Chapter 351: A Secret Letter

In Chang’an, the night was deep, yet the city’s gates remained open—already for three consecutive nights. This only happened during New Year’s and the Lantern Festival; occasionally on other days as well, but never for three nights in a row like this, not in over a decade.
Ordinary people wouldn’t understand why. Keeping the gates open at night made it easier for them to visit relatives or friends or return home late from drinking. But many who understood the political situation guessed that it must be related to the recent crisis of reducing the power of regional governors.
In fact, it was a unanimous decision by several prime ministers in the government hall: the gates would remain open at night for five days to facilitate communication in emergencies.
Rain began to fall at night, fine and dense, creating a misty atmosphere that added a touch of coolness to the warm spring night. On Zhuque Street, a carriage sped through the mist, tightly sealed, with only a faint light visible at the edges of the windows.
A small oil lamp burned inside the carriage, its light flickering as the carriage moved. Behind a small square table, Zhang Yun sat with closed eyes, lost in thought, like a monk in meditation. On the table lay a letter written to him by Gao Xianzhi, the military governor of Jiannan. Gao Xianzhi was undoubtedly one of Zhang Yun’s men. Among all the military governors, Zhang Yun paid the most attention to Gao Xianzhi. Thanks to Gao Xianzhi, many of Zhang Yun’s disciples were assigned to serve as officials in various parts of Bashu, gradually taking control of the political landscape there. In return, Zhang Yun did his utmost to assist Gao Xianzhi, providing financial and material support to the Jiannan army, enabling it to grow rapidly. In particular, in July of the year before last, Zhang Yun successfully persuaded Li Longji to expand the Jiannan army, raising its strength from 39,000 to 91,400 troops, matching that of the Fanyang military governorate. Thus, the Jiannan army became the third-largest military governorate in the Tang Dynasty. If not for Geshu Han holding both the Longyou and Hexi governorates, Gao Xianzhi would have truly become the third-largest military governor.
However, the wave of reducing regional governors that began last year gradually spread to Jiannan as well. Li Longji appointed Prince Ying, Li Liu, as the inspector of Jiannan and the grand commander of Yizhou, stationing him there to oversee salt and iron production in Bashu. Soon after, he was also appointed deputy military governor of Jiannan. Li Liu was a highly capable man. Within just a few months, he took control of the troops north of Chengdu, commanding 40,000 soldiers, almost splitting control of Jiannan with Gao Xianzhi.
Among his sons, Li Longji trusted Li Liu the most, so he was not eager to reduce the power of Jiannan, believing that Li Liu would eventually gain full control of the army there.

But not long ago, a major incident occurred in Jiannan. Cui Yuan, the governor of Yizhou, secretly informed Yang Guozhong that Li Liu had never taken power from Gao Xianzhi; the two of them were colluding to fabricate evidence, and Li Liu was suspected of seeking to seize power for himself. In return for keeping his position as the military governor of Jiannan, Gao Xianzhi fully supported his ascension. Cui Yuan’s secret letter arrived at Yang Guozhong’s residence yesterday, but due to Cui Yuan’s carelessness in keeping the matter secret, the news was leaked. This afternoon, Zhang Jun received a secret letter from Gao Xianzhi, in which he pleaded for his help in preserving his position as the military governor of Jiannan and also asked Zhang Jun to persuade Yang Guozhong not to reveal Cui Yuan’s betrayal to Li Longji. That same evening, Zhang Jun rushed to Yang Guozhong’s residence in an attempt to convince him to keep Cui Yuan’s letter secret. In the dim light, Zhang Jun appeared worried; he knew he was taking a risky step, but the situation was extremely urgent. If Yang Guozhong handed the letter to Li Longji, Gao Xianzhi’s life would likely be in danger. In the politics of mid-Tang China, Zhang Jun was known as an adaptable figure who had long served as head of the Ministry of Revenue. This was not only because he was the son of Zhang Yue, a famous chancellor of mid-Tang, but also because he was skilled at exchanging favors, navigating various situations skillfully, and avoiding enemies. Thus, whether Li Linfu was in power or Yang Guozhong became chancellor, Zhang Jun managed to maintain good relations with them. This time, he planned to exchange favors with Yang Guozhong to resolve Gao Xianzhi’s crisis. As the carriage moved along, Zhang Jun pondered what to offer in exchange for Yang Guozhong’s help. He was well aware that Yang Guozhong’s greatest political rival was Wang Gong, whose supporters were mostly from Li Linfu’s former faction. Therefore, Yang Guozhong had long wanted to target Li Linfu’s family to suppress those loyal to the former chancellor. Not long ago, Yang Guozhong had hinted that he wanted his support on this matter, but Zhang Jun had not given a clear response at the time; now he was ready to make his decision. The carriage broke through the heavy night rain and entered the gates of Xuanyi Fang, with Yang Guozhong’s residence not far ahead. … Today happened to be the birthday of Yang Guozhong’s wife, Pei Rou, but this year’s celebration was much less grand than in previous years. It was much more subdued, not only for Yang Guozhong but also for the rest of the Yang family. Since Yang Guifei and Li Longji fell out, the Yang family had lost its former glory. They were like leaves struck by frost, withering one by one, becoming silent and unnoticed in Chang’an. Additionally, the eldest of the Yang family’s three sisters, Lady Qin, had passed away due to illness last year, adding another layer of ill omen to the family.

So this year, Pei Rou’s birthday celebration was kept quite low-key. Those who came to celebrate were all from the Yang family—Madam Yang Yupai, Madam Guo Yang Huahua, as well as some of Yang Guozhong’s cousins and their wives. It was already a rare occasion for the Yang family to gather like this, so the main hall was relatively lively, with everyone chatting and laughing, drinking together, and trying to avoid discussing unpleasant matters.

Pei Rou was the focus of the day. She had her hair styled in an elegant updo, adorned with numerous jewels that made her shine brightly. She wore a light green, wide-sleeved dress made of precious Shu brocade. It was raining outside, making it a bit cool, so she wore an additional short-sleeved top with a very low neckline, revealing most of her snow-white chest. Although Pei Rou had been a government official’s wife for many years and now held a second-rank imperial title, she still retained a somewhat vulgar air, as seen in her headwear. Most elegant women would simply wear a delicate hairpin, which was both simple and graceful, enhancing their charm. Yet Pei Rou had dozens of various precious jade and gold hairpins in her hair, which, though dazzling, gave her an air of nouveau riche, as if she were the owner of a jewelry store.

By contrast, Yang Huahua was dressed in a magnificent and elegant style. Her natural beauty, without any makeup, complemented her wide-sleeved dress, making her look graceful and delicate, unlike Pei Rou’s more cumbersome attire. With her cheerful smile and lively speech, she quickly became the center of attention at the birthday banquet, leaving Pei Rou in the background. This made Pei Rou uncomfortable. Seizing an opportunity, she pointed at Yang Huahua’s face in surprise and said loudly, “Third sister, why are there wrinkles at the corners of your eyes? Is it because you go to bed too late every night?”

Her words carried hidden meaning. A few young men from the Yang family covered their mouths and burst into laughter. Yang Huahua’s expression darkened immediately, and she retorted, “There are no wrinkles at the corners of my eyes. It’s because your headwear is too bright and blinds my face.”

“How could that be? Look, these are clearly wrinkles!”

Pei Rou stepped forward and began counting, “One, two, three…”

She sighed and said, “Ah! Third sister, you’re really getting older. I’m just worried about you. Please don’t take it to heart!”

Yang Huahua sneered and said, “How could I take it to heart? I know you just like to count things. For example, tonight, you’ll surely lock yourself in your room and carefully count the gifts—one string of coins, two strings, three strings… Huh! That’s not right. Why is there only 900 coins? Who sent these gifts, daring to mock me?”

Yang Huahua performed with such passion that the hall was filled with laughter. Many women laughed so hard they could barely stand, making Pei Rou’s face turn blue with anger. She snapped, “I’m poor, unlike some who have their emperor’s brother-in-law secretly sending them perfume, allowing them to do as they please.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell dead silent. Pei Rou suddenly realized she had gone too far and murmured, “I didn’t mean it. Third sister, please don’t take it to heart.”

Yang Huahua, however, seemed unbothered. She lazily puffed out her chest and said indifferently, “It’s too stuffy in here. I’m going outside for a walk.”

She stood up and walked away. Once she left, the hall gradually regained its liveliness.

Yang Huahua followed the garden path and soon arrived at the quieter western courtyard, where Yang Guozhong’s luxurious guest rooms were located. She slipped into the first room, took out a small copper mirror from her bosom, and examined the corners of her eyes under the light. Sure enough, there were a few faint wrinkles. Annoyed, she slammed the mirror onto the ground with a sharp crack.

“Who’s there?” a deep voice suddenly came from inside the room—it was Yang Guozhong’s voice.

“Third brother, is that you?”

Yang Huahua was shocked. How could Yang Guozhong be here? She suddenly realized he might be hiding here to have an affair! She covered her mouth and laughed, “Third brother, it’s fine! Please continue. I’ll be gone in a moment.”

Just as she was about to slip away, Yang Guozhong stepped out, smiling. “Third sister, where were your thoughts? I’m the right chancellor—would I need to hide here to find a woman?”

“Then what are you hiding here for?” Yang Huahua asked curiously.

“Sigh!” Yang Guozhong sighed. “To be honest, Liu Luogu, An Lushan’s confidant, brought me several boxes of gifts. I’m torn—should I accept them or not?”

“Where are the gifts? Let me see!”

Women naturally love gold, silver, and jewels. Yang Huahua’s eyes lit up immediately. She rushed into the room like the wind. The room was brightly lit, with four large boxes on the floor. The boxes themselves were carved from thick pieces of agarwood, extremely precious. Being an expert in valuables, Yang Huahua instantly recognized their worth. She knelt down and gently stroked them, unable to resist touching them.

“Third brother, may I open them and take a look?”

“See!” Yang Guozhong sat down, deep in thought. His nature favored bribery; of course he liked to accept generous gifts. But An Lushan coming to offer gifts at such a sensitive time was no simple matter—it must be related to reducing the power of regional governors. He wanted Yang Guozhong to help delay the reduction of Fanyang’s power. Everything else could be negotiated, but this matter was extraordinary. A slight mistake could offend Emperor Li Longji, resulting in losing one’s position at best or even death at worst. This gift was hard to accept!

By then, Yang Huahua had already opened a large box made of agarwood. Her eyes were dazzled by the brilliant golden light inside—the box was filled with large pieces of gold. She tried to pick up one, but it was so heavy she couldn’t lift it.

She exclaimed in amazement, “Third brother, how much gold is here?”

“All three boxes are full of gold—ten thousand taels in total. The other box contains titles to 30,000 mu of arable land. This generous gift from An Lushan is beyond my ability to accept!”

“If you can’t accept it, give it to me! I can afford it,” Yang Huahua said with a joyful smile.

“You can’t afford it either. This is the price An Lushan pays to keep his military power. The current emperor is not the old Li Sanlang anymore. Sister, you can’t influence him either.”

“I was just joking. It’s not like An Lushan gave it to me.”

Yang Huahua smiled and then said to Yang Guozhong, “Third brother, I advise you to accept this gift. An Lushan knows very well how capable you are. If you weren’t capable, he wouldn’t have given you such a generous gift. You don’t need to do anything for him personally—just find an excuse for him. Doesn’t he just want to keep his position as a military governor? Excuses are something people come up with. As long as you do what he asks, success or failure is another matter. If it doesn’t work out, you can always return the gift later. Don’t you think so?”

Yang Guozhong thought about it and realized it made sense. If the emperor couldn’t proceed with reducing the power of regional governors and eventually gave up, then he could accept the gift without guilt. Why rush? Feeling relieved, he said with a smile, “Thanks to my sister’s reminder. Everyone deserves a share. I’m not stingy either. I’ll give you one of the three boxes of gold.”

Yang Huahua was overjoyed. “Really for me?”

“When have I ever deceived you? I’ll have someone bring it to you in a carriage soon. But don’t tell your sister-in-law.”

“Of course not!”

Yang Huahua was thrilled. This birthday banquet had been great. After arguing with that stingy woman Pei Rou, she got a whole box of gold—worth it!

At that moment, a voice from the courtyard came in—the butler reporting, “Master, Minister Zhang has an urgent matter and is waiting outside the mansion.”

Yang Guozhong was taken aback. Why did Zhang Yun come to see him so late? Then he suddenly understood—it must be about Cui Yuan’s secret letter. How did he know about it?
“Please, come in!”
…
Zhang Yun was led to Yang Guozhong’s outer study. As soon as he entered, he bowed and said with a smile, “I didn’t know today was the Prime Minister’s wife’s birthday. I didn’t prepare any gifts. I’m ashamed! Please allow me to make it up tomorrow.”
Yang Guozhong replied with a smile, “Minister Zhang, you’re being too formal. You’re not here for the birthday celebration anyway. What does it matter if there are gifts or not? They’ve already been to the celebration. Let’s discuss important matters!”
Hearing the tone in Yang Guozhong’s voice, which seemed to suggest he had guessed Zhang Yun’s purpose, Zhang Yun smiled slightly and said, “Then I’ll stop disturbing the Prime Minister.”
The two sat down in their respective roles as host and guest. A maid brought in two cups of tea. Yang Guozhong said with a smile, “I think it’s more convenient not to close the city gates at night. What do you think, Minister Zhang?”
“Yes! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to visit the Prime Minister tonight. On the way here, I thought about gathering everyone to jointly submit a petition to the emperor to officially abolish the practice of closing the city gates at night.”
Yang Guozhong clapped his hands and laughed. “Great minds think alike. I had the same idea. How about we submit the petition together?”
Hearing his awkward phrasing—what did “great minds think alike” mean?—Zhang Yun secretly shook his head. It was quite remarkable that the right prime minister could speak so incoherently. He felt disdain in his heart, but on his face, he said sincerely, “Then let’s make it a deal. Minister Zhang takes the lead, and I’ll follow.”
The two took another sip of tea and gradually shifted the conversation to important matters.
“A few days ago, regarding the matter proposed by Prime Minister Yang, I thought about it for a long time at my residence and believe we might consider discussing it.”
“Which matter are you referring to, Minister Zhang?” Yang Guozhong asked feigning ignorance.
Zhang Yun remained silent, lowering his head and sipping his tea slowly. After a while, Yang Guozhong suddenly realized what it was and slapped his forehead with a laugh. “I remember now. It’s that matter.”
“Has Prime Minister Yang remembered?” Zhang Yun asked him with a half-smile.
“Mm! I remember. What about that matter?”
But Zhang Yun stopped talking. Instead, he shifted the topic to reducing the power of the regional military governors, sighing softly. “I think the emperor is truly unreasonable in taking away the military power of these governors. If things go wrong, it could cause chaos in the Tang Dynasty.”
“Are you referring to An Sishun’s refusal to give up control of Shuofang?”

An Sishun’s reply refusing to relinquish military power in Shuofang was delivered to Chang’an three days ago. It is said that Li Longji was furious, nearly suffering a relapse of his old illness. For three consecutive days, he locked himself in the palace, refusing to see anyone. As a result, Yang Guozhong was unable to deliver Cui Yuan’s report to the palace. Otherwise, given Yang Guozhong’s eagerness to regain control over Jiannan, he would have reported it long ago.
Zhang Yun nodded and said, “Although An Sishun spoke indirectly and had excuses, he actually defied imperial orders. A military governor who holds military power and refuses to obey imperial decrees—from Li Qing’an to An Sishun, isn’t this a crisis for our Tang Dynasty? I guess Geshu Han will also refuse to obey orders.”
Yang Guozhong also sighed and said, “But this is something we subjects cannot change. Has Secretary Zhang not noticed that the Emperor’s temperament has changed greatly in recent months? Not only is his health declining, but his actions seem to be based on wishful thinking and unrealistic fantasies. Something is clearly wrong with him.”
Yang Guozhong pointed and whispered, “It’s here that something is wrong.”
From a modern perspective, Li Longji seemed to suffer from senile delusions, though not yet severe. But Yang Guozhong and Zhang Yun didn’t understand this; they only sensed that there was a problem with Li Longji.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Yun said, “So we must not add fuel to the fire. We shouldn’t provoke him further with matters related to reducing the power of regional governors. There are some things we must keep silent about.”
“What does Secretary Zhang mean? Give an example!”
Although Yang Guozhong lacked political talent and often made foolish mistakes, he was also extremely intelligent. Gradually understanding Zhang Yun’s meaning, he told Zhang Yun that it might be better to speak openly.
Zhang Yun smiled and said, “For example, that letter sent by Governor Cui—shouldn’t we keep silent about it?”
It was indeed this matter. Seeing that he had guessed correctly, Yang Guozhong felt pleased and also smiled, saying, “Keeping silent isn’t impossible, but the risk is too great. If someone accuses me, I won’t be able to explain myself. So… Secretary Zhang, do you understand what I mean?”
“Very well!”
At this point, Zhang Yun saw no need to beat around the bush. He cleared his throat and showed his sincerity.
“I have thought carefully about what Prime Minister Yang told me a few days ago. Although Li Linfu is dead, I believe some old accounts must be settled clearly.”