Chapter 217: Birds Choose Good Trees

Early the next morning, Li Qing’an continued his journey south. Two days later, his group arrived at Gushu County, where the drought was most severe.

Before entering Gushu County, Li Qing’an had already gathered information about it from various sources. Just in terms of the drought, the situation there was no different from other areas in Henan Circuit—it was far from a situation where people had no means of survival and were forced to rebel.

The real problem was human-caused. Gushu County had fertile land, with the Bian River and Huan River flowing through it, along with numerous tributaries. Combined with a favorable climate, it had long been a major grain-producing region. Over 70% of the land in Gushu County already belonged to manors, with only about 30% owned by self-cultivating farmers. Among these manors, Prince Qing Li Cong owned four large estates, covering 500 hectares of farmland.

Greed was a common trait among these powerful elites. They never felt their land and wealth were sufficient, nor did they consider whether it might lead to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. To them, given the dynasty’s wealth, taking a little was insignificant. Moreover, if they didn’t take it, someone else would. Thus, greed blinded their consciences—enjoying life today regardless of the consequences tomorrow.

The drought in Henan served as a signal for land consolidation. The nobles and elites in Chang’an, as well as local wealthy families and sorcerers, all reached out greedily for the fertile lands in Henan Circuit. Using various tactics and connections, their goal was the same: to seize land during times of disaster. Gushu County was a extreme example of this.

Li Cong’s four large estates in Gushu County were not connected. To unite them, he took advantage of the drought to acquire vast amounts of land—nearly 20,000 mu, affecting over 1,200 families. He used violent expulsion and threats from the authorities, sending hundreds of servants armed with sticks to beat and drive away landowners, destroying their houses, and forcing them to sell their land at exorbitantly low prices. Meanwhile, the authorities cooperated by demanding back taxes owed by farmers, blocking roads to prevent merchants from selling rice, and prohibiting wealthy families from providing food relief. All these measures were meant to force farmers to leave their homes. Once farmers left, the land became unclaimed and could be confiscated and auctioned by the authorities. There was only one buyer. In just two months, Prince Qing seized over 10,000 mu of land.

The peasants’ rebellion stemmed from their dissatisfaction with the government. When the imperial court issued orders to provide relief, various counties began to open their granaries to distribute grain, but Gu Shu County not only refused to do so but also forced the peasants to pay taxes and grain dues. When news of other counties opening their granaries reached Gu Shu County, both the laborers and peasants became enraged. They rushed into the official granaries only to find them completely empty. In their anger, the people set the granaries on fire and destroyed the government offices. Fearing retaliation from the authorities, thousands of people, led by a few influential leaders, fled to Mo Mountain to hide. However, in the government’s reports, this was portrayed as an act of rebellion.

It was not until Li Qing’an entered Gu Shu County that he learned the truth. That afternoon, he led a large group to the Gu Shu military camp, located twenty li west of the county town.

This raised a question in his mind: What role did the military play in this rebellion? The Gu Shu military camp was supposed to be a major garrison with 1,200 soldiers, but what Li Qing’an saw was a dilapidated camp. Half of the fences were missing, the watchtowers had collapsed, and the taverns and brothels that once thrived around the camp were now deserted, mostly in ruins, overgrown with grass as tall as a person—clearly abandoned for over a decade.

Li Qing’an’s expression turned extremely dark. He could hardly imagine that a military camp in the Central Plains could be in such ruins. While the civilian militia waited outside the camp, he led a hundred of his bodyguards on horseback into the camp. Horses were not allowed inside, but they couldn’t dismount either, as the ground was covered with grass.

Although the camp was in ruins, its former grandeur could still be seen. There were three rows of nearly a hundred long square buildings, including a dining hall, armory, warehouse, and office. There were also spacious running tracks and training grounds. Rusty arrows were still stuck in the arrow racks, and there were even two spears on the weapon racks—yet not a single person was in sight.

“Who are you? How dare you ride horses into the camp!” A fierce voice suddenly came from behind them.

Li Qing’an turned around and saw a man in his thirties standing about twenty steps behind them. He was clearly an officer—tall and burly, with a slightly hunched back. His hair was half-white, he had a large bulbous nose, wore fine scale armor, a sword hanging from his hip, and held a wine pot in his hand, staring at him drunkenly.

“Who are you?” Li Qing’an asked back. “Are you the officer here?”

The officer seemed to have some insight. Seeing that although the newcomers were not soldiers, they were all tall and strong with cold gazes, carrying swords at their waists and bows on their backs, especially since their warhorses were all sturdy and powerful steeds, he realized these people must be of significant status. He immediately put aside his reckless attitude and replied respectfully, “I am the military commander here, named Cui You. May I ask who you are?”
Li Qing’an nodded and said, “I used to be the military governor of Beiting, and now I am the inspector of Henan Province.”
“So you’re Li Qing’an!”
The officer was shocked. He quickly stepped forward, knelt down halfway, and saluted militarily, “Your humble servant, Cui You, pays his respects to the Great General.”
Seeing that he knew quite a bit about him, Li Qing’an dismounted and smiled, “Let’s find a place. I have questions for you.”
“Please follow me, General!”
Cui You led Li Qing’an into a room filled with a strong smell of alcohol. The dried beans on the table had already molded. Cui You threw all the dishes and bowls to the ground, kicked the wine jars into the corner with his feet, wiped the seat with his sleeve, and said with a smile, “Please sit down, General!”
Li Qing’an sat down and glanced around the room. There were even a dozen books on the windowsill. He nodded and asked, “You must know what I want to ask. Why is this military camp in such a dilapidated state?”
Cui You gave a bitter smile and said, “General, you’re asking this on purpose, right? Aren’t all military camps in the Central Plains like this?”
Li Qing’an shook his head. “It shouldn’t be like this. The military camp in Yangzhou still has 70% of its troops, and the one in Xiangzhou still has 50%. None of them have lost all their soldiers like you have.”
“That’s right! Two months ago, we still had two hundred soldiers here. But after Prince Qing took over the land, those last two hundred soldiers also fled. Ma Wei took a dozen officers and generals to Hebei to join An Lushan. Now, there’s only me left in the camp.”

Cui You’s tone was filled with sorrow. “I joined the army in the 16th year of the Kaiyuan era. My family owned twenty mu of land, so I had no choice but to enlist—otherwise, the government would seize it. At that time, there were seven hundred soldiers in the camp, all like me, forced to serve because our families owned land. In the 24th year of Kaiyuan, a severe drought struck Gu Shu County. Prince Qing took advantage of the situation to buy up over twenty thousand mu of land at low prices, triggering a wave of desertions from the army. Three hundred soldiers fled overnight, losing their land as well. Who would want to serve for nothing? After that, desertions continued every year. By the beginning of this year, only 225 soldiers remained, similar to other armies. Then, once again, Prince Qing took advantage of the drought to acquire more land, sparking riots among the people. When our comrades rushed over to warn us, not only did all the soldiers flee, but most of the officers also escaped, taking all the weapons with them.”

At this point, Cui You sighed deeply and said, “I heard that the army in Chang’an has also almost vanished. If war breaks out, we can only rely on temporary conscriptions. Yet the generals at the borders each command large forces. If they rebel, I don’t know what army the court will have to confront them with. The Tang Dynasty may seem strong on the surface, but it’s been hollowed out by corrupt officials. It’s truly worrying!”

Li Qing’an felt bitter. In later generations, the causes of the An Lushan Rebellion were attributed to various factors—some said it was due to Emperor Li Longji’s incompetence, others to Li Linfu’s tyranny, still others to Yang Guozhong’s ignorance, and even some blamed Yang Guifei for her corrupting influence. But only now did he realize that the root cause was land consolidation—elites and high-ranking officials, disregarding the lives of the common people, acquired vast amounts of land, turning the Tang Dynasty’s equal-field system into a system of private estates and collapsing its military structure.

Indeed, An Lushan’s rebellion had many accidental factors, such as Li Linfu’s indulgence and Yang Guozhong’s pressure. But having a strong military on the borders and a weak one at home inevitably led to large-scale rebellions. Even without An Lushan, there would have been others like him—Li Lushan, Wang Lushan—exemplified by the later separatist warlords.

Emperor Li Longji’s greatest fault was his failure to curb land consolidation. He issued a few weak edicts prohibiting land acquisition, but who paid attention? Didn’t he know that his own sons were seizing land? Prince Qing’s Yongye fields amounted to only ten thousand mu, yet among the gifts he gave to the Yang family were fifty thousand mu of fertile land. Such obvious facts went unnoticed by Li Longji, showing his indulgence. He was cunning in dealing with people but utterly incompetent in governing the country and ensuring people’s well-being.

Li Qing’an didn’t want to ask any more. He stood up and said with a smile, “Cui You, I see that though you’re drunk, your mind is clear. Would you be willing to give up this useless position and follow me?”
Cui You immediately knelt on one knee and said, “With all our soldiers gone, we’ve committed serious crimes, which is why Ma Wei was able to escape. If I don’t leave, death penalty will be imposed on me. I originally planned to join An Lushan, but I was taken in by the great general. I’ve long admired the great general and am willing to follow him.”
Li Qing’an nodded and smiled, “Very well! Change your name—from now on, Cui You no longer exists.”
“My original name was Cui Qianyou; I changed it to Cui You later. Starting today, I’m willing to serve the great general wholeheartedly!”
“Cui Qianyou!” Li Qing’an felt this name seemed somewhat familiar—like it belonged to a famous general from the mid-Tang Dynasty. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly remembered: wasn’t that the general under An Lushan who defeated Ge Shu Han’s 400,000-strong army at Tongguan? He was overjoyed and quickly said, “Pack your things—come with me right away!”
Having found a capable officer after touring the camp, Li Qing’an’s mood improved again. As they walked, he asked Cui You, “You’ve lived here for a long time. Do you know the best way to pacify the rebel peasants?”
Cui You smiled and said, “To gain their trust, first understand their nature. The peasants didn’t rebel—they were framed by Governor Cui, who painted them as villains. In truth, they fled to the mountains out of fear of government retaliation after burning the granaries and county offices. So instead of saying ‘pacify,’ the great general should think about how to get them to return home.”
“What do you suggest then?” Li Qing’an asked with a smile.
“Gain their trust!”
“How?”
“It’s simple—execute the culprits, send their heads to the mountains, and return their land. Then they’ll naturally come out of the mountains and go home. It depends on whether the great general has the courage to do this.”
Li Qing’an smiled faintly. “I have that courage. Does General Cui have the bravery to go into the mountains for me?”
“If the great general has the courage, I’ll have the bravery!”
The two exchanged glances and laughed together.
……
Ever since Inspector Li Qing’an arrived in Songzhou, Governor Cui Lian had been in constant anxiety. Compared to Wu Qing in Bianzhou, who had promptly sorted out the problems, Cui Lian’s situation in Songzhou was far more complicated. Since Li Qing’an was appointed as the inspector of Henan Circuit, Cui Lian had started to address the issue of powerful families seizing land during disasters. Most of such land seizures had been stopped, and much of the seized land had been returned to the farmers.

But there were two thorny issues he simply couldn’t resolve. The first was the problem in Xiangyi County where the emperor’s daughter was occupying land, involving his sister-in-law and elder brother. He couldn’t bring himself to confront them, and the princess of Xiangyi County was stubborn, refusing to give up the land. His elder brother, Cui Qiao, was also ambiguous, hoping he could use clever tactics to cover up the matter. The second issue was Prince Qing occupying land in Gushu County, which caused him even more headaches. Prince Qing had already incited rebellion and refused to back down, with those five hundred soldiers hiding inside Songzhou City, unwilling to leave.

Cui Lian was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He already knew about the trouble in Xiangyi County. Reports said Li Qingan had seized all the land deeds and contracts for forced land purchases. Thinking of the possible consequences, Cui Lian shuddered. He was most afraid that Li Qingan would come after him. At that moment, a messenger came to report that Minister Yang had returned. Cui Lian, like grasping at a life raft, repeatedly said, “Please invite him in! Please invite him in!”

A moment later, Minister Yang Runing strode in quickly and bowed, saying, “I pay my respects to the governor!”

“No need for formalities. Tell me about the situation in Bianzhou.”

“Governor, I’m afraid the situation is unfavorable for us.”

Yang Runing sighed and said, “Prince Di sent Shao Ziping to resolve the issue of land restitution. He handled it very effectively. In just three days, he not only returned all the land to the farmers but also gave each family five guan as a bribe. He also promised to purchase 100,000 dan of rice to relieve the disaster in Bianzhou. Now everyone praises Prince Di for his kindness and virtue. With Prince Di’s issue resolved, Wu Qing is now conducting a large-scale investigation into land occupations and has organized capable subordinates to dig wells to combat drought. Governor, Bianzhou has basically gotten rid of its troubles. Xuzhou and Huazhou are also addressing land occupation issues. Everyone is afraid of Li Qingan.”

Cui Lian stood there stunned for a long time before sitting down, utterly exhausted. He had thought that the law wouldn’t punish everyone, but now only Songzhou’s problem remained severe. And Li Qingan was right there in Songzhou. What could he do? Sweat beaded on Cui Lian’s forehead. He felt that this time he might not be able to avoid punishment.

“Governor, the only plan now is to focus on self-preservation.”

Yang Runing’s advice sounded like a loud bell ringing in Cui Lian’s ears. He immediately snapped out of his daze and asked urgently, “Then tell me, where lies my plan for self-preservation?”

“I suggest you talk to Li Qing’an. I’ve found that although he’s ruthless, he’s also very strategic. For instance, with such a major issue as the water transport workers, anyone else would have been unable to tolerate it, but he actually let Wu Qing go and headed straight for Songzhou. This shows he’s targeting Songzhou specifically. What could possibly interest him so much about Songzhou? Prince Qing… and now, with Minister Cui added as well, he’s trying to rehabilitate the太子 faction faction! As long as we understand this, we can cooperate with him.”
“Do you want me to be betrayed by my elder brother? And Prince Qing—how dare I offend him?”
Seeing that Cui Lian remained stubborn, Yang Runing tried to persuade him again, “If you keep covering for them, they’ll likely use you as a scapegoat. They can simply claim they knew nothing and that it was their subordinates who acted on their own. The emperor surely can’t punish his subordinates! If both cases fall on you, who else will the emperor punish? Besides, offending Minister Cui will help restore the Cui family’s reputation, earning you the praise of sacrificing family interests for a greater good. The Cui family will be grateful to you. If you offend Prince Qing, you can always turn to another prince—still better than avoiding punishment now!”
Cui Lian covered his head and sighed after a long while. “Let me think more… just a little longer!”
……
Li Qing’an spent only half a day in Gushu County to investigate thoroughly the fact that Prince Qing, Li Cong, had occupied land there. The situation was clear, and unlike the Princess of Xiangyi, who had occupied land under the name of Tian Yi, the contract clearly stated that the land was purchased by Prince Qing, showing how arrogant and fearless he was.
Li Qing’an was also puzzled by Prince Qing’s lack of fear. If it were February, his actions might be understandable, but it was already the end of May, and a major event had occurred in Chang’an—the deposal of the crown prince. As the eldest son, Li Cong had a chance to become the heir apparent. At such a critical moment, how could he still dare to acquire large amounts of land? For example, the Prince of Di immediately changed his tactics and sent his most trusted subordinates to alter his negative records.
Yet Prince Qing showed no reaction at all. Didn’t he understand? That was impossible. If he didn’t even understand this, why would he compete for the throne? The only explanation was that Prince Qing himself was unaware of this; it was his subordinates who acted on their own. If it really was his subordinates, then they must have been able to mobilize five hundred household members to seize land, indicating the scale of Li Cong’s estates.
But whether it was done by Prince Qing or his subordinates, this tiger in Gushu County had to be dealt with. Preventing Prince Qing from becoming the heir apparent would be beneficial for the country, the people, and himself.

That afternoon, Li Qingan arrived in Dong’an Town, less than ten miles from Songzhou City. At that moment, news came that Cui Lian, the governor of Songzhou, wanted to see him. Inside a tavern in Dong’an, Li Qingan and Cui Lian sat face to face. Li Qingan poured him a cup of wine and said with a smile, “Cui Ping, the governor of Sizhou, must be your nephew, right?”
“He is the son of my elder brother. He became the governor of Sizhou at a young age, thanks in part to your recommendation, Lord Li.”
“That has nothing to do with me. Cui Ping is talented and capable. I heard he’s being transferred to Huzhou in the south. The people of Sizhou refuse to let him go and have petitioned the imperial court to keep him. He has won such popular support in less than three years—it’s truly admirable!”
Cui Lian’s face turned slightly red. He realized Li Qingan was implying that he wasn’t popular among the people as an official. With a wry smile, he said, “It’s hard for us local officials. We have to pacify the common people below and deal with the powerful above. A slight mistake can lead to accusations from the censors. Although my achievements aren’t outstanding, I also don’t have a bad reputation. I just hope to avoid making mistakes.”
“Can Governor Cui really avoid making mistakes? If he had done nothing wrong, why would thousands of people in Gushu County burn the granaries and destroy the government offices? How can Governor Cui explain that?”
“That was the work of Prince Qing. I want to intervene but can’t afford to offend him. What am I supposed to do?”
“Hehe! That’s exactly the problem—Governor Cui is putting the cart before the horse. Afraid of offending Prince Qing, he lets him seize land? Does Governor Cui know what the greatest threat to our Tang Dynasty is?”
“Land consolidation!”
“That’s right! It’s land consolidation. It ruins the military system and depletes the treasury. If we ignore it, it will eventually lead to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. Governor Cui is aware of its dangers yet still allows the powerful to seize land just to keep his position. But now, not only will he lose his position, but he’ll also be guilty against the Tang Dynasty. Governor Cui, don’t let future historians mention you when writing about the causes of the Tang Dynasty’s downfall. If Cui Lian is seen as corrupt, his name will be disgraced forever.”
Li Qingan’s words struck Cui Lian deeply. Frightened, he stood up and said, “It’s precisely this fear that makes me come to you, Lord Li, to seek your advice and find a way forward.”