The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 329 River Pass
At the foot of Xiqing Mountain, the lush grasslands of the He Guan region of the Han Dynasty were suddenly struck by a calamity sweeping in from the east.

The broad-shouldered, stout, and round-faced army of the Holy Tang Dynasty, riding their rough, mane-covered warhorses, galloped in on an ordinary morning, trampling villages, capturing prisoners, and plundering men and women. Wu Xiong led the charge, using force and reason to compel the various tribes to submit. He provided the army with provisions and supplies, and even recruited able-bodied men and women as auxiliary troops to bolster their strength.

The Holy Emperor Yuanhuang has granted him the power to act expediently, allowing him to bestow official titles and promises upon local powerful figures, military leaders, and chieftains in the name of the empire.

Those unwilling to pledge allegiance, Wu Erlang would naturally show no mercy. Along the way, he had ruthlessly slaughtered several towns and villages, leaving no one alive, butchering and cooking them. After eating the meat, he would hang the skeletons by the roadside.

The sudden westward expansion of the Tang Dynasty shocked the Tibetan prefectures and counties, leaving them reeling.

The territory of the barbarians was now in utter chaos! Royal rule extended only to the vicinity of Lhasa. Elsewhere, various outlaws vied for power, either carving out their own territories or swallowing up weaker ones in pursuit of greater strength. The common people lived in hellish terror! The suffering there was no less than that in the Central Plains.

In the Heguan area, the people of Xituyuhun, Liuzhou Dangxiang, and Tubo lived together.

The fall of the Tibetan Empire and the restoration of the Tang Dynasty were already a fait accompli, and the banner of the Tianhan Empire had already penetrated deep into the heart of the western lands several years ago.

However, while the rebels relentlessly pursued the remnants of the royal family, they were also pacifying the plateau. Meanwhile, various factions of the Zanpu (Tibetan king) were raising banners and continuing their bloodlines in different places. In the Heguan region, the winds of change were still uncertain. Everyone could only develop their own strength and protect themselves, awaiting a clearer outcome.

When the iron hooves of the Tibetans, which had become a nightmare for the He, Wei, Yuan, Ling, and Liang regions, suddenly arrived with a torrent of bloody bones and human heads from enemy tribes or in-law families, the reactions of these places were naturally not much of a surprise.

Most of them surrendered, humbly and submissively bowing to the fully armed iron men and the soft-spoken King Liang. Time and again, they pressed their foreheads to the ground, declaring themselves worshippers of the Daoist patriarch, or subservient, loyal, diligent, and peaceful servants sent by the Medicine King and the deities ruling the snowy plateau. Then they sang and danced for King Liang, providing everything the army needed. Warhorses? Plenty. Livestock and women? Plenty. The land was a slave society; slaves who ate pig feed and slept in sheepfolds were readily offered.

In a short time, the iron cavalry followed closely behind and to the left and right flanks, forming a dense, chaotic mass of soldiers.

The strong men and women provided by each family, chieftain, and headman took care of the supplies, repaired the roads, gathered information, served as guides for the army, and swept away any forces, large or small, that had not yet heard of the threat or submitted. They also mended armor for the warriors, cooked meals, fetched water, chopped wood, and fed the horses.

These captives were unaware that the Tang army, brimming with murderous intent, consisted of only a mere ten thousand men, plus some local militia and laborers from Guanzhong, totaling around twenty thousand. The main force was still being held up by Zhu Dalang on the route from Youfufeng to Jincheng.

Over there, he was being held by the thigh by the little thief Zhu, who was thousands of miles away, and dared not go too far!
The time for the Holy Emperor Yuanhuang to unleash his full power was far from over.

Yet, with only about 20,000 people, they were able to oppress them.

In this chaotic world, the sheer number of ten thousand soldiers, their banners gleaming and their ranks flowing like a machine gun, was incredibly imposing, especially considering that this army was equipped to the teeth with the highest standards of the time. Men were clad in armor, horses draped in red, camel caravans alongside mule trains, and a full complement of light and heavy weapons and equipment. Captured heads and ears were piled high on their bodies and carts. Everywhere, there were flamboyant, colorful banners identifying ranks and commanders. Wherever they went, they kicked up dust storms. The visual impact and the terror they instilled in the people of that era were far beyond the imagination of those living in a society powered by firearms.

Furthermore, the Great Khanate is currently extremely fragile! Apart from the Snowfield Royal Court and some larger prefectures, with their rebellious forces and powerful lords, the rest of the people and lands have lost the will to resist any enemy, regardless of their origin!

Buddha's disciples are divine beings! Buddha's disciples are divine beings!
Sometimes they really wanted to kneel down at the foot of the mountains and shout: "Where is the great Buddhist disciple who commands heroes and unifies the four directions, the god of our religion?"

Is this the end of the Great Fan's fortunes?

The devastating news of the Tang dogs' massive invasion spread like a plague up the snowy plateau, westward, northward, and southward, through these transitional areas where they had sought refuge, until it shook the barbarian kingdom!
.........

In the enemy territory, dawn broke and night seemed to fall much later.

Even at this hour, the golden sunlight still shines on those ancient, ugly, and desolate black mountains.

The grassland, bathed in a pale blue twilight, was already fortified with walls.

The walls were covered with torches made of human skin, and the strong wind pulled the flames inward, casting many shadowy figures.

Everyone watched the scene outside the tent with trepidation.

The warriors rested before even entering the camp, instead lighting a bonfire on a grassy stream outside the village to brew tea and roast meat. A large herd of warhorses were kept near the stream to graze and drink, while laborers, leading auxiliary soldiers who had just changed masters, sat or stood tending to the livestock, occasionally adding bean fodder.

All the soldiers, having removed their black turbans, sanitary napkin headbands, and silver-black iron armor, still carried their modified belts laden with water pouches, dried meat, whips, and other items, as well as daggers tucked into their boots and secondary weapons such as swords hanging beside their bellies.

They sat around the campfire, taking off their boots to roast the meat.

Spears, axes, and armor were sitting right under my buttocks, or within half a foot of me.

They just chatted and laughed, their spirits soaring, dancing and singing the Showa ditties of the Li Tang imperial family, such as "Ruyi Niang," "Nangong Yin," "Yu Shen He," "Wu Meiniang," "Pingman Le," and "Xiannu Qingdiao Shufei Jianqi."

Each note in the song eventually elicited applause and cheers.

Under the campfire, their bodies seemed even larger, like monstrous, shadowy figures in the twilight. Even sitting there with their playful smiles, their faces carried a chilling, murderous aura, as if they might turn on you at any moment. Even in their most undisciplined state, at the slightest command, they would swiftly and efficiently clean themselves up, transforming into a silent army of corpses!

As dusk fell, besides their laughter and curses, and the Showa-era folk songs, there were only the occasional sobs of the men and women they had abducted, which were quickly dissipated by the wind.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!" A burst of enthusiastic cheers suddenly erupted from the stream.

With his trousers rolled up, King Liang nimbly swung through the icy stream, finishing with a set of Eagle Claw techniques, his knuckles aimed at the throat of a killer.

Sha Cai easily dodged the attack and grabbed Liang Wang, saying, "You're quick, but too slow!"

"Put me down," King Liang struggled. "I want to fight you again."

"Don't embarrass yourself..." Wu Xiong propped his face up with his hand, lying on the mat in a reclining posture, and slapped the ground to stop him: "You're half a head taller than me, and you're trying to use Eagle Claw Kung Fu on me? Are you crazy? If you can't even handle a squad leader, don't tell anyone you're my disciple in the future!"

The soldiers burst into laughter.

The warrior released King Liang. King Liang wasn't embarrassed; he simply looked at Wu Xiong and said, "Give me another chance."

"Alright!" Wu Xiong picked his nose. "This time, let's switch to wrestling. A sweeping kick to the head, a deflecting blow... Just complete one of these moves, and if it touches the opponent, you've succeeded!"

King Liang rubbed his hands together, eager to try his hand at the game. The warriors, perched high above, looked down upon the kings.

"Splash!" Water splashes out.

Without warning, King Liang rolled over and plunged his hand into the stream.

A diagonal strike to the neck!
The warrior's eyes lit up, only to see that King Liang had already nodded, stretched out his legs, and kicked him at the waist with lightning speed.

The sound of dripping water and the wind whistling around me as I kicked up the water with my feet.

The samurai's pupils scanned the target, and he reached out to grab it.

"Pop!" King Liang rolled over again, changing the angle.

The dull thud sounded like a kick to a bag of rice. Before being caught, King Liang swept his foot under the warrior's hand and kicked the sword at his waist.

The warrior remained as immovable as a mountain.

King Liang, thrown off balance by inertia, stumbled and nearly fell. Fortunately, he was experienced; with two backflips, he landed lightly on the shore like a pigeon.

The samurai couldn't help but shake his head and laugh, then clapped his hands: "Good, good, good, is this how you play? Not even waiting for the password, trying to launch a sneak attack."

King Liang chuckled: "What warrior can't defend against a sneak attack? If he can't defend against it, he's not good killing material."

The samurai was speechless, then nodded: "That makes sense."

"Well done!" Wu Xiong looked at his apprentice with delight, handed him a plate of meat, and encouraged him, "You can already kick the squad leader now, when you're a teenager, won't you be able to kick down ten generals? After you've been crowned, you might even be able to spar with me!"

The soldiers burst into laughter.

To be able to wield eagle claws, kick the head backwards, and strike the neck diagonally at such a young age—the reputation of Liang Wang as the most martial among all the princes is indeed well-deserved.

He is the child of Consort Zhao!

Someone mentioned Li Tan, who from a young age stood out among the princes for his skill in riding and archery. Upon reaching adulthood, he became a fierce and valiant warrior in the army, always leading the charge in battle. Coincidentally, Prince Jianning's mother, Lady Zhang, was originally a lady-in-waiting in the Penglai Palace, a palace maid. And Consort Zhao, initially, was also just a lady-in-waiting.

Some also mentioned Zhu Dalang. During the Battle of Huazhou, Huang Ye refused to come out of the city and only hurled insults from the city walls. Li Keyong was enraged and wanted to shoot him dead. He sent out more than a dozen of his generals in succession, but none of them hit the target. Amid the commotion, Zhu Dalang drew his bow like a crescent moon and shot an arrow that killed the general. After three arrows, no more of Huang Ye's troops showed their faces, which drew thunderous cheers from both Li and Zhu's armies.

At this time, Zhu Dalang was said to be only twelve years old, and he was fighting alongside Zhu Wen for the first time. Even though Li Keyong had countless fierce generals under his command, he also took a liking to Zhu Dalang's talent and personally presented him with a precious sword and a beautiful bow.

Zhu Dalang's reputation was great in Chao Army, Bian Army, and the Central Plains. There were quite a few young heroes in those days.

Today, King Liang also showed this tendency, which impressed all the officers and soldiers, both Han and non-Han, who were present. They clapped their hands and hummed the "Kill the King Tune" composed by Consort Zhao. From time to time, officers, soldiers, and newly surrendered Dangxiang, Tuyuhun, and Tubo people rose up and danced around Li Zhengyang.

From beginning to end, Li Zhengyang sat beside Wu Xiong with his eyes narrowed, not saying a word, just quietly watching these barbarians with their hair in braids, watching them pat their chests, nod, sing, and smile amiably.

Wu Xiong cursed, "That's it?"

King Liang turned his head: "What is it now?"

Wu Xiong, hands on his hips, asked, "Did Captain Sun practice with you for nothing? You practiced dancing with the courtesans at home, and you were always rewarded with banquets and money. Count how many rounds you did; one round is worth a bolt of cloth. Come up and give it to Captain Sun!"

"I have no money," King Liang said, shrugging.

"Didn't the Imperial Concubine slip anything into your attire?"

King Liang shook his head: "There was only one person, and I sent him to you."

“…That’s really ruthless.” Wu Xiong patted himself all over. “Never mind, I’ll pay for it for you. Pay me back later.”

As he spoke, he ordered someone to bring the exchanged goods and gave them to Captain Sun.

"Thank you, Commander Xie."

"This is King Liang's money, why are you thanking me?"

"Thank you, Prince Liang! Thank you, Your Highness!" Captain Sun turned to Prince Liang and bowed in gratitude.

"Coo coo!" A sound suddenly came from the people keeping watch on the perimeter.

The soldiers immediately relaxed and tensed up.

Wu Xiong glanced at it, then smiled and waved his hand: "It's that bastard Dorje Jiangyang! That bastard is useless, but he's a master at leading the way. If it weren't for them, how could things have gone so smoothly?"

Before long, dozens of soldiers and more than ten riders appeared in the darkness. They were Dorje Jiangyang and several of his men, whom the Shence Army had captured. There were originally more, but the rest had been buried alive by Wu Xiong after he conquered the Shence Army.

Beside Dorje were several wealthy men dressed in colorful clothes, without armor or weapons, who appeared to be locals he had gathered.

When Dorje and his group arrived, the crowd burst into laughter and pointed at them.

But Dorje had lost all reason to be ashamed or angry. He hurriedly headed straight for the campfire where Wu Xiong was, jumped off his horse from a distance, knelt respectfully, and said in broken Chinese: "Your Majesty, General, these are several nobles from Jiuqu City. They have heard of the might of the Holy Tang Dynasty and humbly request to be accepted into the family!"

Several wealthy men immediately put their hands on the ground, not daring to look up, and elected the one who spoke fluent Chinese to pay their respects: "Nine-Bend City, within a radius of a thousand miles, was once the fiefdom of Princess Jincheng. In a way, we have some connection with the Holy Tang Dynasty. Now that the Great Barbarian Empire has fallen, we hear that the royal army is arriving…"

As Emperor Li had instructed beforehand, Wu Xiong and a group of high-ranking officers, who had been sleeping casually, exchanged glances, got up, and helped the wealthy men to their feet.

Commander Wu Xiong forced a smile and patted them on the shoulder: "You've come to the right place. Follow us, and you'll have hope for the future. Do you know the Lun Hongyi family of Weizhou? They've become wealthy. How much grain and wealth do you have? How many horses? How many strong men and women can join the army? Since you've come to join us willingly, just show your gratitude. We won't let you suffer any losses by relying on us."

"But intelligence—who are the lords of the He Guan Grasslands, who is controlling Jiuqu City, their identities, personalities, strengths, number of troops, and population—must be recorded without missing a single detail."

Ashina Yingchen sneered at Dorje: "From Guang'en City to Xicangzhou City, I sent you to charge into battle, and you were always complaining of foot pain or nose hair pain. Now that we've reached the river pass, Erlang sent you to pacify the tribes, but you ran away as fast as you can. We're not as good as you! It seems Erlang was right, fighting is not your Tubo's forte. Betraying allies, talking nonsense, and taking advantage of others' misfortunes are your specialties."

Seeing the Turkic general's attitude towards Dorje, several wealthy people couldn't help but glance at Dorje.

The Dorje family, who controlled the Shence Army area, was also known in Jiuqu City. The sheer scale of the Tang Dynasty's power shook them, and when Dorje arrived bearing the banner of the Holy Tang, they quickly confirmed his claim and submitted. After all, they would eventually need to find a master to rely on.

The major families thought that Dorje, with such a prestigious title as "Commissioner for Pacification and Control of Jishi Mountain along the Jiuqu River," would always be just an official in the eyes of the Tang people. They never expected to be so disrespected! He was treated like a dog, and even the yellow-haired, white-skinned Turkic generals could curse and swear at him.

"Yingchen." Wu Xiong glanced at him, but Ashina Yingchen turned away disdainfully and continued humming a Showa-era tune, grilling meat and making tea.

Dorje remained expressionless, bowing his head before Wu Xiong and his disciples, and said in a low, urgent voice, "Your Highness, General, looting, conscripting servants, and rewarding surrendered people can be done slowly. The crucial thing is that these noble families are not far from Jiuqu City. On our way back, we received reports from their families that large troop of enemy soldiers are continuously leaving Jiuqu City, temples outside the city are mobilizing monk soldiers, and there are many other enemies as well. It seems they intend to unite and oppose the Holy Tang!"

"The location of Jiuqu City is the most crucial place for the integration of Tang and Tibetan cultures."

"Based on this, we can launch a northern expedition to the Western Sea and sweep through the area around the lake. However, if we receive military support from the east, we can form a trap, and the area around the lake will be difficult to conquer!"

"Continue west, and you can raid Baihai... General, have you ever seen mountains of gold and silver, gardens like the abode of immortals, beauties like paintings, fertile land where you can eat wheat just by scattering it, the magnificent blue sea of ​​heaven, the boundless salt fields... and endless cattle, sheep, and slaves? You can find all of these around the lake and in Baihai! When the Great Fan attacked Tang and controlled Hexi, it used these as the basis for its advance."

"Heading south leads to Wuyou City, a shortcut into Shu. Our Zanpu (Tibetan king) mostly used this route when conquering Jiannan..."

What...? Wu Xiong's eyes widened in disbelief.

"But if the enemy forces were to form a united front, they could then leverage their geographical and human advantages to confine us, the mighty Tang Dynasty, to the He Pass, hindering our advance! The grasslands of the He Pass are indeed beautiful, but in the eyes of the royal court and nobility, they are still considered remote. The areas around the lake, Baihai, and Jinshan are the true treasures of our nation. Much of the essence of Tibet remains here. The people and livestock, the ashes of the royal family, the noble ladies and noblewomen, the temples and estates… these are the targets that the mighty Tang Dynasty should be ruthless towards!"

As he spoke, Dorje repeatedly bowed his head on the lawn: "General, the most urgent task is to take our tribal army as the vanguard and capture Nine Turns City as soon as possible!"

"Our Holy Tang?" Several officers sneered. Ashina Yingchen lightly kicked Dorje's head: "You bastard, who do you think you are, Holy Tang?"

I don't know why he harbors such resentment towards the Tibetans; perhaps it's because his ancestors and he himself were both bullied terribly.

"Everyone's stopped!" Wu Xiong shouted, raising his hand and cursing, "Don't you have any sense of proportion? If it weren't for Dorje-kun as our guide, would we have had this smooth journey? You've already eaten three bowls of rice and are the first two bowls useless?"

After dismissing them, Wu Xiong turned to Dorje and his companions, speaking gently, "Dorje, those scoundrels are not very polite, don't take it to heart... As long as we can take Jiuqu City, what's wrong with recommending you as a county magistrate in the Central Plains? You make it sound so serious, so you'll go ahead and be the vanguard, and I'll give you another 20,000 tribal troops. I'll lead the main force to hold the rear. Whether Dorje can win or not doesn't matter, just patrol the mountains and watch the way for me. If you can't win, just run away and let us take care of you."

Dorjee was overjoyed and knelt down again: "General, time will prove my loyalty. There's no need to say more about the Nine Bends Pass, I'll set off now! I only hope that the army's mobilization is not just for trivial matters like the river pass."

After saying that, Dorjee turned and left.

Murong Cong picked up his riding whip: "I'll give him a few lashes so he'll understand how to serve his master!"

Wu Xiong pondered, "If the situation is indeed as you say, we can't explain it to the Sage. The Sage has already fought for us in Shazhou and Xihai, the most dangerous and arduous tasks. He himself took on the mission of returning to Guanzhong and even Tongwu... and now he's letting us rob and steal women like it's a day trip... But if it's as Dorje says, continuing the advance will mean more hard fighting... I knew he wouldn't leave such a simple task to me..."

He muttered to himself, seemingly lost in thought.

"Who cares!" Zhao En stepped forward from the crowd and shouted, "Emperor Yuanhuang fought bravely at Baima River, facing countless dangers and desperate measures, to secure our current position! For the sake of future generations, for our descendants, let's wipe out the Tibetans! My brother-in-law has conquered all sides, and every time has he ever been trusted by the people? Every time, he has taken enormous risks. The Western barbarians are barely surviving there, and as soon as they have a little strength, everyone hesitates. Given the Tibetans' nature, even if Songtsen Gampo were to be resurrected and could muster another million troops, we would only need to defeat them in three drumbeats. You may not want this glory, but I do!"

The generals just buzzed with discussion.

If that place, Bai or something, is really that rich, wouldn't that be faster than taking down ten regional warlords? ... Oh well, anyway, it's just a remnant of the enemy, and the Tibetans are notoriously bad at fighting, so how can they stop us from coming and going freely?

Cao Zhe clapped his hands: "I'm afraid Dorje is trying to lure us into a trap. We need to thoroughly investigate the enemy situation and proceed cautiously. This bastard Tibetan is very fickle and could turn on us at any time. I wouldn't be surprised. If things don't go as he says, we'll kill him and find a place to bury the Tibetans in the tribal army as soon as possible!"

Wu Xiong wiped the grease from his mouth, got up and returned to camp: "Order Zhang Xian, the envoy, to send scouts hundreds of miles away to conduct a full reconnaissance."

These next few days, stockpile plenty of grain, provisions, and supplies, preparing for a long expedition without resupply. Five days later, head north and capture Jiuqu City! This land of the river pass will be ours! Let all those bastards know who we are! Their sky will collapse again, and no one can save it!

"Here!!"

King Liang stepped forward, looked up and asked, "It sounds so tempting, why not set off sooner? Why delay for five days instead?"

Wu Xiong shook his head: "You've never been on the battlefield, you don't know how soldiers are led. Strategizing and leading troops to fight to the death with another wave of soldiers are two different things. Making decisions casually is easy, but mobilizing a large army requires us to go through wind and rain step by step. A person's strength and spirit are limited. The fighting spirit to kill is limited. If we use it all on the march, who will fight well when we get to the battlefield?"

"A commander must avoid advancing or retreating lightly. Decisions should not be made lightly; they must be verified repeatedly. But once a decision is made, such as withdrawing troops, even if there are countless riches behind you, you should never look back. This is also where a general's prestige lies."

"We don't know the situation in Jiuqu City, nor do we know the conditions for gathering firewood and drinking water along the way. If we set off rashly, we may end up wasting a lot of time."

“There’s a lot to learn here. These are just the basics. Just follow along and watch carefully.” Wu Xiong shrugged and went into the main tent.

(End of this chapter)