Chapter 169: First Arrival in Beiting

In the 14th year of the Zhenguan era, Hou Junji launched a campaign against Gaochang. The Western Turks stationed troops in Futu City to support Gaochang. The Tang army advanced deep into the desert, defeated the Hu forces, and captured Gaochang. In April of the 20th year of Zhenguan, Ashina Helu, the leader of the Western Turks, led his people to submit to the Tang dynasty. Thus, Tingzhou was established. In the 2nd year of Chang’an, it was renamed Beiting Protectorate. From Yonghui to Tianbao, the Beiting military governor commanded 20,000 troops, who suppressed the Turkic tribes such as the Turkic Khaganate, Jiankun, and Zhanque.

As times changed, the Jiankun and Zhanque were conquered by the Uyghurs, the Turkic Khaganate declined, and the Göktürks rose to power. The focus of defense in Beiting shifted to the Uyghurs, Turkic Khaganate, and Göktürks. Additionally, there were the Shatuo, Qiang Hu, and scattered Turks, as well as the Gaochang people in Xizhou.

Unlike the military garrisons in Anxi, Beiting governed three provinces: Ting, Yi, and Xi. It established the Hanhai Army in Tingzhou, the Yiwu Army in Yizhou, and the Tianshan Army in Xizhou, commanding a total of 20,000 troops. Their territory stretched from Xingxing Gorge in the east to Yuegong City in the west, from Kunjian in the north to the Dashahai Desert in Xizhou—spanning tens of thousands of miles. They built a four-tier defense system comprising fortresses, watchtowers, cities, and military camps.

Moreover, Beiting had a large Han population. As early as the early Tang dynasty, many adventurous Han people followed the Tang army to Anxi after its conquests in the Western Regions. They first settled in Beiting before gradually spreading to other parts of Anxi. Beiting, especially the fertile Tingzhou, remained the most concentrated area for Han people. After a century of development, despite fluctuations in Anxi’s status, many Han people remained firmly rooted in Beiting. After the Kaiyuan era, with the establishment of the military household system, another wave of Han immigration arrived in Beiting and Anxi.

By this time, Beiting had tens of thousands of Han people, who brought advanced farming techniques that spurred significant agricultural development. For better administration, the imperial court established the central Chinese county system in Tingzhou, governing three counties: Jinman, Pulei, and Luntai. Most Han people in Beiting lived in these three counties. It also served as a transit point for goods from merchants from Lingxi. After decades of governance, the region became commercially prosperous, rich in resources, ethnically harmonious, and peaceful.

At that time, the role of the Beiting military governor and Beiting protectorate merged. Li Linfu, the right chancellor, served as both the Beiting military governor and protectorate commander. Li Qingan served as the governor of Tingzhou, deputy military governor, deputy protectorate commander, and chief secretary of the Beiting military governor’s office, while also holding the title of imperial censor-in-chief. This meant that Li Qingan held complete control over military and political affairs in Beiting.

On the eighth day of the third month in the eighth year of Tianbao, Li Qingan led a convoy of over a thousand people carrying supplies, traveling 5,700 li over nearly fifty days, before arriving in Jinman County, where the Tingzhou Military Governor’s office was located. This place was also the seat of the Beiting Military Command and the Beiting Protectorate, as well as the base for the Beiting Han Navy, which had 12,000 troops. The Han Navy was the core force of Beiting and was directly under Li Qingan’s command, as he served as the Military Governor of Tingzhou.

Twenty li away from Jinman County, dozens of civil and military officials from the Beiting Military Command came to greet them. While in Yizhou, Li Qingan had already handed over his military duties to Lu Fengyuan, the deputy military governor of Beiting. Lu Fengyuan went to serve at the Andong Protectorate and handed over both the command tokens and the official seal to Li Qingan, marking his formal takeover of Beiting.

Dozens of officials, led by Yang Fengche, the deputy protector of Beiting, came to welcome Li Qingan. Yang Fengche was forty years old, fair-skinned and plump, in excellent health. He owned the finest house in Jinman County, ten hectares of farmland outside the city, a wife and three concubines, and one son and one daughter—enough to make him content. Having served as deputy protector for ten years, he had no ambition to advance and did not wish to be transferred by the imperial court, so he stayed in Beiting year after year, becoming the most senior official there.

Yang Fengche wasn’t very competent at handling tasks but was excellent at speaking. With flattery and smooth talk, he introduced all the civil and military officials in no time.

“This is Wang Yichu, the deputy commander of the Han Navy, known as Beiting’s best spearman. Countless Turki warriors have fallen to his spear over the years—well, I mean women, haha!”

Wang Yichu was a tall man with a dark complexion, from Bianzhou, and one of the first members of the Long March expedition. He seemed to have a good temper; despite Yang Fengche’s teasing, he just chuckled and knelt halfway to pay military respect to Li Qingan. “This humble servant, Wang Yichu, salutes General!”

“General Wang, no need for formalities.”

Li Qingan remained expressionless, with not a hint of a smile on his face, leaving Yang Fengche puzzled about the thoughts of this new deputy military governor. He stopped joking and introduced another tall and thin civil official. “This is Chen Zhonghe, from Chang’an. He passed the imperial examinations in the 27th year of Kaiyuan and is currently the county magistrate of Jinman County. Having served there for four years, he has kept the county so well ordered that people don’t need to worry about theft or burglaries at night. Both ethnic Han and non-Han residents hold him in great respect.”

Chen Zhonghe stepped forward and bowed. “This humble servant greets Lord Li!”

“County Magistrate Chen, no need for excessive formalities. I hope you’ll take good care of things from now on.”

Yang Fengche introduced each of the dozens of officials one by one. Li Qingan glanced around but didn’t see the other deputy protector, so he asked, “Where is Protector Cheng? Why isn’t he here?”

It could be said fate brought them together again—Li Qing’an was promoted to Deputy Commander of Beiting, while Cheng Qianli from Anxi was also transferred to serve as Deputy Protector of Beiting. The two thus became colleagues once more, with Li Qing’an also holding the position of Deputy Protector, making them essentially equal in rank.

It’s worth noting that although the positions of Commander of Beiting and Protector of Beiting were often held by the same person, there were still differences between them. The Commander of Beiting, also known as the Commander of Yixi, was a military position akin to a frontier military commander in later times. His responsibilities mainly involved overseeing the troops stationed in the three provinces of Ting, Yi, and Xi under Tang China’s actual control—namely the Hanhai Army, Tianshan Army, Yiwu Army, as well as various garrisons and fortresses in other areas.

In contrast, the Protector of Beiting had much broader jurisdiction, including not only the three provinces of Beiting but also various tributary states north of the Tianshan Mountains, such as the Tuqishi, Gelaolu, and Shatuo tribes, including the Shuanghe Governorate, Luzhou Governorate, Damo Governorate, Shatuo Governorate, Yingsuo Governorate, and others. However, Tang China only had nominal control over these tributary states. Thus, if the Protector of Beiting did not also hold the position of commander and lacked command authority, the role was essentially nominal.

Li Qing’an held both positions—Deputy Commander and Deputy Protector—giving him military authority beyond what Cheng Qianli, who only held the position of Deputy Protector, had. This additional authority was crucial.

Lacking real power, Cheng Qianli was deeply frustrated and did not come to greet Li Qing’an.

Yang Fengche quickly explained, “Protector Cheng has been ill for several days and is unable to come greet General Li. Please forgive us!”

“I am an old friend of Protector Cheng. Since he is ill, I should visit him. But I’ve been busy these past few days; I’ll go see him another time.”

He mounted his horse and bowed to the civil and military officials who had come to greet him. “Colleagues, we will be working together again from now on. I, Li Qing’an, have no extra words to say—only that everything should be handled according to the rules. Rest assured, I always deal with matters, not individuals. Well, you may now go back. I’ll talk to each of you in detail another day.”

Although the headquarters of the Commander of Beiting was within the jurisdiction of Jinman County, it was not located inside the county town but was an independent fortress about three li away. It was a magnificent ancient city called Beiting City, with an outer city and an inner city. The outer city had a perimeter of 3,000 steps, while the inner city had 2,000 steps. Both cities were surrounded by moats, and the fortress was built with huge bricks, making it tall, sturdy, and a formidable stronghold in the barren land.

There were 2,000 troops stationed inside Beiting City, serving as the military guard of the military governor, but there were no military households or ordinary civilian homes. Additionally, over 6,000 troops were stationed around the castle, bringing the total military strength in Jinman County to 8,000. The vast majority of Han military households in Beiting were concentrated in Jinman County. The area was filled with fields, with Han villages scattered across the plains. The Jinman River, formed by the meltwater of the Tianshan Mountains, flowed through the middle before reaching Ting Lake, located about ten miles away. Abundant water and fertile land created the Beiting Delta, with Jinman, Luntai, and Puli counties situated at the three corners of this delta, making it the wealthiest region in Beiting.

By this time, spring had arrived in Beiting, with lush greenery covering the fields. Farmers were busy sowing spring wheat across the lands. In the distant poplar forests, countless waterbirds lived. The gentle breeze brought a sense of vibrant life.

The arrival of a large convoy caused excitement in Jinman County. Tens of thousands of men, women, and children rushed out of the city, forming a long welcoming procession along the roads. Most of them were Han people from various parts of the Central Plains. Greetings and familiar accents brought tears to many people’s eyes.

Among the supplies brought by Li Qing’an were not only money, food, and military equipment but also many civilian items such as household utensils and farming tools like sickles and hoes. There were even several disassembled large modern water wheels.

Li Qing’an was surrounded by a dozen elders who vied to introduce him to the local customs and traditions of Beiting. Li Qing’an smiled and nodded in greeting.

At that moment, a group of soldiers approached. Someone called out from afar, “Qilang!”

Li Qing’an turned around, overjoyed to see it was Duan Xiushi. He quickly apologized to the elders and stepped forward, punching Duan Xiushi on the shoulder and saying with a smile, “How did you end up here?”

“Why, aren’t you happy to see me?” Duan Xiushi asked with a smile.

“Of course I am happy to see you.”

Seeing Duan Xiushi, Li Qing’an suddenly thought of Bai Yuanguang, and his eyes grew sad. He said in a low voice, “Old Bai died in battle unfortunately. I feel guilty toward my brothers in Anxi!”

Duan Xiushi was also saddened. Bai Yuanguang was his best friend. He hugged Li Qing’an, patted his back, and comforted him, “Dying on the battlefield is also an honor for us soldiers. Qilang, don’t blame yourself too much. It’s already a great fortune that you survived.”

Then he introduced two tall young officers to Li Qing’an, saying, “These two are rising stars from the Anxi scout camp. They are both cousins of Bai Yuanguang—officers Bai Xiaode and Bai Xiaojie.”

The two young officers immediately knelt halfway and saluted Li Qing’an, saying, “We pay our respects to General Li. We carry on our brother’s bravery and follow you.”
“Please stand up, gentlemen!”
Li Qing’an quickly helped them up. Bai Yuanguang was the prince of Kucha, so these two must also be nobles from Kucha. Yet he was puzzled—how could they have come to Beiting? And Duan Xiushi? Why was he here too?
Hesitantly, Li Qing’an glanced at Duan Xiushi, who chuckled and said, “You must be wondering how we got to Beiting, right?”
“Just tell me! Stop beating around the bush.”
“Actually, you should thank General Gao for his generosity. When everyone heard you became the ruler of Beiting, many of our comrades wanted to follow us here. General Gao didn’t stop them; he said anyone who wanted to go could do so. So I resigned from my position in the Anxi Army and came to Beiting to join you. More comrades are likely to arrive in the coming days.”
Li Qing’an was overjoyed. He had been worried about a lack of capable subordinates, and now a group of people had arrived. He smiled at Duan Xiushi and said, “There’s no need to resign from your position in the Anxi Army. It would be a shame. I’ll directly petition the Ministry of War to transfer you here.”
“Envoy Li, I’m here too.”
A young civil official appeared beside them. Li Qing’an almost didn’t recognize him—it was Pei Yu, the great-grandson of Pei Kuan. It had been just over half a year since they last met, yet he seemed like a completely different person. He was much stronger, but his face was as dark as charcoal, even darker than those of the military officers in Anxi. He used to be a handsome, elegant scholar.
Duan Xiushi introduced him, saying, “Over the past half year, Young Master Pei has been inspecting various places in Anxi. He also visited Suiye and the Kingdom of Ningsu. He’s a genius—having learned the Turkic and Sogdian languages in just half a year.”
Li Qing’an was pleased and patted his shoulder, saying, “Excellent. A true man should make achievements on the frontier. In time, you will become a pillar of the Pei family.”
Pei Yu nodded. “My grandfather also wrote to me, asking me to follow General Li and develop here in Beiting. I hope General Li can give me more opportunities to go out. I’m willing to serve General Li on missions to Lingxi.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll make use of everyone’s talents to the fullest.”
With that, Li Qing’an waved at everyone and said, “It’s getting late. Everyone, hurry up and unload the goods at the warehouse.”
The convoy immediately became busy. Civilian supplies were unloaded directly in Jinman County, while military supplies like money and grain had to be taken to the warehouses in Beiting City. Most of the carts carried military supplies, and they turned around to head to Beiting City via another route.

The scene was bustling. After addressing everyone, Li Qing’an mounted his horse and was about to leave when suddenly, familiar voices rang out in the distance—clear and pleasant to hear.
“Big brother!”
Li Qing’an turned abruptly. Two young women with similar appearances and identical outfits were running along the road, waving at him. They were his beloved sisters, Ru Hua and Ru Shi. Ignoring the astonished gazes of those around them, they rushed forward.
Li Qing’an was overjoyed. He had been most worried about these two sisters, leaving them alone in Anxi. To his surprise, they had also come to Beiting.
“Big brother, you’re finally back,” the sisters said, rushing up and grabbing Li Qing’an’s arms, tears streaming down their faces from excitement. They had missed him day and night, waiting patiently for nearly a year until he finally returned.
“Brother, did you abandon us?” one of them cried bitterly.
“You’re Ru Hua,” Li Qing’an recognized at once.
He quickly wiped away her tears and smiled, saying, “Big brother has been fighting in Qinghai. Whenever I had free time, I thought of you both. I wanted to come back early too!”
He then took Ru Shi’s hand and asked with a smile, “Who brought you here to Beiting?”
Ru Shi’s eyes were filled with tears. Though she didn’t cry out loud, the sorrow in her eyes made Li Qing’an’s heart ache even more. She held tightly to his hand and said through a choked voice, “It was Brother Duan who brought us here. He said big brother would never return to Anxi, and Sister Wu said the same. So we followed him.”
Li Qing’an felt Ru Shi’s firm grip on his hand, as if she was afraid he might run away again. He felt both touched and amused. He patted her hand and asked, “What about Xiao Lian? Is she still in Anxi?”
“Big brother, I’m here,” came a timid voice behind him. Turning around, he saw Xiao Lian standing behind him, head bowed, looking uneasy. After a year apart, she had grown taller significantly, already showing signs of being a pretty young girl.
“Big brother, it was Sister Wu who sent me,” she said.
Li Qing’an liked her gentle and adorable demeanor and said, “You’re my sister, so of course you should come to Beiting. It has nothing to do with Gao Wu.”
Xiao Lian’s eyes gradually brightened. She glanced at Li Qing’an, wanting to say something but unable to speak, her cheeks turning red with shyness.
Li Qing’an affectionately stroked her hair and asked the three of them, “How long have you been here? Where are you staying?”
Ru Hua rushed to answer, “We’ve been here for half a month. Protector Yang arranged a house for us, saying it would be our home from now on. That’s where we’re staying.”

Li Qing’an turned to look at Yang Fengche. Seeing Yang Fengche bowing to him, he smiled and nodded in gratitude. It was the first time Li Qing’an had smiled at him since arriving in Beiting. Yang Fengche had been worried all along and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly said loudly to Li Qing’an, “General Li, I’ll take the carriage to the warehouse. I’ll head ahead first.”
“I’m coming too. Protector Yang, wait a moment.”
He immediately said to the three women, “Come with me. I’ll show you someone.”
Li Qing’an led the three of them to the carriage where Wu Yi was. Wu Yi saw them from afar and was overjoyed. She got off the carriage to greet them, saying, “What a beautiful sight! Xiao Lian, weren’t you in Anxi?”
“Ha! It’s Sister Wu Yi.”
Rúhuà was so happy that she jumped up and ran over quickly. When Li Qing’an was in Yangzhou, the five of them spent almost every day together and were very close. Reuniting in a foreign land made them even closer. Rúhuà and Xiao Lian grabbed Wu Yi’s hands and kept asking excited questions.
Rúshī, however, quietly smiled and asked Li Qing’an, “Big brother, have you won her over?”
“I’m still a bit short. I need to try harder. This task is now yours.”
Now that he was alone with Rúshī, seeing her more beautiful and delicate than last year, and holding her soft, smooth hands, his heart swayed. He whispered, “Tonight, you must accompany me.”
Rúshī nodded shyly but secretly pinched his palm and said tenderly, “Brother, I know.”
Li Qing’an adored this gentle and considerate beauty. He nodded and smiled, saying, “Take Wu Yi back to the residence first. I need to handle some official matters.”
“Okay, big brother, go ahead!”
Li Qing’an mounted his horse, rode forward, and said to Wu Yi, “Wu Yi, go back with them for now. I still have official matters to attend to, so I can’t accompany you.”
Seeing Rúshī and Rúhuà, Wu Yi’s worries about her first day in Beiting disappeared. Feeling extremely happy, she said to Li Qing’an, “General Li, go ahead and take care of your duties. I’m with Rúshī and Rúhuà, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Alright, then I’m off.”
He glanced at Rúshī again, smiled, and spurred his horse to catch up with the convoy.
……
Note 1: The military governor of Beiting usually also served as the protector of Beiting. It was incorrect to state earlier that Li Linfu served as the military governor while Prince Rong Li Wan remotely held the position of protector of Beiting. This is corrected here.
Note 2: It is unknown whether Bai Xiaode and Bai Yuanguang were related in history. However, Bai Xiaode should have been forty years old in the eighth year of Tianbao. This is for narrative purposes.