Chapter 23: Ups and Downs (I)

Li Kuo’s heart sank. If what these two said was true, then the Arabs indeed intended to seize control of the Western Regions. The Four Garrison Towns of Anxi were of great significance to the Tang Dynasty. Firstly, all three routes of the Silk Road passed through them, with numerous merchants traveling there. A stable governance of these towns ensured smooth exchanges between the Tang Dynasty and the countries in the Western Regions. Secondly, the Tang Dynasty’s indirect rule in the Western Regions was mainly aimed at containing the Tibetan forces. If the Four Garrison Towns changed hands, the defense pressure on Longyou and Jiannan against the Tibetans would increase sharply. Thus, from any perspective, the Four Garrison Towns could not be lost.

But the Tang Dynasty had just exhausted its entire national strength in the Battle of Hehuang—did it have enough strength to compete with the Arabs?
Yang Xuan had clearly noticed the conversation at the neighboring table. He raised his wine cup, brought it slowly to his lips, and took a sip.

“Yet, must our Tang Dynasty simply swallow this bitter pill? Think of Gao Xianzhi—he just replaced Fu Menglingcha and was appointed as the governor of Anxi by the emperor. Doesn’t he have any ambition to expand the empire for the emperor?” (Note 1)

Prince Huangfu clearly disagreed with Helan’s view and retorted sharply.
Helan sighed lightly, “Of course we can’t let the Arabs do as they please in the Western Regions. Although the troops in the Four Garrison Towns are not many, with proper deployment and the assistance of troops from over a dozen allied tribes, maintaining peace in the Western Regions shouldn’t be a problem.”

Prince Huangfu grew angry upon hearing this. “Peace! In warfare, advancing is also a form of retreat. If one only focuses on maintaining peace in a small area, it won’t last long! Moreover, Suiye was originally one of our Four Garrison Towns. Now it’s in chaos, yet they don’t even try to reclaim it. This… this…”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, to the point where he could hardly speak clearly.
Yang Xuan nodded at the servant beside him and smiled faintly before taking another sip of his wine.
The servant understood immediately and went to the neighboring table. Through the bamboo curtain, he said, “My master invites you both. Would you like to come over and have a chat?”

Prince Helan frowned slightly. “What’s your master’s name? What does he want from us?”
“Oh, come on, Brother Helan. Since they’ve invited us, let’s go and talk. Why ask so many questions?”

Before Helan could finish speaking, Prince Huangfu nodded at the servant from the Yang family. “We’ll be there right away.” Without waiting for Helan’s consent, he pulled his friend along to the private room where Yang Xuan and the others were.

“Master, the two princes have arrived,” the servant said softly as he approached Yang Xuan.
“Oh, please invite them in quickly!”
Yang Xuan smiled slyly and popped a grape into his mouth.

Lord Helan stepped into the private room first, knelt down on a seat at the outer side, and bowed to Li Kuo, saying, “I wonder what brings you to seek us out?”
Seeing that he had mistaken them, a servant from the Yang family stepped forward and said, “The one at the head is our master. This one is Lord Li Kuo.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter. But Brother Kuo does indeed look more valiant than I do. No wonder he mistook us.”
Lord Helan smiled sheepishly and said, “I’m sorry. I’m Helan Rongxia, and this is my friend Huangfu Chendong. What brings you to seek us out?”
Yang Xuan tapped his fingers gently as he spoke slowly, “I am Yang Xuan, the Minister of Rites. Thank you for your courtesy. Actually, it’s nothing urgent. I overheard you talking about strategies for the Western Regions and became interested, so I called you over to have a chat.”
Helan Rongxia nodded. “I see. My friend and I came from Anxi Guizi and have only just arrived in Chang’an. Along the way, we met many merchants from Kangju and gathered some information. My friend Huangfu is rather talkative, which led to the argument just now. My apologies.”
“Your accents don’t sound like those of outsiders. At first, I thought you were people from Guanlong.”
Yang Xuan picked up a jade cup from the table and handed it to Helan Rongxia.
“Thank you, Lord Yang.”
Helan Rongxia took the cup and drank it in one gulp. “According to those Sogdian merchants, the Arabs intend to take control of the Western Regions. Centered around Bukhara, they are gradually sending more troops to Khorasan.” (Note 1)
“Oh? So the Arabs are targeting the four garrisons in Anxi?”
Yang Xuan was quite surprised, his eyes filled with doubt.
“We only heard rumors; it might not be true.”
Helan Rongxia waved his hand dismissively with a smile.
“How could it be false? Muhammad ibn… they’ve been doing business in Kangju for years. They wouldn’t mistake anything.”
Huangfu Chendong, however, raised his head arrogantly, like a lion ready to fight.
“Chendong!”
Helan Rongxia glared at his friend and cut him off sharply.
“Muhammad ibn? That doesn’t sound like a Sogdian name.”
Yang Xuan stared at Helan Rongxia skeptically.
“The Sogdians aren’t so particular. They change to Arab names while doing business in Transoxiana for convenience. Unlike us people of the Tang Dynasty, who are taught by the sages and value propriety and proper names.” Helan Rongxia’s back was drenched in sweat as he forced a smile.
“Oh, I see.”
Yang Xuan nodded and raised his jade cup. “Come, let’s drink!”
“Let’s drink!”

“Lord Helan is so well-versed in the trade routes; he must be a merchant.”
Li Kuo raised his wine cup and gave Helan Rongxia a slight nod. After observing them earlier, he had already made a preliminary judgment about their identities. Coming all the way from Anxi to Chang’an and being so familiar with matters in the Western Regions, there were only two possibilities: merchants or soldiers. Judging from their clothing, the latter option could be ruled out, so they were likely merchants traveling along the Silk Road.
Of course, it wasn’t ruled out that they were both merchants and soldiers. After all, without some connections, just the tolls at the checkpoints along the way would drain merchants traveling on the Silk Road of their wealth.
“Lord Li truly has sharp eyes! Indeed, my brother Huangfu and I are merchants who trade goods.”
Helan Rongxia let out a sigh of relief and applauded in approval.
“Of course. Don’t you see who my brother Kuo is? When it comes to intelligence, who among the younger generation in Chang’an can compare to him?”
Zhang Yanji took over the conversation proudly. In his view, no matter how wealthy these merchants might be, they were nothing but petty people focused on immediate gains—how could they compare to someone as clever as his own brother Kuo?
“That’s true, that’s true.”
Helan Rongxia agreed eagerly, not caring too much about the details.
“What kind of business do you guys do, Lord Helan? A single trip takes a year or two. If you don’t make a fortune while braving the elements out there, it would be a waste of your hard work.”
Yang Xuan glanced at the resentful Huangfu Chendong and suddenly interjected.
“To be honest, my brother Huangfu and I deal in tea. We buy it in Chang’an and sell it in Bukhara, then bring back spices from there.”
At that moment, Helan Rongxia really regretted agreeing to Yang Xuan’s invitation to chat. He just hoped to quickly deflect Yang Xuan’s questions and leave as soon as possible. It was clear that Yang Xuan already suspected their identities, and staying any longer might lead to trouble. He really couldn’t trust Huangfu Chendong’s big mouth.
“No wonder. Trading tea indeed brings huge profits! It’s strange—those foreign lands don’t produce such tea, yet they really like it. Trading tea between the Western Regions and Chang’an often yields profits dozens of times greater. Judging from Lord Helan’s fine clothes, this must be how he makes his money.”
“Lord Yang, you’re exaggerating.”

He Lan Rongxia smiled as she took out a piece of silk from her waist and handed it to Yang Xuan. “This is my business card. Please accept it, Lord Yang. If you need any novel items in the future, just send someone to my residence. Next time I go to the Western Regions for business, I will definitely bring them back for you.”
“That’s very kind of you!”
Yang Xuan didn’t hesitate either. He took the business card and casually tossed it to the servant beside him.
“Lord Yang, my brother Huangfu and I have a tea party scheduled in the Western Market later. I was wondering…”
He Lan Rongxia shifted her knees slightly forward and bowed tentatively, asking.
“Oh? Prince He Lan has other matters to attend to. Then I won’t disturb you further.”
Yang Xuan picked a grape and put it in his mouth, smiling. “I had a very pleasant conversation with you two today. What Prince He Lan said just now really piqued my interest. I’m afraid I’ll have to bother you again in the future. Please don’t mind my persistence.”
“By no means. If Lord Yang has any orders, just send someone to inform me. Even if it means climbing the moon from the sky, I’ll risk my life to fetch it for you.”
He Lan Rongxia, eager to leave, bowed to everyone one by one. “Well then, Prince Li and all the other gentlemen, we’ll be going first. Excuse us!”
With that, she grabbed Huangfu Chendong’s hand and strode out of the room.
Once their footsteps faded away, Yang Xuan called the servant over and whispered, “Keep an eye on those two. Find out which district and house they entered, how many people live there, and what they do. Report back to me at my residence tonight.”
“Yes!”
The servant bowed and, along with several servants, left in a stern manner to carry out the order.
“It’s better not to speak carelessly about certain things.”
Yang Xuan’s lips curled into a faint, eerie smile.