Chapter 433: Horror in the Imperial Villa (Part 1)

Pingkang Fang was the hub of entertainment in Chang’an, filled with music halls, brothels, taverns, and inns. It was also a place where people from various regions gathered. Walking through its streets and alleys, one could hear accents from all over the country.

Near the east wall of Pingkang Fang was a small alley called Wushan Alley, home to twenty families living in modest conditions—mostly four or five tiled houses each with a small courtyard. At the back of this alley lived a family surnamed Yao, originally from Lanzhou in Longyou. They had moved to Chang’an just the previous year and purchased this property, which covered half an mu of land and consisted of seven rooms plus a small courtyard. One of their sons served in the palace as an eunuch. The family had four sons, but due to financial difficulties, they could not support them all, so they sent the youngest son to the palace at the age of fourteen. Six years had passed since then.

In the past two years, Yao Silang, who could read and write, had been transferred to work in the imperial study. He was doing fairly well and sent a lot of money home, greatly improving the Yao family’s living standards. Eventually, Yao Dalang, the eldest son, longed for the prosperity of Chang’an, so he brought his family to the capital to make a living. Using the money sent by Yao Silang, he bought this property and took a menial job at a famous brothel to support his wife and two sons.

With prices soaring in Chang’an over the past two years, life had become difficult. Yao Dalang then thought of his fourth brother and gave his two-year-old youngest son to Yao Silang to be raised as his son, so that he could take care of him in old age. As a result, Yao Silang often visited his eldest brother’s house to see his son, bringing money, gifts, or food from the palace each time. Over time, Yao Dalang managed to save some money. His lifelong ambition was to open a brothel, but he didn’t even have enough money to rent a single room for one.

However, these days luck seemed to be on Yao Dalang’s side. He met a wealthy merchant surnamed Shi, a local from Chang’an who was said to be the owner of a money-changing shop. Having worked in a brothel for a long time, Yao Dalang knew something about business. In Chang’an, one couldn’t start a money-changing shop without at least a hundred thousand strings of coins in capital.

Of course, there was a reason why Master Shi favored this humble man—he wanted to use him to get in touch with his fourth brother. So he was particularly generous to Yao Dalang, giving him money and gifts worth at least five hundred strings of coins. Moreover, Master Shi promised that if Yao Silang did one thing for him, he would reward him with ten thousand strings of coins. Delighted, Yao Dalang pressured his fourth brother to get to know this man. Ten thousand strings of coins! How many brothels could he open with that?

At noon, Master Shi came again. He met Yao Silang, who had come to see his son, in one of Yao Dalang’s private rooms. Yao Silang had sneaked out of the palace to handle some matters that day. The two began discussing the final terms of the deal. Although he didn’t know exactly what he was supposed to do, Yao Silang was still very tempted by the promise of ten thousand guan.

“Silang, you’re going to Weinan County tomorrow, right?” Shi Zhenghua said with a faint smile.

Yao Silang had already met this Master Shi several times and knew his name was Shi Zhenghua. He wasn’t a merchant but an advisor to a noble family member. It wasn’t surprising that he knew Yao Silang was going to Weinan.

“Yes! The emperor is going to Weinan County tomorrow, and all the eunuchs from the Imperial Secretariat must accompany him. Mr. Shi, when do I need to handle that task?”

Seeing his eagerness, Shi Zhenghua smiled slightly and handed him a letter. “The letter contains the task your master wants you to carry out. Don’t read it now; read it before returning to the palace.”

After that, he placed a red cloth bundle on the table and pushed it toward Yao Silang. “There are a few items inside. Keep them safe. Among them is a deposit certificate for five thousand guan from Wang Baoji’s bank, to serve as half of the payment. You can check it now.”

Yao Silang was overjoyed, his heart almost bursting. He reached out trembling hands to take the red cloth bundle, but Shi Zhenghua stopped him and said coldly, “Before taking the money, I have some unpleasant words to say.”

His expression darkened. “If the task isn’t completed, we won’t blame you. We’ll still give you five hundred guan as compensation as agreed. We’ll continue to use you in the future. But if you dare to betray us, let me tell you—not only will you lose your life, but your entire family, including your elder brother in Chang’an and your parents and brothers in Lanzhou, will all be killed. We’ll make them die a miserable death, leaving their bones for wild dogs to eat. Do you understand?”

Yao Silang trembled with fear. “I… understand!”

“That’s good. Be careful from now on!”

After saying that, Shi Zhenghua got up and left. Outside the door, he said to Yao Dalang, “Dalang, your whole family needs to move. There’s no need to pack. There are carriages outside. Take your son and get on them! You won’t be treated unfairly.”

Yao Silang stared blankly at the red cloth bundle on the table. Gradually, his eyes narrowed, glowing with greed—ten thousand guan!

Weinan County is located about 200 li east of Chang’an. It is the most fertile county in the Guanzhong Plain, yet it also suffers from the most severe land annexation there. Self-cultivating farmers have almost disappeared, and there are fewer and fewer small and medium-sized landowners. Vast stretches of land belong to the estates of powerful nobles, and farmers from nearby villages have become dependents of these estates, working hard throughout the year to earn a meager amount of food to survive. Slight natural disasters can lead to many farmers going bankrupt, being sold into slavery, or fleeing to other places.

The largest estate in Weinan County is the Imperial Estate, which belongs to the emperors of the Tang Dynasty. During his more than 40 years of reign, Emperor Li Longji acquired numerous estates scattered across the Tang territory. He was the largest landowner in the Tang Dynasty, and the Imperial Estate in Weinan was just one of them, covering 10,000 hectares.

It had never happened in the 100 years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty that the imperial estates were distributed to self-cultivating farmers, so this act held special significance. To some extent, it served as a barometer, reflecting the emperor’s attitude toward land annexation. The fact that he was willing to distribute his own lands indicated his firm determination to address this issue.

This was why Li Yu wanted to personally announce this decision in Weinan—he wanted to make his stance clear to the whole country.

It was still dark when 3,000 imperial guards escorted Li Yu’s carriage, along with Li Yan, the official in charge of land redistribution, and over 20 officials. The large convoy set off for Weinan County.

Originally, Li Yu planned to take Crown Prince Li Shi along, but Li Shi suddenly suffered from stomach pains and could not accompany them. Thus, Li Yu had to go to Weinan County alone.

It was early summer by now, and the weather had become hot. Before dawn, a thin mist covered the land of the Guanzhong Plain. The winter wheat had matured, covering the plain with a golden carpet, and farmers were busy working in the fields.

The imperial guards escorted Li Yu’s carriage along the official road at high speed. The 200-li journey would take at least two days. Li Yu’s carriage was particularly large, with a width of 30 zhang and a length of 80 zhang. It was divided into three large compartments: one for working, one for living, and one for his bedroom. The entire carriage was pulled by 81 horses, and its wide wheels allowed it to move swiftly on the smooth official road.

Inside the carriage, Li Yu had grown tired of the scenery outside. The heat in the air made him impatient, so he pulled down the curtains and casually opened a memorial. It was a report from the governor of Huzhou, stating that the official granaries there were full—containing 2 million shi of grain and 1.5 million guan in cash—and he hoped they could be transported to Chang’an as soon as possible.

This memorial made Li Yu sigh slightly, feeling both joy and concern. He was glad that the prefectures and counties in the Jiangnan region had not yet fallen completely out of control; the memorial mentioned similar situations in Yuezhou, Hangzhou, and Mingzhou, with the governors of these four prefectures planning to go to the capital together in autumn to report on their duties. Although King Wu Li Lin controlled the area from Yangzhou to Suzhou, he still could not dominate everything, indicating that the local officials were not entirely loyal to him—a development that filled Li Yu with joy.

Yet his concern was that Li Lin’s 80,000-strong army had completely blocked the waterways, preventing the grain from the eastern Zhejiang provinces from being transported out. In the end, this would only benefit Li Lin at no cost to others. Li Yu closed his eyes, thinking about his next move. If Li Qing’an entered the court as prime minister, his strength could be used to eliminate Li Lin first. It was crucial to ensure that grain and resources from Jiangnan continued to flow into Guanzhong.

After pondering for a moment, he ordered the eunuch at his side, “Si Lang, go and invite Master Li here.”

“Yes! I’ll go right away.”

The eunuch named Si Lang rushed off. Moments later, Li Mi arrived. He got into the carriage and bowed to Li Yu, saying, “Your Majesty, I pay my respects!”

“Master, please sit down and talk.”

Li Mi sat down, and Li Yu personally poured him a cup of cool tea, saying with a smile, “It’s too hot; have some cool tea to relieve the heat.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

After taking a sip of the tea, Li Mi asked, “Does Your Majesty need something from me?”

Li Yu nodded and said, “I want to discuss Li Qing’an with you.”

He sighed and said, “I just received news that Li Qing’an has sent troops to occupy Lingzhou. He has also stationed 3,000 troops each in Yanzhou and Qingzhou. I’m worried he might not even spare Guannei Road.” This situation also troubled Li Mi. Their original goal was for Li Qing’an to occupy Hexi, but he was too ambitious. Taking advantage of the emptiness in Lingzhou and Guannei Road, he seized control of those areas, breaking their original plan. This left Li Mi at a loss for solutions.

After thinking for a while, he said, “If I’m not mistaken, Li Qing’an must also want to station troops in Guanzhong. This would be a heavy burden for him. With so few troops, his only option is to spread them thin, stationing a small number in each place. This wouldn’t result in actual control and might even arouse resentment among the people of the Tang Dynasty, making them doubt his motives. Li Qing’an should understand this as well. My advice is that Your Majesty should say nothing for now and not acknowledge his occupation. Let him do as he pleases. Once he’s exhausted himself, he’ll realize he can’t manage such a large area and will naturally come to Your Majesty to negotiate for other benefits.”

Li Yu thought for a while and realized that indeed there was no other way but to let things take their course. He then handed the memorial in his hands to Li Mi and said, “This is a memorial sent by Wei Bin, the governor of Huzhou. From this memorial, it seems that Li Lin’s influence has not yet spread to eastern Zhejiang, which is truly encouraging. I’m considering whether we can use Li Qingan’s strength to eliminate Li Lin first, so that the grain and funds from the south can reach the capital smoothly.”

Li Mi smiled and said, “Your Majesty, rest assured. Even if you didn’t mention this, Li Qingan would still consider it. As the right chancellor, he is well aware of these situations. He will be even more anxious than Your Majesty. In fact, in many cases, your views and interests align—haven’t you noticed?”

“I’ve also realized that, which is why I appointed him as the right chancellor.”

Li Yu stretched his limbs gently and smiled, “At least for the next two or three years, I won’t be so tired.”

……

Just as Li Yu was heading toward Weinan County, a special group set out from Zheng County in Huazhou. Zheng County was only a little over a hundred li away from Weinan County, and it could be reached in a single day. This group rested during the day and operated at night, appearing very mysterious. It consisted of 500 men, all tall and strong with agile movements, clearly trained warriors.

This group was made up of warriors raised by thirteen royal families, all of them outlaws. Their mission was to infiltrate the imperial estate in Weinan County and assassinate Li Yu, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who was coming to inspect it. The leader of this group was Li Chengning, the brother of King Guangwu Li Chenghong. Li Chenghong played the role of the initiator and master planner in this plot. Originally, Li Chengning alone had already raised 500 warriors and could act independently. But to bind the other royal families to himself, Li Chenghong persuaded the other twelve royal families to contribute men and funds, forming this group of 500 people.

Each of these warriors wore black robes over fine armor. The 500 men were divided into three teams: 100 with spears, 200 with swords, and 200 archers. In terms of numbers, they were far fewer than Li Yu’s Imperial Guards, but they were highly skilled in martial arts, with many able to fight ten opponents at once. Their overall strength was not inferior to that of the 3,000 Imperial Guards. It was for this reason that Li Chenghong placed great hopes on this mission and was determined to succeed.

At the fourth watch, the group entered Weinan County, less than ten li away from Huangzhuang. Li Chengning scanned the surroundings—the official road was surrounded by wheat fields. About three li to the northwest, he found a forest covering over ten mu. This forest had long been chosen as his hiding place; its location was excellent—only six li from the lodgings in Huangzhuang. From the treetops, one could see the situation in Huangzhuang, and a small river surrounded the forest, making it difficult to cross and unvisited by most people—perfect for hiding.

“Head to the forest in the northwest!” Li Chengning ordered in a low voice.

The 500 men in black on the official road dismounted, took their weapons, water bottles, and rations, and rushed toward the forest. The horses were taken away by others. Mixing people and horses together would expose them easily, and since they were already close to the lodgings in Huangzhuang, horses were no longer needed.

Soon, they rushed into the forest, startling the birds there. For now, there was no need to worry—Li Yu would not arrive until at least the next night. There were only a dozen eunuchs in Huangzhuang who had arrived early to arrange accommodation and food. Some of these eunuchs had already been bribed by Li Chengning, giving him thorough knowledge of the place. In addition to the eunuchs, there were over fifty guards, among whom some were also Li Chengning’s men. They had arrived early to provide security, but their patrol area was limited to three li around the lodgings and did not extend to this forest, so Li Chengning wasn’t worried at all.

“Everyone rest here quietly. No one is allowed to leave the forest until dark tomorrow.”

The 500 men had been on the move for nearly five hours and were exhausted. They found dry spots to lie down—some drank water and ate rations, while others fell asleep immediately. Soon, snoring filled the forest as most of them fell into deep sleep.

Li Chengning was nervous. After all, he was about to carry out an act that would shock the world. Whether successful or not, his name would go down in history. Of course, if he failed, none of the thirteen royal families could escape.

Unable to sleep, Li Chengning slowly climbed up a large tree. It was almost dawn, with the sky turning gray in the east. There was already a sentinel on the tree.

“How is it? Can you see Huangzhuang?”

“Yes, I can!”

The sentinel pointed to a group of dark buildings in the distance. “That’s the lodging in Huangzhuang. It’s clearly visible.”

Li Chengning followed the sentinel’s finger and saw the outlines of a large complex in the faint morning light—completely different from rural houses. That was Huangzhuang’s lodging. Tomorrow night, Li Yu would stay there.