In the city of Kanyakubja, King Harsha still maintained his respectful treatment of Xuanzang. Near the royal palace stood a royal temple of the Harsha Empire, named after Harsha’s clan name “Vatanadhana” — known as the Vatanadhana Royal Temple. As a gesture of esteem, King Harsha invited Xuanzang to reside temporarily in the Vatanadhana Royal Temple.
That night, however, a visitor came calling. Xuanzang had Wang Xuance bring the person in, and found himself rather surprised — it was Yazdegerd III.
“What — does it surprise you, Master?” Yazdegerd III said with a smile.
“It does, somewhat,” Xuanzang replied, hastily inviting Yazdegerd III to sit. “Is Your Majesty not in negotiations with King Harsha? How do you find the leisure to come seek this humble monk?”
“I finished speaking with King Harsha,” Yazdegerd III sighed.
“What was the outcome?” Xuanzang asked eagerly.
Yazdegerd III shook his head. “In the end, King Harsha agreed to accept our Persian remnants — however, he required us to resettle in Central India, to be dispersed without concentrated settlement, with no more than fifty thousand people in any one gathering. In addition to paying substantial taxes each year, he also demanded that ten thousand of us be conscripted into his imperial army. These conditions We cannot accept, and so talks broke down. Tomorrow We return to Gandhara.”
Xuanzang was puzzled. “Since there is at least a path to survival, why not accept?”
“The Master does not know,” Yazdegerd III said with a wry smile. “If We were to accept his terms, We would be leading our Persian people into a pit of fire. We would become oxen to be driven and flogged, squeezed to our last drop of blood, and sent to the battlefield as human shields. What We have been searching for day and night is a homeland where our people can rest and dwell — the homeland in Our dreams does not look like this.”
Xuanzang was silent for a long while. “After returning, what does Your Majesty intend to do?”
Yazdegerd III showed a bewildered expression, then smiled bitterly. “In truth We came to find your disciple — Reverend Wujing.” Seeing Xuanzang’s slight look of surprise, Yazdegerd III continued, “I hear that Reverend Wujing is an official of Great Tang?”
Wang Xuance let out a long sigh. “Senior Aide of the Eastern Palace Right Guard Command, Upper Fifth Rank.”
“Then why has he become a monk?” Yazdegerd III asked.
“His Majesty missed his master, and I happened to have made a mistake,” Wang Xuance explained. “Thanks to His Majesty’s regard, I was commanded to come care for my master. My master and I agreed that if matters arose at court, I could return to the halls of government.”
“Did this humble monk say that?” Xuanzang said mildly.
Wang Xuance played dumb. “Oh? Did I remember wrongly? Master, what exactly did you say at the time?”
Xuanzang ignored him and turned to Yazdegerd III. “This person is audaciously bold. The Great Tang Emperor merely sent him here to temper his disposition.”
“Audacious boldness is precisely what one needs to navigate this turbulent age!” Yazdegerd III said with feeling. “My own temperament — if I were maintaining an established dynasty, I could manage with some effort. But in this turbulent age, I am truly like a clay chicken or an earthen dog. Reverend Wujing, in your view — is there any solution to Persia’s predicament?”
“There is not,” Wang Xuance said immediately. “A dead end with no escape.”
Yazdegerd III’s expression turned bitter. “Even you see it that way?”
Wang Xuance nodded. “Your Majesty is caught in a net. To the west, the Arab Caliphate; to the east, India; to the north, Tokharistan and the Western Turks. Unless you leap free of this net, you are meat on someone else’s chopping block — it is merely a matter of when they will devour you.”
But Yazdegerd III’s eyes lit up. “Could We actually leap free of this net?”
“You can — it is only a question of whether Your Majesty has the courage,” Wang Xuance said.
Yazdegerd III bowed deeply. “Please instruct me, Reverend!”
Wang Xuance smiled slightly. “I wonder how much Your Majesty knows of the situation between Great Tang and the Western Turks?”
“Not a great deal,” Yazdegerd III said.
“Eleven years ago, after Great Tang annihilated the Eastern Turks, Yugu She — the son of Shibi Khan — fled to the Western Turks. Seizing upon the chaos that followed the death of Tong Yabghu Khan, he built up his own power base, harrying the eastern borders of Great Tang and attacking the original Western Turk forces to the west, attempting to unify the Western Turks. Two years ago he killed Tong’e Khan. Last year, Tong’e’s son succeeded him, and was likewise defeated and killed by him. Tong’e’s nephew Bubu was subsequently installed as Khan, and the two sides are locked in bitter fighting to this day.” Wang Xuance spoke of the political landscape as if recounting a familiar list. “Last year, after Our Great Tang destroyed the Kingdom of Gaochang and established the Anxi Protectorate, we have been working together with Bubu to eliminate Yugu She. In my view, this situation is precisely where Your Majesty’s talents can be put to use!”
“Oh?” Yazdegerd III pondered. “What can Persia do?”
“Simple.” Wang Xuance snapped his fingers. “What Your Majesty should truly be doing is not moving eastward, but northward. Moving east, you face enemies; moving north, you face friends. If Your Majesty moves north through Tokharistan and enters the great grasslands of the Western Turks — joining forces with Great Tang to strike at Yugu She from both sides — imagine what that would look like.”
Yazdegerd III fell into deep thought and was silent for some time. Xuanzang paid no attention, allowing this disciple of his to speak eloquently and persuade the Persian Emperor.
“You are saying that if Persia can coordinate with Great Tang to eliminate Yugu She, We could take refuge in Great Tang?” Yazdegerd III asked.
Wang Xuance shook his head repeatedly and sighed. “Your Majesty, please stop thinking about taking refuge. You are a sovereign — why must you shelter beneath someone else’s wing? When Great Tang has unified the Western Regions, what you will gain is Tokharistan!”
Yazdegerd III startled sharply, his breathing growing heavy. “Tokharistan? We could gain Tokharistan? How could that be possible?”
“Why not?” Wang Xuance said. “At present, Tokharistan’s armies have all been drawn northward by Bubu to fight in the war, leaving the entire interior of Tokharistan hollow. For Your Majesty to enter the Western Turks, you must advance like lightning — seizing Tokharistan in one stroke — only then can you suddenly emerge at Yugu She’s rear and, working in concert with Great Tang, deliver him a fatal blow. Bubu honors our Emperor as Heavenly Khan. You will have rendered Great Tang a great service, and with our backing, who would dare compete with you for a mere Tokharistan?”
Yazdegerd III was overcome with astonishment and delight. “The Reverend is not wrong. We too know that Tokharistan’s interior is hollow, but We have been wary of the Western Turks’ strength and dared not rashly occupy it. If Great Tang would be willing to stand behind Us, We are fully confident We could seize it in a single stroke!”
“Exactly.” Only then did Wang Xuance smile, with something of the approval of a teacher who finds a student teachable. “Your Majesty certainly knows Tokharistan’s terrain — mountains folded upon mountains, easy to defend and hard to attack. With Great Tang behind your back, supplies can flow without cease. Even if the Arab Caliphate came with ten thousand upon ten thousand troops, what could they do to you? Is this not far better than forcing your way eastward and going to war with King Harsha?”
“Quite right!” Yazdegerd III flushed with excitement. He turned urgently to Wang Xuance. “Reverend, could you report to the Great Tang Emperor that we Persians are willing to cooperate?”
“But…” Wang Xuance looked at Xuanzang with a troubled expression. “I am serving as my master’s disciple. How could I presume to return to Chang’an on my own?”
Xuanzang had long since seen through what the young man was after and paid him no mind.
Yazdegerd III looked at Xuanzang pleadingly. “Master…”
Xuanzang sighed. “Cultivation of the Way is cultivation of one’s heart. Wujing, since your heart is in the halls of government, this humble monk will not stand in your way.”
Wang Xuance said gravely, “Master, this disciple took monastic vows under the Emperor’s orders — my heart naturally remains in the Buddhist faith. Please do not misunderstand.”
“If that is the case, then continue your cultivation by following this humble monk,” Xuanzang said.
Wang Xuance immediately corrected himself. “Well… this disciple has just this moment come to understand a truth: to save one life surpasses the building of a seven-story pagoda. At this very moment, six hundred thousand Persians are wandering in hardship with nowhere to go. If this disciple can find them another path forward and avert this war, would that not generate more merit than building a seventy-story pagoda? The Bodhisattva said: if I do not enter hell, who will? And so this disciple has decided — I would rather forfeit this monkhood than fail to help the Persians accomplish this mission!”
Xuanzang gazed at him steadily, his expression composed and undisturbed. Wang Xuance felt himself pinned under that gaze and lowered his head.
Xuanzang said, “Very well — go.”
“Truly?” Wang Xuance was flooded with joy and surprise.
Xuanzang nodded. “This humble monk will compose a letter explaining the details. You shall carry it to His Majesty the Emperor — he will naturally not fault you for leaving without authorization.”
It was only then that Wang Xuance felt genuinely ashamed. Faced with Xuanzang’s lofty magnanimity, his own petty maneuverings made him flush with embarrassment.
Wang Xuance prostrated himself on the ground. “This disciple… is grateful for Master’s blessing!”
Wang Xuance and Yazdegerd III then entered into a secret agreement. That very night, Wang Xuance accompanied Yazdegerd III back to the guesthouse, and the two together drafted a state letter, transcribed in two copies — one in Chinese and one in Persian — and after sealing them with their seals and securing them with wax, entrusted them to Wang Xuance to conceal carefully.
Yazdegerd III clasped Wang Xuance’s hands and urged him with repeated emphasis. “Senior Aide Wang, We are entrusting the survival and future of Our six hundred thousand subjects to you! If we can obtain Great Tang’s protection, We swear before the god Mazda that our Persian people shall be Great Tang’s vassal forever and for all generations.”
“Your Majesty may rest easy — Great Tang and Persia have always been on friendly terms,” Wang Xuance responded with conviction. “With Your Majesty’s pledge, Our Emperor will certainly lend aid. This mission I undertake now shall not be carried out in vain!”
Yazdegerd III said solemnly, “This is not a sovereign’s promise — it is a vow.”
Yazdegerd III personally saw him out and gazed after Wang Xuance as man and horse disappeared into the night, letting out a deep and mournful sigh.
The legion commanders Herun and Nudoman came forward. Herun said with delight, “Your Majesty, do you truly intend to go north according to Wang Xuance’s plan?”
“For now, let us treat it as a hope,” Yazdegerd III said quietly.
Herun was taken aback. “You have not yet decided?”
“Of course not,” Yazdegerd III said. “The road north is nowhere near as smooth as Wang Xuance made it sound — there are countless barriers along the way, and every one of them could bring the unexpected. If we fail to seize Tokharistan, we will lose even our current foothold. Even if we take Tokharistan, if Yugu She ultimately prevails in the Western Turks’ civil war, we will face Yugu She’s retribution directly. And even if everything goes perfectly and Bubu defeats Yugu She — if the Great Tang army fails to arrive in time, we will still face Bubu’s retribution. So this is merely a hope — only a hope…”
Yazdegerd III went on murmuring, while inside the guesthouse an altar bearing the Sassanid sacred fire blazed fiercely, casting its light upon Yazdegerd III’s face — that face leaping between light and shadow in the firelight, reflecting sorrow, reflecting despair.
The following morning at the third watch of the night. The dawn sun just rising over the Gangetic plain, Xuanzang saw Wang Xuance off at the city gates. Xuanzang looked at this disciple of his and said, “At the moment of parting, this humble monk will say no more — only this one admonition: the heavenly way is without feeling, and regards all living beings as straw dogs. Yet if you too regard your fellow human beings as straw dogs, then when you return to the halls of government, the higher your position, the greater the harm you will cause.”
“Master,” Wang Xuance said with a wry smile, “the truth is that no matter whether it is I or any ordinary person, in the eyes of a sovereign we are nothing but straw dogs. In the cracks between great powers in contention, ordinary people do not even qualify as kindling — they are not worth the trouble of harvesting, but are simply trampled straight into the mud.”
“And so if you were a high official and nobleman, would you also look upon ordinary people as kindling?” Xuanzang fixed him with a stern gaze.
Wang Xuance was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “Master, did you live through the turmoil at the end of the Sui dynasty?”
“I am ten-some years older than you — how could I not have lived through it?” Xuanzang said.
“Indeed! Master and I are both from Luoyang. From the time of Yang Xuangan’s rebellion, the land around Luoyang never ceased from war — Yang Xuangan, Zhai Rang, Li Mi, Dou Jiande, Yuwen Huaji, and the present Emperor — countless forces slaughtered one another over Luoyang. Corpses lay in heaps; the entire region between the rivers was nearly stripped of all human life. Master, I grew up in that environment,” Wang Xuance said. “Master, do you know the helplessness of a child facing war and military chaos? The banner atop the city wall changed again and again — one side sang its part and stepped down, and another took the stage. One day my family housed the Wagang Army, and the next morning I opened the door to find Wang Shichong’s Zheng troops instead. Having narrowly escaped with my life beneath the Zheng army’s blades, in the blink of an eye the Tang forces arrived. And so I am profoundly grateful to Great Tang — it was Great Tang that ended the chaos of the age and gave me stability and honor. From childhood I made a vow: I will never again let others manipulate me at will. I will be a loach gliding through the gaps between nations, making these sovereigns’ hands become my hands, these sovereigns’ blades become my blades. In this life I am sworn to die in loyalty to Great Tang — and yet even the Great Tang Emperor cannot control my life. Master, this disciple also has human emotions and bonds of affection — but to speak of such things is truly a luxury. In the gap between two clashing blades, there is no room for the things of love and sentiment.”
Xuanzang sighed. “Some things are the ways of the world reshaping the heart. This humble monk will not force it — I only hope you can think often of those beautiful feelings, and not trample them underfoot.”
“Your disciple bids farewell to Master!” Wang Xuance knelt and kowtowed, and parted from Xuanzang with tears streaming.
In those days, he had truly come to feel something genuine toward Xuanzang. Yet riding some hundred or more li northward, Wang Xuance drove his horse to a halt at the edge of a cliff, suddenly reached up and felt his head — he was still wearing his hair loose with the golden headband. Immediately vexed, he pulled the headband off, summoned every last ounce of strength in his body, and hurled it over the cliff. Then he tied his hair back up with a cord.
He cupped his hands and called out into the mountain valley at the top of his lungs: “Wang Xuance is back! Great Tang! Tibet! India! Western Turks! Arab Caliphate! Sovereigns — tremble before me—”
Having released all his pent-up indignation, Wang Xuance suddenly remembered: “Oh no, my headband! That was gold!”
Wang Xuance ached over it but could do nothing about it, and had no choice but to spur his horse northward. This time he did not take the original road but instead headed northeast from Kanyakubja, entered Nepal, crossed the Himalayas, and arrived within Tibetan territory.
Songtsen Gampo was greatly pleased upon hearing of it and personally welcomed Wang Xuance into the Potala Palace for a banquet. After several days together, Wang Xuance bid farewell to Songtsen Gampo and set out on the ancient Tang-Tibet Road — first crossing the Tanggula Mountain Pass, battered by year-round wind and snow, and entering Qinghai. Qinghai at that time was under the jurisdiction of the Tuyuhun, though the Tuyuhun had already submitted to Great Tang; Wang Xuance produced his silver fish token, and the Tuyuhun received him warmly, taking care of his every need. After Qinghai he had entered Great Tang territory. Following the Hexi Corridor, he entered the Wei River valley, and at its far end lay the magnificent splendor of Chang’an!
Never stopping along the road, he pressed on through night and day. After three or four months of travel, Wang Xuance finally reached Chang’an. Entering Chang’an through the Jinguang Gate and pushing into the bustling West Market, he nearly broke into tears. Simply because he had drunk himself senseless and shattered a glass cup, he had been flung out of Chang’an by the Emperor — first serving as an escort envoy for a bride, then disguising himself as a Tibetan strategist, helping to destroy the Su Pi Women’s Kingdom, and when the heroic spirit in his chest had just reached its peak, becoming a monk and following Xuanzang east and west in wandering and hardship. Looking back on it now, Wang Xuance felt it had all been like a dream. It seemed as if just last night he had been drunk in the Pingkang Quarter, leaning on beauties, roisterously merry — and then woke from sleep to hear the madam say: Young Master Wang, the millet has not yet cooked — rest a little while longer.
Thinking of Pingkang Quarter, Wang Xuance felt a burning restlessness inside, yet dared not be reckless. He was still officially a diplomatic envoy, his assignment not yet handed over. He had no choice but to first eat a proper Chang’an meal at the West Market, then go to the Ministry of Rites to hand over his assignment and surrender the half fish-tally he had carried on the mission. A Ministry of Rites official said in surprise, “Senior Aide Wang, the escort party to Tibet returned nearly a year ago — why have you only arrived now?”
The words made Wang Xuance’s eyes grow moist, but his visit to India to find Xuanzang had been a mission personally entrusted to him by Li Shimin, and had nothing to do with the Ministry of Rites — he could not explain it in detail. As the chief of the Bureau of Investigation’s network, his communication with the Emperor did not pass through the various ministries; there were other channels. He immediately submitted a memorial through the Imperial Library, reporting to the Emperor on his activities. Li Shimin at once summoned Wang Xuance to audience in the Sweet Dew Hall of the Grand Ultimate Palace.
Li Shimin looked him up and down. “Hmm. More than a year of hardening — your temperament has settled. Wang Qing, did you find Reverend Xuanzang?”
“This official traveled to India, and not only found Reverend Xuanzang but became his disciple and traveled through India in his company,” Wang Xuance said. “This official conveyed to the Reverend Your Majesty’s kind regards. The Reverend turned and bowed toward the northeast, moved by Your Majesty’s deep and abiding affection.”
Wang Xuance recounted the events of Xuanzang’s challenge to the high monks of the five Indias, the debate at Kanyakubja, and his final investiture with the honorific title “Champion of the Mahayana.” Listening, Li Shimin clapped his hands in admiration. “What a fine monk! As We truly foresaw — he is indeed a thousand-league steed of the Buddhist faith, who has spread Our Great Tang’s prestige abroad!”
Wang Xuance had come bearing a mission, so he described the situation in Gandhara and the predicament facing Yazdegerd III. This opened Li Shimin’s vision at once. He had maps brought up and had Wang Xuance give him a briefing on the conditions of each kingdom, listening with fascination and longing.
“Wang Qing, what is your assessment of the sovereign rulers of the present age?” Li Shimin asked.
Wang Xuance was taken aback, but dared not refuse to answer. “When it comes to the most powerful sovereign in the world, of course that is you, Your Majesty. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have swept in all four directions — the Eastern Turks, the Tuyuhun, Gaochang, Yanqi, the Western Turks, the Xueyantuo — all have submitted. There has never been a time in the history of our central plains dynasty when military accomplishments were so formidable.”
Li Shimin roared with laughter. “And who comes next?”
“Who comes next…” Wang Xuance hesitated a moment. “The Caliph of the Arab Caliphate, I suppose! The Arabs rose from the desert, and in just a few years destroyed Sassanid Persia, struck north at Byzantium, and conquered Egypt — advancing eastward, they have nearly reached Tokharistan. I fear it is only a matter of time before they enter the Turkish steppes and go to war with the Western Turks.”
“Quite right — the Arabs are a newly risen power from the desert, their military momentum at its peak. Their dominance will likely not fade for decades,” Li Shimin remarked. “And who is third?”
“Third — King Harsha, I would say?” Wang Xuance said.
Li Shimin shook his head. “In Our view, King Harsha does not quite qualify. We believe it should be Songtsen Gampo — at such a young age, he unified Tibet, subjugated the Zhangzhung Kingdom and the Su Pi Women’s Kingdom, and crushed the Dangxiang, the Tuyuhun, and the Bailanqiang. I hear that Songtsen Gampo’s greatest ambition is to conquer the Bolor Kingdom, then enter the Turkish steppes and contend for supremacy with the Western Turks and the Arabs!”
“But why does King Harsha not qualify?” Wang Xuance asked.
“King Harsha?” Li Shimin pointed at the map. “The King Harsha of his early years was still a figure of heroic ambition — but now, what the years have aged is not only his bones and sinews, but his very vitality and spirit. A few years ago he failed in his campaign against Southern India and simply let it go at that. Now he wants to cross the Indus and reclaim Gandhara. If he were decisive in action, We would respect him in some measure — but just look at him: hesitating and irresolute. Is this how a sovereign of the age should conduct himself?”
“And yet King Harsha does face genuine difficulties,” Wang Xuance said. “Yazdegerd III has a firm hold on Gandhara, and is no negligible force. The moment King Harsha crosses the river to push westward, the two sides would inevitably clash in a hard fight. Even if he won, the Turks to the north and the Arabs to the west would seize the moment to take a bite out of him.”
“They would not!” Li Shimin said decisively. “Before the Western Turks’ civil war between Yugu She and Bubu produces a clear victor, neither side can spare any attention for Gandhara. As for the Arabs — their forces are currently bogged down in Khorasan. They may have an interest in a surprise strike on Gandhara, but their only aim would be to kill Yazdegerd III. Before they have fully pacified all of Persia, they would never be willing to cross the border in force and fight a major engagement with King Harsha. So if King Harsha acts decisively, taking Gandhara is simply a matter of taking it. He would have the initiative — able to advance or fall back at will. As for what comes after, who cares? Take it first and worry later. Once meat is in your mouth, can you spit it back out?”
“A pity King Harsha does not have this boldness,” Wang Xuance said with a sigh. “In that case, does Your Majesty see any chance of survival for Yazdegerd III?”
“Yazdegerd III — his character is too weak. In this world of powerful enemies on all sides, he is nothing but flesh on the chopping block — a sumptuous feast in the eyes of every sovereign.” Li Shimin said regretfully. “If he were willing to go north to Tokharistan, he could still serve some purpose. But as things stand, I fear those Persians will simply be consumed to no purpose in the struggle over the Indus.”
Wang Xuance was filled with admiration for Li Shimin’s clarity of vision, and immediately knelt. “This official took it upon himself to persuade Yazdegerd III to march north and enter Tokharistan.”
Li Shimin was taken aback and gave him a strange long stare before finally saying, “What boldness — Our faith in you was well placed!” He went to the map and studied it carefully. “You have the Western Turks in mind, do you not?”
“How could this official’s thinking escape Your Majesty’s notice,” Wang Xuance said with a rueful smile.
Li Shimin was not listening to the flattery; he was speaking to himself before the map. “If Yazdegerd III marches north to Tokharistan, who will be most alarmed? Yugu She! Yazdegerd III’s motive can only be one of two things — either he is joining forces with Tokharistan to side with Bubu, or he is bypassing Bubu to align with Our Great Tang. Whichever it is, the Persian blade will ultimately swing toward Yugu She. What will Yugu She do?”
“Rush ahead to occupy Tokharistan!” Wang Xuance said with a smile.
“Exactly!” Li Shimin said. “This way, knowing in advance that Yugu She will divide his forces, we can strike like lightning while he is weakened — thoroughly crushing him. Once Yugu She is crushed, can Bubu still remain half-hearted as he is now? He can only submit fully to Great Tang!”
Wang Xuance said with genuine admiration, “Your Majesty truly has magnificent vision and grand strategy!”
“This was clearly your strategy!” Li Shimin humphed. “Still — using this to crush Yugu She is indeed workable. But Wang Qing, have you considered: if Yugu She personally leads his army to take Tokharistan, what would it matter if we smash the forces he has left in the Khotan area?” Li Shimin said. “What We want is not merely to defeat Yugu She, but to thoroughly dismantle his power — so that none in the Western Turks will ever dare defy Our Great Tang again!”
Wang Xuance looked at Li Shimin in surprise, uncertain what he had in mind.
“Summon the Imperial Draftsman,” Li Shimin commanded.
The Imperial Draftsman in the Secretariat was responsible for drafting imperial edicts and served as an aide to the Emperor. In a moment, the duty Draftsman Ma Zhou presented himself, and Li Shimin said, “Ma Qing, draft Our edict for transmission to Guo Xiaoke at the Anxi Protectorate. Tell him: Yugu She will be dividing his forces to march south on Tokharistan. If Yugu She remains at Khotan, take advantage and dispatch troops to strike and break him — and be sure to capture or kill him. If Yugu She leads his forces south personally, use the opportunity to divide and buy over his subordinates, and wait for the right moment to completely surround and annihilate them.”
Ma Zhou drafted the edict, took it to the Department of State Affairs for its seal, then arranged for it to be dispatched with urgent priority.
Wang Xuance bowed in deep admiration. “Your Majesty does not calculate gains and losses by a single time and place — the breadth of your far-sighted view is truly beyond this official.”
Li Shimin laughed heartily. “The Western Turks are actually nothing to worry about. Whether Yugu She or Bubu — they are nothing more than two wolves. Ever since Tong Yabghu Khan died, the Western Turks have had no more tigers. We will sooner or later bring them into the fold.”
Wang Xuance grew spirited. “Your Majesty, who do you truly consider a worthy opponent in this world?”
“There is not a single person in the world who is,” Li Shimin said with a smile. “To the east, Goguryeo — a minor state, a mere itch and scab. We will take it down sooner or later! As for the Western Regions — in future, the ones to worry about are: first, Tibet’s Songtsen Gampo, and second, the Arab Caliphate, newly risen from the desert. However, as long as We take the Western Turks and control Tokharistan, whether Tibet or the Arabs, We may attack at will or hold firm at will. In this world of suffering, Great Tang will have no more rivals!”
Li Shimin spoke with vigorous spirit and vast ambition.
At that very moment, Ma Zhou walked in holding a document, his expression tense and troubled. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”
Li Shimin was startled. Ma Zhou was known for his composure and agile eloquence — why would he be so flustered?
“What has happened?” Li Shimin said.
Ma Zhou drew a deep breath, offered the document, and said, “News from Qizhou. His Majesty’s fifth son, Prince Qi, Li You — has raised an army in rebellion!”
Both men were stunned. Li Shimin seemed not to have understood. “Who… who has rebelled?”
“His Majesty’s fifth son, Prince Qi, Li You,” Ma Zhou said softly.
Li Shimin’s expression went vacant, and then he burst into violent fury. He overturned the low table and sent the furnishings crashing to the floor, roaring with rage: “Our son raises an army in rebellion? Xia Jie, Shang Zhou, the brutal Qin, the depraved Sui — even tyrants of such wickedness had no sons rebel against them, and yet Our… Our son is going to rebel? Rebel against Us?”
“Your Majesty,” Wang Xuance consoled, “Prince Qi Li You has always had a perverse and willful temperament and delighted in the company of villains. His nature is such — it is none of Your Majesty’s doing.”
“Hah!” Li Shimin seemed to age a full decade in an instant, murmuring, “Father and son tearing each other apart, taking up arms in a prosperous age — how will the history books write of Us?”
He trembled as he rose, was seized by a wave of dizziness, and collapsed to the floor on the spot.
Upon regaining consciousness, Li Shimin personally composed an imperial edict, commanding the Minister of War, Lord of Ying Commandery, Li Ji, to lead the garrison forces to suppress the rebellion of Prince Qi, Li You.
I have always warned you not to draw close to villains — precisely for this reason. You have always strayed from virtue and sincerity, and again were led astray by wicked words. You brought calamity upon yourself and invited your own destruction. Such grief — how could you be so profoundly foolish! You became as a screech owl and a glutton, forgetting filial piety and loyalty, and brought turmoil to the land of Qi, slaying those who had committed no offense. You abandoned the strength of a fortified city and embraced the peril of kindling stacked high; you destroyed the closeness of stone and iron and invited the clash of spear and halberd. One who defies propriety and acts against righteousness — heaven and earth cannot contain him. One who abandons father and flees his sovereign — gods and men alike are angered. Formerly you were my son; now you are the enemy of the state. Wan Ji lived and died for loyalty and righteousness, and his death did not hinder the cause of justice; but you lived as a treacherous minister and will die as a rebellious ghost. His name shall endure in glory undiminished; your wicked mark shall know no end. I have heard of the cases of the Lord of Zheng and the Han Crown Prince — both were reckless and violent. To my grief, I did not expect to live to see my own son do likewise. For this reason I am ashamed before high heaven above and abashed before the rich earth below; my sorrow and lamenting are beyond measure, and I no longer know what more to say.
When Li Shimin finished writing the edict, he could not help but cover his face and weep bitterly.
He specifically summoned Wang Xuance and instructed him through gritted teeth: “You shall go with Li Ji to Qizhou to put down the rebellion. This wayward son’s uprising will surely be settled in a single engagement. But We want to know who incited him to rebel. Investigate this matter quietly, without going through the official judicial channels of the court.”
Wang Xuance’s heart went cold, and he quietly agreed. “Yes! Your Majesty, this official has heard that Prince Qi deeply favored Yan Hongxin, heeding his every word without question. And this Yan Hongxin is the maternal elder brother of Yin Hongzhi’s wife. Shall this official subject Yan Hongxin to harsh interrogation?”
This question gave even Li Shimin pause.
Prince Qi Li You was the son of Li Shimin and Consort Yin. Censor-in-Chief Yin Hongzhi was Li You’s maternal uncle.
Consort Yin and Yin Hongzhi’s father had been Yin Shishi, the western capital garrison commander of the former Sui dynasty and a renowned general. In the early years, when Li Yuan raised an army against the Sui, he besieged the western capital. In his fury, Yin Shishi had sent men to arrest and execute Li Yuan’s fifth son, Li Zhiyun, and also destroyed Li Yuan’s ancestral tombs and family temples. Li Yuan hated him bitterly, and after capturing the western capital, had Yin Shishi’s three clan lines exterminated. His youngest son Yin Hongzhi and his youngest daughter were still children at the time and were spared by Li Yuan. Subsequently, Li Shimin took Lady Yin as a side consort, and she gave birth to Prince Qi Li You. Yin Hongzhi also enjoyed Li Shimin’s trust and had served successively as Vice Minister of Personnel and Censor-in-Chief.
The implication of Wang Xuance’s words was plain: once Yan Hongxin was subjected to harsh interrogation, the investigation would very likely implicate Yin Hongzhi — and even Consort Yin herself — and this would perhaps trigger yet another great upheaval within the imperial family.
“Investigate!” Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, then said through gritted teeth, “Whoever it is, investigate to the end! Without someone inciting him, would Our son rebel against Us? Hah — three princes slain outside the gates, and the Tang house sees its cycle of retribution? We do not believe it!”
Wang Xuance dared say nothing more, and departed under orders.
Li Ji’s great army bore straight down on Qizhou, while Wang Xuance led the Bureau of Investigation agents ahead of them, reaching Qizhou first — whereupon he was rather taken aback: could this be the appearance of a rebellion? The city defenses were lax; the soldiers were jittery and unsettled. It was said that the manifesto Li You had dispatched to the surrounding prefectures had been utterly ignored by everyone.
Wang Xuance found Qizhou’s Military Registrar Du Xingmin and asked about Li You’s movements — and was even more astonished by what he heard. It seemed that after Li You raised the banner of rebellion, he had randomly handed out grand titles to his favored associates — things like Supreme Pillar of State, Prince of the Western Expansion, Prince of the Eastern Expansion, and so on. Meanwhile the entire Qizhou already knew that Li Ji was coming with troops to put down the revolt, and Li You? He was carrying on as usual, feasting and drinking with his associates from morning to night, through every hour of the day.
In the midst of their merriment, Li You occasionally brought up the court’s great army. Yan Hongxin’s brother Yan Hongliang, drunk and laughing loudly, said, “When Li Ji’s troops arrive, we shall hold a wine cup in our right hand and a blade in our left, and slaughter Li Ji’s entire force for His Royal Highness!”
Li You was apparently enormously pleased by this.
Wang Xuance grew bolder and discussed the situation with Du Xingmin: why not simply storm the Prince’s residence directly and arrest Li You?
Du Xingmin was also a man of audacious boldness, and the two of them were instantly in perfect accord. Together they assembled a hundred-some men loyal to the court, and deep in the night went to the outer wall of the Prince Qi’s residence. They breached the surrounding wall and burst inside. The forces of Prince Qi’s residence collapsed at the first encounter and were utterly unfit for resistance.
Li You and Yan Hongliang were in the middle of their banquet, both rather vexed, discussing whether they ought to go out beyond the city to the Douzi Hills and become bandits. Li You was somewhat reluctant and kept hesitating. At that very moment, Wang Xuance’s surprise assault on the residence came — and the two men, thinking Li Ji’s great army had broken through the city, were so frightened that they each donned armor, took up bows and arrows, retreated into the interior, and ordered their personal bodyguards to resist.
Wang Xuance surrounded the entire building on all sides and commanded an assault, but the building was extremely solidly constructed, and Wang Xuance dared not harm Li You. The two sides faced off from dawn until the midday hour, with Li You refusing to surrender.
Wang Xuance became urgent and called out loudly, “Li You — you were once the Emperor’s son, and now you are the state’s traitor. If you do not surrender, I am going to set fire to this place!”
Li You also grew alarmed, and shouted through the window: “If you will not harm Yan Hongliang and the others’ lives, This Royal Highness is willing to surrender!”
“Agreed — I will not kill him!” Wang Xuance promised.
Li You was as good as his word, immediately throwing down his weapons and surrendering. The soldiers bound them one by one with ropes, and Li You was still incensed, barking at them: “Just go through the motions — tie the ropes loosely. The whole idea is to enter the court with a bundle of thorns in self-reproach; it is just a formality. Right, someone find me a few thorns to stick in. Actually, Chang’an is still far away and thorns would be painful — wait until This Royal Highness reaches Chang’an to stick them in.”
Wang Xuance and Du Xingmin exchanged a speechless look.
“Military Registrar Du, you watch over Li You for now. I need to privately interrogate one person.” Wang Xuance gave his instructions, had men bring Yan Hongliang into an adjacent room, and questioned him alone: “Who incited Prince Qi to rebel?”
Yan Hongliang hung his head dejectedly. “In truth, there was not much inciting. The Senior Aide sent by His Majesty to serve Prince Qi, Quan Wanji, had long been at odds with us. He governed Prince Qi sternly, considered us all villains, and repeatedly tried to have us removed. Later, I and the Prince plotted secretly to kill Quan Wanji — but unexpectedly, this man detected our plans in advance, arrested two of my close associates and threw them in prison, and reported the matter to the court. Last month, His Majesty was going to send the Minister of Justice, Liu Dewei, to Qizhou to thoroughly investigate. If it had been proven, my head would have rolled! The Prince and I hated Quan Wanji to the bone — we waited until he went out and shot him dead. But after killing him, the two of us realized it had done no good — Liu Dewei was still going to come and investigate. So… thinking it over and over, we decided we might as well just rebel!”
Wang Xuance stared at him. “That is the whole story?”
“That is the whole story,” Yan Hongliang said with certainty.
“Fools!” Wang Xuance muttered furiously. By this point he was already certain that Li You’s rebellion had nothing whatsoever to do with Consort Yin or Yin Hongzhi — because this man was an utter buffoon.
“I am not a fool!” Yan Hongliang suddenly grew indignant. “Gegan Chengji said that the court officials had been treating the imperial princes too harshly, and told us to rise up and resist — that the Crown Prince would surely stand up for us at that time!”
Wang Xuance’s expression changed sharply. “Who did you say?”
“Gegan Chengji!” Yan Hongliang said. “A junior officer in the Crown Prince Left Guard Command — the Crown Prince’s personal attendant. It was the Crown Prince who had him come and tip us off that Liu Dewei was coming to investigate us.”
A cold sweat immediately broke out on Wang Xuance’s forehead; his expression shifted between light and shadow. He walked out silently, shot a glance at those on either side — the soldiers immediately rushed into the room and cut Yan Hongliang down with their blades.
“Wang Xuance, you break your word!” Yan Hongliang shouted. Wang Xuance did not look back and walked straight out. The soldiers in an instant hacked Yan Hongliang to pieces.
Prince Qi’s rebellion was suppressed in this roundabout, accidental fashion. When Li Ji’s great army arrived, even this battle-seasoned military genius could only smile wryly. The court had expended all that effort — mobilizing garrison forces from nine prefectures, an army of tens of thousands — only to see the rebellion put down by a hundred-some people.
Li Ji and Wang Xuance discussed the situation, then submitted the victory report first, and afterward escorted Li You and the others back to Chang’an.