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

Chapter 213 A Pioneering Journey, Paved with Blood (Part 2)

—A great battle breaks out!
The vanguard of the Tang army was stationed at a relatively flat mountain pass on the western slope outside Yingchoujian, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and served as a natural barrier.

With detailed geomantic maps available, generals like Guo Ziyi, Gao Xianzhi, and Feng Changqing were able to select excellent locations.

However, on this high-altitude battlefield with its thin air and biting mountain winds, the advantage of terrain ultimately could not reverse the vanguard's decline.

Facing a densely packed army of Tibetan elites.

The moment the resounding yak horn rang out, the entire vanguard of the Tang army scattered and fled without any struggle.

At first glance, it showed signs of collapse.

"The Zanpu is wise; the Tang army has indeed become lambs to the slaughter."

Seeing this, the Tibetan nobles couldn't help but boast about Trisong Detsen, their faces full of greed.

The Tang army's provisions were something they had been longing for.

Trisong Detsen was the same, but compared to other Tibetan nobles, he remained somewhat calm and quickly said, "Let's not worry about their provisions for now."

"Attack the Tang army camp immediately!"

His vision has long since moved beyond just these immediate benefits.

Trisong Detsen wanted to leave all the Tang army troops here.

If he can achieve this, he will be able to conquer the nine provinces with lightning speed!

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the Tibetan nobles changed.

Trisong Detsen naturally understood their meaning, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it: "Once our army has annihilated the enemy, all these provisions will be given to you as a reward!"

Hearing this, everyone was finally satisfied.

They all nodded immediately and, without any hesitation, led their men out to fight.

Banners fluttered in the biting wind of Xiqing Mountain, while the Tang army camp lay quietly within Yingfuping.

The news of the vanguard's defeat spread like wildfire, instantly reaching the central army.

Inside the main tent, the atmosphere was as still as iron.

Gu Xuan's gaze swept over the generals in the tent, his voice solemn: "This battle is the decisive one!"

"If we can defeat the elite Tibetan troops in one fell swoop, our army can advance straight in and strike at the heart of the enemy—conquering Lhasa!"

"Generals—"

"Do they truly possess the will to win?!"

Gu Yi was extremely serious at this moment.

Although he believed he had made thorough preparations, this battle was simply too crucial, and he had no choice but to take it seriously.

The advantages of the plateau are something the Tang army cannot completely compensate for in a short period of time.

To make the most of information asymmetry.

The only way to defeat them was through feigned defeat, so that the enemy would not even realize the strength of the Tang army!

"Rest assured, Grand Tutor!" Guo Ziyi replied without hesitation, clasping his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a bell.

The other generals echoed in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.

Gu Xuan said no more, and simply waved his hand.

The generals received their orders and filed out.

The entire camp instantly transformed into a precisely operating war machine. The elite troops in each battalion, who had been waiting for battle, quickly formed ranks under the command of their generals, ready for any attack.

This is precisely the key to Gu Xuan's painstaking efforts in bringing An Lushan's elite troops under the central government's control!

Not only to eliminate future troubles, but also for the sake of Tibet today!
Veterans who have been tempered by blood and fire are far more formidable than new recruits.

Without much coordination from Gu Xuan, the Tang army's formation was quietly established as the generals returned to their positions.

On the surface, the camp appears hastily set up, but hidden dangers lurk everywhere—behind those huge boulders, in the shadows of the cliffs, and at the end of the reserved passageways!
Time passed in a somber atmosphere.

Before long, the defeated vanguard soldiers fled back to the main camp first, followed closely by the Tibetan army, which advanced like a shadow!

Trisong Detsen took the lead, and seeing the Tang camp in a state of "panic and unpreparedness," his disdain deepened, and he swung his hunting knife down fiercely!

"kill--!!!"

Elsewhere, Trisong Detsen might have been somewhat wary.

But in this remote mountain region, he was convinced that the Tang army had been tormented by the "mountain calamity" and was now vulnerable!
Rumble——!
The thunderous sound of horses' hooves shattered the earth, mingling with the mournful horns of yaks and the deafening shouts of battle, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Tibetan army surged into the Tang army camp like a burst dam!
And it was at this very moment—

The Tang army camp, which seemed to be in a panic and helpless state, allowing the Tibetan hooves to trample it, suddenly erupted with a thunderous roar!

"put--!!!"

At the command, it resounded like a thunderclap!
Behind the seemingly ordinary mounds and piles of rocks on both sides of the camp, and at the end of the wide passage reserved between the tents, countless heavy oar shields were suddenly erected!
Between the shields, countless powerful crossbows gleamed with a deadly cold light, already drawn and ready to fire!

“Swish, swish, swish, swish—!!!”

The sharp, piercing sound drowned out the yak horn!
Thousands upon thousands of powerful bows and crossbows, with piercing whistles, pierced the surging Tibetan cavalry formation from both sides and the front at almost horizontal angles!

The thin air at high altitudes makes this deadly torrent of metal faster and more penetrating!

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

"what--!"

The elite Tibetan cavalry at the forefront seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall of air.

People turn their backs!

The warhorse neighed in despair as it was riddled with arrows and collapsed to the ground!

The valiant knights were pierced through leather and iron armor by powerful crossbow bolts, which even went through their bodies, creating plumes of blood mist!
This demonstrates the superiority of the Tang army in terms of equipment.

The Gu family never stopped training artisans, and the equipment of the Tang army was constantly being updated and iterated, supported by the huge profits brought by maritime trade.

And now, the leading position of the Tang Dynasty is being fully demonstrated!
"There's an ambush!!"

"Shield! Raise your shields!!!"

Panic-stricken shouts erupted among the Tibetan army, but chaos had already ensued.

"Boom!!!"

An even greater shock came from the flank of the Tibetan army!
At the edge of the camp, the earthen ramparts that seemed to have been trampled loose by the fleeing soldiers collapsed with a roar!

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, countless Tang soldiers, wielding long spears and broadswords, marched forward with heavy steps, forming a formidable array, pressing down like mountains!

The leader was none other than Guo Ziyi, whose hair and beard stood on end and whose eyes were wide open in anger!

These men were among the most elite troops in the Tang army.

They weren't even wearing armor at this point, yet they showed no fear.

In fact, this move seems like cutting off one's own arm.

But in reality, it's completely different.

Although under Gu Yi's gradual planning, the Tang army has gradually adapted to the plateau environment, they will still be greatly affected if they wear heavy armor.

This is the decisive battle.

Gu Yi must ensure that his soldiers unleash their full potential.

Although doing so might cause more casualties, after all, abandoning armor on the battlefield is like cutting off one's own arm.

But by comparison, this is also the only way to allow the soldiers to unleash their full potential.

Those who achieve great things are not careful about the little things.

Since he had already decided to decide the winner through this battle, Gu Yi naturally wouldn't consider these things anymore!

A massive army surged forth from within.

This plunged the already somewhat chaotic Tibetan army into further disarray. "Tang warriors! Follow me—kill!!!"

"Slay all the barbarians—!"

A deafening roar erupted from all directions in that instant!
The elite Tang soldiers, who had been waiting for battle, surged out like a tide, each one prepared to die, risking their lives without hesitation!
This is where the morale of the army lies!
The ritual performed by Gu Xuan under Gu Yi's control ultimately played its greatest role as the soldiers' bodies gradually adapted to the environment.

Just as the Tibetans believed that altitude sickness was a blessing from their god.

The soldiers of the Tang Dynasty also regarded this as help from the previous emperors and the ancestors of the Gu family.

For hundreds of years, the Gu family, an outsider clan, has never been defeated!
This kind of confidence is unimaginable to others.

—The situation has completely descended into chaos.

The sounds of wailing echoed everywhere. The moment the Tang army charged in, Trisong Detsen knew that retreating would not be so easy.

There is only one battle!
Seeing that many of the Tang soldiers had abandoned their heavy armor, Trisong Detsen's eyes flashed with a fierce light—he absolutely refused to believe that his warriors would be defeated by an unarmored enemy on this snowy peak blessed by the gods!

"Woo-woo-woo-woo!!!" The urgent yak horn blasts tore through the air, conveying the will of the Zanpu (king).

Trisong Detsen raised his blood-stained hunting knife high, his hair and beard bristling, and roared at heaven and earth in a tone imbued with ancient divine power:
"Eagles of the snowy land! The mountain gods are watching us!"

"The souls of the Tang people have been scattered by the cold wind! Their hearts and lungs are being pierced by the icicles of the gods!"

"kill!"

"Let their blood and flesh be used as a sacrifice to our sacred mountain!"

"May the Tang banner forever fall into the icy valley!"

"Kill! Kill!!!"

His personal guards, like fanatical shamans, galloped across the chaotic battlefield, spreading Trisong Detsen's words throughout the entire battlefield.

"Mountain God's protection! The curse has been cast! Tear them apart!!"

Faced with a sudden attack, Trisong Detsen had to stabilize the morale of his troops.

And this is the only way!
Of course, this was also Trisong Detsen's true thought.

Even now, he doesn't believe the Tang army can hold out; no one can withstand the curse of the mountain god.

The shouts echoed throughout the entire battlefield.

Hearing these calls, the elite Tibetan troops quickly calmed down.

They began to stabilize their formation and engaged in fierce fighting with the Tang army that was coming from the front.

Pure faith soothed their fears.

The Tang army, which was not wearing armor, gradually brought them back to their senses, and the two sides began the bloodiest battle.

Gu Yi had already anticipated all of this.

The power of faith was one of the Gu family's most powerful tools for manipulating people's hearts.

He knew better than anyone how terrifying power could be unleashed by the piety deep within his blood in dire straits.

As these shouts rang out—

The next moment, shouts from the Tang army also rang out.

"Soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty—"

"The spirits of our ancestors bear witness here!"

"Let us use the blades in our hands to plant the banner of the Great Tang Dynasty atop the snowy peak!"

"Just like in the past, crushing the Wolf Mountain of the Turks! Making all the barbarians tremble with fear!!"

Banners fluttering in the wind!

The imperial flag symbolizing the Li Tang dynasty and the banners representing the Gu family stood as they had in the past atop the mountain, rustling in the cold wind.

This was entirely a battle of faith between the soldiers on both sides.

The actions of the Gu family over the past few centuries collided with the stories these Tibetan soldiers had heard since childhood.

Under these circumstances, both sides gave it their all.

They stood firm and unyielding on the high mountain.

Time flies by.

It must be said that although the Tang army has gradually adapted to the plateau environment, they are still quite inferior to those who have lived on this land since childhood.

But they have a purer faith!
This belief is different from that of the Tibetans.

It is a story passed down orally from generation to generation, a testament to the trust that the Gu family has never suffered a defeat in hundreds of years!
In contrast, the Tibetan soldiers were completely different.

While their faith was equally firm, the legends of the Gu family also influenced them constantly.

The most important thing is——

As time went by, they all gradually realized a problem.

"Why hasn't the calamity of the plateau manifested yet?"

This is an obvious question.

Because they understood the plateau so well, they were very clear about what the people of Kyushu would be like after the plateau disaster struck.

But none of this has been seen in the Tang army.

Not only the Tibetan soldiers who faced the Tang army head-on, but even the nobles of various tribes, including Trisong Detsen himself, gradually began to have this question.

And under the current circumstances.

Once these people's minds waver even slightly, it becomes impossible to easily reverse the situation.

Not to mention, would Gu Yi give up this opportunity?

When he noticed that the Tibetan formation was starting to fall into disarray, his shouts immediately echoed throughout the entire battlefield.

"My soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty!!!"

"—This summit of Xiqing Mountain has already acknowledged China as its master! This god of the plateau has already bowed down to our Great Tang!!"

"Where the banners of the Gu family point, there lies the land to which Heaven's Mandate rests! Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, all is Han territory! This humble snowy region is no exception!"

"The natural barriers that the bandits relied on have become the smooth roads for our army! The gods that the bandits worship have already protected the might of our Great Tang army!"

"This is the will of Heaven!!!"

"It is the protection of the spirits of our ancestors! It is the glorious mandate of Heaven bestowed upon me!"

"The Mandate of Heaven—is in my Great Tang Dynasty!!!"

—Still using psychological tactics!
Gu Yi's strategy in this battle was to take advantage of the information gap regarding altitude sickness, as well as the reputation that the Gu family had accumulated over the past few centuries.

This is Gu Yi's sharpest weapon!

Each pronouncement, like a death knell carrying the might of heaven and earth, slammed into the ears of every Tibetan soldier!

As the “calamity of the high mountains” never materialized, the “divine protection” lie, passed down through generations and upon which they relied for survival, was shattered by the ironclad facts before their eyes!

"Why hasn't divine punishment descended?!"

"Has the mountain god truly abandoned us?!"

"."

An invisible fear suddenly descended upon them at that moment.

On the other hand, the morale of the Tang army was greatly boosted at this moment!
"not good!"

Trisong Detsen's expression changed drastically in an instant, and his face even turned pale at this moment.

The sense of crisis about the current situation and the doubts about his faith brought out all the fears hidden in his heart.

He wanted to do something immediately.

But before he could take any action, the situation on the entire battlefield suddenly changed at that moment.

The Tibetan army's formation was in disarray!
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(End of this chapter)