Chapter 604: The Death of Prime Minister Pei (Part 1)

Chang’an, like Luoyang, was also covered in heavy snow. The snow had fallen for three days and was gradually stopping. The world was a vast expanse of white; the distant city of Chang’an resembled a large white cloak stretching into the distant gray twilight. The willow trees turned into plump silver strips, with many branches broken under the weight of the snow and lying pitifully in the snow. Some low-lying areas were also filled in by the snow, turning into flat white expanses.

This was the Baqiao Military Camp. Li Qing’an’s troops arrived at the camp half an hour earlier. By then, it was already dark. Most of the exhausted soldiers had gone to bed early, but the command tent was still brightly lit. Hundreds of soldiers stood guard outside the tent, maintaining strict vigilance.

Inside the tent, Nan Jiyun, the general of the Qianniu Guard, and Hu Peiyun, the head of the Internal Guard Intelligence Department, had just arrived from Chang’an. Yan Zhuang was also there. The three of them were reporting to Li Qing’an about the assassination that had taken place in Chang’an.

“The assassination happened on Chunming Street, in the middle of the night. From our investigation, Prime Minister Pei reviewed documents late into the night every day those days. Clearly, the assassin knew this routine. Based on the scene investigation, the assassin was hiding in a large tree and had set up a trap on the road. When Prime Minister Pei’s carriage passed by the tree, the right wheel suddenly sank into a pit. His attendants got out to lift the carriage, and Prime Minister Pei opened the window to look outside. The assassin took this opportunity to shoot him with a poisoned arrow.”

Nan Jiyun had rushed to the scene immediately and knew everything that had happened. He sighed and continued, “The scene was in chaos. Most of Pei Zunqing’s attendants hadn’t received any training; they were just his servants. As for those two assassins…”

“Wait!” Li Qing’an interrupted him. “You mean there were two assassins?”

“I only found out later that there were two assassins. They wore masks and fled in different directions. They were extremely fierce, killing five or six people in a row. Pei Zunqing’s attendants couldn’t stop them at all. Happily, a patrol team of mine passed by, heard the cries, and caught one of them. Realizing he had no way out, that person committed suicide.”

“What about the other assassin?”

“The other assassin carried a climbing rope. He climbed over a high wall and jumped into Pingkang Fang, disappearing without a trace. Later, I sent five thousand soldiers to seal off Pingkang Fang and search house by house, but we couldn’t find the assassin. I am incompetent and plead for punishment from the general!”

Li Qing’an shook his head. “It was the middle of the night, and the suspect wore a mask—we didn’t even know if it was a man or a woman. How could you have found them? It could have been any singing girl from Pingkang Fang. This isn’t your fault. I don’t blame you.”

“Thank you, General!”
Li Qing’an turned to Hu Peiyun and asked, “What progress has been made with the Imperial Guards?”
Hu Peiyun quickly stood up and replied, “Reporting to the General, we are still investigating.”
“Any results?”
“We’ve found quite a few clues, but I believe none of them are very promising.”
“Tell me, what clues have you found?”
Hu Peiyun took out a small notebook, flipped through a couple of pages, and said, “We started with the murderer who committed suicide. We’ve identified his identity—he’s named Qi Ping, a scout from the former Longyou Army. He’s from Chang’an. His parents died when he was young. Half a year ago, he fled from Jingzhou back to Chang’an and took a job at a security firm run by his uncle. We distributed his portrait, and it was his uncle who recognized him. I also thoroughly investigated the background of the security firm, and we can basically rule out suspicion.”
“Why?”
“General, Qi Ping was only listed on paper as working at the firm. In reality, he never did any work for them. He always acted alone, kept a low profile, and no one knew what he was doing. We also checked his belongings—he had burned everything the day before and buried it under the bed. No clues were found in his room, but…”
“But what?”
“But we found clues regarding the poisoned crossbow he used. There’s a serial number on the crossbow mechanism, which hasn’t been completely worn off. We asked someone from the Armory Bureau to identify it, and they found the serial number. We also checked the Armory Bureau’s records—it turns out this crossbow mechanism was supplied to the Fanyang Army four years ago.”
“An Lushan?”
“Yes! It was indeed taken by An Lushan’s army. But this type of crossbow is quite small, with a range of only sixty steps. It’s different from ordinary military crossbows, which are usually used by scouts.”
Li Qing’an walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned back and asked, “Are you saying that An Lushan is behind the assassination of Prime Minister Pei?”
Hu Peiyun shook his head. “I don’t think so. If it were really An Lushan’s doing, the serial number on the crossbow mechanism should belong to the Jiannan Army. I believe this is clearly a frame-up.”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “What if the false is made to seem real, and the real is made to seem false? It’s possible that An Lushan deliberately let others think it’s a frame-up, right?”

Hu Peiyun shook his head again. “To report to the General, I am confident that all of An Lushan’s spies in Chang’an and even in Guanzhong have been eliminated. A major act like assassinating Prime Minister Pei requires planning, forethought, observation, and hiring assassins—something that cannot be accomplished by just one or two people. It certainly cannot be An Lushan’s doing. Additionally, I examined the assassin’s body and found that the wine he drank for dinner was top-quality Sanle wine. There are only a few places in Chang’an that sell this kind of wine. I am investigating this clue and have already made some progress; I am conducting a detailed investigation now. If there is any update, I will report it to the General immediately.”

Li Qing’an was fairly satisfied with Hu Peiyun’s investigation—decisive in ruling out possibilities when necessary and thorough in investigating when required. Truly worthy of being the head of the Intelligence Department. He smiled and changed the subject, asking, “What about Qi Yuhua and the others after Xiangzhou fell?”

This was also something Li Qing’an was extremely concerned about. With Xiangzhou fallen, An Lushan’s troops would surely storm the city and commit massacres. The loss of communication from the Hebei Intelligence Department worried him greatly.

Hu Peiyun quickly replied, “This is also something I need to report to the General. Qi Yuhua and the others managed to escape with the army and are now in Bozhou. Without messenger pigeons, they are unable to send messages. It was the Xiangzhou branch that suggested De Bao flee to Heyin, and they just sent a message.”

Li Qing’an felt relieved and said to Nan Jiyun and Hu Peiyun, “You may go back now! In the future, strengthen the protection of officials above the third rank. At least train their bodyguards strictly. I don’t want to hear any more news of high-ranking officials being assassinated.”

“Yes! I will obey the order.”

Nan Jiyun and Hu Peiyun left, leaving only Li Qing’an and Yan Zhuang in the tent. Yan Zhuang had remained silent. Li Qing’an then asked him with a smile, “What’s your opinion? Who killed Pei Zunqing?”

Yan Zhuang stroked his beard calmly and replied, “I think Pei Zunqing wasn’t killed by an outsider. It must have been done by a court official.”

“You mean a factional struggle?”

Yan Zhuang nodded and smiled. “That’s likely. The imperial court’s forces have now split into three factions. One is Pei’s faction—Pei Zunqing, Lu Huan, and Wang Jin. Another is Wei’s faction—Wei Tao, Cui Ping, and Zhang Yun. There’s also the new faction, the newly established Secretariat, led by Pei Min. The new faction isn’t too bad, though they sometimes clash with the Political Affairs Department over policy differences. Pei Min and Pei Zunqing had several fierce arguments. It’s said they’re now at odds, with very strained relations. But Pei Min has always hated such political assassinations. I suspect it was Wei’s faction that did it.”

At that moment, Li Qing’an suddenly remembered the attempt on his life at the posthouse in Yangzhou years ago, which had been carried out by Wei Tao. Although he had been forced by his son-in-law, the Prince of Di, Wei Tao still had a history of such acts. He smiled and said, “Pei Zunqing is a domineering man who will stop at nothing to maintain his family’s power. He also wants to seize absolute control like Li Linfu, which has angered many people. Moreover, as the Right Chancellor, killing him could lead to chaos in the court. This would benefit both An Lushan and Li Heng. So, it’s possible for him to be killed by anyone. Let’s not draw conclusions too soon. The top priority now is to stabilize the court situation and elect a new Right Chancellor as soon as possible.”

Yan Zhuang nodded silently. After a pause, he asked, “General, how are the battles in Hebei?”

“I received news while passing through Tongguan that Guo Ziyi has withdrawn to Hedong. Although An Lushan has captured Xiangzhou, his forage was burned by my scouts. He’ll have a hard time this winter. The battles in Hebei should calm down for a while. This is a good opportunity for me to take some action in Chang’an.”

The two discussed some matters related to military logistics, after which Yan Zhuang took his leave. Li Qing’an remained alone in the tent for a while before ordering his guards, “Go and find Zhang Zhijie for me.”

…

Zhang Zhijie was the son of Zhang Yun and was currently serving in the Anxi Army as a civilian officer. He was in another camp near Baqiao. Soon, he rushed into the tent with the guards.

“Clerk Zhang Zhijie pays his respects to the General!”

As a civilian officer in the army, Zhang Zhijie didn’t need to perform a military salute by kneeling; a simple bow was sufficient. Li Qing’an waved his hand and said, “Sit!”

Although Zhang Zhijie was the son of Zhang Yun, he had strict family education and never used his father’s influence to bully others. He was low-key, disciplined himself strictly, and had excellent character. After half a year in the army, his colleagues still didn’t know he was Zhang Yun’s son.

Knowing the army’s rules, Zhang Zhijie didn’t sit but stood with his hands hanging down, waiting for Li Qing’an to speak. Li Qing’an nodded, thinking the young man was teachable, and said with a smile, “How do you feel about life in the army? The rules in the Anxi Army are strict. Can you adapt?”

“Reporting to the General, I do my duty properly. Although the rules are strict, if others can abide by them, I can too.”

Li Qing’an nodded. He casually flipped through Zhang Zhijie’s evaluation on the table and was slightly surprised. After just half a year in the army, he had already received three positive evaluations. With one more, he would get an excellent evaluation by next April. Three consecutive excellent evaluations would allow him to be promoted. Not bad!

“Hmm!”

Li Qing’an closed the evaluation sheet and smiled. “My Tiger Guard is in need of a clerk who knows how to write official documents. I’ll transfer you here!”

Zhang Zhijie was overjoyed. The scribe in the Huibin Army was mainly responsible for drafting military orders for Li Qing’an, similar to the position of a secretary in the Central Secretariat. Though not a high-ranking position, it was crucial and offered great opportunities for promotion. Li Qing’an was essentially reapplying him to an important role. He quickly bowed and said, “I thank the General for this promotion!”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “There’s one more thing. Go to the city and deliver a message to your father on my behalf.”
……
Pei Zunqing’s sudden assassination plunged the court in chaos. Although the real culprit remained elusive, many officials pointed the finger at the Wei faction and the New Party, sparking public outrage.
Political assassinations had always been strictly forbidden in the court, as they affected everyone’s interests. Thus, it gradually became an unspoken rule in officialdom: no matter how intense the political struggles, assassinations were not allowed. If exposed, it would lead to widespread condemnation among officials, ruining their reputations and political careers.
The previous assassination of Li Yan had caused a huge uproar. Both his allies and opponents condemned such vile acts, putting great pressure on Li Heng. Fortunately, the truth was revealed by survivors—An Lushan was behind it—allowing Li Heng to escape disaster, though An Lushan’s reputation was completely ruined.
This time, Pei Zunqing’s assassination also provoked widespread anger. Although Pei Zunqing was often harsh and had seized power by exploiting his status as Pei Wan’er’s grandfather, offending many people, and most officials disliked him, his assassination still led to widespread condemnation—not for him, but to punish this act that violated official rules.
All suspects became targets of criticism: the Wei faction, the New Party, Li Heng, An Lushan, and even the Cui family. Even within various political factions, there was dissatisfaction. As a result, the Wei faction held an emergency meeting, where everyone denied killing Pei Zunqing. Even Wei Tao, Zhang Yun, and Wang Jin began to suspect each other.
Zhang Yun, one of the three leaders of the Wei faction, also faced immense pressure. He had publicly criticized Pei Zunqing, saying, “As long as Qingfu lives, the disasters of Lu will continue.” Everyone knew he meant Pei Zunqing, not Li Qing’an.
These days, Zhang Yun was in a terrible mood and had no interest in fishing. He spent his days locked in his room reading, ignoring court affairs and letting the Secretariat handle everything. Every man loves power. Having been an official for decades, Zhang Yun was a seasoned bureaucrat. Despite experiencing many ups and downs, his desire for power remained unshaken.

At this point, Zhang Yun also gradually realized that the Council of State had been rendered ineffective by the Privy Council. Although the Privy Council was the executive body, its regulations stated that whenever the Council of State failed to make a decision, the Privy Council could handle matters on its own. In other words, the Privy Council could manage state affairs without going through the Council of State’s resolutions—wasn’t that a form of decentralization? Clearly, Li Qing’an was setting up his own system, which left Zhang Yun extremely frustrated. He would rather give up his position as Prime Minister and be demoted to the Privy Council, even if it meant a dimmer future, but Li Qing’an had no such intention at all, leaving Zhang Yun feeling that his prospects were bleak. Zhang Yun was reading in his study, feeling agitated and unable to focus on a single word. When men are troubled in their careers, they often think of finding a woman. Just as Zhang Yun was about to get up to find his favorite concubine, a report came from the butler at the door: “Master, the second son has returned. He has urgent matters to discuss with you.” The second son was Zhang Zhijie, who served as a clerk in the Anxi Army. Zhang Yun was startled. He glanced at the hourglass—it was almost midnight. What could he possibly want at such a late hour? …