Chapter 1: Newcomers to the Fort

The blizzard that had raged for three days and nights finally ceased. A helicopter flew back to the search and rescue base from the vast snowy expanse. Two hours later, the television station broadcast a news update: the archery training team trapped by the blizzard had been found, with one person missing. It was reported that the missing person was Li Qing’an, the national archery champion. Relevant authorities were now conducting a full-scale search…

A week later, the search team found Li Qing’an’s training bow, but he was nowhere to be found. Due to another approaching blizzard, they were forced to abandon their search for him.

A year later, the name Li Qing’an was gradually forgotten by people.

…

“The wind over Jianhe River is fierce, clouds stretch wide; at Shakou, frozen stones cause horses to lose their footing.”

In February of the fifth year of the Tianbao era, Anxi was still a world of ice and snow. The snow-capped Ling Mountain Range stood at the border of the Tang Dynasty. White clouds floated at the middle height of the snow-capped mountains, and the peaks resembled blue gems, shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

In the middle of Ling Mountain, there was a pass called Boda Ling. This was a shortcut from the four towns of Anxi in the Tang Dynasty to Suiye, known as the Suiye Road. Back then, Xuanzang crossed Ling Mountain to go on his pilgrimage, facing extreme dangers such as avalanches and blizzards. After battling against death for seven days, he finally made it over Ling Mountain.

Thirty li south of Boda Ling lay the Sulou Beacon Fort. The fort was about fifty zhang tall, built with huge stones from Ling Mountain, and had three levels—bottom for horses, middle for people, and top for observation and combat. There were also three beacon pots on top of the fort. Additionally, several tents were set up beside it. Normally, the soldiers lived in the tents, but in emergencies, they would take shelter inside the fort. The Sulou Beacon Fort housed 45 Tang soldiers, plus 5 soldiers from the Ling Mountain Beacon Fort, making a total of 50 people.

That morning, two Muslim merchants arrived at the fort with several carts. On one of the horses behind the carts was a man dressed in a strange manner—wearing a white short robe and leather boots. His hair was short and lay softly against his head. As the horse stopped, his fingers moved slightly, suggesting he was awake.

Seeing the merchants arrive, the Tang soldiers excitedly ran out of their tents. The area around here was deserted for hundreds of miles, dull and monotonous throughout the year. The arrival of merchants every month was the happiest day for the Tang soldiers, like a festival.

Everyone rushed to pay the merchants to buy luxuries such as wine and meat, but all the soldiers’ eyes were fixed intently on a cart adorned with lace.

At that moment, an officer stepped out of the tent. He was tall and burly, with a dark complexion and a thick beard. He laughed rudely and said, “Ubda, have you brought the women?”
“I have!” The merchant pointed to the decorated carriage in a flattering manner and said with a smile, “Both of them are famous prostitutes from Bohuan City.”
“Damn fake prostitutes! Who are you trying to fool? They’re probably low-quality prostitutes you brought from some slum!” Still, the officer grinned and walked toward the carriage.
Suddenly, he noticed the person carried at the back of the carriage and was surprised. “Who is this?”
“I found him on the road and plan to sell him at the slave market.”
“Found him on the road?” The bearded officer walked over suspiciously and lifted his face with his whip. It was a young face with distinct features. Though emaciated, one could still see his once strong and heroic appearance.
“He’s a Han!”
The bearded officer turned to the merchant and asked, “Where did you find him?”
“By the Huluh River. This guy is lucky to still be alive; the wolves didn’t eat him.”
At that moment, the young man slowly opened his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, “Give me some water.”
“Hey! Where are you from, Han?”
“I’m… from Luoyang,” the young man said intermittently. “A man from the Eastern Capital. Hehe! I like the women from the Eastern Capital the most.”
The bearded officer pinched his thick arm and waved his hand, saying, “Carry him into the fortress and give him water.”
Two soldiers immediately came over and carried the young man away. The merchant became anxious and quickly said, “Li Fei is the fortress master. This is my slave.”
“Bullshit! How dare you use someone of unknown origin as a slave? Be careful, or I’ll kill you!”
The merchant dared not say anything. In fact, he was also worried that the man might not survive. There were still two hundred miles to go back. If he died, it would be a waste of his food. He regretted not having taken off the high-quality robe from the man earlier.
The bearded officer grinned, pulled open the carriage door, and said, “Beautiful ladies, come out!”
“Coming!”
With a delicate cry, two dark, short, and fat Muslim women came out. They winked at the Tang soldiers affectionately and said shyly with smiles, “Let’s agree on a price first—100 coins per time.”
In Bohuan City, such women would only be worth 5 coins per time, but this was a fortress where not even a single woman could be found. As the saying goes, rarity makes things valuable.
Although the two women were unattractive, the bearded officer happily embraced them and said, “Great! Great! Come to the tent. I want you both to serve me together.”

In the garrison, the young man lay quietly on a pile of hay. From time to time, a warhorse nuzzled his face affectionately with its mouth. The warm, slightly sour smell gradually awakened the young man. He was Li Qing’an, who had disappeared in a snowstorm in the Tianshan Mountains in 2007. Only after emerging from the storm and being rescued by several merchants did he realize he had traveled through time and returned to the Tang Dynasty. In the fifth year of the Tianbao era, Li Qing’an sighed softly—over 1,300 years had passed! At that moment, an old soldier came over with a bowl of porridge. Sitting beside Li Qing’an, he said with a smile, “Brother, I see you’re extremely hungry. Have some porridge to regain your strength.” The porridge was thick and filled with a strong wheat aroma. Li Qing’an was also very hungry. Struggling to sit up, he said, “Thank you, brother!” The old soldier carefully fed him the porridge while asking, “What’s your name? How did you end up in Ling Mountain?” The warm porridge warmed his insides, giving him some energy. He had already prepared a story and said in a low voice, “My name is Li Qing’an. My childhood name is Qilang. My parents died early, and I had nothing to do. Half a year ago, I was hired by Hu merchants to escort them to Suiye. Unexpectedly, we were attacked by bandits in Ling Mountain. I lost all my belongings and barely escaped with my life.” The old soldier sighed and nodded. “It wasn’t likely bandits. It was the Turkic tribes. You’re lucky to have survived. But your accent doesn’t sound like someone from Luoyang; it seems more like someone from Xiangzhou.” Xiangzhou was today’s Anyang. Li Qing’an didn’t know this. He mumbled, “My grandfather was from Xiangzhou. I grew up with him.” “That makes sense. My wife also comes from Ye County in Xiangzhou. Her accent is the same as yours. My surname is Sun. I’m a stablehand at the garrison. You can just call me Sun Matou!” “Brother Sun,” Li Qing’an said, gasping for breath, “Could you let me stay? I don’t want to be sold as a slave.” “Don’t worry! Since our garrison master brought you in, you won’t be sold. Besides, I need a helper here. I’ll talk to him and let you stay to take care of the horses.” “Thank you, Brother Sun!” After finishing the porridge, an overwhelming sense of drowsiness overcame Li Qing’an. His vision went dark, and he fell into a deep sleep. After some time, Li Qing’an was awakened by a loud voice, “How is he? Can he work?” “Garrison master, he’s fine. He’s just extremely hungry. After eating a couple of full meals and sleeping for a while, he’ll be okay.” Li Qing’an opened his eyes and saw the bearded officer standing in front of him. He quickly sat up.

The commander’s full name was Li Fei Yuanli, a Hu person who joined the army at the beginning of the Tianbao era and rose to the position of commander through his merits. After having fun with two prostitutes and feeling particularly pleased, he saw Li Qingan wake up and said with a smile, “Not bad! You seemed like a dead man this morning, but now you can even sit.” He crouched down to examine Li Qingan, reached out to touch the white short robe on him, and asked curiously, “What kind of Hu clothing is this? It feels nice!” Li Qingan was wearing a white down jacket. He took it off and handed it to Li Fei Yuanli, saying, “This is Persian clothing given to me by a Hu merchant; I’m giving it to you, the commander.” Li Fei Yuanli took it without hesitation, put it on himself, and found it very light and warm. He grinned and said, “Great! This clothing is mine now.” He patted Li Qingan’s shoulder and nodded, saying, “Brother, if you were a Hu person, I would definitely have cut you down as a spy from the Turkic tribes. But since you’re a Han person, you can stay. Be Sun Matou’s deputy and start working from tomorrow to earn food to support yourself.”