Chapter 489: Sometimes Identity Itself Is an Original Sin

The prefectural seat of Qi Prefecture was Licheng, also the garrison of the newly established Tianping Army Military Commissioner.

The Prince of Yong, Li Lin, had reaped the benefits of the Hebei rebellion, being sent out as Military Commissioner and posted to Qi Prefecture, Yun Prefecture, and other areas near the south bank of the Yellow River—simply put, to block the southern flank of the Hebei rebel army's advance and prevent them from outflanking and seizing territory from the east.

To be fair, this was indeed not Huangfu Weiming's main direction of attack.

Li Lin spent half a year holed up in Qi Prefecture, anxious and befuddled, terrified that the Hebei rebel army would attack his city and take his head; he attended to civil and military affairs day and night, most diligently.

Only after half a year passed with nothing happening in the Tianping Army Military Commissioner's jurisdiction did Li Lin finally set his mind at ease.

Thereupon he became like a duck in water—eating when he should eat, playing when he should play, doing whatever was most comfortable.

As for civil and military affairs, he left the civil matters to Dou Shao and the military matters to Li Xian; both were assistants whom Brother Ji had arranged for Li Lin in the first place, and who also kept an eye on Li Lin—they were not of one mind with this prince.

Of course, Li Lin had also recruited some so-called "trusted confidants" as advisors, the most famous among them being Li Bai.

In his daily life, apart from his fondness for women, Li Bai's greatest pleasure was drinking and boasting with Li Bai and other so-called "eminent scholars," listening to them sing his praises.

On summer days the heat was unbearable; only after nightfall did one feel a trace of coolness. It was not until this time that the heat-oppressed people, emerging from their daytime stupor, would sober up and regain their vitality.

Even Li Lin, as Military Commissioner of the Tianping Army, accustomed to fine clothes and delicacies, could not escape the effects of the scorching heat.

On this day, just after nightfall, Li Lin—having slept his fill during the day—began to grow restless. He summoned his trusted aides, such as Li Bai, Xue Liu, Li Taiqing, Wei Zichun, Liu Julin, Cai Jiang, and others, to a banquet.

The group drank in the main hall of the yamen while, under the pretext of "discussing state affairs," they boasted and shot the breeze—the gathering was exceedingly lively.

After the wine had gone round three times, no one knew what Li Lin was reminded of. He hiccupped from drink, looked around at the assembly, and asked: "Gentlemen, the realm is now in great turmoil. What do you think I should do to respond?"

Li Lin had originally been eager to hear some flattery, but to his surprise, once these words were spoken, the banquet fell silent.

Indeed—the chaotic times had arrived, and one careless move could cost you your head!

Who the hell would dare run their mouth recklessly!

Finding that no one spoke, Li Lin felt a twinge of melancholy.

He let out a long sigh and said: "Crown Prince Li Chang has already ascended the throne in Chang'an, honoring the Son of Heaven as Retired Emperor. I have not yet sent a congratulatory message, nor have I acknowledged Li Chang as the new Son of Heaven. Tell me—will Li Chang raise an army to punish me?"

This question, in fact, Li Lin had discussed with Gao Shang many times, and the conclusion was: absolutely no need to worry about this kind of nonsense!

Because in Hedong there were over a hundred thousand elite frontier troops, in the hands of Li Longji. If these forces entered Guanzhong and took control of Chang'an, deposing Li Chang would be as easy as turning one's hand.

The reason Li Lin did not pay much attention to local civil affairs was that he harbored the notion of "sitting on the mountain to watch the tigers fight." Once a victor emerged in Chang'an, he would then adopt the appropriate stance.

Meeting all changes with constancy.

Therefore, regarding the enthronement edict issued from Chang'an, Li Lin chose to turn a blind eye. He sent neither a congratulatory message outward nor a denunciation proclamation—his strategy was to play deaf and dumb.

His wishful calculations were sound enough, but after waiting for some time, for some unknown reason, the two sides still had not started fighting!

This unexpected situation left Li Lin frantic with anxiety.

Because the Qi Prefecture and Yun Prefecture under his jurisdiction were very close to Hebei! Separated by nothing but the Yellow River!

If Chang'an did not start fighting, then the Hebei rebel army was very likely to start fighting him!

In recent times, despite Li Lin's usual appearance of leisure, he was in fact merely "feigning composure."

Terrified to death in his heart!

"Your Highness, Li Chang's succession amounts to a palace coup—a private arrangement between minister and Crown Prince, carried out while the Sage is away from Chang'an.

If the Sage returns his army to Guanzhong, then the entire court would be regarded as rebels. This humble official believes that Your Highness must absolutely not send a congratulatory message, lest you be implicated.

You should wait and observe for a while before saying anything."

Wei Zichun bowed with hands crossed and addressed Li Lin.

One had to admit, this view did show some political foresight. As a fellow prince, Li Lin had no need to step forward and declare his position so quickly.

Had not the other princes likewise refrained from taking a stance?

Li Lin nodded and said: "Reasonable words."

However, Xue Liu held a different view. With sharp words he bowed with hands crossed and said to Li Lin:

"Your Highness, this view is mistaken. The Sage has grown old; there is no guarantee that the various frontier armies in Hedong will not harbor disloyal thoughts.

If the great army turns its coat, then Li Chang's position as the new Son of Heaven will be set in stone. Your Highness might as well send a congratulatory message first—in any case, the Sage cannot possibly send troops to attack Qi Prefecture.

Even if Li Chang succeeds to the throne, he will need support and cannot do much to Your Highness; on the contrary, he will have to do his utmost to win Your Highness over.

If you hold out for now, perhaps in a year or two the situation will change dramatically, and Your Highness may well have the opportunity to rise on the wind."

He clearly believed that Brother Ji was unreliable, and might well kick the bucket next month.

And Li Chang, being much younger, had potential that Brother Ji could not match—it was not impossible that he could turn Brother Ji's soldiers against him.

If Li Lin now sent a congratulatory message acknowledging Li Chang's succession, he would be the first among all the princes to do so; if Li Chang ultimately triumphed, this act could at the very least buy decades of glory and wealth.

Even if Li Chang harbored malicious intent, by the time he had sorted out the entire situation, eliminated the Hebei rebel army and the princes who refused to submit to him, and finally came to settle accounts with Li Lin, it would probably be ages away.

Whether Li Chang would even live to see that day was an open question!

"What you say is not without reason."

Li Lin nodded slightly, the balance in his heart swaying back and forth, unable to make up his mind.

Only the wine in his cup, originally sweet, seemed to have turned bitter.

Pretending nothing had happened did not mean nothing had actually happened.

"Li Taibai, what do you think?"

Li Lin noticed that Li Bai, who usually loved to hold forth at length, was today utterly silent at the banquet, and found it very strange.

"Your Highness, Qi Prefecture enjoys the advantage of the Ji River and the natural barrier of the Yellow River.

You can take sea vessels to trade with Balhae, exchanging local products for horses and training cavalry. You can also build warships, depart from Jizhou, and sail directly to Youzhou by sea! At the very least, you could attack the coastal counties and prefectures of Hebei.

Rather than worrying here about whether the Sage or the Crown Prince will take Chang'an, rather than deliberating over whether to send a congratulatory message or a denunciation proclamation, you would do better to sharpen your weapons and feed your horses, and strengthen yourself!"

Li Bai seemed to have drunk too much today, wearing an expression of bitter anguish.

Only, his words were rather like Fang Chongyong's previous life, when someone hoped their academically hopeless son would become the top provincial scorer on the college entrance exam—nothing but useless yet correct platitudes.

Wei Zichun was the one who had introduced Li Bai to the Prince of Yong's household—or rather, he was the man the Prince of Yong had sent to recruit Li Bai. He was an old friend of Li Bai's; the two were on excellent terms privately, and Wei Zichun could usually get through to Li Bai.

Seeing Li Bai once again speaking impractically, Wei Zichun patiently urged him: "Li Taibai, you are drunk. Say no more, say no more."

"I am not drunk!"

Li Bai seemed provoked by something. He suddenly stood up and loudly berated the aides around him: "You lot of petty, self-serving creatures only know how to eat, drink, and make merry! Do you not realize that His Highness's situation is already perilous? You fools are not worth scheming with!"

He turned and stormed off in a huff, leaving without so much as a word to the Prince of Yong.

What had been a perfectly leisurely banquet ended in such unpleasant dispersal thanks to Li Bai. Li Lin felt as though he had swallowed a plate of greenbottle flies, utterly nauseated.

The other aides besides Li Bai turned red one moment and pale the next.

"Your Highness, Li Bai knows very little of civil and military affairs. Though his words hold some truth, there are no conditions for implementing them.

Please do not blame him for his loose talk in wine. Li Taibai's heart is still inclined toward Your Highness."

Wei Zichun hastily stepped in to smooth things over for Li Bai. The other aides at the banquet were not nearly so magnanimous, every one of them wearing expressions of disdain.

Li Bai, as a person, truly did not know how to conduct himself. Aside from writing poetry, there was little about him that could be held up for admiration.

Li Bai serving as someone's subordinate, or rather as an aide, was a torment for both his superiors and his subordinates, and he himself was unhappy doing it.

Wei Zichun had lost count of how many times he had smoothed things over for Li Bai, yet Li Bai still carried on exactly as he pleased.

Perhaps this was the charm of an unbridled great poet.

Those around him often thought this way.

"He opens his mouth and speaks of trade with Balhae, and wants to buy horses. How to trade, how to buy — do you think they will sell just because you say so? Balhae remains a vassal of the Great Tang and has explicitly refused dealings with the Hebei rebel army. It is plainly unwilling to involve itself in the Tang's internal disputes.

How could such a state possibly support Your Highness when the situation is still unclear?

Building ships and training a navy to launch a surprise attack on Youzhou is even more absurd. Training a naval force that can travel with ease, clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons — even if preparations began today, it would be difficult to see results within two years.

Two years from now, who can guarantee the situation under heaven will be the same as today? Let alone that holding Youzhou also requires being able to defend it — at that point, who would be sent to garrison Youzhou? And who could actually hold it?

Li Taibai is simply marking the boat to seek his sword! Utterly foolish!"

Liu Julin argued with a face full of helplessness.

He had previously served as Inspector in a southern coastal prefecture and had considerable insight into maritime trade and naval warfare, offering Li Lin many suggestions on military affairs. He was not like Wei Zichun, who needed to save face for Li Bai.

He fired away directly, dismissing Li Bai's strategy as worthless.

Li Bai's strategy, put plainly, was to depart from the Jiaodong Peninsula, enter the Hai River, then sail upstream to strike directly at Youzhou.

It carried quite the flavor of the Eight-Nation Alliance landing at Tanggu and driving straight for the capital at the end of the Qing dynasty.

To attempt this gambit in the Tang dynasty was far too ahead of its time; its feasibility was virtually zero.

One could only say that Li Bai's strategy, like his poetry, was full of romantic spirit.

But a love-addled brain cannot stay love-addled for life, and romance cannot be eaten as a meal.

In implementing this strategy, let alone the difficulty of keeping it hidden from Huangfu Weiming, even if it were hidden, a successful surprise assault would be as hard as ascending to heaven.

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if it succeeded by luck, where would the supplies come from, and how would they be sustained long-term?

"Sigh, let him be. I am tired. Take your time and keep eating."

Li Lin said listlessly. He rose, flicked his sleeves, turned, and exited the main hall of the prefectural office.

It was all these wretched matters — did they not know that advancing even one step was extremely difficult? What was the use of saying all this!

At this moment, Li Lin was thoroughly sick at heart!

He returned to the newly built so-called "princely residence." The moment he walked through the door, his confidant Gao Shang said with a worried expression, "Your Highness, you are finally back. There is an important matter requiring your decision."

"An important matter? What important matter could there still be? Is Huangfu Weiming leading troops to attack?"

Li Lin asked back, visibly displeased, reeking of wine as he spoke.

"Your Highness, this is not the place to talk! Please, let us speak in the study!"

Gao Shang was so anxious he was about to jump up and down.

"I know, I know, then let us go to the study."

Li Lin waved his hand and followed Gao Shang to the study. After the two took their seats, Gao Shang directly handed Li Lin a letter.

"It was sent by Fang Qing, Military Commissioner of the Xuanwu Army. The tone is hostile — it seems he has come looking for trouble."

Before Li Lin even had a chance to read the letter, he heard Gao Shang say this and hastily picked up the letter, silently reading it word by word.

When he finished reading, he was so frightened that he lost all composure.

"Is Fang Chongyong trying to..."

"Your Highness, he now goes by the name Fang Qing."

Gao Shang could not help but remind him, because the signature was indeed Fang Qing, Military Commissioner of the Xuanwu Army.

"Is Fang Qing coming to deal with us?

I never provoked him!"

The Prince of Yong, Li Lin, had a face full of bewilderment at this moment.

Was that bastard Fang Chongyong just full of food with nothing better to do?

In the letter, Fang Chongyong issued an ultimatum to Li Lin: if within five days he did not send a congratulatory message to the new Emperor and submit as a vassal paying tribute, he would immediately dispatch troops to attack Yunzhou and regard the Prince of Yong as a rebel against the court!

After taking Yunzhou, the next step would be to attack Qizhou!

"Your Highness is the son of the Sage — that in itself is the reason.

Whether Fang Qing wishes to expand the territory under his control or serve as a vanguard for Li Chang, he does not need any special reason to deal with Your Highness."

Gao Shang said unhurriedly.

Every gift that fate bestows has long had its price marked in secret. Li Lin was born into fine clothes and delicacies, surrounded by beauties, seemingly enjoying the finest treatment in the human realm.

Yet his identity as a prince was a shackle that came with its own curse.

Every sip and every peck is ordained by heaven.

Li Lin's status as a prince meant that nothing in this world would ever be lenient with him. A noble like him, who enjoyed everything, was born a person who deserved to die.

Every day he lived was nothing short of defying heaven.

In Gao Shang's view, someone like Li Lin, born enjoying advantages and material conditions that others did not possess — did such a person not deserve to die?

Li Lan actually even asked Fang Chongyong why he wanted to strike him; it was simply beyond foolishness.

The prince is born to be hunted and schemed against!

Gao Shang stood expressionlessly beside him, while in his heart he silently despised Prince Yong Li Lan.

"How should I respond then?"

Li Lan asked anxiously.

As discussed at tonight's banquet, whether sending congratulatory edicts or issuing proclamations, both are things Li Lan does not wish to do.

At least not now.

He stared eagerly at Gao Shang, his mind in turmoil.

"How about I go to Caozhou? Fang Qing's troops are now garrisoned in Caozhou and will soon move into Pu Zhou.

But Pu Zhou, as the front line, has long been impoverished; the people have fled, and supplies cannot be obtained.

The Xuanwu army is likely to attack Yun Zhou at any moment."

Gao Shang let out a light sigh and said.

"No, you can't go. If you go, my bureau cannot be maintained."

Li Lan replied firmly, refusing.

Now that civil and military matters are reported here to Li Lan, he hands them directly to Gao Shang. If Gao Shang were to leave, with whom would he consult on those affairs?

"How about sending Li Taibai? He loves to speak grandly on a daily basis; let him go and talk to Fang Qing."

Li Lan suddenly recalled the scene at the banquet where Li Bai made him feel disgusted, and his mind blurted it out.

"Li Taibai, you say? I've heard he has a history with Fang Qing, so that's fine."

Gao Shang nodded slightly; he had never liked Li Bai, and if that big‑mouthed fellow offended Fang Chongyong, letting the other give him a slash— seemed no big deal.