Chapter 258: Turmoil Upon Entering the City (Part 2)

Before the eunuch sent to deliver the imperial edict even set off, Li Qing’an had already arrived outside Huaqing Palace. Huaqing Palace was not just a palace; it also included hundreds of acres of forestland. Three li away from the palace, Li Qing’an was stopped by the Yulin Army.

Nearly a hundred soldiers from the Yulin Army lined up, aiming their bows at him. An officer rushed forward and shouted arrogantly, “This is a sacred royal area. All outsiders, leave now!”

Li Qing’an stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, “I am Li Qing’an, the governor of Anxi. I come to see the emperor. Please convey my message.”

At the mention of “Li Qing’an,” the soldiers immediately showed respect, lowering their bows. But the officer’s expression changed. His warhorse stepped back a few steps as he sized Li Qing’an up. “You’re Li Qing’an?”

Li Qing’an immediately recognized him—Pei Xiao, Yang Guozhong’s brother-in-law, the reckless man who had seized letters without permission. He seemed only twenty-four or twenty-five years old. Though dressed in military attire, he lacked any military bearing, exuding instead a vulgar streetwise attitude.

Pei Xiao had come to Chang’an from Chengdu last summer. Before that, he had been a military officer in the Jiannan Governor’s office, known for his indulgence in drinking, gambling, and other vices. Relying on Yang Guozhong’s power, he had ruled tyrannically in the region, becoming a cancer in the Jiannan army. After Gao Xianzhi became the governor, he couldn’t tolerate Pei Xiao and drove him out of the army. Pei Xiao then went to Chang’an to seek refuge with Yang Guozhong. Thanks to his past experience in the Jiannan governor’s office, he quickly rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Yulin Army.

Easily promoted and backed by the Yang family’s immense power in Chang’an, he became even more arrogant and domineering.

Li Qing’an smiled calmly and said, “It is indeed me. Please ask the general to inform the emperor that I have important military matters to discuss.”

“Is that so? What matters do you have?” He asked something he shouldn’t have.

Li Qing’an’s expression darkened instantly, and he snapped, “How dare you! Who do you think you are to be so insolent?”

Li Qing’an’s sudden outburst terrified Pei Xiao, who shuddered violently. His sword fell to the ground. In over half a year in Chang’an, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this. Even the great general Chang Sun Quanxu spoke to him gently, in a consultative tone. Yet Li Qing’an had publicly rebuked him, making him drop his sword and lose face in front of everyone.

Furious and humiliated, Pei Xiao pointed at Li Qing’an, crossed his arms, and cursed, “You wretched bandit from Anxi! How dare you be rude to me! If you’re sensible, get away. Say one more word, and I’ll shoot you dead!”

Li Qing’an sneered. “If you’ve got the guts, shoot. I’m waiting!”

After saying that, he removed his sword, threw it far to his bodyguard, took two steps forward, and sneered disdainfully, “Wanted to shoot me to death, didn’t you? Go ahead! Let me be shot by you—stop barking like a dog!”
“Bastard!”
Pei Xiao was furious. His face turned red, blood surged to his head, and he instantly lost his sanity. He drew his bow and shot an arrow at Li Qing’an.
Li Qing’an was prepared. He moved swiftly, dodged to the side, and grabbed the arrow shaft. At that moment, several horses rushed in from afar—eunuchs sent to deliver an imperial decree. Seeing Pei Xiao shooting at Li Qing’an, the eunuchs screamed in terror, “Stop!”
After shooting the arrow, Pei Xiao immediately regretted it. Though reckless, he knew Li Qing’an was no ordinary person. Now that the arrow was in Li Qing’an’s hands, fear arose in his heart, and he dared not say another word. He turned his horse and stepped aside.
The eunuch urged his horse forward and bowed to Li Qing’an, saying, “Envoy Li, I am here by the emperor’s order to summon you for an audience.”
Li Qing’an flicked the arrow and pointed at Pei Xiao, sneering, “This military lord claims that meeting him is like meeting the emperor himself, saying I don’t need to enter the palace. I’m really puzzled now—who exactly is the emperor?”
Pei Xiao’s face paled in fear as he shouted, “Li Qing’an, you’re lying! When did I ever say such a thing?”
Li Qing’an glared at him with a fierce gaze, pressing forward, “If that’s the case, do you dare confront the emperor himself?”
The eunuch sighed inwardly. Pei Xiao was notorious for his arrogance, and now he had offended Li Qing’an. He quickly tried to persuade him, “Envoy Li, why bother with him? Come with me to see the emperor right away!”
“Very well. I’ll ask the emperor who this man really is. Just a minor general can make decisions on behalf of the emperor?”
With that, Li Qing’an dismounted, threw the arrow on the ground, and said to the imperial guards, “As per procedure, search me.”
“No need!”
Several more horses rushed in from afar. On them was Changsun Quanxu, the commander of the Left Imperial Guards. He glared fiercely at Pei Xiao and bowed to Li Qing’an, saying, “General, it’s enough if you hand over your weapons. The palace guards will handle the search. Please follow me into the palace.”
Now that Changsun Quanxu had arrived, Li Qing’an didn’t want to leave. He pointed at Pei Xiao and said, “This man has committed treason by shooting at the emperor. According to military law, he should be executed. General Changsun, you surely won’t cover for him!”

Changsun Quanxu had already arrived. Li Longji ordered him to find out who was holding back the memorials to the court within a day, putting him in a very difficult position. Of course, he knew it was Pei Xiao who was behind it, but Pei Xiao was Yang Guozhong’s brother-in-law, and he didn’t dare offend him. He had originally planned to find a few of Pei Xiao’s subordinates to take the blame, but unexpectedly, he saw with his own eyes Pei Xiao shooting at Li Qing’an.

Changsun Quanxu reacted quickly. He immediately realized that Li Qing’an intended to use this incident to cause trouble. Of course, Li Qing’an wasn’t targeting a mere lieutenant general—he was targeting Yang Guozhong. If he continued with his original plan of arresting a few lowly men to take the blame, and Li Qing’an exposed the matter, he might commit the crime of deceiving the emperor.

Although arresting Pei Xiao would offend the Yang family, the risk of not arresting him was even greater. Moreover, Pei Xiao was a cancerous element planted by Yang Guozhong in the Imperial Guards. If not removed soon, his harm would be even greater in the future. Why not take this opportunity to get rid of him?

Changsun Quanxu quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind and decided to report the truth to the emperor right away. If the emperor still chose to spare Pei Xiao, he would find a way to drive this man out of the Imperial Guards. With this thought, Changsun Quanxu became furious instantly. Pointing at Pei Xiao, he shouted, “Someone, arrest him!”

Immediately, several members of the Imperial Guards rushed forward, pulled Pei Xiao off his horse, and tied him up. Pei Xiao was terrified, his face turning pale. In panic, he shouted, “You can’t treat me like this! My brother-in-law is Prime Minister Yang!”

Li Qing’an suddenly understood. “Oh! So it was Prime Minister Yang who ordered you to do this. Then the situation is serious. Go and explain to the emperor!”

He gave Changsun Quanxu a wink, mounted his horse, and rushed toward Huaqing Palace.

At the palace gate, Li Qing’an dismounted and followed the eunuchs inside. The palace was in chaos as people were packing up their belongings. Passing through a corridor, which connected the inner and outer palaces, Li Longji’s imperial study was located at the far end of the inner palace.

Suddenly, he heard Yang Guifei’s voice, “There’s no need to take these winter items. We’ll be back at the end of the year anyway. We won’t need them when we return, so just leave them here!”

Li Qing’an turned his head and saw Yang Guifei in a side hall, giving orders to several maids who were packing up. Yang Guifei also seemed to sense something and glanced over, just in time to see Li Qing’an. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. “General Li!”

She hurried over and said, “General Li, when did you return?”

Li Qing’an bowed and said, “Your servant pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

“You are my teacher. There’s no need for such formalities. Please stand up!”

Li Qing’an received Mingyue’s letter and learned that Yang Guifei cared for her deeply. Seeing that she still remembered how he had taught her to shoot arrows, he felt moved and said with a smile, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I arrived in Chang’an early this morning and happened to be summoned by the Emperor.”

Yang Guifei nodded and smiled, “Then go and attend to your duties first. I’ll speak to the Emperor later; you may stay for dinner.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I must take my leave now.”

Li Qing’an turned and followed the eunuch to the imperial study. Yang Guifei watched his dignified figure and sighed inwardly, “Not bad! He now has the bearing of a true man.”

…

Fifteen minutes later, Li Qing’an entered Li Longji’s imperial study in Huaqing Palace. He bowed deeply and respectfully, saying, “Your servant Li Qing’an pays his respects to His Majesty the Emperor. Long may Your Majesty reign!”

It had been over a year since Li Longji last saw Li Qing’an. He examined him carefully and noticed that he had become more mature and composed compared to before. He recalled the time years ago when Li Qing’an had fought fiercely in archery battles, full of vigor and confidence. Now, he was more reserved, yet carried the demeanor of a great general.

A gentle smile appeared on Li Longji’s face as he nodded apologetically and said, “General Li, I originally intended to hold a ceremony for your entry into the city, but due to some special circumstances, I’m still in Huaqing Palace. I’m very sorry!”

Li Qing’an bowed and said, “Your Majesty’s kindness is deeply remembered by me and the soldiers of Anxi. As for the ceremony, I think it can wait until after I recover Turkestan for Your Majesty. Then, I’ll await Your Majesty’s grace.”

Mention of Turkestan lifted Li Longji’s spirits. He quickly asked, “I was just thinking of asking you—do you have any plans to recover Turkestan?”

Li Qing’an already had a plan in mind. He smiled slightly and said, “Your Majesty, first, I must clarify that the Persians withdrawing from Hezhong was not the result of my victory at the Battle of Talas.”

“General Li, please continue. I’m listening attentively.”

“Your Majesty, Talas is located in the north of the Stone Kingdom, thousands of miles away from Samarkand. If the Arabs truly intended to retain Transoxiana, they could have continued to send more troops there. After a fierce battle, I too was in urgent need of rest. Yet when I led my troops to Samarkand, the Arab forces had already withdrawn entirely. As far as I know, this was because the Sogdians launched a large-scale uprising, and the Umayyad dynasty made a comeback in distant Spain, leaving the Arabs unable to suppress the Sogdian rebellion. That’s why they were forced to abandon Transoxiana. But I assert that, sooner or later within a year, the Arab forces will surely return. That will be the real beginning of the confrontation between our Tang Dynasty and the Arab forces. Therefore, my plan for Bactria is to take action first, seize Bactria before the Arabs launch another attack on Transoxiana, and use Bactria to threaten Khorasan, so that they will be worried about their rear and not dare to launch a full-scale attack on the countries of Transoxiana.”

After saying this, Li Qing’an took out his lengthy report and presented it to Li Longji. “Your Majesty, the detailed account of the Battle of Talas and all my plans are in this report. Your Majesty may take your time to read it carefully.”

Eunuch Yu Cha’en stepped forward to take the report and handed it to Li Longji. Li Qing’an glanced quickly at the imperial study out of the corner of his eye. He found it strange—where was Gao Lishi? Why was Yu Cha’en in his place?

He didn’t know that Gao Lishi had been sent by Li Longji to check on the progress of returning to Chang’an. Li Longji didn’t want Gao Lishi present during the meeting with Li Qing’an.

At that moment, Li Longji had already opened the report and was reading the section about Li Qing’an’s plans for dealing with the Sogdian states after the battle. Curiously, he asked, “What do you mean by this joint meeting mentioned in your report?”

Li Qing’an smiled and replied, “Your Majesty, simply put, it means uniting the Sogdian states to fight together against the Arabs, so that they won’t have separate agendas and end up being defeated one by one by the Arabs. To resist the Arabs in Transoxiana, we can’t rely solely on the Tang army; they must rely on themselves. In fact, the Anxi Army not only has to fight against the Arabs but also defend against invasions from Tubo and Uyghur. The front line is very long. That’s why I’ve returned to Chang’an to submit a report and also to offer some suggestions to the court.”

“Go ahead, what are your suggestions?”

“I have three suggestions!”

Li Qing’an quickly organized his thoughts and said, “First, I hope the court will relocate the Anxi Protectorate to Suiye. With Suiye as the center, we can not only control the northern region of Anxi but also extend southward to Bactria and westward to Transoxiana, covering everything comprehensively.”

Li Longji pondered for a moment. Li Qing’an’s plan to move the Anxi Protectorate westward was indeed in line with the current situation and seemed feasible. However, this matter still needed to be discussed in the council of state.

“What is the second suggestion?”
“Your Majesty, the second suggestion is to increase the migration of Han people to the Western Regions. I believe the reason why our Tang Dynasty has never been able to maintain long-term control over the regions west of the mountains is that, aside from Suiye, there are hardly any Han people in those areas. This lack of Han presence prevents those regions from feeling a sense of loyalty to the Tang Dynasty. On the contrary, if a large number of Han people migrated westward, they would bring the culture of the Central Plains to those regions, gradually sinicizing them. In this way, our Tang Dynasty could maintain long-term control over the Western Regions, free from the threat of rebellious small states, and it would also help alleviate the tensions caused by land consolidation in the Central Plains.”
Li Qing’an’s last statement hit upon Li Longji’s concerns. In the past year or two, there had been an increasing number of peasant uprisings caused by land consolidation. Reports of landless peasants taking to the mountains to become bandits kept arriving, causing great distress to the court. If migration could indeed help ease the tensions in the Central Plains, it would be a good strategy. However, Yang Guozhong kept reminding him not to let Li Qing’an control too large a population, as that would lead to a surge in his military strength and serious consequences.
Well, he would leave this matter to be discussed in the council. He didn’t want to get too involved. Li Longji then smiled and asked, “What about the third matter?”
“Your Majesty, the third matter is a minor one. I earnestly request your permission to allow silver coins to circulate in the Tang Dynasty. Although it seems trivial, it affects the vital interests of tens of thousands of soldiers in Anxi. I implore you to consider it.”
“Why does it concern the vital interests of the soldiers in Anxi?” Li Longji asked in surprise.
“Since Your Majesty granted authority to Anxi to mint coins to pay rewards and military expenses there, in reality, Anxi has very little copper. At most, only 30,000 strings of copper coins can be minted each year, yet the rewards given to the troops in Anxi already amount to 600,000 strings. To solve this problem, I decided to mint silver coins of higher value to pay the rewards. There are many silver mines in the regions west of the mountains, and silver production is much higher than that of copper. So I minted 30,000 strings of silver coins for these purposes. However, Anxi lacks supplies and must rely on merchants coming from the Central Plains. If these silver coins cannot circulate in the interior, merchants will not accept them. As a result, the rewards given to the soldiers would become worthless, greatly affecting morale. I have no choice but to earnestly request your order to allow both money and silver coins to circulate in the Central Plains.”

Issuing an order to allow the circulation of gold, silver, and coins in the Central Plains was indeed a trivial matter for Li Longji. At the founding of the Tang Dynasty, a batch of gold, silver, and coins had been minted to complement the circulation of copper coins, but due to their limited quantity, they could not circulate effectively. What concerned him now was not the circulation of gold, silver, and coins, but rather how much silver Li Qingan could extract each year and whether he could contribute a portion to the court annually.

“General, issuing an order to allow the circulation of gold, silver, and coins is not a big issue, but I’m worried that the quantity is too small and it won’t be of much use. I just want to ask you: How much silver can Anxi produce each year? Can you help alleviate the court’s financial difficulties?”

Li Longji’s thoughts were within Li Qingan’s expectations. Of course, he was willing to supply silver to the Central Plains, thereby gradually taking control of the Tang Dynasty’s economic lifelines.

“Your Majesty, due to its sparse population and limited number of miners, Anxi can produce between 150,000 and 200,000 jin of silver per year. While ensuring military expenses are covered, I am willing to dedicate all surplus silver to Your Majesty.”

“How much is that? You must give me an exact figure.”

Li Longji was uncompromising when it came to money, and since Li Qingan had made it clear that this silver was for his personal use, he naturally couldn’t ignore it.

“This time, as I returned to the capital to report on my duties, I brought a large amount of spoils, including 200,000 jin of silver, as a gift to Your Majesty. In the future, I will submit 70,000 jin of silver to Your Majesty each year. If Your Majesty can relocate some people to Anxi to increase the number of miners, I am confident I can deliver 100,000 jin of silver to Your Majesty annually.”

Li Longji was overjoyed. Li Qingan had brought him 200,000 jin of silver! He quickly calculated that 100,000 jin of silver per year, at official rates, was equivalent to over 1.6 million guan in copper coins—a staggering amount of wealth. How could he refuse it? However, it didn’t seem appropriate to let Li Qingan control the source of this wealth; it should be under the control of eunuchs he appointed.

With this thought, he came up with a plan: First, let Li Qingan handle things for a few years to develop the silver mines, then take over.

With that in mind, Li Longji said cheerfully, “Regarding the circulation of gold, silver, and coins, I can give you an answer now. Circulation is permitted. I will immediately order the Ministry of Revenue to issue a decree throughout the country.”

At that moment, an eunuch at the door reported, “Your Majesty, General Changsun requests an audience. He says he has uncovered the truth.”

Li Longji hesitated for a moment. He originally didn’t want Li Qingan to know that someone had deliberately intercepted the court’s documents, causing the delay in the Anxi army’s entry into the city. But then he realized that Li Qingan was likely already aware of it. If he didn’t do something, it would be difficult to explain to the Anxi army as well. Well, fine!

“Call him in!”
He smiled apologetically at Li Qing’an and said, “I mentioned earlier that the Anxi Army’s entry ceremony was delayed because of someone’s negligence—failure to deliver the memorials sent by Minister Ji. That’s why I wasn’t aware the general had arrived. I’m investigating this matter thoroughly.”
Li Qing’an understood immediately and quickly thanked him, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
At that moment, Changsun Quanxu entered and bowed, “Your Majesty, I’ve found out that it was Pei Xiao, a lieutenant general in the Imperial Guards, who neglected the memorials from the court, causing both of Minister Ji’s memorials to fail to reach Your Majesty in time and delaying the Anxi Army’s entry.”
Li Longji cursed inwardly. He had sent him to investigate, so why did he actually bring Pei Xiao here? Was this not deliberately to embarrass him?
If at first Changsun Quanxu had been hesitant, fearing to offend Yang Guozhong, now that he had spoken out, there was no turning back. If he failed to take advantage of this chance to get rid of Pei Xiao now, he would surely be destroyed by him in the future.
Thinking this, he resolved to act boldly and said, “To report to Your Majesty, General Li came to Huaqing Palace earlier. He caused all sorts of trouble and even shot arrows at General Li, nearly killing him. This man has seriously violated military regulations. I request Your Majesty to punish him severely!”
Li Longji was stunned. He glanced at Li Qing’an and saw anger in his eyes. Li Longji also felt embarrassed and snorted heavily before asking, “Who is this Pei Xiao? Is he from the Pei family?”
“Your Majesty, this man is the brother-in-law of Prime Minister Yang. He used to serve in Jiannan but, unable to get along with Gao Xianzhi, moved to Chang’an. He joined the Imperial Guards last year.”
At this point, Li Longji could no longer cover for him. He shouted angrily, “Disobeying superiors is a grave offense in the army. How dare this man be so arrogant? Someone, bring him here!”
“Your Majesty, wait!”
Li Qing’an stopped Li Longji. Instead of punishing Pei Xiao for neglecting the memorials, Li Longji was punishing him for offending Li Qing’an. Wasn’t this clearly shifting the blame onto him? Although Li Mi advised him to be somewhat domineering, such behavior must have limits. A slight punishment would suffice; going too far would be politically foolish. Moreover, killing someone might not solve the problem—controlling them without killing them was the smarter approach. Didn’t Yang Guozhong fear his wife?
He stepped forward and bowed, “Your Majesty, although Pei Xiao offended me, considering his youth and recklessness, I hope Your Majesty can give him a chance to reform. How about this: hand this Pei Xiao over to me. I’ll send him to the Anxi Army for training. In less than two years, I guarantee I can turn him into a pillar of the Tang Dynasty.”

At this moment, Changsun Quanxu took the opportunity to add insult to injury and said, “Your Majesty, General Li is right. A true man should go to the frontier to gain experience. Although Pei Xiao is immature, he is good-looking and strong. If he can serve under General Li for a few years and become a pillar of the Tang Dynasty, I believe it would be a blessing for Prime Minister Yang.”

Li Longji gave Li Qingan a deep look and nodded in approval. Indeed, this man had matured and understood his deeper intentions. He stroked his short beard and said cheerfully, “The general has a good point. It’s better to save people than kill them. I’ll leave Pei Xiao in your hands. I hope he can reform and earn military merits soon.”

After resolving Pei Xiao’s issue, Li Longji felt relieved. He smiled at Li Qingan again and said, “It’s already late. You don’t need to go back. You may stay at Huaqing Palace. I’ll hold a home banquet to welcome you.”