Volume III: Southern Expedition and Territorial Expansion - Chapter 116: The Imperial Decree of Marriage

During this period, Emperor Zhaozong increasingly relied on Du Rangneng while distancing himself from Cui Shaowei. The reason was simple: Cui Shaowei’s advice frequently left the Emperor feeling frustrated and troubled.

Du Rangneng’s suggestions, by contrast, were often highly practical. For instance, it was his idea to allow the various princes to hold military command. Du argued that the greatest external threat to the imperial court was the regional warlords, and that only by consolidating the influence of the imperial clan and the nobility could the court’s strength be rapidly improved.

Upon returning to Yanying Hall, Du Rangneng followed him in, and Zhaozong raised the matter of the royal marriage alliance.

Du Rangneng pondered for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, a marriage alliance will have little impact on the shifting loyalties of the warlords. However, since the Marquis of Fufeng once breached the Daming Palace, this marriage can serve as a pretext to deny the Chuannan Army any excuse for rebellion. After all, Chuannan is a remote frontier, and the consequences of them carving out their own territory to establish a state would be dire."

Zhaozong nodded. Du Rangneng hesitated briefly, then added, "Your Majesty, I have heard reports suggesting that the Wei clan of Jinzhou and the forces in Chuannan are, in fact, one and the same. This rumor originated from the Military Governor of Jingnan."

Zhaozong was slightly startled. "Both Chuannan and Jinzhou are governed by the Wei clan; it is not surprising that they would unite."

"The issue," Du Rangneng continued, "is that the Military Governor of Jingnan claims that the prefectures of Badong and Wuling are effectively occupied by the Chuannan Army."

Zhaozong was shocked. "Are you certain of this, Minister?"

"I cannot verify it with certainty, as this information came from the Military Governor of Jingnan. It is possible that the Defense Commissioner of Badong has reached an alliance with the Chuannan Army," Du Rangneng replied.

In truth, he was skeptical of the report from the Military Governor of Jingnan. Cheng Rui’s intelligence insisted that the Military Governor of Chuannan was none other than the Marquis of Fufeng himself, and that no such elder figure existed. As Prime Minister, Du Rangneng had to be responsible for his words; speaking falsehoods would lead to ridicule. He believed that the identity of the Military Governor was less important than the actual status of Badong and Wuling.

Zhaozong’s expression turned grim. After a moment, he asked, "If Badong and Wuling are indeed occupied by the Chuannan Army, how do you suggest we respond?"

"Your Majesty, even if they are occupied, the Chuannan forces remain weaker than those of Li Maozhen. At most, they are on par with the Tongguan Army. Badong is strategically significant, but in terms of wealth, it is far inferior to Jingzhou. The fact that Jingzhou has not been swallowed up suggests that the Chuannan Army’s power is limited and they lack the strength to conquer it," Du Rangneng reasoned.

Zhaozong nodded. "The Wei clan of Jinzhou is threatened by the Tongguan Army, and in Chuannan, they are opposed by the Dongchuan and Fengxiang armies. They are indeed unable to march on Jingzhou, but in time, they will surely become a grave threat."

Du Rangneng nodded in deep agreement.

Zhaozong asked, "Do you have a strategy to deal with the Wei clan of Jinzhou?"

Du Rangneng thought for a moment. "Your Majesty, I believe the person who can restrain the Wei clan of Jinzhou is Lord Wei Zhaodu."

Zhaozong was taken aback. Du Rangneng continued, "Wei Zhaodu is the elder brother of the Prefect of Jinzhou. If Your Majesty issues an imperial edict ordering Wei Zhaodu to lead his troops in cooperation with the court, it might be possible to mobilize the Jinzhou military to counter the Fengxiang Army."

Zhaozong gave a faint nod. Du Rangneng added, "However, it requires precise timing. For instance, if we issue a decree for the Chuannan and Dongchuan armies to raid Xichuan, Li Maozhen will inevitably reinforce Xichuan. At that point, the imperial forces can join with the Jinzhou military to assault Fengxiang Prefecture."

Zhaozong nodded, impressed. "Your words are most excellent, Minister."

Du Rangneng said solemnly, "Your Majesty, this strategy of using one wolf to fight a tiger cannot be rushed. Otherwise, the Wei clan of Jinzhou will be reluctant to commit their troops. This marriage alliance creates a facade of intimacy with Chuannan, making Li Maozhen suspicious and anxious. Once the timing is ripe, we can use Wei Zhaodu to influence the Wei clan of Jinzhou and cooperate with the court to seize Fengxiang Prefecture."

Zhaozong nodded and asked, "Does this mean you intend to bring the Duke of Qi back to the imperial court?"

"Whether Lord Wei can return to the halls of power, I dare not say. However, Your Majesty should retain his title as the Military Governor of Xichuan. Later, you can issue a decree for Lord Wei to join forces with the Chuannan Army to recover Xichuan. Having failed in Xichuan before, Lord Wei will surely be eager to wash away his past disgrace," Du Rangneng suggested.

Zhaozong frowned. "If the Wei clan occupies Xichuan, would they not become even more difficult to control?"

"Your Majesty, one must lose in order to gain. Without the lure of significant benefit, how could the Wei clan be used by the court? The court’s greatest threat lies in Fengxiang. Besides, the Fengxiang military is powerful; if they were to fight the Chuannan Army, both would be left weakened. Once the Wei clan occupies Xichuan, Your Majesty can recall Lord Wei with a single decree," Du Rangneng explained, hinting that Wei Zhaodu could serve as a hostage.

Zhaozong nodded; he was indeed most eager to regain control of Fengxiang Prefecture.

Du Rangneng continued, "The imperial forces are currently too disorganized. The most urgent task is to strengthen military training and armaments. Please, Your Majesty, wait patiently for the right moment."

Zhaozong nodded. "I shall follow your wise advice, Minister."

With the understanding reached between sovereign and minister, Zhaozong returned to the inner palace in high spirits. On the way, however, his thoughts shifted again. He turned back toward Yanying Hall and ordered that Li Qi be summoned.

Li Qi arrived feeling uneasy; his mood had been poor for days. Since the day he returned home to find his gate smashed, his anger had been eclipsed by fear. As an official who had survived the Huang Chao Rebellion, he knew the terror of war and flight all too well.

What troubled him most was that after the Fufeng Army smashed his gate, only four of the friends and relatives who had previously congratulated him on his promotion came to offer their sympathies. The rest had clearly kept their distance.

For the first time, Li Qi experienced the sting of isolation. He knew his acquaintances feared the Fufeng Army and worried that associating with him would invite the wrath of the Marquis of Fufeng. The people of Chang'an had been turned into birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring by the recent unrest.

Conversely, this revealed that the officials of Chang'an no longer had faith in the Tang court and were acting with extreme caution, each sweeping the snow from their own doorstep. Li Qi had once aspired to be Prime Minister to leave his mark on history, but now that he held the title, he found it flavorless. Among his colleagues, he felt a sense of inferiority, as if they were mocking the illegitimacy of his appointment.

Entering Yanying Hall, Li Qi bowed respectfully. Zhaozong asked directly, "I have heard that Badong has been occupied by the Wei clan of Jinzhou. Are you aware of this?"

Li Qi was startled. "I am not aware, Your Majesty. I only know Lord Wei Zhaodu; I have never met the Wei clan of Jinzhou."

Zhaozong frowned. "Li Ji once served as the Prefect of Fuzhou. He should know the relationship between Chuannan and Badong."

"Your Majesty, my son once spoke of Chuannan. Chuannan and Badong are two separate forces; their military and political affairs are not under the same jurisdiction. Aside from the four prefectures under its direct control, the Chuannan military only holds sway over a few prefectures in Qianzhong Dao that have submitted to the rule of Yuzhou," Li Qi replied.

Zhaozong nodded and changed the subject. "I have summoned you to inform you of something. To keep Li Maozhen in check, I need to appease the Military Governor of Chuannan. I have decided to grant a marriage between a woman of the imperial clan and the Marquis of Fufeng."

Li Qi looked slightly surprised. "Your Majesty intends to betroth a princess to the Marquis of Fufeng?"

Zhaozong nodded. "It is an expedient measure for the greater good. Chuannan and Qianzhong are frontier lands; I fear the Military Governor of Chuannan might carve out his own domain. If that were to happen, the court would be unable to suppress him. I previously tried to order the Fengxiang Army to strike, but they made excuses and refused. Thus, I have no choice but to appease him."

Li Qi nodded solemnly. "Your Majesty’s concerns are well-founded."

Zhaozong said, "I feel I have wronged you."

"Your Majesty, I never wished to be allied with the Marquis of Fufeng in the first place. After the marriage was canceled, his brutal nature was fully exposed, which left me disheartened. I come from a family of letters and detest such boorish, lawless men," Li Qi replied sternly.

"I am sorry for the alarm caused to you," Zhaozong said before dismissing Li Qi and returning to the inner palace.

Once he reached the Empress, Zhaozong said calmly, "I have granted the request of the Princess of Heng. The Marquis of Fufeng will be appointed as the Military Governor of Qianzhong. A marriage to a county princess would seem like a slight, so I have elevated the Lady Xuerou to the rank of Princess of Jiangcheng, with Yuzhou as her fief."

The Empress said joyfully, "Your Majesty is most generous; the House of Heng will surely be moved to tears."

Zhaozong smiled faintly and said nothing. There were two purposes to elevating her to a princess: first, to demonstrate the court's sincerity in its appeasement, as a simple county princess would seem too common; second, to project the court's prestige and undermine the authority of the Military Governor of Chuannan.

...

Back at his residence, Li Qi was greeted by his son, Li Xian. Upon hearing the news, Li Xian’s face darkened, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "How shameless."

"Insolent!" Li Qi scolded him in a rage.

"Forgive me, Father. I should not have spoken so," Li Xian quickly apologized.

"Get out!" Li Qi roared. Li Xian bowed respectfully and departed.

Outside his father’s courtyard, Li Xian sneered to himself. "A wise ruler? He is clearly a deluded fool. Anyone capable of becoming a regional warlord is a master of schemes."

Li Xian returned to his quarters with disdain. Unlike his father, he still felt his political future was bright. After their gate had been smashed, Li Xian had met with a secret envoy from the Prefect of Jinzhou, and he was soon informed that his sister, the Fourteenth Daughter, was now by the side of Wei Fufeng.

Therefore, Li Xian was in high spirits, while Li Ji’s mood had plummeted. Every day, he would check in at the Court of State Ceremonial and then leave, spending his time drinking tea and listening to music to alleviate his frustration.

...

The House of Heng was located in Yanshou Ward, outside the southwest corner of the Taiji Palace, far from the Daming Palace in the northeast. The Prince of Heng was a second-generation hereditary peer, a cousin to the Emperor.

Lady Xuerou was the younger sister of the Prince of Heng. Following the disaster caused by Huang Chao and the court’s gradual decline, the lives of the various princes in Chang'an had been on a downward trajectory. At eighteen, Lady Xuerou had struggled to find a suitable husband.

As the Tang Empire set like the sun, the prestige of imperial daughters had waned, and noble or official families were reluctant to marry into the imperial house. Lady Xuerou was trapped in a predicament where her standards were too high for those who would have her, and those she wanted were out of reach.

When the Princess of Heng received the Empress’s reply, she joyfully went to share the good news with her sister-in-law. Hearing her sister-in-law arrive, Lady Xuerou, who had been reading, hurried out to greet her.

"My respects, Princess," Lady Xuerou said with a formal bow.

"Sister, you need not call me Princess anymore. You have been granted the title of Princess of Jiangcheng, a first-rank honor," the Princess of Heng said, taking Li Xuerou’s hands with a beaming smile.

"I have been granted the title of Princess?" Li Xuerou whispered, surprised.

The Princess of Heng laughed. "You once said you favored the Marquis of Fufeng, so I petitioned the Empress. Not only was the marriage granted, but His Majesty has also elevated you to the rank of Princess of Jiangcheng, with Yuzhou as your fief."

Li Xuerou’s face changed slightly, and she gasped in surprise, "It really happened?"

"Of course it did. Now you can have your heart’s desire," the Princess of Heng said happily. As a sister-in-law, she had worried over the marriage, and the fact that she had remained unmarried for so long had been a blow to her own reputation.

"Thank you, sister-in-law, for your kindness in making this happen," Li Xuerou said, blushing.