Chapter 250: Taking Control of Khwarazm (Part 1)

Amidst light snowflakes drifting in the air, 40,000 Tang soldiers arrived in large formations at Khwarazm’s largest city: Samarkand.
This city, with a population of 300,000, had been devastated by decades of conquest and slaughter by the Arabs. Today, it welcomed the first deployment of the Tang army.
The 40,000 Tang soldiers set up camp at the city gates, with dozens of small teams entering the city to assess the situation, study the terrain, and inquire about the population, preparing for the formal entry the next day.
Inside the camp, Li Qing’an was briefing King Teli and Prince Hassan of the Shih kingdom, who had just arrived, on the plans for the next day.
“From the information I’ve gathered, the kings of various countries have already arrived in Samarkand. Tomorrow, I intend to discuss future military and political arrangements with them. I hope the king can give them some advance information so that both sides can cooperate better.”
Teli bowed slightly and smiled. “Please go ahead, General. I will certainly convey your message.”
Li Qing’an walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and said with a smile, “First, let’s talk about the Emperor’s wishes. At the beginning of the year, the Emperor made it clear that past mistakes would be forgiven. So, I can’t hold them accountable. That’s the bottom line. You can tell them this first to reassure them.”
Teli pondered for a moment before saying, “Although the General has such intentions, I suggest revealing everything to them at the end. That way, the General can propose more conditions first.”
“Conditions!” Li Qing’an sneered. “Do they still have the right to lay conditions on me? Have they ever set conditions with the Arabs? Now that my army has entered Khwarazm, it’s my word that counts—there’s no room for negotiation.”
Perhaps realizing his tone was too harsh, Li Qing’an softened it slightly. “Of course, revealing everything isn’t my main goal. It’s just to stabilize the situation. I hope the king can help me understand the current situation of the Sogdian kingdoms—what difficulties they face and what they expect from the Tang army. I want to know all this, and I hope the king can act as a bridge for me.”
“I understand. I will help the General pacify the various countries.”
At that moment, Hassan beside him asked softly, “The General once promised us that if we captured Khwarazm, our Shih kingdom would take the lead. What plans does the General have?”
Teli perked up. This was also his biggest concern. Their Shih kingdom had sacrificed almost everything in the Battle of Talas, with half of its 20,000 soldiers killed or wounded. For this reason, Li Qing’an had promised them compensation if they captured Khwarazm. Now it was time—so how would Li Qing’an fulfill his promise?

Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “Don’t worry! You’ve done your best in the Battle of Talas this time. I won’t treat you unfairly. I have plans for tomorrow.”
The Tele brothers thanked him repeatedly before leaving. Li Qing’an pondered for a while before ordering his soldiers, “Bring Mr. Li Bi and the clerk Luo Qiming here, and also summon Li Fei Yuanli.”
Soon, Li Bi and Li Fei Yuanli arrived at the main tent. Luo Qiming, who was in charge of documents for Li Qing’an, also hurried over. Luo Qiming was the son of Luo Pinfang from the Suiye Yinlong Society and thus an uncle of Li Qing’an, a descendant of the hidden prince. He was highly educated, fluent in Turkic and Sogdian, so Li Qing’an assigned him to the Anxi Army to handle documentation.
Li Qing’an asked the three of them to sit down and poured them tea. Li Bi and Luo Qiming were fine, but Li Fei Yuanli felt uneasy. He quickly stood up and said, “If the general has any orders, just give them. All this sitting and pouring tea is too much for an old man like me.”
“Then stand aside then!”
Without further ceremony, Li Qing’an unrolled a map of the River Region and smiled at Li Bi, “I’ve thought carefully about your suggestions, and I’d like to refine them further.”
Li Bi bowed and said, “Please go ahead, sir. I’m all ears.”
Li Qing’an pointed at Samarkand and said, “You suggested that I establish military garrisons in Dayuan and Suiye, and a military governorship in Samarkand. While that’s a good idea, I’m worried the court will object to me holding both positions—either as the military governor of River Region or as the military governor of Anxi. So I’d like to modify the plan: instead of a separate military governorship, I’ll set up a military garrison in Samarkand and appoint governors in various countries. What do you think?”
Li Bi frowned. “But with only a small number of troops, how can we resist the Persians’ counterattack?”
“It’s simple—use the Sogdian armies to defend against the Persians.”
Li Qing’an pointed at the map and said with a smile, “There are nine Sogdian kingdoms, plus the Kingdom of Shi, Kujat, and Bakhtria—so twelve in total. I plan to have these twelve kingdoms form a joint military and political council, a kind of alliance, to jointly resist the Persians’ expansion eastward. Each country will have a seat—smaller countries one seat, larger ones two or three. All matters related to Sogdian diplomacy and military affairs will be resolved by voting, with the majority decision prevailing. This way, the Sogdians can act together and won’t be defeated one by one by the Persian army.”
Li Bi seemed to understand and quickly asked, “So what you mean is to eventually unite the Sogdians into one country?”

Li Qing’an smiled faintly and said, “Making the Sogdians a powerful nation was not my intention. This military-political council is merely a tool. Currently, military and diplomatic powers lie with it, and in the near future, the taxes and internal affairs of the various Sogdian states will gradually be brought under the control of this council. In reality, it is my Tang Dynasty that manipulates it—controlling it means controlling the region of Transoxiana. As for the Sogdian allied forces, nominally they belong to the military-political council, but in practice, command and the appointment of officers are in the hands of the Anxi Jiedushi. Of course, the military expenses are borne by the Sogdians themselves.”

Li Mi suddenly understood. Stroking his beard, he smiled and said, “I see. What you mean is that whatever you do in Transoxiana from now on will, in name, be decisions made by this military-political council, with nothing to do with you, right?”

“Good!” Li Fei Yuanli, who was listening nearby, also understood. He gave a thumbs-up in approval and said, “I wondered why Bahanna was included in matters related to the Sogdians. It turns out the great general is using it to counter the imperial court.”

“It’s not entirely to counter the imperial court.”

Li Qing’an smiled and said to Li Fei Yuanli, “The main focus is still on dealing with the Arabs. I plan to form an army of 50,000 men—some of them prisoners of war from Talas, and the rest miners trained in Suyab. I’ll leave the daily training of these 50,000 men and their defense against the Arabs to you. But any major decisions must be made by me. I’ll also give you 6,000 Tang troops, and you will be the first Military Commander of Transoxiana.”

Only then did Li Fei Yuanli understand why Li Qing’an had called him over—it was to entrust him with Transoxiana. He was filled with excitement and immediately bowed, saying, “Your subordinate will not disappoint the great general’s expectations!”

Li Qing’an nodded and said to him, “You focus solely on military matters. Do not interfere in local governance in Transoxiana.”

He then turned to Luo Qiming with a smile and said, “Although this council deals with the internal affairs of the Sogdians, it must also reflect the will of my Tang Dynasty. So you will serve as my representative, stationed permanently in Samarkand. You have the power to veto resolutions passed by them. If the situation becomes critical and you need to use troops, you can consult General Li Fei directly and report to me afterward.”

Luo Qiming quickly bowed and said, “Your subordinate will do his utmost to serve you.”

After arranging everything, Li Qing’an finally smiled at Li Mi and said, “The system of the military-political council is just my preliminary idea. I haven’t thought through many details yet. I’ll leave it to you to refine it. Come up with a plan before I return to Anxi.”

“I will set about it immediately. When will you return to Shuiliye, sir?”
Li Qing’an thought for a moment and said, “I still need to return to Chang’an to report on my duties. I can only stay in Samarkand for five days. After that, I will head back to Shuiliye.”
……
Early the next morning, the Tang army officially began its entry into the city. Six thousand Tang soldiers participated in the ceremony, and the streets were filled with jubilant crowds. The light snow falling from the sky could not dim the joy and enthusiasm in Samarkand. Musical instruments were played in the streets, and beautiful girls danced the lively Huixuan dance. When the main force of the Tang army entered the city, the whole city erupted in excitement. The people cheered as they rushed forward. Whether Zoroastrians or Muslims, everyone welcomed the Tang army from the bottom of their hearts. Their joy and enthusiasm stemmed from the promises of the Tang army’s commander.
The Tang army would not interfere with the people’s religious beliefs, nor would it interfere with them rebuilding their temples or going on pilgrimages to Mecca, as long as they recognized the Great Tang as their suzerain state. The Great Tang would embrace them with an open mind.
Li Qing’an rode on his warhorse, clad in black armor, wearing a silver helmet, with a sword at his waist and a giant bow hanging from the saddle. He looked imposing. Curiously, he observed this historic city. He knew that centuries later, during the Mongol invasions, this famous city would be destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people would be killed. Yet at this moment, he was changing the course of history with an unstoppable force.
When his army passed by the famous Samarkand Temple Square, two temple elders came forward with a large group of believers, kneeling on the street and holding up a golden plate high.
Li Qing’an stopped his horse. He recognized the dagger in the golden plate—it was the one he had given to Kulan. He dismounted and slowly picked up the dagger from the plate. The dagger had been scorched and slightly deformed, but the handle was still intact, with the words “Li Qing’an” clearly visible.
One of the elders cried, “This is Kulan’s last relic. We offer it to the great general, hoping you will cherish it.”
Li Qing’an gently stroked the dagger. There were still traces of Kulan’s blood on it. She had used this dagger to end her young life in her final moments.
Li Qing’an was filled with sorrow. He remembered that passionate foreign girl, the happiness they shared when embracing, and the sadness at parting. His eyes moistened, and he gently placed the dagger back on the golden plate.
“She awakened the Sogdians’ resistance with her young life. She deserves their reverence. Let’s enshrine her in the temple!”
After saying that, Li Qing’an turned and strode away.