Chapter 171: Reuniting with the Shatuo

Outside Li Qing’an’s residence, Yang Fengche stared anxiously at the sky, lost in thought. In over a decade, he had never felt as tormented as he did tonight. Though he knew such a day might come, he never expected it to happen so quickly and abruptly, forcing him to make the most crucial decision of his life in just one night.

If Li Qing’an used temptation, then Cheng Qianli resorted to threats. The successive visits of these two men left him with only one choice: cooperate with Cheng Qianli or side with Li Qing’an. He had no other option.

“Commander Yang, we all know exactly how you got those two acres of land on the north bank of the Jinman River.”
“Commander Yang, have you forgotten last year’s incident with the fertility stone used by the Gaochang witches?”
……

Cheng Qianli’s words still echoed in his ears. Yang Fengche’s back was drenched in sweat. These two incidents were his weaknesses, and now Cheng Qianli was using them as threats at a critical moment. It was a blatant threat—if he dared to cooperate with Li Qing’an, Cheng Qianli would show no mercy. But the question was, could Li Qing’an not know about these weaknesses? The answer was no. With a little investigation, the truth would come to light, and Li Qing’an could use those weaknesses against him as well.

These days, Yang Fengche had been struggling with this decision, unable to make up his mind. Today, Cheng Qianli’s threats finally pushed him to act. Rather than hiding things and eventually being caught, it was better to confess first, face any consequences, and settle things once and for all.

“Commander Yang, I was just about to send someone to bring you tea. Are you already so anxious?” Li Qing’an greeted him with loud laughter.

Yang Fengche forced a wry smile and bowed. “General Li, I have urgent matters to discuss with you. Do you have time?”

Li Qing’an’s smile faded slightly as he nodded. “Come to my study. We can talk in detail.”

……

In the study, Ru Shi brought over a tea tray and served them tea before retreating quietly. Li Qing’an took a sip of his tea and glanced at Yang Fengche, who was staring intently at his cup, clearly deep in thought. Li Qing’an smiled faintly and asked, “Didn’t you say you had urgent matters?”

“Sigh!” Yang Fengche sighed deeply. “Just as General Li left, Cheng Qianli arrived right after.”

Li Qing’an was surprised. That Cheng Qianli was quite quick! Yang Fengche shook his head and continued, “He’s using several incidents from the year before last and last year to threaten me, forbidding me from cooperating with General Li.”

Li Qing’an narrowed his eyes. So Yang Fengche wanted to bargain with him!

“Governor Yang, why don’t you tell us what matters he has against you?”
Yang Fengche remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, “There are three things, and they’re a bit hard to bring up.”
“Governor Yang, feel free to speak.”
“First, in May the year before last, a Sogdian merchant died suddenly. I handled his affairs. While sorting through his estate, I found title deeds to two hectares of farmland on the north bank of the Jinman River. Instead of giving them to his family, I kept them for myself.”
Sweat beaded on Yang Fengche’s forehead as he kept wiping it with a handkerchief. Glancing at Li Qing’an, who showed no expression, he sighed and continued, “Another matter is about a Gaochang witch from last year. She had a stone that could determine the sex of a fetus in the womb. It was said that possessing this stone would bring prosperity to one’s descendants. That stone is now in my study. That witch committed suicide in prison last year.”
Li Qing’an nodded. “I see. What about the third matter?”
“The third matter is my shop. I bought it from a foreign merchant three years ago. That merchant was accused of being a bandit and died in prison the year before last. To this day, I still haven’t paid for the shop.”
Yang Fengche hesitantly revealed the third matter. He thought he was already being honest enough, but Li Qing’an knew his misdeeds went far beyond these three, though these three were already well-known.
“What are you worried about? Has Cheng Qianli obtained evidence against you?”
“No! He has no evidence,” Yang Fengche quickly replied. “In fact, no one has evidence. It’s just that some rumors are widespread. If the court investigates, it might harm me.”
Li Qing’an smiled faintly. “Don’t worry! I am the Chief Censor with oversight power over Beiting. The court won’t send someone to investigate. If they do, it will be me. If I say it never happened, the Censorate will close the case right away.”
Yang Fengche was overjoyed. He had forgotten that Li Qing’an was the Chief Censor. With just one word from Li Qing’an, no one else could investigate him. Of course, he knew how to get Li Qing’an to let him go.
“General Li, although Cheng Qianli was transferred to Beiting only last year, he actually started making plans there two years ago. Zhao Tingyu, the governor of Xizhou and commander of the Tianshan troops, is his ally through marriage. Zhao Tingyu is from Qizhou, and his brother married Cheng Qianli’s daughter. It was kept very secret, and most people weren’t aware of it. I only discovered it by chance last year.”
After saying that, Yang Fengche took out a piece of paper from his bosom, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Li Qing’an. “These dozen or so people are Cheng Qianli’s followers in Beiting. I’m fully aware of them.”

Li Qing’an picked up the list. The first name on it was clearly Zhao Tingyu. He couldn’t help but sneer. No wonder there had been no news from Zhao Tingyi yet; presumably he had aligned himself with Cheng Qianli. The next name was Chen Zhonghe, the magistrate of Jinman County. Li Qing’an was taken aback—how could he also be one of Cheng Qianli’s men? Yang Fengche quickly explained, “Chen Zhonghe was poor and had no money to bring his mother to Anxi. Cheng Qianli sent people to Jingzhao Prefecture to bring her over. Out of gratitude, Chen Zhonghe joined Cheng Qianli’s side.” Li Qing’an put away the list and said with a smile, “Starting tonight, Protector Yang can forget about the past and sleep soundly!”
…
After Yang Fengche left, Li Qing’an stood up and said to Rushi, who was putting away the teacups, “Don’t rush to clean them. Come with me to the east courtyard to take a look at those bronzes. I’ve been waiting for them for a long time.” “They’re just some bronzes. Why do you value them so much, my lord?” “They’re not ordinary bronzes! You’ll understand once you come with me.” With that, he wrapped his arms around Rushi’s waist, kissed her rosy lips, and then shamelessly reached into her dress. Rushi pushed him away, blushing, “My lord, stop teasing. Let’s go to the east courtyard first!” “Alright! Let’s go to the east courtyard first.” Reluctantly, Li Qing’an stroked her delicate buttocks before smiling and leading her to the east courtyard.
Li Qing’an’s mansion had five large courtyards. The front courtyard was for his family and servants, the west courtyard was where his personal guards lived, the middle courtyard was where his family lived daily, while the east courtyard was empty and planned to be used as guest rooms. It was impossible to go directly to the east or west courtyards from the back courtyard; one had to go through the front courtyard. Just as he and Rushi reached the front courtyard, a guard rushed over to report, “General, Mr. Yan has arrived.” Li Qing’an sighed with a wry smile. “I have so many friends that I don’t even have time to check on my wealth.” “Then let’s go see it together!” Yan Zhuang’s laughter came from the entrance. Four of Li Qing’an’s guards carried in a soft sedan chair, with Yan Zhuang sitting inside. He pulled back the curtain and laughed loudly, “If I’m not mistaken, your wealth must come from your trip to Yangzhou.” “It seems nothing escapes you, old fox.” Li Qing’an smiled at Rushi and said, “Rushi, let’s go! Lead the way.” Rushi had met Yan Zhuang before, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She hadn’t expected Lord An’s top advisor to be in Beiting, and it seemed he had a very good relationship with her elder brother. Not daring to say much, she simply nodded and carried a lantern as they headed to the east courtyard. “General, I heard Yang Fengche was here?” Yan Zhuang asked with a smile.

“That’s right. Many interesting things happened tonight, and I gained a lot.”
“Tell me, what gave Cheng Qianli the advantage in confronting the general?”
“Zhao Tingyu. You wouldn’t have guessed, would you?”
Yan Zhuang suddenly realized—it was him. No wonder! He quickly asked, “So, does the general have a plan yet?”
By then, they had arrived at the room where the copper artifacts were stored. Ru Shi pushed open the door, and the soft light from the lanterns illuminated the vast hall. It was actually a hall large enough to hold hundreds of people. The room was empty except for dozens of large chests in the center. One of the chests was damaged at one corner, revealing a copper Buddha.
Besides the three of them, there were also Li Qingan’s four trusted bodyguards in the room. Li Qingan stepped forward and counted them briefly—twenty-eight chests in total, each marked with a quantity, amounting to 320 copper artifacts in all.
Li Qingan casually pulled out a Buddha statue from the damaged chest, tore away the straw wrapping it, and revealed a Maitreya Buddha weighing about ten jin. He handed the statue to Ru Shi and asked with a smile, “Do you like it?”
Ru Shi shook her head slightly and smiled faintly, saying, “I would like it if it were a Guanyin statue.”
“There are Guanyin statues inside too. I’ll find one for you later.”
He handed the bronze statue to Yan Zhuang and said, “Sir, take a look at my wealth.”
Yan Zhuang examined it under the dim light. It was indeed a bronze statue, and there seemed to be no hidden treasure in its belly. He asked in confusion, “Is this the general’s wealth?”
Li Qingan chuckled, pulled out a dagger from his boot, and made a cut on the statue. “Sir, take another look.”
A golden glow appeared at the cut site, and the red color of copper vanished. Yan Zhuang was stunned. Stammering, he said, “This… this is gold.”
Ru Shi’s beautiful eyes also widened as she stared at the statue in disbelief, murmuring, “It really seems to be gold!”
“This is my wealth—50,000 taels of gold. Enough to do quite a few things.”
A glint appeared in Yan Zhuang’s eyes as he asked with a smile, “What does General Li plan to do with this gold? Surely not to buy land and houses for his descendants!”
Li Qingan glanced at Ru Shi and laughed heartily. “Sir, you’re really good at joking. I still can’t even see my son’s shadow!”
He took back the Maitreya Buddha, stroked its belly, and said with a smile, “I can’t use all this gold in Beiting for now, but in Da Shi or the Central Plains, it can buy me everything I need.”
Yan Zhuang nodded. It was too early to say certain things, so he smiled and changed the subject, asking, “The general still hasn’t answered my question! What plans does he have to deal with Zhao Tingyu?”

“No, I haven’t decided yet.”
Li Qing’an put the bronze statue back in its place. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around with a smile after a while, saying, “Perhaps an opportunity will arise in the near future.”
…
Early the next morning, Li Qing’an left Beiting City under the escort of a thousand cavalrymen and began his first inspection tour. Beiting was a vast region, and it would take at least half a year to inspect it thoroughly. But as the head in charge of military and administrative affairs in Beiting, it was his duty to travel throughout the region. Therefore, whether it was the new governor of Anxi or Beiting, they usually spent a year getting to know the conditions in their respective areas.
Li Qing’an’s first stop was not the Tianshan Army in Gaochang, nor did he head west to Yuegong City, nor did he go to inspect the three counties of Tingzhou. Instead, he headed east to Yizhou, where his first stop was to inspect the Yiwu Army.
The Yiwu Army was located north of Zheroman Mountains, in Ganlu River to the northwest of Yizhou, right on the north shore of Pulei Sea—what is today’s Barkol Lake. The area was flat and sparsely populated, with vast grasslands stretching as far as the eye could see. Further north lay the homeland of the Shatuo people.
In March, the grasslands were full of vitality. A clear river flowed slowly, and herds of cattle and sheep could be seen everywhere on the lush grasslands. Herders waved their long whips. White clouds dotted the blue sky, and in the distance lay the snow-capped Zheroman Mountains, with their icy peaks shining like gems in the sunlight.
That afternoon, a long column of Tang cavalry appeared on the grasslands east of Pulei Sea. They wore bright armor and looked imposing, with dozens of large flags fluttering in the wind. This was Li Qing’an’s inspection team, now less than 200 li away from the Yiwu Army’s fortress.
Along with him were some trusted generals, as well as Cen Shen, the judicial officer, and Pei Yu, the document clerk. Seeing Cen Shen lost in thought, Li Qing’an said with a smile, “Judge Cen, are you inspired to write poetry?”
Cen Shen replied with a smile, “I’m not particularly inspired now. I wrote a poem when I first came to Beiting, but unfortunately, the season isn’t right.”
Li Qing’an waved his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. Read it to us.”
“My poem is titled ‘Following Deputy Envoy Li to the Military Forces in Qixi’. Please listen.”
Everyone laughed and said, “We’d love to hear Judge Cen’s masterpiece.”
Cen Shen nodded and slowly recited:
“In June, the volcanic lands must be even hotter; at Chiting Pass, no travelers are seen.
Knowing you’re used to crossing Qilian Mountains, how could you be sad to see the moon over Luntai?
I’ll dismount briefly to visit a tavern, and follow you thousands of miles west to fight the Hu.
Glory can only be achieved on horseback—truly, a man is a hero.”
“What a great poem!” Everyone cheered. Whether they understood it or not, they all remembered the last line: “Truly, a man is a hero.”

“General Li, Cen Shiwen’s literary talent is the best in the world!” someone shouted, and everyone burst into laughter. At that moment, a bodyguard pointed to the distance and said, “General, it seems there’s a group of troops approaching. They don’t look like Tang soldiers.” Li Qing’an raised the curtain to look and saw over a hundred Hu cavalry coming from afar, each wearing white cloaks. He couldn’t help but laugh and said to everyone, “It’s my old friends from Yumen Pass.” Soon, the Hu cavalry rushed over—they were Shatuo people, led by Ye Hu Gu Duozhi. From afar, he saw Li Qing’an and was overjoyed. Before his warhorse stopped completely, he dismounted, walked a few steps forward, and bowed deeply, saying, “Envoy Li, I was on my way to Tingzhou to see you. I never expected to meet you here.” Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “I also planned to visit Ye Hu after inspecting the Yiwu army. The Shatuo are part of Beiting as well, so I should go and check on them.” He turned around and ordered, “Set up camp. We’ll set off again tomorrow.” The troops agreed and quickly dismounted to set up tents. Some soldiers went to the river to fetch water for cooking. Li Qing’an dismounted and sat down on a large rock, asking Gu Duozhi with a smile, “After the battle at Yumen Pass last time, did the Qiang and Hu come to take revenge?” “No!” Gu Duozhi shook his head and sighed, “Not only did they not retaliate, but even the Qiang and Hu in the grasslands north of Dazhe dare not go there anymore. If I had known they were so cowardly, why would I have tried to negotiate with them?” Li Qing’an nodded with a smile and said, “But your people are indeed brave. The emperor has allowed me to expand the Beiting army by ten thousand. I plan to recruit some brave warriors from the Shatuo. How many of your people do you think can join the Beiting army?” Gu Duozhi was overjoyed. If the Shatuo people could officially join the Beiting army, Li Qing’an would take their interests more seriously in the future. He quickly replied, “Our Shatuo population isn’t large—only two thousand. What do you think, Envoy Li?” “It’s roughly what I thought. It’s fine. This matter should be handled as soon as possible. Next month, I hope to see Shatuo warriors in my Beiting army.” “Then I’ll go back right away to prepare.” “No rush! No rush!” Li Qing’an waved his hand and smiled, “I have other important matters to discuss with you.” “Please give your orders, General Li!” After thinking for a moment, Li Qing’an asked, “I heard there are some conflicts between the Shatuo and the Gelaoglu. What exactly is going on?”