Chapter 117: Mysterious Invitation

In the imperial study of Xingqing Palace, Li Longji was reviewing memorials. He picked up one and read it—it was the final verdict from the joint trial by the Three Departments regarding the Yangzhou salt case involving Liu Changyun, the governor in charge of transportation in Jianghuai. Frowning, Li Longji asked Gao Lishi, “I thought this case was settled two months ago. Why is there a verdict only now?”

Gao Lishi quickly replied, “Your Majesty, Du Bosheng committed suicide out of fear of punishment on his way to the capital, Liu Changyun refused to admit guilt, and the imperial censors went to Yangzhou to gather evidence, which delayed things.”

“And now?”

“Now the evidence is conclusive. Liu Changyun indeed provided great convenience to the salt smuggler Du Bosheng, causing severe losses to the imperial salt taxes. According to the joint trial, Liu Changyun deserves the death penalty, and his property shall be confiscated to cover the taxes.”

Li Longji pondered for a moment before asking, “Did he say anything inappropriate?”

“Your Majesty, rest assured. The joint trial relies solely on evidence and does not listen to the accused’s attempts to evade punishment.”

“Very well! Resolve this case quickly.”

Li Longji wrote the character “approved” on the verdict document and handed it to Gao Lishi, saying, “Deliver it to the Central Secretariat immediately. I don’t want to hear anything more about this.”

Gao Lishi took the memorial and hurriedly left the imperial study, handing it to a eunuch and saying, “Deliver it to Prime Minister Li at once. Your Majesty orders it to be executed right away.”

The eunuch took the memorial and left. Just as Gao Lishi was about to turn away, another eunuch rushed over, and he asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Elder Gao, Ge Shu Han from Longyou has arrived and is waiting outside the palace to see Your Majesty.”

“I know. Tell him to wait a while.”

Gao Lishi returned to the imperial study and said to Li Longji, “Your Majesty, Ge Shu Han has arrived.”

Li Longji stopped writing and nodded, “Summon him for an immediate audience!”

……

A eunuch went to summon Ge Shu Han into the palace. Li Longji no longer had the heart to review memorials. He slowly walked over to the map of the Longlu region on the wall and gazed at it in silence for a long time.

The Li dynasty of the Tang Dynasty originated in Guanlong and established its capital in Chang’an. To the west lay Longyou, adjacent to the powerful Tibetans. Thus, after the decline and fragmentation of the Turks, Tibet quickly became the Tang Dynasty’s greatest rival. The Tibetans were formidable, with an entire nation mobilized as soldiers, repeatedly invading Tang territory to seize people and food. Especially after they occupied the Jiuku region in Hexi as a logistical base, they continuously attacked the Longlu area, posing a serious threat to the Guanzhong region. The Tang Dynasty found itself in a strategic defensive position.

After ascending the throne, Li Longji immediately began to counterattack the Tubo. In the autumn of the second year of the Kaiyuan era, Tubo generals such as Benda Yan and Qili Xu led over 100,000 troops to attack Tang forces in Lintao, Lanzhou, Weizhou, and other areas. The Tang sent Xue Ne, the defense commander of Longyou, and Wang Jun, the deputy minister of the Imperial Stables, to lead a counterattack. In October, the Tang army launched a night attack and decisively defeated the Tubo at Wujie.

After years of warfare, the Tang gradually strengthened its defenses in the Helong region. Starting from the 17th year of Kaiyuan, the Tang army shifted to a strategic offensive. In the battles between the Tang and Tubo, efforts were made on three fronts: east, south, and southwest, with the Helong region on the east and the Jiannan region on the south being the most critical. However, it was the Anxi region on the west that first broke the stalemate. In the previous year’s battle against Xiaobolü, the Tang army marched thousands of miles across the plateau and captured Xiaobolü through a lightning attack, achieving a major strategic victory on the west front. This victory greatly boosted the morale of the Tang dynasty, allowing the long-stalled Helong battles to progress.

Li Longji took a pen and drew a thick circle on a mountain range west of Shanzhou, marking a point inside it. This was Chiling—like a giant lying across west of Shanzhou, with steep slopes. It became a strategic dividing line between the Tang and Tubo. The Tubo could ride their horses atop the high ridges and overlook the Helong region. It was this Chiling that allowed the Tubo to maintain a strategic advantage for decades: they could defend themselves behind the steep mountains or launch attacks from above.

There was only one path to ascend Chiling, and the center of the circle Li Longji had drawn on the map marked the top of this path—Shibao City. Shibao City was like a nail driven into the heart of the Tang dynasty, disturbing the troops and civilians in Helong for decades. It also served as a mirror, reflecting the rise and fall of Helong over those years. In the 17th year of Kaiyuan, Li Yi, the military governor of Shuofang, led an army on a long march and captured Shibao City in one fell swoop, depriving the Tubo of their strategic advantage. The Tang army then stationed troops at key locations, expanding their territory by over 1,000 li. In the 25th year of Kaiyuan, Cui Xiyi, the military governor of Hexi, used Shibao City as a base to launch deep attacks into Tubo territory, pushing the Tang forces as far as west of Qinghai and defeating the Tubo army. The following year, Tang general Du Xiwang captured Tubo’s cities such as Xincheng and Heqiao, giving the Tang a strategic advantage in Helong.

Unfortunately, in the 29th year of Kaiyuan, the Tubo mobilized the entire nation, with their king personally going to the front lines to boost morale. The Tubo army recaptured Shibao City, turning decades of Tang efforts into nothing in a single night. Shibao City also became a nightmare for Li Longji.

The victory at Xiao Bulu reignited Li Longji’s ambition. At that moment, Ge Shu Han’s voice came from behind him: “Your servant Ge Shu Han pays his respects to Your Majesty, wishing you a long, long life!”
Li Longji marked Shi Bao City with a heavy cross on his paper, then turned decisively and said, “No matter what the cost, we must recapture Shi Bao City. Can you do it?”
“Your servant surely can!”
…
In the afternoon, Li Qingan rode to the Western Market. Instead of entering through the main gate, he went into a side alley nearby. He glanced at a note, then continued deeper into the alley. This alley was called Xiling Alley, a settlement for the Hu people from the west of the mountains. At the end of the alley was a three-story Hu-style tavern. Due to its depth, ordinary customers rarely came here; only regulars did.
Li Qingan reached the entrance and looked at the flag, which read three characters: “Rehai Ju.”
Early that morning, someone had delivered a letter to him, containing just one line: “Meet at Rehai Ju in Xiling Alley, Suiye City, at the Shen hour.”
There was no signature, no reason—just that bare sentence. After thinking it over, Li Qingan decided to go.
It was already the Shen hour; lunch was over and dinner hadn’t arrived yet. The tavern was empty, with not a single customer. As soon as he reached the entrance, two beautiful Hu women rushed out, smiling brightly and saying, “Sir, please come inside to drink.”
Li Qingan handed his horse to a servant and followed them into the tavern. One of the Hu women asked, “Sir, it seems this is your first time here. What kind of room would you prefer?”
“I have an appointment with a friend in Suiye City.”
“Please follow me upstairs!”
Suiye City was the name of a luxurious room on the third floor of the tavern, the most opulent room there, consisting of two rooms inside each other. Two Hu women stood at the door. When they saw Li Qingan arrive, they immediately said with a smile, “Sir, I’m sorry, but this room is already occupied.”
“I have an appointment with the person inside.”
“Then please come in!”
Li Qingan entered the room and was slightly surprised to see eight burly men standing there, all strong and agile. One of them glanced at him, then knocked on the door of the inner room and whispered, “Your Highness, he’s here!”
The door opened, and a man in his forties stepped out. He had a pale face and no beard, holding a dust brush. After sizing up Li Qingan, he laughed sharply and said, “So it’s General Li after all. You’re very punctual. I’m Li Jingzhong, an eunuch of the Eastern Palace.”
Li Qingan suddenly realized who wanted to see him. He bowed and said, “I came as agreed.”

“We know it’s against the rules to offend General Li, but please forgive us, General Li!”
With a wave of his dust brush, three men immediately came forward to search Li Qing’an thoroughly, checking even his hair and the soles of his boots. The burly men placed his crossbow, sword, and some gold and silver on a plate before nodding at Li Jingzhong.
Li Jingzhong smiled and said, “General Li, please come in!”
Li Qing’an entered the inner room, where the curtains were mostly drawn, casting a dim light. The furnishings were very simple—just a small table and two cushions. A man stood by the window with his hands behind his back, gazing outside from behind the curtain.
From behind, the man appeared thin and somewhat tired.
Li Jingzhong stepped forward and whispered, “Your Highness, he’s here.”
The man turned around. His pale face and long, narrow eyes resembled Li Longji’s—it was Crown Prince Li Heng.
Li Heng glanced at Li Qing’an and smiled slightly. “General Li, do you recognize me?”
Li Qing’an quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and saluted militarily. “Your servant Li Qing’an pays his respects to the Crown Prince!”
“General Li has a good memory. We last met in the Hanyuan Hall.”
Li Heng waved his hand and laughed. “This isn’t the Eastern Palace; there’s no need for all these formalities. Please sit comfortably!”
Li Qing’an sat across from him. Li Jingzhong brought a cup of tea for Li Qing’an but poured plain water for Li Heng.
Li Heng smiled and said, “I’m not in good health. The imperial physicians say I shouldn’t drink too much tea, so I’ve been drinking plain water. Please, General Li, do as you please.”
“Your Highness seems much healthier than last time in the Hanyuan Hall.”
“That’s true. I’ve been living in the Eastern Palace for almost half a year, and I do feel stronger. Thank you, General Li, for your concern.”
Li Heng smiled before getting straight to the point. “For the Yangzhou salt case, I owe much to General Li for your strong support to Governor Lu, which enabled me to achieve a complete victory.”
“It’s an honor to serve Your Highness. I only regret not having had this opportunity before.”
Li Heng narrowed his eyes and said slowly, “Does General Li know the risks of meeting me secretly today?”
“I do!”
“Do you really know?”
“I know about the Wei Jian case!”
Li Heng’s face turned even paler. He murmured, “Exactly! For those who meet me secretly, the punishment is death.”
His gaze fell back on Li Qing’an. “Since you know, why did you still dare to come?”
“I thought it was the Crown Prince who summoned me!”
Li Heng was stunned. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. “Well said! I like your honesty.”

At that moment, Li Jingzhong whispered, “Your Highness, the time has come. It’s time to return to the palace.”
“I know.”
Li Heng waved his hand and said to Li Qing’an, “General Li, I heard you plan to offer the salt profits of Prince Qing to me. Is that so?”
Li Qing’an’s mind raced. He suddenly realized that there must be some kind of communication channel between Gao Lishi and Li Heng. He had only spoken to Gao Lishi the previous night, yet Li Heng already knew.
“That’s right! By chance, I intercepted 50,000 taels of gold worth of Prince Qing’s salt profits. I dare not keep this ill-gotten wealth for myself and wish to offer it to Your Highness to strengthen your power.”
Li Qing’an took out a map and pushed it toward Li Heng. “This is where the gold is hidden. Please keep it safely, Your Highness.”
Li Heng glanced at the map, a hint of appreciation in his eyes. He nodded, took out a gold plaque from his bosom, and handed it to Li Qing’an. “Only ten ministers are allowed to be summoned directly by my father. From now on, you are one of them. In case of emergency, you may show this gold plaque.”
After saying that, he stood up and strode quickly toward the door. Eight guards protected him as he boarded a carriage through the back door and left swiftly. Li Qing’an stood by the window, watching the carriage disappear into the distance before carefully examining the gold plaque. On the front was engraved the words “Eastern Palace,” beneath which was a vivid qilin. On the back, in relief, were the words: “Seeing this gold plaque is like the emperor himself being present.”
He smiled and muttered to himself, “A small gold plaque is worth 50,000 taels of gold?”
…
Two hours later, it was already dark. Li Qing’an was led by Li Linfu’s old steward through a heavily guarded water corridor into Li Linfu’s private residence. This was Li Linfu’s most private place, where he slept at night. Only his closest confidants could enter; not even his other sons besides his eldest had the right to come here.
It was also Li Qing’an’s first time entering Li Linfu’s private residence. It was actually a small castle built from giant granite blocks, surrounded by water. Only a covered bridge connected it to the outside world. There were no trees or bushes in the castle, and sentries patrolled constantly above it. Having eliminated countless political enemies throughout his life, Li Linfu knew he had many enemies everywhere. To ensure a peaceful night’s sleep, he used the most stringent measures to protect himself.
Li Qing’an entered the castle’s interior, where the lights were bright and there was not a hint of gloom. He stopped in front of a room. The old steward knocked on the door. “Master, General Li has arrived.”

“Let him in!” It was Li Linfu’s voice. Li Qing’an pushed the door open and entered the room, which turned out to be a study as well, with bookshelves filled to the brim with books on both sides of the wall. Li Linfu was sitting at his desk reading, while a favorite concubine knelt behind him massaging his head. Li Qing’an stepped forward and bowed, saying, “I pay my respects to the Prime Minister!” Li Linfu waved his hand to send the concubine away, then looked at Li Qing’an and smiled, “Seventh Young Master, you returned from Yangzhou yesterday, right?” “Yes!” “Sit down first!” Li Qing’an sat down and took out the imperial gold plaque given to him by the crown prince from his bosom, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Li Linfu, saying with a smile, “This afternoon, the crown prince summoned me secretly.” Li Linfu picked up the gold plaque and examined it carefully before smiling and saying, “Not bad! Not bad! The crown prince actually gave you his Qilin Gold Plate. It seems he values you highly!” Li Linfu continued with a smile, “He has four gold plates in total—representing the dragon, tiger, leopard, and Qilin. In fact, they don’t serve any practical purpose; they merely symbolize favor. As far as I know, his dragon plate was originally given to Wang Zhongsì, who later returned it. The tiger plate is with his son, the Prince of Guangping. The leopard plate was given to Wei Jian, but it was not found during the house search, and its whereabouts are unknown—probably destroyed by Wei Jian. Yet he gave you this Qilin Gold Plate, even though he didn’t give it to Lu Huan, who recommended you!” Li Linfu narrowed his eyes and smiled, “Let me guess why he gave it to you.” “Go ahead and guess, Prime Minister!” “I thought it might have something to do with Gao Lishi, but you’re not Geshu Han or Gao Xianzhi—you’re just an ordinary lieutenant general. Even if Gao Lishi recommended you, he wouldn’t give you a gold plate. I think you must have given him something he needed most at the moment. Hmph! I know very well what Li Heng needs most—that’s money. You gave him money, right?” Li Qing’an had no choice but to admit that Li Linfu’s insight was sharp; he had seen through everything. “But where did you get the money from?” Li Linfu continued, “You just went to Yangzhou, right? In the salt scandal there, Du Bosheng had nearly 400,000 strings of cash. Aside from the over 100,000 strings taken by Prince Qing, the remaining 200,000+ strings were handed over to the court. You didn’t keep any for yourself, but I know Du Bosheng still had some money—namely, the profits from salt trade. This amount isn’t mentioned in any of the records. Did Prince Qing take it? If so, he wouldn’t have suffered such a crushing defeat in Yangzhou. So Prince Qing didn’t get that money either. Then where did it go?”

Li Linfu glanced at Li Qing’an with a half-smile on his face. Li Qing’an could only sigh and say, “The Prime Minister is truly formidable. This sum amounts to 50,000 taels of gold, all of which I have given to the crown prince.”
Li Linfu clapped his hands and laughed loudly, “As I guessed!”
Once his laughter subsided, he said to Li Qing’an, “Your move was excellent. Using 50,000 taels of gold to win his trust—you’re even more clever than I thought.”
Li Qing’an smiled and said, “I’ve completed the first step as instructed by the Prime Minister. Please tell me the second step.”
Li Linfu sighed softly and said, “Qilang, you’re even smarter than I thought. Good. Making you a confidant of the crown prince is just my first step. I indeed have a second step in mind.”
He stared at Li Qing’an and slowly said, “As long as you help me complete the second step, I’ll give you Jiang Wuyi, and the position of Governor of Anxi will also be yours. I’ll make you the youngest governor in the Tang Dynasty.”
Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Prime Minister, I’d rather participate in the Battle of Shibao City first.”
Li Linfu was taken aback. “Why?”
“Just so.”
Li Qing’an smiled faintly and said, “Our military achievements are too few. It might be hard to accept the position of Governor of Anxi in the future.”
Li Linfu pondered for a moment before saying, “Qilang, I’m not against your participating in the Battle of Shibao City, but Anxi and Longyou are after all two different military systems. If you join the battle, you might achieve merits in the short term, but in the long run, your identity as someone from Longyou could create complications, preventing you from reaching the rank of Governor of Anxi. Qilang, think it over again!”
“Prime Minister, if I participate in the battle in Longyou, I don’t necessarily have to give up my identity in Anxi. The Prime Minister can find a workaround.”
“Heh! I didn’t expect Qilang to be so stubborn.”
Li Linfu smiled reluctantly. He had already implied to Li Qing’an that he didn’t agree to his participation in the battle in Longyou, but Li Qing’an insisted. If it were anyone else, he would have already ordered them to leave. But with Li Qing’an, he wouldn’t do that—after all, his second-step strategy relied on this man. Suddenly, Li Linfu realized that Li Qing’an was bargaining with him! Suppressing his displeasure, he asked, “What kind of workaround? Tell me.”
Li Qing’an didn’t pay attention to Li Linfu’s expression, nor did he want to. The journey around Yangzhou had left him exhausted—he even needed extra food to sustain himself while farming! Relying on empty promises wouldn’t work.

“Prime Minister, the Anxi Army has fought at Lianyun Fort and has some experience in attacking such castles. I estimate that the Longyou Army alone is not enough to take Shibao City; at least the Hexi Army will also be sent to assist. Similarly, why not borrow two Anxi battalions as well?”
“Hmm! That’s indeed a possible approach.”
Li Qing’an insisted on attacking Shibao City, and Li Linfu had no choice but to ask one last time, “Do you really have to participate?”
“Yes! I must participate.”
Li Linfu stared at him for a moment before finally nodding. “Alright! I’ll arrange it for you.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister! Please continue with your earlier plan—what’s the next step?”
Li Linfu smiled helplessly, then suddenly lowered his voice and said to Li Qing’an, “For this next step, no matter what methods you use, you must turn the crown prince and Yang Zhao into enemies who can never live in peace.”