Chapter 76: The Great Thief (I)

Those who steal a country are called great thieves; those who steal hearts are called great culprits. Those who do both may be called traitors to the nation.
Who exactly is this traitor? Li Linfu, Yang Zhao, or perhaps the countless commoners of the Tang Dynasty? Perhaps everyone harbors such a dark side in their hearts, ready to emerge at the first opportunity to steal others’ hard-earned gains and the nourishment of the nation.
Whether it’s the environment or human nature itself that has changed—this no longer matters.
After sending the Lady of Guo State away, Li Kuo fell deep into thought. If even former allies could no longer be trusted, who else could he work with? This man’s tactics were truly cruel, exploiting the weaknesses of human nature. Surely any man with a bit of courage wouldn’t remain indifferent to such things? Moreover, this man was the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, regarded as a sage by all.
Even if the emperor suppressed this matter for the sake of reputation, he must still harbor some resentment. In political struggles, killing doesn’t always require a knife. The emperor’s wrath could very well lead to silent deaths.
What exactly had he done to deserve such revenge?
“Brother Kuo, stop hesitating. In my opinion, you should go straight to the palace and explain everything openly to the emperor. He is wise and mighty; he will surely believe you.”
Seeing Li Kuo’s exhausted appearance, Zhang Yanji felt heartbroken. Instead of waiting for rumors to spread, it was better to break the silence proactively!
The emperor is wise and mighty? Is he really still wise and mighty? Li Kuo smiled bitterly, asking himself this question over and over. Perhaps he had been wise in his youth, but who could say for sure now?
Besides, if he were to bring this up himself, wouldn’t that prove his guilt and only make things worse? Although Yang Zhao wanted him dead, he was now tied to him in this matter and would surely try his best to clear his name. It might be better to observe first…
“Brother Kuo, say something! If we just sit here in silence, aren’t we waiting for someone to put a knife to our throats?”
Zhang Yanji paced anxiously back and forth in the room, urging Li Kuo repeatedly. The situation was extremely frustrating—neither could advance nor retreat.
“Don’t worry. Things aren’t that bad yet.”
With a faint smile, Li Kuo said something he himself hardly believed. “Send someone to investigate what’s going on in the palace. In a confrontation between two armies, the one who acts first isn’t necessarily the one who gains an advantage.”
“It seems there’s no other choice.”
Zhang Yanji shook his head. “Brother Kuo, I’ll go back to the camp and ask the men to keep an eye out for any clues in taverns and tea houses.”

Although he knew the chances of success were slim, Young Master Zhang still tried to encourage himself.
“As you wish.”
Li Kuo nodded and said, “But definitely don’t get into disputes with others. Under these circumstances, it’s better to stay low-key and cautious.”
Though he didn’t know who had spread the rumors, one thing was certain: they surely wanted him to become impatient and panicked. That way, the chances of him making mistakes would increase greatly, allowing them to achieve their goal.
The enemy is in the shadows, while I’m in the light.
For now, it seems the only option is to wait and see what happens…
On the late night of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, under the pressure of the rampant rumors, Yang Guifei was ordered by the emperor to return to Yang Zhao’s residence.
This news acted like a fuse igniting explosives, instantly spreading throughout Chang’an. Who didn’t know that the Empress was the emperor’s beloved, and that the Yang family’s favor relied entirely on this woman? Now that she had been sent back, it was like a thunderbolt strike for the Yang family.
Although the emperor’s written accusation was “the Empress defied his orders again,” everyone knew the real reason was that the emperor was jealous of General Li Kuo, the new commander of the Shule troops. Otherwise, why would he send his beloved concubine back to her family just before the New Year? If it were just a minor argument between husband and wife, wouldn’t they resolve it right there in bed? (Note 1) Yang Zhao’s residence was in complete chaos. Yang Zhao, Lady Guo, Lady Han, and Lady Qin were all there, walking back and forth around the weeping Yang Yuhuan.
Over the past half month, rumors of her affair with General Li had spread throughout the capital. Although General Gao had executed several gossipy maids, it couldn’t stop the rumors from spreading. The eunuchs whispered among themselves, and the maids made fun of it—so inevitably, the matter reached Third Brother’s ears.
Although he said nothing, she could clearly sense his coldness toward her. After enduring it for fifteen or sixteen days, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and spoke openly with him about it. To her surprise, that very night he slept with a lowly maid and then ordered General Chen Xuanli to send her back to the palace.
If being sent back last time was because of her jealousy, what could this time be called? Did Third Brother really not trust her, not believe in her loyalty? (Note 2) “Sis, can you stop crying? The emperor ordered the imperial guards to send you back overnight, and it’s right before the New Year. It seems he’s really angry.”
Yang Yuhuan’s elder sister, Lady Han, was so anxious that she blurted out the truth.
Instead of stopping crying, Yang Yuhuan cried even harder out of frustration.

“Sis, stop causing trouble here. We need to find a way to solve this problem!” Yang Zhao glared at the Korean lady and said sternly.
“Oh, Lord Yang is worried now? Where were you when the rumors first started? Why didn’t you step in to suppress them? Now that the fourth sister has been sent back by the emperor, you’re worried? Angry? Go and find a way to deal with it. If you’re angry, take it out on someone else. Do you only know how to bully us weak women?”
Lady Yang Huahua of the Guo state couldn’t stand Yang Zhao’s behavior any longer. She raised her eyebrows and immediately snapped, “Look at yourself! You refused to spend a night by the emperor’s side, and now trouble has arisen.”
Yang Zhao didn’t back down either and retorted harshly, “Say that again, and I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
Huahua’s chest heaved violently as she gasped for breath. “I thought you’d become a prime minister and show some responsibility. But it seems a scoundrel will always be a scoundrel. How dare you say such things—using women as companions to gain wealth? You’re only fit to be a worthless scoundrel!”
Note 1: In February of the ninth year of Tianbao, Yang Guifei was sent back to her family home by Li Longji for this very reason (see Zizhi Tongjian). Here, to fit the plot, she is sent back two months earlier.
Note 2: In the fifth year of Tianbao, Yang Guifei was sent back to her family home for the first time. Zizhi Tongjian states, “The concubine, being jealous and insolent, angered the emperor, who ordered her to be sent back.”
According to unofficial histories and Yuan Yun’s analysis, the jealous person was Concubine Mei, Jiang Caiping.