Chapter 33: Dawn (IV)

A shrewd man like Ashina Luoshi would surely not miss such an opportunity. Not to mention the exorbitant commission offered, just the identity of the one making the invitation was enough to make him agree without hesitation. This was the new governor of Shule—around this town, he was the absolute ruler. Who would dare to disagree with him? By clinging to this powerful patron, would he still have to worry about making a living? From now on, he could rule unchallenged in this land of Shule!
Yes, rule unchallenged!
Whether it was the unruly Turgesh, the tyrannical Uyghurs, or the opportunistic and stingy Sogdians, they all had to regard Ashina Luoshi as an elder.
“As long as I walk along the Chih River valley, crowds of herders will flock over to kiss my toes; if I then softly recite a verse from the stele at Mount Samye, they will consider me an envoy sent by the Eternal Heaven. Then I…” (Note 1)
“We’re here, brother!”
Dumoye glared at Ashina Luoshi irritably and called out loudly to remind him.
“Ah! Ah…”
Lost in his fantasies, Ashina Luoshi was pulled back to reality by Dumoye’s call.
“Hehe, hehe…”
Smiling broadly, Ashina Luoshi followed Dumoye as he lightly kicked off the stirrup and dismounted.
Having been a horse herder for over a decade, he might not be good at anything else, but his riding skills were indeed first-rate. However, don’t expect him to be an excellent archer. Though every child of the Ashina family was a brave warrior, since the fall of the Western Turkic Khaganate, this once-great family had lost its boldness and courage. Their fierce blood had gradually calmed, becoming more moderate.
Some of them herded sheep and cattle with ordinary grassland nomads, while others joined the Sogdians in trading. Only a few radical members of the royal family still strived to restore the Turkic Khaganate.
So much had changed—was it really possible to restore the kingdom so easily?
Were the peoples of the Western Regions destined to be ruled only by the Turks? Had the blood of the Ashina family merged into that of all other tribes?
Xiongnu, Rouran, Gaoche, Turks, Uyghurs… If that were the case, why did the tribes on the grasslands keep changing one after another? Why did the yurts in the northern deserts keep shifting hands?
Now, the northern deserts belonged to the Uyghurs, while the Western Regions were contested between the Tang Dynasty and the Arabs. What did it have to do with the Turks?

Some descendants of the Turks, unable to shed their aggressive nature, joined the mercenary forces of the Abbasids or the Tang Dynasty in an attempt to realize their own value. Ashina Luosi found it strange—no matter how long they fought, it was still for others to seize power. Why go to such lengths?
“Once inside the governor’s residence, I’ve thought carefully about what to say and what not to say. Although our governor is gentle and approachable, that doesn’t mean others can be easily deceived.”
After arriving at the governor’s residence in Shule, Dumuoye seemed like a different person, constantly giving Ashina Luosi warnings and instructions. What he feared most was that Ashina Luosi, being inexperienced, might say something imprudent and annoy the governor. That wouldn’t only cost Ashina Luosi his chance but also severely damage his image in the governor’s eyes, rendering all his efforts in vain.
“Dumuoye, don’t worry. In this region of Shule, who doesn’t know my reputation, Ashina Luosi? Whatever your governor asks me to do, even if it’s to make a lamb from a ram, I’ll do it perfectly for him!”
Hearing this, Ashina Luosi immediately pledged his loyalty by slapping his chest. He could tell Dumuoye still wasn’t fully confident in him, and he wasn’t willing to let this golden opportunity slip away. No matter what others thought, he was determined to become this guide!
“Then come with me!”
Dumuoye nodded and led the way, walking ahead as a guide.
The city of Shule was built after the model of Chang’an, and its governor’s residence was equivalent to the Taiji Palace in Chang’an—its status was truly remarkable.
The governor’s residence was the largest complex in Shule, divided into two main parts: the outer office and the inner residence.
As the name suggests, the outer office was where the governor handled official affairs and received visits from chieftains of neighboring states, while the inner residence was where the governor spent time with his family. Of course, the new governor of Shule was only eighteen years old. To prevent him from being distracted, the emperor ordered that his family remain in Chang’an. Thus, the vast inner residence was actually occupied only by him alone.
Dumuoye led Ashina Luosi through twists and turns, passing through courtyards and corridors, until they finally arrived outside the study of Li Kuo, the governor of Shule, after passing through a flower garden.
Dumuoye announced their arrival according to protocol. After obtaining Li Kuo’s permission, he invited Ashina Luosi into the study.
The study wasn’t large, but it was exquisitely furnished. The walls were covered with gold-inked calligraphy and paintings, showing that the governor of Shule had a keen interest in them.
Li Kuo was writing a letter home at the time. Upon seeing them enter, he put down his pen, folded the letter, and tucked it into a report.
“You’re here!”

The young man turned around, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he offered them a kind smile. He had long heard of Ashina Luosi’s name; as a deputy general of Shule City, the person he valued must be quite remarkable.

“General, I’ve found a guide!”
Du Moye was not good with words. At this moment, he simply bowed his fist toward Li Kuo and replied with a bow.

“His name is Ashina Luosi, a Turk. And this is General Li, our commander!”
Du Moye, being casual by nature, saw Li Kuo’s friendly attitude and was in a good mood, so he took the initiative to introduce them to each other.

“General Li, I often hear Du Moye speak of you. You are an envoy sent by the Eternal Heaven, a warrior who protects the wolves. You taught us to wield our curved swords to fight against the local dogs that stand in our way with your determination; you taught us to treat every member of our tribe kindly with your compassion. O patron of the grasslands, may you forever protect this pure land of Shule!” (Note 2)

Ashina Luosi bowed deeply, his face filled with sincerity.

However, after saying this, Li Kuo almost burst out laughing.
This man had met him for the first time and could come up with so much—clearly a man with great experience! If he refused to let him be the guide, wouldn’t that be wasting a talent?

“The fame of the Ashina royal family is well-known. Thank you for your courtesy!”
The young man nodded slightly in return as a gesture of respect to Ashina Luosi.

Li Kuo wasn’t angered by the other man’s attempt to ingratiate himself. In his view, the best way to deal with such people was to fulfill their needs as much as possible. As long as he could successfully lead his “caravan” to the lands of the River Regions, there was no need to quarrel over such a trivial matter. After all, flatterers existed everywhere, and learning to make use of everyone’s strengths for one’s own benefit was what those in power needed to learn most.

Li Kuo was now a commander of a town, and he still had much to learn about governing subordinates.

“Hehe, your magnanimity truly impresses me!”
Ashina Luosi once again subtly flattered him with a soft smile.

But Li Kuo didn’t have time to engage in such trivial talk. He got straight to the point: “The place I’m going to this time is the regions of Xiuxun, Kangju, and Parthia. I initially plan to cross the Geluo Ridge to get there. What do you think?”

Ashina Luosi was slightly stunned after hearing this, then quietly asked Du Moye in Turkic.

Du Moye smiled bitterly after hearing this. It turned out that these places were now under the actual control of the Arabs, and the general was referring to the old names of the governor’s offices—no wonder Ashina Luosi didn’t understand. Du Moye then replaced those city names with their Arabic equivalents and read them to Ashina Luosi, who finally grasped the situation.

“This… General, do you really have to go to the Samarkand area?”

Ashina Luosi subconsciously shrunk his shoulders and asked in a trembling voice.

“What’s the problem?”

Li Kuo smiled slightly and replied. If this herdsman was afraid of the dangers along the way, he could naturally find someone else to guide them.

“No, no!” Ashina Luosi quickly waved his hands, fearing that Li Kuo might think he didn’t know the way. In his eyes, any kind of business could be taken on—only the payment required varied.

“It’s not that I can’t go to Samarkand, General. But the Gelo Ridge area is now under Arab control, and things have been unstable lately. The Arabs are imposing martial law everywhere and searching for spies. If we go there so openly, I’m afraid…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Li Kuo already understood his meaning.

“You mean we can’t directly cross the Gelo Ridge to reach that area?”

Li Kuo tapped the table, pondering Ashina Luosi’s words. What he said did make some sense. If the four garrisons in Anxi could impose martial law, then the region around Khwarezm could do the same. Taking a shortcut like this would surely draw attention.

“But what if we disguise ourselves as a merchant caravan?”

Li Kuo raised his eyebrows slightly. He had indeed planned to go to Khwarezm as a merchant caravan. Had the Arabs become so paranoid as to ban even merchant caravans?

“It’s possible, but traveling through the Gelo Ridge to Samarkand involves heavy tariffs, so ordinary caravans avoid it. If there are few people, it’s fine, but too many will surely arouse suspicion.”

Ashina Luosi was thorough, carefully analyzing the pros and cons for Li Kuo. Though he phrased it gently, how could Li Kuo fail to detect the dissent?

It seemed this route wasn’t easy!

“I see, no wonder!” Li Kuo smiled. “So, in your opinion, which route should we choose?”

“General, come and take a look!”

Ashina Luosi took a deep breath, stepped forward, picked up a charcoal stick, and began drawing freely. Moments later, a winding black path appeared on the grand map of the Western Regions.

Note 1: The Western Turkic royal court was once located on Sanmi Mountain north of Kucha, by which time the Western Turks had already lost their kingdom.
Note 2: Fulī, in Turkic, means guardian or hero.