Chapter 666: Rescuing Family Members

The results of the excavation in the basement were unbelievable—there wasn’t much gold or silver, nor many valuable treasures. Most of it was copper coins, which piled up into a small mountain, even exceeding the roof height. Many of them were already moldy. Li Qing’an quickly estimated that, including some of the gold and silver found, the total was at least 200,000 guan.

There were also two large boxes of land deeds, mostly for fertile lands in the Jianghuai region. Many of the deeds had turned yellow, likely remnants left by Prince Qi.

It was time to leave the court, and several prime ministers from the Political Affairs Hall rushed to Prince Qi’s mansion upon hearing the news. Each of them was stunned by the mountain of copper coins.

“I remember over 300,000 guan were found in his estate a few years ago! How can there be so much more?” Zhang Yun was extremely surprised.

Li Qing’an shook his head. “Prime Minister Zhang, you still underestimate this prince’s wealth. My soldiers said there were many large boxes in the cellar, likely filled with antiques and treasures, which have already been taken away. These copper coins were left here because they were too bulky to carry.”

He stepped forward and tapped the boxes containing the land deeds. “The same goes for these deeds. He knew they would become worthless, so he left them here too.”

At that moment, Pei Min, who had remained silent until then, asked solemnly, “Your Highness, what plans do you have for these lands and wealth?”

“I’ve called everyone here to discuss this matter. I suggest making a list of all the royal family members who fled to Southern Tang and confiscating their lands and wealth. The funds obtained should first be used to develop water infrastructure and secondly for education, thereby reducing the burden on the court.”

Li Qing’an was aware that confiscating the royal family’s wealth might not gain support from the Political Affairs Hall. Zhang Yun would definitely agree, and Wang Jin might also consent after some hesitation. But the others were more upright and wouldn’t blindly flatter him. Therefore, he needed to make concessions by using these funds for the people’s welfare, increasing the chances of gaining their support.

Especially Yan Zhenqing—if it were just about confiscating wealth, he might not agree. But if it were for water infrastructure and education, his likelihood of agreeing would be much higher. His gaze turned toward Yan Zhenqing.

Sure enough, Yan Zhenqing, who was committed to education, was the first to express support. “I support Prince Zhao’s idea. These royal family members’ wealth was taken from the people, and now it should be returned to them for use in water infrastructure and education. I fully agree.”

Immediately, Zhang Yun and Wang Jin expressed their support. Among the seven ministers in the Political Affairs Hall, Cui Ning and Guo Ziyi were on their way to the capital, so only five were present. Three of them had already agreed, meaning Li Qingan’s proposal was approved.

Pei Min understood well what Li Qingan intended to do. Although he wasn’t in favor, he knew it was pointless to oppose, so he said, “Let me suggest something! The money and other valuables unearthed can be sold, and I support the land being taken over by the government. But I suggest their permanent farmlands and private residences not be sold for now; let the government manage them temporarily, with further decisions to be made based on circumstances.”

Pei Min had thought things through carefully. He knew Li Qingan wanted to pressure the imperial family, and since it was about coercion, some leeway needed to be left. If no path back was given, the situation would only worsen.

Pei Min’s suggestion received unanimous support from the other four. Li Qingan also admitted that Pei Min had thought more thoroughly than he had, and he gladly said, “Then let’s settle it this way. Prime Minister Yan shall be fully responsible for this matter. Personnel can be assigned from various departments through consultation in the Political Affairs Hall to sort out all the members of the imperial family in Guanzhong. I’ll also send five thousand imperial guards to assist Prime Minister Yan, under his command. I expect Prime Minister Yan to complete this within half a month. Is that okay?”

Yan Zhenqing thought for a moment. Half a month was a bit tight, but with enough manpower and by working hard, it should still be possible. He nodded and said, “No problem!”

“Good!”

This was exactly what Li Qingan wanted to hear from Yan Zhenqing. “Early tomorrow morning, I’ll hand over all the documents from the Imperial Clan Registry and the Intelligence Bureau to Prime Minister Yan. If he needs more materials, he can directly obtain them from the Intelligence Bureau.”

Li Qingan usually never handed over such military powers to the prime ministers of the Political Affairs Hall, but to ensure the success of this operation, he was willing to break this precedent.

Li Qingan’s carriage left the Prince Siqi’s mansion. Hu Peiyun, the head of the Intelligence Bureau, caught up with the carriage. Earlier, Li Qingan’s personal guards had found him, saying the general wanted to speak with him.

“General, I’m here!”

At Li Qingan’s command, the carriage slowed down. Sitting by the window, he slowly said to Hu Peiyun, “How’s the situation in Chengdu?”

“Reporting to the general, the Jiannan Intelligence Bureau has deployed all its personnel to monitor every move of the officials and members of the Southern Tang imperial family. Moreover, I’ve sent sixty skilled members from Xiangyang, disguised as fleeing merchants, into Shu to strengthen the bureau’s strength. According to the latest news, they have already settled in.”

“Mm!” Li Qing’an nodded, satisfied with Hu Peiyun’s report. He added, “I still say the same thing—safety comes first. We must learn from the lessons of Hebei’s Intelligence Hall.”
“I understand! I’ve already sent a message to Master Zhuo, emphasizing the importance of safety.”
“I know. Keep reporting to me at all times, especially regarding the conflict between Li Heng and the crown prince. We need to stir things up further and make their struggle more intense—use any means necessary.”
“Yes! I’ll remember that.”
Li Qing’an thought for a moment and realized there was one more matter on his mind. He instructed, “Also, speed up the rescue of Xi Yuanqing and Zhao Chongjin’s families. This time, Xi Yuanqing is the vanguard—we can’t afford any more delays.”
“I’ve already received word that the rescue preparations are going smoothly. It can be carried out in the next couple of days.”
Li Qing’an gave a few more instructions before leaving the Siqi Prince’s Mansion. Hu Peiyun hurried back to the Intelligence Hall, as he now needed to focus fully on developments in Chengdu.
……
Tianwang Temple was an unremarkable temple in Chengdu, located outside the northern city. It had always had little worshipers, and in the past two years, with large military camps set up nearby, even fewer people dared to visit to offer prayers. This made the dilapidated temple even more deserted; the young monks had all left, leaving only a few elderly monks who relied on growing vegetables to make a living.
But a few months ago, Tianwang Temple suddenly became lively again. After Xi Yuanqing and Zhao Chongjin led their troops northward, their families in Chengdu couldn’t escape and were all captured, held hostage in Tianwang Temple. The reason they were kept there was that there was a military camp just under fifty steps away, housing tens of thousands of soldiers. Anyone who tried to rescue them would immediately attract the army’s siege.
Xi and Zhao’s families totaled over a hundred people, each held in separate courtyards of the temple. Since Xi Yuanqing and Zhao Chongjin still held some influence within the Jiannan army, the officials in charge didn’t dare mistreat them too much. They simply confined the two families in the courtyards, reinforced the walls, and stationed guards at the entrances. Food and vegetables were delivered daily, and there were wells in both courtyards, allowing them to cook and live on their own.

Nearly four months passed in the blink of an eye. The monotonous days wore the guards down. Previously, they had to count the prisoners four times a day—morning, noon, evening, and night. But after receiving bribes from the two families involved and facing their constant protests, they stopped counting at night and in the middle of the night, reducing it to twice a day. Even during the counts at night, it was just a formality—calling a name and checking if there was a response was enough. There were sixteen guards in total, with six guarding each courtyard, rotating in three shifts. Another six were responsible for patrolling the surroundings and contacting the military camp in case of emergencies.

The area around the Tianwang Temple was not empty. To the west lay the massive military camp, to the south were several acres of vegetable fields, and further ahead was a village with over a hundred households. Another mile ahead was the city walls, which could be clearly seen from the temple entrance, showcasing Chengdu’s magnificent fortifications.

To the north of the temple was a narrow, east-west stretching hill. It was very low and covered in dense forests, stretching for over ten miles. The temple was located at the end of the hill, where the trees were especially lush. The forest was only a few dozen steps away from the temple, so the guards focused their patrols on this area.

To the west of the temple flowed a small river, called Baishui by the locals. The river eventually flowed into the Minjiang River. Since it passed through densely populated areas, boats traveled back and forth, making it an important transportation route in the region.

That night, the sky was overcast, with the moonlight and starlight obscured by thick clouds, rendering the night extremely dark. As usual, the families of the two families went to bed early. Four guards sat outside the courtyard, yawning in boredom. The courtyard door was tightly locked, with a fist-sized copper lock hanging on the iron bars—only the guard leader had the key.

“Damn it, when will these days ever end?” one guard muttered. His gaze kept drifting toward the back courtyard, where he could faintly hear noise and shouting. Someone else was gathered there gambling, and the noise made him restless.

“Erwa, keep watch here for now. I’m going to the bathroom.” The guard got up and headed toward the back courtyard, but another guard named Erwa grabbed him. “Agreed—just two rounds, then it’s my turn!” The guard laughed, broke free, and ran to the back courtyard. Seeing this, a guard from the west courtyard also got up and followed him, leaving only two guards behind.

“Let’s take a nap!”

One person yawned, lay down in the corner, and fell into a drowsy sleep. The other also began to doze off with half-closed eyes. Suddenly, a “whoosh!” sound came from inside the room, startling him awake. He heard some noise and stood by the iron door for a while, thinking he heard a child crying. He raised his voice and asked, “What happened?”
“Nothing! The child knocked over the potty; we just need to clean it up,” replied a woman.
“Damn, such a fuss!”
The guard yawned and crawled back into the blankets in the corner, falling into a deep sleep.
At that moment, a dozen dark figures appeared in the woods behind the temple. Unbeknownst to them, a row of small boats had appeared in the nearby river—over twenty of them. The dark figures rushed from the boats into the woods.
These were members of the Jiannan Intelligence Agency, sent to rescue Xi and the Zhao family members. In fact, they had started their operation two months earlier. Since there were many elders and children among the family members, climbing over the wall could easily alert the guards and the military camp. If their escape was discovered, things would become serious. By now, both families had almost been forgotten by Li Heng. If Li Heng remembered them and suspected them of attempting to escape, they would likely all be executed.
So the Intelligence Agency considered many plans before deciding on the safest method: digging a tunnel to rescue them secretly.
They recruited a dozen skilled tomb robbers and offered them generous rewards. After nearly two months, they finally dug a tunnel about fifty zhang long, running from the edge of the forest near the river to the rooms in the east and west courtyards. Considering the difficulty for the elders, the tunnel was fairly wide—five feet high and three feet wide—enough for people to walk through with their heads lowered.
After a short while, a thin figure crawled out from the corner of the kitchen in the east courtyard. This was the exit of the tunnel, usually covered by a bundle of branches.
“Hoo-hoo!”
After a few owls called, a man slipped out from the main house next door. He was Xi Yuanqing’s third brother, Xi Yuanping. They had already received instructions to escape on a moonless night. Since the sky had been overcast all day, the Xi family knew their escape would take place that night.
Xi Yuanping ran into the kitchen, and the man in black immediately asked in a low voice, “Are you ready?”
Xi Yuanping nodded. “Everything is ready.”
The two immediately moved a water jar aside, revealing a large hole in the wall behind it. This had been dug by the Xi family so they could crawl through during escape without being seen by the guards in the courtyard.
After moving the jar aside, a man first crawled out of the hole—Xi Yuanqing’s eldest brother, Xi Yuanjin.

“Hurry and jump into the tunnel—someone is waiting below!”
One by one, the Xi family members crawled out of the hole in the wall and jumped into the tunnel. Finally, an old woman was helped out—she was Xi Yuanqing’s grandmother, over eighty years old. She insisted on being the last to leave, and her two grandsons supported her, one on each side.
“How are the Zhao family members?” the old woman asked tremulously.
“Don’t worry, grandmother! We dug two tunnels, and they’re also rescuing people over there.”
“That’s good.”
“Grandmother, let me carry you down first.”
Xi Yuanping jumped into the tunnel first, and the other two carefully lowered the old woman down. By then, everyone had left. The men in black checked everything one last time, locked the door from the inside, blocked the entrance, and covered it with branches. Then they slipped away like monkeys.
…
The tunnel was spacious, and the two families retreated smoothly. They hardly stopped. As soon as they came out of the tunnel, they ran straight to the river to board a boat. Two men in black were in charge of counting the people.
One hundred seventeen people. The last to escape was a thin man in black.
“Are everyone here?”
“Everyone’s out, not a single one left.”
“Good. Let’s go!”
A few men in black rushed out of the forest and boarded the boats. More than twenty small boats set sail slowly toward the nearby Min River.