Chapter 709: Night Talk in Fengxian

Fengxian County was the farthest northeastern county in Jingji Province. As dusk fell that day, 100,000 victorious Tang troops arrived in Fengxian County. Li Qing’an ordered the army to set up camp and rest for one night before continuing on. By the time the camp was established, it had already grown dark.

Inside the camp, the soldiers gathered to eat. Today marked the official entry of the army into Jingji Province, and the atmosphere was especially lively. It was already the end of the hottest season; they had endured the hottest days during the march. As night fell, a slight coolness settled in the air.

Everyone gathered outside the tents to eat. Unlike their usual rations of dried food and meat with just water, dinner consisted of steaming bowls of cooked rice, large bowls of meat and fish, and vegetables that were rarely seen. Each soldier even received a bottle of wine, which greatly lifted their spirits.

The war was finally over, and a peaceful era had arrived. Everyone was filled with hope for their future…

“I want to go home and see my children. I haven’t seen them in two years, nor my wife. I miss them so much!”
An experienced squad leader sighed sincerely. After drinking a little wine, his face turned red, glowing with excitement, his eyes filled with longing for his hometown and family.

“Jia Da, you haven’t been home for two years. Has your wife gone with someone else…?” a young soldier joked recklessly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he was struck hard on the head by a soldier beside him, who scolded him, “How dare you speak like that? You’re disturbing morale!”

Jia Da waved his hand and laughed, “My wife wouldn’t do that. She grew up with me. She’s very faithful. She still has to farm, take care of her in-laws, and look after the children. How could she possibly have an affair with someone outside?”

“You forgot about the Military Marriage Inspection Department!” a low laugh came from somewhere nearby.

The soldiers looked up and stood up in fright. Their commander, Li Qing’an, was standing beside them, accompanied by two bodyguards.

“General!”

Li Qing’an waved his hand smilingly. “Everyone, sit down and eat. Make room for me too.”

The people stepped aside to clear a spot. Li Qing’an sat down, and the two bodyguards served him a bowl of rice. He smiled at them and said, “You should sit down and eat too! Don’t stand behind.”

The bodyguards also sat down and ate with the others. Seeing that no one dared to move, Li Qing’an pointed at the food with his chopsticks and said with a smile, “We’re all brothers in the army. We’re not outsiders. Go ahead and eat.”

Only then did everyone continue eating. As they ate, Li Qing’an asked Jia Da with a smile, “I seem to remember meeting you in Anxi. You have a very distinctive face.”

Jia Da had a square face, extremely square, which made a strong impression on people. He scratched his head awkwardly and smiled, saying, “The general is right. I met the general at the Samarkand temple.”
“Samarkand? Oh! That was several years ago. Then why are you only a team leader? You should at least be a captain!” Li Qingan asked with a smile.
Jia Da’s face turned red. Although he had been in the army for a long time, he hadn’t achieved many military exploits. When it came to fighting bravely, he would think of his wife, children, and parents back home, causing him to slow down. The Anxi Army rewarded soldiers based on their military achievements, so many soldiers who joined later than him had already been promoted to brigade commanders.
He quickly replied, “Reporting to the general, I captured Ghulam Khan’s head this time. I should be promoted to captain upon returning to the capital.”
Li Qingan laughed. “Heh! So it was you who captured Ghulam Khan’s head.”
Before the battle, he had issued orders: those who captured Ghulam Khan alive would be promoted three ranks and rewarded with 5,000 taels of silver, while those who took his head would be promoted two ranks and rewarded with 1,000 taels of silver. All military achievements would be recorded and rewarded upon returning to the capital.
“Good. What are your plans for the future? By the way, where is your home?”
“I originally came from Jianzhou in Shu. My family is now in Suiye—my wife, son, and parents are all there. My son is already seven years old. I’ve been in the army for five years. I heard that after five years, one can retire. If that’s true, I want to go home to take care of my parents until their deaths.”
Li Qingan nodded. “You’re right. The Ministry of War is currently formulating laws. The military system will still be based on the household troops system, allowing soldiers to retire after five years. The same applies to the border troops. More Han people will move to the border areas in the future, and the military household system will gradually be replaced by the household troops system. Although it hasn’t been officially announced yet, according to the old rules of the Anxi Army, one can retire after five years or continue serving, with an additional 30 mu of land. Don’t you want that?”
“Alas! I have no brothers. It would be too hard for my wife to be at home alone. I want to go home to support her. Besides, I’ve received silver as a reward this time. I also plan to open a shop in Suiye City to do business. I can speak Turkic, which is very convenient.”
“Not bad. That’s a great idea.”
Li Qingan praised him and then asked the other soldiers with a smile, “What about you? Where are you from? What are your plans?”
“Reporting to the general, I’m from Chang’an. I’ve been in the army for two years and still want to continue serving.”
……
“Reporting to the general, I’m from Qingzhou in the Guannei region. I’ve been in the army for three years. My family owns 30 mu of farmland. By accumulating military achievements, I can get 20 mu of farmland after retiring. With a total of 50 mu of land at home, I’m quite satisfied.”

At this moment, more and more soldiers gathered around, and there were already hundreds of them. Seeing a soldier hesitating to speak, Li Qing’an smiled and pointed at him, “You go ahead!”
The soldier quickly said, “Reporting to the general, my name is Wang Ziyi. I’m from Yangzhou. I’ve been in the army for three years. I was originally a fugitive from Prince Qing’s estate. I have an elderly mother, wife, and children, as well as a younger brother. My family is currently settled in Puzhou, Hedong. Since I joined the army, I was allocated 20 mu of land. I plan to apply to serve in Anxi, so that my family can receive 150 mu of land. I’m good at growing tea, and I intend to buy a mountain to grow tea after retiring.”
Li Qing’an nodded with a smile. “It’s a wise decision for this brother to want to go to Anxi. Emerging places are always full of opportunities. Over the next thirty years, the Anxi region will provide the strongest support for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. As far as I know, nearly 20,000 soldiers have applied to move their entire families to Anxi this year. As for how many civilians want to go there, I’m not sure.”
“But General, people are just a bit worried about safety. After all, the Arabs, the Byzantines, and the Khazars surround us, and Anxi is vulnerable to foreign invasions,” said a soldier worriedly.
Li Qing’an laughed. “I guess this brother’s concern is shared by most people. But in fact, I think we should be worried about the Arabs and the Khazars.”
Everyone burst into laughter. Li Qing’an waved his hand and said with a smile, “The reason why our Tang Dynasty can dominate Anxi is mainly because we have the sharpest bows and arrows in the world, the strongest armor, and the most disciplined soldiers. In the future, our Tang Dynasty’s weapons will continue to develop, especially thunder weapons. I just received news that the Anxi Firearm Bureau has already developed the smallest thunder weapon. Guess how small it is?”
The smallest thunder weapon in the Tang Dynasty was currently about the size of a pumpkin. People guessed it was as big as a melon or a pomelo. Li Qing’an still shook his head with a smile. “Let me tell you! It’s as big as a walnut.”
Everyone gasped in surprise. Jia Da widened his eyes. “General, so small—can it be lethal?”

Li Qing’an organized a demonstration for everyone. He shaped some rice into a ball the size of a walnut, then casually pulled out a blade of grass and inserted it into the rice ball. Smiling at the crowd, he said, “See? This should be its appearance. This is the smallest ‘Thunder Shock Bomb.’ Actually, it can’t really be called that either; we just haven’t come up with a new name yet. The key is this fuse. Our fuse-making technology is already quite advanced, allowing us to control the even burning of the powder. With a crossbow, a single soldier can fire this ‘Thunder Shock Bomb.’ Just imagine—what a spectacular sight it would be if ten thousand soldiers fired them at once. We also have mastered the Damascene steel-making technique and the Uz steel technique from Sindh. Moreover, we’ve found the best iron mines in Turfan. In the future, our descendants will create steel pipes and invent even newer firearms. In short, our weapons will become increasingly powerful, and the West will never be able to match us.”

Li Qing’an’s words sparked applause among the soldiers. Seeing more and more people gather around, he stood up and said with a smile, “I’ll go now so as not to delay everyone’s meal. Please finish eating early and rest.”

He left the group of soldiers and returned to his main command tent. Inside, there was a large sand table measuring four zhang in length and three zhang in width, representing the vast lands of the Tang Dynasty. It took a year to create this sand table, assembled from twenty-three smaller ones, and there was only one like it in the world.

Li Qing’an slowly walked up to the sand table and gazed at it for a long time without saying a word. He knew he was now the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The news was spreading throughout the empire at an unprecedented speed.

It was the third year of Qingping. Eleven years had passed since he entered this dynasty in the fifth year of Tianbao. Over these eleven years, he had risen from a humble soldier in a border fortress to become the emperor who held supreme power over the land. Along the way, there had been bloodshed, battles, hundreds of battles, and millions of deaths. Their bones formed the path to his imperial throne.

“The Battle of Xiao Boli, the Battle of Shibao City, the Battle of Talas, the Battle against Khwarazm, the Battle in Turfan, the Battle of Dafeichuan, the Great Battle of Luzhou, the Battle against the Uyghurs”—one after another, these epic battles, the soldiers who sacrificed themselves for their country, and the events etched in history would gradually be forgotten by time.

Li Qing’an sighed softly. He touched the ruby ring on his ring finger, a gift given to him solemnly by the king of the Stone Kingdom. The ruby was one of the eight pieces created from the Light God’s gem.

He suddenly remembered Julan, the princess of the Stone Kingdom who had left a deep impression on him. Their ten-day affair was as brief as fireworks, yet it sparked a tumultuous history of power struggles in Central Asia. In the end, she sacrificed her most sacred life in the raging flames. Five years had passed since her death, and the land along the River had gradually regained its vitality. Islam and Zoroastrianism could now coexist in peace.

The grass by her grave must be lush now. The apple tree he had planted himself had long borne abundant fruit. She lay in rest on that fertile land. But… when would he be able to visit her grave again to pay his respects? Would he have such a chance in this lifetime?

His heart ached with sorrow—over memories of the past, longing for the land where he had shed blood and sweat, and missing all those who had once been part of his life: lovers, comrades, subjects, even enemies. Li Qing’an could hardly contain his grief, and at that moment, he couldn’t help but shed tears…

…

Two days later, a hundred-thousand-strong army arrived at Mingde Gate in Chang’an. Outside the gate, over three hundred high officials, led by the seven prime ministers—Zhang Yun, Cui Ning, Pei Min, Yan Zhenqing, Wang Jin, Liu Yan, and Guo Ziyi—went outside the city to welcome the return of Emperor Li Qing’an of the Tang Dynasty.

The hundred-thousand Tang soldiers were now lined up in a vast formation stretching ten miles long. Three thousand elite troops of the Hu Ben Wei were at the forefront. Li Qing’an wore the Mingguang black armor of the Anxi Army, a golden helmet on his head, and held a battle-tested sword in his hand.

He rode slowly toward the officials. The three hundred high officials knelt down, welcoming the return of the Emperor of Tang with the utmost reverence.

“Your servants pay their respects to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!”

Li Qing’an took a deep breath and said to the officials in a gentle tone, smiling, “Stand up, my dear ministers!”

Even he himself felt as if those words weren’t his own. It was as if he were dreaming, as if none of this were real, yet what lay before him was undeniably real—no dream at all.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The ministers stood up. Everyone was overjoyed at Li Qing’an’s return. From that day onward, the Tang Dynasty would enter an era of a great ruler and wise ministers.

Li Qing’an spoke slowly to everyone, “Thanks to the kindness of all my ministers, I am now the ruler. Today, here at Mingde Gate, I make three promises with you all: starting from now, the Tang court will not employ eunuchs as officials; no one will be punished for their words, either inside or outside the court; and no court punishments will be used. All matters will be judged according to Tang law.”

The ministers immediately erupted in cheers. These three measures proposed by Li Qing’an had long been a major concern for them. Eunuchs had always been the enemies of court officials throughout history, and it was common to hear of eunuchs causing disasters to the nation. Since Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji, the Tang dynasty had set a bad precedent. Eunuchs such as Gao Lishi, Yuan Siyi, Yu Chaoneng, and Li Fuguo had successively seized power. Li Qing’an ordered that eunuchs be strictly prohibited from holding official positions—how could this not fill them with joy?

The absence of punishment for speaking out or being punished in court was also something the ministers longed for. With this, there would surely be censors who spoke up bravely and ministers who dared to offer advice. These three rules would form the foundation for the revival of the Tang dynasty.

The ministers shouted in unison, “Your Majesty is wise!”

The sound of horse hooves approached, and several eunuchs rode in, bringing the emperor’s symbols of authority. The ministers stepped aside to make way. Three eunuchs carried a golden tray forward. The tray was covered with brocade. On the first tray was a sword used to found the dynasty—the sword belonging to Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan, which had been worn by successive Tang emperors. It had been taken to Chengdu by Li Heng and recovered by the Tang army from the Nanming Palace.

The eunuchs stepped forward, knelt down, and raised the golden tray high. “This was ordered by the Empress Dowager for us to deliver. Please accept it, Your Majesty.”

The imperial guards presented the tray, and Li Qing’an picked up the sword. The blade was simple in design, with the eight characters “Received by Heaven, Using the Sword to Found the Nation” engraved on the scabbard. He nodded, fastened the sword to his body, and then looked at the second tray. Inside was the emperor’s red ink brush and jade seal—not the national seal, which was in the hands of the Seal Keeper. The emperor had no authority to use the national seal; this was merely a personal seal used for reviewing documents.

The third tray contained a red-yellow dragon robe and crown. He smiled, ordered his trusted aides to take all the items, and then Zhang Yun stepped forward to report, “Your Majesty, please enter the palace to prepare for the ceremony. Tomorrow, at the third hour of the morning, the coronation ceremony will be held officially, with all officials paying their respects.”

“Good. Pass my order: the army shall enter the city!”

At Li Qing’an’s command, one hundred thousand Tang soldiers carried out a grand procession into the city. By then, Chang’an was deserted, with nearly a million people gathered on Zhuque Street to warmly welcome the victorious Tang army and their new emperor. One hundred and fifty thousand troops stationed in Guanzhong lined both sides of Zhuque Street to maintain order.

Li Qing’an had already boarded the imperial carriage, adorned with fine jade and pulled by eighty-one strong horses. With a green dragon on the left, a white tiger on the right, golden phoenix wings, and carved birds and beasts, along with a yellow canopy on the left, it displayed great imperial dignity. Five hundred of the finest imperial guards rode on either side, armed with shields and spears, providing extremely strict protection. Another three thousand imperial guards carried flags, forming the outermost layer of defense.

When the imperial jade carriage of the new Tang emperor appeared through Mingde Gate, thunderous cheers erupted throughout Chang’an, like earthquakes and tsunamis. “Long live His Majesty, the Emperor of Tang!” “Long live the Emperor!” As the Tang army’s cavalry marched into the city, the enthusiastic atmosphere reached its peak. “Long live the soldiers of Tang!” Countless Tang citizens cheered wildly, their excitement evident in every expression. They beat drums and waved banners made of brocade. “Long live the Tang army!” Such supreme glory filled every Tang soldier with tears of emotion—it was a glory they were willing to defend with their lives. Yet the most passionate cheers came from the millions of people celebrating Li Qing’an. Wherever the imperial jade carriage went, it triggered waves of cheers: “Long live His Majesty, the Emperor of Tang!” Hundreds of elderly men in white knelt devoutly before the emperor’s carriage, bowing their gray-haired heads to the ground. They placed their greatest hopes on the new Tang emperor, each longing for the revival of Tang’s golden age. Although Li Qing’an sat inside the heavily guarded carriage and could not see the enthusiasm of the welcoming crowd clearly, he still glimpsed the excited masses through occasional gaps, saw faces filled with tears, and heard the thunderous cheers. His heart was deeply moved, feeling the immense burden upon his shoulders—the fate of Tang’s vast lands and its 50 million people, and the prosperity of an empire all resting on him. … The imperial jade carriage stopped in front of Zhuque Gate. From here, he would enter the imperial city and then the palace. There, General Changsun Quanxu of the Yulin Army was already waiting with 3,000 soldiers, along with 300 officials who had arrived earlier. Additionally, over 500 members of the royal family who supported his ascension were there, including some who had repented and were now under the leadership of Li Yi from the Imperial Clan Registry, also welcoming him at Zhuque Gate. Aside from 500 elite imperial guards who would accompany him into the palace, the remaining 100,000 troops would stay in the various camps within the imperial city and move outside the city walls once it grew quiet at night. Changsun Quanxu stepped forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, which way shall we enter the palace?” Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “After becoming the crown prince, I will naturally enter the palace through Xuanwu Gate.” “By the emperor’s command, we shall enter through Xuanwu Gate!” A century-long cycle ended at Xuanwu Gate and began again there.