Chapter 115: Slanting Sun, Grass and Trees, Ordinary Alleys — They Say Quanzhong Once Lived Here

Guli Peiluo did not pull any tricks; upon learning that his envoy had been killed by the Tang army's commander Fang Youde, he immediately prepared nine thousand five hundred fine horses and dispatched an envoy to the Tang army's grand camp to apologize!

That was fully ten times what Fang Youde had demanded!

As for falling out with the Great Tang, Guli Peiluo had never given it a thought. Probing was one thing, but an actual falling-out would require paying an enormous price, and might not yield any advantage.

By destroying the Turks, the Great Tang had already created a "grand momentum," and the alliance assembly was the inevitable course of that momentum, impossible for anyone to stop. The Great Tang seized this opportunity with great acumen, preemptively convening the assembly before the steppe powers could produce a new hegemon.

The foresight and strategy behind this must not be underestimated!

Fang Youde's boldness was something Guli Peiluo had not anticipated; precisely because of this, Guli Peiluo felt that the Great Tang's resolve was great and their preparations thorough, and that he had to take it seriously and could no longer play petty tricks.

The Uighurs decided to submit and conveyed to the Great Tang their willingness to participate in the alliance assembly.

However, Fang Youde's conduct once again exceeded Guli Peiluo's expectations.

The Tang army accepted only the nine hundred and fifty horses stipulated in the original conditions; as for the surplus that Guli Peiluo had "returned tenfold" for various reasons, they did not take a single one and returned them all to the Uighur side.

When this news spread to the other tribes of the Nine Surnames Tiele, everyone spoke with the highest admiration of Fang Youde's fairness and integrity in handling matters.

Even the Geluoluo and other tribes that had not yet declared their participation in the alliance assembly immediately dispatched envoys to the Tang army's grand camp, expressing their willingness to take part.

As long as the Great Tang Emperor came in person, their chieftains would certainly come to Lingzhou to show their support.

Fang Youde received the Geluoluo envoys with great warmth and assured them: the so-called alliance assembly was aimed at lasting peace and stability on the steppe. If anyone broke the rules and betrayed the oath in the future, the Great Tang would certainly help them seek justice.

The relationship between the Geluoluo and the Uighurs had always been the worst among the Nine Surnames Tiele, and now the Uighurs were growing powerful, faintly showing a trend toward unifying the north in the Turks' wake.

So what Fang Youde's words really meant was as obvious as a louse on a bald man's head.

It was just short of saying outright, "If the Uighurs attack you, just go to the Great Tang to back you up."

Of course, the thrice-turncoat Geluoluo were no saints either, with plenty of dark history to be found.

But then again, isn't that how diplomatic affairs work? Co-opting one turncoat to deal with another turncoat — that is the norm of politics!

What Fang Youde was troubled by now was not these miscellaneous matters, but how to deal with the Stele of Kul Tegin near the grand camp.

Kul Tegin and Bilge Qaghan were brothers; the front and both sides of the stele were inscribed in Turkic script, while the back bore Chinese text personally written by Emperor Xuanzong of the Great Tang, the content being a eulogy by Tang Xuanzong mourning the deceased Turkic qaghan Kul Tegin.

The peculiar thing about this stone stele was that the back bore text written by Jige, the content emphasizing that after the father-son relationship was established during the Xuanzong reign, a new peace and stability had emerged, and at the end of the inscription Jige offered a verse in praise: "The land of desert frontiers, the homeland of the Dingling, martial valor rose grand, from your forebears and kings, your lord grew to lead, shining bright in distant lands, your way followed the right, seeking kinship with our Tang, who would have thought such a man, could not extend his years, a tall stele stands like a mountain, bequeathing boundless prosperity."

An unmistakable spirit of goodwill, the sweeping grandeur of a great nation.

But the Turkic text told a different story, with large passages recounting venomous curses and deep-seated hatred toward the Great Tang and the Han people.

The Great Tang's Ministry of Rites had no shortage of talent and naturally could not fail to understand what the Turks had written. Yet Jige still inscribed his text — what his intentions were was actually not hard to fathom.

The living always have some measure of tolerance for the dead, or for those about to die. Since they were going to die anyway, could one not let them curse a few times?

Perhaps in Jige's view, the Second Turkic Khaganate was surrounded by powerful enemies on all sides, and even without the Great Tang, it could not have lasted long.

The era of the Turks had long since passed!

If Jige had not inscribed the text, Fang Youde would have ordered someone to bring this stone stele back to Chang'an and have specialists translate the Turkic text into Chinese for the people of Chang'an to "admire."

But since Jige had inscribed the text, it could not be casually disposed of; to casually dispose of it would be disrespectful to the Sage, and the consequences would be severe.

"Army Sima, how do you think this stone stele should be handled?"

Before the Stele of Kul Tegin, Fang Youde asked Yan Gaoqing, who was serving as the Marching Army Sima.

"The Turks harbor resentment — does this not perfectly highlight that our Great Tang is the righteous side? The Jiedushi need not concern himself with the inscription.

Peaches and plums do not speak, yet a path forms beneath them of its own accord; let posterity judge the rights and wrongs, the merits and faults."

Yan Gaoqing clasped his hands in salute and said.

"So be it."

Fang Youde nodded, then added: "Then add a line at the very top of the stele's front face: Those who betray the Great Tang's oath, no matter how distant, shall be punished!"

Was that necessary?

Yan Gaoqing looked utterly bewildered, but then nodded anyway; he was not opposed to doing so, he just felt it was completely unnecessary.

"Jiedushi, the army has been out of the Hetao for several months now. With the Second Turkic Khaganate destroyed, should we not withdraw the troops back to our garrison?

The elite troops of the Youzhou border garrison have all gone beyond the pass; if the Khitans break faith and launch a surprise attack on Youzhou, how should we respond?"

Yan Gaoqing asked with deep concern.

In this campaign to annihilate the Turks, the Khitans had also played a supporting role. The Tang army fought in the front while they looted in the rear, and could be said to have profited handsomely.

Once these glutted, bloated Khitans returned, their inflated confidence would inevitably drive them south to Youzhou.

"You make a very good point. Go summon Pugu Huai'en; I need to give him instructions in person."

Fang Youde patted Yan Gaoqing on the shoulder and said, clearly having already formed a complete plan.

Before long, Pugu Huai'en was brought by Yan Gaoqing to the Stele of Kul Tegin, and the surrounding bodyguards and aides were all dismissed by Fang Youde.

Pugu Huai'en had joined the army since childhood and was battle-hardened; in his thirties, he looked quite old. The skin on his face was a reddish-black from wind and sun, and without armor he would be indistinguishable from an elderly herdsman tending his flocks.

"What orders does Jiedushi Fang have?"

Pugu Huai'en was a straightforward man, and got straight to the point upon meeting.

"There is a matter now that requires you to lead troops to handle; it would not be appropriate for me, the Jiedushi, to act directly."

Fang Youde, who had been standing with his back to Pugu Huai'en the whole time, suddenly turned around and said, fixing the other man with a burning gaze.

"Whatever the matter, the Jiedushi need only give the order, and I will certainly get it done."

Pugu Huai'en's heart tightened, but his face showed no change as he clasped his fists in salute and asked.

"The Khitans are currently returning north of Youzhou, carrying a great deal of gold, silver, and valuables looted from the Turks.

I, the Jiedushi, need you to fly the Uighurs' banner and launch a surprise attack on the Khitans returning to Youzhou. The gold, silver, and valuables you seize may be divided among your troops directly; there is no need to report it.

Remember that this matter must be kept absolutely secret, carry it out cleanly, and do not disappoint me, the Jiedushi.

This is also the Sage's will."

Fang Youde raised a finger and pointed at the sky, saying with deep significance.

Hearing these words, Pugu Huai'en, who had been eager to try, suddenly hesitated.

He finally understood that to earn someone's trust, merely showing up for the easy battles was probably not enough!

Only by handing over leverage to the other party could one gain absolute trust!

Whether to take on this job or not was a major question.

If he took it, he would naturally board the Tang's ship and become a "city-flanking" tribe recognized by the Tang. With this thick thigh to cling to, establishing a foothold on the steppe would be no problem at all.

But the Khitan people were not to be trifled with, and a surprise attack carried risks too. If the matter were exposed, the Tang could very well turn hostile and deny any involvement, claiming that the Pugu tribe had acted out of greed for the Khitan people's wealth and plundered them of their own accord!

This matter could truly be said to hold both risk and opportunity in equal measure!

So what would happen if he refused this assignment?

If he refused, Fang Youde certainly could not do anything to the Pugu tribe in the short term, but in the long run, the tribe would find it very difficult to maintain its footing on the steppe. Once the Tang Emperor learned of this matter, he would also harbor a grudge and look for opportunities to make things difficult for the Pugu tribe.

It seemed like he could refuse, but in reality, there was no choice at all.

His mind working quickly, Pugu Huai'en cupped his fists in salute and said, "Leave this matter to your subordinate to handle!"

"Good, go then. Make sure it's done discreetly and cleanly.

Once the deed is accomplished, this Jiedushi will petition the Sage for merit on your behalf. Neither you nor the Pugu tribe will want for recognition from the court. Of course, this matter will not be disclosed to outsiders."

Fang Youde wore an expression of earnest expectation as he played his trump card, painting a grand vision of what lay ahead.

Only after Pugu Huai'en accepted the orders and departed did Fang Youde breathe a sigh of relief, his face lacking the delight and confidence he displayed before others.

These steppe peoples and the regimes they established typically had a very low ceiling and did not last long. The leaders within them changed as rapidly as a revolving lantern, leaving one overwhelmed.

However, this tribal system's structure possessed a tenacious vitality, comparable to wild grass.

When the north belonged to the Göktürks, the Tang was already here.

Now the north was the domain of the various Tiele tribes, and the Tang was still here.

Only, the steppe remained the steppe of the steppe people, not the Tang's steppe.

The Tang merely employed the loose-rein system to temporarily stabilize this region, nothing more.

Chaos and untamed defiance were the norm on the steppe; peaceful coexistence required forceful human intervention.

Even if the Tang's Sage came to Lingzhou to hold a summit with the various Tiele tribes of the steppe, so what? How many years of stability would that even bring?

The steppe people could not be killed off entirely!

"Never mind. As long as there is no An Lushan, there will be nothing left for me to worry about afterward."

Fang Youde sighed and muttered to himself.

……

Heavy snow was already falling in Chang'an. Li Linfu, residing in Pingkang Ward, was in his study revising the draft of the "Six Statutes of Tang."

The former compilers Zhang Jiuling and others had written it far too broadly; aside from specialists, no one else could understand it at all.

What Li Linfu was doing was not expanding the scope of recorded official positions. The vast majority of "sub-ranking officials" were not included in the "Six Statutes of Tang."

However, Li Linfu was not without accomplishments. His primary task was to add annotations to the "Six Statutes of Tang."

This was no small workload, because the so-called "annotations" meant telling those consulting the text about a given official position—its origins, its duties, its powers and responsibilities, and so forth. This, in fact, was the very essence of the "Six Statutes of Tang."

It was tedious work, because the labor of annotation was at least three times that of the original text!

"Alas, if Fang Youde enters the court as chancellor, I will have no place to stand."

Li Linfu set down his brush and could not help but sigh with emotion.

Fang Youde had risen like a comet these past two years. He could be said to be the latest to rise among the old retainers who had followed the dragon, yet the fastest to climb—truly a case of deep accumulation yielding a sudden breakthrough!

Previously, Li Linfu had not taken Fang Youde seriously, because the other man's accomplishments were mostly military in nature.

But now, Li Linfu saw the shadow of Zhang Shuo in Fang Youde.

The Lingzhou summit had been single-handedly brokered by Fang Youde, and Li Longji would simply come to reap the fruit when the time came. This, Li Linfu could not tolerate.

Fang Youde understood Brother Ji's mind all too well, so much so that it even frightened Li Linfu a little!

Now that the Lingzhou summit was a foregone conclusion, the Ministry of Rites officials were all preparing. Barring any surprises, when the spring flowers bloomed, the Tang Emperor Li Longji would lead a portion of the court officials to Lingzhou to preside over the summit.

This was a moment of glory unseen since the Kaiyuan era. Li Linfu knew very well that aside from women, this was the only kind of thing that interested Brother Ji now!

To attain wealth and nobility without returning home was like walking in brocade robes at night. Li Longji now simply loved having people sing his praises and extol his virtues.

He had grown tired of the flattery from court officials. Now he wanted to hear the various Tiele tribes of the steppe boast of the Tang's civil governance and martial prowess!

How could one counter this move?

There was no solution!

Li Linfu knew that Fang Youde's imperial favor now likely surpassed even his own, placing him in an "invincible" state. As long as he did not enter the court, all was well. But once he did, it would surely affect his own power. How to counter that?

"I can only scheme gradually."

Li Linfu sighed, seized by a sense of powerlessness regarding the current state of affairs.

No matter what clever tactics one employed, in the end, one could never bypass the Li Longji link.

Those self-important notions were of no use whatsoever; everything ultimately depended on what the emperor thought.

If the emperor said no, then it was no—there was no room for negotiation.

Doing what Brother Ji liked, avoiding what Brother Ji disliked, and handling affairs according to Brother Ji's wishes was the one and only way to keep one's seat as chancellor.

"I might as well use retreat as a means of advance."

Li Linfu suddenly thought of a brilliant move.

……

"So this is Little City?"

Looking at the city before him, built from rammed sand and earth, Fang Chongyong felt it was indeed quite small.

Even though its walls were absurdly tall.

By visual estimate, this city was about one kilometer long and less than one kilometer wide, perfectly square, situated beside a river. Calling it "Little City" was well deserved.

Shazhou's Dunhuang County had two cities, situated very close together on opposite banks of a river, forming what could be called twin cities.

The smaller one was simply called "Little City"—not as a description of its size, but because that was its actual name. The Shazhou prefectural office and the prominent local families were all located here.

The official document said to let Fang Chongyong go to the "small city" to report, and also said he didn't need to work there in the small city; in fact, it was stated clearly, and it was definitely not a vague reference like "small town".

Across the river, there is also a large city with low walls, called "Luocheng". It gradually developed from a prosperous local market; the city is large, inhabited by local residents and Western Region merchants. There, all kinds of people mingle, with diverse backgrounds.

There are local Han people of Shazhou, remnants of the Tuyuhun, various Hu merchants, even good families from Chang'an and Tibetan monks.

The crucial point is that this is the garrison of the Dou Lu Army.

Now a problem faces Fang Chongyong and his group: should they first go to the government office to report, or first return to their hometown home to have a look?

"Young master, our family is in Luocheng, not inside the small city. Now our residence is under the control of the Dou Lu Army; to take it back, we still need to make a trip to the Dou Lu Army."

Fang Dafu came over and whispered a question.

From Hexi all the way to the Western Regions, land ownership still follows the old rule, but many urban residences are actually "government land", uniformly allocated by local authorities. Especially in the Dunhuang area, they deliberately separated the local grandees from ordinary residents, which is how it is.

Grandees' land and residences are passed down through generations, while ordinary residents, once they move out, have their houses reclaimed and reallocated. Here, population turnover is extremely high; someone who has lived in the same place for decades without moving is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

"Let's go home and have a look first."

Fang Chongyong said with a blank expression.

After a bumpy journey, he really wanted to return soon.

No need to worry about whether anyone else lives there; if even the residence of Commander Fang Jiedushi is occupied by outsiders, then the Dou Lu Army personnel are truly oblivious, blatantly offending a powerful figure with deep ties of incense and affection. Even if there were people before, after Fang Youde's rise, the house would likely be empty.

In the evening, they passed through the bewilderingly complex "commercial street" and arrived before an ordinary residence south of Luocheng. Fang Dafu pointed to the locked courtyard gate and said: "This is the place."

Fang Chongyong looked around; there were no blue bricks or black tiles, only rammed-earth courtyard walls, with not a single tree nearby—clearly not the home of a high-ranking noble.

He couldn't help but sigh: "In the slanting sun, grass and trees, ordinary lanes—where the loyal and devoted once dwelt."

My deadbeat dad's earlier life was truly miserable!

"What are you guys doing? Why are you loitering outside the residence of Commander Jiedushi Fang?"

In the distance, two soldiers who had just begun their night watch pointed at Fang Chongyong's group and asked, their tone unfriendly.

(End of chapter)