Chapter 6: Sophora Fragrans (6)

Connecting the north and south to transport salt and grain, and linking the west and east to facilitate the trade of tea and horses, the imperial capital Chang’an was undoubtedly the absolute political and economic center of the Tang Dynasty.

At noon, the sun hanging high in the sky cast its unreserved light upon the nine gates of the city, illuminating Chang’an as a sacred land of wisdom. Outside the Mingde Gate, the entire court—civil and military officials—gathered under the leadership of Crown Prince Li Hen around the royal procession, waiting patiently for the arrival of Gao Xianzhi, the Grand Protector of Anxi. Good news had already come from Anxi: Gao Xianzhi had led the Anxi troops on a long march of thousands of miles, engaging in fierce battles with the kingdoms of Shi and Turkic tribes in Hezhong, capturing their leaders and achieving a decisive victory. This was the largest-scale victory the Tang Dynasty had secured in its foreign wars since the great victory at Shibao City.

Upon hearing the news of the battle, the emperor was overjoyed and highly praised Gao Xianzhi. However, as he had been suffering from a slight cold in recent days and could not leave the palace in person, he sent the crown prince to welcome the Anxi troops on his behalf.

Crown Prince Li Hen had not had an easy time under Yang Guozhong’s deliberate suppression. These days, he could only stay confined to the eastern palace, spending his time reading and practicing calligraphy. Such oppression nearly drove him mad. Now that he had the chance to welcome the Tang troops from Anxi on his father’s behalf, how could he pass it up?

This was an excellent opportunity to enhance his personal image and strengthen his influence in the court. After all, he was representing the emperor of the Tang Dynasty—no one would dare to criticize or slander him at this moment!

Realizing this, Li Hen’s mood improved greatly, and he even began to whisper quietly with several of his key ministers. He had deliberately put on the ceremonial robes reserved for grand court occasions, looking majestic and imposing.

As a member of the imperial family, with the grace and authority accumulated from a life of luxury, Li Hen could easily command the ministers. It was a strange feeling—absolute power could bring such mental satisfaction. No wonder so many members of royal families throughout history had fought each other to seize that position.

Although it was late autumn, the midday sun was still quite dazzling. Li Hen narrowed his eyes, enjoying the moment as his ministers bowed before him. At that instant, it felt as though he were sitting in the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace, overlooking the officials below as they bowed three times with nine prostrations. Meanwhile, traitors like Yang Guozhong knelt in tattered prison clothes, begging for his mercy.

With a cold snort, he waved his hand, ordering the imperial guards to drag the entire Yang family out of the palace and execute them publicly. Yes, even Yang Guifei should be executed—no one in the Yang family was worthy of mercy! All of them must be killed to eliminate any future threats.

“Your Highness, Your Highness! General Gao and the others should be here by now!” General Chen Xuanli, the Great General of Longwu, bowed in a military salute to Li Hen, reminding him. (Note 1) Only then did Li Hen pull himself away from that illusory dream of being on the highest throne. He cleared his throat lightly and smiled at Chen Xuanli. He hated smiling and acting, but in this filthy and cold palace, only those who were good at acting could survive better. Perhaps only when he sat in the Hanyuan Hall could he truly relax? Li Hen sighed inwardly and looked into the distance. As expected, a gray haze of dust rose from the plain a mile away, blurring the boundary between sky and earth. From within that dusty haze, hundreds of Tang soldiers charged forward. Though he knew these soldiers were part of the Anxi Tang army and posed no threat to him, Li Hen was still startled. In his memory, even the cavalry of the imperial guards in the capital did not possess such a formidable presence. These were warriors who had seen blood—true men of the Tang Dynasty! It was good that they were willing to die for the Tang Dynasty and for him, but if they turned rebellious and rose up, with the military strength of the troops guarding Chang’an at hand… Li Hen dared not think further, mocking himself for daydreaming. Now that the Tang Dynasty enjoyed peace throughout its lands and had the loyalty of its people, which reckless general would dare to defy the empire and rise in rebellion? With these thoughts, Li Hen calmed down slightly and adjusted himself into the most ideal state. Three hundred paces from the city gates, Gao Xianzhi ordered all Tang soldiers to dismount and wait in place. The soldiers of Anxi were well-trained and obedient to orders. Their disciplined appearance impressed the officials and generals present, who praised Gao Xianzhi for his effective leadership. Gao Xianzhi felt his blood surge, but he controlled his emotions tightly to avoid showing his joy and pride. He glanced briefly in the direction of Mingde Gate and saw that the emperor had not left the city, which disappointed him slightly. But as an experienced official, this disappointment only flashed across his face before being replaced by a calm expression. Gao Xianzhi strode quickly toward Mingde Gate. At the same time, Li Hen, the Crown Prince of Tang, was escorted by his ministers to meet Gao Xianzhi. The two sides met 100 paces from Mingde Gate. Gao Xianzhi immediately knelt down and said, “Your humble servant, Gao Xianzhi, presents himself before Your Highness. I have not failed the emperor’s grace. I led the Anxi army to fight against the barbarians in Hezhong, capturing the rebellious chieftains Tule and Yibawa. They are now being brought to the capital to await the emperor’s judgment!”

“Please rise quickly, General Gao, please rise at once.”
Li Heng bent down and helped the kneeling Gao Xianzhi to his feet, saying, “I had heard that General Gao Xianzhi was a match for ten thousand enemies, and now it turns out this was no exaggeration. General Gao has rendered such great services to our Tang Dynasty, and our father the emperor is extremely pleased. He originally wanted to go out of the city in person to welcome you, but unfortunately caught a cold. For the sake of the nation, he has sent me to greet you outside the city. I hope you won’t mind.”
As the crown prince, he had already spoken in the most humble terms, to the point where even Gao Xianzhi felt embarrassed.
“Your Highness, you are too kind to me!”
Gao Xianzhi said, “Your Highness is the heir to the throne, the future ruler of the country. To deign to greet me outside the city is already a great honor for me and for the soldiers in Anxi. On behalf of my comrades who have fought bravely for Tang, I thank Your Majesty and Your Highness!”
After saying this, Gao Xianzhi tried to bow again, but Li Heng quickly pulled him back.
“There’s no need for further formalities.”
Li Heng smiled slightly and said, “It is a great fortune for our father the emperor and for Tang Dynasty to have a pillar like General Gao.”
Seeing this, Wei Lun, an official from the Eastern Palace, immediately took the opportunity to kneel down and say, “The great victory at Hezhong is thanks to Your Majesty’s bravery and Your Highness’s kindness. May our Tang Dynasty enjoy a long and prosperous reign!”
Inspired by his words, all the civil and military officials realized their duty and knelt down, saying, “Your Majesty is brave, Your Highness is kind. May our Tang Dynasty enjoy a long and prosperous reign!”
“Your Majesty is brave, Your Highness is kind. May our Tang Dynasty enjoy a long and prosperous reign!”
Note 1: Chen Xuanli: A general in the Tang Dynasty’s imperial guard who became famous for executing Empress Wei and Princess Anle and leading the Mutiny at Mawei Slope. He rose to the rank of General of the Dragon and Tiger Forces and was granted the title of Duke of Cai.