Chapter 166: The Hero of Hexi

In early February, spring arrived in Hexi, brought by several warm spring rains. Pink peach blossoms bloomed everywhere, while pear and apricot blossoms transformed the wetlands and hills along the river into a world of snow-white beauty. Willow branches sprouted new buds, eagerly absorbing the warm spring rain. The land was ready for planting, with farmers busy working on the barren soil. Yet across the Yellow River, in Longyou, the scene was different—there it was warmer and more humid, with fertile land allowing two harvests per year, whereas here there was only one harvest per year.

This was Liangzhou, the easternmost part of the Hexi Corridor. That morning, a convoy of carriages and horses arrived on the official road about thirty li from Liangzhou, stretching for miles. They were led by Li Qing’an, who was heading to Beiting to take up his post. Having set out on the 20th of the first lunar month, after half a month of travel, they crossed the Yellow River from Huizhou three days ago and continued for another three days to reach Liangzhou in Hexi.

Li Qing’an was not going alone. He brought 100,000 dan of grain, 200,000 guan in cash, and countless military supplies. There were as many as a thousand carriages and mules solely for transporting food and supplies. In addition, there were 2,000 soldiers from Longyou who wished to settle in Beiting, along with their families, forming a massive convoy.

The 2,000 soldiers wore shiny armor, rode tall steeds, donned black armor, carried crossbows at their waists and long spears in their hands, with recurve bows and round shields on their backs—looking truly imposing. They protected this huge convoy as it marched westward.

Li Qing’an also reverted to his standard military attire. Instead of wearing a military robe like in Chang’an, he donned shiny black armor, a silver helmet, and a huge scarlet long bow hung from the saddle. This was the Fiery Flame Bow bestowed upon him by Li Longji. It had been crafted over three years by the ten best bowmakers in the Military Armory during the Kaiyuan era. Since it was a seven-stone bow, Li Longji couldn’t pull it and kept it in his armory as a decoration. Now, in Li Qing’an’s hands, it could finally be used to its full potential.

Besides the Fiery Flame Bow, he also possessed an unparalleled crossbow called the Dragon Roar Blade, also a gift from Li Longji. It was one of the four famous swords of the Tang Dynasty and had once belonged to Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi. Its edge was so sharp it could cut through gold and jade, and it emitted a faint thunderous sound when swung, hence the name “Dragon Roar.” When he first received the sword, its scabbard was adorned with precious jewels, but Li Qing’an disliked it and replaced it with an older scabbard that no longer looked so dazzling.

Exquisite swords, precious bows, iron armor, and silver helmets—Li Qing’an regained the mindset he had during his time in Anxi. He longed to return to the vast deserts, the boundless grasslands, and the magnificent glaciers and snow-capped peaks. His heart seemed to have grown wings and had already flown to the distant Beiting.

“General, there seems to be a mountain range over there,” asked Yan Zhuang, his staff member, sitting in a carriage and pointing excitedly at the distant mountains.

The spring sun was particularly glaring. Li Qing’an pulled back the curtain and looked into the distance. He could clearly see the dark mountains and smiled, saying, “That’s Wushaoling, the tail end of the Qilian Mountains. We’ve already covered more than half of our journey so far. Beyond that lies the 2,000-mile-long Hexi Corridor. Mr. Yan, do you have any concerns?”

“I have no concerns. Compared to Fanyang, I prefer the Western Regions. Once I’m settled, I’ll arrange to bring my wife and children from our hometown and settle in Beiting forever, never wanting to return to Chang’an.”

“What about you, sir?”

Li Qing’an then turned to Wang Changling, who was sitting in the same carriage as Yan Zhuang, and smiled, saying, “It seems you’ve been to the Western Regions before.”

Wang Changling stroked his beard and smiled, saying, “I was there when I was young, even reaching as far as Suiye. Revisiting these places now gives me the feeling of returning to my youth. General Li, you’re taking on a heavy responsibility by being sent to Beiting this time!”

Li Qing’an nodded and said, “The emperor and the prime minister both mentioned Suiye to me during my assignment here. It’s clear the court is determined to rebuild the military garrison there. If we can accomplish this mission, all of us will be remembered in history.”

Wang Changling was overjoyed and quickly said, “I don’t care about being remembered in history. As long as Suiye can return to the Tang Dynasty, I’ll die without regret.”

Li Qing’an was taken aback. He glanced at Wang Changling and thought to himself, “Could he also be a member of the Suiye Han-Tang Association?”

At that moment, he heard faint music coming from afar, with soldiers singing in response from time to time. He bowed and said with a smile, “Gentlemen, continue your conversation. I’ll be back in a moment.”

He spurred his horse to the carriage where Wu Yi was. Through the window, he immediately saw her beautiful face. Her skin was crystal-white, her hair tied up, revealing her gracefully swan-like neck. Her gaze was clear, her eyes shining like two black gems with a charming luster—completely different from her pale and lifeless appearance a few days ago. She was concentrating intently on playing the zither.

Many soldiers’ families surrounded her carriage. Her beautiful zither music enchanted them, and Li Qing didn’t disturb her. He rode beside her carriage slowly.

In a moment, the piece on the zither came to an end, and warm applause filled the air. From afar, Li Feiyuanli could be heard shouting from another carriage, “What a wonderful performance! Do you know? It was the Zither Immortal of Chang’an playing for us!”
The applause grew even louder. At that moment, everyone saw Li Qing’an, and they wisely stepped back. Li Qing’an smiled at Wu Yi and said, “Miss Wu Yi, leaving Chang’an won’t make you feel lost, will it?”
Seeing Li Qing’an, Wu Yi still showed a hint of shyness in her eyes. She said softly, “Leaving Chang’an gives me the feeling of stepping out of a cage. I’ve never felt so free as I do today. Thank you, General Li, for taking me out.”
Yu Nu beside her laughed and said, “General Li, my daughter has another wish. She hopes that in the future, you can accompany her to Lingnan to pay respects at the graves.”
“What nonsense!” Wu Yi rebuked her in a low voice, then smiled faintly at Li Qing’an and said, “General Li, my main reason for going to Beiting this time is to learn to play the six-string zither. I was wondering if you could help me find a teacher.”
The six-string zither was nothing other than Li Qing’an’s guitar. No one else in the world could play it except him. Li Qing’an secretly chuckled. Pretending to be troubled, he pondered for a moment before saying, “Miss Wu Yi, to be honest, no one in Beiting knows how to play this kind of six-string zither. As for Spain that I mentioned, there’s war there right now, so it’s not possible to go.”
Wu Yi frowned slightly and murmured to herself, “What should I do then?”
Li Qing’an could no longer hold back and laughed. “Have you forgotten that there’s someone right here who knows how to play it?”
Wu Yi’s face turned red. She said softly, “But I’m worried this person is too busy and doesn’t have time to teach me.”
“To teach a beauty to play the zither, I think even the busiest person will find time.”
Wu Yi gave him a disdainful look and asked, “Then, who did he learn ‘Sad Spain’ from? Does he remember any other pieces?”
“Yes! He remembers dozens of them. After we arrive in Beiting, he’ll play them for you slowly. It might even take fifty years!”
“General Li, you…” Wu Yi’s face turned crimson with shame as she lowered her head, unable to speak a word.
Li Qing’an laughed heartily. “I was just joking with you. Liangzhou City is right ahead. I’ll go greet the troops. Miss Wu Yi, I’ll start your first lesson tonight.”
He bowed slightly and spurred his horse forward to join the troops. Wu Yi gazed at his tall and imposing figure, her eyes filled with admiration. She thought to herself: If I could really play the zither with him for fifty years, it would be worth living this life.

At the front of the group were Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun. The two of them were arguing about something. Five years ago, they had been friends, and upon meeting again in the army, they became especially close, staying together at all times. At first, Li Qingan suspected that Lei Wanchun was sent by the Suiye Han-Tang Society to spy on him, so he was very wary of him. But after half a month, Li Qingan gradually realized it might not be the case. Lei Wanchun had nothing to do with the Suiye Han-Tang Society; he was merely a friend of Chang Jin, the owner of Rehaiju. He also heard from Nan Jiyun that Lei Wanchun was a famous hero from the Jianghuai region, known for his justice and courage in helping the weak and punishing the strong, often intervening in unfair situations. As a result, many local authorities in Jianghuai were hunting him. Two years ago, he even became one of the major cases under the supervision of the Ministry of Punishments after killing a powerful local landlord with strong connections, leading to a nationwide manhunt. This time, he was following Li Qingan to Beiting because he had nowhere else to go.

As long as someone wasn’t from the Han-Tang Society, Li Qingan didn’t care about anything else. Moreover, Lei Wanchun was highly skilled in martial arts and extremely strong, making him a valuable warrior in the future.

When Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun saw Li Qingan approaching, they both bowed and said, “Saluting, General!”

“What are you two generals arguing about?”

“General, we’re arguing about who poses the greatest threat to Beiting.”

Li Qingan asked with a smile, “Then tell me, who do you think poses the greatest threat?”

Nan Jiyun replied first, “Brother Lei says the Göktürks pose the greatest threat, but I think it should be the Turkic Khaganate.”

“Why?” Li Qingan asked with a smile. “I’d like to know your reasons.”

The two looked at each other, unable to speak. In truth, neither of them understood the actual situation in Beiting. Lei Wanchun scratched his head and said with a laugh, “I heard that the Göktürks are a fickle people—those kinds of people are the most unreliable.”

“What about you?” Li Qingan asked Nan Jiyun.

“General, I heard from the soldiers in Anxi that the Turkic Khaganate has repeatedly invaded Tang territory. I heard that General Li rose to fame through battles against them.”

Li Qingan chuckled. “To be honest, not even I know who poses the greatest threat in Beiting. Only after arriving there can we gradually understand the situation. We’ll not only have to deal with the Turkic Khaganate and the Göktürks but also the Uyghurs, the Shatuo, and even the Qiang and Hu tribes in the Hexi Corridor. These are all warlike peoples. Beiting is much more complex than Anxi.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a deep horn sound came from afar. A group of cavalry was rushing over. “It’s the Hexi Army!” A soldier recognized the flag of the Hexi Army at a glance.

It was a cavalry unit of about a hundred men who quickly rushed forward. At the head was a colonel officer who bowed and said, “May I ask where General Li Qing’an is?”
Li Qing’an dismounted and said, “I am Li Qing’an!”
The colonel promptly bowed again, “Lord Li, Commander An has come specially to greet you; he is already ten miles away.”
Li Qing’an was taken aback. He quickly raised his hand to look into the distance and indeed saw an army approaching, with dust swirling and blocking out the sun.
He immediately turned around and ordered, “Stop the entire army!”
Soon, the army grew closer, and the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground could be heard, like distant thunder. Flags fluttered in the wind, covering the sky—there were at least four or five thousand men.
The troops stopped about a mile away from the Beiting army. Dozens of officers stepped forward, surrounding an officer in his fifties. He was of medium height, with grayish hair and a long beard. His face was red, and he had small, extremely enthusiastic eyes with fine wrinkles at the corners. What impressed people the most was his huge, fleshy-free nose, resembling the hard beak of a vulture, giving him a cunning appearance. He was An Sishun, the governor of Hexi. An Sishun was An Lushan’s cousin and had once been the nephew of the Turkic chieftain An Yanyan, who was An Lushan’s stepfather. After the Turks were defeated, An Yanyan was killed, and An Lushan fled to the Tang Dynasty with An Sishun. Twenty years later, both became important regional officials in the Tang Dynasty, each a regional lord.
One was the governor of Fanyang and Pinglu, while the other had once been the governor of Shuofang and was now the governor of Hexi.
“Dear younger brother, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
An Sishun dismounted and rushed toward Li Qing’an with such enthusiasm as if they were old friends reuniting after thirty years. Li Qing’an had no choice but to dismount as well. An Sishun opened his broad Turkic chest and hugged Li Qing’an tightly, saying excitedly, “I never expected you to be promoted to governor of Beiting! I’m extremely pleased!”
To anyone, An Sishun and Li Qing’an seemed to have known each other for decades, but in reality, Li Qing’an had only met An Sishun once and exchanged just three words.
Li Qing’an felt uncomfortable being hugged so tightly and gently broke free, smiling and saying, “I’m passing through Hexi. I’ll need Commander An’s kind assistance.”
“Of course!” An Sishun patted his chest and laughed. “I’ll compensate you for every grain of rice and every coin lost. But first, you must stay in Liangzhou for five days before I can let you go.”
Li Qing’an quickly bowed and thanked him, “There’s no need to go to Liangzhou. I’m in a hurry to return to Beiting. I’ll trouble Commander An again in the future.”

“How can you say that? Isn’t that disrespectful to me?”
An Sishun pointed to the tent set up not far away and smiled, “How about we go have a drink first?”
“Then I’ll obey rather than insist on formality.”
Li Qing’an followed him into the newly set up tent. The soldiers had worked very quickly—not only had they pitched the tent, but they had also laid carpets inside, with a small table in the center covered in food and drinks.
“Don’t be polite, my dear brother. Treat my place like home. Please, sit down!”
An Sishun warmly invited Li Qing’an to sit and poured him a glass of wine, saying with a smile, “Although drinking is prohibited in the army, those who set this rule don’t understand the actual conditions in the Western Regions. In winter, with ice and snow everywhere, if people don’t drink to keep warm, they’ll freeze to death. That’s why my troops in Hexi allow each soldier to bring one jin of wine during winter battles—it’s essential. I’m sure it’s the same in Anxi too!”
Li Qing’an nodded and smiled, “It’s the same in Anxi. We must bring wine when patrolling in winter. When I was a brigade commander, I ruled that only one pot of wine was allowed, but I secretly brought three pots, claiming the other two contained water.”
The two laughed together. After drinking two glasses, An Sishun said, “My cousin An Lushan doesn’t get along very well with you, I know. I’ve written to him, advising him that since we’re both Tang soldiers with no conflicts of interest, there’s no need to worry over trivial matters. A true man should be broad-minded and not be so petty.”
Li Qing’an also smiled, “It’s mostly misunderstandings. Last time it was over a polo match; everyone was competitive and got a bit angry. But thinking back, it wasn’t necessary—after all, it wasn’t a battle between enemy nations.”
An Sishun gave a thumbs up in approval, “You really are broad-minded. My cousin has lived to such an age for nothing, sigh!”
The two drank another five or six glasses. An Sishun frowned and said, “With all this food and money you’ve brought, be careful of bandits!”
“Bandits?” Li Qing’an asked in confusion. “What bandits? In the Hexi Corridor?”
An Sishun sighed. “Since last year, there’s been a bandit group active in the Hexi Corridor—thousands of them. They mainly rob merchants, kill, and commit all kinds of atrocities. I’ve sent troops to suppress them several times, but they just disappear. It’s really giving me a headache.”
“Oh? There’s such a thing?” Li Qing’an was surprised and asked, “Who are these bandits?”
An Sishun shook his head and smiled bitterly. “I’m afraid it might anger you, but these bandits come from Beiting—they’re actually Shatuo people.”

Li Qing’an nodded, stood up, and bowed, saying, “Thank you, Commander An, for the reminder. I will be careful along the way. It’s still early, so we’ll set off now. We won’t stop in Liangzhou for rest. We’ll come to bother Commander An again if we have the chance in the future.”
An Sishun didn’t insist any further and said, “Very well! Wish you a smooth journey. I’ll send troops to escort you across Ganzhou.”
……
An hour later, Li Qing’an’s large force passed through Liangzhou City and continued westward.
……