Chapter 445: A Shocking Change in Hanzhong

Fengzhou is located to the northwest of Liangzhou, between Jingji Road and Longyou Road. To its north lies Dasan Pass, one of the four most famous passes leading into Guanzhong, making it of great strategic importance.

At the same time, Fengzhou is also the starting point of the Zhongnan Mountains, with its rugged mountains and steep cliffs making travel extremely difficult.

That afternoon, an army of over 40,000 men marched swiftly through the mountains. Gao Xianzhi walked in the middle of the troops, silent and deep in thought. He had just received a personal letter from King Li Liu of Shu, offering to make his daughter Wuniang the official consort. Wuniang was currently in Nanzheng County and was said to have agreed. Now, King Li Liu asked Gao Xianzhi to discuss the details of the marriage.

Gao Xianzhi had read the letter dozens of times. Knowing his daughter well, he knew she cared nothing about being the official or concubine consort. Her heart belonged to only one person, and she would never agree to King Li Liu’s proposal. It was likely she had spoken under duress.

There was something suspicious here—how could his daughter be in Nanzheng? He hadn’t sent for her at all. Gao Xianzhi suspected Wuniang had been deceived into going there, but he had no concrete evidence.

Gao Xianzhi was worried not so much for his daughter but due to recent political changes. Emperor Li Yu of Chang’an had died, and Li Longji had fled to Hanzhong. Now, he faced two masters—should he pledge loyalty to Li Longji or to King Li Liu of Shu?

Logically, as father and son, they should be united, no matter whom they served. But Gao Xianzhi knew these two men only shared a name as father and son, lacking true familial affection. Two tigers cannot coexist in one mountain; conflict was inevitable. This was why King Li Liu was eager to marry his daughter, even willing to dismiss his current queen to make her his official consort.

A few months earlier, Gao Xianzhi might have been tempted. Becoming the queen of Shu would have been a good fate for his daughter. But now he saw it differently. Becoming the queen might bring disaster and harm to his daughter. Given that his own generals were willing to pledge loyalty to Li Longji, Gao Xianzhi was not optimistic about King Li Liu’s prospects.

At that moment, Gao Xianzhi’s warhorse snorted twice, appearing tired. He looked up at the sky—it was already dusk, with thick clouds and a gloomy atmosphere, suggesting rain. There were no towns ahead, and there was a wide valley nearby. He ordered, “The army will camp here overnight and set off again at dawn.”

The exhausted army quickly set up tents in the valley, fetching water for the horses and preparing meals.

As night fell, the valley was unusually quiet, with the hooting of owls occasionally heard from the trees. An army of three thousand had set up nearly a hundred large tents; no camp fences were erected, only sentries were placed around. Gao Xianzhi could not sleep. He stepped out of his tent. The dark clouds in the sky had thinned, and a bright moon shone through them intermittently. He wandered aimlessly, his mind filled with countless thoughts. He was worried about the situation of the imperial court and his own fate. The struggle for the throne had turned into a chaotic battle among the princes, and in this chaos, everyone needed to secure their own position. So where would Gao Xianzhi go?

At first, he had believed the King of Shu to be a wise ruler he could rely on—a man of great wisdom and ambition. Their mutual understanding had strengthened his resolve to pledge loyalty to him. But as time passed, some of the King’s true nature began to surface, and his lifestyle turned increasingly extravagant. Lost in pleasure and debauchery, he had lost all his initial drive for progress. Of course, as a royal prince, it was understandable for the King of Shu to lead a somewhat luxurious life, but Gao Xianzhi found it utterly unacceptable. Instead of using the limited military funds to benefit the soldiers or motivate them, the King used them to build palaces and collect beauties. Alone in Chengdu, his palaces had thousands of maids and eunuchs. Moreover, he brought his extravagant habits into the military camp—his concubines could roam freely there, occupying the soldiers’ training grounds just to satisfy their occasional desire to ride, which caused great outrage among the troops.

All this filled Gao Xianzhi with deep dissatisfaction. This was certainly not a capable ruler. If he became emperor, he would be a disaster for the Tang Dynasty. Gao Xianzhi began to reflect. Considering how he had forced Wu Niang to marry him, he must have used the most despicable methods. Overwhelmed with distress, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply. How would he face his daughter when he went to Nanzheng?

At that moment, he heard the sound of horse hooves in the darkness. Soon, a patrolling soldier called out, “Who is there?”

“Please tell General Gao that his former master has arrived.”

Gao Xianzhi was shocked. Who could his former master be? Could it be…

Full of doubt, Gao Xianzhi hurried toward the source of the sound. In the darkness, there were only dozens of figures on horseback. At the front seemed to be an old man with a hunched back. Gao Xianzhi had no more doubts. He stepped forward immediately and asked, “I am Gao Xianzhi. Is the person who came the former emperor?”

From the darkness came Li Longji’s laughter, “Indeed, dear Gao. It is I!”

‘I?’

Gao Xianzhi was somewhat confused. Hadn’t the retired emperor already abdicated? Why was he calling himself “I” again? Without time to think further, he quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and bowed, saying, “Your humble servant Gao Xianzhi pays his respects to His Majesty the Retired Emperor!”

The man was Li Longji. He had come via Baogu Road, originally intending to go to Nanzheng, but upon hearing that Gao Xianzhi was in Fengzhou, he turned back toward Fengzhou. He happened to meet Gao Xianzhi halfway. Li Longji smiled slightly and said, “Minister Gao, I’m a bit thirsty. May I ask you for a cup of water first?”

“As you command! Please come to my tent, Your Majesty.”

……

Li Longji’s visit to Gao Xianzhi wasn’t impulsive. Ever since his health began to recover, he had started considering how to take control of the military power in the country. First were his three sons—the kings of Shu, Jing, and Wu. Next were the three powerful military forces in Longyou, Shuofang, and Jiannan. Li Longji knew better than anyone that to regain control of the country, holding military power was of utmost importance. Only by having military power could he compete with Li Yu and Li Qing’an.

With a soft click, a flame appeared in Gao Xianzhi’s hands as he lit an oil lamp. The light spread, illuminating the entire tent. Gao Xianzhi added a lambskin mat to his seat and said with a smile, “This is my sleeping tent. It’s a bit simple, but please, Your Majesty, have a seat.”

Li Longji glanced around the tent. There was only a military blanket, a box for documents, and a small table for handling paperwork—nothing else. He nodded inwardly. He had heard that Gao Xianzhi shared hardships with his soldiers, and indeed, that was the case now. Without saying much, Li Longji sat down at the small table. At that moment, one of Gao Xianzhi’s personal guards brought a cup of tea. After the guards checked it, it was placed on the table.

Li Longji picked up the cup and took a sip before slowly saying, “Minister Gao, I’ve come to save your life.”

Gao Xianzhi didn’t understand what Li Longji meant and stood aside, not daring to speak. Li Longji glanced at him and sneered, “You’re planning to go to Nanzheng, right?”

“Yes! I received a letter from the King of Shu and am indeed heading to Nanzheng.”

“That’s right. That’s why you won’t be able to reach Nanzheng in the end.”

After a pause, Li Longji asked, “How many troops do you have with you?”

Gao Xianzhi found Li Longji’s words confusing, scattered and hard to follow. He quickly replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, I have three thousand troops with me.”

“Three thousand troops? Not bad. Perhaps you can manage to escape the encirclement at all costs.”

Gao Xianzhi finally understood. He was surprised and said, “Does Your Majesty mean that there are… ahead?”

Li Longji nodded slowly. “As you guessed, the King of Shu has deployed 20,000 troops in Tianqin Gorge, 150 li ahead, waiting for you to go there. Does he really think he can make you head to Nanzheng County?”
Gao Xianzhi was stunned. He knew about Tianqin Gorge—it was located on the route to Nanzheng, about 50 li from the county town. It was a gorge ideal for an ambush. According to his own marching plan, he would reach Tianqin Gorge by noon the next day. If Li Longji was right, the King of Shu would lay an ambush there. Gao Xianzhi found it hard to believe—the King of Shu would actually ambush him?
Seeing the confusion in Gao Xianzhi’s eyes, Li Longji continued slowly, “Shilonglang is my son. I know very well what kind of person he is—two-faced, pretending one thing while doing another. I suppose you’ve experienced this too. Perhaps when he wrote to send you to Nanzheng, he had no intention of killing you, but now it’s different. Something significant happened the day before yesterday, enough to make him want to kill you. Minister Gao, do you know what it is?”
“I’m isolated from news and don’t know what happened.”
Li Longji smiled. “It’s because Ge Shuhan’s army has defected to me.”
“Ah!” Gao Xianzhi exhaled sharply. Ge Shuhan had defected to Li Longji! If that was the case, the King of Shu must have known as well.
Now he began to believe what Li Longji said. If Ge Shuhan really had defected to Li Longji, it wasn’t surprising that the King of Shu wanted to kill him. For a moment, Gao Xianzhi was utterly confused, not knowing what to do.
At that moment, Li Longji looked at him and asked, “Minister Gao, would you like to defect to me?”
Gao Xianzhi lowered his head. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He didn’t know what to do either. He had never thought about defecting to Li Longji. He had never seen a separation between Li Longji and his son. In his mind, supporting the King of Shu meant supporting Li Longji. But now, the father and son were fighting against each other, yet he hadn’t decided which side to take.
Li Longji’s gaze was piercing, as if he could see through Gao Xianzhi’s heart. Over forty years as emperor had taught him the art of controlling people—observe first, probe second, act third. This was his usual method. He had been observing Gao Xianzhi for a long time and noticed his dissatisfaction with the King of Shu. Gao Xianzhi was strict in commanding his troops, sharing weal and woe with them, while the King of Shu led a life of luxury and indulgence in his army, doing as he pleased. They were not of the same kind. It was clear from Gao Xianzhi’s reluctance to marry his daughter to the King of Shu that he was dissatisfied with him.

Seeing through Gao Xianzhi’s lack of determination, Li Longji resorted to the second tactic—testing him. He reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, putting Gao Xianzhi in a dilemma, thus achieving his goal; at least he had made Gao Xianzhi inclined to side with him by 50%. The next step was to formally recruit him, but not yet. Li Longji knew that until the foundation was solid, nothing would come to pass, so he offered Gao Xianzhi another incentive.

“Honorable Gao, let me say a few more words. Emperor Li Yu is my great-grandson. Though I am deeply dissatisfied with him, I still acknowledge his emperorship—after all, he was my designated heir. Unfortunately, he died young, and now his son has taken the throne, but I do not recognize it. Without my recognition, no one can claim to be emperor. So, the current emperor of the Tang Dynasty is not Li Shi but me. I am still the emperor of the Tang Empire, though I am weak now, without support, and it is not yet the time to announce it to the world. If you support me, I will grant you the merit of supporting my ascension. In the future, you may choose among Longyou, Jiannan, and Anxi regions, and I will confer upon you a fief of ten thousand households, making you a true prince of a different surname. This is my promise to you.”

Gao Xianzhi nodded silently. “Please allow me some time to consider, Your Majesty.”

“Very well!”

Li Longji slowly stood up and said, “I’ll give you time to think, but I must remind you once again—there are 20,000 hidden troops in Tianqin Gorge. Be careful.”

With that, Li Longji staggered outward. His guards tried to help him, but he shook them off. “I can walk by myself!”

Gao Xianzhi did not see Li Longji off. He remained seated in the tent, motionless, like a statue of a thinker. After what seemed like a long time, the sound of drizzling rain woke him from his thoughts. It seemed to be raining outside.

Gao Xianzhi felt a chill and put on a coat before stepping out of the tent. Indeed, it was raining lightly, with a misty atmosphere. The night rain in such deep valleys filled people with melancholy. Gao Xianzhi couldn’t help but recall the past—when he was 18, full of vigor, riding swiftly on horseback with a bow in hand, galloping across the deserts of Anxi, with snow-capped mountains in the distance and white clouds over the grasslands. Thirty years had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, nearly 50, in his later years, could he still have such ambition?

He thought again of Li Longji’s promise: “If you help me, I will grant you the merit of supporting my ascension and confer upon you the title of a prince with ten thousand households.”

Gao Xianzhi’s heart burned with passion. He would rather not have ten thousand households; he only wanted to return to Anxi and make up for the lost years.

Just as Gao Xianzhi was preoccupied, suddenly, urgent horn sounds came from both the front and back of the camp almost at the same time—“Woo~!” The horn sounds echoed in the rain; it was an alarm of an enemy approaching. Gao Xianzhi was shocked. This was a canyon, with horn sounds coming from both sides, which meant they were surrounded. He shouted, “Order the soldiers to mount their horses immediately! Abandon the baggage!” Chaos ensued in the camp. The soldiers, without bothering to pack their belongings, hurriedly put on their armor and mounted their horses. Gao Xianzhi also mounted his horse, holding a long spear, and watched nervously the situation outside the camp. Through the rain and mist, he sensed a large army closing in around him, but they were not attacking. Who could it be? A personal officer stepped forward and reported, “General, we are surrounded by a large army from both sides—around fifty to sixty thousand men.” At that moment, shouts came from outside the camp: “General Gao, His Majesty the Emperor requests your presence.” Only then did Gao Xianzhi realize it was Guo Shuhan’s army. It seemed that by the time Li Longji arrived, Guo Shuhan’s forces were already nearby. Gao Xianzhi sighed. Li Longji’s aggressive tactics left him with no choice. He spurred his horse outside the camp and saw the area filled with troops holding resin torches that burned brightly in the dense rain and mist, lighting up the night like day. Among the cavalry was an old man with a hunched back—it was Li Longji, who had just left Gao Xianzhi’s camp. He wore a raincoat and a conical hat, and his face, illuminated by the flames, showed a triumphant smile. He had observed and tested the situation; now was the time to act. Seeing Gao Xianzhi approaching, he laughed loudly and said, “Minister Gao, have you made up your mind?” Gao Xianzhi dismounted and quickly walked up to Li Longji, kneeling before him. Finally resolved, he declared loudly, “I, Gao Xianzhi, am willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty without hesitation!” Li Longji promptly ordered someone to help Gao Xianzhi up. He laughed happily. For years, he had never felt so satisfied as he did now. With both Guo Shuhan and Gao Xianzhi now on his side, fate had once again given him a chance. “Minister Gao, return quickly to gather your troops. We will meet in Nanzheng.” …… In Nanzheng, King Li of Shu was unwell. His attempt to ambush Gao Xianzhi in Tianqin Gorge had failed, and he had been drenched by the night rain. Filled with anger and resentment, he fell ill and could not recover. For several days, Li remained in a daze. He realized things were going wrong and wanted to return to Chengdu, but his illness prevented him from doing so.

That morning, Li Li’s health improved slightly. He rode a horse around the stables and felt he was ready to set off, so he ordered, “Pass my command: all troops must immediately pack up and prepare to return to Chengdu.” He had 30,000 soldiers under his command, a force he had forced Gao Xianzhi to give him. He served as the commander-in-chief himself, but most of the army’s generals were promoted by Gao Xianzhi, with eight of them, including Zhao Chongyi, brought over from Anxi. The news of Li Li’s order to return to Chengdu caused dissatisfaction among the troops. Li Li had promised to reward each soldier with 30 guan before returning to Chengdu as compensation for their deployment to Hanzhong. Now that he failed to keep his promise, protests arose within the army. “Your Highness, the situation in the army is chaotic. Officers and soldiers are refusing to obey orders and no one wants to set out for the south,” the messenger reported. “Damn it! I don’t have any money to give them now!” Fuming, Li Li ordered his guard, “Pass my command again: once we return to Chengdu, I will definitely keep my promise.” After a pause, he called back the guard, “Never mind. I’ll go talk to them myself. Prepare a horse for me.” As soon as he finished speaking, a guard rushed in in a panic, trembling as he reported, “Your Highness, something terrible has happened!” “What’s the emergency?” Li Li asked irritably. “Your Highness, news has come from outside the city—Geshu Han has led 50,000 troops to the south of Chengdu, while Gao Xianzhi has led 70,000 troops to the west, blocking our path back to the south.” “Ah!” The sudden news left Li Li stunned. He collapsed to the ground. Gao Xianzhi had truly betrayed him. At that moment, Li Li realized that perhaps his doom had come. …… In late June of the first year of Zhenzhi, Gao Xianzhi and Geshu Han split their forces and surrounded the city of Nanzheng. Under Gao Xianzhi’s orders, his former subordinate, Zhao Chongyi, the governor of Nanzheng, led his troops in rebellion and sent someone to escort Gao Wu out of the city. The rest of the troops, also former subordinates of Gao Xianzhi, surrendered one after another. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Li Li, the King of Shu, had no choice but to surrender and tie himself up as an offering, seeking forgiveness from his father. Emperor Li Longji did not spare him. Three days later, Li Li was poisoned to death inside Nanzheng. From then on, Li Longji took complete control of an army of 200,000, including Geshu Han, Gao Xianzhi, and the 50,000 reserve troops of Jiannan. If the 80,000 troops from Nanzhao were added, Li Longji would have nearly 300,000 soldiers at his disposal.

On June 25, Li Longji issued a proclamation to the whole country from Hanzhong, denying the legitimacy of the new emperor Li Shi’s reign. He once again declared himself the Holy and Martial Emperor of Kaiyuan and Tianbao, restoring the era name of Tianbao 13, and called on the officials in Chang’an to march south to reestablish the Great Tang Empire. For a time, the Great Tang Empire was in turmoil. With an army of 150,000 troops, Li Longji did not return to Chengdu. He divided his forces into two groups: Ge Shu Han took the Chencang route, while he and Gao Xianzhi took the Baogu route, as the 150,000-strong army advanced toward Guanzhong.