Chapter 221: Taking on a Mission in Crisis

The autumn winds in Chang’an in October were bitter, with cold winds sweeping across the Guanzhong region. Withered leaves danced in the air, and the cold was intense. Yet what truly plunged Chang’an into a deep winter were two extremely unfavorable news reports. One came from the Western Regions: Gao Xianzhi suffered a crushing defeat in Turfan, with four thousand Tang soldiers losing their lives there. Suoye City was captured by the Arab forces, and Duan Xiushi fought his way out, leading the remaining troops to retreat to Yuegong City.

Just as these tragic news from the Western Regions shocked the entire city of Chang’an, bad news also arrived from Nanzhao. A month earlier, Gelaofeng of Nanzhao rebelled again, massacring people in Yaozhou. His son, who was held hostage in Chengdu, had already been rescued in advance.

Xianyu Zhongtong, the military governor of Jiannan, led 100,000 soldiers on a southern campaign but was attacked from both sides by Nanzhao and Tubo forces. Eighty thousand of his troops perished, and Nanzhao officially allied itself with Tubo. Gelaofeng was granted the title of “Zanpu Zhong,” meaning “brother of the Zanpu.” Although the Tubo Zanpu, Chisong Dezan, was still young, Gelaofeng gladly accepted this title, recognizing Nanzhao as Tubo’s vassal state.

These two crushing defeats shocked the Tang Dynasty. Not only had they lost Suoye, which they had just regained, but Nanzhao and Tubo’s alliance also posed a direct threat to Shu region. Everyone in the court was deeply worried.

High-ranking officials such as Prime Minister Li Linfu, Left Prime Minister Chen Xilié, Minister of Revenue Zhang Yun, and Minister of Works Yang Shenjin all condemned Yang Guozhong for ruining the country. He was directly responsible for the failures in these battles and had even concealed the news of Nanzhao’s rebellion for a whole month.

With no other choice, Emperor Li Longji removed Yang Guozhong from all his positions except that of Minister of War. He also issued an edict mourning the Tang soldiers who had died in battle.

After an urgent meeting in the council hall, Li Longji made another significant decision: he removed Xianyu Zhongtong from his position as military governor of Jiannan and imprisoned him for concealing Nanzhao’s rebellion. Wang Gong, the former Censor-in-Chief, was promoted to Minister of War, while Gao Xianzhi was transferred to become the new military governor of Jiannan. At Li Linfu’s suggestion, the positions of military governor of Beiting and Anxi were merged into one, still called Military Governor of Anxi. However, Li Linfu’s proposal to appoint Feng Changqing as this governor was not adopted. Instead, Li Longji followed Gao Lishi’s advice and appointed Li Qing’an, the governor of Henan, as the combined position of Military Governor of Anxi and Deputy Protector of Anxi, with Li Linfu serving as the Grand Protector of Anxi.

East of Baqiao Bridge, three hundred riders rushed forward under the leadership of Li Qing’an. He had received his appointment as Military Governor of Anxi while returning to the capital via Tongguan Pass. Although he had expected Gao Xianzhi’s defeat, the death of thousands of Tang soldiers still weighed heavily on his heart.

Especially the 3,000 troops under Duan Xiushi guarding Suiye, with less than a thousand returning to Yuegong City, filled him with deep sorrow.
Li Qing’an immediately gazed at the towering city of Chang’an in the distance. After more than half a year, he had returned to the heart of Tang Dynasty power once again. With a swift whip stroke, his warhorse rushed toward Chang’an.
……
“The Emperor orders Li Qing’an to appear before him!”
……
“The Emperor orders Li Qing’an to appear before him!”
……
The loud proclamations echoed through the spacious halls of the Zichen Hall in the Daming Palace, reaching even the upper pavilion doors beside the Xuanzheng Hall. Two eunuchs had been waiting there for Li Qing’an for some time.
“Lord Li, please follow us!”
The two eunuchs led Li Qing’an swiftly through the corridors into a side hall of Zichen. A council meeting was underway inside—the six prime ministers, Li Linfu, Chen Xilie, Yang Guozhong, Wei Jiansu, Yang Shenjin, and Wang Gong, sat on either side.
Li Linfu wore a calm expression, his usual signature smile on his face. No one could tell what he was thinking, but the unmistakable hue on his face revealed his inner thoughts.
The gloomy and sickly look that had persisted for months was gone. Though still thin, his cheeks now had a luster not seen in years. This glow had appeared on his face for a long time after Li Shizhi was removed from office at the beginning of the Tianbao era, and now it appeared again.
It was no wonder. From Cui Qiao’s removal from office to Yang Guozhong being dismissed from his position as Minister of War and Xianyu Zhongtong being removed as governor of Jiannan, the Yang faction had suffered heavy blows in just a few months. He glanced at Yang Guozhong, who sat dejectedly at the bottom, his face filled with unmistakable disappointment and frustration.
Li Linfu snorted inwardly. Could this mediocre man who had risen through nepotism handle Tang Dynasty’s most complex border affairs, which required strategic insight? Decades of repeated battles between Tang and the Abbasids had gone unnoticed by him, as he had approved Gao Xianzhi’s campaign against Toharistan.
Moreover, last year, the new ruler of Nanzhao had played a risky game. Tang could have easily resolved Nanzhao’s century-old problem, but it was this very Yang Guozhong who insisted on granting peace to Nanzhao, giving them a chance to recover. Now, Nanzhao was better prepared and had turned to Tubo, making the situation even more complicated. The once-stable situation in Jiannan had fallen into crisis.
Li Linfu couldn’t help but sneer. Emperor Li Longji had appointed the wrong people, and in the end, it was still Li Linfu who had to turn things around. Of course, Emperor Li Longji would never admit his mistake. But his appointments of Wang Gong as prime minister, and Gao Xianzhi and others as governors of Jiannan, showed his concessions from another perspective.

He couldn’t help but glance at Li Longji again; the signs of aging were evident on his face. The sharp-eyed Li Linfu suddenly noticed an age spot the size of a copper coin on Li Longji’s neck, which shocked him greatly. Upon closer inspection of Li Longji’s hands, he saw two obvious age spots on the back of his hands as well. Yet just a month earlier, Li Linfu had not seen any age spots on Li Longji. In just one month, Li Longji had become visibly old.

Li Linfu grew wary. With Li Longji growing old and the position of crown prince vacant, the Tang Dynasty was likely to fall into chaos due to a lack of a successor.

At that moment, an eunuch appeared at the door and reported, “Your Majesty, Li Qing’an has been brought in!”

Li Longji waved his hand. “Summon him into the hall!”

As Li Linfu had guessed, Li Longji was indeed exhausted. Ever since he returned to Daming Palace, he had been immersed in the chatter of the concubines. His former favorites and lovers reappeared in his life one after another. Perhaps realizing that his time for indulgence was running out, he had become extremely obsessed with lust over the past few months, indulging in pleasure night after night until dawn. Even Yang Guifei, whom he had once loved madly, their relationship had begun to show signs of strain due to that incident outside the palace, manifested in them spending less time together.

His unrestrained consumption of physical strength and energy left Li Longji unable to deal with the sudden crises on the borders of the Tang Dynasty, which was why he found himself in a passive position. He was forced to agree to the joint efforts of the Prime Minister’s faction and the Zhang faction to suppress Yang Guozhong.

He also accepted Li Linfu’s suggestions to promote Xianzhi as the military governor of Jiannan and to appoint Li Qing’an to a position. Other than that, he couldn’t think of any better solutions.

At that moment, Li Longji was leaning on the dragon throne with his hand on his forehead. Hearing footsteps, he slightly raised his head and saw Li Qing’an’s vigorous figure once again. Li Longji couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Li Qing’an’s youthful and strong stride reminded him of his own days as crown prince—was it forty years ago or thirty? He could no longer remember clearly.

“Your servant Li Qing’an pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!”

Li Qing’an bowed deeply, his resounding voice echoing throughout the hall.

“Rise, my dear minister!”

Li Longji sat up straight, a gentle smile appearing on his tired face. He took out a lengthy memorial that Li Qing’an had submitted when he was demoted. All the concerns expressed in that memorial had indeed come true.

It was undeniable that Gao Xianzhi had to be removed from Anxi. It wasn’t because of his defeat in the Battle of Toharistan, as that wasn’t entirely his fault. However, losing Suiye was squarely Gao Xianzhi’s responsibility. His underestimation of the Abbasid threat prevented him from deploying troops in time to defend Suiye, leading to its fall. Thus, Gao Xianzhi must bear this responsibility.

But who should be appointed as the new governor of Anxi and the Northern Regions sparked debate. Li Linfu suggested appointing Feng Changqing, the deputy military commander, as the governor of Anxi. Clearly, Gao Xianzhi was Li Linfu’s man, allowing him to continue influencing Feng Changqing through Gao Xianzhi.

Zhang Yun, on the other hand, proposed Zhang Qiqiu, the governor of Hedong, for the position. Yet Li Longji remembered Li Qingan’s lengthy memorial and ordered it to be retrieved from the archives.

“Unite forces to jointly attack the Abbasids!” This was the essence of Li Qingan’s memorial. Last time, Li Longji had only skimmed through it, overlooking much of its content. This time, after reading it carefully again, he saw that the Abbasids were described as a powerful nation as great as the Tang Dynasty, with vast territories.

“Never treat them as mere barbarian states like Kangshi and underestimate them…” A sentence in the book revealed the root cause of Gao Xianzhi’s failure. It was this memorial that convinced Li Longji to ignore opposition and reinstate Li Qingan.

“This time, you are appointed as the governor of Anxi and the Northern Regions in a time of crisis. Our Tang Dynasty has lost almost all its interests in Lingxi. The pro-Tang king of Ningyuan was killed, Princess Heyi is missing, and Suiye has fallen back into the hands of the Tocharians. All pro-Tang forces have been slaughtered. I am heartbroken. I hope you can turn the situation around and reverse Tang’s decline.”

Li Qingan nodded slightly and said, “When I was in the Northern Regions, I sent Han merchants from Suiye to investigate the situation in the Abbasid realm. Back then, I already knew the civil war there was nearing its end. That’s why I didn’t support sending troops to Toharistan. But now, I believe the situation isn’t entirely in favor of the Abbasids. Our Tang Dynasty still has a chance.”

Li Qingan’s last words lifted the spirits of the six senior officials and Li Longji himself. Li Longji quickly asked, “What chance? Please explain!”

Li Qing’an bowed, gave a slight nod to the six prime ministers, and then said with a smile, “Your Majesty, esteemed prime ministers, as the saying goes, knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in every battle. To fight against the Abbasids, we must first have a thorough understanding of them. I not only gathered information from merchants in Suiye but also sent Pei Yu, the military advisor and great-grandson of Prime Minister Pei, as a merchant to infiltrate the Abbasid realm to obtain detailed information on their politics, religion, geography, and more. As far as I know, during the Abbasid civil war, three major forces were involved: the Shiites, the Khurasanis, and the Abbasids. At the beginning of the uprising, everyone agreed that Shiite leader Sharik should become the new caliph, but in the end, it was Abbasid leader Abu Abbas who seized the caliphate. Thus, seeds of civil war were sown between the Shiites and Abbasids. I don’t know when that civil war will break out, but this is an opportunity. The main stronghold of the Shiites is in the Transoxiana region. Once a civil war erupts, the Abbasids will not be able to focus on Suiye, and that is our chance to recapture it.”

After hearing Li Qing’an’s words, everyone exchanged glances. Emperor Li Longji nodded slowly—this was indeed the kind of person he wanted, one with a deep understanding of the Abbasid situation. At that moment, Li Linfu asked, “Envoy Li, what if the internal strife among the Black-Clothed Abbasids you mentioned has already subsided?”

Li Qing’an smiled and clasped his hands. “Please allow me to explain, Your Excellency. If the internal strife among the Black-Clothed Abbasids has ended, General Gao could not have swept through Turkestan so easily. The Black-Clothed Abbasids would have stationed heavy troops there long ago. Moreover, I asked the Hu merchants from Kangguo in Luoyang, and three months ago, the Shiites had not yet been suppressed. Of course, they might resolve their internal strife peacefully, but in any case, the discontent among the Shiites is bound to be a spark within the Abbasids.”

“Well said!” praised Emperor Li Longji. “It doesn’t matter whether the Abbasids have an opportunity or are flawless. What matters is your understanding of the Abbasid and Transoxiana situation, Lord Li. No one else is suitable for this task. What kind of support do you need from the court?”

“Your Majesty, I have three requests!”

“Please speak.”

Li Qing’an had already planned ahead. He said loudly, “First, I hope to be given full authority to handle the crisis in Transoxiana. I request Your Majesty’s approval.”

“I firmly object!” Zhang Yun stood up in opposition. “It has always been the court’s decision to launch large-scale campaigns. If we grant power to military governors, it will lead to excessive power on their part, making it difficult for the court to control them. I object!”

Li Linfu also said, “I also think it is inappropriate. If power is granted to govern Anxi and Beixi, what will the court do if Fanyang makes the same request? The same problems exist in Shuofang, Jiannan, Longyou, and Hexi. I too hope the matter of granting power be handled with caution.”

With the two top officials opposing it, Li Longji, who had initially wanted to agree immediately, hesitated for a moment. After thinking, he said, “What Minister Li says is true. Suiye is too far from Chang’an, and delays in reporting could cost us strategic opportunities. As the saying goes, ‘A general in the field may not always follow orders.’ In this case, I can grant partial authority. Minister Li may handle matters related to the Arabs with full authority, but for other major issues involving the Uyghurs, Tibetans, etc., reports must still be made to the court, and no decisions may be made unilaterally. Do any of you have any objections?”

Everyone agreed that Li Longji’s partial delegation of power was necessary. At that moment, Li Qing’an added, “My second wish concerns military supplies, provisions, and logistics. Transporting them from the Central Plains is laborious and inconvenient. I hope to recruit resources locally and ask Your Majesty to grant me the authority to manage Anxi and Beixi.”

Li Longji nodded. Without waiting for other officials to object, he said, “Establishing defenses in Hexi cannot be accomplished in a day. I appoint you as the Commissioner in Charge of Agricultural Affairs in Anxi, giving you full authority over internal affairs there.”

It was a significant matter for a military governor to have authority over local governance. An Lushan was able to launch a successful rebellion precisely because he had such authority, combining military and administrative power and greatly strengthening his strength. Usually, such authority was not granted, but Li Qing’an had already had it as the governor of Beixi. Thus, his request was essentially to restore his previous powers. Li Longji, eager to restore Suiye, readily agreed.

However, one thing was clear: the power to appoint officials would never be given to Li Qing’an. Any appointments he made still required approval from the court.

Having gained military and administrative power, Li Qing’an felt relieved and smiled, saying, “I have two more minor requests, hoping Your Majesty and the prime ministers will agree to them.”

These were his third request—actually two requests combined into one, exploiting the rule that there shouldn’t be more than three requests. Since Li Longji had already granted him full authority over matters related to the Arabs, as long as the requests weren’t excessive, he should be willing to accept them. Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Go ahead! What are the other minor requests?”

“Your Majesty, Anxi is actually under attack from three sides—Tibet to the south, the Uyghurs to the north, and it must also defend a vast front line stretching from Turfan to Suiye against the Arabs. Gao Xianzhi’s defeat was largely due to a shortage of troops. Therefore, drawing on the precedent set in the 18th year of the Kaiyuan era, I hope Your Majesty will dispatch the Tianwei Army to assist me in capturing Suiye.”
The Tianwei Army was the 30,000-strong garrison at Shibao City, composed of elite troops from the three military regions of Longyou, Shuofang, and Hexi. It could be said that Li Qing’an’s request was not excessive. In the 18th year of Kaiyuan, Niu Xianke, the governor of Hexi, was ordered to attack Suiye and mobilized 60,000 troops from Shuofang, Hexi, and Longyou. With such a precedent, Li Longji couldn’t easily refuse.
Yang Guozhong, however, grew anxious. He had been in a fierce rivalry with Geshu Han recently, and as Geshu Han seemed on the verge of becoming part of his sphere of influence, Li Qing’an came along and seized 30,000 of Geshu Han’s elite troops. Geshu Han would surely blame him for not stopping it.
Yang Guozhong quickly stood up and said, “Your Majesty, I oppose this plan.”
Zhang Yun also wanted to object, but Yang Guozhong spoke first, leaving him no choice but to remain silent. Li Linfu was well aware of Geshu Han’s intention to side with Yang Guozhong again. If he could take this opportunity to deal a blow to Geshu Han, he would be happy to see it happen, so he also stayed silent.
Yang Guozhong stepped away from his seat, stood beside Li Qing’an, knelt down, and kowtowed once. “I am concerned that removing the elite troops from Longyou might weaken pressure on Tibet. Tibet has already supported Nanzhao, indicating a resurgence of its ambitions. I believe we must not take it lightly. I can propose an alternative: send another 30,000 military households to Anxi and allow Lord Li to recruit 30,000 more troops for defense.”
There was some truth to Yang Guozhong’s words, so Li Longji smiled and asked Li Qing’an, “What do you think?”
“Your Majesty, distant help won’t quench immediate needs! Moreover, I request that the families of the 30,000 Tianwei Army troops be moved to Anxi as well.”
These words reminded Li Longji. After pondering for a moment, he said, “If I agree to your request, you must also give me a deadline—how much time do you need to recapture Suiye?”
“I guarantee that with the Tianwei Army, I can recapture Suiye within a year.”
Li Longji’s heart warmed at once. Eager to regain Suiye to address the dissatisfaction among his subjects, he generously agreed, “Very well! I will appoint you as the commander of the Tianwei Army. Starting today, the Tianwei Army will be stationed in Beiting, while Geshu Han will be ordered to recruit new troops, renaming them the Zhenwu Army.”
In high spirits, Li Longji glanced at Li Qing’an and Yang Guozhong, who stood side by side, and suddenly felt an interest in comparing the two of them.

The two entered official service around the same time and also resembled each other in appearance. When they first took up their posts, they became enemies, constantly clashing. Initially, he had used the two as a reference point: when Li Qing’an was appointed as the military governor of Beiting, he deliberately made Yang Guozhong the military governor of Jiannan. Now both were high-ranking officials in the court, with Yang Guozhong even rising to the position of prime minister.

Yet a few years later, the two stood together again, and Li Longji found that they had changed drastically. In terms of age, Yang Guozhong was ten years older than Li Qing’an, but in terms of demeanor and appearance, he seemed twenty years older. Yang Guozhong was corpulent and slow-moving, his excessive indulgence in wine and women evident, while Li Qing’an remained vibrant, with a straight back, still possessing the determination and courage typical of a soldier, though his features now carried a hint of maturity, reminding Li Longji of Wang Zhongsi.

People are strange. He had harbored deep hatred for Wang Zhongsi while he was alive, but after granting him death, he began to miss Wang Zhongsi’s heroic demeanor. Feeling a touch of sadness, he gently asked Li Qing’an, “I hear that Minister Li is still unmarried. Is there anyone suitable for you?”

Li Qing’an bowed and replied, “I have pledged my life to Du Gu family’s eldest daughter, Mingyue. I hope Your Majesty will approve of this union.”

“Du Gu Mingyue?” Li Longji momentarily forgot. After pondering for a while, he suddenly recalled that Du Gu Mingyue was supposed to be married off to the Geluo tribe through a political alliance, but that matter was dropped after Li Qing’an killed the Geluo prince. Apologetically, he said, “It was my mistake in handling that matter. I promise to officially cancel the marriage alliance between Du Gu Mingyue and the Geluo.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“Good! The situation in Suiye is urgent. I can only grant you three days off to settle matters in Chang’an before you set off immediately for the Western Regions.”

……

After leaving the Zichen Hall, the sky was bright with sunshine, and the gentle autumn light shone on him. Li Qing’an felt a sense of brilliance. He took a deep breath—Beiting! He could finally return to his longed-for homeland.

Life is like a spiral upward. Only when he returned to the starting point did he realize he had reached a higher place than before.

“Seventh Brother!”

Someone suddenly called him by his nickname from behind. Li Qing’an turned and saw Li Linfu running up, out of breath. He quickly bowed and asked, “I heard the Prime Minister was unwell a few days ago. How is he now?”

What Li Linfu liked about Li Qing’an was that while everyone else called him Prime Minister Li, Li Qing’an still referred to him as “Prime Minister.” Li Linfu stepped forward, smiled, and patted Li Qing’an’s shoulder, saying, “Not bad! To fall and rise again from the same place—that’s what makes a true man.”

“The Prime Minister overpraises me. I’m just lucky and favored by the Emperor.”
“Do you know that your current high position is also thanks to my efforts?”
Li Qing’an knew this was true. Although his reinstatement was decided by Li Longji, Li Linfu did not object to him taking control of the military and political affairs in Anxi, nor to his command over the Tianwei Army. Especially with the Tianwei Army, if Li Linfu had supported Yang Guozhong, it’s highly likely that Yang’s plan would have been adopted.
He quickly bowed and thanked, “I will always remember the Prime Minister’s kindness.”
“There’s no need for formalities between us. Ah! I remember back when you delivered messages for Gao Xianzhi—just a low-ranking officer back then—yet now you’ve replaced Gao Xianzhi. Life is full of uncertainties; who could have predicted that? The black leopard skin you hunted is still hanging in my study! Would you like to go take a look?”
This was Li Linfu’s indirect invitation. Li Qing’an smiled gladly and said, “It’s embarrassing to show up empty-handed.”
Li Linfu laughed loudly, “Your presence is the best gift. Come! Let’s go together in my carriage.”
Under everyone’s gaze, Li Linfu pulled Li Qing’an into his carriage, thereby declaring to the court officials that Li Qing’an was now under his control.