Chapter Nineteen: Smooth Sailing and Surprises

The clash within the command tent lasted but a moment. Pei Min, a master swordsman unmatched among his peers, was only rivaled by seasoned martial veterans. Such an expert, launching a surprise attack, could fell not only the likes of Chang Yuankai and Li Ci—who were merely average fighters—but even grandmasters might succumb to his blade.

Chang Yuankai’s prior arrangements proved futile. Only after the skirmish inside the tent concluded did the ambushing force of over five hundred soldiers, led by officers, charge toward the commander’s tent.

At this moment, Wang Maozhong’s troops showed their worth. Wang Maozhong was a greedy and arrogant man of somewhat despicable character, yet undeniably capable in leadership. He commanded with great skill, selecting three hundred elite soldiers who, without awaiting Wang Maozhong’s orders, had already formed defensive lines under a deputy general’s command, clashing fiercely with the five hundred assailants.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere.

The Yulin army’s soldiers fought desperately to save their commander; the Wanqi troops sought to protect theirs. The narrow ground before the command tent became a fiercely contested battleground. For every step the Yulin army advanced, they paid with several fresh lives; for every Wanqi soldier lost, another took their place without hesitation.

The air was thick with the stench of blood.

“Cease this fighting immediately!” Wang Maozhong strode out, gripping the heads of Chang Yuankai and Li Ci in both hands. His imposing stature and booming voice commanded authority, sounding like a resounding bell. “The traitors Chang Yuankai and Li Ci have been executed. If you persist in futile resistance, do you intend to perish alongside your families?”

Gradually, the shouts of battle faded. Hearing the news, the soldiers hesitated. They had fought fiercely to rescue their generals, but now that those leaders were dead, their will to fight collapsed. They slowly retreated, unsure how to proceed, their gazes turning toward Wei Liang, the Yulin army’s Chief of Staff.

Wei Liang was Chang Yuankai’s confidant and, besides Chang and Li, held the highest rank within the Yulin army, responsible for all military affairs.

His eyes reddened as he looked at Chang Yuankai’s severed head. Chang had treated him well, and Wei Liang would have gladly sacrificed his life for him. But with Chang dead, if he sought vengeance alone, his own death would be of no consequence. Yet he had a wife, a son, and a mother to consider. How could he issue an order that would doom them all?

Outside, the sounds of battle had ceased. Li Longye’s pale face brightened somewhat. As the youngest of five brothers, usually sheltered by his eldest siblings and rarely expected to act independently, he felt lost and lacked confidence amid such turmoil.

Pei Min encouraged him, “Prince Xue, it’s your turn now. Don’t worry, I will protect you.”

Li Longye nodded, clenched his teeth, then slapped his face sharply. “I have always been cared for by my third brother; it’s time to do something for him.” Holding the bloodstained imperial edict aloft, he strode out of the command tent.

Outside, the battlefield bore the scars of the recent fight—though brief as a single cup of tea, over thirty corpses lay scattered, many soldiers wailing nearby, testifying to the ferocity of the struggle.

Li Longye’s face twitched at the grim sight, but seeing Pei Min standing firm beside him with the Qin Emperor’s sword in hand, recalling his dragon-like, phoenix-like swordsmanship, his heart steadied. Pei Min’s calm demeanor earned his deep admiration. Though much younger, Pei Min remained undaunted—a truly remarkable man. Li Longye did not know that compared to the chaos wrought by the Xi tribe’s invasion of Huairou County years ago, this skirmish was but a minor disturbance.

Li Longye unfolded the edict once more and read loudly: “By imperial decree: The Peacekeeping Princess, disloyal and treasonous, conspires against the throne. Right Yulin General Chang Yuankai and Right Yulin General Li Ci have betrayed the emperor’s grace, shirking their duties and engaging in rebellion. Their crimes are unforgivable. They are hereby to be executed on the spot to demonstrate imperial authority. The remaining Yulin soldiers are pardoned due to ignorance of the conspiracy. Furthermore, Prince Xue is appointed Right Yulin General, commanding the troops to suppress the rebels. So ordered!”

As Li Longye finished, Wei Liang fully grasped the situation—another coup, and his benefactor Chang Yuankai was the first casualty.

**********

After bidding farewell to Li Longye and Pei Min, the fourth brother, Li Longfan, charged into the Left Yulin army camp. Holding the titles of Minister of Ceremonies and Left Yulin General, this was his territory—no prior notice was necessary.

Upon entering the command tent, Li Longfan wasted no time and ordered the drums to be beaten.

Boom, boom, boom!

The massive leather drums thundered. Within moments, the officers of the Left Yulin army gathered inside the tent.

Each officer looked at Li Longfan in confusion. In their experience, their superior rarely came to check in—sometimes not even once in two or three months. And now, arriving early and beating the assembly drum—surely something important had happened.

Before they could speculate further, Li Longfan picked up the imperial edict from the table and proclaimed loudly, “By imperial decree!”

At his words, the officers bowed respectfully.

“The Peacekeeping Princess, favored by the emperor, has been ungrateful and colluded with internal and external enemies in treason…” Li Longfan spoke each word like a tolling bell, shocking the officers to the point of near outcry.

Having finished reading the edict, he immediately issued orders: “General Cao, take five hundred men and join me at the Right Yulin camp! General Zhao, assemble all your troops and be ready for battle at a moment’s notice.”

Generals Cao and Zhao were momentarily stunned.

The Yulin army was always a prime target for recruitment during coups. Although neither Cao nor Zhao sided with the Peacekeeping faction, having resisted numerous overtures out of loyalty and honor, they remained neutral. Everyone knew the peril Li Longji faced; it made no sense for the Peacekeeping Princess to rebel now.

Li Longfan, steadier than Li Longye, noticed their hesitation. Gripping his sword hilt, he glared fiercely at the assembled officers and shouted, “Why do you hesitate to accept the decree? Are you also traitors daring to defy imperial orders?”

Cao and Zhao exchanged uneasy glances. As their superior and a prince, they dared not resist if charged with treason. Though the edict might well be forged, the possibility it was genuine could not be ignored.

Finally, General Cao responded first, “I accept the command!”

With his lead, General Zhao and others followed suit, accepting the order with thanks.

General Cao assembled five hundred soldiers and marched with Li Longfan into the Right Yulin camp. Li Longfan’s aggressive advance caused the camp guards to scatter without resistance.

At that moment, Li Longye had just finished reading the edict and was surveying the Right Yulin soldiers.

Pei Min raised his sword and shouted, “The emperor has shown great mercy. Do you intend to defy his orders?”

“Ha!” Li Longfan’s resolute voice echoed, “Today, I will see who dares resist imperial command. Shall we overturn the heavens?”

With the addition of Li Longfan’s five hundred Left Yulin soldiers, Pei Min and his group gained a surge of confidence.

**********

Wei Liang saw that the Right Yulin soldiers had lost all morale. Dropping their weapons, they knelt and submitted, “Thank you for the imperial pardon!”

Li Longye, bolstered by his fourth brother’s arrival, approached Wei Liang. “I hereby appoint you Right Yulin General. Rally the troops swiftly and join me in eradicating the rebels!”

Wei Liang had long dreamed of this promotion—honoring his family name. Though temporary, he knew if he obeyed orders, the title of Acting Right Yulin General would soon become permanent.

“I obey!” Wei Liang pledged without hesitation.

Thus, the Left and Right Yulin armies were successfully turned.

Pei Min and his companions had completed half their mission—a promising start.

Li Longfan, Li Longye, and Pei Min exchanged glances. With the Yulin army defected, they controlled half of the Northern Guard. To oppose the Southern Guard, they still needed the Wanqi troops’ support. Their next target was to win over the Wanqi army.

**********

Almost simultaneously, a similar event unfolded at the Central Secretariat. The second brother, Li Chengyi, and Li Shoude burst into the Secretariat holding imperial edicts. Though the Secretariat was one of the three main government offices and heavily guarded, Li Chengyi’s status as a prince wielding the edict meant no one dared block their path. They swiftly captured the Right Scattered Cavalry Attendant Jia Yingfu and Central Secretariat Clerk Li You, taking control of the Secretariat.

Their task was the lightest and they achieved complete success first.

However, the coup was not as smooth as hoped. Li Longji’s plan was to capture the five prime ministers loyal to the Peacekeeping Princess by summoning Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, and Cui Shi to the Wude Hall under imperial order.

Though they belonged to the Peacekeeping faction, protocol demanded their attendance at the emperor’s summons. The ministers dared not refuse; yet an unexpected complication arose.

Dou Huaizhen and Xiao Zhizhong received urgent dispatches demanding immediate attention, causing delays.

Cen Xi and Cui Shi arrived first. At the appointed time, Li Longji ordered their execution. Dou Huaizhen and Xiao Zhizhong, arriving later and sensing the danger, fled back to the Ministry of Personnel. They contacted the Peacekeeping Princess and decisively echoed the strategy of Zhang Jianzhi, Jing Hui, Cui Xuanwei, Huan Yanfan, and Yuan Shuji—the five who once forced Empress Wu Zetian to abdicate—writing a military dispatch under the prime minister’s seal and rushing to the Southern Guard to beat the war drum and summon commanders.

In times of crisis, those in high positions often resort to empty rhetoric: Dou Huaizhen and Xiao Zhizhong publicly declared that Li Longji intended to murder his father and called on the soldiers to rise in defense of the throne.

Not only Li Longji’s path encountered mishaps; the eldest brother Li Chengqi’s route was plagued with absurd misfortunes as well.