Chapter 2: The Indisputable Gold

On the vast Gobi Desert, dozens of steeds galloped freely. On one chestnut-colored warhorse, Li Qing’an held the reins and rode at full speed. In the distance lay snow-capped mountains, and the wind howled in his ears. Overjoyed, he let out a loud cry to the sky: “Great Tang! I’m here!”

When he was still ten li away from the fortress, he gradually slowed down. Having stayed there for a month, he had fully recovered his strength and had grown to love horsekeeping. His daily task was to lead the horses across the Gobi Desert to build their endurance and fitness.

In later life, he too became a soldier, a member of the army’s archery team. Riding and archery were essential training skills, which gave him a special affection for horses. During that month, he spent almost all his time on horseback. With the careful guidance of Sun Matou, his horsemanship improved rapidly, allowing him to compete with top cavalrymen.

Upon reaching a Tamarisk tree, Li Qing’an stopped his warhorse. This was another part of his daily practice. He took down his bow and arrows, stepped back about a hundred paces, drew the bowstring taut, aimed at the tree trunk, and released the arrow. It flew in a perfect parabola and struck the trunk precisely.

Li Qing’an shook his head slightly in disappointment. His archery skills hadn’t changed, but the bow was too soft and uncomfortable to use. He couldn’t achieve the powerful shooting technique he used to have. He thought to himself that he needed to find a better bow soon.

Seeing that it was getting late, he urged his horse back to the fortress. The strong winds in the Gobi Desert made it difficult to see, forcing him to ride sideways. Suddenly, he noticed something unusual on the barren beach in the distance—a white object. Li Qing’an sped forward and was stunned to see that it was a human skeleton, face down, with an arrow embedded in its spine.

Li Qing’an sighed softly. From the barely decayed leather boots, he realized it was most likely a merchant from west of the Pamir Mountains who had been robbed by bandits, losing both his life and wealth. Apparently, the sandstorms had buried the body, but the strong winds over the past two days had exposed the bones again.

Li Qing’an dismounted and dug a pit with his dagger to bury the remains. Just as he was about to leave, he was surprised to find a red gemstone where the bones had been. Overjoyed, he picked it up. The gem was the size of an egg, its edges smoothly polished. Under the sunlight, flames seemed to rise within it, growing brighter and brighter, shining brilliantly in the setting sun—extremely precious.

He was puzzled as to how the gem hadn’t been stolen. He glanced at where the gem was and suddenly understood—it was in this person’s mouth, which was why it hadn’t been noticed. With the corpse lying face down, the gem had slipped out when he moved it earlier.
“Hehe! I’m rich now!”
Li Qing’an excitedly hid the gem and then found a long, flat stone, on which he carved with his dagger: “Tomb of Anonymous Hu Merchant.” He inserted the stone into the sand and said with a bow, “Brother Hu, you’ve given me some money, so I’ll ensure you rest in peace. Now we’re even.”
Li Qing’an mounted his horse, feeling cheerful, and even started singing loudly along the way, “Li Family’s clever Seventh Brother has found a precious gem!”
…
Back at the fortress, the soldiers were gathered around a circle outside the tents having dinner. Sun Matou came out, led the horse, and said with a smile, “Seventh Brother, go eat quickly!”
Li Qing’an was indeed hungry. He squeezed into the crowd, sat down, and picked up a wheat cake with a piece of dried meat to eat. Although the Tang army provided enough food, it was simple—mostly wheat cakes, dried meat, and black bean soup. If one wanted better food or wine, they had to pay for it themselves.
“Seventh Brother, have some wine.”
A handsome young Tang soldier next to him handed him a wine pot. This soldier was named He Yanming, the youngest in the fortress, only seventeen years old. He was part of the second generation of soldiers in Anxi. His father was from Chang’an and had enlisted as part of the first group of soldiers sent to Anxi in the 25th year of the Kaiyuan era, bringing his wife and children to guard the border. They owned 50 acres of land exempt from taxes in Bahuancheng. Last year, the older He retired to farm, and his son, Xiao He, took over.
He Yanming was a very clever young man who knew how to build good relationships. For example, although he didn’t drink alcohol, he still bought a few pots and gave them to the other veterans during meals to foster friendships. Everyone in the fortress liked him.
Li Qing’an took the wine pot and drank two big gulps. It was Gaochang wine, sweet and rich. Wiping his mouth, he praised, “Great wine! I hope I can afford a couple of pots someday.”
“Seventh Brother, next time those two women come, I’ll take care of them upstairs. When they’re on the verge of ecstasy, you steal their money downstairs. We can split it evenly—there we go, we’ll have money!”
A veteran joked rudely, causing everyone to laugh. Li Feiyuanli came out of the tent, smiling broadly, “Just thinking about those two wretched women makes me feel cheated. Two hundred coins would be enough to go to a brothel and listen to beautiful songs.”

At that moment, a kestrel was circling in the sky, waiting for the leftovers from the Tang army. Li Fei Yuanli glanced at the kestrel, frowned, and cursed, “That damned bird is here again! Last time, it knocked over my bottle of fine wine. Watch me shoot it down!” He turned around, grabbed a bow and arrow, drew back the bow, and shot an arrow that flew past the kestrel. Startled, the kestrel soared higher, but it didn’t leave and continued to circle in the air. Embarrassed, Li Fei Yuanli said to everyone, “I’ll offer 500 coins—whomever shoots down this damned bird will get it.” 500 coins was a tempting reward, so the Tang soldiers rushed forward, drawing their bows and shooting at the kestrel. Arrows flew everywhere, but none hit the target. The kestrel flew even faster, crying out twice as if mocking the Tang soldiers. Realizing they couldn’t hit it, the soldiers laughed and put down their bows to continue eating. But Li Fei Yuanli was furious and muttered angrily, ready to leave. Suddenly, Li Qingan stood up and said, “Lord Li Fei, may I borrow your bow and arrow?” Li Fei Yuanli’s bow and arrow were one size larger than others, requiring great strength to draw. He glanced at Li Qingan and grinned, “Seventh Brother, did I hear right? You want to use my bow?” The Tang soldiers laughed. He Yanming gently pulled Li Qingan aside and whispered, “Seventh Brother, that’s a six-stone bow. You won’t be able to draw it.” “I want to give it a try.” Seeing that he was overestimating himself, the soldiers began to boo. Li Fei Yuanli whistled and said, “Fine! I’ll let you try, but if you can’t draw it, you’ll have to steal money from those two women.” The soldiers laughed again. One of them shouted, “Seventh Brother, do you want me to teach you how to steal?” The laughter grew louder. Taking the bow, Li Qingan’s smile disappeared. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the kestrel, which was circling above him, sometimes high, sometimes low. Perhaps sensing the deadly intent on the ground, it dared not get closer. But after circling twice, it suddenly flew past Li Qingan’s head. In that split second, Li Qingan pulled back the bow sharply. The bow arched like a full moon, and the arrow shot like a meteor, flying swiftly toward the kestrel. With a loud cry, the kestrel plummeted straight down, landing right in the middle of the Tang soldiers. The soldiers, who had been laughing just moments ago, fell silent. Li Qingan stepped forward, grabbed the eagle’s leg, and lifted it high. After a while, the soldiers burst into thunderous applause. “What excellent archery!” Cheers rang out nonstop. Li Qingan not only shot down the kestrel but also pierced its head with a single arrow. Li Fei Yuanli widened his eyes and exclaimed in admiration, “Truly amazing!”

At that moment, Li Fei Yuanli seemed to be meeting him for the first time. He took in Li Qingan’s sturdy build from head to toe and suddenly asked, “Can you use a crossbow?”