Volume Two: The Ancestral Marquis Chapter 100: The Short-Lived King

For a month, Wei Fufeng secretly stationed himself in Kuizhou, recommending to his grandfather the two capable leaders who had initially seized Jinzhou. Gao Yan was appointed governor of Kuizhou, while Xu Ran took charge of Wanzhou, and Tian Wen of the Jincheng army was made governor of Guizhou. The governor of Zhongzhou suggested assigning Li Xian to an external post, and his grandfather agreed to all these appointments.

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When Li Shunjie arrived at Chang’an, he was completely unaware that the military governorship he once commanded had already changed hands. He swaggered under the escort of a large army, entering the city through Mingde Gate and marching imposingly along Zhuque Avenue, as if he were the returning emperor on a royal inspection. On both sides of the avenue, throngs of onlookers gathered, many having come upon hearing the news to witness the spectacle.

Li Shunjie’s exuberance grew; sitting upright on horseback, his gaze fixed ahead, his expression dignified and commanding, he projected the air of a sovereign. Upon reaching the Tianwei Army’s quarters, he stretched his stiffened limbs and began organizing the troops. Being a military man himself, he understood that power was founded on military strength. His plan was to rigorously train this motley force in the capital before launching an offensive to reclaim Jinzhou territory.

News of Li Shunjie’s flamboyant entry reached Emperor Zhaozong. Li Shunjie had committed a grave offense by not presenting himself to the emperor upon return to pay homage and express gratitude—a brazen display of disrespect. Originally, Zhaozong had promoted Li Shunjie to counter the formidable threat posed by Yang Fuguo, but with Yang's escape, Li Shunjie’s usefulness diminished. Yet his arrogance was intolerable.

The following day, Zhaozong summoned Li Shunjie. Accompanied by three hundred armored elite soldiers, Li Shunjie proceeded to the Daming Palace but was barred at Danfeng Gate. He kicked aside the guard and berated them, accusing them of disrespecting a prince. Intimidated, the guards allowed him entry. This caused alarm within the palace.

At Yanying Hall, Zhaozong received the report, his expression darkening before he forced himself to remain composed and permitted Li Shunjie to bring his troops inside. Li Shunjie stationed his soldiers outside and entered alone to pay homage.

With a majestic stride, he respectfully declared, “I humbly greet Your Majesty and thank you for your bestowed grace.” Zhaozong, eased by his civility, replied gently, “You have made meritorious contributions to the court; I must reward you accordingly.”

Li Shunjie vowed, “I shall assist Your Majesty in quelling the rebellious forces and restoring imperial authority over the realm.” Though presenting this as loyalty, his true intention was to lay groundwork for seizing Jinzhou.

Zhaozong interpreted this differently, sensing Li Shunjie’s ambition to emulate the likes of Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao by wielding imperial power to command the warlords. Fearful, he considered Li Shunjie even more dangerous than Yang Fuguo.

“Your bravery comforts me,” Zhaozong replied nervously.

Li Shunjie then presented a memorial, penned by his subordinates, detailing the temporary appointments he had made in Kuizhou to stabilize governance. Typically, such appointments—governors and county officials—were the prerogative of the imperial court, even in semi-autonomous regions, which always retained some court officials.

“Your chief secretary and county deputies should be appointed by the court,” Zhaozong remarked.

“Your Majesty,” Li Shunjie explained earnestly, “many soldiers earned merit during the campaign. Knowing the court cannot offer material rewards, I granted them official posts to placate them. Please understand.”

Zhaozong nearly lost his temper but subdued it and nodded, “As you have proposed.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Li Shunjie responded respectfully.

“Anything else?” Zhaozong asked, eager to end the conversation.

After hesitation, Li Shunjie added, “On my return through Jinzhou, I noticed the construction of massive fortifications. The governor there, indifferent to the people’s suffering, seems intent on rebellion.”

Zhaozong was surprised but aware of the situation. The Jinzhou governor had reported that after being besieged and battered by heavy rains causing flooded streets and hardship, he had organized the populace to build a protective enclosure within which crops could be cultivated to ensure stability. Such construction was common and not a matter of concern so long as imperial tribute was maintained.

Zhaozong pondered why Li Shunjie would accuse the Jinzhou governor falsely. “I will have this investigated. You may go,” he dismissed him.

After Li Shunjie’s departure, Zhaozong realized Li’s true motive: to seize Jinzhou. He deliberated on using Li Shunjie to eliminate the Wei clan in Jinzhou or vice versa. Yet, killing a meritorious general risked damaging the court’s reputation.

Yang Fuguo was a eunuch, a mere servant whose execution would be a private matter; Li Shunjie was a military man commanding substantial forces, even bringing armored troops into the palace. Zhaozong lacked confidence in successfully eliminating Li Shunjie without provoking chaos. He concluded that pitting Li Shunjie against the Wei clan in Jinzhou was the best course.

Two options existed: order Li Shunjie to attack Jinzhou—likely to defeat the Wei clan due to his strength—or order the Jinzhou governor to assassinate Li Shunjie during his passage. The latter was preferable to avoid empowering Li Shunjie, who might become a new threat like Li Maozhen.

“Since Li Shunjie must pass through Jinzhou on his way to Kuizhou, why not issue an imperial edict to the Jinzhou governor to kill him?” Zhaozong reasoned.

The Jinzhou governor might be tempted by an offer from the deputy military governor of Zhenjiang to act on the court’s behalf. Li Shunjie’s death would cause his subordinates in Kuizhou to resent the Jinzhou governor, ensuring ongoing conflict—a strategy Zhaozong deemed advantageous.

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A secret imperial edict was sent to Jinzhou, branding Li Shunjie as a remnant disciple of Yang Fuguo, who had brazenly stormed the Daming Palace with troops, committing treason. It asked if the Jinzhou governor could save the court by assassinating Li Shunjie during his passage. Success would earn the governor the title of Duke and transfer Zhenjiang’s jurisdiction to the Zhaoxin military governorship.

The Jinzhou governor was surprised by the confidential order, having recently seized Badong. Feigning consideration, he requested two days to deliberate with the imperial envoy.

He quickly sent a rider to meet Li Xian, instructing him to, through Li Qian, alter official records to reflect the appointments of the Badong officials recommended by Li Shunjie, substituting them with those loyal to the Jinzhou faction.

Li Xian implored his father to act, revealing the Wei clan in Jinzhou had reserved the post of Zhongzhou governor for him.

Li Qian was taken aback but, feeling trapped, produced two sets of appointment documents—one for Li Shunjie’s orders and one matching the Ministry of Personnel’s records, which he handed to Li Xian.

Two days later, the Jinzhou governor agreed to save the court, requesting the imperial edict conferring the title of Duke and the seal appointing him as Badong’s inspector.

If successful, the honors would be publicly announced; if not, he would return the edict and seal in apology.

The envoy reported back to Zhaozong, who, believing he had succeeded, ordered the preparation and delivery of the edict and seal to Jinzhou.

Upon receiving the documents, the Jinzhou governor found himself appointed as the archival officer for the Duke of Xicheng and concurrently the deputy inspector of Badong. The position of inspector was held by the Duke himself.

He smiled wryly, knowing this archival post was akin to the imperial secretariat, responsible for drafting decrees and managing confidential affairs—a subordinate role, indicating the emperor’s reluctance to grant him full authority, maintaining royal dignity through a nominal position.

Three days later, the Jinzhou governor sent a messenger to Chang’an with a covert letter to Li Shunjie, posing as dispatched by the Kuizhou governor. It warned that the deputy military governor of Zhenjiang was rallying many officers with intentions to betray Li Shunjie.

Illiterate, Li Shunjie glanced at the seal and trusted the messenger’s words. The letter urged the prince to return swiftly to Kuizhou to suppress the situation.

Enraged and convinced of betrayal, Li Shunjie led 300 armored soldiers south from Chang’an, hastening to Xicheng County. There, he met Wei Kang, Jinzhou’s chief secretary, who told him the Jinzhou governor was in Junzhou gathering grain.

Unaware of the danger, exhausted, Li Shunjie sought rest at the prefecture headquarters. After dinner, armored and gripping his sword, he fell asleep.

At midnight, the bed suddenly tilted and collapsed; Li Shunjie fell into a pit where numerous spear-wielding soldiers awaited and stabbed him to death.

With Li Shunjie slain, his 300 elite troops were leaderless and soon surrounded by thousands of Jinzhou soldiers. After Yang Hui’s intervention and persuasion, the troops surrendered.

Li Shunjie’s severed head was sent to Chang’an by the Jinzhou governor.

The memorial claimed that Duke Yu, acting on imperial orders, had executed a national traitor, fulfilling the emperor’s grace. The memorial confirmed his titles as Duke Yu, archival officer to the Duke of Xicheng, and deputy inspector of Badong.

Upon hearing this, Zhaozong was chilled. He had intended to kill Li Shunjie by proxy but was startled by the governor’s swift and calm execution of the plan, evoking a deep, indescribable fear and apprehension. He summoned Du Rangneng to court.

At that moment, the Tianwei Army in Chang’an erupted in rebellion. Over four thousand soldiers rampaged through the Western Market, plundering goods and fleeing the city via Yanping Gate to join the Fengxiang Army.

This mutiny was orchestrated by the Jinzhou governor, who timely incited the Tianwei troops to revolt and escape Chang’an.

The rebellion’s leader, Li Ziqi, exploited Li Shunjie’s death to intimidate the remaining Tianwei officers and encourage their defection to Fengxiang.

Li Ziqi admired the Jinzhou Wei clan’s cunning and strategic acumen, regarding its two prominent leaders as master tacticians. He was entrusted once more with the critical task of ‘undercover operations.’