Chapter Eighty-Five: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

By the late years of Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, the Tang Dynasty was beset by both internal and external crises. Yet Emperor Xuanzong paid no heed to affairs beyond his own pleasure, neglecting governance, favoring treacherous courtiers, and abandoning the realm’s welfare. His heart was wholly captivated by the alluring Yang Yuhuan, indulging in sensual delights and seeking eternal companionship with her, heedless of the world’s ravages.

In the early years of his rule, Emperor Xuanzong—Li Longji—entrusted state matters to wise ministers, applied himself diligently, and propelled social and economic progress, ushering in an unprecedented golden age for the feudal order. But in his later years, he became lost in debauchery and extravagance, elevating sycophants and corrupt officials, leading to a decay of politics and, ultimately, the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion, from which the Tang Dynasty began its decline. Thus, Li Longji stands out as a figure in history marked by both exceptional achievements and grave failings.

During his early reign, Li Longji valued the selection of local officials, personally reviewing county magistrates and dismissing the incompetent. He appointed capable, responsible, and forthright advisors like Yao Chong and Song Jing as chancellors, bringing social stability, economic expansion, and prosperity that culminated in the Tang Dynasty’s zenith, known to history as the "Prosperous Era of Kaiyuan." In the thirteenth year of Tianbao, the empire was at its apogee: 321 prefectures, 1,538 counties, 16,829 townships, 9,069,154 households, and a population of 52,880,488. Records state, "The peak of population prosperity was reached at this time."

He paid close attention to governing the border regions, bestowing the title "King of Bohai Commandery" on Dazuo Rong of Sumo Mohe, establishing the Bohai and Heishui Protectorates, naming Piluoge of Nanzhao as King of Yunnan, and conferring the title "Khan of Cherished Benevolence" upon Guli Peiluo of the Uyghurs, thereby consolidating the unity of this multiethnic realm.

He also reformed the military system, replacing the fubing conscription with a recruitment-based army.

In the latter part of his reign, Li Longji doted on Lady Yang, lost himself in revelry, ignored state affairs, and promoted the cunning Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong. Political corruption became rampant, sowing the seeds of the An Lushan Rebellion. The eight-year revolt led by An Lushan and Shi Siming devastated agriculture, displaced countless people, and marked the Tang Dynasty’s turn from prosperity to decline—its downward spiral had begun.

Such a tumultuous time filled Zhen Qian with anxiety. In an era of shifting fortunes, a single misstep could spell utter ruin. Yet Zhen Qian’s dreams were of amassing great wealth, enjoying the company of beautiful wives and concubines, raising a house full of children, and living as a carefree and dashing magnate.

Now, cast adrift in an age of chaos, Zhen Qian could not help but recall Du Fu’s "Ballad of the Army Carts": "...A daughter may yet be wed to a neighbor, a son is more likely lost among the weeds. Have you not seen, on the banks of Qinghai, the ancient bones left unclaimed for ages?"

He had no wish to remain in the twilight of the High Tang, nor to invite disaster unbidden. After much consideration, Zhen Qian saw only three paths open to him.

The first, to flee south or to Bashu before the An Lushan Rebellion erupted, escaping the fires of war.

The second, to seek seclusion deep in some remote mountain forest, vanishing from the world’s memory.

The third, to journey far from Tang lands, find an isolated island overseas, and live cut off from the turmoil of mortal affairs.

The first path would only provide temporary refuge. In times of chaos, nowhere under heaven remained truly safe. Zhen Qian knew all too well that one might avoid the monk, but not the temple—a true Peach Blossom Spring of peace and tranquility, did it even exist within the Tang realm?

The second path, though seemingly viable, was fraught with perils of its own. Humans are social creatures; could Zhen Qian really endure a savage, solitary existence? After the An Lushan Rebellion would come the era of warlords, the collapse of court authority, and foreign invasions. In an endless tide of conflict, where in this vast world could Zhen Qian find sanctuary? With war and displacement, oppressive taxation, and ceaseless fighting among the regional powers, the flood of history would sweep all before it—could Zhen Qian truly remain untouched?

He could not—unless he left Tang lands altogether, to a place where none could ever find him.

But fleeing overseas was equally remote. Could he, alone, survive at sea? Every necessity of life—food, clothing, shelter, transport—required skilled artisans. Was he truly ready for a wild existence with the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed?

Zhen Qian considered it all. The wise do not linger beneath a crumbling wall; of the thirty-six stratagems, flight is best. Yet where to go, and how to get there—these questions weighed heavily on him.

The eleventh year of Tianbao saw many turbulent events, and Zhen Qian watched the shifting tides of the times with unceasing vigilance.

In the second month, Emperor Xuanzong ordered the authorities to exchange tens of thousands of bolts of silk and strings of cash at the two capitals to buy up base coins. The Jianghuai region had long been awash in such coin, and the wealthy and powerful merchants would routinely exchange five base coins for one good coin, transporting the base currency to Chang’an, where it flooded the market. Li Linfu had petitioned to prohibit this practice. The government made the exchange mandatory, with a one-month deadline; those who failed to comply would face punishment. The merchants were outraged, finding it inconvenient, and intercepted Yang Guozhong’s carriage to plead their case. Yang Guozhong spoke to Emperor Xuanzong, who then decreed that any coin not cast of lead or tin, or not bearing a hole, could still be used.

In the third month, An Lushan mobilized two hundred thousand barbarian and Han infantry and cavalry to attack the Khitans, seeking to avenge the defeat of the previous year. Earlier, the Turk Abusi had surrendered and been treated generously by Emperor Xuanzong, who gave him the name Li Xianzhong, the title Prince of Loyal Service, and appointed him deputy military commissioner of Shuofang. Li Xianzhong, a man of talent and ambition, refused to serve under An Lushan, who bore him a grudge. Now, An Lushan requested Li Xianzhong lead tens of thousands of Tongluo troops to aid in the campaign against the Khitans. Fearing for his life, Li Xianzhong asked Zhang Wei, the acting commander, to petition Emperor Xuanzong to keep him at the capital, but Zhang Wei refused. Thus Li Xianzhong led his men in a raid on the military stores, defected to the northern deserts, and An Lushan halted his advance. In the ninth month, Abusi invaded, besieging Yongqing stockade, but was repelled by its commander Zhang Yuangui.

In the fourth month, An Sishun was appointed military commissioner of Shuofang.

In May, Yang Guozhong, prefect of Jingzhao, was promoted to Censor-in-Chief and Inspector-General for the capital and Guanzhong. All posts previously held by Wang Hong were transferred to him. In November, Li Linfu died, and Yang Guozhong became chancellor, holding over forty offices in total.

In June, Yang Guozhong reported that six hundred thousand Tibetan soldiers were aiding Nanzhao. The Sword Gate forces defeated them in Yunnan, capturing three cities, and took 6,300 prisoners. Due to the long journey, only the strongest thousand and their chieftains were sent as captives.

In November, after becoming chancellor, Yang Guozhong appointed Assistant Gentleman Cui Yuan as acting governor of Jiannan and summoned Ji Wen, Prefect of Weijun, as Censor-in-Chief and Inspector-General for the capital and Guanzhong. When Ji Wen came to Fanyang to bid farewell to An Lushan, An Lushan sent his son An Qingxu to escort Ji Wen out of the territory, even leading his horse for several dozen paces. Upon Ji Wen’s arrival in Chang’an, every major event at court was reported to An Lushan.

In December, Shi Siming, military inspector of Pinglu, was made Prefect of Beiping and commander of the Lulong army. Shi Siming was of Turkic descent, originally named Zugan. Emperor Xuanzong gave him the name Shi Siming. He was from An Lushan’s homeland, cunning and fluent in six barbarian tongues, and highly valued by An Lushan.

Geshuhan, military commissioner of Longyou, was on bad terms with both An Lushan and An Sishun. Emperor Xuanzong sought to reconcile them, making them sworn brothers. In the winter of the eleventh year of Tianbao, all three were summoned to court, and Emperor Xuanzong ordered Gao Lishi to host a banquet east of the city. During the feast, An Lushan said to Geshuhan, “My father was a barbarian, my mother a Turk; your father was a Turk, your mother a barbarian. We are kin—why can’t we be close?” Geshuhan replied, “The ancients said, ‘When a fox howls at its own den, it is most inauspicious, for it has forgotten its roots.’ If you wish to be close to me, how could I not serve you wholeheartedly?” An Lushan believed Geshuhan had insulted his barbarian heritage by using the term “fox” and flew into a rage, cursing him, “How dare a Turk like you speak so!” Geshuhan wanted to retort, but Gao Lishi signaled him to stop with his eyes, so Geshuhan feigned drunkenness and left. From then on, their animosity only deepened.

In the blink of an eye, the twelfth year of Tianbao was approaching, and Zhen Qian felt the footsteps of war drawing ever nearer. He wondered what could be passing through Emperor Xuanzong’s mind at this moment—did he truly believe the world was at peace? Was it time for swords and spears to be stored away, for horses to graze on southern hills?

An Lushan had marshaled two hundred thousand barbarian and Han troops against the Khitans—did this not raise the slightest alarm for Emperor Xuanzong? Two hundred thousand soldiers! Even two hundred thousand pigs would be too many to entrust to a barbarian general. This was no mere lack of political acumen; it was digging his own grave.

Emperor Xuanzong’s strategy relied on powerful regional armies and weak internal forces. The border armies numbered about half a million, over seventy percent of the entire Tang military. Meanwhile, the Imperial Guards in the capital numbered fewer than eighty thousand, most of whom were scions of noble families. Such a lopsided balance of power, and yet Emperor Xuanzong harbored not the faintest suspicion toward An Lushan—this was a most unnatural state of affairs.