Chapter 16: Crises Abound

This time, the Tang soldiers escorted the Persian merchants from both sides. The merchants buried their companions’ bodies and urged their camels to keep moving forward.
After traveling about ten miles, a thin Tang soldier approached Sardar. He glanced at Shijulan, either intentionally or not, and asked with a smile, “Uncle, does your caravan have any Damascus swords? You know, those curved military swords?”
Sardar laughed. “You mean Damascus swords! Those are treasures of the Arab armies. I heard only the elite guards possess them, but maybe I can get one. I’ll try to bring one for you next time I come.”
“Thank you very much. My name is He Yanming. I’m a squad leader in the scout camp. Most of the troops stationed nearby know me.”
“General He became a squad leader at such a young age—really admirable!”
Sardar flattered him, and He Yanming puffed out his chest proudly, though his gaze quickly shifted to Shijulan beside him. Shijulan ignored him, her eyes often fixed on Li Qing’an at the front. Although Li Qing’an joked with her freely, once they set off, he ignored her, leaving Shijulan feeling a bit disappointed.
Sardar quickly changed the subject and asked He Yanming tentatively, “So General He is the squad leader after all. I thought General Li was your leader earlier!”
Hearing Uncle Sardar mention Li Qing’an, Shijulan turned her head again and listened attentively to He Yanming’s reply.
“Uncle, you really know how to joke.”
He Yanming grinned. “Thinking I was his leader? You’ve got the wrong idea. He’s a trusted aide to our Deputy Commander-in-Chief and the commander of the scout camp. The soldiers in Anxi call him ‘Blood Arrow of Ling Mountain’.”
“So he’s Blood Arrow of Ling Mountain!”
Sardar was deeply moved. He glanced at Li Qing’an’s tall, straight figure in the distance. Seeing the shock in his eyes, He Yanming lowered his voice proudly and said, “Uncle, General Li has a very mysterious background. There are rumors that he might be from the Tang royal family.”
He immediately regretted saying that and hurriedly added, “Uncle, never mention this in front of him. It’s a big no-no for him. If he finds out, I’ll be in big trouble.”
“General He, is it because he’s from the royal family that he became an official?” Shijulan suddenly asked.

Sarada knew these words offended someone, so he quickly whispered to stop her. He Yanming’s face turned red with anger as he said resentfully, “Miss, that’s completely wrong. Our general’s military rank was earned through sheer courage and sacrifice. It is because of him that the Turkic invaders were defeated several times in their attempts to raid Bahuhan City. Half a year ago, General Li led just fifty cavalrymen to defeat hundreds of enemies, achieving great merits. It was because of this that the military governor rewarded him—this has nothing to do with the rumors about his background at all.”
“Oh, I see!” Shi Julan imagined General Li Qingan leading fifty cavalrymen to defeat hundreds of enemies and couldn’t help but feel admiration for his bravery.
Just then, a cavalryman rushed over from afar and shouted, “Captain He, the brigade commander wants you to go over.”
“I know,” He Yanming replied quickly. He reminded Sarada about the Persian scimitar and gave Shi Julan one last deep look before riding off.
After He Yanming left, Shi Julan asked, “Uncle Sarada, it seems you’ve heard of this General Li?”
Sarada nodded nervously. “I’ve heard of the nickname ‘Blood Arrow of Ling Mountain’ among the Turkiq people. This man has risen to fame in just the past year and is known as the best archer in Anxi. He’s ruthless—each arrow kills its target, and the shafts are inscribed with the words ‘Blood Arrow of Ling Mountain’. Everyone among the Turkiq fears him. I just didn’t expect him to be so young. We should avoid provoking him.”
Shi Julan disagreed. Those Turkiq people who crossed the border to kill were surely deserving of death. She had no grudges against him, so what was there to fear? Seeing that she didn’t take his words seriously, Sarada shook his head and sighed inwardly.
…
He Yanming rushed up to Li Qingan and bowed, asking, “Does the brigade commander need me for something?”
Li Qingan glanced at him coldly. “I’m warning you again—don’t leak military secrets casually. Be careful, or I’ll skin you.”
Li Qingan ignored him and continued riding forward. He Yanming was speechless for a long time. Han Jinping, who was behind him, patted his shoulder and laughed maliciously, “You must have spoken carelessly again. How many times has the brigade commander warned you? Hehe! You better prepare to get punished when you go back!”
He Yanming hung his head like a defeated rooster and rode back listlessly.
The caravan and the Tang army marched another twenty miles until they reached Sulou Beacon Fort. It was because three beacons were lit at Sulou Beacon Fort a few days ago that Li Qingan personally led his troops to investigate, where they happened to encounter Shi Guo’s caravan.

There was an open area next to the fortress, and everyone dismounted from their camels to rest. Shi Julan sat under a poplar tree to rest, but her gaze kept drifting toward the fortress—she had seen Li Qingan enter it earlier.
“How’s your foot injury?” Li Qingan’s voice suddenly came from behind her.
Shi Julan was startled and turned to glare at him, saying, “Weren’t you inside the fortress? How are you behind me again?”
Immediately after saying that, her face turned red with embarrassment—hadn’t she just admitted she had been paying attention to him?
“Your medicine is very good; my foot is fine now,” Shi Julan said softly, lowering her head and clutching the hem of her clothes.
Seeing her shy and adorable appearance, Li Qingan felt fond of her. “I still don’t know your name!”
“My name is hard to remember. Everyone just calls me Julan.”
“Oh! Julan from Julan City in the Shi Kingdom—were you born there?”
“No, I grew up in the capital, Tuozhi City. This is my first time in the Tang Dynasty.”
Shi Julan’s eyes sparkled as she bit her lip slightly and asked, “What about you? Where is your hometown? Are your wife and children waiting for you to go home?”
“My family is in Luoyang. I came to the Western Regions without any ties. Do you have anyone you care about?”
“I do. My brother has been missing for three years. I heard he’s in the Tang Dynasty, so I came here specifically to look for him.”
“I hope you can find him.”
Li Qingan glanced at the sky and stood up, smiling. “Talking with you is pleasant, but it’s time for us to set off.”
The Tang soldiers mounted their horses, and the merchants climbed back onto their camels. The group set off again. This time, they entered the vast Gobi Desert. For over a hundred miles to the south, there was no sign of life—only a few beacon towers on high peaks. Camels moved slowly, and it would take three days to cross this desert.
As time passed, the relationship between everyone became more harmonious. The Tang soldiers especially enjoyed chatting with the girls to pass the time during the journey. Although they didn’t share a common language, it didn’t hinder their emotional connection. Li Qingan also joked around with Shi Julan, but he remained highly vigilant, sending people to scout the surroundings from time to time.
The next afternoon, a scout brought back bad news: three beacons had been lit at the Hutou Mountain beacon tower, fifty miles away. Li Qingan still smiled, but concern could be seen in his eyes.
As dusk fell, the group arrived at a cliff. Below it lay a vast forest of columnar rocks severely eroded by wind. Li Qingan stared at the rock forest and the cliff for a moment before suddenly turning around and ordering, “Everyone, camp inside the rock forest.”

He Yanming, who was at the back of the group, heard that they were going to camp in the Stone Forest. He hurried forward and whispered, “Commander, why not abandon the Hu merchants and leave with just our light troops?”
Li Qingan glanced at him. “Abandoning the Hu merchants in our territory means certain death for both of us. Are you willing to do that?”
He Yanming immediately fell silent. Not daring to say another word, he rushed to arrange for the caravan and soldiers to set up camp. Li Qingan gazed in the northeast direction before calmly saying to Han Jinping, “Go inform the men that we might be attacked by a large group of cavalry tonight. Have them prepare for battle.”
Han Jinping was shocked and quickly asked, “How many will there be?”
“I don’t know either, but with three beacon fires lit, it should be no less than a thousand.”
Li Qingan mounted his horse and rode toward the caravan.……