Chapter 257: Turmoil Upon Entering the City (Part 1)

The next day at noon, Li Qing’an’s army arrived outside Chang’an City. However, due to the large number of soldiers he led, they were not allowed to enter as per regulations. The Ministry of War arranged for his troops to camp in a military camp outside the city.
Dugu Mingyue did not join the camp. After arriving in Chang’an, she returned to her residence with her dance costumes and the Ru Shi Ru Hua sisters. The soldiers busily packed their belongings in the camp. Just as the officials from the Ministry of War left, several officials from the Imperial Stables Department and a group of laborers arrived. Soon after, a dozen eunuchs from the Imperial Secretariat also rode in. The officials from the Imperial Stables Department were there to take care of the thousands of camels and war horses brought by Li Qing’an. The amount of fodder required for these animals each day was astonishing, adding a huge workload to the officials.
The eunuchs from the Imperial Secretariat were there to inventory and hand over the spoils of war that Li Qing’an had presented to Li Longji. This was a personal matter of Li Longji’s, and the imperial court did not interfere; it was left to the Imperial Secretariat to handle.
The camp was in full chaos. Inside the main tent, Li Qing’an was discussing the matter of entering the city with Ji Wen, the vice minister of the Ministry of War. When Li Qing’an returned to Beiting, he received an imperial order: Li Longji intended to hold a ceremony to honor his achievements and grant him glory upon his entry into the city.
But the distance between Beiting and Chang’an was great, and the journey took time. Many details were difficult to arrange. Now that Li Qing’an had arrived in Chang’an, Li Longji was still at Huaqing Palace and had not returned, creating complications for the ceremony.
Ji Wen had once been Li Linfu’s right-hand man when he served as the deputy head of the Judicial Department. Together with Luo Xishi, they were known as “Luo’s Claws and Ji’s Net.” Last year, as Li Linfu gradually declined and fell ill repeatedly, those in the Prime Minister’s faction realized his end was near and scattered. Ji Wen did not side with the powerful Yang Guozhong but instead joined An Lushan, with whom he had always had a good relationship, becoming An Lushan’s voice in the court. As An Lushan’s power grew, Ji Wen was promoted to the title of Prince of Dongping, and he too rose in rank to become the vice minister of the Ministry of War.
Ji Wen was now in charge of organizing Li Qing’an’s ceremony of entry into the city. Li Longji’s delay in returning troubled him greatly. He knew the problem stemmed from Yang Guozhong. In fact, when Li Qing’an passed through Fengxiang, he sent a letter to the emperor still at Huaqing Palace, but the letter disappeared without a trace. When Li Qing’an reached Wugong County, he sent another letter, yet still received no reply. It was not until the day before yesterday that the emperor sent someone to ask when Li Qing’an would return. Only then did Ji Wen realize that the emperor had never received either of his letters. Where had they gone?

Ji Wen carefully questioned the messenger and learned that the letter had been delivered to Pei Xiao, the lieutenant general of the Yulin Army guarding Huaqing Palace, who then passed it inside. The problem lay with Pei Xiao—he was actually Yang Guozhong’s brother-in-law, the younger brother of his wife Pei Rou. This was Yang Guozhong’s tactic: under the pretext of enhancing security, any external items, including memorials sent from the court, had to be inspected by the Yulin Army. In this way, the Yulin Army inadvertently became a barrier preventing Li Longji from communicating with the outside world, allowing Yang Guozhong, through Pei Xiao, to gain advance knowledge of the contents of the memorials.

As for whether memorials unfavorable to Yang Guozhong would actually be delivered, only heaven knew. Ji Wen understood that his letter must have been seized by Pei Xiao of the Yulin Army, which angered him greatly. Yet he didn’t want to alienate himself from Yang Guozhong over Li Qingan’s matter.

“General, my suggestion is that you not enter the city yet. Wait outside for a few days. Someone has already gone to inform the Emperor, and he should be returning soon. Please stay calm.”

Li Qingan said nothing. Li Longji kept claiming to hold a ceremony for his entry into the city, yet he himself was still at Lishan while Li Qingan had arrived in Chang’an—quite absurd. If this wasn’t due to officials’ negligence, it meant Li Longji simply had no intention of doing so. However, noticing Ji Wen’s uneasy expression, Li Qingan guessed there might be more to this matter.

Li Qingan’s expression darkened immediately. He stood up and said, “Clerk Ji, the soldiers of my Anxi Army have traveled thousands of miles from their homeland, fighting bravely for the Tang Dynasty at great risk. They deserve this honor. I received an imperial order in Beiting stating that a ceremony would be held for the Anxi Army’s entry into the city. I’ve spread this news throughout Anxi, and the troops and civilians are filled with gratitude for the Emperor’s kindness. But now that my army has arrived in Chang’an, the Emperor is still at Huaqing Palace. Canceling the ceremony is one thing, but since Clerk Ji says nothing will change, I don’t understand—Is it the court’s refusal, or is it the Emperor’s deliberate arrangement? If it’s the Emperor’s arrangement, I have nothing to say. But if it’s the court deliberately creating obstacles, then I must see the Emperor. How can my Anxi Army preserve its dignity? He must give me an explanation, an explanation for the seven thousand soldiers who died in battle.”

After saying this, Li Qingan snorted heavily and strode out of the tent. “Prepare a horse! I’m going to Huaqing Palace!”

Ji Wen rushed after him in panic, shouting, “General, calm down! Please calm down!”

Li Qingan stopped and sneered, “Could it be that Clerk Ji is deliberately creating obstacles for my Anxi Army?”

“Where is this? I have no grudges against the General. During Prime Minister Li’s state banquet that year, I even sat with the General and enjoyed the feast. Later, arresting the General at Xianyang Post Station was also done on orders. I truly hold no resentment toward the General at all.”
“Hmph! Since it has nothing to do with Minister Ji, I suggest you stay out of it.”
Li Qing’an mounted his horse and ordered his guards, “Go to Huaqing Palace!”
Ji Wen, frightened, grabbed the reins of Li Qing’an’s horse and cried, “General, wait!”
He glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, “It was actually Yang Guozhong who did this!”
“Yang Guozhong?”
Li Qing’an narrowed his eyes. “How should we explain this?”
Ji Wen sighed and recounted in detail how Pei Xiao had secretly seized letters. Finally, he took out copies of the two letters sent earlier and handed them to Li Qing’an, saying, “These are copies of the letters sent the last two times, with the dates noted, as evidence.”
Seeing that he had even prepared copies, Li Qing’an sneered inwardly and said, “If that’s the case, why doesn’t Minister Ji report the situation to the Emperor and accuse Pei Xiao of illegally withholding important documents?”
Ji Wen replied with a bitter smile, “The problem is there’s no evidence proving it was Pei Xiao who did it. I can only prove that I reported it, but as for where the mistake occurred, I dare not make unfounded accusations. Please forgive me, General.”
“Very well! Let’s put this aside for now. But I really need to go to Huaqing Palace to report for duty. If Minister Ji has nothing else, I’ll be leaving first.”
Though he said this, Li Qing’an didn’t return the two copies. He bowed to Ji Wen, then led his 300 guards away at full speed.
Ji Wen watched Li Qing’an’s retreating figure, a hint of triumph flashing in his eyes as he murmured, “Yang Guozhong, your rival has returned!”
Back then, Ji Wen and Yang Zhao were both enforcers for Li Linfu. When Yang Zhao first joined the Censorate, he was inexperienced in every aspect, and Ji Wen served as his mentor, teaching him how to torture confessions and frame others in the Wei Zhuang case. Now, Yang Guozhong had even become prime minister, while Ji Wen still had to act cautiously, relying on others’ approval. This filled Ji Wen with jealousy. Yes, it was jealousy—a human instinct, but it manifested intensely in Ji Wen. Over the past two years, he had been constantly watching Yang Guozhong’s actions. Yang Guozhong’s mistakes provided countless opportunities for Ji Wen to launch accusations, but neither the Censorate nor he dared to do so, knowing his low status and not wanting to offend Li Linfu’s successor.

This time, as Li Qing’an entered the capital, Yang Guozhong once again acted recklessly. Would Li Qing’an be able to swallow his anger? Ji Wen watched with great anticipation.
…
Huaqing Palace, Li Longji’s secondary palace and the famous hot spring resort, was located at the foot of Lishan Mountain. It was a vast complex of buildings. The hot spring water was as smooth as cream. Huaqing Palace had always been Yang Yuhuan’s favorite place in winter. When the cold winter set in, with bare trees and icy landscapes, Huaqing Palace remained warm as spring, filled with songs and dances. Li Longji and Yang Guifei enjoyed all the luxuries of the world here, unwilling to return to the capital.
It was now early February, a time when the weather was still cold despite occasional warmth. By custom, they should have returned to Chang’an in mid-February when the weather warmed up slightly. But since Li Longji wanted to hold a ceremony for Li Qing’an’s arrival in the city, they had to start packing and prepare to return to the capital.
Huaqing Palace was in chaos, with boxes and crates everywhere. Palace maids and eunuchs were busily packing various items. Yet today, the atmosphere in the palace was unusual. All the maids and eunuchs were extremely cautious, not daring to breathe loudly.
From the imperial study, Li Longji’s angry shouts could be heard faintly: “Find out for me who dares to intercept official documents from the court! If you can’t figure this out, I’ll hold you accountable!”
In the imperial study, Changsun Quanxu and Chen Xuanli, the generals of the Yulin Army, knelt on the ground, sweating profusely and trembling in fear, not daring to say a word. The incident that angered Li Longji was Ji Wen’s message. Li Longji had just learned that Li Qing’an had arrived in Chang’an, and Ji Wen had sent two letters earlier, both of which had been intercepted by the Yulin Army.
This enraged Li Longji. It wasn’t only because he could no longer report to the Anxi Army, but also because someone dared to defy him, seizing his right as emperor to be informed. He was determined to investigate thoroughly and punish those who were so bold.
“Go! Investigate from top to bottom, check each person carefully. I give you one day. If you can’t figure it out, you’ll have to end your own lives!”
“Your Majesty, as you command!”
Changsun Quanxu and Chen Xuanli kowtowed and left the imperial study. Li Longji, with a pale face, stared fixedly at the ceiling. Two years of unrestrained indulgence had clearly aged him. More age spots appeared on his face and hands, his temper became more irritable, and his personality more paranoid. Once he made up his mind, he never changed it. He no longer listened to any advice or suggestions from his ministers.

As his body aged, Li Longji’s energy declined significantly, and he hardly interfered in court affairs anymore. He delegated more and more power to Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong, especially Yang Guozhong, to whom he allowed direct access to present petitions, all of which were approved without hesitation. However, for Li Linfu’s requests, he would often add that they should be discussed with Minister Yang.

Although Li Longji ignored court matters, there were two things he remained firm on. The first was the throne, which he guarded even more closely than before. The Eastern Palace had remained vacant for nearly two years, yet he refused to appoint a crown prince. He even told Gao Lishi that he might designate an heir in his will. He had never been so attached to the throne as he was now. Though he knew a crown prince eventually had to be chosen, he delayed as long as possible, refusing to discuss the matter with his ministers.

The second matter was military power, which he held tightly in his own hands. Not even Yang Guozhong could gain a shred of it. An Lushan in Fanyang and Pinglu; Ge Shuhan in Longyou and Hexi; Gao Xianzhi in Jiannan; An Sishun in Shuofang; Li Qingan in Beiting and Anxi; and Zhang Qiqiu in Hedong—these six regional governors each commanded millions of troops and were directly loyal to him.

Moreover, all six possessed the qualities Li Longji favored most: the courage to expand territory for him. An Lushan fought the Khitans and Xixia in the northeast, expanding Tang territory there. Ge Shuhan advanced deep into Tubo territory, pushing the Tang-Tubo border westward by thousands of miles. Gao Xianzhi was a skilled commander who defeated the Nanzhao repeatedly and recaptured Yaozhou by the end of last year, reuniting Jiannan and Annam. As for Li Qingan, he recaptured Suiye, completely eradicated the Turkic tribes, defeated the Arabs, and regained Hezhong.

The remarkable achievements of these regional governors satisfied Li Longji’s ever-growing ambitions. They gradually allowed him to match the feats of Emperor Taizong, making him a khan surpassing Taizong. To acquire more territory, Li Longji supported these six governors wholeheartedly. When the national treasury lacked funds for military expenses, he allowed them to raise money on their own. To An Lushan, Ge Shuhan, and Li Qingan, he even granted the power to mint coins—all to satisfy his expanding desire to expand territory.

From a modern perspective, Li Longji suffered from mild senile delusions, mainly manifested in his pursuit of the dream of becoming a khan, which led him to ignore the realities of the Tang Dynasty. The people of the Tang Dynasty did not realize this, but Li Longji’s paranoia and arrogance worried many insightful individuals.

Gao Lishi was one of them. Since the crown prince was deposed, Gao Lishi’s influence was no longer as great as before. He repeatedly asked Li Longji to appoint a new crown prince, but was repeatedly rebuked by Li Longji. Li Longji even took away his authority to approve memorials on his behalf and centralized all power. Another authority taken away was that over military supervision—since last year, Li Longji had stripped Gao Lishi of control over military supervisors, taking direct control himself, with the supervisors reporting directly to him. The problem was that Li Longji had no interest in monitoring the situation; he would only inquire when it came to mind, thus undermining the system Gao Lishi had established of reporting every three days.

Worse still, even when Li Longji wanted to inquire, he wouldn’t ask Gao Lishi but instead sent another trusted eunuch, Yu Chaoen, to investigate—essentially making Yu Chaoen his liaison for military supervision. Gao Lishi had lost almost all his power. He could only remain by Li Longji’s side because there were still some tasks he was needed for; otherwise, he would have had to retire home. Although he had lost his power, Gao Lishi understood better than anyone that Li Longji’s fury wasn’t because someone dared to intercept his memorials, but because he usually ignored matters, and now, faced with a problem, he couldn’t bear the loss of face, leading to his anger.

Who intercepted the imperial edict? Was that even necessary to ask? Who was in charge of the outer defenses of Huaqing Palace? Pei Xiao—this was Yang Guozhong’s deliberate arrangement, something Li Longji himself had initially approved. Didn’t he know who Yang Guozhong was? Now that a problem had arisen, he forced Changsun Quanxu and Chen Xuanli to investigate, merely to shift the blame away from Pei Xiao. Gao Lishi felt deep sorrow—the emperor trusted the Yang family to such an extent that he even had to protect a minor military officer. If only he hadn’t introduced Yang Yuhuan to him back then, things might have been different.

Suddenly, Li Longji glanced at him and asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that since Li Qingan has already arrived in Chang’an, it would be better for the emperor to summon him for an audience first before allowing him to enter the city.”
Li Longji nodded, finding this a good idea, and said, “Pass my order—summon Li Qingan for an audience!”