Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

The Tang army repaired their camp defenses overnight, not afraid of being seen by the Tibetans. They openly lit bonfires, carried torches, dug trenches, built fortifications, and erected wooden palisades.

The barbarian army, with its low morale, dared not attack at night. Shang Jiexi ordered his men to set up camp and rest, and said with a smile to his men, "The Tang people have been building fortifications all night, exhausting their soldiers. Let's see how much strength they have left to defend against us after dawn."

Unexpectedly, Li Ji ordered his soldiers to be divided into several shifts to take turns repairing the fortifications and resting. Because of his skillful command and proper arrangements, when the Tibetan army looked at the fortifications again at dawn the next day, they found that the Tang fortifications were no less than twice as strong as the day before, which could completely make up for the soldiers' lack of rest.

Ultimately, setting up camp yesterday was far too hasty. Although there was an existing fortress at the pontoon bridgehead, only a few hundred men were originally stationed there. With six thousand arriving all at once, it was impossible for them all to squeeze in. They had to dig trenches and build earthen ramparts on the outside. However, the Tibetan army arrived in less than half a day. Even the last few palisades were hastily tied together by Tang soldiers who were trembling with fear as they watched the Tibetan army surge towards them. Their quality was questionable.

But after a night of work, the camp is much more complete—this is true of many things; going from zero to one is the most laborious, while going from one to two or three is much simpler.

As for the Tibetan army, having come from afar yesterday, their hasty offensive, while revealing many weaknesses, could be compensated for by sheer numbers. Their earlier retreat, the back-and-forth marches, and the standoff at Jinchang City had fueled their fighting spirit, leading to a fierce and valiant advance. However, as the saying goes, "the first drumbeat loses its momentum, the second weakens, and the third exhausts it." Yesterday's setback at the Tang camp, coupled with a counterattack and heavy casualties, inevitably impacted morale, a situation that cannot be recovered from overnight.

Thus, the battle the following day was less intense than the previous day. The barbarian army repeatedly approached the Tang camp but was driven back each time. The Tang army, utilizing their fortifications, seemed to have some strength left. Shang Jiexi, however, could only frown deeply, inspecting the various camps to boost morale while hoping that the Tang army would run out of arrows quickly…

The defenders mainly relied on their powerful bows and crossbows. If the enemy were allowed to cross the multiple trenches and approach the palisades and fortifications, and engage in close combat, even if the Tang army was strong, it would be difficult to gain a decisive advantage—at most, one would fight two, which the Tibetans could easily afford.

However, Li Ji's army still had ample supplies for the time being. Especially since the Ming River was right behind them, he had rebuilt the Yumen Army beforehand and left a troop of soldiers at its old fortress to guard the supply route and also serve as a supply base. Since Shang Jiexi led the main army back and stationed it east of Jinchang County, subsequent grain and supplies dared not be transported west across the Ming River and were all piled up in the Yumen Army to supply the west bank.

If the Tang army numbered over ten thousand, or if the time dragged on, such transportation would not be sufficient; however, the weapons and arrows needed for only a few thousand people a day could be barely supplied by ferrying them across on leather rafts.

However, the Yumen army requested permission to cross to the east bank to rescue the Grand Commandant, but Li Ji rejected this request. Li Ji ordered them to hold their positions and simultaneously dispatched scouts to patrol the upstream and downstream routes for a day, to guard against the barbarian army crossing by another route to attack their rear. Sure enough, Shang Jiexi hastily made some rafts and ordered several thousand men to travel north for half a day to find a suitable place to cross the Ming River. As a result, they were met with a barrage of fire from the Tang army on the east bank, causing the first batch of dozens of rafts to sink completely, and all of the more than one hundred barbarian soldiers on board to become food for the fish and shrimp—if there were any fish and shrimp in the Ming River.

Meanwhile, Fifth Ran, who was in charge of repairing the pontoon bridge, was so busy that he hadn't slept for two days straight, and his lips were covered in blisters. With the cooperation of the Tang army on the east bank, the pontoon bridge was finally rebuilt on the afternoon of the third day. Gao Ying and others then advised Li Ji to return to the east bank of the Ming River, but Li Ji shook his head and said, "The barbarian bandits are closing in, and we cannot return now. Even if we cross quickly at night, it will be difficult to establish a fortification by dawn. If the barbarian bandits pursue us relentlessly, our army will surely be routed."

Yan Zhuang advised, "Generals Jing and Wei can remain here to defend the area. It is not advisable for the Grand Commandant to stay in such a dangerous place. It would be better for him to lead a portion of his troops across the river first."

Li Ji smiled and said, "With me here, all the troops are willing to fight to the death. If we leave, I'm afraid the defending general will find it difficult to withstand such a strong enemy." The situation has now basically stabilized, and he still hopes to hold onto the Ming River, waiting for Nan Jiyun to lead the main force to attack the Tibetan army from both the east and west. If they abandon the west bank now, even if the Tibetan army cannot cross the pontoon bridge to attack the east bank, what if they burn the pontoon bridge down? At that time, Nan Jiyun will come from afar with insufficient troops, and he may not be able to defeat Shang Jiexi, while he can only watch helplessly from the east bank. That would be incredibly frustrating.

"However, Mr. Yan and Gong Chu can cross the sea to the east first."

Gao Ying refused to leave, so Li Ji had no choice but to order Yan Zhuang to lead most of the civil officials and staff, and to carry hundreds of wounded soldiers across the Ming River. At the same time, he transferred two hundred fresh troops from the east bank to reinforce the front line.

Shang Jiexi grew increasingly anxious as he failed to capture the Tang camp for several days. Qin Mingsi reminded him, "The army cannot be allowed to remain here for long. If the Tang troops who went to attack Shazhou return and attack our rear, we will be in grave danger."

Shang Jiexi nodded and said, "I have the same concern." He then ordered Qin Mingsi to lead 5,000 troops to the west for ten miles to dig trenches and build fortifications to block the Tang army from coming to their aid.

But he hadn't expected the Tang army to arrive so quickly; just three days later, he received an urgent report from Jinchang. Shang Jiexi stamped his foot and said, "This must be because Li Ji knew reinforcements were coming, and that's why he returned east to lure us in!"

In Li Ji's estimation, the reinforcements were already more than half a day late. This was because after he withdrew eastward, the news reached Jinchang City. Shang Jiexi, fearing it was a trick, ordered a force to go south to attack the previous Tang camp. That force then garrisoned the empty fortress. The Tang fortress was built almost directly in the road. Although Nan Jiyun was anxious to return east, he dared not detour and was forced to launch a fierce attack.

The Tang army had about three thousand barbarian troops in its fortifications. If they had relied on the strong fortifications, they could have withstood a rapid attack by tens of thousands of troops for several days without being defeated. However, Li Ji's plan was so incomprehensible to most barbarian generals that they could not fully utilize the effectiveness of the fortifications. On the contrary, Nan Jiyun, who was experienced in battle, was familiar with this tactic. He used it to launch a feint attack, luring the enemy to reveal a weakness, and then captured the fortifications in one fell swoop.

Even so, it still took most of the day to get through.

Seeing the approaching main force of the barbarian army, with trenches already dug and chevaux-de-frise erected in front of them, Nan Jiyun grew anxious. Li Ji's last message to him was sent by fast horse before leaving the southern fortifications of Jinchang City; Li Ji claimed he would deploy his forces with their backs to the Ming River to block the barbarian army and urged Nan Jiyun to return immediately. Nan Jiyun didn't know Li Ji's current whereabouts or the battle's progress, but logically, regardless of whether they had crossed the Ming River, being outnumbered meant a very high risk.

At this moment, the longer they are late, the more dangerous it will be for the Grand Commandant. Therefore, Nan Jiyun summoned Chen Lizhen and Gao Chongwen and said with his hands clasped, "The Grand Commandant has put himself in a dangerous place to lure the barbarian bandits. We cannot stay here and fight the bandits for long. We must make a concerted effort to break through the enemy's camp and go to rescue the Grand Commandant. The success or failure of this battle rests entirely on your shoulders!"

Chapter 61, Immediately Singing Sands

Nan Jiyun immediately led his most elite troops into battle, ordering Gao Chongwen to lead the heavily armored infantry "Xuanfeng Army" to attack the fortifications from the front, and Chen Lizhen to lead the heavily armored cavalry "Xiaoqi Army" to take the enemy's flanks.

Qinmingsi's forces were smaller than the Tang army's, and their fortifications were relatively rudimentary—the Tibetans were far less skilled at building fortifications than the Tangs. Had they been given time, planned carefully, and worked diligently, they might have been able to fortify their positions somewhat. However, the Tang army arrived too quickly, and Qinmingsi did not have enough time—thus, he was easily overrun by a single charge from Generals Gao and Chen. The Tibetan army was routed, and Qinmingsi himself died in the chaos.

Nan Jiyun led his army past the barbarian camp and encountered Li Ji. The two sides met, feeling both delighted and puzzled. Li Ji, seeing the barbarian army abandon their camp and retreat, suspected reinforcements had arrived, and thus led several hundred elite troops to probe the enemy lines. He hadn't dared to advance too far, but to his surprise, there were few barbarian troops blocking his way. After advancing more than ten li, they finally encountered a barbarian army. At the first charge, the enemy scattered, and then Tang banners appeared from behind the enemy ranks…

In other words, we only have a few thousand barbarian troops between us, and they don't seem to be elite. Where did our remaining 50,000 troops go?

Li Ji ordered Nan Jiyun to stop here and repair the barbarian fortifications, while I returned to the west bank of the Ming River. We would form a pincer movement, supporting each other from afar. At the same time, we would send out scouts in all directions to search for the main barbarian army—where did they go, and what tricks were they planning to play?

Li Ji's biggest worry was that Shang Jiexi would launch a desperate counterattack, causing the army to turn towards the upper reaches of the Ming River and seek a place to cross it. If tens of thousands of people were to fight to cross, the small Tang army on the east bank would definitely not be able to stop them. Even if the Tibetan army suffered heavy losses as a result, if they could take the opportunity to advance straight ahead and capture the Yumen army, then my retreat would be truly cut off!

Fortunately, the mystery was soon solved—before nightfall, scouts returned to report that a large force of Tibetan troops had been spotted heading south to intercept the mountain and then westward.

Li Ji couldn't help but stamp his foot: "They're still holding interest, but they're quick to seize opportunities!"

Shang Jiexi knew things were bad as soon as he received news that the main Tang army had returned to reinforce. He was now pinned down before the enemy's fortifications, his morale low, while the Tang army attacked from behind. Once this pincer movement was established, he would have nowhere to run. The fact that several thousand Tang soldiers in front of him could withstand ten times their number without collapsing was enough to terrify Shang Jiexi; even if only half the Tang army behind him were as formidable, he couldn't easily defeat or break through their lines.

In fact, the Tang army didn't even need to fight. They could simply maintain their own deep trenches and high fortifications, creating a prolonged stalemate, which would leave the Tibetans bewildered. This is because the Tang army on the western front had likely already captured Dunhuang, while the Tang army on the eastern front had supplies from Liangzhou via a direct route, ensuring they wouldn't lack provisions. Meanwhile, their own army's supplies would depend entirely on Jinchang City—how long could that last? They wouldn't be able to break through the Tang fortifications quickly, and as time went on, their arrows and food would run out, making further advances impossible!

The only course of action now is to disengage before the Tang army arrives on the western front and move to a more advantageous region. With Tang troops on both the east and west, our only options are the south and north. Given our current morale and fighting strength, we fear we cannot hold Jinchang or Yumen Pass. Must we then retrace our steps through the Gobi Desert and attempt to attack Yizhou again? If the Tang army pursues us relentlessly, is it even possible to capture it?

Therefore, Shang Jiexi ultimately decided to leave Qinming to make the final decision, while he quickly moved his camp south to Jieshan. He planned to take advantage of the opportunity when the Tang armies from the east and west were rushing to their aid, break out of the encirclement, and head west south of Jieshan to recapture Shazhou. Once Shazhou was captured, he would be safe. After a short rest, he could launch a counterattack. Even if he couldn't win, he could simply retreat back to the plateau.

Li Ji was both pleased and frustrated. He was pleased that Shang Jiexi's westward departure not only ruined the enemy's plan to attack Beiting this year, but also gave him hope of reopening the Silk Road and transporting supplies to Tingzhou in time to help Li Yuanzhong recover. He was frustrated because the original plan was to engage the enemy in a decisive battle within Guazhou, inflicting heavy casualties, but the main force of the barbarian army had almost completely fled...

In a conflict between two nations, the primary factor determining victory or defeat is the strength of their respective states—currently, the Tang dynasty is steadily recovering, and the balance of power is gradually tilting towards the East. Secondly, it's crucial to gain a strategic advantage and, through one or two decisive battles, cripple one side's main force. The gains or losses of a dozen or so cities or a couple of prefectures are ultimately insignificant. Li Ji had hoped to capitalize on the fact that his own resources were still plentiful and morale was high, while the Tibetan army had suffered repeated defeats in Longyou and Hexi, to decisively defeat Shang Jiexi's main force here. This would allow the Tibetans to adopt a defensive posture for the next three to five years, with the strategic initiative firmly in the hands of the Tang dynasty. Therefore, Shang Jiexi's decision to abandon the rearguard Qinmingsi and retreat to Guazhou to preserve his strength was something Li Ji was unwilling to see.

But it's too late now, there's nothing we can do but lament – ​​the barbarian army has gone far away, and we certainly can't catch up.

So the Tang army turned northwest and formally besieged Jinchang City. Shang Ximo defended it desperately, but could not capture it for a time. Li Ji thought that if the troops were to remain under the fortified city for too long, and Shang Ximo was to stabilize Shazhou and then turn back to attack, they might end up in the same predicament as the Tibetan army had been... So he deliberately opened up the western part of the city, forcing the garrison to withdraw.

Of course he hoped to annihilate all the barbarian troops in Jinchang City, but for the sake of the overall situation, he had to take a step back for the time being. Besides, if you let 50,000 people escape, why would you care about these 5,000?

After a seven-day siege, Shang Ximo finally opened the city gates at night and led his remaining troops to retreat westward. Li Ji sent Youyi Army to pursue them, but only a few hundred were killed or wounded.

Shang Ximo fled into Shazhou territory in one breath. The generals requested an immediate pursuit to seize Shazhou and drive the barbarian bandits back to the plateau. Military advisor Lu Lun pointed westward and said, "Looking at the map, beyond the Jieshan Mountains are the Sanwei Mountains, where Shun once exiled the Sanmiao people. Beyond the Sanwei Mountains is the Mingsha Mountains—when the Grand Commandant first garrisoned Shuofang, he trained his troops in Mingsha City. Perhaps it is a sign from heaven that he will eventually stand on Mingsha Mountain!"

Li Ji smiled and said, "Back in Shuofang, I never imagined there would be such a good omen." But he immediately shook his head and said, "Shangjiexi's main force is still intact, and they will surely be on high alert for us. It is not advisable to attack."

The main point is that the road ahead is all flat. Neither Jieshan, Sanweishan, nor Mingshashan are particularly steep. The Tibetans cannot defend it, and the Tang army cannot occupy a sufficiently secure forward base. Li Ji said to his generals, "I am eager to march west to save Anxi and Beiting and to open up the Silk Road. Now that we have recovered Guazhou, we can go straight to Yi and Xi. Therefore, we will not take over the southern route for the time being."

The Silk Road can be divided into three sections longitudinally. The eastern section starts from Chang'an and has three roads leading to Zhangye, then through Jiuquan and Jinchang to Dunhuang. The middle section goes out through Yumen Pass and connects to the Western Regions. The western section travels through Central Asia and West Asia.

In the middle section, there are also three routes: the southern route goes south of Tulunqi (Taklamakan Desert), passing through Putuo City, Qiemo City, Yutian Town, and Qinan Prefecture to reach the Pamir Mountains; the northern route goes north of Tulunqi, passing through the three towns of Yanqi, Kucha, and Shule, and can cross the Groling Mountains to enter Central Asia—if you follow this route westward, Dunhuang is a strategic point that you cannot avoid.

However, both routes required traversing, or merely brushing against, the vast deserts of Bailongdui and Tulunqi, with harsh environments and treacherous paths. Therefore, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, a new northern route was opened to the north, which became the primary thoroughfare connecting the Western Regions during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. This route started from Guazhou, passing through Yiwu, Bohai Bay, Beiting, Luntai, and Suyab, all the way to Talas. For this purpose, a new Yumen Pass was established near the large marshland north of Jinchang, while the old pass west of Dunhuang was renamed the Old Yumen Pass.

If Li Ji wanted to go directly to rescue Anxi, he would naturally have to take both the northern and southern routes, inevitably passing through Dunhuang; if he planned to rescue Beiting first, and then go south from Beiting to Anxi, then he could ignore Dunhuang and recover Guazhou would be enough.

Therefore, Li Ji stationed his troops in Changle County, the westernmost part of Guazhou, and built dozens of fortresses near the main road, forming a defensive perimeter to prevent the Tibetan army from counterattacking from Shazhou. Li Ji only sent cavalry affiliated with the Tibetans to continue westward, plundering Shazhou territory and gathering intelligence on the Tibetans' movements. Ten days later, news gradually arrived that Shang Jiexi had stationed his troops between Sanwei Mountain and Dunhuang, retraining them and stockpiling provisions and supplies.

In other words, the barbarian army could launch a counterattack at any time, attempting to recapture Guazhou. However, Li Ji became more and more optimistic each day. He said, "Having fought the bandits several times before, I know they are not good at attacking fortified positions. If we had just arrived in Changle, we could have rested and then come. In a decisive battle on the plains, the outcome would be uncertain—of course, it also depends on whether the barbarian bandits' morale can be restored. Now, I have secretly built fortresses and fortified cities, which are almost complete. Even if the bandits send another 50,000 men, I will have nothing to fear!"

He didn't even intend to stay there any longer, feeling that waiting was pointless. So he left the main force behind, with Nan Jiyun in charge of defending the frontier, while Li Ji pulled Lao Jing along, saying, "Let's see our old friend go."

Actually, this idea was given to him privately by Yan Zhuang. Yan Zhuang said, "Now that the barbarian bandits have retreated, we only need to hold Jinchang, and they will be unable to advance on Beiting again. However, this will only show Li Yuanzhong's merit in defending the territory, and will not show the virtue of the Grand Commandant's rescue. Is the Grand Commandant willing to accept this?"

Li Ji led two thousand infantry and cavalry, including his personal guards, and conscripted laborers from various prefectures that were affiliated with the Hu tribes. They loaded hundreds of cattle and horses, carts with provisions, money, silk, armor, weapons, and other supplies. They set off from Jinchang, passed through the newly abandoned Yumen Pass, and headed towards Yizhou in a grand procession.

It took more than a day for them to arrive at Yiwu, the capital of Yizhou. Governor Yuan Guangting opened the city gates and led his officials and generals to greet them respectfully on the left side of the road.

Li Ji glanced at him from horseback and saw that this Prefect Yuan had white hair and beard, his face was crisscrossed with deep wrinkles, he wore a half-new black gauze turban, and a patched dark red satin robe. He stood with his hands clasped and his back bent—clearly not to show respect, but because he genuinely couldn't straighten up.

Li Ji couldn't help but be surprised, because he had naturally checked the files of the main generals and officials of the various prefectures in Hexi beforehand, and knew that Yuan Guangting, the governor of Yizhou, was born in the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan, and should only be in his early forties this year, so why did he look so old? Looking around, he saw that there was only one person wearing a red robe, so there couldn't be anyone else.

Naturally, one should be polite and respectful to the elderly, so Li Ji immediately dismounted and asked, "Which one of you is Magistrate Yuan?"

Sure enough, the old man stepped forward tremblingly and replied, "This humble official is Yuan Guangting, paying respects to the Grand Commandant."

"How old is Your Excellency?"

"How dare I? I am forty-four."

"Why is your hair and beard all white?"

Yuan Guangting did not answer, but a clerk behind him reported on his behalf: "The barbarian bandits have attacked Yizhou almost every year. Rouyuan and Nazhi counties have been breached several times, but only Yiwu has been defended by Lord Yuan and us to the death, barely managing to hold on. Lord Yuan has exhausted himself, yet fears he has failed the court's trust, which is why he has turned white-haired and haggard. This year, Commander Li plotted to abandon Yizhou, but Lord Yuan said: 'The court entrusted me with this prefecture. If I cannot defend it, I will die. There is no reason for me to withdraw. The people may leave, but I will never go. I swear to perish with Yizhou!' If it weren't for the Grand Commandant driving out the barbarians to rescue it, we would also have died with Lord Yuan for our country..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was filled with respect and immediately helped Yuan Guangting, who seemed on the verge of falling, saying, "If it weren't for you, my lord, I wouldn't have been able to come here so calmly."

Li Yuanzhong originally planned to shrink the defensive line and temporarily abandon Yizhou, which was directly in the enemy's front and had almost no natural defenses. If that were the case, even if Shang Jiexi turned back halfway, he could send one or two thousand troops north to occupy the city first. Then, when Li Ji arrived, there would definitely be another battle.

Yuan Guangting said tremblingly, “Grand Commandant, please don’t look at the household register. It says that Yizhou has less than 2,500 households and only about 10,000 registered people. In fact, there are many Hu people who have submitted to the Hu people in the prefecture. To the north, there are 30,000 Shatuo tribes near Pulei Lake, and to the east, near Liugu River, there are no less than 20,000 nomadic tribes. If we abandon it lightly, they will all join the barbarians, and the enemy will become even stronger. It will be difficult to defend the northern court. Therefore, although I know that it is useless to defend an isolated city, I will never allow the barbarian bandits to take it away without any damage.”

"If the Tang family loses even an inch of their land, a thief will be left lying dead in blood, let alone Yizhou, which spans over four hundred li!"

Li Ji exclaimed, "Your words are truly impressive!" He instinctively reached out to pat Yuan Guangting on the shoulder, but then withdrew his hand—he figured the old man might not be able to withstand a slap from him...

He then asked Yuan Guangting, "How many soldiers and men are still inside the city?"

“The soldiers numbered less than a thousand, all of them like the minor officials, who swore to live and die with the city; their families, who refused to move west, numbered in the thousands.”

“The soldiers and men of Longyou I have seen in the past would flee in terror at the mere mention of the approaching barbarian bandits, yet they were willing to defend Yizhou to the death, even though it was a distant place. This must be because they admired Lord Yuan’s resolve. Please accept my bow!”

As he spoke, Li Ji released Yuan Guangting and was about to kneel, but Yuan Guangting quickly grabbed him, saying, "The imperial system is in place. The Grand Commandant is of high rank; there is no reason for him to kneel before a lowly official!" Li Ji couldn't kneel down—not because Yuan Guangting was strong enough to hold him back, but because he was worried that the old man might stumble and fall on top of him...

So he ordered, "Bring the horses, I want to ride into the city side by side with Magistrate Yuan."

The day after Li Ji entered Yiwu City, Zhu Xiejinzhong, the leader of the Shatuo tribe, also crossed the Zheluoman Mountain to pay his respects. Li Ji comforted him with kind words—after all, Jian Dao had given him a lot of help when he sneaked into Beiting that day. After resting for two days, he and Zhu Xiejinzhong went to Tingzhou to support Li Yuanzhong.

In fact, Li Ji didn't bring many supplies; it was just a gesture. He couldn't control the vast Beiting for the time being. He only hoped that the grain would fill the Tingzhou treasury, the money and silk would boost the morale of the defending troops, and the armor and weapons would barely be enough for Li Yuanzhong to train seven or eight hundred elite soldiers.

The three prefectures of Beiting were originally considered prosperous lands in the Western Regions, with abundant water and grass, suitable for both farming and grazing. However, along Li Ji's journey, he saw that most of the farmland was abandoned, and the Tang people were mostly women and children, their faces pale and sickly. They wept and bowed to the government troops upon seeing them—he knew that in order to resist the annual invasions of Tibet, most of the able-bodied men had joined the army, resulting in a shortage of labor in the fields and a sharp drop in yields. As for the surrounding nomadic tribes, most of them were half-hearted, and it was difficult to collect sufficient supplies from them.

Although the roads have been opened, Liangzhou is not wealthy enough, and the long transport route makes it difficult to maintain a consistent and sufficient supply of goods to the west. To restore Beiting to its former glory, the threat from Tibet must be completely eliminated.

Upon arriving at Jinman City, they found no trace of Li Yuanzhong...

Chapter 62, Dialogue Beneath the City Wall

The garrison commander of Beiting (not the military governor; theoretically, Li Yuanzhong was the military governor) welcomed Li Ji and his men into Jinman City. Li Ji then asked where his deputy commander was. The deputy commander frowned and replied, "He was captured by the barbarian bandits in a surprise attack on Zhangsan City. Commander Li... the deputy commander is leading troops to attack..."

Li Ji laughed and said, "If we can capture Ma Chongying here, the barbarian bandits will surely be terrified."

He had already learned from Mang Re that Ma Chongying had led over a thousand elite troops across the Great Sand Sea to launch a surprise attack on Zhang Sancheng's garrison, hoping to sever the connection between Anxi and Beiting and facilitate Shang Jiexi's advance into Beiting. Previously, the Tubo (Tibetan) forces often advanced northwards via multiple routes, simultaneously threatening both Anxi and Beiting, preventing mutual support between the two garrisons. However, now, having suffered recent defeats in Longyou and Liangzhou, their morale was low, and their forces were stretched thin, leaving them with only the option of focusing their attack on Beiting. Therefore, without warning, Anxi was likely to send reinforcements to Xizhou and Tingzhou—it was imperative to strike first and cut off both routes.

Li Ji had never traveled through the so-called "Great Sand Sea," nor did it match the place names of later generations. He only learned from the guide that it would take Ma Chongying more than a month to travel north from Dunhuang to Zhangsancheng, including at least twenty days traversing deserts and Gobi. Even with a guide, the possibility of getting lost was quite high. So, was this route even possible? A huge question mark hung in Li Ji's mind.

But to my surprise, Ma Chongying actually succeeded and launched a surprise attack on Zhang Sancheng... Li Ji thought to himself, "Well, since you're here, don't leave. Stay here!"

If it were any other Tibetan general, he wouldn't care at all. He would probably just wait in Jinman City and summon Li Yuanzhong back to meet him. Anyway, the main force of the Tibetans is unlikely to come to Beiting this year, and they have no spare strength to attack Anxi again. So what if the communication is cut off? He just needs to send troops to monitor them. Let's see how long they can hold out.

But since it was his old rival Ma Chongying, Li Ji had to go and see him. He thought to himself: If Ma Chongying had been captured by me instead of Li Yuanzhong, this achievement would be no less than recovering half of Hexi!

So he left 500 soldiers to help distribute supplies and maintain order, while Li Ji led the remaining soldiers south to Xizhou, bypassing the eastern section of Tianshan Mountain—that is, Bogda Mountain—and passing through Jiaohe and Tianshan counties before heading to Zhangsancheng to guard and capture him.

The capital of Xizhou was located in Gaochang County to the east, which was also the garrison of the Tianshan Army under the Beiting Military Governor. The Tianshan Army general had received prior notice from Tingzhou and hurriedly rode to Tianshan County to welcome Grand Commandant Li. Upon meeting him, Li Ji was both surprised and delighted, for this general was none other than Chen Fu, an acquaintance of his from his time in Ding'an and Longyou.

After ten years of separation, old friends reunited, and it was inevitable that they would hold hands and sigh with emotion. Li Ji then asked, "Where is Yi's hammer?" Chen Fu's brows furrowed, and he said sadly, "Last year, during a fierce battle with the barbarian bandits, he was struck by an arrow and died..."

Li Ji couldn't help but feel a little sad, so he asked, "Did he fight to the death?" Chen Fu nodded: "Seven arrows from the front, one of which hit the center of his chest."

Has the imperial court commended or honored him/her?

Chen Fu shook his head: "The roads are cut off, so there's no way to report it."

Chen Fu hosted a banquet for Li Ji within the Tianshan County government office. Li Ji was astonished to find the food quite plentiful, including meat, cakes, scallions, vegetables, and even red wine, a rarity even in Chang'an. Chen Fu explained that Xizhou had vast arable land and abundant fruit, especially melons and grapes, and therefore the quality of its grape wine was comparable to imported goods from Persia and Arabia.

Li Ji thought to himself, "Of course! Isn't this the Turpan Basin of later generations?"

As he traveled, he naturally observed that Xizhou had a large agricultural population, half of whom were Tang people or of mixed race. The fields were well-organized, and the productivity level was much higher than that of Yizhou and Tingzhou. This was due to two main factors: firstly, the favorable weather and location; the basin received abundant sunshine, and although there were few rivers, it was rich in groundwater, allowing the locals to draw water from karez wells for irrigation, resulting in high yields per mu; secondly, while most of the young and strong Tang people were engaged in military service, the governor did not trust the farming Hu people and therefore allowed them to remain in the fields to cultivate and weave.

Chen Fu said that without Xizhou, relying solely on Yizhou and Tingzhou would not only be insufficient in terms of manpower to defend against the barbarians, but even if the barbarians did not come, everyone would have starved to death long ago. Of the three prefectures in Beiting, Xizhou had more than several times the number of its registered population compared to the other two prefectures combined, and its grain production accounted for more than 80% of the entire town's output.

"However, this is aged wine, and because it has been stored properly, its flavor has not changed. But since last year, the town has ordered fewer melons and fruits to be planted and more millet and wheat to be planted. If the Grand Commandant had come a few more years later, I'm afraid he would not have been able to drink the grape wine."