Chapter 651: The Handsome Man Hides His Beauty

Two days later, Li Qing’an’s army arrived in Taigu County of Taiyuan Prefecture. It was already late at night, so he ordered his troops to camp and rest. It was early April, a time when the flowers had faded and the apricot trees were still small. A gentle breeze blew, filling the air with the sweet scent of flowers and trees.

Inside the grand tent, the lights were bright. Li Qing’an was sitting at the table reading, looking quite relaxed. The weather was gradually getting hotter. Now that the major battles were over, he no longer wore those heavy, airtight armors and had switched to lighter military uniforms.

His trip to Taiyuan didn’t have any specific purpose. He didn’t intend to seize Guo Ziyi’s military power—firstly, because the time wasn’t right, and secondly, it wasn’t necessary. At present, he already had an army of six hundred thousand men, so he didn’t really care about Guo Ziyi’s mere seventy thousand troops.

His goal in going to Taiyuan was to discuss with Guo Ziyi how to strengthen defenses in Hedong, how to control the eight passes of the Taihang Mountains, and trap An Lushan and Shi Siming’s armies inside Hebei, forcing them to fight among themselves.

As Li Qing’an read while thinking about matters in Taiyuan, a bodyguard came to the door and reported, “General, your wife sent someone with some gifts.”

“Let him in!”

The bodyguard hesitated for a moment before turning and leaving. Soon after, several bodyguards brought in a young general. He wore a silver helmet and silver armor, was tall, with particularly long legs. He looked valiant, yet his handsome appearance carried a hint of melancholy. He carried a large bundle in his hands.

“Mu Niang!”

Li Qing’an exclaimed in surprise. The general who brought the gifts was none other than Gao Mu.

He quickly stood up, somewhat at a loss. “You… how did you come here?”

Gao Mu gave him a disdainful look, placed the large bundle on the table, and said, “On my wife’s orders, I brought you some things.”

“Oh! Thank you. Please sit down and rest.”

But Gao Mu ignored him. She opened the bundle, which contained a large basket. She took out various items from it—several sets of lighter pajamas, three pairs of shoes and socks, a very soft pillow, high-quality tea, and plenty of food. All these were prepared by his wives and concubines. What he liked the most were several paintings drawn by his children.

Li Qing’an picked up one painting. It was drawn by his son, Li Tan. The painting showed a general in armor, tall and robust, looking valiant. However, his eyes were drawn a bit too large, like copper bells. There were also four crooked characters written on it: “My Father.”

“That brat! It doesn’t resemble me at all!”

Li Qing’an smiled, but Gao Wu didn’t respond. When he looked up, she was gone. He turned around hurriedly and saw her packing his dirty clothes into a basket.
“What… are you doing?”
“I’m washing your clothes. There’s a well by the door; I saw it when I came in.”
Gao Wu replied coldly; she was clearly upset.
“Don’t worry about it! My personal guards will wash them.”
Ignoring him, she went on to remove the pillowcases. Li Qing’an grew annoyed and raised his voice, “Did you hear me? Put them down!”
Gao Wu paused, quickly stripped off the pillowcases, and stuffed them into the basket. Then she set the basket aside and sat down, turning her back on him in frustration. Li Qing’an couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed this Gao Wu had suffered some grievance somewhere—or perhaps he hadn’t shown her enough care.
Li Qing’an walked over and sat behind her, smiling. “When did you return from Tubo?”
By then, Li Qing’an had realized it. Some time ago, he had written a letter to each member of his family but not to Gao Wu. He had assumed she hadn’t returned yet—this must be the problem.
Seeing that Gao Wu still remained silent, he smiled again. “How is your father? Can he adapt to the Tubo plateau? If not, I’ll transfer him back.”
Gao Wu was a filial daughter. No matter how upset she was with Li Qing’an, mentioning her father made her unable to act capriciously any longer.
“Mm! He’s fine. I hope he’ll return too, but he refuses. It’s clear he really wants to stay there.”
“Then I’ll transfer him back.”
“No!”
Gao Wu turned around urgently. “You know well enough about my father’s temper. It’s rare for him to like something—he should be left alone!”
“What about you?”
Li Qing’an looked at her with a smile. “Do you like washing my clothes?”
Washing clothes has always carried a somewhat ambiguous connotation. In the imperial palace, there was a laundry department—its name sounded nice, but it actually provided such services. Just as people of status referred to using the toilet as “changing clothes,” wealthy men would say to a beautiful woman selling herself, “Then stay and wash my clothes for me!”
After saying this teasing remark, Li Qing’an immediately regretted it. Gao Wu was still dissatisfied! She might walk away in anger.
But he had miscalculated. Gao Wu was not a woman with deep scheming. She was actually very happy to see Li Qing’an. It was only because he had written letters to his family but left her out that she acted a bit capriciously when she saw him. But since Li Qing’an cared about her father, her minor annoyance vanished instantly.

Her face turned red as she shyly lowered her head. She had come to deliver something to Li Qing’an at Mingyue’s special arrangement, and of course she knew what would happen. A spirited girl suddenly acting shyly was indeed unusual, and Li Qing’an felt a stir in his heart. He gently lifted Gao Wu’s chin and stared at her bright red, well-defined lips. Slowly, he leaned in. Gao Wu tried to back away, but she was too weak and had no courage left. Just as their lips were about to touch, Li Fei Yuanli’s voice came from outside, “The general needs to see me; I’ve come right away.” Li Qing’an immediately sat back down and said, “Come in!” Gao Wu’s face was crimson. She stood up, looking for a place to hide, but since they were only camped temporarily and Li Qing’an hadn’t set up a side tent, the main tent was empty with nowhere to hide. She had no choice but to turn her back. Li Fei Yuanli entered and knelt on one knee, saying, “Your humble servant pays respects to the general.” “General Li Fei, no need for formalities!” Li Fei Yuanli stood up and suddenly saw Gao Wu with her back to him. He was stunned. From behind, it was obvious she was a woman. It was the first time Li Fei Yuanli had seen a woman hidden in Li Qing’an’s tent. Li Qing’an smiled and said, “She’s Lady Wu, who came from Chang’an to bring me some things.” Realizing Li Qing’an had exposed her, Gao Wu was filled with hatred. She had no choice but to turn around and, with a red face, greet Li Fei Yuanli, “Brother Li Fei, it’s been a long time.” “So it’s Lady Wu!” Li Fei Yuanli was so surprised he couldn’t speak. None of the older soldiers in the Anxi Army didn’t know Gao Wu. Back then, she had even earned the nickname “the long-legged chicken” because of her extremely slender legs. He scratched the back of his head and laughed foolishly, “How did you end up here?” Li Qing’an pointed at the table full of items and said with a smile, “Lady Wu came from Chang’an to bring me some things.” With these words, Li Qing’an acknowledged his relationship with Gao Wu. Li Fei Yuanli suddenly understood. Seeing Gao Wu’s red face, he realized even more. “Um… General, your humble servant will come back tomorrow.” He turned to leave, but Li Qing’an called out, “Stop!” Li Fei Yuanli dared not move. Slowly, he turned around. Li Qing’an said calmly, “Between the governor of Xinde and the governor of Tokharistan, which one would you choose?” The awkward expression on Li Fei Yuanli’s face disappeared. This was a decision that would affect his entire life. After pondering for a moment, he said, “I choose the governor of Xinde!” “Why not Tokharistan?”

Li Fei Yuanli scratched his head and then grinned, saying, “I heard the women in Sindh are better at serving men.”
“What an unchangeable nature!”
Li Qingan also laughed and scolded, “Well then! Good luck for you—He Lou Yurun will be the governor of Tokharistan.”
Li Fei Yuanli was overjoyed. “I thank the great general greatly!”
“Go ahead! Get ready; we can set off tomorrow. But I suggest you go to Yangzhou Salt Port, where dozens of ships are also preparing to head to Sindh. You can take one of them.”
Li Fei Yuanli bowed deeply, smiled at Gao Wu, and slowly retreated. As he reached the tent door, Li Qingan suddenly said with a laugh, “Keep your mouth shut, or I’ll transfer you to Tokharistan.”
“I understand. Congratulations, Lady Wu, and congratulations, great general.”
Li Fei Yuanli fled at top speed.
Only Li Qingan and Gao Wu were left in the tent. Gao Wu’s face turned red, and she quickly said coldly, “What do you mean? I have nothing to do with you.”
Li Qingan raised his eyebrows and laughed, “I don’t mean anything either. It’s just this rough man overthinking things. Well! I’ll prepare a tent for you to rest in properly. I’ll send someone to take you back early tomorrow morning.”
Gao Wu didn’t move either. Li Qingan laughed again, “What, don’t want to leave?”
“You… Sigh!”
Gao Wu sighed softly and said, “Do you think I wanted to come? To tell you the truth! The lady officially sent me to deliver things to you, but actually, she wants me to watch you to see if you’ll bring a group of women back. So… I had no choice but to stay in your camp reluctantly…”
As she spoke, she glanced at Li Qingan with a half-smile but bit her lip lightly.
“That’s exactly what I expected!”
Li Qingan shrugged indifferently. “Many people have used that trick on me before. It’s quite clever. You’re new, so I let you come… But…”
Li Qingan deliberately left it hanging. Sure enough, Gao Wu couldn’t hold back and asked, “But what? Please explain clearly!”
“But during wartime, I never bring women to my camp. This puts me in a difficult position!”
Gao Wu lowered her head. After a long while, she whispered, “Have you forgotten? I’m also a lieutenant general in the Tang army, registered in the Ministry of War.”
Li Qingan was stunned for a moment. So all this time, she wanted to stay in his camp. His heart immediately lightened. How could Gao Wu not like him? She actually agreed wholeheartedly, but she was too shy and proud to give in easily. Well! There’s time enough; it’s not right to force her.

“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have really forgotten—you’re a Lieutenant General.”
Li Qing’an thought for a moment and said, “How about this! I heard you once had a unit of female soldiers. I also plan to form a unit of female guards. It’s a tradition of the Anxi Army. But becoming a Lieutenant General in the Anxi Army isn’t easy at all—it requires numerous military achievements. So, as a compromise, how about you become a female battalion commander?”
Gao Wu was overjoyed. She never cared about what military rank she could hold. She had only one thought: to be with Li Qing’an. Even if it meant being just a female soldier, she would be happy. Unable to hide her joy, she stood up, picked up the bamboo basket, and said with a smile, “I’m going to do the laundry.”
“Weren’t you told to have your personal guards do it?”
Gao Wu smiled subtly and sent him a flirtatious glance before quickly leaving with her basket.
Li Qing’an stared at her long, slender legs and suddenly felt something in his heart—he had fallen for this straightforward and adorable woman.
That night, another small tent was set up next to Li Qing’an’s main tent, also under the protection of his personal guards.
…
“General! General!”
In the early hours of the morning, Li Qing’an was suddenly awakened by urgent calls. Instinctively, he sat up quickly. “What happened?”
“General Ji Sheng from Hebei sent someone.”
“Let them in!”
A moment later, his personal guards brought in two people, both dressed in black and looking exhausted. He recognized the man in charge—Qi Yan, the deputy commander of the First Scout Battalion. The other person was unfamiliar to him; she was petite and clearly a woman.
The two knelt down. Deputy Commander Qi Yan said solemnly, “Your humble servant, Qi Yan, pays his respects to the General.”
“General Qi, you’ve worked hard.”
Li Qing’an comforted him gently. Ji Sheng’s scout team had achieved remarkable feats in Hebei—first by destroying An Lushan’s gunpowder factory and then setting fire to the forage storage. They had truly done extraordinary things, and Li Qing’an was ready to reward them generously.
He glanced at the woman behind them and asked with a smile, “Who is this?”
“She is General Ji’s adopted sister. She’s followed us throughout the journey and has made significant contributions. It was she who killed Li Qin.”
Qi Yan quickly turned to give her a signal. Xie Nongjian stepped forward and knelt down, saying, “This humble woman, Xie Nongjian, pays her respects to His Highness, the Prince of Zhao!”
Unlike the scouts, who were part of the official Anxi Army, she was just an ordinary civilian. Li Qing’an immediately nodded and said, “I officially approve you as a scout in the First Scout Battalion of the Anxi Army. From now on, you are part of the Anxi Army.”

Xie Nongjian was extremely excited. She had come to Taiyuan with Qi Yan precisely for this reason. Although she had shared life and death with Ji Sheng and the others, her status had always been that of a commoner, which troubled her deeply. Over time, it became her greatest concern.

She kowtowed repeatedly in excitement. Li Qingan said calmly, “Get up! Stand aside.”

His voice was gentle, yet it carried an irresistible authority. Xie Nongjian was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing what to do. She murmured, “Yes!” and stepped aside. As a member of the Anxi Army, how could she dare not obey the orders of its supreme commander?

A strange feeling arose in Xie Nongjian’s heart. Previously, in her eyes, Li Qingan was the powerful King of Zhao, a figure as divine and lofty as a god in the eyes of the people. But when she first entered the tent, he seemed quite ordinary and approachable, his smile as gentle as that of an older brother next door. Yet now, she suddenly felt his immense authority, making her feel utterly insignificant and unable to look up to him. It was this extreme contrast between greatness and insignificance that gave her a sense of unreality.

Suddenly, she felt someone pulling her hand. It was a young, handsome officer. Angered, she tried to shake off her hand, but then saw the officer smile. Xie Nongjian suddenly realized she was also dealing with a woman. Her anger vanished instantly. Gao Wu pulled her, and she followed her out.

Having been in the army for a long time, Gao Wu knew some of the military rules—subordinate officers should avoid standing nearby when senior officers are discussing military matters.

Li Qingan paid no attention to Xie Nongjian’s departure. He still had important matters to discuss with Deputy Commander Qi Yan.

“Where is General Ji? Why isn’t he here this time?”

“Reporting to the General, General Ji is currently at the Youzhou military camp. He has become a military doctor in the Yan Army.”

“A military doctor?”

Li Qingan was taken aback. What was Ji Sheng doing among the Yan Army?

“What is his purpose?”

“General Ji said he was sent by the General to assassinate An Lushan. He said he would soon have the chance to treat An Lushan.”

At that moment, Li Qingan faintly remembered saying to Ji Sheng when assigning him the task of burning the fodder store, “If he can also kill An Lushan, that would count as one of the three greatest achievements.” So Ji Sheng had gone to the Yan Army as a military doctor because of those words. This young man was no ordinary person—he had gone through such a long detour just to kill An Lushan.

But for Li Qingan now, An Lushan really couldn’t be killed yet; he still needed An Lushan and Shi Siming to fight each other for some time. Thinking of this, Li Qingan smiled and said, “Go back and tell General Ji that Shi Siming has declared himself emperor. I still need An Lushan to fight against him for a while, so it’s necessary to keep An Lushan alive. But I have two other tasks for you.”
Qi Yan immediately bowed and said, “Please give your orders, General!”
Li Qingan thought for a moment before slowly saying, “You can get in touch with Master Qi from the Hebei Intelligence Bureau. She has been given a task by me, and I think it’s difficult for her to complete with her current capabilities. You can go and help them.”
“I understand. I’ll inform General Ji as soon as I return and urge him to contact Master Qi right away.”
“Mm! That’s the first task. Now, the second task.”
At this point, Li Qingan didn’t rush on but changed the subject and asked, “How is Zhang Xun’s situation?”
“County Magistrate Zhang is still in Baiyangdian. Last year, his militia was besieged by An Lushan’s troops, and at one point, only over 200 people remained. But in the past two months, many people have joined them, and their numbers have gradually risen to 500. However, I think it will be hard for them to hold on much longer.”
“Why?”
Li Qingan asked curiously, “Is it a lack of food or medicine?”
“Neither!”
Qi Yan shook his head. “There’s no shortage of food in Baiyangdian, and with Ji Sheng as the military doctor, there’s also no lack of medicine. The problem lies within the militia itself.”
Qi Yan sighed and continued, “The problem stems from the more than 300 people who joined this year. County Magistrate Zhang suspects that there are spies from the Yan army among them, but he can’t identify them right away. Several times, they were almost surrounded by the Yan army. It was only because Zhang Xun is familiar with the terrain that they managed to escape several times. But you can’t hide forever, so the situation is very dire now.”
“Mm!” Li Qingan nodded. “Since they can’t avoid it, they should leave Hebei Province. But I hope Zhang Xun can bring as many people from Hebei as possible with him, with you helping him.”
With that, Li Qingan walked over to the sand table and pointed at the sea route outside Cangzhou with a wooden stick. “You and County Magistrate Zhang need to organize as many people from Hebei as possible. When the time comes, the fleet I’ll send will arrive at Cangzhou’s port, and you’ll board the ships there.”
……