Chapter 5: Leaving the Frontier (5)

Once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years.
Since the caravan was attacked last night, everyone was on high alert, fearing that bandits might suddenly emerge from some mountain pass to rob, kill, and wreak havoc.
No useful information was obtained from the captured bandits. They insisted they were just a faction of the bandits that frequently operated in the Chi Ling area, engaging in petty robberies. Some time ago, scouts reported that a caravan was planning to pass through Chi Ling on its way to Shanggui. After much deliberation, their leader, Li Hanfei, decided to go for a big score. Although the caravan was guarded by hundreds of soldiers, a well-planned night attack could turn those men from Chang’an into minced meat. Then, wouldn’t all the countless silks and lacquerware in the caravan fall into their hands? Bandits were already known for their recklessness and boldness. After being persuaded by their leader, they all took up weapons in support.
Thus, a bloody battle with the government troops ensued in the dead of night, leaving behind terrifying memories like nightmares. The surviving bandits would tremble with fear every time they remembered the glint of weapons under the moonlight last night.
“Brother Kuo, what should we do with those bandits? Just take them with us?”
Zhang Yanji held the reins in one hand and waved his whip, causing Qingfeng to rush forward.
“Mm, take them with us for now. Once we reach Shanggui tonight, we can hand them over to the local authorities.”
Li Kuo remained calm, having recovered from the night’s battle.
“Do you really believe they’re bandits? Would bandits have such well-maintained weapons? Would they have such fine warhorses?”
Zhang Yanji argued reluctantly, convinced that there must be some astonishing secret behind this night attack.
“Even if they’re not bandits, it’s not our business to deal with them!”
Li Kuo cut him off sharply, his tone cold. “These matters should be handled by the local authorities. Our task is to safely escort this military supply to Wuwei.”

Zhang Yanji opened his mouth but said nothing more. He seemed to understand what Li Kuo was thinking. In last night’s battle, everyone had accidentally discovered those long swords amidst the crisis. As the finest standard equipment in the Tang army, the significance of these long swords was self-evident. By adapting on the spot and using weapons meant for the Hexi army, they had already violated military regulations. If they got involved in further complications, such as delving too deeply into the origins of those bandits, it could lead to great chaos. After all, silencing the people is even harder than controlling rivers! In last night’s battle, everyone in the caravan had seen those gleaming long swords. Although Manager Guan had given strict orders to keep what they saw to themselves, no one could guarantee that those who were interested wouldn’t exploit this information for their own gain.

Sigh, Brother Kuo also has his difficulties. It was only then that Zhang Yanji realized the responsibilities and pressures borne by a military commander. As a general, they only needed to carry out orders from their superiors without hesitation, without having to worry about anything else. But as a commander-in-chief, one had to consider the consequences and impacts of every decision multiple times and also be wary of schemes from treacherous officials in the court!

“You don’t need to worry too much. Once we reach Shanggui, everyone can rest properly. I’ll go to the local escort agency to hire a guide. After all, the road to Hexi is long, and having a guide with us will give us peace of mind.”

Seeming to realize his words had been too severe, Li Kuo softened his tone and spoke gently.

“Mm!”

Zhang Yanji, unwilling to see Li Kuo in trouble, replied in a deep voice.

In last night’s battle, despite Li Kuo’s effective command, seventeen of his men died under the fierce assault of the bandits, and more than thirty others suffered various injuries. Due to the heavy responsibilities at hand, Li Kuo had to order that the fallen soldiers be buried on the spot in the mountains. Those seventeen lively lives, just a day earlier, turned into piles of yellow earth in an instant, making the young man acutely aware of the fragility of life. The originally cheerful group was now shrouded in gloom; no one could accept such sudden misfortune.

“Tell the men to hurry up. We need to reach Shanggui before nightfall!”

Li Kuo glanced at the nearly setting sun and gave an order to Dou Qing.

“The captain orders us to speed up and reach Shanggui before nightfall!”

Dou Qing nodded and loudly conveyed the captain’s orders to the men behind him.

As the sun gradually set, a dense black line stretched along the mountain path. In the distance, the grayish-white battlements of Shanggui city could already be seen. The merchants grew excited and naturally stepped faster.

Ever since leaving Chencang, they had been on the go for nearly half a month without taking a hot bath. Seeing that they would be able to settle in the city before nightfall, how could they not be overjoyed? It was Shanggui City—the jewel of the Silk Road! There, they could enjoy fragrant rice, steaming bath water, and brothel girls for ten coins a night. “I’ve already said those guys aren’t bandits, yet you still don’t believe me. We’ve been trading across the grasslands for years and have encountered robbers before. Have you ever seen bandits who would rather sacrifice their lives than give up their goods?” (Note 1) Chen Bala had been humiliated the previous night and was filled with anger. Now, free from Guan Yuyuan’s restraint, he kept complaining nonstop. Xi Nan touched his bald head and urged his blue-and-white mule forward, saying, “I think so too! Our caravan has quite a few valuable items. Take Brother Bala’s goods for example—they’re top-quality twill satin. Even in the capital, it costs five hundred coins per piece, not to mention when sold in Longyou.” Chen Bala instantly flew into a rage and grabbed Xi Nan by the neck, shouting, “How many times have I told you? You can’t call me Brother Bala. And what does it matter to you what I sell? Stop causing trouble for yourself!” Xi Nan felt aggrieved but couldn’t retaliate. With a grumble, he whipped his mount. He decided it was better not to see it. The handsome young man wearing a black horned headband from last night had now reached the front of the group. Seeing Chen Bala talking nonsense, he warned him in a low voice, “Bala, control that big mouth of yours. One day, you’ll die because of it!” Normally arrogant, Chen Bala didn’t dare retort. With his head hung low, he trudged behind the man, looking pitiful. “Brother Da Cao, who is that young master? Brother Bala was bullied by him and couldn’t even complain.” Wu Daniu adjusted his slipping satchel and asked the thin man beside him. The man called Da Cao sneered disdainfully, “Not to mention bullying Bala, even if that young master pinched his testicles, do you think he’d dare say anything? He’s the eldest grandson of the Cui family from Boling (Note 2). He’s here to gain experience and build his reputation. Do you know the Cui family from Boling? If they stomp their feet in Shannan, the whole Tang Dynasty trembles!” “So it’s Young Master Cui. No wonder he acts so arrogantly! Being born into a powerful family really gives him an edge!” Wu Daniu realized that in the eyes of these aristocratic young masters, people like them, mere merchants, were insignificant.

“I’m catching up, I’m catching up! Cross this ditch and we’ll reach Shanggui. Everyone, push harder—just a few more steps!”
Guan Yuyuan’s authoritative voice came from ahead of the caravan, acting like a boost to energize the exhausted hearts of the merchants.
The blood-red sunset illuminated the sky, while withered grass stretched as far as the eye could see under the clear evening sky.
Through the layers of clouds, everyone could clearly see that famous city in Longyou, located along the Silk Road.
On the city walls built of bluish-gray stone bricks, two large characters were clearly engraved—Shanggui!…
Note 1: Bandits on the trade routes rarely killed and robbed. According to the rules of this trade, they usually took one in ten, sometimes two at most. Since their business relied on charging tolls, if they scared the merchants away, no one would dare use that route anymore. Otherwise, the bandits would starve. It’s like the relationship between wolves and sheep—if the wolves eat all the sheep, how can they survive?
Note 2: Boling: According to Du You’s “Tongdian·Zhoujun·Bolingjun” in the Tang Dynasty, “Emperor Yang first established Bolingjun, which was later renamed Gaoyangjun. In the Tang Dynasty, it became Dingzhou or Bolingjun.”
Since the Tang Dynasty, the name Boling has referred exclusively to Dingzhou. The Cui family of Boling was a prominent family in northern China from the Han Dynasty to the Sui and Tang dynasties. Their main activities were concentrated in the Anping area, so historical records often referred to their descendants as “people from Anping, Boling.” To this day, there are still large burial grounds of the Cui family in Anping.