Chapter 473: Ruthless Separation Between Grandfather and Grandson

Zichen Hall was the third-largest hall in the Daming Palace, serving as its main administrative building. It was also the third-largest complex within the palace, after Hanyuan Hall and Xuanzheng Hall, including the upper and lower pavilions on both sides, as well as Yanying Hall on the west side. With its towering towers and multi-story structures, it exuded immense grandeur.

At that moment, in a side hall of this palace, an diplomatic meeting was taking place—officially a audience, but in reality a negotiation. The Tibetan envoy, Dazan Tunsu, demanded that the Tang Dynasty return the lands south of the Dafei River.

In the spacious side hall of Zichen Hall, over a dozen ministers sat. The young emperor Li Shi sat in the highest seat, with Li Hen, the regent, seated below him. On either side of the hall were the seven prime ministers of the Council of State and officials from the Ministry of Rites. They listened solemnly to the Tibetan envoy’s speech at the center of the hall.

Dazan Tunsu had prepared thoroughly, bringing a huge map that was too large to unfold. The palace guards then brought a wooden frame and placed it in the hall, on which the massive map was hung.

Li Qingan was particularly interested in this map. It was rich in detail, showing mountains, rivers, forests, lakes, and other natural features, as well as the distribution and population of Tibetan tribes. Perhaps to prove that the Jishishan area was part of Tibetan territory, they brought this valuable map to Chang’an. Maybe the Tibetans were unaware that after the Tang Dynasty’s division, Geshu Han had taken all the maps, and the Ministry of War did not have copies of the maps south of the Dafei River. This map arrived at just the right time.

Unaware that his map had already caught someone’s attention, Dazan Tunsu bowed to Li Shi and declared loudly, “Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Your Highness, the Regent, and esteemed prime ministers of the Council of State—our demands as the Tibetan chieftain are not unreasonable. Although there have been continuous wars between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty over the past century, one fact remains: Tibet has never occupied any land within the Tang Dynasty’s core territory. The disputed lands are either Tang-controlled vassal states or regions like Tuyuhun and Dangxiang. We have no objections to the Tang Dynasty’s occupation of Shibao City, Qinghai, and the Dafei River in the seventh year of the Tianbao era. However, the areas west of the Yellow River—Ba Hai, Wu Hai, and Jishishan—have always been Tibetan territory. We hope the Tang Dynasty will return these areas to Tibet on the principle of reciprocity. As brotherly nations, we are willing to renew our alliance and maintain peace for generations, without further war.”

Dazantensu spoke with both enthusiasm and sincerity, as if discussing something entirely reasonable, yet in reality, it was utterly absurd. Tubo had not occupied the Tang Dynasty’s territory—not because they did not want to, but because they had not had the opportunity yet. At the beginning of Tubo’s expansion, the Tang Dynasty had stationed heavy troops in the Helong region. Without these troops for defense, the Tubo people would have long reached Chang’an.

Now that he had suffered defeat and lost his land, he boldly demanded that the Tang troops withdraw. How could there be such a rule that allowed him to attack and kill but not permit others to fight back?

Although Dazantensu’s demands were absurd, the Tang Dynasty did not outright reject them. Instead, they decided to address the matter factually and refute his arguments.

Pei Min stood up, bowed, and said, “Your Excellency, there are a few points I need to clarify. First, it is not as you say—that Tubo has never attacked the Tang Dynasty’s territory. In the eighth year of Tianbao, after Nanzhao allied with Tubo, Tubo’s troops crossed Yazhou and Maozhou and launched a major attack on Shuzhou and Chengdu in the heart of the Tang Dynasty, capturing 12,000 Han men and women, who have not been returned to this day. In the ninth year of Tianbao, they attacked Chengdu again and fought a fierce battle with the Jiannan army in Xipu County, a county under Chengdu. Tubo’s troops destroyed the city and killed many people; over 4,000 Tang soldiers and civilians were killed or injured. As for occupying the four towns in Anxi, which were clearly directly under the Tang Dynasty’s control, I need not say more. How can you claim that Tubo has never attacked the Tang Dynasty’s territory? Perhaps your country has forgotten, but we of the Tang Dynasty have never forgotten.”

Dazantensu turned red in the face after being refuted. He hurriedly explained, “I meant occupation, not a temporary invasion. During war, it is difficult for either side to control the situation, and occasional cross-border incursions cannot be used as a definitive conclusion.”

“Very well, let me explain further. Places like Songzhou, Dangzhou, Jingzhou, and Gongzhou in Jiannan have always been inhabited by a mix of Han and Dang people, with prefectures and county governments established there. The Tang court collected taxes from these areas—these were our territory. Yet these prefectures and counties have all been occupied by Tubo and have not been returned to this day. If your country wants back places like Wuhai and Baihai, that is fine; I am also willing to return them. But as part of the principle of reciprocity you mentioned, your country should also return all the eighteen prefectures in Jiannan that you occupy to the Tang Dynasty. I believe only then can a sincere alliance be established. Otherwise, if we erect a monument today but you invade tomorrow, what sincerity remains in such an alliance? We have seen enough of your country’s credibility and sincerity.”

Pei Min’s refutation elicited a round of knowing laughter, and he also made it clear what Tang Dynasty’s stance was: if they wanted their land back, then both sides should sit down and negotiate, exchanging land for land, returning each other’s occupied territories. With Tang Dynasty’s magnanimity, they would even make concessions during the talks.
It was that simple. No matter how much information Dazantensu prepared, no matter how far he traveled from his distant lands, no matter how sincere he was or how beautifully he spoke, if his underlying purpose was wrong, his words were worthless. Pei Min could refute him in just a few words, so he hadn’t come to Tang Dynasty with any notion of fairness or justice at all.
Dazantensu’s face turned red and white alternately; he was so stunned he couldn’t say a word. At this point, there was no need for further negotiations. Since he didn’t have authorization to regain the land of Jiannan, he naturally couldn’t continue the talks.
Dazantensu sighed inwardly. He could go back tomorrow. With a forced laugh, he bowed again to Emperor Li Shi and said, “Your Majesty, the Emperor of Tang Dynasty, I have two purposes for this mission to Tang Dynasty. First, I hope Tang Dynasty will return the lands of Baihai and Wuhai to Tubo. Second, it is to express our Zanpu’s respect for Tang Dynasty. Our Zanpu has specially prepared a modest gift for Your Majesty.”
He waved his hand, and one of his aides stepped forward, holding a large plate with various gifts—one gold flacon, one gold plate, one gold bowl, one agate cup, along with an antelope tail and a yak tail.
A guard took the plate. At that moment, Li Heng smiled and said, “Today is just a meeting to strengthen the kinship between Tang and Tubo. Your Excellency can take a look at the splendor of our Tang Dynasty. In a few days, we will prepare a gift in return and send you back to your country.”
“Thank you, Your Highness the Regent, thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, all the prime ministers. I’ve troubled you with court affairs today; I shall take my leave now!”
“Send the Tubo envoy back to his residence!”
……

The Tubo envoys had left. With no plans for negotiations, the court officials saw no need to meet and discuss anything, so they dispersed as well. Now, only Li Heng and Li Shi remained in the grand hall. Since Li Shi ascended the throne, the grandfather and grandson had never been alone together. Although Li Shi could not exercise imperial power yet and posed no threat to Li Heng, his remarks at the court meeting on the fifth day of the eighth month had indeed worried Li Heng. The boy not only violated court rules by making decisions on his own but also supported Li Qing’an. Had he heard some rumors, or was someone telling him something? Li Heng was concerned that this foolish boy might act rashly to his own detriment, so it was necessary to have a serious talk with him.

“Shi, could you come to my court chamber? I have something to say to you.”

Li Heng’s smile was very kind, and his voice gentle. He had once loved his eldest grandson dearly, taking him out to play and teaching him to read and write since he was young. Back then, his kindness stemmed from genuine affection for his grandson. But ever since the demon of power possessed him, his kindness vanished. Even when it showed up occasionally, like now, it was nothing but hypocrisy and pretense.

After the incident at the imperial estate, there was no longer any family affection or compassion for his descendants in his heart—only one word remained: power.

Perhaps due to some kind of blood-related telepathy, in the eyes of the eunuchs and guards around them, Li Heng’s smile appeared kind and respectable. But to Li Shi, it looked terrifying, like the grin of a demon, scaring him into lowering his head. How could he dare go to Li Heng’s court chamber? His mother had repeatedly warned him not to go there under any circumstances, nor to eat anything given by Li Heng. Li Shi quickly said in a low voice, “Grandson has homework this afternoon. I’ll come to pay my respects to Grandfather another day.”

“That’s fine. I just want to talk to you briefly; it won’t delay your homework. Come, go to my court chamber.”

With that, Li Heng stretched out his hand with a smiling face to pull Li Shi over. Li Shi trembled with fear and quickly pulled his hand back. Li Heng’s smile vanished, and he immediately grew stern, asking, “What’s wrong? Why are you so afraid of me?”

“Nothing, Grandfather. I really do have something to do.”

Li Shi turned and tried to run away in panic. Li Heng grew angry and shouted, “Stop!”

Li Shi stood frozen as if nailed to the ground. Li Heng slowly stepped forward, placed a hand on Li Shi’s shoulder, and said ominously, “Tell me the truth. What exactly are you afraid of me for?”

Li Shi calmed down and replied, “It’s nothing. Grandfather is overthinking it.”

“Am I overthinking things?” Li Heng sneered. “I’m not overthinking anything. I’m not thinking at all. It seems you’re the one overthinking.”
With that, Li Heng glanced around. There were only a few guards and eunuchs, standing about ten steps away. He then lowered his voice and said, “Grandson, have you heard some rumors? That’s why you misunderstand your grandfather.”
Li Shi’s teeth were almost biting through his lips. Anger began to surge in him, driving away his fear. He suppressed his intense anger and said, “Grandson doesn’t understand what the rumors about your grandfather refer to.”
“I’m talking about the death of your father. There have been some rather silly rumors lately. I’m worried that you might be influenced by them and it could affect our relationship as grandfather and grandson.”
“Yes.”
Li Shi admitted frankly, “Grandson has indeed heard a rumor recently. It says that my father wasn’t killed by assassins, but…”
“What?” Li Heng interrupted him anxiously.
Li Shi slowly turned around, stared into Li Heng’s eyes, and said word by word, “The rumor is that my father was killed by your grandfather.”
For some reason, Li Heng felt uneasy. He avoided Li Shi’s wolf-like gaze and forced a laugh. “How utterly ridiculous! How absurd! How could I kill my own son? Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs. Who spread such rumors? I’ll investigate. Once I find out, I’ll tear that person to pieces!”
Li Heng gritted his teeth in fury, his face contorted. Li Shi stared into his eyes, and then tears streamed down his face. He stepped back two steps and said sadly, “Yes, even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs. Yet you killed your own son. It shows you’re even worse than an animal!”
“Dare you speak to me like that!”
Li Heng’s blood boiled. He roared, stepped forward, and slapped Li Shi hard in the face, knocking him to the ground. Li Shi lost his footing and tumbled down the jade steps.
Just then, An Baoyu, the general of the Yulin Army, entered the side hall. Since more than a dozen Tibetan envoys had come to the Zichen Hall, and the inner palace was right behind it, he needed to inspect the area after the meeting to prevent Tibetan assassins from sneaking in. He happened to see Li Shi knocked to the ground by Li Heng.
An Baoyu was shocked. “Your Majesty!” he cried. He rushed over. The guards and eunuchs around him panicked and hurried to help Li Shi up. Some went to call for the imperial physician, while others went to report the incident in the palace.
An Baoyu rushed forward and held Li Shi. Seeing that he had fainted, with blood flowing from his mouth and ears, he was stunned. Slowly, he turned to look at Li Heng and asked in astonishment, “Your Highness, the Regent, what… what happened here?”

In his fury, Li Heng lost his sanity. By now he had calmed down; his palm still throbbed painfully from the slap he had given, and he felt some remorse—not for hitting his grandson, but for losing control, which might lead others to doubt him. Yet at this moment, he could afford no compromise. With his hands behind his back, he grunted heavily and said, “This wretched grandson dares to insult his grandfather—such unfilial behavior! Of course I must teach him a lesson.”

At that moment, Li Shi slowly regained consciousness. He swallowed several blood-stained teeth and stared at Li Heng with an extremely vicious gaze. He glanced at An Baoyu, pointed at Li Heng with trembling fingers, and said in a slurred yet bitterly angry tone, “General An, it was he who poisoned my father the emperor! One day, I will kill him to avenge my father!”

“Ah!” An Baoyu was shocked to the bone.

……

It should be noted here that An Baoyu is none other than Li Baoyu, a famous general of the mid-Tang Dynasty. His surname was originally An. After the An Lushan Rebellion, ashamed to share the same surname as An Lushan, he submitted a request to change his surname. The Tang court, impressed by his ambition, granted him the surname Li. Since the An Lushan Rebellion had not yet broken out, he still used the surname An. His brother, Li Baozhen, was also a famous general.