Chapter 325: The Heavy Sword Without a Edge

On the same day, Li Qing’an received both the appointment notice from Fumeng Lingcha and the news of Li Linfu’s death. Compared to the former, he was more concerned about Li Linfu’s passing. This powerful political figure of the mid-Tang Dynasty, with whom he had numerous intertwined interests, had simply vanished without a trace. The court even suppressed news of his death; he only learned of it through a letter from Li Linfu’s son. In fact, even if the court hadn’t suppressed it, Li Linfu’s death would not have caused much stir in Chang’an—people had already forgotten him. This was Li Linfu’s tragedy: he had once been prominent, but his death was so desolate.

Yet Li Qing’an felt a hint of sadness at Li Linfu’s death. Although Li Linfu had a poor reputation and was remembered as a treacherous man, he had been a great help to Li Qing’an in his career. Especially since he had secretly helped Wu Yi escape during her most difficult times, which made Li Qing’an feel somewhat grateful toward him.

Li Linfu’s death marked the end of an era and the beginning of a shift from strength to weakness for the Tang Dynasty’s central government. Neither Yang Guozhong, Zhang Yun, nor Wang Gong could compare to Li Linfu’s ability to handle complex situations. His death also disrupted the balance between local authorities and the central government, signaling that the Tang Dynasty would gradually enter an unstable era.

“General, Mr. Yan requests an audience!”

A report came from outside the door. Li Qing’an immediately turned over Li E’s letter and placed Fumeng Lingcha’s appointment notice on top.

“Come in!”

He knew what Yan Zhuang wanted from him. He also knew that Fumeng Lingcha’s appointment was due to the exposure of his background, and he was aware of Li Deng’s betrayal. In recent days, secrets about his origins had spread throughout the regions north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and beyond the Pamir Range. Although none of his subordinates had discussed this matter in his presence, he could sense that people’s gazes toward him had changed—there was a clear expectation in those eyes. He understood the meaning of that expectation, and he was steadily working toward it.

Although Li Deng’s betrayal had increased the difficulties he faced in dealing with complex situations, it also clarified his identity, giving him the strongest legal basis to strive for power in the world.

At that moment, the door creaked open, and Yan Zhuang entered. Though anxious, he tried to walk as quietly as possible. He knew Li Qing’an must be disturbed by so many sudden events. If it weren’t urgent, he wouldn’t have bothered to interrupt Li Qing’an’s thoughts.

“Mr. Yan, please sit!”

Yan Zhuang sat down. Li Qing’an, who he had seen every day in the past, now seemed different in his eyes—actually, it was Yan Zhuang’s own mindset that had changed. Ever since he heard that Li Qing’an was now a prince, Yan Zhuang had barely slept all night, thinking deeply. He had originally advised Li Qing’an to strive for independence because he knew Li Qing’an wasn’t yet qualified to rule the world. But now things were different—Li Qing’an now had imperial status, and all his former ambitions had turned into hopes. Yan Zhuang had completely abandoned his old ways of thinking and adopted a completely new approach. He too had his own ideals: to help his lord establish an empire. Wouldn’t that also be a great achievement?

“Lord, I just received news from Suiye. Prince Qing also opposes Fu Meng Lingcha from entering Anxi,” Yan Zhuang said cautiously, probing the situation.

“What about your opinion, sir?” Li Qing’an asked back, his expression unchanged.

Yan Zhuang smiled and said, “I have a plan. We can use Prince Qing to get rid of Fu Meng Lingcha.”

Li Qing’an smiled faintly and said, “There are many ways to get rid of Fu Meng Lingcha. I could use the Uyghurs, or the Tibetans or Arabs to deal with him. But what if, after getting rid of Fu Meng Lingcha, Li Longji sends Gao Xianzhi again tomorrow? Or Ge Shu Han the day after? How would I deal with that?”

“Well…” Yan Zhuang was at a loss for words.

At that moment, Li Qing’an asked again with a smile, “If you had to choose, do you think strategy is more effective or war?”

“To subdue an enemy without fighting, I believe winning their hearts is the best approach.”

“Then let me ask you again: in strategy, is deception better or open tactics?”

Yan Zhuang pondered for a moment before asking, “I only know about deception. I don’t know what open tactics are.”

“Open tactics mean acting in accordance with the situation, adapting to circumstances, using simplicity to overcome cleverness—like Cao Cao using the emperor as leverage over the lords. That’s open tactics.”

Yan Zhuang nodded and said, “In that case, open tactics are superior, while deception is inferior.”

But Li Qing’an shook his head. “I believe true strength lies in combining deception with open tactics.”

He casually picked up a report on the table and said, “I’ve also received news that Fu Meng Lingcha has arrived in Liangzhou, with only four hundred guards with him.”

……

In November, strong winds and cold waves swept across the grasslands. The joint Tang-Hu forces’ campaign against the Uyghur grasslands half a year earlier had begun to bear fruit. In the thousands of miles of grasslands east of Jinshan, it was hard to see any herders. Fearing the Tang army, most herders had chosen to migrate eastward, making it difficult for the Uyghurs to launch attacks on the Tongluo tribe.

As winter approached, the grasslands became utterly quiet. Yet the cautious and suspicious Cui Qianyou remained uneasy. Starting in September, he sent nearly a hundred squads to purge the scattered herders across the grasslands, burning their fodder, seizing their cattle and sheep, and driving them far to the east. This purge continued until the first snowfall in November before finally coming to an end. Although thousands of miles east of Jinshan became uninhabited, Cui Qianyou still managed to contain the eager ambitions of three Hu tribes to expand eastward. Until Li Qing’an gave the order, the Tang-Hu allied forces continued to hold Jinshan, not advancing an inch eastward. With the heavy snows, tens of thousands of troops finally withdrew. Being people of the grasslands, they knew that the Uyghurs would never launch an attack in winter without supplies and would remain safe until spring. Nevertheless, Cui Qianyou left nearly ten thousand troops stationed at Jinshan to prevent emergencies.

The Shatuo also returned to the grasslands north of Yizhou, but they did not all disband for rest. A cavalry unit of three thousand of the finest Shatuo warriors, led by Prince Zhu Xia Jinzhong, crossed the Zheroman Mountains and rushed eastward for half a month, reaching the Juyan Lake. From there, they turned south along the Zhangye River and arrived near Yaoli Mountain, about a hundred miles from Zhangye, where they lay in wait like a wolf pack.

At the end of November, Fu Meng Lingcha, who was on his way to Anxi to take up his post, arrived at Zhangye City after more than twenty days of travel, escorted by four hundred soldiers from the Jinyu Guard. They rested in Zhangye for three days before setting out again. Like the grasslands, the Hexi Corridor was also hit by a cold wave. The bitter winds howled and swept across the region. Merchants and herders were rarely seen in the wilds. The vast land was covered in a desolate winter landscape. Fortunately, it had not yet snowed, and the roads were not blocked; otherwise, with snow blocking the paths, it would be extremely difficult to travel through the Hexi Corridor.

Despite the bleak scenery, Fu Meng Lingcha was in high spirits. In the first year of Tianbao, he had been the governor of Hexi, and he was very familiar with every inch of this land. At the beginning of Tianbao, when the Turki chief Mohe Dagang rebelled, it was he, Fu Meng Lingcha, who led a western expedition and defeated Mohe Dagang in one fell swoop in the third year of Tianbao, beheading him and putting an end to the rebellion. Unfortunately, he made a wrong choice by allowing Gao Xianzhi to rise to power, which cost him his position as governor of Anxi and forced him to return eastward in disappointment.

It had been nearly six years since he last left Anxi. Today, he finally set foot on the path of glory he once knew, filling him with emotion. Before departing, Emperor Li Longji personally held a banquet to see him off. The emperor’s solemn instructions still echoed in his ears: “As you go to Anxi, I hope you will not fail my trust. Bring me Li Qing’an’s head as soon as possible. I promise to make you the Prince of Anxi. From then on, you will command the army while Prince Qing governs, until you die in office.”

Inside his saddlebag was also a scroll written by Li Longji himself: “An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles!”

Gazing at the desolate sky and feeling the strong western wind, Fu Meng Lingcha was overwhelmed with emotion. He could hardly resist shouting to the heavens. With tears in his eyes, he murmured to himself on horseback, “Your Majesty, rest assured. This old servant will take at most two months to bring Li Qing’an’s head to you, to repay your kindness and recognition!”

That morning, they had already traveled over two hundred li from Zhangye. Ahead lay the Jiankang Army, and another seventy li further was the famous Kongtong Mountains. The population there began to thicken, but the area between the Jiankang Army and Kongtong Mountains was rather desolate with few people. Fu Meng Lingcha wanted the Jiankang Army to escort him for a while.

Two li away from the army camp, they could already see a castle. Surrounding it were the fences of the Tang army’s camp. The Jiankang Army had three thousand soldiers and was an important force for defending Zhangye. In the distance, a group of cavalry was approaching. Soon they reached them. The leading officer was a colonel in his thirties. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Your humble servant, Colonel Zhang Quan of the Jiankang Army, greets Marshal Fu Meng!”

Seeing that only a colonel came to welcome him, Fu Meng Lingcha was displeased and said, “Where is General Luo? Why doesn’t he come to greet me?”

“Reporting to the marshal, General Luo unfortunately died in the battle against Tubo.”

Fu Meng Lingcha was stunned. Then he asked, “So who is the highest commander in your army? Why doesn’t he come to greet me?”

Colonel Zhang replied calmly, “Reporting to the marshal, I am currently the highest commander of the Jiankang Army.”

“What!” Fu Meng Lingcha was shocked. He quickly asked, “How many soldiers do you have in your army?”

“Reporting to the marshal, there are only one hundred.”

Fu Meng Lingcha was speechless for a while before sighing and saying, “How did it come to this?”

Captain Zhang shook his head helplessly and said, “General Geshu went to fight the Tibetans and drew almost all the troops from Hexi. As a result, nearly half of them were killed or wounded. After the battle, the soldiers were replenished into the Longyou army. Our Hexi army is like an orphaned child—General Geshu certainly won’t care about us. General Fumeng must have noticed this too. Zhangye City should have had five thousand defenders, but now there are only a thousand. Liangzhou has a bit more, about three thousand. That’s because they are cities, so they’re in a better situation. As for us scattered garrisons, most of us have only one or two hundred men. It’s the same no matter which way we go.”

Fumeng Lingcha was speechless. After a long while, he cursed fiercely, “Damnous Geshu Han! He’s incompetent yet dragged down the Hexi army!”

“How about General Fumeng staying in our camp for the night? We have plenty of barracks. You can set off again tomorrow!”

The Health Army had only a hundred men, which was of no use to him. Seeing it was still early, Fumeng Lingcha waved his hand and said, “I’ll just have lunch and set off right away. I won’t stay.”

“General Fumeng, please follow me!”

Captain Zhang led them to the camp. After having lunch there, Fumeng Lingcha continued on his journey. If he hurried, he could reach Kongtong Mountain before dark. With his order, the group sped up along the official road toward the west.

But after only twenty li, Fumeng Lingcha noticed something strange. More than a dozen followers behind him still hadn’t caught up. He reined in his warhorse and looked around. There seemed to be a bloody smell in the wind, and a sense of foreboding arose in his heart.

“General, should we move forward or turn back?” asked the leader of the followers, who also sensed something was wrong.

Before Fumeng Lingcha could reply, someone pointed ahead and shouted, “General, cavalry is charging at us from ahead!”

“General, there are also cavalry on the left—seem to be Hu people.”

“There are also ones on the right! And behind us too!”

Sweat beads rolled down Fumeng Lingcha’s forehead. He had served as the governor of Hexi for three years and knew there were bandits in the Hexi Corridor. But those bandits were mostly Qiang and Hu people, and they would never dare attack the army. But now…

“General, what should we do?”

“Break through! Break through and retreat!”

Fumeng Lingcha roared and turned his horse around, racing back desperately. He knew these weren’t bandits—they were Li Qing’an trying to attack him. If he could return to the castle of the Health Army, he might still have a chance.

Three thousand Shatuo warriors disguised as Qiang and Hu tribesmen rushed in from all directions like a pack of wolves, their murderous intent sweeping across the land. Yellow dust billowed as their cavalry charged forward. Although the Jinyiwei guards protecting Fumeng Lingcha were all formidable and dominated the capital, in the face of the ferocious death gods, in the midst of true life-and-death battles, and under the onslaught of the Shatuo warriors like wild wolves, the Jinyiwei cavalry were terrified, with many even screaming in panic.

Fumeng Lingcha could no longer find a way to break through. He had no choice but to fight his way out at all costs. Drawing his sword, he shouted, “Kill! Fight our way out!” In an instant, the yellow dust raised by the cavalry covered the sky, blocking out the sunlight. The three thousand elite Shatuo cavalry charged in—selected from fifteen thousand Shatuo soldiers, all skilled in horsemanship, fierce, and brutal. The momentum of each cavalryman was as terrifying as thunder, and these three thousand warriors made even the earth tremble with fear. Like three thousand bloodthirsty wild wolves, they crashed into the ranks of the Jinyiwei guards, instantly sending heads rolling and limbs flying. Cries of pain, wails, pleas for mercy, and frantic screams filled the air as the Jinyiwei soldiers moaned under the Shatuo warriors’ blades.

Zhu Xia Jinzhong wielded a thirty-jin heavy golden-ringed sword. Like a wolf king, his sinister gaze was fixed on Fumeng Lingcha. Fumeng Lingcha and forty cavalrymen fought together to break through. Calmly, he rode around, keeping his eyes on his target, waiting for the best chance to strike.

The soldiers around Fumeng Lingcha kept dying, and their numbers dwindled to just over a dozen. These few could no longer protect him properly, leaving his back exposed. This was his chance. Zhu Xia Jinzhong spurred his horse suddenly, and it shot like an arrow behind Fumeng Lingcha, slashing deeply into his aged back.

Fumeng Lingcha was old and weak, with no strength left. The shouts and sword flashes from all sides made him dizzy. He knew his death was near, filled with regret. At that moment, he felt a severe pain in his back, as if his body were being torn apart. In that instant, he seemed to see the advice of his late wife before his eyes.

“You still have three years before retiring. You have many grandchildren—why not enjoy your old age at home?”

Yes! Why didn’t he enjoy his old age at home? He would never know the answer. Zhu Xia Jinzhong’s heavy sword split Fumeng Lingcha’s back in two. He pulled the sword out sharply, severed Fumeng Lingcha’s head, and held it high, shouting, “I’ve succeeded!”

The Shatuo people retreated in an instant, vanishing without a trace. The grassland was covered in blood, with corpses scattered everywhere. Rivers of blood flowed across the ground, and dying warhorses lay on the ground, convulsing and struggling. Dozens of surviving Jinwu Guards sat among the corpses—some in a daze, some crying, some laughing wildly; most of them were too shocked to think clearly.

Fu Meng Lingcha’s journey to Anxi came to an abrupt halt in Zhangye. He never set foot in Anxi again until his death.

……

In Kucha, Li Qing’an was writing furiously. He was drafting a memorial for Emperor Li Longji. “The bandits in Hexi are disguised as Qiang and Hu people and have caused trouble for a long time. A few years ago, when I was assigned to Beiting, I encountered these rampant bandits. Three thousand of them surrounded me at Yumen Pass. I narrowly escaped disaster. However, Hexi is not under my jurisdiction, so I could only inform An Si Shun to suppress the bandits there. Yet the problem persisted. In the spring of the ninth year of Tianbao, a group of 300 merchants from Kangguo, along with a thousand camels and vast amounts of goods, were attacked by bandits in Ganzhou. Almost all the merchants were killed or injured, and their goods were looted; only one person survived. In the autumn of the tenth year of Tianbao, Chen Xiaoxi from Longyou and over thirty others were attacked by bandits in Zhangye. The men were killed, the women raped, and their bodies were left in the wilderness. In April this year, 128 people led by Zhang Silang from Hedong migrated to Anxi and were attacked by bandits in Zhangye again. Blood covered the ground, and no one survived. The atrocities committed by these bandits are beyond description. I know they are the work of the Qiang and Hu people, but since it’s not under my jurisdiction, I can only grit my teeth and swallow my anger. Now, hearing that General Fu Meng has met with disaster, I’m certain it’s the work of these bandits. I can no longer tolerate this. If nothing is done in Hexi, Anxi will remain unstable. I am willing to lead a volunteer army to wipe out these Qiang and Hu bandits and restore peace to the Hexi Corridor, avenging General Fu Meng!”

After finishing writing in one go, Li Qing’an slammed the pen down on the ground and shouted, “Someone here!”

Several soldiers rushed in immediately. Li Qing’an ordered, word by word, “Pass on my orders: the 50,000 troops in Anxi’s Beiting region must set out immediately and follow me to Hexi to suppress the bandits!”

……

In December of the eleventh year of Tianbao, as the first snowflakes fell heavily over the Hexi Corridor, 50,000 troops from Anxi suddenly marched into Hexi. They swept through Shazhou, Guazhou, and Suzhou, advancing all the way to Zhangye. Every county along the way was filled with terror. Memorials flew to Chang’an like snowflakes. The troops in Hexi surrendered one after another. Li Qing’an reassured everyone, saying that the Anxi army had come to suppress the bandits and avenge General Fu Meng, with no other intentions, and they would return to Anxi before spring.

Amid another flurry of snowflakes, the gates of Zhangye City opened. Zhang Qixian, the governor of Ganzhou, went out to welcome them. The 50,000 troops had already set up camps outside the city, with tents stretching for ten miles. Thousands of cavalry escorted Li Qing’an, the governor of Anxi, to the city gates.

Zhang Qixian stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Your humble servant, the governor of Ganzhou, pays his respects to the great general!”
Li Qing’an nodded slightly and said, “Governor Zhang, no need for formalities. I have come to Hexi to suppress bandits. I have already reported this to the emperor. Please convey to the people and officials of Hexi that there is no need to panic—the Anxi Army will never kill innocents or seize their property!”
Zhang Qixian felt slightly relieved. He quickly added, “Banditry has plagued Hexi for a long time, and I have been deeply troubled by it. Not long ago, Fu Menglingcha was attacked by bandits and unfortunately died. I have reported this to the emperor, asking for troops to suppress the bandits. Unexpectedly, the Anxi Army arrived first. This is a blessing for the people of Hexi. On behalf of Ganzhou and the people of Hexi who have suffered greatly from banditry, I offer my sincere gratitude to the great general.”
His words were very smooth. Although Zhang Qixian knew that Li Qing’an had crossed the border with troops, he dared not say more. This was actually a very serious matter. Without the emperor’s authorization, it could even be considered rebellion. But Li Qing’an had a valid excuse—suppressing bandits in Hexi—which removed the suspicion of rebellion. Anyway, as long as Li Qing’an did not harm the people of Hexi, Zhang Qixian was willing to pretend not to see anything.
Li Qing’an smiled slightly, turned around, and waved his hand. “Bring them all here!”
In the snowstorm, thousands of Tang cavalry led a large group of people toward them. Zhang Qixian inwardly groaned in distress. The people were Qiang and Hu herders living near Ganzhou, including men, women, and children—over ten thousand in total. Clearly, Li Qing’an intended to hand these people over to him, but he had no food to feed them through the winter.
“The bandits are among them. I leave them to you. Interrogate them thoroughly. If you find the bandits, hand them over to us immediately!”
Zhang Qixian had no choice but to agree. He forced himself to say, “Your humble servant will follow the great general’s orders!”
Li Qing’an turned around and ordered, “Take them into the city and hand them over to Governor Zhang to deal with!”
Thousands of Tang cavalry shouted as they drove the more than ten thousand Qiang and Hu people into the city. Cries filled the air, and chaos reigned at the city gates.
The snow stopped at night. After resting for two days, the Anxi Army set out again, marching toward Liangzhou City.
……
Fu Menglingcha’s death enraged Li Longji. He cursed Li Qing’an loudly in the palace, but he dared not reveal the truth to the outside world. He had to conceal the fact that Fu Menglingcha had been killed and declared instead that he died of illness on the way, sending people to comfort his family.

The death of Fu Menglingcha filled Li Longji with even deeper hatred toward Li Qingan. After days of deliberation, he finally made up his mind to send people to Anxi, appointing Li Qingan as the Grand Protector of Andong and replacing Prince Qing, Li Cong, as the Military Governor of Anxi. He also appointed Chang Qing as the deputy military governor and commander of the troops in the five garrisons. He was ready to break off relations with Li Qingan.

Just then, Li Qingan’s memorial arrived.

On the eve of the New Year, Li Longji sat alone in the imperial study of Linde Hall. Before him lay Li Qingan’s memorial and the imperial edict he had not yet sent out, intending to remove Li Qingan from his position. Outside the study stood several high-ranking ministers—Yang Guozhong, Chen Xilié, Zhang Yun, Wang Gong, Yang Shenjin, and other key figures in the government. All of them had solemn expressions, clearly worried. Not only had Li Qingan’s memorial regarding the suppression of bandits in Hexi arrived, but urgent reports from various counties in Hexi were also flooding in.

Everyone remained silent, no one daring to speak. Even Yang Guozhong, who had been most vocal in opposing Li Qingan, was speechless. Li Qingan’s sudden deployment of troops to Hexi was like a blow to the head, making Yang Guozhong realize that the situation had become serious, and he had not thought of any countermeasures.

If the Shuofang and Longyou armies were sent to confront them, it would not only officially declare Li Qingan in rebellion but also completely disrupt Li Longji’s plans for Shuofang and Longyou. More importantly, could Geshu Han and An Sishun withstand Anxi’s 200,000-strong army? Especially the Longyou army, which had just suffered heavy losses and was not yet recovered. If Geshu Han and An Sishun failed to hold back the enemy, and Li Qingan led his forces to invade Guanzhong, Yang Guozhong would be the first to lose his head.

Yang Guozhong cleared his throat and said to the others, “Ministers, I believe this is likely a misunderstanding. Fu Menglingcha was Li Qingan’s former superior. He died after being attacked by bandits in Hexi. Li Qingan, filled with anger and concern, sent troops to suppress the bandits—something we can understand. After all, the troops in Hexi have failed to effectively combat bandits, and the problem has persisted for years, even worsening. I think we should persuade the Emperor to consider the positive side and agree to letting the Anxi army go to Hexi to suppress the bandits.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xilié interjected, “I fully agree with Prime Minister Yang. We shouldn’t draw conclusions too hastily. We should wait and see further. I believe Li Qingan truly intends to suppress the bandits. Sending troops without an order is merely a minor issue, especially since Anxi is far from Chang’an.”

At that moment, Wang Gong said, “Let’s wait a little longer. Let the Emperor think it over first. If he insists on going his own way, we can still try to persuade him later.”

In the room, Li Longji stared blankly at the ceiling. If Li Qing’an’s sudden deployment of troops to Hexi was a blow to Yang Guozhong, it was like a bucket of cold water thrown on Li Longji’s head, suddenly cooling his agitated mind. He realized then the terrifying nature of generals rebelling. Li Qing’an had 200,000 troops at his disposal—how many did he have? Aside from the Hedong army under his son’s control, the rest of the troops were in the hands of powerful officials in the border regions. If they also rebelled, what would Li Longji have to resist them with? He realized he had gotten the order wrong; he should have forged alliances with distant regions while attacking those nearby first. He should have dealt with Longyou, Shuofang, and Jiannan first before dealing with Li Qing’an. The strategy for the Central Plains hadn’t been finalized yet, yet he had rashly taken action against Li Qing’an. He had been wrong—completely wrong! It was then that he slowly understood Gao Lishi’s advice: Li Qing’an might not be dangerous until after Jiancheng became emperor; it was only when forced to rebel that he became a threat. Overcome with regret, Li Longji wondered what to do now. Just then, urgent footsteps were heard outside, followed by someone shouting, “Your Majesty! Urgent news from Liangzhou—the Anxi army has arrived to suppress bandits, and Li Qing’an has entered Liangzhou City!” “Ah!” Li Longji was so shocked that his writing brush fell to the ground. At that moment, Yang Guozhong’s anxious voice came from outside as well: “Your Majesty, I suggest approving Li Qing’an’s mission to suppress bandits in Hexi immediately!” … On the last day of the 11th year of Tianbao, Li Longji issued an edict approving Anxi Jiedushi Li Qing’an’s mission to suppress bandits in Hexi, ordering it to be completed by spring. From then on, he never appointed any new deputy jiedushi. The conflict between him and Li Qing’an persisted, and their confrontation stabilized in a state of dynamic equilibrium.