Chapter 289: An Lushan’s Plans

Today was destined to be a busy day for Li Longji. Just as Gao Lishi had calmed things down, eunuchs came to report that An Lushan, the Prince of Dongping and General of the Cavalry, wished to see him.

Li Longji was already extremely tired. He wanted to postpone the meeting until the next day, but then he said to Yu Chaoen, “Go and summon him.”

Yu Chaoen felt uneasy. Although Gao Lishi’s failure to retire disappointed him, it was Li Longji’s trust in Gao Lishi that truly disheartened him. He realized then that he was nothing but an eunuch, and his dream of replacing Gao Lishi was nothing but a distant fantasy.

When Li Longji ordered him to summon An Lushan, he was momentarily stunned before suddenly coming to his senses. He bowed his head and hurried away. Moments later, An Lushan, with his excess weight, strode in quickly. Though obese, he was quite agile. He knelt halfway and saluted Li Longji, saying, “An Lushan pays his respects to Your Majesty!”

Over the years, Li Longji had grown to like this barbarian greatly. An Lushan was understanding; he even brought him aphrodisiac flowers that no one else among Li Longji’s sons could think of, helping him regain his manly vigor. Despite the serious consequences of those flowers, Li Longji was still grateful to An Lushan and trusted him deeply. He even granted him the title of Prince of Dongping for his victory over the Khitans, setting a precedent for the Tang Dynasty to confer titles on non-imperial relatives.

At today’s court meeting, An Lushan showed his consideration for Li Longji in small ways, deeply moving him. Looking at this honest and simple barbarian, Li Longji smiled and said, “You big fat man! I’ve withheld your salary for a year. Are you resenting me?”

Frightened, An Lushan knelt on his other knee as well and kowtowed to Li Longji, saying in terror, “I only wish I could die in place of Your Majesty!”

Li Longji laughed heartily and pointed at him, “Truly a barbarian—speaking without thinking. Do you want me to die now?”

“I dare not! I dare not! I was just using an analogy. I am utterly loyal to Your Majesty. If You Majesty orders me to go east, I won’t go west; if You Majesty orders me to jump into the sea, I won’t go into a river.”

“Is that so? Then what if I order you to return to the capital to serve as an official? Would you agree?” Li Longji asked with a smirk.

An Lushan’s heart almost stopped beating. He remembered what Li Qingan had told him—the emperor intended to recall him to the capital. Could it be true? Or was it just a test? With a quick thought, An Lushan immediately replied, “I will obey Your Majesty’s orders.”

“I was just joking with you. You won’t leave Fanyang. I still need you to guard the eastern gate for me. Besides, you’re just my dog—a fat dog,” Li Longji said jokingly, in high spirits.

An Lushan gradually calmed down. A chill spread across his back, and sweat soaked his shirt. He had come to Li Longji with a purpose today,He had been looking for an opportunity.. He deduced that Li Longji must be in a good mood, and since he had performed well in court that day, Li Longji would likely agree to his request.

Carefully, he said, “Your Majesty, this summer, I plan to attack Chishan and capture this important stronghold of the Khitans. I beg for Your Majesty’s approval!”

Li Longji’s smile faded slowly. After a moment of thought, he said, “Your loyalty in wanting to share my burdens moves me greatly. But this autumn, the court plans to launch a large-scale campaign against Tubo, with all resources focused on Longyou. If you attack Chishan, I fear the court won’t have the funds to support two fronts.”

“Your Majesty, I’ve thought this through. I plan to use a blitzkrieg strategy, deploying cavalry to attack Chishan. In that case, we can take it within ten days, without needing financial or logistical support from the court. Moreover, once I capture Chishan, the pressure on Fanyang will ease, allowing me to concentrate my forces for military training and help ease the court’s burden.”

Li Longji nodded and smiled. “Then tell me first—why did you suddenly think of attacking the Khitans?”

An Lushan lowered his head deeply. After a long pause, his thick lips trembled as he said, “Today, the soldiers of the Anxi Army were all granted titles and ranks. If I return, I fear I won’t be able to explain this to my men. So…”

“You’re honest!” Li Longji praised. “This is the kind of general I want to see. When others are honored, one feels dissatisfied and strives to achieve success through hard work. This is exactly what I hoped to see after granting titles to the Anxi Army—so that all soldiers of the Tang Dynasty would strive for honor. I will never be stingy with titles. General An, I approve of your request to attack Chishan!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding! Although I don’t need financial support from the court, I may lack enough cavalry. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to borrow cavalry from Shuofang.”

“An Sishun is your brother. You can discuss it among yourselves.”

“No! No! The army belongs to Your Majesty. I can only borrow a few of An Sishun’s sons. Without Your Majesty’s permission, how dare I borrow even a single soldier from Shuofang?”

An Lushan’s response satisfied Li Longji greatly. No matter how close brothers were, they could only borrow their nephews; the army belonged to him, Li Longji. This fat An Lushan had performed very well today and truly deserved praise. So Li Longji said cheerfully, “Very well! Whatever number of cavalry you need, go discuss it with An Sishun. I approve of it all.”

This was exactly what An Lushan wanted—he had waited three years for this moment. He didn’t need any troops; he only wanted those 20,000 elite Shuofang Turkic cavalry under Abu Sina.
“I will surely fight bravely against the enemy and present the heads of the Khitans as proof of my loyalty to Your Majesty!”
…
Just as An Lushan’s request for troops was finally approved by Li Longji, Li Qing’an was taking Mansur on a tour of the Western Market in Chang’an. After a meal together, their relationship had grown much closer. Mansur even suggested whether Li Qing’an could release the Abbasid prisoners of war, to which Li Qing’an did not outright refuse, leaving the door open for negotiations.
Although Li Qing’an planned to target Turfan next, Geshu Han’s proposal for a campaign against Tubo disrupted his plans, forcing him to delay the Turfan campaign. Of course, dealing with the Tubo first to eliminate a potential threat was also one of the best options.
Thus, Li Qing’an hoped to reach a truce-like settlement with the Abbasids, giving him time to launch a war against Tubo. Otherwise, fighting on two fronts would strain his logistics. He knew the Abbasids would focus their efforts on Africa, preventing them from launching a full-scale counterattack against the Tang forces. Both sides wanted a ceasefire—it now depended on who would gain the upper hand in negotiations.
But this wasn’t the purpose of Li Qing’an taking Mansur to see Chang’an. While showing Mansur the Tang Dynasty’s strength could indeed help in negotiations, that wasn’t Li Qing’an’s real intention. He was a man with long-term vision; he hoped the Tang Dynasty’s openness could also embrace Islamic culture. He also wanted Mansur, the heir to the Abbasid Caliphate, to understand the Tang Dynasty more deeply. War was not what Li Qing’an wanted—he needed time to develop the economy in Anxi, settle immigrants, stockpile food and wealth, and solidify his control west of the Pamir Mountains.
War was not what the Tang Dynasty needed either. This was no longer the prosperous era of Kaiyuan; it was a turning point from prosperity to decline. Historically, the Tang Dynasty failed to suppress the An Lushan Rebellion largely because its military and economic foundations had already been weakened by continuous foreign wars and land annexations before the rebellion even broke out, forcing the court to compromise, with consequences lasting for a thousand years.
Any nation that makes too many enemies will ultimately perish. Tubo was a perfect example. The Han people’s greatest threat always came from the north. With a powerful enemy like Tubo to the south and the Uyghurs and Khitans lurking to the north, creating an even stronger enemy in the west was by no means a sound national policy.

Of course, the prerequisite for all this is to drive the Abbasid forces back west of the Amu Darya River, scare them, and then establish friendship with them. They walked slowly through the bustling crowd; Mansur, with his hands behind his back, observed with interest this most prosperous commercial market of the Great Tang Dynasty—its wide streets, its thousands of magnificent shops filled with mountains of goods: exquisite porcelain, silk, fragrant tea, and snow-white paper. Each of these items was an expensive luxury in Damascus. But what impressed Mansur the most was the confidence and health evident in the people of the Great Tang, whether they were high-ranking generals like Li Qing’an or humble porters. Their laughter was hearty and confident. Even a lowly porter stood straight without the slightest hint of subservience in front of these Westerners. “This is a nation worthy of respect,” Mansur thought to himself. At that moment, Mansur’s attention was drawn to a pair of exquisite Dayi white porcelain vases on the counter of a porcelain shop. The vases were as thin as white paper, with crystal-clear porcelain bodies. He bent down to examine the paintings on them—exquisite ink-wash landscapes. Mansur showed signs of reluctance to part with them. “Shopkeeper, how much are these vases?” Li Qing’an asked with a smile. The clerk quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, “Sir, these vases are just for display in our shop and are usually not for sale. If you really want them, I’ll ask the owner.” “No need!” An old man stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, “If you desire them, I’ll give them to you as a gift.” The old man had sharp eyes; he could tell that Mansur and Li Qing’an’s group were of extraordinary status. By giving them the vases, he knew they wouldn’t treat him poorly. “Then thank you very much!” Li Qing’an said to Mansur with a smile, “Your Highness, this merchant said you’re a guest from afar, so he’s giving these vases to you.” “Ah! How can that be?” Mansur was stunned. His eyes showed admiration. Were even ordinary merchants in the Great Tang so extraordinary? He took the vases and quickly removed a pure gold dagger inlaid with gems from his waist, handing it to the owner with both hands. “Although we Arabs consider all people brothers across the world, we don’t casually owe favors to strangers. You’ve given me these vases, so I’ll give you this dagger—this will put my conscience at ease.” “Well…” The owner hesitated. Seeing how expensive the dagger was, he wasn’t sure whether to accept it. He glanced at Li Qing’an, who nodded and said with a smile, “Just accept it!”

The shopkeeper took the dagger, thought for a moment, then quickly fetched a sandalwood box from the cabinet. Opening it, he revealed a pair of jade-like vases that seemed to be used by the Goddess Guanyin—actually porcelain, high-quality Dayi white porcelain adorned with exquisite depictions of palace maids, clearly the work of a master craftsman, far superior to the previous pair of vases. He handed the sandalwood box to Mansur with a smile and said, “This is white porcelain personally fired by my late master. There are few left in existence. This is the specialty of our shop. Please accept it! Your dagger is too valuable; I can’t take advantage of you.” Li Qing’an didn’t translate but had the Sogdian translator beside Mansur convey the shopkeeper’s words. Mansur thanked him repeatedly. Upon receiving the pair of vases, his eyes lit up—he intended to present them to the caliph. Seeing that the shopkeeper was neither overbearing nor humble, thus bringing honor to the people of the Tang Dynasty, Li Qing’an secretly praised him. He then took out his business card and handed it to the shopkeeper with a smile, saying, “If you need any help, feel free to come to me.” The shopkeeper took the card and exclaimed, “Ah!” before quickly bowing to Li Qing’an. “So you’re General Li! I’m Xu Heng, a merchant from Chengdu. I’ve long heard of your exploits in defeating the Western barbarians of the Abbasids. I admire you greatly. Please accept my bow.” Li Qing’an laughed heartily and pointed at Mansur, saying, “This is the heir to the Abbasid throne. Didn’t expect that, did you?” The shopkeeper scratched the back of his head, his expression utterly bizarre—it was truly strange to see an enemy from the battlefield walking together in the streets. After visiting the Western Market, Li Qing’an escorted Mansur back to the guest house at the Honglu Temple in the imperial city, where they would stay. Upon reaching the entrance of the guest house, Pei Yong, the deputy head of the Honglu Temple, stepped forward and said, “General, news has come from Xingqing Palace. Tomorrow morning, the emperor will receive the Abbasid envoy in the Datong Hall. The emperor has also invited you to attend the meeting.” “I know. Has everything been arranged for the Abbasid guest’s accommodation and meals?” “Please rest assured, General. We’ve arranged everything to the highest standard; we won’t neglect the guest.” Li Qing’an nodded and turned to Mansur, bowing with a smile and saying, “Your Highness, you must be tired from the journey. Please rest well. You can have your meals here or at the dining place downtown—whatever you prefer. I’ll take my leave for now.” Mansur quickly bowed to Li Qing’an in gratitude, saying, “Thank you, General Li, for your hospitality. It shows your sincerity.” Suddenly, Li Qing’an remembered something and said with a smile, “In seven days, it will be my official wedding day. I invite Your Highness to attend.”

Man Sul was greatly surprised to learn that the commander of the Tang army was still unmarried. He smiled cheerfully and said, “Great! I will definitely attend.”

Li Qing’an gave a few more instructions to the officials from the Honglu Temple before bidding farewell to the Persian envoy’s party and heading to Du Gu’s residence, where he needed to share the joy of being made a prince with his family.

……

In An Lushan’s mansion in Qinren Fang, his general Liu Luogu rushed through the courtyard toward the study. Inside, An Lushan was discussing with another advisor, Gao Shang, the matter of deploying Abu Si’s army. Since the end of the Battle of Shibao City three years earlier, An Lushan had been plotting to use this elite Turkic cavalry force. Initially, he hoped Abu Si would propose moving to Youzhou on his own, so he offered him generous terms—a vast pasture of 100,000 mu, with no taxes required for his tribe. But Abu Si rejected the offer outright, stating that his tribe would never go to Fanyang. An Lushan guessed that Abu Si had seen through his intentions. Coincidentally, at that time, his cousin An Sishun was transferred to be the military governor of Shuofang. An Lushan was overjoyed and immediately approached An Sishun, hoping he could persuade Abu Si’s tribe to move east to Fanyang. However, An Sishun remained ambiguous, agreeing verbally but taking no action. Under repeated pressure from An Lushan, An Sishun had to come up with an excuse—requiring Li Longji’s approval before he could release them.

Now that Li Longji had given his consent, An Lushan was overjoyed. An Sishun no longer had any reason to delay. With An Sishun’s issue resolved, the only remaining factor was Abu Si’s attitude. But An Lushan wasn’t too concerned about this. Once Li Longji issued the order, Abu Si would have to obey it. Moreover, the imperial edict had already been drafted by the Secretariat and sent to the palace, so news should arrive soon.

“Congratulations, Commander! Your long-held wish is finally about to come true.”

A smug smile appeared on An Lushan’s pumpkin-like face. “I’ve been waiting for this day for three years. No other thing has ever made me so determined. This cavalry is truly elite in combat strength, perfect for addressing my weakness in cavalry forces in Fanyang. It will complement my Youzhou Iron Cavalry. Moreover, if Abu Si’s tribe moves east, it will provide me with a steady supply of warhorses. This is a long-term gain. Once I have this cavalry, my next move will be to take control of Hedong.”

Gao Shang was one of An Lushan’s two chief advisors. Since one of them, Yan Zhuang, had been missing for years with no trace of him, Gao Shang became An Lushan’s top advisor. Although An Lushan had many attendants, only Gao Shang was both trustworthy and highly intelligent. Gao Shang was about fifty years old, fairly plump, with a long beard and narrow eyes that sparkled with a sly gaze.

He stroked his beard gently and said, “But to be absolutely sure, the commander should send someone to intercept Abu Si along the way to prevent him from escaping.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a report came from outside the door from his general, Liu Luogu: “Reporting to the commander, we have news!”

“Come in!”

Liu Luogu was a spy placed by An Lushan in Chang’an. An Lushan allocated large sums of money each year for him to cultivate connections with powerful officials and buy off eunuchs around Emperor Li Longji. Whenever there was any movement in the court, Liu Luogu would send pigeon messages to Fanyang at the fastest speed. Liu Luogu entered the room and bowed, saying, “Reporting to the commander, there’s news from the palace. The emperor has officially approved the commander’s request to use Abu Si’s forces to assist in the battle in Fanyang. The order has just been sent to the Ministry of War and Shuofang.”

“Good! Excellent!”

An Lushan cheered repeatedly, smiling triumphantly. “Now, I’ll turn this dream into reality, haha!”

Gao Shang, who was beside him, noticed that Liu Luogu seemed hesitant, as if he had more to say, so he asked, “Is there any other news?”

Liu Luogu sighed and said, “The commander invited Abu Si to a banquet tonight, but he refused, claiming to be ill!”

“Ill? Hmph! He seemed fine this morning. What illness could he have? Never mind, I won’t invite him after all.”

An Lushan turned to Gao Shang and asked, “Just now, you said this Abu Si might escape. Where would he go?”

“He should flee into the desert. But I’ve heard that Abu Si has a poor relationship with the Khagan of the Uyghurs. We need to prevent him from declaring himself independent as a khagan. I still suggest controlling Abu Si so he can’t escape.”

“Hmm!” An Lushan nodded and said slowly, “Intercepting him along the way is a bit late. We need to act in Chang’an right away—the sooner, the better. Let’s start the operation tonight!”