Volume One, Chapter 20: Li Mi’s Strategy

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Li Mi was born into a Taoist family and was well-versed in the "Book of Changes" and divination; he was a successor of the renowned calendrical scholar Li Chunfeng. This man was deeply knowledgeable in classical texts and history and excelled in strategy. His lineage was extremely distinguished—his sixth-generation ancestor was Li Bi, one of the "Eight Pillars of State" of Northern Zhou, ranking alongside Li Hu, the grandfather of Tang Gaozu, Li Yuan.

In the past, Li Mi served as a court scholar and often frequented the Crown Prince's residence, maintaining a close relationship with Li Heng. Many of the strategies Li Heng employed for self-preservation were devised by Li Mi himself. Later, due to his exceptional talents, Li Mi incurred the jealousy of the Right Chancellor Yang Guozhong and was forced into seclusion in Mount Zhongnan. Yang Guozhong’s maneuver to sideline Li Mi was, in essence, a ploy to undermine the Crown Prince by cutting off his support, thereby suppressing him more effectively.

"Your Highness, the hermit pays respects!" Li Mi entered the main hall, dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, standing tall and graceful. His demeanor was ethereal, his features handsome and refined, embodying an otherworldly aura.

"Please, no need for formalities. To see you today is truly a delightful surprise," Li Heng said openly, not concealing his joy in front of the assembled ministers.

"How fortuitous that you have come, sir," Li Heng inquired.

"Last night, I observed the celestial phenomena and noticed the Ziwei Star dimming slightly, while the Crown Prince’s star shone extraordinarily bright, radiating auspicious light and auspice. This is a favorable omen, leading me to believe Your Highness will soon face extraordinary affairs. Hence, I hastened to Chang’an to pay my respects," Li Mi replied with a smile that seemed to conceal profound meaning, elusive to interpretation.

"You are mistaken, sir. I have returned to guard Chang’an under His Majesty’s command. Is that not an extraordinary matter? His Majesty’s health is robust, the Ziwei Star shines eternally bright, how could it possibly dim? I implore you not to speak such baseless words," Li Heng responded sternly.

Having received modern education, he naturally did not trust celestial omens literally. The ‘celestial phenomena’ mentioned by Li Mi were more metaphorical. At this sensitive moment, he needed to be cautious in front of the courtiers.

Li Mi shook his head calmly. "Your Highness, please restrain your anger. Celestial signs cannot be fully trusted, nor completely ignored. Your duty to guard Chang’an is a matter of great consequence to the Tang dynasty’s fate. Is that not extraordinary? I have come precisely to offer Your Highness assistance in resolving the peril in Chang’an."

"What strategies do you propose?" Li Heng asked.

"I bring three plans—upper, middle, and lower—that can ensure Your Highness holds Chang’an," Li Mi said slowly.

"Very well. Please wait here a moment, I shall return shortly," Li Heng said, ordering Yu Chaoren to escort Li Mi to the inner hall to rest.

After Li Mi left, Li Heng continued to deploy his forces.

"Pei Mian."

"At your service," the Chief Censor Pei Mian replied, stepping forward and bowing.

"Order the heads of the frontier officials Cheng He and Cui Guangyuan to be hung on the city towers with notices posted as a warning! Anyone who colludes with the rebels henceforth shall be executed without mercy!" Li Heng slammed his fist on the table, causing the officials to tremble in fear.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Chen Xilie."

"I am here, Your Highness."

Just as Li Heng was about to speak, he suddenly remembered someone—a person who should have appeared but hadn’t yet—and asked, "Where is Gao Shi?"

"Reporting to His Highness, as far as I know, Commander Gao and Deputy Commander Wang Sili are currently stationed at Ba Bridge," Chen Xilie replied respectfully.

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"Wang Sili?" Li Heng questioned.

"Precisely," Chen Xilie responded respectfully.

During the Battle of Tongguan, Li Longji had appointed Wang Sili as deputy commander, in charge of the cavalry.

"Chen Left Chancellor, please send someone at once to summon these two," Li Heng urged.

"At once," Chen Xilie replied and left.

The others received their respective orders one after another. By the time these tasks were completed, it was nearly the second watch of the night.

When Li Heng returned to the inner hall, Li Mi had been waiting for him quite some time. The two exchanged greetings again and took their seats with the guest and host positions.

"Sir, earlier you mentioned three strategies—upper, middle, and lower. May I ask what they are?" Li Heng asked humbly.

"Your Highness, these three plans are not to be taken lightly. Please have your attendants withdraw, only then will I dare to speak," Li Mi said mysteriously.

With a wave of his hand, Li Heng had Yu Chaoren and others quickly leave.

"Please, sir, enlighten me," Li Heng cupped his hands respectfully.

"Let me begin with the lower plan," Li Mi said, stroking his beard slowly. "The lower plan is to abandon Chang’an and retreat to Lingzhou to join forces with Guo Ziyi’s Shuofang army. This would temporarily avoid the rebel forces’ main strength and prevent a decisive battle in Chang’an. At the same time, you could leverage the support of the Uighur and Turkic powers to rebuild your forces, fortify defenses, and wait for the opportune moment to strike. When the rebels grow weary, you can reclaim the two capitals and wipe out the remnants."

"This plan is most unsuitable. I am here by His Majesty’s command to defend Chang’an, and there is absolutely no question of abandoning it. To relinquish Chang’an would chill the hearts of all loyal subjects and be tantamount to digging our own graves. Even if I must die in battle, I shall never retreat!" Li Heng resolutely dismissed the proposal.

He was all too familiar with this history. After Emperor Xuanzong fled, Chang’an fell to the rebels and suffered repeated ravaging, leaving it desolate. At that time, the city held over a million people and was the largest city in the world, the center of the Eurasian continent.

He still remembered Du Fu’s poem: “I recall the prosperous day of Kaiyuan, even small towns held thousands of households. Rice flowed rich and white; granaries, public and private, were full. Across the nine provinces, no beasts roamed; travelers needed not wait for lucky days. Silks of Qi and Lu lined the streets; men plowed and women wove in harmony.”

To surrender such a flourishing Chang’an to rebels would be a crime!

Since he had transmigrated as Li Heng, he was determined to hold Chang’an, protect the people of the Tang, and restore the glorious Tang dynasty!

Now, he embraced this goal as his mission.

“That is the lower plan, Your Highness immediately rejects it; I admire your decisiveness,” Li Mi bowed.

"What of the middle plan?" Li Heng asked.

"To govern as Crown Prince, steadfastly defend Chang’an, and recapture the Eastern Capital," Li Mi answered directly.

"Additionally, summon the military governors of Longyou, Shuofang, and Huainan to raise troops for a joint battle—it might be feasible," Li Mi said, fixing his gaze on Li Heng. "However, His Majesty’s inspection tour to Shu is like having two suns in the sky, the name is not right, the words not aligned. The court’s factions may waver, hesitate, or harbor other intentions, potentially breeding internal strife. If slanderous officials seize this chance to drive a wedge between His Majesty and the Crown Prince, Your Highness’s safety will be at risk. If the Crown Prince is unstable, so too is our Tang dynasty."

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Li Heng looked at Li Mi thoughtfully.

"Therefore, I believe Your Highness should ascend the throne due to the disillusionment of the realm and establish the righteous cause early," Li Mi declared forcefully. "First, this would unite all hearts and prevent the ministers from wavering or hesitating. Second, it would overcome the current predicament of illegitimacy and misalignment of authority, allowing Your Highness to issue orders smoothly and without constraints with the dignity of an emperor. Third, it would demonstrate to the world that the Tang will never yield to rebels, and that the new ruler will lead the people to fight to the end, restoring Tang’s former glory."

Li Mi rose and knelt on one knee, earnestly imploring, "I beg Your Highness to make this crucial decision soon and not disappoint the people of the realm!"

Hearing this, Li Heng could not help but feel moved; Li Mi’s thoughts aligned with his own. Yet, he still had reservations: "Though your proposal is reasonable, my father the emperor is still alive. If I were to ascend the throne abruptly, it would be illegitimate and cause discontent. Worse, I might be branded unfilial and ridiculed by the world."

Li Mi stood and shook his head slowly. "Your Highness understands only one side, not the other. The nation faces crisis; the situation is urgent like never before. His Majesty is thousands of miles away in Shu, how can he control affairs? You remain in Chang’an; if you do not claim your rightful position in time, how can you unify the forces to resist the enemy? As the ancients said, those who accomplish great deeds do not fuss over trifles. Please consider the dynasty and the people. Once the rebels are defeated and His Majesty is restored, Your Highness’s sincere devotion will be understood and forgiven by all."

"Now, with two suns in the sky and two tigers in the mountains, hesitation only invites chaos. Please decide soon," Li Mi urged.

Li Heng fell into deep thought.

Historically, after retreating to Lingwu, Li Heng was persuaded by Pei Mian, Du Hongjian, Wei Shaoyou, Cui Yi, Lu Jianjin, Li Han, and others to declare himself emperor and honored Li Longji as the retired emperor.

That was how the historical Li Heng acted. As a modern man well-read in history, why was he so hesitant?

To be fair, he had reservations about Li Heng declaring himself emperor prematurely due to the issue of political legitimacy.

Only after Li Longji issued an edict passing the throne to Li Heng was the issue of legitimacy resolved.

But did Li Longji truly wish to abdicate to Li Heng? Not really—it was forced by circumstances.

Thus, even though Li Longji later recognized Li Heng’s throne for the greater good, there was still a blemish on propriety.

The Chinese people value propriety and honor above all. Without legitimate title and proper authority, action often fails.

He still had to lead the Tang to new heights and could not allow hidden dangers or criticisms in these matters.

With this in mind, Li Heng spoke slowly, "What you say is most wise. But this matter is grave and cannot be rushed. Allow me some time to consider carefully."

He believed that as long as he held Chang’an and captured Luoyang, the throne would eventually be his, and his father would willingly abdicate.

One way is active; the other passive. Though both are abdications, their political significance and influence differ greatly.

Since the Incident at Xuanwu Gate, the Tang imperial family has suffered endless coups, all because Emperor Taizong started a bad precedent.

Li Mi nodded. "Your Highness is right to consider carefully. Yet the situation is pressing; I hope Your Highness decides soon."