Chapter 329: Visitors on a Snowy Night

While in Liangzhou, Li Qing’an received a message via carrier pigeon from Suiye, stating that the Byzantine envoy had arrived in Anxi. Although he was still waiting for the imperial court’s response, upon hearing this news, he immediately set off to return. He was extremely concerned about the arrival of the Byzantine envoy. He had been at peace with the Arabs for over a year. Though he was unaware of the progress of the battles in Africa, one thing was clear: the Arabs would never accept losing Transoxiana. Once those battles ended, they would immediately turn their attention to attacking Transoxiana. In this sense, the Battle of Talas was far from an end—it was merely a beginning.

Li Qing’an was well aware of the complex and dangerous situations he faced. On the surface, everything seemed calm, but hidden dangers lurked beneath. Various crises simmered beneath the surface calm, and the situation could be described as one of both internal and external threats. Internally, the imperial court distrusted him, and Emperor Li Longji had resolved to kill him, using both overt and covert methods—this was the internal threat.

Externally, the Arabs remained determined to reclaim Transoxiana. The Arabs were not like the Tubo and Uyghurs; they were a Western empire as powerful as the Tang Dynasty. It would not take just one battle at Talas to defeat them. The war with the Arabs would likely take years, even decades, to resolve. Yet the fighting didn’t occur constantly—after a major campaign, there would often be several years of peace, allowing him to focus on internal issues.

Among external threats, besides the Arabs as a strategic rival, there were also the Uyghurs and Tubo as traditional tactical enemies. They had long had ambitions to seize control of Anxi. As for the Tubo, not long after the Tang Dynasty regained control of Anxi, they sent troops to annex it. Although Wu Zetian later recaptured the four garrisons in Anxi, the Tubo’s ambitions toward it never ceased. Battles such as those at Xiaoboli and Boxian Town, and even after the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tubo once again annexed Anxi. The Tubo were like venomous snakes coiled on the Tibetan Plateau, their red fangs bared as they greedily eyed the Tang Dynasty’s territories in the west.

The Uyghurs, on the other hand, were like vicious wolves hidden deep in the steppes. They also had great ambitions for Beiting. When the Tang Dynasty was strong, they hid their true nature, pretending to be loyal guardians. But once the Tang Dynasty weakened, their true ambitions became evident. After the An Lushan Rebellion, they immediately sent troops to occupy Beiting and fought the Tubo for control of northern Anxi for years.

This time, as they moved westward with the Luo tribe, the Uyghurs couldn’t help but show their sharp claws, invading areas west of Jinshan, which made Li Qing’an wary. If Anxi and the Abbasids went to war, would the vipers and wolves watch the battle with angelic smiles? No, certainly not! They would undoubtedly open their ferocious maws on Anxi’s back and belly without hesitation.

This was the cruel reality—cruel internal and external threats that left Li Qing’an with no moment’s respite. If it weren’t for his decisive deployment of troops in Hexi this time, Li Longji would have no idea how to deal with him or how much chaos he might stir up. Sending troops to Hexi was the key to breaking the deadlock; at least it could wake Li Longji up, making him too afraid to act rashly openly and forcing him to resort to secret maneuvers. Secret actions suited Li Qing’an’s plans perfectly—he had already taken control of Li Cong and Feng Changqing, so they couldn’t cause much trouble. The vast distance between Anxi and Chang’an gave him time and resources to address the growing external threats.

Byzantium was another key to dealing with these external threats. If he could draw Byzantium into the game, the Abbasids’ strength would be reduced by at least half. Then he wouldn’t have to go all out against them and could allocate troops to defend against the Tubo and Uyghurs. Thus, the arrival of Byzantine envoys was extremely important to Li Qing’an.

Amidst the heavy snowfall, Li Qing’an left Liangzhou under the protection of three thousand cavalry and rushed back to Suiye. At the same time, he entrusted his army to his trusted Duan Xiushi to continue suppressing bandits in Hexi.

In just one day and night, Li Qing’an reached the territory of Ganzhou. In the evening, he arrived at Qilian City. Both his men and horses were exhausted, so Li Qing’an ordered them to camp and rest.

Qilian City was a towering stone fortress built on a mountain ridge, backed by the Qilian Mountains, overlooking a plain stretching about a hundred li wide. At the other end of the plain lay the vast Yanzi Mountains. The Ruoshui River, originating from the Qilian Mountains, flowed through the vast plain. About thirty li southwest of Qilian City was Dadoubagu, a fault zone in the Qilian Mountains with several routes leading directly to the Qinghai Plateau—shortcuts used by the Qiang people to travel between the Hexi Corridor and the Qinghai Plateau.

Li Qing’an was worried that the troops from Longyou might enter the Hexi Corridor through this area, cutting off the supply lines of the Anxi troops in Liangzhou. Therefore, he deployed eight thousand troops in this region.

As night fell, Li Qing’an felt uneasy. He slowly walked to the city wall, with a dozen bodyguards following from a distance. The cold wind on the wall was biting, slashing at his face like knives and sharpening his mind. He gazed into the distance, where the dark Yanzi Mountains resembled a monstrous beast lying across the Hexi Corridor.

Suddenly, Li Qing’an felt a chill on his nose. He looked up to see snowflakes swirling in the air and drifting downward—another night snowstorm had arrived.

“General, it’s snowing. Let’s go back!” the bodyguards whispered behind him.

Li Qing’an nodded. He had intended to carefully consider the negotiations with Byzantium, but the information sent from Suiye was too brief to allow him to form a comprehensive judgment, so he had to go back and think further.

Just as he turned, he suddenly heard the sound of hurried horse hooves in the wind—someone was approaching. Li Qing’an followed the sound and saw a group of cavalry speeding toward them through the dark snowstorm.

Perplexed, he quickly descended from the city wall. At that moment, a gatekeeper officer rushed over to report that Ge Shuhan, the governor of Longyou, had arrived.

“Ge Shuhan!” Li Qing’an was stunned. He had thought it was a messenger from Anxi, not expecting Ge Shuhan to visit. What could Ge Shuhan want from him? How did he know he was at Qilian Fort? Li Qing’an quickly realized that Ge Shuhan must have received news from the Dadao Army and was chasing after him.

“Ask him to come to my room!”

As soon as Li Qing’an returned to his room, the bodyguards reported, “General Ge Shuhan has arrived!”

“Let him in!”

The door opened, and a gust of cold wind along with a few snowflakes rushed into the room. Amid the wind appeared Ge Shuhan’s tall figure, his usually hearty laughter now very low.

“Qing’an, I’ve been chasing you for a long time!”

They should have met in Chang’an, or in Liangzhou, or perhaps in Shanzhou—but certainly not in this small town at the foot of the Qilian Mountains. This made their meeting even more strange.

Li Qing’an didn’t greet him warmly. At this moment, pleasantries and false enthusiasm seemed utterly unnecessary. Ge Shuhan clearly wasn’t there to catch up, nor to protest his unjust occupation of Hexi. Meeting here meant they had important matters to discuss—a conversation that might change the landscape of the Tang Dynasty.

“Please sit.”

Li Qingan pulled over a chair, and Geshu Han sat down. Li Qingan said nothing; instead, he threw a few thick sticks into the fireplace. Soon, the flames in the fireplace flared up brightly. Geshu Han silently watched Li Qingan’s face, reddened by the firelight. His gaunt features carried the resilience unique to men from the Western Regions, and his eyes also held flickering flames, reflecting a shrewdness born of deep foresight.

Li Qingan slowly raised his head and looked at him, a kind smile appearing on his face. Geshu Han suddenly realized that Li Qingan already knew the purpose of his visit.

“When I set out, I received news from the capital via messenger pigeon. The emperor has issued an order approving your mission to suppress bandits in Hexi, but requiring you to return to Anxi in spring.”

Li Qingan shook his head and smiled. “There’s no need to wait until spring. I’ll withdraw my troops and return to Anxi as soon as I receive the official order.”

“Are you really willing to withdraw your troops?” Geshu Han asked, a mocking smile in his eyes.

Li Qingan smiled lightly. “Why not? I am the governor of Anxi, not Hexi. What’s the point of stationing troops in Hexi?”

“Then what’s the point of stationing troops there now?” Geshu Han pressed persistently.

“Let’s not talk about this!” Li Qingan waved his hand and laughed. “Since the emperor has issued the order, I’ll just follow it. Now, tell me—when do you plan to go to Fengxiang to suppress the bandits?”

Li Qingan’s last words struck Geshu Han deeply. That was precisely the purpose of his visit. Mentioning suppressing bandits in Fengxi was, of course, a joke, but it showed that Li Qingan had seen through the crisis Geshu Han was facing, as well as his true intention in coming to see him.

At that moment, Geshu Han faced a crisis no less severe than Li Qingan’s—perhaps even worse. After all, Li Qingan still had long distances to travel, poor transportation, and limited information flow. But Longyou was different. It was close to Guanzhong and posed the greatest threat to Chang’an. If Li Longji temporarily spared Anxi, his next move would likely be to target Longyou. In fact, he had already taken action. Li Xuan, the King of Xiliang, was now the deputy governor of Longyou, the governor of Shanzhou, and the commander of Zhenwu Army. He not only seized half of the military power but also took control of livestock management and military supply, taking over both financial and military authority.

Faced with the aggressive Li Xuan, Ge Shu Han was unprepared. More importantly, he had suffered heavy losses in battles against Tubo, which left him without any influence. He could only watch helplessly as Li Xuan gradually seized power, driving him to desperation. Suddenly, Li Qingan sent troops to Hexi and resolved the crisis in Anxi in no time. This made Ge Shu Han feel jealous while also giving him the idea of seeking Li Qingan’s help, so he rushed to Hexi overnight.

Although it was impossible to suppress the bandits in Fengxiang, Ge Shu Han knew that Li Qingan must have some solution for him. He asked in a grave voice, “Besides suppressing the bandits in Fengxiang, does Qingan have any other good strategies?”

Li Qingan poured him a cup of hot tea and smiled gently. “Why be so anxious, Brother Ge Shu? The Emperor spares me only because I became a threat after the establishment of the dynasty. You, on the other hand, have always been the Emperor’s favorite general. Even though you didn’t achieve a complete victory in the battle against Tubo, the Emperor still appointed you as the King of Xiping. I suggest you voluntarily give up control of Longyou and go to the capital to serve as an official. Even if you can’t participate in government affairs, you can at least become the head of one of the nine temples or five supervisory agencies. A true man may not be able to defend the country or bring peace to the world, but if he can govern the country and bring stability to the people, I think it’s worth living.”

Ge Shu Han lowered his head in silence. His advisor Gao Shi had advised him the same way, but Ge Shu Han was well aware that if he handed over military power, Li Longji’s cruelty would never spare him. Didn’t he know why Wang Zhongsì was killed? It was precisely to ensure Ge Shu Han’s control over Longyou that Wang Zhongsì was killed. Similarly, Li Longji would kill him to eliminate any future threats, ensuring his son’s control over Longyou. Anyone could surrender in Longyou, but only Ge Shu Han could not hand over power.

Ge Shu Han glanced at Li Qingan with a complex expression. At that moment, he noticed Li Qingan’s mocking smile. Suddenly realizing something, he stood up, walked to the door, knelt down, and looked up at the sky, declaring solemnly, “I, Ge Shu Han, swear by heaven that I have come to Li Qingan today with sincere intentions to seek help. If I have any ulterior motives, may heaven punish me and destroy my descendants forever.”

Li Qingan quickly stepped forward to help him up, patted his hand, and said with a smile, “There’s no need for that, Brother Ge Shu. I trust you.”

Ge Shu Han also smiled and said, “Swearing an oath is to show my determination!”

The two sat down again. Then, Li Qingan picked up his teacup and said slowly, “What’s your relationship with Buguhuai En?”

Ge Shu Han also heard that Pugu Huaien had fled to the Uyghurs due to violating military discipline. A thought crossed his mind; it seemed like he had an idea, but it was unclear, so he said, “I had a very good relationship with Pugu Huaien. At first, I wanted to keep him in Longyou, but he was reluctant to give up the Shuofang army, so he followed me to Anxi. Later, we still exchanged letters. He wanted me to arrange for him to return to Longyou. Then, I heard that something bad had happened to him.”

“I also heard that he had a very good relationship with Brother Ge Shu, but military law allows no leniency.”

“I can understand that. I’m not blaming Qing’an.”

Ge Shu Han didn’t know what Li Qing’an’s sudden mention of Pugu Huaien was for, so he didn’t say much and waited for Li Qing’an to continue.

Li Qing’an smiled and went on, “I heard that Pugu Huaien is doing well among the Uyghurs. It is said that his daughter married the son of Khagan Gule, and he was appointed as a high general and became the chief of the Pugu tribe, living in great glory. But he hates me deeply, as well as the Tang Dynasty. He repeatedly persuaded Khagan Gule to launch an attack on the Tang Dynasty. Of course, if Khagan Gule were to attack, it would be aimed at Beiting. But if there’s a way to make the Uyghurs change direction—from attacking to the west to attacking to the south—I think Brother Ge Shu’s crisis could be easily resolved.”

Ge Shu Han was stunned. He certainly understood Li Qing’an’s meaning. The two most critical military governors at the moment were Ge Shu Han in Longyou and An Sishun in Shuofang. Li Qing’an’s plan was for Emperor Li Longji to deal with Shuofang first. If the Uyghurs invaded Shuofang from the south, it would be an opportunity to seize An Sishun’s military power. So, how could the Uyghurs be made to turn southward? That was why Li Qing’an had asked about his relationship with Pugu Huaien, hoping Pugu Huaien could play a role in this.

Li Qing’an continued, “After dealing with An Sishun, the emperor’s next target will surely be An Lushan, and then it will be Brother Ge Shu’s turn. But I think by then, the situation will have changed. The emperor will likely send Brother Ge Shu to suppress the rebellion led by An Lushan.”

Ge Shu Han’s mind was in chaos. He had a deep grudge against the An brothers. Of course, he hoped An Sishun would suffer first. But asking him to collude with Pugu Huaien to attack the Tang Dynasty seemed unethical, leaving him hesitant. As if knowing his thoughts, Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Brother Ge Shu, don’t worry. The Uyghurs won’t be a serious threat. With me threatening them from the west, they won’t dare truly invade the Tang Dynasty. They just want to put pressure on the court to regain the face they lost when their envoys went to the capital last year and to have the court compensate them for their losses. I have it under control.”

Geshu Han certainly understood that Li Qing’an was the real beneficiary of this plan. But letting Li Longji deal with Shuofang first, eliminate An Sishun, and force An Lushan to rebel indeed served Geshu Han’s interests as well. Redirecting the crisis to Shuofang was the best way to resolve his own predicament.
He thought deeply for a moment and suddenly remembered something, asking urgently, “What if the emperor sends troops from Longyou to support Shuofang and seizes my military power in the process?”
Li Qing’an narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying, “Do you think the emperor will deal with two military governors at once? Of course he will send troops from Longyou, but it can only be the army of Li Xuan, the King of Xiliang. Once Li Xuan leaves, won’t Longyou become Geshu brother’s domain?”