Chapter 207: Fury in Anger

On the New Year of the ninth year of Tianbao, Li Qing’an spent it in Suiye City with the Tang army soldiers. After nearly three months of hard work, the situation in Suiye City had gradually stabilized. The seventeen civil officials dispatched from Beiting had adapted to the local environment, and various political and military affairs were slowly getting on track. At the beginning of February, with the official appointments and rewards from the imperial court, the Ministry of War summoned Li Qing’an, who had been promoted to General of Champions, to return to the capital to report on his duties. He then entrusted all matters in Suiye to Duan Xiushi, who had been officially appointed as the governor of Suiye, and set off back to Beiting. After a brief stay there, he would head straight to the capital.

In mid-February, Li Qing’an led his 10,000 victorious troops to Yuegong City. The city was still covered in thick snow in February, but the breath of spring had already reached it. Beneath the ice and snow, streams began to flow gently, and herds of antelopes appeared in the forests and grasslands. In the vast forests, flocks of birds flew around, their chirping echoing through the valleys.

Upon arriving in Yuegong City, the Tang army would rest there for three days before continuing southeastward. That morning, several groups of Sogdian merchants returning from Jinman County in Beiting took advantage of the melting snow to arrive in Yuegong City as well. The arrival of large numbers of camels and goods made the city lively. Li Qing’an was inspecting the city walls when suddenly a soldier ran from the outer city. “General!”

“What is it?”

“General!” the soldier shouted up from below, “Your sister is here, in the outer city.”

“Sister?” Li Qing’an was stunned. Who could it be? Xiao Lian? Or Ru Shi Ru Hua? Without hesitation, he rushed down from the city wall and followed the soldier toward the outer city.

As they crossed a hill, they saw from afar a woman in a red dress running toward them. The woman also saw him, waved her hands, and cried out excitedly, like a bird that had found its way back to the forest after getting lost.

“Mingzhu!”

Li Qing’an was stunned. It seemed unbelievable—how could it be Mingzhu? Wasn’t she in Chang’an? Why had she traveled thousands of miles to Beiting? What had happened?

“Brother Li!”

Mingzhu threw herself into his arms and cried excitedly. Two months of arduous journeying, two months of suffering from harsh weather, had taken a toll on her. Now that her hardships were over and she had finally seen the person she longed for, how could she not be overjoyed?

“Mingzhu, calm down. First, tell me what happened.”

“Brother, please save my sister!” Suddenly, Mingzhu felt dizzy. Her legs grew weak, and she could barely stand anymore.

“Moonlight!” Li Qing’an was shocked. He grabbed Mingzhu’s arm and asked, “What happened to Moonlight?”
“General, let’s go back to the city and talk,” a soldier whispered.
Only then did Li Qing’an notice that Mingzhu’s face was abnormally red. He touched her forehead—it was scorching hot. “Hurry! Let’s go into the city.” Li Qing’an supported her as they rushed toward the city.
In the room, the military doctor examined Mingzhu and found that she was overworked and had caught a cold. Lying under the covers, she wiped away her tears while telling Li Qing’an what had happened in Chang’an.
“The emperor appointed my father as prime minister and ordered my sister to marry a Göktürk prince. Father said it was because the Göktürk prince had taken a liking to her. The emperor agreed to the marriage to appease the Göktürks. For the sake of our family’s survival, my sister was forced to agree to her father’s decision. But I know she would never marry a barbarian. Brother Li, this will drive her to death! Please ask the emperor to cancel this marriage—she’s too pitiful.”
Li Qing’an stroked her black hair, still carrying the faint scent of Moonlight. She had entrusted her life to him. Fury surged within Li Qing’an. How dare the Göktürks steal his woman? They had even chosen Moonlight for marriage as revenge—clearly targeting him. His kindness had only led to humiliation at the hands of the Göktürks.
Li Qing’an’s fists clenched so tightly they almost shattered. “Göktürks!”
He suddenly turned and ordered, “Pass my command: assemble the army and purge the Göktürks!”
…
That afternoon, 10,000 Tang cavalry set out. Their target was no longer Beiting but the Göktürks in the northeast. Five days later, the 10,000 cavalry crossed the Dutan Ridge, now less than 200 miles from the Göktürk camps. Upon hearing news of the assassination attempt on Heishan, the Göktürk chieftain hurriedly sent an envoy to see Li Qing’an.
The envoy was brought into the main tent by the Tang army. As soon as he entered, he knelt and kowtowed, saying, “General, the Göktürks obey your orders and never dare cross the border. Why then do you send troops to punish us?”
Li Qing’an snapped, “The Göktürks want to take my wife—how can they be blameless?”
The envoy was shocked. “General, where did that come from? How would the Göktürks dare take your wife?”
“Go ask your chieftain—he knows better than anyone!”
Gritting his teeth, Li Qing’an said, “I give you three days. If you don’t give me a proper explanation, I’ll send the army from Beiting to attack the Göktürks and wipe out every last one of you!”
Frightened, the envoy fled back to the Göktürk camp. Heishan was desperate. He had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the envoy return, he asked urgently, “Did you find out? Why has Li Qing’an led his troops here?”

“Report to the Great Chief: General Li says that our Göktürks stole his wife, and he is furious.”
Mouci Heishan was shocked. Even with great courage, no one would dare steal the wife of the Beiting military governor. Could it be someone acting on their own? He flew into a rage and shouted, “Who! Who did this?”
“Father, I know what happened.”
Mouci Sihan stepped forward quickly, bowed to his father, and said, “Father, I am very clear about this matter.”
“Explain what happened.”
“Father, do you remember the last time my elder brother and I went to Chang’an? He took a fancy to a woman there, only to find out she was Li Qing’an’s fiancée. I urged him not to anger Li Qing’an, but he insisted that precisely because she belonged to Li Qing’an, he had to have her. He stole Father’s seal and forged a letter to propose marriage to the Tang Dynasty.”
“Scoundrel!”
Mouci Heishan was enraged. He roared like a madman, “Bring that traitor here! Now!”
Seeing the opportunity, Mouci Sihan stoked the fire further, “Father, my elder brother did this out of revenge for Li Qing’an stealing his woman last time. For his own selfish revenge, he pushed our Göktürks into disaster. To resolve this properly, he must apologize to Li Qing’an.”
At that moment, over a dozen soldiers brought in Mouci Luoduo. He rushed into the tent and shouted, “Father, why did you arrest me? I haven’t committed any crime!”
“Dare you say you haven’t committed a crime?”
Mouci Heishan rushed at him and slapped him repeatedly, cursing loudly, “You wretched dog! Who told you to steal Li Qing’an’s woman? If you don’t want to live, die! Don’t ruin our entire clan!”
Filled with hatred, Mouci Heishan’s eyes seemed to burn with fury. His eldest son’s lust and stupidity had brought endless disaster to the Göktürks. He wished he could kill his son with his own hands.
Mouci Luoduo, enraged, saw Mouci Sihan sneering nearby and suddenly understood. With a loud roar, he shouted, “You bastard! How dare you betray me!”
He broke free from the soldiers’ grasp, pulled out a dagger from his boot, and slashed at Mouci Sihan’s chest. Before he could get closer, the surrounding soldiers rushed forward, pinned him to the ground, and tied him up.
Just then, a soldier ran in from outside the tent and reported, “Great Chief, about a thousand Tang cavalry are already 30 li away. Li Qing’an demands that the eldest prince be handed over, otherwise he will wipe out the Göktürks.”
“Father, don’t fear him!”
Mouci Luoduo howled like a wild wolf, “He only brought a thousand men. Let me lead our troops to kill him completely, to avenge our past humiliation!”

Mousi Heishan was so enraged that he nearly fainted. Pointing at Mousi Luoduo, he trembled and said, “How could I have a son as stupid as a pig? Enough! Enough! To save our entire Göktürk tribe, I have no choice but to hand you over. This is your own doing—don’t blame me!”
He turned around, waved his hand, and ordered, “Take him to the Tang camp and leave it to Li Qing’an to deal with him!”
Dozens of soldiers pushed Mousi Luoduo out of the tent. Fearing further accidents, Mousi Sihan said to his father, “I’m willing to go and apologize to Li Qing’an in your place!”
Mousi Heishan sighed. “Go then! He can have any demands you make.”
Mousi Luoduo, with disheveled hair, shouted loudly all the way, trying to call for his tribe to rescue him. But even after leaving the camp, no one came to help him. Finally terrified, he turned to Mousi Sihan and cried, “Younger brother, we’re brothers! How can you let me go to my death?”
Mousi Sihan laughed darkly, thinking to himself, “Brothers? Hmph! If you don’t die, when will it be my turn to become the chief of the Göktürks?”
“Younger brother, let me go! I’ll give you all my women and wealth.”
“Younger brother, I beg you—let me go!”
Mousi Luoduo cried out in despair. Mousi Sihan glanced at him coldly and ordered, “Seal his mouth!”
Just then, the sound of thunderous horse hooves came from afar. The Tang cavalry suddenly appeared. Divided into two groups, they rushed forward at lightning speed, quickly overtaking Mousi Sihan’s group. The two armies intertwined, forming a large circle. The cavalry tightened their formation, soon creating an impenetrable wall of men that surrounded the dozens of Göktürks, with sharp blades and a murderous atmosphere.
Li Qing’an rode forward, drawing his long bow and asking, “Where is the man I’m looking for?”
Two Göktürk soldiers led Mousi Luoduo, tied to a horse, forward. Mousi Sihan stepped forward and bowed, saying, “General Li, my father has uncovered the truth. This was done by Mousi Luoduo on his own; it has nothing to do with the Göktürks.”
Li Qing’an snorted coldly. “Nothing to do with them? Then what about that letter of marriage proposal?”
“That was also forged by him. He stole my father’s seal. General Li, in front of Ci’en Temple in Chang’an, he saw Miss Mingyue’s beauty and harbored evil intentions, trying to assault her. I stopped him at all costs. When he heard that Miss Mingyue was General Li’s fiancée, he wanted to take revenge on General Li. This was his personal grudge—nothing to do with the Göktürks. My father has handed him over to you for your disposal.”

What Murasi Sihan said was the same as what Mingzhu had said. Li Qing’an’s eyes flashed with murderous intent as he stared coldly at Murasi Luoduo, slowly drawing an arrow from behind him.
“I’ll give you a chance. If you can escape my arrow, I’ll spare your life. If not, you deserve to die!”
With a wave of his hand, the Tang soldiers cleared a path. A few of them used knives to cut the ropes binding Murasi Luoduo. He immediately pulled out the cloth from his mouth and cursed at Murasi Sihan, “Wait for me! I’ll tear you to pieces!”
He turned his horse and fled. Having grown up on horseback, he was extremely skilled on horseback. He spurred his warhorse, which galloped away like an arrow, quickly reaching twenty steps away.
Li Qing’an slowly drew his bow, which was now full like a moon. His eyes narrowed. By then, Murasi Luoduo had already rushed seventy steps away, constantly twisting and dodging on his horse. At eighty steps, Li Qing’an released the bowstring. A long arrow shot out like lightning, reaching behind Murasi Luoduo in the blink of an eye. At that moment, Murasi Luoduo flipped over like a falcon, climbing out from under his horse. Suddenly, he heard a whooshing sound behind him. He tried to dodge, but couldn’t control the inertia of his body. With a “thud!” the arrow pierced his back of the head, its tip protruding from his forehead. His eyes bulged as he fell off his horse.
Li Qing’an retracted his bow. With a cold laugh, he said to Murasi Sihan, “Tell your father that the man who wanted to marry her is dead. He can cancel the marriage with the Tang Dynasty.”
After saying that, he turned his horse, waved his long bow, and said, “Let’s go!”
A thousand cavalry riders rode off at full speed. On the grassland lay Murasi Luoduo’s cold corpse, with crows cawing in the sky.
……
Five days later, the Tang army returned to the Silk Road at Xilin Shouzhuo. They met the Tang soldiers escorting Mingzhu back to Beiting. The two armies joined forces and headed north toward Beiting.
When the army returned to Jinman County, all the people in the county came out to welcome the victorious Tang soldiers. The roads were packed with crowds cheering excitedly. They handed out jars of fine wine and bread to the Tang soldiers. Deputy commander Yang Fengche, along with officials like Wang Changling, went to greet them. From afar, he laughed loudly, “Governor, it’s been half a year since we last saw each other. Do you still remember us?”
Li Qing’an dismounted and hugged them one by one, smiling, “You’re my logistics team. If I forgot you, I’d go hungry.”
Everyone laughed. Yang Fengche shouted to the crowd, “Our governor has been promoted, but he hasn’t invited us to a feast yet. What do you suggest?”
“The governor must host a feast—three hundred drinks!”

Everyone chatted loudly, insisting that he should treat them. Li Qing’an raised his hand and said with a smile, “I’ll treat everyone tonight. Let’s go to Qing’an Restaurant. Whatever you want to eat or drink, just go ahead—everything will be on my account.”
“Won’t the magistrate go?”
By then, Li Qing’an had already seen his family from afar. Smiling, he said, “I’ve been away from home for half a year. I should reunite with my family first!”
Everyone laughed. “We get it! We’ll go to Qing’an Restaurant by ourselves.”
They stopped pestering him and went off together to drink. Meanwhile, the Tang soldiers returned to their camps. After taking a short rest, they would be given three days off.
Li Qing’an brought Mingzhu to his family. His wives had been stretching their necks to look at her for a long time. After not seeing her for half a year, they were extremely excited. But since Mingzhu was behind him, none of them dared to approach. Li Qing’an jumped off his horse and said with a smile, “What, after half a year, you don’t recognize me anymore?”
Wuyi smiled faintly, clasped her hands behind her back, and said leisurely, “We’re here to welcome the Tang soldiers back from victory. Whether you want to go home for dinner or to the restaurant to drink, it’s up to you.”
“I obviously want to go home for dinner!”
Li Qing’an turned and saw that Mingzhu looked somewhat sad, so he gave Rushi a subtle signal. Rushi understood and pulled Ruhua along, stepping forward. They had known each other since they were in Chang’an and had always been good friends.
“Mingzhu, when did you come to Beiting? Why didn’t you come to see us?”
Mingzhu forced a smile and said, “There were matters at home. I was in a hurry to find Brother Li.”
“Talk about it when we get home! Come, let me help you carry your things.” Ruhua took the packages and smiled as she took her arm.
Wuyi stepped forward, took Li Qing’an’s hand, and said with a sweet smile, “Young Master Li, are you going back to Chang’an?”
“Yes! I lost time on the road, so I can only stay at home for three days before rushing back to Chang’an to report on my duties.”
At that, Li Qing’an patted the back of her hand and said with a smile, “Do you want to go back to Chang’an with me?”
Wuyi glanced quickly at Mingzhu out of the corner of her eye and shook her head. “I won’t go. My music school now has over two hundred students, so I can’t leave. Ruhua’s tea shop is also very busy. Let Rushi accompany you back!”
“Never mind. She can’t handle such a long journey. I’ll try to return as soon as possible.”
At that moment, a guard rushed over and bowed to Li Qing’an, saying, “Magistrate, Mr. Yan says there’s an urgent matter that requires your attention. You must go at once.”
“I know. I’ll be there right away!”
Li Qing’an turned to Wuyi and said, “I’ll go see Mr. Yan first. We can gather properly again tonight.”
Since Yan Zhuang was asking for him so urgently, there must be something important. Concerned, Li Qing’an hurried to Yan Zhuang’s residence.

By this time, the Yan family already had their own house, not very far from Li Qing’an’s residence. After nearly a year of treatment and training, Yan Zhuang could now barely walk independently with the help of a cane.
As soon as Li Qing’an entered his mansion, Yan Zhuang immediately led him to his study.
“Lord, are you aware of what’s happening in the Eastern Palace?”
Li Qing’an was taken aback. He was far away in Suiye and only knew a little about the latest court affairs through scattered reports, as well as some intelligence from the Han-Tang Conference, but nothing about the crown prince.
“What happened in the Eastern Palace?”
Yan Zhuang took out a letter and said, “This was sent by Minister Pei. It just arrived in Beiting yesterday. I was about to send it to you when you returned.”
Li Qing’an took the letter and glanced at it. It was an ordinary letter with simple content: the Council of Ministers had expanded to nine members, who were clearly divided into four factions, intensifying the power struggles in the court. Additionally, two months earlier, the crown prince had committed some offense that angered the emperor, who confined him to the Eastern Palace for a year, forbidding him from meeting any ministers. Minister Pei advised him not to visit the crown prince after arriving in the capital. However, the reason for the crown prince’s offense was not mentioned at all. Li Qing’an checked the date of writing—it was from a month earlier, meaning Minister Pei wrote this letter a month after the incident.
Li Qing’an frowned and asked Yan Zhuang, “Does your urgent matter refer to the power struggles in the court or the incident involving the crown prince?”
Yan Zhuang smiled bitterly and said, “The expansion of the Council of Ministers is clearly the emperor’s way of weakening Li Linfu’s power. Previously, the Prime Minister’s faction dominated while the Zhang faction was weak. Now, with the addition of the Crown Prince’s faction and the Yang faction, the power struggles have intensified. This has always been a tactic used by emperors to control their subjects, so it’s not strange. What worries me is the incident involving the crown prince. Although Minister Pei didn’t mention the reason in his letter, I have a bad feeling about it.”
“Please explain. What exactly is wrong?”
Yan Zhuang sighed and said, “The problem is that the emperor has been on the throne for too long—almost forty years since the first year of Xianqian. He’s still in good health and can likely remain on the throne for another dozen years or so. But the crown prince is already forty years old, and it’s been twelve years since the 26th year of Kaiyuan. Does the emperor still want him to continue as crown prince?”
“Are you saying the emperor intends to replace the crown prince?”

Yan Zhuang nodded. “This crown prince is neither the legitimate eldest nor wise and virtuous; he is merely an ordinary person. I’ve always believed that the emperor appointed him merely as a placeholder. That’s why, over the past decade or so, the emperor has tolerated—no, indulged—Li Linfu’s attacks on the crown prince. Once the crown prince showed any signs of rebellion or grew too powerful, the emperor would replace him without hesitation, forcing another new crown prince to start all over again in fear. Clearly, now that the crown prince’s faction is strong, with the three prime ministers Pei, Lu, and Dugu, can the emperor still sit on the throne peacefully for another decade? I can infer that since the crown prince has committed a mistake this time, the emperor definitely intends to replace him. Confining him to the eastern palace for a year is to prevent him from any contact with the outside world, so the emperor can make arrangements at his leisure.”

Though it seemed somewhat unbelievable, Li Qing’an had to admit that Yan Zhuang’s analysis was very thorough. After thinking for a while, he asked, “So, according to you, how should I respond?”

Yan Zhuang looked into his eyes and slowly said, “Let me tell you another piece of news. Wang Zhongsì died suddenly over a month ago, and the cause of death is unknown.”

Li Qing’an was shocked. Wang Zhongsì had died! A shadow of worry settled over his heart.

“Lord, this is definitely not good news. Wang Zhongsì no longer held military power, but merely because he had high prestige among the troops, he was silenced. And since the general commands a large army, it’s easy to imagine why the emperor is wary of him.”

Li Qing’an suddenly understood what Yan Zhuang meant. His trip to the capital was likely to end in disaster. After pondering for a long time, he asked, “What do you think if I find an excuse not to return to the capital to report for duty?”

Yan Zhuang shook his head gently. “I’ve thought about it. That’s a last resort. No matter what excuse you come up with, if you don’t return to report for duty, the emperor will assume the general has rebellious intentions. Unless the general rises in rebellion, he can’t avoid being caught eventually.”

“Rebellion?”

Li Qing’an’s mind went blank. He had never considered the idea of rebellion before.

“Do you think rebellion is feasible?”

“What do you think, the general?”

Li Qing’an shook his head. “I’ve only been the governor of Beiting for a year. Even if I wanted to rebel, Duan Xiushi wouldn’t, the Li Fei brothers wouldn’t, generals like Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun wouldn’t either. There are also countless Tang soldiers who are loyal to the Tang Dynasty and would never follow me in rebellion. In the end, I’d be left completely alone.”

“You’re right. With An Lushan having controlled Fanyang and Pinglu for so many years, he still doesn’t dare speak of rebellion. You’ve only been in Beiting for a year—rebellion would only lead to death. I spent the whole night thinking and came up with three strategies for you.”