Chapter 439: Killing to Establish Authority

Li Qing’an had set up his main camp five li outside Chang’an City. At that moment, inside the Anxi Army’s camp, he was receiving Ma Lin, a trusted general of Guo Ziyi and deputy commander of the Shuofang Army.
“I have been entrusted by General Guo to first express my gratitude to the great general for yielding Shuofang.”
Though the topic was somewhat awkward, Ma Lin’s attitude was sincere. Both of them were practical people. If Li Qing’an refused to hand over Lingzhou, the Shuofang Army would be at a loss. Guo Ziyi had originally planned to station his troops in Hanzhong or Jingzhou, but he didn’t expect Li Qing’an to submit a petition to the imperial court, stating that the Anxi Army was only temporarily stationed in Lingzhou to defend against the Uyghurs. As long as the Shuofang Army returned, they could hand over Lingzhou at any time.
This news came as a great relief to Guo Ziyi, as many of his soldiers’ families were in Lingzhou. Since Li Qing’an was willing to give it up, he felt greatly relieved and sent Ma Lin to express his thanks.
Li Qing’an smiled and said, “We’re all part of the Tang Army—there’s no reason for us to fight each other. I’ve always admired General Guo’s integrity. I wonder if, after the emperor’s death, General Guo will support the crown prince’s ascension?”
Although the Anxi Army was powerful, the Shuofang Army and the Longyou Army were also strong. Both Ge Shu Han and Guo Ziyi were renowned generals. Li Qing’an understood that if both Guo Ziyi and Ge Shu Han supported Li Hen, along with nearly 200,000 southern troops from Guanzhong, Li Hen would have 300,000 troops at his disposal, while he only had 40,000. It would be impossible for him to compete against such a force. Thus, Guo Ziyi’s stance was extremely important—this was one of the key reasons why Li Qing’an voluntarily handed over Lingzhou; he didn’t want to become an enemy of all the military governors.
Ma Lin bowed and said, “This is also a major reason for my visit. My general asked me to convey to you that he too supports the crown prince’s ascension. He has already submitted a petition to the imperial court, hoping that the crown prince will ascend the throne soon to stabilize the people of the Tang Dynasty.”
Li Qing’an gave a thumbs up in approval and said, “General Guo truly deserves to be called a veteran general, as he prioritizes the greater good. Please convey to General Guo that I am willing to work with him to support the crown prince and restore prosperity to the Tang Dynasty.”
“Very well! I will certainly pass on your message. I must take my leave now.”
Ma Lin bowed and left in haste.
Guo Ziyi’s stance was crucial—it removed the last obstacle for Li Qing’an, who let out a long sigh of relief. Now, everything was settled.
At that moment, a bodyguard rushed over and whispered something in Li Qing’an’s ear. Surprised, Li Qing’an asked again, “Are you sure it was him in person?”
“Absolutely. I saw it with my own eyes.”
After pondering for a moment, Li Qing’an stood up and said, “Open the camp gates! I’ll go greet him in person!”

Outside the main camp, Li Hen stood with his hands behind his back, squinting at the Anxi army’s camp. The neatness and simplicity of the camp impressed him greatly—it was indeed a formidable army, as evident even in the smallest details of their setup, showing meticulousness even when setting up camp temporarily. At that moment, the camp gates opened, and groups of Anxi soldiers poured out. They split into two groups, forming an eight-shaped formation. Li Qing’an led dozens of generals out quickly. He knelt on one knee and saluted Li Hen, saying, “Your humble servant, Li Qing’an, pays his respects to His Majesty the Retired Emperor!”
“General Li, please rise from your bow!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty the Retired Emperor!”
Li Qing’an stood up and said, “I invite Your Majesty the Retired Emperor to enter the camp for a conversation.”
He glanced at Linghu Fei and smiled slightly, saying, “May Lord Linghu also come in!”
“Very well, then we shall obey graciously.”
Horses were not allowed inside the camp, so Li Hen and his entourage followed Li Qing’an to the central tent. As they walked, Li Hen said with a smile, “General, it’s been several years since we last met! I remember the last time was also in your camp, outside Chang’an.”
“Yes! Years have passed in the blink of an eye. Your humble servant has been fighting in Anxi. Upon returning to Chang’an, I never expected such great changes to have taken place here—the emperor has passed away, and I am deeply saddened.”
After a pause, Li Qing’an asked, “I wonder what Your Majesty the Retired Emperor plans to do with those members of the royal family who were involved in the attempt on the emperor’s life?”
Li Hen sighed and said, “The main culprits, the Li Chenghong brothers, have already been executed. Death cannot be undone. As long as they admit their mistakes and mourn for my son, I suggest sparing them. After all, they are still part of the royal family, and my son also made mistakes in the past.”
Hearing Li Hen treat this matter so lightly, Li Qing’an couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. By then, they had reached the tent. Li Qing’an waved his hand and said, “Please!”
Everyone entered the tent and sat down according to their roles as host and guests. Li Qing’an ordered his guards to bring tea. Li Hen then gave Linghu Fei a subtle signal. Linghu Fei smiled and said, “Now, General should be called Prime Minister. We’ve come here to discuss the issue of the new emperor’s ascension with Prime Minister Li.”
Li Qing’an raised his hand to interrupt him and asked Li Hen, “I’d like to ask first—who is the new emperor? Is it the crown prince or the Retired Emperor?”

Li Qing’an asked this question very frankly and directly, which made Li Heng feel extremely awkward. He forced a smile and said, “Of course it’s the crown prince who should ascend the throne. How could Prime Minister Li think of me? Although some ministers argued that the crown prince was too young to rule the Tang Dynasty and suggested that I ascend the throne first, since there were many opponents, I decided to follow the majority’s opinion and support the crown prince’s ascension, while serving as his regent.”

Li Heng emphasized the last part, “serving as his regent,” clearly implying to Li Qing’an that he didn’t have to ascend the throne himself but could instead act as regent.

In fact, it was Li Qing’an’s idea to have Li Heng act as regent. This was not only because Li Heng had some strength and many supporters, but more importantly, his ambition would eventually bring the opportunities Li Qing’an needed.

Although this was Li Qing’an’s bottom line, negotiations still required a process. Li Qing’an wasn’t in a hurry to respond. Instead, he picked up his teacup and said with a smile, “I wonder if the Retired Emperor has any news of the late emperor?”

“He should be in Hanzhong now! Thirteenth Young Master is very filial to him. I think our father should feel satisfied.”

At that moment, Li Heng suddenly realized something and asked in surprise, “Could it be that Prime Minister Li knows something about him?”

Li Qing’an nodded. “I know a little. Yesterday, my scouts spotted the late emperor at Luogu Pass, accompanied by thousands of troops. I think he should have entered Guanzhong today and is likely on his way to Chang’an.”

Li Heng fell silent. He believed Li Qing’an was telling the truth. Given his father’s nature, he would never miss such an opportunity. With his prestige and influence, almost everyone except Li Qing’an would submit to him. Even if he couldn’t ascend the throne, becoming regent would be as easy as picking up something from a bag. Then it wouldn’t be him as regent but the Retired Emperor as regent. He understood what Li Qing’an meant—he was telling him that he was about to face the greatest risk.

Now, Li Heng became impatient and said frankly, “I came today to discuss with Prime Minister Li the crown prince’s ascension and the arrangements for the Council of State. Would Prime Minister Li be willing to listen?”

“Please go ahead, Retired Emperor!”

“Although the crown prince will become the new emperor, he is still young and unable to handle state affairs independently. As his grandfather, I have both the responsibility and the qualifications to act as regent for him temporarily. The Grand General shall be in charge of administrative affairs, the Right Prime Minister shall be the Head of the Secretariat, Pei Min shall remain Minister of Personnel, Wang Gong shall continue as Left Prime Minister and Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, Li Yan shall remain Minister of Justice, and Chen Xilie shall stay as Minister of War. I recommend Yang Guozhong as Minister of Rites. That would make six prime ministers. There’s still one position left, and I’m willing to hear Prime Minister Li’s opinion.”

Each of the six factions held three seats, with one seat left, which Li Heng offered to Li Qing’an as his concession. If Li Qing’an accepted this arrangement, the crown prince would ascend the throne that very afternoon, leaving no chance for Li Longji.
“Thank you, the Retired Emperor, for your trust in Li Qing’an. I am willing to recommend Zhang Yun as the Minister of Revenue. Besides that, I have one more condition.”
Li Heng expected Li Qing’an to recommend Zhang Yun. Given Zhang Yun’s fickle nature, it was uncertain whether he would side with Li Qing’an; he was a variable. Li Heng nodded and said, “As you wish. I also support Zhang Yun’s return to government affairs. As for Prime Minister Li’s condition, please speak freely.”
Li Qing’an smiled faintly and said, “Last year, I promised the soldiers in Anxi that within half a year at the latest, I would settle matters for them with the heads of Meng Yun and Luo Zhengyi. Retired Emperor—no! Your Highness, the Regent, this is my condition.”
…
Around noon, all the city gates of Chang’an were opened. At that time, news came from the government hall: after urgent consultations among the ministers, it was decided to crown the crown prince. Since the crown prince was still young, the Retired Emperor would temporarily assume the role of regent until the prince reached adulthood, at which point power would be formally transferred.
This news filled tens of thousands of students, officials, and citizens gathered in front of the Zhuque Gate with joy—their petition had finally succeeded.
It was now lunchtime, and the crowd began to disperse. The students gathered in groups, planning to go to taverns to celebrate.
Next came the preparations for the crown prince’s enthronement. This process should be led by the Right Prime Minister, the head of all officials. At Li Heng’s suggestion, Crown Prince Li Shi personally led more than 400 officials of rank five or higher from Chang’an to welcome Li Qing’an into the city outside the Mingde Gate.
Welcoming meritorious officials back was a long-standing tradition of the Tang Dynasty. Initially, Li Yu had personally led all officials to welcome Li Qing’an back from Anxi. Nearly two years later, since Li Yu was no longer alive, his son took over to welcome Li Qing’an back.
Outside the Mingde Gate, hundreds of officials stood in neat uniforms, solemn and resolute. Among them were staunch supporters of Li Qing’an, such as Pei Min and Cui Guangyuan, as well as those from Zhang Yun’s faction who had temporarily allied with him. Yet the majority were supporters of Li Heng, including Wang Gong, Yang Guozhong, Chen Xilié, Linghu Fei, and General Meng Yun.
Everyone had complex feelings. With Li Qing’an entering the city, a new chapter in the history of the Tang Dynasty was about to begin.

Sure enough, a massive army of 50,000 men appeared on the road in the distance. It was the Anxi Army. They stopped two li away, with 50,000 soldiers armed and ready, staring intently at the more than 400 high-ranking officials outside Mingde Gate.

The Anxi Army was too close, and many officials felt uneasy, especially Meng Yun, who was extremely fearful. He glanced at Li Hen, seeing that he appeared calm and unafraid, which eased his worries a bit. If even Li Hen wasn’t worried, why should he be? If others knew he feared Li Qingan, he would lose face forever.

Protected by a thousand bodyguards, Li Qingan separated himself from the army. He still wore a golden helmet and iron armor, carrying a battle sword at his waist, in the guise of a great general—still not dressed as the right prime minister.

He rode slowly forward until he reached Li Shi. Normally, Li Qingan should have dismounted and knelt before Li Shi, but he neither dismounted nor spoke, instead casting a cold gaze at Meng Yun and Luo Zhengyi, the general of the Left Military Guard, who were among the crowd. These two traitors from Hexi were now right before his eyes.

All the officials were stunned, looking at each other in confusion, unsure of Li Qingan’s intentions. He wasn’t ignorant of etiquette—when the emperor had met with him before, he had been very polite. Why was he acting so strangely today? They began to whisper among themselves, wondering what had happened.

At that moment, Li Qingan raised his whip and pointed at Meng Yun and Luo Zhengyi. The Anxi soldiers rushed forward like wolves, knocking the two to the ground and binding them.

Meng Yun was terrified. As he lay on the ground, he shouted, “Li Qingan, what are you doing? The crown prince and the retired emperor are here—how dare you be so rude?”

Luo Zhengyi was so frightened that he could barely speak.

Li Qingan bowed to Li Shi and Li Hen, saying, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince, and Your Majesty, the Retired Emperor—Meng Yun and Luo Zhengyi, as commanders of the Guanzhong Army, were supposed to ensure the safety of Weinan County. But they failed in their duties, leading to the emperor’s assassination. According to military law, they deserve death. I am willing to offer their heads as an offering to the emperor’s spirit in heaven.”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expression changed in shock. Even Li Hen was greatly surprised. He agreed to hand over Meng Yun and Luo Zhengyi to Li Qingan but did not allow him to kill them at that moment. He never imagined Li Qingan would act now to establish his authority by killing people.

Before anyone could react, Li Qingan ordered, “Behead them on the spot!”

Several Anxi soldiers stepped on Meng Yun’s head and body. Meng Yun screamed in terror, “Woo! Woo!”, but couldn’t utter a word. At that moment, a strong Anxi soldier raised his extremely sharp sword high and swung it down at Meng Yun’s neck. With a muffled cry, Meng Yun’s head was severed from his body, and a large amount of blood gushed out. Several officials nearby, including Yang Guozhong, didn’t have time to dodge and were splashed with blood; one official even fainted from shock.

On the other side, Luo Zhengyi also had his head cut off by Anxi soldiers on the spot. Two soldiers held his head high. It was then that the more than four hundred ministers finally realized what had happened, screaming in terror as they stepped back several dozen steps. They stared in horror at the headless bodies of Meng and Luo, with blood still flowing from their necks, leaving everyone stunned.

Li Qingan dismounted from his horse, knelt on one knee in front of Li Shi, and declared loudly, “Your servant, Li Qingan, the Anxi Military Governor and Right Chancellor, pays his respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Long live His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!”