Dear Sir Li Bai,
Sir, I have finally gotten closer to the truth of the situation. Where to begin? How about let's start from the origin of everything.
In the hexagram statement for "Revolution" in the Classic of Change, it is recorded "Tang and Wu changed destinies in accordance with Heaven and in response to the people". Two thousand years ago, after the ruling power and succession of the Xia dynasty was overthrown, China began the cycle of dynastic change. Arriving at the Spring and Autumn period, the Central Plains fell into chaos and division, and everywhere conflict arose in the ways of military affairs and state governance. These developments needed the ways of a great number of prudent and wise individuals to counsel and educate lives. So hence in this period, there appeared countless philosophical systems in China: they were called the "Hundred Schools of Thought". It is known to all that the four most famous philosophies among these are... Taoism, which propagates wu wei; Mohism, which advocates equality; Legalism, which propagates order; and Confucianism, which propagates humane governance.
These different ideologies and groups collided with one another, driving the course of the era. Under the impact of different philosophies, wars between equity and authority and wars between freedom and slavery were ceaselessly reproduced again and again across the vast, great lands of China. The proponents of liberty and those who pursued power, bearing different names and forms dynasty after dynasty and era after era, opposed one another throughout the general trend of division and unity in the world under Heaven.
In my last letter, I already shared intelligence around the "Golden Turtles": it is that they are a secret society which formed under Wu Zetian's rule as an alliance between her kin, powerful officials, and eunuchs.
But these "Golden Turtles" were not newly born in Wu Zetian's era but rather have been passed down from ancient times, only having changed their skin is all. They pursue "power" and follow the archaic order of "slavery".
After the Tang dynasty was restored, the influence of the Golden Turtles was greatly weakened as well. This was how His Majesty's Reign of Kaiyuan began, which is exactly the Great Tang Golden Age that caused me to linger forgetting to return home, as well as the wonder that I still miss to this day.
Twenty years ago, "Golden Turtles" leader Li Linfu became prime minister, his power dominating court and country. Following this, the Golden Turtles' influence attained another step of expansion as well, and from then on, everything began to quietly change.
Li Linfu used duplicitous and vicious methods to remove dissidents. Not to mention that to suppress the crown prince's faction, he actively backed frontier generals. He supported new member of the Golden Turtles An Lushan in founding the "Yeluohe" at the border stations, so as to grow the Golden Turtles' military power.
No one could guess Li Linfu's thoughts, and yet Li Linfu could guess through everyone.
And so, Golden Turtles Yang Guozhong and An Lushan revered and feared this "honey in mouth, sword in belly" leader. Reportedly, every time Li Linfu and An Lushan had a conversation, he could feel through thoughts of An Lushan which were unknowable to others, and every time it would cause An Lushan to sweat profusely. Because of this, Yang Guozhong and An Lushan were always held firmly in Li Linfu's hands and had difficulty unleashing their ambitions. Until four years ago, Li Linfu died; he was then aged seventy. The news announced to the public by the court was that he had died from illness, but there was also a small trail of news that said that he was assassinated by a mysterious person.
Li Linfu monopolized power for twenty two years, fostering numerous enemies at court. Even if he died by meeting assassination, it would not in the least bit be unusual. But precisely as a result of this, Li Linfu always took extensive precautions at all sides. Binding boards and erecting brick walls, he would even switch to a different residence every day, so that even his family would not know his place of hiding. So then who actually had that great of an ability to assassinate the prime minister? Supposing that it was an Assassin’s doing, then who was it who directed it behind-the-scenes?
I only know that the ones who hoped the most for Li Linfu to collapse off the pedestal were Yang Guozhong and An Lushan. Li Linfu had not yet been interred when so soon did Yang Guozhong and An Lushan collaborate to falsely accuse Li Linfu of having plotted treason. From this, Li Linfu was removed from his official position, demoted to a commoner, had his family assets confiscated, and every last of his children was exiled to the frontier. Consort kin Yang Guozhong smoothly seized his position, succeeded to the seat of prime minister, and became the leader of the Golden Turtles' new generation. This caused An Lushan to be extremely dissatisfied.
In competing for the position of Golden Turtle leader, An Lushan and Yang Guozhong battled in the light and fought in the dark, needles sharply pointed at each another everywhere, eventually triggering the present disastrous upheaval.
On the first month of this year, An Lushan established an illegitimate dynasty in Luoyang and declared himself emperor. Because he set his soldiers loose to slaughter and pillage, An Lushan's rebel army already lost the people's hearts early on. Once he has lost the people's hearts, his days must necessarily come to an end.
I have heard that General of the Feather Forest Wang Chengye personally assassinated the three rebel generals of Tumen Pass, and he presented to His Majesty the three "Golden Turtle tallies" that the rebel generals were carrying on their bodies. As far as His Majesty is concerned, this was some good news that had been hard to come by. So then heaping tremendous praises on Wang Chengye, he generously rewarded him at once. Wang Chengye also remained in the capital city, managing confidential matters at Yang Guozhong’s side and at the same time safeguarding his security.
To tell you the truth, I bear a lot of misgivings towards this General Wang Chengye. Tumen Pass is, to historical schools of military, ground that must absolutely be contested. The famous "a battle with backs to the water" happened exactly here. Since Wang Chengye successfully assassinated the three rebel generals and opened Tumen Pass, why did he not garrison troops to rigorously defend it, but rather deliberately ran all the way to Chang'an to claim credit? I remonstrated with His Majesty to investigate this matter in detail, but His Majesty only hears the news he wishes to hear. As a result, none of my counsel had the slightest effect.
And now I have also lost opportunities to offer counsel because Yang Guozhong has commanded the "Golden Turtles" to keep His Majesty tightly surrounded, covering up his eyes and ears and leading me to have no way to get close to him alone. To avoid encountering adversity, it is best to mute oneself. I cannot say these words out loud; I can only write to you, Li Bai, like this.
Just as he wrongly killed the two generals Gao and Feng, Yang Guozhong also would like to find a chance to eliminate their successor Geshu Han, and though I clearly know this, yet I am powerless as ever.
According to the intel that Yang Guozhong provided, An Lushan's vanguard are all old and feeble, sick and crippled; their military spirit lax and undisciplined; their morale low. The battle-hardened Geshu Han early on already saw through that this is the rebel army's stratagem to bait their enemy, and he refused to go on the offensive. But His Majesty was anxious to pacify the rebellion and thought that the Tang military should have already had victory in their grasp from the start, and so thereupon he believed Yang Guozhong's slander and would not stop dispatching messengers to Tong Pass to urge Geshu Han to move out from the pass. After being urged three more times, Geshu Han could only look up at the sky and wail. He could not but command two hundred thousand infantry and cavalry out of the pass and engage the enemy in a life-and-death battle.
Of course, nowhere was there an accident, for this was precisely the enemy's trap. The ambush troops, which were fully arrayed and lying in wait, routed the imperial army, two hundred thousand imperial troops were completely annihilated, and Tong Pass was rapidly broken through.
...
Now, the rebel army will strike into Chang'an at any time. Yet I do not know what we should do.
Sir, there is already not a lot of ink remaining with me. Perhaps this will become my last letter. I have already recorded truthfully the results of my investigation. Even if this letter fails to reach your hands, it will still allow later generations to know fragments of the facts, so that they can piece together the complete truth.
The information atop this letter is all reliable. After all, having previously served as Great Tang Supervisor of the Secretaries, I was able to come into contact with the Hall of Assembled Worthies' myriad scrolls, collected books, and records at any time. This has until now been my most important intelligence source. In fact, one only needs to diligently search it, and we would be able to investigate every secret whether ancient or modern, Chinese or foreign.
For instance, in a dusty corner of the great hall, there is a strange, tattered book named "Tui Bei Tu". Recalling it now, although the content was cryptic and difficult to understand, the prophecies within verifiably hinted at future events that are to occur. It foretold the An Lushan Rebellion happening today, and not to mention that it also foretells even more remote futures.
Only too bad, at the time I was not able to comprehend the contents' deep meanings, and when I left the capital in haste, I also failed to bring it with me. Truly regrettable. At the moment, it should be lying still in some corner of the Hall of Assembled Worthies, but I wish I could have it protected by Master Jianzhen like the śarīras, for it to evade the turmoil of war, for it to not be burned or destroyed.
The book says that this is an ancient war: a war between light and darkness. This is also a war between equity and authority, freedom and enslavement.
We previously lived in a continuous age of peace, so we forgot about the cycle of savagery, wantonly squandering away those beautiful times while forgetting that history will always repeat. Whether we wish to do so or not, we still must begin to face the era of conflict and hardship. This is all because of the "Golden Turtles'" internal struggle and because of those ambitious power-mongers seeking to enslave the people.
So then, for thousands of years, those individuals who had hidden themselves deep in the shadows to battle for equality and freedom, where are they in the present day?
Sir Li Bai!
The twenty-four commanderies of Hebei were once the lands of Yan and Zhao. Since ancient times, the lands of Yan and Zhao have had many scholars for whom magnanimous and sorrowful songs are sung. I believe that there are many unknown scholars of justice and gallant heroes fighting to the end in the darkness, using their own methods to resist by themselves. It is only that we do not know about their uprisings for justice at the moment, but it does not mean that they do not exist. Sooner or later, there will be a day when someone takes a stand, unite with those forces we cannot see, and confront the darkness of night together.
Just now, I received news transmitted by Gao Lishi a courtier that His Majesty has decided to abandon leave Chang'an and proceed to Shu to escape disaster. I am also to follow His Majesty, once again embarking on a journey where life-and-death has yet been divined. The obstacles along the road to Shu—you should know clearer than I do. But having experienced the previous tribulations over life-and-death, I firmly believe that I will definitely be able to hold on until the end.
But let us wish that we will all use our respective means to continue in resolute defence, to continue to keep moving forward, until the bright moon bursts through the raven clouds.
—Chao Heng (Abe no Nakamaro)
