Chapter 566: Founding the Nation: Distant Alliances and Close Assaults

Returned to the long‑yearned Chang'an, walking along the broad Chunmingmen Street; the prosperous and wealthy Chang'an of Li Bai's memory had long since lost its former splendor.

The road was still wide, but the pedestrians hurried; a beggar could be seen at the wall corner, and the autumn wind swept the fallen leaves, leaving a desolate view.

Many people, with their families in tow, left the city eastward, stumbling as if fleeing disaster.

This year Guanzhong suffered a severe grain shortage, already unbearable for many ordinary families in Chang'an.

In Chang'an's heyday, the annual grain deficit was about three million shi; Hebei could supply roughly one million shi, Liang Huai and Jiangnan about eight to ten hundred thousand shi, and the remainder relied on local transport from Guanzhong.

Now Hebei's grain no longer arrives, and Liang Huai and Jiangnan's supplies have also sharply declined, leaving Chang'an's deficit at least another one million shi. Many impoverished families, artisans, and petty merchants can no longer survive, and those with families are leaving Chang'an for their hometowns to find food.

They do not wish to leave, yet they must; the grain famine of Chang'an during the Wu Zhou era seems to be repeating today.

Li Bai did not go to the West Market to check the grain price, but he knew it must be a terrifying figure.

In his peripheral vision, he saw a few people skulking behind him, so he gripped his sword hilt, ready to act at any moment.

Fortunately it was a false alarm; the stalkers abandoned the chase when they saw him head toward Dunhua Fang, a gathering place of officials' families, famed for "scholars chatting, no common folk in sight," and home to many court officials.

Such a place is not one that ordinary bandits could afford to offend.

Arriving at the Yan Residence gate, he lightly tapped the bronze ring on the main door.

Yan Zhenqing's son Yan Kong opened the door, and upon seeing Li Bai, his face showed puzzlement, as if he had met him somewhere before.

"I, Li Taibai, have come to pay my respects to Minister Yan."

Li Bai performed the greeting with some restraint, constantly recalling Wei Zichun's warning before departure.

"Be extra careful; this mission concerns life and death, and must not fail!"

Hearing it was Li Bai, Yan Kong hurriedly ushered him inside, his eyes full of admiration.

"Sir Taibai's poetry is famed throughout the world; having you as a guest at our Yan household truly brightens our humble home."

"Please wait a moment, Sir, Yan will fetch some wine."

Yan Kong quickly fetched fine wine to entertain Li Bai.

After they sat, Yan Kong asked with some doubt, "I wonder what business Sir Taibai has in seeking my father?"

Li Bai wanted to retort "None of your business," but recalling Wei Zichun's countless admonitions, he restrained his temper and, with a salute, said to Yan Kong, "I, Li, have important matters to discuss with Minister Yan."

The following phrase, "It's not convenient for you to know," was omitted.

Yan Kong, not a fool, understood implicitly. He led Li Bai into Yan Zhenqing's study, where they chatted idly.

He had expected Yan Zhenqing to return quickly, but the wait stretched to four or five hours!

Not until near the hour of Hai (11 p. m.) did Yan Zhenqing, dragging a corpse‑like body, finally return home, while Li Bai and Yan Kong had already fallen asleep in the study!

"Go rest then."

Yan Zhenqing waved his hand lightly at Yan Kong, his body seeming weighed down by endless fatigue.

Yan Kong had intended to stay and listen, but seeing Yan Zhenqing's resolute demeanor, he withdrew from the study and returned to his bedroom to rest.

"Long time no see; I wonder where Li Taibai is on official business?"

Yan Zhenqing asked nonchalantly, for as Prime Minister he naturally knew Li Bai served under Prince Yong Li Lin; the question was merely to confirm his suspicion.

Indeed, Li Bai saluted Yan Zhenqing and said, "I, Li, am now on official duty under Prince Yong, holding the post of Circuit Judge."

This was idle talk; Li Bai still did not know Yan Zhenqing's current stance, so he could not lay out everything plainly.

"I, the Prime Minister, feel weary from official duties today; Judge Li, if you have any matter, speak plainly."

Unlike Yan Kong's fan‑boy demeanor, Yan Zhenqing remained composed, exuding the bearing of a Prime Minister; he would not treat Li Bai differently merely because his poems are praised.

"By Prince Yong's command, I have come to Chang'an to persuade Minister Yan to dispatch troops to Luoyang. The forces from Bianzhou will also strike Luoyang from the Hulaoguan side.

I believe the rebel army, unable to coordinate its front and rear, will inevitably suffer a disastrous defeat."

If this battle succeeds, the court can capture the three Heyang cities; securing this strategic point would also open the grain transport routes.

The Liang Huai and Jiangnan grain ships could then sail up the Yellow River to Guanzhong.

"Isn't that wonderful?"

Li Bai said nothing more and instead presented his trump card.

Unbeknownst to him, Prince Yong Li Lin's plans to ascend the throne were no longer a secret; even though Fang Chongyong had not announced it publicly, many signs indicated the prince was brewing a major move!

For example, Prince Yong and his staff arriving in Bianzhou is highly unusual.

After all, Yan Zhenqing, as Prime Minister, has a political sense far sharper than a commoner's, and his intelligence networks are not simple; he naturally understood what Li Bai meant.

"Alas!"

Yan Zhenqing sighed deeply; the worries he had feared were materializing one by one.

The rebellion of Li Wan had not yet been resolved, and now Prince Yong Li Lin was also rebelling. Yet this is not surprising; Li Chang's patricide and regicide amounted to an automatic forfeiture of legitimacy, breaking the tacit rule of divine artifact succession.

The regional princes' uprisings were expected; after all, they could rebel under the banner of "avenging their fathers."

Who would still be polite to Li Chang!

"Li Taibai, I, the Prime Minister, ask you a question; you must answer truthfully."

Yan Zhenqing looked at Li Bai and asked solemnly.

"Minister Yan, please ask."

Li Bai's heart was already lodged in his throat.

"Your Highness Prince Yong, are you already preparing to proclaim yourself emperor?"

Yan Zhenqing stared intently at Li Bai's eyes and asked.

Li Bai remained silent.

In fact, his silence already implied consent.

Li Bai also harbored his own political ambitions.

With Prince Yong's ascension, he, as the prince's aide, would also be promoted.

At the very least, he could become Minister of Rites, right?

Before, he could never have reached the position of Chancellor, but now it's different. So essentially, Li Bai and Yan Zhenqing have no private matters to discuss.

He firmly supports Li Lin's ascension to the throne!

When interests differ, stances differ; what else can be said?

Could one, on this tranquil night, while fighting off drowsiness, chat about literature and poetry with Yan Zhenqing?

"I understand."

Yan Zhenqing saw Li Bai remain silent, so he nodded.

He understood.

"Li Baochen is ambitious; with him in charge, the Yellow River is blocked, and the grain transports from Jiangnan and the Two Huai regions cannot reach Chang'an. I, Li, today on Chang'an Main Street saw many with hungry bellies; Yan, you must have seen it as well, right?"

Li Bai again reminded Yan Zhenqing of the purpose of dealing with Li Baochen.

Indeed, Fang Chongyong may ignore Li Baochen, but Yan Zhenqing cannot. Even if the court ships grain by sea, it must still use the Yellow River transport to Chang'an.

The He Yang Three Cities are the collar that strangles Guanzhong's throat.

Even if Li Lin were to ascend as emperor, seizing Luoyang from this side of Chang'an is extremely urgent.

If elite troops from Bianzhou cooperate, a two‑sided pincer gives a huge chance of victory.

However, there is another problem.

After Luoyang is captured, whose will it be?

Could there be a hidden threat behind it?

Yan Zhenqing hesitated for a moment.

"This is Fang Jiedushi's handwritten letter, bearing His Royal Highness Prince Yong's seal and signature; please, Yan, review it."

Li Bai then fished a letter from his chest and handed it to Yan Zhenqing.

Behind this matter, Wei Zichun was pulling the strings; whether Fang Chongyong or Li Lin, they both hope that General Baochen meets his end quickly.

"Hmm."

Yan Zhenqing nodded, and after reading the letter, slipped it into his sleeve.

In the letter, Fang Chongyong said that after defeating Li Baochen, the troops of Xuanwu Garrison would retreat to Bianzhou and not enter Luoyang City.

This is no longer a hint but a plain statement. Whether Yan Zhenqing believes it is his own matter.

Yan Zhenqing may be indifferent, but the grain‑starved Chang'an cannot be.

"Judge Li, why not stay at Yan's residence today? I still need to consider it."

Yan Zhenqing thought for a moment and said,

"That would be fine."

Li Bai breathed a sigh of relief; Yan Zhenqing did not refuse outright, which meant the matter was half settled.

After the household staff arranged Li Bai's lodging, Yan Zhenqing did not go to sleep but summoned his resident aide Li E to discuss the matter.

Yan Zhenqing gave the aide the handwritten letter from Fang Chongyong, reiterated Li Bai's words, and then waited quietly for Li E's reply.

"Yan, we have no choice in this matter. Now every day in Chang'an people are leaving their homes; the grain shortage is severe."

If we do not open a grain route, food from Jiangnan and the Two Huai regions cannot reach Guanzhong; what can be done?

We cannot wait until famine covers the land before acting, can we?

Li E asked anxiously,

He also saw that the core of the issue is not Luoyang City itself, but the He Yang Three Cities on the Yellow River banks near Luoyang—a choke point guarding the Yellow River.

Since Li Baochen seized this place, Guanzhong's grain transport has been cut off. While Huangfu Weiming was still alive, he never gave a harsh stance.

Huangfu Weiming, one of the leading families of Guanzhong, could not possibly act harshly against Guanzhong.

But General Baochen would not give the people of Guanzhong any leeway.

Therefore, since Fang Youde defeated Huangfu Weiming at Huayin, Guanzhong's situation has worsened day by day, with grain shortages becoming ever more severe.

The He Yang Three Cities are militarily defensive towns attached to Luoyang; to capture them one must capture Luoyang.

From this perspective, Fang Chongyong's suggestion has no problem.

Li E's view aligns closely with Yan Zhenqing's: sending troops to Luoyang is fine, but who will own Luoyang after the war?

The guarantee Fang Chongyong made in the letter—can they trust it? Should they gamble on it?

Yan Zhenqing is in a dilemma, so he wants to hear Li E's advice.

"Yan, many people in Chang'an do not wish for Li Chang to be the current Son of Heaven."

"If this expedition can smoothly retake Luoyang, those people will likely settle down for a while."

Li E said slowly,

He seemed about to speak but ultimately said nothing superfluous.

Actually, Li E thought that Yan Zhenqing need not die defending Li Chang; a son‑killer and king‑slayer, could he truly be worthy of the throne?

But Yan Zhenqing clearly believes that another change of the Son of Heaven would cause the imperial authority to keep declining, becoming ever more corrupt.

Choosing the lesser of two evils, there has never been a perfect choice in the world.

"Tomorrow go to Fengxiang Residence, inquire about the opinion of Konghe Army commander Li Jiaqing, and report back to me promptly."

The Konghe Army together with the troops of Tongguan Military Commissioner Gao Xianzhi should be enough to deal with Li Baochen.

Yan Zhenqing let out a long sigh and said,

Recently Guanzhong has expanded its forces considerably; the Konghe Army now numbers twenty thousand, the Tongguan Military Commissioner commands ten thousand. Within Chang'an City there is the Nan Ya Imperial Guard, together totaling twenty thousand fresh troops.

Li Baochen, however, commands only fifty thousand men, who must garrison Luoyang, the He Yang Three Cities, and locations near Hulaoguan such as Zhengzhou and Huazhou.

Li Guiren on the opposite bank of the Yellow River, though belonging to the Hebei rebels, still follows Li Baochen's orders rather than the court's.

If the Silver Spear Elite of Xuanwu Garrison can ally with Guanzhong's troops, a two‑sided pincer on Li Baochen will surely win.

"Command received; I will set out tonight."

Li E did not hesitate, nodding to indicate agreement.

"Wait a moment; I'll draft a letter."

After speaking, Yan Zhenqing quickly finished a letter and handed it to Li E to take away.

After Li E left, Yan Zhenqing finally collapsed wearily onto the soft couch in the study, feeling all his energy drained.

Li Chang's patricide and regicide altered the grand situation that was about to sweep the world. Until then, at least Yan Zhenqing was more optimistic than Fang Youde, believing the situation could still be managed.

But now it is different.

Yan Zhenqing understood that now, rather than saying we are tidying up the situation, it is more like we are struggling to hold on.

The supplies from Wu Guan Road seem to be dwindling as well.

It is heard that Prince Yong Li Jiao is also recruiting troops and buying horses in Xiangyang, apparently sharing the same intention as Li Lin. Wu Guan Road is a supply line that relies on the Han River; Li Jiao's thoughts are heavy, and even a slight reduction in Wu Guan Road's supplies is already a preparation for the future.

Does Yan Zhenqing have any way?

To tell the truth, he has no method at all.

The armies in Guanzhong can reach Luoyang without issue now, but further beyond that is uncertain. Where could they aim for Xiangyang?

Li Jiao is also a prince; if the opposing camp shouts slogans before battle, raising troops under the banner of avenging the former emperor, then whose side the people's hearts will favor is still uncertain!

Yan Zhenqing also knows that the soldiers of the Kong He Army are very dissatisfied with the officials in Chang'an.

He only hopes that this time they can prioritize the greater picture.

……

Inside the largest residence in Chenliu County, Prince Yong Li Lin stared at the letter brought by Wei Zichun, his hands trembling, his eyes revealing fear.

He looked as if his soul had left his body.

Li Lin, upon seeing Wei Jian's handwritten letter to Fang Chongyong, felt completely unsettled.

"What does Fang Qing mean? What does Wei Jian mean? What are they planning?"

Li Lin, incoherently questioning Wei Zichun before him, said. He didn't even have time to wonder whether Wei Zichun, being from the Jingzhao Wei clan, might be secretly colluding with Wei Jian!

"Your Highness, Fang Qing handed Wei Jian's letter to me, clearly not intending to merge with that side.

Please, Your Highness, do not panic."

Wei Zichun whispered to Li Lin, actually he was also nervous, because once Fang Chongyong chooses to cooperate with Wei Jian and others, Li Lin will have nothing left.

The temptation to seize Luoyang, can Fang Chongyong truly ignore it?

Li Lin was a little reluctant to believe.

"If you disagree, just disagree; why hand the letter to me?"

Li Lin complained with slight dissatisfaction.

Wei Zichun, feeling helpless, could only cautiously remind, "Your Highness, could it be that Fang Qing hopes you to go to Kaifeng Prefecture for a face‑to‑face talk?"

Wei Zichun put forward his own thought; in fact, when this letter reached his hands, Yan Zhuang said nothing at all!