Chapter 354: The Uyghurs Withdraw Their Troops

Inside the Uyghur tent beneath Jiuyuan City, dozens of high-ranking Uyghur generals gathered to drink and revel. They had received news that the Tang Emperor Li Longji would personally come to Jiuyuan to negotiate the withdrawal of troops. To show his sincerity, Li Longji had ordered that a thousand loads of sheep wine and thousands of cattle and sheep be sent as a reward for the Uyghurs.

The tent was brightly lit, filled with loud laughter. Over a hundred captured girls, heavily made up, were forced to accompany them in drinking and reveling.

One Uyghur general, holding a girl in his arms, laughed loudly, “The Tang Emperor is truly despicable. We kill his people, seize his women, and destroy his cities, yet he still sends wine to reward us. It’s unheard of!”

Another Uyghur general took several big gulps of wine and said with a smirk, “It’s because the Tang Emperor doesn’t treat his own people as human beings. Since he’s coming to seek peace, we should extort as much as possible from him. It won’t be a waste of our trip.”

At that moment, Khan Gele waved his hand and said with a laugh, “Listen to me. In these negotiations, we must fight while talking. Learning from last time’s mistake, we won’t provoke those fierce Dangxiang people. Instead, we’ll head straight for southern Guanlong. That area is populated by Han people, it’s richer, and the women are more beautiful. Let’s plunder them thoroughly. If we hurt them badly enough, the Tang Emperor will surely make concessions.”

Laughter erupted throughout the tent. Just then, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from outside. A Uyghur soldier rushed in, his face and body covered in dark brown substance—what should have been blood, but due to the long journey and exposure to wind and sun, it had dried into a crust.

“Khan!” he cried out in despair. Laughter continued inside the tent, but the few people closest to him stopped and stared at him in shock. That shock spread like a virus, and the tent gradually fell silent. Everyone was stunned, putting down their wine cups.

“What happened?” Khan Gele asked, staring at the blood-covered soldier, feeling a sense of foreboding.

“Khan! The Anxi army suddenly attacked. We suffered heavy losses. General Bulan led over ten thousand men to resist, but they were outnumbered and utterly defeated. The Anxi army pursued the fleeing women, children, and the elderly. That Cui Qianyou is cruel—he killed all the men, not even sparing the children. Hundreds of thousands of herders! In the end, fewer than ten thousand managed to escape.”

The great tent fell dead silent in an instant. Amidst a few shrill screams, the Uyghur generals leaped up wildly. Most of their families and children remained on the grasslands. Some cursed violently, some cried out in despair, and some struck their heads against the ground. Cries of grief and roars filled the tent in chaos.

“Quiet down all of you!”
Khan Gele’s furious roar immediately restored silence. He took a deep breath and asked, “Why haven’t I received any news? What’s going on?”

“Khan, the Anxi army is extremely cunning. They sent scouts to intercept messengers in the south first. There were thirty of us who came to report the news, but only I managed to break through the siege; the rest were all killed.”

Though Khan Gele was extremely panicked, he suppressed his anxiety and asked, “How many troops do they have? How many does the Tang army have? Where are they now?”

“They have fifty to sixty thousand men, but the Tang army is small—only a few thousand. The rest are from the Tongluo, Gelaolu, Shatuo, and Khaganate tribes. Yet their leader is the Tang general Cui Qianyou. When I left, they were heading back with the loot and women from various tribes.”

“Khan! Hurry and chase after them! We must not let them escape!” Roars filled the tent.

Khan Gele waved his hand, and silence returned. Everyone stared at him anxiously, their eyes burning with urgency.

Even more anxious, Khan Gele thought of his hundreds of women who had been taken, and his five sons and dozen daughters whose fates were unknown. But as a khan, he couldn’t show such desperation. He glanced at the crowd and said slowly, “If we go back like this, we won’t get any compensation. Negotiating with the Tang emperor will mean failure. Don’t you care?”

“We can fight again later, but we must reclaim our homes and women, Khan! Let’s go!”

“Khan, let’s go!” Cheers echoed through the tent.

Khan Gele kicked over the table in front of him with a fierce kick, scattering food and drinks everywhere. Shouting loudly, he drew his sword and said, “Very well! Let’s go back first, kill the invaders, and retrieve our women.”

“Fight our way back!”

The Uyghur generals shouted as they rushed out of the tent. Chaos reigned in the camp. The Uyghur army, upon hearing the news, could only be described as retreating in panic. Overnight, the Uyghur forces outside Jiuyuan City vanished without a trace. Everywhere were abandoned tents, boxes, cattle, and sheep. Many of the captured women, too late to be taken away, were killed outright.

They were like a swarm of driven locusts, rushing densely into the depths of the grasslands.

It was not yet dawn when the Tang troops in Jiuyuan City discovered that the Uyghurs had withdrawn. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians rushed to the city walls and, gazing at the empty Uyghur camp, couldn’t help but cheer together. At that moment, Guo Ziyi loudly ordered, “Open the city gates and send people to investigate the situation everywhere.” Li Qi, the Prince of Bian, quickly said, “Old general, be careful—the Uyghurs might be plotting something; we must not be careless.” Guo Ziyi laughed heartily and replied, “Your Highness, rest assured. The Uyghurs must have retreated. If I’m not mistaken, it’s surely the Anxi army that has attacked them and raided their stronghold. I know the Uyghurs well—they don’t have such cunning strategies.” Li Qi was stunned for a while before suddenly exclaiming, “Old general, if the Uyghurs really have withdrawn, we must hurry to Lingzhou immediately. Our emperor has issued an order for us to join him there right away.” Guo Ziyi was shocked—had the emperor come to Shuofang? He had no idea at all. He asked urgently, “Where is the emperor now?” “I don’t know either. I received a secret message via messenger pigeon ten days ago, saying the emperor had left Chang’an to inspect Shuofang. I truly don’t know where he is now.” Guo Ziyi stood blankly on the city wall. Of course, he understood that the emperor had come to Shuofang to seize power personally, but he hadn’t expected the situation to become so serious. The emperor had come to Shuofang in such a grand display just to take away An Sishun’s power. Would An Sishun still wait obediently in Lingzhou to die? Countless thoughts flashed through Guo Ziyi’s mind. Suddenly, he realized this was his chance—a chance to turn his fate around completely. From when he passed the military examination until now, he had remained obscure. He had been waiting for this opportunity for decades. How could he miss such a once-in-a-lifetime chance? With this in mind, Guo Ziyi immediately whispered to Li Qi, “Your Highness, please come this way. I have something to discuss with you.” … Li Longji left Chang’an under the protection of 80,000 troops from Guanzhong and headed for Shuofang. Though he longed to fly there at once to tear An Sishun to pieces for defying his orders, he knew his army wasn’t strong enough to ensure his safety, especially with 80,000 Uyghur troops in the Jiuyuan area. If he were caught off guard by a surprise attack from the Uyghurs, it would be an eternal disgrace. Upon arriving in Qingzhou, Li Longji stopped and waited for the troops from Hedong and Longyou to join him.

Although Li Longji was on an inspection tour in simple clothes, his grandeur remained undiminished. Zhang Yao, the governor of Qingzhou, went to great lengths to welcome him—organizing over a hundred wealthy locals to donate 200,000 strings of coins and mobilizing 10,000 laborers to renovate an old palace once used by Emperor Yang of Sui. Since there were no trees around the palace, they brought trees from various places, wrapped them in silk and brocade, making the palace appear extremely magnificent—much to Li Longji’s satisfaction.

Zhang Yao also found two charming young girls from Baima County to serve Li Longji, which further ingratiated himself with him, earning high praise from Li Longji, who promised to promote him to an important position in the capital. It was these meticulous arrangements that made Li Longji enjoy the journey rather than suffer from it. However, his happiness didn’t last long.

Three days later, Li Qi, the King of Xiliang, arrived in Qingzhou with an army of 40,000. Fearing his father’s wrath, he had not reported that Geshu Han had defied his orders. Now, he could no longer hide it and had to kneel before his father and confess his faults.

While Li Qi was a relatively intelligent scholar who, though timid, at least knew how to use people and trusted Guo Ziyi, he was a complete playboy. Handsome and charming, he had always enjoyed Li Longji’s favor, who turned a blind eye to his reckless behavior and repeated misdeeds. At just 22, he already had a notorious reputation that had persisted for a decade.

In Chang’an, Li Qi could do as he pleased with no one to restrain him, but in the military forces of Longyou, he continued his bad habits, repeatedly breaking military rules and bringing shame to the troops. Leading those 40,000 soldiers was extremely difficult for him. Had Changsun Quanxu not arrived in time to stabilize morale, he would never have been able to lead his troops out of Hehuang.

Anxious, Li Qi detailed how Geshu Han had deceived him and finally cried, “Your son lacks experience and trusted Geshu Han too much, allowing himself to be deceived. He has led his troops to Dafeichuan. I am terrified and do not know how to report this to Father. Please punish me!”

It was only then that Li Longji received the truth: his son, King Li Qi of Xiliang, did not have the expected 70,000 troops but only 40,000, with the rest having been taken by Geshu Han to Dafeichuan. This was yet another major setback for Li Longji in a short period—not only had An Sishun defied his orders, but even Geshu Han, a general he had personally promoted, dared to ignore his commands and take his troops away.

“Snap!” In an instant, the pen in Li Longji’s hand broke into two. Fury flared once again within him. Looking at his son kneeling on the ground, he wanted to kick this useless son over with his foot. But this time, he retained his imperial composure and slowly calmed down. He asked, “I’ll ask you just one question: Why did you hide this matter and only tell me today?”

Li Qian had already received guidance from Changsun Quanxu. He kowtowed and wept, saying, “Your son originally wanted to tell Your Majesty right away, but upon hearing that the incident involving An Sishun dealt such a heavy blow to Your Majesty, I feared Your Majesty might not withstand another shock from Geshu Han. That’s why I didn’t dare tell you. It was out of filial piety—please understand, Your Majesty!”

Li Longji let out a long sigh. Now that things had come to this, there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t possibly kill his own son! Perhaps he truly understood himself. With that thought, Li Longji suppressed his anger, but at the same time, a murderous intent surged within him. He secretly resolved to spare none of those military governors—each one must be killed without hesitation.

Just then, an eunuch reported from the door, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Yang requests an audience!”

“Send him in.”

Li Longji had not come to Shuofang alone. Right Prime Minister Yang Guozhong and Minister of War Chen Xilie also accompanied him. In fact, Yang Guozhong had already heard about Geshu Han’s defiance of orders. This news had been circulating widely in Chang’an even before Li Longji decided to inspect Shuofang. But Yang Guozhong hadn’t told Li Longji, fearing that Li Longji might collapse under the shock and die. If that happened, Li Yu would ascend the throne, and Yang Guozhong would no longer have a good life.

As soon as he heard that Li Qian had arrived, he knew the matter was about to be exposed, so he rushed over in a hurry. Upon entering, he carefully observed Li Longji. Thankfully, it seemed he hadn’t relapsed into his old illness, nor had he gone mad from shock. He felt relieved and finally at ease.

“Prime Minister Yang, what brings you here?” Li Longji asked, puzzled by Yang Guozhong’s cheerful expression.

Yang Guozhong stepped forward and bowed, saying, “I just heard from a few Tangut people that troops have crossed the Yellow River. I believe it’s Prince Rong leading his troops.”

“It must be him! If I calculate the time, he should be here by now.”

This news brought some comfort to Li Longji. His expression softened slightly, and he asked, “Are the Tangut people you mention the ones I’m supposed to meet?”

“Yes! They’ve arrived and are waiting outside.”

Li Longji nodded and said, “Summon them for an audience.”

After a moment, the guards led several Tangut people into the main hall of the imperial palace. These Tangut people were Tuoba Xiong, the chief of the Tangut tribe, his wife, Fang Dang Luo, the chief of the Fang Dang tribe, and his son Fang Dang Yingyi. They were received by Li Longji for their outstanding contributions in resisting the Uyghur invasions.

Li Longji’s palace was heavily guarded—there was a sentry every three steps and another every five steps. Thousands of elite imperial guards protected every corner of the palace, their halberds sharp and their presence menacing. Although the main hall was not as grand as those in the Great Ming Palace, it was still quite spacious. Li Longji sat on a high dragon-throne, appearing majestic and mysterious, making the four Tangut people too afraid to look up and forcing them to kneel on the ground.

Tuoba Xiong said tremulously, “Tuoba Xiong, a humble member of the Tangut tribe, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!”

“Humble member” was Tuoba Xiong’s self-designation. In fact, his father, Tuoba Chi, had once served as the governor of Yanzhou, but Tuoba Xiong himself had never been appointed by the court and remained an ordinary citizen.

Seeing their strong builds and humble, respectful demeanor, Li Longji felt a favorable impression and smiled. “During this Uyghur invasion from the south, it is thanks to you Tangut people who stepped forward to share my burdens and help the country in trouble. I intend to reward you generously. Tell me, what do you desire?”

None of the Tangut people spoke. At that moment, Yang Guozhong said with a smile, “It’s rare for Your Majesty to be in such a good mood, allowing you to choose your own rewards. This is not something you can get easily—make the most of this opportunity!”

Tuoba Xiong and Fang Dang Luo exchanged a secret glance. They had already discussed it—this was their chance to rise. If they missed it, they would be considered traitors to their tribe. Fang Dang Luo was more eloquent and spoke Chinese better, so he took the lead. He bowed deeply and said, “As Your Majesty said, the Tangut people are also Your subjects and should share your burdens. It is our duty to serve the Tang Dynasty. The Tangut people ask for no rewards. To defend the borders of the Tang Dynasty and protect our homeland, we are willing to serve as Your Majesty’s dogs, guarding the northern gates of Guanlong and dedicating our lives to You!”

His words were eloquent and appealing, stirring Li Longji’s heart. He had been struggling with insufficient troops in the northern regions, which allowed the Uyghurs to advance deeply, forcing the local troops to stay behind their walls. Recruiting new soldiers would cost money and grain, and those recruited might not be good fighters. The Tangut people, on the other hand, were fierce by nature, skilled in horseback combat, and—more importantly—they required no payment or provisions, thus reducing the already heavy burden on the imperial treasury.

Yang Guozhong beside him was also very excited. Getting an army for free—why not? He immediately whispered to Li Longji, “Your Majesty, you might consider it!”
Li Longji pondered for a moment before finally nodding and saying, “Since the Right Prime Minister is here today, I will decide together with him. We can entrust the defense of You and Xia provinces to the Dangxiang people. I will appoint the chieftain of the Tuoba tribe as the governor of Xia Province and grant him the title of Duke of Liangu County; I will appoint the chieftain of the Fangdang tribe as the governor of You Province and grant him the title of Duke of Yannen County. Each shall be allowed to form an army of six thousand men under the jurisdiction of the Shuofang Military Command.”
Tuoba Xiong and Fangdang Luo were overjoyed. Now, the Dangxiang people finally had the chance to build their own army. They could have their own forces, unlike before when they were merely tribal militias with limited weapons and armor. As a formal army, the Dangxiang people would have the opportunity to grow and strengthen.
They knelt together to express their gratitude. “Your servants thank Your Majesty for this kindness in Longyou. We are willing to serve the Tang Dynasty wholeheartedly!”
…
After the Dangxiang people left, Li Longji was in high spirits. The shadow cast by Geshu Han had temporarily disappeared from his mind. He smiled at Yang Guozhong and said, “Actually, I know that allowing the Dangxiang people to form an army is a great favor to them. This is a significant matter that should have been discussed first in the Council of State before I made a decision. But considering the lack of troops in northern Guanlong and the fact that recruiting soldiers takes time, it’s a good opportunity to use the Dangxiang people’s strength to defend against the Huihe’s invasions from the south. So, there’s no need for further discussion in the Council of State. I’ll make the decision myself!”
Yang Guozhong quickly replied with a smile, “Your servant fully agrees with Your Majesty’s decision. I will explain this to the other prime ministers. Please rest assured, Your Majesty!”
Li Longji nodded in satisfaction. He was very pleased with Yang Guozhong’s attitude—he wouldn’t use his power as prime minister to challenge imperial authority, just like Li Linfu. At that moment, Li Longji suddenly remembered something else and said casually, “An Lushan has sent his son to the capital as a hostage. I’ve agreed to that. But he wants to request that his son be made a son-in-law to the emperor. I need to think it over. Please write a letter to him on my behalf, ordering him to come to the capital immediately to report for duty!”
…