Chapter 538: The Death of Emperor Minghuang

In Chengdu, Li Heng’s army had arrived in Yizhou nearly a month ago. During this time, Li Heng had remained quite low-key. Seemingly learning from his experiences as crown prince years earlier, he stayed in the military camp outside the city, avoiding any meetings with Chengdu’s officials or private talks with the military commander Gao Xianzhi. Every evening, he would go to Nanming Palace on time. Without entering the palace, he would kneel deeply in front of its gates, choking back tears as he said, “I wish His Majesty good health!”

His daily kneelings, regardless of weather, had indeed won him widespread praise from the people. It was dusk again, and as usual, Li Heng arrived at Nanming Palace by carriage. He got out of the carriage and quickly walked to the palace gates, surrounded by hundreds of guards who watched vigilantly around them. Then, Li Heng slowly knelt down and bowed respectfully in the direction of his father’s chamber in Nanming Palace, saying through tears, “I wish His Majesty eternal health and a long reign!”

In front of Nanming Palace lay a wide street, the main thoroughfare in Chengdu, bustling with people coming and going. Li Heng’s act of kneeling in front of the palace immediately attracted many onlookers from afar. The crowd whispered among themselves, mostly expressing praise.

“He must truly be filial. It’s been a month already, and he comes to pay his father respects every day. Even though it rained heavily yesterday, he still came. Excellent! Filial piety is the foremost of all virtues.”

“I’ve heard he has a poor reputation in Chang’an. But from what I see today, those rumors might not be true. Such sincerity can’t be faked.”

…

As the crowd was discussing, a carriage passed by. Inside was Cui Yuan, who had just taken over Yang Guozhong’s position as right chancellor of the Northern Tang. He had just left court and was heading back to his residence when he happened to see Li Heng kneeling on the street in front of Li Longji. Cui Yuan sneered coldly. Li Heng’s behavior disgusted him. Why not kneel inside the palace? Why insist on kneeling in public? Who was he trying to impress?

Cui Yuan didn’t have much respect for Li Heng, especially since he wasn’t part of Li Heng’s inner circle. This time, Li Heng had brought over ninety high-ranking officials from the Northern Tang, including important figures like Wang Gong, Li Lin, and Linghu Fei. These people had all been prime ministers in the Northern Tang’s government. So, once Li Heng ascended the throne, would he give Cui Yuan a position? Even if he were used temporarily, Cui Yuan would still be abandoned once Li Heng stabilized the situation.

Cui Yuan felt disdain for Li Hen yet was also filled with worry. He knew that Wang Gong, Linghu Fei, and others were secretly active in Chengdu, making connections with many ministers. He had reported this to Li Longji, but Li Longji was already extremely incompetent and told him that Li Hen would ascend the throne sooner or later, so it was normal for him to make friends with ministers. He warned Cui Yuan not to stir up discord between them. This left Cui Yuan speechless.

Watching Li Hen’s farcical performance, Cui Yuan shook his head and ordered the carriage to speed up, leaving Nanming Palace. Cui Yuan’s residence was not far from Nanming Palace; it was just a few blocks away. The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the mansion. At that moment, a trusted family member rushed over and reported, “Prime Minister Cui, there’s a letter from Chang’an.”

Cui Yuan was slightly surprised and asked, “Who sent the letter?”

The family member replied in a low voice, “It’s Lord Cui Er from Chang’an!”

Lord Cui Er was Cui Huan, Cui Yuan’s cousin. Cui Yuan was shocked and quickly asked, “Where is the letter?”

“The letter has already been delivered to your inner study.”

Cui Yuan nodded and hurried inside. In the inner study, there was a letter on the desk. He picked it up. The envelope was simply addressed: “To my brother Cui Yuan.” It was clearly written in Cui Huan’s handwriting. This was the first time Cui Huan had written to him this year.

Cui Yuan sensed something. He opened the letter. The content was brief—just discussing the family’s ten-year memorial ceremony next January, with Cui Huan hoping that Cui Yuan would also return to Chang’an then.

“Return to Chang’an?” Cui Yuan pondered. Those words seemed to imply something. He slowly walked to the window, gazing at the lush greenery outside, lost in thought.

……

After paying his respects to his father, Li Hen returned to the camp. It was already dark. He changed into other clothes and sat by a small table, sipping tea slowly. He knew someone would come to see him soon. He had received news at noon that his brother Li Lin’s messenger had arrived in Chengdu and was on his way to the camp. He wasn’t in a hurry; he sipped his tea calmly, planning his next move.

Of course, Li Hen had no intention of truly wishing his father a long life. What was he doing in Chengdu? It wasn’t to be a crown prince—he was the emperor of Northern Tang, yet he had come to Southern Tang to act as a crown prince. Wouldn’t that be a joke? His refusal to enter the city was actually because he wanted to declare himself emperor right away.

Li Hen had been in Southern Tang for nearly a month. Although he did not reside in the city nor often left the military camp, his confidants such as Wang Gong and Linghu Fei were carrying out secret activities. Many ministers were willing to support him, and even Gao Xianzhi, who commanded a large army, had declared his support for the Southern Tang emperor—regardless of who ascended the throne. In other words, Gao Xianzhi would not get involved in the struggle for the throne.

With Gao Xianzhi’s words, Li Hen felt completely at ease. As a month passed, the timing gradually matured. Now he was waiting for one final condition; once it was met, it would be time to take action.

At that moment, the sound of guards running came from outside the tent. Li Hen stood up abruptly, looking anxiously outside. The guards rushed in and reported, “Your Highness, he’s here!”

“Good! Bring him in quickly.”

The visitor was a special envoy from King Wu Li Lin. Li Lin, the sixteenth son, was born to Guo Shunyi. His mother died when he was young, and Li Hen raised him, sleeping with him in his arms. Though they were brothers by name, their relationship was that of father and son. After Li Hen ascended the throne in Chang’an, he received a secret letter from Li Lin supporting his brother as the emperor of Northern Tang. Now, as Li Hen traveled to Southern Tang, he hoped even more that his brother would support his own ascension. He had already sent a personal letter and had been waiting for a formal reply from his brother.

After a while, Li Lin’s envoy was led into the main tent. The envoy had long eyes and a prominent nose, exuding an extraordinary presence. Li Hen was stunned—he had seen this man before, and quite well. The envoy was none other than the world-famous poet Li Bai.

Indeed, it was Li Bai. After leaving Chang’an, he traveled everywhere. After returning from Qi and Lu, he went to Hangzhou to pay his respects to He Zhizhang. He loved the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River and settled there permanently. When Li Lin heard that Li Bai was living in the south, he sent people to invite him to serve as an official, but Li Bai declined politely. Li Lin did not give up and sent people again, only to be refused once more. On the third attempt, Li Lin went to Yuhang in person to invite him, finally moving Li Bai, who had long felt frustrated. Moved by his sincerity, Li Bai agreed to serve as his advisor and assist Li Lin.

Since this matter was of great importance for Li Hen, and since Li Bai had grown up in Bashu, Li Lin sent him to Chengdu to carry out this crucial task.

Li Bai stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Li Bai, an advisor to King Wu, pays his respects to the Crown Prince!”

Li Hen quickly returned the bow and smiled, “So it’s Master Li Bai! It’s been many years since we last met, hasn’t it?”

Li Bai also smiled and said, “The last time we met was in the fourth year of Tianbao, at the New Year’s banquet in Daming Palace. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Your Highness still looks as splendid as ever!”

“Where? I’m getting older year by year!”
Li Heng laughed heartily and waved his hand quickly, saying, “Sir Taibai, please sit down!”
Li Bai didn’t hesitate and sat down. Before Li Heng could speak, he took out a letter and placed it on the table, pushing it toward Li Heng. “This is a letter written in person by Prince Wu. Please take a look.”
Li Heng hurriedly opened the letter and read it carefully. In the letter, Li Lin not only clearly expressed his support for Li Heng to become emperor but also offered to send troops westward to assist him in eliminating Prince Jing, Li Mao.
Li Heng was overjoyed. Stroking his beard, he laughed and said, “I knew my brother would not disappoint me.”
Li Bai also smiled slightly and said, “Prince Wu also has a message for Your Highness.”
“Hurry up and tell me what it is.”
“Prince Wu says that Bashu is located in a remote area, which is not conducive to building strength or controlling the south. He hopes Your Highness will move the capital to Jingxiang as soon as possible. By taking advantage of the Northern Tang’s preoccupation with dealing with An Lushan, we can gather resources, train troops, and then be able to confront the Northern Tang. He also hopes Your Highness won’t rush to attack Chang’an now; we’re still far from being a match for Li Qing’an.”
At the mention of Li Qing’an’s name, a hint of unease appeared on Li Bai’s face. He had an old acquaintance with Li Qing’an and didn’t want Li Lin to confront him. It would be best if both sides compromised and ruled separately along the river. But as the situation evolved and Li Lin began to support Li Heng, Li Bai gradually realized that peaceful coexistence was just a dream—at best, it could only delay things.
Sighing inwardly, Li Bai continued, “Your Highness, this is Prince Wu’s message. You may send someone to verify it.”
“I think that’s not necessary!”
Li Heng waved his hand and laughed. “I trust Sir Taibai. You’ve had a long journey. I’ve arranged accommodation for you. Please go and rest!”
After saying that, he ordered his guards, “Treat Sir Taibai well. Don’t show the slightest neglect!”
The guards replied and led Li Bai away. Li Heng stood with his hands behind his back, watching Li Bai’s retreating figure. Suddenly, he snorted coldly and immediately returned to his tent to write a letter. He handed it to Li Fuguo, who had been standing behind him, and said, “Send this letter to Prince Wu in Yangzhou right away.”
Li Fuguo nodded and rushed off with the letter. In fact, Li Heng didn’t believe Li Bai’s message at all. He wanted to send his own people to verify it before he would believe it.
After dealing with Li Lin’s matter, Li Heng finally made up his mind. Once the time was right, he wouldn’t hesitate at all. And now, the time was ripe.

He took a small sandalwood box from the box beside him, opened it, and found inside a pearl the size of a pigeon egg. Carefully, he picked up the pearl with his index finger and thumb and examined it under the light. The pearl shone with a green glow, but upon closer inspection, a short, thick needle was hidden inside it.

Li Heng carefully placed the pearl back in the box, summoned one of his trusted guards, handed him the box, and said, “Go quickly to Nanming Palace and find Yu Chaoen. Give this to him. Don’t say anything; he will understand.”

The guard took the wooden box and left the tent. At that moment, Li Heng felt excited—this long-awaited moment had finally arrived. He immediately stood up and ordered, “Pass my command: the army must prepare for battle and be ready at any time!”

……

In Nanming Palace, Li Longji was about to go to bed. Since Li Heng had entered Shu, his succession issue had finally been resolved, and the most pressing concern in Li Longji’s mind had been alleviated. He no longer interfered in state affairs, leaving everything to Cui Yuan. According to his plan, once Li Heng had adapted to Chengdu for three months, he could hand over all political power to him, allowing him to serve as regent. Then, with no more conflicts between him and his son, he could peacefully reign as emperor and enjoy the rest of his days.

Because of this hopeful vision, Li Longji’s mood became more relaxed, and his sleep gradually returned to normal. However, his suspicion toward those around him grew increasingly strong. Ever since the attempt by Li Wan and Yang Guozhong to harm him, Li Longji no longer trusted anyone around him. Suspicion filled his heart with a desire for killing; even the slightest mistake by the maids and eunuchs serving him led to immediate execution.

By now, Li Longji had soaked his feet in hot water. Two maids knelt before him, trembling as they wiped his feet with thick white cloth. Originally, Li Longji used silk to wipe his feet, but since silk had poor absorbency and his feet never dried, he had become angry and killed several people over this. Earlier, the imperial eunuch Yu Chaoen had suggested using white cloth or fine linen instead, and Li Longji had agreed. Tonight was the first time white cloth was used to wipe his feet. This kind of white cloth had been presented to the court over a decade ago by Fu Menglingcha, who was then the governor of Anxi. It was white cloth from Egypt and had never been used before.

Unlike the white cloth from Gaochang, this cloth was extremely soft and highly absorbent. Li Longji felt very comfortable. Only then did he notice that the cloth used to wipe his feet was different from before. He asked, “What is this?”

One of the maids replied timidly, “Your Majesty, this is white cloth from Anxi!”

It was also this palace maid’s bad luck—she had no idea to what extent Li Longji was sensitive to the word “Anxi.” The moment Li Longji heard those two characters, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he glared viciously at the maid. “What did you just say?”
The two palace maids were terrified, their teeth chattering; they couldn’t utter a word. Li Longji flew into a rage, kicking the two maids over and shouting, “Drag them out and beat them to death!”
Dozens of guards rushed in from outside. With remarkable skill, they grabbed the maids by their hair and dragged them away. The two maids were so frightened they collapsed, unable even to plead for mercy, only emitting muffled cries of “Ah! Ah!” The other dozen or so palace maids standing by were utterly heartbroken; they turned away, tears streaming down their faces, knowing it was their turn next.
It was then the turn of two other maids to serve. They didn’t dare say a word and refilled Li Longji’s water for his feet, cleaning them thoroughly. Perhaps because he had already killed two people, Li Longji was somewhat tired. With the maids’ assistance, he went to bed. Then, Li Longji pointed at one of the maids named Xun Niang, ordering her to stay and accompany him. Although he was no longer capable of normal intercourse, he still had a strong desire for women, and he would satisfy his desires in a peculiar way.
The other maids cast pitying looks at Xun Niang before retreating to the outer room. At that moment, Li Longji took out a whip from a hidden compartment in the bed. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at this sixteen-year-old young maid, his eyes filled with evil amusement as he pointed the whip at her.
Xun Niang knew she couldn’t escape. With a last longing glance at the night sky outside the window, she unfastened her belt, and her dress slipped off, revealing her pure, fair body. She knelt on the ground. Gradually, Li Longji’s eyes turned red. With a cruel smile, he twisted the whip, and with a sharp crack, accompanied by a woman’s agonized scream…
…
Yu Chaoyen quietly entered Li Longji’s bedroom at the first watch of the night. Li Longji was already asleep, and Xun Niang, her body covered in blood, lay unconscious on the ground, a whip coiled around her neck. Under normal circumstances, this maid should have been dead, so Yu Chaoyen paid her no attention and stepped toward Li Longji, who was sleeping on the bed.

But today, something unexpected happened to this palace maid. Li Longji ran out of strength in the end, so the maid was not strangled to death—she only fainted. Now she had awakened, startled by Yu Chaoen’s gentle footsteps. Holding her breath, she peeked at him in terror. He slowly took out a pearl from his bosom; the pearl emitted a faint green glow. In that dim green light, Yu Chaoen’s face appeared terrifying, like that of a devil. He slowly pulled out a needle from the pearl—the needle was short and thick, as if filled with liquid. Yu Chaoen stepped forward toward Li Longji, stared at him for a long time, then suddenly raised the needle, intending to stab him in the forehead. At that moment, Xun Niang, who was lying on the ground, screamed in fright—a soft sound, but it was like a thunderbolt to Yu Chaoen. His hand trembled, and the poisonous needle fell onto Li Longji’s face. He froze as if under a spell. Then, Li Longji suddenly opened his eyes and saw Yu Chaoen poised to assassinate him.

“A needle!” Li Longji cried out, but before he could finish, Yu Chaoen suddenly lunged like a madman, grabbed Li Longji’s neck, and covered his mouth. Li Longji struggled desperately, screaming. Just as it seemed Yu Chaoen might lose control, Xun Niang suddenly stood up and wrapped a whip around Li Longji’s neck. Delighted, Yu Chaoen tightened the whip tightly, silencing him. Li Longji’s feet kicked frantically. Suddenly, the sound of guards running outside came through, with someone shouting, “Surround the palace! Don’t let the assassin escape!”

Li Longji’s struggles grew more intense; his will to survive was immense. Despair began to set in for Yu Chaoen. But at that moment, Xun Niang slowly picked up the poisonous needle that had fallen nearby, stared at Li Longji with utter hatred, and thrust the needle into his temple with force.

A scream echoed as Li Longji’s body gradually went limp…

…

On the seventh day of the seventh month in the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Li Longji was assassinated by a palace maid and passed away. At dawn, Li Heng ascended the throne in the Nanming Palace, surrounded by three thousand armored soldiers. Officials flocked to pay their respects, and Gao Xianzhi also issued a statement supporting Li Heng’s accession. Li Heng immediately decreed that Li Longji’s temple name be Xuanzong. His coffin was temporarily placed in Hanyuan Temple on the outskirts of Chengdu, to be buried in Chang’an in the future.

From then on, Li Heng finally became emperor of the Southern Tang, opposing the Northern Tang. He also ordered Li Mao of Jingzhou to go to the capital in Shu to pay his respects.