Chapter 455: Pei Family’s Birthday Celebration (Part 2)

When Li Qing’an saw Pei Kuan again, he was astonished by how much he had changed. Back then, Pei Kuan had been tall and robust; despite his age, he still moved with vigor. But now, he was thin and small, almost unrecognizable.
Li Qing’an sighed inwardly. He could tell that Pei Kuan didn’t have much time left. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Li Qing’an pays his respects to Elder Pei!”
Pei Kuan received Li Qing’an in his Buddha hall, seated on a large cushioned chair, surrounded by dozens of his grandchildren. Pei Kuan valued his descendants greatly, as they would be the pillars supporting the prosperity of the Pei family. Mingzhu was among them as well. Next to her, Li Qing’an saw the girl in the green dress from earlier—Pei Wan’er. She gave Li Qing’an a faint smile before lowering her head.
Though extremely weak, Pei Kuan remained clear-minded, his face bearing the kindness and wisdom typical of an elder. He waved at Li Qing’an and said weakly with a smile, “It’s General Li! Please, have a seat!”
Pei Yu brought over a stool and whispered, “General, please sit.”
“Then I thank you, Elder Pei.”
Li Qing’an sat down and said, “I came especially to celebrate your 75th birthday and contribute my modest efforts.”
“How many Han people are there in Anxi?” Pei Kuan seemed not to hear Li Qing’an’s words; his question had nothing to do with what Li had just said.
Li Qing’an smiled and followed up, “There are 295,400 households. This year, we plan to relocate another 50,000, and the preparations have already begun.”
“I remember telling the emperor in the 24th year of Kaiyuan that the best way to maintain long-term control is to relocate Han people to ensure a steady supply of soldiers. More than a decade later, you’ve gradually made this happen—how remarkable!”
Pei Kuan sighed and turned to his grandchildren, saying, “See? General Li is only a few years older than you, yet he’s able to expand our Tang Dynasty’s territory and command hundreds of thousands of troops. You should take him as an example if the Pei family is to truly thrive.”
……
In the light drizzle, Li Qing’an’s carriage entered Tongyi Fang and came to a stop in front of a large mansion—this was the residence of Lu Huan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of State Affairs.
According to the division of tasks set for Pei Kuan’s birthday celebration, Li Qing’an took on the responsibility of delivering invitations to high-ranking officials in Chang’an above the third rank. Pei Yu served as his assistant. There weren’t many people involved—about forty or fifty in total—but Li Qing’an didn’t have to deliver invitations personally to every household. For some, he sent Pei Yu with his own calling card as a gesture of respect.

But for some families, Li Qingan would personally make a visit, such as the Lu family. Although the Right Minister of the Secretariat was only of the fourth rank, Li Qingan still went in person. The Lu family was a prominent clan from Fanyang in Hebei and one of the seven major noble families at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. The Right Minister of the Secretariat, Lu Huan, was not the same person as Lu Huan, the governor of Yangzhou whom Li Qingan had met in Yangzhou back then. This Lu Huan was the eldest son of Lu Huaishen, the prime minister at the beginning of the Kaiyuan era. He had served as the governor of Shanzhou during the Tianbao period and was recalled to the court last year to take up the position of Right Minister of the Secretariat. Although the rank of the Right Minister was not very high, his power was considerable. The Left Minister was in charge of the Ministries of Personnel, Household, and Rites, while the Right Minister was in charge of the Ministries of War, Punishments, and Works. Any documents approved by the six ministries of the Secretariat had to be checked by both the Left and Right Ministers before being sent to the various executive departments for implementation. Since the Left Minister, Cui Qiao, had defected to Li Longji, Lu Huan temporarily assumed his duties. The Lu family had excellent relationships with the Du Gu family and the Pei family. Pei Min’s wife was Lu Huan’s sister, so Li Qingan was given a grand reception by the Lu family. Coincidentally, Lu Huan’s brother, Lu Yi, the Central Censor-in-Chief, was also at his brother’s house. He had brought his wife and children to visit, and upon hearing that Li Qingan had arrived, Lu Huan ordered his servants to open the main gate to show his sincerity. This was the first time such a thing had happened in the Lu family in years. As the gate creaked open, the Lu brothers stepped out together. “Your Highness, the Prince of Zhao, has come to our humble abode, bringing honor to it. The Lu family welcomes you wholeheartedly!” Li Qingan bowed and smiled, saying, “I came unannounced and without prior notice, disturbing your rest.” “How could that be! A distinguished guest like Your Highness, the Prince of Zhao, cannot even be invited by us—how can we talk of disturbance?” The two brothers quickly invited Li Qingan inside. As Li Qingan entered, a young boy stepped forward from behind the door and bowed, saying, “Young man seeks advice from the great general!” Lu Yi’s expression darkened, and he snapped, “Qi Er, do not be rude!” Only then did Li Qingan clearly see the boy’s appearance. He was only twelve or thirteen years old, but he had a pigeon chest and hunched back, and his face was grotesque and ugly. Hearing Lu Huan call him “Qi Er,” Li Qingan realized who he was—Lu Qi, the infamous ugly prime minister in mid-Tang history. Lu Yi quickly apologized, saying, “This is my son, Lu Qi. I failed to teach him properly; he was rude.” He then shouted, “Go away at once!” Li Qingan knew that although Lu Qi was later known as a treacherous prime minister, those who committed great evils must have had some outstanding qualities. So he smiled gently and said, “It’s fine. My dear nephew, feel free to ask if you have any questions.”

Although Lu Qi was young, he was diligent and eager to learn, reading extensively at home. Recently, he had developed an interest in Anxi and had been studying its strategic terrain. Unfortunately, he couldn’t go there in person. Hearing that Li Qingan had arrived, he mustered the courage to ask him questions.

When Li Qingan agreed to let him ask, he was overjoyed and quickly said, “A few days ago, I saw a map of the Tang Dynasty’s western regions, which mentioned that Gaochang produced plenty of grain—enough to supply the entire army in Anxi. But in other books, I read that Gaochang is hot and windy. I wondered: in such a hot place, where does the water come from to irrigate the fields? Without water, how can there be abundant grain?”

Seeing his keen interest in Anxi, Li Qingan felt pleased and smiled. “Since you’re studying geography, the most important thing is to conduct on-site investigations. Even if the journey is too far to go in person, you should at least ask the local merchants in Gaochang for first-hand, detailed information. Although Gaochang is hot and water evaporates quickly, the ground beneath is not hot. Moreover, to the north of Gaochang is the Bogda Mountain, and to the west is the Karawacheng Mountain. In summer, large amounts of melted snow and rain flow into the basin, seep into the Gobi Desert, and form underground streams. That’s why people there dig wells and canals that stretch for thousands of miles. Even in hot summers, there’s a constant flow of clear water. With water, ample sunlight, and fertile land, Gaochang can produce plenty of grain. Now do you understand?”

Lu Qi slapped his forehead in realization. “So it’s the wells and canals! There are similar ones in Guanzhong. How did I not think of that?”

Seeing Li Qingan’s tall and imposing figure, he felt extremely inferior and bowed deeply to him, saying sadly, “General, you hold a high position and great power, yet you have a broad mind. You don’t mind my ugliness. Lu Qi thanks you for your guidance.”

Li Qingan nodded and said, “A true man should take pride in serving his country and achieving great things, rather than worrying about his appearance. If you have great ambitions, you should visit Anxi. Travel thousands of miles and read countless books. By returning from your journey, you won’t underestimate yourself anymore.”

Lu Qi was filled with excitement, and his eyes showed longing. Anxi—he must go and see it.

The Lu brothers were moved by how just a few words from Li Qingan had inspired this usually inferior and quiet young man to pursue great ambitions. They both felt deeply touched. From this small incident, they could see Li Qingan’s broad-mindedness and sincerity.

Lu Huan quickly said, “General, please come to the study for a chat.”

Li Qingan smiled and nodded at Lu Qi, then followed the Lu brothers. As Lu Qi watched Li Qingan’s retreating figure, he suddenly blurted out, “A man should learn from Li Qingan—ride a horse, carry a sword, and enter the Tianshan Mountains!” With that, he turned and left.

In the study, the Lu brothers and Li Qing’an sat down as guests. A maid served them tea, after which Li Qing’an took out the invitation for Pei Kuan’s birthday celebration and handed it to the two brothers. He then apologized to Lu Yi, saying, “I didn’t expect Commissioner Lu to be here today. I also have an invitation from Commissioner Lu. I’ll send someone to deliver it to your home tomorrow. I hope you’ll bring your wives and children to Pei’s house for the gathering.”

Lu Huan glanced at the invitation—it was for Pei Kuan’s 75th birthday. What caught his attention, however, was the list of invitees at the bottom. There were the names of seven key figures from the Pei family, and surprisingly, Li Qing’an was on that list, ranked second—after Pei Zunqing and before Pei Min. He was secretly shocked. What did this mean?

His sister was Pei Min’s wife, so he certainly knew about Li Qing’an’s relationship with the Pei family. It wasn’t unusual for Li Qing’an to help prepare Pei Kuan’s birthday celebration; it made sense from a social perspective. But things weren’t that simple. It was unclear how many people this invitation would be sent to, but everyone would see those seven names. In essence, it was a public declaration that Li Qing’an and the Pei family were now allied.

He slowly handed the invitation back to his brothers, thinking about its impact on the Lu family. In fact, powerful families like the Cui, Pei, Wei, Lu, and Zhang families were all interconnected through marriages. Although the Cui and Pei families were rivals, they weren’t completely hostile. They all served the same emperor and coexisted under one roof, with both competition and cooperation, as well as marriages between them.

But now the situation had changed drastically. The Tang Dynasty faced a situation with two emperors in the north and south. To some extent, this split had torn apart the relationships between these powerful families. Moreover, local forces like Li Qing’an, An Lushan, the King of Wu, and the King of Jing showed signs of separatism. The Tang Dynasty was facing chaos unlike anything it had seen in a hundred years of its existence. What path should the Lu family take now?

Lu Huan also understood that Li Qing’an’s personal visit wasn’t just about delivering an invitation. He was actually trying to win over the Lu family. During the factional struggles in the past, Lu Huan had belonged to Li Linfu’s faction of prime ministers. After Li Linfu’s death, that faction disbanded. Some people joined Wang Gong, while others became neutral. The Lu family was one of those neutral groups and a key target for various factions. Now, Li Qing’an was trying to win them over as well.

At that moment, Lu Yi finished reading the invitation as well. He exchanged a glance with his elder brother—they needed to discuss it. Lu Huan then smiled and said, “Thank you, Your Highness, the Prince of Zhao, for coming in person to deliver the invitation. I accept this kindness. We will definitely attend Grand Preceptor Pei’s birthday celebration on time. Additionally, I have another matter I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Please speak, Deputy Commissioner Lu!”

“That’s right. Cui Qiao resigned as the Left Chancellor and went to Chengdu. The position has been vacant for half a month now. I’ve been handling all the matters he left behind. The day before yesterday, Prime Minister Pei came to see me and intended to appoint me as the Left Chancellor. He also asked if I had any suitable candidates to recommend for the Right Chancellor position, so I recommended Wang Wei, the brother of Wang Jin, the Deputy Minister of Justice, for that role. But Prime Minister Wang firmly opposed it. That’s why I hope Your Highness will support my recommendation.”
Li Qing’an was slightly taken aback and asked, “Is he that Wang Mojie who wrote ‘On Festive Days, I Long for My Family’ at the age of seventeen?”
“That’s exactly him!”
“But isn’t he living in seclusion in Lantian? Would he be willing to take up an official position?”
Lu Huan laughed and said, “It seems Your Highness doesn’t know Wang Mojie well. He’s currently in a semi-reclusive, semi-official state. He still holds the position of Censor in the Menxia Province. He went into seclusion in Lantian because of his poor relationship with Prime Minister Wang. He’s a close friend of mine. A few days ago, he wrote to me asking me to help him transfer out of the Menxia Province, which shows that he still has ambitions for an official career. Although he’s famous for his poetry, he had great ambitions since his youth and is quite capable. I hope Your Highness can give him a chance.”
Li Qing’an nodded and said, “I’ll discuss this with Prime Minister Pei. If he agrees, I’ll fully support it.”
Li Qing’an needed to go elsewhere to deliver invitations, so he stood up and said with a smile, “Very well. I won’t disturb you two any longer. I’ll take my leave for now. I’ll visit you again next time.”
The Lu brothers quickly stood up and said, “Your Highness personally came to deliver invitations. We are extremely grateful and will definitely attend Prime Minister Pei’s birthday celebration on time.”
They escorted Li Qing’an out of the gate. Once back in the study and with the door closed, Lu Huan said to his brother, “You must understand the real purpose behind Li Qing’an’s visit to deliver invitations to us!”
Lu Yi nodded. “His intention is obvious—he wants to win over our Lu family.”
Lu Huan sighed slightly. “Li Qing’an has always been a powerful warlord. Many fear him, but few respect him. Yet, judging from his actions in these past two years, he’s not that simple! He issued Anxi silver coins, taking control of the Tang Dynasty’s currency. He also secretly supported lower-ranking officials to win their loyalty. That’s how he was able to send troops to Guanzhong and defeat An Lushan. He even rose to the position of Right Chancellor by using force to enter the city and kill people. Actually, I understand his intentions too. As the Prince of Zhao, and now that Jiancheng is the crown prince, he probably wants to complete the unfinished work of his ancestors!”
“Do you mean he also wants to ascend the throne?”
Lu Huan nodded silently and said, “Although he’s always tried to hide his ambitions, I think many people have seen through them, including the Pei family. Look at how much the Pei family has invested in him. If he were just an ordinary noble, with the Pei family’s influence behind him, would they go to such lengths to curry favor with him?”

Lu Yiting, hearing his elder brother use somewhat derogatory terms like “ambition” and “ingratitude,” grew worried and asked, “Does Brother not want to join him?”
“What do you think? I’d like to hear your opinion first.”
Lu Yi pondered for a moment before saying, “Actually, at first I had an average impression of Li Qingan, thinking he was just a warrior. But ever since Anxi introduced laws restricting slaves and land, I realized he was no ordinary person. Especially the law on restricting slaves—this is something I also advocate. He implemented it thoroughly in Anxi, even regarding himself. I heard there aren’t any slaves in his household, only over thirty household servants to whom he pays a monthly salary. Just for that, I admire him greatly. And today, his kindness toward Qi Er wasn’t an act meant to impress us; it was genuine sincerity from the heart. To be honest, I’m willing to join him and support his efforts to improve.”
Lu Huan smiled slightly and said, “Actually, I support him too. But we can’t rush. We can’t side with him just because of one visit. If it’s too easy to gain his favor, he won’t cherish it. I need him to show sincerity. I want to know—what benefits would our Lu family gain if we supported him?”