Chapter 306: A Common Enemy

Bian Lingcheng sighed and said, “Under the overall situation of the war against Tubo, no matter how extreme the general becomes, the emperor won’t say anything. The real problem will arise later when the general’s political rivals and mine unite against me—things will get complicated. I’m worried the emperor will hold me accountable later.”
Saying this, Bian Lingcheng dipped his brush in tea and wrote the character “Qing” on the table. “I’m afraid the emperor will grant this person more power, shifting their role from pacifying the vassal states to controlling military and political affairs. By then, the general will gradually become his subordinate.”
Li Qing’an remained silent for a long time. He knew Bian Lingcheng wasn’t exaggerating; it was likely true. This was Li Longji’s usual tactic—whether it was Wei Jian, Huangfu Weiming, or Wang Zhongsi, he would first demote them to prevent unrest, then execute them secretly after a year.
This time, he appointed the Prince of Qing to govern Anxi clearly because of their poor relationship. His repeated emphasis on the prince not interfering in military and political affairs was merely to stabilize himself. He even specifically appointed himself as prime minister—a far greater honor than that given to An Lushan, Gao Xianzhi, and others—part of a strategy of flattery followed by elimination.
Even when he took Mingyue away, he didn’t pursue it. A man who would seize his own daughter-in-law, a powerful emperor with forty thousand concubines—his desire to possess women was evident. Would he really be so magnanimous as to let him take Mingyue?
The answer was clearly no. Could it be that Anxi couldn’t do without him? For a ruler, no place is indispensable. He could easily recall Gao Xianzhi, appoint Chang Changqing, Cheng Qianli, or even Li Siye—anyone could replace him in his eyes.
The key was the upcoming war against Tubo. It was actually Guo Shuhan’s plan that saved him. To avoid disrupting this campaign, Li Longji held back and used another method to monitor him—appointing a prince to govern the region.
To some extent, this was a compromise, a concession by Li Longji, and it worked in his favor. If the prince could no longer monitor him or if his power was completely undermined, and Li Longji found that even having a prince in charge couldn’t control him, he would replace him without hesitation.
Going further, even having the Prince of Qing govern Anxi was a temporary measure. To get Mingyue, he definitely wouldn’t let him stay in Anxi long. It was an irreconcilable conflict. Unless he surrendered his wife to him, once the war against Tubo ended, he would still replace the general.

But could Li Qingan possibly sacrifice his own wife to the palace? Is that possible? If a man can’t even protect his own wife, how can he have the face to stay in this world?
He wasn’t without options—there were at least two paths ahead for Li Qingan: to conquer the world or to retreat and hide in exile. Of course, these were extreme measures, and he wouldn’t resort to them unless absolutely necessary. As long as things didn’t reach their worst, there was still room for redemption. The best approach was war—so long as the fighting continued, Li Longji wouldn’t be able to replace his generals.
Thinking of this, Li Qingan pointed at the still-damp marks on the table and smiled at Bian Lingcheng, saying, “The military supervisor needn’t worry. This man has weaknesses; I can control him. The key is you—don’t be recalled to the court, as that would harm your interests.”
Li Qingan’s last words struck Bian Lingcheng deeply. His vast wealth, worth hundreds of thousands of guan, was like a heavy iron ball tying his feet, preventing him from returning to the court.
Bian Lingcheng, like a defeated rooster, completely wilted. After a long while, he weakly said, “General, you needn’t worry. I’ve already joined your side; it’s hard to leave now.”
Li Qingan smiled, a somewhat ambiguous and sinister smile. He gently patted Bian Lingcheng’s hand and said, “Don’t worry, military supervisor. We’ve been friends for so many years—how could I ignore you? When the time is right, I’ll send troops to bring your wealth back to the Central Plains. There’s no need to return to the court either. Just enjoy your retirement at home!”
…
Prince Qing, Li Cong, had arrived in Anxi just three days earlier. He had temporarily taken on the role of envoy to send Mansur, the special envoy of the Abbasid prince, back to his country. Mansur was waiting in Kucha for Li Qingan to discuss the details of repatriating the prisoners of war. Li Cong, unable to endure the long journey, fell ill and arrived at his post.
He didn’t want to go any further. He felt unaccustomed to the climate of Anxi. Hearing that he would have to cross the thin-air Ling Mountains and the vast Gobi Desert, he grew fearful. Thus, a minor illness turned into a serious one. He sent someone to tell Mansur that he was too ill to accompany him further west and could only send him here.

The official residence arranged by Li Qing’an for Li Cong was the old palace of Kucha. Though grand and spacious, fitting Li Cong’s noble status, the palace had not been inhabited for forty years. Its walls were stained, and the roofs were dilapidated. Although Li Qing’an had sent troops to clean the palace, the gloomy and cold atmosphere there could not be dispelled. The chill seeped into every brick and stone, and every inch of wall exuded a chilling coldness. With only a few dozen people living in the vast palace, it appeared eerily empty. For two consecutive nights, none of Li Cong’s entourage, including he himself, was able to sleep properly. Last midnight, one of his concubines suddenly screamed in terror, claiming there was a ghost in the room. Frightened, all the women rushed into Li Cong’s room, huddling together in fear and staying awake all night.

Li Cong had originally used illness as an excuse to avoid accompanying Mansurxi, but after two nights of poor sleep, his illness seemed to worsen indeed.

“This damned house—is it even fit for people to live in? Ahchoo!”
Sitting on the bed, Li Cong wrapped himself tightly in a thick blanket. He sneezed repeatedly, his face covered in snot and tears. While cursing the house, he also resented his father for sending him to Anxi.

At first, Li Cong thought he would be the only one governing the region, which made him feel somewhat proud. But within a few days, other princes were also sent to various places to govern, filling him with disappointment. In fact, the place he most wanted to go was Yangzhou—where the water was soft, the soil smooth, the women beautiful and enchanting, and it was a land of wealth and warmth. He also had considerable assets there. Yet Yangzhou had been taken by his sixteenth brother, and he had been exiled to the most remote and harsh region of Anxi. His illness these past two days only heightened his resentment.

Yan Kai, his advisor, sat beside him, preparing medicine. On a small red-clay stove, the pot of medicine bubbled, emitting steam that filled the room with the scent of herbs. Coming from a family of doctors, Yan Kai had learned some basic skills for treating illnesses and dispelling cold from his elders. Li Cong’s condition was merely due to fatigue and exposure to the cold, and a few doses of medicine would cure him. He ordered herbs to be fetched and prepared the medicine himself.

“Your Highness is just not accustomed to the cold mornings and hot afternoons in Anxi, which is why you’re unwell. In fact, I think that if you stay in Anxi for a few years, your health will gradually improve. That’s actually a good thing.”

Yan Kai, who understood Li Cong’s thoughts perfectly, comforted him while preparing the medicine: “If Your Highness goes to Yangzhou, indulging in wealth and fine food all day, his energy will be drained, and his health will worsen. That wouldn’t be good at all!”

Yan Kai’s persuasion and the scent of medicine in the room gradually calmed Li Cong’s anxious mind. With a bitter smile, he said, “But this place to live is too poor, and it’s haunted too. There are so few servants—how can I stay here peacefully for years?”
“That’s easy to solve. Just talk to Li Qing’an, and it’ll be fine. I guess he’s too busy with military affairs to pay attention to His Highness.”
“Sigh! I heard he’s gone to the Northern Court. Do I have to endure this for a few more days?”
No sooner had Li Cong finished speaking than someone came in from outside and reported, “Your Highness, General Li Qing’an is outside, asking to see you!”
“Oh!” Li Cong was overjoyed and quickly said, “Please invite him in at once!”
Yan Kai stood up and said with a smile, “Your Highness, let me go greet him.”
“Good! Please go quickly, sir.”
Yan Kai handed the medicine pot to the maid and hurried out of the room. He went to the front yard and saw Li Qing’an approaching. He quickly stepped forward to greet him, “I pay my respects to the General!”
“Mr. Yan, it’s been a long time since we last met.”
Li Qing’an could control Li Cong precisely because of Yan Kai. Yan Kai’s decision to side with him came as a surprise to him, but it made sense. With Li Qiu’s introduction and considering Yan Kai as the leader of the border tribes, it was understandable that he would choose to side with Li Qing’an.
He had originally planned to use Yan Kai as his advisor, but since the Prince of Qing was appointed to govern Anxi, Yan Kai’s role became even more important. With Yan Kai as an insider, the Prince of Qing would likely become a tool in his hands.
They chatted as they walked toward Li Cong’s room. Once inside the yard, Li Qing’an asked with a smile, “Mr. Yan, is His Highness living well?”
“Ah! General, His Highness doesn’t like it here. It’s a bit too cold.”
Li Cong, sitting inside, pricked up his ears to listen to their conversation. The maid making medicine made noise, which made Li Cong angry. He glared and snapped, “Keep it quiet!”
The maid was so scared that she didn’t dare move. Li Cong pricked up his ears again and heard Li Qing’an say with a smile, “I also thought this house was a bit too quiet at first, but the King of Kucha said that given His Highness’s noble status, living in an ordinary house would be improper. I thought it made sense, so I had him live here. Since he doesn’t like it, I’ll find another place for him to live.”
“Then thank you very much, General!”
Inside the room, Li Cong anxiously muttered, “There are also too few servants!”
By then, Li Qing’an had reached the door. Yan Kai said with a smile, “Your Highness, the General has arrived.”
“Please invite him in!”
The door opened, and Li Qing’an entered the room. He saw Li Cong wrapped in quilts like a giant zongzi and couldn’t help but smile inwardly. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, “I heard Your Highness was ill, so Qing’an came all the way from the Northern Court to visit!”

That statement is a bit exaggerated. It takes at least four days to get from Beiting to here, not to mention the time needed to send messages. That means Li Qing’an already knew he was sick six days ago. Yet Li Cong had only arrived in Kucha three days ago, and his illness started in these past two days. How could Li Qing’an know?

Although it’s an exaggeration, it sounds plausible. Li Cong was confused and couldn’t think clearly. Hearing this, he felt relieved and said with a smile, “General, please sit!”

He then ordered the maid, “Bring a cup of tea for the General!”

The maid replied and left. Li Qing’an sat down. After a while, the maid brought two cups of hot tea. Taking a sip, Li Qing’an said with a smile, “I heard you’re not very comfortable living here, Your Highness?”

“Yes!” Li Cong sighed. “This house is eerie, and there are few servants. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in two nights.”

Li Qing’an looked up at the house. It was part of a palace with extremely high ceilings, giving off an uneasy feeling. He nodded and said, “I heard this palace hasn’t been inhabited for forty years. I also find that a bit odd. But the King of Kucha said that given Your Highness’s noble status, nothing else fits the proper etiquette.”

Li Cong groaned. So they gave him a palace that hadn’t been used in forty years. No wonder it was haunted. With a pained expression, he said, “General, etiquette isn’t important. What matters is comfort. Please find me a new place to live as soon as possible!”

Li Qing’an laughed and said, “Since Your Highness is in a hurry, I’ll arrange for you to move today. The residence of Marshal Fumeng is luxurious and spacious, with a backyard, built exactly like a house in the Central Plains. I’ll have it cleaned, and you can move there tonight.”

Li Cong was overjoyed and quickly added, “I brought too few attendants. Could the General arrange some servants for me?”

In truth, what Li Cong really wanted was for Li Qing’an to find him more women. He liked living among women. Of course, he also needed a few male servants. He had brought 35 attendants from Chang’an, 30 of whom were his concubines. Only Yan Kai and an old servant were men, along with a few eunuchs who were neither male nor female, which caused many inconveniences in his life.

Li Qing’an knew that was all Li Cong was capable of—always thinking only about food, drink, and pleasure. He couldn’t handle any serious matters. That was his weakness. By exploiting it, he could control him. Li Qing’an then said with a smile, “Your Highness, rest assured. I’ll talk to the King of Kucha and have him give you half of his servants, ensuring you live comfortably!”

After making a courtesy visit to King Qing, Li Qingan returned to the military headquarters of the governor. The office of the Anxi Governor was nominally still in Kucha, but in reality, most of the civil and military officials and key functions had been moved to Suiye. Only simple tasks such as farming and defense in the four garrisons of Anxi remained in Kucha. However, the campaign against Tubo once again shifted Li Qingan’s focus back to Kucha.

Upon returning to the military headquarters, he immediately sent people to arrange a new residence for Li Cong and wrote another letter to be delivered to the King of Kucha, requesting maids and servants. Li Cong’s demands were something Li Qingan could meet. Just as he had finished arranging everything, a soldier came to report, “Mr. Yan has arrived!”

Mr. Yan was none other than Yan Zhuang. He had been living in Suiye, and it was unexpected that he had also come. Li Qingan went out to greet him immediately. Yan Zhuang was seen slowly climbing the steps, leaning on a cane.

After several years of rehabilitation training, Yan Zhuang could gradually walk independently, though he still couldn’t run and walked with a limp. Still, compared to being bedridden before, he had improved greatly.

Seeing that he could even climb steps, Li Qingan said with a smile, “Sir, why not try throwing away your cane?”

Yan Zhuang also smiled and replied, “I can walk without a cane, but it looks awkward. It’s much better to use a cane to maintain a decent appearance.”

Li Qingan invited him inside, poured him a cup of tea, and asked, “How did you get here?”

Yan Zhuang replied with a smile, “Feng Changqing transferred 50,000 dan of grain from Suiye, so I came along with the grain carts.”

He took a sip of tea, pondered for a moment, and said, “Last time, the general wrote about the situation in Dunhuang. I thought about it for a long time and came up with a plan.”