Chapter 177: The Uyghur Envoy

The Göktürks, like other nomadic tribes, relied on high mobility in battle, moving unpredictably across vast grasslands to find the best opportunity to strike the enemy forces. Yet the Tang army also had a powerful cavalry force that was no less agile than the nomads, and their superior equipment left the Göktürks in the dust.

The Göktürks were well aware of this, so since the Tang army entered their territory, they had tried to avoid direct confrontation, instead circling at a distance of hundreds of miles away, waiting for weaknesses in the Tang forces to appear.

But the Tang army’s actions defied their expectations. After marching north for three days, the main force suddenly turned back to Bazhayi City and set up camp there, while five thousand troops returned to Tingzhou. This was clearly to prevent the Göktürks from attacking from behind, and the pace of the battle slowed down abruptly.

Three hundred miles east of Xuanchi, by a small lake known to the locals as Bayang Sea, the allied forces of the Göktürks and Uyghurs camped. Unlike the Tang army, the Göktürks did not have fortifications or ditches; their tents were connected together with cowhide, and their horses were tied nearby to ensure they could set off at any moment, moving as swiftly as the wind.

The largest tent in the center served as their command tent. At dawn that day, a wild howl erupted suddenly inside the tent. Murci Loduo was furious, wildly swinging his long sword at the cowhide tent.

“My women, my treasures! Damn Tang dogs!”

Near insane, Murci Loduo ran back and forth inside the tent, screaming hysterically and slashing around. He torn the cowhide tent to shreds. He had just learned that his tribe had been discovered by the Tang army on their way to the Uyghurs; all his guards were killed, and his wealth and women were captured by the Tangs.

He could find new women, but he had lost the gold he had accumulated over eighteen years—this drove him to madness.

“Pass my order: the entire army, mount up and kill the Tangs! Kill them all!”

Murci Loduo charged out of the tent with his sword, but tripped over a carpet and fell heavily to the ground. Dozens of his subordinates seized the opportunity to rush in, holding him down and taking his sword away.

“Great Prince, calm down.”

“Let me go! I must kill them!” Murci Loduo shouted indistinctly.

As the curtain was lifted, Chagluo’s chief assassin, Mo Cihei Shan, strode in quickly from outside. He had also received the news and was trying to comfort his son when he saw him disheveled like a madman, with snot all over his face. Frowning, he scolded, “Do you even still look like a deputy commander? You’ve brought shame to me!”
Mo Ci Luo Duo’s eyes were red, and he was breathing heavily, unable to say a word. At that moment, Ashina, the chief of the Uyghur Bayegu tribe, also arrived after hearing the news.
“What… what’s going on?” Ashina was stunned.
Mo Cihei Shan sighed and said, “My son’s wife and children were captured by the Tang army. Their fate is unknown.”
Ashina was shocked and stammered, “How… is that possible? How could the Tang army reach Jinshan? There must be a mistake!”
Mo Ci Luo Duo’s wife and children were supposed to be taken to his tribe for protection; he had already arranged for people to welcome them on the other side of Jinshan. How could they have been captured by the Tang army? He felt disappointed—thinking they could serve as his hostages, they had simply disappeared.
“It’s not the main force of the Tang army; just their vanguard.”
Mo Cihei Shan was deeply troubled. He then said to several guards, “Take the crown prince back to the tent first and keep an eye on him.”
After saying that, he turned and left the tent. Ashina hurried after him, “Chief Heishan, I have something to discuss with you.”
“I’m very tired. Let’s talk tomorrow!”
Mo Cihei Shan returned to the tent worriedly. These past few days, the Tang army had eased its pressure, giving him time to think. He began to realize he had made a grave mistake out of carelessness. He shouldn’t have agreed to let the Uyghur army in. It’s easy to invite gods in, but hard to send them away. If the Tang army suddenly agreed to peace, would these Uyghurs really withdraw obediently?
Mo Cihei Shan stared blankly outside the tent. He had thought it would be a minor conflict, but it had turned into a major issue affecting the survival of the Chagluo people. He had thought the Chagluo faced only the threat from the Tang Dynasty, but now he realized there was also a vicious wolf lurking behind him.
Mo Cihei Shan sighed sadly, holding his head in pain, filled with remorse for his momentary foolishness. What should he do now?
…
In the Tang army camp, Nan Jiyun’s vanguard had also returned, bringing back over a hundred carts loaded with treasures and nearly a thousand Chagluo elders, women, and children. When these prisoners were brought into the camp, it happened to be meal time for the Tang army, causing a huge stir. Countless soldiers rushed over with their bowls to watch.
The Chagluo prisoners kept their heads down, uneasy, especially the young women, whose eyes showed fear amid the murmurs of the Tang soldiers.

Li Qing’an and a group of Tang army generals walked over quickly. Nan Jiyun dismounted, stepped forward, and knelt at a half-kneeling position to pay his respects, saying, “I captured the tribe of the Göktürk prince in the middle section of Jinshan. I’ve come to escort them back to the camp and investigate the main forces of the barbarian chieftains. I’ve ordered my men to continue searching.”
Li Qing’an glanced at the prisoners and nodded, saying, “General Nan, you’ve worked hard. How are the losses among your men?”
“Reporting to the general, the Tang army has no losses, but more than half of the Shatuo cavalry were killed or injured. They were ambushed by the Göktürks.”
Zhu Xia Shengyi stepped forward and knelt, saying in shame, “I was too focused on claiming credit and forgot about the enemy’s ambush, resulting in heavy losses. I’ve come to apologize.”
Although Zhu Xia Shengyi would later join the Beiting Army, he was still considered part of the reinforcements at the moment. Li Qing’an didn’t know what to say, so he quickly helped him up and comforted him, saying, “General Shengyi, there’s no need to blame yourself. Victory and defeat are common in warfare. Just be more careful next time. Please go back and recover. I’ll arrange for the distribution of the spoils.”
“Thank you, sir!”
Zhu Xia Shengyi led his men back to the Shatuo camp. The main camp became busy as male and female prisoners were taken to the rear camp for detention, while various valuables were handed over to the military accountant to be counted and stored. At that moment, seeing that no one was around, Nan Jiyun whispered to Li Qing’an, “General, I also seized a batch of gold, about 30,000 taels.”
Since the imperial court was ineffective in providing compensation for fallen soldiers, it shifted this responsibility to local authorities. However, with limited financial resources and little attention from civil officials, who often saw it as a burden, such compensation would soon become a mere formality.
Therefore, to provide proper compensation for the soldiers who died in the Chiling Battle, Li Qing’an decided to establish a compensation fund for fallen soldiers using concepts from later generations. Not only those who died in Chiling but also those who died under his command would have their families receive long-term financial support. His idea received unanimous support from the generals. For now, the source of funds mainly came from plunder during battles.
Li Qing’an was delighted and praised, “Well done!”
Nan Jiyun hurried to collect the gold. Just then, an officer on duty at the gate ran over and reported, bowing, “General, a group of Uyghurs is outside the tent, claiming to be special envoys of the Uyghur khan.”
Li Qing’an had expected the arrival of Uyghur envoys, but not so soon. He smiled slightly and said, “It seems they’re in a hurry. Please invite them into the main tent.”
He then turned and returned to the main tent.
……

When Beiting launched a war against the Glagol, the Khagan of the Uyghurs was exactly at the Dubo Palace, not far from Jinshan. He received news from Ashina, the chief of the Bayegu tribe. On one hand, he approved the Bayegu tribe’s support for the Glagol; on the other hand, he immediately sent envoys to Beiting to mediate.

The Uyghur envoy was named Pei Luodagan, a middle-aged man in his forties, of average height, who appeared very astute and capable. He was led into the main tent by Tang soldiers, where more than a dozen high-ranking Tang officials were already waiting for him.

Pei Luodagan stepped forward and bowed to Li Qing’an, who was sitting in the middle, saying respectfully, “Pei Luodagan, the supervisor of the Uyghur palace, has been sent by the Khagan to Beiting to meet with Deputy Commander Li.”

Li Qing’an waved his hand and smiled, saying, “Please, sit down, envoy!”

Pei Luodagan sat down, and a soldier brought him a cup of tea. Li Qing’an then asked with a smile, “Is the Uyghur Khagan at the palace?”

“Yes. Our Khagan is inspecting Dubo. Hearing that there was a conflict between the Tang army and the Glagol, he ordered me to come and mediate.”

“Does your Khagan mean that he hopes we stop fighting the Glagol?” Li Qing’an glanced at Pei Luodagan with a hint of mockery in his eyes. Pei Luodagan’s expression became awkward. He looked at the other officials, some of whom seemed troubled, and said, “There are a few things I’d like to discuss privately with Commander Li. Is that possible?”

Li Qing’an smiled and gave a signal to the others, who all stood up and left the tent, leaving only the military supervisor Wang Tingfang.

“This officer Wang is the supervisor sent by the emperor to Beiting. There’s no need to avoid him if you have anything to say.”

Pei Luodagan nodded at Wang Tingfang with a smile before whispering to Li Qing’an, “Mediation is just for show. I’ve been sent by the Khagan with an important matter to discuss with you.”

Li Qing’an and Wang Tingfang exchanged a glance. Li Qing’an asked, “What matter is that?”

“It concerns the fate of the Glagol.”

Pei Luodagan sighed and said, “The Glagol in Wujian Mountain have become part of the Uyghurs, but those in Jinshan still refuse to submit to them. Of course, they have already submitted to the Tang Dynasty. It may be rude of me to say this, but reclaiming the Glagol in Jinshan is indeed a major issue for us Uyghurs. If Beiting agrees to join us in attacking the Glagol in Jinshan, in return, our Khagan agrees to give the lands of the Glagol south of Duotan Ridge to the Tang Dynasty. What do you think, General?”

After a long silence, Li Qing’an burst into laughter, making Pei Luodagan’s face turn red with anger. Pei Luodagan said indignantly, “Does Commander Li think this is funny?”

“No! No!” Li Qing’an stopped laughing and sighed, saying, “I’m laughing at the Göktürks for being utterly foolish—trying to ally with the Uyghurs to fight against the Tang army, without realizing they were actually inviting wolves into their own home.”
Pei Luogagan said awkwardly, “Our khan doesn’t intend to oppose the Tang Dynasty. It’s because the eleven Uyghur tribes are independent, and the Bayegu tribe joined the Uyghurs relatively late. Many of their actions are beyond the khan’s control. By the time the khan gets news, they’ve already sent troops south. If Envoy Li agrees to the khan’s plan, the Bayegu tribe will immediately become the vanguard in attacking the Göktürks.”
Li Qing’an smiled and said, “As for me personally, I would be delighted to help the Tang emperor expand his territory. But I don’t have the authority to decide this. After all, the Göktürks are subjects of the Tang Dynasty. Attacking them requires the emperor’s approval. In other words, I must report to the Tang emperor before I can give a response.”
Wang Tingfang beside him also smiled and said, “Envoy Li is absolutely right. This matter must be approved by the emperor.”
Pei Luogagan pondered for a moment and asked, “Then how much time will it take?”
“About one and a half months, via an urgent message sent over 800 li.”
“Very well. I’ll return to the palace first to report to the khan. I’ll come back in one and a half months to hear the news.”
……
Pei Luogagan didn’t rest and left right away to return to the Uyghurs. Li Qing’an stood in front of the map, staring at the Uyghur territory for a long time. Ever since he heard that the Uyghurs were sending troops, he realized their true intention might not be to assist the Göktürks—they were likely playing the role of opportunists.
Khan Huai Ren had died in the sixth year of Tianbao. Now his son, Moyanque, had succeeded him and was known as Khan Gule. Moyanque was fierce and unruly. Although he still sent envoys to pay homage to the Tang Dynasty, he no longer felt as grateful as his father had. As the Uyghur state grew stronger, Moyanque’s ambitions grew larger by the day.
“Envoy Li, do you really want to cooperate with the Uyghurs to destroy the Göktürks?”
Wang Tingfang was young. The reason he could serve as an inspector in Anxi was solely because he was a confidant of Gao Lishi. In reality, he was just an eunuch with little education and narrow horizons. He couldn’t understand the broader situation in Beiting. All he cared about was whether Li Qing’an would act on his own and reach an agreement with the Uyghurs.
Li Qing’an shook his head. “I won’t agree to this. There’s no need to consult the emperor either.”
Wang Tingfang was stunned. “Why? Aren’t we here to attack the Göktürks?”

Li Qing’an tapped on the map marking the Göktürks and smiled faintly. “The Göktürks are unruly watchdog dogs. Though they sometimes steal from their masters, a good beating is all that’s needed to teach them a lesson. If they’re killed, the Uyghurs will have no obstacles and can march straight into Beiting.” After saying this, he immediately ordered, “Beat the drums! Gather the troops in the center!”

……

After resting for five days at Baza Yie, the Tang army set out again. This time, without hesitation, they headed straight for the heart of Göktürk territory: Xuanchi. After several days of marching, the army crossed the Duotan Ridge, with Xuanchi now less than three hundred li away. That morning, Tang scouts reported that the main force of the Göktürks was fifty li to the northeast, advancing rapidly toward them.

A large number of Göktürk elders, women, and children were gathered in the Xuanchi area. If the Tang army captured Xuanchi, it would pose a severe threat to their survival. The Göktürks could no longer wait for an opportunity; they had to engage in a direct battle to stop the Tang army from advancing northward.

The Tang army halted and began making urgent preparations. The logistical supplies were left behind with the command tower, protected by a rear formation of three thousand spear-bearing infantry. In the front line were three thousand archers, followed by the main cavalry force of seven thousand riders. Additionally, three thousand elite Shatuo soldiers were deployed on either side of the archers to withstand the first wave of attacks after the archers fired.

The Tang army was outnumbered—only 16,000 men compared to 30,000 in the combined forces of the Göktürks and Uyghurs. Yet in terms of quality, both in training and equipment, the Tang army far surpassed them. This was a battle of quality versus quantity, a struggle for influence at the negotiating table. Whether the Tang army could open a path to the Yibohai Sea, whether the Göktürks could regain their pre-war independence, whether the Uyghurs could cross the Jinshan Mountains successfully, and whether peace or war would prevail—along with the reorganization of the Göktürk region—all would be decided after this battle.

At noon, the combined forces of the Göktürks and Uyghurs were less than ten li away from the Tang army. They too slowed down to reorganize their troops and gather strength. The first major battle between the Tang and steppe peoples since Li Qing’an took control of Beiting was slowly unfolding.