Chapter 365: Sending Cattle to Lushan

It had been three days since Li Qing’an returned to Chang’an. During these days, he had essentially become Li Yu’s agent. Wave after wave of court officials came to visit him, expressing almost the same idea: they were willing to pledge loyalty to the crown prince and hoped he would ascend the throne as soon as possible. According to Li Qing’an’s calculations, nearly 80% of the court officials supported Li Yu’s ascension, but this could not serve as a basis for his coronation. Most of these mid- and lower-ranking officials were merely following the trend. If Li Longji regained consciousness, they would also oppose the crown prince ascending the throne unilaterally. Ultimately, a final decision still needed to be made by the Political Council.

Li Qing’an wasn’t in a hurry either. Over these days, he had visited many important officials, including Zhang Yun, the Minister of Revenue, to gauge their attitudes. Zhang Yun was a key figure; if he expressed support for Li Yu’s ascension, the Political Council would have an overwhelming majority in its favor, allowing Li Yu to ascend the throne smoothly. Unfortunately, Zhang Yun stuck to his own opinion, suggesting that a decision should be made after the emperor returned to the capital.

Of course, Li Qing’an could also force Li Yu’s ascension through his 3,000 cavalry troops—no one would dare oppose him. But the problem lay with Li Yu himself, who also insisted on waiting for the emperor’s return. However, if the Political Council unanimously approved it, he could temporarily assume the throne.

At noon, as Li Qing’an was preparing to head to the Eastern Palace, Cui Guangyuan, the magistrate of Wannian County, urgently came to see him, accompanied by a lower-ranking official.

Cui Guangyuan was one of the few officials who had pledged loyalty to Li Qing’an. He had originally intended to give up his humble position as magistrate to serve in Anxi, but Li Qing’an dissuaded him, arguing that staying in Chang’an as a magistrate would be more useful. Indeed, with Cui Guangyuan’s help, many key members of the Han-Tang Society who were under arrest managed to escape from Chang’an. The Reihai Tavern, run by Chang Jin, was also not seized, as it contained millions in wealth belonging to the Han-Tang Society. Cui Guangyuan played a crucial role in its survival. But today, he had even more urgent matters to discuss with Li Qing’an.

“General, I have important news to report,” Cui Guangyuan said anxiously once they returned to the reception hall.

Li Qing’an glanced at the official standing behind Cui Guangyuan—around forty years old, with an unremarkable appearance, clearly a low-ranking official. He guessed that the urgent matter Cui Guangyuan mentioned was related to this man.

Unsurprised, Li Qing’an smiled and asked, “Cui, who is this person behind you?”

The official quickly bowed to Li Qing’an. “I am Yao Shengping, the head of the Imperial Stables Department. I am a close friend of Magistrate Cui, and I asked him to introduce me so that I could report important matters to the general.”

The Department of Stables was responsible for raising horses and cattle and providing for other livestock. The head of this department was merely a minor official of the seventh rank, which puzzled Li Qing’an—why had the head of the Department of Stables come to see him? Could there be a problem with his cavalry horses?
“What happened?”
Yao Shengping thought for a moment before saying, “This morning, I accidentally heard news that An Lushan intends to send six thousand head of cattle and horses to the capital.”
“And the Minister of the Imperial Stables, Da Xi Xun, has already approved An Lushan’s request,” Cui Guangyuan added.
“Why would An Lushan send cattle and horses to the capital?” Li Qing’an wasn’t quite sure what they meant.
Yao Shengping replied, “It is said that because the victims of disasters in Hedong stole and killed many draft cows while fleeing to Guanzhong, An Lushan wants to make amends to Guanzhong, so he is sending cattle and horses there.”
“That’s strange. If he wants to make amends by sending cattle and horses to Guanzhong, that should be the local officials’ responsibility—what does it have to do with An Lushan?”
Li Qing’an truly didn’t understand An Lushan’s motives. He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back before suddenly stopping and asking, “If we’re to take care of the cattle and horses on their journey to the capital, how many attendants would be needed at most?”
Yao Shengping, being experienced, replied immediately, “It depends on how carefully they need to be taken care of. Generally, one person can take care of five animals, but if more attention is required, one person per animal is needed—especially for high-quality warhorses.”
“One person per animal? Then six thousand animals would require six thousand people.”
Li Qing’an murmured to himself. He suddenly understood the key point—An Lushan was planning to lead troops to the capital.
Realizing this, Li Qing’an ordered immediately, “Prepare a carriage right away. I must go to the Eastern Palace at once.”
He also praised Yao Shengping, “You reported this very promptly. If An Lushan’s plot is thwarted, you will be credited with the greatest merit.”
Yao Shengping, flattered, said, “I dare not claim such credit. I merely thought something was suspicious.”
Li Qing’an nodded and then said to Cui Guangyuan, “Guangyuan, do me a favor—investigate how many properties An Lushan has in Chang’an or Guanzhong, as well as how many employees or slaves he has. Report to me immediately once you find out anything.”
“I understand. I’ll go investigate right away.”
Cui Guangyuan agreed and left in a hurry with Yao Shengping. Li Qing’an quickly packed up and rode a carriage to the Eastern Palace at full speed. He realized that the first crisis had arrived.

In the Eastern Palace, Li Yu stood by the window with his hands behind his back. The afternoon sun was particularly glaring, shining on his face and making it difficult for him to keep his eyes open. Yet even through the sunlight, one could still see the unmistakable worry in his eyes. Although he publicly stated that he would wait for the emperor’s return before discussing his ascension to the throne, that was not his true intention. Li Yu was extremely anxious; he was well aware that Guanzhong was vulnerable, and if his position as emperor was not secured, his status would be at risk once enemy forces entered the region.

Most of the local warlords had connections with princes, and the only one who clearly supported him was Li Qing’an. Although Ge Shuhan had once expressed his support, after a major upheaval, all communication with him was lost, and his true intentions were unknown.

Li Yu was especially worried about the armies from Jiannan moving north. He had already learned that Prince Ying was colluding with Gao Xianzhi. With an army backing him, how could the ambitious Prince Ying not aspire to the throne? There was also An Lushan, who had already sent troops to occupy Hedong—would he turn his attention to Guanzhong as well? Li Yu’s mind was filled with concerns. The situation he faced was complex, and restoring the prosperity of the Kaiyuan era was no easy task. Not to mention restoring unity to the Tang Dynasty and eliminating the local warlords—those would be even more difficult.

Fiscal problems persisted, the military was weak, land consolidation was severe, there was an increase in displaced people, and the people suffered greatly. Tensions between officials and the common people had reached a critical level. With all this, what could he use to bring order to the realm?

Li Yu sighed. “Master, how should I start to address this chaos?”

Not far behind Li Yu stood his master, Li Mi. Since leaving Li Qing’an, Li Mi had devoted himself to assisting Li Yu. He advised him to actively participate in government affairs and gradually take control, especially by trusting Li Qing’an to gain external support.

Understanding Li Yu’s troubles, Li Mi slowly stepped forward and said, “Your Highness need not be overly anxious. Everything has its own pattern of progression—everything that exists will eventually cease to exist. It may not be perfect, but it won’t be terrible either. After all, Your Highness is the legitimate heir, and no one dares to act rashly. Even An Lushan only dares to claim the position of governor of Hedong. The key is to stabilize the situation and prevent it from getting out of control, then plan carefully. Don’t rush things; wait for the right opportunity and act decisively then.”

“Master, everything has priorities. What is urgent now, and what can wait? Please teach me.”

“Your Highness, the top priority is to ascend to the throne and gain the support of the people. This cannot be delayed, or chaos will ensue. Your Highness, there’s something I’m not sure whether to say or not.”

“What more is there you won’t tell me? Please speak freely.”

Li Bi sighed and said, “Actually, what worries me the most isn’t the princes or the military governors—it’s Prince Yong.”
“My father!” Li Yu was stunned and quickly asked, “Where did that come from?”
“Don’t You Highness think Prince Yong has been in Shuofang for too long?”
Li Bi’s eyes were filled with concern. Li Heng clearly had a decisive military advantage and could have swiftly defeated Prince Rong, yet he insisted on staying in a stalemate, ignoring the vulnerability of Chang’an. This made one doubt his motives.
Li Yu remained silent for a long time. After a while, he spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, “Perhaps my father has his own reasons. He’s been working hard for me—we shouldn’t doubt him. Besides, the throne belongs to him anyway. If he wants it, I should give it to him. That’s what a son should do.”
Li Bi nodded silently, then smiled again and said, “Anyway, Your Highness must ascend the throne as soon as possible. We can’t delay any longer. I’ll discuss this with Li Qing’an.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a guard reported at the door, “Your Highness, the Prince of Anxi requests an audience, saying it’s urgent.”
Li Yu was momentarily stunned before realizing it was Li Qing’an. He quickly said, “Please let him in at once!”
Li Bi stepped forward slowly, his expression solemn. “He said it’s urgent—something serious must have happened.”
A moment later, Li Qing’an rushed in, bowing to Li Yu. “I pay my respects to Your Highness!”
“General, there’s no need for formalities. Why did you come in such a hurry? What happened?”
“I just received news that An Lushan is coming to the capital to offer cattle—three thousand heads each of cattle and horses. Does Your Highness know about this?”
Li Yu was surprised. “I’m unaware of this. How did you find out?”
“I just learned about it. An Lushan claims he’s compensating the victims of disasters in Hedong for stealing cattle in Guanzhong, so he’s offering them to the court. Moreover, the Ministry of Horse Affairs has approved it.”
Li Yu frowned deeply. Indeed, many counties in Jingzhao had complained about the victims from Hedong. He had heard of this, but it didn’t make sense for An Lushan to take responsibility for it. Such unreasonable actions often hid some ulterior motive. What was An Lushan’s true intention?
At that moment, Li Bi, who had remained silent until then, suddenly said, “I understand what the general means. An Lushan is planning to march into Guanzhong.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
Li Qing’an also sighed. “Sir is right. Six thousand livestock entering Guanzhong, with one person per animal—that means six thousand soldiers, all cavalry. This is An Lushan’s ruse to deceive everyone.”

Li Yu was stunned. An Lushan, whom he feared the most, had finally taken action. He said anxiously, “If that’s indeed the case, how should we respond?”
Li Mi remained silent. What more was there to think about? Since Li Qing’an had taken the initiative to come, it was only natural that the responsibility for responding fell on him.
After a moment’s reflection, Li Yu also realized this. He bowed deeply to Li Qing’an and pleaded, “Guanzhong is defenseless. I hope the great general can help me deal with this crisis.”
Li Qing’an nodded and said, “An Lushan’s entry into the capital is akin to Dong Zhuo’s invasion. With weak forces in Guanzhong, although my own troops are few, I still have a duty to act. I’ve heard that Wang Sili, the marshal of Tongguan, is loyal to Your Highness. I suggest you write him an immediate personal letter, asking him to obey my orders so that I can concentrate my forces and perhaps thwart An Lushan’s schemes.”
Li Mi added, “Your Highness, the great general is right. There are also three thousand troops at Tongguan. If Wang Sili follows the great general’s orders, we’ll have six thousand troops at our disposal, enough to deal with An Lushan’s invasion. Please write the letter right away.”
Li Yu followed Li Mi’s advice without hesitation. He immediately drafted two letters, sealed them with the seal of the Eastern Palace, gave one to Li Qing’an, and sent the other via a trusted guard to Tongguan, ordering Wang Sili not to allow An Lushan’s troops to enter without permission and to follow Li Qing’an’s orders.
At that moment, Li Qing’an said, “If I go to Tongguan, my only concern is the defense of Chang’an. There are only two thousand troops there, tasked with protecting both the palace and the city gates—far too few. I suggest recruiting local militia from various counties in Chang’an to strengthen the defenses. I know many of the displaced people there were once imperial soldiers. If Your Highness pardons their crime of fleeing, it shouldn’t be difficult to recruit over ten thousand troops, thus strengthening Chang’an’s defenses. I urge Your Highness to adopt this plan.”
“But I’m worried that Zhang Yun will obstruct this, and it won’t pass the council.”
“That’s not a problem. I can ensure Zhang Yun can’t stop it. Your Highness can hold an emergency council this afternoon.”
……
After leaving the Eastern Palace, Li Qing’an immediately ordered someone to summon Nan Jiyun and said to him, “You can lead five hundred men to stay in Chang’an and command the local militia recruited by the crown prince.”
Nan Jiyun was shocked and quickly asked, “Then where is the great general going?”
“An Lushan has invaded. I must rush to Tongguan to defend it. But I’m worried that An Lushan may have a backup plan, or that Prince Ying might lead troops into the capital. So you must ensure Chang’an’s safety at all costs. No troops are allowed to enter without my orders.”
“I shall obey your orders!”

Nan Jiyun was about to leave when Li Qingan called him back and whispered instructions to him, “This afternoon, the council will hold an emergency meeting in the government hall. Zhang Yun is currently in his residence. You must lead your troops to block his door and prevent him from leaving, do you understand what I mean?”
Nan Jiyun was stunned and smiled bitterly. “I’m just worried this might affect the general’s reputation.”
Li Qingan smiled slightly and patted Nan Jiyun’s shoulder. “There’s no absolute black or white in the world; it depends on how you frame things. If anyone says you’re blocking his door, just say you’re acting on my orders to protect Minister Zhang—there are assassins near his house. Got it?”
Nan Jiyun finally understood Li Qingan’s intention. A rare sly smile appeared on his usually serious face. “Then I’ll play the role of an assassin.”
Li Qingan laughed heartily. “I never thought Nan Ba could use schemes too—great progress!”
He praised him twice more, gave him a few more instructions, then immediately led 2,500 cavalrymen toward the city gates.
……
(In history, An Lushan pretended to send horses to the capital, with two attendants per horse, with ulterior motives. However, local officials saw through his scheme and urgently submitted a report to expose it.)