Chapter 28: The Pilgrim (III)

He Runshi swallowed his saliva and asked in a deep voice, “Are you saying you came to Anxi this time to join the army?”
In his view, the situation in Anxi was unstable, with the Arabs potentially invading at any time. It was hard to understand why Erwa, instead of living a comfortable life, insisted on joining the army beyond the borders. Even if Li Kuo had shown him kindness, there was no need to repay it so hastily. With his current physique, not to mention facing the Arabs, even the short and thin Lijian people could knock him down in just a few moves. It would be better for him to gain more experience and build a stronger body before returning to Anxi to repay his debt!
“Yes!”
Erwa’s gaze suddenly became resolute as he clenched his fists. “I want to become a great hero like General Li—expanding territory, marrying a wife, and providing for my descendants.”
For a boy from his background, becoming an official seemed utterly unattainable. The splendor of Chang’an appeared like a mirage in the desert, vanishing in the blink of an eye. To stand out, the only way was to join the army and earn real military achievements to pave the way for advancement. Only in the army could there be relative fairness; only there could the influence of one’s parents be minimized.
Though the path was arduous, it offered hope. As long as there was hope, no hardship was too great! They fought for that one goal!
“What will you do with the money you get from selling these tea bricks?”
He Runshi sighed. Since the young man had made up his mind, further talk was pointless. All he could do now was give him some sensible advice to help him avoid detours and losses. Since the boy had decided to join the Shule army, he couldn’t carry the money with him. He needed to decide whether to drag someone back or leave it in a warehouse.
“Some of the uncles in the caravan will head back to Hexi after passing through this grassland!”
Erwa wasn’t worried about that. “I’ll drag someone to take the money home and hand it all over to my grandfather! I won’t know when I’ll return home next time, so leaving more money for him will give me peace of mind.”
There was a fellow villager named Erzhuzi in the caravan, so it was safe to entrust the money to Erwa. Since he didn’t know how many years it would take to return to Hexi, he naturally needed to arrange things back home properly.
He Runshi nodded. “That might work. But Shule is quite far away. Can you go alone?”
“That’s something you don’t know! The reason this caravan set off so early, right after the Spring Equinox, is that most people don’t plan to return this year at all!”

That’s true. Most caravans set off in autumn, and even if they depart in spring, they wait until the willow trees sprout new leaves. For this caravan to arrive so early beyond the borders, and if they plan to return right after selling their goods, they’d have to cross the vast Gobi Desert under the scorching heat—such behavior is indeed strange and unusual.

Erwa spread his hands, swallowed his saliva, and revealed his plans: “Everyone wants to go to areas like Suiye and Xiuxunzhou to ‘search for gold.’ If conditions permit, they also hope to try their luck in Kangju and Anxi. So, they’ll take a short rest here in this grassland before continuing westward—they have no intention of spending New Year’s Eve at home this year!”

What merchants value most is the efficiency of their trade. If a trip beyond the borders doesn’t yield profits a hundred or eight hundred times greater than those in the cities, who would be willing to risk their lives traveling along the Silk Road?

Hearing this, He Runshi felt a pang in his heart. Even in times of peace, these merchants had to work extremely hard, sometimes even at the risk of their lives, just to build a livelihood.

As the saying goes, prosperity brings suffering to the common people, and decline brings even greater suffering. The so-called prosperous era is nothing but a painted facade put up by those in power.

Worried the other party might not understand, Erwa pointed southwest again: “It’s in the Mishui River basin, past Geluo Ridge—just keep going west!”

“Xiuxunzhou?”

He Runshi was momentarily stunned before realizing the boy was referring to the old names of those cities.

“In this generation, aside from Bahanna, none of them are under the control of the Anxi Army anymore. If you go to Samarkand or Alanshi, it’s quite dangerous.”

Xiuxunzhou was the old name for Bahanna. Similarly, since the Arab forces invaded this region, Kangju became Samarkand, and Anxi became Alanshi. Only those who deeply cherish their homeland would still use their Tang-era names. People like He Runshi, who do business in the Western Regions all year round and even changed their names to Arabic ones, certainly wouldn’t remember those Tang-era names.

He Runshi, who often did business in the Western Regions, was well aware of the chaos there. These places constantly swung between the Tang Dynasty and the Arab world, and their rulers lacked the strength to maintain peace in the region. Without protection, caravans that ventured there risked suffering heavy losses. Moreover, the armies of this era had little discipline, with officials often colluding with bandits—without shedding blood, it was impossible to return safely.

“I heard they’ve obtained a mandate!”

Erwa scratched his head, his face filled with a smile. “Although the taxes in the city are a bit unfair, the income from trading is quite substantial. But once I reach Shule Town, I won’t head west any further, so there’s no need to worry about these things!”
“That’s true!”
He Runshi nodded and said, “Young man, work hard. I have high hopes for you!”
In the young boy, He Runshi seemed to see a reflection of his own youth—only back then he had sacrificed everything for his family’s interests. This young man, on the other hand, lived only for himself. Why couldn’t he live an even brighter life than him?…
Fresh rain and dew in front of the Huaye Tower; peace and prosperity in Chang’an. Dragons clutching fire trees with thousands of bright lights; roosters stepping on lotus flowers, symbolizing eternal spring. The imperial palace hosts spring festivities; may the rain and wind not bring envy. In the Western Regions, thousands of lanterns shine together; in the Eastern Palace, golden halls open in abundance!
A different kind of spring, a different kind of beauty!
Life is full of choices at every moment. Walking forward without regret in heart may be the best way to explore.
What Erwa said was true. After the trade ended, the caravan didn’t stay long in the Gelao people’s grasslands. A small group of merchants chose to return inland, while most continued westward together. He Runshi also bid farewell to the Gelao leader Yehu Moulao and joined the caravan to return to his home in Samarkand to handle family business.
The distant West was so mysterious. It was said that gold abounded there, and that land held great appeal for them.
The Tang Dynasty, the countries of Central Asia, and the Arabs—like various colored pieces on a chessboard, constantly moving back and forth in a struggle for power. Any shift in one side could drastically change the balance of power and affect the outcome of the war.
One careless move could mean losing everything. This game was destined to be played until the very end!
But no matter who won, it wouldn’t affect the prosperity of trade. For merchants, they only hoped the war wouldn’t drag on too long and would end as soon as possible. As long as the Western Regions remained stable, their interests wouldn’t be greatly affected, regardless of who held control.
But if the war dragged on, the trade routes would be cut off, and then everyone would truly be in trouble.
After passing through Xizhou and Yanqi Town, traveling west along the Chih River, they took a month to finally reach their destination, Shule.
They didn’t choose to go to Suire because the mercenaries guarding the caravan suddenly received news that the Turkic tribes in the Suire River area were wreaking havoc, with the entire city under martial law! The Turkic tribes were violent and unpredictable, and now they were fighting among themselves. Going to Suire at that time would be seeking trouble.

So they decided to first go to Shule Town and then head north to Bakharna. That region was relatively safer and much smoother to travel through. The one who was happiest to hear this news was Erwa. With this changed route, he could save more than half a month of time. After all, if everyone insisted on going to Suiye, he would have to part ways with the caravan at Kucha Town and head south alone.

As soon as they arrived in Shule City, they were stunned by the grasslands hundreds of miles outside the Sidu River. They had expected Shule Town to be a place filled with yellow dust and swirling sand, but instead, they found babbling streams and lush green grass. (Note 2) Where there are rivers, there is life; where there is green grass, there is hope.

“Brother Guan, let’s enter the city right away. After traveling for such a long time, we all need to rest properly!”

He Runshi was originally a merchant, so he was good at understanding people’s hearts. His interactions over the past month had brought him closer to the other merchants. Most of these merchants were visiting the Western Regions for the first time, and through He Runshi, they learned about the customs and traditions of various countries in the region, which naturally sparked their longing.

Yet Guan Yuyuan remained wary of He Runshi. Based on his years of experience traveling beyond the Great Wall, he found this He Runshi quite strange. Although he was undoubtedly Han, he didn’t know much about many Han customs. On the contrary, this thin young man seemed well-versed in the customs of the Hu tribes in the River Region, which was suspicious.

Why was he following him? Was it really just because of Erwa?

“Runshi, aren’t you heading to Samarkand? In my opinion, there’s no need to enter the city and waste your time. You just need to cross the Geluo Ridge and head west to get there.”

Guan Yuyuan smiled slightly and suggested gently.

“Sigh!”

He Runshi waved his hand and said, “It’s not urgent. There have been some matters in my family that require my attention. I still have time to accompany you all into the city for a drink. Besides, I need to hand Erwa over personally to the Grand Commander before I can feel at ease!”

“Brother He!”

Erwa’s face had already turned red as he hurried forward to protest. This Brother He was nice, but he interfered too much…

“Hehe, young men can be shy too!”

He Runshi patted Erwa’s arm and laughed.

“Since Runshi isn’t in a hurry, I certainly don’t mind. Let’s go then!”

There was not a trace of joy in Guan Yuyuan’s voice; it was as calm as the tranquil waters of the Yibohai Sea. (Note 3)…

Note 1: Mirage: Refers to a sea mirage, mentioned in “Records of the Grand Historian: Treatise on the Heavenly Officials” as “By the sea, mirages create the appearance of towers and pavilions; in open fields, mist forms palaces and halls. The clouds and mists each resemble the mountains, rivers, and populated areas.”

2: Chi River: namely the Tarim River today.
Note 3: Yi Bo Sea: namely Lake Balkhash today.