Chapter 550: Ge Shu Han’s Plan

Linghu Fei’s analysis was not mere speculation but was based on certain intelligence, especially regarding Ge Shu Han’s activities. Li Heng had sent several spies to lurk in Xiangyang and Ge Shu Han’s territory to gather secrets, which allowed Linghu Fei to have a thorough understanding of Ge Shu Han’s situation.

Ge Shu Han had indeed formed a secret alliance with Li Mao long ago. Initially, he betrayed Li Heng and defected to Li Longji but was not given important positions. He wanted to stay in Hanzhong so that his soldiers could be closer to Longyou, making it easier for his family to travel back and forth. However, Li Longji did not agree to this and instead sent him to garrison in the Two Lakes region, transforming his army into the Two Lakes Army.

The Two Lakes referred to Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake. Ge Shu Han’s garrison was located in Yuzhang County, today’s Nanchang. During the Tang Dynasty, this area had not yet been extensively developed, with a sparse population and dense forests, which filled Ge Shu Han with endless disappointment. By then, he was over fifty years old and suffered from foot ailments, which worsened due to the humid climate of the Two Lakes region. The pain and advancing age filled him with pessimism about his future.

At this time, Li Mao personally brought the most renowned doctors in Jingxiang to visit him, alleviating his suffering. This made Ge Shu Han deeply grateful to Li Mao. Over time, their relationship grew closer. By then, Li Longji’s days were numbered, and Ge Shu Han realized he needed a patron. Coincidentally, Li Mao expressed his intention to recruit him, and the two hit it off immediately. From then on, Ge Shu Han secretly sided with Li Mao.

In August, Jingxiang was still shrouded in the sweltering heat of the end of summer. It had rained in Xiangyang the previous day, turning the roads extremely muddy. At that moment, a group of cavalry rushed along the official road outside Xiangyang—about five hundred men in total, led by Ge Shu Han himself.

After living in the Jiangnan region for nearly two years, Ge Shu Han appeared older, with obvious gray hairs at the temples. His eyes, filled with the hardships of life, showed signs of exhaustion. He had come from Jingzhou. Originally, he planned to lead an army of 100,000 through land to attack Yangzhou. But due to Li Heng’s sudden military action, they were forced to change their plans and abandon the eastern campaign. Ge Shu Han rushed back to Xiangyang to discuss the next steps with Li Mao.

If it had been two years ago, Geshu Han would not have paid the slightest attention to the Jiannan army. At that time, he had 50,000 elite troops from Longyou, enough to defeat enemies several times their number. But now he was unsure—80% of those elite troops had fled over the past two years, leaving only 10,000 cavalry loyal to him. Although Li Mao had a large army, it consisted of inexperienced recruits who had not been tempered by battle, which filled Geshu Han with concern.

The cavalry rushed forward at full speed and soon arrived at the gates of Xiangyang. The defending troops recognized Geshu Han and immediately opened the gates, allowing his cavalry to storm inside.

……

To the north of Xiangyang lay a complex of buildings covering over 300 acres, with arched bridges, magnificent pavilions, and grand structures—this was Li Mao’s Jingwang Palace. Built after Li Mao arrived in Xiangyang, the palace was so grand that it caused Li Longji to become dissatisfied with his eighteenth son. Li Mao’s palace was vast and imposing, while the Nanming Palace in Chengdu covered only about 200 acres—smaller and far less grand. When Li Longji entered Shu, the Jingwang Palace was only half finished. Li Longji personally ordered Li Mao to stop construction, stating that the palace must not be larger than the imperial palace. Yet Li Mao ignored this order and continued building it to completion.

In fact, Li Mao had opportunities to repair his relationship with his father. Although Li Longji hated him for building the grand palace, he eventually compromised and summoned him to Chengdu several times. But Li Mao was worried that history might repeat itself with Prince Li Liu of Shu, so he either pretended to be ill or claimed to be busy with official duties, using various excuses to avoid meetings. Over time, resentment grew in Li Longji’s heart, deepening his hatred for Li Mao.

Li Mao was under forty years old, with a handsome face and elegant demeanor. Born into an imperial family, he naturally harbored a desire for power. He was initially titled Prince Shou, and his mother was Wu Huifei, once Li Longji’s most favored concubine. Li Longji had even promised Wu Huifei that he would make Li Mao the crown prince. Li Linfu also secretly assured Wu Huifei that he would support Li Mao’s rise to power. However, after Wu Huifei’s death and the Yang Yuhuan incident, Li Mao was gradually neglected by his father and became a minor prince. But when the crisis of military governors arose, Li Longji began appointing princes to govern various regions. Li Mao was assigned to Xiangyang and later renamed Prince Jing by Li Yu.

Finally free in Xiangyang, Li Mao revealed his desire for power. He recruited more troops than allowed, appointed local officials without authorization, and spent heavily on building his palace. He was almost impatient—even if he couldn’t become the ruler of the whole country, he would at least become the king of Jingxiang.

In a elegantly furnished room, Li Mao, who had just woken up from his nap, sat at the table, fully immersed in savoring the osmanthus tea carefully prepared for him by his maids. Behind a white jade screen, two concubines were playing music for him. The gentle breeze, the sound of the zither, and the fragrance of jasmine all created a truly refreshing atmosphere. This was Li Mao’s habit—half an hour after his nap was always reserved for tea and music, without fail. Even in times of tension, it was hard to change this habit of his.

Yet today, Li Mao seemed somewhat restless. Although the tense situation hadn’t altered his habit, it had changed his mood; he was no longer at ease.

Li Heng had already sent 200,000 troops toward the Jingxiang region, and it was said that Li Lin in Yangzhou was also preparing to take action. Soon, Li Mao would face attacks from both sides, which filled him with great concern.

At that moment, sensing something, he glanced sideways and saw a family member peeking at the door, seemingly with urgent news. It was his time for tea and music, and no one ever dared to disturb him. But for this family member to show up meant there must be something important.

“What is it?” Li Mao, breaking his usual routine, asked.

“Your Highness, General Ge Shu has arrived and is waiting outside the mansion!”

“Ah!” Li Mao stood up quickly and said urgently, “Invite General Ge Shu in at once! No! I’ll go greet him myself.”

If there was anyone who could interrupt Li Mao’s tea and music time, it was undoubtedly Ge Shu Han. Now, Ge Shu Han was Li Mao’s lifeline—the key figure determining whether he could remain the King of Jing.

Li Mao went out personally to greet him. Outside the mansion’s main gate, Ge Shu Han was holding his horse, with a dozen bodyguards behind him. His 500 troops were temporarily resting in a camp two miles away.

Ge Shu Han had traveled under difficult conditions, his brows furrowed in frustration. He had thought that at such a tense time, Li Mao would be in the camp, but to his surprise, Li Mao was still in the mansion, which annoyed him greatly.

With a great enemy at the gates, if Li Mao were in the camp, he could boost the soldiers’ morale, making them feel that the King of Jing was facing the crisis with them. Yet here he was, still indulging in comfort in the mansion…

This filled Ge Shu Han with disappointment. After all, as a member of the royal family, he was naturally a bit delicate.

Just then, the mansion’s gates opened, and the sound of hurried footsteps came through. Surrounded by dozens of guards, Li Mao stepped out quickly.

“Your humble servant pays respects to His Highness, the King of Jing!”

Ge Shu Han stepped forward quickly, ready to kneel on one knee before Li Mao, but Li Mao caught him and rebuked him, saying, “How many times have I told you, General Ge Shu, there’s no need for such formalities with me!”
“I am following military protocol; it’s just something I’m used to.”
“Sigh! The situation is tense now, so no need for military protocol. General Ge Shu, please come with me to the palace.”
Hearing that the situation was tense, Ge Shu Han felt slightly relieved—at least he wasn’t completely indulged in pleasure. He nodded and said, “I indeed need to discuss military matters with Your Highness.”
The two entered the palace. Li Mao invited Ge Shu Han to sit down and ordered a beautiful concubine to serve tea for him. Li Mao was determined to win Ge Shu Han over; he had five favorite concubines, two of whom he gave to Ge Shu Han. This one, named Ruyi, was his most treasured concubine. By sending her to serve tea this time, he intended to give her to Ge Shu Han, hoping that Ge Shu Han would work hard for him.
But today, Ge Shu Han had his own concerns in mind; he had no interest in women and ignored the beautiful concubine serving the tea. Seeing Ge Shu Han’s serious expression, Li Mao was secretly surprised and waved his hand at the concubine, ordering her to leave.
Now only the two of them were left in the room. Li Mao asked in a low voice, “General Ge Shu, is the situation really that bad?”
Ge Shu Han shook his head and sighed. “I received news on the way. Among the 200,000 troops sent by Li Heng this time, there are 100,000 experienced soldiers from Jiannan. These soldiers were once part of the Guanzhong military forces, having fought in the wars against Nanzhao and also in several battles against the Tubo forces. I’ve heard their combat skills are extremely strong—they are elite troops trained by Gao Xianzhi.”
Li Mao frowned. “But our army has also been trained for many years. Can’t they be even slightly better than the Jiannan troops?”
“Your Highness, a military force’s combat effectiveness depends not only on training, which is just a small part. The key lies in actual combat experience. That’s why the Anxi forces are so formidable—they’ve gained experience through real battles. A soldier may be trained for a thousand days, but when he sees heads being cut off, he still can’t handle it. Our soldiers simply lack real combat experience!”
Ge Shu Han knew well that although the Jingxiang army also numbered nearly 200,000, its combat strength was indeed inferior to Gao Xianzhi’s Jiannan troops. In a real battle, the Jingxiang army had a 70% chance of losing.
Li Mao understood what Ge Shu Han meant, but he had no solution. Combat strength couldn’t be improved overnight. The key now was to figure out how to deal with the current crisis. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “I know the situation is tense. Does General Ge Shu have any strategies?”
“Yes!” Ge Shu Han nodded.

Li Mao’s spirits were greatly lifted. He hurriedly said, “General Geshu, what clever strategy do you have? Speak quickly!”
Geshu Han hesitated for a moment. Although it was difficult for him to bring it up, the situation was critical, so he gritted his teeth and said, “Your Highness, to deal with this crisis, there is only one way—publicly pledge loyalty to the Emperor of Northern Tang!”
“What? How can that be possible?”
Li Mao was both shocked and angry. He would never pledge loyalty to that two-year-old nephew of his.
“Your Highness, calm down and listen to me.”
Geshu Han knew Li Mao would find it hard to accept, but there were some things he had to say. “Your Highness must also realize that the world is now divided between the North and South. There is no third option—either Northern Tang or Southern Tang. Unless you intend to proclaim yourself emperor, you will eventually have to face reality: either submit to Southern Tang or bow to Northern Tang. I doubt you would surrender to Li Hen!”
At these words, Geshu Han’s pupils narrowed to slits as he stared at Li Mao. He had already suspected that Li Mao might surrender to Li Hen. If that were the case, Li Hen would surely demand his head as a condition for accepting surrender. Could Li Mao kill him and then surrender to Li Hen? The answer was definitely yes. Li Longji’s sons were all like him—unscrupulous in achieving their goals.
So Geshu Han proposed this plan not only to address the immediate crisis but also to test Li Mao. Suddenly, Li Mao understood Geshu Han’s concerns. He forced a laugh and said, “Where is General Geshu thinking? How could I surrender to Li Hen? If I had done so, I would have recognized him long ago. Would I have waited until now? You’re overthinking it! Truly overthinking it!”
Geshu Han heard that Li Mao’s words lacked sincerity and sighed. “Your Highness, acknowledging Northern Tang doesn’t necessarily mean true allegiance. The key is to gain the support of Li Qing’an’s army. If Li Qing’an is willing to help us, this crisis will be resolved easily. But to get his help, we must submit to Northern Tang—that’s crucial.”
Li Mao pondered for a moment and said, “But I’m worried that Li Qing’an might take this opportunity to swallow us up.”
“No! That won’t happen!”
Geshu Han denied it firmly. “I’ve known Li Qing’an for many years and understand him well. He never does anything without being sure of success. He already has insufficient troops. If he tried to annex us, it would further weaken his forces, putting him in a difficult position fighting against both Li Hen and An Lushan. It would be a loss for him. He definitely won’t annex us. Besides, he doesn’t have more than 50,000 troops, so it’s impossible for him to do so. Please be assured, Your Highness. I’m willing to guarantee it with my life.”

Li Mao walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. He began to seriously consider Guo Shu Han’s suggestion. In truth, Li Mao didn’t want to surrender to anyone; he only wanted to maintain the status quo. Ideally, he could navigate between the northern and southern courts, exploiting their conflicts to gain the greatest benefits. After pondering for a while, he said to Guo Shu Han, “I can pledge allegiance to the Northern Tang, but I don’t want to do it publicly. I can express my stance privately, but I’d prefer to have secret contact with Li Qing’an and agree to certain conditions in exchange for his troops. General Guo Shu Han, what do you think of this plan?” Guo Shu Han knew Li Mao had no real sincerity, so he had no choice but to say, “Alright! I’ll send someone trusted to meet with Li Qing’an and see if he’ll do me this favor.” “Then it’s all up to General Guo Shu Han.” …… In Heyin County, Zhengzhou, where Li Qing’an’s main camp was located, three cavalrymen rushed in from the south that morning. After a long journey, they looked exhausted. As soon as they reached a mile outside Li Qing’an’s camp, a group of patrol cavalry blocked their path. “Who are you? Why do you dare to enter the camp without permission?” One of the leading cavalrymen quickly bowed and said, “We come from Xiangyang, sent by General Guo Shu Han, to deliver a personal letter to Prince Zhao.” “Where is the letter?” The cavalryman took out the letter and said, “It’s right here!” The patrol officer waved his hand and ordered, “Search them thoroughly. Nothing other than the letter is allowed to be brought in!” Dozens of soldiers stepped forward and searched the three cavalrymen carefully, putting their weapons and personal items into temporary bags. Only then did the officer lead them toward the camp. At that time, Li Qing’an had just returned from Luoyang. He had gone there specifically to hear Pei Yi’s report on the progress of the land restriction policy. Under Pei Yi’s leadership, the land restriction measures in the Central Plains had already been fully implemented—essentially confiscating the land of the powerful in the Southern Tang and redistributing it, repeating what Li Yu had done in Guanzhong. Li Qing’an attached great importance to this matter, which was also the main reason he insisted on confronting An Lushan’s army. He needed time to push forward land reforms in the Central Plains and win the support of the local people. Otherwise, if war broke out there, not only would the region be devastated by war, but his land restriction policies would also be impossible to carry out. The land redistribution system was the foundation of the Tang Dynasty’s prosperity in its early years. If he wanted to revive the Tang Dynasty, he had to tackle the issue of land, restoring the early Tang system to some extent, and then vigorously developing trade to guide the flow of capital in the Tang Dynasty, rather than focusing on land annexation.

But this is just the long-term view. What Li Qingan faced first was the unification of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, he was in his command tent, listening to the report from Wei Qingping, who had just returned from Bashu.

Wei Qingping felt extremely ashamed. He had failed to complete his mission. Yang Guozhong and Li Wan’s efforts ultimately ended in failure; the Yang family was nearly wiped out, and Li Wan was executed.

“I repeatedly advised Yang Guozhong not to go through a third party and instead directly launch an attack on Nanming Palace. He agreed to that, but I never expected them to turn to Yu Chaoen instead. In the end, they were betrayed by Yu Chaoen. This is my failure. Please punish me, General!”

Li Qingan shook his head and said, “I am also aware of this. It is the will of heaven. It was destined that Li Longji would die at Yu Chaoen’s hands, and that Yang Guozhong would accompany him in death. It has nothing to do with you. You have done your best, and the fact that you were able to escape this disaster is already a great fortune.”

Wei Qingping sighed and said, “Alas! I failed to accomplish the task for the General. I still feel extremely ashamed. Please impose some punishment on me to uphold military discipline!”

Li Qingan thought for a moment and said, “How about this? You go to Luoyang on my behalf to oversee the land-restriction measures there. But you must operate in secret, gathering the opinions and reports of the people from the fields and reporting to me at any time!”

“I understand. I will go to Luoyang right away to handle this matter!”

Just then, a bodyguard outside the tent reported, “Reporting to the General! The sentries intercepted three people who claim to be trusted aides sent by Geshu Han to deliver a letter to the General, along with a personal letter from Geshu Han.”

“Geshu Han?”

Li Qingan was slightly surprised. Then, after a moment’s thought, he suddenly understood. He had received a secret report from Xiangyang the day before—this must be related to that matter.

He smiled and said, “Bring them in!”

At that moment, seeing Wei Qingping about to leave, he called him back with a smile, “Sir, please stay for a while. This matter is likely related to Chengdu as well. Could you help me consider it?”

……