Chapter Thirty-Two: Borrowing Three Thousand Troops

Li Wenyuan’s horsemanship, honed on the battlefields of Liaodong, finally proved its worth. He spurred his horse in a wild gallop to the city gates, and upon seeing clearly that it was Qiuniang, did not slow in the least. Drawing near, he gripped the horse with his legs, leaned toward her, and with gentle strength swept Qiuniang up onto the saddle. He then dashed back to his own ranks, circling the cavalry a few times before calling out, “We’re almost home—look sharp, all of you! Form up as we ride into the city. Don’t let the young ladies who admire you see you making fools of yourselves.”

Qiuniang sat on the horse, a smile playing across her lips. “Master, since your expedition to Liaodong, your riding skills seem not only refined but you’ve mastered the art of abducting maidens as well. Did you have some fair Liaodong beauty to practice with?”

Li Wenyuan, having seen life and death up close in Liaodong, was no longer flustered by Qiuniang’s teasing. He laughed heartily, “With my own beloved waiting anxiously at home, how could I do anything but fight bravely to return victorious? Who has the leisure to abduct foreign women?”

Qiuniang nestled her head against his chest and whispered, “I’ve heard the tales of Emperor Yang’s three campaigns against Goguryeo. These days I’ve been praying before the Buddha for your safe return—it seems those prayers were not in vain.”

Li Wenyuan felt a warmth in his heart but continued to jest, “We are children of the new era, born under the Red Flag and raised in the gentle breeze of spring, heirs to socialism. How can we cling to such feudal superstitions?”

Qiuniang covered her mouth in laughter, “Then perhaps you should overthrow the greatest landlord of all, Emperor Yang, and bring liberation to the suffering masses, toppling the ruling class that oppresses them.”

As they neared the city gate, Li Wenyuan gradually slowed his horse and spoke softly, “Later, I’ll tell you something important. Surely you don’t wish to serve men all your life.”

He then set Qiuniang down at the gates of his own residence and rode on to the Jincheng military camp to meet Xue Ju.

“General Xue, your subordinate Li Wenyuan reports: the bandits have been suppressed.” Li Wenyuan saluted militarily as he spoke.

Xue Ju stepped forward to steady him. “Good—seeing you return safely puts my mind at ease. Your new commission arrived well before you did. There are not many who are made prefect of eight provinces.”

Li Wenyuan replied, “If not for the thousand brothers you lent me, no matter my loyalty, I’d have lacked the men to answer the royal summons.”

After these formalities, Li Wenyuan asked, “Elder brother, was your return from Liaodong with soldiers and supplies smooth?”

Xue Ju laughed. “Smooth? Hardly. We encountered countless mountains along the way, and everyone mistook us for a supply convoy—they all wanted a share of the spoils.”

Li Wenyuan was startled. “Are the bandits truly so rampant now? How did you deal with them?”

Xue Ju answered, “Deal with them? We simply fought our way through. A rabble, not worth comparing to the Goguryeo army. I’ve got over twenty thousand of them penned in camp now, and plan to execute them as an example to others.”

Li Wenyuan hastened to dissuade him. “Brother, wait—your younger brother has a presumptuous request.”

Xue Ju was curious. “Could it be you want these refugees for the Western Regions?”

“Exactly.” Li Wenyuan revealed his plan without reservation. “Brother, the Western Regions always have few Han and many Hu people. Grain and cloth must be shipped from the heartland, and if the Hu people cut off the supplies, we starve. But there’s no shortage of arable land there—only a shortage of people to till it. I ask for these refugees to open up new fields and establish military farms. Of course, I wouldn’t let you suffer a loss. If you should raise your banner, I’ll provide you with fifty thousand shi of grain each year for five years. How about it?”

Xue Ju was shocked. Fifty thousand shi? The official yield for all the Western Regions is only a hundred thousand. With twenty thousand more people, how could you produce fifty thousand shi a year?

Seeing his doubt, Li Wenyuan smiled. “Rest assured, brother. I would not promise what I can’t deliver.”

Xue Ju shook his head. “It’s not that I doubt your word—I’m just curious. If you hand over half the Western Regions’ grain, how will you keep prices down? Without low prices, how will you keep the people from rebelling?”

Li Wenyuan realized this was the source of Xue Ju’s doubt and whispered, “Brother, the official numbers only show what’s on the surface. There’s plenty siphoned off by local officials and hidden by great families. My promise of fifty thousand shi is based on a conservative estimate of two hundred thousand shi total—the real figure is likely higher.”

He walked to the door, glanced around, shut it softly, and continued in a low voice, “Besides, the four newly established provinces in the Western Regions already show signs of dissent. How could their reports be accurate? His Majesty appointed me to govern the eight provinces to stabilize the region, or at least to ensure that when he campaigns against Goguryeo again next year, the capital and the eastern capital won’t be threatened.”

Xue Ju was stunned. “Another campaign against Goguryeo? Does the Sui have soldiers and grain enough?”

Li Wenyuan shook his head. “Whether the Sui has soldiers or grain doesn’t matter. The question is whether the Sui has its aristocrats and the remnant Hu people.”

Xue Ju fell silent. Li Wenyuan had made all this clear before.

Li Wenyuan sighed inwardly at the Sui’s precarious state, but there was still work to be done. He continued, “These twenty thousand refugees are an unexpected windfall. I came to ask for more men to secure myself in the Western Regions.”

Xue Ju nodded. “You have no roots there—it’s right to bring more men. How many do you need?”

Li Wenyuan replied, “I’ll take the thousand men under Zhang Juntao who returned from Liaodong, all equipped with the arms we salvaged. In addition, I wish to borrow two thousand Jincheng soldiers and the Hu man, Wudelu.”

Xue Ju was surprised. “Wudelu? He’s one of my fiercest men on the training grounds. You’re really carving the flesh off my bones! Still, if I refused, I’d be lacking in brotherly generosity. I must admit, you’re spending those fifty thousand shi wisely.”

Li Wenyuan laughed. “Thank you, brother. The Western Regions are a mix of Hu and Han—it will be much easier with someone who knows Hu customs and language.”

Xue Ju understood and changed the topic. “But don’t thank me yet. I have one condition—you must agree.”

“Please speak, brother. If it’s within my power, I won’t refuse.”

“Take my son, Xue Renyue, with you to the Western Regions. Let him serve at your side. If anything happens, the Xue family will at least have a way out.”

Li Wenyuan recalled Xue Ju’s fate in history and felt a pang for the frail boy. “Don’t worry, brother. I’ll see to it that your second son does not come to harm.”