Chapter 179: Sweet Words, Hidden Blades

In the Prince Qing’s mansion in Chang’an, the entire day was unnaturally quiet. Two maids tiptoed across the central courtyard, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound. Faint cries could be heard in the distance. One maid sighed and whispered, “Why is the master so angry today? He’s already beaten five people.”
“Who knows? Zhu Er was just a step late in bringing tea and got beaten badly—she won’t be able to get out of bed for a month.”
“You two!”
A furious shout suddenly rang out in the silent courtyard, startling the two maids. It was the second steward glaring at them. They quickly lowered their hands and stood still. The second steward snorted, “Don’t dare speak ill of the master, hear me? Or I’ll kill you.”
“Yes! We dare not.”
“Go!”
The two maids fled in panic. The second steward also sighed and shook his head before walking into the back courtyard.

Li Cong’s fury began at dawn. An urgent message sent by Cheng Qianli plunged him into a sea of anger. Li Qing’an had actually killed Zhao Tingyu, the governor of Xizhou. Zhao Tingyu had originally been one of his bodyguards, placed in the Jinwu Guard by him, then sent to Beiting for training, with plans to recall him to the Jinwu Guard as a general in a few years. Now he had been killed by Li Qing’an, which enraged Li Cong beyond measure. However, Cheng Qianli’s message also made it clear that Zhao Tingyu was killed for disobeying military orders and for holding a supervisor hostage. This left Li Cong’s anger pent up inside him; he could only vent it by capturing someone.

In the study, Li Cong listened to his son Li Qiu’s advice with a pale face.
“Father, calm down. I think Li Qing’an alone wouldn’t dare be so bold. Needless to say, it’s the crown prince behind this. By killing Zhao Tingyu, he’s also weakened your power.”
“Zhao Tingyu wasn’t even a significant force for me. He’s dead—so what. But I can’t shake this anger. If I don’t teach Li Qing’an a lesson, I’ll never be able to let it go.”
“Father, Li Qing’an isn’t a real concern. The key is the crown prince. Once he’s dealt with, Li Qing’an will surely be eliminated…”
Before his son could finish, Li Cong impatiently waved his hand. “Of course I know. If I can get rid of the third son, do I still need to worry about Li Qing’an? But is he that easy to handle? Over the years, when has he really been removed from power? It seems he’s about to be deposed again, only to suddenly recover. What can I do?”
Li Qiu smiled slightly. “Father, the difference is that before, it was Li Linfu who dealt with the crown prince, so Gao Lishi would always come to protect him. But now it’s different. It’s Yang Zhao who’s against the crown prince. Since the Wei family incident, the two have a feud. Father, the Yang family isn’t like Li Linfu. This time, I’m 70% sure the crown prince will be deposed.”

Li Cong was shocked. “Could it be that my son has discovered something?”
Li Qiu nodded slowly and smiled. “Yesterday, one of my subordinates found an acquaintance in a silk shop called ‘Gao Ling Ding Ji’ in the East Market.”
“Who?”
“Ma Yingjun, the eunuch who used to be close to the crown prince. Now he’s actually the owner of the silk shop.”
“What’s so strange about that?”
“Father, I’ve investigated the background of this silk shop. Its owner remains unknown. I just can’t understand how a shop owner would hire an eunuch as manager. Doesn’t that seem suspicious to you?”
Li Cong was stunned. It took him a while to realize. “Are you saying he’s the one who opened this shop?”
“Probably! Otherwise, how could he arrange all those shady affairs under the strict records of the historians?”
Li Cong was overjoyed. His anger over Zhao Tingyu’s death was instantly forgotten. He said eagerly, “Get evidence right away! I want to personally accuse him in front of the emperor. Haha! Let’s see how he explains himself this time.”
Li Qiu was startled and quickly tried to dissuade him. “Father, we must not act rashly on this matter.”
Li Cong looked displeased and frowned. “Why not?”
Li Qiu sighed inwardly. This father really wasn’t very smart. Had he not explained so much about the Yang family just now? Didn’t he understand at all? He had to suppress his frustration and explained, “Father, this can only be seen as kindling. To start a big fire, it’s not enough on its own!”
“I see!”
Only then did Li Cong understand. He patted his son’s shoulder satisfactorily and smiled. “Having a son like you is my luck. Don’t worry. If I become emperor in the future, I will surely make you the crown prince to comfort your brother in the afterlife.”
“Thank you, Father, for your favor!”
Thinking of the possibility of becoming the crown prince, Li Qiu also became excited. He quickly suggested, “Father, the Lady of Korea’s birthday is the day after tomorrow. You might as well use this opportunity to interact more with the Yang family and gain their support.”
“I know. I plan to send the birthday gifts today. You go in my place!”
……
In Xingqing Palace, several eunuchs were busy cleaning the imperial study. The emperor hadn’t been there in ten days. Although the study was cleaned daily, the frequent rain in Chang’an since spring had left a faint musty smell in the room. The eunuchs were anxious. The emperor suddenly said he would come to the study half an hour ago. If he smelled this odor, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The charcoal brazier was lit, and the warm scent of the burning charcoal masked the musty smell in the room. Soon after, the windows were opened, allowing a cool breeze in, which instantly made the room fresh and dry. A few handfuls of sandalwood were also scattered in the incense burner, filling the room with a gentle fragrance. At that moment, a loud shout came from afar: “His Majesty has arrived!”

The eunuchs who were cleaning the imperial study fled in fear, leaving the room silent. After a moment, hurried footsteps were heard, followed by Li Longji’s laughter. “I haven’t been here for a long time. Thank you, General, for your hard work.”

“It is my duty to relieve Your Majesty of his concerns.”

“What has happened recently?”

“There are urgent reports from the Northern Regions.”

“Oh! Show them to me at once.”

Li Longji strode into the imperial study. The fresh and dry air in the room lifted his spirits. He sat down in his seat. Though he had sat there for decades, the fact that he hadn’t dealt with state affairs for ten days gave him a strange feeling.

“Your Majesty, these are the urgent reports from the Northern Regions!”

Gao Lishi handed a scroll to Li Longji. It was Li Qingan’s official military report, sent via postal stations and taking a month to arrive. More than half a month earlier, Li Longji had already received a secret report from Wang Tingfang, the military supervisor. Zhao Tingyu had defied orders and tried to seize control of the military supervisor; he had been beheaded as a warning. Li Longji had no objections to this. If Li Qingan couldn’t even control the Northern Regions, what capabilities did he have? So he simply dismissed Zhao Tingyu’s death with a laugh. On the contrary, he was very interested in the plan to attack the Göktürks and expand westward. After reading Li Qingan’s report, he couldn’t help but praise it, saying, “Good! Truly a strategy of advancing step by step.”

Excitedly, he said to Gao Lishi, “Actually, what worries me most is Li Qingan marching straight toward Suiye. That would repeat the mistake of Niu Xianting, who failed to take it. Now, by advancing step by step, gradually establishing new garrisons in the west and strengthening logistics and supplies, I think this is the truly viable strategy.”

Gao Lishi also smiled broadly. “Li Qingan has taught the Göktürks a lesson for Your Majesty and, at the same time, given a lesson to the Uyghurs who wanted to take advantage of the situation. He even made the Göktürk chief kneel naked before the imperial court to apologize. I heard that the Göktürk’s second prince is already on his way to Chang’an. If we can completely subdue the Göktürks and use them to defend the Tang Dynasty against the Arab expansion to the east, that would be a great thing.”

Li Longji glanced at him and laughed. “Are you suggesting that I reward Li Qingan, General?”

Gao Lishi was terrified and knelt down. “I dare not!”

“Get up, General! I was just joking with you.”

Li Longji pondered for a moment before saying, “I’ve been comparing Yang Guozhong with Li Qing’an. Yang Guozhong is already the military governor of Jiannan and also serves as the inspector of that region, while Li Qing’an is merely a deputy military governor. It was precisely because of this that he ended up killing Zhao Tingyu. This was my oversight—I thought his experience wasn’t sufficient for such a high position, but I didn’t expect it to lead to internal strife. Well! I’ll promote him again.” At that point, Li Longji ordered, “Call the prime minister here at once.” Just then, the sound of jewelry came from outside the imperial study, followed by Yang Huahua’s delicate voice, “Is the emperor in the study?” … These days, Li Linfu had been particularly pleased. As Emperor Li Longji grew increasingly weary of all matters in the court, Gao Lishi only handled major decisions on his behalf. Many important matters that should have been reported no longer required his input. For Li Linfu, these became the final steps in decision-making, effectively boosting his power as prime minister. Although he was busy handling government affairs until late at night, he found it enjoyable. To him, hardship was secondary; gaining more power was what mattered most. Not only had his power increased, but his relationship with Crown Prince Li Hen had also improved. Yesterday, when he sent copies of memorials to the Eastern Palace, the crown prince even returned a note suggesting that the Ministry of War should send people to oversee the distribution of compensation funds to the families of fallen soldiers. Though the suggestion was modest, what mattered was the signal of reconciliation conveyed through that note. Li Linfu knew that Li Hen’s political rivals were gradually shifting to the Yang family, meaning his strategy of diverting blame had succeeded. Since the crown prince was willing to reconcile with him, he clearly stated his own position: he immediately ordered the Ministry of War to investigate the distribution of compensation funds. Early that morning, Li Linfu brought Li Qing’an’s official military report to the palace, knowing that Li Longji would summon him soon. Sure enough, before noon, a eunuch rushed to find him, informing him that the emperor wanted him to appear immediately. Li Linfu adjusted his clothes and set off in haste. Soon, he arrived at Xingqing Palace and waited for half an hour before news came that the emperor wanted to see him. Before entering the imperial study, Li Linfu heard faint voices of conversation and laughter, along with a woman’s voice. He hesitated for a moment, about to ask the eunuch beside him, when Gao Lishi came out of the study and whispered, “Prime minister, go in quickly! The emperor will return to the palace after his lunch.”

Li Linfu reluctantly stepped into the imperial study. As soon as he entered, he was stunned—Emperor Li Longji was dining across from the stunning Lady Guo, chatting and laughing with her. Li Linfu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Some time ago, rumors had circulated in the streets claiming that the emperor had an affair with his third sister-in-law. He had even ordered those who spread such rumors to be arrested, but it seemed now that the rumors weren’t entirely unfounded. Pretending not to notice, he bowed and said, “Your servant Li Linfu pays his respects to Your Majesty!” Li Longji was about to drink from his wine cup when he heard this report. Turning around, he smiled and asked, “Can the Prime Minister have lunch now?” “Your Majesty, I’ll eat later,” Li Linfu replied. It was just a casual question; Li Longji smiled and said to Yang Huahua, “I’ve approved your request, Third Sister. You may go now. I need to discuss important matters with the Prime Minister.” “How can you ask someone to leave halfway through a meal? I refuse! I’ll stay until I finish eating.” Yang Huahua raised her eyebrows, ignoring Li Longji’s order to leave. Left with no choice, Li Longji forced a smile, returned to his seat, while Yang Huahua sat in a corner of the study, sipping her wine slowly and glancing over from time to time. Li Longji took out the military reports from Li Qing’an and asked, “How is the matter of relocating people from Hedong and craftsmen westward progressing?” “Your Majesty, the craftsmen set off half a month ago, and we’re accelerating the recruitment of people from Hedong,” he replied. “Well done!” Li Longji nodded and handed him the reports. “Prime Minister, you must have already read the reports from Beiting.” “Your Majesty, I have. I approve of their strategy of building five cities in the west. I believe this will lay a solid foundation for reclaiming Suiye in the future.” “The Prime Minister thinks alike as I do.” Li Longji smiled and said, “This time, Li Qing’an used the pretext of attacking the Göktürks to break through the borders of the Congling Mountains, expanding our Tang territory to the Yibohai region west of the mountains. With the establishment of supply lines, attacking Suiye won’t end like in the 18th year of the Kaiyuan era, when Niu Xianting was unable to establish a foothold there. To restore the military garrison in Suiye sooner, I’m considering giving Li Qing’an more autonomy. What do you think?” “I’m willing to resign from both positions as governor and commander of Beiting and recommend Li Qing’an to take over.” “Your Majesty!” Yang Huahua, who had finished lunch and was drinking tea nearby, couldn’t hold back any longer and interjected, “Li Qing’an joined the army only in the fifth year of the Tianbao era. It’s only been a few years, and now he’s already being made a governor? Isn’t that too rapid a promotion?” Li Longji’s expression darkened, and he said unhappily, “Third Sister, don’t interfere in court affairs. Go now!”

“I have no interest in the affairs of your court! But Li Qing’an truly lacks experience; there are many better officers in the Tang Dynasty. Why must he be chosen? Could it be because my younger sister flatters the Emperor night after night?”
Even though Li Longji doted on her, he could no longer maintain his composure. He slammed the table and pointed at the door, shouting, “Get out of here!”
Yang Huahua curled her lips. “I knew you’d do this…”
With a disdainful hum, she swayed her waist and left dismissively.
The room fell into awkward silence. Li Linfu forced a laugh and said, “It shows how much the Emperor loves Concubine Yang.”
“I don’t want to argue like a woman.”
Li Longji gave a bitter smile and resumed the previous topic, “I’ve decided to appoint Li Qing’an as the Military Governor and Protector of Beiting. The Prime Minister will no longer hold these two positions. Additionally, I’ll appoint him as the Governor of Xizhou as well…”
Yang Huahua stormed out of Xingqing Palace in fury. That damned Li Qing’an was actually getting promoted to military governor? How absurd! Just as she reached the palace gates, she heard a commotion outside. Someone was shouting, “Let me go! I want to see the Emperor and accuse Li Qing’an of murdering high-ranking officials!”
Yang Huahua froze. She quickened her pace and saw, outside the palace gates, a dozen guards pressing a man to the ground. The man struggled, stretching his neck and shouting desperately, “Your Majesty, Li Qing’an dominates Beiting with absolute power, abusing his authority. I must accuse him!”
A few guards covered his mouth, but he kept muttering, “Your Majesty… I must accuse him…”
The guards grew enraged and prepared to beat him unconscious. At that moment, Yang Huahua shouted, “Stop!”
Seeing the Lady of Guo stopping them, the guards slowly loosened their grip on the man. Yang Huahua stepped forward and asked, “Who are you? Why accuse Li Qing’an? I am the Lady of Guo. If you have any grievances, tell me.”
Realizing someone was finally on his side, the man hurriedly said, “Madam, I am the magistrate of Jinman County in Tingzhou, named Chen Zhonghe. I accuse Li Qing’an of starting a war with the Geluo people to eliminate rivals. Zhao Tingyu, the Governor of Xizhou, was forced to death by him, and Cheng Qianli, the deputy protector, had all his powers taken away. He acts arbitrarily, with all power in Beiting’s administration in the hands of his cronies. I have solid evidence.”
Chen Zhonghe broke free from the guards’ grasp, took out a booklet from his bosom, and held it up, saying, “This contains testimonies from soldiers and officers. The people of Beiting can all prove Li Qing’an’s overwhelming power there.”

Yang Huahua took the booklet and flipped through it. The evidence inside indeed was unfavorable to Li Qingan. She was overjoyed and said, “Then fine, go with me to see the emperor.”

Yang Huahua wanted to take Chen Zhonghe into the palace, but the guards of Xingqing Palace refused. One of them bowed and said, “Madam, without the emperor’s summons, no outside officials are allowed to enter the palace. This is the palace rule. Please understand.”

“Not even my face will be respected?”

“I’m sorry, Madam. Even the empress wouldn’t allow it. It’s our duty.”

“A bunch of watchdogs.”

Yang Huahua snorted and turned to enter the palace again. When she arrived outside the Datong Hall, Li Longji and Prime Minister Li Linfu came out laughing. Seeing Yang Huahua back, Li Longji was surprised and asked with a smile, “Third Sister, still unwilling to accept reason? Want to argue with me again?”

Yang Huahua’s face turned cold as ice as she said sternly, “Your Majesty, someone outside the palace is appealing for justice. Will you see them or not?”

“Appealing for justice?” Li Longji and Li Linfu exchanged a glance and burst into helpless laughter. “If you want to appeal, go to the Wanian County yamen. Coming to my Xingqing Palace to do so—have you come to the wrong place?”

Just then, a loud shout came from afar, “The Imperial Concubine is here!”

Yang Yuhuan, dressed in gorgeous makeup and surrounded by a hundred palace maids, marched in grand style. Li Linfu quickly bowed and said, “Saluting the Imperial Concubine.”

“Prime Minister, no need for formalities!”

Yang Yuhuan nodded with a smile, but her beautiful eyes glanced at Li Longji and her third sister Yang Huahua, with a hint of suspicion. Someone had secretly complained to her. The three sisters were having lunch with the emperor, and these days she had also heard some rumors, so she was worried and came to check on things.

“Your Majesty, are you planning to return to the palace?”

Li Longji felt a bit uneasy. He chuckled and said, “I’ve dealt with some official matters and was about to return. It just so happens that Third Sister said someone is appealing outside the palace. I find it strange.”

“Oh!” Yang Yuhuan’s eyes shifted as she glanced at Yang Huahua and smiled. “Third Sister, why are you getting involved in others’ complaints? There’s the county magistrate, the governor of Jingzhao, the Censorate, and even Prime Minister Li. It’s not your turn, Your Majesty!”

“Hmph! Outside is the county magistrate of Beiting County, who wants to accuse Li Qingan of abusing power. Would the county magistrate dare to interfere? Would the governor of Jingzhao dare?”

Yang Huahua handed the accusation letter to Li Longji and said, “Your Majesty, they’ve come all this way to accuse your high-ranking officials. How can you ignore it?”

Yang Yuhuan’s delicate face darkened slightly. She knew well that Yang Huahua was actually upset with Li Qingan and was using this as an excuse.

“Third Sister, matters of state are for the emperor to discuss with the court officials. We shouldn’t get involved.”

Yang Huahua raised her eyebrows and replied coldly, “Fourth Sister, I wasn’t involved in the emperor’s state affairs, was I? How to deal with it is the emperor’s concern; I merely passed on a message.” She then said to Li Longji, “Whether the emperor is a wise ruler or a foolish one depends entirely on his own decision. It’s up to you to decide!” Yang Yuhuan also refused to back down, saying, “Your Majesty, if you set a precedent like this, everyone will come to lodge complaints. Then, will you still want to be a wise ruler or a foolish one?” Caught between the two women, Li Longji was at a loss. At that moment, Li Linfu smiled and said, “As the head of all officials, perhaps I should first hear what grievances this county magistrate from Beiting has to lodge, before reporting to the emperor. Do the three ladies think this is acceptable?” Li Linfu made it clear that the magistrate could only appeal to him if he had grievances; lodging a complaint directly to the emperor would be an overstep of authority. Seeing an out, Li Longji pretended to be conflicted and explained to Yang Huahua, “Third Sister, you don’t understand. I’m only in charge of officials above the third rank; those below the fourth rank fall under the chancellor’s jurisdiction. I can’t overstep my authority!” Yang Huahua snorted disdainfully, “But when dealing with that Colonel Wei, you didn’t mind his low rank.” “Third Sister!” Yang Yuhuan interrupted her unhappily and quickly said to Li Longji, “Your Majesty, please return to the palace! Let the chancellor handle these complaints.” Stunned by Yang Huahua’s words, Li Longji couldn’t say anything. He handed the complaint to Li Linfu and said coldly, “I’ll leave this matter to the chancellor.” With that, he waved his sleeve and walked away with Yang Yuhuan toward the palace. Yang Huahua stared at their retreating figures, her expression extremely ugly. Li Linfu bowed and said, “I will handle this matter impartially!” … Li Linfu and Yang Huahua stepped out of the palace gate together. Seeing that the guards were still holding Chen Zhonghe at the side, Li Linfu stepped forward and asked with a smile, “What exactly happened?” Chen Zhonghe had met Li Linfu when he passed the imperial examinations years ago. He quickly bowed and said, “I am the county magistrate of Jinman County in Tingzhou. I’ve come all the way from Tingzhou to accuse Li Qingan, the deputy commander of Beiting, of appointing people arbitrarily and killing important court officials without authorization.” Li Linfu nodded and reassured him gently, “If I’m not mistaken, County Magistrate Chen was the third-place winner in the imperial examinations in the 27th year of the Kaiyuan era! Ah, ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. It’s admirable that you’ve come all this way from Beiting. I will handle this matter seriously.” Seeing the chancellor’s friendly smile and kind attitude, and realizing he still remembered him, Chen Zhonghe was moved to tears. All the hardships he had endured seemed worthwhile now. He choked up and said, “I only wish to speak up for the officials in Beiting. Even if I lose my position, I will never regret it.”

“He is an honest official!”
Li Linfu sighed, then turned to Yang Huahua with a smile and said, “Madam, rest assured. The court has its laws. The Censorate will investigate this matter thoroughly and will not protect anyone.”
Seeing Li Linfu’s sincere attitude and friendly smile, Yang Huahua also felt relieved and said with a smile, “Very well! Then I’ll leave this matter to the Prime Minister. I’ll be going first.”
With that, she boarded the carriage, which quickly drove away. Li Linfu watched until her carriage disappeared before ordering his attendants, “Send County Magistrate Chen to the Censorate. Ensure no disrespect is shown.”
“I am deeply grateful to the Prime Minister for upholding justice,” said Chen Zhonghe, bowing deeply before happily following Li Linfu’s men. Li Linfu got into his carriage, the curtains were drawn, and his gentle smile vanished instantly. With a cold snort, he said to his servant, “Go tell Wang Gong that this county magistrate from Beiting has been convicted of spreading heresies. He shall be beaten eighty times and sent to Beiting to be dealt with by Li Qingan.”