Chapter 530: The Empress Dowager’s Pearls

“Plans are made by man, but success depends on heaven.” This saying aptly describes the current situation in Chengdu. Li Qing’an sought to exploit the irreconcilable conflict between Prince Rong Li Wan and Li Heng, aiming to plunge Southern Tang into a civil war over the throne. To this end, he pressured Yang Guozhong to persuade Li Wan to launch a coup and force Li Longji to abdicate.
Yet human plans often fall short of divine will. Events did not unfold as Li Qing’an had planned. While he could devise strategies, he could not control people’s hearts. At the last moment, Li Wan did not follow his plans. Instead of staging a coup, he attempted to assassinate Li Longji with poison in the palace. Clearly, he underestimated the treachery of human nature; he never imagined that a fortune in jewels and gold would ultimately bring him ruin.
At the third watch of the night, Li Longji, who had risen to power through a coup, took action first. He secretly ordered Gao Xianzhi to seize military control and suppress Li Wan and Yang Guozhong’s treasonous plot. Gao Xianzhi immediately ordered his trusted general Xi Yuanqing to lead 10,000 troops to seize control of Chengdu. The Prince Rong’s mansion and Yang Guozhong’s residence were surrounded, and both Yang Guozhong and Li Wan were captured. By the fifth watch, Li Longji issued an order to execute their entire families.
Eighty-nine members of Li Wan’s family were killed, and 154 members of the Yang family were executed. Yang Guozhong, who had served Li Longji for nearly fifteen years, was finally executed by order of Li Longji himself. Yang Guozhong’s wife, Pei Ruo, and his two sons remaining in Chengdu were also beheaded. Not only Yang Guozhong’s wife and children but also all active officials of the Yang family—including uncles, brothers, and nephews such as Yang Tie, Yang Chu, Yang Zhao, and Yang Qing—were accused of treason and executed by Li Longji. The once-prosperous Yang family could not escape a tragic end.
Three days later, Li Heng arrived in Chengdu with an army of 80,000. Li Longji officially appointed Li Heng as the crown prince. Life is indeed ironic—Li Heng, who had ascended the throne in Chang’an just half a year earlier, suddenly became the crown prince of Southern Tang, astonishing everyone.
News of the upheaval in Chengdu reached Chang’an two days later via messenger pigeons. This news caused a stir in Chang’an, with many people feeling confused and puzzled. They had never heard of an emperor becoming a crown prince again, and they did not understand why Li Longji would choose someone of such poor character as his heir.
Yet the court in Chang’an remained quite low-key about the matter, with few people paying attention. At that time, the attention of all officials and scholars in Chang’an was focused on establishing a new dynasty there.

Recommended by Li Qing’an, 340 officials of rank five or above voted and officially elected Pei Min, Zhang Yun, Cui Huan, Wei Tao, Zhang Gao, Lu Huan, Wang Jin, and six others as the new members of the Chancellery.
Immediately thereafter, the Chancellery declared all edicts issued by the puppet emperor Li Hen to be void, restored Empress Shen to her status as Empress Dowager, and at the joint proposal of the Chancellery and Empress Dowager Shen, the officials proclaimed Li Xu, the only child of the two-year-old Li Yu, as the new emperor. The era name was changed to Qingping, with this year being the first year of Qingping.
With no regent like Li Hen anymore, the Chancellery became the highest authority in Northern Tang. All military and state affairs were decided collectively by the seven chancellors. Empress Dowager Shen also issued an order granting Li Qing’an the titles of Grand Tutor, Supreme General of Tiance, and Supreme Commander of All Troops, and bestowed upon him tens of thousands of acres of imperial land in Weinan County.
……
Inside the Linde Hall of Daming Palace, Empress Dowager Shen personally received Li Qing’an, who had come to express his gratitude for the honors bestowed upon him. At that moment, Shen Zhenzhu was filled with sorrow. It was here last year that she had also received Li Qing’an and personally honored him as her father figure. Yet even that “father” had failed to protect her son, who was killed by his own grandfather through the most despicable means.
Shen Zhenzhu did not blame Li Qing’an. She knew that if Li Qing’an had been in Chang’an, Li Hen would never have dared to act. He had taken advantage of Li Qing’an’s absence while fighting against Tubo in the Western Regions. Shen Zhenzhu only resented herself—for if she had been more careful and not left her son’s side, she would have surely prevented him from drinking that heart-breaking honey water.
With her loved ones dead, regret was useless. Shen Zhenzhu could only hope that one day she would be able to kill with her own hands the demon who had destroyed her husband and son—this became her sole purpose in life.
Shen Zhenzhu sat in the inner hall, lost in thought. Suddenly, a guard at the door called out loudly, “Supreme General of Tiance seeks an audience with the Empress Dowager!”
He called twice, but Shen Zhenzhu did not respond, still immersed in memories of the past. Her personal maid, seeing that the empress was distracted, gently touched her shoulder. “Your Majesty!”
Shen Zhenzhu snapped back to reality and asked, “Has Prince Zhao arrived?”
“He’s been here for a long time, waiting outside for the Empress Dowager to summon him.”
“Oh! Summon him immediately.”
“The Empress Dowager orders the Supreme General of Tiance to enter the hall!”

Two palace maids quickly pulled a curtain to separate Shen Zhenzhu. Moments later, Li Qing’an strode into the inner hall. At a glance, he saw Shen Zhenzhu sitting behind the curtain. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—what pain must this poor woman be feeling, witnessing her husband and son, two emperors, die tragically one after another?

Li Qing’an stepped forward two paces and knelt on one knee, saying, “Your servant, Li Qing’an, the governor of Anxi, pays his respects to the Empress Dowager. Long may she live!”

“Prince Zhao, there’s no need for such formalities. Please rise.”

“Thank you, Empress Dowager!”

Li Qing’an stood up and bowed again, saying, “I have come to the palace specifically to express my gratitude for the honors bestowed upon me by the Empress Dowager.”

Shen Zhenzhu smiled slightly and said, “Given your contributions to the Tang dynasty, any reward would be insufficient. In fact, I hoped you would become regent, but I didn’t dare propose it outright, so I wanted to hear your thoughts first.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. The council also had this in mind, but I refused. I must focus on unifying the Tang dynasty and have no time to deal with administrative matters. Therefore, it’s better for me not to take on any civil duties.”

“If that’s the case, I won’t force you. But I hope you’ll accept that imperial estate as a reward. Otherwise, I’ll feel uneasy.”

The mention of the imperial estate was precisely why Li Qing’an had come to the palace—he wanted to decline that vast estate. He bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I cannot accept that imperial estate!”

“Why? Do I not have the authority to bestow it upon you?”

“Not at all!”

Li Qing’an shook his head and said, “I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Your Majesty. But the council has already decided to carry out Emperor Jingzong’s unfinished mission—distributing all the unallocated land to the common people of Guanzhong, ensuring that those who till the land own it, thereby alleviating the crisis of land consolidation. Emperor Jingzong had already drafted a land distribution plan, but Li Hen took it back forcefully. If you give me that estate and I accept it, it would be unbearable for Emperor Jingzong in his afterlife.”

Shen Zhenzhu remained silent for a while before sighing and saying, “I was ignorant. Thank you, Prince, for your sense of righteousness. I’ll follow your decision on this matter.”

Li Qing’an felt uncomfortable hearing her address him as “Prince” repeatedly, so he smiled and said, “In front of the Empress Dowager, how dare I call myself ‘Prince’? Please refer to me by my military title instead.”

Shen Zhenzhu smiled and nodded, saying, “I’ll obey rather than insist. Then I’ll call you the Great General!”

“Thank you, Empress Dowager, for understanding me. If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave.”

Shen Zhenzhu remained silent. After a while, she spoke in a low voice, “I have some things I’d like to discuss privately with the General. Is that possible?”
Li Qing’an nodded. At that moment, several palace maids stepped forward and closed the doors of the inner hall, plunging it into darkness. Shen Zhenzhu then said to the maids, “You too, step back.”
The maids left, leaving only Li Qing’an and Shen Zhenzhu in the hall. This made Li Qing’an feel the atmosphere was somewhat eerie. Sensing something, he looked up and saw Shen Zhenzhu slowly pulling back the thin curtain. Now he could see her face clearly—a strikingly beautiful face, that of a young yet weary woman. At just twenty-seven or twenty-eight, she had already become the Empress Dowager. What would she do in the long years to come?
“General, I know that talking to you behind closed doors will affect your reputation. I apologize in advance.”
“I don’t care!”
Shen Zhenzhu sighed softly and continued, “I’ve lost my husband and my son. I no longer have any attachment to this world. I originally wanted to become a nun, but your wife, Mingyue, advised me that since my revenge wasn’t yet fulfilled, I couldn’t leave the mortal world. She was right. Unless I see my enemies killed with my own eyes, my heart won’t be free from worldly concerns. The reason I agreed to serve as Empress Dowager again is largely to prepare for repaying you.”
Just as Li Qing’an was about to speak, Shen Zhenzhu waved her hand to stop him. “Don’t interrupt me. Let me finish.”
After a moment of thought, she slowly said, “Li Qing’an, how about we make a deal?”
“Empress Dowager, I’m not quite sure what you mean.”
“Don’t play dumb in front of me. You made Xun Er the emperor just two years ago. Do you think I don’t understand your intentions? The late emperor once told me you were ambitious, which is why I had Shi Er become your adoptive son—both to seek your protection and to hope you wouldn’t harm my son. Although Shi Er eventually died tragically, I don’t hate you. I know you’re not in Chang’an but far away in Turfan. I thought you would ascend the throne after returning, but I never expected you to make Xun Er the emperor. Li Qing’an, you truly baffle me!”
A faint smile appeared on Li Qing’an’s face as he said, “Then I’d like to ask the Empress Dowager: Did the late emperor say who I could trust?”
“The late emperor told me not to trust you but to trust Guo Ziyi. But this time, Guo Ziyi has utterly disappointed me. He’s too cunning and doesn’t dare offend Li Hen—or rather, doesn’t dare offend you. I know very well that with your status and strength, it would be easy for you to eliminate Li Hen. So, Li Qing’an, I want to make a deal with you.”

“A deal?”
Li Qing’an glanced at her. He didn’t understand what capital she still had to make a deal with him—unless it was her body. At that moment, Li Qing’an faintly sensed that Shen Zhenzhu asking him to be alone with her in a secluded room wasn’t as simple as having a few private words. If that were the case, her personal maid wouldn’t have needed to leave, nor would there have been any need to pull back the curtain. Li Qing’an felt she seemed to be deliberately creating an atmosphere to tempt him.
“What does the Empress Dowager want in exchange for a deal with me?” Li Qing’an’s voice also sounded slightly tense.
Shen Zhenzhu’s face turned slightly red. She didn’t dare look into Li Qing’an’s eyes and said in a low voice, “I only have two things to offer in exchange—my status as the Empress Dowager, and the other one… you understand without me saying it, but I hope you’ll accept the former.”
Li Qing’an laughed and said, “How can your status as the Empress Dowager be used to make a deal with me?”
Shen Zhenzhu slowly raised her head, her beautiful eyes fixed on Li Qing’an’s, and said word by word, “If you agree to my request, whatever condition you put forward, I can issue an order to have Xun Er abdicate. I’ll take it upon myself to announce to the whole world that you can ascend the throne legally.”
Li Qing’an also stared into Shen Zhenzhu’s eyes. After a long while, he slowly said, “The Empress Dowager wants me to hand Li Heng over to you, right?”
“Yes! Only you can do this. I want to kill him in person in front of the spirits of the late emperor and my son.”
Li Qing’an fell silent for a moment. He sighed and said, “Empress Dowager, I can promise you I’ll kill him, but handing him over to you… you know that’s very difficult.”
“I know it’s difficult, which is why I’m making this deal with you.”
At that point, Shen Zhenzhu gently bit her lip and said softly to Li Qing’an, “Li Qing’an, as long as you agree to my request, no matter what condition you set, I’ll accept it.”
…
Li Heng’s flight to the south triggered a wave of defections among his trusted ministers. When Li Qing’an led his troops into the city, the chaos in Chang’an gradually subsided. By then, Chang’an was completely under the control of the Qianniu Wei. Through the government hall, Li Qing’an appointed Su Zhen as the governor of Jingzhao, and also appointed new county magistrates for Wannian and Chang’an. He ordered the Qianniu Wei to relinquish power, returning daily affairs belonging to the county governments to Chang’an and Wannian counties. The Qianniu Wei focused on maintaining security and order in various districts, while everyday issues like neighborhood disputes and crimes were handled by the county governments.

Li Qing’an stepped out of Daming Palace as dusk fell. With his eyes closed, he leaned back on the soft cushions, his body swaying gently with the movement of the carriage. The sorrowful and beautiful face of Shen Zhenzhu kept haunting his thoughts. He couldn’t help but think of the historical Shen Zhenzhu—after the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, An Lushan’s troops captured Chang’an. Shen Zhenzhu had no time to escape and was captured by the rebels, taken to An Lushan’s palace in Luoyang. The humiliations and abuses she endured were imaginable. Eventually, the fate of this poor woman remained unknown, becoming an unsolved mystery in history.

Based on his understanding of Li Yu, Li Qing’an believed there were only two possible outcomes for Shen Zhenzhu: either she would become a nun and retreat into monastic life, or she would be killed by Li Yu’s men.

History had taken a different turn for her—Shen Zhenzhu would no longer suffer at the hands of An Lushan’s troops—but she faced another kind of misfortune, which made Li Qing’an feel a hint of pity for her.

The carriage moved slowly, and Li Qing’an’s thoughts shifted from Shen Zhenzhu to the current situation. At present, Li Longji controlled a vast territory south of the Yangtze River. Li Mao in Jingxiang and Li Lin in Jianghuai each commanded armies of over 100,000 troops. Adding Li Hen’s forces in Guanzhong, Geshu Han’s troops in Huguang, Gao Xianzhi’s forces in Jiannan, and the 30,000 troops in Lingnan, Li Longji could mobilize as many as 500,000 troops. Although his Anxi Army was formidable, he couldn’t abandon Anxi to return to the Central Plains—he would need to keep most of his troops there.

Including the 30,000 troops north of Taiyuan in Hedong and the 40,000 troops at Tongguan, he had at most 200,000 troops at his disposal. Yet he had to face not only Li Longji’s 500,000 troops but also Guo Ziyi’s 100,000 troops that were neither friend nor foe, An Lushan’s 300,000 troops from Fanyang who were about to rebel, and the 100,000 troops from Guanzhong that Li Hen hadn’t managed to take away from Henan and Hedong.

It could be said he was surrounded by enemies, and the situation was extremely dire. But no matter how severe the situation, he had to take action. So where should he start?