Chapter 315: An Emergency Incident

Many major events are often triggered by unexpected occurrences. The campaign against Tubo was originally scheduled to begin in early July, but on June 10th, a sudden fire disrupted the Tang Dynasty’s strategic plans. That night, a massive fire broke out at the armory warehouse near Shunyi Gate in the imperial city of Chang’an, with flames raging and thick smoke filling the air.

Tens of thousands of soldiers stationed in the imperial city rushed to put out the fire, but due to a lack of water, they were unable to extinguish it. The fire instead consumed several firefighting teams before ultimately destroying the entire warehouse. Forty-seven thousand weapons accumulated over decades were lost in an instant.

Word of the massive fire spread throughout Chang’an overnight, especially since it occurred inside the imperial city. The court officials were deeply worried. As soon as dawn broke, numerous officials rushed to the imperial city to gather information. All the gates were closed, preventing anyone from entering to assess the situation. They could only obtain fragmented details from the guards—the fire had not only destroyed the armory warehouse but also affected the adjacent Dali Temple, with some of its buildings ruined. As for the number of casualties, it was impossible to determine due to the intensity of the fire; at least 200 people were known to have died.

The severity of the problem lay not only in the intensity of the fire but also in those 470,000 weapons, which were the foundation of the Tang Dynasty’s military strength. It would take many years to replace them. Some of these weapons were meant to be sent to Longyou for military preparations, but now they were destroyed before being transported, which would significantly impact the campaign against Tubo.

Li Longji was awakened in the middle of the night. The Daming Palace, located on higher ground, allowed a clear view of the fire in the imperial city. He ordered the army to fight the fire, but even they were powerless to stop it, leaving Li Longji furious. Before dawn, he issued an order to dismiss all officials from the Ministry of Military Affairs, down to those in the eighth rank, and dozens of officials were removed from their positions for investigation. He also ordered the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Dali Temple to jointly investigate the cause of the fire. As for the campaign against Tubo, Li Longji sent urgent orders to Longyou to seek Geshu Han’s advice.

The imperial edict was delivered via rapid horseback riders and arrived in Shanzhou three days later. In fact, Geshu Han had already learned of the incident from a pigeon message sent from Chang’an on the night after the fire broke out.

The loss of 470,000 weapons left Geshu Han deeply troubled for a long time. This incident certainly affected his campaign against Tubo, as warfare required weapons, and his own armory had little stock. He had relied on weapons sent from Chang’an as a backup, but now Chang’an had none to send. This meant a shortage of military resources and a gap in his strategic plans.

War could be fought; after all, every soldier had a weapon. But there was no guarantee of victory. Yet for Geshu Han, this battle was unavoidable. If he won, he would become a renowned general who completely resolved the threat posed by the Tubo, his name would be remembered through the ages, and the title of Prince of Xiping would also be his.

He was filled with determination. An Lushan, Gao Xianzhi, and Li Qing’an had all been granted the title of prince, yet Geshu Han had received nothing. He refused to accept this and was determined to win this battle. As soon as the imperial order from Emperor Li Longji arrived, he immediately replied.

“Fight! The battle against the Tubo must go ahead as planned, and it should start half a month earlier—on June 20th!”

The war machine began to move slowly. Troops from the two military regions of Longyou and Hexi gathered west of the Hehuang Valley, crossing Shibao City and heading toward the Dafei River Valley. Teams of cavalry, carts and ox carts loaded with various military supplies—grain and forage, tents, military uniforms, leather boots, slaughtered cattle and sheep, various weapons, as well as hot drinks to keep warm and various medicines—filled the Tang-Tubo trade route. There were no more merchants; only banners and armies stretching as far as the eye could see, a sea of troops that seemed endless.

That afternoon, under the protection of three thousand cavalry from Longyou, the commander Geshu Han arrived at Baishi City in the Dafei River Valley. Baishi City had been built by Geshu Han the previous year and took nearly a year to complete. It was used to store military supplies and got its name from the predominantly white stones used in its construction.

Baishi City was also one of Geshu Han’s logistical hubs, capable of storing five hundred thousand bushels of grain and a large amount of various military supplies. Geshu Han stationed fifty thousand troops there.

From afar, Geshu Han saw the sturdy and towering Baishi City. He smiled and asked his advisor Gao Shi, “Do you think I might receive the title of Prince of Pingxi after this battle against the Tubo?”

Gao Shi also smiled and replied, “If it’s just about seniority, the commander is second only to An Lushan and should be above Gao Xianzhi and Li Qing’an. But in terms of military achievements, that repeatedly defeated An Lushan can’t compare to the commander. Apart from flattery, he has nothing to his name. So I’m not worried about the commander’s title at all—it’s only a matter of time. But…”

“But what?” Geshu Han glanced at him.

Gao Shi sighed slightly and said, “But I think the appointment of a prince as the military governor deserves the commander’s utmost caution.”

“You mean having a prince in charge?”

Geshu Han dismissed it with disdain, “Those wealthy princes can manage things from afar, using it as a fancy title to show off. But when it comes to leading troops into battle, they can only stay on the sidelines.”

“Great Marshal, although the princes are not good at leading troops, they are experts at seizing power and fighting for interests. I heard that the Emperor has just appointed Prince Li Lin as the actual governor of Yangzhou, in charge of the military forces in Jianghuai. I’m worried about this development.”
Ge Shu Han fell silent. He had also heard about Prince Li Lin being appointed as the governor of Yangzhou the previous day. Jianghuai was the only region in the Tang Dynasty still having a significant number of military troops—tens of thousands of them. Now that they were under Li Lin’s control, it meant that Prince Rong’s appointment as the military governor of Hedong was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by Li Longji but part of a long-planned strategy, with his series of plans being carried out methodically. Prince Li Mao’s appointment as the governor of Jingzhou was also part of this plan; by controlling Jingxiang, what would be the next step? Bashu or Anxi? Princes were stationed in both places.
At that moment, Gao Shi said, “Great Marshal, I heard news that the Emperor intends to send a Prince of Liang to govern Longyou.”
Ge Shu Han was shocked and asked urgently, “Which Prince of Liang?”
There were two Princes of Liang in Chang’an. One was Li Xuan, son of Wu Xianyi, originally titled Prince of Liang, later renamed Prince of Xiliang in the ninth year of Tianbao. The other was the former crown prince Li Heng, who was demoted to Prince of Liang after being deposed. Ge Shu Han’s heart grew tense. At the beginning of the year, Li Longji had designated five regions to be governed by princes, without including Longyou, which had relieved him somewhat. But now, hearing this news again was truly shocking. Could it be that Li Longji also intended to take back his military power?
This news seemed like a seed quietly planted in Ge Shu Han’s heart, stirring further anxiety within him.
At noon, Ge Shu Han arrived at Baishi City. Cui Yan, the military commander stationed there, rushed out and bowed to him, saying, “Saluting, Great Marshal!”
“General Cui, how much food has arrived?”
“Reporting to the Great Marshal, 300,000 bushels of grain have arrived, along with 5,000 tents. Most of the dry grass and other supplies have also arrived.”
“Good! Take me to inspect the city.”
Ge Shu Han entered Baishi City. Led by Cui Yan, he climbed onto the city walls and looked down. The city was filled with various supplies; piles of grain packed in burlap bags resembled small mountains. Countless laborers brought from various places in Longyou were busy transporting supplies, presenting a prosperous scene.
The preparation of supplies satisfied Ge Shu Han to some extent. Then he turned to look into the distance. Beyond the endless mountains, he wondered how well Li Qingan had prepared.
……
Ge Shu Han’s personal letter to Li Qingan was delivered to Kucha on June 17th, at the cost of six horses dying from exhaustion. Li Qingan happened to be in Kucha. After arranging matters in Suiye, he arrived in Kucha with the grain supply convoy.

The Anxi army was responsible for the western front in this campaign against Tubo. According to the plan devised by Li Qing’an, its goal was not only to prevent Tubo forces from sending reinforcements from the east but also to completely eliminate them on the western front, thereby removing a threat to the Tang forces in Anxi. He had begun preparations for this months earlier.

This western front campaign involved attacks from two directions, with a total of 50,000 troops. One force moved south from Yutian, circling around to the south of Sabi Lake to cut off Tubo forces’ retreat route, under the command of Deputy Protector Feng Changqing. The other force launched a frontal attack from Shazhou, targeting Tubo forces at Sabi Lake, aiming to completely eradicate this “tumor” planted by Tubo in Anxi, with Li Qing’an personally leading the frontal attack.

For this campaign, Li Qing’an initially planned to use experienced soldiers to train new recruits, but Feng Changqing believed that the terrain was too rugged and the new recruits might not be able to adapt, suggesting that experienced soldiers should take the lead. Li Qing’an accepted this advice and dispatched 40,000 elite troops from Shule and Suiye, along with 10,000 troops already stationed in Kucha, bringing the total to 50,000 troops.

A month earlier, Feng Changqing had already led 20,000 troops south to Yutian. Today, Li Qing’an would travel to Shazhou together with Prince Qing, Li Cong. At that very time, a letter from Geshu Han arrived. Li Qing’an had just learned the reason for launching the campaign half a month earlier. The Han-Tang government in Chang’an had provided him with the most timely intelligence. The weapons depot had caught fire, destroying 470,000 weapons. While this incident would disappoint the court, any ambitious frontier official would be secretly pleased, as it meant the court’s ability to suppress rebellions would be greatly weakened. This was certainly news Li Qing’an wanted to hear, and he also knew who was behind it—no one other than An Lushan. But compared to the destruction of 470,000 weapons, Li Qing’an was more interested in the personnel changes among the princes.

The 30,000-strong army set off from Kucha toward Shazhou. It consisted of 12,000 cavalry, 5,000 crossbowmen, 3,000 chariot crossbowmen, and 10,000 infantry, along with over 1,000 scout light cavalry. Emperor Li Longji had also agreed that the 4,000 Doulu troops stationed in Shazhou would be under his command as well.

There were two routes from Kucha to Shazhou. One went through Yizhou, crossing Xingxing Gorge and then heading south via Yumen Pass. The other was to cross the Puchang Desert, today’s Lop Nur, following the Chi River in a straight line to Shazhou. Li Qing’an chose the latter route.

The 30,000-strong army, along with its supply vehicles, set off in great numbers from Kucha, marching toward Shazhou.

Li Qing’an did not ride a horse but sat in his spacious carriage, handling official matters while traveling. Yan Zhuang accompanied him this time. Inside the shaking carriage, Yan Zhuang looked out the window at Prince Qing’s carriage a hundred steps away and said to Li Qing’an with some emotion, “I’m afraid the Great General has guessed it—after this battle against Tubo, the Emperor will grant more power to Prince Qing.”
“That’s his usual approach: first make arrangements, then gradually increase pressure. Otherwise, why would he send these princes to various regions?”
Li Qing’an had also heard the news. When appointing the military governor of Hedong, the candidate he recommended to Li Yu, Cheng Qianli, was not chosen; instead, Prince Rong, Li Wan, got the position. This was likely the real purpose behind Li Longji’s decision to appoint Li Wan as the military governor of Hedong. Similarly, Prince Yong, Li Lin, was given the position of governor of Yangzhou, commanding nearly all the local troops, though those troops were still mainly under the control of the Ministry of War. If the governorship of Yangzhou were changed to a military governorship for Huainan, Li Longji’s intentions would be clear—using princes to control the border troops. This could be considered a major institutional reform. Clearly, the ruling group of the Tang Dynasty was also aware of the crisis of excessive military concentration in the border areas. It was said to be Yang Guozhong’s suggestion.
But Li Qing’an knew that even if it was Yang Guozhong’s idea, his motive wasn’t to address the issue of excessive military focus on the borders but rather to suppress Crown Prince Li Yu. This would create a situation similar to that at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, where the eldest grandson ruled in the capital while the princes commanded the troops outside. Li Yu’s power was even less than Zhu Yunwen’s. After all, Zhu Yunwen still had nearly a million troops under his command. What did Li Yu have? How could Li Longji be so foolish? It was baffling!
“Great General, I heard that Prince of Xiliang, Li Xuan, is going to take command in Longyou. Could this be the Emperor trying to take away Geshu Han’s military power?”
“That’s possible. After the battle against Tubo, it won’t happen all at once—it will be done step by step. If it happens too quickly, Geshu Han won’t agree!”
“Then how does the Great General plan to deal with that person ahead?” Yan Zhuang glanced at Prince Qing’s convoy.
Li Qing’an was already confident about this crisis. He smiled faintly and said, “I’ve thought about this. It can be solved with one word: ‘Delay!’”
Yan Zhuang was stunned. Suddenly, he understood and praised, “The Great General’s strategy is brilliant. Anxi is far away; it takes half a year just to travel there and back. Unlike Longyou and Hebei, which are close to Chang’an, let An Lushan and Geshu Han take the lead and drag things on until nothing is resolved.”
Li Qing’an shook his head. “It’s impossible for nothing to be resolved. At most, it only delays the outbreak of conflict. Maybe he’ll target Anxi first.”

At this point, Li Qing’an also sighed slightly and said, “Fortunately, fate has been kind to me—there’s come a foolish prince. This way, I can calmly make plans and use this idiot as a shield for me.”
“But the Great General must not be careless either. The emperor is surely aware of Prince Qing’s foolishness. We need to prevent him from using a strategy of feigning cooperation while secretly undermining the Anxi Army. On the surface, he may appear to be granting power to Prince Qing, but in reality, he could be secretly weakening the Anxi Army from within.”
“You mean he’ll use people within the Anxi Army to turn against me?”
“Great General, such matters must be handled with utmost caution. If he could replace Wang Zhongsì with Geshu Han, he can also replace you with someone else. As long as there’s such a possibility, I must be on guard. The Great General is already in a difficult position; the slightest carelessness could cost him his life. Great General, you must not be careless!”
Li Qing’an silently agreed. Yan Zhuang was indeed a master of intrigue—capable of both devising plans and defending against them. His words had to be heeded. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Who do you think is the most likely candidate?”
“I’ve thought about it. This person must have prestige within the Anxi Army, actual control over military power, and must not be someone promoted by the Great General. Two people are the most likely candidates. One is Li Siyeh, but he’s far away in the State of Shi, training troops and without military power, so his chances are low. I think it’s the other person—the one the Great General must be wary of.”
“Who is that person…”
Li Qing’an began to understand what he meant. He pointed south, and Yan Zhuang nodded slowly. “I’m talking about this person.”
After a pause, he added with a smile, “But then again, it’s easy to avoid open attacks but hard to guard against hidden ones. Since there’s already an open attack, the Great General must not destroy this weapon he’s using.”
At that moment, a horse rushed over, and a soldier on it bowed and said, “Great General, Prince Qing requests your presence!”
“I know. I’ll be there right away.”
Yan Zhuang also smiled and said, “Then I’ll return to my carriage. I’m a bit tired and want to get some good sleep.”
Li Qing’an got off his carriage, mounted a horse, and chased after Prince Qing’s carriage. From afar, he saw Prince Qing’s plump face appearing out of the window, waving at him with a smile like that of a delinquent who had just done something wrong.
Prince Qing had followed Yan Kai’s advice and moved to Dunhuang. Deep down, he thought the closer to Chang’an, the better. But Yan Kai advised him to stay away from Bian Lingcheng, fearing that the eunuch might spread his scandals in Anxi to Chang’an. Moreover, in Dunhuang, he could gradually move towards Liangzhou and Longyou step by step. In Kucha, he would only go further west.

More importantly, Prince Qing Li Cong failed to realize that his father’s true intention in sending him to Anxi was to monitor Li Qingan. In his view, having an army supervisor in Anxi was sufficient; he was merely in exile, and sending him there was just his father’s way of protecting the imperial grandson, by removing their uncles so that Li Yu could ascend to power unimpeded. Thus, he hated Anxi deeply. When Yan Kai suggested he go to Dunhuang, he agreed without hesitation. Now that he was finally leaving Kucha, Li Cong was overjoyed, wishing he could fly to Dunhuang at once.

“Your Highness, did you call for me?” Li Qingan rushed forward, bowing with a smile.

Perhaps due to his strained relationship with Yang Guozhong, Li Cong’s hatred toward Li Qingan had diminished significantly. Moreover, since arriving in Anxi, Li Qingan had taken good care of him, making him feel very comfortable. Each of his concubines had received expensive gifts from Li Qingan’s wife, so everyone praised Li Qingan to him, and their unanimous praise gradually changed Li Cong’s attitude toward him.

Seeing Li Qingan’s respectful attitude, Li Cong felt satisfied and pointed to the carriage, smiling, “My concubines want to know if our residence in Dunhuang has been arranged properly.”

“Your Highness, rest assured. There are already several fine palaces in Dunhuang. I’ve sent people to renovate them. They are all Han-style palaces, guaranteed to satisfy Your Highness. Additionally, I will ensure Your Highness’s safety.”

This was exactly what Li Cong wanted to know. Earlier, while chatting with a guard, he heard that there were Qiang and Hu bandits in the Hexi Corridor. Last month, hundreds of immigrant families were attacked by these bandits, with over a hundred killed and more than twenty young women abducted. There were also bandits in Shazhou, appearing frequently. He immediately grew worried. Since Li Qingan had mentioned this as well, he quickly asked, “I heard there are fierce bandits in the Hexi Corridor. What plans does the General have to protect me?”

Li Qingan glanced around and lowered his voice, “Those so-called bandits are actually many from the Hexi military forces. As far as I know, the bandits in Shazhou are connected to the Doulu army. This is common knowledge. I’ve long hated them, but as the governor of Anxi, it’s not appropriate for me to interfere in Hexi affairs. Taking the opportunity to protect Your Highness, I will send five thousand troops to ensure your safety and also use this chance to suppress the bandits.”

“That’s good. Now I’m relieved!”

Perhaps feeling that words alone weren’t enough to reassure him, Li Cong added with a smile, “The General needn’t worry. I will write to the emperor and speak well of you.”

“Your Highness is too kind. Li Qingan thanks you deeply!”

Li Qingan dismounted and bowed deeply to him with utmost respect, drawing laughter from Li Cong’s concubines in the carriage.
……
Sabi Ze was a vast plateau lake in the southern part of Shazhou, located south of the Altun Mountains. Although it fell under Shazhou’s jurisdiction, it was actually over a thousand li away from Dunhuang, separated by the snow-capped Altun Mountains. The towering and majestic Altun Mountains also blocked the Tibetans’ path northward. For this reason, despite having 20,000 Tibetan troops stationed there, it was difficult for them to attack Dunhuang.
On the contrary, Sabi Ze was close to Anxi, and one could reach Boxian Town (today’s Qiemo County) along the Qiemo River. Historically, Tibetan troops invaded Anxi through this route, and the Battle of Boxian Town in the 12th year of the Tianbao era took place against this backdrop.
Of course, Li Qingan did not head south via Boxian Town because he wanted to use Shazhou as a route to gain control of Dunhuang, an important town in the northern part of the Hexi Corridor. Yet, to attack the Tibetan troops at Sabi Ze, they still had to start from Boxian Town. Thus, the oasis between Boxian Town and Qiemo County became an important supply and transit point.
This oasis was located southwest of Puchang Sea, in the middle section of the Qiemo River, north of the Altun Mountains—what is today’s Ruoqiang County. It featured vast grasslands, abundant meltwater from snow-capped mountains, and lush pastureland, making it an excellent grazing area. The Tang army built four castles here to control the oasis: Putao City, Qitun City, Xinghe City, and Nuzhi City, each garrisoned with hundreds of soldiers. Two months earlier, a scouting force of 300 men had already been stationed there.
The leader of this scouting force was Qin Haiyang, who had distinguished himself in the Battle of Talas. He was promoted to Lieutenant General for his role in blocking the Arabs’ silver supplies. This time, he came from Suiye with the task of monitoring the movements of the Tibetan troops at Sabi Ze.
That afternoon, Qin Haiyang led 300 scouting cavalry along the Qiemo River toward Sabi Ze.
……
(Note: Historically, the fire at the Armaments Bureau should have occurred in October of the 10th year of Tianbao. It is delayed by half a year here for narrative purposes!)