Chapter 9: Leaving the Frontier (9)

Early the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight touched the land of Qinzhou, the well-rested merchants hurriedly got up, led their livestock out of the shelters, and gathered outside the Huiyuan Inn in small groups.

That damned Captain Li—just like this damned world—forced everyone to rise at dawn to keep up with the journey. Though they had taken hot baths the night before, when one is tired, they need time to recover. How could they be in a good mood while still half-asleep, awakened by trumpets, rubbing their sleepy eyes and packing their belongings? The traveling merchants cursed loudly, cursing all of Captain Li’s descendants, completely forgetting that just the day before they had hailed him as a hero.

“Brother Scar, you look so bright—did you spend the night with some girl?”
Wu Daniu threw a bundle filled with Shandong coarse cloth onto the mule, tightened the ropes, and grinned mischievously.
“Shut up, you brat! You’ve even learned to tease Brother Scar now.”
Chen Scar seemed in high spirits. He smacked his lips and gave Wu Daniu a light push. “You know what? The girls in Qinzhou are really pretty. Their skin is so smooth, like ripe eggs—makes you want to bite them. And the best part? They’re super cheap. Just fifty copper coins for a night of fun!”
Wu Daniu shrugged. “That’s what they say—girls in the border regions are the best. The further west and north you go, the better the girls!”
“Shut up!”
Chen Scar laughed and cursed, “If that’s the case, the Turks and Uyghurs are still in the west and north. How about you head to the northern grasslands and have a one-night stand with their girls?”
Wu Daniu wasn’t annoyed. He scratched his head and laughed foolishly. “If I had that chance, why not? Women are meant for men to use. I, Wu Daniu, may not have much skill, but I’m strong enough to handle a few Turkic girls.”
“Aren’t you afraid the warriors from their tribes will stab you in the ass with their curved swords?”
Chen Scar threw out a fierce remark before mounting his horse and waving his whip.
“Hehe, hehe. I’ll help them reproduce, and they’ll repay me, right?”
“You expect the Turks to keep their word?”
Chen Scar turned to glare at Wu Daniu and spat out a thick glob of phlegm.

The Turks believe in force; they respect those who are stronger. Morality and righteousness mean nothing to them—only the strong rule. It is a people who worship wolves, a nation that honors only the powerful. Last year, when he did business with the Turks in their grasslands, those scoundrels exchanged just ten raw hides for three of his tea bricks. If he had gone north to trade with the Pugu people, he could have gotten at least 30 unprocessed raw cowhides! Although Chen Bala was brutal, he dared not challenge the Turks and could only swallow his anger. They say a scholar is at a loss when faced with soldiers, but this merchant truly suffered extreme grief when confronted with wolves!

“Stop chatting and hurry up and follow!”
Guan Yuyuan waved his whip and shouted at them loudly.

“Ah, ah. We’re coming!”
Wu Daniu replied quickly, his smile full of flattery.

The departure point was naturally in front of the northern camp of the city. Although Ni Xin asked Li Kuo to wait at the messenger and escort agency, no one took such jokes seriously.

It was still early in the morning, yet many clerks from the local government offices had gathered at the northern camp to see them off. Even Mr. Yu, the privately hired advisor of Governor Fang, appeared in front of the camp, constantly nodding at Li Kuo, the officer of the Shence Army.

“My governor highly praises General Li for his youthful talent. At first, I didn’t believe it, but after meeting him today, I truly feel I met him too late,” Mr. Yu said, stroking his beard and expressing his admiration repeatedly.

Flattered by such praise, Li Kuo’s face turned red all the way to his neck. He quickly bowed and thanked him, “Mr. Yu, you’re too kind. I’ve been honored by the emperor and promoted beyond my expectations. All I can do is serve the Tang Dynasty to the best of my ability. I certainly don’t deserve such praise for being ‘youthfully talented.’”

“General Li, you’re too modest. Someone, bring the wine!”
Mr. Yu waved at the clerks behind him, and immediately someone brought over a jar of aged wine.

“My governor often says it’s better to be a hundred-soldier leader than a scholar. He admires the heroic lives of generals who defend the country and fight against the barbarians. But since he owes his life to the emperor, he must put the people first and sacrifice his personal ambitions. Still, this wine is something my governor specifically asked me to offer to you!”
Mr. Yu said brightly, his eyes gleaming.

Someone removed the seal from the jar and poured the aged wine into a large blue-and-white bowl.

“Let’s drink to the Tang Dynasty!”
Mr. Yu held the bowl in both hands and handed it to Li Kuo.

Inspired by Mr. Yu’s praise, Li Kuo felt a surge of enthusiasm. He took the bowl and gulped down the wine. Some spilled down his neck, but no one thought it was improper for an officer to drink like that.

“General Li, you’re really bold!”

Mr. Yu clapped his hands and laughed, “General Li, please rest assured about those bandits. Our governor will surely interrogate them thoroughly to give General Li and everyone an explanation!”
“In that case, I owe a great deal to our governor.”
Li Kuo smiled broadly, full of enthusiasm.
“Let’s see General Li off!”
Mr. Yu waved his hand, and instantly drums and gongs sounded, creating a very lively atmosphere.
“Thank you. See you again soon!”
Li Kuo bowed to Mr. Yu, mounted his horse, and rode off. He now truly admired Governor Fang. Although the people of the Tang Dynasty valued martial skills, scholars generally held a deep-seated aversion toward warriors. Among all the officials and nobles in the court, how many truly admired military generals?
Yet Governor Fang treated him with such respect. A scholar would die for a true friend. Though Li Kuo couldn’t risk his life for Governor Fang, he was determined to reach Hexi as soon as possible and, carrying Governor Fang’s hopes, strike down the barbarians and expand the Tang Dynasty’s territory!
“Brother Kuo, which route should we take?”
Zhang Yanji urged his horse forward and asked.
“I think we should follow the original route. If we take the southern route, it’s too circuitous and may delay our journey. Besides, we’re less familiar with it—who can guarantee we won’t encounter danger? I’ve hired two experienced escorts from the Xinkè Baoji Agency; there should be no problem.”
Li Kuo gazed at the distant sky and spoke slowly.
“Just those two escorts? I don’t think they’re reliable!”
Zhang Yanji glanced in the direction of the two escorts and snorted disdainfully. The two escorts—one fat and one thin, one dark-skinned and one fair-skinned—were truly a pair of terrifying figures! The dark-skinned fat man had a greasy face, wore a dirty leather coat, and would smile foolishly at everyone, which was truly unsettling. The thin man, though handsome with delicate skin, had a very strange personality. He never took the initiative to talk to others and responded indifferently whenever asked questions. With his flat face, he was just as annoying as Fat Zhou!
“Let’s set off quickly. Stop worrying about unnecessary things.”
Li Kuo shook his head and led the way, whipping his horse forward.
“Brother Kuo, wait for me!”
Zhang Yanji stuck out his tongue and followed behind.
After leaving Shanggui City, the caravan headed straight west toward Liangzhou.

At the suggestion ofescortman You Long, Li Kuo changed the route. Due to bandit troubles in the north, Li Kuo gave up the idea of taking the route via Weizhou and instead passed through Minzhou, crossing Longma Mountain, Tongxue Mountain, and Yuelai Valley before turning west. (Note 4) It had been three or four days since they entered Minzhou, and the climate in the valleys was cold, so many merchants put on thick leather coats. Although these coats smelled unpleasant, they were extremely cold-resistant. These were all people struggling to make a living; some were content just to have something to wear, let alone worry about such details.

“Brother Guan, why don’t we just take the easy route through the Weizhou Plain instead of coming to this desolate place?”

Chen Bala grumbled, muttering complaints intermittently.

“Didn’t I tell you? There are bandits in the north. For safety reasons, General Li followedescortman You’s advice and took the route through Minzhou,” Guan Yuyuan replied impatiently. Many people had asked him this question over the past few days, and he kept repeating the same answer, his good temper gradually wearing thin.

“Bandits, bandits! I’ve been in business for years and never heard of bandits even in the plains! We’ve been walking through these damned mountains for days with not a single soul in sight. Even the animals are so exhausted they’re foaming at the mouth. What if we have to give up?” Chen Bala remained unconvinced, muttering under his breath.

“General Li orders us to camp in the valley ahead! General Li orders us to set up camp in the valley on the front side!”

A messenger rode swiftly toward them, repeating his commander’s orders over and over.

“Finally, we can get some damn rest,” Chen Bala muttered, glancing at the sun high in the sky.

Note 1: Due to their sparse population, some grassland tribes retained the practice of temporary marriages. The tribe leader would allow itinerant merchants to have relations with women from the tribe. But since the merchants usually returned to the Central Plains after completing their business, it could only be considered a temporary marriage.

Note 2: Pugu: One of the ancient nomadic tribes in the northwest, belonging to the Tiele people. In the 21st year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, the Jinywei Military Governorship was established under the Pugu tribe, under the jurisdiction of the Yanran Protectorate. They took the surname Pugu. According to “Old Book of Tang: Biographies of the Northern Tribes – Tiele,” “The Tiele are originally a branch of the Xiongnu.”

Note 3: Leather is divided into raw leather and tanned leather. Tanned leather is obtained by removing the hair from raw leather and treating it.

Note 4: Don’t get too caught up in these geographical details; just mention them briefly. For reference, you can consult “Atlas of Chinese History” published by China Map Publishing House, specifically the maps for the Sui and Tang dynasties and the Five Dynasties period, pages 61–62.