Chapter 290: Gains and Losses

Li Qing’an returned to the military camp in the afternoon. Li Bi had important matters to discuss with him—more precisely, Li Bi requested to return to the Eastern Palace. That afternoon, Li Heng sent a servant with a letter for Li Bi. The letter was placed before Li Qing’an. Its content was simple: Li Yu, now in the Eastern Palace with no one to assist him, asked Li Bi to go there and help his son.

Li Heng also wrote a letter to Li Qing’an, expressing his deepest apologies and hoping he would understand the difficulty Li Yu faced with no one by his side.

The two letters lay side by side. Li Bi stood nearby, appearing somewhat uneasy. In addition to the letters, Li Heng had someone deliver a message to him: “Whether to go or stay is up to you, sir. There’s no need to feel pressured.”

In truth, Li Bi was tempted. He wanted to go to the Eastern Palace to assist Li Yu. Since childhood, he had been intelligent, well-versed in classics and history, and skilled in the study of the I Ching. He considered himself fit to serve as an advisor to an emperor—a dream he had held since young. Later, he was fortunate enough to assist Li Heng, but Li Heng was constantly restricted, with every word and action recorded, leaving Li Bi little opportunity to showcase his talents. After Li Heng was deposed, Li Bi offended Yang Guozhong and was forced to seek refuge with Li Qing’an in Anxi.

Now that Li Yu was in charge of the Eastern Palace and had authority over state affairs, how could Li Bi not be tempted? To handle state affairs was something he had long dreamed of. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived. Yet, he felt deeply guilty, as it seemed he would be betraying Li Qing’an. Li Qing’an had not rejected him when he was at his lowest, taking him in as an advisor and entrusting him with important tasks. He felt he could never repay such kindness.

Li Qing’an remained silent for a long time before suddenly smiling and saying, “This is a good thing! Why should you feel guilty? Go to the Eastern Palace. I hope you can serve as a bridge between me and the crown prince.”

Li Qing’an’s generosity made Li Bi even more ashamed. He bowed deeply and said, “You have done me great favors, Lord Li Qing’an. I feel unworthy of leaving without repaying you. Please allow me to repay you in the future.”

Li Qing’an nodded and said, “Although the Crown Prince has taken control of the Eastern Palace, he still faces many dangers ahead. He truly needs a talent like yours to assist him. I hear that Gao Lishi will also be helping him. I hope you can advise the Crown Prince to be cautious and reserve his ambitions until he ascends the throne. As for me, don’t worry. I will recruit talents without prejudice, and more scholars will serve me. Your nephew, Zhang Zhihe, whom you recommended last time, is young but extremely talented. I plan to take him back to Anxi.”

“My Tang Dynasty is full of talented people—many better than Li Bi. I urge you, General, to establish a hall for recruiting talents from all over the world, so as to realize your ambition of relocating the Han people and establishing prefectures in the western regions.”
At these words, Li Bi sighed and said, “I will leave, but I wish to offer you one last strategy.”
Li Qing’an did not refuse and said calmly, “Please go ahead, sir!”
To be honest, Li Qing’an felt no regret at Li Bi’s departure nor did he want to hold him back. Perhaps Li Bi was highly talented, but for Li Qing’an, loyalty was far more important than talent. He preferred someone with ordinary talent but unwavering loyalty—this was why he valued Yan Zhuang far more than Li Bi.
In fact, this was for the better. It was better for Li Bi to leave now rather than later; leaving before he discovered his secrets posed no threat or loss to him.
At that moment, Li Bi offered Li Qing’an his final strategy. Since Ge Shu Han proposed launching a two-front campaign against Tubo with the Longyou Army and the Anxi Army, the Anxi Army might as well expand its front line eastward and attack Tubo from the Shazhou area. In this way, the Anxi Army could legitimately station troops in Shazhou. Once Shazhou was under control, the gateway to the Hexi Corridor would be open.
After Li Bi left, Li Qing’an stood by the map with his hands behind his back, silently gazing at Shazhou, the northernmost part of the Hexi Corridor. Shazhou was none other than Dunhuang. From Yumen Pass, passing through Dunhuang and across Puchang Sea—later known as Lop Nur—one could reach Gaochang directly. If Yumen Pass was the northern gateway to the Hexi Corridor, then Dunhuang was the side entrance. Once Dunhuang was seized, the northern part of the Hexi Corridor would fall into their hands.
Li Qing’an couldn’t help but admire Li Bi’s strategic vision—truly far-sighted and profound. Indeed, this two-front campaign was the perfect opportunity to seize Shazhou. Having followed Li Qing’an for so long, this was the only suggestion with true strategic value.
……
Abu Si’s residence was located in Daixian Fang, near Yanping Gate in the west of Chang’an. It was actually the ancestral home of the Abu Si clan. The estate covered a large area, with over a hundred rooms, surrounded by a high wall. Abu Si and his hundred subordinates lived there.
This time, Abu Si came to the capital to secure grazing lands in the Mi’e River region for his tribe. Two years prior, a snow disaster had struck the grasslands where his tribe lived, causing heavy losses. By now, the grasslands allocated to them by the Tang Dynasty could no longer support their population of over a hundred thousand.
But his trip to Chang’an was disappointing. The court rejected his request to expand the grazing lands. Abu Si was utterly frustrated—even Li Linfu, who had always been friendly to him, was powerless to help.

Although not being given the pasture disappointed him, Abus sensed another danger approaching—that was An Lushan’s ambition for his army. Three years ago, An Lushan’s ambition had been revealed once and nearly succeeded. It was only later that Abus gradually realized that if An Lushan got his army, the first person he would kill would be himself. Over these three years, An Sishun had asked him about this more than once, meaning An Lushan’s ambition for his army never died. This time, on his way to the capital, he met An Lushan again a month ago, who bluntly told him that he and his army would prepare to move to Youzhou, speaking with such confidence and certainty that it terrified Abus for a month.

He thought of various possibilities. If the court really decided to relocate his tribe eastward, where would he go? His relationship with Gele Khan of the Uyghurs was poor, even hostile; he couldn’t turn to them for help. After much thought, Abus could think of only one place—to the Glagol people, with whom he had good relations. The chief of the Glagol, who had sworn brotherhood with him, had attempted to assassinate Heishan. But if he went to the Glagol, he first needed permission from Li Qing’an, the governor of Anxi. Abus also knew that the Shatuo and Glagol people under Jinshan had actually become vassals of Beiting. Without Li Qing’an’s permission, Heishan wouldn’t dare shelter him. Moreover, if Li Qing’an agreed, he might even allocate a territory for their Tongluo tribe, such as the areas along the Yibohai coast—fertile grasslands sufficient for his hundred-thousand-strong tribe to live in peace and prosperity.

Fortunately, Li Qing’an had a poor relationship with An Lushan, and he happened to be in the capital to report on his duties. This morning, he had even spoken with Li Qing’an during a break in court sessions. Tomorrow, he would go to see Li Qing’an and have a serious talk with him.

Abus sat in his room, thinking about how to discuss this matter with Li Qing’an. Time was running out. In the afternoon, An Lushan sent someone to invite him for a meal, but he refused. He knew An Lushan well—he would never give up easily.

Just then, Tubuluo, the deputy general Abus had sent to the Ministry of War to handle matters related to returning to Shuofang, returned. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he shouted, “Ye Hu, something serious has happened!”

Abus was shocked and quickly stood up, asking, “What happened?”

Tubuluo gasped for breath, saying, “I just heard news at the Ministry of War. The emperor has agreed to lend our Tongluo cavalry to An Lushan, and the imperial order has already been issued.”

“What!” Abus was stunned. After a long pause, he suddenly shouted, “Hurry! Order everyone to pack their things. We must return to our tribe immediately.”

He no longer had time to discuss matters with Li Qing’an. The situation was urgent; he must return to the tribe immediately. If he delayed any longer, by the time the imperial edict reached Shuofang, it would be too late for him.
The mansion immediately became busy. His subordinates bowed briefly and quickly finished packing. At that moment, another subordinate rushed in, anxious, saying, “Guard Ye, we’ve been watched. There are dozens of suspicious people outside the door.”
Needless to say, these must be spies sent by An Lushan. What did he want? He was surely afraid that Ye Abusi would escape. Sweat already beaded on Abusi’s forehead. He had only brought a hundred followers, while An Lushan had brought a thousand soldiers stationed outside the city. If An Lushan’s aim was to capture him, there would be nowhere for him to flee.
Abusi glanced at the sky—it was already dusk. After pondering for a moment, he said to his subordinates in the courtyard, “Set off! We must return to the tribe right away.”
The hundred cavalry mounted their horses and rushed out through the open gates onto the street. The pedestrians on the street scattered in panic. Abusi waved his whip and shouted at the dozen or so people spying on him, “Go tell An Lushan that I, Abusi, have gone back. If he has anything to say, let him come to Shuofang.”
He sharply pulled on his warhorse, which galloped toward the city gates. His subordinates followed closely behind. The men sent by An Lushan immediately ran back to report.
The area where Abusi was located, Daixian Fang, was close to Yanping Gate. Exiting the gate led straight to the city gates. Abusi often took his subordinates out of the city to ride their horses, and the soldiers guarding the city were familiar with him, so they didn’t stop him as he rushed out of Yanping Gate. Abusi turned onto the official road. Less than a li later, he rushed into a forest. The road ran through the forest, and it was spring, with lush, dense vegetation on both sides.
At that moment, seeing no one on the road ahead or behind, Abusi steered his horse off the road and into the forest, while his subordinates continued westward.
…
Half an hour later, An Lushan led more than three hundred cavalry in pursuit. By then, the eight hundred cavalry he had stationed outside the city had also arrived, and the two armies joined forces outside the forest.
An Lushan was extremely angry. If Abusi escaped, his plans could fail. So, at all costs, he had to capture Abusi.
“Pass my order: whoever captures Abusi alive will receive a reward of five thousand guan and be promoted three ranks!”
At An Lushan’s command, his thousand-plus cavalry rushed forward bravely, chasing in the direction where Abusi’s subordinates had fled, raising clouds of yellow dust on the road.
…

Dusk was falling. Li Qing’an had just changed clothes and was about to leave the camp to return to the city when a soldier from the camp gate rushed over to report that Abu Si, the deputy governor of Shuofang, was urgently seeking an audience.

Li Qing’an was taken aback. He remembered Abu Si saying he would come to eat with him the next day—why was he here now?

“Let him in!”

A sense of foreboding arose in Li Qing’an’s heart. If it were just a regular meal, Abu Si wouldn’t have used the word “urgent.” What could possibly be going on?

A moment later, Abu Si was brought into the main tent. Having managed to escape alone from the woods through a clever trick, he came straight to Li Qing’an. Though An Lushan’s pursuit had filled him with fear and anger, finding a way to resolve the problems of his tribe was his most pressing concern. As soon as he entered the tent, Abu Si knelt down and cried, “General, save me!”

Suddenly, Li Qing’an felt a headache. It had been less than ten days since he left Anxi to head to the capital, yet he had already encountered various troubles. Although he had resolved them all, that didn’t mean he could act as a substitute for the local authorities in Chang’an. Anyone could come to him to lodge complaints. After all, Abu Si was a deputy governor and a prince—if he had grievances, he should complain to Emperor Li Longji.

But Li Qing’an also knew that it was likely Anxi couldn’t solve Abu Si’s problems, which was why he came to him. He decided to at least listen to him—this was the least he could do. With that thought, Li Qing’an quickly helped Abu Si up and said, “General Abu Si, what are you doing? Get up quickly!”

Unexpectedly, Abu Si refused to stand up, crying, “Tens of thousands of people from our tribe depend on you for their lives. If you refuse, I will die kneeling here before you today.”

Li Qing’an stopped trying to persuade him. He sat down and glanced at Abu Si, who was still kneeling, then said, “Speak! What’s the matter?”

“General, An Lushan wants to take 20,000 cavalry members from our Tongluo tribe under the pretext of borrowing troops, and sending me to Fanyang. The emperor has already agreed to his request…”

“Wait!” Li Qing’an raised his hand to stop him. “You say the emperor has agreed?”

“Yes! The imperial edict has already been issued.”

After a long pause, Li Qing’an slowly said, “Since the imperial edict has been issued, this is the official decision of the court. How can I help you? If I do, it would be betraying the emperor—a crime I cannot bear. Besides, I’m far away in the northwest. How can I interfere in matters in the northeast? It’s beyond my reach, General Abu Si. I truly can’t help.”

“General, I don’t ask you to send a single soldier. I won’t burden you either. I just need you to allow me to join the Gelaolu tribe. Once that’s done, it will have nothing to do with you.”

“Join the Göktürks?” Only then did Li Qing’an understand why Abus had come to him—he wanted to join the Göktürks, and of course, he needed Li Qing’an’s approval. Instead of responding, Li Qing’an walked slowly around the room with his hands behind his back, weighing the pros and cons. The advantages were clear: 20,000 Turkic Tiele cavalry were the finest in the Shuofang army. Although they hadn’t had a chance to prove themselves during the Battle of Shibao City, Li Qing’an had seen for himself that they were indeed a brave and elite cavalry force. That’s why An Lushan wanted them—by borrowing them without intention of returning them. If An Lushan wanted them, then of course Li Qing’an wanted them too—20,000 of the Tang Dynasty’s finest cavalry! For border lords like them, this was wealth more precious than gold.

Helping Abus once could earn him 20,000 elite cavalry—a very favorable deal. But the drawbacks were also obvious. First, would An Lushan simply give up? He had racked his brains plotting against Abus, only to end up harming himself—his frustration and hatred toward Li Qing’an could be imagined. Then there was An Sishun; he certainly wouldn’t hand over his army easily. Giving it to An Lushan might already be difficult, but if it ended up with Li Qing’an, An Sishun would surely be furious. But whether it was An Lushan or An Sishun, they weren’t really important. Li Qing’an already had old grudges with them; this was just adding more to those old resentments. The key was Li Longji—his imperial edict had already been issued. If Li Qing’an handled this carelessly, Yang Guozhong’s faction would immediately use it against him. After much deliberation, Li Qing’an concluded that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages by six to four. Fine! He would pretend not to know about this and let Abus flee to the Göktürks first.

Li Qing’an glanced at Abus and said slowly, “General Abus, I can verbally agree to your request. But I must say something unpleasant upfront—nothing is perfect. At some point in the future, you might have to pay a price, even at the cost of your life. Are you willing to do that?”

The question seemed a bit ridiculous, but Abus couldn’t laugh at all. He had once been the second most powerful man in Eastern Turkistan, the Yehu of the Tiele tribe, second only to the khan. He certainly understood what Li Qing’an meant by this question. A person with absolute power disdained lies and deception. If he broke his word, his tribe would suffer brutal revenge from Li Qing’an. Likewise, since Li Qing’an had agreed to him, he wouldn’t go back on his word.

Abu Si bowed his head deeply and pointed to it, saying to Li Qing’an, “As long as the great general can protect my Turfan tribe, as well as my wife, children, and descendants, I am willing to offer my head to him.”
“Very well, then go!”
“The general’s kindness, Abu Si will remember it deeply in his heart!”
Just as he stood up to leave, Li Qing’an called him back. “General Abu Si, where do you plan to go?”
Abu Si smiled bitterly and said, “To be honest with the great general, I’ve ordered my subordinates to flee westward. I assume An Lushan is chasing after them there. I plan to go east, pass through Tongguan, and return to Shuofang via Hedong.”
Li Qing’an pondered for a moment and said, “Don’t underestimate An Lushan. If he can’t catch you from the west, he will surely guess that you’re heading through Tongguan. It’s hard to guarantee he won’t intercept you there or in Hedong. It’s best if you disguise yourself as one of my Anxi soldiers and go.”
With that, Li Qing’an turned to Jiang Xiaonian, the commander of his personal guards, and said, “Please make the effort to lead dozens of men to Hedong to check on the progress of the resettlement. It should take half a month.”
He then turned to Abu Si with a smile and said, “I hope General Abu Si will bear the inconvenience of disguising himself as one of my Anxi soldiers. This way, you can return to Shuofang safely.”
After saying that, Li Qing’an stepped out of the tent and ordered his guards, “Bring my ‘Dark Cloud’ here!”
His guards immediately brought in a pitch-black, exceptionally fine Arabian horse—one of Li Qing’an’s five favorite warhorses. It had originally belonged to Qiyazad, a general of the Arab army, and was captured by the Tang army. Li Qing’an handed the horse to Abu Si and said, “Ride this warhorse; it will help you on your journey. Wish you smooth travels. We’ll meet again in Beiting!”
Deeply moved, Abu Si bowed deeply to Li Qing’an, unable to express his gratitude in words. He took the horse and followed Jiang Xiaonian and the others out of the camp. Once outside, he changed into the uniform of an Anxi soldier, mounted the horse, and they spurred their horses eastward.
“Go!” Abu Si squeezed his legs, and the Arabian horse shot forward like an arrow, racing swiftly eastward. The group of Tang soldiers accelerated as well, and in moments they disappeared at the end of the road.
……
A month later, an imperial order from Li Longji reached Shuofang, ordering Abu Si’s 20,000 cavalry to head to Fanyang to assist An Lushan in attacking the Khitans. But at that very time, Abu Si’s tribe suddenly rebelled and fled to the northern deserts. Over a hundred thousand people, including elders and children, vanished overnight, disappearing into the vast desert.
……

(Note: Historically, in the 11th year of the Tianbao era, Abu Si refused to be conquered by An Lushan and fled into the desert. With no other choice, he turned to the Göktürks. However, Cheng Qianli, the governor of Beiting at the time, forced the Göktürks to hand over Abu Si, who was then brought back to Chang’an where he was executed in public. His wife was taken to the imperial music institution to become a singing slave. But in keeping with historical context while making slight adjustments, this incident does not end in this book—it becomes the catalyst for a series of major events.)