Chapter Seventy-Six: The Path of Gao Sheng

Led by the servants, Li Wenyuan entered the reception hall of the prefectural office, where he found a young man dressed in plain attire, quietly savoring a cup of tea. Li Wenyuan hurried forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, “Brother Shengdao, your illustrious name has long been known to me. I have admired you from afar for years, and to meet you in person today fills me with indescribable joy. My recent delays were caused by pressing official duties, leaving you to wait here for long. I beg your generous forgiveness.”

When Li Wenyuan finished speaking, he noticed that Gao Shengdao did not respond to him directly but instead glanced toward the servants standing silently in the room. Realizing that Gao Shengdao wished to speak of matters not meant for outsiders, Li Wenyuan promptly dismissed the attendants. He then closed the door, returned to sit beside Gao Shengdao, and said, “Now that only the two of us remain, please speak freely.”

Only then did Gao Shengdao set down his teacup, rise, and bow respectfully to Li Wenyuan. “Commander, I am Gao Shengdao, magistrate of Liucheng. I have come here as a refugee from Shanshan Commandery. I must inform you that Li Gui’s rebel forces have now captured Shanshan. Disguised, I managed to blend into a caravan of Sogdian merchants, entering Zhangye Commandery from Dunhuang, and thanks to the relief policies you implemented, I was able to obtain a relief token and, with rations in hand, made my way to Wuwei.”

With these words, Gao Shengdao retrieved a wooden token from his belt and handed it to Li Wenyuan. Li Wenyuan, although he had helped design the information on the token, had never seen one in person before. He examined it with curiosity. On the front, it bore Gao Shengdao’s name and date of birth; on the back, his ancestral home, current residence, and occupation were inscribed. Since Gao Shengdao had concealed his identity, the occupation field was marked as “none.” The wood was specially treated to prevent cracking or deformation for at least ten years.

At the bottom of the token, two dates were carved: one marking the date of issue, which at Li Wenyuan’s insistence used the Huangdi Era rather than the Sui dynasty’s regnal years, and the other marking the token’s expiration ten years later. After this expiration, the bearer needed to obtain a new token from the local government, or else no longer qualify for relief rations. Furthermore, to prevent theft or impersonation, each token holder had a portrait archived at the local office. When renewing a token or collecting relief, the individual had to present both the token and be matched to the portrait. Only when both matched would rations be distributed.

Due to the absence of modern conveniences like the internet, anyone wishing to relocate to another city had to report to their local authorities, who would then forward the individual’s file to the government of the destination city.

“Commander, your method is truly ingenious,” Gao Shengdao said with a smile as he watched Li Wenyuan examine the token. “In this way, the movements of anyone passing between Zhangye and Wuwei are laid bare before you.”

“Surely, Brother Shengdao, you did not travel all this way just to praise the virtues of this token?” Li Wenyuan replied with a smile, neither agreeing nor denying.

“Of course not.” Hearing Li Wenyuan’s question, Gao Shengdao’s expression grew grave. “I came not only to inform you that Shanshan has fallen to Li Gui’s rebels, but to warn you that there are Turkic cavalry among Li Gui’s ranks.”

“Turks?” Li Wenyuan raised his eyebrows.

“Yes, Turks—and not a small detachment, but a large mounted force. Originally, Li Gui’s troops, driven westward by the Inspector, posed little threat. But after Li Gui rebelled in Dunhuang, Yiwu followed suit, swelling his army, though it remained a disorganized rabble. Shanshan, being a border stronghold, had its own elite forces. I, together with the commandery governor, led our army north to intercept Li Gui. Just as our forces were locked in standoff, two Turkic cavalry units, each at least a thousand strong, emerged from Li Gui’s flanks. Caught off guard, our lines broke. Amid the chaos, the governor was beheaded by the Turks. I escaped, swept along with the routed soldiers, and by fortune alone survived. I have come all this way from Shanshan to inform you, Commander, that the Turks are likely behind Li Gui’s uprising.”

Having summarized his experiences, Gao Shengdao fell silent.

“In years past, Emperor Wen incited civil strife among the Turks, splitting their formidable khaganate into eastern and western factions, and from then on, they posed little threat to the Sui. Now that our empire wanes, it is only natural for the Turks to turn the same tactics back on us. Still, two thousand horsemen are not worth much concern,” Li Wenyuan said with a faint smile. “But as for your father’s fate, you have my deepest sympathy.”

Li Wenyuan’s words turned to Gao Shengdao’s father, Gao Jiong. From the time of the Northern Zhou through the founding of the Sui and the emperor’s abdication, Gao Jiong played a prominent role, witnessing even Yang Guang’s usurpation. Growing too close to the Guanlong aristocracy, who were always at odds with Yang Guang, and knowing too much of the imperial family’s secrets, he became a liability. The emperor could never have spared him. It was the burden of his solitary surname, Du Gu, that left him ever uncertain of Yang Guang’s intentions.

“My father often said, ‘To serve a sovereign is to keep company with a tiger.’ His end was therefore no surprise to him,” Gao Shengdao replied calmly, showing his acceptance.

“I have been sent by the emperor to govern the Western Regions alone, and I am in dire need of someone skilled in administrative affairs. Since Shanshan has fallen, why not remain at my side and join me in managing these lands?” Li Wenyuan invited Gao Shengdao sincerely.

Feeling the lack of talented aides, Li Wenyuan had long since ordered Night Owl to search the country for capable individuals. As the son of former Chancellor Gao Jiong, Gao Shengdao could hardly have escaped his attention. He already had a detailed report of Gao Shengdao’s deeds in Liucheng, which moved him deeply—there were still those who, even in troubled times, held fast to their integrity and refused to sink into corruption with the officials around them.