Jiang Caiping… Yunyi silently recited this name. She had never imagined that one day, she would stand in such an opposing position to Jiang Caiping.

After a long while, she said: “I will personally avenge Jixiang’s death. Don’t worry.”

No matter how much hatred and unwillingness Yunyi harbored in her heart, she could now only remain in Mingyue Convent, spending her days in the austere life of chanting sutras, praying to Buddha, and eating simple meals. Fortunately, Jingkong was not an unkind person and didn’t make things difficult for her, only asking her to copy Buddhist scriptures.

After Yunyi was forcibly sent to Mingyue Convent, Li Shimin also became an idle prince forced to remain at home. Because of this matter, Liu Wenjing, Zhangsun Wuji, and others had repeatedly petitioned, but all returned without success. Li Yuan remained unwilling to employ Li Shimin again, instead distributing the duties stripped from him to Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji for them to manage jointly. For a time, the Eastern Palace’s power greatly increased, while the once incomparably prominent Prince of Qin’s residence became so deserted that visitors were rare, causing much lamentation.

Even so, Li Jiancheng still felt uneasy about Li Shimin and sent people to secretly watch the Prince of Qin’s residence. After all, this second brother posed too great a threat. If not for finding this opportunity to strike him down completely, he would probably still be firmly suppressed by him.

Shortly after Li Shimin was demoted, the former Wagang Army general Xu Shiji surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and handed over the population registers of the Liyang territory he controlled. Li Yuan was extremely pleased, not only rewarding him but also granting him the Li surname.

A sovereign granting one’s surname was an extremely high honor. Xu Shiji… no, it should be Li Shiji now. Receiving this distinction, he was naturally grateful to Li Yuan and regarded him as his master.

All this fell into Li Mi’s eyes and left a bitter taste. After surrendering to Li Yuan, he seemed glorious on the surface but was actually quite uncomfortable, facing exclusion everywhere and holding no real power – it was thoroughly frustrating. Moreover, he could see Li Yuan’s intention to win over his subordinate generals, just like Li Shiji. Once all his men were won over by Li Yuan, he would truly have nothing left.

Should he continue living like this, or should he fight for his life?

For a long time, when Li Mi tossed and turned in bed during deep nights, this question occupied his thoughts. After intense internal struggle, he finally made his decision – fight!

But he was now in Chang’an, with only about ten thousand men under his command. If he showed even a hint of rebellious intent, he would face axes and blades immediately, with no chance of survival. To succeed, he had to leave Chang’an first.

After much deliberation, Li Mi finally thought of a plan to escape like a golden cicada shedding its shell. Taking advantage of a court session, he petitioned Li Yuan, claiming that since coming to Chang’an, he had achieved nothing and felt deeply guilty. Now in Shandong region, many of his former subordinates remained. He was willing to go there to recruit them for surrender to the Tang Dynasty, which would both demonstrate Tang’s national prestige and expand Tang’s strength.

Li Yuan was suspicious even of his own sons, let alone Li Mi who had surrendered midway. He naturally didn’t believe his words, but he still agreed to Li Mi’s request.

Why? Since Li Mi wasn’t truly loyal to him, what was the point of keeping him nearby? Better to take this opportunity to completely eliminate this future trouble!

Yes, from the moment Li Mi requested to go to Shandong, Li Yuan had murderous intentions toward him!

In the seventh month of the third year of Wude, at the end of summer and beginning of autumn, Li Mi led thirty thousand soldiers toward Shandong. He hoped to rise again there and once more become the mighty lord of Wagang. Unfortunately, the path he embarked on was destined to be a road of no return!

When Li Mi’s army reached Huazhou, he received an imperial decree delivered by fast horse, ordering him to leave half his forces in Huazhou and take the other half through the pass. This command wasn’t bad news for Li Mi, because among the thirty thousand soldiers he brought, some were Li Yuan’s confidants. He had long wanted to separate from them but lacked the opportunity. Wasn’t this a perfect chance?

After leaving half his soldiers behind, Li Mi continued forward. Upon reaching Chousang, Li Yuan’s second command arrived, ordering his forces to proceed slowly while Li Mi alone returned to Chang’an.

By this point, if Li Mi still didn’t realize Li Yuan had seen through his intentions, he would have been a fool to serve as Wagang’s leader for so long. It turned out… from beginning to end, he had been within Li Yuan’s calculations, never escaping.

Should he return or not?

Going back now meant Li Yuan would certainly not spare him. Not going back offered a glimmer of hope. Ahead of Chousang was Taolin County – once past this point, he would leave the Guanzhong region and no longer be within Li Yuan’s sphere of influence.

Given this, was there any need for the question of whether to return?

“Rebel!” This was what Li Mi said to his ten thousand or so subordinates. Although most of these men had followed him for years, many fell silent at this moment.

Though this place was already at the edge of Guanzhong, Xiongzhou was only a day’s journey away. Once they rebelled, Xiongzhou’s commanders would immediately send troops to suppress them. With so few men, could they leave Guanzhong alive?

The first to speak was Jia Runfu, an old-timer who had followed Li Mi throughout their journey, experiencing both Wagang Army’s peak and its decline, remaining loyal throughout – truly admirable.

He strongly advised Li Mi not to rebel. Li Mi had already rebelled once against Zhai Rang. If he rebelled again against Li Yuan, everyone would think Li Mi was two-faced. Even if he left Guanzhong, no one would trust him. Returning to actively seek Li Yuan’s forgiveness might not be without hope.

If Li Mi had retained any shred of reason, he should have heeded Jia Runfu’s words. Unfortunately, he had lost his rationality. Jia Runfu’s heartfelt words not only failed to make Li Mi turn back but made Li Mi think Jia Runfu had betrayed him. He drew his sword to kill him, but fortunately someone stopped Li Mi. Jia Runfu took this opportunity to escape, rushing all the way to Xiongzhou to inform the garrison commander of Li Mi’s rebellion.

Meanwhile, Li Mi led dozens of soldiers to storm Taolin County, killing the county magistrate, ransacking the entire county office, and occupying Taolin County. With this, Li Mi completely broke with Li Yuan and the Tang Dynasty!

However, Li Mi wasn’t truly mad. He knew that with his meager forces, trying to face the Tang Dynasty with its hundreds of thousands of troops would be like a fool’s dream. So upon occupying Taolin County, he spread rumors everywhere about advancing on Luozhou, while actually sending messages to his former general Zhang Shanxiang, Governor of Yinzhou, asking him to send reinforcements.

Xiongzhou’s garrison commander Shi Wanbao was an incompetent man. Hearing of Li Mi’s rebellion, he was already frightened before any battle began, cowering in Xiongzhou and not daring to show his face. Finally, his deputy general Sheng Yanshi volunteered to lead several thousand troops to Taolin County to suppress the rebellion.

This Sheng Yanshi was quite capable. Upon learning of Li Mi’s plan to go to Luozhou, he immediately judged this to be false information, because Li Mi had neither grain nor troops in Luozhou – it was impossible for him to attack Luozhou. On the contrary, nearby Yinzhou did have his former generals.