Chapter 39: No sacrifice is too great to be unacceptable; no betrayal is too small to be tolerated.

"The entire city of Chang'an knows what a brute Wu An is, yet I did not expect him to be quite this reckless."

The Empress took a hairpin from Shangguan Wan'er and slid it into her chignon. Her tone sounded like a rebuke, but her eyes held a hint of amusement.

Ever since that clerk left the Duke’s mansion, the news of Wu An demanding the Li family genealogy had spread throughout the city. The narrative was clear: Master Li had magnanimously set aside past grievances to seek reconciliation, while that brute had spewed insults without a shred of remorse.

Wu An’s reputation was already wretched: a puppet of the Empress, a vicious hound of the Wu clan, a scourge to the loyal, and a tyrant to the commoners.

"The talk outside is not really about him; it is a veiled censure against me, accusing me of gathering factions and indulging the cruelty of my kin."

The Empress stood up, her jade pendants chiming. Her magnificent purple robes blended majesty and grace perfectly. She began to walk slowly toward the exit of the hall, with Shangguan Wan'er trailing closely behind.

Morning Court.

Behind the dragon throne sat both the Emperor and the Empress. The court officials knelt and chanted long life to the sovereigns before stepping forward to present their reports.

The final act of the morning was Li Jingxuan, clad in purple official robes, stepping forward to report on the war in Hexi.

In the court, Li Jingxuan was praised for his "spirit of a true statesman." Having spent the entire previous day drinking and carousing with friends, his ability to stand steadily in the hall today was a testament to his composure.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, he did not mention the memorials for Xue Zhen and Hao Chujun at all, focusing instead entirely on the military campaign.

"Since the Tibetans broke their oath last year and invaded the borders of the Great Tang, the Emperor entrusted me with a great army, and I have repaid that trust with loyalty. One hundred and eighty thousand soldiers, a mighty force, fought in blood for a year..."

Li Jingxuan’s eyes reddened as he addressed the sovereigns loudly:

"The Tibetans have retreated and withdrawn. Though the Great Tang has triumphed, countless sons have bled upon the battlefield. I humbly request that Your Majesty issue a decree to grant compensation to the families of those who perished."

Hearing this, the Emperor frowned.

A war—a national war—involved not only the local Hexi garrisons and the subsequent levies of over a hundred thousand troops but also a massive supply train of auxiliary staff and laborers. The daily cost in funds and grain was astronomical.

At least there had been a "great victory" this year, and on the surface, the Tibetans had sent envoys to accompany Li Jingxuan to Chang'an to request peace talks.

Even if the court historians understood the nuances, they would at most use the "brush of Spring and Autumn" to write a cryptic remark, but they would still record this moment in the annals:

"...In this year, the Tibetans invaded the borders. The Emperor ordered a levy, placing Li Jingxuan in command of 180,000 troops to fight at Qinghai. After initial setbacks, they were victorious. In this year, the Tibetans sent envoys to Chang'an to sue for peace."

The Tibetan envoys were waiting outside the hall at this very moment. Once Li Jingxuan finished his report and received a response from the Emperor, they would be ushered in to pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Tang and present their credentials.

Everyone held their breath, listening in silence. A moment later, the Emperor said indifferently:

"The military reports were submitted to me by the Ministry of War long ago. I have read them and understand the suffering of the soldiers who bled on the sand. But before the Grand Marshal speaks of these things, I heard other words from elsewhere, and so, I am now quite confused."

A few ministers forgot the decorum of the hall and looked up in shock, only to be immediately noted for their breach by the censors standing nearby.

***

Most ministers, however, cared little for the consequences. They perked up, listening intently.

The graceful and luxurious Empress sat motionless. Beside her, the Emperor stood up, looking down at the officials below.

"I do not doubt the words of the Grand Marshal. I am merely, truly skeptical. I have cultivated the Way for many years, praying for the nation, the court, and the people of the world. Yet in the end, what have I gained? Why is it that despite my painstaking efforts, my own officials do not speak a single word of truth?"

His tone was calm, but almost instantly, every official in the hall—including the grand councilors in purple robes who had been seated—stood up, bowed, and pressed their hands together toward the middle-aged man in dragon robes and the woman beside him.

"This subject is guilty."

"This subject is guilty."

Watching these officials descend into a state of panic, the middle-aged man smiled and slowly spat out a few words.

"I am... terrified."

"I am afraid. If one day you stop lying to me, is it because by then, I will be of no use to you anymore?"

A chilling wind seemed to blow through the hall. Many of the older or frailer officials collapsed to their knees on the spot, and some even fainted.

The Emperor sighed, causing many ministers to tremble once more.

"Come, summon the Garrison Commandant Wu An into the hall. Let us hear what he has to say."

The name Wu An was not unfamiliar to the court.

If the Empress had secretly summoned this brute to Chang'an to grant him amnesty, that would have been something everyone could accept. But the fact that this mad dog had managed to bite two sitting grand councilors to death in a single day was utterly shocking.

What was most chilling was that the combined efforts of the court officials to attack him had proven futile; how had this man managed to remain alive and kicking until today?

Guided by the Imperial Guards, a man in green official robes stepped slowly into the hall. Many ministers turned to look at him, their eyes filled with undisguised coldness.

Wu An knew clearly that this was not because the "great lords" lacked self-restraint, but because they truly did not look down upon a minor commandant like himself.

Li Jingxuan had returned to the court and was standing right before them. Weighing the pros and cons, anyone with sense knew which side to take.

Even if the Emperor’s attitude seemed ambiguous, they believed there must be some hidden reason. After all, Li Jingxuan had been the Emperor’s study companion in his youth; that bond was impossible to erase.

"Your subject, Wu An, pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Wu Zizhen, you tell me and all the ministers: what is the truth of the war in Hexi?"

***

Upon hearing this, Li Jingxuan’s pupils constricted. He looked up at the Emperor in disbelief.

The Emperor swept his long sleeve with a sudden, sharp motion.

"With me here to uphold justice for you, tell me everything, no matter what it is."

"Before I left Hexi, the commander-in-chief, Li Jingxuan, repeatedly missed opportunities for victory. When the enemy’s main force launched their assault, Li Jingxuan was caught in a panic, leading to the defeat of the Six Armies and countless casualties. In the end, he was besieged at Chengfeng Ridge."

"On the night of the Bing-yin day, my battalion commander, Heichi Zhizhang, recruited a dare-to-die squad. I, along with dozens of my fellow countrymen, joined them. Together with five hundred of Heichi Zhizhang’s men, we launched a night raid. We fought for an entire night, burning the Tibetan camps, beheading their commanders, and capturing their banners. Only then was the siege lifted!"

Li Jingxuan listened coldly. Seeing that Wu An had not embellished the story, he was momentarily stunned, wondering if this man had actually agreed to reconcile.

The Emperor frowned and asked coldly:

"But I heard that some people at the border intentionally embezzled the soldiers' pay and compensation. Among the five hundred who fought in the night raid, the compensation for those who died was also withheld. Is this true?"

"Your Majesty,"

Wu An looked up at the man behind the dragon desk and said loudly, "Your subject believes that these soldiers had no need for such compensation!"

The shout seemed to wake the entire hall once again. The ministers ignored protocol and stared at each other. Even Li Jingxuan looked utterly bewildered.

*Could this man really be speaking for me?*

Many wondered if they were dreaming—Li Jingxuan, desperate to hide his failures, was asking for rewards for his troops, while the brute who had sworn revenge was now saying those who fought and died alongside him did not need them?

The Emperor’s face flushed with anger.

"The soldiers fought to the death in Hexi under my orders! Commandant Wu, you have great audacity to speak such words!"

"If you cannot say something that satisfies me today, you may as well leave."

"Before I withdraw, I only need to say one thing."

Wu An straightened his back. In this moment, he did not look like he was wearing green official robes, but rather armor soaked in blood.

He seemed to be back in that camp, the sky filled with fire, his comrades dead, with only the blood-dripping head at his waist and the Great Tang banner on his back to remind him where to go.

"Their loyalty to Your Majesty requires no reward. Loyalty itself is Your Majesty's greatest reward!"