Chapter 388: A Long Journey for Recruitment

At the end of September, Li Qing’an’s 2,000-strong army arrived at A’huan City, the capital of the Yuechi Kingdom. The Tang people called it that, while the locals referred to it as the Toharistan Kingdom. After the battles in Toharistan a few months earlier, A’huan City had become the command center for the Tang army.

The Tang cavalry moved slowly along the trade route leading to A’huan City, in silence. There were still ten miles to go before reaching the city, with low hills and dense jungles on both sides.

Li Qing’an rode on his horse, looking up at several eagles circling in the sky. He had once raised a falcon in Jinman County, but when he moved to Suiye, his falcon did not follow—he stayed in the Tianshan Mountains. Perhaps it was out of loyalty to its homeland.

Li Qing’an smiled and turned his gaze back to A’huan City in the distance. This was his first time entering the heartland of Toharistan. He had originally planned to rush back to Anxi to address the crisis in Hexi, but upon reaching Shihan, he received news from Anxi: the crisis there had been resolved. Anxi had lost Gansu and Suzhou provinces along with 20,000 troops. This outcome was better than he had expected. He had thought they could only hold on to Shazhou and had no hope of saving their troops. But thanks to the efforts of his subordinates in Anxi, half of their forces were preserved.

“Hmph! They took Hexi from me—do they really think that’s it?”

Li Qing’an did not shy away from setbacks. He had written back, taking responsibility for the events in Hexi on himself. As the commander-in-chief, he should not have gone so far to Xinzhou, leaving Anxi without leadership. It was a mistake in his tactical planning. He should have sent Li Guangbi to Xinzhou while he dealt with Toharistan.

Secondly, he had underestimated Li Yu’s suspicion toward him. He knew that a split between him and Li Yu was inevitable, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. It was his carelessness. If he had anticipated this, he would have secured Hexi’s defenses before launching his southern campaign.

However, there was one thing Li Qing’an couldn’t figure out: why would Li Yu suddenly attack Hexi? Logically, with enemies on all sides, attacking his apparent ally before dealing with any of them would be a political blunder. From what he knew of Li Yu, he wouldn’t make such a foolish mistake. Moreover, Li Mi was by his side, yet even he didn’t dissuade him. This meant there must be a reason why Li Yu felt forced to act against him.

What was that reason? It left Li Qing’an utterly puzzled.

“General, General Li is here!” A bodyguard’s shout interrupted Li Qing’an’s thoughts.

A group of cavalry approached from afar. Leading them was Li Guangbi, the commander of Toharistan. In moments, Li Guangbi rushed forward, dismounted, and knelt to pay military respect to Li Qingan, saying, “Your humble servant, Li Guangbi, salutes the great general!”
Li Qingan quickly dismounted and helped him up, smiling and saying, “I owe much of this victory in the battle against Toharistan to you, Brother Guangbi.”
Li Guangbi humbly replied, “I was merely lucky to win. Without the Hézhōng Army suppressing the help sent by the Abbasid forces from Khorasan, it’s uncertain who would have won this war. I should first give credit to the Hézhōng Army.”
Li Qingan nodded. “I will certainly consider the contributions of the Hézhōng Army. But your humility is truly admirable, Brother Guangbi.”
“I dare not! The great general speaks too highly of me.”
At that moment, Li Guangbi pointed to a rather obese middle-aged man from Toharistan standing nearby and said, “This is Luo Xian, the new king of Yuezhi. Hearing that the great general was coming, he rushed here to pay his respects.”
Luo Xian quickly knelt down and respectfully kowtowed to Li Qingan, saying, “Your humble servant, Luo Xian of Yuezhi, pays respects to His Highness King Zhao!”
Li Guangbi then introduced, “King Luo Xian was originally a general of Toharistan. He led 30,000 troops to surrender to the Tang army. Since the old king has died, I have temporarily appointed him as the new king. I ask the great general for approval.”
“I see!”
Li Qingan smiled and helped him up. “Your Majesty, please rise. Your decision to lead your troops to surrender to the Tang Dynasty shows your sincerity. From now on, I officially approve you as the new king of Yuezhi.”
Luo Xian quickly thanked him before bursting into tears. “Your Highness King Zhao, Yuezhi was originally a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. After the Abbasids expanded eastward, the various Toharistan kingdoms repeatedly sought help from the Tang Dynasty. But since no reinforcements arrived, they were unable to resist the Abbasids and were forced to surrender. Now that the Tang army has entered Toharistan and restored our freedom, we are willing to become subjects of the Tang Dynasty, paying taxes and performing labor services every year. We only beg Your Highness to allow us to stay in our homeland and not force us to leave.”
Li Qingan glanced at Li Guangbi, who pointed north. Then he understood. According to his initial orders, those who resisted would be relocated to the Boshan Mountains to work in mines. Thus, none of the major Toharistan kingdoms—Yuezhi, Gaofu, Wangting, etc.—could escape and would all have to be moved.
Although this was impractical—how could millions of Toharistan people be relocated without causing chaos—and Li Guangbi had not carried it out yet, he had no authority to cancel it. Only Li Qingan could do so.
Li Qingan did not respond directly. He said to Luo Xian calmly, “I will discuss this matter with General Li Guangbi. You may step back for now.”
“Yes!”
Luo Xian hurriedly bowed and stepped back.

After Li Qing’an watched him go far enough, he turned to Li Guangbi and said, “The lack of miners has always been a constraint in Anxi. Although it’s not practical to have everyone register as miners, the Tocharians must provide me with miners.”

Li Guangbi already had a well-thought-out plan. He quickly replied, “General, why not adopt a system of corvée labor, just like in the Central Plains? Tocharian men should serve two months of corvée labor each year to work in mines. At the same time, the duration of their corvée labor can be extended to offset taxes. I’ve specifically investigated, and the Tocharians are willing to use labor to pay taxes.”

Li Qing’an thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. “This method works. If it can be institutionalized, the people from the Su State can also be released and subjected to the same corvée system.”

With this major issue resolved, Li Guangbi felt greatly relieved. He smiled and said, “General, you’ve worked hard on this journey. Please come with me into the city to rest.”

“I am indeed a bit tired and want to get a good night’s sleep.”

The two of them chatted and laughed as they headed into the city. Along the way, Li Qing’an asked, “Is there any movement in Khorasan?”

“As of now, there’s no movement. But I believe the Arabs will not give up easily. In half a year, they will surely launch a large-scale invasion to the east.”

“Why half a year?” Li Qing’an asked with a smile.

“The Arabs know us quite well. Without half a year of preparation, they wouldn’t launch an invasion so easily. But once they prepare for half a year, their counterattack will surely involve a massive army. General, we also need to start preparing to avoid being caught off guard.”

“You’re right. The Arabs will not give up easily. I rushed back this time precisely to prepare for them.”

At that point, Li Qing’an changed the subject and said with a smile, “Have you heard about the situation in Hexi?”

“I just learned about it too. The court took advantage of your absence in Anxi to suddenly attack Hexi. They seized the opportunity well. But I think losing Gansu and Suzhou might not necessarily be a bad thing.”

“Oh? What do you see as the good in that?”

“At least it allowed us to discover two rebels in advance, and the general gained another talented person.”

“I agree with your view. Land can be regained, but talents are not something one can find at any time. Wu Yong has impressed me; he is indeed someone worth utilizing. But the matter in Hexi isn’t over. Once I deal with the Arabs, I’ll make them pay for what they’ve taken—returning it exactly as they took it.”

At that moment, Li Guangbi suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, “Speaking of talents, I recall a scholar surnamed Liu. He said he came from Chang’an to join you, traveling thousands of miles with the sole intention of finding you in Xinde. Yet he fell ill in Ahuancheng. He’s truly foolish, but he does have some insight.”
“What insight does he have?”
“He said the emperor will surely take action against Hexi. If you go to Xinde instead of Anxi, it will be difficult to avert the crisis in Hexi.”
Li Qing’an was stunned and quickly asked, “Where is this man?”
“He’s in Ahuancheng, recovering from illness for nearly a month. He’s almost healed now and says he wants to go to Xinde to find you again.”
“Bring him to me at once!”
After entering the city, Li Qing’an stayed in the Yuezhi royal palace. Moments later, Li Guangbi brought a man to see him.
Li Qing’an saw that the man was about thirty or forty years old. Perhaps because he had just recovered from a serious illness, he appeared very thin. Li Qing’an smiled and said, “I heard you want to go to Xinde to find me?”
The man quickly stepped forward and bowed, “Your servant pays respects to the Grand General, the Military Governor!”
Li Qing’an was surprised. “Are you an official?”
“I used to be the head of the Xishi Changping Bureau, but I’ve resigned from my position. I traveled thousands of miles to Anxi to seek employment under the Grand General, the Military Governor.”
Li Qing’an nodded and waved his hand, saying with a smile, “Please sit, sir!”
The scholar sat down. Li Qing’an then asked, “May I ask your surname?”
Only then did the scholar remember he hadn’t introduced himself. He quickly apologized and said, “My surname is Liu, my given name is Yan, and my courtesy name is Shian. I’m from Caozhou.”
“Liu Yan?”
Li Qing’an suddenly remembered that this man was also a famous figure from the mid-Tang Dynasty, renowned for his skills in finance. But many famous figures from that era meant nothing to Li Qing’an anymore. He didn’t even bother to look up people like Du Fu or Wang Wei. The thought flashed through his mind briefly, after which he said with a smile, “General Li told me that you could predict the events in Hexi in advance. How is that possible?”
Liu Yan had also heard about the situation in Hexi. He had arrived a step too late, and his eyes darkened with sadness. He sighed and said, “In fact, the court is surrounded by crises, with external threats everywhere. To the north, An Lushan harbors sinister ambitions, while the kings of Wu, Jing, and Shu plot against the empire, ready to rise in rebellion at any moment. Everyone in the court believes that among all the external threats, An Lushan is the greatest, and the emperor should deal with him first. But I believe the emperor will first take action against the Grand General, starting with Hexi.”
This was exactly the mystery that had puzzled Li Qing’an for so long. He immediately became energized and quickly ordered his attendants, “Quick! Serve tea for this sir!”

The bodyguards on either side brought a cup of tea. Liu Yan picked up the cup, took a sip, and then spoke calmly, “The great general must be wondering why the emperor is so eager to attack Hexi. In fact, it’s all because of the Anxi silver coins.”
“Anxi silver coins?” Li Qing’an was puzzled. Importing large amounts of silver coins to the Central Plains should be a good thing—just like the influx of silver during the Ming and Qing dynasties, which greatly increased wealth. How could it instead cause trouble? But he didn’t ask further and said, “Please continue, sir!”
“The key issue is that there are now less than 300,000 strings of copper coins in the Left Treasury. The imperial court is in extreme financial distress. Even a low-ranking official like me has not received my salary for two years. Moreover, taxes from wealthy regions such as Jianghuai, Jingxiang, Bashu, and Hebei-Hedong cannot be sent to the capital. The emperor is almost driven mad trying to raise funds…”
“Wait!” Li Qing’an interrupted him, wondering, “Doesn’t the court have the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Works Bureau? There are tens of thousands of official craftsmen there. They can produce porcelain and paper, which can be sold to Anxi. If I give them genuine silver coins, won’t that generate money? Why are they at a loss?”
“The great general is referring to the past.”
Liu Yan smiled bitterly. “Now, aside from the Military Armaments Bureau and a few official craftsmen, where are the other craftsmen? They’ve all gone off to make a living for themselves. Even if there are official craftsmen, it’s useless without money to buy raw materials. The local governments once had some stockpiles of silk and other light goods, but Yang Guozhong sold them all. The money obtained from that was also squandered by the late emperor. I often visit the Left Treasury and various official granaries in Guanzhong, but they’re all empty. Right now, in the Tang Dynasty, the common people are wealthy while the officials are poor. These common people aren’t ordinary folks—they’re members of noble families and wealthy merchants. It’s said that the Lady of Guo alone possesses wealth worth tens of millions of strings. The court is penniless, while the nobles are extremely rich. The emperor needs money to recruit troops, but he has none. What can he do?”
“Isn’t the retired emperor enemies with the Yang family? If he eliminates the Yang family, won’t money flow in abundantly?” Li Qing’an said dismissively.
“It’s not that simple. The emperor’s concubine, Cui, is the daughter of the Lady of Hanguo. With Yang Guozhong as the right chancellor, the emperor dares not easily target these nobles. If a conflict breaks out, it will give the regional princes an excuse to unite and send troops. With external forces pressing in and nobles colluding internally, they might even incite chaos among the peasants. With insufficient military strength, how can the court respond?”
“So he’s targeting me. But what does this have to do with my Anxi silver coins?”

“The General is unaware that Wu Diqi, the Minister of Revenue, is my good friend. He privately told me that the Emperor obtained a batch of silver ingots from the late Emperor’s treasury—about 300,000 jin. The Emperor plans to use these to issue new silver coins, with a silver content of two parts silver to eight parts copper, making one silver coin equivalent to fifty copper coins. He intends to force exchanges of copper coins everywhere and strictly prohibit private silver coin minting. In essence, this is a disguised way of issuing large-denomination coins, allowing him to quickly raise millions of guan to recruit troops. It’s the fastest and most effective solution to address the current crisis. Yet, it’s precisely because of the abundance of Anxi silver coins that the Emperor’s new currency plan cannot be implemented.”

Li Qing’an somewhat understood and smiled, saying, “I was actually the one who gave those silver ingots to the late Emperor. Still, I’m a bit skeptical—do my Anxi silver coins really have such a significant impact?”

“The impact is enormous!” Liu Yan sighed. “As the head of the Changping Bureau, how could I not know the importance of Anxi silver coins? At first, they mainly appeared in the capital and began to circulate widely. Now they’ve become the primary currency of the Tang Dynasty. Because of them, the silver coins minted by the late Emperor, which were originally worth one hundred copper coins each, are now only worth five copper coins in the market, and most shops refuse to accept them. As for the inferior silver coins minted by others, no one wants them either. Even people in Chang’an refuse to accept them when buying rice. Under such circumstances, how can the Emperor issue silver coins worth fifty copper coins each? Forcing exchanges for copper coins will only cause chaos throughout the country. Therefore, the Emperor must stop the influx of Anxi silver coins. Once their source is cut off, the new silver coins will quickly displace them from the market. Does the General understand? This is the law of bad money driving out good money. Only by controlling Hexi can we stop Anxi silver coins.”

“What an ignorant fool!” Li Qing’an sneered. “The world is so vast. Does he really think that taking control of Hexi will stop my silver coins? I can use Tibet as a route, or the Uyghurs, or even sail from Punjab to Guangzhou by sea. Can he stop me? From his words and actions in the Eastern Palace, I thought he would be an emperor who put the people first. It seems that once he ascended the throne, he turned out to be just as despicable—too afraid to touch the powerful and only daring to oppress the weak.”

Liu Yan let out a low sigh and said, “I used to think the same way. I had high hopes for him. But less than half a year after he ascended the throne, he tried to issue large-denomination coins in a disguised form to plunder the wealth of the weak people, which disappointed me greatly. That’s why I abandoned my lowly position and came to Anxi to serve the General.”

After saying this, Liu Yan stood up and bowed deeply. “I, Liu Yan, am willing to serve His Highness, the Prince of Zhao. I earnestly beg for His Highness’s acceptance.”

“Good! Very good!” Li Qingan agreed gladly. “Sir may act as my advisor for now and help me plan the logistics for Anxi.”
……
(In history, just one year after ascending the throne, Li Heng adopted Wu Diqi’s method by introducing the heavy-weight Qian coins, with one such coin worth fifty ordinary coins, in order to exploit the people’s wealth and raise military funds. Here, historical facts are slightly altered for narrative purposes!)