Chapter 148: Discussions on Governance in Beiting

To avoid disrupting regular court affairs, morning meetings usually lasted only about an hour. After dawn, officials returned to their offices, and today’s reward ceremony in Longyou was no exception—it ended after an hour.

Li Qing’an and other generals had to go to the Ministry of War to complete their appointment procedures. As soon as he stepped out of the main hall, Li Linfu called out to him, “Seventh Brother, wait a moment!”

Li Qing’an quickly bowed and said, “Your subordinate pays respects to the Prime Minister!”

Since returning from Longyou, Li Qing’an had not met Li Linfu. It wasn’t that he lacked time, but rather he didn’t want to see this treacherous Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty. He had already experienced Li Linfu’s tactics firsthand—how he had sent border generals to Jianghuai to train troops so as to place Li Qing’an in the crown prince’s camp. After Li Qing’an resolved a salt-related case in Yangzhou, he was drawn into the crown prince’s faction.

All this was done for one purpose: to get Li Qing’an to join the crown prince’s faction and stir up a conflict between the crown prince and the Yang family, so that Li Linfu could reap the benefits. In short, it was to counter Yang Zhao’s threat to his position as Prime Minister.

Although he didn’t want to become Li Linfu’s pawn, after the morning ceremony, he found himself still unable to escape Li Linfu’s influence. He was appointed as the governor of Tingzhou and deputy commander of Beiting, with Li Linfu serving as the commander himself. Li Qing’an suspected that it was Li Linfu who recommended him for this position; otherwise, it seemed too coincidental.

Li Linfu stepped forward with a smile and said, “I never expected us to become colleagues again. Do you have time? Let’s discuss matters related to Beiting.”

Li Qing’an couldn’t refuse and agreed, “If the Prime Minister gives orders, your subordinate must obey.”

“Good. Come with me to the Secretariat. I’ll assign someone else to handle your affairs at the Ministry of War.”

The Secretariat was located next to Hanyuan Hall. The two walked there slowly. “Seventh Brother, I never thought you’d be appointed to Beiting!”

“I really didn’t expect it either. I’ve served in the Anxi Army for three whole years. It’s a bit hard to leave Anxi.”

“It’s natural to cherish the past! But in Anxi, you had limited opportunities—at most, you could reach the position of successor. But in Beiting, it’s different. You’ll be on par with Gao Xianzhi, in charge of military and administrative affairs. Seventh Brother, you’re not even thirty yet, yet you’ve been given such a high position—something usually reserved for the Tang royal family!”

Li Linfu spoke in a gentle tone, with a kind smile, as if an elder was giving earnest advice to a younger person. This was his usual style—he was kind to lower-ranking officials. His signature smile made countless officials feel warm and welcomed, earning him widespread support.

But Li Qing’an had a different feeling. He sensed that Li Linfu had changed his strategy, no longer seeing him as part of the Prime Minister’s faction, but rather speaking to him in a somewhat equal manner. To be honest, he preferred this approach—so long as both sides benefited, cooperation wasn’t bad either.

After walking for a while, the two arrived in front of the Zhongshu Province hall, where over a dozen local officials were already waiting to report on local affairs to Li Linfu.

Li Linfu waved his hand and smiled, saying, “Everyone, please wait a moment longer. Come inside for tea and a rest.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister. We can wait.”

The officials bowed in gratitude and followed an official from the Zhongshu Province inside. At that moment, Li Qing’an suddenly saw a familiar face among them—it was Du Gu Hao, the father of Du Gu Mingzhu. He quickly stepped forward to greet him, “Uncle Du Gu, when did you arrive in the capital?”

“I returned on the 29th day of last year’s twelfth lunar month and will leave after the 15th. Congratulations, Qing’an.”

Du Gu Hao smiled and introduced the two colleagues beside him to Li Qing’an, “Let me introduce them to you. This is Wei Huan, the governor of Yizhou, and this is Cui Pingdu, the governor of Suzhou.”

Both were high-ranking officials from prominent families. Wei Huan had a square face and was tall and stout, while Cui Pingdu was gentle and refined with fair skin. They stepped forward and bowed, saying, “We’ve long heard of General Li’s fame. It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Qing’an hasn’t done anything remarkable; it’s nothing worth mentioning. Please forgive me for embarrassing you both.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone went inside. Du Gu Hao then whispered to Li Qing’an, “Come to my house for a meal these days! My father even mentioned you last night.”

“Sure! I will definitely go.”

Du Gu Hao smiled and patted his shoulder before also going inside. Meanwhile, Li Linfu remained smiling but silent. Only after everyone left did he say cheerfully, “Seventh Brother, you seem quite popular!”

“I met Governor Du Gu in Yangzhou. Prime Minister, you know about it.”

“Haha! Good! I’m well aware. Come on, let’s go in and talk.”

The two entered the Zhongshu Province hall and went straight to Li Linfu’s office. There stood a man in his thirties with a short beard and bright eyes. Judging from his robes, he was a mid-to-low-ranking official.

When he saw Li Linfu approaching, he immediately bowed and said, “Cen Shen, a military officer from the Right Inner Command, has come at your order to pay respects to the Prime Minister.”

“Cen Shen?” Li Qing’an was stunned. Was this the famous frontier poet Cen Shen?

Li Linfu nodded and smiled at Li Qing’an, “Cen Shen’s poems are excellent. The court has officially appointed him as an official in the Beiting Military Governorship. He’s about to leave for his post. Today, I wanted you two to meet him first.”

He then said to Cen Shen, “This is Li Qing’an, who will be in charge of affairs in Beiting in the future.” Cen Shen took a look at the highly renowned Li Qing’an and, impressed by his appearance, felt a favorable impression of him. He quickly stepped forward to greet him, “I am Cen Shen, at your service, Lord Li.” “There’s no need for formalities, Cen. Please look after me in the future.” After exchanging a few words, Li Linfu said to Cen Shen, “General Li still has some procedures to complete at the Ministry of War. He doesn’t have time now, so you go and finish them for him!” “I shall obey immediately.” Cen Shen glanced at Li Qing’an again. Their eyes met; Li Qing’an smiled slightly and nodded. Cen Shen bowed to him and left in a hurry. “Qilang, come inside and talk.” Only then did Li Qing’an follow Li Linfu into the office. The room was kept very simple and unadorned, but what struck one the most were the three thick stacks of memorials on the desk, each stack three feet high. There were also over two hundred more memorials piled beside the desk—documents from all over the country. After being initially reviewed by the six ministries, they all ended up at Li Linfu’s hands. In the Tang Dynasty, with separation of powers between the emperor and prime minister, aside from more important matters and key personnel changes that needed to be reported to Emperor Li Longji, all other trivial affairs were handled by Li Linfu. Thus, he had to deal with a large amount of official work every day and was extremely busy. “Qilang, sit down!” Li Linfu asked Li Qing’an to sit and ordered a servant to bring him hot tea. Li Linfu sat down as well and said with a wry smile, “Starting tomorrow, there will be a three-day holiday, but I still have a huge amount of work to deal with. I can’t take a break!” Li Qing’an took a sip of tea and asked with a smile, “Why doesn’t the Prime Minister take the memorials back to his residence to handle them?” Li Linfu’s expression darkened. “Absolutely not! How can official business be taken home? That would turn official matters into personal affairs!” Perhaps realizing he had been too harsh, he softened his tone and said, “Qilang, you haven’t realized it yet. Those in high positions need to be even more cautious than ordinary officials. Especially as the Prime Minister, if I don’t act according to rules and regulations, everyone else will follow suit, bringing their work home. Then, those with vested interests will come to me at night. Wouldn’t the Tang court become chaotic?” Li Qing’an quickly stood up and said, “I will keep the Prime Minister’s teachings firmly in mind.” “Sit down!”

Li Linfu waved his hand and said again, “You must remember that from now on, you are not only a general but also an official in charge of governance. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the three provinces of Beiting rely on you for their livelihood. Although I am the military governor of Beiting, I actually do not interfere in its affairs. All military and administrative matters are under your responsibility. Qi Lang, your duties are extremely heavy!”
Li Qing’an nodded silently. As the governor of Beiting, he was not only in charge of 20,000 troops there but also served as the chief secretary of the Beiting military governor’s office, meaning he was also responsible for local governance. The grand protector of Beiting was Li Wanyao, the Prince of Rong, while Li Linfu served as the military governor—both in nominal roles. In reality, all military and administrative power in Beiting was under his control.
“Please rest assured, Prime Minister. I will do my utmost.”
“Merely doing your utmost is not enough. First, you need to understand why the court sent you to Beiting.”
Li Linfu stood up, walked to the wall, and pulled back the curtain. There was a map of Anxi and Beiting on the wall. He picked up a wooden stick and pointed to the surrounding areas of Beiting. “Beiting was originally part of the Anxi Protectorate. In the second year of Emperor Ruizong’s Jingyun era, it was upgraded to a grand protectorate, governing the areas north and south of the Tianshan Mountains separately from Anxi. Beiting was established initially to defend against the Turkic tribes of Turkic and Jiankun. Now that Turkic has declined and Jiankun has been conquered by the Uyghurs, Beiting’s main threats have become the Gelaolu and Uyghurs west of Jinshan Mountain. Your task is to maintain Tang China’s actual control over Beiting and protect its interests east of the Yibohai Sea. That is the heavy responsibility of the Beiting army. Additionally, there are far more Han people in Beiting than in Anxi, and many merchants travel between Anxi and the Central Plains. Ensuring the safety of these Han people and the smooth flow of silk are also your responsibilities.”
“I have remembered what you said, Prime Minister.”
“What I just mentioned are just general responsibilities. Now I want to discuss in detail the court’s strategic plans for the Lingxi region and how to resist the expansion of the Arabs to the east.”
……
Li Linfu talked with Li Qing’an for a full hour. Since Li Linfu still had to meet with local officials, Li Qing’an took his leave. Li Linfu had already arranged for someone to handle the formalities at the Ministry of War on his behalf. With nothing else to do in the court, Li Qing’an rode back to his residence.

Today, his conversation with Li Linfu did not mention the crown prince or Yang Zhao at all; it was all about Beiting. Li Linfu’s words today changed Li Qing’an’s biased view of him. Historically, most evaluations of Li Linfu portrayed him as skilled in political tactics but treacherous, giving the impression that he spent his days scheming and fighting for power. In reality, however, his diligence in state affairs was no less than that of any other famous chancellor, and he also devoted great effort to considering how the Tang Dynasty could control the Western Regions. At this moment, Li Linfu’s strategic plans for Beiting still echoed in Li Qing’an’s mind. “To resist the expansion of the Arabs to the east, the court has decided to restore the Suiye military garrison when conditions permit. In the long term, the court intends to merge Beiting with Anxi to establish a new Anxi Jiedushi. Qilang, work hard—there is a good chance you will become the first governor of this new Anxi Jiedushi.” … “The Turkic tribes have declined and are constantly at internal strife. Therefore, before restoring the Suiye military garrison, the court intends to temporarily support the Göktürks to replace the Turkic tribes and resist the Arabs’ expansion. However, given the lessons from the Turkic tribes, the Göktürks cannot be indulged outright; a combination of kindness and strictness is needed to make them wholeheartedly serve the Tang Dynasty.” “Yang Zhao is the Jiedushi of Jiannan and is in charge of matters related to Nanzhao, but I am not optimistic about him. Qilang, I hope your efforts in Beiting to control the Göktürks and the remnants of the Turkic tribes will prove effective, so that the emperor realizes that choosing you in the end was the wise decision.” Li Qing’an exhaled a wisp of white vapor into the gray sky. At that moment, he wished he had wings to fly to Beiting and realize his ambitions. … In the distance, he could already see Gao Lishi’s residence. Just then, several riders approached. The leader was an eunuch who called out from afar, “General Li, the empress has ordered you to go to Xingqing Palace immediately.”