Chapter 330: The Flow of Things Has Intent

Li Qing’an returned to Suiye in late January. Proximity to the Hot Sea meant Suiye’s climate was always slightly warmer than other places. By now, Suiye already had a hint of warmth—snow had melted, willows had turned green, and the wind blowing against them was no longer so biting, carrying a touch of spring’s breath.

Li Qing’an’s return turned his home into a festival. Everyone in the household was overjoyed, and even a pair of large red lanterns were hung at the entrance. At dawn, several family members set off firecrackers and bamboo drums at the door, dispelling any sense of emptiness from the New Year’s atmosphere.

In the bedroom, Li Qing’an and his wife were awakened by the noise of firecrackers. Mingyue, like a newlywed bride, clung closely to her husband. The affectionate night before left a rosy glow on her face. She lazily raised her head and saw her husband gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. She twisted her body and coquettishly said, “No thinking about work in bed!”

Li Qing’an smiled and gently stroked his wife’s smooth back and full hips, whispering, “I’ll spend the night with you again—just like last night…”

Before he could finish, Mingyue covered his mouth with her hand, saying shyly, “No talking about last night!”

“Okay! I won’t say anything!”

Li Qing’an freed himself from her grip and smiled ambiguously, “Then let’s talk about tonight!”

“You need to spend time with Wuyi or Rushi tonight. Who knows how they’ll blame me last night? Ah! It’s your fault for marrying four wives.”

At that moment, Mingyue suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, “Wuyi asked me to find a good match for her sister, Yunu. But Yunu secretly told me she wants to stay in the mansion. Do you have any objections?”

“She means she’s willing to serve me?” Li Qing’an’s smile couldn’t be hidden.

“As I thought! I figured it out!”

Mingyue looked at him with a half-smile before suddenly grabbing his ear tightly and scolding playfully, “Aren’t the four of us women enough? Tell me! How many more women do you want?”

Li Qing’an inwardly groaned. His wife was very forgiving in front of others but still extremely jealous in bed—and quite scheming. He had fallen for it.

“Wife, please let go. Let me explain.”

“If your explanation satisfies me, I’ll let go.”

Li Qing’an had no choice but to search his mind for various excuses. Finally, he said in a sympathetic tone, “Yunu has depended on Wuyi since childhood; they are like sisters. I really can’t bear to separate them. As you know, Yunu is married now, with a husband and children. Over time, her relationship with Wuyi will gradually fade—after all, they aren’t blood sisters. I’m worried that one day, if they meet on the road, they might just pass by each other without even recognizing each other. Besides, it’s possible Yunu has secretly loved me all along and only wants to marry me. If you force her to marry someone else, won’t that hurt her for life?”
At first, Mingyue was somewhat moved and relaxed her grip, but upon hearing the rest, she felt both angry and amused. She quickly pinched his ear and scolded laughingly, “You’re dreaming! Who says she only wants to marry you?”
In truth, Mingyue also understood that Yunu wanted to marry Li Qing’an, which was quite normal. As Wuyi’s accompanying maid, it was common for such maids to end up with the master. Moreover, Li Qing’an was young, of high status, good-looking, and not the kind of dissolute man. Even in Chang’an, he had attracted many young women. More importantly, he treated his concubines with great care, unlike most men who dismissed them. She could see that Yunu indeed had feelings for Li Qing’an. However, as the wife of the household, she had to stick to her principles. She couldn’t let Li Qing’an get his way in this matter, otherwise he might bring in dozens of concubines, causing constant jealousy and strife in the household—how could she manage that? Additionally, since Li Qing’an was often away at war, if he neglected them, shameful things might happen, tarnishing his family’s reputation. So, she definitely couldn’t let Li Qing’an succeed with Yunu’s matter so easily.
“I was just mentioning it casually. Yunu is Wuyi’s sister; her marriage should be decided by Wuyi. Stop overthinking it.”
Mingyue then stopped bringing up the topic. She changed the subject and said with a smile, “It’s time to pay respects to our ancestors during the New Year. Since you’re not at home, I had to take Wuyi and the others to pay respects to their spirits on your behalf. But you should still go and pay respects yourself. How about we go to the Jade Buddha Temple today?”
Hearing that his wife had paid respects to their ancestors for him, Li Qing’an was deeply moved. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her rosy lips firmly. “Today I have to negotiate with Byzantine envoys, and I’m busy for the next couple of days. After I’m done, shall we go to the temple together as a family?”
“Mm!”

Moonlight was overwhelmed with passion from his kisses. She pressed her face against his chest and whispered, “Let’s also go to the Guanyin Temple to pray for a child. My greatest wish is to give birth to a son for you. Moreover, my mother wrote to me, hoping I’d conceive soon. It’s been so long since we got married, and if I don’t get pregnant, others will laugh at me.”
Not having a child was also a major concern for Li Qing’an. He knew well that despite being together with Rushi Ruhua and Wuyi for so long, they hadn’t conceived either. The problem must lie with him. He shouldn’t go to the Guanyin Temple but rather see a doctor.
At that moment, a maid’s voice came from outside, “Master, there’s a visitor outside—It’s Envoy Pei.”
“I know. Ask him to wait in my outer study.”
Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Time to get up. That guy came so early. I can’t even sleep a little longer.”
Moonlight quickly got up and got dressed. She tied up her hair, smiled, and said, “Envoy Pei isn’t here just to see you.”
“What!” Li Qing’an was stunned. What did that mean?
Moonlight didn’t want to say more and urged him, “Hurry up! Don’t delay important matters.”
After tidying herself up a bit, she went out to arrange for Li Qing’an to wash up. Li Qing’an was puzzled—Who else could Pei Yu be coming to see?
…
In the outer courtyard, Pei Yu was waiting in Li Qing’an’s outer study, drinking tea, but feeling uneasy. Suddenly, he saw a graceful figure flash by the window. Overjoyed, he quickly slipped out and found Xiao Lian under an old apricot tree in the courtyard. Seeing no one around, Pei Yu mustered the courage to take Xiao Lian’s hand. “Xiao Lian, I want to talk to you about something.”
Xiao Lian’s face turned red. Scared, she quickly pulled away and glanced around before whispering, “Don’t let anyone see. Go ahead, what is it?”
“My grandfather wrote to me, asking me to return to Chang’an. His health is getting worse.”
Xiao Lian’s heart sank. After a long pause, she whispered, “So you’re not going to care about me?”
“No, I want to take you with me.”
“But… I’m afraid my elder brother won’t allow it!”
“Who said your elder brother won’t allow it?”
Suddenly, Li Qing’an’s laughter came from nearby, scaring the two of them like rabbits. They quickly separated. Li Qing’an appeared at the door, smiling at them. So that’s what his wife meant—Pei Yu had taken a liking to Xiao Lian, and it was clear Xiao Lian felt the same way. That was good news!

Since Li Qing’an took the orphaned Xiao Lian as his adopted sister, he had neglected her, leaving her in Kucha for several years. Thinking that she would grow up on her own without anyone caring for her, Li Qing’an felt quite guilty. So he asked Mingyue to take Xiao Lian back to Suiye when she passed by Kucha and to find her a good family to marry into. Unexpectedly, Xiao Lian ended up falling in love with Pei Yu.

Pei Yu was a fine young man—the eldest grandson of Pei Kuan, born into a prestigious family yet free from any arrogance typical of such backgrounds. He was hardworking and capable, having served as an envoy to the Abbasid Caliphate and Byzantium. Pei Yu was 23 this year, while Xiao Lian was 19; their ages were quite suitable. If Xiao Lian could marry him, it would be a great fortune for her. Li Qing’an was very satisfied. Moreover, Pei Yu was somewhat related to his wife Mingyue, so having Pei Yu marry Xiao Lian could strengthen his ties with the Pei family as well—what a good thing!

When Li Qing’an caught Pei Yu and Xiao Lian together, both of them blushed with shame. Xiao Lian stammered, “Elder brother, I… I!” She couldn’t say anything after that, too embarrassed. She stamped her foot in frustration and ran away. Li Qing’an watched her retreating figure and laughed heartily, “That little girl!”

Pei Yu’s face turned red. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, “I pay my respects to the General!”

Li Qing’an nodded. “Come in and sit.”

The two entered the study. Suddenly, Pei Yu knelt down. “General, I wish to marry Xiao Lian. I beg you to approve of our union!”

Li Qing’an glanced at him and said, “A man should never kneel before anyone except his parents and ancestors—neither should he kneel before me!”

“Understood!” Pei Yu stood up and stammered, “Xiao Lian said that since you are her elder brother, she needs your consent, so she asked me to come and ask you.”

Li Qing’an smiled and asked, “Then tell me first—how did things… well, between you two develop?”

Pei Yu, with a red face, replied, “Last year, when I was in Kucha, I met Xiao Lian and even taught her how to write poetry. During this visit by the Byzantine envoy, I was in charge of receiving the envoy, while she accompanied the Byzantine princess. We had frequent contact, and over time, things… developed.”

“I see!”

Li Qing’an nodded with a smile. It was indeed fate. After thinking for a moment, he added, “I heard you say earlier that you’re going back to Chang’an. What’s the reason for that?”

Seeing that Li Qing’an didn’t seem opposed, Pei Yu was delighted. He quickly replied, “My grandfather has written to me many times, asking me to return to serve in the court. He says that as the eldest grandson, I’ve been away for five years and should return to the family. Otherwise, staying abroad too long might be detrimental to my future role in leading the family.”

Li Qing’an also remembered that when he got married last year, Pei Kuan had told him he hoped Changsun could return to the capital. Pei Yu had followed him for five years; it was time for him to go back. With this in mind, Li Qing’an said, “How about this! I can let you return to the capital this year, but after the negotiations with Byzantium, I think you’ll need to go to Constantinople again as my envoy to Byzantium. During that time, I’ll have my wife contact the Pei family to arrange your marriage with Xiao Lian. Once you return from your mission, you’ll marry Xiao Lian and then return to Chang’an with her. Moreover, you’ll be transferred back from Anxi to take up a position there, so you won’t have to start from scratch again.”

Seeing how thoughtfully Li Qing’an had planned things, Pei Yu was deeply moved and bowed deeply, saying, “Thank you, my lord, for your kindness.”

“Alright, please sit down!”

Waving his hand, Li Qing’an said, “Now that we’ve discussed personal matters, it’s time to talk about official business. I’d like to learn more about this Byzantine envoy.”

…

The Tang Empire and the Byzantine Empire had no conflicts of interest, and they shared common enemies, so the possibility of forming a strategic alliance between them was high. But this was just a possibility. The two countries had never interacted for hundreds of years—how could they immediately form a strategic alliance? It required a process, a process of mutual understanding. More importantly, Li Qing’an couldn’t represent the Tang Empire; he was merely a local lord. He was well aware of this. Coincidentally, the other side had sent an extremely orthodox and rigid envoy. If he appeared too eager, it might backfire. Having struggled in the political arena for so many years, Li Qing’an understood this well. When dealing with Western envoys, sometimes it was better to play it cautiously. Of course, the people of the Tang Dynasty might not know what Tai Chi was, but Li Qing’an did.

After talking with Pei Yu, Li Qing’an didnn’t go to the luxury hotel to meet the Byzantine envoy but instead went to the Guest House next to it, where more than a hundred scholars from Chang’an who had come to serve in Suiye were staying.

The Guest House was a large complex of buildings, consisting of dozens of courtyards and hundreds of rooms. It was managed by dedicated officials, and food, lodging, and other necessities were provided free of charge. Many officials from Chang’an who came to support Anxi, as well as students from the Imperial Academy, lived there. Last year, when Cen Shen’s new poems reached Chang’an, more than a hundred students, inspired by them, put down their pens and joined the army to serve the country in Anxi. After a long journey, they finally arrived in Suiye over ten days ago and were warmly welcomed by the local officials. They were temporarily housed in the Guest House, where they were also asked to assist with some clerical work until Li Qing’an returned to decide their fate.

These scholars lived together in several courtyards, which were quiet. They were busy copying the military records of the Anxi Army—this was their temporary task, with no payment at all, yet they were full of passion and enthusiasm, without any complaints.
“Everyone! The general has arrived!”
An official from the reception hall announced loudly, and the scholars rushed out. Their youthful faces were filled with excitement as they surrounded Li Qing’an, talking all at once in a noisy crowd. They were eager to join the army and fight against the Da Shi forces.
These were highly talented young men, all around twenty years old, full of passion and ambition. Their presence would be a valuable asset to Li Qing’an. He had decided to place these scholars in the army to temper them and turn them into pillars of his forces in the future.
“Don’t worry. The Anxi Army is one where talent determines success. There is no darkness, no corruption. Regardless of your background or wealth, you are all equal in the army. Some of you may become generals, while others may remain soldiers. But there is only one criterion for becoming a general or a soldier—your talent. Show your talents. Starting tomorrow, you will become part of the Anxi Army and realize your dreams.”
Li Qing’an’s impromptu speech was met with applause. He waved his hand to quiet them down and said with a smile, “Please line up and tell me your hometowns and names so I can remember you.”
This was Li Qing’an’s way of managing people. He might not remember all of these over a hundred people, but for those who registered, it gave them a little more hope.
The tallest man stepped forward first. “I am Du Mingpei, from Gaoling County, Jingzhao Prefecture.”
“I am Wu Wan, from Chengdu Prefecture.”
“I am Li Chengfei, from Chang’an.”
“I am Chen Shaoyou. My grandfather, Chen Yan, used to be the deputy commander of the Anxi Army. I am currently studying at Chongxuan Academy and am willing to serve the general.”
Li Qing’an saw that he was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, good-looking, and seemed to have great bearing. He nodded without saying much more and turned his attention to the next person. The next man stepped forward and introduced himself, “I am Zhang Zhihe, from Chang’an. I graduated from the Imperial Academy last year. I was originally assigned to the Left Jinwu Guard, but I prefer to serve in the western regions rather than work in the court.”

“Zhang Zhihe?” Li Qing’an found the name somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before. After a brief moment of thought, he suddenly remembered—that he was Li Mi’s nephew. Li Mi had recommended him, saying he was talented and promising at a young age. And wasn’t that poem “White egrets fly before Xisai Mountain, peach blossoms float on flowing water, and mandarin fish are plump” his masterpiece?

Li Qing’an took a close look at him. The man was a young scholar with delicate features and seemed quite capable. Li Qing’an smiled and nodded, but he didn’t treat him specially just because Li Mi had recommended him. Whether it was real gold or ordinary iron, it had to be tempered in the great furnace of the army first.

His gaze then shifted to the next person. A young man with dark, rough skin bowed and said, “I am Luo Wensheng from Chang’an. My family is extremely poor, and my parents have passed away. I am willing to serve the great general!”

……

While Li Qing’an was talking with the scholars at the reception hall, Joseph, the Byzantine envoy who had been waiting for him for nearly a month, received news. He was somewhat astonished. Which was more important—these young scholars or the mighty Byzantine Empire? Li Qing’an went to see them instead of visiting him.

The Byzantine envoy was staying at a luxurious hotel, just one street away from the reception hall. Moreover, Li Qing’an would have to pass by their gate on his way to the reception hall. Joseph was very disappointed. It seemed that in Li Qing’an’s eyes, Byzantium wasn’t very important. But Joseph forgot that two years earlier, when Li Qing’an sent Pei Yu on a mission to Byzantium, the Byzantine emperor also refused to meet him. Pei Yu stayed in Constantinople for nearly half a year before barely managing to see the emperor.

Joseph’s mission to Anxi this time was mainly to establish trade relations. Constantine V wasn’t very interested in forming a strategic alliance between Byzantium and Anxi. After all, Li Qing’an wasn’t the Tang emperor and couldn’t represent the Tang dynasty. To put it bluntly, Li Qing’an didn’t yet have the qualifications. As for military cooperation, it was somewhat possible, but Constantine V needed to gather information about Anxi, and it wasn’t Joseph who would do that—it was his beloved daughter, Eirwen.

Just as Joseph was feeling frustrated, his niece Eirwen rushed angrily to see Li Qing’an.