Chapter 522: Rupture between Mother and Son

As the battles of the Anxi Army in Turfan neared their climax, the conflict in Longyou remained stuck in a stalemate. Shortly after Ma Chongying’s Tibetan forces failed to capture Jiuqu, they received further support from the Tibetan king, with 30,000 additional troops added, raising Ma Chongying’s forces to 70,000. This time, learning from his previous failure, he avoided splitting his forces and instead concentrated them to seize control of the Jiuqu area.

At that time, the Tang forces in Jiuqu numbered only 20,000, far fewer than the Tibetans. Li Guangbi, the commander of Longyou, decided to order General Li Sheng to withdraw from the Jiuqu region of the Yellow River but instead attack the Tibetans from behind, capturing Wuhai and Baihai. Thus, Li Guangbi’s 20,000 troops were stationed in Dafeichuan, Wang Sili’s 40,000 troops were in Hezhou and Weizhou areas, and Li Sheng’s troops were in the Jishishan region. The three Tang armies encircled the 70,000 Tibetan forces in the Jiuqu area in a triangular formation.

After capturing Jiuqu, Ma Chongying had secure logistical support, so he wasn’t in a hurry. He patiently confronted the Tang forces. His goal wasn’t just to take control of Longyou but also to delay the Tang forces, buying time and creating opportunities for victory in Turfan.

Similarly, Li Guangbi was waiting for news from Turfan. According to the overall strategy, he needed to trap Ma Chongying’s forces in Jiuqu and cut off their ties with Tibet.

Unspokenly, both sides maintained a stalemate. They sent patrols to monitor their controlled areas, and for months, no battles took place between them.

……

In Chang’an, Li Hen had been on the throne for several months. Through his extensive appointments and generous rewards, fewer people opposed him than before. Initially, nearly a thousand people had signed petitions against his ascension, but now at least half of them had become his subjects. Some were driven by greed for wealth and power, some out of fear of his tyranny, some worried about losing opportunities if things changed, and some were members of the royal family who, having regained their lands from Li Hen, became his staunch supporters. For these reasons, Li Hen’s small court began to function.

Yet, many still opposed him, especially in local provinces. They responded to the calls of people like Pei Min and refused to recognize Li Hen’s court. As a result, Li Hen’s actual control was limited to the Guanzhong region east of Chang’an, as well as parts of Hedong and Henan.

Not only were the local prefectures and counties opposed to him, but even in Chang’an, Li Heng’s influence was limited to half of the city, specifically within Wanian County. In Chang’an County itself, he had no foothold at all. Twenty thousand imperial guards, eight thousand Yulin Army troops, and fifteen thousand Anxi Army soldiers firmly controlled Chang’an County and the western regions of Guanzhong. This included civil officials as well—Dugu Changfeng was appointed as the governor of Fengxiang, and all the county governors in western Guanzhong, including Su Zhen, the governor of Chang’an County, were appointed by Li Qing’an. They only obeyed Li Qing’an’s orders and refused to recognize Li Heng’s new court, putting Li Heng’s new regime in an unprecedented predicament. In the afternoon, Li Heng returned to Daming Palace in his imperial carriage. The palace was utterly silent; it was difficult to see a single person in this vast and magnificent complex, which filled Li Heng with dissatisfaction, though he could do nothing about it. Part of the reason was his son Li Yu. Shortly after ascending the throne, Li Yu dismissed a large number of concubines and palace servants to cut down on court expenses. More than half of Li Longji’s forty thousand concubines were released, along with many palace maids and eunuchs. After Li Heng ascended the throne, his empress Zhang Liangdi carried out another purge of the harem, sending back to their families all the younger and more beautiful women in the palace. This greatly displeased Li Heng, but he had no choice. Zhang Liangdi’s reasoning was sound: Li Heng had always been in poor health, and his Yongwang Palace already had over twenty concubines, which was sufficient. If he wanted to reign longer, he should take care of his health. Moreover, staying away from women would help him earn a reputation as a wise ruler, which would be beneficial for him as the weakest emperor of the Tang Dynasty. For the sake of his reputation, Li Heng had to swallow his anger and refrain from expanding his harem. However, he also felt both respect and fear toward his empress Zhang. She was extremely shrewd and capable. After he ascended the throne, she put aside her pride and visited the wives of various idle officials and powerful nobles. Her efforts paid off—Zhang Liangdi successfully used her influence to win over over thirty officials, including renowned figures like Miao Jinqing, the vice minister of war, and Li Qiwu, the governor of Fengxiang, as well as famous generals such as Ji Guangchen, Li Huan, Xu Shujie, and Dong Qin. They all declared their willingness to serve Li Heng and contribute to his new court. Overjoyed, Li Heng immediately appointed Miao Jinqing as minister of rites and Li Qiwu as minister of justice. Both were promoted to co-chancellors, joining the cabinet as prime ministers, thus expanding the council of ministers to nine.

Li Huan was appointed as the Jiedushi of Hanzhong to defend the region, while Ji Guangchen was made the Jiedushi of Zhengzhou and Caizhou, leading 30,000 troops to guard those areas. Xu Shujie was appointed as the Jiedushi of Huazhou and Puzhou, commanding 20,000 troops to defend those places, and Dong Qin became the Jiedushi of Puyang, leading 20,000 troops to guard the southern provinces of Hedong. This was also why Li Heng did not dare to attack the Anxi Army in Guanzhong. Although he had 120,000 troops in Guanzhong and later recruited another 80,000, claiming to have a total of 200,000 troops, most of his forces were scattered across various regions. For example, Wang Sili led 40,000 troops in the battles of Longyou, while Li Huan, Ji Guangchen, Xu Shujie, Dong Qin, and others each commanded their own troops. In reality, Li Heng only had 80,000 troops in Guanzhong, yet he still claimed to have 200,000. Additionally, Li Heng was extremely wary of Guo Ziyi, the Jiedushi of Guannei Road. Guo Ziyi was a staunch supporter of Li Shi, and after Li Shi’s death, Guo Ziyi remained neutral, which made Li Heng uneasy. If the Anxi Army and Guo Ziyi joined forces, his 80,000 troops in Guanzhong would be easily defeated. On the other hand, he hoped that Li Qingan might eventually recognize his emperorship, as Li Qingan had originally been under his control. For these reasons, Li Heng remained tolerant of the Anxi Army as long as they did not interfere in his governance or cross into Wannian County; he tried his best to avoid provoking this powerful force. Li Heng entered the Yutang Hall, his and Empress Zhang’s private residence. It was a complex of palaces with hundreds of pavilions and halls, and it was one of the busiest areas in the Daming Palace. Upon entering the palace gates, eunuchs and maids could be seen bustling about everywhere. “Your servants pay their respects to Your Majesty!” Several maids and eunuchs knelt down at the same time. “No need for formalities,” Li Heng waved his hand and asked, “Is the Empress here?” “Your Majesty, I am here!” Empress Zhang Liangdi stepped forward surrounded by maids. “Liangdi” was actually a title for concubines in the imperial palace, and since Empress Zhang had long held this title, it became her name. Few people knew her real name. Zhang Liangdi was in her forties and had followed Li Heng for nearly thirty years. Her son, Li Xi, was now the Supreme Commander of the Army. Benefiting from his mother’s influence, it was only a matter of time before Li Xi became the crown prince. She was also one of Li Heng’s two most trusted people, the other being Li Fuguo. Unlike other women, Zhang Liangdi had a strong desire for power. She not only controlled the harem but also extended her influence into government affairs. Her brother, Zhang Chaoju, served as the Deputy Minister of Personnel and held great power; many official appointments were made according to Zhang Liangdi’s wishes.

Li Heng was well aware of this, but Zhang Liangdi could persuade many ministers to pledge loyalty, so when she occasionally crossed the line, he pretended not to notice. Zhang Liangdi hurried forward and bowed to Li Heng, saying, “Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!” “The Empress may rise.” Li Heng asked with a smile, “What are you doing?” “Your humble servant is writing a letter home. My father recently bought some land, which has caused some gossip. I am advising him to be kind to the locals and not cause trouble for Your Majesty.” The Empress’s family came from Luoyang, the eastern capital, and was a prominent family there. Li Heng frowned slightly and said, “Didn’t I grant your father fifty hectares of land last time?” “Your Majesty, my family is quite large. My father distributed all the land to our relatives, leaving himself with none. That’s why he bought more land near the eastern capital.” Li Heng nodded and stopped asking further. To win over the support of powerful nobles, he completely abolished Li Yu’s land reform policies and once again allowed land consolidation, reviving the trend of land acquisition. He returned all the land east of Guanzhong to its original owners, destroying the solid foundation Li Yu had painstakingly built. As a result, Li Heng gained strong support from many nobles, including Li Longji, who recognized him as the legitimate emperor of the Tang Dynasty. However, the common peasants hated him deeply. Today, Li Heng came to see Zhang Liangdi for another reason. He entered the palace, sat down, and said to her with a smile, “I returned early today because I have a task to entrust to you.” Zhang Liangdi smiled and replied, “Please go ahead, Your Majesty. As long as it’s within my ability, I will definitely do it.” “You can do it. This morning, I heard that Du Gu Hao Ran’s wife is ill. I want you to go and visit her.” … Du Gu Hao Ran’s wife, Lady Pei, had indeed fallen ill these past few days. But it wasn’t due to illness—she was sick from being angered by her eldest daughter, Mingyue. The problem lay with the marriage of their youngest daughter, Mingzhu. This had long been a source of worry for Lady Pei, who had been trying to find a husband for Mingzhu for a long time. There had been countless matchmaking attempts, but none succeeded. Eventually, when people heard that she was trying to find a husband for Li Qingan’s younger sister, no one dared to consider it anymore. This stemmed from a drunken remark Li Qingan made three years ago: “Mingyue and Mingzhu are both treasures of mine, Li Qingan.” The speaker meant it lightly, but the listeners took it seriously. It soon spread throughout the court in Chang’an. So who would dare to marry Mingzhu?

Originally, Lady Pei was firmly opposed to her younger daughter marrying Li Qing’an—how could the legitimate daughter of the Du Gu family become someone else’s secondary wife? But since Li Qing’an regained his status as a member of the imperial family and was titled King of Zhao, and her uncle Pei Zunqing also advised her that Li Qing’an was likely to ascend the throne as emperor, she was urged to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Pei family. Pei Zunqing was referring to his granddaughter Pei Wan’er, but Lady Pei thought of her own younger daughter, Mingzhu. She initially didn’t want her daughter to be Li Qing’an’s secondary wife, but if it were as a concubine or even an imperial concubine, that would be different—she would never let her daughter suffer. Having one daughter as empress and the other as an imperial concubine would truly be a fortune earned over many lifetimes. So, Lady Pei changed her mind and began to support Mingzhu’s idea, stopping any arranged marriages for her and waiting for her eldest daughter to return to discuss the matter properly. After Mingyue returned to the capital, she soon faced Pei Kuan’s death and then the emperor’s passing, leaving family and state affairs in chaos. Lady Pei didn’t bring up the matter until things gradually settled, when she found an opportunity to discuss Mingzhu’s marriage with Mingyue. As the Queen of King Zhao, according to protocol, Li Qing’an needed Mingyue’s consent to take a concubine or servant wife. In fact, it would be as simple as Mingzhu saying yes. Lady Pei approached Mingyue with great hope, but to her utter surprise, Mingyue refused outright and firmly, leaving her extremely disappointed. She thought her daughter was afraid her sister would compete for favor, so she tried to persuade her again, saying that only with unity between sisters could the interests of the Du Gu family be better protected. But Mingyue still refused firmly and insisted on finding a husband for her sister herself. Lady Pei couldn’t understand this and became depressed, falling ill not long after. In the sickroom, Lady Pei lay on the bed, her face pale and bloodless, greatly emaciated. Several personal maids knelt quietly beside her, ready to serve her at any time. Mingzhu sat beside her mother, holding a bowl and carefully feeding her lunch—thin porridge made from high-quality rice from Huzhou. But Lady Pei had no appetite. She shook her head and said, “I’m full; I don’t want to eat anymore.” Mingzhu scooped up a spoonful of porridge, gently cooled it, and said with a smile, “Mother, are you already full after just two spoonfuls? If you don’t eat more, how can your health improve?”

Seeing that her daughter had become sensible, Madam Pei remembered Mingzhu’s mischievous and rebellious behavior when she was young—refusing to obey, always dressing up in strange ways. No matter what she said, it didn’t work. Now that Mingzhu had grown up, she could even take care of her sick mother. Madam Pei’s eyes reddened as she took her daughter’s hand and said, “Don’t worry. I will definitely fulfill your wishes, no matter how much your sister objects. Once your brother-in-law returns, I’ll talk to him personally. I know he likes you too. As long as he agrees, your sister won’t be in charge of this household.”

Since the incident with Pei Wan’er, Mingzhu seemed like a different person. Everyone noticed she had suddenly grown up. Mingzhu also understood that some things couldn’t be forced. Why make Li Qing’an uncomfortable? Why harm their sisterly bond? With a faint smile, she said, “What’s meant to be will happen eventually. If not, don’t force it. Mother, please don’t bring this up. I have my own fate.”

Hearing her daughter speak like this, Madam Pei felt even more distressed. How could such fatalistic words come from her usually lively and cheerful daughter? She insisted, “I have my own opinions. In any case, I won’t let my daughter suffer her whole life. You must listen to me.”

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Finish your porridge, and I’ll listen to you.”

While the mother and daughter were talking in the room, Mingyue arrived at her mother’s door. Her mother’s illness worried her, but there were some principles she had to stick to.

Outside, the maid Qiuju had already prepared the medicine and poured it into a bowl. “I’ll do it!” Mingyue stepped forward carefully, picked up the tray, and asked Qiuju, “How is my mother’s condition?”

“Dr. Qi came this morning and said Madam’s condition has improved a bit. She mainly needs to rest quietly. It will take at least half a month to recover.”

“I see. Help me lift the curtain.”

Qiuju lifted the curtain, and Mingzhu carried the tray into the room. Madam Pei was talking to Mingzhu when she suddenly saw her eldest daughter enter. Her expression darkened immediately, and she said unhappily, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to check on my mother’s condition.”

“Hmph! How dare you say that! My illness was caused by you. You’re not happy that I’m getting better, so you’re trying to annoy me again, right?”

Mingyue sighed inwardly, set down the medicine bowl, and said, “Daughter wouldn’t dare. I truly hope Mother recovers soon.”

Madam Pei snorted again. She wanted to speak but, seeing Mingzhu nearby, patted her hand and said gently, “Go ahead! Write a letter to your elder brother. Tell him Mother is fine and that he should focus on his duties in Fengxiang.”

“I understand. I’ll go right away.”
Mingzhu stood up, forced a smile at her sister, then lowered her head and hurried away. Seeing her younger daughter go far enough, Lady Pei said resentfully to Mingyue, “Did you see that? What have you done to your sister? She’s completely changed—pessimistic and pitiful. Even if you don’t remember my eighteen years of nurturing you, you should at least consider our sisterly bond. Back then, when that Göktürk prince tried to force you into marriage, who went all the way to Anxi to bring news? Have you forgotten?”
Lady Pei’s words were harsh, and Mingyue’s eyes reddened. Kneeling in front of her mother, she said through sobs, “I will never forget my mother’s kindness. Mingzhu will always be my most beloved sister, and I would never harm her. But there are some things I truly cannot agree to. I beg my mother to understand me.”
Seeing her eldest daughter cry, Lady Pei realized she had been too strict and sighed. “Sit down! Wipe away your tears first. I don’t like to see you in tears.”
Mingyue sat down and used a handkerchief to wipe her tears. Then Lady Pei continued, “You are now the Queen of Zhao, so your thoughts may be different from before. But as a mother, you should understand my feelings as a mother. I used to oppose Mingzhu liking her brother-in-law, so every time she sneaked out to see him, I would punish her severely. I thought she was just naive, acting like a child. But now she’s twenty-one and still has no husband—she can’t get married. Do you know why? Because no one dares to marry her. Last year, your uncle wanted to arrange her marriage to Qiao Murong, the top scholar in the imperial exams. He was an excellent match, and I liked him too. He agreed readily. But the next day, upon learning that Mingzhu was Li Qing’an’s sister-in-law, he was so frightened that he withdrew his proposal, saying he would never dare to do such a thing. Tell me, everyone in the Tang Dynasty knows that one must not marry Li Qing’an’s sister-in-law—it brings disaster. What do you suggest Mingzhu do? Become a nun? Or stay unmarried for life?”
After a long silence, Mingyue said softly, “Let me handle my sister’s marriage. I will definitely find her the best husband.”

“You! You’re just too selfish. You don’t think about your sister at all. Why did you refuse to marry that Zhao Xuming back then? It was because you didn’t like him. Do you like Li Qing’an? You’re even willing to risk your life for him. You know you should marry the man you like, so why can’t you let your sister marry the man she likes? Just find some family you think is good enough and marry her off, regardless of whether she likes it or not, and leave her to live a miserable life? I really don’t understand. You’re willing to agree to Wan’er marrying Li Qing’an, but you make things so difficult for your own sister. Why is that?”
“Because I don’t want the Du Gu family to become the second Yang family!” Mingyue finally couldn’t hold back and revealed the real reason she refused Mingzhu’s request.