Chapter 146: Who Is the Killer?

With a sharp crack, King Qing Li Cong smashed his cup against the ground, shattering it. Unable to contain his fury, he growled, “Worthless wretch! How dare you play tricks on me!”
He had just received news from his spies that after rejecting his son Li Qiu, Li Qingan had gone straight to the Eastern Palace. He had spent so much effort writing the invitation, only for Li Qingan to reject it mercilessly, causing him unprecedented frustration and a severe loss of face.
Li Qiu, though also disappointed, was not as enraged as his father. From the moment Li Qingan refused, he realized that Li Qingan must have seen through his plans. Li Qingan’s decision to go to the Eastern Palace was within his expectations.
“If he doesn’t come, so be it. Since he refuses to reconcile with Dong Yanguang and accept Father’s invitation, it means he is completely loyal to the Crown Prince. Father, Li Qingan is not a concern—he won’t be a hindrance. I suggest we stop wasting thoughts on him.”
“But if I don’t vent this anger, am I still the eldest son of the empire?”
Li Cong slammed his fist on the table and stared out the window, saying slowly, “I want to kill him!”
“Your Highness wants to kill someone, but it shouldn’t be Li Qingan!” Yan Kai, Li Cong’s advisor, came in from outside.
……
Dong Yanguang had been working nonstop since morning. He approached Zhang Yun, King Qing, Yang Zhao, and Yang Xian. It was only at the last moment that Yang Xian agreed to intercede for him, accepting 1,000 taels of gold worth 10,000 guan and 1,000 mu of fertile land in Guanzhong in exchange.
As a key figure in the Yang family, Yang Xian’s willingness to intercede relieved Dong Yanguang’s worries to some extent. The grand court meeting was the day after tomorrow, giving the Yang family one more day to help him. With their intervention, he could at least follow in Wang Zhongsì’s footsteps—or at the very least become a provincial governor.
Thinking that he, once the governor of Shanzhou and deputy commander of Longyou, would now have to become a governor, he felt renewed hatred toward Li Qingan and Geshu Han. If not for their schemes behind his back, would he have ended up like this?

At that moment, the drums signaling the closing of the gate sounded, and Dong Yanguang sped up his horse. His dozen or so subordinates followed closely behind. In the distance, there was no one in front of Baoning Fang’s gate. Just as Dong Yanguang was about to charge through the gate, a large group of men in black rushed out from inside. Each of them held bows and arrows and shot at Dong Yanguang simultaneously. Arrows rained down like a storm, pinning him like a hedgehog. Before he could even scream in pain, Dong Yanguang fell dead. Most of his followers were also killed by the arrows. The few who remained tried to flee but were caught up by the men in black and killed one by one.

One of the men in black, fearing that Dong Yanguang might still be alive, thrust a sword deep into his chest. They discarded their bows and arrows and scattered in different directions, disappearing into the darkness in no time. It was only after a long while that a few gatekeepers dared to come out. Seeing the corpses everywhere, they screamed in terror, “Someone was killed! Help!”
…
News of Dong Yanguang’s death spread throughout the court and the public the next morning, shocking many people.
Although Dong Yanguang had committed serious crimes, his death in the capital indicated that the city was no longer safe. Officials from various departments, temples, and agencies discussed the matter fervently. Many, intentionally or not, mentioned Li Qing’an, as he seemed the most likely suspect in Dong Yanguang’s murder. But soon, news came that the bows and arrows left by the killers belonged to the Longyou Army, shifting suspicion to Geshu Han.
That day, Li Longji did not go to the imperial study to handle government affairs. Having settled matters related to Longyou, he grew tired of the complicated court work and handed the memorials to Gao Lishi to process on his behalf.
Li Longji had just gotten up and was sitting at the table drinking ginseng tea when a eunuch rushed over to report, “Your Majesty, Lord Gao has sent word that Xiao Jiong, the governor of Jingzhao, has urgent matters to report.”
“What happened?” Li Longji was annoyed. He had rarely had a day off lately, and now something else came up.
“Have the general handle it for me.”
“Your Majesty, it seems Dong Yanguang has been killed.”
“What!” Li Longji stood up abruptly. Dong Yanguang had been killed? Who dared do such a thing?
“Go to the imperial study immediately.”
…
In the imperial study, Gao Lishi was listening to Xiao Jiong’s explanation. Dong Yanguang and all eighteen of his bodyguards had been killed. Dong Yanguang had been hit by forty-two arrows. This news weighed heavily on Gao Lishi’s mind. It was obvious that Li Qing’an was involved. He would be granting titles the next day, and if this case wasn’t resolved quickly, Li Qing’an might be implicated.

At this moment, Li Linfu, Chen Xilie, and Zhang Yun also arrived one after another. Li Linfu was the Right Chancellor; such a major incident fell squarely within his responsibility. Chen Xilie was the Minister of War, and since Dong Yanguang had been sent to the capital under the orders of the Ministry of War, he too could not shirk his duty. As for Zhang Yun, Dong Yanguang had visited him the previous day, so if he did not distance himself, he might also get implicated.

Seeing Xiao Jing bypass him and submit a memorial on his own, Li Linfu let out a deep snort and said coldly, “Lord Xiao, what are you doing here?”

Xiao Jing trembled with fear. Due to the urgency of the situation, he had rushed straight to Xingqing Palace, only then realizing he had overstepped his bounds. He stammered in an attempt to explain, “Chancellor Li, I have already delivered the memorial to the Secretariat. Given the seriousness of the matter and new developments, I came here to report.”

“Is that so? So you report minor matters to this chancellor, but come directly before the emperor for major issues.”

“That’s not what I meant… What I meant is…”

Xiao Jing was so anxious that he could hardly speak coherently. At that moment, Gao Lishi waved his hand and said with a smile, “Chancellor, let’s put this discussion on hold for now. I think the emperor will be arriving soon. We might as well discuss Dong Yanguang’s matter first.”

Li Linfu glared at Xiao Jing, deciding to impeach him after this matter was settled. With a fierce expression, he asked coldly, “Speak! What new developments are there?”

Xiao Jing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly said, “I have gathered all the information regarding Dong Yanguang’s activities yesterday.”

“What information have you gathered?”

Emperor Li Longji strode into the imperial study. Gao Lishi, Li Linfu, and the others bowed and said, “Your subjects are here to attend to Your Majesty!”

Li Longji sat down on the imperial couch and waved his hand, “Give me the memorial first.”

Li Linfu promptly handed the memorial that Xiao Jing had submitted to the Secretariat to Li Longji. “Your Majesty, please take a look.”

Li Longji opened the memorial and carefully read about what had happened the previous night. The imperial study was utterly silent; no one dared disturb Li Longji’s thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, Li Linfu quickly glanced at Gao Lishi. In the death of Dong Yanguang, Li Qingan was the top suspect. He had a deep grudge against Dong Yanguang, had access to bows and arrows from Longyou, and had brought two hundred men to the capital. All these factors made it highly likely that he had killed Dong Yanguang and then framed Ge Shu Han.

To his surprise, Gao Lishi remained calm, with no expression on his face. Li Linfu suddenly realized that Gao Lishi must have evidence proving Li Qingan’s absence. Could it be Ge Shuhan? After killing someone and discarding the bow and arrows, he could make others think it was framed on him. Although the troops Ge Shuhan brought to the capital this time did not carry bows and arrows, his 500 personal guards did. By killing Dong Yanguang, he took control of all the troops in Longyou, so he was also a suspect.

Zhang Yun, the Minister of Revenue, was extremely nervous. Yesterday, after Dong Yanguang arrived in the capital, he had come to see him. Although he ignored him, it proved from another angle that Dong Yanguang was connected to him. How should he answer if the emperor asked later?

At that moment, Li Longji finished reading the report. The report only described how Dong Yanguang was killed in front of Baoning Fang, including the time, place, number of people involved, number of arrows shot, and the discarded bows and arrows, as well as the testimony of the local officials. Nothing else was mentioned in the report.

Li Longji put down the report and asked Xiao Jing, “Minister Xiao, I heard you say there were new discoveries when I entered just now. Now tell me! What new discoveries are there?”

“Your Majesty, I have investigated hundreds of people and have basically figured out Dong Yanguang’s route yesterday. He met many people that day.”

“Wait!” Li Longji stopped him and said, “Since so many people are involved, let’s conduct the interrogation in the Datong Hall. I will preside over the trial today to get to the bottom of things.”

Everyone moved to the Datong Hall. Li Longji sat down and said, “Minister Xiao, start speaking.”

“I shall obey your orders!”

Xiao Jing stepped forward and bowed, then slowly said, “Dong Yanguang arrived in the capital yesterday morning. At the entrance of the East Market, they first encountered Li Qingan. It is said that they were tense and hostile toward each other—this is the first point.”

“Good! Summon Li Qingan first.”

A few eunuchs rushed off to find Li Qingan. Li Longji then said to Xiao Jing, “Continue.”

Xiao Jing glanced at Zhang Yun and then said in a low voice, “After that, Dong Yanguang went to see Minister Zhang.”

Li Longji gave Zhang Yun a stern look, which scared him so much that he quickly stepped forward and said, “Yesterday, I fell ill slightly and returned to my residence early. I met Dong Yanguang in front of my residence. He asked me to intercede for him, but I ignored him and didn’t say a word to him.”

Li Longji believed Zhang Yun’s words. Given Zhang Yun’s shrewdness, how could he possibly bring trouble upon himself? He nodded and asked, “What is your relationship with Dong Yanguang?”

Zhang Yun’s heart skipped a beat. What was inevitable could not be avoided. He had no choice but to tough it out and said, “Dong Yanguang’s daughter is my family’s daughter-in-law. That’s the only connection.”

Li Longji glanced at him and stopped speaking. He then said to Xiao Jing, “Continue!”
“After leaving Xiao’s residence, Dong Yanguang went to Prince Qing’s palace. Someone saw him enter its gates.”
“Prince Qing?” Li Longji’s head suddenly swelled with realization. He remembered that Dong Yanguang was part of Prince Qing’s faction. Needless to say, he must have gone to Prince Qing for help.
“Anything else?”
“Also, Dong Yanguang met Xianyu Mingshu, the deputy governor of Jingzhao Prefecture. They discussed matters together for half an hour.”
“Pass my order: summon Prince Qing and Xianyu Mingshu to appear before me.”
At that moment, a loud voice came from outside the hall, “Li Qingan, the General of Anxi, has arrived and is waiting outside.”
“Let him enter!”
“By the Emperor’s command, Li Qingan, the General of Anxi, is summoned to appear!”
With the guards’ announcement, Li Qingan hurriedly entered the hall. He had also heard about Dong Yanguang’s assassination, which filled him with both joy and worry. He was glad that Dong Yanguang had been killed and his revenge was fulfilled, but worried because the killer was ruthless—killing him just before he was to be rewarded, casting suspicion on him, clearly in an attempt to affect his reward the next day. Who could this person be?
He stepped forward and bowed, “Your servant Li Qingan pays his respects to Your Majesty!”
Li Longji stared at him and asked, “General Li, you must be aware of Dong Yanguang’s murder. I only have one question for you: Did you kill him?”
“Though I hated Dong Yanguang and wished to kill him myself, Your Majesty once promised to deal with the Anxi army. So I am waiting for Your Majesty’s punishment and would never kill anyone on my own. Dong Yanguang was not killed by me.”
“Your Majesty, this old servant can also prove that Dong Yanguang was not killed by General Li.”
Gao Lishi slowly stepped forward and said, “General Li’s entourage was at my residence last night and never left. I saw it with my own eyes. Although Dong Yanguang was killed by two hundred men, it probably has nothing to do with General Li.”
Li Longji glanced at Li Linfu and asked, “What do you think, Prime Minister?”
Li Linfu sighed lightly and said, “All of General Li Qingan’s capable men have died. I agree with General Gao’s words.”
Only then did Li Longji nod and say, “General Li, since you deny killing Dong Yanguang, I believe you won’t lie before me. You may retire. Bathe and change, and wait for tomorrow’s court session.”
Li Qingan’s heart sank with relief. “Your servant thanks Your Majesty!”
He then bowed to Gao Lishi and Li Linfu, saying, “Thank you, Old Man Gao, and Prime Minister, for upholding justice.”
Gao Lishi remained expressionless, but there was a faint smile in Li Linfu’s eyes. This Li Qingan was quite skillful—having gradually become the crown prince’s confidant.

Li Qing’an slowly stepped back. At that moment, a eunuch stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, Prince Qing is too ill to come. He requests to meet with You Majesty another day.”

Li Linfu and Chen Xilie exchanged glances at the same time. It must be the work of Prince Qing—Dong Yanguang was his man. Fearing that Dong Yanguang might, in desperation, reveal something, he killed him to silence him.

Li Longji’s expression turned extremely grim. Clearly, he had also figured something out. The hall was dead silent, the atmosphere awkward. Then, from outside the hall, a guard shouted, “Xianyu Shuming, the Deputy Governor of Jingzhao, requests an audience!”

This shout came at just the right time, breaking the awkwardness in the hall. Li Longji immediately said, “Summon him.”

“Summon Xianyu Shuming, the Deputy Governor of Jingzhao, to appear!”

Xianyu Shuming stepped in quickly. With Dong Yanguang’s death, he knew he could not escape this fate. He was filled with remorse—his momentary loyalty had led him to his doom.

As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt down and said, “Your servant Xianyu Shuming pays his respects to Your Majesty!”

“Deputy Governor Xianyu, I don’t want to explain anything further to you. What did Dong Yanguang ask you to do yesterday? What did you do? Confess truthfully!”

Li Longji already harbored murderous intent. He needed an explanation for Dong Yanguang’s death, but he didn’t want to touch Geshu Han or Li Qing’an. Prince Qing certainly wouldn’t hold him accountable. Only Xianyu Shuming, who was also the Deputy Governor of Jingzhao and had the means to arrange 200 men in black to enter Chang’an, made him the perfect scapegoat.

Xianyu Shuming could tell from Li Longji’s tone that things were bad. Frightened, he hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, I was on good terms with Dong Yanguang. Knowing his sins were grave, he wanted to pay 10,000 strings of coins and 1,000 mu of farmland to atone for his crimes. Since I knew Yang Zhao, the deputy governor of Jiannan, he asked me to intercede and have Yang Zhao plead for him.”

Everyone in the hall’s heart sank. Xianyu Shuming really didn’t want to live—he had even dragged the Yang family into this. The murderous intent in Li Longji’s eyes grew even sharper. He pressed his jade belt and said coldly, “And then?”

Sweating profusely, Xianyu Shuming knew death was approaching. He resolved to be bold and said, “Commissioner Yang refused to help, saying he needed time to consider it. But in less than half an hour, he sent someone with a note, asking me and Dong Yanguang to go see Yang Xian, the head of the Guanglu Temple.”

Before Li Longji could stop him, he took out the note from his pocket and added urgently, “Yang Xian accepted 1,000 taels of gold and the deed to 1,000 mu of land from Dong Yanguang and agreed to intercede. This is the note written by Yang Zhao. Please, Your Majesty, judge fairly.”

He spoke in one breath, raising the note high. It was originally a letter of introduction written by Yang Zhao for Yang Xian, but upon hearing about the bribery, Yang Xian refused to take it, and now it had become evidence in Xian Yu Shuming’s hands. It was this note that silenced Li Longji’s furious shouts as he ordered Yang Xian to be dragged out and executed. The hall fell silent—this incident had even dragged in the Yang family, and moreover, it involved open bribery. Even Chen Xili sighed secretly; how foolish was Yang Xian, to dare accept bribes from Dong Yanguang—so arrogant. A eunuch took Xian Yu Shuming’s note and presented it to Li Longji. It was written by Yang Zhao, containing just one sentence: “If Dong Yanguang isn’t killed, Li Qingan will suffer severe harm.” Li Longji gradually narrowed his eyes. What a cunning Yang Zhao—truly, no man without deceit. He had shifted the blame onto his cousin. Indeed, he was ruthless and deceitful. Suddenly, Li Longji roared, “What a vice governor of Jingzhao! How dare he openly bribe a minister and use his power to bring criminals into the capital to murder them! Bring him out and execute him!” “Your Majesty, I am innocent! It wasn’t me who killed Dong Yanguang!” Xian Yu Shuming shouted loudly, but there was no chance for him to defend himself. Dozens of guards rushed forward and dragged him away. “I’m innocent! I’m blameless!” As Xian Yu Shuming’s cries faded into distance, Li Longji said coldly, “Yang Zhao intended to warn Yang Xian not to take bribes, but Yang Xian was blinded by greed, which is truly regrettable. Though he is a member of the imperial family, I will not show mercy. Pass my order: remove Yang Xian from all his positions as head of the Guanglu Temple, demote him to a commoner, and confiscate all the bribes he received from Dong Yanguang. Dong Yanguang disobeyed military orders during the Battle of Longyou, causing the scout unit of the Anxi army to be nearly wiped out. He deserves death. Strip him of all his titles and confiscate all his property; his family shall be exiled to Lingnan.” … Li Longji resolved the case of Dong Yanguang’s death with swift and decisive action in less than half a day. Although everyone knew Xian Yu Shuming had been made a scapegoat, they also understood that anyone who dared speak about it again would face certain death. Discussions about Dong Yanguang ceased with Xian Yu Shuming’s tragic death. Soon after, Li Longji issued another order, officially promoting Yang Zhao, who was the governor of Yaozhou and the deputy commander of the Jiannan military region, to the new position of commander of Jiannan and chief censor. Dong Yanguang’s death threw Prince Qing Li Cong into chaos. He had just sent people out, but before they could reach Baoning Fang, news of Dong Yanguang’s death reached him. All his men had fled from Chang’an and had not returned yet. So when Li Longji ordered him to go to Xingqing Palace for confrontation, he was terrified, thinking his men had been captured, and pretended to be ill to avoid going.

At this moment, Li Cong was furious with his son Li Qiu and his advisor Yan Kai. It was their persuasion that had led him to consider killing someone to silence them, only for someone else to act first and leave him in a humiliating situation.
“You two fools! Idiots! Thinking you were smart—look what happened now! Dong Yanguang is dead, and I’ve been framed unnecessarily. Do you think the Emperor doesn’t know it was me? How am I supposed to explain this to him?”
Li Cong was so angry that his face turned red as he slammed the table and shouted. Li Qiu and Yan Kai kept their heads down, not daring to speak. They hadn’t expected someone else to intervene and put them in a difficult position. After a long while, Yan Kai finally said in a low voice, “Your Highness, it’s not that we’re incompetent. It’s just that the killer is too cunning—killing Dong Yanguang at such a critical moment. If it weren’t for the Emperor’s reluctance to involve the Anxi Army and the Longyou Army, both Li Qing’an and Geshu Han would have been suspected. Your Highness can deny it to the Emperor, saying you feigned illness to avoid the Dong Yanguang case and ask for his forgiveness. He will surely show leniency.”
Li Cong found this reasonable, and his anger subsided a bit. He said to the two of them, “I’m giving you three days to find out who really killed Dong Yanguang and who’s behind this. I won’t bear the blame for others for free. Do you hear me?”