Chapter 412: Ceasefire Agreement

Caliph Mansur of the Abbasid Dynasty was then on the west bank of the Amu Darya River. To urge Ziyad to carry out his strategy, he personally went to Khorasan. At that time, a force of 40,000 soldiers from Khorasan and 10,000 guards were stationed at the edge of the desert, about ten miles away from the Amu Darya River.

On the opposite bank of the Amu Darya, in the Nishapur area, the Tang army was also heavily assembled, with at least 70,000 troops. The two armies had been facing off for nearly a month.

Mansur had been waiting for news from Khwarezm. By calculation, the 100,000-strong army should have arrived in Khwarezm long ago and was now likely on its way south toward Transoxiana. Perhaps due to the lack of any news from Haman, Mansur was uneasy—a sense of distress that had been plaguing him for days. This unease had taken root even when he left Damascus. Khalid had pleaded with him not to blame his family no matter what Haman did.

Mansur agreed, but Khalid’s request cast a shadow over his mind. As no news came from Khwarezm, Mansur began to regret his decision. Perhaps he had made a mistake by appointing Haman as the commander. His choice was not impulsive—Abu Muslim had been dead for nearly two years, yet his reputation among the imperial army remained strong, as if his spirit still lingered. Thus, Mansur was eager to find someone to replace Abu Muslim’s generals.

Haman al-Barmaki was his ideal candidate. Like Abu Muslim, he was Persian, came from a noble family, had excellent manners and appearance, and had participated in several battles, even sustaining injuries. He had become an idol admired by many young Arab soldiers. To further elevate Haman to a near-divine status, Mansur decided to let him lead the army on a campaign eastward, aiming for a decisive victory on the northern front. Mansur had thought this through carefully. He knew full well that Haman was no match for Li Qing’an, but Li Qing’an was likely right across from him at that moment, facing off against him. The Transoxiana region should be filled with ordinary Tang troops. Even if Haman was weaker, he had capable commanders to assist him, so there shouldn’t be too many problems. In the final battle, Mansur planned to personally command the army.

It was a pity that Mansur had not read the Eastern story of Tian Ji’s horse racing and was unaware of the strategy of using inferior horses to defeat superior ones in Eastern tactics. Though he was the caliph of the Abbasid Dynasty, Li Qing’an might not necessarily engage him in person according to diplomatic etiquette.

These days, Mansur finally sensed something was wrong. It seemed Li Qing’an was not among the main forces of the Tang army on the other side of the Amu Darya River. He had also considered the possibility that Li Qing’an might see through his plans and go to Khwarezm in person, but such a chance was extremely low—after all, he wouldn’t arrange his troops for such a slim possibility. Yet now…

Mansur hadn’t slept well for two days straight. Worrying deeply, he longed for Haman to bring him good news. In the morning, just after having breakfast and drinking tea—ironically, the white porcelain cup in his hands was one that Li Qing’an had given him back then—a guard rushed in and knelt to pay his respects. “Your Majesty, Li Qing’an has sent someone to deliver a message to you.”

“Ah!”

Mansur’s hand trembled slightly, spilling some tea. Li Qing’an had sent someone—hope flared in his heart again. So Li Qing’an wasn’t in Khwarezm?

“Bring them in quickly!”

Soon, a dozen guards brought in two young Tang civil officials. One of them bowed to Mansur and said in Turkic, “I am Chen Shaoyou, a clerk in the Anxi Military Governorship of the Great Tang. By order of the Anxi Military Governor, Prince Zhao, the Great General of the Cavalry, I bring you a letter and a gift.”

Speaking of the gift, the young official behind him placed a wooden box on the table. Mansur took the letter but didn’t look at it. His gaze was fixed on the box, and that ominous feeling surged strongly once more in his heart. It seemed he could smell a hint of blood.

“Open the box!”

He took a deep breath and ordered his guards. By then, Chen Shaoyou and his companion had stepped back against the wall, a cold smile on their lips.

The two guards stepped forward and used daggers to pry open the box, lifting the lid and uncovering a layer of oil-paper. Suddenly, they cried out in shock, their faces turning pale as they stepped back two steps, staring at what was inside the box. One of the guards shouted, “Your Majesty, it’s General Haman!”

Mansur saw clearly—inside the box was a human head, its features vividly preserved. It was Haman al-Barmak, the man he had placed great hopes on. Mansur felt an unbearable pain in his heart, as if a knife had been plunged deep into it. His vision blurred, and he swayed, on the verge of collapsing.

A few guards hurriedly supported him, while two others shouted and drew their swords, charging at Chen Shaoyou. “Stop!” Mansur stopped them. After all, he was a monarch of a nation, and he managed to regain control of himself. Soon, a profound sorrow overcame him. He knew that Haman was gone, as were his hundred thousand troops.

He stared blankly at the wooden box for a long time before finally speaking, his voice unusually low. He asked Chen Shaoyou, “Has your general returned?”

Chen Shaoyou stepped forward and bowed. “The general has returned. Everything he wanted to say is in the letter. Please, Your Majesty, take a look.”

Mansur slowly picked up the letter. On the envelope was written: “To the Caliph of the Abbasid Empire, from His Majesty.”

“The Empire?” Mansur smiled bitterly. He opened the letter. At the beginning, Li Qing’an wrote, “From Zhao Wang of the Tang Empire, Grand General of the Anxi Military Region, to the Caliph of the Abbasid Empire: I have returned from Khwarezm and wish to have a sincere conversation with Your Majesty.”

It was Li Qing’an’s own handwriting, filled with sincerity. Mansur sighed. The letter made it clear that his hundred thousand troops had been completely annihilated. Li Qing’an advised him to focus more on domestic crises, as Hezhong and Turfan were originally within the Tang Dynasty’s territory, urging him to face reality.

“The Tang army has no intention of crossing the Amu Darya River. We are willing to sit down and talk with Your Majesty by its banks. If Your Majesty refuses, then I, Li Qing’an, am not averse to traveling a little further to Damascus to meet with you in person.”

“Your Majesty, standing on the walls of Damascus, might just be able to see me.”

Mansur read the letter over and over again, lost in thought. No one dared disturb him. Chen Shaoyou, the Tang envoy, also stood quietly by, waiting for his reply.

After what seemed like a long time, Mansur seemed to wake from a dream. He nodded gently. “Very well! Please convey to your general that I am willing to talk with him.”

……

There, in the room, Li Qing’an sat with his upper body bare, as a military doctor carefully changed his wound. The arrow wound wasn’t serious at first, but the last arrow fired by Shaikh caused it to split open, leading to some infection.

At that moment, Li Siye pushed the door open and entered. Hearing his footsteps, Li Qing’an asked, “Has everything regarding compensation been arranged?”

“Everything is arranged. Aside from the ashes of those who died from burns, the bones of the other fallen soldiers have been placed in coffins and shipped out from Samarkand. According to recent news from Shuyie, key officials such as Wang Changling, Duan Xiushi, and Cen Shen have gone to various households according to the list of the fallen to offer compensation in the form of silver coins and certificates. Compensation will be provided strictly in accordance with the regulations of Anxi. Please rest assured, General.”

Li Qing’an sighed and said, “Fifteen thousand soldiers have died in just two battles. This is the worst loss I’ve faced since taking charge of Anxi. I feel ashamed before the people of Anxi. Pass on my orders: upon returning, no celebration or triumphal ceremony is allowed. For one month, no entertainment is permitted throughout Anxi. Anyone who disobeys these orders, no matter who they are, will be punished with 150 lashes. If it’s my wife who violates the order, I will take the lashes myself.”

“I will obey the orders!”

Li Siyeh quickly instructed a scribe nearby to draft the military orders. He stayed put, as he still had something to say to Li Qing’an.

At that moment, the military doctor cleaned Li Qing’an’s wounds and applied medicine, then solemnly warned him, “General, your injuries are severe. Your tendons and bones are damaged. You cannot exert force for three months and cannot use a bow for a year, otherwise you will never be able to use a bow again in your life.”

Li Qing’an felt a dull pain in his left shoulder. After the medicine was applied, he immediately felt relief and sighed softly. He smiled at Li Siyeh and said, “Actually, I’m quite lucky. Bai Xiaode’s intestines were torn, and he’ll have to lie bedridden for at least half a year.”

Li Siyeh sighed and said, “General, you bear the heavy responsibility of Anxi. You shouldn’t have risked your life in battle. If anything happens to you, Anxi will be in danger!”

“If I don’t go into battle, how can my soldiers be willing to fight to the death? It’s 25,000 against 50,000—both sides are elite troops. I had no choice but to take a desperate gamble. Otherwise, the Abbasid army would surely retreat.”

“Are you that eager?”

Li Qing’an nodded. “This battle is of great significance to me. If we can’t wipe out the Abbasid army and let them escape, there will be no peace in Hezhong for three years. Mansur certainly won’t give up so easily. But wiping out 100,000 soldiers may not be a devastating blow militarily, but it will have an immeasurable psychological impact on Mansur. I’m confident that for at least five years, the Arabs won’t consider expanding eastward. That way, I’ll have time to turn my attention back east.”

In fact, Li Qing’an was far more anxious about the urgency of this battle than Mansur. It was now the 13th year of the Tianbao era. Historically, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out in the 14th year of Tianbao. Although history had been greatly disrupted by him, he had not been able to change the root causes of the rebellion. To a large extent, the An Lushan Rebellion was triggered when various social contradictions reached a critical point. Therefore, the 14th year of Tianbao would also be a critical point for the outbreak of various social crises, so he needed to focus his attention and energy on domestic affairs immediately.

To this end, he needed to reach a ceasefire agreement with Mansur.

……

After several preliminary discussions, both sides finally agreed to sign the ceasefire agreement on the ice of the Amu Darya River at noon three days later.

The day arrived quickly. Early in the morning, the weather was still cold, with a thin layer of mist covering the ice of the Amu Darya River. The river usually began to thaw in early February, but it was still the last day of mid-January, and thick ice covered the surface.

As the spring sun warmed the ice, a huge white tent appeared in the middle of the Amu Darya River. One hundred men from each side were sent to set up the facilities inside the tent. The setup was actually quite simple: three thick carpets were laid on the ice, with a long table in the middle. The text of the ceasefire agreement was jointly drafted by both sides and written in Arabic, Chinese, and Turkic.

The content was not extensive. Both sides unconditionally agreed to a ceasefire. Starting from the date of signing, they would not go to war for five years. The Amu Darya River would serve as the ceasefire line, and the Abbasid Dynasty would recognize the areas along the river and in Turkestan as part of the Tang Dynasty’s territory.

Since the Tang army had already signed a military alliance with the Byzantines, the Tang army was obligated to revise this alliance with the Romans. For five years, as long as the Abbasid Dynasty abided by the ceasefire treaty and its troops did not launch military attacks on the Byzantines, the Tang army would not participate in any Byzantine military actions against the Arabs.

At the same time, both sides would also sign a memorandum of understanding regarding Khwarezm. Khwarezm would be divided into two, with Zoroastrians and Muslims establishing their own states in the Aral Sea Delta west of the Amu Darya River. Neither the Tang Dynasty nor the Abbasid Dynasty would interfere in the internal affairs of these two Khwarezmian states, nor would they send troops to intervene in their conflicts.

Both sides used extremely cautious language and made concessions—such as using the Amu Darya as a ceasefire line rather than a border, and the Abbasid dynasty acknowledging Transoxiana as Tang territory rather than sovereign land. Additionally, if the Abbasid army launched a military attack on Byzantium, the Tang forces would honor their military alliance with Byzantium, to prevent the Arabs from using the ceasefire agreement to undermine that alliance.

Regarding matters involving Byzantium, the two sides specifically wrote everything in Latin. They also agreed to fully open trade, encourage merchants to trade between the two countries, and maintain all taxes and currencies according to the terms before the Battle of Talas.

At noon, the agreed time arrived. As per the plan, both sides would head to the central tent on the river at the same time, with each person allowed to bring only one deputy commander, two civil officials, and three hundred guards. Both sides also sent observers to monitor each other, with every detail carefully planned.

Manusur’s deputy commander was Qiyad, the governor of Khorasan. On the surface, their relationship seemed quite harmonious, and Qiyad obeyed orders without question. Yet it was precisely this obedience that revealed his ulterior motives—though the word “ambition” couldn’t yet be applied to him.

If he truly obeyed orders, he should have immediately sent troops to the Amu Darya at Manusur’s command to cooperate with Haman. But in reality, Qiyad hesitated to send troops, which contradicted his apparent obedience.

Manusur was fully aware of this. He was at a loss as to what to do with Qiyad, as the main generals of the Khorasan army had all been promoted by Qiyad himself, who had taken advantage of Manusur’s order to eliminate Abu Muslim’s subordinates. If he killed Qiyad, a mutiny among the Khorasan army could endanger not only Manusur’s life but also allow the Tang forces to take advantage of the situation, with disastrous consequences. At this point, Manusur didn’t want to create further complications.

“General Qiyad, let’s go,” said Manusur with a faint smile.

Qiyad bowed respectfully. “Your Majesty, please go first!”

His face showed utmost sincerity, no different from when he first met Manusur a month earlier. But inside, he had changed. Although Manusur had suppressed news of the Battle of Khwarazm, Qiyad had still heard some information: Haman had been killed, and his head had been delivered by Li Qing’an. The death of the commander meant that the main forces on the northern front were completely destroyed. Qiyad trusted his judgment—otherwise, Manusur would never have signed this five-year ceasefire treaty with the Tang forces.

In fact, Qiyad already knew that Li Qing’an was not on the other side of the Amu Darya, but he didn’t tell Mansur. Now that Li Qing’an had brought back Haman’s head, it meant he had personally fought in the Battle of Khwarezm. Qiyad had deduced the situation from various clues and was secretly pleased. With a hundred thousand troops eliminated, his Khorasan army would become the empire’s strongest force, forcing Mansur to yield on certain matters. Qiyad didn’t expect to become caliph, but he hoped to become king of Khorasan with sufficient autonomy. As he accompanied Mansur to the main tent, he was secretly planning how to realize his dream of becoming king. “General Qiyad, I’m serious about this agreement. I truly intend to focus on Spain for the next five years and ignore matters in the East. I wonder if you’re interested in becoming the commander of the expeditionary force?” Mansur looked at him with a half-smile. Qiyad quickly replied respectfully, “My abilities are limited; I fear I’m not qualified and might hinder Your Majesty’s campaign. I’d be willing to recommend capable people for you.” “Hehe! I was just joking.” Both of them laughed, though their laughter sounded forced. … At the same moment Mansur and Qiyad arrived at the tent, Li Qing’an’s group also arrived, with Li Siyeh following behind him. Mansur and Li Qing’an dismounted and walked toward each other, smiling and opening their arms. “General Li, it’s been two years since we last met!” “Your Majesty still seems in excellent health.” They laughed heartily and hugged tightly, acting as if they hadn’t seen each other in thirty years. Suddenly, Li Qing’an frowned, touched his left shoulder, and said apologetically, “Your Majesty, I’m injured in my left shoulder. My apologies.” “Oh! I was too rash. Come, let’s go inside together.” The two walked into the tent arm in arm. Who would have thought that they had just fought the most brutal battle? Their guards all wore bitter smiles—what hypocritical politics! The tent was already prepared, and the two sat down in their respective seats. Their guards brought them tea. Li Qing’an picked up the hot teacup and said with a smile, “I heard Your Majesty likes tea, so I brought ten pounds of the best tea from Chang’an. I hope you’ll like it.” “I love it! Where is it?” Li Qing’an put down the teacup, gestured, took a bag of tea from his guard, and handed it to Mansur. Mansur quickly took the tea bag, sniffed it, and exclaimed happily, “This is first-class Mengding tea!”

Li Qing’an gave a thumbs up and smiled in praise, “Your Majesty is truly extraordinary.”
Man Sul set down the tea bag and sighed. “I really hope all my subjects can learn to drink tea. I was wondering if the Great General could give me some tea seedlings so I can plant them widely along the Tigris River.”
Li Qing’an smiled faintly. “Tea seedlings cannot be given away.”
“Why not?” Man Sul was surprised.
“Tea leaves are our source of income. If we give them to Your Majesty, we won’t be able to make any money from them anymore.”
The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter, understanding each other without words.
“However, I do have a special gift for Your Majesty,” Li Qing’an said, losing his smile.
Sensing there was more to Li Qing’an’s words, Man Sul also stopped smiling and asked, “What special gift does the Great General have in mind? Surely it’s not another wooden box!”
Li Qing’an smiled but didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up the peace treaty document before him and began to read it carefully. Perplexed, Man Sul didn’t press further and also started reading the document. After a while, Li Qing’an put the document down, took a writing brush from the inkwell, dipped it in ink, and signed his name—Li Qing’an—under a series of titles such as King of Zhao, Governor of Anxi, and Great General of the Cavalry.
He signed three copies in total. After putting down the brush, the scribe beside him stamped the documents, while Man Sul signed his name with a feather brush and affixed his jade seal. They then exchanged the documents and signed again. Once the last red seal was placed, the peace treaty was finally signed.
At that moment, Li Qing’an put down the brush and smiled faintly at Man Sul. “To show my sincerity, I will release all 10,875 prisoners of war from your army. This is my special gift for Your Majesty.”
Volume Eleven: Looking Back Eastward