Chapter 37: Qigo (6)

The moonlight gently poured over the sea surface, creating round, shimmering reflections. The Qinghai region at night resembled a huge, smooth, and crystal-clear gem—calm, gentle, and serene.

“As day fades, flowers seem veiled in mist; under bright moonlight, endless sorrow lingers. The road is long and arduous, making the soul suffer; it’s hard for dreams to reach beyond the mountains.”

Gazing at the pitch-black sea, Li Kuo let out a long sigh, pondering his next move.

If everything went well, they would land on the northeast side of Qinghai, avoiding the Tubo troops in the Datong Valley and returning to Longyou via Shenwei City. At the thought of Shenwei City, the young man’s heart swelled with enthusiasm. Just the previous year, General Geshu Han had strategically built Shenwei City in the northeast corner of Qinghai, appointing General Gao Xiuyan as its commander to lead three thousand soldiers from Longyou to defend it. This seemingly casual action angered the Tubo people greatly. The governor of Dafechuan, Dazhalugong, was furious and ordered Lun Qizan to lead 10,000 troops from Wuhai along with 5,000 new troops from Tuyuhun to attack Shenwei City. Yet Gao Xiuyan was no ordinary man—he made clever use of the terrain to keep the city gates closed and refused to engage in battle. (Note 1) Shenwei City was built in high, rugged mountains, making it even harder to attack than the Great Wall fortresses. Although the Tubo had a large population, the terrain prevented them from gaining any advantage. After failing to capture the city after prolonged attacks, General Lun Qizan ordered a retreat, leaving behind the corpses of over 3,000 Tuyuhun mercenaries.

This greatly changed Li Kuo’s impression of Gao Xiuyan. Initially, the young man thought he had reached such a high position by relying on the fame of his uncle, Gao Xianzhi, who was the Grand Protector of Anxi. But now it seemed this man truly had skills!

The young man had always wondered why General Geshu Han had invested so much effort in building Shenwei City on the east coast of Qinghai. Only after this surprise attack on Fusi City did he understand. The Tubo practiced a policy of conscripting all able-bodied men from a tribe, while the rest of the family, including elders and children, herded livestock to provide support. However, the high-altitude areas in the northwest of Tubo had limited grazing land, while the grasslands along Qinghai were prime grazing areas. If the Tang army built a strong fortress there, they could cross Qinghai by boat at any time to cut off the Tubo’s supply lines. This would strangle the Tubo from the source, giving the Tang army a huge advantage in the Battle of Hehuang. How could the Tubo not be anxious?

Of course, the Tibetans could also take the southern route via Jishishan to deliver military provisions to the front lines along the Dafei River. But this would cost them much more. It was very likely that by the time the provisions arrived, Shibao City would already have been captured by General Geshu Han! “General, the wind is strong at night; it’s better to go back to the cabin and rest.”

Unnoticed, Cuihua had already come to Li Kuo’s side and draped a coat over him.

Li Kuo smiled slightly and said, “Thank you, sister. But I’m not tired yet. The weather is clear tonight, and the moonlight is beautiful. I just came out to get some fresh air since I had nothing to do.”

Cuihua lowered her head, twisting her hands together, unable to speak.

“Sister, if you have something to say, just speak it out. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll definitely do my best.”

Li Kuo knew she must have some request, so he slowed down his speech to avoid putting her under pressure.

“General, actually, I’m asking my sisters to intercede—please take us in!”

Cuihua suddenly knelt in front of the young man, gritting her teeth.

Li Kuo was shocked and quickly stepped forward to help her up. “Sister, what are you doing? We’ll soon return to Longyou after crossing Qinghai. Aren’t you from Linzhao? Don’t you want to go home?”

“Home?”

Cuihua looked at Li Kuo and sneered. “My husband is dead, my son is dead, and my house was burned by the Tibetans. Do I still have a home?”

Li Kuo didn’t expect to touch on Cuihua’s pain points and quickly apologized, “Sister, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to.”

Cuihua shook her head. “I’m not blaming you. It’s just that we, the twenty-some of us sisters, are all women. What good is returning to Linzhao? Without a man to support the family, how can we live? Besides… besides…”

Hearing her sorrowful words, Li Kuo sighed gently to comfort her, “Once we win the battle in Hehuang, the Tibetans won’t dare invade our borders anymore. By then, life might get a little better.”

But Cuihua firmly grabbed Li Kuo’s shoulders and said, “No, I don’t want to wait that long. Please take us sisters in. We can sew and wash clothes for the soldiers; we can boil water and cook for everyone. As long as the general gives us something to eat, we won’t complain at all.”

Li Kuo was at a loss. Not only had there never been an example of keeping women in the army before, but even if General Geshu Han didn’t pursue it, having these women with them would be a huge burden on the march. Yet, if he refused Cuihua’s request, he couldn’t bear to see these people who had suffered so much cry again.

Seeming to read Li Kuo’s thoughts, Cui Hua hurriedly said, “General, we’re not afraid of fatigue. Wherever the soldiers can go, we can go too. Yes, yes, we can ride horses—please don’t abandon us.”
“I, I…”
Li Kuo scratched his head, unable to give a definite answer. Ah, what did Confucius say? Only women and petty people are hard to deal with. Communicating with women was even more difficult than fighting against the Tubo barbarians!
At the ship’s deck in the distance, Zhang Yanji, Pu Dachui, Zhou Wucui, Xian Yu Cheng, and others were watching this interesting scene with great interest.
“Good heavens, our captain really has unmatched charm. Cui Hua has only been here for a few days and is already captivated,” Pu Dachui whispered, leaning on the deck.
Zhang Yanji shrugged and said, “Of course. You don’t know—back in Chang’an, Brother Kuo was a charming talent, admired by countless courtesans from the northern districts.”
Young Master Zhang started boasting again, hands behind his back, laughing cheerfully.
Xian Yu Cheng smiled and said, “Brother Dachui, it’s not like you have an interest in Sister Cui Hua, yet you bring up the captain. Look, your chin is almost dropping from smiling when you heard she wants to stay.”
Pu Dachui slapped the kid hard. “What nonsense are you talking about? Is my brother that kind of person?”
Zhou Wucui rested his chin in his hand and shook his head. “If Seventh Brother doesn’t agree, who knows how many will become disheartened and cry?”
Of course, Li Kuo didn’t hear these flirty remarks. He gritted his teeth and said, “Well then, stay in my camp for now. Once I return to Longyou and consult the commander-in-chief, I’ll make a decision.”
Cui Hua was overjoyed upon hearing this. “So you agree, General? Cui Hua thanks you on behalf of all the girls!”
She stepped forward to thank him but accidentally slipped and fell into the sea.
“Be careful!”
Li Kuo rushed over in an instant and managed to catch her waist.
“General, thank you!”
Cui Hua’s eyes sparkled, as misty and enchanting as the moonlight that night.
Note 1: Shenwei City: According to records, in the seventh year of Tianbao (748 AD), Geshu Han adopted a military strategy of building fortresses step by step and constructed Shenwei City by Qinghai Lake.