Chapter 7: The Ass Decides the Head

“Xi’er, you’ve worked hard these days. Come back to the manor with your father and get some well-deserved rest for a day or two before returning to Tongguan,” Yang Guozhong said affectionately to Yang Xi as soon as they left Li Longji’s imperial chambers, his demeanor having changed entirely. “Your mother has been worried sick ever since you went to lead the army at Tongguan. She’s fallen ill from anxiety and has wept before me several times. I haven’t dared return home lately, for fear of her endless nagging! Now that you’ve returned safely, I can finally give her peace of mind. When you go home, stay by her side and keep her company. But remember, don’t talk about anything you shouldn’t. I’ll explain everything to her myself.”

“Yes, Father, I understand,” Yang Xi replied promptly.

They quickly exited the palace, and Yang Xi followed Yang Guozhong into a spacious carriage.

Yang Xi’s main tasks in returning to Chang’an were nearly complete. He had come to petition Emperor Li Longji for the next steps—namely, to hold the line at the pass and stand off against the rebels. He also sought rewards for the officers under his command, as well as clemency or lighter punishment for those generals who had suffered defeat at Lingbao. Judging by what had just transpired, both aims had been achieved.

The debate over the choice of Grand Marshal had caught him by surprise; he hadn’t expected the Crown Prince Li Heng to oppose him. But that was no longer an immediate concern. He remained Deputy Grand Marshal of the Tongguan forces. What attitude Li Heng would hold towards him—a newly risen figure—was anyone’s guess.

History recorded that Li Heng ascended the throne in Lingwu in the fifteenth year of the Tianbao era, honoring Li Longji, who had fled to Shu, as Retired Emperor. But now the pass had not fallen, Li Longji had not fled, and Chang’an would gradually regain its calm. What came next in history was a mystery to all.

Yang Xi knew his father Yang Guozhong and Li Heng harbored grave animosity. If Li Heng became emperor, the Yang family would surely suffer, and as someone who had inexplicably traveled through time into this world, his own fate was even more uncertain. The only way to avoid disaster was to prevent Li Heng from ascending the throne—a goal his father had long strived for, and over which even Li Longji hesitated.

In this situation, whether Li Heng would ultimately become emperor remained uncertain.

But Yang Xi hoped for another to ascend, to see history take a different course. As a member of the Yang family, he had no desire to bring calamity upon himself.

How history would ultimately be altered depended on the efforts of Yang Guozhong—and on Yang Xi himself, as a man out of time, to do his part!

Aside from Li Heng, Yang Xi had no other worries. Issues that needed to be resolved in the capital—such as military supplies—could be handled by speaking to his father. As the Prime Minister who wielded near-absolute power, there was little Yang Guozhong could not accomplish.

All in all, there was nothing to fear for the moment.

It was nearly noon, the height of summer, when the heat was most oppressive. Yet the carriage was surprisingly cool, with ice blocks set within—truly, a prime minister’s comforts were unmatched.

As the carriage rolled slowly toward the Marquis of Wei’s estate, Yang Guozhong, beaming with pride at Yang Xi, resumed his doting chatter: “Xi’er, these days while you were at Tongguan, I worried about you day and night, fearing something might happen. Thank heaven you returned unscathed—and have won such great merit! You have such talent; words cannot express my joy. I no longer worry whether you and your brothers will accomplish great things. With you, my heart is content. Ah! I always thought of you as a child who didn’t understand the ways of the world, but it seems I misjudged you. I never imagined you could command so many troops in battle and drive back the rebels!”

Hearing this, Yang Xi realized his father still harbored doubts about his sudden transformation, and hurried to explain: “Father, I only did what I must out of concern for the Yang family’s safety. That’s why I petitioned you and His Majesty to lead the relief at Tongguan. Many things seem daunting until you are forced to act, but once you have no way out and press on, you find even the hardest tasks are not so terrifying. ‘When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a road; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will go straight.’ I’m sure that before Huo Qubing achieved his great feats, no one believed in his military talent either. Father, with your abilities, how could your son possibly be lacking?”

“Hmm, well said!” Yang Guozhong could not contain his delight. Laughing heartily, he patted Yang Xi on the shoulder, his voice full of affection: “Xi’er, today I am completely convinced that among all your brothers, you are the most capable, the most decisive, and the one who understands your father’s heart best. The future of the Yang family rests with you! Rest assured, I will look after you especially well. If you need anything, speak to me without hesitation.”

“Thank you for your trust, Father. I will never let you down. If there’s ever anything I can’t resolve, I’ll be sure to come to you,” Yang Xi replied with a grateful smile, though inwardly he could not help but sigh.

No matter how infamous Yang Guozhong was in history, no matter how many detested him—including Yang Xi himself, who had studied the An Lushan Rebellion—he had to admit that this “father” treated him with genuine kindness and affection. His mother, who worried over him at home, was the same—endlessly doting. Such familial ties could not be severed. Yang Xi could not see Yang Guozhong as an irredeemable villain. If anyone ever demanded, in the name of duty to the nation, that he eliminate Yang Guozhong, he could never bring himself to do it—even if he witnessed his father’s misdeeds firsthand. After all, he retained some of his predecessor’s memories. He could not commit an act of righteous betrayal.

This was the father who had given him life, and whose memories he now shared.

As for what he should do moving forward—whether to devote himself wholeheartedly to helping Yang Guozhong consolidate power, or to act for the greater good of the nation and seek to diminish his father’s influence—Yang Xi had yet to decide. That was why he sighed; so many questions would have to wait for the future. For now, he could only rely on his foresight and his abilities, beyond the scope of this age, to help the Tang army quell the rebellion as swiftly as possible, to spare the empire further turmoil and the people further suffering.

And to do that, his father’s support was indispensable.

With Yang Guozhong’s backing, many things could be accomplished with ease; without it, some things would not even be worth dreaming of.

If not for being Yang Guozhong’s son, he never could have become Deputy Grand Marshal of the army.

Such an invaluable resource must be used well—not every man cast into the past was so fortunate.

As the saying goes, “One’s position determines one’s perspective.” Occupying his current place as the son of Yang Guozhong, the most powerful minister in the realm, Yang Xi found himself entertaining thoughts he never would have considered before.

Perhaps, by leveraging every resource at his disposal, he could create a legendary chapter in history!