Chapter 7: Leaving the Capital (7)

In the back hall of the Qinzhou governor’s residence, Governor Fang Qingrong was playing with a piece of raw Hetian jade. Jade, like people, must be carved to become useful. Yet how many pieces of jade are fortunate enough to catch the eye of top craftsmen and be shaped into fine objects?
Some time ago, a county official reported that an army dispatched from the capital was escorting a caravan to Qinzhou. It was said this army was the Shence Army ordered by the emperor himself, destined to serve in the military forces in Hexi. Using a elite force to escort a caravan?
Fang Qingrong narrowed his eyes, rubbing the jade as he pondered for a moment, a sharp glint appearing in his gaze. Could it be related to the conflicts in Longyou?
Recently, troops in various counties of Longyou had been frequently reassigned, and nearly 30% of the grain stored in those counties’ treasuries had been sent to Shanzhou. Could it be that the emperor truly intended to launch military actions in the west?
A series of questions flashed through his mind, but Fang Qingrong remained calm. He enjoyed unraveling complex situations step by step, thoroughly understanding seemingly confusing events. The satisfaction this brought was indescribable. It was precisely this perseverance that had enabled him to rise to the position of governor of Qinzhou.
“Sir, sir! There’s a military officer waiting outside the gate, asking to see you. He says he’s a colonel from the Shence Army and came from the Western Capital. He insists on meeting with you at your earliest convenience.”
A middle-aged man dressed like a butler stepped into the hall and spoke loudly.
“Oh? Please bring him in immediately.”
Fang Qingrong felt a weight settle in his heart—just as he was thinking about it, the person appeared. Well, even if he hadn’t come, Fang would likely have gone to find him. This way, he could avoid the hassle.
After settling his thoughts, Fang Qingrong adjusted his clothes and picked up a cup of floral tea to savor slowly.
A moment later, the butler led Li Kuo into the hall, with the burly man following—undoubtedly Dou Qing.
“I am Li Kuo, a colonel in the Zhuque Regiment of the Shence Army. I pay my respects to the governor.”
Li Kuo bowed to Fang Qingrong as a sign of respect.
“Please, don’t be formal. General Li, please sit!”
Fang Qingrong immediately stood up to greet him, supporting Li Kuo gently. “I hold the soldiers who defend the country in the highest regard. General Li has achieved great success at such a young age—becoming a regimental colonel at just sixteen. His future is truly bright!”
Li Kuo carefully observed the middle-aged man before him. Governor Fang must be in his forties, with a rosy complexion and a slight beard. His white robe emphasized his refined and elegant demeanor, giving him the air of a scholar from the Wei and Jin dynasties.
Yet Li Kuo did not dare to be overconfident and quickly replied, “It’s all thanks to the emperor’s favor. How could I not dedicate my life to serving the Tang Dynasty? As for you, governor, your governance is excellent. I’ve heard the people of Qinzhou praise your achievements greatly.”

Fang Qingrong had heard plenty of such flattering words before, so he merely smiled and said, “General Li surely didn’t come to see me just to praise me. If there’s something on your mind, just speak plainly.”

Seeing his openness, Li Kuo was momentarily stunned before clapping his hands and saying, “Lord Fang is truly remarkable! To be honest, I’ve come to ask for your help.”

After a brief pause, Li Kuo continued, “I was entrusted by General Gao to escort a caravan to Liangzhou. With the help of the brothers at the stations along the way, everything went smoothly. But when crossing Chi Ling, we were attacked at night by a band of several hundred bandits!”

“Really?”

Fang Qingrong was shocked and exclaimed out loud. Although Chi Ling lay in a neutral zone between Guannei and Longyou, it was astonishing that the elite Shence Army had been attacked by bandits. If word got out, how would the imperial court face shame? If Captain Li reported this, the court would surely blame them for poor security. Though it wasn’t a major issue, with the annual evaluations approaching, he didn’t want to delay his promotion because of such trivial matters.

Seizing the chance to recover from his earlier reaction, Fang Qingrong forced a smile and asked, “I wonder if General Li managed to see the bandits’ faces or obtain any confessions, so that I might assist in the investigation.”

Li Kuo raised the corners of his mouth and said, “Though I’m not very capable, I managed to capture over thirty bandits. Since Qinzhou is the nearest, I brought them here to be dealt with by you, the governor.”

Hearing this, Fang Qingrong’s heart started pounding. He had said those words just to agree politely. Since Chi Ling wasn’t under Qinzhou’s jurisdiction, he could delay things as long as possible. But who would have thought that Captain Li had actually captured the bandits? Now he would have to interrogate them. It was a troublesome task. Who would dare attack the army on purpose? An investigation was inevitable, but to what extent? And who might be behind it? Fang Qingrong felt a headache coming on.

“Don’t worry, General Li. Though I’m not very skilled, interrogating a few petty thieves is no problem for me. Leave those bandits to me. I’ll interrogate them thoroughly and give you an answer.”

“In that case, I rely on you, Governor!” Li Kuo smiled slightly and bowed to Fang Qingrong. “I still have military matters to attend to in the camp, so I’ll be leaving first!”

“Going so quickly? I wanted to host a banquet to welcome General Li!”

Fang Qingrong said this politely, but his eyes already showed impatience.

“Lord Fang, there’s no need to see me off. I really have urgent matters to attend to.”

Li Kuo nodded and left through the gate in no time.

“Have a safe journey, General Li!”

Fang Qingrong responded, only to see Li Kuo’s figure disappear at the entrance of the courtyard. His expression darkened as he gave a cold order to the butler beside him, “Go and invite Mr. Yu here immediately!”
After leaving the governor’s residence, Li Kuo did not head straight back to the northern camp of the city. After leaving the horse bandits to Fang Qingrong to handle, things were not yet over. They had only covered less than half of the distance to Shanggui. The journey ahead was even more perilous. To avoid being ambushed again by the resentful horse bandits, Li Kuo decided to go to a nearby escort agency to hire a guide to take them around the dangerous routes.
After checking the note given to him by Brother Nan, Li Kuo headed east toward the city.
Brother Nan had told him to look for a man named Xue Feng upon arriving in Liangzhou. Xue Feng ran an escort agency that was quite famous in the Hexi Corridor. Their agency had connections in both legitimate and criminal circles, which meant that robberies were rare. When traveling, safety came first. Despite the slightly higher fees, merchants preferred to use their agency for protection.
However, Li Kuo couldn’t wait until he reached Liangzhou to find Xue Feng. An emergency had arisen along the way, and he needed a guide right away. Fortunately, the escort agency had a significant influence and had branches in various important towns in Hexi and Longyou, including Shanggui.
The branch was located in the east of the city, with a large entrance, so it was not hard to find.
Li Kuo arrived at the agency’s door accompanied by Dou Qing’s personal guard. Although Li Kuo repeatedly emphasized that Dou Qing didn’t need to follow him every step of the way, Dou Qing wouldn’t dare be careless. An escort agency was a place full of mixed characters. Though he had now been promoted to brigade commander, he still had the responsibility of protecting Li Kuo. He didn’t want anything to happen to Li Kuo—his own honor and disgrace were tied to that young man’s fate.
After several attempts to persuade him otherwise failed, Li Kuo gave in to Dou Qing, though being followed everywhere felt somewhat awkward.
The four gilded characters “Xinke Escort Agency” were engraved on an ebony plaque. Li Kuo nodded and strode into the hall.
“Ah, sir, please come in. May I ask if you’re hiring an escort service or providing protection?” A young servant dressed like an employee greeted him with a smile, speaking in a strong local accent from Longyou.
“I’m a friend of your chief escort, Xue Feng. May I enter the inner room to talk?” Li Kuo replied politely with a smile.
“Ah! Brother Ma, we have a distinguished guest!” The servant was initially stunned before shouting excitedly through the ebony screen.

Note 1: In ancient times, the business of escort services was mainly divided into two categories: cargo escort and bodyguard services. Cargo escort involved protecting people or goods during transportation, serving both private clients transporting valuables and the government transporting salaries and taxes. It also included escorting officials to their posts, accompanying their families back home, and protecting merchants while they collected payments. Bodyguard services, on the other hand, focused on ensuring the safety of the employer’s personnel and property—such as officials, wealthy individuals, businesses, or luxury residences—by providing security services.