Chapter 607: Who Is the Real Culprit?

Zhang Yun slowly stood up. He had been waiting for a long time; he wasn’t in a hurry. He wanted to wait until Wei Tao finished his act before striking back.
“Everyone, since I’ve invited you all here, it’s to take this opportunity to give you a clear explanation regarding the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Pei that occurred a few days ago. I think it’s time to summarize this matter.”
Zhang Yun’s words caused slight stir. He was known for being cautious and not speaking lightly. Did his words mean he already had some clues?
Wei Tao remained silent, his face dark, his lips pressed white. Liu Yan’s statement made him feel uneasy, and Zhang Yun’s confidence only deepened that unease. But he didn’t believe Zhang Yun could find any solid evidence—after all, he hadn’t even found any last night!
Zhang Yun stepped forward and smiled slightly at Pei Min. “Vice Minister Pei, please allow me to use this space for a moment.”
Pei Min quickly cleared the items on the table to make room. “Prime Minister Zhang, please!”
Zhang Yun stepped forward and, as if performing magic, clapped his hands. Everyone turned to look, and they saw an official carrying a large package rushing into the hall. Shen Zhenzhu stared at Zhang Yun with a complex expression on her face.
The official carefully placed the package on the table and slowly untied it. Many people stood up, leaning forward to see. A few gasps of surprise filled the hall.
The brocade package was unfolded, revealing several items: a crossbow, a scroll of imperial edict, and two books that resembled registers.
The crowd immediately associated the crossbow with the one used to shoot Pei Zunqing at the scene. But that crossbow had clearly been taken away by the imperial guards—so how could it be in Zhang Yun’s hands? Could it be…?
Zhang Yun picked up the crossbow and calmly said to the crowd, “I’m sure many of you have guessed what this crossbow is. That’s right—it’s the very crossbow used in the crime. I borrowed it from the imperial guards.”
He then pointed to a row of white marks on it. “This is the crossbow’s serial number: Military Inspectorate 43335. Its maker is Sun Hao, who is standing right behind you all.”
Everyone turned again and saw a middle-aged man in his fifties standing up and bowing. “I am Sun Hao, a crossbow maker from the Military Arms Inspectorate. I made this crossbow six years ago.”
“Alright! Please listen to me continue,” Zhang Yun said with a smile, drawing everyone’s attention back. “According to the records of the Military Arms Inspectorate, this crossbow was assigned to An Lushan’s Fanyang army in the first month of the tenth year of the Tianbao era. Please take a look at the records.”

Zhang Yun raised a booklet. “This is the record from the Military Equipment Supervision Office at that time. It lists the crossbow models and the signatures of the officials involved. It’s written clearly—these weapons were allocated to Fanyang, but…” As he said “but,” Zhang Yun’s tone suddenly rose, emphasizing this turn to indicate that important information was coming next. “Although these weapons were allocated to the Fanyang army, they never left. There wasn’t enough time to transport them. Only a record was made in the accounts; the weapons remained in the warehouses of the Weiwei Temple.” Zhang Yun’s words brought about a dramatic turn, turning what seemed like a simple case into something complicated. Everyone sat upright, staring intently at him. Even Wei Tao was captivated, his expression shifting as concern appeared in his eyes. Zhang Yun slowly scanned the crowd, as if giving them time to digest the significance of his words and also to pique their interest. He smiled and continued, “I think many of those present still remember what happened in February of the tenth year of Tianbao. Who remembers?” “It was Gao Xianzhi who was summoned to suppress the rebellion in Nanzhao!” Yan Zhenqing, who had remained silent until then, spoke up. “Your Excellency Yan is absolutely correct. In February of the tenth year of Tianbao, the late emperor appointed Gao Xianzhi as the military governor of Jiannan. He mobilized 50,000 troops from Guanzhong and recruited another 30,000, making a total of 80,000 troops to reinforce Jiannan. This task was entirely under the responsibility of Li Lin, the then left vice minister of the Ministry of War. I have here a copy of the imperial edict from that time.” Zhang Yun unrolled a scroll beside him and read aloud, “Three thousand strong men from Guanzhong are to be recruited, equipped with military uniforms and weapons, trained in Jingyuan, and sent to Shu in April…” Zhang Yun put down the edict and said with a smile, “Can everyone see the pattern now? ‘Equipped with military uniforms and weapons’ means these newly recruited troops need to be armed. So where did the weapons come from to arm them? That’s where the problem lies!” Zhang Yun picked up another thick booklet and declared, “This is the inventory book from the Weiwei Temple’s warehouses. It contains detailed records. All the weapons originally allocated to Fanyang were transferred to the Jiannan army. The weapons for the Fanyang army were supplied later. Among these numbers is the serial number of this crossbow.” These astonishing words stunned everyone. They realized that this crossbow did not come from the Fanyang army but from the Jiannan army. In other words, the person who assassinated Pei Zunqing was not An Lushan but Li Hen of Nanzhong. The hall became chaotic with noise. Zhang Yun distributed all the evidence, saying, “Please take a look. This is irrefutable proof!” “Dang!” Pei Min struck a small bell. “Everyone, please be quiet!”

The conference hall fell silent once again. Pei Min slowly said, “Prime Minister Zhang has clearly explained the facts to us step by step. Now the truth is revealed—the one who killed Prime Minister Pei was indeed the Southern Tang. The court will announce this to the whole world and condemn such despicable acts. Does anyone have any objections?”
Everyone turned to look at Wei Tao. His lips were almost bitten bloody. There were too many flaws in this situation; he could easily refute it. Who could prove that the crossbow used to kill Pei Zunqing was indeed that one? Who could prove it wasn’t someone framing Li Heng? Would Li Heng be stupid enough to use his own crossbow arrows to commit a crime? How did he know that those military weapons were originally allocated to An Lushan? These were all huge flaws, but could he speak up?
He had seen the register of military weapons from the Military Equipment Bureau—it was real. It had been taken by the imperial guards. How could it end up in Zhang Yun’s hands? That could only mean one thing: Zhang Yun’s performance today was ordered by Li Qingan; he was carrying out Li Qingan’s orders.
At that moment, Wei Tao felt like a puppet clown, jumping around on the stage while someone else controlled the strings. An unprecedented sense of shame nearly crushed his heart. He could no longer hold back his anger, and a surge of passion rushed to his brain as he shouted, “I refuse to accept it!”
The hall was so quiet that even the sound of a needle falling could be heard. No one spoke, looking at Wei Tao with sympathetic or pitying eyes. With things having come to this, what more was there for him to argue about? Lu Huan sighed, pulled Wei Tao aside, and whispered, “Minister Wei, there’s no need to say anything more.”
Pei Min asked again, “Minister Wei, do you want to say something?”
Wei Tao waved his hand, exhausted, and said, “Nothing. Prime Minister Zhang is right!”
“Very well. Then this case is closed. The Secretariat will draft an imperial edict and spread it throughout the country!”
Just then, the voice of Empress Dowager Shen Zhenzhu came from behind, “I also have a few words to say!”
She stood up and, surrounded by palace maids, walked toward the front. Reaching the very front, she glanced at everyone and declared loudly, “Distinguished ministers, may I speak?”
Everyone bowed together and said, “Please issue your decree, Your Majesty!”

Shen Zhenzhu nodded and said, “Prime Minister Pei has passed away, and we should remember him with reverence. Yet the court must follow its own rules, and governance must continue. As Prime Minister Zhang just said, we are at war with Southern Tang and must also suppress the rebellion led by An Lushan. Our soldiers are fighting bravely for the country, so we must unite wholeheartedly to ensure smooth governance, so that military supplies can reach the front lines quickly and our soldiers won’t suffer from hunger or cold. But the current situation is not optimistic. In my opinion, the root of the problem lies in the vacant position of Right Prime Minister. Taking this opportunity, I propose that Left Prime Minister Zhang Yun take over as Right Prime Minister to maintain stability in the court. This is just my suggestion. The position of Right Prime Minister is crucial, and it still requires discussion and decision by all the ministers.”

Zhang Yun never imagined that it would be the empress who announced his appointment as Right Prime Minister. His mind raced quickly, and he suddenly understood Li Qingan’s careful plan. According to tradition, when a high-ranking position was vacant, the Right Prime Minister and the council were elected by officials of rank five or above—this was why Wei Tao tried so hard to win over lower-ranking officials.

But tradition was not law. In the Tang Dynasty, it was always the emperor who appointed officials of rank three or above. When the emperor was young, the empress could appoint a prime minister on his behalf, which was in line with legal principles—of course, only if the empress had sufficient power.

But in this case, Li Qingan didn’t want to follow the traditional method of selection. That’s why he used the empress’s authority to appoint him as Right Prime Minister. While the officials could ignore the empress’s appointment, given Zhang Yun’s performance just now, who would dare to oppose it?

Silence filled the hall. Finally, Pei Min spoke first, “I am willing to obey the empress’s decree and support Prime Minister Zhang as the new Right Prime Minister.”

Liu Yan also stood up and said, “The country cannot be stable without a prime minister. I support Prime Minister Zhang as Right Prime Minister.”

“I also support Prime Minister Zhang as Right Prime Minister,” said Yan Zhenqing.

Almost in order, one after another, the ministers expressed their support. When it was Wei Tao’s turn, he suddenly let out a heavy snort, turned around, and left in a huff.

……

At the Baqiao military camp, a group of cavalry rushed in from afar and stopped about a hundred paces away, shouting, “I am Hu Peiyun from the Imperial Guard. I seek an audience with the general!”

The red flag above the camp gate was lowered. Hu Peiyun dismounted, led his horse, and strode toward the main camp. As a member of the Hidden Dragon Society, he had penetrated the Anxi army the deepest among them. He had already reached the rank of third-grade official, serving as Left General of the Imperial Guard, and held significant control over intelligence within the Anxi army. He was one of Li Qingan’s most trusted confidants. Among the golden plaques given by Li Qingan to various generals for audiences, his ranked fifth, right after Duan Xiushi, Li Siye, Feng Changqing, and Li Guangbi—showing how much trust Li Qingan placed in him.

But today, Hu Peiyun felt a hint of bitterness in his heart; he truly experienced Li Qingan’s imperial tactics. It was noon, and he hurried to the general’s tent only to learn that Li Qingan was in the inner tent behind, which consisted of two tents—one larger and one smaller—along with an innermost tent. This arrangement served both to keep warm and, more importantly, for security. Given his status, he could directly enter the outer tent. As soon as he pulled back the curtain to enter the outer tent, two bodyguards guarding the entrance to the inner tent quickly whispered, “Shh! The general hasn’t woken up yet!” Hu Peiyun was surprised—Li Qingan never slept until noon. “What happened?” he asked in astonishment. “The general entered the city last night and didn’t return until early morning.” “Oh!” Hu Peiyun didn’t dare ask further. At that moment, Li Qingan’s somewhat tired voice came from inside the inner tent, “Who’s outside?” “It’s me, General!” “Come in.” Hu Peiyun entered the inner tent, where only Li Qingan was present—no women to serve him. This was what set Li Qingan apart from other warlords, who always had at least two women in their tents. Li Qingan never brought women into the camp; it was his principle. The inner tent was dimly lit, filled with a faint fragrance. There was no splendor or adornment of jewels or treasures—only a thick Persian carpet, a gift from the emperor of the Great Tang. Inside, there were a few cushions covered with fire-red fox fur. Hu Peiyun knew the origin of this fur—it had been hunted by Duan Xiushi two years earlier and given to Li Qingan. Unexpectedly, Li Qingan used it as bedding, while Duan Xiushi was demoted from governor of Anxi to military governor of Guannei. Although Li Qingan demoted Duan Xiushi, he still used the gifts he had given. From this small incident, one could see Li Qingan’s generous side. Thinking of this, the slight dissatisfaction in Hu Peiyun’s heart vanished completely. He entered the tent and bowed, saying, “Your humble servant pays respects to the general!” Li Qingan lay reclined on the fox fur, still looking tired, as if not fully awake. He waved his hand and asked, “How are things in the court?” “Reporting to the general, both the Council of State and the Secretariat have approved the Empress Dowager’s proposal to officially appoint Zhang Yun as the Right Chancellor of the Secretariat. An imperial edict has already been issued.” “Hmm!” Li Qingan wasn’t very interested in this; it was within his expectations. He seemed more concerned about the case of Pei Zunqing. “Has there been any progress on that case?” “Reporting to the general, the court has determined that it was the South Tang who did it. An edict has been sent throughout the country condemning South Tang’s despicable act of assassinating Pei Zunqing.”

“I’m not talking about the imperial court; I’m talking about you. Have you gotten any results from your investigation?”
“Since the imperial court has already reached a conclusion, it makes no sense for me to continue investigating. I earnestly request the general to allow me to stop the investigation.”
Li Qing’an said nothing, staring at him coldly. Hu Peiyun also didn’t explain anything, believing that Li Qing’an must understand his meaning.
In fact, Hu Peiyun had already uncovered the truth by chance. Last night, while organizing Zhang Yun’s belongings as ordered by Li Qing’an, he accidentally discovered that the crossbow had once been his trophy—seized two months earlier when he eliminated An Lushan’s spies in Chang’an. The list from that time included this crossbow. After searching for four or five days, he realized it actually came from him.
What shocked him even more was that this crossbow, along with some other trophies from that time, had all been handed over to Li Qing’an. In other words, the killer’s crossbow originated from Li Qing’an’s hands. What did this mean? Hu Peiyun couldn’t even bear to think about it.
Early that morning, the truth behind another clue also came to light—the type of wine the killer had drunk. This was Hu Peiyun’s proudest achievement. His subordinates were capable of solving problems that seemed impossible to others, but this answer was hard for him to accept. The killer had drunk Sanle wine that had been aged for over thirty years.
Hu Peiyun knew there was only one place in Chang’an that had such wine: the Reihai Tavern in the West Market. The owner of the tavern was Chang Jin, and it was also the stronghold of the Hidden Dragon Society in Chang’an.
If he hadn’t discovered the secret of that crossbow, Hu Peiyun might not have believed that this case was related to the Hidden Dragon Society. Why would the Hidden Dragon Society kill Pei Zunqing? Perhaps the thirty-year-old Sanle wine was just a coincidence, but now Hu Peiyun understood—Pei Zunqing had been killed by the Hidden Dragon Society.
It was very quiet inside the tent, so quiet that Hu Peiyun felt an invisible murderous intent surrounding him. After what seemed like a long time, that murderous intent gradually disappeared. Li Qing’an’s slightly tired voice came from inside the tent, “You can stop the investigation and seal it away completely.”
“Yes!”
Hu Peiyun understood the meaning of “seal it away completely.” He bowed and slowly stepped out of the tent. As he reached the entrance, he suddenly heard Li Qing’an say, “I remember you’re also a member of the Hidden Dragon Society, right?”
Hu Peiyun was shocked. He slowly turned around. A faint smile appeared on Li Qing’an’s tired face. That smile was like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds, instantly warming Hu Peiyun’s heart. An indescribable emotion made his nose sting. Nodding, he quickly stepped outside.

Li Qing’an slowly closed his eyes. He was very tired and wanted to sleep a little longer, but he knew he couldn’t. With a soft sigh, Li Qing’an realized there were times when he had no choice but to act. Pei Zunqing had gone too far, breaking the rules of the game. For the sake of his family’s interests, he ignored public disapproval and insisted on placing Pei family members as governors or military officers in Qingzhou, Yuanzhou, Longzhou, and Yanzhou. Li Qing’an could tolerate all this, but Pei Zunqing refused to stop, even going so far as to bribe Zhao Yun, a minister in the Southern Tang Dynasty and a disciple of Du Gu Haoran, to frame Du Gu Haoran for colluding with the Southern Tang. His ambition had grown to such an extent that Li Qing’an could no longer bear it.

Anyway, he had to visit Pei Zunqing’s residence in the afternoon, accompanied by Wan’er.

…

Half an hour later, Li Qing’an returned to his own mansion. His family rushed out to greet him like warriors returning from victory. Looking at his wife and daughter, his heart was filled with immense happiness.

“Daddy!”

His eldest daughter, Li Sido, ran up with her arms open. Her second birthday was in five days. Li Qing’an picked her up, gave her a firm kiss on her cheek, and tapped her nose, asking, “What birthday gift do you want from daddy?”

“Daddy, I want honey!”

Hearing his daughter ask for honey as a birthday gift, Li Qing’an burst into laughter. At that moment, his son also ran up and hugged his legs. “Daddy, I want a gift too!”

Li Qing’an’s son had been officially named Li Tan at the age of one and was granted the title of Prince of Yiwu. He was only two months younger than Li Sido but was quirky and clever, always coming up with various ideas.

Li Qing’an picked him up too and asked with a smile, “What gift do you want then?”

The little boy pointed at Li Qing’an’s horse, Wanli Zuiyun, and said, “I want daddy’s big horse!”

“Hehe! You little rascal, that’s quite ambitious. Wanting daddy’s warhorse? Alright! Daddy will give you a pony for you to ride every day.”

“Great!” The little boy clapped his hands in joy.

“Daddy, I don’t want honey anymore. I want a horse too.”

Li Qing’an adored his precious daughter and gently poked her cheek with his beard, laughing, “Daddy will give you a horse too.”

“I want a big horse, bigger than my brother’s.”

At that moment, Ru Shi smiled and took her daughter away. “Daddy is tired. Let him rest for a while.”

Yue Ming also stepped forward with her big belly and said to her son, “Stop making a fuss. Come down quickly.”

Li Tan was doted on by his aunts but was very afraid of his mother. He obediently got down from Li Qing’an and was taken aside by Ru Hua.
Mingyue was about to give birth and found it very difficult to walk. She stepped forward with a smile and said, “You didn’t even say you were coming back in advance. Wu Yi just took the child to Ci’en Temple to make an offering.”
Wu Yi’s adopted daughter was the orphan left by Zhang Yue, who had been granted the title of Princess Jinman and was also Li Qing’an’s daughter. Li Qing’an then asked, “Do they get along well?”
“The child made a fuss for a few days at first, insisting on having an aunt, but gradually got used to it. The day before yesterday, she suddenly hugged Wu Yi’s neck and called out, ‘Mom!’ Wu Yi was moved to tears. That child is so sensible; it’s heartwarming.”
“Hmm! How are you feeling?”
“It’s almost time! I’ve given birth before, so I know it shouldn’t be a big problem. The baby’s position is perfect. By the way, I was just about to write to tell you that Wan’er is also pregnant. The imperial doctor diagnosed her as pregnant half a month ago.”
Li Qing’an nodded. In fact, he already knew. It was because Wan’er was pregnant that Pei Zunqing had become so frantic. Seeing no signs of ecstasy on her husband’s face, Mingyue asked in surprise, “You already knew?”
“That imperial doctor revealed it. You know my intelligence network is always very strong.”
Mingyue nodded silently and said, “The incident with her grandfather hit her hard. Go comfort her!”
Only then did Li Qing’an realize that Pei Wan’er was not there. He asked, “Where is Wan’er?”
“She’s in her room. I’ve already sent someone to tell her that you’ve returned!”
……
Pei Wan’er’s residence was called Dongyuan, a quiet and elegant courtyard. This was something Mingyue had arranged specially considering her family background. It was even larger than Wu Yi’s Qinsiyuan. The courtyard was filled with various orchids, Pei Wan’er’s favorite. A cluster of green bamboo surrounded the small building where she lived, adding to its serene and refined atmosphere. Pei Wan’er had four maids, all personal maids she brought from her family. Upon entering the Zhao royal family, as per custom, the four maids regained their freedom, but it meant little to them. Having grown up with Pei Wan’er since childhood, they already regarded her as their master.
“Miss, the master has arrived!”
As soon as Li Qing’an entered the courtyard, Bai Lan, one of the four maids, called out. She still preferred to call Wan’er “miss.”
Pei Wan’er ran out of the house with red eyes. Seeing Li Qing’an approaching, she rushed forward and threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face.