Chapter Ninety-Two: Initial Victory

Li Jing listened to Song Qiqiu speak with an impassive expression. Song Qiqiu was a veteran statesman and a pillar of the state; his mere footfall in the imperial court was enough to make Jinling tremble. Li Jing was well aware of the long-standing animosity between Song Qiqiu and Han Xizai, so Song Qiqiu’s arrival to impeach Han Xizai made his intentions painfully obvious.

Though he had already made up his mind, Li Jing did not rush to show his stance, instead allowing Song Qiqiu to present his case. Through Song Qiqiu's words, Li Jing gained a new perspective; things that Xiao Yan had left unsaid sounded all the more alarming when spoken from Song Qiqiu's mouth.

Li Jing considered himself a man who valued old ties, but his primary identity was that of an emperor. The imperial house had always been devoid of sentiment; no matter how much Li Jing cherished old relationships, he would never allow any official to harm his kin. Xiao Yan’s memorial had already filled Li Jing with rage, and Song Qiqiu’s words acted like oil poured on fire, driving the emperor's anger to new heights.

He could never have imagined that, emboldened by imperial favor, Han Xizai would not only indulge in nightly revelries but actually invite Daoist priests to his estate to perform sorcery rituals. It was precisely these rituals that had caused the fire in the Han residence and subsequently brought to light the case of witchcraft and curses. Although Li Jing himself believed in Daoism, Han Xizai’s actions had crossed the emperor's ultimate bottom line.

Witchcraft and Daoist rituals—the combination of these two elements led Li Jing to profound and far-reaching suspicions. This Han Xizai had grown far too audacious and truly deserved a severe lesson. Moved by these thoughts, Li Jing felt it necessary to strike a blow at Han Xizai, killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, to see if anyone else in the court would dare to engage in factional strife again.

After Song Qiqiu withdrew, Li Jing pondered for a long time before personally drafting an imperial edict demoting Han Xizai to the post of Military Counselor of Hezhou, ordering him to go there and reflect upon himself first. As for the witchcraft case, Li Jing felt there were still too many lingering doubts that needed to be unraveled step by step. Han Xizai’s demotion would undoubtedly prompt many people to jump out into the open, and this moment would serve as a test to distinguish friends from foes.

When Yang Lian learned that Song Qiqiu had rushed to the imperial palace, he knew the plan had already succeeded halfway. The reason he considered it only half a success was because Song Qiqiu had always been at odds with Han Xizai; kicking a man while he was down played right into Song Qiqiu’s nature, and given his status, he was bound to achieve some results. However, to completely crush Han Xizai, relying solely on a witchcraft case was far from enough.

Back when this scheme was devised, aside from selecting Prince of Qi Li Jingsui, Li Hongji had also been pulled into the fold specifically to seal Li Hongji's lips. Indeed, subsequent news proved this correct: Li Hongji maintained absolute silence regarding the matter, for if he had chosen to defend Han Xizai at such a juncture, he truly would have been lacking in wits.

News also spread from the inner palace that Han Xizai had been demoted to Hezhou. Song Qiqiu, upon receiving the news, was far from satisfied; he submitted another memorial, rallying officials from the Song faction to write over a dozen separate petitions, relentlessly pursuing Han Xizai in an attempt to drive him to his doom.

Song Qiqiu’s memorials struck the surface like stones thrown into water, once again stirring up countless ripples and plunging the imperial court into a flurry of activity. During the court assembly, under the instigation of Song Qiqiu, Li Hongji, Han Xizai, and others, officials voiced their respective opinions and argued fiercely. One day, an official would claim that Han Xizai had practiced witchcraft to curse the imperial family of the Great Tang, a crime so heinous that he deserved execution by law. The next day, another would argue that the matter was full of anomalies, undoubtedly the work of some fugitive Daoist priest, and had nothing whatsoever to do with Official Han—though most of these remarks were mere conjectures unsupported by any concrete evidence.

Li Jing had originally hoped to smooth things over and let the matter rest, but Song Qiqiu was like a wild hound refusing to let go of the juicy piece of meat that was Han Xizai, throwing the entire court into chaos. During court sessions, most of the time was spent arguing over this dispute, and upon returning to the inner palace, Li Jing was met with mountains of memorials resembling snowdrifts, the vast majority of which concerned this very same affair. This left Li Jing physically and mentally exhausted, while further increasing his growing resentment toward Song Qiqiu.

The Han residence, reduced to ruins by the fire, had a few rooms hastily reconstructed, though most of the inhabitants had to make do with tents. Fortunately, the weather was still warm, sparing them from the bitter cold. However, Han Xizai’s heart was undoubtedly cold. He was well aware of the political storms sweeping through the court these days. As the person caught in the epicenter, Han Xizai lacked the power to speak out; after all, every single detail of these accusations had traces pointing to them, leaving him completely unable to deny the charges. Moreover, given Xiao Yan’s reputation for being upright and incorruptible, there was simply no possibility that he had been wrongfully framed.

Although Han Xizai was not imprisoned in the celestial dungeon, the Han residence was placed under strict surveillance, and Han Xizai’s personal movements were heavily restricted. The vegetables and food supplies for everyone in the Han household were uniformly procured by the government and delivered directly to the estate.

Though Han Xizai could not step outside, Li Hongji, Sun Sheng, Chang Mengxi, and others were still able to enter, frequently coming to discuss counter-strategies with him. They had guessed for a long time but could not figure out who had instigated the mysterious Daoist priest. Han Xizai had once suspected Song Qiqiu, but intelligence gathered from various quarters indicated that Song Qiqiu was not the mastermind behind the scenes; the only reason he was pushing the matter so aggressively was to avenge the old grudges held by Feng Yansi, Feng Yanlu, and their associates.

Han Xizai had no inkling that all of this had been jointly orchestrated by Yang Lian and Zeng Yiling. In this bloodless battle, Han Xizai, Song Qiqiu, Prince of Qi Li Jingsui, and Duke of Dongping Li Hongji were all merely chess pieces in the hands of the two conspirators. No matter who won or lost this struggle, Yang Lian was destined to reap the profits.

With the imperial court in turmoil, Yang Lian seized the opportunity to launch another wave of offensive maneuvers. This time, the campaign was initiated among the common folk; gambling dens and wine taverns all transformed into battlegrounds for Yang Lian’s agents. Under his instructions, Zeng Yiling arranged for reliable subordinates to spread rumors claiming that Han Xizai harbored treasonous intentions and sought to curse the imperial family of the Great Tang so that their lineage would be cut off.

When three people tell a tiger is in the market, others will believe it; what started with one person spreading the tale quickly grew to two or three. As these words passed through the mouths of ordinary citizens, they gradually became distorted. Some claimed that Han Xizai had already turned traitor and was secretly contacting the people of the Han Kingdom, preparing to switch sides at a moment's notice when the Han forces attacked the Great Tang. Others said Han Xizai was communicating with the people of Wuyue, pointing out that since Wuyue had recently won a major victory, they could march on Jinling at any time.

In the blink of an eye, all sorts of rumors flew across the city of Jinling, and the discussions among the common people eventually reached the imperial palace, prompting even Prince of Qi Li Jingsui to enter the palace and report the matter to Li Jing.

Li Jing reacted swiftly, immediately ordering an investigation to trace the source of the rumors. However, the men sent by Zeng Yiling had only appeared at the very beginning before vanishing without a trace. The intelligence Li Jing received was extremely limited, which temporarily led him to suspect Song Qiqiu. Yet, based on his understanding of Song Qiqiu, he felt this was unlikely, and subsequent investigations showed not the slightest connection between Song Qiqiu and the rumors.

Just as Li Jing was hesitating and unable to make a decision, a report arrived from the border: Emperor Liu Zhiyuan of the Han Kingdom had dispatched envoys bearing a proposal to coexist peacefully with the Great Tang and respect each other's borders. The Han Emperor’s words sounded pleasant enough, but anyone with even a slight understanding of the Central Plains' political landscape knew that Liu Zhiyuan’s Han Kingdom had just been established and its foundations were still unsteady.

In particular, Du Chongwei, who garrisoned Weizhou, held a formidable army in his hands, posing a massive threat to the Han regime. Du Chongwei was the brother-in-law of Shi Jingtang of the Later Jin Dynasty; when the Khitans invaded, he had defected and surrendered to them, causing Shi Chonggui’s Jin Dynasty to collapse rapidly. Later, unable to endure the harassment of the Central Plains populace and suffering from the intense summer heat which many Khitans could not tolerate, the invaders were forced to withdraw from the Central Plains. Yet Du Chongwei remained stationed in Weizhou, believing that Liu Zhiyuan was merely a former general under Shi Jingtang and thus entirely unworthy of being an emperor.

To quell the political debates that had persisted for nearly half a month, Li Jing had no choice but to handle Han Xizai’s case once more. After several days of deliberation, he finally ordered Han Xizai to be exiled to Jianzhou. This region was situated near the former Min Kingdom, abounding in mountains and possessing barren soil; as far as the Great Tang was concerned, it was the only remote place suitable for exile.

For Song Qiqiu, since Han Xizai had already been stripped of his official post and exiled to Jianzhou—a relatively satisfactory outcome—he ceased his relentless pursuit. Meanwhile, Li Hongji, Sun Sheng, and the others had no choice but to accept this reality. As for Yang Lian, he felt a twinge of surprise; Song Qiqiu’s capability was indeed formidable, managing to drive Han Xizai to such desperate straits and forcing even Emperor Li Jing to make concessions.

This strike could be considered a severe blow to Li Hongji’s faction. With Han Xizai, the Son of Heaven’s favored minister, forced into exile, Yang Lian was in high spirits and decided to go out on an excursion. In the late summer of Jinling, the sun was still fierce, but Yang Lian accepted an invitation to go sightseeing.

The invitation came from Princess Huairou. Ever since Yang Lian had rescued her yet again, the princess would occasionally come looking for him. Yang Lian also wished to maintain good relations with the Prince of Qi, and thus it was difficult for him to refuse Princess Huairou. Upon arriving at the Prince of Qi’s mansion, Yang Lian first paid his respects to the Prince, and the two chatted briefly about the current political climate, agreeing that the arrival of the Han envoys was likely a genuine bid for peace. As for the Khitans, since the whereabouts of their envoys remained unknown, there was no need to worry just yet.

After a brief conversation, Princess Huairou walked out slowly, clad in a red pleated skirt. Yang Lian could not help but freeze at the sight. The princess was indeed quite attractive; her round, slightly baby-faced visage was charming and lovely, and her skin surpassed snow, a sight that would stir the heart of any normal man.

Seeing Yang Lian momentarily dazed, Princess Huairou pursed her lips into a smile, revealing two dimples as her pearly white teeth flashed with luster.

Yang Lian’s distraction lasted only a fraction of a second. After all, no matter how pretty Princess Huairou was, she still fell somewhat short compared to Zhou Ehuang’s ethereal beauty or Zeng Yiling’s bewitching allure. The crux of the matter was that Princess Huairou was still rather young, and her figure had not yet fully matured; give her another year or two, and she would undoubtedly possess even greater feminine charm.

Prince of Qi Li Jingsui raised no objections—perhaps harboring intentions of winning Yang Lian over himself—and therefore waved his hand with a smile, saying, "Huairou, go and return early, and remember not to be willful and headstrong."

Princess Huairou pursed her lips and retorted, "Father, when have I ever been willful and headstrong?"

Li Jingsui smiled without answering, turning his gaze to Yang Lian as he said, "This daughter of mine is spoiled and unruly; you must bear with her."

A smile piled up on Yang Lian’s face, though inwardly he muttered, "That sounded suspiciously like a father-in-law instructing his son-in-law." Thinking thus, he replied with a smile on his lips, "The Princess is a kind-hearted person; how could she ever bully me?"

Princess Huairou let out a triumphant hum and said, "Father, how could I possibly bully him?"

Prince of Qi Li Jingsui laughed heartily and said, "The day is not early; be off with you both."

Yang Lian bowed in farewell and retreated, while Princess Huairou walked out the door as well. Li Jingsui narrowed his eyes, watching their departing backs as he stroked his beard in thought. Yang Lian was a figure worth winning over, and judging by how well his daughter seemed to treat him, he only wondered if any genuine romantic feelings were interwoven between them.

Although Yang Lian was slightly older, in this era, a man being older than a woman by a decade or two was hardly an issue; the crucial factor was whether Huairou herself fancied him. Li Jingsui thought to himself that if his daughter was willing and Yang Lian did not object, the match could certainly be made.

Yet such a matter could never be done in haste; he would have to discern his daughter's true feelings first before making a final decision.