Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 209

Yan Zhuang waved his hand, signaling the other party to calm down, and then slightly quickened his pace: "Yizhou is different. Although there are only 2,500 households, that refers to the registered households of our Tang Dynasty. The native Hu people can also cultivate the land. The area around Yiwu has many streams and ditches, and the soil is excellent." He turned to Jian Dao and smiled slightly: "Jian Dao has been there in person, so what I said is correct, isn't it?"

Jian Dao nodded and said, "Everything you say is true."

Yan Zhuang seized the opportunity to ask, "Ze Jun once said that the Northern Court ordered the relocation of the people of Yizhou to Tingzhou. May I ask, were all of them relocated, or were only the Tang people relocated?"

Jian Dao replied, "Most of the natives were unwilling to leave their homeland, and Li Beiting was also afraid of causing turmoil by forcing them to relocate, so he only relocated the Tang people."

Yan Zhuang nodded, then turned to the crowd and continued, “If the natives refuse to relocate, they will be unable to fortify their defenses and clear the fields. When the barbarians come, they will surely surrender. Thus, even with an army of 50,000, we can still gather wild grains and not fear that our supply lines will be cut off. If they attack Tingzhou urgently, I fear that Li Beiting will find it difficult to resist—and we cannot rely on the aid of Anxi—once Tingzhou falls, Xizhou will also fall into the hands of the enemy. During the Tianbao era, Xizhou already had 20,000 registered households, and its wealth was quite considerable.”

Finally getting to the point, he said in one breath, "As General Wei said, even if we successfully capture Guazhou, we won't get much in terms of supplies. Suzhou has just been recovered and is also poor. Therefore, the army's provisions will still have to be transported from Liang and Gan, which is a long and costly journey. However, we can still hold the three prefectures of Beiting. Moreover, in dire straits, they will not hesitate to drain the pond to catch all the fish, sweeping away all the grain in the city and countryside to hold out against our army for a long time. But can our army hold out for a long time?"

Chen Lizhen stammered, "The Northern Court might not be so easily defeated..."

Yan Zhuang smiled and said, "General Nan also said that we cannot rely on others, but can only rely on our own sons."

After hearing his analysis, most of the generals and officials frowned and remained silent, and even Wei Gao temporarily stopped insisting on his own position.

When the troops were initially dispatched, they were unaware of the Tibetan forces' movements and adopted a reactive approach, first securing their own position to avoid defeat before considering how to defeat the enemy. The initial assessment was that the main Tibetan force might concentrate its forces and resist step by step, or a portion might hold Su and Gua prefectures while the main army marched north to attack Tingzhou—a scenario that largely proved accurate. The only surprise was that Ma Chongying would launch a surprise attack on Zhangsancheng.

Unexpectedly, the barbarian army abandoned the cities of Fulu and Jiuquan, concentrating its main force west of Jiayuguan. Furthermore, Mang Re led his elite cavalry in an attack, only to be defeated in a single battle. Guazhou was thus left wide open, while Shang Jiexi led 50,000 barbarian troops to attack Beiting, but they hadn't gone far…

When the enemy situation is unclear, one can rely entirely on improvisation and not think too far ahead for the time being; but now that the enemy's movements are clear, everyone is hesitant. To be honest, as long as we act cautiously and avoid falling into traps, the possibility of losing is not high, but how can we seize the opportunity to gain greater benefits? We must plan carefully and cannot make a hasty judgment.

If what Lao Jing said is true, then there will definitely be a decisive battle, and the Tang army may suffer a crushing defeat, with this year's progress ending at Suzhou. If what Wei Gao said is true, it is relatively safer, but I fear that the Beiting army is not experienced in battle and may be defeated by the barbarian bandits in one fell swoop. In that case, they will still have the money and grain of three prefectures, and not only will the Tang army be unable to do anything to them this year, but it will also be much more difficult to make further progress in the future.

The best-case scenario is that the Tang army in Hexi advances slowly and successfully recaptures Guazhou, cutting off the retreat of the barbarian bandits, while the Beiting army can hold Tingzhou, so that Shang Jiexi's 50,000 main force, supported only by Yizhou, will collapse on its own without any need for an attack—that would be entirely a matter of luck.

After much deliberation, everyone finally focused their attention on Li Ji's face.

Li Ji placed his hands on the map, slowly raised his head, first looked around at his subordinates, and finally fixed his gaze on Yan Zhuang: "Mr. Yan just said that when calculating the population during the Tianbao era, how many households were there in the three prefectures of Beiting?"

“Two thousand three hundred households in Tingzhou, two thousand five hundred households in Yizhou, and twenty thousand households in Xizhou,” Yan Zhuang calculated silently with his fingers, then replied, “a total of eighty to ninety thousand Tang people.”

Li Ji then asked Jian, "How many troops does Beiting still have?"

"The three prefectures combined have less than 10,000 troops and no more than 1,000 warhorses."

Li Ji turned his gaze back to the map, and as if talking to himself, slowly said, "With less than ten thousand troops, we will surely be no match for the fifty thousand barbarian rebels. But I don't know how many days we can hold out... Even if we hold the cities, it's impossible for all one hundred thousand Tang people to enter them. Those scattered in the fields will surely be killed by the barbarian rebels. If Beiting falls, one hundred thousand compatriots will fall into the hands of the rebels, and the barbarian rebels will surely massacre them. I don't know how many will survive in the end..."

Compared to the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tibetan invasion of Tang China was not as brutal, because the vast majority of Tang people were captured and taken to the plateau to be enslaved by various noble tribes. Of course, while the rebel army might have killed about 10% of the population, and the Tibetan army at most 50%, it's hard to say how many years those 30-40% captured—the rest undoubtedly scattered or went into hiding—would have survived as slaves…

Most of the officers and soldiers didn't take Li Ji's words too seriously. After all, they had seen too much killing and looting in recent years. What did it matter if they were compatriots? As long as they weren't killed or captured right before their eyes, they could just treat them as numbers on paper. The world was vast, and there were so many Tang people. They could save them anywhere. What they were worried about was that once the barbarian army occupied Beiting, and might even take advantage of the victory to take Anxi, then the Western Regions would be completely lost. It would be extremely difficult to recover them, and the reopening of the Silk Road would be a long time coming.

With the Silk Road blocked, not only will the debts owed to merchants be impossible to repay, but there will also be no more willing to lose in the future. How long can Hexi Town hold out? As for the support from the imperial court in terms of money and provisions, there is absolutely no need to consider it—there will most likely be none, and even if there is, it will not be much.

Only Nan Jiyun slapped his thigh and shouted, "I've been feeling a bit stuck in my throat, but I couldn't figure it out. Your words, Grand Commandant, have enlightened me! Our army has the strength to fight, so how can we let these barbarian bandits get away so easily, allowing them to attack our allies and kill our Tang people? Back in Suiyang, I always resented our allies for sitting idly by and not advancing. Are we now going to follow the evil deeds of Xu Shuji and Helan Jinming?!" He then clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to the emperor and said, "I implore you, Grand Commandant, to make a swift decision and rush in to attack the main force of the barbarian bandits!"

Chapter 55, Determined to Save Lives

Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others, during the siege of Suiyang, repeatedly cursed Xu Shuji and Helan Jinming for sitting idly by while their allies were trapped without coming to their aid. They often wondered, "If I were Xu or Helan, how would I lead the troops to rescue Suiyang? Although there are nearly 200,000 rebel troops under the walls of Suiyang, making a siege difficult, it's not entirely hopeless. Why are you only concerned with your own selfish interests and so disregard the overall situation?"

Today, the generals discussed the next military plan. Nan Jiyun felt that Wei Gao's suggestion to block information, postpone the advance, and first send Shang Jiexi to attack Beiting, while in accordance with military strategy, was not quite right. He pointed out, "What if Beiting cannot be held for long?" However, although he had spoken, he still felt he hadn't quite hit the mark, until Li Ji spoke, and then he suddenly realized—

Damn it! When friendly forces are in danger, they only think about their own troops, slowing down their advance and not rushing to their aid. How is this any different from the actions of traitors like Xu Shuji and Helan Jinming in the past?!

Recalling the comrades and civilians who died in battle and starved to death during the siege of Suiyang, Nan Jiyun was heartbroken, his eyes reddening. He immediately pleaded with Li Ji to make a swift decision: "Let's rush in and attack Guazhou, forcing Shang Jiexi to retreat."

"Let alone fifty thousand, even if two hundred thousand come, we shall fight! A true man has no reason to retreat!"

Xu Yu hurriedly said, "Grand Commandant, you pity the Tang people of Beiting and truly have the heart of a gentleman; General Nan is eager to go to the aid of your allies, which is also in line with the meaning of 'No Clothes'. However, in the end, the enemy outnumbers us, and it is difficult to guarantee victory in battle. As Sun Tzu said, 'A ruler should not raise an army in anger, nor should a general attack in resentment.' I urge you to think it over carefully."

Nan Jiyun glared and retorted, "Sun Tzu also said: 'Anger can be replaced by joy, and resentment can be replaced by pleasure, but a lost country cannot be restored, and the dead cannot be brought back to life.' Now, the Beiting army has 100,000 men. If they fall into the hands of the enemy, they will die and cannot be brought back to life. Does General Xu really have no mercy? Can a person without benevolence be considered a human being?!"

Xu Yu waved his hands repeatedly and said, "That's not what I meant. I hope the general will not be too angry and that we will plan carefully before we act."

Yan Zhuang interjected, "In my opinion, we should still advance hastily. However, once the main force of the barbarian army returns, we must carefully consider where and how to fight them before taking action. From Yumen Pass to Yiwu, there are no rivers or water and grass for over six hundred li. If the barbarian bandits have already arrived and hear that we have captured Guazhou, they will know that there is no way to retreat and will surely rush to attack Tingzhou and refuse to return. If they learn of our arrival halfway and are forced to leave due to the dangerous road, they will return. Their soldiers will surely be exhausted, and our army, having rested and ready, may not be without a chance of victory."

Li Ji nodded slightly, then a smirk appeared on his lips, revealing an inscrutable smile. He looked around at the officers and soldiers and slowly said, "I have read some of the legends and stories written by Judge Lü (Lü Xiqian). I wonder if any of you have read or heard of them? As for Wei Changli and Yang Weizhou, I'm sure all the officials in Hexi know perfectly well who they are referring to..."

Everyone smiled, but they didn't understand why the Grand Commandant had brought this up during the military discussion, so they didn't dare to smile too loudly.

Li Ji continued, “Many loyal ministers and generals, or heroes from humble backgrounds, in his legends and tales were wholeheartedly devoted to driving out foreign invaders, supporting the nation, assisting the emperor, and bringing peace to the common people. You must all think that I am the same. But in truth, my ambition is not to restore the nation, but to save people—in the second year of the Zhide era, when the current emperor was the Grand Marshal of the Army, I followed him eastward to retake Chang'an. The late emperor, in a moment of folly, actually promised all the treasures, silks, and women of the two capitals to the Uyghur reinforcements…”

He publicly criticized the late Emperor Li Heng. Because of his own status, no one took it seriously, but no one dared to agree with him or even nod. They could only listen quietly with their hands clasped.

"...In my opinion, it is unacceptable to offer tribute and gifts, but to hand over our fellow Tang people to foreign tribes is intolerable! Therefore, in front of Chunming Gate, I dared to pounce on the Uyghur Prince Yehu and give him a good beating—General Jing was there that day, which proves that what I said is true."

Old Jing quickly nodded: "That's right. His Majesty must kneel down... After repeated pleading, the Crown Prince of Yehu will not punish the Grand Commandant and will temporarily refrain from taking the daughters of Chang'an."

Everyone said, "We have all heard about it and deeply admire the Grand Commandant's courage."

Then Li Ji continued, “After Luoyang was recovered, I pleaded with the Prince of Qi to order wealthy merchants like Yu Ling to raise funds and offer them to the Uyghurs to redeem the kidnapped children. In the first year of Baoying, Luoyang was recovered again. I stood in front of Huian Gate and stopped the Shuofang army from entering the city to plunder, and also prohibited the Uyghurs from privately kidnapping Tang people—General Nan knew about this.”

Nan Jiyun nodded and said, "Grand Commandant, you have twice saved Luoyang from disaster. You are truly a living Buddha to all families."

Li Ji waved his hand: "What talk of being a Buddha to all families is just a matter of compassion. Most of you here are warriors who have taken life and death lightly. Only our army has strict discipline. If it were another army, they would often burn, kill, and plunder even within their own borders. They always feel that on the battlefield, life is not in their own hands, so why should they pity others? But I, Li, am different from you. I will not talk about grand principles of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, nor about the importance of the person over the ruler and the country. But I ask you all, where do our salaries, food, armor, and weapons come from?"

"Farmers toil in the fields, yet they cannot escape hunger and cold; craftsmen labor in their workshops, yet their homes may not have all the necessary cooking utensils. They gather wealth from all directions to support officials and soldiers. What is the purpose of this? Is it not to protect themselves from enemy attacks? In ancient times, righteous men who received kindness in giving away their clothes and food would repay it with their lives. How can we, who eat the grain grown by farmers, wear the silk made by weavers, and use the tools made by craftsmen, bear to abandon them to the enemy?"

"Now that the three prefectures of Beiting have nearly 100,000 Tang soldiers, how can we sit idly by and not come to their aid? If I were still in Liang and Gan, I would be too far away to help, so I would have to leave. But now that we have captured Suzhou, we are only 300 li away from the enemy. How can we not risk our lives and bravely advance?"

"Even if the nation loses the Western Regions, there is still hope for recovery; but if 100,000 Tang people are killed, how can the dead be brought back to life? I don't know what you all think, but I know that I am a coward..."

Li Ji's claim of being timid was a huge joke, but no one dared to laugh.

"...I am timid. I am afraid that if I hesitate for a moment and dare not act rashly, the people will be killed and countless ghosts will come to haunt me and demand my life. I will probably not be able to sleep peacefully for the rest of my life. I will definitely regret it until I die!"

“A true man should die for his country. With righteousness before us, how can we cherish our lives and cower in fear? If I were afraid of hardship and death, I would not have come this far, and you would not have fought alongside me. My mind is made up. I will save Beiting and lure the barbarian bandits to face my army directly, so that the exhausted Beiting soldiers and men will not be the enemy's blades and become my shields!”

At this point, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table, his gaze sweeping coldly over the generals: "Gentlemen, are you willing to follow me to my death?"

These words stirred the blood of many. Even though some officers and generals disagreed, since the Grand Commandant had spoken of it, they dared not bear the name of cowardice. They immediately clasped their hands and bowed, saying, "We are willing to follow the Grand Commandant and fight the barbarian bandits to the death!"

Li Ji then looked at Wei Gao and asked, "Does Cheng Wu have anything else to say?"

Wei Gao hurriedly declared, "Since the Grand Commandant has made his decision, I will obey orders and fight to the death without fear!" He paused, softening his tone slightly, "However, as General Xu and Mr. Yan have said, where and how our army should engage the enemy still requires careful planning..."

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Li Ji decided that the army would rest in Jiuquan City for another day. The next morning, Gao Chongwen would lead the elite vanguard, and Wei Gao would lead the vanguard army, under the unified command of Nan Jiyun, to attack the barbarian camps around Jinshan and Dudeng Mountain, as well as the old fortifications of the Yumen army. According to Mang Re's report, these locations had around 5,000 barbarian soldiers stationed there, and the fortifications were not yet complete. A hasty attack would greatly increase the Tang army's chances of victory.

But the goal is not just to win, but also to inflict heavy casualties and capture many enemy troops, and to prevent organized barbarian troops from successfully retreating west of the Ming River, so as to strengthen the defense of Guazhou.

After the meeting, Li Ji retreated to his inner chambers and specifically ordered someone to summon Yan Zhuang. He dismissed his personal guards and asked him directly, "Why did you take the initiative to speak up today and offer advice and strategies in front of all the generals and officials?"

Yan Zhuang smiled and replied, "Actually, I am not very good at military strategy, but I see that apart from the two generals of Nan and Jing, all the generals are willing to hold back and advance slowly, and the Grand Commandant is not very willing to allow it. So, thinking about it from a common point of view, the Grand Commandant promised the merchants that they could open up the Western Regions in five years, and two years have already passed. If we can destroy the main force of the barbarian bandits within the territory of Guazhou, we can also pacify the area a thousand miles away. However, if we are slow to act and Shang Jiexi seizes Beiting or even Anxi, it will be difficult to take it quickly, and the war will continue for who knows how long."

"Given the Grand Commandant's temperament, he has never been afraid of taking risks. Moreover, he estimated that our army had just won, and even if we could not defeat the barbarians this time, we would not suffer great losses. Therefore, this risk is worth taking. That is why I dared to speak up and help the Grand Commandant persuade you all. However, I failed to appreciate the Grand Commandant's loving heart. I am ashamed."

Li Ji shook his head: "Sir, please don't make up excuses. You've always offered advice, but usually behind people's backs. Why would you speak up in front of everyone today? I really don't understand. I hope you won't hide the truth—even if it's all for personal reasons, I won't blame you. There's no one else here, so what can't be said openly?"

Yan Zhuang's face darkened: "Grand Commandant, it is enough to examine what I have done. Why do you need to know what I am thinking?"

Li Ji pursed his lips: "Sir, you are wise and sagacious. If I do not understand what you are thinking, I am afraid I will not be able to sleep peacefully. If what you are thinking is harmful to me, then I will naturally ask you clearly. If it is not harmful to me, then why hide it? Nowadays, I am the only one in the world who trusts you. Please do not create any discord between us."

Yan Zhuang hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then sighed and said, "To tell you the truth, I have a desire to return to the Central Court." He paused and explained, "It is not that I am unwilling to serve the Grand Commandant for a long time, but I was framed and expelled from the Central Court. I have always felt resentful and wish to return to the Central Court to see how those people—such as Liu Yan—feel."

Li Ji frowned: "So, if you offer a plan in front of everyone, you can return to the central court?"

Yan Zhuang smiled and said, "Grand Commandant, you've been wise all your life, but you've made a foolish mistake. I'm a former official of the false Yan... no, I was originally the right-hand man of the traitor An. Although I surrendered to Tang voluntarily, many people are wary of me. If I remain silent under your command, I'll be like a walking corpse. Who will care? But if I'm willing to offer my humble opinion, things will be different. I believe that when you succeed, the court will surely issue an edict to summon me."

Li Ji understood. Yan Zhuang had a criminal record; he had once advised An Lushan to rebel. If Yan Zhuang remained as active under Li Ji's command, how could Li Yu sleep soundly? He would definitely find a way to remove Yan Zhuang from his side.

"Sir, are you not at ease working under my command? If you were to return to the central government, I fear you might not have a good life."

Yan Zhuang nodded and said, "I know this myself. Anyway, I'm already sixty years old. When the time comes, I'll get a red robe or even a purple robe to wear, and then I'll retire. The sage will definitely not keep me."

Li Ji lowered his eyes: "It's good that you have this awareness, sir..."

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Mang Re led his elite cavalry in a surprise attack on the Tang army, but was defeated. The defeated soldiers fled back to their camps near Jiayu in droves. Soon after, the Tang army took Mang Re to persuade him to surrender and captured the Tibetan camp. Not a single one of them escaped. As a result, the Tibetan army in the Jinshan and Dudeng areas received the news too late. They were attacked by the three generals Nan Jiyun, Gao Chongwen, and Wei Gao. They had to fight hastily and collapsed completely in just half a day.

Among the armies of Hexi, the best in terms of equipment, bravery of soldiers, and combat strength, Chen Lizhen's elite cavalry was the first, followed by Gao Chongwen's vanguard army—the vanguard being a shock force, all heavily armored infantry, and equipped with three hundred Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword)—and the third was probably Wei Gao's vanguard army, which was the most disciplined and obeyed orders without question.

This is also related to the abilities and personalities of the commanders: Chen Lizhen excelled at commanding cavalry, Gao Chongwen was a warrior capable of taking on ten thousand men, and Wei Gao possessed the greatest potential to be a great general. Frankly speaking, even Nan Jiyun, in terms of battlefield command, was inferior to Wei Gao, and in terms of commanding cavalry, he was inferior to Chen Lizhen—after all, he was from Hebei—he could only barely replace Gao Chongwen, and even then, he lacked Gao Chongwen's youthful vigor…

This allowed the Tang army to quickly capture the unfinished fortresses of the Tibetans on Jinshan and Dushan mountains, inflicting heavy casualties. However, when they attacked the old fortress of Yumen, they seemed to have encountered a tough obstacle—more than two thousand Tibetan soldiers resisted fiercely, relying on the walls and houses that were not completely destroyed.

When Li Ji personally led the main force to set up camp at the foot of Dushan Mountain, he heard that the Yumen Army had been attacking the old fortress for most of the day, but it seemed that there was still not much progress. He became anxious. So he summoned his subordinate Bai Yu and ordered him: "You shall take the exiled army and send him to scale the enemy's fortress."

The so-called "tattooed soldiers" refers to the criminals who were tattooed on the face and forced into battle by Li Ziyi. There are now more than four hundred of them, almost the size of a battalion. Li Ji originally planned to place these people in the most dangerous positions of attack, so that the cowardly would be executed immediately, and those who fought bravely and survived would be restored to their freedom as promised.

Bai Yu accepted the order and left. Not long after, a messenger from the front line delivered Nan Jiyun's message.

Nan Jiyun said, "Grand Commandant, don't be anxious. It's just the old fortress of the Yumen Army. It's not like the Yumen Army is still around. I have nearly five thousand elite troops at my disposal. How can I not take it? Why did you send those criminals up here to die?"

The reason I haven't been able to capture it after such a long siege is that I'm worried the barbarian rebels inside the fortress might escape. Previously, when we broke through Jinshan and Dushan, we almost swept them down in one fell swoop, and the defeated rebels would surely flee into the old fortress of the Yumen army. Now, if we capture the old fortress, the defeated rebels will flee west of the Ming River in one go, which would be disadvantageous for our future attack on Guazhou. Therefore, I deliberately delayed the offensive, sending a separate battalion out from behind the rebel lines, intending to wait until dusk before launching a full-scale attack. By then, their retreat will be cut off, and it will be dark; I don't believe many rebels will be able to escape.

Li Ji couldn't help but laugh and said, "General Nan is absolutely right. I was too hasty. In that case, we will follow General Nan's plan."

Chapter 56, Deceiving and Luring the Enemy

At dusk that day, the Tang army launched another fierce attack. Ignoring the objections of Gao Chongwen and Wei Gao, Nan Jiyun personally took up his sword and shield and charged forward. He was wounded three times, but finally captured the old fortress of Yumen. Most of the Tibetan army was annihilated, and only a few hundred men escaped, fleeing in disarray back to Guazhou and swimming across the Ming River.

The Tang army was overjoyed, except for Li Ziyi and other tattooed prisoners who were not happy. They had thought this would be a chance to kill the enemy and make a name for themselves. If they died, it would be a quick and painless death. If they lived, they could wash away their past sins. But they had come all this way for nothing. Nan Jiyun thought their equipment was poor and that they were just relying on their courage. He didn't need to use them at all...

Meanwhile, the defeated Tibetan army fled back to Jinchang County, the seat of Guazhou. Upon receiving the news, Shang Ximo was greatly alarmed and immediately dispatched a fast horse northward to inform Shang Jiexi and plead for the army to return to their aid.

At this time, Shang Jiexi had only led his army away from Jinchang for five days. The vanguard had not yet crossed the border of Guazhou, and the rearguard was still thirty li away. He was astonished upon receiving the news. Firstly, he had not expected that Li Ji had left Ganzhou more than half a month ahead of schedule. Secondly, he had originally thought that with the strength of Shang Ximo and Mangre, plus a depth of seven hundred li and layers of blockades, they could hold out for at least a month or two—it would take me twenty days just to walk—but unexpectedly, Suzhou fell into enemy hands in less than ten days, and the Tang army was advancing directly towards Guazhou…

Shang Ximo's military report was brief, only stating that the Tang army advanced rapidly, fiercely attacking the barbarian fortresses on Jinshan and Dushan mountains, and that their momentum was unstoppable. However, as for where Mang Re was, whether he had won or lost, and whether his army could withdraw in large part, the report was vague and unclear—in fact, he dared not say it outright, fearing that Shang Jiexi would blame him for making mistakes in his plans.

Shang Jiexi was furious: "First it was Qilibuzang, then Mangremolongqixibi. The people Dazhalugong values ​​are all incompetent!"

He felt that those he admired would certainly not be like this—for example, Shang Ximo, the newly appointed military governor of Guazhou. There were three families in Tibet who had intermarried with the royal family for generations, marrying their daughters to the Zanpu (Tibetan king) as his principal wives, who could be given the title "Shang." These families were the Molu, Chen, and Nanang clans. Shang Jiexi and Shang Ximo both came from the Chen clan, so naturally, he trusted his own family more.

Shang Jiexi left Shang Ximo with nearly 20,000 troops and ordered him to control Mang Re. However, for some unknown reason, Shang Ximo handed over more than half of his troops, as well as a large number of warhorses and weapons to Mang Re, leaving his whereabouts and fate unknown. In addition, with the collapse of the defense lines at Jinshan and Dudeng, it is reported that Shang Ximo only has 5,000 men left to defend Guazhou. Even if one has great confidence in the abilities of his nephew, 5,000 men are absolutely not enough to hold the city!

The Ming River flows east of Guazhou, quite wide, but after emerging from the Great Snow Mountain, it flows north into a large marshland, stretching over three hundred li. Its banks are rich in vegetation, suitable for grazing—meaning the Tang army could cross it at any point, and a mere five thousand men simply couldn't stop it. West of the Ming River, there are no further obstacles; Shang Ximo's only option is to hold Jinchang City. However, the Tang army, heading towards Beiting via Guazhou, doesn't actually need to pass through Jinchang City. They could simply follow the Ming River north, directly attacking Yumen Pass. Once Yumen Pass is blocked, the retreat route of their fifty thousand troops will be cut off.

He had considered similar scenarios, but Shang Jiexi always believed that by the time the Tang army broke through the numerous blockades and reached Yumen Pass, he would already be in Yizhou. Then he could requisition grain on the spot and quickly seize Tingzhou. Once Tingzhou fell, Xizhou would be easily within reach. At that time, he could then march south to attack the Tang people. Since his own supply route was short while the enemy's was long, if Li Ji refused to retreat, he would most likely suffer a major defeat at Yumen Pass.

Because their prior intelligence work was thorough, they knew the Tang had already abandoned Yizhou. However, even if they gathered troops from three prefectures in Tingzhou, they would only number around ten thousand, and their morale was low, their supplies insufficient, and their weapons incomplete. The only cause for concern was the Shatuo tribe. Shang Jiexi had already sent envoys to persuade them to surrender. If Zhu Xie remained loyal and submitted to Tibet, they could retain their original pastures around Lake Pulei. This tactic had always worked; after all, they were barbarians, not Tang people. What reason did they have to die for the Tang?

But Li Ji arrived so quickly... If the Tang army had attacked from the rear while I was attacking Tingzhou, the Tibetan army would have been doomed! And who knows, the Shatuo might have even defected to the Tang side in an instant...

Shang Jiexi was furious, and his generals also advised him to immediately return to rescue Jinchang and take the opportunity to defeat the Tang army. After all, his army numbered 50,000, and while they still had enough food and Jinchang had not yet fallen, they hoped to capture Li Ji in one fell swoop, or at least drive him back to Liangzhou.

However, Shang Jiexi slowly shook his head and said, "In that case, it is exactly what the Tang people want."

He felt that 5,000 men defending Jinchang shouldn't fall too quickly—he had confidence in his nephews and nieces, who were far from useless like Mang Re—and besides, the Tang, to save Beiting, would most likely send a force to monitor Jinchang while the main force marched north to take Yumen Pass. He had already been outside Yumen Pass for four full days, and then it would take another four days to turn back, the route being through desolate Gobi Desert. The prospect of retreating midway would inevitably have a negative impact on morale…

It would be better to take Yizhou first, then stabilize the Shatuo tribe, and after a short rest, return to the capital. The victory and new territory would then boost morale. If the Tang army pursues us from Yumen Pass, we can use our superior strength to wait for their exhaustion—try walking through such a desolate place! If the Tang army remains stationary at Yumen Pass, their prolonged presence will lower their guard, making them vulnerable to attack.

So he summoned General Qin Mingsi and ordered him to lead three thousand elite cavalry south to help defend Yumen Pass. He instructed him, "If the Tang people have already captured Yumen Pass, you should not attack rashly. You should go around to the north of the Great Marsh, where the water and grass are abundant and you can graze your horses. Take the opportunity to observe the Tang people's movements. If they intend to come out of the pass to pursue you, report to me immediately."

Qinmingsi received the order and left, while Shangjiexi continued to lead his troops northward, demanding that they speed up their advance and quickly capture Yiwu.

However, after traveling for another three days, the army reached Xingxing Gorge and received an urgent report that the Tang army had neither attacked Jinchang nor marched north to take Yumen Pass. Instead, they had marched westward from the south of Jinchang, along the foothills of the Qilian Mountains, heading towards Shazhou.

Shang Jiexi exclaimed in alarm, "This must be because the Tang people are running out of food supplies—I really underestimated Li Ji!"

The Qilian Mountains and the Daxue Mountains not only served as natural barriers separating Tibet from Hexi, but also, for hundreds of miles to the south, were mostly high-altitude deserts, sparsely populated, and difficult to traverse—only the Xihai area south of the eastern section of the Qilian Mountains was fertile with abundant water and grass, suitable for both farming and grazing. Therefore, Tibet had previously launched its campaigns from the Xihai area, invading Longyou to the east, attacking Hexi to the north, and then advancing westward along the Hexi Corridor to seize the three prefectures of Beiting.

At the same time, troops were also dispatched from the western Bolu region, passing through the eastern foothills of the Pamir Mountains, to attack the four towns of Anxi.

In other words, only the eastern and western ends are easy to reach, while the central plateau is simply not suitable for long-distance transport of enough provisions to supply tens of thousands of troops.

Therefore, Shang Jiexi's initial attack on Beiting was from Suzhou, but his logistical base was in Shazhou—because Suzhou was too poor. Shazhou, whose capital was Dunhuang, had sweet springs, lakes like Sishili and Dajing, and two salt lakes to the north and south, making it rich in resources and abundant in grain. Although both were aimed at cutting off the Tibetan army's retreat, if the Tang army remained in Guazhou and Suzhou, their own food supply would become a problem over time. However, if they easily captured Shazhou, not only would they no longer have to worry about food supplies, but they might also be able to win over the Tang people in Shazhou and the surrounding Hu tribes, instantly expanding their power.

If our army marches south, the Tang forces will be well-rested and ready. If our army is bogged down in Yizhou for too long, the Tang forces can seize the opportunity to capture Guazhou and block Yumen Pass. If both Guazhou and Shazhou fall, would Shang Jiexi dare to launch a fierce attack on Tingzhou and Xizhou, given the constant threat of attack from the rear? Even if we manage to capture the three prefectures of Beiting before the Tang forces completely block our retreat, we would still have to fight our way through Anxi and take a long detour before we can possibly return home.

As a high-ranking official, if he cannot return home for an extended period and sees no sign of victory for a considerable time, who knows if the Council of State might change hands?! The only consolation is that Zhang Sancheng's Ma Chongying, like many others, will not be able to return…

Li Ji's move was quite ruthless.

According to military reports, the Tang army left behind over 10,000 troops—an estimate that may be exaggerated—to build fortifications south of Jinchang to protect their own supply lines. They also sent allied Hu cavalry to raid the surrounding areas, relocating the few remaining Tang people to Suzhou, while subjugating and coercing the Hu tribes who had allied with the Tang. The main Tang army, estimated to be no fewer than 20,000, advanced westward. West of Jinchang, there were no strategic passes or heavily fortified positions; they could reach Dunhuang in seven days at most…

It was too late for Shang Jiexi to go back and save Shazhou now.

But he couldn't abandon the rescue. If he could quickly return and defeat the Tang army left to defend Jinchang, he could still cut off Li Ji's retreat while Li Ji was still establishing a foothold in Shazhou. At worst, he could ignore them, send his main force east, and see if they would come after him!

However, upon further reflection, Li Ji might have considered this possibility; leaving his retreat route empty, he was likely setting a trap for himself… Shang Jiexi repeatedly plotted and ultimately decided—to return south, but temporarily halt at Yumen Pass to gather intelligence on the Tang forces. If Li Ji did not rush back, I would quickly march south and breach the fortifications beneath Jinchang; if he returned east, then we would wait in ambush and engage him in a decisive battle on the west bank of the Ming River!

They hurriedly returned, traveling day and night, and arrived back at Yumen Pass in just five days to meet with Qin Mingsi. Qin Mingsi reported that the main force of the Tang army had indeed gone west, captured Changle County, and entered Shazhou territory. As for whether they had reached Dunhuang and the current state of the battle, it was unclear at the moment because there was only one road, which was blocked by the Tang army.

Shang Jiexi ordered the three armies to rest, have a hearty meal, and feed the warhorses plenty of fodder. Then, he said, "Tomorrow morning, we will head south to Jinchang. It's only a day's journey. If Li Ji doesn't return, we will attack Tang's stronghold no later than the day after tomorrow!"

He was of course unaware that Li Ji had not actually led the main force westward; he himself was right under the walls of Jinchang.

During the meeting that day, Wei Gao pointed out that if our army attacked Yumen Pass, we would leave Jinchang City behind us, which would put us at risk of being attacked from both sides. If we attacked Jinchang, it was said that although the city was small, the walls were high and the enemy army still had five thousand men. If we could not take it down in time and were forced to retreat and come back to rescue it, we would not have much of a chance of winning.

If we are to engage in a decisive battle with the barbarian army, it would be better to set up the battlefield south of Jinchang rather than between Yumen Pass and Jinchang—that way we only need to defend against enemies coming from one direction.