Chapter 549: The Struggle for Southern Tang

After a while, Gao Xianzhi was brought in by an eunuch. After Li Hen ascended the throne in Chengdu, Gao Xianzhi was appointed as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Left Minister of the Secretariat, and was also granted the title of Duke of Qu with a fief of 500 households—clear signs of great favor. Yet Gao Xianzhi knew that Li Hen was merely trying to keep him under control. As the saying goes, those who climb too high will fall hard; once Li Hen regained control, he would be the first to target him. After much consideration, Gao Xianzhi decided it was better to take action first rather than be eliminated by Li Hen, and so he chose to resign voluntarily.

Gao Xianzhi took a few quick steps forward and knelt on one knee before Li Hen, saying, “Your servant Gao Xianzhi pays his respects to Your Majesty!”

Li Hen wore a smile and said cheerfully, “What brings Minister Gao to see me?”

Gao Xianzhi took out a memorial and presented it with both hands, saying, “As my health is poor, I humbly request to retire from office.”

Requesting to retire meant asking to step down from his position. Li Hen’s expression changed slightly. Instead of taking the memorial, he stretched out his voice and asked, “Minister Gao, what do you mean by this? Have I done anything to wrong you?”

“No! No! No!”

Frightened, Gao Xianzhi knelt down again and repeated, “Your Majesty has been extremely kind to me, and I will always remember it.”

“Then why do you want to resign?”

“My health is indeed poor, and my daughter has been missing since leaving home. Worrying about her has made me ill, and I truly can no longer handle military affairs. I hope Your Majesty will understand.”

Li Hen stared intently at Gao Xianzhi, his gaze flickering as if trying to see through his thoughts. At that moment, Yu Chaoyen rebuked Gao Xianzhi, saying, “General Gao, this is your mistake. With the war going poorly, instead of sharing the burden with Your Majesty, you still wish to trouble him further. What are your intentions?”

“This… Your Majesty, I certainly did not mean that.”

Gao Xianzhi’s back was drenched in sweat. He suddenly realized his resignation might have been hasty. Li Hen might not appreciate it, and in the worst case, it could lead to a struggle for power. Sure enough, Li Hen glanced at Yu Chaoyen and then said to Gao Xianzhi, “I’m about to hold a meeting in the Council Hall to discuss military matters. General Gao, you should attend as well!”

With that, Li Hen turned and left, ignoring Gao Xianzhi’s resignation. Yu Chaoyen gave Gao Xianzhi a subtle signal before hurrying after Li Hen. Gao Xianzhi sighed inwardly—this new emperor was truly not easy to please!

Li Heng certainly understood Gao Xianzhi’s intentions—he wanted to retire bravely and hand over military power to him, which perfectly matched Li Heng’s expectations. Yet Li Heng did not want Gao Xianzhi to withdraw in such a manner; he preferred Gao Xianzhi to step down step by step according to his own plan. Li Heng had learned from past experience—once, Gao Xianzhi had also relinquished military power. Prince Rong, Li Wan, thought he had control over the army, but the generals were all Gao Xianzhi’s men. At a critical moment, Gao Xianzhi simply raised his hand and easily regained control. Thus, Gao Xianzhi could retire without losing power. Li Heng was highly suspicious that he might try the same trick again.

Inside the Xiaohan Yuan Hall of Nanming Palace, Li Heng leaned against the dragon throne, squinting as he observed the hall. He was the first to arrive, organizing his thoughts while waiting for the officials. This was a characteristic of Li Heng—usually, emperors arrived last, making the ministers wait. But Li Heng preferred to arrive first. It wasn’t that he lacked pride; on the contrary, his pride was greater than anyone else’s. Every detail of his diet, daily routine, and travel was carried out with imperial grandeur. The reason Li Heng arrived early was that he liked to observe the ministers—who came early, who came late, and who arrived on time—all revealing different attitudes among them.

For example, several people had already arrived in the hall: Wang Gong, Linghu Fei, Daxi Xun, Chen Xilie, and others. Among them, Chen Xilie was actually the first to arrive, indicating his anxiety and strong sense of crisis.

Cui Yuan, Yang Shenjin, and other veteran officials from Chengdu were slow to arrive, showing that they still had doubts about themselves and were reluctant to cooperate. As for Gao Xianzhi, he would likely arrive late, suggesting he already understood the true purpose of this meeting.

Liking to observe ministers and uncover their secrets was Li Heng’s consistent style. In Chang’an, he ordered Li Fuguo to establish the Chashi Zi Ting as his spies. After arriving in Chengdu, the thirty spies under the Chashi Zi Ting followed as well, forming a new organization to continue gathering intelligence on the ministers for Li Heng. It was extremely secretive—so far, no one knew about this emperor’s spy agency, except for three people: Li Fuguo, Li Heng, and Empress Zhang. Even Yu Chaoneng was unaware.

Today is a military meeting, and basically all officials of rank three or above will be present—over twenty in total. All members of the Political Council must attend. After Li Hen ascended the throne, he did not carry out major personnel reforms but instead expanded the Political Council, inserting trusted officials like Wang Gong and Linghu Fei into it, granting them significant power. Cui Yuan, as a local strongman, continued to serve as Right Prime Minister, while Wang Gong replaced Chen Xilie as Left Prime Minister.

Gradually, the court officials arrived, with Gao Xianzhi entering last. He remained low-key and sat in the last seat. Li Hen gave him a deep look—Gao Xianzhi was the focus of attention today. His gaze then shifted to Crown Prince Li Xi. Recently, Li Xi’s reputation had been poor, as censors accused him of associating with boys, which displeased Li Hen. But seeing Li Xi standing straight with a solemn expression, displaying the demeanor of a general, his displeasure vanished instantly. He preferred his son to have a general’s spirit, especially now, as he needed his son to succeed Gao Xianzhi.

Once everyone was present, Li Hen gave Li Fuguo a signal. Li Fuguo immediately declared loudly, “The time has come! The meeting begins now!” The ministers stood up and bowed to Li Hen, saying, “Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!” “Everyone, rise. Please take your seats!” “By the Emperor’s order, the ministers may return to their posts.” The ministers returned to their seats, leaving only Wang Gong in the hall. As the host of tonight’s military meeting, Wang Gong glanced around and said loudly, “Today is an emergency special meeting aimed at discussing the next steps in military operations. As we all know, our Tang Dynasty has been in a state of division. A puppet emperor holds Chang’an, treacherous officials dominate the court, An Lushan has rebelled in Hebei, and the Prince of Xiangyang has declared himself emperor. This situation has persisted for nearly two years. Your Majesty has been working tirelessly every day to unify the Tang Dynasty and restore the Central Plains. Now, we have 300,000 soldiers at our disposal, with ample provisions and armor. With the clear skies of late summer and early autumn, it is the perfect time for warfare. Your Majesty has resolved to send troops, but with enemies on all sides, it is difficult to decide where to strike first. That’s why we have urgently summoned all ministers here to discuss where our army should launch its first attack.”

At that moment, Chen Xilie, the Minister of Works, was the first to stand up. Chen Xilie could be considered the only high-ranking official demoted after Li Heng ascended the throne. He had always served as Li Longji’s left chancellor and Minister of War, ranking as the second most important figure in the Southern Tang dynasty. However, after Li Heng took power, Wang Gong replaced him as left chancellor, and Chen Xilie’s position in the council was pushed to the very end. In other words, if one more person was promoted, Chen Xilie would be driven out of the council, which filled him with a sense of crisis.

Chen Xilie knew the real reason was that he had once followed Li Linfu and participated in persecuting Li Heng, which was why Li Heng held such resentment toward him. But Wang Gong had been the Censor-in-Chief back then and had played a key role in the three major cases against Crown Prince Li Heng: the Wei Jian case, the Du Youlin case, and the Wang Zhongsì case. He had been the most aggressive and ruthless in carrying out these actions. Du Youlin, Li Heng’s father-in-law and a high-ranking official in the eastern palace, died at Wang Gong’s hands. So why didn’t Li Heng retaliate against Wang Gong but instead hold a grudge against Chen Xilie?

This filled Chen Xilie with both fear and confusion. At today’s military meeting, he felt it necessary to make Li Heng aware of his existence, so he spoke up first.

Li Heng treated Chen Xilie coldly. On the one hand, it was because Chen Xilie had betrayed him in the past and worked behind his back, a matter that still weighed heavily on Li Heng’s mind. On the other hand, Li Heng wanted to fill the council with as many of his own people as possible. However, powerful local figures like Cui Yuan could not be dealt with yet, so he targeted weaker individuals like Chen Xilie, whose influence was limited. Of course, he wouldn’t eliminate them outright, as that would destabilize the political situation. Instead, he would gradually push Chen Xilie to the fringes before finding an opportunity to get rid of him.

Seeing Chen Xilie speak up first, Li Heng became genuinely annoyed. Today’s so-called emergency military meeting was merely an excuse to seize Gao Xianzhi’s power; there was no real need to discuss military affairs. Chen Xilie, being ignorant and uninteresting, made Li Heng even more dissatisfied. Yet he kept a straight face and said with a smile, “Minister Chen, please speak.”

Chen Xili stepped forward, bowed to Li Heng, and then said to the ministers, “Since it’s difficult for Your Majesty to decide whom to attack, let me speak first. The key to deciding whom to attack is to have an opportunity. Where lies our opportunity? It’s actually simple—either march on Chang’an or march on Jingxiang. There are only these two options. Let’s talk about Jingxiang first. Geshu Han supports Li Mao, which has greatly strengthened Li Mao’s forces. Moreover, the King of Wu has returned defeated with low morale. If we attack Jingxiang, first, our navy isn’t yet fully prepared, and the people of Shu are not good at naval battles. Second, Li Mao may not truly trust Geshu Han. If we attack hastily, they will unite and strengthen their bond. On the other hand, if we ignore them, Li Mao and Geshu Han will surely fall out, leading to internal strife. That will be our opportunity.”

“Does that mean Secretary Chen thinks we should attack Chang’an?” Li Heng asked skeptically.

Chen Xili didn’t notice Li Heng’s dissatisfaction and continued enthusiastically, “Your Majesty is absolutely right. Our opportunity lies in Chang’an now. Li Qing’an is fighting in the Central Plains against An Lushan, leaving Chang’an undefended. This is a heaven-sent opportunity. Your Majesty should immediately send a large force to Chang’an. They will surely advance triumphantly and capture Guanzhong in one fell swoop. Then, Your Majesty can depose the puppet emperor and proclaim justice to the world. Li Qing’an, with no way out, will have no choice but to surrender to Your Majesty, and thus the world will be settled.”

“Nonsense!”

Linghu Fei, the Minister of War, stood up. He knew very well Li Heng’s true intentions today. He stepped beside Chen Xili and bowed to Li Heng, saying, “Your Majesty, please allow me to refute Secretary Chen’s absurd arguments!”

Li Heng nodded inwardly. Truly, he was his chief military advisor—very perceptive of his thoughts. He smiled and said, “Debate is fine, but don’t damage the harmony among the ministers!”

“As ordered!”

Perhaps due to Li Heng’s reminder, Linghu Fei became slightly more polite toward Chen Xili, but his tone remained sharp.

“I would like to ask Secretary Chen—where did you learn that Li Mao distrusts Geshu Han? What evidence do you have that they will turn against each other? How do you know Chang’an is undefended? And how do you know Li Qing’an isn’t on guard?”

Linghu Fei asked four questions in one go, leaving Chen Xili speechless. In fact, his assumptions were based on nothing concrete—he believed Geshu Han wanted to seize Li Mao’s position, but there was no real evidence. As for Chang’an being undefended, it was what everyone thought—it was common sense. But when Linghu Fei asked so firmly, Chen Xili couldn’t answer.

After a while, Chen Xilié’s face turned red as he retorted, “Li Qing’an only brought 100,000 troops into Chang’an. His forces were already small. Now his main army is in Henan, while Guo Ziyi’s main force is in Hedong. How many troops could there be in Chang’an? These are well-known facts to everyone. Am I wrong in saying this? As for Geshu Han, he has always been loyal to the court. It was only recently that he turned to Jingxiang. He and Li Mao are clearly cooperating temporarily—how could they not fall out over time? I’m a veteran official with decades of experience. Don’t tell me I don’t understand this either!”
Chen Xilié lost his composure. He spoke in a loud voice. Originally, with his white hair and youthful appearance, he had an air of immortality, but now he resembled an angry rooster. To put it mildly, he was roaring in the court.
Linghu Fei sneered and said, “Since you’re ignorant, let me tell you. It’s true that Li Qing’an initially brought 100,000 troops into Guanzhong. But there were already 30,000 Anxi troops in Guanzhong, plus 40,000 troops under Wang Sili at Tongguan, and 20,000 troops led by Li Guangbi into the capital. So in total, he had 190,000 troops. When he sent troops to the Central Plains, 80,000 remained in Guanzhong, along with 20,000 troops stationed in Shuofang. Moreover, the Tang Straight Road in Longyou has been largely completed. It only takes two days for the 40,000 cavalry in Hexi to reach Guanzhong, and the same for the Shuofang troops. Additionally, 80,000 new recruits have been gathered in Guanzhong and Guannei. Calculate for yourself—how many troops can Guanzhong muster within two days?”
Linghu Fei’s detailed figures caused a stir in the hall. Chen Xilié was stunned. Being old as he was, he couldn’t even figure out how many more troops there were.
At that moment, Linghu Fei added, “As for the alleged discord between Li Mao and Geshu Han, that’s pure nonsense. Geshu Han once betrayed the emperor and bears guilt. The late emperor sent him to Lianghu as a form of demotion. Most of Geshu Han’s troops are from Longyou. They left their homes far away from their wives, so their morale is extremely low. Over the past few years, 80% of them have fled, leaving only 10,000 loyal cavalry. Yet Geshu Han’s forces have continued to grow, from 50,000 at first to 80,000 now. Where do you think these troops came from? Let me tell you—Li Mao used a clever trick to secretly transfer troops from Jingxiang to Geshu Han. That’s why his forces remain within the limits allowed by the late emperor. In reality, he has already exceeded those limits, but the newly recruited troops are placed under Geshu Han’s command—first to let Geshu Han train them and second to conceal the truth. Now do you understand? Geshu Han and Li Mao are already in cahoots.”

At this moment, Chen Xilié resembled a defeated rooster, looking both embarrassed and depressed, unable to leave the court. Li Heng said calmly, “Minister Chen is merely a civil official and knows little about military affairs; it’s understandable. Minister Chen, you may retire first!”
Chen Xilié was extremely ashamed. He had wanted to make a impression but ended up becoming the laughingstock of the court, further lowering his status in Li Heng’s eyes. It might even become the reason for his eventual dismissal. He lowered his head, glared viciously at Linghu Fei, and slowly retreated.
Linghu Fei sneered inwardly. Chen Xilié failed to understand the current situation and couldn’t see Li Heng’s true intentions; he deserved to be demoted. He stepped forward again and said to Li Heng, “Your Majesty, please allow me to speak further.”
“Please go ahead, my dear minister!”
Li Heng’s voice was very light and cheerful. This pleasant tone suddenly made many ministers realize that Li Heng must have had plans all along. Only Gao Xianzhi, sitting in the back row, smiled bitterly. He knew that Li Heng would ultimately turn his sword on him.
Then, Linghu Fei slowly said, “Actually, the reason I oppose attacking Chang’an is not just because it is heavily defended with numerous troops, but also because attacking Chang’an is unbeneficial to our overall strategy. Not to mention the difficult journey and unfavorable fighting conditions, even if we capture Chang’an, what can we do? Can we recover the Central Plains? Can we unite with the regions south of the Yangtze River? No, not only that, but if Li Qing’an sends a large army from Anxi eastward, we may struggle to return to Bashu. And what will Li Mao do? He will take advantage of our distraction in Chang’an to launch a full-scale attack on the regions south of the Yangtze River, capturing the King of Wu and seizing half of the Tang Dynasty’s territory and its fertile lands. By then, if we try to return to Bashu, it will be too late to regret it. Therefore, I suggest attacking Jingxiang instead. That way, we will control half of the land south of the Yangtze River. We can advance into the Central Plains or retreat to Lingnan and Bashu. Once Li Qing’an and An Lushan are exhausted from fighting each other, we can reap the benefits.”
“Well said!”
Wang Gong stood up and applauded loudly. “Minister Linghu truly deserves to be called the Little Zhuge. His reasoning is clear and well-founded, enlightening us as if the clouds have cleared.”
He then bowed to Li Heng and said, “I also urge Your Majesty to send troops to Jingxiang as soon as possible to relieve the crisis in the regions south of the Yangtze River.”
“The views of both of you align with my intentions. I decide to send troops to Jingxiang!”
Li Heng glanced at Gao Xianzhi and said with a half-smile, “Minister Gao, I would like you to be the commander. Do you think you’re capable?”
Normally, Li Heng should have said, “Minister Gao, I decide to make you the commander. I hope you can share the burden with me!”

This sentence is the proper kind of encouragement, but Li Heng phrased it as a question, which also sounds fine to most people. Gao Xianzhi should have replied passionately, “Your servant is capable!” That would have made everything perfect. Yet Gao Xianzhi was as clear-minded as a mirror—he had just resigned to Li Heng on the grounds of poor health. If he said now that he was capable, it would mean he had deceived the emperor earlier. Gao Xianzhi sighed inwardly; he finally understood that Li Heng had gone to great lengths to arrange a military council precisely so that he would submit his resignation there rather than privately, so that Li Heng’s reputation for valuing capable people would be preserved and he wouldn’t be criticized. These politicians! All of them are so cunning. Gao Xianzhi had no choice but to stand up, appear listless, and bow, saying, “Your Majesty, I truly wish to share your burdens, but I have been ill lately. Though I am willing to risk everything for you, I fear I may not be strong enough and end up failing your great cause. I truly dare not accept this task!” Li Heng’s expression darkened. “Gao, you are the one I trust the most. If you refuse, whom else can I turn to?” The critical moment had arrived. Whether Gao Xianzhi could escape unscathed depended on this move. Although he didn’t want to lose his subordinates who had followed him for years, the situation left him with no choice. He gritted his teeth and said, “Your Majesty, as the deputy commander-in-chief of the army, I recommend His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as the commander of the eastern expedition. He is young, capable, and highly respected. It’s time for us older generals to make way for the younger ones.” “No!” Li Heng firmly rejected Gao Xianzhi’s recommendation. “The imperial army is the foundation of the nation; how can it be treated as a game? Although the Crown Prince can lead troops, he lacks combat experience and is no match for Ge Shu Han. I cannot agree.” At that moment, Crown Prince Li Xi stood up, bowed, and declared loudly, “Father, I am willing to lead the troops to reclaim Jingxiang. Please grant me your permission!” Li Heng still shook his head. “Though my son has ambition, he lacks experience. I really can’t trust him. Wait until he gains more experience, and then I’ll give him another chance to lead troops.” With the play having reached this stage, all that was left was the final move to bring it to a perfect conclusion—Lihu Fei stepped forward to make Li Heng’s last move. “Your Majesty, I have a suggestion!” “Please speak, my dear minister.”

Linghu Fei glanced at the crowd and smiled slightly, saying, “The Crown Prince indeed knows how to command troops. It was he who led the 200,000 troops in Guanzhong back then. But Your Majesty is also right—the Crown Prince lacks practical combat experience. Facing Geshu Han alone will likely not be easy for him. If we don’t give the Crown Prince a chance, he will forever lack experience. Therefore, I suggest that the Crown Prince serve as the commander-in-chief, with General Gao, who has rich experience, serving as deputy commander to assist the Crown Prince in leading the troops. With the experienced guiding the less experienced, I think this is the best arrangement!”
Wang Gong also said, “What Secretary Linghu said is absolutely correct. I support it!”
Li Hen pretended to ponder for a moment before nodding and asking Gao Xianzhi, “What do you think, Minister Gao?”
Gao Xianzhi was disheartened. Li Hen wouldn’t allow him to withdraw unscathed; his intention was to completely strip him of military power. With things having reached this point, there was no room for him to object.
“Your Majesty, I am willing to assist the Crown Prince!”
“Good! I hereby declare that the Crown Prince’s faction shall be appointed as the Expeditionary Commander for the Eastern Campaign and the Supreme Commander of all troops. Gao Xianzhi shall be appointed as deputy commander, leading 200,000 troops to set out for Jingxiang in three days.”
After a pause, he announced further, “I also appoint Secretary of the Ministry of War Linghu Fei as the supervisor of supplies for the six routes, overseeing logistics. To maintain strict military discipline, I appoint Yu Chaoen, formerly of the Imperial Eunuch Bureau, as the Inspector of Military Discipline to oversee the discipline of all troops.”
……
In August of the first year of Longzhen in the Southern Tang Dynasty, Li Lin’s army was defeated in Yangzhou. Li Mao gathered 150,000 troops in Jingxiang and took personal command, planning to seize the opportunity to launch a campaign eastward into the Jiangnan region. At this time, Southern Tang Emperor Li Hen, in order to hold back the forces in Jingxiang, appointed Crown Prince Li Xi as the Supreme Commander of the Eastern Campaign, Gao Xianzhi as deputy commander, and Yu Chaoen as military inspector, leading 200,000 troops from Kuizhou toward Zigui.