Chapter 606: The Struggle Between Wei and Zhang

Early the next morning, officials began arriving one after another at the Political Affairs Hall in the Central Secretariat. This was because Left Prime Minister Zhang Yun and Deputy Secretary of the Central Secretariat Pei Min had issued a joint invitation, asking all members of the Political Affairs Hall, all members of the Secretariat Council, and officials of rank three or higher to gather there to discuss important matters.
Zhang Yun invited them one by one, and the officials arrived one after another. By then, seven or eight officials were already in the meeting hall.
Zhang Yun was determined to succeed today. Last night, he had sought Pei Min’s support, who agreed, and then approached Cui Ping—both of them understood each other perfectly.
Time was extremely tight, leaving Zhang Yun feeling overwhelmed. If it had been one day later, he would have had more time to gain support. But he also knew that while he was making efforts, Wei Tao was doing the same—so whether it was one day earlier or later didn’t really matter. The key was to identify the key figures.
Early in the morning, Zhang Yun blocked Minister of Works Zhang Gao on the street. He tried to gauge his reaction by suggesting an alliance, but Zhang Gao refused outright.
“The ministers of the Tang Dynasty should unite wholeheartedly to face national crises. If everyone is preoccupied with seeking power, it will not benefit the court! I urge the Prime Minister to reconsider.”
Although Zhang Gao rejected Zhang Yun’s offer of alliance, he agreed to end the dispute over Pei Zunqing’s assassination as soon as possible and supported Zhang Yun in holding a meeting to restore order in the court. This was exactly what Zhang Yun wanted—his goal wasn’t to form an alliance with Zhang Gao, as there was no basis for one. All he wanted was Zhang Gao’s support to take control of today’s meeting in the Political Affairs Hall.
Zhang Gao was already in place, whispering something with Cui Ning, the Deputy Minister of Justice, beside him.
Zhang Yun’s gaze shifted back to the entrance. His eyes lit up when he saw Liu Yan, the Deputy Minister of Revenue and Financial Administrator, enter the hall through the side door. Liu Yan was a member of the Secretariat Council and known as the “God of Wealth,” in charge of the Tang Dynasty’s financial affairs. He belonged to the Anxi faction and was one of Li Qingan’s closest confidants. No one doubted that Liu Yan would become prime minister sooner or later. Though he held great power and had strong backing, he remained low-key, never overstepping his duties or offending others, and was very popular in the court.
As soon as Liu Yan entered, Zhang Yun went up to him. “Deputy Minister Liu, I’m ashamed to have asked you to come despite your busy schedule. Please forgive me!”
After leaving Pei Min’s residence last night, Zhang Yun had gone to Liu Yan’s residence, but it was too late—Liu Yan was unwell and already asleep, so he couldn’t meet with him.

Liu Yan was someone Zhang Jun must win over, or rather, he needed Liu Yan’s support. Liu Yan was a key figure in the Anxi faction and one of Li Qing’an’s most trusted confidants. If he could get Liu Yan’s support, it would imply that Li Qing’an was backing Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun couldn’t openly tell everyone that Li Qing’an had asked his son to deliver a secret message to him. He couldn’t mention that Li Qing’an had tasked him with handling government affairs, but he still needed others to know that Li Qing’an supported him. Thus, Liu Yan’s support for him was a subtle way of conveying that message to everyone.

Liu Yan had a slight cold and felt dizzy. He hadn’t wanted to come, but Zhang Jun had visited him last night, and he hadn’t met with him. Now Zhang Jun had sent another invitation; failing to show up would be disrespectful, so he had to come despite being ill.

He pointed to his forehead and replied with a wry smile, “I was unwell last night, with a severe headache. I went to bed early, causing the Prime Minister to make a wasted trip. It was truly impolite of me.”

“Oh! It’s my fault. I pulled you here while you were sick. How are you holding up? If you can’t, go back. I have a good doctor at my residence who can take a look at you.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister Zhang. I’m fine and can hold on. I’ll go back after the meeting. What matters are we discussing today?”

Zhang Jun glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, pulled Liu Yan to a side room and whispered, “Prince Zhao has returned. Does Minister Liu know?”

Liu Yan was stunned. He didn’t know. “When did Prince Zhao return?”

“He arrived last night and is now stationed at Baqiao. He asked my son to bring me a message.”

“Oh?” Liu Yan was skeptical. How could Li Qing’an have reached out to Zhang Jun? He asked, “Has His Highness returned because of Minister Pei’s matter?”

“That’s right!”

Zhang Jun sighed. “Prince Zhao is very worried that the instability in the court will affect the battles on the front lines. He asked me to calm the situation as soon as possible. That’s why I’ve called everyone here today.”

“I see!”

Liu Yan nodded. He understood why Zhang Jun had brought him here—he wanted his support. But since Li Qing’an had approached him, it was only right for him to offer his support.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Yan asked, “I wonder what plans Prime Minister Zhang has for Minister Pei’s matter.”

Zhang Jun smiled slightly. “Prince Zhao wants to maintain stability in the court. In other words, the murderer can’t be from within the court. Do you understand what I mean, Minister Liu?”

“Is Prime Minister Zhang referring to the south or the north?”

“The south!”

“I understand. I will definitely support Prime Minister Zhang.”

Liu Yan bowed and then turned to leave.

Zhang Yun stepped out of the lounge with a smile. He glanced around the conference hall—sixty percent of the officials had arrived, but a few key figures were still missing: Wei Tao, Wang Jin, and Lu Huan were all absent.
“Prime Minister Zhang!”
An official rushed over and asked, “Prime Minister Zhang, shall we start now?”
“Wait a bit longer!”
Zhang Yun glanced over and saw Yan Zhenqing sitting quietly in the corner. He slowly walked over and said solemnly, “Lord Yan, I am aware of what happened to Governor Yan. Please bear with your grief.”
Yan Zhenqing had only learned this morning that his cousin Yan Gaoqing had been killed. He was deeply saddened. The two brothers had served together in Hebei and shared a close bond. Yan Gaoqing was kind and respected by the people, and his murder was a heavy blow to the Yan family.
Zhang Yun’s concern moved Yan Zhenqing, who quickly stood up and said, “Thank you for your concern, Prime Minister. I’m fine.”
Yan Zhenqing was the Deputy Minister of Personnel and a highly influential official. He was one of the five ministers in the Secretariat and was highly regarded by Li Qing’an. According to Zhang Yun’s strategy of winning over some while pitting others against each other, Yan Zhenqing was undoubtedly someone he wanted to win over.
After a moment of thought, Zhang Yun said, “Prince Zhao has suggested posthumously honoring General Cheng Qianli. But I believe Governor Yan, with his loyalty and unyielding integrity, along with officials like Yuan Fuqian, Jia Shen, and Jiang Xiaotong—these heroes from Hebei who died defending the Tang Dynasty and protecting its people—deserve similar recognition. I’ve already drafted an order for such honors. Once approved by the government, it will be issued nationwide to let everyone know of Governor Yan’s deeds and ensure these heroes rest in peace.”
Yan Zhenqing nodded silently. “Thank you, Prime Minister Zhang, for your thoughtfulness.”
Zhang Yun smiled slightly, patted his shoulder, and walked toward the front. Wei Tao and Wang Jin had already arrived, with Lu Huan following behind—clearly they had just met.
Zhang Yun sneered. It seemed Wei Tao truly intended to compete with him for control.
…
Just as Zhang Yun was actively winning over key officials, Wei Tao had also been seeking support from court officials since last night. His views were the opposite of Zhang Yun’s. He insisted on thoroughly investigating the assassination of Pei Zunqing, uncovering the truth, punishing thethe murderer, and giving Pei Zunqing justice. At the same time, he wanted to prevent future political terrorist acts.
His stance was clear: if this case was left unresolved, political assassinations would surely happen again, eventually becoming widespread.
Not only did Wei Tao hold opposing views to Zhang Yun’s, but his approach was also completely different. Zhang Yun focused on the upper echelons, securing support from almost all members of the Secretariat, while Wei Tao targeted lower-ranking officials to gain their support.

It can be said that Wei Tao’s views have considerable appeal, especially among lower and middle-ranking officials, who all hope to uncover the truth behind the assassination. They consider it from the perspective of upholding justice and do not focus on overall stability, as that is not within their scope of concern. Thus, most of Wei Tao’s support comes from lower and middle-ranking officials below the fifth rank. He has been busy since last night and has just completed a petition signed by 200 such officials. A thick stack of signatures lies before him. Moreover, Wei Tao received an unexpected boost: early in the morning, Lu Huan, a member of the Political Council, a key figure in the Pei faction, and vice minister, approached him on his own initiative to support his call for uncovering the truth of the assassination. Lu Huan and Pei Zunqing were childhood friends, and he was one of the few ministers who respected Pei Zunqing. After Pei Zunqing’s assassination, Lu Huan submitted three petitions to the Political Council, urging the Ministry of Punishments, the Supreme Court, and the Censorate to form a joint investigation team to thoroughly investigate the case. However, the joint investigation team he envisioned was never established, as all evidence and witnesses were seized by Li Qingan’s personal guards, leaving them unable to conduct any investigation. Despite this, Lu Huan refused to give up. Coincidentally, Wei Tao raised the banner of investigating the truth to the fullest, aligning with his goals. Disgusted by Zhang Jun’s attempt to let the matter go unresolved, he naturally joined forces with Wei Tao. Lu Huan’s support came as both a surprise and a delight to Wei Tao. With only six members left in the Political Council, plus Wang Jin, Wei Tao now had three people on his side, tying the score with Zhang Jun. Coupled with the support of lower and middle-ranking officials, Wei Tao felt confident and entered the meeting hall with his head held high. Thus, a power struggle orchestrated around the Pei Zunqing assassination quietly began in a tense and uneasy atmosphere. “Dang!” The bell in the upper right corner rang clearly, silencing the room. The meeting was presided over by Pei Min, the vice minister of the Secretariat. With the death of Pei Zunqing, the head of the Secretariat, Pei Min temporarily took charge of its daily affairs. He would also preside over this emergency meeting of the Political Council. Seeing the room quiet, he stood up and said, “Apart from Minister of Rites Zhang Jieran, who is on sick leave, and Minister of the Imperial Guards Wang Chengye, who is in Hedong and unable to attend, all officials above the third rank have arrived. Today, at the request of the Left Prime Minister, we are holding this informal meeting…” He stopped mid-sentence as a guard at the door signaled to him. Soon, a loud announcement came: “The Empress Dowager has arrived!” All the officials in the Political Council’s meeting hall stood up, their faces filled with surprise. The Empress Dowager never attended Political Council meetings—why was she here today?

Even the faces of the two main characters, Zhang Yun and Wei Tao, showed a hint of unease. The arrival of the Empress Dowager was bound to bring changes to today’s meeting, and neither of them knew what her attitude would be. A group of guards entered, and Empress Dowager Shen Zhenzhu of the Tang Empire walked into the meeting hall, surrounded by a dozen maids and eunuchs. “We bow before the Empress Dowager and wish her a long life!” Shen Zhenzhu looked radiant, as if the land had just been moistened by spring rain, full of vitality. She waved her hand gently and smiled, saying, “Everyone, rise. I am merely here to observe. Minister Pei, please continue.” Pei Min had met Empress Dowager Shen just the day before; at that time, she had looked pale and sickly. How could she suddenly become so lively today, as if she were a different person? His wife had even said the Empress Dowager was pitiable, but looking at her now, there was not a trace of pity in her. Pei Min quickly bowed and said, “Please, Empress Dowager, come and take a seat at the front!” “I’ll sit at the back,” she replied. A few eunuchs quickly placed a soft chair against the wall, and Shen Zhenzhu sat down. She didn’t like sitting opposite the ministers, under everyone’s gaze. It was somewhat against protocol for the Empress Dowager to sit at the back, but Pei Min had no choice. He rang the bell again and said, “Everyone, please take your seats.” The people slowly sat down. Shen Zhenzhu seemed distracted; her face suddenly turned red. She was lost in thought, biting her lip lightly… The meeting continued. Pei Min went on, “As we all know, Prime Minister Pei was assassinated five days ago, sparking outrage among all officials. Five days have passed, yet the case remains unsolved, with no clue as to how to proceed. It has severely disrupted the normal functioning of government affairs, causing panic and suspicion among people. Unprocessed documents pile up like mountains. More importantly, it has affected the frontline soldiers’ battles against An Lushan. Supplies that should have been sent three days ago are still in the warehouses, and the sheep and wine meant to reward the soldiers the day before yesterday have not been delivered either. Therefore, given the current situation, the Left Prime Minister proposed this emergency meeting in hopes of addressing the impact of Prime Minister Pei’s assassination on the court as soon as possible.”

The more Pei Min spoke, the more dissatisfied Wei Tao became. Pei Min was merely a meeting host; his duty was simply to convene meetings and arrange speeches. Anything related to the substantive content of the meetings had nothing to do with him. Yet now, he was talking too much and already steering the officials present toward Zhang Yun. If Pei Min had just been a vice minister, it might have been fine, but he was a former right chancellor who, despite being removed from office less than a year ago, still enjoyed prestige among the officials. Pei Zunqing’s corruption made them miss and respect him even more, hoping he would return to his position as right chancellor.

Such a person with great influence would undoubtedly strengthen Zhang Yun’s position significantly. Wei Tao regretted not visiting Pei Min last night. Pei Min was a man of principles—straightforward and honest. He would never agree to Zhang Yun’s theory of stability. Besides, Pei Zunqing was still his uncle. If he could have convinced Pei Min last night, Pei Min would likely be speaking nonsense now.

Regret was useless, so instead, anger arose in Wei Tao’s heart—a sense of anger at not getting what he wanted while someone else got it.

He immediately raised his voice and said, “Vice Minister Pei, things shouldn’t be said like that.”

He emphasized the title “Vice Minister Pei” to remind him of his identity and what he was supposed to do.

Wei Tao stood up and said to everyone, “I don’t really agree with Vice Minister Pei’s view. I believe the chaos in the court isn’t caused by the assassination of Chancellor Pei, but rather by the court’s failure to take appropriate actions after the assassination—such as establishing an investigation committee. This inaction has caused panic and confusion among the officials, severely disrupting the court’s operations. Therefore, I propose that the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Censorate immediately form a joint investigation committee to thoroughly uncover the truth behind Chancellor Pei’s assassination, giving an explanation to his family, the officials, and the entire nation. Only then can order be restored to the court.”

After saying this, he quickly unfolded a large sheet of paper with signatures and declared loudly, “This represents the views of two hundred officials. This is just what I collected this morning; there are many others I haven’t spoken to. I believe most officials share this sentiment. Do you all really want such assassinations to happen again and again?”

After Wei Tao finished speaking, murmurs spread among the crowd. Lu Huan also stood up and said, “What Secretary Wei has said is exactly what I feel. I firmly support investigating this case thoroughly, punishing the murderers, and preventing such assassinations from happening again!”

Wei Tao took the initiative, instantly shifting the direction of the meeting. Perhaps it was the accusatory tone in Wei Tao’s voice that made Pei Min fall silent. If it were up to his true feelings, he would have firmly supported Wei Tao’s view of thoroughly investigating the case—he disliked handling things vaguely. But last night, when Zhang Jun approached him, she made it clear that ending the dispute and resuming government affairs was Li Qingan’s wish, and she, Zhang Jun, was merely carrying out Li Qingan’s orders.

After experiencing the pain of a setback, Pei Min gradually matured politically. Much of his innate scholarly arrogance had worn away, and he became more pragmatic. He saw through Wei Tao’s hypocrisy and impracticality.

Wei Tao’s arguments seemed convincing, but in reality, they were utterly unrealistic. He kept talking about thoroughly investigating the case and forming a grand tribunal for trial, but how could that be done? Could it really be clarified? All the witnesses and evidence were in the hands of the Imperial Guards, who were also investigating the case themselves. If they refused to cooperate, such a grand tribunal would be meaningless, and the case would never be resolved. What was even more frightening was that if this case remained unresolved, officials would live in constant anxiety—a huge impact on the functioning of the government. Wei Tao surely knew this; he just wanted to become the Right Prime Minister.

Pei Min was outraged—such hypocrisy, and even threats against him. In comparison, Zhang Jun’s efforts to stabilize the government were far more pragmatic than Wei Tao’s.

Just as he was about to speak again, Liu Yan, sitting in the next row, stood up and said in a deep voice, “Since this meeting was proposed by Prime Minister Zhang, let’s hear Prime Minister Zhang’s opinion!”

The meeting room fell silent instantly. Everyone realized that Liu Yan, the God of Wealth, was speaking up for Zhang Jun. Liu Yan was a trusted ally brought by Li Qingan from Anxi. So, did Liu Yan’s attitude imply some of Li Qingan’s intentions?

This mattered to everyone’s position and their career prospects.