Volume One, Chapter 16: The Crown Prince Leads the Campaign
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Two thousand Dragon Guards and two thousand civilians assembled in less than half an hour, forming a force of four thousand soldiers. Li Heng donned his armor hastily, unable to bid farewell to Zhang Liangdi and the others. Accompanied by Prince Jianning Li Tan and the Grand Eunuch Li Fuguo, he hurriedly mounted his horse and set off.
He had to leave quickly to prevent the retired emperor from having second thoughts.
Just now, he had gambled—betting that the retired emperor had no trump cards left and would have to trust his own bloodline.
Compared to handing over the kingdom to An Lushan, the retired emperor would rather endure some loss himself.
That was the mark of a true emperor! Before the legacy of one’s ancestors, everything else paled in significance.
This time, Li Heng had finally made the right bet.
Ahead, nearly three thousand more awaited them—deadly warriors secretly recruited by Zhang Liangdi and Li Fuguo.
At this critical moment, these warriors proved invaluable.
The three rebel forces that had attacked earlier were actually these warriors disguised under the unified command of Prince Guangping, Li Shu.
Because it was dark at night, the warriors set up many banners to create an illusion of strength, barely fooling the enemy.
Two thousand imperial guards, three thousand warriors, two thousand able-bodied men, and three hundred guards from the Crown Prince’s residence—over seven thousand in total.
Using such forces to defend Chang’an was but a drop in the ocean.
Yet compared to the thousand troops at Mawei Post, it was a definite advantage.
Riding his horse, Li Heng reviewed the situation, feeling as if something was amiss.
Suddenly, he thought of a question: if the two thousand Dragon Guards discovered the rebels were fake and refused to follow him, what then?
Just having crossed over and immediately facing the Mawei mutiny, the hasty strategy inevitably had oversights.
He glanced at Li Fuguo beside him, then quickly looked away.
At this moment, sending a messenger was impossible; they could only count on Li Shu’s ability to adapt.
Three li ahead, a scout reported.
“Your Highness, the rebel forces at the front are retreating northeast!”
“Good. Send out more scouts!”
Hearing the news, Li Heng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Li Shu, my good son indeed.
Thinking of the word ‘son’ made him smile inwardly. He was twenty-eight years old this year; Li Tan was twenty-nine. He was unmarried, while Li Tan’s eldest son, Li Shi, was already fourteen.
It was strange that the father was younger than the son. But since he inhabited Li Heng’s body, so what if he was his father?
“Your Highness, what are your orders?” General Li Kaifeng of the Left Dragon Guards rode up.
“What do you suggest?” Li Heng asked in return.
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“I believe we should hold Mawei Post,” Li Kaifeng answered. “Only a thousand soldiers remain around His Majesty, with many palace staff and civilians. I fear our forces are insufficient to protect them adequately.”
That was indeed a problem. But since the troops were already out, returning would not only undo their efforts but might even lead to charges of treason.
Retreat was not an option.
“Father, General Li, I think we should head immediately to Xingping County,” Li Tan spoke up, knowing his father was troubled.
Li Heng was delighted; it seemed all sons of the Li family were talents.
“Sanlang, please explain,” Li Heng feigned ignorance, signaling Li Tan to continue.
“Father, General Li, although the rebels split into three routes, they have not occupied Xingping County.
If we bypass the rebels and take Xingping County, we can threaten their flank and rear, which they likely dare not risk.
Moreover, by capturing Xingping County and seizing the stored armor and weapons, we can distribute them among the two thousand able-bodied men, greatly strengthening our forces.
Additionally, we can block any rebel forces coming from the east and shield our rear. This would ensure His Majesty’s safety.
Father, General Li, what do you think?”
Li Kaifeng saluted and said, “Prince Jianning’s proposal is most prudent. I wholeheartedly agree. We await the Crown Prince’s command.”
“Then we shall act as Sanlang suggests,” Li Heng said, glancing at Li Tan with a slight smile, deeply gratified.
...
At the fourth watch, Xingping County was deserted.
Officials had long fled, some civilians remained at Mawei Post, others were with the army.
Surrounded by a group of commanders, Li Heng quickly entered the county government office.
After two hours of armed marching, everyone was drenched in sweat. The weather was hot enough for bare feet; wearing heavy armor made it even worse.
With no time to rest, Li Heng immediately set to work.
“Sanlang, take men to open the armory and distribute weapons to the able-bodied.”
Li Tan accepted the order and left.
“General Li, there are several tasks for you,” Li Heng said.
“Please command, Your Highness.”
“First, dispatch as many scouts as possible to patrol twenty li ahead, closely monitoring rebel movements. Report immediately if anything occurs.
Second, prepare the city’s defenses quickly. Arrange soldiers to patrol on shifts; those off-duty may rest in place.
Third, select an elite squad as an emergency response team under your command, ready at all times.
Fourth, inventory city supplies—grain, fodder, arrows, and other military materials to support defense.
Fifth, quickly send scouts to report military intelligence to His Majesty and General Chen.
Sixth, order all troops not to damage any civilian property, not a single brick or blade of grass!”
Li Heng issued all six commands in one breath.
He had already thought them through en route to Xingping County.
“Understood!” Li Kaifeng took his orders and left.
Li Heng knew the most important was the fifth—now was the time to reveal his trump card to the emperor.
...
“Li Fuguo, the troops have been hungry all day. Quickly prepare food,” Li Heng called back Li Fuguo just as he was about to leave.
“Your Highness, any other orders?” Li Fuguo asked.
“Forget the cooking. Ride swiftly to the Northern Capital. Order Guo Ziyi to bring his troops back to Chang’an at once,” Li Heng said quietly.
According to historical timelines, Guo Ziyi was not in Taiyuan but at Jingxing Pass.
“Your Highness, without His Majesty’s imperial edict, how can we mobilize the troops of the Shuofang Military Governor?” Li Fuguo asked, puzzled.
“Take this personally signed order from me. Once Guo Ziyi sees it, he will obey the command,” Li Heng answered confidently.
He then drafted a letter and urged Li Fuguo to hasten toward the Northern Capital.
...
Mawei Post.
Chen Xuanli received the report from Xingping at dawn the next day.
He had been awake all night.
Within half a day, both the emperor and the crown prince had launched mutinies.
The emperor’s mutiny was overt, the crown prince’s covert.
The result: the crown prince had won.
As commander of the imperial guards, Chen Xuanli could only watch helplessly as the crown prince slipped away beneath his nose.
The emperor was old; that was the only way to rationalize it.
This was an internal royal affair. What could a military commander like him say?
“General, His Majesty summons you,” a guard entered the tent just as Chen Xuanli’s thoughts drifted.
He straightened his clothes, took the report, and hurried into the post station.
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