The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 338 The battle is exhilarating! The battle is exhilarating! (Part 1)

On the winter solstice of the fourth year of Qianning, Wang Zimei and Zhu Youlun fought and entangled for a long time on Huashan Road, neither able to defeat the other.

Zhao's army possessed numerous advantages, including its ability to defend against attacks from oblique angles, its skill in using high ground, its unity, its proficiency in responding correctly with minimal command, and its abundant supplies of provisions and weaponry. Aside from its smaller numbers, it was arguably a perfect field army. The Bian army, on the other hand, was brutal, plagued by internal strife, disorganized command, and logistical difficulties. However, it was numerically superior, well-equipped, and formidable in combat, supported by mules, horses, and infantry.

Even when playing a mountainous terrain battle away from home on Huashan Road, Wang Zimei was nearly driven to the brink of defeat several times.

But Zhu Dalang only cares about the result, not the process.

After all this time, you still can't even clear the Huashan Pass. What use are you?

Therefore, Zhu Youlun was given 30,000 men and ordered to attack Qingni Ridge. At the same time, Jia Sheng was dispatched with 7,000 troops to assist Gao Jichang and Huang Wenjing in a fierce attack on Huashan Road, aiming to penetrate the Lantian area. What should have been a vertical battle along Wuguan Road turned into a horizontal line along Lantian Pass, Qingni Ridge, and Huashan Road.

From mid-October to late November, for a full forty days, the two armies were locked in a stalemate in the region.

Sun Weisheng, the Prefect of Jingzhao who was stationed in Chang'an, had been appointed by the court as the Inspector of the Four Circuits of the Capital Region, serving as the temporary highest military and political leader of the Guanzhong Circuit and Hanzhong, Qinfeng, and other regions. This man was indeed quite capable, and for several months he had been working with various prefectures to do his utmost to replenish the laborers and supplies for the front lines.

In early December, an imperial censor arrived from the west, reporting that the court had issued an edict in Jincheng to the entire realm: the reign title would be changed to Guanghua, and New Year's Day would be designated as the first day of the first month of the first year of Guanghua. The edict also ordered the capital prefecture and all counties to fortify their defenses and clear the fields, fortify their cities to protect the people, and strictly investigate spies entering the country and people fleeing.

Meanwhile, ministers from various regions rushed to different areas. Besides announcing the change of reign title, they also ordered all garrisons to purge Bianjing (Kaifeng) of its infestation and launch a full-scale war against Liang!
To encourage combat efforts, Wei Shuo, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, petitioned for a new round of promotions for the generals.

The imperial court granted the request.

Emperor Yuanhuang received the report, but he was too busy to read it all. He only paid attention to a few people, among whom Yang Xingmi was promoted to Marquis of Lujiang, Chen Xiong to Marquis of Pingyang, and Tian Xide to Marquis of Boping. Ge Congzhou and Wu Ziling were given the opportunity to be promoted to acting ministers of a certain department.

However, this doesn't mean we accept them now. We'll have to see how they perform.

In mid-December, temperatures plummeted, marking the official start of winter. Heavy snow fell across northern regions, including Chang'an and Luoyang. The deteriorating weather brought severe pressure to Zhu Dalang, and the Eastern Army launched another large-scale campaign in the Tong and Wu areas!
On December 12th, the Bian army besieged Qingni Ridge. Led by a portion of the Divine Swift Army, the main force fought desperately to capture the city, while smaller units traversed mountains and valleys, penetrating almost every nook and cranny. Having come this far, it was as if a goddess had been pinned down, only waiting to have the last layer of safety pants covering her tight thighs removed!

Once they crossed this damned Qingni Ridge Huashan Road, they could lift the skirts of the girls in Chang'an. The morale of the Bian army was also greatly boosted. Whether soldiers or civilians who had cut down trees to make weapons, they all roared and swept into battle, determined to cross the mountain pass.

"Break down the city! Break down the city!!"

"Enter Chang'an! Enter Chang'an!" Such desperate shouts and cries could be heard everywhere.

All the garrison troops in various parts of Wuguan Road have retreated to the Lantian Pass and Huashan Road line, where they are fighting desperately by taking advantage of the terrain of the fortified cities.

Below the city walls, atop the walls, on mountain paths, and in the woods, both sides fought with their lives on the line. The most fiercely contested snow-covered path was strewn with corpses of all kinds for over ten miles; upside-down swords, spears, and flagpoles were frozen stiff in the snow and ice; and the rocky pools in the forest were stained red.

On the 13th, the news reached Chang'an, and Sun Weisheng dispatched Zhang Fuzi, the magistrate of Fuping, with 6,000 newly recruited laborers to provide assistance.

Zhang Fuzi led the able-bodied men on a valiant journey, traveling along the south bank of the Ba River to Lantian. There, they encountered a force of hundreds of Bian soldiers with mules, seemingly emerging from some unknown gap in Qingni Ridge. After a fierce battle, the people scattered, and Zhang Fuzi was caught on the bridge leading into Lantian City. Under the watchful eyes of the densely packed soldiers and civilians on the city walls, and urged on anxiously, he was beheaded by the Bian soldiers.

This county magistrate of Jing County became Zhu Dalang's first "major" victory in his invasion of Guanzhong.

Immediately afterwards, the mule caravan sped deep into the outskirts of Wannian County and Chang'an County. Some wicked soldiers stationed in the capital, harboring resentment towards Emperor Li, took the opportunity to cause trouble, setting fires and killing people in the city in an attempt to help the Bian army enter the city. In the end, they were beaten to death by officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture.

A riot nearly sent the Bian army to an abyss. Although it was quelled, it was clearly an ominous sign. On the fifteenth, air raid sirens sounded throughout the capital, and people fled in droves. Officials from various counties rushed out to set up nets to intercept them. But in the panic, even beatings were insufficient to stop the unrest.

Since the matter involved the careers of all the ministers in the capital region, Sun Weisheng couldn't care less about anything else. After discussing with the officials of Shangjun and Zuofengyi, the group of people kept cursing the imperial envoys who were sent to urge the emperor to return. The prime minister replied that they should urgently summon the militia commanders of the various regions to bring their militias to the capital for defense.

On the 17th, Ding Hui, the military commissioner of Xinqin and commander of the Northern Circuit of the Capital Region, heard the alarm and led 15,000 troops from Hancheng, including the Lingxia tribe army and the Han militia, to the capital. Upon arriving in the capital, Sun Weisheng, fearing that this surrendered general from Bian would cause trouble and collude with Zhu Dalang from within, took strict precautions and ordered him to return, forbidding him from entering the capital.

Helpless, Ding Hui had no choice but to send over a thousand Dangxiang cavalry to pursue and annihilate the invading Bian army.

Upon learning that both Tongguan and Wuguan were under attack, he rushed to Tongguan to provide relief. Passing through Weinan County, he led his troops to the city for the night, but the magistrate of Weinan refused. He then traveled through the night to Zheng County to beg for mercy, but Zheng County also refused. If the Lingxia people hadn't just been suppressed and killed by Emperor Li, Ding Hui's troops might have done something drastic on the spot.

Ding Hui was worn down and lost his temper. He walked to Tongguan in a daze before being accepted by Wang Shaorong.

He discovered that the situation at Tongguan was not as critical as he had imagined, because the Protectorate Army had already joined forces with the Imperial Guards—the Emperor's other maternal uncle, Chen Xiong, had personally led 30,000 infantry and cavalry to defend Tongguan together with Wang Congxun across the river. He fought in Hebei, while the remaining troops joined forces with the Marquis of Changshan to fight in Henan.

In addition, Wang Congxun also transferred more than half of the 10,000 warriors from Wuguan.

With that, Tongguan was somewhat safe, but what about Wuguan? Ding Hui's heart was filled with worry. Could the Chengde army alone guarantee their safety? He had served under Huang Chao during Huang's attack on Tongguan that year. Back then, the Chengde army on the other side had fallen into disarray without even a fight!

However, Tongguan Pass doesn't seem to be a safe place either.

This place has long been a city of warriors, an ice castle, a stenchy tomb, and a pool of plague.

Not far from the city wall, the great loess mound that stretches along the city wall has already "soared into the clouds".

On the snow-covered mounds, the ghost drums, used only in sacrifices to warn the spirits of the dead, echoed, and the spirit flutes, used only to expel evil spirits, wailed. The Bian soldiers, seated in their armor, mostly had bloodshot eyes and blank expressions, as they hungrily gnawed on vinegar cakes and dried meat. Others moved slowly, clumsily, and absurdly, clapping their hands lightly to the beat of the drums and the flutes, their dry tongues licking their cracked lips, their heads tilted, staring intently at Tongguan Pass. Then one column marched out, and another returned.

The men and women of Bian who froze and starved to death in the dead of winter, along with the militia, simply rolled thudding into Tongguan City along the earthen embankment, crashing down beneath the city walls, piling up with the previous two groups of dead to form several heaps of flesh level with the crenellations of Tongguan City.

On the heavily fortified Niutou Plain, hundreds upon hundreds of catapults and siege chariots roared into action. Corpses, riddled with sores and oozing yellowish-purple pus, were hurled into the fortress, into the stockade, and into the water source. Among these corpses were rats, the sick, the dead, mules, and warhorses…

Looking at all this, Ding Hui simply gripped his fists tightly and stared blankly.

Inside the pass, in haystacks, under sheds, and around campfires, swarms of ash-covered rats roamed.

Warriors with plague-repelling talismans on their foreheads clutched their throats, leaning against the wall, coughing up clumps of thick, yellowish and reddish gel. Those sleeping in sheltered spots, men and women alike, coughed up blood with thuds, their filthy fingernails scratching and clawing at the bloodied, bare legs, ribs, necks, and faces, scraping at the spots of brownish pustules and scabs.

The pain kept them awake in the cold; they simply clamped whetstones between their legs and continued to silently sharpen their knives and repair their armor.

Ding Hui tore off a corner of his clothes to cover his mouth and nose, and looked down at Tongguan, where corpses and disease were everywhere. He couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration and annoyance.

This time, he was careless!

Why bother coming here? Why go to court unwisely. Why bother sending your daughter away in such a hurry? Why bother coming to Tongguan? His mission was clearly just to guard the Yellow River.

They brought this on themselves, what a terrible mess!

What exactly is Ding Hui's future?
"Boom boom boom..." The war drums exploded, and another wave of attack and defense began.

On the horizon, amidst the swirling snowflakes, a shadowy figure, like an ant, slowly approached.

Almost simultaneously, a great commotion erupted in the city. Countless wounded soldiers, whipping and kicking the tribal army, shouted: "Bian traitors are attacking the city! Bian traitors are attacking the city! All of you, get up there! If you dare to look back even once—" The whip pointed to the cremation ground at the foot of the city wall: "Those firewood racks are used to burn people every day!"

Facing the cold snowflakes, I looked at those banners.

Zhu Dalang, Yuan Zheng, Xu Huaiyu, Shao Zan...

Ding Hui swiftly donned his armor and drew his sword from its sheath. "Founders of the Great Liang! I am here, waiting for you."

The most important question is, will the sage come?
Five villages, defend them until only five remain, then run! Ding Hui secretly planned for himself.

To be honest, holding out until now and inflicting heavy casualties on the Bian army has already been enough to repay the favors bestowed upon me by the Emperor since I entered the court. As a dignified hero, I would never stoop to serving three masters, nor am I here to be a scapegoat for Emperor Li. From now on, you will be emperor and I will become a monk; let us each live our own lives in peace.

Composing himself, Ding Hui rolled over and crouched on the rampart. While crouching low to observe the enemy's situation, he waved to his subordinates and retainers and shouted, "Fight! Fight!"

*****.
"Fight! Fight!!"

Amidst the rustling of pine trees, on the Huashan Road, Zhao Junhui rested near a dry, dilapidated temple.

The isolated army was stationed far from home, and the battles continued even under the scorching sun. Gathering together at night provided some courage and encouragement. After the Bian army retreated, and as darkness approached, Prince Mei contacted Xiao Xiu and gathered the young men together.

After such a long and continuous battle, with heavy snow falling and the weather so cold, and spending the night in the snowy forest, one would normally be lying down and sleeping by now. If they don't get up, they might even collapse.

Around the dilapidated temple, Zhao soldiers were scattered in disarray. Some had already removed their armor and were fast asleep, while others were around the fire, stripping off their boots, their smelly feet steaming hot. Some mischievous ones were riding on pine trees, shaking the trunks, and pine needles were falling all over the heads of those sitting below, who looked up and cursed loudly.

Some of them slowly walked around, inspecting the surroundings.

Some people break off a fine stick and hold it in their hands, waving it around, gesturing, or chopping down flowers and plants.

More often, it's about cooking over a pot.

Smoke rose from the chimneys, and the aroma filled the air. People would occasionally gather around, carrying their clothes and boots, to roast them, which drew shouts and curses: "I really want to hit someone!"

After a series of bloody battles, these remnants of the Zhao family's army still had their headbands and turbans tied around their waists, and their faces showed little sign of fatigue. Some were warming themselves by the fire, some were blowing cigarettes, some were boiling soup, some were brewing tea, and some were even holding pipa and singing: "Fight! Fight!!"

"Fight! Fight!!" The jubilant shouts occasionally rose up.

Despite the intensity of military activities and the harsh living conditions, they seemed to have not yet exhausted their energy!
With such a small force, they fought their way through the mountains, effectively trapping the far superior Bian people on the other side and achieving considerable success. They huddled around the campfire, using spears for support and draped in oilcloth, chattering amongst themselves. "Our Zhao family is truly formidable!"

"Generation after generation, the sages, the people of Wei, the people of Yan, the Chao army, the people of Bian... have all been trained, but there is still no opponent who can even withstand a single blow?"

"Hilarious! After a day of fighting, I picked up more than a dozen mules, let them fall over, and ate them."

"Alas, the military commands of these four prefectures are filled with our outstanding talents!"

“Brother is right, today’s battle was exhilarating! I’ve always heard the military ministers say that the people of Bian are not to be trifled with and that we should back down—but now I know that it was they who were the ones who were hacked to pieces and ran back! Damn Shangguan Daozi! It’s a good thing he’s in power.”

“My brother Zimei, with an official like Xiao Lang, we made the right choice following the garrison this time. This time, we’ll definitely win the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households and have his portrait painted in the Lingyan Pavilion. Everyone says Bianliang is prosperous, we’ve heard it so many times, do you know if we’re lucky enough to go to Bianliang and marry a girl from Songzhou?”

"You've come to the right person! I'm not just talking nonsense, but when I served in the Bian Army, I was in the Changzhi Army serving Zhu Wen. Outsiders don't know, but that was a paradise of the Holy Tang Dynasty! I could walk through every street and alley, every garden and palace with my eyes closed. Just come with me, and I'll show you brothers some fun. I even have a villa outside Chenliu! Alas, I was captured by the Emperor in the river, and I'm afraid it's been confiscated."

"Hey kid! No, I've always wanted to ask, what are you doing here with us, a bandit from Bian?"

"Hehe..." The soldier from Bian smiled mysteriously and said smugly, "Naturally, I have connections in higher-ups."

Xiao Xiu also removed her armor, her long hair loose, and sat leaning against a tree, quietly watching her two or three men. Once the meat was roasted and the tea was brewed, they were casually passed over, and she began to eat and drink slowly.

Wang Zimei, however, was not as leisurely as him. She was dressed neatly and running around, sometimes urging the soldiers to go to bed early, sometimes finding medicine and food for the wounded, and sometimes checking on the guard posts. She was just wandering around aimlessly.

After finishing my work, I rushed to the open space in the pine forest to attend the funeral.

There were already piles of firewood on the field, and hundreds of fallen soldiers lying on the ground were constantly being carried onto the firewood, piled up in several layers.

The soldiers' armor and weapons were arranged in the order of rank from yamen soldiers to common soldiers in front of the firewood mountain.

With a flick of the wrist, flames shot skyward. The soldier who had dropped the torch turned and surveyed the entire field: "Salute to our comrades, your commander!"

Soldiers near and far removed their turbans and forehead bands, and Prince Mei recited: "...If I attain Buddhahood, and my light is limited, and does not even illuminate hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddha-lands, then I will not attain perfect enlightenment... You, who are born in good places, have the original vow and ability to attain enlightenment and transcend."

A biting mountain wind blew by, and the firelight blazed brightly, as if it were sobbing.

Wang Zimei put on his turban, turned, and left. On the battlefield, there was no time for sentimental formalities. Death and injury were the fate of soldiers; he'd seen enough fighting since joining, there was nothing to be sentimental about. The dead were gone, and the living had to continue their work.

"How to do how to do?"

These three words are now written on the face of this soldier with tattered armor.

They fought countless bloody battles, holding out alone on Mount Hua, having done their utmost as warriors. Before they could even see any hope of killing Zhu Youlun, the arrival of reinforcements from the Bian army led by Jia Sheng only brought defeat closer. Now, with only five thousand remaining soldiers, they faced a desperate situation!

When the Bian army fought in shifts for several more days, when the soldiers could not hold the mountain pass securely, and when everyone had to fight against multiple opponents, the Zhao army would have no room or time to hold out! This Huashan Pass would no longer be an insurmountable mountain pass!

The whereabouts of the reinforcements and the sage are still unknown.

Even someone as steadfast as Ah Xiu probably wouldn't dare say how long he could hold Huashan Road. Should he just slink away and give up this narrow path to the Bian people, allowing them to continuously pour into Chang'an along this winding trail?

All around the dilapidated temple, cries of pain rose and fell, one after another: "Fight! Fight!!"

Xiao Xiu leaned against a tree, his sword at his side, eyes closed as if dozing. Bloodstains seemed to have seeped into the wood grain. His armor was tattered and riddled with holes, its original color no longer discernible.

Wang Zimei walked back and forth.

He looked around again and again, at his men, at the vast mountains, and stared at the other side of the mountains.

After such a fierce battle, the Bian people no longer concealed their presence, but instead deployed their forces on the other side of the mountain. Their camps were not visible, but in the darkness of night, the firelight illuminating their hiding places in the mountain hollows could be seen.

Zhu Youlun's repeated attacks failed, and he even had his hand cut off by Xiao Xiu.

But instead of getting angry and launching a frenzied night battle, or taking any risky and strange military stratagems, he settled down and established a camp.

"...The people of Bian are taking their time... I've fought Zhu Youlun before; he's not a prodigy, but he's not an ordinary person either. I wonder who the reinforcements are. If they're generals like Xu Huaiyu and Niu Cunjie, whose wisdom and strength are both at their peak..."

The mountain wind tore Wang Zimei's soliloquy to shreds.

The soldiers nearby couldn't help but look at him as he kept muttering to himself, only to see Wang Zimei with a bitter expression on his face.

"...Why is everyone expecting me to be Ziyi..."

"I'm not invincible, loyal, or a master strategist... Damn it!"

Zhu Youlun had plenty of men, and they kept coming up the mountain.

How long can our few thousand men, running around and fighting desperately, hold out?
Can we hold out until the army of saints returns?

Will a sage come?

Even if the sage's army returned in time after such a long expedition, would they still have the strength to fight Zhu Dalang again?

None of these answers were convincing enough for Prince Mei. Looking back at the path he had taken to the West, his narrowed eyes seemed to yearn to traverse thousands of miles, reaching the other side of the Western Sea, to the altar of the sage.

He had already given it his all, but the Holy Tang Dynasty was beyond his ability to support.

What should we do now? We must leave before the Bian army gets bogged down, save our men's lives, and avoid further unnecessary sacrifices—our men are giving their all, far exceeding our efforts. They've fought here, giving their all. If reinforcements arrive, their deaths and injuries will be worthwhile. If there are no reinforcements, or if they don't arrive in time—then why are they still here?
...Or should we stay here until death, waiting for that saint who seems to never come?

Perhaps a sage will be different, different from other emperors.

After all, the sage had led his ministers, soldiers, and people to create miracles. It was the sage who painstakingly kept the Tang Dynasty from collapsing. But for the Tang Dynasty, which always seemed lifeless, to rise again, it required miracle after miracle, and it required avoiding a single blunder!
You will come.

You will come!
To abandon the fundamental for the sake of the Western Sea and lose Chang'an is not the style of a sage! Since a sage can make almost incorrigible killers like Wang Congxun and Wu Xiong work for him and willingly be driven by him, never turning back, he would never be as ridiculous and despicable as those frivolous rulers and ministers!
But Wang Zimei immediately remembered the last time the emperor was sent to Chang'an by Li Keyong while he was campaigning against Lingxia, and she immediately turned around and shouted in a low voice, "Ah Xiu!"

Xiao Xiu opened her sleepy eyes and got up to come over: "What's wrong?"

Wang Zimei closed his eyes: "Choose a few soldiers from the Imperial Guards to protect you on your way to the Western Sea! Set off immediately! Go and request reinforcements, and tell the Emperor to return to the capital as soon as possible."

"...You should find someone else. If you won't go, and I have to go...how can I have the face to desert my post in the face of battle?"

Wang Zimei stamped her foot in frustration: "How am I supposed to leave? If I leave—"

"Then just pick any officer."

"Shut up." Wang Zimei glared at Xiao Xiu, then sighed softly, "This is an order. We are going thousands of miles away. Among all the generals in the army, I have thought it over and over, and only you have the resourcefulness and courage. Moreover, you have a deep relationship with the emperor, so you can say many things to him. Furthermore, you and I are the only ones who understand the situation best."

Wang Zimei had already turned her head and waved, saying, "Prepare the horses!"

Xiao Xiu immediately shouted: "What are you thinking! Let me pick someone who is about to commit suicide, and you're here pretending to be a hero, a loyal minister of the Holy Tang Dynasty? You're just a Grand Master of the Palace, a general in the inner army, what are you trying to prove by pretending to be a general!"

"How can we ensure reinforcements if no one goes out?" Wang Zimei retorted, "We're all soldiers, don't act like women! When things get hopeless, I'll lead the soldiers to retreat myself. What are you worried about?"

Immediately, a soldier shouted, "Enough with the nonsense! While you were talking, I've already ridden several miles! Xiao Lang, go ahead and bring the Sage's army to meet us... We will hold out on Huashan Road, but you must return as soon as possible!"

Xiao Xiu glanced at the winding mountain path, then at the two or three soldiers, and finally nodded: "Alright, alright."

"Alright! I'll go! I'll go bring reinforcements!"

"If I'm mistaken, and the Sage is still plotting to seize the Tibetans' resources in the Western Sea, intending to use us as scapegoats, then I swear to fight this Jie and Zhou to the death! Zimei, my men, wait for my return! Take care!"

After saying this, Xiao Xiu crossed his hands, grabbed the saddle, and mounted the horse.

"Waiting for you!" Wang Zimei led the horse a short distance, then loosened the reins and smiled slightly.

"Don't give me any more gardenias or jasmine!" Xiao Xiu glanced back one last time at the dilapidated temple and the Huashan Road where they had fought for so long, then sped away. His fellow soldiers kept turning back to call out, "That was a great fight! That was a great fight! Hang in there, guys! Take care!"

Xiao Xiu kept urging his horse on, running as fast as he could.

At this moment, a sour feeling finally arose from this iron-hard tooth and nose.

If we work together with one heart and one mind to carry out this cause of national rejuvenation and world salvation, we will surely be able to restore the Holy Tang Dynasty to its former glory!
(End of this chapter)