Chapter 437: Combining Force and Persuasion

Two days later, the coffin of Emperor Li Yu of the Tang Dynasty was returned to Chang’an. Hundreds of thousands of people from Chang’an lined the streets to bid him a tearful farewell. Wails filled Zhuque Street as Emperor Li Heng, the retired emperor, knelt barefoot with his hair loose, weeping bitterly over his son’s coffin. Seeing elders mourning for the young, countless people in Chang’an shed tears of sorrow.

In front of Zhuque Gate in Chang’an, over a thousand court officials and Crown Prince Li Shi knelt before the coffin for a long time, crying softly. The entire city was immersed in grief.

Due to the hot weather, Li Yu’s coffin was temporarily stored in the underground vault of Xingshan Temple, protected by large ice blocks, until a new emperor ascended the throne and it could be buried properly.

With Li Yu’s coffin returned to the capital, the vacant throne became even more prominent. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, it had never been vacant for two consecutive days. This was the first time such a situation occurred. Although Crown Prince Li Shi was in the Eastern Palace, he could not ascend the throne—simply because no one was willing to support him. More precisely, no powerful figures were ready to step forward.

When Li Yu’s coffin returned, none of his accompanying officials, not even his guards, were allowed to return. They were all detained in the imperial estate in Weinan. For officials who were closer to Li Yu, such as Minister of Revenue Pei Min, the gates of their residences were guarded by the Southern Army, effectively putting them under house arrest.

At this time, a rumor began to spread in the court. Led by Wang Gong, there was strong advocacy for Emperor Li Heng to ascend the throne, on the grounds that the crown prince was too young to handle state affairs and that the precedent of appointing an imperial grandson could be followed. Although no one supported Li Shi’s ascension, Wang Gong’s proposal received backing from nearly a hundred officials of rank five or higher, including influential figures outside the court such as Yang Guozhong, Chen Xilie, and Linghu Fei, as well as military leaders like Wang Sili, the commander of Tongguan, Meng Yun, the general of the Jinwu Guard, and Geshu Han, the governor of Longyou.

Calls for Li Heng to ascend the throne grew louder. Although many mid- and lower-ranking officials had objections, their views were insignificant in the face of the strong demands from Wang Gong and others. Even the imperial family remained silent, perhaps believing that Li Heng was cautious and less radical than his son, making him a trustworthy candidate to inherit the Tang Dynasty.

Amidst wave after wave of calls for Li Heng’s ascension, he finally issued a statement in the evening. He admitted that his virtue was not enough to convince the people and his abilities were insufficient, urging the ministers to consider carefully and choose the best successor to the throne.

It is understandable that Li Heng declared he would not accept the throne. Generally, one must refuse three times as a convention to show humility; usually, three refusals are made in the morning, and in the afternoon, under strong opposition from the ministers, one reluctantly agrees to ascend the throne. However, the timing of Li Heng’s first refusal seemed somewhat unfortunate—he declared his refusal at dusk, meaning a night had to pass. If that night was long, dreams would multiply. As dusk approached, by the river in Wubenfang, several old fishermen sat calmly on their fishing platforms, waiting for the final catch. Zhang Yun sat on a large rock under the bridge, as still as a monk in meditation. On the surface, he appeared no different from the other fishermen, wearing a gray cloth robe and a conical hat that covered most of his face. Months of fishing had turned his fair skin tanned. Yet his calm and composed demeanor was unmatched by the other fishermen. The float on the water moved—fish had bitten—but Zhang Yun remained motionless. He understood the art of fishing well; just like in politics, people would keep testing one’s patience, and eventually, someone would lose it first. Wasn’t the struggle for the throne these past days just like that? All parties were testing and waiting, until Wang Gong stepped forward, loudly declaring his support for Li Heng’s ascension. But Zhang Yun knew that no matter how loudly Wang Gong spoke or how vehemently Yang Guozhong wrote, Li Heng would not dare to take the throne easily. Because there were still those who remained silent—Li Qing’an and Guo Ziyi, especially Li Qing’an. As the right chancellor of the Tang Dynasty and head of all officials, unless he was in Anxi, he was now in Guanzhong, with his army just twenty li away from Chang’an. If even he, who held power, had not spoken, Li Heng naturally dared not ascend the throne. This was the real reason why Li Heng announced his refusal for the first time only in the evening—he wanted to buy time to negotiate with Li Qing’an. A cold smile appeared on Zhang Yun’s face. True masters reveal themselves only at the last moment, seeing through the impatient first before showing their true hand. Li Qing’an was undoubtedly a master; he knew Li Heng could not bypass him, so he remained silent, keeping Li Heng in suspense. Zhang Yun couldn’t help but think of himself. He too had not spoken, but would he be an obstacle Li Heng could not overcome? He had no official position, was idle, and had no army at his disposal. Would Li Heng even think of him?

The float on the water moved again, then suddenly dragged downward into the water. Zhang Yun narrowed his eyes. His wrist moved with great speed, and in a flash, a large carp with golden scales was pulled out of the water. Zhang Yun smiled. Sure enough, his influence was still strong; someone would surely come to him, just like this fish that came to the hook on its own.

At that moment, his page ran from the opposite shore and signaled to Zhang Yun, indicating that someone from home was looking for him. Seeing that it was getting dark, Zhang Yun put the fish in a basket, calmly packed up his fishing gear, stood up, bowed slightly to his fellow fishermen with a smile, and calmly walked out under the bridge and onto the shore. Not far away, under a large willow tree, stood a carriage—this was the carriage that came to pick up and drop off Zhang Yun every day. It was no different from the carriages running around Chang’an; it was very ordinary and unassuming, fitting Zhang Yun’s understated personality.

Once in the carriage, Zhang Yun asked, “Who is coming to see me?”

The page replied, “Master, it’s a middle-aged scholar. He says his surname is Yan and that he’s one of Li Qing’an’s advisors.”

“One of Li Qing’an’s advisors?”

Zhang Yun was taken aback. Although he knew a fish would come to the hook on its own, he hadn’t expected it to be Li Qing’an. He immediately became wary. This wasn’t just a fish; it might be a fisherman trying to lure him instead. His mind raced—could this advisor surnamed Yan be that Yan Zhuang?

There had always been rumors that Yan Zhuang, who had been Liulushan’s advisor back then, hadn’t died but had defected to Li Qing’an. Some people had even seen him in Anxi. If it really was him, Zhang Yun would be quite interested.

The carriage moved quickly, and soon they returned to Zhang’s residence. Zhang Yun washed his hands and changed into another set of clothes before slowly heading to the guest room. Inside, he found a middle-aged scholar, thin and with a patch of goatee—it was indeed Yan Zhuang.

Yan Zhuang had been sent by Li Qing’an to Chang’an to find Zhang Yun. When he saw Zhang Yun enter, he immediately bowed and said, “Yan Zhuang pays his respects to Lord Zhang.”

“Heh! So it’s really you. They said the scholar had died back then; turns out you went to Anxi.”

Zhang Yun smiled warmly and waved his hand. “Please, sit down, sir!”

Yan Zhuang didn’t explain much. He bowed with a smile and sat down. A maid came in to serve them tea. Zhang Yun picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, “I heard the general has arrived outside Chang’an. Why hasn’t he entered the city?”

Yan Zhuang bowed and replied, “The general says Chang’an is too bustling. Guo Ziyi is stationed at Baqiao to the east of the city, Ge Shuhuan is stationed in Chang’an County to the west, and tens of thousands of troops from Guanzhong are showing off their strength around Chang’an. So the troops from Anxi won’t join in the hustle.”

“Is that so?”

Zhang Yun said calmly, “General Li is now the Right Prime Minister, the head of all officials in charge of governance. With the emperor deceased and no new emperor yet chosen, at such a critical moment, he actually goes out to watch the chaos—this seems rather derelict of duty!” At that, Zhang Yun chuckled twice and added, “I was just joking. Mr. Yan, please don’t take it to heart.”

“Mr. Zhang is right. In fact, the general has been very concerned about who will become the new emperor. I came to your residence today at the general’s request to ask your stance—whose side are you on? The Retired Emperor or the Crown Prince? Of course, if you support neither, then it’s as if I never asked anything.”

Zhang Yun sensed there was more to Yan Zhuang’s words. It was almost an open secret that he, Zhang Yun, supported the King of Shu. How could Li Qing’an not know? Yet he sent Yan Zhuang to ask whether Zhang Yun supported Li Heng or Li Shi. It seemed like a rhetorical question, but it wasn’t—Li Qing’an had deeper intentions.

Instead of answering directly, Zhang Yun smiled and countered, “Then whose side does General Li support?”

Yan Zhuang replied with a smile, “Anxi supports Crown Prince Li Shi. The general says that if Mr. Zhang also supports the crown prince, we might be able to make a deal.”

Zhang Yun grew nervous. Ignoring whether his words should be tactful, he said with a smile, “I’m curious—what kind of deal does General Li have in mind?”

“It’s this: if Mr. Zhang is willing to take the lead and gather like-minded people to support the crown prince’s ascension, the general is willing to agree that in the new government, Mr. Zhang remains Minister of Revenue, and Yang Shenjin becomes Vice Minister of Justice. If you agree to cooperate, we can launch a joint campaign tomorrow. What do you think, Minister Zhang?”

The smile vanished from Zhang Yun’s face. He lowered his head and remained silent for a long time, lost in thought. Regaining control over the Ministry of Revenue had always been his dream. He had resigned to show his disapproval of Li Yu, but he never expected that after leaving his position in the government, the King of Shu, Li Liu, would ignore him completely. People were so pragmatic—without power, one was nothing but a mere bystander.

He nodded silently. He trusted Li Qing’an’s promise. “Very well! Please convey to the general that I accept his deal. I will mobilize the court officials early tomorrow to submit a petition to the empress, asking her to make the crown prince the new emperor.”

“Then it’s settled!”

Yan Zhuang stood up and said, “Tomorrow, Minister Pei will also mobilize some prominent officials from both the court and the public to petition for the crown prince’s accession. The general hopes you’ll cooperate to create momentum. As for the army, don’t worry—Anxi troops will be stationed five miles outside Chang’an City, so no one will dare act rashly.”

……

Just as Yan Zhuang went to find Zhang Yun, Li Qiu was once again entrusted by Li Heng to go to the Anxi Army camp, twenty li away, to see Li Qingan. This time, Li Qiu was not as successful as he had hoped. He waited outside the camp gate for a long time, but the soldiers guarding it would not let him in. Li Qiu called out again, “Please inform General Li that the Retired Emperor has urgent matters to discuss with him!” At that moment, a blaze of light appeared inside the camp, and the gate finally opened. Thousands of soldiers poured out, with a row of them holding torches that illuminated the area outside the gate like daylight. The dense army formed a semicircle around them. At the forefront stood a general in golden armor, holding a long spear, staring at him coldly—it was Li Qingan, whom he had tried to see but failed to do so. Li Qiu was stunned. After a while, he stammered, “General, w-why are you doing this?” Li Qingan pointed his spear at him and said, “You came here to persuade me to let the Retired Emperor ascend the throne, right?” “General, you might be misunderstanding. The crown prince is still young, and the ministers hope the Retired Emperor will take the throne temporarily for a few years, handing it over to the crown prince once he grows up. The Retired Emperor agreed only out of necessity.” “Shut up!” Li Qingan snapped angrily. “Do you think I’m a three-year-old child? Trying to deceive me with such lies! You swore that the Retired Emperor would not ascend the throne—those were your own words. Now that you’ve achieved your goal, you want to break your promise. Let me tell you, as long as I’m here, you won’t succeed!” With that, Li Qingan gave a command, and the soldiers immediately raised their bows and arrows, aiming their cold tips at Li Qiu and his entourage. Shocked by the army’s momentum, Li Qiu stepped back several times, frantically waving his hands to explain, “General, you misunderstand! Really, you misunderstand! The Retired Emperor never intended to ascend the throne; it was really the ministers who asked him…” Li Qingan wouldn’t listen to his explanations. He interrupted him, “I’ll count to three. If you don’t leave now, I’ll use your head to respond to Li Heng. One!” Li Qiu’s face paled, and his entourage also stepped back in fear. “Two!” Li Qiu turned and ran, heading toward the carriage parked in the distance. At that moment, Li Qingan shouted again, “Stop!” Li Qiu froze in fear, not daring to move. Then Li Qingan said coldly, “Go tell Li Heng that if he dares to ascend the throne without permission, I’ll switch my support to the late emperor. The Anxi Army and the Jiannan Army will unite and march back to Chang’an. Let him be careful!” Li Qiu sighed silently, turned without looking back, and rushed into the darkness, disappearing quickly.

Li Qing’an kept watching until Li Qiu’s carriage disappeared before he let out a deep snort. Turning around, he ordered, “Pass my command: the entire army must set out immediately for Chang’an!”
…
In the Prince Yong’s palace, several key ministers supporting Li Heng gathered together. Li Heng listened to Li Qiu’s report with a gloomy expression. When he heard that Li Qing’an intended to support the late emperor instead, he became furious, his face turning ashen as he cursed loudly, “That damned Western barbarian! Who trusted him back then? Who appointed him? It was me! I recommended him as the deputy commander of the Northern Frontier Army, which is why he holds such power now. Now that he’s become arrogant, he’s so ungrateful and unthankful!”
Wang Gong quickly tried to calm him down, saying, “Your Majesty, please calm down. Although Li Qing’an has some strength, we have 50,000 troops under Ge Shu Han’s command, plus nearly 100,000 southern troops—many times his number. Your Majesty needn’t fear. More importantly, we have the support of hundreds of ministers in the court, and the royal family also supports you. I doubt Li Qing’an would dare to provoke everyone’s anger. Tomorrow, we’ll proceed as planned, and Your Majesty will officially ascend the throne and receive congratulations from all officials. Once things are set in motion, Li Qing’an won’t be able to do anything.”
Linghu Fei, standing behind Yang Guozhong, couldn’t hold back and stepped forward, saying, “Your Majesty, don’t forget about Guo Ziyi’s 50,000 troops. He came to the capital to support the Emperor. Although Guo Ziyi hasn’t declared his stance yet, I believe that if he supported Your Majesty, he would have spoken out today. This shows he still favors the crown prince. If Li Qing’an allies with him, it will be very detrimental to us.”
Wang Gong replied unhappily, “Li Qing’an has taken control of Lingzhou. Could Guo Ziyi possibly ally with him?”
Linghu Fei immediately retorted, “Does the Left Chancellor not know? Li Qing’an has already submitted a report to the Ministry of War explaining his occupation of Lingzhou. He was worried that the weak defenses there might be exploited by the Uyghur forces, so he temporarily took over guarding the border. Once the Shuofang Army returns, he will immediately withdraw to Liangzhou. Guo Ziyi has already shown understanding of Li Qing’an’s explanation, and they have reconciled. Even I, who am no longer in office, know this. How could the esteemed Left Chancellor still be unaware?”
Wang Gong’s face turned red. These days, he had only been focused on how Li Heng could ascend the throne and hadn’t realized that Li Qing’an and Guo Ziyi had reconciled.
At that moment, Li Heng asked Linghu Fei, “So what do you suggest I do tomorrow? Should I accept or not?”

Linghu Fei said, “My suggestion is that tomorrow we invite the Retired Emperor to ascend the throne again. If he refuses once more, we should maintain that stance. At the same time, we expand the support for him, even mobilizing the people of Chang’an. If Guo Ziyi also declares his support for the Retired Emperor tomorrow, we will have two hundred thousand troops. Moreover, since his ascension is the common wish of everyone, even if Li Qing’an is powerful, he alone cannot hold back the tide. Then we can launch a third appeal, further amplifying the scale of support, and persuade the crown prince to voluntarily abdicate in favor of his grandfather. Thus, the Retired Emperor will be forced to ascend the throne, silencing all opposition.”

Li Heng pondered for a moment before finally nodding and smiling. “Lord Linghu truly is a master strategist—your plan is outstanding. I accept it.”

……

The Pei family’s residence in Xuanyang Fang was now under strict surveillance by the southern army. About three hundred soldiers guarded the four corners of the house, with more stationed at each entrance, preventing Pei Min from leaving. His family members were also barred from leaving the estate. In the darkness of night, not a single passerby was seen around the Pei residence; only soldiers patrolled back and forth with swords.

Inside the east gate, Pei Min and his two sons had changed into black clothes and were waiting with several burly men for any movement outside. These men were members of the Anxi Internal Affairs Bureau in Chang’an. Taking advantage of the darkness, they had climbed over the wall to enter the estate and were ready to escort Pei Min and his sons out.

Outside the east gate, over twenty soldiers were stationed. Some sat or crouched together, drinking and eating late-night snacks. Several pots of wine and several roasted chickens wrapped in oil-paper lay on the steps. They ate and laughed merrily, creating a lively atmosphere.

Suddenly, from the darkness about fifty steps away, over a hundred figures appeared. Each carried a crossbow and silently approached the east gate, unnoticed by the soldiers there.

“Fire!” A low voice came from the darkness. Over a hundred arrows were shot simultaneously, fast and in large numbers. Screams erupted at the east gate as all twenty-some soldiers fell to their deaths, none escaping. The men in black rushed forward. A carriage arrived and stopped. At that moment, the east gate opened, and several burly men escorted Pei Min and his sons out, quickly boarding the carriage.

The carriage turned and sped into an alley, disappearing in no time. The hundred men in black also vanished. By the time soldiers from other areas arrived after hearing the commotion, the attackers and Pei Min and his sons were long gone, leaving only the twenty-some dead soldiers in pools of blood.