Chapter 373: Imperial Treaty (Part 2)

The city of Artil was located about 500 li northwest of Talas City. To reach it, one had to cross the northern edge of the Fergana Basin and pass through vast Gobi deserts controlled by the Gasa people. Artil sat on an endless plain; it was originally a city of the Gasa Khanate. The Gasa people were a branch of the Turks, originally from the Northern Regions. Later, most of them migrated westward to the vast lands adjacent to the Byzantine Empire. When the Gasa leaders first arrived in this unfamiliar land, Sadoman ordered 800 girls to be offered to the King of the Caucasian Tree Demons, thereby gaining the support of those tree demon warriors to help the Gasa people defeat the Slavs. Gradually, the Gasa people settled down and eventually made this land their home.

After nearly 500 years of development, the Gasa people established the Gasa Khanate, which stretched from Lake Balkhash in the west to the Black Sea in the east. With the decline of the Western Turks, the Gasa Khanate gradually took over their role and grew stronger. Hundreds of years later, during the Middle Tang Dynasty, the Gasa Khanate had become increasingly Westernized. Their religion also changed from primitive shamanism to Judaism. However, for the Tang Dynasty, it was difficult to distinguish between the Gasa people and the Turks, so they still regarded them as Turks. At least in Anxi, people continued to refer to them as Turkic Gasa people.

The Gasa Khanate had an excellent relationship with the Byzantine Empire; they were always strategic allies. Commercial interests meant the Gasa Khanate could not do without Byzantium, while the existence of the Gasa Khanate helped Byzantium resist the expansion of the Persians and Arabs. The kings of the two nations called each other brothers and often visited each other’s capitals. Any emperor of the Byzantine Empire had to pay attention to the Gasa Khanate, and Constantine V was no exception. After his predecessor’s queen died the year before last, he married a Gasa woman as his new queen. The year before last, he brought 3,000 Anatolian warhorses as a dowry to marry the Gasa queen in Constantinople. At his request, the Gasa Khanate generously gave Artil City as a brideprice to the Byzantine Empire.

This time, Constantine V personally went to the city of Atil to meet with Li Qing’an, the governor of Anxi in the Tang Dynasty. The Ghazakh Khanate also provided great convenience and trust, not only allowing 30,000 of the Byzantine emperor’s imperial guards to cross their territory but also supplying them with food and forage along the way. Even the king of the Ghazakh Khanate, Khan Bran, attended the meeting. The capital of the Ghazakh Khanate was located at the mouth of the Volga River, in a city named Itil, which was also a famous trading hub. Initially, the Ghazakh Khanate suggested using their capital, Itil, as a trading post between the Tang Dynasty and Byzantium, but Pei Yu, the Tang envoy to Anxi, disagreed. He insisted on using Atil, located near Talas, as the trading post between the two sides. This shows that the Byzantine emperor was far-sighted, having recognized the importance of Atil, which was not yet prominent at that time.

By this time, Atil was a sea of people. 30,000 golden knights from the Byzantine Empire and 20,000 camel cavalry from Itil were stationed on the vast grasslands outside Atil. The enormous tents stretched as far as the eye could see. The western part of the Ghazakh Khanate had a sparse population, and their vast territories meant they did not value land highly. Initially, Constantine V only received Atil as a dowry, but the generous Ghazakhs also gave him the grasslands and forests within a hundred miles around Atil. The Ghazakhs were not foolish; in this way, their bond with the Byzantines was not limited to marriage alone—a piece of land that the Byzantines could not give up became a link to maintain their relationship.

As the horns sounded, a group of 300 camel cavalry escorted Khan Bran of the Ghazakh Khanate into the heart of the Byzantine army. In front of a huge golden tent—woven from wool and 500 pounds of gold thread—the entire tent shone brilliantly in the sunlight, highlighting the Byzantine Empire’s reputation as the “Golden Empire.” “Gold of Rome, silver of Arabia” was a famous saying in medieval Western culture.

Khan Bran was in his forties, of average height. His face carried features of both Eastern and Western descent—a slightly flat face and light blue eyes. Though not particularly striking in appearance, Khan Bran was a man of great determination, as evidenced by his people’s adoption of Judaism. After the Battle of Talas, the Tang Dynasty’s influence expanded into the region, signaling the arrival of a golden age for trade.

The Ghassa Khanate had been Westernized for hundreds of years and had long abandoned a nomadic lifestyle. Under the influence of the Byzantine Empire, it gradually developed a commerce-based economy. The Silk Road to Byzantium passed through the Ghassa Khanate, and its favorable geographical location allowed it to make full use of this advantage. However, the Ghassans were a branch of the Turks, lacking a strong commercial spirit, with much of the commercial profit going to the Byzantine Empire. To compensate for their weaknesses in commerce and to profit from the emerging trade, Khan Bran made a stunning decision: to convert the entire nation to Judaism in order to attract wealthy and skilled Jewish merchants to the Ghassa Khanate. This was also a two-pronged strategy—avoiding offense to both the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Arab Empire.

This time, the alliance between the Byzantine Empire and the Anxi King of the Tang Dynasty tempted Khan Bran. He knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. By joining this conference, the Ghassa Khanate could fully integrate into the upcoming wave of trade. He attended the meeting as an observer.

“Your Majesty Copronius, it seems your complexion has improved greatly.”

As soon as he entered the tent, Khan Bran laughed loudly and addressed Constantine V by name, which seemed somewhat rude. Yet none of the guards present said a word. After all, Khan Bran was the father-in-law of the Byzantine emperor—father-in-laws could be a bit more casual with their sons-in-law, even if the father-in-law was a few years younger.

Copronius was Constantine V’s name. The Byzantine emperor, who was deep in thought, was interrupted by his father-in-law’s rough and rude laughter. Although Constantine V was tall and strong, he was not in good health, often sick, and had a temperamental personality. Yet today he was in high spirits. Khan Bran’s rudeness did not anger him at all. He stood up and laughed, saying, “What, can’t you sit still upon hearing news of my meeting with the Tang Dynasty?”

The two embraced warmly before sitting down in their respective positions as host and guest. The golden tent was even more luxurious, filled with golden light and exquisite gold artifacts—gold pots, cups, and plates. Even the chairs were inlaid with gems and gold edges. Luxurious Persian carpets covered the floor, and fine porcelain from the East was placed in the corners of the tent. Colorful Shu brocades hung on the tent walls. Khan Bran took up a celadon wine cup filled with wine and examined it carefully, his eyes gleaming. The ancestors of the Gesa Khanate also came from the East, and he had collected many porcelains himself, but this cup was of an unparalleled quality—he was smooth and delicate, pure in its blue hue without the slightest impurity, and so thin it felt almost weightless in his hands. He took a liking to it at first sight.

“This is a gift from Li Qing’an. There are two in total. If you like it, I’ll give you one.”

“Then I won’t hesitate!”

Khan Bran wasn’t polite at all. He drank the wine in the cup in one gulp, took out a piece of white silk, carefully wrapped the celadon cup, and tucked it into his chest. Then he smiled and said, “Do you know what I regret the most? It’s giving the city of Attil to Your Majesty.”

“Wait!”

Constantine V waved his hand to interrupt him, smiling. “Let me make it clear first. The city of Attil wasn’t given to me by you; it was part of the dowry when you married my daughter. You can’t take it back.”

“I originally wanted to take it back, but since Your Majesty says so, I have no choice but to keep it. But I have one condition.”

“You’ve found another reason. Go ahead! What’s the condition?”

Constantine V seemed relaxed. There was no solemnity typical of meetings between heads of state between them; it was more like a meeting between friends. Khan Bran smiled and said, “My condition is that you give me a share so that we can also benefit from trade with the Great Tang.”

“Both our countries’ caravans travel through your territory. How could you not benefit?”

“No! That’s not what I mean. I mean making the city of Itel a transit trade city as well.”

Khan Bran stared at his opponent without blinking—this was the very purpose of his visit to the Golden Tent today. He wanted to persuade the Byzantines to give him a share of the profits. Generally, trade hubs formed naturally through commerce, such as Dunhuang, Kucha, and Suoye, and key cities along the Silk Road had such opportunities. Yet they could also be influenced by human factors. For example, Itil, located at the mouth of the Volga River, held great strategic importance. Before the rise of the city of Atil, it had been the largest trade hub in the north. Now that Atil had emerged, Emperor Constantine V might order that official caravans not pass through Itil, affecting ordinary merchants and ultimately leading to its decline. Therefore, Khan Bran jokingly reminded Constantine V not to go too far, otherwise he could take back Atil at any time.

Of course, Constantine V understood the subtle threat in his tone. He still replied in a casual tone, smiling, “Bran, you know we’re relatives. I married your daughter, so I’ll consider your interests. I’ll allow my caravans to pass through the Volga River, but I can’t control the Tang Dynasty’s caravans. You’ll need to negotiate with them.”

“I will negotiate with them, but first I need your promise,” Khan Bran said, his expression growing serious as he pressed further.

“Very well! I promise you,” Constantine V replied helplessly. “I’ll allow Itil to remain a trade hub.”

“Then I won’t disturb your thoughts any longer.”

Khan Bran placed his hand on his chest, bowed gracefully, and left. Constantine V watched his retreating figure and murmured to himself, “Without military effort, there can be no commercial gains, dear father-in-law.”

……

In the early morning, ten thousand Tang cavalry had approached the city of Atil, still over thirty li away. After crossing the northern mountains of the Fergana Basin, they entered the territory of the Ghaznavid Empire. Such an army freely entering another country would be unimaginable in modern society, but in the distant past when there was no international law, it wasn’t a big deal. What mattered most was population—seizing people was what all nations cared about.

Li Qing’an rode on his horse, scanning the unfamiliar land around him. It was his first time in the area north of Taraz. The region was covered with dense forests and had a sparse population. Rivers like jade belts flowed across vast plains covered with green carpets. Herds of wild deer could be seen drinking by the rivers, occasionally lifting their heads to gaze blankly at the passing army without showing any fear.

“Report to the General! Messengers are coming from ahead!” one of the bodyguards shouted, pointing in the distance.

Li Qing’an had already seen them—a group of cavalry appearing as small black dots in the distance, getting closer and closer. It was a cavalry unit of over twenty men. Li Qing’an’s vanguard of about a thousand men had already gone to Artil City to make preparations for his arrival. Pei Yu, the special envoy to Byzantium, and Yang Fengche, the deputy governor in charge of foreign affairs in Anxi, had also left earlier. This time, many important officials accompanied Li Qing’an to the alliance talks. Besides Pei Yu and Yang Fengche, there was also Hou Yiyun, Wang Changling’s assistant in charge of official foreign trade, Zhang Chao, the official in charge of Anxi’s finances, General Li Guangbi, and several of Li Qing’an’s advisors, including Yan Zhuang.

As the leader of Anxi, Li Qing’an would not participate in the actual negotiation of the alliance. He was only concerned with fundamental issues, such as the level of alliance between the two sides—whether it should be a close alliance where one side’s fate was tied to the other’s, or a looser form of alliance.

Li Qing’an was quite anxious. He had already devised plans to attack Sindh and Toharistan. At this moment, he needed the Byzantine Empire to hold back the main forces of the Abbasids in the west, so they wouldn’t be able to turn their attention eastward.

As the cavalry unit drew nearer, Li Qing’an suddenly noticed two men with strange attire among them. They wore wide hats and long robes made of light-colored cotton, with long, wide belts tied around their waists, somewhat resembling the Wusun people of the Northern Court.

“They are the Gesa people,” one of the bodyguards whispered beside Li Qing’an.

In an instant, the cavalry unit rushed forward. An officer bowed to Li Qing’an and said, “General, envoys from the King of the Gesa Khanate have come to see you.”

The two Gesa envoys stepped forward together and bowed, saying, “We pay our respects to General, the King of Anxi!”

They spoke in Turkic, though slightly different from the Turkic spoken in Suiye, but Li Qing’an could still understand them.

“Where is your king?”

“Report to the General, our king is just twenty li away. He wishes to meet with the General and hopes to obtain his permission.”

Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Your king is being too polite. I’m currently on the land of the Gesa people, so it should be me who visits the king. Your courtesy makes me feel uneasy.”
Li Qing’an’s humility stunned the two messengers, who exclaimed in joy, “So, the great general is willing to meet our king?”
“Why not?” Li Qing’an smiled slightly. “Let’s do it here! I’ll wait here for your king’s arrival.”
The two messengers immediately turned and rushed off into the distance. Li Qing’an watched them disappear at the edge of the grassland before turning to Hou Yiyun and asking, “What are the special products of the Gesa Khanate? I mean, things of strategic value?”
Hou Yiyun, who knew this area well, replied promptly, “Your Excellency, the Gesa Khanate is rich in gems and silver, but due to its small population, the output isn’t large. Besides, it also has many camels and warhorses, especially camels—large in number and of high quality. Many people from the Abbasid Caliphate come here to buy them.”
“Camels!” Li Qing’an murmured to himself. “These are exactly what I need.”
He then asked, “How much is one camel?”
“In the markets of Yitier City, an adult camel costs at least eight Byzantine gold coins, with younger camels being slightly cheaper.”
Five gold coins were equivalent to eight guan in the Tang Dynasty, which was quite cheap. In the markets of Anxi, an adult camel could fetch at least thirty guan—a huge profit.
“Why are they so cheap?”
“Mainly because the Gesa people love raising camels in large numbers, so the price is much lower. If Your Excellency is interested, you might consider buying a few thousand as the main means of transporting supplies.”
“I’m very interested!”
……
A moment later, an army of thousands of camels arrived with a roar and stopped three li away. By then, Li Qing’an had already ordered a large white tent to be set up in the open field as a temporary camp for the talks.
Khan Bran and his two key ministers arrived at the tent, accompanied by dozens of guards. Li Qing’an went out to greet them, smiling and saying, “We’ve been neighbors for so long, yet this is the first time we’ve met. That’s not right!”
Khan Bran was surprised to hear Li Qing’an speak fluent Turkic, and even more impressed by his youth. He opened his arms and stepped forward warmly, “Dear General Li, I’ve long admired your reputation. My people say you’re the strongest eagle in Fergana. Seeing you today, I confirm it’s well-deserved.”

The two laughed heartily as they hugged tightly, patting each other’s backs and touching their noses and foreheads together—a gesture of brotherhood. Khan Bran expressed his welcome to Li Qing’an with the most solemn ceremony.
“Please come inside the tent to talk,” he said.
Li Qing’an invited Khan Bran into the temporary tent, which was covered with carpets and furnished with long tables. Several high-ranking officials from Anxi were already waiting there.
Li Qing’an introduced them one by one. “This is my chief advisor, Mr. Yan!”
Yan Zhuang smiled and nodded at him.
“This is my general, General Li Guangbi, the commander of our troops.”
Li Guangbi, who rarely smiled, bowed slightly with clasped fists.
“And this is Hou Yiyun, the officer in charge of trade in Anxi, and this is Zhang Chao, the official in charge of financial matters.”
Compared to the others, Khan Bran clearly showed interest in Hou Yiyun, shaking his hand warmly. From this, Li Qing’an understood Khan Bran’s purpose—he had come to discuss trade. Indeed, the two high-ranking officials who accompanied him were both in charge of trade.
Once they sat down, Li Qing’an said with a smile, “When I was building cities along the Yibohai Sea, some of my subordinates suggested building a few castles on the west coast as well. I went there to check it out, but it was uninhabited. Due to time constraints, I didn’t build any cities there. Later, I found out that the area west of the Yibohai Sea was already part of your kingdom. I truly apologize for that.”
Khan Bran smiled slightly and said, “Our Gesa Khanate has a vast territory, but a sparse population, with most people living in the Volga River region. It’s indeed difficult for us to manage the area around the Yibohai Sea, so we barely pay attention to it. If the great general is willing, I can offer the land two hundred miles west of the Yibohai Sea to the Tang Dynasty, making the entire coast of the Yibohai Sea part of Tang territory.”
If this had happened before the Battle of Talas, this king’s generosity would have deeply moved Li Qing’an. But after gaining control of the entire Fergana Valley and Transoxiana, Li Qing’an realized that governing such a vast territory was no easy task. It took him a month just to travel from Suiye to Transoxiana back and forth, wasting much of his time on journeys. The king’s offer to give him the entire Yibohai Sea region wasn’t really a significant favor—his own lands were so vast that giving a small portion to the Tang Dynasty was insignificant.
Nevertheless, Li Qing’an showed great gratitude. Securing Lake Balkhash completely was also one of his dreams.

“Then I thank His Majesty the King for his generosity, which allows me to build a castle west of the Yibao Sea.”
“General, please don’t mention it. Go ahead and build the castle.”
With the Yibao Sea now under Bran Khan’s control, he had a psychological advantage and could discuss matters directly with Li Qing’an. “I came to see you today mainly to talk about trade between our two countries. The Gasa people have migrated westward for hundreds of years and are no longer nomadic tribes. The Gasa Khanate has shifted to a trade-based economy. I hope the Tang Dynasty can establish trade relations not only with the Roman Empire but also with us. If Tang merchants come to my city of Itiel, I will welcome them with the greatest enthusiasm.”
Li Qing’an nodded and smiled. “I’ve heard that the camels of the Gasa Khanate are very famous. The Anxi government plans to establish several large caravans, and I intend to purchase ten thousand camels from the Gasa Khanate and hire a thousand camel handlers. I wonder if His Majesty would be willing to conclude our first deal?”
Buying camels was mainly to solve transportation problems for the battles against the Tuyuhuo, and he might even head south to Sindh. He couldn’t establish a long supply line, and even if he could, it would be vulnerable to attacks and interruptions. Therefore, Li Qing’an planned to form a large logistics force, and camels were undoubtedly the best means of transportation. How could he miss this opportunity?
For Bran Khan, selling camels was no problem, nor was hiring a thousand camel handlers. What concerned him was the status of Itiel City—he wanted the Tang Dynasty to recognize it as an important trading hub.
“As long as the General agrees to treat my capital, Itiel City, on par with City of Ati as a key trading hub for Tang merchants, I will not only sell you the camels but also lend you two thousand camel soldiers to help take care of those ten thousand camels.”
“Agreed! Let’s make it official!”
……
(Note: Emperor Constantine V of Byzantium was likely around 35 or 36 years old at this time. Lao Gao made him older—please forgive this! Additionally, the Gasa Khanate refers to the historical Khazar Khanate, though it’s debatable whether its territory ever reached Lake Balkhash.)