Chapter 48: The Night Before the Award (Part 1)

Meeting the emperor in the palace was not something that could be arranged at will; there were many procedures involved. The most important one was learning etiquette, taught by officials from the Ministry of Rites, who would explain in detail what to say and what gestures to make. Commoners or soldiers without official positions would be given a white robe to wear before they could appear before the emperor. Finally, they had to bathe and use fragrances, and must stay in the palace that night to avoid being late or absent the next day.

That night, none of them could sleep. There were twenty-four people in total—twenty-four warriors who had distinguished themselves in the Battle of Xiao Boli. Li Siyeh led his troops to capture Lianyun Fort, while Li Fei Yuanli and He Lou Yurun led a hundred men to cut off the Tibetan army’s retreat from Lianyun Fort.

Li Qing’an, as a scout commander, annihilated the Tibetan army in Jialan City, discovered their secret crossing method, boldly seized Anuyue City, and destroyed the rope bridge. His contributions were the greatest, but he was punished for killing a Tibetan princess without authorization, violating Gao Xianzhi’s order to capture her alive. As a result, his rank dropped to second on the list of meritorious services. His deputy, Li Fei Shouyu, also ranked fifth due to his participation in the battles.

Even two of his subordinates, He Yanming and Han Jinping, were listed on the merit roll and would go to the capital together to receive rewards.

“Can’t you two sleep?” Li Qing’an asked with a smile from his bed.

“I can’t sleep either, thinking about meeting the emperor and receiving an award tomorrow.”

He Yanming said excitedly, “General, what do you think my rank will be?”

“What rank do you want?”

“If I get promoted, I’ll be a brigade commander. If I’m lucky, I might even become a deputy commander and officially enter the ranks of generals. That’s what my father has always dreamed of—he only ever became a fire officer in his life. Maybe my son will become a colonel one day! Ha ha! The He family’s ancestors must be proud!”

He Yanming became very talkative in his excitement. He kicked Han Jinping and said, “Old Han, what’s your biggest hope?”

Han Jinping sighed. “My greatest wish is to have my exile sentence overturned so I can return home and be with my wife and children.”

“Don’t worry, Old Han! Since General Gao has included your name on the list of meritorious soldiers, you’ll definitely be pardoned. Otherwise, how could you be rewarded?” Li Qing’an comforted him with a smile.

“I wonder if my son still recognizes me.”

Han Jinping stared blankly at the full moon outside, imagining what his son might look like. He Yanming then asked Li Qing’an, “And you, General? What’s your biggest hope?”

“I don’t know either.”

Li Qing’an propped his hands behind his head and smiled bitterly in silence. “His greatest hope is to find a way to travel through time and return to his own world. But if he really had to go back, he wouldn’t want to leave the magnificent Tang Dynasty behind.”
“General, I think you should find a wife. You’re already 25—it’s time to settle down and start a family.”
He Yanming suddenly remembered something and smiled ambiguously. “General, you’re not still thinking about that girl from Shi Country, are you? Her name was Shi Julan, right?”
Li Qing’an gazed absentmindedly at the crescent moon outside the window. Julan—the foreign girl who had given him his first taste of masculinity—where was she now? Did she still remember him?
Unconsciously, he thought of the girl who resembled a fairy from the moon palace last night. Her melodious piano music lingered in his mind.
…
This night would surely be difficult for many to sleep through. After checking on his son’s injuries, An Lushan returned to his study, deep in thought. He had already heard that the Prime Minister would handle this matter entirely, which added to his worries. If the emperor dealt with it, he still had some hope—kneeling and admitting fault, he believed the emperor might spare him. But with Li Linfu, he had no such confidence. Four hours had passed since afternoon, yet Li Linfu hadn’t taken any action, as if nothing had happened. The more this was the case, the more uneasy An Lushan became. He silently prayed to heaven that Li Linfu wouldn’t use this against him!
“General, have you noticed anything strange about today’s incident?”
His aide, Yan Zhuang’s question interrupted An Lushan’s worries. An Lushan suddenly remembered Li Fei Yuanli’s smug smile—it was indeed strange.
“What do you find strange?”
“I think today’s incident was entirely a trap set by the Anxi Army, designed to lure the young general in.”
“How do you know that?”
“There are three clues!” Yan Zhuang raised one finger. “First, after the clash in the tavern, they immediately returned to the memorial hall and refused to come out no matter how much they were insulted. That doesn’t fit their usual behavior. Does the commander still remember the clash before the polo match the year before last?”
An Lushan nodded. He remembered it clearly. The year before last, the Anxi Army was as fierce as fire, fighting fiercely with the Fanyang Army at the polo field in the Eastern Inner Garden. But this time they held back—very strange. It only proved they were clever, shifting all the blame onto An Qingxu.
“What about the second point?”

“The second point is that strange arrow shot. I was almost successful in persuading them, but at the most critical moment, an arrow was fired from inside the palace, piercing the head of the young general’s warhorse. This was by no means a coincidence; it was because the enemy detected our intention to retreat and thus provoked the young general into action.”
An Lushan also noticed this. To shoot through a warhorse’s head with just one arrow required immense strength. There was such a person in the Anxi Army—almost on par with Shi Siming. It was precisely this arrow that made An Qingxu completely lose his temper and order more arrows to be fired. The enemy had indeed struck at the perfect moment.
“You’re right; this second point is also very important. What about your third point?”
“Reporting to the great general, although rocket arrows were indeed fired into the palace, causing a fire, the flames spread too quickly, with fires breaking out in several places at once. That seems too coincidental. Moreover, not a single person died. Great general, I truly believe this fire was set by them themselves, with the aim of killing the young general.”
An Lushan nodded slowly. Yan Zhuang’s analysis was clear and well-founded. If that were indeed the case, then the Anxi Army must have some extraordinary individuals! Who could they be?
“Great general, have you noticed that whenever you tried to make peace with the Anxi Army twice, all their eyes were fixed on that young man with a scar on his forehead? It was also he who accepted your concessions later.”
An Lushan thought carefully for a moment before saying, “I remember now. That young man’s name is Li Qing’an, a captain in the Anxi Army’s scout unit, ranking second on the list of merits from the Battle of Xiao Boli.”
“The commander should keep an eye on this man. He can turn the tide at will, and he will play a significant role in the future.”
An Lushan gritted his teeth and said, “I understand. I will never let him go. But he’s not a major concern for now. The most urgent matter now is to take my son to the Prime Minister’s residence to apologize. What’s truly terrifying is Li Linfu’s inaction.”