Chapter 56: Stratagems (II)

It was September, with strong autumn winds blowing.
The road to Anxi via Yiwu was no longer bustling with caravans of mules and horses or wooden carts from early spring. At this time, merchants were either staying within Anxi or had already crossed the Great Wall and returned to the Guanlong region.
They certainly wouldn’t risk getting trapped by blizzards and delay their journey outside the passes. After all, most caravans had to camp outdoors and lacked the means to withstand severe snowstorms.
During this season, only government troops could still travel along the Yiwu Road.
Indeed, there was such a cavalry unit on this road, composed of dozens of warhorses. With flags fluttering and the clatter of hooves, the cavalry drew quite a few stares. Yet, the presence of such a troop along the way caused trouble for the stations along the route.
After all, the cavalry was protecting Lord Xue Bo, an imperial envoy—no one dared offend him.
It is said that those who are obsessed with wine value loyalty over wealth. But Lord Xue Bo of Wugong County clearly did not share such traits. Not only was he addicted to wine, but he also had a penchant for opium. He was extremely annoyed at having to travel far to Anxi to deliver imperial orders. Such a tedious task offered no profit, yet his father had insisted that he must convey the emperor’s commands to Gao Xianzhi. With such considerations, Lord Xue naturally dared not defy the emperor’s will, so he had to seek compensation from the stations along the way.
(Note 1) “Lord Xue, Kucha City is ahead. The Anxi Protectorate is located here.”
One of his aides smiled seductively at Xue Bo and subtly bowed slightly. Although Xue Bo was currently just the magistrate of Wugong County, he was very young and had great prospects for promotion. More importantly, the Xue family was a prominent clan in Guanlong, giving Xue Bo many more opportunities to rise to power than ordinary people from humble backgrounds. The aide decided to be accommodating to him now, as he wouldn’t forget those who had “shared hardships” with him once Xue Bo became successful.
With this mindset, the aide catered to Xue Bo’s every wish, almost always following his personal decisions. Coming from a scholarly family, Xue Bo wasn’t used to hardship, which meant the cavalry stopped frequently, resulting in extremely low efficiency. They had set out from Chang’an on June 20 and took over two months to reach the outskirts of Kucha City. Yet, Xue Bo seemed utterly unconcerned. Since he had come out, he wanted to enjoy himself—otherwise, it would be a waste of his time.
As for the imperial orders, there was no rush. Besides, who could guarantee they wouldn’t be delayed by sandstorms or bandits along the way?

As long as we arrive in Anxi before October, we won’t miss the important matters! Seeing the deputy officer actively flattery him, Xue Bo smirked and said, “That’s good. These past days, my back has been almost ruined from constant riding. If we reach Kucha City earlier, I can rest my legs sooner. Then I’ll ask the Grand Protector to give us some wine and treat you all well.” The deputy officer bowed as if hearing an imperial edict and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Lord Xue. But this is what I ought to do.” Xue Bo was satisfied with his humble attitude and nodded, “Then let’s hurry up and enter the city before dark.” He smiled and swung his whip, striking the horse’s rump hard…. Inside the Anxi Protectorate in Kucha City, Gao Xianzhi was reviewing a report from the border when Cen Shen entered, so he placed the report on the desk. “Oh, it’s Cen Shen. Did you write another poem for me to appreciate?” Gao Xianzhi was clearly in a good mood and joked with Cen Shen. Cen Shen bowed to Gao Xianzhi and said, “Lord Gao, I didn’t expect you to see me merely as a poor scholar who writes poems!” As Gao Xianzhi’s personal secretary, he knew well the Grand Protector’s temperament. At such a time, being too strict wouldn’t help; it was better to follow the conversation. “Oh, if there were only scholars like you, all scholars in the world would have to hang themselves!” Gao Xianzhi laughed and shook his head. “Go on, what brings you to see me?” Cen Shen handed him a secret letter and said, “Lord Gao, an imperial envoy is coming from the capital.” “Oh?” Gao Xianzhi lost his smile and took the letter, slowly unfolding it to read. After a long while, he sighed and placed the letter near the red candle to burn it out. “It’s Xue Bo. This guy is quite clingy!” “Lord Gao, what do you mean?” Cen Shen was puzzled. In his eyes, Gao Xianzhi remained calm in any situation. It was just an imperial envoy from the capital—why would he be so disturbed? “You don’t know? This man is the great-grandson of Xue Wensi, a court official. The Xue family is good at clinging to others, changing masters more often than getting married. At first, he sided with Li Linfu, but as the situation shifted slightly, he switched to Yang Guozhong’s side.” Gao Xianzhi paused and added, “It’s said he also had contacts with the Eastern Palace. It seems he plans to play both sides.” “Such a person is indeed difficult to deal with.” Cen Shen shook his head and said, “But I believe as long as Lord Gao gives him enough benefits, he won’t cause trouble.”

Gao Xianzhi nodded and said, “This is the best plan we have for now. Just Bian Lingcheng alone has thrown chaos into the four garrisons of Anxi. If Xue Bo comes along to give orders, there’s no need even to fight—we might as well hand over Anxi to the Arabs!”
Knowing Gao Xianzhi was speaking out of anger, Cen Shen laughed and said, “What are you saying, Lord Gao? Bian Lingcheng is ambitious but lacks talent; he hinders military operations, and everyone can see that. Just because Lord Gao doesn’t want to offend the emperor by speaking openly doesn’t mean we can’t do something. In war, swords and spears know no one. As the military supervisor, even if he tries to avoid it, he’ll still have to go to the front line. By then, if he’s killed by an arrow, I doubt the court will say anything.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Seeing Cen Shen going further down the wrong path, Gao Xianzhi snapped, “Do you think you can bring down Bian Lingcheng with a little cleverness? That man has quite some influence in the army. If we can win instantly, that’s fine, but if we leave any loose ends, not only you but even I will be implicated.”
Hearing Gao Xianzhi say this, Cen Shen fell silent.
Seeming to realize he had gone too far, Gao Xianzhi sighed and said, “These imperial supervisors are untouchable. Treat them as mere puppets. Let’s not talk about the rest.”