Chapter 422: Complete Breakoff

The news that An Lushan’s army had crossed the Yellow River shocked Li Yu greatly. If there was still the natural barrier of Tongguan to prevent An Lushan from entering Guanzhong in Hedong, then once he crossed the Yellow River, he could march south from the provinces within the passes to enter Guanzhong—equivalent to wolves entering a house, adding fuel to the already chaotic situation there.

Li Yu was extremely anxious. He turned to look at Li Mi, who had remained silent and deep in thought. Unlike Li Yu, he did not appear surprised. An Lushan crossing the Yellow River was within his expectations. Although the troops guarding Tongguan were weak, as long as they stayed inside the passes and refused to fight, even An Lushan’s elite forces would find it difficult to enter. But once An Lushan crossed the Yellow River, things would get complicated. There were no troops in Shuofang, while all the major armies were concentrated in Guanzhong, leaving the roads within the passes empty. If An Lushan occupied the area north of those roads, it would be like a mountain pressing down on Guanzhong and Chang’an, putting the imperial court in grave danger.

“Your Majesty, the top priority is to drive An Lushan back east of the Yellow River. We can ask Li Qing’an for help to hold back his forces.”
“Li Qing’an? Will he do it?”
“He will! Definitely. As long as he still considers himself part of the imperial family and the Prince of Zhao, he will surely confront An Lushan. One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. In fact, even without an imperial order, he would surely send troops. But with an order from Your Majesty, it will be more legitimate and bind him to Your Majesty’s side. If Xingqing Palace issues the order first, that will cause trouble.”
Li Yu nodded. “I understand. I will issue the order immediately.”

He promptly issued an order appointing Li Qing’an as the Pacification Commissioner for the Northern Routes within the passes, tasked with inspecting the provinces there—essentially ordering him to lead troops to confront An Lushan. He also appointed Pei Min, the Minister of Revenue, as the Censor-in-Chief to deliver the order to Li Qing’an’s army.

But this decision alone was not enough. To prevent An Lushan from seizing the chaos in Guanzhong to openly rebel, Li Yu decided to negotiate with his grandfather, seeking a compromise acceptable to both sides so they could concentrate their forces against An Lushan.

……

In Xingqing Palace, Li Longji was also filled with anxiety and tension. He had learned that Li Liu, the Prince of Shu, had arrived at the front army camp. Yet precisely because of his presence, Gao Xianzhi, who had been advancing swiftly, suddenly slowed down his attacks. He stationed his troops at Baoji Mountain south of Chencang and refused to launch further assaults. This made Li Longji furious. He knew that his thirteenth son was not cautious in battle but simply unwilling to risk his life for him, aiming to preserve his own strength. Similarly, Li Mao in Hanzhong had fought a symbolic battle and stopped after a brief engagement, also to conserve his forces.

Li Longji was filled with anger but unable to express it. He could only sigh and say to Gao Lishi, “My two sons lack the courage to achieve great things. Especially Thirteenth Son—though he has an army of a hundred thousand, he’s too timid to accomplish anything significant!”
“Your Majesty, perhaps we should negotiate peace with the imperial grandson?” Gao Lishi suggested cautiously.
“Negotiate peace?” Li Longji glanced at Gao Lishi warily and said unhappily, “How can we negotiate peace? Will he be willing to yield his throne to me? It seems you’re growing more confused as you age, lacking even basic judgment.”
Gao Lishi knew of Li Longji’s stubbornness. Though not as foolish and obstinate as when he was ill, he was no longer the energetic young emperor of the Kaiyuan era. Persuading him was extremely difficult, but Gao Lishi still wanted to try.
“But Your Majesty, he is after all your grandson. His throne represents the continuation of the Tang Dynasty. If it falls into the hands of people like An Lushan, it will be a disaster for our dynasty. Your Majesty, we must not fight among ourselves and give advantage to foreign invaders!”
“You’re overthinking it. An Lushan is just a petty clown; there’s no need to worry about him. It’s that traitorous grandson who should worry. My decision is clear—unless that traitor steps down, I will never give in.”
Seeing that Li Longji remained stubborn, Gao Lishi could only sigh and say, “Your Majesty, go for a walk! Staying indoors for too long is bad for your health. I’ll accompany you to the back garden.”
“Good idea! I want some sunlight too. Go with me!”
As soon as they spoke, shouts could be heard from outside. Li Longji frowned and said to the eunuch beside him, “Go see what’s going on.”
The eunuch rushed outside and returned soon, saying anxiously, “Your Majesty, it’s the Emperor. He’s outside the palace, asking to see you.”
“What does he want? Don’t let him in!”
Li Longji became furious immediately and shouted at his attendants, “Go! Drive him away! I don’t want such a grandson!”
Gao Lishi quickly advised, “Your Majesty, at least meet with him! He must have important matters to discuss. It’s better to hear what he has to say before making a decision.”
Li Longji sneered repeatedly, “Hmph! He sent troops to besiege me—showing no regard for our kinship. Why should I yield? I’d rather die in Xingqing Palace than see him again. Tell him to leave!”
“Your Majesty, calm down. Maybe he’s here to make concessions. Listen to what he has to say first; you can drive him away later.”
Li Longji’s expression softened slightly, and he said to Gao Lishi, “Then go and hear what he has to say! I will never see him again. Tell him I’m ashamed to meet someone who oppresses his own clan.”

“Very well! I’ll go and take a look first.”
Gao Lishi had no choice but to hurry outside the palace.
…
On the square in front of Xingqing Hall, Li Yu knelt on the steps, his back straight, repeating loudly over and over, “Please let my grandfather meet his grandson—there is an urgent matter to discuss!”
A few eunuchs nearby were panicked and tried several times to help him up, but he pushed them away. Today, he was determined to persuade his grandfather to end internal strife and unite against external threats. If his grandfather could propose a new emperor he could accept, he would be willing to give up the throne. For the long-term stability of the Tang Dynasty and to resolve the issue of land consolidation that caused endless turmoil, he would rather abandon the throne than cling to it, showing that his actions were for the sake of the empire founded by his ancestors.
“Please let my grandfather meet my grandson—there is an urgent matter to discuss!”
At that moment, Gao Lishi stepped forward quickly. From afar, he had heard Li Yu’s cries. He sighed inwardly—such a good grandson, such a capable emperor, yet Li Longji was determined to drive him down from power, claiming it was because he had violated the interests of the clan. But in reality, it was still power at play. Li Longji, who was on the verge of dying, refused to see beyond the desire for power; he wanted to sit on the throne until his death, regardless of the chaos he caused.
Gao Lishi hurried over to help Li Yu up. “Your Majesty, please get up!”
But Li Yu stubbornly shook his head. “Elder Gao, I must speak with my grandfather face to face about the fate of the Tang Dynasty. If he won’t meet me, I will not get up.”
Gao Lishi sighed again. “Your grandfather is old and tired. If there’s anything, just tell me, and I’ll convey it to him and try to persuade him.”
“Elder Gao, the Tang Dynasty is at a critical moment—faced with internal and external threats. As its emperor, I bear great responsibility. If my grandfather thinks I’m incompetent, we can discuss it and jointly elect a capable member of the clan to lead the dynasty out of this crisis. Then I can abdicate. Elder Gao, I’ve come today to discuss these matters with my grandfather. Please consider the well-being of the empire.”
“Very well! I’ll talk to your grandfather, but stop kneeling. Get up!”
“No! I must wait for him to come to me. That’s my sincerity.”
Gao Lishi shook his head and returned to the palace. As soon as he entered the hall, Li Longji asked coldly, “Has he agreed to abdicate?”

“Your Majesty, the Emperor wishes to meet with you in person. The situation is dire at present, and we hope you can set aside your differences for now and sit down to discuss together, choosing a new emperor that both of you can accept. Your Majesty, the Emperor is truly sincere!”
“Sincere? Hmph!” Li Longji dismissed Li Yu’s sincerity, saying, “I’ve ruled for over forty years; I’m well aware of his petty tricks. First, he tries to persuade me to yield, and once he achieves his goals, he reverts to his ways. Does he really think I’ve gone senile? A few kind words mean sincerity? Tell him that if he’s truly sincere, he should return the confiscated lands to the imperial family, give back all the stolen property and grain, and publicly issue an imperial edict admitting his faults. Only then will I believe his sincerity. Otherwise, I have nothing more to say to him.”
Gao Lishi’s eyes showed distress. He truly couldn’t understand why Li Longji had become so stubborn, proposing conditions that Li Yu could never agree to—asking him to give back lands and grain, acting inconsistently. Such actions would lose everyone’s support; it was Li Longji who lacked sincerity.
Helpless, Gao Lishi left the palace again and went to Li Yu’s side. Kneeling down, he urged, “Your Majesty, please listen to this old servant! Go back and deal with those urgent matters first. It’s impossible to persuade your grandfather; just give up!”
“What did my grandfather say?” Li Yu asked stubbornly.
“Your grandfather set conditions: he wants you to give back lands, money, and grain, return everything taken from the imperial family, and issue an imperial edict admitting his faults. Only then will he forgive you and discuss the matter of a new emperor.”
Li Yu lowered his head, filled with pain. He hadn’t expected his grandfather to propose such harsh conditions—conditions he could never accept. Finally, gritting his teeth, he said, “As long as my grandfather agrees to my land reform plan, I’m willing to compromise. Let him appoint the new emperor, but give me one year to completely reverse land consolidation and return land to the farmers. Just one year—after that, I’ll hand over the throne to him.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Elder Gao! Please go and tell my grandfather.”
“Very well! Wait here.”
Gao Lishi returned to the palace. Li Longji had already gotten up and, with Wu Ruiniang’s support, was preparing to return to the inner palace to rest. Seeing Gao Lishi enter, he sneered, “Has he left?”
“No. He’s willing to compromise, letting the retired emperor appoint the new emperor, but he wants one year to resolve the issue of land consolidation.”

“No!” Li Longji firmly refused. “Tell him that he can’t try to deceive me with delaying tactics. He needn’t worry about land consolidation; I’ll handle it myself. If he doesn’t want to go back on his word or issue a self-reproach edict, fine! I won’t require him to do that. I’ll take care of returning the land and compensating with grain on his behalf—but only on the condition that he abdicates by tomorrow. That’s my bottom line; there’s no room for compromise.”

After saying that, Li Longji helped Wu Ruiniang and entered the inner palace, never looking back again. Gao Lishi stared blankly as he disappeared, then let out a long sigh and left the hall in a dejected mood.

He went over to Li Yu, helped him up, and shook his head. “Your imperial grandfather wants you to abdicate tomorrow. He’ll handle the rest on your behalf. Your Majesty, the conflict between you is beyond repair now.”

Li Yu stood there in a daze, his mind blank. He was almost led out of Xingqing Palace by Gao Lishi. Only after leaving Xingqing Palace did Li Yu look up at the sky and let out a long sigh. His last hope for reconciliation had also been severed.

Outside Xingqing Palace, seeing that there were no other eunuchs around, Gao Lishi lowered his voice and said, “Your Majesty, this old servant has a suggestion that could help you out of this predicament.”

Li Yu perked up. Gao Lishi wasn’t an ordinary eunuch; his political insight and foresight were beyond ordinary people’s reach. Li Yu immediately said, “Please give me your advice, Lord Gao!”

“Since Your Majesty is thinking about the fate of the Tang Dynasty, then trust Li Qingan boldly. Let him become your strongest ally. Don’t avoid his identity—use his strength to eliminate An Lushan and put an end to the system of feudal princes. Then you can sit down and discuss a solution that works for both of you. Only in this way can we preserve a foundation for the revival of the Tang Dynasty. This is my sincere advice; please consider it carefully, Your Majesty.”

After saying that, Gao Lishi hurried back to Xingqing Palace.

Thousands of imperial guards escorted Li Yu’s dragon carriage as it moved slowly through the streets. Li Yu was pondering Gao Lishi’s advice, which was largely similar to his master Li Bi’s view—that Li Qing’an was now the only force capable of unifying the Tang Dynasty. In the quiet of the night, he thought about giving up the throne to Li Qing’an and retreating with his family to live a carefree pastoral life, free from state affairs and military troubles. Yet he knew this was merely an unrealistic fantasy. History had shown him that any non-natural change of emperor always resulted in bloodshed and ruthless elimination. If he gave the throne to Li Qing’an, Li Qing’an would surely kill his entire family. Even Gao Lishi’s advice wouldn’t work—once Li Qing’an subdued the regional lords, he would have complete control over the Tang Dynasty, and survival for Li Yu would be nothing but a luxury.

At that moment, he remembered the harsh conditions imposed by his imperial grandfather—forcing his clan to admit fault and restoring land annexation. How could that possibly happen? Then he recalled Li Yan’s advice: confiscate Princess Huo’s lands and wealth. Since he had already taken this step, he couldn’t expect his clan to forgive him. Li Yan was right—once he had done this, he should go to extremes and seize as much grain and wealth as possible to raise an army.

At that instant, Li Yu made up his mind. With 500,000 troops under his command and seasoned generals like Guo Ziyi leading them, he wouldn’t need Li Qing’an at all. He could easily defeat An Lushan, the King of Shu, the King of Jing, and the King of Wu.

A sense of clarity dawned in Li Yu’s mind. He eagerly wanted to return to Daming Palace. As they approached, a guard reported outside the dragon carriage, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wang Gong has urgent matters to discuss!”

Li Yu nodded. “Ask Prime Minister Wang to wait in my study.”