Chapter 224: Persuading the General

“The Shiites recognize only Ali of the Hashemite family and his descendants as legitimate heirs. Thus, in their uprising against the Sunni-backed Umayyad dynasty, the Shiites, Khurasanis, and Abbasids reached an agreement: to overthrow the Umayyad caliphs and have Sharik, a descendant of Ali, ascend to the caliphate and establish a new theocratic dynasty. However, Abu Abbas seized the caliphate with the support of the Khurasanis. This is the root of their conflict. Abu Abbas broke his promise, leading to a Shiite uprising…”

Inside the old headquarters of the Anxi Military Governorate in Kucha, Li Qing’an listened to Li Huichun, a member of the Yinlong Society, explain the internal strife in the Abbasid Caliphate. Li Qing’an had been back in Anxi for one and a half months. Three days earlier, he had arrived in Kucha from Beiting. There were some tricky matters he needed to handle, but unexpectedly, he ran into Li Huichun, who had also moved there.

Thanks to Li Qing’an’s warning, before Suiye fell, the Yinlong Society had evacuated in batches to Anxi and Beiting, dispersing across five locations: Shule, Bohuan City, Kucha, Gaochang, and Tingzhou. Li Qing’an’s return undoubtedly boosted their morale greatly—it would mark a turning point for the Yinlong Society.

Li Qing’an listened attentively as Li Huichun spoke. He asked, “How strong are the Shiites?”
“They are quite powerful, present throughout the Abbasid Caliphate, but mainly concentrated in northern Khurasan and Transoxiana. Sharik’s stronghold is in Bukhara, the capital of Anghur. Most of the new converts in Transoxiana follow the Shiite sect. If the Shiites were to launch an uprising, it would surely happen in Transoxiana.”

Li Qing’an nodded. The information Li Huichun had provided was not enough for military action. He smiled and changed the subject. “How are the others in the Yinlong Society?”
“Everyone is fine. Thanks to your timely warning to evacuate, we avoided being slaughtered by Duomoji. That Duomoji is conscripting people in Suiye—everyone aged 14 to 60 from the Turgesh tribe must join the army. I heard he already has over 30,000 troops, and with the support of the Abbasid Caliphate, he will be a major obstacle to recapturing Suiye.”

Li Qing’an snorted. “Duomoji is just a petty clown. Without popular support, he can never become another Sulu. I’m only concerned about the Abbasid army.”

With that, he stood up. “I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t talk anymore. Continue to keep an eye on Suiye and report to me at any time.”
“I will certainly monitor Suiye constantly.”
…

An important reason for Li Qing’an’s visit to Kucha this time was to persuade Feng Changqing. When Gao Xianzhi was transferred to Jiannan, he took a large number of his trusted subordinates with him. This was not out of fear that Li Qing’an would purge them; rather, Jiannan was under Yang Guozhong’s control, and without his own men, it would be difficult for Gao Xianzhi to command the troops. By taking his subordinates with him, Gao Xianzhi somewhat spared Li Qing’an a lot of trouble. After taking office, Li Qing’an quickly filled the vacancies in Anxi with former troops from Beiting. For example, he reduced the military significance of Kucha and Yanqi, concentrated the Tang forces in Anxi in Shule, Bahuan City, and Yutian, appointed the cautious Li Fei Shouyu as the military commander of Shule, Li Fei Yuanli as that of Bahuan City, transferred Zhao Chongjin from the military commander of Shule to that of Yutian, and sent Li Siyeh back to Beiting to continue serving as the deputy governor of Anxi and command the Anxi Moadao army.

However, another major general in Anxi, Feng Changqing, did not go to Jiannan with Gao Xianzhi. As the deputy governor of Anxi, he remained there. Since Li Qing’an took office, he had claimed to be ill and stayed at home.

Feng Changqing was a famous general of the mid-Tang period. Historically, after Gao Xianzhi was removed from Anxi due to his defeat at the Battle of Talas, Feng Changqing took over as the governor of Anxi. But now, with Li Qing’an, an outsider, disrupting history, Feng Changqing lost the opportunity to become a high-ranking official.

Unlike Cheng Qianli, Feng Changqing was not involved in the court’s factional struggles. The main reason he stayed at home claiming to be ill was his fear of retaliation from Li Qing’an. After Li Qing’an was captured in the capital, Feng Changqing took control of the military in Beiting and purged or demoted many of Li Qing’an’s trusted subordinates. Now that Li Qing’an had returned to Anxi, how could he let Feng Changqing go?

Feng Changqing’s home was north of Kucha City, not far from the former residence of the governor of Anxi. It was a medium-sized house. Feng Changqing was short in stature, ugly in appearance, with crossed eyes and a limp. In the Tang Dynasty, where appearance was highly valued, such a person would not be qualified to hold an official position. Yet, thanks to his outstanding talents, Feng Changqing became one of the famous generals of the mid-Tang period.

Originally from Yishi in Puzhou, Feng Changqing was exiled to Anxi to serve in the army because of his maternal grandfather’s crime, and he also came to Anxi. As a young man, he lived with his maternal grandfather, who had once served as the guard at the southern gate of Suiye and loved reading poetry and books. He often taught Feng Changqing to read on the gate tower. Under his guidance, Feng Changqing became well-versed in literature and had great ambitions. After his maternal grandfather died, Feng Changqing had no support and lived a poor life from then on.

It was not until he was in his thirties that he repeatedly recommended himself to Gao Xianzhi and was finally given an important position. Feng Changqing was strict and upright, and he enjoyed high prestige among the troops in Anxi. Back in the day, when Li Qing’an was still a scout officer under Gao Xianzhi, they had a good relationship.

Li Qingan arrived at Feng Changqing’s house and happened to meet Feng Changqing’s wife coming out. He stepped forward, smiled, and said, “Sister-in-law, do you still remember me?”
Feng’s wife found Li Qingan very familiar. After looking more closely, she suddenly remembered him and exclaimed in delight, “You’re Li Qilang!”
“That’s right. I was wondering if Brother Feng is at home.”
“He is! He is!”
Feng’s wife warmly invited Li Qingan inside. She still didn’t know that Li Qingan had replaced Gao Xianzhi, nor did she realize that her husband was staying at home because of Li Qingan.
“Qilang, it’s been several years since we last saw each other. I heard you became a high-ranking official in Beiting. Congratulations!”
“Thank you, sister-in-law! How is Brother Feng?”
“He’s in good health, but he just refuses to go out. Sigh! He actually wants to resign from his position as deputy commander. Qilang, please persuade him not to do such a foolish thing.”
“Don’t worry, sister-in-law. That’s exactly why I’m here to talk to Brother Feng.”
They entered the east courtyard and faintly heard Feng Changqing reading aloud.
“Changqing, Qilang is here to see you.”
The sound of reading continued for a few moments before suddenly stopping. The east courtyard fell silent. After a while, Feng Changqing came out with a solemn expression and reluctantly bowed to Li Qingan, saying, “I pay my respects to the military governor-general!”
Feng’s wife was stunned. She looked at Li Qingan, unable to speak for a long time. Feng Changqing waved his hand at her, “Go back to your tasks! It’s none of your concern.”
Feng’s wife seemed to understand something. She sighed and turned to leave.
“Lord Li, please come in!”
Li Qingan smiled and followed Feng Changqing into the room. It was Feng Changqing’s study, very simple—bookshelves filled with various books surrounded the space, along with just a table and a chair.
Feng Changqing brought over a chair from the next room and fetched several teacups. He poured tea for Li Qingan and said, “Lord Li, please have some tea.”
Li Qingan took a sip and said with a smile, “Why is General Feng feigning illness and staying at home?”
Feng Changqing kept his head down, silent. After a while, he took a letter from his desk and handed it to Li Qingan, saying, “I was planning to give you this letter today. Since you’re here, I’ll just give it to you now.”
Li Qingan glanced at the letter’s cover and saw the words “Resignation Letter” written on it. Without even looking at it, he tore it apart. Feng Changqing was shocked. “Lord Li, what are you doing…”

“General Feng, those who aspire to achieve great things cannot be as petty as women. It’s true you purged my former subordinates in Beiting, but if you think I’ll hold a grudge against you, then you underestimate me, Li Qing’an. A true man should focus on the world as a whole and not dwell on trivial matters. General Feng, I’ve come to invite you to take up a position in Beiting. With the recovery of Suiye imminent, it’s the perfect time to serve the country. How can you neglect state affairs because of personal grudges?”
Li Qing’an’s voice grew increasingly stern. Feng Changqing’s face burned with embarrassment as he lowered his head and remained silent. His concern for Li Qing’an stemmed from witnessing the fates of Cheng Qianli and Zhao Tingyu, and he feared becoming another victim of Li Qing’an’s wrath. Although Li Qing’an’s special invitation to Kucha moved him somewhat, his doubts still lingered.
After pondering for a moment, he said, “I wonder what General Li plans to do against the Arabs?”
Seeing that he had asked about military strategy, Li Qing’an felt reassured. With a slight smile, he replied, “My approach may differ from General Gao’s. I’ll use both soft and hard tactics—winning over some factions while suppressing others.”
Feng Changqing nodded, and a faint smile finally appeared on his gloomy face. “I’d like to hear more details!”
“As for my understanding of the Arabs and the regions around Hexi, I can claim to know much more than General Gao. General Gao’s failure in Turfan was due to underestimating the enemy—this is what he told me when handing over command. In fact, he wasn’t entirely right; it was because he didn’t understand the Arabs. In my youth, I traveled to the West, especially to the Arab regions, and deeply realized the profound influence of religion on the Arabs. One could say Islam is their life, their spirit. They always believe that Islam should be spread throughout the world, so that everyone will worship Allah like them. This is the underlying reason for their expansionist policies. But in regions like Hexi, Tianzhu, and Turfan, people worship Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. The religious conflict means they will inevitably resist the Arabs’ eastward expansion.”
Seeing that Feng Changqing was listening intently, Li Qing’an paused intentionally. Feng Changqing quickly realized this and urged, “Please continue, sir.”
Li Qing’an took a sip of tea before continuing, “That’s why, since the Arab general Qubad’s eastern campaign over thirty years ago, right up to the Tianbao era, the Sogdian states in Hexi have been seeking help from the Tang Dynasty. Even though the Sogdian states have had one Arab king after another, and even though over half of their population has converted to Islam, why do they still turn to the Tang Dynasty for help? Have you ever thought about why, General Feng? Or has General Gao?”
Feng Changqing slowly shook his head. They had never thought about it.

“This is because the Tang Dynasty never imposed taxes on them nor interfered in their internal affairs. But the Abbasid Caliphate is different. From the information I’ve received, the governor of Khorasan, Ubaydullah, forced Anghur to pay one million silver dirhams in compensation—equivalent to five years of its tax revenue. Qutayba also forced Kanghu to pay two million silver dirhams at once, with heavy taxes imposed each year. As for Shiguan and Ningyuan, their treasuries were completely emptied. With such a stark contrast, how could the countries in Central Asia not long to return to the Tang Dynasty? Yet since many people in those countries had converted to Islam and naturally favored the Abbasid Caliphate, they were conflicted and hesitant—wanting to submit to the Abbasids while also longing for the Tang Dynasty to rescue them. We must not adopt a black-and-white approach like General Gao. Instead, we should target their pro-Abbasid tendencies while winning over those who desire to break free from Abbasid control. This is what it means to win over one group while attacking another. Do you understand, General Feng?”
Feng Changqing agreed wholeheartedly. Nodding, he sighed, “In fact, our Tang Dynasty’s strategy has always been to win over the countries in Central Asia to resist the Abbasid Caliphate. For this reason, we even married Princess Heyi to Ningyuan. It’s just that the court didn’t expect the Abbasid Caliphate to be so powerful. Coupled with our focus on dealing with Tubo, this led to the complete loss of control over Central Asia. I fully endorse your two-pronged strategy.”
Seeing that the time was right, Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Then, General Feng, would you be willing to work with me to implement this two-pronged strategy and completely drive the Abbasid forces out of Central Asia?”
All of Feng Changqing’s doubts vanished. He stood up, bowed deeply to Li Qing’an, and said gladly, “Feng Changqing is ready to serve you!”
Li Qing’an was overjoyed. With Feng Changqing handling logistics for him, he would have no worries during the Battle of Suiye.
……
Li Qing’an and Feng Changqing agreed to return to Beiting together the next day. A tricky issue had finally been resolved, and Li Qing’an felt greatly relieved. Seeing it was still early, he took his guards to the tavern in the Central Plains he used to frequent.
The tavern hadn’t changed at all—same flags, same tables and chairs, the same staff and owner. The staff was overjoyed to see a group of soldiers. Recent troop movements in Kucha had greatly reduced business, so it was rare to see so many soldiers coming together. He hurried over to greet them.
“Gentlemen, what would you like to drink… Captain Li!”
The staff immediately recognized Li Qing’an. Suddenly realizing his mistake, he slapped himself in the face—how foolish he was.
“Welcome to our humble shop, Ambassador Li! Owner, come quickly!”

Li Qing’an’s arrival set the tavern ablaze with excitement. The owner and staff were old acquaintances of his, and they escorted him upstairs to their usual spot for drinking. Li Qing’an told the soldiers to sit wherever they wanted and smiled at the owner and staff, saying, “Follow the old rules—bring over large bowls of wine and food.” “Please wait a moment, Lord Li; we’ll be right there!” The staff hurried about, and food and drink were served in an endless stream. Li Qing’an poured himself a cup of wine. The familiar taste filled his heart as he recalled the past—Duan Xiushi, Bai Yuanguang, Xi Yuanqing, and Wu Niang. Suddenly, he thought of Gao Wu’s peculiar thoughts, feeling a gentle sense of nostalgia. He wondered where that girl had gone—had she gotten married? “Lord Li!” Someone suddenly interrupted his thoughts. Turning around, he saw several Sogdian merchants, whom he seemed to have seen drinking on the first floor earlier. “What do you want?” The foreigners exchanged glances and hesitantly said, “We want to buy some weapons from the Tang Dynasty to take abroad. Is that allowed?” Li Qing’an’s expression darkened. “Weapons are prohibited—absolutely not!” “Wait!” Suddenly remembering something, Li Qing’an quickly asked, “Why do you want to buy weapons?” “General Li, we’ve just received news that a large-scale rebellion has broken out in the Anguo region, and similar uprisings have started in the Shiguo and Kangguo regions. The price of a single knife has tripled.” Li Qing’an stood up abruptly—the Shiite uprising had begun!