Chapter 274: Killing with Someone Else’s Hand (Part 2)

Cui Guangyuan came out to greet him, bowing deeply to Li Qing’an. “I am sorry for not welcoming you properly upon your arrival. Please forgive me!”
Being a local official in the capital was most exhausting due to the sheer number of high-ranking officials above. Without being in the capital, one couldn’t realize just how low one’s status really was. In most cases, the parties involved in cases handled by Cui Guangyuan were either nephews of ministers or in-laws of princes, always having some indirect connection to high-ranking officials. Thus, even though Li Qing’an was the governor of Anxi, akin to a provincial governor and military commander in later times, he didn’t deserve such elaborate courtesies from Cui Guangyuan.
The key point was that Li Qing’an knew where Xing Si was—or rather, Xing Si was in his hands. The news of Yang Guozhong’s defeat the previous morning had already spread throughout Chang’an. Li Qing’an’s aggressive demeanor and brilliant tactics had inspired some and angered others, but even his supporters recognized that he would be a formidable rival to Yang Guozhong.
Cui Guangyuan’s feelings were complex. On one hand, Yang Guozhong’s defeat would only deepen his hatred for having betrayed him; on the other hand, Li Qing’an’s strength gave him a glimmer of hope. He hoped even more that Xing Si would be grateful and speak well of him to Li Qing’an and Wang Gong. So, Li Qing’an’s arrival filled him with anticipation.
Li Qing’an knew a little about Cui Guangyuan. The historical figure who sacrificed his family for the country was none other than this man—a man of integrity. Seeing that Cui Guangyuan was extremely tall, seemingly even an head taller than himself, Li Qing’an bowed slightly and said with a smile, “I came suddenly and disturbed County Magistrate Cui’s work.”
“Not at all! How could I refuse such a great general? Please, come in!”
“County Magistrate Cui, please!”
Li Qing’an followed him into the county office. When he was an inspector, he had dealt with Chang’an County many times and recognized many of the people there. They all bowed to him, and Li Qing’an nodded back with a smile.
At that moment, Cui Guangyuan suddenly realized something troubling: many of the people in the office were former subordinates of Yang Guozhong. If he invited Li Qing’an into his office, wouldn’t Yang Guozhong find out right away? This would only provide more evidence of his betrayal of Yang Guozhong and allegiance to Li Qing’an. Cui Guangyuan inwardly groaned in frustration, but it was already too late. Li Qing’an had entered his office.
“County Magistrate Cui’s office is quite spacious!” Li Qing’an said with a smile as he looked around the empty room.
“It’s always been like this. It was renovated ten years ago. I heard the old one was even bigger.”

Cui Guangyuan hesitated for a moment before closing the door. The moment the door softly shut, he clearly saw the cold looks in the eyes of County Administrator Yao Yunpei and Clerk Shao Ping. Both of them were former subordinates of Yang Guozhong and were determined to replace him. Perhaps now they thought they had caught Cui Guangyuan off guard. Cui Guangyuan smiled bitterly to himself—life in the world was full of constraints!

“General, please sit!”

Cui Guangyuan invited Li Qingan to sit and poured him a cup of tea before sitting down across from him. He asked, “Why did you come to see me today, General?”

Li Qingan took a sip of tea and smiled slightly. “I’m here on official business.”

“Official business?”

Cui Guangyuan was stunned. Why close the door for official business? Wasn’t that trying to cover up something? He felt a bitterness in his mouth—turns out he had been overthinking things. Seeing the disappointment in Cui Guangyuan’s eyes, Li Qingan smiled again and said, “But first, I’d like to thank County Magistrate Cui for your loyalty and righteousness. I’ve arranged a banquet with food and wine in the military camp outside the city. I’d like to invite County Magistrate Cui to attend. Some of your friends will also be there. Would you be so kind as to come?”

Li Qingan didn’t just want Cui Guangyuan’s information about the Two Monsters of Jinzhou. He knew the difficulties Cui Guangyuan was facing. After betraying Yang Guozhong, Cui Guangyuan risked being demoted. Historically, he had been a talented man who once served as the military governor of Jiannan. Yang Guozhong abandoned him, so why not recruit him under his own command? But he couldn’t bring this up directly—whether Cui Guangyuan would agree was another matter. So he first invited him to a meal, hoping to gradually build a relationship before suggesting recruitment.

Cui Guangyuan understood Li Qingan’s intention. Going to his military camp for a meal was clearly an invitation. His heart pounded. He had thought about joining Wang Gong before, but never expected Li Qingan to suggest it to him first. Was this his chance? Cui Guangyuan was extremely nervous. He quickly considered whether to accept the invitation. If he refused, Wang Gong might not take him either. With Yang Guozhong’s character, he would never easily forgive or forget. Though he had the power of a prime minister, he lacked the magnanimity. He might end up with nothing. But if he accepted, at least he could serve in Anxi in the future. It was said that officials there received special allowances, generous salaries, and were served by genuine Hu women—what a pleasure in life. So why not accept?

Thinking of this, Cui Guangyuan cheerfully said, “Since General Li has invited me, I am willing to attend the banquet. I’ve long heard that General Li is the best archer in the world, and I’ve always wanted to learn archery from him. I hope General Li will grant me his guidance.”
“No problem. With County Magistrate Cui here, I can enjoy drinking and hunting at night—what a pleasure!”
Cui Guangyuan’s spirit soared, and his earlier unease vanished completely. He laughed loudly and said, “Great! I will be there on time.”
“Now that we’ve discussed personal matters, it’s time to talk about official business.”
Li Qing’an returned to serious matters. Hearing this, Cui Guangyuan didn’t dare neglect it and immediately bowed, saying, “Please go ahead, General!”
“It’s like this,” Li Qing’an said after a moment of thought. “When I was the governor of Henan Circuit, I was assassinated in Yuchi County. The case was never resolved, but I captured two assassins back then—reportedly the Liu brothers, who had committed serious crimes in Chang’an and were known as the ‘Two Monsters of Jinzhou’. When I sent them to Chang’an, they died under mysterious circumstances. The records about them in Wannian County were also destroyed. I’m investigating this now, and I’ve heard that Chang’an County still has some of their records. I hope County Magistrate Cui can help me find them.”
“That was in the eighth year of Tianbao!”
Cui Guangyuan thought for a while and said, “Perhaps we can still find them. If it had been a few years earlier, they might not have been preserved. Let me go look for them right away. If I find them, I’ll deliver them to the camp tonight. Does that work for you, General?”
“Then I rely on County Magistrate Cui.”
Li Qing’an stood up, bowed, and said with a smile, “I won’t disturb County Magistrate Cui any longer. Let’s meet again tonight!”
“Sure! I’ll see General out.”
…
While Li Qing’an was heading to the county office, Yan Kai also found Prince Qing, Li Cong. Technically, Li Cong’s one-year imprisonment had ended, and he could leave at any time. But since the end of his imprisonment, he hadn’t stepped outside even once. He hadn’t even left the inner courtyard. Drinking, eating delicious food, having women, taking medicine, and sleeping—these were his five daily routines. He wasn’t bored by them. He lived like a zombie every day. His heart was dead; he only wanted to indulge in pleasure right away, enjoying each day as it came. All his ambitions had vanished with his father’s furious rebuke.

Yan Kai hadn’t seen Prince Qing in half a year. When he entered the room, he was shocked—was this still the same Prince Qing? Although the former Prince Qing was fat, he at least still had some strength. But now, the Prince Qing before him resembled a wall of flesh; his face was so swollen that his eyes were barely visible. He had two petite concubines by his side, as if an old hen were guarding two chicks—the contrast in size was absurdly funny. Yan Kai suddenly felt that Li Qing’an’s plan might fail. Could this Prince Qing even walk?

“Do you have something to ask me?”

Prince Qing’s voice was deep, tinged with profound exhaustion.

Yan Kai stepped forward and bowed, saying, “I have an important matter I’d like to discuss privately with Your Highness.”

“What is there to discuss? Matters outside are but fleeting clouds; I’m no longer interested.”

At that moment, Li Qiu also entered, smiling and saying, “Why not listen, Father? This matter might change your fate.”

Li Qiu had already discussed this with Yan Kai. Although Li Qing’an hadn’t found him yet, this plan served Li Qiu’s interests. By eliminating Prince Di, Prince Liang would have a better chance of returning to the Eastern Palace. What Li Qiu didn’t know was that Li Longji had already considered appointing the imperial grandson as the heir to the Eastern Palace.

Although Prince Cong wasn’t interested in Yan Kai’s words, he tended to listen to his son. Since Li Qiu suggested he listen, he nodded and said to the two women beside him, “Go outside!”

The two women quickly left. Li Qiu closed the door, and the room instantly became darker. Prince Cong grew impatient and said, “Sir, just speak if you have something to say!”

Yan Kai had followed Prince Cong for eight years and knew his temperament well. Prince Cong wasn’t someone who liked to think; he preferred to be told the results directly, in a straightforward manner, like a story to capture his interest. Otherwise, if things were too circuitous and annoyed him, he would immediately send you away.

“Does Your Highness remember that the year before last, when You were punished by the Emperor, it was actually Prince Di who framed You?”

“What did you say?”

Prince Cong was indeed intrigued. He slowly sat up straight, his narrowed eyes gleaming. “How was I framed by Prince Di?”

“It was Li Qing’an who was assassinated in Yuchi County—actually, it was Prince Di who did it, but he shifted the blame onto You.”

“Li Qing’an was assassinated?”

Prince Cong could hardly recall what had happened. His mind had dulled, and he couldn’t remember many things from the past.

“Has Your Highness forgotten? The three reasons the Emperor punished You were excessive land possession, suspicion of witchcraft, and, most importantly, the assassination case.”

“Oh!” Li Cong remembered—it was that damned assassination case. At that time, he had given up all hope. When his father imposed this crime on him, he didn’t argue.

At this moment, Li Qiu also said, “Father, actually, owning large amounts of land isn’t a big deal. Which prince or princess doesn’t own land? Isn’t it the same with those prime ministers and ministers? This isn’t really a crime. As for the witchcraft case in the Eastern Palace, it was clearly the Lady of Guo State who orchestrated it. Doesn’t Your Majesty know? He knows very well but still lets Father bear the responsibility alone, while the Lady of Guo State escapes unscathed. Is that fair? I think Your Majesty isn’t really blaming Father for this matter. The real issue is the Li Qingan assassination case. I believe that’s the real reason Father was convicted.”

“The young prince is right. If Your Highness can resolve this case, I think there’s a chance for him to make a comeback.”

Li Qiu and Yan Kai urged and persuaded him. Even though Li Cong was dull, he understood their meaning—that is, as long as he proved his innocence, he would have a chance to rise again. He was only forty-three years old. Suddenly, he remembered that a Taoist priest had predicted his fate, saying that if he didn’t achieve any breakthroughs by age forty-three, he would likely suffer a great disaster—referring to death.

Fear began to take hold of Li Cong’s heart. He glanced at Yan Kai. Just as Yan Kai understood him, he also understood Yan Kai. If he had no confidence or evidence, he wouldn’t have come to tell him about this.

“Sir, do you have any evidence?”

“Your Highness, the county magistrate of Wannian County is my good friend. He told me that the two captured assassins were later silenced by Prince Di. There is evidence too, and I’m still looking for it. But Your Highness must stay strong. You can’t indulge in wine and women as before. I’m still gathering more evidence against Prince Di. Once we have sufficient proof, Your Highness can not only avenge the persecution from years ago but also get a chance to make a comeback. Your Highness, you must believe in yourself!”

Li Cong stared blankly at the ceiling. He remembered the prediction from that Taoist priest—age forty-three. He was exactly forty-three this year. He didn’t want to die. The thought of death finally snapped him out of his daze.

“Alright! I’ll leave this matter entirely in your hands.”

Li Cong took out a jade plaque from his waist and handed it to Li Qiu, saying, “This jade plaque gives you control over all my wealth. Take as much as you need. This time, you must succeed for me no matter what!”

To escape his fate of death, Li Cong decided to risk all his money.

……

After leaving Li Cong’s room, Li Qiu called out to Yan Kai, “Mr. Yan, please wait!”

“Does the young prince need anything else?”

“Come with me!”

Li Qiu took Yan Kai to a quiet room. With a serious expression, he asked directly, “Tell me the truth. What is Li Qing’an’s real goal? Is it simply to overthrow King Di?”
Yan Kai did not reveal Li Qing’an’s true intentions. He only said that Li Qing’an wanted to use this incident to overthrow King Di by having King Qing do it. But he also knew that this could not be hidden for long—Li Qiu would soon find out. If he didn’t communicate with him in time, things might even go wrong.
“To be honest with you, Your Highness, Li Qing’an’s real goal is to have His Highness King Qing replace King Di and take command in Anxi. That’s why he must first get rid of King Di.”
“What?” Li Qiu was shocked. “You mean King Di is going to take command in Anxi?”
Li Qiu had not heard about this at all. He had always thought King Di was the strongest competitor for the eastern palace.
“When did this happen?” Li Qiu grew anxious.
“I also heard it from Li Qing’an. It seems it was decided just yesterday. Time is very tight. Li Qing’an said a court meeting will be held the day after tomorrow, the tenth day. If nothing is settled by then, it might be too late.”
Li Qiu was stunned. If King Di couldn’t take control of the eastern palace, then who would? King Rong, King Yong, or King Ying? For the first time, he felt helpless.
…
At dusk, Cui Guangyuan arrived at the Anxi army camp outside the city with a follower. Li Qing’an had already arranged for his personal guard officer, Jiang Xiaonian, to wait for him at the camp gate. When Jiang Xiaonian saw Cui Guangyuan arrive, he quickly stepped forward and asked, “Is this the magistrate Cui?”
“That’s right!”
“Magistrate Cui, please come in. Our general is already waiting for you.”
“I’m sorry for the delay. I was looking for something the general needed.”
“Oh? Have you found it, magistrate Cui?”
“I’ve succeeded!”
Cui Guangyuan patted the leather bag he carried and smiled, “It’s here.”
“Great! Please dismount and enter the camp, magistrate Cui.”
Cui Guangyuan dismounted and waved his hand, saying, “Please, general!”
The two entered the camp one after another. Although Cui Guangyuan was a magistrate, he was brave and fond of martial arts. He had always dreamed of leading troops into battle one day. The Tang Dynasty was different from later periods, where civil and military roles were separated. The Tang Dynasty had a strong martial culture, and it was common for civil officials to lead troops into battle.
Seeing the neatly arranged tents in the camp, the soldiers—all strong and imposing—marching in formation and standing in order with strict discipline, Cui Guangyuan nodded in approval. “Indeed, it lives up to its reputation. In comparison, the Jiannan army is far inferior, not to mention the guards in the capital.”

He walked up to a large tent, and Jiang Xiaonian loudly reported, “Reporting to the General, County Magistrate Cui has arrived!”
The tent curtain was lifted, and Li Qing’an stepped out smiling. “County Magistrate Cui has made us wait quite long.”
Behind Li Qing’an was Xing Si, the key figure from a few days ago. He bowed gratefully to Cui Guangyuan. Although Xing Si’s case had been resolved, he still dared not return home for fear of retaliation from Yang Guozhong. Only when everything had completely settled could he return to his residence. Fortunately, with the Wang brothers as his backing, he could stay safe.
Although Li Qing’an and Wang Gong had formed an alliance, their relationship was not deep. To some extent, it was still a strategic partnership rather than a true alliance. Thus, Xing Si’s importance became evident. Thanks to his connection with the Wang brothers, he inadvertently became a bridge between Li Qing’an and Wang Gong.
Seeing Li Qing’an come out, Cui Guangyuan quickly took out the documents Li Qing’an wanted from his bag. Li Qing’an took the stack of documents and flipped through them swiftly but did not find the receipt he was looking for.
“Is this what the General is looking for?”
Cui Guangyuan took out an envelope from his bosom and pulled out a thin, slightly yellowed piece of paper. Li Qing’an took it—it was the receipt for taking away the Two Monsters of Jinzhou, signed by Han Baiyan, an advisor to Prince Di, dated two months before the assassination in Yuchi County.
With this crucial piece of evidence finally in his hands, Li Qing’an was overjoyed. He quickly tucked the receipt away and said with a smile, “Alright, let’s not discuss business tonight. Let’s talk about pleasure instead. County Magistrate Cui, please come in!”
“General, please!”
The three of them entered the tent, where a table laden with food and drinks was already set up. A bodyguard was warming the wine for them. There were two people seated at the table: Li Mi, Li Qing’an’s advisor, whom Cui Guangyuan recognized. He quickly bowed and said, “Mr. Li, it’s been a long time!”
Li Mi stood up and replied with a smile, “Eight years ago, I only met County Magistrate Cui once. I never expected you to still remember me! I’m ashamed, Mr. Cui!”
“Not at all! Mr. Li is a young genius. Many people still remember you.”
Cui Guangyuan smiled and then looked at the other person, only to freeze suddenly.