Chapter 679: The Fall of Southern Tang (Part 2)

Jianmen Pass was built on a mountain path about twenty feet wide, capable of holding only a limited number of soldiers—around a thousand for defense. Similarly, the attacking force could field no more than two thousand troops. The two armies engaged in repeated small-scale attacks and defenses along the narrow mountain route.

A battle to capture Jianmen Pass had just ended, and the Northern Tang troops had withdrawn. The narrow path was littered with the corpses of fallen soldiers, pierced with arrows. The path and the stone walls along it were stained red with blood. Several small catapults were broken, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of blood.

The city towers and walls of Jianmen Pass were also heavily damaged, mostly from being struck by stones. One wooden pillar had broken, causing half of the tower to collapse. Hundreds of Southern Tang soldiers were killed or wounded. Their bodies and the injured were carried away. Over a thousand soldiers leaned exhausted against the walls. This was the first battle Jianmen Pass had faced since the Sui Dynasty. Many soldiers were fighting for the first time, and each carried a heavy burden of fear of death.

In one corner of the tower, a soldier was counting the number of Northern Tang soldiers killed. He had been counting for a long time, and the soldiers around him grew impatient.

“Wang Sanlang, have you finished counting, damn it?”
“Shut up!”
The soldier waved his hand, concentrating on his task, nearly done.
“…154, 155!”
Finally, he finished counting and shouted excitedly, “I’ve counted them all—155 corpses in total.”
“What a damn mess!”
A few soldiers couldn’t help but curse. “More of ours died defending than attacking. How can this still be called an impregnable pass?”
“Maybe we should include those who fell into the ravines?”
“Nonsense. They weren’t even scattered. You didn’t see—only two people fell, and they fell after being shot. That brings the total to 157. How many of ours died? I think it’s around 300.”
The soldier, unable to remember clearly, shouted, “Captain Zhang, how many of ours died?”
“325 dead, over 400 wounded.”
“Hear that? Twice as many as theirs. Without this impregnable pass, we’d all be dead by now. And yet they say it’s ‘impenetrable.’”
“There’s nothing we can do. They’re all battle-hardened. Who here has any combat experience? If one of theirs dies, their family gets 200 taels of compensation and 50 mu of land. What do we get if we die in battle?”

The soldiers on the wall fell silent. Then someone shouted, “The governor is coming!”

The soldiers stood up one after another. A large group of soldiers surged along the plank road, led by a general—Chen Xuanli, the commander of Jianzhou. Chen Xuanli had always been a general in the imperial guard, serving Li Longji for decades. Now in his sixties, last year Gao Lishi died of illness in Yuzhou, and Chen Xuanli went there to attend the funeral, which angered Li Fuguo, resulting in his demotion to governor of Jianzhou.

In the struggle for the throne, out of deep hatred for Li Fuguo, he supported Prince Peng, Li Jin. In the joint petition from the officials, he ranked fourth. Eventually, Prince Peng was killed and the crown prince ascended the throne. Chen Xuanli felt heavy-hearted. He had just learned that during the purge in Chengdu, many of his old friends and relatives had had their homes raided and they were imprisoned. He knew that if it weren’t for the Northern Tang army attacking the Southern Tang, he too would have been purged.

Chen Xuanli usually stationed his troops in Jianmen County, but starting from the previous day, he moved his command post to Jianmen Pass Town, just over ten miles away from the pass. There, he had 20,000 troops ready to support the battle for Jianmen Pass at any time.

A battle had just ended when Chen Xuanli rushed to the pass to inspect the situation. He had already been informed that over 700 of their soldiers had died, while only about 100 of the enemy had fallen—something that truly surprised him.

“Salute, governor!”

The commander of Jianmen Pass was a general named Hong Yun, who had also been a general in the Imperial Guards and had served Chen Xuanli for many years as his trusted general.

Chen Xuanli nodded. “How are the Northern Tang troops?”

“They have retreated, but we can still hear drumbeats. I think they will attack again today.”

“Did the Tang army use thunder bombs?”

“No, they haven’t used any. It’s strange. I think the Tang army isn’t really trying to capture the pass; they seem to be waiting for something.”

Chen Xuanli remained silent. He went to the top of the city wall and saw the corpses of Northern Tang soldiers piled up all over the plank road. Frowning, he said, “Collect all those corpses and burn them immediately. In such hot weather, they’ll rot and cause plagues.”

“Yes!”

Hong Yun replied and promptly ordered his soldiers to collect the corpses. Chen Xuanli called him back and said, “Give each of them an earthen pot to hold their bones. I heard they each have a military ID card—put it in the pot.”

“But…”

Hong Yun thought Chen Xuanli was being too lenient toward the enemy troops. Even their own soldiers didn’t receive such treatment; their bodies were simply buried.

“There’s no ‘but’. This is my order. Go now!”

Hong Yun did not dare disobey the order and hurried off to make arrangements. Chen Xuanli gazed at the distant mountains, his heart filled with worry. Before he had set out, he had received news that Li Sheng’s 50,000 elite troops had already entered Guozhou, only separated from Yizhou, where Chengdu was located, by Zizhou. In at most four or five days, Li Sheng’s army would reach Chengdu. The Southern Tang was on the verge of collapse—what sense was there in him holding out at Jiange Pass?

Yet he did not want to bear the reputation of surrendering at the last moment. His only hope was that Chengdu would fall first, after which he could surrender to the Northern Tang, thus preserving his honor.

“Commander, things don’t seem good!” Hong Yun returned and whispered beside him.

Chen Xuanli was startled. “What happened?”

“I went to check the food supplies just now and found there isn’t much left. I also asked Jin Sima, who said that no food has been delivered to Jianmen County for two days. I’m worried—something must have happened in Jianmen County!”

Chen Xuanli had been preoccupied with Chengdu these past two days and hadn’t paid attention to the food supply. Hearing this, he was also stunned. Twenty thousand troops were stationed at Jianmen Pass, consuming a huge amount of food. Food had to be delivered daily—no delay allowed. Yet it had clearly gone two days without any delivery. Why hadn’t the military officer reported this to him? He was extremely displeased and said, “Send Jin Sima to see me!”

A moment later, the military officer rushed over. “Saluting, Commander!”

“I’m asking you—why didn’t you report that no food has been delivered for two days?”

“Reporting back, Commander, I tried to report it, but you arrived only yesterday and wouldn’t see anyone. I was stopped twice when I went to the camp. This morning I tried to report again, but you left early. I was very anxious.”

These past two days, Chen Xuanli had been distracted by matters in Chengdu and indeed hadn’t paid attention to military affairs. He couldn’t entirely blame the military officer. Helplessly, he asked, “Well, I won’t blame you. I just want to know—why isn’t any military food arriving? And how much food do we still have?”

“I’m also puzzled why no military food has arrived. I’ve already sent people to investigate. We can last another two days with the current stock. I hope some food will arrive today.”

Chen Xuanli felt a badpremonition. Something must have happened in Jianmen County. Could it be that Guo Yingyi had taken control of his troops?

Just then, a soldier rushed over from afar, shouting in panic, “Commander, something terrible has happened!”

All the soldiers at Jianmen Pass stood up, looking at the terrified soldier, wondering what had happened.

“Why the panic?” Chen Xuanli snapped angrily, fearing it would disrupt morale.

The soldier scrambled up the pass, crying, “Commander, 20,000 Northern Tang cavalry appeared out of nowhere and launched a night attack on the camp at Jianmen County. General Fu couldn’t hold them back and has already led his troops to surrender. The supply route was cut off the day before yesterday.”
This news struck like a thunderbolt, stunning Chen Xuanli. Chatter filled the pass, and the news spread instantly throughout the army, spreading despair among the soldiers.
“Commander, has Chengdu already been captured?” Hong Yun asked anxiously.
Chen Xuanli was confused. He shook his head. “Chengdu hasn’t been captured. The Tang cavalry must have come through the Litchi Road. I’ve always said the defenses there are weak, but the court wouldn’t listen.”
“Then… what should I do now?”
“I don’t know either! We hold out at Jianmen Pass, only to end up trapped in the mountains.”
Chen Xuanli sighed deeply. “With the enemy at the city’s gates and the Eastern Palace fighting for power, heaven brings disaster upon those who deserve it, but those who cause their own misfortune have no chance of survival!”
At that moment, dull drumbeats of “thud! thud! thud!” came from the north—another attack by the Northern Tang forces. The defenders of Jianmen Pass looked at each other; at this point, what was the point of resisting?
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves was heard. A Northern Tang rider mounted his horse and stopped 100 steps away from Jianmen Pass. He drew his bow, shot an arrow that flew into the city walls, with a letter attached.
A soldier picked up the letter and handed it to Chen Xuanli. He took it and was stunned. On the envelope was written: “To General Chen Xuanli, Supreme Commander and Governor of Anxi, from Li Qing’an, Prince of Zhao.”
It was Li Qing’an’s own letter! He hurriedly opened it.
“Since we last parted in Chang’an, General Chen, have you been well? Years have passed—the carp in the Wei River have grown plump, the wines in Pingkang Fang are rich and fragrant, and the old willows on Zhuque Street have sprouted new leaves. I wonder when you’ll return to Chang’an…”
With just a few words, Chen Xuanli’s eyes moistened. A deep emotion stirred within him. He sighed, feeling weaker than ever before.
“Commander, brothers…”
Chen Xuanli turned around. Over a thousand defenders stared at him blankly, their eyes filled with hope and pleading.
“Do you… really not want to fight anymore?” Chen Xuanli asked in a hoarse voice.
The soldiers nodded silently. Someone took the lead in lowering their bows and arrows, placing their weapons on the ground. They all knelt down—a silent plea.
“Very well!”
Chen Xuanli sighed deeply. “Follow my orders—lower your weapons and come with me down the mountain to surrender!”

With Chen Xuanli’s surrender, Jianmen Pass, the northern gateway to Shu, finally opened. Li Guangbi led an army of 100,000 troops through Jianmen Pass and marched toward Chengdu. At the same time, Li Sheng’s 50,000 troops from the eastern route entered Zizhou and advanced on Chengdu.
…
Chengdu was in chaos. Before the purge of officials had even ended, news came that 170,000 Tang troops had entered Bashu. Although Li Xì ordered the news to be suppressed, the Northern Tang spies were extremely active, spreading the news throughout every household. By this point, the Southern Tang regime had lost all support; families locked their doors and prayed to the Buddha for the Northern Tang troops to enter the city soon.
Southern Tang officials also began to resign en masse. Resigning was simple—write a letter stating reasons such as poor health, fold one’s official robes and place them on the desk, and hang the official seal on the beam of the office, signaling that one was no longer an official of the Southern Tang. Everyone could see that the Southern Tang’s fate was sealed, and no one wanted to stay on this sinking ship.
Even the new emperor, Li Xì, was desperate. He locked himself in the palace, drinking and indulging in pleasure day and night. In his words, even if he couldn’t hold imperial power, he still wanted to enjoy imperial pleasures. Li Fuguo, on the other hand, remained dedicated, constantly writing letters offering positions to every governor or county magistrate in Shu, urging them to organize the people to resist the Northern Tang troops’ advance on Chengdu.
The last 100,000 troops in Chengdu also retreated into the city the day after the news spread. Immediately, strict curfews were imposed day and night in Chengdu. The city gates were tightly closed, and military discipline became stricter. 3,000 military patrolmen patrolled the streets and alleys, executing on the spot any soldiers who entered private homes to loot.
In the Yan Ying Hall of the New Ming Palace, a dozen young eunuchs were busy packing boxes. The 18 large night pearls hanging in the hall had all been removed and placed in boxes.
With a loud bang, the side door was kicked open. Emperor Li Xì rushed into the hall, drunk, wielding a sword. He had just received a secret report from an eunuch that Li Fuguo was looting the palace’s treasures and preparing to flee.
Furious, he used his drunken strength to search for Li Fuguo, determined to kill the eunuch with his sword. The dozen young eunuchs were terrified. They immediately scattered in all directions. One of them, as if frozen by fear, stood motionless.
Li Xì grabbed that eunuch, trampled him underfoot, and snarled, “Where are my night pearls?”
The eunuch pointed at the boxes. Enraged, Li Xì killed him with his sword. He kicked the boxes open, and the dozen night pearls rolled onto the ground.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing?”

A shrill voice from the entrance belonged to Li Fuguo. He led dozens of eunuchs into the hall and surrounded Li Xi.
“You bastard eunuch!”
Li Xi cursed at him, “Do you want to steal my royal treasures in this chaos?”
Li Fuguo picked up the night pearls one by one; one of them was already stained with blood, which filled him with pain—night pearls lost their luster when touched by blood.
“Your Majesty, you’re too willful. I’ve been helping you all the time, yet you never appreciate it.”
“Helping me?”
Li Xi laughed heartily, his laughter echoing throughout the hall. “I’m just a poor puppet. Am I still the emperor? Who is the emperor, then?”
Suddenly, he stopped laughing and pointed at Li Fuguo, cursing, “You bastard eunuch! It’s you who wants to be the emperor. You issued hundreds of edicts in my name—how many of them did you even tell me about?”
Li Fuguo gave a cold snort and said, “He’s drunk. Take him away and lock him in a quiet room to sober up!”
Dozens of eunuchs rushed forward, throwing Li Xi to the ground. Li Xi struggled desperately, “Let me go! Let me go!”
But it was useless. The eunuchs tied him up, covered his mouth, stuffed him into a sack, and then placed him in a large box and carried him away.
At that moment, Li Fuguo’s adopted son, Li Xianluo, stepped forward and asked, “Father, are we leaving tonight?”
Li Fuguo nodded. “The Northern Tang army will arrive tomorrow. We’re leaving tonight.”
“But… I heard there are many bandits in Annam. Without an army, who will protect us?”
“You fool! Who said I’m going to Annam? We’ll take the route through Qianzhong to Qinzhou to set sail. I have a manor by the sea. I built a large ship two years ago. We’ll set sail from there and become rich in foreign lands.”
A dozen eunuchs returned and reported, “He’s locked up!”
“Good! Prepare the carriages. We’ll leave the palace at night!”
The imperial garden in the Nanming Palace led directly outside the city. That night, Li Fuguo left Chengdu with over a hundred loyal followers and more than forty carriages loaded with the palace’s wealth. They fled along the official road toward Jianzhou, planning to board a ship in Yang’an County of Jianzhou to head to the Yangtze River.
Li Fuguo thought the Northern Tang army would come from the north and east, so he believed it would be safe south of Chengdu. Unbeknownst to him, Tian Qianzhen’s 20,000 cavalry had already surrounded the area south of Chengdu.

In the darkness, forty-five carriages raced along the official road. Over a hundred eunuchs and guards, dressed in black, rode on either side of the carriages for protection. All the carriages were filled with treasures—wealth that Li Longji and Li Heng had brought from Chang’an to Chengdu. Except for large items and silver ingots that couldn’t be moved, all the gold, jewels, and precious stones were seized by him. He intended to keep all of this for himself. Li Fuguo also changed into black clothes and rode a fine horse, feeling extremely pleased. By now, they had successfully left Chengdu, which was fifty li away. Just as Li Fuguo was basking in his triumph, his adopted son Li Xianluo sensed trouble. “Father, look!” In the darkness, two cavalry units approached from the left and right, converging on the road. These were two scouting cavalry units patrolling the road, totaling three hundred soldiers. They spotted the suspicious caravan and began to block it. “Stop! If you don’t halt, we’ll shoot!” “Father, what should we do?” Li Xianluo was sweating profusely with anxiety. Li Fuguo’s face twisted in fury—he would never surrender. “Everyone, charge forward!” The carriages sped up, trying to break through before the two cavalry units closed in. The cavalry fired arrows, hundreds of them shooting at the caravan. Cries of pain filled the air as dozens of eunuchs were hit and fell from their horses. Li Xianluo was struck in the throat and died on the spot. The lead draft horses were also hit, screaming as they fell, causing the carriages to overturn. The following carriages also tipped over, and eventually the entire caravan came to a stop. The cavalry surrounded them and shouted harshly, “Get off your horses and kneel! Those who resist will be killed!” The eunuchs and guards were terrified and quickly dismounted and knelt. But Li Fuguo refused to get off his horse. He suddenly sped ahead, breaking free from the cavalry’s encirclement and fleeing south. The leading cavalry officer snorted, raised his crossbow, and aimed at him. With a “click,” an arrow flew out, hitting Li Fuguo in the back. He let out a shrill scream, fell from his horse, but his right foot remained trapped in the stirrup. The frightened horse dragged him forward as it continued to run, until the cavalry caught up. By then, Li Fuguo was covered in blood and unrecognizable. … The next morning, the moment that brought joy to some and worry to others in Southern Tang arrived. Li Guangbi’s hundred-thousand-strong army and Li Sheng’s fifty-thousand-strong army joined forces outside Chengdu. They immediately set up camps and ordered Guo Yingyi to surrender immediately.

Guo Yingyi ultimately chose the middle path, ordering his soldiers to open the city gates and surrender. He personally led his troops to Nanming Palace to arrest people. The eunuchs and maids in Nanming Palace had already fled. Queen Zhang, realizing the situation was hopeless, hanged herself. Emperor Li Xi was tied up by the eunuchs and placed in a box, where he suffocated to death during the night. Li Fuguo was missing. Enraged, Guo Yingyi decided to capture all the royal family members in the city as bargaining chips to save his own life.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The dull drumbeats of the Northern Tang army rang out. Li Guangbi, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Tang forces, wearing a golden helmet and iron armor, swung his sword and gave the order to enter the city.
“The army enters the city!”
The massive Northern Tang army marched into Chengdu. On July 15th of the second year of Qingping, with the Northern Tang forces entering the city, the Southern Tang regime that had ruled Shu region officially collapsed. That day was the Zhongyuan Festival of the Tang Dynasty, a day for worshipping ancestors.