Chapter Two: The Revival of Lost Wisdom

Upon hearing the words of Lady Yang, Gao Buyi replied with a cool indifference, “This place is lively enough, isn’t it!” With that, he paid no further attention to the bewildered consort. Attended by Li Shi, he strode into the Purple Radiance Palace.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. “Li Shi!” he called.

“Your Majesty!” came the reply.

“Has Pei An’s family already left Chang’an?”

“Not yet, Your Majesty. They should be leaving within the next few days.”

“And Li Linfu is currently the Right Chancellor?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Li Shi answered with the perfect balance of deference and clarity, his tone pleasant to the ear. Internally, however, he was unsettled. How was it that after a single illness, His Majesty seemed to have forgotten so much?

“And Li Shizhi is the Left Chancellor?”

“Yes!”

Upon hearing this, Gao Buyi immediately raised his voice. “Chen Xuan! Where is Chen Xuan?” If he remembered correctly, Chen Xuan was now the Grand General of the Imperial Guards’ Dragon Army, commanding the Northern Palace forces—the famed Divine Strategy Army.

“Your servant is here!” A burly figure hurried forth and knelt before him.

Clad in gleaming silver armor—the legendary Armor of Light—he knelt like a towering mountain. With such a general at his side, it was no wonder that the fat rebel An Lushan had failed in his insurrection.

There was no time for further praise. Gao Buyi said, “Personally lead the imperial guards and fetch Pei An. Proclaim an edict throughout the realm: restore Pei An to the post of Palace Secretariat Attendant and promote him to Grand Councillor, sharing the Chancellor’s seal. All officials previously implicated in the Crown Prince’s case are to be pardoned and await further orders at home.”

The reason for sending Chen Xuan with the imperial guards was simple: Li Linfu’s power now loomed too large. His faction filled every ministry, and even eighty percent of the palace’s consorts, maids, and eunuchs were in his pay. He learned of the Emperor’s moods before anyone else; how else could he always flatter with such uncanny precision? Gao Buyi feared that, upon hearing the news, Li Linfu would have Pei An assassinated. To guard against this, he sent Chen Xuan himself.

Chen Xuan was overjoyed. Li Linfu, the arch-villain, had misled the Emperor and framed the Crown Prince, leading to the wrongful imprisonment of many ministers. To see the Emperor suddenly come to his senses was a cause for celebration.

Bowing deeply, Chen Xuan departed at once. Li Shi, left behind, was filled with dread. What was happening? Was another storm of blood about to break?

At this time, Li Shizhi served as Left Chancellor, paired with Li Linfu, the Right Chancellor—the so-called Twin Pillars of the Tang. The army had not yet fallen entirely under Li Linfu’s influence: the Emperor was wary, and Li Shizhi was a constant thorn in Li Linfu’s side. Li Linfu often incited the harem to speak ill of Li Shizhi, and worked tirelessly to undermine him. Even the Emperor was swayed by his words.

In 747, Li Shizhi was dismissed, leaving Li Linfu unchallenged. Thereafter, even the selection of officials was monopolized by Li Linfu; the Emperor simply stamped the names he provided. Li Linfu once told the Emperor that there was no talent left in the land, ruining His Majesty’s plans to recruit able men and cutting off the path for many with talent and ambition. The seeds of disaster were thus sown; the Tang dynasty’s golden age began its decline from that moment.

Naturally, Gao Buyi could not allow this to happen.

After Chen Xuan’s departure, Gao Buyi summoned Li Shizhi to the Hall of Proclamation.

“Your servant bows before Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless peace!”

“I am well. Time is short, so let us speak plainly. I intend to reinstate Pei An to his post as Minister of Rites. At the same time, I will remove Yang Guozhong from the Ministry of Personnel and have Pei An assume his office as well, promoting him to Grand Councillor, ranking just below you. What do you think?”

“Your Majesty is wise!”

Gao Buyi smiled. “Enough. Rise. We are kinsmen; there is no need for such formalities in the future.”

Li Shizhi rose, feeling a strange unease. Had something changed in the Emperor? Not only had he pardoned Pei An, but now he spoke to him as kin. Had he not, at Li Linfu’s urging, planned to remove him just days before?

As Li Shizhi hesitated, Gao Buyi continued, “Is Huangfu Weiming still in Chang’an?”

“He is.”

“Li Shi, summon Huangfu Weiming at once!”

“At once!”

“Prime Minister, are Geshu Han, Pei Mian, Cui Yuan, Li Sheng—the son of Great General Li Qin of the Left Imperial Guards—and Yan Wu, son of Censor Yan Ting, presently in Chang’an?”

“Your Majesty, I know Geshu Han is here, serving as Deputy Commander of the Right Martial Guards. As for the others, their ranks are too minor for me to be certain.”

“Send men to find out. If they are in Chang’an, summon them at once. And bring Geshu Han to the palace.”

“Yes!” Though uncertain why the Emperor wanted these men, Li Shizhi could not delay, seeing his urgency.

“A difficult time of transition,” Gao Buyi sighed as Li Shizhi departed.

He sought these men because they would one day become marquises and chancellors. Though now only in their early twenties, it was essential to place young talent in the court to break the dominance of Li Linfu’s clan.

Currently, the court was in Li Linfu’s iron grip. He suppressed all rivals, leaving no room for dissent. Beyond the capital, An Lushan already held command of the Pinglu and Fanyang regions and had secured the favor of Lady Yang, Yang Guozhong, Lady of Guo, and Lady of Han. Once he claimed Lady Yang as his adoptive mother, he would become Military Commissioner of Hedong as well, and his power would be complete. Time was short indeed.

The only solace was that Wang Sizhong still remained. Though previously slandered by Li Linfu and suspected by the Emperor, he still commanded the four powerful garrisons of Longyou, Hexi, Shuofang, and Hedong, and was fiercely loyal.

Soon, Huangfu Weiming arrived at the Hall of Proclamation. Entering, he fell to his knees, weeping bitterly. “Your guilty servant bows before Your Majesty!”

“In recent days, you have suffered injustice. I am sorry for your hardship. Rise at once.”

Huangfu Weiming was momentarily stunned. He had petitioned repeatedly for an audience to clear his name, only to be refused time and again. Now the Emperor had summoned him of his own accord and acknowledged his wrongful treatment. He was so taken aback that he forgot the words he had prepared.

Seeing his confusion, Gao Buyi smiled and said, “Li Shi, help General Huangfu to his feet and see that he is seated.”

Li Shi glanced at Huangfu Weiming and felt a chill—this was a clear sign of reinstatement.

Huangfu Weiming hurried to his feet, protesting that he dared not trouble Li Shi—a man whom even the Crown Prince addressed as brother, whom all civil and military officials called lord. To have him help was to court disaster.

Yet Gao Buyi cast a meaningful glance at Li Shi. Though Li Shi was not directly allied with Li Linfu, the latter’s rise had come through Li Shi’s patronage.

At that moment, Chen Xuan entered from outside, kneeling on one knee to report, “Your Majesty, Lord Pei has been brought.”

“Send him in.”

Pei An stepped into the Hall of Proclamation. Gao Buyi’s heart twisted at the sight: Li Linfu’s underlings truly deserved their reputation for cruelty—a good man, reduced to such a state.