Chapter 269: Strike First

Light seeped through the crack in the door as a beautiful concubine entered the room carrying a bowl of medicine. The air was thick with the scent of medicine and the aura of an aging man on the verge of decay. On the bed, Li Linfu was emaciated, his face pale.
Li Linfu had fallen ill again since December of the previous year. His condition had worsened steadily throughout the year, and he felt he didn’t have much time left.
“Master, it’s time to take your medicine!”
The concubine helped Li Linfu sit up and placed a pillow behind his back. He coughed violently, and she hurriedly patted his back. “Master, hold on!”
But he couldn’t hold back any longer and spat out blood. The concubine quickly caught it with a handkerchief, then burst into tears. “Master! This is the third time today.”
After spitting out blood, Li Linfu felt a little better. He stroked the concubine’s hair and smiled faintly. “Duonu, it’s alright. I’m already seventy. At seventy, one is considered rare—so it’s not a short life.”
The concubine continued to cry bitterly. Li Linfu sighed and said, “Duonu, if I die, marry someone else! I’ll leave you enough dowry.”
“Master, I won’t marry.”
Wiping away her tears, she said, “If Master dies, I’ll become a nun and chant prayers for you forever.”
Li Linfu was somewhat moved, but his greatest concern resurfaced—what would happen to his family? His sons and daughters, including this beloved concubine, would Yang Guozhong spare them? And those he had persecuted over the years—Zhang Jiuling, Li Shizhi, Wei Zhuang, Du Youlin—would their descendants seek revenge on his own?
A hint of regret arose in Li Linfu’s heart. He had served Li Longji as a dog for so many years. Now that he was old and powerless, Li Longji had kicked him aside. All the consequences of those years’ crimes fell on him. Death might be the only escape, but eventually, his descendants would suffer. If only he had known this would happen, why had he started all along?
He gently stroked the concubine’s silky, smooth hair, sighing inwardly. It would be hard for such a beautiful woman to become a nun—her fate was likely to be sold to the imperial music troupe.
“Duonu, bring me the memorial on my desk.”

Duonu quickly handed him the memorial and helped him sit down properly. With trembling hands, Li Linfu opened it—it was the memorial he had originally intended to submit, one opposing the circulation of gold, silver, and coins. Though near exhaustion, Li Linfu’s mind remained as clear as a mirror. He saw through Li Qing’an’s true intentions behind advocating for the circulation of gold, silver, and coins, as well as the consequences that would follow. Tang Dynasty’s production of gold and silver was too low, while Anxi, especially Lingxi, was rich in them. If gold, silver, and coins became widely circulated in the interior, the end result would be Anxi controlling the currency of the interior, meaning Li Qing’an would control Tang Dynasty’s economy. What was Li Qing’an trying to achieve? Surely not for wealth. Through this, Li Linfu faintly sensed a deeply hidden ambition in Li Qing’an. Li Qing’an was not a barbarian but a Han Chinese. Li Linfu had always believed that barbarians’ ambitions were mostly to establish their own kingdoms and rule independently, while Han Chinese aimed to conquer the Central Plains and overthrow the dynasty. Could Li Qing’an also have such ambitions? Unfortunately, aside from him, most of the powerful officials, including Li Longji, failed to see this. Corrupted by interests, Li Longji was blinded by Li Qing’an’s offer of 200,000 jin of silver and an annual tribute of 100,000 jin, and agreed to the circulation of gold, silver, and coins. Perhaps he planned to replace Li Qing’an in the future, but once Li Qing’an grew stronger, could he still do so? Li Linfu was still the Right Chancellor, the most powerful minister second only to the emperor. It was his duty to oppose the circulation of gold, silver, and coins, which was why he drafted this memorial. But at this moment, he changed his mind. What did it matter to him if the Li Tang dynasty succeeded or failed? Since Li Longji had treated him so heartlessly, why should he spare effort for this man’s empire? He should protect his own family instead. “Burn it!” Li Linfu handed the memorial to his concubine and said in a trembling voice. “Master, please take your medicine first! I’ll burn it later.” “No! Burn it now, right in front of me.” Although Li Linfu’s voice was soft, it was firm and unyielding. Duonu dared not argue further. She took the memorial, carefully tore it apart, placed it on a plate, and lit one corner with a lamp. The memorial quickly caught fire; the words turned yellow and black in the flames before being swallowed up entirely, turning to ashes. Duonu poured them into an incense burner, and Li Linfu felt relieved. It was time for Li Qing’an to face consequences. At that moment, the voice of his second son, Li E, came from outside the door. “Father, is it convenient now?” “What does he want?” Duonu opened a crack in the door and asked, “What does Master want to ask you?”

“Please tell my father that Wang Gong has an urgent matter and needs to see him at once.”
His voice was soft, but Li Linfu heard it anyway. He glanced at the water clock in the corner—it was already the first hour of thethe hour of the pig hour, the time when the city gates should be closed. Given Wang Gong’s prudence, his arrival at this hour surely meant something serious had happened.
“Bring him here!”
Li Linfu grew nervous. He had originally planned to ease relations with Li Heng to protect his family, but unexpectedly, Li Heng was deposed and no new crown prince had been chosen yet. To safeguard his family’s fate, he had carefully nurtured Wang Gong as his successor. Now, Wang Gong also enjoyed great trust from Li Longji and held over twenty positions. Apart from the prime ministership, his power was already on par with Yang Guozhong’s. With one final push from him, Wang Gong could take on the prime ministership and rival Yang Guozhong, thus ensuring Li Linfu’s legacy. That was Li Linfu’s plan—only in this way would the Prime Minister’s faction not vanish like the Eastern Palace faction.
But now, with Wang Gong’s immense power, he still came to see Li Linfu, which clearly indicated a serious incident. Could it be related to the assassination attempt on Prince Di?
A moment later, Wang Gong was hurriedly brought in by Li E. Wang Gong stepped forward and bowed, saying in a low voice, “Prime Minister, have you recovered?”
“Stop talking nonsense. What’s the matter?”
“Yes!”
The situation was urgent, and Wang Gong didn’t have time for pleasantries. He quickly recounted in detail how Yang Guozhong had arrested Xing Si, ending with, “Prime Minister, I’m very worried they might capture Xing Si. On the way here, I heard that my brother couldn’t leave the city, but a group of Jinyiwei cavalry did. Things might change rapidly tomorrow.”
Li Linfu, having weathered many storms, remained calm and listened patiently. After Wang Gong finished speaking, he suddenly said, “That’s not right! Yang Guozhong didn’t see the emperor today. Using the Longwu Army and Jinyiwei must not have the emperor’s approval.”
Wang Gong immediately understood—the Prime Minister was truly astute! He had quickly spotted Yang Guozhong’s flaw: using the army without authorization. But that was secondary. It meant they had been preparing for this all along. Why would they prepare in advance? Unless they had long intended to get involved in this matter. Perhaps this could be used to argue that it was Yang Guozhong and his allies who had set the trap.
“Prime Minister, then I’ll report to the emperor first tomorrow and accuse Yang Guozhong of overstepping his authority.”
“No! You don’t need to deal with this. Go straight to the Dali Temple to retrieve the person. Ignore Xing Si—unless you get him, he won’t be at the Dali Temple. Go and get Ren Haichuan. This case is under your responsibility. Even if the Dali Temple captures someone, they must hand him over to you.”
“But I’m worried he might have already confessed.”

“I just hope he does that—force a confession through torture! Have him rewrite his statement to contradict his earlier testimony, then kill him after that. Afterward, you can report to the Emperor, claiming someone committed murder to silence them. I wonder how Yang Guozhong will cover this up.”
Wang Gong praised him highly and quickly said, “The Prime Minister is truly ingenious! In this way, the link between Ren Haichuan and Xing Si will be broken. Then I can use the Censorate to accuse Yang Guozhong of misusing the army, putting him in trouble.”
Li Linfu nodded with a smile. “Good, you’ve indeed made progress.”
After saying that, he pondered for a moment and added, “However, we only have a 30% chance of success. They’ve been planning this for a long time and won’t be so easily defeated. The key is Xing Si. As long as Yang Guozhong captures Xing Si, he’ll have the upper hand. Your brother was a bit careless, alas!”
Li Linfu also understood that it all depended on Li Longji. If he didn’t want to pursue Yang Guozhong’s crime of misusing the army, he would naturally protect him. Moreover, if Xing Si confessed, Ren Haichuan’s role would be limited. Yang Guozhong could easily use Xing Si to fabricate evidence, such as notes or secret orders. Even if Ren Haichuan retracted his confession, it would be too late. The only way out was to sacrifice something to save the core—save Wang Gong and himself.
Thinking of this, Li Linfu sighed again and said, “You’re indeed in great danger now. Be prepared. If all else fails, sacrifice your brother and let him take the blame for you. Hopefully, the Emperor will stop at a minor punishment and not go too far.”
Wang Gong felt sad. He had a deep bond with his brother. Sacrificing his brother to save himself would leave him uneasy for life, but right now, he really had no other choice.
“Prime Minister, I understand. Wang Xuan is in my residence. I’ll talk to him carefully tonight and arrange everything.”
…
After Wang Gong left, Li Linfu slowly drank his medicine. He needed to improve his health to go and plead for Li Longji in person the next day.
…
Early the next morning, Li Linfu forced himself to get up. Sitting on the couch, his concubines and servants carefully combed his hair. His expression was calm, but his heart was filled with helplessness and disappointment. Last night, he had only said those words to comfort Wang Gong. In reality, he knew the risks involved. How could Yang Guozhong be satisfied with just killing Wang Xuan? With Li Hu Fei’s methods, he would first make Li Longji believe that Xing Si was the culprit, luring Li Longji into a trap, and then gradually bring out the Wang brothers. Given Li Longji’s incompetence over the past two years, it seemed the Wang brothers would truly be in trouble this time.

“Foolish!” Li Linfu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Over the past two years, almost everyone had noticed that Li Longji had become foolish. Indeed, he had become careless in handling court affairs, or rather, he paid no attention to them. Orders like Li Qing’an’s regarding the circulation of gold, silver, and money were passed through so easily. But would he be foolish in power struggles? Li Linfu was confused. If he weren’t foolish, why would Li Longji hand over Yang Guozhong’s brother-in-law to Li Qing’an? If he wasn’t foolish, why would he demote Gao Lishi? Yet if he was foolish, he also knew that while promoting Yang Guozhong, he simultaneously reinstated Wang Gong, achieving a very delicate balance. Li Linfu realized he could no longer see through Li Longji.

“Father!” Suddenly, the voice of his second son, Li E, came from outside. He rushed into the hall like the wind and shouted excitedly, “Father, something serious has happened at Xingqing Palace!”

“What’s the rush?”

Li Linfu’s expression darkened as he said unhappily, “What happened?”

Li E tried to control his excitement and quickly replied, “Father, news came from Xingqing Palace. Li Qing’an went there early this morning and accused the Jinyiwei of launching a night attack on the Anxi army’s camp last night.”

“What!” Li Linfu stood up abruptly. He couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you saying last night, the Jinyiwei?”

“Yes! It is said that the Jinyiwei claimed that criminals from the court had fled into the Anxi army’s camp, leading to a conflict with them.”

Li Linfu stood there stunned for a long time before suddenly raising his head and sighing deeply, “Heaven has eyes! It won’t abandon me, Li Linfu!”

“Father, what are you doing…” Li E had never seen his father so agitated and was astonished.

All traces of his illness vanished. Excitedly, he waved his hand and shouted, “Prepare a carriage! I’m going to Xingqing Palace!”

……

At Xingqing Palace, Li Longji, who hadn’t gotten up early in a long time, was forced to rise early that day. Early in the morning, Li Qing’an, the governor of Anxi, arrived at the entrance of Xingqing Palace to lodge a complaint, accusing the Jinyiwei of attacking the Anxi army’s camp at night, which had severely damaged the morale of the Anxi troops.

Li Longji didn’t know what had happened, but from Li Qing’an’s words, it seemed very serious. A night attack on the Anxi army’s camp—what did that mean?

Li Longji had no choice but to get up. He had no idea what the Jinyiwei had done last night. Normally, the Jinyiwei were part of the capital’s defense forces, and any deployment outside their scope of responsibility required his approval as Li Longji. Attacking the Anxi army’s camp was clearly not within their duties.

Before he could even inquire further, Li Longji was already filled with rage. Who dared to be so bold as to dispatch troops out of the city without permission?

In the Datong Hall, Li Longji sat high on the dragon throne, his expression extremely gloomy. Below, Li Qingan was face red with anger as he pointed at Deng Wei, who was kneeling on the ground, and shouted, “Your Majesty, this man led five hundred cavalry to sneak into our Anxi Army camp at night. When the sentries discovered them, he claimed that a fugitive from the court had entered the camp and insisted on a search. They were fully armed and came with great force, yet there was no evidence or official order. This is clearly a night attack on our Anxi Army camp. Our Anxi soldiers have fought bravely for the Tang Dynasty, suffering heavy losses—no money gained, no recognition received, and the bodies of those who died remain unburied. We soldiers have no complaints about any of this, but the Jinyiwei still decides to launch a night attack on the camp. Your Majesty, how can I go back and explain this to the soldiers of Anxi?”
Deng Wei knelt on the ground, terrified. He had intended to go and apologize to Yang Guozhong that day, but never expected Li Qingan to be so firm. As soon as the city gates opened, he came to Xingqing Palace to lodge a complaint. Filled with fear and shock, he didn’t even have the strength to defend himself.
Next to Deng Wei, Wang Chengye, the general of the Jinyiwei, had a furious expression. He was also unaware of this matter; Deng Wei had just informed him that Yang Guozhong had privately mobilized troops. Wang Chengye was extremely angry—that damned Yang Guozhong had dared to interfere with his Jinyiwei. But right now, he didn’t have time to deal with this issue; he had to overcome the immediate crisis. Since the Jinyiwei had privately mobilized troops, Li Longji would first hold him accountable. Hearing Li Qingan describe the situation as so serious, he also felt uneasy—clearly, Li Qingan wanted to exaggerate things.
Sure enough, Li Longji let out a heavy snort and glared at him angrily. “General Wang, how do you explain this to me?”
Wang Chengye could no longer protect Deng Wei. He quickly bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I also just heard about this, just like you. I failed to maintain strict control over my subordinates and am willing to accept your punishment.”
He cleared himself of any blame, claiming he was unaware while also framing himself as merely negligent in managing his subordinates. The Jinyiwei’s night attack on the Anxi Army had nothing to do with him.
“You were unaware?”
Li Longji’s sharp gaze turned to Deng Wei. “General Deng, I want to hear your explanation. If you can’t provide one, I will execute your entire family!”
At this point, Deng Wei could no longer care about Yang Guozhong. Privately mobilizing troops—unless it was to protect the emperor—was a capital offense, no matter what his reasons might be.

Gritting his teeth, he said, “Your Majesty, I dare not hide the truth. It was Minister Yang who discovered the mastermind behind Prince Di’s assassination and ordered me to capture him. I pursued him to the Anxi Army camp, but the criminal had disappeared. So I asked the Anxi Army for the fugitive. No matter how bold I am, I would not dare launch a night attack on the Anxi Army.”
“Is that so?” Li Longji’s gaze shifted toward Li Qing’an. In fact, he didn’t believe the Jinwu Guard would launch a night attack on the Anxi Army either; there must be a reason.
“General, is what he says true?”
Li Qing’an sneered. He knew Deng Wei would say such things. Of course, he wasn’t trying to cause trouble for Deng Wei; he just wanted to draw out Yang Guozhong.
“Your Majesty, this man is uttering nonsense. What authority does Minister Yang have to mobilize the Jinwu Guard? What does Prince Di’s assassination have to do with Minister Yang? This man has a grudge against me from our past encounters, so he wants to avenge himself. Now that his revenge has failed, he tries to frame Minister Yang. Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with Minister Yang at all. We must not believe his one-sided account.”
“Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you. It was indeed Minister Yang’s order. If Your Majesty summons Minister Yang for questioning, you’ll know the truth. I am willing to confront him.”
At this point, Li Longji began to understand a bit more. Even if Deng Wei gave him ten thousand times the courage, he wouldn’t dare provoke the Anxi Army. It was almost certainly Yang Guozhong’s doing. After all, Li Qing’an and Yang Guozhong were sworn enemies!
He glanced at Wang Chengye and said, “General Wang, what do you think?”
Wang Chengye, annoyed that Li Longji had passed the question to him, said, “Your Majesty, since this involves the military regulations of the Jinwu Guard, I also want to clarify the matter. Please summon Minister Yang for a confrontation.”
“Very well! Summon Yang Guozhong,” Li Longji ordered reluctantly.
“By the order of Your Majesty, Yang Guozhong is summoned to appear!”