Chapter 51: Rewards in the Grand Hall (Part 2)
“Call the soldiers of the Anxi Army into the hall!”
……
“Call the soldiers of the Anxi Army into the hall!”
……
Calls were heard one after another, and soon a group of people emerged from the side path beside the Qifeng Pavilion. It was twenty-four soldiers from the Anxi Army. Some wore military uniforms, while others wore white clothes—this was part of the Tang Dynasty’s etiquette. Civilians or soldiers without official ranks who met the emperor had to wear white, as white was the national color of the Tang Dynasty and symbolized nobility.
Li Siye walked in with his head held high and chest outstretched, followed by Li Qing’an. Third in line should have been General Xi Yuanqing, but he was stationed in Xiao Bulu and could not come east to receive his reward. Behind Li Qing’an were Li Fei Shouyu, He Lou Yurun, Li Fei Yuanli, Tian Zhen, Duan Xiushi, and Bai Yuanguang. The last two were He Yanming and Han Jinping.
All of them were tall and imposing. Though there were only twenty-four of them, they exuded an invisible pressure. The people in the grand hall secretly cheered and began to discuss among themselves.
“Our Tang Dynasty has such outstanding people—our borders must be safe!”
“The man at the front is the greatest swordsman in the world, Li Siye. The one behind him is said to be the best archer in Anxi, extremely skilled with a bow.” Those who knew the details quietly introduced them to others.
“I heard the greatest archer is Shi Siming from Fanyang. Can he surpass him?”
“Although Shi Siming is highly skilled with a bow, he may not be as ruthless as this man. I heard from the Anxi soldiers that whenever he shoots, blood is shed. Countless Turkic and Tibetan warriors have died at his hands.”
From the moment he entered the hall, Li Qing’an observed the Hanyuan Hall—the palace representing the highest architectural standards of the Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty architecture was completely different from that of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Ming and Qing buildings had small and intricate brackets, lacking grandeur. In contrast, Tang Dynasty architecture used complex large brackets and beams to support the roof, giving the palaces a majestic presence. Especially the Hanyuan Hall, located on a high ground, offered a view that made one feel as if they could overlook the world.
The grand hall was spacious, with officials standing far to the sides. In the front rows sat high-ranking officials on the ground, about ten zhang away from them, each with a spacious seat.
At the front, Li Qing’an saw Li Linfu. Li Linfu gave him a slight nod, but above Li Linfu sat another person wearing a golden crown and a bright yellow robe. Li Qing’an quickly realized that this must be Li Heng, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Heng also watched them calmly, giving them just a brief glance before lowering his eyes, clearly uninterested.
Li Longji’s gaze was sharp and intense, filled with a desire to uncover the truth. He scanned their faces one by one, until finally his gaze settled on Li Qing’an. Yes, this young man was truly different from ordinary people. He was tall and robust, with a well-defined face and a long scar on his forehead, exuding a sense of masculinity and toughness. Yet these were not his true charms. There was something indescribably unique about his every move; his eyes were calm yet piercing, shining with a clarity that seemed to see straight through one’s heart.
Li Longji was instantly captivated by him. He smiled slightly. The extraordinary young man Yang Huahua had spoken of must be this one. He glanced down at the documents in his hand: Li Qing’an, a captain in the Anxi Scout Camp, followed by a list of his military achievements in the Battle of Xiao Boli—leading the vanguard, annihilating the Tubo army in Jialan City, skillfully crossing the Bole River, killing forty-seven enemies at Lianyun Fort, seizing Anuyue City by force, and cutting down the Tubo rope bridge.
Li Longji smiled faintly. There must be another achievement as well—killing a Tubo princess. Gao Xianzhi considered this not a merit and hid it, but Li Longji saw it as a tremendous achievement. He liked men who showed no mercy on the battlefield; such were the true soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.
“Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty, wishing you a long and prosperous life!”
The twenty-four men had practiced etiquette the previous day and bowed together before Li Longji. Tang officials did not need to kneel before the emperor; a deep bow was sufficient.
Li Longji waved his hand and said with a smile, “All soldiers, rise from your bows!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
The soldiers stood up. At that moment, the palace attendant opened the imperial edict and read it aloud: “The soldiers of Anxi fought bravely against the enemy, bringing great merit to the nation. They deserve rewards for their efforts. Today, in the Hanyuan Hall, twenty-four of them are honored for their heroic deeds, so that their achievements may be known throughout the land. On the first day of the fourth month in the sixth year of Tianbao, the Tang army set out from Kucha…”
The attendant read passionately for nearly half an hour. Finally, it came to the moment of conferring titles. He paused, glanced at Li Siye, and said, “Li Siye, a captain in the Mo Dao Zhao Wu unit, sacrificed himself in battle, captured Lianyun Fort, and achieved great merits. As the top scorer in killing enemies, he is hereby appointed as a lieutenant general of the Jinwu Guard, a General of Valor, granted the title of Baron of Kai Guo County, and rewarded with three thousand taels of silver and five hundred bolts of silk.”
“Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!” Li Siye knelt on one knee and performed a military salute.
Li Longji nodded and turned his gaze back to Li Qingan. Now he understood why Li Qingan’s achievements ranked second—having shot down the Tubo princess. Yet Li Longji had no intention of changing anything. When approving the military rewards, he had already accepted Gao Lishi’s suggestion to promote Li Qingan by half a rank, placing him on par with Li Siye, on the grounds of equality between Han and non-Han soldiers.
The Deputy Minister of the Palace continued loudly, “Scout Captain Li Qingan, who led the vanguard, fought bravely at Lianyun Fort, seized Anuyue City, cut down the Tubo’s rope bridge, and ensured the Tang army’s capture of Xiaobolü. His contributions were extraordinary, warranting him to be ranked among those with the greatest merits. He is hereby appointed as a Lieutenant General of the Qianniu Guard, a General of Valor, granted the title of Baron of Kai Guo County, and awarded three thousand taels of silver and five hundred bolts of silk.”
At this moment, Li Lin, the Deputy Minister of War, was stunned. He remembered that Li Qingan had been appointed as a Lieutenant General of the Taizi Qinxun Yiwu Guard, a rank of fourth class. How had he become a Lieutenant General of the Qianniu Guard, also of fourth class, and even ranked among those with the greatest merits? He glanced doubtfully at Li Linfu, who smiled and gently stroked his long beard. Li Lin immediately understood—it must have been an agreement made among the higher-ups.
Not only were the officials from the Ministry of War shocked, but Li Qingan himself never expected to be appointed as a lieutenant general, let alone granted the title of Baron of Kai Guo County and the honorary rank of General of Valor. After a moment’s thought, he vaguely guessed it might have something to do with Gao Lishi. He quickly glanced at Gao Lishi, who had his eyes gently closed, as if in meditation. Just as Li Qingan was about to look away, Gao Lishi opened his eyes and gave him a slight smile.
“Li Qingan, come forward to receive your honors.”
Li Qingan was overjoyed inside, but kept a calm expression. He stepped forward, knelt halfway, and saluted militarily, saying solemnly, “Your humble servant, Li Qingan, thanks His Majesty the Emperor for his generous rewards.”
Just as he was about to stand up, Li Longji said with a smile, “General Li, I shall reward you further with a purple-gold fish bag to honor that arrow you shot across the deep ravine and rope bridge.”