Chapter Thirty-Seven: No Retreat Allowed

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Fortunately, Li Heng couldn't stay in Tongguan forever; he would soon return to Chang'an. Otherwise, Yang Xi truly wouldn't know how to handle the situation.

On the sixth day after arriving at Tongguan, Li Heng finally set off on his journey.

As Li Heng’s carriage crossed the Tongguan border, Yang Xi let out a deep sigh of relief.

Li Heng’s inspection tour and troop encouragement at Tongguan were practically an attempt to undermine him. Months of hard-earned prestige and the loyalty he had cultivated were nearly ruined by Li Heng’s actions, leaving Yang Xi deeply resentful.

The intentions of generals like Wang Sili, Tian Liangqiu, and Lü Chongben had clearly shifted, something Yang Xi absolutely could not tolerate.

Yet, he did not summon them for confrontation. Instead, after Li Heng’s departure, he continued to order them to drill troops as before.

If he had appeared flustered or desperate, the situation would have worsened. He had to remain magnanimous.

It was General Gao Shi who took the initiative to approach Yang Xi, relaying Li Heng’s attempts to win him over. Embarrassed, Gao Shi said, “Marshal Yang, I agreed to some of the Crown Prince’s requests solely out of a desire to serve the country. It was never my intention to oppose you, Marshal. You have shown great favor to me, and I will always remember your kindness.”

“General Gao is too kind,” Yang Xi replied dismissively and praised Gao Shi’s straightforwardness. “I’m glad you can speak openly with me. The Crown Prince’s words are understandable—after all, he is the heir to the throne and future emperor, and everyone will have to heed him. But for now, our task is to defend Tongguan and train its garrison in preparation for the coming battles.”

Seeing Yang Xi’s indifference, Gao Shi was surprised and grew even more respectful and complimentary of Yang Xi’s generosity.

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Pang Zhong also spoke frankly to Yang Xi, though not deliberately seeking him out; it was during a military report. Unlike Gao Shi, he did not express loyalty to Yang Xi but spoke honestly, hoping Yang Xi would not take offense. He vowed he would not be swayed by the Crown Prince’s attempts and would continue to lead his troops well without slackening.

Li Chengguang, Li Fude, and Liu Guangting were originally loyal to Yang Guozhong. Though Li Heng tried to win them over during his inspection, their positions were firm, and they revealed nothing to him. After Li Heng’s departure, they each confided some candid thoughts to Yang Xi.

Fortunately, the generals Wang Sili, Tian Liangqiu, and Lü Chongben, who had been swayed by Li Heng, did not act against Yang Xi during subsequent drills. They continued to work diligently, trained their soldiers strictly, and remained respectful toward Yang Xi. However, Li Fuguo seemed to have grown bolder after Li Heng’s visit. He began voicing opinions during discussions, though they were mostly ignored.

Li Fuguo appeared to have cast aside caution and openly criticized Yang Xi, insisting that many matters required the military monitor’s approval and that Yang Xi must inform him of any orders or operations. Yet Yang Xi remained firm, declaring that military affairs were his prerogative as marshal and did not require interference from the monitor. They clashed several times, but Yang Xi ultimately prevailed.

In his struggle with Li Fuguo, Yang Xi refused to yield.

This was reminiscent of the earlier situation where Bian Lingcheng often advised General Gao Xianzhi, only to be dismissed.

Another similarity was the growing resentment Li Fuguo harbored toward Yang Xi, visible to all.

Yang Xi largely excluded Li Fuguo from military matters, rendering his position as military monitor nominal at best—a state maintained since the Crown Prince’s inspection. How to quell Li Fuguo’s frustration without much recourse was a dilemma.

Previously, Yang Xi had reported these issues to Chang'an, implicating Li Fuguo and accusing him of ignoring court law and undermining the military monitor’s authority. Yet the report vanished without a trace. Yang Xi believed things would remain unchanged until Li Heng returned to Chang'an.

Boasting the protection of his father, Prime Minister Yang Guozhong, who wielded immense power at court, Yang Xi dared to disregard regulations and exclude the military monitor. Li Fuguo felt that as long as he continued to report Yang Xi’s misdeeds with Li Heng’s backing, Yang Xi would face trouble.

With Li Heng’s explicit support, Li Fuguo did not back down, resulting in repeated conflicts with Yang Xi.

Yang Xi longed for an opportunity to deal with Li Fuguo, even to send the eunuch back to Chang'an. But Li Fuguo was cautious, acting only within his authority and avoiding mistakes that could be exploited.

Yang Xi had no choice but to endure a slow, grinding struggle with Li Fuguo, confident that sooner or later he would find a serious fault. Once he had a solid case, Yang Xi would not hesitate to take ruthless action, perhaps even beheading Li Fuguo as he had done with Bian Lingcheng. Li Fuguo’s notorious reputation in history surpassed that of Yang Guozhong; a rootless eunuch who dared to disregard the emperor and monopolize power. Removing such a man before he gained full strength was, in Yang Xi’s eyes, a righteous act for the nation and its people.

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Yet Yang Xi admitted that Li Heng’s inspection had indeed caused him trouble.

Li Fuguo continued to stir up trouble, and Yang Xi knew that once Li Heng returned to court, he would submit a report to Emperor Li Longji about Tongguan, likely exaggerating Yang Xi’s faults. Yang Xi resolved to ride swiftly back to Chang'an before Li Heng’s arrival, hoping to explain the situation to the emperor either before or immediately after Li Heng’s report.

He planned to bring along his father Yang Guozhong to assist in the explanation. Yang Xi believed Emperor Li Longji would not punish him, as he had done nothing wrong. Everything he did was for the country and the greater good, with little personal gain—at most incidental benefit. If his focus on the big picture led to blame or dismissal because of Li Heng’s tattling, it would be deeply unjust.

On the fourth day after Li Heng left Tongguan, with only two days’ journey remaining to reach Chang'an, Yang Xi led a detachment of his personal guards to the capital. He also took over two hundred members of his special training unit to instruct them in executing special tasks during rapid marches.

Before leaving Tongguan, Yang Xi appointed Pang Zhong, Gao Shi, and Li Fude to oversee military affairs, assisted by Wang Sili, Lü Chongben, Tian Liangqiu, Li Chengguang, and Liu Guangting. The generals sensed something unusual in this arrangement: Yang Xi’s trust in Wang Sili was notably less than his trust in Pang Zhong and Gao Shi. Previously, before departing Tongguan, Yang Xi had entrusted military affairs to Wang Sili and Pang Zhong together.

Pang Zhong and Gao Shi understood Yang Xi’s intentions, and Wang Sili did as well, though none voiced it openly.

Yang Xi also specifically instructed Pang Zhong, Gao Shi, and Li Fude to maintain their stance toward the military monitor Li Fuguo—do not let him interfere in military affairs, only report troop information to him and notify him of urgent matters.

If Li Fuguo had any grievances, Yang Xi would personally report and explain them to the emperor.

Before leaving Tongguan, Yang Xi informed his father Yang Guozhong of all his plans and arrangements.

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