Chapter 359: The Surprise Troops from Anxi

“General, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yong has one more message to convey through me,” the guard said calmly.
Li Qing’an was taken aback. He glanced at the guard more closely, sensing a vague familiarity, and smiled, “I seem to have seen you before.”
“You have indeed seen me. I used to be a guard at the Daming Palace. My father’s name is Wei Huan, and I’m Wei Yingwu. I was transferred to the Prince of Yong’s palace last year as an advisor and have come with him on this secret mission to Longyou.”
Li Qing’an nodded. “I remember now. It was in front of the Wei family’s residence. You were with your father at the time.”
“You’re right!”
Wei Yingwu smiled and added, “Then, General, would you like to hear the message he entrusted me to deliver?”
Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before saying, “Alright, go ahead.”
“The Prince of Yong said that if Li Qing’an is willing, he can enter the capital as the Right Prime Minister, and he may choose his own successor as the military governor of Anxi.”
“Is that what His Royal Highness said?”
“Yes. I’m repeating his words exactly as he said them.”
“I ask you to convey back to the Prince that I’ve remembered everything he said.”
“Then I shall take my leave!”
Wei Yingwu bowed and turned to walk toward the city wall. Li Qing’an watched his figure disappear into the darkness before turning to Yan Zhuang and asking, “What do you think?”
Before Yan Zhuang could speak, Li Qing’an stopped him with a smile. “Why not follow Kongming and Zhou Yu’s example? Let’s write our thoughts on our hands to see if we arrive at the same conclusion.”
Though Yan Zhuang didn’t know what Kongming and Zhou Yu had done, he understood what writing on one’s hand meant. He wrote two characters on his hand using a torch. Li Qing’an did the same. They clenched their fists, brought their hands together, and opened them. Under the flickering light, both hands displayed the same two characters: “Enter the capital!”
They exchanged a look and instantly understood each other, bursting into laughter.
With Emperor Li Longji seriously ill and Guanzhong left undefended, An Lushan, like a tiger in the east, posed a threat. Chang’an was bound to be in turmoil. If they took advantage of this weakness to enter the capital, Li Qing’an could harness all advantages—timing, location, and public support. An hour later, three thousand cavalry from Anxi set off from Liangzhou, racing toward Chang’an.
……

An accident occurred again at the Qinggangling camp. King Rong, Li Wan, was forced to go to Lingzhou to persuade An Sishun to surrender. However, he knew full well that going to Lingzhou at that time was like sending a sheep into a tiger’s den, so he never set off for Lingzhou. After crossing Qinggangling, he hid in nearby villages. Unexpectedly, this decision meant he arrived a day earlier than Li Heng did after receiving the news. But since the roads through Qinggangling had been destroyed by mudslides, he couldn’t return quickly and had to take a detour. Nevertheless, he still reached the Qinggangling camp half an hour earlier than Guo Ziyi.

Li Wan had been kneeling by Emperor Li Longji’s sickbed for a long time. Li Longji lay quietly on the bed, unconscious for five days. The severe effects of excessive indulgence and aphrodisiacs had brought him to the brink of life and death. Fortunately, he didn’t die. Though visibly emaciated, he could still eat liquid food and thus preserved his life. As a human, he could continue living, but his reign as emperor was over. Neither the various political factions in the Tang Dynasty nor the ordinary officials and people could accept an emperor who was unconscious. Yang Guozhong realized this, and now Li Wan did as well. A new emperor of the Tang Dynasty was about to emerge. Li Wan was in turmoil. Unprepared for such a sudden turn of events, he didn’t know how to respond. His confusion left him kneeling in front of his father, unable to make a decision for a long time.

Meanwhile, Yang Guozhong was extremely anxious. He hoped Li Wan would take charge of the situation and seize military power. He should convene a meeting with senior generals and have them pledge loyalty to him, rather than hiding in a corner mourning his father. As half an hour passed without any sign of Li Wan taking action, Yang Guozhong could no longer hold back. He stepped forward, gently helped Li Wan up, and urged him, “Your Highness, please accept this fate with composure. The top priority now is to stabilize the troops and prevent mutiny. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Li Wan sighed. “I have already taken back control of the Hedong army. It may not be so easy to control the armies in Longyou and Guanzhong. I’ll talk to them one by one tonight. I’m sure I can persuade them.”

“Evening!” Yang Guozhong grew anxious immediately. He had never met such a indecisive person. At such a critical moment, he still wanted to schedule another meeting for evening. Unable to contain his frustration, Yang Guozhong spoke bluntly, “Does Your Highness still not understand? If you gain control of these 200,000 troops, the throne of the Tang Dynasty will belong to you. At such a crucial moment, what is there left to hesitate about? Hurry and convene the generals to secure their loyalty. Wu Xianyi’s two sons are also on their way here. If we delay any longer, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will be lost.”
As soon as Yang Guozhong finished speaking, urgent reports came from outside the tent from the guards, “Prime Minister, Guo Ziyi, the governor of Shuofang, has entered the camp, along with 3,000 cavalry.”
Yang Guozhong was stunned. He immediately turned around and shouted, “Who dares to be so bold as to let him in?”
“Nobody made a decision; the soldiers guarding the gate simply let him in.”
Anxiously, Yang Guozhong stamped his feet repeatedly. “This is bad, Your Highness! Things are really bad now!”
There was no doubt that Guo Ziyi’s arrival was aimed at seizing power. Sweat poured down Yang Guozhong’s forehead from anxiety. He had been blind to place his hopes on such an indecisive prince. He regretted it deeply, but he had no other choice. He grabbed Li Wan, who was equally stunned, and said urgently, “For now, we must quickly take control of the Hedong army.”
……
The arrival of the veteran general Guo Ziyi drastically changed the situation in the Qinggangling camp. Leveraging his strong connections within the Longyou army, Guo Ziyi won over the support of Longyou generals Yang Jinghui and Wang Nande, causing 40,000 Longyou troops to pledge loyalty to the crown prince Li Yu.
Meanwhile, Prince Rong Li Wan also successfully regained control of the Hedong army. Amid the chaos, he and Yang Guozhong led the Hedong army 20 li southeast to confront the Qinggangling camp.
At that moment, Li Heng appeared in the camp. He took over the care of the seriously ill Li Longji and sent Chen Xilie back to the capital at full speed to announce the critical news that Li Longji had fallen into a coma to the court officials.
At the very same time Li Heng appeared in the camp, Wu Xianyi’s two sons, Li Qiu and Li Qi, also arrived. They joined forces, bringing about 20,000 troops, and stationed themselves west of Qinggangling, forming a counterforce to Prince Rong Li Wan’s army. With the two armies on opposite sides pressing on Li Heng to hand over Li Longji, all three sides entered a stalemate.

Li Qing’an led 3,000 cavalry across the Yellow River at Huizhou and rushed eastward day and night. They passed through Zhisheng Pass and the Liupan Mountains to enter Jingzhou. With Guanzhong empty, they advanced unimpeded. Two days later, the 3,000 cavalry reached the north bank of the Wei River. After several days of intense marching, both men and horses were exhausted to the limit. Seeing his troops worn out, Li Qing’an ordered them to camp in a military camp near the Wei River in Jingyang County.

By now, dusk had fallen. Li Qing’an rode to the banks of the Wei River. He spurred his horse up a high hill and stood there, gazing at the magnificent city of Chang’an in the distance. A gentle breeze blew, and the sunset above Chang’an gradually changed from goose yellow to scarlet. In the distance, the grand Daming Palace on Longshouyuan was enveloped in a rose-red glow, shining like an eternal flower against the purple sky.

“What a beautiful land—it draws countless heroes to bow before it!”

Li Qing’an murmured to himself. This unparalleled great city of the East was right before his eyes, so close. But when would he be able to truly take control of it?

At that moment, his trusted general Nan Jiyun rode slowly up to him and said in a low voice, “General, I believe this is an opportunity. Guanzhong is empty, and our Anxi army has hundreds of thousands of strong soldiers. With just 50,000 troops, we can fully control Guanzhong.”

Li Qing’an shook his head and smiled faintly. “Nan Ba, this isn’t an opportunity—it’s a trap. If I enter Chang’an now, I’ll end up like Dong Zhuo back then—eventually disgraced and killed unjustly.”

“But General, this isn’t the end of the Han Dynasty, and you’re not Dong Zhuo—you’re An Lushan. I think this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. It would be a shame if you let it slip away.”

“It would take at least a month to transfer 50,000 troops from Anxi. Have you thought about what might happen during that time?”

Li Qing’an glanced back at Nan Jiyun. Seeing his disappointed expression, he pointed at a cargo ship on the Wei River and said, “Look at that ship. Though it’s sturdy and strong, without the river’s current to carry it, without the pull of sails, and without crew to operate it, how could it move upstream? In my view, the river current represents the right timing—just like one’s background. Although I was established later, I’m not of legitimate origin. Gaining support from the court and public opinion isn’t something that can be achieved in a short time. As for the sails, they represent favorable terrain—just like the right moment to launch an attack. You think we can send troops now because Guanzhong is empty, but that’s not the case. Even if we take control of Guanzhong, at most we’d be a king of Guanzhong, with the reputation of a rebel on our backs. Back then, Cao Cao was able to use the emperor to command the lords because he seized the right moment. Emperor Xian of Han was forced by Dong Zhuo, and Cao Cao went to rescue him, which earned him the recognition of the whole country. But what am I? At most, I’d be like Dong Zhuo, allowing An Lushan to become Cao Cao, commanding the world and leading eighteen lords to attack Chang’an?”
At this, seeing Nan Jiyun deep in thought and silent, Li Qing’an gently patted his shoulder and said earnestly, “The key also lies with the soldiers from Anxi. They’re like boatmen—whether they can work together and fully support me. You’re my confidant, so of course you’ll support me, but not every soldier from Anxi is willing to support me. I still need time to fully take control of their forces. If I rush things, internal divisions could easily lead to being split apart from within, making it difficult to recover.”
Nan Jiyun nodded silently. After a long while, he also smiled and said, “I understand what the general means. Right timing, favorable terrain, and unity are all essential. With the general’s current reputation, becoming a king of Anxi isn’t a problem, but to take Chang’an and replace the current emperor, it’s indeed not the right time yet. I was too simplistic in my thinking. But I still don’t quite understand—why did the general bring three thousand men to Chang’an?”
“It’s simple. Have you forgotten that I’m also one of the prime ministers?”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “During a change of emperor, how could I stay out of it? But tonight, I need to meet someone first.”
……
Night quietly covered the land of Guanzhong. A bright moon rose, hanging high in the sky. Though only half full and still far from being full, it still cast a soft, clear glow over the world. Mountains, bamboo, fields, temples, fences, and haystacks were all covered in an endless expanse of white, hazy mist, appearing ethereal, mysterious, and beautiful.

Several dozen miles east of Chang’an lies Lishan Mountain. At the foot of the mountain is the famous Huaqing Palace. The troops stationed at Huaqing Palace were also taken away by Li Longji; only over a hundred Yu Lin soldiers remained to guard this winter palace of the Tang Dynasty. Li Qing’an, accompanied by more than three hundred bodyguards, also arrived at Lishan Mountain, but he wasn’t going to Huaqing Palace. A dozen of his bodyguards took care of the horses at the foot of the mountain, while Li Qing’an and the rest climbed up the mountain. The path was rugged, surrounded by dense forests, with the sound of streams flowing—creating a truly beautiful scenery. When they reached halfway up the mountain, they saw a waterfall in the distance, its roar audible, with misty water droplets hitting their faces. Deep in the bamboo forest near the waterfall, the edge of a roof could be faintly seen—it turned out to be a temple.

At that moment, a dozen dark figures appeared from all directions. They were agile and skilled, each carrying a long sword or a recurve bow. The leader was a man in his thirties, the most skilled fighter among them. He stepped forward quickly and knelt on one knee before Li Qing’an, saying, “Your humble servant, Yu Chengjun, a scout officer of the Anxi Army, pays his respects to the great general.”

Yu Chengjun was one of Li Qing’an’s trusted personal soldiers. He had been assigned to Chang’an as the deputy leader of the spies. Over a month ago, he received a message from Li Qing’an ordering him to carry out a secret mission.

It’s worth mentioning that since the exposure of the Han-Tang Association last year, Li Huichun suffered a tragic fate. Li Qing’an took this opportunity to reorganize the Han-Tang Association. Everyone Li Deng knew was withdrawn to Anxi or Suiye, while many newcomers were sent to various regions in the Central Plains to head the branches of the Han-Tang Association. Many of these newcomers were drawn from the Anxi Army. Li Qing’an used this to transform the Han-Tang Association into his own intelligence agency. Under the cover of various businesses, they sent large amounts of intelligence to Anxi.

Currently, Chang’an’s chief leader was still Chang Jin, with Yu Chengjun and the dozen or so men in black as his deputies. They were all highly skilled members of the Han-Tang Association.

Li Qing’an nodded and asked, “How is she? Has anyone disturbed her?”

“Not yet. This place is very hidden; most people don’t know about it.”

“Does she know you exist?”

Yu Chengjun hesitated for a moment before answering, “The female Taoist priests in the temple might know a little.”

“Continue to keep watch around here. Don’t disturb her cultivation.”

Li Qing’an then said to his bodyguards, “Everyone, guard the surroundings. Only a few of us need to go in.”

Protected by several of his trusted bodyguards, Li Qing’an walked along a path into a bamboo forest. After passing through the bamboo, a Taoist temple suddenly appeared before them. Built along the slope of the mountain, it wasn’t large but was very tall and sturdy, clearly a new temple that had only been built a few years ago.

Li Qingan stepped up the steps, hands behind his back, and glanced at the plaque on the gate, which read three characters: “Jingxin Guan.” He smiled, stepped forward, and knocked on the doorbell several times. After a moment, footsteps were heard inside, and an old woman’s voice asked, “Who is it?”
“A pilgrim who has come here on hearing of its fame.”
The door creaked open slightly, revealing an aged face wearing a Taoist hat and a gray Taoist robe—an elderly female Taoist priest.
Seeing several soldiers outside, she was terrified and tried to close the door quickly. Li Qingan, having anticipated this, used his leg to hold the door open.
“Great Heavenly Venerable, may I ask… what do you want?” the female Taoist priest asked nervously, stammering.
“I would like to see the noble concubine.”
Her expression changed drastically as she hurriedly said, “There is no noble concubine here. You must be mistaken.”
Li Qingan said with a half-smile, “Really?”
“No!”
A few more female Taoist priests came out, led by one in her forties, tall and plump, who stared at Li Qingan warily and shook her head firmly. “You’re mistaken. Please leave!”
Li Qingan sneered, clapped his hands, and suddenly a large group of muscular soldiers appeared at the edge of the bamboo forest, radiating murderous intent. The female Taoist priest’s face turned pale instantly as she stepped back several times, trembling and asking, “Who exactly are you?”
Li Qingan bowed slightly and smiled. “Please convey to the noble concubine that Li Qingan, the Anxi Military Governor, has come to see her in person.”
“So you’re Li Qingan!”
The female Taoist priests exclaimed in shock. Li Qingan nodded with a smile. “That’s right, it’s me!”
He took out a golden arrow and handed it to the middle-aged female Taoist priest. “Give this to her. Whether she meets me or not is up to her.”
The middle-aged woman stared at Li Qingan for a while before finally taking the golden arrow. “Very well! Please wait here. Do not come in for now.”
“I’ll wait right here.”
The door closed again, and the footsteps faded away. After a moment, footsteps were heard inside again, and the door opened once more. The middle-aged female Taoist priest clasped her hands in greeting. “General, please follow me.”
Li Qingan entered the gate, followed by his bodyguards. But the female Taoist priest said, “The immortal said only the general may enter.”
“You wait here. I won’t cause any trouble.”
After giving a few instructions, Li Qingan followed the female Taoist priest deep into the temple, passing through the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, to a courtyard. She led him to a small door and pointed inside, whispering, “She lives in there. Go ahead by yourself!”

Li Qing’an nodded silently and entered through the small gate. Inside was a small courtyard, with a grapevine in the center. Green leaves covered the old vines, and tender branches stretched in all directions. The night breeze was refreshing. Seeing a small music stand in one corner of the courtyard with a zither on it, Li Qing’an shook his head and hurriedly walked toward a house. Before he could speak, Yang Guifei’s gentle voice came from inside, “General Li, please come in!”