Chapter 202: The Phoenix-Patterned Jade Pendant

Half a month had passed since the Suiye Battle, and the messengers sent to Chang’an to report the news had already set off. During this time, Li Qing’an had been busy handling various trivial matters in Suiye. He planned to return to Chang’an at the beginning of next year to report on his duties. He had already recommended Duan Xiushi as the governor of Suiye Prefecture and entrusted many tasks to him.

That morning, Li Qing’an went to the prisoner camp, located in General Pei Luo’s City east of Suiye. It held five thousand prisoners, most of whom were soldiers from the Shi State, along with hundreds from the Arabs. The camp was strictly guarded, surrounded by massive fences and patrolled by Tang troops. No weapons were allowed inside. Li Qing’an had already informed the prisoners that they would be released after two years of labor in Suiye.

Breakfast had already been served, and the camp was very quiet. The sun was shining brightly, and the prisoners lay lazily beside their tents, basking in the sun. Food and women were always the topics of their conversation.

Surrounded by his bodyguards, Li Qing’an passed by several tents. The prisoners stood up in fear. Li Qing’an glanced at them—they were all strong and sturdy, ideal laborers for mining. Even when he was stationed at the fortress, he had learned that there was a Dunduo silver mine south of Suiye, rich in silver and also containing large amounts of copper and gold. These five thousand prisoners, if used to mine for two years, could bring him immense wealth.

At that moment, Bai Xiaojie, the camp supervisor, rushed over and saluted Li Qing’an militarily. “Your servant greets you, envoy!”

“General Bai, starting tomorrow, these prisoners will be transported to the Dunduo silver mine one after another. General Li Fei will be in charge, and you must fully cooperate.”

“I shall obey orders!”

Li Qing’an nodded. “Good. Then let me check on the wounded prisoners.”

“Please follow me, envoy.”

Bai Xiaojie led Li Qing’an to a separate enclosure in the northeast corner of the camp. This was the area where the wounded prisoners were treated, consisting of thirty large tents. In this battle, those prisoners with serious injuries were sent to the Tang army’s field hospital, leaving only those with minor injuries in the camp. Still, there were over a thousand of them, a problem that troubled Li Qing’an. He needed to heal these wounded as soon as possible so they could go to the mines to mine silver.

He approached a large tent, lifted the curtain, and was immediately hit by a strong smell of alcohol. Inside the tent, there were nearly forty wounded soldiers, mostly with broken arms and legs. A few Tang army soldiers were guarding them, along with two Tang army female nurses taking care of them. Caring for captive and wounded soldiers was a challenging task, mainly due to concerns about sexual harassment. However, the Tang army had strict rules: anyone who dared harass the female nurses would be executed. To date, five captives had already been beheaded for such acts.

In fact, the captives were also human beings, and most of them had once been ordinary people. They knew that the female nurses were saving their lives, and most of them felt grateful. As a result, the female nurses fared fairly well in the camp, with no one suffering abuse.

Li Qing’an entered the tent and immediately saw Shi Sanniang, the wife of Li Feiyuanli. She was the commander of the female nurse unit and had come to check on them.

At that moment, Shi Sanniang was teaching two female nurses how to apply bandages. The bandages were made of Gaochang’s white folded cloth, which Li Qing’an had requisitioned all for medical use. Another valuable medical item brought from Gaochang was distilled alcohol. Distilled alcohol had existed in the Gaochang region since the early Tang Dynasty. It was unclear whether this distillation technique was invented locally or brought in by Arab merchants, but it was highly alcoholic and could serve as an alcohol substitute for disinfection. It was used for the first time in the Suiye Campaign, with excellent results, saving countless soldiers’ lives.

Shi Sanniang moved with great skill. She untied the cloth bandage from a captive’s leg and gently wrapped it around it, using less than half of the bandage.

“You two see, wrapping a bandage requires skill. You don’t need much—just enough to cover the person like a silkworm cocoon, without applying too much pressure. Like this—neither too tight nor too loose. Wrapping it in just two layers also allows the wound to breathe.”

Shi Sanniang seemed to sense something and turned around. Seeing Li Qing’an, she quickly stood up and bowed like a man, saying, “Saluting, sir!”

Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Sanniang, Old Li thought you had gone back to Beiting and were enjoying yourself there!”

“Hmph! Let’s see how I deal with him when I get back.”

Li Qing’an was delighted and quickly whispered, “I fully support you dealing with him, but don’t say I told you.”

Shi Sanniang smiled and said, “Why has the sir come to the captive camp?”

Li Qing’an nodded at the two female nurses who were bowing and said, “I came to see when they’ll recover. They don’t work all day and just waste my food.”

“Lord, it will take at least another month for them to recover. If they start working before their wounds are healed, it’s easy for them to suffer lasting complications. I definitely won’t let them go out.”
The prisoner with bandaged wounds was from the Shi people and could speak a little Chinese. He understood Shi Sanniang’s words and was deeply moved. He quickly whispered, “Thank you, madam.”
“You brat!”
Shi Sanniang smiled bitterly and pointed at him, saying to Li Qing’an, “This guy is an alcoholic. To get alcohol to drink, he deliberately let his wounds fester, then, when the guards weren’t looking, he drank up all the disinfectant alcohol.”
Seeing his red, swollen nose from alcohol abuse, Li Qing’an said in Turkic, “Heal your wounds quickly and go work in the mines. If you perform well, I’ll reward you with alcohol.”
“Is there really alcohol to drink?” Another wounded soldier asked eagerly, eyes shining.
“Of course. But not here. Only by working in the mines can you get it. The more you work, the more alcohol you’ll get,” Li Qing’an replied with a sinister smile, eager for these prisoners to become energetic right away and start digging for him.
A few alcoholic prisoners couldn’t help but cheer softly. At that moment, a soldier rushed in from outside the tent and reported loudly, “Reporting to Lord, King Ningyuan and Princess Heyi have arrived in Suiye. General Duan asks Lord to return immediately.”
Li Qing’an glanced around the tent again. “I’ll be back right away.”
……
Ningyuan Kingdom, also known as Bohan Nation, had cooperated with the Tang army in capturing Ashibulai City during the Suiye campaign, cutting off the retreat route of the Abbasid army. Although its role in the war wasn’t very significant, it played a crucial role in ensuring Suiye City remained under Tang control for the long term, thus becoming the first line of defense for Suiye.
Before the King of Ningyuan arrived, his eldest son, Yumo, had already come to Suiye ten days earlier, handing over over a hundred Abbasid soldiers captured in Ashibulai City along with a large amount of military supplies seized from them.
Today, the King of Ningyuan and the princess came mainly to discuss future joint efforts to fight against the Abbasid army. The King of Ningyuan, named Lebo Ashilanda, was in his early forties, of medium build, with a lion-like nose and broad mouth, giving him a bold appearance. He had been appointed by Emperor Li Longji as the General of the Flying Cavalry, King of Fenghua. At that moment, he was waiting for Li Qing’an at the welcome inn in Suiye City. Accompanying him was Princess Heyi, a member of the Tang imperial family.

Princess Heyi’s name was Li Suyun. In the third year of the Tianbao era, she was married off to the Kingdom of Ningyuan. She was the fourth daughter of Li Shi, the magistrate of Yangcheng County in Henan Prefecture, and belonged to a lesser branch of the imperial family. Selected by the court to marry into a distant region, she still maintained the elegant and luxurious appearance typical of a Tang princess—her face painted, hair styled in an elaborate updo, wearing a red shawl over her shoulders and a long, flowing dress. When news of the Tang army’s conquest of Suoye reached Kesai City, the capital of Ningyuan, she was so excited that she couldn’t sleep all night, knowing it meant she was one step closer to her homeland, the Tang Dynasty.

“Princess, when you meet the military governor later, you’ll be the one to bring up matters related to the Shi Kingdom. Remember that?”
Axiclandagan was giving instructions to the princess. Li Suyun nodded. At that moment, footsteps were heard outside, and someone shouted, “The Military Governor of Beiting, Commander Li, has arrived!”
Axiclandagan quickly went out with the princess to greet him. A young Tang army general strode in. They had heard that the Military Governor of Beiting was very young, and indeed, that was the case.
Axiclandagan stepped forward first, smiling as he bowed, “I am Axiclandagan, a humble servant. I greet General Li.”
Although the kings of the kingdoms in Lingxi held noble status, in the presence of the Military Governors of Beiting or Anxi of the Tang Dynasty, their status as rulers meant little.
Li Qing’an also met Axiclandagan for the first time. Noting his rugged appearance, which resembled Li Feiyuanli to some extent, he felt a bit of goodwill toward him and replied with a smile, “This victory at Suoye is thanks to Your Majesty.”
“Oh, no! I merely did my part. General, you flatter me.”
Axiclandagan had lived in Chang’an for nearly ten years in his youth and could speak fluent Chinese. With his wife being a Tang princess, aside from his appearance as a Western barbarian, his manners, speech, and understanding of social customs were no different from those of the Han people in the Tang Dynasty.
Li Qing’an immediately spotted the princess standing at the door and stepped forward to bow. “I am Li Qing’an, greeting Princess.”
Li Suyun smiled slightly and said, “General Li has made great contributions to the country, spreading the might of our Tang army throughout the Western Regions. Even though I am far away in Ningyuan, I am deeply proud of you.”
“I thank the princess for her praise!”
The three of them entered the guest hall and sat down. Their personal guards brought incense and tea. Only then did Li Qing’an smile and ask the princess, “I wonder if Princess has been well in Ningyuan?”

Before marrying, Li Suyun was indeed a member of the imperial family, but due to her distant lineage—her father being merely a county magistrate—she was actually from a humble background. At just sixteen, she took on the heavy responsibility of fostering peace between the Tang Dynasty and the barbarian tribes, leaving her parents behind. She married a barbarian of similar age to her father as a concubine, hiding her sorrow and helplessness deep within, never daring to reveal them to anyone. Today, when Li Qing’an asked about her situation in her native dialect, Li Suyun’s nose stung and her eyes reddened.

Seeing this, Ashilanda Gan coughed loudly and said with a forced smile, “General Li, the princess enjoys great honor and prosperity in our country, which treats her with the highest respect befitting an imperial envoy.”

Li Qing’an sighed inwardly. Although the Tang Dynasty sent princesses as part of peace treaties as a form of favor toward the barbarian tribes, these princesses often ended up as concubines, undermining the dignity of the Tang Dynasty. Seeing the sadness in the princess’s eyes, he felt a sense of pity.

At that moment, Ashilanda Gan added, “General Li, although the Abbasids were defeated this time, I’m confident that once their internal conflicts subside, they will surely make a comeback. Do you have any plans for the long-term security of Suiye?”

Ashilanda Gan had touched on the core issue. Li Qing’an nodded and said with a smile, “In my youth, I visited Persia and the Abbasid Empire. I know well that it is a powerful empire on par with the Tang Dynasty. It cannot be dismissed as a mere barbarian state. Conquering such an empire through military force alone would take decades or even generations. Moreover, the Lingxi region is not part of the Tang Dynasty’s core interests, and it’s far from the Central Plains. The Tang Dynasty cannot mobilize its entire force to counter the Abbasids’ expansion. It can only rely on the few tens of thousands of troops in Anxi and Beiting. Therefore, to confront the Abbasids, we must use strategies of alliance, uniting the forces of the countries in Lingxi to deal with them together.”

Ashilanda Gan was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected Li Qing’an to see things so clearly—completely different from previous Tang generals and Anxi governors, such as Gai Jiayun or Fumeng Lingcha, who regarded the Abbasids as mere barbarian states, dismissing them or ignoring the fall of the countries in Lingxi, focusing solely on defending the Pamir Mountains.

Inspired, he quickly asked, “Then, General Li, do you know the current situation of the Zhao Wu states?”

“I do. In name, they are vassal states of the Tang Dynasty, but in reality, they have long been under Abbasid control. This is evident from the fact that the Shi state even helped the Abbasids this time. If the easternmost Shi state is like this, there’s no need to mention states further west like Kang.”

Ashilanda Gan sighed. “The general is right. The State of Shi is not only a puppet of the Abbasids but also ambitious toward Suiye. The general may not know that the State of Shi actually has a dual monarchy—one reigning king and one vice king. The reigning king, Teliqin, is pro-Abbasid and holds military power, while the vice king, Yinaqin, is pro-Tang and maintains good relations with Bagan. Unfortunately, he has no power once removed from office. If General Li wants to implement his strategy of forming alliances, he must first eliminate the pro-Abbasid forces among the Zhao Wu states.”

This was actually Ashilanda Gan’s true purpose in coming to see Li Qing’an. Ningyuan and the State of Shi were at odds, with the State of Shi constantly seeking to annex Ningyuan. Now they had taken the opportunity to reclaim Ashibulai City. How could the State of Shi simply give up? Ashilanda Gan wanted to use the power of the Tang army to overthrow the reigning king of the State of Shi at once, allowing Ningyuan to profit from it and then seize northern towns like Talas from the State of Shi.

Seeing that Li Qing’an did not respond, he urgently signaled the princess. Li Suyun had no choice but to say, “General Li, the vice king of the State of Shi has sent envoys to Chang’an for help many times. He is indeed loyal to the Tang Dynasty. I hope General Li can send troops to assist the vice king in regaining his position.”

Li Qing’an remained silent after pondering. In fact, he already had a thorough understanding of the situation in the State of Shi from the intermittent reports sent by Li Huichun. The king of Ningyuan was actually confusing concepts. It was true that the reigning king of the State of Shi was at odds with Ningyuan, but to say that the reigning king must be pro-Abbasid and the vice king must be pro-Tang was one-sided. In reality, before the Abbasids expanded eastward, both the reigning king’s faction and the vice king’s faction were equally loyal to the Tang Dynasty, sending envoys to Chang’an for audiences every year. But after the Abbasids expanded eastward, they favored the more powerful reigning king faction and made them puppets while abandoning the vice king faction. Left with no choice, the vice king had to turn to the Tang Dynasty for help. But if the situation were reversed, with the Abbasids supporting the vice king, the outcome would be the same—the vice king pro-Abbasid and the reigning king pro-Tang.

So, whether pro-Tang or pro-Abbasid, that was not the intention of the kings in the Hexi region. They were all indecisive. The key lay in strength—if the Tang Dynasty was stronger than the Abbasids in the Hexi region, they would surely be pro-Tang and avoid the Abbasids.

Li Qing’an had his own plan to resolve the issue of the State of Shi—it was by no means as simple as suppressing the reigning king and supporting the vice king. The reigning king of the State of Shi controlled the army and enjoyed great popular support, while the vice king was corrupt and cruel, arousing widespread resentment. If the issue was resolved roughly, it would trigger internal strife in the State of Shi. Of course, internal strife in the State of Shi would be excellent news for Ningyuan.

Thinking of this, he glanced warily at Ashilandagan and smiled, saying, “Though I am willing to help the State of Ningyuan, sending troops to the Nine States of Zhaowu requires the imperial decree. How about this! At the beginning of next year, I will return to Chang’an to report on my duties. Then I will ask the emperor for permission to launch an attack on the State of Shi.”

Li Qing’an made a Tai Chi pushing motion. In fact, the imperial decree given to him was also rather vague. Attacking the State of Shi could barely be considered part of the Suiye Campaign, after all, the armies of the State of Shi also took part in that campaign. If the emperor were to be lenient, he wouldn’t be acting without authorization.

Ashilandagan, however, didn’t understand this. Seeing that Li Qing’an had agreed, he was overjoyed and bowed, saying, “Thank you, General Li!”

At that moment, Li Suyun took out a brocade box and handed it to Li Qing’an with a smile, saying, “This is a gift for General Li’s wife, just a small token of my regards. I hope you’ll accept it.”

“Hehe! Then thank you very much.”

Li Qing’an laughed and took the brocade box, opening it casually only to freeze instantly.

Inside the box was a full-moon shaped jade pendant, about the size of a pear, with a smooth texture. It was entirely green without a single flaw, exactly like the dragon-patterned jade pendant he had received from Li Dong last time.

Li Qing’an slowly picked up the pendant and examined it in the light. Inside, there was a phoenix pattern. He was extremely surprised. The last pendant had a dragon pattern, while this one had a phoenix pattern. These two pendants were clearly a pair. What could this mean?

Seeing that Li Qing’an seemed to recognize the pendant, Li Suyun was also a bit surprised. She glanced at her husband, and Ashilandagan quickly asked, “General Li, have you seen this pendant before?”

“No, I’ve seen another one that’s similar to it.”

Li Qing’an asked curiously, “I wonder where this pendant came from?”

Ashilandagan thought for a moment and said, “This pendant was obtained over twenty years ago. It seems to be one of the treasures sold to the State of Ningyuan by a Persian merchant. It has been kept in the national treasury. This time, when the princess was selecting gifts, she happened to choose this one.”

Li Qing’an quickly bowed to the princess and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Princess!”

Seeing that the conversation was almost over, Ashilandagan got up to take his leave. Li Qing’an saw them off out of the city before returning to the city. Once back in his room, he immediately took out the dragon-patterned jade pendant and placed the two pendants side by side to examine them carefully.

Comparing them, it was clear that the phoenix-patterned pendant was slightly smaller, but they were clearly a pair. Under the light, the beautiful jade was translucent, with the dragon and phoenix appearing vividly alive.

“How did this pendant end up in the treasure vault of the State of Ningyuan?” Li Qing’an fell into deep thought.