Chapter 496: The Crisis Intensifies

To the east of Zhuque Street, General Chen Xuanli of the Jinyuwei patiently waited for news. He was well aware of the great risks involved in this mission. Honestly, he didn’t want to get involved, let alone send his men across the border to Chang’an County. Their strength was inferior to that of the Qianniuwei. Yet, under Li Heng’s pressure, he had no choice but to act.
Risking a confrontation with the Qianniuwei for the sake of a woman filled Chen Xuanli with dissatisfaction. He believed it was Li Heng who had his eye on Yang Yuhuan—Li Heng who desired her. Although he admitted that Yang Yuhuan was stunningly beautiful and a great temptation to men, she had already gone from sister-in-law to empress. Was she now meant to become his wife? This made Chen Xuanli look down on Li Heng as well. More importantly, it affected his own interests. If his men were surrounded by the Qianniuwei and couldn’t retreat in time, how could he handle such a situation?
As is often the case, the more you fear something happening, the more likely it is to happen. While Chen Xuanli waited anxiously, a messenger soldier who had fallen behind escaped from Chang’an County and rushed over to report, “General, things are bad. General Jin and five hundred of his men have been captured by the Qianniuwei.”
“What about An Lushan’s men?” Chen Xuanli asked urgently. “Did they succeed?”
“No, they too fell into a trap and suffered heavy losses.”
Chen Xuanli was speechless for a long time. Things were truly turning for the worst. The Anxi Army had captured his men, and they would surely turn against him the next day.
Furious, Chen Xuanli stamped his foot and ordered his attendants, “Go to the Regent’s Mansion!”
……
At the beginning of this year, Li Heng’s Yongwang Mansion was moved to Changle Fang, right next to the Daming Palace. It was a royal residence covering nearly a hundred acres, filled with exotic flowers and plants, pavilions, and towers, all exquisitely crafted. Like other parts of Chang’an, it was covered in snow, and the mansion was very quiet. Li Heng’s wives, concubines, and children stayed inside, with only occasional patrols of guards passing by.
Inside Li Heng’s study, the lights were bright. Chen Xuanli stood silently by, hands hanging at his sides. Li Heng paced back and forth in the room, his face dark, hands behind his back. He was both angry and helpless. He was angry at his father’s excessive demands, which had put him in such a difficult position, and helpless because he didn’t know what to do now.
“Go back first. I’ll handle this properly. But you also need to go to the Qianniuwei headquarters tomorrow to explain things and get your men back. Tell Nan Jiyun that I’ll give an explanation to the Qianniuwei.”
“But…”

Chen Xuanli hesitated for a moment before saying, “But this matter has nothing to do with my subordinates. Please, Your Highness, handle it carefully.” He was very worried—Li Heng’s plan seemed to involve punishing his own men, which was absolutely unacceptable. Li Heng glanced at him disdainfully and said, “I know what to do. There’s no need for you to worry.” “I dare not. I shall retire,” Chen Xuanli replied, bowing before leaving. Li Heng snorted heavily and muttered to himself, “Who does he think he is? How dare he bargain with me?” Lately, Li Heng had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Chen Xuanli. Ever since Wang Sili was pretextively transferred to Longyou, Chen Xuanli had taken control of both the Jinguwei and the Guanzhong army, becoming far more arrogant than before. In the past, he obeyed Li Heng’s orders without question, but now he ignored them, insisting on written instructions or special authorization before acting—often reluctantly. For example, when Li Heng had asked him to deploy more troops, at least two thousand, so that the Qianniuwei would hesitate to act, he refused to understand and sent only five hundred, resulting in them being captured. Even after Li Heng stepped in to resolve the situation, Chen Xuanli still imposed conditions, refusing to touch his own men. Li Heng had a premonition that this was just the beginning; it would become increasingly difficult to control him, and eventually he would no longer be under his command. Li Heng felt heavy-hearted. He realized that Chen Xuanli’s crisis was far more serious than the Jinguwei’s mistake in entering Chang’an. What to do? His brows furrowed. Chen Xuanli’s military power must be curtailed as soon as possible. He could no longer let him be the commander of the Guanzhong army. Someone completely trustworthy had to be found. Who would be the most suitable? At that moment, his second son, Prince of Nanyang, Li Xi, appeared at the door and bowed, saying, “Father, Mr. Linghu has arrived.” Prince Li Xi was a few years younger than his eldest son, Li Yu, and was now 27. He was tall and strikingly handsome, as well as steady and mature, making him reliable in handling affairs. Li Heng’s eyes lit up. Why not let his own son take charge of the army? Seeing his father distracted, Li Xi repeated, “Father, Mr. Linghu has arrived.” Only then did Li Heng snap out of his thoughts. Setting aside the matter of his son for now, he laughed and said, “Quickly invite him in!” Li Heng valued Linghu Fei greatly and trusted him even more. There were many things he kept from Wang Gong but would never hide from Linghu Fei. Linghu Fei was his military advisor and chief aide. Moments later, Linghu Fei hurried in, bowed, and said, “I pay my respects to Your Highness!”

Although thegate gates were closed at the hour of Hai, the regulations of the Chengshi Tang still allowed some flexibility. Aside from the Qianniu Wei and Jinwu Wei, which were not restricted by the gates, certain individuals were permitted special passage—such as the prime minister of the Chengshi Tang and those holding special permission tokens. Linghu Fei, carrying a special permission token given to him by Li Hen, moved unimpeded and could even leave the city.

Li Hen smiled faintly and said, “I’m truly sorry to have asked you to come at such a late hour, but something serious has happened in Huaiyuan Fang, and I need to discuss strategies with you.”

After a pause, he asked, “Do you know what happened in Huaiyuan Fang?”

“I just met General Chen at the gate. He mentioned a bit about it. It seems to be related to the former imperial concubine.”

Li Hen sighed and briefly explained what had happened, concluding, “I reluctantly helped him out due to their father-son relationship, but I never expected it to cause such a big problem. I’m really stuck!”

Linghu Fei was extremely sharp-minded. He immediately sensed the underlying issues that Li Hen hadn’t mentioned—likely, the matter wasn’t as simple as a father-son relationship. It must be that Li Hen and Li Longji were colluding secretly. It had to be that way; otherwise, given their power struggle, how could there still be any fatherly affection?

Realizing this, Linghu Fei didn’t reveal his thoughts and instead said, “I’d like to hear the strategies Your Highness plans to take.”

“What strategies do I have?”

Li Hen said helplessly, “Tomorrow, I intend to visit the Qianniu Wei and show humility as an apology. I’ll also send a letter to Li Qing’an to explain that this won’t happen again, and I’ll ask Nan Jiyun to release the person. That should settle things.”

Linghu Fei pondered for a moment before saying, “Actually, I’m not worried about the conflict with the Qianniu Wei. I’m more concerned about An Lushan. Once he finds out that Your Highness is scheming against him behind his back, he’ll surely become furious. Your Highness should focus on figuring out how to appease him.”

Li Hen shook his head and said, “He acted on his own without consulting me, causing such a big problem. Last time, he tried to assassinate Li Yan on his own, resulting in extremely serious consequences—the first time in a hundred years that a prime minister of the Tang Dynasty was assassinated. Even Li Qing’an wouldn’t dare do such a thing, yet he acted recklessly. Now everyone blames me for it. I still haven’t settled accounts with him! I can’t keep appeasing him after every action he takes. He must face the consequences.”

Li Heng had made his stance clear—he would not pacify An Lushan this time; he must make An Lushan learn his lesson and understand that Chang’an was by no means a place where he could act as he pleased. Yet Linghu Fei was still a bit worried, as the alliance between An Lushan and Li Heng was not yet solid. If discord arose between them now, it might break their alliance, costing them an ally in the process of disciplining An Lushan—a rather unwise outcome.

Linghu Fei advised again, “Your Highness, although An Lushan is somewhat willful, you should prioritize the bigger picture. Pacify him first, then gradually persuade him to restrain himself.”

There were matters Li Heng was willing to listen to Linghu Fei’s advice on, but on others, he had his own opinions. Having dealt with An Lushan for over a decade, he knew very well what kind of person An Lushan was. He understood full well that their so-called alliance was nothing but mutual exploitation—he wanted to use An Lushan to deal with Li Qing’an, but he wasn’t quite sure what An Lushan intended to use him for. This situation could be used to test An Lushan’s true intentions.

Li Heng said slowly, “I plan to use this incident to test An Lushan. If he truly intends to form an alliance with me, he should be able to bear this slight. Otherwise, if he turns against me, it will show he has no sincerity.”

At these words, a murderous intent flashed in Li Heng’s eyes. “If that’s the case, keeping him around would only bring future trouble. It’s better to take this opportunity to get rid of him.”

Linghu Fei was shocked and quickly urged, “Your Highness, this matter is of great significance. Please think it through carefully.”

Perhaps realizing he had revealed his intentions too early, Li Heng immediately suppressed the murderous look in his eyes and said calmly, “I know. As long as he shows sense and gives me some room to ease things, I won’t take such drastic action. Forget it for now. There’s another matter I’d like to discuss with you—related to Chen Xuanli…”

At the very moment Li Heng and Linghu Fei were discussing how to reduce Chen Xuanli’s military power, An Lushan’s carriage arrived at Li Heng’s Yongwang Palace, escorted by over a hundred personal guards. An Lushan stayed hidden inside the carriage, sending his confidant Zhang Tongru to negotiate.

An Lushan was unaware of the developments in Huaiyuan Fang. None of the two hundred elite scouts he sent had returned, and the few spies hiding in the area were unable to come out and report. Yet An Lushan knew something must have gone wrong. Anxiously, he realized he had no choice but to seek Li Heng’s help to rescue his men.

At this point, An Lushan’s eagerness to obtain Yang Guifei had somewhat faded, and he felt a bit regretful for acting without thorough consideration—his haste had been excessive. But it was too late to regret now; he could only boldly ask Li Heng to help him out out of respect for their alliance.

The group still waited at the gate, and the gatekeeper had already gone to announce their arrival. They waited for a full fifteen minutes. Just as they began to grow impatient, the gate opened, and Li Heng’s second son, Li Xi, stepped out. Bowing, he said, “I’m sorry for making Mr. Zhang wait so long.”

Zhang Tongru quickly asked, “Will Your Highness be able to see us? We truly have important matters to discuss with him.”

Li Xi looked troubled and apologized, “To be honest, my father fell ill this afternoon and went to bed early after taking medicine. I tried to wake him, but he’s too weak to receive guests. Please come again tomorrow morning. I hope you understand.”

An Lushan, inside the carriage, heard everything clearly. His expression darkened immediately. Li Heng wouldn’t see him and even made up an excuse about illness. Glancing at another carriage parked not far away, he sneered. Illness? That excuse was far too crude. Hmph! It was obvious they didn’t want to help him.

Well, he would return first and discuss things again tomorrow to see what attitude they truly held. With that thought, he gave the coachman a signal. The coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage set off. Zhang Tongru understood the commander’s intention and bowed, saying, “Since Your Highness is ill, we won’t disturb you. Let’s talk tomorrow!”

He turned, descended the steps, mounted his horse, and said to those around him, “Let’s go back!”

The group spurred their horses and followed the carriage, gradually disappearing into the distance.

On the steps, Li Xi knew An Lushan was still in the carriage. He didn’t understand why his father refused to meet this man. Shaking his head, he turned and returned to the mansion. The gates of the Yongwang Mansion closed with a creaking sound.

…

The turmoil in Huaiyuan Fang of Chang’an County had subsided. Of the two hundred elite soldiers sent by An Lushan, only about thirty surrendered in time and survived; the rest were killed. The five hundred Jinyuwei soldiers who invaded Chang’an County were captured by the Qianniuwei and imprisoned in their dungeon.

Although the chaos in Huaiyuan Fang had ended, Nan Jiyun and Hu Peiyun didn’t dare take it lightly. Both agreed that this matter was serious and couldn’t be handled carelessly. After discussing it, Hu Peiyun left the city to head to the Anxi Army camp in Xianyang.

Hu Peiyun left Chang’an through Anhua Gate, which was under the control of the Qianniu Wei, and rode swiftly through the darkness with a few companions. The wind howled in their ears, and after an hour, they arrived at the Xianyang camp where the Anxi Army was stationed.

Li Qing’an brought 60,000 elite troops from the Anxi Army into Guanzhong. Of these, 20,000 became part of the Qianniu Wei, while 20,000 followed Li Qing’an back to Anxi. Thus, 20,000 troops remained in Guanzhong. Excluding the more than 10,000 troops stationed throughout Guanzhong, there were still 8,000 troops in the Xianyang camp, under the command of General Tian Zhen. Concerned that they might lack strategy and be outmaneuvered, Li Qing’an also left the strategist Yan Zhuang in the Xianyang camp to advise on military matters, issuing strict orders that Tian Zhen must not act rashly without Yan Zhuang’s approval.

By the time Hu Peiyun arrived at the Xianyang camp, it was already the second watch of the night. As they approached the camp gate, the sentry on the watchtower shouted sharply, “Stop!”

The Anxi Army had strict rules: anyone whose identity was unknown and came within 100 steps of the camp gate would be executed without hesitation. Hu Peiyun stopped and shouted, “I’m one of us! I have the general’s gold plaque; I’m coming from Chang’an!”

A soldier rushed forward, took Hu Peiyun’s gold plaque, and went back. Moments later, the camp gate slowly opened, and an officer stepped out, bowing and saying, “Manager Hu, please come in!”

Hu Peiyun dismounted and, along with his companions, led the horses into the camp.

“I have urgent business to see Mr. Yan. Is he here?”

“He is! He’s probably already asleep. I’ll send someone to wake him. Please follow me, Manager Hu.”

…

Yan Zhuang’s tent was located in the center and consisted of two tents—one inner and one outer. It was dark inside, and he was already fast asleep. Suddenly, a soldier called softly from the outer tent, “Sir, Mr. Yan!”

“What is it?” Yan Zhuang was awakened.

“Manager Hu from the Chang’an Internal Affairs Bureau has arrived. He has urgent matters to discuss with you.”

Yan Zhuang was shocked. Hu Peiyun coming at such a late hour must mean something serious. He quickly got up, dressed himself, and said, “Ask him to wait in my outer tent. I’ll be there soon.”

The light in the outer tent was lit, and the soldier led Hu Peiyun in. By then, Yan Zhuang had also finished getting ready and came out of the inner tent, smiling and asking, “Manager Hu, you came to see me in such a hurry. Is it something serious?”

“It indeed is serious. General Nan and I both find it very strange, so we’ve come to consult you.”

Yan Zhuang didn’t hesitate and waved his hand, saying, “Then please sit down and talk.”

The two sat down, and a soldier brought them hot tea. After taking a few sips to warm his body, Hu Peiyun recounted in detail everything that had happened from the previous day until night, including the causes and consequences.

Yan Zhuang sipped his tea while listening carefully. His brows furrowed from time to time before relaxing again. He nodded, believing that Hu Peiyun and Nan Jiyun had handled the situation well—decisively and ruthlessly, leaving no chance for An Lushan and the Jinyiwei.

After Hu Peiyun finished speaking, he said, “Early tomorrow morning, the regent will surely come to ask us for those people. We’re in a dilemma—whether to release them or not. We can’t consult the general either, so we’ve come to seek your advice. Please give us some guidance.”

Yan Zhuang stroked his goat beard thoughtfully for a moment before saying, “I want to confirm one thing: Did the Jinyiwei really come to intercept An Lushan’s army?”

“Yes!” Hu Peiyun replied firmly. “We’ve already interrogated them thoroughly. The Jinyiwei were indeed ordered to stop An Lushan’s forces. They intended to abduct Lady Yang along the way, but after hearing that An Lushan’s men had failed, they started killing people—thirty-seven in total. They wanted to conceal their true intentions, pretending to help us, but General Nan didn’t fall for it.”

“Hmm! That’s interesting.”

Yan Zhuang smiled. “These two parties appear to be allied on the surface, but they’re actually scheming against each other. This could be an opportunity. If handled well, it might break their alliance.”

“You mean letting An Lushan know the truth?”

“That’s right!”

Yan Zhuang stood up, took a few steps, then smiled again. “In that case, go back right away. Select some people from An Lushan’s captives. Don’t do it in front of them, but make sure they can hear. Interrogate the Jinyiwei again, then find an opportunity to let two of them escape. Remember, don’t be too obvious. Make it seem like they escaped by chance, and don’t deliberately let those two hear. You understand what I mean.”

“I understand. I’ll arrange everything properly. What about the Jinyiwei and the other An Lushan men?”

“After the regent comes to plead for them, release all of them and even treat their wounds. But execute all of An Lushan’s men. And make sure An Lushan knows about it. Only then can we successfully sow discord between them. Does Manager Hu understand?”

Hu Peiyun suddenly saw the light. Truly the greatest strategist in Anxi—so astute!

“Thank you, sir. Then I’ll take my leave.”

Yan Zhuang smiled. “Go! Put in some extra effort. This matter could affect the overall situation. The general will surely reward you generously in the future.”