Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

"I couldn't say much during the banquet just now, especially since I was in front of you. But I have a few things to say that I must say, and I hope you will listen to me, Grand Commandant."

Li Ji smiled and said, "Gongchu is my right-hand man. Just speak your mind. There's no need to hold back."

Gao Ying asked, “I also know that the country’s finances have been in dire straits in recent years, and local officials often borrow money from merchants, but most of them borrow no more than two or three hundred thousand. I initially thought that the Grand Commandant would also borrow this amount from Yu Ling, but I did not expect him to say that he would borrow three million… There is no precedent for officials to lend money to the people, so it is a last resort. It seems that it is not appropriate to do this in such a big way, so as not to damage the reputation of the Grand Commandant.”

Li Ji replied with a smile: "Gongchu is well-versed in poetry and literature, so naturally he knows what 'being heavily indebted' means."

King Nan of Zhou, the last emperor of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, was in dire financial straits due to the encroachment of the feudal lords. He was forced to borrow money from the common people, but was unable to repay it on time. He had no choice but to flee to a high platform and hide behind closed doors. That high platform was the Nangongyi Terrace in Luoyang, which the Zhou people called the "Debt Escape Platform".

The idiom "debt piled high" originated from this.

Therefore, Li Ji smiled and said to Gao Ying, "Emperors of previous dynasties borrowed money from the people. So it is in accordance with ancient times for us local officials to borrow from merchants. It is not setting any precedent, so there is no need to worry too much."

Gao Ying frowned and asked, "Grand Commandant, you are not a virtuous minister or famous general of the past, so how can you compare yourself to a ruler who has lost his country?"

Li Ji said solemnly, "It's just that there's a precedent for this. If King Nan of Zhou had managed his loans well, he wouldn't have had to flee to the Yi Terrace, and his reputation wouldn't have been damaged. Moreover, if he had used the loans to support the people, expand production, accumulate grain to support the army, and negotiate with the feudal lords, Zhou might not have perished so quickly. In that case, King Nan's borrowing would have become a good story. So, Gong Chu, do you think that if I borrow money from merchants now, will I be able to repay it in the future, or will I be forced to flee?"

Gao Ying wasn't persuaded by Li Ji, but his main purpose in catching up with Li Ji and offering advice wasn't actually that—it was unavoidable, after all; they simply didn't have the money, and the court couldn't possibly allocate the full amount. Borrowing from merchants was better than exploiting the common people, right? So he changed the subject: "Since the Grand Commandant has already made his decision, returning it is fine, but selling official positions and titles is extremely harmful to the country and must never be done! Back in the time of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of the Later Han Dynasty..."

Li Ji interrupted him: "I know that Huan Ling sold official positions, so Gong Chu need not say more. However, there are precedents in this dynasty for granting official positions and salaries to merchants who have contributed money and grain to the country—Kang Qian, a foreign merchant in Chang'an, contributed money to repair roads and post stations, and Emperor Suzong appointed him as the acting Minister of Ceremonies..."

Gao Ying thought to himself, "I knew you'd mention Kang Qian. There's Kang Lian still imprisoned in the Chang'an Imperial Academy, forced to study hard for years, and he's already taken the imperial examinations three times in a row, but still hasn't passed. I've served under you for many years; how could I not know about this?" Since Li Ji had rudely interrupted him earlier, and Gao Ying was a man of temper, he retorted sharply—

"Although Emperor Suzong's actions were out of necessity, and there was much discontent in the court at the time, they were certainly not a model for his subjects. Moreover, Kang was ultimately imprisoned and punished for associating with rebels, which shows..."

Li Ji's face hardened: "Gongchu, there are indeed inside stories about Kang Qian's imprisonment... You can go and ask Yan Zhuang, but let's leave that matter aside for now. In my opinion, selling titles is acceptable, but selling official positions is not. There is naturally a distinction between the two."

Gao Ying was taken aback by this and asked, "What's the difference between selling official positions and selling titles?"

"Selling official positions involves actual appointments, without considering the person's character or talent. Simply paying money makes them capable of governing, but their virtue and ability are mismatched, inevitably leading to the exploitation of the people and harm to the state. This is unacceptable. As for selling titles, it merely uses names to honor people, without granting them any real authority or allowing them to govern. Therefore, the harm to the state is less severe. In fact, the sale of official positions existed in the Former Han Dynasty, but those appointments were limited to titles like Marquis of Guannei, Tiger Guard, Feathered Forest Guard, Imperial Guard, and Five Grand Masters, and were not considered major harms. However, during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of the Later Han Dynasty, even the Three Dukes were openly priced and sold for money, leading to the corruption of the state—this cannot be generalized."

Gao Ying nodded first, then shook his head: "Although the Han Dynasty sold official positions and titles, those granted were all scholar-officials. Merchants were considered lowly and traders were considered miscellaneous. How could they be given titles and positions, allowing them to ride fine horses, hold high positions, and stroll gracefully through the streets of the capital? This would be extremely harmful to the order of the world and to the hearts of the people. I hope the Grand Commandant will consider this carefully."

Li Ji frowned and asked him, "Why is commerce considered a lowly profession, and merchants a miscellaneous class, absolutely forbidden from holding office? I know this is the prevailing opinion, but I ask you, Gongchu, what your true thoughts are. Do you believe it aligns with natural justice and human nature? Why is this the case?"

"Because farming and weaving are the foundation of a nation, while commerce is secondary; if the foundation is not solid, the nation will inevitably perish..."

"I have never heard of a tree that has only roots and no branches and leaves and yet still survives."

"Therefore, the state has not strictly prohibited merchants; it has only distinguished between the essential and the trivial."

"If farming and weaving are the foundation, and we should value the fundamental over the secondary, with farming and weaving above and commerce below, then where are the scholars? Why can only the scholars ride fine horses, carry high-ranking officials, and stroll gracefully through the streets of the capital? Why not bestow brocade and silk, mansions and grand buildings, and even titles and positions upon the farmers?"

Gao Ying, who considered himself eloquent, was momentarily stunned by Li Ji's words before replying, "Scholars originally came from farming families; only those from farming and scholarly families could study and advance in their studies..."

"Gongchu, ask yourself honestly, is it only through farming and studying that one can become an official, while merchants are considered too shallow and thus have no chance of holding a prestigious position in the state? Or is it because the court prohibits the sons of merchants from holding official positions? Moreover, after merchants make profits, like Yu Ling, they often acquire extensive landholdings. Are they farmers or merchants? Must their sons and grandsons farm for generations before they can hope to be granted an official position? Before you, Gongchu, did you ever personally work in the fields?"

“My family, the Gao family of Bohai, is also a family of farmers and scholars. Although I have never been involved in farming, I passed the imperial examination and was recruited by the Grand Commandant. This was the result of ten years of hard study and toil. Meanwhile, the sons of merchants can get official positions for nothing just by offering money... Even if it is only a title and a salary, is it not unfair?”

Li Ji laughed—"Gong Chu's ancestors accumulated wealth over generations, enabling you to study without having to be involved in farming. Why is it that the wealth accumulated by merchants over generations cannot allow their children to obtain official positions through tribute? If you speak of the hardship of ten years of studying, how can it compare to the daily toil of farmers who 'sweat drips onto the soil' and still cannot escape hunger and cold? Why is it that although scholars and officials say that agriculture is of utmost importance, they often refuse to pity the farmers, yet still boast that they are different from petty people and deserve to be dressed in fine clothes and eat delicacies, holding a tablet and sitting in a high position?"

"Among the scholar-officials, there are naturally some scoundrels..."

"Therefore, among merchants, there may well be some virtuous individuals overlooked!"

"If you recommend worthy men, I will have no objection; now, I only need to provide a little money and goods, and I can receive a salary..."

Li Ji sighed softly, his face showing an expression that said, "Why don't you understand?" He continued, "Among the princes and nobles who hold official positions through their connections, there are not many truly virtuous people among them. Moreover, they often receive a salary or even a real appointment without having studied for ten years. To be honest, the contributions their ancestors made to the country may not be comparable to those of their ancestors... generations of merchants who have paid taxes year after year have accumulated their wealth."

Gao Ying was a bit bewildered. He prided himself on his sharp tongue, saying that if he were in the Spring and Autumn or Warring States period, he could persuade the feudal lords and even emulate Su Qin and Zhang Yi to become a high-ranking official through his words. But who would have thought that since following Li Ji, he would find that this military commander was usually not very talkative, but once he got serious, he would speak eloquently and often leave Gao Ying speechless.

Upon reflection, he realized he wasn't entirely unreasonable. Of course, Li Ji wasn't being unreasonable either; it was simply that Li Ji's arguments were like those of a military strategist, full of unexpected tactics. He had suddenly launched an attack from a direction he had never considered before, completely disrupting his train of thought with just a few words. For example, today, the idea that merchants are despicable and selling official positions is an evil policy is an age-old, universally applicable principle—the basis of Gao Gongchu's advice. Who would have thought that Li Ji would so blatantly undermine this very foundation, staring at him with wide eyes and asking: "Why is that?"

Li Ji admits that this is the prevailing opinion, and even an ancient truth, but Gong Chu, you are not a mediocre person who just parrots others without having your own thoughts, so have you carefully considered the reasons behind it?

With the foundation severely damaged, the pillars naturally cannot support it. Unfortunately, Gao Ying had not studied this foundation carefully before. Therefore, even if Li Ji's reasoning was completely flawed, he would surely defeat Gao Ying completely. Gao Ying had debated with Li Ji more than once, and he had learned his lesson. He stopped arguing and simply bowed with his hands clasped: "I humbly request the Grand Commandant's guidance on the reasons for this."

Li Ji smiled slightly, reached out and put his arm around Gao Ying's shoulder, leaning closer to ask, "When Xiao Ziliang spoke of cause and effect to Fan Zhen, Fan Zhen said: 'Life is like flowers blooming on a tree, falling with the wind. Some fall onto the mat while others fall into the latrine. Your Highness is the one who falls onto the mat; I am the one who falls into the latrine. Although noble and lowly people are on different paths, where does cause and effect lie?' So, the nobility and lowliness of people are not predetermined by heaven, but rather caused by the chance of being born into different families—does Gongchu agree?"

Gao Ying lowered his head but did not answer. In truth, Confucianism reveres Heaven and ancestors, but regarding whether fate is predetermined, it has always been ambiguous, offering no definitive answer. However, in recent years, Buddhism and Taoism have flourished, and even though Gao Ying was not a Buddhist, he was inevitably influenced by them. Therefore, when Li Ji asked him "Is that so?", he thought to himself, "Fan Zhen's words have their merits, but whether they are the truth, I'm not so sure..." and simply remained silent.

Seeing this, Li Ji stopped trying to explain further and simply continued along the lines of the conversation: "Therefore, those born into official families may have the hope of receiving official patronage; those born into scholar families may be able to take the imperial examinations; those born into farming families will inevitably have to work the land themselves; and those born into merchant families, even if they are exceptionally talented and have lofty ambitions, will never have the chance to obtain official rank or position—this is the greatest injustice in the world!"

"Of course, there are many injustices in the world, such is the law, such is public opinion, so there is no need to beat one's chest and stomp one's feet, complaining about heaven and others. But talented people cannot treat others based solely on their birth. To treat the sons of high-ranking officials with respect and bowing, while despising and cheating the families of merchants, to fawn on superiors and be arrogant to inferiors, is this the behavior of a gentleman?"

Gao Ying agreed with these words and immediately nodded: "What the Grand Commandant said is very true. However, it is unfortunate that he was born into the Shang family, and his life was filled with misfortune. I will not be arrogant or deceitful towards him, and I may even pity him. It is not appropriate to grant him a title and position without considering his virtue and ability."

Li Ji laughed and said, “A person’s virtue cannot be seen unless it is kept in a bag. As for talent, a merchant’s son is not necessarily without talent. Now the country is short of funds. Not only the central government, but also my staff lacks financial and economic advisors. Yang Gongnan’s ambitions are not in this area. He is about to leave me. A merchant’s son, who has received family education, may be useful.”

He then waved his hand to stop Gao Ying from refuting him, and continued, "Especially my ambition, which you, Gongchu, have long known, is to fully recover Hexi, pacify the Western Regions, and restart the Silk Road, so that the country can prosper. The Western Regions are different from the Central Plains; farming, weaving, and animal husbandry are barely enough to feed them, and they rely heavily on the profits of merchants. Therefore, governing the Western Regions and protecting the Silk Road cannot rely entirely on Chinese farmers and herders; we must also seek out talents in trade. Although I have only recently acquired Liangzhou, I should first cultivate the talents that are suitable and needed—commerce has its own set of knowledge, which cannot be understood simply by reading the books of sages."

He then lowered his voice and said, “Rest assured, do you think I would report to the court just because Yu Ling casually mentions a few names, seeking a salary? They must come from respectable families, have no bad habits or disgraceful reputations, and be literate and capable of arithmetic before I will accept their money. And once they have a salary, I can use the excuse of fearing the court's investigation to order Yu Ling to send them to Liangzhou and place them under my command. Then, why would I be afraid they won't work?”

"Furthermore, since the Yu family has brought their sons and brothers into my service, they will surely be willing to serve me wholeheartedly. People generally despise merchants, hence the claim that Kang Qian secretly colluded with the traitor Shi, acting two-faced, yet no one suspects it. This is because the state despises merchants, imposing numerous restrictions and forbidding them from holding official positions; therefore, merchants naturally will not be loyal to the court—hence Mencius said: 'If a ruler regards his ministers as his hands and feet, then the ministers will regard the ruler as their heart and soul; if a ruler regards his ministers as dogs and horses, then the ministers will regard the ruler as a stranger; if a ruler regards his ministers as dirt and weeds, then the ministers will regard the ruler as an enemy.'"

"If we have something to ask of merchants and something to use, is it acceptable for us to still despise them? In the past, Zheng had Xian Gao, who rewarded the Qin army to save the country. But after the Qin and Han dynasties, such things are rarely heard of. Therefore, due to the state and the opinions of the people, merchants are despised. This should serve as a warning."

Gao Ying pondered for a moment, then bowed slightly and said, "In that case, Grand Commandant, you have considered everything thoroughly. I have nothing more to say. As for those strange arguments you mentioned, I need to go back and sort them out carefully, think them through, and then come back to debate with you again in the next round..."

Chapter Thirty-One: Reunion with an Old Friend

Yu Ling wandered around Guzang City for three whole days. Then Liu Ji and Luo Yiping took him to Chiquan Town, where they negotiated repeatedly. Finally, after calculating the value of the land and market in the town, mainly its commercial value, they arrived at a figure of over 2.3 million strings of cash. Li Ji was not satisfied with this number and asked Yu Ling, "Why not give me a round number, say 2.5 million?"

Yu Ling smiled wryly and said, "Nearly two hundred thousand strings of cash is no small amount, and it is really not advisable to add any more."

Li Ji scoffed, "Liangzhou isn't just about Guzang and Chiquan. There's Changsong in the south, and Jialin and Fanhe in the north. With markets in those three counties, we should be able to scrape together 200,000."

Yu Ling pondered for a moment, then glanced at Li Ji's expression, and finally gritted her teeth and stamped her foot, saying, "Fine, I'll obey the Grand Commandant's order."

Li Ji agreed, "Then I will have people make contracts, one for every five thousand strings of cash. Yu Jun, you should also buy some, and then help me sell the rest among the wealthy merchants in the two capitals—'For every contract sold, I will return one point to you in the future.'"

"May I ask, Grand Commandant, what is meant by a point?"

One percent.

In reality, Li Ji's actions were similar to issuing public bonds privately. Since there were no relevant laws in the country, he could do whatever he wanted.

But then he paused and asked Yu Ling, "We originally planned to raise three million strings of cash, but we are still short five hundred thousand. Would you be willing to provide financial assistance to this town so that the local people can receive their stipends?"

Yu Ling hurriedly asked, "May I ask the Grand Commandant, what are the procedures?"

"Five people are recommended, each with 100,000 strings of cash."

Yu Ling gasped, "Isn't this too much?"

Li Ji laughed and said, "If all the towns had this ability, it would naturally be cheaper. But now it's just me. You are used to doing business, so you naturally know that things are valued for their scarcity."

Actually, other towns might be secretly plotting something similar, but you might not be able to find out, and even if you did, you might not be able to get in touch with them. Besides, I am the Emperor's favorite general, holding the rank of Grand Commandant, and I have just won a great victory. Can other towns possibly gather all these favorable conditions at the same time? If I really submit the list, what are the chances that it will be approved?

Yu Ling considered for a moment, then asked, "How many grades can I get?"

"Eight or nine grades, I guess."

"If one can obtain a sixth or seventh grade, 100,000 strings of cash is not too expensive; if one only obtains an eighth or ninth grade... I humbly request that the Grand Commandant lower the price slightly."

After much debate and negotiation, it was finally agreed that Yu Ling would recommend ten young men to be sent to Guzang as soon as possible. After Li Ji interviewed them, six were retained to serve temporarily under his command. Li Ji would report their merits and request that they be granted official ranks of the eighth or ninth grade. At the same time, he promised that if another battle was fought within two years, their merits would be recalculated, and at least half of them would be promoted to the sixth or seventh grade.

Among these ten people, Baozi Tian, ​​who had helped them back in Weibo, must be included. Li Ji knew that the guy was Yu Ling's relative by marriage, a nephew, and had helped her quite a bit, so he was a reliable person.

The key was a few words Li Ji whispered to Yu Ling, which ultimately led to the deal: "If you trust me, you'll know that the Silk Road will surely be open. But does that mean you only care about business in Guandong and have no interest in the future profits of the Silk Road? If you are interested in the Silk Road, how can you be satisfied with just buying up some land and shops in the Guzang market? Why not take this opportunity to send your sons here to explore the situation in Hexi in advance, make some preparations, and lay a solid foundation?"

"Since you, Yu Jun, cannot consume my five hundred contracts by yourself and are forced to share the profits with others, then by taking the initiative now, you will surely be able to overpower all others and monopolize the profits in the future—does Yu Jun have no such intention?"

So a few days later, Yu Ling set off for the south. He temporarily did not take the five hundred contracts that Li Ji had stamped with his own private seal—it was really inconvenient to use the military governor's seal—but only took a list of supplies, including grain, silk, copper, iron, and timber. He promised to raise the necessary supplies when he returned and to persuade wealthy households in the two capitals to send goods to Guzang in exchange for the contracts.

Li Ji did not go to see Yu Ling off, not because "the matchmaker is sidelined after the bride is married," but because news had just arrived that he was going out of the city to welcome a distinguished person, namely the newly appointed military supervisor of Hexi, Jiao Xiwang.

Jiao Xiwang was Li Ji's old partner. Back when Li Ji was stationed in Weibo, he went to Cheng Yuanzhen to ask for a eunuch who was "quiet and easily satisfied" to serve as the military supervisor. Cheng Yuanzhen then appointed Jiao Xiwang. After Li Ji left Hebei, Jiao Xiwang's life became rather difficult. Locally, Yan Zhenqing, the successor to the Weibo military governor, had always despised eunuchs, and his daily offerings were sporadic, let alone bribes. In the central court, Jiao Xiwang's benefactor, Cheng Yuanzhen, fell from power, leaving him without support or influence.

Thus, he spent all his wealth to bribe the powerful eunuch Wang Jiahe, finally managing to secure a powerful patron. When Li Ji was appointed to govern Hexi, Li Yu ordered Wang Jiahe to report on the candidates for military supervisor. Wang Jiahe then suggested, "The eunuch Jiao Xiwang, who previously served as the military supervisor of Weibo, has a good relationship with Grand Commandant Li and can promptly report the situation within his jurisdiction to the palace. Therefore, I believe he should be appointed to the post in Hexi."

Thus, Jiao Xiwang was sent to Hexi, which was exactly what he wanted. This Supervisor Jiao had little ambition and disliked causing trouble, just as Li Ji had previously requested—he preferred quiet and was easily satisfied. If he were truly sent to oppose a certain envoy, to scheme and plot against him in an attempt to climb the ranks, even if he had the will, he lacked the ability; besides, what good would climbing higher do? The deaths of three generations of powerful eunuchs—Li Fuguo, Cheng Yuanzhen, and Yu Chaoen—had already served as a warning to him.

Compared to other regional envoys, Li Ji neither flattered eunuchs nor despised them like Yan Zhenqing, so at least he maintained a respectable public image. Although he didn't offer lavish bribes, his daily provisions were not lacking—so Jiao hoped to live a life of luxury, with less paperwork, and save up for his coffin; that would be enough for him. Therefore, he earnestly requested his new benefactor, the king, to send him to Liangzhou.

Given Li Ji's current status, he shouldn't have needed to go to such lengths to welcome the military supervisor. However, upon hearing that Jiao Xiwang had brought two thousand Imperial Guards from the Northern Army to serve as the supervisor's bodyguards, he couldn't help but drool. Since he was currently short of both money and supplies as well as soldiers, if he could rekindle his old friendship with Jiao Xiwang, he might have the opportunity to mobilize this force when needed in the future.

Therefore, he personally went out of the city to welcome him. Jiao Xiwang was flattered and hurriedly dismounted to pay his respects. He also said to Li Ji, "An old friend of the Grand Commandant has come with me."

Immediately, a general in red robes loosened the reins, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in a salute to Li Ji: "This humble general, Jing Jiang, greets the Grand Commandant."

Li Ji was both surprised and delighted: "Old Jing, how come you've come to Liangzhou too?"

The last time Li Ji and Jing Jiang met was several years ago when they went to Heyang together to help Li Guangbi resist Shi Siming's rebel army. If Jing Jiang had stayed in the Heyang army and become Li Guangbi's subordinate, he would have had a good chance of returning to Shuofang, and they could have reunited two years ago. However, not long after Li Ji left, he also led his troops back to Shanzhou and continued to serve under Wei Boyu.

In the first year of the Guangde era, Wei Boyu was appointed Prefect of Jiangling and Grand Censor, then transferred to the position of Military Governor of Jingnan. Due to his meritorious service in governing the region, he was soon promoted to Acting Minister of Works and enfeoffed as Prince of Yangcheng. Old Jing then followed Wei Boyu to Jingnan. Last year, when Wei Boyu came to court for an audience, Li Yu inquired about his troops and suddenly mentioned a fierce warrior surnamed Jing, whom I seem to vaguely remember…

Back in Emperor Suzong's reign, when Li Yu first assumed the position of Grand Marshal of the Army, he unexpectedly encountered assassins. At that time, Lao Jing and Li Ji were both on duty outside the hall, and they too brandished their weapons and fiercely resisted the intruders—although Li Ji was more ruthless in his attacks. In recent years, Li Yu has become increasingly distrustful of, and even wary of, the regional military governors, wishing he could replace all the military commanders, military governors, and other officials of the various regions with the generals and officers of the six armies of the Northern Army. Currently, the Northern Army is controlled by his trusted eunuchs Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming, as well as Li Yu's two uncles, Wu Xu and Wu Cou, and the two sides are mutually restraining each other, which makes the emperor feel more at ease.

Unfortunately, the number of officers and soldiers in the Imperial Guard was limited, and most of them lacked experience. Therefore, Li Yu often drew capable people from various garrisons to fill the positions. He thought that even if they only stayed in the palace for a few months, as long as he won them over, they would be grateful for the Emperor's favor and would serve the royal family wholeheartedly from then on. In Li Ji's view, the Emperor's idea was reasonable and his methods were effective, but he was just oversimplifying people's hearts and making things too easy.

In short, upon seeing Wei Boyu, Li Ji unexpectedly thought of Jing Jiang, and thus summoned him to the capital, promoting him to the fourth-rank military commander and appointing him as a general in the Baoying Army. This time, Jiao Xi wanted to be appointed as the military supervisor of Hexi, and he selected guards from the Imperial Guard. Huo Xianming, the left and right lieutenant of the Baoying Army, said, "Jing Jiang of this army has a past with Grand Commandant Li; Old Jiao, you might as well take him to Liangzhou." And so, Old Jing, who had only been serving for less than half a year, followed him to Liangzhou.

Old Jing was naturally happy about this. He was a restless and combative man. He had a promising future serving Emperor Suzong, but he insisted on being transferred to a post outside the capital, going to Shanzhou to rely on his old superior, Wei Boyu. However, Wei Boyu missed the opportunity to fight against Shi Chaoyi and was transferred to Jingnan ahead of schedule. Jing Jiang told Li Ji, "The southern barbarians live in a land of miasma and pestilence. There are only some mountain bandits and outlaws, but no major enemies. Besides, I am used to riding horses and really do not like climbing mountains and descending valleys to search for and kill bandits. It is truly a case of a hero having no place to use his skills!"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Jingnan is quite prosperous, yet you say it's plagued by miasma? You haven't been to southern Hunan or Jiangxi, let alone Qianzhou, Fujian, Lingnan, or Guilin..."

They immediately welcomed Jiao Xiwang into the city and prepared a place for him to stay at the military supervisor's residence. Before Jiao Xiwang could even settle in, Li Ji's first bribe arrived. Although the amount was small, it showed that Li Ji's heart was no different from before.

But actually, Li Ji had his eye on Lao Jing. A few days later, he went to Jiao Xiwang to discuss the matter, saying that he was short of people under his command and asked if he could borrow Jing Jiang, who was under the supervision of the military supervisor. He also offered a gift along with the conversation, and Jiao Xiwang readily agreed.

Once Li Ji had secured the loan from Lao Jingshang, he immediately assigned him a mission—his first task was to lead a battalion of cavalry north to the Xiutuze area to suppress the Hu tribes.

Thirty miles north of Guzang City lies the ancient city of Xiutu. Beyond this city, there are no more farmlands, only Gobi grasslands—in later times, the western edge of the Tengger Desert and the southern edge of the Badain Jaran Desert. Although the desert area is not yet vast, it is still mostly barren land for nomadic peoples. Only the areas around Macheng River, Xiutu Marsh, and Baiting Lake have relatively abundant water and grass.

Liangzhou had nearly 100,000 Tang people—at its peak during the Tianbao era, it was said to have exceeded 120,000—while the number of nomadic Qiang and Hu people was slightly smaller, mostly grazing their livestock in the aforementioned areas, as well as the Daxue Mountain and Guzang South Mountain areas in southern Liangzhou. Previously, when the Tubo occupied Liangzhou, fearing that the Tang people would not serve them, they recruited many Qiang and Hu people as soldiers, forming a puppet army. After Qilibuzang's defeat, most of the Qiang and Hu people fled back to their homelands. Although they were also worried about the Tang people's retribution, they were ultimately reluctant to leave their homeland—suitable and unoccupied pastures were actually hard to find—so they all watched the movements of Guzang City with trepidation.

Of course, some were quicker to seize the opportunity and hurriedly sent people to pay their respects to Li Ji to apologize and express their willingness to accept the Tang family's leadership again. However, Li Ji mostly refused to see them, telling them to go back first and wait for the Jiezhen to send someone to discuss the tribute matters.

Then, as soon as spring arrived, several battalions of cavalrymen, full of vigor and high spirits, set out from Guzang City and Chiquan Town, heading north and south to "pacify" the Qiang and Hu tribes.

The Qiang and Hu leaders warmly welcomed them, but the Tang general, with a stern face, rebuked them for their previous allegiance to the Tibetans. He then read out a list, demanding that all the able-bodied men from the tribes listed be bound and executed as atonement. The leaders naturally pleaded repeatedly—although the Tang soldiers were few, only a battalion of five hundred, they were clearly elite, heavily armored and well-equipped. Most of the Qiang and Hu tribes in Liangzhou were small tribes with fewer than three thousand soldiers. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, how could they dare to suddenly break off relations and confront the Tang?

Fortunately, the newly appointed military governor of Hexi, Li Taiwei, was magnanimous and believed in winning people over with virtue. He instructed his generals that the past was past, and all those who had committed crimes could redeem themselves with money. The conditions were not harsh: generals could redeem themselves with five horses or five oxen, while ordinary soldiers could redeem themselves with ten sheep.

In this way, each department could lead away more than a hundred cattle and horses, hundreds of sheep, and more than a hundred sinners. Many poor herders could not even bring out ten sheep. They usually grazed the private property of adults, and how could adults be willing to waste sheep to atone for the sins of their servants?

Old Jing was tasked with this mission, but he was incredibly unlucky. Wei Gao, Chen Lizhen, Xu Yu, and others had been traveling with him for more than half a month and all returned laden with spoils. But Jing Jiang ran into a tough nut to crack as soon as he set out. Not only did they refuse to hand over their cattle and horses, but they also forced their troops to resist. Old Jing did manage to defeat this force, killing their chieftain and capturing over a thousand women and children—the rest all scattered—but his 500 cavalrymen also suffered nearly a 10% loss.

In short, by the time summer arrived, Hexi had collected a total of two thousand cattle and horses, nearly ten thousand sheep—in comparison, Ma Meng had only borrowed one thousand sheep from the Uyghurs, which greatly disappointed Li Ji—as well as more than two thousand Qiang and Hu criminals. The military governor lent the cattle to the Tang people to aid in farming, and the horses were put into the army; the old and weak criminals were purged and made to herd sheep north of Xinquan. As for the remaining one thousand or so, they were not actually slaughtered, but scattered and added to the auxiliary army.

Because those who were eventually brought back were all poor shepherds. As long as they were given enough to eat, it would be easy to separate them from their superiors. With strict training and some ideological work, they could be mostly put to good use in time.

After Yu Ling returned to Luoyang, he indeed gathered nearly a million strings of cash worth of grain and silk, and sent ten of his disciples, including Bao Zitian, westward to Guzang. From June onward, wealthy merchants from both capitals began arriving, transporting goods to exchange for Liangzhou contracts—most of them were merchants already engaged in Silk Road trade. Li Ji used this money and grain to vigorously repair farmland irrigation facilities, build workshops, develop production, and began recruiting new soldiers from among the Tang people of Liangzhou.

Then, in July of that year, an unexpected person arrived in Guzang City...