Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 118 Attacking the Mountain
With Zhao Huai'an's help to appease them, the generals, at least outwardly, no longer showed any signs of distress, and were now listening to Yang Qingfu direct the various armies.

Currently, the order of command of Yang Qingfu's various armies is roughly as follows:

His direct subordinate elite troops consisted of five divisions of the Western Sichuan Imperial Guard, totaling two thousand men, and were commanded by five generals: Yang Maoyan, Yang Tang, Yang Ru, Zhang Xu, and Ju Weili.

The two battalions of Chengdu Tujiang were commanded by Xianyu Yue and Zhao Huaiyi on the left and right; then the two battalions of Huangtou Army were commanded by Li Ting and Guo Qi on the left and right; there were also the Xishan Qiang Army under Ren Kezhi, the Youyi Army under Xie Zaixing, the left and right Tujiang cavalry and infantry under Qu Dafu, and Xie Congben's troops.

These all belong to the army under the jurisdiction of the shogunate, followed by the military garrisons inside and outside the domains, including the various garrison garrisons:

There was Yang Xingqian, the general of Lutou Fortress, leading 500 soldiers; Mo Kuangshi, the general of Baima Fortress, leading 600 soldiers; and Hou Ju, the general of Songling Pass, leading 300 soldiers.

Then there are the garrison troops under the governors of each prefecture, with each prefecture having approximately five to eight hundred men.

Among them, Mao Xiang of Kuizhou led 500 soldiers, Shan Xingzhang and Xu Genghe of Meizhou led 800 soldiers, Xie Chengen of Rongzhou led 500 Bo soldiers, Zhang Chengjian of Yazhou led 500 soldiers, Zhang Zao of Maozhou led 800 Qiang soldiers, and Li Shunzhi of Weizhou led 600 Qiang soldiers.

Finally, there's Bao Yidu on Zhao Huai'an's side, with 1,700 cavalry and infantry.

Adding up all the scattered figures above, since Xianyu Yue's thousand men were still with Gao Pian, Yang Qingfu's total strength in western Sichuan at this time was around 13,000 to 14,000.

At this moment, twenty or thirty generals sat below the curtain, listening to Yang Qingfu's commands.

According to Yang Qingfu's command, the five commanders of the Yamen and the Chengdu commanders set up camp around the main camp at Fojin Mountain.

Then the Huangtou Army, the Xishan Qiang Army, and the left and right Tuqi cavalry and infantry, totaling about four thousand men, were the largest force and were stationed at Baixikou.

Located directly north of the Hanyuan Valley, this place guards the Beidaoshan Pass. Yang Qingfu concentrated all his cavalry and infantry here so that they could easily gallop directly into the Hanyuan Valley from here.

He then deployed the three armies of the Yamen Army and the four armies of Kuizhou, Rongzhou, Yazhou, and Weizhou to the western side of the Fojin Mountain, near the eastern edge of the Hanyuan Valley, where they could launch attacks from the east at any time and enter the battlefield.

Finally, he arranged for Zhao Huai'an's Bao Yidu, Meizhou's Shan Xingzhang and Xu Geng, and Maozhou's Zhang Zao to be stationed in the Yakoupo and Nanmuping area south of the Hanyuan Valley.

Thus, the elite troops such as Huangtou Army were positioned in the north, the inner and outer troops under Yang Qingfu's command were in the middle, and Bao Yidu and some garrison troops were in the south, surrounding the Hanyuan Valley, which was more than ten miles long, on three sides.

Zhao Huai'an listened attentively, and also considered the situation on the sand table. He discovered that Yang Qingfu was indeed a veteran general, and the places he had chosen could be considered key points.

Just like playing chess, Yang Qingfu only made a few moves, but he grasped the key to the whole game and had already taken the initiative in terms of strategy.

Take the mountain pass where Zhao Huai'an was to move his camp as an example; there are two possible variations here.

If support is needed on the Hanyuan battlefield, Bao Yidu can launch an attack from Yakoupo and directly cut off the Nanzhao army's rear from the southwest.

If it is necessary to pursue Bao Yidu, they can launch a direct attack westward from the pass.

The Liusha River is very narrow here, almost like a ditch. Cavalry and infantry can cross directly to the other side and maneuver through the mountains to attack the rear of the Nanzhao army.

This also shows that Yang Qingfu had high expectations for Bao Yidu, and the military tasks he entrusted to Zhao Huai'an were also very complex.

But the more Zhao Huai'an reacted this way, the more excited he became. This was the decisive battle he wanted! This was the true spirit of the Tang army!
So even though he had to shoulder such a heavy responsibility, Zhao Huai'an still happily got up and bowed.

But apart from Zhao Huai'an himself being eager to participate, there was a moment of silence in the audience after listening to Yang Qingfu's instructions.

Before Zhao Huai'an could figure out why, Li Ting, the Left Army Commander of the Yellow-Headed Army, couldn't help but step forward, clasp his hands in greeting, and ask Yang Qingfu:

"General, from this deployment, why is it that my Sichuan army is being placed at the forefront, while the armies from the outer vassal states brought by the envoy are just sitting on the sidelines and watching from the rear?"

Yes, all the generals remained silent in this place. Yang Qingfu's deployment was good, with the Hanyuan Valley surrounded from three sides. Moreover, all the troops were stationed on high ridges and platforms, which allowed them to monitor the situation and support friendly forces at any time.

But the entire outer perimeter of the Hanyuan Valley is filled with their Sichuan Western Army. Does that mean this battle is solely their Sichuan Western Army's responsibility? Gao Pian's men aren't paid? Why are they on the front lines?

When Yang Qingfu saw Li Ting step forward, he did not get angry, because he knew that Li Ting actually wanted him to explain.

The Yellow Head Army was an elite force highly valued by Yang Qingfu, not only because its officers and soldiers were skilled and brave, but more importantly because the left and right military commanders were military leaders he greatly admired.

In particular, Li Ting was a brave and valiant general, simple and loyal, a rare talent.

Before he met Zhao Huai'an, he always regarded him as his successor, so he had a mentor-student relationship with Li Ting.

At this moment, Li Ting stepped forward to cooperate. Yang Qingfu thought for a moment, then spoke frankly to the generals:
"Just today, Yin Yuanyi, the chief of Fufang, was beheaded by the envoy. I went to the envoy's place for a meeting. At the meeting, the envoy threw his knife on the ground and asked us if we could fight. If we couldn't fight, we could slit our throats right now. But if we didn't slit our throats now and didn't fight to the death on the battlefield, the envoy would kill our entire family."

"The fact that I can sit here and talk to you all now means that I haven't slit my throat. So if our Sichuan Army shrinks back on the battlefield, the Prime Minister will definitely kill my entire family. If my whole family is not safe, then even if I want to protect my brothers, I will be powerless to do so."

At this moment, there was an uproar in the audience. They did not expect that Gao Pian would directly kill Yin Yuanyi, the general of Fufang. This man was not without background. Now he had been sacrificed by Gao Pian. Just now, they were all dissatisfied and resentful, but now they all shrank back.

Gao Pian did indeed have a set of methods for leading generals, namely, he dared to kill!
Yang Qingfu was also somewhat disheartened and said to the generals:
"Just do as I say. In this battle, it's either we kill all the Nanzhao people, or we are killed by the envoy. Since that's the case, let's fight this battle for Sichuan and for the imperial court!"

All the generals stood up, bowed, and withdrew.

Only Zhao Huai'an and Li Ting were left behind by Yang Qingfu, clearly because there were military matters for them to handle.

……

Zhao Liu and the others had been waiting outside for a while, and when they finally saw their men coming out from under the curtain, they quickly surrounded them.

Fatty Bean was the most direct, and asked in a low voice:

"Big Brother, is General Yang going to send us to attack Hanyuan?"

As expected, the generals who protected the righteous had also been trained and knew that the key to this battle lay in whether or not they could first capture Hanyuan City in the valley.

Such tasks are usually the responsibility of the Bao Yidu.

Zhao Huai'an shook his head and said to everyone:

"Initially, they did want us to attack Hanyuan, but Li Ting of the Yellow Head Army took on the task."

Several experienced military commanders looked at each other in bewilderment. "Are there really such honest commanders? Attacking Hanyuan is no easy task."

If they fail to capture the city, they will be subject to military law. If they do capture it, they will be trapped in Hanyuan City, which will be the battleground between the Tang army and the Nanzhao army. Without any reinforcements, they will have to resist the Nanzhao army's attacks.

But the fact that people were still eager to do this kind of hard work shows that the Western Sichuan Army wasn't completely corrupt.

Zhao Huai'an was just as puzzled as the other generals. Although this was the first time he had met Li Ting, he had to admit that he was a good man.

Although he was not assigned to attack Hanyuan, he still had other tasks, namely, Bao Yi had to organize elite troops to intercept and kill the Nanzhao army's scouts.

At this moment, the great battle has not yet begun, but the scouts of the two armies have already started fighting in this mountain forest.

……

In the following two days, in order to deal with the threat to the rear supply lines from the Qiongman tribes in the mountains on both sides, Yang Qingfu specially asked Gao Pian to order the stockpiling of grain and fodder in the deep valleys of the mountains.

In this way, if something goes wrong with the grain supply route, these stockpiled reserves can still last for ten days to half a month.

At the same time, Zhao Huai'an led Bao Yidu to move to Yakoupo and set up three large strongholds at the valley entrance and on both sides of the mountain ridge.

Just as Zhao Huai'an set up camp, Ding Huaiyi of the Ta Bai team brought some intelligence.

Since the last ambush during the mountain search, Ding Huaiyi has been relentlessly training his Tabai troops. Zhao Huai'an also provided support, drawing a group of key personnel from various teams to fill the Tabai positions.

This has caused many teams to complain bitterly, saying that their intensive training has ultimately benefited Ding Huaiyi.

Having learned from their mistakes and with a capable replacement, the Tabai team's battlefield search capabilities have improved significantly. Now, he reports that a Nanzhao army has suddenly appeared in the Yinbanshan area, just south of the pass.

This time, the Tabai team ventured deep into the vicinity and learned that the army numbered around a thousand, with about fifty cavalrymen.

Ding Huaiyi estimated that this Nanzhao army must have used the Dadu River to row into the lower reaches of the Liusha River and landed on the riverbank on the east side. When the Tabai team discovered this Nanzhao army, they had already occupied an area from Yinban Mountain to the western riverbank, and had set up four camps, and were still building more.

Furthermore, the Ta Bai team observed that this enemy force might only be the vanguard, with follow-up troops continuously arriving by boat to assemble here.

Upon hearing this information, Zhao Huai'an immediately became alert.

He didn't even need to look at the sand table or map to know the tactical objectives of this Nanzhao army.

Zhao Huai'an is currently at the mountain pass, below which is a mountain range. However, this mountain range stops after extending to the Dadu River, leaving a riverbed between the riverbank and the mountain range.

Yinban Mountain is the highest point on this riverbank, and it has now been occupied by the Nanzhao army.

Once the enemy forces set up camp at Yinban Mountain, they can easily gather troops on the riverbanks behind them, and then threaten the entire rear of the Western Sichuan Army.

According to the military strategy previously deployed by Commander Yang, the more than 10,000 troops in western Sichuan were mainly deployed on the west side of the mountain range, while there was a winding mountain road on the other side of the mountain range.

The Nanzhao army could use this mountain road to travel directly from the riverbank to the rear of Yang Xingfu's camp.

Fortunately, Bao Yidu's scouts had improved their skills and had diligently searched the south side of the slope. Otherwise, if these Nanzhao troops had truly settled down, and during the decisive battle, the Sichuan armies were fighting fiercely at the front while their rear was undefended, allowing these Nanzhao troops to take the opportunity to flank them from the mountain pass, it would have been utterly disastrous!

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an felt a sense of lingering fear. He only sent someone to inform Yang Qingfu of the military situation and immediately assembled Baoyidu to march south and attack the enemy at Yinbanshan.

Sure enough, the battlefield was like a game of chess, with each player having their own pieces. The Tang army had just made their move when the Nanzhao army followed suit, immediately striking at the heart of the Xichuan army's weakness.

There are some truly capable people in the Nanzhao army! They should not be underestimated!
Just as Bao Yidu headed south, Yang Qingfu's main force from Fojin Mountain arrived with several riders, bringing the latest intelligence.
"Li Ting, the commander of the Yellow-Headed Army, led his troops down the mountain and launched an attack on Hanyuan City in the valley."

……

Bao Yidu set off at dawn, when the sky was just beginning to lighten. The 1,700 horses and infantrymen galloped along the mountain road in three columns, front, middle and rear.

By mid-morning, the vanguard of the Bao Yi team had already reached the high and low points on the northeast side of Yinban Mountain.

Leading the vanguard was Wang Jin, a trusted lieutenant of Zhao Huai'an.

Now Baoyi has thirty-two teams. If the teams are still managed directly by their respective leaders as before, Zhao Huai'an simply cannot manage them all.

Therefore, in order to deal with this large-scale war, Zhao Huai'an specially appointed three battalion commanders, namely Wang Jin, Han Tong and Chen Fahai, while the remaining eight elite troops would still be directly under his command!
However, these three are currently only in positions of authority. If they win this battle, they will naturally secure their positions. But if any of them displease Zhao Huai'an, they will not only lose their battalion commander status, but they will also lose their previous platoon commander status.

Therefore, for Wang Jin, Han Tong, and Chen Fahai, this was a matter of either advancing or retreating. None of the three dared to be careless, and they all put in their utmost attention.

At this time, Wang Jin led eight teams to be the first to arrive at the northern entrance of Yinbanshan.

Just as they reached the top of a nearby hill, General Gao Renhou arrived with two mountain bandits, accompanied by General Wang Li, a student of General Gao Renhou.

Gao Renhou, clad in iron armor and draped in a bright green cloak, nimbly ascended the mountain in a few strides to report directly to Wang Jin:

"Commander, we encountered two Liao people gathering firewood nearby. Wang Li just asked them, and they said there is indeed a Nanzhao army on the opposite side of Yinban Mountain, but they don't know how many there are."

Wang Jin looked at Gao Renhou with admiration. This man was very similar to himself, both of them had a kind heart, and they had both served in the Sichuan-West Army before.

Of course, the most important thing is that Gao Renhou uses his brain in battle, which is the most important reason why Wang Jin appreciates him.

After listening to Gao Renhou's report, Wang Jin pondered for a moment and then ordered his eight teams to rest and wait for sunset.

Gao Renhou did not ask why, and went down to inform the other seven squad leaders with the military order.

During this process, Wang Jin continuously dispatched elite scouts to infiltrate the other side, sending a steady stream of intelligence back to them.

The first intelligence report indicated that although the Nanzhao army had set up many camps on Yinban Mountain, their forces were not large, numbering only about two or three hundred men.

After receiving this intelligence, Wang Jin ordered Kang Yanjun, Dang Shousu, and Wang Huan to lead their troops through the dense forest and circle around to the stone ridge on the south side of Yinban Mountain, where they would lie in ambush.

Once they discover that the enemy is supporting Yinbanshan from the riverbank, the three generals must immediately move west to capture and destroy the riverbank crossing in the southwest.

Thus, Kang Yanjun, Dang Shousu, and Wang Huan, who were waiting at the foot of the mountain, received military orders, carried their packs and armor, and headed straight for Shitouling on the south side of Yinban Mountain, led by a guide.

Then, a second intelligence report arrived from the front. It was sent by a scout who had infiltrated the riverbank. He told Wang Jin that the Nanzhao army now assembled at the camp on the riverbank had a total strength of about 800 men, but they had not seen the 50 cavalrymen they had previously spotted.

By midday, another battalion had arrived, led by Han Tong. At the same time, the scouts who had been sent further southwest also returned.

He brought Wang Jin intelligence:

"We searched ten miles south and found no trace of the Nanzhao army in the southwestern mountains, nor did we see any cooking smoke rising."

Wang Jin confirmed it again:
"Did they keep watch all the way to the Dadu River?"

Having received clear confirmation, Wang Jin finally stood up and said to Han Tong beside him:

"Old Han, once the sun weakens, our two battalions will attack Yinbanshan directly from the north and east. I expect we can defeat the enemy by dusk."

Han Tong lacked Wang Jin's tactical skills, but he didn't argue and accepted the order with clasped hands.

So, an hour later, as the sun began to set and it was 3:15 PM, Wang Jin and Han Tong's battalions suddenly launched an attack on Yinbanshan.

The vanguard, led by Li Jian and Sun Chuanwei, launched an attack uphill.

At this moment, Yinbanshan hurriedly lit smoke signals, catching the mountain completely off guard.

……

The Yinban Mountain, which was occupied by the Nanzhao army, looks like an iron cone when viewed from above. The area below the mountain is barren due to generations of logging, while the mountain itself is covered with pine trees.

This is a significant advantage for the defending side.

The enemy can see everything when they attack the mountain, but they cannot see the movement of their troops on the mountain. This is a perfect opportunity to use the strategy of avoiding the enemy's strength and attacking their weakness.

This is why the Nanzhao army deployed its troops on this mountain. But just as the Nanzhao army on the mountain was getting drowsy from the sun, countless Tang soldiers suddenly appeared at the foot of the mountain.

The Nanzhao people were terrified! The appearance of these Tang soldiers meant that their camp had been exposed.

So they stopped trying to hide and started burning smoke signals on the mountaintop.

At this point, the most important thing is to hold the hilltop, otherwise the camp behind it will be in danger.

As the smoke signals rose, the Nanzhao general guarding the mountain rushed out of his tent, then suddenly returned inside. Two mournful cries followed, and the general emerged carrying a blood-dripping sword.

As soon as the general came out, he issued military orders:

"Burn the beacon fires even brighter! General Meng Zhaoluo will come to our rescue! Brothers, hold on! I don't need to tell you what will happen to us if we fall to the other side!"

This general is named Cuan Bidao. He is a descendant of Cuan Shouyu, the former governor of Nanning Prefecture. The Cuan clan had always been governors of tributary states under the Tang Dynasty, but a series of events during the Tianbao era led to their decline, forcing them to migrate south and seek refuge with the Nanzhao people.

Back then, Cuan Shouyu was able to marry the daughter of King Piluoge of Nanzhao, which put him in the upper echelons of Nanzhao. But now, after seven or eight generations, they are just a low-level local chieftain's family.

Even so, Cuan Bidao was still afraid of falling into the hands of the Tang army, because he had heard that the Han people would avenge a feud that lasted for ten generations, let alone his own family, which had only been seven or eight generations.

As expected, inspired by Cuan Bidao, the Bai barbarian soldiers bravely defended the mountain, repeatedly repelling the Tang army's attack with falling rocks.

It was at this moment that Cuanbido, looking south from the mountain, could already see the banners of the Nanzhao army's reinforcements. Looking back at the "disheveled" retreating Tang army, he stood with his hands on his hips, full of pride:

"That's it? It's nothing special!"

(End of this chapter)