Chapter 165: The Eve of Departure

The day to leave Beiting was approaching. The soldiers who had been recovering in Shanzhou had all arrived in Chang’an, ready to head to Beiting together. There were always countless matters to attend to before departure, and these past two days, Li Qing’an had been extremely busy. He was going to Beiting to take up his post, not empty-handed, but carrying a large amount of military supplies.

He had to go to the Ministry of War to obtain documents, to the Granary and the Left Treasury to fetch money and grain, and to the Armory Bureau to prepare weapons and tents. He also needed to arrange laborers and carriages. Additionally, approval had been given to establish an Armory Bureau and a Construction Bureau in Beiting, and the Ministry of Works had agreed to set up a coin-making furnace there as well.

With so many tasks to handle personally, and although he had subordinates like Cen Shen and Wang Changling to assist, just dealing with the procedures across various departments left him exhausted.

That morning, Li Qing’an arrived at Xingqing Palace. On the eve of departure, Emperor Li Longji also had a few words to convey to him.

Upon arriving at Xingqing Palace, he was informed that the emperor had not yet begun his court session, so he had to wait patiently outside the Datong Hall. At that moment, he faintly heard a cold snort. Following the sound, he saw a heavily built middle-aged man sitting behind a pillar on the other side of the hall. With his distinctive pumpkin-like face and long, narrow eyes, it could only be An Lushan.

“Oh, it’s Commander An!”

Li Qing’an stepped forward, bowed, and smiled, saying, “It’s been a long time. I didn’t know Commander An was also in Chang’an.”

An Lushan had been in a terrible mood these past few days. His advisor Yan Zhuang’s fate was unknown, and he had also lost a large sum of money to the Yang family. That was one thing, but the day before yesterday, Abusi sent someone to say that his subordinates had grown accustomed to life in Shuofang and unanimously opposed going to Youzhou. He was powerless to do anything but thank Abusi for his kindness. Though An Lushan knew it was just an excuse, he had no choice and no one to consult, so he had to hold his anger inside. He was also returning to Fanyang the next day and had come to bid farewell to the emperor, only to happen upon Li Qing’an.

An Lushan despised Li Qing’an the most. Back when he was leading troops in battle, Li Qing’an was probably still playing with mud! Now, he had even become the deputy commander of Beiting, holding significant military and political power there, almost on par with An Lushan himself. This filled him with extreme annoyance. When he saw Li Qing’an approaching to greet him, he gave him a cold glance but ignored him.

Just then, a bell rang inside the hall—signaling that Emperor Li Longji had begun his court session to handle government affairs. From afar, an eunuch shouted, “By the emperor’s order, Li Qing’an, deputy commander of Beiting, is summoned to appear!”

“What!”

An Lushan flew into a rage. He had arrived earlier, yet the emperor wanted to see Li Qing’an first. Was his status really lower than that of a junior newcomer?

Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “Since His Majesty wishes to see me first, I must take my leave. General An, please stay calm.” He strode into the imperial study. An Lushan stared at his retreating figure, clenching his teeth in fury. Old and new resentments surged within him. He slammed a fist against a pillar and cursed under his breath, “Li Qing’an, just wait and see!”
…
Li Longji indeed intended to see Li Qing’an first. It wasn’t because Li Qing’an was more important than An Lushan, but because he had just learned that it was An Lushan who had killed Dong Yanguang, which angered him greatly. His first reaction was that An Lushan must be acting on behalf of Prince Qing to silence Dong Yanguang. Dong Yanguang’s death wasn’t the real issue; what mattered was that An Lushan had colluded with Prince Qing, which made Li Longji wary. He knew Prince Qing was ambitious and eager to replace the crown prince—a common occurrence throughout history. If Prince Qing performed well, he might indeed give his eldest son a chance. But he could not tolerate princes colluding with foreign forces, as that would mean the princes might gain control of the military, posing a threat not only to the crown prince but also to his own throne.
However, Li Longji had no evidence, and since An Lushan was also a general he trusted, he decided to warn An Lushan for now. By seeing Li Qing’an first, he was expressing his displeasure at An Lushan’s unauthorized killing of Dong Yanguang.
“Your servant, Li Qing’an, pays his respects to His Majesty!”
Li Qing’an’s greeting interrupted Li Longji’s thoughts. Looking at this vigorous young man, he saw a reflection of his own youth in him. Li Longji smiled and nodded. “General Li, you’re setting off tomorrow, right?”
“That’s correct!”
“Have all the procedures for the various departments been completed?”
“Your Majesty, they are basically done.”
Li Longji fiddled with a jade lion paperweight. After pondering for a moment, he smiled and said, “How did General Li offend Lady Guo? She has told me several times that you are dissolute, spending your days and nights in places of pleasure. It’s clear she holds a deep prejudice against you!”
Li Qing’an sighed inwardly and bowed. “I don’t know why I offended Lady Guo. Perhaps it’s because I refused her daughter’s request last time. But as for frequenting places of pleasure, I believe Lady Guo has misunderstood. I have never set foot in any brothel or entertainment venue.”
“I don’t object to you taking some time off to relax in such places in your free time, but you must keep it in check and not neglect your duties because of it.”

Li Longji said it casually and then stopped mentioning Yang Huahua. He smiled again and said, “But then again, my imperial concubine really likes you. She often speaks well of you in front of me, which is quite interesting. Those sisters of hers either look down on you, hate you deeply, or like you extremely. General Li, it seems you have a special fate with the Yang family!”
At this, Li Longji stared at Li Qing’an and slowly said, “Actually, the daughter of Lady Hanguo last time was quite good—gentle and well-behaved. I liked her too. Why are you unwilling? You should know that forming a marriage alliance with the Yang family would be very beneficial for your future.”
Li Qing’an firmly shook his head and said loudly, “I prefer to expand the empire for Your Majesty and ensure the glory of the Tang Dynasty spreads far and wide to secure a bright future.”
“Well said!”
Li Longji clapped his hands in laughter and praised repeatedly, “This is the true spirit of a man of character.”
He walked quickly to the wall, pulled back the curtain, revealing a vast map of Anxi. He picked up a wooden stick and pointed at Nanzhao, saying, “After the Battle of Shibao City, my focus has been on two places. One is Nanzhao. As Nanzhao grows stronger, it seems to be plotting an alliance with Tubo. If the two join forces, it will pose a huge threat to Shu. That’s why I ordered Yang Zhao to take charge of Jiannan to curb Nanzhao’s expansion.”
He moved his wooden stick to Beiting and Anxi and continued, “The other is Anxi. After the Battle of Shibao City, Tubo’s threat to Hexi and Longyou has diminished. My next goal is to restore the Suiye military garrison and regain the Tang Dynasty’s influence over Lingxi.”
Li Longji put down the wooden stick and sat back down. After pondering for a moment, he sighed softly and said, “In the second year of Zhongzong’s Shennong era, the Arab armies launched a major attack on Lingxi. The various tribes of Zhaowu turned to the court for help. But at that time, Tubo was at odds with the Tang Dynasty, and the court had no time to deal with the west. It could only support the Tujue to resist the Arab expansion. Unfortunately, those tribes were not reliable. Over the decades, most of the Zhaowu region was lost. This has been a persistent concern for me. I hope that in my lifetime, I can restore the Tang Dynasty’s control over the Western Regions, just as it was under Emperor Taizong. That’s why I’m entrusting Beiting to you. I hope you can use your youthful vigor to expand westward, rather than sticking to defense like Fumeng Lingcha. I don’t like that.”
Li Qing’an bowed and said, “I am willing to be the sword for Your Majesty to expand the empire, and to plant the Tang Dynasty’s flag in Suiye City as soon as possible!”
“Very good!”

Li Longji took a memorial and smiled, saying, “This is a memorial written by Gao Xianzhi. It states that the troops in Anxi have more land to cultivate and ample food supplies, and he requests an increase in the number of Han soldiers there. I have discussed this with the Council of State. Anxi is different from Longyou; recruiting soldiers there necessarily means increasing the number of military households moving westward. Over the past two years, Hedong and Henan have suffered consecutive disasters, leaving the people in dire straits. We can recruit ten thousand military households from these two regions to join the forces in Anxi’s Beiting region. This way, Anxi’s military strength could reach 34,000, while Beiting’s would reach 30,000. Additionally, I have agreed to Prime Minister Li’s suggestion to transfer 500 craftsmen from the Bureau of Construction and the Bureau of Military Equipment to Beiting. At the same time, Beiting will be allowed to mine and mint coins to prosper and attract more Han people to move westward. Once there are enough Han people, our Tang Dynasty’s control over the Western Regions will be greatly strengthened. This is a plan for long-term development.”

Li Qing’an nodded silently. He suddenly remembered the later expansions into Xinjiang. In fact, for a thousand years, the central court’s strategy toward the Western Regions had remained consistent—increasing the number of Han people in Anxi’s Beiting region. Li Longji’s decision was correct.

……

Li Qing’an had lunch in the palace before leaving Xingqing Palace. By the time he left, it was already afternoon. Unconsciously, he found himself at the Du Gu family’s residence. These past few days, not only had Mingyue given no news, but Mingzhu hadn’t come to see him either. Perhaps the two sisters who went to watch the lanterns that night returned home too late and were punished. But since he was about to leave Chang’an the next day, he must see Mingyue at all costs.

The Du Gu family’s residence was eerily quiet. Mingyue’s father had returned to Yangzhou, and her grandfather, Du Gu Shi, was still at court. Li Qing’an stepped up the steps, took out a name card, and handed it to the gatekeeper with a smile, saying, “I am Li Qing’an from Beiting. I would like to meet Miss Mingyue.”

The gatekeeper stared at him in surprise, quickly took the name card, and said, “General Li, please wait a moment. I’ll go inform her right away.”

He rushed inside the residence, while Li Qing’an waited patiently at the door. But no one came, no matter how long he waited. A sense of foreboding arose in his heart. At that moment, another gatekeeper whispered, “General Li, last night, Minister Zhang came on behalf of that Zhao Xuming to propose marriage.”

Li Qing’an was stunned and quickly asked, “What was the result?”

“I heard that the lady is willing, but the elder lady refuses. The two even had a argument. Then the elder master told Minister Zhang that he needed to consult the master’s opinion. Since the master is in Yangzhou, it seems the matter will be dropped.”

“I’ve kept General Li waiting too long.”

The butler of the Du Gu family’s residence stepped out quickly, bowed to Li Qing’an, and said, “General Li, the lady says Mingyue is not well and should not receive guests. Please come again another day.”

“What about Mingzhu?”

“On the Lantern Festival, Mingyue violated family rules and was confined to her room by her mother, forbidden from leaving for a month.” At these words, the butler sighed and said, “General Li has a interest in our daughter—everyone in the city knows that. Yesterday, Minister Zhang even came in person to propose marriage on behalf of his disciple. Our master doesn’t want to offend Minister Zhang, so he’s delayed dealing with Miss Mingyue’s matter. There’s great disagreement within the family now, and things have become extremely chaotic. Given the current situation, General Li had better stay away for now!” Li Qing’an also knew this couldn’t be rushed, but he would be leaving tomorrow. He just wanted to say goodbye to Mingyue. After thinking for a moment, he took out a precious jade from his pocket and handed it to the butler, saying, “I’m leaving for Beiting tomorrow and will be away for many years. Please give this jade to Mingyue and convey my message to her: ‘The moon shines bright over the snow-capped mountains; we share this moment across the world.’” With that, he turned and left. The butler watched his retreating figure, shook his head slightly, hid the jade, and returned inside the mansion. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Lady Pei standing there. He hurriedly reported, “Madam, he’s already gone.” “At least he’s sensible,” Lady Pei said with a cold laugh. “What did he say?” “He said he’s leaving for Beiting tomorrow and will be away for years, not knowing when he’ll return. He hopes Miss Mingyue will wait for him.” “Wait for him?” Lady Pei sneered. “Why should my daughter wait for him?” She snorted, turned, and walked away. Only after Lady Pei disappeared did the butler secretly find a maid, give her the jade, and whisper a few words in her ear, saying, “Go quickly! Be careful not to let Lady Pei find out.” The maid nodded and ran off, while the butler hurriedly left the courtyard, and silence returned to the mansion once again. … Li Qing’an returned to Gao Lishi’s residence. At that time, the eastern courtyard of Gao Lishi’s house was extremely lively. All the soldiers had arrived and were busy packing their belongings, all in high spirits, creating a bustling atmosphere. Boxes and bags piled up in the courtyard like small mountains. Li Fei Shouyu stood nearby, directing the soldiers to arrange the boxes neatly. He had been shot in the Battle of Chiling but, thanks to his strong constitution, his wounds were gradually healing. When he saw Li Qing’an approaching, he stepped forward with a smile and said, “Should Seventh Brother buy something more for Ru Shi Ru Hua?” “Lady Gao has already prepared everything for them.” Li Qing’an looked around and asked with a smile, “Where’s Old Li? Where has that guy gone?” “He’s probably in his room. Sigh! That guy,” Li Fei Shouyu said with a wry smile and shook his head. “I’ll go check on him.”

Li Qing’an arrived at a small courtyard, where Li Fei Yuanli was recovering. As soon as he reached the door, he heard Li Fei Yuanli’s shrill voice coming from inside.
“Third Sister, if you agree to be with me, I will surely marry you. Please say yes!”
“Wait until you’re fully recovered! Don’t rush, okay?”
“But I want you now. Look how strong I am—like an ox!”
“Take your hands away! Stop touching me. Don’t you know how my body feels?”
“Third Sister, just give yourself to me!”
“Hmm, how about waiting until night? It’s daytime now—how can that work?”
Frightened, Li Qing’an stuck out his tongue and ran away. Li Fei Yuanli and Shi San’niang… What fate!
He returned to the courtyard, intending to check out the dance dress in the room. At that moment, butler Luo rushed over and said, “General Li, someone is at the door. They say they’re the owner of Rehaiju.”
Li Qing’an was surprised. Why would he come to see him? He quickly followed Butler Luo to the door, where he saw two people standing there. One was Chang Jin, and the other was a tall, muscular man with a head as big as a bucket, standing about ten feet tall, with broad shoulders and a round waist, and eyes as big as copper bells, shining brightly.
Seeing Li Qing’an come out, Chang Jin quickly bowed and smiled, saying, “I heard General Li is returning to Beiting, so I came to see you off.”
Li Qing’an returned the greeting with a smile, saying, “Owner Chang often goes to Suiye. We’ll surely have the chance to meet again.”
He then glanced at the tall man beside him and asked with a smile, “Who is this strong man?”
Chang Jin quickly introduced him, saying, “This is my friend, who has a reputation as a hero. He’s always wanted to join the army in Anxi, so I brought him here to introduce him to General Li.”
The tall man stepped forward, knelt down halfway, and bowed, saying, “I humblest of men pays my respects to Envoy Li!”
Seeing his impressive appearance, Li Qing’an immediately felt a good impression of him. He quickly helped him up and said with a smile, “Of course, I welcome this brave man to Beiting. May I ask your name?”
“My surname is Lei, and my name is Wan Chun. I consider the whole world my home!”