Chapter 674: Turbulent Times in Southern Tang

When news of the successful surprise attack on Yiling reached Ruzhou, Li Sheng, who had been preparing for action, immediately launched the Xiangyang campaign. The first battle of this campaign was fought at Nanyang. As Linghu Fei had predicted, the Northern Tang forces rushed behind Nanyang with astonishing speed, cutting off the defending troops’ retreat. Li Sheng then led an army of 40,000 to attack Nanyang, defeating more than 10,000 of the defending troops led by Lu Ling. Seeing that Southern Tang’s cause was lost, Tian Shenggong led his 40,000 troops to surrender to the Northern Tang forces.

The loss of the strategic city of Nanyang meant that the gates of Xiangyang were open. Within just one day, 5,000 Northern Tang troops reached Xinye, and the 3,000 troops stationed there surrendered. Xiangyang was in chaos. At that time, there was still an army of 100,000 troops in Xiangyang under the command of Jingxiang Jiedushi Li Huan, but actual power lay in the hands of Yu Chaoen, the supervisor of military affairs.

Li Huan and Yu Chaoen had long-standing conflicts, and at this critical moment, their military disagreements intensified their rivalry. Li Huan advocated holding firm in Xiangyang by gathering troops and clearing the surrounding areas, while Yu Chaoen suggested abandoning Xiangyang and retreating to Jingzhou. Li Huan accused Yu Chaoen of favoritism, which had led to the loss of Yiling and prevented the army from retreating to Shu. In turn, Yu Chaoen blamed Li Huan for relying on Tian Shenggong, resulting in the fall of Nanyang.

As their conflict escalated, unexpected news came from the Northern Tang forces: a fire at the grain stores in Nanyang had prevented Li Sheng’s army from advancing southward. Delighted, Li Huan immediately led 30,000 troops to launch a surprise attack on Xinye, aiming to destroy the Northern Tang vanguard and boost morale. However, the fire at the grain stores turned out to be a trap. Li Sheng’s army had already moved to Huyang County in Tangzhou, about 100 miles away from Xinye. By the time Li Huan’s troops arrived, Xinye was already an empty city.

Li Sheng’s army, which had been waiting for a long time, quickly surrounded them from behind, cutting off their supply lines and trapping Li Huan’s 30,000 troops in Xinye. With no food or supplies, Li Huan sent ten pleas for help, but Yu Chaoen ignored them. Desperate, Li Huan tried to break through, but his troops, demoralized, suffered a crushing defeat. Li Huan’s army collapsed, and he himself died in the chaos.

Without Li Huan’s interference, Yu Chaoen decided to abandon Xiangyang and retreat to Jingzhou. Taking advantage of the Northern Tang forces’ focus on besieging Xinye, he plundered the treasury of Xiangyang and led 70,000 troops to retreat to Jingzhou.

Once war broke out, the situation changed rapidly. Two days later, Yu Chaoen led his army to Lexiang County. Bad news arrived: Geshu Yao, who had come from Jiangxia, had led 30,000 naval troops to capture Jingzhou. Zhang Weijin, the governor of Jingzhou, was killed by Geshu Yao himself, and his entire family was exterminated. The 50,000 defending troops in Jingzhou surrendered.

By this time, Xiangyang had already been seized by Li Sheng. Another Northern Tang general, Li Baozhen, who had come from the south of the Yangtze River, led an army of 30,000 troops to Yingzhou. To the north, Li Sheng held Xiangyang; to the south, Geshu Yao captured Jingzhou; to the west, Zhao Chongjin blocked the road back to Yiling; and to the east, Li Baozhen stationed his troops in Yingzhou. To the northeast, the Dahong Mountains blocked the path, and to the northwest, the Jing Mountains posed another obstacle. Yu Chaosen was surrounded on all sides, his troops demoralized, with hundreds of deserters appearing constantly.

At night, a group of several hundred soldiers escorted several carts loaded with supplies out of the camp overnight, ordered by Yu Chaosen to find a ship on the Han River. But this group never returned. It wasn’t until the next morning that the Northern Tang generals were shocked to discover that Yu Chaosen had disappeared.

Chaos ensued in the main camp. Hundreds of generals held an emergency meeting to discuss a retreat plan. Eventually, by a overwhelming majority, they agreed to surrender to the Northern Tang. On the second day of the seventh month, nearly 70,000 Southern Tang troops, led by the military commander Gao Shi, formally surrendered to Li Sheng, the main commander of the Northern Tang forces.

The 200,000-strong Southern Tang army was completely annihilated in Jingxiang. The fate of Yu Chaosen, the supervisor of the troops, was equally shameful. He fled the camp secretly and took a boat southward. His wealth aboard attracted the attention of bandits in the Jinghu region. He was attacked on the Han River in Mianyang County. His large ship was punctured by water demons and sank, killing Yu Chaosen—his surname thus coming true.

News of the fall of Jingxiang quickly reached Chengdu. Li Heng, filled with shock and anger, fainted. He became ill from worry and lay bedridden…

At night, Li Heng lay in bed, his face pale and his spirit exhausted, looking gravely ill. The loss of Jingxiang, the destruction of 200,000 troops, and Yu Chaosen’s desertion—all these news items were like knives piercing his heart. Coupled with his already weak health, he finally collapsed.

Perhaps when sick, a person’s will is especially weak. Li Heng had begun to consider his succession. Beside him stood the grand scholar Dou Hua, who listened attentively to Li Heng’s instructions with a serious expression.

“I have thought about this for a long time… The crown prince is violent, cruel, and fond of killing… If he ascends the throne… it will likely not bring prosperity to the people of Shu. I… decide that it is best for Prince Peng to succeed me. In my study…”

Li Heng’s words were intermittent and faint. Both he and Dou Hua were fully focused, unaware that Empress Zhang was standing behind the curtain. Aunt Zhang remained motionless, pressing her ear against the thick curtain, listening to every word Li Heng said. Her eyes were filled with shock, but she dared not move for fear of being discovered.

“That’s all I have to say… Discuss this with Prime Minister Wang and Prime Minister Cui tomorrow!”

“I will not disturb Your Majesty’s rest. I take my leave.”

Li Heng closed his eyes and stopped speaking. Dou Hua withdrew. After a while, Empress Zhang sensed that Li Heng was no longer moving, so she quietly slipped out through the back door…
Empress Zhang hurriedly left Li Heng’s palace and, filled with worry, passed through Linde Hall and returned to her own chambers.
“Your Majesty, it’s already late. Please go to bed.”
Empress Zhang sat in front of the mirror, staring blankly at her pale face. With the emperor ill, she felt as if she had aged ten years. If her son were deposed, what meaning would there be left in her life?
She sighed, “Has Eunuch Li arrived yet?”
“A messenger has been sent to summon him. It’s so late; he may not be able to come.”
Just as the maid finished speaking, someone reported from outside, “Your Majesty, Eunuch Li has arrived and is waiting outside.”
“Bring him in.”
A moment later, Li Fuguo rushed in, knelt down, and bowed, “Your humble servant, Li Fuguo, pays his respects to the Empress. Long live Your Majesty…”
Before he could finish, Empress Zhang interrupted him, “Eunuch Li, at this point, let’s skip the formalities. Please stand up.”
“Yes!”
Li Fuguo stood up. He had just returned from outside the palace when he heard that the emperor had secretly summoned Grand Secretary Dou Hua. Not knowing what had happened, he was puzzled when Empress Zhang urgently summoned him, and he immediately guessed it must be related to Dou Hua.
“Eunuch Li, things are bad! The emperor has summoned Dou Hua and has decided to depose the crown prince.”
Li Fuguo was also shocked. “Your Majesty, is this true?”
Empress Zhang sighed and nodded. “He’s already issued the imperial edict. It seems to be hidden somewhere in the imperial study. I didn’t hear clearly, but I guess Dou Hua will pick it up tomorrow.”
Li Fuguo was confused. In the morning, the emperor had told him the crown prince wouldn’t be deposed, yet in the afternoon he was sent to Qingcheng Mountain to search for burial sites. He had sneaked back because he was worried about Chengdu. So that was it… the emperor had sent him to look at the tombs to keep him away!
Realizing this, sweat appeared on Li Fuguo’s forehead.
“Eunuch Li, what should we do?” Empress Zhang was desperate. “If we don’t find a solution soon, our son will be deposed.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty! Things aren’t at their worst yet.”
Li Fuguo forced himself to calm down and quickly thought of a plan. “Your Majesty, let me first find the imperial edict, then discuss it with the crown prince.”
After all, Empress Zhang was not like ordinary women. Once she calmed down, she immediately came up with a plan. “I’ll find a way to instruct the imperial physicians not to let anyone visit anymore.”

“The Empress’s method is good; it’s necessary to isolate him. I’ll also instruct my servants to cooperate with her so that things don’t get any worse.”
Both Li Fuguo and Empress Zhang realized the common crisis they faced. Although they had become bitter rivals at the last moment in history, the disappearance of Li Yu brought them together for mutual benefit. Now they both understood that the fate of the crown prince actually lay in Li Heng’s hands—once Li Heng was controlled, the rest wouldn’t be a problem.
Some things didn’t need to be explicitly stated; both Li Fuguo and Empress Zhang understood perfectly that the key was to control the imperial physicians.
…
Unlike Li Longji, who had control over forty thousand concubines, Li Heng didn’t have such a strong desire for women. He was only interested in power. For this reason, there were few eunuchs and maids in Nanming Palace, and after dark, all the palaces became deserted.
Li Heng’s imperial study was located in a side hall of Qinzhen Hall, surrounded by guards on patrol. Several eunuchs were assigned to clean and organize it, under Li Fuguo’s command. After dark, the doors to the imperial study were closed, leaving the side hall in darkness.
In the night, several eunuchs hurried over, heading straight for the side hall. The patrol leader recognized the leader as Li Fuguo, the head of the eunuch supervisors, and said with a smile, “Eunuch Li, what brings you here so late?”
“Hmm! The Emperor ordered us to fetch some memorials.”
Li Fuguo quickly entered the side hall. One by one, the lights were turned on, illuminating the once-dark hall. Soon, the lights in the imperial study were also lit. Li Fuguo had no intention of coming in the dark to steal imperial edicts. In the inner palace, aside from the Emperor and the Empress, he was like heaven—whatever he said was law, and no one dared doubt him.
The eunuchs waited outside, with only Li Fuguo inside the imperial study. Li Fuguo had served Li Heng for decades and knew him better than Li Heng himself. There were many things Li Heng had forgotten where he had put them, but Li Fuguo remembered them clearly.
Li Heng said he had written an imperial edict and placed it in the imperial study. Where could it be? It certainly wasn’t hidden, as even Dou Hua wouldn’t be able to find it. The edict must be in a place Dou Hua knew about.
After a brief thought, Li Fuguo figured it out. He quickly went to the edict box—a gold box one chi long and two chi high, used to store the edict drafts prepared by the Hanlin scholars. These were drafts of imperial edicts, which would become official once approved by Li Heng.
Li Fuguo searched through the gold box and found an edict at the bottom, already sealed with the imperial seal—meaning it was officially in effect.

He took a quick glance and saw it was indeed the edict he was looking for—one to restore the crown prince. Wait! Li Fuguo examined it more carefully and immediately broke into a cold sweat. This was not an edict to depose the crown prince, but rather one ordering Li Heng to abdicate and allow Prince Peng, Li Jin, to ascend the throne directly. It turned out Li Heng wanted to abdicate and become an emeritus emperor. Li Fuguo suddenly realized the severity of the situation. If it were just about deposing the crown prince, they might still have other ways to buy some time, but if Li Heng abdicated and Li Jin took the throne right away, the first thing Li Jin would do would be to execute Li Fuguo. In other words, his life was only a matter of these few days. No wonder Li Heng had sent him to explore the mausoleum! By the time he returned, the coronation would be complete, and Li Heng could execute him immediately—what a vicious plan! Slowly, Li Fuguo tucked the edict into his bosom, murderous intent flaring within him. He had never wanted to kill someone as much as he did today. At that moment, he made up his mind, his face twisted into a terrifying expression. …

The night was deep, and a dark mist filled with murderous intent. A carriage stopped in front of the Eastern Palace. Several eunuchs rushed forward and helped Li Fuguo out of the carriage. “Grandfather, the crown prince is waiting for you.” “Mm!” Li Fuguo grunted heavily and strode toward the palace with his hands behind his back. As soon as he entered, Crown Prince Li Xi came forward to greet him. “Why have you come so late, Father? What happened?” Li Fuguo’s title as “Father” had been granted by Li Heng. Li Heng had once trusted Li Fuguo deeply, but their relationship had deteriorated due to the crisis in the Eastern Palace. “Of course there’s something important if I’ve come. Go to your secret room!” Anxious, Li Xi led Li Fuguo to his secret room. He was tall and strong, advocating violence, and radiated a fierce aura. Perhaps this was one of the main reasons why the predominantly civil officials were reluctant to support him—they preferred Prince Peng, Li Jin, who was well-versed in classics and gentle in nature. This was also a key reason why Li Fuguo supported Li Xi. The interests of eunuchs often clashed with those of court officials. If Li Fuguo wanted to seize power in the future, he needed an emperor who was simple-minded and detested court affairs—Li Xi was the perfect choice. Entering the secret room, the two sat down. Li Xi looked at Li Fuguo, filled with unease. Li Fuguo’s gloomy expression scared him. Until yesterday, Li Fuguo had always greeted him with a smile and a kind tone, but today, he saw him cold and unfriendly for the first time. His heart tightened, and a sense of foreboding arose in him. “Take a look at this first!”

Li Fuguo didn’t beat around the bush. He went straight to the point and handed the imperial edict in his arms to Li Xi. Li Xi opened it in confusion, his face turning pale as if he had turned into a clay statue, the edict slipping from his hands and falling to the ground. Li Fuguo watched him coldly. After a long while, Li Xi finally realized what was happening. He grabbed Li Fuguo’s arm violently, knelt down, and cried out, “Father, father, save me!” “Why worry? The Northern Tang army might arrive anytime. Isn’t it better if he ascends the throne?” Li Fuguo said indifferently. “But! I’ll be dead even before the Northern Tang army arrives.” Li Fuguo nodded slowly. Good. Since he could see this, this man could still be saved! Li Fuguo stared at Li Xi intently. “Our fates are the same. Do you understand that?” Li Xi nodded. “I understand!” “Then good. I have another way to save your life!” Li Fuguo spoke in a slow, unyielding tone, without looking back: “In fact, this is the only path we have left.”