Chapter 22: The Beautiful Lady (II)

Moving to a new home is indeed a great joy. Despite Li Kuo’s repeated objections, the men of the Tongwu Camp refused to let their commander appear humble in such an occasion. Under the leadership of Colonel Zhang Yanji, Dou Qing, and others, the camp’s personal guards flocked to Lane 23 by the Lake, helping the commander carry boxes, bags, pots, and bowls—almost willing to remove even the stove made of mud from the kitchen…

Since the commander was appointed as the military envoy of Shule, everyone had reaped many benefits from it. Some became brigade commanders, others became squad leaders, and even the ordinary soldiers who hadn’t achieved any great feats before were promoted to team leaders. They had become one with the commander—once merely connected by interest, now they admired him wholeheartedly.

When the commander first joined the Tongwu Camp, people scoffed at his age, thinking he was just a wealthy young man relying on his family’s influence to gain fame in the army. But soon, he proved to them time and again through successive victories that he wasn’t such a lazy nobleman but a brother whom one could trust with one’s life. That black sword and that fast horse won everyone’s respect through countless battles.

Even so, people still believed his family must be extremely prominent. After all, unless he came from a noble family, how could he know military strategies so well and apply them so skillfully at such a young age? As the old saying goes, the poor study literature while the rich study martial arts—how could a scholar-general like the commander be cultivated in just a short time?

It wasn’t until they entered the Li family and saw their sparsely furnished house and the washed-out, plain clothes…

Li Lüshi, who had seen much of the world, remained calm despite the arrival of so many guests. She smiled and instructed everyone to pack their belongings and boxes. To be honest, the Li household didn’t have much of value. Aside from a box of ancient books left by Li Kuo’s grandfather, there was hardly anything to show off. Yet Li Lüshi felt no distress. Her son had now achieved success, and the Li family’s fortunes were on the rise—what more could she complain about?

Li Kuo, however, was troubled, feeling he had failed his mother too much over the years and not knowing how to make amends. It was only Ah Tian’s words of comfort that helped him find peace.

After learning of Li Kuo’s identity, Wu Tawei became extremely respectful. The next day, he sent someone to inform the young man that everything was ready. The guards loaded the few large boxes onto carts and tied them tightly before heading to the new house in Qinren Fang.

Li Kuo wasn’t good at arranging a new residence. Fortunately, with Miss Du Jingtian by his side and the guidance of the elderly Lady Li, the young lady managed to organize everything quite well, turning the new house into a spotless place in no time.

As for the peerlessly beautiful Shen Liniang, Li Kuo temporarily placed her in a separate small courtyard, planning to discuss further arrangements with her later.

Once everything was arranged, the young man was about to leave when he received an invitation from Yang Xuan, the Marquis and Minister of Rites. Yang Xuan’s residence was located north of the East Gate of Qinren Fang, not far from Li Kuo’s house—barely considered neighbors. Although Li Kuo had occasional interactions with his father, Yang Zhao, he had never met Yang Xuan before.

Was Yang Xuan inviting him out at his father’s request? After some thought, the young man decided to go anyway. Since they would be living in the same neighborhood, it was only a matter of time before they became acquainted.

Yang Xuan didn’t hold the banquet at his own residence but at a restaurant called Yixianju, located in the northeast corner of Qinren Fang. Li Kuo, along with his friends Zhang Yanji and Zhou Wucui, arrived at the restaurant’s entrance after following the messenger for about half a incense burn time.

After entering the restaurant and climbing the dark stairs, the group went straight to the private room reserved by Yang Xuan. The rooms at Yixianju weren’t fully enclosed with mud walls; instead, bamboo curtains served as a symbolic separation, allowing sounds from inside to be heard.

Yang Xuan was drinking when he saw Li Kuo and his companions arrive. He hurried over and greeted them, “Are you General Li Kuo, the newly appointed military envoy of Shule?”

Li Kuo bowed and replied, “It is indeed I. I presume this must be Lord Yang Xuan, the Minister of Rites and Marquis?”

“That’s right. General Li, we’ve been waiting for you. Come, please take your seats!”

Yang Xuan was overjoyed and pulled Li Kuo’s sleeve, leading him to the private room. After walking a few steps, he realized there were two people with Li Kuo and asked with a bright smile, “Who are these two?”

“Oh, they are my two friends,” Li Kuo explained softly with a smile.

“In that case, please join us at the table,” Yang Xuan said generously, gesturing with one arm.

Inside the room, besides Yang Xuan, there were four or five handsome young men in their twenties, dressed in fine clothes adorned with gold and jade—likely sons of dukes and princes. Li Kuo exchanged a few polite words with them before falling silent, quietly sipping his tea. Zhang Yanji, on the other hand, seemed quite familiar with them and engaged in lively conversation.

After about a while, the waiter brought the ordered dishes. After refilling the tea, the waiter received a tip from Yang Xuan. With a deep thank you, he left.

Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks to enjoy his meal, he heard a debate coming from the desk beside him.
“Brother Helan, I truly cannot agree with your view. Our Tang Dynasty is a great nation—how can it allow itself to be humiliated by those barbarians! A true man should wield a sword, fight on the battlefield, and return home wrapped in horsehide.”
But Lord Helan shook his head and said, “Brother Huangfu, your view is too extreme. Am I not also a passionate man? Yet if we go to war with the Arabs in full force, it will surely bring suffering to countless lives. In the end, it will be the common people who suffer the most!”
Hearing this, Lord Huangfu slammed the desk and stood up angrily. “Brother Helan, isn’t your attitude like refusing to eat because of a lump in your throat? Just because war will cause suffering do we have to endure being oppressed by those foreigners? The Arabs are even more brutal than the Tibetans. I’ve heard that they not only burn, kill, and loot but also force people to study some kind of religious texts. It’s truly a disgrace to all of humanity!”
At these words, Lord Huangfu clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred.
Helan, however, remained calm and said softly, “Brother Huangfu, if we go to war with the Arabs in full force, countless factors come into play. Just considering provisions alone is a headache. Have you calculated how many soldiers it would take—at least three hundred thousand—to wage war against them? How much food would those soldiers need? Although our Tang Dynasty is wealthy and has ample grain stores, it’s said that preparation prevents trouble. If we use all this emergency grain for the army, what will we have left to help those affected by disasters? Moreover, the four garrisons in Anxi are far from the Guanlong region, and the losses along the way will be enormous. This plan simply won’t work.”
After a pause, Helan continued, “Besides, the emperor has just spent his troops fighting against the Tibetans, and our finances are already strained. If we launch another war in the western regions, public resentment will rise, and within half a year, our Tang Dynasty will surely be ruined by this war.”