Chapter 643: The Shangdang Campaign (5)

An Lushan had been sleeping restlessly these past few days—not only that, but he had lost his appetite entirely. He had received urgent news from Li Zhurou from Hedong, confirming that the female Taoist priestess from Taiyin Temple in Quyang County was indeed Yang Guifei.
An Lushan was overjoyed. That very night, he suffered from insomnia. He couldn’t even remember which year it was when he first saw Guifei. From then on, he had been obsessed with her. To win her favor, he sent her all kinds of rare treasures from across the land, inscribing on each “Presented with respect by An Lushan.” Over the years, his longing had not faded but only intensified, driving him mad with desire. As a result, almost all his women were chosen based on Yang Guifei’s standards—whether in figure, appearance, or even a slight resemblance in gaze—he took them all into his harem. Yet this still couldn’t satisfy his craving for her. To some extent, his rebellion was also tied to his desire to possess Yang Guifei.
Now, Yang Guifei was right before his eyes, about to be by his side. An Lushan felt that nothing in the world mattered anymore; as long as he could have her, he was willing to give up everything.
These past few days, he had begun to deal with his harem. Of the over a hundred women, some were given away, and others were paid to return to their families. He didn’t want to keep even one. In short, he wanted to show Guifei that he, An Lushan, desired only her.
Early in the morning, An Lushan got up. All his women had been sent away the previous day. He had gone to bed early for the first time in a long time and, after resting, suddenly found himself feeling more agile—no longer heavy and tired as before. His eyes also seemed to see things more clearly. Most surprisingly, he could stand in front of the mirror on his own without anyone’s help.
This filled him with both shock and joy. Could it be true what those worthless doctors said about excessive indulgence? He was delighted for a full fifteen minutes until his legs grew too weak to hold him upright.
“Help me up! I need to change clothes!”
Suddenly remembering Guifei’s arrival, An Lushan ignored his physical changes. To impress her, he had made many new clothes for himself. On their first meeting, he must make a good impression on her.
Two guards helped An Lushan stand in front of the large bronze mirror. One guard removed his outer robes and glanced at the three robes on the table, asking softly, “My lord, which one would you like to try on first?”
An Lushan thought for a moment and said, “The yellow robe. Guifei likes yellow the most.”

The robe was extremely loose, and the smooth satin draped over An Lushan, cleverly concealing his obesity and making him appear tall and strong—a result that left An Lushan highly satisfied.
“This Du Shizhen is very skilled. Keep her in the palace and have her make clothes for me and the Concubine.”
“Yes! I’ll arrange it right away.”
An Lushan looked in the mirror for a while longer. He wanted to try another white robe when suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.
“My lord! Great news!”
The messenger was so excited that his voice changed. He held a scroll and a letter. An Lushan, too eager to hear what was happening, asked without scolding him for his outburst, “What is it?”
“My lord, Li Zhu’er has arrived in Hengzhou. This is a portrait of the Concubine sent by painter Xu, along with a letter from Li Zhu’er.”
“Give it to me quickly!”
An Lushan took the portrait and letter as if they were priceless treasures. He sat back at the table and carefully unrolled the scroll. His plump cheeks trembled with tension as he held his breath, afraid that even a slight breath might desecrate the beauty in the painting.
Painter Xu was originally a court painter in Luoyang, so his skills were naturally excellent. Yet he had never met Yang Guifei, so the portrait he created showed her as she appeared now.
Today, An Lushan’s vision was slightly better, allowing him to barely make out Yang Guifei in the painting. She wore a Taoist robe, unadorned with makeup, giving off a fresh appearance. It had been five or six years since An Lushan last saw Yang Guifei, and her exact appearance had faded in his memory. But upon seeing the portrait, he suddenly remembered the Concubine he had seen at a court banquet years ago—she was it! His hands trembled with excitement.
He had still had some doubts, but seeing this painting dispelled his last lingering doubts. He even felt like crying. Had the Concubine already arrived in Hebei? In just three days, she would become his woman.
“My lord, there’s another letter,” the messenger reminded him gently.
Only then did An Lushan remember the letter from Li Zhu’er. Li Zhu’er wasn’t very literate; the letter was dictated by him and written down by others in his usual colloquial style.
An Lushan picked up the letter, opened it, and skimmed through it hastily. His once-excitated mood cooled significantly. The Concubine refused to leave Hengzhou, insisting on returning to Chang’an or threatening to commit suicide.
He read on anxiously and soon became furious, slamming the table and shouting, “Cut that bitch to pieces!”

It turned out that a maid joked with the Concubine, saying she was going to be sent to the Khitan chieftain. The Concubine believed it and cried, attempting to hang herself. Fortunately, she was saved, but she refused to leave. She somehow obtained a knife, and anyone who tried to persuade her to go would be stabbed to death by her.

At the end of the letter, Li Zhuer said, “The Concubine is determined. She says she will only believe it’s a trip to Youzhou if she sees His Highness the Prince of Yan; otherwise, she’s certain she’ll be sent to the barbarians. She wants to commit suicide. Your Highness, the Concubine has suffered many setbacks and is very pitiful. She has deep feelings of nostalgia for you. I suggest you go and pick her up in person to show your sincerity. She will surely be overjoyed and serve you wholeheartedly!”

Upon reading the words “serve you wholeheartedly,” An Lushan felt his heart melt. He could no longer hold back and shouted, “Prepare a carriage immediately! I’m going to Hengzhou!”

“Your Highness, there’s a major battle in Hedong. It’s not appropriate for you to leave Youzhou now…”

Before a guard could persuade An Lushan, he turned and slapped him, knocking him to the ground. “Idiot! Do you want me to die? Bring him out and beat him to death!”

Several warriors rushed over and dragged the guard away. The guard cried and begged, “Your Highness, out of respect for my loyalty to you, please spare my life!”

Still furious, An Lushan yelled, “Beat him to death! Beat him to death!”

The guard was dragged away, and the other guards hurried to prepare a carriage. Since the prince was going to Hengzhou, no one dared say “no” again.

Half an hour later, An Lushan set off in a hurry, escorted by three thousand guards, leaving Youzhou and heading toward Hengzhou.

……

At the guest house in Zhending County, the unbearable screaming finally stopped after half an hour. The so-called “Concubine” was no longer moving, and everyone who had covered their ears breathed a sigh of relief and lowered their hands. A few maids, with red faces, spat loudly and cursed, “Shameless fat bitch!”

A moment later, Shi Siming adjusted his clothes and stepped out of the room, wearing a satisfied and proud smile. It wasn’t because this woman resembled Yang Guifei—he didn’t share An Lushan’s obsession with her. He played with her simply because An Lushan longed for her so much.

Anything An Lushan desired, Shi Siming would claim first. It was his favorite thing to do. What Shi Siming wanted was the feeling of conquest. By conquering this woman, he felt as though he had conquered An Lushan.

Shi Siming spat out a mouthful of blood heavily before striding away. At that moment, Li Zhuer quietly approached the door, peeked inside, and saw a pile of pale flesh lying on the bed. The woman’s chest rose and fell as she was nearly exhausted from exhaustion. Li Zhuer gave a few maids a wink and ordered, “Hurry up and tidy her up; fix her makeup.” After saying that, he turned and left as well. He actually despised this woman too—hypocritical, pretentious, thinking she was a real imperial concubine. She kept ordering him around all day long. If it weren’t for An Lushan wanting her, he would have stabbed her to death. If the imperial concubine really was like this, he, Li Zhuer, would rather hang himself. Just a few steps later, a guard ran over and said, “Young master, the deputy commander wants to see you. Come with me quickly.” “Okay!” Li Zhuer turned and followed him. Shi Siming was standing at the entrance of the courtyard, waiting for Li Zhuer. Li Zhuer stepped forward and knelt down, saying, “Your servant pays respects to the deputy commander!” “Don’t be formal, young master. Get up quickly!” With a smile, Shi Siming pulled Li Zhuer up as if he were a chick. Li Zhuer’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. A few days ago, Shi Siming hadn’t been like this. Back then, he had helped him up with both hands, patted his knees, and brushed off the dust, leaving Li Zhuer deeply moved. But now, he was grabbing his shoulders and pulling him up forcefully, causing his shoulders to hurt terribly. This subtle change in Shi Siming’s attitude made Li Zhuer suddenly afraid. He secretly glanced at Shi Siming and noticed that although his smile remained, there was a hint of cruelty in his eyes. Li Zhuer immediately lowered his head, his legs trembling slightly. He realized that after achieving his goal, Shi Siming would surely kill him to silence him. “Young master, this morning, An Lushan’s guard came. Besides delivering a letter, what else did he say?” This morning, An Lushan sent a guard with a letter, which was already in Shi Siming’s hands. But Shi Siming felt that An Lushan must have had another message. An Lushan indeed had another message—some secret words he wouldn’t write down on paper. He told Li Zhuer to take good care of the imperial concubine and that there were hot springs near Zhending. He asked Li Zhuer to take the concubine there first to soak in the hot springs. But Li Zhuer had an idea and whispered, “The prince wants a painting of the imperial concubine without clothes. He wants artist Xu to paint it well for him. Someone will come to pick it up tonight.” “That old pervert!”

Shi Siming narrowed his eyes and sneered, believing the words to be true. Such things indeed couldn’t be written down but could only be spoken privately. He then said with a smile, “Alright! Have painter Xu hurry up and create a beautiful painting that will drive that old pervert crazy with desire, forcing him to rush over at all costs.” After Shi Siming left, Li Zhuer secretly wiped the cold sweat from his brow and rushed off to find painter Xu. Now, he had only one thought in mind: to find a way to save his own life.