Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Chapter Twenty-Six: What Name and What Status

Last year, the Uyghurs responded to the request to send troops. Although the Crown Prince of Yabghu was appointed to lead the force, and the troops were all elite, they ultimately numbered only four thousand cavalry. Politically speaking, the marriage of a princess and the bestowal of the title of Khan were more than enough to compensate for this. However, materially speaking, Li Heng emptied the imperial treasury to bestow rewards, and even promised the wealth of both capitals, and even his children!

While it was Li Heng who brought up the matter—that bastard emperor was a complete spendthrift—the gains far outweighed the expenses. Crown Prince Yabghu, didn't you know how to refuse? This was almost a tenfold profit! So, is it wrong to say that the Uyghurs were greedy?

What's past is past and can be left unmentioned. Now, Li Tan, you intend to summon the Uyghur troops for reinforcements. What benefits can you offer them?

Could it be... you're planning to cede territory?!

Upon seeing Li Ji's gaze, Li Tan immediately understood what he was thinking and couldn't help but smile bitterly, saying, "What does Longyou have? What does Hexi have? Only land and people..." Seeing Li Ji's unfriendly expression, he quickly explained, "However, how can I arbitrarily give away land and people?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "You can't, and you wouldn't dare, but you can instigate your father to accept certain conditions."

Then Li Tan continued, "I have already submitted a memorial to the court, requesting permission to seek assistance from the Uyghurs, but the specific terms of compensation... that is where I will trouble Changwei."

Li Ji said blankly, "I am foolish and don't quite understand Your Highness's meaning..."

Li Tan said, “My idea is to open more markets in Hexi, exempt them from taxes, and trade with the Uyghurs, with the aim of gradually repaying them with money over ten years—but this will require the approval of the court.”

Because Li Tan, the military governor of the two towns, was incompetent, he only served as the military governor of the two towns and could only manage military supplies. He could not intervene in local finances, so trade with the Uyghurs and compensation for goods all required approval from the central government.

Li Ji secretly breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, it wasn't considered selling out the country—but after thinking for a moment, he said, "Even if the court approves, I'm afraid the Uyghurs won't like these conditions." The benefits aren't big enough; you know, your father has already spoiled those nomads' appetites.

Li Tan replied, "Therefore, I hope that Changwei can go to the Uyghur camp and persuade the Khan to agree to this matter."

Li Ji smiled wryly, "Does Your Highness consider me to be like Su Qin or Zhang Yi?" Yes, I am quite eloquent and can talk a lot, but I have never done diplomacy before. How could you expect me to go and persuade the Uyghur Khan? He couldn't help but glance at Yang Yan, thinking that it would be more suitable for Yang Gong to go south than for him.

"Furthermore, does Your Highness intend to kill me? That Crown Prince Yehu has a grudge against me!"

I once beat up the Crown Prince of Yabghu in public, surrounded by 100,000 Tang soldiers. He only pretended to be magnanimous and let it go. If I went to the Uyghur camp alone, do you think he would take the opportunity to retaliate? I'm just a minor official. Even if I were dismembered by the Uyghurs, I reckon that from the emperor down to the high-ranking officials in the court, they wouldn't even blink an eye.

Do you really think I can kill through 100,000 cavalry and escape? You've watched too many legends.

Li Tan raised his hand and pressed it down slightly, signaling Li Ji to calm down, then said, "The situation of my sister's marriage to the Uyghurs the other day, Changwei probably hasn't heard about it..."

Princess Ningguo was formally married off in June of this year, shortly after Li Ji accompanied Li Tan to Longyou. She was escorted by Li Yu, the Prince of Hanzhong. However, Li Yu was not the envoy for the princess's ceremony, but rather the envoy who conferred the title of "Heroic and Powerful Bilge Khan" upon the Uyghur Khan.

The group arrived at the Uyghur camp and met with the Khan. The Khan, dressed in an ochre-yellow robe and wearing a Hu hat, sat on a couch in the tent and asked Li Yu, "What relation is Your Majesty to the Heavenly Khan?" Li Yu replied, "You are the cousin of the Tang Emperor." The Khan then asked, "And who is standing above Your Majesty?" Li Yu answered, "It is the eunuch Lei Lujun." The Khan was displeased and said, "The eunuch is a slave; how can he stand above a prince?" Lei Lujun was so frightened that he quickly hid to the lower seat.

Li Yu bowed but did not kneel. The Khan asked, "The rulers and subjects of the two countries are so courteous, why do you not kneel?"

Li Yu replied, “The Tang emperor married his daughter to the Khan because of his merits, thus establishing good relations through marriage. It is customary for marriages between China and foreign tribes to be between members of the imperial family, who are merely granted the title of princess. However, Princess Ningguo is the emperor's true daughter, possessing both beauty and talent, and has traveled thousands of miles to marry the Khan. Therefore, the Khan is the son-in-law of the Tang emperor's daughter, and should be treated according to proper etiquette. How could he possibly accept the imperial decree while seated on his couch?”

The Khan then rose to receive the imperial edict and accept the investiture. The next day, he conferred the title of Princess Ningguo upon her as Khatun (the Khan's principal wife) and proclaimed to the chieftains, "The Tang Emperor is of great importance, and has even married his true daughter to us." The Khan presented five hundred fine horses, as well as precious items such as sable furs and white rouge, as betrothal gifts to Li Yu. It is said that he also greatly favored Princess Ningguo, granting her every request.

Li Tan recounted all the information he had just received to Li Ji in great detail. Only then did Li Ji understand—you plan to send me to persuade the Khan because I am quite familiar with Princess Ningguo, right?

Li Tan knew he couldn't offer the Uyghurs anything of value, so to get the mighty Khan to send troops to their aid, he could only try persuading Princess Ningguo. Sending someone else might not have been enough to convince her to undertake such a difficult mission—after all, even if the Longyou region fell entirely, it was still just a small area to the Tang Dynasty, and it might not even threaten Li Tan's life.

Only Li Ji, who not only had a past friendship with the princess but also saved Li Tan's life, was someone the princess promised to repay. Therefore, if Li Ji were to leave, the princess would certainly not refuse and would do her utmost to speak to the Khan.

Moreover, with the princess protecting you, why would you be afraid that Crown Prince Yehu would harm you?

Li Ji pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "However, based on what Your Highness just said, it seems the Khan doesn't dote on the princess much..." You can't take that one sentence at face value—"Only the Khan is arrogant..."

Yang Yan quickly interjected, "However, the Khan is willing to accept loyal advice and is still respectful to our Tang Dynasty."

Li Tan earnestly advised, "I know this matter is extremely difficult, but who else can I rely on besides Changwei?" He glanced at Yang Yan—"Gongnan and my sister have never met, and the procuring and distributing of grain and supplies in Longyou cannot be done without him. As for the rest of the staff, Changwei knows they are all mediocre and incompetent. This time, using your intrusion and humiliation as an excuse, they have all resigned. I have already granted their request and ordered Gongnan to recommend other worthy men to fill the positions in the staff, but this will not be accomplished in a day or two."

"If we can get the Uyghurs to cross the Qilian Mountains and harass the border within a month or two, the barbarian bandits will surely retreat. The shorter the duration of the war, the less material losses we will suffer in Longyou. We can then stockpile grass and grain, train our soldiers, and prepare for next year. However, if, as General Guo says, we hold out in Shancheng for three months but ultimately have to give up, then we fear that we will run out of arrows and food, and it will be difficult to defend against the barbarian bandits again."

"If it were not a difficult and arduous matter, why would I trouble Changwei? I know that Changwei's talent is not limited to charging into battle and slaying generals and capturing flags. Only with your courage would you dare to go to the Uyghur camp, and only with your ability could you be entrusted with such an important task. I hope that Changwei will do his best for the safety of our Tang Dynasty and for the life and death of the people of Longyou."

Yang Yan chimed in, "On behalf of the entire garrison, I, Yan Xian, thank you for your kindness, Chief Guard." He then prostrated himself in gratitude.

Li Ji quickly reached out and helped Yang Yan up.

He thought to himself, "So that's how it is. No wonder Li Tan went to the trouble of redeeming Qingluan and giving it to me. It turns out there's such a heavy burden he wants to place on my shoulders." He had no intention of traveling far—because he really couldn't figure out how to conduct this kind of diplomacy that involved getting something for nothing—but having just received such a favor, how could he bring himself to refuse outright? Especially since Li Tan and Yang Yan had invited him on the grounds of national and public righteousness, it was even more impossible for Li Ji to refuse, given his personality.

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "You two really see right through me..."

So he replied to Li Tan, "Since it is for the sake of the country and the people, I will obey. However..." He paused, "Your Highness must write a letter, which I will give to the princess."

Li Tan said that this was natural—"The time is urgent. I will write a letter tonight and hope that you will rest well. Tomorrow morning, I will set off north to seek reinforcements."

Li Ji agreed and left. By the time he returned home, it was already dark. As soon as he called for the door to be opened, Qingluan came running to greet him, helping him to a seat on the porch and kneeling down to personally remove his boots. Li Ji quickly stopped her, saying, "Just fetch some water and I'll wash my feet—I've been wearing boots for days, and my feet smell terrible. I don't want to bother you..."

After washing his feet and drying his hands, Li Ji entered the room, where Qingluan brought in a food table. Before he even saw it, Li Ji smelled a rich aroma—hmm, this mutton soup was excellent. Upon closer inspection, he saw four kinds of fruits and vegetables, with a large bowl of mutton soup with noodles in the center, topped with three large pieces of marbled mutton leg meat and chopped green chives.

Just as he picked up his chopsticks, he heard Qingluan ask from the side, "There is a small plot of land behind the house. I plan to cultivate it and plant some chives. When spring comes next year, we will have fresh chives to offer. They will surely taste even better than today's. Would you allow that, my lord?"

Having served Li Ji for more than half a month, Qingluan had roughly figured out what Li Ji liked to eat. She knew that Li Ji liked to eat leeks—actually because in those days and in that region there were not many kinds of vegetables, and even fewer with strong flavors. Only leeks could be harvested all year round—hence her thought.

Although the rich aroma of mutton filled Li Ji's nostrils, making him even hungrier, he couldn't help but put down his chopsticks upon hearing Qingluan's question. After thinking for a moment, he realized that some things should be clarified beforehand—

"Now that you are free, do you really have nowhere to go?"

Qingluan bowed her head and said, "This servant has lost both her parents and has no brothers. Although the world is vast, I can only rely on my lord..."

“You are neither a prostitute nor a maid, and it is not appropriate for a lone man and woman like me to live together,” Li Ji said slowly, observing Qingluan’s expression. “How about I take you as my sister?” Oh, no, perhaps this woman is actually a little older than him…

Upon hearing this, Qingluan panicked, tears streaming down her face—this woman really does cry at the drop of a hat—and kowtowed, saying, "What kind of person am I, how dare I presume to be worthy of my lord? If my lord wishes to abandon me, I would rather die!" As she spoke, she reached out to snatch the waist knife that Li Ji had just put down.

Of course, Li Ji wouldn't let her grab the knife. He immediately reached out and grabbed Qingluan's wrist, then gently pulled her into his arms, patting her shoulder to comfort her, "Don't cry, I was just asking casually. Of course, I don't want you to leave, but since we're living together, we can't be without a proper status..."

The official title was clear; the most appropriate explanation was that Qingluan was a cook hired by Li Ji. But Li Ji deliberately avoided mentioning this detail—

"Since you are free, I cannot force you to become my servant."

"This servant is willing to sell herself. I will sign the contract now and hope that my lord will take me in." Qingluan didn't seem to have considered her identity as a cook, or perhaps she was deliberately omitting it, just like Li Ji.

Li Ji smiled and said, "What kind of reason is it to give up being a good man and ask to be a maid? Besides, I'm quick and efficient, so why would I need to buy a maid? The money and silk used to redeem you were originally provided by the military governor; I don't have that kind of financial means..."

Feeling Qingluan's soft body tremble slightly in his arms, Li Ji felt even more tenderness towards her, and tentatively asked, "How about I marry you? Would you be willing?"

Qingluan said urgently, "My lord, please don't joke. What kind of person am I? How could I possibly become your principal wife?!"

Li Ji clicked his tongue and remained silent.

His words were merely a test of Qingluan's feelings, to see if this young woman was willing to follow him. As for marrying her, it was just a passing thought, a casual remark. After all, Li Changwei was an official, and from the Zhao County Li clan, he could barely be considered a "nobleman." How could a woman who had once been a courtesan possibly be worthy of his attention?

Of course, Li Ji himself didn't have such vulgar thoughts about social hierarchy, but since he was in this world, he couldn't ignore public opinion—at the very least, Li Bi would never agree. He was still planning to see Li Bi again; what if Li Changyuan got angry and kicked Qingluan out? That would be so embarrassing—not only would he be embarrassed, but Qingluan would also be in a difficult position.

Besides, although he had feelings for Qingluan and felt pity for her, he honestly knew that they weren't deeply in love—even in later generations, even if the truth came out, given Li Ji's character, it was impossible for him to rush into marriage after only knowing her for a month—if Li Tan ordered him to marry Qingluan, he might have run away first…

He wanted to keep Qingluan by his side for a while, to get to know her character, to cultivate a relationship, and then… he'd see. However, a man's word is his bond; if he asked, and this young woman took advantage of the situation, Li Ji would likely not go back on his word, even if it offended the whole world. Unfortunately, Qingluan understood the vast difference in their social standing and dared not agree, which only made Li Ji feel more guilty and speechless.

This is a life-changing event! How could I have let my guard down like that? What can I say next?

After a moment of silence, Qingluan murmured in his arms, "I have no extravagant wish, but only to serve my lord for the rest of my life, and to cook meat and soup for him every day..."

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh softly—in truth, if it weren't for his outburst in court today, he might not have even considered taking this young woman in as a wife. After all, his feelings for Qingluan weren't strong enough to make them husband and wife, and he wasn't used to the polygamous system of this world. However, it was like a girl he had a slight liking for being groped by someone else—even if he knew she was a prostitute—what man wouldn't be furious? Since he was so angry that he took her home, he couldn't just abandon her and leave it at that.

Therefore, Qingluan must be given a formal title. A cook or a maid is unacceptable—the former too distant, the latter too lowly—if she cannot be a wife, she can only be a concubine. Judging from Qingluan's words, a maid or a concubine is acceptable, but being a wife is beyond her reach. Li Ji thought to himself, "I don't even know if my wife has given birth yet, and I'm already taking a concubine? I feel like a bastard… I'm a scumbag!"

Having been born into this world, and possessed the body of a scholar, and by a twist of fate become a member of the corrupt ruling class, he had no choice but to conform to local customs. If he were already married, he would certainly not have bothered with other women, but unfortunately, before he was even married, he encountered this Zou Qingluan…

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Let's Shake Hands

Early the next morning, Li Tan sent a letter to Princess Ningguo. Li Ji carefully put the letter away, bid farewell to Qingluan and the old guard at the gate, mounted his horse and set off northward toward the Uyghur headquarters.

Last night, Li Ji had already discussed it with Qingluan, and he wrote a document to take Qingluan as his concubine. However, theoretically speaking, marrying a wife is a matter of etiquette, while taking a concubine is a contract. All contracts must be registered with the government and approved by official seal. The specific procedures may not be completed until Li Ji returns from the Uyghur Khaganate.

However, Li Ji didn't see this as a mere contract; he felt it wasn't much different from marriage. Without a formal commitment, he might have taken Qingluan that very night—after all, he didn't object to premarital cohabitation, or even one-night stands—but now that he had made a promise, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

It's like we agreed that I'd go on a business trip and then we'd get our marriage certificate when I got back. Are you in such a hurry that you can't even wait a few nights—or more—? Li Ji didn't want Qingluan to think he was only after her body, that he was so despicable! Even setting aside feelings, just being after her skills felt a little better…

So, using the excuse that he had to travel far the next day, he went to bed early alone. Although he felt some regret in his sleep, the words had already been spoken and could not be taken back.

As a military envoy sent by the military governors of Longyou and Hexi to request reinforcements from the Uyghurs, or a private envoy sent by Prince Qi to deliver a message to his sister, he couldn't possibly travel alone. Li Tan assigned him ten riders, naturally including Jia Huai. Previously, Jia Huai had accumulated considerable merit by running back and forth across the small canyon to deliver messages, relying on his excellent walking ability, and hadn't been involved in any battles—he loved doing this kind of safe and uneventful work. Therefore, since it was a mission, he was naturally willing to go along, enduring hardship without taking risks.

After leaving Shanzhou, the group first traveled east along the Huangshui River to Lanzhou, then north along the Wuni River, passing through Wucheng Shouzhuo and Herongcheng, and after five days of rapid travel, arrived at Guzang, the capital of Liangzhou.

Guzang was also the seat of the Hexi Military Governor, and Zhou Ben, the deputy military governor, led a retinue of officials in the city. Li Ji went to pay his respects first. Zhou Ben seemed much more shrewd and diligent than Gao Sheng. He immediately summoned Li Ji, inquired about his purpose, and then proceeded to explain the northward journey to Li Ji—

"Changwei's journey is quite far."

"To reach the Uyghurs, one must first travel west along the main road, passing Jialin, Fanhe, Jiaocheng garrison, and Shandan, until reaching Zhangye; then follow the Heihe River and Ruoshui River, passing Liaoquan garrison, crossing Helishan Mountain, and directly reaching Tongcheng garrison where the Anbei Protectorate is located; north of Tongcheng is Juyan Lake, and north of the lake is Xiakou Mountain, beyond which one enters Uyghur territory..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned slightly: "I wonder how many hundreds of miles it is to Juyan Lake?"

Zhou Ben burst out laughing, "It's not just a few hundred miles, it's probably more than 1,200 miles! And after crossing the border, it will still take nearly a thousand miles to reach the Uyghur headquarters."

Li Ji inwardly cursed Li Tan and Yang Yan. These two scholars hadn't even studied the map properly! Did they really expect the Uyghur army to be able to harass the border regions in a month or two? His trip to and from the Uyghur headquarters wouldn't delay him; returning to Shanzhou before December would be considered extremely fast. Moreover, the Uyghurs might need to wait for an official document from the Tang court. Given the current situation in the court, with Li Fuguo in power and at odds with Li Tan, and many officials being incompetent, it would be good if the edict could be delivered to the Uyghurs by February or March of next year. Then, the hot summer would follow immediately—would the nomadic tribes possibly launch an attack then?

And I was hoping to make a quick trip back to the Heya camp and then return to Shancheng to assist Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong, but it seems I'm not in time...

After thinking for a moment, he asked Zhou Ben, "If I take the direct route north from Guzang, would it be more convenient?"

Zhou Ben said solemnly, "If we travel in a straight line, we can save 40% of the journey. However, in the northern border region, we only reach Xiutu Marsh and Baiting Sea. Beyond that, there are grasslands and deserts for hundreds of miles without water or grass, and the roads are difficult to travel."

"The deputy commander has been stationed in Hexi for a long time. There must be someone under his command who can act as a guide. I hope you will introduce him."

Zhou Ben thought for a moment and said, "Very well, I know that the war in Longyou is critical, but unfortunately, our Hexi army is small and weak and cannot provide assistance. Since His Highness Prince Qi is eager for the Uyghurs' aid and Changwei is willing to take the risk, then we will trouble him." So he summoned one of his cavalry captains, named Ma Meng, to serve as Li Ji's guide, and provided them with more than twenty extra mounts for changing.

—This Ma Meng is a local from Guzang. He was stationed at Baiting Garrison on the shore of Baiting for a long time and went beyond the Great Wall many times—mainly on the orders of the military commander to conduct private transactions with the Uyghurs. He was familiar with the route and could speak fluent Uyghur.

Leaving Guzang City, they galloped northeast along the Macheng River. This area was mostly Gobi Desert with few roads, but the warhorses galloped swiftly, covering the more than 300 li (approximately 150 kilometers) in just two and a half days, arriving at Baiting Garrison. Ma Meng said to Li Ji, "If we don't lose our way and don't encounter sandstorms—which aren't too common this season—we should reach the Uyghur camp in ten days. However, we must prepare enough food, water, and dry rations; otherwise, if we don't encounter any herding tents along the way, it will be very dangerous."

Li Ji replied, "I have the military command token, which allows me to mobilize supplies along the way, but—I still need your assistance." Ma Meng smiled and said, "I am most familiar with the Baiting garrison, and I will certainly not fail Inspector Li's mission."

After resting for a day at Baiting Shouzhuo, Ma Meng helped procure ample supplies, and the group continued north, passing between Xiutuze and Baitinghai, heading straight north.

In those days, desertification in the Northwest was not yet severe, but most of the places they passed through were deserts with scarce water and grass. Not to mention people, even horses had a hard time finding food. Fortunately, Li Ji and his group all had three horses, which provided enough animal power to carry supplies. They could also change horses after riding for a while, making their speed even faster than in the flat and congested areas of the Central Plains.

During the journey, Li Ji asked Ma Meng, "How many times have you been to that Huiheya tent?"

Ma Meng replied, "Only once..." Seeing Li Ji's doubtful expression, he quickly explained, "However, six or seven hundred li north of Baitinghai lies this desolate Gobi Desert, which I frequently traverse. But beyond the desert, there are rivers and lush pastures, making it much easier to find the Uyghur herding tents. Once you see the cattle and sheep, surely you'll find the herdsmen? And once you see the herdsmen, surely you'll find the way? It's at most a two or three-day journey, and you'll be able to see Mount Wudejian, where the Khan's camp is located on its northern slope."

Surveying technology was quite backward in those days, and maps were drawn very crudely, especially in the border areas. Because cities were scarce, the distance between landmarks was often shortened, and only the distance was marked with words—most of which were wrong. So Li Ji couldn't figure out which mountain range the so-called Wudejian Mountain was in later times. Was the Uyghur camp in Mongolia or already as far away as Siberia?

Helpless, they could only temporarily trust Mamun. Fortunately, by observing the sunrise and sunset, they were generally on the right track. After traveling for six days, they finally emerged from the desert. Looking around, the vegetation gradually became denser, and the colors of the world became brighter.

Although they had brought enough food and water, the absence of a spring or well for several days had made everyone, except for Ma Meng, somewhat anxious. Therefore, after leaving the desert and traveling for another half a day, they unexpectedly came upon a river lying before them. Immediately, everyone cheered, and the horses leaped with joy. Ma Meng smiled and explained, "We've traveled north at a good time. This river only has water in summer and autumn; it dries up in winter and spring—if we had come another half month, we probably wouldn't have seen it at all."

“Every autumn, the Uyghur tribes often migrate south, firstly to escape the approaching harsh winter, and secondly to seek out pastures and store fodder for their cattle and sheep to survive the winter. Therefore, there are always herdsmen along the riverbanks…”

Before the words were finished, a "whoosh" was heard from the opposite bank of the river, as if a horn had been sounded.

Ma Mengxi said, "That's it! We can rest by the water for now, fill our water bags, and then cross the river to find nearby tribes and ask them how to complete the last leg of the journey."

His judgment was correct. By the time Li Ji and his party crossed the not-so-wide seasonal river, more than a dozen Hu riders had already gathered on the opposite bank. However, each of them had drawn their bows and arrows and were in a wary posture.

Li Ji ordered Ma Meng to go forward and strike up a conversation. Ma Meng chattered with the herdsmen for a while, then returned to report: "Wudejian Mountain is located due north-southwest. According to them, it can be reached in two days and nights by fast horse."