Chapter 436: Who Will Be the New Emperor?

In June of the second year of the Dali era, Li Yu, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty who had reigned for just one year, passed away at Huangzhuang in Weihe County. The court initially declared that the emperor died of a sudden illness, but soon afterward announced that he had been assassinated by an arrow laced with poison at Huangzhuang.
This news came as a shock, causing widespread grief throughout Chang’an. From the prime minister down to ordinary citizens, everyone wore mourning clothes, and nearly every household held rituals to honor the deceased emperor. The entire city was immersed in sorrow.
Despite the mourning, some were pleased, especially the royal nobles whose lands and wealth had been taken by Li Yu. They rejoiced, saying that heaven had seen their suffering.
Starting at noon, the atmosphere in Chang’an grew tense. The city gates were closed, and 30,000 soldiers from the southern army and the Jinyiwei took control of defense. Teams of southern cavalry raced through the streets, scaring the people into hiding in their homes. Shops in both the eastern and western markets closed their doors, and Tongyi Fang was on high alert as 3,000 southern soldiers surrounded the residence of Prince Guangwu, Li Chenghong, preventing anyone from escaping. Soon, it was reported that Li Chenghong had hanged himself.
With the emperor’s death, the people were still grieving, and the succession to the Tang throne became the most pressing issue. Normally, the crown should pass to the crown prince, but Li Shi, the crown prince, was only thirteen years old and too young to govern the country or navigate the complex political situation that the Tang Dynasty faced.
Thus, whether to establish a regent or choose a new emperor became the focus of debate among the officials. Generally, the new emperor was chosen by the previous emperor, but if the previous emperor died before making a decision or if a complex situation arose, the new emperor could be chosen either by the royal family in the ancestral temple or by unanimous support from the officials. Li Yu’s ascension was the result of such unanimous support.
However, this time, deciding on a new emperor presented two problems. The previous emperor, Li Longji, had fled Chang’an three days earlier, losing the opportunity to decide. Moreover, Li Yu had a poor relationship with the royal family, making it unsuitable for them to choose the next emperor. Additionally, with Li Yu’s death, the royal family could not escape suspicion of involvement in the murder, so it was no longer possible for them to choose the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

But the officials in the court also faced a problem: there were not enough prime ministers in the Chengshi Hall. Initially, there were nine prime ministers, including Yang Guozhong, Wang Gong, Zhang Yun, Chen Xilie, Li Yan, Pei Min, Linghu Fei, Yang Shenjin, and Li Qingan. After Yang Guozhong and Linghu Fei were removed from office, Zhang Yun and Yang Shenjin resigned, while Li Yan and Li Qingan were away from Chang’an. Only Wang Gong, Pei Min, and Chen Xilie remained in Chang’an, insufficient to make decisions on major matters for the new emperor.

More importantly, Li Qingan, who had just been appointed as the right prime minister, lived not far from Chang’an and could arrive there quickly. Therefore, many officials hoped that Li Qingan would return to Chang’an as soon as possible to take control of the situation.

In the harem of Daming Palace, Li Yu’s death was like the collapse of a great building; wails filled the harem. Empress Shen Zhenzhu cried so much that she fainted several times, only to be revived by eunuchs and maids.

Shen Zhenzhu’s tears had dried. She stared blankly outside the palace. Though her husband’s death broke her heart, as a mother, she had to suppress her grief and consider her son’s fate. Her son was Crown Prince Li Shi, a mere thirteen-year-old boy. Could he inherit his father’s throne? Shen Zhenzhu remembered her husband saying that if the crown prince reached adulthood, he would naturally ascend the throne. But if something happened to her husband and the crown prince was still underage, his ascension would not be so smooth.

Unfortunately, her husband’s prediction came true. Amidst her pain, Shen Zhenzhu was deeply worried about her son’s fate.

At that moment, a maid rushed in and said, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wang is waiting outside the palace.”

“Ask him to wait in the outer hall. I’ll go see him right away.”

Shen Zhenzhu quickly prepared herself and, accompanied by a group of maids, headed toward Linde Hall.

Wang Gong had come to Daming Palace at the empress’s order. He stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth on the steps in front of Linde Hall. After the mid-Tang period, the influence of the harem in politics was no longer as severe as before. As empress, Shen Zhenzhu could no longer decide who would become the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Wang Gong’s visit to Empress Shen was largely a formality.

At that moment, Wang Gong was thinking about his next move. The political situation was extremely complex, with various factions intertwined. Whether it was generals or high-ranking officials, all could influence the new emperor. But only a few people could ascend the throne—Li Longji, Li Hen, and Li Shi, just three. It was still unclear who would end up on the throne given the current situation.

Then, Wang Gong saw a small sedan chair escorted by a group of maids entering the palace through a side door. He knew it was Empress Shen arriving. He quickly stopped thinking and began to prepare his words to address her.

After a moment, an eunuch came out and said, “Prime Minister Wang, the Empress summons you!”
Wang Gong adjusted his attire and quickly followed the eunuch into the palace. In a side chamber, the eunuch had already drawn back a sheer curtain. Shen Zhenzhu was sitting behind it; Wang Gong could faintly see her wiping away tears. He sighed inwardly, stepped forward, bowed, and said, “His Majesty has passed away and cannot return. Please, Your Majesty, endure this loss with grace and take care of yourself.”
Shen Zhenzhu, with tears streaming down, said, “His Majesty was in the prime of his life when he left us, orphans and widows. The Crown Prince is still young and unable to rule on his own. I earnestly beg Prime Minister Wang, out of gratitude for how well His Majesty treated you, to assist the Crown Prince so that he may carry out his father’s wishes and ascend to the throne as soon as possible.”
After saying this, Shen Zhenzhu knelt down behind the curtain and pleaded, “I beg Prime Minister Wang for your help!”
Wang Gong also quickly knelt down in fear. “Your Majesty, you’re killing me! I will surely do my utmost to support the Crown Prince.”
A few palace maids helped Shen Zhenzhu up. Having received Wang Gong’s assurance, she felt somewhat relieved and asked, “Prime Minister Wang, the country cannot go without a ruler for even a day. Do the ministers in the court have any ideas about choosing a new ruler?”
Wang Gong pondered for a while before saying, “To be honest with you, Your Majesty, there is great debate in the court. Although I strongly advocate making the Crown Prince the ruler, I face opposition from many powerful figures, such as Yang Guozhong, Zhang Yun, and the imperial relatives who hold deep resentment toward His Majesty. They all believe the Crown Prince is too young and lacks the wisdom and ability to become emperor. At present, the prevailing opinion in the court is to bring back the late emperor. Given his high moral standing, he could surely balance the various forces and lead the Tang Dynasty out of this crisis. To be honest, the current sentiment in the court is 20-80—eighty percent support the late emperor returning to the throne, while less than twenty percent support the Crown Prince ascending.”
Shen Zhenzhu was terrified. If Li Longji returned to the throne, her son would be doomed. Her husband had told her more than once that the late emperor hated her deeply. If he returned to power, he would appoint her thirteenth uncle as the crown prince, and the imperial line would continue through that uncle’s lineage. Not only would her own son have no chance of becoming emperor, but his life would also be in danger. Could those fierce uncles tolerate him?
“Prime Minister Wang, is there really no solution at all?”
Wang Gong sighed and said, “I am one of His Majesty’s most trusted ministers, and the late emperor also hates me deeply. Of course, I hope the Crown Prince can ascend to the throne—it’s also for my own sake. After much thought, I might have a way to help the Crown Prince survive this crisis.”
Shen Zhenzhu was overjoyed and urged, “Prime Minister Wang, please tell me!”

Seeing Empress Shen slowly stepping into the trap, Wang Gong felt a secret sense of satisfaction. Although it was difficult to interfere in palace affairs, she was still the empress, and her stance represented the crown prince’s views, giving her great influence.

Wang Gong calmly said, “Your Majesty, the key to the crown prince’s weakness is his young age—he cannot rule independently. If an elder we can trust ascends the throne first and passes it to the crown prince after a hundred years, by then he will be of age, and no one can use his age as an excuse. I believe there is only one person who can take on this role. Have you thought of anyone?”

“You mean the retired emperor?” Shen Zhenzhu understood Wang Gong’s meaning—he wanted the retired emperor to ascend the throne.

“Your Majesty, that’s exactly what I mean. The retired emperor was once the crown prince of the Eastern Palace and enjoyed great prestige. The crown prince is his direct grandson, with a blood connection. If the crown prince willingly gives up the throne to his grandfather, not only will those who supported the late emperor have nothing to say, but after a hundred years, the retired emperor will surely pass the throne back to the crown prince. This way, the crown prince can study diligently in the Eastern Palace, become a great talent, and carry out the late emperor’s wishes. Once he ascends the throne, he will become the savior of the Tang Dynasty.”

Wang Gong spoke eloquently, but Shen Zhenzhu remained silent. Though she was very afraid and anxious and lacked a clear opinion, she had one advantage: she trusted her husband completely. Her husband had told her that the retired emperor was too ambitious and had tried to undermine her relationship with the crown prince. Although Wang Gong’s reasoning sounded reasonable, recalling what her husband had said, she dared not make a hasty decision or give any public commitment.

Seeing the empress silent, Wang Gong tried to persuade her again, “Your Majesty, the situation is urgent. I estimate the retired emperor will return to Chang’an by tomorrow at the latest. Once he regains control of the government, it will be too late. Your Majesty, please issue an order!”

No matter how much Wang Gong persuaded her, Shen Zhenzhu couldn’t make this decision. Unless her son ascended the throne, she would never agree to anything easily.

“Prime Minister Wang, let me think about this further. Once I’ve made up my mind, I’ll send someone to inform you. I’m very troubled right now. I must take my leave.”

Shen Zhenzhu stood up and went back into the palace, leaving Wang Gong waiting in the side hall. His expression darkened. He hadn’t expected Empress Shen to be so difficult to persuade. With a heavy sigh, he turned and left as well.

Unexpectedly, Shen Zhenzhu was hiding at the door, wanting to see Wang Gong’s reaction. She happened to hear his extremely displeased snort, which was completely different from his loyal demeanor earlier. Frightened, Shen Zhenzhu pressed her chest, as if she had seen a heartless demon; her heart pounded wildly. Only then did she realize that Wang Gong also had ulterior motives.

Worried, Shen Zhenzhu returned to her palace. In fact, she trusted most her husband’s mentors, Li Mi and Li Yan. Her husband had told her that only these two were truly loyal to him. Unfortunately, both of them were not in Chang’an. What should she do now?

At that moment, her personal maid said, “I remember the emperor giving the queen a golden box. Have you forgotten it?”

These words reminded Shen Zhenzhu. She recalled that half a month ago, her husband had given her a golden box, saying that he had offended the royal family too severely and would not be tolerated. If anything happened to him, she was to look inside the box. At the time, she thought he was speaking ill omens and threw the box aside.

Shen Zhenzhu quickly stood up and said, “Let’s search quickly! Where is that golden box?”

She and several of her personal maids began rummaging through the palace. Suddenly, one maid said, “Your Majesty, I’ve found it!”

The golden box was in the wooden chest by the bed. Shen Zhenzhu rushed over and said, “Give it to me quickly!”

She took the box and opened it swiftly. Inside was a piece of white brocade. As she unrolled it, she saw her husband’s handwriting—just one sentence: “Order Guo Ziyi to enter the capital immediately.”

Without hesitation, Shen Zhenzhu ordered, “Prepare ink and paper quickly! I need to write a letter!”

……

Shen Zhenzhu wrote a secret decree, sealed it with the queen’s imperial seal, and sent a trusted eunuch disguised as a commoner out of Chang’an that very night, heading toward Mei County.

At that time, the situation in Guanzhong was changing rapidly. Guo Ziyi’s army was stationed in Mei County, south of the Wei River. Upon receiving a messenger from Chang’an announcing the emperor’s death, he collapsed in tears and ordered his troops to wear mourning clothes. The next night, he received an imperial edict from Queen Shen and immediately ordered his army to march on Chang’an.

Meanwhile, Ge Shu Han, who was stationed in Qishan County on the north bank of the Wei River, also received a message from Li Hen ordering his army to enter the capital. He set out almost simultaneously with Guo Ziyi. The two armies, one on the south bank and the other on the north bank of the Wei River, rushed toward Chang’an as if in a race.

In Anding County of Jingzhou, Li Qing’an had led 40,000 troops from the Anxi Army there for two days. Since Li Yu had left to inspect the imperial estates, Li Qing’an had led his 40,000 troops out of Pinggao County, entered Danzheng Gorge, and headed straight for Jingzhou. Beyond Jingzhou lay the Guanzhong region.

He sent a team of scouts to Weinan County, who immediately brought him news of Li Yu’s death. Inside the main tent, his personal guards were nervously packing their belongings, preparing to head to the capital. Li Qing’an stood under a large tree with his hands behind his back, gazing in the direction of Chang’an. Although Li Yu’s death had nothing to do with him and was even something he had hoped for, he still felt a hint of sympathy for this tragic figure—who ultimately died at the hands of his own father. There was no greater sorrow in life than that. At that moment, Yan Zhuang slowly walked up behind him and said with emotion, “I never thought he would really die. It’s kind of pitiful. Does the General feel any remorse for him?” Li Qing’an shook his head and said, “Power games are always cruel. Since he joined this game, it was only inevitable that he would be eliminated. If one day I were killed too, who would feel remorse for me? His failure is only his own fault for hiring the wrong people. To let someone like Meng Yun hold the most crucial military powers—what foolishness! He didn’t realize that such a person, willing to betray me for glory and wealth, would surely betray him for even greater gains. Since he couldn’t see that, his death wasn’t unjust.” Saying this, Li Qing’an sneered and added, “It’s that Li Heng who showed me what ruthless tactics look like. People say tigers don’t eat their cubs, but he’s even more cruel than a tiger. First, he sent Geshu Han to Guanzhong, trapping Guo Ziyi and Gao Xianzhi. Then he used tactics to drive away Li Mao, and smoothly transferred Meng Yun back to Chang’an. He also convinced that fool Li Chenghong to take the blame in the end. It was a series of clever moves. I really underestimated him before. It seems this man will be a fierce rival of mine!” After a moment of silence, Yan Zhuang asked, “Does the General really intend to go to the capital to become the Right Prime Minister?” Li Qing’an looked at him in surprise and asked, “Why do you say that?” Yan Zhuang hesitated for a moment and said, “General, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say.” Li Qing’an smiled. “Go ahead. When have I ever blamed you for speaking frankly?” “Well then! I’ll speak plainly.” Yan Zhuang sighed and said, “I believe the General is being a bit greedy this time by advancing eastward.” “Greedy?” Li Qing’an laughed. “Then tell me, what are the consequences of greed?”

“As the governor of Anxi, the general sent troops to seize Lingzhou by force. The Uyghurs didn’t invade, nor did the Tibetans cross the border. How will people view such actions by the general? That’s one issue. An Lushan invaded Guannei Road and was extremely brutal. It was right for the general to defeat him as ordered, which earned him righteousness. Yet the general refused to withdraw his troops, making people suspect he had ulterior motives. Now, the general also wants to become the right chancellor but refuses to relinquish military power. To put it bluntly, it’s obvious what his intentions are—everyone can see it. If the general only wants to seize half of the country and proclaim himself emperor, then there’s nothing wrong with his actions. But if he aims to take over the Li Tang dynasty, some pretense, though somewhat hypocritical, is necessary.”

Li Qing’an fell silent for a moment before asking, “Then what do you suggest I do?”

“I’ve been thinking about this issue these past few days. I advise the general to give up Lingzhou and Guannei Road and withdraw his forces west of the Yellow River. This way, when he enters the capital as chancellor, he won’t appear so imposing, which would arouse suspicion. Even if others have such intentions, they wouldn’t dare to ally with him easily. By stepping back, the general will have more room to maneuver and handle things more calmly. These are just my humble opinions—please decide for yourself, sir.”

Li Qing’an walked a few steps forward with his hands behind his back. Yan Zhuang had spoken of the art of retreating. He understood Yan Zhuang’s good intentions. In fact, Li Qing’an himself felt something was amiss. Since ancient times, Chinese philosophy has emphasized the balance between yin and yang, the equilibrium between heaven and earth. Though he was skilled in martial arts, he lacked strategic wisdom. His eagerness to seize Shuofang and Guannei Road indeed made him overconfident. To put it simply, it was like eating several dry steamed buns without drinking water to moisten one’s throat—sure to cause choking. The best approach was to eat a bun and drink water at each time, calmly and steadily—that was the surest way. Yan Zhuang was right!

Thinking this, Li Qing’an turned around with a slight smile and said, “This time when we enter the capital, why not cast a long line to catch a big fish?”