Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 481 Imperial Graveyard
Pei Xingjian strode forward, first bowing to Xue Rengui, then cupping his hands in greeting to Su Aoman, and smiling, "Greetings, General Su."

Su Aoman, unaware of his identity, looked at Cui Zhibian, who smiled and said, "General Su, this is Protector Pei of my Anxi Protectorate."

Suoman quickly returned the greeting to Pei Xingjian, using the etiquette of the Tang Dynasty.

"I have long admired Protector Pei's name!"

Pei Xingjian was indeed very famous in the Western Regions. Many people in the Western Regions did not know who the Tang emperor was, but they knew that the chief official in charge of managing the Western Regions was named Pei Xingjian.

Pei Xingjian's status in the Western Regions was the same as that of Mu'awiya, who served as the governor of Persia.

Pei Xingjian took Su Aoman's hand and entered the hall, saying with a smile, "To be honest, General, I was worried about the war in Tokharistan. Your arrival is like a long-awaited rain after a drought!"

Suoman was quite knowledgeable about the internal situation of the Tang Dynasty and knew that Pei Xingjian and Xue Rengui were top generals like Su Dingfang.

Pei Xingjian was like Zeppelin of the Abbasid Caliphate, and Xue Rengui was like Omar of the Abbasid Caliphate. Both of them treated him with great courtesy, which made him feel flattered.

He knew perfectly well why the two were treating him with such courtesy, and said solemnly, "If there's anything you'd like to know, please feel free to speak your mind."

Pei Xingjian was about to speak when Cui Zhibian laughed and said, "No matter how urgent the matter is, we can't talk on an empty stomach. I'm sure none of us have eaten yet. How about we go to the public kitchen and eat while we talk?"

Everyone readily agreed and immediately went to the communal kitchen, sitting down around a long table.

The food in the border regions is very simple, mainly consisting of mutton. In the morning, they eat mutton soup with flatbread, aiming to fill their stomachs.

Pei Xingjian's mind was entirely on the war. He ate a few mouthfuls of mutton soup haphazardly and then asked Suoman, "General Su, do you know about the Iron Stone Fortress and the Wolf Fortress of Tokharistan?"

Suoman put down his chopsticks and bowl, looking apologetic, and said, "I am truly sorry. I have been stationed in India, Little Bolu, and Great Bolu for a long time and have never been to Tokharistan. I am not familiar with the terrain there."

Pei Xingjian waved his hand and said, "It's alright. I have already investigated the terrain of Tokharistan. Let me explain it to you all first."

He glanced at Cui Zhibian.

Cui Zhibian nodded, got up and left the public kitchen. He returned shortly with a map, which he spread out on the table. The map marked the terrain of the Nine Kingdoms of Sogdiana and Tokharistan.

Pei Xingjian pointed to one of the places and slowly said, "This place is called Mulu Valley. I have already discussed with the King of Kangguo that this place will be temporarily used by our Great Tang Dynasty as our foothold for attacking Tokharistan, as well as a place for storing supplies. I have already sent a general to lead 50,000 Zhaowu troops to garrison Mulu Valley."

This was to prevent the Arabs from launching a preemptive strike against Kangguo.

Suoman stared at Mulu Valley on the map and said slowly, "I know this place. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is the gateway to Kang Kingdom."

When the Abbasid Caliphate was preparing to invade Kangguo, it had already considered a battle plan, and Suoman also participated in the battle meeting.

The Mulu Valley military camp was the first major challenge the Abbasid army had to face.

Later, Ibn sent people to infiltrate Kangju, got the king to change his surname to Abbasid Caliphate, and took Kangju without losing a single soldier. The plan was then shelved.

Pei Xingjian nodded and said, "I chose this place as a springboard for attacking Tokharistan because it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, which can prevent the Arabs from launching a surprise attack here and cutting off our army's retreat during the war."

He pointed his gaze southwest.

"Gentlemen, please look, there are two routes we can take to attack Tokharistan from Kangguo."

The crowd looked in the direction he pointed and saw one road to the north and the other to the south, leading to the two military fortresses of Tokharistan.

These two fortresses are Ironstone Fortress and Wolf Fortress.

Both places were originally inhabited cities, but now most of the residents have been relocated and the cities have been transformed into military fortresses to prevent Tang army invasion.

These two military fortresses were also connected to each other, forming a pincer movement, and could support each other, just like the two gates of Tokharistan. To enter Tokharistan, one had to first open these two gates.

Li Yuanfang asked, "Protector Pei, why are there so many small Pythagorean themes (triangles) marked next to these two cities?"

Pei Xingjian glanced at him and said, "These are all mountains."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanfang was slightly startled and asked, "Is the terrain of Tokharistan like that of Goguryeo, a mountainous region?"

Cui Zhibian said solemnly, "Tokharistan is different from Goguryeo. Tokharistan has more mountains, and the mountains are higher. Moreover, unlike Goguryeo, there is no vast plain beyond the Thousand Mountains!"

"Most of Tokharistan is mountainous!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's expressions changed.

Li Yuanfang wanted to say something, but when he turned to look at Xue Rengui and saw that he was calm, he swallowed his words.

Pei Xingjian said slowly, "You all don't need to worry too much. Although the terrain of Tokharistan is complex, our main enemy is the Abbasid Caliphate, and they are also fighting as guest troops."

Li Yuanfang asked, "Didn't Tokharistan have its own army?"

Pei Xingjian said, "There are some, and they are said to be quite powerful. They once caused the Abbasid army a lot of trouble, but I don't know if it's true or not."

At this point, he looked at Suoman.

Suoman nodded and said, "That's right. The Tocharians have a wolf army that is skilled in mountain warfare. They are elusive and difficult to defend against."

"When the Abbasid Caliphate attacked Tokharistan, although they captured the capital and important cities, the Tokharistan royal family fled to the mountains and used wolf soldiers to harass them, causing the Abbasid army great suffering and almost forcing them to give up and retreat!"

Wei Daijia asked curiously, "How did the Arabs eventually conquer the Tocharians?"

Suoman said, "The Abbasid Caliphate sent missionaries to the deep mountains, and after negotiations, they finally persuaded the Tokharistan royal family to submit to the Abbasid Caliphate, and only then did Tokharistan submit."

Pei Xingjian pondered and said, "There is a Tocharian army of forty to fifty thousand men stationed in Canglang Fortress. This should be the wolf army that General Su mentioned."

"What about Ironstone Fortress?" Wei Daijia asked.

Pei Xingjian said, "Fifty thousand Arab troops are stationed at Tieshibao."

Wei Daijia said, "So, the first step in our plan is to capture these two cities?"

Pei Xingjian raised his hand and said, "No, the whole plan only has one step: capture one fortress, block the reinforcements from the other fortress, and the war will be over."

Everyone looked surprised when they heard this.

Only Xue Rengui showed a thoughtful expression and said, "As long as our main force goes to Kangguo, the Arabs will also send reinforcements to the two cities, right?"

Pei Xingjian looked up at him and nodded, saying, "That's exactly right."

Both of them were well aware of the situation of the Arabs.

Simply put, the Arabs were unwilling to fight a protracted war with the Tang army, so they naturally wouldn't disperse their forces and advance in layers like Goguryeo did.

As soon as the Tang army enters Kangguo, the Abbasid Caliphate will deploy all its forces to the two castles.

The first battle is the decisive battle.

The Tang army won this battle, and the Arabs withdrew from Tokharistan. With the Arabs' victory, the Tang army had no choice but to retreat back to Suyab.

If it drags on for several months, not only will the Tang Dynasty suffer, but the Arabs will suffer even more.

The graveyard-like terrain of Tokharistan made transporting supplies extremely difficult; even the most powerful empire would perish if fighting there for too long.

Pei Xingjian's choice to help Tokharistan restore its kingdom, rather than conquer it, stemmed from the same reason.

Because it's simply impossible to take it down.

Supporting a pro-Tang royal family would serve two purposes: firstly, to stop the eastward expansion of the Abbasid Caliphate, and secondly, to safeguard the Tang Dynasty's interests in the Western Regions. This would be the best option.

The Tang Dynasty's military strength was inferior to that of the Abbasid Caliphate, so attacking two castles at the same time was not realistic. The best option was to attack one and block the other.

After hearing Pei Xingjian's plan, Wei Daijia suggested, "If that's the case, why not besiege the city and attack the reinforcements?"

Pei Xingjian said, "Our enemy this time is the elite of the Abbasid Caliphate. They will not fall into the ambush easily, so we should prepare for the worst and turn the ambush into a defensive battle."

Xue Rengui asked, "Which one should we attack?"

"I haven't decided yet. I need to know whether the Arabs will reinforce the two forts after we enter Kangguo before I can make a decision."

Pei Xingjian then glanced at Su Aoman. "At that time, we will need General Su to help us analyze the situation of the Arab reinforcements so that we can respond accordingly."

Suoman solemnly replied, "It is my duty!"

With Suoman, a Persian advisor who knew the Abbasid army inside and out, Pei Xingjian had no more hesitation.

Three days later, an army of 70,000 men left Suyab and headed straight for Kang, led by Pei Xingjian, Xue Rengui and others.

Only 10,000 troops were left to defend the city.

The terrain along the way was not easy to travel, but fortunately, the nine kingdoms of Zhaowu were all vassal states of the Tang Dynasty, so the journey was unimpeded.

When passing through each country, the kings of each country would personally lead a caravan to transport grain and reward the army, which greatly reduced the logistical burden.

The nine Sogdian states were all very active in this war.

If Tokharistan were to be restored, it would become a shield for them against the Arabs, and they would no longer have to face the danger of the Arabs directly. Naturally, they would help the Tang army.

Before long, the army arrived in Kang.

The newly enthroned King Kangsuo of Kangguo, along with his prime minister Kangna and general Kangbai, personally came to the border to welcome him.

Kang Suo was the king supported by Pei Xingjian, and Kang Bai was also one of his men. As for Kang Na, her son-in-law was from Chang'an and had been sent as an envoy to the Tang Dynasty many times, making him a staunch pro-Tang figure.

The three most powerful people in Kangguo were all pro-Tang, so the people of Kangguo also had a very good impression of the Tang Dynasty.

Many common people brought food and drink and followed the king to the border to reward the Tang army.

That night, the army camped in the territory of Kang, and the generals, along with Kang Suo, Kang Na, and others, drank and celebrated around the campfire.

Kangsa sent many spies in Tokharistan, gathered a lot of information, and took the opportunity to tell everyone.

Just as Pei Xingjian guessed, after the Tang army took action, the Arabs immediately sent reinforcements to the two cities.

Unfortunately, the enemy's movements are clandestine, and details regarding reinforcements are currently unknown.

The next day, the army continued its westward advance and soon arrived at the Mulu Valley camp.

The general in charge of guarding the Mulu Valley camp was Wang Fangyi, a subordinate of Pei Xingjian.

Wang Fangyi was originally the Prefect of Suzhou in Hexi. He was highly praised by the locals for his effective governance. Unfortunately, his maternal clan was Wang, and Wang Shuren was his cousin. Therefore, no one recommended him, and he was never promoted.

After Pei Xingjian became the Protector-General of Anxi, Cui Zhibian recommended Wang Fangyi to him. Pei Xingjian then asked Emperor Li Zhi for permission to transfer Wang Fangyi to his command.

After observing him, Pei Xingjian found Wang Fangyi to be calm and collected, and capable of great things. After forming the Zhaowu Army, he put him in charge of training.

Wang Fangyi was skilled in training his troops, and these soldiers from the nine kingdoms of Zhaowu were all proud to be part of the Tang army.

Although the Zhaowu Army is not as strong as the regular Tang army, it is well-disciplined and obeys orders, making it the main force in this battle.

After Pei Xingjian and his men entered the camp, they immediately held a military meeting.

Wang Fangyi had already investigated the details of Ironstone Fortress and Wolf Fortress and immediately reported the situation.

The Arabs actually sent 130,000 men to support these two cities.

Among them are two of the Four Holy Legions of the Abbasid Caliphate: the Lion Legion and the Holy Shield Legion.

There was also a Flying Eagle Army, numbering 30,000, most of whom were said to be Turks.

Upon hearing that they were Turks, Pei Xingjian asked, "Are all 30,000 men cavalry?"

Wang Fangyi said, "No, they are all infantry."

Pei Xingjian asked in surprise, "Turkic infantry?"

The Turks had more horses than men and were skilled in archery and horsemanship. The Tang army fought against the Turks for decades but rarely encountered Turkic infantry.

The Turks had poor infantry combat skills, so why would the enemy allow them to serve as infantry?

Wang Fangyi said, "It's probably because of the terrain that the cavalry can't deploy effectively, so the Arabs sent them with infantry to help."

Suoman suddenly said, "No, it's not because of the terrain. After the Turks submitted to the Abbasids, the Abbasids used their horses to form a cavalry force of 50,000, which is the Holy Sword Legion."

Wei Daijia asked in surprise, "Are the Arabs so short of horses that they actually stole the Turks' horses?"

Suoman said, "Although the Abbasid Caliphate is vast, there are very few places where horses can be raised on a large scale. They attacked the Khazars Khanate in order to obtain a place for raising horses, but unfortunately, they could not hold it for long after each conquest."

Upon hearing this, everyone secretly lamented the loss.

The Tang army's strongest asset was its cavalry. With so few Arab cavalry, the Tang army would have a significant advantage in open plains warfare.

Unfortunately, Tokharistan's mountainous terrain prevented the Tang army from fully utilizing its cavalry advantage.

Wang Fangyi continued his report, saying that the Lion Legion was heading towards Ironstone Fortress and had probably already entered it.

The Holy Shield Legion and the Flying Eagle Legion rushed to reinforce the Wolf Fortress.

Ironstone Fortress was garrisoned by 50,000 Arab troops, and the Arabs only sent the Lion Legion as reinforcements.

The Canglang Fortress was garrisoned by 50,000 Tocharian wolf soldiers, but the Arabs sent 80,000 reinforcements.

This shows that the Arabs did not trust the Tocharian wolf soldiers' abilities, hence they sent more reinforcements.

The enemy forces currently number as many as 230,000, while the Tang army only has 120,000 and is on the offensive. This battle is bound to be extremely difficult.

However, Xue Rengui noticed that after listening to Wang Fangyi's intelligence and Suoman's analysis of the Abbasid army, Pei Xingjian seemed much more relaxed, as if he was confident of victory.

"Governor Pei, have you decided which city to attack?" Xue Rengui asked tentatively.

Pei Xingjian smiled and said, "Yes, I think we should attack Ironstone Fortress. What do you think, General Xue?"

After hearing this, everyone began to ponder why Pei Xingjian chose Ironstone Fortress.

Xue Rengui pondered for a moment and said, "His Majesty said that you are the commander-in-chief in this battle, and I will assist you. Since you have made your decision, I have no objection."

"Thank you very much." Pei Xingjian cupped his hands in thanks, then looked at Su Aoman: "What does General Su think?"

Suoman said, "The Holy Shield Legion excels in defense, while the Lion Legion excels in offense. The Lion Legion has just suffered a defeat and its morale has been low. I agree to attack Ironstone Fortress!"

Pei Xingjian then looked at Cui Zhibian.

Cui Zhibian smiled and nodded; he had already guessed why Pei Xingjian had chosen to attack Tieshibao.

Pei Xingjian stood up abruptly and said, "Since everyone has no objections, five days from now, our army will split into two groups: one to attack Ironstone Fortress, and the other to block the reinforcements from Azure Wolf Fortress!"

The generals responded in unison.

Xue Rengui asked, "How should we divide our troops?"

Pei Xingjian said, "General Xue led 70,000 Tang troops to attack Tieshi Fortress. I led 30,000 Zhaowu troops to block Canglang Fortress from coming to our aid, while Brother Cui led 20,000 Zhaowu troops to hold Mulu Valley."

Upon hearing this, Xue Rengui was slightly startled.

Pei Xingjian has entrusted the main force to him, while he himself leads only a detachment to block the reinforcements from Canglang Fort.

With 130,000 troops from Canglang Fortress, how could he possibly hold them off with only 30,000 men?
Xue Rengui knew that Pei Xingjian's strategies were superior to his own, and that there must be a reason for this arrangement. He said in a deep voice, "I will definitely take Ironstone Fortress within a month!"

Pei Xingjian said, "No reinforcements will appear in Ironstone Fortress within a month."

The two bumped fists, smiled at each other, and their eyes were full of trust in each other's abilities.

(End of this chapter)