Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 186

Among the former generals of Shuofang, he did not dare to touch those with high reputations and important positions, such as Bai Yuanguang, the vanguard commander, and Chang Qianguang, the commander of the army. He only focused on winning over the Li Guangbi faction, which had been suppressed before. Among them, Chen Lizhen was the youngest and had a reputation for bravery. More importantly, after getting to know him, he found that the young man was not very cunning, so he promoted him to his side first.

He then diligently trained the soldiers—mainly the defense troops. As for the six battalions of auxiliary troops, they were given an important task: to dredge and repair the southern sections of the Han Canal and the Tanglai Canal.

Near the gorge, the Yellow River surges and drops dramatically, making it possible to dig canals to transport water northwards for irrigation. Li Ji took advantage of this, building numerous waterwheels and constructing a large number of workshops northwest of Mingsha City, following the old system of Weizhou. Jia Huai and Lao Huang were still in charge of these workshops, which were used to forge and repair weapons.

Because the area was rich in clay, in addition to salt ponds, Li Ji decided to build a pottery kiln to make ceramics as a side business. Unfortunately, despite Old Huang's efforts in gathering craftsmen and working tirelessly for several months, they only managed to produce some coarse porcelain, which could only be consumed internally and was impossible to export... Oh, exporting to the Uyghurs was possible, but poor Uyghurs didn't necessarily need much ceramics, and as for the Uyghur nobles, they had seen plenty of fine celadon and white porcelain from Tang China and didn't even look at it.

After Li Ji finished his work, he received a letter from Yang Yan in Lingzhou, scolding him that although the autumn harvest was approaching, Shuofang Town was not supported by land taxes. He said, "General, you can't just spend money recklessly without a plan. Can you please restrain yourself a little? Otherwise, I won't wait until next year's reform. I'll pack my bags and leave tomorrow!"

Li Ji quickly replied, explaining in detail what he had done, saying that I had long-term goals and that none of my ventures were one-off deals; these investments were necessary. Of course, I also knew that the treasury was empty and that managing finances was not easy for Mr. Yang… Alright, that's enough for now. I won't launch any new projects before the New Year.

Unfortunately, the time for autumn harvest preparations soon arrived, and Li Ji was forced to give up a large sum of money again.

As Li Ji predicted, the main direction of the Tibetan attack this autumn was still Anxi and Beiting. However, they also dispatched a small number of troops to gather in Longyou, forcing the Tang court to recall troops from various towns in Guanzhong and block the Qin-Long line. Inevitably, some court officials submitted memorials, saying that in order to protect the Western Capital, the court was forced to mobilize a large amount of grain and supplies every year for autumn defense, but the Tibetans did not necessarily invade Longyou every year. Thus, they were at ease while we were exhausted, and their feigned military movements depleted our endless resources—this was not a long-term solution.

Everyone understood the principle, but the problem was that no one could come up with a good solution. Li Yu summoned his key ministers and held meetings for several days, but the final result was still the same: urge Shuofang to send troops westward.

The main purpose of this move was to tie down the Tibetan troops, preventing them from launching a full-scale attack on Anxi and Beiting, and even forcing them to divert troops from the western front to reinforce the east—you can mobilize me every year, so I must make you exhausted; moreover, if this could ascertain the exact number of Tibetan troops in Longyou, and lure them to the north to rescue, then the Tang troops in Guanzhong would have a chance to cross Longdi and recover Longyou.

Shan and Kuo dared not think about it at first, but hoped to recover Qin and Wei prefectures and open up the main road to Jiannan Road.

The general strategy was roughly the same as last year, but when the imperial edict reached Lingzhou, Hun Shizhi refused to send a single soldier—because there was no money or provisions for the expedition. This year's situation was no better than last year, and Li Ji had only recently taken up his post; hoping he would quickly have sufficient food and troops for a large-scale westward advance was, of course, wishful thinking. Therefore, the Tang court ultimately decided that, in addition to the annual fixed amount of grain and two million bolts of silk, Hedong would send an extra 50,000 hu of grain to Shuofang, and Chang'an would also allocate an extra 200,000 coins…

Now that we've given you the travel expenses, Shuofang can't keep making excuses, can he?

Upon receiving the report, Li Ji hurriedly returned to Lingzhou to receive the imperial decree. He then summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures. Hun Shizhi was the first to state his position: "The military commander is currently training a new army at Mingsha, which has cost more than in previous years, resulting in an even drier treasury. The funds allocated by the court are merely a drop in the ocean—it is truly not advisable to send troops."

Li Ji frowned and said, "The Vice Envoy's words are reasonable, but if we collect money and grain, yet refuse to send troops against the imperial decree, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain." He unfolded a map and pointed it out to the generals: "Currently, the main force of the barbarian rebels is on the western front, in Hexi and Longyou. The garrison there must be few troops, and the court has not ordered me to recover those two places, but only to contain the barbarian rebels so that they cannot focus all their efforts on Anxi and Beiting. Therefore, my idea is to send only a few battalions from the Mingsha Army, using Xinquan Garrison as a base, and gradually approach Herong City..."

"If Herong City is easy to capture, then we can attack and conquer it, which will threaten Changsong and Guzang, and the barbarian bandits will not dare not come to our aid; if Herong City is already heavily fortified, then our army can make a show of force for a few days and return with the whole army, which will be a satisfactory explanation to the court."

We are only ordered to harass and contain, so we don't need too many troops or consume too much money and food. Although the imperial court's reward is limited, it would be painful to return it directly.

Upon hearing this, all the generals nodded in agreement. But then Bai Yuanguang immediately requested permission, saying, "Since the Mingsha Army is newly formed, it may not be suitable for use. There is no need for the commander to take action; this humble general will lead the Dingyuan City Army on this mission."

Immediately, Chang Qianguang, Hou Zhongzhuang, He Youxian, and others also volunteered.

The main reason was that, according to Li Ji, there was no risk involved in this trip, and it might even just be an armed demonstration; therefore, even if their own troops didn't achieve any great merit, they would still have put in the effort and could earn some credit.

Li Ji thought to himself, "If they don't send troops, fine. But if they do, I will definitely lead them myself." Firstly, he hadn't dealt with the barbarians for a long time and was itching to do so; secondly, he could take this opportunity to personally observe the situation in Hexi and make some preparations in advance for the future westward advance to recover Gansu and Liangzhou.

Furthermore, only by personally leading troops can one truly gain fame and recognition; otherwise, the credit and renown will go to other generals, and one will not reap much benefit. If the Shuofang Army were all under one's control and willing to serve, then there would be no need for the commander to compete with his subordinates for credit. But now…

It was inconvenient to reject all the generals' requests, so it was finally decided that Li Ji would personally lead four battalions of Mingsha soldiers to go first, and Bai Yuanguang would lead four battalions of Dingyuan City troops to Xinquan to join them—a total of four thousand soldiers, all of whom were cavalry.

In mid-September, Li Ji led his troops away from Mingsha. The four cavalry battalions under his command were respectively led by generals Chen Lizhen, Wei Gao, Gao Chongwen, and Li Fengguo, with Yin Shen and Yan Zhuang serving as military advisors.

Traveling west along the Yellow River, they arrived at Feng'an Army five days later, where the envoy Ren Fu opened the city gates to greet them.

Li Ji, however, did not enter the city immediately. Instead, he rode to a high mound, looked around, and then sighed, "What a pity, what a pity..."

Feng'an Army is located south of the Yellow River, and like the area around Lingzhou, it has abundant water resources. Even cultivating just a ten-mile stretch along the river would be enough to support 50,000 to 80,000 farmers. However, Lingzhou is bordered by the Helan Mountains to the west, while Feng'an Army is surrounded by endless grasslands and deserts to the north, offering absolutely no natural defenses…

It would be extremely difficult for a large military force to invade Han territory from the south through this area—supply and transportation would be difficult to keep up—but the raids and plundering by small groups of nomadic tribes were impossible to stop. As a result, the fertile land remained vacant, but no one dared to settle or cultivate it for long.

The establishment of Feng'an Army was solely for the purpose of securing the Hebei passage between Ling and Liang prefectures, making it a purely military fortress. During the Tianbao era, it was staffed with 8,000 soldiers and 1,300 horses. As for the non-military population, there were only 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers and their families, most of whom lived near the city and could be withdrawn into the city at any time. The land they cultivated was only a few thousand acres, and most of them still made a living by animal husbandry.

After repeated destruction and chaos, Feng'an Army is now far weaker than before, with many parts of the city in ruins and unable to be properly repaired. Upon entering the city, Li Ji inquired with Ren Fu and learned that the current population within its jurisdiction is only about two thousand, while the number of soldiers is around four thousand, and warhorses are extremely scarce…

Li Ji had originally intended to bring more troops from Feng'an Army, but seeing the situation, he had to give up. He then instructed Ren Fu to do everything in his power to ensure the army's supply lines, and at the same time selected thirty to fifty brave men to serve as guides.

After a day's rest, they continued westward, arriving at the opposite bank of the Yellow River four days later. Wulan City was guarded by the Xinquan Garrison, with fortresses built on both banks to protect the passage. This city originally belonged to Huizhou, but after the Tianbao era, it was under the jurisdiction of the Hexi Jiedushi (military governor). Only after Liangzhou fell to the Tibetans and Hexi was abolished did it revert to its former administrative system, belonging to the Guannei Circuit.

Li Ji's troops were temporarily resting on the Hebei outpost at Xinquan. Before Bai Yuanguang and his Dingyuan City troops could arrive to join them, a small boat crossed the waves and approached the north bank. Immediately, a general in purple robes leaped aboard.

Upon receiving the report, Li Ji rushed to greet him, took his hand, and said, "How could I dare trouble Commander Bai to come in person?"

—This man is Bai Xiaode, the military governor of Anxi and Beiting.

Bai Xiaode, with his high nose, deep-set eyes, and curly beard, was clearly not Han Chinese—he was a descendant of the royal family of Kucha. In the twenty-second year of the Zhenguan era, the Tang army pursued the Western Turks into the Western Regions, defeating and conquering Kucha, Yanqi, and other kingdoms, and establishing the Anxi Protectorate, whose capital was in Kucha. It is said that Bai Xiaode often played near the Tang camp as a child, and influenced by this, he joined the Tang army as an adult, accumulating merits and rising to the rank of lieutenant. During the An Lushan Rebellion, Li Qijun, the chief administrator of the Anxi Protectorate, selected seven thousand elite troops to march west to defend the emperor, and Bai Xiaode was among them.

During the Battle of Heyang, Bai Xiaode, under the command of Li Guangbi, killed Liu Longxian, a valiant general in Shi Siming's army, and thus rose to fame. Li Ji also became acquainted with him and at that time had a strong desire to compete with him.

After the fall of Heyang, the Anxi and Beiting military commands retreated to Yicheng in Hezhong. Due to the tyranny of the military governor Li Feiyuanli, a mutiny broke out, resulting in his execution. The army then unanimously elected Bai Xiaode as their leader, and the Tang court, left with no other option, had to retroactively recognize him. Once Hebei was pacified, the Tang court gradually dismissed the military governor of Hezhong, transferred the troops stationed there, and moved the Anxi and Beiting military commands to Huizhou to secure Huining Pass.

Therefore, Xinquan Garrison should theoretically be under Bai Xiaode's command. Since Li Ji wanted to use Xinquan Garrison as an advance base, he couldn't have failed to send someone to inform Bai Xiaode beforehand. But he didn't expect that Bai Xiaode would actually cross the river and come over on his own.

After being ushered into the tent and exchanging pleasantries, Bai Xiaode asked, "Commander Li, is your intention to recapture Liangzhou in one fell swoop on this expedition?"

Li Ji was taken aback upon hearing this, then replied, "Although I have received the imperial order, it is merely to restrain the barbarian rebels and prevent them from using their full strength to conquer Anxi and Beiting. Besides, as you can see, I have only brought a few thousand soldiers; how could I possibly have the strength to recover Liangzhou?"

Bai Xiaode stared intently at Li Ji, his eyes gleaming, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "If Commander Li has this intention, the five thousand men of Xizhou from Huizhou are willing to follow in his footsteps!"

Chapter Six: True and False Barbarians

When Li Qijun sent 7,000 elite troops from Anxi to the east to defend the emperor, Beiting also sent troops. Together with the troops brought by Yuchi Sheng, the king of Khotan, they formed the Anxi and Beiting expeditionary forces.

However, after several fierce battles, the number of soldiers in the camp dwindled day by day, and they could not be replenished. Not many deserted, though, because their hometowns were too far away and they could not return. Now, there were only a little over five thousand soldiers left, and they were short of supplies and food was hard to come by.

Bai Xiaode poured out his grievances to Li Ji, saying that the sons of Xizhou had been craning their necks westward every day, yearning to return home, but alas, Liangzhou had been captured by barbarian rebels, followed by Gansu and other prefectures, cutting off their roads. Being unable to return home was already tragic enough, but in recent years, the barbarian rebels had also plotted to seize Anxi and Beiting! Watching helplessly as their homeland fell into enemy hands, yet being unable to contribute any strength, the soldiers' anguish was self-evident.

Bai Xiaode said, “I have submitted memorials several times, earnestly requesting that troops be dispatched to recover Liangzhou. My sons from Xizhou are willing to be the vanguard, but the court is in dire straits, possessing only the strength to defend and lacking the power to counterattack. Recently, my soldiers have been deserting daily, saying that even if the journey is fraught with danger and death, they hope to die in their hometown, alongside their families, rather than die far from home in the Central Plains…”

"Especially since there are many Hu people in the army, if they hear that their tribes have fallen into the hands of the barbarian bandits, they may very well surrender to the barbarians on the battlefield... Commander Li is the emperor's favorite general and has been ordered to guard Shuofang, bearing a heavy responsibility. If he can lead his troops westward, recover Gansu and Liangzhou, and open up the Western Regions, all the sons of Xizhou will be willing to die for Commander Li!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow, but he still tried to comfort Bai Xiaode, saying, "Anxi and Beiting are like an arm of the court; how can we easily abandon them? Moreover, when I was in Longyou, I had comrades-in-arms Guo Xin and Li Yuanzhong, who are now all in the western frontier, constantly thinking of going to their aid. This time, having been ordered to take charge of Shuofang, I intend to advance and recover Gansu and Liangzhou..."

"It's just that the time isn't right yet—I've only just taken command of Shuofang, the morale of the army is not yet settled, and we're short of money and supplies. So today I can only bring these four thousand troops here to provide some support for Anxi and Beiting."

Seeing the disappointment in Bai Xiaode's eyes, Li Ji hurriedly pointed to the sky and swore, "If I do not die, and after accumulating strength for a few years, I will surely request the Emperor's decree to launch a major westward expedition. If I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning and die a violent death!"

Judging from Bai Xiaode's expression, he didn't seem to quite believe it... but he was already quite grateful that Li Ji was willing to make such a statement. So he waved his hand and said, "General Li, there's no need for such a solemn oath. In my opinion, if the court continues to struggle, that's fine. But if there is a day when we have to expel the barbarians, then only Lord Guo and General Li can lead the army and achieve great merit. Alas, Lord Guo is getting old, and I don't know how many more days he can enjoy his retirement..."

Li Ji thought to himself that even if Guo Ziyi was young and strong, it wouldn't work. Li Yu would never trust him to lead a large army... Even if Li Shi became emperor, it probably wouldn't work either.

"...Therefore, all we sons of Xizhou can hope for is Commander Li. We earnestly request Commander Li not to forget his original intention, to have pity on us, to accumulate grain without ceasing, and to train troops without stopping, so that we may one day recover Gansu and Liangzhou."

In fact, what Bai Xiaode longed for most was to become the commander of the Western Expeditionary Army and personally lead his men from Xizhou back to their hometown. Unfortunately, this was not realistic. Firstly, he was already over fifty years old and his energy was declining, no longer as brave as he used to be. Secondly, he only led five thousand soldiers and had no special opportunities, so the court could not expand his army on a large scale.

Ultimately, he rose to power as a subordinate officer after Li Feiyuanli's murder, supported by his soldiers. Although the court was forced to accept it reluctantly, it was impossible for the emperor and prime minister to have no grudges.

That's why I came here specifically to urge Li Ji to go and recover Liangzhou, but judging from the situation, it's unlikely that the Shuofang army will be able to launch a major offensive this year... So I pleaded, "I am willing to assist with a force to follow Commander Li on his western expedition. I humbly request Commander Li's permission."

Li Ji hesitated for a moment, but finally told the truth: "I am deeply grateful for General Bai's willingness to lend a helping hand, and I have no reason not to agree. However, Shuofang is really short of money and food..." Don't think you can take this opportunity to bring the Anxi and Beiting camps over and eat my military rations—because I know that you are even poorer than me!

Bai Xiaode couldn't help but laugh awkwardly, cupping his hands and saying, "They are only a few hundred elite troops. I was worried that if they stayed in Huizhou for too long, their armor would become brittle. So I asked Commander Li to lead them to Liangzhou to test their strength against the barbarian bandits..."

Li Ji thought to himself that with only a few hundred people, he wouldn't be unable to support them for just a few months, and immediately agreed. Bai Xiaode then took his leave.

However, Li Ji did not expect that although the Anxi and Beiting expeditionary forces that eventually crossed the river to the north were indeed less than a thousand, they had more than eight hundred soldiers! He couldn't help but recall when he asked a few hundred soldiers to rescue Ma Lin and challenge Cheng Yuanzhen to a duel, and finally got nine hundred and ninety-nine cavalrymen... This can be considered karma in this life, right?

Surprisingly, the general leading the troops was an acquaintance, Gao Tinghui, who had surrendered to Li Guangbi in Heyang.

Bai Xiaode had also given this matter considerable thought. He knew that most of his generals and soldiers were arrogant—otherwise they wouldn't have rebelled and killed Li Feiyuanli—and he feared they would disobey orders and anger Li Ji. Only Gao Tinghui was not a former general of Anxi and Beiting, but was transferred after the Battle of Heyang. Moreover, he had fought against Li Ji on the battlefield and could be considered a prisoner captured by Li Ji. He believed that Gao Tinghui would not dare to easily provoke Li Ji.

Several days later, Bai Yuanguang finally arrived. Li Ji then ordered the troops of Dingyuan City, along with the armies of Anxi and Beiting, to advance towards Liangzhou and directly attack Herong City, while he himself led the Mingsha troops a day behind. Chen Lizhen, Gao Chongwen, and others privately came to volunteer to go first, explicitly stating that they did not trust Bai Yuanguang—

"Although the Mingsha Army is newly trained, most of the soldiers sent out today are strong troops from Weibo brought by the military governor from Hebei. Even if they encounter the main force of the barbarian bandits, they can fight ten against one. Although the Dingyuan City troops are said to be elite, they have not faced the enemy for several years and may not be able to be used. Moreover, Bai Yuanguang is arrogant and domineering. He may not be willing to fight to the death when facing a strong enemy, and he will be tempted by small gains when facing a weak enemy. It is not advisable to send him to lead the way."

Li Ji smiled at them: "If you portray the Dingyuan City troops as so incompetent, then they cannot be sent ahead. Are you really going to leave them behind to serve as the rearguard?"

Everyone remained silent. Li Ji waved his hand: "I have my own considerations. You may all leave now."

West of the Yellow River, the terrain gradually rises, and amidst the wilderness, towering peaks emerge abruptly—these are Mount Pipa and Mount Guzang South. During the Tang Dynasty, several outposts, including Zhangye and Wucheng, were established on the plateau south of these mountains, but all have since been captured by the Tubo (Tibetan) forces. More than sixty years ago, Guo Yuanzhen, the governor of Liangzhou and the military commissioner of Longyou, built Herong City on the mountain pass, which controlled the strategic passes of Liangzhou and Lanzhou, making its location extremely important.

According to previous reconnaissance, after capturing Herong City, the Tibetans left only three or four hundred soldiers to garrison it. Li Ji hoped to take advantage of the Tang army's relative familiarity with the terrain and fortifications to launch a surprise attack and attempt to recapture it in one fell swoop. If Herong were captured, there would be no more strategic passes between Changsong and Guzang to the north; to the south, there would be an opportunity to threaten Guangwu, a key town in Lanzhou. In short, the Tibetans would not ignore this, and would certainly send troops to block it, whether to the south or the north.

If the barbarian troops between Lan, Wei, Qin, and Long move north, the Tang army gathered in Dazhen Guandong may be able to take advantage of the situation to launch an attack; if the barbarian troops in Changsong and Guzang move south, the defense of the Hexi region will be weak, and I believe Ma Chongying will no longer dare to exert all his strength to attack Anxi and Beiting.

Taking Herong City head-on, even if it doesn't kill the enemy with a single arrow, will at least deliver a blow near their vital points.

Of course, this is based on the assumption that the war is progressing smoothly and that Herong City can be captured in a short time. However, Herong City is located in a strategically important location, and although the defending forces are not numerous, the attacking side does not have ten times the strength... The possibility of failing to capture it is also very high. Even if the siege fails, it is still possible to mobilize the barbarian troops from the north and south to come to the rescue. However, if attacked from both sides, our own army will be in a dangerous situation. When to take the initiative to retreat requires careful consideration and a decisive decision.

The Tang army came from the east, but upon reaching Herong City, they had to attack from the north. If they failed to capture Herong, they wouldn't threaten the heart of Liangzhou; their most likely predicament would be an attack from the Tibetan army in Lanzhou to the south. However, the area north of Herong City was flat, while the south was a treacherous mountain pass followed by a relatively gentler, narrow valley, which was advantageous for the Tang army, whose forces were small but mostly composed of valiant cavalry. Therefore, Li Ji tightly controlled the troops he had brought from Mingsha, not committing them to the initial assault, but instead intending to use them to block the Tibetan reinforcements from Lanzhou.

However, he never expected that his troops had just stepped onto the plateau when a report came: "He Rong City has fallen in one fell swoop!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was quite surprised and hurriedly asked, "How did you manage to capture it?"

The knight who delivered the report said, "General Bai approached the city under cover of night, suddenly lit fires and beat drums, and then led the charge into the city. The barbarian rebels panicked and fell into chaos, with over a hundred heads cut off, and the rest fled through the north gate!"

Li Ji couldn't help but look back at his generals, all of whom looked ashamed—look at you guys, still talking badly about Bai Yuanguang and the soldiers of Dingyuan City! They are incredibly brave!

So he led his troops forward hastily and met Bai Yuanguang in Herong City. Bai Yuanguang, beaming with pride, displayed the heads of the enemy soldiers he had captured, asking Li Ji to examine them. Li Ji looked closely and frowned. He then flicked the heads with his whip, turned away, and coldly asked, "You say these are all barbarian bandits? Have you never seen barbarians before?!"

Bai Yuanguang smiled somewhat awkwardly, cupped his hands and said, "They are indeed all mixed Hu and Western Qiang... However, many Hu and Qiang are affiliated with the Tibetans, and it is actually the Tibetans who are guarding this peaceful city. In the end, they are all enemy soldiers, that is for sure—how could this humble general dare to kill innocent people and claim credit?"

Li Ji, however, still frowned, refusing to relax. He then summoned the dozens of generals and soldiers who had contributed to the battle, as reported by Bai Yuanguang, and questioned them in detail about the situation that day. He asked them, "When you fought in the city, were you all Qiang and Hu? Did you not see a single real barbarian?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances before reporting, "It was a night battle, and everyone was fully armored... even those without helmets wore felt hats. In the darkness, it was truly difficult to distinguish whether there were any genuine barbarians..."

Li Ji stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, remaining silent for a long time.

Generally, nomadic peoples are distinguished mainly by their clothing and hairstyles. Since all that has been presented are severed heads, clothing is out of the question, so we can only look at their hair. Most of the Qiang and Hu people in Longyou and Hexi shave their heads, some shaving the top of their heads, some shaving the sides, some shaving more, some less, some wearing their remaining hair loose, some braiding it – all are different, to be honest, even Li Ji found it difficult to distinguish them clearly. However, the Tibetans do not shave their heads; men wear their hair loose and women braid it. Most importantly, they customarily apply ochre powder to their faces – probably to even out their high-altitude ruddy complexion.

The heads presented by Bai Yuanguang now almost all showed signs of shaved heads, and none had ochre faces, indicating they were all mixed Hu and Western Qiang tribes, with not a single genuine Tibetan. Although the Qiang and Hu tribes of Longyou and Hexi had basically all submitted to Tibet—those still loyal to the Tang had long since migrated inland—appearing on the battlefield as auxiliary troops was commonplace. However, Li Ji considered that Herong City was a strategic pass. Even if Tibet didn't value it, they wouldn't simply rely on Qiang and Hu without sending any genuine Tibetans to guard it, would they?

What a coincidence! All the Zhenfan people escaped, and we couldn't even get a single head?

After hesitating for a moment, he suddenly remembered and asked, "Where is Gao Tinghui?"

Bai Yuanguang reported, "General Gao led the troops of Anxi and Beiting to pursue the defeated enemy at Xiayuan. He had just received the report that he had arrived at the city of Changsong..." The distance between Herong and Changsong is only forty or fifty li.

Li Ji stamped his foot in exasperation: "Who told him to go to Changsong?!"

Bai Yuanguang said, "Since He Rong City was captured in one fell swoop, it can be seen that the enemy's garrison is weak, or they are all Hu and Qiang. General Gao should go to Changsong City to observe the enemy's strength and see if it can be taken... I have already lent him several hundred warhorses. Even if we encounter the enemy, we should be able to return safely. Commander, do not worry."

Just then, a messenger arrived with news: "General Gao has arrived at the walls of Changsong City. The barbarian bandits were terrified and fled in disarray when they saw us—Changsong is now an empty city!"

Li Ji immediately ordered: "General Gao is not to advance into Changsong City without permission... He must immediately lead his troops back to Herong!"

The generals all expressed their confusion. Li Ji explained, "If He Rong City were to fall, that would be one thing, but Chang Song is the southern gateway to Guzang. If Chang Song is not defended, Guzang will be in grave danger. The barbarian bandits have been occupying Liangzhou for more than a day. How could they not know the key to this? Now that He Rong has fallen so easily and Chang Song has also been abandoned, and we haven't seen a single real barbarian here, we suspect it's a trap to lure us in!"

"Last year, the court ordered Shuofang to send troops to attack Liangzhou to contain the rebels. Many people know about this, and the spies of the barbarian rebels in Chang'an must also know. So how could they not be worried about our Shuofang army coming from the west when they attack Anxi and Beiting again this year? They have probably already set a trap, using He Rong and Changsong as bait, wanting to annihilate us on the plains!"

Bai Yuanguang retorted, “If the barbarian bandits want to surround my mountains, that is still a concern. But if they want to make me descend to the plains, they will be courting death! Commander, there is no need to be afraid.”

Li Ji let out a long breath and patiently explained, “Do not underestimate the barbarian bandits. Although they are skilled in mountain warfare and their cavalry is inferior to our Tang, we have lost Gansu and Liangzhou, while they have gained them. Our pastures have all fallen into their hands. How can we not look at them with new eyes? Moreover, if we go down to Ping, the barbarian bandits will surely block the valleys south of the mountains with their troops, cutting off our supply lines. In that case, there is no need for us to fight. We only need to hold Guzang, and we will be doomed! The road from the north of the mountains to Xinquan is mostly Gobi Desert and barren land. It will be difficult to find a water source for several days, and this is the only way we can go... If the barbarian bandits take advantage of the situation to pursue and kill us, we may all be wiped out!”

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuanguang couldn't help but gasp.

Li Ji immediately ordered his men to go south to investigate, and that evening they received a report: "Many barbarian flags have been spotted south of the mountains!"

Li Ji sighed, "Just as I expected..." then stamped his foot, "Why hasn't Gao Tinghui returned yet?!"

Chapter Seven, A Perfect Son-in-Law from the Hao Family

Li Ji had indeed stepped into a trap, and this trap was tailor-made for him.

Li Ji's appointment as the military governor of Shuofang was still in summer, but the news had already been reported to Luoxie by spies. Ma Chongying couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache - he had suffered from Li Ji's mistakes more than once or twice, and before, Li Ji was only a deputy commander in Longyou, but now he was the commander of a region. If this guy were to control the powerful Shuofang army, he would definitely be a major threat to Tibet!

He then discussed the matter repeatedly with his confidants and came to the conclusion that: "This autumn, when I send troops to attack Anxi and Beiting, Li Ji will surely lead the Shuofang army westward to plot against Liangzhou!"

Firstly, the Tang court had made such a decision last year, but at that time Shuofang was without a ruler, and there was a shortage of money and food, and the soldiers did not obey orders, so it could not be carried out; now that Li Ji is in charge of Shuofang, he is a favorite general of the Tang emperor, and he will surely replenish the food and food, and he will certainly not dare to disobey the Tang court's order.

Secondly, given Li Ji's personality, he is happy to hear about war. If there is an opportunity to recover Hexi, why wouldn't he come?

After repeated discussions, it was determined that the Shuofang Army could move westward in two directions: one was to pass through Herong City and directly attack the heart of Liangzhou; the other was to head south through Huining Pass and attack Lanzhou.

The first route is relatively shorter and more convenient, and if Guzang can be captured and Liangzhou recovered, the threat to the Tubo will be greater; the second route is more circuitous and has a higher safety factor, but it is not of much value in the overall war situation.

Ma Chongying said, "Li Ji is used to taking risks, and he will most likely come from the northern route. Although the northern route is narrow and difficult for a large army to travel, Li Ji is good at leading a few hundred elite troops to take us by surprise and win the battle. If he takes the southern route, his momentum will be great and he will not be able to deceive us. It will not be too late to observe his momentum and then deploy our troops."

Therefore, it was decided to set a trap for Li Ji in the northern route, lure him to Xiaping, occupy Changsong, cut off his retreat, and then send a large army to encircle and annihilate him.

"Even if we cannot capture Li Ji, we should at least severely weaken his power so that Shuofang will never dare to look at our Tubo with a second glance again! Moreover, if the Tang emperor is furious after the defeat and transfers him away from Shuofang, that would be the best outcome."

Ma Chongying deliberately reduced the number of troops on the western front—because for the vast, sparsely populated, and heavily fortified Western Regions, where the Tang army was very determined to defend, it was necessary to take a long and slow approach. It was meaningless to send hundreds of thousands of troops at once in the hope of achieving victory in one day—and instead, he kept a large number of troops hidden in Liang and Lan prefectures.

Among them, General Qilibuzang was stationed at Guangwu, leading a combined force of 20,000 barbarian and Qiang troops. Their main task was to promptly advance north and cut off the Shuofang army's retreat. If the Shuofang army actually came from Huining Pass in the southern route, they should return to defend Jincheng, the capital of Lanzhou, to await reinforcements. Ma Chongying personally led 30,000 infantry and cavalry, hiding in the area north of Guzang, as the main force to attack the Shuofang army. If Li Ji took Lanzhou from the south, he would send an elite force through Herong City and westward to threaten Huizhou, forcing the Tang army to return.

The arrangements were made, the bait was laid, and all that remained was for the fish to take the bait. Although some expressed dissatisfaction, saying that the Shuofang army numbered at most 50,000, and it was impossible for them to send all of them out, and that the northern road was narrow, so if they were to march towards Herong City, they would only be able to send 10,000 troops at most. They argued that it was really necessary to deploy 50,000 troops from both the north and south to deal with them.

Ma Chongying's response was: "I will not be at peace as long as Li Ji lives!"

The other party secretly scoffed: "Tch, you just want to regain the face you lost in the Battle of Linfan..."

Ma Chongying actually overestimated Li Ji. Even with Li Ji's abilities, he had only been stationed in Shuofang for half a year—moreover, he had also made a trip to the Uyghurs, wasting several months—which was not enough to completely grasp military power. Therefore, his westward expedition this year was purely for harassment and containment, and he had no intention of recovering an inch of Liangzhou.

Even if we successfully capture Herong City, we will eventually have to abandon it, because the city is located either near Liang or Lan, and when both the northern and southern states are in the hands of the enemy, there is no point in holding it for long.

Thus, Li Ji could only muster four thousand cavalry, and even with reinforcements from Anxi and Beiting, the total number was no more than fifty thousand. In contrast, without Ma Chongying's strategy, the Tibetans guarding Liang and Lan prefectures, along with various Hu and Qiang tribes who joined the army, numbered no less than twenty thousand. If the Tang army moved slowly and was surrounded by multiple enemy forces, becoming trapped in the southern mountains of Guzang, even if they ultimately won, they would suffer heavy losses.

Therefore, Li Ji led only cavalry, in order to be quick in and out of the way and not easily trapped by the enemy; at the same time, he kept his eyes wide open and his ears perked up, paying close attention to the surrounding situation at all times, in order to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation. If it were a large army of 20,000 to 30,000 men surging westward, he probably wouldn't have been so cautious.