Chapter 21: Celebration in the Tavern

Inside Gao Xianzhi’s military headquarters, his expression was as gloomy as still water. A few days earlier, he had received reports from Li Qing’an about how, north of Bahuancheng, the invading Turkic tribes had been completely annihilated, with a mere hundred men defeating three thousand foes—a remarkable achievement. Overjoyed, Gao Xianzhi reported this good news to the military governor, Fu Menglingcha, that very day, only to be met with cold indifference.
“There isn’t much money or grain in Anxi. Aside from providing compensation for the fallen, no rewards are necessary.”
“If those who have rendered service aren’t rewarded, won’t that dishearten the soldiers? Anxi is a military garrison where military achievements are paramount. General, please reconsider!”
“Killing enemies for the country is their duty. Rewards are merely a token of appreciation. If not given, so be it. Anyway, given his skill in command, I’ll promote him to captain.”
Fu Menglingcha’s indifference was like a bucket of ice water thrown at Gao Xianzhi. Of course, he understood that Fu Menglingcha wasn’t targeting Li Qing’an but him, Gao Xianzhi—dismissing Li Qing’an’s achievements meant dismissing Gao Xianzhi’s own leadership skills.
Since Fu Menglingcha refused to reward them, Gao Xianzhi would have to do so himself—otherwise, how could he win the trust of his men?
“Deputy general, Li Qing’an has arrived,” came the report from his bodyguard outside. Gao Xianzhi hid his displeasure and smiled, saying, “Let him in!”
Li Qing’an stepped in quickly and saluted, “Reporting to General Gao!”
“Qilang, please stand up!”
Gao Xianzhi quickly helped him up and said with a smile, “You did well this time. I’m very satisfied.”
“I only accomplished minor feats.”
Gao Xianzhi nodded. “Sit down! Let’s talk while we sit.”
Li Qing’an sat down and glanced at Gao Xianzhi’s desk. He had noticed it when he first entered—a black panther skin wrapped in silk ribbon. There was only one black panther in the world. He never expected Wu Niang to give it to his father; this girl did show some filial piety.
“Qilang, let me give you some good news first. From now on, you will be the captain of my Anxi army’s scout unit.”
Overjoyed, Li Qing’an immediately knelt on one knee and said, “Thank you, General Gao, for this promotion!”
“Hehe! This is a reward for your military achievements. Accept it with confidence.”
After saying that, Gao Xianzhi sighed slightly and continued, “Qilang, I won’t hide it from you. The general originally didn’t want to reward you. It was I who insisted on this promotion through reasoning. Of course, the general has no prejudice against you—it’s because of me. So, there are no rewards for you; only compensation for the fallen soldiers.”
At that, Gao Xianzhi patted his shoulder firmly and said, “But you are my favorite general. Since you’ve achieved merits, I must reward you. I’ll also reward your subordinates. I’ll give them fifteen hectares of farmland for you to distribute as you see fit. As for you…”

Gao Xianzhi smiled mysteriously, took out a horizontal sword from under the table, stroked it gently, and handed it to Li Qing’an, saying, “This sword was once the personal weapon of the former military governor, General Gai Jiayun. He bestowed it upon me when I first achieved merit; it holds special significance for me. Now I’m giving it to you.”
“Thank you, General, for this gift. I will remember it forever.”
Li Qing’an took the sword. Its scabbard was very old, covered in faded bloodstains. He slowly pulled out the blade and felt a chilling coldness emanating from it—very different from the shiny swords they usually used. Having been through life and death for a year, Li Qing’an had developed an understanding of swords; this was a bloodthirsty blade.
“Do you like it?” Gao Xianzhi asked lightly.
“I like this feeling.”
“Good. Remember, this is a sword for soldiers.”
Gao Xianzhi was satisfied with Li Qing’an’s reply. He glanced at the leopard skin on the table and smiled again, “This leopard skin was hunted by you, right?”
“Yes!”
“It was given to me by Wu Niang. It was originally hung in my study. General Fumeng saw it and clearly liked it too. Since it happened to be his birthday, I planned to give him this leopard skin as a gift.”
Li Qing’an hesitated for a moment. He wanted to say something but ultimately stayed silent. Gao Xianzhi noticed this and said with a smile, “If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don’t be hesitant.”
“General, this black leopard skin is unique in the world. Isn’t it a pity to give it to General Fumeng?”
Gao Xianzhi was stunned for a moment before asking, “Are you suggesting it be given to the emperor?”
Seeing that Gao Xianzhi still didn’t understand, Li Qing’an made his point clear, “General, your superior isn’t just General Fumeng!”
……
After Li Qing’an left, Gao Xianzhi walked over to the window with his hands behind his back, deeply troubled. He was a soldier who only cared about achieving merits and getting promoted. Power struggles had always been his weakness. More than half a year ago, he had followed Li Qing’an’s advice and submitted a petition to the court to launch a campaign against the Small Buleh. The direction was correct, but his approach wasn’t discreet enough. It was likely that Fumeng Lingcha would discover this, and it might even become the catalyst for a conflict between them. This had been bothering him ever since. Today, Li Qing’an’s suggestion enlightened him.
“You’re right! How can one be an official without any support in the court?” Gao Xianzhi looked out the window and sighed softly.
……
The Central Plains Restaurant was bustling. Dozens of Anxi officers had reserved the second floor, drinking, eating meat, playing gambling games, and making noise. Laughter and curses almost lifted the roof.

Li Qing’an is the star of the day today. Having been promoted to captain, he naturally had to pay for drinks. As soon as he returned to the camp, a group of Hu and Han generals from the Anxi Army had already been waiting for him for a long time. Without hesitation, they surrounded him and led him to an inn.

Li Qing’an sat at a table by the window. He had already been poured over twenty large cups of wine, turning his face red. Reaching out to support Li Fei Yuanli’s shoulder, he said in a drunken state, “Lao Li, next time if anyone dares to keep pouring me wine, you take their place.”

“I’m the deputy captain, while you’re just a captain. I’m jealous, so I won’t do it!”

“If you take my place, I’ll take you to the best brothel.”

“That’s more like it. For the sake of brotherhood, I’ll drink for you.”

After saying that, he picked up another large cup of wine and chuckled, “But this cup is from me, on behalf of the brothers in the garrison, to you. You have to drink it!”

“Damn it, I remember now—you’re the one who’s poured the most wine on me. This is already the fifth cup.”

Li Qing’an scratched his head and, holding the cup, said mockingly, “The wine from the garrison brothers? What a pathetic excuse you came up with.”

He downed the wine in one gulp. At that moment, Gao Wu, sitting on his other side, flapped her nose and said, “Li Stinky Bow, can you stop drinking? Smell yourself—your stench is worse than your bow.”

“A girl like me shouldn’t be in a place like this anyway. Go home!” Li Qing’an waved his hand impatiently.

“What did you say?”

Gao Wu flew into a rage, grabbed a cushion, and smashed it hard on his head. Still angry, she pinched his arm. “Was it my idea to come here? Who said I wouldn’t show respect if I didn’t come? I’m not sitting next to you, you stinky man!”

She stood up angrily and kicked Bai Yuan Guang. “Bai Wax Stick, move over here a bit.”

“Wu Niang, this kid has drunk too much. Don’t take it to heart.”

“I don’t even want to deal with him! His face is as red as a monkey’s butt—disgusting to look at.”

Gao Wu sat down resentfully. Suddenly, she glanced at Duan Xiushi, who was drunk and lying on the table beside her. Frowning, she stood up again and said, “Never mind. I’m not comfortable sitting next to Duan Little Sword either. Let’s go back.”

Li Fei Yuanli grinned and said, “Wu Niang, I think you still want to sit next to Seventh Brother!”

Gao Wu’s face turned red. Disdainfully, she said, “Dream about sitting next to him! It’s his day of promotion, so I’m showing him respect. Next time if he wants to drink with me, there’s no way.”

Li Qing’an, overwhelmed by alcohol, hung his head dizzily, hearing nothing. After a while, he got up and mumbled, “I’m going to throw out a string.”

“Hey! Qilang, do you want me to accompany you?” Bai Yuanguang called out.
“No need! I’m fine.” Li Qingan staggered as he headed downstairs.
“It stinks here; I need to go downstairs for some fresh air,” Gao Wu said to himself as he stood up.