Chapter Thirty-Eight: Reconciliation

The news that the Hundred Cavalry Division was being expanded into a Thousand Cavalry Division did not spread widely. There was merely an imperial decree from the palace requiring the twelve衛 garrisons of Chang'an to select elites to be incorporated into the palace guards.

To outsiders, this might seem like a simple shortage of palace personnel, and with the year-end approaching, the palace was naturally busy, making it standard procedure to request additional hands.

The original Hundred Cavalry Division had only about a hundred elite armored soldiers. Now, expanding nearly fivefold, Wu An, in his capacity as a "General of the Zhenchong," finally possessed military authority commensurate with his rank.

In December, heavy snow fell, and the roads were covered in ice.

Wu An stopped by the Supreme Court to collect depositions, intending to deliver them to the palace for the Empress’s review. In the office, Di Renjie met him as usual and invited him to have a cup of hot tea before leaving.

"The number of cases piling up in the Supreme Court continues to grow, mostly involving looting, murder, and grain theft. Sometimes, I spend the entire day passing death sentences." Di Renjie took a sip of hot tea and sighed involuntarily.

Wu An asked, "Why doesn't the imperial court release grain for disaster relief?"

"The court's grain naturally has its own uses."

"Yet I heard that last night, Li Jingxuan, the Grand General of the Taohe Route, returned to the capital. Dozens of his friends and relatives bought out the wine shops in the East Market, offering a free cup of wine to any passerby who congratulated him on his great victory." The young man’s tone was cold. "With so much wine, how much grain had to be used to brew it?"

Hearing this, the relaxed expression on Di Renjie’s face vanished, and he asked with some suspicion, "Did you go to the East Market today, or did someone else tell you this?"

"The great victory in Hexi has the whole of Chang'an rejoicing; how could I not hear of it?"

"Your sources are far too well-informed."

The wine distribution had only started that morning, and it was barely noon. Di Renjie had only just heard of it from his colleagues, yet Wu An had stated it to his face. Di Renjie set aside his suspicions and sighed again.

"I hear the Shangyang Palace in Luoyang is nearly finished. Either by the end of this year or the beginning of the next, the Emperor and the Empress will surely leave the pass to travel east to the Eastern Capital."

"So the famine in the Guanzhong region is just to be ignored?"

"Curb your tongue. If you were to say that to anyone else, you would be a dead man." Di Renjie issued a warning, then said earnestly, "In one's position, one does one's duty. If you do not have the ability to manage it, do not tell others how to manage it."

"This subordinate has received your instruction."

Di Renjie set down his teacup, stood up, and walked to the window, standing with his hands behind his back. Wu An followed and stood beside him.

"Compared to the spoiled brats of the Wu clan like Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi, you are already far better." Di Renjie added without turning his head, "But if you were not the Empress’s nephew, neither I nor anyone else would give you a second glance. If you are too kind, you are a cowardly dog; if you are fierce, you are merely a vicious dog. Either way, it is the fate of one who is driven by others."

These words were harsh, and Wu An arched an eyebrow.

"Having a family background is indeed a wonderful thing," Di Renjie continued.

"It is not a good thing."

Di Renjie turned his head, looking surprised. "The mere words 'family background' are worth half a lifetime of hard struggle. Why is it not a good thing?"

"Because in this world, those without a family background are the majority."

"But you have one. Your background is that of a relative of the Empress. Why do you empathize with those who have none?"

Wu An met Di Renjie’s gaze and replied calmly, "I was originally just a soldier from Hexi."

Di Renjie did not speak, but a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. Wu An thought he had misread the expression, but Di Renjie simply returned to his desk and sat down without looking up.

"You should go back."

...

The news of Li Jingxuan’s return to Chang'an spread through the city instantly. The next day, the Emperor issued a decree summoning him to the palace for an audience, and it was said that the monarch and the minister were in high spirits.

That day, dozens of noble youths bought out the wine shops in the East Market in celebration of "Lord Li's great victory," covering all costs for the day. Over a hundred scholars composed poems, and the atmosphere was one of great joy.

"The entire battle at Qinghai was a rout. The troops stalled at Chengfeng Ridge, the provisions for twenty thousand vanguard troops were lost entirely, and they were trapped in their camps... Now, having luckily killed a few thousand 'thief-slaves,' he rushes back to the capital, intending to scratch the lice off his own body?" Heichi Changzhi grabbed a wine cup, drained it in one gulp, and slammed it down. The fiery alcohol made his eyes turn red.

"Brother, I was once a Baekje man. In the bloody night raid at Chengfeng Ridge, four members of my family who followed me to the Tang died, over a dozen fellow villagers and confidants were killed or wounded, and over a hundred of my personal guard perished! Now, the 'Cheng' in Chengfeng Ridge has instead become the 'Cheng'—as in 'riding the wind'—for Li Jingxuan to rise!"

Wu An poured him more wine and said slowly, "Brother, why be angry? I originally thought he would stay in Hexi for another year. Now that he is in such a hurry to return, we should be happy. When the time comes, it won't be difficult to settle the score with our lives."

Heichi Changzhi gave a bitter laugh and looked at the young man before him with drunken eyes. "I... was once just like you."

Years ago, the kingdom of Baekje fell. When generals like Su Dingfang led the Tang army to destroy the three kingdoms, only a few, such as the Baekje regional general Heichi Changzhi, led the remnants to fight while retreating. Eventually, they gathered tens of thousands of troops, intending to fight a decisive battle against the Tang, only to be forced to surrender when it became clear that restoring the nation was impossible.

"The country perished, yet I served the enemy. My soldiers died, and I could not even seek justice for them." Heichi Changzhi gave a cold laugh and tapped the table. "You feel guilty for those brothers who fought to the death to cover your retreat, but have I not also failed those subordinates who charged into the enemy camp with me?"

There was a secret between Heichi Changzhi and Wu An that only they knew. The recruitment of the suicide squad to raid the enemy camp that night had actually been reported in advance, and Heichi Changzhi had subsequently received a batch of armor and elite soldiers as a result.

"When we captured that Tibetan general, I still remember Li Jingxuan’s men ordering us to stay put and wait for them to come and receive him." This way, the credit for the raid was naturally claimed by Li Jingxuan.

Heichi Changzhi exhaled the scent of alcohol and said with a dark satisfaction, "Those thief-slaves charged at us like madmen, surrounding us from all sides. You chopped off the head of his lackey with one blow, and then the Tibetan general’s head with another. Li Jingxuan was forced to swallow his pride and could only use petty tricks like withholding pay to annoy us. Looking at it now, what kind of 'prime minister' is he? Just a narrow-minded civil dog."

As he spoke, someone tapped lightly on the study door and called out, "Master, a guest has arrived."

"Who?"

"The man claims to be a clerk under the Grand General of the Taohe Route, Lord Li, and wishes to see you."

Wu An and Heichi Changzhi exchanged glances and nodded. "Let him in."

The smell of alcohol in the study was strong. The man, dressed as a Confucian scholar, covered his nose the moment he entered, as if he were disgusted, and remained standing at the doorway. Inside, both men looked up at him simultaneously. For a moment, it felt as if the cold wind outside had grown fiercer, drilling into their very marrow.

The clerk shivered and bowed unnaturally. "May I ask, which one is General Wu?"

"I am."

Wu An looked away, picked up the wine pot, and poured for Heichi Changzhi first.

"I am a guest of Lord Li. I have come today to invite General Wu to the Jiaofangsi tonight to drink until we are both intoxicated."

"That wouldn't be appropriate, would it?" Wu An swirled the wine in his cup and said calmly, "I once shot an arrow at Lord Li, yet he invites me to the Jiaofangsi to have fun. What is the meaning of this?"

"A cup of wine can wash away past grievances. Lord Li is a magnanimous man and knows that General Wu’s actions were merely a moment of anger." The man bowed and spoke eloquently. "In the Han Dynasty, Li Gan sought revenge against Wei Qing for a private grudge, yet Wei Qing chose to conceal his crime; this was a sign of great magnanimity. Lord Li thinks the same today. He knows you are a valiant soldier and, now that you are a relative of the Empress and a fellow official, we should work together for the court. A few private grievances—surely Lord Li doesn't mind, and surely you won't dwell on them, will you?"

Wu An did not speak. The clerk continued, "Regarding the soldiers who died in the battle at Chengfeng Ridge, Lord Li is willing to petition the Ministry of War and the Three Departments to grant them triple the compensation and provide for their families. You have performed many great feats of military service; Lord Li is also willing to recommend your promotion to the court. You could return to garrison in Hexi, and within two years, becoming a Garrison General would be no problem."

The cold wind outside whistled into the room past the clerk. The warmth of the heater dissipated significantly, leaving only the hot wine to provide a trace of warmth. Beside the table, Heichi Changzhi remained silent, merely lifting the pot to fill Wu An’s cup. The two men toasted each other silently and drank.

Seeing that they did not react to his words, the clerk’s face finally turned ugly.

Wu An pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, feeling the spice of the wine, then set his cup down and said calmly, "I dare not accept this gift. I only want one thing."

The clerk looked up and said quickly, "Whatever you ask for, Lord Li will surely grant it."

Wu An looked at him and said word for word, "I want the genealogy of Li Jingxuan’s clan."