Chapter 262: Sudden Changes in the Political Landscape

Li Yan’s assassination suddenly turned what was once a calm political situation into one of tension. Emperor Li Longji was furious. Changsun Quanxu, the commander of the Left Yulin Army, was demoted for negligence and transferred to the Eastern Palace’s Six Commanders’ Office. Wang Gong, the governor of Jingzhao, was ordered to thoroughly investigate the assassination.

The news of the assassination quickly spread throughout the court and among the people. Officials and scholars debated fiercely. Many realized that this assassination would ignite the conflict over control of the Eastern Palace. Clearly, with Prince Di assassinated, other princes with strong claims to the Eastern Palace—Princes Rong, Ying, and Yong—would face severe suspicion.

Moreover, the assassination occurred right before the emperor’s eyes, shocking him greatly, and even the imperial concubine was deeply frightened. This meant the murderer could also be suspected of attempting to assassinate the emperor. If discovered, the consequences would be severe. Everyone in Chang’an, whether officials or commoners, was speculating about the truth. All sorts of rumors circulated, and by the afternoon, the governor announced that the assassin, who died from poisoning, was none other than the notorious thief Liu Yun, who had been on the run for a year. A reward of 5,000 guan was offered for information leading to Liu Yun’s accomplices. Soon, someone reported hearing someone claim to be Liu Yun at the Hedong Inn in Pingkang Fang. Once again, various speculations about Liu Yun became the main topic in the taverns.

In the afternoon, teams of Jinyiwei guards, patrol soldiers, and regular troops appeared on the streets of Chang’an. Pingkang Fang became a focal point of government attention. All guests, owners, and staff of the Hedong Inn were taken to the yamen for questioning. Yamen officials went house by house in Pingkang Fang, taking anyone of unknown background to the yamen.

The parade of the Anxi Army entering the city was also canceled due to concerns for Emperor Li Longji’s safety. In the afternoon, Li Qingan entered Chang’an under the protection of 300 personal guards.

Chang’an in the 11th year of Tianbao was no different from before—the city walls remained dull, the trees were still dense, Zhuque Street was as wide and straight as ever, and the men and women on the streets were just as confident and beautiful.

Li Qingan had forgotten how many times he had set foot in this most glorious capital in history. When he first entered Chang’an in the 6th year of Tianbao, he had thought about the An Lushan Rebellion, but he had believed it was still far off. Now, it was the 11th year of Tianbao, with only three years left before the rebellion. Li Qingan was confused—would the An Lushan Rebellion really happen again? Historically, An Lushan had largely been forced by Yang Guozhong to rise in rebellion. But what about now?

With this time-and-space transcending intruder in his midst, Yang Guozhong’s jealousy toward An Lushan turned instead toward himself. An Lushan, despite being granted the title of Prince of Dongping, never managed to obtain the most crucial position of Jiedushi of Hedong. If he couldn’t become the Jiedushi of the Three Garrisons, was it even possible for him to rebel?

However, land annexation and occupation did not improve after the purge in Henan Province the year before; instead, it grew more severe. As he moved into Guanzhong, he saw nothing but farms everywhere. The manorial system replaced the equal-field system, and self-cultivating farmers in Guanzhong were almost completely wiped out. What followed were repeated struggles and uprisings over land. Though these were suppressed, the intensity and scale of the resistance grew stronger with each incident. Li Qing’an began to wonder if the An-Lushan Rebellion might be replaced by large-scale peasant uprisings.

But yesterday when he met Li Longji, Li Longji didn’t mention this matter at all. Could it be he had no idea about the peasant uprisings across the country?

Various questions and intricate problems intertwined in his mind, leaving him unable to sort things out for the time being.

“General, look!”

A guard’s shout interrupted Li Qing’an’s thoughts. He looked up and saw over twenty Sogdian merchants leading camels approaching. They clearly saw him as well and became excited, gathering around him.

“General Li, we’re in trouble,” they complained in unison.

Li Qing’an waved his hand smilingly. “Everyone, calm down. Take your time and tell me what’s wrong.”

An elderly Sogdian merchant said, “It’s about the use of silver. All the shops in Chang’an refuse to accept it. We tried to exchange it in the black market. At first, it went smoothly, but because so many people were exchanging large amounts of silver, it became difficult to exchange there. They either offered low prices, causing us heavy losses. We beg General Li to help us.”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said loudly to everyone, “There’s no need to rush. The Emperor already agreed yesterday that silver can circulate throughout the country. I believe the Ministry of Revenue will come up with a plan in a few days. Additionally, two new exchange houses will open in the Eastern and Western Markets in the next couple of days, dedicated to exchanging silver. Please be patient a little longer. I will definitely solve this problem for you.”

The Sogdian merchants cheered and said, “Then we must go back and inform everyone not to sell their silver at a loss.”

Everyone was extremely excited and hurriedly led the camels eastward toward the Eastern Market. Li Qing’an thought for a moment, took out a name card, and handed it to a bodyguard, saying, “Go to the Reihai Izakaya in the Western Market and find Li Huichun. Tell him it’s my order to speed things up.” The soldier took the name card and headed west, while Li Qing’an continued on, soon arriving in front of Gao Lishi’s residence in Yishan Fang. To Li Qing’an’s surprise, Gao Lishi was actually inside. Upon hearing that Li Qing’an had arrived, Gao Lishi came out to greet him personally. “Qilang, it’s been almost two years since we last saw each other!” Gao Lishi’s laughter was still as hearty as before, but he looked much older—his hair almost completely white. The once-uncontrollable confidence was gone, replaced by a calm and composed gaze, filled with an indifference toward the world of power. Li Qing’an stepped forward and bowed deeply, “I pay my respects to Uncle!” “No need for formalities. Come inside quickly!” Gao Lishi ordered the butler to take care of the soldier and then warmly led Li Qing’an inside. Once in Gao Lishi’s study, they sat down as host and guest. Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Why is Uncle here? I thought Xingqing Palace would be in chaos, and Uncle must be extremely busy.” Gao Lishi gave a bitter smile and asked in return, “Did you see me at Huaqing Palace yesterday?” Li Qing’an shook his head, upon which Gao Lishi said, “Then it’s clear. The emperor no longer needs me at all. There are many younger eunuchs who are more capable than me. What’s the point of keeping me? It’s just to show the world that he values loyalty.” “Then wouldn’t it be better for Uncle to retire home to spend his days in comfort?” Gao Lishi sighed. “Actually, I do want to! But I always feel there are some things unfinished. Retiring like this makes me truly unwilling.” “Uncle is referring to the former crown prince, right?” “No!” Gao Lishi shook his head slowly. “Maybe before, but not now. Now I only hope he can appoint a crown prince so that the continuity of the Tang Dynasty isn’t put at risk. Only by having a crown prince can the foundation of the Tang Dynasty be stabilized.” At that moment, a maid brought in tea. Li Qing’an took the tea, took a slow sip, and then asked, “So, Uncle, who do you think will end up as the head of the Eastern Palace?” Gao Lishi smiled without answering. After a while, he said, “What do you think?” Li Qing’an smiled and said, “The one with the highest support right now is Prince Di. He was shot again today, so he might gain some sympathy. I think his chances are 60%.”

“Sixty percent?” Gao Lishi shook his head and laughed. “You overestimate him. If he can achieve thirty percent, that’s already good. When a new crown prince was appointed in the 26th year of the Kaiyuan era, Zhang Jiuling once suggested him, but the emperor said he lacked the strength and prestige. Perhaps he’s improved a bit over these two years, but he still doesn’t have the prestige needed for the eastern palace. If it were me, I’d favor Prince Ying—he still has some courage.”
“So, Lord Gao thinks Prince Ying has a better chance?”
“Half a year ago, I indeed thought it would be Prince Ying, but now I’ve changed my mind.”
“Then who does Lord Gao think will ultimately win?”
Gao Lishi glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, “The imperial grandson.”
“Li Chu!”
“Shh!” Gao Lishi waved his hand and whispered to Li Qing’an, “Just keep it to yourself. Don’t spread it around.”
“Don’t worry, Lord Gao. This is a matter of great importance, and I certainly won’t say anything more.”
Li Qing’an felt puzzled. Li Chu was none other than Emperor Daizong in history. Could history really skip Li Heng and go straight to his son? He was truly confused—the history had completely taken a different path.
Seeing Li Qing’an deep in thought, Gao Lishi smiled and said, “For now, don’t worry about who will take control of the eastern palace. Focus on yourself! You need to find a way to overcome the crisis at hand.”
Li Qing’an perked up. That was indeed what concerned him the most. He quickly said, “Please give me some guidance, Lord Gao.”
“Ah! You’ve developed too rapidly in Anxi over these two years. Your troops have already exceeded 100,000, and you possess vast lands. Yang Guozhong has complained about you more than once, saying you’re too dangerous. I can see the emperor is indeed suspicious. Don’t be fooled by his reception of you yesterday or the meal he hosted for you—that doesn’t reveal his true thoughts. He’s unpredictable. Be careful not to end up like Wang Zhongsi!”
Li Qing’an nodded silently. It was indeed that problem. After pondering for a while, he asked, “Then does Lord Gao have any way to avoid this?”
“The solution is simple: dispel his doubts. If you can’t do that, you might not be able to return to Anxi this time. I can’t think of specific methods yet, but it was right of you to send him spoils of war and maintain good relations with the Empress. But that’s not enough. You must make him believe you have no intention of rebelling—that’s the real solution.”
“Alright! Let me think it over carefully.”
Gao Lishi patted his shoulder and smiled. “Stay here with me for a few days. Things are different now; I won’t raise any objections. You can stay here in peace.”
Li Qing’an stood up, smiled, and bowed. “Then I’ll keep troubling Lord Gao.”
……

In the afternoon, Yang Guozhong, who had been busy all day, returned to his residence. The assassination attempt on Prince Di kept him extremely busy—he first led a group of civil and military officials to welcome the emperor, and then was summoned by Li Longji to Xingqing Palace for reprimand. As the former governor of Jingzhao, he was blamed for failing to capture the notorious thief Liu Yun.

The assassination of Prince Di caused chaos in Chang’an. Both the military and local officials were searching for the other escaped man in gray, focusing their attention on the higher-ups, while making no mention of the suspected Princes Rong, Ying, and Yong. Yang Guozhong also knew that if it truly were the three princes’ doing, Li Longji would likely let the matter drop.

“The prime minister is back!”

As soon as Yang Guozhong’s carriage stopped in front of his residence, two servants at the door shouted urgently.

“What’s happened at home?” Yang Guozhong asked as he got out of the carriage.

“Master!”

No sooner had he spoken than his wife, Pei Rou, rushed out surrounded by over a dozen maids, her face filled with panic.

Yang Guozhong already knew what had happened, but he pretended to be surprised. “My wife, what’s wrong?”

“Master, my brother is about to be killed by Li Qingan! Please save him!” Pei Rou pleaded, grabbing Yang Guozhong’s arm.

Yang Guozhong hadn’t expected Pei Xiao to be conscripted into the Anxi Army by Li Qingan, which disrupted his plans greatly. He had received word via messenger the previous night, but by then everything was already settled. Li Longji had readily agreed, and Changsun Quanxu had acted swiftly, handing over control to Li Qingan, making the decision final. Although the Ministry of War could object, the Anxi Army was a frontier force under much less control by the ministry. Moreover, since it was Li Longji himself who had approved it, Yang Guozhong didn’t dare bring it up again after being scolded by Li Longji that afternoon.

Yang Guozhong was also very disappointed that Pei Xiao had been sent to Anxi, as it was equivalent to handing over a hostage to Li Qingan. Unless he was ruthless enough to give up his brother-in-law, he didn’t have the courage to do so—after all, his brother-in-law was his wife’s treasure, as she had only one brother.

This situation left Yang Guozhong at a loss, unable to think of a solution right away. He could only comfort Pei Rou, saying, “My wife, don’t worry. Things aren’t as bad as you think. Pei Xiao is just going to serve in the Anxi Army for a few years before returning. By then, I’ll be able to promote him even further.”

“Master, I’m afraid Li Qingan will send him to die on the battlefield! Your relationship with him is so poor—won’t he seek revenge on you?”

“Madam, you don’t understand. The tighter our relationship with him becomes, the more likely he is to spare Pei Xiao’s life. Otherwise, it would seem like he’s using his position for personal revenge, and he wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Yang Guozhong was comforting his wife, as well as himself. He hoped Li Qing’an was indeed as he said—too afraid of damaging his own interests. But Yang Guozhong also knew that once someone fell into Li Qing’an’s hands, there were countless ways to deal with Pei Xiao. Alas! No matter how much they planned, they hadn’t anticipated Li Qing’an. It was strange—he had essentially thrown a rock at his own feet. What did it matter if he gave Li Qing’an an entrance into the city?
Pei Rou was a strong-willed woman. Though she was a woman and didn’t understand the complexities of politics or Li Qing’an’s true intentions regarding Pei Xiao, her brother’s cries of despair had thrown her into panic. Although her husband assured her it wouldn’t be a problem, she was still worried. What was the point of going to Anxi? It was nothing but vast deserts—no place for people to live. She refused to agree, clinging to Yang Guozhong’s sleeve, insisting that he bring Pei Xiao back at all costs and prevent them from going to Anxi. No amount of persuasion from Yang Guozhong worked, and eventually he grew angry.
“I have other matters to attend to. I won’t be back tonight!”
Heshook his robe sleeveed his robe sleeve, broke free from Pei Rou’s grasp, and climbed into the carriage, ordering, “Go to Linghu Fei’s residence!”
The carriage set off with a rumbling sound. From afar, Pei Rou’s angry shouts could still be heard: “You old murderer! If you’re so capable, don’t come home! I’m not done with you!”
…
Yang Guozhong sat in the carriage, troubled. He had been planning a major strategy for months, following Linghu Fei’s plan step by step, nearing the final stage. But then Li Qing’an appeared out of nowhere, ruining a crucial move in his plan. Pei Xiao had been transferred overnight.
Yang Guozhong was furious, but at the same time, he felt uneasy. Pei Xiao’s unexpected transfer made him realize that nothing in the world was foolproof—only flaws, flaws he might not have thought of, that could emerge at any time. He began to feel guilty.
“Master, we’ve arrived!”
The carriage slowly stopped. Only then did Yang Guozhong realize they had reached Linghu Fei’s residence in Xuanyang Fang.
“I knew the minister would come to my humble home,” said Linghu Fei, smiling as he stepped forward, bowing. “I was just about to visit your residence as well.”
“You knew I’d come to see you?” Yang Guozhong was surprised.
“Of course I did!”
Linghu Fei smiled, squinting. “Has the minister forgotten? I used to be your advisor.”
Linghu Fei’s smile eased Yang Guozhong’s concerns slightly. He also smiled and said, “Then let’s talk in my residence.”
“Please, Minister!”
“Please, Mr. Linghu!”

Linghu Fei is currently the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, while Ji Wen is the Left Vice Minister. One on the left and one on the right, Linghu Fei serves as the chief official. He passed the imperial examinations in the 21st year of the Kaiyuan era and possesses great intellectual talent. Unfortunately, due to his unattractive appearance, he failed to pass the selection by the Civil Service Bureau and had to work as a staff member for others. It was only after becoming Yang Guozhong’s staff member that he finally rose to prominence and gradually became the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. This was also the main path for intellectuals in the Tang Dynasty to enter government service—by working as staff members for powerful officials and gaining recommendations to enter official positions.

Although Linghu Fei had already reached the rank of vice minister, he still served as Yang Guozhong’s military advisor, with all of Yang’s strategies being planned by him.

The two entered the study, and Linghu Fei locked the door. Yang Guozhong could no longer hide his frustration; he took off his hat and threw it on the table.

“That bastard Pei Xiao knows no bounds—he dared to provoke Li Qing’an in front of everyone, ruining my plans!”

He sat down heavily and stared at Linghu Fei, saying, “Sir, please tell me—what can we do to prevent him from being sent to Anxi?”

Linghu Fei personally poured a cup of tea for Yang Guozhong and smiled slightly. “To be honest, I already approved Pei Xiao’s transfer to the Anxi army this afternoon. There’s nothing that can be done about it.”

“What!”

Yang Guozhong stood up in shock before sitting down again. After a long pause, he sighed, “I see. It’s the emperor’s will that cannot be defied. I understand.”

“It’s not entirely because of the emperor’s will.”

Linghu Fei shook his head. “In fact, even without the emperor’s order, I would still advise you not to appoint him as the general of the Yulin Army. From his reckless behavior toward Li Qing’an, I knew this man would eventually ruin your plans. It’s better for him to leave the Yulin Army. I’ve even heard that he has an affair with a palace maid. Aren’t you afraid?”

“Well…”

Yang Guozhong was at a loss for words. He had indeed heard about Pei Xiao’s misdeeds in the palace. It was said that he was caught having an affair with a palace maid, and although there was no evidence, the matter was dropped. But Yang Guozhong knew it was true. His brother-in-law was just such a person. It made sense for Linghu Fei to take the opportunity to get rid of him.

“But he could become a weapon for Li Qing’an to blackmail me. That’s what worries me.”

Linghu Fei smiled. “If you don’t care about Pei Xiao, how can he blackmail you?”

Yang Guozhong sighed inwardly. He didn’t care, but his wife did. It was hard to say that. He also knew nothing could be done now, so he changed the subject. “To be honest, I’m very worried that Li Qing’an will ruin our plans. This sudden matter with Pei Xiao really caught me off guard.”

Linghu Fei smiled. How could Pei Xiao’s matter happen so suddenly? If it weren’t for Yang Guozhong’s jealousy of Li Qing’an and the complications he created, this wouldn’t have happened. But he couldn’t say anything bad about Yang Guozhong, so he said, “Although this matter has affected our plans within the Yulin Army, it can only be considered a minor setback. It doesn’t impact our overall strategy. We must continue with our plans. If the minister is truly worried about Li Qing’an, he might as well persuade the emperor to reduce Li Qing’an’s powers to distract him.”