Chapter Ten: Revisiting the Young Lady

Since ancient times, Kucha has been an economic and transportation hub at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, as well as one of the powerful states among the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions. In the 23rd year of Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan era, Guo Xiaoke, the governor of Anxi, launched attacks to the south against Yanqi and to the north against the Turks, successfully reclaiming Kucha from their hands.

The Turkish troops in places like Shule and Yutian surrendered at the first sign of resistance. All the territories south of the Tianshan Mountains were recovered by the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong ordered Guo Xiaoke to relocate the Anxi Governor’s Office from Gaochang to Kucha, restoring the system established since the Han Dynasty. At the same time, he officially established four military garrisons in Kucha, Yanying, Shule, and Yutian, all under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Governor’s Office. A hundred years have passed since then.

Although the position of the Anxi governor has experienced ups and downs over the past century, it remains firmly under control of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty appointed an Anxi military governor, with 24,000 troops stationed there. Relying on a five-tier military structure comprising towns, cities, fortresses, watchtowers, and signal stations, a sophisticated defense system was established, with Kucha at its core, guarding the vast lands of the Western Regions.

Currently, the Grand Governor of Anxi is Li Linfu, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. The Anxi military governor is Fu Menglingcha. Gao Xianzhi serves as the deputy governor of Anxi and the commander of the troops in the four garrisons, making him the second most powerful figure in Anxi, with a personal guard of 500 men.

Li Qing’an is one of the officers in this personal guard. This rank is a type of military position belonging to lower-ranking officers. To some extent, it is not an official court position but rather a temporary military rank. Given the long distance between Anxi and Chang’an, any rewards for military achievements had to be reported step by step, with responses often taking half a year or more. Therefore, Gao Xianzhi appointed him as an officer temporarily to promptly recognize his military merits.

Although Li Qing’an’s promotion was envied by the other soldiers, in reality he had little to do. He escorted Gao Xianzhi wherever he went. When Gao Xianzhi was in Kucha, Li Qing’an had free time, during which he practiced archery and horseback riding or played polo. Occasionally, he was allowed to leave the camp to go out and enjoy the city.

That evening, Li Qing’an met with a few colleagues at the “Central Plains Tavern” to drink. Kucha City, the capital of the Kucha Kingdom, was twice as large as Bahuancheng, with a much larger population. There were numerous shops and many merchants coming and going, making it a very prosperous and bustling place. The tavern they visited was also run by a Han Chinese, with two floors, fully occupied by guests, and very busy.

Three people were drinking with Li Qing’an. One was Bai Yuanguang, and the other was Duan Xiushi. Like Li Qing’an, these two also held the rank of officer. There was another man with a higher military rank named Xi Yuanqing, who was Gao Xianzhi’s trusted and favorite general.

In fact, these men were all famous generals of the Tang Dynasty. As a child, Li Qing’an had read stories about Duan Xiushi’s fearlessness in the face of powerful figures. A few months ago, he might have been surprised and deeply moved, but now he no longer had such feelings. Perhaps a thousand years from now, his name, Li Qing’an, would also be inscribed in the annals of history.

“Qilang, I never expected you to have such extraordinary talent for polo. After practicing for such a short time, you’ve already reached the ranks of experts.”

It was Duan Xiushi who spoke. He was also an expert in polo and had represented Anxi to compete in Chang’an last year. In modern terms, he was the head of Anxi’s polo team. When Li Qing’an first arrived in Kucha, he hadn’t even touched a polo mallet. After just a few dozen days of practice, he was already able to compete on par with them, which left them in awe.

“Come! Qilang, let me toast you.”

Duan Xiushi raised his cup and clinked it against Li Yanqing’s, then smiled and said, “With your current level, if you practice for another year, the title of Anxi’s top polo expert will surely belong to you. Next year, let’s go to the capital together to compete in the polo tournament. The championship will be ours.”

“Go to the capital!” Bai Yuanguang drank some wine and lost his usual composure. He slammed the table and said angrily, “We must defeat the Fanyang military polo team to avenge last year’s arrow attack.”

At that moment, Xi Yuanqing drained the wine in his cup. “Stop talking about polo all the time. Think about how to get a chance to fight and earn merits.”

He was in a bad mood. After drinking a few cups, his emotions surged, and he sighed deeply, “A man’s life is but a few decades. As the years pass, I’m already 32. When will I get to fight a real battle, achieve great feats, and bring honor to my wife and family?”

“Next year! I think we’ll all have a chance to fight next year,” Li Qing’an said with a slight smile.

“What’s your basis?” The others were surprised by Li Qing’an’s confidence.

Li Qing’an knew that next year would be the sixth year of the Tianbao era. In history, there would be a war that would determine Gao Xianzhi’s fate. He didn’t know the specifics of the war, but he knew the general direction.

“My basis is simple. The Tang Dynasty has been building up its strength for years. It’s time to wage war against Tubo.”

“You mean the Lesser Bulu?” Duan Xiushi pondered for a moment.

“What do you think, Chenggong?”

Duan Xiushi nodded. “Perhaps! Tubo controlling the key routes to Xiaobolü not only caused the Tang Dynasty to lose Turfan but also made Xiaobolü a base for Tubo to invade Anxi. It also made it possible for the Tuyuheshi to ally with Tubo. Since the Kaiyuan era, the Tang Dynasty has launched three campaigns against Xiaobolü, all of which failed. Now that the Tuyuheshi are weakened, the time is ripe. I think it will be either next year or the year after—definitely, the Tang Dynasty will launch another campaign against Xiaobolü.”
“Then let’s wait for that day. Cheers!” Xi Yuanqing raised his cup.
“Cheers!” The four of them drank their wine in one gulp.
Just then, a young woman came up from the stairs, wearing a short robe with narrow sleeves, a long skirt in pomegranate color, an arrow on her back, and a three-foot-long green sword in her hand. She looked around as if searching for an empty seat.
Li Qing’an was stunned. How could she also end up in Kucha, where they had such a complicated relationship?
“Wuniang, over here!” Duan Xiushi suddenly waved at her.
“Chenggong knows her?”
Li Qing’an glanced at Duan Xiushi. Calling her so affectionately—could she be his lover?
Duan Xiushi chuckled. “Everyone in Kucha knows her. You’ll meet her soon too.”
Hearing someone call her, the woman turned around and searched around before suddenly spotting them. She was overjoyed.
“Duan Xiaojian, Bailagun, and Xi Manqiang—what are you all doing here?”
She ran over smiling, but when she saw Li Qing’an, she froze for a moment before exclaiming, “How are you here too?”
Li Qing’an forced a laugh. “I’m here to give you the leopard skin. Since you paid, Icertainly have to deliver it to you.”
“I don’t want some worthless animal skin!”
The woman pouted and pushed Bai Yuanguang hard. “Bailagun, move over.”
She sat down and waved at the waiter. “Waiter, give me a piece of bread first. I’m starving.”
Bai Yuanguang eagerly poured her a cup of wine and asked with a smile, “Wuniang, where have you been these past few months? How do you know our new brother?”
“I went to Bahuan City and Shule and got extremely tired.”
Wuniang drank her wine like a boy, her pretty face turning red. She glanced at Li Qing’an and suddenly remembered that he had refused to sell her the leopard skin. She glared at him fiercely and said, “You three, this guy bullied me in Bahuan City. Punish him for me!”