Chapter 457: A Letter from Chengdu

Li Qing’an secretly sought to ally with prominent families. Although it was under the pretext of Pei Kuan’s birthday celebration, secrets eventually leaked, catching the attention of those who were watching.
Wang Gong, the Left Chancellor, also received an invitation from the Pei family. To celebrate Pei Kuan’s birthday, the court suspended proceedings for a day as a sign of respect for the Pei family. Wang Gong thus had half a day off. At noon, he changed his clothes and prepared to attend the banquet at the Pei residence. In fact, since the morning, officials of all ranks had been arriving at the Pei household one after another. Throughout history, birthday banquets for the powerful have been important occasions for networking in the government. Especially for lower-ranking officials, a fruitful conversation could determine their career prospects, so they would usually arrive early to seek opportunities to meet high-ranking officials.
But Wang Gong was different. As the Left Chancellor and supreme ruler, he no longer needed to rush around to seek out high-ranking officials for talks—only they would come to him. Thus, he ate lunch leisurely and planned to take a short nap in his study, a routine he never skipped. As soon as he arrived, a maid rushed over to report, “Sir, your wife is calling for you!”
Wang Gong knew it must be his wife urging him to set off. She had already urged him three times since morning. He waved his hand unhappily and said, “Tell her not to rush. I’ll take her when the time comes.”
The maid smiled and bowed again, “Sir, it’s not about setting off. Your wife has guests and asks you to come over too.”
“Guests? Who?” Wang Gong asked in surprise.
“It’s your wife’s niece.”
“So it’s her!” A glimmer appeared in Wang Gong’s eyes. He nodded and smiled, “Tell my wife to wait a moment. I’ll be there right away.”
He lost all desire to sleep and immediately headed toward the inner chambers.
…
Wang Gong’s wife was the sister of Cui Yuan, the governor of Yizhou, a woman from a prominent family. She had been married to Wang Gong for nearly twenty years. It was the Cui family’s support that helped Wang Gong rise in power during the Tianbao era, eventually making him one of the most powerful chancellors in the Tang Dynasty. Thus, the Cui and Wang families had formed a relationship of mutual support.
Although Cui Yuan became an emperor’s chancellor, which somewhat affected Wang Gong negatively, his influence was already deeply rooted. A mere marriage alliance could not shake him. Moreover, he was a key figure on whom Li Heng relied to stabilize the situation, so no one dared to touch him. As a result, the relationship between Wang Gong and Cui Yuan was often underestimated.

Others might see it as unimportant, but Wang Gong certainly didn’t. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have disregarded his usual nap time and rushed to the inner residence like this.
The guest visiting today was Mrs. Wang Gong’s niece, also Cui Yuan’s daughter, nicknamed Chunniang. She had married Zhao Xun, an official in the Ministry of Works, four years ago. When many nobles fled to Shu some time ago, she and her husband also went to Chengdu, but she returned today, her first stop being to see her aunt.
Chunniang was rather plain-looking, but her bold makeup added a touch of charm. She was quick-witted and efficient, and she was discussing local customs in Shu with her aunt.
“Chengdu is decent, but I still think it can’t compare to the prosperity of Chang’an. Just the shops in the Eastern Market—there are fewer than half as many in all of Chengdu put together. I’m talking about making money—plus Zhuque Street, Chang’an’s towering city walls, and the grandeur of the Daming Palace. Chengdu is far behind.”
“What about food, clothing, and daily expenses?” Wang Gong’s wife, being a woman, was more concerned about such details.
“The prices of food and clothing are slightly lower than in Chang’an—20 coins per pound of meat, 70 coins per dou of rice. Moreover, the silver coins there are extremely valuable; one silver coin can be exchanged for 300 coins. Fortunately, we brought quite a few silver coins this time, which allowed us to make a profit and avoid losing everything on buying a house.”
“Are houses expensive?”
“It’s not just expensive—it changes price every day, rising steadily. It’s not just the cost; the real issue is that those of us who came from the south are forced into different classes. Princes and royal family members go to Chengdu and get fertile land and beautiful houses for free, without having to pay a penny. High-ranking officials also get government-provided residences with no worries. Only us low-ranking officials have to pay out of our own pockets. Even a small two-mu house now costs 2,000 coins. Although we have some savings, if we use it all on buying a house, what will we eat? We won’t have any money left to hire maids or servants. That’s why I want to sell our house in Chang’an and get some money to take back.”
“I advise my niece not to sell it!” Wang Gong said with a smile as he entered.
Chunniang quickly stood up and bowed, saying, “Greetings, uncle!”
“No need for such formality. Sit down!”
Chunniang sat down again, and Wang Gong’s wife quickly asked, “Sir, why do you advise Chunniang not to sell her house in Chang’an?”
“Yes! Why won’t uncle let me sell the house?” Chunniang asked curiously too.
Wang Gong smiled gently and said, “Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows. Don’t you all want to return to Chang’an in the future? Do you really think the division of the Tang Dynasty will last for decades?”

“But we’ve heard that many residences of noble families have been seized by the court in Chang’an. Officials heading south are all in panic, and rumors are everywhere in Chengdu. We’re very worried that our homes might also be taken away.”
“You little people needn’t worry. Be at ease! Aside from the noble families who fled south, not even Yang Guozhong’s house was seized. What more are you worried about?”
Chun Niang patted her chest and smiled, “Then I’m relieved. Actually, we were a bit hesitant too. What if we have to return to Chang’an and lose our home? Where would we go? With what your uncle said, I won’t sell it.”
At that, Chun Niang took out a letter and handed it to Wang Gong, “Uncle, this is a letter from my father for you. I brought it along by chance.”
Wang Gong smiled knowingly. He knew that Cui Yuan would surely ask Chun Niang to deliver the letter to him. Taking the letter, he said, “You two continue chatting. I’ll go to the study to read it.”
Wang Gong’s wife quickly asked, “Sir, then when shall we set off?”
“There’s no need to rush. If you want to go first, take Yong’er with you! I’ll follow later.”
Wang Gong hurried back to the study, sat down, and opened the letter from Cui Yuan. Even before reading it, he knew there was something in it—Cui Yuan never wrote letters longer than one page, but this one was quite thick, at least three pages long, likely hiding some secret.
Indeed, when Wang Gong opened the letter, he immediately found a folded piece of paper hidden inside—it was an imperial edict from Li Longji. Shocked, he quickly closed the doors and windows before nervously unrolling the edict.
“My loyal minister, you have served me for many years. I know well of your loyalty and righteousness. As the ancients say, only those who sit high in the halls of power can see the breadth of the world. You now hold a high position, so your thoughts should be focused on the safety of the Tang Dynasty. Today, the skies over Chang’an are shrouded by the evil forces of Anxi; harsh winds and rains force the sacred relics of the Tang Dynasty to flee to Shu. I lament for our ancestors’ legacy and resent my own weakness. I hope you can lead the Wang family out of this darkness and join forces with me to restore clarity to the Tang Dynasty. I await your response.”
Wang Gong slowly closed the letter, his mind blank. Li Longji’s edict did not bring him joy; instead, it filled him with an inexplicable fear. Being chosen by Li Longji proved his value, but it also brought pressure. Wang Gong knew well how Li Longji was—once his demands were not met, he would regard him as an enemy and pursue him relentlessly. Now that Li Longji had his attention, how should he respond? Ignore him?

Wang Gong’s mind was in chaos. He had just advised Chun Niang to have multiple hiding places, but now it was his turn—did he also need to do the same? He set Li Longji’s imperial edict aside for now and opened Cui Yuan’s letter instead. The contents of the letter relieved him; it mentioned nothing about Li Longji’s edict, only expressing the hope to strengthen cooperation between the Cui and Wang families to secure the greatest interests in both the northern and southern Tang regimes. At the end of the letter, Cui Yuan mentioned that Wei Jiansu, the vice minister of the Ministry of War, had secretly sided with Li Longji and might take drastic action soon, suggesting that Wang Gong keep an eye out—this could be an opportunity to completely overthrow the Wei family. “Overthrow the Wei family!” The idea flashed through Wang Gong’s mind. In truth, what he really wanted to overthrow was the Pei family, especially Pei Min, whom he long desired to get rid of. But he couldn’t touch Pei Min, as he was Li Qingan’s representative. Still, getting rid of Wei Jiansu wouldn’t be bad either. Back in the day, when Wei Jiansu followed Yang Guozhong, he had been Wang Gong’s rival. Moreover, the Wei family had always maintained close ties with the Pei family. Overthrowing Wei Jiansu would also serve as a warning to the increasingly arrogant Pei family. Wang Gong knew this was actually what Cui Yuan meant. He then thought of Li Qingan’s recent efforts to win over various prominent families. He had personally visited dozens of famous families in Chang’an, including the Peis, Lus, Weis, Xiaos, Zhangs, Dugu, and Changsuns, with great momentum. Yesterday, Li Heng had even discussed with him how to stop Li Qingan’s ambitions. Delivering a harsh blow to the Wei family could serve as a warning to these families. At that moment, a maid’s voice came from outside: “Master, madam says it’s time to leave. She’s waiting for you in the carriage.” “I know!” Urged by time, Wang Gong changed into another outfit, put on a gauze hat, and hurriedly left. …… By now, the Pei family’s residence was bustling with activity. The streets in front of the main gate were filled with guests’ carriages, and more kept arriving. Dozens of Pei family members were on horseback, busy guiding the carriages to park, while over 300 of Li Qingan’s personal guards also came to help maintain order. For Pei Kuan’s birthday celebration, 1,200 invitations were sent out, most to prominent figures in Chang’an. Given Pei Kuan’s generous and friendly nature, he had many friends, so wealthy merchants like Wang Yuanbao also received invitations and came with generous gifts to offer their congratulations. Generally, such prominent families like the Peis wouldn’t associate with merchants, but since this might be Pei Kuan’s last birthday, they invited everyone who had a relationship with him, regardless of status, as a final gesture for him.

In front of the Pei family’s residence, elders and younger members of the Pei family such as Pei Zunqing, Pei Min, Pei Yi, Pei Xiang, and Pei Yu all came out to welcome the guests. Li Qingan was nowhere to be seen, but the Pei family members didn’t ask further. Groups of guests arrived with their wives and children. Most Tang Dynasty men wore similar attire—robes with layered sleeves, tied at the waist, black leather boots, and either gauze hats or plain caps. They all had rosy complexions and energetic expressions. Meanwhile, the women’s dresses came in a wide variety of styles, featuring long skirts. This was because after Li Yu ascended the throne, he ordered frugality, banning the use of Shu silk and long skirts with six layers. Empress Shen led by example by wearing skirts with four layers, and long skirts with six layers disappeared from Chang’an. But after Li Yu’s death, his bans were lifted, and the noblewomen of Chang’an dug out their long skirts from storage, restoring the trend of skirts that trailed like the waters of the Xiang River. The skirts were bright in colors—red, yellow, green, purple—with hems reaching the chest. They wore short shirts and gauze cloths over their shoulders, mostly with high hairstyles that resembled dark clouds covering the sun. Their faces were heavily made up, adorned with hairpins, jade pins, and gold rings. As they walked, they swayed with each step, and the clinking of various jewelry made them appear especially graceful. At that moment, Zhang Gao, the Left Minister under the Emperor, stepped forward quickly. He had originally been the governor of Taiyuan and had only been transferred to Chang’an three months earlier. His wife and children were still in Taiyuan, so he was the only one who came to offer his congratulations. He stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, “Wishing Lord Pei a long life! I’ve come specially to congratulate you!” There were usually two ministers under the Emperor, one on the left and one on the right. Zhang Gao was the left minister, while the right minister was Pei Zunqing. Although Zhang Gao was also a supporter of Li Hen, he was an honest and upright man with a good reputation in the court, and he got along very well with Pei Zunqing. Seeing him arrive, Pei Zunqing quickly went up to greet him with a smile and said, “I don’t care if you come or not. As long as you bring the birthday gifts, that’s enough.” Zhang Gao pointed at Pei Zunqing and said to Pei Min with a smile, “Prime Minister Pei, look at this man. He’s still a high-ranking official in the court, yet he says such selfish things. I should impeach him.” The three of them burst into laughter. Pei Zunqing patted Zhang Gao’s back and said, “Come! I’ve reserved the best seat for you. Someone will secretly bring you a pot of good wine. Don’t mention that it was me who arranged it!” “Got it! Got it!” Zhang Gao laughed and said, “Go ahead and entertain the guests. I’ll go find some wine to drink.” Pei Zunqing quickly called over a member of the Pei family and gave him a few instructions to take Zhang Gao inside. At that moment, a few more important guests arrived. Wang Gong came with his wife. Pei Zunqing apologized to Zhang Gao and then, along with Pei Min, went up to greet them with a smile. “Prime Minister Wang is arriving now. He must drink three cups of wine as punishment!” …

The Pei family’s residence was bustling with noise. By the rockeries, among the flowers, and inside the pavilions, guests gathered in groups, chatting everywhere. At that moment, a thin middle-aged man walked through a small courtyard, casually greeting a few acquaintances. He seemed uninterested in talking; the crowded crowds annoyed him, as he preferred quiet and wanted to find a place to reflect alone.

After passing through several courtyards, the number of guests decreased. He soon arrived at the entrance of a courtyard that appeared to have no guests. Inside, shaded by green trees and filled with blooming flowers, it was a pleasant sight that lifted his spirits. Just as he was about to enter, two soldiers appeared out of nowhere and blocked his way. “Sorry, this is a restricted area; ordinary guests are not allowed in.”

“I just want to take a look at the flowers and plants inside!” the middle-aged man said, pointing at the courtyard with a smile.

The two soldiers shook their heads. “Sir, you can just look from here; you can’t go in!”

Just then, voices came from inside the courtyard. The soldiers quickly said to the middle-aged man, “Our general has arrived. Please step aside!”

With nowhere else to go, the man quickly hid behind a large tree. At that moment, Li Qing’an escorted the guests out.

Since the morning, he had been meeting many important guests. The man who walked out with him was Xiao Hua, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishments. Xiao Hua also came from a noble family—he was a descendant of the Xiao clan, a noble family from the Six Dynasties. Three members of the Xiao clan had served as prime ministers in the Tang Dynasty. Xiao Hua’s father was Xiao Song, a famous prime minister during the Kaiyuan era. His brother, Xiao Heng, married Princess Xinchang, daughter of Emperor Li Longji, and became the head of the Guanglu Temple as an imperial son-in-law.

However, during the recent migration southward, Xiao Heng, encouraged by his wife, also moved to Chengdu to serve as an official in Shu. This left Xiao Hua quite worried. Today, Li Qing’an had summoned him specifically to reassure him and prevent him from being affected by his brother’s actions.

“Vice Minister Xiao, don’t worry. It’s not just the Xiao family whose members go north and south. Take the Cui family, for example—Cui Huan and Cui Yuan are both prime ministers in different regions. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just how things are.”

“Thank you, General, for your advice. I’m finally relieved. Otherwise, I would have been unable to eat or sleep.”

Li Qing’an also laughed and said, “Then today, Vice Minister Xiao, you should drink a few more cups. You must not leave until you’re drunk!”

“Sure! Definitely! I must drink more today.”

Li Qing’an escorted Xiao Hua out of the courtyard. Feeling tired, he was about to return to his room to rest when, turning around, he happened to see the middle-aged man hiding behind the tree. He smiled and said, “Why are you hiding there?”

His personal guards quickly stepped forward to explain, “This gentleman wanted to enter the courtyard to admire the flowers and trees. Just as the general came out, he hid himself.”
The middle-aged man recognized Li Qing’an and hurried forward to pay his respects, “Your humble servant greets the general!”
Li Qing’an pointed to a tall apricot tree in the distance and said with a smile, “There are also a few small apricot trees planted in this courtyard. If you enjoy admiring them, you might want to go to Beibi Garden. There, there are two five-hundred-year-old apricot trees, as well as famous Taihu rocks. The pavilions and towers there are especially exquisite. I suggest you go there to enjoy them.”
The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and said, “The essence of a garden lies in its tranquility. Beibi Garden is crowded and noisy. No matter how exquisite it is, it’s just a pile of buildings—there’s nothing worth admiring.”
Seeing that he made a valid point, Li Qing’an nodded and said with a smile, “You’re right. I also prefer tranquility. I find social interactions most troublesome. It’s better to be alone. Please feel free to come and enjoy the scenery as long as you like. No one will disturb you again.”
The middle-aged man was overjoyed and quickly bowed to express his gratitude, “Thank you very much for your kindness, General.”
Li Qing’an smiled and walked away from the courtyard. As he reached the entrance, he suddenly wondered why he had never seen this official before.
He stopped and turned back, asking, “May I ask your name and which department you work for?”
The middle-aged man bowed deeply to Li Qing’an and said, “I am a court official in the Menxia Province. My surname is Wang, my given name is Wei, and my courtesy name is Mojie. I came to Pei’s residence with Vice Minister Lu to celebrate his birthday.”