Chapter 371: A Heir in Qing’an

In June, Li Qing’an returned to the fiery-hot Anxi. As agreed with Li Yu beforehand, the Hexi region would be divided in two: Liangzhou would be assigned to Longyou, while Ganzhou, Suzhou, Guazhou, and Shazhou would go to Anxi. This was a major event for both Li Qing’an and Anxi. With the Hexi Corridor, supplies and population from the Central Plains could flow more easily into Anxi. For this reason, he stayed in Zhangye for five days, arranging various matters. Most importantly, he needed to place a trustworthy general in Hexi—one who could suppress the 40,000 troops from Hedong and implement his own governance plans. The general had to be competent both militarily and administratively. After much consideration, Li Fei Shouyu seemed the most suitable candidate. He immediately wrote a letter ordering Li Fei Shouyu, who was waiting in Yizhou, to rush to Zhangye to take up his post.

After settling matters in Hexi, Li Qing’an set off back to Anxi. He was very concerned about the Uyghurs. Although Anxi had dealt a heavy blow to them this time, Li Qing’an knew that, though he had the strength to completely eliminate them, now was not the right time. If the Uyghurs were wiped out, grassland tribes like the Göktürks would grow stronger—a scenario he absolutely did not want to see. His goal was to cripple the grassland peoples completely, not replace one wolf with another.

Li Qing’an needed to have a thorough talk with Cui Qianyou to sort out the current situation. After all, he hadn’t personally handled matters related to the grasslands, and he wasn’t very clear about many things. However, when he reached Jinman County, he heard news that was personal to him. Though Li Qing’an always distinguished between public and private matters, upon hearing this news, he immediately abandoned the idea of meeting Cui Qianyou and rushed to Suiye. The news was extremely important to him: his beloved concubine Rushi was pregnant.

Li Qing’an naturally understood that it was the Muslim elder’s treatment that had worked—solving his greatest and most urgent problem: the issue of his descendants. This was related to the loyalty of Anxi’s troops to him. No Anxi general would firmly pledge loyalty to a lord without heirs. More importantly, he would now have his own children.

The road from Beiting to Suiye had been repaired. Though not a smooth highway, it was no longer as rugged as before, reducing the travel time significantly. Normally, it would take at least ten days, but driven by urgency, Li Qing’an returned to Suiye in just seven days.

Ru Shi indeed became pregnant during one of Li Qing’an’s numerous attempts to have children. By then, Li Qing’an had moved south to Liangzhou. Upon hearing the news, Du Gu Mingyue immediately sent people to bring Ru Shi back. She also wanted to thank the Muslim old man who had cured her husband’s illness, but the old man had left only a letter and had already returned to Hezhong. Du Gu Mingyue devoted almost all her energy to Ru Shi, as this was Li Qing’an’s first child. Although she regretted it wasn’t her own child, as a housewife, it was her responsibility and duty to ensure Li Qing’an’s first child was born safely. Moreover, since Ru Shi could get pregnant, she herself would soon be able to too. Mingyue wanted to arrange everything before she became pregnant as well.

She hired doctors, midwives, nurses, a dedicated cook, and people to sew baby clothes. She even considered the child’s future tutor. Originally, Li Qing’an’s household had only twenty members, but because of Ru Shi’s pregnancy, seven or eight more people joined them. Li Qing’an certainly wasn’t short of money. However, Wang Changling, who called himself a reform pioneer in Anxi but was regarded by others as a reform madman, had issued a new rule at the beginning of the year: families of officials below the fourth rank were not allowed to employ more than twenty people. The reason was the severe shortage of young female workers in the Suiye textile workshops, so they had to hire some older women to work. But these older women were inefficient, demanded high wages, and often left to take care of their grandchildren, leaving the workshop managers extremely frustrated. In fact, there were young girls available, but many of them had gone to work for wealthy families. Since Li Qing’an had abolished slavery in Anxi, the maids now had personal freedom and could leave whenever they wanted. To retain them, those wealthy families raised their monthly wages, causing the maids’ wages to exceed those of the workshop workers. It was also difficult to find new workers, as working for wealthy families was easier, with better food and treatment, and no more beating or scolding. They could also gain knowledge from their masters, making it a desirable career for girls. As a result, there was a shortage of workshop workers, and the workshop managers complained to Wang Changling, leading to this restriction on employment. Of course, Wang Changling had another motive: in Anxi, military ranks were linked to charitable education efforts, such as helping the orphaned and establishing schools. By doing more good deeds, one could earn a fourth-rank military title, allowing them to hire more maids and improve their quality of life. Thus, Wang Changling was indirectly encouraging education.

Li Qing’an’s mansion was of course not subject to these employment regulations, but as the most prominent family in Anxi, they had to set an example. Du Gu Mingyue had no choice but to send five elderly servants back home to live out their days, providing them with more silver and land so they could enjoy a peaceful retirement. It took a great deal of effort to reduce the number to twenty. Unexpectedly, when Ru Shi became pregnant, her plans were immediately disrupted. At that point, Mingyue could no longer afford to ignore things and was determined to protect the child in Ru Shi’s womb and give Li Qing’an an explanation. Ru Shi’s condition worsened during the journey back to Anxi, causing chaos in Li Qing’an’s mansion.

The whole family was in a flurry, doing everything possible to help, but it was Ru Shi, who loved peace, who suffered the most. The midwife came three times a day, using a bamboo tube to listen to the baby’s heartbeat against her belly. At first, Ru Shi refused, but the midwife convinced her that it could determine the sex of the baby, so she agreed. Yet soon she became confused—after just over three months and a slightly rounded belly, could this old woman who looked like an eagle really tell the sex?

“Sis, she’s the most famous midwife in Suiye City and even in Anxi. I heard she’s especially good at correcting the baby’s position. She’s been delivering babies for forty years, with fewer than five stillbirths. Now she rarely does deliveries. Hiring her for a day costs twenty guan.”

Ru Hua, her twin sister, noticed that her sister didn’t like the midwife and smiled to clear up her confusion. “I heard childbirth is very difficult. If the baby’s position is wrong, it can lead to a difficult delivery, and neither the mother nor the baby will survive. That’s why you insisted on hiring this midwife.”

Thinking of her sister’s care for her, Ru Shi felt deeply grateful. Money wasn’t important; what mattered was that her sister was truly doing her best to save her child. She had thought her sister might be upset that she got pregnant first, so she had been anxious. But Du Gu Mingyue’s sincerity moved her, filling her with silent gratitude.

“Ru Hua, I hope the baby in my womb is a girl,” Ru Shi suddenly said without reason.

“Sis, what are you talking about? Everyone wants a son, and you want a daughter?” Ru Hua was upset by her sister’s strange idea.

Ru Shi smiled faintly, a hint of tenderness appearing on her beautiful face as a soon-to-be mother. Her sister wouldn’t understand her thoughts. A girl, a princess—that was the best fate for her child.

“Ru Hua, I’m a bit tired. I want to sleep for a while. Please ask everyone to speak softly. I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days.”

“Okay, I’ll go tell them right away.”

Just then, a commotion arose in the courtyard outside. Two maids started shouting. Ru Hua rushed out angrily and shouted, “Stop making noise! Be quiet!”

“Fourth Madam, the master has returned.”
Just as Rushi was about to close her eyes, she suddenly heard these words and let out a soft “Ah!”. She struggled to sit up, her heart pounding with anxiety. At that moment, Li Qing’an’s excited laughter came from the courtyard. “Ruhua, where’s your sister?”
“Elder brother, be quiet. Sister is sleeping.”
“She’s not!” Rushi quickly said loudly, “I’m not asleep. Come in quickly, elder brother!”
The door opened, and Li Qing’an stepped in quickly, followed by a group of women—Mingyue, Wuyi, Ruhua—his wives.
Li Qing’an knelt down in front of Rushi’s bed, took her hand, and asked, “Mingyue said you felt unwell when you first returned. How are you now?”
Rushi gave Mingyue a grateful look and whispered, “Thanks to my elder sister’s careful care, I feel much better. I even felt the baby moving yesterday.”
Mingyue stepped forward with a smile. “This is a huge event for our family. We’re all looking forward to having more excitement at home!”
Li Qing’an was overjoyed and said, “I’m extremely excited too. Mingyue, prepare hundreds of pastries and red eggs to give to the neighbors, so everyone can share in my joy.”
Wuyi smiled and said, “Elder brother, are you being foolish? Other families give red eggs only after giving birth. Isn’t it too early?”
Li Qing’an scratched the back of his head and laughed. “I’m so happy that I’ve lost my head. Then I’ll skip the red eggs and just give pastries. Anyway, I want everyone to know that I’m about to become a father.”
“Elder brother, there’s something,” Rushi gently pulled Li Qing’an aside and whispered in his ear, “You need to stay for a few more days this time.”
“I know that.”
Unable to contain his excitement, Li Qing’an turned around with a grin and said, “I’m here to turn you all into…”
The room was immediately filled with scoffs.
……
After dinner, Li Qing’an took a bath and changed into a clean set of loose robes. He sat comfortably in the study. The nearly month-long journey had left him exhausted, but now he felt all his fatigue vanish. His joy made him feel more relaxed and happy than ever. He sipped tea while reading by the light. Then, Dugu Mingyue brought in a bowl of plum and lotus seed soup and placed it in front of Li Qing’an. She also draped a robe over him and said softly, “Don’t be careless. It’s hot during the day here, but cold at night.”
Li Qing’an took her hand and sat down, asking, “Has Rushi rested?”

Moonlight nodded. “She’s been extremely tired lately. The midwife said it’s normal; she needs enough rest.”
“Thank you so much.”
“There’s no need for thanks between husband and wife.”
Moonlight smiled gently. “Besides, I’m now the Princess of Zhao. I should at least act like a princess, don’t you think, husband?”
“Have you already heard about the new emperor’s ascension?”
“News has spread from the military governor’s residence. Everyone knows that your husband has been made the King of Zhao, and I’ve been made the Princess of Zhao. Ru Shi Ru Hua has also been granted the rank of a third-rank consort, and Ru Shi Ru Hua has received the fourth rank. It seems the new emperor favors your husband greatly.”
Li Qing’an sneered. “What is the Princess of Zhao? You’ll become the empress in the future…”
Li Qing’an stopped abruptly, realizing he had revealed too much. He quickly lowered his head to read, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Moonlight leaned closer to him, speaking with a hint of resentment, “Do you even want to hide things from me, husband?”
Li Qing’an put down his book and sighed. “There are some things I don’t want you to know. I hope you can live a peaceful life.”
“They can stay out of it, but I…”
In fact, Moonlight had heard a little about Li Qing’an’s ambitions, but she didn’t dare ask him directly. It wasn’t until today, when Li Qing’an accidentally revealed it, that she was finally convinced that her husband indeed had such ambitions. This filled her with great worry. She was afraid her family might suffer as well, but she couldn’t bring herself to say those words.
As if sensing Moonlight’s thoughts, Li Qing’an gently wrapped his arms around her waist and comforted her, “Don’t worry. I’m not reckless. If I were, it would be me who ascended the throne in Chang’an instead of Li Yu. I won’t seize the Li Tang dynasty’s throne. On the contrary, I’ll save it, forcing the Li Tang royal family and officials to beg me to take the throne. I will never drag the Du Gu family into this.”
“Thank you, husband, for thinking of my parents!”
Moonlight sighed softly and lowered her head shyly. “Husband, what worries me even more is our future child. I’ve never felt this before, but watching Ru Shi’s belly grow bigger day by day, I’ve developed a strange feeling. I’ve started to care about our child too.”
Seeing his wife’s shy, affectionate expression, how could Li Qing’an not understand her hint? She was asking for a child. He turned around and blew out the lamp in one motion…
Early the next morning, Li Qing’an went to the government hall in Suiye. As soon as he entered, Wang Changling, the chief secretary of the Anxi Military Governor’s Office, approached him with a thick stack of documents.
“General, there are several matters I urgently need to report to you.”

“Let’s talk about Byzantium first. How is trade with them going now?” Compared to other matters, Li Qing’an was more concerned about trade with Byzantium. A few months ago, the first Anxi caravan, consisting of five thousand camels, set off for Byzantium loaded with silk, porcelain, and three thousand military crossbows. Li Qing’an had been keeping a close eye on the progress of this caravan.
“That’s also one of the matters I need to report to the General.”
Wang Changling had planned to discuss trade with Byzantium as the third item, but since Li Qing’an asked, he retrieved the report written by Pei Yu from the documents.
“The caravan has returned and is currently resting in Talas. This time, they made a net profit of one hundred thousand Byzantine gold coins. They also brought back the high-quality iron needed by the General, along with gold bottles, luminous jades, agates, and gems—all of which can fetch good prices in Chang’an.”
After a pause, Wang Changling took out another document and said, “There’s another matter related to Byzantium.”
“Please go on, sir!”
“Our caravan encountered war in Byzantium.”
“What kind of war?” Li Qing’an asked with great interest.
“They heard that Byzantium and the Arabs fought a naval battle over an island.”
Li Qing’an immediately guessed it must have been over Cyprus and quickly asked, “What was the outcome?”
“The outcome was that Byzantium was defeated. It is said that the Arab defenders on the island used a new type of bow and arrow, which led to a crushing defeat for the Byzantine army. The merchants heard from escaped soldiers that the Arabs’ new bows and arrows were likely our crossbows.”
Li Qing’an nodded and smiled. “It seems the Byzantine emperor will send envoys to negotiate a treaty with us soon.”
“Are there any updates from the Arabs?”
“Not yet!”
“Alright! Then talk about other matters.”
Wang Changling quickly took out a document and said, “I’d like to discuss the ‘Regulations on Mercenaries’ with the General.”
To be honest, Li Qing’an really didn’t want to hear such reports. Many people called Wang Changling “Mad Wang.” He no longer wanted to write poems; he was obsessed with reforms. His ideas were even more progressive than those of this time-traveler himself—always thinking about human rights and liberation. He acted like a poor peasant filled with resentment, eager to liberate all the slaves in the Tang Dynasty. A few months ago, some Persian slave traders brought a group of Kunlun slaves to Suiye to sell. Upon hearing this, Li Qing’an took his officials and captured the slave traders, freeing all the slaves. However, since these slaves were unfamiliar with the land and language and couldn’t make a living, they stole from a rice shop when starving, and in the end, they were all captured.

This incident led to Wang Changling being mocked by many as a scholar-type person. Yet Li Qingan still appreciated Wang Changling’s perseverance in handling tasks, his willingness to endure hardship, and his determination to see things through. Moreover, he would definitely complete any task assigned to him thoroughly—though there was one issue…

When Wang Changling was halfway through reading out the “Regulations on Labor Recruitment,” Li Qingan finally couldn’t help but yawn, feeling drowsy. He hadn’t slept well the previous night.

Wang Changling said awkwardly, “General, then I’ll keep it brief.”

“No need!” Li Qingan waved his hand. “You can handle this first. If there are too many objections, we can discuss it further. I don’t want to hear about it for now.”

With no choice, Wang Changling took out another report and said, “I’d like to report on the situation regarding intermarriage between Han and non-Han peoples.”

Li Qingan perked up immediately, sitting up straight. He liked this topic.

Seeing Li Qingan become energetic, Wang Changling inwardly smiled bitterly and said, “The main issue is that there are more women than men in the Hezhong region. I was thinking about whether we could recruit some women workers to Suiye.”

“What does that have to do with intermarriage?” Li Qingan interrupted him.

“If they stay in Suiye for a while, they’ll naturally marry Han men.”

After hearing him talk about it again and again, still focusing on recruiting women workers, Li Qingan lost interest. He waved his hand and said, “You handle this then! My only requirement is ‘voluntariness’—no coercion, no deception. You must ensure their safety and smooth journey. Otherwise, if trouble arises in Hezhong again, I won’t spare you.”

After a pause, Li Qingan asked, “I’d like to inquire about the grain situation. How much grain do we still have?”

“We still have 900,000 dan. But in two months, our local harvest will also be ready, allowing us to achieve a balance between income and expenditure. That way, we’ll have 800,000 dan in reserve.”

800,000 dan was still too little. To manage the Central Plains, he needed at least 5 million dan of grain. After all, Anxi had a small population and could only produce one harvest per year, unlike the south, which had two or even three harvests. With the Central Plains currently at peace and the imperial court weak, this was a great opportunity for him to expand his power in Anxi.

Just then, a report came from outside the door: “General, a group of Persian envoys has arrived and has entered Suiye City.”

…