Chapter 155: Ruoshan’s Broken Claws

“He’s here! He’s here!”
Someone shouted, and chaos ensued in front of the Wei family’s residence. Over a hundred young men and women who refused to leave rushed forward. The side door of the Wei family’s house opened, and a carriage emerged. Dozens of Li Qing’an’s personal guards surrounded it. Seeing the crowd approaching, the guards quickly stepped forward and shouted, “Our general is drunk, too drunk to be conscious. Please understand!”
Hearing that Li Qing’an was drunk, the crowd showed signs of disappointment and began to discuss among themselves before reluctantly dispersing. At that moment, Jiang Xiaonian bowed to Wei Huan and said, “Lord Wei, our general is too drunk to bid farewell to you. We hope for your understanding.”
Wei Huan smiled slightly and replied, “Please convey to General Li that my household always welcomes him as a guest.”
“I will definitely pass on the message, Lord Wei. We’ll be leaving now.”
The carriage slowly drove away from the Wei family’s residence. Wei Huan’s son, Wei Yingwu, watched as the carriage disappeared and said resentfully, “He broke our table—doesn’t he even apologize?”
“You know nothing!”
Wei Huan turned around and scolded his son harshly, then said sternly, “Can you even compare to half of what he is? He became a military governor at a young age through his own merits. What skills do you have? All you do is cause trouble for me, indulging in fights and horse racing. One last warning—since you like poetry, study it properly. If I return and see no progress, I’ll skin you.”
Wei Yingwu was too scared to say anything. Wei Huan snorted heavily before turning to Wei Tao and asking, “Elder brother, what do you think of this Li Qing’an?”
“I think he’s very cunning. Writing those poems must have a purpose.”
“I disagree with what elder brother said.”
Wei Jiansu smiled gently and said, “He was able to share life and death with his soldiers. Writing such poems was likely out of emotion, not intention. Wielding a sword and reciting songs reflects the pride of our Tang soldiers. As for smashing a table in anger, that’s just a young man acting wildly out of passion. I actually like that about him. But I believe he pretended to be drunk—once he calmed down, realizing he couldn’t explain himself to the Wei family, he used drunkenness as an excuse. This young man is sincere, not as cunning as elder brother said.”
Wei Cang also laughed and said, “I agree with third brother’s view. He is indeed sincere. It’s quite interesting that a military governor like him would resort to fighting over a woman. The Wei family could cultivate a close relationship with him.”

Wei Tao was at a loss for words. He had recovered three boats full of bronze wares in Yangzhou and suspected Li Qingan of swapping them, but lacking evidence, he suffered in silence. He even suspected that the Prince Qing’s gold had been stolen by Li Qingan. Of course, he hoped it was as Wei Jiansu said; otherwise, it was better to stay away from Li Qingan. Wei Tao smiled and gave up insisting on his view.
“Enough! Let’s not talk about this anymore.”
Wei Huan waved his hand and said with a smile, “Since the guests have left, let’s continue our discussion.”
The Wei brothers had decided that to deal with Yang Zhao, the power of the Wei family alone was not enough. In the past, the Wei family had been a core member of the Crown Prince’s faction. After Wei Jian was demoted, the Wei family broke away from them. Now that the power of the Eastern Palace was growing, they could consider rejoining it.
……
Li Qingan’s carriage had traveled about two li when he fell into a deep sleep inside, seemingly truly drunk. At that moment, Jiang Xiaonian whispered from outside the carriage, “General, there’s no one left.”
Li Qingan slowly opened his eyes. He wasn’t actually drunk, but he had a terrible headache. He slowly sat up, stretched lazily, and said to himself with a smile, “It’s better to be drunk! I don’t even have to pay for the table.”
“Xiao Jiang, have the Du Gu sisters’ carriages left?”
“Reporting to the general, they have already left.”
Li Qingan sighed in relief and lay back down, yet his mind was filled with images of Du Gu Mingyue’s uncontrollable joy at that moment. The moment her delicate face bloomed with happiness left a stunning impression on Li Qingan. He couldn’t help but laugh—she must have heard about Cui Ningbi.
But he had indeed drunk too much. A wave of drowsiness hit him, and he soon became unconscious.
……
The Du Gu sisters were among the first guests to leave Wei’s mansion. The carriage rolled along the empty streets. Since Li Qingan’s sword dance, Du Gu Mingyue had remained silent. She sat quietly by the window, gazing at the trees and scenery along the road, her gaze tender as water. Li Qingan’s sword dance had opened her heart, and his bold, heroic demeanor deeply moved her, making her understand his feelings for her.
Her heart still echoed with the image of Li Qingan dancing with his sword while drunk—“Reading the sword by lamplight in drunkenness, dreaming of war horns echoing in the camps. Sharing roasted meat among my troops over eight hundred li, the sound of fifty-stringed instruments playing the tunes of the frontier. Mustering troops in the autumn battlefield.” What a heroic spirit! At this moment, there was no room in Du Gu Mingyue’s heart for anyone else.
“Sigh!” Du Gu Mingzhu beside her let out a sigh.
“Why so sentimental?” Du Gu Mingyue asked her sister with a smile.
“Nothing.”

Mingzhu gently shook her head and whispered, “Sis, you believe him now, don’t you?”
“What are you talking about? Believing him?”
“Sis, stop pretending. Today, Brother Li revealed his feelings to you in front of so many people. If you continue to treat him lightly, you’ll really lose him.”
After a pause, Mingzhu added, “Please don’t disappoint all my efforts.”
Dugu Mingyue remained silent, her gaze once again fixed on the night sky. The moon there gradually grew full, moving through thin clouds—sometimes revealing its bright light and gentle glow, other times hiding behind the clouds, dimming the sky. A sense of inexplicable sorrow welled up in Mingyue’s heart. Even the moon in the sky went through phases of brightness and darkness—could her love truly reach fulfillment?
…
Li Qing’an’s carriage slowly arrived at Gao Lishi’s residence. The shaking as the carriage stopped woke Li Qing’an. He focused his mind and asked, “Where are we?”
“General, we’ve arrived at the residence. It seems Manager Luo is waiting for you.”
“Ask what he wants.”
A moment later, Jiang Xiaonian returned and said, “General, Manager Luo says Master Gao is waiting for you. He insists you go see him as soon as you return.”
Li Qing’an pressed his temples and sat up. He got out of the carriage, and Manager Luo hurried down the steps, bowing and saying, “General Li, my master has been waiting for you for a long time.”
“I know. I’ll go right now.”
Li Qing’an followed Manager Luo to Gao Lishi’s study. Manager Luo announced, “Master, General Li has arrived.”
“Let him in!” Gao Lishi’s voice was cheerful, suggesting he was in a good mood.
Li Qing’an pushed the door open and entered the study. The room was softly lit, filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. Gao Lishi, dressed in loose blue Zen robes and wearing a flat-top cap, was sitting by the lamp reading.
Seeing Li Qing’an enter, Gao Lishi smiled slightly and asked, “Seventh Brother, who invited you out today?”
“I went to a gathering at the Wei family’s residence to join in the fun.”
Li Qing’an smiled and sat down across from Gao Lishi.
“The Wei family—must be Wei Huan’s residence! Things aren’t going well for him these days. A few days ago, Cui Yuan submitted a memorial accusing him of favoritism and corruption, referring to the appointment of his nephew Wei Ming as a military officer in Yizhou.”
“And what was the outcome?”
“I forwarded the memorial to the Censorate.”
“Then the emperor isn’t involved in this matter?”

Gao Lishi shook his head and sighed, saying, “The Emperor is old now and lacks self-restraint. His energy is not what it used to be. Aside from major military affairs, he no longer deals with ordinary court matters; he leaves them to me to handle on his behalf. I’m starting to find it overwhelming too.”

At that, Gao Lishi smiled again and said, “But for your appointment as the governor of Beiting, he definitely wants to be involved. It was his careful consideration that led to your appointment there. Do you know? He even sought the prince’s opinion on this matter.”

This was something Li Qing’an hadn’t expected. Li Longji would actually consult the prince. Since he knew Li Qing’an was the prince’s man, it was puzzling why he still wanted Li Qing’an to govern a separate region. As if reading his thoughts, Gao Lishi smiled and said, “Because Beiting isn’t like Longyou or Hedong, where one can reach Chang’an in a few days. Beiting is far away, separated by Hexi. So the Emperor can trust you to go there. It’s also a way to leave some foundation for the prince. But once you go, the other military officials under the prince won’t have a chance for promotion.”

Li Qing’an nodded silently. So that’s how it is. Suddenly, he remembered something else and quickly asked, “There’s Bian Lingcheng as the military supervisor in Anxi. Is there anyone like that in Beiting?”

“That’s why I called you here tonight.”

Gao Lishi pondered for a moment before saying, “Appointing a military supervisor among border generals has always been the practice. In the past, it was done by imperial censors, but after the Emperor ascended the throne, it was changed to being handled by imperial envoys. Nothing has changed until now. Unless the Emperor has special trust in someone, a supervisor must be appointed. I usually assign such supervisors, keeping them under my direct control. Although we are close friends, we can’t let personal relationships override duty. The only slight advantage you might have is that you can make a choice. My initial plan is to send Yu Chaoen, an imperial envoy, as the supervisor to Beiting.”

“Yu Chaen!” Li Qing’an suddenly thought of the Shence Army later on. He quickly shook his head and said, “Uncle Gao, can we choose someone else?”

Gao Lishi smiled. “Yu Chaen is one of my trusted men. He won’t make things too difficult for you. But since you don’t like him, I can consider your suggestion. Who do you want to send to Beiting?”

After thinking for a while, Li Qing’an said, “Could Bian Lingcheng oversee Beiting as well?”

Gao Lishi murmured, “It’s not impossible for Bian Lingcheng to take charge of both. Moreover, he could help coordinate the relations between the armies in Beiting and Anxi. But there’s no precedent for one person supervising two regions. We need the Emperor’s approval. It depends on your luck then.”

At this point, Gao Lishi took out another memorial and gently placed it in front of Li Qing’an, saying, “This is an investigation report by the Censor of the Eastern Capital regarding your family’s situation. It’s a necessary step for every military governor before taking office. But strangely, the Censor couldn’t find any records about your family. Your Majesty might ask you about this tomorrow—think carefully on your own!”
…
At the same time when a banquet was held in the Wei family’s residence, something unusual also happened in the Prince Qing’s mansion. The basement was dimly lit, with an oil lamp flickering on and off, casting elongated or shortened shadows of over a dozen people. A group of personal guards surrounded Prince Qing, Li Cong. With his hands behind his back, Li Cong stared fiercely at a man on the ground—a man in his thirties, bound hand and foot with heavy iron chains, barely alive from torture.
Next to him, Li Qiu was reporting on his investigation, “Father, this man boasted in a brothel that he personally shot Dong Yan Guang. One of my men happened to hear this and reported it to me, so I captured him. He has already confessed—he indeed participated in Dong Yan Guang’s assassination, and the details he described match the official investigation.”
“I want to know—is he really one of An Lushan’s bodyguards?”
“This afternoon, I carefully checked his identity. His name is He Mi. He is indeed one of An Lushan’s bodyguards. He also admitted that it was An Lushan’s bodyguards who killed Dong Yan Guang, with the help of the Jinwu Guard, allowing them to leave the city unimpeded.”
Li Cong felt furious. He never expected it to be An Lushan pulling the strings behind the scenes, causing him to be suspected by his father. He had even been scolded by his father this afternoon, which directly damaged his reputation in his father’s eyes. Gnashing his teeth in anger, Li Cong thought, “That damned An Lushan—how despicable of him! I won’t be satisfied until I deal with him properly.”
He snorted heavily and said, “There’s no need to keep this man here. Just get rid of him.”
With that, he turned to leave, but Li Qiu called out to him, “Father, please wait!”
“Is there anything else?”
“Father, do you intend to deal with An Lushan?”
“It’s not exactly ‘dealing with’ him, but I do need to teach him a lesson.”
After a pause, Li Cong asked again, “What? Do you have any suggestions?”
“I was thinking that actually, we don’t need to step in. There are people who are even more eager than us.”
“Who?” Li Cong asked curiously. “Who is more eager than us?”

“These past few days, while investigating the assassination of Dong Yan Guang, I discovered that the Yang family has also sent a large number of people to investigate this case. I asked Yang Xuan, and he said that because of Dong Yan Guang’s death, Yang Xian was removed from his position, and the Yang family is extremely angry at the mastermind behind this crime. I was thinking…”
“You mean to hand this person and the confession over to the Yang family, so they can deal with An Lushan?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. There’s no need for us to get involved. This way, Father can also explain things to the Emperor more easily.”
Li Cong nodded. His son had indeed thought things through very carefully. “Very well! I’ll leave this matter to you. Do it quickly—finish it as fast as possible. I hope the Emperor will know the truth by tomorrow morning.”
“I understand. It’s still early before reaching Guanfang Gate. I’ll go and take care of this right away.”
……
About half an hour later, more than a hundred men on horseback suddenly appeared at the entrance of Qiren Fang, along with several wagons. They were all dressed brightly, riding fine horses, wearing swords at their waists, with angry expressions on their faces. They charged towards the gate of Qiren Fang with great momentum. A few guards at the gate suddenly recognized them and were stunned—it was the Yang family’s entire force! Where were they going?
Leading them were Yang Qi and Yang Xian. Yang Zhao stayed home due to illness and sent his two sons in his place. Dozens of other Yang family members, including Yang Zhu and Yang Chu, were also present. Even the three imperial concubines—Yang Huahua, Yang Yuzhu, and Yang Yupai—came personally. Since it involved the prosperity of the Yang family, they had never been so united as they were today, all coming to demand an explanation from An Lushan.
Dozens of Yang family members and nearly a hundred strong men rushed in through the gate of Qiren Fang and headed straight for An Lushan’s new residence in the south of the district.
At that moment, An Lushan was standing in front of the steps, not yet returning to his mansion. He had just seen off Abus, who had come to express his gratitude. According to his tribe’s customs, Abus brought a hundred female slaves and money equivalent to five thousand sheep, and came in person to thank him. This time, Abus not only retained his position but also received the title of General of Huaihua. He truly owed An Lushan a huge favor.

An Lushan certainly didn’t care about the gifts sent by Abu Si; what he wanted were tens of thousands of elite Turkic cavalry. To obtain this formidable force, he racked his brains. This time, his advisor Yan Zhuang seized the opportunity, leaving Abu Si in his debt. Although Abu Si hadn’t agreed to move his troops to Youzhou and serve as deputy governor of Fanyang, he had already given in, pending the emperor’s decision. In other words, only with Li Longji’s approval could Abu Si’s troops move east to Youzhou, which delighted An Lushan greatly. Convincing Li Longji would be easy—he could achieve this by creating some stir over the Khitan issue.

Overjoyed, An Lushan planned to return to Fanyang as soon as possible. Just then, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from afar. An Lushan froze and looked in that direction, faintly seeing a large group of riders charging toward him.

His guards panicked immediately. It was too late to return to the mansion, so they surrounded An Lushan tightly.

In an instant, Yang’s large group arrived. Yang Qi had already spotted An Lushan and shouted, “An Lushan, wait!”

His tone was full of hostility. An Lushan’s heart raced—how had he offended the Yang family?

The Yang family members stopped at the steps of An’s mansion, dismounted, and surrounded the mansion completely. Even the three imperial concubines came out of their carriages. An Lushan grew even more panicked. The appearance of the three imperial concubines meant the presence of the Empress, indicating the severity of the situation.

He quickly bowed and smiled, saying, “Dear Yang brothers and sisters, I’m puzzled as to why you’ve come to my humble abode at night. What can I do for you?”

“Bring him here!”

Yang Qi waved his hand, and several strong men dragged An Lushan’s personal guard, He Mi, up and threw him at the steps. He said coldly, “An Lushan, you can’t say you don’t know this man!”

An Lushan’s head buzzed—this was one of his closest confidants. How could he not know him? He hesitated and asked, “This is my personal guard. Has he done something to offend the Yang family? If so, I’ll punish him on the spot as an apology.”

“Someone!”

An Lushan shouted, and several bodyguards rushed over. Pointing at He Mi at the steps, he ordered, “Kill this man!”

Before the bodyguards could act, Yang Qi stopped them with a wave. “Wait!”

He slowly stepped forward and sneered, “This man has indeed done something wrong against the Yang family, but he isn’t the main culprit. The real culprit is you, An Lushan!”

An Lushan was stunned. He couldn’t figure out how he had offended the Yang family and stammered, “Please, Mr. Yang, explain clearly. I’m completely confused.”

“Hmph! Still pretending to be innocent, An Lushan. It was you who killed Dong Yanguang, right?”
Only then did An Lushan realize what had happened. A cold sweat broke out all over his back. He remembered that Yang Xian had been dismissed due to the assassination of Dong Yanguang. So the Yang family had come for this reason. What should he do? Admit fault and apologize? No, absolutely not!
An Lushan’s mind raced. Apologizing to the Yang family wasn’t a problem—just pay more money if necessary. But what about the emperor? If the emperor found out, he would be in serious trouble. Not only would he lose the position of Governor of Hedong, but he might even lose his positions as Governor of Fanyang and Pinglu. Killing Dong Yanguang could easily lead the emperor to suspect him of colluding with Prince Qing, and the emperor would never allow a military general to have any kind of connection with a prince.
An Lushan racked his brains for over a dozen times. Sweat poured down his forehead. What to do? Yang Qi wanted to show his authority as the head of the family, so he pressed further, “Surely you’re not saying it was done by your subordinates without your knowledge?”
Those words reminded An Lushan. Suddenly, he grabbed He Mi by the collar and shouted, “Who ordered you to do this? How dare you hide it from me!”
He Mi saw a trace of cruelty in An Lushan’s eyes. Knowing he was doomed, he spoke in a low voice, “It was Mr. Yan’s arrangement!”
“Yan Zhuang! So it’s him.”
An Lushan turned around angrily and ordered, “Bring him here immediately!”
A few bodyguards rushed into the mansion. Moments later, Yan Zhuang came out in a hurry. He had already learned from the bodyguards what was going on and knew that An Lushan intended to use him as a scapegoat.
Yan Zhuang sighed inwardly and knelt down, saying, “Your humble servant, Yan Zhuang, pays his respects to the commander!”
“Yan Zhuang, I’m asking you—what’s the deal with the assassination of Dong Yanguang? Why didn’t you report it to me?”
Yan Zhuang gritted his teeth and said, “I had a personal grudge against Dong Yanguang, so I used the commander’s bodyguards to assassinate him! I am guilty. Please punish me as you see fit.”
“Using my bodyguards for such a serious matter without reporting it to me first!” An Lushan roared. “Bring him here and beat him fifty times!”
Immediately, over a dozen bodyguards rushed forward, threw Yan Zhuang to the ground, and started beating him with sticks. The Yang family members watched coldly. Suddenly, Yang Huahua clapped her hands and laughed, “What a great performance by Commander An! I should invite the emperor to watch too.”
An Lushan’s legs weakened, and he trembled as he said, “Madam, this really has nothing to do with me. It was my subordinates who acted on their own. How can this be a performance?”
“Hmph! Is my second brother’s position as Minister of the Imperial Household only worth fifty lashes?”
“Then what do you want to stop this?”
“I don’t know. Tell me yourself!”

Since Yang Huahua had stepped forward and brought up the emperor, the other Yang family members didn’t dare say anything and had no choice but to let her represent them.
An Lushan gritted his teeth and said, “I failed to enforce strict discipline. I’m willing to apologize and pay compensation. How about I give 50,000 guan? Is that acceptable?”
“No, it’s not enough!” Yang Huahua rejected it outright.
“What if I add 10,000 mu of land?”
“No, still not enough!”
“Very well. I have four shops in the East Market and am willing to give them to the Yang family. Will that do?”
“The compensation is sufficient, but our anger remains unsoothed. What do you suggest?” Yang Huahua asked, glancing at Yan Zhuang.
An Lushan understood. He sighed secretly, glanced at Yan Zhuang—someone who had been loyal to him for years—but now, to protect himself, he had no choice but to sacrifice this subordinate.
He narrowed his eyes and slowly pointed at Yan Zhuang, saying, “Add fifty more blows with the club to sever his leg tendons. Let fate decide his life or death!”
Yan Zhuang was already half-dead from the beatings. Hearing An Lushan’s words, he shuddered in shock, unable to believe his ears. He slowly raised his head to look at An Lushan, who no longer even glanced at him. Suddenly, Yan Zhuang remembered the slap he had received during the polo match. With a sigh, he thought, “I truly deserve to die!”
The bodyguards understood An Lushan’s intent. Without any mercy, they struck him mercilessly with the clubs. Finally, Yan Zhuang let out a scream as both of his legs were severed, and he collapsed unconscious. After a hundred blows, two other guards took out horn knives and severed his left and right leg tendons. They also sighed inwardly, then stepped forward to report to An Lushan, “Commander, the execution is complete!”
One of the guards whispered, “Mr. Yan probably won’t survive.”
An Lushan, heartless, pointed at the bloody Yan Zhuang and ordered, “Throw him out of the district. From now on, this man has nothing to do with me, An Lushan.”
A few guards carried Yan Zhuang away, disappearing into the darkness. Only then did An Lushan bow to Yang Huahua with a smile and say, “Madam, is your anger now satisfied?”
Yang Huahua nodded. “I demand that you deliver the rest of what you promised by tomorrow noon. Let this matter be settled. Otherwise, we’ll meet at Xingqing Palace!”
“Of course! Definitely!”
At that moment, the drums signaling the closing of the district gates sounded, shaking the entire city. Yang Huahua glanced at everyone again. “Does anyone else have any objections?”
Everyone shook their heads. Yang Huahua glanced at Yang Qi and asked, “Does my elder brother have any objections?”

Yang Qi was truly frustrated. He had intended to take the lead, but Yang Huahua had stolen the show again. With closing time approaching, he had no choice but to say helplessly, “I have no objections!”
“Then let’s go!”
The Yang family members mounted their horses, snorted at An Lushan together, waved their whips, and left in a grand procession.
One of the bodyguards asked in a low voice, “General, should we bring Mr. Yan back?”
An Lushan shook his head. Since he had already taken action, he couldn’t let it fail. Sighing, he said, “Give him more bedding. Life and death are determined by fate; let him go!”
He entered the mansion, and the black gates slowly closed.
…
The next day, at dawn, by a small river outside Qiren Fang, several vegetable sellers were walking by when suddenly someone pointed at a big tree and shouted, “Look! There seems to be someone over there.”
The farmers gathered around and saw a man covered in blood, seemingly having crawled there from somewhere, with blood all over the ground. They became panicked. “This must be a thief who was beaten to death! Should we report it to the authorities?”
“Pleaaase… help me!” the bloodied man said weakly.
“He’s not dead yet.”
The farmers bent down and asked in unison, “Who are you? What do you need our help with?”
“I have a piece of jade on me… it’s very valuable. Please… take me to a certain place.”