Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 483 Breaking Through Ironstone Fortress

Inside the Wolf Fortress, Karen heard that Baitu had sent someone to request reinforcements, and immediately summoned Rashid and Uzile to discuss the rescue of Ironstone Fortress.

For their own reasons, none of the three were very proactive in the rescue efforts.

However, their military regulations are very strict. When Bai Tu sent someone to ask for help, they did not send troops. They will surely be punished in the future.

After discussion, Karen decided to send 80,000 troops to the rescue, while leaving 50,000 troops in the city to guard against a feint attack.

Of the 80,000 men, 30,000 were from the Holy Shield Legion, 30,000 were from the Tocharian Army, and 20,000 were from the Turkic Army.

After agreeing on the time for their deployment the next day, the three returned to their respective tents.

Uzhile, the chieftain of the Turgesh tribe, is now the leader of the Turkic army.

He had just returned to the Turkic camp when one of his tribesmen reported that a scout had brought back a Turk who wanted to see him.

Uzile angrily retorted, "Who gave you permission to bring people back like this?"

The tribesman said, "Chief, there's nothing we can do. That man claims to have been sent by Helu Khan."

Helu was from the Dulu tribe. Although ten years had passed, he still enjoyed great prestige in the Dulu tribe, and the Turks still held him in high esteem when they heard his name.

Wuzhile was silent for a while, then said, "I heard that Helu has surrendered to Tang, and I'm afraid he sent someone to persuade me to surrender."

The tribesman said, "The Arabs have taken all our horses. What good will it do to surrender to the Tang Dynasty?"

Wu Zhile glared at him and said, "Fool, do you think the Tang people will treat us well? Besides, our wives, children, and parents are all in the Abbasid Caliphate. How can we return to the Tang?"

The tribesman fell silent.

Wu Zhile said, "Let that man wait in my tent."

The tribesman raised his head and stared at Wuzhile.

Wu Zhile said calmly, "I just want to hear what he has to say. It doesn't mean I want to return to Tang. Be careful and don't let anyone see him."

The tribesman quickly replied, "Yes!"

Uzhile changed into leather armor, took a scimitar, and went to his tent.

The envoy from Helu had been waiting for a long time. He bowed to him with a Turkic greeting and said, "I have come to visit the chieftain of the Turgesh tribe on the orders of Khan Helu."

Wu Zhile walked to the chair and sat down, drew his sword from its sheath, and stuck it into the wooden table with a "whoosh".

"I've just sharpened this knife. If you're here to act as a persuader, I'll use you to test it!"

The messenger said, "I am not here to surrender, but to deliver a message to you on behalf of the Khan."

"What?"

He said he had regained the trust of the Tang people and that if you were ever in dire straits, you could go to Anxi to seek refuge with him.

Wu Zhile asked, "Is that all?"

"Yes."

"He didn't ask me to submit to the Tang Dynasty?"

"No."

Uzile's heart skipped a beat.

This shows that although Helu surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, he still had his own ambitions and might want to make a comeback and do what he did back then.

Looking back now, the days when I followed Helu and relied on the banner of the Tang Dynasty were the best days I had after the split of the ten tribes of the Turks.

After that, the Ten Clans tribe rebelled against the Tang Dynasty along with He Lu, but were defeated by Su Dingfang and driven out of Anxi by the Tang people.

Although he was taken in by the Arabs, he was bullied and treated like a stray dog.

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart, thinking that when the time was right, leading his people to the Tang Dynasty and seeking refuge with He Lu might not be a bad way out.

He had been a follower of the Abbasid Caliphate for many years and knew that although the Abbasid Caliphate seemed powerful, it actually had many hidden dangers.

If they were defeated by the Tang army, the surrounding countries would surely join forces to attack them. At that time, the Abbasid Caliphate would definitely send them to resist, and the Turkic tribe would become even weaker.

Of course, betraying the Abbasid Caliphate is definitely not an option right now.

Leaving aside the fact that their people are still within the territory of the Abbasid Caliphate, the Abbasid army is currently stronger. If they betray the Tang army and are defeated, it would be tantamount to their own destruction.

The following morning, Uzhile mustered 20,000 Turkic soldiers and, together with Kalen and Rashid, led them to the Ironstone Fortress for rescue.

Karen marched cautiously, and to prevent the Tang army from ambushing him halfway, he sent Rashid's wolf soldiers to scout ahead.

Tokharistan is all mountainous terrain, with treacherous slopes and dense forests, making it extremely easy for armies to encounter ambushes.

Fortunately, the wolf soldiers were native to this mountainous region and were very familiar with it. After scouting around, they quickly discovered the Tang army hiding in the Banda Gorge.

The Tang army numbered only 30,000, all of whom hid in the high slopes of the valley.

Banda Gorge is the only way to Ironstone Fortress and also the best place to set up an ambush.

This shows that the Tang army's plan was to besiege the city and intercept reinforcements.

Unfortunately, in Tokharistan territory, their movements could not escape the wolf soldiers' scouting.

The army set up camp on the outskirts of the canyon, and the encampment was established.

Karen summoned Uzile and Rashid to his tent to discuss the matter, and laughed, "The Tang people actually dared to set up an ambush in front of the wolf soldiers, it's ridiculous, General Rashid, don't you think so?"

Rashid simply nodded without saying a word, his expression one of deep resentment.

Karen knew his nature and didn't mind. She smiled and said, "They only have 30,000 men. I believe that as long as the two generals join forces to attack, they can wipe them out."

Uzile asked, "How can we join forces?"

Karen said, "General Wu will attack from the front, while General Rashid will lead the wolf soldiers to attack from the rear of the canyon. By attacking from both sides, we will surely win the battle!"

Rashid asked, "If we all go to fight, what will General Karen do?"

Karen smiled and said, "I'll be here waiting for your good news!"

Rashid snorted and said, "General Karen is so carefree, letting us charge into battle while you stand by and watch!"

Karen said calmly, "General Rashid, don't forget, I am the commander-in-chief and you are the deputy commander. Do you dare to disobey my orders?"

Rashid was naturally arrogant, and when he saw the threat, his eyes flashed with anger as he glared at Karen.

Karen was slightly startled and quickly said, "General Rashid, the Tang army is now attacking your Tokharistan. Our Abbasid Caliphate is here to rescue you. Shouldn't you be the one to lead the attack?"

Rashid paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "You're right."

Karen waved her hand and said, "In that case, let's prepare for battle."

After leaving his tent, Uzile went to Rashid's tent to discuss the details of their alliance.

The two agreed on a time: around dawn the next day, they would attack the Tang army together.

After the discussion, Wuzhile returned to his camp, summoned his generals, and conveyed the battle orders.

His subordinates were all shocked after hearing his order.

Uzhile instructed them to focus on feigned attacks rather than fighting the Tang army head-on, prioritizing their own survival.

One of the generals asked, "Chief, if we fight like this, will General Rashid blame us? Will General Karen hold us accountable?"

Uzile waved his hand and said, "Just follow my orders. I will take care of Rashid and Karen." The next day, just after dawn, the sun rose.

The Tocharian wolf soldiers, familiar with the terrain, had already circled around to the back of the canyon.

The scouts discovered that the Tang army had occupied the high ground and built numerous defensive fortifications and palisades, clearly having anticipated their flanking attack.

This indicates that the enemy's objective was not an ambush, but rather to prepare for a desperate defense.

Rashid couldn't care less about anything else at this point. As the dawn grew brighter, he ordered his men to sound the horns and drums. The wolf soldiers, like ants, charged up the high slope where the Tang army was located.

On the hillside, Wang Fangyi approached Pei Xingjian, his face full of admiration.

"Guardian, just as you predicted, the Arabs allowed the Turks to attack from the front, while the wolf soldiers attacked from the rear!"

Pei Xingjian sat on a large rock and calmly said, "That's normal. In the first battle, the Arabs certainly won't personally take to the field. How is their attack going?"

Wang Fangyi said, "The wolf soldiers are attacking with all their might, but the Turkic soldiers are all bark and no bite, and their offensive is extremely weak."

Pei Xingjian nodded and said, "Very good. Move all the troops to the rear to deal with the wolf soldiers, and leave only three thousand troops to deal with the Turks!"

"Yes!"

The Tocharian wolf soldiers were indeed skilled in mountain warfare. They attacked from below, yet they could move as if on flat ground, leaping up like monkeys to scale the high slopes.

Before long, wolf soldiers broke through the hail of arrows and engaged the Tang army in close combat!

The battle was extremely brutal, with the sounds of fighting echoing throughout the canyon, and the corpses of wolf soldiers constantly rolling down the hillside.

The wolf soldiers' advantage lies in their ability to move through the mountains and forests and their skill in surprise attacks. This kind of head-on battle is not their forte, especially when they are facing the Tang army!

In just over two hours, the wolf soldiers lost more than two thousand men. The Tang army's offensive not only did not weaken, but became even more intense!
A general came over and told Rashid about the situation, saying, "General, something's not right. It seems that the Tang army has put its main force in the rear valley. The brothers can't break through and are suffering heavy losses!"

Rashid said in a deep voice, "It's alright. As long as we hold them off from behind, the Turks on the front can attack up the mountain and throw the Tang army into chaos. Tell the brothers to keep up the fight and not let their guard down!"

The attack continued for several more hours. As the sun began to set and dusk fell, the wolf soldiers suffered increasingly heavy casualties, exceeding six thousand men.

Upon receiving the battle report, Rashid was filled with shock, anger, and confusion.

They were essentially risking their lives to tie down the main force of the Tang army. Did the Turks really fail to breach the mountain?
Just then, the general in charge of leading the scouts rushed over and shouted angrily from afar, "Chief, we've been betrayed!"

Rashid exclaimed in astonishment, "What did you say?"

The scout general angrily said, "I just sent men to scout the front mountain. The Tang army only has a few thousand troops guarding the front mountain, but the Turks have not attacked at all. They are just hiding on the mountainside and exchanging fire with the Tang army, shouting loudly, but no one is rushing up the mountain!"

Rashid was filled with shock and rage. He slashed his sword at the rocks and roared, "These beasts!"

The scout general said, "Chief, quickly tell the brothers to retreat! Don't let them die in vain!"

Rashid was startled and quickly ordered his soldiers to stop their attack.

Unexpectedly, just as his men were retreating, the Tang army charged down from the mountain.

Rashid remained calm and issued several orders for his men to disperse and evacuate.

The wolf soldiers once again demonstrated their formidable advantage in mountain warfare, breaking up into smaller groups and disappearing without a trace in less than fifteen minutes.

If it were any other army, it would have been completely annihilated in the face of such a counterattack from the Tang army.

Rashid returned to the front of the mountain and stormed up to Uzile, grabbing him by the collar and demanding, "Uzile, you bastard, how dare you betray me!"

Uzhile asked, "General La, what makes you say that?"

Rashid angrily retorted, "My wolf soldiers have already tied down the main force of the Tang army, but you are hiding on the mountainside and refusing to attack. Aren't you betraying me?"

Uzile brushed his hand away, looked at him with a strange gaze, shook his head, and sighed, "You are truly pathetic."

Rashid roared, "What did you say?"

Wu Zhile said, "I thought you were a smart person who would reach an understanding with me, but I didn't expect you to be so stupid."

Rashid asked in surprise, "What tacit understanding?"

Uzile said in a low voice, "The Arabs are best at making other countries' armies willingly become pawns. Wasn't that how your wolf soldiers were worn down before?"

Rashid's expression changed slightly.

Wuzhile said, "Over the years, many of my Turkic soldiers have been lost. I don't want this last bit of manpower to be lost as well. Do you understand?"

Rashid was silent for a moment, then said, "I am different from you. If we lose this battle, my Tokharistan will perish."

Uzile shook his head and said, "You really are an honest man. There are many ways to fight a war. Don't forget, there is an elite Arab army outside the canyon."

"what do you mean……"

Wu Zhile coldly said, "Why not let them fight the Tang army head-on, and then wipe them out after the Tang army is crippled?"

Rashid's eyes flickered, clearly persuaded. After a moment, he said, "But how can we get Karen to play herself?"

Uzile said, "That will require patience. In the battles to come, you just need to learn how to fight like me, and Karen will naturally become restless."

In the following days, Rashid followed Ujil's example and only sent his men to make a show of attacking, shouting a few times and shooting a few arrows on the mountainside.

Upon learning this, Karen sent men to urge them to attack. The two then sent men to feign a charge, but they turned back halfway through, saying that the Tang army was too fierce.

Karen was naturally furious, but although he was the commander-in-chief, he could not command the two men's troops.

Left with no other choice, he ordered two men to lead troops to block the back of the canyon, while he personally led the Holy Shield Legion to attack the front of the canyon, agreeing to attack together.

On the day of the attack, the Turks and Tocharians continued their feigned attack, while only the Arabs launched a fierce assault in the front valley.

After a day of fierce fighting, Karen also realized that this Tang army was quite powerful.

Although the Tang army was slightly inferior to his Holy Shield Legion, the enemy had a defensive advantage, and the two sides fought to a draw with similar losses.

Unfortunately, the Turks and Tocharians remained inactive.

If he continues his offensive, even if he manages to annihilate this Tang army, he will certainly suffer heavy losses.

Faced with this situation, after much deliberation, he decided to surround the Tang army without attacking, and ordered his men to build fortifications on the mountainside to trap the Tang army on the mountain.

He originally didn't want to reinforce Bai Tu, but now that the Tang army was blocking his way, that was the best excuse, and his superiors wouldn't blame him in the future.

This Tang army is now besieged. Even if they prepare food and supplies in advance, they can only last for one or two months at most.

Once the Tang army runs out of food and their morale is low, we can annihilate them in one fell swoop, then reinforce Tieshi Fortress and join forces with the garrison inside to wipe out the Tang army outside the city.

In this way, no one could overshadow his glory in this war.

In his view, Ironstone Fortress was extremely fortified and had 100,000 garrison troops, while the Tang army only had 70,000 attacking troops.

He had already fought against the Tang army in the canyon and felt that the Tang army was nothing special, and their combat strength was not as good as his Holy Shield Legion.

Although he looked down on Bai Tu, he knew that the Lion Legion's combat strength was comparable to that of the Holy Shield Legion.

If Bai Tu couldn't hold Ironstone Fortress for even a month or two despite his superior combat power, manpower, and defense, then he was utterly incompetent and had no one to blame but himself.

With this mindset, Karen continued to besiege the Tang army, while Wuzhile and Rashid continued to slack off.

Karen naturally had no idea that the Tang army he was facing was completely different from the Tang army that attacked Ironstone Fortress.

More than half a month later, a bolt from the blue struck.

Ironstone Fortress has fallen, and the 100,000-strong Arab army within it has been completely annihilated!

(End of this chapter)