Chapter 416: When Power Reaches the Heavens, Death Is Near

In Jingyang County, inside the study of Prince Yong's residence, Prince Yong Li Lan, dressed in a black brocade robe, now had a ragged beard, as if he had aged ten years.

Li Lan sat before the desk with a remorseful expression, sighing.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door outside the study.

"Come in."

Li Lan called out listlessly.

Gao Shang, wearing coarse hemp clothing, pushed the door open, bowed to him, and said nothing.

"Tell me, how is Chang'an now?"

Li Lan sighed and asked.

"Your Highness, Chang'an is as calm as usual. The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army has taken up station at Xuanwu Gate, and that's all."

Gao Shang said slowly.

"That's all?"

Li Lan, with a startled expression, retorted.

When he first heard the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's upheaval, seizing the saint to plot treason, he was so agitated he couldn't sleep the whole night, thinking of closely monitoring the situation, then finding a proper opening, trying to take over a army!

If the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army were a big fool and slaughtered his damned old father, that would be even better!

But why has the situation calmed so quickly now?

This is unreasonable!

Li Lan racked his brain and still didn't understand what twisted scheme Fang Chongyong was pursuing.

It's like some of Fang Chongyong's past‑life benefactors, trekking over mountains and rivers, abandoning their possessions to help Ah Mei, only to end up surviving on daily relief.

You ask, after spending such huge costs and trouble, what exactly are they after?

Li Lan just doesn't understand why the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army exerted so much effort just to receive a reward that the court should have issued anyway.

The risk and reward are completely disproportionate!

"Your Highness, thinking about this now is useless. Fortunately, the situation was quelled quickly, and others haven't reacted yet—it can be counted as a blessing in misfortune."

Gao Shang patiently tried to persuade Li Lan.

"So, in your view, what should we do next?"

Li Lan frowned slightly and asked.

He still regrets that, if he had arrived at the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's main camp earlier, persuaded those Qiu Ba to serve him, perhaps he could have already overthrown Brother Ji now!

Of course, he didn't want to voice that thought, not even to Gao Shang, too lazy to say.

"Your Highness, if I may say, if some ulterior individuals see Chang'an fall so easily to the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, and the saint loses control of the situation so readily, how would they react?"

Gao Shang lowered his voice, asking calmly.

Li Lan was startled; he truly hadn't considered such matters.

"You mean…"

"Exactly, those people's thought is: If the enemy can go, we can go too!

Your Highness, do you think this matter is over? No, no, no, the shift has only just begun!"

Gao Shang suppressed his excitement, speaking as calmly as possible: "Your Highness, observe the changes quietly and make preparations in secret."

"Everywhere there are the saint's eyes; even raising a hundred death soldiers would alarm Xingqing Palace.

Talking about secret preparations—how easy is that!"

Li Lan sighed helplessly.

Don't be fooled by his seemingly carefree life as a local tyrant in Jingyang County. That's because Li Lan hasn't yet begun the forbidden actions. No matter how he schemes against Ji, as long as he hasn't taken the crucial step, even if Ji knows, he won't do anything to him.

Whether deeds or hearts, there are no good people in the world.

If the emperor wanted to slaughter everyone bearing ill will, killing millions wouldn't be the end!

This is the same principle as "preventing the people's mouths is more important than damming a river."

Ji knows all his adult offspring harbor deep malice toward him. Yet he cannot kill them all; most will live fine as long as they don't think about the "shouldn't think" things.

This is human nature!

"Your Highness, if you focus only on Chang'an, it's a dead game. But if you broaden your view beyond Guanzhong, the perspective widens, doesn't it?"

Gao Shang smiled, poured a little water from his kettle onto the desk, then dipped his finger and wrote the three characters "Shuo Fang Jun" on the desk.

Shuo Fang!

Li Lan's pupils suddenly contracted; he suddenly understood something, yet couldn't quite grasp it.

He doesn't believe any jiedushi would rebel against Tang, proclaim themselves king, or even change dynasties.

But to claim no one in the border troops wants to "rise from the dragon", he wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death.

Ji's situation is obvious to anyone with eyes. Everyone has families; considering one's own future is only natural, right?

If we step back a thousand miles, to ensure the Tang dynasty's continuity, "supporting" a prince to inherit the throne counts as a kind of "popular sentiment."

When that time comes, those who participated in the mutiny won't see themselves as rebels!

The question is why Shuo Fang! and not some other border town!

"Why not Hebei?"

Li Lan asked in confusion.

"Huangfu Weiming's appetite is too big.

Your Highness, have you forgotten? The Huangfu family produced a prince, the Earl of E, Li Yao, who was involved in the one‑day three‑son murder incident."

"Getting Huangfu Weiming to assist Your Highness is rather difficult. Wei Lan's last visit was only a probe."

Gao Shang shook his head and said.

If Gao Shang hadn't mentioned it, Li Lan truly would have forgotten.

The Huangfu family's influence in Guanzhong is far from simple; it surpasses An Lushan's by more than an order of magnitude. An Lushan could only act arrogantly in a border town, while the Huangfu's network has been deeply cultivated in Chang'an.

They are members of the innermost circle among Chang'an's aristocracy!

In terms of status, Li Lin is not the crown prince; his mother died early, and his maternal family has no clout. As for ability… it's better not to mention it.

Hearing that, Li Lin instantly felt discouraged.

"What's different about the Shuo Fang Army and the two Hebei towns? They're all the same scum."

Seeing Gao Shang eager to try, Li Lin's face showed displeasure, thinking the other was treating him like a fool.

Gao Shang didn't mind Li Lin's displeasure; instead, he patiently explained, "Your Highness, the Shuo Fang Army is different from the other Tang fiefdoms."

"Hmm?"

Li Lin, upon hearing, showed a puzzled expression.

They're all fiefdoms, all the same lot—what's different?

Seeing Li Lin's confusion, Gao Shang patiently continued:

"The Shuo Fang Army didn't exist from the start; it was created because the Hetao region faced recurring threats from the Turkic, Uighur, and Tiele peoples.

To safeguard Hetao, the court continuously reinforced the Shuo Fang Army, increasing its weight over time.

But since the Lingwu Alliance, the situation has changed.

The Hetao area where the Shuo Fang Army is stationed has become very stable, with constant trade with the steppe tribes and no border conflicts.

Many of the Shuo Fang Army's elite troops and capable commanders have been dispatched to Longyou and Hexi towns, leaving little room for them to operate here.

The frontier generals of the Shuo Fang Army dare not violate the Lingwu Alliance oath, so lacking battle merit they cannot be promoted; after being sent elsewhere, they constantly clash with local commanders' interests and receive scorn.

The former Shuo Fang Military Governor Zhang Qiqiu was adept at managing territories but poor at sieges and conquests.

The newly appointed Shuo Fang Military Governor Li Guozhen, who took office last year, comes from the imperial clan, a great‑grandson of Li Shentong. He is hot‑tempered and ignorant of the troops' hardships.

I heard he ignored even the arrears of the Shuo Fang Army's pay, only barely stepping in to placate matters when things nearly erupted.

If Your Highness were to champion the Shuo Fang Army at the right moment, the chance of the Shuo Fang Army rising like a dragon is considerable."

Gao Shang instantly highlighted a "opportunity" that seemed impossible at first glance.

"Hmm, what you say isn't without reason."

Li Lin gave a half‑hearted nod, though he didn't truly agree.

The Shuo Fang region achieved unprecedented peace because Ji Ge's alliance with the nine Tiele clans back then. It's good for the border towns' civilians and the steppe herders, but not necessarily for the Shuo Fang Army.

Zhang Qiqiu was dismissed for complaining to the court. Thus Ji Ge directly installed an external branch of the imperial clan (descended not from Li Yuan but from his brother's line) as the Shuo Fang Military Governor.

The aim was to keep the Shuo Fang Army obedient, preventing them from constantly stirring and breaking the alliance oath Ji Ge forged with the nine Tiele tribes.

That's a historic achievement! Ji Ge won't allow anyone to ruin it!

With Li Lin's political acumen, he still can't grasp the situation Gao Shang sees.

In Gao Shang's view, the two Hebei towns are "artifacts with owners"; unless you're the crown prince or can offer tempting spoils, subduing them is as hard as scaling the heavens!

But the Shuo Fang Army is still in a "ownerless artifact" state. They haven't realized how powerful they are yet!

As Prince Li Lin, and with Crown Prince Li Chang indifferent to state affairs and not weaving partisan cliques—a "bad habit"—Li Lin, if he can pay the price and show respect to talent, still has a chance to win over the Shuo Fang Army.

The chance isn't small at all.

At worst, send someone to make contact; even if the Shuo Fang commanders temporarily refuse, they couldn't report Li Lin.

Who wouldn't want to keep a fallback route for themselves?

"Your Highness, I wish to go to Lingzhou to pave a path for you."

Gao Shang bowed to Li Lin and said.

Times have changed! Li Lin was anxious, and Gao Shang was equally anxious.

Border commanders, seeing the actions of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, no longer fully enforce central orders as before.

Many matters need time to ferment; just because they're absent now doesn't mean they won't appear soon.

Gao Shang believes that now it isn't only he who is "active"; many princes should also have started moving.

"What about the Sage over there?"

Li Lin asked hesitantly.

"Your Highness, if you truly want to ask, just say that I left the royal residence and vanished.

The Sage is now overwhelmed; the court's military and civil affairs are riddled with holes, and even the mighty Gao Lishi can't manage them all.

Don't overestimate yourself; you're not even worthy of the Sage's constant scrutiny, which is actually your advantage."

Gao Shang, unusually, spoke bluntly to Li Lin.

He knows clearly that within the Guanzhong area's Imperial Guard, Li Lin has no network at all.

Therefore, as long as Li Lin doesn't stare into the "Abyss," the "Abyss" won't stare back. Ji Ge is too busy to constantly watch this claw‑less cub.

Gao Shang's remark wasn't mocking Li Lin at all; in fact, this Prince Yong truly isn't worth the Sage's concern!

"Alas, you're right about that."

Li Lin sighed, feeling both hopeful and insecure.

The good news is he never entered Ji Ge's "restricted zone" at all.

The bad news is that the reason is his own weakness!

Hearing Gao Shang's words, Li Lin didn't know whether to be pleased or saddened.

"No time to waste; I'm heading to Lingwu now. Your Highness, take care—no matter what happens, wait for my return before acting rashly!"

Gao Shang couldn't help but caution Li Lin.

"Got it, got it, go quickly and return swiftly."

Li Lin slapped his chest and wholeheartedly agreed.

Gao Shang, having reached the doorway, suddenly turned back and emphasized, "Your Highness, I'm serious—do not act rashly. The situation in Guanzhong is only temporarily calm; it could be shattered at any moment by a trivial matter."

Li Lin continued to vow with absolute certainty. Gao Shang had no choice but to reluctantly take his leave. He was genuinely worried that this prince, whose wits were not the sharpest, would fall into a pitfall if he wasn't careful.

……

For his military achievements in sweeping across the Western Regions, Fang Chongyong was officially enfeoffed by the court as "Prince of Pingxi Commandery," and was gifted a mansion located in Lantian County. Of course, the land belonged to the court, and the construction labor was also provided through court-levied corvée.

Commonly known as establishing a household and opening a yamen.

From then on, Fang Chongyong could recruit his own staff who held formal court establishment. Of course, he still had to pay their salaries and stipends out of his own pocket.

Construction on the new residence had begun several months earlier. It was already completed before Fang Chongyong had even returned to Chang'an, lacking only a "nameplate hanging" ceremony.

On the day he was formally enfeoffed as Prince of Pingxi Commandery, the mansion in Lantian County had its nameplate hung: "Prince of Pingxi Commandery's Residence."

Fang Chongyong's entire family also relocated to Lantian County, not far south of Chang'an, but they still kept their old residence in Chang'an for Fang Chongyong to live in when he was there on official business.

Since he was formally enfeoffed as a commandery prince and there was also the joy of moving to a new home, social engagements were naturally unavoidable.

On the day the mansion's nameplate was hung, quite a few people came to congratulate Fang Chongyong. A small portion were acquaintances; the majority were strangers—some whose names he had never even heard before.

But they all shared one trait: they were "either wealthy or noble."

These people certainly could not come to offer congratulations empty-handed. One by one, they all presented gift lists and had their household servants deliver the gifts to the treasury of the Prince of Pingxi Commandery's Residence.

Thus, the entrance of the Prince of Pingxi Commandery's Residence could be described as bustling as a marketplace. The ox carts transporting gifts were parked all the way outside the county seat of Lantian County. Even without looking, one could tell that Fang Chongyong, as a commandery prince, had reached the pinnacle of power and prestige.

Status-seekers and sycophants came in an endless stream.

Because he was not familiar with these people at all, Fang Chongyong discreetly abstained from attending the banquet, and instead instructed Wang Yunxiu to host the feast and entertain the guests.

After the guests had dispersed, Wang Yunxiu came to the new study and found Fang Chongyong intently studying the "Map of the Great Tang's Ten Thousand Li of Territory" hanging on the wall.

This was also a gift that a certain guest had exhausted their wits to prepare. It seemed that after carefully pondering what kind of thoughts a rough soldier like Fang Chongyong, who fought on the battlefield, might have, they then found someone to meticulously draw it.

It had to be said, this gift left Fang Chongyong very satisfied.

"Once Alang achieves wealth and rank, sure enough, all those who can claim a connection and those who cannot both come flocking over.

Scuttling about like flies and dogs—the ancients truly did not deceive me."

Wang Yunxiu sighed with emotion from behind Fang Chongyong.

"Scuttling about like flies and dogs" is actually two terms, meaning that one must know how to scheme for advantage and find benefits, while also knowing how to endure and to grovel.

In many cases, it merely describes an officialdom ecology and does not necessarily carry a subjective derogatory connotation.

"When water is full, it overflows; when the moon is full, it wanes. The higher one rises, the colder the heights become.

Since I have already been enfeoffed as a commandery prince, it is not far from the extermination of my entire family.

When you have neither power nor influence and you go flirting with women, you can very clearly tell which one is devoted to you and which one detests you to the extreme.

Their feelings toward you are all genuine, and they even disdain to conceal their true inner thoughts. It is very easy for you to distinguish who harbors ill will toward you.

But once you wield overwhelming power, you can no longer see clearly what intentions the women approaching you truly hold.

No matter what they think in their hearts, they will not write it on their faces.

Just like the guests who came today."

After finishing his grandstanding words, Fang Chongyong turned around and found Wang Yunxiu holding a thick stack of gift lists, their thickness comparable to a brick.

He asked with a look of surprise, "There are actually this many?"

"But of course, there really are this many."

Wang Yunxiu, looking helpless, placed the gift lists into Fang Chongyong's hands.

"Come, let's go take a look at the storeroom."

Fang Chongyong's expression shifted slightly; he dared not underestimate this "insignificant" little matter.

The two came to the mansion's large storeroom and had Fang Dafu light the torches inside the treasury. The sight immediately startled even the well-traveled and experienced Fang Chongyong.

Several-meters-tall great red corals, jewel-encrusted swords and blades, bows and crossbows—these were all basic fare.

Colorful and dazzling brocades and silks, their patterns so exquisite that one glance revealed they came from the hands of the weavers of the Court of the Imperial Treasury.

These gifts were not only of superb quality but also vast in quantity!

Of course, jewels were exorbitantly expensive in Chang'an, and Fang Chongyong had seen the world in the Western Regions, so no one sent exotic goods from the Western Regions.

But black pepper from the southern seas, ivory, bronze mirrors produced in Yangzhou, and other specialty goods from various regions dazzled the eye, filling more than half of the enormous storeroom—so much that a dedicated pathway had to be cleared just to walk through.

This damn well was political leverage!

Fang Chongyong suddenly understood in his heart: his title of "Prince of Pingxi Commandery" was, in itself, not worth others currying favor and ingratiating themselves to this degree.

Even a great general from the Western Regions, upon returning to Chang'an, would be like a dragon stranded in shallow waters—lucky not to get trampled by someone.

This "special honor" filling the treasury came from the boldness and ability demonstrated during the Bailu Incident, and from the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army that Fang Chongyong held in his hands!

Fang Chongyong handed the thick stack of gift lists in his hands to Fang Dafu and instructed him, "Go to Xingqing Palace right now and hand the gift lists to Gao Lishi. Ask the Sage whether he wants these gifts moved to the storerooms of the Court of the Imperial Treasury."

Upon hearing this, both Wang Yunxiu and Fang Dafu were stunned. Wang Yunxiu asked in confusion, "Langjun, do we really need to be this cautious?"

"What the Sage cares about is not these gifts, but my attitude in receiving them.

Go, Uncle Dafu. There is nothing to agonize over. Wealth and possessions are all external things."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and said.

Damn, a red coral several meters tall—who knows whether Brother Ji has one in his storehouse.

These Chang'an nobles really damn well dared to send them!

"Right."

Fang Dafu was just about to leave when Fang Chongyong called him back and instructed him, "Remember to say one thing to Gao Lishi: we have not looked at this gift list. No matter what the Sage says, do not bring the gift list back."

(End of this chapter)