Chapter 310: The Lady’s Diplomacy

Of the eight settlements, Li Qing’an ultimately chose only He Lie City and Qing’an Town for inspection and consolation visits. His inspection in Qing’an Town lasted only one day—not because he deliberately went through the motions, but because there were too many matters requiring his attention: establishing various systems and rules, exchanging food for prisoners of war, preparing for battles against Tubo, tracking progress in the northern campaign against the Uyghurs, resettling immigrants, controlling the Hexi region, soothing the states of Shi and Ningyuan, and so on. Each of these issues required his personal involvement, or at least his oversight.

Thus, for some ceremonial tasks, he could only put on an appearance—such as visiting Qing’an Town to console officials, reassure immigrants, and express gratitude. These tasks couldn’t be taken too deeply; one day was sufficient. However, during his visit to Qing’an Town, one incident was worth mentioning: it was the first time Li Qing’an’s wife, Du Gu Mingyue, appeared in public, comforting some widows and children. This news spread quickly throughout Anxi, and many people knew that Li Qing’an’s wife was extremely beautiful, second only to the imperial concubines in Chang’an. They all longed to see her, with most merely wishing to glimpse her beauty, though some harbored other thoughts.

The day after returning from Qing’an Town, a female visitor arrived at Li Qing’an’s residence, coming specifically to meet the governor’s wife.

Li Qing’an’s residence in Suiye was located in the heart of the city, within a newly built complex. This was the actual headquarters of the Anxi Military Governorship. Although the governorship was nominally based in Kucha, the real power lay in Suiye, with most officials having moved there as well. Li Qing’an’s new house was situated behind this complex. Coincidentally, the headquarters of the Yinlong Society was not far away—less than a hundred steps away.

The residence covered 20 acres and had about a hundred rooms. Nearly half of it was gardens with dense shade, and exquisite pavilions and towers could be seen everywhere. At that moment, in the guest room of the inner courtyard, Du Gu Mingyue was receiving her first visitor: the wife of Pu Gu Huai’en, the deputy commander of the Hanhai Army.

Pu Gu Huai’en’s wife was in her thirties. Like her husband, she was from the Pu Gu tribe of the Uyghurs. Her upbringing in the grasslands made her outgoing and enthusiastic. She was the third daughter in her family, and many called her “Pu Gu’s Third Lady.”

“I’m sorry to disturb you today, but there’s nothing serious. I just wanted to chat with you about everyday matters.”

Pu Gu’s Third Lady was very beautiful and had been known as the most beautiful woman in the Pu Gu tribe in her youth. Her daughter was even more stunning, tall and graceful, around fifteen or sixteen years old. She sat beside her mother, looking cute and obedient.

Mingyue really liked Pugu Huaien’s daughter and pulled her closer to herself. Holding her, she said to Pugu Sanniang with a smile, “Sanniang, please stop saying such formal things. Come by whenever you have time to chat and talk about everyday life. We can help each other out if there are any difficulties. Besides, I’ve only been in Anxi for a short time and don’t know much about the situation here. There are many things I still need you to tell me.”

At that, she smiled and asked Pugu Huaien’s daughter, “What’s your name, and how old are you?”

Pugu Huaien’s daughter replied obediently, “My name is Pugu Yu, and I’m sixteen.”

Her mother smiled beside her and said, “To be exact, my daughter Yu will turn sixteen tomorrow. She loves playing the pipa, but sadly, there are no excellent teachers here in Suiye.”

Mingyue thought for a moment before saying with a smile, “How about I talk to Wuyi and see if she’s willing to take Yu as her disciple? I can’t guarantee it, but I’ll give it a try.”

Pugu Sanniang was overjoyed and said, “I’ve long heard that Miss Wuyi is unparalleled in playing the zither. If Yu could have her as her teacher, it would be a great fortune. I hope you’ll help make this happen, madam.”

Seeing Pugu Sanniang quickly taking advantage of the situation, Mingyue felt a bit regretful. It wasn’t because she was reluctant to talk to Wuyi—Wuyi would surely give her face—but she felt that Pugu Sanniang seemed to have come specifically for this purpose, giving her the impression that she was falling into a trap.

Mingyue smiled and said, “I’ll talk to her. But she hasn’t been feeling well lately and hasn’t taken on any disciples since arriving in Suiye. However, I’ll soon invite a famous zither master from Chang’an to Suiye. Even if Wuyi can’t teach, Yu will still have somewhere to learn the zither.”

Seeing that Mingyue had left room for negotiation, Pugu Sanniang’s expression became uneasy. She forced a laugh and said, “I merely had such a fanciful hope. Miss Wuyi is of such noble status that it doesn’t really matter if this works out or not. But we still need to thank you for your kindness, madam.”

With that, she took out a pair of agate qilin figurines and placed them on the table, saying with a smile, “These are a pair of jade qilin figurines passed down from my ancestors. You come from a distinguished family, so you might not value them, but since this is my first visit, I thought it would be a small token of my appreciation.”

How could Mingyue accept her gift? She pushed the figurines back and said with a smile, “Sanniang may not yet understand our family’s rules. We must warmly welcome friends and guests, but we must not accept any gifts. This is a rule set by the general. As his wife, I certainly can’t break it. I appreciate your kindness, Sanniang, but I really can’t accept these jade qilin figurines. I hope you understand.”

Pu Gu Sanniang pushed it back again, smiling and saying, “This isn’t a gift nor anything valuable. It’s just a matter of courtesy. How can one come empty-handed? Please, madam, take it as a small trinket!”
Mingyue refused to take it back again and said calmly, “I’ve already said I appreciate Sanniang’s kindness, but I can’t accept the item. It’s our family rule. If Sanniang doesn’t take it back, I’ll give it to the General and have him return it to General Pu Gu.”
Seeing that Dugu Mingyue wouldn’t accept her gift, Pu Gu Sanniang had no choice but to take it back awkwardly. After chatting a bit more, they got up to leave. Mingyue saw them out the gate and said to Pu Gu Yu, “If you have time, Yu Niang, feel free to visit more often.”
Pu Gu Sanniang seized the opportunity immediately. Since her daughter hadn’t spoken, she kept saying, “I definitely will! I definitely will!” She nudged her daughter again, “Hurry up and agree!”
Pu Gu Yu bowed politely and replied, “I will definitely come often to chat with madam.”
The two left. Mingyue watched as they boarded the carriage and drove away until they were out of sight. Then she shook her head gently. By intuition, she felt that Pu Gu Sanniang had come with a purpose, but they hadn’t said it outright, and she didn’t want to ask too much. Such matters usually involved men. It would be necessary for her to talk to her husband that night. As for Pu Gu Yu wanting to learn the zither from Wu Yi, she could make a decision. Even if Wu Yi was willing, she should proceed carefully and not agree hastily. With that thought, Mingyue turned and returned to the mansion.
…
Since early in the morning, Li Qing’an hadn’t had a moment to rest. The coin-makers in Suiye had already created the molds for silver coins, which was a major achievement for Li Qing’an. It affected his ability to control the Tang Dynasty’s currency and, by extension, its economy. Currently, Anxi already had one million jin of silver stored. At sixteen taels per jin, that was 16 million taels, worth 16 million guan—exactly the Tang Dynasty’s annual revenue. But that wasn’t enough. He needed at least three years’ worth of the Tang Dynasty’s revenue to gain control over the court.
“General, please take a look. These are the molds for the small silver coins made by the craftsmen in Anxi.”
Wang Changling carefully placed a mold for a silver coin and a actual silver coin in front of Li Qing’an.
At present, Wang Changling was the finance officer of Anxi, responsible for the region’s finances. Coin-making fell under his jurisdiction. These silver coins had been cast just ten days ago, waiting now for Li Qing’an’s approval. Behind Wang Changling, Yao Zhi, the chief coin-maker in Suiye, watched Li Qing’an with some unease.

Li Qing’an picked up the silver coin in front of him and immediately nodded in approval. He had only sent a simple letter to Chang’an, yet the craftsmen had fully implemented his intentions. The master mold weighed about one tael, and generally, molds were slightly larger than the actual coins. That meant the standard silver coin would weigh one tael. He picked up the actual silver coin and weighed it—it indeed weighed one tael.

There was no hole in the middle of the coin. On the obverse was the wall of Yumen Pass, and on the reverse was the Kunlun Mountains. Below the mountains were four powerful seal script characters: “Anxi Supervised Casting.” The craftsmanship was extremely delicate. Although it couldn’t compare fully with silver coins from later periods, it was still very close. This made him marvel at the high level of casting craftsmanship in the Tang Dynasty.

Li Qing’an examined it carefully for a while. He picked up the coin with his finger, blew hard at its edge, and then held it to his ear. There was a slight sound, but it was too faint—not the effect he wanted. What he wanted was a resonant “clang.”

The craftsman Yao Zhi beside him immediately grew anxious. He saw Li Qing’an frown, which meant he was dissatisfied. He looked to Wang Changling for help. Wang Changling quickly smiled and explained, “General, these small silver coins contain a full amount of silver—no adulteration at all.”

Li Qing’an shook his head and laughed, “Pure silver is good, but to make them ring when blown, I think a little copper needs to be added. Perfection isn’t always the best solution.”

He then said to the chief craftsman Yao Zhi, “Please go ahead and test several more times, adding a little copper each time. Ensure that they ring loudly when blown—that’s the effect I want. As for the mold, don’t change it. I’m very satisfied.”

“Understood! I’ll start testing right away and try to get results within three days.”

“There’s no need to rush. Work slowly and make it even more delicate. Also, I must remind you that the formula and craftsmanship are top secrets—only the three of us know them. Under no circumstances should they be leaked.”

“I understand. Please rest assured, General!”

After saying that, Li Qing’an picked up his teacup and slowly sipped his tea. After a few sips, once Yao Zhi left, he put down the cup and said to Wang Changling, “I’ve released the prisoners of war, but the silver mines must continue to be mined. Please help me think of a way to recruit some miners.”

Wang Changling thought for a moment and said, “How about recruiting miners from among the immigrants? Offering a higher salary should attract some willing candidates.”

“Good! You’ll be in charge of this matter, including coin casting. This is a crucial task. Once the experiment is successful, large-scale production will be needed. There’s one more thing.”

“Please go ahead, General!”

Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before saying, “Han Yue, the officer in charge of resettlement in Qing’an Town, is an old acquaintance from my time as the governor of Henan Circuit. I found him to be of good character and capable. Sir, might you keep an eye on him for me? If he truly is good, I intend to appoint him to an important position.”

Wang Changling was an honest man with no hidden motives. He immediately smiled cheerfully and said, “That Han Yue is indeed excellent—diligent and hardworking, with a great reputation. He’s a good official. I’ll definitely keep a close watch on him.”

“Hmm! Then I’ll leave this matter to you, sir.”

The two chatted casually for a while longer. Noticing that Wang Changling seemed preoccupied and hesitant to speak, Li Qing’an asked with a smile, “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss but are reluctant to say?”

Wang Changling sighed and said, “General, I wanted to talk about the slave-abolition decree. I think it’s not quite…”

He struggled to continue. Li Qing’an glanced at him and said lightly, “Do you oppose the slave-abolition decree?”

“No! No! No!”

Wang Changling quickly waved his hands. “My intention is to support the decree. It could increase the population in Anxi, raise taxes, and help curb land consolidation. But has the general considered what the imperial court will think? What’s the emperor’s stance? Those noble families who own many slaves will resent the general greatly—this will be detrimental to him!”

Li Qing’an nodded silently. Of course he was aware of this. Even 1,300 years later, there were still bonded laborers. How feasible was it to abolish slavery in the Tang Dynasty? But there were things he had to do. It wasn’t necessary to completely abolish slavery, but at least most people should be freed. To instill the concepts of equality and freedom among the people, he needed to take concrete actions. The slave-abolition decree was such an action. Of course, he wasn’t trying to implement a capitalist system in the Tang Dynasty. He merely wanted to bring about the ideas of commoners and a urban class two centuries earlier, so that the prosperity of the Song Dynasty could come sooner and the Tang Dynasty could avoid repeating the same mistakes for another two centuries.

However, he couldn’t tell Wang Changling these things—Wang wouldn’t understand anyway. So Li Qing’an smiled and said, “I understand your concerns. I didn’t enact the slave-abolition decree on a whim. I’ve carefully weighed its pros and cons. The disadvantages are obvious—noble families will resent it and see it as a threat to their interests. But on the other hand, implementing it in Anxi would attract many slaves from the Central Plains, providing us with the population we urgently need. I would gain the heartfelt support of the people and the military there. Even if the emperor wanted to remove me, it wouldn’t be easy. When you weigh the pros and cons, it becomes clear which is more important. Please rest assured!”

Wang Changling had always thought that Li Qingan would offend people, but not to such an extent as Li Qingan had imagined. He was also well aware that after the abolition of slavery decree was issued, Li Qingan’s reputation reached an unprecedented height. Both the ordinary people and the lower ranks of the military supported him wholeheartedly. Or as Li Qingan put it, with the support of the lower classes, it was indeed difficult for the emperor to remove him. The advantages outweighed the disadvantages, and after realizing this, Wang Changling stopped opposing him.

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Qingan got up to head home. But as soon as he stepped outside, he heard a commotion, along with faint cries, seemingly something had happened at the gate.

When Li Qingan reached the gate, he saw a coffin parked outside. Dozens of men and women in mourning clothes were beating the coffin and crying bitterly. A few men were arguing loudly with the guards at the gate.

Li Qingan was stunned. What had happened?