Chapter 14: The Women of the Stone Country

Time flew by, and before long, it was early spring in the sixth year of the Tianbao era. That morning, the Boda Ling Pass suddenly became bustling as a caravan of hundreds of camels arrived from Suiye. The ringing of camel bells echoed in the air, and as they finally emerged from Ling Mountain, the foreign merchants cheered together.

These merchants were clearly the Sogdians, renowned for their skills in trade from the regions beyond the mountains. They led their camels, dressed similarly in tight-fitting white sleeveless garments, wearing pointed hats with curled edges, gold belts adorned with precious stones, and long leather boots. Their worn appearance showed the long journey they had undertaken. The camels carried heavy chests filled with precious items such as gems, pearls, and silverware.

There were also over twenty young and beautiful girls, who were foreign women going to Chang’an to work as tavern keepers. Chang’an’s wealth and high earnings had attracted generations of foreign women for centuries, creating a stunning sight there.

“Where shall I go now that the flowers have fallen? I’ll laugh inside the foreign women’s tavern.”

Yet after such a long journey, especially after climbing the high-altitude Ling Mountain, these girls appeared weary. But once they entered the territory of the Tang Dynasty, their faces gradually lit up with excitement, their eyes filled with longing for Chang’an.

This large caravan was not led by a single person but consisted of over a hundred merchants traveling together. The leader was an old man in his sixties named Sardar, with bronze-colored skin and deep wrinkles reflecting the vicissitudes of life. Despite his age, he still moved with the vigor of a young man.

Behind him followed a young girl who also wore a pointed hat, her five braided hair visible beneath the brim—typical of women from the Zhao Wu region. She was beautiful, with fair skin and bright blue eyes that shone like gems. After crossing Ling Mountain, she looked around curiously, clearly also visiting the Tang Dynasty for the first time.

However, this girl seemed different from the others. She wore luxurious clothes, exuded noble grace, and carried a short sword adorned with gems at her waist. Suddenly, she frowned and asked the old leader, “Uncle Sardar, is this really the Tang Dynasty? It doesn’t seem much different from our Stone Country!”

The old man smiled. “Princess Julan, this is the border of the Tang Dynasty. Of course, it’s similar to our place. But once you cross the Hexi Corridor and enter Longyou, you’ll see the difference. When you reach Chang’an, I guarantee you’ll be amazed beyond belief.”

“Uncle Sarda, how far is Chang’an still?”
“It’s still thousands of miles away; at least another three months of travel.” As he spoke, Uncle Sarda suddenly realized something and slapped his forehead with a laugh. “I forgot! I can’t call you a princess anymore. Your name has changed to Shijulan.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of hurried horse hooves came from afar. A group of cavalry appeared, rushing toward them along the river.
“There are soldiers!” The caravan immediately fell into chaos. The Arab merchants pulled out knives from their bags, while Shijulan bit her lip and gripped the hilt of her knife tightly. Sarda watched for a while before suddenly saying with a smile, “They’re not the Turkic horsemen; they’re the Tang border troops.”
Maintaining the smooth flow of the Silk Road was one of the duties of the Tang border troops. For centuries, they had encountered Arab merchants day and night, and there had been very few incidents of violence or theft. Sarda relaxed and took out the pass from the Stone Kingdom from his bag.
In moments, over a hundred Tang cavalry soldiers rushed over at lightning speed. They were all tall and strong, clad in shiny armor, with round shields on their backs, swords at their waists, long spears in their hands, and crossbows with quivers slung diagonally on their horses. The cavalry lined up, blocking the path of the Arab merchants.
An officer rushed out of the group and shouted sternly, “Where are you from, Arab merchants? Where are you going?”
The officer spoke fluent Turkic, much to Shijulan’s surprise. She couldn’t help but take a closer look at the young officer.
He was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, tall, with a broad and high forehead, well-defined features, and deep-set eyes that carried a manly seriousness, calmness, and gloom. His appearance wasn’t that of a Turk; like the other Tang soldiers, he must be Han.
This Tang general was Li Qing’an. He had spent most of the past half year in the scout camp, patrolling the border to ensure safety. For his efforts, he was promoted to the commander of a scout unit, leading a hundred soldiers. Over the past year, not only had his archery skills improved, but he had also learned Turkic. In just one year, Li Qing’an had become more mature, calmer, and resilient, gradually becoming a renowned general in Anxi.
Sarda wasn’t surprised. With people of various ethnicities mixed among the border troops, it was normal for Arabs to speak Chinese and Han people to speak Arabic. He quickly handed over the pass and said with a smile, “We are merchants from the Stone Kingdom, going to Chang’an for business. May I ask your name, General?”
Although the Tang soldiers wouldn’t harm Arab merchants, they also couldn’t offend them. By flattering them properly, they might even get a free escort! The Sogdians, naturally business-minded, were always looking for opportunities to make a deal.
“My surname is Li. I’m not a general.”

Li Qing’an glanced at Sige’s pass and spoke in a firm tone, “General Fumeng has ordered that Hu merchants must inform someone before entering the country. Don’t you know that?”
Sarada gave a bitter smile and said, “General Li, we’ve just come from Sige. How could we know General Fumeng’s orders? Please forgive us!”
He switched to fluent Mandarin, showing that he was a merchant who often visited the Tang Dynasty. Hearing him speak Mandarin, Li Qing’an’s expression softened slightly.
“The general’s orders are for your own good. Since last summer and autumn, the Turkic horsemen have been invading and plundering the region. Merchants carrying valuable goods like you are especially their targets, especially since you also have so many young women with you.”
At the mention of young women, Li Qing’an glanced at Shijulan behind Sarada. Shijulan felt her heart skip a beat under his sharp gaze; it seemed this young officer had seen through her identity.
But Li Qing’an’s gaze was only fleeting. He returned the pass to Sarada and ordered expressionlessly, “Open the boxes. We need to conduct a routine inspection.”
Sarada was stunned. He knew better than anyone what such a routine inspection meant. A bitter smile appeared on his face—it seemed free access was out of the question.
He hurried back to inform the merchants. A slight commotion arose among them as they protested, but their protests were useless. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers mounted their horses and stabbed at the boxes on the camels. The ropes of one large box broke, and it fell to the ground, spilling hundreds of silver items. Its owner lay on top of the silverware, crying and cursing. The twenty-some Hu women trembled in fear, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
Shijulan was furious. She rushed up to Li Qing’an, clenched her fists, and shouted, “Is what you’re doing any different from bandits?”
Li Qing’an sized her up and smiled narrowed-eyed. “There’s a difference. Bandits take your things, while we’re just doing a routine inspection. Bandits would strip you naked, but I’m merely admiring your appearance.”
Shijulan’s face turned red as she gritted her teeth and cursed, “You’re not a soldier! You’re a scoundrel!”
Li Qing’an’s expression darkened as he said coldly, “Miss, don’t interfere with the Tang army’s duties. It could put your life at risk.”
Frightened, Sarada stepped forward and pulled Shijulan away, apologizing repeatedly to Li Qing’an, “General Li, my niece is traveling for the first time and doesn’t know the rules. Please forgive her.”
Li Qing’an snorted and ignored him. At that moment, a squad leader rushed over on horseback and reported, “General, no contraband found.”

“Good! We can stop the inspection.”
Li Qing’an glanced at Sarda again and said, “As usual, the brothers want payment for wine—500 wen each. If they want our protection, an additional 2 guan per person.”
“Well…” Sarda hesitated. “We need to discuss this.”
Sarda went to discuss with the merchants, while Shi Julan continued to glare angrily at Li Qing’an. Li Qing’an, however, smiled gracefully at her, bowed politely, and extended his hand.
Shi Julan glared at him fiercely, turned her head to look at the sky, and ignored him.
Soon, Sarda returned. He handed a money bag to Li Qing’an and said apologetically, “Everyone has agreed that they don’t need your troops’ protection. Here are 50 taels of silver, worth over 60 guan in the market, as payment for the wine for your men.”
“You’re quite shrewd.”
Li Qing’an snatched the money bag, mounted his horse, and said, “Very well. Then pray to the Sun God for protection!”
He gave Shi Julan a deep look and sneered, “Miss, you’ll soon know the difference between a bandit and me.”
“Let’s go!” Li Qing’an waved, and the Tang army’s cavalry rushed off like a gust of wind.
…