shields kicked the door open, and they rushed in. Inside, Zhang Tongru was gathering seven or eight key members to discuss a plan to set fire to the Eastern Market. With the doors and windows closed and thick curtains drawn, they hadn’t realized something was wrong outside.

With a loud “bang,” the door was kicked open. Hundreds of soldiers rushed in, each holding a crossbow arrow, and quickly formed a circle, aiming their cold arrows at them.

The people slowly stood up, their eyes filled with terror. Zhang Tongru was utterly stunned, still holding his detailed plan to set fire to the Eastern Market, his mouth wide open and unable to close it.

At that moment, Hu Peiyun slowly walked in and smiled at him, saying, “General Zhang, it’s good to see you!”