Chapter 88: Right and Wrong (I)

Gao Xianzhi was in high spirits these days. He had gradually emerged from the shadow of the disastrous defeat at Talas and began to address the many tasks involved in rebuilding the Anxi Army. Among these tasks, the top priority was the training of new recruits.

The training of the new Anxi Army was progressing well. Although the discipline of the non-Han soldiers was generally weaker than that of the Han soldiers, through the efforts of the military officers and instructors in each unit, these non-Han soldiers gradually developed a sense of belonging to the Anxi Army. Though this sense was still weak, it existed after all. It was believed that through prolonged interaction and repeated battles, these non-Han soldiers would eventually integrate into the Anxi Army and truly become part of it.

Seven days after the new recruits began training, Gao Xianzhi personally attended a parade to inspect them. Although these recruits had only trained for a few days, they showed exceptional execution skills. In wartime, such execution skills were crucial. As long as these non-Han soldiers could truly embrace their new identity, the Anxi Army would have no trouble recovering its strength.

What impressed Gao Xianzhi deeply was a non-Han soldier named Ba Weier. He was quite tall and robust, serving as the standard-bearer under Zhang Yanji, who was under Li Kuo’s command. During the parade, his flag movements were precise, effectively enhancing the army’s combat effectiveness.

It was Li Kuo again! Whether he admitted it or not, he was truly a rare military talent. Gao Xianzhi only hoped that Li Kuo could be more flexible regarding military rules and set aside his rigid principles so that he could be utilized for his own purposes.

“Xiu Shi, why haven’t you come in after standing outside for so long?”
Gao Xianzhi put down the military book in his hand and turned to smile at Duan Xiu Shi. It was only then that he realized Duan Xiu Shi had been standing outside all this time—he must have been waiting for a long while!

Since the battle at Talas, a rift had formed in their relationship. Even though both sides were trying hard to mend it, some things, once damaged, were hard to restore to their original state. After all, in that battle, he had abandoned Xiu Shi—he truly felt guilty toward him.

Duan Xiu Shi cleared his throat a few times to hide his embarrassment and slowly stepped into the inner room. “This subordinate was afraid of disturbing Commander Gao.”

Gao Xianzhi’s heart skipped a beat, and his face turned pale instantly. He called himself a subordinate—he actually referred to himself that way! So he had been holding a grudge against him all this time. Yes, he had abandoned him and run away on his own. Their bond over the years must have long faded.

But after years in the political arena, Gao Xianzhi managed to force a smile after just a moment. He waved his hand toward a non-Han stool beside him, signaling for Duan Xiu Shi to sit down and talk.

“You’ve been with me for so long—don’t you know my temper yet? I never mind being interrupted by any of you.” Gao Xianzhi smirked slightly and said, “Go ahead, what brings you to see me?” He tried to appear relaxed, as after working with Duan Xiushi for nearly a decade, they knew each other too well. Being overly eager or insistent might only lead to misunderstandings. “Actually, it’s nothing much. I was just thinking that since the training of the new troops has improved, perhaps we should set off back to Anxi sooner.” Duan Xiushi swallowed hard and spoke in a grave tone. Since the Battle of Talas, he felt as though there was an invisible wall between him and Gao Xianzhi. Though invisible, this wall separated the two of them completely. Whoever tried to cross it would end up hurt badly. This was why Duan Xiushi maintained a humble attitude—rather than ruining their relationship completely, it was better to keep up a superficial hierarchical relationship so that both could save face. “Oh, is that it?” Gao Xianzhi exhaled and tapped his fingers. He had indeed considered returning eastward, but first, there were deserters arriving in Julan City from the west, and the Anxi army needed to reorganize them. Second, he wasn’t sure about the situation around Suiye City, so he needed to wait for scouts to report the latest developments before making a decision. “There’s no rush. We’ll leave when the time comes. Otherwise, with over ten thousand of us living off the land in Julan City, Li Huaizhong will surely come to me complaining about poverty.” Gao Xianzhi paused briefly and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Other things can wait. What’s most important now is to integrate these barbarian troops fully into my Anxi army. In less than three years, I’ll be able to train a formidable force to avenge our defeat at Talas.” As the saying goes, it’s never too late for a gentleman to seek revenge. At his prime, full of strength, Gao Xianzhi wasn’t worried about lacking the chance to avenge himself. Even the emperor wouldn’t put too much pressure on him. After all, the strength of the Anxi army was far inferior to that of the Abbasid cavalry, and the Battle of Talas had taken place 700 li away from the four garrisons of Anxi, so his defeat wasn’t entirely unacceptable. As long as the emperor didn’t lose hope in him, he could continue fighting until he could restore his reputation. Seeing that Gao Xianzhi had no intention of listening to his advice, Duan Xiushi sighed inwardly. “Commander Gao, there’s a personal matter I’d like to inform you about in advance. Once we return to Anxi, I don’t want to stay in Kucha anymore.” Hearing this, Gao Xianzhi was shocked and was stunned for a long time.

“What? You say you don’t want to stay in Kucha anymore? Where do you intend to go?”
Duan Xiushi’s words came so suddenly that Gao Xianzhi was completely unprepared. Even though he had failed him at the Battle of Talas, it wasn’t to the point of parting ways, right?
“If possible, I would like to lead troops to garrison at Yanqi Town.”
Duan Xiushi bowed to Gao Xianzhi and said, “General Suo Min is now quite old and is likely to retire this year. Yanqi Town is of great strategic importance. Though I am not talented enough, I hope to defend the southern gateway for the Anxi Army and prevent the Tibetans from taking advantage of it.”
His reasoning was sound. Yanqi Town, located in the southwest of Anxi, held immense strategic value. After Ge Shuhan defeated the Tibetans at Shibao City, the Tibetans lost all their advantages in the areas around Jiuqu and Dafei River. Now, the threat posed by the Tibetans to Longyou had greatly diminished, while their threat to Jiannan Road and the four Anxi towns had increased.
The Tibetans had always been a source of concern for Gao Xianzhi!
Yet Duan Xiushi was one of the few close confidants he had personally promoted, holding the position of deputy commander in the Anxi Army. Now, he was even willing to lower his military rank to become a commander at Yanqi Town—was it really just because he didn’t want to be in the same place as Gao Xianzhi anymore?
Although Gao Xianzhi felt a sharp pain in his heart, he had no choice. Duan Xiushi’s request was reasonable; what reason did he have to refuse? Besides, he owed him a huge favor, so it was only right to agree.
But had their relationship truly reached a point of no return?…