Chapter 292: Tang and the Abbasid Caliphate

A temporary meeting regarding military provisions ended in a dull atmosphere. Li Yu’s proposal to obtain grain from the nobles, after being revised by Wang Gong, finally became a viable plan—only one word needed to be changed: “take” was replaced with “buy,” and it worked.
Requiring the nobles to provide grain for free would undoubtedly cost them their lives, but changing it to “buy” changed everything. Yet buying still required money—where would that come from? Simply, local governments were ordered to contribute gold, silver, and bronze wares, with promises of promotions and favorable evaluations to motivate them.
Although this method somewhat violated established systems and could lead to corruption such as embezzlement, as a measure to safeguard interests, with Li Longji’s tacit approval, the prime ministers agreed to levy gold and silver from various regions. Additionally, Wang Gong proposed another way to raise funds: imposing an annual salt tax of 100 coins per household and a property tax of 30 coins per house, which was also adopted.
The prime ministers gradually left. With half an hour left before meeting the Abbasid envoy, Li Longji retained Ge Shu Han and Li Qingan to discuss the details of the campaign against Tubo.
In the study next to Li Longji’s private chamber, there was a sand table two zhang wide and three zhang long. After Li Qingan first used a sand table in the Battle of Shibao City, Ge Shu Han created a sand table depicting the terrain of Hexi and Longyou and presented it to Li Longji. The finely crafted sand table won Li Longji’s favor, so it was placed in the study.
“Minister Li, I truly hope you can present the sand table of Anxi to me soon!” Li Longji said with a smile as he stood in front of the sand table.
Li Qingan quickly replied, “Your Majesty, Anxi is a vast region, and creating a sand table is no easy task. If Your Majesty only needs one for the northern region of Anxi, I have one ready to present. But if it includes the terrain of Longyou as well, it may take some time.”
“I’m not in a hurry. Just keep it in mind.”
Li Longji smiled, took a long wooden rod, and handed it to Ge Shu Han. “General Ge, you go first!”
Ge Shu Han took the rod and said, “Then I’ll begin!”

He pointed with his wooden stick toward southern Qinghai and said, “At present, the farthest west that the troops in Longyou are deployed is in the Dafei River area. In fact, I already occupied Jiuxu last year, but due to the arrival of 20,000 Tibetan troops from the Sabi Lake area west of Qinghai to reinforce them, I was forced to retreat to Dafei River. Therefore, for this campaign, I need the support of the Anxi troops to hold off the Tibetan forces in the west, so that I can advance southward without worries. That’s my goal for this campaign.”

Ge Shu Han pointed with his wooden stick toward the two lakes to the south and said, “By occupying Wuhai, Baihai, and the Xingxiu River area, we can take control of this region, which is where the Tibetans gather in the north. Once we seize this area, separated by the Duomi Mountains and the Yak River, the Tibetans will no longer have any logistical base within a thousand miles and will be forced to retreat to Lhasa and Namtso. In that case, the threat posed by the Tibetans to Longyou will be completely eliminated.”

Li Longji nodded and asked, “So what about the Tibetan forces in that area?”

“Your Majesty, according to the information I’ve gathered, the Tibetans have 20,000 permanent troops in Jiuxu, 10,000 in Wuhai, and 20,000 in Baihai. Adding in the fact that every able-bodied Tibetan can fight, I expect to face around 80,000 Tibetan troops in this campaign. Fortunately, they are scattered, so I can defeat them one by one.”

“Has General Ge Shu considered how the Tang troops will adapt to the plateau?” asked Li Qingan beside him.

“I’ve already taken that into account!” Ge Shu Han replied confidently. “In fact, over the past two years, I’ve had the Tang troops stationed in the Dafei River area alternately. The air there is thin, and the terrain is high. Thus, out of my 140,000 troops in Longyou and Hexi, at least 100,000 can fight on the plateau. Of course, the combat effectiveness of Tang soldiers on the plateau is inferior to that of the Tibetans, but we can compensate with superior weapons.”

At this point, Ge Shu Han pointed his wooden stick further west and said to Li Qingan and Li Longji, “Actually, we don’t have any advantages in this campaign. On the plateau, with 100,000 against 80,000, we’re at a disadvantage in terms of stamina. My greatest concern is the arrival of Tibetan reinforcements from the west. The Sabi Lake area has many rivers and abundant grasslands, and at least 30,000 elite Tibetan troops are stationed there. Further west, in the Qiangtang area, there are reportedly over 20,000 more Tibetan troops. Their main targets are the Greater and Lesser Bule and the Toharans, so they probably won’t affect the battles on the eastern front. The key issue is those 30,000 Tibetan troops in Sabi Lake. If they come to reinforce or cut off my retreat, I’m certain to lose this campaign.”

Li Longji stared at the map for a moment before turning to Li Qingan and asking, “So what’s your opinion, Minister Li?”

Li Qing’an had thought long and hard about this campaign. To eliminate the threat lurking behind the Tang forces, he believed it was necessary to completely annihilate the Tibetan troops in the Sabize area, recapture Sabize, and eradicate this hidden danger once and for all. Sabize had originally been under the jurisdiction of Shazhou, nestled against the Kunlun Mountains, and was a fertile grassland. The Tibetans seized it at the beginning of the Kaiyuan era and stationed heavy troops there. Although they did not invade to the north, it remained the biggest threat to Anxi.

Li Qing’an and Geshu Han picked up the wooden staffs and said, “The nearest Anxi territory to Sabize is Boxian Town. I plan to use Boxian Town as the launch point for our troops. We can feign weakness to lure the Tibetan forces northward to attack Boxian Town, while I send a surprise force along the central route.”

Li Qing’an pointed at Dunhuang with his staff and said, “I will send a surprise force of about 20,000 men from Shazhou, crossing the Dangjin Pass to the south, cutting off the Tibetan troops in Sabize’s path eastward. Together with the Tang troops at Boxian, we can encircle and completely annihilate this army, providing strong support for General Geshu.”

“Brilliant!” Geshu Han exclaimed with a fist strike. “This surprise force along the central route is truly ingenious. With it blocking the Tibetan reinforcements from advancing eastward, I have a 70% chance of victory in the eastern campaign.”

Li Longji leaned over the map, studying Li Qing’an’s plan carefully. If Li Qing’an’s plan were followed, Shazhou would have to be placed under the control of the Anxi army—a point Li Longji was not entirely in favor of. In fact, Shazhou was a vast region and a vital route from the Hexi Corridor to Anxi, holding great strategic importance. Dunhuang’s commercial activities were very prosperous, and it had once belonged to Anxi. Later, to weaken the growing power of Anxi, it was returned to Hexi, with the Doulu army stationed there.

Although Li Longji did not realize that Li Qing’an’s true aim was to control Shazhou, he did not want Li Qing’an’s influence to expand further eastward. After some thought, he said, “I also approve of the Anxi army’s plan. However, I must make one thing clear: the Anxi army may use Shazhou as a passage, but they must not station troops there permanently after the war.”

Li Qing’an’s heart sank instantly—Li Longji refused to allow him to control Shazhou.

At that moment, Yu Chaoneng appeared at the door and reported in a low voice, “Your Majesty, the special envoy from the Great Tang has arrived.”

“I know. Arrange for him to stay in the Diligence Building. Order Yang Guozhong, Chen Xilie, Zhang Yun, and Wang Gong to attend the meeting together.”

Li Longji temporarily set aside the campaign in Longyou. Meeting the envoy from the Abbasid Empire was also a major event for him. Li Qingan informed him that the Abbasid Empire was a powerful empire similar in size to the Tang Dynasty, and the envoy was no ordinary diplomat but the brother of the Abbasid emperor and the crown prince of the empire. This made Li Longji discard any sense of contempt he might have had and adopt a more solemn attitude to welcome the special envoy.

He then said to Li Qingan with a smile, “Minister Li, you should attend as well!”
“I shall obey your orders!”

Li Longji turned to Ge Shu Han and said, “Minister Ge, your plan is excellent, but I want to examine it more carefully. I ask you to prepare a detailed written plan, and the same goes for Minister Li. I intend to be fully involved in this campaign.”

Ge Shu Han and Li Qingan promptly agreed. They exchanged a glance—this seemed to be the first time Li Longji had mentioned “full involvement.” Although it would bring certain advantages in terms of logistical support, the pressure would also be immense. If they succeeded, their merits would double; if they failed, they would face even heavier punishment.

…

The original plan was to hold the meeting with the Abbasid envoy in a side hall of the Datong Hall, but after learning of Mansur’s true identity, the location was changed to the Government Affairs Building, with several senior ministers also attending. The distance from the Datong Hall to the Government Affairs Building was not far. Li Longji and Li Qingan went there together. At their meeting at Huaqing Palace half a month earlier, they had maintained a friendly atmosphere. However, as the Mingyue incident became more prominent, their private meetings became somewhat awkward. Despite this subtle tension, it remained hidden beneath their surface expressions; on the contrary, they continued to act in a relaxed and cheerful manner.

“Minister Li, you’re getting married in a few days, right?”
“Yes! In five days.”
“Hmm! I remember when I first met you, you were still General Li Xiao. I asked when you would get married, and you said, ‘As long as the Xiongnu remain, there’s no need to think about starting a family.’ Now that the Turkic tribes have been destroyed, I’m finally hearing news of your marriage. Congratulations!”
“I’m ashamed. I’m nearly thirty years old yet still have no children. Mencius said, ‘There are three forms of unfilial conduct, and the worst is having no descendants.’ I feel guilty toward my deceased parents.”
“Yes! Not having children by thirty is indeed a serious issue. I hope you’ll get married soon and have children.”

The two walked and talked as they passed through a high wall. Li Longji suddenly remembered something and laughed again, “By the way, last time I asked you about the formula for celestial fire and thunder. An Lushan brought it up with me again. I thought it could be used throughout the Tang army. I can no longer find where the original formula was kept, so I’ve asked An Lushan to ask you directly. Don’t be too cautious.”

The gunpowder research institute was located in the State of Shi, a highly secret place guarded by heavy troops. Aside from a few key craftsmen and alchemists, no one knew its formula. But back then, when Li Qing’an was in a life-or-death crisis during the Battle of Shibao City, fearing that gunpowder technology would fall into the hands of the Tubo people, he sent Nan Jiyun to take the formula back to the capital. It seemed now that his decision had become a source of risk for the formula’s leakage. Fortunately, Li Longji didn’t take it too seriously, which relieved Li Qing’an a bit.

“Your Majesty, the most important ingredient in that formula is gun oil. Only gun oil can produce explosive combustion. I understand General An’s desire for this formula, but Fanyang does not produce gun oil. Even a skilled cook can’t cook without ingredients—it’s practically meaningless.”

“I know that too. I merely promised him the formula. Whether he can produce it or not is none of my concern.”

Li Longji didn’t take this matter too seriously. He just mentioned it casually, and Li Qing’an understood immediately. Smiling, he said, “I understand. I will give the formula to General An.”

……

Inside the Office for Governing State Affairs, Mansur had already arrived. Although the Tang Dynasty showed him due respect due to his noble status, this didn’t make Mansur arrogant or aggressive. He remained humble and modest, a demeanor stemming from his mission to the Tang Dynasty: to persuade them to release the 20,000 Arab prisoners captured by the Anxi Army. The Abbasid Caliph needed these prisoners to return home and help restore trust lost due to defeats in the Hexi region.

He had met with several Tang prime ministers one by one. His elegant demeanor and humble attitude won them over. In the VIP hall of the Office for Governing State Affairs, Mansur sat cross-legged on a couch, smiling as he answered the questions of the Tang prime ministers one by one. He paid close attention to details. Though he bent forward slightly, it created a sharp contrast with the prime ministers’ upright postures. If one word had to describe Mansur’s attitude at that moment, it would be subservience. The Tang prime ministers were in a position of authority, while he remained humble.

“Your Highness, what is the difference between your current dynasty and the previous one?” This was Chen Xilié asking. Having heard that the new dynasty of Persia had only been established for two years, he was filled with curiosity about this distant country.

Man Sul listened to the translation, smiled slightly, and said in a gentle tone, “The Umayyad dynasty was a corrupt regime. It suppressed the people at home, imposed heavy taxes, and expanded outward through militarism. Under this dynasty, the people of Persia lived in poverty and darkness, without any hope for a better life. Many poor people could no longer bear it and rose up in rebellion. It’s just like how your Tang dynasty replaced the corrupt Sui dynasty—when a regime loses the support of the people, it will be overthrown by them.”

This was the little knowledge of Eastern history that Man Sul had learned along the way, though not very in-depth. He thought the Sui dynasty was also overthrown by the people. What he didn’t know was that the Sui dynasty was actually overthrown by the powerful elites due to reforms carried out by Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, which threatened their interests. Man Sul’s comparison made the prime ministers smile knowingly.

At that moment, a loud shout from a eunuch came from the door: “His Majesty has arrived!”

Several prime ministers stood up, and Man Sul rose as well. Curiously, he looked outside toward the main door, wanting to see the face of the Emperor of Tang. The light outside was very bright, almost blinding. In the harsh sunlight, Man Sul saw a large group of guards escorting two people inside. Due to the brightness, he couldn’t clearly see the shorter Li Longji, but he did see the tall and imposing Li Qing’an. He was stunned. As more people entered the hall, he finally saw clearly the Emperor of Tang leading the way. It was an elderly man who, it was said, had ruled the Tang dynasty for forty years. His steps were heavy and weary, his face swollen, and his skin pale and lifeless. Though he must have been a charming man in his youth, he was no longer so now—just an aging man on the verge of decline. Man Sul couldn’t help but wonder: How could an emperor in such poor health have the energy to handle the complex affairs of the empire? He should abdicate in favor of a younger descendant to maintain the prosperity of the empire.

The blinding light when they entered had given Man Sul a strange thought: What if the emperor were Li Qing’an? What would happen to the Tang Empire? Would he order his army to fight all the way to the gates of Damascus?

“Your servants pay their respects to His Majesty!”

All the prime ministers bowed to Li Longji together. Li Longji nodded slightly. He saw Mansur—a man in his thirties, of average build, not particularly strong, with fair skin, a gentle and refined appearance, a modest smile, bright and soft eyes. He placed his hand on his chest and bowed deeply to him. This prince’s envoy resembled a learned scholar rather than a military general. Li Longji immediately felt a favorable impression of him. First impressions were crucial, and Mansur had successfully achieved his goal through his humble demeanor.

In the entire hall, perhaps only Li Qing’an was not deceived by Mansur’s false pretenses. Of course, as the heir to the Caliphate of the Abbasid Empire, the composure Mansur displayed at that moment was likely his true nature. Human nature was complex and not made up solely of black and white. Li Qing’an knew of Mansur’s other side—his brutal suppression of Shiite Muslim uprisings and the Sogdian rebellions. He understood the purpose behind Mansur’s lowly attitude: to use humility to regain the 20,000 prisoners of war working in the silver mines. Li Qing’an sneered inwardly. Mansur’s method was correct, but unfortunately, he had applied his humility to the wrong person. His 20,000 prisoners were not in Chang’an but in Li Qing’an’s hands.

Li Longji slowly walked up to Mansur and asked in a condescending tone, “Are you the heir to the Abbasid Empire?”

Although Mansur couldn’t understand what Li Longji was saying, his gaze and tone required no translation. It was the attitude of a suzerain toward a vassal state. When the Abbasid Caliph first ascended the throne, he had also used such a tone and attitude to address the kings of the Sogdian states.

Mansur suddenly felt a hint of dissatisfaction—why should the Tang Dynasty treat him in such a manner? But this feeling flashed by quickly. No matter how dissatisfied he was, he had to hold back. After hearing the translation, he still replied respectfully, “The Abbasid Empire is but a small, remote country. Our Caliph highly admires the long-standing culture of the Tang Dynasty. Coming to Chang’an this time, I have witnessed its prosperity and the grandeur of Chang’an City, which fills me with a sense of inferiority. The Abbasid Empire is willing to serve as the Tang Dynasty’s loyal servant, pulling its chariots.”

Man Sul’s words were utterly sincere, coming like much-needed rain. At that time, the Tang Dynasty lacked the strength to even wage war, which deeply depressed Li Longji and made him doubt the dynasty’s strength. Man Sul’s flattering words precisely touched Li Longji’s already uncertain heart, bringing him great comfort. Not only him but also several prime ministers felt uplifted, smiling without saying a word. As the old saying goes, “Flattery never fails.”

Li Longji laughed heartily and praised repeatedly, “Well said! Your Highness has traveled thousands of miles to the Tang Dynasty, showing the great sincerity of the Abbasids. For this alone, our Tang Dynasty will also show corresponding sincerity. Please, sit down!”

Everyone sat down, including Li Qing’an, who sat at the back. He was well aware of Man Sul’s true intentions but chose not to interfere. Although he was in charge of affairs in Anxi, he was now in Chang’an, where he didn’t hold authority. Staying low-key wouldn’t hurt him, especially since he needed the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasids to sign a peace treaty so he could focus on dealing with Tubo. He could negotiate further once he returned to Anxi.

As soon as Li Qing’an sat down, he felt Man Sul observing him. In fact, Man Sul also knew well that with Li Qing’an’s knowledge of the Abbasids, his nonsense could only deceive the Tang emperor and prime ministers who were unfamiliar with them, but not Li Qing’an. Man Sul feared Li Qing’an might sabotage his efforts and ruin his mission. But judging from Li Qing’an’s current behavior, it seemed he had no intention of disrupting Man Sul’s performance, which slightly relieved Man Sul.

Seeing a good start, Man Sul smiled and said, “Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, I have come from afar with a humble gift, as is our Arab custom. Please accept it with kindness.”

Now, not only was Li Longji interested, but the prime ministers were equally curious. What gift would this Abbasid heir apparent bring, and why even to Xingqing Palace? Man Sul smiled and clapped his hands. Dozens of palace guards escorted a group of stunningly beautiful young women in—seven in total. Even Li Qing’an was stunned. Hadn’t he seen Man Sul bring any women into Chang’an?

A surge of excitement filled the hall. These Western concubines were different from those usually seen—their skin was fairer, their eyes bluer. Some had golden hair, others fiery red. Each was exquisitely beautiful, like flowers. The most surprising was the last woman—a dark-skinned Kunlun slave.

These women were tightly wrapped in gorgeous brocades, revealing their snow-white, slender thighs. Clearly, they were naked beneath the brocades. They walked past Li Longji in a seductive manner, their eyes fiery and bold. As they unfastened their brocades in front of him, Li Longji’s gaze immediately became intense. Yang Guozhong, sitting at the front, saw a glimpse of this scene from the side and his eyes widened in astonishment.

Mansur watched this with secret delight. This was exactly the effect he wanted. Moreover, that prime minister surnamed Yang seemed to be a lecher as well. He quickly smiled and introduced them, saying, “These seven stunning beauties are gifts from His Majesty the Abbasid Caliph to His Majesty the Emperor of Tang. They come from Byzantium, France, Spain, and Egypt—all are the most beautiful women from the West. I hope His Majesty will accept them.”

Li Longji nodded and smiled gladly, saying, “I accept the kindness of your king.”

He gave Yu Chaoyen a subtle signal, and Yu Chaoyen promptly led the seven foreign women away. The atmosphere in the court became more relaxed. In high spirits, Li Longji said, “Well! Now let’s discuss the relations between our two countries.”