Chapter Thirty-Five: Astonished

Chang’an, Xingqing Palace, within the Hall of Xingqing—the Emperor, Li Longji, was deep in discussion with his Grand Chancellor, Yang Guozhong.

Yang Xixi had led his troops in a desperate rush to reinforce Tongguan. Although Yang Guozhong, who had reluctantly agreed to let his own son take on such risk, had nerved himself for the possibility of a self-sacrificial gamble, his paternal affection could not abide the thought of simply abandoning his most cherished son. So it was that, immediately after Yang Xixi’s forces sped away from Tongguan, Yang Guozhong personally took charge—mobilizing every resource at his disposal to assemble further reinforcements, repeatedly urging General Chen Xuanli, Commander of the Left Dragon Martial Army, to depart without delay.

But gathering subsequent reinforcements was not as simple as deploying the three thousand men who had already been prepared for emergencies under generals like Li Fude and Liu Guangting. Raising and readying tens of thousands of troops was a far more arduous task—one that could not be accomplished overnight. Though Chen Xuanli was the commanding general, he could not possibly lead such a massive force alone; subordinate officers had to be urgently summoned, horses and equipment for tens of thousands secured, provisions arranged along the route. Moreover, Chen Xuanli seemed to have a mind to oppose Yang Guozhong, acting dutifully but without true urgency, and so the preparations lagged far behind the swift mobilization of Yang Xixi’s troops.

Still, Chen Xuanli dared not openly delay—he simply followed every regulation to the letter.

Yang Guozhong was beside himself with anxiety, wishing he could order Chen Xuanli to march that instant. He visited several times in person, pressing Chen Xuanli to hasten preparations, and then hurried into the palace to see the Emperor, asking for further imperial decrees to prod matters along.

Chen Xuanli could not disregard the Chancellor’s commands, but could always feign compliance; the Emperor’s orders, however, he dared not defy in the least, and Yang Guozhong understood this perfectly.

Unable to rest easy, Yang Guozhong had abandoned any thought of returning home, remaining in the palace and commanding his other three sons—Yang Xuan, Yang Yi, and Yang Xiao—to stay by his side, ready to carry out any urgent errands themselves.

A father and sons in arms—no outsider could match the trust of one’s own blood. This was a truth Yang Guozhong held dear.

Once all was set in motion, an afternoon and a night passed. The fifty thousand soldiers Chen Xuanli was to bring to Tongguan were at last nearly assembled, officers of all ranks assigned, the vanguard already dispatched under the command of Dou Hua, another of Yang Guozhong’s trusted men, and the rest of the force beginning to move out.

Seeing this for himself, Yang Guozhong, weary from a sleepless night but still anxious, hurried again into the palace to confer with the Emperor.

With the devastating defeat at Lingbao—an army of two hundred thousand nearly wiped out, and Tongguan in dire peril—Li Longji, too, was tormented with worry, having barely slept. He rose early, preparing to summon his closest ministers, when Yang Guozhong entered the hall, and so the two remained together in conversation.

As they spoke, further news arrived from Tongguan: all was well.

The message that Tongguan remained secure, that the rebel army had not yet reached the city, and that Yang Xixi had led his men there at breakneck speed, brought immense relief and delight to both Li Longji and Yang Guozhong.

Li Longji spared no words in praise, commending Yang Guozhong for having raised such a son, marveling at Yang Xixi’s valor and the swiftness of his arrival. Even as Yang Guozhong allowed himself to breathe a great sigh of relief and pride in his son’s achievement, word came of another event—Yang Xixi had personally executed the Prince of Yanshan, Huoba Guiren.

This news shocked both Li Longji and Yang Guozhong—none had expected that Huoba Guiren would, at such a critical moment, seize Geshu Han and attempt to surrender to the rebels. After the initial astonishment, they were profoundly grateful that Yang Xixi had arrived in time, decisively executed Huoba Guiren, and seized control of the situation. Any delay might have brought unthinkable disaster. As Yang Guozhong rejoiced and swelled with pride, Li Longji offered him repeated praise.

Yang Guozhong realized that the shadow Lingbao’s defeat had cast over the Emperor’s mind—and the resentment he had harbored—had now been largely dispelled. This, he knew, was thanks to his own diligence and, above all, to his son’s exemplary performance.

He was now completely at ease, unafraid of any further imperial reproach. He had already spoken to Yang Yuhuan and her sisters, urging them to speak well of him before the Emperor. He was confident that, after these events, the glory of the Yang family would not diminish but indeed rise higher still, and that his beloved youngest son would soon ascend to prominence at court and become an indispensable figure.

A blessing in disguise—such was the feeling in Yang Guozhong’s heart.

Upon hearing of Huoba Guiren's execution, Yang Guozhong immediately advised that Huoba Guiren’s family be arrested at once to prevent them from stirring unrest in Chang’an. Li Longji accepted the suggestion, issuing an immediate edict for the Prince of Yanshan’s residence to be searched, his family and associates arrested and imprisoned, their fate to be determined in due course.

Imperial guards quickly set out to carry out the Emperor’s command.

Even greater tidings soon followed: just as Yang Xixi had foreseen, the rebel forces advanced menacingly toward Tongguan, only to blunder into ambushes he had prepared in advance, suffering severe losses. While these losses could not compare to the government army’s disaster at Lingbao, they were a decisive blow following a crushing defeat and desperate retreat, forcing the rebels to fall back, at least for the time being, and lifting the threat to Tongguan.

This brought profound relief to both Li Longji and Yang Guozhong, who had feared for Tongguan’s safety and doubted Yang Xixi’s ability to command the generals.

Their fears, it turned out, were groundless. Upon his arrival, Yang Xixi had established authority by executing Huoba Guiren, won Geshu Han’s support, and, with two brilliant ambushes, had won over the majority of the commanders and secured control of Tongguan.

Overjoyed, Li Longji immediately issued a decree to commend Yang Xixi, Li Fude, and the other officers.

“Guozhong, who would have thought your fourth son would perform so magnificently? I am truly astonished!” Despite his sleepless night, Li Longji looked well, stroking his beard and beaming at Yang Guozhong. “Guozhong, you have raised your sons well. Your fourth, though still so young, has outshone his elder brothers. It seems he will be the one to bring honor to your family in the future!”

By now, many high officials had gathered in the hall, including Yang Guozhong’s other sons: Yang Xuan, Assistant Minister of Revenue and Grand Stable Master; Yang Xiao, Chief of Protocol; and Yang Yi, Assistant Director of Public Works. The Emperor’s open praise of Yang Xixi left not only Yang Guozhong but many of the ministers present astonished, while Yang Xuan, Yang Xiao, and Yang Yi wore expressions of discomfort, their faces betraying resentment they dared not voice.

Hearing these words, Yang Guozhong promptly rose and modestly replied, “Your Majesty flatters me. My son is merely somewhat bold and unafraid of difficulties. If this task had been entrusted to another, with the Emperor’s unwavering commands, they too could have accomplished it! The battle for Tongguan has only just begun—the fighting to come will be bitter. I only hope my son’s future performance will not disappoint Your Majesty, and dare not accept such high praise!”

Yang Guozhong’s humility drew further commendation from Li Longji, and the other ministers—Wei Jiansu, Wei Fangjin, and others—quickly joined in, lauding the Emperor’s keen judgment in recognizing Yang Xixi’s exceptional qualities and in entrusting such a critical task to so youthful a commander. They even compared Yang Xixi’s feat to that of the young Emperor Taizong, who had once broken the siege of Yanmen.

They also offered congratulations to Yang Guozhong for raising such a son, to the envy of all.

Such words were not pleasing to everyone present, but given Yang Xixi’s undeniable achievements, none dared to contradict them.

But even as sovereign and ministers exchanged compliments and prepared to discuss what was next, a sudden urgent message arrived: Yang Xixi had publicly executed the imperial eunuch inspector, Bian Lingcheng, and sent his head as proof!

At this, the hall erupted in uproar, and both Li Longji and Yang Guozhong were struck dumb with shock!