Chapter Sixty-Five: The Emperor’s Concern!

With the alliance established with the Tibetans, the Great Tang Empire had temporarily lifted the burden of worry from its rear, allowing it to concentrate its full strength against the Turks. Bolstered by its soaring national power and hundreds of thousands of elite troops, the Tang was virtually guaranteed victory in this campaign.

Since the outcome was seemingly secured, could the supreme ruler of the Great Tang, Li Longji, finally set his mind at ease and get some rest?

Far from it.

In the dead of night, the Qin-Zheng-Wu-Ben Pavilion in Xingqing Palace was ablaze with light, as bright as day.

Li Longji paced back and forth across the hall with his hands clasped behind his back. He had already circled the room dozens of times, showing no sign of stopping. His brows were knit tightly together, as if he were contemplating a matter of great difficulty.

The palace maids and eunuchs had all withdrawn outside, leaving only the Grand Chamberlain, Gao Lishi, to stand guard by his side.

"Your Majesty, the night is deep. Perhaps you should return to your sleeping quarters to rest? Which consort shall be summoned to attend to you tonight?"

"No need. I cannot sleep, nor do I wish to return to my chambers. I shall remain here tonight."

Li Longji shook his head and continued his pacing, sighing repeatedly.

Outside the hall, the maids and eunuchs exchanged uneasy glances. They all shared a single question: what kind of thorny issue could trouble the Emperor to such an extent? Hadn't all the major military and state affairs been settled?

The heart of a monarch is unfathomable; ordinary people could never hope to guess it.

However, Gao Lishi was no ordinary man. He was an old servant who had followed Li Longji for decades. The two lived in each other’s pockets, and the former knew exactly what the latter was thinking.

Seeing this, Gao Lishi closed the hall doors and scanned the room to ensure no one was eavesdropping. Only then did he approach Li Longji and speak in a low voice: "Is Your Majesty unable to sleep because you fear that 'the general in the field may not always follow the orders of the sovereign'?"

Li Longji stopped in his tracks, shot a sharp glance at Gao Lishi, pondered for a long time, and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

To defeat the Turks, he had conferred upon Wang Zhongsi the title of General of the Agile Cavalry, granting him command over the four frontier garrisons of Hexi, Shuofang, Longyou, and Hedong. He held control over hundreds of thousands of elite troops and had been bestowed with the white yak-tail banner and yellow battle-axe—symbols of absolute authority, including the power of life and death.

In the more than one hundred years since the founding of the Great Tang, no general of a different surname had ever held such immense power or commanded so many troops. It represented nearly half the military strength of the entire empire.

With half of the nation's military might placed in the hands of another, how could a ruler not be worried?

Of course, what Li Longji feared was not that Wang Zhongsi would lead a rebellion.

With the Tang Empire standing for over a century, its power at its zenith, and the hearts of the people unified, no general would dare to revolt, nor could they.

Rebellion would be nothing more than suicide.

What truly worried Li Longji was the close relationship between Wang Zhongsi and the Crown Prince, Li Heng.

Wang Zhongsi's father had been a frontier general who gave his life for the country in battle against the Tibetans. To show his appreciation for such loyalty, Li Longji had adopted Wang Zhongsi into the palace, letting him study literature and martial arts alongside the princes. It was during that time that Wang Zhongsi and Li Heng became close friends, inseparable and intimate.

Now, one was the Crown Prince, heir to the throne; the other was a General of the Agile Cavalry, commanding hundreds of thousands of elite troops. If the two were to conspire together, they would have the full capacity to topple the throne.

One must realize that in the history of the Great Tang, princely coups were frequent, and there were many who had succeeded.

Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin, launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killing his elder brother Li Jiancheng to become Crown Prince, and two months later, forced his father, Li Yuan, to abdicate and move to the Taiji Palace as the Retired Emperor.

Emperor Zhongzong, Li Xian, launched the Shenlong Coup, forcing Empress Wu Zetian to abdicate before ascending the throne himself.

Li Longji himself had relied on a coup to seize the throne from his father, Emperor Ruizong.

With precedents set, would Crown Prince Li Heng follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, collude with a general, and launch a mutiny to seize power?

The answer was: almost impossible.

Li Heng had a weak personality and lacked the courage to launch a coup. Furthermore, the "Crown Prince's Party" within the court was extremely weak, almost negligible.

As for Wang Zhongsi, having been raised in the palace since childhood, he was extremely loyal to the Emperor.

The possibility of these two joining forces to launch a coup was virtually non-existent.

Then again, "virtually non-existent" did not mean "absolutely impossible." One must know that life is vast and the world is unpredictable; many things that seem impossible often happen nonetheless.

Just like several decades ago—who could have predicted that the weak-willed Zhongzong, Li Xian, would join forces with the Chancellor Zhang Jianzhi and the General of the Imperial Guards, Li Duozuo, to force the powerful Empress Wu Zetian to abdicate?

Therefore, even if the possibility was minuscule, Li Longji had to be cautiously prepared.

"Lishi!"

"This old slave is here."

"Order the Plum Blossom Inner Guard to secretly increase their manpower and monitor every move of the Crown Prince's residence. If there is any abnormality, report to me immediately!"

"This old slave obeys the decree!"

Secret service organizations had existed since ancient times, such as the Black Ice Terrace of the Qin Dynasty, the Embroidered Uniforms of the Han, and the Mysterious Mirror Bureau of the Southern and Northern Dynasties.

Likewise, the Great Tang had a secret intelligence organization called the Plum Blossom Inner Guard. Its members all bore a plum-blossom-shaped brand on their bodies.

The Plum Blossom Inner Guard was spread throughout the court and the wild. Their primary mission was to monitor officials, relatives of the Emperor, and even princes, princesses, and concubines—anyone who might pose a threat to the throne.

And this mysterious organization, the Plum Blossom Inner Guard, was currently under the control of Gao Lishi.

The Crown Prince's side could be monitored secretly by the Plum Blossom Inner Guard, but the situation with the General of the Agile Cavalry, Wang Zhongsi, was far more complex. He held command over hundreds of thousands of troops, and surveillance alone was far from sufficient.

The best method was to plant a trusted confidant within the army who would hold a certain level of military authority. This would serve as a check on Wang Zhongsi and prevent any potential mutiny.

Moreover, through this person, the Emperor could accurately understand the military situation in the Northwest and prevent frontier generals from falsifying reports or deceiving the Imperial ear. It was, in effect, killing two birds with one stone.

The problem was, who should be sent into the army? This person had to be brave, resourceful, and absolutely loyal to the Emperor.

Li Longji and Gao Lishi exchanged glances and began to scout for a suitable candidate.

"Your Majesty, what about the Junior Minister of the Imperial Guard, Yang Hui? He is the husband of Princess Xianyi, Your Majesty's own son-in-law. There is no doubt about his loyalty."

"Hmph. It is true that Yang Hui is loyal and considered clever, but he is too cowardly. If I sent him to the battlefield, I fear he would wet his pants before even seeing the enemy. He is not fit for the task!"

"How about the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Cui Zongzhi? He is also Your Majesty's son-in-law!"

"Maonu is skilled in both literature and martial arts and possesses great courage. He is indeed a talent, but his personality is too straightforward and lacks the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. I fear he cannot handle the big picture!"

"What about the Prince of Ruyang? Your Majesty's own nephew!"

"Huanu's heart is too soft; he has never had blood on his hands. I fear he could not deter those arrogant and fierce soldiers. Furthermore, sending my own nephew would make the intent of surveillance too obvious. If it causes the General of the Agile Cavalry to feel dissatisfied or harbor resentment, that would be unfortunate!"

Gao Lishi suggested several candidates, all of whom were rejected by Li Longji.

Wang Zhongsi was a renowned general of the era, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and possessed immense courage; otherwise, he could not have commanded hundreds of thousands of tiger-like troops.

To keep such a famous general in check, one had to send someone with strategy, courage, and cunning. Most importantly, this person’s status could not be too high, so as not to arouse Wang Zhongsi’s suspicion.

Where could such a person be found?

"Your Majesty, this old slave would like to recommend one more person who can certainly shoulder this heavy responsibility."

"Who is it?"

"The Attendant Gentleman, Li Zhao!"

"Oh, that cunning little rascal!"

"Indeed. In this old slave’s opinion, Your Majesty could have Li Zhao escort gold, silver, silk, and fine wine to the Northwest army to reward the soldiers. He could then take the opportunity to remain in the army to serve. This has three advantages: first, rewarding the soldiers boosts morale and encourages them to fight bravely; second, it monitors Wang Zhongsi to prevent a mutiny; and third, it allows Li Zhao to be tempered, so that after he earns military merit, he can be promoted and entrusted with greater responsibilities later!"

Li Longji did not refuse this time; instead, he bowed his head and fell into deep thought.

Li Zhao was a member of the imperial clan; there was no doubt about his loyalty.

Li Zhao had devised the plan that resolved the currency shortage; there was no doubt about his strategic mind.

Li Zhao had dared to break into the Prince of Ning's residence alone; there was no doubt about his courage.

At the Xingqing Palace, Li Zhao had turned the tide three times and thwarted the Tibetan conspiracy; there was no doubt about his ability to adapt.

More importantly, the little fellow was sixteen years old—seventeen after the new year—still just a half-grown boy. If sent to the Northwest army, he certainly would not arouse Wang Zhongsi’s suspicion.

There was no problem; he was the one!

"Lishi, have Li Zhao enter the palace immediately to see me!"

"Your Majesty, it is currently the second watch; the palace gates have long been closed. Should we not summon Li Zhao tomorrow morning?"

"No, this matter is of the utmost urgency. I cannot wait even a moment longer."

"But Your Majesty, according to palace rules, only those princes, dukes, chancellors, or ministers who hold the Golden Fish Talisman are qualified to enter the palace in the middle of the night to see the Emperor. All others are forbidden."

"That is simple. Issue my decree: grant Li Zhao a Golden Fish Talisman, permitting him to enter and leave the palace at any time. So ordered!"

"This old slave obeys!"

When the Emperor summons, it is like a divine decree. Even if you are sleeping, or even if you are in the bridal chamber with your new bride, you must stop immediately, dress properly, and get to the palace as fast as possible to meet the Emperor.

A meal's time later, Li Zhao arrived at the Qin-Zheng-Wu-Ben Pavilion, a golden fish bag hanging at his waist containing a brand-new Golden Fish Talisman. With this, it would be much easier to enter and exit the palace in the future.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live, may you live ten thousand years."

"Forget the formalities, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After kneeling and paying his respects, Li Zhao stood up properly.

Being summoned to the palace in the middle of the night, there must be a major matter to discuss. But what exactly it was—the Emperor hadn't spoken, and the subject dared not ask.

"In the days of the violent Sui, the world was in ruins. My ancestors, Gaozu and Taizong, raised an army in Taiyuan to overthrow the lawless and save the people. At that time, many members of the Li clan rose up together, fighting north and south, earning great merit. Now, with war looming in the Northwest and the country facing a strong enemy, have the sons of the Li family lost the courage of those days?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, though I am untalented, I am willing to rush to the Northwest front, don my armor, hold my weapons, and fight on the battlefield, so that all the world may see that the sons of the Li family are still the bravest in the army!"

Reading between the lines, Li Zhao immediately knelt on one knee to request to be sent to the front, his heart filled with wild excitement.

Back at Qianlong Ridge, he had intended to join the army and earn merit on the battlefield, but due to various turns of events, he ended up in Chang'an. He had never expected that after such a long journey, he would be heading to the battlefield after all!

Perhaps, this was destiny.

However, being summoned by the Emperor in the middle of the night for a talk—it couldn't just be about joining the army, could it?