Chapter 403: Khwarezm

Li Qing’an ultimately declined the Ghaznavid Khanate’s request to send troops. “I first thank you for the brotherly bond between our nations, but my Anxi army is strong enough to deal with the Arabs. Moreover, I have already arranged my troops. If your country intervenes, it will disrupt my strategic deployment. Of course, if the Ghaznavid Khanate truly wishes to be at war with the Arabs, it can send troops to Armenia. The Tang army is fully capable of handling battles in the east.”

Li Qing’an’s words struck at the heart of the Ghaznavid Khanate’s concerns. If they truly wanted to join the Tang army in attacking the Arabs, they should fight independently, sending troops to Armenia west of the Caspian Sea to hold off the Arab forces, rather than following the Tang army to reap benefits without truly contributing—there is no such thing in the world.

Prince Broni saw that Li Qing’an was firm in his refusal to let them participate in the war. Helpless, he had to return to his country to report to his father. However, Arslan, the exiled king of Khwarezm who had come with him, refused to go back. The two almost quarreled. Broni was furious but dared not show it in front of Li Qing’an, so he left in anger.

In the evening, two bodyguards took Arslan to see Li Qing’an. He had taken a bath, changed clothes, and shaved his beard, looking much younger. Arslan was uneasy. After expressing his feelings to Li Qing’an in the afternoon, Li Qing’an had given him no response and even ignored him.

Of course, Arslan knew that Li Qing’an could not give him any answer in front of the Ghaznavids. At that moment, he was both nervous and full of hope.

He was led by soldiers into a heavily guarded mansion and brought before a room. The soldiers reported, “General, the king of Khwarezm has arrived.”

“Let him in!”

Arslan entered the room. The lights were already on, casting bright light. Li Qing’an had already finished dinner and was standing in front of a huge wooden map, holding a oil lamp and deep in thought.

Arslan’s sharp eyes suddenly noticed that the area illuminated by the lamp was the Aral Sea Delta, their homeland of Khwarezm. His heart pounded.

In fact, Khwarezm still existed, but it had been conquered by the Arabs. The new king, Shiffin, was a descendant of Khwarezmian nobles who had surrendered to the Arabs and had long submitted to Damascus. If Li Qing’an did not recognize him but acknowledged the current king of Khwarezm, his dream of restoring his country would be shattered. Arslan was extremely nervous.

He didn’t know that at this moment, Li Qing’an wasn’t thinking about Khwarezm but rather considering the possible invasion routes of the Arabs. After much deliberation, he felt it was more likely that the Arabs would attack from the north. On one hand, the Tang army had just conquered Turkestan and must have stationed heavy troops there, with additional support from the troops in Transoxiana. Moreover, they had just tested the Kingdom of Xiaoshi, whose Iron Gate was located right next to Turkestan’s Jiesu Kingdom. If the Arab army attacked Turkestan, the Tang troops in Transoxiana could quickly provide support, making it a high-risk move. On the other hand, the Tang army had few troops stationed in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River, and Transoxiana was of greater strategic importance to the Arabs than Turkestan. Additionally, the region around the lower Amu Darya, including the Kingdom of Huoxun, was still under Arab control. They could first transfer their heavy troops to Huoxun and then seize the opportunity to advance southward.

So, from any perspective, it was more likely that the Arab army would attack from the north.

Of course, there was also the possibility of a two-front attack: the Arab forces in Khorasan could attack Turkestan in the south as a diversion, while another main force would be stationed in Huoxun in northern Transoxiana, crossing the Karakum Desert and moving south along the Amu Darya River to attack Transoxiana directly.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Qing’an put down the oil lamp and smiled at Arslan, who had just entered the room. “Your Majesty, please sit!”

Arslan quickly bowed and said, “I am a fugitive and dare not call myself king.”

Anxiously, he sat down. One of his bodyguards served him tea. Li Qing’an also sat down, took a sip of tea, and calmly asked, “I heard you had a falling out with Prince Brosni of Ghassa. Aren’t you worried?”

Arslan asked, “Does the general mean the three thousand Khwarezmian cavalry who are loyal to me?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I mean.”

Arslan claimed he had been in exile for fifty-four years and had received help from the Ghassa Khanate for the same period. It seemed too sudden for him to want to part ways with the Ghassa Khanate as soon as he met Li Qing’an, so Li Qing’an began to suspect that the two of them might be acting together.

Arslan sighed and said, “To be honest with the general, we moved to Crimea forty years ago to seek refuge with the Romans. I came to see the general purely because I encountered Brosni on the way.”

“Why leave the Ghassa Khanate?” Li Qing’an pressed further.

Alslan’s eyes filled with hatred as he said, word by word, “It’s because forty years ago, Ghasa Khanate’s new khan, Lario, who was also Bran Khan’s father, seized all our wealth and took away five hundred women, including my mother and sister. My father led our people to rescue them, only to find that they had already died horribly in the camp. In his fury, he led the exiled Khwarezmians westward, seeking refuge from the Romans. The Romans settled us on the Crimean Peninsula. Forty years have passed in the blink of an eye, yet we have never given up our efforts to restore our kingdom. Before dying, my father held my hand and wept endlessly. I knew he wanted to be buried in our homeland. Three years ago, we obtained the Romans’ permission to form a 3,000-strong Crimean army. We trained hard day and night, longing only to return to our homeland and fight for it.”

Li Qing’an stared into his eyes and saw deep-seated hatred and an unyielding determination. He understood the unbreakable faith of a nation.

He nodded and asked, “You want to return to your country. Do the Romans allow it?”

“A few months ago, I met Emperor Constantine V. He wrote me a letter and asked me to deliver it to the great general.”

Alslan took out a letter from his bosom and handed it over with both hands. The bodyguard beside him took the letter and gave it to Li Qing’an. Li Qing’an opened it—it was indeed written in the hand of Byzantine Emperor Constantine V, with his seal on it. The letter was in Turkic and contained similar content to what Alslan had described: permission to return and restore their kingdom, along with a request for Li Qing’an’s help.

At the end of the letter, Constantine V wrote that the Bulgarians had provoked them, and a war was imminent between Byzantium and Bulgaria. It was possible that Byzantium would not be able to fulfill its agreement to fight together against the Arabs within two years.

Li Qing’an frowned and asked, “Are the Romans going to war with the Bulgarians?”

Alslan gave a bitter smile and replied, “To report to the great general, the Romans like to make enemies on all sides. Not only the Arabs, but also the Bulgarians in the West are their enemies. The Roman emperors are too arrogant. Constantine V and his father, Leo III, initiated the Iconoclast Movement, throwing icons into the sea, which angered the Church and the entire West.”

“Then their relationship with the Ghasa people must also be poor!”

Li Qing’an’s seemingly casual remark struck at the very core of the issue. Alslan was shocked beyond measure; he never expected this young commander of the Tang army to possess such profound political insight, able to see through the Romans’ true intentions at a glance.

Alslan wiped the sweat from his forehead. He dared not hide anything and said, “On the surface, the Romans and the Ghassanids have a good relationship—indeed, the Roman empress is now a Ghassanid. But in reality, cracks have long appeared in their relationship. The Ghassanids have grown increasingly powerful, rising from being vassals to standing on equal footing with the Romans. Especially since they converted to Judaism thirteen years ago, a large number of Jews migrated to the Ghassanid Khanate, making it more and more arrogant. The Romans’ wariness toward them has also increased. This time, Constantine V allowed me to return to restore our kingdom in the hope that we can hold back the Ghassanid Khanate from the south. I dare not hide anything from you, General.”

Li Qing’an smiled faintly. As expected, he had guessed right. The Romans allowed them to return precisely so that they could hold back the Ghassanid Khanate. Even the reason they permitted them to form the Crimean Legion three years ago was for this purpose. In fact, during the meeting in Attila City, Li Qing’an had already sensed Constantine V’s dissatisfaction with Khan Bran. Especially after learning that Khan Bran had rushed to meet him first, Constantine V’s expression had been grim, though they pretended to be extremely friendly on the surface.

To say that Li Qing’an didn’t care about the Ghassanid Khanate in the north would be self-deception. Although the Ghassanid Khanate had become Westernized, they still carried Turkic blood in their veins, blood containing highly aggressive traits. Constantine V sending Alslan to deal with the Ghassanid Khanate might not necessarily be a bad thing for the Transoxiana region. After all, didn’t Li Qing’an need such a country as well?

Thinking of this, Li Qing’an pointed to the southern coast of the Aral Sea on the map and said, “Khwarezm, which is now known as the Kingdom of Huoxun. I have been ruling Transoxiana for three years, but the king of Huoxun has never come to pledge loyalty to me, not even showing any willingness to compromise. This shows that they stubbornly remain loyal to the Abars. I cannot tolerate this. I originally planned to destroy Huoxun this time, but since you want to restore your kingdom, very well, I’ll fulfill your wish.”

Alslan knelt down abruptly, overcome with emotion and nearly in tears. He restrained his excitement and choked out, “Khwarezm is willing to pledge loyalty to the Great Tang and become its vassal state.”

“Don’t get excited yet! Tell me, where is your army now? I’m worried that if the Ghassan prince returns, it might harm them.”

“Reporting to the Great General, my troops are hidden in the city of Aralsk, at the far north of the Aral Sea. It’s an abandoned old city that the Ghassanids are unaware of.”
“Very good. Return immediately and lead your troops to Zhong’an Country by the river to meet me.”
……
Arslan left. Li Qing’an strode back and forth in the room, hands behind his back, deep in thought. If the main force of the Abbasid army truly came down from Huoxun Country along the Amu Darya River, the battle situation would be unfavorable for the Tang army. The upper reaches of the Amu Darya were covered in vast deserts, where the Tang army was unaccustomed to fighting, while the Abbasid troops were skilled in desert warfare—this would be extremely disadvantageous for the Tang army.
So he had to take action first, destroying Huoxun Country before the Abbasid troops could, to warn them that his plans had been uncovered and force them to abandon their original plans.
With this in mind, he picked up a small iron soldier and placed it on Huoxun Country—he had already decided to use force there.
At that moment, Li Siyue’s voice came from the door, “Is the Great General here?”
Li Qing’an put aside his thoughts and smiled, “I am here. Come in!”
Li Siyue appeared at the door like a dark tower. He entered the room, bowed, and said with a smile, “Great General, I won’t go through too many formalities.”
“Formality is not a problem. I won’t mind if you’re polite.”
Li Qing’an joked and then asked, “Weren’t you supposed to supervise the city repairs? Why are you back?”
“I can give orders quickly; I can’t stay there forever.”
Li Siyue walked over to the map and saw the small iron soldier placed on Huoxun Country by Li Qing’an. He smiled and said, “So, does the Great General still think the main force of the Abbasid army will come from the north?”
Li Qing’an nodded. “If they came from the south, then attacking Sebo would be pointless. They should attack Bukhara instead.”
“That makes sense. I also think the main force of the Abbasid army will come from the north, because we’re not good at fighting in deserts.”
“I share that concern, which is why I’ve decided to act first and deal with Huoxun Country, forcing the Abbasid troops to cancel their plan to advance from the north.”
Li Qing’an walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then said solemnly, “Siyue, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll allow Khwarezm to be restored.”
Li Siyue frowned. “Actually, this is exactly what I wanted to remind the Great General about. If we restore Khwarezm, we should treat it the same as the other countries in Central Asia—prohibit them from having an army, otherwise it will cause dissatisfaction among those countries.”
But Li Qing’an shook his head. “For Khwarezm, I’ll give them two choices.”

He walked over to the map and pointed at the Amu Darya River. “Using the Amu Darya as a boundary, if they want the lands east of the river, then Khwarazm must, like the countries along the river, not have its own army. Defense will be handled by the Tang forces. That’s their first option. The second option is to give up the lands east of the Amu Darya. I’ll allow them to establish a state between the Amu Darya and the Caspian Sea. In that case, although they remain vassals of the Tang Dynasty, they can have their own army. I’ll let them make the choice themselves; I won’t force them.”
“Why treat them specially, General?” Li Siye asked in confusion.
Li Qing’an picked up a wooden stick and pointed north on the map. “Actually, I’m not too worried about the threat from the Arabs. What concerns me is the Ghassanids. The threat from the Tangs always comes from the north. To prevent potential threats in the future, I must support a country hostile to the Ghassanids. Khwarazm is undoubtedly the best choice. This is actually also Byzantium’s intention. If Khwarazm establishes a state on the east side of the Caspian Sea, it will pose a serious threat to the Ghassanids’ heartland, forcing them to focus their efforts on the west. As a result, the areas north of Talas and Kucha will become relatively peaceful.”
“What if Khwarazm becomes rebellious and turns to threaten the countries along the river?”
Li Qing’an laughed. “With the Ghassanids in the north and the Arabs in the south, and Byzantium unable to reach them easily, do you think Khwarazm would give up the Tang Dynasty as its most reliable ally?”
……
(A reminder: it’s Khwarazm, not “Hua Si Mo Mu”. A famous ancient kingdom in history that rose and fell several times—reviving after being destroyed by the Kushans, then by the Persians, then by the Arabs, and then by the Mongols. In 1920, the Khorezmi Soviet People’s Republic was established, but it was dissolved in 1924, with its territory incorporated into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Who knows if Khwarazm will rise again a hundred years from now?)