Chapter 128: Why Regret Now

Everyone says An Lushan has the heart of a rebel, but who is born with a traitorous bone? It is always the pressure of circumstances that forces one's hand.

An Lushan built the Xiongwu City in the north of Fanyang. It was not as if the imperial court were unaware, but there were those who used this to attack him, insisting that his defense against border threats was a mere pretext and that his true intention was treason—claiming he was housing a massive army within the city, stockpiling grain and warhorses, and forging weapons for a coup.

An Lushan felt more wronged than Dou E. Li Linfu clearly did not want border generals to enter the capital as chancellors. An Lushan was not the only general in the Great Tang with tens of thousands of troops under his command. Given the Tang policy of "heavy on the borders, light on the interior," why must they insist he harbored treasonous intent? To prove his loyalty, An Lushan invested heavily in land and built grand mansions in the capital, preparing to enjoy his retirement there.

Furthermore, An Lushan left his son, An Qingzong, in the capital—nominally to serve as an official, but in reality, as a hostage. Could these actions not prove that he had no intention to rebel?

An Lushan felt an indescribable sense of gratitude toward Emperor Xuanzong. His current status and authority were all bestowed upon him by the Emperor. To rebel against Xuanzong... An Lushan had truly never considered it before.

Holding onto power to protect oneself was merely a survival strategy for border generals; An Lushan was no exception. How could that be equated with treason?

The relentless pressure from Yang Guozhong filled An Lushan with a sliver of panic. If a lie is told a thousand times, it becomes the truth. With himself far away in Fanyang and Yang Guozhong, a close courtier to the Emperor, constantly whispering slanders, the day would eventually come when Emperor Xuanzong would lose trust in him. By then, even if he did not wish to rebel, he would have no choice.

"Commander An, we are approaching Luquan County. The hour is late; shall we enter the city to rest?"

An Lushan’s thoughts were interrupted by his guard outside the carriage. He shifted his corpulent frame and raised his heavy eyelids. "Enter the city!"

With the New Year approaching, although there were many displaced refugees outside the walls, it did not dampen the festive atmosphere within the county. Feng Wannian had already retreated to the inner hall, exchanging cups with his concubine. When officials served in posts far from home, their wives were either left in the capital or returned to their ancestral homes. In the long, lonely nights, how could one bear to be without the company of a beautiful woman? It had long been considered a romantic tale for officials to keep one or two beautiful concubines while stationed abroad, and Feng Wannian was no exception. Shortly after taking office, someone had gifted him a beauty; living in constant companionship with the scent of red sleeves had indeed eased his homesickness.

Li Cui, however, was unwilling to see him. Feng Wannian, well-versed in the unspoken rules of the bureaucracy, would pay a visit to Zhen Qian’s residence morning and evening, offering insincere greetings and gifts of local specialties, hoping this "plague god" would leave soon.

As the saying goes, those with different paths cannot make plans together. It was easy for imperial clansmen and local officials to draw the suspicion of the Emperor if they associated too closely, and if their political stances differed, suppression was inevitable.

Suddenly, a bailiff ran in, panic-stricken, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, stuttering, "C-Commander An... has entered... entered the city!"

Feng Wannian felt his face flush with embarrassment. His subordinates were unruly, and their shouting was hardly proper. "Get out!"

The bailiff raised his head and caught a glimpse of Feng Wannian’s concubine, dressed in sheer gauze, looking utterly enchanting as she held a wine cup to Feng’s lips. The bailiff froze for a moment, then, face reddening, he sputtered and accidentally sprayed the wine he was holding all over Feng Wannian’s face.

Feng Wannian was about to erupt in rage when he suddenly realized the implication. Ignoring the bailiff and the concubine, he barked, "What did you say? Who has arrived?"

"Commander An... he is on his way to the capital for the New Year audience and is passing through Luquan County. He is preparing to lodge at the government post. The other three gentlemen have already arrived there..."

Feng Wannian could no longer remain calm. An Lushan was not like Li Cui. Li Cui was merely an idle prince; no matter how far his reach, he could not touch the Ministry of Personnel. Even if he had grievances, it would not affect Feng’s career. An Lushan was different—he was the favorite in the eyes of Emperor Xuanzong and, more importantly, Feng’s direct superior. His career was held in the palm of An Lushan’s hand. How could Feng not be nervous?

"Master, your clothes... they are on backward!"

In his panic, Feng Wannian rushed out the door before he could even properly put on his official robes. His concubine chased after him, uncaring that her appearance was becoming disheveled.

"Hurry... where is the carriage? Forget it, bring me a horse!"

Feng Wannian rushed to the entrance of the government post, only to see it already surrounded by soldiers. He spotted the three county deputies standing at the gate, trembling. "Is Commander An inside the post?"

The county magistrate pulled a long face and said, "We were both a step too late. Commander An heard that Prince Li was in the city, so he went to pay a visit to Zhen Qian’s residence. We were at a loss and could only wait here for you, Magistrate."

"He went to Zhen Qian’s residence?"

Feng Wannian felt bitter. He had not yet sent away one "plague god," and now another great deity had arrived, and the two had gathered together. What was he to do?

Li Cui was of noble birth, a prince of the Tang. An Lushan was a powerful Jiedushi (military governor) of three regions, holding multiple titles. To put it bluntly, he was merely a guard dog for Emperor Xuanzong, helping the Tang defend against foreign threats. How could a dog sit as an equal with a master?

It was no wonder the three deputies were at a loss. If An Lushan were merely making a courtesy call, it would be fine for the four of them to stand in the cold wind for a while. But if the two were to converse happily, would their absence not be a breach of etiquette? To go or not to go? The four looked at one another, then turned their gaze to Feng Wannian, waiting for his decision.

"Very well! Let us go to Zhen Qian’s residence now to seek an audience with Commander An..." Feng Wannian left the rest unsaid. They did not favor Li Cui, but if Li Cui were to obstruct them, Feng Wannian would certainly not be the only one to suffer.

The three sighed, regretting their past actions, but it was too late now.

As soon as An Lushan arrived at the Luquan post and heard that Li Cui was in the city, he did not initially think much of an idle prince. But then, a thought struck him: his journey to the capital would inevitably lead to a conflict with Yang Guozhong. Having another person to speak on his behalf would not be a bad thing.

An Lushan, of course, would not bet everything on Li Cui; he had other plans. Times had changed. Yang Guozhong had just come to power and had not yet solidified his influence. Strangely enough, not a single chancellor in the court was seen cozying up to Crown Prince Li Heng. An Lushan knew this was by Emperor Xuanzong’s design, a deliberate suppression of Li Heng.

The world believed Li Heng’s position as Crown Prince was precarious, but only An Lushan knew the truth: although Emperor Xuanzong suppressed Li Heng, he always kept it within limits and never intended to depose him. It was merely a tactic to prevent the palace coups that had plagued the Tang since its founding, a way to tell Li Heng to be content as Crown Prince and not to harbor wild ambitions of forcing the throne.

If he could win the support of Li Heng and the imperial clan, An Lushan would naturally have no need to fear Yang Guozhong’s slanders. The problem was that Li Heng’s attitude was not friendly, and interacting with him directly would easily invite the Emperor's suspicion. He would have to take a roundabout path.

Emperor Xuanzong had expressed an interest in becoming in-laws with An Lushan and was currently looking for a match for his son. An Lushan thought that Li Cui’s daughter, the Princess Jinyuan, was a fine choice—she was beautiful, gentle, elegant, and sensible; she would be an excellent match.