Chapter 173: Spring Hunting in Tianshan (Part 1)

The soldiers brought in the visitor, who turned out to be Chang Jin, the owner of Rehaiju in Chang’an. Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “Master Chang, what a pleasant surprise to meet an old friend in a foreign land! How have you been?”
Chang Jin quickly bowed and replied, “General, I actually came from Suiye. Three days after parting in Chang’an, I set off back to Suiye as I had important matters to report to you.”
Li Qing’an nodded. “This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go to my residence.”
The group continued on their way. Chang Jin mounted a horse and followed behind, his expression conflicted, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Li Qing’an’s residence was now much livelier. His bodyguards had gone to the slave markets in Gaochang and Dunhuang to acquire a group of servants and maids—nearly thirty in total, most of them Han people. These servants had arrived at the residence half a month ago and had gradually adapted to life there, bringing vitality to the place.
When Li Qing’an reached the entrance of the residence, he saw a carriage parked there. Immediately, a middle-aged man rushed out from inside, saying with a smile, “Master, it’s the daughter of Protector Yang who’s here to learn the zither from Miss Wu Yi.”
This middle-aged man’s surname was Jiang. He was currently the steward at Li Qing’an’s residence. A native of Fengxiang, he had originally been the steward for Zhou Xuan, the governor of Qingzhou. Last year, Zhou Xuan was convicted of embezzlement, and his entire family was exiled to Xizhou. Steward Jiang and a dozen family members followed their master to Beiting. When Zhou Xuan died of illness at the beginning of the year, his wife dismissed the family, and everyone went their separate ways. Steward Jiang and a few family members planned to return to the mainland but were afraid of the bandits in the Hexi Corridor. They heard that the new military governor in Beiting was recruiting family members under lenient conditions, offering a monthly salary and allowing freedom after three years of service, so they all entered Li Qing’an’s residence.
Steward Jiang was very shrewd and capable, with extensive experience. He quickly brought order to Li Qing’an’s residence, much to his satisfaction.
Li Qing’an nodded and said to him, “Go and invite Mr. Yan to my outer study right away!”
Steward Jiang replied and rushed off. Once everyone entered the residence, the bodyguards dispersed. Li Qing’an took Chang Jin to the outer study, which was located in the central courtyard. It had a small door connecting to the inner residence. High-ranking officials usually had both inner and outer studies—the inner study being the private space where the master rested and read, accessible only to a select few. In Li Qing’an’s case, only Ru Shi was allowed to enter and tidy it up for him.

The outer study was used for handling official affairs and receiving important guests. Compared to the inner study, which had only two rooms, the outer study was much larger, featuring four rooms: a workspace, a meeting room, a library, and more—it was essentially a separate courtyard.
“Master Chang, please feel free to sit!”
Li Qing’an entered, took off his outer robe, and hung it on the hanger. He and Chang Jin sat down. A maid brought in three cups of tea. At that moment, two bodyguards carried in a wicker chair, on which Yan Zhuang sat. As soon as he entered, he said with a smile, “I was soaking my feet! Yet they still called me here.”
Yan Zhuang was currently staying in Li Qing’an’s eastern courtyard. Li Qing’an had specially found a local renowned doctor to treat his leg injury. After a month of treatment, there was significant improvement—he could now walk slowly with support, unlike before when he was completely immobile and lying on the bed. For this, Yan Zhuang was deeply grateful to Li Qing’an.
The two bodyguards helped him sit down slowly and carried away the wicker chair. Li Qing’an smiled apologetically and introduced Chang Jin, saying, “This is Master Chang from Rehaiju, whom I mentioned to you. He has just come from Suiye.”
Yan Zhuang had heard Li Qing’an talk about the events in Suiye during the Han-Tang period, so he bowed to Master Chang, saying, “Master Chang, I’ve long heard of you.”
Li Qing’an then introduced Yan Zhuang, saying, “This is Mr. Yan, my advisor. Master Chang, feel free to speak freely.”
Chang Jin understood Li Qing’an’s intention. He also bowed to Yan Zhuang before saying to Li Qing’an, “General Li, I just arrived in Suiye when I heard some important news: a severe civil war has broken out in the Abbasid Empire, and the rebels from Khorasan have already reached the heart of their territory.”
“Abbas!” Li Qing’an blurted out. Chang Jin was stunned. The leader of the Khorasan rebels indeed was named Abbas. How did he know?
“I also heard a little about it from a Sogdian merchant not long ago,” Li Qing’an said casually to cover up his knowledge. He smiled and said, “So, Master Chang means I should take this opportunity to seize Suiye, right?”
Chang Jin nodded. “Exactly. With the Abbasid Empire embroiled in civil war, they will surely not be able to focus on the East. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for the Tang Dynasty to re-enter the lands west of the Pamir Mountains. General, you must seize it.”
“But without an imperial order, I can’t just start fighting on my own!”
Chang Jin grew anxious. He couldn’t help but kneel down, kowtowing several times earnestly, and cried, “It’s been nearly thirty years since Suiye fell to the Tang. The Han people there long to return to Tang’s rule, just as a baby longs for its parents. How can you bear to let them suffer?”

Li Qing’an quickly helped him up and reassured him, “Master Chang, please be calm. As the ruler of Beiting, it is my duty to reclaim Suiye. I know the opportunity is rare now, but sending troops to Suiye is such a major matter that we must first report it to the imperial court. With all the back-and-forth and court discussions, it will take at least two to three months.”

“General Li, why don’t you use the shortcut provided by the Han-Tang Association? We have a well-established pigeon messaging network with relay stations in Guazhou, Ganzhou, Liangzhou, Longyou, and Fengxiang, all staffed by dedicated personnel. Sending a message from Beiting to Chang’an can take as fast as seven days.”

Li Qing’an was taken aback and asked, “Only seven days?”

“That’s right. The fastest record was five days.”

At that moment, Yan Zhuang beside him asked with a smile, “If we wanted to send a message to Yangzhou, could we do that?”

“Sure! Even the faraway Guangzhou is possible.”

“Indeed impressive.”

Yan Zhuang gave Li Qing’an a wink and said with a smile, “General, I think we can use the Han-Tang Association’s network to gain time.”

Li Qing’an understood what Yan Zhuang meant. Communication between Beiting and Chang’an mainly relied on post stations. The pigeon messaging network, due to its difficult establishment, currently had only one route, used by the military supervisor Bian Lingcheng to send secret letters to Li Longji. He hadn’t expected the Han-Tang Association to also have one, which piqued Li Qing’an’s interest.

“Good, I’ll start drafting a letter right away.”

Li Qing’an said to Chang Jin with a smile, “Not just this time—going forward, I’ll often use this route to send messages from Chang’an for me.”

“Since you’re also a member of the Han-Tang Association in Suiye, make full use of it.”

……

Chang Jin left, and Yan Zhuang immediately said, “General, I think the Han-Tang Association’s goal isn’t just to restore Suiye. They’ve set up spy stations across the Tang Dynasty—what’s their intention?”

Li Qing’an nodded. “I’ve noticed that too. It seems they have deeper motives.”

He sneered, “Trying to use me? Hmph! Am I that easy to manipulate? If I’m not mistaken, the Han-Tang Association will take significant action in Beiting. Sir, you might as well keep an eye on this and uncover the truth for me.”

“Hehe! I love dealing with such conspiracies. Leave it to me—no problem.”

Yan Zhuang added with a smile, “But the civil war in the Abbasid Caliphate is indeed a good opportunity to reclaim Suiye. The general should seize this chance.”

Li Qing’an paced slowly around the room with his hands behind his back. He remembered clearly that the Black Abbasid Caliphate replaced the White Abbasid Caliphate just one or two years before the Battle of Talas. The Battle of Talas took place in the tenth year of the Tianbao era, so now, in the eighth year of Tianbao, it was indeed the most intense period of internal strife among the Abbasids. This was indeed an opportunity, but the time to send troops had not yet arrived.

Thinking of this, he said slowly, “The day before I left, the emperor summoned me and agreed that I could attack Suiye directly without needing the approval of the imperial court. However, now is not the best time to attack Suiye. The top priority is still to seize control of the military power in Xizhou and truly gain control over the military and political affairs in Beiting.”

Yan Zhuang frowned anxiously and said, “But I’m very worried that Anxi’s Gao Xianzhi might send troops to Suiye first and steal the general’s opportunity.”

Li Qing’an simply smiled and said, “Do you think the Tibetans, having lost Xiaobolü, would be willing to give up Turfan as well?”

Yan Zhuang was stunned; he didn’t understand what Li Qing’an meant.

……

That evening, Li Qing’an wrote a brief letter on silk, placed it in a pigeon carrier, and handed it to his personal guard, instructing him to use the intelligence transmission channels of the Han-Tang Association to deliver it urgently to Gao Lishi in Chang’an.

Time passed quickly, and before long it was the end of March. The annual spring hunting festival was approaching. In these days, leaders from various tribes and armies in Beiting flocked to Jinman County. Han Zhi, the governor of Yizhou, and Zhao Tingyu, the governor of Xizhou, each led five hundred troops there. Shatuo Yehu Guduzhi, the eldest prince of the Gelao people, Mouciluoduo, and the second prince Moucisihan also each led a hundred men to Jinman County. In addition, representatives from other tribes such as the local Wusun, Turks, Qiang, and Tujue people, as well as skilled archers selected from various counties, also arrived in Tingzhou one after another. Two days before the spring hunting festival, almost all participants had arrived, with nearly two thousand representatives from various places gathered in Jinman County.

Everyone camped outside Jinman County. Yang Fengche had already designated areas for them to set up tents. Over a thousand tents formed a vast array, with people shouting and horses neighing—a truly spectacular sight.

That afternoon, on the official road outside Beiting City, a group of cavalry rushed in from the east. At the center was a beardless man in his thirties. He was an eunuch named Wang Tingfang, the military supervisor of Beiting’s army. He was called a “supervisor” because the overall military affairs in Anxi Beiting were under the supervision of Bian Lingcheng, who was stationed in Kucha, so Wang Tingfang was appointed as the supervisor for Beiting.

Wang Tingfang entered Beiting City, where horseback riding was prohibited. He dismounted and strode quickly toward Li Qingan’s residence. Wang Tingfang had originally been a eunuch serving Gao Lishi and was one of his closest confidants. In the fifth year of the Tianbao era, he was sent to Anxi as an envoy and deputy to Bian Lingcheng. This time, Gao Lishi assigned Wang Tingfang as the military supervisor in Beiting. He had already received Gao Lishi’s secret order to fully support Li Qingan.

When Wang Tingfang reached the door, he asked the bodyguard, “Is your general here?”
“Yes!”
“Please inform your general that I bring an urgent imperial edict.”
The bodyguard went inside and returned shortly after, inviting Wang Tingfang into the room. Li Qingan was reviewing documents when he saw Wang Tingfang enter. He stood up and smiled, “Has Envoy Wang brought the imperial edict?”
“That’s right!”
Wang Tingfang bowed and took out Li Longji’s letter, placing it on Li Qingan’s desk. “General, please read it yourself.”
It was not an official imperial edict—imperial edicts required the seal of the Central Secretariat. Although the Hanlin Academy could issue such edicts, those related to military and state affairs had to come from the Central Secretariat. Thus, it was merely Li Longji’s personal letter, lacking legal authority. In the central provinces, it could be ignored outright, but the border regions were different. Since the military governors were appointed by Li Longji, such letters were equally important.

The letter was also delivered by a pigeon and written on thin silk. Li Qingan unrolled it to find Li Longji’s handwriting, containing just one sentence: “Permission is granted to use force against the Göktürks.”

This was a reply to Li Qingan’s secret letter from half a month earlier, in which he had written, “I wish to seize Suiye for Your Majesty in the west. However, the constant conflicts between the Göktürks and the Shatuo hinder my plans. Our dynasty has long pacified the Göktürks, causing them to become arrogant and dismissive of the Beiting military. Now that they have grown stronger and harbor ambitions for Suiye, I seek to weaken them and curb their ambitions. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request!”

Seeing Li Qingan accept the letter, Wang Tingfang asked softly, “Will General Li really use force against the Göktürks?”
Li Qingan nodded. “The emperor is determined to rebuild the Suiye military garrison. With the Turkic tribes in decline and the Göktürks growing stronger, they will surely try to seize Suiye’s prosperous lands. So we must first weaken them and crush their ambitions. But this is a secret matter. Aside from us two, no one else—not even the military supervisor—may know about it. Otherwise, it could ruin the emperor’s plans, and we wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences.”
“I understand. I also admire General Li’s foresight. I am willing to assist him wholeheartedly to fulfill the emperor’s grand plans.”

Li Qing’an chuckled. “Not only must we fulfill the Emperor’s grand plans, but I will also do my best to help Wang Zhongshi with his personal difficulties. I know Wang Zhongshi comes from a poor family, so I’ve sent people to Taiyuan to buy a house and land for his parents and siblings. This is just a small token of my goodwill—please do not refuse it.”

Wang Tingfang came from a humble background and was forced to enter the palace at a young age. His income there was meager. Although he was later sent to supervise military affairs in Anxi, people like Bian Lingcheng got all the benefits first. Seeing Li Qing’an taking both public and personal matters into account, he was overjoyed and quickly bowed, saying, “Then thank you very much, General Li.”

“Wang Zhongshi, there’s no need to be polite. As long as we don’t neglect important military and state affairs and remain loyal to the Emperor, it’s fine to consider personal needs to some extent. It’s only human!”

Wang Tingfang’s eyes narrowed in a smile. Li Qing’an had hit the nail on the head. He gave a thumbs up and said, “General Li, your insight is truly remarkable!”

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard at the door. A soldier rushed in to report, “General, something serious has happened! The Shatuo and the Gelaolu have started fighting!”

…

Perhaps due to Yang Fengche’s momentary carelessness, he placed the camps of the Gelaolu and the Shatuo right next to each other when dividing the campsite. The Shatuo arrived in Jinman County on March 25th and set up camp first, while the Gelaolu arrived two days later and also pitched their tents. At first, the two tribes merely glared at each other and remained mostly peaceful. But when a few of the Shatuo’s hunting dogs wandered into the Gelaolu’s territory and wouldn’t return, the Shatuo went to demand them back. In response, the Gelaolu killed the dogs in front of the Shatuo and insulted them, saying, “If the Shatuo dogs dare come to Gelaolu’s territory again, they’ll meet the same fate.”

The death of those three hunting dogs triggered a bloody conflict between the Shatuo and the Gelaolu. By the time Li Qing’an arrived at the campsite, the Tang army had already separated the two tribes. Although no one died, both sides had a dozen or so injuries, many of them serious.