Chapter 184: Gaochang Bai Die

As the first rays of dawn illuminated the grasslands, Li Qing’an’s party set off again. He rode his horse, moving slowly alongside the carriage. He had barely slept last night yet still seemed full of energy, with no sign of fatigue on his face. Inside the carriage, Wu Yi rested her chin in her hand, looking slightly lazy by the window, her gaze tender as she gazed at her beloved. Now a married woman, love had endowed her with a dazzling radiance, and combined with her exquisite beauty, she outshone even the most beautiful women. Their eyes met from time to time, and with a smile, thousands of words were rendered unnecessary.

“Lord, General Li Fei has arrived.”
From afar, a soldier called out. Li Qing’an smiled at Wu Yi and spurred his horse forward to join the group. “Li Lang!” Wu Yi called softly. Li Qing’an stopped his horse, turned to look at her. She smiled sweetly, waved gently, and slowly pulled down the carriage curtain.

Ahead, dust swirled as Li Fei Shouyu, the military commander of the Tianshan Army, led over a thousand soldiers to greet them. After Zhao Tingyu’s death, the Western Region Army underwent a major reshuffle. Li Fei Shouyu became the military commander, with Bai Xiaode serving as his deputy. All officers above the rank of captain were replaced by soldiers from Hanhai. Through Li Fei Shouyu, Li Qing’an kept firm control over this army. Soon, the group came up to them. From afar, Li Fei Shouyu bowed and smiled, saying, “Seventh Lord, didn’t you say you’d arrive in the Western Region next month?”

“I came for a walk and to spend some time with my family. It’s not an official inspection.”

Li Qing’an also asked curiously, “This place is quite far from the Tianshan Army. How did you end up here?”

“I was just in the nearby barracks handling military affairs. When I heard you were coming, I came to escort you to inspect the barracks.”

Li Qing’an laughed and punched him on the shoulder. “With you in the Western Region, I’m very relieved about the Tianshan Army. I’m not here for military matters this time.”

“Then what’s the purpose of your visit, Seventh Lord?”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “It’s for red wine and Gaochang Bai Die.”

Li Fei Shouyu was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. “So it’s for Jiaohe wine and Gaochang Bai Die cloth. Perfect! There’s an abundance of Bai Die cloth and wine in Puchang County ahead. I’ll take you there to take a look.”

Li Qing’an was overjoyed and quickly asked, “Are there any fields of Zhen Tian?”

“Yes! Yes! There are large fields of Zhen Tian about thirty li ahead.”

“Everyone, follow quickly!”

Li Qing’an waved his hand behind him, and the team sped up. Bai Die Bu referred to today’s cotton cloth, while Jie Tian meant cotton fields. Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Xizhou region had begun growing grass cotton imported from Persia. The hot climate there was suitable for cotton growth, and with a shorter growing period, cotton cultivation was quite common in Xizhou. The cotton cloth produced there was mainly purchased by Arab merchants who transported it to Persia and other regions. Only a small amount of this cotton cloth was sold in major cities like Chang’an and Luoyang. Of course, grass cotton was also occasionally grown in the Central Plains, but it was mainly grown as an ornamental plant by wealthy families. Its longer growing period and more complicated weaving process meant it couldn’t replace traditional silk and linen until it was widely adopted after the Song and Yuan dynasties.

“Why has Qi Lang suddenly become interested in red wine and Bai Die Bu?”

“Tens of thousands of military households are about to move to Beiting. I’m thinking that relying solely on grain farming might yield meager income. If we could add some side businesses—such as government-run workshops for brewing, weaving, mining, and smelting—and recruit the children of military households to work there to increase their family income, while merchants sell the wine and cloth produced to the interior, it would boost the military households’ earnings and help stabilize morale. It would also attract more Han people to Beiting.”

Li Fei Shouyu nodded and smiled. “Last year, when I was training in Yangzhou, I visited several large silk weaving workshops in Jiangdu. Each had three to five hundred workers, mostly poor girls who wove silk and brocade, earning thirty to forty coins per day. They could make five to six guan a month, with some even earning ten guan. That’s much more profitable than farming. But I think brewing might work, while weaving Bai Die Bu might not be profitable, as the interior still uses silk and linen.”

“Rarity makes things valuable! Last year, I saw Bai Die Bu in a silk shop in the East Market. Here it costs four hundred coins per yard, but in Chang’an, it sells for three guan per yard—more expensive than ordinary silk. It’s only used by wealthy people. If we export large quantities to Chang’an, even at two guan per yard, it would still be a huge profit. If I persuade the emperor and the empress to wear it first, why wouldn’t it become popular? Besides, Bai Die Bu is much warmer than linen, which is extremely important for our Beiting army.”

The two walked while talking, and the number of pedestrians on the road gradually increased. After walking several dozen miles, the grassland seemed to come to an end, and they entered an agricultural area. Along the way, vast fields of golden wheat could be seen everywhere, and occasionally some adobe houses could be spotted. The climate in Xizhou was hot, allowing for two harvests of rice and wheat. Thus, after harvesting the wheat in June, they could plant rice again. As a result, Xizhou had always been one of the important grain-producing areas in Beiting. However, there were not many Han people there; most were local people from Gaochang. Their agricultural techniques were not advanced, and their agricultural output was lower than that of Tingzhou, where Han people lived in large numbers. Therefore, Li Qing’an planned to settle 10,000 military households mainly in Xizhou, gradually turning it entirely into an agricultural area, while shifting livestock farming north of Tingzhou or to Yizhou.

At noon, they saw the county town of Puchang from afar.

“Qilang, look over there—the cotton fields!” Li Fei Shouyu shouted, pointing at a field by the road.

Li Qing’an followed his finger and indeed saw a field filled with cotton, about five mu in size, with lush green leaves. During the Tang Dynasty, the word “cotton” did not yet exist; the locals called it “zhuan,” or, based on the pronunciation from the Arab world, “baidiebu.” However, in the interior of the Tang Dynasty, it was also called “mian.” Li Qing’an was extremely excited. He dismounted from his horse and rushed toward the cotton fields, with dozens of soldiers following in a hurry.

The owners of these five mu of cotton fields were an elderly couple from Gaochang. They were busy in the fields when suddenly they saw a large group of soldiers running toward their fields, shouting loudly. They were stunned.

After a while, the male owner was brought over. Li Qing’an was examining a plant when he saw the owner approaching. He stood up and smiled, asking, “Is there any left from last year?”

The old man knew a little Chinese. Seeing that Li Qing’an was young, he thought he was just a minor officer. He nodded and smiled, saying, “Yes. Please follow me, sir.”

They went to a small courtyard. The courtyard was very simple—three adobe houses, with walls made of compacted soil, less than a person tall. The courtyard gate was in poor condition, with large cracks. There was an old willow tree in the courtyard, and on the other side of the courtyard, grape trellises were set up. It was May, and the tender green grape vines covered the trellises, making the courtyard cool and comfortable. The old man quickly brought out a dozen wooden stools and invited everyone to sit down. He also asked his wife to bring over several bowls of cool tea. Wu Yi and Ru Shi Ru Hua also entered the courtyard and sat under the grape trellises to rest. It was clear they liked the trellises too; they gathered together and whispered among themselves while pointing at the grape vines.

Li Qing’an also sat down. At that moment, the old man brought out a pile of cotton fibers and placed them in front of Li Qing’an. “Sir, please take a look. This is what was left from last year; the rest has been woven into white cloth and sold.” Li Qing’an picked one up and examined it. The cotton bolls were small, resembling silkworm cocoons, not the large cotton bolls seen later on. The fibers were slightly shorter, grayish-white in color. This type of cotton originated in Egypt and was later introduced to Persia, from where it spread to the Western Regions. It was African cotton. The cotton seen later indeed originated in the Americas. Although it wasn’t the same as the later variety, it still delighted Li Qing’an greatly. What he really wanted was the cotton itself, not necessarily the cloth. He knew well that white cloth could only cater to high-end markets; it was unrealistic to widely promote it in the Tang Dynasty. After all, linen remained difficult to replace for centuries. It wasn’t until the Ming Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang forced its adoption, that cloth truly replaced linen. Wealthy families used silk, while poorer families used cheaper linen. White cloth was already expensive in Beiting, and transporting it over long distances to the interior made it even more costly than linen. So, who among the poor would use it?

The old man used his hands to remove the seeds from the cotton. Though he did it skillfully, it still seemed laborious. He said with a smile, “The trouble lies in removing the seeds. After harvesting, I spend every day doing this until late at night. It’s already good if I can get sixty pounds of usable cotton from a hundred pounds.”

Li Qing’an smiled and asked, “I wonder if you don’t have any white cloth at home?”

“I’ve woven a little myself. Let me go check.”

The old man ran inside to fetch the cloth. Meanwhile, there was noise outside the courtyard. A soldier came in and reported, “Sir, the magistrate of Puxian County requests an audience.”

“Let him in.”

Footsteps were heard, and five or six officials hurried in. The magistrate, deputy magistrate, military officer, and clerk of Puchang County had all arrived. The magistrate’s surname was Wu; he was from Tingzhou, in his forties, and appeared very shrewd and capable. He had taken the local youths to Jinman County during a hunting trip in Beiting, so he knew Li Qing’an. He led everyone in greeting, “We pay our respects to the sir!”

Li Qing’an waved his hand and said with a smile, “Magistrate Wu, there’s no need for formalities. I’m not here on an official inspection. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

“Sir, I’ve found it!” The old man cheerfully carried out a bundle of white cloth, but upon seeing the magistrate, he was so frightened that he dropped the cloth and knelt down. “This humble servant pays his respects to the magistrate!”

“Please get up, old man!” Magistrate Wu quickly helped him up. It felt awkward to him that someone would kneel before him in front of the military governor.

Seeing Li Qing’an still sitting there, the old man hurriedly cried out, “Sir, this is our county magistrate. Please get up and give him your seat.”
The magistrate of Wu County was stunned and could only force a wry smile. “Old man, this is the military governor of Beiting. Don’t you know him?”
The old man was stunned. In his eyes, the military governor of Beiting was the emperor. So this young military officer was actually the emperor of Beiting! He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly, admitting his fault. “Great lord, I’m blind. Please show mercy and spare me!”
Li Qing’an glared at the magistrate of Wu County. The magistrate quickly helped the old man up and comforted him, “This old man has been very kind to me! He gave me a stool to sit on and even poured me tea. I’m very grateful.”
The old man stood up nervously. “Thank you, great lord. This is white folding cloth.”
He hurriedly tried to pick up the cloth, but due to his nervousness, he almost fell. The guards beside him quickly took the cloth and placed it on the table. One end of the white folding cloth was five zhang long, mainly used for measuring cloth, while another end was four zhang long, used for measuring silk. Li Qing’an ordered two soldiers to slowly unfold the cloth. Wu Yi and Ru Hua also curiously gathered around. “Li Lang, what kind of cloth is this?” Wu Yi had never seen such cloth before.
Ru Hua, however, had seen it before and said with a smile, “Sister Wu Yi, this is white folding cloth. It’s slightly better than hemp cloth but much more expensive.”
Li Qing’an examined it carefully and felt somewhat disappointed. The cloth was quite rough, not even as good as the coarse cotton cloth of later times. It was indeed as Ru Hua said—only slightly better than hemp cloth. He smiled and said, “I’ve seen white folding cloth in Persia before. They weave it very finely there. But although this cloth is a bit rough, it’s very warm.”
Wu Yi naturally had a special fondness for white things. She pulled Li Qing’an aside and whispered, “Li Lang, I like this cloth. Can you buy it for me?”
Li Qing’an nodded and said to the old man, “Old man, please sell this cloth to me!”
The old man was so frightened that he quickly waved his hands. “If the great lord wants it, just take it. I wouldn’t dare ask for money.”
Seeing that the old man’s family was very poor, Li Qing’an said to his guards, “Leave ten guan here!”
He then said to the magistrate of Wu County, “Let’s go to Puchang County now.”
With that, he led Wu Yi and the others out of the courtyard. The group walked along the country path onto the main road. The old couple rushed out and stood by the courtyard wall, staring blankly as the large group walked away.

Puchang County is located at the easternmost part of the Xizhou Basin and is a necessary route to Anxi. The county town is small but very prosperous; merchants leading camels can be seen everywhere. There is only one main street in the town, where inns, taverns, and other establishments for eating and resting are the most numerous. The most eye-catching are several brothels run by foreigners. In front of each brothel, there stand a dozen or so charming and plump foreign women, crowding at the entrance and enticing customers with their chatter. When they see single men, they approach, lift their skirts to reveal their bare lower bodies, and lure the men inside. When a group of soldiers on leave passes by, the foreign prostitutes swarm up, pulling and coaxing them into the brothels.

The majority of the soldiers were stationed outside the city, and Li Qing’an entered the city with only over a hundred of his personal guards. He observed the commercial activities in the city along the way. Puchang County was also one of the stops on his inspection tour of Xizhou. He turned to the county magistrate of Wu and asked with a smile, “Where are the workshops of the Ma brothers?”

The county magistrate of Wu was very surprised that the military governor knew about the Ma brothers’ workshops. He quickly replied, “They’re west of the city. The largest shop there is theirs.”

Puchang County ranked among the lowest in terms of economy among the five counties in Xizhou, but it still had hidden talents. The largest textile factory in all of Beiting and even Anxi was located in Puchang County, owned by the Ma brothers. It had 200 looms and 400 workers, mainly producing silk and plain cloth, with all products sold to areas west of the mountains.

The Ma brothers’ factory was located next to the west gate. A main road outside the city led to Anxi. In modern terms, the Ma brothers’ factory was an export-oriented enterprise. With 200 looms, such factories were not uncommon in the Tang Dynasty. For example, He Mingyuan in Dingzhou owned 500 silk looms and employed 1,000 workers; his factory was also designed for export to the northern foreigners, with all products sold overseas.

It was precisely due to Puchang County’s advantageous geographical location that large family enterprises like the Ma brothers’ factory could emerge. Soon, under the guidance of the county magistrate of Wu, Li Qing’an found this largest factory in Beiting.

Like traditional factories, the Ma brothers’ factory also had a storefront in front and workshops behind. The entrance was small, and inside was a spacious hall. It was already dusk, and the hall was empty and cold, with no goods in sight—only a long counter. One could imagine the bustling scene of merchants in front of the counter during the day, but now only one clerk was sitting behind the counter, dozing off.

“Is anyone here?”

The county magistrate of Wu knocked hard on the counter, startling the clerk, who jumped up. “Yes! Yes! What would the customer like to buy?”

When he realized it was the county magistrate, he became speechless with fear. “Your Excellency, please wait a moment. I’ll go find the owner.”

He dashed off toward the back. County Magistrate Wu smiled bitterly and said to Li Qing’an, “Sir, the Ma family’s factory was established in the second year of Kaiyuan by Ma Deyu, a prominent merchant from this county. Initially, it had only twenty looms. By the 23rd year of Kaiyuan, after his three sons took over the business, it grew steadily. Now, it has two hundred looms, and they monopolize the silk weaving in Puchang County and Gaochang County.”

Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before asking, “Are there any other factories in Puchang County besides this one?”

“There are a few winemaking workshops, each employing at most a dozen workers. A place like theirs, with four hundred workers, is truly unique.”

Just then, hurried footsteps came from behind the main hall. A middle-aged man stepped forward quickly, bowing and smiling from afar, “How does County Magistrate Wu find time to visit my humble shop?”

“This is Ma Lingfeng, the eldest of the three brothers. He is in charge of sales and external affairs. The second brother manages the factory, while the third handles raw materials. Their roles are clearly defined.”

County Magistrate Wu returned the bow and introduced Li Qing’an, “Master Ma, this is Li Qing’an, the military governor of Beiting. He has come specially to inspect your factory.”

Master Ma was greatly surprised. He hurried forward and bowed deeply to Li Qing’an, “I am Ma Lingfeng, a humble man. I pay my respects to Sir Li.”

In the Western Regions, merchants held a high status, especially wealthy families like the Ma family, who were widely admired. Li Qing’an had learned about the Ma family’s textile factory while reviewing trade records from Beiting. Over thirty years, through two generations of hard work, it had become the largest factory in Anxi. In a sense, this represented the budding of capitalism in Beiting.

Li Qing’an returned the bow with a smile and said, “Master Ma, please don’t be formal. I’ve long heard of your factory, so I came all the way from Tingzhou to see Beiting’s largest factory.”

Master Ma felt honored. If such words came from the county magistrate, he wouldn’t take them seriously. If they came from the governor of Xizhou, he might be moved. But coming from the highest military and political leader in Beiting, their significance was extraordinary.

He quickly pushed open the door and invited, “Sir, please follow me. I’ll show you around.”

The group entered the backyard and heard the sound of looms clicking away. From the main gate, Ma’s workshop didn’t seem very prominent, but it was quite large and spread out. It consisted of two long rows of single-story buildings connected together, with 200 looms placed in those rows. It was peak season now, and almost all the looms were in operation. Hundreds of people filled the buildings, most of them young women. In one corner, there were dozens of hand-cranked spinning wheels, used to weave white cloth—only about thirty people were working there.

Ma, the owner, introduced himself to Li Qing’an, saying, “Sir, this is off-season for white cloth. After October, many foreign merchants will come to buy cloth, and then everyone will be extremely busy.”

At that moment, a middle-aged man approached. He looked quite similar to Ma, but his speech was awkward; he couldn’t say a word for a long time.

“This is my younger brother, Ma Xiaofeng. He’s in charge of the workshop. He’s very skilled—any broken looms are repaired by him.”

Li Qing’an noticed that although not many looms were in use, there were still many fine fibers floating in the air. It was easy to imagine how terrible the air would be if all the spinning wheels were running at once.

At that time, the county magistrate of Wu inhaled some of those fine fibers and sneezed five or six times in a row. Ma quickly apologized, “County magistrate Wu, I’m truly sorry!”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said to Ma Xiaofeng, “Let me teach you a simple method.”

He picked up a piece of white cloth from a nearby loom, folded it several times, and covered his nose and mouth with it, saying with a smile, “It’s best to use five layers of gauze, sew the edges tightly, thread thin ropes through both sides, and hang them over your ears. This way, you won’t inhale any fine fibers.”

Although Ma Xiaofeng wasn’t good at socializing, he understood technical matters quickly. He was overjoyed and said, “That’s a great idea! How did I not think of it before?”

Li Qing’an liked his quick understanding and smiled at the brothers, asking, “Have you considered expanding the workshop?”

The Ma brothers exchanged a glance. Ma Lingfeng sighed and said, “Of course we have. We want to produce silk, white cloth, linen, and blankets. We offer decent wages, but there are too few Han people in Xizhou, and the foreigners aren’t willing to work here. We really can’t recruit enough workers. We plan to open another workshop in Tingzhou to weave carpets for sale in the Central Plains.”

“You don’t need to open a workshop in Tingzhou,” Li Qing’an said with a smile. “Let me share some news with you. The imperial court is about to relocate 10,000 military households to Beiting. I plan to settle most of them in Xizhou. Then you can expand your workshop. But I’ve already given you some advice.”

The two brothers were overjoyed and quickly said, “Please go on, sir.”
“Temporarily stop selling the white folded cloth to Hu merchants. This year, the military in Beiting will buy it all. Make something for me, and I’ll give you a design. If you do well, I’ll order 30,000 sets from you.”
Saying this, he took paper and pen, carefully drew a sleeping bag for future use, marked its dimensions, and handed it to them with a smile. “This is called a sleeping bag. Use the white folded cloth for the outer layer, and fill it with wool and cashmere. First, make ten samples for me. If they’re good, not only will I have you make 30,000 sets, but I’ll also assign you military blankets and uniforms in the future.”
…
Suddenly, there was a sound of running outside the door. Two bodyguards rushed in and shouted, “Sir, the imperial edict has arrived!”
Li Qing’an was startled and quickly stepped out of the workshop. At the gate stood several officials sent from Chang’an. The leading official saw Li Qing’an and immediately raised a scroll of the edict, declaring loudly, “The imperial edict has arrived! Li Qing’an, receive it!”
Li Qing’an knelt down. The official unrolled the edict and proclaimed, “Li Qing’an, Deputy Governor of Beiting, for your contributions to pacifying Beiting and expanding the territory, you are hereby promoted to Governor of Beiting and Commander of Xizhou. You are granted a ceremonial flag. So it is decreed!”
“Your servant, Li Qing’an, thanks His Majesty for his great kindness!”