Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 210 Subduing the Enemy Without Fighting: Turning Defense into Offense (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Dazhen Pass.

This place guards the vital passage through the Longshan Mountains and is the most crucial barrier in western Guanzhong.

Guo Ziyi is now guarding this pass.

All of this was naturally arranged by Gu Yi.

Guo Ziyi's abilities are beyond question. In the original history, he was even hailed by many as a meritorious official who "rebuilt the Tang Dynasty".

Only he was able to withstand the fierce attack from the Tibetans at this time.

"First, solve the biggest internal threat, then deal with the external problems"—this was the strategy Gu Yi had already decided on.

Regarding the An Lushan Rebellion, Gu Yi's core idea was that internal and external troubles must not be allowed to break out simultaneously in Kyushu as in the original history.

Although this arrangement will still cause considerable casualties, it is a rare and valuable improvement compared to the original historical trajectory.

At this moment, the sounds of battle cries shook the heavens and the earth outside Dazhen Pass, as countless Tibetan soldiers were frantically charging towards the pass.

Trisong Detsen really gave it his all.

He must break through the Great Zhen Pass.

Only in this way could his army enter the Guanzhong Plain.

By then, even if Gu Xuan arrives with his army, he will have enough room to maneuver against him.

Don't forget, the main purpose of the Tibetan Empire was plunder. They didn't mind emptying a city after seizing it.

Unfortunately—

Despite the Tibetans' various attempts, Dazhen Pass remained as immovable as a towering mountain.

In fact, if Trisong Detsen, the emperor, had any sense left, he should have immediately withdrawn his troops and sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to seek peace.

But that's often how human nature is.

The treacherous terrain of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ultimately gave them excessive confidence.

Whether it was Trisong Detsen or other Tibetan nobles, they always firmly believed that the Tang Dynasty would not launch a counterattack against Tibet.

In their view, even if the Gu family's army arrived, it would not be too late to retreat.

July of the first year of the Zhide era.

Amidst a flurry of rumors and anticipation, the army finally arrived at Dazhen Pass.

Gu Yi finally met this general who would be remembered in history.

"Grand Tutor!" Guo Ziyi, without any airs, despite being considerably older than Gu Xuan, quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed upon Gu Xuan's arrival.

"This humble general, Guo Ziyi, has been waiting here for quite some time!"

"General Guo, there's no need for such formalities." Gu Xuan, equally unreserved, quickly stepped forward to help Guo Ziyi up, smiling broadly, "I am still young and not very knowledgeable about military matters."

"The responsibility of defending the territory and protecting the enemy still depends on you generals."

Indeed, Gu Yi still has no intention of directly interfering in specific military command.

Although he thought that he had indeed gained a lot of knowledge and experience by being around veteran generals such as Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing during this period of time.

However, it would be far too arrogant to think that one can control the entire battle based solely on this limited accumulation.

Moreover, isn't "knowing people and assigning them to suitable positions" itself the most skillful ability?

History has now completely changed, and Gu Yi cannot rely on the original course of history as his prophet in everything, but he is always right to know people and make good use of them.

The game has progressed to today.

Gu Yi had already discovered many things that were not in the "Precautions".

The Gu family can defy fate, but this only applies to major events. If they want to completely change a person, it requires a long period of contact and understanding of their personality.

This is Gu Yi's greatest asset right now.

Upon hearing Gu Yi's words, a hint of surprise flashed in Guo Ziyi's eyes.

He never expected that this young Grand Tutor would delegate so much power, and immediately bowed deeply again: "This humble general... thanks the Grand Tutor for his trust!"

After saying that, he immediately made a gesture of invitation.

And so he led his troops toward the Great Zhen Pass.

Gu Yi did not waste any time; immediately after entering the pass, he summoned his generals for a meeting.

He did not personally interfere with the generals' decisions.

But he also needs to know the details.

and--

Gu Yi wanted to explain the purpose of his trip to the soldiers, and he needed to make them feel his determination!
"Grand Tutor," Guo Ziyi spoke first, his voice steady and powerful, "in my humble opinion, Tibet has no chance of turning the tide at present."

"The Western Regions army is harassing their rear, and now that the Grand Tutor has personally arrived... our army can switch from defense to offense!"

He walked to the huge map and tapped his finger heavily on the Longshan area: "Perhaps... we can completely encircle and annihilate this elite force of the Tubo in this Longshan area!"

"."

When it comes to military matters, Guo Ziyi's entire demeanor suddenly becomes sharp and incisive. His analysis of the enemy's and our own situation, and his deployment of troops, are clear, logical, and meticulous.

Gu Yi nodded repeatedly, feeling extremely satisfied.

This is the kind of general who will be remembered in history; his abilities are far beyond those of ordinary people.

As soon as Guo Ziyi finished speaking, the generals in the tent were immediately filled with excitement and volunteered to lead the troops.

They were already eager to fight, and now that Gu Shi had arrived in person and Guo Ziyi had made such a plan, their confidence was even greater, and calls for battle rose one after another, instantly making the atmosphere heated.

Gu Yi maintained Gu Xuan's position in the main seat and did not interfere with the generals' heated discussion, but in his mind he was rapidly calculating his overall plan.

For Gu Yi, summer was undoubtedly the only and best window of opportunity to penetrate deep into the Tibetan heartland.

There is a scientific basis for this.

The greatest advantage of the Tubo Kingdom was the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This terrain caused many soldiers to suffer from altitude sickness, a problem that is impossible to completely solve in this day and age.

Only in summer does the oxygen content on the plateau reach its highest level.

Although advancing at this time will still cause many soldiers to feel unwell or even suffer casualties, it is the only chance to minimize the impact of the "natural barrier".

If you miss this season, all your efforts will be in vain.

In fact, Gu Yi had considered using political means to gradually recover Tibet.

But after careful consideration, he abandoned the idea.

The Tibetan Empire is currently at its most powerful, while the Tang Dynasty has just experienced internal strife, and the unrest has not even been completely resolved.

How can everything be solved through political means alone?
Regardless, the Tang Dynasty must unsheathe its sword!
At the very least, we must break through the barrier of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau that they rely on!
Thinking of this, Gu Yi controlled Gu Xuan to slowly raise his hand and stop the noise in the tent.

His gaze swept over the crowd and landed precisely on Guo Ziyi. His voice was not loud, but every word carried immense weight: "General Guo, I wonder if, before the autumn chill descends upon Longshan, our army... can switch from defense to offense and break through the pass?"

"Fight their way out of the pass?!"

These four words were like a thunderclap, instantly shattering all the sounds in the tent.

The room was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

All the generals, including Guo Ziyi, had their pupils suddenly contract and their breath caught in their throats!
While the generals had previously called for a shift from defense to offense, their focus was primarily on counterattacking from the pass and blunting the enemy's advance. But these words, coming from Gu Xuan, carried a completely different weight!
The Grand Tutor's expedition was a grand affair, with banners obscuring the sun and all his elite troops deployed. Such a large-scale operation was far beyond what was expected of a typical border defense campaign.

The tent is filled with seasoned generals who have fought countless battles; they are certainly not dull-witted men.
If the Grand Tutor mobilized such a large force only to defend Dazhen Pass, why go to such lengths when there are already allied forces from the Western Regions holding back the Tibetans' rear?

The moment Gu Xuan asked this question, the answer was like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, gleaming with cold light—

This "shift from defense to offense" is by no means a retreat from the enemy at the pass!
The Grand Tutor's intention... is to mobilize the entire nation's resources to strike directly at the heart of the enemy and utterly destroy their stronghold!

Target—The Tibetan Royal Court!
In that instant, many generals even quickened their breathing. Although they understood that attacking Tibet was an extremely difficult task, the fact that the Gu family was leading the charge gave them complete confidence.

Which passionate general doesn't yearn to seal the wolf's lair and inscribe the Yanran Mountain?

Before us lies a ladder to the clouds, a gift from heaven!
Only Gao Xianzhi, Feng Changqing, and other generals who had come with the Gu family remained relatively calm, since they already knew Gu Xuan's intentions.

"Grandmaster..."

Guo Ziyi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions, and said in a solemn and frank voice: "Given the current strength of our army, we are confident that we can hold the pass and repel the enemy."

He changed the subject, a heavy worry settling between his brows: "However, if we wish to launch a counterattack and penetrate deeper into their territory... forgive my bluntness, but this is a predicament that cannot be easily reversed by human effort."

"Once the Tibetans retreat to the plateau—"

He paused, his voice lowering: "The difficulty for our Tang army to break through the Tibetan royal court... is perhaps even greater than ascending to heaven!"

Everyone has the ambition to achieve great things, but as a commander, Guo Ziyi knew even better that every wrong step would mean the death of thousands of soldiers.

He had to bring all these issues up.

If it were Gu Jing, he might not have these worries.

But Gu Xuan is still young.

Moreover, the Battle of Tongguan alone was not enough to put his mind at ease.

"General, you are overthinking it."

Gu Yi remained unperturbed, controlling Gu Xuan to slowly stand up. His gaze swept over the generals, each with a different expression, and a confident smile played on his lips. "The general's concern is about the high-altitude miasma and the 'mountain peak calamity'."

"Our Gu family has studied this for generations and has found a solution!"

"While I dare not claim complete safety, it is sufficient to significantly alleviate the physical ailments of our soldiers, protecting our Tang warriors as they overcome all natural barriers!"

There's nothing to hide.

As early as when Gu Jing intimidated the Tibetans, the Gu family had already begun research on how to conquer the plateau.

As these years have passed, there have naturally been some gains.

In addition, there's the knowledge in Gu Yi's mind.

Gu Yi was quite confident about this.

As for why it was revealed so early, it was also to boost morale.

Giving soldiers a unified goal has a tremendous impact on the battlefield.

Sure enough, after hearing this...

Many of the generals present showed excitement on their faces, and even Guo Ziyi, who was usually as calm as a mountain, could not hide his shock at this moment.

He took a sudden step forward, his gaze sharp as lightning, locking onto Gu Xuan: "Grand Tutor! Is this... really true?!"

Guo Ziyi's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He knew exactly what this meant.

Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the threat from Tibet has never ceased.

In the past, the Tang Dynasty was so powerful that Tibet had no choice but to bow down to the Tang Dynasty and maintain a superficial alliance.

But as the saying goes—who wouldn't care that there are always others coveting their property near their home?
Not to mention other emperors.

How could an emperor like Li Shimin not have the idea of ​​destroying Tibet in his past years?
Unfortunately, no one was able to conquer the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which had an unimaginable impact on the fighting strength of the Tang army.

Now it's going to be resolved?
"Of course." Gu Xuan met Guo Ziyi's sharp scrutiny and nodded slightly.

At this moment, the entire Tang Dynasty fell into complete silence.

Guo Ziyi stared intently at Gu Xuan, seemingly trying to ascertain something. Under Gu Yi's control, Gu Xuan showed no fear and calmly met Guo Ziyi's gaze.

After a while——

In those bright eyes, Guo Ziyi seemed to have finally found the answer he was looking for. His chest began to heave uncontrollably as he bowed deeply to Gu Xuan with utmost seriousness.

"Having heard the Tutor's words—even an insurmountable barrier can be crossed!"

"This humble general Guo Ziyi hereby swears that he will lead his three armies to conquer the mountains and rivers of Tubo, smash their royal court, and display the might of our Great Tang Dynasty atop the snowy plateau!"

The sound shook the roof tiles, and the echo lingered long afterward!
Behind him, as if spurred by an invisible command, all the generals suddenly stood up!
Clanging armor and walking with heavy steps, they tacitly gathered behind Guo Ziyi, and then, in unison, bowed deeply to Gu Xuan, who was in the main seat!
In an instant, the entire military tent was filled with a boiling fighting spirit that soared to the heavens!

This boiling morale had already broken through the tents and swept across the entire Dazhen Pass!
When they heard that the Gu family patriarch, the Grand Tutor of the court, had led the elite troops of the court to the interior, the entire garrison of Dazhen Pass was greatly excited.

—Especially when that black banner, symbolizing the majesty of the Gu family and embroidered with ancient totems, was unfurled at the highest point of the city tower!

The morale of all the defending troops also changed.

An invisible force, with each flutter of the banners, seeped into the very marrow of every soldier guarding the pass!

In an instant, the morale of Dazhen Pass soared to the heavens, becoming unstoppable!

This is the power that the Gu family can bring!

Meanwhile, the situation was quite the opposite within the Tibetan camp.

Even though the decision has been made.

But when that familiar black banner fluttered conspicuously in the wind, the morale of the entire Tibetan army inevitably suffered another setback.

This is completely out of control.

Trisong Detsen could only keep emphasizing the benefits of killing and offering large-scale rewards.

But in addition to these lowest-ranking soldiers, the nobles of various tribes were also inevitably affected.

Even though Trisong Detsen had already cleaned it up beforehand.

But when they saw the Gu family's banners again, these people couldn't help but waver.

No, it's not just them.

The same applies to Trisong Detsen.

When he saw with his own eyes the soldiers being inspired by the banners of the Gu family, Trisong Detsen immediately realized that all his dreams were impossible to realize.

The Gu family's influence was enormous.

Its reputation, built up over centuries, has had a significant influence both domestically and internationally.

He found it hard to imagine what kind of person could possibly defeat the Gu family.

But one thing he was certain of was—

This person is definitely not him.

Although he was unwilling to admit it, with the change in his mindset, he had no choice but to accept this reality and let the rumors of "retreating the troops" circulate in the army.

Under these circumstances, just a few days later, Trisong Detsen chose to back down.

Without any warning, after settling everything, Trisong Detsen simply chose to withdraw his troops.

This was completely unexpected by everyone.

After all, before this, the Tibetans' offensive posture was as if they would not give up until they broke through Dazhen Pass. Who could have imagined that they would retreat like this?
Since Gu Xuan arrived.

Not only did they lose their usual offensive momentum, but they were even frightened into retreating?
Gu Yi was quite surprised by this.

But compared to the excitement of his soldiers, he was extremely serious.

It is possible to withdraw troops at this time.

This already demonstrates that Trisong Detsen remained calm, and that his control over Tibet was probably extremely rare.

The next battle will be extremely difficult!
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes at the end of the month. I really haven't had many this month, so I'd really appreciate your support. Thank you so much.)
(End of this chapter)